Laurel Highlands Ultra Race Report - 2014 - 70.5 Miles of Smiles



The Laurel Highlands Ultra seems to have become quite the popular event, selling out quickly with rumors of needing a lottery in the future. To make matters more urgent, it's now been given its overdue props by being added to the Western States 100 Endurance Run's list of qualifying events. I ran it last year. I finished, but with a terribly bitter taste in my mouth. Janice, my loving, loyal and overly reliable crew/life-mate had a horrible day driving in those mountains. I had enough things go wrong that I turned my day on the trail into a suffer-fest as well. Back in December when registration opened, Janice didn't know it, but I decided I needed to return to right those wrongs and have the fun in The Laurel Highlands we should've had last year. I'd do it one more time and give the future running of this storied event to the fasties attempting to be chosen for Western States.


LOGISTICS:

Even though Dakota Jones doesn't think too highly of our mountains here in the East, The Laurel Highlands are nothing to take lightly. The roads commonly have extra lanes on the steep climbs so trucks can make it, cell signal is nothing more than a battery sapping dream in most places and resupply of any kind is sparse at best. In case you didn't notice, I'm not talking about the trail, I'm referencing just some of the pain you have to go through driving while crewing. Last year so many things went wrong for Janice while chasing me, I decided this year I would take an overkill approach to giving her the information and support she could rely on to get through the day. This year, the GPS had the aid station coordinates preprogrammed to eliminate reliance on smart phones. I purchased a Spot Messenger and I planned to send her a message with my position with two miles to go before each aid station. That way she wouldn't be guessing my arrival times. That would also allow her to hopefully get some sleep while waiting at the finish line. She had multiple paper maps and printed pages of addresses of food and gas locations in case the electronics let her down. I also didn't forget to refill the gas tank after dinner this year. Janice also claimed bedtime was too late last year so we got dinner done earlier and cut out our tourist visit to look at the falls (we did not however cut out our visit to the Christian W. Klay Winery next door to the hotel). Instead of after dinner, Friday morning I did stuff like mixing GU Roctane, prepping hydration vests and a crew bag. She stressed that last year her fatigue made her an exhausted mess by the time I finished. Hopefully this year with precautions in place, I'd be the only one too tired to function at day's end. We did repeat a couple things that worked well last year: we ate at Fabrizi's, and stayed at The Lodge at Chalk Hill.

Pop Robin delivering dinner above our deck at The Lodge at Chalk Hill



AID STATIONS:


Last year, we went with a two vest system that worked so well, Janice more resembled an Indy Pit Crew than the typical ultra crew. I would arrive at an aid station to find Janice waiting with a full hydration vest, dropped the empty vest while she'd put the new one on me and off I went. Efficient right? Well yes, but maybe too efficient. I was flying through aid stations, in some places forgetting to eat and just not benefitting from a few moments of stopping. I also did not swap vests with her at the first aid station which proved to be a mistake so this year every time I'd see her we'd swap whether I was empty or not. Last year I saw a woman pass me more than once and I wondered, "why am I seeing her again?" I didn't remember passing her, "where'd she come from?" It dawned on me, she was actually taking a brief recharge break at aid stations, heck I even noticed she was dressed differently; she was changing clothes. Last year at mile 57 I simply changed socks and felt like a million bucks so this year on top of actually pausing at aid stations, I had a complete change of clothes(including shoes) in Janice's crew bag.



THE RUN:


The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail has plenty of climbing and much of it's worst ascents are in the first 9 miles. There's a climb at mile 6 that much resembles a couple of hills I train on here at home. When I'm training at home, I charge up them in a strong power hike and I figured why not do the same on this climb? Well, when I'm "charging" up them at home, I don't have 60 more miles to go. That little stunt last year put me in such debt the rest of the day, the struggle just to finish was nasty. On top of the physical mess I created, last year my brain was fried as well. That nasty struggle mostly existed between miles 35 and 46, so on top of conserving on those early climbs. At the 32 mile aid station I had learned of all of Janice's problems on the morning and that weighed heavy on top of my own problems. I knew I needed to do something different this year in those middle-miles to keep my head out of a straight jacket.


2014

Checked the weather a week prior to the event, 78° High Humidity & Thunder Storms was the forecast. I thought, "oh boy it's going to be hot this year". In most of Pennsylvania, pouring rains filled the week leading into the event. Even Friday night in Ohiopyle an impressive storm drenched the region and with it came a wonderfully cool forecast for Saturday. In fact the temperatures in the 60's much resembled last year's which were quite pleasant placing worries of heat firmly in the rearview mirror.


The new visitor center in Ohiopyle is now complete, so parking at the start was much easier than last year and like last year we were greeted with a misty morning fog, but thankfully all the storms had bid us farewell. Even in the 5am darkness, the rapids and falls at Ohiopyle were a powerful sight to see (and hear) with the recent influx of rainfall. It was cool to see Bryon Powell with iRunFar ("here") at the start line, I was hoping I'd get a chance to meet him, but oh well it didn't happen. Check-in/number pick up was easy and at 5:30am after a prayer for all of us we a simple "go".

The rain swollen Youghiogheny at Ohiopyle.



Trotting easily through Ohiopyle on about 3/4 mile of road, I felt odd like it was going to be one of those runs that takes me a forever to get warmed up. My knees felt grumpy and my breathing was a mess, but I at least know to just ride it out because both will settle. Todd Lewis passed me like I was standing still right at Wilderness Voyageurs. Knowing that our finishing times are often similar, I wondered, "wow, just how slow am I going?" I talked myself out of concern remembering my plan to cruise easily up the mountain as a plan to have a better day later and I relaxed. I watched numerous folks attacking those climbs wondering if I'd see them later. I never did feel good until the check point at 19 miles so perhaps my inability to get warmed up was a blessing in disguise because arriving there 13 minutes slower than last year was exactly what I was looking for.


At the 11 mile aid station I met Janice and swapped vests, ate food even though I didn't feel hungry and she sent me on my way. I was already drinking a lot of GU Roctane and into my hourly Gel/Electrolyte Capsule schedule and a salt tablet every other hour. I felt like I should worry about the cut off at the 19 mile check point, but I wasn't as slow as I thought. Besides, along with Janice, the effervescent Leon Lutz was there as well; so I knew if they tried to pull me I could sneak out while those two discussed the matter in depth with the check point boss (just kidding). For those who don't know my girl Janice or Leon, getting supported by or just running into personalities like theirs in a difficult event like this one can be an enormous shot of positive mojo. They don't even charge for the love they exude - pretty cool!

PB&J - MY FAVORITE!



Another PA runner Ben Mazur was there crewing for Todd Lewis and I ran into him at the 26 mile Seven Springs Ski Resort Aid Station. It very cool to see a familiar face there considering Janice would be skipping this one, waiting for me at the next. Todd had breezed through there way ahead of me, so Ben was just chilling at the aid station - I reminded him that he had passed me near there last year, his iPhone App was talking to him as he went by me. Approaching the aid station at 32 miles, three or four 50kers swept past me. Those kids were cookin'! (along with the 70.5 mile race there's a 50k as well and team relay events in each distance - so four races in one really) The aid stations at this event are staffed by caring and knowledgeable volunteers who refuse to let you go with unmet needs.  While I don't recommend it, the well run, well placed aid stations and the ability to use drop bags at two later locations allow runners to go without a crew. This is a difficult trail that no matter how you look at it, it's 70 miles long, Janice has crewed for me both years and if for nothing more than piece of mind; having that support is invaluable.



An aid station open for business & buzzing.



Well, I guess I couldn't get through a blog post without complaining about runners who babble loudly while running. This event had them too.


I learned something here though:


1. When runners are talking(yelling), if you're behind them they're not as loud. 
2. I also learned (especially later in the day) I'm not alone when it comes to being annoyed by those who clamber on loudly about mundane crap while they're running.


NOTE: Janice will tell you, I talk way too much and it's probably true, but when I'm in the forest, the forest is why I'm there - I'm not there to hear about your kid's bad grades, your expensive new mountain bike that almost got your thrown out of the house, the fact that your cat can't have bowel movements without having Vaseline on her butt, etc. (or any of that other stuff that if any runner ever reads my blog and recognizes my examples will probably get me punched at the next run).


Like the last race I ran though, I found good company in another runner and he couldn't have appeared at a better time as a young guy named Victor, who I learned is a middle school teacher in Erie. Our paces became joined just after the 32 mile aid station and the friendly banter for the next miles was just what the doctor ordered. We didn't talk loudly or continually and we talked to amuse ourselves, not to hold conversations that belong at Starbucks. Running with him was like having a pacer and it was right where I needed one. These were the miles that chewed me up last year. I told him how I struggled there last year and every time we approached another dreaded hill, it really wasn't that bad. I was benefitting from my conservative start and my mental state stayed level and I was getting through with little suffering. We were in and out of the 38 mile aid station at the same time, but he needed to pull off to answer the call of nature and planned to perform some basic toenail maintenance at the 46 mile aid station so I never saw him again or more importantly thank him properly for pacing me through the mental-mess miles - I'm sure he had no idea how much he helped me.

Oh look, another hill.





The beauty of The Laurel Highlands Trail is immense and difficult to describe and unfortunately most of it is missed when running. Ferns line much of the trail and the further went north, the ferns seemed to increase to monstrous sizes. The trail sneaks through boulder piles, around a lake, right through Seven Springs Ski Resort and over The PA Turnpike. There's a section of side-hill that cuts across the face of a hill lined by ferns and they seem to grow parallel to the ground beneath them. So imagine that there are ferns on either side of a trail on the slope of a hill, they're above and below you and because of the way their frons hang above the earth, they create optical illusion that makes you think you need to lean with them (maybe I was just hallucinating) - in any event, I made myself focus on trees; knowing they were indeed growing vertically/no more leaning required (I'm sure not a single reader at this point believes I have an ounce of sanity left - you really do have to see it for yourself). I've read the trail guide and I know I missed so much of it's beauty, so I plan that the next time I visit I'll be carrying a camera, wearing a legit backpack and taking days instead of hours to complete its 70 miles.

An ancient cemetery along the trail.



I can't talk about the trail without this year mentioning the mud. It rained across Pennsylvania most of the week leading up to the event. Friday as we headed into Ohiopyle, we had a local radio station on that was announcing an approaching damaging storm. The commentator described down pours and damaging winds and they were now on their way to the area. So just like last year, when we checked into the hotel, it was pouring and man did it pour! All that rainfall combined with the Friday afternoon grand finale guaranteed 70 miles of mud on Saturday. Some of it was slippery, some of it was puddles and some of it was that ankle deep stuff that pulls at your shoes as you slop through it. I was following a guy up a steep climb who had zero traction in his Hoka's and kept slipping. I passed more than one runner sitting on the ground putting their shoes back on after retrieving them from the mud that had just removed them. One runner, who this was his 8th running of the event, said this was the muddiest he had ever seen it. Yes, mud is part of it, you  have to expect it to some extent. The Salomon Speedcross shoes I wore were perfect for those conditions so I thankfully kept the mud at mostly an amusement level.



In the 50's, I was slowing slightly, walking the steeps, but mostly still running. I did begin to recognize runners I remembered leaving me on those initial climbs. Unfortunately, one of them was Todd. We weren't far from the 57 mile aid station, he was walking and told me he had bonked, needing some solid food. I moved on knowing that Ben would be waiting for him up ahead. I could to give Ben the heads up to make sure Todd could refuel and keep going. Soon I ran into Danny Mowers(not running it this year) instead and he was looking for Todd who was past due. I gave him the details and he was off to find him. Janice was waiting at the aid station and I told her that I agreed that dry clothing was a good idea. The breeze had cooled the air and wet muddy clothing was beginning to bother me in a cold kinda' way. She was happy I saw it her way and when I told her I'd also like to change my shoes, she replied confidently "I have them too". While changing, Todd and Danny strolled in. Janice had found the Sheetz (convenience store) that apparently time had forgotten and she had chicken tenders. I had one and she offered the same to starving Todd. With just a shirt change he was out of the aid station well ahead of me. Sitting down and taking my time to change everything except my compression shorts turned into an excellent break from the perpetual movement. I added a light wind jacket over a sleeveless and I was back on the trail, encouraged that it still wasn't quite dark yet.

Smiling, I know I only have a half marathon to go.

Dry clothes at 57 miles.



One last gulp of Coca-Cola while Danny Mowers chills
and waits for his next friend to arrive.



I soon realized I forgot two bottles I wanted to carry, but decided I'd be fine without them(my only real mistake on the day- I think). Not much longer and I saw Todd again and he was sort of stopped talking to another runner. When I passed he reached out and said hello and I almost lost my balance(klutz). I was anxious to reach the gas line road and the next aid station at mile 62. Just knowing I would be soon be under 10 miles to go had me stoked to keep moving as quickly as I could. I did soon reach the road and the aid station. In the darkness at the aid station I recognized Charlie Ellis requesting a grilled cheese to go and he reminded me that he told me he'd see me later. Charlie had introduced himself to me on the big climb at the beginning of the day, telling me he not only read my blog, but remembered me finishing last year and recognized me this year. I was astonished by all three facts. Through much of the next miles we stuck together with another runner keeping our distance from a pair who were a talking machine up ahead of us. Charlie ducked into the ferns for relief and not much further I was eaten by a climb at the 65th mile. I felt spent. Charlie caught back up and passed with ease and I couldn't match pace with the other fella either. I was now in bumbling and stumbling mode, tripping over everything. My stabilizer muscles were fried and my lack of any existing coordination seemed much worse in the shadowy darkness. Charlie had spoken of a sub-19 hour finish for us and I watched as that became more and more unrealistic for me. Before too long I was surprised that I caught back up to the other runner who I eventually learned his name was Marvin and he was from the Baltimore area. He was now in the same condition, hoping the finish line would come to us. I promised him that I had probably tripped over 2,000 rocks since we had parted company. We laughed off our struggle together and found our way through the rocks to the finish. He had said at one point, "I'm barely moving" and approaching the finish I told him I'd give him space so he could run it in alone. When I said run, I think he thought I was nuts. He finished and got his hand shake and 70 mile post trophy from the race director and I followed shortly after. Our running day was done.

I now have bookends (with Rick Freeman, Race Director)



Janice collected me promptly and I asked her if she had gotten my last Spot message or any sleep. She said "no" to both. Knowing we were now to somehow get to Pittsburgh to visit Niece Katie, I asked, "so what's our plan?" She said, "let's go to Katie's!" Janice had already had one highly caffeinated coffee drink from the Sheetz with the chicken tenders and she was ready to go. She had also gotten ice and the beer in the Jeep was cold! She drove and I enjoyed an ice cold celebratory Yuengling Summer Wheat. After one more stop at a Sheetz for another high octane coffee drink we were in Pittsburgh in no time flat. After such a long day, it was great to see Katie. I was embarrassingly filthy so it was especially great to see her shower...that showerhead is amazing, but that's a blog post all its own(I'll let Janice write that one - she installed the shower head after all).



This year's trip on The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail was magical. It was so good that it makes me forget the pain of the previous year. Sure I finished 30 minutes faster than last year and that's cool, but most importantly I feel I ran much smarter and we had a good day. Janice was as usual the highlight of my day. Knowing that I'm running in beautiful mountains with her waiting for me at each checkpoint makes me smile. That was pretty much my theme on the day. I caught myself smiling all day long - pretty good sign that you're either really enjoying yourself or you belong in an institution. All the smiles on the volunteers faces made it easy as did seeing new and familiar smiles, like Leon, Todd, Ben, Danny and meeting new ones like Charlie, Victor and Marvin. And when you cross the finish line at whatever hour you arrive, Rick Freeman the Race Director is there waiting for you and he's smiling too.



The smiles continued into Sunday at lunch with Katie at The Porch in Pittsburgh.



My only real let down of the day was a technological one and I didn't really let it bother me. At the pace I'm able to maintain over this type of terrain and distance, it's difficult to find a GPS watch with battery life long enough. I've been wearing the Ambit2 S watch by Suunto, it's an excellent device with different level GPS settings to provide longer battery life. The pinging of the satellites is what saps the battery so lessening their frequency allows the battery to go longer. The downside of that is that the watch is reaching out to space for a position update less frequent thus rounding off corners, etc. The result being that, yes my watch stayed on all 19 hours, but when I stopped it, it thought I had only traveled 63.42 miles vs. 70.5. No big deal, it's more important to me to have an unbroken track and time than the perfect distance. Besides, the little cement mile markers along the way tell the real tale. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a Suunto watch and I'm confident that some day they'll make a watch with longer battery life for us slow guys.


If you can travel 70.5 miles up and over mountains in less than 22 hours, then I greatly recommend this top notch challenge. No other event has given me anywhere near the sense of accomplishment as The Laurel Highlands Ultra.


Note: I find it funny to learn that now that this event is a qualifier for The Western States 100 Endurance Run (one of the most respected ultras in the world) finishing Laurel Highlands under 20 hours is qualification to enter the lottery to run it. I've never qualified for The Boston Marathon which if you believe the media is every runners Mecca, but now I've qualified for what I consider a truly big deal...sadly most of those misguided media folks have probably never even heard of Western States. [No, I have no plans to enter, but it feels good to know...]


Stuff I used:

Salomon Speedcross 3 Shoes
Salomon XR Mission Shoes
The North Face GTD Sleeveless Shirt (2)
The North Face Better Than Naked Wind Jacket
Brooks Rogue III Running Shorts (2)
Under Armour Seemless Compression Shorts
CEP Compression Calf Sleeves
Zensah Ultra Compression Calf Sleeves
Injini TRAIL 2.0 Midweight Mini-Crew Socks (2)*
Headsweats GU Energy Labs Race Cap
Headsweats iRunFar.com Race Cap
Headsweats iRunFar.com Supervisor
Nathan Performance HPL 020 Hydration Vest
Nathan Performance Endurance Hydration Vest (discontinued)
Suunto Ambit2 S GPS Watch
Spot Messenger GPS Transmitter
Body Glide Anti Chafe
Body Glide Skin
GU Roctane Ultra Endurance Drink
GU Roctane Gels
GU Electrolyte Capsules

*Injinji socks were a change for me for this year and I'd be remiss to not mention them. Last year I wore DryMax and Darn Tough socks and all 10 of my toenails were damaged and eventually lost. This year with Injinji, I have one toenail that's a little sore, but I attribute it to toeing a large rock in full stride. Injinji socks work, try 'em!

Fun photos from Janice's day crewing:

Old School/New School

Whaaat?

The other covered bridge...

You lookin' at me?

LWood?

Cool rock.

~4 ultras in 4 months - time to take a break!
~ nothing more for me till The Susquehanna Super Hike in September
~ NEXT STOP, THE BEACH!~

Obelisk Head



The Dirty German 50k - Redemption Run

May 18, 2014

Last year - The Dirty German 50k - 2013 - I arrived sick to the start line after very little sleep, rolled my ankle/fell around mile 8 and went off course following another runner up a wrong hill on the 2nd lap. My goals this year were to right those three wrongs.

2014 was off to a lame start for me - after difficult training conditions through the winter, March saw a weak finish at the HAT Run 50k and April delivered my first DNF when I packed it in after only 64 miles of the C&O Canal 100. I run these races for fun and that's it. I love to run and I train enough that I can beat cutoff times and finish. Not finishing last month felt like absolute crap. Last year The Dirty German served as a tune up for The Laurel Highlands Ultra and this year too, but to say I came to this event in need of some reaffirmation is very much an understatement.

Lasagna for supper and early to bed, meant I felt great rolling out at 3:45am for breakfast. I drove to Philly this year, last year I rode along in the passenger seat falling in and out of sleep in a cold sweat most of the way. Pinned on my number and feeling great for the start, Goal #1 was in the bag.

I ran into Tim Nash while we were picking up our race packets, we exchanged pre-race "how ya' doings?" and we were on our way. Oddly I saw Tim a short time later hustling down the sidewalk still wearing the blue jeans I saw him in earlier and carrying his race packet. I jokingly asked him if he was running in those jeans, only to learn that he was freaking out because he couldn't find where his buddy had moved the car. I assured him he had plenty of time till the start as he ran off searching. The same thing happened to me last year when Janice had to move the car. Thankfully my anxiety was brief as she had just moved across the street and I found her quickly. Tim said he had already been down and back in both directions with no luck. [parking at this event is a little challenging as it's along the street and not in the park, but I didn't see any cars parked too far from the start/finish - I've seen worse parking setups]



Just before the start I caught up with Rick Martin from Hummlestown, this was his first 50k and he was a bundle of excitement/anxiety to get the show on the road. Saw Tim again too and this time he was dressed to run and his heart rate was back to normal, he had obviously found the car. Off we went across the damp park lawn, crossed the Pennypack Creek by bridge and made a quick U-turn onto the trail and into the woods. Rick had said he wished he had thought to pack a drop bag in case he wanted dry socks after the first lap. I told him, I remembered a big puddle from last year, but other than that I couldn't remember water on the trail. We were quickly greeted by mud and water, much of it difficult/impossible to avoid and now I felt pretty stupid about giving out bad info.

Off to an easy start with Rick Martin (#307) leading the way.



For the entire first mile, I ran just a couple hundred feet behind Rick and Tim, keeping them in sight, but at the same time hoping I'd slow down not wanting to try to match their much faster pace. At 1.5 miles, my worries of keeping up with them were put aside as I caught a toe on something and found myself bouncing onto my ass after banging both of my knees on rocks. My left knee especially hurt and I came away with both bleeding. So Goal #2 of not falling was now off the list. [Note: I did not hit my head - Janice claims that I'm so uncoordinated that every time I fall I hit my head - when I got to my feet this time I actually mumbled out loud, "cool, I didn't hit my head"]

Notice the color coordinated red trim on my shorts.



The fall didn't take me out of the race, if anything it gave me the opportunity to collect myself and settle into a sustainable pace. I consider this an easy course so I planned to run the easy sections aggressively and "manage" through the tougher sections. We had plenty of rain the days leading up to the event and the trail was quite muddy and a stream that last year was barely ankle deep was up to your shorts if you didn't use the stepping stones. [Note: I typically just plow right through water avoiding stepping stones for fear of slipping and falling - on lap #2 I saw a woman do just that - she was tip toeing the stepping stones and soon found herself sitting on the stream bed, soaked.] That ice cold water felt great on my aching knees and it also did a nice job of washing the blood out of my white calf sleeves. I came to the intersection where I missed the turn last year and recognized it immediately, thinking to myself "remember this on the second lap" - I did, and Goal #3 of not getting lost was achieved. (For those counting, yes I achieved 2 of my 3 goals)

 

The aid stations at this event are great and it's definitely because of the people/volunteers. It seems they're all runners so they know your needs and they know how to talk to you. My hat's off to The Pagoda Pacers![you'll find the aid stations at the Blues Cruise 50k in October manned by those same great folks]

Chomping down a gel coming into to an aid station.





Pre-race anxiety gone - Tim Nash on cruise control.



Janice met me at or near each of the aid stations to swap handhelds(by now she's a pro at crewing and getting me through races - at this event she was so laid back about it she bordered on nonchalant). I carried a Nathan Quick Draw Plus with GU Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Drink and GU Roctane Energy Gels in the pouch. I had salt tablets and GU Electrolyte Capsules in my pockets. I ate a peanut butter & jelly sandwich once and drank a bunch of Coca-Cola and Mountain Dew at the aid stations. I think I maintained my nutrition pretty well, sticking to my hourly gel/electrolyte capsule dose and salt tablets on the off half hour. A huge meal Saturday night and a good breakfast helped to avoid glycogen debt which I'm pretty sure ended my day early at the C&O Canal 100.  At about 27 miles, I was going pretty good when I felt that tell tale pre-cramp twinge in my right inner thigh so I backed off a bit and ate salt. When you feel the twinge you're usually too late to battle it with salt, but it seemed to subside and I was even able to pick my pace back up (just in time for the nagging little hills just before the finish).



Perry the social runner! :-)





I've said before that I'm a loner when running and that running with others actually messes with my head, but this day was different. There was a young guy who I learned his name was Ethan who passed me so many times we lost count. With Janice's help I was going through aid stations faster than him so he'd spend much of the next section catching back up to me only to do it again at the next aid station and that continued all day. In fact with about 2 miles to go, I sensed a runner behind me on a tight single track section and I soon heard, "I'm baa-ack" and yep Ethan again had caught back up. (When our day-long game of leap frog was over I ended up finishing about 30 seconds behind him). For a good distance I was running with a small bunch (4 or 5) runners (including Ethan) and the chatter amongst these nut jobs was actually fun. Joking and cutting up and I actually enjoyed running with them. They weren't going on about their freakin' PR's or having some innocuous mundane conversation that belongs on the phone or at a Starbucks and not on a trail. They seemed comfortable with spending extra time at the final aid station and I lost contact with them there(except of course for ever-present Ethan). So take note, Perry the anti-social runner made a huge break through and enjoyed the company of strangers while running.

Coming in for the finish (the head above the clock is ever-present Ethan)



Coming into the finish, there was a pretty big crowd there yelling and cheering. I couldn't pick out Janice anywhere and I was concerned she hadn't been able to find parking because of all the people in the park. Over the accordion player's polka(who I'm really bummed I didn't get my photo with) I heard Janice's voice. I also heard another familiar voice and I was pleasantly surprised to spot Janice and her sister Debbie <pretty darned cool> who lives very nearby the park cheering me on as I arrived at the finish chute. I couldn't have been happier with this finish, yes it's an easy course, but most importantly I kept myself on the edge and managed it for the distance. I didn't blow up and I didn't phone it in. I finished something like 25 minutes faster than last year, being the quickest I've run that distance and that helped to deliver some much needed reaffirmation that I might actually be a runner.

This course is perfect for the first timer or for someone who's looking for a fast training run. Elevation gain is minimal and it's 100% runnable. There's single track, double-track and water crossings. There may be a bit more pavement than you'd expect in a trail run, but sometimes you need it to simply to piece together otherwise disconnected trails. This year it was quite wet and muddy. I wore Salomon Speedcross 3's that I'm breaking in and was afraid they'd be overkill, but with the sloppy conditions they were perfect. The Dirty German offers three distances, 25k(1 lap), 50k(2 laps) and 50 miles (3 laps+). This year the race director Stephan Weiss decided on a 30 minute staggered start with the 50 milers going off first, then 50k and 25k last. While that may have caused headaches for race workers and timing, the decision got a thumbs up from me as it ensured less crowded trails. (I must say I was impressed to be caught by the 25k leaders near the end of my first lap - they were absolutely flying) Penny Pack Park is funny that's it's situated within an urban environment and it comes with everything an urban park/trail would have - fishermen, horseback riders, girls hanging out drinking a Miller Lite 30 pack in the middle of the day, the smell of wafting marijuana smoke, randomly discarded clothing and this year there was even a skull and a portion of spine of some sort of animal as a trail-trip-hazard. You're running through beautiful forest, but at times hearing horns blowing and sirens responding. The position of the park does make it easy to get to and easy for those who may come with you to find their way to aid stations if they so desire. The finish line food was tasty(I had yummy German Potato Salad and Brat Wurst w/sour kraut) and the finisher swag included a beer glass, bar towel and choice of a running cap or backpack(I got a hat last year so this year I went home with a backpack - sweet!). The only negative on the day: last year I wore a Garmin 310XT and this year I used the Suunto Ambit2 S and I was disappointed to see both GPS watches measured the 50k course as short(30.14 miles), in fact without getting lost, this year was a half mile shorter than last.

>Next up, The Laurel Highlands Ultra next month and then I'll take a break before running The Susquehanna Super Hike in September and the Oil Creek 100 in October.<

HAT Run 50k - My (D)DNF Race Report

(D)DNF - dēˈ·dēˈ·en·ef
verb
1. the act of not DNF'ing [DNF - abbrev. 'Did Not Finish']
2. to continue to the finish when you think you shouldn't
3. the opposite of DNF'ing 

It's been a challenging winter here in Central PA with weather tougher than we've seen in years. We had very cold temperatures which aren't a real big deal, but the frigid temps allowed the snow to stick around for what seemed like forever. Trails were clogged with snow and ice and road running was difficult and dangerous too. Those challenges weren't enough for me so two weeks prior to the HAT Run, I came down with a nasty cold which seemed to cycle from my head to my chest and back ,over and over again.  It might've been Bronchitis, I don't know, never went to the doc. What I do know is the accompanying coughing fits were unrelenting and nearly impossible to run through. So with all that said, it should be funny to note that a few years ago when a friend told me about the HAT Run, he said, "yeah, the thing about The HAT Run is that you have to be sure to stay in shape through the winter" (thanks Kyle). Considering the crappy preparation I had, I stepped up to the start line with a few hundred others with congested lungs and the absolute bare minimum winter training miles in my legs.

The HAT Run is one of those events where the venue doesn't have enough trail mileage so runners are required to do a couple laps to complete the 50k distance. No, that isn't my favorite format, but I needed a tune up event so I entered. This was the 26th running of the event and it's extremely popular. If you didn't sign up the day registration opened, you missed it. The race filled to capacity in no time. So because I registered that meant someone else didn't get in. I wasn't going to let a chest cold make me miss the start and waste a spot in the race. 

Janice and I had never been to Susquehanna State Park before. It's quite the pretty place, just north of Havre de Grace Maryland along The Susquehanna River near the mouth of The Chesapeake Bay. Coming down from Harrisburg Pennsylvania we entered Maryland via Lancaster County and crossed the river on The Conowingo Dam which is something else neither of us had ever seen. The park is full of hiking trails and seems a popular spot for mountain and road biking. Considering its position along the river, I'm sure it's a good spot for fishing and boating as well. There's some cool historical stuff there too, the Rock Run Historic Area with a working grist mill, the Carter-Archer Mansion, Jersey Toll House and the curious ruins of the Susquehanna Tidewater Canal. The start/finish was located adjacent to the Steppingstone Museum. Janice captured some great photos while waiting for me to appear out of the woods. 

 

Those stairs are part of the course.

Grist Mill

  



 

Remnants Of The Abandoned Susquehanna Tidewater Canal
&
Ruins of The Port Deposit Bridge Piers

It was chilly in the 30's when we arrived with a steady breeze that made it feel a good bit cooler. With the promise that the temperature would climb above 60, dressing in layers was key. The start format was interesting, set up like the typical cross country start with runners basically standing shoulder to shoulder and running to a chute to funnel everyone onto the course.

Fun Start

 

There's a short 3.6 mile starting lap using a park road then into an open field and eventually leading into the forest on single track. After that parade lap we returned back to the start/finish area to begin the first of two 13.7 mile laps. The course was mostly single track through the woods, but we also broke out into some wide open fields and I was surprised by the amount of actual paved park road that we used(one stretch was 2 miles).
 

Plenty of climbing, the course description said 9800';
my watch recorded 7128', but who's arguing?

A 200 Year Old Wall & A Wide Open Field Of Runners

After the wet winter, the water crossings were flowing strong and one of them was about knee deep. My feet were wet most of the day. Each lap had two well stocked aid stations which were essentially at the same location making it very easy for Janice to intercept me.

I started the race with a long sleeve shirt over a sleeveless shirt with arm warmers and light weight gloves. After the first out and back on the road, I tossed the long sleeve and later in the day the temperature came up so I ditched the arm warmers and gloves as well. I was carrying a single handheld Nathan bottle with GU Gels and GU Chomps in the pouch and I had salt tablets and GU Roctane Electrolyte Capsules in the pockets of my shorts. I started the race drinking GU Brew and switched to GU Roctane for the later mileage. Janice swapped out my empty bottle each time she saw me and had a supply of replacement gels as needed. I ate peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and drank Coke and Mountain Dew from the aid stations.



Still Smiling With The Susquehanna River In The Distance

Arriving At The Second Aid Station

Heading into the second aid station on the first lap, I was feeling good and I was holding my mile time just under 12 minutes (comfortable for me for this distance and terrain). Things seemed to be going well in spite of my occasional coughing spells. I left that aid station eating peanut butter & jelly and everything seemed fine until I got about 200' around the corner and I started to cough. This coughing fit was over the top, it was aggravating my gag reflex and I couldn't get it under control so I pulled off the trail out of the way. Unfortunately it didn't end till I barfed and now I felt like hell and the next mileage had some considerable climbs waiting for me and I couldn't stop coughing and gagging. I had now slowed to a crawl and now heading into the start/finish area to start lap #2 I knew I needed to drop out. I was honestly afraid that attempting a second lap would do some damage. I got to the chute and told Janice I couldn't keep going and the timers told me I needed to speak to the guy in the red jacket. I started to unpin my number and Janice said, "no, you can finish, you're beyond half way". I know my face had to show a look of horror. This wasn't just some, "I'm feeling sorry for myself" pity-party act, I sincerely felt like death. Just then the "guy in the red coat" asked, "are you sure? you know it's mostly down hill to the next aid station, why don't you run there and rethink this?" I had heard those, "it's all down hill from here" jokes before. At the Laurel Highlands there's a sign that says "You've reached the highest point of The Laurel Highlands HikingTrail, it's all down hill from here". He wasn't joking though, I could tell his encouragement was genuine. I guess he had seen runners who really needed to drop and somehow didn't class me in that same group. For some reason, his advice and Janice's loving encouragement was enough for me to pin my number back on and give it a shot. Janice also handed me my next bottle, which now had GU Roctane in it versus the mellower GU Brew I had been carrying.

It wasn't a lie, a lot of the mileage to the next aid station was downhill and I did start to feel better. I reached the aid station and I sat down a minute and ate an orange and it stayed down. I got another bottle from Janice and continued on. The pain and discomfort caused by all that coughing and the irritation it brought seemed to be gone or at least at a manageable minimum. There was a mellow two mile stretch of trail across open fields and two more easy miles of park road through the family camping area that seemed to allow me to really regroup. I was beginning to actually believe I could finish. I was actually believing that I was about to (D)DNF! Aside from the fear that those guys may have written down my number as having dropped, I was feeling ok.  

A Run In The Woods



The opening lap was intended to string us out, but the event allows 500 runners and much of the early mileage was like running in a conga line at a crowded shopping mall. It was nice that now that I was officially a straggler, my last miles were run mostly alone. That's my preference, especially when I'm struggling. I made a climb with a couple others and I felt like I had to continually apologize for my constant hacking and coughing. I was a real snot machine and now alone I could hack, cough and spit without encouraging anyone else's gag reflex.

I got to the last aid station and managed/survived the climbing after that and reached the fields leading to the finish with regained confidence. Janice of course was waiting for me and I met up with the "guy in the red coat" again who turned out to be Co-Race Director Tim Gavin. I'm forever thankful for their words that kept me going. Whether I had done damage or not, I had finished and it was because of the chemistry they created when trying to talk me out of sitting down and quitting.  

(D)DNF'ing

Now I Can Stop...



I had come to the HAT Run with two goals:

1. To finish

2. To not get lapped by the winners/leaders

While I'm not a huge fan of running laps, this is a top notch event bolstered by a rich community of area trail runners. I'm not fast so I'm used to finishing after awards ceremonies when most everyone has already packed up and gone. Sure I missed the awards this time too, but the party was still buzzing. Plenty of runners still mingled and the post race food and live music was killer. Crossing the finish line got you a sweet Hat Run running cap, pint glass, bottle opener and a cool embroidered towel. All that on top of the long sleeved Under Armour race shirt you got with your registration. If race stuff is your thing, these guys don't disappoint. I'll take a pint glass over another useless medal any day.

If you're looking for a tough little 50k, in an absolute beautiful place, run by true professionals, then this race is for you! 

 

The Muscle Milk Jeep



Our Jeep



Love This Photo

 

 

 

***Along with all the stuff listed below, I also ran with:

- Salomon XR Mission

- Suunto Ambit2 S

- Zensah Calf Sleeves

- Zensah Ankle Support (for my useless left ankle)

- Injinji Socks
- Headsweats Race Hat

- Under Armour Compression Shorts

- A favorite old pair of Asics running shorts (with pockets)





Running With My Best Friends

Those who know me well know that running is about solitude and meeting challenges on my own terms and by myself. It's about being able to look back over a boulder pile I just scrambled over or down a vista of a steep power-line cut or simply looking at my watch after a lunch hour 10k. Those are moments that are valuable to me and I don't typically share them with anyone. It's not that I'm selfish, it's about me being self conscious of my running. Running with someone else means they'll see how awkward a runner I am, they'll see that I don't even look like a runner and the worse thing ever, they'll hear my labored breathing(my worst fear). With others, I constantly feel like I'm running too slowly or I'm in the way or I'm running too fast or that the others will think it's a race. At races I avoid running in packs and if runners are carrying on a conversation, I'll avoid them by slowing or speeding up. At The Stone Mill 50 last November I simply stopped and let a couple of shirtless chatter-boxes pass me by. I ate a gel and gave them time to gain some ground on me before I proceeded. I love to run and that's the sole reason I do it, but I'm not very good at it and I need to concentrate on what I'm doing. You'll excuse me if I avoid your conversation about your wife and kids, the seltzer water machine you just got at Target, the car you're restoring, the fabulous Tri-bike you just bought or all your wonderful PR's. I've blabbered on about why I prefer to run alone, so why would I be writing about running with my best friends?

A year and a half ago Janice told me about a puppy she saw for adoption on Facebook. It was an adorable Black Lab and she wanted to go meet her at the rescue agency's event held at a nearby Pet Smart. We hadn't had a dog for seven years and I thought we would never be a dog household again.  I was quite surprised by the idea, but I loved it. Long story short, we went to the pet store and met Jezebel or Jessie as they were calling her and she of course was a sweetheart. Then we also met Mike, a scrawny little Border Collie mix who seemed to want nothing, but to be all over me. When he wasn't playing with me, he was wrestling with Jezebel. The two dogs played like they were puppies from the same litter.

The New Puppies - Mojo Is No Longer Scrawny & Little



She was six months and he was five months. A couple weeks later the nice lady from The Compassionate Hearts Animal Rescue was delivering our two new family members. We went to look at one and adopted two. They're now known as Mojo and Mollie and they love to run. Suddenly I have someone I enjoy running with.

We run on the nearby trails on Blue Mountain, usually looping into the network of trails at Boyd Big Tree Preserve. They've been to the WHP/WITF Tower Site, they've climbed and descended the power line, through mud, across rocks and blow downs and the snow and ice of winter. I keep them on leashes to keep them safe and it keeps us together. Mollie is a brute, she gets her harness and leash on and she wants to bolt. For the first mile it's all about keeping my feet as Mollie drags Mojo and I across the rough terrain. Falling is part of trail running, you catch a toe on something and you become one with the ground. Falling with the dogs is funny, no sooner do I  realize I've tumbled into a heap and the two of them are licking my face. It's like having two loving four legged medics checking on me and hoping I'll get up.  Mojo is quite methodical about running, pacing himself and even looking at me funny if I'm running up hill faster than he is. He's a wise dog. After Mollie settles down, she tucks in next to Mojo and then it's like running behind a team of horses. The two actually run shoulder to shoulder. Once when running down a steep hill, a hiker stepped aside to let us pass. As we skidded on our way down the hill, she yelled "do they always run side by side like that?"

Shoulder To Shoulder - Mojo On My Right & Mollie On My Left



Most times when I go for a run, I have a workout in mind. When I take the dogs, it's not about a workout, it's about having a blast in the forest with my dogs. I read an article about running with your dog that said to stay in charge and keep it known that this is your run and not their time to play, sniff and explore. That's not my approach at all, we're out there for fun together. Sure we mostly run, but we may walk and if Mojo wants to stop and sniff, and as long as it's ok with Mollie it's ok with me. Our runs are never steady. Like I said we start off with the Mollie-Sprint/Drag. Then there's Mojo, sometimes he'll decide he's just done and he'll sit down on the trail usually requiring I leap over him, often causing him to come out of his harness. After replacing his harness and a pep talk we get back to running. I've gotten good at leaping these two. They'll literally skid to a stop to pee and with only a six foot leash, that's not enough space for me to stop so up and over I go. The longest we've run together is nine miles. We typically start at the top of Blue Mountain Parkway, so that means we usually return to the ridge via a rocky climb I call the rocky steps. On that route when we reach the intersection with the main trail we pass between a set of cairns and turn left. The dogs recognize this point and know the Jeep is only a mile away and the pace hastens immediately. That's kind of neat and really not a problem unless we start at The Boyd Big Tree parking lot at the bottom of the mountain. Then when we pass through those same rock cairns we need to turn right to return to the Jeep. Mojo sees those rock piles and thinks the Jeep is only a mile away so he protests and insists we go left. After some strong convincing to continue we eventually get on our way. It's pretty cool just how well they know the routes. If we get to a trail intersection where we may have a choice, they'll both look over their shoulders for guidance. If we're approaching an intersection where we always go the same way, they don't even bother, it's heads down and they charge on down the trail. Seeing other people is kind of funny. The most common result is cowering hikers and Mollie and Mojo ignore them and just power on by. Wildlife however is another story. Last summer we descended into Unger's Gap and I saw Momma Bear and her two cubs. Luckily they saw us and scurried before the dogs saw them. I haven't been so lucky with Turkeys, Squirrels and last week a Possum (in daylight). If Mollie sees an animal she thinks she can catch and play with it's off to the races and of course Mojo and I are attached. One night we entered a trail off the power line cut and my headlamp picked up numerous sets of Deer eyes on both sides of the trail and the dogs saw them too. Their pace slowed briefly and I wondered what would happen. It seemed when they were happy these Deer were just like the ones in our backyard, we were back to running again without incident.

Mollie & Mojo After Our First Ever Trail Run (Ignoring The Water Bowl)



When we get back to the Jeep, oddly they never want to drink, they're done and just want to go home. Mojo leaps into the back seat and Mollie insists I pick her up and put her in. The Jeep interior is hardly fit for humans unless you're the driver, currently it's covered in muddy paw prints and slobber(theirs). I wouldn't have it any other way. I love to run, but I care so little about being a "runner"; heck I can't even spell PR and guess what, neither can Mojo or Mollie.