NEO Trail Club News

Racing Results

2012-02-18T17:23:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Courtney Russell. Courtney is training for a road marathon and got in some speed work today.

Courtney finished second in her age group, in 22.22. Nice work!

Jim Harris Finishes The Wild Oak Trail

2012-02-12T20:26:00.000-05:00

Jim Harris joins a very small club of individuals who managed to run 4 loops of The Wild Oak Trail in Virginia, February 10-11. This is 104 miles.

Mile 90. Coming off trail from Big Bald Knob Mtn

Best pic to sum up 90 miles of TWOT

Jim at Mile 90; 19 degrees and 25 MPH winds

Jim and Eva Pastalkova

Jim and Eva Pastalkova, at his finish. Eva ran Jim back in to his finish


Finish!!!

2012-02-12T17:30:00.000-05:00

NEO Trail members Bill Losey, Bob Combs, and Mike Keller met up in Boulder, CO last Thursday to run up Green Mountain. Much talk of other NEO members exploits (sending good wishes to Slim, King Paul, and Kimba at TWOT) was had, and we even avoided being eaten by mountain lions.

KOM Miles

2012-02-08T15:36:00.000-05:00

King Paul Lefelhocz says to get your miles in to Jim Harris.You have till the 10th of February to get credit for your January miles.

Don't be late.

Rocky Raccoon

2012-02-06T07:31:00.001-05:00

Heavy rain preceded in the days before the Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile Race. Bob Combs kept wading through the mud in possibly worse conditions ever to complete the race in 25 hours 40 minutes. Congratulations Bob!

Dirty Dog 10K+

2012-02-04T16:39:00.001-05:00

NEOTC went 1-2 at the 6th annual Dirty Dog 10K+ on Saturday, February 4th.
Eric Harris won the race in a time of 41:19.
He was chased by Todd Hanks who was 2nd with a time of 43:22.
Also participating from NEOTC was Pat Dillon in 47:38, Robert Clark in 56:42, and Barefoot Johnny Onder in 1:10:41.
Newest NEOTC member Richard Ellison who joined the morning of the race finished with a 1:11:24 effort.
Special thanks to Joe Novicky for sweeping the course, and Moose pushed at the end to get his last runner in under the 2 hour mark.
Moose finished as the designated last place finisher with a time of 1:59:26.

The course was wet and muddy, but times were not much slower than in years past.
Afterwards the NEOTC race tear down crew had a little issue with the Rhino.
Pics as promised.

Here is the first picture where we got the Rhino stuck.

This muck was deep and stinky.

This is closer view to show how much muck we were in.
The Rhino was almost floating on it's skid plate.

Here are the 5 tow straps hooked together to reach an anchor point for the winch.
It was a good Lesson in Physics for Baby Sasquatch.

This shot shows the rut we had to drag the Rhino through to get it past the swamp where we were stuck
Do I need to mention how much this mud stank!

This is the after shoot once we made it back to the parking lot.

Second Vehicle recovery for NEOTC that I am aware of.
Can't wait to see how severe the next one will be.

Rocky Raccoon 100

2012-02-03T21:23:00.001-05:00

Saturday morning the Rocky Raccoon 100 starts.
Bob Combs will be toeing the line looking to see what 6 months of living at attitude will do for him

Here is the link for live results.
RR100

Dirty Dog 10K+

2012-02-02T08:54:00.002-05:00

The run is this Saturday.

Will be a very wet and sloppy run.

Arrowhead 135

2012-02-01T10:05:00.001-05:00

With 135 miles worth of trail, the Arrowhead 135 is a tough race.
Monday morning at 7:04 the race started.
Today, Wednesday, there are still people out there heading for the finish line.

Results here.

Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail News

2012-01-27T20:27:00.000-05:00

We are very pleased to report that as of SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, the LHHT bridge will once again be open to trail users. This critical link reconnects the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, as well as the multi-use trail system on Forbes State Forest and other adjacent public lands. Thank you for your patience and continued support throughout this project.

Chilly Cheeks

2012-01-23T10:55:00.001-05:00

Todd Hanks ran in the Chilly Cheeks 10 Miler on Saturday the 21st over at Buhl Park in Sharpsville, PA.
Todd was 8th overall in 1:05:47.
Complete results here.
In addition to the 10 mile event they also had a 5 mile race as well.
Then after both races are completed, they have the Rigamortis Mile.
Todd also competed in that race as well, and recorded a 6:49, good enough for 8th place as well.
Mile results here.

Run for Regis: Margie Billock's Race Report

2012-01-22T07:18:00.000-05:00

Reposted from their website: He Runs, She Runs, We Run

She Runs: More Firsts
It's true....I have self disclaimed that I am not happy to get up and do anything, especially go run in 12 degree cold weather and snow. But, I got out there and it was another day of firsts for me.

I have never run in temps as cold as it was this morning. But, once we met up with 180 people all ready to get out there and get it done, I was in a much better mood about not being in my bed.

This would be my first official race on the trails. We started out across a field of deep snow. The air was so cold against my face, I immediately thought I would probably end the race with frostbite. Having been married to an accomplished runner, one would think I would know how to dress for this weather. I don't. Or maybe I was just in denial that I would actually get out of the car. I only wore my insulated tights and insulated hoodie. I had a hat and a pair of gloves. That was it. Fortunately, I had taken my winter coat to put on after the race, so I wore that to run in as well.

After we made our way across the snowy field, we eventually entered the woods and were on the trails. The trails were snow covered and frozen. This was a dream to me. I have yet to run on any trails that weren't muddy and flooded with small ponds. Other than being really cold, I felt good.

We ran with other runners in front and behind us. They were catching up on their lives since the last time they had been together on the trails. I just kept to myself. I like to entertain the thoughts in my own head. But the conversations around me were pretty interesting! He, now known as my "sherpa" was at my side the entire time. Eventually the crowd would thin out and we would have the trails mostly to ourselves. Just the way we like it.

As we made our way into the first aid station, I asked Him how far we had gone. I was feeling really good and was surprised to hear we had just finished six miles. Woohoo! We spent a few minutes at the aid station. I ate a cup of Ramen noodles and drank a small cup of Heed. We "took care of business" and then headed back out.

By this point I was completely numb. The only thing that was warm were my hands, and my gloves were in my pockets. I have found that my hands stay warmer sans gloves.

The next seven miles were much the same as the first six. The only difference was we passed the 50K runners who were lapping us in their upper teen miles. But, I voyaged on. My nose was running like a faucet and I was starting to get tired around mile eleven. This was the spot He wanted to stop for a photo of the two of us on a bench. This is a picture He takes every year. Now I am a part of it.

The race ended with a steep uphill and a finish across the snow covered field. I finished the race with a total of 13.4 miles. Again, another first for my farthest distance run. Our time was 3:20.

And with that, I am happy!

Recent Activities

2012-01-21T07:58:00.000-05:00

Lots going on Running wise and want to keep everyone up to date with all that is going on.

Saw on the WRTR Newsletter that several NEOTC members did well in the 2011 Trail Running Series.

Congrats to Shannon Fisher for winning the Women's Long Series.

Shannon also was first for the Grandmaster Title as well.
Congrats to Courtney Russell for 3rd place overall in the Long Series.
Courtney also was first for the Master Title as well.
Good Job Ladies, and keep up the good work.

Dan Bellinger also received special recognition along with several others for their efforts as volunteers during the 2011 series.

Eric Harris ran at the recent Jerome Fields Open meet at Akron on Jan 14th.
He placed 2nd out of 44 in the 1600 meter event in a time of 4:40.25.

Elizabeth Sosan travelled to Houston to watch the trials and then run the Houston Marathon, finishing in a nice 4.31.

MARRIED

2012-01-15T11:47:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Jetfuelburner, Mike Keller, for tying the knot on January 14th!!!

Mike and his beautiful bride, Beverly

Best wishes and love to you both!

Pittsburgh Recover from the Holidays FA

2012-01-10T12:40:00.000-05:00

Rick Freeman and Company have a great annual event down south of Pittsburgh in Upper Saint Clair.
The RftH FA is held in Boyce Mayview Park, and the trails are always beautiful as well as the standard camraderie shared on the trail.

Usually this event is a cold, windy, sufferfest, which pleases RD Rick Freeman to no end.(he is not happy if no one is whining) But with the mild temps it felt like a spring day, and some even commented on hearing the tweety birds at the start. There was a bit of mud here and there, but overall conditions have never been better for this event.

Chris Kalie, Cam Baker, Rich Vrboncic, Eric Deutsch, and Jim Harris, along with RD Rick Freeman were all able to toe the line for the start and get at least one loop in for the day.
Lots of local onelooperz came and went in the morning, but there were a few who started early and several who finished late.
(you know when the moon sets and then rises again on the same run you got your money's worth)
All told NEOTC members got in 17 loops on a route of mostly all trail.

If you enjoy a low key, casual event, then save your first Saturday of 2013 and make the trek over to PA for a great run.

Sold Out

2012-01-08T07:34:00.000-05:00

Hope you got your registration in for LT's race, because the Fools Race is SOLD OUT!

MHM Race Report Kellie Maheu

2012-01-02T16:34:00.000-05:00

Just when you think things can't get any crazier ,you better think again. After completing my first 50k at URINEO I was left a few brain cells short and I'm afraid I am getting a new love for the trails of Mill Creek park. Hugging trees and logs and slipping in the mud.

Contrary to what you may believe, Lenny came up with the idea of the 3 maheu's doing a monkey hill marathon relay. He blew out of work at 10:00 am and we arrived at the trail head at approx 11:00.The fact that all three of the maheu's were going to enjoy the day together on these trails excited me. Almost immediately I regretted not arriving at 6:00am and giving this a real effort along with the rest of these monkey marathoners.

It was a brisk 26 or so degrees but knowing what was in store we knew it wouldn't take long to warm up. The first loop I ran cautiously as there was a light coating of snow on the trail and my confidence of staying on my feet was low. Then Bob came along and said something like take the slides with fun and enjoy being a kid again. And then I really regretted not getting out there and being a part of the whole deal.

I had the chance to run a little with Kimba and chat with her a bit. The loop I did with her I forgot about being so cautious with my footing a relaxed a bit more. I thought the toughest part of the whole course was going up the hill to the love log and crossing over. But I developed just the right technique for getting across. Kimbas way isn't so bad! Laying down, it gives the feet a break.

The goal was to complete MHM between the 3 maheu's (Lenny, Myself, and Audrey.) Lenny and I started off the relay while Audrey got in her 6 miles on the road before joining in. This allowed us to get 4 laps a piece in before the 3d maheu joined in. At this point we had 21 laps to go between the 3 of us., It really does go by fast when you have other runners passing by and encouraging you (when they are the ones who have been out there for 6 plus hours already, and still smiling!!)

We completed our goal around 1:45pm and headed to Salsita's to celebrate. Upon arriving home we learned Kimba was the first female to complete the MHM!! Congrats ! And now the question is "When will the Maheu's complete the MHM individually and Who will be the 2nd female to finish!"

Kellie Maheu

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T06:53:00.000-05:00

MHM Race Report Kim Love*Ottobre

2011-12-31T08:42:00.000-05:00

“Some of the world’s greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible.” -Doug Larson

The start of the Monkey Hills Marathon was cold. I grabbed my hydration vest, since that's where the car key was, and my gloves and ran across the field to find the trail.
Which was a bit hard to do, as I don't approach it from this angle, but Scooby and Erin's lights were coming back at me, so I began my long journey of the day, the first downhill on Pinball Ridge.

The Monkey Hills Marathon is a very simple premise. Run the 0.9 mile section of trail that has been christened the Monkey Hills, for a total of 29 laps, to make a marathon.

3 Hills on the course, 6 climbs per lap. 6 x 29= 173 climbs.

452 feet of gain per lap, so 452 X 29 = 13,108 feet of gain.

Mike Dobies, the genius who dreamed up this idea, was also smart enough to not attend the MHM for the second year in a row.

It was dark at 6 am, so I had the light on my head. I climb the last hill at the north end of the loop, and begin to run, and then WHAMMMO! I hit the tree branch and fall on my ass.

Yes, I ran head on into this branch. It hurt quite badly, and for a brief moment I was scared my day of running was over. And all this in the first loop! The pain subsided, and I gingerly got up, and continued down the trail. At least I didn't damage my light.

With this very short loop it was easy to see the other runners-the early starters were Jim, Bob, Jonathan, and Erin. The trail at first was slick and greasy, and I thought for sure it would deteriorate as the day went on, with the myriad of runners on the trail.

It began to snow after the sun came up

and the wind increased. This actually seemed to help the footing on the trail; the mud dried out a bit.

Running-if you could call it that-this was more like climbing a marathon was simple. It was easy to step into the zen and be a little startled to see Scooby passing me yet again. (He passed me alot!)

Dan Kuzma showed up, and the time passed more quickly with him. Erin, Dan and I stayed together for quite a few loops, chatting the entire time.

Todd "Cheesburglar" Hanks showed up at 1pm with the promised fast food, and the cheeseburger tasted pretty good!

But around this time, I hit my low spot of the day. I was slowing way down. I was also wet on the top, and starting to get a good chill. I made a trip over to my car and changed my entire top, which did help.

I did not eat and drink properly for this effort, despite passing the aid station twice on the loop. The short distance made it deceptively easy to think, yeah, I will grab a cookie next time through... I should have actually been eating more and drinking more.

We were keeping track of our splits on the clipboard at the Happy Hill Aid Station

and it was good to start actually noting what lap I was on.

Bob and Slim joined me for their last few loops, and then Todd accompanied me for my last two loops, so the end of the Monkey Hills Marathon did not suck as bad as I thought it would. I cheerfully said goodbye to the tree that tried to take me out, way back in the beginning of the day.

I finished first female-or first broad, whatever, and also DFL. 10 plus hours for a marathon? Believe it. I was just beat. I have not been that tired from a run in a long time!

There were four finishers from the December 28 MHM, which brings the entire MHM finishers to five. Slim is the only runner ~~idiot~~ to have repeated the marathon effort.

Resolve to Volunteer

2011-12-31T07:59:00.000-05:00

A good 2012 resolution would be to get involved on the other side of the aid station table-consider volunteering for a race!

All race directors need volunteers, and cannot manage a race without the people who are giving their time on race day to direct traffic, issue bib numbers, mark trail, stuff schwag bags, mix up Gatorade and Heed, stand in the cold-or the hot sun-for hours, refilling water bottles, cajoling and scolding runners to go on with their race.

Volunteers can be found the day before the race, loading totes with aid station supplies, sorting shirts according to size, sorting Excel spreadsheets with bib numbers.

Race morning they are up early. They are sitting in the cold, checking runners in, grabbing the right size shirts, making sure runners have safety pins, answering questions about the course, where the portopotties are.
Volunteers are standing in the road at intersections, making sure runners are aware of the road crossing, motioning cars to slow down, pointing runners in the correct direction.

Volunteers are at the Aid Stations..for hours. They are cutting up sandwiches, fruit, monitoring water and Gatorade levels. They are refilling your water bottles, making sure you eat, making sure you have water. They are keeping an eye on you, assessing your condition, maybe suggesting they get the hell out of your aid station and get down the trail.

Some races now have a volunteer requirement in order to enter the race: Western States, Vermont, Wasatch, Buckeye Trail 50K.

If you are new to running, trail running, or ultras, consider volunteering. You will certainly get pumped up as you see these folks filter through your aid station.

A seasoned runner who has never volunteered? Maybe this is the time for you to sit out a race, and help on the other side of the table. See what the volunteers are doing for you.

And you bring education to the table. You know what that runner is going through on the other side, whether it be a 50K or a 100 miler.
You know what they need-salt, food, a pep talk, a "4 miles to the next AS" speech, how good they look. You know, by a look, when to suggest they sit down down in the chair for a moment to regroup and rehydrate.

You've got the knowledge of 'them' and know what they need..now help them.

NEO TC will need volunteers for the YUTC Race in September. We will be sending out an email, in the summer months, asking for some additional help. If you are not running the race, please consider putting in a few hours of volunteering. It's a little work and a whole lot of fun.

MHM Race Report Jonathan Bolha

2011-12-30T19:49:00.000-05:00

I wasn't really sure how i would do in the MHM, but i know i love running and hiking up mountains and this would almost be a mixture of both. I ended up getting spoiled with some snow too. I began going at a good pace with Erin, but realized i like to walk faster up the hills so i went ahead after a few laps.

I liked how there were lots of us out there and we got to cheer each other on as we passed by every lap. I also liked not having to carry water since i have access to it twice every mile. My garmin died after about 23 laps, so i spent some time looking for another watch in the car. It was my fault as i forgot to charge it the night before.

I enjoyed getting to talk to most everyone a bit about some of their running experiences or plans for the upcoming year. I don't have any 100s planned yet but I would be up for trying one someday, probably after i have a couple more 50s under my belt.

I never really hit the wall either until i began my 33rd lap then decided i had enough. My 29th lap, i ended up standing around and talking to Lenny and Kelly for a few minutes not realizing that this was a timed event. I made up for it by running the 30th lap harder than the rest. 30 was my goal anyways, so i was glad to have fun that one the fastest. I slowed down for sure for a few near the end to more of a comfortable pace. My feet actually hurt a bit after 25 laps and i thought about switching shoes but then someone they felt better and i forgot about them.

In conclusion: I enjoyed this event much more than i thought i would. Going out and back 30 times up the toughest trails in mill creek wouldn't have sounded like much fun last year but to no surprise i just loved it! Thanks for letting me participate with you on such a unique and crazy event. I've learned quite a bit and know there's still much to learn,

Scooby

The Monkey Hills Marathon..in Pics

2011-12-29T19:13:00.000-05:00

Race day dawned, cold. About 30 degrees.

Scoobi and Gombu once the sun had come up. We started the race at 6am.

Conditions were greasy on the first three or four loops. Then it began to snow, and the temperature dropped. This helped the footing on the hills.

Slim on the trail

Gombu heading uphill on the north end.

The Monkeys! Aid was staged out of the Happy Hill Aid Station.

Bob Combs and Dan Kuzma heading out of the HH AS.

Dan Kuzma, Kimba, Erin Schumacher. She is really not that short.

The Maheau Family joined us after a few hours.

Ultra Kellie looking cool!

Audrey did the most running out of everyone on the trail. She made it look easy.

Lenny coming through! Look out!!!

Trail got a bit congested in the afternoon. Showing proper etiquette for the downhill runner.

More trail support for Slim.

First female. Also DFL.

We sent our splits to our data analyst, who promptly gave results:

Times and race reports forthcoming.

King of the Miles-Paul Lefelhocz

2011-12-27T06:21:00.005-05:00

The dust and dirt has now settled from NEO TC "King of the Miles" 2011 contest, and one person ran away with the clear title of King of the Hill Miles.

That would be Paul Lefelhocz, who ran, in "races" 1085.2 miles. These were all ultra events, including 8 100 mile-or longer-events for Paul. Out of his 100 mile-or longer-races, Paul finished 4 of 8, a good 50% finish rate. It should be noted that one of his 100 mile races was The Barkley Marathons.

His longest race was the Last Annual Vol State Race, 314 miles across the state of Tennessee.

A comparison on what a huge accomplishment this is:

Trail Runner Magazine also holds a Trail Running Trophy Series Contest, with a point structure far more convoluted that the Rules Committee KOTM contests. Their 2011 series has concluded.
In a contest, which is open to runners all over the North American continent (that means Canada too), their Mile Mogul winners were only able to cover 677.4 (for males) and 429.5 (for females). Paul almost beat their combined mileage!!

Mike Keller Race Report East Port of Spain 10k - 18DEC2011

2011-12-26T20:27:00.000-05:00

The pressure was on me, from me. I PR’d in the 10k last weekend and felt like I could PR again, with this Sunday’s race starting earlier (630am) and being cooler. I did take note that the humidity is actually HIGHER in the morning though as the air temp is cooler, so I expected it to be a struggle to PR if I even could.

This race was a great deal at just 5 dollars US! I reminded myself of that before I got carried away with any disappointment in the race...the only two things that even irked me were the 32 minutes late start (due to the assigned police officers all showing up late) and there were less water stops than I was told. (3 vs. 4) Still...FIVE dollars!

Once we started it was two laps around Memorial park (1.6 km) and then one lap around the larger, adjacent Queen’s Park Savannah (beautiful!) before entering city neighborhood streets for the last 5.5 km or so. The humidity showed early and I was drenched by only 3km in or so, holding a nice early pace of about 5:00 per km...I didn’t think this would hold throughout though.

The sun and heat were killing me (715 am here) already by 5km and once we entered the neighborhoods I found more downhill segments, and much more shade and got a few kms of relief. Soon I was just hot and working hard again though, and I began the second half job of walking down runner after runner. A few obliged just as I reached them and switched to a walk, making me blow by them. A few put on a spurt, only to die out minutes later and have me pass them. Down the home stretch, I could literally see the finish line when the urge arrived too strong to deny.

I always said I wanted to be able to puke on the run, without stopping or breaking stride, because then I would be so tough. For now, I am not. I found I instinctively HAD to pull over, and after three strong dry heaves, I hurled three more good wet pukes to the hot sidewalk. A few hard spits for good measure, and I raised my head to find three guys I had passed in the last kilometer had snuck by while I tossed chunks.

Well, that just gave me the chance to pass them AGAIN! Two of them anyhow.

I bore down, hit the pavement hard and passed two of them again to hit the finish line in 52:12, another new PR (notably in my Forget the PR tshirt, always a special added bonus.) As soon as I crossed the timing mat, I pulled over to a spot away from the chute and broke another PR right there. TEN more vomits. (yes I am stupid enough to count.) A total of 13 Vomits in the last half km broke my previous PR of 10 vomits just after the Lake Chelan (WA) marathon! Who gets to set two PR’s all within the same few minutes!!! Only a true NEO Trail member in my opinion!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T07:01:00.000-05:00

"..And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.'"

"...And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T07:28:00.000-05:00

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Crooked Road 24 Hour Race December 3

2011-12-22T09:43:00.000-05:00

Sometimes the Facebook stalking pays off. I just learned that NEO TC member Dan Kuzma ran the Crooked Road 24 Hour Race December 3. This was held in Rocky Mount, Virginia.

Dan finished in second place, with 109.29 miles in 24 hours. Congratulations to Dan!

Club discount for Fools Trail Run

2011-12-20T22:22:00.002-05:00

Fools 50k & 25k Trail Run is set for April 1, 2012.

NEO Trail club members in good standing (dues paid through 2012) are eligible for a $20 off discount to the event.

To claim your discount, ensure your name is up-to-date on the club roster and if necessary renew your membership:
http://www.neotrail.org/neotrailmembers.htm

Then send an email with your first and last name to:
fools50k@gmail.com

The race director will send you a promotional code to claim your $20 off.

Entry opens on January 3, 2012 at Noon ET.

Sincerely,
LT

URINEO Trail Fest Recap 2011

2011-12-19T08:31:00.006-05:00

This was the 6th Annual URINEO Trail Fest for NEOTC.
There was again, good weather, and snowflakes to complement the beautiful trails of Mill Creek Park, Youngstown.

As always, great trails and great Camaraderie in the Cabin.
If there is anyone who didn't enjoy themselves at URINEO, please let us know.

URINEO 2011 Results
17 December 2011

*Rich (Monkey Spanker) Vrboncic – MHM 9:43 (+1 Monkey Mile)

Cam Baker – 6 loops (+1 Monkey Mile with Rich)
*Jonathan Bolha – 6 loops (first 50 mile run)
*Jeff Musick – 6 loops (first 50 mile run)
Todd Hanks – 6 loops

*Kellie Maheu – 4 loops (first Ultra)
Aaron Shoemaker – 4 loops (plus a few extra)
Cindy Sanchez - 4 loops
Jeff from Pittsburgh – 4 loops
Jim Harris – 4 loops (+7 Monkey Miles with Rich)

Shannon Fisher – 3 loops
Tara Schweitzer – 3 loops
Wild Bill Wagner – 3 loops (wandered aimlessly throughout MCP wondering where he was)
Grandpa Mike Kazar – 3 loops
Lenny Maheu – 3 loops
Bob (President for Life) Combs – 3 loops (+ some more)

Lloyd Thomas - 2 loops (+3 Monkey Miles)
Kimba Love*Ottobre – 2 loops
Audrey Maheu – 2 loops
Barefoot Johnny O – 2 loops
Pepper – 2 loops
Taylor Sowers - 2 loops?

Cyrus Taylor – 1 loop (+5 miles)
IronVal Watson Sweeney – 1 loop
Gary Glitter – 1 loop
Nick Tripi – 1 loop
Kelsey Dickey – 1 loop (first Trail Run at MCP)
Eric Harris – 1 loop
Heath Harris – 1 loop (FKT? 64:24)
Joe Moose Novicky – 1 loop
Jayne from Salem – 1 loop
Megan from Steubenville – 1 loop
Tim Knapp - 1 loop
Bekah Billock – 1 loop (with Lake Newport)
Marjie Billock – 1 loop (with Lake Newport)
Jim Billock – 1 loop (with Lake Newport)
Nick Billock (the Admiral) – 1 loop (with Lake Newport)
Patrick Fisher - ? (5 hours total time on feet)

Beth Harris – no loops (8 road miles)
Allison Holko - no loops
Shubi – no loops

"THE King" Lefelhocz - 15 MHM laps (plus Cabin to south end of Monkey Hills and back)
Brian Musick – 12 Monkey Hill laps

Monkey Hill Marathon

2011-12-18T15:31:00.000-05:00

Rich at the beginning of his marathon

Congratulations to Rich Vrboncic, 2nd finisher of the Monkey Hill Marathon, which was held at URINEO.

Rich still looks pretty good after his ordeal!

The next Monkey Hill Marathon is being held Wednesday, December 28, 2011.

Race Report: Mike Keller Mayaro Triathlon 10k

2011-12-16T13:42:00.000-05:00

Knowing I would be in Trinidad on vacation for almost three weeks, I looked for a race to run, hoping for a marathon (there was one in Barbados, but I didn’t want to leave Trinidad.) So I found the Trinidad RoadRunners club site advertising a 10k race in Mayaro which is on the far eastern side of the island, along the coast. Signed up right way, it was 40 dollars TT, which converted to USD is just under 7 dollars to run a 10k. No tshirt, but who cares?

I tried to train somewhat leading up to the race, and did run 60 miles over the two weeks leading up to the race here, but wouldn’t say I “trained” like some kind of goal race. I was happy to do those miles though just to be prepared for the heat and humidity. Come race day, the start was at 4pm, and we started about 5 minutes late.

I knew ahead of time I was going to suffer with the heat and humidity (86 degrees, and high humidity along the coast) but would do my best. I also had the misfortune of stubbing my second toe pretty badly about two hours before the race playing barefoot football (soccer) with some young kids from my girlfriends family. I would just have to deal with it, it’s not like I haven’t ran countless miles before with my toes throbbing from my messed up toenails...:)

Started out near the back of the pack which gave me the always happy result of only passing people throughout the race. I passed probably 30 people over the first 5k, and only one lady passed me back at around the 7k mark, and I just couldn’t recapture her. There was a water station every 2km and I took one at the first two, but after that, I resorted to taking two at the 6k, and 8k marks, and pouring one over my head, and drinking the other. Unlike the states they had no trash bins for the bottles of water they handed out, so people just tossed the bottles to the curb.

I really hurt to keep my pace up over the last 3-4 km, but I just had to refuse to back off, and before long the turn into town and the finish line were in sight. I know I used up all I had in that weather, but had hoped to be down around 50 minutes. In any case, I still PR’d by about 4 minutes over my older and weak 10k PR and came in at 53:28 for a pace of like 8:37 per mile.

After the race I found another 10k to sign up for in Port of Spain, Trinidad and even bargained the race fee down to 30 dollars TT from 40 since I was signing up “early.” So I get to do this one for 5 bucks USD equivalent. (6:1 exchange rate.) Let’s hope for another PR, even if just a small margin...this next race starts at 630 am, so it will be cooler, although that also means the humidity will be higher....

Also after the race, I approached the woman I couldn't catch and told her how well she did holding me off...we got to chatting, and her husband (who was there as well) is an ultrarunner with UTMB, Marathon De Sables, Badwater, and many other races under his belt. I bumped into that couple twice more again since the race (on the other island no less, over in Tobago) and we exchanged info, so I have a running friend if I go to Barcelona.

Hellgate Results

2011-12-13T20:24:00.000-05:00

Results are finally posted for Horton's Hellgate 100K.

Congratulations to Eric Deutsch, who finished in 14.07!

9th Annual Firefighters Frozen 5K

2011-12-11T13:14:00.003-05:00

Several NEOTC participants toed the line for a non trail event on Saturday Morning, the 10th of December.
The McKinley Heights Fire Department have put on a small local 5K for the past 8 years, and they also have a 1 mile fun run as well at this event.
They had record numbers this year with over 200 finishers in the 5K.
Baby Sasquatch has toed the line for every race over the past 8 years, and was happy to fit the race in again this year for his 9th finish at this event.
Joining him to represent NEOTC was Slim and Coach Hanks.

Baby Sasquatch made top ten with a 17:54 effort.
Coach Hanks had the pleasure of chasing his younger brother for the entire distance, but was not able to close and pass him at the end with a 18:57 effort, just 7 seconds behind the younger Hanks.
Slim had a front seat to the battle between siblings, which was one sided as far as the running went, but the trash talking was in full bore up to about the half mile point when the effort to maintain pace became too much to also verbalize any longer.
Slim trailed Coach Hanks into the finish with a 19:08 effort.

Good day of racing with all NEOTC representatives placing in their age groups.

Full Results are here.

NEO TC Runners are Lucky Runners!

2011-12-10T21:28:00.000-05:00

The Western States 100 Lottery was held today.

Congratulations to Dave Peterman for being selected for the Western States 100 2012!!!

And if you are in NEO TC, it wouldn't hurt to play a money $$ lottery right now.

Hellgate 100K

2011-12-09T06:17:00.000-05:00

Good Luck to NEO TC runners Gary Sexton and Eric Deutsch as they will be running in the Hellgate 100K.

This race begins on Saturday, December 10, at 12.01 am.

Results of the MMT Lottery

2011-12-08T18:45:00.000-05:00

The Dow Jones finished down, with an ending number of 11,997.70. According to the VHTRC website, it would make 770 the beginning number, with lottery numbers 766 down through 269 are in.

All NEO TC Members-except for Dave Peterman-are in via the lottery:

David Peterman 018
King Lefelhocz 394
Jim Harris 419
Kimba Love*Ottobre 483
Mike Dobies 516
Bill Losey 539
Bob Combs 551
Todd Hanks 554
Roy Heger 561
Shannon Fisher 680
Brian Musick 687
Wild Bill Wagner 715
Brandon Russell 750

Dave, being the steller and repeat offender of finishing MMT five previous times, will be high on the wait list. Dobies calculates him at # 11. So no worries for Dave, he'll be running MMT in May.

Out of the lucky 13 NEO TC runners to kick rocks, there are three who are new to the Virginia Race:

Bill Wagner
Todd Hanks
Shannon Fisher

About four months to train! Run hard!!

Lottery Closes tonight for MMT

2011-12-07T17:28:00.001-05:00

There are 413 entrants for the lottery for the 18th MMT 100 Race as of 530 pm December 7. Will yours be one of the entrants? Will the closing of the Dow be lucky for you?

Application for entry closes at 9 pm Thursday December 7.

2012 MMT Lottery Numbers

2011-12-06T06:11:00.001-05:00

The following NEOTC members have expressed interest in running the 2012 MMT 100 in Virginia next May.
The number after their name is the random number they were assigned after they registered for the lottery.
That number will determine how they fair in the lottery on December 8th when the DOW closes.
More info here.

David Peterman 018
King Lefelhocz 394
Jim Harris 419
Kimba Love*Ottobre 483
Mike Dobies 516
Bill Losey 539
Bob Combs 551
Todd Hanks 554
Roy Heger 561
Shannon Fisher 680
Brian Musick 687
Wild Bill Wagner 715
Brandon Russell 750

Good Luck to all in the 2012 MMT Lottery.

Bigfoot 50K

2011-12-05T21:59:00.002-05:00

Several NEOTC members were out on the trails at Salt Fork yesterday.

Christine Tokarz finished with a win in the 30 - 39 age group, in 6.32

Eric Harris and Jim Harris were both slowed by the mud and ran 30+ minutes slower than last year, but still managed to finish top 20 overall. Their splits: Eric 5.26.12; Jim 5.26.14

Old Man Heger got the distance in, but did not come through with his usual negative splits that we are all accustomed to seeing from him, finishing in 6.38.

Shannon Fisher is training hard for a coveted MMT spot and got the distance in as well, with a nice finish in 7.22.

The Russells were out for the distance also. Brandon finished in 6.44, and Courtney finished in 7 hours even.

Kimba was seen out doing hill repeats and cheering the runners on.
Special Thanks to Ron Ross for supporting the runners at the start/finish aid station as well as cheering in the runners as they finished in the Lodge Parking lot.

Complete results here.

Hardrock 100 Lottery Results

2011-12-04T17:47:00.000-05:00

The lottery odds seemed to spin in the favor of NEO TC for 2012.

Five NEO TC members were selected in the lottery:

Cam Baker
Jim Harris
Roy Heger
Bill Losey
Kim Love*Ottobre

Hardrock 100 At a Glance

100-mile run with 33,992 feet of climb and 33,992 feet of descent for a total elevation change of 67,984 feet with an average elevation of 11,186 feet - low point 7,680 feet (Ouray) and high point 14,048 feet (Handies Peak).

Start training!!

Fool's Race!

2011-12-01T08:25:00.000-05:00

The 4th annual Fools Trail Run will be held on April 1, 2012.

Registration is set to open on January 3, 2012. Save the date.

Registration details will be posted on the website by mid-December. We will have both mail-in paper entry as well as online registration.

Looking forward to another great day of trail running.

Sincerely,

Lloyd Thomas, Race Director
http://www.fools50k.org

Des Cowie finishes The JFK 50 Mile!

2011-11-30T13:17:00.001-05:00

A belated BIG congratulations to Desiree Cowie, who finished the JFK 50 Mile Ultramarathon in 9.49.36.

The JFK 50 Mile is the oldest ultra marathon still being conducted. The JFK 50 Mile is the only original JFK Mile Challenge that is still being held. The 2012 race will be the 50th anniversary of the race.

NEOTC Shirts are in!

2011-11-29T19:56:00.000-05:00

Finally NEOTC has branded gear to offer to the Membership.
Limited numbers of short sleeve tech shirts are available.
For the Ladies there are small, medium, and large available.
For the Men there are same as above, with XL as well.
These shirts are available on a first come basis.
The T-Shirt Comittee was able to negotiate a very fair deal, and the shirts are available for only $11.
Slim has the shirts and will bring them to all events and group runs that he participates in.
Lined up on his schedule at the moment is the Bigfoot 50K on December 4th, and URINEO on December 17th, and then the Recover from the Holidays FA over in Pittsburgh on January 7th.
Contact him if you are interested in making arrangements to get a shirt.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T06:00:00.005-05:00

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. ~W.T. Purkiser

Slim Pickins' 2011 Results

2011-11-21T09:37:00.001-05:00

Global Warming hit SP2011 hard this year.

Many were running in t-shirts and shorts.

We were worried when we saw quite a few hunters in the morning that this might have been the last SP on the Laurel Trail, but as the day wore on they all disappeared and it was just the NEOTC crowd and a handful of hikers left in the afternoon.

With the perfect weather conditions, Lloyd Thomas out at mile marker six with water and moral support, and the promise of a sweep by Kimba and Slim, there was no reason not to finish the Gate28X2 distance this year.

We listed everyone below who participated this year, if you don't like the comments, complain to Management.

Here are the results from the day's activities.

Cam Baker - 7:35:56 New OP50K FKT
Rich Vrboncic - 9:13 Despite perfect conditions, this was Rich's slowest time ever for this course
Chris D - 9:25 Web footed aquatics expert aces NEOTC debute
King Lefelhocz - 10:38 "Fairly Normal" event for the King
Kimba Love*Ottobre - 9:55 Earns * for first Female ever to finish OP50K
Jim Harris - 9:55 Kept looking for excuses to get more trail time
Jeff Musick - 11:12 DQ for leaving equipment on course
Brian Musick - 11:12 DQ for leaving equipment on course

Now on to the DNFs for the day.
Eric Deutsch - 22 miles Couldn't get finish despite bringing friend to hold his hand
Bill Thompson - 22 miles Followed Deutsch to DNF
Jamie Musick - 22 miles Couldn't chick the Musick Boyzzz
Chrsi Kalie - 22 miles Only Ultra Runner who never heard of Dean Karnazes
Bruce McMoose - 16+ Couldn't get what he wanted, but got what he needed
Wild Bill - 16 miles That's all he had
Tara S - 16 miles Pep talk by Slim bounced off her and stuck to Slim
Eric Harris - 16 miles Decided couch time was better than trail time
Allison Holko - 14 miles Should have stayed on trail instead of watching her team lose to Penn State
Rick Freeman - DNS Weather not epic enough to bother to show up

Special Kudos to LT for being an enabler for the day.

He hiked out to mile marker 6 with 200 ounces of water and spent the entire day lounging in the woods.
His effort for the day netted over 16 miles.
But his support for the day let Event Management rest easier knowing he was out there supporting the runners and for that we owe him our gratitude.

Plans are already under way for SP2012.
For those who participated, please feel free to offer suggestions for improvement.
For those who didn't make it to toe the line, your loss.

Changes to the qualification requirement for participation to Slim Pickins' will be different for next year.
Look to the SP web page for more details to be posted soon.

Slim Pickins 2011

2011-11-20T13:46:00.001-05:00

Least epic weather ever led to 18 starters for the 6th Annual Slim Pickins.
The stated goal was the Ohiopyle 50K, also known as the "Gate to Eight x 2". (GATE28X2)
8 runners finished the OP 50K, more details to follow on that and more Slim Pickins chat.

Cam Baker, Kimba, and Baby Sasquatch Eric Harris. Cam is coming down Big Hill at Mile 6, and Kimba and Eric are climbing it.

Allison about mile 7

Chris, her first time on the Laurel Highlands Trail

Jeff Musick, Kimba, Eric at the overlook around mile 7.5

Bruce McMoose Murray, Jeff, Kimba, Tara, and Wild Bill around mile 8

Jeff and Wild Bill at the turnaround. You think they would be more happy.

The King-Paul Lefelhocz-and Slim

The Professor-Rich Vriboncic, and Slim, on the Big Hill (Mile 6)

The Musick Brothers-Brian and Jeff, on their way to Mile 8 for the second time

Rich Vriboncic

Pebble at the Overlook

It's Slim Pickins Time

2011-11-17T08:45:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there were not that many ultra running events.
One of the oldest running events is the JFK 50 Mile Race.
The JFK 50 Mile was first held in the spring of 1963. It was one of numerous such 50 mile events held around the country as part of President John F. Kennedy's push to bring the country back to physical fitness.
When Kennedy was assassinated in November of 1963, most of these events were never held again. The JFK 50 Mile in Washington County, MD is the only original JFK 50 Mile Challenge event. The race is always held the weekend before Thanksgiving.

While many, many, many runners have run the JFK for years and years, others were not that enthralled at the course/race. But, for years and years, if you didn't run the JFK, there was no other choices.

Hence, "Slim Pickings" for the weekend before Thanksgiving.

But that was before NEO TC. This weekend became Slim Pickins, where runners assembled over a loosely orgainized plan to run miles somewhere on the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail.

The first year was 2006.
First year of SP was a target of a FA 100.

Following were present.

Bob Combs
Jim Harris
Mike Dobies (did not run as he was sick)
John Dewalt
Brad Compton from Indiana (who hit a deer on his way home and caused considerable damage to his vehicle)
We started at Seven Springs and went to mile marker 1, and then turned around to head back to Seven Springs for the first 50.

We all quit at that point except for John Dewalt, who was pissed that we all quit.
(Johnnie D quit too.)

One of the "Snow Years" on the Laurel Highlands. 2007:

This was an epic, backwards run on the Laurel Highlands Trail, starting at mile 71 and running to Ohiopyle.

Four completed the entire LHHT: Roy Heger, Tanya Cady, Jim Harris, and Brian Musick.

2008 was another snow year:

2008 was the double marathon from Ohiopyle to Seven Springs and back, which no one completed.

Global warming occurred in the late 00's, leaving us with much less epic weather for the 2009 Slim Pickings.

2009 was the 100K from Route 31 down to Ohiopyle and back. Several made the round trip: Jim Harris, Bob Combs, Cam Baker, Mike Dobies, and Brian Musick. Cam, Mike, and Brian also added some extra miles, proving you can get lost on the LHHT.

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The LHHT bridge was removed in 2009, prompting a change in our Slim Pickings plan for 2010. We elected to run on the north side of the LHHT for 2010.

We had the best staging area for the 2010 Slim Pickins. This year, cabins were rented in Linn Run State Park, just a few miles from Donegal, PA. This is on the north side of the PA Turnpike.

The Pennyslvania Game Commission neglected to consult with NEO TC before they changed their hunting dates for 2010. We found ourselves in the woods on opening day of Bear Season in Pennyslvania in 2010:

All turned out well, no casualties were noted.

This year's Slim Pickings is being staged out of Ohiopyle. This is the epic Ohiopyle 50K.
The double out and back. 7400 feet of elevation gain. Sounds easy on paper, less so on those hills at mile 5 and 3.

Slim Pickings The Western Version

Our brothers out west are also running Slim Pickings. Their version is called the Vertical Monster Fat Ass, and Shubi is calculating 10175 elevation gain.

So it appears to be an awesome weekend of running with friends!

Bills' BadAss

2011-11-16T19:33:00.000-05:00

NEO TC member Wild Bill Wagoner is half of the Bill Team that has organized and directed the Bills BAFA for the last two years. The other Bill is Chef Bill Bailey.

Once again, the Bills had a 'soldout' BA, with many local runners achieving their BadAss status on November 12.

NEO TC runners achieving BA status were:

Dave Peterman 5.57
Dan Bellinger 6.23
Kurt Osadchuck 6.27
Roy Heger 6.36
Tara Schweitzer 6.49
Brian Musick 7.11
Mark Anson 7.21
Chris Kalie 7.47

Thank you to the Bills for another quality running event in the woods!

Lottery Season

2011-11-13T19:49:00.000-05:00

It's almost that most wonderful time of the year..lottery season, for upcoming ultra races.

The Western States Endurance Run Lottery is open until November 26. Make sure you have run one of the qualifiers on the List. The WS$R lottery will be drawn Saturday, December 10. The WS$R is June 23, 2012.

The Hardrock 100 is accepting applications to the lottery until November 30. The Hardrock lottery is December 4. Hardrock also requires a qualifier, and their standards are more strict than the WS$R. The Hardrock 100 will be held on July 13.

The east coast race, the Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 Run, is held May 12.
The lottery for MMT opens December 1st and closes December 7. Numbers for the lottery will be determined by the last numbers of the Dow Jones closure on December 8. Full details here.

Good luck!!

Weekend Racing Recap

2011-11-10T06:20:00.001-05:00

There are still racing going on despite the shorter days of November.

Nick Billock did not waste any time after his splashdown back in the States by participating in the "Stomp the Grapes" 1/2 Marathon with his wife, Marjie. They finished in 2.39.

A few NEO TC members went south, to Burr Oak State Park, for what may be the last Bob Cat Marathon. The Burr Oak State Park Lodge will be closing down due to financial difficulties. This trail marathon runs more like an ultra.

Ron Ross finished the race in 4.55.

Brandon Russell was not far behind in 4.59.

Courtney Russell must have let Brandon get ahead of her. She finished in 5.03

And what did the King do, one weekend after his Double Marathon at Run With Scissors?

Run another 100 mile race, of course!

Paul Lefelhocz finished the Pinhoti 100 Trail Run in 28.50! Congratulations Paul! Rumor is that Paul now has (unofficially) 1085 Raced Miles for 2011.

Welcome Home Nick Billock!!

2011-11-04T07:19:00.000-04:00

Welcome home Nick Billock!!!

Thank you for your service.

Nick and Marjorie at Mill Creek Park

We look forward to sharing trail time with you soon.

Run With Scissors Double Marathon Race Report

2011-11-03T19:16:00.000-04:00

By Todd Hanks

I spent Saturday afternoon watching Cross Country Regionals in Boardman and wondered how they were running in that muck. Knew We’d be running in some mud at Run With Scissors the next day but had no idea what we were in for.

I had one goal for RWS. Finish.

Picked up Jonathan “Scooby” Bolha in the wee hours of Sunday morning and headed to CVNP. He is a sub-3 hour marathoner who I somehow inspired to do RWS. This would be his first ultra and first trail race.

Roy gave his pre-race spiel about course markings, staying off the road and dealing with horses and it was time to go. Clear and cold, about freezing, morning. Perfect race conditions. Started right at 5 and shot off into the night. Trip to Pine Hollow was pretty uneventful with some muddy spots but not too bad.

After Pine Hollow was a different story. Running beside the parking lots started the fun. As you got closer to the access between fields you would slide down the small inclines and then force through ankle deep slop. Maybe 4 spots like that until the Wetmore Trail. From there to Covered Bridge intermittent battles with shoe sucking tar pits. The fields before the farm were particularly bad. Many times my shoe started pulling off and filled with gruel. Bathroom after aid station was either closed or someone was reading a novel. Had to opt for some high weeds to take care of business. Plenty of leaves to use as TP.

Perkins Loop was in good shape other than the last mile which got soupy. Guys book was called “Va-Voom” which was a nice attention grabber. Is it longer going from Covered Bridge to Pine Hollow? Damn that section takes forever. Wasn’t planning a shoe change, what’s the point, at turn around but socks or insert started balling up. Made Ledges Shelter in a little over 5 hours and changed shoes. Old ones felt like they weighed 10 lbs each. No thoughts at all of stopping and hit the second loop.

Second loop started great. Hit Pine Hollow in just over an hour with almost dry feet and feeling good. Great run until mile 35-36 when left knee pain began on a steep decline. Ran/hobbled/walked until I saw someone on the bridge before the farm. Scooby was sitting on the guard rail. Said his feet hurt and was dropping. Got him to the Covered Bridge aid station and was on my merry way.

Reduced to a slow gimp and walking most of the way from here. Fell in a mud hole at some point, covered my water bottle and every time I took a drink it smelled like swamp. Solaced myself in the fact it was a beautiful day to be on the trails. Ran, some semblance of running, from the Overlook to the shelter and finished in 11:25. Woke Scooby up from a nap, had some of Bill’s fine grub, grabbed some candy for the road and we were off. By the time I got home, I was pumped that I finished and ready to go a bit longer.

Run With Scissors Marathon and Double Marathon

2011-11-02T15:46:00.000-04:00

NEO TC Members Shannon Fisher and Roy Heger are the Co-Directors of Run With Scissors Marathon and Double Marathon, held October 30, 2011 in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

There were many NEO TC members who turned out to share a nice day in the parks. The trail conditions were less than stellar. The wettest fall in Cleveland history caught up to the runners who experienced mud, mud, and more mud.

Dave Peterman came in second in the Double Marathon, skating his way through the mud in 9.25.
Other NEO TC runners who completed the Double Marathon were:

Todd Hanks:11.26 This was Todd's first distance past a 50K. Congratulations Todd. Now you need to run a 50 mile course in less mud and see really how fast you could run it!

Ron Ross 12.13
Shannon Fisher 13.11
Paul Lefelhocz 13.41

Marathon Finishers at RWS were:

Courtney Russell 5.17
Brandon Russell 5.17
Christine Tokarz 5.17
Roy Heger 5.34
Bill Wagner 5.36
Tara Schweitzer 5.43
TJ Hawk* 6.17
Kim Love-Ottobre* 6.42
Mike Halkovich* 7.00
Cyrus Taylor* 7.38

* were runners that started the Double, then decided they had enough of the mud and stopped after one marathon. Roy's race allowed credit for dropping down to the marathon distance.

Course was very well marked and great volunteers at the Aid Stations. Other than too much mud, a great day in the CVNP!

Nu-Race Trail Run Report

2011-11-01T08:19:00.000-04:00

Nu-Race Trail Run Race Report

By Allison Holko

Nu-Race Trail Run was held at Camp Nu-Hop on Saturday, October 29. Camp Nu-Hop is a summer camp for children with learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, and behavioral disorders; a portion of the proceeds from this trail run benefit the camp.

This event had multiple distances for runners to choose from: 3.5 miles, 8 miles, 13.5 miles or 31 miles. I had been planning to do a training run at Mohican this same day, so it made sense to sign up for 13.5 miles as a training run.

The race started at 8am, and it was somewhat sunny and the temperature was just above freezing. I headed out with Rob Powell and a friend of his. The 13.5 mile course was out and back – for those familiar with Mohican, the course headed south along the western side of Pleasant Hill Lake, which had many hills; past Little Lyons Falls on more narrow and technical trail to the covered bridge; continuing south and uphill on the Hog Hollow trail, to the Fire Tower; then looping back in a northern direction on the mountain bike trail, full of hills and sharper turns to the covered bridge; then headed north again, past Little Lyons Falls, the lake and back to Camp Nu-Hop.

There were two aid stations on the course; at the covered bridge (which I ran past twice) and at the fire tower, both of which had water, Gatorade, bananas and quarter sections of peanut butter sandwiches. There were some muddy sections (particularly near the lake and on the mountain bike trail); wet leaves made some sections of the trail, especially downhill sections slippery; however, overall the conditions were good.
The course had plenty of hills which was the reason I had wanted to do a training run there on Saturday.

It had warmed up somewhat when I finished, and the camp had chili, beer, brownies, pastries, and fruit for every participant. The nice part about having this event start and finish at the camp was that afterwards, the runners could relax inside the heated lodge; it was good to catch up with Becky Connar, Rob, and also meet several new people.

It was a good training run for me, benefiting a good cause.

Eric Harris Advances to State CC Meet

2011-10-29T20:50:00.000-04:00

Eric finished 11th over all at the Division 2 Boardman Regional to qualify to run at the National Trails course in Hebron, Ohio.

Number Nine-Stone Steps

2011-10-28T23:32:00.001-04:00

Congrats to Billy Bob Losey.

He jetted back to Cincinnati, to complete his Ninth Stone Step 50K. Bill completed the race in 5:57:13.

Sad News

2011-10-25T08:27:00.002-04:00

Dan Dunlap died on October 22, 2011 in an accident while cutting down a tree.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

His Intensity and Presence will be missed by all who knew him.

Below is a note from Bob Combs.

I was up in the High Country for the weekend and just finished a awesome run/hike of about 4 hours on Saturday.
When I got back to the room there was a voice message on my phone from a good friends (Dan Dunlap) ex wife.
I could tell by the tone in her voice that something very serious had happened. After calling her and leaving a message, she called me back.
Dan was killed instantly by a large falling tree branch. Dan had been working with a tree service company for many years, even when working a M-F full time he would work the tree service on the weekends.
Dan was always going 110 MPH.
Back in high school I knew of Dan from high school Cross Country, I ran for La Brae for 2 years, Dan ran for Py Valley. He was an All State runner in HS track and Cross Country.
Dan went to Ohio University and was an All American. Running 14:xx minutes for 5000.
I first met Dan when we worked together at a telecom company around 1998, we worked together and car pooled for about 2+ years. This is when Dan and I became friends. Golf outings, company dinners, good fun stuff.
We always kept in touch, never a quick phone call, we were both ramblers on the phone.
I remember when he called me to ask if I knew anything about some 50K trail run in Mill Creek Park. Of course I had him signed up within the week. Joined NEOTC as well. If we had more time I know I could have got him running his first 100, he was asking those questions.
Dan leaves behind a son in high school (Drew), I hope he lives and runs like his Dad!
I will miss you! My heart is heavy but my feet are light thinking of you.
Bob

Dyslexia Dash 5K

2011-10-23T16:06:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Race Director Courtney Russell for her successful Dyslexia Dash 5K Prediction Run, held Saturday, October 22.

“Prediction Run” awards and special prizes will be given to the ten runners who come closest to predicting their 5k finish time (regardless of age or gender) Runners will be asked to predict their finishing time when they register for the race. This race will be run without the benefit of watches, course timers or mile markers!

Over two hundred runners participated in this run. NEO TC member Lloyd Thomas had the fastest race time, a 5K in 18:17; but he did not win the race. Lloyd predicted he would finish in 18:30; but ran a fast 18:17 instead. Lloyd ended up being 11th in the prediction run.

Brandon Russell came in third in the Prediction run, since he predicted he would run a 22:22, and ran a 22:25 5K, a difference of three seconds.

The next Dyslexia Dash 5K will be held October 21, 2012. Thanks to all who participated. This event will raise awareness for language-based learning differences such as dyslexia, and provide an opportunity for runners and walkers of all ability levels to have fun and compete on an even playing field. Proceeds benefit NOBIDA and Lawrence School.

Results are posted here:

The King Strikes Again

2011-10-18T06:32:00.000-04:00

Paul Lefelhocz completed yet another race. This time, it was the timed 12 Hour Event, The Presque Isle Endurance Classic, October 15. He came in second, with 53 miles.

Kurt Osadchuk also completed the race, with 50 miles under his belt.

Good going, guys! Way to rack those miles up!

Columbus Marathon

2011-10-16T19:39:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to NEO TC Members that ran the Columbus Marathon Sunday.

Finishers were:

Dave Peterman 3.07.50 (smokin time!)

Ron Ross 3.26.06

Kevin Martin 3.26.33

Weekend Race Recap

2011-10-14T08:35:00.000-04:00

Weekend Race Recap

There were numerous finishes at The Oil Creek Races held Oct 8 & 9th.

100 Mile Finishers:

Jim Harris 22.55
Eric Deutsch 24.14
Bob Combs 27.44
Brian Musick 31.11

100K Finishers

Cam Baker 12.35-also Cam was third place finisher! Nice work.
Mark Anson 16.38

50K Finishers

Chris Kalie 8.04
Gale Connor 9.18

The Towpath Marathon was also on October 9. There were NEO TC members completing the marathon:

Ron Ross 3.30
Brandon Russell 3.50
Courtney Russell 4.01
Roy Heger 4.05
Mike Halkovich 4.42

Well done everyone!

Forget the PR 50K Registration for 2012 opens on Thursday, October 13th

2011-10-11T08:20:00.000-04:00

The Forget the PR 50K race date will be April 15th, 2012.

Registration will open Thursday 10/13/2011 @ 6:00 AM.

More info here.

Rob Powell puts on a great race and the Mohican Trails are Great.

From river crossings to the four point climbs up Lyons Falls...

you don't want to miss this event.

Cam Baker at OC100K

2011-10-09T19:02:00.001-04:00

Warning about this Blog Post...

It does not take much to amuse me.

Oil Creek 100K RD Tom Jennings knew that Cam Baker would be racing at Oil Creek this weekend.

So he had special signs made up to keep Cam on course while he ran the loops at Oil Creek State Park.

Any place that there would be chance for Cam to get off route, one of these signs were there to keep Cam from taking a wrong turn.

While I was out on the loop, everytime I saw one of these signs, I giggled to myself.

Ultra Weekend

2011-10-06T07:33:00.000-04:00

The second weekend of October is a hotbed of ultra running. There are three great races this weekend: The Oil Creek Ultra Series, Grindstone 100, and the West Virginia Trilogy.

Most NEO TC Members are staying closer to home and running Tom Jenning's fine event at Oil Creek.

Listed Starters for the 100 Mile Race:
Jim Harris
Bob Combs
Brian Musick
Roy Heger
Paul Lefelhocz
Eric Deutsch

100K Listed Starters:
Cam Baker
Mark Anson

50K Starters:
Chris Kalie
Gale Connor

Kimba is the only NEO TC Member to represent at the West Virginia Trilogy this year.

There are no NEO TC Runners listed for the Grindstone. Too many races closer to home for that drive.

Best of luck to all runners, have fun on those trails!

Also NEOTC member Eric Harris will toe the line for a Cross Country Meet at the Stow Invitational.

NEW NEOTC Photo Blog

2011-09-27T12:54:00.000-04:00

Check out the new NEOTC Photo Blog.

If you have a picture to share, please send it to james.a.harris@delphi.com to get it posted.

Akron Marathon Results

2011-09-25T17:06:00.004-04:00

Although these NEO TC members just ran YUTC the week before, they also completed the Akron Marathon.

Nice going, guys!

Dave Peterman 3.15.55

Lloyd Thomas 3.24.51

Ron Ross 3.24.32

TJ Hawk 3:48:07

Tim Knapp 4.30.12
Kurt Osadchuk 4.40.10

Rick Freeman 3.54.08
Didn't run, but worked aid at the Covered Bridge.

Faceplant worried about getting chicked.
Bonus points for wearing a YUTC shirt.

After running (and Winning) the YUTC 25K, LT worked the Log Cabin Aid Station.
Here he is not only running the marathon, but working while running by pacing the 3:25 group.

All American Hero.

Rick was afraid this pic would get posted of him running pavement.
Looks pretty Guilty, plus the Black and Gold is ugly as all get out.

Cousin Tim, getting his miles and a tour of Akron at the same time.

Wasatch Race Report-Desiree Cowie

2011-09-23T15:22:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure why I've been putting off writing this race report, maybe I'm nervous of the emotions that it will conjure up as I'm sure one cannot run this race and walk away with no emotional ties. I read a blog the day before that said something along the lines of "Wasatch is a race you will never forget. Never ever ever." I laughed, at the time of reading it, I had no idea how correct that statement would prove to be.

A few days prior to the race, well into taper time, Kevin Green posted about the 27000 feet of elevation that he was getting ready for. Kevin had just completed 3 of the 4 100 races for the
grandslam and was getting ready for Wasatch, the final epic run. 27000 Feet? What? I hadnt seen that, I knew it was in the mountains, and I'd heard a few of Wild Bill Wagner's stories, but somehow that had missed my attention and anyway what does 27000 feet mean, I couldnt visualise that kind of elevation despite the charts and the flyover videos . I knew that I trusted Howards training plan and surely HE had looked at the race profile in detail, besides it was too late to do anything about it. I was afterall, tapering and pre race panic is normal, isn't it?

Glenn and I travelled to Salt Lake City early on Wednesday morning arriving at 10 am we quickly picked up our car, checked into the hotel and went out to scout the route. We were able to visit all of the "crew accessible" aid stations, key them into the sattelite navigation and even had a little run at Big Mountain before sun set.

Sue and Mel, my pacers arrived on Thursday morning and after we picked them up we headed out to registration. You have to attend a weigh in the day before the race. I opted to be weighed before I ate anything on Thursday - just in case, so as soon as I'd weighed myself, dropped off my drop bags and done a bit of shopping we headed out for lunch, a quick visit of the Mormon tabernacle and a lazy afternoon playing Scrabble in a coffee lounge. SLC is so clean and has an amazing feeling about it, just a very comfortable city so despite the nerves we did have a good day. Pre race meeting was short and sweet and we were able to head back to our hotel and dinner quite early. Once your supplies are packed it doesnt take a lot of time to get ready for a 100 miler.

The weather forecast for the weekend was gloomy with thundershowers and intense heat, but the morning was surprising cool enough for a light jacket. The race started promptly at 5am with very little pomp and ceremony, just a good luck and quick count down.

The dirt road soon thins out to single track and small gaps started to form between those who knew the way and were comfortable to speed along to those of us hoping to just complete the day within the permitted 36 hours. There were 2 things that worried me about the race, rattlers and the Chin Scraper. The Chinscraper was approaching, but I had only seen the odd photograph so I kept wondering as we started the first 5 mile climb and the sun was rising, is this it, have we done it now? Little did I know what was coming. This initial climb went on forever. But then there it was - The Chin Scraper. Its a very steep section of the mountain where you have to literally climb up using your hands, the rocks are loose and people above do dislodge them - fortunately I was wearing gloves and able to deflect some of the rocks that came tumbling towards my face without suffering any cuts. This was the only section of the race in which I wished I was not wearing Hokas - there isn't much space to get secure footage on parts of the rooks and the extra wide Hokas felt cumbersome and extremely precarious, but it was all over within a few minutes and we were back on single track trail and yay running downhill. The shoes were amazing on the downhills and so many of the people that had passed me on the uphills were amazed and commented on my ability to power down the downhills. I believe that this is what saved the race for me" at the end of the very long day". For a split second going up towards Chinscraper I had doubts about my training, had we done enough hill climbing? Again I reminded myself that there was no worth in worrying about that now.

The course leads you over a variety of surfaces, from loose rocks, thick grass, ice, creeks, bush, dirt roads, gravel, tar - wide open spaces, chest high grass and even thick bush....we did see a moose , but thankfully no rattlers.

The first time we saw any form of aid station was a water truck near the top of Francis Peak - we then started a long steep decent onto our first major aid station - 18 miles from the start.This year due to construction no crew were allowed at Francis Peak as Farmington Road was closed so it was drop bags for everyone.I've never used drop bags before so probably overpacked mine. Quick clean of my feet, change of socks and restocking of gels and I was ready to go on my way. I scanned the aid station but could see nothing of any interest - so I stuck to my gels, grabbed an orange and headed out to the next steep climb. This soon became the pattern, you would run down a steep downhill to an aid station and then do a steep climb out of the station....this was repeated almost 17 times. Some of the aid stations had little more than water and minimal treats on offer, as the volunteers had to hike up to them and they then pumped water from fresh springs to fill our bottles - other aid stations provided sausages, pancakes, soup and noodles and the usual sweet treats.
There were no flat bits in the race except for the last mile or so on road to the finish line, you were either climbing or descending it was just the length and steepness of the "hills" that differed.

The first time I saw my crew was at just over mile 39 this was also when I would be meeting my first pacer,Sue. I was so looking forward to seeing Glenn, Mel and Sue and having some Gingerale unfortunately for me there was no Gingerale at the station and in my excitement to see everyone I forgot to drink anything extra. I had to pick up warm clothes and my headlamp here too as the next big stop was Lambs Canyon which we would reach in the dark. By the time I reached LC I was extremely nauseous and had an awful headache, fortunately they didnt realize at the weigh in that I had dropped more than the 7% allowed weight, but it did send little alarm bells ringing and I knew I would have to do some serious drinking. Nothing looked appertising enough to eat, Glenn had managed to find some chicken noodle soup which was warm and welcoming and an avocado sandwich which I promised to eat at the next aid station (which I never did) but I did finish the second bowl of soup there. Sue and I set off warmly dressed for Big Mountain where Mel would be taking over for the last 30 odd miles. We ran strongly enjoying the beautiful scenery, chatting to people at times. It was fun and we both soaked up the atmosphere of the race.

It was warm in the woods but freezing on the open trails, so you were constantly adjusting your clothes, the nausea was getting worse but I was still able to force in my drinks, the eating was difficult,it felt as though I was mixing cement in my mouth. Mel was ready to go, the poor girl was freezing, as although we were still 3 hours ahead, they had been waiting awhile and I needed a bathroom stop at the aid station, futher delaying our departure. I changed into warmer clothes, had a few cups of noodle soup and tried to get in some solids, it was worth the delay as I felt refreshed leaving there, by now my Garmin's battery had died so I was totally in Mels reliable hands for timing, pace; eating and drinking reminders. She was amazing and everything one could wish for in a pacer at this stage of a 100 and we soon reached Brighton. Everyone warns you about Brighton, its the only indoor aidstation and its warm. Its run by a dentist so there are toothbrushes and fannels. Another quick change of clothes and we were on our way. But it was as if a switch had been flicked, I started to experience shortness of breath and my spare 3 hours started to dwindle away. I could not climb for more than 3 steps without having to stop to get my breath. We knew that I was in trouble and that things were only going to get better when we started to descend but we still had to climb. At this stage we were at almost 10 000 feet altitude, the highest point in the race. Whilst I concentrated on breathing, Mel concentrated on nutrition and electrolytes, she made sure I took something in every half hour and this is how we slowly but surely knocked off the last 26 miles of the race. She would lead up the uphills, sometimes I wouldn't even look up but just put my head down, put my hands on her back and she led the way up the hills, we would get to a downhill and we would swop positions....Fortunately I was still able to run down the downhills despite sore feet, but this soreness was nothing compared to the difficulty climbing with no air and the joy of being able to move with a little bit of speed overshadowed everything else. I felt as though I was truly flying in my Hokas. The air was dry and very dusty and at times we had to share the trail with off rode bikers, the dust was terrible and seemed to settle on your larynx.

Mel was confident that despite our slow progress we would still make the cutoff. No time was wasted in any of the aidstations, we grabbed fuel, had anything that looked okay to eat and set off again. The last 7 miles of the race is roughly downhill all the way so we knew we could do it as long as we kept moving forward, we would pass the same people on the downhills and they would pass me on the uphills. It became a game of cat and mouse, each of us just pushing to reach the finish line in time. The last turn on the course was marked differently and we would've missed it, but a kind runner came back to find us to make sure we knew where to go. Had we got lost we possibly wouldn't have made it in time.

We crossed the finish line at 16H40 with just 20 minutes to spare absolutely elated. Glenn and Sue were waiting at the finish line, they had watched my predicted time grow longer and longer since they left us at Brighton and werent sure that we were going to make it. You can imagine their sheer relief when we ran into the finish, they had no way of knowing whether it was an injury or altitude sickness that had slowed me down so considerably. I could now breathe as we were back to 5720 feet - no longer having visions of Hillary and Tenzing's climb to the top of Everest or hearing Darcy my yoga instructor saying "Find your breath, see your breath....this too shall pass."

People had been texting me throughout the race and I sat down to read them whilst waiting for the award ceremony. I was too nervous to read them during the race as I couldnt imagine trying to cry and breathe at the same time in my condition.
You arent handed medals as you cross the line, Claude Grant, the race director is there to shake your hand as you finish, you then wait for the awards and are given your belt buckle and a wall plaque.
Once again the food didnt look too appertising and I told the girls that I would see them for dinner after a quick shower and 1 hour nap, needless to say I didnt make dinner, but I do sort of remember devouring a take away hamburger sometime during the evening.

I woke up at 5.30 in the morning completely elated, saying that I was going to do the race again, the mountain had almost won and I felt that it owed me 3 hours. I was cross with myself for not taking altitude sickness prevention medication, I thought I would be fine. Wasatch had got under my skin, I could understand why people had done the race over and over again, something I had never felt before.

We gate crashed Sarah and Demetri's wedding party on Sunday night. They had got married straight after they completed the race on Saturday. We danced to DJ Tiesto, no blisters or sore feet, just swollen ankles and happy hearts. Howard's training plan had been perfect.

It was with a sad but proud heart that I left Salt Lake City - I felt that although I had gained so much knowledge on that mountain of how deep I can really dig Id also lost a bit of my heart up there. It iis the most beautiful course and one can not come away without marvelling at this creation of sheer splendour. The race is a tough one, and its a simple one, there is no hype around it, but there is a feeling of a strong community, almost of family amongst its volunteers - you feel safe and nurtured at all times, yet its not about rah rah, its about the basics, you against the mountain, giving the mountain the respect it deserves and even if you complete the race, the mountain still wins. I only realised this when I went to yoga a few days later and spent so much time in the humble childs pose fighting tears, Wasatch is an experience I will never ever forget. It gives you so much but at the same time it takes something from you and puts you right back in your place, that of being a mere mortal.

Great Weather Great Race

2011-09-18T19:34:00.000-04:00

Pope Sets New Course Record at YUTC

This was the 7th year of the YUTC and another year of picture perfect weather-low of around 60 to start, and high in the 70's as the day went by.

The 2011 YUTC was Race Director Bob Combs last year as the RD-and after the pre-race briefing, he also set out to run a loop of the YUTC before taking over finishing line duties.

Lloyd Thomas repeated his 25K win, finishing in a time of 2.03.09.

Paula Bittler seemed surprised-then happy-to find she was the 1st female winner in the 25K, finishing in 2.37.30.

Tracey Ross took the female 50K win in 5.10.42. This was her first ultra win, and will not be her last. Her father Ron Ross, one of the YUTC legacy runners, finished a bit farther back than his daughter.

Shaun Pope continues his domination in trail running and set a new course record in 3.51.56. As with the Ross Family, Shaun's dad, John Pope also finished the YUTC a few more minutes behind his son's finish.

There were many first time ultra runners on the course, celebrating their first ultra finish and some of them their first trail run. Jim Billock ran farther than his brother on Saturday (NEO TC member Nick Billock, who ran the Air Force Marathon, overseas) and completed his first ultra distance.

One runner liked the course so much he did a third loop of Lake Newport, extending his ultra finish mileage to 35 instead of 31. NEO TC did not charge him more for those extra miles.

Christine Kalie had done a loop of the YUTC course during on the NEO TC FA events two years ago. This year she returned for her first 50K finish.

Many first time runners to Mill Creek Park were amazed by the beauty of the wood of MCP.

Everyone seemed appreciative and happy of the efforts put forth by NEO TC to spend a great day on trails, with friends, in the late summer of Ohio.

7th Year of the YUTC

2011-09-16T05:00:00.005-04:00

This Saturday will be the 7th year of the Youngstown Ultra Trail Classic-usually referred to as "YUTC" (pronounced yut-zee).

Our club race has grown in popularity, with 55 finishers in the first year, in 2005.

A 25K race was added in 2008, with 26 finishers.

Compare that to 2010, 76 finishers in the 50K, with 51 finishers in the 25k.

Our race profiles the beauty of Mill Creek Park, right in the middle of Youngtown, Ohio. Most runners who encounter MCP for the first time can't believe the luck of having this park right in the middle of an urban city.

Or the fact that a trail race runs across an interstate.

This is the last year that Bob Combs will be the Race Director. Bob has moved out West and returned for his last YUTC. Thank you for all your hard work, Bob!

The weather is looking great for the Saturday race: low of 48, high of 70 degrees F. Almost perfect for a late summer trail race. We look forward to seeing you there!

Desiree Cowee Finishes the Wasatch 100

2011-09-15T15:11:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to NEO TC member Des Cowie, who finished the very tough Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run in 35:40:53.

The run stretches from Layton, Utah to The Homestead in Midway, Utah and covers some of the most beautiful scenery the Wasatch Mountains have to offer. There is a cumulative elevation gain of approximately 26,882 feet, as well as a cumulative loss of approximately 26,131 feet throughout the course.

Great job Des!!!!!

Shames Combs Finishes His First Ultra

2011-09-12T20:45:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Shames Combs, who finishes his first ultra, at the Silverton 1000 Mile Challenge.

If you have not run a loop timed course; consider it. It is far harder than you think. This is the elevation profile and changes for each one mile loop.

Shames finished his ultra, the 48 Hour Challenge,by running 30 miles, on a very challenging one mile loop.

NEO TC Members Bob Combs also finished the 48 Hour Challenge. Combs ran 52 miles, and Bill Losey made redemption after his DNF at Cascade Crest the week before by completing 100 miles.

Good job guys!

Sept 11

2011-09-11T07:35:00.000-04:00

Cam Baker finishes The Ring!

2011-09-10T13:48:00.000-04:00

Cam Baker finishes The Ring in second place, in 20.26. He then almost automatically becomes A Master of The Ring, by virtue of his Reverse Ring Finish of the year before.

Sounds complicated? Ask him about it on the trails sometime, he'll give you the full story.

There was originally a large field, as Quatro, The Ring Leader, forgot to close the sign up list. But 45 dwindled as the day neared and the temperatures rose. Only 32 toed the parking lot at Signal Knob on September 3.

NEO TC Members Tim Knapp, Cam Baker, Jim Harris early at Elizabeth Furnance. No one is sweating much..yet.

Tim Knapp is a cousin of Jim Harris and foolish enough to listen to his invitation to come run the rocks of Virginia. Tim twisted an ankle and was unlucky (lucky?) enough to bow out at Moreland Gap. He did get to experience Waterfall Mountain however.

Jim Harris took the social run this year and took it easy over the rocks of Massanutten. He and Kimba finished together in 25.01.

Warm temps and Cam Baker's wishes decimated the field. There were only 12 finishers out of 32 starters...three of these were NEO TC!

Detailed race reports from Cam and Kim.

Slim Pickins'

2011-09-07T10:40:00.000-04:00

Hey People, just a reminder that Slim Pickins' will be the weekend of November 18th, 19th, and the 20th.
Wheels are turning in the background to make this happen.
Check your calendars and mark this weekend down as a must do event.
If you don't know what Slim Pickins' is all about, find someone who has been there and ask them.

Here is the teaser...
This year the main run on Saturday will be epic.
7400 feet of elevation gain for the distance, and so far only two people have been able to put forth the effort to finish the run.
The most recent effort at this goal over the weekend resulted in failure.
They were not able to complete the miles neccesary to get the stated objective.

Here is a picture from SP2010.
See how much fun they are having.

Reminder that you must be a member of NEOTC by September 1st to participate.

Panarathon

2011-09-06T20:22:00.000-04:00

Newest NEOTC member Taylor Sowers ran down in Mill Creek Park at the recent Panarathon.
Taylor placed 20th over all out of 1047 runners.
His time was 38:55 for a 6:17 per mile effort for the 10K.

More info here.

Combs Finishes Cascade Crest 100

2011-08-29T06:15:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Bob Combs, for finishing the Cascade Crest 100 Mile Race in 29 hours 42 minutes!

Losey Summits Rainier

2011-08-26T07:32:00.000-04:00

Bill Losey summitted Mt Rainer on Saturday, August 20.

And more importantly, he made it off the mountain safely. Congratulations, Bill!

Cascade Crest 100

2011-08-24T09:37:00.000-04:00

This weekend Gombobu and Shubi will run Cascade Crest 100.
More details here.

Vol State Report

2011-08-17T19:51:00.000-04:00

Paul Lefelhocz has created a very interesting presentation on his Vol State Race, with also some commentary about his Burning River 100 Mile Finish also.

Please click this link for his report. It is in a Google Document format.

Pictorial of the YUTC Course

2011-08-14T08:10:00.000-04:00

Mill Creek Park was established in 1891 by Volney Rogers, a Youngstown attorney. It is the second largest metropolitian park in the United States.

The Parapet Bridge, constructed in 1913, is located on the east side of Lake Glacier in Mill Creek Park. Architect and landscape designer Julius Schweinfurth created this striking masterpiece of massive upright boulders and a graceful arch. From the four viewing platforms, visitors can look east to Spring Brook Ravine and west to Lake Glacier.

You will be running under the bridge and to your left,with Lake Glacier on your right.

A blurry pic of the approach to the infamous Love Log.

After the Love Log, a little run on the rest of the Monkey Trails, up Rainbow Hill, back into woods, across Pinball Ridge and down to the road.

Hop across the road and back next to the water, heading for the Covered Bridge and Lanterman's Mill.

When you see the beginning of the boardwalk, you are approaching Lanternman's Mill and the Covered Bridge, where the Aid Station will be set up.

At the end of the 18th century the land surrounding a beautiful, natural waterfall, now known as Lanterman's Falls, belonged to John Young, founder of Youngstown.
The first mill was built of logs from the site. Millstones were cut from granite boulders found in the area of what is now Fifth Avenue at Rayen Avenue. This mill operated from 1799 to 1822.

In 1823 the original mill was replaced by a second mill. Built by Eli Baldwin, this frame structure served only as a gristmill. Baldwin's mill operated until 1843 when a flood washed it away. A grinding stone from this mill can still be seen resting in the creekbed 500 feet downstream of the Falls.

The current frame structure was built in 1845-46 by German Lanterman and his brother-in-law Samuel Kimberly. German and his wife Sally Ann owned a large tract of land around the Falls. Lanterman's Mill was the third mill constructed at the Falls and was used solely as a gristmill.

Lanterman's Mill was restored over a three year period, from 1982 to 1985.

You will then cross the Covered Bridge, where the Aid Station will be set up.

After you cross the Covered Bridge you will be running down the south side of the course, beside Lake Newpoort.

This is the southern end of the YUTC race course, around Lake Newport.

After you round the bottom end of Lake Newport, there is just one section of road to encounter, just less than one mile.

After you have crossed the Covered Bridge and started on the east side of the course, you will come across the Suspenion Bridge.

The Suspension Bridge, located on Valley Drive, was erected in 1895 and spans Mill Creek connecting the east and west sides of the park. Following the wishes of Volney Rogers to create fanciful park entrances, Charles Fowler of the Youngstown Bridge Company designed the structure.

Pioneer Pavilion, is one of the oldest structures in Youngstown, Ohio. Constructed in 1821, this sandstone building served as a mill for carding and fulling wool. The building was later used as a storeroom for the nearby Mill Creek Furnace, then remodeled for party use in 1893. In 1894, the woolen mill was officially named Pioneer Pavilion to honor its pioneer history.

The flagpole is a new addition at Pioneer Pavilion, dedicated 2011 to Gary L Nilsson.

This would be the view as you come out of the woods and make the left turn back down the drive to the Start/Finish Line at the Log Cabin.

YUTC Volunteer/Familiarization Run At Mill Creek Park

2011-08-13T20:10:00.000-04:00

A good group of runners turned out for the YUTC Volunteer/Familiarization Run on Saturday. More pictures to come soon!

YUTC Training Run

2011-08-10T10:02:00.001-04:00

Course Familiarization run this Saturday the 14th of August.
8:00 start for the group at the Log Cabin.
We will cover the 12 miles of the YUTC course, with water stops every 4 miles.
Others are starting earlier, in case you need a few more miles.

More info here.

NEOTC Dominates at the Speece Family Duathlon

2011-08-08T09:45:00.001-04:00

Quick report on the Speece Duathlon.
Eric Harris wins the duathlon with a come from behind effort on the 2nd run.
Eric was also the fastest on both runs.
Todd Hanks dominates the bike portion.
Following is the list of the NEOTC effort at the Duathlon.
1st place - Eric Harris   1:01:14
2nd place - Jim Harris    1:02:48
3rd place - Todd Hanks 1:03:16
4th place -  Pat Dillon     1:08:36

Great event and one that many of us are looking ahead to next year to compete again at the Speece Venue.
Should have the Triathlon back next year is the latest word from the event organization.

Speece Family Duathlon

2011-08-03T07:45:00.001-04:00

This Saturday is the Speece Family Duathlon.
While not on trails, this race is a great experience for those who like to compete and particiapte in unique events.
The Speece Family has taken it upon themselves to create an event that raises money for Pacreatic Cancer research.
After the event there will be a family picnic and everyone participating is asked to bring a covered dish to share.
More info here.

Burning River 100

2011-08-02T07:03:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to all who participated in the Burning River 100 Mile. And big THANK YOU to the many many volunteers who gave up their weekend to support the runners!!

There were some great performances by NEO TC members:

Courtney Russell 25.38.54

Roy Heger 25.38.59

Paul Lefelhocz 27.16.43

Ron Ross 28.51.06

Kurt Osadchuck 28.36.27

The 100 mile distance of the past weekend must have seemed 'short' for Paul Lefelhocz, who earlier in the month completed the 314 distance of the Vol State Race. The other participants in the "King of the Miles" contest should be relieved that July is over and Paul can't add any more miles for the month!

King of the Miles

2011-08-01T09:10:00.001-04:00

Get your July Miles to Jim Harris.

Paul L takes a big lead in the Race miles with Vol State and BR100 to his credit.
Paul had over 400 miles racing in the Month of July.

Burning River 100

2011-07-29T10:30:00.000-04:00

The longest event in the Cuyahoga Valley starts tomorrow morning.
Good Luck to all NEOTC runners.
Also Good Luck to all those volunteering their effort to help support the runners as they make their way from Squires Castle to Chargrin Falls.

NEO Trail Leadership Annoucement

2011-07-28T09:50:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to announce that our commanding chief and fearless leader Bob Combs is in the process of moving out west to Colorado. As many of you know, Bob was the RD for the YUT-C 50K/25K and club president for the past 6 years. We will miss his guidance, camaraderie, and humor. He will continue to be involved with the club, however, to provide his insight and wisdom, and hopes to be present at YUT-C this year.
This transition should be flawless though, as Jim Harris will be picking up the slack as the new club president. He has been involved with the NEO Trail Club and YUT-C since it's inception and is also the RD of the Dirty Dog 10K. If anyone needs to contact him, he can be reached at james.a.harris@delphi.com.
Also, for anyone that would like to run with Bob one last time before he moves, there will be a group run this Sunday at 9:00am starting from the Wick Recreation Area (Rocky Ridge) in Mill Creek Park. Visit this link for directions to the parking lot - http://tinyurl.com/3przerj

Race Report from the Wellness in the Woods 5K

2011-07-26T08:12:00.000-04:00

5k AG win!

I am not sure when exactly my injury started, but I have photos of my foot brace for it from October 2010, so I am pretty sure I had it for a few months prior. Plantar Fasciitis is not always 100% debilitating and I ran on it for months and months. I ran a PR marathon, I ran a PR trail marathon, I ran a PR 50k, and I finished my first 100 miler all while dealing with the heal pain that would creep in somewhere after 15 miles or so, and require gait adjustment, pain creams, Aleve, and shoe changes to accomodate. At some point after the 100 miler, I just had had enough, and though I tried all the stretches, night splints, icing the foot, rolling it on a ball, and a frozen water bottle I wasn’t getting the relief I needed to progress or even maintain.

I had been seeing the doctor but when relief didn’t come, he suggested it was time for a cortisone shot. I agreed. I had heard very good things about this and thought it could help me turn the corner. The cortisone shot to the heel summed up all the pain I had experienced in the previous 6 months and delivered it in a second or two to that heel. HOLY crap batman did that hurt! I promised ole doc to abstain from running for 3 days and then go by feel on my return. As it turns out I didn’t feel like running on it for most of a week, and then it was getting a little better and I had a free entry to a 10k so it was time. I ran the 10k (oh yeah, PR'd that too) with only minor discomfort and took a bag of ice to my car for the drive home. For the next week I had difficulty WALKING, let alone running. So back to ole doc. I was going to DEMAND an MRI. Didn’t have to, he suggested it first.

MRI showed that the front of my heel bone was taking on fluid and was weakened by the process, so he put me into a boot to immobilize things for two weeks (17 days it ended up.) By the end of that I was feeling optimistic and coming out of the boot they put me back in physical therapy and allowed me to start walking for a week or so, then some elliptical (I hate those) and then a slow return to running. I have been pretty faithful to that and am now released to go on feel and have been trying to be smart. Whenever the running brings on the first tenderness I back off and take a day or two.

Last week I finally had some consistent running and did two 10 mile runs with no pain, and then this Sunday it was time to test out a “race.” I went down to the Greenswell Wellness in the Woods 5k at Scioto Audubon Metro Park and signed up. I did a warmup half mile or so, and I knew it wasn’t going to be a great day to race because the humidity made it hard to breathe even on the warmup. The race starts and I am coughing and hacking for air by the first half mile, but the legs feel great. No heel pain. Normally at a race I am running on the edge of what I feel my legs can handle and call that the edge. Due to the humidity, and perhaps being out of shape, this day I was running on the edge of oxygen starvation. I just kept the needle at the “I can breathe, just barely” setting on the dial and did the best I could.

This race included a 2 mile option and at the one mile sign only one teen girl was making the turn back for the 2 mile race. I had a 30 yard argument with myself about making that turn and chasing her down to try to win my first ever race, but resigned myself to the race I entered and kept motoring out on the 5k course. To cut it short, I hacked and wheezed all the way to the finish, pushing that edge, but not really kicking much. I finished in 24:41 which is just off my 24:13 5k PR and to my surprise I ended up winning my age group which must have been pretty weak this day. 22nd out of 89 runners for about a 25 percentile finish, which is also high for me. So all in all, not too bad of a result in my first race back. Time to either better that in a 5k, or find a 10k and start working my way back to marathons and ultras. YUTC, and URINEO are calling to me!

Lefelhocz Finishes Vol State!

2011-07-23T22:27:00.000-04:00

Paul Lefelhocz finished the last Annual Vol State Race in 8.04.15.55

That is 8 days, 4 hours, and 15 minutes! This was the long way across Tennessee!

We hope to have a race report from Paul once he catches up in real life again soon.

Vol State

2011-07-23T22:26:00.000-04:00

Paul Finished the Last Annual Volunteer State Run.
314 miles.

What did you do this week?

Buckeye Trail 50K Race Report

2011-07-19T06:00:00.005-04:00

As reported by Joe "Moose" Novicky:

The BT50k was the best long run I have had since Umstead 2009.

It was not fast for me but very fun and considering I survived the heat I am pumped.

The re-vamped oak grove picnic area has tons of parking and there was no problem getting a spot to park. Maybe the only issue with the larger crowd was that it did get crowded and backed up in the first mile
but soon that was no issue. If you have a problem with that you need to consider that when lining up.

The two things that stand out the best are this.

First, NO heat headache at all in the warm second half. It seems many times when its over 90 I get a headache from the heat (only at bt50k).

Second, in the second half , although not fast I still pursued and raced down anyone I could in front of me. I passed about 14 people in the second half and only two of those passed me back.

I climbed pretty easy most of the way due to my Colorado experience. I finally noticed that in 2003 some boy scouts re-did the stair case going up the reverse way n blue hen falls as there used to be to many
metal spikes sticking up on that staircase.

The course was dry and hard so lots of roots stuck out more than ever. There was no place you had to get your feet wet and some streams where not streams at all.

Maybe the coolest thing was that one area in the first section that is a long strip of 14 inch wide asphalt single track. The growth of the plants on each side where high enough to be as cool as laurel ferns. These where some kind of flowering weed that had a nice smell to it.

Support was great as usual. This year they also had the new huckle berry hamer gel which tasted great. The gourmet hamburgers and hot dogs at the finish where also good.

I had a triple stacked hamburger with 5 slices of tomato and two hot dogs at the finish. Needless to say I didn't need diner when I got home.

Vince and an assistant DID carry one guy off the course to EMS. I hate to say I have never seen more gu wrappers and just the tips of the gu packs here and there but I am certain the "crew" will clean them up.

Of course , Bruce the Moose was there but I missed all the rest of you.

Kimba Takes 3rd at Big Bear Lake 12 Hour

2011-07-18T08:00:00.002-04:00

Kim Love-Ottobre completed 12 Hours at Big Bear Lake in Bruceton Mills, WV, taking 3rd place. Her blog post is here: www.ultratrailgoddess.com

Lefelhocz Running Vol State

2011-07-17T15:58:00.000-04:00

Paul Lefelhocz has joined the runners for the Last Annual Vol State Race.

The Last Annual Vol State Run is a non-stop race from Dorena Landing, MO to Castle Rock, GA. This is a distance of 314 miles.
This is a race across the state of Tennessee-the long way.
This is a link to the map of the runners: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200687420624110668378.00048a47071d95b5c32f5&msa=0&ll=35.737595,-84.375&spn=5.269115,11.590576

Mattapoisett Sprint Triathlon

2011-07-11T14:13:00.001-04:00

Eric and Jim Harris competed in the Mattapoisett Sprint Triathlon on Sunday over near Buzzard's Bay, in Mass.

The distances were a 1/4 miles swim, a 10 mile bike, and then 5K run.
Eric won the 18 and under age group, and ended up with the fastest run split overall.
He also was top 20 over all out of 240 competitors.

Overall Results here.

Hardrock 100

2011-07-07T07:07:00.000-04:00

The eighteenth running of the Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run is scheduled to start at 6:00 am, Friday July 8, 2011, in Silverton, Colorado. In 2011, the course will be run in the counter-clockwise direction - a big loop through the San Juan Mountains of beautiful southwest Colorado: 100-miles plus 33,992 feet of climb and 33,992 feet of descent for a total elevation change of 67,984 feet with an average elevation of 11,186 feet - low point 7,680 feet (Ouray) and high point 14,048 feet (Handies Peak)

Good luck to NEO TC Members Bob Combs, Roy Heger, and the legendary John DeWalt!

Live broadcasts can be followed here on Friday: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/aravaiparunning

Howland Stars and Stripes 5K

2011-07-05T07:38:00.001-04:00

All American Dan Dunlap and Coach Todd Hanks ran in the Howland Stars and Stripes 5K on the 4th of July. Dan was 3rd overall in 17:26 and Todd was 11th in 19:13.

Results are posted on the NEO Trail web page here.

XTERRA Chapin Forest 8K Results

2011-06-27T07:55:00.000-04:00

The XTERRA races continue to be popular events for NEO TC members.

In 2010, the inaugural XTERRA Ohio Trail Run series consisted of five races. In 2011, the series consists of cross country trail runs in the Northern Ohio region (7 races) and Southeast Ohio region (3 races).

The XTERRA Chapin Forest 8K was held on Sunday, June 26. This challenging course offers both flat sections and hills with a combination of well-groomed and technical trails on gravel, dirt, and rocks.

Congratulations to Elizabeth Sosan, who finished in 49.03. She was quickly followed by Heidi Finiff in 49.50, and Gail Connor in 59.41. Good job ladies!

The next XTERRA event is the Mohican Trail Race, a 19K (11 miles) race, July 9.

Congratulations to Eric Deutsch!

2011-06-27T07:38:00.000-04:00

Eric finished the Western States Endurance Run!

Mohican Results

2011-06-25T20:07:00.000-04:00

The Mohican Marathon, 50 mile, and 100 Mile Race was held last weekend at Mohican State Park/Forest. The weather was the usual "Mo weather" hot and humid.

NEO Trail Members who finished races were:

Ron Ross, finishing the 100 Mile, in 30.56

Courtney Russell, with a very impresive time in the 50 mile race: 11.22
Desiree Cowie and Tara Schweitzer managed to finish before Wild Bill Wagner in the 50 mile race. Their times were: Desiree 12.57, Tara 13.52, and Bill 14.00.44

Congratulations!