Slim Pickins 2011

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

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

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

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

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

Nick  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!!

Welcome home Nick !!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 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

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

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

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

Cam Baker finishes The Ring!

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'

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

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.