Grafton Loop Trail–One Day Adventure

The Grafton Loop Trail, in the Mahoosucs Range of Western Maine, is one of the newest major trails to be built in New England. Thanks to the AMC and the Grafton Loop Trail Coalition, 30 miles of new trails were built since 2002. The complete circumnavigation of Grafton Notch includes 34 miles of the Grafton Loop Trail, of which four miles overlaps with the Appalachian Trail, plus another four mile section of the AT/Old Speck Trail.

This past Sunday, Debbie, Matt Schomburg, and I completed a one day assault of the full 38 mile loop. The real objective of the day was to climb Old Speck, one of the six remaining New England 4000 foot mountains that we haven’t climbed. There are 67 total. After Old Speck, our remaining five are also all in Western Maine in the Rangeley Lakes region. There is an outside chance we can get them all in one long day, but more likely, it will take two. Peak bagging can be fun, and for us, it is another fun way to see more of the outdoors.

Old Speck pretty much has to be climbed on its own because there are no other 4000 footers in “same day walking distance.” We decided to make the trip more interesting by running/hiking the entire loop. The new trail was designed to create a multi-day backpacking opportunity. Most people would do it in two, three, or four days, but we figured it would be more fun in one.

Debbie and I had planned this trip well in advance since it was going to be a rare opportunity for a childless adventure. We figured that it would be great training for the busy fall season. She has several ultramarathon trail races between now and December. I plan to join her for a couple of the 50km events, plus I’ve got some long distance cycling races on my agenda. A full day in the mountains was intended to do both of us some good, and we figured we would soften up our legs in the process!

On Saturday, our twosome became a threesome. We had sent an e-mail to Matt Schomburg, a good friend from Milan, New Hampshire. Most of the year, Matt is a United States Forest Service Backcountry Ranger stationed in the White Mountains. Last year, in the off-season, he worked as a contractor for the US government doing carpentry and other odd jobs at the South Pole in Antarctica. He has thru-hiked both the AT and the Long Trail. He has climbed all of the 4000 footers, and then some. Earlier this year, following his Antarctic adventure, he spent a month hiking in New Zealand. He has even won the Nipmuck Trail Marathon and has several top 25 finishes at the Mount Washington Road Race. He is the consummate definition of an Über-hiker.

The plan was to run as much of the route as we could. We were going light, opting for trail running sneakers, and going with just the necessary emergency gear and food in our hydration packs. We planned to treat and replenish our water supply on the route. My quick math (in the head) figured we could do it in nine hours. We planned to push it and I would only carry a little point and shoot camera. This little gizmo was inferior to my regular set up, but a heck of a lot lighter. I tried to get the elevation gain/loss information prior to the hike, but the only map available had just the basic information. Our estimated time was based on the assumption that my legs would hold up.

Well, they did…but only for six hours. Then, I had to walk…a lot. My bad patch came between hours six and nine. I spent most of the day in between Deb (in the lead) and Matt (in his usual sweep role). Fortunately, I recovered a bit and we ran some more between hours eight and 12, but then I cracked again as the sun set. We had started at 7:00 A.M. on the dot and ran down the final stretch of trail into the parking lot at 8:26 P.M, for a total time of 13 hours and 26 minutes.

Debbie was super strong. She led most of the day and would have easily shaved a couple of hours off the time if given the opportunity to run ahead. Nine hours may have been a little aggressive, but is probably doable under the right circumstances. The weather was perfect, so that didn’t slow us. It was mainly my fitness that was suspect. We probably spent 90 minutes resting, eating, taking pictures, and treating water. It is safe to say that Matt would have kept up with Debbie had she decided to drop the hammer on me. I’m pretty sure that the ranger wouldn’t have left me out there alone! There were times when I was huffing and puffing, trotting along, only to look back and see Matt simply walking at a brisk pace. I was running. He was walking. That’s Matt.

Unless you are a trail runner, long distance hiker, or endurance athlete, it is hard to understand what 38 miles feels like. And 38 is nothing for some ultra runners, but at least for me, it hurts. The quadriceps are stiff, the muscles aren’t firing properly, the knees are achy, the back is sore. Still, it is all worth it. I may destroy muscle cells, but I think I actually grow brain cells when I’m really out there like we were this past weekend. My GPS battery ran out of juice before we could complete the loop. If we met our goal, it would have tracked the whole way. The data shows that when it quit just as we were starting up Old Speck after 10 hours and 46 minutes, we had gone 31+ miles and climbed more than 11,700 feet of cumulative elevation and descended 10,300 feet. It is safe to say that we climbed another 1500 feet for a total of 13,200+ feet up and an equal amount down. That’s a lot for 38 miles.

Going into the trip, I was concerned about my feet. I haven’t done a lot of running since April, and I haven’t done any hiking at all. I opted to go with my old standard Montrail’s and a new pair of Darn Tough socks. I was inspired to find a pair of Darn Tough’s in the bottom of my sock drawer after reading Sherpa John’s review. I’m glad I saw his post last week because these socks are money. My only regret is that I don’t have a knee height pair and that is probably why it took me so long to use them. The pair I have would seem more suited for a tennis match! Debbie can’t stand it when I where my knee-highs, but I love them. However, these Darn Tough’s were the perfect height for her.

The Mahoosucs are fairly remote. We saw one moose, three grouse, lots of toads, and only three people. One highlight of the trip were all of the wild blueberries near the summits. We crested seven named peaks, some above the Alpine Zone, and the berries were tasty. The summit of Sunday River Whitecap mountain was particularly noteworthy for other reasons. It had great views in all directions. Some might consider the rock work and cairns excessive, especially for a summit, but we appreciated it. The trail builders did a great job on the entire Grafton Loop Trail and deserve much of the credit for our enjoyable time. So, the next time you want to run/hike 38 miles, I’ll hook you up with Debbie and Matt. They would be happy to join you. I’ll help you pack.

Another interesting note: Matt had ridden over from Milan on his motorcycle at 5:30 in the morning. He saw four moose on the way. He had his gear in his backpack, including his single five foot long hiking pole. It was a sight to see. Even better was the sight of him getting back on his iron-horse at 9:00 at night so that he could head back up Route 26 on his way home.

Additional Grafton Loop Trail info:

Maine Appalachian Trail Club

Sun Journal story

Mainetoday.com

Coda: Of course, 38 miles in a day is nothing to brag about. Karl Meltzer continues his journey to Georgia and has been knocking off 40+ mile days again. Debbie and I had a funny episode when we spent Saturday night at the Grafton Notch Campground. We were registering in the office/house of the owner and noticed one last whereskarl bumper sticker next to all the promotional maps and brochures. We told the fellow who was signing us in that we saw Karl two weeks earlier. He wasn’t phased by some dude running the AT. He said, “Yeah, they stayed here.”

Savoy Mountain Trail Race–Not for Beginners!

Before the Mount Toby Trail Run, both Richard Busa and Ben Nephew were telling me about Savoy. Richard ran it and Ben heard about it. Apparently, the course was even muddier than usual and ended up being 23+ miles instead of the 20 advertised. That does make a difference on a hot August morning. Deb and I have done Savoy in the past, but this year, the out and back 20 miler was cancelled. That gave me the opportunity to do the Hampshire 100. As it turns out, Savoy was saved a few weeks before the scheduled date, and remade into a race with two 10 mile loops. The WMAC Trilogy lives!

Both Richard and Ben referenced the race winner’s blog. They said it was hilarious. So, I had to check it out. I agree. Jim Johnson’s account of his “first trail race” was pretty funny. Though, I guess it wouldn’t have been so funny if he really got hurt. It sounds like he escaped serious injury/illness more than once. First place is not bad for a newbie. You have to read his post, the subsequent comments, and then his replies. Ignore the cursing and focus on the dialogue. It is mildly entertaining. 

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, at least most of the time. But, what about the attack comment on back of the packers? Here is an out of context postscript from one good natured runner: “Personally I never understood the whole ‘take in the scenery’ thing at trail and mountain race. I thought that what hiking was for.” That is an unedited copy/paste (except for punctuation), so we know that this guy should stick with running and avoid the English teacher career track. 

I’m kind of hoping that his comment was tongue in cheek. Whoa, quite a controversy started by Mr. Johnson. I wonder what some of these speedsters would think of Karl Meltzer now that he is WALKING the Appalachian Trail instead of RUNNING. Would they call him a wuss? 

Oh well, Johnson will probably survive from his experience. I’ve had similar problems in races, though never while winning! I’ve got scars to prove it. I joke with Deb that I “hate running” but I still go out there and suffer; all in the name of fun.

Mount Toby Trail Run

Yesterday, the Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club hosted the Mount Toby Trail Race in Sunderland, Massachusetts. It was my fourth time running the 14 mile Toby out and back course. Deb also ran and has done the race a bunch of times too. The race application says you climb 1900 feet in two sections on the out leg with an equal amount of descending on the back leg. Since it isn’t completely up or down in each direction, total climbing is 2300+ feet, at least that is how I interpreted my GPS results. Even by New England standards, 1269 foot Mount Toby is merely a bump, but it still has a cool fire tower at the summit. 

Toby is about as close to a road race as a trail race can get. That doesn’t mean it is easy, but it is well suited to beginners. You would have to be a lousy navigator to get lost and the trail conditions are tame. This makes the race fast and fun. 

The results aren’t posted yet, but one of the highlights for me was Ruthie Ireland’s win in the women’s race. Between 7 Sisters and  Mount Toby, she must have been feeling snake-bitten with victory eluding her at both races in recent years. It seems that if it is always a different woman outrunning her. Yesterday, she came out on top and nearly caught me. If the race was 15 miles instead of 14, I would have been dead meat. Congratulations Ruthie. I felt OK in the first seven miles on the way up to the fire tower, but not great. I was able to close in on Bob Sharkey by the top (he is running stronger than ever) but he dropped the hammer on me when we turned around to run down the hill. After the first mile of descending, I went into survival mode for the next six miles. Eventually, my nemesis, Todd Brown, caught me to add salt to my wounds. I’ll get him back! I struggled into the finish (smiling) in 1:51:32, nearly eight minutes slower than the last time I did Toby. 

Debbie had a good race after a three week layoff following the 33 mile Ultimate XC: Vermont Edition. She hadn’t run at all until last week, choosing to take a late summer rest in advance of a big fall ultra-marathon schedule. She finished in third place in 1:57:30. 

Weather conditions were great for running yesterday. It wasn’t too hot and the trails were dry. The post race picnic highlight was the fresh corn on the cob. Secretly, I root for Debbie to win every year because division winners get to pick from a variety of prizes. Berkshire Brewing Company always donates a six pack of their 22 ounce Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale. She may not drink…but I do!

Where’s Karl?

Karl Meltzer is a friend from the ultra-marathon trail running community. Debbie and I have chatted with him at various events in recent years and exchange e-mails and blog posts from time to time. We got to know Karl a bit better at last year’s Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) in Chamonix, France. Shep, fellow ultra-runner Buddy Teaster, and I were crewing for Debbie. Cheryl, Karl’s wife, crewed for him. UTMB didn’t end the way Karl and Deb had expected (both were DNF’s), but we joined some of our other running friends for a beer to discuss the race. He is an accomplished ultra runner with multiple wins at the Wasatch 100, Hardrock 100, and San Diego 100. He lives in Utah, though he has roots in New Hampshire. 

Karl is attempting to break the speed record for the 2,174 mile Appalachian Trail. He started 14 days ago on August 5th at the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine, and is headed south to Georgia. He has projected that it will take 47 days to complete the trail. The current record is 47 days, 13 hours, and 31 minutes. He is currently ahead of his projection and averaging an astonishing 42 miles/day through the rugged New England section of the trail. As things “flatten out” as he heads south, his daily mileage will increase and his overall projection requires 46+ miles day average to reach his goal. 

You can track Karl’s progress at www.whereskarl.com. 

Debbie and I have been particularly interested in Karl’s attempt. We don’t often get wrapped up in these feats, preferring to do them ourselves (at least mini versions), but Karl is a friend and we love the AT. We want him to break the record, but mostly to have a wonderful experience and to provide inspiration to others. We told him before the quest that we would try to hook up with him when he passed through Connecticut, and possibly run with him a bit, but at least get out there to see him go by. He is projected to be in the Nutmeg State later this week. 

As it turns out, we got a chance to see him sooner than anticipated, which is a pretty remarkable story. This past weekend, we were headed to a rugged mountain bike race, the Hampshire 100 in Greenfield, NH. The plan was to visit some friends in Norwich, Vermont on Saturday, then head to Oak Park in Greenfield where we would camp.

After spending the day in Norwich and nearby Woodstock, we discussed our plans. It was mid-afternoon, Shep was passed out in his car seat, we were all cranky and it was time to move on. Debbie had noted earlier that there would be a chance Karl would be coming through Hanover, NH today. Hanover is directly across the Connecticut River from Norwich, is a the home of Dartmouth College, and is a legendary stopover town on the Appalachian Trail. Many AT thru-hikers choose to hang out in Hanover because of the hostels, laundromats, restaurants, and bars. Hanover in summertime is a blast. However, Karl isn’t the average AT thru-hiker and it was likely that he wouldn’t be stopping for a beer. 

I suggested that we follow the white blazes up through town and keep an eye out for the http://www.backcountry.com RV and Karl’s crew. His run is fully supported and there are at least two people manning the RV at any given time. For the first two weeks, his father has been on crew along with someone from Backcountry, the title sponsor for his assault on the AT.

We crossed the river, drove up through town and kept our eyes open. The trail headed off into the woods and Debbie remarked, “This is a wild goose chase.” Clearly, she was ready to go. Just at that moment, I yelled, “There it is.” The RV, emblazoned with Karl’s photo and the names of his sponsors was at the back of the Co-Op Food Store parking lot where the AT emerges from the woods. 

We parked next to it. The crew dog was inside but no one was around. We knocked, hoping not to wake anyone. They have been getting up between 3:00 A.M. and 4:00 A.M. every day. Crew duties include meals, laundry, and logistics. We couldn’t find anyone. I went into the store to look for Karl’s dad or another crew member doing groceries. Still no one. After 15 minutes of hanging around, Debbie wrote a note to Karl and the crew. We put it on the windshield and were just about ready to take off for NH, when she looked up and yelled, “There’s someone running.” Whoa, it was the man himself. He emerged from the woods at just the right moment. Truly, a needle in a haystack kind of find. 

A handshake, a hug, a few photos, some directions through town, and he was off again. Now, we definitely feel part of his quest, though he is doing all the running! We updated the note so the crew knew we saw him, hopped in the van, and drove down to the river. We piled out, including an awake Shep, and went out onto the bridge. We waited for him to arrive again, shot some photos, shouted encouragement and he headed into Vermont. We laughed about the events, relaxed for a few minutes, Shep did some running of his own, then we took off to our next stop in Greenfield. 

We may still try to hook up with Karl in CT later this week, but we are pumped about seeing him in Hanover. His solitary quest requires the support of his family, crew, sponsors, and friends, but he is doing the heavy lifting. 2,174 miles in 47 days takes a lot of planning, fitness, and mental fortitude. When Debbie and I did a self-supported thru-hike of the Long Trail in 2005, we averaged 23 miles a day, and that was serious pain. We were backpacking, not fast packing/running, so it is a bit different, but we still know what 15 hour days are all about.

As Karl headed across the river and into Norwich, Shep simply said, “Goodbye.”

Go Karl!

Peoples Forest Trail Race

Yesterday was the Peoples Forest Trail Race in Barkhamsted (Pleasant Valley), Connecticut. This Greystone Racing promoted event is one of the shortest (7 miles) on the New England Grand Tree Trail Running Series schedule. Compared with last weekend’s Ultimate XC: Vermont Edition (33 miles), Peoples is a sprint!

Debbie rested her legs after the beating they took last weekend at Jay, and chose to hike a bit in the State Forest with Shep. Since we were reversing roles this weekend, it was my turn to run. I’ve had a long layoff from competition. My last trail running race was 7 Sisters in early May. So, I guess you could say that I was ready to go.

Marc Robaczynski smashed his own course record and ran sub-45 minutes. This is an insane time considering that multi-time Grand Tree Champ, Ben Nephew, was 2nd more than four minutes back. Ouch. Ben won the Escarpment Trail Run last weekend again. Escarpment is a race more suited to his technical skills and endurance, but that is not why he was second. Marc is just plain fast. His 5K road times are consistently in the mid-15’s, which is pretty good for a working man. He made a mockery of our Grand Tree percentages. Now, Peoples isn’t Jay, but it also isn’t a cross country race. Aside from a short dirt road section and some fields, it really is a pretty technical race, and there is definitely a lot of up and down. The race just runs fast, especially because of the short distance. I felt OK and waged a fun battle for 5th place, but I ended up 6th in 55:22…11 minutes behind Marc. Teammate, Wayne Prescott, ran too. This was his first trail race, but he has a lot of running in his background. He shared his own thoughts about the run. The results aren’t available yet, but I’ll post a link when they are. 

The pot-luck post race snacks were excellent again and many of us enjoyed a cool dip in the Farmington River, which is 50 feet from the finish line. The race was finished and we were packed up before the thunderstorms rolled in.

Race Results

2008 Ultimate XC: Vermont Edition

This past weekend, we made the trek to Jay, Vermont for the 2008 Ultimate XC: Vermont Edition. This is the race that was originally known as the Jay Mountain Marathon, but…it has never been 26.2 miles. This year’s race was around 33 miles, as it has been the last several years. This ultra-marathon trail running race used to be the middle stage of a three day adventure race known as the Jay Challenge. The Challenge (including kayaking and mountain biking)hasn’t been run for the past couple of years. It is now the second race in a three race series known as The UltimateXC. A June race was in Quebec and a November race will be in Utah. Regardless of what you call it, it is a hard run.

 

I didn’t run this year, but I crewed for Debbie (with Shep) and took a lot of photos. I had registered for the race, but illness, injury, and ultimately “Daddy Duty” kept me from running. No problem. This was Deb’s year to focus and she had a nice run, which was good after last year’s post-partum suffer-fest. She rebounded in 2008 to take 4th place, only 50 seconds off the podium. She was bummed to miss the third step by less than a minute after six and a half hours of running, but that is how it goes.

  

Aliza Lapierre won the women’s race after a tough battle with Jennifer Johnson. Jen is a multi-Jay Challenge winner and runs strong every year. Aliza has had some great results in New England over the past few years and made a nice comeback after a broken hip suffered at the Stone Cat 50 miler a few years ago. Third place went to a woman from Quebec, but I don’t have her name yet. As mentioned, Deb was fourth. On the men’s side, it was the Leigh Schmitt show again. He was way out front right from the start and was never threatened. I don’t even know who finished behind him, other than that they are collectively known as, “Everyone.” Leigh is a monster and this course is made for him. Tough, rugged, and at times, hilly. I know that there were a lot of folks having fun. Just look at the smiles and enthusiasm in the photos.

  

The weather was good this year, though a bit muddier than usual thanks to a week of heavy rain. The streams were running a bit quicker than normal and that added to the challenge. I heard the bog section was deep, so I’m glad I was watching and not running (walking). Shep and I got out to several good vantage points. We watched the start, then we made it 3/4 the way up Jay Peak. After that, we were in one of the streams, then we staked out the river crossing and checked out the blueberry patch (and sampled the berries). Eventually,  we saw the last aid station, then we were at the finish. It was an action packed day.

  

Once I track down the results, I’ll add a link. 

Race photos

Race results

Western States 100 Cancelled

Wow, the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run was cancelled for the first time in its 35 year history. The announcement about the 2008 edition came in a press release today. The cause: unprecedented wildfires in Northern California. I was tipped off by the RSS feed that I get from speedgoat Karl’s blog. What a total bummer for all the runners and an even bigger bummer for the race organizers and volunteers. We have many friends that were already out there getting ready for the big event this weekend.  I just talked to three-time women’s champ, Nikki Kimball, last week. She was primed. 

WS100 is the gold standard of US ultra running events. Both the men’s and women’s races were shaping up to be epic battles with many of the top US based ultra-marathon trail runners lining up for the point to point run. Debbie scouted parts of the course when we traveled to CA last year for the Way Too Cool 50k. At that time, we had talked about her attempting to either 1) qualify for WS100 or 2) enter the lottery to gain a race entry for 2008. Thankfully, she opted not to pursue this goal. She felt that the WS100 course isn’t suited to her style of trail running and that she wasn’t too keen on the 100 mile distance at this time. 

A race of this stature will recover from the cancellation, but it is a blow. At 35 years old, it is 10 years older than the Nipmuck Trail Marathon, the grandaddy of New England trail races, which is remarkable. Someday, I hope to see the spectacle. Maybe I can convince Debbie to train more and do more speed work, because I’m sure not running it!

Mount Greylock Trail Races-A Father’s Day Tradition

As if 53 miles and like 12,000 feet of elevation gain/loss wasn’t enough. Debbie followed up her big day at the Pittsfield Peaks Ultra Challenge with a return visit to the Mount Greylock Trail Race. Coming into Sunday, both of us had streaks at Greylock. I think hers was 9 years before Sunday, and mine was about half of that (if that makes sense!). Greylock is always on Father’s Day. Greylock is normally the day before the Mount Washington Road Race, which both Deb and I have run before. Last year, Pittsfield was a week before Greylock. This year, it was all messed up. It was still Father’s Day on Sunday, but since June also started on a Sunday, Mount Washington is next Saturday and Pittsfield was yesterday. Whatever. 

 

With the road to the summit of Moby Dick (Mount Greylock), still under construction, the course was the same as last year. This version of the Greylock Gallop favors speed. Debbie opted to run the short course (5km) and I opted to hike the short course and take photos with Shep. She can’t wait for the day when the Thunderbolt Trail is once again part of the Greylock course. I’m happy to wait a bit longer.

Those that ran the long race were treated to pretty good weather. It was a bit muggy with breaks of bright sunlight. The trails were a bit slick. I noted that more than one runner hit the deck in a slippery spot. Ben Nephew sped through this faster version of the 13.1 mile Gallop in a little more than 90 minutes. He was cooking. I couldn’t even get a front facing photo of him!

He was chased by the usual crowd. Results should be posted by tomorrow. Beth Krasemann continued her dominance of the Grand Tree Trail Running Series and had a good run to beat all the women. She was also well placed overall. 

The best part about Greylock is hanging out afterwards. The pot-luck lunch/BBQ was fabulous again and the whole Western Massachusetts Athletic Club gang deserves kudos for carrying on the tradition. I’m glad that Debbie and I are still “streaking” at Greylock. Shep got his first finish, and it is likely that we will be back next year, and probably to run long again.

2008 Pittsfield Peaks Ultra Challenge

The second Pittsfield Peaks Ultra Challenge was this past Saturday in Pittsfield, Vermont. Debbie had decided to run this beast again after finishing the Nipmuck Trail Marathon two weeks ago. The first Pittsfield last year was grueling and humbled both Debbie, men’s winner, Leigh Schmitt; and the rest of the brave runners who took a risk on a new race. This year’s race was on a nearly identical course, but all the repeat runners said the route was tamer. In analyzing the times, it seems as if last year’s event was more like 60 miles instead of the advertised 53. The images of the effort are fabulous.

Well that was last year. This is this year. Word had spread in the past 12 months, and it seems as if twice as many people lined up to run. The race started at 5:10 A.M. and it was fitting that the runners immediately went up a hill. Weather conditions were good in the morning and a bit more difficult in the afternoon. It got warmer and much more humid as the day went on. Just as evening approached, a line of thunderstorms rolled into Vermont, catching some runners in the rain. We weren’t able to stay to see all of the runners finish. Clearly, some were going to be out there for a while. Last year, many finished under cover of darkness.

Leigh Schmitt took top honors again, finishing in 8:29:59, more than 90 minutes faster than last year. He looked strong all day and was never really threatened. He established his lead on the first 12 mile segment, extended it on the next out and back section, then cemented it on the notorious 19 mile Bloodroot Mountain loop. He was chased by Tom Page, Brian Rusiecki, and Courtenay Guertin for most of the race. Tom (2nd in 9:11:25) and Brian (3rd in 9:18:48), kept their positions, but Courtenay was leap frogged later in the race.

Debbie won the inaugural race last year, but Nikki Kimball made the trek from Montana to test her legs on some New England terrain. Nikki was returning to home soil since she is a native Vermonter. Nikki took the win in 9:37:36 and finished 4th overall. She was followed by a remarkable masters runner, Bob Mathes in 5th, and the aforementioned, Courtenay Guertin, in 6th. Brennen Wysong was 7th. Debbie stayed with Nikki until the Bloodroot section, but eventually settled into her own pace. She was second woman in 10:38:48, good for 8th overall. She said that only had one bad stretch in the last 10 miles, but recovered after spending a little extra time at the last aid station to hydrate and refuel. Third woman was Brenda Phillips in 11:26:18. Brenda is another Vermonter.

I’ll add a link when the full results are posted.

The Peak Adventures crew and volunteers, led by Race Director Andy Weinberg, did a fabulous job again. Many runners remarked that the course was well marked (there was an issue with vandalism last year). The hospitality was again excellent. Camping was available right at the start line, which made the early wake up a lot easier. They didn’t run the Death Division event at the same time. It is next weekend. So for all you masochists out there, check it out. You better start training…mentally.

Once again, I crewed for Debbie with Shep. We had a great time and saw her five times. We made it to several aid stations via bike/trailer. I also got some great photos.

Vive Vermont!

Deb You Tube’s It

Leigh Schmitt, Debbie Livingston, and some of the other runners at the North Face Endurance Challenge (Bear Mountain), are the stars of this video. Even the Shep-Man has a cameo.

More North Face Endurance Challenge Thoughts

Well, the results are finally in for the North Face Endurance Challenge at Bear Mountain in New York. My original post on the race generated some feedback and forced me to reflect on both my comments and the event. It seems that I overlooked two aspects of the race. First, apparently, there was a significant controversy over the cutoff times. Second, I neglected to mention that the first two finishers, Leigh Schmitt and Glen Redpath, missed the 3rd aid station. I’ll get to the miss in a moment, but first, about the cutoff times.

My day was very busy, hustling from aid station to aid station with our little guy in tow. I was consumed with the action, but I still noticed that something was not right. By the last aid station, I realized that a lot of the 50 mile runners weren’t going to finish the race. Of course, I sort of knew this as early as aid station three, when it took forever for the first runners to arrive. 

I didn’t analyze the cutoff times for each aid station, but in the case of the 50 mile race, 13 hours for the whole race wasn’t long enough. The last official finisher in 19th place, finished in 12:52. Eight of the 19 finishers ran between 12 and 13 hours! The course was rated on the website with five out of five stars for overall difficulty. Compared to the other four races in the series, this one, the first, was clearly rated as the most difficult in terms of elevation change, technical terrain, and overall difficulty. Again, I don’t know enough about the circumstances, but I do know that I would be disappointed if I had trained, prepared, traveled, and paid to run; and was not allowed to finish. Did all the runners know what they were getting into? I would assume most did if they were committed to running 50 miles, starting at 5:00 A.M. with headlamps. Debbie doesn’t recall that there were any prerequisites (e.g. past ultra experience, etc.) to registering for the event. Our friend, Nipmuck Dave, has a hilarious race application for his race, the Nipmuck Trail Marathon. Cloaked in the humor is a very serious message, that a trail race of that distance (26.4 miles) is a serious undertaking and that you have to train for it and understand that you can get hurt while spending a lot of time in the woods. He has prerequisites for running the race and also has the right to not let you in. Running a road marathon to qualify, will get you nowhere with Dave.

The Bear Mountain race winner, Leigh Schmitt, has run the same distance on different courses, at least two hours faster. Debbie’s fastest 50 mile time is 7:54 at the Vermont 50 Mile Run. That is also more than two hours and twenty five minutes faster than her time in this race. The VT50 is no slouch of a course with a lot of climbing, less singletrack, and a little more dirt road, but still tough. Would Nikki Kimball have run the Bear Mountain course faster than Debbie? Probably, but again, times are relative and every runner has different strengths that are suited to certain terrain. Bear Mountain was just about perfect for Debbie. Nikki did run the 1/2 marathon on a bum ankle and commented that it was challenging.  Debbie says Bear Mountain was less than 10% dirt road and that it was rugged dirt road. The rest was singletrack and doubletrack with a little bushwhacking. April is early for a nasty 50 miler in the Northeast. Debbie was concerned about running that long this early in the year. If it wasn’t for our trip to Australia, where we ran the Six Foot Track Marathon (45km) last month, she may have opted not to run this far so soon. Our original plan was for her to run the Zane Grey Highline Trail 50 mile race in Payson, Arizona at the end of April. We backed out of that one because of our busy travel schedule, race logistics, and childcare challenges. Zane Grey is often regarded as the hardest 50 mile race in the country. I guess she has to run it next year or in 2010 to see if it is harder than Bear Mountain, a different kind of course, but seemingly a worthy challenger for the toughest title. I would be curious if any of the 19 Bear Mountain finishers has a Zane Grey finish to compare it with. So, I guess the cutoff time debate is exactly that…a debate. Most people run ultras for the fun and thrill of finishing. I’m a mid-pack guy myself, so I know that just getting across the line is a challenge. Runners like Debbie and Leigh are usually finished, showered, and on their way home long before the back of the packers end their day. The cruel irony is that the last finishers run the same distance, but technically spend a lot more time on the trail. Is their effort harder? I’ve said many times that I wouldn’t want to be out there that long. Well, that is what makes those folks heroes in my eyes. They deserve as much, if not more credit for being out there, as the champs do for crossing the line first. 

As for this tricky little third aid station issue. I was reminded by a reader of this blog that Leigh and Glen did not “complete the course.” I don’t know if there times were adjusted, but they did not run the out and back section to aid station three (15.7 mile mark). I was at three, so I know it. I think that the first runner to arrive was Marc Gravatt, who ended up finishing fourth. Debbie was the second to arrive and she finished third. We suspected something was up because it was taking too long for Leigh. He was the heavy favorite and we never saw him. I ended up trying to catch him at several other aid stations, but I kept missing him. I only missed him by seven minutes at the last aid station, but that cost me any chance of getting his photo on the trail. You would have to piece together the facts, but apparently, this one section of the course leading to aid station three, was not marked very well. The 50 kilometer was blue ribbons and the 50 mile was white. The course came down the trail to the aid, where the blue continued and the white returned to where the out and back started. Debbie says it was confusing and even one of the race organizers said it could have been marked better. He ended up going up the trail and re-marking it, but not until Leigh and Glen had passed. 

They eventually realized that they missed the aid station because they inquired about their status at aid station four, and were both told to continue running after volunteers radioed the base for guidance. In this case, the way the course was laid out, there was no way to indicate that they were headed the wrong way. Little out and backs like that are tricky. Even the map wasn’t detailed enough to really show this. So, in my opinion, it is hard to fault them. I spoke with both of them after the race and they expressed regret. Even if it saved them 10 minutes between the downhill, fueling at the aid, and uphill, they had a healthy cushion over Debbie, the next finisher. I’m sure that they may have even slowed a bit after realizing the mistake. That kind of stuff messes with your head. Do you run another 33 miles only to be disqualified? 

I’m sure that others have a different opinion. If there was more competition, there may have been a bigger controversy. The rules posted on the website clearly state that you must check in at every aid station. Well, it is ultimately the race organizers who make the rules, so they can change them too. Leigh and Glen were OK’d to finish the race and claim their spots on the podium. I’m sure they understand that cutting the course and missing an aid in other races could result in a DQ. It isn’t a simple matter because marking a course is an imperfect science. Nature and sabotage have caused runners to lose their way in the woods many times in many races. 

Do the cutoff time and course marking issues make the race a bad one? That is for the runners to decide. They each have their own perspective. Do these issues reflect poorly on the race and the North Face brand. Probably, but that is how things go. It was their first race in the series this year. Hopefully the lessons learned will transfer to the folks promoting the other regional events. Every course is different and according to the website, the remaining four race courses are going to be a lot easier. The bigger concern in my mind is if a first time race like this has “legs.” Will it last 24 more years like Nipmuck, Western States, and some of the other great ones? North Face and their co-sponsors have clearly pumped a lot of dollars and marketing might into their series. Brands like the North Face don’t often last 25 years and marketing budgets shrink. Think back to one of my more infamous race reports after the HERC Open last year. I think the company behind HERC and the $25,000 prize list, Unither Nutriceuticals, Inc. is bankrupt. I know their website is down. The races that are now legendary all have great courses (like Bear Mountain) but they also have great race directors and/or running clubs who have had long tenures putting them on. They also tend to have no or very small prize lists. It is the honor of finishing that is significant. 

Three cheers to all of the racers who ran on Saturday at all four of the race distances, and kudos to everyone who toed the start line, not just those who crossed it heading in the other direction hours later.