2011 Escarpment Trail Run

It's the great Escarpment Trail Run! Been going on for 30 something years, hosts trail runners from all over the country, is rich in history, and I was there to run it! ETR was by far the most technical terrain i have ever run. my x-talon 190's proved to be 'the shoe' for this trail. they provided excellent maneuverability and wicked traction all around, particularly on the descents. and they stick like glue to solid rocks. the trail was everything that everybody (past ETR finishers) had told me it was. so i sort of knew of what to expect. i arrived at north lake campground at 6:30 and watched the rest of the runners file in. i talked to several runners parked next to me, and discovered that there were 7 aid stations spread out over the 18 miles. on average, that's one aid station every 2.5miles. so i decided to bring only three 16oz water bottles as opposed to four. we were bused 20 miles up the road to east Windham where the race would begin. loading a pack of eager trail runners onto a bus for a half hour makes for some interesting conversation. i sat next to a lady from Wisconsin who was in Massachusetts for work, and decided to run the escarpment while she was here. now that's a dedicated trail runner! and Tony, originally from England, who was sporting the minimalist Innov8 F-lite 195. basically the x-talons without the knobs. we shared opinions and our experience with the shoes. we eventually met up on the trail climbing up Stoppel, he ended up finishing 3 minutes ahead of me, go figure! once we arrived, we collected our bibs, and Dick went over some last minute details. he even include a small skit involving a phone call from the 'Manitou'. i think he wanted to make sure Dick had a full roster of fresh meat for this years run. good stuff! we eventually crossed the road and lined up near the trail entrance. the horn sounded and we were off! i positioned myself fairly well within the group, as i felt comfortable on the initial climb. the trail ascended gradually up Windham high peak. then steepened rather abruptly as it neared the summit. i knew to pace myself on this ascent, as there were 16 more miles of unrelenting rocky slopes. the escarpment would not tolerate any ill-prepared runners. the Wall of Manitou shows no mercy! there was aid at the summit, so i gulped down a gatorade real fast. descending Windham proved to be very swift indeed. as i found myself in the middle of a pack of very fast runners/ skillful descenders. i held my own though and ran with this group until i neared the base of blackhead. i later discovered that one of those runners finished within the top20. knowing what lied ahead, i decided to dial it back a notch, and play it conservatively. i soon reached the base of blackhead with another group of runners. i knew it was blackhead from the descriptions offered to me by previous finishers. the steep part of Blackhead stretches nearly 1,000 ft over 3/4 mile. scaling the massive boulders on Blackhead,  i looked up at the fresh blue sky and had a clear view of the mountains in the distance. as i climbed hand over hand on all fours, with the sun beaming down on my back through the clearing in the trees, an overwhelming feeling of clarity came over me. It was a very vivid moment for me. a physical high, experienced from the exertion of running the trails. i enjoyed it, and knew that, this was the reason i run the mountains. cresting the summit, i was greeted by subtle chants from volunteers at the aid station. time to refuel. gatorade, gu, an s-cap and a handful of pretzels. leaving the aid station i felt a brush of that cold, high mountain breeze. i was eager to get to lower grounds, as it was quite chilly! i bombed down the steep descent of blackhead. zig-zagging, running for 40-50 feet then jumping a ledge. the process repeated itself. i passed a not so great descender, only to have him later pass me on the flats. for the first time, i was alone and it was real quiet. with only the patter of my feet and a few rustles in the bushes adding to the soundtrack of the mountain. good stuff. i was slightly fatigued, but i knew that it would pass. i just had to keep moving. the remainder of the descent was a relentless, steep, and very long one. but i was in the zone. i finished the descent by myself, but feeling better by the time i reached dutcher's notch aid. of which that time, 3 more runner's came charging down the mountain in my tracks. i did my usual refuel, and now it was time for the final ascent, Stoppel point. Stoppel was a mix relatively flat (by flat, i mean in terms of elevation, it's still rocky!) and quick, but steep climbs. I was caught by a runner, Tony, who of which i sat next to on the bus. he was a good companion on the trail. he paced me for about 1.5 miles. until i had to fall back due to a small cramp. upon reaching the summit of Stoppel, there is the infamous plane wreck. i guess that pilot forgot to pull up! from here on out it's mostly downhill. descending Stoppel Point, i ran across these giant exposed rocks embedded in the earth. it was a real treat. i soon reached North Point. from here i could see the finish area in the distance. only 2.5 miles to go. i leaped off a small ledge and rounded a bend, to see my Dad and Jess on the trail, a quick hi and a snapshot would make do for now. i found myself descending the last 2.5 miles with a most animated local trail runner, hollering all the way down. it was motivating to say the least. the sight of weekend family hikers signaled to me the finish was just in reach. the last section of the trail proved to be some of the most technical. (have i said that before?) it was mostly flat rock stood on end, sort of jutting out in different directions and once again, a plethora of 4-5 foot ledges. it never ends! isn't it awesome? i was feeling really confident at this point so i just killed it all the way to the finish, crossing the line in 4:15:06 (39th) i was quite impressed with my finishing time, given that this was my first Escarpment. I met some really interesting people, and can now say i am officially a mountain goat! ba-a-a-a-a-a. it's an honor to be apart of a small circle of dedicated mountain runners, who have been coming back to North Lake year after year to punish their bodies on this impossible trail. Thank you Dick Vincent and all of the volunteers for putting together this spectacular event. This is mountain running at its best. I went toe-to-toe with the Manitou, and came out victorious! See ya again next year trail peeps!

>>> GARMIN CONNECT<<<

>>>OFFICIAL RESULTS<<<  <<<PICTURES>>>

Innov8 X-Talon 190

Many running shoe companies are now doing what Innov8 has been doing for a very long time. Creating a well designed minimalist running shoe. Innov8 running shoes are designed to fit the mold of the body's natural bio-mechanics. The X-T 190 has a snug, intimate, low-to-the ground fit of the foot that feels very natural. Of course trying on the shoe and buying the correct size helps. They have an arrow system for their shoes. With 3 Arrows being the most support, and Zero being the least. The X-Talon 190 have 1 Arrow support. In other words, a 3mm heel to toe drop (very minimal, with only the bare-grip edging out the 190 @ Zero heel to toe) The X-Talon 190 fit like a glove and are extremely flexible. I can twist, contort, touch the heel to the toe, and roll them into them into a ball. That kind of flexible. If I hadn't glanced down to see those bright cherry red shoes on my feet, I would have thought I was wearing nothing at all! These shoes are super light. They are my first pair of minimalist running shoes. I already run rather light on my feet on the trail and was ready for the transition. I love that low to the ground feel. Being able to feel every niche on the trail. But, they are not for everybody. If you are heavy on your feet and strike your heels, you will have difficulty

transitioning. But, anybody can do it, it just takes some time. The X-Talon 190 have deep, flexible lugs, about 3/8'' deep. but do not provide much foot protection. Be aware of sharp rocks, and other objects. You feel everything on the ground, and you will get stabbed by one or two sharp rocks!. But, they are just so incredibly fun. When I first headed out on the trail I was digging though sharp turns and clawing my way up the steep ascents. It was pouring rain (just to my luck) and what better way to break in these steeds than with an 8mile trail run in the pouring rain? The lugs on these shoes resemble a football cleat more so than a trail running shoe! but hey, why not? I had total confidence charging down the very steep descents. Just knowing my footing would stick. I couldn't stop thinking of this commercial!. http://youtu.be/5aRHJIMVKDg  IThis was my first real minimalist shoe. I realized that I had relearned how to run to some extent. I always knew that I could and had read many articles containing the proper methods on how run minimalist. But couldn't always implement the technique. Why so? Because gone is the heel support. Gone is that heavily cushioned heel that allowed me, enabled me, to strike on my heel. Of course, there is still much work to be done, but I'm on the right track. With the X-Talon 190, I am forced to implement great tchnique that I have always longed to perfect. This shoe was designed for a forefoot striker, and you have no other option but to lean slightly forward and become an expert of proper running form. I absolutely love these shoes. 

2.5 hour trail run

The past two weeks I really had to amp up my training for the next upcoming trail run. The Escarpment Trail Run. An 18 mile (30 milometer)  trail , trekking through treacherous roots, rocks, boulders, and cliffs in the beautiful Catskills. My kind of run! My goal was to run for 2.5 hours, and to climb and descend as many hills as I physically could at medium intensity. And ending the run with the steepest climb, and the steepest downhill of the trails. There will be no shortage of technical climbing and descending on the ETR. So these trails are perfect training for the ETR. Several of the climbs go straight up. They are grueling, maybe 17%-18% at the steepest section ( I would like to find a way to accurately measure gradient ).  And very technical. I would give the most technical portions of the trail an 8.5 out of 10. I have seen worse! but all in all, great terrain if your looking for technicality and challenging climbs. I brought back with me a bag of goods that I had left on a part of the trail where I would intersect often. A power bar, GU, extra water & gatorade. Running one mile out with a string bag full of water and gatorade is quite the challenge. There is a river at the intersect, so I can cool off if it gets too hot. On my run, I summit the three 'tall' mountains of the run. Each hover around 1150-1200'. Not much compared to the large summits of ETR. 3450' and 3900'. but, hey, that's all I got around here. I was feeling great the whole run, I didn't push to hard on the climbs. I felt strong, I didn't twist my ankle at all, nor did I trip over anything! that's an accomplishment in itself. I may trip or twist the ankle a few times back there, but being alert and strong can prevent this. ETR is less than two weeks out! I feel good knowing I got in a solid 12 / 2.5hr trail run. This week I'll get in two intense strength training workouts and few 4-5mile fill ins. next week I'll push an 8-9 mile trail run and 1 low-intensity strength workout. I'm looking forward to suffering in the mountains alongside some really cool, always amusing trail runners!


>>>http://connect.garmin.com/activity/100106940<<<

The Northface Endurance Challenge 2011-marathon

the day has come! surprisingly, i was not as nervous as i thought i would be. i had slept on Eric+Mindy's couch the night before, with the dog, 'mooshy'. we rose early, a little before six. we ate, gathered all of gear, we were out the door by 7:20. TNF really knows how to put together an event. from aid to support to trail marking. everything just felt very well organized. we picked up our bibs and i checked in my bag. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, there is something about being around a bunch of like-minded trail runners that gets me motivated. I sat by the propane heaters until the start, although it wasn't that cold, it kept my body warm. soon everybody lined up by the starting line, and the horn sounded. what's different about a trail race of this mileage, is that you don't get that same sense of urgency as you would on a road race. everybody just starts off on a slow trot, knowing what lies ahead. everything got quiet, real fast. no more spectators. we were off the road and going up...and up for about 2.5 miles. there was a mix of rock and dirt, mostly rock. the last mile and half or so up to anthony wayne aid station was rolling hills. at this time, we were all still rather light on our feet. bombing the down hills, and charging the ups. we were fast through anthony wayne, only refilling our bottles quickly. leaving the aid station we crossed what was the palisades parkway i believe, then the trail made a quick turn up. this section, again was rocky, and things started to get real muddy, as there is a lot of runoff from the mountain. did i mention it was rocky? at this point in the race, we found ourselves forming a small pack. sometimes people would surge forward or fall back, and then regroup. soon enough the 9 mile silver mine aid station approached. i refilled all of my bottles. 2 water. 2 GU brew (like Gatorade w/out the sugar) gu'd it up, swigged some more GU brew and we were off. this was a 5-6 mile section, and without a doubt, the toughest. we found ourselves coming out of the aid station with a small pack of runners. particularly one very talkative girl. which i actually enjoyed. at one point i was in the front of the pack. looking behind me, i could see the pack surging and slowing at my pace. it was kind of cool. i felt like i was running the show! Eric and I took turns leading, because i know how daunting it can be running on someones tail through the trail. you get dizzy almost. so i would wave him to the front whenever or ask. given Eric's lack of trail running experience, I was rather impressed with the skill of which he handled the terrain. there was one particular downhill, that was just all rock maybe 16-17% grade descent. i was waiting for someone to fall but we all managed to get down unscathed. there were some nice ascents leading up to these ginormous rocks embedded in the earth. then the trail would dip and climb in the same manner several times. this was the most scenic section of the trail, that is, if you even bothered to enjoy the scenery. about a mile or so from the next aid station, i found myself out of fluids and found Eric to be cramping from, judging by his arms, a lack of sodium. give that man some electrolytes! this was a definite low point in the race. I had no fluid, and I didn't think Eric was gonna make it. we walked for a while, until we finally saw the next aid station. we started running. it was like an oasis in a desert! i quickly ran to the gubrew and swigged about 20oz of that good stuff. looking behind. i saw Eric in a chair, they asked if he needed a medic. i said, 'no' he just needs some sodium! i kept handing him gubrew to drink, after about 5 minutes he was fine. we ate some oranges rolled in salt, making sure that wouldn't happen again. i had a stinger wafel, and a few brownies before we headed out. we also sprayed on some bug spray, something we overlooked coming in to the race. there were lots of little gnats, i may have swallowed a few. we left that aid station with new vigor, we both felt revived and ready go. after trotting on the road for about a 400 meters. we dipped onto the trail. this next section proved to be a nice break from the rocks that blanketed the first 15 miles of trail. it was a 4 mile section of almost all downhill single track. Eric and I eventually found ourselves alone just barreling down the hill. i was definitely in the zone at this point. the single track gave way to fire road eventually, than back to single track. and at some point merged with the 50k and 50mile runners to make for a slightly more crowded scene. there were people passing and slowing down to walk. I was chatting with one lady running in front of me, I stated that the next aid station was at about mile 21. she says, oh I'm at mile 42, I'm doing the 50 mile, i hit 21 about 4 hours ago. well don't i feel like a dumb ass! and this lady was bookin' it, she passed about 3 marathon guys in front of her. my big 26 mile achievement, suddenly didn't feel so big. seeing this lady kick ass really motivated me to want to push myself further. i will run a 50 miler next year. I have been bitten by the trail bug! we soon approached Anthony Wayne aid again. it was breath of fresh air to return to the same aid station we were at some 17 miles ago. and to also have a few spectators cheering you on. again i was fresh out of water. and ready to refuel. i took a salt tab. so did Eric. we could have tied him in a knot and sold  him as a pretzel with all that salt on his arms! never seen anything like it. I binged some more. ate a few brownies, some mountain dew, and a GU to go. we were ready to tackle the final 5 mile stretch to the finish. it felt good, but there was still a lot of running left. 5 miles is 5 miles. the technical rocky terrain would never let up. i dubbed the course. the ankle crusher! we definitely kicked it up a little on this last section. i believe we passed 3 people, but also was passed by a girl! these girls are damn good trail runners, what gives? i heard one guy right on my tail, but eventually the pitter patter of his feet gave way to silence. he's gone. a couple of sharp downhills later, and one last steep climb, we could here the announcer on the loud speaker. and damn, did it feel good to run trough that last tunnel and on to the road leading to the finish. runners who had already finished were cheering us on, and that's just awesome. after all, that's whats its all about, the comradery. Eric and I started the race together, and we finished the race together. helping each other out along the way. it was a team effort. I thoroughly enjoy running, particularly trail running. i trained 4 months for this event, and i know that it paid off. it's a great feeling. Karl Meltzer says it best, endurance is a state of mind, it's knowing how to cope mentally with running for a long period of time. to train your mind to react to the punishment you are ensuing upon your body. Northface hosted a spectacular event. I was very pleased with the aid station support and the course layout. thank you dad jess mindy and mooshy for your support on race day! it made the experience that much better. i would certainly come back next year. on to the next trail run...the escarpment trail

>>>>>>>>>>GARMIN<<<<<<<<<<

>>>PHOTOS FROM THE RACE<<<< 

>>>>>>>>>>>RESULTS<<<<<<<<< 

22mile

50F and cloudy, perfect running weather. haven't ran much since the half marathon last Sunday. my legs took a hit from that race! Eric and I ran the same route as our 21 except we went out an extra mile. we paced ourselves very conservatively, maybe even a little too much. but given the distance, and the fact that we both ran well, I believe it was a wise decision. these distance are by no means easy, they are tough. and it hurts, but I just don't feel like my body will give in. we were prepared this time with an 'aid station'. somewhere around 12mi Eric stashed a goodie bag behind a rock at his office. perfect. water gatorade and stinger wafel's. the hill on the way back was tough. it took me a few miles to recover from it. along the way back, I was experimenting with a forefoot to mid foot strike. I really need a pair on minimalists to make more progress, because with the motion control's, the heel is so fat it always wants to hit the ground first. this running form utilizes your leg muscles more efficiently. I've discovered that my hamstrings, and glutes feel fresher toward the tail end of a long run when I change my gait. It can make a great difference on how I feel at mile 20 of a marathon, I believe. it did today. this was the last (really) long run before the race. time to hit the trails for the last few...

>>>>>>>http://connect.garmin.com/activity/78459644<<<<<<<<

Danbury Half Marathon

Rogers Park. sunny blue skies. windy! I showed up at the race at 9am, checked in, chilled in the V dub and waited for my brother Eric. he rode his bike 30 miles from his place to rogers park Danbury. He ran the race, unofficially, supporting my dad along the way as his pacer. I went solo on the hunt for a PR. the best pace is a suicide pace and today is a good day to die! ha! well... not the best strategy! but i had two goals for the day. what, no National Anthem? I thought this was America? oh well maybe next time. I was running 7:10/7:20 splits for the first 8 miles. DANBURY__garmin__HALF ahhhh! 7:30/7:40 splits are a comfortable race pace for me, and I can maintain that pace given the conditions are fair. the course was hillier than I anticipated, I felt fresh from the start, but it was quite windy, and there was always a headwind, or so it felt. I am not one to make excuses and must say i am pleased with my overall time of 1:41:44...1min44seconds off my goal. you know you went out to fast when runners are passing you on the final 2-3 miles! I also had an alternate goal of running a sub 1hour-8mile split. I succeeded with that. coming across @ 59min18sec! it's above my normal pace, and a challenge for me. so I suppose it's fair to say i was on pace to reach 'one of my goals'. a small accomplishment, also a big confidence booster for me. hopefully my legs aren't too toasted for my 22mile run next Sunday. good grief charlie brown! my gas tank was flashing a big red E toward the end, but still i sprinted the last .10mi. My dad finished in 2:09:xx, along with Eric, besting his hook mountain half by 4 minutes or so. Jess placed 2nd in her age group @1:50:xx. super awesome, she hit her goal. we hung out and bullshitted about our 13.1 mile journey. it amazes me of how much can go down over the course of a long distance run. everyone has a story after they have crossed the finish line. something significant will always happen, whether it be good, bad or ugly. and that's why running races are so much fun. everyone there who has crossed  that finish line has run the same distance you have. that's the allure of the race. after wards you can all share your stories with your comrades, your family, your friends. respect the distance. love the run.

my bike has arrived!!!

MY NEW CERVELO, FRESH OUT DA BOX!