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!

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