Soreness, Bloody Knees and Stubborn Running of the LI Greenbelt 50k: May 10, 2008.

The top photo is amazing athlete Amy Palmiero Winters who also ran on Saturday!

Before discussing The Long Island Greenbelt Trail 50k race I must say “Thank you Mom” for crewing me and Happy Mother’s Day! (This is the 2nd year in a row while visiting Mom on our native Long Island that I have run this very excellent event).

Sigh.
I do look forward to the day again when I can reflect on a run with celebration rather than disappointment and frustration over “mysterious” mechanical difficulties of my body. I know many people say I should be grateful for what I can do, rather than with my limitations- (temporary, permanent, or perceived)…yet I am an adventurer, greedy not to miss out on experiences of pushing boundaries what I and others in the past have perceived to be coming to the “edge”. In my life as I have known it, I have been most alive frolicking in the wilderness: be that a wilderness of trail running, multi-pitch lead climbing, wandering for NYC in my theatre days, or simply contemplating the wonderful possibilities of the future.

Though I have dealt with injury –both serious and minor in my ultra running years I am very frustrated now as I have no clue as to what caused my right calf to start to stiffen, get sore and move up into my hamstring. It started during a 30ish mile training run 4/5/08 in the Iron Mountains that ended turning around and slogging the last 12 miles back to my car…I rested thinking it a strain. My PT said it was “barely a strain”… Then went to my chiropractor and started seeing another thinking the accompanying tingles and hamstring tightness might be nerve related. Lots of stretching. Break from running. Lots of growling from me. Some training as my fussy leg will allow. I backed out of Zane Grey 50M last month 2 days before, knowing I wouldn’t be able to participate…Grrr…I cried. Sadness. I wish I had answers…

So I have an appt tomorrow with a PT in Winston-Salem…with a fellow who is one of the PT’s for Wake Forest’s athletes… I can more easily deal with limitations if I know how to work towards changing them…Sigh…time will tell!!

I can’t image being prepared for WS 100 this year. I did some good prep during February and March, yet have been snafu’d since. I am really wanting to go out there and round out my participation in the Montrail Ultra Cup. Yet I have no desire to go out wayyyy under trained and limp my way through the miles. If I don’t earn the right though time on the trails-I don’t belong out there clogging them up! June 1st will be my cut off day of what I will do about that event!

Get to the point you say! (I agree!) What does all this blundering talk have to do with LI Greenbelt 50k 2008?
Because the race was this past weekend out of Plainview, NY and for smarter or less smart, I ran the event while on Long Island spending Mother’s Day time with my Mom.

Mom knew I was hesitant about entering. She knows me well enough that it would be really hard for my to quit even if I started hurting very badly. I chose to enter because my calf/hamstring is soo inconsistent that sometimes sitting/standing is more uncomfortable than running...so I was not convinced I would do any additional damage-especially if I ran and did not race.
So I christened my new green Montrail jersey and ran the course. I was fun to be out with folks I’d met the year before. It was even more awesome to watch Amy Palmiero-Winters (pictured above) reportedly set a world record as a trail running amputee that day! This woman is very strong and graceful; she inspired me not so much as her obvious overcoming hardships, yet by her grace and transparent athletic talent! Her efforts and achievements make me more steadfast to not want to give up in the face of my own current frustrating body mechanics!!! (good or bad…I don’t know?)

The course was as I remembered from last year-very runnable with steeper attention getting sections in the northern 4 miles. Some sand, several road crossings, generous volunteers. It was a very well marked trail-yet runners still had to pay attention. I got turned around at one point only because I was daydreaming and added on a couple on inconsequential minutes…

Several times during the 1st of the “double out and backs” on the all dirt/sand LI Greenbelt Trail (or one of the LI Greenbelt Trails….there are actually several long trails on The Island with this designation, with this one being the shortest and the most western and the steepest!) I considered “dropping”… my calf was sore and I didn’t want to spend all afternoon on the trail. After all, the plan was for Mom to crew me in the am and we would spend the afternoon with George’s family across the Island in early Mother’s Day celebration with Mom Santucci, Grandma, Mom Bednosky, our sister in law Nikki, and George and George’s Pop…

Yet history proves I am not an experienced or graceful DNF’r and my leg did feel better after the first 15 miles. In fact-I started to feel the familiar amazing freedom of trail running and joined THE FLOW bobbing along “semi conscious” to the dirt and roots and acknowledging the passing runners as we navigated our different directions…until somewhere around mile 25: splat!

Next thing I knew I had rolled off the trail and was on the verge of hyperventilating. I had taken a silly fall and scraped both knees, bruised both knees and sported dusty bloody streaks on both legs within minutes. In climbing language, I achieved 2 “flappers”. I was surprised and shaken up and after several minutes of walking and calming down while picking the bits of gravel out of my palm realized I was okay. I did not hurt myself-a few light bruises and maybe forfeited a half ounce of blood…and I got distracted from focusing on my calf. I ran again and was overjoyed! The remaining miles became a focus of looking forward to spending more time with Mom, changing my goal from beating last years time to “beating” 5 hours…So I ran and appreciated being on the trail and sharing encouragement with other runners. No doubt I was pitiful for a little while. I saw others were too-and the “out and back” staging of this course made it so easy to share empathy with and encourage other runners.

I ran hard the last non-technical mile and crossed the line at 4:59:40! About 12 minutes slower than last year…yet I was still pleased as I ran an honest race and felt better at the end than the beginning. I will sort out what is going on with my body…and I strive for patience and the willingness to accept these ebbs and flows with by bodying abilities…

I don’t know about WS 100 2008. For the remaining 2008 I seek for a resolution to my calf issue and to pull my weight and then some as a member of the Montrail UltraRunning Team…running more races, race directing The New River Trail 50k and being a sincere and “real” ambassador for our amazing sport!

I did “win” on Saturday (results here)…the numbers were low (bummer because this is such a GREAT trail run!) I look forward to a strong woman coming out next year and running the 50k in 4:30ish…I know it can be done! It is such a runnable course! My real success I think will be with the action I take from the information about my body I received on Saturday. Thank you to ALL the folks that made the LI Greenbelt Trail 50k come in to reality. The subs and yummy beer and smoothies at the end were totally NY! Thank you to Nick P and everyone else!!!

Update from the Bering Sea

It's been ten and a half months of walking, paddling, and skiing. About 3500 miles under our feet, with maybe 500 left to go. Four pairs of shoes - each. Three pairs of ski boots. Three drysuits. Countless repairs on sleeping pads, backpacks, tents, and drybags.

My husband and I walked out of the center of urban Seattle last June, and have been following the arc of the Pacific Rim - headed to the Aleutian Islands. Along the way, we're exploring the big environmental issues that face this region: Forests, Fisheries, Mining and Oil, and Global Climate change. Here on the edge of Bristol Bay, we're in the heart of the world's greatest wild salmon fishery - and downstream of a proposal to build one of the world's largest gold and copper mines.

Right now, we're visiting a remote cabin at the outlet of the Ugashik Lakes, enjoying the first day without howling wind in quite a while. It's still been below freezing here most days. The birds are returning, the ice on the rivers is gone, but the bears and the plants are still asleep. We're still waiting for spring.

More later, but for now, check out our website: Ground Truth Trekking and journey blog

-Erin McKittrick

Boston Bound

Well, I'm headed to Boston tomorrow for a fun-filled weekend. I'll start it off with a trip to the Expo on Saturday, where I even get to hang out with the nuun guys for a bit. On Sunday, I'm super stoked to watch the Women's Olympic Marathon Trials, and specifically root for Oregonians Meghan Arbogast (who just had a birthday!), Penny McDermott, Wendy Terris, Sopagna Eap, and Marla Runyan. Have a great race, ladies!

Then Monday I get to do what I'm really going out there for: run Boston. No, I won't be wearing these Streaks, but I may just wear these ones. I'll be looking to run sub-2:40, and if I'm feeling really good, I may even have a chance to go sub-Paul! I'm looking forward to running the streets of Boston with Amy, Danny, JJ, Michael, Stephanie, Scott D, Brad, Scott W, Wendy (doing the double!), Dave, Win, Joe, Darin, and many others that I'm sure I'm forgetting. Of course, what I'm really looking forward to is mile 13!

I'm not really a big baseball fan, but a trip to Boston in the spring just wouldn't be right without watching a Red Sox game. So on Tuesday night, my Bend buddies and I get to watch the Red Sox play the Los Angeles Angels.

I'm really looking forward to my trip. An update when I return...

Mountain Hardwear fall 2008 clothing promo photo shoot in Grayson Highlands State Park

The top photo was taken by photographer Stewart Smith in November 2007 in Grayson Highlands, VA when he was getting a portrait for this month’s Trail Runner…(I wasn't wearing much of Mtn. Hardwear last fall)-but I wanted folks to see some of the beauty of southwestern VA! I expect we’ll have to wait until fall to see what photos taken on Sunday 4/13 Mountain Hardwear might use...The bottom 2 garments are 2 of the pieces we got to wear on Sunday-hopefully we'll see them in "use" in Mtn Hardwear's fall 2008 promo materials!

This past Sunday, teammate Sarah Johnston and I got together with photographer Stewart Young. It is early spring in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and in the valleys and elevations below 3500’ the daffodils, forthesia and pear blossoms are out in full force. Most trees have least buds on them.

Our challenge was to find a location that made it look like winter this time of year. My first thought was the Virginia Highlands as it seems it is always cold and windy up there, even in July! Though we sought to find a place closer to Lynchburg where Sarah lives, none of us are too familiar with areas midway between there and Asheville (where Stewart lives), so we went with a sure choice and Sarah agreed to do the 3.5 hour drive each way! For me it was an easy 32 minutes on a Sunday morning…

We spent 5.5 hours together running, jumping and doing just a bit of posing for Stewart’s camera. We were told the idea was to be authentically windblown and gritty and not have it be “just a run in the park”. It was windy and our eyes teared for hours. And cold (afternoon highs were in the mid 30’s) and it snow showered much of the day-though the snow was tiny pellets that up close looked like dandruff on dark hair and showed up only as background mist in the photos. We smeared ourselves with mud, rain through creeks and tried too keep our noses from obviously running (I am perfectly fine if a photo of me appears and I look tough or like I am working hard or in pain and not pretty at all-yet I draw the line about 2 things: 1) having snot leaking down my face and 2) getting caught on film leaning over and creating a little “belly roll”. I am not too worried about these for this shoot as I am certain neither one would do anything to positively promote the selling of clothing!

Stewart worked furiously for hours…his gloveless hands were cold-I am not sure how he could function! At times our directions instructed “athlete 1” (me) to remove gloves and hat and I did so while stifling a whine. Sarah “athlete 2” also had to take off layers-yet she kept on smiling and laughing and did not whine!

We had fun and did our best to do our “job” although we are both newbie’s at this sort of thing. I loved the clothing that we got to wear-though most were way too big for Sarah and my tights also too big…though the jackets and hat and gloves were perfect. (Later I learned the sample/model size is size medium and usually when things don’t fit photographers tuck and pin them…I am not sure how staples and pins would do when really running?) Anyway I really hope Stewart got the sort of shots Mountain Hardwear can use!

I got to wear my favorite piece of Mountain Hardwear Gear to date: The transition jacket with thumb loops and a hood.(pictured above) It is much like our 2007 Montrail uniform jacket with longer sleeves and a hood. Perfect to wear and “stuff in the pack”… (When mountain running for hours alone-I always have extra clothes as one of my greatest fears in to have to stop and get too cold!) Also pictured are the transition tights-not really tight –but definitely windproof and water resistant…the same uniform pant from 2007 but in dark grey...Mountain Hardwear has some other neat pieces for fall, not yet available to show!

Sooo…Sunday was fun and cold and now I am back at “real life”: working, finishing up my last graduate class, finding the balance between “babying” a sore calf muscle and not loosing fitness for the upcoming Zane Grey!

Tearin' over Terrapin

The inaugural Terrapin Mountain "Marathon" was 10 days ago. It was Clark Zealand's directorial debut -- and he proved himself a true Horton protege. The primary proof was the mileage we got for our money. We covered close to 30 miles along with the mountain climbing, page fetching, and fat-man's-misery-squeezing. I love this style of event. Many folks gathered at the staging area, a community center at the foot of the mountain, to get registered, have pizza, and camp out the night before the run. I had fun playing and sleeping out with my family in our eurovan.

I had intended only a training run. My wife Robin had wanted to run the half-marathon, so I signed on thinking the mountain climb would be good preparation for Zane Grey. Well a bevy of good runners showed up for the marathon and we all got to charging up Terappin -- so what can I say -- I got carried away! The good news is I didn't hurt my hamstring, despite a hard finish to keep up with a late-charging young stallion named Drew Ponder. I had run all the downhills conservatively -- having suffered some hammie problems at Way Too Cool just 3 weeks before. So I was quite satisfied to lead a strong field of runners for most of the race and finish respectably close -- if still behind -- Ponder.

Since then my hamstring has conitinued to strengthen. Yesterday I returned to the track for the first time since last year's Way Too Cool! I got carried away again and found myself blistering through mile repeats. Well, blistering for an old man! This all bodes well for for a summer season of big time 50 mile races. Look for me on the trail!

My Streaks Shined

This weekend was the Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run in Raleigh, North Carolina. I was headed back again this year after a successful race the year before. The course is a 12.5 mile rolling loop which is repeated 8 times for 100 miles. 234 runners toed the starting line and temperatures were in the upper 50’s and low 60’s the whole weekend with intermittent rain showers. It was a perfect race to try out my new Montrail Streaks: http://www.montrail.com/Product.aspx?prod=112&cat=210&top=2. They proved to be a great fit for the conditions.

I went into the race knowing that I had to work on my pacing. I decided to try to run about 2 hour loops. I started very controlled and was able to keep up that pace for over 50 miles (7:47). At the 50 mile mark it started to rain a lot more, but I was fortunate enough to be able to pick up some awesome pacers from the area to run with me. My 7th lap was done in a little over 2 hours and my 8th lap was about 2:18 for a total time of 16:21--a new women's course record! The best part ever is I had no blisters thanks to my Streaks! Here's a link to the results: http://one.xthost.info/dbursler/Umstead%20100%20Results.htm.

Continental Divides or Streak= red wine or a cold beer?

The grey shoes to the left are the Continental Divides-the blue/grey are the Streaks (notice the differences on the soles that contribute to flexibility and traction for each...)
During the last few weekends I have run some fabulously varied terrain: 9+ hour jaunt through and around the wet, technical and remote Linville Gorge, a marathon on the packed dirt of the VA Creeper Trail, and yesterday a 6+ hour adventure run through the rain and wet leaves and rocks of the Iron Mountain trails of Jefferson National Forest. I have the perfect 2 pair of shoes for both of these endeavors!

Yesterday while running up the wet, seepy, Beech Grove trail wearing the Streaks I pondered my shoe choice. (Not much else to think about sometimes when plodding uphill in the drizzle, trying to avoid echoes of another rendition of the “Star Wars” theme in my head.)…(I am not a fan of ipod/earphones during trail running-but more on that another time!)

I can’t not say which shoe I prefer-just, as I cannot say if I prefer red wine to dark cold beer because each one is perfect depending on the situation!

I found the Streaks perfect for the 12 miles of rail trail, couple miles of rocky/rooty technical climbing and many additional miles of wet leaves-but not too technical single track. The week before they were also perfect for the rainy, muddy VA Creeper Trail marathon. They are light, have good traction and drain exceptionally well. Also, the week before when doing a long training run/route finding-river crossing adventure in the rugged Linville Gorge, I tried the Streaks. I wished for my Continental Divides-not quite beefy enough for such a technical long day…(my ankles and arches were more tired than anticipated-yet this makes sense due to the more flexible nature of the shoe’s sole…I thought this would be the case, but I had to find out for myself!)

If ever I am in doubt over which shoe to pick, I will prob’ly go for the CD’s (just like I drink more red wine than cold beer)…as I am very comfortable and experienced in them…in all types of terrain…yet I am psyched for the option of the Streaks…if I had them earlier this year, I would have most certainly worn them at Way Too Cool and the Black Mountain Marathon…yet as I think ahead to Zane Grey 50 later this month, I’ll plan in the CD’s because of the epic reputation of the technicality of this event! For WS 100-this far out, I think for sure the CD’s until after Rucky Chucky…and put my Streaks in my after Rucky Chucky drop bag…Yet time will tell and I am happy to have these options! Bottoms up!