2011 URINEO - 50 Miles

With another year coming to a close, this could only mean one thing - NEO Trail's annual URINEO FA at Mill Creek Park.  I usually try to make this event every year and have gone the last 3 out of 5 years with the following results:

• 2007 - 50K - 8:18
• 2008 - 50K - 7:35
• 2009 - MHM - 20 laps

I was feeling ambitious this year after knocking off one of NEO Trail's challenges a month ago - Gate28x2 at Slim Pickins.  My goal this year at URINEO was to accomplish the other challenge - 50 miles.  This would be a new distance record for me since the farthest I've gone up to this point has been 50K.

I just recently bought my first pair of trail running shoes and really like them.  I got the same kind my brother wears, Brooks Cascadia.  I've had many pairs of Nike Pegasus, so I really like the Brooks since they are just as light as the Nikes, but have a tougher foot plate to protect from rocks and roots.  A tough shoe sole has never been a big worry for me doing 50Ks, but after today I realized how much of a difference it can make for longer distances.

So back to URINEO....I went to bed early Friday night and set my alarm for 2 AM.  I left my apartment in Akron at 3 and got started at the Old Log Cabin at 4 o'clock.  I only saw one person there, but ran into Bob, Jim, Todd and a couple others as I was headed out.  I started counter-clockwise around the park.

The URINEO loop is the same as YUT-C except we skip the Lake Newport section and only run to the Mill for 7.75 miles.  If you're trying for the 50 mile finish, you add the Lily Pond section plus Big Bear for about 8.33 per loop.

My legs felt good the first loop.  It was cool running through the park so early in the morning, especially seeing the waterfall at the Mill with more water than usual rushing over it.  The trails were in good condition with only a couple icy spots on the boardwalk and mud in a couple places.

For aid, I had 2 Cliff Bars, 2 packs of Shot Blocks, a foot long Subway spicy Italian sub, salt tablets, and a gallon of Gatorade.  I'm starting to get smarter with ultras as far as what to pack for aid.  Salt tablets made a huge difference today.  Even though it was cold out, I'm sure I was losing a lot of electrolytes.  It only takes one bad calf cramping experience (Laurel 50K last Spring) to wise up and prevent it from happening next time.

The second loop was pretty uneventful.  When I got back to my car for the 3rd loop, I met two people from Pittsburgh, Cindy and Jeff.  Cindy had been to the park last year for URINEO, but this was Jeff's first adventure in Youngstown.  Cindy asked if I could show them the trail, so I ran with them for the 3rd loop.  My legs were starting to feel the miles at this point.

The 4th and 5th loops are a little bit of a blur.  Bits I can remember include:

• Seeing Brian, Rich and Paul at the Monkey Hills attempting the MHM
• Me sitting on the trail on the ridge by the log cabin during the 4th loop exhausted and massaging my calves as Taylor Sowers came by finishing his 2nd loop.
• Slim Jim telling me the 4th loop is the toughest mentally since you know you have 2 left after.
• Running hurt just as much as walking, so I ran as much as I could to get done faster.
• Hitting my head pretty hard on a fallen tree across the Monkey Trail and almost doing it a second time the next loop.
• Running with Cindy and Jeff on the 5th loop.  They really pulled me along and prevented me from having a really slow loop.

As I got back to the cabin before starting my 6th and final loop, the party was in full force.  I knew I had to get in and out of there since it was full of excuses to throw in the towel (food, warmth, refreshments).  Bill Losey said to me, "Get what you need and get going.  Don't get caught up in this bullshit."  He was right, but in my head I knew if I made it to this point, there was no quitting.  It was either stop at 4 loops or finish the whole enchilada.  A 5 loop finish would've meant nothing, or close to it.

So I started off counter-clockwise again, pumped up from the encouragement of the runners at the cabin.  I ran for about 30 seconds, stopped, then realized I was going to be doing way more walking than running this loop.  Each time after starting back up from the log cabin, my calves really ached due to sitting down.  Most times they got "better" after a mile or so.  However on this 6th loop, I can't say they really got better.  The good thing, I thought, was that you can only hurt so much and then you start to forget about it.  Or maybe just get used to it.

I ran into Cam Baker and Lloyd Thomas near Big Bear.  Cam was also finishing his last loop of the 50 miler.  I started singing "The Final Countdown" by Europe, he told me he did a 1-up and ran an extra MH, we exchanged words of encouragement, and were on our way.

When I got to the Monkey Hills, Rich was still at it.  He was just coming down the hill towards the road as I was starting up, so I walked the trail in one direction with him.  He was on his 23rd loop en route to a record setting 30 loops!

I could feel the finish nearing closer as I arrived at the Stone Bridge trail.  I couldn't believe what I was about to accomplish today.  All the effort and struggle throughout the day was becoming worth it for this moment of finishing.

I finished in 12:15.  Exhausted and relieved, I changed clothes and then walked into the cabin to a loud applause.

What a great day!  I think it's awesome our club has events like these.  It really feels like an extended family.  Each person seems to truly care about each other's accomplishments and encouraging each other along the way.

Below are my approximate splits I wrote down after each loop.  All the splits, except the first, include time stopped at the cabin refueling.

1 - 1:35 - 11:24/mile

2 - 1:45 - 12:36/mile

3 - 2:00 - 14:24/mile

4 - 2:14 - 16:05/mile

5 - 2:16 - 16:19/mile

6 - 2:25 - 17:24/mile

2011 Warren Turkey Trot

Brian, Jamie and I continued the tradition today of running the Warren Turkey Trot at the Kent Trumbull branch.  I always look forward to this race and was glad that I was healthy to run it this year.  I thought about taking it easy and enjoying it this year, but that idea faded quickly as I know how hard it is not to race it!

We got there around 9 AM and the 2 miler was going on.  The 5 mile race was set for a 10 o'clock start, so we got in a warmup after saying hi to many familiar faces.  It didn't take long to spot Shubi, who was in from Colorado and fresh off a 10,000 ft run out there the same day as Slim Pickins.

The weather was perfect and the crowd was large as usual.  Ted Rupe gave a pre-race prayer and then sounded the siren to start the race.  I felt pretty relaxed despite the tough 50K last weekend.  There was a slight wind on the way out and way back, but nothing too strong.  I finished with a 33:45.  Jamie won her age group and Brian had a good race also.

Afterward, we followed tradition and had dinner at my parents house.  My mom cooked a great meal with turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn bread, biscuits, cranberry jello, apple sauce in the crock pot, salad and pumpkin pie. 

I have so much to be thankful for and this day is always a great remember of those things!

Slim Pickins 2011

This year I decided to join the shenanigans at Laurel Highlands for the annual NEO Trail member-only Slim Pickins event.  The event lasts from Friday night to Sunday and this year we stayed at the Yough Plaza Hotel in Ohiopyle.  The stated goal was to run a 50K from the start of the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail out to mile 8 and back twice for a total elevation gain of 7,400 ft!

On Friday, I drove up to Hudson with Brian to meet Lloyd Thomas and carpool over to PA.  We left around 3:30 and it took about 3-3.5 hours.  Some people had already arrived in Ohiopyle and planned on getting some extra miles in.  My plan was to try and run only the 50K on Saturday.  If I bailed out early, I would do some extra on Sunday.

When we got there, we parked at the Falls City Restaurant & Pub and there inside was a table full of NEO Trail members greeting us including Jim & Eric Harris, Cam Baker, Paul Lefelhocz, Kimba, Chris Kalie, and Bruce "The Moose" McMurray.  Later, Wild Bill, Tara Schweitzer and Allison Holko joined us.  The night was filled with good beer, delicious food and plenty of interesting discussions.

After eating, we all went back to our quarters and tipped back a few more.  We snapped this fairly normal photo of us at the hotel and posted to Facebook to show the world what true club companionship really is!

We ended up getting to bed after midnight.  The planned start time was at 8 o'clock.  Cam had to get done early, so he started at 6.  Jim also joined him to get a couple hours of running in before the official start.

My sister showed up about 10 minutes beforehand, as well as a few other people that didn't spend the night.  We walked down to the gate at the start of the trail, took a few group photos and were off.

Instantly within the first quarter mile, the trail heads skyward.  There are three main hills to the mile 8 marker, each with their own difficulty.  The first one isn't overly steep, but continually inclines until a little bit after 2.5.  It also has some pretty technical rocky footing.  The next hill goes from mile 3.5 to 4.5, crests, then zig zags downward on some switchbacks.  Finally, the grand finale from mile 6 to 8 climbs about 1200 ft.  This last one seems to go on forever.

I was feeling pretty good during most of the first out-and-back.  No major issues and aches which was good.  I wanted to take the first loop easy and push it the second if I had the energy.  The main goal was to finish.

After the first loop, Brian and I went to the market to grab a bite to eat.  We both got burgers and fries.  I knew it would be tough starting the second loop after this, but the extra fuel was a huge help.  After a half hour or so, we headed back out.  We saw Wild Bill, Tara and Allison at the gate.  We egged them to try for another loop, but weren't able to entice them.  We headed up the trail a few steps and saw the Moose coming at us.  He was also done.  So, Brian and I were bringing up the rear since my sister and the crew she was running with were only going three more miles out and back.

It took a little while to get back in the groove since we had the burger on our stomachs.  The sun was slowly starting to head to the western horizon.  Brian and I wanted to at least make it to the turnaround before we needed to use our headlamps.

We saw Lloyd and Rich as well as Jim and Kim on the way out.  At the overlook near mile 8, we snapped a few photos and headed back.  We had to turn on our lights with about 5 miles to go.  The darkness slowed us down quite a bit, but we had a few nice streaks of running especially when Brian had his headphones on!

The excitement grew as we continued to clip off the miles.  My legs ached a bit, but it really didn't bother me since they had been even before we started the second loop. 

Finally, we made it back to the mile 0 gate!  We gave each other high fives and walked to the pub.  As we entered, we got a round of applause.  It's always a great feeling to accomplish something you're not sure about when you first start.  This was my second 50K this year......my first being the actual Laurel Highlands 50K race!

This year has been filled with more injury downtime than running and races, but today made the rest and cross training worthwhile! This event has me itching for more miles...

The Magic Moment

“You have to take risks”- he said.

“We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.

“Every day, God gives us the sun–and also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything that makes us unhappy.
“Every day, we try to pretend that we haven’t perceived that moment, that it doesn’t exist–that today is the same as yesterday and will be the same as tomorrow.

But if people really pay attention to their everyday lives, they will discover that magic moment.

It may arrive in the instant when we are doing something mundane, like putting our front-door key in the lock.
It may lie hidden in the quiet that follows the lunch hour or in the thousand and one things that all seem the same to us.

But that moment exists–a moment when all the power of the stars becomes a part of us and enables us to perform miracles.”

-Paulo Coelho

West Branch Night Run

Tonight I met Jim Harris and Todd Hanks at 6:30 at the boat dock parking lot for a night run.  We started on the Lake Trail, crossed Cable Line Rd, ran the trails on the other side, and then finished on the expert trail.  Before crossing Cable Line Rd, we walked down to the family cemetery to check out the witch's grave.  No screams heard tonight!

It was a perfect night for a run.  A nice breeze, actually feeling warm at times, and a partly cloudy sky that gave way to a bright full moon.  We still needed our headlamps, but I looked around a few times and was surprised how bright it was out.

I really enjoy night runs.  A trail route you run all the time during the day looks totally different at night.  It's easy to get in a trance and forget you're physically exerting yourself.  The pace always seems faster than what it is.

Group night runs are even more enjoyable.  It's like sitting around a campfire telling stories except you're running and the glowing light is your headlamp.  A lot of people get depressed when the clock turns back and it gets dark earlier.  I've learned to accept it better and not let it ruin my workouts.  Each season provides a different adventure and a different challenge.  I do wish winter was shorter, but it makes us appreciate Spring that much more.  If it wasn't for the challenges in life, we would take the simple things for granted.

Double 12

Yesterday I went for a run at Mill Creek with Brian.  The weather was gorgeous with clear blue skies and nice temps near 60.  We ran a big loop counterclockwise around all three lakes starting from the Rose Garden.  By the wetlands, we saw a bald eagle.  I had never seen one in person, much less in MCP!  It's wingspan was amazing as it flew away.  We ended the day with 12 miles.

So today the weather was still good and I still had some running fever in me.  I got out of work early, but knew this was post- move the clock back an hour.  Ugh!  I was glad for the extra hour of sleep, but now it gets dark at 5:30.  I grabbed the headlamp and headed out as quickly as possible.

I ran from Boston Store to Snowville Rd. then did two more miles on the Towpath.  I made it to Snowville without my light on, but had to turn it on after to avoid tripping on the leaf-covered roots.  I saw plenty of deer out on the trail staring at me.  I always enjoy night runs.   There's something about being all alone in the woods with just the creatures and the moon that is very calming.  I only saw one other person out there and he was doing the same route as me.

2011 Youngstown Peace Race

Well I finally signed up for the Youngstown Peace Race this year.  I've always wanted to run this one since it goes through one of my favorite places to run - Mill Creek Park.  They changed the course this year making it a point-to-point run from Kirkmere Elementary school and ending in the usual finish area at Federal Plaza in downtown Y-town.

I caught a bus from downtown to the start line.  This guy I was talking to in line for the bus happened to be my high school English teacher's son.  At the school I saw a bunch of familiar faces including Tim McNeil, Terry McCluskey and Stacy Sowers.  I walked to the start line with Stacy then worked my way toward the front.  I definitely wasn't conditioned very well for this race so I just had two goals: enjoy the scenery and run under 7 min/mile. 

The course had some nice rolling hills, but nothing too steep.  We ran down to the Mill and worked our way back to the Old Log Cabin and on to downtown.  On my way back to the city, I talked to a real nice Warren runner named Walter I've known from running around Warren and going to the Mocha House.  He's real upbeat, so I enjoyed his company and conversation through the huffing and puffing.  I told him I forgot how quick these short road races were.

I ended up finishing in 42:34 (6:52 pace) and was very pleased.  The finish line was great with a live band and tons of post-race food including Dunkin' Donuts!  At the finish I also saw Dan Kuzma who was cheering on his wife who ran today.

I would definitely recommend this race to anyone and plan on hopefully doing it again next year.  The course is beautiful and Ted Rupe does a great job directing such a large race with over 1200 runners.