The Virginian 6.6K Weekend

Last Saturday I took on a new distance as I ran in the Virginian 6.6K, a race put on by my friend Jen. The race was held in Bristol, Virginia and was set on the picturesque, rolling (and I MEAN rolling) hills of the Virginian Golf Club. I would be making a weekend trip of it all, starting out with a stop in Asheville, NC on Friday night to catch one of my favorite bluegrass bands, Town Mountain. If you like bluegrass, definitely check them out. The put on a great show!



We stayed over in Asheville Friday night, and headed out for Virginia Saturday morning. The race had a very friendly start time of 11am, so that gave us plenty of time to make the hour and forty five minute drive to Bristol.

We arrived in Bristol around 10am and made our way to the race site after a stop at the local Starbucks. I picked up my packet, got my bib on and decided it would be a good idea after looking at part of the course to do a proper warm up before the race! I am glad I did since the race started with a hill climb right off the bat.
  I made a decision NOT to wear my Garmin during the race. I did not want to worry about my time, I just wanted to run hard and have some fun. The horn sounded and up the hill we charged. I crested the hill, breathing hard already, a mere 2 minutes into the race. I had the run hard part down already, wasn't sure about the fun thing though.
 The hills kept coming throughout the entire race. Not being familiar with the course, I held back a little, not knowing if the next hill was going to be bigger than the last. The course had mile markers, which helped. I was feeling good after passing the 3 mile mark. I knew there was one last big hill right before the finish, having drove that part of the course on our way in. I hit the climb, came around the bend and saw the finish chute. I ran hard the rest of the way for a time of 35:33 for a little over 4.1 miles, good enough for 3rd place in Men's Masters and 17th place overall. (Gotta love small races!)

  I was happy with my time, and even happier that I ran hard up each and every hill along the course.With all the ultra running I do, I get paranoid that I can no longer run with any speed, so every now and then it is good to run short and fast! Thanks to Jen, I got my speed and hill work done in one shot!
  Post race I received a cool pint glass for my 3rd place, and also won a really nice wind jacket as a door prize!

  
 We hung out in Bristol and stopped in to my favorite stores, Mountain Sports Ltd. Always fun to shop there! We grabbed some lunch after that at 620 State in downtown. We then headed back to the hotel at Glade Spring to get some rest.

   We were up early Sunday morning  to meet some friends in Damascus to go out on a trail run along the Appalachian Trail. We got shuttled up to the trail head at Elk Garden, where we started in rain and fog.

Some of the group were going 24 miles all the way back into Damascus. Thankfully someone was also leaving their car at Bear Tree Gap, so there was the option of only running 12 miles. I knew I would be taking that option, since my quads were a little tired from the day before.
   After a mile or so the rain let up, and we settled into a nice run.  This is a really pretty section of the AT, and it was a blast to run! I felt good up to about mile 8, then I ground out the last 4 miles, walking the hills and running (okay, shuffling) the rest.

I was happy when we reached the car. I said goodbye to the folks who were continuing on down the trail, and we made our way back to Damascus to pick up my car. The most challenging part of the weekend was driving the 3 + hours back home after all this! It was well worth it though. A great weekend!
Happy trails! 

Product Review: The Salomon Sense Mantra Trail Shoe

  Nothing like a good trial by fire to test the character of a shoe. Such was the case when my pair of Salomon Sense Mantra arrived at my door the day before the Hinson Lake 24 Hour Race. Out of the box and into the car they went, along with the mountain of other gear I usually over pack to take to any Ultra event.

  The Sense Mantra is a lightweight, low drop training shoe that is built for high mileage. It is made for midfoot and forefoot strikers and has neutral cushioning and promotes natural motion. Weighing in at 8.5 ounces, it is light yet durable.

 I started the 24 hour race in a different pair of shoes, but around 10 miles into the run I switched to the Sense Mantra. The course was a one and a half mile loop around a lake, so I could easily stop at the end of the loop and change gear and shoes if necessary. The good news is once I was in the Sense Mantra, I did not want to switch shoes! They felt very comfortable. The course was not very technical, but the surface was sandy and the Mantra provided more than enough grip along the trail. The tread on the Mantra is not as Knobby as it's cousin, the SpeedCross 3, but I have been on several single track runs with the Mantra and have had no issues with traction.
 I wound up running around 40 miles around the lake in the Mantra, and had absolutely no foot issues. No blisters or hot spots, no foot pain. I only wish my stomach felt as good as my feet. I stopped around 54 miles, 13 or so hours into the run with some GI issues.


  I really love the "QuickLace" system and the "Lace Pocket" at the top of the tongue, which allows you to tuck the excess lacing in a small pocket so it does not flop around and catch things along the trail. Another thing I was impressed with was the Seamless fit of the shoe. It really cradles the foot nicely and the tongue is anchored to the shoe as part of the "EndoFit" construction and does not move around during the run. It also helps to keep dirt and grit out of the shoe.

I have been using the Mantra for my daily trail run around another lake, the 5 mile Peninsula trail at Harris Lake near my house. This course has some nice rooty, technical sections, undulating terrain and lots of twists and turns.The Mantra does really well here also! Nice and stable, with good balance as well.
There is really nothing I don't like about the shoe, and I recommend it for anyone looking for a durable everyday trail shoe. It is also a good choice for those interested in going towards a lower drop and low cut profile shoe.

Learn more about the Sense Mantra here: http://www.salomon.com/us/product/sense-mantra.html

A happy boy and his Mantra at the lake after a run.

 

 

  

I am not compensated for my opinions and the product was provided on a trial basis only.

The Virginian 6.6K

On October 12th I will be running the Virginian 6.6K, a race  that supports cancer care at Bristol Regional Medical Center's J.D. and Lorraine Nicewonder Cancer Center. I am hoping to raise $250.00 for the cause. Please visit my donation page and consider making a donation! Thanks!

Here is the link to my donation page:  Gene's Donation Page

Learn more about the event:  The Virginian 6.6 

Product Review: INKnBURN Men's "Lust" Running shorts

The folks over at INKnBURN combine comfort and Art in their running apparel and their Men's Lust running shorts are a great example of that combination. These lightweight, durable shorts not only look good, but feel great at any distance.

  I initially took them out on a few short runs with my RunWorx training group, and loved their light feel and the way they fit. They are 3/4 thigh length, which I prefer over something longer or too short. ( Do not want to be the guy rockin the "Booty Shorts"!) They wicked the moisture well, standing up to the oppressive humidity of a Carolina summer day.

  I then brought them along with me on a trip to Virginia to run along the Iron Mountain Trail. We started the run off in a total downpour along the Virginia Creeper trail. The rain eased up by the time we got to the single track Iron Mountain Trail and I was impressed with how quickly the Lust shorts dried out. Even when they were soaking wet, I had no issues with chafing or discomfort.

 The Lust shorts have now become my "Go To" shorts for most of my runs. Since I wear them so often, I am constantly washing them. They have held up well after repeated trips to the washing machine. Another nice feature is that there is no irritating tag to deal with inside the shorts. Two handy front pockets for storing a key or gel is another plus.

  Overall I am very impressed with both the look and functionality of the shorts. I would highly recommend checking a pair out! 

Check out their Website here:

http://www.inknburn.com/                  

Iron Mountain Training Weekend

I was in Damascus Virginia this past weekend to do a training run for the Iron Mountain Trail Race on 8/31. I drove up from NC on Friday, about a 4 hour trip. The weather was great for the drive up, but that would not be the case for the remainder of the weekend.
  I was camping at Beartree campground in the Mount Rogers National Recreation area, a beautiful spot tucked right off Hwy 58.

The only sunny picture!

 I arrived at camp around 3pm and setup. I was going very minimalist, just my one man tent, Coleman stove and sleeping bag. I had a bit of food and some coffee and that was pretty much it. After I had everything together, I found the small "Lum Trail" right from the campground that lead up to the Iron Mountain Trail. Conditions were already pretty muddy along the trails, and I had a quick run/hike up and back, about 2 miles in total.

When I got back to camp I had some vegetarian baked beans and smart dogs for dinner, read a little and called it a night. The training run was set for 9am the next morning and I knew I would need to be well rested!
   Around 11pm or so I awoke to the distinct sound of rain pitter pattering on the tent. Then it increased, and by 11:30pm it was a full downpour with thunder and lightning . I kept waiting for the tent to start taking on water, but it held up great and I kept nice and dry. I drifted back off to sleep once the the thunder storm passed. The rain however, continued throughout the night.

   I woke up around 7am, fired up the stove and put on some coffee. A quick breakfast of hummus and tortillas, and I was good to go. I drove into town and met up with the Iron Mountain Trail Runner folks.

Ready to roll!

   We set out, running the first several miles on the Virginia Creeper Trail. Barely a mile into the run, the skies opened up on us. We ran the next several miles in the pouring rain, making our way alongside Laurel Creek, which was now raging due to all of the rainfall.

Angry Water!

 We crossed over hwy 58, where we got off the Creeper trail and onto a short single track trail that would connect to the Iron Mountain Trail. The Iron Mountain Trail was part of the original Appalachian Trail until they re routed the Appalachian Trail through the Highlands. We had our first nice climb here, up the rock strew trail which was now nice and muddy with tiny streams of water flowing down it!

I was originally toying with the idea of doing the 30 mile training run, but after struggling a bit on the climbs and taking a nice fall, I opted for the 16 miler instead. Coming down was no picnic either, having to maintain a Zen like level of concentration in order to navigate the difficult terrain.

Trail Love!

I finally got off the single track, crossed back over Hwy 58 and onto the friendly surface of the Creeper Trail. By now the rain had passed, the sun was out and I was hot! It was a slow run back into town, but once I finished, I felt good. A few of us hung out at the park and munched out and re hydrated. We then headed into Abingdon to volunteer at our friend Jen's 10K race at 6pm, which was run along the Creeper trail as well.
  I finally got back to camp around 8pm, hung out and read a little, then went off to bed. Thankfully there were only a few sprinkles of rain overnight and I dropped into a long, sound sleep.

   I woke up at 7am, made coffee and headed down to the RV section of the campground. I was going to do a short hike/run on some trail that my friend Beth had told me about. The Shaw Gap trail head was right at the host campsite of the RV section. While the tent campground was busy, this section was practically deserted. I hike about a mile up the Shaw Gap Trail, then it connected with the Iron Mountain Trail. Just off of that, I picked up the Chestnut Ridge Trail and hiked out a few miles on that. There were wild blueberry bushes dotted alongside the trail, but the fruit was about a week away from being ready to harvest. I turned back around, and by the time I had reached the intersection of the Iron Mountain Trail, it had begun to rain. Again. I came upon two mountain bikers and we joked about getting out early to beat the rain. Yeah right. I splashed my way back through the mud of the Shaw Gap Trail and into the campground and back to the car. I put my water logged shoes in the trunk with the other pair of trashed shoes from the day before. ( I had brought a total of 4 pairs, used them all!)
  After a brief stop in town to grab some coffee, I began the trip home. I am happy to report not a single drop of rain fell on the way back home!

Product Review: The July Kona Kase

   The good folks at Kona Kase sent me their July case to check out filled with yummy treats! Here is a review of what was inside.

Caveman Cookies:  Made with just Honey, nuts and berries, these were a tasty grain free, dairy free treat.  cavemancookies.com

Garuka Bars: I really liked this one. Good taste and texture, they represent a good cause too! Check them out at garukabars.com

Barbara Llewellyn Granola: Another one I really enjoyed. Rolled oats, sliced almonds, sesame and pumpkin seeds, honey sweetened and very addictive!  Order some at info@barbarallewellyn.com

Body Glove Surge Gel: A good tasting Gel that delivers 150mg of caffeine. I took it on one of my long runs and it did the trick! No stomach issues or nasty after taste. either! www.pacifichealthlabs.com

Perky Jerky: Unfortunately, being Vegan I had to pass on this. I did give it to my Paleo friend Amanda, who loves it! Check them out at www.perkyjerky.com

Enjoy Life:  Another winner here! Salty, sweet and crunchy, a nice blend of sunflower, pumpkin seeds and dried fruit. Great for an on the go snack! Enjoylifefoods.com

Pro Bar Bolt Organic Energy Chews: Good stuff! Electrolytes, B vitamins, antioxidants and  complex carbs. Gluten free as well! Great to take on that long run or bike ride. www.probarvip.com

Health Warrior:  Their Chia Bar I really enjoyed. A great source of Omega 3's, antioxidants and plant based protein. Just 5g of sugar too!  Check them out here: www.healthwarrior.com 

 I enjoyed my Kona Kase so much that I have ordered my August Case and am eagerly awaiting it's arrival!

 Kona Kase is a great way to sample some really wonderful and healthy products! Be sure to stop by their web site and order one!  Use the code "GIFTSUMMER" to receive $5.00 off your first Kase!

Web: www.konakase.com  

 Twitter:  @konakase

Grandfather Mountain Marathon 2013

Last weekend I headed back to Boone, NC to run the Grandfather Mountain Marathon for the second time. This was the 46th running of this race, which ends atop Grandfather Mountain at the Highland Games.
 Manly indeed!

Good thing he was not "commando"!

The race starts on the track at Appalachian State University then winds it's way up through the back roads to Grandfather Mountain. You even get to run a stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

   Last year's race was filled with heat and humidity, and all the stunning mountain views I could have seen were covered up by the thick air and mist. (Quite Scottish, I must say!) This years race was shaping up to be the same way. On the ride up Friday afternoon, the mountains were shrouded in fog and mist and the air was thick. We drove straight to packet pick up, then had dinner at a friend's beautiful mountain cabin right off the parkway. After we gorged ourselves, it was time to head to the motel and rest up. We got a good night's sleep and woke up at 5am and headed out in the pre dawn darkness. The Motel was very quaint, which meant they did not have a coffee maker in the room! So, no race day coffee. Bummer!

Me and the crew, ready to rock n roll!

 The race started at 6:30am Saturday morning, and after our 2 laps around the track at ASU, we hit the streets. The first mile or so we run through town, then make a right after the Bojangles which puts us on the back streets. Then the hills begin. A little something like this:

I wore my kilt for the race last year, but it became so heavy and cumbersome with sweat I had opted out of wearing it this year. I hoped it would not upset the Scottish Gods and that they would not smite me with a wayward bolt of lightning or falling tree branch!

The first few miles ticked off, and I was feeling well. The temps were a bit cooler than last year, but the humidity was the same. I was getting soggy by mile 5 and was happy not to be toting that kilt up the mountain with me. It was amusing to see three sets of painted mile markers on the ground along the course. Last year's start consisted of running only one lap around the track, while this year we ran two! So, the mile markers were about a 1/4 mile apart from each other. I was walking the hills, saving some energy for the back half of the race, and running the flats and downhills. Last year I struggled mightily on the front half of the course, but picked it up on the back half and finished strong. I felt some fatigue early on the course this year, but kept plugging away.
   Around the 10 mile mark we headed onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. Last year at this point, I felt like complete crap and walked most of this stretch. This year I kept a nice steady pace along the Parkway.
I looked at my Garmin, and I was right where I needed to be. Then the Garmin told me it had reached it's data limit (I never clear the history, even though I download it to the computer) and I did not have the patience or wherewithal to stop and mess with it. It began beeping incessantly, like some kind of ADD Galloway program, so I turned it off and kept going.
  We came off the Parkway at around mile 14, then up a nice hill and onto a gravel road which had another big climb on it. Right after the big climb last year I had revived myself and had a great run on the back half of the course. I was hoping for some of that mojo to return this  year.

 It didn't.

 Maybe this was payback for not sporting the kilt? My running shorts were now matted to my legs and my hands were getting "pruney" I was doing well with my hydration, but could have probably used some more calories. After being spoiled by ultra aid stations, I always forget that most marathon aid stations provide only water and Gatorade. I drank a UCAN shake prior to the start of the race, but did not have the means to take one at the halfway point. I did have a Vega gel on me and also a pouch of Justin's Almond Butter, which were rabidly consumed around mile 15.
  So now the strategy was to hold on and bring it into the finish. I got a little mental pick up when I crossed the 20 mile mark, but it was still slow going. There is a five and a half hour cut off to where you can finish the race inside the stadium where the highland Games are going on. Trust me, you want to finish inside the stadium and be cheered by hundreds of Scots! Those who finish after 5.5 hours have to settle for a finish outside of the stadium. Not the same.
  Finally I found myself at mile 25, walking with two guys I had caught up with on the last climb. The one gentleman wondered aloud if he could make the cut off by walking the last mile. I was not about to find out. I wished them well and began to haul ass towards the finish. I rumbled into the dirt entrance that led to the stadium. I was ahead of the cut off.  There is one last tiny hill you have to run up that puts you on the track inside the stadium. Spurred on by the cheers I bolted up the hill. That's when both my calves almost seized up on me. Was it the Scottish Gods mocking me? "Too humid for the kilt laddie? I'll show you!" Thankfully my calves recovered and I was able to run the lap around the track and finish strong.

On the track, heading for home!

 I finished in 5:23:20. I'm okay with it. My time last year was 5:07:44. Maybe there's something to that kilt thing after all! Despite the hills and humidity, this is such a great race and a lot of fun. I will be back next year. And I WILL be wearing the kilt!

Me and the crew post race. Notice no one is standing!

  Come out and join us next year! Grandfather Mountain Marathon Website
Be sure to wear a kilt! http://sportkilt.com/