There’s has been some exciting information that has come out recently since we lasted visited the topic of recovery in October 2011.

Ice Baths

• It turns out that they may not be as good for you as advertised. In the past 6 months there’s been a series of studies published on how ice baths recovery may not provide much, if any, benefit. If you like doing them and get results maybe just try and reduce the application time to less than 15 minutes.

Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM):

• A 2010 study looking at Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) published in The Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies found there was significant reduction of muscle soreness at 24, 48 and 72 hours after the workout effort with the FSM treatment. Non-treated patients reported an average of 7-8 out of 10 on the pain scale whereas treated patients reported only a 1 out of 10 in soreness.

Compression Wear

• This can range from lower and full leg compression sleeves to fancy boots that you wear that alternatively squeeze your muscles at different intervals to push you blood around. Definitely helpful and worth trying out if you haven’t yet.

New Protein Source

• Protein replenishment is vital post workout. There are a variety of choices available to the athlete from chocolate milk to post recovery drink mixes. In general you should try to reach a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein (women should be 2-3:1 ratio). I personally have been experimenting and having great success with a product called MAP (Master Amino Acid Pattern). The benefits of MAP include:
• Digestible within 23 minutes (compared to 3-6 hours for other forms of protein).
• Rapid digestion reduces the time the stomach needs for assimilation which reduces the chances of digestive issues in endurance events.
• Getting protein in this form can reduce your consumption of animal protein (high fat) or in my case, vegetarian protein or whey protein that is casein based.

Foam Rolling

• A good tried and true method. Remember, in most cases you don’t have to push hard. Think repetition not intensity. Avoid going over boney areas and focus more on the soft tissue/muscles. If you’ve trying foam rolling and didn’t like it, take a look at the TP Therapy product called “The Grid”. It has a softer outer shell and is much more comfortable so you’ll probably use it more.

Dr. Mike

P.S. If you would like more information on these items please email us and we’ll be happy to provide you links to the research articles.

Dr. Michael Cerami owns Utah Sports and Wellness and has been a competitive triathlete for over 18 years. He is available for a no charge consultation one Saturday per month at The Salt Lake Running Company (700 East store) by appointment. He can be reached at 801-486-1818 or online at www.utahsportsandwellness.com

The Route:

Northwest Ridge of Grandeur Peak to the summit, drop down the south facing side to Church Fork trail in Millcreek Canyon, hit Pipeline trail, run down Rattlesnake Gulch…. A car should be waiting for you there to shuttle you back to the other car.

Stats:

- Distance from trailhead to summit – 2.14 miles
- Elevation gain – 3, 287 feet
- Distance from Summit to Rattlesnake Gulch TH – approx. 6 miles

Important Stuff:

- This is a steep route up/down and there is a lot of loose rock and scree.
- This time of year there is still some snow but it doesn’t cause too much trouble.
- Make sure you have enough water, especially if you are taking your pooch. You won’t hit water until Church Fork and Pipeline trails merge.
- Have a leash for the pooch if it is an even day!
- Bring $3 if you don’t have a Millcreek Canyon annual pass.
- BREATHE DEEP, SMILE, and ENJOY!!
- Stretch your ITB, it will thank you later….. TRUST ME!

1. Get Comfortable With Your Surroundings – Almost all obstacle course races take place in a natural environment, i.e. trails! For those coming from a road running background getting comfortable with the trails can allow you to focus on the more daunting tasks of mastering all the obstacles. On race day you want to be as comfortable as possible with your surrounding so some time on the trails beforehand will improve you skill on race day.
2. Fewer Injuries – Trail running is a more forgiving surface than the concrete or asphalt in front of your house. Trails also help build more strength in your muscles and ankles as you constantly adapt to the changing terrain, roots, rocks, and more on the trail. This helps race day as you jump up and over walls or conquer any of the balance obstacles.
3. Learn to Hike – If you live in a mountainous area, spending time on the hilly trails will greatly improve your overall performance in an obstacle course race. Many of these races take place on ski resorts or other challenging terrain. The fact is 99% of the field will probably find themselves hiking/walking part of the course. It takes time to build those climbing muscles and a trail run on steep terrain helps train those muscles to plug along up a mountain hillside, sometimes carrying a sandbag in a race.
4. Expect the Unexpected – When you go for a run on a trail there is always the possibility of finding an animal along the way, a washed out trail caused by spring rains you have to traverse across, a fallen limb across the trail, you are in a constant state of adaptation. All the climbing, crawling, jumping, that can happen on those less road traveled trails can help with your climbing, crawling, and jumping in a race. Think of the trail as nature’s playground!
5. Mental Strength – Trail runners are mentally tough, maybe it’s something about being out alone in the woods away from it all. Every trail runner has felt the moment when they reach a snowy, muddy, or endless hill where they have to dig deep and press forward. This is a skill cultivated by practice. Obstacle course races press participants to enter into these mental state countless times in a race. The time spent practicing on the trail can help you to get over that last eight-foot wall when everything in you is saying no, or force your fingers a few inches further to ring the bell at the top of a rope climb. It is the mental fortitude that trail running instills in us that presses us forward in obstacle course racing.

Overall, the benefits of an obstacle course racer trail running are numerous. Trail running is just plan fun. It gets us out of the city and reconnects us with nature and our natural surroundings. I love finding muddy trails right after a race, feeling the squish under my feet and coming home with the proof I was on the trail all over my calves and shins. If you are already a trail runner looking to take on obstacle course racing you are already ahead of the curve! The two sports really are like cousins to each other and share many of the same characteristics. Next article how to combine trail running and obstacle course racing training into one workout that can be done on any trail!

Pearl Izumi E:Motion Trail N1 Review

They found that a traditional running shoe design has a flat bottom, meaning that when you are standing in the shoe the heel and ball of the foot are in a level plane. So, when you have your weight in the shoe during the running stride the contact points do not change until toe off. This led Pearl Izumi designers to create a Dynamic Offset Midsole in which the height difference between the heel and ball of the foot is continually changing as it moves throughout the stride through the four phases of ground contact, loading, transition, and toe off. Let me rephrase that for you shoe geeks out there, the heel drop, heel differential, whatever you want to call it, is changing throughout the four phases from initial contact to toe off. Please keep this in mind as there will be some confusion about the official drop of thePearl Izumi E:Motion Trail N1 ($115) and I will aim to address this later to the best of my ability.

The Pearl Izumi E:Motion Trail N1.

Upper

The most remarkable facet of the N1 upper is that it is seamless and one piece of breathable dual density mesh. I didn’t experience too much dust getting in through the mesh as I often do with shoes this breathable. I was also pleased at the durability of this mesh as I have yet to have a blowout despite caking this upper with a great deal of dirt, grime, clay, and snow. The mesh continues to feel supple and there is no evidence of a crease which could create a likely area for a blowout.

Welded overlays are fairly minimal and only present throughout the mid foot and heel area. A well padded tongue constructed out of SBR foam is durable and made to not absorb water, and I can attest that this upper drains well after running through a creek or getting perpetually soaked in snow. A very durable but flexible toe cap is bonded on and offers more than enough protection.

The Trail N1′s lateral upper.

The fit of the upper is absolutely perfect for my foot and fairly moderate in fit which should accommodate a lot of runners. The heel collar and heel depth are well padded and I haven’t experienced any heel slipping, and the sausage laces stay tied and are of an appropriate length (such a small detail but many companies totally fail in this one aspect). The best part in my opinion is a wide toe box which is unimpeded by overlays which allow the toes a lot of room. Even after a few hours of running and some foot swelling the N1 still fits well. The feel is very locked down and I can bomb downhills in the N1 without any forward foot movement and this upper feels very stable on technical terrain.

Midsole

Pearl Izumi uses their 1:1 Energy Foam, which is supposed to return energy to the runner and I was pleased with the performance of this cushioning. This midsole is exceedingly simple and the ride feels a little firm on roads but perfect on the trail. Again, this is subjective, but I feel that the N1 occupies that middle ground of cushioning that seems to protect the feet, but also holds up to faster paced running. There is no dual-density midsole material or medial posting to add stability as the N1 is a neutral shoe.

From a flexibility standpoint the N1 feels nimble and flexible while running, but is misleading if you’re holding it in your hand and trying to crunch up or twist the shoe. I attribute this to wide foot plant of the N1 which does add stability, especially combined with a 1 mm Dynamic Offset. From my explanation above one can ascertain that midsole differential changes, but for the purpose of reviewing this shoe it feels like a 6 mm drop. To me, that is a good thing, but I’ve had runners ask if the N1 is a zero drop shoe due to confusing advertising and it most certainly is not.

The Trail N1′s medial upper.

Outsole

A simple and unobtrusive outsole pattern surprised me in its grippiness and traction on uphills and downhills. The lugs are very low profile which allow for comfortable road running as well. Durable carbon rubber runs the length of the outsole in all but one area of the mid foot where midsole foam comes in contact with the ground. This was likely done to save weight and it is the only area of the outsole that shows any wear. A minimal rock plate offers enough protection without reducing flexibility in the forefoot too much.

The Trail N1′s outsole.

Overall Impression

Setting aside all of the techno babble from the first paragraph, advertising, and shoe jargon, the eMotion N1 is a shoe that felt great right out of the box for my first run and continues to impress me after approximately 200 miles. With a weight right under 10 oz for my size 9.5 and what I’ve measured to be a 6mm heel drop, the N1 works as an all purpose shoe. I’ve worn the N1 for short tempo runs, hill repeats, and five-hour-long runs and this shoe continues to impress me with it simple and effective design. The feel is spry yet well cushioned and I have not ended a long run with beat up feet.

In a nod to the Pearl Izumi designers, I will say that the transition is very quick on the N1 and fast running is a joy in this shoe. I’ve reviewed other shoes with different rocker style technology and the N1 is the only shoe I feel actually improves transition and flow through the foot strike. I guess the ultimate endorsement from me is my willingness to race long distances in a shoe, and I will be racing a spring 50 miler in the N1 and I will likely consider it for my summer 100. The eMotion Trail N1 is hands down the best trail shoe I’ve tried for 2013.

[Editor's Note: The Pearl Izumi E:Motion Trail N1 is available in the iRunFar Store.]

 

 

Filed under Shoes · Tagged with Pearl Izumi

Tom Caughlan is iRunFar’s Minimalist Gear Editor. Tom’s passion for trail running and specialty running retail experience shine through in all of his highly technical reviews, which do range outside minimalist shoes.
All posts by Tom Caughlan

Boston Bombings: A Loss of Innocence

What will happen to big-city marathons’ openness?

By

Roger Robinson;

Image by

Reuters

Published

April 15, 2013

Earlier today bombs killed and injured people at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. I feel as if my own family has been violated. Worse, after a lifetime of writing about how running is one of the most positive forces in the modern world.

I’ve been in Boston five days. I’ve been at media conferences, parties, meals with fellow writers and a running travel group, and the expo. I ran among lots of runners alongside the Charles River, I stood and cheered on the sidelines of the 5-K and street mile, and today I reported the race from the media center, surrounded by journalists from around the world. There has been not one moment in all five days that has been anything but warm, friendly, supportive, generous, benevolent in the fullest sense. Until now.

I’m not just being warm and fuzzy. Marathon running has a long tradition of celebrating, commemorating, and affirming life. The original Olympic marathon in 1896 was to commemorate the man who carried the news of a victory for freedom. The first Boston Marathon a year later followed that idea by honoring the ride of Paul Revere, not on his actual route, but always on his day, Patriots Day in the State of Massachusetts (that’s why it’s on Monday). The Kosice Marathon in Slovakia and the Comrades Marathon in South Africa were created to commemorate the dead in World War 1. The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon affirms life after the bombings in that city in 1995. This very Boston Marathon mourned and honored the school kids who were gunned down a few months ago in Newtown, Connecticut, not far from here. Out of respect for them, the race was started for the first time in 117 years not with a gun but with an air horn.

Even without that special purpose, marathon running is a sport of goodwill. It’s the only sport in the world where if a competitor falls, the others around will pick him or her up. It’s the only sport in the world open to absolutely everyone, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or any other division you can think of. It’s the only occasion when thousands of people assemble, often in a major city, for a reason that is totally peaceful, healthy and well-meaning. It’s the only sport in the world where no one ever boos anybody.

If you’re losing your faith in human nature, look at marathon crowds, standing for hours with no seating, no cover, no bathrooms, to cheer thousands of strangers. Or look at our sport’s volunteers, on whose shoulders the whole sport rests. I spent part of the Runner’s World party with mates from Buffalo and Niagara Falls who are race directors and also travel the East Coast as race volunteers, giving their skills and labor to other races. Two of them, Bob Kaminsky and Les Potapcyck, told me they were “working security at the finish line” today. Right by where the first bomb went off.  They are now my greatest personal concern. Anyone who tries to kill Bob and Les is below any depth of contempt.

Our problem is that this marathon world of goodwill and prelapsarian innocence has made us so vulnerable. Ever since the New York City Marathon went ahead seven weeks after the horror of 9/11, my wife Kathrine Switzer and I have feared exactly what happened today. Our sport is such a great photo-op, and global media coverage is guaranteed. Modern murderers like those things. That time Kathrine was on a TV motorcycle alongside the lead women, and probably the greatest relief of my life was when she came safely off the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. I’m spending this afternoon explaining to media from England to New Zealand that it’s impossible to make a marathon course totally secure. Kathrine saw the police sniffer dogs at 8 this morning checking the finish area, so the bombs were presumably planted later, by someone who wandered in behind the crowd. How could you stop it?

It’s too soon to say where we go from here. The world cross country championships were much weakened by the demands of modern security, meaning they always have to be held on closed circuits instead of across country as they should be. Could we run marathons on safe closed circuits? How could you reconcile that with the essential notion that the marathon is a journey, and a celebration of the community or the environment it passes through? I just received a press release from the London Marathon, where I’m due to travel tomorrow morning, to say they are “reviewing security arrangements with the Metropolitan Police.” How do you reconcile that need and that language with the essential innocence of the marathon?

We’re in “lockdown” in the Copley Plaza hotel, the race headquarters. The window looks down on Dartmouth Street. Every other year that scene has been jammed with happy and tired runners, making their creaky way to the Family Reunion area just around the corner. Every other year, we have looked down on a scene of mass but quiet jubilation and unity. Today there’s nothing moving out there, and the street is lined with back-up ambulances, fire trucks and police vehicles, including a massive thing out of Mad Max called “Massachusetts Police Incident Command.” I’m grateful they are there today. But it’s a sight I never wanted to see at a marathon.

• Beets
• Quinoa
• Kale
• Ginger Root
• Sweet Potatoes

Reasons to eat them:

Beets

• Beets are high in vitamins and minerals. Potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron; vitamins A, B & C; beta-carotene,
  beta-cyanine; folic acid. These are but a few of the many nutrients, vitamins and minerals that can be found in beets and beet greens. The vitamin B and iron are very beneficial to new growth cells.
• They are a wonderful tonic for the liver, works as a purifier for the blood, and can prevent various forms of cancer. Nuff said, right? Tastes good and prevents cancer? Sign me up!
• Beets are a high source of energy. At the same time they are low in calories and high in sugar (although the sugar is released into your system gradually, as opposed to chocolate). Very few foods found in the natural world are as beneficial as beets in this regard.

Quinoa

• Quinoa is one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat. It is a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids.
• Quinoa contains almost twice as much fiber as most other grains.
• Quinoa contains Iron. Iron helps keep our red blood cells healthy and is the basis of hemoglobin formation. Iron carries oxygen from one cell to another and supplies oxygen to our muscles to aid in their contraction. Iron also increases brain function because the brain takes in about 20% of our blood oxygen. There are many benefits of iron some more of which include neurotransmitter synthesis, regulation of body temperature, aids enzyme activity and energy metabolism.
• Quinoa contains lysine. Lysine is mainly essential for tissue growth and repair.
• Quinoa is high in Riboflavin (B2). B2 improves energy metabolism within brain and muscle cells and is known to help create proper energy production in cells.

Kale

• Kale is high in Vitamin K. Eating a diet high in Vitamin K can help protect against various cancers. It is also necessary for a wide variety of bodily functions including normal bone health and the prevention of blood clotting. Also increased levels of vitamin K can help people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
• Kale is a great anti-inflammatory food. One cup of kale is filled with 10% of the RDA of omega-3 fatty acids, which help, fight against arthritis, asthma and autoimmune disorders.
• Kale is a great detox food. Kale is filled with fiber and sulfur, both great for detoxifying your body and keeping your liver healthy.

Ginger Root

• Combats Stomach Discomfort. Ginger is ideal in assisting digestion, thereby improving food absorption and avoiding possible stomachache. Ginger appears to reduce inflammation in a similar way to aspirin and ibuprofen.
• Reduce Pain and Inflammation. Ginger contains some of the most potent anti-inflammatory fighting substances known and is a natural powerful painkiller.
• Fights Common Respiratory Problems. If you’re suffering from common respiratory diseases such as a cough, ginger aids in expanding your lungs and loosening up phlegm because it is a natural expectorant that breaks down and removes mucus. That way you can quickly recover from difficulty in breathing.
• Strengthens Immunity. Ginger helps improve the immune system. Consuming a little bit ginger a day can help foil potential risk of a stroke by inhibiting fatty deposits from the arteries. It also decreases bacterial infections in the stomach, and helps battle a bad cough and throat irritation.

Sweet Potatoes

• Sweet potatoes are a good source of mag­nesium, which is the relaxation and anti-stress mineral. Magnesium is necessary for healthy artery, blood, bone, heart, muscle, and nerve function, yet experts estimate that approximately 80 percent of the popula­tion in North America may be deficient in this important mineral.
• Sweet potatoes contain iron. Most people are aware that we need the mineral iron to have adequate energy, but iron plays other important roles in our body, including red and white blood cell production, resistance to stress, proper im­mune functioning, and the metabolizing of protein, among other things.
• They are a source of potassium, one of the important electrolytes that help regulate heartbeat and nerve signals. Like the other electrolytes, potassium performs many essential functions, some of which include relaxing muscle contractions, reducing swelling, and protecting and controlling the activity of the kidneys.
• Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet-tasting but their natural sugars are slowly released into the bloodstream, helping to ensure a balanced and regular source of energy, without the blood sugar spikes linked to fatigue and weight gain.

The Mountain Trails Foundation provides us with 350+ miles of non-motorized trail terrain in Summit County, Utah. Their goal

She definitely enjoys the trails!

as a non-profit organization is to advocate the building and improvement of new trails; also to educate the public of the benefits of non-motorized outdoor recreation.

MTF works year round to provide trail maintenance as well as partners in development with Synderville Basin Special Rec District and Park City Municipal. There is a lot of opportunity to give back to the trails you love so much! MTF has trail work days as well as other opportunities for volunteering. The 2013 calendar for trail work days has not yet been posted on their website so stay tuned!

I like the idea of trail work days for a lot of reasons:

• Give back to the place I enjoy
• Feel warm and fuzzy about doing something good
• Time in the sun and getting my hands dirty (we’re trail runners, we love dirt!)
• You can make it a family bonding activity while setting a good example for the kiddos
• Appreciate the trail a little more since your sweat and possibly blood and tears have been on it
• A cold beverage at the end of the day of manual labor tastes OHH SO GOOD
• The list goes on and on……..

Volunteers getting folks registered

“FREE race entry?  Sign me up”!  That’s what I said last year when I first came across the RUN website and saw their volunteer = free race entry option.  I’ve been an avid runner for several years (both on the road and the trails), but I haven’t raced much, mostly because the cost for race entries really adds up.  The idea of being able to volunteer and then get a free race entry was definitely enticing!  So, I signed up to help at all four of the 2012 RUN trail races!

Volunteering for the RUN races was so much fun!   The atmosphere was great and I learned a lot about how races were set up and what was involved with running a race smoothly.  The volunteer work was pretty easy too!  I’d show up a couple hours before the race started, help set up tents, cut bagels and put up signs.   RUN was even nice enough to allow me to ‘shirk’ my

Becky rockin' on the course

duties for a little bit, so that I was actually able to run in all of the races!  (Although, if volunteering and running on the same day is too much for you, that’s okay.  Most other volunteers used their free race entry for a future race.)  Then, when I was done running, I’d help serve refreshments, keep the water coolers full and assist with the clean up and tear down of everything when the day was over.

The whole experience was just great!  I met a ton of awesome people, got to run some really epic trail races and learned a lot!  I definitely plan on signing up again this year and I’d encourage more of you to volunteer as well!  A lot goes into successfully coordinating a race, and the more people who can help, the better the race is for everyone!

** To find out how to be a part of this program, click on the tab “Free Registration” on our website or contact Ashley Widders Phone: 801.556.6541  Email: eagleeyeparkcity@gmail.com

1.    New Gear and Old Favorites

One of my favorite things about the changing of seasons is getting to put my tired gear away and switching over. For instance, I was psyched to change over from my thermal running tights and long sleeves last week to my brand new running skirt and tank top. I also busted out a pair of my favorite shorts.
This time of year all the latest and greatest from running companies are showing up in your local running shop. New shoes, new apparel, and bright colors. My advice, buy yourself a little piece of happy. I don’t know how many of you out there feel the same way; but when I get a new piece of gear I get a little more motivated. This is especially true with new shoes! You don’t have to break the bank by any means, it could be as simple as buying a new headband or hat.
 
2. Don’t trust the forecast
 
The first summer I moved out west I sitting in a bar in Buena Vista, Colorado and I asked the man next to me what the weather was suppose to be like over the next several days. The response I got, “Only a fool or a flatlander would trust a weather forecast in the mountains.” I hope he was referring to me as a flatlander because I still had my Tennessee plates, but I digress.

Your best forecast is to just walk outside and see what the temp feels like and be prepared for anything. Even though it isn’t hot this time of year I still like to carry my Nathan Hydration pack with me for several reasons. But the one that relates most to this is for stowing stuff. I typically carry a ultra light weight jacket in case of wind, rain and snow. I also keep a couple of warm layers and clean, dry socks in my car for after the run in case I am freezing. Moral of the story, just because the weatherman says it’s not going to rain, doesn’t make it true.
 

3.    Get out and Race
 

The running scene is coming to life here again in Utah. I don’t think you can drive anywhere without seeing a race banner promo. Although it is still not the peak of our beloved trail season there are some early season races. And it is never too early to sign up for our events too. Cough, Cough, wink, wink, hint, hint. ….price increase coming March 31^st!

Signing up for races helps you beat the winter blues and keeps you motivated to get out there and keep training. We made it through the winter, it made us tougher, now it’s time to showcase that at a race!
 

When I was finishing my degree in Experiential Education at the University of Utah, I was assigned to do a semester-long internship where I immersed myself in the work of educating the experiential way.  I didn’t want to end up working as a troubled youth correctional councilor for the rest of my life and my passion is really more about adults than adolescents so as the internship approached I thought about the kinds of organizations I wanted to be involved in.  What I discovered is that there are very few organizations that take people out into the wild places for more than just fun; they are all designed just for recreating.  Now, I am not knocking the power of recreation but I wanted to create something that was educational through the recreation, a place where people could recreate as a form of improving oneself.  I couldn’t find it anywhere.  So I decided to create it.

Originally I was going to invent the outdoor gym  – a place where people could use their surrounding environment to get fit.  That became a bigger project than I could do in a semester so I decided to dial the idea back a bit.  I asked myself, what can I do to combine my passion of trail running with an education process? In doing some market research I discovered that trail running events are usually extreme – designed to test the will and fitness of the participant.  Nothing existed to introduce new runners to the sport.  Newcomers had to either be introduced to trail running by a patient friend or by jumping in with both feet and a lot of guts.

So I decided to create a way for new participants to get into trail running without all the scary stuff that they would have to face on their own like getting lost, running out of water, getting on a trail that was more technical than they could handle.

So I created the series with a one goal in mind – create independent trail users.  To get there, I observed the typical obstacles that prevent people from trying trail running on their own and took those away.  These include ideas such as

1. beginner friendly trails,
2. start with a comfortable distance that anyone can run,
3. increase the distance slowly with plenty of time between events,
4. introduce more technical trails with each race
5. prevent runners from getting lost or running out of water,
6. keep them all on one trail system so that returning runners feel comfortable running solo

The first year was rough.  We only had 70 people registered for our first event, the 5k.  Even still, we managed to break even in our first year.  When people asked us to come back and do the events again the next year, I realized that I had accomplished my goal.  I had created a way for people to learn how to be a trail runner on their own.  In the process, I created fast trail races for the experts and I created well-organized events for people looking for a scenic and challenging course.

In 2012 we introduced the fourth race, a half marathon in September, made it so the series culminated in an iconic distance.  The half marathon is not a starter course and for someone that has never stepped foot on a trail before it will likely be quite challenging.  But runners who did the whole series really appreciated having that sense of accomplishment by completing the series with this meaningful distance.

We are excited to continue to see our events grow and to continue to find ways to support trail growth and support over the coming years.  10% of your registration fees go toward ensuring other people, generations from now, have the same open land and beautiful spaces to come out and enjoy the same experience that you will experience this year.  I hope that learning a little bit more about how these races came about will inspire you to join us this year.

Happy Trails!
~Rhielle, your race director