Initial reports are coming on about the Terrapin Mountain Marathon, and they are all good. Neal Jamison and Keith Knipling both report that the course is over 29 miles. Call this one a 50k. Runners said the course was scenic, with lots of runnable sections despite around 6000 feet of climb and descent. Great finisher's awards and post-race meal.

I love it when the VHTRC claims wins by NC runners. This happened again when Mike Mason smoked the field in the Bel Monte 50 miler on March 22nd. But that's not all, not by a long shot. Mark Lundblad smoked the field in the 50k and set a new course record. Anne Lundblad won the women's 50k. But there's more! Jason Bryant of Elkin and Lillian Brown of Chapel Hill are the Men's and Women's winners of the 25k. The only event not won by an NC runner was the women's 50 miler, and that was won by a Eva Rosvold of Maryland. Thanks to Adam Hill for reporting on these performances. Makes me think again of the NC state motto: to be, not to seem.

This past weekend saw some NC, VA, and WV ultrarunners doing speed work in California at the Way too Cool 50k. Cool is a different kind of Ultra. This year Cool sold out in just over eleven minutes ("sold out" is more appropriate than "filled up").  Most of the sponsored ultrarunning teams have some entries that they make available to their athletes, so this race always gets most of the top national ultrarunners. The times put up by the top 25% of the field are crazy - 28 finishers were under four hours, and 130 finishers were under five hours. The course is mostly fire roads and trails. It is a fast course, but nothing like Salem Lake, for example, because it includes single track and 3600 feet of climb and descent. Annette Bednosky, Eric Grossman, Bradley Mongold (winner of the 2008 Holiday Lake), and Scott Wolfe all represented our part of the country with very fast times. (Scott now lives in OR, but is still part of the community here in NC).

I've definitely got the ultra-runner's heightened brain chemistry going on. When you spend several years on a constant runner's high, and then stop running suddenly and completely for several months, things are not good. The injury and layoff altered my brain chemistry. The biggest negative was certainly the lack of an outlet to deal with stress. My blood pressure went up. I gained a few pounds. I didn't feel depressed, but I was. I know that now because I'm running again and I can tell the difference. It was not a good journey.

All of which is why I impulsively registered for the Holiday Lake 50k without being prepared. When I showed up at the 4H Center David Horton (who knew of my injury) asked me if I was healthy. I said I was, but that my conditioning was horrible. His response was that I was "where I should be," and the conditioning will come to me. He was right. I needed to run. (I wonder how many people have been similarly encouraged by Dr. Horton to challenge themselves?) To prepare for Holiday Lake, I had done a total of two runs the previous two weekends - 12.5 and 13 miles. I had been averaging around 20 SLOW miles per week during January and February, and around 0-10 miles per week prior to that. My left achilles is just fine and has been since the beginning of January. Everything else was the problem, mostly the muscles in my left lower leg.

The entry link is now up for the 2008 Sweaty Butt 50k. A few folks are already registered. There is a limit of 30 entrants for this summer-time fun run.

North Carolinians took the first five spots Saturday in the Mt. Mitchell Challenge. The top finisher was Jason Bryant of Elkin. Female winner Anne Lundblad, of Asheville, won with a course record at 41 years of age. Two of the three top male masters, Mike Fiorito and Rich Lilly, are North Carolinians. (Top master Byron Backer is mistakenly listed as residing in Greenville, NC.) NC claims both winners of the Marathon, Jared Crave of Asheville and Annette Bednosky of Boone. Each of the top three female marathon finishers are from NC, and both masters marathon champions are from NC.

The Challenge attracts runners from all over the eastern seaboard and is notoriously hard to enter because it fills immediately each year, mostly with previous participants, who get an opportunity to register early. This race attracts more press coverage than any other NC ultra, and more than most ultramarathons anywhere.

This years female marathon winner, Annette Bednosky, is the previous owner of the female course record for the Challenge. She is happy to see Lundblad set the new mark. Both women are 41 years old and Annette writes that Lundblad shows that "I still have many good races left and my smartest/fastest events aren’t necessarily behind me!" Annette's entire post is worth reading. I would also mention Byron Backer, Mike Fiorito, and Rich Lilly are also performing at a top level in their 40s.

It is no longer remarkable to see 40-something athletes performing well and I expect Lundblad and Bednosky to continue setting personal bests and course records. We may see the same from 50- and 60-year-old athletes, according to a recent study of older athletes. This article in the New York Times discusses the study in some detail. It showed that athletes who train intensively can maintain their level of performance into their sixties, with only "amost imperceptible decline" year-to-year. Some athletes improve and set bests into their sixties. The key word is "intensively." The subjects who showed high levels of performance trained the way all serious athletes train, with lots of speed work and intense mileage. The study shows that intensity is more important than volume for the ageing athlete. The entire article is worth a read.

p.s. After a #7 finish at Uwharrie and #4 finish at Mt. Mitchell Matt Kirk is back.

Photo: RD's retro footgear reflects the old-school adventure running ethic thriving in Western NC

By Adam Hill

A gradual climb over Cheat Mt, cross Shavers Fork at Linan Bridge, ascend Shavers Mt to John's Camp Shelter, run the ridge north eventually descending to the Greenbrier River Trail, on to Glady, a climb again over Shavers Mt and down to Bemis, then with the morning sun at your back, climb over Cheat Mt once again and descend to the finish. A 50 mile loop with 7337' climb. "......running through the light of the night"

Adam Casseday of the West Virginia Mountain Trail Runners is directing an awesome-looking new 50 mile race, the Cheat Mountain Moonshine Madness, to be held August 22-23. This run is a mix of forest service paved and dirt roads with not a few miles of single track. There is a total of 7340 feet of climb. (As a comparison, that's about the same as the Promise Land 50k.) The start time is 9pm! Why does this run look to be so awesome? Lot's of nice runnable rolling hills with some big climbs and descents. Dirt roads, which are great to run on at night, and a nice mix of single track. All in the West Virginia woods in August. There will be 8 aid stations, drop bags at the halfway point.

Yesterday I finished the Holiday Lake 50k in Appomattox, VA. It feels great to have finished another ultramarathon. The last race I finished prior to yesterday was the Promise Land 50k in April of 2007, although I did run/hike several stages of the Tour de Appalachia last August. Prior to yesterday the longest distance I had run post-injury was 13 miles at Umstead, which was just last weekend. I've only been running longer than 5 miles for three weeks. My goal for the race was to finish the first lap, 16.6 miles. I didn't expect to finish the race. I felt completely happy and relaxed on the trail yesterday, it was the best Saturday I've had since the injury. I was surprised to find that I still have good endurance. I ran the first lap in 2:59, the second lap in 3:19. I've lost speed, gained a few pounds, but the endurance is still with me.

A great part of the run was reconnecting with friends. I always like seeing David Horton. I ran more than a few miles with Tony Rouse, which used to happen regularly at Laurel Valley in years past. I also was able to speak with Neal Jamison, Roger Sutton, the Finkles, Sue Norwood, Dorothy Hunter, Quatro Hubbard, Dave Snipes, and others. This year Melinda and Thomas were with me for the race. It was great! I'll write a full report soon.

Photos on Flickr

Oh, I almost forgot. I had no pain or swelling on my left achilles yesterday. Today I have no post-race swelling, pain, or trauma with my left achilles or lower leg. Nothing!

Veteran ultrarunners have responded well to the increased participation by creating new races. Yesterday I mentioned the new Grindstone 100. There are at least two more new 100 mile races on the east coast this year:

• Iroquois Trails, Ithaca New York, Sept. 20-21. Course looks scenic, mostly trails, with mild elavation profile.
  
• New England 200 and 100, Pittsfield VT, Nov. 6-7. Course looks difficult, mostly trails, with 20k climbing for the first 100, 10k for the second. You've got to wonder about the 200 mile race. Last year there were double finishers at Hardrock and Badwater (folks who completed the official race either just after or just before completing the course unofficially), so there are some folks who want this type of race. Is the 200 mile race a reaction to the increased popularity of ultrarunning? If so many people are running 100, there are folks who need to go farther than the masses.
  

In addition, I have to mention a newer 100 (first year was 2007) directed by Rocky Raccoon RD and ultra-great guy Joe Prusaitis: The Cactus Rose. This race is on the same trails as the Bandera 100k. The '08 Rose will be held on November 1-2.

To me it seems that we are handling the increased participation in ultrarunning well. For every lottery race there are several newer, smaller races. I think some of the new races I've mentioned in the last couple of days look better than many if not most of the established favorites. The old-school community aspect of the sport is thriving. When I first started running 100s several years ago there was a small national community of 100 mile runners. I came along after folks like Joe Prusaitis, David Horton, Gary and Keith Knipling, who used to run Hardrock before there was a lottery, when general public didn't even know about Hardrock. Those days are not that long ago. These days there are too many 100 mile runners for an intimate national community. I think we will find, however, that regional communities will grow and thrive. In 2008 there are so many 100 mile races just in the Mid-Atlantic that I don't believe anyone will finish or even start all of them.

The regional nature of Ultrarunning is definetly old-school. I think it will be nice to see it becoming more pronounced. And the national and international aspects of the sport are available to all of us thanks to all the communications technology we enjoy.