South African Salomon team member Ryan Sandes is returning to defend his title at The North Face Australia 100 for the third year in a row this weekend. The 100-kilometer event that starts Saturday, May 18, will host more than 1000 runners, and, is arguably one of the most “talked about” trail running events in the Southern Hemisphere.

“I am really excited to be going back,” says Sandes about the course, which cuts through the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park in Leura, Austraila. “The race has a great vibe and takes place on an awesome track. My training is going well and I will be using it as a build-up race for the Western States 100 in June.”

Defending his 2012 title won’t be easy. Sandes will face off against a deep field that includes Vajin Armstrong (New Zealand) who was second last year, Andrew Tuckey (Australia), who was third last year, Brendan Davies (Australia), Grant Guise (New Zealand), Andrew Lee (Australia) and Mick Donges (Australia).

All of this, coupled with extremely challenging terrain no doubt adds to the already high pressure Sandes will be experiencing at this year’s event. According to the event race director, Tom Landon-Smith, “Having a runner of Ryan's caliber really adds to the buzz and success of The North Face 100. I wonder how many people are thinking they can get close to him or even beat him this year? I think he will have something extra special in the tank that he was holding in reserve, as he did last year when he was focusing on Western States, which was only a few weeks later.”

What will happen on race day? Only one way to find out! … Follow Sande’s progress live, here, staring Friday night. You will be able to track many runners thanks to GPS units, follow a course map and track social media updates via Facebook and Twitter (@tnf100au).

Written by Salomon athlete Sarah McMahan

I've been pretty proud of myself for getting in some longer runs lately. It's not that easy when you have three young boys and work full time. Two weekends ago while my husband, Ross, was racing in the Zion Ragnar Trail Relay on a Salomon team, I was home alone caring for our boys. Luckily, I'm blessed with some pretty amazing neighbors who also have kids and are up for some swaps. …You watch my kids for a few hours then I'll watch yours. I got two-plus hours in on both Saturday and Sunday, and then had three extra kids for a huge play date while the other parents went for a bike ride.

When Ross is in town we trade off watching kids while the other runs. And on “special” occasions (like last Saturday), we spring for a babysitter and go on a run "date" together. Climbing on beautiful trails over 2200 feet, punching through some remaining snow patches, and descending at race pace. ... Doesn't that sound like the perfect date? (My co-workers think I'm crazy.) We did grab a bite to eat after our run before heading home to run around with our boys.

Ahhhh, life is good!

Chattanooga Tennessee is known as "Rock City" and its trails help it to stand up to that reputation.  In fact, many of the races that are part of the Salomon Rock/Creek Trail Series include a section that locals call the "rock garden" and it is more akin to a only semi-dry stream bed with the added spice of moss, dampness, other slippery elements and a high cost of falling. 

The Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race, held March 23, 2013, has become a favorite un in the series, with racers choosing either 6.5 or 10.2-mile courses.  The race began in 2001 and it is run almost entirely on singletrack that is more single than tracked.  The course runs on Mullens Cove Loop in Prentice-Cooper State Forest, a short drive from downtown Chattanooga. 

Click here to read the rest of the story on Runnersworld.com

The Salomon Athlete Summit 2013—the first ever gathering of the Salomon US team—took place April 19^th through 21^st. The Summit’s purpose was simply to bring the elite Salomon and Suunto Trail Run Team athletes together for an entertaining weekend of education, training and most of all, fun and bonding, at Salomon USA’s headquarters in Ogden, Utah.

As we move forward into 2013 and beyond, we are going to be relying heavily on our athletes to be the voice of both Salomon and Suunto in the field, at events and at the retail level. As our athletes travel the globe competing in various events we wanted to make sure they were up to speed on all of our new products and create a fun team-building experience. In addition to a thorough Salomon/Suunto product education, we sent the whole team home with duffel bags full of brand new gear.

The first night we feasted on Mexican food at the Senora Grill and caught up on everyone’s latest adventures. Once dinner was over we headed back to the hotel to get some rest for the big weekend ahead.

Saturday began with an early morning run led by team manager, Adam Chase, and Sports Marketing Director, Josh Korn. Post run we grabbed a quick breakfast and then settled into the lecture hall for the product education segment. We followed up a long day of learning with a boisterous group run along some of the many trails that Ogden backs up to (dozens of trailheads are easily accessible from almost every street downtown). We washed the mud off our legs and settled into another group dinner full of delicious food and laughter.

The next morning began with—can you guess it?—yet another entertaining group run. Soon after the run it was time to say goodbye. Overall, this year’s Athlete Summit was a great success and we look forward to next year!

In the meantime, click here to view athlete photos from the weekend-long event! 

Salomon USA team member Aliza Lapierre reminisces about her experience at the summit in Ogden: http://www.runningtimes.com/rt-columns/a-renewed-spirit 

Written by Ashley Arnold:

Some of our best friends are made while running--nothing like uninhibited conversation paired with complete brain oxygenation to bring people together. For Gina Lucrezi and me, that trail time, combined with being roomates and coworkers in Carbondale, Colorado, for more than a year, transformed our relationship from that of simply training partners, to practically sisters. 
So, here is an interview of each other. To read the full version, click here. 

Ashley to Gina:
What's your favorite pastry?
Evil question for two reasons; One, it's impossible to choose, and, two, now I want one!...I'd say a Danish loaded with cheese and berries. 
If you could be any movie star, who would it be?
Easy...Grace Kelly. Besided being gorgeous, from Pennsylvania (where I'm from), and a princess, she acted with Cary Grant!
How did you become a trail runner?
Nancy Hobbs of The American Trail Running Association took me on some trail runs when I first moved to Colorado Springs a few years ago. I was instantly hooked. 
You ran your first ultra last year (and what an ultra debut with), Speedgoat 50K. Tell us a little bit about that experience. 
Well, I might have been a bit over zealous... but you only live once, right? Speedgoat 50K was close by, had great competition and came at a good time of year in terms of my race schedule. I knew it was going to be hella hard, but I figured if I got the hardest one out of the way the others might come easier.
What, in your opinion, makes a trail awesome?
Almost all of my awesome trail runs were shared with great people. I believe that sharing those adventures are the reasons why the runs were so amazing. When it comes to terrain, though, I'm a sucker for pine-tree shaded high alpine trails with relatively non-technical, soft surfaces. 
You're obsessed with bacon. Why?
HA! OK, it's true. It must be the salty and savory flavor, but it can't be crunchy. I like my bacon still squealing. I crave it after a long run. 
We know you love the top 40 (music that is). What's your favorite pump-up song, your favorite long run song?
Although, this would normally be correct, I'm currently broadening my horizons. Right now I'm digging Birdy Nam Nam -Defiant Order for my pump up song and Lindsey Stirling-Crystallize for a long run song. 
What's it like running with your training partner Ashley Arnold? I heard that she can't run in a straight line and is always blowing snot rockets on your feet?
Ha! Ash is a pain in the ass. Just kidding! Seriously, she is a great training partner. We are pretty good at reading each other, knowing when to pick it up or slow it down...or if we should do hills or keep it flat. We both have different strengths/weaknesses, so we force each other to work on areas that wouldn't always be on the top of lists for fun. Yes...Ash seems to forget I'm next to her when she feels the need to blow her nose and never likes to yell/point left or right at intersections. I guess the plan is to help quicken my response time..dodge the snot and avoid falling when Ash cuts me off at turns.
Describe why running is therapeutic to you.
For a long time running wasn't therapeutic. It was something I did because I happened to excel at it. I started to get sick of running just to compete/perform. I didn't want to give up the sport, but had to find another reason to love it. After going through some unfortunate life experiences, I found that escaping on peaceful beautiful trails allowed me to relax, and to sort my thoughts. It helps bring clarity, makes me feel healthy and is altogether comforting.

Gina to Ashley: 
Why trail running? I heard you were a pretty bad-ass hurdler back in the day. 
Aside from when I'm in the studio dancing or putting together choreography, trail running is the only time I feel free. Still, I love the smell of the track. I can rarely pass up interval sessions on a hot, sunny day...
If you could only run in one place for the rest of your life, where would it be?
The Colorado Elk Mountains if the rest of my life also meant eternal summer. Ideally, though, I'd live in a place with jagged, high mountains and calm, perfect-for-laying-in-the-sun beaches.
What is the first thing you do when returning from a run?
Say hi to Fugazi, my cat. 
Besides your passion for running, you also love dancing. Do you believe the two can benefit each other?
Yes, they definitely can, but I think it's tricky and you have to be careful. Knock on wood, I've never had shin splints or any foot problems because of the strength dancing brings to my lower legs and feet. Sometimes when we're heavy into rehearsals for an upcoming performance and I'm using all sorts of different muscles in the studio, I am always going into runs feeling sore in weird places. 
What do you believe is the most important piece of training for trail/mountain running?
Desire. 
What race are you most excited about this season?
Leadville. 
What does running provide you with that nothing else can?
Peace, a quiet mind. 
What is the most exciting thing about running for Team Salomon?
...That I now run on the same team as you. BIG SMILE.
Can you explain what a "salad dance" is?
Salad Dance (noun): When Ashley and Gina saute vegetables, split an avocado and make giant salads with corn chips while simultaneously bustling around the kitchen without bumping into one another despite unpredicted movements that are combined with laughing and talking rapidly in outdoor voices. 
Do you have a favorite race or race distance?
Taking a divergence from long races and focusing on the mountain running scene last year further confirmed how much I love ultrarunning. Ultrarunning produces a body-aching physical pain that forces your mind to reach beyond the uncomfortable--it's a productive masochism, a catharsis of sorts. Running long distances in the mountains brings freedom, a sense of happiness, of peace and a greater understanding that can allow us to grow and better ourselves.
What is your proudest moment in trail running?
It's a tie between winning TransRockies with my sister in 2011 and finishing Leadville, my first and only 100, when I was 23. 

With her baby boy there to greet her at the finish, Emma was all smiles after a stellar 7th place showing at the XTERRA West Championship April 13 in Las Vegas.
Emma says, "I'm happy with this result as I felt a lot better than I thought I would considering it's pretty early to be racing when you live in the mountains and Torin is just shy of 4 months.  I raced in my S-Lab Sense shoes which worked great on the loose, rocky course. No socks and no blisters."

Here's to a great season and happy, healthy families. Emma's next race will be the  Ragnar Trail Relay in Zion April 26th followed by XTERRA Southeast Championships in Pelham Alabama May 18th.

Congrats to one of the Salomon USA newbies, Josiah Middagh, on an awesome start to the season. He won the XTERRA West Championship April 13 in Las Vegas. In Josiah's blog, he points out that his win was the slowest winning time for the course, but possibly the most challenging due to a brutal headwind and eroded terrain from a recent rainstorm.
 
From Josiah's blog:
I like to think of the Lake Las Vegas course as more of a fitness course and a good early season test.  The bike is less technical than some of the other courses, but the series of steep climbs make it a good test of aerobic capacity.  The sand and rough terrain also favor a strong rider.  On the run, the same climbs become longer with a couple climbs steep enough that some people choose to power hike.  My first outdoor mountain bike ride of the year was just one week before the race so I knew I had to rely more on my fitness than technical ability. 

To read his full account, including his nutrition strategy, family cheerleading squad and interaction with The Caveman Conrad Stoltz,  click here.

 Salomon runner Matt Flaherty, 27, of Chicago, Illinois, finished first at Sacramento, California’s American River 50 (AR50) last weekend, an impressive performance after a year of injury battles. Yesterday, we caught up with Matt to chat about his recent win, his last year and what’s up next on the former attorney turned full-time ultrarunner’s calendar:

You were scheduled to run Way Too Cool (in Cool, California) earlier in March and then had to back out due to the stomach flu. How did that affect your training for AR50?
The flu itself didn’t affect me too negatively, apart from missing most of a week of training while I recovered. What was more frustrating was to miss Way Too Cool.

You have battled a lot of injuries over the past year. How did you feel going into AR50?
I did not feel very good at AR50, but I was happy with my performance and how I ran considering where I am right now in training. I actually feel like I’m nowhere near 100 percent in terms of fitness. I was essentially out for nine or 10 months last year, and it’s simply going to take a while to come back from that. … That was my longest layoff from running since I first started at age 11. I don’t expect to be racing near my potential until this fall, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get out there and mix it up in the meantime. Racing when you’re not at your peak is part of this sport, and there is still plenty to be learned.

You said you went out a little too hard and paid for it in the final three miles. What were those miles like for you physically? Mentally?
In retrospect, I don’t think that I would run the race any differently. I could have run 6:40 per mile for the first half instead of the 6:20 per mile that I actually ran, but I’m not convinced it would have made much difference. I’m fit enough that the early pace was not aerobically challenging. I was in trouble later due to the cumulative fatigue in my legs, but I’m not sure that backing off the pace early would have changed that. Physically, the final miles—particularly the climb up the “dam wall”—were very tough. My legs had just run out of steam, which is not entirely surprising for only a few months training. Mentally, it required a lot of focus just to get through the final miles, even as slowly as I was moving. On the mental side, I was proud of how quickly I kept myself moving from mile 27 to 47 while feeling less than stellar. It was the gap I opened here that allowed me to prevail despite a very slow final climb.

What does the rest of your 2013 season look like?
Next up for me is the Ice Age Trails 50 mile in May. After that, I’m slotted for the inaugural Cayuga Trails 50 Mile in Ithaca, New York, and a few mountain races this summer: Mt. Washington and the USA Mountain Championships at the Cranmore Hill Climb. Beyond that, nothing is set, though I have a few ultras in mind for the fall.

So, you did it, you quit your job as an attorney to focus on running? What has that meant for you so far and how do you feel about that decision?
I’m happy I made the decision; it is just unfortunate that it got off to such a rocky start with a year of injury. In some ways it has been tough, as once you start to reshuffle your entire life to focus on running, you really start to question it when things aren’t going well. So that has been a bit of a process, learning to be patient and take the long view. But it has also got me thinking about what exactly I want to do in the (non-running) professional world long term. And that is a good thing to think about—when you’re buried at a busy job, it can be tough to make the time to figure how to change your career path for the better. The extra time I have now is allowing me to better plot my post-running future. The timeline is vague, but some ideas are crystalizing.

What are you doing for money outside of the sport? How do you like it?
I recently started working at Fleet Feet Sports in Chicago. This is actually my first gig at a running store, and I’m really enjoying it so far. I also do some personalized coaching (my contact information is on my blog for anyone interested), and I’ve done a small bit of freelance writing, though I would like to do more.

What—besides the victory—made this a cool race (or not) experience for you? Would you run AR again? Why or why not?
I was drawn to AR because of its history. It’s one of the biggest and oldest 50 milers in the country, and some big names have run there: from Tom Johnson and Rich Hanna in the 90s, to Anton Krupicka, Geoff Roes, and many others in the last few years. While I wasn’t physically ready to challenge any of their times, I’d like to come back to AR in the future, when fit, to see how I might stack up. AR is one of the few races where you get a nice multi-generational comparison like that.  Additionally, AR is just a very well organized race; race director Julie Fingar and the NorCalUltra crew really know what they’re doing. Finally, the atmosphere made this particular run very nice. Everyone was very supportive and encouraging, and I had a great time enjoying local brews and hanging out with local runners all afternoon and evening post-race.

To read Matt’s full race report, read his blog here.

Ragnar Trail Relays presented by Salomon, a new off-road relay event debuting at the end of this month, will take place at epic venues across the United States throughout the spring, summer and fall. Teams of four or eight runners will be challenged to tackle 120 miles of off-road terrain in the event’s 20-hour cutoff. 

GearJunkie.com recently announced plans for a Ragnar Trail Relay Sweepstakes in conjunction with Salomon Running on the GearJunkie website. GearJunkie plans to pull together a team of its own for the Tahoe event (Team GearJunkie) in late July, in addition to selecting a second team through the contest.   

According to GearJunkie’s website:

We are adjusting to life as parents with lots of help from family and friends and figuring out how to get back to our jobs and expensive hobbies. Ian is back at work at White Pine Touring and I’m planning for the triathlon season (will take a lot more organizing now) and started instructing at the Nordic Center and teaching Computrainer classes for Max Testa Training. I’ve been training again, skiing, running, swimming and biking, which feels great even if I’m not that fast!

I get a lot of questions about how well he’s sleeping like it’s the worst thing ever about being parents. Torin still needs to be fed every 3 hours around the clock (which is normal) and although time consuming and tiring at times is totally manageable at the moment. I still think getting medical bills in the mail is worse But I think we’ve been lucky in a lot of ways.

Click here to see what Emma was up to just a week after delivery and to read more about this exciting time in her life. Welcome, Torin!

An Achilles injury has kept Matt Flaherty from racing for the last ten months.  But it looks like the road to recovery is ending, as he'll be on the start line at the Permanente Napa Valley Marathon March 3rd. 

From the Napa Valley Register newspaper: 

“I’m excited to just finally get back to racing,” Flaherty said last week as he prepares for the 26.2-mile race from Calistoga to Napa that is also serving as the Road Runners Club of America National Marathon Championship Race. “Napa will actually be my first serious race back. I would say I’m 98 percent in terms of how my Achilles is doing. Everything seems to be going all right.

“I’m not going to be in top form, but I’m not counting myself out entirely. I’ll give it a good effort and we’ll see where the cards fall.”

Flaherty will start what is designed to be an active racing year when he enters his first Napa Valley Marathon, as he joins a sold-out field of 2,600 runners for the 35th annual event on a point-to-point course. The race starts at 7 a.m. from Rosedale Road and the Silverado Trail in Calistoga and finishes at Vintage High School in Napa.

Read the entire article about Matt's comeback in the Napa Valley Register by clicking here.

Our own lovely and talented Aliza Lapierre has become a blogger for the Running Times trails section.  Her latest post is called "Lost in the Falling Flakes of Snowfall and Poetry".  Here's an excerpt:

As I made my way through the field and into the woods I had the urge to turn back, although then without thought my mind went somewhere else and my body fell into a methodical rhythm.  In retrospect, it was over nine miles before I realized that this had happened.  I wondered where my mind had gone, and the last words I could recall were the woods are lovely, dark, and deep.  Those words were plenty for me to realize that I had unconsciously been reciting stanza after stanza of poetry in my head.  I went from being freezing cold in blustery conditions to a comfortable place within. 

To read the full story, click here.

May: 25 mile Collegiate Peaks (First Place and Course Record)

May: 25k Sage Burner in Gunnison, CO (First place)

June: Mt. Evans Ascent (First Place and course record)

July: Loon Mtn. (4th Place made the USMRT)

July: Beaver Creek Xterra (First Place and course record)

July: Living Journeys Half Marathon (First Place and Course Record)

August: Sierre Zinal (2nd Overall Female)

September: World Championship  Ponte Di Legno (7th Place and USA Women's Gold)

September: JungFrau Marathon World Champs (First Place Female)

October: Smara Gora Race in Ljubliana (Final Race in the Grand Prix Series) (2^nd Place Female)

November: Berg Trail 22 KM (First place female; Seventh overall)

Named 2012 Trail Runner of the Year

Stevie recently did a great interview with Competitor Magazine called "Tearing Up the Trails: 5 Questions with Stevie Kremer".
Here's an excerpt:
How is racing in Europe different than racing in the U.S.?

Racing in Europe is just a completely different scene. It is amazing how many spectators and supporters come out for a mountain race. It’s really great. Competitors are just as friendly as in the U.S., but they come from all over. In one race this fall, there were people from the UK, Africa, Italy and more. It’s amazing how international these races are. The hardest race so far has been the World Mountain Running Championship in Ponte di Legno, Italy, because of the short distance [8.8K]—I’m definitely more of a distance runner—and the steepness of the terrain.
Read the entire interview by clicking here.

It's always nice to see communities keep track of local runners who go on to achieve great things. The newsaper in Darien, Connecticut ran a story this week about Salomon athlete Stevie Kremer's rise to becoming a world champion mountain runner. The article covers Stevie's recent win at the Jungfrau Marathon in Switzerland and the US Team Gold in Italy.  Here is an excerpt from the article: 

Her success stems from a passion for mountain sports and has lead to two world championships and sponsorhips with PowerBar and Salomon.  Starting as a regular skier, she soon moved on to snowboarding then telemark skiing and finally ski mountaineering, a  sport involving skiing up the mountain with skins and racing down.  This sport, in which she earned the runner up positon at the US championship in 2011 in Jackson Hole, turned out to be the perfect training ground for her mountain running passion.  Asked whether she prefers the European racing scene to the US she says: 

"It's beautiful in Europe and I am learning a lot of new experiences but all I really need are the mountains."  Click here to read the entire story. 

Here is an awesome race report from Lindsay Krause's podium finish at the Salomon Golden Leaf Half Marathon. Sometimes when it's this beautiful, you really have to watch your step. Congratulations on an excellent year, Lindsay!

From Lindsay Krause: September 22, 2012 marked the 34th year of one of "America's most scenic races," The Salomon Golden Leaf Half Marathon." The 13.1 mile race from Snowmass Village to Aspen held up to its name with golden leaves blanketing the Government Trail. The scenic views persuaded me to look up at the spectacular colors and I quickly hit the ground. I jumped back up to my feet and despite the amazing views, I had to regain my focus to watch the trail for loose rocks, roots, and water crossings. 

The race starts in Snowmass Village at Fanny Hill (8,650 feet) and quickly climbs up Dawdlers run, eventually meeting the Government trail. At the 5 mile mark the trail climbs to 9,400 feet prior to the gradual descent into Aspen. The race gains 980 feet elevation with 1,712 feet descent, which is a course that best suits my strengths. My legs felt great yesterday and after the 6th mile, I found myself in 2nd place overall for the women. The last 2 miles of the race I was able to open up my stride and drop a 5:50-6:15 min/ mile pace making up for the slower pace in the beginning of the race where climbing and technical terrain slowed my speed.

I crossed the finish line and Rickey Gates greeted me with a smile and a hug for our 2nd place finish. Salomon had their mobile Salomon trunk armed with hundred of shoes for runners to test. The truck was swarming with enthusiastic trail runners trying on the best trail running shoes on the market. Lance and Josh were eager to help all their customers find the right shoe for their style of running. Thanks Salomon for the amazing support this past year! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to race in my favorite race of the entire year, Salomon Golden Leaf 1/2 marathon.

2012 Overall Results

Males

1. Kark Remsen 1:24

2. Rickey Gates, Salomon 1:30

3. James Johnson 1:30

4. Lance Armstrong 1:30

6. Josh Korn Salomon 1:33

Females

1. Sari Anderson 1:42

2. Lindsay Krause, Salomon 1:46

3. Sara Nadolny 1:46

12. Anita Ortiz, Salomon

With a victory by Francois D'Haene as a backdrop, this inspiring episode of Salomon Running TV touches on the friends, relatives and managers that make up an athlete's support team.  You quickly realize in running that it's all about sharing emotions and values. Trail running is a team sport this way.

The Salomon Trail Tour Presented by REI hit select stores and trails across the country last week.  One stop was in Boulder, Colorado, where Salomon and REI introduced individuals to the Door-to-Trail method and footwear and helped get new trail runners on the trails in their backyards.　
 
On Saturday September 8th, Salomon team members Kerri Bruxvoort and Lindsay Krause took new trail runners to "the dirt" at Matthew/ Winters Park to test out Salomon shoes. 　

"I love to introduce new individuals to a sport that I enjoy so much.　 It was great to hear the excitement in some of these new trail runners voices when they hit the trails running.　 We were able to discuss some of the local races and trails that are in our community," stated Krause. 　

Lindsay Krause is a Physical Therapist and spends her life getting people back to their active lifestyles.　

 "Being a Salomon Trail Running Ambassador, I get to take this a step further, by introducing individuals who may have been sedentary to an active trail running lifestyle.　 There is nothing better than getting an individual that hated "running" out on the trails and having them realize the potential that lies within them.　 It opens new doors for a healthy lifestyle to individuals that have never experienced the peace and solitude of the trails." 　

To register for upcoming clinics and group runs with the Salomon Trail Tour Presented by REI, click here.

In addition to the Salomon Trail Tour Presented by REI, Krause has been participating in the Lakewood Trail Series on Wednesday nights at 6 PM at Bear Creek State Park.　

 "I really enjoy racing and training locally.　 I encouraged some of my road running coworkers to try hitting the trails for this series, which increases weekly in distance from 4-8 miles over the next four weeks.　 This race series encourages working individuals to hit the trails after work in a welcoming and supportive running community. 　 I love seeing the corporate executives, doctors, lawyers, co-workers, and friends outside enjoying the trails in our backyard. 　 It is encouraging to see people who have families and full time job still find time for fitness.　 This is one of my favorite parts of being a trail running ambassador."

For anyone looking to evaluate their running program, Lindsay has some excellent outlook after going through her own performance analysis this year. Here are some training suggestions and insight that may inspire trail runners of all abilities. 

Lindsay Krause: "If I always do what I have always done, I will continue to get what I always got."　 This year, I started to view my "obstacles as opportunities" to become a better trail runner. After thorough evaluation of my strengths and weaknesses as a runner, I have focused my training and racing on workouts and races that I used to avoid.

Posterior chain strength and power is needed for steep uphills, which is not my strength.　 With the help of a coach, I changed my training this past winter to incorporate the following workouts.

1. Weights & Plyometrics- 2 times per week (including uphill plyometrics) 

2. Hill Repeats- 1 time per week, which have been replacing some of my speed workouts.　 If I can’t find a steep enough hill in Denver, I sometimes have to resort to the treadmill 

3. Hilly Long Runs- over a variety of terrain.　 This past weekend I was able to use Mt. Quandary as my long hilly run at 10,000-14,000 feet. 

On July 4th, I realized that these strength sessions and the new S-LAB sense racing shoe have transformed me as a trail runner.　 I won the Breckenridge 10K trail race, and I was actually wishing there was　 more uphill terrain, a first in my lifetime. 　 　　

Next time I am dreading my least favorite workout, I will continue to try to think of my "obstacles as opportunities" to improve my ability as a trail runner.　 The talent of trail runners continues to reach amazing new heights.　 I need to continue to develop my weaknesses to be the best that I can be.

If you’re anywhere near the Lake Tahoe region this Thursday, June 21st make sure to schedule a stop in Tahoe City for what promises to be a true celebration of the region’s iconic trails and running community .

Alpenglow Sports, one of the region’s oldest trail running and backcountry ski shops, have partnered with Adventure Sports Week Tahoe to welcome the Salomon Trail Tour Demo and some of the world’s top trail runners including Salomon athletes Ryan Sandes and Miguel Heras to the North Lake Tahoe region.

This unique event will not only feature a full Salomon trail shoe demo and trail run on Tahoe’s scenic single track, but also a good old fashion Lake Tahoe beach BBQ and evening Questions & Answer session with Salomon athletes.

Starting at 12-noon on Thursday trail runners of all ages and abilities will be able to try on and test out over 200 pairs of FREE Demo shoes, including the newly releases and eagerly anticipated Killian Jornet-insipired S-Lab Sense. Salomon will be on-hand with a 28-foot mobile showroom that features their full line of trail running equipment, including appareal, footwear and hydration packs. All participants will be entered into a free shoe raffle and any purchase of Salomon equipment from Alpenglow Sports will include a free $30 Salomon Tech-T-shirt.

Runners can then take a scenic jaunt along some famed Tahoe Trails at 4 p.m. followed by a free BBQ on Commons Beach. Runners over 21 years of age can enjoy some of California’s finest microbrews courtesy of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Salomon athletes Ryan Sandes and Miguel Heras will take place on the beach at 7:30 pm after the BBQ and runners and adventure fans are invited to stick around for an evening of films on the beach beginning at dusk. Films will include a screening of "The First 70" - a 28-minute documentary on the fate of the 70 California State Parks slated for closure this July; followed by a preview and special edit from Salomon films.

In the latest Salomon Trail Running TV episode, the Salomon Running Team talks about what motivates them to strive. 

Salomon recently dominated the 2012 Transvulcania Ultramarathon on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands. Anna Frost set a new course reccord in her shot to the ix of the top ten finishers on the men's side were wearing the Salomon "S."

Watch "Share Our Passion," where you can hear the racers talk about it and how they motivate themselves to make such a race. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfd9vcvfnJQ&feature=relmfu

The Salomon Trail Tour trainer rig is rolling across the United States.  At multiple stops on the tour, Salomon reps will meet with all interested runners for free trail running clinics, demos, and giveaways.

As part of Salomon’s commitment to be directly involved in running sports, the Salomon Trail Tour is cruising all over the United States, partnering with local sporting goods stores where experts will be on hand offering short clinics on the latest trail running tips and trends. Runners will be able to try out Salomon shoes, learn tips for door to trail running regimes, and enter to win cool Salomon products.

In addition to demonstrations and education, participants will hit the trail, participating in community runs at various locations on the tour. More details about the tour are available on Trail Tour’s Facebook page.

As part of Salomon’s commitment to be directly involved in running sports, the Salomon Trail Tour is partnering with local retailers where in-store and brand experts will keep runners keyed in on the latest trail running tips and trends. Runners will be able to test Salomon shoes and Suunto heart rate monitors, learn about door-to-trail running regimes and enter to win Salomon products.

"This is the second year in a row we’ve taken the Salomon Running experience into the backyards of local communities," says Salomon and Suunto Outdoor Community Marketing Associate Josh Korn. "When runners are able to try the product first-hand, and learn from our awesome pros and retailers, they can truly absorb the innovation that results in better form and more fun."

In addition to demonstrations and education, in-store experts and Salomon reps will hit the trail, participating in community runs at various locations on the tour. More details about the tour are available on Salomon Trail Tour’s Facebook page.

The tentative schedule so far. The tour schedule will be updated with specific runs and demo locations in each city.

This last week, the Salomon Global Trail Running Team gathered for the annual Advanced Week in Greece. Below is a report from Salomon's Adam Chase.
 
When you don't even notice whether there is a television set in your hotel room, caring only about the bed and shower, you know it was a successful trip. Other measures: sun-darkened skin with a few scrapes and a slight limp courtesy of an average daily dose of several thousand feet of gain and loss in elevation on rocky trails. Check and mate.

We gathered at Kardamili, a sea-side resort not far from Kalamata, a few hours’ drive from Athens. There were three groups of about the same size: the Athletes, Brand Ambassadors, and Salomon wizards who keep us so well outfitted. We played our roles in an orchestrated symphony that is now the fifth annual movement of its kind.

Breakfast was tantalizing. Like Tantalus, we faced our delicious European-style buffet, complete with Greek yogurt and honey -- which are better known as just yogurt and honey in Greece-- was so alluring but the temptation was there to resist, given that the first run of the day was to begin after each athlete and brand ambassador was assigned her or his prototype shoes, apparel, pack or belt or hand-held and accessories. Runners had the option of a 20k loop or 12k route and, given that we were in a mountainous region, with nearby peaks topping out in snow-covered haughtiness, there was nowhere to go but up from the get-go. One morning started with a climb of about 4,000 feet.

Upon returning to the resort, we debriefed and rehydrated, some plunging briefly in the chilled Mediterranean waters, before lunch. After lunch we repeated for a second session and then, after cleaning up, we had focus group meetings to talk about a variety of intriguing topics. To add to that mix, the athletes spent part of their days engaging in photo and video shoots and various physical analyses and massages. And that was all before dinner.

Our runs took us through exquisite villages via stone paths that dated back to the time of Homer or, as one of the villagers we encountered explained, to back before Greece was Greece. The olive groves chiseled into the rugged mountainsides were like patchwork, checkered with stone monasteries, ruins, orange trees, and some rather angry underbrush.

Our hosts, Greg Vollet and Nikos Kostopoloulos, had the week dialed from the start, especially our first dinner in Athens, at a swanky restaurant under the well-lit Acropolis. And, once we started to run from our hotel the next day, it didn't take long before we understood where Nikos' fortitude originated. These hills and the technical footing were a playground for a goat, which explained Greg's abundant smiles as he danced up and down the rocky countryside. And we followed as a happy flock. A well-clad one.

The pictures tell it all, especially the ear-to-ear grins.

The Moab Red Hot 55k is quickly becoming known as the unofficial kickoff to the season for many ultra runners from in and around the Four Corners region and for good reason: a challenging yet awe-inspiring course, solid competition, and a festive post-race atmosphere awaits runners.

Following a surprisingly solid night of sleep on a murphy bed, I awoke to what I could tell would be a beautiful day weather-wise. Last year’s constant 20 mph headwind, horizontal rain and sleet, and cold temps left much to be desired. I checked the forecast and the chilly 28 degrees would soon rise into the 50’s, making for perfect conditions.

The race started at 8:00am just north of town. We arrived at the start at around 7:15am. I stayed huddled in the car until about five minutes before the start. I hadn’t really had a chance to scope out the field, but given past results and the event’s increasing popularity (sold out in less that a day), it would definitely be a shootout up front. However, for me, the purpose of this race would be more about personal redemption than a podium finish. I was forced to drop out of last year’s race at mile 20 due to foot pain which, unknown at the time, was due to a fifth metatarsal stress fracture.

The race begins with a four mile climb and the front was fairly strung out without the typical tight pack formation. A runner I didn’t recognize took it out at what appeared to be sub 6:00 minute pace and Timmy Parr and I settled down at a comfortable 6:45 pace. Timmy, unsure of who the guy out in front is, decided to find out for himself, quickly picking up the pace, and in a matter of minutes, catches him and is out of sight. This left me and Kevin Koch, who caught up to me from behind, as the chase pack. We quickly gained on the early pacesetter and then it is just the two of us for the next eight mile section, which consisted of a winding, slickrock climb to the mesa that overlooks the start area. Timmy was still out of sight. After summiting the climb just slightly ahead of Kevin, I decided to pour it on for the technical descent into the flat road section. As I approached the start of the climb to Gold Bar Rim at mile 18, with a 3-4 minute perspective behind me, Kevin was nowhere to be seen. I began
the climb conservatively as there is still a lot of race to be run. 

Approximately half way up the four mile climb, Kevin appeared in the rearview. I managed to keep ahead of him for the remainder of the climb but he looked strong and was steadily approaching. At the summit of the climb, I stopped to fuel at the aid station, and that’s when he made his move. From that point on, it became a race. My sense of purpose had changed from simply finishing, to going for a podium finish. The next eight miles consisted of fast slickrock descents followed by short, steep climbs. Staying consistent with the Red Hot spirit, this section of course was no easier to follow than previous sections. It was here that, out of nowhere, Timmy reappeared around a random corner. He looked tired as he shouted out some words of encouragement to both of us.

It was then that Kevin and I realized we both had a real shot at the win. That’s when the shootout began, with the two of us exchanging the lead over 10 times. The process of building a lead, stopping, looking for course
markings, and then having the other person catch up would be repeated many times. With about six miles remaining, Kevin made a strong push that I could not match that would last him through the finish and lead him to the win in 4:12:27. 

Those last six miles proved definitely the toughest of the race despite being mostly downhill. I questioned my decision to push the middle section of the race. Rounding one of the last switchback curves with about a quarter mile to go, I saw the Flagstaff crew perched on a rock ledge across the way shouting and making noise. That was the final push I needed to get to the finish in second with a time of 4:17:08. Karl Meltzer would finish 3rd in 4:19:43 and Timmy Parr would cross the line 4th in
4:26:30.

I was very happy with my finish as this marks the first ultra that I have been fortunate enough to run with a few months of consistent training under my belt. Time to get back to work, refocus, and prepare for Mesquite, Zane Grey, and ultimately the Leadville 100.

Emma Gerrard logged a very successful run at Homestake Lodge in Montana. She tells us about her Salomon equipment, and her 2nd place finish just behind Salomon runner Rebecca Dussault.

"I'm just back  from USAT Winter Tri Nationals at Homestake Lodge outside of Butte, Montana. A challenging course for the run-bike-ski format - lots of hills, tight turns, ice and soft snow. I used my new Salomon Spikecross shoes for the 1st time during the race, they worked perfectly and gave me the confidence to run on anything, especially the black ice.

For the skate ski I used my Salomon Equipe 10 cold skate skis and added some structure morning of as it was much warmer than expected and my Salomon S-Lab poles. The quick releases are really handy for winter tri as saves time putting on pole straps in T2.

I finished 2nd behind fellow Salomon athlete Rebecca Dussault, qualifying for worlds if I decide to go. I've attached some photos from the race."

 Thanks Emma! Great run!

Here at Salomon Running, we get a lot of great letters from trail runners with great feedback about our products.  We love to hear from you! We especially love it when we come out with a new product that really hits a sweet spot with the athletic outdoor community.  Here's one from a trail runner in Montana who recently purchased a pair of Spikecross 3 CS winter trail running shoes. Here's what he has to say about his experience:

"I've never been a winter runner. I usually ski for winter fitness as well as hitting the gym on my off-days. Running on the snow and ice in my hometown of Whitefish, Montana just never sounded like something I should do if I wanted to stay injury free. Fortunately, I have discovered the Whitefish Trail System that has miles of single track that gets enough foot traffic to pack the snow down. Initially, I purchased a pair of Yak Tracks that I put on a pair of S LAB XT WINGS. These worked great but they are my summer running shoes, so there is not weather protection. I needed another shoe for winter running. After doing some research and looking for a shoe with waterproofing, I discovered the Salomon Spikecross 3 CS. Not only does it have Climashield to keep my feet dry in the front while being breathable in the back, it also has metal spikes built in to keep me from slipping on snow and ice. And they work. They work amazingly well. I realized that the faster I ran, the more the spikes would delve into the snow and ice because more of my weight would push them in.  And not once did they get stuck in the ice or trip me up. I can stride out on trails that I wouldn't consider even walking fast on before. The shoes have changed my winter fitness routine and kept me on the running trails that I used to only be able to run on."-- Ken Wensel, Whitefish, MT

Thanks for your testimonial, Ken, and to here's to everyone else out there who has discovered the new Salomon Spikecross 3 CS, including Runner's World Magazine.  Runner's World International chose the Spikecross CS as Editor's Choice in the trail category for 2011!  Click here to read more about why Runner's World identified the Spikecross CS as their favorite.  
And, here is more about the shoe that has won international awards and local hearts.
Salomon Spikecross 3 CS 
Winter racing shoe with innovative Climashield™ weatherproofing and embedded metal spikes for gripping on wet, icy trail conditions.
Features:
            •           Feather construction
            •           Water Resistant textile
            •           Anti-debris mesh
            •           Mud guard
            •           Quicklace™
            •           Sensifit™
            •           Climashield™ membrane
            •           Mud&Snow non-marking Contagrip® outsole
            •           OrthoLite® sockliner
            •           Molded and injected EVA midsole--

We're pleased to offer you a couple of stories that tell the "Good Marathon and the Not-so-good Marathon" story. Here is a bit from Jorge Maravilla, about his recent record-setting win in Redding, CA. 

In our next post, we'll give you some thoughts on the other side of the spectrum.

"Just finished the Redding Marathon. Here is a link to the local Redding article, (however don't know why they said I run shorter distances, crazy reporters :-

Redding Searchlight - Vallejo Runner Wins Redding Marathon. 

Well, what can I say my experimental "tempo" run went better than I thought.  Honestly, I completely surprised myself with that kind of time, yet really feel that I can go faster with specific training, however this was more specific training for my true joy, trail/mountain running.
I can say that it was fun and really catapulting my 2012 season as a Team Salomon Runner. 

Thanks for the support! I wore my Salomon Racing shirt it proudly and think I represented well!"

Thank you, Jorge! Way to make it look easy! 

Here's what Jorge is up to next:
"My roomates and I are heading to Surf City 1/2 marathon in a few weeks, last road (I think) event for the year, nonetheless I am focusing on Lake Sonoma 50 miler and Miwok 100k, hope that it will earn a spot for Western States, if not then will look at other 100 alternatives, eventhough they are selling out quickly, but feel confident we can get into one."

Looking forward to hearing more about these runs!

Cassie Scallon has joined the Salomon Running Team USA, and she is already showing her stuff!

From Adam Chase, Team Captain:
"I'm pleased to announce that our newest teammate, Cassie Scallon, won the Bandera 100k yesterday in Texas.  She also won the JFK50 in November and, in so doing, qualified for Western States 100.  She's on fire!"

The folks at irunfar.com have written a quick recap of the results here.

Irunfar also did a nice after race interview with Cassie, which you can watch here.

Excerpt about the race from that interview:
iRF:  How did you handle the rocks? It’s a very technical course with a lot of limestone even when you’re not kicking rocks.
Scallon:  "I like technical, so I think that played in my favor a little bit, but it beat me up a lot. I haven’t been running on a lot of that kind of stuff. I haven’t been running a lot at all lately. It beat me up."

And about her plans for 2012:
Scallion:" Not a definite plan, but hoping to be on the National 100k team and go to Worlds [in April] and possibly going back to 3 days of Syllamo [in March]. In May, I may go back to Ice Age 50 miler and, then, of course, Western States 100 miler [in June]."

Welcome to the team, Cassie! Well done!

2011 is almost in the books. For Team Salomon Running it was another year of incredible highs and some difficult struggles. Triumphant victories and excruciating injuries. 

Above all, it was a year of camaraderie. A year of teamwork and cementing relationships.  A year of making new friends in the world we compete in. A year of winning.

We’ve put together a nice retrospective video of the year for Team Salomon. Please take a look.

Thank you for all your support.  See you on the trail in 2012.

This weekend is the TNF 50 Mile Endurance Challenge in San Francisco. 

Salomon International Team Member Anna Frost will be representing in San Fran. Anna will defend her title after her stunning win last year. She has been putting in solid wins at venues all over the world, and is ready to hold off the competitors this weekend. 

The folks over at IRunFar.com previewed a few of the top competitors at the TNF50. Last year's top four finishers will be running again this year, so it should be an amazing race. 

Here are some of their thoughts on our Anna:

"Frost has long been a terribly strong mountain runner before makin her ultra debut in winning last year's race." 

Go for it, Anna!!!

Check out the complete IRunFar preview here.

Please come join Team Salomon’s national and international trail runners for a casual training run, meet and greet, and demo day on December 1.  Members of our squad have flown in to compete in the North Face Endurance Championship on Saturday and we'll be at Tennessee Valley with a full spectrum of Salomon trail running shoes to try on and run in, as well as our team of athletes for runners to meet, as they'll be joining the run for a pre-race shake-out at a very moderate pace.

The lineup of demo shoes will consist of the following: XR Crossmax, XR Mission, Speedcross 3, S-Lab Wings 4, S-Lab Fellcross

Participants include:

-         Anna Frost – Winner of the 2010 North Face Endurance 50 Mile SF Championship (women)

-          Adam Campbell –Current Canadian 50 Mile National Champion (and course record holder of 5:44), Second place at 2011 Ultra Trail Du Mont Blanc CCC 100k

-          Rickey Gates – Winner of the 2011 North Face Canadian Death Race (Course Record Holder)

Below is a timeline of the demo event on December 1st.  We will be working with limited sunlight  (sunset is 4:51pm), so we will be forced to start in the early afternoon.

-          3:00-3:15pm – Runners arrive at Tennessee Valley (in Golden Gate National Recreation Area) and gather for demo

-          3:15-3:30pm – Introductions and fitting

-          3:30pm – Run Begins

-          4:30-5:00pm – Return and mingle (refreshments/snacks from Clif Bar)

-          5:00pm – Depart for nearby social hour

-          5:15-6:30pm – Social hour at Marin Brewing Company with food and beer


** Photo by Joe Grant

Which version to do you like? Vote for your favorite and give us your comments on the Salomon Running Facebook page. 
Vote here!

We're excited to announce that Salomon athlete Jennifer Pharr Davis has been awarded with the Adventurer of the Year Award from National Geographic. One of 10 athletes recognized this year, Davis is the only hiker. 
In the summer 2011, Davis broke the overall thru-hike speed record for the Appalachian Trail, finishing the 2,181 mile trail in just over 46 days. 
All 10 Adventurers are up for a People's Choice Award, which will be announced in February. Fans can vote for their favorite adaventures through January 18, 2012. Vote here.

The Slickrock 100, an Ultra-Trail race in the challenging, but beautiful landscape around Moab, Utah took palce last weekend.

Salomon superstar Glen Redpath hit that trail. The Slickrock hit back - HARD.

They don't call it ULTRA for nothing!

Check out this race report from Glen:

The Slickrock 100 start was cold and damp.  Low 40’s and light rain, lots of red soupy mud in the parking lot and starting area.  Never saw the sun til it was about to set after 6pm.

Felt good running with the lead pack of 4. We all missed a turn around M9 and kept going before we hit a paved road and flagged down a truck who told us we were going the wrong direction. So we headed back the way we came. We lost 40 mins on the new leaders.  At this point I agreed with Jeremy, a runner from Idaho to stay together and help each other navigate. Working together and telling each other many wonderful stories (the Bow Hunting story was one of my favorites) we slowly picked through the field and resumed the lead around M42. At M69 we were 45 minutes ahead of 3rdplace runner, Ben from Carlsbad. However we missed a turn shortly there after. Now totally dark, Jeremy and I ran way down a dead end road out on a peninsula with nothing but precipitous drop-offs on 3 sides!  We could see the Start / Finish lights on the other side of the canyon but could find no way across.  We eventually ran out of food and water and getting colder (mid 30’s) we headed back to the M69 aid station.  We eventually saw a truck and a tent and yelled at the campers and said “we’re succumbing to hypothermia!”  The campers were still awake, so they willfully drove us back to the M69 aid station.

By this point Jeremy's GPS read 90M, we were near hypothermic so called it quits and got a ride back to the start / finish.

It was after 10pm when we finally hit the finish.  Everyone was in their tents, lights out.

After those disappointing events, I decided to make a few short strolls through Canyonlands National Park and Arches NP before heading for dinner at the Moab Brewery.  At one point in your life everyone should visit the Delicate Arch, the natural setting is magical.

Glen

Check out some of our favorite cold weather running gear for this season!



Salomon Speedcross 3 CS

“Winter racing shoe with innovative Climasheild™ design and aggressive tread for comfort and grip on wet and sloppy trail conditions.”


Salomon XR Crossmax CS
New FW/2011

“High mileage training shoe with unique Climasheild™ construction for runners who want one shoe from door to trail all year long. Available in neutral and guidance versions.”

Salomon Momentum II Softshell

“Lightweight warm-up Softshell Smart Skin™ jacket combining wind-resistance and breathability. Ideal for active Nordic skiing or winter training.”

Momemtum II Softshell Pant

“Softshell nordic training pants with wind protection on the front panels and breathable fabric on the back. Half-zip legs for easy removal over boots.”

Salomon EXO XR ½ Zip LS Tech Tee
New FW/2011

“Run easier, longer and recover better. Long sleeve t-shirt with EXO SENSIFIT technology and seamless construction provides support without chaffing for training.”

Salomon EXO XR Tight
New FW/2011

“Run easier, longer and recover faster, with EXP SENSIFIT technology. Light muscle support combined with seamless comfort for year round training.”

XA WS Softshell Jacket

“Protective jacket for hiking in cold, windy weather combines Windstopper™ Shoftshell with breathable mesh panels and flatlock seam constructions.”

XA WS Thight

“Stretch breathable tight with Windstopper™ Softshell front and ventilation on back. Ideal for high exertion sports in very cold weather.”

Nordic Insulated Gloves

“A new construction for improved fit. LYCRA® combines with actiLoft™ give warmth for long Nordic sessions.”

XT Advanced Skin S-LAB 5 Set

“This ultra form-fitting hydration pack for intense trail running come in two sized for the most precise fit possible. Sensifit construction reduces abrasion, ultra breathable stretch material to comfortably and securely hold bladder and essential items in the most demanding conditions. New PVC/BPA free bladder.”

The following post is a race update from Salomon Trail Runner Aliza Lapierre at the 10th Annual Waldo 100K. The entire report can be read at Aliza's blog -- Life Running Beautifully

Pre Waldo

About a week before our departure date I tripped over a string of barbwire and went down hard.  I remember being on all fours just feeling like I was going to throw up.  I felt horrible and walked for a few minutes before I could even pretend to run a stride.  Covered in mud and debris I knew my body wasn’t happy.

For the remainder of the week I tried to follow my running schedule, although the next day made it less than an eighth of a mile before turning around and walking home.  I assured myself that a day off was the key and that was all I needed.  My running continued to hurt and be sub par so more days off and very few miles. 
When we boarded the plane on Tuesday I had very little faith in my ability to finish Waldo since my ribs and chest hurt even when I wasn’t running. 

Skyline Trail

After arriving in Oregon and making the trek to Willamette Pass we settled in and I struck out to attempt an out and back on the first section of the course.  I ran for just a few minutes and then wanted to walk, but quickly learned that the mosquitoes would suck me dry if I didn’t keep moving.  I felt tired, sore and just all out horrible, although did my best to make a bad run into a good time.   After twelve plus miles of running which was interrupted by numerous photo breaks I eventually made it back to the base lodge and connect with Geo who had been out mountain biking. 

Thursday morning I was fortunate that Geo agreed to join me in running/hiking the second leg of the course.  I wanted to see a little more of the course so to have a better idea of what was truly in store for me.  We walked the steeper sections and ran the rest and both of us certainly were feeling the altitude given that we live and train at sea level. 

Start to Fuji Summit

Go time was 5AM so headlamps were a necessity, everyone lined up and we started right on the button.  I had tucked behind the lead men’s pack and settled into a comfortable and maintainable pace for the first climb, which is just under two miles.  I turned out my ipod and focused on the illuminated path in front of me.  I knew what to expect, I knew it wasn’t an easy climb right from the gun, I knew I just needed to do my thing and let myself settle as I waited to see if my body was up for the task at hand. 

After surviving the initial climb I had three males right in front of me and the rest of the front pack was no where to be seen. Knowing that several of the other females on course were strong downhill runners I wanted to push the pace but keep myself in check so not to fall early on.  I felt a since of exhilaration as I made my way down the buffed out single track, I felt like a little kid on a roller coaster ride.  The way I was feeling gave me the hope that if I was smart that I might be able to survive the day.

I did a quick handoff of my headlamp and buff in return for a visor and sunglasses with Geo before starting up the climb towards Fuji. It was about a 2500’ climb from the road crossing till the summit of Fuji and ever step was runnable for me. 

Once I arrived at the top of Fuji I wanted nothing more than to really stop and soak in the breath taking views, but it was a quick glimpse and then I worked my way back down.

Fuji Summit to The Charlton Lake

The next female back was Darla Askew followed by Denise Bourassa and I encouraged them both as I ran past.  I wanted to continue to run the downhill’s strong enough so not to lose time, but also knew now wasn’t the time to blow my quads out.   My focus now became getting to the third aid station, mile 20, where I would see George who was crewing for me.  I had been sipping my pack and had been consistent about taking in calories, although I had not yet taken a salt.  I made this my priority before I saw Geo. 
The Charlton Lake aid station was hopping and I had a hard time setting my eyes on Geo although he found me as we again swapped packs.  A few more strides and I found Pam smiling and ready to roll.  

Charlton Lake to The Twins

I lead as Pam and I get to know each other and I fill her in on how my race has been going.  Without thought I just say something like “I am not very good, I’ve just run 32 miles scared!”  For some reason I now feel a little more settled and at easy with the race.  For the first time in the race I walk and grab some snowballs in the process to shove down my shirt and shorts.  The temperature is rising and OR is certainly dryer than I am use to.  I run out of water, which then means I stop taking in salt and calories.  In my mind I know we will be seeing Geo again shortly so I set my mind on getting to mile 44 where I can get a fresh pack from him.

The Twins to Maiden Peak

Pam and I stopped at the aid station because I didn’t want to risk running out of water on this section.  I still had plenty of fluid so filled my pack with ice and then we both grabbed popsicles for the journey up. Even though I just had a small portion of popsicle my stomach went from unhappy to pissed off.  Everything from my chest to my stomach was tight and sore. 

As we made our way uphill, I learned that in these parts they must not believe in switchbacks because we despite the steepness of the pitch we just kept going straight up.  There is no doubt I was going to “walk” but I felt so slow.  My legs completely tightened up and I felt like I was peg legging it up the hill.  I wanted to throw myself of the ground and call it a day, although Pam was great in reminding me that this was the toughest part of the course and we were still making great progress.  I had a hard time buying it, although knew the pity party I was having for myself wasn’t helping.  I recall at one point saying to Pam. “Let’s just call it a 50.” Meaning I would be okay with calling it a day at the 50 mile mark rather than 100k mile mark. 

We finally made it to the out and back section on Maiden where we were to head to the summit.  The volunteer at the intersection said, “5 minutes and you will be there” so of course I looked at my watch, put my head down and headed up the rocky section.  This section was particularly exposed and dry, but just knowing that once we hit the top we would be heading back towards the finish kept me going.  The view at the top was priceless and the nature of it really cannot be put into words.  There aren’t really many climbs that I have encountered that have kicked my butt like that one did so I was proud of Pam and I for surviving that section.

Maiden Peak to The Finish

The first section back to the intersection was more technical than anything else on course so I kept my speed in check.  Once the trail became more buffed out we opened up our strides and dropped the pace.  At one point we came to a small stream crossing and in my mind I thought, oh well we have to get wet.  I plunged into the pool and then looked to my left where Pam easily crossed on the rocks.  I splashed water on my arms and face since I was already wet and then we were off and running again. 

About six miles to the finish I glanced at my watch and realized that I could technically be in striking distance of the course record.  In my mind I calculated what it would take to contend for it and decided that even though it was still possible it wasn’t in my heart to gun for it today.  Pam and I enjoyed the long downhill single track and as we rounded the final corner and could see the finish she instructed me to follow the pink flags as my runway.  She said ok “Sprint it in” and I replied, “Is there anyone right behind me?” To which she responded “No."   Then with a little giggle I said, “You just don’t know it, but I am sprinting!” 

I crossed the line in 10:33 and was very pleased with the day and was treated to a nice hug from Co Race Director Craig Thornley.  It was a true pleasure and honor to be a part of Waldo 100k.  I have never run a race that was so well marked and organized. I was very pleased with my choices of what to use for the race which included:.  Salomon Crossmax Guidance Shoes, Drymax Trail socks, Slab Hydration Pack and my Julbo Dust Sunglasses. 

After a long trip back to Vermont and some catching up on sleep it is now time to refocus and determine what is next. I feel very lucky that my body and mind held up as well as they did during the race.  It always feels like such a fine line on being on the edge of the cliff and falling off the cliff.  

Kilian's Quest is back this week with another amazing video of Salomon's own Kilian Jornet scaling up mountains with incredible ease. In this episode he walks you through how he prepares for an Ultra race. He takes you through how he manages to stay positive and how he pushes through the difficult times in each race. He also explains that preperation and planning is key to being sucessful in any race. He strategicly plans for almost everything from the tremendous elevation spikes to what he packs in his race rucksack. Check out the full video here.

Following his Western States 100 win in June, Salomon's Kilian Jornet answered a few questions from Competitor's Matt Fitzgerald regarding the race and Kilian's domination in the sport of trail running. 
Take a look at a few of the Q&A's below. 

Competitor: Last year you had a rough time at Western States, becoming quite dehydrated and suffering severe muscle cramps. Did you learn anything from the race that helped you win this year?

Kilian Jornet: Last year I learned a lot. When you win a race you don’t learn. When you lose, that’s when you think about changing and learning. Also, running with Anton [Krupicka, who finished second] and Geoff [Roes, the race winner] taught me a lot. I changed my whole race strategy, from equipment to drinking to eating salts.

Mike Wolfe gave you quite a battle this year. What’s it like to be in such a tight competition over such an extreme distance? Is it quite different mentally from competition in a short race?

Mike and Nick [Clark, who took third place] ran a great race. It’s amazing after 160 km to still be so close together! During the race, I knew that on the climbs I was stronger than Mike, so in the plains and going downhill my mind was quiet, knowing that the race would determined on the climbs. Compared to a sprint, the mindset is very different in long races. It gets quiet, the mind serves to hide the pain.

You’ve run a lot of miles for a 23-year-old. Are you ever concerned about breaking down or burning out?

No, because I think you can break mentally when you let motivation get the best of you. Physically, if you remain injury-free, you can last a long time. And if you are tired you can take a short break, or a long one.

Read the entire interview here.

Salomon Trail Runner Glen Redpath sent us an update from the Run Connemara Race in Ireland on July 9th. Take a look! 

Well...the Run Connemara event was very very tough not exactly a trail race more of an adventure run.  We ran up and over Diamond Hill twice then up and Ben Baun Mt twice (some parts had a 40% grade and yes we used our hands to get over and then did some crab walking to get down).  Having fallen early I was more cautious than others. Some runners totally let go and flew. Still I ran strong for 57th place out of 131 starters. I managed to get by a couple of the USA runners (Josh Brimhall and Gabriel Rodriguez).  David James was not too far ahead of me but alas he had fresher legs having pulled out of WS at M31.

The scenery was stunningly beautiful and the weather near perfect.  When we were not climbing or crab walking we were running through bogs, farm fields and marshes.  The total elevation was around 10,000 of up.  One of the Canadian runners Jason Louttit totally rocked the course placing 2nd overall Ben Nephew was not far back in 6th overall.  Obviously this course suited certain types of runners.  There were close to 20 countries completing.  

Check out trail update from Salomon trail runner Lindsay Krause. She sent us a few pictures from her recent trail runs in Oregon! 

The photos sent were taken from Stahlman Trail on Detroit Lake between Portland and Bend, Oregon.  The trail climbs for 3.5 miles up to a point where you have a majestic view of Detroit Lake.  The drizzle of the rain off the trees and the slight fog over the lake the morning of this trail run made this moment magical.  I wanted to capture it all film.  Plus it was my 5 year old daughter first true trail run.  She ran approximately 4 miles of the trail and wanted more!! It is so fun to see my daughter enjoy something I love so much- being outside on the trails and exploring new places.

 I have had an amazing 10 days of vacation trail running & training in Oregon. I like to use vacations to ramp up my mileage, because I have the rest of the day to recover vs. rushing off to an 8-10 hour day of work!  Recovery after a long trail run allows you to get ready to train the next day.  This rarely happens at home, when I am balancing work & family, so my vacations are training holidays. 

Due to an early season injury, my mileage was rather low early in the season. However, this week I was able to run 50-60 miles at a steady pace and I have been able to recover.  I have been supporting Juwi Solar bike team out of Boulder,  Colorado as they compete in the Cascade Classic in Bend, Oregon all week.  It was been fun getting to know active individuals who are passionate about their sport, while exploring some of the most amazing trails in the world.

I hope to build on this solid week of training for some late season  half marathons at the end of August/ September and I plan to do some 10Ks in the next few weeks to prepare for the half marathons.

Recently, at the inaugural Kilian's Classik event in the Pyrenees, representatives from the running and media worlds came together for a weekend of trail running sessions with Salomon's Kilian Jornet. 13 countries were represented, with athletes from Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South America. 
Kilian and legend Paula Radcliffe took time for a trail run together. Take a look at this video of Paula and Kilian discussing the merits of training on the trail.

The following is a field update from Salomon's US Brand Ambassador Adam W. Chase, checking in from the Hardrock 100 endurance race in Southern Colorado.

"It takes a structural engineer to lay the kind of plans that allow a Frenchman to travel to the highest mountains of America and dominate the toughest race of this nation, only a day after Bastille Day. But Julien Chorier is more than an engineer; he's an executioner who stuck to his plans over all but a few of the rugged mountain trails.

Other than getting off course in the early part of the race and losing about 20 minutes, Chorier was like clockwork, keeping right on pace with his meticulous schedule. For the final 45 miles he had the pacing company of fellow Salomon global teammates, Ryan Sandes (Capetown, South Africa) and Rickey Gates (Aspen, CO).

Chorier, who lives in the French Alps, came to acclimate in Colorado's high country two weeks before Hardrock with teammate Nerea Martinez, from Spain. They spent a few days scouting the course but, sadly, having summited  the high point of Handies Peak, over 14,000 feet above sea level, Martinez descended into the wrong basin and got lost enough almost half way into the course in third place for the women that she dropped from the race.  "I am very sad but want to return to this race to do the complete beautiful course," she said. 
 

The Minnesota singletrack I run each day is root-strewn and rock-abundant, and each muddy switchback, greased with decomposing Sugar Maple leaves, awaits my misstep.

Like my repeated readings of Thor Heyerdahl's Kon Tiki, trail running sates my wanderlust and adventure jones. I don't freebase (jump) ala Dean Potter, but I do point my size 10.5 Salomon Fellcrosses downhill and throw caution to the wind.

My occasional highlight-reel nosedive does nothing to temper my next trail run. In fact, while icing my swollen knee, multitasking the drudgery of the riding lawnmower---I fantasize of my next trail adventure. Maybe I'll step on a porcupine or be sprayed by a skunk. Maybe I'll bonk far from the trailhead or get lost on an unfamiliar trail.

Those maybes are why I trail run.

In a hard-fought contest between the trail running world’s top competitors today, Salomon’s Kilian Jornet won the 38th Western States Endurance Run, finishing in front of Mike Wolfe and Nick Clark with the third fastest time in history. 

Race Results:

In a very tight finish, Jornet edged out Wolfe to take the crown as the first non-American winner in the history of WS100. And it was Kilian’s first trail running victory in the United States.

Today’s temperatures on the course were in the 80s with lingering snow pack along much of the trail.

Kilian returned to the Western States Endurance Run after a 3rd place finish in 2010 – his first WS100 attempt. Kilian trained for this year’s race by acclimating to the temperature and strategizing quicker aid station transitions.

Asked to put the feeling they get when trail running into words, the US Salomon Trail Running Team each relayed the reasons they love the trail. The following is from Greg Hexum:

Why trail running? In a life filled with meetings, dishwasher emptying, and U8 soccer matches---a life that I love, but a life filled with the responsibilities I have chosen, trail running is my daily foray into adventure and, albeit minimal, risk.

The Minnesota singletrack I run each day is root-strewn and rock-abundant, and each muddy switchback, greased with decomposing Sugar Maple leaves, awaits my misstep.

Like my repeated readings of Thor Heyerdahl's Kon Tiki, trail running sates my wanderlust and adventure jones. I don't freebase (jump) ala Dean Potter, but I do point my size 10.5 Salomon Fellcrosses downhill and throw caution to the wind.

My occasional highlight-reel nosedive does nothing to temper my next trail run. In fact, while icing my swollen knee, multitasking the drudgery of the riding lawnmower---I fantasize of my next trail adventure. Maybe I'll step on a porcupine or be sprayed by a skunk. Maybe I'll bonk far from the trailhead or get lost on an unfamiliar trail.

Those maybes are why I trail run.

"I felt good on the way up, although my legs were slightly tired, from these last days training, I guess. The technical side of things went very well and I really enjoyed the descent, which was long and technical," said Kilian of the challenging trek.

Kilian’s Mount Olympus Quest will be featured in a Kilian’s Quest Episode on June 17th. Check out the trailer here. And see the coverage and photos from Mount Olympus on the Salomon Running Facebook page: www.facebook.com/salomonrunning

A crew from the Salomon Trail Running Teamis heading to the 10th Annual Teva Mountain Games this week in Vail, CO, including Rickey Gates, Anita Ortiz, Sara Wagner, Lindsay Krause, Erik Bohn and Team Manager Adam Chase. 
The team will be participating in a number of events such as the 10k Spring Run Off, Vail Pass Half Marathon and a Mud Run. 
If you're in the Vail area, stop by and cheer on the team.

The Salomon International Trail Running Team swept the Zegama-Azkorri Skyrunning marathon in Spain this weekend with Kilian Jornet, Tom Owens and Miguel Angel Heras topping the podium. Spain’s Jornet took 1st with a time of 3:57:39 after a hard-fought battle with British teammate Tom Owens throughout the entire race. Spanish teammate Miguel Angel Heras finished in 3rd five minutes behind.

RACE RESULTS:

1. KILIAN JORNET. 3:57:39 h

2. TOM OWENS. 3:58:12 h

3. MIGUEL ANGEL HERAS. 4:02:51 h

"It was a really hard race in extremely hot weather," says Jornet. "The truth is that Owens ran very well. I tried to get away from him all through the race but I didn’t get my chance until 4km from the finish. Being able to complete against such high level runners increases motivation. Zegama has always had excellent runners. Perhaps this year, little details decided the victory and there were a lot of us with a chance."

The 10th Annual Zegama-Azkorri Marathon is the second race of the 2011 SkyRunning World Series. From the town of Zegama, the course climbs to the four highest peaks of the Basque Region, with steep rocky slopes and highly technical assents and descents. 517 runners competed in this year’s race.

See complete race results here: http://www.zegama-aizkorri.net/web-en/CustomPages/clasificacion.aspx

Click here to read more.

The following post is a race update from Salomon Trail Runner Lindsay Krause:

Spring, Easter, and Trail Racing season is here!!  I was so excited to hit the trails at the 1st annual Mt. Carbon Trail 1/2 marathon on April 23rd, 2011.  I was geared up with all of my excellent Salomon gear from the compression EXO capris, my new red jacket, and my Speed Cross 2.

The race started at Coyote Crossing and raced down to the windy, sandy, single track trail along Turkey Creek.  The race then headed up Mt. Carbon and down along the trails by Fox Hollow Golf Course.  The race director found every steep hill in Bear Creek Park and the 1/2 marathoners were directed up them!!  The race finished at a picnic area across from Coyote Crossing parking lot.  It was a fabulous course, with diverse terrain, and it was very well organized.

The weather was a typical spring day in Colorado.  Snow flurries all morning, mixed with clouds, blue skies, and a little sunshine.  I had layers of Salomon gear that I would don and doff depending on the weather that moment.  I was happy to have a tank top, short sleeved shirt, and jacket to put on and take off throughout the race.  Thanks Salomon for all of the gear!

I started out conservatively, and felt better with each mile.  It was a great race to test my fitness level prior to Greenland Trail 25K Race in 2 weeks.  I felt really strong after a solid snowshoe season and dedicating 1-2 days a week to strength/ pilates/ yoga for cross training and injury prevention this winter.

I was the first female to cross the line in 1:37!!  I was able to hold off the young gentleman chasing me down the last 2 miles!!  The second place female Christine Adamosky, a running buddy, finished @ 1:41.  

The following is a repost of Salomon Trail Runner Devon Crosby-Helms' blog about Team Salomon's trip to Australia for The North Face 100. To read Devon's blog, Fast Foodie, click here. 

The adventures and racing never stops. At least not in last 6 weeks. Last Sunday I boarded an airplane to Australia for my final journey of a crazy jammed packed April and May. I headed down under to join 7 of my Salomon International Team teammates as well as a wonderful crew of Salomon support for the North Face 100 in the Blue Mountains (May 14th, 2011). 

Our Salomon squad included: Jen Seggers (Canada), Julia Böttger (Germany), Nerea Martinez (Spain), Kilian Jornet (Spain), François D’Haene (France), Ryan Sandes (South Africa) and Grant Guise (New Zealand).

With everything going on in the past few months, I have had little time to train, prepare or even think about the race. When I boarded the plane the day after Miwok 100k (where I paced my sister), I didn't even really have much of an idea of even where I was staying once I landed in Sydney 15 hours later. All I knew was that our team leader and logistics/coordinator extraordinaire (and kick ass trail runner of all distances) Anna Frost, would be at the airport bright and early Tuesday morning to pick me up. This event was a big team race for the Salomon International Team and Salomon did an amazing job taking care of every last detail of our trip.

When I was in high school and playing basketball, one of my favorite things was to travel with a big team. While traveling in a big group does have its downsides and annoyances, it is so much fun to share an adventure with other people, friends and teammates. This Salomon team trip really made the experience, the NF100k aside, it was a blast to be able to spend a week with Salomon teammates and friends from around the world.

I lost 17 hours in time change flying over the ocean, almost an entire day. While I slept a bit on the plane, I walked off the plane feel worn out, beaten down and definitely not invincible. Over the course of the long flight, my right side back, glute and hamstring became very angry with me. I usually don't fair well sitting for long periods of time, but the pain usually disappears pretty rapidly. I had a short lived flare up in that glute in April, but Scott at Psoas was able to get rid of the issue in one good rub/painful ART session. I hadn't had any problems since. When I got off the plane, I figured it would work itself out before Saturday's race. I focused the remainder of my week, resting, recovering, tapering and trying to fuel up for the race. We had a full slate of media events, appears and meet and greets as well as some fun team bonding and a bit of light running.

On Wednesday, I got a massage with Angi, our team massage therapist who'd flown down from California. When she started working on my glute, it was obvious that there was an issue, but I wasn't feeling it just walking or even running around, so I figured it was no big deal. We didn't dig too deep on it and the rest of the week without any incident.After LA marathon, Mad City 100k and Grand Canyon R2R2R FKT so recent, I was not surprised that my body was not absolutely 100%.

Way back in January when Salomon invited me to be a part of this event, I didn't have LA or Mad City on the agenda. I had thought that I would have bagged my OT qualifier in Houston, then switched over to the trails to prepare for the big climbs and trails of R2R2R and NF100k. Things didn't work out that way and I decided that I would make the best of things. My main goal leading up to NF100k was to not push myself too hard and find a way to arrive as rested as I possibly could. I have a back log of necessary recovery and I had hoped that I would be able to find a way to make it through just one more event. With each additional event, I knew I was pushing myself closer and closer to the edge and that the room for error and forgiveness in my body was drastically reduced. I resolved to see how race day went and to listen to my body. I have had an amazing six weeks and season, I knew that whatever happened at NF100k would happen.

We headed up to the Blue Mountains on Thursday and prepared for the race ahead. I did my best to find food that would properly fuel me for the race at the restaurants we ate at as a team, but most lunches and dinners settled for a salad. My favorite meal by far was thai curry on Thursday night out in Katoomba. Anna did a great job with me and was ever patient trying to ensure there were options for me to eat. She even changed the entire team and crew's plan (20 people!) to attend the pasta party the night before the race because there wasn't food for me. On short notice, she coordinated a dinner at the hotel we were staying at and made sure the chef made me lots of plain boiled potatoes.

The usual pre-race rituals, resting and packing ensued. Each of us had to have a huge list of mandatory gear including warm fleece and rain pants to be carried from Checkpoint 4 (which we would end up having to take due to very cold temperatures). I have never had to carry so much gear before in my life and I really appreciated the help of Salomon US team leader Adam Chase and all of the Salomon crew in helping us sort our packs. I went to sleep on Friday night calm and easy, my belly full of potatoes and plain chicken, looking forward to the adventure of the next day.

The race start was a very civilized 7am, so teammate and roommate Jen Segger and I got up a bit before 4:30am and had some french press coffee (Segg's brings her own french press and beans with her, what a pro). I tucked into a hearty bowl of gluten free granola I'd brought from the states topped with two packets of Justin's peanut butter. I really felt like I didn't eat that hearty over the week and wanted to make sure I had some fuel to keep me going. We headed to the start less than 1km away at 6am. One of my favorite moments of the trip was walking into the Fairmont Hotel where the 800 race participants were gathering all together as a united team. I love being a part of a team and over the course of the week I truly felt like I was part of a team instead of merely being around other similarly sponsored athletes. This was my team, my family and I was proud to walk in with them.

It was quite cold at the start, although it was warmer than the previous few days in which I spent most of my time nestled under 3 coats including a down coat. The nice thing about it being a bit chilly meant I could wear a few items of my mandatory gear instead of having to carry it. At 6:56 the first wave of starters were sent off and we made a mad dash up the long steep pavement driveway of the Fairmont hotel. I wasn't nervous at the start of the race but I was having a hard time getting into the mental space necessary to run a 100k. I decided to settle in, run comfortably and just manage my body. After checkpoint one, I knew we could listen to headphones, so I had loaded my ipod with music to move me along. My strategy was typical: get to the last 25k and hammer it home. My strategy was also to have as much fun as I possibly could. Without sufficient recovery or training, I knew I could be in for a long day and so I planned accordingly and brought my camera to record some of the amazing scenery. In the pre-race meeting the RD had said, "make sure you keep your head up, there will be times when you wished you had your camera", I laughed to myself when he said this and thought, good thing I have mine!

The start of the race is about 5k worth of road running including lots of big steep hills and random jumps on and off trails that included a great deal of stairs. It was random. I opened up a bit of a lead on the other women and after a few turns couldn't see any other ladies. Finally we hopped off the road and descended down into the valley of the Blue Mountains. The Blue Mountains are a lot like the Grand Canyon. The towns of Leura and Katoomba sit on the rim, so we began with a very long technical descent that reminded me of some of the more gnarly sections of HURT100. I like technical downhill but definitely found myself taking my time and trying not to get too carried away too early. The shade of the trees meant that a lot of the uneven steps and stairs and rocks were slick and muddy and I did what I could through the section.

I had a few guys chatting to me during the first 10k, which seemed to pass excruitatingly slow. With 13,800 feet of ascent in the race, I knew the fun downhill would be short lived and prepared myself mentally for going uphill. The Salomon squad had run on a few sections of the course that they reported were very "me" i.e. very runnable fireroads without singletrack or technical bits. I was looking forward to cranking on these sections and knew that the big climbs, especially technical ones, I just needed to move steadily on. Our first big ascent of the day was the "Golden Staircase". This was an 800meter ascent and truly reminded me of Topher's widowmaker. I felt like I was hiking hard on this section and making good time. I knew I was nearly at the top when there was a huge onslaught of media and camera crews recording my ascent. It was a very experience to suddenly have a camera in my face as I was scrambling to the top. I made it to Checkpoint 1 in 1:58, right about what I had wagered I would for an 11 hour finishing time. I knew it was feasible given my recent 7:46 100k and my 9:30+ Miwok 100k from last year (which has only 2,000 feet less climbing). I wasn't really pacing myself off a chart per se, but liked to have a general idea of when I could expect the Checkpoints to come.

I put my headphones on after the aid station and began a long section of runnable fireroads. The running now reminded me of TusseyMountainback i.e. very hilly but runnable fireroad. We were on an amazing ridge with sweeping views on all sides and I got snap happy at the scenery.

On the climb up to CP1, I noticed my right leg was a bit niggly. The top of my right calf muscle was feeling crampy much like I experienced at Grand Canyon and I took some salt to help combat it. I also hoped that the long runnable section would help it sort out. Instead, the long road section transferred the pain up into my lower back, glute and hamstring. I could feel my right leg going and less than 25k into the race, I was not happy with that. I just tried to stay comfortable and cruise. I took in my gels on schedule, drank my water and took my salt. Soon, we popped off the firetrail and did another very technical descent. We climbed down a very scary (but awesomely cool) ladder section and down through very steep boulder fields in which you only know the course because of the flagging.

My leg was really hurting as I boulder hopped and zig zagged my way down the narrow ridge. The section was really cool and I wish I had felt better so I could have flown through it better. I took an advil in hopes of ridding myself of the pain, but to no avail. I hit another fireroad and shuffled along contemplating my state. I was not even 40km into the run and my leg was not doing well. I could put my head down, push past the pain and hope for the best or I could make the hard decision. I contemplted what to do. I searched myself and tried to be honest. If this had been the first race of my season, my big "A" race, I would have stopped at nothing to get to that finish line. But it wasn't. The NF100k was my fourth race in 6 weeks after 3 "A" race efforts. The reality was that pushing through the pain could easily mean injury. After all the racing, my bodies capacity to bounce back or forgive was drastically diminished. I was less than 5km from Checkpoint 2 and knew what needed to happen. I was done. Soon thereafter, my Salomon teammate Jen caught up to me and I talked with her about my pain and my options. She didn't offer up a stirring speech to motivate me through, instead she agreed that stopping was the best option to avoid further injury. By the time we arrived at Checkpoint 2, I didn't waste a second thought on dropping. I told the first aid person what was going on, relinquished my timing chip and dropped from the race.

I didn't waste anytime feeling sorry for myself. I called upon the wisdom of my decision and the consolation of all of my other major recent accomplishments. I made a smart decision, how can I feel bad about that? I also knew while my race was over, I still had 6 other teammates (our other teammate Julia didn't start due to a calf injury) out there and wanted to do everything I could to support them. I caught a ride with some race spectators and managed to meet up with the Salomon crew at the bottom of the road where they were waiting to cheer Killian, Francois and Ryan through towards CP3.

Now part of the crew, I was swept up cheering and helping my teammates. It was so much fun to zip around trying to pull of a huge crewing effort. The crew and our media guys pulled off an amazing coordination effort that had all six runners tended too and sorted.

　Grant in 6th

Nerea in 2nd (having lead until 99k, she got lost and was passed)

Jen in 3rd

When it comes right down to it, I feel 100% confident I made the right decision. As I sit here on the plane, flying home over the ocean, I can still feel the pain in my glute. How much more pain or injury woud I have sustained if I had continued? I knew going in that I had been very lucky to make it through my first three events so healthy and only suffering from fatigue. Even during my R2R2R run, I knew that I was pushing beyond my limits and not performing at the standard I wanted to. I took a risk coming to Australia to race on the heels of so many other things; I had not followed my own plan and framework to have the Devon Day I want to have in A races. Ultimately, I am just super stoked that I got to be a part of such a cool Salomon team event and had the chance to run in some amazing country. I am very proud of myself for being smart enough to know my own limits and strong enough to not push myself through injury.

What is next? That is the question everyone is hastening to ask. Rest, recovery, a break from travelling, time at home, getting my glute sorted out. I will be back to training soon enough on to the next thing. But for now, I am just going to enjoy, at long last, a bit of empty calendar space, a bit of nothing.

That said, I have already started marinating on some awesome adventures for later this year and 2012.

It was a big weekend for Salomon trail runners last weekend at the North Face 100 in Australia with several members of the team placing in the Top Ten. 1st, 2nd and 3rd places went to all Salomon runners. 

1st - Kilian Jornet (9:19.06)
2nd - Francois D'Haene (9:24:33)
3rd - Ryan Sandes (9:54:57)
7th- Grant Guise (10:55:43)

Salomon's women had a strong showing with two Top Ten placers
2nd - Nerea Martinez (11:39:07)
3rd - Jen Seggers (12:01:08)

Click here to see all the race results. 
Click here to check out the pictures and Facebook coverage from the event.

It's back! Kilian's Quest returns for a third season with a return to the roots of trail running. In this first episode, Kilian meets the man who inspired him to trail run. Click on the link to watch Kilian's Quest.  http://bit.ly/KQS3E01

On Sunday April 17, Salomon's Greg Hexum won the first race of the Great Lakes Endurance series, the Iola Trail Run.  Hexum covered the hilly 10+ mile course in 59:50. Held at the famous Iola Winter Sports Park in central Wisconsin, the course circumnavigated the park's three ski jumps on grinder cross country ski trails and weaving mountain bike trails.  The eco-friendly Great Lakes Endurance series opener even featured a few inches of fresh snow to go with the spring mud. 
"Welcome to mid-April in the Northern Great Lakes," said Hexum.  
Along with the usual winner's swag, Hexum was thrilled to win a locally-made artesian cheese wheel. 

Too much volume, too much intensity, muscle imbalances.......... we have all heard that these are precursors that lead to injury.  However, despite my doctorate degree and certification in Pilates, I found myself sitting on the sidelines last fall with a stress fracture. What was the cause of my injury?  I thought I was superwoman.

I love racing.  I love the feeling of pushing yourself to the limit.  Hearing the crowd cheering and feeling the energy of the racers flips a switch in my brain to compete.  I love the natural high of a great race.  

This is what got me into trouble last fall, I didn’t want to miss any of my favorite races.  Labor day weekend, I participated in three awesome races in a week, Lakewood Trail Series and 10K at 10,000 feet Rabbit Ears Pass, Steamboat.  After the 10K at 10,000 feet, flying down steep & rough terrain I was in pain.  However, I didn’t want to stop the momentum of my first two victories and I ran the third race. I paid for my stupidity, when I could put weight on my right leg for a few weeks and I couldn’t run for close to twelve weeks.

Twelve weeks on the sideline and what did I learn?  I am not twenty anymore and I can’t get away without cross training and strength training.  I was feeling so great this past summer and the last thing I wanted to do was to stay inside and work on my core and gluteal strength, so I just skipped it!  I am a runner, and I love to run and race, so that is what I did.  

In general, running works muscles in the sagittal plane and many runners have weakness in the frontal plane (hip abductors and adductors).  I found that my quadriceps, calfs, and hamstrings were pretty strong.  My gluteus medius, hip abductors, and the “rotator cuff” of the hip had become so weak over the summer from skipping my Pilates sessions and strength routines. I was having difficulty avoiding my knees crashing in (femoral adduction and internal rotation) on descents, which likely lead to my injury.  These weaknesses weren’t apparent to me, until I was fatigued.  In conclusion, the muscle imbalances plus too much intensity most likely lead to my devastating injury.  

Pilates has been a great adjunct to my running.  I have begun my Pilates routine again this fall twice a week.  It includes total body strength with an emphasis on core stabilization.  Pilates and Yoga bring address imbalances in your body and help to correct these.  

The following is Part Three of a race report from Salomon trail runner Dave Wakefield and his experience at the USATF 50 Mile Championships:

There was a high moment for me during the second loop when I actually thought I was making some sort of progress. I eventually caught back up to Liza Howard, who had just crested the hill I was about halfway up. I saw her make a turn to the right and wasn't worried about not being able to catch back up. So I put my head down and just focused on my cadence up the hill. What I failed to focus on, was the fork in the road meant to lead me down the right trail. Apparently Liza and a few other runners missed it as well.

The wind had been gusting pretty hard all day and at some point during the race it had blown down a very important trail marker around the 10 mile point of the loop. It wasn't until I noticed passing a landmark on the trail for the second time on that loop that I realized I was off course.

I met up with Liza on the trail who had also realized she was off route and we started to look for where we got off course at. Luckily for us we didn't have to look for long.

Back on course, Liza and I pretty much ran the rest of the loop either together or leap frogging back and fourth. She was really strong on the uphills and I was stronger on the descents. We always seemed to have something to talk about and even joked about how at the beginning of the race she was worried about me because I was ahead of her and all she noticed was my ponytail. She was worried because I wasn't talking and she thought I might have been another female runner. I couldn't stop laughing for awhile about that one. I played along and at one point we tried to figure out a way to convince race direction I was a female then I could take home some money from the Championships. That was fun while it lasted. Liza is a super nice person, who really does love this sport.

From all the issues with the socks, getting lost and conversation, I wasn't paying attention to my calories and fluids and I started to show some beginning signs of dehydration. At the pavillion I stopped for about 5 minutes. I knew I was never going to catch back up to the front of the race so I ate a PB&J and chugged a bottle of water. Then had my bottle filled and grabbed a handful of M&M's

I really wasn't in the mood to head back out and start another loop. On the way down, I told my buddy Darin htat no matter how bad it got, I was going to finish the race. So with much reluctance, I stayed true to my word and set out on that third loop.

It wasn't about pacing anymore or effort or strategy -- it was just about putting one foot in front of the other as many times as it took to cross the finish line. Hell, I was still in 8th place at this point. That certainly wasn't a reason to be throwing in the towel.

With about 6 miles to go another runner came into the aide station the same time I did and left before me. I looked at him and he looked at me. Nothing was said but I could tell that he knew I had nothing left in me.

Eventually I made it back to the Pavilion. Crossing the finishline in 9th Place. Kind of an anticlimactic way to end a race report. Certainly not the way I had planned or envisioned it going down. So it was with a handshake, a medal and an ice cold cup of Coke that my race ended.

Will I do the race again next year? I'm not sure. I'd like to. Right now I wish I could take a Mulligan on this one and do it all over again as soon as my legs recover. I know I can do a lot better than what I did.

So inspite of everything not materializing the way I thought it would, I am still happy for the experience. It's not everyday that a 'Ol Boy from the middle of the USA has a chance to get to do something like that.

Everything about this race was great. Friendly people and volunteers. A tough, challenging course, with a deep field of competitors and class acts.

The following is Part One of a report from Salomon trail runner Dave Wakefield and his experience at the USATF 50 Mile Championships. 

I guess you can say that my journey towards the USATF 50 Mile Championships began on December 27^th, 2010. I was at the local Cabela’s shopping with the family I injured my back while picking up my daughter to look at a fish tank. After doctors OK’d me to resume training, made the decision to sign up for the USATF 50 Mle Trail National Cahmpsionships at the Nueces 50 miler in Rocksprings, TX. What the hell was I thinking?!

Fast forward to February 19^th. 

Man, that was a long six weeks!  They went great too. Though I was pretty hard on my injury, my body seemed to be responding to the workload. I even managed to get a 50km training run on the trail done in 3:53:56. Not super fast but solid and I was happy with it.

The next two weeks I spent the time tapering and trying to dig up as much info about the competition as I could. After doing all the assigned homework. I had a fairly reasonable idea of where I was going to finish.

Realizing that I didn't have a snowballs chance in Ecuador of making a podium. Unless by some sick twist of fate, everyone I picked to finish ahead of me all suddenly fell violently ill due to food poisoning,  I was  likely walking into a major ass whoopin’. I was OK with that. If for no other reason than to make myself a better runner. Sometimes you gotta get knocked down before you can understand what it takes to make yourself better.

I figured that if everyone had their typical day, I could do no worse than 8th place in the Championship. At the same time I was aware that I could place as high as 5th if someone ahead of me had a bad day. Or as low as 11th if I had a bad day. Basically, I knew that at the end of the day no matter what the outcome. I would be enjoying a nice slice of humble pie with my customary ice cold beer. Yum, Yum..

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Dave's story next week.

Salomon Trail Running Team Manager Adam Chase checks in at Advanced Week:

After last night's focus groups on footwear, we're off to test hydration packs and bags, running four or five 4k trail loops. 

This morning's run, with the sun rising above the Mediterranean, was the perfect jet lag shake off and now its all about carpe diem!  Or, to say it our way, "Bring it, baby."

Salomon Trail Running Team Manager Adam Chase sends an update from Salomon's Advanced Week:

I'm sitting at a cafe overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, accompanied by a French woman, Leticia, a German, "Gripmaster," a Catalonian, Kilian, Swede, Eric and Canadian, Phil. Pas mal.

And now we've just been joined by more, from Spain, US, France, Poland, New Zealand, Germany, Greece, UK. There is not a lot of extra flesh here, with this fit lot of runners, that's for sure. And the diverse mix of languages and accents that has converged here, in Nice, is testament to Salomon's breadth of connection and the global appeal of trail running.

Needless to say, I'm thrilled to be a part of this gathering, the fourth Advanced Week in four years. And I look forward to the focus groups, testing of 2012 and 2013 shoes, packs and apparel, and hanging with this lot of accomplished trail runners from all over the world.

More to come. Bienvenu.

We’re used to the occasional kooky request from media, but when Trailrunner Magazine asked us to literally saw one of our shoes in half, even we were caught off guard.

The magazine is writing an article on shoe-fitting and knowing how highly-involved our design process is, they asked Salomon to create a cross-section of the XR Crossmax.  So Salomon Footwear Sales and Product Associate Lance Taylor broke out his saw and got to cutting. Take a look at the finished product!

Keep an eye out for our dissection in a future issue of Trailrunner Magazine!

Salomon’s “A” Team of Angela Mudge and Anita Ortiz is ready to tackle the Gore-Tex TransRockies Run with more momentum behind them than even this rugged course in front of them is capable of slowing.  Mudge has twice won the eight-day TransAlpine version and Ortiz won her only showing at the TransRockies, in 2009.  The only way to hinder this daunting duo would be to require them to carry the loads of trophies and medals they’ve both amassed over successful running careers, although it is unlikely that either has kept their haul of hardware, given they share the passion of racing for the challenge and pleasure of it.

Coming to altitude from Scotland doesn’t seem to bother Mudge.  At least it didn’t when the world-traveling massage therapist with a PhD won and set the course record on Pikes Peak in 2003.  The mountains are, indeed, her friends.  She’s a two-time Sky Running World Champion, won the World Mountain Running Trophy in 2000, is the five-time British Fell Running Champion, three-time Scottish champ and three-time runner up of the European Mountain Running Trophy.

Ortiz practically lives on the TransRockies course and she too is quite attached to her mountains.  As the US Mountain Running Champion three years in a row, Ortiz has also been named the USATF Mountain Runner of the year twice and was the Mountain Running World Champion Masters as well.  The school teacher and mother of four has also been victorious at Pikes Peak (three Ascent and one round trip win) and won Western States 100 in 2009 and will be returning in June as a tune-up for TransRockies.  

“I look forward to running with Angela.  She is a ferocious competitor and a mountain climbing animal.  Should be a fun race -- though I am sure to be run ragged everyday!” says Ortiz.

Of course we know how awesome our Salomon Trail Running team is, but we love it when they get some love from their local communities. Salomon athlete Greg Hexum was recently featured in the local newspaper The Pine Journal in Cloquet, Minnesota. The article delves into Greg's life as a high school principal, as well as a competitive trail runner. 

Check out a portion of the story written by Wendy Johnson below and click here for the entire story.

It was in his post-collegiate running, however, that Hexum first experienced running as a chore and decided to switch gears a bit.

“What rekindled my joy for running was training and racing on trails,” he related. “I enjoy the natural environment, unmarked miles, and freedom from the stopwatch. I like the varying terrain, the sense of adventure, and the moderate risk of falling down.”

Today, Hexum does 90 percent of his running and racing on trails, avoiding roads and treadmills as much as possible.

“Road racing and road running just don’t inspire me like being in the woods does,” he said. “For me, trail running gets me to the essence of why I run. I feel independent, relaxed and healthy after a trail run or snowshoe. I think that’s probably similar to anybody who likes being outdoors.”

Bears, Mountain Lions, Javelinas oh my!!!  Trail running entails that you share the trails with all sorts of wildlife.  In Colorado, I have run into black bears, coyotes, rattle snakes, and on one occasion a mountain lion.  However, when I went out to Arizona last week for a winter trail running week in the desert, I thought I could relax and enjoy the trails..... that was until I ran into a band of 6-8 Javelinas.  The fact that they are named for their razor sharp tusks/ javelins didn’t comfort me.  I have read all the signs at trailheads in Colorado on what to do if a bear or mountain lion attack and I have done some research on rattlesnake bites, but Javelinas???  I had no idea what to do.  I did what most runner instinctually would do, I ran as fast as I could as the javelinas tried to run in all different directions.  A bystander would have laughed to see this site, as we were all running in circles trying to escape.  I am not sure who was more afraid the wild boars or me, but thankfully I made it home to tell the story.  

The following comes from Salomon Trail Runner Lindsay Krause:
Unless you are a salaried professional athlete with a nanny to allow you to get every workout in, you are probably like me trying to balance family, career, and running.   Some weeks are better than others, but one thing this balancing act has given me is the sincere appreciation for every minute I am out on the trails.

I will never forget one of our first trips with our beautiful new baby girl on the airplane.  I had signed up for an XTERRA trail race in California.  On the tarmac, my daughter had her first symptoms of the “Rotavirus.”  Those of you who are parents probably know what I am talking about.  You can imagine a hot plane filled with passengers with the smells from the rotavirus.  We were all in misery!!  After 3 days and nights of non-stop diaper changing, little to no sleep, and absolutely no workouts, my trail race was here!!  I forgot my nutrition plan for the run and barely made it to the start of the race with my clothes on, with absolutely no warm-up. 

When I toed the line, I knew I couldn’t look back. I raced as hard as I could.  With all of the sacrifice to get to the line, I was not coming home without a victory.   I tell you this story, as being a mom has taught me to always do my best and having fun every step of the way.  Just getting to the line is more than half the battle.  

Being flexible and not being so hard on myself continues to be a weekly struggle as a “Type A” runner. One week I am able to get all of my workouts in.  The next week, my husband is out of town as a professional bicycle rider and my child has influenza.  This is life, and I am learning how to let go when I don’t accomplish every workout on my schedule.   By the way, early mornings are not an option at my house for a run, as this is the only time my husband gets his training in.  

 My new training strategy is “Quality” not “Quantity.”  Some days I have 20 minutes to workout.  What can I do in this short amount of time to be effective in my training?  I have learned to make exercise a family bonding session.  Some nights after a long day, you will hear rap music being played in our basement as my daughter and I dance, laugh, do some Pilates, strength training, and stretching together.  I have been known to take my daughter to the track with balls, bicycles, frisbees, etc.  While I am doing an interval workout, she is playing on the field and in the middle of my interval I might just be catching a frisbee. I have learned to make workouts fun and a family bonding session.  After all running is supposed to be FUN!!

What I have learned from this “Balancing Act”
1.     How to be flexible
2.     How to stop being so hard on myself 
3.     “Quality not Quantity”
4.     How to make exercise a family bonding session 
5.     How to have Fun!!

My chip time of 5:06:41.49 was good for 22nd overall, 4th amidst the women, and 3rd in the open women’s division. Fellow Salomon teammate Anita Ortiz (Eagle, Colorado) easily won the race. Her time was 14 minutes ahead of me, with Bethany Lewis (Salt Lake City, Utah) not quite three minutes faster and Darcy Africa (also of Colorado) only 36 seconds ahead of me! It was a great experience to run with these seasoned ultra marathoners and I’m already looking forward to the next one!

Salomon trail runner Greg Hexum tells us his trick for getting in his miles during the snowy Minnesota winters. 

Northern Minnesota winters can be rough on runners.  Some folks turn to treadmills while others stick to glaciated roads.  Many from the trail running community strap on snowshoes and head for singletrack.  I mix in all of these things, but my favorite winter running may be uniquely Midwest.  That is, when the weather is at its most frigid, I run on groomed snowmobile trails.  Across Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Penninsula of Michigan  thousands of miles of trail are manicured for snowmobiling.  Like Nordic ski trails, snowmobile trails are packed and flattened, but unlike Nordic ski trails, the presence of a runner doesn't destroy the trail for its intended use.  ((As a sidebar---if you want to put yourself in harm's way, try taking your dog for a run on some beautifully groomed Minnesota corduroy.  Scandanavians are tolerant people, but we don't tolerate people who mess with ski trails.)) 

POSITION TITLE: Salomon Sports and Community Marketing Associate Outdoor/Nordic

REPORTS TO: Outdoor Brand Manager

BUSINESS AREA/ COMPANY/ DEPARTMENT: Sports Marketing, Salomon USA

LOCATION: Ogden, UT

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

The purpose of the Sports and Community Marketing Associate is to establish and maintain relationships in the Outdoor Adventure Sports Environment as it pertains to the marketing and promotion of the Salomon Footwear, Apparel and Nordic Business units

• Execute the sports marketing platform as directed by Outdoor Brand Manager.

• Develop and maintain athlete relations, service and contracts as directed by Outdoor Brand Manager

• Integrate into the Day to day operations of the Business units

• Help develop overall Sports Marketing Platform for Summer Outdoor and Nordic programs

• Develop and execute Salomon promotional tours (summer tour-Nordic tour for winter)

• Manage all Budgets as assigned by Outdoor Brand Manager

• Manage travel expenses and promotional budget as directed by Sport Marketing Manager

• Manage and maintain Travel Expenses and promotional budgets as directed by Outdoor Brand Manager

• Help gather and create marketing content in the form of pictures, videos and written stories

• Work closely with Community Relationship associate to drive stories to the community though available media outlets, print, newsletters, web, social media etc.

• Scout and identify emerging sports trends

• Provide and maintain competitor benchmarks

• Provide monthly reports

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

None

REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

BA in Sports Marketing or 2-3 years experience. Competitive Athletic background in running and or Nordic skiing. Have a full understanding of the USSA Nordic development program and how it relates to developing Olympic, Collegiate and High School athletes.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS & ABILITIES: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to organize and coordinate multiple projects simultaneously

• People oriented; enjoy working with people and problem solving

• Be very detailed in your work and respond quickly in corresponding with people

• Excellent (interpersonal) communication skills

• Internet Savvy (up-to-date on social networking and all things web 2.0)

• Strong interpersonal, communications and presentation skills

• Strong Microsoft Office skills

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations

• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, customers and consumers

• This position implies working remotely (at the office, at home, on events, while traveling)

• Current valid driver’s license with clean driving record and ability to drive midsized truck with trailer up to 30’ (NO CDL REQUIRED)

• Valid Passporthttps://home.eease.com/recruit2/?id=33416&t=1

The winner of this year’s pole race, Rickey Gates, earned a trip to the McMurdo marathon, but his flight was canceled because of bad weather. So he and several others plotted and ran a 26.2-mile course that began and ended at the South Pole geographic marker, a three-hour flight from McMurdo. Fueled by hot broth, hot cider and peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches, Gates, a dishwasher at the South Pole base station and competitive runner, completed that race in minus-20 degree temperatures in a little more than four hours.

'At some point, your skin is not appreciating the conditions,' Gates said later by telephone from the pole. 'Halfway you feel like you’ve been running a couple marathons just to keep yourself warm.'"

To read the article in its entirety, click here.

The following is a blog post from one of Salomon's youngest trail running fans, Nick Halliday, on his recent trip to Outdoor Retailer:

When you first step into the Outdoor Retailer show you first hear the buzzing of the loud noises, but most importantly you see the big flags and banners towering over the booths. I was led through the masses of the people by none other than Paul Guimond from Salomon and Jennifer Pharr Davis a women’s record holder for the completion of the Appalachian Trail in 57 days, 8 hours and 35 minutes! Now that is an accomplishment! I talked to her on my way to Salomon booth and I felt like I was in the presence of some Trail Running God. It was so amazing to meet such a down-to-earth person who actually accomplished some amazing feat in their life that I couldn’t get over it. 
At the Salomon booth, the person who I was so excited to meet was Jeff Dill, Salomon’s Product Manager. It was really nice to finally meet someone who loves talking about trail running as much as I do, and I found that once we started talking about it we didn’t stop until he was called to a meeting. As I was about to leave I ran into Jonathan Toker, owner and founder of Saltstick. He introduced himself to me and he wanted to talk to me about running and his product. It was really fun to get into a discussion with someone who was so into the sport that they actually created something to enhance their performance, and that’s when he showed me his products. Out of his backpack came a bottle of salt capsules and the "Saltstick." It was a little contraption that was about 6 inches long with a red cap. The idea is that you twist the cap until you feel resistance then you push the salt capsules through and you’re ready to go! And when you need a capsule all you do twist the cap in the opposite direction and out it comes! I was very impressed to see it in action; it was such a great idea! He told me that he got the idea when he was doing triathlons--he tried so many different ways to make sure his capsules weren’t wet and to find a place to put them, that he finally decided to take his brilliant idea and turn it into a reality! Talking with him was so great and he was another person who added to the list of the most inspiring people I had met all day! 

Another thing that impressed me was the company SealSkinz. They make both socks and gloves that are totally waterproof. The lady at the booth had a test where she had a sock suspended in the water and when you put your hand in the sock, it was perfectly dry inside! To my surprise it had been sitting in that water all day long! I think it would be a great item for running on those wet days or for when you are doing a lot of stream crossing. By this time I am tired of walking around so as I make my way back to the lounge to eat lunch, when I notice a really great company called Loki Gear. It is a jacket that has built-in gloves that are expedition worthy, and it also has a built-in facemask to keep your face warm. I was really surprised to see how easy it was to put the glove on and the facemask; it was such a great idea! Another one of their jackets turned into a backpack if you get too hot and it also has room for a few items. The guys who invented it are brothers who shared the same passion for the sport and decided to start a company. How does that sound for the first day of the OR show?

The next day at OR had to be the best because I got to meet Geoff Roes and Scott Jurek. They were talking to Jeff Dill when he called me over and introduced me as his Product Assistant, it was so awesome! They were really nice to me and they thought it was cool that I was a runner. That had to be the best experience I had all day because how many times do you meet two Western States Champions? After that, I had a great product meeting with Jeff Dill and got to see some of the coolest shoes I have ever seen!! Looking forward to seeing them in the future!

It is with great pleasure that we announce the birth of Salomon McMahan, son of Team Salomon teammates, Sarah and Ross McMahan, and little brother of his twin brothers Noah and Josiah, was born on October 27, 2010.  He was 5lbs 3oz.

The proud parents said that there were many factors in choosing Salomon’s name, including that it “reminded us of something we are passionate about, running, and it fit with the biblical theme we have with Noah & Josiah.  It is also very unique.” 

Indeed, it is but he will certainly find it convenient to claim that all of the shoes, clothing, and skis in the house belong to him because his name is on them!

Welcome to the greater Salomon family, baby Salomon!

On January 13, at Sherpa’s Restaurant in Boulder, CO, a convergence of the nation’s top ultra-distance runners – all who live here these days – participated in a panel discussion about the state of the sport, their plans for 2011, how they train and what motives them to go long.

The most impressive comments that came out of the meeting revolved around the differences in training distances and efforts and the common theme that racing ultras was not a lot of fun for most of the race, at least not when you are pushing it at the very front of the pack.  Dave Mackey said that he ran less than half of what Anton Krupicka ran for training distance.  He makes that work well, having just won the US 100k Trail Championships.  He also remarked that most of the time he feels like it “really sucks” out there when he’s got his head down racing hard.  Krupicka said that almost all of his training is pleasurable but agreed with Mackey in saying that racing is not about fun most of the time.  He joked about how competitive he can get with his friends come race day, “I want to beat you more than anyone” he said to his fellow-panelists. 

Geoff Roes spoke of the joy he has for training on remote trails, especially in Alaska, where he grew up and still spends his summers.  Scott Jureck said he’s enjoyed having the company of such strong runners here in Boulder but kidded Krupicka, “I’ve run Green Mountain with him and if that is his ‘slow’ I’d hate to see his fast.” 

As for 2011, Jureck will be running UTMB, along with Roes and Krupicka.  He’s also looking for a fast 24-hour course to maybe go after the world record.  Roes will also run WS100, although he and Krupicka are both waiting to hear back from the Hard Rock 100, which they would really enjoy racing if they get in via the lottery.  Roes said he felt he owed it to Kilian Jornet to return to WS100 to defend his win, even if he got into Hard Rock because he thinks it is disrespectful of fellow competitors to fail to show up to a race.   Mackey got a slot to run WS100 but said he’s not that much of a heat runner so he isn’t too confident he’ll race that one.  Krupicka said he’ll probably do Hard Rock if he gets into it, which might knock out WS100 since he’s running UTMB and wants to avoid over-racing. 

From Salomon Athlete Rickey Gates' Blog, Mostly Paved:　

Christmas morning was warm for South Pole standards (–12f). Warm enough, that I got away with wearing three layers on my torso rather than four and no balaclava. About 40 of us – dishwashers, scientists, Cat drivers, doctor, carpenters, ice drillers etc. – gathered at the starting line with rudimentary xeroxed numbers pinned to our jackets for the annual Race around the World – a 2.1 mile race around the South Pole Station.

The course normally laps the pole two or three times – giving the slower runners/walkers a chance to bail after a lap. With various interesting landmarks scattered about the station, I suggested to the course designer, Megan, that she make it a single lap course and include these landmarks. She handed me a map and said, "you design it." Together we came up with an interesting course providing a nearly comprehensive tour of the entire station.

At ten o’clock we left the starting line from in front of the main station and made our way out towards what is called the clean air sector (where the cleanest air on earth is studied) and then past the quiet sector (where seismic activity is recorded). From there the course made its way through the waste berms before ascending the ski hill, a 40’ tall mound of snow, collected from around the station. We passed by a wall of large empty spools out near the End of the World… yes, proper noun.

The End of the World is the edge of the station in the direction of New Zealand, where year after year of snowdrifts get pushed out a mile… now a mile and a half to keep the station relatively even. I train out here constantly, running out to a warming shack and beyond where you can really feel the immensity of the Antarctic Plateau – cold, brutal and powerful. It is a Rothco painting of blue and white. The blue has light streaks of white in it and the white reflects the blue. It makes me feel the same way the Grand Canyon makes me feel – insignificant, yes, but also alive and carefree. But nearly halfway into a race, I’m not contemplating any of these things. I’m just running.

Through a collection of excess tin arches, left over from the building of parts of the station we made our way alongside the runway where day after day large, Air Force LC130s and small Baslers come and go bringing cargo, food, scientists, mail and beer and taking with them trash, dishwashers and other scientists.??

As is tradition, the race is not just open to runners but to skiers, snowmobiles, snowcats and other heavy machinery as well. Motoring along beside me for the final 1/2 mile was Bruce on a snowmobile, towing a sled with a couch full of spectators and another snowmobile towing a skier.

We turned onto the runway, towards South America then turned once more towards the South Pole where the snowmachines bowed out just before the finish.

I won the race in 13:32 – two seconds slower than the time I had predicted for the course. In addition to having my name on the "scroll" (think of it as the South Pole Newspaper where everything from flight information and daily happenings to temperature and a quote of the day are looped through 24/7), I won a free trip to the coast of Antarctica for the Antarctica Marathon on January 16th.

The marathon has been going on for over a decade – an out and back, past emperor penguins, sea ice and Mount Erabus (one of the tallest active volcanoes in the world), which is all well and good, but in this micro-society where six, ten hour days are the norm, most consider the biggest perk of it all to be the three days off from work… yes, even if you do have to run 26 miles on snow and ice to earn it.

Now with only ten days remaining, my long runs are over and only the stretching and tapering remains.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2011

Christmas morning was warm for South Pole standards (–12f). Warm enough, that I got away with wearing three layers on my torso rather than four and no balaclava. About 40 of us – dishwashers, scientists, Cat drivers, doctor, carpenters, ice drillers etc. – gathered at the starting line with rudimentary xeroxed numbers pinned to our jackets for the annual Race around the World – a 2.1 mile race around the South Pole Station.

Race report from Salomon trail runner Sara Wagner. 

I got up bright and early, leaving Flagstaff just after 4:00 a.m., to drive nearly three hours to southern Arizona for an 8:00 race start. A shooting star set the tone for the day just as I was leaving Flag. Sipping HAMMER NUTRITION Endurolytes Fizz on the way down, I arrived to a sunrise casting amazing bands of color above the saguaros. Awesome! This was my first time doing one of the Aravaipa Running Trail and Endurance Runs and also the first time doing a 25k!

The race took place on the McDowell Mountain Regional Park Competitive Track, which consists of rolling desert trails built for mountain bike racing. Chollo, ocotillo and other vegetation never seen in Flagstaff were everywhere. With cool temperatures at the start, we raced under blue skies and sunshine, just another gorgeous day in the Southwest, topping out with temps in the low 70’s (not bad for December!).

HAMMER Perpetuem Solids fueled me around the initial 10-mile loop, as well as the remaining inner loops and back to the finish line 5.5 miles later. My SpeedCross2s propelled me across the line in 2:02:09, exactly 13 minutes ahead of the next female. The McDowell Mountain Frenzy was the third race in the Desert Runner Trail Series (which has one race/month), so my win earned me a free entry into the Half Marathon DRT Series Trail Championship in March at Mesquite Canyon, also near Phoenix. I was 7th overall: http://www.aravaiparunning.com/results/2010MMFResults25k.htm

From Salomon athlete Eric Bohn:

After experiencing some moderate success earlier this year in my first ultra trail race with a 3^rd place finish at the Mesquite Canyon 50k in Phoenix (just behind friend and ultra running veteran Ian Torrence), I became captivated by the experience of running longer races.  The ability to race on trails for 3-4 hours (as is the case for most 50k’s) was compelling and was a drastic change from my college racing background.  It did not take very long to decide which race would be my next ultra. Due to a busy summer of racing shorter stuff, a fall race was ideal and I was open to the possibility of the 50 mile distance. After a weekend afternoon spent on the Flagstaff Brewing Co. patio with Ian (who is a member of the JFK 750 mile club) and local ultra standout Brian Tinder, it was decided that the JFK 50 would be the race.

Fast forward through a busy summer of racing highlighted by the Teva Mountain Games Spring Runoff 10k, the USATF Half-Marathon Champs in Bend, the Gore-Tex TransRockies Run, and having the opportunity to pace fellow Salomon athlete Glen Redpath at the Western States 100, I found myself in mid September with about two months until JFK with a badly bruised knee from a spill in the Imogene Pass Run earlier that month and an impending 10-day honeymoon in the Virgin Islands in October (in which any sort of training would be difficult). Given the circumstances, my expectations for the upcoming race was simply to finish.

Following two months of inconsistent training, the race week arrived. I learned that Josh Brimhall (who was on our team) would not be making the trip to Maryland due to injury and Ian’s status was also questionable due to persistent injuries. The team competition was shaping up to be a three team race with David James, Oz Pearlman, and Michael Arnstein of Team New York, a team comprised of David Riddle, Dink Taylor, and Dr. David Horton, and our team of Ian, Brian, current course record holder Eric Clifton, and myself (I later learned Ian was going to start the race).

Race day: Saturday November 20, 2010 - Ian, Brian, and I navigate through a sea of runners as we make our way to the start line. The race starts with little fanfare (a race as rich in tradition and history as JFK needed no lengthy introduction). Brian and I hang together about 40-50 runners back from the lead pack as we make our way out of Boonsboro on pavement. We quickly began catching up with runners who mistook this race for the “JFK 5k.”  Brian and I separated after Reno Monument and getting on the Appalachian Trail (AT).

The climb up the AT ridge provided remarkable views of the rolling countryside. About halfway through the AT was Gathland Gap where a tunnel of fans and supporters created a Boston-like cheering section. I managed to close the gap between myself and the peloton and was right in a large pack of about 20 runners as we descended off the ridge to the Weverton switchbacks. Following the switchbacks and another cheering tunnel, I made it to the towpath in 2:10. Next up was 26 miles of a smooth dirt path that winds along the Potomoc River. I knew this was where the race began and where the roadies would begin to show their hand.

Feeling pretty good after holding back some on the rocky AT, I slowly dropped the pace from about 8:00 minute miles to 7:20. Around each bend of the river/trail a new runner would appear in the distance. I came through the halfway point at 3:14 and began to think that a sub-6:30 was possible which would be a likely top 10 finish based on past results.  I managed to pass about 7-8 runners who were beginning to feel the ill effects of going out too fast. Around mile 35, an onlooker told me I was currently 11^th or 12^th place and was still feeling ok. At this point I began to question how long I could maintain the current pace. 

Two runners got me in the last few miles of the towpath. The climb out of the river valley back into farm country with about 8 miles remaining is where I ran out of gas. With no runners visible behind or ahead of me, I felt content at the moment and turned my attention to just finishing. I was definitely beginning to feel the effects of being undertrained as my joints began to scream back at me with every stride. I decided to conserve what little I had left in the tank with a run two minutes, walk 15 seconds routine. This was apparently working for the moment but then the words of a race volunteer who notified me of fast approaching runners convinced me to forego the walk and push through. I’ve come too far to quit now and would be disappointed with myself afterwards if I didn’t tap into that last gear.

After resuming a steady run, those runners who I was warned about appeared about 200-300 meters back. With four miles to go, I picked it up with what I thought I could maintain. Fortunately, aid stations always seem to be more frequent toward the end of the race. I made a quick stop at the last two aid stations, crossed under the interstate and headed into Williamsport for the last mile of the race. The crowds became audible as I rounded the final bend into the last quarter mile of the race and focused on the finish chute. I crossed the line at 6:40:56. Clifton, Brian, and Ian came in at 7:16:51, 7:19:32, and 8:07:31, respectively. It was one of the more disappointing JFK’s for Ian, who has turned in sub-6:10 performances here. I was impressed however by his will and determination to keep his JFK streak alive despite being plagued with nagging injuries and setbacks.

The team race ended up anti-climatic as David James and Oz Pearlman of Team New York dropped out midway through the race and David Riddle’s 2^nd place finish easily secured the win for his team.

As far as gear is concerned, I went with the XR Crossmax due to the combination of trail and pavement the course provided. I also wore the S-Lab XT Advanced Skin pack for hydration for the first time in competition and was impressed with the fit and functionality. 

The following is Part 3 of Salomon Trail Runner David Wakefield's Dogwood Canyon 50km Race Report --

Holy Sh*t! I guess I was now the man to beat with eight miles to go to the finish. I wasn't sure how lost the two leaders got and I wasn't about to waste anymore time trying to figure it out.  Nor whether they would be disqualified.  All I knew was if they did get straightened out then they would be hot on my heels and breathing down my neck for the rest of the race.

Well I guess they didn't get too lost, just enough to make a race out of it.  With seven miles to go, I heard the infamous twig snap of death. I knew instantly that it wasn't a damn squirrel. I didn't even look back. I just asked out loud, “where the hell did you guys go?”  He said that for some reason they made them run an extra short out and back section that was about a half a mile.  That made sense, seeing as at the last check they were about four to five minutes ahead of me.  We chatted for a minute or two but then he eventually pulled away from me but not out of sight.

A couple more minutes went by when I heard the second branch snap behind me. This kid’s name was Kyle. Unlike the first guy that caught back up, Kyle didn't seem as determined to get back up to the front, which was good for me.  He was still running well and I knew I could work with this guy to help stay close to the lead.  We ran together for about 10km, when we came into the last aid station, where they told us the leader was only 30 seconds ahead!

Alright I thought that it was some kind of joke and that there is no way in God’s green earth after 4,600 ft. of vertical gain and 27 miles of running that I was still on pace for a 4:10 50km.  I told Kyle to catch up to that guy and then put it on him at the finish line and he said he was going to try and do just that.

As we both came to the first of a dozen water crossings we had to run through before the finish, Kyle's adrenaline must have been flowing pretty well.  When he hit that water crossing he barely got his feet wet.  For me, however, it was the exact opposite.  I hit the water crossing and went right to the bottom. I came out on the other side and tried to go with Kyle but my shoes were full of water and weighed about 3lbs a piece.  That was all it took to make my legs hit the wall. The extra weight of the shoes and the amount of energy I had to burn to keep my legs turning over was too much. Each water crossing I hit It was harder and harder to keep from not falling over.  

My legs had officially been turned to gelatin.  I was still less than a minute behind and I hadn't thrown in the towel just yet. I wanted to just get to the road with 3/4 of a mile to go, where I'd put in one last effort to pull even with them.  Once I hit the road I was able to see that they were only 200 yards or so ahead and I gave it everything I had left in the tank.  In the end though it wasn't enough. With around 400 yards to go, I raised the white flag in surrender. With 200 yards to go I could hear and see the crowd at the finish plain as day, cheering for the two champions as they crossed the line hands raised together in victory, with a winning time of 4:18:58.  I followed 31.7 seconds later for third overall in a time of 4:19:30.

It was a bitter sweet finish for me. It sucks to be in a tough race like that and to have it all come down to a matter of seconds in the end.  Still, I didn't expect to win the day so I was super happy to have been able to nail right on the head my goal time that I had figured up a month prior.  What was even more impressive about hitting my goal right on was that I didn't even wear a watch for the race, having left it in my bag that morning because I thought it would add an extra element of stress to the day I really didn't want.  I ran how I felt and was able to accomplish everything I wanted to do for the day.  I hit my goal, enjoyed my run, and ended the season with a race through some beautiful country amidst a great bunch of people.

It was a very well supported and organized event.  Thanks to everyone who made this year one of the most memorable ever.  I'm very satisfied going into the off season, lnowing I was able to meet such a great bunch of people this past year.  I got to run in some incredibly epic places and relit a fire that will be sure to burn for a few more years at the very least.  Already I'm looking forward to the adventures I have planned for next year.  First though, it's time to grab an ice cold beer, eat like a pig for a week. then familiarize myself with my family again.  See everyone when the snow melts...

The following is Part 2 of Salomon Trail Runner David Wakefield's Race Report from the Dogwood Canyon 50 km --

Now I'm not saying that I was going to beat everyone that showed up. I'm just saying that no matter who showed up, I was going to take whatever fight I had in me and not be intimidated.  To race as a pure racer would be to race, giving it all I had from start to finish and not leave anything out there.

That night at packet pickup I ran into last year’s champion and friend, Tom Brennan, who I hadn't seen in a couple of years.  We asked each other how each had been, talked about the course and what to expect the next morning, and he had told me he had been having some issues with sciatica and that he wasn't sure how the race was going to go for him. I knew though that even a Tom at 80 percent was still going to put up a pretty solid performance. I told him my plan of a 4:20 and suggested that maybe we could work together for the first half of the race.

Race morning came and after getting a pretty good night’s sleep I was up before the alarm.  I went through my race morning ritual where I talk to my shoes and tell them what I expect from them for the day. Though having a long season under their soles they reluctantly agreed to give me everything they had left in them.  With that out of the way I loaded up the best minivan money can buy and we started heading south to the start of the race.

I caught up again with Tom Brennan just before the start and both he and I started doing the 'ol checking out the competition routine. Since there wasn't an entrants list this was the only chance I had to get a sense of who was racing: scoping out the crowd, looking to see if there was anybody who we should be worried about, it didn't take long to figure out we were going to have a dogfight on our hands.  We saw two long-legged Kenyans make their way up to the front of the pack alongside Tom and me.  Also up front with us was about a half dozen strapping young bucks, all of whom looked as if they were All-American collegiate runners that could rip off a 2:20 marathon without a moment’s hesitation.

I looked at Tom and said, “Well, that's a relief.”  He laughed and said yeah!  He didn't really want to run that hard anyway.  I may have been born with pure racing DNA but I was pretty sure that I wasn't born with pure Kenyan DNA.  At that point I came to the realization that there was around a 99 percent chance that my streak would end that day.  I reassured myself that running today wasn't about winning.  It was about hitting a goal and having a good time enjoying a beautiful day on the trails.  If I hit my time and it was good enough to keep me in the hunt, then that would be an added bonus.

As the Kenyans were getting themselves into their zone by staring down the road with that empty glassy eyed focus, the All-Americans were slapping each other five and cracking  jokes; like it was just another day at practice. I found myself somewhere in the middle, focused on what lay ahead but still loose enough to be able to joke about the fact that I was extremely relieved to not have to try and stay with the big dogs up front.

All of a sudden I snapped out of it to find that the race director was nearly halfway through his countdown. Then the air horn was sounded and we were off.  It was mass chaos from the start. I nearly got tripped up right at the gun because the guy behind me was too wrapped up with excitement and stepped on the back of my left heel.  Some 300 runners, both 25km and 50km, combined scrambling down the road to secure a position in the pack at a pace they thought they could maintain.

It was hard for me to resist the urge to shoot up to the front from the start but somehow I managed, instead slotting myself a lot further back than I normally do, somewhere in the top 20 or so.  Knowing that a few of these runners were in the 25km and a few more wouldn't be able to maintain this pace for more than a mile or two at best, I was confident that things would be pretty much sorted out after the first hill.  After that, it would become a matter of picking off as many runners ahead of me as I could over the course of the next 29 miles.

As I figured, I didn't have to wait long.  The pack hit that first hill and it was like watching a car run into a brick wall.  With the exception of the top five runners, the entire field came to a virtual standstill, immediately breaking down into a power hike.  I jumped up to around the top ten, passing quite a few people that were shocked at the steepness of the hill.  It was steep but not that long so as it started to level off at the top I picked up the pace a little and passed a couple more before we made it over the other side.

On the descent there were a few runners with me, with the top five already being out of sight.  I decided I was going to hang back with these folks until the first aid station but I started to get a little concerned because I felt like the other runners in this group were a little out of their comfort zone.  I gave them plenty of room to make a mistake but decided it was in my best interest to try and separate from them a little and run by myself.  So by the time I reached the bottom of the hill, I found myself with a clear trail ahead of me and a good cushion behind me.

It didn't take long to make it to the first aid station around mile five, where they told me I was in sixth place.  “Cool,” I thought, and asked how far up the leaders were. I totally expected them to say something like ten minutes and was shocked when they told me I was only three minutes behind the lead with the fifth-place guy only a minute ahead.  I topped off my bottle and gave my thanks then got out of there.

What the hell was going on up there? How could I be that close?  I didn't feel like I was running all that hard of a pace and I wasn’t working that hard.  Then I started to wonder if all that speed work I had done was paying off.  Well no need to get too carried away, I guess, I'll just keep running like this, checking the gap at every aid station and, if it got out to around ten minutes then I would start to panic a bit.

This was such a beautiful course and it had been awhile since I've gotten to enjoy the scenery in one of these things.  I never cursed a single hill the entire race and, in fact, I was actually looking forward to each one, eager to get to the top of the climb, knowing that the view from the top would reveal a spectacular panorama of the surrounding Ozarks.  It seemed as if every hill had a clearing or meadow at the top strategically placed there for that reason alone.  I was pretty much in Candyland at this point, having a great time and, at the same time churning out a really solid run. This is a very rare thing for me.

Coming off a pretty steep hill, I hit the aid station at mile ten.  From here we had to run on a two-mile section of asphalt road they had through the center of the park. That they used for their guided trolley tours.  At the aid station I checked the gap, fully expecting to hear that at this point the gap would be around ten minutes.  Again, I was dumbfounded to find it had only stretched out to four minutes up to the lead.  Not only was it just four minutes but the pack was starting to split up and lose its steam.  That was cool but I had a feeling that with this section of asphalt the true roadies would stretch their legs and do some damage to the rest of us.  If I wanted to keep from being embarrassed at the finish line, I'd have to stretch mine out as well.

I'm not sure what extra-terrestrial life forms stole my body and replaced it with a newer faster one the night before but for some reason though I had no trouble with asking my legs to give me more. I didn't even notice the extra effort I was putting out, largely because of the road section. Every hundred yards there was an amazing waterfall.  One after another. I guess that's why they decided to pave this section of the park. Unfortunately it all ended too quickly and it was time to scramble up another steep hill.  At the top was a short out and back and then a big loop that the 50km runners had to do before retracing their steps back to the finish line.

At the top of this hill is where the race all went to crap for the front runners. I'm not really quite sure what happened.  To this point I had no trouble following the course markings and all the corner marshals seemed to know what they were doing.  My suspicion is that those guys up front were just running way too hard with their heads down.  After running a 1:47 through the first 25km, one of the Kenyans said he was having some back pain and dropped from the race.  I found out that the other Kenyan was running the 25km only and after running his short out-and-back he was well on his way to finishing his race.  That left me in fourth place and the guy in third less than a minute ahead and fading.

After my short out-and-back, the volunteers got me headed out on my big loop before I would be retracing my steps back to the finish.  And this was why, during the big loop, I found it weird that two of the guys that were out front were coming back towards me.  It was supposed to be a loop right?  Something didn't feel right to me.  Not so much for myself but for those guys because I was 100 percent sure I had run the course the exact same way it was laid out. Those guys, on the other hand, well I had no idea where they had been running.  Oh well, I was going the right way and I wasn't going to worry about it too much. I just kept running.

I finished up my big loop a grabbed a cup of coke and topped off my bottle before heading back down the hill to the asphalt road section. 18 miles behind me at this point and I still felt pretty damned awesome. I flew down the hill, just letting gravity do its job, hit the road section and still didn't see the guy that was only a minute or so ahead of me.  He must have been just getting around each corner before I could catch sight of him.  The pace up the road this time wasn't as fast as the pace down, as it was more labored. I ran pretty much the whole damn way back to the aid station, except for a brief stop to pick my baggie of S-Caps off the ground that I had dropped, and just as I was coming into the aid station at mile 20 I finally saw the kid that had been ducking me for the last 18 miles.  He was walking out as I arrived so another quick top off for me and I scurried up the hill to catch up to the kid.  He wasn't getting out of my sight again. If he was going to walk then so would I. If he would run then I'd stay right on his heels.

I asked if he wanted to work together to try and reel in the guys up front. I told him the last 11 miles would go by a lot quicker if we worked together and paced each other. He said that would be cool but that he was having some blood sugar issues. He had told me that this was his first ultra and that he didn't expect to be crashing like this until mile 25 or so. I asked him what he had been eating.  One gel he said.  I tried my best not to read him the Riot Act, being that this was his first and remembered all the damn mistakes I made on my virgin outing.  I told him that he just needed to do a better job of taking in calories on the next race.  He was in a bad spot and didn't look like he was going to be running anytime soon.  But I was ready to take off so I told the kid I'd see him at the finish and I shot up the trail and out of sight.

So I'm cruising along and I'm passing by 25km and 50km runners that were still outbound and hadn't made it to the road section yet. They all seemed really enthusiastic towards me. Too enthusiastic for someone who was in third place, I thought.  At the bottom of another hill, where they had a crew access point, I met my wife and she asked if I needed anything. I grabbed a gel and gave her my arm warmers. As I started to leave I noticed the RD was there.  He came up to me as I was trying to leave and asked me if I had passed anybody and whether I was sure I ran the entire course.  This was kind of weird I thought.  He then told me that he was asking because I was in first place!  What? How the hell could that be?  After verifying with him that I indeed ran everything the way it was supposed to be, I told them I'd better get going.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of Dave's Race Report next week.

Here is a race that was still unknown in Europe a few months back, and which is now a reference in today’s world championship calendar!

Headlands, kilometers of single track, a light rain, and breathtaking landscape along the Pacific Ocean. It was 50 miles in Marin County with 3100  meters of elevation gain, and no less it required to gather this year’s most strong field of man and woman on this type of distance. If Geoff Roes and Lizzy Hawker were the favorites, there were also many outsiders, as it was the first time that so many Europeans (The Team Salomon) were moving to the U.S., which promised an exciting race.

The start was given at 5am for the 400 privileged runners who were able to get a bib. A group
a couple of dozen runners cruised the night trails together before Geoff Roes started to increase his pace and lead the group, narrowing it down to five at Bootjack aid station. On the women’s side, Lizzy Hawker arrived at the same point with nearly 5 minutes ahead of Anna Frost, widening the gap in the most runnable parts.

Anna would wade into after Stenton Beach (20 miles from the finish) on a long and difficult climb. She would catch and pass Lizzy before taking off to a strong finish 13 min ahead of the British! Geoff Roes would push it at the same spot to lead the race ahead of the prosecutors, Dave Mackey, Dakota Jones and Miguel Heras. It was not until five miles to go that things would switch on a muddy and steep uphill.  Miguel, who opted to wear the S-Lab shoe with the outsole with studs of the Speedcross, would find a much better grip than his competitors, who would not be able to get the most out of themselves. Even if the course was very runnable and with a moderate elevation gain, it finally was the specific trail running shoes that made the difference and created an opportunity for Miguel.

Dave Mackey :“His traction was clearly better than mine on the slick mud.”

Geoff Roes :”I couldn’t move in the climb cause it was super muddy”

Anna and Miguel both made an achievement for beating the North American icons of ultrarunning. Here are their reactions shortly after the race:

- What did you know about the trail running scene in the US before coming to San Francisco?

Miguel Heras - I knew there is a great attitude towards trail running and that shows up on the great runners this country has. I also knew that races are faster and less technical that what I am used in Europe.

Anna Frost - I didn’t know a lot about trail running in the States. Though I had raced in Pikes Peak and the Transrockies I wasn't sure about the real meaning of this race and so I didn’t have many expectations.

- Did you know your competitors for this race?

MH – I met Geoff Roes in August in France during the UTMB, but I Dakota Jones and Dave Mackey were quite unknown to me. I just did some on-line research and found out their great performances, but that was all.

AF - I just knew Lizzy Hawker personally. I raced against her in the UK once but what she has done in the last few years is an inspiration for me and I have a lot of respect for her accomplishments.  Other than she, only my teammates Devon Crosby-Helms and Caitlin Smith, but they couldn’t finally run.

- How did you feel running next to those great runners?

MH - I'm a bit new to this sport (only running for 2 years) and so I always feel like going undercover when I run next to those amazing runners. Many times I feel like a rookie but then I realize I can keep pushing it and so I do. It’s like when I started running with Kilian Jornet or Augusti Roc. I felt like I shouldn’t be running next to them but then I just stick with it and enjoy it to the max.

AF – I’m a rookie to the 50 milers distance and I didn't know too many about the competitors but I knew I would have follow them to be able to finish in a top position. So I decided to follow Lizzy and I then I passed her about 4.5 hours into the race.

- Did you expect this type of course?

MH - Yes, I talked with my teammate Kilian Jornet and I also did some research. The course was quite what I expected but I loved it, specially the single track parts. I was amazed to see a deer crossing by the trail during the race!

AF - I expected to find runnable trails, but the long climbs and down hills was quite unexpected. Anyway, it turned out to be good for my type of running and I was able to use those climbs to my advantage. The variety was amazing: single track, wide trails, running in the night, the dense wood parts and the beautiful coastal scenery you could see from the headlands was incredible.

- What can you tell about the organization?

MH - I knew it was a serious and good organization, and with so many so many loops I expected it to be complicated to run, but it wasn't. It was well marked and with many volunteers at the complicated junctions.

AF - It as very well marked course though as I was leading alone the race for many miles, I got quite anxious of taking a wrong turn as I had no runners ahead or behind me. After the 30 mile mark there were a few runners from the 50K race and marathon listening to music with their headphones and they were not aware of their surroundings, so I had to dodge them because they couldn't hear me coming. Even so, many of the runners that I passed were shouting and cheering me and those were amazing moments in the race.

- Talking about cheering, what do you think about the race spectators?

MH – There were not that many compared to, let’s say Italy or Spain, but they were all very loud and cheering all the time.

AF – In terms of numbers, quite the same as in UK, but really supportive, especially at the aid stations, which, by the way, were very well equipped. I loved that fact they knew my name (probably because it was printed on my bib number) and they would cheer "good job Anna!"

- Let’s talk about your training for the race. How did you prepare for this competition?

MH – I’ve been logging many km throughout the year, but after Cavalls del Vent I’ve was training more on fire roads for the last 20-25 days, running faster and doing some elevation training. For example, I did 2 hour runs with +600m of elevation to train on trails similar to what I would find in the race.

AF - I had a very busy season in terms of competition so after Malaysia I took a week off before preparing myself for this race. I did no specific training as I was in the UK and so I training in the fells, mostly steep and technical running, but I tried to include some more flat trails. I believe I did around 15 hours of running and 10 hours of cross training (MTB, cardio machines, weights, yoga). I also tried to put hours in it to get rid of a little bit of weight (through a low carbohydrate and high protein diet) to get leaner for a distance I had never run before.

- What do you think of San Francisco?

MH - I love the city and the history you can feel in every corner. That was my first time in SF and I loved running its hills even, on pavement.

AF - It's a really fun city. There’s a lot going on, a very vibrant city. I’ll stay five more days after the race to have the time to discover and enjoy it a little bit more.

- What was the moment that made the difference for the final results?

MH – That was around mile 40. I didn’t feel good until then, but at that point I could see the three runners ahead of me and that motivated me. Then I realized I could push it and so I passed Mackey, then Jones and then Roes around three miles to go. I was lucky the last stretch was an uphill, as I do well in this kind of trails. I was also lucky that my S-Lab with the Speedcross outsole held extremely well on that very muddy last uphill. That helped to make the difference so I could get the most out of what I had inside.

AF - The climb up from the beach around mile 25. I spotted Lizzy and I thought "it’s now or never". So I pushed uphill and felt quite good. Then, with the help of Matt Ward, my pacer, I worked really hard for the last 5miles, as I thought Lizzy was chasing me.

- How did you feel when you crossed the finish line?

MH - Very, very happy, as I went through a lot of pain during the race. It was a victory built more than on physical strength, on mental perseverance and that is when you feel really good with yourself. I’ve got to say this was the victory that I felt most happy about at the finish line.

AF – A mixture of emotions: physically exhausted but also mentally, as the race was a roller coaster of emotions and very, very sore. I was also moved by the great support I had from the Salomon crew and also for the family and friends that I knew were out there following the race on Salomon's Facebook page.

- Now that you've raced in the USA, does it make you want to run more abroad? Will you come back to the TNF EC SF?

MH - I've raced abroad a lot before when I was adventure racing, but I had an extremely great time here in SF. As long as I can, I’ll be back next year!

AF – I’ve raced all around the world this year but I love this sport because it allows me to run in new places all the time.

- What races do you have on your calendar for next year?

MH - I still have to plan next year's calendar, but I know I'll be at the Ultra Trail Fuji, the UTMB, and maybe a few of the Skyrunning Championship races, like Sentiero delle Grigne or Giir du Mont

AF - This was an extreme experience for me. I'm not sure I'll run another ultra very soon. This was also a very busy season so I decided to step back and run a bit less. There are a lot of "maybes" right now: Mont Blanc Marathon, 4 Trails, Sierre Zinal, Giir du Mont, Transrockies again and, now that I'm moving back to New Zealand, I'll do some of the classics there and Australia.

- What about the winter season?

MH – I’ll be doing mountain bike and ski mountaineering but as this year the racing season ended quite late, the winter season will be shorter.

AF - I'll be chasing the summer in New Zealand, so I'll spend a couple of months tour biking, swimming in the sea and just running with friends with not too much planning. I'll be back to race training around March or April, but nothing too serious for the beginning of the season.

- And one last question. You spend the entire week in SF with the Salomon team. How was it?

MH - I'm very happy to be with the Salomon team. They have never put pressure on me to get results and they believed in me without having had any prior remarkable results. Every time that I win, I feel I do it for the entire Salomon family, not just for me or the other racers, but the full human group.

AF - I always feel at home with the Salomon family, and this time wasn't an exception. There's a lot of interaction and support for the athletes and this was crucial for the good results. We're always learning from each other and so you never feel like racing alone but rather always sharing the experiences with the entire family.

Men

1. Miguel Heras – 6:47:03 Team Salomon Santiveri Spain
2. Geoff Roes - 6:51:25
3. Dave Mackey – 6:55:50
4. Dakota Jones – 7:02:01
5. Jason Schlarb – 7:06:50
6. Jez Bragg – 7:14:47
7. Chris Lundstrom – 7:15:40
8. Thomas Lorblanchet – 7:16:02 Team Salomon France
9. Michael Owen – 7:17:52
10. Zach Miller – 7:18:37 
11. Christophe Malarde – 7:31:04 Team Salomon France

Women

1. Anna Frost – 7:45:03 Team Salomon New-Zealand
2. Lizzie Hawker – 7:58:22
3. Kami Semick – 8:01:12
4. Joelle Vaught – 8:22:28
5. Jenn Shelton – 8:28:24
6. Meghan Arbogast – 8:47:52 
7. Marlene Flores Paredes – 8:50:36
8. Kasia Zajac – 9:04:55 Team Salomon Poland
9. Katherine Koski – 915:15
10. Tamsin Anstey – 9:17:34

I'd raced down in this part of the Midwest several times over the last few years, putting many a racing mile under my feet in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas. So this time around I had a really good mental image in my head of what to expect as far as the terrain was concerned. Doing the appropriate training required getting myself dialed in for the time I needed to hit.

As race day approached I didn't really talk to too many people. Most of my friends were finishing up their seasons at one race or another and catching up on some overdue family time. Which was totally cool, as it gave me time to be able to focus on what I had ahead of me without distraction. I had a lot to focus on too.

Since my little hiccup in the month of May when, during a 50 miler, when we had our first really hot day here, so hot so that the HEAT ended up beating me into submission and forced me to settle for the Marathon finish. From that day forward until Halloween weekend I hadn't lost a race, a pretty damn good little streak. I'd like to sit here and tell you that I never really gave it much thought. The truth, however, was that I thought about it constantly; with every race I won, whether by physical domination or the lack of competition or Lady Luck, whatever, I ended up placing a little more pressure on my shoulders to try and keep the streak alive. I strived to see how long I could milk this ride.

Combined with the heat of the sweltering summers we have here, I managed to put up some less than impressive times, even though I took home the wins. I was fueled by the fact that under normal conditions I could go much faster. I knew that and that drove me crazy, having to wait out the summer heat as I ran for place instead of PR's. This wasn’t congruent with what I'd always said: that it didn’t matter what place I got, as long as it was a personal best. I'd rather run a PR and finish 20th than to win with a time I considered a training run effort.

So when it finally came time for me to sign up for the Dogwood 50km I had a pretty big decision to make. Do I race for time? Or do I race for place? Or do I just race for fun? The conditions were projected to be the best I'd raced in all season but the course would be a real S.O.B., at least for what I was used to anyway. Eventually I decided on taking it easy and enjoying a race for a change in order to be able to reflect back on the season and know that I had enjoyed some trails with some great folks.

Racing has always been something that has been truly between the ears with me. More times than I can count, I've psyched myself out of great runs despite being in great shape, letting the garbage in my head get in the way of a win or two over the years. For years I've asked myself the questions: Why do I have such an extreme desire to race? Why do I find it necessary to get out there and mix it up with men 10, or now 15 years younger than I? I don't have anything left to prove anymore, to myself or anyone. The answer to those questions finally became clear to me the Saturday before the race.

When Adam Chase, good friend and our Salomon Team Captain, made a comment in reference to a Facebook post of mine, saying that his money was on me and, "Guts or not, Dave’s a pure racer and that is what gets him across the finish line first! Isn't it?" Bam! Right there just like that it all became clear to me. Years of trying to figure out what made me tick, why I had such a competitive nature. It wasn't because I was running from something or that I had a chip on my shoulder or that I felt like I had something to prove. It was simply because it’s ingrained into my DNA.

Like a thoroughbred or a greyhound I just love to run. I'd be doing this whether there was a competitive outlet for it or not. Thank the Lord there is though, because I LIVE for racing. It's what gets me out of bed in the morning, back aching, legs a hurtin’; it's what motivates me to train all those miles and circle dates on the calendar. God do I love that feeling you get standing on the starting line just seconds before the gun goes off. For me there's nothing else that compares.

After really giving what Adam said some thought, I was super pumped up for Sunday morning, win, lose or draw. I was going to somehow find a way to make it a race to the very end. With my newly discovered knowledge of self I was ready to take on all comers. It didn't matter who showed up.

The following is Part 2 of Dale Humphrey's Superior Sawtooth 100 race report:

In my opinion, the Manitou River gorge is where this race really begins.  From this point, the remaining 40 miles is marked with several long, steep and rocky climbs including the biggest three in the race.  The tricky descent down to the Manitou was like a slip-and-slide with boulders.  I hung on to every tree I could as I made my way down.  I was happy to reach the bottom despite the 1000 foot, hand-over-foot climb back up the other side.  When its pouring rain, going up is better than going down. 

After a long 3 hours, I reached the Sugarloaf aid station.  Here I caught up with a fast 39-year-old runner by the name of Chris Hansen.  Chris quickly checked out of the aid station as I came in and I knew I was not likely to see him again.  He always runs very well on the back end of this race.  I again checked my position in the race.  With 70+ miles behind me now, I had about a dozen runners in front and some were reported to be “not doing so well.”  Armed with that info, I was off.  I caught up with a couple more runners before reaching Cramer Road.  Cramer always brings a sense that, no matter what, I’m going to finish this thing!  From here the last 25 miles is tough but, hey, it’s only 25 miles! 

I pushed on with only the Temperance, Sawbill and Oberg aid stations between me and the finish.  There were also the crushing climbs at Carlton Peak and Moose Mountain but I would deal with them as best I could.  My objective was to do my best to run every flat and downhill.  I would walk everything else from this point on.  It wasn’t long some visibility started to return as the sun began to rise.  This was a very welcome relief from the fog which had done nothing but gotten worse as the night progressed.

Reaching Temperance I was now in ninth position.  Everyone ahead of me was reported to be in good shape.  I asked if there were any old guys in front of me and the aid station workers said it was just kids except for a couple grandmas and a guy on crutches.  Old joke but I thought it was pretty funny.  I left Temperance and soon reached Carlton Peak; the first of two big climbs that come at the end of the race.  Carlton is a beautiful mountain but the boulder-strewn ascent is a little treacherous on tired legs.  The backside of Carlton provides a fairly good run into the Sawbill aid station.  As I reached Sawbill I caught up with another runner.  With 12 more miles and one last big climb to go, I sat down for five minutes and had a cup of soup and half of sandwich.  Moose Mountain sat about halfway between me and the finish line.  It was a fairly easy run into Oberg aid station but the daunting Moose sat a couple miles beyond that.

I caught the runner I saw earlier before I got to Oberg.  He looked as tired as I felt.  After the race was over he told me that I looked strong as I went by him but it wasn’t strength so much as it was persistence.  Running all the downhills in the fog with my brakes on had taken its toll.  I usually try to stride out on all but the steepest of downhills to gain ground and save my legs.  This time my quads and the tops of my feet were screaming.  Despite this, I stayed true to my commitment to run the flats and downhills although my definition of uphill was changing a bit.  Reaching Oberg, I went straight through and on to the finish.  Moose Mountain was difficult as always and the switchbacks up and down the last rise seemed to go on forever.  Finally I could hear the Popular River and I knew the finish was only minutes away.  I sucked it up and pushed for the finish arriving 29 hours and 15 minutes after I had started.  I was hoping for something closer to 26 hours this year but with the rain and fog that was not to be.  Checking the board, I was the 8^th runner to finish and the first runner in the 40+ men’s masters crowd so it was still a satisfying accomplishment.

I sat for a moment after the finish then retreated to the showers, then on to my VW for a little nap.  My nephew had finished 2 hours ahead of me in 4^th place despite a grapefruit-sized ankle he had injured very early in the race.  Counting my own fingers and toes, I had no injuries and only one callus that had sloughed off my right foot from running in the 10 hours of rain.  Truly a testament to the quality fit of my Salomon XA Pro Ultra 3Ds.  Also, despite being soaked to the skin all night, I never had any problems with chafing from the Salomon Exo Wings shorts and shirt I had chosen to wear.

Over the course of the race I consumed more calories than normal.  I believe this was due to the cold, the difficulty of the course and the fact I had run on short rest.  My total calorie intake was about 4,000.  Vespa Amino Acid Supplements were once again a big factor in sustaining my energy levels throughout most of the run.  I never lost my appetite or focus at any point in the race and never felt like I was fading badly except for the climbs at Carlton Peak and Moose Mountain where I always end up sucking wind.

So another Superior Sawtooth 100 is in the books.  Congratulations to everyone who gutted it out this year and especially to Susan Donnelly who on completing her 10^th Superior, becoming the first woman and only the 3^rd person to do so.  Ten finishes is a daunting task, but one worth considering.  But for now, I’m thinking about a fun little adventure three weeks from now in Arkansas.  It’s called the Traveller. See you on the trails!

The final test in the Upper Midwest Trail Runner’s Gnarly Bandit 100 mile endurance run series is in the books. On September 10th, 68 brave soles lined up at Gooseberry Falls State Park to start the 2010 edition of the Superior Sawtooth 100 Mile Endurance Run. The National Weather Service was calling for rain throughout the night of the race but at the 8AM start it was a beautiful day with temps hovering around 50, ideal conditions for one of the most beautiful and humbling races in the country.

Having just finished the Lean Horse 100 twelve days prior, I wasn’t sure what to expect as I lined up toward the front of the pack. I had bounced back quickly from Lean Horse and put together several training runs to knock the rust loose. I had kept on a low-carb diet post, and had my usual high fat meals coming into Superior. My nephew Nolan Ming had come up from IL to run. We camped out near the finish line in my 1973 VW bus the night before the race and hitched a ride on the shuttle to get to the start.

Everything had come together well but there are some tough competitors every year at Superior. For this 51-year-old runner to have a good showing, I would have to do well in the 40 and over Men’s Masters, a division that included nearly half the field. As I often do I had to focus on just running my race and forgetting about everyone else. To counteract any uncertainty, I had many good things to think about. I had great support from Salomon and Vespa Power Products. I also had all the encouragement in the world from the Ely Track and Field Club donors who had helped me exceed my fundraising goal (see www.active.com/donate/running4thewolves for more info).

With bad weather forecast for the evening, I decided I would push a little harder through the day knowing that I would have to give some time back in the evening once it started raining. The lead pack went out quickly and not 10 minutes into the race I was running by myself with perhaps 15 runners ahead of me. I would run the entire race alone which is an ideal situation for me. I can focus on my technique, hydration and pace while enjoying the 102.5 miles of single track that lay ahead. In the first 10 miles, a few runners came up from behind so I stepped off the trail and let them go by. As in the past, chances were good that I would see many of them again. Many folks just don’t seem to know what they’re getting into when the come to Superior. Heck, it’s Minnesota: how tough could it be? Pretty tough.

The north shore of Lake Superior is lined by a ridge that creates about 25,000 feet of steep climbs and an equal amount of descent over boulder-strewn terrain. Mix in some mud holes and a generous amount tamarack roots and you’ve got a big task ahead. The upside of this race is the stunning scenery. To the southeast there are magnificent views of Lake Superior. To the Northwest there is the vast Superior National Forest. Add in overlooks at Bean and Bear Lakes and dozens of booming falls where rivers carve gorges in the granite and you’ve got a feast for the eyes that is worthy of admission.

Aid stations are mostly about 8-10 miles a part at Superior. As the race progressed they were coming quickly. Having decided to wear my Salomon XT Wings hydration pack, I only needed to stop at every 2nd or 3rd aid station for a refill so I passed through Split Rock and arrived at the mile 20 Beaver Bay aid station for refueling. The aid station workers are extremely helpful and quickly got my pack refilled with water while I grabbed a few more gel packs for the difficult journey to Tettegouche aid station 13 miles away. This section of the course is where a runner needs to relax as there are a number of long climbs and some very technical running through places with names like "the Drainpipe." Once reaching Tettegouche, things get a little more runable although there is still a lot of big climbs and descents. Coming into Tettegouche I really felt great and started to think maybe this whole thing was going to work out. If I just stayed calm until Section 13, the running would get easier and I could open it up a bit; at least until the Manitou River gorge at mile 64. I buzzed through Tettegouche and headed for the County Road 6 aid station.

It’s always tough getting to CR6. There are lots of climbs and false summits. When you finally reach the Sawmill Dome, the view is both breathtaking and ominous. From this point you can see almost every mountain you are going to have to climb through the night. Leaving Sawmill Dome it is only a couple miles from the CR6 aid station. It is a long descent along some unforgiving ridges. One wrong step and the descent, your race and, probably your life would be over quickly. I minded my step as I quickly progressed downhill.

At CR6 I reached my first drop bag. The weather had held up to the point so there was little I needed from it. I grabbed my headlamp, a few more gels and some grapes and quickly headed out for the climb up to Section 13; a local climbing area. Beyond Section 13, lay 18 miles of relatively good running. There were still plenty of roots and rock but relatively small hills. It wasn’t long before I arrived at Finland aid station – the half way point! I had made Finland is just under 12 hours; a little later than I had hoped but not bad. I passed a couple runners in the last 20 miles and a couple had passed me so I was about where I thought I needed to be.

At Finland I once again refilled my hydration pack and then set out for Sonju Lake. On the way to Sonju, the rain started a little cat-and-mouse game. It would sprinkle, then quit, then sprinkle again. Eventually, things were wet enough that I stopped and put on my XT Wings jacket. The little bit of rain made the tamarack knees very slippery and I found myself having trouble hopping through an area where I normally make pretty good time. I pulled into Sonju, grabbed some fruit and a PB&J and sat down to talk with the man with the clipboard. He briefed me on who was in front of me and how far. This was mile 58 and the first time I checked my position in the race. He reported 14 runners ahead of me with one close by. I thanked him and was on my way to Crosby-Manitou.

It wasn’t long before I caught the runner in front of me. Soon after that the rain started in earnest. It came down hard; it was very cold, and with the cold came a heavy fog. While not surprised by the weather, this did present some challenges. To keep from going hypothermic, I had to run fairly hard and yet the fog wouldn’t allow any rapid descents. Visibility with my headlamp was only a few yards. My eye sight isn’t what it used to be so it was easy to outrun my field of vision. So this began a long night of running off trail and falling on my backside as I tried to hit the brakes as quickly when the downhill trail broke to the left of right. This was cause for concern since many of these turns are there to avoid steep drop-offs. Most drop-offs marked with bold reflective signs. But at one point I found myself clinging to the rock as I peered over a 15-foot drop. What an attention getter! I arrived before I knew it at the Crosby-Manitou aid station in a downpour. Just as I stepped up to grab some fruit the tent decided to unload some icy rain water and it went right down my neck. I started shaking like I was operating a jack hammer. I had to get out of there quick. I headed for the Manitou River.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Dale's report next week.

The event starts with a run through the trails in Presidio led by members of the Salomon Trail Running Team from Spain, France, New Zealand, Germany, Poland and the U.S. 

The general public will have the opportunity to get to know the Salomon Trail Running Team personally while getting tips, product feedback and encouragement from some of the best mountain, trail and ultra-distance runners in the world. 

After the run, participants are invited to a cocktail hour at the store, where trail running guru and Salomon team captain Adam Chase will sign copies of his book, The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running.

Community Trail Run: Wednesday, December 1st 4:30pm

Cocktail Hour and Book Signing: 6-7pm

Sports Basement Presidio--610 Old Mason St. The Presidio, San Francisco, CA 94129

Contact: Justin Stekoll jstefoll@sportsbasement.com

Patty Prislin pprislin@sportsbasement.com 415.437.0100 

The Salomon Community Trail Summit continues the following day at Zombie Runner in Palo Alto with an evening clinic, discussion, book signing and social hour. Runners of all levels are invited to hear from industry experts on the latest in trail running philosophy, strategy, training tips and gear innovations. And, footwear experts will be on hand to offer custom shoe fitting and product advice. Runners will be able to mingle with the pros in a relaxed happy-hour setting with food and drinks available. Adam Chase will sign copies of The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running.

Run, Clinic, Discussion, Book Signing and Social Hour: Thursday, December 2nd 4:30pm

Zombie Runner--429 S. California Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306

Contact: Gillian Robinson gillian@zombierunner.com 650.325.2048

The Salomon Community Trail Summit is free and open to the public.

If you were to do a quick search of all of the things you shouldn't do before a marathon, you would find lists and lists of things ranging from eat different things to do big workouts. Usually, we do a nice taper, watch over every last detail and generally wander around in a weird taper induced mental state. But not for me, not this time.

Instead, I kept on as usual. Well, slightly less than usual. Since Tussey, I haven't brought back my second workouts of the day and have tried to keep my mileage relatively moderate. Last week, however, was a pretty hard week. After taking my usual Monday off, I hammered out the hardest track workout I've done in a while on Tuesday and followed it up in the evening with a hard training session with my trainer that included plenty of squats and lunges. Wednesday was a recovery day and my legs were singing and I don't mean that is a good way. By Thursday, my hamstrings and glutes were super tight and sore, so much so that it took most of the day to get me out the door to run. I almost didn't run because I was worried that if I did I might really ruin my run at Lithia. Ultimately, I got out the door and did another hard workout, tempo this time in 14 miles total. On Friday, I drove up to Ashland by myself. By the time I got there, my legs felt horrible. They were seriously tight and sore from the drive and I was actually worried that I was going to do really horribly and not be able to get my legs moving. While Lithia Loop was going to be a training race, it is still a race (and a race with money due to being the USATF National Championship) and I wanted to at least run it as a hard workout.

I spent about an hour stretching in the room of my hotel (Peerless Hotel, super cute) and ate a hearty meal of baked potato with vegetables and a huge vegetable salad from Greenleaf. I was happy to see they had take away since I didn't much feel like eating in a restaurant all by myself. By the time I went to bed, my legs were feeling better but not great. I was feeling no pre-race nerves and fell asleep just fine.

I woke up at 6am, gobbled up a small pb and banana sandwich, put on my race kit and got back into bed for another hour. I knew there was no reason to be super early to the race start (8am) and I also wanted to get a cup of coffee from Noble Coffee, which was recommended to me by Erik Skaggs, but didn't open until 7am. My legs felt okay and I was glad that at least they didn't feel like crap from the start....

... I did a quick warmup, chatted with friend Scott Dunlap and some others, then Hal gave a quick pre-race briefing and we were off. Up the big ass climb.

Pretty much the first 10.5 miles are uphill. Thankfully, I knew this and could pace accordingly. Hal sent us off and a huge group of men dashed out. Scott had told me he was going to aim for a sub-3 hr finish, so I knew that whatever speed he was going, I should NOT be going with him. I noticed two women go out ahead of me, right on Scott's heels and figured that things would shake out pretty quickly at that pace. Pretty soon, the two women ahead dropped behind me and I trucked along in the 8:30-9min/mile range. Slow and steady. I was running with Katie Caba and Melissa Shweisguth and just tried to be comfortable. They moved ahead of me, but I refused to change my strategy of going ultra speed up the hill. Last year, I survived the hill, the got to crank out tempo speed on the slightly downhill miles from 10.5-20 and then hammer the steep and technical (in places) final 6 miles. I was hoping that this strategy would again work and simply tried to suffer as little as possible up the climb. Katie moved ahead and Melissa dropped back and we chatted. She mentioned that "everyone has their strategy" for the race and I thought about it for a minute and considered if I did really have a strategy. At that point, Katie was in 1st and 2nd-5th place were all right there with me and I was kind of ready to be running by myself and according to how I felt. But alas, I had to make it to the top of the hill to shake out of a group of both men and woman. When we hit the aid station at mile 8, I passed off my gloves to Erik and dropped the pace a bit. I knew that the fire road continued to roll uphill, so I didn't push too hard...

...It is amazing how fast a marathon seems to go by when you are use to running 50 miles and beyond. Before I knew it, I was filling my bottle half way up and taking a swig of coke at the mile 20 aid station. From there, we dive down a steep hill and I cranked out a few sub 6 miles. I passed a handful of guys on the downhills. Thankfully the one part of my leg that wasn't really sore was my quads which allowed me to float down the hills. I worked my way through the very technical gnarly section from mile 24-25 (passing another guy) then hit the road, eager to be done. It was indeed a hard workout and I was ready for it to be over.

Learning from last year (and how I nearly caught 2nd place in the last mile), I was slightly paranoid that another girl was going to do that to me. I kept checking over my shoulder, just in case. I didn't want to relinquish 2nd place at that point since I was pretty proud of that considering how messed up I felt coming into the race. I was able to cruise out the last mile pretty strong and finished in 3:28:36, a full 10 minutes slower than last year and in 2nd place. Katie had run a great race (her first marathon since Lithia Loop 2008!) and finished in 3:23:12.

I got in the car, drove the 5.5 hours home to SF and by the time I got home, my legs were so sore, I walked like a cowboy. But after a nice long walk to and from dinner, the soreness disappeared, the tiredness subsided and I was left with nothing but warm fuzzy feelings for following up my National Championship in the 50 miler with a 2nd place finish just a few short weeks later. A satisfying workout indeed.

I hate to miss the Arkansas Traveller. In 2007, it was my first 100 mile run. I’ve run it every year since with my best time coming in 2008 when I finished in 23:46. Having had some fantastic races this year, I felt it was possible to improve on my course record. Would my fourth attempt prove to be my best or would I crater from the stress of running three 100’s within the last 5 weeks? Either way, I would be surrounded by good friends at one of the best organized races in the country. Every year the Traveller has 250+ experienced volunteers supporting 100-140 runners. I love this event!

My wife Peggy and I packed up our 1973 VW Bus and took off. The bus would allow us to save some money since we could eat meals and camp where we landed as we made the 1200 mile journey south. The always comfortable and sometimes dependable VW got us where we needed to go and Friday morning I secured a camp site at Lake Sylvia in the Ouachita National Forest and then checked in for the race. I was thrilled to see race directors Stan and Chrissy Ferguson. In the afternoon there was the always entertaining pre-race briefing and then I returned to our campsite where Peggy and I dined my pre-race favorite: ribeye steak and a baked potato with lots and lots of butter. Once dinner was over we retired to the bus and got a decent night’s sleep.

Waking at 4AM, I topped off my tank with some blueberries and cream, a cup of green tea and Vespa Amino Acid Supplement. Then I suited up and jogged over to the starting area about ½ mile away. The weather was going to be perfect with low humidity, highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the upper 40’s. After picking up my bib number, I got a chance to socialize with friends while waiting the start.

When we finally got called to the starting line I decided to line up toward the front just to see if I could hold the pace for a while. The first 8 miles of the Traveller are run on roads so there wasn’t a chance of me interfering with faster runners should I not be able to keep pace. When the starting pistol broke through the din of the nervous runners, we were off. It felt good running the moonlit roads and I found a light was not necessary. After a few miles the pace comfortable with only a half dozen runners ahead of me so that is where I stayed as the race progressed.

The Traveller is primarily an out-and-back run so I set up with two drop bags. I intended to access each one only once (at mile 32 and 68) to retrieve Vespa pouches, S-Caps, Hammer Gels and a head lamp if they weren’t available at the aid stations. However, I could also access them at miles 48 and 84 should the weather change and I needed extra clothes. I chose to wear a Salomon Exo Wings shirt and XA shorts for the comfort they provide in a wide range of temps. I also chose XT Wings shoes for the protection they would provide from the small rocks on the forest service roads. I also suited up with Exo Calf sleeves because, . . they work!

At mile 32 I reached the Lake Winona aid station and was well ahead of my pace of any previous attempt at the Traveller. I felt good and was running well but knew there were still a lot of miles ahead so I tried to maintain a steady pace and move through the aid stations quickly. In 9:45, I reached the Powerline aid station and the first medical check. I had been really pushing the water and S-Caps but felt I was falling behind a bit. I’ve never really had much problem with weigh-ins and fortunately that would be the case this time as well. I was only down ½ lb so I retrieved my water bottle and took off for the turnaround.

Approaching; and then leaving the Turnaround aid station, a runner can get a handle on their position in the race. I found that I had 6 runners in front of me and 2 very close behind me. Two of the 6 in front didn’t look too good so I thought I would be seeing them very soon. The two behind me both looked very strong and I felt I might see them again too. It was too early in the race to really start pushing the pace so I just maintained what had felt good up till now. Within 5 miles I had moved up to 4th place. Leaving the Powerline Aid Station with just 32 miles to go, I had a runner come in just as I was leaving. He looked strong so I took off running all the way to B.M. Road aid station 2.5 miles away. Then I ran over the top of Smith Mountain and down through the next two aid stations as the course was predominately downhill. Arriving at the Club Flamingo aid station I still felt pretty strong so I pushed hard through Pig Trail and on to Lake Winona where I would pass my final medical check and head for the finish.

From Lake Winona on, the last 16 miles of the race comes at you with the first 8 miles being primarily rocky and uphill and the last 8 miles being primarily downhill and smooth. My energy was falling off a bit so I decided I would take it easy the next 8 miles and save what I had for a charge in the final 8 miles. This decision played out in the most interesting way. In the last 16 miles I never saw another runner but as I left the final aid station with 6.5 miles to go, I heard the aid station volunteers yelling as a runner came in not 5 minutes behind me. I took off. If the runner behind me caught up with me that was okay, as long as I was giving it all I had to get to the end. About 2 miles from the end the relatively smooth jeep road dips into a rocky stream crossing and although the stream was nearly dry, the footing is still a bit tricky. I thought that I should be a little careful but that thought no more had crossed my mind and I found myself face down in the dirt. It stung a bit but I was uninjured. I stood up and peered back into the darkness. Seeing no one approaching I put my headlamp back on took off again for the finish.

As I neared the finish the dirt gave way to pavement and the flicker of the finish line lights could be seen through the trees. I rounded the last curve and looked back and to my satisfaction there was no one there. After being chased for the last 40+ miles, I crossed the finish line in 21:15 and was 4th overall and 1st in the 50+ crowd. What pleased me the most was the fact that I had improved on my course record by 2 ½ hours. The younger runner that had been giving chase came in about 5 minutes later. His pacer told me they had been gaining on me since Lake Winona but knew I still had gas in the tank at the end. It was a fun finish.

I returned to the campground, showered up and took a nap before coming back to the finish. There I would congratulate other runners and have a fantastic breakfast. Stan and Chrissy as usual had a first rate awards ceremony where everyone gets a well deserved hand for a job well done. As is often the case, one or two runners will finish as the ceremony is underway and these runners arrive to the biggest cheers of all. It was a wonderful day at one of my favorite places. I can’t wait to go back again next year and try for the 5-time finisher award. But for the moment, I have to decide, . . . was this the end of my 2010 running season or do I have another one in me. Perhaps the Ozark Trail 100. Heck it’s 5 weeks away. How much rest does one need?

Arriving in Agentina last Wendesday, Kilian prepared for the Marathon de Montana by training around Lake Nahuel Huapi in Patagonia. With a warm reception from local racers, Kilian met many fans as well as the Governor of Neuquen, Jorge Sapag. 

The Argentina Adventure Marathon was the Final Adventure of the K42 Adventure Marathon Series and the biggest trail race in Agentina. With more than 2,200 competitors, insiders report that almost half the racers wore Salomon apparel or footwear. 

Kilian said, "After two weeks of skiing, I returned to running shoes to take the K42 in Villa la Angostura, Patagonia, Argentina. A very fast race but with a beautiful landscape on Lake Nahuel Huapi and the Andes."

Kilian won the race in just 3 hours 8 minutes, ahead of Giliard Pinheiros and fellow Salomon teammate Gustavo Reyes. Click here to see all the results.

Catching up with Anna Frost, 28, of New Zealand (she’s based in Wales), around the bonfire at the GORE-TEX TransRockies Run was just like Anna herself — full of laughs, thoughtful and super fast. Frost had just won the women’s division of the inaugural Run 3 event, but wasn’t too wiped out to teach me how to make a "frosty special," her signature unroasted s’mores (a fresh marshmallow between two pieces of chocolate).

"She totally exudes the mountain trail running lifestyle," says Salomon teammate Adam Chase. "We joke that she has three lungs, two for running and one for talking."

Anna Frost poses with her TransRockies Run 3 trophy.

Frost arrived in the U.S. in August to test her Kiwi running mettle at two grueling events. First was the iconic Pike’s Peak Ascent in Manitou Springs, Colo., where Frost took third place in the women’s division. One day later, she lined up in Buena Vista with 300 other runners for the start of the GTTR and Run 3, the inaugural three-day version of the GORE-TEX TransRockies Run, winding through the Colorado Rockies, from Buena Vista to Beaver Creek. Frost took top prize on the three-day, 59-mile course, with a combined time of 8:32:06.

"I played field hockey from the age of 6 to 20, as well as trying rowing, rugby and triathlon — basically, I did anything to get out of class," says Frost with a laugh. "I’ve always been active and loved being outside."

Frost turned her attention to running in 2000, when she started racing road 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons and even triathlons. Her first mountain race was the New Zealand National Championships in 2004. Frost qualified for worlds in Italy after just one race, and uphill running became her specialty.

"I prefer 9-15K races — the steeper, the better," says Frost.

At worlds, she fell in love with the people, the travel and the international scene. She signed on for the international racing circuit in 2005. Her routine includes spending six months of the year traveling around Europe, racing and living in her van. The other six months, she returns to New Zealand to teach physical education and do other sports-related jobs. She went pro in 2008 and was signed by Team Salomon.

"The Salomon Team is incredible," says Frost. "I absolutely buzz after being around them, with their energy, enthusiasm and passion for our sport."

When Frost has a race on the horizon, she generally dedicates 6 to 12 weeks to race-specific training. But this year, with running the Pike’s Peak Ascent and Run 3, she has taken a more relaxed approach.

"I was ready to try different races, to test myself with new distances and explore more locations," says Frost. "I’m having fun and relishing in my passion for the sport of trail running and racing without too many restrictions."

Nick Halliday, a 13-year-old trail runner who lives in Utah and is a big fan of all things Salomon, wrote the following about his trail running:

You don't just decide to start trail running.  You have to make a commitment. It might seem like people who trail run could really care less whether than ran today or not. But if you’re a committed trail runner, you want to be on the trail all the time anytime, anywhere. The reason you have to make a commitment is because once you start...you can't stop! You start out running two times a week but you start feeling a longing for the trail, so you go more and more!! When you road run you can't just walk a steep hill, you have to suffer through it because everyone is so dang competitive. When your racing a or just running the trails it doesn't matter if you walk a steep hill.

It's just about being out there and having the best time of your life. The trail runners in a community get to know each other and see each other often. You might make new friendships, and gain some good running partners. Its great sharing your passion with another person, it gives you the chance to challenge yourself and have a fun run!

Do you think you would have that in road running? From my personal experience you make no friends on the road, it’s all about competition.

I trail run for the joy of being in the woods, splashing through streams, climbing up steep hills, and just being out there knowing you have more trail to explore. It’s the best feeling when you complete a trail run, better than winning the school spelling bee. It feels like you just accomplished some amazing feat and can't wait to do it again. So if you read this and you don't trail run and want to try, grab a pair of Salomon trail shoes, a water bottle, and a big handful of self confidence and go have fun!!

Ross McMahan, the "Rock Star Husband" Delivers Big in Tahoe.

Sarah McMahan proudly reports on her "rock star husband" because Ross McMahan is not very good at bragging about his results but, according to Sarah, "he's killing it right now!" 

And, indeed, he is.  Since taking the 80+ division with Ted Russell at TransRockies Run, Ross has won the Northstar Uphill Run by over 4 minutes, and on Sept. 4th we took second overall at the  Kirkwood Mtn Run.  On Sept. 11. Ross ran his first 60k race, the Lake of the Sky Trail Run, which is an out-and-back run on the scenic Tahoe Rim Trail from  the Tahoe City Trailhead towards Brockway Summit.  The majority of the trail is a narrow two-foot wide path with up to a 10% grade, although there are some steeper and rockier sections, especially near Mt. Watson. 

Total Distance -- 36.4 miles
Highest Point -- 7890' (0.9 mi from Watson Lake towards Tahoe City)
Lowest Point -- 6360' (Start/Finish)
Climb/Descent -- about 5500'/5500'

Ross' goal was to finish under six hours.  He won in 5:58:52.  Way to spare that eight seconds, Ross!  Second place was only two minutes back and third was only 40 seconds behind second.

Meanwhile, Sarah, at 7.5 months pregnant ran 1 hour 10 minutes over the weekend and reports that she is "still going!"

A Team That Feels Like A Family

As Team Salomon runners assemble from as far as Catalonia and France and as close as Incline Village, NV and San Francisco, CA, what will soon be the largest ensemble of members begins to take shape here in Squaw Village near the shores of Lake Tahoe, California.  In less than two days the 4am gun will go off to launch the start of the Western States 100 and Team Salomon will be there in full force.

Kilian Jornet, who needs no introduction, has been here for a few days already, scouting the course via mountain bike with Gregory Vollet, from France.  Greg, an accomplished runner himself, was a pro mountain biker who came very close to representing France in the Olympics so Kilian was in fine company in his reconnaissance or “reccy” or “recognizing” mission. 

Devon Crosby-Helms has already seen the course because she paced part of it last year and has made the trip from San Fran to do some early scouting.  Glen Redpath, who is here from New York City, is familiar with the course because he’s raced it and raced it well in the past.  If he and Devon put on the solid performances that they are capable of and trained for, they both stand to win the Montrail Ultra Cup because they’ve had so much success this season in their outstanding ultra performances.

Sadly, our fourth Team Salomon Western States racer, last year’s winner Anita Ortiz, had to undergo knee surgery last week and, understandably, has stayed home to nurse herself to a quick and full recovery. 

To help this trio, teammates have come from Utah, Colorado, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada and California.  Ted Russell and his TransRockies Teammate, Ross McMahan will be on hand for some quick pacing, as will Rickey Gates, who qualified for the US Mountain Running Team last week at Mt. Washington, and Eric Bohn, who was third place at the US Trail Half Marathon two weeks ago. 

Other Mt. Washington runners, Caitlin Smith and Sara Wagner will also be at the ready, as will Josh Korn, who can throw in some good humor mixed with Nordic VO2max prowess, should anyone need it.  When we aren’t pacing, we’ll be busy supporting our runners and cheering along the entire field in this momentous 100-mile journey.  To keep abreast of the progress, tune in on the Salomon Running page on Facebook, as we’ll be posting updates before and during the race.  And know that you are an important part of the Salomon running family.

Chuck Kipp completed his first marathon at the age of 50, in 1976.  He participated in his first triathlon in 1982.  Since then, Kipp has completed approximately 70 marathons, triathlons, and duathlons, placing in the top five for his age, qualifying for five U.S. Triathlon Championships, winning his age group in the National Duathlon Championship, and was named to Triathlon Today’s All American Team.  Kipp trains year round with his local running club, competes in high altitude trail races, climbs some of the nation’s highest mountains, cross-country skis and snowshoes in the winter, and even enters snowshoe races.  He is also active in his community as a volunteer trail guide, a wheel-chair race coordinator, and serves as a board member on several senior organizations.

What sports or athletic endeavors did you pursue in high school?  Did you continue those sports and, if so, to what level?

Kipp: I played football, basketball, baseball while growing up and was captain of my high school football and basketball teams and named All New England Prep in football.  I played varsity football in college for two years and switched to wrestling for the final two years.

In what sports do you currently participate?  How much time do you devote to those endeavors in a typical week?  Do you receive any coaching in those sports?  Do you read any special books or publications that are sport specific?

Kipp: I run and hike an average of four to five hours a week of each, adding more hours of hiking in the summer, when I concentrate on altitude training.  I do not receive any coaching or read specialized literature.

What, if any, effect has aging had on your athletic performance?  How do you adjust your training and/or racing to accommodate those effects?  Have you suffered any sports-related injuries and, if so, what did you do for recovery?

Kipp: I feel my sports related injuries have more to do with the decline of my fitness level than my aging process.  Most of us deteriorate much faster during down time than when we are active.  I injured my Achille’s tendon during one of my peak seasons when I failed to give it time to heal properly and eventually had to give up doing triathlons because I got so far behind the other competitors.  I have learned that if you can manage to stay fit the law of attrition will help you to win races.

How important is diet in your athletic lifestyle?  What special foods do you eat?  Do you take any supplements?  Do you stay away from certain foods?  How long have you followed your current dietary and nutritional regime?  How did you come up with that diet?  Do you read any literature or publications for additional information about new foods, supplements, etc.?

Kipp: I don’t put any emphasis on my diet relative to my daily life.  Several years after I started running, in the mid-seventies, I lost my appetite for meat products.  Since then, I eat predominantly fruit, chicken, and fish because those products are what I like.  I take dietary supplements daily and don’t read any related literature.

Between the age of 40 and 50 I practiced yoga on a fairly advanced level.  After I started running and training for marathons, I pretty much phased out of yoga.  I still do some breathing exercises every morning.  I do some light handweight work every other day, and stretching exercises daily to keep my lower back flexible.

Do you stretch and/or participate in any flexibility training such as yoga or similar arts?  Do you lift weights, “resistance train” or cross-train to help strengthen specific muscles? 

Kipp:  Several years ago, following neck surgery (three discs removed), I started having lower back problems.  It was diagnosed as severe stenosis in my lumbar region.  A friend referred me to a local chiropractor.  Thanks to that doctor’s weekly adjustments and advice for self-treatment at home, I continue to enjoy the sports in which I want to be active.

Do you see any health or medical practitioners in connection with the enhancement or maintenance of your athletic pursuits?  This includes massage, chiropractic, physical therapists, acupuncturists, and other healing arts.  What, if anything have those professionals done for you?

Kipp:  Set realistic goals for yourself.  Get some good advice on how to achieve them, an set a long enough timeline to avoid getting injured.  If what you are doing isn’t satisfying, do something else.

If you had one piece of advice to pass on to those who are just entering their athletic life, what would it be?

Kipp:  Get Involved.  In most communities, seniors can be about as busy as they want to be.  Stay Fit.  It will enhance your enjoyment of everything you do.

Can you think of anything else you want to pass on to those who are interested in changing their lives with a goal towards fitness and better health?

Kipp:  Read “D.A.R.E. To Be 100” by Walter m. Bortz II, M.D.  He offers a four-part formula for increasing your odds of a longer and fuller life.  “D” is for diet.  “A” is for attitude.  “R” is for renewal.  And “E” is for exercise.

Duct tap, the field cure-all, is so highly regarded that backcountry gurus chant: “If you can’t duct it, _uck it.”  As Neal Beidleman, one of the saviors on the ill-fated Everest expedition that became the subject of Into Thin Air, puts it, “If it can’t be fixed with duct tape, it can’t be fixed and isn’t worth bringing home anyway . . ..  Leave it out there for the coyotes.”  Beidleman has found that his philosophy weeds out the real medical problems from the fake ones.  

Jeremy Rodgers, an adventure racer and sports medicine specialist, has used duct tape as a backcountry fix for such maladies as shin splints, Achilles tendonitis, broken ribs, sprained ankles, sore lower backs, and separated shoulders.  Rodgers broke several ribs following a high-speed somersault crash on his bike during an adventure race that left him suffering to gasp at even the smallest breath.  Knowing he still had hundreds of miles of paddling, climbing, and riding ahead, he improvised with duct tape.  “Regardless of whether the ribs are just bruised or mildly broken, applying tension with multiple overlapping strips of duct tape to the injured ribs to stabilize the ribs will give some relief for breathing.  I was worried about my condition because rib injuries can include partial collapse of a lung, a life-threatening complication.”  Fortunately, the tape job did the trick.

Rodgers, together with Sassin, and Joe Kulak, a top-ranked ultramarathoner, sing a chorus of praise when it comes to duct tape for fixing hot spots and blistered feet.  Sassin, who has had many a teammate suffer from blisters, has found that popping the blister and applying duct tape over the area kept her teammates going for days without reapplication.  Kulak has used duct tape on heel blisters to keep him going in two of his top-five Leadville 100 finishes.  “Nothing sticks to the skin like good old fashioned duct tape.  It’s much stickier and more durable then any medical tape or gauze.   However, these same attributes also caused severe pain after the races.  The problem was that when it came to removing the tape, I ended up pulling off multiple layers of skin.  The well-earned post-race bathtub soak became reminiscent of an R-rated horror flick, with the water turning into a nasty stew of dirt, blood and dead skin.  Red and swollen like melons, I couldn’t put my feet back into my shoes for almost a week.”

  

Adventure racer Robyn Benicasa applied duct tape to her and her teammate Jamie Monroe’s calves to stave off abrasions and friction/chaffing wounds that they suffered during the 2002 MSOQ in Malaysia.  “Robyn hooked me up and herself every morning with duct tape around our calves where chaffing from the plastic kayaks had dug in. It was a great fix for the race because it allows you to focus on racing without nagging annoyances like flesh scraping off on the side of the kayak. The downside of course is taking the duct tape off at the end of the day, which I recommend doing in a hot shower with liberal amounts of soap and hopefully a high tolerance for pain.”

 

Bill Hilty, M.D., a volunteer staff physician for PrimalQuest Adventure Race when it was in Telluride, recommends duct tape as a field fix for twisted ankles.  His specific tape method forms a “U” stirrup, without taping circumferentially to allow for continued swelling.  According to Dr. Hilty, the duct tape technique “is almost as strong as a cast and will allow most athletes to continue on with less pain and without significant further injury.”

Charley Shimanski, President of Colorado chapter of the American Alpine Club, notes that backcountry users have almost always kept a stash of duct tape on their ski poles or ice axes in case it was necessary for that desperately needed quick repair job.  Shimanski, however, got turned on to what he thinks is a superior product when he was working on a film project in the Alps and a cameraman revealed the wonders of gaffer’s tape.  “You see the problem with duct tape — especially for rescue geeks who keep their stuff in the back of the SUV all year long — is that it does not withstand freeze-thaw-bake cycles such as what happens over the course of a year.”  Gaffers tape, although more expensive than duct tape, has a greater tensile strength than duct tape and, because it sticks by way of natural rubber adhesive, it does not gum-up as does duct tape does, even after numerous freeze-thaw-bake cycles.

Iron Maiden, music to some and noise to others, hit their stride with the lyrics of “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner” which read as follows:

Tough of the track,
With the wind,
And the rain that's beating down on your back.
Your heart's beating loud
And goes on getting louder
And goes on even more till the sound
Is ringing in your head,
With every step you tread,
And every breath you take,
Determination makes
You run,
Never stop,
Gotta win, gotta run till you drop,
Keep the pace,
Hold the race,
Your mind is getting clearer,
You're over halfway there but the miles
Just never seem to end
As if you're in a dream,
Not getting anywhere.
It seems so futile.

Chorus:
Run, on and on,
Run, on and on,
The loneliness of the long distance runner.

I've got to keep running the course,
I've got to keep running and win at all costs,
I've got to keep going, be strong,
Must be so determined and push myself on.

Run over stiles, across fields,
Turn to look at who's on your heels,
Way ahead of the field,
The line is getting nearer but do
You want the glory that goes,
You reach the final stretch,
Ideals are just a trace,
You feel like throwing the race,
It's all so futile.

But, are long distance runners really lonely? 

Well, yes, some might be, but for the vast majority the answer is that they are alone and choose to be.  Running is a form of meditation for many.  It is a time to have internal conversations and that requires solitude.  It is a time to commune with nature and that is hard to do when you are carrying on a conversation with another runner.  It is a time to push your personal threshold and that is hard to do while running the pace of another. 

Sure, running with others is also magical but there is something sacrosanct about the solo experience of a long run.  It isn’t a lonely at all.

Continuing from her Part I of Devon's Miwok 100k story:

...Brett and Thomas passed me just past the aid station and one other guy did too. I was trying to get my head back in the game, but my head was worrying about the bigger picture, the repercussions of a bum foot for states. I ran when it felt good which was sporadic and focused on making sure I was taking calories so that I didn't bonk on top of hobbling and cramping. Yes cramping, it started about 4 miles after the aid station right under my rib cage. Exactly when I was slated for a salt tab. I just kept running. I saw Gary, my buddy and house guest for the weekend, walking back towards me. He was dropping. I felt for him. He is a brilliant runner and did not make that choice lightly. I pondered my own idea of dropping for a while after that. I resolved that I would not, unless injured.  Period.

I was nearly to the gate for the 1.5 mile descent to the Randall aid station when I saw Anton cruising comfortably back towards me. We exchanged friendly hellos as we passed, I told him he was looking awesome and he was. Comfortable, easy. Impressive. When he gets it right, he gets it right. Next came my buddy Mike Wardian, he was making chase but didn't have the twinkle Anton did. Then Hal. I made it to the gate. The runners coming back at me were a nice distraction and motivation for getting my butt back in the game. I started descending, looking forward to seeing Nathan.

I came around a corner and there he was, cruising strong up the hill, looking even and smooth as Anton did. I was so excited for him, he is really coming into his own and hasn't really even begun to scratch the surface yet. A quick kiss and we were off. I resolved that I should be nicer, sweeter, happier. After all, this is suppose to be fun. Even a rougher day should not dampen my spirits, I am out in my favorite place doing my favorite thing on a beautiful perfect sunny day. Down down down. Finally I see Kami. I note in time where she is and mark it for reference for the way back.

I get to the aid station, suck down some salt tabs, do a quick debriefing of the 20 or so volunteers as to what a Gel-bot is and am on my way out of the aid station. I loitered a bit long there. Probably 3 minutes. But it was worth it, I ate a slice of watermelon that tasted like heaven. I was experimenting with taking a Vespa Jr every 3 hours and a Hyper Vespa every 3 hours alternating (so I was taking a Vespa every 1.5 hours). I took in only 200 calories in the 14 mile out and back on Bolinas and my energy was good. I had been focusing on taking gel about 10 minutes before I would start a climb and it really made a difference getting the sugar in my blood before the climb, for the most part. The climb back up to the ridge was rough.

I was not as strong as I liked and my shiny new attitude took a lot of work. I still greeted every runner coming down to the turnaround. Finally, I saw the next gal. Jenn. I wagered she was about 13-15 minutes back. Then Darcy, another 2. Then the ladies came in rapid succession. I climbed and climbed, running, walking, hiking, clawing to the top. I saw Jonathan coming towards me and my heart leapt for joy! He was doing so well! Then Krissy. Two friends in a row worth of hugs and cheers gave me a boost. I worked for the top.

But on the ridge again, I was feeling a lull. The climb had me wanting for more salt. It was hot. I was about 5 miles until the aid station, my crew, my pacer. It's the time in the race when you stop thinking about competition. You stop thinking about the race. You start thinking about surviving. My legs felt good, I wasn't bonking, my head was clear (except of negative thoughts), I just couldn't get it together.

I was in the netherrealm. I had gone so far, but had so much more to go. I got passed on the ridge, by 4-5 guys. I just let them go. They tried to encourage me, I just cheered them on. I continued to cheer for each and every runner than was headed outbound too. They were coming more and more rapidly and I focused on them. Suddenly about mile 39, everything stopped hurting. My foot was fine, I was a bit parched and crampy from want of salt but I was actually good.

I did a quick body check. Holy hell, I feel better! That is what I love about ultrarunning, you give it a few more miles and everything will change. I picked up the pace. I had be languishing. I had been slow. I had lost a significant amount of time, probably damn near 10 more minutes on Kami. I was certain Jenn was sneaking up on me.

But things changed. I just started feeling better and better and better. While I was pleasantly surprised, I am not surprised. For some reason I feel the strongest at the end of my runs. All of my training has been that way. I come back from the dead. I just started running.

My sister didn't tell me until much later after the race how worried she had been for me when I didn't arrive, when others arrived who had been behind me. But I came into Bolinas Fairfax Road renewed and picked up a new bottle (with my salts), sucked down some Coke and picked up Caitlin. I was so excited to have company. And she was an absolute blessing. She encouraged me, she told me that this last 20 miles was all me. She said it was my kind of terrain and she was absolutely right. I started speeding up. We cruised the ridge back to Pantoll swiftly, with me in front, Caitlin encouraging and cheering me from behind. I felt renewed confidence. The thoughts of dropping were gone. My foot felt great, my body strong. I was "I've run 50 miles" tired, but still able to keep pushing. Like the last 12 miles of Lake Sonoma, I felt like a new person.

I charged into Pantoll, got my bottle from my sister and took a few swigs of coke. Flat coke is my fav on a hot day. I got in and out quickly and noted (a half mile outside of the aid station) that I had just run a sub 7:40 50 miler. Not stellar, but not bad either. We started down the long descent from Pantoll and I cruised. My legs felt easy and strong. My quads took the long downhill as if they had no miles on them at all. It made me smile to have my legs feel that good. I took some more gel as we got close to the bottom to power me up the climb. We crossed the road, followed the trail and did the quick left turn up Miwok. I looked at the sign post as we began the ascent. It was 1.7 miles to the next aid station.

I felt good running up. I was running uphill at this point. I know this section, I have tirelessly train on this course and this 1.7 miles of up, I have never ran in its entirety. Until race day. I powered it. I felt smooth and steady. I was taking back time and I knew it. I knew that no one would be able to catch me. My confidence for the day (and even more so for the future) bolstered. I kept telling myself as we worked towards the top "I can't wait to tell Nathan I ran all the way up Miwok!". And I did it. We crested the ridge and sailed into the Highway 1 aid station.

I grabbed some Gu Chomps and a coke while my bottle was refilled, took another salt. Victor told me that Nathan was in fourth and looking strong and smooth. I knew he was nearly finished. Caitlin and I headed out on the fire road on what I call the "just kiddings". It looks like you only have a short way to go to connect to Coyote, but "just kidding!" the trail cuts back several times. It looks so close, yet so far away. I was powering though and excited. Caitlin was an amazing pacer. I realized on the run that I have only been paced once before, back at Vermont 100. I have paced and paced and paced other people, but haven't had an occasion to have once since VT100. They make such a difference. I am infinitely grateful to Caitlin for her encouragement, cheering, pacing and friendship. It made a profound difference.

Along the ridge I passed two runners which felt good. I got to the top of Coyote and cruised down to Tennessee Valley. Though I knew as I arrived there to my smiling, happy, excited sister that I was 3.7 miles away from the finish. It didn't sink in. I just felt like I was going to continue on and on forever, but in a good way. We headed out of the aid station and up Old Springs. I hiked, I ran, I powered, I celebrated. I didn't try to hammer. I just floated on the feeling of having a huge turn around in the last 20 miles. We crested Old Springs, ran along Miwok and turned up Wolf Ridge for the last brutal climb to the top. It is steep, so steep. I rarely run it on a good day. I don't think I have ever run it. It is a serious grade. I hiked it. The top meant freedom, the top meant done. The top meant I had 1.3 miles of downhill celebration. I ran the middle section then just near the top it kicks up again. I huffed, I puffed and hiked it hard. With about 100 meters to the top I exclaimed, "fuck this motherfucker" and ran as hard as I could, my legs responding easily.

The top!! It felt so good. I let out a primal yell like is typical of my Thursday crew. Caitlin told me that I should feel free to drop her on the descent :) I ran down, down, down. My legs feeling awesome. I wanted to cry. I wanted to laugh. It was such an amazing feeling. I could see the finish. I could feel the finish. I couldn't wait to see all of my friends who had run so well from my crew, couldn't wait to see how awesome Nathan had did, couldn't wait to give my sister a big hug of thank you. Couldn't wait to feel that moment of accomplishment. Down, down, down. Faster and faster. I hit the corner and turned into the parking lot, sprinting to the finish. I crossed the line 2nd woman, in 9:36.

You pass that chalk line in the parking line and the whole experience simultaneously sinks in and is forgotten. I can't believe I just ran 62 miles. Wait did I just run 62 miles (and feel this good!?!). I hugged everyone. I relished in the moment and thought of "wow, each and everyone of us, look how far we went. Look at the journey". I feel that way from first place to last place, we all share the journey. The things we experience on that journey are incredible. I am so proud of this race because I did stuff wrong, I handled it, I kept going. I learned, I enjoyed. I ran. It was a beautiful day.

It was a faster repeat of last year when Team Salomon runner, Lindasy Krause crossed the line a minute faster than she did last year, despite the muddy track.  Winning the May 1, Greenland Trail Race, which took place on Saturday May 1st, 2010, Krause showed she's in top form going into this  year's season.  

The race was sold out with 500 participates running either 8 miles, 25K, or 50K.  The wide, smooth, double loop 25K course had awesome views of Pikes Peak and the Colorado Front Range.  The brisk spring morning and fickle Colorado weather left the trail with snow packed and muddy sections over the 7,400 foot saddle called "Kipps loop." 

As Krause puts it, "those awesome Salomon Speed Cross 2 shoes knew just how to handle in the mud and snow!  The first loop, I was able to run with a few men in 55 minutes; however, the second loop was a little lonely as the 8 milers finished, leaving fewer runners on the trail.  I finished the 15.5 mile trail run in 1:55 minutes; one minute faster than last years win.  I was the first female runner to cross the finish line, 12 minutes in front of the next female 25K finisher.  It felt awesome to get my first trail run win under my belt for the season."

... [Continued from previous post.]
Coming back through the start/finish area, I got what I needed from my wife, Jessica, and I was out of there. Back down the access road to the trailhead I saw Mike coming off the trail. I probably had around two minutes on him at this point. He was still hanging in there and I once again decided to hold back a bit. To see if he was going to get it together and catch back up. I dialed it back on a couple more of the steep muddy hills. If Mike was going to catch back up. Then I figured I could just let him take the lead again and I could hang and wait before I put in the move.

The last time I saw Mike was on a short loop around in the trail where the trail going out almost overlaps the trail coming back in. We both hit the spot where the trail overlaps right at the same time. That was all the confirmation I needed: I figured it took me about five minutes to run that little section. So that's what I figured I had on him at that point. I thought well, that's as good as it's going to get. So I put my head down and just started running. I wasn't worrying about where Mike was anymore and was completely focused on what I needed to keep doing to get to the finish line strong.

I had a quick stop and go at the Lands End aid station, topping off the bottle with Heed and grabbing a handful of M&M's. I was doing real good at the aid stations, spending less than a minute at any one of them. Out of Lands End, I kept telling myself to keep moving forward. This next section was where the real mud began and I was either going to keep it together through here or lose my mind in the mud and sabotage all the hard work I had done up to that point.

Halfway through the toughest part I slipped and slid my way up the hill to the KUS (Kansas Ultrarunners Society's) aid station. Again Jessica met me there with what I needed and I was out. She asked if I needed anything and I just said get back to the finish I would be there in a little while.

Heading back west now, towards the finish, I started to get excited about the prospect of actually maybe pulling this thing off. With every step closer, the harder and harder it was to keep from thinking about it. I finally stopped thinking about it when around 10km to go. My left calf started to give little hints here and there that it may seize up at anytime. Keeping my pace wasn't as easy as it was a mile or two before and I actually felt like I was starting to work a bit. So I walked the very next hill I came to and took that break to pop a couple of extra S-Caps and chug down some more Heed. Then I started off at a slow pace again.

The twinges in my left calf subsided but only just in time for me to make my one and only mental mistake of the day. With five miles to go sliding down a muddy slope, I caught a root with my left foot and went airborne. The only place for me to go was in the brush. I probably flew about 8 -10 feet through the air then landed smack flat on my stomach. I laid there stunned for a second or two. Then I made a quick injury check. I realized everything was O.K. and got up and started running again. Man the adrenaline was flowing now. Once I started running again I noticed that I was running the fastest I'd run the entire race, averaging sub-8-minute miles for the last five in the mud.

Coming into the last aid station with around three miles to go I could smell the barn. Grab and go and out. A mile to go now and I could feel the energy from the finish. I took one last look over my shoulder to see if Mike or anyone caught back up to me. Nope. Coast was clear. With a half mile to go I could hear the finish line. All I could do now was think about how I was going to cross the line.

Coming across the line all I could think of was to point to the Salomon logo on my chest. The way a professional cyclist would after he steals a race or a stage victory he wasn't supposed to win. I slowed down to a stop after crossing the line and hunched over at the waist. Bad Ben put the gold around my neck for the second year in a row and congratulated me. He told me that was one of the smartest races that he had ever seen me run. Saying he noticed a change in my attitude from this year compared to last year. I agreed.

He was right too. There has been a change in my attitude over the past year. A change that can only be attributed to the feeling I get from being sponsored by the good folks at Salomon. It's a good feeling to be able to toe the line these days, knowing I have the full confidence and support from the greatest bunch of trail gurus in the business. Every time I throw on that jersey and lace up my Speedcross2s I feel a sense of pride that says, “This is what I stand for. This is who I am.”  It felt really good to be able to give back with a victory and represent the folks at Salomon who have been giving me so much already.

Miramoto Musashi a 16TH century strategist on combat, tactics and philosophy wrote in his Book of the Five Rings that. "It is harmful to do the same thing several times in the course of combat. You can do the same thing twice but never three times."

In the past six weeks leading up to Freestate things hadn't really been going my way in regards to training and running. Six weeks ago at 3 Days of Syllamo, I was forced to accept a less than stellar performance due to some lingering symptoms of a nasty stomach virus I came down with just a week before the race.

From there things just started to go downhill. About a week after 3 Days. I joined the ranks of the walking wounded, developing a stress fracture of the Cuboid bone in my right foot. The pain wasn't so bad that I had to completely stop running but it was painful enough though that I had to throw in the towel on a couple of my long runs, stopping around the 20 mile mark.

Fast forward to yesterday. After six weeks of what I would consider less than ideal training under my belt. I toed the line armed with the knowledge that I was not the strongest runner there by a long shot. To make the task of defending my title from last year more daunting my good friend Mike Adams was signed up for the race. Mike had won this race the first two years and held the course record.

Standing on the starting line I had the feeling that with the kind of condition I was in I’d be handing the crown back to Mike at the end of the day. The only concern I had for the day was whether I’d have enough to salvage a spot on the podium.  Race director Bad Ben Holmes gave the countdown to the gun and we were off.

My plan was simple. There were five things I had to remember if I was somehow going to make this a race.

1. Don't give my competition the race they expected from me.

2. Resist the urge to sprint off the front.

3. Tuck in behind Mike for as long as I could.

4. Purposely hold back through the muddy sections.

5. At the first sign of weakness take over and go for broke.

Everything was going as planned: By not going out hard from the gun Mike was left, along with the other usual suspects, to scratch their heads. This caused the pace to be pedestrian 8:30 - 9:00 minute miles as we all churned in the mud. That was fine with me. At this rate, when the time came to make my move I would have a lot left in my tank. Mike and I came into the aid station at 10 miles neck and neck with a couple of other runners in tow and we left out the same way. That would all soon change though as my pre-race plan was about to get shot full of holes.

Things were still going great for the next couple of miles. I was starting to feel like this was the easiest first half of race I'd ever run. Just as I started to think that, it happened. Mike toed a rock hidden in the mud and went flailing down the trail out of control. Luckily he pulled it out and managed to stay on his feet. Unfortunately for me though, it left me in the position I wasn't quite ready to be in just yet.

So there I was with around 28 miles to go from the finish. Being forced to make a decision. Not fully convinced that Mike was out of it. I decided to hang back for a little bit longer. I decided that this would be a good time to get the electrolytes back in me. I kept checking over my shoulder periodically to see where Mike was at and if he was coming back. Each time I looked over my shoulder though. He kept falling a little further behind until I didn't see him anymore. Once I stopped seeing him I chose to go for it. If he was bluffing, it was one hell of a damn bluff and I was about to call him on it.

Here is Ross McMahan's report from the Xterra Off-Road Triathlon in Caloosahatchee, Florida:

It rained the entire race which was great for the temperature.  I was talking to a local that was in the race, and asked him if there were alligators in there, since we were swimming in a Florida river.  He said he hunts alligators in that river, but to worry more about the sharks that swim up river from the gulf looking for food.  The water was the shade a pepsi from the tanins in it, and getting out of the water you had to make your way through a thick lilly pads.  

The bike was fun and fast.  90 degree turns every 50 yards, long Trex bridges and ladder rides over swamps, The mud would cake between your brakes and tires so thick you had to stop and clean it out so you could ride again.  The mud made every turn like riding on ice, people were going down right and left.  The Trex bridges were crazy slick as well, people slid off into the swamp.  

The run ran out the way the bike came in so there was a lot of dodging bikes, especially on the bridges.  A guy in front of me had to jump off the bridge, as a bike would not move over.  The run also had a 75 yard section that took you out into the river we swam in.  I saw one guy in the river trying to wash the mud off his bike to get it ridable again.  The run also took you through knee deep mud holes 30 yards long.  All that said it was one of the most fun Xterra races I have ever done, a true survival race.  All the stories after the race were the same. Everyone loved it, however our bikes will never be the same. After my second time on the bike this year and 3 hours of sleep the night before, I was happy with my race.  I ended up 6th overall and 1st in the age group. 

If you need some help replacing your Salomon Quick Laces, this instructive video will provide all the direction you need:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjwaEJiWyfc

Happy running!

Arguably, trail running in Yosemite National Park is about as beautiful and inspirational as you get.  The views just yell at you to run and enjoy as much of the pristine valley as you can eek out during your time.  Bryon Powell, who loves Yosemite so much he’s made it his home for almost a year now, has chosen the Park as his second in the Destination Dirt series. 

His introduction should be the appropriate appetizer to prompt you to click through to iRunFar’s write-up on running in the majestic National Park which he calls “a tribute to the wonders of nature and the wisdom of man.  While, doubtless, there have been a few transgressions on our part, it’s a miracle (Muir-acle?) that such a treasure has been so well preserved since Europeans first took notice a century and a half ago. This place remains a trail runner’s paradise with the incomparable granite formations of Yosemite Valley; vast expanses of forest sprinkled with stately Sequoias; and the High Sierra, which in our minds tower above all, both literally and figuratively. We’d be remiss not to warn you that a majority of the park’s trails are snowbound from November through April, while snow can clog the High Sierra trails for even longer stretches.”

For the full story, go to: http://www.irunfar.com/2010/03/trail-running-in-yosemite-national-park.html

So much for a lead. Bev assured me that I had a huge lead but I wasn't quite as sure. We were only 20 miles into the race (well 22 to me) and I didn't think I had gotten much more than a 20 minute lead over 2nd place. I figured 2nd place was Caren Spore who is a very very good climber and we were about to go up the biggest climb of the day.

I got stressed and started hightailing it. I was mad. Mad at myself for getting lost and blowing it. I was just pissed and anxious. I tried to shake it off but couldn't. A million things flashed through my mind. Would she catch me? Would I lose? I have never lost a 50 miler, did I want it happen like this? Am I going to be pissed off all weekend if I blow this and ruin our fun in Sonoma? How can I find a way to get the hell over this? It took me a while, admittedly to not feel like I was about to be caught. I had thrown my nutrition and hydration plan out the window for a while in my freaked out panicky state. I had to choose to run harder or possibly surrender to my fate if I chose to stay at my same pace. 

Climbing up the big hill to the turnaround I could see Caren along the lake a few minutes back. The first guys started flying back and I was stoked to see Nathan coming back running strong in 3rd place. We exchanged a few words as he flew downhill, most of which we complain on my part for getting lost. I pretty complain to everyone for the next however many miles. I saw Joel, Brett, Jady, Joe and Jonathan all coming back as well as a few others. I was still in the top 10, but could see how much time I'd lost on the guys I'd run so much with. 

I wish I could have laughed it off, but when you've been running well and hard, it is hard to find a sense of humor. I got to mile 25, told them what had happened, filled my bottle quickly and took off. I was not excited to see how close behind Caren was. Close she was, about 3 minutes. I knew that I was the superior downhill runner and that there was only one large climb left back to the mile 20.2/29.8 aid station. I figured if I could hammer the downhills and stay strong on the uphills and arrive to that aid station first that the rest of the race could and would be mine. The last 20 miles are rolling and mostly runnable, even if it is very hilly. I told myself that and ran as hard as I could back down from mile 25. It was pretty brutal, as the descent is decently steep. I finally started to take in calories and hydration again as I could definitely feel the affects of being freaked out. I had expended so much energy being mad and was not staying on top of my plan. I knew that that would not help me stay in front. I had to get back on my plan and execute it. I had to make her run me down instead of just feeling resigned to being caught. My legs were feeling great and I felt really strong and I was running strong.