Jenny McCarthy – Coleman’s Run PSA

Here’s the PSA that Jenny McCarthy’s Generation Rescue produced for us!

Run 4 a Reason – Story on local ABC

Here’s the story that ran during the 7pm news on February 18, 2010. The coverage provides an example of exactly what we hope to accomplish through Run 4 a Reason.  I’m thrilled that eco-x can be a part of this charitable event.

Run 4 a Reason Event Poster!

Running Clinic – February 4, 2010

Thursday, February 4^th

6:30-8:00pm

Orthopaedic Center of Central Virginia Back Entrance

STRONGER & EASIER Running Clinic

A running clinic dividing runners into both experienced and beginning running groups – if you run or want to run, our FREE runners’ clinic has a training group compatible for you!

RUN STRONGER GROUP

This training group is for experienced runners who want to add or improve their running program – focusing on stability, mobility and strength training.

RUN EASIER GROUP

This training group is for beginning runners and those wanting to begin running – focusing on designing a running program, running technique and injury prevention.

Space is limited so call (434) 485-8517 to reserve your spot today!

*Please mention your group preference*

Join the Orthopaedic Center on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OrthoCenter

Chris Reed: 2009 MMTR race report

MMTR 50 Mile Trail Race Report

Chris Reed

Five years ago I got a hold of my first issue of Trial Runner. Within the issue was an article about the Mountain Masochist Trail Run. Like a kid looking through his new toys on Christmas Day, I paged through the magazine and read and reread the article describing the beauty and challenge of the Mountain Masochist Trail Run. In 2006 I ran my first Masochist and thought it would be my last. I thought the novelty would wear off and that I would never return to Virginia to run this race again. Boy, I was wrong. This marked the 14^th time I’ve made the journey from Pennsylvania to Virginia since 2006 to run one of Virginia’s ultras. This was my 4^th attempt at MMTR.

My family and I drove down to Virginia on Friday afternoon to arrive just in time for the pre-race meeting. We got to our hotel around 9:30 PM and I organized my materials for the race. The plan was for my wife, Raj, and my kids, Eshan and Zia to crew me throughout the race. When we finally went to bed, this plan was a bit tentative, as ¾’s of the Reed household was sick during the past week and we were tired from a long drive. 2:30 AM arrived and I heard Raj say “Chris, time to wake up – let’s get ready to go to the start.” I was psyched, I didn’t sleep for long, but I slept hard with no tossing and turning. We were off at 3:50 AM on our way to the Kirkley Hotel to follow the busses out to the James River Visitor Center. We got to the hotel – and guess what we forgot – the crewing directions!!! Aghh! Luckily, I printed out directions to James River Visitor Center from our hotel and luckily (very luckily) they were correct. We went back to our hotel to get the crewing instructions and then started on the journey to the start. We drove on 501 and eventually made a left onto the parkway – hey… this looks familiar, yes! It is the course and up ahead is that bright, generator-powered light that marked the start!!!

I made my final preparations and worked my way to the starting line. 30 seconds to the start, lots of hoots and hollers. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! And we are off into the darkness. I made a decision early on to run the 6-mile road section fast and I did. I ripped by aid station 2 and saw Raj and kids getting out of the car and I yelled to them that I would meet them at the next aid station. When I saw them again, I was running in 7^th place and feeling great. It was really special getting to see them at the aid stations. Zia and Eshan would take turns taking my empty water bottle and getting me a full one. Raj was the crew caption (the boss). I ran bits of the first half with Jeremy Ramsey. It was fun and challenging trying to stick with him – especially on the descents.

I continued to feel strong during the first half and had my heart set on running around 3:45 for the 1^st half. I knew that if I could run about 3:45, I would have a chance of breaking 7:30. I wasn’t wearing a watch, but at the 26.9 mile aid station someone told me it was 9:15 AM – which meant 3:45 – yes! I refueled and took some inspirational high-energy tunes to jam to on my ascent of Buck Mountain. I continued to feel strong and passed Jeremy and Glenn. I practiced my run/walk technique on the hills. This involves picking a point (like a particular tree) to start running and a place to stop (like a course ribbon). Run-walk-repeat. I got to the top of Buck Mountain and started jamming it to the next aid station. Before I knew it I was in the loop. I stopped briefly to adjust my waist pack and Jeremy came bolting past me. I knew I was in trouble, cause Jeremy is wicked on single track, especially on downhill. I tried to hold on as long as possible. During the loop, I had a bit of a low point and had to regroup when I came out.

The next part of the run was basically uneventful. I tried to continue going as fast as I could. At the 13^th aid station, I asked a volunteer what time it was – she said 11:45 AM. Oh man, that means I have 1 hour and 15 minutes to finish in 7:30. The aid station sign says something like 41.5 miles. Well, well, lets do the math 50 minus 41.5 equals 8.5, wrong! You forgot to apply the Horton transformation! 50 minus 41.5 equals a tad less than 10 on this last section of MMTR, duh! 10 miles in 1 hour and 15 minutes –not likely for me. I accepted the fact and decided to shoot for breaking 7:45. As a side note, the last 10 miles of this run is incredible. Beautiful trail with a nice layer of fall leaves swish, swishing beneath your feet – really awesome! I ran hard, but smart to the next aid station – time = 11:57 AM. Got to the last aid station and asked for the time = 12:42 PM. Certainly, no chance of a 1:00 PM finish, but maybe a 1:15 PM finish. I downed one more gel and tore down the mountain. I reached the wheeled 1 mile mark and ran hard to the finish, finishing in 7:39:32. I was very happy with my finish. I had a wonderful day in the woods and was grateful to have my family there to support me.

During the race I ate mostly Clif Gels with a couple of salted potatoes at aid stations. I alternated between Nuun and straight water. I took about 1-2 Endurolytes every other aid station. I carried one water bottle in a Nathan waste pack. I wore my new pair of Inov-8 Roclite 318 GTX shoes. These shoes worked out great. This is my first pair of Goretex shoes. My feet did not get wet and they were not hot during the run. The traction on these shoes is incredible.

Overall, I was very happy with my race. I gained the confidence to go out a little faster than I usually do, I had a great day meeting and talking with people on the trail. I hope I can come back for many more Mountain Masochists in the future.

Thanks to Dr. Clark Zealand and Dr. David Horton for making this such a great, memorable event. Also, thanks to all of the wonderful volunteers – you guys are great. And finally, thanks to my family for crewing me.

Special Recognition at the 2009 MMTR

Here’s a listing of our newest finisher club inductees, those who set new age records, and updated performer lists, etc.

10-Time Finishers Club Inductees

Amy Albu

Frank Probst

15-Time Finishers Club Inductees

Donald Smith

Dink Taylor

20-Time Finishers Club Inductee

Mike Price

Age Records

WOMEN

Age	Name	Time
29	Tamsin Anstey	8:09:07
42	Annette Bednosky	8:56:46
56	Vicki Kendall	10:35:50
62	Barbara Isom	11:30:43

 

MEN

Age	Name	Time
19	Micah Scott	8:33:25
32	Gary Robbins	7:00:28
33	Geoff Roes	6:27:55
44	Glen Redpath	7:44:02
45	Valmir Nunes	7:12:17
48	Derrick Carr	8:34:14
56	Marlin Yoder	9:24:32
60	Rich Schick	9:24:32
62	Douglas Blackford	10:17:25

 

		Top Ten Performers-Men
1	2009	Geoff Roes	6:27:55
2	2003	Dave Mackey	6:48:31
3	2001	Clark Zealand	6:52:11
4	2006	Eric Grossman	6:53:18
5	2004	Sean Andrish	6:56:09
6	1997	Josh Cox	6:57:10
7	2009	Lon Freeman	6:58:25
8	1996	Courtney Campbell	6:59:26
9	2005	Paul DeWitt	6:59:52
10	2009	Gary Robbins	7:00:28
		Top Ten Performers-Women
1	2006	Nikki Kimball	7:47:05
2	2005	Anne Lundblad	7:49:48
3	2005	Annette Bednosky	7:55:52
4	2006	Jenn Shelton	7:58:11
5	2009	Tamsin Anstey	8:09:07
6	2005	Cat Phillips	8:13:15
7	2003	Bethany Hunter	8:14:47
8	2003	Jenny Capel	8:23:35
9	1994	Janice Anderson	8:27:01
10	2004	Anthea Schmid	8:27:30

 

MMTR Numbers Over the Years

	Starters	Finishers	Sub-12
1983	21	13	12
1984	41	35	32
1985	55	50	49
1986	79	65	64
1987	83	71	69
1988	132	115	115
1989	122	107	104
1990	160	135	128
1991	213	183	181
1992	181	155	150
1993	185	153	151
1994	182	152	145
1995	163	138	135
1996	145	119	118
1997	169	153	148
1998	221	175	168
1999	196	160	155
2000	193	151	147
2001	242	194	191
2002	278	244	239
2003	249	208	207
2004	262	215	214
2005	251	198	194
2006	284	232	220
2007	268	226	221
2008	229	186	183
2009	266	227	225
TOTAL	4870	4060=83%	3965=81%

Official 2009 Mountain Masochist Trail Run 50 Mile Results

The official results are now available. In a few days these results will also be available on the main eco-x site. We started 266 and finished 225 under 12 hrs = 85% finish rate.

Place	Finish	First	Last	Gender	Age	State
1	6:27:55!	Geoff	Roes	Male	33	AK
2	6:58:25	Lon	Freeman	Male	34	CA
3	7:00:28	Gary	Robbins	Male	32	B.C.
4	7:12:17	Valmir	Nunes	Male	45	Brazil
5	7:33:33	Jeremy	Ramsey	Male	33	VA
6	7:39:32	Chris	Reed	Male	36	PA
7	7:44:02	Adam	Hill	Male	33	ON
8	7:44:02	Glenn	Redpath	Male	44	NY
9	7:55:25	Will	Harlan	Male	34	NC
10	8:00:40	Dink	Taylor	Male	44	AL
11	8:06:54	Harland	Peelle	Male	35	VA
12	8:07:11	Matthew	Warner	Male	33	VA
13	8:08:15	Clayton	Rogers	Male	38	DC
14	8:09:07	Tamsin	Anstey	Female	29	B.C.
15	8:29:24	Eric	Charette	Male	33	AL
16	8:33:25	Micah	Scott	Male	19	OH
17	8:34:14	Derrick	Carr	Male	48	VA
18	8:36:59	Chet	White	Male	34	VA
19	8:37:01	Jack	Kurisky	Male	42	VA
20	8:39:53	Nicola	Gildersleeve	Female	25	B.C.
21	8:41:39	Jay	Smithberger	Male	40	OH
22	8:42:38	Mark	Rostan	Male	40	NC
23	8:43:04	Greg	Hanscom	Male	37	MD
24	8:45:00	Angus	Repper	Male	37	PA
25	8:47:00	Heather	Fisher	Female	23	VA
26	8:47:10	Micah	Jackson	Male	29	VA
27	8:52:37	Ryan	Smith	Male	30	TN
28	8:54:13	Brian	Mayer	Male	24	VA
29	8:56:46	Annette	Bednosky	Female	42	NC
30	8:57:50	Chris	Miller	Male	35	VA
31	9:02:27	Jeffry	Brower	Male	51	MD
32	9:04:17	David	Bolton	Male	25	VA
33	9:08:08	Ginger	Smith	Female	39	NY
34	9:09:18	Lew	Mcgrath	Male	47	WV
35	9:12:29	Jon	Elmore	Male	43	AL
36	9:13:06	Horacio	Ruiz	Male	44	NY
37	9:14:48	Mike	Jones	Male	28	VA
38	9:16:34	Thomas	Boyd	Male	37	GA
39	9:17:17	Aaron	Mulder	Male	34	PA
40	9:17:43	Stephan	Dobson	Male	48	MD
41	9:18:37	John	Cassilly	Male	42	VA
42	9:21:42	Byron	Backer	Male	45	SC
43	9:21:42	Frank	Gonzalez	Male	33	VA
44	9:24:32	Rich	Schick	Male	60	GA
45	9:24:32	Marlin	Yoder	Male	56	VA
46	9:27:08	Sean	Blanton	Male	23	GA
47	9:29:19	Kevin	Townsend	Male	36	VA
48	9:29:39	Malcom	Lester	Male	42	DC
49	9:29:50	Justine	Morrison	Female	29	DC
50	9:30:37	Dave	Krause	Male	48	PA
51	9:30:46	Eric	Fritz	Male	42	AL
52	9:31:39	Kyle	Klingman	Male	33	IA
53	9:31:39	Alyssa	Wildeboer	Female	30	CO
54	9:33:50	Marc	Griffin	Male	33	VA
55	9:36:09	Kendall	Hommel	Female	26	VA
56	9:36:31	Donna	Utakis	Female	41	MA
57	9:37:15	Michael	Pflieger	Male	35	VA
58	9:38:50	D.c.	Lucchesi	Male	42	NC
59	9:41:09	Jack	Kilislian	Male	39	TN
60	9:41:45	Dennis	Norris	Male	45	NC
61	9:42:59	David	Drach	Male	53	NH
62	9:45:25	Jared	Hesse	Male	33	VA
63	9:45:25	David	Snipes	Male	42	VA
64	9:46:49	Melinda	Yelton	Female	43	NC
65	9:48:50	Brent	Boyle	Male	36	GA
66	9:49:15	Neal	Bryant	Male	39	VA
67	9:51:51	Silke	Koester	Female	26	NY
68	9:56:02	Mike	Bailey	Male	28	VA
69	9:57:42	Herman	Richards	Male	56	NJ
70	9:59:11	Donald	Smith	Male	51	VA
71	10:01:49	Jesse	Power	Male	29	FL
72	10:04:48	Alisa	Springman	Female	35	PA
73	10:06:28	Gregory	Dykes	Male	34	OH
74	10:06:28	Brian	Seegert	Male	43	WI
75	10:06:28	Julie	Treder	Female	33	WI
76	10:07:35	Joseph	Shearer	Male	23	OH
77	10:08:11	Will	Jorgensen	Male	50	TN
78	10:09:26	Kathleen	Cusick	Female	34	TN
79	10:15:23	Jarett	Tighe	Male	42	VA
80	10:16:39	Donna	Elder	Female	46	VA
81	10:17:25	Douglas	Blackford	Male	62	NC
82	10:18:02	Martha	Wright	Female	48	VA
83	10:21:39	Ed	Duval	Male	51	VA
84	10:22:51	Christopher	Calfee	Male	42	VA
85	10:24:00	Jaime	Azuaje	Male	22	VA
86	10:25:40	Rick	Gray	Male	48	TN
87	10:26:16	Mike	Price	Male	59	GA
88	10:27:19	Guy	Willey	Male	35	IA
89	10:28:30	Joe	Sauerbrey	Male	30	VA
90	10:28:34	Ling	Dao	Male	32	VA
91	10:28:53	Amy	Albu	Female	33	VA
92	10:29:10	James	Vogltanz	Male	38	VA
93	10:30:20	Frank	Probst	Male	66	VA
94	10:32:04	Dennis	Bridges	Male	53	MD
95	10:33:30	Brock	Webb	Male	33	VA
96	10:34:06	Ruthann	Helfrick	Female	42	PA
97	10:34:08	Betsy	Chew	Female	38	NC
98	10:35:00	Lisa	Madden	Female	36	NY
99	10:35:50	Vicki	Kendall	Female	56	VA
100	10:37:02	Benjamin	Taylor	Male	21	AL
101	10:37:50	Konrad	Gannon	Male	43	NC
102	10:39:00	Michael	Jaschob	Male	30	CA
103	10:39:20	Kevin	Ayres	Male	33	GA
104	10:39:44	Christopher	Mortensen	Male	28	PA
105	10:40:20	Clinton	Thompson	Male	33	DC
106	10:40:50	Dan	Cagle	Male	31	VA
107	10:41:40	Jeff	Mallach	Male	49	WI
108	10:42:24	Stephanie	Wilson	Female	44	VA
109	10:44:02	Blake	Edmondson	Male	26	VA
110	10:44:40	Bruce	Tanksley	Male	50	TN
111	10:45:08	Jonathan	Miller	Male	39	VA
112	10:47:42	John	Teed	Male	44	NC
113	10:48:53	Adam	Eidson	Male	35	VA
114	10:49:15	Chad	Kibler	Male	37	VA
115	10:49:30	Robert	Hagan	Male	42	VA
116	10:49:50	Brad	Fogleman	Male	21	NC
117	10:49:53	Ashley	Funderburk	Female	32	NC
118	10:50:15	Dan	Lehmann	Male	59	WV
119	10:51:10	Michael	Stratton	Male	25	VA
120	10:52:00	Paul	Carrasco	Male	39	TN
121	10:53:42	Scott	Martin	Male	48	NY
122	10:56:25	Scott	Mcculloch	Male	37	NC
123	10:57:03	Mark	McCaslin	Male	40	MI
124	10:57:05	Mark	Henry	Male	22	VA
125	10:57:40	Jennifer	Kimble	Female	38	TX
126	10:57:41	Mike	Broderick	Male	53	MD
127	10:58:10	Scott	Wait	Male	35	AZ
128	10:58:57	Scott	Taylor	Male	20	VA
129	10:58:58	Jeromy	Gallant	Male	26	VA
130	10:59:40	Lew	Upchurch	Male	40	NC
131	11:00:09	Jennifer	Ennis	Female	40	NC
132	11:00:11	Bill	Vickery	Male	39	VA
133	11:00:50	Stephen	Cooper	Male	55	MD
134	11:02:34	Michael	Mitchell	Male	53	VA
135	11:02:55	Jim	Harrison	Male	51	VA
136	11:03:30	Michael	Dunlop	Male	40	VA
137	11:03:37	David	Robertson	Male	57	VA
138	11:05:19	Suzie	Spangler	Female	39	MD
139	11:05:23	Carter	Swamp`	Male	34	VA
140	11:06:27	John	Cooper	Male	54	VA
141	11:06:48	Patrick	Torrey	Male	38	PA
142	11:07:20	Steven	DeSantis	Male	48	VA
143	11:08:10	Eric	Fogleman	Male	49	NC
144	11:08:34	Jim	McIntosh	Male	56	FL
145	11:09:45	Robyn	Burgess	Female	23	VA
146	11:12:50	Robert	Dolan	Male	43	VA
147	11:13:17	Margie	Hughes	Female	47	DE
148	11:13:35	Elizabeth	Minnick	Female	29	VA
149	11:13:50	Marianna	Inslee	Female	44	VA
150	11:14:10	Darvey	Bressi	Male	34	PA
151	11:15:53	Shawn	Krause	Male	30	MD
152	11:16:45	Jeff	Vinosky	Male	20	PA
153	11:16:46	Sean	Humphrey	Male	35	OH
154	11:18:10	Bob	Anderson	Male	63	VA
155	11:19:20	Tommy	Field	Male	41	VA
156	11:19:20	Richard	Michael	Male	37	VA
157	11:19:20	Travis	Wingfield	Male	32	VA
158	11:20:00	Jeff	Mcgonnell	Male	49	NC
159	11:20:33	Ed	Marsh	Male	62	NC
160	11:20:55	Nichole	Sherman	Female	20	MA
161	11:21:03	Peter	Minde	Male	52	NJ
162	11:21:14	Kristopher	Schulte	Male	30	VA
163	11:21:20	Rebecca	Phalen	Female	37	VA
164	11:21:30	William	Tolbert	Male	40	VA
165	11:21:46	Greg	Myers	Male	45	GA
166	11:22:53	Nick	Derenzis	Male	31	VA
167	11:24:20	Daren	Marceau	Male	48	NC
168	11:24:20	Lisa	Mcfadden	Female	35	NC
169	11:25:02	Kevin	Vioral	Male	39	VA
170	11:25:07	Aron	Kolosik	Male	34	OH
171	11:25:22	Todd	Foster	Male	38	VA
172	11:25:27	Geoffrey	Baker	Male	51	MD
173	11:26:25	Carter	Wiecking	Female	39	VA
174	11:26:30	Thomas	Green	Male	59	MD
175	11:27:00	Joey	Licata	Male	27	VA
176	11:27:20	Steven	David	Male	48	MD
177	11:27:55	Ted	Diss	Male	46	VA
178	11:27:57	Jill	Devereux	Female	43	VA
179	11:28:17	Bill	Turrentine	Male	61	VA
180	11:28:30	Jonathan	Basham	Male	32	PA
181	11:28:30	Andy	Thompson	Male	33	NH
182	11:28:30	Travis	Wildeboer	Male	30	CO
183	11:28:50	Brian	Trinkle	Male	47	GA
184	11:28:57	Allyn	Sutton	Female	45	MD
185	11:30:00	David	Main	Male	47	VA
186	11:30:18	Eric	Houser	Male	39	OH
187	11:30:43	Barbara	Isom	Female	62	VA
188	11:32:00	George	Hollerbach	Male	54	PA
189	11:32:00	Jose	Suarez	Male	47	CT
190	11:33:36	Melissa	Schmitt	Female	34	OH
191	11:34:06	Mark	Mckennett	Male	31	MD
192	11:34:27	Kimani	Long	Male	35	NC
193	11:35:27	Walter	Crenshaw	Male	31	VA
194	11:35:27	Michael	George	Male	56	VA
195	11:35:31	Gordon	Thomson	Male	51	VA
196	11:36:13	Mackenzie	Prandi	Female	30	VA
197	11:36:47	Tim	Luft	Male	37	WI
198	11:37:48	Bert	Horsley	Male	31	VA
199	11:38:38	Bedford	Boyce	Male	37	NC
200	11:39:25	Steven	Brown	Male	41	VA
201	11:39:39	Dave	Martula	Male	64	MA
202	11:40:09	Angela	Barbera	Female	49	WI
203	11:40:35	Farouk	Elkassed	Male	60	VA
204	11:40:44	Matt	Baker	Male	28	VA
205	11:41:52	Deb	Vomhof	Female	47	WI
206	11:42:10	Joey	Butler	Male	41	AL
207	11:42:38	John	Price	Male	55	VA
208	11:43:15	Steve	Michael	Male	59	GA
209	11:44:10	Justus	Stull	Male	31	VA
210	11:45:15	Tom	Simonds	Male	54	VA
211	11:46:28	Alicia	Taylor	Female	30	MI
212	11:46:50	Dorothy	Hunter	Female	36	NC
213	11:46:56	Mike	Groth	Male	41	MD
214	11:47:47	Alyce	Fernebok	Female	35	VA
215	11:48:32	David	Moore	Male	51	NC
216	11:49:15	Pedro	Soto	Male	31	PA
217	11:49:25	Brenda	Carawan	Female	32	VA
218	11:50:00	Janice	Heltibridle	Female	51	VA
219	11:50:20	Scott	Carson	Male	35	VA
220	11:50:20	Russ	Gray	Male	42	WV
221	11:52:18	Eva	Van Stratum	Female	50	PA
222	11:52:50	Mark	Persinger	Male	36	WV
223	11:54:30	Brad	Lowery	Male	34	VA
224	11:54:42	Elaine	Stypula	Female	44	MI
225	11:56:55	Jon	Hayden	Male	41	NC
226	12:00:33	Christopher	Redman	Male	41	TN
227	12:04:10	Peter	Mclaughlin	Male	47	DE

Chris Reed: 2009 Grindstone race report

Grindstone 100 Miler 2009 Race Report

Chris Reed

Take a close look at these two women. Somehow they thought it would be a good idea to drive up and down Virginia Mountains on back roads and forest service roads for almost a full 24hours without sleep. And I am grateful for it. You are looking at endurance athletes in there own right – Rajika (Raj) Reed and Rebecca Nordby. They were my crew for the Grindstone 100 Mile Endurance Race that took place on Oct 2-4, 2009. They met me at every aid station and supplied me with food, water, and mega-amounts of encouragement. Without them, I could not have run the race I ran!

I would also like to thank my dad and mom, Jeff and Marilen Reed, my father-in-law and my mother-in-law, Godfrey and Rose Draviam. They have offered continuous support in my running pursuits. Thanks to Kirsten Ferry, MaryAnn Lambert, Wendy Pristash and all the faculty and staff at Brandywine Heights High School in Pennsylvania. These people followed the race online and provided an awesome collection of goodies for my family and me for race weekend. Thank you guys. Also, thanks to my family and friends who continue to take in interest in these races. All of you provide a great support system for me and I really count on it when I am feeling low during a race.

Thanks to Dr. Clark Zealand for putting on Grindstone and thanks to all of the wonderful volunteers. It is really a great time. I think I am hooked!

Before the Start

Raj and I arrived in Northern Virginia on Thursday night and I got a decent night of sleep. The next day we arrived at Camp Shenandoah just in time for the pre-race meeting. Things seemed a bit more subdued compared to the pre-race meeting last year and there was an emphasis on general strategies to stay on course, which was appreciated. After the meeting, I said hello to friends and started to organize my gear and drop bag. A focus this year for me was to get in and out of aid stations more swiftly. I prepped Raj and Rebecca for what I wanted at aid stations. Basically for every crew access point I wanted 2 new water bottles (1 – water, 1 – electrolyte drink), a new headlamp with fresh batteries, 4 gels, and solid food (later in the race).

Before I knew it, we were lining up at the starting line. It didn’t feel like I was ready to run and I began to feel like I wasn’t cut out for this. Wow, has this race started yet?

0 – 50 Miles

At 6:00 PM, Zealand Time, we were off. I got into a rhythm by about 3 miles into the race and ran with Adam Cassidy. It was nice to catch up with him and trade stories about running and training. After hitting the 1^st aid station we were eventually dumped onto a wide forest service road which led to the summit of Eliot Knob. About 2/3’s of the way up this steep road, we literally ran into a cloud. When we got to the top, I couldn’t find where the orienteering punch was. Luckily I was close to a Barkley veteran who found it quickly. This must be old hat for Barkley runners, don’t they run most of the race in fog? I punched in and then I was back down the mountain and onto North Mountain Trail. This trail is a gradual descent with some nasty loose rock sections. On this section, I jammed my foot in between two rocks and irritated the inside of my big left tow joint – it hurt for about 3 miles, but then subsided. During this section Todd Walker and Bill Huggins came flying by me. For the next 10 miles I tried to stay close to this group. I finally got caught up to them about 1.5 miles before Dowells Draft Aid Station. I was glad to be running with them because the next section was the “bear leg” and I thought it would be nice to run in a group. No bear sighting here, but lots of bear poop. I ended up running with Todd most of this section. I would lead on the climbs and then Todd would tear it up on the descents. For the remaining portion of the 1^st 50, I felt pretty low in terms of fatigue and muscle tightness. I started to feel better about 2 miles before the Reddish Knob Aid Station. Making the last portion of the climb to the aid station fun. We ran into another cloud and the visibility was about 5-10 feet. If I was on a trail at that point, it would have been very difficult to navigate. However, the wide Forest Service Road kept me on track. I met Raj and Rebecca at Briery Branch and dropped my pack to ascend to Gnashing Knob. I was feeling pretty good and glad to be getting to the halfway point. I stopped at Gnashing Knob briefly and ate and drank and was back down to Briery Branch.

50 – 100 Miles

I was still feeling good and glad to see Raj and Rebecca again. My plan was to take a short break and drink some soup and coffee. I was so excited to take a break and chat with the all-nighters, that I sat down in what I thought was a chair they had set up for me – ha! It was another runner’s with all of their supplies neatly laid out next to the comfy chair. I got up immediately when I realized it was meant for another runner and had a good laugh at myself. Thanks to the other runner’s crew for being patient with me! Rebecca saw how much I liked the chair and set up one that we brought along for me. I was in a great place and ready to work on the 2^nd half of the race. I downed the soup and coffee that we made back at Camp Shenandoah and was off again.

Several miles before Little Bald Knob, Todd caught up with me. We ran together and really started to move when we hit the trail section coming down Grindstone Mountain. Dawn was finally breaking and I was really feeling strong, just like I did last year on this section. I met Raj and Rebecca again at North River Gap, refueled, got some tunes, and left. On the ascent of Lookout Mountain I spotted Mike and eventually caught up with him. After passing Mike, I kept thinking that Todd and Mike would eventually catch me. At the remaining four aid stations, I kept looking back, fully expecting them to be a minute or so behind me. I had this feeling until the very end. After I met Raj and Rebecca, I got back on the trail and they left for the next aid station. So, we really didn’t know what the race was looking like behind me. At Falls Hollow, I refueled for the last time, dropped my waste pack and took a handheld. Raj told me “Chris, you gotta move” and sent me out on the last 5.18 miles. Let me tell you, this 5.18 miles did not seem like 5.18 miles. There seemed to be some serious time dilation going on here! Even though this section went on forever, I focused on moving as fast as I could and enjoyed being out in the woods running.

I finally got to the wheeled 1-mile mark and ran a fast last mile in remembrance of my last mile at Grindstone 2008 (I must have run a sub-6 mile last year). Got back to Camp Shenandoah, ran through the finish and proudly hugged the totem pole.

Gear I Used, Food I Ate, Stuff I Learned

During the night, I wore a long sleeve technical shirt and a new pair of Patagonia Ultra shorts that I received for finishing this year’s CMMM 50 Miler. The shorts are very nice with lots of pocket space to stash Gels, wrappers, etc. I changed into a short sleeve technical shirt in the morning. I wore a pair of Montrail Mountain Masochists for the entire run. I like these shoes, however, I find I really have to cinch them up so that my foot doesn’t creep forward during descents. The balls of my feet took a beating during this run and I wonder if the extreme tightness of the laces contributed to this. I wore a GoLite HydroSwift waist pack. This waste pack has two bottles, a large back pocket and two side pockets, which are easily accessible. I really like this pack as it fits nicely and there tends to be no bounce. Once you put the pack on, there are two straps over the water bottles that can be tightened to hug the water bottles to your hips. A really great pack! I look forward to trying out some of the other packs GoLite has to offer. For headlamps, I used Princeton Tec Fuel headlamps and the Apex. I stowed an extra Fuel headlamp in my pack, as well as, extra batteries. At each aid station, I would swap my headlamp with another that had fresh batteries.

I did not wear a timepiece or GPS during Grindstone, nor during CMMM 50 miler in August. My Garmin 305 stopped working during mid-summer, so I started running without a watch and heart rate monitor. I really like running without it. My current feeling about the GPS/HRM for me is that if I am not going as fast as I want to, the tool is just a constant reminder of how I am failing to run fast. Now, I just go by how my body feels. When I remember, I ask aid station volunteers what time it is. I plan to keep experimenting watchless for my next several ultras.

For the 1^st 50 miles I stuck mainly to Clif Gels. At each aid station, I would take a bottle of water and a bottle of electrolyte drink. At Briery Branch on the way back I had soup, coffee, and took 2 individually wrapped turkey & cheese wraps. At every aid station with crew access until the end, I took 1-2 turkey/cheese wraps and several slices of pear. The pear, wraps, and soup seem to really work well for me. I plan to continue eating these during long ultras.

Overall, I was very happy with the race. I met my goals and had a great time and got to socialize with runners on the trail. If I could have changed any part of my race it would be on my ascent to Elliot’s Knob. I ran the entire thing, which was probably not an energy efficient way to get up there! My preparation for the race included 5 weeks at 70+ miles with a 50 mile race 4 weeks out and a session of short, but very rugged & mountainous back-to-back runs. I also had 3 “tempo-type” runs I did during the month of September. Time-wise and from an injury prevention perspective, it is really hard to fit in more volume, but I wonder how 90-100 miles weeks would affect my performance? I have been fortunate and have healed nicely from Grindstone, now I am back in training for MMTR. I have unfinished business to handle on the backside of that course!

Jared Hesse: 2009 Grindstone race report

Grindstone 100

Jared Hesse

Race Report 10/2/2009

I would first like to thank God for blessing me with the good health that made it possible for me to attempt and finish my first 100 Miler. I do not take my health for granted. There are many people with physical ailments who would love to celebrate their health as I have been able to do. Only through God’s grace was I able to train and prepare for something so demanding as the Grindstone 100.

Much gratitude goes to Clark and everyone involved in putting this event together. Your time and energy spent in making this such an awesome race is very much appreciated. I know we runners sometimes forget to thank you as we rush through your aid stations, but we do realize the event does not happen without the hard working volunteers.

To my pacers who supported me before, during, and after the race, thank you Micah and Jeremy. I never had a pacer in a race and therefore never understood or appreciated the importance in a one hundred mile event. Having those guys with me reminding me to eat and hydrate was huge. So many times I wanted to stop eating but their presence the second half of the race was awesome. Thanks for the encouragement and motivation to help me accomplish the biggest feat in my athletic career.

Thank you, Donna Elder and David Horton, for your support. It seemed like Donna was at every aid station smiling at me and reminding me that this was fun (?) I always appreciate Horton kicking me in the butt and reminding me that I was “second woman.” That’s always been a huge motivation for me as I have never ran an ultra where I beat all the women. Maybe one day I’ll be first “woman” as Horton says. All jokes aside, Horton has taught me the importance of setting goals and achieving them. His advice and wise counsel helped me become the ultra runner I am. He’s my free coach I guess.

Lastly I want to thank my Dad for being there for me. I think he was more nervous going into the race than I was. Having a son myself gives me a new perspective on what it would be like to see my son achieve his goals and dreams. I can’t explain how good it feels to make my dad proud of me. That’s so cool to be able to experience that day with him. Despite him manning two aid stations in the race, he seemed to be waiting for me at several of the late aid stops. That’s got to be hard watching your son fight through the pain. Does a father want to throw in the towel for his son or does he push him to more pain and suffering? That’s a tough question. Even though he wasn’t with me physically for the whole race, he was with me in spirit. He knew what I was experiencing, and I knew he was cheering and supporting me with his prayers. Thanks Dad! Good times!

I was pretty pumped up walking to the start line. We had a few minutes to soak it all in as Clark prayed and gave some last announcements. I looked back at the pack of runners and remember thinking, these people are crazy too. Surprisingly the pack went out fast and it didn’t take long before I was telling myself to back off the pace. Mario and I settled into a nice stride going into the first aid station. We were having fun running into the darkness and my dad was at the first aid station. He told me to take it easy early in the race and he would see me at Reddish Knob (mile 48).

I could feel myself getting sucked out with the leaders as Donna Utakis and I were running together for a section going into Dowell’s Draft. She was leaving me on the uphills and I would pass her on the downs. I wasn’t running my race but was working too hard and running the down hills too recklessly. All of a sudden I was flat on my back looking up at the bright harvest moon. I had tripped over a rock, fell on my right shoulder, rolled on to my back, and fortunately landed on dirt. I checked myself over and was relieved I only had a cut on my knee and some soreness in my shoulder. This fall became my wake up call realizing my race must change from running wild and careless to becoming more careful and conservative if I was going to finish. I let Donna disappear into the darkness ahead and began to settle into a comfortable pace. I thought how stupid I would have felt if I had hurt my right arm since I am a barber by profession. Coming home with a broken arm would have been tragic, but looking back on the incident amazes me that I landed in dirt instead of rocks and roots. At this point I settled on the fact that I was going to be alone in the woods all night and if I could just make it to daylight feeling good I would be okay. I knew that Micah was going to join me at the turn and that was comforting, somewhat.

I was hurting pretty bad coming into mile 36 aid station (weigh stop). I had been running with an abdominal cramp that came from working too hard early. Running down hills wildly always does that to me. I was really mad at myself for being so stupid; however, I weighed the same as at the start so I knew I had been drinking and eating well so far.

The lowest point of the race me came in the next section. My MP3 player died on me at 3:30 AM. I was 3 or 4 hours from daylight, alone in the woods, in silence. All kinds of thoughts crept into my mind as I repeatedly noticed how big and bright the moon was.

I don’t remember the exact section I was on at the time but the climbs seemed especially tough. I knew Little Bald aid station was coming up soon, but it seemed like forever. I did a lot of praying during that section. The reported eight miles to JB’s aid station at Little Bald seemed like twenty. I was asking God to give me the strength to make it to daylight. I knew if I could make it to the turn, I could survive to the finish. That eight mile section was huge for me because I walked the up hills and jogged the flats and recovered from the damage done earlier. My cramps were gone and my energy was maintaining. I could remember thanking God for the opportunity to celebrate my health while I suffered through the emotions of self pity and self doubt. As I left JB’s aid station feeling refreshed I saw an approaching light bobbing in the distance. It was the leader, Carl Meltzer. He looked focused and intense. He motivated me as I took off down the hill he was running up. I started calculating how far he was ahead of me and I was blown away. He is amazing.

It was really cold at Reddish Knob. I was glad to have my dad there to encourage me as I climbed to the peak. What an awesome view from the top! Breathtaking! I knew I would be back there soon so I didn’t stay long.

Finally I was at the turnaround where Micah and Jeremy waited for me on Gnashing Knob. Some snacks, Mountain Dew, and with my pacer in tow; I headed back for Reddish Knob. I was feeling pretty good now that the sun was rising and I was so happy to drop off my head lamp with Dad. The hot chicken noodle soup was like rocket fuel. I felt like a new man on a new day. Micah and I had fun as we talked about football in between him reminding me to eat and drink. Those thirty miles would have been very tough, maybe impossible without him.

When we finally got to Dowell’s Draft Jeremy was ready to go. He had my camel pack refilled by someone while he grabbed some food and told me to take off. I was thinking to myself, “why the rush!” As he handed me food to put in my pockets he told me I was in position to get top ten. That’s NOT what I wanted to hear because I was ready to slow down and just survive to the finish. Here he was fresh legs and well rested; talking about picking it up and catching the guy ahead.

The climb up Crawford was really tough as I nibbled on blocks and cookies all the way to the top. Jeremy continuously pushed me on with encouragement and lies. He kept telling me “this is the last climb” and then there’d be another one. It was frustrating, but it worked. I won’t mention the thoughts I was having about Jeremy through these sections. In my mind I was mad at him but I kept it to myself.

As we picked up the pace on top of Crawford I became emotional and choked up when we saw Bobby Gill limping with a walking stick. As we approached him Jeremy told me not to stop. He said he would stop and talk to him, but I offered Bobby some ibuprofen and told him I was sorry for his injury. Seeing him suffer made me realize how fortunate I was to be feeling good at eighty five miles into this monster of a course. As I ran off alone down the mountain I remember tears filling my eyes as I reflected on how bad it would feel to be so close to the finish and not make it. Once again I thanked God for getting me this far and realized how easily that could have been me walking with a stick.

Jeremy and I were rolling coming down off Elliot’s. I left him on the gravel road while he made a pit stop. He caught me at the bottom finally and told me how fast he had to run to catch up with me. This was surprisingly the high point of the race for me. I couldn’t believe how good my legs felt at mile ninety, running down hills. My quads were not sore as expected and my knees were feeling fine. I just let gravity take me down the single track to the creek and into the aid station. For me, this is what running ultras is all about; downhill single track trails, ninety miles into a hundred miler, ¼jacked up! Indescribable!

Hard work and training had paid off. I believe my constant eating and drinking led me to feel so good at this point. I have to give a lot of credit to MAX GXL. It is a natural supplement I have been using for several months. I can’t believe what it has done for my recovery during and after runs. I am convinced that the product is great for ultra runners.

Jeremy and I ran together into the last aid station. Needless to say I was ready to be done with this. I knew I had it licked but mentally, it was a tough last five miles. Jeremy finally let me hike with a stick a little but when we got to King’s Gap we picked it up again. I decided I was going to run to the finish once I got to the camp. Jeremy peeled off and let me run around the lake to the finish alone. Wow! What a feeling! I was finishing the Grindstone 100 Miler! Crossing that finish line was definitely the best and most satisfying feeling I’ve ever experienced in sports. I didn’t want that moment to end. Clark handed me my “hard to read” belt buckle and Patagonia finisher shirt and I hugged the totem pole with relief. That was a special moment there with my dad and my pacers. I looked to the sky and said “Thank you Jesus; all glory goes to Him, My Lord and Savior! (Phil 4:13).

Thinking back to that moment gives me goose bumps, but I have heard we have to find our own level of insanity as it relates to ultras. Training for a hundred was a strain on my family and caused me to question my ability to maintain my priorities. With two kids (ages five and twenty months) and a supporting wife, fitting in the long runs seemed impossible at times. I would like to thank my wife Kim for standing by me in my pursuit of these running goals; and as crazy as running ultras seem to some, Kim has been a huge encouragement to me. Although it was an amazing feeling to finish a hundred mile race, I have a hard time imagining doing another. My first priority is to keep God at the center and become the best husband and father for my family.

MMTR 2009 - Top 3 Runners Overall with Clark Zealand

DSC_1678, originally uploaded by clark_zealand.

Clark is standing at the finish of the MMTR 2009 with the top 3 overall finishers. From Left to Right, Clark Zealand, Gary Robbins (3rd), Geoff Roes (1st), Lon Freeman(2nd).

Congratulations to everyone on a great race!

MMTR 2009 - Male Winner - Geoff Roes - Course Record

A new MMTR course record was by Geoff Roes during the annual 2009 MMTR. Geoff won the race in a record time of 6:27:55. See all of Geoff's splits here.


See all our photos of Geoff's race here.

MMTR 2009 - Female Winner - Tamsin Anstey

Tamsin Anstey is the top overall female in the 2009 Mountain Masochist Trail Run. See Tamsins splits here. Congratulations on a great race and a great time - 8hrs 9mins 7 seconds.


All photos of Tamsin Anstey - FLICKR PHOTOS

MMTR 2009 - Photos, Videos and Full Results

MMTR 2009 Results - http://eco-xsports.com/livestats.php?race=2&year=2009

MMTR 2009 Photos - Flickr Photos
MMTR 2009 Videos - YouTube Videos

Audio Update - End of Race (November 7th, 2009) Clark Zealand

New videos posted

Check more videos on Eco-X Youtube Channel.

First women...

Tamsin Anstey just passed crossed aid station 14 (Slat Log Gap - 41miles from start) with a time of 6h35min. She is leading the ladies on the 26th MMTR race.

Race Report Audio Update Clark Zealand

Audio Update Aid Station #2 Clark Zealand

Around halfway through the race....

We're now at the beautiful aid station 10 (Long Mnt Side) and the first 5 runners just passed it. It's been about 3:30min of race time and the competition between the top 4 racers is very heated with the following times:

Geoff Roes - 3h27m
Gary Robbins - 3h29m
Lon Freeman - 3h30m
Valmir Nunes - 3h32m

Click here to see the live stats page.

Tech Team.

First photos

Race Start photos now - http://www.flickr.com/photos/8977494@N08/tags/start/