Switchback Gravity Railroad Winter Run

I knew I had to get out and run to start the weekend.  I knew it would be a cold day too, but I needed to be tough.  I didn't want to travel much, so I decided to head up to Jim Thorpe.  I haven't run there in a few months.  I'm slowly getting to know the trails up there.  I have some maps and I'm gradually figuring them out, piece by piece.  There are miles and miles of trails in the area.

One of the reasons that I opted to run there was because I didn't want too much elevation on this bitter cold day.  I wanted mileage though.  The weather was already in the teens when I started, around mid afternoon.  There was some wind too, but it wasn't crazy wind, like we have seen lately.

I wore my ColdGear top and vest.  I also had on tights, thick gloves and a headband.  I was a bit chilled from time to time, but overall I was comfortable.  I don't mind this time of year at all, as long as it isn't super windy.

My plan for the day was to run the Switchback Gravity Railroad.  Last year, I started at Mauch Chunk Lake Park and lost the trail after a couple miles.  I now know how to take the route.  This time, I was going the opposite way anyway.

The trail is an old railroad that used gravity to transport coal between Summit Hill and Jim Thorpe.  Now, it is open for recreation.  I crossed the road from the park and was on my way.  I saw a steep trail that I assumed might connect to where I was heading.  I continued on along the railroad grade though.  I ran in front of a few houses.

There is an intersection about a mile out.  I had the option to go out to Summit Hill or back toward Jim Thorpe.  This time, I was going to Jim Thorpe.  The trail was covered in a light snow.

I ran up the gradual incline.  It was like running on a rail trail, with a slight incline.  I knew this part was about 4.5 miles long.  My trail shoes worked well on this amount of snow.  I would've liked to have tried on my Microspikes, but I figured I might end up doing a bit of road running later on.

The trail wasn't bad, but in general, I found it rather boring.  It was a long, gradual climb that seemed neverending.  On the plus side, it was easy, fast and runnable.  I was clicking off miles.

As I got higher up, I could see pretty well through the trees.  I could see Mauch Chunk Lake and the ridge of Flagstaff Mountain.  That was neat.  There were a few large boulders along the trail, but not much else to look at.  In the beginning, there were no tracks, but farther out I saw some footprints.  There were animal prints in the snow all through out.

At one point, I noticed that the trail split.  I stayed on the higher path, wondering where the lower one went.  I quickly found out, as I came to a cliff type section.  I had read about this part, but didn't realize that I would come to it so soon.  Although the cliff looked slightly dangerous and there was a safer route below, I opted for the cliff.  This part did slow me down.

I was back on my way though and getting closer to Mt. Pisgah.  I was about a mile out from it now.  There were a couple interesting side trails up the mountain.  I might try them in the future, but I didn't want to waste a lot of time exploring today.

Eventually, I came to the top of Mt. Pisgah.  I found the lookout to the north and got some stunning pictures.  There were a few decent views to the south at the top of the incline plane too.  Going downhill was steep and rocky.

It turns out I actually took Wagon Wheel Road to the bottom, not the actual inclined plane.  I wasn't sure though and I had followed snowmobile tracks.  I couldn't believe that a snowmobile made it up those rocks, but I guess someone did.  I saw no people during this entire first half of the run.

I didn't study the maps beforehand.  I knew my way back on the roads, if I had to use that route.  I should've looked at the directions closer.  I ended up running down the roads for about 2 miles.  It was awful.  There was a couple uphill segments.  I was also getting beat by the wind.

I nearly missed a turn to get back on to the trail.  Luckily, I found a parking area and signs for the trails.  I followed them through an awesome section of woods.  This was beautiful and felt much warmer too.  I was very happy to be off the road.  I went over a bridge above a small creek.

Eventually, I came to the Switchback Trail.  I was thrilled that I now knew exactly where I was at.  This section was very flat, much like a rail trail.  I cruised along.

I was happy to come out to Mauch Chunk Lake.  I took some cool photos of the frozen lake.  I continued on.  I was amazed to see that I would actually finish up at 11 miles.  That was what I originally planned, but with some of the turns, I was expecting it to be longer.  I finished up near the park entrance, with a short out and back.  The run was a little under 2 hours.

It was a great day and some good exploring.  I battled the weather again and made it through.  I'm getting to know Jim Thorpe little by little.  I think eventually, I'll be able to make a giant ultra run along the perimeter of all of the area's trails.  That would be epic for sure.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to run again.  I'd love to go to Trexler and run two of the 10 mile loops.  That may be tough though.  It is supposed to be a bit warmer out, I believe.  That would be nice for sure.

11 miles - 1:51:19 (10:07) 1,096 feet of elevation gain

First AT Run at Route 309

It was another tough day for a run.  For some time, this winter was warm.  Lately, it has been brutal, particularly the wind.  Today, it was in the mid 20s, but the wind was over 20 MPH.  I almost didn't run, but I saw it would be worse on Saturday.

I bundled up and was out the door by mid afternoon.  I wore a ColdGear top and fleece vest.  I also had on tights, wind underwear and shorts to keep me rather warm.  I used my compression socks too.  I wore my thicker gloves and headband.  For the most part, it worked well.  At some points, I was a bit hot and others a bit chilly, but overall, not too bad.

I decided to head out to Route 309 and try a new section of the AT.  It is a bit far for me, but still not too far.  It took about 45 minutes to get there.  I wanted to start here because the route began on the top of the mountain.  With all the snow on the ground, I wasn't looking for much elevation gain.  That plan seemed to work out well.

I parked in the lot and initially had some trouble finding the trail.  There were a few woods roads around, but they weren't blazed.  I went out to the road and found the AT sign and followed it.  That didn't quite work either.  It was a trail, but it wasn't blazed and definitely wasn't the Appalachian Trail.

I backtracked a bit and realized that I had missed the turn.  It was singletrack for a bit, but then turned into a woods road.  There were some rocks, but it was very runnable.  It was weird to see some bushes with leaves along the ground.  That kept the wind out though.

After over a mile, I thought I lost the trail again.  It turns out it was just some time between the blazes.  I continued along.  I came to a fire ring and lookout.  I stopped for a photo.  The views of the snow covered farmlands to the south were amazing.

I continued on and came to a powerline.  I was still cruising, but that wouldn't last very long.  It got rocky somewhere around mile 2.  I suspected this area would be rocky.  Eventually, the trail was no longer runnable, with all the snow and rocks.  I came to the Knife Edge.  That is a cool rock outcrop with a view.  There were a lot of rocks and I stopped for a few photos.  I didn't want to get too close to the edge though.

Luckily, the trail went around this area, so I could keep going.  There was a short stretch that was runnable again, but that didn't last long.  I was back to hiking in no time.  I had hoped that maybe I could get out to Bake Oven Knob, but that would've been a full 5 miles each way, so I knew it would be tough.

I decided to write "AT Run" on a snowy rock, with my finger.  I continued on, hiking a lot of the rocky terrain.  This time, I came to Bear Rocks.  Unlike the last rock outcrop section, the trail passed directly through these rocks.  It was a bit tricky getting up them, but I wanted a view.

I did manage to get pretty high up.  However, there was a steep dropoff and I didn't need to go any higher.  It wasn't super dangerous, but being alone, it wasn't worth the risk.  My watch was nearing 4 miles anyway.  That was good enough for me.  After a few photos, I turned around and headed back.

I knew going down could be a little tricky, on the snow covered boulders.  I tried to retrace my original footprints.  There had only been one set of tracks in the snow at that point, so it was easy to follow mine.  I banged my left shin on the side of a rock and it stung a bit.

I got over the boulders and the real problem occurred after that.  I was hiking along, because it was still rocky.  Again, I slipped and bashed the same shin against another rock.  However, this time it was very painful.  I had to limp around for a bit.

After about half a mile of hiking and limping, I decided to run.  The trail was smoother now.  I wasn't running fast and it was still hurting, but at least I was moving better.  I continued on my way back.

I was surprised when I got back to Knife Edge.  I came across a hiker going the other way.  It must've been the guy that pulled in next to me earlier.  It was nice to see someone else out there, even if briefly.

I was hiking when I passed that guy, but the trail got smooth again not long after that.  I ran along.  A lot of this was now slightly downhill.  I was surprised at how soft the trail was.  It was hard to get a good grip.

I had to stop for a bathroom break, but other than that, I was able to run most of the rest of the way.  I took a woods road instead of the AT at the very end.  At the parking lot, I still needed half a mile to get to mile 7. 

I crossed the road and went to the AT on the other side of 309.  There was some downhill and the trail was along the ridge.  I was hoping to get a view there, but that didn't happen.  I ran out for a bit and then stopped at mile 7 and hiked the short distance back.  My shin was feeling better, but still sore.

It was a nice and productive run.  The snow covered trail views were spectacular.  I'll have to come back there during nicer weather.  Maybe then I can continue over Bear Rocks.  I'd like to get all the way to Bake Oven Knob.

I feel pretty good now, so I'll likely run again tomorrow.  However, the weather could be a factor.  I'd love to run for 20 miles, but that's probably not a good idea in the bitter cold.  I probably shouldn't be out there for more than 2 hours.  I have no idea where I'll go.

7 miles - 1:46:02 (15:08 pace)  628 feet of elevation gain

Frigid South Mountain Night Trail Run

I took off yesterday and got back at it today.  Both days have just had insanely cold weather.  It was in the teens with around 15 MPH winds this afternoon.  The winds looked to be calming down by nighttime.  I decided to head out then.

I went to South Mountain (Lehigh).  I figured with the cold, I'd probably just do the normal loop.  I would've liked to have gone farther, but why bother in this stuff?

I was happy to see a bunch of cars in the parking lots.  I didn't know if there would be any, since school should be on break.  I parked and got ready in my car.

It was probably about 11 degrees with about 5 or 6 mph winds when I started, before 7 PM.  I wore my North Face tights, which were my only clean tights.  They have holes in them, so my legs were cold by the end.  I wore a fleece vest over my ColdGear top.  I also had on a headband and gloves.  This was close to the worst conditions that I've run in.

I started off the regular route.  It was a lot of downhill.  There were plenty of mountain bike tracks and a ton of animal tracks, but not many footprints.  Obviously, running in the snow here isn't a big thing.

This was a lot of fun.  The technical downhill seemed easier and less technical with the snow.  I cruised along.  I finally got my headlamp settings correct.  It appeared to work fairly well.  The brightness of the snow might've helped.

I crossed the road and ran up the hill.  I wasn't looking to go too hard, so I hiked up the steeper part of the hill.  I still ran most of it.  I hiked some of the next gradual hill too.  My one calf felt kind of tight.

I was surprised to see a mountain biker go by the other direction.  I never even see mountain bikers during the day.  I was grateful for their tracks in the snow though.  It made it easier to follow the trail.  I do know the trail well, so I likely would not have got lost here.

I went downhill and had some more fun.  I missed the one turn, but quickly backtracked.  I then crossed the road and began a lot of the super awesome downhill section.  The technical rocks slowed me slightly, but it wasn't too bad.

There's this bridge over water.  It is super steep and was very hard to run over.  I had to pull myself up it.  I then went on to the road briefly and stopped for some cool photos of the Lookout.

Now, I had about a mile of trail to go.  It was gradual uphill after awhile.  I was kind of glad that I couldn't see the top, or I might've hiked.  Instead, I ran along.  It might've been slow, but it was consistent.  There's a spring at one point and that created ice.  I ran around it.

Finally, I was up to the paved loop around the top.  I wanted to get to mile 5, so I ran around the perimeter of the mountain.  The straight up stairway section might have been icy anyway. 

I finished up at my car at 5 miles.  I was a bit chilly when I stopped.  It was a good run though.  It was good to be done in tough conditions.  This will make me stronger.

I'm planning a double digit mileage run tomorrow.  I'm hoping that I don't have to work.  If that's the case, I might travel for my run.  Maybe I'll go to New York State.  We shall see.

5 miles - 53:05 (10:37 pace) 892 feet of elevation gain

Wind Gap AT Snow Run

I had to work in the morning and had to go to the doctor early in the afternoon.  Therefore, I didn't have a lot of time.  I had to run though, since it snowed in the morning and there were still flurries in the afternoon.  I ended up staying local.

I did still want to get some elevation gain, so I headed to Wind Gap and the Appalachian Trail.  I haven't been there since a super hot summer day.  I was looking forward to a run in the opposite conditions.  I was the only car parked in the lot since it had started to snow.

The snow was great and it was supposed to be in the teens.  However, with no wind, it didn't feel all that cold.  I wore a long sleeve shirt and a vest.  I had on tights and used my thinner, normal gloves.  I didn't pack my headband, so I had to use a full winter hat instead.  I got too hot at times and I kept taking it off and putting it back on.

Last time I ran there, I went in both directions (I think).  Heading northbound is a very tough climb and super rocky at the top.  Going southbound is smoother at the start and has a bunch of switchbacks.

I wasn't crazy about having to run on the road to start, but I did so anyway, as I headed southbound.  I began the climb.  The white covered forest and trail was outstanding.  Running in the snow is so amazing, especially the fresh snow.  I was the first person on this part.

This section is tough, but the switchbacks make it runnable.  However, combining the snowy conditions, it was tough.  I alternated running and hiking as I ascended the side of the mountain.  The elevation is pretty high already, so it isn't much more than 500 feet of elevation gain initially.

I was to the top in no time.  There was this great rock outcrop with a northly view.  I stayed there for a bit and enjoyed the view.  I took a few photos and was on my way.

Next, it was some ridge running and a little more climbing.  This part is very technical, so it is hard to run.  I even fell here in the summer.  Today, I hiked a lot of it.  It was good to get to the top.

A lot of the top was smooth and very runnable.  The snow buried some of the small rocks, but every now and then I'd slip on one.  I still could see the big rocks, so I typically missed those.

I got to Hahn's Lookout, with a southerly view.  Again, I stopped there before going on my way.  This run was going by kind of slowly.  I wasn't even at 1.5 miles yet.

After some running along the top, the trail switched over and ran along the ridge on the north side of the mountain.  It was a little steep, so I had to be kind of cautious.  Every now and then, I'd slip, but it wasn't too bad and I still could run a lot of it.  Obviously, this wasn't a fast paced run.

I got out near 2 miles and it got very rocky.  I was kind of getting tired of the rocks and didn't want to have to keep running on them, so I turned around at 2 miles.  I had been hoping for 2.5 miles, but this would have to do.

It was fun running back and I did it much quicker.  There was some early up and down, but mostly it was downhill running now.  I stepped in my fresh footprints whenever I could.  That seemed to help.

I got to this flat faced, snow covered rock.  I carved "AT Run" out of the snow on it.  I hoped to take a photo, but my phone battery died.  That was disappointing.

I had fun running down the switchbacks.  Most of it was runnable.  I think this is probably a great place for doing repeats at in the future.  I'll have to give it a try.  It would definitely be a great place to run fast repeats, in clearer conditions.

I was then at the bottom and ran along the road.  I got back to my car and had to run a bit to get to mile 4.  I ran around the parking lot and down this access road.  I then ran briefly on a water company access road to finish up.

Although it was a short run, it was excellent.  The scenery was magnificent and exactly why I enjoy winter running so much.  A light snowfall makes for almost perfect running conditions, especially on a trail.  I look forward to more snowy run days ahead.

I don't have a plan for tomorrow yet.  If I have to work, I'll probably stay local.  If I don't, I may travel.  It is supposed to be cold and windy tomorrow though.  Therefore, I might not want to take a trip and run in terrible conditions.

4.01 miles - 1:00:35 (15:06 pace) 723 feet of elevation gain

Cold and Windy Trexler Recovery Run

I was slightly sore yesterday.  That didn't keep me from running, but I just never got around to it.  I had to run today.

Winter has finally hit.  It was brutally cold and windy.  The temperature was below freezing and the winds were over 20 MPH.  This was probably the worst day yet.

There was no messing around.  I had on my ColdGear top and fleece vest.  I added tights, a headband and my thicker gloves.  It was super cold on the bare hilltops and super warm down below on the trails.  That made things tricky.

The starting area is usually one of the worst spots in winter.  You have to realize it will get better as you run along.  Otherwise, it's insanely hard to get moving.  I did take off.

The plan was to avoid the water crossing and run the 10 mile loop.  I was taking it easy though, just two days after a 50K.  I could've worked to get up the first big hill, but I elected to hike it.  I ran past the bison pen and they were all out, so I took a few photos.

I then ran and even walked some of the short hill after that.  I cruised along some of the downhill and out of the zoo area.  Next, it was on to the long climb.  I hiked some of this early on, but still ran a lot of it.  Even with hiking the hills, so much of the course is runnable.

The higher I got up along the ridge, the more windy and insanely cold it go.  I was so exposed.  At least the views were nice.  It was good to get to 2.5 miles.

Every now and then, there were small patches of ice in the areas that got no sun.  That was mostly where people had hiked.  I ran along for a bit.  Then, I hiked another short uphill.  It was run, hike, run.  I even took my time and hiked the false hills.

I knew I'd be hiking the big hill.  There was no question of that.  My legs were getting sore from hiking it.  I was starting to tire too.  I didn't eat much for lunch.

I ran some of the steep downhill and hiked the next hill.  Then, I was on to the other loop part.  I continued my hiking and running.  I knew after 6 miles, it would be a lot more running than hiking.  For now, I was contend.  I was still making solid time too.

I think I hit mile 5 at somewhere around 50 minutes, probably a little over it.  I was happy to just run a sub 11 minute pace.  So far, I was doing just that.

I crossed over the small stream that leads into the Jordan Creek.  Even that was flowing strong and I had to get my feet a little wet.  Next, it was on to the Elk Trail and big climb to the top.  I ran some of the early part.  I then hiked and ran past a woman that was hiking.  I was impressed.

This trail was nice and not too windy.  I was thrilled to get to the top.  That meant that most of the hard part was over.  I took a GU on the way to the top, as I was losing it a bit.

I came down and crossed the bridge over the creek.  I watched a car drive through the Ford.  That is always cool and I never tire of it.

I continued to alternate running and hiking, even on these shorter hills.  There was just no need to over do it.  I was running under an 11 minute pace anyway.

Eventually, I came to the big hill.  I ran the bottom of it and hiked the top.  That made it seem easy.  I figured I'd run most of the rest of the way.

I came out of the woods and it got cold again.  That was especially the case on the rolling hills.  At least I was in the final mile.  I sputtered along.

As I got within the final half mile, I began to realize that I might be able to run under 1:45 (even with so much hiking).  I really pushed hard up the final steep hill.  It was tough and I was breathing heavy, but I ran it all.

I ran the short hill after that too.  I then looped around the parking lot and finished.  There was no time to spare, as I just broke 1:45.

I was very happy with the run.  I mentally battled the cold.  That should make me tougher.  I also got in some elevation, but took it easy.  I didn't overdo it and I allowed for some recovery.

Tomorrow, I have a doctor's appointment in the afternoon.  I'm not sure if I'll get out there at all.  If I do, perhaps it won't be until after dark.  I don't expect to work a lot this week, so I'm looking for one adventure run somewhere.

10 miles - 1:44:59 (10:30 pace)

2015 Watchung 50K Race Report

I didn't run at all yesterday.  Today was a big race, the Watchung 50K in New Jersey.  It is 5 loops of approximately 10K each around the trails at the Watchung Reservation.  I signed up for it last year, but we had too much snow, so I opted not to run it.  This year, everything was clear.

I wasn't quite sure what to wear.  It was chilly at the start, but I knew it would get slightly warmer.  It still probably only got into the mid 30s.  I wore a very lightweight long sleeve shirt with my jacket over it and tights on the bottom.  Gloves came on and off throughout the race.  I was hot early on, but pretty comfortable as the race wore on.

Last time I ran there was in September.  My friend Christina ran two loops with me that day.  I was thrilled to see her at the starting line.  She signed up at the last minute for the half marathon.  This was perfect because I could start a little slower and run with her and chat for a bit.

We started off with a bunch of pavement.  It was good to catch up with Christina, as she now lives near the race course.  I was going nice and easy, trying to hold back.

Then, we got on to singletrack.  We had started kind of in the middle of the pack.  It was a long day and I was in no hurry.  There was an icy section in the beginning.  I didn't plan to leave Christina yet, but people were being too careful and walking on the ice.  I got frustrated and passed them.  I ran on ice all last winter.  You just have to take short, cautious steps.  Some of the rocks I run on are more dangerous.

Things were still kind of bunched up and I was following a lot of people.  They had a 10K, half marathon, marathon and the 50K.  Every race started at the same time and ran the same loop.  You had no idea at this point who was in your race or not.

A friend, Destrie, turned me on to Tailwind.  It mixes with your water and is supposed to provide all of the fuel that you need.  I got a sample pack and mixed it up before the race.  The plan was to carry one bottle for each loop and drink the water and Tailwind mix.  I usually don't have a true fueling plan.  I typically eat whatever I want.

There was some downhill after the singletrack.  That is followed by a rocky section along the creek.  I was cruising along and feeling good.  This is a very fair course.

After the rocky part, there was a short climb, then it leveled off and climbed again.  Some woman was breathing heavy and walking uphill already.  I guess sometimes I forget how much I'm used to hill running.  This was barely even a hill by my standards and she was likely only doing the 10K anyway.

I gradually picked a bunch of people off.  I was making good time.  I was having fun on this trail too.  I continued to run.  The last two miles of the loop would always be my strongest.  It's like a wide road, often downhill and very smooth.  I knew I could run good miles along this side of the small lake.

There was an open field aid station with water and some gels, but I didn't stop.  I continued to plug away.  I was then on to the other side of the lake and running along the bottom of it.  Again, it was smooth, fast and easy.  This part seemed to go on and on and on though.

There's a short uphill near the end of the loop.  I decided to hike this, since it was early.  This was one of the very few spots that I regularly hiked.  The whole loop was runnable and I was going to run as much as I could.

I came through this loop somewhere around 55 to 57 minutes.  The loop seemed long.  I was feeling good.  I grabbed another water with Tailwind and continued to fuel.

The second loop was more of the same.  With all the people around, I had run maybe a little harder than I would've liked during that first loop.  Now, there were still others around and I pushed at times, but overall ran nice and easy and consistent.  I felt pretty strong.  I started to catch some of the back of the pack half marathon runners that were on their first loop.  I had no idea where I stood among my own race.

I continued along and ran and ran and ran.  I picked off a few people here and there.  Things were thinning out though.  I drank most of this bottle of water.  I got back to the starting area and was again around or under an hour.  I think the total time was 1:55.  My super top goal was a sub 5 hour finish.  I knew that would be tough, as I often fall off in these races.

The third loop started off uneventful again.  I had to spend more time at my bag, because I needed to refill my bottle.  It worked, but probably cost me a minute or two.  That was time I really didn't have, if I wanted to run under 5 hours.

My back has been bothering me more and more lately.  It was starting to get sore during this loop.  The small climbs made it worse, but it seemed better on the smooth and downhill parts.  I continued along though.  Again, I was running consistently.

Before I knew it, I was through this loop and well over 18 miles.  The loops did seem a bit long and that was beginning to add up.  The Tailwind was working awesome and I was amazed that I felt good.  I was consistent throughout.  I didn't bonk or hit any low points.  I usually fall apart by this point and then bounce back.

I had to fill my bottle again after this third loop.  I put some cream on my sore back too.  That was one thing that could slow me down.  Still, I was running under 3 hours at this point.

I knew the fourth loop was the make or break loop.  If I could run it well and come through 4 loops under 4 hours, I might have a good shot at breaking 5 hours today.  I usually fall apart before that happens though.

I continued to drink my Tailwind.  I was still feeling solid, but I was getting tired.  My back and legs were both sore.  I was also getting slightly exhausted.  I wasn't crashing though. 

I tried to use a Gel and see if it could pick me up even more and give me a big boost.  It didn't happen though.  About halfway through this loop, it began to snow.  That was nice, except it was blowing in my face and hard to see.  

As I went around the bottom of the lake, I began to realize that my time was slipping a bit.  I got to the hill and by now, it was clear that I wasn't going to finish this loop in under 4 hours total.  I took my time up the hill and ran with a guy behind some construction equipment for a bit.  I finished this loop around 4:03.

I grabbed a hat to keep the snow out of my eyes.  Since I had no chance of running a sub 5 hour race now, I took more time at my bag.  I wanted to make sure I was all fueled up and ready to go.

By the start of this loop, the trails were covered in a light coating of snow.  I slipped on the icy section, because I couldn't see the ice.  I then hiked for a bit.  I was in no hurry.

My legs were falling off, but I was still doing alright.  I passed some people that were fading.  I wasn't sure if they were 50K runners or marathoners that I might be lapping.  Either way, I'd slowed a bit, but had not fallen off as much as other people.

I still ran most of this loop.  It was a slower run now.  I hiked maybe once or twice on the hills.  I plodded along.  These miles seemed to go on and on forever.  I focused on getting to miles 29 and 30.  With the course looking about a mile long, these were good milestones.

I knew hitting mile 30 and having 2 miles to go would be huge.  This is where it opened up and things got smoother.  I picked it up a little since this was my kind of running.  It was clear that I wouldn't break 5 hours, but I was hoping to run sub 5:15 now.

Earlier in this loop, this guy blew by me on the technical stuff.  He's a guy that I talked to last month at my last 50K.  Now, I caught up to him as he was fueling and I blew past him.  I figured he wouldn't be able to get me back.

I continued to push just a bit.  I got back to the other side of the lake.  This part of the trail seemed to go on and on and on.  I began cursing, especially because my watch showed well over 31 miles already.  The clock was a few minutes over 5 hours now.

I battled and battle on this easy stretch.  Finally, I got to the steep hill.  I ran it because I wasn't sure how much time I had to get under 5:15.  When I realized that I would do it, I walked very briefly at the very top.

I then ran through to the finish.  I passed three guys who were moving slowly.  I was nearly sprinting.  I never crashed, so I had energy.  I finished under 5:15 and was thrilled.

Having a nutrition plan was a huge difference.  I have to thank Destrie for that suggestion.  Tailwind worked awesome, so I guess I'll have to try more.  My body still got a little sore and began to slow.  I never crashed though or came close to cramping.  I even was able to drive right home.  I didn't have to worry that I might cramp on the drive back.

It was such a great race and exceeded my expectations.  At the same time, there is still room for improvement, so that is nice too.  The course was pretty easy, so I did expect to set a PR.  However, I blew that out of the water with a 34 minute PR.

I think might go for a recovery run tomorrow.  It depends how the body feels.  I am sore now, but I usually recover fairly quickly.  I'd love to run 10 miles somewhere and travel to do it.  I only slept a little over an hour last night, so I was surprised that I ran so well today.  I might crash early tonight.

31 miles - 5:14:26 (10:09 pace)

2015 New Year's Day AT Run

Since my New Year's Eve plans changed, I decided to take off yesterday and run today instead.  With football all day, I needed to run early in the morning.  At least early by my standards.  I began around 10:30 in the morning.

It was freezing cold when I looked at the forecast.  It was 17 degrees at that point, but probably near 30 degrees when I actually started the run.  I may have been a little overdressed, but that's better than being underdressed.  I had on a fleece vest over my ColdGear top.  I wore tights on the bottom and had on my thickest gloves, along with a headband.

I have a 50K on Saturday.  Therefore, I didn't want to run too far or with too much elevation gain.  I drove to Route 191 again to run the Appalachian Trail.  This time, I would head north on the trail.  The only time I ran this section was during the DWG Fatt Ass 50K.

It was a decent start.  It wasn't too chilly.  This section goes along the ridge for a bit and has some rocks, but it is manageable.  I cruised along.  I saw two hikers early on.

Within the first mile, the trail comes to this awesome overlook.  It has an amazing view to the south.  I stayed there a bit to take some photos.  Then, I was on my way.

This route has a bunch of small ups and downs.  Nothing is overly difficult, although it can get rocky at times.  I ran this section much better than when I went through there late in the race.

As I was running along, I came across two hikers and their dog, Thor.  They told me he was friendly, but I had to stop as he barked at me for a bit.  I was then on my way.

Originally, I was going to run out to 2 miles or 2.5 miles in this direction.  However, I didn't want to come across this dog again.  Therefore, I decided that I would be going out farther.

There were a couple rocks with a neat view to the south and east.  I could see over to a tower that I'd end up running to, as well as where the DWG is.  I continued along.  There was also a pipeline with views in both directions, as well as a powerline.

Near mile 3, I came to Totts Gap.  That's where the tower was at and also woods road to the bottom.  After going through a technical section, I decided to opt for a woods road, rather than continue on the trail.

This road eventually turns into the trail.  It was a good section to run smoother.  It made the overall pace go quicker.  At 3.5 miles, I turned around.

It was good to go back.  I was wondering if this direction would be as tough as I thought it was during the 50K.  It was time to find out.  It wasn't too bad.  I'm not quite sure which direction is easier.

Back at Totts Gap, I decided to stay on the road and go around the tower.  Going up the Gap is pretty technical, so I hiked some of it.  It was good to make progress.  I was shooting for hitting mile 5.  I knew it would be nice to have 2 miles left in the run.

It seemed like I went up and down, up and down.  I didn't stop to take photos this time, so it was much faster.  I got to mile 6 and was getting tired, but still moving along.

I then saw the hikers and Thor up ahead.  I feared they might stop somewhere with the views for a bit.  I was happy to see that Thor and one of the hikers was on the higher route that went toward the shelter.  I ran behind the hiker on the AT.  Of course Thor ran down the hill to him and I had to stop and walk past him again.

I then had some fun running along the ridge.  I was now nearing Route 191.  Since I didn't run on the AT on the way back, my mileage was a bit short.  Therefore, I ran back across the road and continued south on the other side.  I went out a short bit and hit mile 7.  I was happy to not see Thor on the way back.

Today was a solid run.  It is a good semi technical route without too much elevation gain.  Tomorrow, I'm hoping for a short run.  I might just go to Jacobsburg for 4 or 5 miles.  It should be a good tuneup for a big Saturday race.  I hope I can PR there.

7 miles - 1:27:30 (12:30 pace) 983 feet of elevation gain