Conquering Hyner

Hyner cannot be conquered.  It conquers you! Hyner is an epic event that has grown in popularity over the last few years.  Located in the "middle-of-nowhere" in central Pennsylvania amongst the hills and valleys, the trails of Hyner boast never ending climbs, gnarly down hill, grueling gradual climbs through the river runs, and amazing views.  Instead of doubling the already popular 25k course to make a ridiculous 50k course, the race coordinators created a new section to add to the 25k course for an adventurous and moderately difficult 50k course.  I do not have a ton of experience in 50k courses but I would bet this is one of the toughest east of the Mississippi.  It boasts of 7000ft+ of climbs and 7000ft+ of downhill.  This was my third year at Hyner - second for the 50k version.  It has quickly become a favorite of mine. 

Respect
This I have come to learn: YOU MUST RESPECT THE HYNER! You must respect the hills of Hyner.  If you do not, they will chew you up and spit you out.  And since there are so many, you could find yourself all kinds of messed up.  You could find yourself like this (see below) poor soul.  And this is only the first climb.  You must respect the downhill.  If you do not, your quads may just explode.  You must respect the long trudge through Johnson Run and Ritchie Run.  If you do not, your brain may explode with the numbing rocks, fallen trees, and creek crossings.  You must respect the trail.  She can work for you if you show her proper respect.  You must respect Hyner.  Don't say I never warned you!

Preperation for the Hyner

In 2012, I limped into the inagural 50k at Hyner with knee tendonitis that had hampered my training plans.  I managed to get through it and live to tell about it.  After some time off, I set my sights on increasing my mileage and run a couple ultras in the fall.  Unfortunately, summer brought a foot issue that I originally thought was Achilles Tendonitis.  I started a pattern of time off followed by trying to run again.  The time off needed to increase as the discomfort wasn't going away.  I finally made the decision to take an indefinate amount of time off which included bypassing my race plans I had for the fall.  I ended up taking a bit less than two months off and also started to see a physical therapist since the discomfort did not go away - infact my other foot began to also give me problems.  The PT assessed a mechanical issue in my gait and said due to that and the higher mileage, my tibialis tendon was flaring up. "My what?", I said.  It's a tendon that runs through your arch and up near the achilles tendon.  Long story short(er), I struggled to run again even with permission to run.  I did many exercises to strengthen weak areas in my feet/ankles/knees.  I ended up getting custom orthotics.  Things started to go well. I surprisingly got used to the ortothics and had built my long runs up to the 15-17 mile range on technical trails.  Things were going too well.  More issues with my feet arose - some of which seem to be exaccerbated by the orthotics.  Despite this, I managed to continue to run, build my long runs, do some strength training, continue my PT exercises and sign up for Hyner at the end of February.  I was not confident that I would be ready but I would show up anyway.  Overall, my mileage has been low (no weeks over 38 miles) with my longest LR of 24 miles.  This period has been very difficult for me.  I have had thoughts cross my mind numerous times that I should just quit running altogether.  I have had bad days (achiness in my feet/lower legs), good days (where I feel like I could get back on track to run ultras), and a few really bad days.  My solice has been the runners that have dealt with their own chronic injuries for longer periods and were resilient in staying the course.  Through persistence and patience I continue on.  This is not a conversation I have had with too many people.  Most would not understand the emotion behind it.  I am strangely emotionally attached to this thing called trail running. 
I recently reviewed my race report from 2012 for the same course and here is what I ended the report with:

"My recommendation is only do this event if you are a demented & sick person who loves to inflict self-pain.  Ask me if I would do it again? I think I distinctly said "no way" during and right after, but you never know." 
So why am I back????? To seek revenge on this wicked beast! (oh but you must respect her...)

The days leading to Hyner
The days leading up the event are usually filled with many checks of the weather, checking gear, fighting off some of the anxious feelings and tapering.  This year would not quite live up to the same process.  The events on April 15th, 2013 during the Boston Marathon turned my attention from Hyner to the tragic bombings, the victims, the heros and the manhunt for the sick & twisted souls who did this.  On the one hand, my anxiety about Hyner was minimal but my heart was breaking as the week went on.  I did manage to keep an eye on the weather and because it appeared that there would be a potential for strong storms rolling through on Friday, I decided not to stay in the area Friday night but rather make the long drive in the early hours Saturday morning.  The night before I was glued to the TV as law enforcement caught up with the lone suspect that was alive in the bombings.  This gave me a little peace as I tried to get a few hours of sleep.  Three AM rolled around and I was out of bed and started my routine.  As I read my Bible, as I normally do in the morning before a run or workout, maybe it was coincidence or maybe it was meant to be but I was at the story of David & Goliath.  Hmmm...whatever could this mean for Hyner? Was this the day I would slay the giant? Don't say that too loud, she might hear you! (you must respect her...). 
I grabbed some food and made the drive.  As I hit route 80, the dark skies slowly became illuminated behind the mountains.  The sign read "Welcome to the Pennsylvania Wilds".  That gave me a great feeling.  This is a beautiful part of PA.  I made my way through the winding road that led directly to the site of the event where hundreds of people would gather to suffer the same pain --together!
It was colder than I anticipated.  Fortunately I had stuffed a bin full of various clothing items so I could choose what I would need when I arrived.  It felt like a winter day.  This seems to be another facet of the Hyner. She likes to mess with your mind.  The weather is always unpredictable. 

I looked at my car and was reminded that people were pulling for me.  My wife found a way to send me a message (even without cell phone service - another way that madame Hyner gets you - no calls for help). 

Friends at Hyner
Before the race, I was able to meet up with a couple of regulars that I seem to see at many different races.  Run these races enough and you will recognize a lot of people.  I was also able to meet up with some of the fellow RA crew.  I think everyone had a good time. 

Craig, Me, Marie, Tania, & Stacey

(why am I always the tallest one in the crowd?)

The Challenge
"10...9...8...7....6....5....oh wait" (interruption) "Let's start that over again".  This is how we started.  No one cared.  It's a 50k.  It's a long day.  It made most of us laugh.  Not so sure how that would go over in a 5k.  Off we go, start with a warm-up over the bridge looking up to the right to where we will be in a little less than an hour.  "I will own you today" I thought of saying but then thought better of it (you must respect her...).  I did come into this race with a strategy today.  It was very simple: Just beat Marie.  That was it - that all I wanted to do.  She beat me last year - lulling me to sleep with her sob story of it being her first 50k.  Ok Marie.  I get it.  You played a game with me last year.  Last year, we got to one stretch of 3 mile downhill and you took off.  You stayed at the "cabin" aid station long enough to see me come in bruised and battered and then took off laughing.  Not this year.  I will get my revenge. 

                                                     I see you Marie. You won't escape!

We hit the trail called "Cliffhanger".  It is a narrow trail with a nice drop on the right.  We are still in warm-up mode as we made our way along.  There is no reason to be impatient here.  Part way through, the guy in front of me steps a little too close to the edge and off he goes tumbling down the cliff.  No not really.  But he did get too close to the edge and a nice size boulder went tumbling down towards the train tracks.  I think his response was "oops".  Ok let's just get off of this narrow trail.  I don't want to end my life so early in the race.  Let's wait until much later when the pain is too much to bear.  And then it begins.  The climb up "Humble Hill".  It is relentless and steep.  I wish I could say there were great views but all I could see was the muddy trail and the back of the shoes of the guy in front of me. 

I know she is there.  She haunts me. 

Two false summits later (but how false can they be since I knew they were there?) and we were at the top of Hyner View.  It was beautiful.  I stopped to snap a couple of pictures.  Every year I say I need to spend a bit more time there enjoying the views.  But alas - there is work to be done. 

                                                           Can I get a hang glider?

                                         The view from the escarpment leading to Hyner View

                                              Spectators heckling the runners at Hyner View

At the top - wish I had time to stay.

 I looked behind - no Marie.  Where is she? Did she somehow get in front of me and I was oblivious to it? Couldn't be.  In an almost paranoid fashion, I started the descent down the other side.  It was a beautiful switchback followed by a steep pitch into a serene area of great running.  Someone was breathing down my neck.  Was it....no not Marie.  It was Tania.  She passed me and took off down the trail like she was on a mission.  I whispered "don't forget to respect the trail".  Not sure she heard me.  Didn't matter - she was killing the down hill.  Mental note to self - I must work on my technical downhill skills.  Just before the entrance into Johnson Hollow, a member of the DCNR stood where last year an aid station stood.  I hesitated for a moment and chatted with him a bit.  I thanked him for their service over the last week.  A few storms had ripped through during the last few days dropping many trees.  The DCNR and the Trail Dogs did a great job of clearing what they could.  A quick glance over my shoulder to see if Marie was there.  I thought maybe I saw her white hat.  Got to get going here! The entrance into Johnson Run is a bit of an uphill and then a short blast straight into the run.  Johnson Run in a beautiful remote  meandering trail in and out of the creek, over downed trees, rolling terrain but all at a slight incline.  The first section is mostly runnable. I made my way to the "50k loop".  About halfway through Johnson Run, we caught a side trail up to "sledgehammer" which is a pure uphill slog.  It is not too technical but just up.  I kept looking behind me but no Marie.  I thought I saw Tania up ahead so I chugged along.  The climb up was typical for the day in terms of weather.  It changed every 10 minutes.  We had part blue skies, part clouds, some snow, sleet, cold, warm, and lots of wind.  I thought it was odd to see blue skies over there, sun out but then snow blowing in from behind me.  This was the day in weather - repeat over and over again. 

Here's an example of the weather (end of the race).  Can you see the difference? Pictures only 1 min apart. 

The 14 mile loop that only the 50kers are privileged to run is a beautiful remote and mostly runnable section of trail.  After a quick aid station stop, I ran the rolling trail.  It was here that my right calf area started to seize up.  This was a similar pain to a previous training run that seemed to turn into a strain and took days to heal up.  I believe it is related to my feet issues.  I suddenly became very worried. I was not even 10 miles in and this was starting.  I started to contemplate how I would get through the day with that kind of discomfort.  The thing was - it wasn't that bad yet but I was thinking it would get worse and with many miles to go, it could get ugly.  But the pain never did get any worse.  Eventually I forgot about it.  I came to Farley Vista.  I stopped and took a couple of pictures.  As I was doing so, a handful of runners passed me by.  Honestly, I didn't care (unless if it would have been Marie). 

 Farley Vista

 A quick look down the trail and I was off in my favorite section.  A downhill meander of 3 miles or so.  This is where I really became paranoid.  I thought for sure Marie would catch me here.  Afterall, this is where she lost me last year.  I did my best to stay consistent on the downhill.  And then it happened! Blam! Pow! Bang! I was passed.  I had heard someone coming up behind me and gave a slight glance.  I saw "the white hat".  So as to not look like I was really paranoid, I didn't give a big look.  Instead I acted as if I did not care that she was passing me - no sense of urgency.  She pulled up on my left and I gave a "hi, how are you?" as I do to so many others runners.  She answered with an "ok" or something like that and kept going past me.  Wait! That's not Marie.  Same build, height, similar hat but definitely not Marie.  Whew! I had a renewed energy and bombed down the hill.  My favorite of favorites was to come.  At the end of this three mile downhill was a very steep downhill that dropped us into Ritchie Run.  Because of the rain and runners in front of me, it was pure mud.  It felt like skiing on mud.  I have no idea how I stayed on my feet but I was swishing back and forth like I was on a ski slalom.  Ritchie Run greeted me with joy.  It is Johnson Run's "little brother". 



I remember last year getting so frustrated with it.  Not much was runnable for me.  So I decided this year to just power hike it.  This was a smart decision as mentally I was not as exhausted by it.  I passed by Tania, gave her some much needed chocolate, and chopped my way up the severely muddy log flume trail.  I was truly christening my new Cascadia's. 

 A meandering up and around brought us eventually to "the cabin" at mile marker 17 or 18 - really unsure at this point in the race.  It all becomes a bit blurry.  I took adavantage of my drop bag and changed out into dry socks.  It felt like heaven.  Tania came waltzing into the Aid Station and then it hit me.  I had positioned myself on the porch of the cabin so I could see down the trail.  Marie came round the corner right for us. This time it was her.  I knew I didn't have time to lose.  I exchanged a few kind words and then got a quick bite to eat and I was off.  Port-a-potty stop? No.  I have to beat Marie! So off I went in my nice dry socks thinking this is what I needed.  Enjoying the trail and SPLAT! A huge mud puddle. I think I literally said out loud "Really??? What was the point of changing my socks?!?"  Oh well.  It wasn't long before we hit the top of Sledgehammer to make our way down to Johnson Run again.  I have to admit, I don't think I respected this hill.  I bombed it and passed a couple of guys along the way.  I had only wished this would not come back to haunt me.  In Johnson Run again, I was at another tough running section.  I once again power hiked it.  This is where I died last year.  It felt like eternity last year to get out of Johnson Run.  Not so much this year.  I had a renewed energy and enjoyed the power hike.  I did my best to encourage all of the hikers along the way.  At the top, there was a welcomed aid station but I stayed barely a minute to grab and go.  There were 25kers standing around - either done for the day or really not caring how long they lingered at the aid station.  Off I went down Post Draft.  Something seemed off though. It was eerily quiet and without people.  I must have been by myself for a good 10 minutes.  Eventually a 50ker caught up to me and passed me.  I had just passed him in Johnson Run - unaware he was in the 50k.  More hikers passed and (2) more 50kers that caught up (but not Marie!).  We then chugged our way up Cleveland Hollow and eventually to the dreaded SOB.  I literally crawled up on my hands and feet.  It was the only way to relieve the pressure off my lower back.  It worked.  Another brief stop at the aid station and I had 4.5 miles to go.  Looked at my watch and amazed at how I was doing (compared to last year).  But all that mattered little.  I just needed to beat Marie.  A horseshoe trail around the mountain and then a downward trek down Huff Run.  I passed a  handful of 50kers.  It was at this point that I knew I was having a good second half of the race.  One guy bombed past me on Huff Run.  I tried to keep up but he was simply too good on the technical downhill.  Another note to self - must practice the technical downhills! Back to the pavement and a simple jaunt over the bridge and I might just do it.  Too bad the bridge feels like an eternity.  The only flat surface of the entire race and the feet just rebelled.  I kept looking over my shoulder but I think I finally realized that she (you know who) would not catch me.  A little climb at the end and I was home free.  Fifty feet from the finish as I was exiting the woods, I felt footsteps behind me.  I heard footsteps coming fast.  Before I could fully turn my head, I was passed.  I had eased just a bit to walk the last hill and got passed at the finish.  But it wasn't Marie so I let the runner go.  I crossed and smiled as I quickly realized what a great day it was. 

 Marie finishes - AFTER ME!!!!!!!! Sweet victory!

A look back at Madame Hyner.  "I do respect you" I said as I drove away for the day.  I will see you again next year. 



Other

On the day I finshed 68 out of 108 finishers with a time of 7:36:55 (avg pace of 15:02).  I bettered my time from last year by 43 minutes.  Not bad considering I am not in the shape I would have liked for this race.  I would like to see sub 7 hours for next year.  It's possible - with some respect.

I will admit that my fueling and hydration was very poor for me but somehow it worked.  During the race I had my 70oz bladder filled with water and Hammer Endurolyte Fizz.  I drank a mere 35 oz of that during the entire race.  I had maybe 2-3 cups of gatorade at aid stations.  I had (3) half bananas, (2) PB&J squares, (2) small pieces of chocolate, half a snickers bar, some assorted nuts, and an ensure at the cabin aid station.  How I had the energy I did during the second half is beyond me.  If the weather was warm, it might be a different story. 

My feet held up during the race.  Two days later as I write this - it's a different story.  I am in a decent amount of foot pain (near but not on my achilles) on both feet.  My legs are sore but minimally so compared to last year.  I was strong on the climbs - I owe some of that to the stair machine at the gym. 

All in all, it was a good day.  I am happy with the results but not satisfied.  I can do better.  Next year! I will conquer you madame Hyner! (with all due respect)





This is why I run trail...

All week I was filled with that bottom-of-the-stomach anticipation.  I envisioned what the trails would look like.  I kept an eye on the weather - snow or no snow? My biggest concern for snow is getting to the trail head.  One last check of the weather - it should be clear.  Just rain the night before. 

Up early, prepped, and out the door.  Still dark but light was a comin'.  I anticipated 25 minutes or so to the trail head parking area.  Wait - why didn't I know exactly? I have been there before.  But it's been a while.  As I exited the highway, I saw the mountain I would be climbing.  Another 9 miles of driving parallel to this ridge. It was hard for me to keep my eyes on the road as I continually gazed at the snow topped ridge line.  What an amazing sight to see the lower half of the ridge bare and the upper half painted with white icing! The butterflies were fluttering in my stomach.  How I longed to get out on the trail.  This is a feeling I will never figure out.  I don't understand this anticipatory anxious yet excited feeling for a date with the trails.  Maybe it's a feeling that shouldn't be figured out.  There it was - the dirt - no mud drive up to the state game lands parking area.  No snow or ice to worry about getting up this hill - just mud.  What a mess! But there it was.  The trail head beckoned me to come quickly.  I did not let her down. 

Off I went.  Down and up the trail.  Spots of snow and ice but mostly bare.  I entered shortly after a good warm-up to the first climb.  Up and up it went.  There were no switchbacks.  I followed the gas line clearing up Second Mountain.  But were was first mountain? I don't know.  I just know this is called Second Mountain.  Halfway up and I met snow - such beautiful fluffy, fresh snow.  The rain we got the night before was snow up there.  I was first on the trail today - of a human kind anyway.  Lots of tracks but none of the homo sapiens variety. This is why I run trail. 

 

On the other side I bombed down the hill but shortly down the snow turned to crunchy ice.  Such a beautiful winter wonderland I thought.  There were many moments I just took it all in and appreciated the beauty of nature.  I did not know it yet but for the duration of this run, I would experience dry trails, wet muddy trails, icy trails, snowy trails, and really snowy trails.  This is why I run trail.

 

 

I made my way over the rolling logging trail down to the valley floor.  In the middle of two beautiful ridges was a creek and a rail trail.  It's quite a sight to the eyes to view the corridor of nature all around.  Quickly I made my second ascent.  This was the big one - 1000 feet in one mile and most of that in the last half mile.  It is a lung burner.  The water tank trail follows a trickle coming off the mountain.  It was below freezing out, but this water still found a way to keep moving.  Once in the middle of this climb I had two choices - continue straight up the Water Tank Trail or veer to the right up the Janie Trail.  I went to the right knowing it was slightly less streep but would add a little distance to my trek.  At the top I bushwacked my way through low lying rhododendron and thickets weighed down by the snow.  It was so thick I almost lost the trail.  My legs were cold and cut up from making my way through this winter wonderland jungle. I made it to the top.  Before me was a jeep trail that traveled the ridge line.  I looked down to 4 or 5 inches of snow.  Glorious! This is why I run trail. 

It was here that the adventure started.  I had read about a fire tower at the top of this mountain but had never been there.  It was a side trail that only led to the tower.  The snow seemed to be getting deeper.  Probably only my imagination.  But then before me appeared the tower.  As I approached it, I marveled at such a simple concept - a fire tower in the middle-of-nowhere.  Probably more contact with the animals than humans.  A 9-foot fence with barb wire with signs that said
"Authorized Personnel Only".  Hmmm....but the gate leading in is wide open.  I can't pass that up.  So I carefully made my way up the tower.  Ok before I go on - I do not condone trespassing or vandelism or houlaganism but THEY LEFT THE GATE OPEN! I just had to see what I could see.  I got some great views.  Too bad my minor fear of heights (and being stranded in the wilderness during the winter) kept me from going to the top.  I estimated the tower to be 100 or maybe 125 feet high.  I could tell the tower was rusty and with the snow cover, it was hard to tell how rusty.  So I went as far as I felt comfortable with.  But the views I saw were worth what I could do.  This is why I run trail. 

The trip down the mounatain was incredible.  One mile of snow top mountain followed by 3 miles of glorious downhill.  Once back in the valley again, I knew the trail went through the creek. NO other choice but to wade through it.  On any day of the year, this mountain fed creek is cold but in the middle of winter - well you get the picture.  Thankfully my Salomon shoes and drymax socks work wonders with getting rid of the wet.  Half a mile up the trail I never would have known of the ice cold soaking my feet took.  This is why I run trail. 

The rest of the journey was mud filled followed by my last climb up to the snow again and finished with more shoe sucking mud.  In the end, I finished 17+ miles in just over 4 hours.   One human sighting, multiple white tails, too many tracks in the snow to count, ice, snow, mud, single track, jeep road, logging road, rail trail, steep ascents, long downhills, flat, snowing, sunny, cloudy, windy, calm, cold, warm...This is why I run trail. 

PA Grand Canyon

My blog entries are normally 85% running stuff and 15% other.  Running for me lately has been up and down - both physically and mentally.  I had the opportunity to get away and go camping - something I don't get to do often but love.  I wanted to blog some of teh details to share but also to later refresh my memory on a great place. 

The place - PA Grand Canyon.  Camping at Leonard Harrison State Park - literally a few hundred yards from the overlook on the east rim.  Having been to the "real" Grand Canyon (as I described it to my 7 yr old), I was wondering how this would compare.  In reality I knew it wasn't even close in magnitude but PA has it's own unique beauty. 

We arrived late Friday afternoon - myself, my brother, a camping buddy and my 7 yr old son in tow.   After a 3 hour drive, we arrived to nice weather and pleasantly surprised to a decent campground.  This isn't always the case with state parks in PA.  The bathroom was nice and clean.  We set up, started a fire as the sun started to set and cooked some hot dogs over the flame.  But we knew the storm was coming - just praying it would blow to the north.  It started with the wind and then the rain.  We hunkered down under the canopy and just hung out for a while.  My 7 yr old just thought it was cool to play out in the rain at night.  Maybe it would have been but this front brought in cold air with it.  We ended up going to bed around 9 simply because it was cold and not much to do. 

After a cold rainy night, we woke early (thanks to my 7 yr old who has way too much energy) to a nice rising sun that eventually helped dry things out.  After a very full breakfast, we headed out to explore and hike the trails.  Because we were so close to the east rim, we were there at the overlook quickly and treated to a beautiful sight.  After some gawking and plenty of pictures we hiked a short trail - the overlook trail I believe it was called.  My 7 yr old says he enjoys hiking but always seems to complain during the beginning of a hike.  I think he might just become a trail runner as he was bombing his way downhill on the trail.  Normally I wouldn't care but since there is a nice drop on one side of the trail into the canyon, I had to squash that quickly.  After this trail we made our way down the Turkey Path Trail which led down to the canyon floor.  This trail is only one mile but was absolutely beautiful.  My standard of beautiful is certainly different than most as I think in terms of trail running.  The signs all said "Beware - this is a rugged and steep trail".  To me that meant it was probably perfect and it just about was.  It was one mile of pure switchback heaven. But there one problem - I was not running.  We were hiking.  All I kept thinking was I need to run this trail.  It was begging to be run.  But first , we hiked! We came to the bottom of the canyon floor to a beautiful sight of a wide creek meandering through the canyon.  There was also a rail trail that followed the creek.  There were many bikers using the rail trail on this day.  We sat on the creek on large flat rocks and ate some lunch and snapped some pictures.  We saw an unusualy sight - dozens of rock towers.  I have seen these before on trails but usually very small.  These were large (a couple huge towers) and wide spread over this part of the creek.  It was a strange occurence but rather interesting.  After relaxing for a bit on the rocks, we started our trek back up. 

Let me break for a moment to describe the trail:  From the top it starts with nicely groomed trail that would go for a few hundred yards and then turn sharply for a switchback.  After several of these the trail met up with a run that displayed numerous waterfalls and pools of water.  The trail portion became rugged and steep, sections of mini caves, steep ledges off to one side and many (many) steps.  Some years back steps were built in the more difficult sections to navigate.  My son counted 127 on the final section.  There were at least 3 other sections of steps and in between were sections of rugged trail.  The run of course made it's way to the creek at the canyon floor. 

Back to the climb back up.  It started with steps, and more steps and so on.  My 7 yr old took off and led us up the trail.  At times he is an endless ball of energy.  We made our way to the top in a much faster time than we descended mainly due to all the pictures we took on the way down.  Once at the top, I couldn't stop thinking about running that trail.  I contemplated doing it later that day but with all the people visiting, I thought I would get caught up in passing people and get annoyed.  So I waited until morning. 

And so it began, woke up the next morning.  It was cold.  I am not used to camping in the cold.  I was bundled beyond bundled.  I milled around for a bit trying to get warm by the fire.  And then I thought, there is no time like the present.  So I got ready and started on down the road towards the trails at the canyon.  One problem - the park didn't open until 9am and I was early.  There is no gate but there was a DCNR worker cleaning up around the entrance area.  So I went into stealth mode and found a trail that went around the entrance.  I was able to get a good warmup for 2 miles and then snuck my way behind the entrance.  It was here that I realized that there was a strange fog in the canyon making it impossible to see down to the canyon floor but there was also blue skies and the sun beaming down.  After gawking at this sight I took off down the Turkey Path Trail.  I figured I would have it all to myself and I did on the way down.  I had the time of my life.  I was flying down the switchbacks enjoying every single step.  It was one of those truly epic moments I will never forget especially descending into the foggy abyss.  The lower half of the trail is very technical and also has some stairs thrown in so I slowed down considerably.  As I got down to the canyon floor, I was out of the fog.  I looked up and could not see the blue skies.  This fog was settled in the middle of the canyon.  I figured I would add a little mileage so I ran a couple more miles out and back on the rail trail.  On my way back up the Turkey Path Trail, I pushed and pushed. It was tough but oh so fun.  I passed a few people coming down and realized the park had opened.  In the end I made good time ascending.  The imagery of this run will never leave me.  It has to be my favorite non-race trail moment up to this point in my life.
I can't wait to go back and run the Turkey Path again. 

Posting this 6 months after this trip, I still remember ths trails vividly. Unfortunately (for now) I cannot find my pictures of the area.  Until I can find them, you may have to use your imagination. 

On the Rocks Trail Run 30k

August 18, 2012

On The Rocks Trail Run - 30k

It was a tough day! That about sums it up.  This is the shortest race I have run since the same race a year ago.  Last year at On The Rocks Trail Run I ran the 16.3 mile version.  Since then I have run (3) 50k races and (1) 50 miler.  This year they increased this event to a 30k.  No problem right?

Last year I didn't take this event very serious.  I added it at the last minute as a training run.  I finished in 3:08 on a fairly technical course.  I was very happy with it.  This year, I knew they had added the needed distance to get the 30k.  What I wasn't prepared for was that they reversed the direction of the course from last year. 

Leading to the race, I was late.  I am typically early for races - many times one of the first ones at a race.  I had not given what time I needed to leave much thought.  I left home on a beautiful morning and was excited to have a good race.  I had to get there first though.  I hit a detour and not knowing the area, I was a bit stressed.  Finally I found my way there but displaced by 15 minutes.  I arrived at 7:15 for a 7:30 race and had to walk a bit to get my bib and then back to the car.  I briefly met Stacey on the way to get my bib (sorry Stacey I would have enjoyed talking more but I was late).  Back to the car, changed my shirt, shoes and made the decision to wear the hydration pack vs. carrying nothing.  This was at least one good decision I made today.  Off we went.  The 30k runs with the 15k except we would simply run the loop twice.  We were humming along and apart from getting weirded out by running the course in reverse, all I could think of was "wow this course is rockier than I remembered".  I really felt terrible the first 4 miles.  I have no clue why I felt that way but I just pushed on.  I found a runner that I thought was running a nice comfortable pace and followed her - I think I was either right behind her or in eye sight of her for 10 miles or so.  This helped me.  Towards the end of the first loop (where I knew we would dump a bunch of runners since most do the 15k) I was really feeling my left achilles which has been acting up over the last few weeks,  I had been worried about this coming into this race but made the decision to run anyway and evaluate after how it was.  It crossed my mind to stop at the 15k and call it a day but I am too stubborn for that.

The second loop started by following the same female runner.  I don't know if she was annoyed by me or not but I would like to think I served as her guardian angel a couple of times.  I saw her go down (hard by the looks) during the first loop.  I asked if she was ok and she obviously was because she got up and kept chugging.  On two occassions during the second loop, she started going off the course so I hollered at her.  I suppose she would have realized it after a while but what was I supposed to do - let her get lost? About mile 15 I couldn't keep up with her anymore.  This was sad because she was not going fast.  She was very consistent though which kept me focused on being consistent.  But at mile 15 (or so) I just felt miserable.  My achilles was sore (mostly in my heel), my legs felt bad, feet felt torn up (thanks to the ridiculous amounts of rocks on this course).  I felt sorry for myself and slogged along.  A couple miles to the end and I was passed by a runner.  This was the only runner who passed me from mile 4 to this point.  That in and of itself was strange. 

Finally I finshed - not in the 3:45 I predicted for myself or even under 4 hours which I had changed my prediction to mid race.  I finished in 4:13 (after a 1:55 first loop) and 4th to last place (I believe the last three came in together no more than one minute after me).  Now I believe there were about 30ish participants in the 30k.  All in all, it just didn't feel right.  I can't blame my achilles or lack of training runs on technical trails since Hyner in April but the bottom line is it just sucked! It's ok though.  A bad day on the trails is still a good day overall. 

All I can do is take some time off to heal and re-evaluate what I can do to improve.  I have to do some strength training (something I have been telling myself for a while now - time to do it!)  This I know is lacking and contributing to my little injuries.  I have no right putting myself in longer races without being prepared.  I get through them but it's not how I want to run them (anymore).

The great thing about trail running and running in general is how it is a challenge against myself and not anyone else.  Despite not liking the place I cam in today, it wasn't about anyone else.  It was about me.  I can't control how anyone else does.  In fact maybe they all had good days.  But I can control how I prepare. 

I will forgo the next race. I had hoped to run a 40 miler (Trails 4 Tails) in late September but at this point that would be beyond stupid.  I will be my best to get healthy and be smart about whether I am ready for another 50 miler in November.

A Kick in the Hyner

This is what this trail event truly is.  The Hyner Trail Challenge has been around now for 5 years and up until this year has only had a 25k (16.4 mile) event which has grown immensely in popularity since it began.  They have sold out the last few years with over 1000 participants.  It is arguably the most popular trail event in central PA.  The Megatransect, affectionately known as the “Mega”, is another popular event which sold out this year within hours of registration opening.  While Hyner cannot boast that, it still sells out and gets 1000+ participants.  The trails of Hyner are remote and very technical located in the “middle of nowhere” in central Pennsylvania.   This event has attracted folks of all ages and abilities from hikers to the some really strong trail runners.  Take for example the winning time last year of 2:22 (in bad conditions) and the last person came in at 7:42 (and 9+ hours in years past).  But yet at the start, everyone is equal.  

In 2011, I entered in this event and ran (well ran some, hiked some, slogged some) a time of 4:21 in what has become known as “the year of the monsoon”.  The conditions were cold, rainy, windy and mud beyond mud.  For trail runners, it’s just another day on the trails but truly not ideal.  It certainly didn’t slow the front runners down but by the time I got through the trails (with 300 or so in front of me) it was a royal mess.  I vowed to be back someday and prove I could run a much better time on a brutal and beautiful course. 

In the summer of 2011, a rumor was spreading that the folks that put on this race (the trail dawgs) were working on putting on a 50k version.  My first thought was “No Way!”  As I read more about the rumors, it soon became a reality.  They opened registration in August 2011 for a course that wasn’t even finished.  The more I thought about it, the more I was scared to even become serious about it.  This was also during the time I was training for and running my first ultras (two 50K races in October and a 50 miler in November).  I thoroughly enjoyed those experiences and then got serious about doing what I thought would be an epic event.  I signed up in January and solidified my place in the first running of the Hyner Trail Challenge 50k. 

Training: For me all I wanted to do was to continue what I had going for my ultra experiences in the fall of 2011.  After I ran the Stone Mill 50 in November, I eased up my running in December to “recover”.  I was in good shape from the 50 except for my right hip.  I had taken a nasty fall early in the 50 and it remained sore (mostly on runs) for months.  In January, I ramped up the long runs again and made sure I got out to some similar terrain as Hyner.  I used some trails north of Harrisburg which has become known as the Buzzards Marathon Course.  It contains a series of trails linked together with big climbs. It was just what I needed.  With the warmest and driest winter I can remember, I was getting in some decent runs.  I wasn’t pushing my weekly mileage but on weekends I was able to get out for easy 2-4 hour runs.  I worked my way up to March 11, 2012 where I did what is unofficially known as the Buzzards marathon.  It essentially was a training run for me – 6 hours, 26 miles, rocks, climbs, downhill, and a chilly creek crossing.  What a nice run except for one thing.  My knee had really been bothering me during the second half.  I had no choice but to continue.  To make a long story short, this was the beginning of a bout with tendonitis.  After that 26 miler, I had intended on getting in another 22-26 mile run on the same trails.  But no dice! I reluctantly had to dial down the mileage and long runs and ended up even taking a week off from running.  A week before Hyner, I felt mentally unprepared.  It had been 5 weeks since my last real training run – nothing over 11 miles since that 26 miler.  So I went out for a 19 mile trail run.  Felt pretty good up until I fell at the halfway point.  I landed on – wait for it – my ailing knee.  I am unsure if the blow to the knee or the tripping over the rock with my right foot which sent a vibration through my joints caused the pain but the rest of the run was hampered by the same tendonitis pain.  No runs for me the week leading to Hyner.  I look back and ask “was it worth it?” to get out and run 19 miles because my weak little mind needed it to feel confident again?

Fast forward to race day: Because Hyner is in the middle of nowhere, runners either camp near the start/finish, get a hotel in Lock Haven (30 minutes south) or drive to the site that morning.  Last year I stayed with a friend 40 minutes north of the site.  I didn’t sleep – at all.  So this year I made the decision to just drive the 2.5 hours in the morning.  It’s not ideal but I don’t sleep well anywhere but my bed.  So at 4am, I left the house and made the boring drive north.  Fortunately, I had learned that I could do such a thing when I drove in the 2 hour range to two previous ultras.  So what does one do on a 2.5 hour drive to a race? Eat of course.  I spent the drive thinking about what the day had in store and feeding my face full of yummy carbs, protein and powerade.

This event was awesome and horrible all rolled into one. Here is why:

The weather was close to perfect.   Forecast of rain said it would hold off until midday.  But the funny thing was – the rain never came.  It stayed in the 50’s – maybe crept into the 60’s the whole day.  Beautiful day to be on the trails.

Met up with some fellow trail runners prior to the race – Kelly & his wife Jo, Marie, & Pat.  It was very nice to meet them.  Also caught up with a few runners I quite often see at some other events. 

 Normally I would give a blow by blow description of the race and describe how I was feeling and how I dealt with various aspects.  But I can summarize the race very shortly: monster steep climb, followed by gnarly downhill, followed by long slow trudge up through a hollow.  Repeat x4 with occasional flat trail.  Lots of rocks – big, little, pointed, round, crushed – you name it, we ran/hiked over it. 

Elevation Profile (for 25k only)

That was my day.  This event is not a running race.  Let me repeat.  This race is not a running race.  It’s a test of endurance.   I chatted with many 50k participants who consider themselves good “runners” but on this day and on this course, they were struggling.  I am not sure if they underestimated the course or were just used to plowing through 31 miles.  This was not that kind of course.  It took more than physical conditioning to get through this.  It took mental and emotional fortitude.  I really was at a loss of how to predict a time on this thing.  I have run a 50k two others time - a 5:50 on a rolling hill trail course (Blues Cruise) and  7 hours flat on a bit more challenging trail course (Fire on the Mountain).  I finished in around 8:20 or so.  It was a long day. There are no excuses that can be made.  My knee held out ok (probably thanks to ibuprofen).  My lack of training the last 6 weeks may have contributed but realistically maybe I shave 20 minutes off that time if I had been able to run more.  It was, simply, what it was on this day. 

I have a few lowlights on this day.  I don’t like to complain so I will keep it short.  The aid stations had a poor variety of food.  I ate way too many bananas and PB & J squares.  (If you want to see an ultra with good food – see Blues Cruise 50k).  Secondly, these hollows we have to meander ourselves through really sucked! They were the worst part for me.  I could deal with the big climbs but a slow trudge in and out of the creek beds over and over (and over) again with blown over trees was just so slow and annoying.  That’s it. I can’t complain about anything else.  Ok maybe just one more – to the Trail Dawgs (who put on this race) – can you please remove some of those darn rocks! Haha.

I have a bunch of highlights.  First was meeting some fellow Runners World trailers.  Kelly and Marie had good days on the trail – both are strong runners and humble.  Also got to meet Pat – unsure how he did in the 25k. One of the things I looked forward to most for this event was the amazing scenery.  It did not disappoint. I only wish I had brought a camera out with me (the pics below I stole from someone else).  There were beautiful waterfalls, flowering trees, brilliant colored rows of wildflowers trail side and the views – oh the views!  My second favorite part of the event was coming to a vista about the 10 mile mark where you see for miles.  To the right, you could see the first big ridge we climbed.  I almost think I saw the 25k participants making their way up (since they started an hour after us).  But right in front of us was a mountain that had three ridges coming out towards me all in a row – it almost looked symmetrical.  I stayed for a couple minutes just to take it in.  But my favorite moment was another mile down the trail – I got to see a black bear – my first.  I had heard something rambling down the ridge in the leaves toward the trail.  I looked up and thought I would see a deer.  Nope.  It was a young black bear playing around. He clawed a tree a bit and then made his way back up the ridge. He was probably 100 yards away or so.  The best part was that I told myself the day before this event that I wanted to see a bear – not actually believing it would happen.  My last highlight was finishing.  This was such a tough event.  It was literally half hiking, half some kind of running.  I beat the down hills to death and they beat my quads right back. (There was one stretch of 2 mile downhill that was simply awesome! No other words for it.)

Back to a “Kick in the Hyner.”  That is what they refer to the 25k version.  But the 50k… let’s call the 50k a double kick in the hyner, or flat out just sick. 

My recommendation is only do this event if you are a demented & sick person who loves to inflict self-pain.   Or as an easy training run for an event such as Hardrock 100.  Ask me if I would do it again? I think I distinctly said "no way" during and right after, but you never know.