Rock/Creek Chronicle's Rock/Creek Race Team Archives

June 20, 2009

Rock/Creek Race Team Member, John Anderson, Takes First Place Before the Summer Season

The weather might have been fair for the 19th annual Collegiate Peaks Trail Run in Buena Vista, Colorado, but that did not inhibit Rock/Creek's Race Team Member, John Anderson, from placing first on May 2, 2009; finishing in 6:58:49; only five minutes behind the course record and setting the second fastest time in race history. The following is a personal race report from the Boulder, Colorado resident, as he carries us through his day:

"I went up to Buena Vista, Colorado last weekend to get my race season going with the Collegiate Peaks 50 mile and 25 mile Trail Run as everything is finally melting out after a snowy spring. The area is probably better known to the boating crowds from Rock/Creek Down Under but with several Fourteener Peaks and hundreds of miles of trails (including the Colorado Trail) it is a sweet running or hiking destination. I might add, it's also a good Disco destination if you head to the local watering hole on Wednesday nights.

As I drove into town Friday night I relived some old memories from the several summers that I guided raft trips on the Arkansas River. The race itself is a combo 25 mile and 50 mile event, with the 50 milers turning around and repeating the same loop in the opposite direction. The course is mainly on four wheel drive roads with several miles of single track and a few of pavement. It starts at 8000 feet and has around 5-6000 ft of climbing with some decent climbs. The unpredictable changes in weather conditions influenced my decision for the following technical gear:

Patagonia Nine Trails Jacket and Shorts, Patagonia Silkweight Tee, SmartWool PhD Ultralight Running Socks, and used the Nathan Waist Pack and the Ultimate Directions Handheld bottle.

The race began at the end of Main Street by the river and with a few quick words from the race director we were off into the cold, foggy morning. I settled into my pace and took in the mountain and river views. The weather was cool and overcast for most of the morning; it just felt good to be out there running. At the turnaround there was another 50 miler, Nick Clark (a UK transplant living in Fort Collins) right behind me and a few others within a few minutes. There was a brief moment as I crossed the river and saw the town play hole that I was thinking "Maybe I should have brought my kayak and only done the 25 miler..." Then I remembered that post-run ice baths feel warm compared to the Arkansas River in May.

After the turnaround we had a several mile climb up out of the river and for the next 10 miles or so Nick stayed about 30 seconds or so back and we put 15-20 minutes on the 3rd and 4th place guys. Right before the 38 mile aid station he caught me, and we chatted for a bit as we rolled into refuel. He then put a few steps on me, but I started to feel really good (or really stupid) and decided that I should make a move on the next big climb. I passed Nick and kept running steady and soon put some distance between us. I didn't see him as I came into the last aid station at mile 44 so I chomped down a gel and headed for the finish.

The final few miles parallel the river on roads and single track, and apart from the headwind I felt pretty good, although I'm pretty sure they added a few extra miles than when I ran the same stretch at the start of the race (just like at the StumpJump 50k where Dawson and the gang seemingly make the parking lot in front of Signal Mountain High School longer at the finish). I came into the finish at 6:58, five minutes off Tony Krupicka's CR from 2007 and the second fastest time in race history. Nick came in a few minutes later at 7:03 and third place, Bryan Goding, came in at 7:37.

All in all, it was a good race and I was happy with the result. It was my first race since Rock/Creek's StumpJump 50k & 11 Miler http://www.rockcreek.com/stumpjump/, last year so I was anxious to see how my fitness was coming along for Bighorn. Besides, my brother is moving back here in a few weeks so I'd better be fit so we can pound each other down. It's time to focus on the Bighorn http://www.bighorntrailrun.com/and get some late race strength. Now, I just need to find a little polyester to wear to Disco night."

-John Anderson

Set your own course records at the Rock/Creek Trail Series. For more information on the series and upcoming races visit: http://www.rockcreek.com/trailseries/

Take a look at the upcoming Greenway 5 Mile Race, ideal for beginners at http://www.rockcreek.com/greenway/

Posted by Rachel Tucker at 9:48 AM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2009

Rock/Creek Race Team Member Matt Karzen Receives Local Spotlight

The Athens Banner-Herald recently published an article on Rock/Creek Race Team Member, Matt Karzen's running for a cause. Previously mentioned on Rock/Creek's blog, read more of what Online Athens had to say about Matt's goal to run the length of the Georgia Appalachian Trail (76 ish miles) straight through, as a fundraising effort for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

"Karzen is training to run nonstop all 76 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, a ridge-running feat he estimates will take at least 22 hours. He is asking people to show support by donating to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which gives educational assistance to the children of U.S. special forces personnel killed in the line of duty..."- [Full article: OnlineAthens.com]

At the time of writing, Matt had reached 35% of his goal of raising $10,000. Check out the firstgiving box to the right of the homepage on blog.rockcreek.com for updates.

Posted by Rachel Tucker at 12:07 PM | Comments (0)

June 7, 2009

Rock/Creek Race Team Member, Jeff Edmonds, Runs Among Giants

Defeat within Victory? Jeff Edmonds words on running and progress:

Rock/Creek Race Team member Jeff Edmonds, of Nashville, TN took first place in the Avenue of the Giants Marathon, 1/2 Marathon and 10K in Northern California on May 12, 2009. Jeff finished with a quick marathon time of 2:47:51 with a pace of 6:24.

This popular Marathon is a Boston Qualifier and is famed for being well organized and rated by RUNNERS WORLD as one of the most scenic in the country. The race is held in the Humboldt Redwood State Park, about 250 miles north of San Francisco. It started up in May 1972 after a local running club, Six Rivers Running Club, wanted a course that would give them a chance to qualify for the 1972 US Olympic Trials. The course [PDF map] is a double out and back, starting under a canopy of Redwoods, and finishing with a gradual six mile uphill climb reportedly comparable to Boston's famous "Heartbreak Hill."

Since his win, Jeff has had time to ponder the marathon, and if you ever wondered what a Philosopher thought of racing, click the link to "Logic of Long Distance- Running and Philosophy" to read his opinions on the Avenue
of the Giants Marathon, and more...

" None of this, of course, was running through my head at the starting line. I was thinking the same things I always think. Relax. Let the pace come to you. Trust in your training..."

[Some explicit language and opinions, personal to Jeff, are expressed within "The Logic of Long Distance." Please make note before reading]

Posted by Rachel Tucker at 10:54 AM | Comments (0)

June 3, 2009

Rock/Creek Race Member, Josh Wheeler Successful at White Lake Half Triathlon

Rock/Creek Race Team Member, Josh Wheeler, finished third at the White Lake Half II Triathlon for the Open Males Division. Wheeler, native to Signal Mountain, TN now living in Boone, NC finished in 4:20:27 with a swimming time of 29:57, a bike time of 2:21:51 and a run time of 1:25:49.

" I waded out into the water, dolphin dived twice and was then informed by the announcer that the race would be starting in 45 seconds. 'Cool,' I thought, 'Let's get it on'...The first hour we were rolling mad thunder. I think I clocked through the 27mi maker at the hour... I stayed calm and continued to focus on good nutrition and my own rhythm... With a mile left, I re-attacked on the downhill, surging and opened a small gap..."

Follow him through his whole race day at White Lake and previous races, by visiting his personal Blog at http://jrwheeler.blogspot.com/

Great work Josh! We look forward to reporting your continued success with school and races.

Posted by Rachel Tucker at 3:31 PM | Comments (0)

May 15, 2009

Rock/Creek Race Team Member Matt Karzen Runs for a Cause

For over 20 years, Rock/Creek has encouraged our customers to make a difference in the world. We are passionate about community outreach and open our resources such as blogs, event postings, and advertisements to share our neighbors' efforts. Rock/Creek works for positive change in the community through monetary pledges and tangible support, not to call attention to ourselves, but to raise awareness of the impact we can all have in the world.

In this spirit, we wanted to "hand over the microphone" now and post the following from our friend and Rock/Creek Race Team Member, Matt Karzen:

"Friends - On July 25, 2009, sometime well before sunrise, I will commence to put one foot in front of the other, and run the length of the Georgia Appalachian Trail (76 ish miles) straight through, as a fundraising effort for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation
This organization provides educational opportunities through grants to the children of fallen U.S. Special Forces operators - a most worthy cause. Each of these children have sacrificed a parent so that we may be a bit more secure here in the United States. The SOWF organization's purpose is to be an avenue to help us help them. Please consider making a generous donation to this cause - you can do so by going to my sponsorship web page at www.firstgiving.com/gaatrun. I am donating $500.00.

Those of you who enjoy epic adventure, I would love to have some company for all or part of the run, or if you simply want to enjoy the north Georgia mountains for a while. I sure could use the help of someone meeting me at the various places where the AT intersects civilization with some food and drink... Any and all support is welcome and appreciated, but the most important thing you can do is contribute to the cause by making a financial donation.

A very small percentage (7.5% or so) of each donation made on the Firstgiving website goes to Firsgiving to help them absorb their costs, but ALL other funds received go to SOWF. If you would rather make a donation by check, you can mail it to me and I will forward all funds to SOWF. Please email me if you would like to make a donation by check or if you are interested in participating along the way.

Please email me, these kids need and deserve our help.

Thank you all for taking the time to consider this, and definitely spread the word!"
-Matt Karzen

email: mjkarzen@bellsouth.net.

Good luck Matt! Thanks for all you're doing for the foundation. Again, please help out by donating online at: www.firstgiving.com/gaatrun. You can check on Matt's fundraising progress with the widget below. We'll also post updates here as we hear more about the run.

For further information about Special Forces Warrior Foundation check out this short video >

Posted by Rachel Tucker at 5:05 PM | Comments (0)

May 6, 2009

Rock/Creek Youngest Race Member takes 7th at Twenty12 ID

Rock/ Creek Race Team's youngest member, Johanna Gartman age 15, was youngest again as she competed Saturday April 18, 2009 in the USAT 2012 Talent ID Race, following the 2009 Collegiate National Triathlon Championships in Lubbock, TX at Buffalo Springs Lake. The course consists of a 750m swim, 20K bike and 5K run. Johanna finished 7th, surpassed only by women primarily age 25 and above, who were invited to this race because they were ranked in the 90th percentile nationally with hopes of showcasing their talent for a transition from amateur age grouper to professional elite.

Johanna was the third female out of the frigid 56 degree water with a swimtime of 6:43, was able to hang on the back wheel and contribute to a pace line on a hilly, windy three lap course with a biketime of 46:48 at 16.7mph, and ended up with the fourth fastest run time with a runpace of 7:01 and runtime of 21:47.

Johanna accomplished her goal of wanting another ITU race under her belt before competing in the Pan American Championships next month. At the Pan American Tirathlon Confederation Championships (PATCO) race in Oklahoma City, she will actually be representing the U.S. for the first time, racing against the best Junior Elite (16-19) girls from Canada, the U.S., and South America. The U.S. girls will contend for one of the three available spots on the Junior National Team, which will travel to World Championships in Gold Coast, Australia this September. The two other slots will be granted to the top two females at the Strawberry Fields Junior Elite Cup in Oxnard, CA, where Johanna will race in July.

Posted by Rachel Tucker at 9:30 AM | Comments (0)

April 27, 2009

Rock/Creek's Kris Whorton Sets New Record For Female Masters Runner in 100 Mile Event

Simril Multisport Coaching's Lee Simril Interview with Ultra Runner Kris Whorton

Please join our Rock/Creek Race Team family in celebration of Kris Whorton's amazing accomplishment at Umstead 100. We honor her achievement by sharing this inspiring interview between Rock/Creek's Kris Whorton, and our newest Rock/Creek Chronicle guest writer, Coach Lee Simril, from Simril Miltisport Coaching:

LS: Congratulations on finishing the 2009 Umstead 100 mile Trail Race

KW: Thanks. It's been a good week.

LS: Is it true that you set a new record for female masters runners in a 100 mile event?

KW: Yes. The previous record was 17:13, set by Connie Gardner in 2006.

LS: How was your training leading up to the big day?

KW: Training for Umstead was a bit atypical because we had a big 4 months last year with four 100 milers between July 19th and November 8th so I figured I would just carry it through the year after I signed up for Umstead in September. The first 100 was great, but we DNF'd on the second (three weeks later) with only about 18 miles to go. I still feel wonder at what happened to us on that one because we both felt good physically but we weren't into it mentally after about 55 miles for me and 75 for Randy. The next two 100s went well but I think I came out of the year feeling a little more worn out than I expected I would. I guess I was mentally tired because my head just wasn't in my training over the next few months and although I did the miles, averaging about 50 a week from November to the end of February and ran a few races, I didn't have my head in them and without the mental component, I just wasn't running like I wanted to. Umstead had been in the back of my mind for months, but I hadn't committed emotionally and I didn't want to go up there and run a half-assed race so about the third week of February I had a little talking to myself about commitment and attitude. Two weeks later we headed over to Mississippi and I ran a really solid, comfortable race, and had a PR. It gave me the mental confidence I needed and I figured I could gut out a borderline 17 hour finish at Umstead. I kept my mileage up for the second and third week of March and then only ran about 35 miles two weeks before and 4 miles the week of Umstead.

LS: Please give me a run down of your nutrition for race day, beginning with the night before the race and ending at the finish line.

KW: At about 4:30 we had an early dinner of rice pilaf, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and a beer. Race morning I had a little oatmeal about 2 hours before the start and half of a Recoverite. I'm not a big eater before or during races because I don't want to give my stomach fits. During the race, I had a Heed/ Perpetuem mix in my water bottle about every hour and I went through about two packets of Clif Blocks. I also ate a few cantaloupe cubes, a few pieces of potato with salt, and in the early evening, I drank Mountain Dew or Pepsi at the aid stations to try to settle my stomach a bit. The Heed/Perpetuem mix really works for me. Randy met me with a Recoverite at the end of the race.

LS: Please tell me your best moment of race.

KW: The whole day was really lovely and I enjoyed most of it, but I actually enjoyed mile 98.5 to 99.5 the most. We were running up the road to make the last turn into the finish stretch and it felt like we were flying because we were moving so fast. I don't know what the actual time on that mile was but it felt like a 7 minute mile and it was really empowering to feel so strong and so good at that stage. I felt like I could run like that pace for a couple more miles.

LS: Please tell me your worst moment of the race.

KW: I don't think I really had any worst moments on this one. Two years ago I had a lot of stomach problems and had many pit stops so when my stomach started going south on lap 7, I was a little concerned. I had to stop three times during those 25 miles but it was okay and everything held together.

LS: Did you use any pacers or safety runners during the race?

KW: I did run with "pacers" from 50 miles onward but it was more for conversation/company than pacing. Randy ran 50 to 75 with me and Stephen Smith ran the last 25. Pacing is really a misnomer because it's unrealistic for someone who's run 50 miles to be able to keep up with someone fresh. The "pacer" is there for companionship and the runner sets the pace. My companions, Randy and Stephen, did a great job keeping me company and I was happy to run with my usual training partners. I ended up feeling like I was out there on a training run.

LS: Did you get to enjoy the post race party? Do they have post race parties at 100 mile running races?

KW: We had our own little post race party actually. I came in about 3.5 minutes after the lead woman (Jill Perry) and didn't realize at the time that she had just finished. She was nearly 40 minutes ahead of me at the end of the 6th lap so I had no idea I was so close to her. I came in and Blake, the race director, and some of the other race personnel were talking to her but I still didn't get that she had just finished. My contacts were kind of gooped up from the pollen and I noticed a guy off to my left. He was standing there sort of expectantly and I didn't recognize that he was my friend Kean Hankins from Pinhoti. Randy came running in, bummed he'd missed the photo op at the finish line and Stephen sort of stepped off to the side. Then I realized the guy was Kean and Randy, then Stephen, and then Kean hugged me. We went inside, sat in front of the fire about 20 minutes, and just felt happy. Randy took care of me like he always does--he handed me a long sleeve shirt and a Recoverite and was generally awesome. Kean gave me a bottle of Champagne and then Randy, Stephen and I went back to the hotel and I got a shower, a beer, and some pizza. I could only handle about 2 bites but it was good. The race "party" was the next day at noon when the race was officially over but by then, we were nearly to Asheville where we had a great lunch of bison burgers, spinach salad and beer.

LS: What motivates you to compete in Ultra Running Races, as opposed to just exercising for the sake of fitness?

KW: I love running and being outside. Races give me the opportunity to explore a new or favorite place, to see old friends, and to get food and water on the way. Some people really get inspired by the competition element but I'm not very good about thinking in terms of beating someone else because I see a race as a challenge to myself and it doesn't make sense to try to have it be about how or what I can do against someone else. Sometimes I go into them with a goal, but usually I just want to enjoy the day. Races also encourage me to stay on track with my training--if I don't put in the miles, it will be harder to get through the event.

LS: What are some of your race plans for the rest of 2009?

KW: We have a fun marathon planned in Louisville at the end of the month (Kentucky Derby), Sweetwater 50K in Georgia in May, and Tahoe 100 in July. We don't have anything on the schedule beyond that, except maybe UpChuck 50k but Randy is planning on Pinhoti and I'll probably crew for him to return the favor for all he's done for me the last 6 months.

About the author:

Lee Simril, USAT Certified Coach, USA Swimming Coach

"Since competing in his first triathlon in 1985, Lee has had a passion for the sport. Lee was the captain of his soccer team at Brevard College and went on to run track at High Point College in N.C. He was a captain and MVP at the conference and district meets. After college, he competed nationally as a Triathlete. Lee thought he would eventually get a "real" job and leave sports behind, until he met his wife Brenda. Brenda was equally passionate about endurance sports, and within a few years, they had formed a four person Adventure Racing team that won the United States Adventure Racing Association's (USARA) National Championship. Lee has coached Soccer, Masters Swimming, Youth Swimming, and Track and field for over twenty years. For the last thirteen years he worked for the American Bicycle Group (ABG), which manufactures Litespeed, Merlin and QR bicycles. During this time he worked with top athletes from around the world in the sales and design of wetsuits and bicycles." Check out the Simril Multisport Coaching website to find out how you can "Reach Your Full Potential" through SMC for quality consultation and training www.simrilmultisportcoaching.com/default.html.

The next races in the Rock/Creek Trail Series have opened registration. Check out these upcoming races:

Scenic City Trail Marathon & 1/2 Marathon, Presented by Vasque
May 23, 2009 - Raccoon Mountain - Chattanooga, TN
http://www.rockcreek.com/trailmarathon/

Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race
3 days of mountain trail running: 22 mile / 18 mile / 20 mile
June 19-21, 2009
Lookout, Raccoon, and Signal Mountains
http://www.rockcreek.com/stagerace/

Rock/Creek Stump Jump 50K
50K & 11 Mile Trail Running Race
October 3, 2009
Chattanooga, TN
http://www.rockcreek.com/stumpjump/

Posted by Rachel Tucker at 10:52 AM | Comments (0)

April 15, 2009

Rock/Creek Racer Kris Whorton Runs 100 Miler in 16:05

Chattanooga's Kris Whorton on Thursday ran the 100-mile Umstead 100 course in Raleigh, N.C., in 16:05, which put her ahead of the second fastest time in the world last year at 16:19 run by a Russian at a race in England.

Here is the account from her husband and fellow Rock/Creek Race Team member, Randy Whorton:

Something really special happened on Saturday that I thought you all might like to hear about, and I, of course, have to be the one that does the bragging because Kris would rather keep it quiet. This is a brief account of the Umstead 100 mile trail race.

Kris was physically fit, sure, but as many believe, the 100 miles is mostly a mental challenge, and no one, including Kris, knew how ready she was mentally. I knew that she would do well, but I must say that this one is a bit over the top.

First, a little about the race. Umstead 100 is clearly one of the most popular 100's in the country because it is quite fast and easy. It takes place in the Umstead State Park in Raleigh, N.C. It comprises of 8 laps of a 12.5 mile loop on a wide multi-use trail. It is nice to have your own stuff and supporters handy every lap and it is virtually impossible to get lost in the woods. Also, there is only 8,000 feet of elevation gain which by trail standards is a fairly flat course.

Kris ran this race in '07 with a time of 18:13, which became the 4th fastest time in the world that year for a female 100 mile trail race (1st for women over 40). This year she was hoping to break 17 hours and set what we all thought to be a ridiculously aggressive schedule that would put her at 16:40. Her thought was that she would likely not be able to hold the pace, but it would leave her with enough time in the bank to get under 17.

Well, she started out faster than the plan and held the fast pace throughout the day and finished in 16:05! Just for reference, the old record was 16:21. The fastest time in the world last year was 15:29 by an Italian lady at a race in Italy and second was 16:19 by a Russian at a race in England. In '08 there were only 7 women in the world that ran under 18 hours.

OK, here comes the crazy part - Kris running an insane time of 16:05 did not win the race. The girl that won it did so in her first-ever 100 miler and only beat Kris by 4 minutes. The two girls placed 3rd and 4th overall out of 275 starters. Kris broke the masters record by over an hour.

One final tidbit, Kris's time would have put her 10th on the world's fastest men's list for '08. Wow, I still can't quite believe what just happened and sure am proud of her.

Interested in more information about the Rock/Creek Trail Series or want to run them yourself? We have open registration for these upcoming events:

Scenic City Trail Marathon & 1/2 Marathon, Presented by Vasque
May 23, 2009 - Raccoon Mountain - Chattanooga, TN
http://www.rockcreek.com/trailmarathon/

Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race
3 days of mountain trail running: 22 mile / 18 mile / 20 mile
June 19-21, 2009
Lookout, Raccoon, and Signal Mountains
http://www.rockcreek.com/stagerace/

Posted by Mark McKnight at 12:34 PM | Comments (0)

April 2, 2009

Rock/Creek Race Team Member Andy Anderson Wins Rucky Chucky 50k

Rock/Creek Race Team Member Andy Anderson ran circles around the recent Rucky Chucky Roundabout 50k on March 21, 2009 in Foresthill, CA, resulting in a first place win. Andy won the race with a time of 4:18:04.00, making it the second fastest time in the history of the Rucky Chuchy 50k. He missed the course's fastest record time, 4:15:00.00, by five minutes. As Andy states rather simply, " I ran the second fastest time in race history which was fun, but HARD! It went down for 16 miles, then back up 16 miles."

The Rucky Chucky 50k is the second race in a larger series of races facilitated through Ultrarunner.net. Runners remember the course for its 4500 ft elevation change through the duration of the race. Despite the dramatic climbs, a previous race report by Scott Dunlap provides testimony to the beautiful spring atmosphere along the American River. The course runs from Foresthill, follows the Western States 100 course to Rucky Chucky, then snakes back to Foresthill.

Find full Results for the Rucky Chucky Roundabout 50k and more information about the Race Series at www.Ultrarunner.net/raceseries.

Andy, the newest member of the Rock/Creek Race Team, grew up nearby in Signal Mountain, TN along with his brother, John Anderson, who is a Race Team Member as well.

Posted by Mark McKnight at 11:05 AM | Comments (0)

March 23, 2009

Rock/Creek Race Team Members & Race Included on 2008 Ultra List

The Ultra List, compiled by Ultrarunning Magazine, includes two Rock/Creek Race Team Members this year. The list highlights the fastest 100 times from each distance, from 50k up to 100 milers. John Brower, one of our newest team members, made the list as the 65th fastest 50 mile time at 6:51. He won the Mississippi 50. In fact, he won that race again this year, as we reported earlier, so we anticipate he will show up on the list again next year.

Kris Whorton made the 100 mile list twice, in #40 for her Vermont run at 22:32, and again for Pinhoti at #66 with a time of 23:25. Awesome job Kris & John!

Also, the Rock/Creek StumpJump 50k made the list as the 10th biggest 50k in North America, with 198 finishers.

Ultrarunning continues to grow as a sport. Rock/Creek added several new ultra-distance trail runs this year, most notably the Lookout Mountain 100k, which will take place again in 2009. Here are some interesting facts from the 2008 ultrarunning season:

503 North American ultra distance races
30,789 finishes by 17,139 individuals (20% growth over 2007)

The race distances break down as follows:
45% of the finishers were 50K races
26% 50 mile
9% 100 mile
3% 100K
The rest were non-standard distances

2,592 of the finishers last year were 100 mile finishers, up by 50% over 2007 and that is without the largest 100 miler (Western States) which was canceled due to fires.

84% of all finishers were on dirt, the rest were hybrid, road or track.

Also of note, the fastest 100 mile time in the world last year was 13:27 by the Greek legond Yiannis Kouros who is 52 years old and the holder of 134 world distance running records. The second fastest time was an hour back. So if you've been thinking about picking up a new sport, it'll take a couple years, but if you're healthy, you're probably not too old to start! Read our article on making the Rock/Creek StumpJump your first 50k and start training today!

Posted by Mark McKnight at 11:24 AM | Comments (0)

March 10, 2009

Rock/Creek Takes Victory in Both Divisions of Mississippi Trail 50

The Rock/Creek Race Team left the Mississippi Trail 50 feeling confident and empowered despite this year's weather and course changes. What was intended to be a training run resulted in two great achievements of the day. John Brower won the overall 50 mile title (for the second time) by about 20 minutes with a final time of 7:21:50 and Kris Whorton won the women's overall 50K title with a final time of 8:05:44.

The Carl Touchstone Mississippi Trail 50 in Laurel, MS demonstrated the meaning of the phrase, "over hill, over dale, over fire burnt trail" this past race. The race trail underwent a minor change after controlled burning in the area caused some remapping. Rock/Creek Race Team Members Randy Whoton, Kris Whoton, Goug Dooley, and John Brower each had a different experience out on the trail compared to previous years.

Rock/Creek Race Team member Randy Whorton recalls the MS50 event;
The scalding 80 plus degree heat influenced Randy's decision to back down to the 50K event, but still offered enough mercy for his 7th overall finish. Randy was not the only runner to feel the heat that day. Bear comments from the MS50 race day report, "We may have the only 50K in the country where 62 people sign up, 60 start, and 92 finish!"

Randy praises Doug Dooley, who "presented good strength and pace, despite uncertainty of his healing double stress fractured foot, and placed 10th in the 20K event." His intention for the race was to test his foot strength and feel out his recovery efforts.

The weather was no match for Kris Whorton, and Rock/Creeks newest member John Brower. Kris won the women's overall 50K title. Randy explains: "Kris did have some competition. Ann Heaslett led Kris by nearly 10 minutes with 17 miles to go. Ann won two national ultra titles in 2002 (50 mile and 24 hour) and was named the USA Track and Field 'Ultrarunner of the Year' in 2005. Kris not only caught her, but ended up winning by over 12 minutes, also beating all but 4 of the guys. Doug aptly called it the 4th quarter smack down."

Posted by Mark McKnight at 1:08 PM | Comments (0)

A Cold Day at Mount Mitchell Challenge

This year's Mount Mitchell Challenge turned out to be the worst, weather-wise, in the race's history. Nick Whited, one of our newest Rock/Creek Race Team members, has this report:

The challenge; What a race it was. I started off at a good clip but being smart. Everyone seemed to want to push the pace with Mark Lundblad. I was up there for a mile or so then wisely eased off the pace and let them be 15-20 seconds up on me. We then hit the hills inside of Montreat College and it seemed that everyone hit the brakes. I steadily began moving up (I was in 7th or 8th at the time); by the time we got onto the Buncombe County Horse Trail I had moved into third. All of this was occurring as the temps were in the mid 40's in a steady rain. As I approached the summit I began to notice how sluggish I was getting by my inability to move on the technical stuff. I then starting shaking uncontrollably. My jaw became so tightly clenched I thought I was going to break a tooth. I got near the top and a cameraman was worried about my appearance and told the EMT. They made me go inside a building and took my vitals - hypothermia. They stripped me down, wrapped me up and put a blanket over me. Took me over an hour to finally warm back up. An EPIC run to begin the season and with Rock/Creek. I'll get 'em another day. Seems everyone who finished had a little more beef to them. The tall skinny individuals with little body fat were the ones suffering.

Mark Lundblad ended up taking the win and Cynthia Arnold took the women's victory. In the Citizen-Times article on the race, Arnold describes the race:

"I felt like I was running in ice water," Arnold said. "The race staff and volunteers helped me to keep going. I was lucky and got some hot water near the top when I felt like I was going to pass out. The conditions got worse the higher I got up the mountain."

Glad to hear that you made it off the mountain safely, Nick, and we look forward to hearing about your next races.

Posted by Mark McKnight at 12:51 PM | Comments (0)

March 5, 2009

Race Team Member Greenhill in Local Paper

Rock/Creek Race Team member Jaclyn Greenhill showed up on the front page of the Chattanooga Times-Free Press this morning. In the article [read online or via PDF download], she talks about her recent experience finishing second female (9th overall) in the Coastal Challenge, a 6-day stage race in the Costa Rican jungle. There's also an audio clip on the Web version of the article; about halfway through she talks about the monkeys howling in the jungle, which seems like fun. We followed her progress here on the Chronicle on day one when she took the lead, day two, as well as in this post from stage four, and this final post.

You can read Jaclyn's race team biography online.

For a multi-day stage race closer to home, read about the Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race, also mentioned in the article.

Posted by Mark McKnight at 9:40 AM | Comments (0)

February 26, 2009

Matt Sims Reports on Black Warrior 25k Win

Matt Sims, Rock/Creek Race Team member, gives us this Black Warrior 50k and 25k race report. As I mentioned in a previous post, Matt took the 25k win, setting a new course record. Jamie & Wendi Dial won their 50k divisions and also set course records. Great job to all! Thanks for the report Matt.

The Black Warrior Wildlife Area is in the Bankhead National Forest. The Bankhead National Forest is south of Moulton, Alabama and Moulton is in the middle of nowhere, Alabama.

A small group of us rallied for dinner in Huntsville, Alabama. The Whortons used to live in Huntsville, so we let them pick the spot. We all had nice healthy portions of pasta while we listened to the latest greatest hero moments in the life of Stephen Smith.

After dinner we went our separate ways and planned to meet up in the morning. The Whortons, Stephen and Doug Dooley all headed to their luxury accomodations in Moulton, Alabama while we decided to meet up with Jamie and Wendi Dial in Decatur, Alabama.

The next morning we headed off to the race site for a 7am start time. The temperature was 31 degrees and as usual there was a lot of anticipation of how the day might turn out. We had a great group from Chattanooga: Tracy and Jacquell Gartman, Brenda and Lee Simril, Randy and Kris Whorton, Doug Dooley, Stephen Smith, Sal Coll, Jason Hamrick, Mark Mason and of course my beautiful bride, Natalie Sims.

The 25k and 50k started together and at mile 8 split off. As we headed off in the cool morning air I quickly realized that my new training program might be a mistake. I won't go into the details, but basically "run a lot" is the program. This goes against my exercise mantra of "do what you want, when you wanna do it".

Off we go down the dirt road for 2-3 miles. I find myself in 6th place. There are 3 guys doing the 25k and 2 guys doing the 50k in front of me. I think this is a good place to be for a normal guy like myself. I typically allow guys with ear rings, tattoos, and fancy arm warmers to be ahead of me. Jamie D is running right in front of me and before we get about the business he gives me the look followed by "those are your 3 guys right there". He was referring to the 3 guys in front of me that he expected me to catch sometime over the next 13 miles. Jamie likes to call me "rocket boy" because I normally go out fast and then blow up somewhere well before the finish line. Today, rocket boy was being a good boy and pacing himself.

The single track horse trail marks the start of the business. Hats, gloves and arm warmers are off by now and we are moving. There are now 4 guys in front of me, 1 of which was a 50k runner and he was in the lead! This guy was flying. Aid station #1 comes around mile 6 and to my surprise, of the 3 guys in front of me, the 2 guys in the 25k stopped to get water and I cruised on by them carrying my little handheld. I actually felt like I had out smarted them, which is typically how I win any race.

Mile 8 comes and the lead guy splits off to the right and I head off to the left. I knew Jamie would pass that guy relatively soon. On the tight switchbacks I could see the guys behind me and I knew Jamie was keeping his eye on the prize.

So there I was, all by myself in the front. Being chased is not my favorite thing. I would much rather be in the chase group. The 2 guys behind me could see me for the next 3 miles. I was trying to put some time on them and just get away enough so that they couldn't see me. The forest is bare from all vegetation so your line of sight was pretty far ahead. I knew we had 1 more aid station and that they would probably stop again. Sometime around mile 11.5, I had put about 40 seconds on the two guys behind me. Enough time now that I was in the "out of sight, out of mind" position. I cruised in to the finish line in 1:46:03.

One of my favorite things about doing the lesser of the 2 events is the non-reaction you get at the finish line. There was 1 guy standing there and he said, "good job man". I don't expect a marching band or anything but a few bull horns would be nice.

I took a quick shower, ate 2 hamburgers and positioned myself at the finish line to see the "main event" unfold.

I should mention that the course is 100% horse trail. The trail is a big muddy ditch filled with horse pee and whatever else finds it's way in. It's hard to run in and if you were just going to do a fun casual training run this is not where you would go. I do however think it makes a great venue for a race. It's the type of course that will mentally wear you down over a 50k distance. Constantly dodging puddles of muck is hard and hard and hard.

I wanted to set you up for what we all thought was unbelievable. When Natalie crossed the finish line she had that look on her face as she always does. The look of, "I'm so slow". The thing that caught our attention is that she looked like she hadn't even done the race. She was as clean at the finish line as she was at the start. Not a speck of mud on her. She spent the better part of the day avoiding all the mud troughs. Unbelievable!

Overall, Black Warrior is worth doing. It's a really fun, low key, low budget race. 100 people in the 50k and 100 in the 25k. They give really nice cotton sweatshirts and synthetic running shirts to all participants. The race director is a solid dude and does a great job.

Posted by Mark McKnight at 10:46 AM | Comments (0)

February 23, 2009

Rock/Creek Race Team Sets Course Records at Black Warrior 50k

It should be considered mild to say that the Rock/Creek Race Team ran well this weekend. The Black Warrior 50K on Saturday met the runners with fantastic weather and a sloppy course due to recent rain and what appeared to be many herds of horses shortly thereafter. The mud should have led to some slower times than previous years, but previous years have not seen the likes of the Dials and Matt Sims. Jamie Dial won and broke the old coarse record set by Dewayne Satterfield who has won over 50 ultras, and Wendi Parker-Dial broke Kris Whorton's record by nearly 9 minutes (Kris placed second). The remaining R/C team members that ran the 50K, Natalie Sims and Randy Whorton also placed well. The 25K was dominated by Matt Sims, also breaking the old record.

On Sunday the first ever Southern 6 was run. Johanna Gartman finished first female. Sheridan Ames dominated the men's masters division, and for some unknown reason, Randy and Kris and a few other Sat 50K'ers, Lee and Brenda Simiril decided to give it a go. Kris won the woman's masters division and Randy placed third master. This race should prove to be a most popular event in years to come. Fantastic organization and course.

- Randy Whorton

Posted by Mark McKnight at 5:53 PM | Comments (0)

February 17, 2009

Josh Wheeler PR's at Mercedes Half-Marathon

Rock/Creek Race Team member Josh Wheeler set a PR at this past weekend's Mercedes Benz Half-Marathon in Birmingham, AL. He finished 3rd in his age group and 8th overall with a time of 1:14:23, and was pleased with the result, as he explains on his blog:

"After doing almost all of my tempo runs and track workouts in the snow, I am happy with my level of fitness for February. I felt in control the entire race and stuck to my pre-race plan completely. A great way to start of the 2009 season." [Read the full race report on Josh's blog].

Congrats Josh!

Posted by Mark McKnight at 11:43 AM | Comments (0)

February 6, 2009

Update: Greenhill Fighting for First in Costa Rica

Stage Four's reports have been published, and Rock/Creek Race Team member Jaclyn Greenhill continues to vie for the top spot in the Coastal Challenge in Costa Rica. With less than an hour separating the top women (Greenhill at 25:53, Costa Rican Ligia Madrigal at 25:22), the next few stages should be very interesting as they duke it out. Stage Four marks the midway point, so the next stages will be critical.

Jaclyn and Madrigal tied for first in Stage Three with a time of 8:50, which gave Greenhill the overall top spot for a day. According to race reports, that was the longest stage, challenging "competitors with blistering sand, cool rivers, and dusty roads before ending at the pristine coastline of Playa Ventanas."

In the full report from Stage Three, posted on the event Web site, the race designer describes the course:

"We threw competitors a curveball with a waterfall traverse at the beginning of the course," said Rodrigo Carazo, race designer, who set up day three so that competitors were forced to cross several rivers. "Today was another difficult trek into remote areas of Costa Rica that visitors would never see or experience on any type of tour."

Stage Four, named "The Revenge of the Borucas," after the original inhabitants of the area, the Borucas Indians, gave the racers up and down hill climbs that one competitor described as a "roller coaster." You can read the full Stage Four report here.

Good luck Jaclyn!

Posted by Mark McKnight at 6:56 PM | Comments (0)

February 4, 2009

Update: Greenhill Second in Day Two of Coastal Challenge

The Coastal Challenge continues in Costa Rica this week, and we're following Rock/Creek Race Team member Jaclyn Greenhill's progress. She started the race strong ending in first place on Stage One. Monday's Stage Two results have been posted, and Jaclyn finished another challenging day in the jungle in second place. Here's a teaser from the race report:

What a difference a day makes. Following a relatively short, 33-kilometer first day, competitors at the 2009 Coastal Challenge (TCC) encountered a mountainous day-two route that featured more than 2,200 meters of elevation gain over 39 kilometers. With temperatures hovering in the mid-90s, the field of 70+ competitors battled sun and sand in a course that moved from the misty, muddy rain forests of Savegre Valley to the sundrenched sand of Playa Dominical. The competition is also heating up as the top three male competitors continue to jockey for the lead in the expedition category.

"We designed stage two to give competitors their first taste of wild Costa Rican terrain," said Rodrigo Carazo, race designer, who forewarned competitors at the pre-race briefing that day two would test their determination. "We started them (competitors) on a climb through dense rain forest to give them a taste of the hills, and then challenged them with a lot of technical trail running through mud, grasslands, and streams." [...]

Ligia Madrigal of Costa Rica finished first in the women's expedition category with a time of five hours and 59 minutes. Madrigal, who gave birth just eight months before the event, created her own brand of cross training for this year's TCC; she often woke around 4 a.m. to get in a few hours of running before spending the rest of the day working and taking care of her baby.

"I got seven hours of sleep last night and it made all the difference," said Madrigal, who, because of her role as a new mom, hasn't had more than a few hours of sleep since giving birth. "The course was amazing and the views were incredible. You could see the mountains, the water, everything."

Americans Jaclyn Greenhill (6:09) and Kelly Ridgway (6:18) placed second and third, respectively, in the women's expedition category. Ridgway, a first-time TCC competitor, said at one point she thought she lost her shoe and sock in the mud, but could only find her shoe. "I couldn't find the sock anywhere, and then realized it was still on my foot but covered in mud!" She also had rave reviews about the course: "If I die after this race I will have truly lived." [Full report online]

I can't wait to hear first hand about this race from Jaclyn! It sounds like fun and definitely something to put on the "life list." I'm also anticipating the updates from yesterday and today. I'll post as soon as I hear anything about those.

Posted by Mark McKnight at 11:44 AM | Comments (0)

February 2, 2009

Greenhill First in Day One of Costa Rican Expedition Race

Rock/Creek Race Team member Jaclyn Greenhill of Chattanooga, TN is currently competing in a seven-day expedition race in the Savegre Valley in Costa Rica. Yesterday was the first day of The Coastal Challenge, and she came in first place. According to the race report, the first day of the race brought heat and humidity and covered more than 33k of dirt roads, rain forests and rivers.

Awesome job Jaclyn, and we'll be keeping an eye on your progress over the next week!

January 13, 2009

New Race Team Member: Nick Whited

We're pleased to announce a new race team member, Nick Whited, from Virginia. We're happy to have him on the team and look forward to seeing what the 2009 season brings for him! Welcome Nick.

Nick Whited

Age: 30
Occupation: Substance Abuse Counselor for the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services.

Favorite Run or Race: One of my favorite runs is in Damascus, VA where I run a big loop on a few trails, the Appalachian Trail (5 miles uphill); then 2 screaming miles downhill on the Backbone Rock Trail; then uphill for 3 miles on the Iron Mountain Trail in TN; then follow it back to the VA Creeper Trail and head back into Damascus; this is a staple 18 mile route; Another route is in the rural area of Burkes Garden, VA where I can run to the AT via a dirt road then go any direction with a large amount of options.

My favorite race(s) would have to be The Mount Mitchell Challenge (40 Miler). It has the makings of a championship event and is not a far drive; another would have to be the Frosty 50k in Winston Salem, NC because it is low key and organized great.

What I like most about running: The challenge of getting out everyday and enjoying the scenery. The feeling of nerves and fatigue on race day and when they are both gone after the starting gun.

Tips for other runners: Don't overtrain; enjoy the journey; and hire a coach - it will make a difference in your running at any level.

Races or Other Significant Accomplishments:
4:17 mile PR
Currently working on my PhD in Pastoral Care Counseling.
2008 Season:
Frosty 50k 4th
Bull Run 50 Miler 8th
Rattlesnake 50k - 2nd
New River Trail 50k 4th

2009 Season Plans:
Frosty 50k
Mount Mitchell 40 Miler
Umstead 50 Mile
Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race
Charleston 15 mile
Stump Jump 50k
JFK 50 Mile

Find out more about the Rock/Creek Trail Series >

Posted by Mark McKnight at 2:38 PM | Comments (0)

January 7, 2009

Jamie Dial Third in Tsali Foot Fest

Rock/Creek Race Team member Jamie Dial placed third in the Tsali Foot Fest in Almond, NC, this past weekend. He came in after our friend Mark Lundblad and Jeff Edmonds. Lundblad came in at 3:46:33, Edmonds 3:51:33, and Dial came in close behind at 3:53:58. Congrats to all!

The race benefits the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and has a 50k, 25k, or 8 k option.

Here are the other top 3 positions from the race:

Women's 50k top three:
1.Rebecca Phalen - 4:54:56
2.Sarah Woerner - 5:25:23
3.Dominique Benson - 5:40:31

Men's 25k top three:
1.Kevin Lisska - 1:49:36
2.Mark Ledyard - 1:50:57
3.Matt Roane - 1:51:46

Women's 25k top three:
1.Anne Lunblad - 1:57:06
2.Elizabeth Patrick - 1:59:32
3.Kelsey Hanger - 2:08:58

Men's 8k top three:
1.Curtis Rowe - 37:16:00
2.Jason Aytes - 38:00:00
3.John Hillman - 38:04:00

Women's 8k top three:
1.Julie Richards - 38:20:00
2.Michelle Scifers - 40:19:00
3.Rebecca Graham - 43:05

(Thanks to Asheville's Citizen-Times for the tip)

Posted by Mark McKnight at 10:10 AM | Comments (0)

December 9, 2008

Race Team Report: Pinhoti 100 Mile Trail Run

Rock/Creek's sponsored athletes Randy & Kris Whorton went down to Alabama a few weeks ago to run the inaugural Pinhoti Trail 100. Here's what the race Web site has to say about the course:

The 1st Inaugural Pinhoti 100 is a Point to Point Trail run starting in Heflin AL on the unmolested Pinhoti single track trail. Runners will make their way over the highest point in Alabama while navigating over rocks, through creeks and across beautiful ridge lines of the Talladega National Forest. The course will consist of 80.62 miles of single track trail, 16.98 miles of jeep road and 4.52 miles of pavement and will finish on the rubberized track in the Sylacauga High School Football Stadium.

Randy gives us this report:

The race provided both both ends of the "fun" scale. It really sucked because I had to drop out at 27. My ankle just had not healed enough. I sure wish I could have run this one, I think I am in good shape and the race was on a magnificent north to south point to point single track trail on a range between Atlanta and Birmingham.

This is a true wilderness trail and the leaves were in perfect fall colors. Shit! I just get sick thinking about haw great it would have been. Now for the other end of the "fun" scale. I convinced Kris to continue without me at mile 20, at that point we were in 13th place and Kris was the 3rd woman. She was not happy about parting and for the next 10 miles or so she was planning on dropping at 50K.

She made the right decision to run it. Kris continued to pass other runners all through the night and finished strong and happy in 23:23, winning the woman's division and smashing the old course record; she placed 6th or 7th overall. The trail was quite overgrown and Kris shredded her legs but no other injuries reported, other than the normal blister or two. She is walking around today like she sat on the beach all weekend, but I believe that she will be taking it easy for the next few weeks and she certainly will be keeping her legs covered for a while.

Check out the Rock/Creek Trail Series for more great trail running races >

Check out our Trail Running Gear Guide at Rock/Creek >

Posted by Mark McKnight at 10:58 AM | Comments (1)

November 21, 2008

Upchuck 50k Trail Race Report & Photos

John Wiygul and John Brower fought hard for the win at this past weekend's Upchuck 50k. Wiygul, from Chattanooga, came in seconds before Brower, a former Chattanoogan living in Jackson, MS. Wiygul captured first after almost five and a half hours of tough trail running. Stephen Smith of Chattanooga took third. Wiygul has raced many of our trail races and will be joining the Rock/Creek race team for 2009.

This first annual (official) Upchuck 50k took place on the Cumberland Trail and was presented by Rock/Creek and The Boonies. We had 23 finishers on this rather difficult course; the cold temperatures and off-and-on rain certainly contributed to the difficulty of the course. Several stream crossings ensured that the runners were going to be wet even before the rain.

Mark took a few photos from the finish line >
Robert took photos on the trail >

See full race results online >

We'll have a full race report from Chad Wamack in the next couple days, but in the mean time I thought I'd share Matt Sims' recollections of the first (much less official) Upchuck:

History of the Upchuck 50k (as told by Matt Sims)
Chad and I run together all the time. I am well aware of his dietary habits, running pace, what he likes to talk about when he runs, etc. This particular day we headed out to run 36 miles of the continuous Cumberland Trail segment that has recently been completed outside the Chattanooga area.

We did the normal car drop off at the "take out", and then shuttled the car a LONG way to the beginning of what would be a very memorable trail for us both. Chad likes to plan the route and is very methodical in what he might need. Lucky for me really, because I am not a good planner and I typically rely on Chad to figure it all out. We decided to run South to North, which now the official Upchuck 50k course runs North to South.

I won't bore you with the detail of the actual trail description and what we saw and how we felt and how many times I stopped to pee, etc. I will simply say, the Cumberland Trail is ridiculously well done. We are really fortunate to have the trail system and to have such a thoughtful group of planners and volunteers to make it happen.

I have gone through times of being very disciplined with what I eat and what I drink. I don't typically get caught up in all the fancy powders that are available today, although certainly I should because I bet I would be a real superstar runner. We do have a couple of really incredible runners in town and they are fanatic about Heed, an electrolyte replacement drink. They put the "hard sell" on Chad and I think Chad bought a couple of gallons of this stuff and probably stock in the company at the same time. So there we are running along with hydration packs. Mine was filled with water and Chad's was filled with Heed. Keep in mind this was the first time he had really used it, which typically isn't the best idea when you are pretty much committing to an all day run. But, oh well. Chad knows what he's doing.

We get about 18 miles into the run when we cross the Hwy 111, Jones Gap Road Crossing. This is unfortunate in some ways because you actually have to run on a bit of pavement to join the next trail segment, but in doing so you run right by a convenient store. Chad and I stopped in there to re-fuel and talk about Nascar with some of the locals.

Chad comes out of the store with a Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Water, Snickers, Cheese Crackers and a Fig Newton. I remember observing his carefully planned out purchase, and I have to admit I was a little jealous. Chad has a "go big or go home" approach to things, so I just figured he would carry what he didn't eat in his pack and eat it as we go. I was wrong. Chad dug in to what I comically refer to as "the last supper".

Off we go and off go the wheels. It took about 3 minutes of running before I heard Chad say, "I don't feel so good". I proceeded to turn around and see this bloated bellied figure start puking all over the place. I ran ahead so I didn't start puking myself. For the next 10+ miles Chad would puke occasionally and then start running again, all the while that Heed was keeping him company.

All in all I had a great run and Chad had a terrible one. It's funny now and I think he thinks so too. Just remember not to get carried away this year at the Jones Gap Road Convenience store.

Learn more about the Upchuck 50k >

Posted by Mark McKnight at 11:21 AM | Comments (0)

October 20, 2008

Race Team Report from Two Lakes Trail Run

Rock/Creek Race Team member Jamie Dial gives us a quick report from the Two Lakes Trail Run in Nashville, TN. Jamie took fourth place and his wife Wendi Parker-Dial won the women's division.

On Saturday, Wendi and I went to Montgomery Bell State Park for the 1st race in the Tennessee State Parks Running Tour. In its second year, the Trail race had another good turnout with 129 runners in the mix. Race Director Dr. John Spencer in Dickson TN did an excellent job and the staff at MBSP really do a great job maintaining the trails.

On to the race....

I knew it was to be a tough day as Wendi and I ran our warm up, my heart rate was abnormally high. I thought it would settle down, but a few miles into the event my worries were a reality. I never could get into a rhythm and my HR was sky high throughout the entire race. After 2 miles or so the leaders were out of sight and I settled into a semi comfortable place, doing my best to pick off those who were shelled from the front. The 7.6 mile course is not flat (it was actually pretty challenging!) and on the 7th and final climb of the day, I was relegated to a slow walk. I thought my heart was going to explode. This is how the entire day was... Crawl up the hills and blast the downs. My La Sportiva Crosslite trail running shoes allowed me to really cut loose on the down hills with total confidence. On the off cambered terrain and tight turns, I never once felt like I was slipping. The tread on these shoes are amazing. Anyhow, back to the finish- Nearing the end I was caught by a fella who was a little hungrier than me that day and I let him by for the final podium spot. In the end, I was 4th place.

In the womens race, it was a different story. 17 year old High School Senior Brooke Earhart took the race out fast and soon Wendi and local favorite Tonya Lumphreys were fighting for 2nd. Around mile 2 Wendi caught up with local trail runner Johhny Pryor who bridged Wendi up to Brooke. Once contact was made, the race was on. Brooke and Wendi would continue swapping leads all the way to the end. With about 1 mile to go, Wendi knew she had to make a move, so she hammered the final descent only to have Brooke hang on like a warrior. Once back to the campground Wendi found an extra gear and beat her back to the finish to get 11th overall and take the Women's win.

It was nice to actually run a local trail race instead of having to travel so far. Lots of folks asked about Rock Creek and we were able to pass on a little history about the shop and their events. Thanks for the continued support.

Full results are posted on the Nashville Striders site >
The Tennessee State Parks' Running Tour information is posted at state.tn.us >
Photography from the race on Picasa >

Posted by Mark McKnight at 3:29 PM | Comments (0)

October 13, 2008

$9,000 Raised for Trails at 2008 Rock/Creek StumpJump 50k

Locally-owned outdoor retailer Rock/Creek makes $9,000 donation for trails from the 8th Annual Rock/Creek StumpJump, a 50k and 11 mile trail running race that took place on the Cumberland Trail in Signal Mountain, Tennessee.

October 9, 2008 (Chattanooga, TN) - Rock/Creek today announces a $9,000 donation for trails. The Chattanooga-based retailer raised the money at the 8th Annual Rock/Creek StumpJump this past weekend. $3,500 will go to the Cumberland Trail Conference (CTC) for their ongoing work on the 300-plus-mile long Cumberland Trail. The Trail, still under construction, stretches across the state of Tennessee from Chattanooga to Cumberland Gap.

Another $3,500 will go to The Wilderness Trail Running Association (The Boonies). Their mission is to promote trail running as a cornerstone to optimum health and as an avenue to adventure by focusing on expanding trail access, building new trails, maintaining existing trails, and organizing great trail races. The remaining $2,000 will go to the new Signal Mountain High School Cross Country team for work on their cross country course, which Boonies members will help construct.

The Rock/Creek StumpJump has become one of the largest ultramarathon-distance races in the country. This year's race took place on Saturday, October 4, 2008. Over 200 runners finished the 50k and 170 finished the 11 mile race. Runners came from across the country and the world, with runners representing 25 of the 50 states as well as Micronesia, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Canada.

"Once again we had a great race" said Dawson Wheeler, Signal Mountain resident and co-owner of Rock/Creek: "We were able to raise significant funds this year and we look forward to building many miles of new trails. We could not have had this level of success without generous donations from our sponsors and the hundreds of volunteer hours contributed to the race."

Rock/Creek Race Team members fared well in the 50k race, with team members taking several top spots: John Anderson from Boulder, CO (originally of Signal Mountain) won first place in the 50k. Michael Green came in second. Jaclyn Greenhill won the women's division.

Other top finishers: Kevin Johnson of Ogden, UT finished third; Ryan Mittwede from Ridgeland, MS finished fourth. In the women's division, Abby Zeveloff from Carrboro, NC came in second, Lisa Purul from Panama City Beach, FL took third. Liz Lee of Knoxville, TN took fourth. Masters winners were: Phil Canning of Atlanta, GA; John Cobbs of Birmingham, AL; Tom Remaley of Cosby, TN; Marty Coleman of Marietta, GA.

Rock/Creek employee Deb Jones took first in the female division of the 11 mile race. Race team member Cathi Cannon took fourth.
Other 11 mile finishers included: Mark Lundblad of Swannanoa, NC (Team Inov8) took first. Tom Borschel from Idaho Falls, ID (Team LaSportiva) took second. Third went to local Sam Linhoss. Fourth, Jim Wueste from Atlanta, GA. Casey Malone of Memphis, TN came in as second place female. Lucie Becus from Cincinnati, OH took third.

Before the race, on Friday, October 3, Rock/Creek hosted the general public for a Vendor Fair and served 400 racers and family members for a catered carbo supper at their new store at Two North Shore on Manufacturers' Road. This family-friendly event showcased the race's sponsors and also served as a packet pick-up for racers. In addition, Dr. Charley Cropley from Boulder, Colorado gave a talk on natural foods and healthy nutrition for endurance activities.

Also on Friday live seamstresses worked to turn customers' old cotton t-shirts into sustainable shopping bags through the Icebreaker and Rock/Creek Bagging Cotton program. The promotion continues through the end of the month. Customers are invited to bring their old cotton t-shirts into Rock/Creek's Two North Shore location now through October 31st. Rock/Creek will transform the tee into a reusable shopping bag and customers will receive $10 off an Icebreaker pure merino top of their choice. For more details visit http://www.rockcreek.com/icebreaker/baggingcotton.asp

Sponsors of the race include SmartWool, Mountain Hardwear, Salomon, Hammer Nutrition, La Sportiva, The North Face, Greenlife Grocery, Vasque, Deuter, KEEN, CamelBak, Southern Spring Water, Inov8 and Trail Runner Magazine. Next year's event will take place on October 3, 2009.

Photography available to the media by request.

For registration information, results and photography, please visit http://www.rockcreek.com/stumpjump/

About Rock/Creek:

Rock/Creek, member of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, is an independent specialty outdoor retailer with over two decades of experience in the Southeast. Along with its online shops, RockCreek.com and ClimbingGear.com, Rock/Creek provides quality outdoor clothing and gear for a host of activities including kayaking, rock climbing, camping, hiking, trail running, and adventure racing. Rock/Creek is committed to enacting positive change in the community and for our environment. For this reason, it uses outdoor retail as a platform to encourage outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship and to improve public access to the backcountry. Rock/Creek supports worthy nonprofits such as the Southeastern Climbers' Coalition and the Wilderness Trail Running Association.

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Posted by Mark McKnight at 10:59 AM | Comments (0)

September 3, 2008

Rock/Creek Race Team Member on Podium at Triathlon Championships

Johanna Gartman was on the podium in her first draft legal event at the recent Youth Elite National Triathlon Championships in Colorado Springs.

She went 33:12 in the 400m/10k/2.5k sprint distance event to place 3rd in a very experienced field.

A day after the start of the Olympics in Beijing, over 350 athletes competed in Colorado Springs. Rock/Creek is proud to have had an athlete compete and win a spot on the podium. Congratulations Johanna!

Youth Elite Women

1. Jenn Howland, 15, Elburn, Ill., 32:26.2
2. Breanna Hemming, 15, Kiowa, Colo., 32:52.9
3. Johanna Gartman,15, Chattanooga, Tenn., 33:12.4

Read the official race report at USA Triathlon >

Posted by Mark McKnight at 2:49 PM | Comments (0)

August 25, 2008

Rock/Creek Race Team Wins Flatlanders Division at Wild West Relay

Plane ticket to Denver: $250

30 zip-lock baggies filled with boiled potatoes: $40

20 gallons of water: $25

Rental of a 12-passenger van, aka "The Stank Tank": $800

Participating in the suffer-fest known as The Wild West Relay: Priceless

On Friday, August 1, 120 teams pushed off from Fort Collins, Colorado to begin the 2008 Wild West Relay, a 195-mile, running relay in its fifth year. The race took teams on a northwestern route from Fort Collins up into the Rockies, crossed into Wyoming then headed Southwest over the Continental Divide before finishing in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The nonstop event took teams anywhere from 24 hours to 35 hours to complete and consisted of 36 individual legs or sections. A single member of each team would run one of the legs, tag a teammate at the end of the leg, and hop into the team van to ride to the next exchange zone.

The Wild West Relay welcomes all varieties of teams and we witnessed this on the course - the super competitive (some elite teams averaged close to 6:00 miles), the super ultra (a team of only three completed the entire course), and the teams that painted their faces, wore skirts (both men and women) and wrote crazy sayings on the sides of their team vans.

Our Rock/Creek team consisted of six runners placing us in the ultra division. Each of us had participated in endurance events of some kind before - triathlons, bike racing, ultras, adventure racing, etc. - however, this event presented a few challenges that would new to some of us. Elevation: The elevation during the race ranged from 6,000 ft to 10,000 ft above sea level. Elevation plus lots of running = lots of fun. Although our team was constantly moving, each runner had a couple of hours of "downtime" between each leg. Just enough time for your body to cool off and tighten up before the next run. Minimal sleep: I don't believe anyone got much more than 30 minutes of sleep. For adventure races, this is evidently the norm; however, for several of us, this was a new race addition.

There was also unanticipated (for some of us) fourth element - the heat. Chad Wamack had warned me that "it gets pretty hot in Colorado in July and August." I kept thinking to myself, "but it's a dry heat. That won't affect a Tennessee boy used to suffocating humidity." Well, a dry heat of 102, as it was on Friday afternoon, can affect you. The dry heat sucks the water out of your body exceptionally fast. So, we quickly learned (or at least I did) to get out of the sun and get in plenty of fluids as fast as possible after a stage. I started to run with a "technical" shirt because it retained just enough moisture to help keep my body temperature down.

After our team had gone through a complete rotation (each person running a leg), I believe we all got into our own routine for recovering from a leg, "cleaning up" (consisted of some combination of wiping off with moist "toilettes", changing clothes, hanging up clothes to dry out, etc.), getting in fluids and food, and "warming up" before the next run. As the race wore on, it became a challenge to continue to eat. After throwing down Power Bars, Cliff Bars, Gatorade, Pop Tarts, boiled potatoes, potato chips, and chocolate milk, your stomach just wants a break.

The one constant in the event, the great scenery provided by the Colorado countryside, made staying up well worth it. Covering the distance on foot (and staying awake for over 24 hours) really lets you soak in the landscapes and experience the Colorado outdoors - the mountains, the valleys, the rivers - at all times of the day - sun rise, high noon, sun set, and the pre-dawn, quiet hours.

Definitely a great experience. We finished as the first place flatlanders team (all team members residing below 2,500 feet sea level) and 22nd overall. A continuous relay of this length really made me appreciate taking the post-race shower, the post-race nap, and that I don't regularly live out of a van (aka The Stank Tank).

-Kevin Boucher

2008 Wild West Relay Rock/Creek Team:

Sam "Lightning" Linhoss, Team Captain

Leigh "It never looks like I'm running hard" Linhoss, Team Accountant

Matt "Look me in the eyes when I'm talking to you" Sims, Team Outfitter

Natalie "Everyone Remain Calm, Heat Stroke is a Learning Experience" Sims, Van Decorator

Chad "Captain Lats" Womack

Lisa "Yes, I look at feet every day but even I'm not touching your feet Chad" Womack, Team Podiatrist and Driver

Kevin Boucher, Team Fighter Pilot

Posted by Mark McKnight at 3:24 PM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2007

Ultramarathon Gear List

Rock/Creek Race Team member Matt Karzen recently completed the Leadville Trail 100, so we asked him to reflect on his experience there and share some gear recommendations with us. Please leave comments if you have experience with running ultras and have any other gear suggestions.

If you are thinking about doing a trail 100, especially one in remote mountain terrain at altitude, you need to think hard about gear. Having the right, or wrong, gear can make or break your event. Obviously, there is nothing like experience to tell you what works, and everyone has different needs, but in the end you need to be prepared. Based on 100 miles at Leadville, here is a list of items you might want to consider:

Light: You need a quality LED headlamp, minimum 4 bulbs, regulated, and an extra set of batteries. I used a Petzl headlamp with a single head strap and had no bounce, plenty of light and good comfort. You should also have a backup handheld light. I had the headlamp with me from the beginning, and the handheld and extra batteries I picked up at the last aid station before dark or had waiting for me in drop bags. I never used the handheld, but it was good to have.

Top Layers: The Patagonia Airus short sleeve shirt is the best running shirt I�ve ever worn. It was my base layer for all 100 miles and never soaked. Zero chafing problems. I also used an old Patagonia long-sleeve (cold weather zip neck) � this was in a drop bag at mile 40 and then on or around my waist as the elevation and dark came in earnest. If you are at altitude at night, it could get into the 30�s or 20�s like it did at Leadville. For that I recommend a nice cozy lightweight Patagonia fleece pullover as a third layer, and perhaps your rain jacket.

Gloves/Hats: Something in between knit and full winter gear. I used a mid-weight poly glove that worked in all conditions. Visor � keep the sun and hail out of your eyes, and besides, your hair is gonna look really bad. I had a winter hat with me from mile 60 on, and I might have put it on once for a few minutes. Its worth having in case you really get chilly.

Rain/Weather: A good rain jacket is crucial. It needs to be hooded � a hat is fine for cold, but if it rains/hails/snows hard, you are gonna have a wet melon and that is a problem. I used a full zip jacket with hood � it worked for both moisture protection and to take the edge off the cold night air. If there is one thing besides hand-held water bottles that I would tie around my waist and carry the whole way, it�s a good rain jacket. Don�t worry too much about breathable fabric vs. full seal gore-tex � you are gonna sweat anyway, and you can unzip to de-fog.

Bottom Layers: You could probably do the entire thing in shorts, but I am a cold guy, so I had a pair of high-quality, loose fitting running pants waiting for me when it got dark at 60 miles. Shorts were fine throughout, including at altitude and in the hail, but the night cold is prolonged, and these pants kept me cozy. No tights�. I recommend a good pair of lightweight shorts with pockets and no liner � use compression shorts underneath to prevent chafing and maintain �organization�.

Continue reading "Ultramarathon Gear List"

Posted by Mark McKnight at 12:49 PM