The Virgil Crest Ultra is a Monster of a race! With 10,000 feet of
gain and loss, slow rocky, rooty single-track Finger Lakes Trail, this
race is a punisher of a course. Oh yeah, and you summit Greek Peak at
2,189 feet from 1,180 feet in about a mile and a half (That is running
up a ski slope!). The course record is 8:34 or so which is a smoking
fast time for the course and I hope to be able to run right around that
time on the slow end though my real goal is to run a super fast course
record time that will stand for many years to come. Looking at my race
at the Cayuga Trails 50, I did not race to my ability with my badly
twisted ankle and I still managed a 7:45 effort though wound up off
course for a 8:00 on the dot finish. That type of performance with the
similar amount of vertical would place me 30 minutes above record pace.
Now all I need is to be able to run to my potential and hope for dry
conditions so I can run the downhills fast and not get slowed down by
the mud. If all the stars align, I think that a 7 hour performance is
in the cards. I have been running tons of vertical both up and down and
though I have been on the tired-side of running, when I taper in the
next 2 weeks, I should be primed to handle the course the best I can.
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| Wearing my Mammut MTR longsleeve zip on a nice cool morning--46 degrees
(Best quality apparel around!!!)
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Here is Ian Golden's RD of Virgil Crest's description of the course:
"The
revised course uses an out-back format, repeated for the 100, starting
and ending at Hope Lake Park with a turnaround point just shy of Daisy
Hollow Rd. The hills are pretty constant, runnable in most parts and
steepest in the mid-section around Greek Peak. Approximately 44.5/89
miles will be run over hilly single track trail, with 3.5/7 miles of
dirt/gravel forest road and 2/4 miles of asphalt. Elevation gain and
loss is roughly 10,000/20,000 feet. The hills are constant and the
terrain technical at times. Respective cut-off times are 16.5 hours for
50-mile, 36 hours for 100-mile and 28 hours for relay." (Golden,V-Crest
RD).
I have trained out on these sections ever since I have moved
to Cortland and I love it out there. I feel that if anyone will have an
advantage, it will be me. This race for me is the ultra in my backyard
as being only 7 miles from the start is fairly close. I am excited to
finally run another ultra as I have taken a break since the Cayuga
Trails 50. I crave that longer distance and I feel that my training has
set me up for success at the distance. Running fast tempos, uphill,
downhill, long 3-4 hour runs of marathon to 50k distance have helped to
curate a level of speed out on the longer endurance events. I can
handle a faster pace but still can remain patient and strong ready to
make a huge pace change that can win me a race. Sept 21st is the date
and I look forward to representing my sponsor's new gear at the event:
Mammut, Acidotic Racing, Fits Socks, Karhu/Craft and Dion Snowshoes.
I
plan on wearing my best MTR gear and apparel for the record attempt
including my MTR 201 shoes the best in light, durable, and fast shoes!
**Oklahoma Vacation:
The
trip began with Ashlee and myself heading out on the long car ride to
Oklahoma from Cortland, NY. We left late Friday evening and drove the 24
hours straight through taking turns. It was fun to spend that time on
the roads but I was happy to finally make it into Oklahoma. We ended up
scooting to Norman, to spend time with friends for a day or two as we
would spend the rest of the week with her family. Once in Oklahoma, I
put my Mammut MTR shirts to the test. With humid and HOT conditions in
the morning---Mid 70's at 7am to around 85 by 9am and 80% humidity and
90-110 temps by mid-day, I was sweating more than a human should sweat.
It reminded me about all of those tough sweaty runs in the Oklahoma
sun. My MTR 71 shirts act like mini air-conditioners and were able to
keep me as dry as possible. In those conditions it is impossible to
come out not pouring with sweat. Though I was indeed drenched on the
skin, what was picked up by the shirt was actually whisked away by the
wind. Mammut makes amazing technical shirts that fit great and never
cling to the body nor ever make you feel "heavy". The runs were tough
in the heat but I managed. I ran some hills and tried to find as much
shade as possible. The photo below shows some of the dirt roads I had
the chance to run on---(lovely shade to boot but only for a mile then I
was back in the sun). After a few days with the family, we headed to
Arkansas to visit Ashlee's sister.
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| Oklahoma dirt road! |
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| Ashlee and my own favorite bar! Best sandwiches around! |
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| Oklahoma float trip. |
We
floated the Illinois River which was a blast! A lazy river in the
hilliest sections of Oklahoma, home to the Cherokee Nation was the best
experience. My Mammut visor saved me from sunburn! Our group consisted
of about 23 people of our closest friends and family. It was such a
great time swimming in the Illinois as tons of rain days earlier
made the water nice and cool. It felt great. It was fun catching up
with everyone and truly a remarkable experience.
Searcy Arkansas::::
We
also spent time with Ashlee's sister, Sarah, her kids and her husband
at their new home in Searcy Arkansas. Just heading to Arkansas, the
weather was much cooler. It was still hot and humid but the fact of
having more trees and higher elevations helped to keep the high temps
near 85 in stead of 110. I had two runs in Searcy. The pictures below
showcase the Searcy Country Club Road that had some lovely views, nice
homes, and some decent hills with a steep 7% grade. It was fun running
in a different area and the BBQ in Searcy at the Flying PIG was the best
BBQ I have had in a long time. It was nice to get some decent running
in here and I must say that Arkansas is a pretty cool state. It has a
very backwoods, outdoor feel and the terrain is very unique with bluffs,
mountains, high hills, and tons of trees!
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| The nice homes by the country club |
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| View on Country Club road in Searcy, AR |
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| Searcy, Arkansas |
****Training in Cortland, NY
On
the trip back we had heard the rain had shifted east and had flooded
Cortland and other locales in Upstate NY. The weather was super cool
and it was great after a wonderful vacation to get back to the basics
again and our routine. I began to continue to up my mileage and to
begin my training for the Virgil Crest Ultra. Running up every steep
hill in sight was my challenge!
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| The Cortland Monsoon-tons of rain and flooding after the trip back from Oklahoma |
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| The top of Ames Road! |
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| Ames Road and its dreaded 11.3% graded hill! |
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| The sunset through the clouds |
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| Cortland,
NY from 1,954 feet on Pendleton Street--A beautiful sunset. The perfect
view of the city of Cortland and its surroundings with a perfect sunset
to encapsulate a lovely scene. |
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Finger Lakes National Forest
Located near Watkins Glen, NY
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| Trails cross over bridges |
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| Marsh Trail (Blue Blazes) |
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| Winding single-track |
The
day of directing the Catherine Valley Half Marathon in Watkins Glen, I
was heading back home and noticed a sign for the Finger Lakes National
Forest and decided to head that way into the forest. It was a great
decision. Not only are the trails amazing through here but the signage
is spot-on. This National Forest is beautiful with lovely vistas, cool
single-track, and great winding trails. Running this makes me consider
running the Finger Lakes 50 next year. What a great place to run in. I
encountered some horse trails too and ran in the thick soft mud and had
to avoid many horse pies! There is nothing better than winding through
the woods just experiencing nature in such a unique and exhilarating
way. Moving through nature is a cool concept to think of and that is
what has gravitated my running to the trails. The challenge is always
there, and the experience is...Priceless!
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