For the Hat Run (Ultra 50k in Maryland), I was planning to use a pair of road shoes (Brooks Beast) because I wasn’t comfortable running in the New Balance Trails I purchased. Not for any good reason, just eased away to make sure I didn’t have any arch issues. Before the start of the race, The North Face was a sponsor and started telling me about their shoe line. Due to my shape of my foot and unusual shoe size, (and with my luck they had my size for their demo) they let me try a pair of The North Face Double-Track. I did a 180º right before the start of the race and gave the new shoes a try without ever running in them previously.

North Face Double-Track
Category: Trail/Stability

Weight: 11.3 oz

Upper Material: sandwich mesh, synthetic leather

Waterproofing: Gore-Tex XCR

Sole: Tenacoius Grip

Footbed: Ortholite Northotic

Arch Support: medium

Details for make of shoe: North Face Website

*Suggested retail = $110

Fit

The shoe caught me off guard because when I put it on it felt like glove but provided more support more than expected.  Without having a wider option the mesh allowed my foot to fit without feeling restricted.  In other shoes must get a wider version (Brooks 4E, New Balance 2E) but the Double-track was one size fits all.  Without putting my orthotic in the shoe, my heel hit the back of the shoe and felt great.  When I stepped down, immediately the fore foot flexed with my step and I felt like I needed no break-in period.  Since I require major support, when my heel strike hit, I didn’t feel a lot of give preventing more issues to my pronation problems.   Once running on the trail for the race, I did use my orthotic on top of the inner sole, slight slippage in the heel (nothing major.)   When running down sharp hills, the shoe grabbed the ground and I was able to have great traction on the tough terrain.

Structure

North Face offers two key things in the shoe that are very relevant for me.  First X-Dome which protects from pronation and second Snake plate design that allows for flexibility in the forefoot.   This structure worked for me better than expected.  I admit, I didn’t think the heel/arch support would hold up but I was wrong. Even on the tough terrain, my foot remained balanced and was able to have a good heel strike up and down the hills.  The shoes seem to have close to a straight last which also helped from allowing my arches to collapse.  Due to the snake design, I felt like there was enough padding and grip so when I was going rough gravel, tree roots or branches, my foot wouldn’t slip. On the other hand, when running on flats (road parts of the race), I felt the impact immediately on my forefoot and had to easy off of the speed.  Yes, I know it is a trail shoe so the impact was expected.

Styling

I admit, I love the way the shoes look. Compared to others and the black, green and gray hid the fact that my feet are huge (in my mind at least .)  With being a little lighter than most MC road shoes and a sleek design, I really like how they looked when running in them.  The outer part of the shoe mesh has a snakeskin look and match the environment I was running through.

Performance

For a trail shoe it held up better than I expected (compared to the support of a road MC shoe.)  During the race we ran through everything, brush, streams, rocks, etc.   I had almost no issues but slight slippage in the heel.  The fact that I have some of the worst foot structure for running and was able to run strong through the 31 miles, the shoes did great.  Another nice positive between the socks I was wearing and the shoes, after running knee deep in a creek, they dried out very fast.  I never once changed socks or shoes through the race.   I did have a little tough time keeping the laces tied so, next time I will need to look at alternative lacing solutions to keep the snug fit throughout the run.

Summary

These shoes are officially added to my arsenal.  I am scheduled for another ultra race (50 miler) in June and I plan on using the North Face Double-Track for that run.  I will limit the miles in these shoes on the road and make sure every step is on a trail.  Over all more than happy with the outcome of the shoes and the race, nothing is more surprising than running in a new pair of shoes in an ultra race and having pure success.

About the Reviewer

Brodie W:  I just run, I run a lot!  I am a high mileage runner that runs over 170 miles per month and averages sub 8 min mile pace on the road.  I have tried many shoes and limit my shoes to motion control/stability options which support my extreme pronation issue with my flat arch and I require custom orthotics.  I don’t have issues with weight maintaining around 170 lb.   Over all, I am a heel to inner roll foot striker but my arches collapse when I run.  I have been a long distance runner for over 11 years and have completed 6 marathons, 1 ultra, 1 Olympic triathlon, and many other shorter races.

Pre Hat Dinner Gang

This year's HAT was very special.  The buzz we created last year translated into even more participation this year.  I was really excited to see my running friends again.  There were so many invitations for different meet-ups that unfortunately, it wasn't possible to make them all.  Last year Jeanne B., Colleen, Matt F., Andy O., Steve S., all ran this trail race together.  This year our core crew grew to Brodie W., Jenny J., Andy O., Jeanne B., Bobby O., Paulie G., Greg S., Peter L., Steve S. (third place finisher overall), Preston G., Jon S., Stein L., and Ally S.  That doesn't even include some of my favorite BRRC people like Juda M., Bart R., Luke B., Elisa W., Mark W., Darryn W., Andrea W., Ann F., Lois S., Curt S., Dechen S., and I am sure I am missing others.  I think you get the point.  I was running with a large group of friends and it made this event feel like a fun outing rather than a race.  I was calm and happy pre-race instead of nervous and anxious.  After all, I knew the course and I knew the runners.

HAT Elevation and Course Map

Speaking of the course the HAT 50k is a tough and challenging course located in the Susquehanna State Park in Maryland.  "The course is mostly single track trail with a mix of open fields, dirt road and some paved road. The course features nearly 9,800 feet of climbing. There is a starting loop of 3.6 miles followed by two identical loops of 13.7 miles. There are 4 stream crossings that can be challenging depending on the water level – there is always the chance of getting wet feet." (See image above) The course itself is unforgiving with constant climbs and descents on uneven trails, you have to be focused at all times.  I would remind myself with a mantra "no lazy steps," the fatigue would set in and I would have to remind myself again after a stumble or a bad foot plant "no lazy steps."  We were lucky this year and blessed with almost perfect running conditions.  The skies were clear and the temps didn't get much over 50º F.  I ran the course more conservatively than last year.  By the end of last year's HAT my quads were blown and my calves were rusty and splintered into aching little punks.  I was determined to feel less broken at the end of the HAT this year.  I did a pretty good job of managing the race this year, experience helps.  I was able to take 43 minutes off my finish time from last year but, still would have liked taking at least 15 more minutes off.  In a race this long it should be easy to continue to cut time off.  There's always next year.  Here are the 2011 Results.  I placed in the top half and that ain't too shabby.  Out of the 515 registered runners, 95 didn't show up, 58 DNF'd (did not finish) 362 actually crossed the finish line. I was #158 over all and 57th in my age group.

This race really has become about something more than running for me.  It has become a place of camaraderie.  Friendships are grown and strengthened at this race.  The course is hard and that is a source of pride for all those that run it.  You get the feeling if you can complete the HAT you can take on anything.  This year the race directors gave everyone a signed copy of the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall.  Chris ran the race with us too.  We got a chance to hang out with him before the race and from the limited interactions I had with him, he was a super nice humble guy.  If you think there is pressure running a big race, imagine what it's like when your a running celeb.  It can't be easy to perform with everybody there knowing who you are and having the weight of there judgment on your back.  My kudos to Chris, I would have just gone south and hung out with the Tarahumara.  I have done tough running challenges and the HAT is a tough day of running for all levels of runners guaranteed.  Hopefully I will see you there next year.

GEAR:

This year I ran in the New Balance MT101 trail shoes.  They are a light flexible and feel extremely nimble over the technical terrain of the HAT course.  They handled rocks, roots, mud, packed dirt and paved roads.  I brought along a second pair of shoes because I was worried the minimal running shoe (New Balance MT101) might be an issue after multiple miles.  I never had to switch out shoes, the MT101s were able to keep me feeling good all the way to the finish.  I did make one modification/addition to the shoe.  The low collar of the shoe doesn't protect against trail debris so I purchased a pair of Dirty Girl Gaiters and added a Velcro strip to the back of the shoe to secure the gaiter.  This worked great and kept the debris out without adding much weight to the shoe at all.  The gaiters are quite soft and comfortable.  They will be going on all my trail shoes here on out.  Balega socks were my pick for this race.  Packing two pairs and switching out at the 17th mile worked out well for me.  After the stream crossings a dry pair of socks were heavenly.  I ran with trekking poles during the GORE-TEX® TransRockies Run and fell in love with them for trail running.  I find that they help with fast descents and keep your back straight on the uphill climbs.  I use Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles. Out of the 400+ participants I was the only one to use poles.  It was a great conversation starter.  The poles are super light at .5 lb each and collapse down to 25 inches.  I have tried several Hydration packs including; Nathan, Osprey, and Camelbak.  For running the best pack I have tried is the Salomon XT Advanced Skin 5 S-LAB.  The pack fits great and rides snugly.  This pack is designed specifically for trail running and has great features like:

• 2 chest pockets (one is zippered and removable)
• 2 front chest pouches, just the right size for bottles or other items
• 2 zipped belt pockets
• 1 main zippered compartment on back
• Exclusive Salomon bladder by Source is included (1.5L)
  • Taste-Free™ System
  • Bacteria-Free™ System
  • Crush & Leak Proof Durabag® Technology
  • High Flow Z-Valve™
  • Dirt-Shield™ Cover
  • Easy Fill, Clean and Drain Widepack™ Closure
  • 5mm closed cell PE insulation keeps water cool
  • Cool tube Cover
• Sensifit construction reduces abrasion and gives a precise and secure fit
• Ultra breathable stretch material to comfortably and securely hold bladder and essential items
• Adjustable load lifter distributes the load in the pack
• The twin link system secures anywhere on the system for a personalized fit
• 4ºD pole holder is instinctive to use. Quick and easy access to your hiking poles while running
• Safety whistle attached
• Comes with safety blanket
• Weight: 640g (1lb 6oz)
• Pack Volume: 5L
• Dimensions: 37 x 20 x 6 cm

For nutrition I used Honey Stinger Ginsting Gels and packets of Justin's Peanut Butter and Honey.  For the most part, I drank water from my pack, at the aid stations I would down some Gatorade and flat Coca-Cola (one of my favorite treats on long trail runs).  I was very well equipped for this race and had no issues with gear or nutrition. (except the one time when I choked on the peanut butter.)

I really do love this race, it has become my focus for winter training and a fantastic kick off to Spring.  This past year the HAT 50k sold out in two weeks!  If you want to run it in 2012, be ready to sign up the day it opens for registration.

Check out this related post with a review of the New Balance Minimus Trail Shoe by Professor Of Minimal Shoe Advocacy (PoMSA) Pete Larson

Believe in the Run.

Post run Dailymile meetup

Check out this article on our fundraising effort for the BCAC!  Donate now!  I also did a radio interview this past week too. Listen

It was another great week of training!  The mileage was down but the speed was up.  A special thanks to the dailymile friends that showed up Saturday and ran one of my last longer runs with me.  A very special group.  We are getting down to the wire here, I actually am leaving for Colorado tomorrow morning, I can’t wait!

Here is a re-cap of this weeks training:

Tuesday, August 10: 6.24 miles – I didn’t really have a goal for this run but as I watched the Garmin I thought it would be nice to be in the 8′s today.  It was a struggle my head is always telling me I am not a speedy guy, I am a slow and steady guy. Give in to the 9 minute mile, relax. This was a small victory. The splits are all over the place: Mile 1: 7:55 / Mile 2: 9:19  / Mile 3: 8:53  / Mile 4: 9:40 / Mile 5: 9:15 / Mile 6: 8:55 / Mile .24: 8:01

Wednesday, August 11: 8 miles on bike, 2 miles on treadmill 15% incline, 100 sit-ups, 50 push-ups, 50 squats

Thursday, August 12: 6.45 miles – Awesome hill run with Juda this morning! The skies got dark the winds picked up and the skies opened up and dumped on us. It was awesome! We ran over to Bellemore Rd. and used it as our hill. It was like a river. Great run.

Saturday, August 14: 9.05 miles – Great run for several reasons:  1. Weather was perfect  2. Got to run with some great people  3. I felt fantastic.  4. I love running in downtown B’more.  I am lucky to have such good people around me. Big thank to Jeanne for setting up this meetup.  Thanks to Brodie, Mike, Kathleen, Juda, John, and Darryn for all your support. I really had a great run today here are the splits: Mile 1: 10:27 / Mile 2: 9:27 / Mile 3: 9:10 / Mile 4: 9:20 / Mile 5: 9:59 / Mile 6: 8:18 / Mile 7: 8:33 / Mile 8: 8:30 / Mile 9: 8:41

Sunday, August 15: 12 miles – 1st run Hot to Trot 4 mile race: Alright, if you know me then you know I don’t run in the 7′s.   I was as surprised as you when I saw my splits at the Hot To Trot 4 mile GPS race. Check them out:
Warm up: 8:53 / Mile 1: 7:16 / Mile 2: 7:51 / Mile 3: 8:01 / Mile 4: 7:50
2nd run, cool down:  This mornings 4 mile race was a good confidence booster for my training.  I had twelve on the training schedule so after my 4 mile run with a half mile warm up, I continued on the trail to get my miles in. Good day, last double digit run before the main event.

Believe in the Run

Camping on Michele's birthday weekend

This week was a little bit weird.  The taper began and and big weekend miles didn’t feel so big.  Tapering is always a strange place to be.  For weeks you are pushing as hard as you can to keep increasing your strength and endurance then suddenly, you start going the other direction.  The big event is still looming and you are relaxing, it’s unnatural.

Here is the re-cap of week 8:

Tuesday, August 3: 6 miles – Second run in the Brooks Ghost 3s, its official I like them. Funny they remind me of the Newton Sir Issacs trainers. My legs felt a little rusty from the long runs last weekend, but by the end of the run everything was going quite smoothly.
In my post run shower I got a bit philosophical about running and competition. I have come to the conclusion that I am competing against myself and lately I have been winning.
Wednesday August 4: 8 miles on bike
Thursday, August 5: 8 mile Tempo run – Mixed my tempo work out with some hills. Here are my mile splits, see if you can guess where the hills were:
Mile 1: 8:29
Mile 2: 8:08
Mile 3: 8:51
Mile 4: 10:01
Mile 5: 9:12
Mile 6: 8:40
Mile 7: 8:56
Mile 8: 8:51
Saturday, August 7: 12 miles running 2 miles hike with wife – I can’t believe it.  I have been looking forward to the TransRockies Run for over a year and I will be off and running in 14 days.  It is bittersweet.  I know there will be some post event lows after this run.  So much of my time has been spent preparing for it.  I have NYC and the HAT coming up so it shouldn’t be that bad. Good 12 miles this morning. Going camping with my girl.
Sunday, August 8: 16 miles – Well, after some rowdy campfire drinking with some friends for my friend Michele’s 30th B-day, I thought today’s run would be a lot rougher.  While it was a hard workout, it was hard for the right reasons.  It was hot out there and I think I wanted to punish myself.  I chose a pretty hilly route and went out of my way to run down Bellemore and run back up the notorious hill.  It’s a good quad buster.  I had a few more good hills on this 16 miles.  I am glad to have one more week of training under the belt.

-Believe in the Run

From left to right Thomas N. (me) Adam Rosenberg Director of BCAC, Juda McGannon

This past week was the fundraiser for the Baltimore Child Abuse Center (BCAC.)  We raised $800 that night, combined with $300 in checks and $1,935 of online donations we are now standing at $3,035.  That leaves us at $8,265 still to go to hit our goal of $11,300 ($100 per mile of the TransRockies Run.)  Thank you to those who came to the fundraiser and have donated online too.  Donate now if you would like to help us reach the goal.

Training
This was the peek mileage week and it looked daunting as hell when I saw it coming.  The great thing is, I hit two new PRs (Personal Records.)  One for Most mileage in a a week, 75 running miles.  The second PR was for running miles in one month.  In July I ran 244 miles, my closest month before that was 164!  This week was a tough one and very rewarding.  A special thanks to the Dailymile community for all their support.  Here is the breakdown for the week:

Monday July 26: 4 miles, with some cooler temps
Tuesday July 27: 9 miles, I was supposed to run 8, but I accidentally did 9 miles. That’s what happens when you improv your running route.
Wednesday July 28: 8 miles on the bicycle, 2 miles on the treadmill at a 15% incline, 100 sit ups and 50 push ups
Friday July 30: 18.27 miles in great temps, a gorgeous morning
Saturday July 31: 20 miles, started off a little tough but evened out as kept going.  I thought about my friend  Andy O. running his 100 miler and hoping it was going well for him. It made twenty miles seem tiny.
Sunday August 1: 22 miles, I thought this 22 mile run was going to be a big struggle. I was achy and tired. I downloaded Dean Karnaze’s 50/50 book on the iPhone last night and started listening as I began to run.

The running actually seemed to be going well and almost seemed effortless for the first 5 miles. I was feeling good. I thought about taking some walk breaks but I didn’t need them so I kept going. I really enjoyed Dean’s audio book. I have been running without music or anything for a couple months now and it has been great. This being my third solo long run I needed some company.

That wraps up week 7 of training.  Believe in the run,

Thomas

After crossing the Stream during the BRRC Sweet Air Trail Race Sunday

I am definately getting stronger on my back to back runs.  It is reassuring to feel the progress. Here is a recap of the week:

Tuesday July 6: A hot and humid 7 miles – Air quality alert was RED for Baltimore, temps to hit 105º but it felt hotter due to the humidity.

Thursday July 8: 6 miles with stairs – This was a tough one. Very hot very humid (sound familiar?) I got up extra early and went downtown to hit a great set of stairs that climb Federal Hill near the Baltimore Harbor. Once up the stairs you can loop the park and hit the stairs again and again. It is almost a perfect quarter mile, so at least 4 good stair climbs a mile. (see the picture of the stairs bellow)

Saturday July 10: 12.28 miles Group run with the Baltimore Road Runners Club – Nice run made even better when it started to rain. It is a lot of fun running with the BRRC, some good people show up for these runs at all levels.

Sunday July 11: 16 miles, 6.5 miles in a BRRC trail race then 9.5 miles on my own – I had a great running day. Starting with the BRRC Sweet Air Trail race. I took off nice and easy and just got stronger as the race continued. I don’t normally pick people off but today I was in a grove and doing some passing.  I don’t know what it was about today, I was running strong.  Several BRRC and Dailymile people were in attendance.

Review of the BRRC Sweet Air Trail Race

This was probably my favorite trail race ever.  The trail was beautiful, there were two stream crossings, mud, technical rocky areas, soft shaded stretches and steep climbs.  The people there were all supportive and there to have fun.  The cost of the race was $2 for BRRC members $5 for non-members.  You can’t beat that.

Don’t forget.  I am raising funds for the Baltimore Child Abuse Center, please give.

Thursday's stairs

BRRC meet up on Saturday

Jeff and me at the end of 10 miles 8 more to go.

This week seemed a bit easier than last week, it was about 10 miles shorter. Here is the break down:

Monday June 21: off
Tuesday June 22: 6 miles Ran home from work and added on a couple miles
Wednesday June 23: Xtr – Biked to the gym 4 miles, Stairmaster for 20 minutes, treadmill at a 15% elevation and walked as fast as I could for 10 minutes.  Then 125 sit-ups and 50 push-ups
Thursday June 24: 6 miles
Saturday June 26: 10 miles
Sunday June 27: 18 miles – My friend Jeff Arricale and his girlfriend Becky ran 10 miles of this one with me it really helped the miles move along.

I switched up from my Camelbak to a Nathan HPL 020 and packed it with the required items for the TransRockies.  I had 60 oz, of water, two Ginsting Honey Stingers gels, Pentax camera, iPod, Arc’ Teryx GORE-TEX Paclite jacket, Warm hat, gloves, first aid kit, blister kit, and an emergency blanket.  With a full bladder and all that gear the Nathan HPL 020 was only a little over 7 lbs.  I ran the 18 miler on Sunday with the new pack.  It is more comfortable to run with than the Camelbak and I really appreciated having gels easily accessible.  Typically with the Camelbak I would need to take the pack off to get to the gels.  There was less jostling around with the Nathan as well.  I would recommend the Nathan pack for runners.

Nathan HPL 020

My friend Ed Kelly connected me with a runner that participated in the 2009 GORE-TEX TransRockies, Brian Gaines.  Check out Brian’s TransRockies Run Recap

Please help me raise money for the Baltimore Child Abuse Center by sponsoring Juda and me by visiting our FirstGiving page.

BRRC Volunteer Army at the finish of AOR

I was contacted by Bart Rein a Baltimore Road Runner Club member about 2 weeks before the American Odyssey Relay (AOR) to see if I would be interested in filling in for an injured runner.  I have been keeping up my miles after the HAT 50k so I figured there would be no problem running in the AOR.  After convincing my wife Cindy and making sure the vacation time was available I called Bart to let him know I was in.

Never having done a multi-day event I wasn’t sure what to pack, so I brought everything.  I had running gear for cold, rain, heat, and night time.  I used it all.  We also packed a ton of food, sleeping bags, and pillows.

Each team has 12 runners split into two vans that run three legs each.  I didn’t really know anyone I was running with.  I had met Darryn and Bart before, but I wouldn’t say I know them.  I would know everyone in my van pretty well before the end of the 36 hour race.

Juda and me at the start of AOR

The first van held the first 6 runners and they started the race at 11 a.m. leaving from Gettysburg, PA.  So the second van with me in it headed off to the first waiting place.  The conversation was polite and pretty courteous in the van.  That all changed when we drove past an open field and saw two cows getting it on, after that we realized that we could loosen up a bit and the conversations got more “real.”  The cows turned out to be educational too, Donna, one of two female runners in our van, had never known how cows reproduced.  Darryn had first hand knowledge from working his family farm in New Zealand and gave her the scoop on animal husbandry facts.  The conversations flowed pretty easily and we all got to know each other well.

The wait for the first 6 runners to finish their legs felt like it took forever as we waited in a gravel parking lot in the middle of the woods.  I ran into some of the other teams there and saw some familiar faces.  Both Juda my partner for the TransRockies and Katie were waiting there for their first teams to finish too.  It was after 4 p.m. when the sixth runner on our team made it to the meeting place, then we were off.

First hand off to my van mate

It was exciting, we dropped one runner off and drove to the next leg and repeated.  This is where time started to fly.  I was the 10th runner for our team, when it was my turn I was raring to go.  My first leg was a shorter one, 3.5 miles.  I was happy enough with my pace in the 8s, but not feeling great.  My throat was really sore after the run.  I thought it was from the dusty gravel road and overwhelming smell of manure.  I didn’t know it was a cold flaring up.  Our van finished our leg and I was surprisingly tired.  After all, I had only run 3.5 miles.

We went to the next waiting spot at a High School in PA.  They had the gymnasium open as a quiet place to sleep.  I grabbed my sleeping bag and laid on the hardwood floor.  I was exhausted.  Darryn woke me up to tell me he was sleeping a few yards away and to find him before we left.  Two hours flew by and it was time to get back in the van and start the next leg.  When I went to get Darryn he was sleeping on a soft mat the school had put out for us to sleep on, I felt like an idiot.

Now we were off again after two hours rest, it was about 2 a.m. same routine as before with one change.  Since it was dark out and the signage that the race director provided to guide you on your run was less than helpful, we were going to drive up and wait for our runner at every turn.  This made the time go by even faster.  We even found a runner about five miles off course.  When we asked if she knew where she was, she asked back “Do you know where I am supposed to be?”  We picked her up and dropped her off at the next leg of the race.  When she got in the van Josh said “OK everybody take off your running gear and get out your knives.” The poor girl got a little spooked, understandably.  It wasn’t long before I was at my next leg an eight mile stretch.

I hopped out of the van and Josh was there finished with his leg before I was even had a chance to get my barrings.  Off I went into the night.  It was 3:30 a.m.  I started down a country road and my insides  started moving around funny.  This could be bad, I started to panic a little, I did not want to take a detour so I could go to the bathroom.  I tried something that has probably gotten a lot of runners in trouble.  That’s right I was going to take the shart gamble.  I turned out to be lucky this time and let out some air pressure, still not feeling right I pulled over and took a pee break.  Now back on the road with all that taken care of I was still feeling really fatigued.  It was official I had a cold.  These miles were tough.  In the dark I made extra sure that I landed on even ground as the road rolled up and down.  I can’t say I was having fun on this run and was really disappointed when I finished the leg at a 10 minute pace.  I was back in the van.

I was really feeling like crap right about now.  The sun started to rise when we made it to the end of our second legs.  When the van parked I stripped my gear and took my first ever whole body baby wipe bath.  It actually helped and I felt a little better.  Boy scouts were making pancakes at the waiting area.  I had two flapjacks and a couple sausages.  Darryn was setting up his tent in the parking lot so I got my sleeping bag out and slept in the tent for an hour and a half.  It felt like as soon as you closed your eyes they were popping them back open with somebody telling you that you had to go.  Back in the van again.

It was time to start our third leg.  I was feeling better with the help of coffee and ibuprofen so, I was actually looking forward to my next run with cautious enthusiasm.  Bart came in running strong, and the teammates in the first van celebrated that their work was done.  Again, the next legs went by quickly and everybody on my team seemed to be having a good last run.

Me & Darryn

My last run was a little bit short of 7 miles and relatively flat.  Josh came running in looking a little tired but strong, he handed off the bracelet to me and I started down the C&O Canal trail.  Shortly after starting I knew it was going to be a long run.  I wanted to stop.  Every time I took a breath in I felt like coughing.  My legs felt fresh, I just couldn’t get my head and chest into it.  I ran this leg in the mid 9s.  I was glad to be finished when I made it to the end of the leg but, I was disappointed with my overall performance in my first relay.

We headed into DC to wait for Donna to finish her run so we could all cross the finish line together.  This was fun because both vans, all 12 of us ran the last 100 yards together.  Medals and beer was waiting.

In trying to get my head around the event to figure out if I liked it, I had to split in two.  First it was a lot of fun getting to know 5 strangers in a van over two days.  We were blessed with a good group of personalities and we had a lot of laughs.  The camaraderie is what this event is about so on that side of things it was a really good time.  On the other hand it is hard to separate my performance from the overall event.  It wasn’t my best running.  I cut myself a little slack for being sick but it doesn’t make me feel much better.

Would I do another multi-stage relay event like this.  Yeah I will.  I guess that says something.

Special thanks from Oxford to:
Sleeves, Spider, Supertramp, Momma Bear and Tailgater

Believe in the Run.

Darryn Finishing his final leg