Total Mileage: 100mi
Elevation Gain: 8,650'
Cross-Training: None
Goal: Max mileage

This week ended three weeks out from the Vermont 50, so it was my last chance to get maximum miles in before starting to cut back for the race. I intentionally went for 100 miles--something of a milestone even though it's arbitrary.

I entered the week with 46 miles on my legs from the three days prior, so my legs were already feeling tired. Each day still felt good, with no injury issues. I definitely started a few runs on dead legs, but they usually felt revived after two or three miles of warmup. I used a couple of two-a-days to make sure I was never running for more than 10mi at a time on my easy days.

Monday: AM 4mi easy with the jogger.
     PM 9mi easy on the Mt Van Hoevenberg XC ski trails.
Tuesday: 15mi steady on the Whiteface auto road (including 7mi uphill, just past the Lake Placid turn).
Wednesday: AM 4mi easy with the jogger.
     PM 7mi easy on the trail to John's Brook Lodge in KV.
Thursday: 14.5mi on 9N, including 10mi tempo at under 6:30 pace.
Friday: 10mi easy on Rt 73 into KV.
Saturday: 15mi easy on 9N and the roads in Jay.
Sunday: 21.5mi easy at Hardy Rd mountain bike trails.

Thursday's tempo run was the best of the year for me, and Sunday's run was a big success because I wasn't sure how I'd feel running so long after nine days straight of high-mileage running (10+ miles every day). I ran at the Hardy Road mountain bike trails and pieced together a bunch of loops and a couple road miles, using my light racing shoes and implementing the same fueling strategy that I'll use at Vermont. It was the perfect race-specific workout and it leaves me feeling confident that I can have a good race in three weeks. 

Looking Ahead: I'm running the Whiteface Uphill Race on Saturday, so will back off on the workouts to make sure I can race well at Whiteface and have no lingering aches and pains going into the taper period for Vermont. There's not much I can do at this point to increase my fitness (I'll shoot for a couple more tempo runs as prep for my October marathon and will still run long on the weekends for Vermont prep), so it's mostly about staying healthy at this point. Looking forward to trying to improve my time from last year at Whiteface, and to racing with my friends Jeff Dengate, Keith Iskiw and Marc Galvin.

Total Mileage: 63mi
Elevation Gain: 6,300'
Cross-Training: None
Goal: Was mileage, changed to recovery.

My high-mileage vacation quickly transformed into something of a recovery week after doing the Presi Traverse right before we went to Maine. As good as I felt on the traverse, I clearly needed some time for the legs to get back to normal. The 9mi run on Monday felt pretty tough--it must have taken me half the run to feel warmed up at all--and I felt like garbage for the next three days (two of which I took off from running). The sun exposure and more alcohol than I normally drink probably didn't help. It was nice to have two beach days, though, eating lobster and not even thinking about running. Meg and I celebrated 10 years of marriage on Friday!

Monday: 9mi easy roads in West Point, Maine.
Tuesday: Off.
Wednesday: Off.
Thursday: 7.5mi easy roads around Bear Pond in Turner, Maine.
Friday: 10mi hill repeats (9x600m uphill at hard effort, easy jog down) in Turner, Maine.
Saturday: 18.5mi easy on 9N.
Sunday: Allen Mt, 18mi easy pace, 4hr40min.

Friday's run felt great. Sometimes a hard effort is just what I need to get back on track. The weekend was productive with back-to-back long runs, and Sunday's run/hike was a nice way to recover somewhat while still getting a bunch of miles and time on my feet.

Looking Ahead: I set myself up for a good high-mileage week, the last one before I'll start tapering off slightly for Whiteface Uphill and then more drastically for Vermont 50.

Total Mileage: 64.5mi + 8mi Hiking
Elevation Gain: 11,600' + 3,500' Hiking
Cross-Training: None
Goal: Was mileage, changed to Presi Traverse FKT

 I'm catching up on two weekly recaps that I haven't written yet due to vacation and time spent on the Presi Traverse race report. This week started out as a normal high-mileage training week, and I did my typical Tuesday tempo run, but changed things around on Thursday when I decided to go for the Presi Traverse.

Monday: 7mi steady pace on 9N.
Tuesday: 14mi on 9N with 9mi tempo at marathon pace.
Wednesday: 3mi easy on the AuSable Lake Rd, then an 8mi hike with ATIS up the Nippletop slide (at a very slow pace).
Thursday: 8mi on South Meadow Rd & Marcy Dam truck road.
Friday: Off to rest up for Presi Traverse and drive to NH.
Saturday: 2mi warmup, then 18.5mi Presi Traverse at race pace (fastest known time).
Sunday: 12mi easy at the Gunstock XC trails.

I felt great after the Presi Traverse and assumed I could do another long run Sunday (I hoped for three hours), but was very tired during the run at Gunstock and ended up cutting it to two hours. I guess the Presi Traverse took more out of me than I had thought.

Looking Ahead: I planned to get right back into high-mileage, with a five-day vacation in Maine offering a good opportunity to hit the roads every day. It didn't exactly pan out that way...

It's early 2013, and I'm filling out my race calendar for the year. I've hoped to get back to the Presidential Range for a while now, so I put an FKT attempt on the calendar for the weekend of August 24-25, when I know we'll be in New Hampshire visiting Meg's family. I ask Ryan Welts (two-time FKT holder for the traverse) if he'd like to race it with me, but he replies that it's the weekend after the Hampshire 100k, so race pace won't be in the cards for him. 

A few weeks go by, and I'm thinking about my race plans again. My goal race for the fall is the Mohawk-Hudson marathon; I should be focusing on marathon training in late August. I scrap the Presi Traverse in favor of the 5k that takes place near Meg's family's house that weekend.

Fast forward to the beginning of August. My quad is hurt and I'm not psyched about starting serious marathon training. I want to be in the mountains! I sign up for Vermont 50, mostly to give myself an excuse to train on trails and in the peaks. I'll still do the marathon, but it's shifted from goal race to fun run. I've forgotten about the Presi Traverse, but I do a few hikes and a steady pace Great Range Traverse and feel like my mountain legs are coming back.

August 22nd: It's Thursday morning and we leave for NH on Friday. I haven't been doing any speed workouts, and don't feel psyched for a 5k with nothing but marathon-pace tempo runs under my belt. But I've been hiking and running mountains… I should do the Presi Traverse! I call the AMC to make a shuttle reservation and pack my gear a couple days early. I'm not tapered, but I change my Thursday run from 13mi Hill Repeats to 8mi Easy, take Friday off, and I'm ready to go.

After a long drive to New Hampshire and a midnight arrival I set the alarm for 6am and get to sleep. I wake up before the alarm and head upstairs, trying not to wake my son or any of his four cousins asleep in the house. I fuel up with an almond butter wrap and some instant coffee, then mix my drinks (Vitargo and whey protein for my front bottles, weak Gatorade for my hydration bladder) and hit the road.

It's an hour and a half drive to Crawford Notch, where I'll catch the AMC shuttle. I hit the McDonald's drive through for a sausage Egg McMuffin and another coffee on the way, knowing I'll have plenty of time to digest with the drive plus the long shuttle ride. Arriving at the Highland Center, I rush to the bathrooms and then drive over to the public parking lot, with just enough time to get my gear sorted and write my splits on my arm before I have to jog back and get on the shuttle. I bring a Honey Stinger waffle and a Gu for more pre-run fuel and a bottle of water to sip on during the ride, but otherwise I have just my tiny Ultimate Direction AK Race Vest. It's funny to be on the shuttle with virtually nothing, while everyone else has full packs for multi-day traverses.

Almost everyone gets off at Appalachia, and I recognize the one remaining passenger, Jeff, from one of his visits to the Adirondacks and The Mountaineer. We chat about running and hiking for a while, then I get off at the Dolly Copp entrance road--he continues on for the Osgood trail and the start of his own Presi Traverse. I walk and jog the road until I get to the Daniel Webster trailhead, then do some light dynamic stretching, let the watch get its signal, go to the bathroom one final time, and get my pack adjusted and comfortable. I have my trekking poles out--I plan to use them for the first big climb up Madison, then stow them for most of the rest of the day.

At just before 11am I start the watch and take off up the trail. I'm wearing a heart-rate monitor during an FKT for the first time and I'm watching it closely to keep my pace in check right off the bat. About a half-mile in I encounter the first hikers of the day: two women with four dogs on their way down. We exchange greetings, I pet the German Shepherd, and I continue on my way. One of the dogs, a small terrier, comes with me, running in front. "Looks like you've lost one," I say, and the dog keeps going despite the calls of its owners. By now I know its name is Max, and I'm calling him too as I run along. The women ask me to stop for a minute and I yell back "NO!"--I'm pissed that they can't control their dog and it's going to end up costing me time. A few seconds later I realize the dog isn't stopping unless I do, so I stop and call to it again. By now one of its owners is hiking up the trail behind me, screaming hysterically for Max. He stops, looks back at me and his owner, and keeps right on going.

It seems like Max isn't coming back as long as I'm there, so I decide to hike back down to the trailhead and start again. This will hopefully give the owners time to get control of Max without me around to scare him. I stop and reset my watch and hike back down at a leisurely pace--I'll need some time to relax and get ready to start again, and Max might take a while to calm down, too. I spend about 5 minutes at the trailhead, lying on the ground and trying to calm myself before the restart, then get up and go again, 22 minutes after I first started. Immediately my heart rate is way higher than it was on the first go, and I'm hoping that's not a bad sign. I still have no idea if Max is under control, and realize I might have to give up my FKT attempt entirely if he's still running ahead when I get back to him.

At about the same place I had turned around earlier I run into one of the women on her way down with two of the dogs. They still haven't caught Max (she tells me he's a foster dog and must have gotten nervous), and she's going for help. Her friend is still hiking up with the German Shepherd. I tell her I'll stop and try to catch Max when I catch up to him. At this point I'm pretty sure my attempt is over, but I keep moving quickly in order to catch up to Max as soon as possible. I don't catch the other owner for a while, and when I do I ask her if I should keep running ahead to catch Max. She says yes and is sure he'll still be following the trail, so I keep going, folding up my trekking poles in case that's what scared Max off. I continue up for a long time, with no sign of Max on the trail, until finally I run into two hikers on their way down. They haven't seen Max, and I ask them to relay that info to his owner. The next couple of groups I see haven't seen him either--he's definitely off of the trail, probably way down the mountain. I ask them to pass that info on as well, and decide that's all I can do. FKT aside I still need to get to my car in Crawford Notch and back to Gilford before Meg's family starts to worry, so hiking down and joining the search party is out of the question. I feel guilty for chasing Max off in the first place and wish I could do more to help, but at the same time I'm relieved that I'll get to go for the FKT after I had all but written it off in my mind.

By now I'm most of the way up Madison, about to enter the scree field that the trail follows at it approaches treeline. I'm catching hikers more often now, powering my way over the large boulders with the trekking poles. I'm still paying attention to my heart rate but I've allowed it to get steadily into the 170s, which is higher than I thought I would try to maintain. It feels good though, and now I'm just hiking by feel and using the monitor to make sure I don't ever spike my heart rate in a moment of exuberance. I get to the Osgood junction and don't remember my split from before, but feel like I can match my old time to the summit of Madison, which is the first split I have on my arm. It's pretty crowded by now, and I'm using the other hikers to motivate me to hike quickly and smoothly. I top out in just under 1:13, beating my old split by about 45 seconds. So far so good.

A brief aside on my target splits: When I set the FKT for this route in 2010 I ran a 4:59, which included losing about 10 minutes on a wrong turn between Adams and Jefferson and cramping up on the climb up Eisenhower and losing about 4 minutes there. My target for today's run is to hit all my splits from 2010 with the exception of those two sections, where I'm using Ryan Welts' splits from his record run of 4:56. This would give me a finish time of 4:46, tying Mike Gallagher and Ned Gilette's time from 1968 (which we didn't find out about until late 2011, making the times from 2010 and early 2011 seem a lot less impressive). The consolation prize if I can't go that fast is 4:50, which is Ben Nephew's "modern FKT." I find this split info very useful, as it gives me a way to monitor my progress on the run and know if I need to push the pace.

Descending Madison, I stop to stow my trekking poles (Black Diamonds that fold up nice and small) on the back of my pack, and take out my hat for sun protection and sweat absorption. I make good time down Madison--running down is definitely better without the trekking poles--and take a minute to ask for directions at the junction near the Madison hut. It's a good thing I do: the proper trail is more grown-in than the wrong trail, and I might not have remembered it from 2010. I don't want to take any wrong turns this time! I take my time on the climb to Adams, resisting the temptation to bound up the rocks, and keeping the heart rate in check. I top out after passing a few more parties and check my split: faster again! I'll definitely keep the trekking poles stowed away for the time being.

On the Adams descent I pass a junction on the left that appears to be a minor shortcut, but I don't know it so I pass it by. As I approach Edmands Col I start asking hikers which way to Jefferson: this is where I made the wrong turn last time. I take the correct left and keep moving toward Jefferson, and see another person moving quickly along the shortcut trail, heading up to Adams. It looks like Andy Tuthill, a very accomplished New Hampshire climber I remember from college. I yell over to him and confirm that it's Andy. We're both doing the traverse, albeit in different directions. Seeing him running well pumps me up and I cruise over to Jefferson, beating Ryan's split by over a minute. I'm already nearly 3 minutes ahead overall, and am getting confident that I can break 4:46 and set a new FKT. But it's still early, and I remember how quickly cramping slowed me down in 2010. I keep moving as efficiently as possible, never getting to the point where it feels hard.

Jefferson to Washington is the longest section of the traverse (aside from the initial climb) and it includes another short climb over Clay, but the footing is decent and a lot of it is runnable before I'll need to switch to hiking on the big ascent to Washington's summit. I get some encouragement from other hikers, which always pumps me up, and arrive at the bottom of the big climb in good spirits. I decide to use my trekking poles one final time, as I'll ascend over 1200 feet to the summit of NH. I take them out and immediately start running up the peak like a madman, spiking my heart rate to 179 before reeling it in and setting a more steady pace for the rest of the ascent. I top out and check the split: over 3 minutes faster just for this section! I now have a huge 6 minute lead over my goal pace and can hardly believe it.

In 2010 I really flew down Washington, and my reckless pace might have had something to do with the cramping I experienced a bit later in the day. I keep myself in check, although I still feel like I'm moving well on the descents without my trekking poles (I'm holding them in my hands but they're folded up--I'll stow them when I refill water at the bottom). I haven't finished the 1.5 liters of Gatorade I started with, so I chug it as I descend, hoping I'm not too dehydrated. I'm using Vitargo sports drink for fuel, so I'm getting liquid when I eat as well, which might explain how little I'm drinking. I reach Lakes of the Clouds hut and walk inside to refill, stowing the poles after I get the pack buttoned up again. I start up Monroe and check my watch, and for a minute I'm under the impression that I've lost the 6 minute lead I had on Washington and then some. I'm disappointed, but at least I'm still on track for close to a 4:46 finish if I don't continue to slow. I think about this new development for a bit, then recheck my arm: I'd read the split wrong! When I top out on Monroe I actually have a 7 minute lead, and I still have the section where I cramped last year ahead of me. I should be able to gain even more time if I can keep the cramps at bay.

The most runnable terrain is between Monroe and Pierce and I take advantage of it, running most of the time with brief hiking breaks when it gets rough or steep. I feel a very slight cramp as I start up Eisenhower and back off the pace to be sure I'm not forced to stop and stretch it. An easy pace to the summit brings another 3 minutes gained, as expected. By now I know I'm going to shatter my goal of 4:46. It's basically just a matter of making sure I don't fall and get hurt. Pierce comes quicker than expected too, and it's just the final descent between me and a great FKT. I turn around and head back to the Crawford Path junction then start bombing down toward Crawford Notch, figuring I may as well give it all I have so I can put up the best time possible.

Immediately I cramp up--this is way too fast! I stop and let the hamstring cramps subside then continue on at a more manageable pace. I'm being careful, but even so I stub my toe hard on the rocky trail, bringing pain for the first time today. I'm really working now, and have adopted the mantra "focus, focus, focus." I repeat it to myself as a run down, knowing that one misstep could spell the end of the FKT or worse, serious injury. At some point my trekking poles start to dangle from the back of my pack, which has gotten smaller as the bladder empties. I have to stop and refold them, tightening the shock cord so it won't happen again.

I reach the bridge 0.2mi from the end and try to read the sign at the intersection to remember which way to go, but all I can make out is "Mizpah cutoff." There are two women swimming in the stream and they direct me across the bridge, saying the parking lot is that way. I cross and run hard on flatter terrain, popping out on Mt Clinton Rd just beyond the public parking lot and stopping the clock once I hit pavement. A dog is waiting on the road and barks its head off at me, but I can stop and make friends this time. I check my watch and see 4:35:29, and raise my hands in silent celebration, then make my way to the car to ditch my gear before walking back up the trail to the bridge for a swim. It's cold enough that I can only stay in for a minute at a time, but it definitely helps my legs.

I get back to the car and stretch for a while, then leave messages with Ryan and Cory. I'm excited and want to share the news with someone who cares. Cory calls me back while I'm driving out of the notch and we chat for a few minutes before I lose service. I get back to Meg's family 30 minutes late for dinner, but there's hot dogs and hamburgers waiting for me. They ask me "how was your walk," which puts it into perspective a bit. Still, I couldn't be happier about the day and my performance.

Total Mileage: 75mi + 23mi Hiking
Elevation Gain: 15,800' + 5,000' Hiking
Cross-Training: Not really. Does golf count?
Goal: Mileage!

 I definitely hit my goal this week of ramping up the mileage. My rough goal was to run 80mi this week, but I'm even happier with 75mi of running/hard hiking plus another 23mi of easy hiking. Even if I'm not getting much of an aerobic boost from those easy hiking miles I have to believe the time on feet is beneficial for my Vermont 50 training.

I also got caught up in a low-carb diet plan for most of the week, trying to deprive myself of carbs until the evening with the goal of adapting my body to become a more efficient fat burner while running. I've been hearing/reading a lot about this type of diet from ultra runners who I really respect (Larisa Dannis, Pam Smith, Timothy Olsen) and figured I'd give it a shot, especially if it would have the side benefit of preventing the low-energy feeling I often experience in the afternoons.

The best example of how I planned to adapt was Friday's Great Range run/hike. I had one egg for breakfast and didn't eat anything besides a few handfuls of almonds until Saddleback, over 3hrs into the trip, spending most of the day in a pretty rough, bonk-like state. Even once I fully committed to carbs I remained mostly low-energy, as I was unsuccessfully trying to eat enough to power me through with glycogen stores that were presumably totally depleted. Not until the final descent off Marcy was I able to feel like I had anything in the tank for a good effort. I need to thank David for going with the flow and not caring that I was basically using our hike as a "bonk-run," even though it meant we went slower than he would have liked.

I continued the "diet" through Sunday, eating basically zero carbs until about 6pm, when I binged (pizza, pasta with veggies, french toast) in order to replenish glycogen stores so that I would have energy to run the next day. After reading more on the subject I've concluded that the science isn't really there to say that we can train our body to burn fat more efficiently by depriving it of carbs, and even if it was this time in my training cycle (where I'm doing the most mileage I ever have) wouldn't be a great time to experiment with a low-carb diet. I do feel I've learned more about how my body responds to carbs, and hope to be able to prevent the afternoon bonk by timing my consumption of carbs vs. fat in a more intelligent manner.

Enough of the diet talk--back to running. In addition to the Great Range I had two other significant workouts during the week. Wednesday's tempo run represents my speed work for the week: it's less than I'd normally do at a fast pace, but with Vermont 50 as a goal race I don't need to be running very fast. Hopefully the weekly tempo run will maintain my marathon speed so that I can still have a good race at Mohawk-Hudson. Sunday's run up and down Whiteface with Jeff was a great workout. I went by heart rate, trying to keep it under 160 (my guess at my max aerobic HR) and averaging 156, and we ended up running the ascent just 2.5 minutes slower than my race time from last year when my HR averaged 176. I can't wait to see how the race goes this year!

Monday: ATIS Hike: 20mi, 5,000' vertical gain, 12hrs. Redfield and Cliff at a very easy pace.
Tuesday: 8mi easy trail at Henry's Woods.
Wednesday: 13mi on 9N, with 8mi at tempo (6:30/mi) effort.
Thursday: 8mi on Keene roads.
Friday: 24mi, 9,500' vertical gain, 7:50. Great Range w/ David Mitchell. Steady to hard effort, limited calories.
Saturday: 5mi recovery on Hulls Falls Rd with Josh Gay.
Sunday: 17mi steady up and down Whiteface Auto Rd with Jeff Dengate, 3700' vertical gain. PM: 3mi easy hike w/ Josh, Meg & Finn (Pitchoff Boulders).

Looking Ahead: I hope to ramp the mileage up once again this week. A weekend trip to NH will provide ample opportunity for some long runs (hopefully with Ryan Welts on Sunday), and I'll do at least one long hike and a tempo run during the week. I'll also spend some time trying to find a good compromise between zero-carb days and carb-for-breakfast, bonk-at-4pm days. Fun with nutrition!

Total Mileage: 38.5mi + 49.5mi Hiking
Elevation Gain: 3,200' + 19,500' Hiking
Cross-Training: Several core workouts
Goal: Get back into the running routine after a week off, set myself up for a lot of miles over the next five weeks.

I skipped the last two weekly recaps, as the first was the week of tapering and then racing Wakely Dam (covered in my Wakely race report) and the second was spent mostly sitting around and waiting for my quad to heal from the major bruise it incurred during the race. I was upset to be missing running time and loath to focus on fast road running once I healed, so I decided to change my race plans for the fall. I signed up for Vermont 50 and will focus on training for that, treating the road marathon two weeks later as a less-serious race.

I did manage to run twice toward the end of my recovery week when I had healed enough to run uphill without pain: the 3mi climb up Hurricane Rd from Keene was doable, and Meg was happy to pick me up at the top. I'm a much better husband when I get some exercise. Entering this past week I still couldn't run on the flats or downhill without pain. I tested it on a soft trail on Monday and stopped after two miles.

Fortunately I had committed to lead the "AAA Extreme" hike for ATIS, the local camp, on Tuesday. I've done this for four years now and it's always a high point of the summer. I wasn't worried about being able to do it--walking had felt fine for a few days--but I was afraid that it might delay my recovery. It turned out to be the perfect way to overcome my injury, and I was out running the next day. Another big hiking day with my friend Daniel further helped to strengthen and heal my quad. It's still tight, and I can't get full flexion out of my left knee, but at least now I can run and hike without and pain.

Monday: 2mi recovery on the Jackrabbit Trail.
Tuesday: ATIS hike: 25mi, 10,300' vertical gain, 14hrs. Dial, Nippletop, Colvin, Blake, Sawteeth, Gothics, Armstrong, UWJ, LWJ.
Wednesday: 5mi easy on 9N.
Thursday: 8mi easy on the Marcy Dam truck trail.
Friday: Nippletop/Dial Loop (12.5mi, 4200' gain, 4hrs) and Rocky Peak Ridge from Rt. 9 (12.5mi, 4,900' gain, 5hrs).
Saturday: 8mi steady pace on Rt. 73.
Sunday: 15.5mi easy on the Flume trails, 2300' gain.

I covered a ton of miles this week (88), but it felt easy because of the mixture of hiking and running. I don't know how to count this week: is it a true 88 mile week? The hike with ATIS was at an easy pace for me with plenty of breaks, but the hikes on Friday with Daniel were basically nonstop at a solid pace. Either way, I'm psyched to be out in the mountains again. This is mainly why I signed up for Vermont 50: if I was still focusing on Mohawk-Hudson I'd be worried that hiking days aren't ideal for marathon training.

Looking Ahead: I just agreed to lead another ATIS hike on Monday, so I'll begin the week with nearly 20mi on Cliff and Redfield. I hope to do one other big hiking day during the week, and run every other day for as many miles as I can comfortably do. If I can ramp up mileage for another couple of weeks after that and then cut back a bit leading up to Vermont 50 I should be in a good position for a fun and successful 50 miler--my first since 2010.

Carrying water for long runs can be tricky, and choosing the right gear for the job is important for runners like me who care about having an efficient system. The best hydration gear is a very personal thing, but I'll share what works for me for all of the different types of long runs that I tend to do.

I used to carry water with me on nearly every run. I might do that again when training for a specific race where I'll need to carry a lot of weight, but these days I only bring water on runs that are about 90 minutes or longer. Same goes for calories.

When racing or training hard I like to drink about 20oz of fluid and consume about 200 calories per hour. I'll modify this plan as needed, for example in hot or humid weather I'll drink more, and in the later hours of an ultra or long mountain run I'll often eat more.

On the other hand, during easy long runs I like to eat and drink less than I "need" in order to teach my body to perform when deprived of calories or even fluids. Of course this needs to be done carefully, and I'm always quick to rehydrate and refuel after the run.

Long Road Runs: When I go for my long run on pavement or dirt roads I usually don't count on being able to refill my bottles, so I need to carry all of my water with me. I usually carry 30oz of liquid using a combination of a 10oz handheld and a waist belt with two 10oz flasks.

This works well for me because when running on the road I don't like too much weight in my hands as it affects the arm swing, so the 10oz handheld is a much better choice than a 22oz. And I don't mind waist belts on the road as my running is smoother and bounce is less of an issue. 

With 30oz of water I can run for about 3hrs, which is the longest I ever do on the road. It's less water than I should be drinking over 3hrs, but again I don't mind getting by with less so that my body learns to more effectively utilize fluids in races. Note that on a hot day or when doing a fast-paced long run I would need more, and would find a way to stash water or swing by a place where I could refill.

For fuel I'll either mix Gatorade powder into my water or carry a few gels in the waist belt. Again, I try not to eat too much on my long runs unless I'm pushing the pace so that my body learns to run without optimal fueling.

Marathon Races: I'm not a fan of drinking out of cups. I have a hard time doing it without spilling, and it's difficult to know how much you're drinking. I've only raced one road marathon, but hope to be able to use the following strategy in my race this fall as well. It would be difficult at a major marathon such as Boston, so I'll figure something else out (likely I'll drink from cups like everyone else) when I race there. I also used this strategy at the Patch Sprint (12mi mountain race) this spring, as I was able to stash several bottles along the course.

My ideal marathon hydration/fueling strategy involves carrying one 10oz handheld and swapping it out for a full one every half-hour or so (which means I own two). That means my support crew (my wife at the GMAA marathon last fall) has to be able to access points along the entire course, ideally every four or five miles. The bottle is filled with water, one GU and some Gatorade powder to give it a nicer flavor (and a few more calories and electrolytes). So I take in somewhere around 20oz of fluids, with about 250 calories and some salt every hour. If it's cool out I might not finish each bottle, and if it's hot I'll supplement with water or sports drink from the aid stations.

Long Trail Runs (with water sources): For long trail runs when I know I'll have plenty of water sources (stream crossings, lakes, etc) I like to use a handheld filter bottle. I can go an hour or even a bit longer in a pinch on 22oz, so as long as I'll be near water every 5 or 6 miles this is a nice way to keep from having to carry too much water weight, and it saves me from having to treat the water with iodine or chlorine-dioxide, which takes time both initially and to allow the chemicals to take effect. If I'm in a race with aid I'll still carry the 22oz handheld, but with a regular bottle since I'll be able to get treated water from aid stations.

Since I can't put gel or powder into the filter bottle I need a way to carry my fuel, as well. The handheld strap has a small pocket, so I'll stuff some food in there for quick access. Depending on the run I might go with a 10oz handheld or a race vest or waist pack for additional fuel.

The 10oz handheld can be filled with GU (diluted a bit with water to make it more drinkable) and also has a small pocket for more food. This was the strategy I used at the Wakely Dam Ultra in 2013, and I was able to carry just enough food for 5hrs with just the two handhelds and their small pockets.

If I need or want more food I'll bring either a race vest, which has two large pockets in front that I can fill with a gel flask, bars and other snacks, or a waist belt, which has a one large pocket for solid food as well as two 10oz flasks for diluted GU. I prefer not to carry the belt when trail running, as I find bounce to be more of an issue because the belt rides up onto my waist.

Long Trail Runs (limited water sources): For long mountain runs when I might need to carry water for as much as three or four hours without a chance to refill it's time to bring out the pack or vest with hydration bladder. Running with a pack isn't so bad, especially since I only tend to use it for routes that involve a slower pace or even a lot of hiking, but I still try to avoid it whenever I can.

I have two options for these types of runs, a pack and a vest. Either would be fine, but I usually choose the vest if I value the convenience of having access to all my food at all times (i.e. going for a fastest known time and not wanting to stop), or the pack if I want the comfort of simple shoulder straps on my chest rather than all the vest material (especially if I'm not wearing a shirt).

I use a 2L bladder in both, and find I can get 3-4hrs out of 70oz of water without much trouble. I've never been on a route where I didn't have a chance to fill up at this point in the run. When it's time to fill I take the pack off, remove the bladder, fill it, and treat it with Katadyn Micropur (although I often don't treat if the source is high and clear).

Food is obviously not an issue, as both options have plenty of storage space for all the calories I'd need for a day. Generally I'll stick with fast calories like GU, Clif Bloks and bars, but often will include something more solid like a sandwich since the mountains can make you bonk on a completely different level! I can also fit a jacket, gloves and hat if it's cold, and other important items for being out in the mountains, so there's a good reason to have the space even if I didn't need it to carry all that water.

22oz Handheld: Ultimate Direction Fastdraw Plus (for the strap--the bottle leaks but you can use any cheap bike bottle)
10oz Handheld: Ultimate Direction Fastdraw 10oz (strap and bottle are great this time)
Waist Belt: Nathan Trail Mix
Race Vest: Nathan HPL 028
Filter Bottle: Bota Outback; Clearbrook; Pristine (mine is Bota but it's not made anymore. Pristine might be Canada only)
Hydration Vest: Nathan HPL 020
Hydration Pack: Black Diamond Flash (doesn't come with bladder. I use a Platypus Hoser 2L)

If you buy this stuff using these links I get some money from Amazon. But it's better if you can search out a specialty retailer and buy it from them. The Mountaineer in Keene Valley carries almost all of this gear, for example, and you'd be supporting a local business and getting to check the gear out in person before buying it.

I'm having a hard time putting this race into words right now, probably because it was such a mixed bag for me. On the one hand I managed to win, watched my friends run well and enjoyed hanging out at the finish, but on the other hand I had one of the most painful races of my life, went over my time goal by 20 minutes and almost completely missed out on the great feeling of effortless running I usually get when racing.

An early start (breakfast at 3am, leaving at 3:30 to pick up Chris, Adam, Jenny and Tansy in Keene Valley) made for a nice quick drive to Wakely Dam, where we met up with the bus that was bringing runners from the finish line and got our race packets. Jenny ran last year but this year she'd be driving the car around and meeting us at the finish. We milled around for a while at the start, changing and getting our gear sorted out for 5-6 hours of completely unsupported running.

Most runners were wearing backpacks or waist belts to carry their water and food, but I decided to go light and carry two handheld bottles, one for water and one for Gu. The 22oz bottle I carried included a Bota filter, which allowed me to dip from the streams and drink immediately without having to treat for Giardia: it filters it out as you squeeze the water through the filter on the top of the bottle. In my other hand I carried a 10oz bottle filled with 8 GUs and some water to dilute it. I also carried two GU packets in my shorts, and in the small handheld strap pockets I stuffed a pack of Clif Bloks, some ginger, three salt caps and a protein bar.

We all made our way down to the dam a little before 6:30, and after a quick note about a minor course change from race director Doug we were off. The race begins gently uphill on a gravel road for one mile before turning off onto the trail, which follows an old road grade for another four miles or so. I knew from scouting this section that even a fast pace would feel easy here, and planned to go out at around an 8:15/mile pace. This put me in the lead immediately, with a few runners not far behind for the first mile. By the time we hit the trail only one runner remained behind me, and he caught up quickly and ran with me for the next four miles. Howie was doing his first ultra, and we passed the time chatting (I wasn't very talkative but enjoyed hearing about his running while we cruised along at a pretty fast clip).

Howie had fallen back a little bit but was still not far behind me sometime around mile 5.5 when I crossed a bridge, went to drink from my bottle, and stopped dead in my tracks as I slammed full-speed into a sawed-off tree that was protruding out into the trail, hidden by a branch (and the bottle in my face). It caught me directly in the left quad, leaving a circular imprint about 5-inches in diameter and almost ending my race right there. The pain was immediate and excruciating, and I yelled back to Howie to watch out for the tree, cursed a few times and limped along, hoping I could walk it off.

It quickly became clear that I had suffered a very deep contusion and would not be walking it off any time soon. Running was extremely painful when landing on my left leg and only slightly less so when landing on my right leg and engaging the left quad to bring the leg forward. But running was possible, and that's all I needed to make the decision to continue on. I wasn't sure if the pain would diminish later in the race (it didn't), but I had trained hard and didn't want to miss my chance to run Wakely, which I'd been wanting to do for years. At this point the trail began to climb, and that in addition to my pain and anger-fueled adrenaline surge was enough to drop Howie (or maybe he stopped to pee or eat or something). I wouldn't see another runner for the rest of the race. It would be a lonely and painful 28 miles.

I was able to keep my pace pretty close to my goal for the next 10 miles or so, but the effort it took due to my ruined quad was so much higher than I had anticipated that I knew my time goal of under 5hrs was out of the question. I had scouted the first 13 miles and the final 12, but the middle 8 were unknowns and they proved to be very difficult, with rugged footing, many downed trees to hurdle, and a tight brushy trail that made running slow or impossible in places. My pace had settled a little under 9:00/mile through the first 16mi, but it dropped precipitously after that, bringing my average up to 9:35/mile by mile 23. I was still in the lead but had no idea who was behind me, and I was going slowly enough that I was sure someone would be passing me at any minute.

I knew that I wouldn't have it in me to race at the end, and if anyone caught up to me I would let them pass without giving chase, so I made a plan to keep moving as best I could until the top of the final climb, around mile 26. If I still had the lead after that I would push hard to the finish despite the pain. I didn't want to settle for second after pushing through so much pain to keep the lead throughout the race.

Of course, on a point-to-point route with no aid stations or spectators I had no idea how big my lead was. But I still had the lead with 7 miles of downhill and flat running to go, so I willed my legs to run through the pain (my good quad had been extremely sore for most of the race as well, as it compensated for the other, useless one) and pushed as hard as I could. The final trail miles were mercifully flat, and I hit the pavement at the southern trailhead in 5:08:54, 14 minutes slower than the course record from 2008, when the race was run in the opposite direction.

This year we would continue on for another 1.2mi to finish at the Piseco Airport. I had been looking forward to the pavement as a chance to run without having to use my quad to lift my foot, but the slightly downhill pavement turned out to be terrible, and I stuck to the grass on the roadside as much as possible. As I neared the airport I looked back to see that nobody was about to pass me and was about to start walking it in when the first cheers from the finish line rang out across the field. The great reception from the wonderful volunteers and spectators kept me running, and I crossed the line with a smile on my face thanks to their enthusiastic welcome. My winning time was 5:19:26.

Jenny and Tansy greeted me with huge smiles (can a dog smile?) and I hosed off and grabbed a soda, happy to be done running for the day. My quads hurt like they had when I dropped out of Western States at mile 78, but this time I had run on them for 28 miles after the pain set in and felt like I had redeemed myself in some masochistic way for being a wimp in my first 100. I settled onto the grass to wait for Adam and Chris and hung out with Jenny and the volunteers.

Courtenay Guertin and David Mitchell came in close together for second and third and I kicked myself for pushing so hard when it turned out I had a 25 minute lead. Of course, now I'm glad I gave it my best--I'm sure the pain wouldn't be any better if I'd gone 20 minutes slower. Not long afterward my friend Adam appeared on the road, and Jenny (his wife) and I got up to cheer him in. He ran Wakely last year in 6:42, so to see him approaching the finish around the 6hr mark was very exciting. He finished in 6th place with a time of 6:04, happy to have run so well but bummed because he'd lost at least six minutes after taking a wrong turn in the West Canada Lakes, ruining his chance of breaking 6hrs. Chris followed four minutes later, taking 7th place in his first ultra and cementing a great showing from the Keene Valley crew!

Race directors Doug and Kim were clearly having fun at the finish, and they presented me with the very cool handmade oak trophy (plus a prize from CW-X and an awesome survival keychain their niece made) We all spent a bunch of time at the finish, drinking and eating once our appetites returned. I got to cheer in my friends Derrick Spafford and Sara Montgomery, but we left before seeing Jim Pugh, Jack Burke or Dan Mosny--hope you guys had a great race!

We broke up the car ride home with a swim in Lake Pleasant and a stop for ice cream in Pottersville. I'm currently having trouble walking, but am pleased with myself for sticking it out when I could have given up. I hope to recover quickly but fear it might be a week or more before my quad is back to normal. It was worth it, and I hope to go back to Wakely for an attempt at the elusive "perfect race" in the near future. Thanks so much to Jenny Mugrace for driving and crewing, and props to Adam and Chris for your excellent performances.

Total Mileage: 49.5mi
Elevation Gain: 4600'
Cross-Training: None
Goal: Hopefully heal from minor injuries, taper slightly for Wakely Dam.

I'm very happy about this week. I entered the week cautiously, running uphill only on Monday to make sure the pain behind my knees that I had been dealing with was gone, and by Tuesday I was confident that I was injury free. I did dial back my workouts with the idea of beginning my taper, and while I ran a bit less than I'd planned I think 50 miles was about perfect, as I went into the week tired from the 23 miles last Sunday and ready to heal and rest.

I've stopped posting individual workouts to the training log--it started to feel like I was posting the same thing over and over--so from now on I'll just post weekly recaps and maybe the occasional report on a cool training day to the log. Instead, I'll give details on every run here in the weekly recap. I'll still keep the sidebar up to date with my last 7 days of running for those who want to follow my training more closely (and to keep track of my 7-day total at all times).

Monday: 3.5mi easy uphill on Hurricane Rd.
Tuesday: 9.5mi at Marcy Field track: step-down intervals of 2mi, 1.25mi and 1mi at 10k pace w/ 800m recovery jogs.
Wednesday: 2.5mi easy on Grist Mill Rd.
Thursday: 13mi on trail including 7.8mi tempo at MP effort in-out-in on the Marcy Dam truck trail.
Friday: Off.
Saturday: 14.5 miles easy, out and back on Bartlett Rd. Two big climbs and descents on a dirt road.
Sunday: 6.5mi easy on the soft trails at Mt Van Hoevenberg XC ski center.

Looking Ahead: This week will my easiest in a while as I taper aggressively for Wakely Dam. I hope to do one moderately hard effort on Tuesday, with easy runs every other day until race day (Saturday). I'll shoot for about 25 miles in the five days before the race, and might take one day off if my body tells me to. At this point I can't gain any fitness for the race so it's just about keeping my legs fresh and ready to run.

I'm not a sunglasses person. Some combination of living in the east, recreating on trails under the canopy, disliking the way they feel on my head, and fogging them up whenever I go hard (especially in the winter) has kept me from using them in the mountains. While climbing in college I replied, when asked why I never wore sunglasses, "sunglasses are bull$#!%: just look away." My friends still remember that quote fondly.

And then, last summer, I starting running roads. All of a sudden I found out why so many runners, hikers, and skiers use sunglasses nearly every time they go out. I bought a pair of Julbo Trails and my perception of sunglasses was completely changed. They're light so I hardly feel them on my head. The lenses are photochromic--they get lighter or darker depending on how bright it is--so they aren't too dark when I'm in the shade. They don't fog up, even when I'm skiing uphill as hard as I can. And they're tough: I don't feel like I'm going to break them if I stick them in my pack or they get yanked off by a tree branch. Now I wear them running, hiking and skiing. Hopefully that means there's hope that I'll still be able to see when I'm 45.

Yesterday my Julbo Trails passed on. I left them on a footbridge while swimming after a run and forgot to get them when I left. I went back today and they were gone. I can only hope that some hiker found them and will get as much satisfaction out of them as I did. Needless to say, I'll be buying another pair. Too bad they don't come in white!