tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786561463742435702024-03-13T06:46:48.108-04:00Trails and JubilationBrandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-80719436817162851342015-06-26T15:52:00.001-04:002015-06-26T15:52:14.810-04:00A Taste of One's Own Medicine (Quest for the Crest 50k Report)<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-6ed3afe8-3168-19a3-0b6b-fb96a6122fe1" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Last year I had ran the inaugural running of the Quest for the Crest 10k outside of Burnsville, NC in the Black Mountains, the highest ridgeline east of the Mississippi River. My fellow race director buddy Sean ‘Run Bum’ Blanton had created a 10k race that ran from the bottom of the mountain, over the top and then back down again, a climb of 3,100 ft, followed by an equal descent, and billed it as the “Hardest 10k in the World.” Of course I had to participate in something this awesome, especially considering the majestic beauty that encompases the Black Mountains. I had a solid race, finishing in 5th place overall, but I longed for more miles after finishing, which can only be attributed to the fact that I’m a crazy ultra runner. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Well, Sean thought the same thing apparently, and a few weeks after the race he contacted me in helping him create a 50k route though the Blacks that would be just ridiculously hard, but not full of multiple loops and bunch of out and backs. After many drafts, we settled on the the current point-to-point course, which was a natural line throughout the range and included over 11,500 ft of climbing in 32 miles. We had essentially just created the hardest 50k in the United States based solely off of the numbers. That didn’t include the fact that almost all of the route was on some ungodly technical trail. The route would include three 3,000 ft+ climbs and descents from the S Toe River valley, to the crest of the Black Mountains, as well as including a 3 mile section on the ever undulating 6,000 ft+ ridgeline itself. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I couldn’t wait to run it, so I signed up fully knowing what I was getting myself into, but that didn’t deter me at all! Having run all of the course in sections multiple times before, I knew that a finish time in the 8-9 hour range was possible for me, with my main goal of finishing just sub 8 hours if I had the legs that day and competing for a potential top 10 finish. I began the race and was on pace for the first 14 miles to complete the course in the low 8 hour time. I ran conservatively on the first climb and descent as well as the next climb up to the ridge. The only problem I was having though was stomaching my food. An issue that on a run like this is eventually going to catch up to you. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After a short pit stop on the second 3,000 ft+ climb, I began to feel a bit better, but I still really couldn’t stand the taste of the food I had brought along for fuel, which was odd considering I had been using the same source for almost a year with no ill effects. I ended up hitting my high point in the race along the 6,000 ft crest of the Black Mountains. I believe that I was actually more fueled from the amazing views along the ridge, that everything else just became secondary. I began to pass people who were having a difficult time managing the technical footing of the trail and put a solid gap on some of my competitors. However, I soon realized that I was running low on water and would not be hitting another sure source for 5 miles. I tried to fill up at a small spring, but the flow was such a trickle that I could barely get anything in my bottle. I decided to just cruise the descent and hope for the best. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now, I was in double trouble. I was having trouble consuming fuel and now I was quickly becoming dehydrated in the humid air. At the bottom of the descent at Colbert Ridge aid station, I shortly contemplated throwing in the towel. I was still on 8 hour pace, but I knew then that it was a pipe dream and now it was all about survival and finishing. I tried to get as much water in me as I could and had my buddy Jody, my crew for the day, load me up with a bag full of potatoes, which was the only thing I could stomach at that point. Shortly, I began to walk down the road to the next trail and the last climb of the day, a climb that would be the longest and highest yet along the Buncombe Horse Trail. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The wheels really started to come off on the last climb. Along the climb I would be past by about six people, even though they were all hiking. My legs began to feel extremely heavy and I couldn’t control my heart rate from busting through my chest without moving at a slow hike. Once I hit the last half mile of the climb, a rocky scramble up what seemed a dry creekbed to the high point of the race at Big Tom Gap, I began to feel dizzy, nauseous, and my quads wanted to cramp with each big step up from boulder to boulder. I sat down on the rocks twice during this half mile to just try and organize myself. All the while being past by more and more folks. By the time I reached the aid station at the bottom of the half mile final push for the second time, I promptly laid down in the grass and proceeded to give in and just pass out and take a nap. Of course the medics at the aid station wouldn’t let me just give in and told me I needed to get myself more salt and fluids. You should have seen the sight, as many runners that passed by did, as I laid in the grass, chomping on potato chips, and sipping water out my bottle. I had completely fell apart.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Eventually, after frolicking in the alpine grasses of the Black Mountains, I picked myself up and started walking the final six miles down to the finish. Feeling slightly rejuvenated from the coconut water kindly given to me from one of aid volunteers own stash, I hiked and chatted with another fellow western NC runner along the only flat part of the race for the next two miles until we hit the MST (Mountains-to-Sea Trail). Since the last 4 miles would be downhill, I tried to run again, just so I could get done with this crazy stupid adventure of a race as soon as possible. My legs began to come back to me little by little and I soon caught a few of my fellow runners who had passed me earlier as I laid comatosed in the grass. I kept on running all the way to finish line and crossed in 9:30, elated to be done with the hardest race/run I had ever done in my life. Considering I partially dreamed up this course, I truly got a taste of my own medicine.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">…….But I’ll be back next year!</span></div>
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Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-73510140588423677462014-05-18T12:07:00.002-04:002014-05-18T12:07:49.993-04:00Spring Has Arrived to the Upper Reaches of WNC!Over the past few weeks, I've been able to get out on some excellent adventures. I revisited the Little Hump Fitness Challenge with some friends and extended it to the first ever Hump-D-Hump Challenge. Although speed wasn't the goal that day. Hannah, Tom, Michael and I had an excellent jaunt up to the summit of Table Rock starting at the base of Steeles Creek Trail, which offered up high humidity, warm temps, and the feeling that summer was upon us. Then this weekend, I explored new trails up and down to the Black Mountain Crest, where I was greeted with a dusting of snow and purple trillium's side by side. Man, this Spring has been a bit whacky, but my vote is for the cooler temperatures to last a little while longer (like the rest of the year). Enjoy the photos taken from these runs below.<br />
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<b>Hump-D-Hump Run</b> w/ Phyllis, Jose, Jody, and Tom. Route: OVT, AT, side trail to Big Yellow, AT to Hump, back the way we came.<br />
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<b>Table Rock Run </b>w/ Hannah, Tom, and Michael. Route: Out and back on the MST from the bottom of Steeles Creek.<br />
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<b>Colbert's Black Horse Loop </b>w/ me, myself, and I. Route: Colbert's, Crest, MST, Buncombe Horse Range <br />
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<br />Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-48043030152341661042014-04-27T20:38:00.000-04:002014-04-27T20:38:45.435-04:00Spring Break 2014!Well, this year's Spring Break from work at school was most excellent! I felt that I really capitalized on the time afforded to us to wind down from a hard 2nd semester of teaching. I won't really go into much detail about each of my adventures, but will let pictures give you a glimpse of what I got into.<br />
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I started off with an phenomenal retreat to the Black Mountains to hang in a cabin with a great friend and my new brothers, then leave the comfy confines of the rustic cabin to run up to the crest of the highest mountain range east of the Mississippi and traverse it all the way to Mt. Mitchell and back down. A few other looney WNC Trail Runners joined us on what I dubbed the Green Woody Crest Traverse, although no one took up the option to climb up to Green Knob at the end of the run. Let's just say the weather didn't really cooperate, but we still had a great time!<br />
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After returning home to visit the families over Easter, Hannah and I headed out for some camping on Table Rock in the Linville Gorge on Monday and Tuesday. We set up on the summit of Little Tablerock and enjoyed the sunset and sunrise from it's bigger brother. Jody met up with us Tuesday morning for some trail running out over the Chimneys and to Shortoff and back. It was just another majestic trip to the gorge!<br />
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And a little time lapse footage recorded from Table Rock during sunset and sunrise for your viewing pleasure.<br />
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/92684034">Table Rock Time Lapse Spring 2014</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user5684971">Brandon Thrower</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Wednesday featured a good run out at Hickory City Park with the Catawba Valley Trail Runner crew and then I formed a plan for a nice loop out on Grandfather Mountain for Thursday. I woke up early Thursday and drove up to Blowing Rock for the lone adventure. Spring wildflowers were popping up all over the Tanawha Trail, I was mightily humbled by the difficulty and lunacy of one of the most amazing and scenic trails in east (Grandfather Trail), and even bumped into some Gorge Rats while bounding down the Daniel Boone and Cragway Trails. It was a glorious outing on a perfect day on Grandfather!<br />
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Next up for Hannah and I was a two day trip out to Merlefest! The lineup this year was outstanding and we witnessed some great musical moments during our attendance. Some outstanding acts that we saw this year included: Scythian, Red June, The Duhks, Mandolin Orange, Steep Canyon Rangers, Tim O'brian and Derryll Scott, The Waybacks, Todd Snider, Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Sam Bush, and Old Crow Medicine Show! We returned to the site of my previous 50 miler, Leatherwood Mountains Resort, which my legs are still feeling by the way, and camped out beside Elk Creek between the two days we were there. Great place, even if you aren't running.<br />
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To cap off our Spring Break, Hannah and I took a little trip back up to the Linville Gorge, except this time just for a nice run along Jonas Ridge to Hawksbill and back. Both of these were trails and summits Hannah had yet to be on, so it was nice to take her out to these iconic peaks in the Gorge. It was definitely a great way to end our Spring Break. Also bumped into another Gorge Rat, Mike Jones, while on the run. Mike has done a ton for the Gorge community in the past few years, and it was great to finally meet him. A stop into Fonta Flora Brewery afterward was a must as well. Can't wait for the Brutus!<br />
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<br />Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-32240451867788249802014-04-06T18:44:00.002-04:002014-04-06T18:44:59.062-04:00A Little Bit of EverythingThere are some days that just trump all and become something that you wish you could just relive everyday. Of course life gets in the way, responsibilities weigh down on you, and life outside of yourself needs to be attended first. But every so often, you get one of those free days that you are truly free to do what you want and enjoy and nothing much to hold you back. Yesterday was one of those days.<br />
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I met up with Jody early in the morning and we headed out to our planned adventure of the day, a 12 mile scenic bonanza of long range views and waterfalls in the Harper Creek and Little Lost Cove Wilderness. After a beautiful ride up NC 181 and down Pineola Rd, we reached the trailhead of Little Lost Cove Cliffs Trail. While our legs quickly warmed up on the short but steep climb up to the cliffs, I could tell that the day was going to be amazing. The weather was ideal and once we arrived at our first view looking over the Wilson Creek valley and up the slopes of Grandfather Mountain my feelings were confirmed. We had only been running for less than a mile and we already were in awe. A beautiful and quick descent later we were staring up at the grandeur of North Harper Creek Falls. Immediately after, we shuffling down the rock face of Chestnut Cove Falls and then down the amazing trail that is North Harper Creek, along with its many creek crossings. We next came upon Bard Falls, which after looking at it from the bottom of the pool, I finally realized how big this fall actually is. It has always been one of my favorites and couldn't help but wish the temp outside was a tad warmer to take a dip in its excellent swimming hole. Granted, less than a mile later I was waist deep in North Harper Creek before ascending Persimmon Ridge Trail back to Pineola Rd.<br />
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We had already seen 3 waterfalls on the day and were heading to our next 3 in the Little Lost Cove Wilderness. After the climb out, the downhill along the MST to Hunt Fish Falls was welcomed. Hunt Fish Falls didn't disappoint, even though it is one of the smaller falls in the entire area. I took Jody up to the campsite above the falls, to this day my favorite place I've ever camped, and then we took off on up Lost Cove. Our next destination was he marvelous Little Lost Cove Falls. This fall had eluded me for almost 4 years until a couple of months ago, and since that first visit in February, this was my third trip to the falls! We approached from the bottom and I enjoyed the sight of Spring wildflowers along the path to the lower fall. After some scrambling around the lower fall, we made our way up to the even more majestic upper fall. We tried to scramble up even higher to the upper reaches of the fall, but the way was looking a little more difficult then I was willing to go on the day so we steeply headed up to Little Lost Cove Rd to get back to our car. Just as we were about to finish our run, from the corner of my eye I glimpsed a field of daffodils. We jogged over to the field and admired the Spring blooms and named it Little Lost Cove Gardens. It was a fitting end to our adventure. <br />
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After our run, we headed down to the local watering hole, Fonta Flora. Fonta Flora brewery is one of my favorite new breweries. The brewmaster is extremely creative with his recipes and the fruits of his labor pay off big with complex, but highly drinkable creations. While enjoying our frothy beverages, our conversation started leaning towards the gorge. Although Jody had been to many places in the gorge, he had yet to explore the area around Shortoff. With Shortoff only being a short 25 minute drive from the brewery I jokingly suggested we check it out now. Jody said, "Yeah, why not?" Next thing I know we are at the Wolf Pit trailhead and on our way up to the Olson Trail. <br />
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We hiked with purpose up Wolf Pit and in 22 minutes we were on Olson. Jody was already stunned with the landscape just from hiking up Wolf Pit. I knew what he was about to see next would blow his mind. Two words to describe Olson Trail, astonishing and thrilling. It is truly awe inspiring and a must for anyone that visits the gorge, except those folks with vertigo. After getting off Olson we played around the summit of Shortoff, checked out an arete, and then took off back to the car and finished our second adventure of the day. The day truly had a little bit of everything. <br />
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<br />Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-5096155884035828732014-04-01T19:56:00.000-04:002014-04-01T19:56:31.037-04:00Leatherwood (aka Muddywood) Mountain 50 Mile ReportWhat can I say? The challenge that was promised delivered, and so much more. I knew what I was getting into when I decided to run this race, but at the same time I didn't. Mud, Mud, Muddy, Mud, Mud, Mud! I have never seen so much mud! Below I will chronicle my experience at the Leatherwood (aka Muddywood) Mountian Ultras.<br />
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It was cool Spring morning, dew laid on the grass, while the sounds of a gentle but slightly swollen creek bounced off the ridges above, mixing with the songs of birds welcoming the new day. The star spangled banner began and I watched the others as they silently and nervously reflected on the challenge they were about to set foot on. I was ready to run, explore new trails and ridges, and bask in the atmosphere that was surrounding the event. Everyone was so welcoming, so supportive, and I was surrounded by many dear friends. This was a race and atmosphere that anyone who was not a participant would be envious of, but I was not racing. I embarked on my run of one of the loops after the 50 milers had taken off and planned to be back at the barn for a long day of volunteering and hanging out. I thoroughly enjoyed the trail, the scenery, and the atmosphere surrounding the event and I went home upset that I hadn't signed up for it after it was all said and done. I wouldn't make that mistake again.<br />
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Soon after registration opened up for this year's running, I immediately signed up. I couldn't wait to get back out there and make this run my first official attempt at a 50 miler. Training leading up to the race started strong, but progressively got worse and I showed up the night before feeling under trained, but well rested. I had ambitions of being competitive, but now I had changed to the mindset of surviving my first official 50.<br />
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From experience with the trails last year, I knew that a little rain could make them extremely muddy and slick. Last year, a Spring storm came through the night before and left many muddy sections, but they were manageable. With the forecast of rain Friday and Saturday I knew things would be messy, so I was prepared. Graciously, friend and race director Tim put Hannah and I up for the night in their rented cabin so we could miss out on the rain, but as we went to bed there was nothing falling. We had escaped the rain on Friday and this had me a bit more confident that the forecasted rain for Saturday would be less intense than originally thought. Hannah, Terri, Jonathan (eventual 2nd place finisher) and I helped make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the aid stations while we caught up on life. It was actually a relaxing way to spend the night before the big race.<br />
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Race morning arrived and outside there was just a slight mist falling. My assumptions that the rain would be holding off for the most part were seeming to come true. Confidence in the day ahead grew and before I knew it we were all off, enjoying the mile of pavement before we hit our first climb. I stayed steady and was feeling comfortable as I slowly ran up the first major climb of the day. I was in about 12th place at the time and felt that was a good place to be. Once we finally hit some real trail, the footing was not all that bad other than in some steeper sections near streams. I ran with a couple of French runners that now reside in New York and struck up some light conversation. I kept looking out into the mist as well, hoping that the system would eventually break and open up some of the views I knew where there. But the weather did not break up, the rain instead intensified and began to fall in steady waves for the rest of the day. This made the first loop a bit tricky in spots, but it reminded me of last year's muddy spots for the most part. I shared the last few miles into the 3rd aid station back at the start with the eventual female winner of the 50 miler and we talked about mountain running, trails, and of course the weather.<br />
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I came into the 3rd aid station feeling really good and was ready to hit the next loop. I was on my time goal for the race and felt pretty strong. I climbed up Ambush trail, which was astonishingly pretty solid footing considering what it looked like last year. But afterwards it became a completely different story. The trail became so slick that there was no entertaining running up most of the hills and even running the flats was a chore and had me sliding all around. I was beginning to become annoyed when we finally hit some gravel and then some pavement! I could make up some time and I did! I did get passed during this stretch by one of the Frenchmen as I took a bit longer at the aid station. After the road ended, we had our first and only true creek crossing. It was quite nice as it washed off a lot of the mud that was caked everywhere on my lower body. But then it returned to muddy trail. I was beginning to start feeling the day's effort and the conditions were just making things worse for me mentally. <br />
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I finally hit the Rawhide aid station and looked forward to getting to back to the start/finish to call it a day and quit. I was hitting my low point of the day and the trail wasn't getting any better. Actually, the stretch between Rawhide and the start/finish was the worst section of trail I ended up being on all day. My mind was in drop mode. I finally reached the start/finish and told Hannah I thought I was done. She would have none of it and convinced me to get back out on next 10 mile loop. I argued with her saying that the trail was terrible and that this next 10 mile loop was going to be the worst. She still kicked my butt out of the aid station and apparently her pep talk helped another runner head out as well with me. <br />
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I was tired and things were starting to slow down. I tried to run as much as I could through the slick mud and tired legs. The last 10 mile loop was surprisingly the least muddy of all the loops in my opinion. About half way through this loop, we got passed by the lead runner on his second and final loop of the course and he was crushing it. This made me motivated to run a bit more, but soon after, while on some flat trail I began to feel a terrible side stitch that hurt me while running. I had to start walking a lot more, even on the flats and I felt my time slipping away. I finished me first 10 mile loop in 2:22. That is is 22 minutes slower than what I was planning and I was actually hoping to finish those loops in under 2 hours to reach my time goal. <br />
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Of course, Hannah pushed me back out there, along with the help and encouragement of Jeff who gave me a most delectable PayDay Bar. I couldn't stop now after that offering. I shuffled slowly along the flat road to the start of the trail and then began my feast. I chowed down on that PayDay and then chowed down on another granola peanut bar I had in my pack. 500 calories later and I was ready for a nap. I think that it may have been a bit too much to eat, but after 30 minutes I was moving the quickest I had been since the second loop. I finally passed a couple of runners and then hit the home stretch of the last mile of road to the the finish. Once I hit the the pavement I began to get worried about the guy behind me. I had just passed him maybe a mile back and I knew that he was moving quicker than I on the flats. My side stitch was creeping back in, but I had to choose to push through it. I knew I was on the cusp of a top 10 finish and I didn't want to give that up. I picked up the pace on the road and was able to hold him off, but only by about 20-30 seconds. I was glad to be finished and a cracked open a celebratory PBR that I was able to snag from the Rawhide aid station. My mom and dad had showed up to see me finish and I collapsed on the ground and just laid down on the wet grass for awhile. It was a fitting ended to the run.<br />
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After a couple days reflection, I think that I will be back next year for the 50k. I really enjoyed the first 2 loops and my 50k time out there was very good while pacing for a 50 miler at that. Plus, I want to see all the views I missed along the course because of the fowl weather. Hopefully, the weather next year will cooperate and for once the trails will be dry!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1.0-9/10152592_1435837956659117_1990107418_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1.0-9/10152592_1435837956659117_1990107418_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">done with first loop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/1625746_1435837869992459_855250065_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/1625746_1435837869992459_855250065_n.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">finishing the first loop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/t1.0-9/999842_1435874313322148_1724580205_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/t1.0-9/999842_1435874313322148_1724580205_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">coming into the finish</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/t1.0-9/1560518_1435887846654128_509678243_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/t1.0-9/1560518_1435887846654128_509678243_n.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">done</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-42755203677197667932014-03-03T18:09:00.000-05:002014-03-03T18:09:21.550-05:00Leatherwood Training Weeks VIII & IX<b>Week 8</b><br />
<br />
Mon - off<br />
<br />
Tues - off<br />
<br />
Wed - 53min/ 5.3m/ 600' - Hickory City Park - felt blah<br />
<br />
Thurs - 1hr18min/ 9.8m/ 800' - DART & North Meck - Decided to get in a 3.5m warm up out at North Meck Park before I joined the DART crew for the Wolf Spider run. It was a good idea, as it warmed up my legs for the faster paces that laid ahead.<br />
<br />
Fri - Xtrain - great workout<br />
<br />
Sat - 2hrs/ 5m/ 1500' - Shortoff/ Olson Hike - My cousin Jessica and her husband came to visit us over the weekend so I decided to take them on hike up to Shortoff Mtn, this time using the Olson trail. The Olson trail was amazing. It puts you right on a ledge along the cliff of Shortoff and provides excellent views, dizzying heights and drops, a cave! Hannah later told me that this was her most enjoyable hike ever, and she has been a lot of beautiful places with me.<br />
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<br />
Sun - 4hrs15min/ 19m/ 4500' - Wilson Creek - I was really in the need of a good long run, since I haven't had one since Sultan 50k, so I embarked on the Wilson Creek sWEaTfest route, with a little addition to check out some more falls. The weather was excellent and I actually wore a singlet the whole day. In all I saw 7 waterfalls along the 19 mile route, and I might have to make this the official route of the sWEaTfest now. It only adds a couple of miles, but adds 3 extra waterfalls, and takes out almost all the gravel. We shall see.<br />
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Totals =<br />
<br />
Time - 8hrs26min<br />
Miles - 39.1<br />
Vert - 7400' <br />
<br />
<b>Week 9</b><br />
<br />
Mon - off<br />
<br />
Tues - 1hr13min/ 7.5m/ 1600' - SOMO - First time out to SOMO during the week since the week before Sultan. The skies were especially clear today, but I did not carry my camera to capture the excellent views along the Sawtooth trail. Can definitely see how that trail got it's name. UHHH. Route was HQ, Possum, Horseridge, Sawtooth, Chestnut<br />
<br />
Wed - 1hr10min/ 7.5m/ 1000' - Hickory City Park - Got out and marked the
trails for the group run that Fleet Feet - Hickory and myself are
starting up there beginning March 12th. Come out and join for 3
different options, 4m, 6m, 7.5m.<br />
<br />
Thurs - off - lacking motivation<br />
<br />
Fri - off - traveling to Asheville<br />
<br />
Sat - 5hrs50min/ 25m/ 7500' - Shope Creek to Craggys - Met up with 4trunks, Action, and Dice for a great run out on the Craggys. It wasn't are original plan for the day, but due to road closures, this is where we ended up. It was meant to be though, because I couldn't have thought of a more beautiful route than what we did. We started down at Shope Creek and climbed our way up to parkway. Once we reached the parkway, we all decided to bushwhack up Lane Pinnacle! That was a proper steep, on all fours, bushwhack! There was a great payoff once we reached the top though and the views were outstanding! We continued are journey over to Craggy Gardens and to Craggy Dome, a trail less traveled , but a peak above 6000ft none the less. Along the return, Dice and I decided to make a short side trip to Hawksbill Rock along the Snowball trail to get in a bit of extra mileage and another great view. From there we made our way back to the car at the bottom of Shope Creek. Once at the car, MadA called and said he was about to go out for a run nearby at Warren Wilson. So I decided to get in a few more miles with him along the Dam Pasture trails. The flatness and lack of calories had me feeling the 20 miles and 7000' of vert I had just done. Great run though and I got to run with some of my favorite people.<br />
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<br />
Sun - 63min/ 7m/ 800' - Hickory City Park - Felt like I needed to get some miles on the tired legs. Started off grandpa style, but finally started to feel more like myself after a couple of miles. <br />
<br />
Totals =<br />
<br />
Time - 9hrs16min<br />
Miles - 47<br />
Vert - 10,900'<br />
Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-35122728302368541822014-02-16T19:01:00.000-05:002014-02-16T19:02:39.938-05:00Leatherwood Training Weeks VI & VIIWeek VI<br />
<br />
Mon - 30min/ 1m/ 300' - Disc Golf - just kinda shuffled today<br />
<br />
Tues - off - feeling lethargic<br />
<br />
Wed - 62min/ 7.6m/ 1000' - Hickory City Park - normal run on the local trail<br />
<br />
Thurs - 47min/ 6.3m/ 600 - DART - Another great run with the DART crew<br />
<br />
Fri - 26min/ 3m/ 100' - Heritage Greenway - Shakeout run for tomorrow's 50k race.<br />
<br />
Sat - 3hrs20min/ 21.5m/ 1700' - Mill Stone 50k - Well, my day didn't go as well as planned. Some head games and a tight hamstring led me to pulling out of the race after 2 laps. The race was extremely well organized and I would highly recommend this 50k if you wanting a 50k pr. The course is fairly flat and all trail other than a bit of gravel at the beginning. Excellent race management as well.<br />
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<br />
Sun - off - Was going to try and run, but just wasn't feeling it. Yesterday's lows still stuck in my head I guess.<br />
<br />
Totals =<br />
<br />
Time - 6hrs5min<br />
Miles - 39.4<br />
Vert - 3700'<br />
<br />
Week VII<br />
<br />
Mon - off<br />
<br />
Tues - 2hrs30min/ 11m/ 2400' - Big Lost Cove Cliffs & Little Lost Cove Falls - Due to snow, school got let out 3hrs early so I made my way up to the high country to try and find Little Lost Cove Falls. Upon arriving there was a slick 1 inch of snow coating the roads and trails. This made for some difficult footing, but things weren't too bad. I made it over to Big Lost Cove Cliffs fairly quickly but was awarded with no views. I quickly made my way down to the 464a using a side trail from the cliffs and then began my search for the falls. I breezed by the side trail and had to retrace my steps. Went down a wrong trial first, but eventually found the actual "trail" down to the falls. I slid down the trail to the bottom of the lower falls and was very impressed. I hung around the falls a bit and then started my trip back to the car using Pineola Rd. Beautiful run!<br />
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<br />
Wed - 60min/ 7.3m/ 1000' - Hickory City Park - Great run before the snow storm hit.<br />
<br />
Thurs - 55min/ 5.5m/ 600' - Secret Trail Snow Run - Woke up to some heavy snow still falling, so I took off. Got on some of the secret trails near the house to run through 7 inches of snow and big heavy flakes still falling. Great run!<br />
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<br />
Fri - off<br />
<br />
Sat - 55min/ 5.5m/ 700' - Boone Greenway - Hannah, Tom, and I headed up to the high country for some XC skiing, but things didn't pan out due to the lack of rentals. Instead we scrambled for ideas and ended up just settling for a snowy and windy run of the Boone Fork Greenway.<br />
<br />
Sun - 2hrs50min/ 14m/ 3200' - SOMO - Tom and I headed out to SOMO to try and dodge some snow, but we ran in it all day for the most part. It wasn't bad though, and we had a great run out there. Views were great.<br />
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<br />
Totals =<br />
<br />
Time - 8hrs10min<br />
Miles - 43.3<br />
Vert - 7,950'<br />
<br />Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-78106468118327371682014-02-02T19:23:00.000-05:002014-02-02T19:23:53.290-05:00Leatherwood Training Week V....Recovery WeekMon - 20min/ 1m/ 200' - Glenn Hilton Park - another quick round of speed disc golf on 16 of the holes before dark. Not really a run, but I did jog between each throw on varied terrain.<br />
<br />
Tues - 65min/ 7.3m/ 1000' - Hickory City Park - first actual snow run (snow falling) of the year at City Park. I made first tracks on most of the trail and had a great run in the peaceful falling snow.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">first snow</td></tr>
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Wed - 60min/ 5.5m/ 600' - Glenn Hilton Park - We had a snow day from from work, so Hannah and I went and ran the 3.5 mile trail in GHP and then proceeded to play a surprisingly well and speedy session of speed disc golf in the snow. More good recovery.<br />
<br />
Thurs - 40min/ 4m/ 200' - Davidson - Meet up with the DART crew for a "frothy" mile. I took 2nd behind Tom by 2 seconds. Not really impressed with my time of 8:59. I can do better than that.<br />
<br />
Fri - Ski Trip! - Sugar Mountain - Skiing all day for the first time ever. For the first 2 hours I hated it. Couldn't stay upright, couldn't stop, couldn't ski period. Finally, I made it down the bunny slope a couple of times and was able to stop. It was time to take it to Green. Ran green maybe 12 times and never fell down. After finally getting my ski legs under me, I hit blues for the rest of the night. Really started to feel confident at the end of the night and now I love skiing. Can't wait for the next trip. <br />
<br />
Sat - 2hrs5min/ 8.5m/ 2500' - Grandfather Mtn - Tom and I headed out to tackle the highest peak on Grandfather Mountain, which is Calloway Peak at an elevation 5,946'. We decided to take the scenic Cragway Trail up the first half of the mountain. The views were awesome, but the going was slow due to tired ski legs and post-holing through 10-14inch deep snow. Although the temperature was in the lower 50's. Soon we hit the Scout Trail to continue our climb to the summit. We missed the trail at one point and ended up bushwhacking past a few switchbacks but ended back on the trail. The snow cover makes things tricky sometime. Back on the trail, we were able to start running a bit due to the gentle grade of the trail and the packed nature of the snow. Soon enough we hit the ladders, which were clear of ice, and we scrambled our way up the last pitch of the trail to the summit. The views were excellent today and the wind was whipping. We didn't stay on the summit too long due to the wind and retreated to the shelter for a quick snack before we completed our decent. We made good time heading down the the trail back to the car, although things were a bit slippery with the slushy snow. It was a great run and I'm glad I got back out on the summit. Haven't been up there in over a year, but I still want to get out on that high ridge that runs from the swinging bridge to Calloway peak again. Haven't been on it in over 4 years.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom on Cragway</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1623732_10152214510918120_1336466743_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1623732_10152214510918120_1336466743_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-holing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1545005_10152214516753120_458833371_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1545005_10152214516753120_458833371_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom on the ladders</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1/1506582_10152214524613120_1888962975_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1/1506582_10152214524613120_1888962975_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at the summit</td></tr>
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<br />
Sun - AM - 90min/ 5.2m/ 600' - Flat Top Tower - After Hannah and I checked out of our cabin, we headed over to the trails at Moses Cone Park to hike up to the Flat Top Tower. I've done this route a ton of times, but it never gets old. Great hike with the wife before we left the High Country.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1622217_10152216679248120_621342085_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1622217_10152216679248120_621342085_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah on Flat Top trail with Grandfather in the background</td></tr>
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<br />
PM - 97min/ 10.5m/ 1400' - Riverbend Park - Once we got back to Hickory and ate some lunch, I decided to head over to Riverbend to get in some more miles. It was a warm day with temps in the mid 60's and the trails were pretty sloppy due to the recent snow melt. Despite the sloppy conditions, it was a great run. I forget how excellent the trails are out there. Need to get out there more, but the stupid park hours it has gets in the way most of the time. I can tell my body is ready for a rest now though. Finished up the day with a round of disc golf over at Glenn Hilton. Great day! <br />
<br />
Totals =<br />
<br />
Time - 8hrs17min<br />
Miles - 42m<br />
Vert - 6500'Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-31757884613783881122014-01-26T16:56:00.002-05:002014-01-26T16:57:29.861-05:00Leatherwood Training Week IV & Sultan 50k ReportMon - off<br />
<br />
Tues - 61min/ 7.3m/ 1000' - Hickory City Park - Just another easy run on the local trails.<br />
<br />
Wed - 60min/ 6m/ 1300' - Lower Steels Creek Exploration - Well long story short, I didn't find Lower Steels Creek trail. Apparently I was right on top of it, but just didn't see the opening of the trail. Most likely it is a bushwhack these days. Will need to clear it out and find it officially before the fall.<br />
<br />
Thurs - 47min/ 6.3m/ 600' - DART - Made it back out to the Wolf Spider Run this week. The run was nice and relaxed for the first 4 miles, but then the pace began to pick up. I started the pace pickup, but Dexter picked it up even more. I tried to hang onto Dexter for the rest of the run while we most have been going 6:30min/mile pace or below in the last mile. Good times!<br />
<br />
Fri - off - Hanging with the wife and resting up for the Sultan 50k tomorrow!<br />
<br />
Sat - 5hrs59min/ 33.6m/ 6800' - The annual Pisgah Nation January birthday celebration did not disappoint. I showed up to the start minutes before, got tossed some pink flagging to mark the course, and quickly took a starting photo. Before I knew it, we were off and climbing up our first long sustained climb of the day, one of many that would come. After the first 3 mile 1600ft climb, the lead pack was Action Jackson, Shaman, Mo, and myself. The pace we were running was sustainable so I stayed with and conversed with everyone. We all stayed together until we got into the South Mountain State Park trails system about 11 miles in. My stomach decided it was finally time for me to take a pit stop and I wouldn't see much of them for the rest of the day. After my pitstop, my legs started to feel the sustained effort of the previous two hours and I was beginning to not feel so great. None the less though, I did get some breaks when I had to stop to flag the turns. I soon caught up to Phyllis who had passed me during the pit stop and we ran together the last 2 miles to the turn around. I didn't want to hang around too long at the aid station as I had in the past so I quickly downed some red velvet cake, did a couple of yoga poses for the camera, and picked up Matt to be my pacer back to the finish.<br />
<br />
Upon leaving the aid station, we shortly arrived to a grand view of a frozen High Shoals Falls! I had seen the falls like this once before a few weeks back. It is amazing how something moving that fast can freeze. As Matt, Uwharrie, and passed the falls, a light snow began to fall. Surprisingly, this was one of the warmer parts of the day though and I shed my gloves. Leaving the park, the trail just keeps climbing and climbing. Some parts are runnable (well all of it actually, but I was feeling pretty beat by this point) and I ran then, but the steeper pitches just reduced me to a walk. Thankfully, Matt was willing to slow down on the steep climbs as well. After a six mile climb, we finally hit some sustained downhill. My legs felt shot though, so running was still going slow. At this point, I thought that going sub 6 hours on this route was completely out of the question. I knew there was a lot more climbing left. I took a Clif Espresso Shot and then things started to feel better. My pace at least increased to maybe a 9min/mile on the downhills so that was good. And upon entering the last long climb of the day I was able to run most of it, thanks to Matt and caffeine. I still didn't think that going sub 6 was possible, so as we crested the top of the climb to what I think is the best view on the course, Matt and I stopped to snap a few photos and tried to point out and name notable peaks on the horizon. My legs were still feeling pretty beat up once we started running again, but I was able to keep the motion going. We soon bumped into some fellow Sultan 50kers that called it a bit short, right around the 3.5 mile to go point. All of this last 3.5 miles except for 0.5 of it is downhill, so I checked my watch again just to get a bearing of about what time I would finish. My watch said I had about 30 minutes to get to the 6 hour point. It hit me that sub-6 was still in the cards, especially since it was practically all downhill. If I could just let gravity take me down the hill then I could make it. Matt stayed back to chat with Terry, but I put my head down and dug deep. When I finally crested the last hill I had about 3 miles left and 25 minutes to get to finish. Now this last descent is STEEP and my legs really hurt as I picked it up to make the goal. Soon, I bumped into Hannah hiking up the road to meet me! She decided pace me in which was great and I needed the extra motivation to keep pushing through the pain. I finally reached the finish area and stopped the watch and read 5:59:42!!! Whew, that was close, and man did it hurt. Maybe the worst general muscle pain I've felt during a run although things are feeling better today, unlike after Peak to Creek which felt similar but the pain lasted much longer post run.<br />
<br />
After the run, we all hung around the fire and waited for everyone to come in, all while enjoyed some friendship and brews. Of course, per tradition, we headed over to Jalapenos Fresh Grill to indulge in the best Mexican food I've yet to taste. Another great year of the Sultan 50k down and looking forward to many more to come!<br />
<br />
Sun - ~60min/ ~2m/ 300' - Disc Golf - Hannah and I attempted to play speed disc golf today at Glenn Hilton Park. My tight hamstring had another plan as did our poor disc golf skills. By the end we able to jog most of the course. It was a great recovery idea though and I think it did the trick.<br />
<br />
Totals =<br />
<br />
Time - 9hrs47min<br />
Miles - 55.2<br />
Vert - 10,000' <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1604547_10153728682210317_534523434_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1604547_10153728682210317_534523434_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the crew</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1604588_10152200803263120_1321361665_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1604588_10152200803263120_1321361665_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Action Jackson and Shaman</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/1545138_10152200780458120_1767080861_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/1545138_10152200780458120_1767080861_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phyllis "Bit-Sized" Tsang</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1001543_10152200765003120_888998116_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1001543_10152200765003120_888998116_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt and a frozen High Shoals Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1/998153_10152200783418120_1945714142_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1/998153_10152200783418120_1945714142_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt checking out the view</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1743738_10152200789708120_1132370042_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1743738_10152200789708120_1132370042_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt & U-Dog on Roper Hollow Rd</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/8193_10152200796128120_18503448_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/8193_10152200796128120_18503448_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beautiful wife</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1/1557622_10152200766503120_1529101794_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1/1557622_10152200766503120_1529101794_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Action and myself</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1/1604367_10152200766508120_1615987058_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1/1604367_10152200766508120_1615987058_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terry and something delicious</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1558565_10152200766498120_990050320_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1558565_10152200766498120_990050320_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Sultan himself....in a sombrero </td></tr>
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<br />Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-6138418692536897612014-01-20T09:44:00.001-05:002014-01-20T09:44:02.094-05:00Leatherwood Training Week IIIMon - off<br />
<br />
Tues - 60min/ 7m/ 1000' - Hickory City Park - Just went out for an easy run on the local trail.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1002501_10152175804698120_1416718118_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1002501_10152175804698120_1416718118_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the trail</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
Wed - 64min/ 7.6m/ 1600' - SOMO - Had a nice tempo run out at SOMO today. Route was High Shoals loop, Upper Falls, Shinny, HQ, River. Took it easy up High Shoals loop to Upper Falls and started the tempo effort there. Ran strong to Shinny and then really turned on the speed. Made it back to the car from the too of Shinny in 26:30!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1604647_10152178724743120_1295733700_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1604647_10152178724743120_1295733700_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">caught this deer while driving into the park</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
Thurs - 58min/ 6m/ 500' - Lake James State Park - Decided to try out these trails at last since my legs took a nice beating yesterday. The trails were very well made, but very easy with little views. These trails would be great if I lived closer by for easy recovery runs like today, but 45 min from home is a bit of a stretch to get to on a normal basis. And the gorge is only 45 min away as well, so what would you choose?<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1545669_10152180679783120_1088975697_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1545669_10152180679783120_1088975697_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking at SOMO from Lake James</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
Fri - off<br />
<br />
Sat - 5hrs/ 21m/ 5000' - Montreat to Swannonoa Rim - While perusing the internet a couple weeks ago about Pinnacle, I noticed a post about a trail that traveled from Graybeard to Pinnacle called the Swannonoa Rim Trail. I had to get on it, as it offered up some great views. I got a couple of friends and the bro-in-law to come join me on this adventure out of Montreat. Our first summit goal was Rock Knob along the East Ridge Trail. There was a bit of snow up there which was quite fun. From Rock Knob we caught our first glance of the mountain we would hit next, the mighty Graybeard. We continued along the excellent switchbacks of the Graybeard trail, stopping to take some photos at Graybeard Falls. We pushed ever higher into the snow until we finally reached the top. The views were great as always but the wind was making things quite chilly. It was time to push on using the Swannanoa Rim Trail! This trail was very steep at first as I was grabbing every thing I could to keep my feet as I slid down the mountain. Soon enough the trail got tamer and we could open up our stride. Soon we were on the summit of Rocky Knob. We missed the scramble that we were supposed to use, but still made it to the top using a faint trail. While standing on Rocky Knob, the view of our next summit looked intimidating. Pinnacle was towering well above us and it looked extremely steep. We lost the trail a couple of times on our ascent until I finally just made the call to bushwhack up to the top. In no time we made it to the top. It was a good call. Tom and I searched for some Civil War era graffiti among the rocks at the summit and think we found some, but not completely sure. We didn't last up there long as the wind was making things unbearably cold. Plus, Dave was in a time crunch and needed to get down the mountain quickly. We hit the toll rd and were finally able to open up our stride. We then made the turn onto Graybeard trail once more so we could make it to cars quickly. At the end of Graybeard trail, Tom and I left Dave so he could head down the road to the car. Tom and I then took Lower Piney trail to get in just a few extra miles and views before we called it a day. It was a remarkably great run.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group shot at Graybeard Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom climbing Graybeard in the snow</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave and Tom at the summit of Pinnacle</td></tr>
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Sun - 2hrs/ 10.5m/ 2400' - Chestnut Mtn - Got a late start to check out a trail that ascends up to Chestnut Mtn in the Wilson Creek Area. Got a bit confused at the beginning, but eventually found the trail and began the steep and rocky climb up the ridge. I could tell this trail was getting some heavy use by mountain bikers, so I knew I was on the right path. Most of the unmapped trails in this area are predominantly used and maintained by them. The trail was great in my opinion, although it definitely isn't a sustainable path for the future. I soon hit FS 198, and then headed straight across to the summit trail to Chestnut. This old road bed used to lead to the old summit tower, which no longer exist, but remnants can still be seen at the summit. There really aren't any views at the top, due to a good shielding of pine trees that have taken over the top of this summit. After the summit I headed down FS 198 to Craig Creek Rd to finish the loop in the dark. The stars were out in abundance tonight, which made a great ending to a great run.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abandoned fire tower work room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View through the trees of Table Rock from Chestnut</td></tr>
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Total =<br />
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Time - 10hrs2min<br />
Miles - 52.1<br />
Vert - 10,500 ft Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-63114464513686396332014-01-12T14:21:00.001-05:002014-01-12T14:21:31.629-05:00Leatherwood Training Week IIMon - Xtrain<br />
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Tues - 67min/ 7.8m/ 1000' - Hickory City Park - Just the usual at a relaxed pace in 20 degree weather. Good times always on those trails.<br />
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Wed - 77min/ 7.8/ 1600' - SOMO - After checking out an amazing frozen High Shoals Falls, I then began running two minute trail intervals along my chosen route of the day which was High Shoals, Upper Falls, Raven Rock, Saddleback, Turkey Ridge, Little River. The workout was great and I felt good about it.<br />
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Thurs - 48min/ 6.3m/ 600' - DART - I finally made it back out to the Wolf Spider run with DART this week. With school obligations and the Holidays, I just wasn't able to get out there in almost 2 months. It was good to catch up with many of the guys Thursday.<br />
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Fri - off<br />
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Sat - 3hrs30min/ 13.5m/ 3000' - Tanawha - What a day. Drove up through the rain to meet the dwindled down list of runners (once 13, now 5) and the rain just got heavier with thunderstorms predicted in the next couple of hours. I made the call, since everyone was planning on just doing the half, to postpone the run for 2 hours and start then. At noon we stepped out into the rain, although the radar looked like it was about to pass, and began our swim, I mean run. With the recent hard freeze and thaw, coupled with the heavy rain the trail was a soppy mess. The rain and clouds did lift eventually and by the end of the day, we were rewarded with excellent views from Rough Ridge and Beacon Heights. A great run, with great friends.<br />
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Sun - 88min/ 9m/ 1600' - Hilton & City Park - Felt terrible. But pushed through for an hour and a half. Needed more miles, but the Panthers were playing at 1pm! Can't miss that!<br />
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Totals =<br />
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Time - 8hrs10min<br />
Miles - 44.4<br />
Vert - 7,800'<br />
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Good week of training, although was supposed to run 20 miles on Saturday. That didn't work out, but I was on my feet for a 20 mile effort, so not bad.Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-11516074254645471732014-01-05T17:52:00.001-05:002014-01-05T17:52:24.501-05:00Leatherwood Training Week IMon - 2hrs55min/ 6.5m/ 2500' - Buzzard's Roost Bushwhack - The allure of gaining the summit of the highest peak in the South Mountains has captivated me for quite some time. Currently, there is no trail up to the top, so a bushwhack was in order. I finally had time to make this happen over Christmas break, so I went for it. I made it up fairly easy by following an access trail and some old skid roads to the gap below the summit. Once is hit the ridge though, things got think and I got cut up pretty good. Not that bad though and I made it to the summit with excellent views from the top. Glad I finally made it out there.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buzzards Reflection</td></tr>
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Tues - 3hrs/ 14.1m/ 3000' - Yancey Ridge Exploration - Finally made it out to check on a trail that isn't on the map, but I've heard exist in the Wilson Creek Area. My energy was really low, so this run became mostly a hike/shuffle on all the climbs, but it was fine. Yancey Ridge trail was phenomenal. An excellent flowing ridgeline trail with great views. Will have to get out on that trail more often.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view along Yancey Ridge trail</td></tr>
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Wed - 0hrs - Xtrain - Did a workout Hannah had made for me. Trying to get in more Xtraining this year to stay healtier.<br />
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Thurs - 41min/ 5m/ 300' - Dreadmill - The weather was disgusting and I wasted time and ended up having to settle for the dreadmill. I had a good run on it, doing a pretty decent workout, but man do I hate the treadmill. I won't being doing that again anytime soon, despite any weather conditions.<br />
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Fri - off<br />
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Sat - 4hrs10min/ 16m/ 5000' - Heartbreak/ Newberry Loop - Got up with Matt and Tom to tackle some new trails and a summit that I haven't made it up to before. We parked at Newberry Creek and headed up this phenomenal trail up to the parkway. We hit the snow pretty quickly as we climbed, but it never got over 3 inches deep, which is perfect in my opinion. After the parkway, we headed down S. Toe River Rd for about a mile and then started our next ascent to the parkway up Bald Knob Ridge. Both our first two trail we so runnable despite all the climb. Got to get back out on those two soon. After we hit the parkway for the second time, we started our climb up Blue Ridge Pinnacle, the highest point in McDowell county at 5,665 ft. There was a nice trail up to the summit and we were awarded with excellent views of the Blacks, Swannanoa Ridge, Smokies, Hickory Nut Gorge, Linville Gorge, and Grandfather Mtn. It was definitely one of the best views I've seen in this neck of the woods. After freezing up on the summit, we headed down the excellent Heartbreak Ridge trail to Star Gap and back down to the car. This is an amazing loop and one I look forward to doing again soon. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom on Pinnacle with the Blacks in the backgroud</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom, U-dog, & Matt on Pinnacle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom cruising down Heartbreak Ridge trail</td></tr>
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Sun - 1hr42min/ 11m/ 1200' - Hilton/ Hickory City Park Trail Run - Finally got out and explored the trail in Hilton Park on this one in the cold drizzle. The trail is pretty nice and is very similar to the city park trails, although a bit more confusing. Will look forward to getting myself more familiar with this local trail in the future. Finished off the run by running the trails in City Park in reverse fashion. <br />
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Totals =<br />
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Time - 12hrs28min<br />
Miles - 52.6<br />
Vert - 11,900'<br />
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Good first week of Leatherwood 50 training. The thing that will be the biggest challenge going forward with the plan is getting out on Sunday's for 10+ miles and Xtraining. If I can keep those two things up I should have a great race out there in 11 weeks.Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-86482321221722457882013-12-31T17:04:00.000-05:002013-12-31T17:04:04.858-05:00Looking Back Over 2013 & Goals for 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This year in my running has had many ups and downs, high times and low times, healthy times and unhealthy times, but still was magnificent! Looking back over the goals I set last year, I only accomplished 4 of my 10 goals, but hey maybe 10 goals for a year was little much, so I'll try to limit myself to only 5 this year which seems more attainable. I raced much more this year and had success in most of those races and still managed to make it out to numerous WNC Trail Runnner runs. I PR'd in the 5k (19:42) and the marathon (3:18:35) so I have to be happy about that. I also joined up with another group down in Davidson this year, DART, that really made me enjoy road running a tiny bit more, as well as southwest food. So below you'll find my year in review.</div>
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<b>I Got Married!!!</b><br />
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Ok, this really isn't running related, but I couldn't leave it out of my year in review. On October 5th, I swore my vows to the greatest girl in the world, Hannah. The first few months of marriage have been great and she still lets me run on my crazy adventures! I am truly looking forward to our life together.<br />
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<b>Most Satisfying Run</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
My most satisfying run this year happened very early in the year, but it was finally breaking the 7 hour mark at the <a href="http://trailsandjubilation.blogspot.com/2013/02/2013-uwharrie-40-report-how-i-became.html">Uwharrie 40 Miler</a>. I trained smart, showed up the race healthy, and perfectly executed my race plan. I couldn't have been more happy to finally get that monkey of my back, one that I've had since I started running ultras 4 years ago at Uwharrie.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8 miles to go, on schedule</td></tr>
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<b>Most Disappointing Run</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I don't really feel like I had a disappointing run this year that really sticks out. I did have a really disappointing summer of running though, so I'll put that in to fill this gap. Summer time running has always been hard for me due to the heat, but this year I thought I was going to change that a bit, but injuries both running related and non-running related came up and bit me and left me with quite possibly the worst summer of running for me so far. I did have some good runs this summer though, so all was not a loss.<br />
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<b>Big Surprise</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I've finally decided to take a real stab at race directing. I've put on numerous fun runs each year and designed race courses for others, so I finally thought it was time to take that leap. I will still be starting off slowly, as I'll only be co-race director of the <a href="http://www.tablerockultras.com/">Table Rock 50</a> coming up in the fall of 2014! I've changed the course a lot for next year's running and am really stoked about the route. Hopefully the USFS will issue us our permit and we will be ready to go. I'm looking forward to it and in some ways dreading it. Haha. I will still be putting on my regular fun runs as well with Pisgah Nation!!!!<br />
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<b>Favorite Place You Ran</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This one is really tough and will probably have to go down as a tie between doing the <a href="http://trailsandjubilation.blogspot.com/2013/04/new-river-training-week-6-nar.html">NAR</a> loop back in April through the Nantahala National Forest and my recent exploration of the trails in the Wilson Creek Area. In fact, I did some more exploring in my new "back yard" today.<br />
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<b>Hottest Run</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The hottest run I ran this year was one I didn't even run, just one I volunteered at. Watching 50 people sign up and run my brainchild of a course at South Mountains State Park in the middle of August was enough for me. The race is called the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ultraannihilator?ref=br_tf">Annihilator 50k</a> for a reason. <br />
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<b>Coldest Run</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The temperatures this year never got real crazy cold so I was wondering when I would run a run that was worthy for coldest of the year. Well that happened a couple of weekends back at my 3rd running of ALTAR. The forecast and early warm temperatures we all experienced at the beginning fooled us and by the time I reached 6,000ft, the temperatures had dropped 20 degrees, it was raining sideways, and the wind was cutting right through my t-shirt and arm warmers. I thought I might go hypothermic if I didn't get to lower elevations fast and luckily there was a trail that took me there and some other friends that wanted to tag along.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isaiah running over Black Balsam....yeah, nasty conditions </td></tr>
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<b>Favorite Pics I Took This Year</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">early morning sun on the gorge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">first podium finish</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">purple trillium on the Snowball trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sistas </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">record breaker</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yeah, I golfed a lot this year....can't you see why</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">phyllis on the MST at Doughton Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">early fall on shortoff</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tommy on mt. craig</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">what the mitchell</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Benn Knob in the fall at SOMO</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">burnthouse falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kayaker waiting to plunge Harper Creek Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">evening light on the Black Mtns from Table Rock</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">heading to the summit tree of bluff mtn</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">reflection of SOMO's high points</td></tr>
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<b>The Numbers</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Miles = 1,908.2<br />
Time = 361hrs2min<br />
Vert = 323,445'<br />
Marathons/Ultras Run = 12<br />
Runs over 12 miles = 42<br />
<br />
Weekly Averages<br />
<br />
Miles = 36.7<br />
Time = 6hrs57min<br />
Vert = 6,220'<br />
<br />
<b>Running Goals for 2014</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
1. Finish my first 50 miler (<a href="http://lwmtnultrarun.com/">Leatherwood</a>)<br />
2. PR in the 50k (hopefully at <a href="http://www.rockhillstriders.org/mill-stone-50k.html">Mill Stone</a>)<br />
3. PR in the marathon (maybe Peak to Creek again, but that really hurt) & 5k.<br />
4. Cross train much more!<br />
5. Remember to have fun, keep exploring, and stay healthy while training for these goals.<br />
<br />
<br />Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-18431845323228142402013-12-14T03:20:00.000-05:002013-12-14T03:20:10.931-05:00Post Fire Trip to the GorgeI've been trying to find a day lately to go check out the Table Rock
area to get a scope of the fire damage, but every recent weekend
opportunity has fallen through. So I decided to take a half day at work
today and head on up there finally. I began my run/hike/scramble at
Sitting Bear TH and marched up the Ridge trail over to Hawksbill to
catch my first good glimpse of the effected area. It was a great way to
start off an great trip with crystal clear views today. Things didn't
look too bad from Hawksbill, so I headed down Ledge for the first time
to connect into Spence. Wow, what a trail Ledge is <img alt="WooHoo" border="0" src="http://www.linvillegorge.net/smf/Smileys/default/WooHoo.gif" />
Finding my way down was fairly easy, although a pesky root ripped a
part of my shoe and I had to slide on my butt down a steep leafy section
of the trail. Man what a fun rock hopping adventure that was. I was
obviously slowed up by the terrain but I didn't mind, it was beautiful.
I did worry about getting impaled by an icicle though <img alt="Chuckle" border="0" src="http://www.linvillegorge.net/smf/Smileys/default/Chuckle.gif" />.
The trail was well marked through the rock draws with a couple of
flags and cairns. I found Ledge-Spence Connector very easily and it was
well flagged all the way to Spence. <br /><br />Hitting Spence I
finally saw evidence of the fire. I had really been concerned on the
condition of LTR trail, so I headed that way to check it out. The trail
seemed in great condition all the way up and like Darkbryd has pointed
out in some of his trips near there, the fire looks to have taken more
of the shape of a controlled burn through this area. Most hardwoods
seemed unaffected and had little to no scaring from the fire. The rhodo
was burned up pretty well though and smaller sapling trees probably
won't stand much of a chance. I do predict a green spring for this
section. After I checked out some of the views on LTR, I made my way to
the Chimneys. This is where things really looked bad. Some sections
of the trail are scorched on both sides as you walk along. Things more
or less stayed the same with some patchy scorched sections as you
followed the MST south. <br /><br />Once I began the decent down to
Chimney Gap, things got a lot worse. I figured if the fire reached that
patch of young pines along the trail, it stood little chance of
survival and I was correct. This was the worst affected area by far.
Many of the pines are now just black silhouettes on the hill side.
This is a bummer, because those trees were just getting tall enough to
provide some good shade on that decent. That climb out of the gap is
going to be hot again this summer. Once at Chimney Gap, I hopped onto
the fire rd that runs along the base of the Chimney's to return to the
Table Rock summit rd. This was also another new trail for me today.
From Chimney Gap to Blue Rock Rd it has recently been regraded as a
fire line by the FS. It was successful all the way to that point, but
not after. The rd lacked maintenance from this point on and the fire
burned on both sides. Along this stretch I had originally planned to
get water out of one of the creeks it crosses, but didn't originally
think about the fire affecting it's quality so I had to refrain and ran
out of water by the time I got to the gate. I didn't have too much
longer to go and hoped that some folks at the parking area might have
some to spare.<br /><br />I trotted up the pavement to the parking area and
no luck. I'd be fine for a few more miles so I headed on up to check
out the views and damage on Table Rock. Luckily, I bumped into some
gracious climbers and they lent me some of there water as I was marching
up the climb. Very thankful for those two. The summit trail had a
good amount of ice on it and the burn did not look too bad through here
at all. I got some great shots of the sun setting over the Blacks from
the summit and then headed down the MST back to FS210. The MST on the
way down looked very much like LTR so it should recover quite well. I
finally hit the road and it was nice to finally follow some easy terrain
back to the car a couple miles up. It was a great trip and I'm glad I
finally got out there survey the damage for myself.<br /><br />Trail Status on route followed:<br />Jonas Ridge - good<br />Hawksbill - good<br />Ledge - good, a bit leafy<br />Ledge/Spence Connector - good, flagged well<br />LTR - good<br />MST heading south to Chimney Gap- good, lots of fire damage through here, but trail tread is clear<br />Fire Rd - good for 1/2, a few blowdowns on the second half nearing gate<br />Table Rock Summit - good, icy<br />MST north - good<br /><br />Trip stats:<br />Miles - ~16<br />Time - 4hs10min<br />Gain - 4800 ft<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoe carnage from Ledge Trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fire scorched earth along MST approaching Chimneys</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MST heading down towards Chimney Gap</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over the Blacks from Table Rock</td></tr>
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Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-30665114128699815162013-11-30T17:57:00.002-05:002013-11-30T17:57:49.737-05:00PR's and Turkeys CookingI have been wanting to sign up for a 5k for the past few months so I could attempt to break 20 minutes, a goal I've had since last year. The Greensboro Gobbler presented itself so Hannah and I signed up the day before. Now I had done zero speed work since my marathon (didn't really do speed work for that either), so I was a little concerned about actually making it under 20 minutes. My plan was to go all out and just push the entire time and see what happens. I felt like the past 5k attempt almost a year ago was to planned out and my plan ended up backfiring on me.<br />
<br />
The morning came with sub-freezing temps but some bright sun. I was decked out in tights, gloves, beanie, and two long sleeve shirts, which kept me comfortable in the 22 degree temperatures. Not really my ideal wardrobe for setting a PR. Hannah and I warmed up for the last 15 minutes before the run and my legs felt good. I took a spot at the front as to not get stuck in traffic and soon we were off. I put on the gas and by the first turn I was starting to feel like I may have gone out to fast as I was starting to get passed a bit more. I focused on the shoulders of the guy in front of me and just tried to hold on. I crossed the first mile marker in 5:58! This was obviously a bit too fast for me and I kept hoping I could at least use the fast start to my advantage and run a typical 6:30 for me to get to the 2nd mile marker by 12:30, a split I felt I must get to keep the goal alive. The course was a bit more uphill at this point and I made an effort to keep pushing. My breathing was heavy but my legs kept rolling and by the time I made it to the 2nd mile marker I split at 12:31. I knew the goal was in play still, but I could see that the course was about to go up some major hills. I hit the hill and pushed harder and passed 4 people on the first pitch. As the first hill flattened out I was passed back by two, but the last .3 miles were uphill as well and I made a push again. I was inhaling and exhaling on each step and just put my head down and pushed. I hit the 3 mile marker and I was at 19:04. I knew that I would get sub 20 now and I began to back off, but someone tried to pass me and I couldn't let that happened. I put the hammer down, passed 3 people in the last 100 meters and crossed the line in 19:42! <br />
<br />
I had made my goal and came in 34th place overall and 4th in my age group. I was pumped, but I immediately headed back to the finish line to see Hannah come in who was also trying to PR. Her goal was to run 23 minutes flat, which would be a PR by 30 seconds. It happens though that she came in well before that and crossed the line 21:31 for an almost 2 minute PR at the 5k! She also ended up taking 1st in her age group! I've got one talented wife! She is hoping to take that speed into her half marathon next weekend for another PR. Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-1147587791542099552013-11-20T21:05:00.001-05:002013-11-20T21:06:00.213-05:00Exploring the Creek.....areaEver since Peak to Creek, I've been longing to get out and explore some more trails in the Wilson Creek Area and in Pisgah around Steels Creek. The past two weekends I got to do just that. I was thoroughly impressed with all the runs I had out there during the past two weekends and I'm looking forward to getting back out there to explore some more unkown trails, especially considering how close I live to there now (less than 50 min). Below are run reports from each trip.<br />
<br />
<b>Table Rock Scope Out Route</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I met up with Den, Phyllis, and Mark to check out a potential course route for a future trail race coming up next year. Mark and I had talked it over and now was a chance to cover all of the course except the first 3 miles. <br />
<br />
We started at the top of Craig Creek Rd and began our warmup jog of 4.5 miles to our first turn. This stretch on Craig Creek Rd was beautiful. Although just gravel, I really enjoyed it as it gently climbed alongside a small creek and then ramped up the grade the last mile or so to the turn off, weaving in and out of small drainages. <br />
<br />
We then turned on FS 198, a less maintained gravel rd that one could consider a double track since most of it had a nice grass median up the middle. The views toward Brown Mountain and out onto the Catawba valley where very nice and the grade was gentle. We found ourselves running more of this road than we anticipated. After about 3 miles, we finally hit the Mountains-to-sea trail and would follow it for most of the remainder of our run. This section of the MST is one of my favorites! It is all runnable and follows and old road bed from years gone by. It bends and turns through coves and is a joy to run. But soon, you have to cross Upper Creek and then it gets real. The next 1.25 miles is about a 900' climb back up to NC 181. We all just settled into a hike and before we knew it, it was over.<br />
<br />
After refilling our bottles from Den's water drop, it was time to tackle a brand new section of the MST for me, the Steels Creek Trail. I've heard a ton of good things about this trail from friends and I finally got to see it for myself. The trail starts off very similar to what you just got off of, with it following an old road bed. You cross a few cold streams, but it is nice to cool off the feet sometimes. Soon, it turns to a lush single track that hugs the cliff down to the creek and follows it for the rest of its journey. If you look over towards the creek you could catch a glimpse of numerous waterfalls trickling down the mountain. Some were quite large and I would have loved to get a closer view, but the big mileage of the day did not dictate it.<br />
<br />
At the bottom of this trail, I rolled my ankle pretty good and the rest of the day became pretty painful. I still had about 15 miles to go as well and a huge climb up to the top of Table Rock. The climb went well with it being about third running, a third walking, and a third crawling. Man that mountain is steep! We took a few photos from the top and started our way back down the leaf strewn MST to cross back over Steels Creek and finish on a FS rd back to the car. I was running funny back down due to the ankle and was ready to get onto the gravel so I could start running normal again. Phyllis decided to get some actual running in once we hit the gravel road to get away from us smelly men and beat us all back to the car.<br />
<br />
At the end of the day, we traveled 29 miles, climbed 8000ft and enjoyed the immense beauty of the creek and the gorge. On a sad note, just 3 days after our summit of Table Rock, some idiot let a camp fire get out of hand and today more than 2000 acres of the gorge, including the route we took to the top is burned and still burning. <br />
<br />
<b>Weekend of Waterfalls New and Old</b><br />
<br />
Due to the gorge being on fire, I decided to explore some more trails I hadn't previously been on in the Wilson Creek area. One of those is called the Greentown Shortcut trail that apparently leads to a waterfall. I convinced Tom to join me on the exploration and we got started on a foggy Saturday afternoon. <br />
<br />
We parked the car about a mile down Craig Creek Rd and began our ascent up FS 197 that was following Upper Creek for a 1.5 miles before it ends and the trail begins. The first mile of the trail was easy enough, but soon the trail got tighter, steeper, and more slippier. It had rained the night before and the leaf coverage was a ton, so grip was little to none. Oh, and this trail was on the side of a cliff. We got turned around a couple of times on this unmarked trail, but soon found our way after a lot of hard power hiking and sliding. Once you cross a small stream emptying into Upper Creek, you follow it up steam a couple hundred yards until you come to a massive mossy surine cliff with boulders strewn all around at its base. The water trickles over the cliff and dives about 40' onto the boulders below and then squeezes and drops it way through those. This waterfall, called Burnthouse Branch Falls had both Tom and I in awe. It was well worth the hard climb to get to.<br />
<br />
From the waterfall, the trail ends (I think) and we just decided to bushwhack up the mountain about a quarter of a mile to intersect the MST, which we did after some more power hiking and sliding. Once on the trail, it was sweet relief to know that we could actually run almost the entire rest of our planned route. Because of the fog, I abandoned the idea of summiting Chestnut Mountain and decided to show Tom South Harper Creek Falls as well. We enjoyed our jog over to the view of the falls and then soaked in another amazing feature of the Wilson Creek area. Nothing quite like viewing a 200'+ sliding falls, from a perched up 300' cliff. Good times, good views. <br />
<br />
We decided to take FS 198 back (same as week before) and I really enjoyed the views going down the road as to compared to going up it like last week. I really like this stretch and plan to implement it a lot into future runs. Still got to summit Chestnut Mountain that there is a clear trail to that isn't on the map. Love exploring unmapped trails and penciling them into the map.<br />
<br />
The next day, since the church Hannah and visited was so close by, I made another trip into the Wilson Creek area. This time I check out the Pine Ridge Trail. This trail starts right behind the visitor center and it was a beauty. It climbs steadily for the first couple of miles on pristine and smooth single track. I imagine the views were nice from the trail, but the fog wasn't letting me see any of that. The trail soon begins to follow and old road bed similar to the MST between 181 and South Harper Creek Falls. It was a nice gentle descent as it was looping me back to the car. But soon, it falls off the face of the planet on a tight single track beside a small tributary stream and dumps you out onto the MST. <br />
<br />
Since I was so close to Harper Creek Falls, I decided a nice side trip out to it was in order so headed on over. I wasn't expecting to see anyone there due to the crummy weather, but I guess some dare devil kayakers had the same thing in mind. As I arrived, two kayakers were climbing up the falls to attempt to head down them. I couldn't help but stay and watch and found a nice rock and waited for the kayaker to take his plunge. It took awhile, but the dude did it and it was awesome. I gave him a wheehewww!!!! before I took off and tried to warm myself back up. The rain was really picking up, but I enjoyed the cool feeling of the rain and it made me run faster. <br />
<br />
After getting dumped back onto Brown Mountain Beach Rd, I high taled it the next 2 miles back to the car and my exploration weekend of the Creek was done. Looking forward to the next few weeks to get out there and do some more exploring. <br />
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Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-524263043136224962013-10-27T15:43:00.002-04:002013-10-27T15:43:36.706-04:00Peak To Creek Marathon Report It only took 6 years, but I finally ran my first "road" marathon. I couldn't think of a better marathon for me to run than Peak to Creek, a mostly gravel, scenic route through the Pisgah National Forest in the mountains of North Carolina. I've been eying this one for quite awhile and finally decided to attempt it this year. This would also be the first marathon for my brother in law, Tom.<br />
<br />
The day came quickly and I was feeling a little nervous about achieving my original goal of sub 3:05, especially since training wasn't ideal. Therefore I made a secondary goal of at least running under 3:20, but would still make an effort for the 3:05, reassessing that goal during the run as to what felt comfortable.<br />
<br />
Hannah dropped Tom and I off at the start to a clear, but extremely chilly morning. It wasn't long before we were off, everyone trying to warm up as we traveled the winding paved road through beautiful multicolored views of the high mountains and hills of western North Carolina. I bumped into a few friends and acquaintances while trying to hit the planned 7:25 pace on this first 6 mile section. There is a spot on this section that opens up to grand views of the Roan Highlands and I couldn't help but think that is where I should be, high up on the AT. I snapped back to the race at hand though and realized that at least I was on the most beautiful road marathon I could think of and was about to hit gravel for the most of the remaining 20 miles, just another reason why I chose this marathon over others.<br />
<br />
I hit the gravel road at mile 6 right on pace schedule. I decided to try and stay relaxed for the first 2 miles down to the first aid station where I would drop my extra shirt and ear warmers, but hoped to stay on the targeted pace of 6:45 for this long 9 mile downhill section. I ended up hitting the aid station 1 minute behind, but wasn't too worried. I began to pick up the effort a little to try and sneak it in under the 7 minute mark. I felt like I was running fairly quickly, but by the time I hit the half marathon mark I was already 4 minutes behind planned pace. I don't really know how this happened, but my hamstrings were beginning to start feeling tight, so I decided to abandon the 3:05 goal and switched to trying to go under 3:15.<br />
<br />
I made it the turnaround in Edgemont at the bottom of the hill with 10.5 miles to go and plenty of time to reach the goal 3:15 if I could average 7:30 for the last 10 miles of this flat section. I began picking off runners over the first 3 miles of this section and was hitting or going under 7:30 for each mile and it felt comfortable. But around mile 19 my stomach started to feel off and I believe that started my slow down in pace. I wasn't exactly sure of my splits during this section, but it felt very long between each mile marker. I tried to hold off the inevitable pit stop for as long as I could, but somewhere around mile 23 I could wait no longer.<br />
<br />
The stop cost me about 3 minutes. As soon as I was back on course, I picked up the pace to try and make up some of the time and not having to worry about my stomach, it felt a lot easier to go faster. I started passing many of the runners that had gotten in front of me during my pit stop, but the miles were still seeming to come very slowly. Near the end the goal of 3:15 was looking unlikely, but I kept pushing to squeeze under the minimum goal of 3:20.<br />
<br />
Soon the surface changed back to asphalt and I spotted Hannah and Michael cheering me on. I was near the finish and I picked it up some more. Then at the entrance of the campground loop I saw Mad A! That really got me pumped to bring it in strong as I was not expecting him to be there at all. I made it past the turn to head back to finish and saw someone in front of me and couldn't help but try and reel him in before the finish, so I picked it up even more. I got by him with about 100 yards to go and crossed the finish line in 3:18:35. I was spent and just stopped as I stepped down on the finish mat. <br />
<br />
I am very happy with my time, although I still think of what could have been if training would have been better and if I could solve my stomach issues during runs. I gave it the best I had on the day though and still came in under my minimum goal. Tom really killed it as he ran his first marathon ever in 3:29:08!<br />
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I will say this as a final note. Road marathons freakin' hurt! <br />
<br />
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Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-12040053215697323442013-09-08T13:11:00.000-04:002013-09-08T13:16:07.699-04:00Peak to Creek Training Week 3Mon - off<br />
<br />
Tues - 41min/ 3.6m/ 1000' - SOMO - Went out to attempt a 9 miler with a long downhill to work on some turnover, but the achilles was like "uh, NO!" Therefore I turned back early and took it home to not further an injury that may be occurring. Soaked in the river for a few minutes as well in hopes the cold water would help.<br />
<br />
Wed - off - XC meet took up almost all of my evening. At least we won!<br />
<br />
Thurs - 43min/ 4.9m/ 500' - DART - Got some new shoes in the mail specifically for work, but thought "hey, lets go run in these minimus zero trails with a bum achilles. That sounds like a great idea!" So as both my calves were now screaming at me saying, "You #*@$ing idiot!" I turned back a bit short as to try and not push it anymore and walked a bit. Wow, am I dumb.<br />
<br />
Fri - 34min/ 3.2m/ 200' - Latta - Another nice a mellow run with the XC kids. I wore a proper pair of shoes today and my achilles thanked me.<br />
<br />
Sat - 3hr30min/ 17m/ 3700' - <a href="http://wnctrailrunner.wikispaces.com/Doughton+Park+16+mile+Fun+Run">Tour de Doughton</a> - Meet up with <a href="http://phyllisneriah.blogspot.com/">Phyllis</a> and Allen for this beautiful loop in Doughton Park north of Wilkesboro. We couldn't have picked a better morning to run, as the temps started around 60 and never got hotter than 75. Fall is definitely back in the air in the mountains at least. I have done this loop once before a few years back, but I forgot how gorgeous it actually is. Phyllis and I kept it relaxed most of the day, dodged and ran into a ton of spider webs, and I properly got smoked on the climb back up to the car. Dang, Phyllis can climb and make it look easy. I should definitely get out there more often. Even with that big loop, there is still about an extra 15 miles of trail in the park that I've yet to set foot on. <br />
<br />
Sun - 1hr45min/ 10.6m/ 1000' - Grey Rd/ Fisher Farm - Met up with Dave this morning to get in 10 miles and to catch up on some lost training due to the achilles issue this week. I started out feeling ok, but by the time we hit the trails in Fisher Farm, my body started to give out. I had zero energy left and the hills of Abersham and Grey Rd were killing me. I ended up walking quite a bit, but still made it through for a very slow run. Was thankful that Dave stayed back with me despite my slow pace today.<br />
<br />
Total =<br />
<br />
Time - 7hrs13min<br />
Miles - 39.3<br />
Vert - 6400'<br />
<br />
Well, running 50 miles last week really bit me in the butt. I did too much, too soon and paid the price this week. Luckily, my body and achilles had recovered enough to still make it out to Doughton Park for a beautiful run. Hopefully the body has adjusted now to higher mileage and I can get back to strictly following my training plan. Pics of the Doughton Park run below.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sphotos-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/555080_10151921568433973_230955144_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://sphotos-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/555080_10151921568433973_230955144_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start<br />
Photo: Phyllis Tsang</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sphotos-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1187193_10151921569448973_1196704089_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://sphotos-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1187193_10151921569448973_1196704089_n.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many of my spider web shields<br />
Photo: Phyllis Tsang</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sphotos-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1175544_10151921568868973_272400034_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://sphotos-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1175544_10151921568868973_272400034_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running down Bluff Mtn<br />
Photo: Phyllis Tsang</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sphotos-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1003557_10151921569063973_588668319_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://sphotos-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1003557_10151921569063973_588668319_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree at the top of the mtn<br />
Photo: Phyllis Tsang</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sphotos-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/559265_10151921569648973_615221252_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://sphotos-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/559265_10151921569648973_615221252_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful bald on top of Bluff Mtn<br />
Photo: Phyllis Tsang</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sphotos-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1238048_10151862958523120_481852754_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://sphotos-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1238048_10151862958523120_481852754_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phyllis cruising on the MST<br />
Photo: Me</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sphotos-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1234867_10151921569318973_1991739602_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://sphotos-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1234867_10151921569318973_1991739602_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talkin' with the ranger at Brinegar Cabin<br />
Photo: Phyllis Tsang</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sphotos-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1236116_10151921569423973_1788494324_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://sphotos-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1236116_10151921569423973_1788494324_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The climb up Flat Rock Trail<br />
Photo: Phyllis Tsang</td></tr>
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<br />Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-938733224331332522013-09-01T21:32:00.000-04:002013-09-01T21:32:09.260-04:00Peak to Creek Training Week 1 & 2<b>Week 1</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Mon - 63min/ 7m/ 900' - Riverbend Park - Met up with Jose and let him drag up and down every hill in this park. Great place to run, but definitely feeling out of shape.<br />
<br />
Tues - off<br />
<br />
Wed - 59min/ 7m/ 700' - Hickory City Park - First downhill X2 workout in preparation for the downhill of Peak to Creek. Jose met up with me again for this one. I took the first 1.5 mile downhill greenway repeat in 9:15 and the second one in 9:45. Still feeling very much out of shape.<br />
<br />
Thurs - 43min/ 5.1m/ 500' - DART - Felt slow, but ended up faster than expected so that was good.<br />
<br />
Fri - 34min/3.8min/ 200' - Latta - long run for the ms XC kiddos. Good first optional practice for them.<br />
<br />
Sat - 105min/ 12m/ 1200' - Lake Norman State Park - Tom and I hit up some trails that were covered in spider webs, which made running fun for a bit until we decided to flip it (which was a great idea). My body felt good and I felt somewhat in shape.<br />
<br />
Sun - 34min/ 4m/ 400' - Davidson XC - Tom and I got out for a few miles after a long day of golf earlier. <br />
<br />
Totals =<br />
<br />
Time - 5hrs36min<br />
Miles - 38.9<br />
Vert - 4000'<br />
<br />
<b>Week 2</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Mon - off - successful first meet for the XC team<br />
<br />
Tues - 70min/ 7.5m/ 1600' - SOMO - Great run out at South Mountains. Headed up past the falls and then came down Shinny. Great loop with lots of eye candy.<br />
<br />
Wed - 49min/ 5.9m/ 400 - Jacob Fork Park - First fartlek workout of the training plan and it was hot! Felt really slow, but tried to keep the pace up on the 1min hard sections. Imagine that those were all around 6:50 pace. Which is to slow, but it was hot!<br />
<br />
Thurs - 51min/ 6.3m/ 600' - DART - We all did a prediction run for beer today and thankfully I didn't lose. I ended up being 30 seconds off my predicted time but Matt nailed it with being 6 seconds off. <br />
<br />
Fri - 38min/ 3.8m/ 200' - Latta - Another good optional XC practice for the team. Kept it slow due to the 90 degree heat with them.<br />
<br />
Sat - 4hrs45min/ 22m/ 4000' - Dupont Waterfall Bonanza - Great run with the Pisgah Nation, but I wasn't prepared physically or mentally. On the hole it was a great run with great friends and sweet waterfalls. I felt slow all day, but was feeling pretty beat up from the week. First real long run in a long while though, which is good.<br />
<br />
Sun - 53min/ 4.8m/ 1500' - Linville Gorge - Had a great easy run up to the tops of both Hawksbil and Sitting Bear after a great round of golf earlier. <br />
<br />
Totals=<br />
<br />
Time - 9hrs5min/<br />
Miles - 50.3<br />
Vert - 8300'<br />
<br />
Well after the first two weeks of training, I'm feeling pretty good but am hoping the speed will return soon as I will need it for Peak to Creek coming up soon. We will see how this weeks speedwork goes. My legs feel pretty good after this weeks heavy mileage so that is good. Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-80261498991938568732013-08-14T21:38:00.001-04:002013-08-14T21:38:18.296-04:00Another Sluggish SummerWell my summer break is almost over and once again it was a sluggish summer for running, that eventually led to an injury. Which is weird, considering that most over use injuries involve the fact that you have to use said injured muscle a lot. Oh well. Below are some lackluster highlights from my summer of running.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Things started out well with a decent run at the <a href="http://wnctrailrunner.wikispaces.com/Roan+Adventure+Marathon">Roan Adventure Marathon</a></li>
<li>Had a great time at the second <a href="http://wnctrailrunner.wikispaces.com/Wilson+Creek+sWEaTfest">Wilson Creek sWEaTfest</a>. We had a good crew show out and camping the night before was a blast. The weather turned out great and the waterfalls and swimming holes felt great!</li>
<li>Went to the beach for a week for the first time in 2 years, which was good and had a couple of good easy beach runs, but then on the last day......</li>
<li>BEACH CRUISER ACCIDENT!!!!!! This sounds ridiculous and it was. On the last day of our trip I decided to ride the beach cruiser down and back to the beach from my parents home on Oak Island (about 8 mile round trip) and 2 blocks from being back the house I wrecked. I had decided to see how fast I could get the fixed gear beach cruiser up to and started cranking hard on the pedals and got up in the saddle. Just as I believe I approached 20mph, the chain flew off, locked up the pedals, caught my flip flop in between the chain and rear spokes, and promptly slid about 10 feet down the hot cement sidewalk, crushing my awesome basket along the slide as well. :( I got a pretty good case of road rash on my knee, elbow, and shoulder which kept me from running for about a week.</li>
<li>I PLAYED A LOT OF GOLF!!!! Which is awesome, but may have contributed to the end of the summer injury. I know, really?</li>
<li>Put together and ran the inaugural <a href="http://wnctrailrunner.wikispaces.com/May+Mountain+Madness">Midnight Manor Marathon</a> on the trails in Cone Park at night! Great course, great weather, awesome moonlit views, and cows. My run was a little "crappy", but it was a good time and felt good to get a marathon in during the hot month of July.</li>
<li>Ran a middle school cross country camp that went really well.</li>
<li>INJURED my plantar fascia! I did something similar back in November last year and I guess I never really let the injury heal. With the added pressure on it because of golfing so much, yes I said golfing, I believe my arch said enough is enough. I hobbled around for a few days, and then decided not to run for the next 2 weeks. A lot of icing and massaging in those 2 weeks have got me back on the trail this week and so far no pain after two runs. Hopefully, I've given this thing enough time to heal and I can get back started in training for Peak to Creek Marathon.</li>
<li>Got to witness Matt "the Grand" Kirk finish and break the self-supported Appalachian Trail Record on top of Springer Mtn, Ga. Talk about an unreal experience! Matt is amazing. You can watch all his videos and a photo essay on his site at <a href="http://sub60.wikispaces.com/">http://sub60.wikispaces.com/</a></li>
</ul>
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Looking forward to another solid fall running season now! Let the training begin, and more blog post!</div>
Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-6253183156984791032013-05-20T18:14:00.000-04:002013-05-20T19:09:25.247-04:00New Balance RC 1600 Shoe ReviewI've been wanting to write a shoe review for a long time now. As my fiance can attest, I go through quite a few pairs of shoes a year, so I think I can offer some great insight for those who prefer to run in shoes in the more minimal/ lightweight categories. I would like to begin by sharing my thoughts on one of my favorite shoes I've ever worn, the New Balance RC 1600. This shoe is marketed as a lightweight road racing flat for 5k to marathon, but I have worn it beyond those prescribed limits and it has performed quite well. Below, I will try not to concentrate too much on the specifics of the shoe, but more on how the shoes perform in a variety of conditions. At the end I will provide a rating scale of the shoe on different types of surfaces and distances as I believe that shoes should be used as different tools for different situations.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/NB/mrc1600b_nb_02_i?$dw_detail_main$" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/NB/mrc1600b_nb_02_i?$dw_detail_main$" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Official Specs</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>weight - 5.4 ounces (size 9)</li>
<li>drop - 6mm</li>
</ul>
<b>Upper (9/10)</b><br />
<br />
The upper of the 1600 is one of the best I've ever worn. It is mostly comprised of a dual density mesh with a system of honeycomb shaped overlays that wrap the foot on both sides and locks the shoe down onto the foot. The tongue is made of the same material. I found that the fit of the shoe was quite good for my foot as my heel is locked in, but my toes just have enough wiggle room to splay out on impact. I have logged a total of 400+ miles on my original pair and they isn't a single tear on the entire upper. What makes this really impressive is that more than half of those miles have been on trails (technical and smooth). I really like how the upper locked down the foot as well as I covered technical trails with less lateral movement issues than any other shoe I've worn. The upper also drains very well, and after stream crossings they are almost completely dry in a couple of miles. The only negative I can say about this upper is that it sorta makes my feet hot when going sockless. This problem isn't an issue when wearing socks though which is really weird. Regardless, I haven't had a single blister from these (although I rarely get blisters ever). <br />
<br />
<b>Midsole (8/10)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The midsole of the 1600's is comprised of New Balance's excellent REVlite foam. I really like how light this foam is and I think it nails a zone for me on firmness vs. softness, but it does have its slight drawbacks. But first the good. I feel like the foam provides just enough protection, even without a rockplate on most trails, gravel, and roads. I've logged many miles on the gravely like surfaces of South Mountains State Park in these and rarely get poked. The foam just dissipates the impact forces very evenly across the shoe. Even on extremely technical trails, I've found the shoe to provide just the right amount of protection. But all of this impact dissipation seems to come at a very slight cost. The foam is only lacking the pop that some runners look for and you can definitely tell this on the roads. It doesn't feel dead, but just needs something to make it just a bit more springy (which the foam does have in another shoe later to be reviewed). Durability of the shoe has been great, but I feel that the foam starts to break down about 20 miles into a run so I haven't done any ultras in them. This could probably be fixed with another 2mm of foam to the current stack heights (heel-21mm, toe-15mm). Breakdown of the foam over time has been solid and I could probably get another 200-300 miles out these shoes on runs 10 miles or less. Overall, I think the midsole is one of the best I've every worn. <br />
<br />
<b>Outsole (Road 10/10, Trail 7/10)</b><br />
<br />
The outsole for this shoe is one of the greatest designs I've ever seen for a racing flat. A lightweight, but very grippy rubber compound is found only on high impact areas of the shoe at the forefoot and lateral heel. Very lightweight, and surprisingly durable, rubber nubs complete the grip near the toes and at the back of the ball of the foot. If you are planning on using these only for roads, this is all the grip you would ever need, even in wet conditions. On most racing flats or traditional road shoes, there is either an over abundance of rubber that rarely makes contact with the ground and adds a ton of weight to the shoe or not enough rubber on the shoe which makes the shoe almost useless in wet conditions. This outsole however strikes the perfect balance of those mentioned above and is perfect for roads. Now for trails, it is a different story. If you are running on gravel, buffed dry single track, or moderately technical rolling trails then the outsole is just as good as it is on the roads. But if you are running on slickrock, muddy, leafy, and steep trails (+20% grades) then it is another story. The grip just doesn't grip well enough on those types of treads and you invariably start skiing up or down the mountain instead of running (which is quite fun if the trail isn't treacherously rocky). Plus, there aren't any lugs on the tread so forget it in the mud. Durability of the outsole is pretty good as the tiny little rubber nubs are still mostly present after 400+ miles of mostly trails, but the rubber on the forefoot kinda lost its slight lug potential very early on. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.runningwarehouse.com/new_big/N1600M1-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://img.runningwarehouse.com/new_big/N1600M1-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">picture from Runningwarehouse.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Overall Impression</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I love this shoe and it has been my go to for everyday training and road racing for the past few months. I love it so much that I just recently purchased my second pair. The thing I love the most about this shoe is that it is super lightweight, but extremely durable, a combination rarely found. The upper is by far the best upper I've ever worn, although I can still think of improvements and the midsole strikes a great balance of firmness and softness. Although the outsole leaves something to be desired on the trail, it out performs on the roads and that was what it was designed for anyway. You can find these shoes here at <a href="http://www.runningwarehouse.com/descpageMRS-N1600M1.html">Running Warehouse</a> and I believe that they are on sale right now for around $70. Below is a rating scale for the shoe on different types of surfaces. <br />
<br />
Dry Road - 9/10<br />
Wet Road - 9/10<br />
Gravel - 8/10<br />
Dry Buffed Trail - 9/10<br />
Muddy Trail - 4/10<br />
Moderately Technical Trail - 9/10<br />
Extremely Technical Trail - 7/10<br />
Leafy Trail - 5/10<br />
Steep Mountain Trails - 7/10<br />
Grass - 6/10<br />
5k - 9/10<br />
10k - 9/10<br />
13.1 - 9/10<br />
25k - 9/10<br />
26.2 - 8/10<br />
26.2+ - 7/10<br />
<br />Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-71095624438633011622013-05-20T16:32:00.003-04:002013-05-20T16:32:46.060-04:00Branching OutThis blog has mostly just chronicled my training and racing over the past few years, but I finally think that it is time to add a different element to some post on here. Over my now 5 years off running, I've figured a few things out and I am really beginning to see the benefits of all my trial and error. I still don't have it all mastered and never will, but I would like to begin to share some insight into things that I think work and share some opinions on other things revolving around the ultra community. <br />
<br />
In this way, I am branching out and adding some new and potentially useful elements to this blog instead of it just being, "look what I did." This is not to say that I want chronicle my training and racing anymore, but will try have some post related to different running subjects including: shoes, gear, cross training, wilderness tips, trails & other open spaces, etc. <br />
<br />
Expect to see some of these post coming soon...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/599257_10151627240228120_1701280590_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/599257_10151627240228120_1701280590_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">View from hawksbill rock off the snowball trail looking out to lane pinnacle</span></td></tr>
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<br />Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-40790478864845387652013-05-07T21:08:00.000-04:002013-05-07T21:08:51.029-04:00Racin' SeasonThe past two weekends I have actually participated in sanctioned races. This is typically a rare occurrence for me as I usually only race "official" races at most 3 times a year. It seems that I have already filled that quota in 5 months and have at least 2 more official races on the calendar for the year! What is happening to me (probably a paycheck). Below I will give brief reports (yea, right) on two vastly different races. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
<b>The Drool Deer aka Stone Mountain Run</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/601947_457690614306029_130299883_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/601947_457690614306029_130299883_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the crew... I look thrilled</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Over many a day of perusing the interwebs, I discovered what looked to be a small little race with my type of vibe at Stone Mountain State Park. The race's webpage and race director were quite eccentric and hilarious and I had to contact him to join. One thing I found intriguing on the website was that bandits were welcomed. How cool is that! I let the "Rabid Squirrel" (race director's nickname) know my intentions and he was all for it. I couldn't wait to race up and over Stone Mountain.<br />
<br />
Race day arrived, and I began to fill guilty for not paying the extremely cheap entry fee, so I showed up with it to show my appreciation for Mr. Squirrel and his dedication to making this race as fun and goofy as possible. The course would be the 5 mile Stone Mountain Loop trail. It began by falling of the face of the earth down a ton of wooden steps beside a cascading waterfall, then leveled out for a bit, but soon enough climbed 700 ft up plenty of stone steps to the top of the appropriately named Stone Mountain. After reaching the summit, you descended down a loose gravel trail, with plenty of switchbacks back to the start. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/431942_457177171024040_966668439_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/431942_457177171024040_966668439_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at the summit in 1st</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After sizing up my competition, I thought that I had a really good shot of making the podium or even winning this thing, although that really wasn't the whole idea behind the "race". It didn't matter too much as I was planning on putting out a race effort to be my last tune up before the next weekend's half marathon. Soon we started and I found myself in a group of 4 runners headed to the stairs. Upon arriving at the the stairs I was quickly dropped by 2 of these folks. Apparently, I need to start doing downhill stair repeats because I was ridiculously slow. By the time I reached the flat section, I was about 200 yards behind the duo that dropped me. I began to kick it and hoped to gain ground slowly, which I did. I was within 100 yards by the time we reached the climb and I had a feeling that I should catch the guys since they were both flatlanders. I finally caught up with them mid way up the climb, but once I was back with them I decided to take a break and hike with them to the summit, which in hindsight was a mistake. I was moving very well up the climb and running past them while they were hiking could have played some mental games with them and may have given me a better edge. Once we neared the final summit push, I finally made my move and took over 1st place. They weren't too far behind though as we hit the descent about 100 ft apart. I tried to hammer it down the loose gravel trail, but the switchbacks were slowing me down considerably and they were making up time on each one. The course finally started to even out and I began to pick up the pace even more. I created separation between one of the runners, but I wasn't quite sure which runner was still close behind. Once we finally hit the last .4 mile return section, I saw who it was and was surprised. Surprised and concerned. He soon caught up with me and we were running neck and neck until the final 100 yards of the course. It ended on a slight uphill and he cranked it and I had nothing left to match him. I crossed the finish line 2nd, losing the race in the last 100 yards. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/940871_460172767391147_606761174_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="70" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/940871_460172767391147_606761174_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">getting out kicked on camera....great</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Obviously, I was a little disappointed, but it wasn't a big deal. We both ran a great race and I underestimated the guys downhill speed. In the end I had a great time, got to hang and chat with some really good folks, and even one a door prize (which made me glad that I decided to pay the entry fee). The Rabid Squirrel put on a great event and I hope to make it out to some of his more ridiculous races in the future.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/179148_460173034057787_724143538_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/179148_460173034057787_724143538_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pisgah Nation represent!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div>
<b>New River Half Marathon</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hOs5XGtZ2Qw/UYmgDGmAQDI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/OCvXqe0M7Mo/s1600/IMG_7384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hOs5XGtZ2Qw/UYmgDGmAQDI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/OCvXqe0M7Mo/s320/IMG_7384.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">starting line</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
I haven't raced a half since the Mistletoe in 2011, and with Hannah's brother Tom wanting to attempt his first one, I suggested the New River Half and said that I would join him. If I was going to run a road half, I wanted to make sure it was a beautiful course and you cannot go wrong with the High Country of NC. I began "training" for a sub 1:30 time once the plan was set in stone, but after the first week of too much speed work, I tweaked my achilles and I was in recovery mode. Before I could even begin to ramp the speed sessions back up I hit the 3 marathons in 2 weeks part of the training plan (isn't that how you are supposed to train for shorter races?) Therefore, I cut the speedwork out and concentrated on recovering from those 3 runs. Obviously, training didn't go as planned, but I did have a great time and some great runs during this phase. Plus, I would rather have fun while running than strictly sticking to a regimented plan for 12 weeks. Anyway, I still was feeling pretty much in shape and had recovered well from the 3 marathon efforts. Sub 1:30 seemed very much unlikely, but a PR seemed possible so that became the goal. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EiT_AWtK7VQ/UYmfrP51llI/AAAAAAAAAdI/idRO0DG1xmk/s1600/IMG_7458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EiT_AWtK7VQ/UYmfrP51llI/AAAAAAAAAdI/idRO0DG1xmk/s320/IMG_7458.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">post race</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
The night before the run, Beth Frye kindly opened up her home to Hannah, Tommy, Martha, Michael, and I so we could avoid a long morning drive to the start of the race near Todd, NC. It was nice to be back in Boone and even got a chance to slackline in Durham Park a bit (slacklining is kinda my new thing, even though I had seen the hippies in Boone do it for my entire tenure there). Race morning came and we all hoped that the forecasted rain would hold off. It was quite chilly at the start and we all decided to shed our warm layers right before the gun and hand them to Michael. I found Scott and chatted a bit with him and then the horn sounded and we began to pound the pavement.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">scott and i walkin' to the start</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and we're off</td></tr>
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The first mile I tried to take it easy knowing that a huge hill awaited during the next mile. Apparently, I had taken it a bit too easy and was already off my planned pace. I picked it up and climbed solidly over our first 300ft climb of the day. I was moving well, but my pace over the next few miles would vary quite dramatically. The rollingish terrain of the middle part of the race I had underestimated. I was clicking of miles everywhere from 7:30's to 6:20's. Not really what I was expecting. </div>
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Around mile 6 I began to fill the dreaded stomach issues. This was probably some of the reason for the variance in pace as I was trying to keep everything in. I kept debating on using the jon or not the entire last half of the race. When we hit the next big climb of the day, I decided to relax a bit and hoped to crank down the last 4 miles which were all downhill/flat to make up time. During these last 4 miles the stomach issues really began to bother me and I was beginning to wonder if I would just have to find a spot in the woods. I kept pushing the pace though and hoped that I could hold out as I was still near pace to PR. During the last 3 miles though, a stiff headwind greeted us runners and it never relinquished its hold. As we neared the final mile and the finish line, it actually got stronger. When I hit the 12 mile sign, I really began to pick up the effort, although I think it had little affect on my pace as the wind had picked up as well. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h5lCkKkOox4/UYmg0TOGj7I/AAAAAAAAAd4/tnY4_yZaNpU/s1600/IMG_7422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h5lCkKkOox4/UYmg0TOGj7I/AAAAAAAAAd4/tnY4_yZaNpU/s320/IMG_7422.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">final stretch</td></tr>
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With about a quarter mile to go, my friend John Sugg had finally caught up with me and said "keep pushing". I really kicked it then and began running as hard as I could. I made the turn onto the grass finish chute and hurled myself over the finish line. I crossed the line in 1:34:49, a mear 19 seconds off my PR time. I was disappointed and collapsed into the grass to regain my breath. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">done</td></tr>
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Although I am still slightly disappointed, I do feel that I ran a PR effort especially while battling stomach issues, a stiff headwind, and a tougher course than my previous half. If it would have been a flatter course without all those issues I could seriously see that effort turning into something closer to a 1:31. I do not believe though that I can get under 1:30 just yet for the half so that goal is still on the mind and maybe something to shoot for at this year's Mistletoe. I ended up finishing 16th overall in the half, so I am pretty proud of that and I can tell that I am getting faster and stronger and that is always a good thing. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hannah at the finish</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tommy at the finish</td></tr>
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I would also like to proudly mention that Hannah and Tommy both ran an excellent race. Hannah finished this course in 1:56 and Tommy finished his first half ever in 1:41! Great efforts by both of them on a tough course and on a tough day.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it hurt so good</td></tr>
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Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-68336314350554787682013-04-29T21:27:00.000-04:002013-04-29T21:27:06.495-04:00Leatherwood Mountains Ultra ThoughtsFirst off, I did not race. I am simply a friend of the RDs and many of the runners who took part in this inaugural running of a race, which I ended up feeling I should have went ahead and signed up for. Below are just some of my thoughts from a spectator, volunteer, crewing, and pacing stand point. <br />
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Having never been to Leatherwood Mountains Resort, and knowing that it was mainly horse trails, I had my reservations. This combined with a fee deterred me from signing up, (not that the fee was outrageous, I just don't like to pay to run most of the time) I decided to head out and volunteer instead. I headed up to the resort after work on Friday to grab a camp site and partake in the pre-race dinner that included a guest speaker that happened to be a friend of mine. The dinner was an excellent spread and the community gathered was great. I was having trouble catching up with all the people I knew who attended. After the dinner, I just walked a few hundred feet over to the bar and had a few with some friends before retiring to my tent only a couple hundred yards away. How neat is that! Plus, my campsite was right beside Elk Creek, which meant I had a nice sound machine going all night. I slept like a baby.<br />
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The run consisted of 3 runs, a 50m, 50k, and a 10m. There were 3 loops that the course followed and each loop had a different color to follow. On top of that, the RDs made sure that each time you changed a loop, you would have a wrist band that corresponded with the flagging. Of the 23 miles of the course I ran that day, I thought that the course was extremely well marked, even if some of the loops overlapped. I would almost say that the course was too well marked. Meaning, that you pretty much could always see a flag ahead from the one you were currently beside. This is nice, but also makes you worry on the rare case you didn't see a flag for a tenth of a mile. <br />
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I did like that they allowed pacers for the final 10 mile loop of the 50 miler. I know that it really isn't needed, but I had a great time pacing Brew in and catching up with Doug while out on the loop. I'm sure Brew appreciated my presence as well...I guess so?<br />
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After the run, there was live music, some more delicious food, and plenty of friends to hang out with. I would highly recommend this run for folks, and I might even be running it myself next year if the calendar aligns. You can't beat a beautiful course, thoughtful RDS, a great finishing location, and a lot of friends.Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878656146374243570.post-40597388422273543182013-04-22T19:48:00.001-04:002013-04-22T19:48:20.075-04:00Linville Gorge Madness Marathon ReflectionFirst off, I am still planning on running the New River Half Marathon in 2 weeks, but "training" has fallen off the back burner due to FUN! This doesn't mean that I haven't been putting in good miles, it is just that those miles don't fit the specificity needed for a road half. But who cares when you are having awesome experiences in the mountains! <a href="http://trailsandjubilation.blogspot.com/2012/05/everything-else-is-secondary.html">Everything else is secondary</a>.<br />
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The next two post will concentrate on two back-to-back weekends that were completely awesome in different ways.<br />
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<b>Linville Gorge Madness Marathon</b><br />
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The time had finally come and my second favorite run ever was here. I got off early from work to start ironing out some final logistics for the weekend and Hannah and I were on the road to Tablerock for a fun night of camping. I had made all the necessary purchases, printing and laminated maps and directions, and packed up my order of shirts to commemorate the run. <br />
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Hannah and I made it up to a near empty parking lot at Tablerock around 5:45pm and began to set up camp, collect firewood, and take short hike over the Chimneys. On our return from the stunning vistas and dramatic cliffs less than 1/3 of a mile away I spotted a hairy black and white creature with one blue and one brown eye starring right back at me. The beauty of this animal had halted me in my tracks and I thought to myself, "It couldn't be?" But I knew immediately who this creature was and cried out, "LUNA!!!!" She ran to me and I to her and soon we were joined by her fellow companions Jon and Melissa. I hadn't seen all three of them since this summer when Hannah and I had returned home from Leadville, CO. We began to catch up on life while eating, collecting firewood, and waiting on our other friends to join us later that night.<br />
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Slowly, the others ( Mad A, 4trunks, Lauran) began to show up, even some previously unknowns from South Carolina (Brian and Dana), and we sat around the fire talking of past adventures and speculating on future ones. Around 10pm, everyone began to retire to their tents, or bouldering crash pads, and waited for the sun to rise to start off another epic Pisgah Nation Adventure. <br />
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We woke to clear skies and cool temperatures after a windy night near the top of the mountain. The forecast called for crystal clear skies, highs in the upper 60's, and a slight breeze. We couldn't ask for better weather. All others that decided not to camp the night before soon began to show up in the parking lot before our 8:40am summit push to the start, all except one, but more on that later. Everyone settled into a nice conversational hike up to the summit of Tablerock that would mark the start of our run. The views from the side of the trail we already stunning. We soon made it to the summit, took a starters photo, and soon we were off!<br />
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I was bounding down the trail alongside Jon and Jeremy all the way to the Spence Ridge trail bridge that spanned the river about 2000ft down and 3 miles from we started. As we turned onto the Linville Gorge trail, my main thought was to not slam my leg into a tree as I did on this section of trail last year, which eventually ended my day 10 miles from the the finish last year. This roller coaster of a trail is definitely not my favorite, but it was nice sharing it with Jeremy again this year. However, I didn't fully escape banging into a tree, but at least this time it was a branch that about punctured into my left arm. <br />
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It wasn't long before we started ascending the beautiful and more gentle Babel Tower Trail. I was actually even able to break into a running stride a few times during the climb when the grade got to a more reasonable 10%. Jeremy and I soon met back up with Jon at the road as he was waiting for us to give him directions. We cruised down the road at a decent clip and arrived at our first aid station, giddy to take our first steps onto the Rock Jock Trail. This trail is gorgeous! The views that you get along the trail as you hug the edge of the cliffs almost makes you forget that you've been on a 3 mile steeplechase, almost. I mean there were a ton of downed trees, like every 50 feet, but all the other runners and myself were just mesmerized by the beauty from the trail. After completing the steeplechase, the trail decides to give you a nice easy break, for about a quarter mile, then rewards you with climb of 700ft straight up and completely exposed to the sun. Here I bumped into some GorgeRats and then looked behind me to see a spry Mad A running up this 30%+ grade. Dude is ridiculous!<br />
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To be honest, I was surprised I was still ahead of Mad A at this point into the run (~13 miles). After restashing my pack with food and water for the remainder of the run, I tried to keep up with the pace Mad A and Jon were setting on the road to Pinnacle. I did not succede in hanging with them, but only fell behind by a couple minutes once at the summit of Pinnacle. Then came the drop straight down to the pits of hell on the MST. I was alone, it was getting hot, and my knee was like "Slow Down Fool!" Soon the trail leveled out for awhile and I knew I was almost to the river, then BAM, lets go straight up hill over this knob instead of going around it to the river. I had forgotten about this climb, but I will not again. I found a stick to help me over the hill and intended to use to help cross the river and climb Shortoff as well.<br />
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By the time I reached the river crossing I had caught back up with Jon and Adam, as they were about half way across as I plunged in. Surprisingly, the water never came above my waist considering the heavy amount of rain the area had just received the day before. The stick definitely helped in the crossing though. But before I got out of the river, I made sure to go for a full submerging before I began climbing the completely exposed ridgeline the lead to the top of Shortoff Mtn. This section was stunning, with brown grass blowing in the breeze and coming up just under my arms. By the time we had reached the spring at the top of Shortoff, we were joined by 4trunks and Action, and my cloths were completely dry. <br />
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After filling my bottles at the spring, I was soon dropped by our group as I tried to choke down some cheese crackers. I was only about 6 miles from the finish, so I wasn't too worried and I hoped that I would catch back up after my snack. While crossing Shortoff, which has had some amazing trail work done recently, I finally caught back up with Jon, who had fallen off the pace set by Adam as well. We decided to stick to together to the end and soon were dropping down to Chimney Gap to face our final grueling ascent. I picked up another stick and began pulling myself up the ridiculously steep trail. Looking at my watch, it looked as if we could possibly finish in under 7 hours if we were able to get to the top of the climb in 20 minutes. We succeeded and all we had to do was finish the last mile to the parking lot in about 15 minutes to finish under 7. We did so in about 9 minutes, while crossing the magnificent views from the Chimneys, and back down the parking area where our crew was waiting. My official time was 6:53:54!<br />
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After the run, we all hung out for a bit while waiting for most everyone to finish and I was informed that Abran had finally made it to the start about 2 hours behind schedule, but still managed to snag a copy of the map and directions from Hannah as they drove passed each other. It turned out that Abran had used his Nav system and it took him to the middle of nowhere on an ATV trail. He luckily got back to the main road and finally asked for directions at a local gas station. What is even more awesome than that he actually made it out to run, is that he wasn't our last finisher even though he started 2 hours behind everyone else. Dude is strong! Of the 20 starters we only had 2 drop from the course. That number was amazing and I was super proud of everyone who attempted this gnarly run. It seemed like everyone had a comparable day out in the big ditch of the east. This one was a huge success and one of the most beautiful loops out there.<br />
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Below is a slideshow of pics from various folks that ran out there.<br />
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<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F104723826519838320251%2Falbumid%2F5869821391262752385%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCK-L-t7Q4821kQE%26hl%3Den_US" height="267" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400"></embed>Brandon Throwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14437461149338921965noreply@blogger.com2