Ironmaster's Challenge 50K Race Report - 2014

If you took a peek at my training schedule this spring, it would have been obvious that the Ironmaster's Challenge 50K was my first "A Race" of the 2014 season.  As is very often the case however, things don't go as planned.  Despite not having the best training going into the race, KNOWING this fact on race day was critical in ensuring a fun, albeit painful outing in the PA Woods.

The start and end point of the Ironmaster's is Pine Grove Furnace State Park, right where the Appalachian Trail passes thru.  It's located in a valley so you can bet on some good climbs during the course of 30+ miles in this region.

If you think of it like a half pipe, the 50K course starts at the bottom of the "U", goes up one side, down, then up the other, down, then up the first side and finishes back down at the bottom of the "U".  For a detailed visual on what I'm referring to, please see my amazing handy work using the hugely under-rated Snipping Tool from our friends in Redmond.

Bad-ass drawling skills

There's pretty technical (class 2-3) climbing and questionable "trails" for the first 2 miles, ending at a gorgeous viewpoint known as Sunset Rocks where some backpackers had positioned themselves for a rude awakening on a Sunday morning.

Living within 15 minutes of the race definitely gave me an advantage knowing what was in store for the first few miles.  Thankfully, I was smart about it and took it conservatively out of the gate through mile 4 or 5.  If I hadn't, it would have been a much less enjoyable day.

I'm not going to be dramatic about the whole thing though...other than getting lost several times and just being unprepared (training wise), things went really well.  No stomach issues, no injuries, I made some new friends, caught up with some old ones, and managed to capture a good chunk of the adventure on video!

And finally, there are certain aspects of every race (that charges an entry fee) that are pretty much expected: some sort of swag item, a bib, course markings, etc.  This final section is meant to highlight areas where the race went above and beyond expectations, as well as where it fell short.  This is a new section for my race reports, but I think I'd like to give it a name.  Something like "Buzz Lightyear and The Sloth"....we'll see if that sticks.

Buzz Lightyear
- Post race celebrations and atmosphere.  Full on meal + free beer = WIN!  Plus having it right at the "L-shaped" mansion with a bunch of picnic tables so everyone can hang out and cheer on the finishers was very nicely done.
- Results were up on Pretzel City Sports within 24 hours!  Without chip timing!
- Nice, classy tech shirts with a unique color, but not overly loud

The Sloth
- The course was marked really well in some places, and quite poorly in others. Almost everyone I talked to post-race had described at least one incident in which they were lost (personally, I veered off course twice).   Runners don't need markings every few feet, but we DO need them clearly at EVERY possible intersection! Even faint side trails! Just put one little flag on the course just after the intersection to let the runner know they're still on the right track and there is one less thing to worry about.
- Aid stations weren't as well stocked as some other ultras I've run with around the same turnout. This wasn't a big deal though, and I'll let it slide a bit cause the post race grub was nice :)
- Mile Markers 22 - 25 were wrong. 22 should have been 23 and 26 didn't exist. Now that I'm writing this, it really seems trivial, but in the mind of a runner who's been out there for 5+ hours, it's a HUGE difference between being at mile 24 or 25.

Training leading up to the race:
  Monday: rest
  Tuesday: brief 1.5 mile recovery run
  Wednesday: 11 easy trail miles
  Thursday: Commute on bike (8 miles total)
  Friday: rest
  Saturday: 2 mile flat hike

Race Gear List:
  Buff
  Race Shirt from the Philadelphia Half
  GoLite Mesa Shorts
  Darn Tough Vermont Socks
  Hoka One One Stinson Trail
  Ultimate Direction SJ Vest 1.0
  Garmin Fenix
  RoadID
  Garmin Virb Elite Action Camera
  DIY Monopod

Race Nutrition:
  Greek Yogurt, Cornbread, and Coffee for Breakfast
  Water refills at almost every stop
  Clif-type bars or Stinger gels roughly every 30-45 minutes
  About 1 SaltStick pill per hour as I felt cramping coming on
  Questionable orange-drink at one aid station

2014 Fuego y Agua 50K Nicaragua Race Report: The Unexpected

"Expect the Unexpected"
This phrase is frankly, bullshit.  I prefer something more along the lines of "Be Flexible" or "Adapt or Die".  To me, these provide a clearer directive.  In an 50K ultramarathon consisting of a volcano and sweltering 90° F heat, one thing you most certainly need is clear direction...and maybe some water.

As many runners do, in the late months of the year I began scheduling races for the following calendar year with the intention of including a couple "destination races".  This is a term I use for a vacation centered around a race (geographically, for the most part).  Throwing several ideas of locations out to my non-running sister, we were surprised to find a trip to Nicaragua was actually the cheapest overall option out of 3 (which included 2 domestic races).  Of course...I made a spreadsheet to get to this number ;p

TripName	ExpenseType	Amount	Notes
Nicaragua	Flight	$        375	PP, American, Philly to Managua, 1 stop
	Lodging	$        700	Estimate, could be much less, depending on where we go.  Staying on the island is cheap ( < 50 US /night), Cities are more comparable to US hotel prices.
	Ground Transport	$          75	?? Approx.  Seems pretty cheap
	Activities	$        200	?? PP
	Food	$        200	?? PP
	Total:	1550
Florida	Flight	$        235	PP, Dulles or Philly, United, 1 stop
	Car	$        317
	Gas	$        100	Conservative Estimate
	Lodging	$        700	Estimate, could be much less, or much more, depending on comfort level.
	Food	$        350	PP
	Activities	$        200	?? PP
	Total:	1902
Texas	Flight	$        350	PP, United, BWI, 1 stop
	Car	$        272
	Gas	$        125	Conservative Estimate
	Lodging	$        700	Estimate, could be much less, or much more, depending on comfort level.
	Food	$        350	PP
	Activities	$        200	?? PP
	Total:	1997

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To my surprise, the trip actually only ended up costing me $1,498.44!  But enough about that, I deal with enough numbers at my day job...on to Isla de Ometepe!

The mighty dual-volcano island of Ometepe

After the peaceful 1 hour ferry ride from San Jorge to Moyogalpa, we got a cab down to the packet pickup location a few miles south at Charco Verde, in San Jose Del Sur.  To our unexpected surprise, packet pick up had ended an hour before our arrival, but no worries, I'd be able to pick everything up the following morning prior to the 5AM start on the beach.

If I would describe the next surprise as less than a miracle, it'd be a lie.  It turned out that not only was our hotel (Villa Paraiso) the hub for the race activities on Saturday, our cabin (#1) was no more than 100 feet from the start/finish line!  If it weren't for the busloads of other participants arriving at 3AM on Saturday morning, I could have easily slept in until 4 or so and still had time to packet pickup, breakfast, and gear prep!  I felt blessed.

Rocking my treasured "The Blerch" shirt, I joined about 200 other waiting participants in the humid pre-dawn stickiness for a couple minutes, then we were off!  Along the beach, headed south towards Volcan Maderas.

Just before the start

Roughly two miles in at the base of the volcano, we hit the first aid station where I stopped briefly and gulped down something that I can't even recollect...hopefully it was water.

Great view from about half way up Maderas, looking north over the isthmus to Concepcion.

Still dark, the 4000' climb began, with most of us power hiking up the rocky, dirt road which soon turned to forested trail and progressively wetter, steeper, and muddier.  No one mentioned it out loud, but I think we could all sense that the "fun" was just beginning.

"FUN" is spelled M-U-D

After cresting the volcano’s rim and with a firm belief that it couldn’t get any muddier or slicker, we descended into “The Jungle Gym”





It was basically like trying to make your way through a parking garage packed full of SUVs which had been smothered in olive oil and mantequilla.  This was the first point when I noticed I may have been the only participant with handheld bottles in lieu of a backpack.  Free hands are necessary for this run, period.

Emerging from the forest, we were met by a surreal, foggy lagoon and a surprisingly well-stocked aid station, given its location and proximity to roads.  We enjoyed a nice, cool break from climbing and sliding, and mentally prepared for the muddy descent back to the heat of the day along the island’s coast.

Foggy Lagoon

         

After a brief climb back up to the rim, the possibly more treacherous and muddier descent followed, slowing the pack down to a laughable 40:00 min/mile pace at one point!  Due to the sluggish progress and “interactiveness” of the course, everybody had the chance to voice their opinions of the changing conditions, and maybe exchange some friendly jeers after witnessing slips and “less than graceful” landings.

What came next was certainly the hardest, most draining part of the run: Nicaraguan heat with little to no breeze.  The final 18 miles of the course followed a perimeter road, circling Maderas counter-clockwise from around 9 o’clock to 12.  While there were aid stations roughly every 10K (thank god!), 6.2 miles was much to far to keep the spirits up, pounding endlessly along a primitive dirt road in Central America.

The sun was beating down so bad at one point, that I had to cover my head and neck with something other than my baseball cap so I picked up the next thing I saw along the (often) garbage strewn road: a nasty old wife-beater that could have easily served as a nut rag in its former life.  Clearly, I wasn’t thinking clearly…I had hit my first wall and was now in survival mode.

In fact, around the time of these two videos, I had resigned to the fact that once I made it to the next aid station, I would sit, wait for a ride back to the hotel and accept my DNF.

As fate would have it, about 200 yards before the next aid station was the most glorious, rushing, clear creek that I’ve ever seen.  I didn’t care where the water came from, I was going for a swim.  It was, quite possibly, the greatest 5 minutes of my life.  It felt like bathing in a raging sea of unicorn tears.  Nothing short of awesome and it gave me the renewed mental strength to decide to push on and finish this hot, dirty mess of a race.

As a side note: I DO know what cansado means, but in that mental state, you’d be lucky if I could tell you my middle name.

During the final 3 miles, we were back on paved road and in civilization.  With barely 2 miles to go, I hit wall number two and simply needed to sit on a shaded rock roadside.  During this much needed 5-minute break a few friends from earlier named Flint and Margaret egged me on to join them for the last stretch and I noted that I’ll see them soon.  Whether that was after the finish line or before was up for debate.  I still needed another couple of minutes to regain some sort of will to push on.

To my surprise, I caught up to the pair just as we entered the final 2 or 3K of beach running to the finish line.  It was a joyous time filled with high-spirits while Flint desperately tried to get other runners to join us for a big group finish.

At 3:18pm, over 10 HOURS after the start, my raggedy, wife-beater toting ass crossed the finish line.

Next up were 4 things, in this order:

1. Medal
2. Piss in the lake
3. Chair
4. Toña

Me, rocking the Blerch shirt, Flint and Margaret closing in behind

    

So much about this race was unexpected:  From the kindness from strangers and fellow racers to the ruggedness of the volcano to my reaction to the heat, I can honestly say that while this wasn’t like any other ultra I’ve run.  The lowest low points made the higher highs seem that much better.  I consider myself blessed to be able to participate in events like this and meet so many great people.  Even after all that craziness, I’m considering coming back next year.  Thank you to everyone involved in making my race experience possible.

Gear List:

• Hoka One One Stinson Trail
• Smartwool socks
• Ultimate Direction Handheld bottles
• Brooks night life jacket (not used)
• Adidas cap
• 2 spibelts
• GoLite shorts
• Blerch shirt
• Garmin Fenix watch

Nutrition:

• GU Roctane Gels
• Power Bar energy chews  (roughly every 30 minutes between gels and chews)
• Clif bars (when hungry)
• Cookies, watermelon, pringles, saltines @ aid stations
• Salt pills, roughly 2 per hour after mile 12

As always, here’s the Strava activity (but unfortunately since my watch crapped out, I borrowed someone’s with a similar time from Garmin Connect)

Blues Cruise 50K 2013 Race Report: A story of survival

 In a word: the experience was HUMBLING.

In another...it SUCKED.

With a single loop ultra, relatively flat (on paper), and only an hour and fifteen minutes from home, signing up for the 2013 edition of the Blues Cruise 50K Ultramarathon seemed like a no brainer.  It was held on a warmer than average Fall Sunday, 10/6/13, starting around 8:35AM.

Named as such because of its location: Blue Marsh Lake west of Reading PA and interestingly enough, this area is maintained and managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers.  Despite the current US Gov't shutdown, the show still went on.  Along with many other runners, volunteers, and family, I was pleased to hear this news in the days leading up to the race.  Kudos to the Race Director for keeping on top of that crucial business!

Please Note: the vast majority of photo credits in this post go to: 

Jenn Seale

Brad Bansner

Jim Blandford

I didn't know much about this race before the start other than it was mostly singletrack, and was supposed to be a pretty good "beginner ultra".  For some reason I thought that was equivalent to saying it was "easy", an idea that left my mind early in the race.

Being fairly close to home and a pretty late start, I decided to head out from home around 6:30AM instead of trying to find housing near the race.  When I arrived at the foggy lake side, there were already considerable lines for packet pickup and the 5 porta-potties available near the start.  I had around 45 minutes until the race began, plus the lines moved along nicely so no worries.

Looking at some times from previous years it seemed the course was pretty quick, so my strategy was to maintain somewhere between a 9:00/mile and 10:00/mile pace, and see how that went.  As always, I was using my Garmin Fenix along with Magellan HR Strap to record data for quick feedback during the run, as well as analysis later on.

The race started at a quick pace as expected, and didn't get into true singletrack until nearly a mile into the course...nicely designed.

Albeit a bit rocky, I was able to allow gravity to take care of business on all the downhills, and taking it easy on flats and uphills, maintaining a solid 9:30-10:00 mile for first few miles.  After the first 10K it really leveled out and it was comfy ticking off the miles around a 9:00/mi pace through mile 10.

Having some fun early on in the race

Even though my legs felt a bit sluggish, I pretty much ignored it believing it was simply gonna take some time to loosen up.  Little did I know that the fatigue was from overtraining the prior week:

Sunday: 23 easy
Monday: Easy 6 + 10x10sec hill sprints
Tuesday: Specific Endurance Intervals: 3 easy, 6 x 800m @5k pace w/ 2min active recov., then 3 easy
Wednesday: Easy 7
Thursday: Easy 5
Friday: rest
Saturday: rest

I'd never done that type of mileage the week before a long race and now I know why.

With my physical and subsequent mental state waning, my memory is pretty poor from the final half(ish) of the race so other than the general statement about it "sucking", here's what I can recall.

• The "Love and Marriage" theme from Married with Children was stuck in my head for about 10-12 miles on the back half of the course; the tempo seemed to work well with my "death shuffle", and the thought of sitting on a couch like Al Bundy sounded oh so good during those long lonely stretches in Penn's Woods.
• Coke tastes good after running for 4 hours in the humidity!
• Some badass dude named Scott who's run a few 100 milers seemed in great shape and was good conversation for a mile or two around mile 16
• I was loving the eye candy at the Octoberfest aid station!
• Definitely got Chicked and Geezered* multiple times around mile 22
• Thinking..."I don't remember this many hills on the elevation profile"
• My freaking watch lost satellites from mile 20.55 to 22ish
• On a decent hill climb around mile 23, I had two options: Cry, or Sit.  I luckily found a stump to rest on, somewhat saving my masculinity.

*same as getting Chicked, but rather than a female, it's some wise old dude running a much smarter race than you

Bombing a downhill around mile 12

Don't confuse that with a smile...pretty sure I'm just holding back the tears.

MMMMM...Aid station goodness

We shared the trails all day with bikers, horses, hikers and other runners

The final 4.5 miles after the last aid station were all a mental game, constantly checking down at my watch, seeing the miles tick down.  I don't know if it was the coke or the endorphins, but I actually remember feeling pretty energetic during this last stretch!

The leader coming through the finish in amazing time!  (3:45:10)

Finish area scene

DONE! (5:43:38)

Some final thoughts:

- I sweat like crazy, especially when it got sunny and into the 80's in the afternoon

- AMAZING aid stations!  They'd take care of each runner like we were royalty!
- I seem to remember lots of bridge crossings
- I didn't fall!  Or stub my toes!
- The course was much more hilly than I expected
- I didn't have any GI issues
- There were no mile markers (not a big deal for me, but maybe others without watches)
- As promised, the course was 95% singletrack, which was simply beautiful!
- Good quality swag: T-Shirt, Hoodie, and Hat
- Great food after the finish: potato pancakes, grilled cheese, soda, chocolate chip banana bread, etc...
- I seem to like bullet points today
- All in all an extremely well run race that I would highly recommend!

The Octoberfest Ladies cheered me up a bit after a rough day!

Personal Nutrition Notes:

• Coffee, Banana and Chobani Greek Yogurt for breakfast
• GU Roctane Blueberry Pomegranate Gel 15 minutes before, then every 30 minutes, or Power Bar Gel Bites at 60 minute intervals
• Pretzels, Twizzlers, and Grapes at aid stations
• Coke at final two aid stations
• 4-5 Salt Stick caps periodically from mile 20 on
• 3-4 full refills of water in bottles, at least 1 cup of water at each AS
• Whatever crap I could stuff in my face after the finish

Gear list:

• Garmin Fenix
• Magellan HR Strap
• Road ID bracelet
• Brooks Hat (white)
• Tech race shirt
• GoLite Shorts
• Nike Socks
• Brooks Pure Grit
• Two-pocket SPIbelt
• 2 Ultimate Direction Handheld Water Bottles
• Bandaids on nipples
• Body Glide on inner thighs
• Small sandwich baggie with toilet paper

See you on the trails later.  I'll be resting up for a few days before getting back to training for the JFK 50 Miler next month.


As always, here's the link to the activity on Strava.

Frozen Sasquatch 50K Race Report

It turns out January is a great time of year to visit West Virginia for a little trail running, sightseeing, and some good eats.

Last weekend my wife, mom, sister made the 6 hour drive down to Charleston, WV to support my efforts in completing my first ultramarathon, the Frozen Sasquatch 50K.  In fact it was a weekend of quite a few firsts:

- 1st ultra
- 1st race in WV
- 1st race of the year
- 1st race with my new Christmas present: Garmin Fenix

We got into town on Friday just in time to pick up my packet at the local running shop, being certain to get some restaurant recommendations from the friendly staff.  That immediately led to lengthy, but tasty dinner at Bluegrass Kitchen.

Later that night in the hotel, I spent the better part of an hour organizing all my race stuff.  Being my first race of this distance, I wanted to be sure I had everything laid out beforehand (literally).

Gear organized in 3 sections, before, during, after.

Race morning went smoothly and we found ourselves at the pool area in Kanawha State Forest around 30 minutes before the start.

Right away, I got a glimpse of how pure and intimate a trail race like this can be.  The field was small (around 200 total) and everyone enjoyed conversation before the race, huddled in the heated luxury indoors.  Even the bathrooms were heated, which was an extremely welcome refuge on this West Virginia morning in the 20s.  After a short briefing (Blue ribbon good...yellow bad) we were off for a few hundred meter road run before we hit the trails.

We're off!

Up...slowly.  That's pretty much how the first mile went.  I should have known but I didn't realize it until we hit the trail: I'd started a little farther back than I wanted and I'd soon be caught in the never ending "conga line" up the first climb.  Being my first ultra, my strategy was to take it easy and in hindsight this slow start probably helped.  But during those first 20 minutes, all I wanted to do was run!

Conga line

The course was about half single track, and the other half forest roads, with a couple of short pavement sections sprinkled in.  The 50K was two 25K loops and only about 50 participants were signed up for the second go around.

Once we hit the forest roads around mile 2, it was time to start passing people and even surprised myself with one mile under 9 min!  By the time we got back on single track for an aggressive descent, I was in a group moving at a pace I was comfortable with on the still (mostly) frozen ground in the western portion of the state forest.

We hit the first of the well stocked and well staffed aid stations at mile 5.  I honestly couldn't believe my ears when approaching several stations hearing "What can I get for you?"  I've never encountered this type of amazing hospitality during a race before; each was such a welcoming oasis after each 4-5 mile lonely stretch in between.

At one point during a paved "rail trail" like section about half way through the course, I remember thinking..."If I feel good during the second loop around, I could really open it up here".  Yeah...that definitely didn't happen.  The way the legs feel at mile 7 is a far cry from how they feel at mile 22.

Paved section around mile 7

There was a tough 500' climb coming out of the second aid station which proved to be the emotional low point of the day during the second loop.  It was slow going, but once we hit the fire road at the top of the ridge, it literally was "all downhill from here".

The next portion was a playful section of single track known as the Middle Ridge Trail - my favorite part of the course, featuring some zigs and zags, but nothing technical or taking on much elevation change.  It was also extremely well marked and easy to follow despite having no other runners around me on either time through.  And it was during this section when I felt most comfortable, having the peace and freedom I feel in the woods (minus the AS3 dog barking every few seconds and the fellas in the valley below enjoying some high powered target practice).

The final downhill mile was the most technical of the entire 15 mile loop, surely to test our agility after 30 miles of running.

Coming through the half way I greeted my family, got a refill on water and grabbed a single Clif bar out of my drop bag and headed out for a second loop.  That's right...after all that crap that I shoved in my drop bag, I only needed a Clif bar...better safe than sorry I guess.

Coming through the half way point - feeling good!

"Crunchy" trails

The second loop was, well basically the same as the first except: lonelier, slower, muddier and much much more difficult.  I walked most of the climbs on the second half, and it was nice to not really care about my pace.  It was difficult enough already, ya know...running 31 miles and all.

After coming down the final sketchy descent unscathed, my wife ran alongside me for the final 200 meters through the parking lot, with words of encouragement like "run faster and get in under 5:53!" all while wearing her winter boots!  A short sprint meant that I made it in as she directed, with 6 seconds to spare.

A full, detailed view of my race can be found here.

Wow - I look thrilled to be done.

It was an extremely rewarding experience that couldn't have gone much better, especially given that it was my first race > 26.2.  My nasty ankle sprain from two weeks prior barely bothered me, I didn't have any stomach issues, and I left with nice handcrafted artwork as my finisher's award.  Later that night we took advantage of the other recommended restaurant: Pies and Pints, both of which were enjoyed to the fullest.  Leaving the Mountain State with full stomachs, good memories, sore muscles, and smiles all around is the best and only way to do it.

A big thanks goes to all who made the race possible, and providing the opportunity for me to really enjoy my first ultra!

I rigged up the finisher's award as a medal!

What lies ahead

I don't believe in new years resolutions.  I mean: who says you have to wait until January 1st to make a change or create personal goals?  In my case for 2013, I don't have time to wait for the new year to establish some goals and plan for new heights in personal achievement.  Next year is going to be jam packed with weekends of pushing myself to places (and paces) I never thought possible.

So what are the goals?

#1: Qualify for the Boston Marathon
yep, it's in writing...now it's official...no turning back now.

It's going to be hard, but I wouldn't set the goal if I thought it was unachievable.  Being a 4:53 marathoner at my first (and only) marathon back in May of 2011 might lead you to believe that I have absolutely no shot at attaining the required 3:05:00 for the Boston Athletic Association's standard for my gender and age group.  But hard training (and 20+ pounds lost) this past year has worked magic on the fitness of this formerly fat runner and I'm confident that if I continue on this path, it's within reach.

#2: Run an ultramarathon
I just want to get my feet wet in the sport of long distance trail running with no particular pace or finishing time in mind.  It's an entirely different animal than road running and I'm looking forward to challenging myself at these greater distances.

#3: Complete the Appalachian Trail in NJ and NY
This section is roughly 160 miles and while that may not seem like a whole lot to cover in an entire year, I'm going to have to carefully plan backpacking weekends into my running schedule.


So what's the plan?

Well, #2 is only a month away: The Frozen Sasquatch 50K in West Virginia on January 5th.  I haven't had a training run over 10 miles since November 3rd...so we'll see how this goes!

As for the Boston Qualifier, the obvious choice for me is the Harrisburg Marathon with its extremely fast course and starting line less than 10 miles from my front door, but the timing doesn't work out the way that I'd prefer.  If I run a qualifying time in Harrisburg in November of next year, I'm looking at running Boston in 2015...and quite frankly that's a long way off.  I'd rather do a spring marathon and try to get in to the 2014 race; that's why I registered for the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach in March.  While it's not listed on any of the "Top Boston Qualifying Race" lists put out there on the web, it's flat and as long as my training is solid, I should be able to achieve my goals.

The schedule for the rest of 2013 will sort of depend on how my race goes in Virginia Beach.  If I qualify, then the doors are wide open for some even crazier adventures like the JFK 50 Mile in November.  If not, then there are many options for fast fall marathons.


I've also got some secondary goals that are listed below in no particular order.  These are just some fun things I've been thinking about or working on already, and would be great if I could get them accomplished in the coming year.

Running:

• Run at least a half marathon distance in 3 new states
• Travel (run) as far as I possibly can one day (just for fun, not in a race)

Hiking:

• "Thru Hike" the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail in Western PA

Geocaching:

• Find the remainder of the virtual caches in PA that I haven't yet found.  There are only 13 left out of 99, but a few require long hikes or special equipment (e.g. kayak)
• Finish MD/DE Delorme and County Challenges
• Visit Remaining Webcams in DE, MD, and DC (there are only 4, and 3 of them are on the coast so I should probably go in winter or spring to avoid crowds and traffic)

Misc:

• Take better pictures

The FOCUS for the next 4 months will be the Ultra, then Boston Qualifying.  We'll see how it all plays out after I cross the finish line on March 17th, but the journey's going to be fun and I'm very much looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.

New Down Jacket!

I've been in the market for a new packable insulating layer for winter hiking for a couple months now, but just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on a couple hundred dollar down jacket.  Well, it seems my procrastination paid off.  Last weekend I spotted a rack of down jackets at BJs Wholesale Club...the price listed? $49.99!  The brand is Hawke and Co. and it seems they're on sale at Macy's too (but not quite the price I was able to procure).  As one would expect, the quality isn't Arc'teryx territory, but you really can't beat this packability and warmth for the price.  Did I mention it weighs in at a slim 9.4oz?!  Yeah....total steal.

It's definitely done the trick for evenings walking the dog in wind chills down in the low 20s, but I'm anxious to see how it performs on the trail.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure when my next backpacking trip will be, especially given my upcoming ultramarathon in January.