2015 RECAP
2015 began with experimentation.
I was tempted to return to racing fast, and so I laced up some spikes and hit up the Kutztown Invitational 3000m, in which I constantly ran myself off the track to finish in 9:31.41 on a glorified volleyball court. Sure, that's an All-American performance for M35-39 year olds, but I tore up my lower legs something terrible and quickly set into recovery mode.
An oh-too-close battle at "Chilly Cheeks" convinced me that I had a lot of work to do, as I hadn't won such a close trail race in ages. I tested my fitness two months later at the B.A.A 5K with a 16:37 AG, with very little training, and decided I would test my climbing ability in 2015.
I steadily built fitness throughout April and May, lined up against Matt Lipsey (my soon to be state rival) at the Glacier Ridge 30K, in which he proceeded to run away from me like I was a child, but slowly built my base of climbing in order to attack the US Skyrunning Series VK opener at the Quest for the Crest in North Carolina.
I didn't know what to expect in the world of vertical kilometers. All I knew was that I set the Maryland state record at the Mount Washington Road Race in my debut and that I could climb. How a kid from Miami could climb, there was no answer. VK's however, were steep assaults on ski resort mountains, and I needed to find out if I could succeed in this discipline, or else move on.
The Quest for the Crest was an eye-opener. National Mountain Champion, Joe Gray was there, as was Matt Lipsey, and a slew of other regional mountain goats. The race started out and within a half mile I knew I could climb with the best. I ended up placing 2nd behind Joe and secured myself as a legit mountain climber in the VK discipline. Now, descending would be another story...
After NC, I headed to Whiteface to test myself on the biggest mountain I had ever seen: Whiteface in NY, outside of Lake Placid. The mountain was huge. It was daunting. Once again, the same group of characters were present, along with some regional icons. I ran further with Joe than at Quest for the Crest, even taking the lead, but soon succumbed to my own weaknesses and placed 4th in 40:50, still 2nd in the Series, but I had improved by 2' over the VK.
After Whiteface, I gained the courage to enter the Face de Bellevarde VK in Val d'Isere, France, the ISF Skyrunning VK Series opener. This race was at 8000ft and up grades up to 50% steep. I wore the wrong footwear, didn't acclimate sufficiently to the altitude, and placed a disappointing 24th.
The climax of 2015 occurred after Bellevarde. I hit up FKTs in Chamonix (France), Champery (Switzerland), and finished up with my most inspiring effort up the Matterhorn. It was a dream come true, and to experience Europe with my wife in a running, eating, wine mindest was amazing.
I returned with so much inspiration from my trip in Europe that I went on a tear once back stateside, setting CRs at the On the Rocks 15K and the MD Heat Trail 50K, in a longest-ever effort run of 4:38:19 in miserable conditions. But my trip up the Matterhorn convinced me I could suffer in these conditions and over the distance and terrain.
However, 2015 also provided the low-light of my career. I headed out to Montana for THE RUT VK and thought I was invincible. I took a red-eye, got zero sleep and not much food and proceeded to implode in the altitude and effort. Lesson learned. Never again, but I promised to redeem myself. It was here I really understood the legend of Remi Bonnet.
I then shifted towards road running in preparation for the Fall/Winter and ended up injured after a series of road races, including a 16:05 AG for 5K. However, I rebounded strongly and set myself up for a return to the trails, running solidly at the Twisted Turkey Tussle to win again and then crushed the "Dirty Bird" 15K, resuming the type of climbing fitness I showcased over the summer.
2015 ended with some of the best running of my career, as I re-engaged with Howard Nippert to direct my training, but soon aggravated some weaknesses but alleviated others in order to have the best stride of my post-30 age career.
2015 will end up with 2500 miles and 18 race efforts, winning 7 times and placing 2nd another three times. 2016 will look to test myself again, with an even stronger assault on the US Skyrunning Series and really enjoying the Miles of Trials.
I was tempted to return to racing fast, and so I laced up some spikes and hit up the Kutztown Invitational 3000m, in which I constantly ran myself off the track to finish in 9:31.41 on a glorified volleyball court. Sure, that's an All-American performance for M35-39 year olds, but I tore up my lower legs something terrible and quickly set into recovery mode.
An oh-too-close battle at "Chilly Cheeks" convinced me that I had a lot of work to do, as I hadn't won such a close trail race in ages. I tested my fitness two months later at the B.A.A 5K with a 16:37 AG, with very little training, and decided I would test my climbing ability in 2015.
I steadily built fitness throughout April and May, lined up against Matt Lipsey (my soon to be state rival) at the Glacier Ridge 30K, in which he proceeded to run away from me like I was a child, but slowly built my base of climbing in order to attack the US Skyrunning Series VK opener at the Quest for the Crest in North Carolina.
I didn't know what to expect in the world of vertical kilometers. All I knew was that I set the Maryland state record at the Mount Washington Road Race in my debut and that I could climb. How a kid from Miami could climb, there was no answer. VK's however, were steep assaults on ski resort mountains, and I needed to find out if I could succeed in this discipline, or else move on.
The Quest for the Crest was an eye-opener. National Mountain Champion, Joe Gray was there, as was Matt Lipsey, and a slew of other regional mountain goats. The race started out and within a half mile I knew I could climb with the best. I ended up placing 2nd behind Joe and secured myself as a legit mountain climber in the VK discipline. Now, descending would be another story...
After NC, I headed to Whiteface to test myself on the biggest mountain I had ever seen: Whiteface in NY, outside of Lake Placid. The mountain was huge. It was daunting. Once again, the same group of characters were present, along with some regional icons. I ran further with Joe than at Quest for the Crest, even taking the lead, but soon succumbed to my own weaknesses and placed 4th in 40:50, still 2nd in the Series, but I had improved by 2' over the VK.
After Whiteface, I gained the courage to enter the Face de Bellevarde VK in Val d'Isere, France, the ISF Skyrunning VK Series opener. This race was at 8000ft and up grades up to 50% steep. I wore the wrong footwear, didn't acclimate sufficiently to the altitude, and placed a disappointing 24th.
The climax of 2015 occurred after Bellevarde. I hit up FKTs in Chamonix (France), Champery (Switzerland), and finished up with my most inspiring effort up the Matterhorn. It was a dream come true, and to experience Europe with my wife in a running, eating, wine mindest was amazing.
I returned with so much inspiration from my trip in Europe that I went on a tear once back stateside, setting CRs at the On the Rocks 15K and the MD Heat Trail 50K, in a longest-ever effort run of 4:38:19 in miserable conditions. But my trip up the Matterhorn convinced me I could suffer in these conditions and over the distance and terrain.
However, 2015 also provided the low-light of my career. I headed out to Montana for THE RUT VK and thought I was invincible. I took a red-eye, got zero sleep and not much food and proceeded to implode in the altitude and effort. Lesson learned. Never again, but I promised to redeem myself. It was here I really understood the legend of Remi Bonnet.
I then shifted towards road running in preparation for the Fall/Winter and ended up injured after a series of road races, including a 16:05 AG for 5K. However, I rebounded strongly and set myself up for a return to the trails, running solidly at the Twisted Turkey Tussle to win again and then crushed the "Dirty Bird" 15K, resuming the type of climbing fitness I showcased over the summer.
2015 ended with some of the best running of my career, as I re-engaged with Howard Nippert to direct my training, but soon aggravated some weaknesses but alleviated others in order to have the best stride of my post-30 age career.
2015 will end up with 2500 miles and 18 race efforts, winning 7 times and placing 2nd another three times. 2016 will look to test myself again, with an even stronger assault on the US Skyrunning Series and really enjoying the Miles of Trials.
