11/15/2014
Reading, PA - An icy Turkey Trot in 16:05.1 left Gabriel in good spirits, as it was a spirited battle in icy conditions versus some stout competition. However, the race left Gabriel's right hamstring in a status of pain and tightness. He had exactly two days to recover for the infamous "Dirty Bird" 15K Trail Run, hosted by Ron and Pretzel City Sports.
Gabriel was confident enough to make the drive and line up. Upon warming up in the snow and mud, Gabriel knew the day would be hit or miss. The hamstring was weak. He prayed upon a miracle of "maybe faster running will help loosen it out," and so he went off the line at 5:15/mi pace for the first road mile, in second place entering the trail, which he immediately attacked the uphill and took over the lead. Now, this is Gabriel's weakness- he could have relaxed because he already had a comfortable lead, but no, he kept hammering. And he hammered until his hamstring fell off in the final mile. It was an effort just to finish from keeping the hamstring from locking up, but finish he did, all blood (with a couple of leg scratches that would prove to require anti-biotics) and blood on the ear.
All in all, it was a risk that paid off, and the hamstring is no worse for the wear. Another trail conquered, another race victim to an assault.
Friday, December 26, 2014
Monday, November 17, 2014
SURVIVED A TUSSLE
November 15, 2014
FAIRFIELD, PA - And so, on the morning of the dreadful day he was supposed to have lined up at the Stone Mill 50 Mile, Gabriel opted to follow his genetic make-up and race a difficult, but fast, 10 mile trail challenge.
He arrived with plenty of time, sans family, and actually got in two separate warm-ups in the miserable cold. The course seemed legit - full of climbs, descents, and scrambles, but also some spaces to test oneself and push.
The gun fired and Gabriel felt the best he had ever felt in the opening minutes of a race. He was light, fluid, and ready to roll. He climbed very well, and the bombed the descent, perhaps a bit too much. He once again got in over his head in the initial 5 km (6:14/mi pace) and was reduced to a shuffle approaching the first major climb, but as always, the climb got him out of his rut and fired up his muscles and engine. He took off once more. However, in the technical and rocky drop, Gabriel managed to kick up a small boulder that slammed into his inner ankle bone, causing him to run in pain and teary eyes for the next mile. The ankle would not feel good the rest of the race.
However, Gabriel's fitness was with him - he attacked every uphill, powered the flats, and flew past the rocks. The course became increasingly rocky and muddy (and hilly!!) towards the finish, but he was really rolling now and finished about three minutes under the existing and quite stout (sub-7:00/mi) course record from 2013.
A few cider beers after the race and in the sun, Gabriel received a frozen young turkey for his prize and then was able to masterfully drive the bends of Glatfelter Station on the way home to celebrate...
FAIRFIELD, PA - And so, on the morning of the dreadful day he was supposed to have lined up at the Stone Mill 50 Mile, Gabriel opted to follow his genetic make-up and race a difficult, but fast, 10 mile trail challenge.
He arrived with plenty of time, sans family, and actually got in two separate warm-ups in the miserable cold. The course seemed legit - full of climbs, descents, and scrambles, but also some spaces to test oneself and push.
The gun fired and Gabriel felt the best he had ever felt in the opening minutes of a race. He was light, fluid, and ready to roll. He climbed very well, and the bombed the descent, perhaps a bit too much. He once again got in over his head in the initial 5 km (6:14/mi pace) and was reduced to a shuffle approaching the first major climb, but as always, the climb got him out of his rut and fired up his muscles and engine. He took off once more. However, in the technical and rocky drop, Gabriel managed to kick up a small boulder that slammed into his inner ankle bone, causing him to run in pain and teary eyes for the next mile. The ankle would not feel good the rest of the race.
However, Gabriel's fitness was with him - he attacked every uphill, powered the flats, and flew past the rocks. The course became increasingly rocky and muddy (and hilly!!) towards the finish, but he was really rolling now and finished about three minutes under the existing and quite stout (sub-7:00/mi) course record from 2013.
A few cider beers after the race and in the sun, Gabriel received a frozen young turkey for his prize and then was able to masterfully drive the bends of Glatfelter Station on the way home to celebrate...
CHASING OPEN SPACES
October 25th, 2014
UNIONVILLE, PA - And so the weekend was spent chasing open spaces in the fields of Pennsylvania. Gabriel was ready to test his strength and proceeded to blow his own doors off on the opening couple of miles of this challenge 10 km in Unionville, PA.
Immediately at around a three mile climb, Gabriel was in distress. He had gone way too hard, way too early and he was now exposed. He did everything he could to compose himself and then decided to seek shelter in the woods and trails to recover before building for the final finish.
The strategy worked and Gabriel salvaged a solid effort, although his plans of doing the course twice were shot. Alas, a two-minute victory was all he could walk away with...
UNIONVILLE, PA - And so the weekend was spent chasing open spaces in the fields of Pennsylvania. Gabriel was ready to test his strength and proceeded to blow his own doors off on the opening couple of miles of this challenge 10 km in Unionville, PA.
Immediately at around a three mile climb, Gabriel was in distress. He had gone way too hard, way too early and he was now exposed. He did everything he could to compose himself and then decided to seek shelter in the woods and trails to recover before building for the final finish.
The strategy worked and Gabriel salvaged a solid effort, although his plans of doing the course twice were shot. Alas, a two-minute victory was all he could walk away with...
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
GREEN MONSTER
October 12, 2014
Wellsboro, PA - Gabriel decided to race The Green Monster Trail Challenge 25K perhaps 12 hours before race day. He packed his car, loaded his family, and headed out to Wellsboro, PA. He felt like racing, he felt like suffering.
Once again, it was not an uneventful morning. Having to register race morning, Gabriel once again left it late and this resulted in a very sluggish opening mile on the road with the familiar pack. It took the first major climb, a two-mile Deer Trail Climb at 10% to wake him from his slumber. And then he took off.
The course was phenomenal, blending beautiful singletrack with some muddier sections that were not expected. He knew there would be 4-5 major climbs, and terminating with the descent of Frankenstein's Face, a scree-filled drop at -32% grade that absolutely blew out the quads. It was beautiful.
Finishing strongly on the road with a final mile in 5:43, Gabriel relished the new course record and prize earnings...
Wellsboro, PA - Gabriel decided to race The Green Monster Trail Challenge 25K perhaps 12 hours before race day. He packed his car, loaded his family, and headed out to Wellsboro, PA. He felt like racing, he felt like suffering.
Once again, it was not an uneventful morning. Having to register race morning, Gabriel once again left it late and this resulted in a very sluggish opening mile on the road with the familiar pack. It took the first major climb, a two-mile Deer Trail Climb at 10% to wake him from his slumber. And then he took off.
The course was phenomenal, blending beautiful singletrack with some muddier sections that were not expected. He knew there would be 4-5 major climbs, and terminating with the descent of Frankenstein's Face, a scree-filled drop at -32% grade that absolutely blew out the quads. It was beautiful.
Finishing strongly on the road with a final mile in 5:43, Gabriel relished the new course record and prize earnings...
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
DAM RIGHT.
September 14, 2014
MIFFLINBURG, PA - Gabriel decided his training was going well. He had recovered from Pike's Peak and was in need of a long effort. The Dam Full Marathon was on his radar as a strong contender for a great long run and effort. And so, Gabriel and his family made the drive.
Oh, driving two hours on race morning with three girls and a wife is quite the adventure. Let's just say that Gabriel basically missed the start, roaring his way through the field in the opening quarter mile just to get into the lead. Once Gabriel assumed the lead, he felt this was going to be a long comfortable long run on some meandering and surprisingly rocky trails. However, by the second mile, he had been caught and pulled over to concede the lead while tying a shoe lace.
Frustrated at his laces, Gabriel set off in pursuit of the leader, who was actually running quite strongly. Gabriel tried to calm his nerves, understanding there was still over three hours of running left. Finally, Gabriel made contact, engaged, and the two proceeded to battle over the trail. Suddenly, Gabriel burst past into the lead and started a phenomenal climb of 15% grade, which then topped out at 17% grade, and his pursuer was not falling back. It would take Gabriel a dedicated push of no recovery and bypassing the aid station to finally create a gap that would only extend throughout the race.
As the race dragged on, Gabriel began the mantra of "Stairway to Heaven." He was warned of this epic climb, and now Gabriel wanted blood. All he wanted to do was decimate that climb. Arriving at the final aid station, Gabriel prepared himself for the ascent and it was all that it was built-up to be, a great upper-quad burning jaunt up one full mile at 16% grade and rocks.
After descending, Gabriel knew the race was conquered and the victory was his and he enjoyed his final sprint to the finish to rest alongside a great fire and great food with his family.
MIFFLINBURG, PA - Gabriel decided his training was going well. He had recovered from Pike's Peak and was in need of a long effort. The Dam Full Marathon was on his radar as a strong contender for a great long run and effort. And so, Gabriel and his family made the drive.
Oh, driving two hours on race morning with three girls and a wife is quite the adventure. Let's just say that Gabriel basically missed the start, roaring his way through the field in the opening quarter mile just to get into the lead. Once Gabriel assumed the lead, he felt this was going to be a long comfortable long run on some meandering and surprisingly rocky trails. However, by the second mile, he had been caught and pulled over to concede the lead while tying a shoe lace.
Frustrated at his laces, Gabriel set off in pursuit of the leader, who was actually running quite strongly. Gabriel tried to calm his nerves, understanding there was still over three hours of running left. Finally, Gabriel made contact, engaged, and the two proceeded to battle over the trail. Suddenly, Gabriel burst past into the lead and started a phenomenal climb of 15% grade, which then topped out at 17% grade, and his pursuer was not falling back. It would take Gabriel a dedicated push of no recovery and bypassing the aid station to finally create a gap that would only extend throughout the race.
As the race dragged on, Gabriel began the mantra of "Stairway to Heaven." He was warned of this epic climb, and now Gabriel wanted blood. All he wanted to do was decimate that climb. Arriving at the final aid station, Gabriel prepared himself for the ascent and it was all that it was built-up to be, a great upper-quad burning jaunt up one full mile at 16% grade and rocks.
After descending, Gabriel knew the race was conquered and the victory was his and he enjoyed his final sprint to the finish to rest alongside a great fire and great food with his family.
THAT PEAK SUCKED
August 16, 2014
MANITOU SPRINGS, CO - This was not good. Well, it was good until about 10,000 feet of altitude. Gabriel arrived into Colorado, via Denver, two days before the race to give him some time for acclimatization. His first couple of runs at 6500ft were perfectly fine. He did not feel out of breath, nor did he have a massive headache. All seemed well...
And so, race morning arrived uneventfully, and Gabriel jogged the two miles from his hotel to the starting line. He lined up and took off. He was comfortable not to be near the lead pack, but he also felt that he couldn't be up there anyway, his fitness was not there, and this race hosted the WMRA World Long Mountain Challenge. Up and up he went. Barr Trail came and went and he had moved up into the top 30 runners, passing runners every so often. However, as he approached about 9-10,000ft. it was as if a switch shut-off his body and Gabriel resorted to a complete lack of energy and will.
By 11,000 ft. he had been passed by the top woman and by 12,000 ft. he had been passed by the top five elite women. Gabriel was just in survival mode to finish. Never did he dream about running 2:54, but that's what he ran. His goal of 2:30 was a pipe dream.
And he wondered what lessons he learned... probably the most important one is don't invest in an effort that is at altitude. You will not be as prepared as your competition.
MANITOU SPRINGS, CO - This was not good. Well, it was good until about 10,000 feet of altitude. Gabriel arrived into Colorado, via Denver, two days before the race to give him some time for acclimatization. His first couple of runs at 6500ft were perfectly fine. He did not feel out of breath, nor did he have a massive headache. All seemed well...
And so, race morning arrived uneventfully, and Gabriel jogged the two miles from his hotel to the starting line. He lined up and took off. He was comfortable not to be near the lead pack, but he also felt that he couldn't be up there anyway, his fitness was not there, and this race hosted the WMRA World Long Mountain Challenge. Up and up he went. Barr Trail came and went and he had moved up into the top 30 runners, passing runners every so often. However, as he approached about 9-10,000ft. it was as if a switch shut-off his body and Gabriel resorted to a complete lack of energy and will.
By 11,000 ft. he had been passed by the top woman and by 12,000 ft. he had been passed by the top five elite women. Gabriel was just in survival mode to finish. Never did he dream about running 2:54, but that's what he ran. His goal of 2:30 was a pipe dream.
And he wondered what lessons he learned... probably the most important one is don't invest in an effort that is at altitude. You will not be as prepared as your competition.
Friday, August 15, 2014
OH, THE ROCKS DO RUMBLE
August 2, 2014
YORK, PA - And so the On the Rocks Trail Run would serve two purposes for Gabriel: 1) it would teach him the "local" trails, as he would be moving to the outskirts of York within the month, and 2) it would serve as his last long run before the Pikes Peak Ascent.
The family headed out and soon enough they found their destination. This small, intimate race would be run on a typical Pennsylvania course of rocks, rocks, rocks. The start was hilarious, as within ten meters, they had to navigate a technical rocky descent, and Gabriel's shoes were not the smartest choice. However, he hammered, and then relaxed and then relaxed probably too much.
His nipples burned from a wear-test gone wrong, his feet ached from improper footwear, and his desire lacked as the course was too technical for what he wanted out of this training effort. He decided to shut it down and perhaps stop after one circuit of the two circuit, 30km race. As he approached his girls at the end of the first lap, Gabriel confided to his wife that he felt horrible, not motivated and not wanting to continue. As he re-laced his laces, and spent close to five minutes in aid, the second place runner passed him. Gabriel was amazed. He thought he had a much larger lead. Now, shirtless, he set off in pursuit and stalked this Krupicka-inspired runner with his soft, methodical footstrikes. He was obviously a seasoned technical trail runner.
And so, at the first opportunity, Gabriel sprinted past and up a pretty big climb and managed to run scared the rest of the way, hammering out a negative split on the second loop and crushing the CR by nine minutes, as well as defeated that runner by a solid fourteen minutes... in one 15km loop.
However, by the end, Gabriel's hip wanted to cramp and he had run much harder than he wanted to, almost to the point of depletion. Oh well, it was a great debut at Rocky Ridge, and a great 2h29' of hard running on very technical terrain... hopefully all he would need for Pike's Peak in two weeks time.
YORK, PA - And so the On the Rocks Trail Run would serve two purposes for Gabriel: 1) it would teach him the "local" trails, as he would be moving to the outskirts of York within the month, and 2) it would serve as his last long run before the Pikes Peak Ascent.
The family headed out and soon enough they found their destination. This small, intimate race would be run on a typical Pennsylvania course of rocks, rocks, rocks. The start was hilarious, as within ten meters, they had to navigate a technical rocky descent, and Gabriel's shoes were not the smartest choice. However, he hammered, and then relaxed and then relaxed probably too much.
His nipples burned from a wear-test gone wrong, his feet ached from improper footwear, and his desire lacked as the course was too technical for what he wanted out of this training effort. He decided to shut it down and perhaps stop after one circuit of the two circuit, 30km race. As he approached his girls at the end of the first lap, Gabriel confided to his wife that he felt horrible, not motivated and not wanting to continue. As he re-laced his laces, and spent close to five minutes in aid, the second place runner passed him. Gabriel was amazed. He thought he had a much larger lead. Now, shirtless, he set off in pursuit and stalked this Krupicka-inspired runner with his soft, methodical footstrikes. He was obviously a seasoned technical trail runner.
And so, at the first opportunity, Gabriel sprinted past and up a pretty big climb and managed to run scared the rest of the way, hammering out a negative split on the second loop and crushing the CR by nine minutes, as well as defeated that runner by a solid fourteen minutes... in one 15km loop.
However, by the end, Gabriel's hip wanted to cramp and he had run much harder than he wanted to, almost to the point of depletion. Oh well, it was a great debut at Rocky Ridge, and a great 2h29' of hard running on very technical terrain... hopefully all he would need for Pike's Peak in two weeks time.
"LOON"EY RESULTS
July 6, 2014
Lincoln, NH - Ah, Gabriel was prepared. He and his family embarked on the journey to Lincoln, NH, from the outskirts of Baltimore, embracing the first family road trip in quite some time.
Gabriel was not sure what to expect, but on the day before the USA Mountain Championships, he stumbled upon a running trail so gorgeous, that he ran a solid 1hr+ the day before the race... he was feeling good. That is, until upon returning to his hotel room, in the midst of soap-massaging his tight calf, he slipped and exploded out of the tub, back against the toilet, ribs cracking.
That could have been the end of him, of the weekend, of his aspirations. However, the family went out to breakfast and Dunkin' Donuts and then to a nice dinner, with Gabriel's back/ribs improving each hour. He would not know what to expect the next day.
Race morning awoke, and Gabriel was ready to give it a go. He felt well on the warm-up, with some crisp, sharp strides, and settled into the starting line while his women elevated into the clouds towards the finish. Gabriel expected a straight-uphill unrelenting course. By 400m, he was in about 50th place. By the mile, he had moved into the top twenty-five. He was climbing well, although he was a bit tentative on the early running. He didn't want to push too hard due to the daunting nature of the ski slope and the Upper Walking Boss which loomed at the finish. And so, Gabriel battled with an old friend, Josh Ferenc, passing back and forth, using him as a guide that he was running well. Ryan Woods was not far ahead. He continued to run strongly.
And then the course hit with full force, and he battled valiantly. He made it to the massive descent, slipping to about twenty-fifth again and then unleashed an out of control descent to get in position for the final push. His only goal was that no one, NO ONE, would pass him on the Upper Walking Boss. And no one did, but he could not pass anyone either. 20th place. 57:31. He had finished strongly, full of health, and felt validated.
The most important goal of the season had been accomplished, the rest would be an adventure... including a low-key Sweet Air Trail Race outside of Baltimore the following weekend in which he once again dominated the trails, but exposing his weak post-tib injury... however, it was a solid run and another great victory and a day after eclipsing his FKT at Old Rag... onto the next courses...
Lincoln, NH - Ah, Gabriel was prepared. He and his family embarked on the journey to Lincoln, NH, from the outskirts of Baltimore, embracing the first family road trip in quite some time.
Gabriel was not sure what to expect, but on the day before the USA Mountain Championships, he stumbled upon a running trail so gorgeous, that he ran a solid 1hr+ the day before the race... he was feeling good. That is, until upon returning to his hotel room, in the midst of soap-massaging his tight calf, he slipped and exploded out of the tub, back against the toilet, ribs cracking.
That could have been the end of him, of the weekend, of his aspirations. However, the family went out to breakfast and Dunkin' Donuts and then to a nice dinner, with Gabriel's back/ribs improving each hour. He would not know what to expect the next day.
Race morning awoke, and Gabriel was ready to give it a go. He felt well on the warm-up, with some crisp, sharp strides, and settled into the starting line while his women elevated into the clouds towards the finish. Gabriel expected a straight-uphill unrelenting course. By 400m, he was in about 50th place. By the mile, he had moved into the top twenty-five. He was climbing well, although he was a bit tentative on the early running. He didn't want to push too hard due to the daunting nature of the ski slope and the Upper Walking Boss which loomed at the finish. And so, Gabriel battled with an old friend, Josh Ferenc, passing back and forth, using him as a guide that he was running well. Ryan Woods was not far ahead. He continued to run strongly.
And then the course hit with full force, and he battled valiantly. He made it to the massive descent, slipping to about twenty-fifth again and then unleashed an out of control descent to get in position for the final push. His only goal was that no one, NO ONE, would pass him on the Upper Walking Boss. And no one did, but he could not pass anyone either. 20th place. 57:31. He had finished strongly, full of health, and felt validated.
The most important goal of the season had been accomplished, the rest would be an adventure... including a low-key Sweet Air Trail Race outside of Baltimore the following weekend in which he once again dominated the trails, but exposing his weak post-tib injury... however, it was a solid run and another great victory and a day after eclipsing his FKT at Old Rag... onto the next courses...
Sunday, June 29, 2014
CHASIN' THE ELUSIVE DREAMS
Jun 28, 2014
Coatesville, PA - The summits of great fitness are sometimes eclipsed by sudden descents in crevices unseen. The broken toe scare of 2014 sideline Gabriel's body and psyche for over a month, and yet he still lined up at the famed Mount Washington Road Race.
After 71-minutes of personal worst defeat, Gabriel once again wound up injured. This time, the tendons under his weakened foot, faced with climbing at 12% grades and at 9:00/mi into the clouds were too much to handle. The clouds of frustration once again stormed in...
However, in a miraculous turn of events, Gabriel ignored all the pains, all the tightness and proceeded to stay on schedule. He did cancel his SkyRace debut in Canada, but he continued to train with renewed intensity - albeit, much lower mileage until the storm clouds passed.
The greater concerns are with gaining fitness rapidly, which is not science. However, Gabriel's intent was to continue his 2014 plan, and that includes the USATF Mountain Championships on July 6th. In preparation, Gabriel and his lovely lady, Perla, stumbled upon a great charity run on June 28th.
Gabriel had planned a 12km progression on the roads, but the Chasin' for Chalfin 15K offered a great mix of singletrack, open grass fields, jeep roads, and, more importantly, competition to push the progression. The plan was the first 5km "steady", the next 5km "fast", and the final 5km "hard." Well, that didn't go according to plan, as by 3 miles, Gabriel was toast, had gotten off course and relinquished the lead and his hard-worked lead and gap disappeared in an instant. This was going to be a rough run.
However, amazingly, somewhere in the middle of the run, Gabriel relaxed and opened up and got to a rhythm on the course - he would run hard on the flats and grass fields, and then recover and relax on the windy singletrack. This formula led to a great run with Gabriel feeling great upon finishing the demanding 15km course, winning by over two minutes.
So it will be an interesting journey unto Loon Mountain. There are no promises on performance, just hopefully some healthy training and racing until his body comes around...
Coatesville, PA - The summits of great fitness are sometimes eclipsed by sudden descents in crevices unseen. The broken toe scare of 2014 sideline Gabriel's body and psyche for over a month, and yet he still lined up at the famed Mount Washington Road Race.
After 71-minutes of personal worst defeat, Gabriel once again wound up injured. This time, the tendons under his weakened foot, faced with climbing at 12% grades and at 9:00/mi into the clouds were too much to handle. The clouds of frustration once again stormed in...
However, in a miraculous turn of events, Gabriel ignored all the pains, all the tightness and proceeded to stay on schedule. He did cancel his SkyRace debut in Canada, but he continued to train with renewed intensity - albeit, much lower mileage until the storm clouds passed.
The greater concerns are with gaining fitness rapidly, which is not science. However, Gabriel's intent was to continue his 2014 plan, and that includes the USATF Mountain Championships on July 6th. In preparation, Gabriel and his lovely lady, Perla, stumbled upon a great charity run on June 28th.
Gabriel had planned a 12km progression on the roads, but the Chasin' for Chalfin 15K offered a great mix of singletrack, open grass fields, jeep roads, and, more importantly, competition to push the progression. The plan was the first 5km "steady", the next 5km "fast", and the final 5km "hard." Well, that didn't go according to plan, as by 3 miles, Gabriel was toast, had gotten off course and relinquished the lead and his hard-worked lead and gap disappeared in an instant. This was going to be a rough run.
However, amazingly, somewhere in the middle of the run, Gabriel relaxed and opened up and got to a rhythm on the course - he would run hard on the flats and grass fields, and then recover and relax on the windy singletrack. This formula led to a great run with Gabriel feeling great upon finishing the demanding 15km course, winning by over two minutes.
So it will be an interesting journey unto Loon Mountain. There are no promises on performance, just hopefully some healthy training and racing until his body comes around...
Sunday, May 25, 2014
X-FACTOR WEEKEND OF TRAIL RACING
May 24-25th, 2014
PART I:
White Haven, PA - The weekend began with a drive out to White Haven, PA, where Gabriel was registered to line up at his first XTERRA event, the Pocono XTERRA Hickory Trail Run Half Marathon.
Gabriel was in need of a long, hard effort, and 21km over hill and dale would prove great stimulus. Thankfully, a great former collegiate athlete showed up, Tradelle Ward of Duke. Reminiscent of Ashton Eaton, Ward was strongly built, on-top of his stride, fit, and motivated. More importantly, he had scouted out the course... and as a former Foot Locker All-American in high school, he was loaded with ability.
The race set out quickly on a downhill, and Gabriel settled into a rhythm, finally taking the lead past the first mile of the race, with Ward in tow and immediately it was a two man race. Ward passed Gabriel on a fallen tree jump and a gap of 20m formed and Gabriel kept Ward in check on the couple of miles of grassy cross country. However, once they hit the rocky singletrack, Gabriel sustained his first loss of direction, unable to pick up the Yellow Trail. However, he soon found it and took off in pursuit. He knew he only chance to catch Ward would be two-fold, 1) the distance itself and 2) any massive climbs, as Ward was quite heavy for a trail runner.
After another misdirection, this one Gabriel's fault and losing a good 400m+, the climbing started on Skyline and after a couple miles of climbs some hikers signaled that Ward was just ahead and struggling. Gabriel was gaining... but once again, they entered singletrack and Gabriel followed the trail only to have Ward pop out of somewhere yelling, "you got lost, you have to go to the aid station." Easier said than done. All the markings were torn down and on the floor. Gabriel jogged around for a mile, trying to figure it out and then set out to finish. He finished well, full of strength, and notched over 80 minutes of running at sub-7:00/mile pace for the hilly and technical course... a good day of training and then a day at the lake with the girls.
PART II:
Catonsville, MD - In the back of Gabriel's mind was the BRRC Patapsco Trail race in his backyard of Patapsco Valley State Park. He would approach this low-key event as an "up-tempo" effort, just to stretch out and test his legs and fitness. He awoke feeling pretty good, no major soreness, some stiffness in his soleus, but while warming up, his right hip was not having fun. After paying his $6, he laced up his new trail shoes and saw Graham Peck arrive. Peck recently stormed to a 2:26 at the Boston Marathon, so the day would be no easy trot. Not only that, but Ryan Stasiowski showed up as well... as well as Jesse LeBuff... oh good, just bring it on.
The race started in an open field, and Gabriel strided out to the lead with the field stringing behind and Gabriel got to work, thinking "Kilian..." and attacked.. until he got attacked by a vicious pit-bull type mut that escaped the backyard of some neighboring homes. The owner yelling, "don't move a muscle!! Stop running!!" Gabriel slid to stop, avoided getting bit in the face by the massive animal, awaiting the pack to catch him, while finally the owner grabbed the dog and Gabriel bolted down the trail, full of adrenaline and trying to recover from the assault.
The great news was that Gabriel was fluid and flying. The energy issues he feared were held at bay and he stormed to a commanding run, even with the 20-30 second detour of avoiding dog-death. He finished the race no worse for the wear and starting his thoughts on conquering an epic long run on Memorial Day...
PART I:
White Haven, PA - The weekend began with a drive out to White Haven, PA, where Gabriel was registered to line up at his first XTERRA event, the Pocono XTERRA Hickory Trail Run Half Marathon.
Gabriel was in need of a long, hard effort, and 21km over hill and dale would prove great stimulus. Thankfully, a great former collegiate athlete showed up, Tradelle Ward of Duke. Reminiscent of Ashton Eaton, Ward was strongly built, on-top of his stride, fit, and motivated. More importantly, he had scouted out the course... and as a former Foot Locker All-American in high school, he was loaded with ability.
The race set out quickly on a downhill, and Gabriel settled into a rhythm, finally taking the lead past the first mile of the race, with Ward in tow and immediately it was a two man race. Ward passed Gabriel on a fallen tree jump and a gap of 20m formed and Gabriel kept Ward in check on the couple of miles of grassy cross country. However, once they hit the rocky singletrack, Gabriel sustained his first loss of direction, unable to pick up the Yellow Trail. However, he soon found it and took off in pursuit. He knew he only chance to catch Ward would be two-fold, 1) the distance itself and 2) any massive climbs, as Ward was quite heavy for a trail runner.
After another misdirection, this one Gabriel's fault and losing a good 400m+, the climbing started on Skyline and after a couple miles of climbs some hikers signaled that Ward was just ahead and struggling. Gabriel was gaining... but once again, they entered singletrack and Gabriel followed the trail only to have Ward pop out of somewhere yelling, "you got lost, you have to go to the aid station." Easier said than done. All the markings were torn down and on the floor. Gabriel jogged around for a mile, trying to figure it out and then set out to finish. He finished well, full of strength, and notched over 80 minutes of running at sub-7:00/mile pace for the hilly and technical course... a good day of training and then a day at the lake with the girls.
PART II:
Catonsville, MD - In the back of Gabriel's mind was the BRRC Patapsco Trail race in his backyard of Patapsco Valley State Park. He would approach this low-key event as an "up-tempo" effort, just to stretch out and test his legs and fitness. He awoke feeling pretty good, no major soreness, some stiffness in his soleus, but while warming up, his right hip was not having fun. After paying his $6, he laced up his new trail shoes and saw Graham Peck arrive. Peck recently stormed to a 2:26 at the Boston Marathon, so the day would be no easy trot. Not only that, but Ryan Stasiowski showed up as well... as well as Jesse LeBuff... oh good, just bring it on.
The race started in an open field, and Gabriel strided out to the lead with the field stringing behind and Gabriel got to work, thinking "Kilian..." and attacked.. until he got attacked by a vicious pit-bull type mut that escaped the backyard of some neighboring homes. The owner yelling, "don't move a muscle!! Stop running!!" Gabriel slid to stop, avoided getting bit in the face by the massive animal, awaiting the pack to catch him, while finally the owner grabbed the dog and Gabriel bolted down the trail, full of adrenaline and trying to recover from the assault.
The great news was that Gabriel was fluid and flying. The energy issues he feared were held at bay and he stormed to a commanding run, even with the 20-30 second detour of avoiding dog-death. He finished the race no worse for the wear and starting his thoughts on conquering an epic long run on Memorial Day...
Monday, March 24, 2014
HAULIN' OFF THE MOUNTAIN
March 23, 2014
ELEANOR, WV - In search of returning to the world of ultra running, Gabriel drove out to West Virginia to partake in the Haulin' in the Holler 50 km trail run.
The drive was long... close to six hours, which Gabriel was unprepared for... nor was his Achilles. By the start of the race, exhausted from the long drive, Gabriel set out conservatively but within a few miles noticed a painful jab tightness in his right Achilles. He dismissed the pain and continued, letting his body work out the knots created by sitting for such a long period of time.
The course was great. Much hillier than anticipated, with a multitude of switchbacks and climbs. The trail was in good shape... muddy in some places, but overall good run on and a welcome relief from the rocks of the Mid-Atlantic. As he gained on the 25K leaders by the halfway point, the group went off course.. stumbling around, the found the red ribbons and continued on, adding about a half mile to the run. It wasn't too mentally devastating, but what was mentally devastating was the descent back to the finish line... for 5 miles one could see the finish, but the snake-like switchbacks just teased one to the finish line.
He crossed the first loop slightly over two hours... and the pain in his Achilles beckoned him to retire. But, he knew he had a substantial lead and was actually feeling quite fluid.. and so, he set off for the second loop, with a plan of just making it to the next aid station (20 miles). Time-wise, he was still good, and as he ran amongst the gun shots in the background (a little too close for comfort), he focused on the run. He had a great section of running from 20-25 miles, but then began frantically searching for the 25 mile aid station, which couldn't come soon enough. He was losing focus and energy (ran with 4 gels, no water). The 68-degree morning was getting to him and he re-focused, finally making it to the final aid station with a substantial lead (second placed would finish 12-minutes in arrears).
And thus began the mantra, "get off the mountain, just get off the mountain.." but the hills were relentless, the switchbacks unending.. until he finally made it home in one piece and disappointed he didn't negative split (he might have if not for all the stops to check his Achilles and longer stays at the aid stations).
It was a great run that wiped him out, but he was proud to his accomplishment: a course record by over half an hour.
It was a good day... and then six hours of driving back home was a welcome rest for his legs.
ELEANOR, WV - In search of returning to the world of ultra running, Gabriel drove out to West Virginia to partake in the Haulin' in the Holler 50 km trail run.
The drive was long... close to six hours, which Gabriel was unprepared for... nor was his Achilles. By the start of the race, exhausted from the long drive, Gabriel set out conservatively but within a few miles noticed a painful jab tightness in his right Achilles. He dismissed the pain and continued, letting his body work out the knots created by sitting for such a long period of time.
The course was great. Much hillier than anticipated, with a multitude of switchbacks and climbs. The trail was in good shape... muddy in some places, but overall good run on and a welcome relief from the rocks of the Mid-Atlantic. As he gained on the 25K leaders by the halfway point, the group went off course.. stumbling around, the found the red ribbons and continued on, adding about a half mile to the run. It wasn't too mentally devastating, but what was mentally devastating was the descent back to the finish line... for 5 miles one could see the finish, but the snake-like switchbacks just teased one to the finish line.
He crossed the first loop slightly over two hours... and the pain in his Achilles beckoned him to retire. But, he knew he had a substantial lead and was actually feeling quite fluid.. and so, he set off for the second loop, with a plan of just making it to the next aid station (20 miles). Time-wise, he was still good, and as he ran amongst the gun shots in the background (a little too close for comfort), he focused on the run. He had a great section of running from 20-25 miles, but then began frantically searching for the 25 mile aid station, which couldn't come soon enough. He was losing focus and energy (ran with 4 gels, no water). The 68-degree morning was getting to him and he re-focused, finally making it to the final aid station with a substantial lead (second placed would finish 12-minutes in arrears).
And thus began the mantra, "get off the mountain, just get off the mountain.." but the hills were relentless, the switchbacks unending.. until he finally made it home in one piece and disappointed he didn't negative split (he might have if not for all the stops to check his Achilles and longer stays at the aid stations).
It was a great run that wiped him out, but he was proud to his accomplishment: a course record by over half an hour.
It was a good day... and then six hours of driving back home was a welcome rest for his legs.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
ASSAULT ALMOST ENDED IN DEATH
March 8, 2014
WALESKA, GA - As the gods would have it, the weather cooperated, and Gabriel was allowed to travel to Atlanta, Georgia, in search of a legitimate fitness check.
The La Sportiva Mountain Cup race, the Assault on Garland Mountain, would provide the platform. Although Gabriel has been training on snow and ice covered trails, limiting his fast running on trails, he was still confident in his fitness... now he just needed to prove it.
Arriving the night before, a quick check of the course revealed a muddy, soft surface with undulating hills. It looked prime for a good run. Race morning was crisp and beautiful, as temperatures would rise into the 50s by the start. Warming up in the parking lot was NC State legend, Ryan Woods (3:43/8:02/13:50 - currently 4th in the Mountain Cup), US Mountain Goat Jason Bryant (yearly Mountain Cup top 5 finisher), and an unknown Strava ambassador that looked fit (would be Matt Haley, 8:45/15:17/31:56).
The race started with a 150-meter sprint to the trail head. Gabriel was so full of running he wanted to lead into the trail, but the Strava athlete surged ahead. Knowing Woods was pretty fit, Gabriel explosively surged past the leader past the mile to get a clearer view of the muddy trail. However, by the second mile, Gabriel was already spent by the effort. The effort of such fast running quickly put in him in oxygen debt and already his form was flailing. Woods cruised past by 2.5 miles and was gone, easily extending his lead to over 3-minutes by halfway, while Gabriel slipped into third on the long downhill to the back half of the course.
It was a 9.6 mile race, and Gabriel had to stop at the 3 mile aid station to relax, take a gel, gain composure, and try to focus on running hard. He had done so much work leading up to this point to allow a stupid rooking racing mistake (starting too fast) to do him in... there were still 6.5 miles of muddy, hilly trails to go, surely he could rally. However, the next few miles were more of the same - stopping to stretch a non-functioning left leg, but noticing he was gaining on second on every climb. With this insight, Gabriel formulated a plan - he would work his hardest to reach the final 0.6 mile, 7% climb, with the 2nd place runner... and then over-whelm him on the climb.
Finally, by settling into thought, Gabriel found a rhythm and started running well for the first time since the opening mile. He caught second with 1.5 miles to go, surprisingly stormed a downhill section to get a few more meters, and then just attacked the final climb to place second in 59:29. It was a very strong effort over the final third of the course that gave Gabriel relief of a job well done.
Well, lesson learned. The trail cannot be won at the head...
Saturday, February 8, 2014
MID-MARYLAND EFFORT
Feb 8, 2014
ELKRIDGE, MD - And so, Gabriel returned to his original home trails in Maryland, those of Rockburn Park, to participate in the 2014 Mid-Maryland 50K Relay with newly minted trail runner, Christopher Beck.
The arrangement at hand was for Gabriel to take on the opening two loops (20km), then hand-off to the 50K training Beck for the final 30km. Leading up to race, the Mid-Atlantic had seasoned the worst winter on record, with an onslaught of snow and ice and sleet and rain and single-digit temperatures for week upon week. However, with the final winter storm moving past on Wednesday, the trails had Thursday and Friday to dry out for some decent trail running conditions.
Beck threw Gabriel a curveball on race morning... brimming with confidence, Beck wanted to run the entire 50K on a whim, feeling the course was not technical enough "to get dropped." Well, although not a sound plan, Gabriel went along for the ride, sticking to his plan of running 25K hard as his workout. What "hard" meant, he would soon find out, but they lined up, ready to roll.
And from the gun, Gabriel was alone, step by step. In control, with good form after a Manning-like reconstruction of his mechanics since August, Gabriel went to work. The course was pleasant. Windy, tricky, but with no major climbs or descents, just trail running. After a quick GU at the 10km loop in under 38-minutes, Gabriel set off for second, much tougher loop. His training had been sound, with some good speed and strength efforts, but he is still in a re-building phase. A rough patch emerged at about 12-15K, but soon after he was able to rally for the final 5+km home, running well and pondering Moab.
Team Under Armour would fail to finish on this day, but there were many lessons learned by the fearsome duo. One was a fitness check, the other was a gut-check of expectations. But it felt good to return to the familiar surroundings of the trails and fast running with no damage done, nailing a Bullseye.
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