First Impressions

I had mixed feelings on the shoe when I opened the box. It looked bulkier than I had expected. I thought the black and neon green/yellow was sharp looking but was expecting the reds and oranges of many of their current designs. The shoe weighed 9.7oz for a size 9.5 Men’s and fit true to size. Having predominately run in minimal to lightweight shoes over the past couple years, these felt big and clunky on my feet but to be fair, they really weren’t any bigger or heavier than the Brooks Cascadia’s hanging on my wall and in fact have a lower heel drop then the Cascadia’s.

My first run was on sandy/hard pack mixed trail for bout 6-7 miles down by the river. (near my van…haha) The shoe did fine in sandy conditions although I noticed it was pretty warm inside the inner sleeve. The shoe performed great for the conditions, very grippy, good connection on the hard back and especially in the sand. Subsequent runs on the foothill trails along the Sandia Mountains proved that the tread was indeed suited to rocky, granite gravel conditions as well.

Features of the shoe

• Low Heel to Toe Drop (6mm – midsole thickness drops from 16mm (heel) to 10mm (forefoot))
• Dynamic Traction – Patented traction system that allows for maximum surface and traction on dry surfaces and the performance of larger lugs in the mud
• OS Tendon – Balanced flex and improved energy return
• ENDOFIT – Internal fit sleeve designed to hug the forefoot and improve feedback and foot wrapping
• PROFEEL FILM – Protection from the trail in a lightweight and flexible application

Features I Liked

The shoe is very sturdy. The outsole is solid with good cushioning and fantastic tread. The tread held up well on trail and rock, sand and hardpack. Here in Albuquerque, the trails are primarily dry, rocky, loose with some sand.

The lacing system is pretty cool. It gives a secure snug fit and does it quickly!

Although I didn’t get a chance to use this shoe in the cold winter weather, I think I would do very well on snow and ice.

One of the designs Salomon put in this shoe was protection and I felt like they did a good job with this. Inevitably on the trails here, I’ll stub my toe and unless there’s a bit of protection on the front of the shoe it can really do some damage; to my toe and the shoe. Salomon’s toe protection (see picture) in the Mantra is top notch. As a side note, I think this is one of the reasons I like this as a training shoe, not for racing. For racing, I want the bare minimum, just enough cushion and protection without sacrificing weight and feel. For training, I am more willing to take a few extra ounces, a bit more stiffness and some extra protection and cushioning.

Features I Did Not Like

Okay, sorry but I have to get on my SOAP BOX for just a moment. What exactly is it about this shoe that makes it specifically a shoe for midfoot strikers? Salomon is silent on this point, or if it’s because of the OS tendon energy return, cushion and protection then I think they still need to explain WHY these features make it a better choice for the midfoot striker. I feel that until the industry sets some standards, every company should have some sort of information sheet that would define how they look at barefoot, minimalist, neutral and support shoes as well as what they’ve done to address these definitions in their shoes. With so many new and existing companies jumping into the “minimalist” genre, it would be nice for some standardization of terms.

Off Soap box.

With regards to the Mantra, my guess on the midfoot strike is the heel forefoot drop. That seems to be the main feature that is different from other like shoes. My guess is that a forefoot strike would have zero heel drop. The Mantra is solid enough for a good trail training shoe and held up well although it was a bit bulky for my tastes. In my previous review of the Merrell Mix Master Move, I really liked the fact that the Merrell worked just as well on road as it did on trail. The Salomon is definitely a trail shoe only. And, I have no idea what the OS tendon energy return system is. Sorry, just never felt it at all. I usually assume that’s more for marketing then being a real mechanical advantage type feature.

In addition to the bulky feel, I couldn’t figure out what to do with the excess shoe lace. I did eventually figure this out on their website. They designed a little pouch at the top of the fit sleeves to stuff the excess lace into. Not sure I’d have ever figured that out on my own. The internal sleeve fits snug, a bit too snug for me. The sleeve also increased the temperature in the shoe, something I wasn’t crazy about.

Runners Who Might Enjoy this Shoe the Most

If you are looking for a solid training shoe for the trails this shoe is for you.

If you like a low heel-to-forefoot drop without sacrificing solid construction and good cushioning this shoe is for you.

If you run trails more than road this shoe is for you.

If you like Salomon’s lacing system and inner sleeve design this shoe is for you.

For more information:

http://www.salomonrunning.com/us/minisites/sense-mantra/

- Jason Taylor

Talk Some Tread

• Have your worn the Salomon Sense Mantra’s? What do you think of them?
• What did you think of the unique lacing system?

If you are interested in the Salomon tread, you can purchase the Sense Mantra and receive an Endurance Buzz tribe discount (10% at checkout) at Running Warehouse.

Simply…

• Click Running Warehouse
• Submit the displayed Endurance Buzz discount code. You will see the discount noted in your shopping cart.
• Then check out the Salomon Sense Mantra’s! (Both Men’s and Women’s appear to currently be on sale as well.)

Sierra Vista Trail Run
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Photos – Dan Carter and Eugene Smith

Marathon runners heading south.

The second annual Sierra Vista Trail Run took place on April 20, 2013 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Three distances: marathon, half-marathon and a free 5 miler were available. All distances are run on the Sierra Vista Trail, along the western foothills of the Organ Mountains. The whole Sierra Vista Trail is twenty-nine miles long and connects with a trail system in the Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso, Texas, where the Puzzler Endurance Races take place (anyone want to organize an Ultra?). The race courses are out and back and follow deceivingly difficult single track.

Eugene Smith and I first held this race last year in February. The area is home to some great, challenging trails and we wanted to show them off and bring runners together out on the trail. The response for the event from the running community was impressive. This year, the number of runners increased to 140 for the three distances combined. Great volunteers and sponsors made this event possible, affordable and fun for everyone. Only a dollar per mile for registration!

Great volunteers and myself enjoying good company

The race seemed to embody the spirit of trail running; fun, low key running with good folks. There were so many stories of individual challenges from throughout the day. Some visiting the trail for the first time and falling in love with trail running, first time marathon and half marathon runners completing life goals, veterans just getting back from overseas and Marathon Maniacs holding on until the very end to complete another marathon in another state on their way to the 50 state marathon challenge (run a marathon in each state within a year). Proceeds from the race also benefited the Yaya Girls Running Program in Zanjera, Ethiopia by providing a scholarship to study and train with Olympic coaches. The people and their stories are what make these races great. Because of these people, the Sierra Vista Trail Run will be back next year.

5 milers heading out on the singletrack

New Mexico local and Marathon Maniac, Perky Garcia (left), was back this year and brought in more maniacs. Last year, Kane Becker, a maniac (right) won the marathon.

Local artists, Chavez Smith and Dan Carter contributed work for the race shirts and award tiles.

Results:

5 Mile

Male:
Thomas Salas – 38:37
Scott Miller – 39:07
Tucker Brown – 43:53

Female:
Misha Montoya – 42:19
Alexandra Smirnova – 44:26
Allison Ostland – 45:04

One of the younger runners and first place in the 5 miler – Thomas Salas

Half Marathon

Male:
Michael Bursum – 1:51:39
Gregory Penn – 1:53:26
Rio Stamler – 2:02:49

Female:
Jillian Laplante – 2:12:38
Maya Ramsay – 2:19:14
Jessica Stallings – 2:19:49

These guys, Gregory Penn (right) and Michael Bursum (left), ran hard, battling for the Half Marathon title. It was Gregory’s first half marathon!

Marathon

Male:
Tomas Forsmann – 3:43:50
Peter Livingstone – 4:05:31
Clifton Trujillo – 4:30:26

Female:
Michelle Hawk – 3:49:49
Susan Wood – 5:07:25
Kari Kelley – 6:12:27

The top three marathoners unwind after the race. L to R: Michelle Hawk (1st woman, 2nd overall), Peter Livingstone (2nd Mens), Tomas Forsmann (1st Mens).

- Dan Carter

Complete results

Special thanks to Dan Carter and Eugene Smith for sharing the Sierra Vista Trail Run with us.

Check out the TALON Race Guide

There are 150+ regional trail/ultra races in the TALON Race Guide. Be sure to check it out if you are looking for the most complete list of events in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. New events are always being added.

Pandora’s Box of Rox
Reveille Peak Ranch
Burnet Texas
4 May 2013

Photo: Courtesy Jackie Dove

Pandora left the box closed this year, allowing for the most phenomenal weather on race morning. 41 degrees in Texas in May is simply uncommon. Last year, we had a roasting 96 degrees and 90% humidity. A large piece of this course wanders around like foraging fire ants, across a large granite dome, collecting scenic views and rough landings equally.

In the Marathon, Scott Rabb led throughout, with a 1:49 Half, and winning in 3:47:58. Just a few minutes back was Justin Wendling in 3:52:06 and Troy Pruett in 3:52:46. The women’s marathon was owned by Anabel Pearson, going through the half in 2:00 and winning in 4:12:01. The next three women came in about three minutes apart: Stephaine Bleich in 4:44:58, Michelle Ottmers in 4:47:41, and Jeanmarie Lord in 4:50:48.

(Scott Rabb and Anabel Pearson leading the way in the marathon race. Photos: Copyright Craig Mitchell and Nathan Severson of Enduro Photo / endurophoto.com)

In the Half-Mary, Jason Brooks broke his own course record in 1:38:30, and Clayton Perry was second to Jason again in 1:44:29, while Dave Boyle took third in 1:48:44. The women’s Half course record was reset also, by Yanory Hernandez in 1:53:26, coming in fourth overall. Katie Visco was second in 1:57:59, with Yliana Rodriguez third in 2:09:43.

(Half marathon winners, Jason Brooks and Yanory Hernandez. Photos: Copyright Craig Mitchell of Enduro Photo / endurophoto.com)

The 10km course records were reset also. 16 year old, Ryan Saenger, won in 41:18, followed by 51 year old Gary Krupala in 43:10, and Juan Flores in 43:51. The women’s 10km was reset by Susan Farago in 50:53, with Sarah Harris second in 53:17, and Lisa Hutson third in 57:36.

(Ryan Saenger and Susan Farago leading the way in the marathon race. Photos: Copyright Craig Mitchell and Nathan Severson of Enduro Photo / endurophoto.com)

Even though the race started almost perfect, the temperature had doubled by 3:00pm to 81 degrees for the back of packers, who could not get off the dome quick enough. Still, the Marathon finished 94 of 102, the Half finished all 134 runners, and the 10km had 53 of 54, so the weather held long enough for most.

Photo: Courtesy Jackie Dove

Pandora’s course exists entirely on the property of Reveille Peak Ranch, which has one of the very best packages for runners in central Texas. The trails are almost entirely single-track, the parking is more than sufficient, the bathroom & shower facilities are as nice and cared for as is possible, the pavilion complete with wading pool, kitchen, tables, chairs, shade, and all is simply hard to beat for a start/finish area. Top it all off with the owner Vol Montgomery, one heck of a nice guy and hanging around all day just to make sure everything was as we wanted it. This place is hard to beat.

- Joe Prusaitis

Check out more great pics at Enduro Photo.

Complete results for all distances.

Special Thanks to Craig Mitchell, Nathan Severson and Rick Kent of Enduro Photo, Jackie Dove, and Joe Prusaitis for their support with this article. 

Check out the TALON Race Guide

There are 150+ regional trail/ultra races in the TALON Race Guide. Be sure to check it out if you are looking for the most complete list of events in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. New events are always being added.

Leadville 100 Course Inbound: Heading up to the top of Hope Pass (elevation – 12,620 feet), turning around and looking South. (Photo: David Hanenburg)

Most of us lowlanders have been told that we should plan to arrive a few days, or even a few weeks early to a mountain race. We’ll have a horrible race otherwise. We’ll probably have to drop. When I signed up for Leadville in 2010, people told me I needed to get to town at least three weeks before the race. “Five weeks would be better.” Other people told me I could show up the day before the race and I’d be fine.

“Just don’t arrive three days early!” one fellow warned me.

“You always feel the worst on the third day.”

“Are you going to sleep in an altitude tent?”

“Have you heard about those oxygen deprivation acclimatization masks?”

“Make sure you drink lots and lots of water!”

The questions and conflicting information were overwhelming — even though I’d taught about altitude sickness and acclimatization for 10 years for Wilderness Medicine Institute and worked as a field instructor in the mountains for the National Outdoor Leadership School. I wanted something written specifically for a lowland ultrarunner. I hope this article can be that for you.

First of all, there’s just as much oxygen in Leadville at 10,200 feet as there is here in San Antonio and wherever you live – 21%. It’s just that the oxygen around High Mountain Pies in Leadville is more spread out than it is down here. So there’s less pressure from the oxygen surrounding you while you’re eating your pizza up there. In fact, Leadville’s oxygen pressure is about a third less than the pressure at sea level. And that decreased pressure makes it more difficult for the oxygen you breath in to load onto your red blood cells. It also makes it more difficult for the oxygen to unload once it reaches your cells. (i.e. Your legs feel like lead because they’re not getting as much oxygen as they’re used to.)

The hangover-like symptoms of mild altitude sickness result from this altered diffusion and delivery of oxygen. Headache, nausea, fatigue, lack of appetite, possible vomiting (Sound like you last hangover?), trouble sleeping, and shortness of breath are common symptoms. The headache is key though. The actual definition of altitude sickness is “headache with one or more of the following symptoms.” People rate the headache anywhere from a 1 to a 10 on a scale of 1-10. I usually wake up my second day in town with an 11.

Leadville 100 Course Inbound: Heading down from Hope Pass towards Twin Lakes in the distance. (Photo: David Hanenburg)

The good news is that if you give your body time, it can adapt to the decreased oxygen pressure. It will acclimatize. In fact, the process starts as soon as you step off the plane in Denver. Your heart rate increases to circulate oxygen more efficiently. And your respiratory rate and the depth of your breathing also increase, so you can take in as much oxygen as possible. The pressure in your pulmonary arteries (those lung arteries) also increases, which allows for more oxygen to load onto the red blood cells. (The increased pressure forces the capillaries around your alveoli to open, which allows for greater gas exchange.)

In a few hours (maybe by the time you’ve stopped for lunch on the drive from Denver to Leadville), more adaptations have started. You’ll probably need to use the bathroom because you’ll start to urinate more. You’ve made yourself a bit alkaline with all that rapid, deep breathing, so the kidneys act to balance your pH levels by spilling bicarbonate in your urine. (This is one of the reasons you’re more likely to get dehydrated at altitude: Increased peeing and increased breathing. And this is why you may need to drink a bit more at altitude than you do when you’re at home. Hydration doesn’t help you acclimatize, but it does prevent you from becoming dehydrated.) A few hours after your flight, your kidneys will also send a signal to increase red blood cell production, and to produce a chemical that will allow oxygen to unload from the red blood cells more easily. You’ll also grow more capillaries and more mitochondria (those “power houses of the cells” that you learned about in 7th grade). And finally, you’ll produce more myoglobin, which stores oxygen in your muscles and provides it when needed. The body is amazing.

The problem, as far as our race plans are concerned, is that this all takes a while. In fact, it takes about six weeks to get 95% acclimatized and 10 days for 80% acclimatization. But most of us have work and family responsibilities that won’t allow us to show up 10 days before a race – much less 42 days. Understand that you are unlikely to be dealing with altitude sickness after three days. The symptoms usually present within 12-24 hours, and then take a day or two to resolve. You still won’t perform like you would at sea level, but you won’t feel sick. You’re definitely rolling the dice if you plan to arrive the night before a mountain race. I’ve known people who have done it successfully, and I’ve known people who have had to drop because they got so sick all they could do was curl up in a ball and vomit until they were carted off to a lower altitude. Your odds are definitely better with a 50-mile race than a 100-mile one if you have to arrive the night before. I think a good guideline is: Show up as early as you can for a race that’s important to you.

Leadville 100 Course Inbound: Turquoise lake glowing in the daylight hours. Heading down towards May Queen. (Photo: David Hanenburg)

You can take pain medications for your altitude headache. I always bring a nice supply of ibuprofen for the days before Leadville. Avoid sedatives to help you sleep though, because they’ll decrease your respiratory rate and inhibit acclimatization. Diamox (acetazolamide, a sulfa drug) will also reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness– though there are no studies testing its use during ultramarathons. It promotes the spilling of bicarbonate in your urine, which allows you to keep breathing at an increased rate as described earlier. This is particularly useful when your respiratory rate slows at night while you’re sleeping. Remember though, that you have to stay on top of your hydration when you’re using Diamox because you’ll be urinating more. It can also cause your lips, fingers, and toes to tingle and it can make Coke taste horrible (which is definitely a bummer late in a race.)

The only cure for mild altitude sickness, however, is descent. Get down. Go lower. 1000-2000 feet usually does the trick. Last year I drove down to Buena Vista from Leadville for a day for a little headache relief and some good coffee.

It’s important to know that severe altitude illness is deadly. Fluid can accumulate in your lungs with High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) or your brain, High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE). Either of these conditions can occur in Leadville or anywhere above 8000 feet. Being short of breath while you are sitting and resting for a while is an early sign of HAPE. And not being able to walk heel to toe in a straight line is an initial sign of HACE. Let your crew know to watch for these things – in you and in each other. If someone seems more clumsy than usual, it’s a good time to ask him or her to perform the heel to toe walk. You must immediately descend 2000-4000 feet with HAPE or HACE and seek medical attention.

Using a hypoxic training mask will not prevent altitude illness. These masks definitely make it harder to breathe, but they do not simulate the decreased oxygen pressure of altitude. The pressure remains whatever it is where you’re running. And I haven’t seen any research that shows these masks cause an increase in red blood cell production or any other acclimatization effects. Certainly you may get used to running while struggling to breathe with one of these things strapped to your face, which might be good mental training during a race, but that’s not the topic here. (Besides, doesn’t running in 95-105 degrees and 90% humidity make us mentally tough enough already?)

Hypoxic sleeping tents can simulate decreased oxygen pressure and do produce acclimation effects, but they’re pretty pricey at “$2,500 to more than $5000” and require a 16-hour a day commitment. (http://running.competitor.com/2012/02/shoes-and-gear/should-you-invest-in-an-altitude-tent_46687)

There is also some evidence that frequent exposure to altitude facilitates the acclimatization process (Muza, Stephen, and Beth A. Beidleman, and Charles S. Fulco. “Altitude Preexposure Recommendations for Inducing Acclimatization.” High Altitude Medicine & Biology 11, 2. (2010): 87-92. http://www.liebertpub.com/overview/high-altitude-medicine-and-biology/65/. Web. March 2013.) Theoretically if you can travel to the mountains to train a number of times before your race, you will have an easier time acclimatizing. I definitely get less sick now when I travel to Leadville than I did when I first traveled there. But I still always get sick.

I hope you are able to escape to the mountains a lot this summer and I hope this guide helps some.

Please let me know what questions you have.

- Liza Howard

Enjoy!

Lori Enlow

What is your running background? When did you start trail running and what led you to explore the sport?

I’ve been a casual intermittent runner since high school. I ran track in high school, but wasn’t very good. I loved running though and continued intermittently over the years. Then about three or so years ago I found out I was diabetic. That was it. I started taking diet, life and running more seriously.

I had a friend who asked me to start training for a 50 mile road ultra about a year later. Started putting in more serious miles for that. I had never run off road until right about two years ago. In training for the 50 miler, I signed up for the War Eagle 50km in Arkansas. First time I ever set foot off paved road. That was the most miserable run I had ever done and swore I would never run trails again. It took me nearly seven and a half hours and I looked and felt like I had been wrangled by a grizzly bear…and smelled like it too!

I swore off trail running at that point.

I cruised along, did the Midnight Madness 50 miler that summer and fell in love with the ultra distance. What next? Well a hundred miles of course! This would be the Pumpkin Holler in 2011, not trail, but dirt road. While training for this I discovered the Turkey Mountain trails in Tulsa. This is where I started to change my mind about trails. I still found them hard and a little frustrating, but loved the beauty and diversity of running on them. Pumpkin Holler was absolutely amazing, the volunteers, the other runners, pushing my own limits. When you run 100 miles you really feel like there’s nothing you can’t do.

I went from not knowing people even ran distances beyond the marathon to running my first 100 in less than seven months. Seven months before Pumpkin Holler, the farthest I had ever run was nine miles. Proof that anyone can do it! I’ve been in love ever since.

Current or last book you read? Or if more of a movie person-last movie you watched?

Oh dear, no recent books other than those I read with my daughter. Kids, work, and running leaves little time for reading.

Last movie? The Water Horse, a kids movie about a boy who discovers the Loch Ness monster. It’s a really sweet story.

Favorite trail race distance?

Favorite trail race distance I would say the 50km and 100 mile.

I like the 50km because it takes less training and less recovery and I can do more of them, but it’s still an ultra and requires endurance, thoughtful running and focus on nutrition hydration. I like ultras because it can really be anybody’s day. The shorter distances almost always go to the fastest person. The ultras require more and I really like that. I like juggling all that goes into having a good ultra…smart pacing, nutrition, hydration, training, mental toughness, and sheer luck, weather, among other factors.

The 100 milers are just amazing to experience as a runner and as a spectator/volunteer. I’ve only done two 100 milers. I hope someday to be a strong enough runner to do at least two or three a year.

Craziest/funniest thing you have seen/heard during a trail run or trail race?

Not really crazy, but it was funny at the time. At Leadville [100], during the day it got warm enough that people were shucking shirts and articles of clothing on the trail. At night when the temperatures dropped to freezing, those items were being picked up by other runners for warmth. Nothing like wearing sweaty gym shorts of someone you don’t know to try and add a layer of warmth! I think Tommy Brennan even ended up finishing in a Hello Kitty T-shirt. Desperate times call for desperate measures!

Favorite local trail?

Favorite local trails include Turkey Mountain in Tulsa and Ouachita Trail near Poteau, Oklahoma.

If iPod user, do you have specific go-to tunes in the early miles, when in a groove, when in a funk, and when close to the finish?

Early miles I usually go without music. I have a very eclectic collection of music for when I’m in a groove…everything from Bob Marley to The White Stripes. I’ve got 70s classics and newer alternative rock, even some classical/instrumental only. When in a funk sometimes I turn my iPod off and sing songs that make fun of how I feel (only when running solo or too delirious to care). Tunes I belt out include “She’s Got Legs” by ZZ Top, “Dr. Dr”-artist unknown [I think Robert Palmer], “She’s so cold” by Rolling Stones-for those 100 milers at night when I’m freezing to death, “Hurt So Good” by John Mellencamp. The list is endless. This usually gets me laughing at my plight. When I’m racing or running hard I go with a fast beat, usually rock alternative music.

What two tips or insights on the sport have you learned that may be useful for someone just entering the sport?

Soak it up, take it all in, and run like there’s no tomorrow. Sorry that’s awfully esoteric, I’ll take it down a notch.

I do recommend following a training plan. When you’re really young you can get out there and just go and suffer little consequence. To run ultras and be able to run many ultras without or with less injuries and frustration, requires dedication to training. It takes time to toughen up all those ligaments and muscles that are required to work for those distances, to form extra blood vessels to feed those muscles to do what you are asking. You will hurt all the time and be plagued with injuries if you aren’t consistent and build. If you train smart and give your body the training and fuel (good nutrition) it needs to do what you love, it will reward your dedication and effort.

My diabetes is in remission, I am nearly 40 and am healthier, faster, stronger and have more energy than I did when I was 20. It didn’t just happen and it hasn’t been easy, but ohhhhh it has been sooooooooo worth it!

Which animal best describes your approach or style of running?

I jokingly say my running and decision making often resemble that of a squirrel crossing the road! Maybe that’s why I like all those zig zaggy trails!

A big thanks to Lori for sharing with us.

To meet additional TALON runners, check out the Meet the Tribe series.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

tasc Streets V shirt and black Capri.

I went to the website to check out the company and product as soon as I got home and discovered that the fabric is derived from all-natural bamboo fibers and organic cotton.

From the tasc Performance website:

tasc Performance is the next generation of performance quality and comfort. It is the premier choice for active lifestyles like yours—natural comfort, outstanding endurance and a welcome alternative to stinky, sticky, scratchy polyester. Tired of “odor shields” that wash off … and fabric that chafes and sticks to your body like plastic? We were. That’s why we developed performance apparel that utilizes bamboo and other natural fibers that wick moisture, dry fast, fight odor, block the sun’s rays, allow for unparallel comfort and are sustainable.

I ended up ordering a couple more of the v-neck t-shirts, long sleeved waffle weave shirts, capri tights and a jacket. Over the last year and a half I have picked up a few other tasc Performance items here and there and they have held up great. Although a bit pricey, tasc has quickly become my favorite running apparel.

tasc V Tank and fitted Capri.

In hot weather, the clothes breathe much better than the traditional technical material, and have no lingering odors even after washing, like technical material can have. I’ve probably washed and worn some of my shirts over 100 times apiece and they all have held up great and still fit and look like new. There is contrasting stitching on each apparel item I own that is durable and shows no signs of fraying or wear.

The tights are extremely soft, stretchy and deliciously comfortable. I bought them for running, but admit to wearing them for everything – yoga, hiking, housework..they are the most comfortable running tights I’ve ever owned.

The waffle weave long sleeved shirts do double duty as both a base layer for cold weather running, and a shirt to wear on casual Friday at work. I can get away with wearing any of the tasc Performance clothing as “street clothes” as well as running clothes – very versatile! Not something I can do with most running clothing.

Some of the benefits to bamboo clothing:

• Natural – bamboo naturally resists disease so no harmful chemical spraying is required during growing.
• Environmentally friendly – renewable and sustainable. Yay green!
• UV protection – natural clothing choice for days out in the sun since bamboo resists UV rays.
• Durability – bamboo is able to release soils and stains better than other fabrics.
• Softness – can’t beat the soft feeling of bamboo!

Here is a picture of a new tasc Performance shirt that I recently bought. I love it! I’m wearing the Tropical Tank, Performance Headband and Fitted Capri – all tasc Performance.

tasc Tropical Tank, Performance headband, and Capri

The tank is flowy, soft and great for warm weather. It has a contrasting color ribbon at the bottom so you can cinch the bottom of the tank as tight as you want or leave it looser. The headband is stretchy and the sizing is great. Some headbands give me a headache but I wear these all day with no problem. Very comfortable and comes in seven pretty colors.

You can check out everything tasc has to offer at tasc Performance.

- Julie Dolph

Talk tasc

• Girls or Guys – Have you worn tasc apparel? What are your thoughts on them?

The inaugural Possum Kingdom Trail Run took place on the award winning Hike and Bike trail system on Possum Kingdom lake on April 27, 90 miles West of the central Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. Cloud cover and a moderate breeze off the lake welcomed the nearly 200 runners from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Minnesota, and Portugal, to a mild early morning start for a 20 km, 55 km, and 52 mile adventure. By mid-day the clouds seemed to spontaneously disappear with the bright sun showing her smiling face which slowed the pace for many but didn’t stop the determination.

Laura Euckert with Jackie Smith, enjoying one of the many beautiful views along the Possum Kingdom course. (Photo: Courtesy Jackie Smith)

A few of the special features of this trail system is the majority being scenic double-wide trail with runable grade changes that include breathtaking views of Possum Kingdom Lake throughout the journey.

The free kids fun-run guided six or so youth down to the beach (they actually liked the sand) and around the start/finish area for a .4 or .8 mile scamper. We had fun! (Photos: Copyright Movin Pictures / movin-pictures.com)

Results

On-time departure for the 20km runners! (Photo copyright Movin’ Pictures / movin-pictures.com)

52 mile

The three loop, 52 mile race was an intense, fast-footed scamper for the overall between Eric Gilbertson, who won the Cross Timbers 50 mile in late February, and Nicole Studer, who won the Hells Hills 50 mile three weeks prior to this race.

Eric completed the first 17.35 mile loop in 2:25 with Nicole arriving one minute later. Both looked fairly fresh with Eric displaying his long flowing stride and Nicole her unwavering high cadence turnover.

Eric Gilbertson completing a loop. (Photo: Courtesy Nick Polito)

Eric completes loop two in a near even split time of 2:29. Nicole arrived seven minutes later holding the same stride and picking up a pacer for the final loop. If you have followed any of Nicole’s races, you know she knows how to finish a race and manage the heat.

Nicole Studer and pacer heading out on the final loop. (Photo: Courtesy Kim Gray)

Eric’s laid back mannerisms hides the heart of a lion. Nicole could taste her first overall win.

Across the next 17.35 mile loop the pace slowed for both runners, but Nicole was closing and closing fast, having dropped her pacer in the chase.

First to be seen transitioning off the trail and into the 400 foot flag streamer finish chute was Eric Gilbertson. Eric crossed the finish in 7:45:15 for the overall win!

Eric enjoying the opportunity to finally sit. (Photo: Courtesy Nick Polito)

Less than two minutes later, Nicole light-footed it to the finish in 7:47:07 for the female win and second overall finish!

Nicole finishing shortly after Eric. (Photo: Courtesy Nick Polito)

Matthew Crownover of Sunnyvale, Texas and Shelley Egli of Jenks, Oklahoma earned runner-up honors in the male and female scamper.

Matt in talks with Team Crownover as he heads out for the final loop. (Photo: Courtesy Kim Gray)

Top 5 male

1. Eric Gilbertson – 7:45:15
2. Matthew Crownover – 8:55:19
3. Christopher Barnwell – 9:31:42
4. Pedro Faria – 10:20:43
5. Joseph Kilianski – 10:47:16

Top 5 female

1. Nicole Studer – 7:47:07 (*2nd overall*)
2. Shelley Egli – 9:28:55 (*4th overall*)
3. Amelia Elbert – 13:00:24
4. Ali Wheat  - 13:30:37
5. Kathy Hoover – 13:55:06

 Complete 52 mile results

55 km

The two loop female scamper was an exciting race between the experienced and fast-footed Lori Enlow of northern Oklahoma and Shaheen Sattar of north Texas.

Lori finished the first loop in 2:43 looking focused and determined. Shaheen a stone’s throw back.

Over the next 17.35 mile loop Lori would gradually extend her lead to a few minutes by the final aid station, South D&D, with 2.43 miles left to the finish. This section contains a short section of moderately technical singletrack before arriving back on the double wide trail with some sandy uphill grade that requires twice the work for each consecutive stride.

Lori was feeling the effort on the day and slowing. Shaheen had one last burst of go-jo and was surging and closing, unbeknownst to Lori.

Along the gradual downhill finish, Lori was in full stride and finished off the day strong with the female win in 5:48:14 and sixth overall! 42 seconds later Shaheen glided across the finish line.

That was fun!

King Gray and Dat Le in the 55 km adventure. (Photo: Copyright Movin’ Pictures / movin-picutures.com)

Top 5 female

1. Lori Enlow – 5:48:14 (*6th overall*)
2. Shaheen Sattar – 5:48:56 (*7th overall*)
3. Danieli Rodrigues – 6:09:49 (*9th overall*)
4. Chris Brady – 6:57:32
5. Terry Muse – 7:13:42

Michael Adams of Temple, Texas took to the pole position and held it for the entire day completing the first loop in 2:19 with a small string of chasers seven minutes back. The top five in the male race would shuffle around during the second loop but Michael held steady to the end and won the male race in 4:56:14!

Edgar Martinez maintained a consistent second loop effort to move into second place.

Edgar Martinez cruising through South D&D aid station (Photo: Copyright Movin Pictures / movin-pictures.com)

Top 5 male

1. Michael Adams – 4:56:14
2. Edgar Martinez – 5:07:06
3. Timothy Jagoda – 5:15:03
4. Bob Post – 5:41:38
5. Jonathan Moody – 5:44:26

Complete 55 km results

20 km

Robert Fowler finished third two weeks earlier at the Hogs Hunt 25 km and was ready to push the pace yet again…this time at the front. Robert separated himself from the small chase group to win the male race by seven minutes in a time of 1:37:16.

Matt Laughlin maintained a few strides gap over Roberto Hernandez at the finish to earn runner-up honors.

Mark Olateju enjoying the 20km scamper (Photo: Copyright Movin’ Pictures / movin-pictures.com)

Top 5 male

1. Robert Fowler – 1:37:16
2. Matt Laughlin – 1:44:22
3. Roberto Hernandez – 1:44:46
4. Jack Currin – 1:49:13
5. Isaac Brooks – 1:51:04

Ruthie Tate led the female inspiration train to finish sub-2 and 10th overall in 1:55:02.

Rosey Leary separated from the chase group for second place honors.

Ilse Wakley arriving at South D&D aid station in the 20km. Only 2.43 more miles! (Photo: Copyright Movin Pictures / movin-pictures.com)

Top 5 female

1. Ruthie Tate – 1:55:02
2. Rosey Leary – 2:01:04
3. Allyson Gump – 2:04:33
4. Shelly Chronister – 2:04:56
5. Brittney Dellinger – 2:06:35

Complete 20 km results

Inspiration Point

Check out some of the wisest finishers. I hope this stuff fires you up as much as it does me.

• Robert Kosec (66), Frank Ingalls (68), Gary Garson (65), Ed Kopiak (70), and Miroslaw Malinowski (72) ALL finished the 55 km adventure!!

Ed Kopiak (age 70) getting a little extra dirt-time but getting it done..with a smile! (Photo: Courtesy Kim Gray)

Robert Kosec (age 66) maintaining that steady stride. (Photo: Courtesy Nick Polito)

How awesome is this!

I love this stuff!

Life is play. Play is life.

The Tough-as-Nails Award

The final finishers of an ultra distance event are some of the toughest athletes that are willing to stick with it to the best of their current ability and cross that darn finish line.

The Tough-as-Nails award recipients:

• Gary Garson of Abilene, Texas was our final inspiring finisher of the 55 km adventure. Gary crossed the line in 10:39:44.
• Kent Fish of San Angelo, Texas sprinted down the finish chute as our final 52 mile finisher in 14:01:57.

Special thanks to Nick Polito, Kim Gray, Jackie Smith, and Movin’ Pictures for their gracious support with this article.

More race pics by Movin’ Pictures!

Check out the TALON Race Guide

There are 150+ regional trail/ultra races in the TALON Race Guide. Be sure to check it out if you are looking for the most complete list of events in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. New events are always being added.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

(Note: The first few short paragraphs of this article had been re-used and adapted from a Foreword I had written for a book by Iva Paleckova with her kind permission.)

It took me a while to finally gather my thoughts together to write this foreword. Life was busy with family, a full time job, full time training, side-business of massage therapy, teaching bootcamp to a neighborhood association, coaching runners, and knitting items for my friends as my hobby…Yes, all that, and full-on cooking from scratch! Why do I start like this? Because I was thinking how growing up in a former socialistic country makes a person adapt more to challenges, less questioning how to make things easier and firmer approach of “just do it”. Living in the now-extinct Soviet Union, back 20 years ago, we surely never had niceties of prepackaged food and a variety of vacuum-sealed meals. I never saw a microwave, and we joked that our chickens ran all the way from Far East to Moscow and died their own death – that joke came around when, during G. Bush Senior’s administration, Russia was exported some chicken thighs (we called them “Bush’s legs”). All of us also knew where the food came from – as socialistic farming was hard to find labor, children from age of 10 and older were more often than not spending the first month of school (September) in the fields to help the adults collectively gather the harvest.

And so we all cooked. Cooking was a huge part of my life – daily meals with almost-daily visits to grocery stores (no cars meant no big bags to carry home after work), weekend meals, with something special on a side, and, of course, holiday gatherings. Did we have a table or what?! All of it, often taking 2-3 days to prepare, was freshly made, cut, juiced, baked, boiled, steamed, fried, and neatly organized. Russian tables had always been a huge envy of any visitor – and a sign of a normal life.

I’ve lived in United States for 20 years. I came here when I was 23, and you’d think, with an (adult) half of my life been in this country, I would change my approach to cooking and eating – but I didn’t. I still bought produce and meats, didn’t give in to packages and vacuum seals, and kept chopping and boiling.

But even with that, societal norm sneaks in to your life. It gets busy, and you grab a yogurt and a PBJ for lunch, ham-n-cheese sandwich for dinner, and go as low as cereal for breakfast. And, before you know it, your waist line gets a little wider, your behind doesn’t fit into your favorite pair of jeans, and your cheeks exude your grandma’s wish of a pinch.

All of that – with being a pretty competitive ultra-runner at the level required to travel to multiple high-profile races and run hard! How could it be? What can be wrong if a runner – a runner who accumulates 100 miles a week, with regular speed workouts, hill repeats and back-to-back long runs – eats a couple pasta bowls and a bagel to fuel up? Isn’t it what is recommended by everybody and their coach?

First, that runner gets diagnosed and struggles with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). Then, lactose intolerance, low Thyroid function, and gluten sensitivity. The runner keeps excluding foods, but symptoms keep popping up…

And then that runner reads a book about Paleo. That was winter 2011, I remember it well. By spring 10 pounds come off, and running becomes easier, and tummy aches, bloating, irregularities disappear. But having a family has its own “side effects”, and cooking separate meals gets cumbersome, so mistakes are made, and slowly the return to rice (no gluten, right?) and white potatoes becomes inevitable. And so are 10 pounds, digestive problems and sluggish running…

It took me three tries and two full years to finally make a full switch and adhere to a Paleo diet for good. The only way I was able to stick with it was through following Whole30. I am kind of a believer that half-hearted approach never helped anyone, things like “I’ll cut a little bit of soda and pasta”, “I’ll add on one extra vegetable”, “I’ll throw in occasional faster run”…You know what I am talking about. To stick with anything, you need an “all or nothing” attitude. And you need 30 days to form a new habit.

Enter Whole30. Not only was it outlined by rules, my husband Larry joined in for the ride. And this is where the benefits were so huge, one couldn’t lie anymore! While my “normal” eating habits were close enough to what is considered to be Paleo due to growing up in Eastern Europe, the pancakes-cereal-PBJ-pasta combo was what fueled my sweetheart. So did milk, rice, cheese, ice-cream and various sugary drinks. Boy was it hard for him! But man, were the rewards awesome! Not only did the pounds peel off along with inches and inches (and yes, we ate without reservation how much, only what), other benefits piled up! Below are his own words:

I have been a sugarholic deluxe! I’ve been drinking sodas since I was old enough to walk, literally. Even have pics of me with a soda bottle in my hands when I was a toddler. I haven’t had any non-naturally occurring sugar (I cut out dairy too, btw), besides what is in the few pieces of fruit I eat each day for three weeks now. It was tough, real tough! I wanted a coke, big stack of pancakes with lots of syrup, a mocha (do you realize how much of that syrup from Starbucks they put in a latte or mocha???), a teaspoon of “raw sugar” (guess the name is supposed to make you think it’s healthier?) in my tea, an occasional Snickers bar or Peanut M&Ms, a Slurpee, or PB&J (my all-time fav!). My mood swings have stopped. My mid-afternoon doldrums at work are gone. My mental acuity is drastically heightened. No more strong hunger cravings an hour, or two, after a meal. I don’t miss the sugar. Ok, I confess, I do miss it a little bit. But, the benefits I’m seeing outweigh my desire to indulge. Will I eat something with sugar again? Sure I will, especially if some red velvet cake balls mysteriously showed up on my doorstep. But, sugar won’t be a staple item in my diet like it has been for my entire life.

As for running – that was unbelievable. Even with little to no training (due to various reasons) the speed had improved and the endurance never hindered! Talking about “distance runners need simple carbs”!

Pre-Whole30 and day 40 of Paleo focused living (Removed 8 pounds with a body fat decrease of 4%. Larry removed 20 pounds.)

I can assure you it is not easy to post your own photos for the world to see. But after having done so on my own Facebook page and my personal blog, and seeing that these photos and my (and Larry’s) story had inspired at least a couple dozen folks to follow it – and receive the benefits – I am feeling better opening up to a wider audience.

So, let’s review in short some things:

The No List

• Processed foods
  
• Grains
• Legumes
• Soy
• Added Sugar
• Dairy
• Alcohol
• White potatoes
• Vegetable oils

The Yes List – We eat real food!

• All animal proteins
  
• All vegetables, except as listed above
• All fruits (in moderation)
• Quality fat sources: coconut products, olives and olive oil, avocados
• Nuts and seeds (in moderation)

What to expect to happen?

First week, if you are a real sugar-junkie, will be pure misery. Cravings are overwhelming, and from what Larry has been telling me (and what I witnessed) it took every ounce of willpower to not give up. Back off your running in quantity and quality and take it easy on yourself! Do some yoga, keep yourself busy, and be generally VERY prepared to hit real foods when the craving comes. Are you hungry enough to eat broccoli? If the answer is “no”, then you are not hungry at all! Think about short-term satisfaction versus long-term benefits! Focus! One step at a time!

By Day 16 or so – you might start feeling amazing right about now! Goodbye cravings, lethargy, crankiness… hello Tiger Blood! This must be “the magic” everyone is talking about. Your energy is skyrocketing. You’ve continued to kick those cravings the curb. Hey, look at that—your workouts, runs, bikes, or sports performances are finally getting stronger! On a weird side, if you go for a very hard workout or longer run/ride, you very well may feel a tingling sensation in your most-working muscle groups, sometimes elevating into real pain that stops you from going on, and lasts for potentially few hours afterwards. Don’t be alarmed, take a deep breath, back off, come home, hydrate, have some electrolytes, and eat a sweet potato!

Whole30 stuff call it “the Winning Stage” – read their words on that:

In the brain: big changes are easier. You’ve probably already tried to live by the “everything in moderation” principle, right? But moderation is really hard for the brain to manage when you’re trying to form a new habit. (This is especially true when some of the things we’re trying to eliminate have a serious mental hold on us… like sugar and carbs.) The Whole30 is a big, radical change—but one that is far easier for the brain to grasp than moderation. Why? No more decisions. Whew! The brain has a hard time with uncertainty, and when faced with too much, it tends to revert back to what it’s always done—the path of least resistance. So every decision (should I eat the cookie, should I have a second glass of wine, should I go for the healthy chicken breast or indulge in the pizza?) means… uncertainty. And for your brain, too much of that means you go back to old, unhealthy food habits. The Whole30 takes that uncertainty away from you. We tell you exactly what kinds of foods to eat, and we say you should eat NONE of these other, unhealthy foods. No decision-making required; if it’s on your ‘no’ list, you simply don’t indulge. And that makes the brain happy, which makes your transition to healthier habits easier.

In the brain: bye-bye, Vegas. Those foods you used to eat—the processed, sweetened, fattened-up, salty, nutrient-poor, carb-dense stuff—was providing your brain with levels of stimulus and reward the likes of which can never be found in nature. (Twinkies, Bloomin’ Onions, and chili-cheese-fries don’t exactly grow on trees—more likely, these flavors were created in a lab somewhere.) This kept your brain “hooked” on these over-the-top sensations: what we called “the Las Vegas strip in your mouth” in It Starts With Food. Removing these foods allows your taste buds (and brain chemistry, and hormones) to reset, allowing you to once again appreciate the natural flavors found in fresh food, and helping to eliminate cravings for foods that promise over-the-top flavor sensations, but deliver no nutrition, satiety, or satisfaction.

In the body: fat adaptation. Your body has been so used to running on sugar for energy, because that’s what you gave it. (And the body can only effectively use one fuel source at a time, so when sugar is plenty, fat takes a backseat and accumulates.) For the last two weeks, you’ve been telling your body, “Hey—you don’ t need sugar! I’ve got plenty of fat on my body and in my diet, so run on that!” And slowly, your body is listening, by increasing fat-digesting enzymes, and “training” your mitochondria (your body’s energy powerhouses) to start burning fat for fuel. This means that in between meals, your body has a chance to keep your energy levels (and blood sugar) regular by utilizing fat for fuel—something it simply couldn’t do before.

In the body: gut healing. Some of the foods you used to eat were provoking inflammation in the gut, and maybe even promoted “leaky gut,” a condition in which the lining of your small intestine became more porous than it should be. This allowed stuff to get where it does not belong, which ramped up inflammation elsewhere in the body. Your intestinal lining is just one cell thick, so damage or death of that one cell can create “microperforations” or tiny holes in your intestinal lining. Normally, those would heal themselves quickly, but in the face of three (plus) meals a day of gut-irritating foods, you were creating damage faster than your body could repair it. Now that these foods are out of your diet, your gut is able to start repairing itself, creating a sound intestinal barrier that keeps good things in until it’s time for your body to absorb them, and bad things (like bacteria, viruses, and incompletely digested food) out.

In the body: decreased inflammation. When stuff is allowed to get where it doesn’t belong (like when your intestinal lining is compromised), this causes your immune system to ramp up everywhere in the body, to deal with the ensuing chaos. This up-regulation of the immune system everywhere in the body is called “chronic inflammation,” and plays a role in just about every lifestyle-related disease or condition, from acne to asthma, depression to tendonitis, arthritis to high blood pressure. Now that you’re no longer eating foods that provoke inflammation, your immune system is able to calm down (resulting in a reduction of symptoms) and focus its attention elsewhere (resulting in improved health and healing). As a result, you may notice that your “stuff,” whatever that may be, is already feeling better. Yay, healthy immune system!

Remember that building new, healthy habits takes time. And patience. And dedication. And awareness. But when those good habits finally stick, and you’re able to function in healthy-mode practically on autopilot, that’s where the life-changing really happens. So keep up the good work, and let today’s post help you reinforce those new good habits you’ve been creating since day one.

So, how does it work, you ask?

Cardiologist, and New York Times best selling author of Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health, Dr William Davis says:

“It’s not just every runner who has a problem with wheat, but every human has problems. And it is not just about gluten. Let me explain.

In the 1960s and 1970s, efforts to increase the yield of wheat via a variety of genetic techniques resulted in the creation of an 18-inch tall high-yield, “semi-dwarf” strain that boosted yields by up to 10-fold. But the changes introduced for increased yield resulted in changes in many other genetic and biochemical characteristics of the plant.

One protein that has undergone extensive change is gliadin. In addition to causing mind “fog,” addictive relationships with food, and appetite-stimulation, it is a highly inflammatory protein. Research at the University of Maryland, for instance, demonstrates that gliadin opens the normal intestinal barriers to foreign substances in the intestinal tract and thereby leads to inflammation of many organs, including joints. This is at least part of the explanation for why wheat consumption is associated with autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditism.

There’s also wheat germ agglutinin. In addition to causing direct bowel toxicity that can be experienced as acid reflux or bowel urgency, it also gains access to the bloodstream and inflames joints, causing joint stiffness and pain.

Then there’s amylopectin A, the “complex” carbohydrate unique to wheat that acts more like a simple sugar like sucrose, sending blood sugar sky-high after just 2 slices of whole wheat bread. High blood sugars cause an irreversible change to the proteins of the body called “glycation.” The proteins of the cartilage of your joints, such as knees, hips, and back, undergo glycation, making cartilage stiff and brittle, leading to cartilage erosion and, eventually, arthritis.

That’s just a sample of what modern semi-dwarf wheat, the creation of genetics research, can do to humans, runners included. So it is no surprise that, by eliminating wheat, you felt better in a number of ways. The key: No human should be consuming this product of genetics research, else you pay a substantial health price. Because runners are among the healthiest of people, given their devotion to exercise and health, elimination of wheat is among the most powerful strategies to adopt for overall health and performance.”

What do you have to remember as a long distance runner?

You are NOT cutting off CARBOHYDRATES! You are cutting off SIMPLE carbs, and still consuming PLENTY of carbs that are actually good for you! Ask Timothy Olson (recent blog post on the subject) or Matt Hart, country’s best runners, they should know!

Here one of the folks (Peter Defty) involved in a discussion on the Ultra List shared a little more scientific perspective:

High Protein/Low Carb diets are not truly restricting carbs because excess protein is converted into glucose.

As counter-intuitive as it sounds for optimal lean body mass/protein uptake protein is best assimilated into lean body mass in a High Fat, Moderate Protein, Low Carbohydrate environment as their macro nutrient profile percentages. Usually this requires a person to get themselves into Nutritional Ketosis (not starvation ketosis or ketoacidosis). During initial adaptation it is wise to either back way off or not exercise until the carb withdrawal symptoms have dissipated.

However, what I have observed with endurance athletes is that once “fat-adapted”, they can bring some level of carbohydrates back into their dietary mix “strategically” and, in virtually all athletes, take in carbs during extended periods of physical activity as long as they do not take a slug of carbs at one time.

People concerned with the cardiovascular effects of such a diet should carefully research and critically analyze the information out there especially if they have an issue or family history…..this being said, at the cardiovascular research level (not the average clinician) the idea that saturated fats and cholesterol laden foods are the cause of heart disease has been pretty much debunked and the direction the research is heading suggests it is the constant over consumption of concentrated forms of carbohydrates, including many fruits, and the inflammation and metabolic havoc this causes which are driving
heart disease.

More info:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluconeogenesis
• http://journal.diabetes.org/diabetesspectrum/00v13n3/pg132.htm
• http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2010/01/13/ajcn.2009.27725.abstract
• http://www.meandmydiabetes.com/2012/04/17/ron-krauss-saturated-fat-red-meat-it-depends/

What does it mean in normal terms?

You can run, your body has enough fuel, you can have gels and coke during your races and that will not negate your efforts of adhering to Paleo lifestyle, and you can celebrate life events and be “social” from time to time in moderation! Isn’t that great?!?

As you get healthier – and leaner – the running DOES become easier. I hope I won’t offend anyone by saying, carrying a few extra pounds of fat that does not play any role in you progress forward is difficult. It’s more difficult to get up the hill, to turn your feet quicker, to sweat less, and to last longer. Once you’re lighter (in the correct way, without losing your muscle mass) – your running becomes faster! No, you can’t simply get lean and not work hard to get better, but you still get better – and have more will to work harder! And most importantly, running “easier” is so much more fun even if you choose to run “slower”!

So, I’ll wrap it up quickly with few words.

First of, I will NEVER say that Paleo is the ONLY way to live and eat. There are more than enough people in this world who prove that Vegan, Vegetarian, Raw, and even Frutarian are the ways to go for them. But, despite such seemingly huge difference (hello? Meat or no meat?), the important COMMON denominator is that we all eat REAL food and cook from scratch!

Secondly, cooking is NOT difficult.

Here are photos of a couple delicious meals I have made.

More of my paleo food pics.

If you picked it up from the first paragraph, my life is pretty intense, but it never crosses my mind that cooking takes extra time, or that health can be jeopardized for the sake of 20 minutes. Yes, 20 minutes – check out plenty of recipes in books and on free-roaming websites!

Paleo cooking and eating is NOT boring, nor is it “same two things over again”. The combination of vegetables and spices create amazing dishes for any taste buds! You have to sit down and eat mindfully with people you love (or by yourself, but still paying attention), are satisfied longer, have more even and lasting energy, look better, feel great – and whatever you’re training for, whether body building, or, yes, running a marathon, will be fueled correctly and bring wonderful results!

- Olga King

Stage trail racing – An opportunity to commune with the tribe across multiple days.

Stage trail racing – An opportunity to race one day and volunteer the next.

Stage trail racing – An opportunity to manage the little things before they become big things…and they can and often will become big things!

3 Days of Syllamo is just one of these opportunities that occurred in the middle of March in north central Arkansas within some beautifully wooded and varied terrain.

Photo: Courtesy Larry King

Day 1 – 50 km

Day 2 – 50 mile

Day 3 – 20 km

Yeah, it’s the real deal. Include unseasonably warm temperatures reaching 82F on Day 1 and 77F on Day 2, required extra attention to the little things to support those attempting the multi-race adventure.

Of course, we don’t sign up for this stuff because it’s necessarily easy. The challenge is one part of the lure. Challenge extended.

Results

Photo: Courtesy Olga Varlamova-King

[Note: All times and placings based off of preliminary results]

Day 1 – 50 km

The 50 km was a day where a number of runners from front-to-back picked up a few bonus miles. Then add on top of that temperatures bubbling into the low 80s, it became a tough physical and mental day for many involved.

To his surprise, Tennessee speedster, Matt Pruitt, was first to cross the day 1 finish line in 5:36:44.

Matt Pruitt surprised to arrive at the finish first. (Photo: Courtesy Olga Varlamova-King)

Robert Wehner of Wisconsin led the chase group for second.

Enjoy as Matt shares his thoughts on the 50 km.

“The story of Friday was “hot and lost.” I started out easy and worked my way through the field passing about seven guys as the mercury rose. I was happy to hear at the mile 19-ish aid station that I was in 4th and was only 2-3 minutes back from the two stage leaders (Ben and ?). Then I missed a turn off a dirt road and ran about 1.5 miles extra. In total I think I ran 2.5 miles extra that day. At that point, I thought I had blown the chance of competing in the overall stage race. I returned to where I had gone off course and proceeded to work my way back through the field of runners I had already passed to my former 4th place position. I suffered through the heat of the last hour with the Lumineer’s lyrics stuck in my head “keep your heaaaaaad up!” (this was helpful advice for staying on course) and finished in 5:36 – about 30-60 minutes later than expected. When my girlfriend told me I had won, I informed her that the other guys must have been so far ahead that they finished before she got there. Nick Lewis was standing there and confirmed her story, I had won. Now to be fair to RD Steve, the turn where I had gotten lost was marked and so was the turn where the leaders had gone off course. I was too overheated to celebrate so my friends carried me to the creek to be revived by Sylamore’s cold waters.”

Matt wanted to first finish the three days of racing, but also was interested in the overall win. On Matt’s top tread watch-list was Ben Creehan of Missouri. Ben finished the 50km in 5:46:11 after collecting a few bonus miles himself, 10 minutes back from Matt. Ben would tighten the turnover screws on day two in chase of the overall win.

Top 5 male (based off of preliminary results)

1. Matt Pruitt (Breakaway Running) – 5:36:44
2. Robert Wehner –  5:39:36
3. Larry King – 5:40:16
4. Damian Nathaniel – 5:40:51
5. Corbin Freeman – 5:44:29

A common visit post-run. (Photo: Courtesy Olga Varlamova-King)

Meghan Hicks of iRunFar, was back for the second year in a row as part of her final prep for the seven day, 150 mile, Marathon des Sables stage race in Morocco.

What is Meghan’s approach to survive, manage, and even excel at the stage race format such as 3 Days of Syallamo?

“At a one-day event, you make decisions and behave in ways that let you run smart but arrive exhausted to the finish line, having used whatever you had to give that day. Stage races are about projecting farther into the future, making decisions and behaving in ways that allow you to run at least the same if not better than you are presently running over the course of the whole race. For example, not taking in enough calories during the 50km on Day 1 might cause you to run low on energy during the 50-mile on Day 2. Or, if you get blisters on Day 1 that you don’t address, they might be handicapping by Day 3. Another example, if you run too fast on Day 1, maybe by Day 3 you will have muscle fatigue/failure which slows you way down. As an aside, I love this about stage races, as they are runners’ outings and thinkers’ outings. The folks with the best combined speed and “smarts” will have the most success.”

Meghan would be the first female across the finish line on this relatively sultry day in 6:19:57, while wearing an extra bulky pack!

Meghan Hicks arriving at the finish with her loaded pack. (Photo: Courtesy Olga Varlamova-King)

What’s the story with the pack?

“On Day 1 and Day 2 at Three Days, I carried a pack representing a similar weight to what I’ll have at the MdS in Morocco. Running with a pack changes your speed and biomechanics, and it increases your energy expenditure. It’s like gaining a bunch of weight overnight! So, it’s important to train with a pack if you’re going to race so far with a pack, and that was my goal at Three Days.”

Carol O’Hear earned runner-up honors.

Top 5 female

1. Meghan Hicks (iRunFar) – 6:19:57
2. Carol O’Hear – 6:54:09
3. Teddi Schneider – 6:59:47
4. Tina Johnson – 7:00:28
5. Stacey Shaver-Matson – 7:15:01

Day 2 – 50 mile

The female race saw Olga Varlamova-King, mixing it up with the overall lead group of men in the early miles of the run before settling in on a pace she felt was more sustainable across the distance although she did “entertain the idea of keeping up with them.”

Olga felt strong on the day, feeling she could “run every uphill” and celebrated seeing her fast-footed husband, Larry, at various aid stations with the much appreciated core-cooling ice.

Olga feeling good! (Photo: Courtesy Larry King)

Olga went on to finish fourth overall on the day while jammin’ to ‘Eye of the Tiger’ (true) on her iPod and win the female race in 9:46:19!

This was Olga’s first go at the event and run on these trails. How would she describe them?

“Single track that drops and climbs (nothing too crazy, but non-stop) – it goes up to the ridge, runs along the ridge, drops to a little creek (pretty dry this year), repeat. Many called it “technical trails”, but they are not from Texas. It is slanted in many places, and the first/last maybe 10 miles are technical in terms of more of a hiking North East Coast trails, but the rest is easy. There is a good section of double-track and dirt road (about two miles each directions) after the aid station around mile 18 and also a mile or so before the first aid station. Beautiful. Fallen leaves cover the trail. Good mountain views. Nice.”

 Series runner, Carol O-Hear, finished 7th overall and second female in 10:18:14.

Top 5 female

1. Olga Varlamova-King (Drymax) – 9:46:19
2. Carol O’Hear – 10:18:14
3. Dulcinea Groff – 10:33:00
4. Teddi Schneider – 10:39:01
5. Meghan Hicks (iRunFar) – 10:53:20

In the early going of the men’s race, both Ben Creehan and Robert Wehner, pulled away in the early miles as Matt Pruitt started very conservatively, hiking the hills…and eating. How about a can of tuna and a can of chicken – yep!

14 miles in, Matt was six minutes behind Ben and Robert, focused on being steady but not pushing the effort.

Speedster, Nick Lewis, cooking up food for those going ultra before lacing them up in the 20km scamper. (Photo: Courtesy Olga Varlamova-King)

During the back-half of the scamper, Matt was gradually closing in on the two leaders.

A 50 mile trail run starts to become pretty real after moving through the 50 km mark and at mile 33, it got a little too real for Matt – the sound of rapid gunfire. And it was getting louder with each stride.

“I let out a few loud hollers just to let the plinker know I was around.”

With senses heightened, Matt became aware of Robert up ahead at the un-manned aid station. There was Ben’s name but nothing else.

“I noticed Ben hadn’t given anything away by writing his time down, just a scribbled name. This guy was in a hurry.”

Robert was out of go-jo and focused on just getting to the finish. Matt moved on to the chase.

Nine miles to go, Matt had closed the gap to three minutes.

Somewhere during these final miles Ben caught a glimpse of Matt (Matt didn’t see Ben) and surged to the finish for a 50 mile win in 8:46:20!

Six minutes later Matt crossed the finish in second.

Top 5 male

1. Ben Creehan – 8:46:20
2. Matt Pruitt (Breakaway Running) – 8:52:30
3. Robert Wehner – 9:14:37
4. Damian Nathaniel – 9:57:11
5. Corbin Freeman – 10:05:28

What happens at Syllamo, stays at Syllamo. (Photo: Courtesy Olga Varlamova-King)

20 km

Heading into the final race of the series was a 20 km scamper.

The fresh-footed speedster, Nick Lewis, flew through the course for a 1:42:14 win!

How would the series win play out?

Roughly three minutes separated Matt and Ben, with Matt holding the small overall time lead, this run was going to be tough.

“Ben is more aggressive than I am on the climbs so I knew this day would hurt. And he did make it hurt. He was flying”

Matt’s focus…be Ben’s shadow for 12 miles.

“We ran each step and I just marked him. The guy pushed the whole way, even throwing in a huge surge in the last half mile. We finished the three day race like a cross-country 5k.”

Matt and Ben would not be separated on this day. Matt went on to finish second, a few seconds in front of Ben.

“This was a really fun day to run harder and get to chat with Ben a bit since I had run so much of the three days alone. This guy was awesome to run with. Total class act.”

Top 5 male

1. Nick Lewis – 1:42:14
2. Matt Pruitt (Breakaway Running) – 1:52:21
3. Ben Creehan – 1:52:24
4. Gary Hamer – 1:52:50
5. Jake Anderson – 1:54:32

Photo: Courtesy Olga Varlamova-King

Meghan Hicks took off the MdS pack for the 20km scamper and had to feel a little extra float in her stride. Meghan went on to lead all females across the finish in a time of 2:13:37.

Stephanie Knowlton led the chase group for the second place finish.

An experience like this often creates a number of strong memories. A couple of Meghan’s include the Arkansas terrain and one of its peaceful little inhabitants.

“The Ozark Mountains are beautiful, and very different from the western US where I live and mostly play. Rolling terrain, thick forest canopies, beautiful and highly runnable trails and trail substrates, and great overlooks/views every several miles along the trails. It’s Spring, so some of the trees have buds on them and the wildflowers are just starting to poke up.”

“I think armadillos are fantastic and the Ozarks of Arkansas is a great place to possibly spot one still alive, not as roadkill. ”

Top 5 female

1. Meghan Hicks (iRunFar) – 2:13:37
2. Stephanie Knowlton – 2:29:16
3. Corina Miller – 2:30:52
4. Angie Coleman – 2:32:01
5. Jenny Wilkes – 2:32:10

3 Day Stage Race

Matt Pruitt had a little over a three minute overall time differential on Ben Creehan, to win the stage series in 16:21:35!

“My first goal was to finish so getting the finisher’s award as I crossed the line was a great moment.”

What did Matt think of his 3 Days of Syllamo experience?

“Billy Simpson described this race to me as a “trail running festival.” There’s some Ozark music. Many people camp. You may see the guy you were racing on Friday working an aid station on Saturday. Or you may see the guy who won the last two years sitting out and cooking for the whole crowd this year. (that did happen – Nick Lewis) It’s that festival atmosphere that makes 3 days so fun.”

Top 5 male

1. Matt Pruitt (Breakaway Running) – 16:21:35
2. Ben Creehan – 16:24:55
3. Robert Wehner – 17:03:54
4. Damian Nathaniel – 17:53:28
5. Paul Schoenlaub – 18:58:56

Jay Danek and Brian Ricketts (Photo: Courtesy Olga Varlamova-King)

Meghan Hicks finished ninth overall in the series, with a female winning time of 19:25:54!

“The culture of Three Days is peaceful, warm, and so laid back. Race director Steve Kirk and his family create this feeling and then it’s perpetuated by almost everyone who attends. It feels like a social gathering rather than a race.”

Carol O’Hear rounded out the top 10 of the overall and second female of the series.

Top 5 female

1. Meghan Hicks (iRunFar) – 19:26:54
2. Carol O’Hear – 19:49:15
3. Teddi Schneider – 20:22:50
4. Tina Johnson – 21:26:48
5. Stacey Shaver-Matson – 21:30:48

Complete preliminary results

The Tough-as-Nails Award

Melissa Linan finished the 3 day stage race in 24:56:03, earning our Tough As Nails award!

Enjoy at Melissa reflects on the three day adventure.

Day 1 – 3 words – Pain. Rugged. Beauty.

 The first day was extremely tough and hot! I thought to myself there is no way I can run 50 miles tomorrow. I remember being pretty miserable in the heat and during the climbs. However, the Ozarks are quite beautiful so I took in as much of that scenery to get my mind off of the discomfort.

What saved me on day 1 were the water crossings. When we got to the first one I was running with my friend Greg and I remember jumping in and oh my, was it refreshing! Then I thought I would be silly and try to splash Greg and I ended up slipping on a rock and going in waist deep. And if I recall there was a photographer laughing at me and yelling out, “I got that”. Can’t wait to see those pictures. The water crossing definitely got me out of my funk and helped me to energize and finish strong on day one.

Then it was off to the healing waters of the creek at base camp for a leg soak. Initially it was shockingly cold but then it felt AWESOME! That is a must do if you run 3 days of Syllamo!

Photo: Courtesy Larry King

Day 2 – Had the most climb. I thought if I can complete at least a marathon here I will be happy.

I ran super conservatively the first half through some amazing single track. Some sections of the trail were extremely rocky and others were completely covered by leaves (which made it difficult to know what was under foot). At one point on the trail I didn’t know which way to go, I was surrounded by boulders and a cliff? Turns out the trail went through two huge boulders…so wish I had my camera with me! That was really cool!

Again it was really hot but at the half-way point I felt like there was no turning back…I was doing this!

I don’t like running in the heat and it caught up to me. By the last eight miles of the race, I couldn’t keep anything down but continued (very slowly) forward until I finished. My awesome friends met me at the finish line with chicken broth and a sprite. Then it was off to the creek.

Day 3 – Woke up feeling awesome! This is it. I’m almost done. I think the first two miles were uphill. Probably ran too conservatively thinking there were going to be more big climbs. It was actually very mild compared to the previous two days.

Finished strong and was SO HAPPY to be done!

And guess what?? I can’t wait to go back next year! This time I will be better prepared.

Special thanks to Matt Pruitt, Meghan Hicks, Olga Varlamova-King, Melissa Linan, and Larry King for their gracious support with this article.

Check out the TALON Race Guide

There are 150+ regional trail/ultra races in the TALON Race Guide. Be sure to check it out if you are looking for the most complete list of events in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. New events are always being added.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Because these shoes all represent at attempt at a minimalist shoe design, it’s important to share how I categorize minimalist shoes. First I look at the overall heel to forefoot (toe) drop. Is it a little number or big number? Second, what kind of cushion or support is underfoot. Is it “Hoka-esque” or more similar to the Vibram 5-fingers? Third, what does the shoe weigh and does its construction lend any support to the foot or does it allow the foot to “be” what it’s supposed to for the individual runner?

Not everyone will have those same criteria, but that’s how I look at it. For example, I consider my Hoka’s a minimalist shoe with regards to a low heel to toe drop which I really like, but it offers a ton of support underfoot so I wouldn’t necessarily call it a minimalist shoe, it’s just a great shoe with low drop that gives me the cushion I need for long efforts. My Brooks Cascadia are a full on workhorse shoe. High heel-toe drop, lots of cushion, some moderate support built in to the midsole, heavier than any of the shoes I’m reviewing below. I love the Cascadia but wouldn’t consider it anywhere near a minimalist shoe.

In my book, the Road Glove 2 would represent the most minimal shoe of the Merrell lineup followed by the Bare Access 2 and then the Mix Master Move.

The Road Glove 2

Merrell Road Glove 2

Out of the box I knew this shoe would be great fun to run in and wear around town. Other than color, I couldn’t see an immediate difference between the Road Glove 2 and the Bare Access 2 so I took a closer look. Both are extremely similar in look and feel. Both have almost identical uppers and linings. The styling of the upper is slightly different but almost unnoticeable. As best I can tell, the only real difference between the Road Glove 2 and the Bare Access 2 is in the amount of EVA midsole and slight difference in break points along the outsole. The Bare Access 2 has two “grooves” that break along the met-heads under the forefoot which I would assume is meant to mimic and allow for a more natural forefoot motion during stride.

The extra 4mm of cushion does make a slight difference and I find that the Road Glove 2 beats my feet up a bit more on any effort over about 10 miles. For me, 4mm of cushion just isn’t enough to keep my feet from wearing out over that distance. On a side note, this didn’t used to be the case, but whether it’s my age, the miles and training or simply the past few years on more minimal shoes, I have noticed that for longer runs, especially ultras, I prefer a low drop shoe, but one that will support my under foot with some cushion to keep the rocks from punching through.

The TPU heel sling holds my foot just perfectly and doesn’t rub on the Achilles or any point around the circumference of the ankle. In fact, one of my favorite aspects of the shoe is how little padding there is in the upper and yet I didn’t ever feel like it was too little.

I’ve put roughly 100 miles on the Road Glove 2 and have had no issues with wear or breakdown. So far the Aegis treatment has done its job, and the shoes have stayed “funk” free.

Who would be most interested in this shoe?

I think this is a great shoe for anyone that puts in regular time on paved paths or roads. The toe box is wide and comfortable but fits snugly enough to keep the foot from slopping around in the shoe. The heel cup is comfortable and doesn’t rub at all.

I found the shoe did best for runs less than 10 miles and at 7.25oz (size 9.5M) is extremely lightweight. Keep in mind, I weigh about 148lbs and can cover 10 miles in about 70 minutes on a normal training run, so I think these shoes are great for runs about an hour to an hour and a half.

I think the shoe is best suited to someone with a wider foot, that doesn’t have a heavy heel strike gait. Additionally, the shoe is going to be best for runners that have already begun to move over to a barefoot or more minimalist shoe. I wouldn’t recommend this shoe as a first step into the minimalist movement. For that…enter the Mix Master Move!

Mix Master Move

Merrell Mix Master Move

I love this shoe. It’s become my workhorse shoe for the past several months. My impression out of box was very positive. It looked much different than the Road Glove 2 and Bare Access 2 but boasted a great look, bold red color and sleek design.

The shoe has done great for me on both road and trail and although it has a 4mm heel to forefoot drop, the max I find comfortable, it is extremely comfortable and offers a good deal of protection from rocks underfoot. The breathable mesh works well, keeps my feet dry, sweat free, and keeps the weight down. I appreciate the removable footbed because it allows me to use my orthotics while the Road Glove 2 and Bare Access 2 are so form fitting that I can’t fit any extra space into the shoe.

The shoe fits as well as the other two in the line-up, but with the nylon shank in the outsole and a slight bit more EVA cushion gives a bit of extra support for longer efforts. Merrell did not specify the amount of cushion in the midsole and outer, but it seems slightly more than the Road Glove 2 and Bare Access 2.

The heel cup is also slightly more substantial but still not padded beyond what is absolutely necessary.

There are two spots where Merrell chose to use synthetic leather in the upper. In comparison, it seems that the synthetic leather is the same that was used in the exteral TPU heel sling of the other two shoes.

Two complaints:

1. As with the Bare Access 2 (review) this shoe had significant evidence of wear and tear at the toe within the first few runs. There is a small flap of rubber that comes up and within just a couple runs, the glue gave and the rubber separated slightly from the shoe. It has since held up, but this is the second FAIL with regards to portions of the shoe coming apart in a very short time. The manufacturer needs to address this.
   
2. The outsole. It looks like Merrell tried to do their own outsole. It’s not bad, but I don’t find it altogether functional for any reason, i.e. it doesn’t provide any “traction” or grip for trail running, and the tread isn’t built for any off-road use. I haven’t had any problems with using it offroad but it’s not an aggressive sole, and for racing a quick offroad race, I’d probably opt for a different shoe. Additionally, they used Vibram for the other two shoes. I wish they’d done the same for this one.

Who would be most interested in this shoe?

This shoe is my new workhorse training shoe. I can use it for road and for trail, it’s light and responsive and extremely comfortable. It is comfortable for longer distances, has a low heel to forefoot drop and yet has enough underfoot support to allow me to use it for long runs and hours without fatigue.

I think this is a perfect shoe for a transition from a beefy supportive shoe into a more minimalist shoe. It might be a bit roomy in the midfoot and toe box for people with a narrow foot, but I’m somewhere between a narrow and a wide and it’s perfect for me.

Have you ran in the Merrell Road Glove 2 or Mix Master Move? What are your thoughts on them?

If you are interested in Merrell tread, you can receive an Endurance Buzz tribe discount (10% at checkout) at  Running Warehouse.

Simply…

• Click Running Warehouse
• Submit the displayed Endurance Buzz discount code. You will see the discount noted in your shopping cart.
• Then check out the Merrell tread.