Manitou Revenge 2016 – The Game of Rocks

“The race is thought to be one of the burliest, non-altitude 50-mile races in North America” – iRunFar

This was my third year in a row to participate in Manitou Revenge race.  The first year I finished the race in the dark, probably in sub 18 hours. The second year, I DNFed at mile 40 from chest pain. And now, I came back again this year to put my dices on the Manitou’s Table of Rocks. It’s always a mystery why I always came back to this race. Literally this was the hardest 50 miles foot race ever (for me at least), so nothing was easy, pain was the game and my only companion, yet it was pretty out there. I guessed  my brain somehow filter out what to remembered, only the good memory from Manitou that stamped in my brain.

Cayuga 50 – In Pursue of Happiness

Cayuga 50 was one of my two race nemesis. I had been in this race twice before and I DNF-ed on both of them. One from a rhabdo symptoms and the other one was from falling to a rock on my busted pelvis. But this time I came in smarter and stronger, I was ready what might come. The question was, would I  have the will power to face the stairways to heaven out and back twice.
General Description From The RD
Cayuga Trails uses an out-back C-shape course configuration w/ a lollipop loop on the far end. The out-back configuration was chosen secondary to the FLT extending onto road and fairly unremarkable sections beyond each terminus. The result has allowed entrants to have the opportunity to see the race shaking out ahead and behind them in several points. It starts and ends in Robert H. Treman State Park where it ascends the gorge trail, passing through the Lucifer Fall’s area in the upper gorge and the Finger Lakes Runner’s Club’s Old Mill AS, before wrapping out/connecting with/descending on the Rim Trail. Both sections are double/triple track trail which was intentionally chosen to allow the field to accommodate packs while minimizing potential impact to more sensitive surrounding single-track. Once clearing IronHeart Racing’s Underpass AS runners will cross a creek and ascend single-track through and beyond the Finger Lake Land Trust’s Lick Brook Gorge. From there it feeds through to Buttermilk Falls State Park where it begins the lollipop loop, traversing the upper old reservoir, merging w/ a scenic park road and descending on the old Burma Rd to Trails Roc’s Buttermilk AS. From there it ascends the Buttermilk Gorge Trail on its way back to the start. Fifty milers complete two circuits, 40k’rs one.
The elevation gain is most likely somewhere around 9,000 though GPS devices have recorded as much as 11k+. It’s tough to get a handle on an accurate read given the nature of the tight gorges and inaccurate signals. There are creek crossings around mile 4, 7.5, and 11.5…hit again on the return so the feet will stay wet.
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Dirty German 50k – Having A Bad Day

Finally I got into a starting line without any water dropping from a grey sky. A little bit chilly from the wind, but it seems it gonna be a good day. I had done this race for 2 times before, it s a fast flat course with a small section of road. The plan for this race was taking an easy run, have fun, and work on my nutrition.

Course Description from The RD
This race takes place within the city limits of Philadelphia, and therefore qualifies as an urban ultramarathon, but you will not find things like traffic, noise, bad air quality & concrete buildings here. This race course is located within Pennypack Park, a hidden gem within Philadelphia’s Fairmont park system. The park stretches along Pennypack creek for about 7 1/2 miles, and is home to many trails, huge old trees, birds & other wildlife. I run here all the time, and never get tired of it.

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7 Sisters 2016 – Embrace The Gravity

“There are steep hills, with sharp rocks and plenty of roots and then, when you least expect it, a ledge pops up that you need to jump off. There will be walking.”
— Runner’s World —

Again, I came to the race parking lot with sky water dripping onto my shoulder. Man, what is up with my 2016 races, hope this won’t be a norm for the rest of the year. I signed up this race for a training run, coach said that I needed to train on my pace and more importantly training for my hike.

THE COURSE

The race follows the New England National Scenic Trail (NET) in a westerly direction from Route 116 at the Notch in South Amherst to Old Mountain Road in Hadley and then retraces the route back to Route 116. The single-track trail is marked with white, rectangular blazes. 12 miles of technical, single-track trail on an out-and-back course with over 3,500 ft. elevation gain, following the ridge-crest of the Mt Holyoke Range. It’s widely considered the most challenging trail race in the Northeast… and in our humble opinion… it has the most beautiful views.

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TNF Bear Mountain Half Marathon – Monkey Is Back

Bear Mountain is always a special place for me. Not only is the place where I could get sanctuary from real life every weekend, but it was also where I found what they call trail running for the first time. Well I don’t think I am really a runner, probably just a slightly fast hiker.

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Runners can expect terrain changes from packed dirt to loose rocks, from tree roots to leaf-covered trails. The Bear Mountain Endurance Challenge course cuts to the chase, with some trails heading steeply uphill rather than zig-zagging at a gentler grade. Descents end in wooded hollows before the next rapid climb ending with breathtaking views. Make no mistake: this will be a tough test of off-road endurance.

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