Into the Darkness 4 Mile Night Trail Run - the beginning

I was fortunate to run the first Hellgate 100k back in 2003 and this event is what motivated us to put on the Into the Darkness event, to give people a taste of racing at night.  I still remember that night 19 years ago.  It was a full moon and you could see for miles.  Not only were the other runner's headlamps visible in all directions but you could see the hanging glow sticks that were a loooong distance away, across the different hills and valleys of the course.

It was wild to see a glimpse of where we would be, long before we got there.  So why not share this experience with others in a race and a distance, anyone could enjoy.  This was our first Mountain Junkies LLC created event, with 50 runners participating in the Into the Darkness run on October 27th 2007.  

The courses have changed quite a bit over the years depending on our headquarters and number of entrants and state of the park and, the park has changed many times and dramatically since 2007.    

• The first few years, the race started at the entrance gate, ran to the beginner trail and finished in the courtyard between the Welcome and Visitors Center.
• As the race grew, we had to reverse the course to make sure runners had adequate time to get spread out before hitting the trail.  
• These were the years of running down the sketchy, gravel rutted out, Salem Turnpike.  
• We moved a lot of gravel during these years, trying to "improve" the ruts and potholes to minimize the danger.  
• The race ended in front of the Brugh Tavern, maybe the best finish line area we've had for the race.    
• The race topped out at 513 finishers in 2012.  Whoa!  Thankfully we started chip timing the event in 2011.  
• We moved to our current location in 2016, at / behind the camp store and the course has been relatively the same since.  

Come on and join us on October 22, 2022 - https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/Roanoke/IntotheDarkness

My Dramatic Leadup to the 2022 Wester States 100 Miler

You ever feel like your arch is going to rip apart during a run?  Well that's where I was at mile 18 of the 2022 Blue Ridge Marathon....   Not the Western States leadup I had planned.

We started ultra running in 2002 and the thought of doing a 100 was nowhere to be found.  Fast forward to 2015, a couple “life” variables come up, you’re turning 40, so what the heck, let’s do the Beast Series. 

After finishing the Grindstone 100 I decided to enter the Western States lottery for the first time and the attitude from that point on was to continue to qualify for both Western States and Hardrock until I was no longer interested. 

My Qualifiers for the 2022 Western States;

2016 - Grindstone 100 - 2015

2017 - Hellgate 100k - 2016

2018 - Bighorn 100 - 2017

2019 - Vermont 100 - 2018 

2020 - Covid Cancelled

2021 - Bighorn 100 - 2019

2022 - Laurel Highlands 70.5 - 2019

32 Tickets got me in to the race

The Drama
The Late Summer and Fall of 2021 saw 7 races (3-50ks, 1-marathon, 1-28k, and 2-VKs) and Covid in the span of 11 weeks.  You can see the details here - http://mountainjunkies.blogspot.com/2021/07/2021-year-of-bad-ideas-with-good-intent.html
That brings us up to date, to 2022 and focusing on putting those 7 years to good use.  I started the year’s activities, in early January, with the Choas 50k, finishing up my second year or a running streak and feeling fit and ready to build up towards June.  Somewhere, shortly after this, a long term mild issue of some heel pain started to flare up, I strained the opposite calf, ran the Terrapin Half with Gina, and continued to try to train for WS.

The Crossroads
The Blue Ridge Marathon fit in to my plan as I figured Mtn Road running with punishing descents would help prepare for the downhill nature of the WS and running the road would be less of an issue for my foot.  Let’s just say the BRM didn’t go as planned, my left quad was shot early due to the offloading of pressure of my right foot, my legs were cooked by Avenham, and right after the top of Peakwood, as you descend before the steep climb up West Ridge, my PF felt like it was going to tear in half (no exaggerating).  I got to the top of Peakwood, where Gina and Kathleen were waiting for me and decided that I was done, I’m pretty sure my words were, “I think I’m going to pull the plug.”

10 Week Countdown and plan to WS100 – Outlook bleak but possible
- No running until my heal doesn’t hurt
- Increase aerobic training volume each week
Training Log
     Week 1 – spin bike, road bike, mtn bike
     Week 2 – only slightly better, added in some weight bearing work, elliptical and stepmill
     Week 3 – spin bike, road bike, elliptical and stepmill
     Week 4 – felt comfortable enough to test things out and was able to get in a few runs without pain – 6.5 miles of running
     Week 5 – running, spin bike, road bike, elliptical and stepmill – 34 miles running
     Week 6 – running, spin bike – 53 miles running
     Week 7 – running, spin bike – 54 miles running
     Week 8 – running, spin bike – 68 miles running
     Week 9 – running, spin bike – 48 miles running
    Week 10 – running – 32 miles
My foot feels good and ready to go. 

My Path to Western States

My Qualifiers for Wester States;

2016 - Grindstone 100 - 2015

2017 - Hellgate 100k - 2016

2018 - Bighorn 100 - 2017

2019 - Vermont 100 - 2018 

2020 - Covid Cancelled

2021 - Bighorn 100 - 2019

2022 - Laurel Highlands 70.5 - 2019

32 Tickets got me in to WS 100 2022

Chaos Mtn 50k - a Streak Celebration

 Unbeknownst to Justin Bower, he created an event to celebrate my running streak.  

- Did he know about my streak?  Not a chance

- Did he care?  Doubtful

On 1/17/20 I headed up to Fairfax Virginia and attended a www.therunningclinic.com seminar.  During that seminar one of the things that we learned about running and injury prevention was that, the more days you run the less likely you are to be injured.  That's not to say you should engage in a running streak, it just means that if you are going to run 30 miles in a week, you are better off running those miles over 5 or 6 days than 3, that a more regular load/stress on the body is better than periodic stress.  I took this as an opportunity to start a streak.  

My running buddy, James Decker, had run 32 days in a row, so I wondered how many I could do.  The most days I've run in a row, tend to be around a vacation, when we adventure and explore new areas.  This would maybe be 10 or so days in a row, at most 12.   By no means a steak. 

I remembered a Jeff Roes article on www.irunfar.com disscussing his running streak attempt.  Until I started mine, I just assumed it would end in a similar fashion as Jeff's.  But then there was Covid and more stress and uncertainty.  There was a drive to keep the streak going, something to focus on and something in my control.  Somehow, running, less races, and a streak put me at being able to get 3000 miles in 2020 (probably the only time I'll reach this level).  I did the math in early December and noted that by running an extra a bit over 300 miles for the month, or what would amount to, 10 miles a week, I could hit the 3000 mile mark (about 400 more than any other year).  So I put in the time and finished up with 3013.

My streak rules are;
- at least 2 miles
- have to be outdoors
- under 14 minute pace.  This is for the post ultra shuffle to count as a run.

In just under another month I should hit the 2 year mark.  I plan to run the Chaos Mtn 50k again as a "celebration" of the streak.  I have no predetermined mark I want to hit.  I'm mainly going until I feel like it's "time" to quit.  At this point I'm interested in what will be the thing that makes me stop.

This Fall had some hurdles that I thought might end things.  The schedule ended up having 7 races, plus covid, in 12 weeks;
7/24/21 - Catherine's 50k
8/14/21 - Jarmans 50k
8/14 - 8/24 Covid
9/3 & 9/4 - The Rut VK and 28k
10/1 & 10/2 - The Broken Arrow VK and 50k
10/11/21 - The Boston Marathon

Although some performance suffered in there, the races went well and made for an unforgettable end to the racing year.   I don't recommend running a mountainous VK and 28k 2 weeks after covid or the Boston Marathon 9 days after a mountainous 50k, but if you do, do it in the Fall!

What will end the streak?  

Catherine's Furnace 50k

Race #1 of the "West" and Wild, Fall preparation was this past weekend.  On 7/23/21 James and I left for Rocktown (Harrisonburg) in preparation of the 7/24/21 Catherine's Furnace Fat Ass 50k, between New Market and Luray.  

Fat Ass events have certain qualities;

- Zero or minimal entry fees
- No shirt
- No awards
- Minimal Aid
- A range of zero Course Markings to fully marked course

See all the race details here.  The Course is a lollipop loop with a common 10 mile section out and back and an 8 mile loop section in the middle, 3 big climbs with a total of 5700ft of climbing.    

The goal was to use this as a training race and to enjoy time on new to me trails.  It was going to be a hot and humid day so I wasn't sure what to expect in regards to performance.  

The race started out with a mile or so of rocky runnable terrain.

As we got in to the long 1600ft climb up to Bird Knob I fell in with a group of 6 and just followed. 

Bird Knob was a McAfee's Knob style rocky overlook looking over New Market. 

We ran the ridge for awhile before dropping down to the first aid station.  This ridge was similar to Tinker Cliffs.  It was runnable with large embedded rocks and a trail covered in pine needles.  

I opted to pass by the first aid station, thinking I would be fine until AS 2.  I felt fine now but I'm pretty sure I should have been drinking more.  

From there, it was some very rocky and technical trail up to the second ridge, on the infamous Purple Trail

and then a steep rocky descent leading to more runnable terrain to the second aid station at Catherine's Furnace.

I topped off with water and was on my way pretty quickly.  From here we had a 2.5 mile run, gradually climbing on a gravel road.  

Next was AS 3 where again I opted to not take any water and roll on through.  Probably another bad idea.  Side note, you ever see that SNL skit, "Bad Idea Jeans"? 

We were now on the Morgan Run Trail.  This was a rocky trail that went straight up the Hollow, meandering over rocks and trees, across streams, through muddy sections with logs in them to help provide footing, through a former controlled burn area that ultimately led to an overgrown Forest Service Road.  Along this road  I started to get the first cramps of the day, at about mile 16.  At AS 4 we came to another gravel road that descended back to Catherine's Furnace and AS 5.

I topped off my water and resupplied my food for the return trip to the finish.  From Catherine's we were going to retrace our steps back up the 3.2 miles and 1600ft to the top of the Purple Trail climb.  Anyone who's been here before will remember the Purple Trail.  Just ask them about it.  

This was a slow slow hike up to the top, in the heat of the day, while nursing some cramps.  Finally to the top and now one half mile loose rocky section back to AS 6.  Here I topped off my water and removed my left shoe to remove a few pebbles and then was on my way back to Bird Knob and the final 4.5 miles to the finish.  Trying to take a shoe off while dealing with cramps takes some patience.  It's not an easy or fun process.

Different than the beginning of the race, we skirted around the Bird Knob Trail, staying on the Orange Trail.  This looked to be an old Forest Service Road lined with mountain laurel and about 10 of these large anthills.  This whole section of trail was covered with ants doing their thing.  

From here it was a 4 mile rocky technical descent to the finish.  My toes had been pretty beat up and the soles of my feet were pretty bruised up, so I limped my way to the finish in around 6:20 and getting the coveted CFA-50k sticker.