...so I decided to go for a walk.

Bear Mountain, NY
West Mountain Loop trail
6 miles round trip
1,000 ft elevation x2


Convinced Sam to go for a "short" hike...Yeah part of this loop was on the Appalachian Trail.

Old tree with some kind of Ancient Indian writing....weird?
This Deer was just the start of we saw today...

Water break
The reenactment of my 50mile run...this time I can enjoy the view
That's why its called Bear Mountain!
Babu!!!

Babu started following us...
Peak!
Secret Chinese Passage Time to go home

Review

This hike was well worth the the 1hr drive from the city. Saw alot of wild life, Chipmunks, Deer and my new friend Babu the black Bear. slr owners will love the views on top, very 101 hike if you dont take the full loop with some rocky technically descents.

Pros:

Great views from top, Challeging route but easy enough for all 101 hikers (if you take it 1way), trails are well "cleaned".

Cons:

Will get lost without a trail map, gps, compass and some good sense of direction. Being bug spray on the fall/spring season. Do not feed or go near the bears. 1/4 mile walk from huge parking lot to trail head.

-MC

My first 100 mile Ultra Marathon

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go"
- T.S Elliot

www.virgilcrestultras.com/
Sept 25th-26th
100 miles
Elevation change: 17,400 feet (actually not too bad)

...I ain't gonna lie, running a 100 miles thru the trails scares the #($*#$ out of me...but I was never one to shy away from a good challenge. No better place to run my first 100 then to go back to where I did my first 50. Any runners and friends that would like to pace me (crew me) feel free to email me for details...It be nice to see friends/family on my journey.

...DNF at Washington DC

...This was suppose to be my "easier" 50miler
...Its only "4000" ft elevation change (NY had 14,000ft change)
...The first Ultra Im running with my boys...nothing can go wrong!

Lesson learned?...anything can happen in a Ultra.

With the Northface Challenge at Bear Mtn under my belt only a month ago, I was actually excited to do this race since it was so much less elevation and my boy Kino's first 50...

The day before the race...yep that's Dean Karnazes...

Robert, me, Kino, Michael Wardian (yeah, the one and only Michael!!!)

5am start time....Can you feel the energy!!!


..the first mile...yeah does bright lights are people running behind us.)



Sunrise - about Mile 10..Im still feeling pretty good.

Mile 12....still feeling good...

...obviously I don't have any pictures of my demise...but I started throwing up a mile to the 15Mile Aid Station and was unable to hold anything in my stomach for the rest of the day...So the Race Directors took my bid..my first DNF.....

...with the Boys at the Finish line:
Robert- (First Ultra) blazes to 15th place), Johnny, Kino, ME!!!


...Surprisingly I'm ok with this DNF, It's pumping me up for my 100miler race...

“Success is how high you bounce when you hit the bottom.” G.Patton.

-Marco

Spontaneous 50miler at Washington DC tune up run

With my disappointing half marathon at Brooklyn and Kino's redemption run "back" from New Mexico I signed up for the North Face 50 at Washington DC, giving me only this weekend for my training runs and a couple of days for rest.

Syosset Stillwell Trails
1 full loop is about 7 miles

(The most fun leg of the route )

The Half Marathon Club

NYRR Brooklyn Half Marathon
May 22, 2010, 8:00 am


...If you're looking for a awesome half marathon, this is one of my favorite ones. 2 loops around Park Slope then straight on to Ocean Parkway for 7 miles to the Boardwalk.



The race start time was changed to 8am start time....Morning ruckus
















Congrats to Sam, Reintine and Doris on their first half marathon.

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever." -L. Armstrong

31 is the new 21...

"For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of, and if you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again. "

...As I start my year as a 31 year old, I started to think about what I have down the last year, I didn't take turning 30 very well last May and had to do something about it...I think I could've done more so I guess I have a alittle more then a year to start...

May 13, 2009 -May 13, 2010

- Health Kidney 10K (6.2 miles)
- Virgil Crest 50 (50 miles)
- Knickerbocker 60K (37.2 miles)
- NYRR Fred Lebrow (5 miles)
- NYRR Manhattan Half marathon (13.1 miles)
- NYRR Staten Island half (13.1 miles)
- Colon Cancer 15K (9.3 miles)
- Xterra Trail run Bethpage 5K (3.1)
- B.U.S Ultra Society Queens 50K (31 miles)
- Norwegian Great Gallop (13.1 miles)
- The Northface Challenge trail run (50 miles) (14K ft elevation change)
- Mt Washington Expedition (6,288 ft elevation)

...not bad for a 31yo. I think the only way to top my 30yo age accomplishments is to do 3 50mile races and 1 100 mile race....

-MC

The North Face Endurance Challenge 50

The North Face Endurance Challenge

Bear Mountain
50 miles
7,038 Elevation Gain
14,074 Elevation Change




...with twice the elevation change compared to my first 50 miler trail
run, I knew it was gonna be a long day.

4:30am ...I don't know why I'm smiling, I only had
about 3hours asleep and about to run for 12hrs
























...these 3 crazy guys and Helen (not shown) had their
relay to run in a few hours as well.





















I got to met Dean Karnazes, one of my inspirations to
do start doing Ultra Marathons. For those who don't know who he
is, check out his wiki.

He also has a great book out
" Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All Night Runner"

















...Mile 10


























Mile 22 (Tallest peak)




















Note the runners in red and green (far left), I almost
lost them when stopping for this picture...









Mile 20-30... not much running


























my boy Alex running with me to the finish...



















...Powered by Dim Sum Ultra runners
(That guy in the yellow is one crazy runner too!)




















TBW... Thompson, Alex, "me", Sam, Helen




















The North Face Challenge matching Jackets...yeah!



















Finish stats;
12hrs 3min
72 place of 141 started

12hours of up hill running and this is what you get....
















...Not as bad as last years 50 miler, Im
getting stronger! (left ankle, 2days)





















Pros: Great Swag and Finishers Medal, Beautiful route,
Crazy terrain = a true Ultra marathon challenge 

Cons: More choices at Aid Stations, Rugged terrain will kill non
trai runners ankles, better trail makers when trails merge with 50k and
marathon runners.

-MC