In episode two at least one of us now has a microphone and we're both not on the phone. Jeremey and I talk about the list of things you need to think and ask about before you start a race. In subsequent episodes we'll dive into each category and discuss lessons we learned the hard way so that you don't have to. 

Jeremey Davis & Jefferson Nicholson dive into the nitty-gritty of the endurance event industry to give event planners something new to consider, echo your positive event theories, and give participating athletes insight on everything that goes into an event Before The (starting) Line.

Like 99% of all the other endurance event directors out there we just got this Podcast started with the equipment we had available.... a couple cell phones and access to the internet. And just like our events we'll continue to improve our equipment so your audio experience will get better too. But regardless of equipment I think we drop a couple of great insight nuggets in here during our introduction episode. If you'd like us to dive into any particular subject then.... we'll make some social media profiles and an email address soon enough too ;) 
JD & Jeff

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UPDATE #1
Unfortunately we are currently not planning to host an onsite version of this race this year due to the gardens being booked for multiple weddings and the CU baseball game traffic and emergency services shutting down the west side of the half marathon route. 
So to keep the event alive, if only in our minds, and training efforts, we're planning to host a Virtual Clemson Easter Bunny Run 5k & Half Marathon. I apologize for the announcement delay as it has been taking some time to make sure we have the right gift packet, run verification, and awards packets plans in place before we roll out any registration forms. 
Of course we'd much rather be in Clemson that weekend running across the campus and finding eggs but it's just been crazy how everything is stacked against us this year. If by some miracle (do you have a venue?!) we can find a real venue, relatively close to Clemson by the end of the week, we'll make it happen. We made it happen with the Kings Mountain Marathon in just a few hours so I haven't given up hope just yet. 

Very Best,
Jefferson Nicholson 
Adventure Geek Engineer & Clemson Easter Bunny Run Founder

The goal is for runners to leave an XTERRA Atlantic Series race feeling remarkable.

Co-race director Jefferson Nicholson made a few tweaks for the second year of the series in hopes runners have an awesome experience on the trails. That includes having a multimedia production so runners and spectators can relive the race with videos and photos. The series begins March 16 with the White Clay Creek Trail Runin Delaware. 

“We (don’t) want to make it memorable, but remarkable,” Nicholson said. “We want folks leaving race thinking ‘man that was the smoothest race, the only thing I had to worry about was the race. Directions were easy, parking and check in a breeze all the way through.’ ”

Nicholson said the inaugural year of the series in 2013 went well and there was a bigger turnout than expected. One of the races, the XTERRA Seneca Creek, made Competitor Magazine’s list of “21 Must-Do Mid-Atlantic Races.” He’s expecting 400 to 500 for that race on April 12 in Maryland. The series has races in both Maryland and Delaware, and attracts runners from nearby states.

The multimedia aspect to the series will add another layer to the fun race experience. A production company will gather interviews, shoot video, and take photos, and all of those will be posted online afterwards.

“We want to help them share memories with friends and family, capture race day and make sure we’re having an enjoyable event,” Nicholson said.

He’s added more staff to help with race coordination and course marshaling. The series opener at White Clay Creek is a new race and he encourages runners to use that race to get a jump on the points standings. He thinks the recent winter weather delayed training schedules, so there may be fewer entries. Not only do age group leaders at the end of the season earn a trip to the XTERRA National Championship, but they’ll also receive gifts from Nicholson and his wife/co-race director, Kristen. The two, who own Adventure Geek Productions, got married in January.


~http://www.xterraplanet.com/trailmix/

The Duncan Ridge Trail 50k takes place in North Georgia near Blairsville, starting and finishing from Vogel State Park. Billed as the ‘toughest 50k in the southeast’; it utilizes the Coosa Backcountry Trail and the Duncan Ridge Trail. At just over 31-miles, with 10,000ft of vertical climb (and equivalent descent), the course promises a challenge to any runner. So I decided to give it a whirl!

PRE-RACE
Since I've never run those trails, I drove down the day before the race to scout portions of the trail.  The Race Director (RD) also offered a pre-race packet pickup that Friday evening. I always prefer pre-race packet pick ups so I can see what kind of bib, or number, or timing chip is being used so I may make the necessary adjustments. Got to have everything dialed in and  reduce as many race-day surprises as I can.

RACE DAY
Ever integrated your alarm clock into your dreams? Yea well I got to the race venue just 15min before the start. So much for reducing race-day surprises... I whipped into the parking lot, ran my stuff to the bag-drop, and then went back to my truck for final preparations. It was cool out (~50*), windy, cloudy, and misty; I was expecting just a +/-5* temp change as a high-pressure system moved in over the day. I tend to run hot on race day so just shorts/singlet/visor should suffice, right? I'll come back to that. 

THE COURSE
The bEast Coast mountain trails were as expected, tons of wet leaves, roots, and rocks. Most of the climbs were strait up and over peaks; the trail was riddled with mud and fallen trees to climb or dip under. There were even points when the trail was barely there and thankfully that’s where the RD placed orange surveyor flags to keep runners on course.

I was prepared and expecting these rough conditions. I regularly run trails in Pisgah National Forest and got a good deal of training in at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park this summer; but the wind and cold got to me Saturday. I couldn't feel my hands for more than half of the time, with wind chill it dropped MUCH more than the anticipated +/- 5deg. 

Racing makes you do silly things sometimes. I attempted to run with my fingers under my armpits at times for added warmth. It looked like your imaging, like a bearded distance runner doing the chicken dance while covering intense single track over a mountain as quickly as possible: awkward. The chicken dance posture didn't work well so I just focused on keeping moving, not only for the race, but for warmth and the thought that the faster I run the sooner this will be over. 

I was pleased to not see the front-runner until ~1mi from the turnaround of the out and back course. At the 15.5mi mark I did the drop bag thing, I crushed a double espresso and a handful of roasted almonds. Now back to the start/finish line! The return trip was tough, slogging up steep mucky pitches, beaten up by runners before and after me... I thought the return trip was supposed to be easier!

Now my goal to the finish, NOT GET PASSED. I convinced myself that there was always someone behind me just around the bend, just out of sight. It worked. I made it back to the start line in 6hrs, 49minutes. Earning 6th place overall in my first 50k race!

RECAP
The Duncan Ridge Trail 50k is NO JOKE. While it is a tough course, the race is very well run, the aid stations are well stocked, and the volunteers I met along the way were great and very supportive! I suggest this race (or the 30k ‘short’ option) for any runner looking for a challenge. The cut-off times were generous allowing participants of almost any pace to finishing the course. There were ample options to drop-out in the event of an injury or being ill-prepared. This race is for the ‘purists’ out there, no awards or age groups, just a finisher’s prize (a nice synthetic hat or a pint glass), and of course, bragging rights.

This year there were 185 starters, 163 total finishers, 72 30k Finishers, 91 50k finishers, 22 DNF's, and 19 dropped to the 30k from the 50k.  

If I find myself still on the East Coast next year, I'll definitely be back for more! 

Mark your calendars for November 22, 2014!!!

Brandon Smith 

Adventure Geek Racing Team Member