 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.  The elevation profile data from my Garmin 910xt 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
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 I read the rant and the retort. I have my own unique take on it. From old military days and mind/war games to bouncing and bodyguarding to now marketing in radio for 25 years, I've learned to recognize a reaction similar to the primal 'fight or flight'.
The male creature much more often than not responds to things they are ignorant or fearful of with faux anger, often laced with weak attempts at humor or irony. Stafko is a large, unfit man with a type of Napoleonic complex. He can't be you or beat you, so he'll attempt to berate you. Rather than admit ignorance and learn, his tact is to defer from him to you. He's the bully on the playground who's the frightened kid in reality. The frat boy who still calls a beer a "brewski" long after the last kegger, and he is in loathing of himself. Suck it up buttercup, from one fat bald old guy to a younger fat boy, better to be a moving target than a bump on a log. Grow some stones rather than throwing them. Lace up a pair of sneakers, struggle through a 5K and finish dead damn last, but feel the honest rush of knowing you finished it and no one can take that away from you. Back away from the buffet big boy, you'll find a lot of athletes willing to share, teach, cajole and love you into being more than a bitter self hating asshat. Phew! Was that a B.A.R.? And as an aside, Fartleks still make me giggle. ~Adventure Geek Russ Big Elk Marathon
Starting from the fairgrounds, the course will travel north on road for approximately ¾ mile before turning right onto the Orange trail. The orange trail consists of mostly double-track with some single track sections and enough rock gardens to make you thankful you chose to wear your trail specific racing shoes. This segment will feature some light rolling hills for about 1.5 miles before turning onto some unnamed single track. After a quick downhill and easy stream crossing, the course will zigzag up and down a series of hairpin turns before letting out on a short, steep rocky downhill that will serve as a great separation point for the mountain goats from the trail sprouts. At the bottom of this trail, runners will follow some grassy double-track along the Big Elk Creek before crossing over on a bridge and reaching the first aid station (~mile 3.5). From the first aid station, runners will proceed briefly on some double-track/service road before jumping on uphill single track bringing you to the Route 273 crossing. After going over the bridge, you will have a brief flat gravel road to stretch your legs out before turning right on some more single track. This single track is mostly non-technical but will bring you through a series of sharp turns before letting you out back onto the gravel road surrounding the creek. Water and aid will be waiting for you at the end of this trail (~mile 5). After another brief (.25 mile) on gravel road along the water, you will again cross the Big Elk creek onto the Yellow trail. You will follow this single-track rolling trail on the west side of the creek for slightly over a mile before crossing over the gravel road (possible self serve water-refill spot) and through a field to get to the 7 Bridges trail. This single-track section will feature some significantly technical sections from roots, with a few steep changes in grade as you wind through the woods in this area of the park. This trail will let you back out onto the gravel road which you will follow up to Gallaher Rd, and crossing into the parking lot for the red trail where full aid will be waiting (~mile 8.5). The race will then travel through the inner red-loop featuring some rooted sections and small stream crossings for 1.5 miles, before traveling uphill towards Big Elk Chapel Road. Water will be waiting at the road crossing (~mile 10.5). You will then continue through a field before entering trails surrounding the training grounds. This trail will wind around and gently roll, as well as featuring some small stream crossings. The course will then continue along the edge of the field travelling east with a quick aid station available (~mile 11.5). In the final segment of the course you will travel briefly uphill on some moderately rooted single-track trail, continue across a training field before joining the last 1.5 mile segment of rooted single track bringing you back to the fairgrounds. Overall, the course features rolling hills with no significant “climbs”. Depending on the rainfall leading up to race day, keeping your feet dry may be an option, although it may require a bit of extra effort! The course has some technical elements with rocks along the first several miles of the course, leaving way for significant roots waiting to trip you up over the last half of each loop.  Inaugural race set for March 9, with three others to follow in 2013
March 4, 2013 – The XTERRA Trail Run Series has hit the trails near the Pacific Ocean for several years. Now it will also make its way to the Atlantic. The XTERRA Atlantic Trail Run Series will make its debut next weekend, and the 2013 schedule will bring races to the states of Delaware and Maryland. The new Atlantic Series will feature four races (two in each state) – March 9 at Wilmington, Delaware; April 6 at Gaithersburg, Maryland; May 25 at Bear, Delaware; June 22 at Elkton, Maryland. Each race in the Atlantic Series is open to runners of all ages and skill levels, from any state. Online registration is available for all four races: ATLANTIC SERIES REGISTRATION. “Delaware has a strong trail system, ranging from rocky and rooted hilly trails to smooth dirt that is frequented by both runners and mountain bikers,” Atlantic Series director Kristen Thomas said. “Maryland parks are in no shortage, either, as they are all over the place and are all frequently used and raced on. There is a very wide range with the Eastern states presenting some smoother, rolling terrain, and the terrain getting more mountainous as you reach the Appalachian Trail.” Runners are excited to participate in the Atlantic Series, as it will take them on some of the most scenic – and challenging – trails in the area. “These races are going to be a great time, that’s for certain,” said Steven Leibowitz, who plans to enter all four events. “Each race promises its own adventure and there are distance options for everyone.” Each event in the series will offer two course options – one long and one short – to accommodate the various levels of runners. The short course distances will be 5 kilometers; the long course distances will range from 10 kilometers to 42 kilometers. The top age-group finishers on the long course of each event will be awarded points toward the Atlantic Series, and standings will be updated after each race. At the end of the season, each age-group champion will be awarded a free entry to the 2013 XTERRA Trail Run National Championship at Ogden, Utah, in September. Leibowitz said he has experience on the Seneca Creek Trail in Gaithersburg, Maryland. “The trail undulates across roots and dirt,” he said. “Not far from the urban sounds of our nation’s capital, this place offers a calm respite to the outside world, and will certainly play host to a challenging and rewarding race experience.” Leibowitz said he is unfamiliar with the other three courses in the Atlantic Series, but is looking forward to the challenge of a new adventure. “Not having been to the other three trails makes me both nervous and excited,” he said. “For the locations that will be new to me, there will be plenty of map studying beforehand if I am not able to make it out in advance. The races are likely to be competitive, grueling, and dirty. Sounds like fun to me!” The Atlantic Series is one of 16 regions across the United States that hosting XTERRA Trail Run events in 2013. The others are Alabama, Arizona, Southern California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, Pocono, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Utah. To enter a race in the Atlantic Series or to learn more about it, please visit www.adventuregeekproductions.com or www.xterratrailrun.com. 2013 XTERRA Atlantic Trail Run Series 3/9/13 –XTERRA Brandywine Creek Trail Run – Wilmington, DE – 12km/5km – Atlantic Series #1 2013 4/6/13 – XTERRA Seneca Creek Trail Run – Gaithersburg, MD - 10km/5km – Atlantic Series #2 2013 5/25/13 –XTERRA Lums Pond Trail Run – Bear, DE – 10km/5km – Atlantic Series #3 2013 6/22/13 – XTERRA Big Elk Trail Run – Elkton, MD - 42km/21km – Atlantic Series #4 2013
Just wanted to say good luck to all of you running Myrtle Beach Marathon this coming weekend. I hear it's a fun race.
You know, Adventure Geek's own Kings Mountain Marathon got its start in 2010 when Myrtle Beach canceled due to freak snow storm. Unbelievable really, when you consider how nice the weather typically is at the Beach this time of year. Perfect for a marathon, because you very rarely have to worry about freezing or overheating. I have heard that Myrtle Beach has gotten very crowded in the past couple years. That's made parking a little difficult, and more importantly, it's made it hard to get out and get moving at the start of the race. The congestion doesn't last long. Just enough to be annoying. Keep in mind, though, that you're running 26 miles, and consider it a blessing in disguise. I also heard a few complaints from folks about the race's NO-headphones policy. No worries, though! There's still plenty to look forward to. My good friend Granny T always sends me the newspaper clipping of the race recap from the local sports page. Can't wait to see it this year! rock on, Jared
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