All the firsts – first plane ride, first train ride, first developed country… but it’s the small things that make them gawp the most – the hydraulic lift on the back of a lorry, the petrol driven grass cutter in the park, and the big saw the road workers use to cut through the tarmac. These things are just beyond their imagination. I never thought I’d spend 20 minutes watching.

But their eyes are definitely still on the prize. Within 3 hours of landing, Bed was asking me about the race. He wanted to know everything – start time, location, route, what the trees look like… Everything. Sudip was savouring the moment too – he was asking about the competition. He really feels he can win this one. And he is good enough.

This Nepali tapering is still driving me crazy – so they managed a 82km mountain trail route 14 days before the race, and a 50km road run 10 days before, no issues, but now they want to do the whole 78km Davos route just so they know it! I think I’ll draw the line at that, but their enthusiasm is simply a joy to be around.

I wonder what the other runners will think when they see the Everest Ultra and Everest Marathon winners lined up next to them at the start with their beaming smiles.

How do they feel? Excited, in a word. Utterly over the moon. But also very deferential. ‘This is a great honour and privilege to be here. I will do my best and be the best I can,” says Bed. And Sudip is no different, “My family told me to honour the sponsors who have made this lifetime opportunity possible.”

They’re both so humble and grateful. This is the motivation and attitude that coaches dream of – it’s deep, it’s strong, and they know just how much effort has gone into getting them here. They don’t feel that they deserve any of this, they are both in awe that it is happening to them and they way to show their gratitude is to try their very best.

We have high hopes for them, too. They’ve settled in well, they’re in good shape, and they’ve also discovered the benefits of eating during a run – at least I taught them something! I just hope we can find some way of getting them their fresh chicken soup and buffalo milk!

This week we are profiling all those involved in this on our Project Davos website, what they are learning from this and their experience.

Our aim is to raise enough money to keep these runners training, and take part in more international events. Just £50 (US$75) is enough to house and feed and clothe one runner for an entire month. It would be wonderful to raise enough to keep this dream alive for Bed and Sudip, and let their talents shine for longer on the international stage.

Related posts:

1. Project Davos: Nepalis to Race Swiss Alpine Marathon 78k
2. Two Nepalis in Switzerland: What do we expect to happen?
3. Project Davos: How Do Two Nepali’s Taper?

Three journal articles were written using the data gathered at Western States 100 mile endurance run. In the studies analyzed, both male and female athletes were selected (54 total athletes):  29 were placed in the ibuprofen group, while 25 were placed in the control (non-ibuprofen) group. Blood and urine samples were collected from participants in both groups before and after the race. In the ibuprofen group, participants ingested 600mg day before race, and 1200mg (divided into doses of 200mg every 4 hours) on race day.

McAunulty Study
In a study by Steven McAunulty, et al.[2], the authors looked at how oxidative stress on the body was influenced by ibuprofen use. Oxidative stress, for clarification, is the inability to detoxify and repair damage to body systems done by the production of free radicals and peroxides. Free radicals and peroxides can cause direct damage to cells and can disrupt normal energy production within cells. When overly abundant, they can cause cell death.

McAnulty looked at certain measurable inflammatory markers (F2-isoprostanes) in the blood and urine and when comparing pre-race to post-race samples, found significantly differing levels of inflammatory makers in both blood and urine in the post-race ibuprofen-use samples. His conclusion was, “Ibuprofen use compared with nonuse by athletes competing in a 160-km race was associated with significantly increased oxidative stress.”

How does this happen and what does it mean?

1. Kidney cells may be damaged and altered during and ultramarathon as a result of ibuprofen use. There has been previous research that has shown that ibuprofen increases blood flow to the stomach and small intestine and thereby increases leakage of toxins into the bloodstream, increasing oxidative stress. Ultrarunning magnifies this effect.
2. Post-race blood levels of measured inflammatory markers (F2-isoprostanes) were elevated by 37% above normal in the ibuprofen group, compared to 20% elevation in the non-ibuprofen group. These same markers, when measured in post-race urine, were increased by 138% in the ibuprofen users, and unchanged in non-users. This is statistically significant data that shows ibuprofen was increasing stress on body.
3. The authors concluded that based on their findings, “we recommend caution in using ibuprofen and other NSAIDs during ultra-distance exercise events.”

Nieman Study
David Nieman, et al.[3] used the same study subjects and samples to analyze a different set of inflammatory markers. I think the most interesting thing that he did was to also set up a subjective pain-rating score for the athletes to use. The 10-point Likert scale for measuring delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) was used for the seven days following race completion.

Statistically significant was the following study conclusion, “Ibuprofen use compared to non-use by athletes competing in a 160-km race did not alter muscle damage or soreness, and was related to elevated indicators of endotoxemia and inflammation.” The measured damage was seen in decreased capability of the kidneys to filter toxins properly (by measuring decreased urine creatinine, a typical test used to measure kidney function), and higher levels of blood inflammatory markers (interleukins, cytokines, and c-reactive protein:  all indicators of inflammation and pain).

Dumke Study
Charles L. Dumke, et al.[4] likewise analyzed information gathered from Western States 2005. Previous data collected in other studies measured significant electrolyte disturbances while running and using ibuprofen. Dumke dispelled this information. Ibuprofen use did not, in and of itself, alter blood concentrations of key electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, chloride, or calcium, nor did it affect blood proteins. An interesting trend was discovered, however:  longer running times, lower training volumes, and older runner age all correlated with lower sodium concentrations (hyponatremia) at the finish line, suggesting that the longer you are out there and the older you are, the more important it is to pay attention to electrolyte replacement.

Take Home Information:
The studies results in a lot of daunting scientific speak. I did my best to pare it down to an understandable discussion. I think there is some really valuable information to be gained from these articles, and I look forward to more studies being conducted in the future. Probably the most important point that is not discussed in these journal articles is the fact of listening to our bodies, and doing what we feel is right for them. As tough as we may be as ultrarunners, it is always good to hold a healthy dose of respect for the fragility of the human body. What has worked for us in the past may not work for us in the future, and something that we have never used before may just be the magic ticket to get us through our next race.

Missy Berkel is a Nurse Practitioner from Salt Lake City, Utah and has been running ultras since 1998.  She is running the Wasatch 100 in September.

[1] http://runtrails.blogspot.com/2009/08/erik-skaggs-hospitalized-for-renal.html

[2] McAnulty, et al. (2007). Ibuprofen use during extreme exercise:  effects on oxidative stress and PGE2. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (39)7.

[3] Nieman, et al. (2006). Ibuprofen use, endotoxemia, inflammation, and plasma cytokines during ultramarathon competition. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 20.

[4] Dumke, et al. (2007). Ibuprofen does not affect serum electrolyte concentrations after an ultradistance run. British Journal of Sports Medicine 41.

Related posts:

1. Ultramarathons and Performing Enhancing Drugs
2. Caffeine and Endurance Running
3. No Energy While Running – Help!?

We’ll kick things off with a look at the key components of the MorphoDynamic technology. Next, we’ll share how shoes with the technology performed on the trail. Last but not least, we snagged a highly informative interview with Jonathan Lantz, the head of La Sportiva North America. [Ok, there's also a word lover's bonus at the very bottom of the article.]

The forthcoming La Sportiva Electron with MorphoDynamic technology.

What is La Sportiva’s MorphoDynamic Technology?
Let’s jump into what La Sportiva’s MorphoDynamic shoes offer. While La Sportiva redesigned the trail shoe from the ground up for its MorphoDynamic line, we’ll break these innovations into two parts – the sole, including the midsole and outsole, and the last,the form over which each shoe is constructed.

The Sole
The MorphoDynamic sole is made up of four parts. There’s an anti-torsion stabilizer, a two-piece midsole, and the outsole.

The La Sportiva Electron's MorphoDynamic outsole.

The anti-torsion stabilizer is not a clunky piece of control technology. Instead, it’s a minimal horseshoe-shaped plastic component that provides a touch of structure to the rear of the shoe.

The midsole itself is broken into two components. Unlike some dual-density midsoles that use a strategically placed piece of denser foam to control pronation, the Morphoynamic midsole is dual-layer throughout the shoe. The top layer is an EVA foam for cushioning. The EVA is ergonomically shaped, but other than that, it serves a standard running shoe role.

Ah, but below the EVA is a polyurethane Ether foam. That Ether foam absorbs “negative ground impact.” In other words, it swallows up rocks, roots, and other trail obstacles on the trail so you don’t feel them. The foam is so effective that MorphoDynamic shoes don’t need a rockplate. As a bonus, the lightweight Ether foam and lack of a rockplate keep the weight of these shoes in line with comparable models.

La Sportiva has thrown FriXion AT rubber on the business side of its MorphoDynamic shoes. While Sportiva has used the same compound on other trail running shoes, the nubless waveform pattern of these outsoles gives them otherworldly grip on rock. The waves would also create great flex points in the fore- and mid-foot; however, the highly malleable midsole and outsole as well as the lack of a rockplate already allow for more flex than most non-miminalist trail shoes.

The La Sportiva Quantum with MorphoDynamic sole conquering Cloud's Rest.

[For stat junkies, both the Quantum and Electron will have a 31mm heel and and 20mm toe height for 11mm drop. In comparison, the wildly successful Wildcat has a 28mm heel and 16mm heel height for a 12mm drop.]

The Last
A number of trail running companies are introducing ergonomic lasts and La Sportiva is joining in. On the technical side, traditional lasts have flat bottoms, hard edges, and other aspects that don’t make them ideal replacements for the feet they are supposed to stand in for during the manufacturing process. The MorphoDyanmic last provides a more realistic portrayal of the foot that leads to better support and a comfortable fit.

Real World Performance
Since I’m switching to real life trail performance, it’s time to switch over to the active first person voice. (Hi there!)

For most of my tests, I ran in the 12 ounce Electron and, boy, was it fun. When I first saw the unique wave-like sole pattern, I thought it looked clunky… enough so that I thought I’d have to learn how to run in the shoe. On the other hand, the forefoot was so flexible, I thought my feet and lower legs would quickly tire. My pre-test impressions couldn’t have been more wrong.

Once I slipped on the Electron, its heel-to-toe roll feel was natural and in line with other shoes that I enjoy. Just as important, the sole wasn’t clunky or a hazard on which I was more prone to snag a rock. In practice, the shoe rides much lower than you would suspect based on appearances. In longer runs, I didn’t experience any abnormal foot fatigue or lower leg soreness. That’s particularly noteworthy as I’m weakened in those area following a long bout with plantar fasciitis.

Now on to the fun stuff. The MorphoDynamic technology works. The easily shoe absorbed any and all protrusions on the trail. In fact, I could leap from pointy rock to pointy rock without experiencing any foot discomfort. The shoe is not left wanting for lack of a rockplate.

The Electron handled wet granite well.

Speaking of rocks, the FriXion AT and smooth (i.e., non-nubby) outsole were velcro-like on my local Yosemite granite. I felt sure-footed in the Electron as I ran up the exposed (meaning both soilless and in proximity to 4,000′-tall cliffs) granite of Cloud’s Rest without worrying about traction. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been purposefully ricocheting off any boulders along side the trail on descents. The grip is good enough that I keep wanting to press my luck. So far, no whammies.

I’ve not had a chance to put these shoes through thorough testing in muddy or loose soil conditions, but the shoes have performed adequately (i.e., nothing negative to report) in brief encounters with these conditions.

As for sizing, the Quantum and Electron run on small side, as do most La Sportivas, but I wanted to let you know that the status quo stands with the new last. It’s worth noting that both I and my girlfriend were able to wear a size 42 (men’s 9) in the Quantum even though she’s normally a size 41. Granted she was wearing a thicker pair of socks (Drymax Maximum Protection) as compared to my thin socks.

Question and Answer with Jonathan Lantz, President of Sportiva North American
In preparing this article, we wrote the Jonathan Lantz, head of La Sportiva’s North Amerian operations, as he was involved with the two-year-long creation process of the MorphoDynamic technology. We had intended to weave his answers into the narrative above, but his responses were so informative that we included them in full below.

iRunFar: What was the inspiration behind the new MorphoDynamic technology?

Jonathan Lantz: The inspiration behind the new MorphoDynamic technology was to expand on our Impact Brake System concept and to take the lug deformation concept to the next level. When we looked at running, one of the most important things a running shoe does is to cushion the foot from impact. The easiest way to develop the advanced cushioning concept was to look at the existing components in a running shoe and expand on their abilities.

iRF: The technology was in development for two years. How did the concept evolve during that time? Were there any big additions, subtractions, or surprises along the way?

The La Sportiva Quantum getting wet.

JL: There were a great number of additions and evolutions during the development cycle. The biggest was switching from an all EVA midsole to a dual material midsole and adding the super soft PU layer which was closer to the ground. The product went from simply filling the lugs with cushioning material, therefore reducing the weight, to adding a material that absorbed the trail features along with the impact forces. Finding the correct material that was resilient enough was very difficult to do.

The other addition to the MorphoDynamic technology product was the development of the ergonomic midsole and the switch from traditional strobel lasting to slip lasting the uppers as we have done in climbing shoes for over 20 years.This creates a product which is more responsive and better fitting and more supportive through the arch area.

iRF: When did the development team realize that a traditional rock plate wasn’t needed or was that part of the concept from its inception?

JL: The plan from the start was to have a more flexible product with lots of cushion. The easiest way to produce that feature is to exclude a rock plate. Adding the PU allowed us to kill two birds with one stone.

iRF: La Sportiva has an diverse offering of trail shoes. What distances, events, and terrains were La Sportiva targeting when designing its first two MorphoDynamic models, the Quantum and Electron?

JL: We were not targeting specific events or distances with the MorphoDynamic technology. We were targeting an advanced cushioning concept that created a product that is soft and flexible yet highly protective. These are not the lightest shoes, but they are the most comfortable on any terrain, even roads. Not that we are trying to make a road shoe, but you get the idea.

iRF: What are the primary differences between the two models? What particular niche is each intended to fill?

JL: The Electron is a more protective upper with a looser fit and is intended to be more of trainer akin to the Wildcat.

The Quantum has a more precise and tighter fitting upper that can be pulled tight with a closer wrapping of the foot by the lacing harness and a more breathable mesh upper. The Quantum targets more of a racing fit.

iRF: What other roles do you think MorphoDynamic shoes could fill in the future?  For instance, could this technology be modified for an even lower profile mountain racing shoe akin to the Crosslite?

JL: All I can say here is that the technology works and it works really, really well. The initial feedback from testers and reviews comes with comments like, “You have something of a major breakthrough here” and “These are the mot comfortable shoes I have ever tested and I have tested A LOT of shoes.”

I can assure you that you will see products in the future that utilize the MorphoDynamic technology and they will carry our mountain design philosophy of lighter and faster and built for the rigors of the mountains.

Questions and Comments
As always, we welcome your questions and comments. Fire away!

See ya. It's time to go running!

Word Junkie Bonus
We wanted to address the technology moniker, MorphoDyanmic. The word itself may sound complicated, but it’s beautifully simple when you break it down. Morpho means shape (from the Greek Morphē). In its modern usage, dynamic means “continuous change” or “in motion.” Either definition of dynamic would fit this technology well, as they are designed so that the shape is continuously changing while you run.

However, the archaic root of dynamic might be even more fitting. The word dynamique joined French by way of the Greek dunamikos, which means powerful. Move two steps further back to the root verb dunasthai and you’ve reached “to be able.” What could be better for a trail shoe than shape that makes you able.

[Disclosure: La Sportiva provided samples of the Quantum and Electron. In addition, La Sportiva provides support for iRunFar, including our coverage of the La Sportiva Mountain Cup and our video coverage.]

Related posts:

1. Vasque FootSync Technology Debuts in the Transistor FS
2. La Sportiva Skylite Review
3. New Balance MT100-WT100 Review

2010-11 Montrail Ultra Cup Schedule
Regular readers will know the first update. Montrail added the Run Rabbit Run 50 miler in Steamboat Springs to the schedule. Otherwise, the schedule remains unchanged.

1. 8/21/10 – Where’s Waldo 100k (Willamette Pass, OR) [Entry open until August 1, but only 9 slots left as of July 27]
2. 9/18/10 – Run Rabbit Run 50 mile (Steamboat Springs, CO) [FULL]
3. 9/26/10 – Vermont 50 Mile/50k (Ascutney Mtn Resort, VT)
4. 11/6/10 – Mountain Masochist 50 Mile (Lynchburg, VA) [Full, but waitlist]
5. 11/20/10 – JFK 50 (Washington County, MD) [FULL]
6. 1/8/11 – Bandera 100k/50k (Bandera, TX)
7. 2/26/11 – Mt. Cheaha 50k (Cheaha State Park, AL)
8. 3/12/11 – Way Too Cool 50k (Cool, CA)
9. 4/9/11 – American River 50 (Sacramento, CA)
10. 5/7/11 – Miwok 100k (Marin Headlands, CA)
11. 5/14/11 – Ice Age Trail 50 Mile/50k (LaGrange, WI)
12. 6/25/11 – Western States 100 (Squaw Valley, CA)

Rules Update
If a runner wins Run Rabbit Run or any other race in the series, he or she will receive 15 bonus points. The 15 points is big deal in this series. As a quick reminder, points are award based on race distance at a rate of a point per mile and the ratio of the gender winning time to a person’s time. (In other words, if Geoff Roes wins Western States again next year and takes 80% of the time it takes me to finish, I would receive 80 points from the race while he’d earn 100 points.) For a full explanation of series’ rules and scoring, see our preview of the 2009-10 Montrail Ultra Cup.

While winners benefit from the first rule change, other top runners will benefit from the institution of a more flexible Western States entry criteria. This past season, the top two men and women at each MUC race of 50 miles or longer earned the right to run in this year’s Western States 100. If they already had an entry into Western States or didn’t except the MUC entry, no one else was eligible to receive that slot. However, for the upcoming MUC season an unaccepted Western States slot not needed or accepted by the top two finishers at a particular race will slide down to the third place finisher, but no further.

Prize Update
Some will find it hard to believe, but this will already be the 10th Montrail Ultra Cup. In honor of this occurrence, Montrail is digging deep and doubling the cash purse to a total of $16,000 with men’s and women’s winners grabbing $5,000 each. Here’s the full prize breakdown.

1. $5,000, Montrail shoes, Mountain Hardwear Fluid pack, nuun tablets
2. $2,000, Montrail shoes, Mountain Hardwear Fluid pack, nuun tablets
3. $1,000, Montrail shoes, Mountain Hardwear Fluid pack, nuun tablets
4. Montrail shoes, Mountain Hardwear Fluid pack, nuun tablets
5. Montrail sandals, Mountain Hardwear Fluid pack, nuun tablets

Call for Comments and Questions
So what do y’all think of the changes for the next Montrail Ultra Cup?

Related posts:

1. Montrail Ultra Cup – New and Improved
2. Montail Ultra Cup Prediction Contest Results
3. Montrail Ultra Cup ’09-10 Mid-Series Update

Newton states that the “Momentum is an off-road guidance trainer designed for runners committed to a more efficient natural running style. It provides intelligent control for all foot types on all types of terrain, from groomed bridle paths to technical mountain trails.” I tested this shoe over a wide variety of terrain running approximately 60 miles in the shoes during a two week period. Reviewer’s stats: I am 5’10” and 150 lbs and I typically run 60-80 miles per week, 90% of which are on trails. I have very average volume feet with mild pronation.

This review provides my first impressions, a series of terrain tests, the shoes pros and cons, as well as a summary.

First Impressions
When the Newtons arrived I was instantly impressed with their good looks. Taste is subjective and mine just happens to lean, and possibly err, on the side of bold. I love shoes that adhere to simple primary color patterns, and Newton’s trail runner comes with a beautiful Kelly green upper with lemon colored accents. It says old school; harkening back to the days when shoe manufacturers would focus on solid eye popping colors.

Slipping on the shoes I was impressed by the snug and secure fit of the heel cup through the midfoot and the shoe widens towards the toe box to allow ample room. I have very average volume feet and I could see this upper being helpful to runners with high volume feet who need a wide toe box. The first impressions of standing and walking in the Newton’s are a bit strange, comparable to walking around in track spikes due to the protruding Activator lugs on the outsole of the forefoot. The shoes felt like they had plenty of cushion, and as a midfoot striker, I could tell that I would not be lacking protection in these shoes.

The Newton Terra Momentus' outsole with Activator lugs in the forefoot.

Terrain Tests
Flat Groomed Crushed Gravel Path
I first ventured out with the Newton’s on a smooth, flat, crushed gravel trail for an eight mile run. Newton recommends easing into wearing their shoes and starting with as little as 10 minutes at a time. Newton cautions that the new wearer may experience excessive calf soreness from the new experience of forefoot striking. I could tell from about a mile in that these shoes were not interfering with my natural foot plant as a midfoot striker. The shoes felt well cushioned and surprisingly bouncy. As a mild overpronater I felt the Newton’s offered a nice mid-level amount of support that could be appreciated by neutral runners and overpronaters alike. Instead of building up the medial side of the shoe with motion control devices as most road shoes do, Newton built in a rearfoot chassis that acts as a stable platform. I never felt like my pronation was controlled, simply supported. These shoes performed brilliantly on this groomed surface and do seem like they could take a beating and last for a lot of miles.

The Terra Momentus' rearfoot chassis.

Rolling Rocky, Sandy Singletrack
The Terra Momentus had a difficult time managing this more technical terrain. Due to the relatively high platform and thickness of the midsole cushioning, the Newton’s felt bulky and stiff on these types of trails. The most noticeable deficit came while running narrow singletrack terrain. The midfoot and rearfoot chassis in the midsole had difficulty adjusting to the often concave surface of a singletrack trail, and the shoe does not seem to flex or conform well to the contours of the trail. Any running on side-sloped hills also seemed to put undo stress on my feet and ankles.

Technical Mountain Trails
The Terra Momentus had serious difficulty managing this type of terrain. On a 12 mile out-and-back run with roughly 4,000 feet of elevation gain, the Newton’s felt like clodhoppers on the ascent. I thought this was very bizarre given that Newton is a Boulder-based company and the trails I tested them on emulate many of the steep, rocky trail sections that one can experience running up Green or Flagstaff Mountains in Boulder. Over any loose rocks or gravel in the trail the Activator lugs felt like they caused me to lose traction making the ascent even more difficult. The descent was fairly treacherous. I consider my technical trail descending abilities to be above average and I really felt that the Terra Momentus’ bells and whistles got in the way. Rock hopping in these shoes caused me to nearly roll my ankles, and the Activator lugs frequently kicked small rocks and gravel out in front of me into the trail. I nearly fell one time and I was perplexed by the Newton’s inability to “feel” the trail.

Pros
Newton got a lot of things right with the Terra Momentus, their first trail shoe. The fit was excellent out of the box. I wear a size 9.5 US in most trail shoes. The Newton’s I received were a size 10 and fit well throughout the foot with maybe a bit more toe room than I’m used to. The weight of the shoe is just over 11 ounces; not featherweight, but considering their cushioning and support features Newton did a nice job of keeping them light.

The upper on this shoe is fantastic. Besides looking retro, the upper felt supportive and protective from rocks, bushes, and the many cacti I encountered. I tested the quick drying properties that Newton advertises by running through a creek and the shoes did not get that squishy water logged shoe feeling. They were dry the next morning when I put them on. The gusseted tongue stayed put throughout all the runs.

The shoes are very well cushioned, offer great support for a varying degree of pronation, and they handle smooth, groomed trails very well. The Terra Momentus also seems very durable and it could withstand big miles from larger runners without breaking down.

Cons
The Terra Momentus feels like a road shoe. It has difficulty handling technical terrain due to the thickness of the midsole. Shoe companies operate under the well-researched hypothesis that a higher platform makes a more stable shoe. This construction just doesn’t work very well for trail shoes. These shoes do not afford the wearer the agile feeling that comes from a lower profile shoe. I enjoyed the cushioned feeling of the Activator lugs, but they simply get in the way when running over loose rocks, going up stairs, traversing hill sides, and ascending mountains. Unless you’re running on groomed trails, this shoe gets in your way.

I made a trip down to my local running store to try on Newton’s Sir Isaac guidance trainer, a mainstay in their road shoe line. The shoes midsole and support chassis appears identical to that of the Terra Momentus. The Sir Isaac feels the same too, but I was not able to compare them side-by-side. The only difference that I could see was the trail upper in the Terra Momentus.

Summary
This being my first Newton shoe of any kind, I was impressed with the quality of the shoes construction, materials, fit, and feel. I appreciate that Newton is creating shoes with a low heel-toe ratio that facilitates forefoot/midfoot striking, something I feel reduces injuries in many runners. But, as a trail shoe, the Terra Momentus performs inadequately due to its high platform and stability components. I, for one, will trade agility and a low profile “feel” for the trail over premium cushioning and stability simply because I want to avoid face plants on the trail.

Possible changes for future updates that I hope to see are a lower profile, which will sacrifice cushioning and some stability. If Newton decided to make this change they could probably get the shoes down around 9 ounces, which would appeal to the rapidly-growing population of minimalist trail runners looking for light shoes. I also think that Newton should reduce the size of the Activator lugs on the forefoot in favor of a more aggressive outer sole for traction. But please, no changes to the color scheme or upper. Newton, you nailed that part!

The Terra Momentus will be available at retail late August with an MSRP of $139.

Call for Questions and Comments
If you’ve worn the Terra Momentus, let us know what you think about. If not, feel free to ask any questions you might have about this shoe.

[Disclosure: Newton provided is a pair of sample shoes for testing.]

Related posts:

1. La Sportiva Crosslite Review
2. Fun for My Feet
3. New Balance MT100-WT100 Review

2009-10 Montrail Ultra Cup Results
As expected the 2009-10 edition of the Montrail Ultra Cup came down to the final race, the Western States Endurance Run 100 miler. First, a refresher of where the runners stood after seven of eleven races as well as the standings going into Western States. As a reminder, only a runner’s four highest scoring races counted. For more on the series scoring, take a look at Montrail’s explanation.

2009-10 Montrail Ultra Cup Results through 7 of 11 events
We earlier provided a mid-season Ultra Cup update through seven events, the last of which was the Way Too Cool 50k. At that point, the women were ranked as follows: (Races listed after a runner’s name are the the runner’s scoring races to that point.)

1. Annette Bednosky – 183.51 points – MMTR 50 mile, JFK 50 mile, Bandera 100k, Cheaha 50k
2. Jill Perry – 129.94 – JFK 50 mile, Bandera 100k, Cheaha 50k
3. Pam Smith – 108.75 – Where’s Waldo 100k, Bandera 100k
4. Meghan Arbogast – 104.70 – Where’s Waldo 100k, JFK 50 mile
5. Elaine Stypula – 102.40 – MMTR 50 mile, JFK 50 mile, Bandera 100k
6. Devon Crosby-Helms – 100.00 – Vermont 50 mile, JFK 50 mile

The men were ranked as follows:

1. Glen Redpath – 147.84 points – Vermont 50 mile, MMTR 50 mile, Bandera 100k
2. Jose Saurez – 107.54 – Vermont 50k, MMTR 50 mile, JFK 50 mile, Way Too Cool 50k
3. Richard Cook – 96.33 – JFK 50 mile, Bandera 100k
4. Geoff Roes – 79.65 – MMTR 50 mile, Way Too Cool 50k
5. Victor Ballesteros – 79.38 – Where’s Waldo 100k, Way Too Cool 50k
6. Brett Rivers – 69.35 – Where’s Waldo 100k, Way Too Cool 50k

2009-10 Montrail Ultra Cup through 10 of 11 Events
Devon Crosby-Helms made the biggest jump (from sixth to second) between Way Too Cool and Western States by placing second at Miwok. Meghan Arbogast also made a big move by winning the Ice Age 50 mile. Annette Bednosky did pick up a few points by placing second to Arbogast at Ice Age, but she only improved her point total by the 18 point difference between points earned at the Mt. Cheaha 50k and Ice Age as she’d previously run the series max of four scoring races. Jill Perry dropped out of the top six, but remained in the hunt having run only three races heading into Western States. Crosby-Helms, Pam Smith, Arbogast, and Monica Ochs each had only run three races to this point, so they would earn full points at Western States. Bednosky and Elaina Stypula had already run four or more races, so they would displace previously earned points at States.

1. Annette Bednosky – 201.39 points
2. Devon Crosby-Helms – 159.25
3. Pam Smith – 155.17
4. Meghan Arbogast – 154.70
5. Monica Ochs – 138.05
6. Elaina Stypula – 133.55

Glen Redpath added points out at the Miwok 100k, although he would enter Western States with four races already scored. Lewis Taylor doubled up at the American River 50 mile and Miwok 100k to jump from nowhere into second. Rob Bein ran the same races as Taylor to move into third. Jose Suarez may not have been winning any races, but his six races (four scored) put him in third. Geoff Roes’ win at the American River 50 kept him within striking distance, but it would be next to impossible for him to overcome the fact that a 50k (Way Too Cool) would be one of his four scoring races. Roes, Bein, Taylor, and Erik Skaden each only had three scoring races, so all Western States points would count toward their series totals.

1. Glen Redpath – 202.6 points
2. Lewis Taylor – 150.49
3. Jose Suarez – 138.29
4. Rod Bein – 133.53
5. Geoff Roes – 129.65
6. Erik Skaden – 128.53

2009-10 Montrail Ultra Cup Final Results
As we suspected all along, this year’s Montrail Ultra Cup came down to the final race in the women’s field. Meghan Arbogast placed second at the series finale, the Western States 100. In doing so, Arbogast beat Annette Bednosky by a large enough time margin to secure just under 7 more points than Bednosky from the race. Arbogast won the series by fewer than 6 points.

Pam Smith ran well enough at WS to hold on to third, while Jill Perry made a big jump in the standings despite not racing up to her potential. Joelle Vaught also made a big move with a strong effort in her first ever 100 miler. Medical problems forced Devon Crosby-Helms to withdraw from Western States, which put her out of contention.

1. Meghan Arbogast – 253.48 points
2. Annette Bednosky – 247.69
3. Pam Smith – 243.28
4. Jill Perry – 203.01
5. Joelle Vaught – 186.63

On the men’s side, Glen Redpath was unstoppable. Not only was he fast, he ran a smart series in which he made the most of a scoring system that favored longer races. His scoring races were the only 100 miler, two of the three 100ks, and a 50 miler. He was seventh at Western States en route to the series win.

As you likely know by now, Geoff Roes won Western States while crushing the course record. Despite winning three of the four series races he entered (Mountain Masochist 50 mile, American River 50 mile, and Western States), he couldn’t overcome the fact that one of his four scoring races was the Way Too Cool 50k. Rob Bien and Erik Skaden both nudged up one spot to finish third and fourth respectively. Last year’s men’s champion, Victor Ballesteros ended up in fifth.

1. Glen Redpath – 248.85 points
2. Geoff Roes – 229.65
3. Rod Bien – 215.99
4. Erik Skaden – 214.08
5. Victor Ballesteros – 204.20

We should note that Jose Suarez, whose sub-24 hours Western States report was recently published on iRunFar, ended up in eight position. He finished seven of eleven possible Montrail Ultra Cup events. That’s more than anyone else.

2010-11 Montrail Ultra Cup
We look forward to another exciting Montrail Ultra Cup next year. We’ll share the full 2010-11 MUC schedule when we get it. Until then, know that the first three series races are the Where’s Waldo 100k (August 21, Oregon); the now FULL Run Rabbit Run Steamboat 50 mile (September 18, Colorado); and the Vermont 50 mile (September 26, Vermont)

iRunFar Montrail Ultra Cup Prediction Contest Results
Finally, here are our MUC prediction contest results. If you want to see the method by which we scored the contest, here it is. In the end, fourteen(!?) entrants tied for the win with two correct picks. We randomly selected the following winners from those 14 entrants.

1. David Kennedy of Honesdale, Pennsylvania wins a pair of Montrail running shoes, a pair of Montrail sandals, and a Montrail T-shirt.
2. Ken Michal of San Francisco, California wins a pair of Montrail running shoes and a Montrail T-shirt.
3. Mac of Salem, Oregon (husband of Pam Smith) wins a pair of Montrail sandals and a Montrail T-shirt.

The random winner of a pair of Montrail running shoes is Holly McC of San Ramon, California. Olga of Austin, Texas was randomly selected to receive a pair of Montrail sandals and a hug from iRunFar’s Bryon Powell.

Related posts:

1. 2010-11 Montrail Ultra Cup
2. Montrail Ultra Cup – New and Improved
3. Montrail Ultra Cup ’09-10 Mid-Series Update

I know we all taper differently, and we think about it differently, but how should a Nepali do it? Ramesh has always told me that “Nepali training is not like Western training” and over the months I have come to understand and respect this. More to the point, I have seen first hand how different these guys are from our understanding of training. Tapering is no different.

If Bed and Sudip are to be the best they can, they still have a lot to learn about eating, drinking, pacing, running together. No matter who you are, 78 kilometers at the Swiss Alpine Marathon in Davos is a really long way. Proper preparation is vital.

A lot to learn, a lot to try, and two very tough and hardy runners. We chose to send (well, Ramesh talked me into sending…) them on a 51 mile (82 km) run up the Poon Hill trek and back. The run was to include 11,500 feet (3,500 meters) of ascent and descent, only a few miles of flat, and an unimaginable amount of Himalayan steps to climb. It’s a five-day walk for most trekkers, and each year some people choose to race it in a day. We sent Bed and Sudip off for on this adventure just two weeks before the big Davos race.

I was fretting all day, and Ramesh kept telling me, “The Nepali body cannot be idle.” Great, I thought. That’ll really help when they stumble-in breathing out of their bum.

After nine hours, both Bed and Sudip ambled home like they’d just been to the shops and back. I’d pleaded with them not to race, but to just run it calmly. What a relief for me that they didn’t race. Still, it took them only 9 hours. That’s faster than the fastest Westerner has run that route. As they sat at the end with their feet in the cool river, Sudip tells me, “I really enjoyed it, especially the high parts, a beautiful trail.” Bed then told me the memories he had of the race earlier this year. They were beaming!

The next day I’m panicking about how broken they’ll be, so I head off to Ramesh’s house as soon as I’m up. I find Bed and Sudip playing badminton in Ramesh’s front garden. No aches, no stiffness, no niggles. Once again I put my coaching books on the shelves, and watch these guys in awe.

Related posts:

1. Project Davos: How to Fuel a Nepali Ultrarunner?
2. Project Davos: Nepalis in Switzerland
3. Project Davos: Live Hard, Run Hard?

Preparation and Pre-Race
In the end, I decided that it made the most sense for me to train for the Vermont 100. I felt that I needed some guidance with training, because I wanted to be prepared and to be honest I wanted to suffer as little as possible. I turned to iRunFar.com’s Bryon Powell to help guide me along my journey. From the start, it was apparent that our personalities would work well together. He listened and tailored my regime taking into account my personal life, work schedule and training style. This was wonderful because it gave me one less thing to worry about.

Worry. That is what I do, so running is a double-edged sword for me. Running can calm me down and bring a smile to my face, but it can also produce a lot of anxiety within me. Three weeks before the race, things started to fall apart. I got giardia and leptospirosis and missed a solid week of training, my left knee hurt every time I ran, and my go to pacer informed me that he had a work conflict arise with the race date. I like predictability in my life and there seemed to be none of that.

As the race date got closer, I got more and more nervous. Five days out from the race, I recall my husband asking “Is it going to be like this all week?” I responded, “It is only going to get worse.” Even though the week felt bumpy, I did get good news that my intended pacer, Kevin Sullivan who placed second in the Vermont 100 in 2008, was back on to pace me and this brought me some needed relief.

Driving down to the race on Friday morning, I was trying to convince myself that I could take a wrong turn or say I got a flat tire. I tried working out in my mind what I feared so much since running is my escape. I knew if I could just get to the start line, I would be fine. I had done the training and had already put in a solid season of racing. Well before the race I had set several goals for myself and knew I wouldn’t be content unless I actually tried to accomplish them.

Shortly after I arrived to the start/finish where we would camp, so did my crew that included my husband, my mother, stepfather and friend, Mark. After meeting up with and chatting with my Inov-8 teammates, I made sure everything was ready for the 4 a.m. start, had dinner and then quickly dove into our hot and humid tent to try to sleep. It was only 7:30 p.m., but I knew it was what I needed.

Running with Jill: The Early Miles
At 2 a.m. my eyes opened and the stars were amazing. There was not a cloud in the sky. The early wake up allowed me to slowly get ready, have a small breakfast and make my way down to the start area. Once in the start area I quickly found my friend, Jill Perry, and we tried to work our way up towards the front of the pack before we got the go signal.

Before we made it very far, the race started. Jill and I did our best to maneuver our way up towards the front before we hit trail. We had 21 miles to settle in before we would hit the first crewed aid station. I was wearing my Garmin Forerunner and kept an eye on our pace. When Jill and I came to a larger hill, we would look ahead and pick out a landmark where we would start walking. We would both then agree to that spot and take off running to get there while the male runners around us just laughed.

As the early miles ticked away, it became very clear that it was going to be a hot and humid day. I was going through my fluids a lot faster than anticipated. Despite not feeling the need, I started eating Gu’s early on to stay on top of my energy levels. After my first Gu, I realized it was going to be a battle with my stomach all day. My stomach cramped and became a huge knot. I felt like I was carrying a bowling ball in my abdomen and it probably looked that way too.

We arrived at mile 21 around 3:17 and I was well ahead of my intended splits while still running with ease. Jill and I continued to work together and knew we were running in second and third with Kami Semick about 13 minutes in front of us. My husband informed me she was looking strong, but was running alone. There was too much race left for me to worry about her and I was hoping that maybe being alone would eventually wear on her.

On My Own: The Second 25
Somewhere over the next miles Jill and I parted ways. I was now alone running in second and just focused on getting to my crew again. When I pulled into mile 30.1, they were prepared with all my supplies and told me I was now 19 minutes back from Kami. To my surprise it really didn’t bother me and I was calm. I was here to run my race and to try the new distance.

Last year’s male winner, Jack Pilla, wasn’t racing this year, but rather crewing and I took a moment to check in with him to verify that my splits were ok. Jack knows the course and my running well and he assured me that I was doing alright. (We had both feared I would go out too hard.)

After I left the aid station I wouldn’t see my crew for 17 miles and going this long without seeing them worried me. I continued to drink and eat like planned, but still was having stomach issues. It hurt, but I knew if I didn’t stay on top of my calories, I would be in a bigger world of hurt. At times I would come across another runner or two and chat for a few minutes and then we would part ways.

At mile 47.2 I got on the scale and felt like I would be 8 pounds heavy. Not wanting to waste time, I took control and set the scale to where I weighed in and was down two pounds. My crew reloaded me and off I went again as I looked at my watch and had arrived there in 7 hours and 35 minutes.

Running with Rusiecki: Getting to 70
Eventually I could see Brian Rusiecki in front of me and got close enough to yell, “Yeah Brian” and he turned and waved. For a few miles I kept him in my sights along with the other male he was running with. At one point Brian turned back and waved to me to hurry up and catch him. I opened up my stride and joined him. It was good to be side by side with someone again that I knew.

Brian and I stuck together and it felt great to have someone who I could be honest with about how I felt. Reality was that I was being very negative about the distance. It felt so silly to be to be walking so much; it was making me mad. I hate walking, probably because I am so bad at it. Even when I travel from my house to my neighbors, I prefer to run rather then slink a quarter of a mile. (I have a difficult time walking like I mean it.) Brian and I both stuck with it and stayed together. We focused on making it to mile 70 where we would pick up our pacers, although we still had many miles to go.

Somewhere around mile 57, I decided I was done with drink mix and Gu. In actuality, my stomach made that decision for me. I turned to water with Endurolyte powder and tried to convince myself to eat one or two Shot Bloks at a time. I always struggle with fueling, so this wasn’t a huge surprise. For about a year I have been looking to nutritionist Meredith Terranova to help with my fueling and we had planned on things turning south for me. Having a back up plan gave me some comfort so I wasn’t scrambling to figure out what next.

Mentally, I was getting sick of roads and the conditions were so dry that the even the dirt roads were extremely firm. I wondered if my body would continue to hold up to all the pounding. I was so tempted to push the downhills, but wanted to have legs left for the last 30 miles.

As Brian and I got closer to mile 70, I saw runners coming towards us and I panicked. Did we take a wrong turn?  What was going on? Brian reassured me that we were fine and that we had already run down the hill we were climbing. I was unaware that for a small portion the course did double back on itself. Obviously I didn’t study the course.

In the Company of Kevin: The Final Miles
We entered the aid station and I literally lost all of my manners, jumped in front of Brian and hopped on the scale. Just up one pound from my starting weight. I grabbed my fresh bottle and Shot Bloks from my crew, got a big hug from Mike Silverman (the Vermont 50 race director) and was greeted by my pacer Kevin. I said, “Ok, let’s go,” but Kevin had something else in mind. Kevin said, “drink,” as he handed me a bottle. I tried to assure him that I was fine, but it became clear we weren’t moving a step till I drank from that bottle. I took a sip and he said, “Four more.” All I could think was, “Man, who invited this guy?” I did as I was told, and we took off running and I had now been on the move for 11 hours and 33 minutes.

We made quick use of a short road section and then made a left hand turn onto a trail that was a climb from the start. I dropped into a walk and started apologizing for it.  I knew I should be walking this hill, but I hated it. At this point I found myself very present inside my head. I had been looking forward to getting my pacer, but now wanted to be alone. I didn’t want to talk or even be spoken to. I didn’t want to be pushed; I guess I didn’t want much.

Hello red flag and welcome to my first low. By no means was it rock bottom or a bad low, but I knew things had to change. I didn’t say anything and ate a Gu. I hate hurting, feeling weak and sharing it with others, but told myself it was important that Kevin know. I informed him of my stomach issue and kept walking. At that moment, I wanted for him to be sympathetic, but he wasn’t. Looking back it was good he wasn’t.

We kept moving forward, running as hard as my stomach would allow and taking walk breaks on the larger hills. Finally, I was back to a more comfortable place and happy to have him with me. I remember at one point saying, “Kevin, I thought you were my friend…why would you encourage me to do this?” I was joking again and in my mind that was a good sign.

At the next crew station I was told I had made up a bit of ground on Kami and that she was struggling a little with stomach issues. Still, I was content with running my race and just worked on getting to mile 88, which was the next weigh in. The miles leading up to getting there were rather uneventful, loads of more dirt roads with long climbs and descents.

At one point Kevin wanted me to take four salt pills and I bargained with him that I start with 2. I was worried about my stomach and I have a hard time swallowing pills, especially on the move. I got the first one down and then put the second in my mouth. Just as I swallowed it Kevin said something funny and everything came back up. For some reason it made every part of me hurt and I wanted no part of trying to do that again. Luckily, I wasn’t cramping, so we continued forward although food or vomit talk was not allowed.

Finally, we approached the barn at mile 88 that I remembered so well from pacing last year. I ran into the barn and got on the scale and was right on the money, so off I went with just 12 miles to go.

Just 12 miles, just 12 miles, that is all I could think. I envisioned in my mind the 12 miles loops I did in training, trying to convince myself that 12 miles wasn’t all that far. I looked at my watch and thought to myself that 12 miles at this pace is far; this could take forever. I had been racing for 15 hours and a minute and for the first time all day started to try and project my finish time. As I did this, I started to get anxious so I stopped trying to figure out when the end would come. I told myself I would get there when I got there and it was as simple as that.

I need something to focus on and knew Inov-8 teammate Chris Reed wasn’t too far in front of me. At times I could see him. I didn’t really want to catch and pass him, but wanted to reel him in a little and then see how things progressed as we got closer to the finish. We did just that, but as soon as we would get close my stomach would go and I would come to what felt like a halting stop. He would again put some distance on me and I would get closer and then my stomach would disagree or I would get dizzy. I still had legs and energy, but how hard was I willing to push myself? What was I willing to accept on this day?

Kevin and I came into the last crew station at mile 95.5 and just had a bit of road left and then a few miles of trail. In the woods it got dark quickly. I turned on my headlamp and had plenty of light, but realized my eyes weren’t cooperating all that well. I wasn’t really seeing straight and my footwork wasn’t stellar. I could see Chris in front of me along with the last aid station before the finish. I ran past the station and then my stomach again made me turn from a run into a walk. At this point I allowed myself to settle for just finishing comfortably.  I kept telling myself just to stay upright and moving forward.

Finally, glow jugs and sounds of music and voices got my attention and this time they were real voices not ones that I imagined were catching me from behind. The last quarter mile Kevin congratulated me. It was my moment and I had worked hard for months for it. At no point did I feel alone out there. Even when I was literally alone, I always had thoughts of family, friends and training partners. Everyone had believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.

As I crossed the finish line in a time of 17:20:47, which placed me seventh overall and second female, I was greeted by my family and friends. It was over, but was it? Of course the first question was “Will you do it again?” For now I am keeping that answer a secret!

Related posts:

1. Tyler Challenge Race
2. 2007 Mountain Masochist Trail Run Race Report
3. Stone Cat 50 Mile 2007 Race Report

We’ll begin our LSMC race coverage by giving you the scoop on how the race went. Next, we’ll give you an update on the Mountain Cup standings. We’ll then move on to our giveaway contest (Crosslite-y goodness) before calling for your comments and finishing up with the full La Sportiva Mountain Cup schedule.

The start of the 2010 Barr Trail Mountain Race.

The Race
As alluded to above,this was a burner of a race with records all around. Not only were the men’s and women’s overall course records broken, but five more age group records were set on the day. In all, 339 runners covered the race’s 12.575 miles under the strictly enforced three and a half hour cut off. That’s not bad when you consider the race climbs 3,630′ to 10,200′ in the race’s first 6.3 miles!

Men’s Race
Matt Carpenter owns Pikes Peak… or at least he has. In addition to countless victories at the Pikes Peaks Ascent and/or Marathon, he’d won the Barr Trail Mountain Race eight of the nine times he’d run it. His only loss was to Paul Low in 2003. Since then, he’d reeled off six straight wins. He also had the course record in 1:29:33 from the 2007 race, which stood as the only sub-1:30 time until Saturday.

While Ryan Hafer of Colorado Springs is only 24, he’s no newbie to this race. Going into this year he’d finished it four times. In three of those races, he’d lost only to Carpenter, but with an improving trend. Carpenter edged him by 3:56 in 2004 when Hafer was an 18 year old(!), 1:38 in 2006, and 1:12 in 2007. Last year, Hafer ran by far his slowest time at the event (1:35:20), which allowed Alex Nichols, another youngster (then 24) from Colorado Springs, to push Hafer back to third.

All three men would line up for battle again this year with world class mountain runner Rickey Gates (not long after setting a Half Dome fastest known time in Yosemite) and LSMC regulars Bernie Boetthcher and Michael Selig in the mix. Ah, but Hafer would finally have his day. In the end, the race wasn’t close. He won by more than six minutes in 1:29:05. In fact, his 6 minute and 24 second margin of victory missed being the largest ever margin of victory in the race’s eleven runnings by only 4 seconds. (Carpenter won by 6:28 over Greg Ausperger in 2000, the race’s inaugural year.)

Rickey Gates (right) battling Matt Carpenter (left).

While Hafer may have won by a big margin, second through seventh places would span a mere 62 seconds. What a race! Although he didn’t set a course record, Gates (1:35:29) crossed the line in second and is now one of only three people, along with Hafer and Low, to best Matt Carpenter at the Barr Trail Mountain Race. Carpenter took home third in 1:35:46, which was a course record in the 45-49 age group and enough for the master’s win. Alex Nichols dropped back to fourth this year with a time of 1:36:13 with Peter Maksimow (1:36:19) of Colorado Springs just 6 seconds further back in fifth. Boettcher (1:36:26) of Silt, Colorado was second master and sixth overall, while Daryn Parker (1:36:31) of Manitou Springs closed out the trail traffic jam in seventh.

Women’s Race
In covering a series and a half of the La Sportiva Mountain Cup, we’ve come to expect a win… or close to it when we see the names of Brandy Erholtz, Laura Haefeli, Megan Kimmel, or Caitlin Smith. Well, this weekend the first three showed up for Barr Trail and only one would come home with the win. That’d be Erholtz. She’s also set a new course record, just like last year when she broke Haefali’s record from the 2008 race. Erholtz of Bailey, Colorado blazed the course in 1:47:57, more than a minute under her then-record time of 1:49:08 from last year. She remains the only woman to break 1:50 on the course.

Brandy Lisa Erholtz en route to winning the 2010 Barr Trail Mountain Race.

Haefeli of Del Norte, Colorado would have to “settle” for second, the masters win, and the master’s record with a time of 1:50:32. She also earned a 16 second personal best. Last year’s LSMC women’s champ, Kimmel (1:56:13) of Silverton, Colorado dropped from second last year to third this year as she ran six minutes off her pace from last year. Coming from Nederland, Colorado, Lisa Marie Goldsmith, who won the race in 2006 and 2007, set a 45-49 age group record while finishing fourth overall in 1:59:12. Goldsmith, last year’s LSMC women’s masters champ, was second master at this year’s race. Finishing out the top five was Amanda Ewing of Colorado Springs in 2:00:13.

Full Results and Other Reports

• Official results from the 2010 Barr Trail Mountain Race are available.
• Video interview with Ryan Hafer by Tim Bergsten
• Nick Clark (12th) reported on the race, which he ran only three weeks after placing fourth at the Western States 100.
• George Zack (20th) also posted his race report over the weekend. Zack’s report including links to the following three photo sources.
• Photos by Bethany Garner (from the start and lower part of the “Ws” switchbacks)
• Photos by Chris Alstrin (from the upper part of the “Ws”)
• Photos by John Garner (from the awards ceremony)
• Photo by Jerilee Bennett of The Gazette (photos from around the course)

La Sportiva Mountain Cup Standings
We’ve calculated the overall series standings through four Mountain Cup races ourselves. These are NOT official, but they should be pretty close.

Women
Things are heating up in the women’s side of the La Sportiva Mountain Cup. To start, there’s a new leader, Megan Kimmel, last year’s Mountain Cup champion. Laura Haefeli’s second place catapulted her into third overall. Rachel Cieslewicz did not have the race she was hoping for (9th) due to a hip injury, but she added points to her fourth place in the standings. Brandy Erholtz needed only one race, her win at Barr Trail, to move into fifth.

There are five races left in this year’s Mountain Cup, but only two weekends left during which races will be held. As all of the top ladies have at least two scoring races left (a runner’s five best race scores count toward the series total), the eventual winner will likely either need to double the weekend of August 7 and 8 or race once that weekend and race again at the series finale, the Up and Over 10k in Taos, New Mexico on August 21.

Here are iRunFar’s Unofficial Standings:

1. Megan Kimmell – 54 pts in 3 races (17 pts at Barr Trail including 2 bonus pts for beating Cieslewicz)
2. Alison Bryant – 46 pts in 3 races (Did not run Barr Trail)
3. Laura Haefeli – 45 pts in 2 races (21 pts at Barr Trail including 4 bonus pts for beating Kimmel and Cieslewicz)
4. Rachel Cieslewicz – 35 pts in 3 races (7 pts at Barr Trail)
5. Brandy Erholtz – 26 pts in 1 race (26 pts at Barr Trail including 4 bonus pts for beating Kimmel and Cieslewicz)

Men
All three top Mountain Cup men took the weekend off… and all three stayed put at the top of the standings. Count on each of these fellas to run at least one of the four Mountain Cup races being run August 7th and 8th. Michael Selig didn’t have his best race (10th), but his six points added to his hold on fourth place. In finishing his second Mountain Cup race, Bernie Boettcher used his two bonus points from beating Selig to overtake Jacob Loverich by one point for fifth position.

Unlike the women’s side, two men – Matt Byrne and Jason Bryant – have already run four races, meaning only one more race will count before they’ll need to start displacing lower scoring races. Ryan Woods, Selig, Boettcher can all more or less race to their heart’s content. Keep in mind that both Bryant and Boettcher doubled up Mountain Cup races on same weekend of August 8th last year when both ran a Jupiter Peak/Mount Ashland double.

Here are iRunFar’s Unofficial Standings:

1. Matt Byrne – 79 pts in 4 races (Did not run Barr Trail)
2. Ryan Woods – 63 pts in 3 races (Did not run Barr Trail)
3. Jason Bryant – 62 pts in 4 races (Did not run Barr Trail)
4. Michael Selig – 36 pts in 3 races (6 pts at Barr Trail)
5. Bernie Boettcher – 29 pts in 2 races (12 pts at Barr Trail including 2 bonus pts for beating Selig)

Official Standings
The official LSMC standings will be available here (pdf). In case you are interested, here’s a link to the official scoring rules.

iRunFar.com La Sportiva Mountain Cup Contest
It’s been a long time since we offered up a pair La Sportiva Fireblades (iRF Fireblade review) in the Rothrock Trail Challenge article, but we’ve not forgotten. Out of more then 80 entries Henry Bickerstaff of Alva, Oklahoma is the lucky winner. Henry, we hope you enjoy your new Fireblades.

We’ve never been to Pikes Peak nor do we know what folks were wearing out there on Saturday, but we’d have brought our La Sportiva Crosslites (iRF Crosslite review). They’re a great choice for pretty much any non-ultra trail race. (Some folks wear even them for ultras, too!) Now you can win yourself a pair of Crosslites.

To enter the contest, simply leave your name and town (in the US or Canada) in a comment before we report on the Jupiter Peak Steeplechase (Bryon Powell of iRunFar will be there), the Squaw Valley Mountain Run, or the Mount Ashland Hill Climb, all of which will be run on Saturday, August 7th. As a reminder, if you enter to win the Crosslites, you’ll also automatically be eligible to win the grand prize at the end of August. Read up on the iRunFar.com La Sportiva Mountain Cup giveaway grand prize.

Call for Comments
If you ran the Barr Trail Mountain Race, please leave a comment letting everyone know how you did and what you think about the race. Past racers are invited to comment, too!

The La Sportiva Mountain Cup

Related posts:

1. The Battle for the Barr Trail
2. Drinking Up The La Sportiva Mountain Cup: Analysis Through 6 Races
3. Haefeli’s Healthy Victory at Jemez Half

The first place we’ll look at is Forest Park. Located just a few miles west of downtown you will find almost 1300 acres of park to explore. Through the park you will find many miles of winding blacktop and crushed limestone paths to explore the various venues throughout the park like the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Science Center, the Art Museum along with many other attractions for this historical park that opened in 1876 and served as the site of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (better known at the Worlds Fair) in 1904.

Looking to get a little closer to nature? If so, then “Head West Young Man!” Just west of the city you start to work your way to the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Chubb Trail is located in West Tyson Park and easily accessible from Exit 266 off of Interstate 44. The Chubb Trail is a trail runner’s delight. Chubb has of all sorts of variety, including sharp rocky footing on steep descents to winding dirt paths that hugs the banks of the Meramec River. The Chubb Trail is a 13 mile out-and-back that will take you from West Tyson Park to Lone Elk Park.

If you are feeling adventurous, you can even head into Lone Elk Park to cruise along some single track and run through the herd of Elk inside the park. You also have the option to jump onto some of the intersecting trails that Chubb connects with to cover even more ground, including the Castlewood Loop and the 3-mile Flint Quarry Loop. Chubb Trail is home to the St. Louis Ultrarunners Group (SLUGS) popular Double Chubb 50k/25k, which sold out in a little less than two weeks this year.

Heading down the bluff to the Meramec River.

Really want to test what the St. Louis area has to offer for technical trail running? Then head out to the Green Rock Trail. Green Rock is a 10 mile one-way singe track jaunt that will have you climbing and descending 2,000′ each while dancing around sharp limestone and bombing down steep downhills along the way. There are two trailheads, one off of Fox Creek Road and one in the Rockwoods Reservation.

Green Rock Trail is a favorite training ground for the SLUGS and is located next to Six Flags theme park. You can even hear the roller coasters in the background when you crest some of the tallest climbs. Come prepared. Ticks can be out in full force in the summer months so you’ll want to bring some bug repellent. Also, don’t take this trail lightly. Even the swiftest of the SLUGS are pleased to break the 4-hour mark when taking on the whole 20 miles.

Green Rock Trail Head at Fox Creek.

For those looking to really get in some serious miles, you might want to think about a cross state trek by means of the Katy Trail. The Katy Trail is the nation’s longest Rails to Trails project. The trail starts in St. Charles, MO and finishes over 225 miles later in Clinton, MO, almost crossing the entire width of the state. The Katy Trail covers some of the route taken by Lewis and Clark as it follows along the Missouri River. There are many maps and resources available to help you navigate the trail as well as learn some history along the way.

Other Trail Systems
Since St. Louis sits right on the state line between Missouri and Illinois, it’s just a short drive to take advantage of some on the trails on the other side of the river in Madison County.

• Madison County Trails – Over 85 miles of paved and pea gravel trails running through Madison County, Illinois are available to keep you moving and safely out of traffic.
• SIUE Trail System – Located on the campus of Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, IL you can find lots of winding single track to keep you busy.
• Silver Lake Nature Trail – Just off of Interstate 70 is 4.5 miles lollipop single track trail in Highland, Illinois.

Trail Resources

• MoTrails – An excellent resource for lots of trails in Missouri. Check out the EastCentral Region section for info around St. Louis.
• St. Louis Ultrarunners Group – A friendly group of folks with great knowledge of the area and always happy to show someone around.
• Gateway Off Road Cyclists – A great group of mountain bike riders that take great pride in riding and maintaining the trails.

Races
SLUG Ultramarathons
St. Louis is home to the St. Louis Ultrarunners Group, so finding an ultra or five is not hard to do. Along with the normal Fat Ass and Fun Runs that take place throughout the year, The SLUGS also put on:

• Double Chubb 25k/50k
• Flatlanders 6/12 Hour Run
• Howard Ashlinger 12/24 hour – Cape Girardeau, MO (1 hour 45 minutes south)
• Berryman Marathon and 50 mile – Berryman, MO (2 hours south)
• Spirit of the Osage 20k and 50k – Chamois, MO (2 hours west)

Non-SLUG Ultramarathons

• The La Sportiva Katy Trail 50 – Booneville, MO (2 hours 15 minutes west)
  Ozark Trail 100 – Steelville, MO (1.5 hours south west)

Non-Ultradistance Trail Races

• Castlewood Cup 15k
• Pere Marquett Endurance Run 7.8 miles – Grafton, IL (50 minutes north)

Call for Input and Questions
We’d love for folks who have trail run in the St. Louis metro area to share their favorite local trails and trail running resources. We’d especially love to know the particulars of your favorite routes as well as any great trail systems that we did not include.

For those of you knew to trail running in St. Louis or who may be visiting the town, please share any questions you have and we’ll try to find an answer for you.

Related posts:

1. Ultrarunning and Trail Running Clubs: Mid-Atlantic Region
2. Trail Running: Washington, DC
3. Trail Running in Yosemite National Park