Sugar Cravings

Swirly bear, swirly bear, shining bright
came to aid me in my plight
a sugar boost to push my caboose
made my 50k time all right

But now HAT is done
yes, the race is run
but I still think of you today

A swirly bear addiction
appears to be my affliction
and it will not go away

A muddy day at the HAT run

Hopefully Lorrin will post a report too, but here is a short recap...

MUD MUD MUD... it rained most of Friday and Friday night and all morning until about an hour into the race. Temps were perfect though- mid 40s - shorts, sleeveless top, light gloves and running hat were perfect. This course gets muddy though, and the snow really just melted completely in the past week so the ground was pretty saturated anyway. The race has about 4-5 miles of pavement but the rest was muddy singletrack. It was mostly the slick type of mud, not a ton of shoe-sucking mud (only lost a shoe once!). I was 4 mins slower than last year (finish time this year of 6:08). Last year we had perfect, dry conditions. I had hoped to be about 15-20 mins faster than last year (which may have been optimistic anyway). This was my last long run before Bull Run in 3 weeks and I was sort of trying to train through it, as I didn't want to taper specifically for it. I could really feel the effects of training on my legs, especially in the second loop, which was physically and mentally tough for me. But, I love this race- it's hilly but not ridiculous and on very pretty trails. The aid stations are great and it's always a fun mix of people. Pics are here.

Lorrin's Recap:
Results and pix are now up on the HAT website. Mark was there as well to represent MoCo and we had a good time socializing at the start with Jim Cavanaugh, Pam & Alan Gowen, and met some Trail Dawgs from Delaware/Penn. Saw Caren Jew & Mark Zimmerman briefly too.

For those who ran last year, there were some changes to the course:
1. It was muddy. But more of a 'tacky' kind of muddy, rather than a frothy, foamy muddy. Maybe because it stopped raining shortly into the race.
2. This year I did not get behind a group of smelly frat guys.
3. But I did get passed by a girl in an almost ankle-length long skirt - we're speculating Mormon or Mennonite.
4. Instead of the wooded section where the girl said "go crazy" when we asked to pass her, we instead had a couple mile loop on the road through a campground, which connected to the long dirt then paved road. So that may have helped us make up some speed the mud took away.
5. Psychedelic gummi bears at the aid station and what I have now learned were HOT FRIES that I foolishly passed over because I thought they'd be cold. Lesson learned!
6. Finisher award was a bag, so the swag this year was a black bag similar to last year's red one, a cap-style HAT hat, a coolmax HAT shirt, ultrarunning mag, and the finishing duffle.

I finished in 6:37, so that is 20 min. faster than last year despite the mud. At the end, my legs felt strong, but the bottoms of my feet hurt (There was a good slab of mud stuck to each sole at the end) and I emptied my shoes of sand twice on the course. In retrospect, gaiters would have been a good idea. I either banged my ankle against a rock or my shoe is chafing the ankle (let's hope not!) so I have some tweakiness there. But I feel ready for Bull Run and hope we've paid the penance for the mud gods -- or at least we will be well prepared if there is mud!

Apricot Oatmeal Bars

Just in time for HAT, Michelle & Megan's recipe --- mmmm!

Into a bowl sift together 1 ½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt, add 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats (rolled oats), 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, and 1 ½ sticks (3/4 cup) cold butter, cut into bits, and blend the mixture until it resembles meal. Press half the mixture into a well buttered 8-inch-square baking pan and with a spatula spread a 10-ounce jar of apricot preserves over it. Sprinkle the remaining mixture evenly over the preserves and bake the mixture in a preheated moderate oven (350 degrees F) for 40 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Let the dessert cool and with a serrated knife cut it into 2- by 1-inch bars. Makes 32 cookies.

NOTE: I double this recipe and use an 8 ½ by 11 inch pan instead. Basically I follow the directions above and make two batches of the same thing, press one batch into the pan, then spread 20 ounces of apricot preserves, then sprinkle the second batch evenly over the preserves. This means you use a total of 3 cups flour, 2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 cups of oats, 2 cups light brown sugar, 3 sticks of butter, and 20 ounces of apricot preserves.

[recipe from Gourmet October 1979]

Sonoma County, Caullifornia -

I went to visit my sister in Santa Rosa, CA to help her with a move, which might not have been so good for my taper for HAT, carrying all those boxes up and down the stairs, plus testing my internal clock by throwing in CA time. However, I am trying to build up good karma so we all have a place to stay when we decide to do Miwok!

I was able to get a quick 6 miles in at Spring Lake park. where the scenery is beautiful! There were some very populated paved trails, filled with dog walkers, people with strollers, bikers, etc. Branching off to the sides were dirt trails that led up mysterious pathways into the woods. And all around were the mountains of the Annandale range. The sky was blue with barely a cloud, the spring flowers were blooming and I kept thinking "ha ha, when I left it was icy and rainy."

We drove along the coast hoping to see some whales (it's their migratory season) but the further south we went, it got more and more foggy. These are not the beaches of Southern California with the babes and boarders, these are jump out of the car with your coat on, shield your eyes from cold wind, blowing sand, and fog, and say 'nice view' then jump back in! There's even a beach you can't walk along the shoreline because Rogue Waves jump up randomly and snatch people out into the sharky waters.

My sister also let me take a break to check out a couple local wineries. There are wineries all over the place just minutes from her house! We started at Rodney Strong, a big, famous ones with an elegant tasting room; also went to Porter Creek which is an organic, biodynamic winery where the tasting room was a little shed (but the wines were more interesting). We also checked out the Russian River Brewing company, because there's nothing like beer and pizza after a move!

Sugarloaf Mountain

Sugarloaf mountain, located in Dickerson, MD, is what is know as a "Monadnock" which according to the Britannica online is an "isolated hill of bedrock standing conspicuously above the general level of the surrounding area. Monadnocks are left as erosional remnants because of their more resistant rock composition; commonly they consist of quartzite or less jointed massive volcanic rocks." Field tests indicate the rock composition is indeed resistant to the erosive effects of toes.

Sugarloaf mountain is an excellent training location, with many steep ascents, rocky terrain, stream crossings, and long forest roads. Trails from the upper parking lot are heavily traveled, so we've often started our runs from the parking lot at the base of the mountain. You head up toward the barn (behind which is a porta-potty). There are rough maps of the trails on the side of the barn. Nearby amenities include a new winery (!) and the Comus Inn. It would be fun to roll up in that fancy joint all covered in mud and ask for some cheese fries.

Yellow Trail (7 miles): Medium difficulty, has some good looong hills.
Blue Trail (5 miles): Steep, rocky sections. There are two overlooks off the blue trail but you have to work for them.
White Trail (2.5 miles): Steep! Joe can run up this trail, but I practice my "fast hiking."

Wildlife sightings:

• Snakes: 1
• Foxes: 1
• Hillbillies: 2
• Birds: those little brown ones, some cardinals, other medium-sized birds, "vultures" and "ostrich" (hey, I ain't Michelle)
• Deer: everywhere
• Frogs: 2

Ostrich? Yes, Joe sighted this creature on one winter training run. In 1925, Gordon Strong, a wealthy businessman who founded the Sugarloaf Stronghold, commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design a structure to grace the summit of Sugarloaf. The design was poorly received however, as it did not meet the expectations to "reflect the purity and natural beauty of the mountain" and the summit was simply turned into a parking lot. Enraged, Wright said, "I'll show you purity" and released a half-dozen ostriches onto they mountain. While the ostriches proliferated by adapting to a diet of wild chestnut, as the tree faltered, so did their numbers and now only one or two are fleetingly spotted on rare occasions.

Greenway Trail Marathon & 50k - Pictures

What a crazy day on the trail at the Greenway Marathon/50k! We had just about every trail condition imaginable! Paul took a bunch of pics and selected photos are here. Enjoy! Results are on the MCRRC site.

Easy Ligurian Pesto Pasta

This recipe comes from the Ligurian area of Italy. At first, the combination of ingredients seems a little strange, but the combination of pasta, potatoes, and green beans makes it a great pre-race meal.

Ingredients

• Your favorite pasta (we like whole-wheat spaghetti)
  
• potatoes (red bliss, fingerling, or cubed 'generic' potatoes)
  
• green beans (fresh or frozen)
  
• pesto (check ingredients for dairy if that bothers you on race day)
  
• cooked sausage or chicken (optional)
  
• parmesan (optional)
  

Boil pasta and potatoes together. Before pasta is al dente, add green beans (timing depends if fresh (needs more time) or frozen (less time). Drain. Put in bowl. Mix in pesto. Add cooked sausage or chicken and sprinke with parmesan if you like.

Load up! This can also travel well if made in advance. It has prevented a repeat of the "Greensboro Marathon Disaster" many a time.