Category: Running

Throughout my years running, I’ve made lots of mistakes, had some successes, and, occasionally I’ve done some things worth sharing.

Backpacking Mountains-to-Sea Trail: Stone Mountain to Doughton Lollipop

July 8, 2021By y2kemo

Summer is an interesting time to head into the backcountry. Finicky water sources, exhausting heat, pop-up thunderstorms, thirsty ticks, and relentlessly buzzing gnats, skeeters, and flies. But, even with all of its complications, summer is also an awesome time to get outdoors. To that end, my buddy, Coop, and I put together a list of options before agreeing on a section of the iconic Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST).

Stretching 1,175 miles from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks, the MST includes some of the best of what North Carolina has to offer: mountain vistas, grassy meadows, coastal swamps, dense forests, and miles of shoreline. Currently, the MST is a mix of road and trail, but the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation intends to develop the MST into a 1,400 mile continuous, off-road trail.

With so much to offer, Coop further refined our chosen location and put together a lollipop route from Stone Mountain State Park to Doughton Park and back again.

My Pandemic Run Streak: 10K a day for a year

April 18, 2021By y2kemo

In March 2020, COVID-19 and my state’s resulting stay-at-home order made life a bit challenging. First, we were told to wash hands for 20 seconds. Next, we were told to stay six feet from one another. Then, everyone had to wear a mask. By mid-March, schools went online, businesses closed or switched to remote work, and eventually we were all told to just stay home.

While the world shut down around us, my 9YO son and I took off down the roads and sidewalks; he’d ride his bike and I’d pound the pavement. For the first few weeks we went out 4-5 miles nearly every day. Then, in April 2020, I read about a Garmin 30-day, 10K challenge and thought, “Why not?” I mean, including the previous 3 weeks and a 40-miler in February, I had run a total of 257 miles since the start of the new year. Why not bang out 240+ miles in a month?

And so, on April 19, 2020, my 10K run streak began.

Backpacking the James River Face Wilderness: A frozen wonderland

February 21, 2021By y2kemo

hiker walking snowy trail with ice-covered trees all around

When my buddy, Coop, suggested we hit the trails for a February backpacking trip we kicked around some ideas: Cold Mountain and Mt. Mitchell in NC, Cranberry Wilderness in WV, and Mt. Pleasant and Apple Orchard in VA. To refine the list, he put together a handful of options in each location before we ultimately decided on the James River Face Wilderness in Jefferson National Forest between the James River on the north and Blue Ridge Parkway to the south.

The James River Face Wilderness is an 8,907-acre area located near Natural Bridge, Virginia that includes several well-maintained trails including the iconic Appalachian Trail (AT) which passes over the 623 foot James River Foot Bridge, and the Belfast Trail which leads to the Devil’s Marbleyard and its colossal, car-sized Antietam Quartzite boulders.

Backpacking Mt. Rogers Recreation Area: Always a bear track, never a bear

December 31, 2020By y2kemo

Winter is arguably the best season for backpacking. Top 4 for certain. Sure, I shake uncontrollably between the fire and my sleeping bag, and my nose runs like an open spigot, and I generally cannot feel my toes, but it’s also peaceful, quiet, and serene. Oh, and let’s not forget about the snow. Man I love snow!

With COVID-19 still running amuck, my brother-in-law, Ken, and I were desperate to stave off cabin fever and get outside. Our only criteria: water and fire. Looking around, we considered Pisgah National Forest, Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area, and Monongahela National Forest before deciding on Mt. Rogers and its nearly 200,000 acres of National Forest in southwestern Virginia.

Fastpacking Wild Oak Trail: Trail Running + Backpacking = Awesome!

September 12, 20206 commentsBy y2kemo

runner on trail in woods with high grass — Coop descends Hankey Mountain.

When COVID-19 shut things down and my work switched to remote, I challenged myself to run a 10K a day. Months later, my buddy, Coop, suggested we hit the trails. I asked if we could fastpack (trail running + backpacking) so I could keep my streak alive, and he agreed wholeheartedly; even suggested Wild Oak Trail, a location we had visited previously back in November 2019.

Designated as a National Recreation Trail in 1979, the Wild Oak National Recreation Trail (TWOT) is a 27-mile loop offering 7,000′ of elevation gain within the George Washington National Forest just west of Staunton, Virginia. It’s a hot spot for mountain bikers, backpackers, and ultrarunners, and the perfect place for our first foray into fastpacking.

Race Report: 2018 Pilot Mountain to Hanging Rock 50 Miler*

October 17, 2018By y2kemo

running shoes, backpack, hat, and race bib

Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time hiking, running, and camping at both Pilot Mountain and Hanging Rock state parks in North Carolina. So when I learned about the Pilot Mountain to Hanging Rock (PM2HR) Ultra connecting to the two, I immediately added the race to my bucket list. Fast forward a couple of years to this past spring when my buddy, Coop, mentioned wanting to run his first ultra. I offered to run with him once he picked a race, and as luck would have it, he sent me a message a couple of months later that he had decided on running the PM2HR 50 miler.

After signing up, I prepared myself over the next four months by running a ton, working on my nutrition, and not sleeping in. By race week I was ready. I mean, I WAS READY! Better? Too much? OK, I was ready. Well, two days before the race, Hurricane Michael blew through the course with heavy rain and straight-line winds, swelling creeks and rivers, and knocking down hundreds of trees. The race directors, along with the folks at Pilot Mountain State Park, Hanging Rock State Park, and the Sauratown Trail Association, worked tirelessly to get the trails in shape for the race. Unfortunately, with one day to go, the race directors notified the 50 milers that the first 7 miles were simply too unsafe and they had to move the start line and re-route a bit of the course ultimately reducing the overall mileage by about 4 miles. A bummer? Totally. A deal breaker? No.

Blue Ridge Relay 2017: Déjà vu all over again

September 14, 2017By y2kemo

The Blue Ridge Relay (BRR) is a really long Benny Hill episode where thousands of masochists abandon both sanity and dignity to run 208 miles from Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia to Asheville, North Carolina. This year’s race hosted 194 teams of 4 to 12 runners who ran a total of 36 legs ranging from 2.5 to 10.5 miles per leg over the course of a day and a half.

That sounds awesome! How do I sign up? All you need is a group of people that won’t kill each other, a couple of vans, a roll of toilet paper, a llama, and a bag of pretzels. Get that stuff, get registered, and you’re ready to run the Blue Ridge Relay.

Blue Ridge Relay 2016: Tired, Thirsty, and Nauseous

September 13, 2016By y2kemo

Blue Ridge Relay Team GO FAR 2016 — Team GO FAR 2016

The Blue Ridge Relay (BRR) is a 208ish-mile running relay from Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia to downtown Asheville, North Carolina. This year’s race hosted 196 teams of 4 to 12 people who run a total of 36 legs ranging from 2.5 to 10.5 miles per leg over the course of a day and a half; the ultra runners do it less than 20 hours.

On the surface the relay is pretty simple: get a team, rent vans, run a bunch, stay healthy, try not to stink too much, don’t kill each other, and don’t die. OK, it’s not really that simple. It’s actually way more complicated.

Running in the heat is no joke

August 15, 2016By y2kemo

I’m what my sports medicine doc calls a “heavy sweater.” I don’t glisten or perspire, I leak. In the summer, my sweating reaches new heights so I tend to run in the early morning. This is especially true when I go long on the weekend.

This past weekend, for example, I had the option to run two 7-mile laps on a shaded path around a lake on Saturday. I was all set to go through with this plan until my son reminded me that we were supposed to campout in the backyard (by 9:30PM I had moved the tent into the sunroom because it was too hot). Instead, I took another friend up on his offer to run a 15-mile trail run on Sunday (forecasted to be a wee bit warmer) with some folks training for a 50 miler.

Confession, I’m a bit of a Dory (or perhaps an idiot) when it comes to running. I tend to forget things like mileage, forecast, and my propensity to sweat buckets. That said, I put together an ingenious hydration strategy for the big group run. I figured I’d drink two 20 oz bottles over the course of the run, come back to the car to down two more 20 oz bottles, and knock back a 32 oz nalgene on the way home. At best, my plan was stupid.

I’m Just a Lowly Jogger

July 5, 2016By y2kemo

The other day I was a having a conversation with a group of people when the topic of running came up. I mentioned that I ran and one dude followed with “How fast?” “About 7:30 pace when I’m training. A little faster when I race.” I replied. “What’s that, like 5 MPH?” he asked in a seemingly sarcastic tone. “I think it’s about 8 MPH.” I said. “8 MPH? That’s more like jogging. Do you race?” he asked. “I don’t race often. Maybe 3 to 4 races a year.” I said. “Psshh!” he responded looking around the group, “My brother runs a race almost every weekend and he has all kinds of medals to prove it.”