Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK

If you’ve been waitin’ for the thaw-out, Saturday will be an apt way to kick it off. The “Laurel Run Switchbacker 10K” is the first of five runs that form the 2010 “Tussey Teasers” series in Rothrock State Forest on the course of the Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK 50 Mile Relay and Ultramarathon. The series was started to give runners a chance to experience some of the scenic running venues of the state forest and the mOUnTaiNBACK course. Four of the five runs are free, and the series continues through June. For a schedule, visit the Events page.

The Switchbacker is an out-and-back run on Leg #1 of the Tussey Mountainback 50 course. The name comes from the two switchbacks that spread out the 700+ feet of elevation gain on unpaved Laurel Run Road. The turnaround is at the crest of the road at the juncture with the Mid-Strate Trail. The run is free and starts at 10 a.m. on Bear Meadows Road near the Tussey Mountain Ski Area. Water is provided at the turnaround, timing is provided, and some door prizes will be handed out.

The ascent half of this run is local senior runner George Etzweiler’s secret weapon for training for the Mt. Washington Road Race.

Participants sign a waiver for each Teaser run. These can be mailed in or brought to the start. All runners completing all five Tussey Teasers will be eligible for a grand door prize.

All the Teaser runs are free, except the Sidewinder (May 8), a WAVA age- and gender-graded race.

If you’ve run one or all of the five Tussey Teasers that take place from March to June each year, you’ve gotten a sampling of the winning combination these group runs have to offer. All take place on the mostly unpaved fire roads that comprise the course of the mOUnTaiNBACK (four exclusively, one incorporating other roads), all include water and timing, and four of the five are free. The May Teaser (May includes registration and features WAVA age- and gender-graded scoring and awards - as well as a “bus tour” of the course en route to the start, and a beach/dip option at the finish end.

The series kicks off March 13 with the Laurel Run Switchbacker 10K, an out-and-back run on Leg 1 of the course. For the full schedule, with start times and driving directions, visit the Events page.

You won’t want to miss this. We were able to snag an early screening copy. Here’s a quick summary:

Three runners. Six countries. 111 days. 4300 miles. Narrated by Matt Damon, the film follows three ultra runners’ quest of running coast-to-coast across the Sahara Desert while also capturing the diverse culture of the Saharan people. On a daily basis, the runners experience the hospitality of the locals as they learn about their lives and the challenges they face.

The film also describes the H2O Africa Project, which is raising public awareness of the water crisis in Africa. Come to Appalachian Outdoors, 123 S. Allen St., State College, Pa. Show time is 7 p.m. This is part of AO’s Free University event series that occurs on first and third Thursdays. As always, the event is free and no registration is required. AO’s phone, if you need it: 814-234-3000.

If you’ve ever run Leg 2 as a mOUnTaiNBACK relay team member, or crested the summit on Laurel Run Road at the first Aid Station running the ultra, … or if you’re just ready for a good run, tonight’s the night to run Legs 2 and 3 of the course (7.8 total miles).

Runners will gather at Whipple Dam State Park (beach parking lot) by 5:40 p.m. to catch a ride to the start (at the end of Leg 1). The run starts at 6:00. If you have a vehicle for shuttling, drive it to Whipple Dam and announce you’re taking passengers.

The full Discovery Series schedule is at: http://www.tusseymountainback.com/tips.html.

Happy running!

Mike

Beginning August 6, runners will have a chance to experience the complete mOUnTaiNBACK course through a series of group runs. Runners will meet for eight Thursday evenings to run the 12 legs of the course. The runs range from 4.9 to 8.7 miles.

Visit http://www.tusseymountainback.com/tips.html or the Events page for the full schedule, including times and driving directions. Runners collaborate to arrange shuttle transportation back to their vehicles.

Warren Renninger is at it again. Twice through-hiking the AT, he barely let his shoe leather cool down before taking up the next stroll - the PCT.

Excerpt from an early journal entry (at trailjournals.com/lakeland), April 18, 2009:
“7PM Well, my heart is twisted again. So want to adventure, so want to stay! Thanks to everyone who treated me to lunch and dinners recently. Thanks for the encouragement and especially the prayers. Tomorrow (Friday 4/24) I’ll either be in California or Heaven, depending how the flights go.
“My pack is heavier than last year, due to the bear canister and the ice axe. I know, I really don’t need them for a month but I feel comfortable with the bear canister and can use the ice axe to fight off the bears, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, rabid chipmunks, Big Foot, and any cling-ons…”

Most recently, June 3, 2009:
“Took two zero days and feel much better. Saw kind doctor yesterday. He was understanding I didn’t want to hang around waiting for tests so he gave me antibiotics yesterday aiming at any bacteria in me…Feeling much better today and heading out shortly and taking it easy on the trail. The effects of the heat exaustion disappeared Monday and the intestinal problems pretty much gone yesterday. Could eat last night, somewhat, and this morning. Even swam in the pool last night.
“Now I will steadily hike towards the Sierras and get away from the desert. In 6 or 7 days I’ll be at Kennedy Meadows…much cooler and wetter. My permit to climb 14,000 foot (I think) Mt Whitney is for the 12th and I expect to be close to that date (permit date is flexible for PCT hikers).
“I forgot to mention way back we had a 4 mile detour which included a 2 mile hot road walk. Why? A frog. Yup, an endangered frog was near the trail so the trail was closed. OK. It turned out good because we went through a state park and had real water. Oh! I was counting on frog legs.
“So, now going out of the desert and I heard the best part is the upcoming Sierras. I’m told to take my time and enjoy the Sierras, which takes about 10 days to hike through. Can’t wait to get there. Will also venture down to Yosemite park which is a short bus ride.
“So, I’m back to normal…stop laughing! Anyway, I’m back to normal and heading out by noon today going into the Tehachaipi Mountains. Weather today here in Mojave is partly cloudy and cooler, 80s. So that should help me along. Peace!”

So when you think your latest adventure is daunting, think of Warren. He expects to be back east by September and will make a stop at Appalachian Outdoors in State College to fill in those of us who weren’t tagging along.

It ain’t quite spring yet, but the 2009 Tussey Teasers await anyone itching to get back to - or discover - some superb running venues in Rothrock State Forest. Four of the five Teaser runs are free; the other one is age- and gender-graded (WAVA style) to level the playing field. Details on our “Events” page. Here is the schedule. Runners completing all 5 Teasers are eligible for a grand “door prize.”

March 14: Tussey Teaser #1: Laurel Run Switchbacker 10K. 10 AM. Out and back on Leg #1 of the Tussey Mountainback 50 course. Free.

April 11: Tussey Teaser #2: Tussey to Whipple 11 Miler. 9 AM. Legs 1, 2 and 3 of the Tussey Mountainback 50 course. Free.

May 9: Tussey Teaser #3: Beidleheimer Sidewinder 10K. 10 AM. Leg 4 (in reverse) of the Tussey Mountainback 50 course. Registration, individual and team age- and gender-graded awards.

June 6: Tussey Teaser #4: Treaster Kettle Test-Your-Mettle 10.6 Miler. 8:30 AM. Out and back on Leg #10 of the Tussey Mountainback 50 course. TKTYM shirts available. Free.

June 28: Tussey Teaser #5: Bear Meadows Made-in-the-Shade, 7 or 10.6 Miler. 8:30 AM. Two single loops with the same start and finish at Bear Meadows Natural Area. Run 7.0 or 10.6 miles, you choose the distance. Free.

More than a challenging run took place at the Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK 50 Mile Relay and Ultramarathon, host of the American 50 Mile Championships in October in central Pennsylvania’s Rothrock State Forest. The event also raised $5,000 for a State College based nonprofit organization, Centre Volunteers in Medicine.

Race director Mike Casper presented a check to CVIM representatives tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the bimonthly meeting of the Nittany Valley Running Club. Top individual and team fundraisers were also recognized. Top individual fundraisers/donors were George Etzweiler and Pamela Scott. Top team fundraisers were AE Ladies and Thor Legth.

Centre Volunteers in Medicine serves the health and wellness needs of qualifying medically uninsured Centre County residents and their families. “We are thrilled at the enthusiastic support shown by participants of the Mountainback race,” said Executive Director Kristen Houser. “CVIM depends on support from community organizations and events such as the Mountainback to provide medical and dental care to our uninsured neighbors in Centre County.” A number of the agency’s staff, volunteers and board members volunteered or took part in the event.

Sponsors of the 2008 race included the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau, Steve Bodner and Tom Cali of RE/MAX Centre Realty, Anthony G. DeBoef Esq., Appalachian Outdoors, The Bicycle Shop, The Hartman Agency, McClarren Financial Advisors, Nittany Valley Running Club, The North Face, The Resident Experts, Restek Corporation, The Sign Stop, and Tussey Mountain Family Fun Center.

A record field of 94 relay teams entered the 2008 race.

The Supra category was abuzz this year, with a record 13 two-person teams taking up the challenge. The Cumberland Valley Athletic Club duo of Pete Breckinridge and Andy Mason plowed under their own Supra course record from last year by more than 6 minutes, posting a steaming 5:10:29 to take the men’s open category with the 9th fastest time ever by a team. “We were moving along out there today,” said Mason, 36. “I thought, ‘Man, I almost I wish I was in a regular marathon today.’” Top women’s open honors went to PSU Chickadees, Bianca Baier and Julie Stover, who ran a 7:39:46. The four teams in mixed open contention were led by Miserable X 2, Becky Green-Dixon and Luke Riley, in 6:27:55. The men’s masters title went to Team Inside Track, Tim Schuler and Gregg Cauller, who also notched a new Supra master’s course record in an impressive 5:40:55. Mixed masters glory went to Tortoise & Hare, Faye and Kev Hawn, who ripped 32 minutes off their 2007 time and set a new mixed masters mark of 7:50:16.

Twenty-six teams entered the Tri/Quad action, and the course was lit up with the performance of 3 Hawks 1 Hound, Track Cult, a men’s open quartet who hammered out a 4:57:39 for the second fastest Tri-Quad finish ever and the second fastest circuit on record. (Will anyone ever take down that overall course mark (4:51:39) set by four Penn State Tri-Club members back in 2002?) The women’s open title went to Salute Your Shorts, in 6:43:07. Mixed open honors went to Darn Near Dead, who we presume gave their all to post a 6:38:02. Men’s masters first place went to the Hexadecimators, whose 5:20:42 slashed 65 minutes off the previous record. In their defense, the previous record holders, Hair Today Gone Tomorrow, trimmed 19 minutes off their previous record time. Mixed masters honors went to Erie Running Club, who logged a 9:16:39.

In the Standard (5 and 6 person) relay division, 36 teams took part. The lead men’s open team was Boshank’s Buds, who zipped off a 5:11:28. Women’s open honors went to the Happy Valley Harrierettes, in 7:21:57. Tops in the mixed open action was Luke and the Millenium Falcons, who dashed to a 5:46:34 finish. The first ever Standard women’s masters team, Sole Sisters, clocked an 8:36:42.

Nine of the Standard teams formed by draft to compete against each other in what’s become known as the Draft Challenge Relay. Teams are chosen draft style, so they include a diverse range of pace and ability. The three men’s open DCR teams finished 3rd, 4th and 5th and within 3 minutes of each other; the six DCRs in the mixed open category took six of the first seven spots out of 22 and finished within a 25-minute span.

Twenty Mega teams covered the distance. Men’s open honors went to Sofa King Fun, logging a 6:06:37. The women’s open was won by Big Valley Broads in 7:43:01. First in the Mixed open division was Croptopus, whose eight agri-tentacles posted a 6:51:00. Men’s masters honors went to The Old Men of the Mountains, an over-65 octet led by team captain George Etzweiler, 88. Their circuit was completed in 10:01:22, within 11 minutes of their 2007 time. The group’s average age was almost 77, up from just under 73 last year, and Etzweiler covered not one but two segments this year, the challenging leg 4 and the mostly downhill leg 12.

Military Might

The race introduced a Military awards category last year. Top military honors went to the Green Machine, whose 6:03:14 sliced nearly 2 minutes off their own ROTC course record from last year. Military teams have participated in 7 of the 9 years of the race, including teams from Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Fiends for Footing the Forest Fifty

The distinction for most total miles logged in the ultra division belongs to Warren Renninger, Muncy Valley, Pa., who has completed six mOUnTaiNBACKs, for 300 miles. Scott Ferrari, Patricia Klaus, Joe Shuta and Morgan Windram-Geddes have each completed four. On the relay side, top mileage honors goes to Marvin Hall, at 140, if you include his ultra effort in 2004. Hall also has the distinction of having done the race in every possible team size, from 2 to 8. Going strictly by relay mileage, Ken Davis gets the nod, at 123.6 miles over six runs, three of them Supras. Second in relay-only mileage is Vicki Gauntt, at 111.9 in eight runs of the course, including two Supras.

At the USA 50 Mile Road Championships, held here on October 11, 40-year-old Eric Grossman, Emory, VA, raced to a 5:48:34, besting Coloradoan Chad Ricklef’s 2004 record by nearly five minutes. Grossman also shattered the masters’ course record of 7:19:01 set in 2006 by Randy Miller.

“I was second last year (running just over 6:06:00) and it was quite a bit hotter. I am glad it stayed cool,” said Grossman. “This was my PR.” Asked whether he took the lead from the start Grossman replied, “There were three of us together until around mile 12 (Zach Miller, Sean Andrish, and me). After that I was pretty much alone. I have had ten weeks of training after dealing with an injury for three months. I’d have to say the workouts I’m getting from coach Howard Nippert (who, in addition to coaching, has been the top US 100km Road Runner for nearly a decade) are paying off. I also had a crew this year. My Aunt Merrie handed me all the fluids and snacks I needed at the aid stations. It really made a difference.”

Grossman was awarded $500 for the win, $300 for the masters’ win, and a $300 bonus for new open and masters course records. Zach Miller, 32, Ann Arbor, MI, finished in second running 6:07:13. Of the course, Miller said, “It was challenging. There are some brutal climbs, one particular one at mile 40. I’m pleased with both my finish and my time. Eric and I are good friends. We’ve been going back and forth for years now. I ran the North Country Trail 50 Miler three weeks ago and there wasn’t much competition. Today the third, fourth, and fifth guys were not that far back. The only way you’re going to run a good 50 is to have the competition.”

Rounding out the top three was Jason Bryant, 36, Elkin, NC, finishing in 6:15:16. “Between miles 25 to 30 I thought this was a DNF day,” said Bryant, “I made it to the next aid station, and sometimes it turns into a different day. Alison (Bryant’s wife who is a physical therapist) worked on me at the aid station (primarily his back which was causing some leg pain) and I’d not have gotten through this without her.”

The women’s championships were won by a newcomer to the 50 mile distance. Sarah Vanderelli, 41, Latrobe, PA, ran 7:45:19. “I felt great,” said Vanderelli who has completed four marathons and three 50km events prior to today’s 50 mile effort, “I never had a problem getting lost. That was my biggest fear last night. This was a wonderful race. The volunteers at the transition zones were great. They didn’t know me and they were really cheering for me. The view around 43 miles was awesome and from mile 46 it was all downhill.” Vanderelli runs just three or four days per week since she has an active six-year-old son who has completed two 5 kilometer races this year. In addition, Vanderelli has a full-time career as a nurse. “I’m a wound specialist so if anyone gets scratched up today, I can take care of them.” Vanderelli, like Grossman, won both the open and masters’ prize money for an $800 payday.

Finishing in second was Morgan Windram-Geddes, 26, a local runner who spends much of her time in Scotland. “I’ve run the race four times and was about 15 minutes off my PR. I felt OK today.” Asked if she kept her position throughout the race Windram-Geddes said, “At about mile thirty miles I got passed by Sarah.” In third place, 42-year-old Diana Widdowson, Conestoga, PA, posted a time of 8:09:31. “My goal was 8:30:00 today and I ran 8:09,” said Widdowson. “It was my best time here (in three efforts). Maybe life is getting better for me. My last time was 8:47.”
Francesca Conte was the overall women’s winner, but is an Italian citizen and therefore did not qualify for the USATF prizes or championship designation. None of the women running today came close to the 2007 record set by master’s runner Anne Lundblad who blazed the course in 6:36:16.

The USA 50 Mile Championship records are held by Barney Klecker who in 1980 ran 4:51:25 at the AMJA Ultramarathon in Chicago, IL, and Deb Bollig, who ran 6:37:17 in 1999 at the Helen Klein Classic in Sacramento, CA. The inaugural Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK 50 Miler was held in October 2000 and the event also hosted the USA 50 Mile Road Championships in 2004, 2005, and 2007. The 2010 USA 50 Mile Championships will also be held at Tussey. The course is run on a mixture of paved, dirt, and gravel mountain roads (74% dirt/gravel and 26% paved) starting at the base of the Tussey Mountain Ski Area. The route heads past Whipple Dam State Park, Alan Seeger Natural Area, Penn Roosevelt State Park, Colyer Lake and Bear Meadows Natural Area, before returning to the ski area for the finish. Total elevation gain is 5,035 feet.

A total of $3,200 was awarded at the USA 50 Mile Road Championships, plus the course record bonus. The prize money was distributed to the top three open men and women - $500, $300, $200 and to the top three masters’ (40 and over) runners - $300, $200, $100.

Stay tuned for a separate post on the relay division event.