I couldn’t do this naked…I don’t think

Let’s be honest, I’m a gear nerd. I love trying new stuff, reviewing it, and sharing my experiences with you. I remember when I started running I was always asking the question, “What gear would be good for what situation?” and what’s funny is I’m getting that question a LOT from a lot of you! Now that I’ve trained and race in all sorts of conditions and distances, I’m getting more confident in my decisions (that doesn’t mean I’m immune to making mistakes) and want to share them. When I was writing my Leona Divide 50 Miler race recap, I thought it’d be good to write a separate blog highlighting each item I chose to wear or bring with me – for better or for worse – just so you could learn from my decisions. I’ll go from top to bottom.

HAT

I have visors, flex fits, running caps, bike caps, beenies, trucker hats and bandanas. What the hell was I going to wear? Well, with the heat and sun, I knew I’d want to protect my scalp, so I opted out of the visors (my scalp inevitably gets sunburned on the longer trail runs). The next choice was between a Outdoor Research short-brimmed cap or a Headsweats running cap. I chose the latter simply for more sun protection over my eyes (when hat is forward) or back of my neck (when hat is backwards). Added bonus would be the full-coverage hats could be stuffed with ice and let to melt over the course of the 5-7 miles between aid stations. I win.

SUNGLASSES

I love my Oakley Frogskins. These things have been through EVERYTHING over the last few years. They are extremely light, provide ample brightness protection and I can swap the lenses whenever I need. Also, I’m the only guy that I’ve seen sporting them out there on the trails and I like that. DON’T COPY ME!

Yurbud Inspire Pro

HEADPHONES

I knew I wanted to bring my iPod shuffle crammed full of music seeing as I was planning on a long long day out there on the trails. Normally, I just rock my regular iPhone ear pods with Yurbud silicon covers (I feel like I’m the only weirdo who’s ears and Apple earbuds DO NOT MIX), but the fine folks over at Yurbuds contacted me and sent me a pair of their Inspire Pro headphones in exchange for a review. I was pretty excited to try out a set of sport-specific headphones and quickly obliged. Over the last few weeks, I wore these suckers a few times and really tried to like them but they have one fatal flaw: they are a noisy pair of headphones. I’m not talking about sound quality (of which they excel over many other pairs I’ve tried – including the call feature) or noise-leak (they allow just enough noise into your ear to allow you safe environmental awareness when the music is moderately loud). I’m talking specifically about the manufacturing of the plastic coated cords that run up into the buds themselves. That point of connection is so loose and loud when running that all I hear is the clicking of the plastic cord hitting the plastic bud stem. It’s pretty aggravating and seemingly impossible to UNhear. They do offer new models that have cords made of cloth which I imagine would fix this issue, but they wouldn’t let me review a pair. However, by simply repurposing the silicon covers I received on the Inspire Pros, I feel like my iPhone headphones have a new life and are now my go-to pair.

The Yurbud Inspire Pros are $59.99 / pair which makes these a very expensive item. Rather than buying the full set of headphones, I’d recommend going with their silicon covers, sliding them onto buds you already own and enjoying your new awesome set of snug-fitting running headphones. Seriously, I’ve run all sorts of crazy distances, races, and in various conditions without an issue of the headphones coming loose. The silicon covers stretch out over time, but with a lifetime guarantee, Yurbud will happily replace a pair (as they did right before the 2012 SF Marathon when my covers would barely stay on the buds).

BANDANA

I wrapped a simple and cheap bandana around my neck per Jimmy Dean Freeman’s hot-weather advice. I sure am glad I did. I was able to dip this thing in ice cold water at every aid station and even wrap ice cubes up inside of it every 5-7 miles. That layer of cold would last for an hour on the back of my neck and I can almost guarantee contributed to keeping my core temp cool throughout the hot day. It was indispensable and an awesome last minute addition.

Train.Race.Beer. Singlet

TOP

As I do with any race, I love rocking one of my “Train. Race. Beer.” tops. I have both singlets and a long-sleeve race fabric top. For this race, I knew it was going to get very hot, so I was debating between my white singlet and my long sleeve. The singlet would allow more skin to sweat freely and possibly keep me cooler. The long sleeve would keep my skin from having to be covered in pore-clogging sun screen and sweat freely (if not more). I opted for the singlet just so I could manage my core temperature better and keep an eye on my glisteny-skin sweat levels. I will play more with the long sleeve in heat just to see if my body could even take it. I’m sure dumping water on it at every aid station could have kept my extremities cool.

The Salomon XA Skin Pro 10+3

HYDRATION PACK/NUTRITION

Now this is the item that I will debate using again, not because it didn’t work (it worked flawlessly as usual), but because I see so many Ultra runners these days running sans-pack and with two handhelds and it’s made me think about how much I really need to carry come race-day. When I run long training runs, I always like to rock my Salomon XA Skin Pro 10+3 hydration pack. I fill it with a few litres of water, an Ultimate Direction water bottle up front in one pocket, GU gels, chomps, Enduralytes and Pure Energy pouches in the other. I’ll also pack ginger chews, a small camping roll of toilet paper (you never know!), a headlamp, and extra liquid nutrition packets or ziplocs in the back pocket. I like to weigh it down with as much as possible so come raceday I’m amply prepared for the weight on my back.

For this race, I wasn’t confident with the two hand-held approach (still need to train quite a bit with this and nail down what sort of liquid nutrition I can use/works) so I opted to wear the pack again. I wanted to carry everything I’d need just in case I was between aid stations and had specific fuel/emergency requirements. This is probably a rookie decision every ultra runner makes so why not me? I filled it up with water, had a bottle upfront for liquid nutrition, and carried almost every piece of nutrition I thought I might be able to stomach. In the end, I used a few GU gels and chomps early on, then switched to liquid nutrition (Hammer Perpetuem and Sustained Energy) for the last 20 miles with a lot of help from aid station potatoes and chips. My pack was still weighed down considerably by unused GUs, Chomps and Pure Energy pouches by the time I finished. I have to work this out in the next few months to gauge my adaptability to multiple handhelds. I’m also looking into the Ultimate Direction AK race vest.

Patagonia Strider Pro Shorts

BOTTOMS

I had recently purchased the Patagonia Strider Pro shorts from REI and had a few runs in them. I LOVED them almost immediately and thought they’d make a perfect pair of race shorts. I was right. These things are awesome and I’ve already filmed my review for them. They are a light, secure, well-pocketed pair of shorts that are great for any run. I WANT MORE!

SOCKS

I went with my trusty Injinji compression socks. You’ve already seen my review and know how much I swear by them and running 50 miles in them proved they work. No blisters. I did have some pain on the bottom of my feet from where the compression in the foot portion squeezed my sweaty and swollen feet over 50 miles. That additional skin-tightness mixed with the occasional sand and grit that snuck into my shoes caused for some painful forefoot pads for a few days. In the future, I might opt to the trail or midweight version of Injinjis that I’m used to.

Salomon Sense Mantra Goodness

SHOES

So this has been the biggest question I’ve been asked since running. I had some choices for this race, so I wanted to be smart. I’ve been running in my new pair of Brooks Pure Grits, my Pearl Izumi Trail N1s and Salomon Sense Mantras and Sense Ultras. I love the Grits, but thought the traction might be an issue on the sand and loose dirt technical sections of this run. I figured I’d use them as my drop-bag backups for when I needed more late-race cushioning. I didn’t have more than 18 miles in the Trail N1s, and despite loving them, I thought it would be safer to trust something I’d had more trail time with. I feared the Sense Ultras would be just too minimal for me for such long mileage and I hadn’t given myself ample time in the lightly cushioned shoe. However, I had my fair share of comfortable miles in the Salomon Sense Mantras and ultimately decided they would be the shoe for the race.

A few weeks earlier, I had a GREAT 24 miler in them that proved they could comfortably go the distance for me. That run is what helped me make my last minute decision. I wasn’t disappointed. They were awesome. Around mile 38 I really started to have forefoot pain, but I chalked it up to the mileage, long day on the feet and the invasive sand/grit. Overall they rocked and surprised me with awesome.

So that’s it! If you guys ever have any questions about what I wear for races or training runs or need any advice, don’t hesitate to contact me on Twitter, Facebook, or here on my site. I want to empower you guys to run harder and farther, so I’m always happy to provide advice where I can! Thanks for reading!

I have to give Salomon major credit for taking the time and R&D to come up with a system like the Hydro Set. While I don’t always use the bladder system for my hydration, these gloves make that option far more feasible. Like I mention in the video, I’d definitely recommend these for shorter distances (10k, Half Marathon) where you can get away with 8-16oz in hand without having to depend solely on aid stations. The set is expensive and niche, so you really have to know you want it to buy it. Otherwise, ME LIKE.

LIKED:

• Portable
• Secure
• Great for Short Runs
• Sweat Pad
• Niche Engineering

DISLIKED:

• Flask Sizing
• Race Specific
• Durability
• Price
• Elastic Location

QUALITY: 4/5
COMFORT: 4/5
PRICE: 3/5
LOOKS: 4/5

TOTAL: 15/20

The Leona Divide 50m

Hello, my name is Ethan Newberry and I am an Ultra Runner.

Hot DAMN, I’ve been waiting to say those words for awhile now! After running (we’ll just call it “moving”) this race, I feel comfortable saying them and damn it feels good to get it out there. The Leona Divide 50 Miler was my very first 50 miler race, my first run longer than 32 miles, and it gave me a taste of what some of you seasoned ultra runners deal with when you put your bodies through these crazy tests of endurance. Yes, I’ve run a couple of 50k trail races, but man, compared to what the Leona Divide 50 miler did to me, they pale in comparison (and they were TOUGH!). Grab a cup of coffee, a mimosa or perhaps a black IPA and sit back. This one will be a long read (WITH A VIDEO AT THE END!) that will hopefully take less time to read than I took to race. Also, I will be posting a separate gear blog outlining everything I wore/ate during the race so keep an eye out for that. Ok, here we go!

PREFACE

First of all, I cannot tell you how much more respect I have for ultra runners. I mean, I’ve always respected the big guns, the Krupricka’s and Jornet’s who eat CRs and FKTs for breakfast on the weekends. Hell, every race I’ve ever run I’ve been blown away by the talent that seems to rocket over the same course sometimes twice as fast. But, man, that respect flows down to EVERY HUMAN WHO HAS RAN 50 MILES OR MORE. You are 100% badass.

Oh, Dean. You should work out more.

I am a green horn in this sport and I’m very aware that I’m new and lack a lot of experience. I can’t help but feel like a road-marathon-turned-trail-runner, Ultramarathon-Man-Reading, Born-To-Run-minimal-footwear-lesson-spouting schmuck trying to join up with the badass trail hounds who’ve been at it for years. I’m the first guy to admit that when I show up to a race I feel a little out of place amongst so many veterans and pros – you know, like a ginger amongst non-gingers. There’s no doubt that ultras have had a huge surge in recent years and my goal has always been to never “follow trends”. I started running trails to escape the horrible street-running of Los Angeles, to find respite amongst the trees, shrubs and singletrack. Man, I remember buying my first pair of “trail runners” (aka hiking boots that flex) when I was a teenager and would summit Little Si every weekend. However, now after 2013 Leona, I feel like I tallied off a pretty good notch in my Ultra belt; a notch that may very well get me a few nods from those who ran that day.

TRAINING

Based on how much I was crushed by the 50k races I’ve ran, I had a feeling 50 miles would wreck me and push me to my limit, both physically and mentally, but I had no idea on how many levels. There is a vast difference between 50k and 50m – not just 19 miles (and I can only imagine how much bigger gap there is between 50m and 100m!!) and they both require their own set of preperations. Since I ran The North Face 50k in December, I’ve known I would eventually run a 50 miler. Come 2013, I knew I wanted it to be Leona for a couple of reasons: I had heard Keira Henninger puts on amazing races that have all the SoCal ultra runners buzzing; It was in late April so I had a few months to really train for it; and finally, it was a qualifier for the Western States 100 (sub 11hr). Now, I need to preface that last part by saying Western States 100 is like a 10 year plan for me. Yes, it’s been a dream of mine for many years to run that course, but will realistically take many MORE years to make it through the lottery system, hoards of registrants, and qualifications. I’m in no rush.

For training, I used the Ray Miller 50k in February and LA Marathon in March as the big trainers for this race. I’d supplement the weeks between with hefty mileage weekends and thorough base building through the week. I really just wanted to have some good mileage under my belt for the confidence in knowing my body could take it. As it stands, the longest single run I ran pre-Leona was Ray Miller (32m) and the biggest weekend was a 26.2 fun-run on a Saturday with my buddy Colin followed by a grueling and snowy summit attempt of Mount Baldy on Sunday. Here’s the video from that weekend:

With a few weeks off due to sickness and injury (damn HIP FLEXOR INJURY!!), my confidence for Leona was wavering to say the least. Sure I had logged a couple 60-70 mile weeks in the months leading up, but those felt so far behind me and I never felt like I dominated them. Now, approaching race week, I started keeping a keen eye on the weather as well. The race takes place in Lake Hughes, California which is high desert country (LD50 jumps between 3000 & 5100ft). Years past have recorded moderate temperatures ranging from 50˚F-75˚F. But, oh boy, this year wasn’t looking so good. Temperatures were expected to climb well past 90˚F and a lot of the course is fully exposed. I should tell you now that The Ginger doesn’t do well in heat. I hate it and having had exercise-induced heat stroke a number of times, it scares me. If I were to take a month and acclimate, I can deal with it fine, but the weeks leading up to the race were mild SoCal warm. Nothing hot. this was going to be similar to an ice-cold ginger polar bear being thrown on top of a steam-powered locomotive engine full of hot lava in hell fire. Fuck my face.

The Leona Divide 50m Course

PRE-RACE

The week of the race, I started to put all of my plans together. I went outside in the middle of the day as the temperatures were rising to do some last minute heat-hiking in hopes of acclimatizing. I started to organize nutrition and hydration scenarios – worst and best case. I also came to the conclusion that I pack a LOT for little trips. I probably had enough nutrition for two 100 mile races. I’m used to doing things a certain way for marathons and training runs of a certain distance, but having never taken my body beyond 32 miles, there’s this whole 18 miles of unkown. Will my body reject solid food? Will I like the taste of anything? Do I need more GUs or liquid fuel? Will I be able to absorb my water or salt pills? Will I throw up like everyone says I will? WILL I DIE?!

Come Friday, the day before the race, I met up with my buddies Billy Yang and David Daley for some carb-tastic dinner grub and the hour-long drive up to Palmdale where the three of us would stay the night – in one bed, spooning*. Billy was running the 50 miler as well and Dave was rocking the 50k (having just annihilated the Connemarathon 39 miler in Ireland 2 weeks prior. Beast.). What I thought was going to be a peaceful night of pre-race sleep slowly turned into a long, shitty-pillow-tossing-and-turning night of zero sleep for all three of us. I’m pretty sure we were awake well before my 3:45am alarm based off how quickly we all jumped out of bed to get ready.

Me being all zen-like.

As I do with every race, I methodically put together my gear, my drop bag and used the quiet moments to myself to gather my thoughts. While I always get a little anxious before races, I was particularly so for this one – as anyone that knows me can attest. My mind wouldn’t stop worrying about the heat, my training, my nutrition, my hydration, the unknown. It was all about to happen and there was nothing I could at this point but ride the wave and trust my knowledge, training and luck to get me through to the finish. The three of us gathered our things and made our way to Lake Hughes to snag our bibs, stash our gels and run our ass off.

* – No actual spooning occurred. Sorry ladies.

THE RACE

As the three of us started our walk towards the start line, I caught a glimpse of my girlfriend, Mile Long Legs, and good buddy, Andrew (who shot most of the photos in this blog), walking towards us. They had left LA at butt-o-clock to get to the start in time to see us all off, so I excitedly greeted them (one with a kiss, the other with a firm handshake – I’ll let you decide who gets what) and continued on towards the now very busy startline. Once there I also ran into my good buddy, Eric, and other ultra friend, Guillaume, who were running the 50k and 50m respectively. Before we could finish our greetings and pre-race photos, Jimmy Dean Freeman‘s golden voice rang across the throng of racers. “It’s going to be a mother fucking hot day”, he said without hesitation. Gulp.

The Gang all ready to race!

And in a flash, we were off. The first few miles are relatively runnable uphill miles that took us up fire roads and gifted us with some spectacular sunrise vistas. The first few miles were where I really began to pound into my head, “Do NOT go fast. Do NOT forget to eat and drink. Do NOT fuck up.” I wanted to make sure I took this race as easy as possible, not just to finish strong, but to make sure my body didn’t destroy itself in the intense heat I knew was inevitably hours away. Before I knew it, I began to enjoy the trails and the views. I didn’t care what was going on around me or what was going to happen 40 miles ahead. I was FINALLY able to just take the race in one mile at a time. I really grasped the idea that there was nothing I could do but stay on track and move forward.

By mile 10, I was really excited and embracing the challenge ahead. This is also where we jump onto our first stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail – a long, beautiful snake of singletrack that runs from Canada to Mexico. We got to enjoy miles and miles of it. In fact, it seemed some people were SO hypnotised by it’s splendor that at mile 12.5, many missed a turn to continue on the trail as it deviated off some singletrack to the right. Luckily, my acute ginger-sense noticed the flags and flour-arrows so I yelled up to some of them who relayed the message further up the chain of trail blazers. You’re welcome, people. I just saved your LIVES!

The early miles were gorgeous.

I was beginning to feel like my nutrition and hydration were dialed in. I was taking in about 100-130 calories every 30 minutes, sipping water to thirst, and popping 2-3 endurolytes per hour. Pretty comparable to my typical race plan. I usually always under-eat due to nerves, but I was in it to win it this day. Hell, I was a MACHINE. A machine that was delighted by the gorgeous zig-zagging singletrack that sunk its way into aid station 3 (mile 16.2). That is until I stormed around a corner and was instantly greeted by two young female runners who – without ANY shame – were squatting and relieving their bowels immediately trailside for all to see. FOR ALL TO SEE. EVERYTHING. CANNOT UNSEE. Seriously, it was as if one had rotated her body purposefully so that absolutely everything I shouldn’t be seeing was seen all at once in one glance.

(side note: to anybody who can pee pee and poo poo in the open in front of hundreds of complete strangers at race starts or along the course: I commend you. Not because you have enough confidence in your body to let it all hang out without a care in the world, but because you can focus all of your attention on your own ‘nethers’ to get the job that needs gettin’ done done. Seriously, bravo. Also, gross).

I go from smiling…

As I continued to try and block out the pooping butt visual, I could hear the hootin’ and hollerin’ of aid station #3. This was the first aid station that our crew could access and would also double as aid station #9 (42.5) on the way back to the finish. I instantly caught eyes with Mile Long Legs, smiled and gave her the ‘thumbs-up, all-clear’ sign. I could tell she was relieved. As I had been running in and out of the shaded canyons all morning, the temperature hadn’t gone past mid-70s by my guess. But the moment I got into aid station #3, I knew what I was in for. It wasn’t even 9am and it was hot. Like REALLY hot. I filled one of my bottles with ice water and wrapped ice into my bandana around my neck and threw some cubes under my hat for good measure. Thank goodness I did.

…to wrecked. The heat sucked.

The climb out of AS#3 was brutal. Not just the shear climb (1400+ ft in 2.5 miles), but the amount of pure sun exposure. It was intense and the first moment of doubt I’d had yet since starting the race. I figured that if this was the beginning of the last 2/3rds of the race, I was doomed. Regardless, I continued to power on and just focus on getting to the next aid station at the top of the climb (which was also the 50k turnaround point). During this climb I started to see some of the fast 50k guys and gals rush down from their turnaround, including the one-and-only David! He was FLYING!

By the time I rolled into AS#4, I was fried. My body was feeling the heat and I needed to cool down immediately. Thankfully this aid station had ice, and lots of it. Pouring it down my back, arms and neck brought me back to reality almost immediately. I had planned on this aid station being my self check-in point for this race. If I was really feeling like shit, I would turn around and run the 50k. If I was feeling 50% or better, i was going through to AS#6 (the furthest point in the 50m course and the last point to pull out). Seeing as I was probably 80% all said and done, I pushed on.

The next section was just as exposed as the previous, but felt like I was on another planet. The trail ran across the top of the mountains, through sand and arid desert with spectacular views of the valley to the north. This was also the section I met up with Paul Akiyama. Paul was a talkative older gentleman that immediately told me he was the oldest guy running the race at 69 years old. I was immediately impressed by how bad-ass this guy was, flying his way through heat and high-desert altitude like it was nothing, not giving a fuck about his age. After a few miles leap-frogging back and forth with Paul, I knew one thing: I wanted to be this guy when I was 69. He’d run big ultras since ’93 including Leadville and the Grand Slam (Vermont 100, Leadville 100, Western States 100, Wasatch Front 100). One year, the dude ran eight 100 milers. EIGHT. And here I am just trying to push through a 50 miler. By the time we’d reached the next aid station, I had lost Paul a little ways back as he took a walk break. Rather than wait for him at the AS, I joked he’d catch back up and pass me at some point being the bad-ass runner he was.

Note: The stretch from AS#4 to AS#5 is also where I was passed by the to-be-winner of the men’s 50 mile race. Dude ran it in 5:53-and change. That’s a new course record. Unbelievably fast. I’m slow.

The liquid Buddha belly from AS#3

Let’s let this also be the moment where you can refill whatever delicious beverage you’ve been enjoying while skimming this short novel because I’m about to get personal. I hadn’t peed since mile 17. I was now approaching the 30 mile turnaround point and the only liquid I was able to squeeze out was dark brown and fear inducing. I was on top of my water, I was popping endurolytes and staying up with nutrition but nothing wanted to come out. Even looking back over some photos of me running through AS#3, it looks like I had a little Buddha belly – perhaps I was retaining all my liquid? Additionally, Mile Long Legs recently told me a story of a friend who was running an ultra in heat and had to be pulled out because one of his kidneys failed. Awesome. Were my KIDNEYS FAILING?! I had no idea, but I knew that I had to do whatever I could to make sure I fixed the problem IMMEDIATELY.

My course of action was to run from AS#5 to AS#6 taking in water only. No salt pills or solid food (other than what I had just consumed at AS#5). Smart decision? Probably not, especially at mile 24 of a 50 mile race. But I went with it. I left AS#5 pretty worried about the next few hours and what sort of challenges they would bring. Physically, I was pretty solid at this point (other than my KIDNEY DYING), mentally, I was getting fatigued from all the calculating and planning. Luckily from AS#5 to AS#6 I was able to turn it off  and enjoy the trails.

Beautiful PCT, just after being passed by race leader.

The steeply canted singletrack snaked in and out of rocky cliff-side canyons littered with tall pine trees, allowing the perfect amount of shade to cool us all off. The narrow trail had a few precarious spots, especially for passing the runners on their return trip to the turnaround. Just as I was approaching the steep and exposed fireroad of mile 27.5, I passed my friend Mandi (who had won the woman’s Ray Miller 50k) on her return trip. This was also her first 50miler and by the look of things, she was KILLING IT! Soon after, as I was heading down the daunting 2.5 mile fireroad towards what seemed like the pit of hell, I passed Billy on his way back up. While I was struggling, he looked fresh and new! Dude was rocking the climb back up. We yelled a few inspirational cheers to each other and got back to business. A half mile further down I passed a runner on his way back up who had recognized me as the Ginger Runner during the first mile. His name is Jawn and I feared he was the last person I would see before the turn around that I somewhat knew. He asked how I was holding up to which I replied immediately and ungracefully, “I’m peeing almost brown. I don’t know what’s up.” He looked a little shocked that I would be so forthcoming, but he swapped some quick advice back about hydrating immediately. I assured him I’d do my best and we departed almost as quickly as we had arrived. Aid station #6 was just ahead.

AS#6 saved my ass. As soon as I rolled in I was bombarded by attentive volunteers taking my bottles, my backpack, and my handkerchief to be refilled and re-iced. Then one of them ushered me to what I will lovingly refer to as the Magic Shower of Gold and Happy. It was a hose with ice cold water set up like a misting shower and provided INSTANT relief from the heat. As I stood under the mist for what felt like 20 minutes, I took in the sights around me. There were dozens of runners heaped in chairs and on the ground, just annihilated from the heat and exhaustion of the day. It was a pretty big mess of broken spirits. Over the next few hours, this would prove to be one of my biggest obstacles – trusting MY body, MY mind and not letting the psychology of those around me interfere.

After I had cooled my body considerably in the Magic Shower of Gold and Happy, grabbed a few boiled potatoes and potato chips, I started my trek back up the steep 2.5 mile fireroad to the Pacific Crest Trail. And guess who had caught up and joined me? Paul. Dude was a beast. We swapped some more stories and helped push each other on. He told me his goal was to finish sub-11 hours, but I refused to look at my watch to get a sense of where we were time-wise for fear I was going to be WAY off goal. I used Paul as my watch from here on out. If I could keep up or in front of him, I’d be solid for my silver goal of sub-11 (my gold goal was sub-10, silver goal was sub-11, and bronze goal was finishing). Trust the dude that has run more than 40 ultras to get you to the finish.

Mile 32. Longest I’ve ever run.

Before I knew it, I was feeling AWESOME and picking up the pace a little bit. Once back on the PCT, I felt comfortable with the familiar terrain and knew it was mostly downhill from here on out. Before I had reached AS#7, I glanced at my watch and noticed I had passed the 32 mile mark. I had officially run the furthest I’d ever run – and was STILL PUSHING! This is also where my hip flexor injury flared back up again. Between miles 33 and 35, I was a mess of stopping to stretch the injury and lightly running in serious pain. But once in and out of AS#7, I had forgotten about the pain and was determined to push on.

I forget a lot of what went on for the next 8 miles or so. I do remember stopping for long breaks at the aid stations, but never sitting down. I remember forcing my brain to be strong and not let the visuals of quitting runners get into my mind. They were everywhere. I remember getting ahead of Paul at some point and being excited that I might get my silver goal. I remember it being FUCKING HOT. I remember AS#8 volunteers warning me that the next two sections were going to destroy me. I remember thinking that just because I felt ok now, didn’t mean I’ll feel ok in 30 minutes. I remember wanting to quit. I remember my body being overtaken by pain. Then I remember finally peeing a shade of yellow. I cannot tell you what a relief and adrenaline-pumping moment this was. My whole game changed. No matter what, I was finishing this damn thing.

The mile 42.5 embrace.

As I rolled into AS#9 – the second to last aid station and the last time I’d see my crew – I caught eye of Mile Long Legs standing and waiting. I’m pretty sure I was a whimpering mess by the time we embraced. As I hobbled my way over to the food tables to ice up and refuel, I got details as to David and Billy – who apparently were both having awesome days. David with a top 10 finish in the 50k and Billy having just passed through this same aid station about an hour and a half earlier. It took some time to refill everything here because it was obvious this aid station was a mess. Not only were their drunk spectators, but each volunteer was dealing with 2-3 runners each. This aid station had become a make-shift quitting zone. Runners would continue on up into the final 8 hot exposed miles, overheat, cramp or hit an impossible wall, turn around, and hike back into this AS in hopes of getting medical treatment. It was a runner triage center. Props to the volunteers for pushing through what must have been a crazy day.

I dawdled. I took my time. I didn’t want to leave the comforts of familiar faces or cold ice. I didn’t want to venture up another mountain the way I was feeling. But I did. I reluctantly said my goodbyes and pushed out onto the last climb. The death march.

The final pep-talk.

Within moments of being back out on the trail, I was passed by no less than 5 runners all headed back to the aid station to DNF. They did not look good at all. I offered all of them assistance, but none of them took me up on it. Their faces are unforgettable. The mile-long stare, the spacey replies and zombie-like steps. I didn’t, I COULDN’T be one of these. I trudged on and passed many runners. I joined a group of 4-5 runners huddled around an older gentleman who had sat down on the trail from cramps. Everyone was trying to figure out what to do so I told them, “You go 1.5 miles ahead and there’s aid, you go 2 miles back and there’s aid. I can give you anything you need from my pack right now”. He shrugged it all off, was in good spirits, just absolutely spent. After hanging for a few minutes with everyone huddled around him, I decided to keep pushing. I only had 1.5 miles until the final aid station. So I ignored the pain, I ignored the nausea, I ignored my heart rate monitor which was now telling me my HR was jumping from 140 to 70 and back again, I ignored the desire to quit, I ignored everything except what was right in front of me and powered ahead.

Heading back out onto the singletrack

Before I knew it, I was emerging off the singletrack and onto a fireroad with the final aid station. I quickly went to refill all of my ice, only to find out that they were out of it. Not just out of ice, but out of almost EVERYTHING. Listen, I know I was taking forever to finish, I know you guys had been out here all day, but man, what’s a Ginger got to do to get some ice 3 miles from the finish? After high-fiving the last cheering volunteer, I had about 1 mile of uphill left, followed by 2 miles downhill.

I trudged on. It was slow going. I was alone. My body had no clue what was going on. I was hungry but full at the same time. I was exhausted but pumped. I was excited but lethargic. And in a blur, I started the final descent into Lake Hughes.

I barely remember finishing. I know I jumped over the finishline and high-fived the metal “finish” bar above, but that’s about it. I was instantly swarmed by friends and family who had all come out to support me on a grueling day in the high desert an hour outside of LA. Keira gently laid my finishers medal around my neck and I made my way to a picnic table to sit down. Billy was there, David was there, Eric was there, my mom and dad were there, my sister and brother-in-law were there with their dog, my buddy Andrew was there and my girlfriend, the rock that pushed me through the day, was there. As I sat down, surrounded by a flurry of cheers and congratulations, pats on the back and plates of food being shoved in front of me, I cried. Not just tears of joy, but full-on sobs of exhaustion. I honestly could not believe that after 11 hours and 9 minutes (missed my silver goal and qualifying for WS100 by THAT MUCH!) I was now sitting down and done running 50 miles. Every moment of pain and suffering that I had felt throughout the day was behind me. I was now a fucking Ultra Runner.

I did it. First 50 miler in the books!

POSTFACE

As I sat and thought about what I’d accomplished, it didn’t really sink in that I had ran 50 miles. I just felt like I suffered and endured for far too many hours in uncomfortable conditions and I couldn’t determine why. This was also the first race where immediately upon finishing I blurted out, “NEVER AGAIN” and really meant it. However, now some days later, that’s already changing. I remember this being a shitty hard day, but I also now realize the accomplishment and I want to feel it again. I want to know it wasn’t a fluke. I have two more 50 milers this year, and who knows, maybe something longer – but I’ll be honest, that just sounds RIDICULOUS.

Hey, remember Paul? Well, when I finished I was convinced I had passed him and he was still out on the course. False. It must have been around the 42.5 mile aid station that he passed me because I have come to learn that he did indeed finish sub-11hr, just like he planned the whole time. Bad ass mother fucker, that one. Lesson learned: Don’t just trust but always stick with the guy that has run 40 ultras in all conditions.

So, while the race part of my story might be over, the night surely was not. By the time I got home, I had a hard time getting out of the car. I have never felt hip flexor pain quite this severe. It was as if someone was taking a 6 inch blade and slowly pushing it in and out of my left hip flexor/groin area. Just excruciating  It got worse as the night went on, practically immobilizing me. Not only that, but when I steadied myself down into an ice bath, my body started shivering so uncontrollably, Mile Long Legs had to come and hold my hand to keep me settled and breathing. All my muscles started contracting and made it difficult to breathe properly. For the rest of the night my body was on fire, most likely due to severe heat stroke. I had to use ice packs and cold wash cloths to try and keep my body temp down. My body was in shock and there was nothing I could do but not panic and hope it got better. Needless to say I barely slept at all that night. By the next morning, my body felt a bit cooler, but the sunburn and blisters had started to make themselves apparent on my shoulders and back. No amount of sunscreen could keep that sun out apparently.

Traditional Post-race shower beer!

I was a mess. But I knew I would heal. Now one week later, my hip flexor has calmed down, my body has started to get back to normal, and I’ve even thrown down a couple of recovery runs. I also want to take this moment to thank each and every one of you. Your words of encouragement – even if we’ve never met – pushed me through to the end. Social media is a strange thing where I can share my experiences and love of this sport with all of you and you can share it right back. Seriously, this victory is one of many shared by all of us. Everyday I hear about someone running their first 5k, or losing 51lbs, or trying on their first pair of good running shoes. These are all victories and they all helped push me through to the finishline. If I could do this, imagine what YOU could do!

Leona Divide feels almost like a distant memory. Even as I was writing this blog, I felt like I was recalling an old experience riddled with details from years ago. But perhaps its just my mind’s way of coping with what I put it through. Maybe it wants me to never put it through anything like Leona again. Or maybe by making Leona seem distant, my mind is telling me it’s time to gear up and do it again. While I juggle the conundrum, I’ll continue to sit here and sip on my own black IPA as I try to relive one of the most difficult and rewarding days of my life. I trained, I raced, and now it’s time for celebration. Cheers!

The finishline with my awesome and supportive family. The best. 

After running for the past few years with a Garmin Forerunner 110 GPS watch, the damn thing broke. This immediately threw me back into the market for a new watch to replace the old one. I started researching like a madman and realized based on the activities that I was doing – road running, trail running, ultra running, hiking, etc – I knew that I needed more watch than what the Forerunner series could provide. I needed a watch with long battery life, fantastic durability and endless customization possibilites geared towards mountain life and distance training. Through my research, I figured out there were two watches that fit the bill: The Suunto Ambit and the Garmin Fenix.

After wearing both watches for a few months in various conditions and environments, I can safely say they are BOTH beasts. They are deep with features, customizable data screens, and both do any job I’ve thrown at them damn well. While I may lean towards one watch over the other only due to how it fits on my wrist, I’m torn to the other watch’s ability to be future-proof. There is so much tech in these watches that I highly recommend you take them on a test run yourself to determine which would fit your needs. It’s going to come down to personal needs, and you’re the only one that knows what those needs are.

So which watch am I wearing? Well, it honestly came down to price and the wrist-fit factor. The Garmin Fenix now sits on my wrist for all of my running endeavors and so far I love it (I ended up swapping my unit for a new one under warranty due to the multiple software crashes I was enduring). I’ve had to reprogram some of the buttons to perform functions I prefer (start/stop now doesn’t require holding down a button, but a simple quick press) and set up the appropriate data screens for different activities. As for battery life, this thing hasn’t failed me. I still had more than 30% battery left after logging the entire 11hrs of my brutal Leona Divide 50mile race!

But just when I finally feel comfortable with my watch selection, Suunto goes and releases the Ambit 2 and Ambit 2s. DAMMIT! Hopefully I’ll be able to get my hands on one of those and give it a proper review to see how it stacks up!

Day before the 2013 Boston Marathon

So it’s been 1 week since the tragic events that took place at the finish line of one of the most prestigious marathons on the globe. While we’ve had some resolution, I still find it all difficult to swallow and seek appropriate answers. My heart and thoughts continue to go out to all those affected by this senseless act. I also acknowledge just how awesome the running community has been in the wake of this tragedy, coming together as we have in ways that continue to inspire. Well done.

As you may know, I was in Boston from April 11th through the 15th (Marathon Day) with my good friends at Newton Running. My job was to document some behind-the-scenes and race-weekend festivities in my video-log form in hopes of capturing some of that excitement that surrounds one of the biggest running stages in the world. I wanted to meet the runners running the race, I wanted to share the excitement with their families, I wanted to hear about the struggle and work that each runner went through to qualify for this elite event. As runners, we all know the Boston Marathon is a big deal. As a runner who sees qualifying for it as an almost impossible undertaking, I made it my goal to live vicariously through everyone I met. Little did I know that the weekend would change me in ways I never thought imaginable.

Many of you follow me across the social networks and many of you knew about the adventures I was to embark upon. You were there commenting when I would share some of the cool things that happened to me throughout the days; you would stay up late with me as I uploaded each daily video late into the morning; and you would share in my excitement and anticipation for the big day. It was like we were all sharing in the build-up of the race together, as a family of spectators looking down onto the world of those runners present. It was awesome.

As I posted each video each day, I tried to document as much of my activities as possible and determine what I could collect the following day. I knew Monday was going to be the grand-daddy video and couldn’t wait to document the goings-on. The morning started earlier than previous as Brandon (Newton Running’s Social Media Guru and my liason) and I grabbed our gear, tents, and made our way to mile 20 at the base of Heart Break Hill. We would have prime spots to gather footage of all the elites (just as the Elite men were passing the Elite women!) as well as all the other runners just before they embarked on what is infamously the most grueling section of the Boston Marathon Course.

The Boston Marathon Elite Runners

As I filmed and enjoyed the comraderie with my new-found Newton peeps, I knew I was going to have to snag a taxi and head to the airport ASAP to catch my flight home. I said my goodbyes to all as they continued to cheer and let loose (they had quite the crazy weekend of working one of the busiest booths at the Boston Marathon Expo – total pros). As my taxi headed quickly towards to the Boston Airport, I took the brief time to reflect on what was an awesome weekend that I not only got to share with those IN Boston, but everyone at home who shared in my experiences. It was an honest heartfelt moment of appreciation. I never would have thought this silly little blog would allow me to travel the country and contribute to the greater running community in such a new and innovative way with video and social media. I was stoked.

My flight had a layover in Dallas. This is when shit hit the fan. Upon taking off from Boston, I quickly fell asleep having lived off of no more than 4 hrs of sleep a night for 5 nights. I awoke to not only the plane hitting the tarmac, but my phone vibrating like crazy in my pocket. I thought I had set an alarm, but when I pulled the phone out, I saw that I was receiving hundreds of text messages at once. The very first thought that popped into my head – and trust me, I know how ridiculous and selfish it sounds – was that a commercial I had filmed aired on television and everyone was texting me to tell me they saw it. This thought quickly dashed out of my mind when the first text I opened read, “Are you still alive?? Just heard about the bombs in Boston”. My heart stopped. Everything shattered. The two diva teen girls sitting next to me watching some Hannah Montana garbage faded away as my world suddenly became so dark and focused as if I was suddenly wearing horse blinders. The only thing I could see, hear or touch were those words on my screen: ARE YOU STILL ALIVE.

Wading through the hundreds of texts, many from my immediate family who, as I read, had NO idea that I was on a plane and thought I was still in Boston, broke my heart. Many people thought I was running the marathon. Many I had not talked to in years. So many people wanting to know if I was alive. I had to focus on contacting the most important people first – I was literally triaging my contact list. I contacted my girlfriend who had since told all my immediate family I was OK, I made sure to contact my parents and siblings, and then it hit me. The Newton Running crew. They were still there, and most likely making their way to the finish line to greet their elite runner as he finished. I texted Brandon who quickly got back and verified they were all safe. Then it sunk in that I had met handfuls of awesome fans, friends, and new followers that were running. How in the world would I find out if they were all ok?? AND WHAT HAD ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN BOSTON??

See, all of this communication took place in the 20 minute window of my layover as I raced from one plane to the next. I had yet to know what actually happened at the finish line. Then I saw it. As I sat at my new terminal, I glanced up at a TV screen and saw the video being replayed on the screen. Tears. It was heartbreaking. I couldn’t keep it together. What if my flight was 1 hour later? What if I was running in this race? What if I was at the finish line like I was the night before? What if, what if, what if? All the questions came racing to my mind and sunk in. The fact that these bombs went off at the 4:09 mark of a marathon just broke me. The people who cross at this time (and trust me, I know) are some of the hardest working, most inspirational athletes I know. I just couldn’t believe it. And as soon as I was communicating with the outside world, I had to board my next flight and would be incomunicado for another 4 hrs.

A sign seen at mile 20. My new motto.

Needless to say, this was a long and exhausting day – for many people. By the time I landed in LA, I had been awake for 20 hours but was in no hurry to sleep. I still had so many people to follow up on and make sure everyone was safe. As news flooded in from those I knew in Boston, I knew I had to make a video. Those who had been following along all weekend with my videos had started commenting on each of them, wondering if I was ok. I wanted to not only make a video for them to let them know I was safe, and very fortunate, but to also make a video for those who were still suffering in Boston and for those members of the community I now call family. Now that it is a week later, the 2 bombing suspects have been identified, one captured, I think I am ready to share my experience all in one place. The following 5 videos document the weekend from Thursday April 11th to Monday April 15th, 2013. It’s eery to watch them and see all the smiling faces now knowing what that race had in store – particularly video 4. But I am lucky. I am lucky to have these memories from a distinct moment in history, not only for myself and the running community family, but for my country. Now when I run, I remember Boston. And I tell you what, I’ve never wanted to run the Boston Marathon more.

BOSTON MARATHON DAY 1

BOSTON MARATHON DAY 2

BOSTON MARATHON DAY 3

BOSTON MARATHON DAY 4

BOSTON MARATHON – THE FINAL DAY

This pack is awesome. While it fits more like a vest (which I’m glad to see is the new general trend in hydration packs overall), the XA Skin Pro 10+3 pack has quite a few bells and whistles that take this pack to the next level. I’ve been playing around a lot with various hydration systems and so far, this one is my go-to for the long runs. I’ve managed to stick pants, a jacket, trekking poles, food, gloves, and various other items in this pack for recent summit hikes and I’ve consistently been surprised with how much it can hold tight.

It has plenty of storage, a 1.5l water bladder (by Hydrapak), plenty of flexible straps for a custom fit, and is durable beyond a trail runner’s needs. I’ve run races, long training days, summitted mountains, and raced through horribly inclement weather with nary a problem. While pricey, the Salomon XA Skin Pro 10+3 pack is an awesome long-haul hydration solution.

LIKED:

• Comfortable
• Storage
• Expandable
• Sternum Straps
• Light
• Insulated Bladder Sleeve
• Underarm Hydration

DISLIKED:

• Shoulder Adjustment
• More Pockets
• Hip Pockets
• Flappy Straps

QUALITY: 4/5
COMFORT: 4/5
PRICE: 3/5
LOOKS: 4/5

TOTAL: 15/20

This item was provided by Salomon Running for review. All opinions are my own. For more info on the item, visit: http://SalomonRunning.com and be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE.

GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

I held a fun giveaway for the Salomon Running Agile 7 hydration pack and asked you to submit your best photos of you in need of some serious hydration. I LOVED all the photos you submitted across the social networks and email, but I had to narrow it down! Below are the Grand Prize winner (they will receive the Agile 7 Hydration Pack), the Runner Up (they will receive a custom Ginger Runner tshirt) and the Honorable Mention (they will receive the biggest and most bad-ass virtual high five from myself and all who have ventured here!). Thanks again to ALL who entered. Stay tuned for many more giveaways!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER – JT Peebles

JT Peebles shows us what it takes to win (I even had to censor this one)!

Let’s be honest, to have the balls (pun intended) to send me a photo of yourself naked riding a bike across a mountain top deserves a win. Notice the folks ahead? They got far more “view” than they intended (pun intended). Got to give a guy credit for going the extra inch (pun intended, again).

RUNNER UP WINNER – Ethan Hodge

Gotta give Ethan credit for the creativity (and American short shorts)! Way to go, kid! #TrainRaceBacon

Love the creativity on this one, the confidence in showing so much pasty leg (trust me, I can relate) and the pride in his nation. Ethan Hodge, for your photo you will receive a brand new “Train. Race. Bacon.” tshirt!

HONORABLE MENTION – Clinton Munkres

Have you ever seen an athlete so sad??

Clinton, I had to post this photo. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone so sad that they were out of PBR. Nice touch with the “#TrainRaceBeer”!!

AGAIN, thank you to all who entered! Stay tuned for more great giveaways right here!

Guess what? I’m GOING TO THE 2013 BOSTON MARATHON! I honestly cannot believe it and am excited beyond belief. Here’s what’s up: Newton Running contacted me recently and proposed the idea of partnering up, travelling to the Boston Marathon, and creating cool video content for everyone to watch while we’re there. Wait, SAY WHA? They have been a fan of my videos for awhile (and I’m obviously a fan of their kicks) so they thought it would be a cool to bring along an “every runner” to document some behind the scenes action from one of the most prestigious marathon events on the planet. DUH, I said, “yes”.

So here’s what’s going to happen: On the Thursday before the Marathon (April 11th, 2013) I will leave LA and fly into Boston to meet up with my Newton cohorts. Over the next 5 days I will be creating videos, blogs, tweetin’ & instagramin’ like nobody’s business. I’m basically going as a total BM noob and trying to see/capture as much of the Boston Marathon spirit as possible. I will also be participating in a number of Newton sanctioned events and activities so stay tuned for that! Hell, I might even talk them into letting me GIVE SOME STUFF AWAY (no guarantees, but I’ll try)!! You’re going to want to follow me on all the social networks to get your chance to win! So that’s it for now. Be sure to subscribe to all my ish below and stay tuned for updates!!

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheGingerRunner
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TheGingerRunner
YouTube: http://youtube.com/TheGingerRunner
Instagram: http://instagram.com/EthanNewberry
Website: http://GingerRunner.com

It takes a bold man to wear tights, and an even bolder man to wear 3/4 length tights. Lucky for you, I am that man. I’ve rocked these suckers for a few months now through the brutal SoCal winter (sarcasm) and love ‘em. They definitely proved durable and comfortable through various weather conditions/climates so I give them kudos.

I definitely recommend these for those in-between days where it’s too cold for shorts and too warm for full tights. Add a pair to your arsenal for spring and fall runs.

LIKED:

• Storage
• Thin material
• Moisture Wicking

DISLIKED:

• Minor Chafing
• Glitter Legs
• Waist Band
• Cuffs

QUALITY: 4/5
COMFORT: 4/5
PRICE: 3/5
LOOKS: 3/5

TOTAL: 14/20

This item was provided by Pearl Izumi for review. All opinions are my own. For more info on the item, visit: http://pearlizumi.com and be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE.

It’s no secret how much I love the Brooks PureGrit 1. Despite that shoe having a major traction flaw, I still consider it one of my favorite trails shoes – especially for the dry socal trails I run on. When the PureGrit 2 was released, I was stoked to learn they almost certainly addressed all of our traction concerns. Unfortunately, that’s not all Brooks changed.

A stiff outsole, a hefty upper made of thick and stiff materials, a new lacing/tongue system, and an overall heavier shoe does not an improvement make. Despite putting almost 70 test miles in this shoe, I cannot say that it won me over. In fact, I purchased another pair of Pure Grit 1s just to satisfy my trail needs. I hope Brooks sees this review and perhaps takes my problems into consideration when working on the Pure Grit 3. Hell, why not start using the hashtag, “#FixTheGrit” to see if they actually listen to us!?

Click to watch the review above and don’t forget to subscribe to my youtube channel! (CLICK HERE TO SUB)

LIKED:

• Same fit as Pure Grit
• New Traction

DISLIKED:

• Tongue/Lacing
• Upper thickness/stiffness
• Outsole stiffness
• Concave Outsole
• Heavier

QUALITY: 3/5
COMFORT: 2/5
PRICE: 3/5
LOOKS: 3/5

TOTAL: 11/20

For more info on this shoe, visit: Brooksrunning.com

This last weekend was packed with SO MUCH awesome! If you didn’t know, I’m currently in training for the Leona Divide 50 miler (my first 50 mile race, YIKES!), so I needed to pack on the mileage, push my legs through some serious pain, and most importantly, have fun in the process.

First, I got to run an unsanctioned marathon with my buddy Colin (@RunWicked) down in Palos Verdes. I Couldn’t ask for a more beautiful day! We originally had planned on 25 miles, but when you’re that close to a full marathon, we opted to just add that 1.2 miles by running around the parking lot a few times. Thank you Colin for an awesome long, slow distance in a gorgeous area. No way I could’ve figured out all those trails without ya!

The next morning I met back up with Colin as well as Billy (@LARunr), Josh (@SpectorJosh), Joe, Chris Price and others to summit Mount Baldy via Bear Canyon Trail. I’ve done this trail before and it’s BRUTAL. This is a 6+ mile trek that starts at around 4300ft, travels straight up 5800 feet to the summit. However, due to snow, ice and high winds, I was cautious and opted out of summitting less than .4miles from the top. I was SO CLOSE! While I’m bummed, I know I made the right decision for me. I was using microspikes for the first time and was just getting used to them and trusting them. No use in pushing my luck on the first try! Trust me, I’ll get back up there again very soon!

Finally, I finished off the weekend with a bunch of my YouTube friends (Jimmy Wong, Meghan Camarena, Joey Graceffa, David, Brittani Louise Taylor, and Alyssa Poppin) canyoneering down 6 waterfalls in the Angeles National Forest. A very special thanks to ATS & CanyoneeringLA for being so damn awesome and patient will all of us vloggin’ yahoos!

All in all, it was an amazing weekend that has left my quads weak and sore, my calves tight, and my heart warm. I got to share some roads and trails with good friends and even traverse a waterfall or two with new ones. I wanted to document some of it to hopefully inspire you to get outside and try something new and push yourself out of your comfort zone (safely!). The whole goal of all of this is to have fun, and I sure did nail that this weekend! Now remember, TRAIN HARD, RACE HARDER, PARTY HARDEST! It’s time for a beer…

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