The Call of the Ultra

We are very excited about our awards.

Everyone who finishes a race will received a hand-crafted wooden medal.  When you finish, we'll take your medal and brand it with our custom-made branding iron featuring the logo of The Hungerford Games.  Lots of races differentiate themselves with the medals they give, but we feel like this is a particularly appropriate way to celebrate a successful race through the woods.

The top three males and the top three females in each race will also receive a unique, hard-crafted wooden trophy with a particularly arboreal appeal.  It'll definitely give the front-runners something to shoot for, and something to brag about.

Today, though, I'd like to focus on explaining the Ultramarathon Hiking Stick.  As a first-time race, we view our inaugural event as the start of a tradition -- or, the start of many traditions.  The Stick ties in perfectly with that theme.  Everyone who finishes the 50-mile course between sunrise and sundown (eleven hours and fifty-two minutes) will receive The Stick.  Every ultramarathoner who comes back next year and finishes between sunrise and sunset will have a "notch" carved into the top.  Over the years, returners will be able to collected more and more notches for their Hiking Sticks.

Starting in 2014, we will publish a list of all the returning ultramarathoners, as well as the number of times each runner has completed the 50 before sunset.  In ten years, we envision a handful of runners who will have "notched" in every single Hungerford Games 50-Miler -- we'll have to think of something special to do for ten-year vets (free lifetime registration, anyone?)

If you're thinking about entering this year's ultra, we hope this gives you a little more incentive to join us for the start of our tradition.  

Oh, and The Stick is pretty incredible.  We're looking forward to starting yours soon!

Hungerford Waiting

 A look at Hungerford Park in the winter.  Perfectly tranquil, full of waiting stillness.

 Climbing The Wall

Atop The Wall

View from atop The Wall

Half Marathon Preview

Today, Kendall (another of the Race Directors) and I ran the half marathon course.  We both needed a good, strong, moderately long run as part of our Boston Marathon preparation, and I figured it would <jog> my memory and help me describe the half course in more detail.

(As of right now, the half is our most popular race and is filling up the most quickly -- get your registrations in soon to ensure you'll have a spot!  Hopefully, this guide provides all of you half-marathoners a good feel for what your experience will be like, and guides you as you prepare.)

The first mile of the course is flat or slightly uphill, pavement, and through the outskirts of Big Rapids.  After a mile, the road turns to gravel, the houses thin out, the forest thickens, are you start winding your way through a series of hills: a long, gradual uphill, a short downhill, another long, gradual uphill, etc.

Over the first two miles of the course, you end up with roughly a hundred and fifty feet of climb, and only thirty feet of descent.  I much prefer my runs to be like this: more taxing at the beginning of the run when I'm fresh, with the downhill portions toward the end.

After two miles, you get off the gravel road and enter the two-track portion of the run.  The next eight miles or so will be almost all remote two-track: you'll only see two more houses until you get back to town.

The first bit of two-track is a steep downhill, followed by a flat, winding half mile that leads you to your first turn since the very beginning of your race.  Just under three miles into the run, you'll see your first aid station and make a right turn onto Beech -- there are no street signs out there, of course, but the turn will be ridiculously well marked and you'll have oodles of volunteers there to make sure everyone is following the course.

Beech will hit you with two good ascents.  The first one is short, very manageable (see picture below), and less than a hundred meters long; it's followed by a short, flat stretch, and then you'll start one of the tougher hills on the course.  It's steep, it's long, and it's far enough into the race that you'll definitely feel it.  Together, the two Beech Hills climb another eighty feet over just a quarter mile and bring you to your highest point on the course.  Your first 5k of the race will likely be quite a bit slower than your goal pace.

Beech Hill #

What goes up, however, must eventually come down.  After climbing the second of the Beech Hills, you've got a half-mile stretch that's all moderate-to-steep downhills.  The only hazard here is a couple of mud pits; they were frozen over today, with layers of ice over some pretty good little puddles, but we stayed aware and managed to keep our feet dry.  You'll have to keep your eyes open; depending on whether it rains much before the race, the mud can be a real shoe-sucker, and should be navigated around.

Beech is 1.3 miles, all together.  It dead-ends just over four miles into your race; you'll see a house on your left, and will take a left onto 11-Mile.  Again, it will be very well-marked and you won't be able to take a wrong turn without copious effort.

11-Mile starts off with a long, gradual, sandy hill.  Hills are always tougher to climb in the sand, so although there's not much climb to it, it can be taxing.  Today, it was frozen and fun to attack.  After you've climbed that little dune, you've got one of my favorite stretches of trail in all the world.  The forest is thick, old, and beautiful, the two-track is well-packed dirt that feels buoyant underfoot, and the road is a long, gradual downhill.  We picked up the pace coming up to the Powerlines; if you run your first 5k of the race intelligently, your second 5k will be strong and hit the midway point rolling.

Just follow the Lines

At the Powerlines, you'll see your second aid station, and you'll be just about six miles into your race.  You'll take a left on the Lines -- just follow the signs for the half marathon.  We hit six miles in forty-six minutes, so we were running just over 7:40 miles.  This is just about exactly what we'd normally run on a long run given our fitness right now, but we were working a little harder than we normally would -- the course can be run fast, but it's definitely challenging.

For the marathoners, the Powerlines will be memorably challenging.  However, for the half-marathon, the Lines are just a series of short up-and-downs -- nothing too difficult  -- and they're net downhill.  You'll have to keep your eye out for stray rocks to keep your ankles safe, but the only real excitement on the Powerlines comes at the end of them.

After you're on the Lines for just over a mile, you'll hit The Wall.  It's a very short, very steep uphill, built to discourage motor vehicles from getting past it.  The wall is the only stretch of the course where almost everyone will use their hands as well as their feet.  It'll slow you down, but it's no more than ten feet tall / long, and might give your muscles a little variety.  When you see The Wall, you'll know it.

You'll be just over seven miles into your run, more than half of the way home, and you'll see your third Aid Station just to your left.  We hope those two Aid Stations -- just about a mile apart, and right in the middle of your race -- are much appreciated spots for fuel.

You'll continue past that Aid Station on Skiberian Road.  It's a wider gravel road with a long and gradual downhill for two-thirds of a mile; it's about 20 feet of gradual descent, and our legs appreciated it.  Just when you really get rolling, you'll hit what's probably the toughest hill on the course: there's a short, gradual uphill, followed almost immediately by a long, steep uphill that winds to the right.  Together, they pack about a hundred feet of climb into a half-mile stretch, the the majority of that hundred at the end.

I don't want to scare those of you who aren't experienced half marathoners.  A hundred-foot climb really all that much.  When we ran the North Country Trail Run this summer, there were an awful lot of two- and three-hundred foot climbs.  These are challenging, but they're doable -- we attacked these hills at half-marathon pace and came out the other end just fine.

There is a long, steep downhill just after your climb -- I always feel like it's the steepest hill that I can really run without having to decelerate.  By the bottom of that hill, I'm always flying, and today was no exception.  You pass the Mountain Bike Trailhead, which is a great spot for your Fan Club to cheer you on, and then you'll continue downward toward Hungerford Road.  Over the course of that half-mile, you've dropped a hundred feet.

You've got your last really challenging climb as you get onto Hungerford Road and wind to the left.  As the road switches back to two-track, there is a very short, steep climb -- just over a hundred meters long -- and then a very slight, almost unnoticed climb for the next mile.  That slight whisper of a climb  -- coming nine miles into your race -- can noticably slow your pace.  We ran that mile in 8:15.  However, at the top of your climb you'll see Turnbull Lake on your left and you'll know that you're almost at your last Aid Station -- the same one that you saw three miles into your run.

When you hit your last Aid Station, you'll have less than three miles left.  From here on in, it's all familiar territory, except in reverse.  You'll soon climb a steep hill that gets you off the two-track and back onto gravel roads, and then you'll charge down a series of gradual downhills followed by very short uphills that lead you back to pavement.  The downhills are much more significant than the uphills -- you only have two very short and gradual ascents, and lots and lots of downhills.  It felt great to open up our legs and roll down this stretch.

Just after you hit the pavement, you have a tiny little bump up, and when you crest it you can see the final curve and you know the finish is nigh.  We commented on how great it would be to know, at that point, where the finish was; it should serve as great motivation for your last half mile!

Our overall pace was 7:38 for the run, so we kept things pretty even throughout.  We felt like the run was just perfectly challenging: hard enough that you can brag about it to your friends, but fair enough that it could be raced quickly.  Our estimate was that we'd race it about 10-12% slower than we would a flat, fast road race.

We love this course because it has a certain narrative feel to it:

• At the start, you get more and more remote -- you're venturing out into the woods.
• You climb hard for the first three miles, then roll along on some easier stretches.
• As you approach eight miles and are starting to really feel the fatigue, we give you some good hills to test your fortitude.
• Once you conquer the hills, you return to civilization with the fastest stretch of course -- either to relax and enjoy your success, or to drop the pace and finish strong.

If you have any questions about the course, feel free to let us know!  Within the next couple of weeks, we'll give you a preview of the marathon and ultramarathon courses!

Why Do You Run?

Why do you Run?

Last summer, I raced "The Fred", a 200-mile relay race up and down the Fred Meijer White Pine bike trail.  It was a great event; the teamwork and logistical planning added a layer of enjoyment in addition to the typical joy of running.  

The race was a relatively small affair, with roughly thirty teams competing, and the start was staggered so that teams would finish at approximately the same time.  This meant that for the first hundred miles or so, your team was essentially on its own.  It wasn't until about the halfway point that eams that were beating their seed times started to catch up to teams that were falling behind their seed times.

It's also an overnight race, down a six-foot-wide bike trail, so the legs that were run in the dark were eerily, surreally lonely.  It was just you, the sound of your footsteps, that little circle of headlamp light, and the occasional raccoon or obstinate skunk.  

However, just as you came into Cadillac, Michigan, a couple miles from the turnaround, there was a huge exchange zone that caught teams heading up and teams heading down; just about every team had to be there at just about the exact same time.  I was running for our squad, gliding along in the dead of the night, just about finished with a tough ten-mile leg, when I came around a turn and saw a hundred people wearing reflective vests and headlamps, with two dozen cars shining their headlights onto the trail.  Race officials, runners who had just finished, runners who were waiting for their team, and crew members -- all of them glowing and reflecting like some sort haphazardly-lit UFO.  What a sight!

It was all the more impressive because it was such a contrast from the solitude in which we had been running -- and because it was so unexpected.

Some people run to win; others run for fun.  Some people run with a group, to enjoy the camaraderie; others run by themselves for some quiet time to think.  Some runners love big city marathons, where the adrenaline of the crowd carries you.  Others enjoy the tranquility afforded by remote trail races.

Most of us enjoy all of these to some extent.  There are dozens of spectra along which we exist as runners: how much do you enjoy testing your limits?  How much do you enjoy getting into the great outdoors?  The Fred was a great reminder to me of how many different ways there are to enjoy running.  

At The Hungerford Games, we understand the different motivations that compel people to run.  

We certainly place an emphasis on highlighting the quiet, natural side of running and racing.  We spotlight the fact that running is a great way to see some incredible places and some amazing sights.  We know it can help cultivate an appreciation for the natural world.  

Because it's a race, you'll also get a chance to push yourself and test your limits, if you are so inclined.  The courses are fair -- but they're also challenging.  Race it hard, and you'll get a chance to see what you're made of.

We know that races are partly individual and partly communal experiences.  You'll definitely get some time to think your own thoughts as you glide silently through the forest -- but with only a few spots where spectators can easily travel, you'll also run through some points where throngs of supporters line the way and cheer you on.

Many have said that there are as many reasons to run as there are runners.  Whatever your reason, The Hungerford Games has something for you.

Pure Michigan

If you're a Michigan runner, you're incredibly lucky.

I know a lot of us like to complain about our weather; I think that's the same no matter where you go.  However, the more I travel, the more I appreciate what a perfect running climate we have.  Michigan is something of a runner's paradise.

Our summers are comfortable.  We're far enough north --and Lake Michigan moderates our temperatures enough -- that we hardly ever have triple-digit days.  Most summer days are in the eighties, and if you get out early in the morning or late at night, you're running in ideal 50- or 60-something temperatures.

Hungerford in the Summer

Our winters are snowy and relatively warm.  I love winter running -- especially when there's an inch or two of fresh snow crunching underfoot.  However, I just go back from Iowa, and I can hardly believe how much a strong wind can hinder an appreciation for winter running.  Most of my runs here are twenty degrees and calm, I can bundle up and enjoy a great run.  However, if it's ten degrees with forty mile-per-hour winds, the layers required to avoid intense displeasure.are so weighty and bulky that you can hardly walk.

Our springs come a little late, but that just means they're all the more appreciated when they arrive.  The first day when you can smell the long winter thawing is one of my favorite days of the year.

And of course, our autumns are spectacular.  The Rocky Mountains always strike me as particularly grand, but I imagine that people who live there grow immune to their charms.  Similarly, people who live by the ocean don't find it as shockingly majestic as those of us who see it rarely.  The beauty of Michigan is that one of our most impressive scenic characteristics is cyclical -- I never get jaded about a Michigan fall because it's new every year.  

One of the reasons we're so excited to offer The Hungerford Games is because we get to share that fall running experience.  Cool, running-friendly temperatures.  Soft, well-marked trails.  Intense colors.  A challenging race.

What could be better?

Check out The Hungerford Games, sign up, and join us for a great run on a beautiful Michigan fall day!

Summer turning into Fall

To Your Health

It's January, which means the ads on TV are all about weight loss and physical fitness.  Many of them are selling some new plan or some miracle diet -- eat the way we tell you, and you'll look and feel the way you've always wanted.  Or, even more excitingly, pop this pill and the fat will melt away.

I'm very skeptical of short cuts.  The reason we have health and obesity issues in this country is because, in our culture, being and staying healthy is very difficult for many people; if the solution was easy, the problem wouldn't be persistent.

But just because something isn't easy doesn't mean it isn't simple.  Any good weight loss plan is built around burning more calories than you consume.  What's the best way to accomplish this?

The Hungerford Games thinks that running can be a HUGE part of your path toward a healthy life.  We don't promise that it's easy -- but it is simple.  Put on your shoes, get out the door (in that order), and put in the miles -- and you'll see the results.

I've been following a couple of great health-related running stories on some other blogs.  Check out Sweet Victory to read up on the adventures of an ultramarathon runner who's overcoming diabetes.  Or, read Katie's story of losing 125 pounds, in large part by running and exercising more, at Runs for Cookies.

Why is running (or, more generally, exercise) so important to weight loss and health?  I think in large part it's because it's always always easier to will yourself to say yes than to say no.  When you're struggling to say yes, time is on your side.  This morning, the alarm went off at 6:20.  It's my last day of Christmas vacation, and I decided NOT to get up and go for a run.  I wrestled with that idea for a while, but made the same decision at 6:21, and 6:22, and 6:23, until finally, at 6:29, I made the right choice.  I was about of bed and getting dressed.  I said "no" nine times and "yes" once -- and here I am writing about it, just before getting out on the roads.  All it took was one good decision.

If I had a plate of cupcakes in front of me, and I made nine bad decisions and one good one, I'd eat nine cupcakes and have a terrible stomach ache.  It's the same with anything you're trying to consistently resist; it only takes one indiscretion and you suffer the negative consequences.  When you're trying to do something right, it very often requires crossing just one Rubicon, and then you can reap the benefits.

So, if living a healthier life is on your agenda, set your mind on getting started.  In September, we hope to see you on the Starting Line! 

For 2013

Our last post encouraged others to commit to New Year's goals.  Today, we commit to our own resolutions--we'll put them out there on paper (or, in the blogosphere) to help keep us accountable.

First, The Hungerford Games resolves to deliver what we promise.  We've all run a ton of excellent, well-managed, beautiful races--but we've also come to quite a few and said, "Wait, didn't they say that they would...."

We have a vision for The Games that we're extremely excited about--wooden medals branded on site, custom-carved trophies, handmade ultramarathoner hiking sticks, awesome courses through the woods... and that is exactly what you'll get.

Second, The Games resolves to be ridiculously helpful, and attentive to runners' questions and suggestions.  This is your race; we're hosting it for you.  If you need anything, from training advice to a power doughnut at the finish line, let us know.  If there's anything that's unclear or that you don't understand, please ask.  We want everyone to come away from The Games thinking, "Man, that is one well-run event."

Check out our website.  If there's anything you can think of that might improve the event, e-mail us, facebook us, or put a comment here on the blog.  We can't promise that we'll take every suggestion, but we can promise that we'll listen and do our best.

Third, we resolve to protect and preserve the park and the trails.  We are taking every precaution to make sure we can share the splendor of Hungerford Park without detracting from it.  Please work with us on race day to help us achieve this!

We built The Hungerford Games because we love running and we love the park.  We can hardly wait to see you reach your goals and have a great time doing it.  We commit to our resolutions because helping you complete a successful, adventurous, and enjoyable race is completely, totally worth it.

Train well!