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e-newsletterAugust 2012
In This Issue
M&B News
Between the Lines
Word on the Street
Talk on the Trail
Subscriber of the Month
Marathon & Beyond
 
Cover 16.4
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Kathie & Arlene PPM Pikes Peak Legends

Congratulations to all the runners of the 2012 Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon. Marathon & Beyond was in Manitou Springs for the festivities, and we enjoyed reconnecting with both old and new friends - including Arlene and Kathie Pieper. In 1959, Arlene Pieper was the first woman to complete the Pikes Peak Marathon, becoming the first woman to officially finish a marathon in the United States. Her daughter, Kathie, age 9 at the time, was the youngest competitor at that point to complete the Ascent, the race to the summit. Arlene and Kathie took part in both the Ascent and the Marathon as the official starters and as presenters of the awards. 
Pickled Feet 12/24 Between the Lines:
Fixed-time Races 


In our 2012 July/August issue, Cathy Tibbetts wrote an article entitled, "Across the Years 24-, 48-, and 72-Hour Footrace: How can running in circles for that long be so much fun?" In this month's "Between the Lines" feature, we asked Emily Berriochoa, co-race director of the Pickled Feet 24 & 12 Hour Runs, to give her perspective on the popularity of fixed-time events.

Ultrarunning in a fixed time format speaks of opportunity! Timed races often provide features that traditional race layouts do not, making them perfect for people looking for an opportunity to run further or faster with reliable support, minimal encumbrance, and great camaraderie.

 

Timed races are excellent opportunities to expand your repertoire. One runner I know entered a 24-hour race last spring as a stepping stone between a 100K race she had done in the fall and a 100-mile race she would do in the summer. She used the 24-hour event to find out what it would be like to run all night in a controlled environment with aid. With other people on the course to pass and be passed by, and a visit to the aid station every 40 minutes or so, the night time was removed as the scary obstacle it might be for some in a traditional 100 where the night could easily be run in unwelcome solitude.

 

Stories abound of people using the fixed time format to "go ultra." Another runner had run her longest run of 20 miles before her first 12-hour race. She went on to run 45 miles in 12 hours, a huge victory and boost of confidence for her. For some, the 24-hour option is their chance to hit that sweet 100-mile mark.

 

Unless we're talking the Silverton 6/12/24 Hour Races, which feature 250 feet of elevation gain per mile, most timed events are held on fairly innocuous terrain with mild elevation profiles, eliminating the terrain, climbing, and course navigation as obstacles, making them a great opportunity to push faster than normal. In addition, with highly customizable support every few miles or less, as well as crews that can help out at frequent intervals, runners can participate without carrying a lot of fuel and water. In races that reverse direction every so often or have out-and-backs, runners get to scope out the competition or simply share the trails with other folks. 

 

For many runners, a favorite aspect of the fixed-time format is the absence of the DNF! Your mileage is your result, whether it's 20 miles or 120 miles. This makes timed races perfect for younger, older, or slower runners who struggle with meeting the cutoffs or mileages in fixed-distance races.

 

Fixed-time races are not for everyone. I spoke recently with a very fast mountain runner who frequently wins trail ultras. She does not think running in one-mile loops for 24 hours sounds like fun. True, running a repeated course for 6, 12, or 24 hours continuously is challenging. But ALL ultras require a healthy dose of mental fortitude, and there are plenty of options out there from which to choose. Some races use one mile or shorter loops, even quarter mile tracks while other races feature longer loops of up to 6+ miles. The terrain is also variable with some on pavement in urban settings and others on trails surrounded by nature.

 

Fixed-time races present unique challenges, but they are also great opportunities to try something new, expand your repertoire, and go further or faster than you ever have before. Find a fixed-time race with features that appeal to you and try it. You might really like it! 

To find out more about the Pickled Feet 24 & 12 Hour Runs, click here. 
Louisiana Marathon Word on the Street
The Louisiana Marathon
January 20, 2013
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

 
Like the popular Garth Brooks's  song "Callin' Baton Rouge" says, "You can be on the move for miles and miles to get there" in The Louisiana Marathon on January 20, 2013.
 
You'll join runners from 46 states and 11 countries on a course that's fast, flat, and festive. Plus, in true Louisiana tailgaiting fashion, there will be curious spectators lining the 26.2 miles of roadways to cheer on the many who push themselves in the marathon.

From January 18-20, 2013, The Louisiana Marathon welcomes those with a passion for running and an appreciation for our unique culture and lifestyle to participate in internationally-recognized running in our state capital, Baton Rouge. Recognizing our fight against diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, we have a run for everyone: we offer a kids' marathon, a 5K fun run, a half marathon, and our main event, a marathon.
 
The course is USATF certified and is officially a Boston qualifying race. It's a fast, flat, festive path through the lakes, along the river, around downtown, on the LSU campus, and in historic neighborhoods. 
 
For more information, visit our website. Laissez les bontemps rouler! 
Talk on the Trail Jemez Mtn Trail Run
Jemez Mountain Trail Runs  
May 25, 2013
Los Alamos, New Mexico

The Jemez Mountain Trail Runs take place in the scenic Jemez Mountains surrounding Los Alamos, New Mexico. Three race distances are offered to the runners: 50 miles, 50K, and a half marathon. The half marathon and 50K courses are run almost entirely on single-track trails with small segments on closed jeep roads and pavement. The 50-mile course is run on single-track trails, closed jeeps roads, and some cross country. Runners in the 50-mile course are required to navigate short segments of loose steep terrain and rough off-trail segments.

 

The 50K race has one significant steep long climb. Runners follow the Perimeter trail around town to the Ice Rink in Los Alamos Canyon. From there, they climb to the top of the Pajarito Ski Area and descend to the ski lodge.  After the ski lodge they run to Pipeline Road and do a one-mile out-and-back and descend Guaje Ridge back into town to the finish. The 50-mile race features several significant climbs. Runners follow the Perimeter trail around town to the Ice Rink in Los Alamos Canyon, then climb to the top of the Pajarito Ski Area, and descend to the ski lodge.  They then run a tour through the Valles Caldera National Perserve dropping in at Pipeline Road and climbing out over the Pajarito Ski area. Once back at the Ski Lodge Aid Station, they again run to Pipeline Road and descend Guaje Ridge back into town to the finish. All three races provide the participants with great views of the town of Los Alamos and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The 50K and 50-mile runners will also get to see the Valles Caldera National Preserve, spectacular views of the Jemez Mountains, and glimpses of the Sandia Mountains to the south. Click here for more information on the Jemez Mountain Trail Runs.

Subscriber of the Month:  
Joan City of Trees Vertical
Joan Filipowski

 

Perseverance. Tenacity. Dedication. These three words exemplify Joan Filipowski, the 58-year-old soft-spoken clinical nurse specialist from Lowell, Indiana. When her patients at Franciscan Alliance St. Anthony's Breast Care Center meet Joan, they would never imagine that she is a tough-as-nails, hardcore trail ultrarunner.

 

Joan didn't start out as an ultrarunner; in fact, she didn't start out as a runner at all. In 2002, Joan decided that she wanted to "do" the Chicago Marathon. But she wasn't a runner. So, when she found out that a friend of hers was going to "walk" the Chicago Marathon to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation, Joan set the goal of finishing the Chicago Marathon in under 6 hours - walking. Determined to be prepared for the marathon, she drove an hour and a half each way from Indiana to Chicago every Saturday for 18 weeks to train with the Joints in Motion training team. Her dedication paid off when she crossed the finish line in 5:42, never running a single step.

 

Content to be a walker, Joan continued to complete marathons in under 6 hours. Part of her training included coaching her colleagues for stair climbs in the tallest buildings in Chicago: the Sears Tower, the Aon Building, and the Hancock Building.  And, for the next 5 years, she coached walkers for the Joints in Motion marathon training team, often putting in more than 26.2 miles on race day as she made sure that every one of the team members came in strong. After awhile, she decided that she would like to take it up a notch, and she began running. Not only did she begin running, but she also wanted to help new runners get fit enough to run a marathon. So, she earned her certification as both an RRCA running coach and a personal trainer, while maintaining her career as a nurse. All of her coaching was strictly volunteer.

 

For many years, Joan had read about ultramarathons in Marathon & Beyond, but she had not seriously considered doing one herself - that is until she heard about the Howl at the Moon 8-Hour Ultra in Danville, Illinois. Since the race was pretty close to her home in Indiana, and because she knew some friends who were running it, she figured that it would be a good way to see if she wanted to move up to ultras. Although she picked one of the hottest years to run it, she completed her first ultra distance and was hooked. That was in 2009, and since then, Joan has run 12 more ultras. Her strong walking background has earned her quite a bit of fame with her trail running friends. Whenever folks are struggling up a hill or facing a tough stretch of hard walking, their mantra is "Walk like a Joan."

 

Since her first ultra in 2009, Joan has conquered every major ultra distance, including the 50K, 50-mile, 100K, and 100-mile. However, her most recent adventure took her "beyond" 100 miles to Louisiana on the levee along the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to New Orleans for the Rouge Orleans Solo Ultramarathon of 126.2 miles! The motto of that race is "Run 'til the cows come home...and then run some more." And, that's exactly what Joan did finishing 126.2 miles in 39 hours and 46 minutes.

 

Joan is an inspiration to everyone she meets. She has walked, climbed, and run to raise money and awareness in the Avon 2-Day Breast Cancer Walk, the Relay for Life, the Hustle Up the Hancock for the Lung Association, and the Aon Climb for Children's Memorial Hospital. She has volunteered at races from the 5K to the marathon and has even served as course sweep for a 50K in which she not only followed the last runner, but also picked up the course markings.

 

We caught up with Joan after her recent experience at the Pikes Peak Marathon and asked her, "So, you've run 126.2 miles, what's next?" And, in her soft-spoken, quiet voice, she replied, "Well, you know, I still haven't run across the Rocky Mountains..."
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