Conecuh Camping Trip

Open Pond

Welcome to the Conecuh camping trip story. Come on in to El Tigre's lounge, take a load off and grab a drink. I'll take one of those Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPAs. Let me tell you about my weekend.

I needed a break from life, school and training, especially training, so I went camping to stay away from running. Okay I'm just playing. I went camping to train my butt off and then relax a little. I packed up the car on Friday after class and drove 2 hours north towards Conecuh National Forest in southern Alabama. I scoped the camping area out the week before on my way home from the Tuskegee Fat Ass 50K. There is 10 sites for tents and a ton for RV's. The Conecuh trail starts around the camp sites and is suppose to be about a 20 mile trail. The camp sites are right next to Open Pond. If your are ever in southern Alabama and want a place to camp, Conecuh is your place.

Once I arrived, I checked out the sites to see which ones were best. Since no one else was at the any of the tent sites yet, I had my choice. I went with the one that had a water pump next to it and a wonderful view of Open Pond. First I quickly set up the tent and then went out in the woods to gather some fire wood.





























Now was that fast or what? Once camp was all set up I took a hike along the pond with Mini Cameron. Who is Mini Cameron? My nephew, Cameron, made a laminated character and needed pictures of him throughout the school year. So Mini Cameron came with me to Pensacola. Here are some pictures of me and Mini Cam exploring the area around Open Pond.





























After our short hike I stared the fire, grabbed a beer and I cooked up some soup. After a few beers and a couple hours later I called it a night. I knew I'd have somewhat of a long day on Saturday.

My alarm went off at 0530 and I snoozed until 0600. As I got up I had a cup of coffee and went to take a shower. It was so hot Friday night that I woke up a few times soaking with sweat. That shower felt good but not as good as the one I'd have once back from my run.

I took my time throwing on my running gear because I knew I had a long day ahead of me. Surprisingly to me, there were already 3 boats out on the pond fishing and others fishing on the pier. It was a little after 7 and I was ready to rock and roll.

Ready to Run

This was the last picture I was able to take since my battery died on me. I set the camera aside and headed off on the Conecuh trail. The trail was marked with white placards and is suppose to be about 20 miles. The plan was to run the 20 miles but where the trail finished I'd have to jump back on the trail for another 5 miles. All in all a good 24-26 mile run. That was the "PLAN" so let's get this show on the road.

The trail honestly started a throw away from my tent. It went around a few ponds and some of these ponds had signs stating, do not feed or molest the alligators. Yes you read that right, gators. That means no quick jump into any of these lakes or ponds to cool off. I had issues right out of the gate though. I couldn't find the white placards at one point and got off the course. I ended up on a dirt road and ASSuMEd if I just kept heading north I'd eventually find the Conecuh trail. I was right but it took me 6 miles to find the trail. After running on the trail for a few more miles I ended up at a fork and saw a sign pointing one way stating Open Pond rec area 1/2 mile. Open Pond is where I set up camp. I took it just to see where I got off course at. While heading in this direction I saw my first snake. As I came close to a big fallen tree, a big black snake went under the tree. I gave a little yelp and jumped back. I finally saw where I went wrong. There were no placards and the trail was hidden on the side of a pond.

Once I saw where I got off course I headed back north on the trail. I only had one spot to reload up on water that I knew of, Blue Lake. Which was 5 miles from the campground. I had a 70 ounce bladder and a 20 ounce handheld with me. Finally I saw a sign for Blue Lake saying 1/2 mile. After two miles of running I realized that sign lied to me. I knew this because a sign now stated 2 miles back is Blue Lake. At this point I could have ran back but I hate back tracking. So I did the dumb thing and ran ahead hoping that there would be water somewhere else.

The trails weren't very technical and there was small rolling hills. Hardly any rocks or leaves but a fair share of roots. The temperature climbed quite a bit and it was very humid. I wasn't seeing any signs of water or people for that matter.

I was running next to a bunch of small ponds and due to all the rain the water was high. At times the trail was actually under water from a few ponds being so high. Around mile 20 I was following the white placards and I approached a pond. The trail went right into the center of the pond or shall I say swamp. There was heavy brush all over the place. I now have two options. Find away around or turn back around and run 20 miles. Since I was getting very short on water I went with option one. I took my time and kept an eye out for snakes and gators. At his point I had already seen 3 snakes but luckily no gators. After an hour of climbing through and around trees, bushes and other plants, I finally made to the other side. I just assumed I'd end up with poison ivy after that.

Finally around mile 27 I finished the trail but then had to jump on a different trail to head back. After 3 more miles I saw that infamous 1/2 mile sign to Blue Lake and realized it was pointing in the wrong direction. I was so happy to find that water pump. I refilled my camelbak and slammed 40 ounces of water before I refilled again and headed back. Those last 5 miles seemed like forever but then again that whole run took a long time.

I saw a total of 5 snakes, ran for 36 miles in 10 hours. I didn't see any gators or people for that matter. Well not until I got back at the campsite. Once back I took a shower and yes it felt a lot better then the one I took earlier. I cranked up the fire, cooked up some food and enjoyed some cold beers.

I hope you enjoyed another story while relaxing in El Tigre's lounge. I'm sorry but it's time to call it a night. Finish your drink and see yourself out. Until next time, Happy Running!

Jerry "El Tigre" England

Tuskegee Fat Ass 50K

My favorite pic of the race

The Tuskegee Fat Ass 50K was not originally on my schedule at the beginning of the year. As always I have to be flexible with my schedule. It comes with the job. Once the Navy gave me orders to go to Pensacola, I quickly looked for races in the area. One was the Ouachita 50 miler on April 17th in Little Rock and the other one I found was the Tuskegee Fat Ass 50K on May 1st.

What is a Fat Ass race? It's a race that is not an official event. It's like a self supported training run. Here is a list from the race director explaining a Fat Ass.

1. No entry fees!
2. No T-shirts!
3. No awards!
4. No sponsors!
5. No support!
6. No time cutoffs!
7. No cheering crowds!
8. And MOST OF ALL: No wimps!

Now that we all have an idea what exactly a Fat Ass event is, let me tell you how the race went. Before I get started why don't you take a seat in El Tigre's lounge. Get comfortable and grab yourself a nice cup of coffee or a nice cold beer. Settled in? Aright!

The race was scheduled on Saturday May 1st in Tuskegee which is a four hour drive north of Pensacola. My plan was to drive up as soon as I got out of school on Friday and find a spot near the start line to camp. School didn't end until 4 P.M. which was going to put me in Tuskegee around the time it would be getting dark. That would have been fine if I knew exactly where the start is and where I should camp at. That whole plan fell through. Not only was it dark out but it was also raining pretty hard. Luckily I had a plan B, find a hotel. Fortunately for me there was a Quality Inn 20 minutes north of the starting line.
Gear all set
After checking into the hotel, I gathered my gear for the race and set it up for the morning. I called Frances to let her know I was all set, safe and ready to go for the morning. I checked the weather to make sure it wasn't going to rain, set my three alarm clocks and settled in for the night. It's never easy to get a good night of sleep before a race. I always worry about over sleeping plus 4 A.M. comes fast. I drank a smoothie for breakfast and starting some stretching while I watched ESPN. The race was set to begin at 7 A.M. so I checked out and headed off at 15 till 6 A.M.

When I arrived, there was just Bob (Race Director) and his wife. I was early but at least I was at the right spot. Before I knew it we were gathered around getting a prerace briefing from Bob on what trails to follow and where there would be water for us to refill. The trails were marked with placards on the trees. We were to first follow yellow, then white, and a loop around blue. Then take the same path back which is white then yellow. Sounds simple right?
Gathered up for the brief
Once we finished we had to write our finish time on the board. Next to the board would be a stopwatch. It was an honor system, which is fine considering we weren't racing for prizes.

Bob's wife did a quick countdown and off we went. I started off in the front group which included 6 of us out of the 20 that started. That didn't last to long. The five of them took off and I was by myself until mile two. Remember how easy it was to follow the color markings? Not that easy for me because I made a left hand turn where I was suppose to go straight. Luckily I heard someone call out and tell me I was heading the wrong way. I stopped and waited for the four guys that prevented me from running the wrong way. I figured I'd follow them for a little ways. That only lasted for 2 miles and they ended up ahead of me. I eventually caught up with one of the guys who I ran with for a few miles. His name is Lance and this was his second ultra, with his first also being a 50K. He's actually in the middle of training to qualify for Boston. Lance and I wished each other luck and I ran up ahead.

The first 8 miles were mostly single track trails. I would show a picture or two here of the trails but it was so muggy out that my camera wasn't working properly. A little after 8 miles we had to run along side a road and behind me catching up quick was Lance. As I turned off on to a dirt road I saw one of the water spots which had a nice orange Gatorade jug. You'll read later on why I like this jug. Just as I got to the water Lance caught up with me. He had dropped off a small cooler there earlier so I went ahead as he loaded up on some food and drinks.

How is that coffee or beer or whatever it is your drinking? Do you need a refill? Enjoying El Tigre's lounge? Those chairs are comfy huh? On we go!

This next section was the blue section which was known as the horse trail. The horse trail was single track trail with some dirt roads thrown in. This was a 14-15 mile loop and was said to be the more difficult section. It lived up to that and had proof that horses used it as well. Meaning, there was horse poo all along the trail. Due to all the rain the day before this section also had a lot of muddy areas.
There was plenty of mud

At this point it was so hot and humid. I was honestly soaked with sweat. I still had a few miles until the next water stop so I had to conserve my water. I recall looking at the map and this section actually looked like a a big loop. But I felt as if I was running in every which direction. I had completely lost my bearings but that didn't matter because I still saw those blue markings all over the place. Finally I got to the water stop with a little water to spare in my reservoir. I was showing 3 hours and 5 minutes with 16 miles on the Garmin. As I was filling up my reservoir Lance was running up. He mentioned that this is about the half way point and it's going to be awhile before the next water stop. I loaded up and we said our goodbyes. This would be the last I would see of Lance until he finished.

Besides the very beginning of the race and the few times of running with Lance, there was no one else out on the trails. If my count was correct there should still be 6-8 people in front of me. Usually around this point in races I don't pass people and other runners don't pass me. So knowing that I was going to be alone for awhile I threw on my Ipod shuffle and cranked up the music. Maybe I should have put both headphones in because I started hearing loud bangs. When you're out in the woods and you hear something that sounds like gun shots you get a little nervous. Then I really started paying attention to my surroundings and noticed there was shotgun shells all over the ground. Along with these shells I saw empty beer cans everywhere. Then the signs started popping up all over the place. What signs? Well here is a picture:

Scary thought huh? Luckily the shots didn't seem to get any closer. I just made sure I stayed the course and followed the blue markings. After another 4-5 miles of trail, dirt road and creek crossings I saw a familiar water stop. It was the stop back at mile 8 or 9. Boy was I happy to see that orange Gatorade jug.
The orange jug
Now I only had 8-9 miles to go. The possibility of making it in under 6 hours was not looking good at all. It was kind of nice running back because I had ran this section earlier and knew what lay ahead, the finish.

The problem is the last sections of an ultra seem to never end. As if the finish is running away from me. But I know the issue is my pace is super slow at this point in a race.

As I came up on the last water stop I saw another runner. I asked him how he was doing and ran ahead. I'm not use to passing others at this point in the race but I think the weather is really putting a number on all of us.

Remember when I said I got lost at mile 2? Well when I saw that point on the way back I got a big boost of energy and was able to finish strong. As I was nearing the finish I passed another runner who was walking at a very slow pace. As soon as he told me he was going to be alright I ran on. Little did I know we were only 5 minutes from the finish. I was happy to see Bob sitting there. I finished in 6 hours and 24 minutes. Not under 6 hours like I wanted but then again the course wasn't an actual 50K it was closer to a 52K. I did finally get a top 5 finish but it wasn't due to my speed. There was only 20 runners that started and 14 finished, with myself finishing in 5th. After the race I sat around for a few hours before heading back down to Pensacola. On the way back I stopped off at Conecuh National Forest to check out the trail there and the campground. As you may have guessed Conecuh is next on my list to explore.

I have to give a special thank you to Bob and Eric for putting on a great Fat Ass race. Until next time, Happy Running!

Jerry "El Tigre" England

Here are some other good pics of the course:

My trip to Pensacola

My beautiful family

Ouachita 50 here I come! But first I must drive across the country to get there and take you on.

I did just that. I had to leave my beautiful family to go to a school in Pensacola. I decided on the way out I'd take a small detour to Little Rock, Arkansas and run a 50 miler. I am training for a 100 miler so I need as many races and/or miles I can get. I left Wednesday afternoon and headed east. I stopped off at the PCT to get a quick 8 mile run, then back on the road again. I arrived in Little Rock Thursday night, sooner then I thought I would. Which gave me Friday to explore.


Pinnacle State Park















I first went over to Pinnacle Mountain State Park where most of the race would be ran. It was a very beautiful park. I didn't see any of the trails but it has some great views. I had to wait till 4 PM to pick up my race packet at the park so instead of waiting around I headed downtown.

River Market














Once downtown I went to the River Market. Which had a lot of restaurants, museums, and parks. I walked around, took in the scenery as well as some pictures. I had a difficult time picking which place to eat at but decided to try Flying Saucer. I must say I made a great choice. They had 200 craft beers to choose from. It took me over 15 minutes just to decide which beer to drink. After a few beers and a slice of pizza, it was time for me to go pick up the race packet. The park, downtown, and my hotel were all within 15 minutes of each other so I quickly grabbed my race packet and headed back to the hotel to gather my stuff.

I set all my gear out, set 2 alarm clocks and requested a wake up call. It's always hard to sleep the night before a race. Your a little nervous, anxious and afraid of oversleeping. After 5 hours I woke up at 0300, ate my breakfast and was out the door at 0430. The race was to start a 0600 but I hate being late for anything. So I always arrive early, I was there by 0500.

We got our prerace brief and were told to follow the blue marks and blue ribbons. As long as we do that, there is no way we'll get off course. What they didn't say was that you'll hardly ever be able to lift your head to see the ribbons because of all the rocks and roots. The last thing that was said, "Oh ya and Texas sucks."

Start line














We all then headed to the start line and waited. This gave me time to take a quick pic and ask where the hell the trail starts. I was told that we go up a road for almost 3 miles then hit the trail for a mile before we ascend Pinnacle Mountain. I saw pictures of people in the past races climbing Pinnacle Mountain and it looks like your rock climbing. I just didn't know it would be at mile 4. Knowing that a majority of people will be cluttered up at mile 4, it's going to be a low climb.

"Are you guys ready? One, Two, Three go!" I took off with the front group as we headed down the road. My plan was to be with the front 10-20 people depending on how fast the front runners were. I guess I was lucky because they were only going a little over 7 MPH. By the time we reached the trail I was where I wanted to be. Leading up to the mountain the trail was mostly descending. Which is never fun on the way back because in trail running, on out and back course, what goes down must come back up. The first aid station was at the bottom of Pinnacle Mountain but I just thanked everyone for being out there and ran on. As we started to climb the trail started to bottle up. I heard someone say we're going the wrong way, as I looked up a guy was running by me going the opposite direction. The guy behind me said don't worry I've been here before and we're fine. Well a couple minutes later 5 -10 other runners said the trail deadends. We turned around and we're back on the right course but now my plan was out the door. As we started climbing there was just too many people. You'd go up a rock and have to wait for those in front of you before you can go any further. This was almost like rock climbing at certain areas. I took a few pictures but it was difficult as I fell a few times.
Climb up Pinnacle Mountain











Once I finally got to the top there was a photographer there taking everyone's picture. Here is the link to mine (My Pic). Too bad I was watching my step and not the photographer. But let me tell you the view up there was amazing.
I had about 10 seconds to take it in before I headed down on the back side. I was hoping for a lot easier trail on the way down but it was just as rocky.

Heading down Pinnacle Mountain

Once off the mountain there was another aid station. Again I just thanked everyone and went on my way. The course then headed into single track trails. I started to realize that this was going to be a harder course then I originally thought. There were so many rocks and roots and to make things worse they were hidden by leaves. I kicked a rock or root every 5-10 minutes.

The next aid station was at mile 10.6 and I grabbed a Hammer gel, thanked everyone and headed out. I wasn't stopping at the aid stations because I was experimenting with a new drink. I bought a drink from Infinit and their claim is you don't have to worry about salt pills and gels. My plan was to not eat as much as normal and to only use a few gels, Larabars, energy chews and see how well Infinit actually is.

After the 10.6 mile aid station I wanted to play it safe and take a gel. The next aid station, Northshore, was suppose to be at mile 16.9 where I had my drop bag. But in between the two aid stations there was a gentleman that setup an aid station in the middle of no where. The funny thing is he had a cooler full of beer and yes some people were actually drinking the beer. I thanked him for being out there and headed toward Northshore. No beer for me until after the race.

On the way to Northshore, I was running with Simon, a guy I just met. Simon is from Louisiana and this was his first race further then 13.1 miles. Simon did what any of us would do and pick another ultra runners brain for advice. Unfortunately I don't have much advice to give considering I'm not even a full year into ultra running. But I did tell him all that I've learned from trial and error. Simon and I ran into Northshore, with another guy, who I never did get his name. We said our goodbyes and wished each other luck. While at Northshore I went with my plan of a fresh change of socks and a refill of Infinit. I also grabbed a Larabar and Honey Stinger organic energy chews. Thanked everyone for volunteering and headed in the direction of the 50 Miler. Northshore is where the 50K and 50M split off. I'm proud to say it never crossed my mind to drop down to the 50K. The option was given to us but I came here to run the full race.
One of many ponds














In my experience at races where the 50 milers split off from the 50K runners, it gets lonely fast. Most people either sign up for the 50K or they drop down to it. Sure enough, as soon as I took off in the 50 mile direction everyone was gone. But I was ready for this and pulled out my Ipod shuffle to listen to some music. I was all alone for 4 miles. Then I was passed by two guys. One of who I would later know as Rich. They both passed me and went on ahead.

This section of the course is just like most of the whole race. Hilly but nothing too serious of a climb. Rocks and roots all over the place. I must have kicked about 20-30 rocks and roots. There were a ton of small creeks and ponds we ran by. The creeks were tricky because we always had to cross them and the rocks were slippery. There were a few times in between Northshore and Highway 10 aid station(the turn around), I slipped into the creeks. Luckily they were never that deep but the water was cold. Around mile 20 I started to feel achy and sore. This was a lot sooner then normal which is around mile 30.

Around mile 24 we had an aid station but I was set on water so I gave my thank yous and headed on. Next stop would be a good one because it's the turn around. In between mile 24 and 26 I really started seeing the lead runners. I thought I may have been in the 20 to 30 range and if my count was right I was 21st.
Lake Maumelle














At the turn around point we ran next to Lake Maumelle. Which was a nice change of pace from the rocky and covered trails. The trails were covered up by the trees and at a lot of points I lost signal on my GPS. Once again I didn't need anything at the aid station so I thanked the one person that was there and plodded along. It is an exciting moment hitting the turn around point because the race is half way over. I started having stomach cramps at this time. They weren't that bad because I was able to run on but more of an annoyance.

Now there was no more surprises. I just run the exact same trail I ran out on. From the turn around until back at Northshore, there was 2 guys that I played the leap frog game with. They'd pass me and a mile later I'd pass them. But Northshore was the last time I saw them.

Once at Northshore my plan was to switch socks and shoes but I got lazy and decided to just fill up my Camelbak bladder with Infinit. While filling up the two leap frog guys came in along with a girl. The girl was in and out before I could fill up. I said my thank yous and off I went.

One might notice that I'm thanking everyone, everytime at each aid station. The reason being, there are no races with out these lovely volunteers. I make sure that they know I appreciate them taking time or shall I say spending there whole day for us crazy folks. Back to the race....

I was still running by myself until I finally saw a guy that passed me awhile back. Once I caught up to him he started running and I stayed with him for the next 5-6 miles. His name is Rich and we got to know a lot about each other in the 5-6 miles we ran together. It was nice to finally run with someone again. Not only do you get lonely after awhile but talking to someone keeps your mind off the pain. Rich and I stopped at the beer aid station. No one was there but there was coolers labeled for us. Sodas, beers, water, Red bulls and there was also some food leftover. It was the Red Bull that caught my eye. Hey I was tired and needed some wings.

Rich and I headed out together but it had to come to an end because Rich's pace was a little too slow for me at that moment. We wished each other luck and I ran up ahead. Not too much further I saw the girl that was in and out of Northshore. Either she slowed down or I was speeding up. Either way I told her good job and passed her. I figured she'd be the last person I passed but I was wrong. A few miles later I saw an older gentlemen walking along the course. He was running the 50K and I didn't know it at the time but he's 79 years old. I can only hope I'll be doing 50K races 50 years from now.
One of the many creeks











Another aid station ahead. Once in there I was told only 7.9 miles to go and then was offered a pickle. I said no to the pickle but I did have to ask why there were pickles at a lot of the aid stations. I was told because they're high in sodium. Well high in sodium or not a pickle just did not sound good to me. I thanked everyone and headed on.

This section of the course scared me because I knew it was close to Pinnacle Mountain and I didn't want to climb it again on accident. I paid very close attention to the ribbons and made it to the last aid station without going off course. I only had 4 miles to go until the finish. I was showing 10 hours and 30 minutes so I quickly said my thank yous and ran off toward the finish. I knew the last 3 miles were road so I thought I might of had a shot making it in under 11 hours. But I forgot that the last mile of trail was nothing but up for the most part. Once I hit the road I knew my shot for sub 11 was gone but I still wanted a good time. This stretch of road seemed like it was never going to end. I honestly thought I was on the wrong road. Since my GPS wasn't accurate. I couldn't use that to monitor the miles. I looked all around and couldn't see any runners in front or behind me. But off in the distance I heard some cheering so I had to be close to the finish. Sure enough the finish line was now in sight. Actually the road I turn into was in sight. As I made it around the corner people were cheering and congratulating me. The funny thing, there was only one person at the official finish line. She gave me my medal and gave me my time, 11 hours and 16 minutes. Not a dramatic finish but my best 50 miler yet. Maybe I'm getting faster or the course was easier. Maybe a combination of both but I'll pretend I'm getting faster.

I have to say thank you once again to all those wonderful volunteers and the race directors. The Ouachita 50 was a challenging and fun race. If you ever have the opportunity to run it, I say go for it.

After the race I had to head back to the hotel and pack up for my long drive in the morning
to Pensacola. Where not only do I start my training for the Navy, I also step up my training for the San Diego 1oo Mile Endurance Race. Until next time, Happy running!

Jerry "El Tigre" England

The Story of El Tigre

The question I've been getting lately is where did El Tigre come from. Great question and with the answer comes a funny story. Well I consider it funny but then again I find anything I do funny.

When I first met Frances we were in Pensacola going through a school for the Navy. We hung out a lot as classmates and I was always trying to impress her. I'd invite her to go out, to play video games (we are electronic technicians), make her meals or make her laugh. While driving around one day I turned to her and told her that I was a tiger and growled. This was an attempt to make her laugh and it worked. I'm sure it was a laugh at me and not with me but whose with the tiger now? She use to always bring this story up to friends or family members once we started dating. Well once while she was telling one of her cousins that I just met I said ya it's true and you shall call me El Tigre.

Why the Tiger theme Jerry? As most of you know I grew up in and around Detroit. With baseball being my favorite sport I loved the Detroit Tigers. Which made my favorite animal a tiger. The first pair of gaiters I bought, from Dirty Girl Gaiters, were a tiger material.

My first pair of gaiters

Might not be that great of a story but Frances and I laugh about it everytime it comes up.

Until next time, Happy Running!

El Tigre

New & Old Gear Reviews

Camelbak Flow Meter

Brooks Cascadia 5

If there is one thing I love to do, it's definitely running. But to make that even better, throw in some new gear to try out while running. I received my Brooks Cascadia 5's and the Camelbak Flow Meter. So I quickly assembled the flow meter, grabbed my Ultimate Direction hydration pack (with my new patch sewn over the ripped pocket) along with the new shoes and headed out to Mission Trails.

Newly sewn patch

As soon as I got on the trails I realized I forgot to read the instructions on the flow meter. No problem I thought. It shouldn't be that hard to figure out or should it? Needless to say, the flow meter beat me. That's one for the flow meter and zero for me. At least I know how to put on the shoes without instructions. Knowing that Frances and I were going to paint with the kids tonight I ran my shorter course on Mission Trails.

I entered through Calle de Vida trailhead and took a few side trails before I headed up South Fortuna. Of course I was still trying to figure out the flow meter but to no avail I finally gave up.

Bottom South Fortuna

As I climbed up the stairs of South Fortuna I thought of all the trail shoes I've gone through in my short year of trail running. Here is a quick review of each shoe I've ever own. I put them in chronological order.
Asics 2130
I bought my first pair of trail shoes in February of 2009 and they were Asics 2130. I went with Ascics because that's what road shoe I use. I had no complaints about those shoes. I ended up running my first 50 miler in the 2130's. Pros: Price and comfort. Con: Durability. I would buy this model again and I have. Grade B+

Asics Gel Trabuco 11 G-TX
I must say Gore-Tex shoes aren't for me. I never had blisters until I tried Gore-Tex shoes. But these might be better for colder weather so there is less moisture build up inside the shoe or in rainy weather. I've worn these 3 times and each time I had hot spots and/or blisters. So I am afraid to try these again. Pro: There are none for me. Cons: Moisture buildup and price. I'll try these in the next trail run I do in the rain until then these will get a low grade. Grade D -

UK Gear PT-03 Desert
I love the idea of keeping dirt and sand out of my shoe. I just don't run in a desert environment. I've ran in these only a handful of times. Although they they do keep debris out they just don't fit my foot right for running. They are great for camping but this is a running review. Pros: keeps your feet clean. Cons: Comfort and Price. Grade C-

Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra
My training partner at the time recommended these. I ordered them online from REI (one of my favorite stores) and never even ran in them. The toe box was way to small for my comfort. I haven't tried another pair of Salomon since. My friends that do wear Salomon, love their products. Pros: Price and design. Cons: Small toe box making for uncomfortable fit. Grade F

Montrail Mountain Masochist
I got these in the summer of 09 and trained with them for the Mount Disappointment 50 Miler. I love the spacious toe box and how light these are. Pros: Everything. Cons: Nada. I still train in these today. Grade A-

Brooks Cascadia 4
I got turned on to these because they are endorsed by Scott Jurek. I had just finished reading the book Born To Run (Review on this later) and I was sold. Thankfully I bought into what Scott was selling. I thought I'd never find a pair of shoes better than the Masochist. These fit my feet perfectly, they're light and comfortable. The price isn't to shabby either. Pros: Everything. Cons: Nada. Grade A

Asics 2140
I told you I'd buy these again. These aren't as good as the Cascadia or the Masochist but for the price I have no complaints. No difference than the 2130s. Grade B+

Finally, here I was up on top of South Fortuna and although I'm only 2.5 miles into the run the Cascadia 5 feels just like the 4s.

Brooks Cascadia 5
Nothing new but the color. Same as the the 4. Grade A

As I headed down the saddle and then back toward the car I was looking forward to spending quality time with the family. Since I'm training on Easter Sunday we were spending Friday night painting a tea set for the kids. Saturday we're going to do an egg hunt with the kids and enjoy the day at the park.
Here are the pictures from our night of painting.
From left to right and then bottom: Mine, Aiden's, Ruby's, Frances



























I hope the reviews assist you on your next shoe purchase. I will conquer that flow meter and give a review on it. Until next time, Happy Running!

Jerry "El Tigre" England

Taking Time For The Trails

When I got the email from Keith to go out on March 27th to do some trail work on the PCT, I jumped on the opportunity. So I emailed Ken to RSVP and just waited for the day to come. We met up at Cibbets Flats at 0600 and car pooled up to the Roost. As we tried to stay warm we gathered up our gear and headed down to the PCT. The plan was start at Dale's Kitchen and clean up the trail back down to Cibbets Flats.

Front to back: Todd, Dave, Jim, Madonna, Mary and Ken

I thought this was going to be an easy task. I had brought my running gear and planned on doing a 6-10 mile run afterwards. Keyword being planned.

Belle

Once we got down to Dale's Kitchen Ken gave us a quick safety brief and we were on our way. Luckily Keith brought his camera, I somehow always forget mine.

Dave and Belle

As we got to working I realized that this was more work then I expected. I'm sorry to say that I didn't even know what a lopper was until Saturday. But by the end of the day I was an expert at using a lopper. I had a fun time and I got to meet some great people. The best part was we were able to give back to those trails that we all love to run on.

Top Row, left to right: Keith, Art, Me, Jim and Ann
Bottom Row, left to right: Dave, Todd, Enrique, Madonna, Ken, Mary, Linda, Glenda

Although we didn't finish everything we still had a successful day. Ken's wife, Anita, made some delicious food for us. Once back down to Cibbets Flats we got to grub on that delicious food. As you can see pictured below.

Thank you Ken and Keith for setting all this up. Thank you Anita for the wonderful food. I'm looking forward to the next chance to give back to those trails. By the way, I was too tired for that run. Until next time, Happy Running!

Jerry "El Tigre" England

What A Great Race

We ran the Oriflamme 50K Saturday March 20th and there were nothing but great results. Pictured above from left to right is Josh, Jim, myself and Dan. The four of us planned on finishing anywhere from 7 to 8 hours. We all ended up doing better, a lot better. This was Jim's first ultra and Dan's second. I was using this race as a training run for the San Diego 100.

John Martinez and myself

The Oriflamme is a new race and I must say John "El Cubano" Martinez did a perfect job as always. Thank you for such a great race John. And of course there is no race without those wonderful volunteers out there for us crazy folks. Thank you all!

The day started cold but then again I'm always cold. Due to it being cold I didn't get to mingle much before the race but I made up for it afterwards. I walked up to the start as John was on his 2 minute count down and just then Jim was walking out of the out house. We said our goodlucks and 5-4-3-2-1 and we're off at a blazing 2 MPH walk. When you have 80-100 runners on single track trail it bottle necks at first. The first 5 miles are all single track and there was a ton of traffic. As you see below we almost look like a cult walking to the top of a ridge.

Right before I got to to the Mason Valley Truck Trail Jeff caught up to me and we worked our way through the traffic. Once we got to to the truck trail Jim was a good 1/4 mile ahead. Knowing that we'd have to climb back up the canyon we took full advantage of the down hills and put the pedal down. Once Jeff and I finally caught up to Jim, Dan had caught up to us. The four of us, the three J's and Dan, took it easy on this flat section before we headed down the canyon.

The flat section before we go down. From left to right: Dan, Jeff and Jim.

We once again put that pedal down, to the best of our ability, as soon as the downhills came. The road leading down isn't your average gravel road as you can see below.


Unfortunately we ran into a runner that had twisted his ankle pretty bad. That's when we met Gretchen who was giving this poor guy some advice and pain relievers. We believe she told him to be a man and run it off. No, I'm just playing. She was being a typical ultra runner and taking time from her race to assist another runner.

Front to back: Zhi and Dave
We made it down to the first aid station where I saw some familiar faces. A few guys I work with were volunteering there. It's always nice to see familiar faces and aid stations. We were in and out and back on the trail in no time. From the first aid station to the next one, is a flat 5 mile section. Two problems with this section, your in the hot sun and at times it's like quick sand. At this point it's still the 3 J's (Jim, Jeff, myself and Dan). We met up with Gretchen and Rebecca and headed to the next aid station. Dan and I learned a lesson on this section. Lesson being don't take your eyes off the trail while taking pictures. We both ended up into some bushes.

San Diego Bad Rats Aid Station

The next aid station was loaded with rats, the San Diego Bad Rats. It only took me my first ultra to notice that anyone representing the Bad Rats is fast as hell. Not only did they take the day off from racing to assist us, they also made sure you were in and out and on your way. Thank you Bad Rats and everyone else at aid station #2.



Blair Valley: Jim, Dan and Jeff with his family.
The next section, Blair Valley, was mostly flat and sandy as we headed from aid station #2 to the turn around. John had stickers for us at the turn around and depending what sticker you grabbed, you could have won a prize. I just grabbed the first one I saw, a monkey. I'll spoil the ending... I didn't win a prize but Dan did. He got a pair of Dirty Girl Gaiters. The turn around is when my legs started feeling tired. Maybe it's the fact that we got down there a little after 2 1/2 hours of running. Which isn't fast for most but for me it was. Dan, Jim and Jeff were looking great at this point and we were headed back to the Bad Rats station. I refilled my backpack with some water, took some pictures and we were headed back to the Oriflamme Canyon. Jeff was no longer with us but we finally found Josh. We lost one J and picked up another J.

Front to back: Josh, Dan and Jim

This would be the last I would see of Dan and Jim until the finish. Josh and I went up ahead and I was feeling great. So good that I ended up running ahead on my own. This is where I was surprised to see Doc (Dr. Runco). I found out he was fighting the flu all week and was feeling nauseous. He still finished with what I would call a good time.

Aid station #1 on the way back






Once leaving this aid station it's all uphill for a good 5 miles. I got to take some good pictures and work on my walking. I was able to run (walk) with Josh for a good portion of this section. That made the time and miles go by faster. But at this point you just look forward to finishing.

One of my last looks at Oriflamme Canyon

Once up and out of Oriflamme we have another 2 miles on the Mason Valley Truck Trail until we hit the PCT. Along this part I ran with Sean. I was trying to learn as much as I could from Sean about 100 milers. He gave me some great advice. Once we hit the PCT he was off toward the finish. I had to slow down my pace because my stomach turned on me. Now I was really ready to get to that finish line.

Sean heading towards the finish

Around mile 25 I noticed I had a shot to actually finish in under 6 hours. I dug deep and pushed myself all the way to the finish. When I crossed the Sunrise Highway I knew I could do it. Once I saw those tents I had enough in me to sprint to the finish.

I did it! I finished in 5 hours and 56 minutes. Although I started the day thinking 7-8 hours I somehow got under 6. Jim and Dan both finished their first 50K's and they did a great job. I want to thank all the volunteers and John because we know without them there would be no race. I also have to thank my wonderful wife for putting up with all my long training days.

I did want to take it easy since it was a training run for the San Diego 100 miler but I'm glad I pushed myself. I now have more confidence going ahead. My goal for the 100 miler is to finish. Even if I finish in 30 hours I'll still be ecstatic. But the most important thing is that I raise awareness and money for the Wounded Warrior Project. There are 2 links on the side of this blog to get to my personal donation page. I'll also include one right here that you can copy and paste:

http://WWPProudSupporter.kintera.org/rookietrailrunner

Thank you all and until next time, Happy Running!
Jerry "El Tigre" England