Running across America

Last updated on Dec 11, 2008

If you take a look at my last post, you'll see that I ran in a lot of places over the two week period of my coast to coast journey, which added a lot to the many places I had already been this year. In fact, I've covered the map pretty well through my travels in 2008 alone. Though I haven't exactly had anything to brag about as far as performances go, I can say that I've seen a lot of what this country has to offer for runners at the elite and sub-elite level. Since I've had a lot of friends ask me about the running scenes in these various places, I figured I'd use this post as an opportunity to share a runner's perspective of some of the places I've been and what they have to offer. I know I've already done various posts on some of these places so for those more loyal readers, some of this may be familiar.

On that note, I'm not sure how wide spread the followers of this blog are located, but I invite and encourage anyone reading this to send me their own experiences and knowledge of these areas as well as places I haven't mentioned. With your added input, I can add to the little amount that I already know and update this information appropriately. Without further delay, I give you my spin on running across America.

Still under construction so check back for updates

Albuquerque, New Mexico
At an altitude of about 5500 ft, this city has been a popular training spot for many elite runners, both foreign and domestic. Some local favorites have been Paula Radcliffe, Elva Dryer, Simon Sawe, Henry Rono, Peter Koech, and many others. There is also the Teddy Mitchell group that has done well here and has worked with Spira for gear sponsorship. Albuquerque is home to the University of New Mexico and has a large following in the running community. The local running store of choice is Heart and Sole Sports with it's knowledgeable staff and unique layout which is decorated with various running memorabilia. In this store, you can also take a moment to chat with one of Prefontaine's biggest rivals, John Bednarski. This store is also developing a strong elite running club of it's own with many of the competitive runners in the area jumping on board and adding to the already popular Albuquerque Road Runners organization. This area has many of the perks of a large city while also providing some great trails and scenery along the Rio Grande and at the foothills of the towering mountains, giving you a mixture of flat and fast along with hilly and challenging all in one. Read this RT article or RW spotlight for more information.

Ann Arbor, Michigan
This sea level based Wolverines community has been super popular among the track specific elites like Nick Willis, Tim Broe, Morgan Uceny, Lindsey Gallo, and many other U of Michigan alums that have stuck around to continue their training under UM coaches, Ron Warhurst or Mike McGuire. Furthermore, you might see some overlap with the nearby and very successful Hanson's Distance Project which is about an hour away in Rochester Hills. The local running stores of choice are Running Fit or Tortoise and Hare. Talk to both of these stores for running groups as well as the Ann Arbor Track Club which provides support and guidance in various capacities. There are great trail systems along the river and at the botanical gardens that offer soft surfaces as well as lengthy bike paths for alternative routes that please runners and bikers alike. This area has the great college town feel with fun restaurants and coffee shops scattered throughout. If you're looking for real quality and character, be sure to check out Zingerman's as well as the great Farmer's Market for tastier and healthier feasts.

Asheville, North Carolina
This small city is located in the center of the Blue Ridge Mountains, it sits at about 2500 feet above sea level, and offers some of the best scenery a mountain-lover could ask for. I view this town as a sort of diamond in the rough since the people that live there know how great it is but it still seems to be a relatively untapped resource on the national running scene with only a few elite/sub-elite runners living in the area. It is located about 90 miles from Blowing Rock (which I talk about below) and is also about a 30 minute drive from Brevard. I was unable to venture into Brevard but have heard stories of it's extraordinary trails. A few years back, it used to be quite the hot spot for some of the southern athletes and it was actually written about extensively by John L. Parker Jr. in both of his books, Once A Runner and Again To Carthage. But even if you can't make it to Brevard, you won't get bored on the trails in Asheville with it's extensive trail systems. For a runner's appetite, venture over to Doc Chey's for some awesome noodle bowls, indulge on those decadent cravings at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge, or relax with a morning coffee at the Green Sage Coffee House. If you're in the area and looking for more guidance on running, nutrition, or just looking for a good time, be sure to visit the local experts at Foot Rx and ask for Mark or Katie. Put a big smile on your face and tell them JC sent you.

Bar Harbor, Maine
To this day, Bar Harbor is still one of my favorite places to visit. It is home to the famous Acadia National Park and features extensive running and hiking trails that overlook the stunning coastline along a mountainous terrain which all sits on Mount Dessert Island. You can run up Cadillac Mountain for a steady and challenging climb or drive to the top for a look at where the United States starts its day as this is the first spot the sun touches in the US. Depending on your outdoor likes, you can go for some great hikes in the area or just relax at the beach. The town of Bar Harbor has a very welcoming feel everywhere you go with great restaurants and generally happy locals that are very proud of where they come from. You might drop a few R's and put them in places they don't belong, but you'll be offered the countries best Lobster and might even bump into Martha Stewart while you're there. This is definitely a seasonal area so this national park is most popular in the late summer and early fall months with warm temperatures and colorful foliage, but depending on your cold tolerance and what the weather does, all the things mentioned above can be enjoyed from early April all the way into November. Check out the Eden Athletics running club for updates about races and group runs on a daily basis.

Blowing Rock/Boone, North Carolina
Before 2001, this area was relatively unheard of on the national running scene. Much like the area of Asheville, there are mountains everywhere you look as it is in the same Blue Ridge Mountain Range. Blowing Rock has long been a popular tourist area for mountain lovers and Boone has continued to grow in popularity as it is also the home of Appalachian State University. The reason I benchmarked the year 2001 is because that is the year that Zika and Andy Palmer founded the now very successful ZAP Fitness. With the help of Pete Rea, ZAP (Zika and Andy Palmer) has provided a place for post collegiate Olympic hopefuls to train like professionals, while also acting as a mountain retreat for High School, Collegiate, and recreational athletes alike through it's many camps and ability to host dozens of athletes at once in the in ZAP dormitory. For the best runs in the area, check out Moses Cone Park for the scenic carriage trails and beautiful overlooks. The elevations in this park range from about 3500 feet to the upper 4000's. While you could probably go months or even years without getting bored with the trails in this park, you can get some more variety by venturing over to Watuga River or Mulberry Road for some great runs, or even stick to the "Walter" loop for a shorter option around the ZAP facility. Pete and Zika do a wonderful job making this program as successful as it is, but so many others have helped keep this wonderful facility going. To become a part of that extended family, check out the website to see how you can contribute to the success of these athletes.

Boston, Massachusetts
In all the places I’ve visited so far, I haven’t experienced another community quite like that of the Boston running community. With dozens of college running programs and dozens more post collegiate clubs in the area, the city is packed with elite and sub-elite runners. Throw in the fact that it is home to one of the most prestigious marathons in the world, and there are literally thousands of runners in Greater Boston that are training and competing at a more than recreational level. Anyone looking to do more than run around the block with their dog can do so in this city and find a group that supports it. From stroller warriors to elite professionals, anyone can find a club that fits them and fuels their competitive edge. The big three in my mind are Boston Athletic Association, Greater Boston TC, and of course New Balance Boston. Among these elite groups, you’ll find NCAA All Americans, Olympic Trials Qualifiers, and all around great people to spend your Friday nights with at Reggie. For great runs and places you’ll most likely see these Boston elites, check out Lincoln Woods, the Fells, or Blue Hills. Within the city limits, the most popular place to run is the always reliable Charles River path, where you’ll find the bulk of Boston’s recreational runners. For competition, the big season in Boston is indoor track with the fast tracks and national level meets at BU, Reggie Lewis, and Harvard. But Boston certainly isn’t limited to this aspect of the sport; you’ll find some of the best cross country races here at the legendary Franklin Park, you’ll have a chance to compete with some of the nations best at the Boston High Performance Series, and when the streets are clear of snow, you can find a road race almost every weekend for opportunities to race against elites and recreationals alike for a chance at an occasional cash prize and a rather frequent post race beer.

write ups coming soon:
Boulder, Colorado
Eugene, Oregon
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Flagstaff, Arizona
Nashville, Tennessee
Lincoln, Nebraska
Mammoth Lakes, California
Park City, Utah
Portland, Maine
Providence, Rhode Island
San Diego, California
Santa Barbara, California
Washington DC

Other popular places that I have yet to visit:
Bloomington, Indiana; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Portland, Oregon; Rochester Hills, Michigan; Tallahassee, Florida

Numbers recap

Monday, October 27: 8:00AM - 9 Miles, 60 min (Flagstaff, AZ)
striding diagonals w/ low hurdles in the middle of the run
Tuesday, October 28: 8:00 AM - 11 Miles, 72 min (Flagstaff, AZ)
Wednesday, October 29: 7:00 AM - 9 Miles, 68 min (Albuquerque, NM)
Thursday, October 30: 8:30 AM - 5 Miles, 35 min (Fayetteville, AR)
Friday, October 31: 8:00 AM - 8 Miles, 58 min (Nashville, TN)
Saturday, November 1: 11:00 AM - 4 Mile Tempo on the track (Asheville, NC)
5:18, 5:24, 5:26, 5:19 (21:27), 20 min w/u, 20 min c/d, 10 Miles total
Sunday, November 2: 12:30 PM - 15 Miles, 105 min (Asheville, NC)

Week Total: 67 Miles, 7 Runs

Monday, November 3: 8:00 AM - 9 Miles, 62 Miles (Asheville, NC)
Tuesday, November 4: 8:30 AM - Track WO w/ AC (Asheville, NC)
8 x 1K w/ 2-3mr - 3:22, 3:23, 3:28, 3:24, 3:24, 3:25, 3:06, 2:59
28 min w/u, 22 min c/d, 12 Miles total
Wednesday, November 5: 8:30 AM - 10 Miles, 65 min (Boone, NC)
Thursday, November 6: 9:00 AM - 13 Miles, 91 min (Washington DC)
Friday, November 7: 3:30 PM - 8 Miles, 54 Miles (Auburn, ME)
Saturday, November 8: 4:00 PM - 6 Miles, 42 min (Boston, MA)
Sunday, November 9: 11:30 AM - 10K Race 31:51 (Boston, MA)
20 min w/u, 20 min c/d, 12 Miles total

Week Total: 70 Miles, 7 Runs

Monday, November 10: 10:30 AM - 9 Miles, 62 min (Fells)
Tuesday, November 11: 1:00 PM - 9 Miles, 60 min (Lincoln Woods)
Wednesday, November 12: 6:00 PM - Attempted WO @ BC Res
34 min w/u split up by drills on the grass
Heartbreak Hill to the top (~600 yds) - 1:50, DNF
26 min c/d, 9 Miles total
Thursday, November 13: 0 Miles
Friday, November 14: 10:30 AM - 9 Miles, 64 min (Taunton Roads)
Saturday, November 15: 10:00 AM - 6 Miles, 46 min (Charles River)
Sunday, November 16: 10:30 AM - 6 Miles, 41 min (Mystic River)

Week Total = 48 Miles, 6 Runs

So this is my training for the last 3 weeks. Nothing special, but since my documented training has just been scattered throughout my traveling recaps, I figured I'd put it all together for those that are actually interested in the numbers. In those three weeks, I had ok mileage, a couple moderate workouts, a couple bailed workouts, and one mediocre race. The ok mileage is mostly do to traveling, the moderate workouts are mostly due to my moderate fitness level, the bailed workouts are mostly due to the messed up hammy, and the mediocre race is probably due to all of the above. I am still on the mend, so I'm not quite ready for hard workouts, but easy runs have been ok, so I'm just doing what I can to stay afloat at a reasonable fitness level. Right now, it looks like Club Nats is at best a 50/50 possibility, but I won't make any definite decisions until I know more.

This past week has been a scramble for me as I try to figure everything out, and therefore I haven't put much time into the blog. Once I get things figured out, I will hopefully have some better quality to put on here... both numerically and verbally.

A stroll through the park

Also known as the USATF New England XC Championships.

If you've been reading this thing at all lately, you've seen that I've been traveling almost every day and have not been doing much as far as workouts go. However, I decided - what better way to recover from a 4000 mile drive than to jump in a 10K XC race? As some of you may recall, I did well at this race last year and because of that, I was holding on to a hope and a prayer that I could pull it off again. Of course reality set in and I finished 23rd, over a minute slower than last year.

I know us runners can get into trouble when we make comparisons to previous years like this, but it's hard not to think about it. I know things have been completely different leading up to this race and therefore, the result was a completely different outcome. Honestly, I pretty much expected a mediocre-at-best race from myself considering the weeks leading up to it, so I'm not all that upset with what I did out there. It was good to get a hard effort in and break a little rust off in the process. I felt like I was reasonably competitive in the early and middle stages of the race as I tried to hold off the army of b.a.a. guys. But in the final mile or so, the sea of blue got away from me, and I just watched them all cross the finish line ahead of me as I had no other gears to go catch them with. For those that are curious about the time, I ran 31:51. I hit the mile in 4:51, 2 miles in 10:07, 5K in 16:00, and then I stopped paying attention.

I will say that even though I didn't really feel like my competitive self out there, it did feel comforting to be back in a familiar setting, wearing the NB Boston colors once again, and having a great support group on the sidelines as well as in the race itself from all those b.a.a. guys that were going by me in the latter stages. I feel pretty lucky to know so many great people that share the same passions as I do and support me through all the peaks and valleys that it offers.

I feel like this was a good starting point for me as I move forward. As I start in on workouts again in the coming weeks, I am optimistic that things will turn around rather quickly and I'll be able to start producing some results before too long.

Washington DC

I've been traveling for 11 days now and have had some great experiences along the way. This stop in Washington DC was actually my last one before I concluded my journey back to New England. I arranged this stop because it was about half way between North Carolina and Maine. I also thought it would be a great opportunity to catch up with my friend and rival Nate Brigham.

Nate attended Tufts University and was the same year as myself. Even though we were in different divisions, we matched up in cross country and on the track several times. And it seems that every time we matched up, it was a battle. I have to admit that Nate probably won those battles at a rate of 5 to 1 throughout college (as seen in the pictures below). However, in the last couple of years, I've been able to rally back a little and even out the score somewhat. Many of our PRs are the same on the track and in cross country, but recently, Nate has set the bar pretty high on the roads with his half marathon in Philly. He ran 1:06:56 in that race and will be trying to lower that again in Houston this January. I consider Nate a good friend and always look forward to matching up against him in any capacity, but I hope he knows I'll be chasing that time before too long.




Like many of my other visits on this journey across the country, my visit with Nate was very short. However, we still had enough time to get some great food at Chadwicks Wednesday night and get in a great 13 Mile run along the beautiful Georgetown Canal Towpath (seen below) on Thursday morning. After the run, I started driving north to finish the last leg of this trek.


I completed my 4000 mile journey from coast to coast at around 11pm Thursday night at my parents home in Auburn, Maine. I have a lot of things to figure out in the next few days as well as in the next few weeks and months. I am prepared for the challenges that I will likely take on and am optimistic about my chances for success.

Thanks for following my journey and I promise there will be more to follow soon.

Lenoir, North Carolina

I'm sure many of you are thinking, "where the hell is Lenoir?" Well you might not be aware of this town, but if you are reading this blog, I'm sure you are well aware of the little running group that is located there. This "little" running group I'm talking about is of course Zap Fitness and it may have started small, but in the last few years, it has become one of the most successful elite development programs in the country. Many people recognize this group as being located in Blowing Rock or Boone, which are the more well known towns nearby and are where most of the training runs are done, but the actual physical address of Zap is in Lenoir.



This was my third visit to Zap Fitness (you can go here to see a recap of my last visit in March) and as usual they were excellent hosts. Since my last visit, there has been some turnover in the program so there were some new guys to meet and some new company out on the trails. In addition to the veterans of Thomas Morgan, Ryan Warrenburg, Mike Bunker, and Alli Grace, the new guys are Dave Nightingale, Frank Tinney, CW Moran, and Nate Peck, with the addition of a former NB Boston athlete that I may have mentioned on here in the past, by the name of Jessica Minty.

This stay was shorter than my past visits, but gave me enough time to catch up with some old friends, make a few new acquaintances, get in a great run at Moses Cone Park, and again enjoy the atmosphere of their beautiful mountain location. I have had the opportunity to see many of the elite training programs this country has to offer and I still strongly believe that this is the best run program there is. I'd like to congratulate Zika and Pete on the success that they've had, and also thank them for letting me poke my head in on a few occasions.


Next Stop: Washington DC

Asheville, North Carolina

I finally made it to the eastern standard time zone and a state that boarders the Atlantic Ocean. All of my stops along the way so far have been great and I've seen some awesome sights and people at each of them. However, this stop was the one I was looking forward to the most. Asheville is nestled deep in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, is based at about 2500 feet above sea level, and is now home to my best friends Mark Driscoll and Katie Gwyther. Up until now, my visits have been pretty short and have just given me enough time to see some friends, check out the sights, run the trails, and then move on. Since western North Carolina is one of my favorite places in the country, AND two of the coolest people I know now live there, I decided to make this visit a little longer. I also wanted to delay heading north as long as possible and enjoy some of the southern running weather.


The drive from Nashville to Asheville was really nice entering the mountain ranges and offered a lot of great sights along the way. I tried to take some pictures while driving but none of them did it justice. I finally arrived at Mark and Katie's place around 7pm on Friday night (Halloween), and they were already dressed up and handing out candy to the local trick-or-treaters. Their neighborhood is actually the hot spot for Halloween so they closed off the streets, houses all over were decked out with elaborate displays, and hundreds of kids were swarming for candy. Since I had been on the road for a week and wasn't really sure what my plans would be for Halloween, I didn't have a costume prepared. But since I never like to be a party pooper, I put together the easiest costume I could come up with and went as Bob Kennedy.


We were also joined by Amanda Chase, Randy Ashley, and Jaks. It ended up being a pretty fun evening and started my visit on a high note.



The next morning, Mark, Katie, and I went over to the Asheville School to do a moderate workout on the track. Mark was doing 4 Miles at about 5:20 pace so I figured I'd join him and test out the hamstring in the process. Despite twisting my ankle about 5 minutes into the warm up, it was a good run and the hammy wasn't screaming too badly.



The next few days were mixed with awesome trail runs (pics below), hearty home-cooked meals, huge noodle bowls at Doc Chey's, coffee at Green Sage, and a lot of good times... all with the great company of the previously mentioned Asheville residents. I did one last workout with Amanda on Tuesday, consisting of 8 x 1000m from 3:25 down to 3:00. It was a pretty easy workout for me, but was a good one for testing the hamstring and the ankle.





To end this post, I just want to give you a little more of an idea of how beautiful this area is. These photos don't come close to doing it justice but until you have a chance to visit this place yourself, these shots from the Blue Ridge Parkway will have to do. Enjoy!

Next Stop: Lenoir, North Carolina

Nashville, Tennessee

The drive to Nashville was another long one, but was far better than the last couple drives because I actually had some things to look at. There were rolling hills and nice scenery along the way with many of these things we call trees. New Mexico and Texas didn't have too many of these, so it was nice to see some of the foliage going through Arkansas and Tennessee.

I got into Nashville by around 7pm and immediately got ready to go grab dinner with Scott. Scott Bennett is a Mainer as well and has been a big contributor to the Maine running community and now to the Tennessee running community. We grabbed some grub at a neat place down the street and then laid low for the evening while watching the office. This was great for me, because I was feeling pretty beat from the last couple days of traveling and not a lot of sleep.

The next morning we drove a little ways to the horse trails which was a nice wooded area with great trails and some pretty good climbs, which I didn't really expect from Nashville. We also happened to be right next to Al Gore's house, which you can see below. After a great trail run with Scott, I was able to complete my Nashville visit by getting brunch and coffee with my friend Rhonda Riley. I met Rhonda at the trials in Eugene this summer; she is a great girl and is now the assistant women's track coach at Vanderbilt.

All in all, Nashville was a great visit. It's a very cool city and one that I definitely didn't know a lot about. I don't know if it would be an ideal place for me long term, but it's definitely a place I wouldn't mind going back to for a visit.

Next Stop: Asheville, North Carolina

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Out of all the stops I had planned on this trip, this one has been the least eventful so far. I had my longest and most boring drive yet going through the rest of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and into Arkansas. I spent about 11 hours in the car, had maybe 4 hours of cell phone reception and my iPod ran out of juice about halfway in. In the first 400 miles of the drive, I think I drove through only one city – Amarillo, Texas - nothing special. You can see a few pictures of what I had to look at on this trip.

I finally make it to Fayetteville at around 1am and could not be more anxious to get out of my car. I stayed with Arkansas track standouts Andy Stover and Daniel LaCava. Since it was a Wednesday night and everyone was already asleep, they were nice enough to just leave the door open and have blankets and pillows ready to go for me. I slept til about 8am at which point it was time to go for a run. I was pretty tired and just wanted to get on the road, so I made it a short one. Andy and Daniel live right behind the Arkansas XC course so it was convenient to just hop on there and do a few loops. I put in about 5 Miles, followed by a VERY abbreviated core routine, showered, grabbed a bowl of cereal and was on my way by about 10am. So I spent a total of 9 hours in Fayetteville and therefore do not have a lot to say about the area. The XC course was nice and flat, I know they have a nice indoor facility but I didn’t get a chance to see it.
It was a beautiful morning for a run, perfect temperature for shorts and a long sleeve, and even though it was in the middle of nowhere, I actually enjoyed the backdrop of rolling hills and farmland as seen in the photos below.

Next Stop: Nashville, Tennessee

Driving:


U of Arkansas XC Course: