Ultra Trail Running Training Camp

On November 10th and 11th we will be hosting a training camp for anyone interested in learning more about running ultras.  The camp is FREE.  Just sign up.  It will be held at Oak Mountain State Park.
Here is a link to the website: Birmingham Ultra Trail Running Training Camp

This will be a training camp for anyone interesting in learning "How to Run an Ultra" no mater how much or how little running experience you have.  The course will be designed to giver participants the knowledge necessary to go out and successfully complete an ultra.  We will cover how to run everything from a 50K to 100 miles.

Day one we will cover the basics.  We will discuss such things as how to stay hydrated and fueled during long training runs and races, how to determine what you can eat on the run, when you will need dropbags and what you should put in them.  We will also talk about clothing, equipment, night running, pacing, weather, efficient use of aid stations, etc.  The discussion will be broken down into related elements.  Following each segment we will go out as practice what we talked about.  We will have a full aid station set up and run far enough to need it.  We will simulate race conditions as close as possible.  (Clothing and equipment could be an entire weekend course.)

Sunday will be slightly more advanced and cover such subjects as how to set up a training schedule geared to a specific ultra, where to peak and how to tapaer.  We will go into more detail on some of the things discussed Saturday.  We will plan out a race strategy for a 50 mile race and a 100 miler.  We will talk about how to run up hills and how to determine if it is best to walk uphill or run up.  We will also cover going downhills and then we will go run a few hills.

Camping will be available near or at the location of the training camp.  For those camping, we might just get caught up on the mountain a little too late and have to finish a run in the dark.  There will be a small fee for camping in Oak Mountain State Park.  (Bring headlamps and flashlights, Yes, both!)

The Camp is sponsored by Fleet Feet Sports and Mountain High Outfitters and we will have equipment available to try out or purchase.

More information to come and a full outline will be available soon including a list of things you should bring.

Birmingham Stage Race

Birmingham Stage Race

The Mountain High Outfitters Birmingham Stage Race is now just over one month away.  The North Face is a race sponsor and will provide technical wicking shirts for the event.  We will order the shirts on October 1st so sign up before then to be sure of getting a race shirt.

Mountain High Outfitters - Birmingham Stage Race

Notice anything new about the name of the Stage Race?  Mountain High Outfitters is now the official "Name Sponsor" of the Birmingham Stage Race.  We plan to put on several races together later this year and next year.  More on that later.

We are also exited about having Fleet Feet of Birmingham as a sponsor.  Greg and Brian with Fleet Feet were a huge help with the Run for Kids Challenge last year and now they are official sponsors of the Birmingham Stage Race and next years Run for Kids.

Registration is now Open for the 2012 Birmingham Stage Race

Registration is now open for the 2012 Birmingham 3 Mountain Stage Race 

to be held October 26, 27 and  28.  

On line registration is available at Ultrasignup.com or by printing the registration form on the race website.  There is also a map of the final stage at Oak Mountain.  In a few weeks I will get out with a GPS and provide a more accurate map.

More information to follow

Birmingham Stage Race Set

Everything is just about set for the race.  We felt the original date was really pushing things so we moved it back to October 26, 27 and 28.  We plan to have the first stage at Red Mountain Park and it will be in the neighborhood of 10 to 12 miles.  The second stage at Ruffner Mountain and will be about 14 miles.  The final stage at Oak Mountain State Park will be 24 miles.  We will adjust the distances as necessary to hit the 50 mile mark.  The race will be tough.

Registration will be through Ultrasignup.com and they should have everything ready sometime next week.  Runners are welcome to sign up for one or two individual stages at a reduced price however shirts are only available to those competing in all three stages.

Here is a link to the website.  Birmingham Stage Race

Announcing a new Birmingham Race - Date Change!

Marye Jo and I have had a blast putting on the Run for Kids Challenge the last two years and decided we would enjoy doing another race.  Trouble is, what kind of race do we want to put the effort and time into.  It will have to be something special.

Last weekend I ran the Chattanooga Stage Race put on by Rock Creek Outfitters.  Actually the race directors for all Rock Creek events are Randy and Kris Whorton. (They also do the Stump Jump and Lookout Mountain 50 mile among a number of others.)  On the way back to Birmingham, Marye Jo and I decided that is what we want to do.  A stage race right here in Birmingham.  We started planning and have three tentative courses in mind.

It seems most logical is to use Oak Mountain for two of the races.  Saturday I "found" a course that would be mostly on nonexistent trails.  I followed some very old mountain roads (when I could locate them) at the north end of the park, a section virtually never used.  These roads climb Double Oak Mountain to where they joined private lands owned by a local corporation.  If we can get permission to use the land this would be one awesome stage using only about 1.5 miles of the existing park trails.

Another stage would be at the south end of the park and would utilize the lake trail, used by the Run for Kids before climbing up the mountain for a tour of Double Oak Mountain.  For the third stage I would like to use more of the private land owned by the same company that is not contiguous with Oak Mountain State Park but not far away.  The total distance would be in the neighborhood of 50 miles for the three stages.  If we are not able to get permission to use the private land we will probably use Oak Mountain and Red Mountain or Ruffner Mountain.

As in the Run for Kids Challenge, we plan to have two different races in one.  The long race will be something like 14 miles, 16 miles and 20 miles with some very difficult climbs and rough terrain.  We also plan to have a short version with sections about 6 miles, 10 miles and 12 miles on less difficult terrain but still ultra length.

The tentative date is September 28, 29 and 30.  The only problem for me is this is the weekend I have signed up to runt he Gringstone 100 in Virginia.  Well, I have already run one 100 mile race this year and I could still enter the Pinhoti 100, that is, if Todd will let me!

2013 Run for Kids Challenge

We are already planning next years race.  One major change we will make is the use of Chip Timing for all three events.  The equipment is available from Ultrasignup and will elimination errors in scoring.  Also, Mark at Ultrasignup has promised he will have the software for multilap events perfected so we know exactly where every runner is each time they cross the timing mat.