Max King's Running Tip of the Month

The following article was written by Max King and originally printed in The Footzone Bend's May e-mail newsletter.  Reprinted with permission from The Footzone Bend and +Max King. 

Time to go for a hike, that's right, a power hike. Racing up at 16,000ft this last weekend reminded me that I need to hike more. I know 16,000ft is a little extreme, but if you've got an ultramarathon coming up this summer chances are good that you'll be hiking sections of it and it's a skill that can gain a lot of time if you've practiced it in training.

Max King - winner of the 2008 XTERRA Trail Nationals in Bend, OR

In most ultramarathons, there will be uphill sections that you will need to hike and that's ok. You shouldn't feel like you have to run all of it. Because you'll be hiking you'll also need to practice it to become strong and efficient switching between running and hiking. Hiking will help build strength in your glutes and quads because you're loading the muscles longer than you are during running. Power hiking will also help your running endurance over the long miles during the ultra.  


Here's how to do it: During your next long run make sure you have included some hills on your route, specifically some pretty steep hills. If it's a short steep hill power hike the whole thing at a quick pace that you can maintain. If it's a longer more gradual hill that you suspect you may need to hike part of it during a race, practice switching between running and hiking with 30 seconds hiking to 30 seconds running. Become efficient and switching between the two modes. This will help you gain strength and keep your heart rate from becoming too elevated during uphill portions of you next ultra. hiking you'll also need to practice it to become strong and efficient switching between running and hiking. Hiking will help build strength in your glutes and quads because you're loading the muscles longer than you are during running. Power hiking will also help your running endurance over the long miles during the ultra.

Northeast Delta Dental Mt. Washington Road Race lottery field is full.

From our friends at the Mt. Washington Road Race

Eric Blake & Tommy Manning at the 2012 MWRR

Pinkham Notch, N.H. – April 28, 2014

Defending champions +Eric Blake of Connecticut and Laura Haefeli of Colorado will lead some 1,300 runners to the starting line of the 54th Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race on Saturday, June 21.

The annual lottery to fill the majority of the spots in the race this year attracted more than 1,900 entrants. Elite runners and last year’s age-group winners are among the runners who help fill out the field for the grueling 7.6-mile test up the Mount Washington Auto Road to the 6,288-foot summit of the highest peak in the northeastern United States. 

New this year, 20 spots will be awarded to top fundraisers through a charity fundraising component. More information on the fundraising program is available at the Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race web site at www.mountwashingtonroadrace.com.

Joe Gray at the 2012 MWRR

Blake beat +Joseph Gray of Renton, Wash., and 2012 winner +Sage Canaday of Boulder, Colo., to the finish line last year and became a three-time champion of the race. The cross country and track and field coach at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain won in a time of 59 minutes, 57 seconds and added the title to ones he collected in 2006 and 2008.

Haefeli, who lives in Del Norte, Colo., turned in a time of 1:18:05 to finish more than five minutes in front of runnerup Brandy Erholtz of Evergreen, Colo., and win her first women’s title. Regina Loiacano of Gloucester, Mass., finished third.

There promises to be plenty action at the front of the pack in this year’s race. Gray and Canaday both return for another shot at the title on the men’s side and Erholtz and Loiacano are in the women’s field.

New contenders taking their first shot at the mountain include +Morgan Arritola of Ketchum, Idaho, who was third at the World Mountain Running Championships in 2012 and has beaten  Haefeli and Erholtz; and Cynthia Arnold of Polson, Mont., third in the USATF 10k trail championship in 2013.  

For the men, +Ryan Bak of Bend, Ore., who has run a 2:14:17 marathon, and Andrew Benford of Austin, Tex., who has a 1:05:35 half marathon personal best, are in the field.

The premier mountain-running event in the eastern U.S., the Northeast Delta Dental Mt. Washington Road Race attracts top American and international mountain runners along with seasoned marathoners, track and cross-country runners, Nordic skiers, snowshoe racers, triathletes and others. Since the number of serious athletes wanting to run this race is much greater than the 153-year-old Mt. Washington Auto Road can accommodate, the “Run to the Clouds” is filled each year partly by invitations issued to elite mountain runners but primarily by a computer-generated random selection process open to all comers. This year the registration window for this lottery opened on February 17 and closed on Saturday, March 15.

Sage Canaday on his way to winning the 2012 MWRR

Runners whose recent performances indicate that they may be contenders for top places, or whose past participation in the race has contributed particularly to the event’s charisma, can bypass the lottery and enter the race as invited runners. Entry is also guaranteed for runners who have completed the six other races in the New England “Mountain Goat” race series. All previous winners of the race overall may enter automatically, and the previous year’s age-group winners (individual and teams) are entitled to bypass the lottery.

The Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race begins at the Auto Road base on Route 16 north of Pinkham Notch and climbs to the 6288-foot summit at an average grade of 12 percent and a net altitude gain of 4650 feet.  The runners battle not only each other but the sheer force of gravity and Mt. Washington’s famously severe winds. 

Former six-time World Mountain Champion Jonathan Wyatt of New Zealand holds the men’s course record at Mt. Washington: 56 minutes 41 seconds, set in 2004.  The women’s record was set in 2010 by the 23-year-old Ethiopian runner Shewarge Amare, who made the ascent in one hour eight minutes 21 seconds.

Based in Concord, NH, Northeast Delta Dental has sponsored the race up the historic Mt. Washington Auto Road since 2001. The health company’s CEO, Tom Raffio, has run the race in a personal best of one hour 50 minutes and 51 seconds. In 2012, Northeast Delta Dental increased its already strong support for the event, making it officially the Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race.

Fifty percent of all proceeds from the race will be donated to the Coos County Family
Health Services for their oral health programs. Based in nearby Berlin, NH, this community-based organization provides innovative, personalized, comprehensive health care and social services to everyone, regardless of economic status.

You can also find a list of all entrants, sortable by name or state, at http://mountwashingtonroadrace.com/lottery/

ATRA Announces Partnership with 1% for the Planet

Colorado Springs, CO --- The American Trail Running Association (ATRA) is a new nonprofit partner of 1% for the Planet, an alliance of over 1,200 member companies in 48 countries that give one percent of revenues to environmental causes.

ATRA is now eligible to receive donations from 1% for the Planet member companies, placing them among a diverse, global network of environmental organizations.  1% member businesses fuel this non-profit network through their annual contributions, which totaled over $20 million in 2013.  Partnership with 1% greatly expands the potential pool of funding to which ATRA can look to for support.

Newly approved ATRA contributes to a healthier planet by sharing our love for the environment on and off the trails. ATRA offers an event labeling program which is meant to provide standards to educate race directors and race competitors about the importance of providing and participating in safe events which include environmental awareness as a key component. ATRA encourages its members, and fans of the sport to assist in trail building and maintenance projects in their communities to support the terrain we all care about in our outdoor fitness pursuits.

Over 3,600 nonprofits worldwide are included in the 1% for the Planet network, and over $100 million has been funneled to its nonprofit partners to date.  “The intent of 1% for the Planet is to help fund these diverse environmental organizations so that collectively they can be a more powerful force in solving the world’s problems,” says John Tashiro, Interim CEO of 1% for the Planet.

“ATRA’s mission is to represent and promote trail and mountain running,” says founder and executive director Nancy Hobbs. “One of our stated goals is to be sensitive to the environment. With shrinking budgets for park and trail systems across the country, it is more important than ever to step up and get involved. To that end, we applaud event directors who require participants to log volunteer service on the trails. It is our hope that our constituents continue to work together to become a positive force to protect and sustain the trails we so enjoy whether this is in local communities, or nationally.”   

About 1% for the Planet

1% for the Planet is a global network of businesses that donate one percent of annual sales directly to approved environmental and sustainability nonprofit organizations. More than 1200 member companies in 48 countries give back to this big blue planet through over 3600 nonprofit partners.  Started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, 1% for the Planet helps people buy better products and protect the planet we play on.  To date, our network has given over $100 million back to blue. To learn more go to:www.onepercentfortheplanet.org.

About ATRA

The American Trail Running Association (ATRA) was formed in 1996, to support the trail and mountain running communities and offers individual, club, race, and corporate memberships. ATRA’s labeling program was instituted in 2012, to provide event standards for race directors and race participants. Trail Time is our informative quarterly newsletter provided in .pdf to members and viewed online at www.trailrunner.com. Through social media via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, ATRA blog, and monthly e-blasts, ATRA connects with members and fans of the sport. ATRA is a member organization of USATF, RRCA, Running USA, IMBA, and International Skyrunning Federation. 

Max King's Running Tip of the Month

The following article was written by Max King and originally printed in The Footzone Bend's April e-mail newsletter.  Reprinted with permission from The Footzone Bend and Max King.

Someone once said "To run fast...you must run fast." Wise words by any standard but also very true. As race season approaches, the same 5 mile loop at the same pace isn't going to make you any faster. You must stress your body by yes, running faster. Start with interspersing short fast sprints of 30sec with 1min jogging rest in between during your easy runs. Gradually build up to full on interval workouts with a structured approach of warm up jog, stretching, hard intervals of 1min - 5min, then cool down jog. It takes time, but it will also reap big dividends when you enter your next 5k.