Race Report: The Skippo

This past weekend I participated in only my second official trail race. It was the Skippo put on by Big River Running. This year there were 3 options available, a 10k, 20k, & 30k option. Fresh off my finish at the Rock n Roll St. Louis Half I figured I would keep my distance about the same. So I opted for the 20k. The race was just a 10k loop that was repeated 1, 2 or 3 times.

A week prior Big River put on a course preview run of the 10k loop. I had run it prior to the preview and knew what I was up against, but a lot of the people at the preview didn't. From what I heard during that run is that a lot of people that were doing the 20k dropped to the 10k. Which I think worked out in my advantage for how well I finished/placed.

So the race was limited to only 400 people and from the results, it looks like there were only 354 finishers. Not sure on the factors of why 11.5% of the field didn't show or finish, but I bet one of them was the weather. When I got up, I knew it had rained the night before and that it was going to be a bit sloppy, but I wasn't ready for the temp. My temperature gauge on my cell phone registered 52 degrees. I was pumped. Overcast and 50s are my favorite for running. Well it turns out that my phone hadn't refreshed and it was 39. Luckily I packed enough clothes for 5 runners in my bag and I threw on a long sleeve 1/2 zip pullover (Nike and its awesome). I was good to go.

We arrived at the race a little earlier than we should have. We were expecting to have traffic issues since parking is somewhat limited at the park and it can be a hassle parking far away and having to walk up to the start. Luckily Big River really planned ahead (they know how to put on a race) and set up a shuttle system at a local school parking lot and it offloaded a lot of the traffic congestion. We had to stand around a bit but there were propane heaters around which helped out tremendously. Again, good planning on Big River's part.

This isn't even half of them

Ok enough about that. Lets get to the race. The gun sounded at 8am and we were off. My plan was to start out fast so I could create as much separation from the folks who might be going slower than me on the trail. My plan worked. We set off at a crazy 7:30 pace, but it worked out well for me. The first trail you hit once you get off the road is pretty wide and runners could jockey fairly easily for position. I kept it at a 7:45 - 8:15 pace as much as I could on the wide trail to start. The first 2 something miles are flatter as flat can be. And other than some sandy spots rather uneventful. Then you hit the Stairs. From what I can find on the internets, there are about 200 of them and an elevation gain of about 211 ft. Since I was doing the 20k, I would have to do these twice. As much as I hate walking, this is one spot on the course that I would have been dumb for me to run. Especially since there's a hill about .2 away that is nothing to be scoffed at either. The other place on the course I walked was what we had named in training the OFH (Oh F**k Hill). This one you get a nice 170ft climb in about .25 miles. I was able to run about half of it the first time and about 1/4 of it the second. I decided overall it was better to conserve on this part of the course than to go all our and have my legs dead for the remainder which is pretty technical running. At the end is a pretty satellite view. Until you reach that, here is a pretty view of me.

 However after all the hills and steps were completed, it was a pretty easy (Read: Flat) run back to the finish. They only real issue was the course gets to be really rough in spots with rocks, roots, and other mother naturey things. I almost bit it once and I had to remind myself to pick my feet up. Other than that momentary brain fart, I was feeling good.

As I came out of the woods it was like a slap in the face with a ton of excitement. I was on grass and I could hear the dude on the loudspeaker talking about someone who had lost their keys. I was in the home stretch and I was not feeling terrible. I kicked it into whatever gear I had left and busted it to the finish line. Finishing with a 1:50:39. the two min you see on the garmin readout are my dumb arse forgetting to shut off my watch.

The post race activities were the bomb. A reoccurring theme in this post is how Big River knows how to put on a race and they didn't slack for the post race fiesta either. There was some Beer, food, and a metric ton of pulled pork. I love pork.

So here's the other stuff I forgot to put above.

Shoes: New Balance MT101's. These shoes are the balls.
Race Goodies: Nike Long Sleeve Shirt & Skippo Coffee Mug (not available yet)

Temp: 39 Degrees
Elevation: 1036 ft

The shoe that did it

This is going to be my first review on here. So I thought I would make it be about the most influential piece of equipment I've used over the last 5 years. Since this is about running, it is going to be about shoes. In the last 6 months or so, I have been very interested in the minimalist shoe movement that has been going on. My opinion on these shoes was extremely negative. I felt shoes needed structured and support the type of foot that goes in them. Well on a whim I bought some New Balance MT101s because I needed some trail shoes and well they were the cheapest option I could find. I started wearing them and almost instantly my form changed and I was running up on my forefoot and no longer heel striking. It was an interesting experience to say the least and I haven't really looked back. I am still a work in progress with the new form and my calves hate me at times, but I have notice that my legs  feel amazing when I go out to run and they are stronger than ever. So here's my review of the shoes that changed my entire running life.

Oh so pretty.

The New Balance MT101 is marketed as an "ultra-lightweight trail racer" but it is so much more. As I am transitioning from a structured support shoe to more minimal shoes, I have found the shoes to be ideal for all of my running needs. I started using them as they were intended, as trail shoes, but quickly found that I was running faster & more efficiently when I put them on. So, not being one for following the rules, I took them out on the pavement. I was pleasantly surprised with how cushioned my feet felt even with so much LESS shoe under them. They are so lightweight (7.8 oz listed at  NB website) I've even used them as a racing flat for 10k through the city streets. The shoes can do it all.

The fit of these shoes is wonderful. I have a tricky 14 EE size shoe. Even though these shoes are said to be a D width, there is plenty of room in the toe box allowing my feet to spread out unrestricted. This ample space coupled with the minimal heel-toe drop have really helped take my running biomechcanics to the next level.The one fit issue I have had with them is the EVA foam collar around the ankle. It is very abrasive and I have found it promotes blisters rather easily. This is simply remedied by wearing socks that come up over the ankle collar. The other issue I have had with them is that the traction on the soles has worn out a bit quicker than expected. This is probably due to the amount of road miles I have put on them.

Finally (and possibly most importantly) the cost of these shoes is a real bargain. While they are listed at $74.99 at www.newbalance.com, I have found these shoes much cheaper with a simple online search. My first pair I bought for $65 and recently I purchased my second pair of these shoes for $55. The great news about this is that prices will most likely continue to go down as this shoe will be replaced in early 2012 with the MT110. Check out an early review of the MT110 HERE (HT: Runblogger)

These shoes are a triple threat as a trail, training, and racing shoe for a terrific price and I highly recommend them.