Out of all the NJ Trail Series races, this is one of my favorite events.  Mountain Madness is a rugged 50K with approximately 5,000 feet of elevation gain held on the rocky trails throughout the Ramapo Mountains of Northern New Jersey.

“Breathe in.  Breathe out.  Focus.  Enjoy it.”  I told myself.  There I was again, standing on the starting line with butterflies in my stomach, like I had done so many times before, but this time was different.  This day had some history behind it…

Good Legs are only part of the equation…Mountain Madness 50k (referred to often as MOMA) is a trail race put on by NJ Trail Series. It is held in parts of Ringwood & Ramapo state parks in northern NJ. Now in its 3rd year, MOMA had races of 50k, 25k & 7.7 miles. This years event took place on October 15th.

Repeating is hard: Mahlon Mayhem is a trail race put on by NJ Trail Series in Mahlon reservation in Jefferson, NJ. The race, in it’s second year, has distances of 100k, 75k, 50, 25k & 12.5k.

There are three types of trail runners, or so I thought, (1) hydration vests, (2) water bottles, (3) hydration belts, that was until  I tried the Nathan Elite 2V Plus.

By MPF Athlete Len Huffman
The pack - The Nathan Endurance hydration pack is the latest addition to the Nathan Hydration pack family, It is a vest style hydration pack that features a 70oz bladder. It  has 1 medium sized storage pocket that has a divider and is large enough for a light weight ,compact piece of clothing such as a winter hat or additional nutrition along with a cell phone, etc.

In the midst of a record breaking heat wave, 100 plus participants decided to embark on a journey that made them wonder if indeed the devil had taken over their minds and bodies. I mean really their aren’t many people who participate in a race where the day time high was projected to be in the high 90’s to 100º with the northeast humidity added in of course.

Honestly, I signed up for this race with intentions of just showing face and having fun with with the trail running team and friends. It is 8 days before the BIG ONE, The Escarpment Trail Run....a definite goal race for me.

Within the first two months of 2011, I had already raced two 50K’s and a marathon. I had a heavy upcoming race schedule for the year and was feeling as fit as ever.  Unfortunately, at the NJ Ultra Festival 100 mile race in March, I suffered a tendon injury in my foot and had to drop out of the race.  As all too common after coming back from an injury, I rushed back...

The first generation Saucony Xodus and I have had a long past.  It was my first “true” trail running sneaker, and the shoe in which I ran my first ultra.  I probably ended up putting close to 500 miles on those sneakers before they were retired

The Saucony ProGrid Peregrine is a terrific trail shoe. It’s lightweight and flexible design, makes it a good choice for runners who are interested in transitioning into a more minimalist trail shoe.

Western States 100 endurance run whats the big deal? Why does everyone want to run this race? People keep asking me this question and I often asked myself about the hype that surrounds this race.

This weekend MPF client Alex Appel will be toeing the line of his 3rd 50 mile race in 8 months the Mohican 50 mile endurance run.

Last Weekend MPF Campmor Team participated in the Watchung 10 mile and 10k race. Congratulations to Tom Haines who placed 7th (10 mile), Chris Focacci placed 6th (10k) and Phil Germakian who won the 10 mile race!

Long distance running is a selfish sport. It requires long hours of training and the races can sometimes last for days, even weeks. Involving the family in any meaningful way is usually next to impossible. That is the beauty of fixed time, short loop courses.

For the first time ever TNF 50 Miler started without rain. Yes, it was a little chilly at 4:00 am but they had heaters that you could stand by to keep warm before the 5:00am race start. They sent us off right at 5:00 am It was pretty tricky for the first 30 minutes with everyone crowding on a rocky trail in the dark but as soon as the sky started to lighten up our headlamps were no longer needed.