When the summer ends and fall rolls around there are a number of things that you can look forward to: Crisp cool air, leaves changing colors….& Mountain Madness.

It is 4:30am, Saturday, September 29th.  I wake up and realize I am pretty nervous about the activity I am going to partake in today.  It is my first trail race for the year and to make it even more nerve racking is it one of the toughest 50K’s in the Northeast.

It’s that time of year again, Mountain Madness 50k (aka MoMa)!  For the last 3 years, this race has been a staple of my race calendar, and no matter what other events I had planned or injuries I sustained throughout the year, I have always managed to make it to the starting line of this race.

Here are the photos Joe Azze from MPF took during the 2012 Mountain Madness 50k races that is put on by NJTrailSeries each year. 

Here are photos from the 2012 Hancock Shaker Village 50 Mile Ultramarathon that Joe Azze from Mountain Peak Fitness took during this years race.

I’ve always preferred a lighter trail shoe that allows me to feel and react to the ground. I feel more nimble in a lighter shoe, which until recently was difficult to find in a trail shoe. The X-Talon's 190's are the lightest trail shoe offered by Inov-8 designed to have minimal amounts of cushioning so they were the perfect pair for me to try! They were comfortable from the moment I tried them on and walked around my apartment.

TheTransRockies Run by MPF Campmor Athlete, Jody LaPar. I had been thinking about the Trans Rockies Race for close to a year prior to the event. As race day approached, I had been working with teammate Elizabeth Azze to focus on race specific training such as lots of climbing and faster descending to get ready for the big mountains.

Race week for the Leadville trail 100 race started off a little differently than any other race week.  I had never registered for a race that added two miles and significant climbs each way of a 50 mile out and back race course with less than a week before race day.  I wasn’t happy or worried about the extra mileage at the time.  All of the participants would have to deal with it.

I have been a fan of Inov-8 for a few years now. They have delivered countless miles of reliability to my feet in many different conditions & distances. When I had the opportunity to get another pair, I chose the Inov-8 Mudroc 290's.

The MPF Campmor Trail Running Team, along with good friends, enjoyed the trails of Sterling Forest on Saturday. It was a warm one, with plenty of humidity to enjoy. We finished up the run with a climb up the Sterling Forest Fire Tower which was established in 1922 and then a swim in Sterling Lake.

The Vermont 100 mile foot race is no joke for sure. Many endurance racers have stated that it is runnable. If I haven’t conquered a course that is described as runnable I don’t subscribe to that notion. Last year I had raced this course and the course won. This year’s race plan was exactly the same as last year. I even ran in the exact same shoes. The only difference was my fitness level that I hoped would allow me to reach my goal time.

Here are some photos from the 2012 Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run! Another epic weekend in Vermont. This is a state that everyone should visit at least once and be sure to head out on the trails for a minimum of a few miles. You can't go wrong with any of the areas that have the word "Gap" in them. Enjoy VT!

Back in February, MPF Campmor Teammate, Zsuzsanna Carlson. sent me a text message about a 50 mile race in the Finger Lakes that was filling up fast. It seemed like a great opportunity to see part of New York State that I had never seen and go camping with friends. On a whim, I registered. 

An awesome weekend with team out in PA, visiting the Laurel Highlands Trail for the 70.5 solo & team relay run.  A little camping, lots of laughs, head lamp necessary, bee sting, teeth chattering, 27 seconds, and a bit of running...stories to come!