Alaska At Its Finest - Barefoot Flattop

I tested out the Five Fingers on Flattop today for the second time.  I ran up the backside on the "runner's trail" and posted a decent early season time.  The weather was stellar and the temperature was warm enough to run only in shorts.  The Five Fingers made the minimalist style complete.  Feeling the warm rock and soaking up the sun's energy like a sponge - this has got to be barefoot mountain running in Alaska at its finest. 

Without intending to sound like a Five Fingers apostle, I must say that if you're at all inclined to try out barefoot running or some sort of minimalist shoe style, I really like Five Fingers.  The backside of Flattop is no problem at all and although I haven't tried the Five Fingers on Peak 3 I'm sure it would be fine since I made it up and down that peak last summer completely barefoot.  Peak 3 has even less gravel and rock than Flattop. 

I hope you're out enjoying the weather. 

Packrafts

If you're adventuring in or near Fairbanks check out this website.  Northern Packrafts

Hot Springs 100

The Hot Springs 100, is a 100km++ overland wilderness event from Chena Hot Springs to Circle Hot Springs, Alaska.

 

In a straight line as the raven flies the distance on map is about 65 miles.

Afoot on terrain it may be 75 to 80 actual miles.

The terrain is primarily wilderness: unglaciated alpine domes and ridges.

 

Possible foot trails include animal(~73%), atv(~12%), gravel/tailing road(~15%),

Also a wilderness river float (as much as 40%).

 

This is a wilderness event.  The routes are mainly alpine with boreal forest approaches and a possible 30mi+ river section.  Bears, black and grizzly, are common all throughout the country.

 

Participants must be fit and equipped with wilderness experience; ready to cope with wilderness hardships.  It is essential a person feels comfortable orienteering from map to landscape and from landscape to map with a compass.

 

The event has occurred four times.

61 total participants. 55 finished.

The solo record time is 23hr. 50min.  (2009) The team record time is 23hr. 38min.  (2009) The solo all-overland record time is 24hr. 56min. (2007)

 

   Information 457-6376  or mdr65n@yahoo.com

 

be free,

-mdr 

1983 Race Summary

Race summary from the 1983 Hope to Homer race. 

More Barefoot Running

After suffering last summer running completely barefoot on sharp gravel, I decided to order a pair of Five Fingers KSO and try them out.  I'm pleased to report that they are the greatest thing since sliced bread.  Running in these things gives almost all the benefits of running completely barefoot without much of the pain.

I tried them out on the Turnagain Arm Trail a week or so ago before all the snow had melted.  I found out quickly that they are not waterproof at all and running over snow and ice turned my toes numb in about a half mile.

Overall they worked great though and I've used them quite a few times since then.   The Turnagain Arm Trail has a lot of roots and ankle twisting terrain so take it slow if you run here barefoot until your calves and ankles become stronger. 

There are several models of Five Fingers and I went with the KSO which stands for Keep Stuff Out.  Not exactly an original name but they do work fairly well keeping stuff out.  I put a link below for the most popular model of Five Fingers but if you're in Alaska and you're running trails or doing some peak running you should consider the KSO.

If you do order some Five Fingers don't get them from Amazon.  For some reason, probably because of the barefoot running popularity explosion they really jacked up the price.  REI still has them for a reasonable price.

Vibram FiveFingers Classic Multisport Shoes - Men's

1982 - The First Race

Here are a few pictures straight out of the "Way Back Machine".  I'm pretty sure these are from the very first Wilderness Classic race.  The route was Hope to Homer, the year was 1982 and the I believe the person in the photos is George Ripley - the original race organizer.  

 George, jogging down the Homer Spit toward the finish line and ending in style. 

     

The Best Training Technique Ever - Visualization

If you've seriously participated in any sport for a little while, you've surely come across visualization techniques.  Even though visualization is becoming more common, most people still don't utilize it's full potential.

Visualization has been around for a long time.  People all over the world have successfully used it for thousands of years in everything from martial arts to business to medicine.  The power of the mind is extraordinary and you can also tap into it for any type of distance running or adventure racing.  Any veteran of the Wilderness Classic can tell you that the most important thing to finishing the Classic intact is mental strength.  You can and should use visualization to not only survive the Classic but excel at it.  You can also apply these techniques to anything else in life.

This post is just scratching the surface of visualization.  There are numerous books about the subject but many people still think it's only for Olympians or professional athletes.  It's more simple and more effective than you might think.  For more reading, take a look at Think and Grow Rich which, despite the title, is very applicable to sports visualization and was one of the original books about visualization.  You can also do a basic Google  search and you'll find more than enough books to keep you busy.

Here are the basics:  the power of the mind resides in focus and you can increase your concentration through regular practice.  (Slightly off the topic - fish oil and other supplements that are high in antioxidants like gingko biloba will also help.)  Since your mind has control over your physical body, your body will respond to visual images in your brain. The goal is to convince your physical body, through visual imagery, that it is capable of doing something. 

Start by maintaining a positive mindset about your racing and training.  Take some time and figure out exactly what your goal is. This could be anything from a specific race finishing time to a specific mental state after a hard 20 mile training run.  Write down your goal. When writing your goal, be specific and use the words "I will . . ." instead of "I want to . . . ".  Here's an example:  "I will run the Wilderness Classic in 3 days, 15 hours and 12 minutes". 

Memorize your goal word for word.  Read and recite it in the morning when you wake up and in the evening before you drift off to sleep.  If possible, say the words out loud. See yourself completing your goal.  Think about how it feels to have already accomplished your task.  Take your time and feel every aspect of your accomplishment.  Put some emotion into it.  Be proud of yourself and revel in the wonderful feeling of completing a goal. Convince yourself of it.

Play a video in your brain of yourself completing your goal.  Play this video over and over, particularly when you start the day and also just before you go to sleep.  Keep visualizing every day until it's time for your race and you will have the confidence you need to complete it.  Come back to it again and again and don't be discouraged if you don't meet your goal exactly or if you have doubts.  Simply refocus and bring your mind back to visualizing your completed goal. 

If you're new to visualization, all this may seem silly but this is what successful professional athletes do all the time.  Try it out.  You'll like it. Your confidence will grow and you'll be more successful in life. 

Update

Just a quick update to let you know that I haven't forgotten about my readers.  I'm writing another training post that I'll be posting soon about a great training technique and I also have some more pictures of one of the original Wilderness Classic races, so check back soon.  

In the meantime if you want to watch some hiking and climbing entertainment, I posted a video slideshow trailer of the Western Chugach Alpine Guide.