Slower than you
RoxieRuns is right, the BMT and DRT are great. I've run many miles on those trails and hardly ever encounter any human beings, plus they are more "runnable" than the more famous AT which, because of its fame, is more popular and crowded by sometimes surly hikers. Plus, as others have mentioned, there are so many places in all directions. The GUTS Pine Mountain 40-Miler ran today at FDR State Park, The Mystery Mountain Marathon is in October at Fort Mountain State Park...there's no shortage of trailrunning opportunities here in North Georgia.
If you don't mind me asking, where exactly are the BMT and the DRT? And do you know any good trails closer to Athens? So far I like Ft. Yargo State Park and Harbins Creek near Winder and Cook's trail just outside of Athens.
Hi Amanda!
"Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man" - The Dude
Upcoming races: AthHalf: 10/20
Yep, you did say I should change my name. I decided to change it after I ran a 10K in under 1hr. The new name was suggested by multiple forum members, it came from how I wrote my race reports back then. I walked too much because the heat/humidity caused my HR to skyrocket and it took forever to go down. I still loved the race though!
Yep, you did say I should change my name. I decided to change it after I ran a 10K in under 1hr. The new name was suggested by multiple forum members, it came from how I wrote my race reports back then.
I walked too much because the heat/humidity caused my HR to skyrocket and it took forever to go down. I still loved the race though!
My thoughts exactly. It was tough as hell, but it was a beautiful course.
I'm going to be in Lawrence for a few weeks between semesters, so maybe I'll find a race in the area.
Missoula- home to U of Montana my alma mater Hello everyone, I'm Mike- I currently live in SE Montana (prairie/bad land country), but have lived all over the entire state (Eureka, Hungry Horse, Missoula, Great Falls, Sand Coulee, Whitefish, the list goes on) I'm a lifelong hiker/backpacker, but never a runner (until recently that is ) and found myself gravitating to longer mile days and challenging day hikes (DIADs- done in a day). A group that I interacted with on a backpacking site announced a Grand Canyon R2R2R run last fall (2011) to be run this past spring- that was all I needed to motivate me into trail running. I didn't make the entire 42 miles, but did make it to Roaring Springs and back for 32 miles. It was a very natural crossover (albeit with a great deal of work ) to trail running and have been enjoying it since. I've only run one race, it was a doozy- the Bridger Ridge Run. I'm signed up to run the Uwharrie 20 this February (my brother lives in SC) and the Devil's Backbone (the Gallatin Range) this July. Misty I plan on entering the Pengelly Double Dip as well, so a chance I'll bump into you if you enter again. While the racing appeals to my competitive side, I think long runs with friends in epic locations is more appealing yet- we're hoping to get a Trans Zion run in late Spring/early Summer and possibly a Rae Lakes Loop in early fall. Mike
Missoula- home to U of Montana my alma mater Hello everyone, I'm Mike- I currently live in SE Montana (prairie/bad land country), but have lived all over the entire state (Eureka, Hungry Horse, Missoula, Great Falls, Sand Coulee, Whitefish, the list goes on)
I'm a lifelong hiker/backpacker, but never a runner (until recently that is ) and found myself gravitating to longer mile days and challenging day hikes (DIADs- done in a day). A group that I interacted with on a backpacking site announced a Grand Canyon R2R2R run last fall (2011) to be run this past spring- that was all I needed to motivate me into trail running. I didn't make the entire 42 miles, but did make it to Roaring Springs and back for 32 miles. It was a very natural crossover (albeit with a great deal of work ) to trail running and have been enjoying it since. I've only run one race, it was a doozy- the Bridger Ridge Run. I'm signed up to run the Uwharrie 20 this February (my brother lives in SC) and the Devil's Backbone (the Gallatin Range) this July.
Misty I plan on entering the Pengelly Double Dip as well, so a chance I'll bump into you if you enter again.
While the racing appeals to my competitive side, I think long runs with friends in epic locations is more appealing yet- we're hoping to get a Trans Zion run in late Spring/early Summer and possibly a Rae Lakes Loop in early fall.
Mike
Just going through this, Mtwarden, the Grand Canyon R2R2R is what got me into running as well! My buddy decided to do it, and I went along to "witness his death", I turned around between cottonwood and roaring springs. That failure is a major motivation in my running. I made it farther than my friend though.
Trans Zion is the next big thing on my list. I'm looking at April/May of 2013.
Trail and Ultra Running User Group
My thoughts exactly. It was tough as hell, but it was a beautiful course. I'm going to be in Lawrence for a few weeks between semesters, so maybe I'll find a race in the area.
Well it's a pseudo-race this year, but the Alternate Chili Run is on Saturday, December 8th. It's one loop around Wyandotte County Lake. It's a preview run for the winter RunTotoRun. Normally, it's a self supported group run. However, for the 10th anniversary of the run, they are having chip timing and 3 water stations. If you sign up online it is only $10 and $15 if you register the morning of the run. I'm thinking about registering as it will be my last organized run prior to my shoulder surgery on the 11th.
running under the BigSky
Just going through this, Mtwarden, the Grand Canyon R2R2R is what got me into running as well! My buddy decided to do it, and I went along to "witness his death", I turned around between cottonwood and roaring springs. That failure is a major motivation in my running. I made it farther than my friend though. Trans Zion is the next big thing on my list. I'm looking at April/May of 2013.
we should get in touch as spring approaches, our trans Zion is tentatively planned about the same time
2023 goal 2023 miles √
2022 goal- 2022 miles √
2021 goal- 2021 miles √
Trail Dog
If you don't mind me asking, where exactly are the BMT and the DRT? And do you know any good trails closer to Athens? So far I like Ft. Yargo State Park and Harbins Creek near Winder and Cook's trail just outside of Athens. Hi Amanda!
Morgana, I had no idea you had moved to Athens. You must have picked up a faculty position at UGA? Congrats!
The BMT (300 miles long), DRT (~30 miles), and AT (~75 miles in GA) are mostly in the same general area in NE Georgia. Kind of hard to describe because they intersect with one another and even run in parallel in some places. Your best bet is to pick up the National Geographic topo map for that area. So for example, the BMT starts just a few tenths of a mile past where the AT begins on the summit of Springer Mountain. Those two trails do a few criss crosses, then at Three Forks the AT shoots off in its own direction, and the DRT and BMT are one and the same trail until you get north of Hwy 60. The DRT gets significantly more difficult from this point onwards. If you get that map, you can see all three at once and follow where they go.
If you haven't already done so, you should join GUTS. Only $15 per year and you get lots of discounts, training run opportunities, plus you can hook up with other people doing unofficial training runs throughout the area. There are definitely members near Athens. Last month as an official GUTS run they ran "to the bridge and back", which is the BMT from Three Forks, over the Toccoa River Bridge, to Hwy 60, then back again (around 18 miles). A very popular run is the Meat Grinder: run the AT approach trail from Amicalola State Park, to the summit of Springer, then back. Blood Mountain from Woody to Neels and back on the AT is another awesome run. There are other significant pockets of trail and ultrarunners in Augusta, and in Greenville. You can google Harbison 50k and Chattooga 50k for some info on the SC group. There are just so many great places to run in Georgia, now I am homesick!
Weegee
… There are just so many great places to run in Georgia, now I am homesick!
And Chicago doesn't evoke the same sort of trail love? :-) All the polemics on the merits of Georgia has me all fired up to go run there someday. Thanks!
Suppose I ought to write a proper intro. I'm always late to he these parties – the guy who wanders in just as the last guests are leaving. Usually I only find out what's happening on these fora when my lovely wife points things out to me, such as she did this morning: "You recognize there are TWO trail groups on RA, right? You just joined the trashy one."
Oh…
Anyway, I'm Matt from Seattle. Entering into my quadrennial decade the speed has already left my legs*, so running longer is my defense against mediocrity, although the people around me (Lace_Up, SrLopez, EDRW, Gumbee, and others absent here) keep me from believing myself too terribly competent at this.
I've got bad feet, sprain my ankles a lot, and am an epileptic who works with strobes for a living. This year I was first loser (i.e. second of two finishers) at the Washington Grand Slam with Ham, which is just something I dreamed up to annoy my friend Van Phan. Next year it looks like this five-race series will be extended at least to six, and I'll do a couple of them, but am also looking at a couple of other entertaining options, some of which are lotteries, are too damn expensive and require van rentals, or require you to rip a license plate off your car.
Most likely I'll just run the Wonderland Trail a couple of times, since advance planning ain't my strong suit.
Glad to meet you all!
-Weegee
(The nickname is an homage to one of my favorite photographers.)
_______________________
*Note clever use of passive voice to hide agency here.
First Loser, 2012 Washington Grand Slam With Ham.
What will be the sixth washington race?
the Halloween Haunted Hundred, up in the Okanogan (Ras and Kathy host this one)
oh… and I'm also frequently possessed by an obtuse prose style.
I was in New Mexico for Thanksgiving, and got to run in Santa Fe (Atalaya Mtn) and ABQ (Sandia Peak). By the end of the week, I was ready to abandon Chicago. Chicago has its advantages; not trail running, but I have gotten much faster from all the flat smooth running. Hoping that carries over to faster performances on the trail at ultras.
So I've been trying to figure this out... what is the difference between the two groups? I've joined both, and read and post in both, but am having a hard time figuring out the difference. I know the Trailer Trash was formed by Mandy after the RWOL exodus, but I'm not sure how they are different (if at all)? Ah, I'm sure this was all explained a week ago but I was enjoying my internet-less time in New Mexico.
There really isn't a difference. I know Mandy wanted to start something up so that we former RWOLers had a place to call home, yet we didn't want to bombard the already existing forum with our mindless blather. At some point we need to make a decision regarding merging the two. I'm all for it, although I do like the "Trailer Trash" moniker!
Refurbished Hip
I don't even know. I created the other group right at the beginning of the RWOL exodus before I even knew what user groups really were here. Then we had a big thread over in the other group trying to figure out whether we should keep the group or all just take our muddy shoes and camp out here. Some RAers told to stay, others told us to bring our toys over here to play. So here we sit with two groups, which I admit seems kind of silly to me. Although there are a million other user groups, so maybe two trail groups isn't a big deal? I guess I was just so used to our little home at RWOL...we didn't get much traffic outside of our regulars.
Running is dumb.
That lateral-running-across-flat-surfaces thing? Yeah. It definitely helps! This year's Rocky Raccoon was a great exercise in humility for me because I trained mostly on hills (cliffs, in many cases) but the course allowed me to flame out fast because I wasn't used to actually, you know, running!
Although it would be nice if Chicago had more than Mount Trashmore (a former landfill site) to climb…
Morgana, I had no idea you had moved to Athens. You must have picked up a faculty position at UGA? Congrats! The BMT (300 miles long), DRT (~30 miles), and AT (~75 miles in GA) are mostly in the same general area in NE Georgia. Kind of hard to describe because they intersect with one another and even run in parallel in some places. Your best bet is to pick up the National Geographic topo map for that area. So for example, the BMT starts just a few tenths of a mile past where the AT begins on the summit of Springer Mountain. Those two trails do a few criss crosses, then at Three Forks the AT shoots off in its own direction, and the DRT and BMT are one and the same trail until you get north of Hwy 60. The DRT gets significantly more difficult from this point onwards. If you get that map, you can see all three at once and follow where they go. If you haven't already done so, you should join GUTS. Only $15 per year and you get lots of discounts, training run opportunities, plus you can hook up with other people doing unofficial training runs throughout the area. There are definitely members near Athens. Last month as an official GUTS run they ran "to the bridge and back", which is the BMT from Three Forks, over the Toccoa River Bridge, to Hwy 60, then back again (around 18 miles). A very popular run is the Meat Grinder: run the AT approach trail from Amicalola State Park, to the summit of Springer, then back. Blood Mountain from Woody to Neels and back on the AT is another awesome run. There are other significant pockets of trail and ultrarunners in Augusta, and in Greenville. You can google Harbison 50k and Chattooga 50k for some info on the SC group. There are just so many great places to run in Georgia, now I am homesick!
Yup, I started here at UGA in August 2011 and I joined GUTS when Jason told me about them. A lot of their races and training runs are closer to Atlanta, so that's a little far away for me. I am signed up for the Red Top Rumble, though, so I'm looking forward to that!
Thanks for all the tips about the BMT, the DRT and the AT. I remember reading about the training run "to the bridge and back" and making a note of that for the future - when I actually can actually run that distance. I'll definitely check out those trails and the SC groups. Thanks!
I guess you got a faculty position in Chicago, eh?