Potawatomi Trail Marathon (Pinckney, Michigan)

Two 13-mile laps on the hilly Poto trail can be a whole lot of pain. It wasn’t so much the pain this year as it was the lack of water. I made the mistake of relying soley on the aid stations. Still, I was lucky to avoid cramping, a two-time twisted ankle and two falls to win my age-group and take fifth overall. It was my trail marathon P.R. at 3:23:33.

XTERRA Eastern Championships (Richmond, Virginia)

Well, the undefeated streak had to end some time and it did this year. I had a fairly decent race. The lack of a swim (cancelled due to dangerous conditions) and an indexed headset on the bike added to the challenge. I still managed a third-place finish behind two very fast competitors.

MXT Off-Road Ironman (Park City, Utah)

This was the first ever off-road Ironman-distance triathlon! The swim was beautiful as was the first 40 miles of the mountain bike leg. The climbing through the mountains wasn’t too bad and the downhills were a blast. The latter half of the run was pure suffering. The temperatures hit 98F and we rode 60-some miles on an unshaded rail-trail. Still, I hooked up with my Leadville friend Adam and we rode together most of the way. I started the run and my stomach was revolting — it stopped emptying. I couldn’t drink more water without being nauseous. So, I took it easy for most of the marathon and ran slowly when I could to finish 8th overall. I couldn’t have stayed motivated without my parents, girlfriend Karen, and Michigan friends cheering me along.

Leadville 100 (Leadville, Colorado)

More stomach issues! Blah! I still managed to get a silver buckle so I’m not complaining.

Dances with Dirt 50K (Pinckney, Michigan)

This is a classic Michigan ultra-trail run. Much of it is on trail, but much of it is right through the woods, swamps, and rivers. It was enjoyable in a brutal sort of way and I finished 5th overall. It was actually longer than 31 miles since most of the top-ten racers went a couple miles off course.

North Country Trail 50-miler (Manistee, Michigan)

I’ve always wanted to run this race — an out-and-back on a beautiful trail in the Huron-Manistee National Forest. I felt strong through the halfway point running right behind 2nd place. Then came the stomach troubles. I strided back to the start and finished a decent 5th overall.

The following information is what I’ve learned and gathered from years of running and riding outdoors through the winter months. Let me apologize up front for stating only the general case. I like to keep this as simple and as readable as possible.

The basic equation is your body generates heat and your clothing helps retain it. The key is finding the steady-state balance where your clothes release the same amount of heat your body is generating, keeping you warm but not letting you overheat.

Convection (Wind) Heat Loss

• Convection heat loss is less of a concern for runners except in very windy conditions. Nonetheless, male runners should consider windblock briefs.
• Cyclists are more susceptible to convection heat loss because of their higher speeds. Off road cyclists generally experience less convection heat loss due to their lower speeds and the trees and rolling terrain that block or slow the wind.
• There are many windblocking clothing materials on the market including nylon and Windstopper. These should be your outermost layer where possible.
• Windblocking materials tend to be less stretchable (hence their baggy fit) and don’t breath well despite the marketing banter. The better clothing has venting, e.g. back draft flaps and pit-zips.
• One often overlooked clothing feature is a wind flap on the backside of jacket zippers.
• Cyclists primarily require their windblocking on the front of their clothes.
• Windblocking head gear greatly decreases your ability to hear, which may pose a safety issue in urban settings.