2014 Holiday Lake Race Report (Hypothetical vs. Real Life)

**One of the main instigators of this whole Ultra VT group-thing, Rudy Rutemiller, decided to create hypothetical Holiday Lake tweets on Saturday afternoon to make up for the lack of race coverage due to zero cell service at the Holiday Lake 4-H center, below are some of the tweets that ensued.**

Hypothetical Version:
As I slowly exited the fog from my deep sleep, I sat up in my hammock to witness a glorious sunrise dancing across the lake at the 4-H center in Appomattox, VA.  I had opted to forgo sleeping in a tent, and sleeping bag for that matter, because of the unseasonably warm temperatures we had been treated to for the 19th running of the Lynchburg ultra series opener, Holiday Lake 50k.  As I got dressed for the day, I half-smiled as a looked at all the cold weather gear I had packed and threw on a pair of shorts and a short sleeve shirt I knew I would discard at the first aid station.  The forecast predicted record high temperatures and the lack of rain over the previous couple weeks meant the course would be dry and fast, creating perfect conditions for a course record attempt.  After a delicious breakfast feast prepared by the 4-H staff, 400 runners set out for an awesome day on the trails where every participant set a personal best.  Once the last runner had crossed the finish line, Dr. Horton broke out a guitar and we all sang camp songs including Kumbaya.  It was a picturesque day and a Holiday Lake for the memory books!  The entire way home we continued to rave about how awesome of a time we had and couldn't wipe the smiles off our faces, ready to sign up for next years race, the 20th running.  Maybe we'll get lucky and get a little snow!

Real Life Version:



Race Morning: As I slowly exited the fog of my not so deep sleep to the sound of rain beating on the roof of my car, I hesitantly checked my phone and breathed a sign of relief to discover it was only 2AM and that I would not have to exit my sleeping bag cocoon of warmth for another couple hours.  I had opted to sleep in my car, the free option, compared to the $15 equally cold unheated cabins that remained for those of us who were foolish enough to not reserved a heated cabin in advance.  I awoke again a little after four in a panic, afraid my phone had died from the cold and that my alarm didn't sound resulting in me completely missing the start of the race.

Around 4:30, I admitted defeat and crawled out from under the pile of blankets that had kept me relatively comfortable throughout the night.  I began mentally preparing myself to emerge from the relative warmth of the car into the dreary dark February morning.  I dodged muddy puddles by headlight as I trudged toward the distant lights of the lodge with promise of warm water and hot coffee.  I was greeted by an energetic group of Liberty students who were fulfilling their duties of morning check-in for the runners and headed toward a table already half-surrounded by my fellow Ultra VT runners.  We shared laughs between sips of coffee and joked about the adventures that lie ahead of us for the day, curious as to what the unknown conditions would bring.  

Friday Evening: Jordan and I arrived at the 4-H center around 5 on Friday evening, quickly completed bib pickup and then mingled as runners arrived over the next hour.  At six, we gathered in the mess hall for a delicious pre-race dinner prepared by the 4-H staff that included salad, lasagna, spaghetti, meatballs, and choice of apple or cherry cobbler.  We were in great company at dinner sitting with Graham Peck, the race winner, and his family as well as John Robinson who won the male masters award on Saturday.  After dinner, Dr. Horton gave his always entertaining pre-race "briefing" that is questionably more standup comedy than actual "race briefing."  A little after eight, I headed off for bed excited and slightly apprehensive about the challenges the following day would bring.

Runners waiting around pre-race!

After finishing my breakfast, I headed off to do my normal pre-race routine including the very important pre-race restroom visit.  I was forewarned about the long line for the men's restroom (Thanks Kristen!) and unlike Promise Land, I made sure I got in line early enough to make it through the line and back to the start before the race started.  I arrived at the start line just in time for Dr. Horton's prayer and found a spot about 20-30 feet back from the banner.

At 6:30AM promptly, we were off and running!  The first little section of the course, about 3/4 of a mile, is up a paved hill on the road that leads to the 4-H Center.  The course then turns onto single track that winds along the lake for a mile or so before paralleling another road on more single track.  The image to the left is the first five miles of the course where the start is indicated by the green dot and the selected dark blue section is the fifth mile.  The course is comprised of doing the same big loop twice, first in a clockwise manner and then turning around and running counterclockwise along the same loop.  Essentially the course is one giant out-and-back.

A big topic of discussion at the breakfast table was what footwear folks were wearing and whether or not to wear Yaktrax.  It baffles me why we think it's a good idea to try something new on race day and even more so that I continue to do it again and again - enter overused Albert Einstein cliché, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."  I digress.  Long story short, I opted to wear the Yaktrax after running in them maybe a handful of times (with relative success I might add) but quickly decided a few miles in they were not going to work.  I opted to leave them hanging on a road sign a little over 5 miles into the race and eventually picked them up on my way back (mile 25ish) to drop them off at the last aid station of the day.

I need to be more confident in my ability to run hard and be competitive.  I noted to Jordan on the ride to the race that this would be the first ultra that I didn't wear a vest...or bring a camera...and actually intended to run hard.  I started too far back in the field and quickly discovered that I was with folks who had different goals than I did for the day; not worse of unworthy...just different.  Perhaps running with these folks kept me conservative and allowed me to run well later in the race but I wonder how my race would have unfolded had I been further up.  One monumental difference in this race than other ultras I've done was the time I spent in aid stations.  I would say in total I spent less than 4 minutes in aid stations during this race compared to other races where I've easily lost 20 or more minutes in the aid stations.  I started with a half-full handheld and took water at the first aid station and ran directly through the second aid station, which is roughly the half-way point of the first loop.  I also carried all of my own fuel, opting to bring 7 Gu's with me for the race.

The Powerline Section:  When we previewed the course two-weeks ago, I distinctly recall Jordan and I discussing the power line section and how in the race it seems to go on forever.  Two weeks later and add 2/3 of a foot of snow and the one and a half mile section was THE most difficult section of the race.  There was a hard crust on the snow that had formed from the cold rain overnight and freezing temperatures causing each step to suck all momentum and made finding a rhythm impossible.  The best way to describe it is that instead of your legs running along two parallel lines moving forward and back on those lines, your legs are doing an "eggbeater" motion and running along a single line because each foot slid as it contacted the snow toward the middle of your body.  Eventually, we (another runner and I) reached the end and turned onto a fire road where we could stretch our legs and recover from previous grueling section.  We both agreed that we were grateful to have that section behind us.  It's interesting to note that it didn't just feel slower but that it actually was considerably slower, evident in the above splits.  Mile 10 is the dark blue highlighted section in the image above that encompasses most of the 1.5ish powerline section as well as small portion of mile 11, both considerably slower that the pace for two miles on either side, mile 9 (9:24/mile) and mile 12 (9:28/mile).

I don't recall the third aid station (perhaps because I ran right through it?) and eventually I began recognizing the section that runs around the perimeter of the lake, indicating we were close to the turnaround point.  It was at this point, mile 14ish that I caught up to Wyatt, another Ultra VT runner who went on to finish an impressive 11th on the day.  We made good time through these couple miles heading into the turnaround and eventually caught Jordan just before we entered the aid station.  I was a bit concerned when we caught Jordan, as he has always been someone I admire as a runner and someone who is considerably faster than me.  Because the course is an out and back, we had the opportunity to see how the race was unfolding upfront as the lead runners had begun making their way back toward us.  Just after mile 15, we saw Graham heading back and then 13 other runners before entering the aid station.  

Splits through the first 16 miles.

I spent maybe a minute at the turnaround.  Enough time to allow an aid station volunteer (Thanks again!) to fill my bottle, grab a handful of Cheese Its, and give Mike Jones a high-five before heading back on course.  I had been listening to music for most of the race but right at the turnaround I put in my second earbud and cranked up the tunes and felt awesome for the next 4 miles or so.  This section was really great because you have all of the folks who are on their way to the turnaround giving you encouragement.  I tried to tell every runner that I passed Good Work! but I was in the zone and certainly missed a few.  

I had been doing well with nutrition, taking a Gu every 45 minutes or so but around mile 21 the wheels began to fall off.  Again, the power line section was challenging but the temperature had risen and with the rest of the field having already run through that section once, it was easier to find better footing.  

During the power line section, I noticed a decline in energy and recognized that I wasn't taking in enough calories.  I filled my bottle with Gu Brew at the next aid station (mile 24.5) and also took my first...and second cup of Coke, which I discovered too late into Promise Land 50k++ gives me a HUGE boost in energy.  As I entered the the aid station, Wyatt came in right behind me as did Jordan, and we all made it quick stop before heading down the trail.  Shortly after the aid station, there is a knee-high creek crossing, Jordan had sprinted past me giving me some encouragement and disappeared around the corner just before the creek, by the time I had crossed he was already several hundred meters up the hill and I wouldn't see him again until the finish.  We later found out that a seasoned ultrarunner was seriously injured crossing the creek and had to be carried to medical help by fellow runners, she is now doing well and recovering from surgery, but it speaks to the AMAZING crowd that takes part in these events.

Splits 17 to the finish.

Between 25 and 28.2 were the toughest miles for me.  I picked up my Yaktrax just before 26 and ran with them until I reached the next aid station where I entered dazed and feeling weak.  However, Frank Gonzalez was at the last aid station and his enthusiasm is CONTAGIOUS!  I handed him my Yaktrax, obviously out of it and said "I don't want these anymore" as he handed me a cup of Coke.  As I walked out of the aid station toward the trail, he was counting down for me to start running and when I began "trotting" before he got down to zero he burst out yelling and encouraging me.  He. Is. Awesome.  Again, I have met some of the most amazing and positive individuals since I started running ultras.  Inspiring.  I did ask how far to the end and was somewhat unhappy with the response, although Frank was dead on about the mileage (4.1) to the finish and it was nice knowing how far I actually had to go.

The scene at the finish!

The last section winds along the lake and then along singletrack next to the road before the 3/4 of a mile downhill finish on the road we began on.  Around mile 30, I walked for a bit and was super lightheaded bracing myself on trees and trying to keep myself upright.  In the future, I need to eat more but it was good that I realized what was happening and that I learn from the experience.  Once I hit the road, I gave one final look over my shoulder and started to open my stride allowing gravity to take me home.

Pace breakdown via Strava for the race.

It felt pretty awesome to come across the finish with Dr. Horton announcing my name and shaking my hand, noting that he had "seeded me wrong."  We had a brief chat and I mentioned how difficult the power line section had felt, which was seconded by the runner who had finished immediately before me and was still in the finish area.  I collected my awesome finisher shirt and grabbed a few cake batter Oreo's (who knew?) and attempted to walk off the pain in my feet.   I hobbled over to the lodge where I found the rest of the Ultra VT group and immediately started replenishing calories with a bowl of Chili, a few more Oreo's, and several glasses of orange juice.  

Link to full results HERE

I was very happy to have a solid run and see the hard work I've been putting in over the past couple months pay off.  I was pleased to have finished 16th overall out of 281 finishers and 314 starters.  What is really awesome is that Guy Love had another impressive finish, taking 3rd overall and that two other VT triathlon students finished in the top ten, Dylan taking 6th and Jonathan, running his first ultra, 7th!!!  Further, Wyatt took 11th and Jordan 12th, meaning we had 7 Hokies (alumni and current) in the top 16!

How bout them Hokies!?!

Participant shirt left and finisher prize right.

Strava Details:

Of course, it wouldn't be a race report without the obligatory post run burrito/food picture.  Michelle and I had our Valentines Day on Saturday evening because I spent the actual valentines day sleeping in my car...in the cold...to go run 50k...in the snow...hrm?  

Maybe next year it'll be dry and fast and perfect for setting a course record...or maybe not! #HypotheticalHL

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1st Annual Hokie Half Marathon (10 minute PR)

In retrospect, my conversation with Michelle the Friday evening before the race about my goal time of 1:40:00 is almost comical.  However, before I get there I want to explain how I arrived at one of, if not the, best races I've ever run.

When I first heard that there was going to be a Blacksburg half marathon this fall, I was pretty excited about the idea of thousands of Hokies running together through the streets of Blacksburg and what an awesome backdrop downtown Blacksburg would provide for a finish (missed opportunity #1).  Alas, it was not to be but the race that Runabout Sports put together was phenomenal and an excellent first annual event!  Michelle and I have arrived at the conclusion that we prefer events or "experiences" for gifts from one another because they seem to be more memorable than an item with a finite lifespan.  (Perhaps this is why people give jewelry?)  It's for this reason that I asked to run the event for my birthday in a few weeks...I just lucked out with when they scheduled the run and received my birthday present a little early!

My "training" like always wasn't stellar leading up to the race or should I say more specifically my training wasn't specific?  Now, often in my "race reports" I avoid using the word race and prefer to say run but when I lined up two Sundays ago, I had every intention of racing.  I digress.  Because of the lack of specificity in my training regime and the fact that I had run Iron Mountain 30 miler only 15 days prior, I wasn't optimistic for a PR but thought given the right conditions I may be able to have an okay day.  Additionally, the fact that I was familiar with the course gave me added confidence that if I was having a good day and the legs felt good, I would know where to push it and where to ease off.

Training by month leading up to the race.

Training by week leading up to the race.

I didn't do much running the week leading up to the race but managed to get in an easy run out in Pandapas on Tuesday followed by a quick 5 mile run Wednesday evening.  They were calling for  absolutely perfect running weather Sunday morning, in the mid. 50's for the race, and I knew that given the right conditions I could run sub-1:40.  I didn't bother crunching the numbers using a pace calculator but knew that I need to run somewhere in the 7:30's to run sub-1:40 based on my previous half marathon PR of 1:42 back in 2011, at the Charlotte Half Marathon.  Saturday was relatively low key for us.  We spent most of the day at Michelle's parents watching the embarassment that was the Virginia Tech vs. ECU game before heading back to Blacksburg for packet pickup at the Virginia Tech Inn.

Packet pickup was rather painless and Runabout Sports made an effort to put together a small expo at the Inn for race participants.  I tried on a pair of Hoka Stinson's and felt like I was wearing moon boots (they were awesome!) and may be curious to give them a try come winter when I begin putting in big miles for Umstead.  They also had the usual variety of nutrition and other "running expo" products folks would want to pick up for a race.

Michelle and I at packet pickup.

Following the expo, Michelle and I had our friend Shannon over for a pasta dinner.  Michelle, as always, did an awesome job preparing a delicious pasta dish with tomato basil sauce and chicken.  Post dinner, I pinned my number to my shorts like I always do.  I neglected to read the instructions in our bag about placing the bib near the stomach or chest area, which turned out not to be an issue but could have put a damper on my experience if my time had not been recorded, thankfully it was.  It wasn't until later that I learned the timing system was not the "standard" mat timing that goes across the start/finish line that you see at most race but rather a weird "aiming" type system that uses two large rectangles aimed at runners' chest/stomach to record runners chips as they cross the line.  We made an effort to get to bed early and get a good night sleep but I started reading on Sabrina Moran's blog and read this quote that I felt compelled to share with Michelle:

"Few men during their lives come anywhere near exhausting the resources dwelling within them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used." Richard Byrd

I repeated this quote over and over during the race on Sunday knowing that I often fall victim to self-sabotage.

The best part about doing a local race is being able to sleep in your own bed.  Adding to the awesomeness of close-to-home races is the bonus of not having to wake up 3 or 4 hours before the start of the race to get to the race location but rather leaving an hour before the race is scheduled to start.  We woke up around 5 and had a quick breakfast,  I decided to deviate from my normal banana-honey-peanut butter bagel, and opted instead for greek yogurt, banana, and a cup of coffee.  We left the house just after 6 and arrived at the race start a short ten minutes later, not bad for a commute to a race.

We made the necessary stop upon arriving at the giant row of porta-pottys, I have to give them credit here - there were plenty of porta-pottys for the number of runners, and then played the "hurry up and wait game" as we waited around for the race to start. Around 6:45, I headed back to my car to drop off my jacket and head out for a quick warm-up, which I think is one reason why I had a really great race.

I arrived back at the start just a few minutes before the gun was scheduled to go off, just in time for the national anthem, and searched for Michelle and Shannon to wish them good luck with no success.  After a few minutes of searching, I had to give up and found a spot maybe 20 or 30 feet back from the start line.  I knew going into the race, it was blatantly obvious at the start, how many folks didn't know how to line up appropriately for their predicted time (missed opportunity #2, coral start).  From a logistics standpoint, the location of the race start wasn't bad because it provided ample parking and convenient location, and while the Corporate Research Center (CRC) isn't an eyesore it isn't exactly picturesque nor does it represent Blacksburg very well.  Although I didn't mind the start location, if the course changes in the future, hopefully it does, we wouldn't be missing anything.  The race started on a slight uphill headed toward the 460 business/460 bypass junction, which was a good way to get legs going but again wasn't really anything special scenery wise.  The course then made a right onto South Main St/460 Business, which is where my issues with the course selection began (just before the 1 mile marker).

The participant limit was set at 3000 entrants, which was significantly more than they had register (~1200) but it supports their decision for including South Main St. as a significant portion of the race, roughly 2.5 miles.  However, of all the roads in the Blacksburg/Christiansburg area it is by far the ugliest and least scenic of roads not to mention the poor condition of the road surface as a result of the harsh SW VA winters and copious amounts of road kill (missed opportunity #3).  I found a group of runners that were running my pace and locked onto them for the next few miles ticking off 6:55, 7:04, 6:53, and 6:52 splits for the first four miles.  The Christiansburg High School marching band was at the New River Valley Mall (mile 3), which gave me a nice little lift as I had a brief moment of doubt in my ability to maintain my current pace for the remainder of the race.

When I hit the start (although technically the end mile ~6) of the Huckleberry Trail, I opted not to take water and continue toward Blacksburg locking onto folks in front of me and slowly chasing them down.  I was feeling really good until mile 7 when I began wondering whether I had gone out too fast but did my best to stay with the folks I was around and pushed through a rough patch, only adding 8 seconds on the next mile from 6:49 (mile 6) to 6:57 (mile 7).  The next few miles felt pretty good and because the territory was familiar I think I had a little advantage to push hard on the rollers that I've run countless times during training.  I picked up a GU just before mile 9 and a cup of Gatorade but decided against taking the GU because I didn't have any water with me to wash it down.  As I approached Tech Center Drive running up the biggest hill on the course, I knew that after I reached the top I would be able to hit my goal of sub-1:40 even if I ran 9 min./mi. for the last 4 miles but returned to the Richard Byrd quote above and thought about what I had left in the tank.  I got a boost at the top of the hill when I spotted Jordan Chang at the intersection of the Huckleberry and Tech Center Drive who gave me some words of encouragement.  I then began the only section of the course with two way traffic, passing the eventual winner of the race going the other direction (3 miles ahead of me)(missed opportunity #4, the Huckleberry Trail is really too narrow for two way traffic).

A group of three or four of us stayed together and pushed the pace as we reached the end of the Huckleberry Trail section (really the beginning mile 0.0) running my final sub-7 minute mile of the race before making a U-turn onto Preston Street, what I thought was the last hill on course.  I could tell I was beginning to fade as I approached the 11 mile mark.  I found another gear when I hit the short 1/2 mile section where the trail had two-way traffic and I was passing lots of runners going the opposite direction, most of whom provided words of encouragement as we were spread pretty far apart.  Unfortunately, quite a few of the folks were completely oblivious to the fact that people were coming the other direction and were running on both sides of the cones going toward downtown which didn't slow me down but made me expend extra energy to tell them to get out of the way.  Mile 12 was desolate.  The d-shaped loop only has one building along it and is mainly empty fields, which made it drag on forever.  At the end of the loop right before making a right back onto Tech Center Drive there was an awesome band just in the middle of nowhere jamming out some good country tunes.  Finally, I made what I thought was the final turn into the CRC only to see a beast of a hill ahead that I had no idea was on the course.  This hill absolutely destroyed me.  The one advantage to this unnecessarily large hill at the end of the race was a downhill finish.  Gravity was pretty much the only thing moving me forward at that point.  I watched the clock as I came down the hill and was happy to finish under 1:32.

One awesome outcome of the race was having the fastest Strava time for the Huckleberry trail, even if I do only have it for a short time. 

Overall, I placed 38th out of 1125 half marathon finishers (despite what it says above, 3 folks times were not recorded).

I was pretty ecstatic with my finish time and knew that I had left most of it out there on the course.  After receiving my medal and finisher shirt, I headed directly to my car and grabbed my jacket and phone so I could meet up with Michelle's parents who were on their way to watch her finish (missed opportunity #5, the shuttle buses bringing spectators to the finish were stuck where the Huckleberry crossed Tech Center Drive and most folks wound up having to walk).  I also grabbed my Vuvuzela to encourage runners on the course.  Another awesome thing about a race like this is that it brings out lots of folks in the community.  I was able to chat with a professor from last semester, who embarrassingly beat me by a little over two minutes, and one of my current professors and say hello to their families.

I eventually met up with Michelle's parents and we were able to see Michelle and Shannon finish, both of whom looked like they were having a great time!

Michelle and Shannon enjoying the downhill finish!

Shannon, Michelle, and I at the finish (Vuvuzela in hand)!

We grabbed some of the post race food before heading toward the car and lane stadium to grab some finisher photos!

Michelle and I infront of Lane Stadium.

Cindy, Marvin, and Michelle.

Overall, the race was an excellent first annual event that has tremendous potential to be a "must-do sell out" type of race.  That being said, there are a few things in my opinion that need to change for us to consider doing it again next year.

1. Michelle and I both agree, and most of the folks that we talked to after the race, that the BIGGEST missed opportunity was lack of coordination with the Blacksburg Brew Do, a craft beer festival at the First & Main Shopping District.  The Brew Do was held on Saturday, and perhaps James and the organizers wanted to stay away from associating with a beer festival but scheduling the race the day after certainly prevented folks from attending one or the other.  I would like to see a partnership where participating in the race gets you free entry into the festival or coordinate the finish into the festival.  At a very minimum, schedule the events the same day so that folks are not forced to choose between one or the other.  Perhaps it will convince even more folks to participate.  I think it's also important to note the constraints the football season places on the scheduling of the race, which means the weekend the race falls on will likely fluctuate as a result.
2. The course leaves something to be desired - I think James and the folks at Runabout did a great job for a first annual event but considering how often Main Street is shut down for festivals in Blacksburg (Steppin' Out, Summer Solstice, etc.) I don't see why something similar could not have been arranged.  It really comes down to establishing a course that is memorable and promotes a sense of community where non-particpants are inclined to come out and cheer on the runners.  Additionally, the parking location for spectators and shuttle arrangement left folks stuck on buses and missing their friends' finish.
3. Registration cost was too high for early registrants and compared to other comparable races - The lowest registration cost for a runner was $80, which is on par with a registration fee of early registrants for a full marathon.  I think it comes down to establishing expectations.  Personally, I would expect to pay in the neighborhood of $50 to $65 for a small town, and first annual, half marathon.  By charging $80, for me at least, Runabout sports set the expectations very high and while I was happy with the event I could've done without two-shirts and a $15 finishers medal.  Yeah, it's neat but it should be an option to reduce cost for participants who aren't really interested in all of the extras.
4. Shirts were not true to size - I heard this across the board.  The long sleeve shirts that participants received at packet pickup were a size small for both men and women.  For me, I didn't really mind because I have a pile of race shirts but for Michelle and Shannon, who wound up with 3/4 length sleeves which were supposed to be long sleeve and shirts that revealed their navels, it was disappointing.  This was obviously outside of Runabout Sports control but was disappointing none-the-less. 

Overall, the race was awesome, and we had a great time.  I think the event has huge potential to be a SW VA "must do" race, but there were a few missed opportunities that I'm sure James and the folks at Runabout Sports are aware of.

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Where's Waldo Wednesday - 6/20/13-7/3/13

Where's Waldo Wednesday - The point of the week where more is behind than ahead and the weekend, and thus playtime, is the bright light at the end of the tunnel.  Why did I call it Where's Waldo Wednesday?  No particular reason really...other than I like alliteration and it is fun to say.  Try saying it five times fast!

A weekly (more like biweekly) series of what's new around here and other ramblings like things I found interesting on the internet this week or cool runs I did, kind of like a weekly synopsis.  Originally, I was going to do this on Sunday and call it Sunday Synopsis but then I couldn't decide between Sunday Synopsis and Sunday Summary...so I did the only logical thing and decided to write it on Wednesday?

This week's edition includes the latter half of June and first few days of July and while it may not be an all encompassing post like some of the more recent Where's Waldo Wednesdays it's still a pretty good recap of what's been happening around here!

The Week's Happenings

Last Wednesday marked the end of the first summer session, well at least for the physical class meeting, and aside from a paper on my philosophy of teaching that is due on Wednesday the class is done!  It's pretty awesome to finish an entire class in four weeks.  Yup!  Just 12 three-hour class meetings (we only met Mon.-Wed. and the last week of classes was cancelled).  Despite the abbreviated schedule the quality of the class did not decrease.  We managed to go through four books in a month.  Quick like a Band-aid!  Michelle and I have been enjoying the relaxed school schedule and taking in all that Blacksburg summer has to offer including the Summer Solstice Fest that was put on by Downtown Blacksburg.  Blacksburg summers are the best!  Hands down.

1. SUPing (Paddleboarding) Claytor Lake - Two Thursdays ago, I made the short trip down the interstate to Claytor Lake State Park to take out the paddleboard and do some recon on a possible camping trip that Michelle and I are planning.  The previous Saturday, we had gone down to check out places to put-in the kayaks and paddleboard but there was a big festival at the park and we wanted to avoid the crowds and more importantly all of the boats.  We opted to use the public boat launch, where the Virginia Tech crew team launches their boats, located immediately before the gate to enter the park, which was free and provided a nice area to put in the kayak and paddleboard.  However, on this particular occasion I opted to pay the three dollar fee and go inside the park to explore the other end of the lake.

The trip also served as an excellent opportunity to test out an E-case that arrived on Wednesday that I had won from the Cascade Design weekly Facebook contest a few weeks earlier.  After driving around the park, I decided a little cove near the public beach was a good place to put-in and got all ready to go.  The great thing about paddleboarding, aside from the amazing workout, is that you really only need a board, paddle, and PFD (well maybe you don't need the last one but a smart person does).

The E-case keeping my iPhone and car key safe (and dry)!

I didn't paddle the whole time I was out on the lake. The board is a great place to relax and enjoy that day.

Nor did I stay on the board the whole time.  One thing that is really nice about paddleboarding compared to kayaking is the ability to get in and out of the water with ease. I brought the Panasonic P&S with me, which I used to take most of the photos for this post.

I went out for a little under two hours and managed to paddle 3.5 miles, which felt pretty comfortable but toward the end I noticed I was a little fatigued and that my form degraded a lot.

2. PIZZA PIE! - Michelle and I love making pizza...well more like I lOVE pizza and thus we eat it pretty often but Michelle doesn't seem to mind.  I was fortunate enough to receive a KitchenAid Artisan mixer for Christmas from my parents, which makes dough making a breeze.  Pizza is definitely my favorite pre-race meal, pasta is usually my big race safe choice meal, but with the Downtown Sundown not until the following evening I felt okay eating it the night before and didn't worry about it bothering my stomach during the race.  I decided to film the making of the pizza now that I have made it enough and can put it together pretty quickly (minus the hour required to proof the dough).  Unfortunately my battery died twice during the filming so I wasn't able to get a few shots I wanted including adding the flour to the mixer and a shot of the final product.  I did manage to grab a (blurry) photo before we dug in though.

Feta, tomato, and basil pizza.

3. Downtown Sundown 5k - Every summer downtown Blacksburg puts on the Summer Solstice Fest, part of which is an evening race, the Downtown Sundown 5k.  I wrote a whole race report about the event, which you can find HERE or by simply scrolling down on the page because it's the next post after this one.

4.  Gnocchi! - I had never heard of gnocchi until I came across an interesting post on a blog a few years ago that made me want to try them.  The first time I tried to make them...it was a disaster.  As were numerous following attempts (including a particularly embarrassing attempt at making sweet potato gnocchi) and I had nearly given up on them, even after I had my mom buy a potato ricer but then a video was posted that inspired me to give them another try.

The finished product.

Similar to the pizza video I made, I put together a quick film of me making gnocchi.  You can tell that there is a large influence from the above posted video from Fast Boy.

5. Downtown Blacksburg - In case you can't tell, we LOVE Downtown Blacksburg.  The sense of community is unparalleled and is most evident during the summer with a plethora of festivals and activities.  Last Friday, after an amazing dinner at THE townie bar: The London Underground, we stumbled upon a concert going on in downtown on Henderson Lawn and decided to enjoy the live music.

Henderson Hall.

Music on the Henderson Lawn.

The cupcake craze came to Blacksburg last year, via Gobble Cakes on College Ave., but Michelle and I had yet to stop in and enjoy one.  However, Michelle was kind enough to buy me one we while enjoyed live music.  I was disappointed that they didn't have an espresso or cappuccino flavor but the chocolate peanut butter was pretty delicious, at least the cream cheese icing was.  The actual cupcake left a little to be desired.  

6. Hokie Wedding - On Saturday, Michelle and I had the privilege of watching two of our friends get married.  This was our first Blacksburg wedding and it was done in true Hokie fashion including an appearance by the Hokie Bird!  The ceremony was beautiful and took place in War Memorial Chapel.  Afterward, we headed over to the Merryman Athletic Facility, which in all of my years at Tech I had not been in, for the reception.

Michelle and I, pre-wedding, in front of the War Memorial Chapel.

The view of the Virginia Tech practice field and lane stadium from the Merryman Facility.

Michelle and I with the Hokie Bird at the Reception.

7. Rest In Peace MacBook Pro :-( -  During the writing of this post, my MacBook Pro met its untimely demise via a healthy does of Airborne, which while apparently is good for people trying to prevent getting sick is not so good for computers.  Believe it or not, I was actually going to publish this post on Wednesday...alas it was not to be.  The "incident" as it will hence forth be referred to caused an impromptu trip to Northern Virginia Thursday morning, which although not terribly productive from a computer standpoint (the Mac guy told me what I already knew, it was toast) I do get to spend the next few days with my family, including my dad's birthday on Saturday.

8. I WON I WON I WON - After a terribly depressing evening because of the demise of my computer, and a few choice words, my night had a glimmer of hope when I received the following mention on Twitter:

Congrats @RBSherfy! You've won a @Recon Jet! Email info[at]http://t.co/SYkmdoGfRp for details #SeeTheFuture http://t.co/7lqAh0tP5r
— Recon Instruments (@Recon) July 4, 2013

I managed to win their daily giveaway, which landed me a pair of these:

To say that I'm SO EXCITED would be a huge understatement! "@Recon: Congrats @RBSherfy! You've won a @Recon Jet!" #SeeTheFuture
— Brett Sherfy (@RBSherfy) July 4, 2013

Hopefully I'll receive them sometime in early December when the first deliveries are scheduled to begin, or at least according to their site.  The fact that I wanted these so bad but were obviously way outside of my budget...given that I'm a student makes it that much more exciting! CAN'T WAIT!

Interesting Internet Findings

I found the below videos pretty awesome so I decided they needed to be shared.  

1. The video quality isn't that great but I thought this was pretty neat, particularly the way he changed from location to location and throwing the camera.
2. This is just a super awesome video of people kitesurfing with some cool color added to the water.
   
3. During the summer of 2009, I had the privilege of meeting some incredible individuals with disabilities and this video only exemplifies what I learned.  The only important part of disABILITY is the ABILITY part.
   
4. This guy is out of his mind.  Only three professional cyclists have ever completed what this guys is attempting, cycling all three grand tours in the same calendar year.  If he finishes it, he'll be the first recreational cyclist to do it.
   
5. I tweeted this earlier in the week but for me, running is community.  Regardless of distance or type of running, we're a family.
   

   Running to me means family. An eclectic and diverse family.1 or 100 miles doesn't matter. Different. Not better. http://t.co/BWilQvcTVw
   — Brett Sherfy (@RBSherfy) July 1, 2013

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