Just Test It!

Trail Runner magazine's July 2007 issue includes everything from race reports, gear reviews, training advice, and trail running narratives.

Every other month I get a present in my mailbox. The arrival of my Trail Runner magazine calls for seated solitude at its earliest convenience. And the folks at TR are good at the anticipation game, firing off an email when the current issue mails.

I have been having some informative email conversations with the editors there about possible articles and trail running in general. After some good exchanges, I will be helping test new trail running shoes from time to time. It is tough to harness my excitement about this arrangement.

I am a bit of a gear-head. I tear through TR, Running Times, Runner's World, Outside magazine, National Geographic Adventure, and the occasional Backpacker magazine. Being a writer who works on magazines, I am hooked. I stay up on what companies are doing what, and what gear I covet. My ultimate goal is to find as close to perfect shoes, packs, you name it, as possible; stuff that will last and that works for me to the point of seeming to be unnoticed in its presence--just to flow along as part of the run/runner/trail. I buy, try, and beat up a lot of running and trail running booty in this quest.

The good folks at Trail Runner are sending a first pair for me to put the dirt, mud, roots, and rocks to. When they publish their fall trail running shoe review, I might even have a comment or two in it. I hope to find more adventure-related stories for them over months and years. If you enjoy running trails and/or trail ultras, you won't find a better publication.

On the running/racing front, I am at a bit of a lull in the calendar. Behind me are the Holiday Lake 50K++, the Cherry Pit 10-miler, the Bridge-to-Bridge Half-Marathon, and the Chestertown Tea Party 10-miler. Though I am looking for a trail race or two over the summer, the next thing on the race calendar is tentatively the Annapolis 10-miler at the end of August. If anything, that's a ramp-up run. The two key runs are the October Baltimore Marathon and November's JFK 50-miler.

With our household schedule transitioning--Anna, our 5-year-old just graduated from Pre-K, and Robin, my wife, has less than a week left of the school year before she is home for the summer with the girls and the Golden Retriever. Not a bad time for down time. My last two runs have been 4 miles and 4.5 miles on the road. I am looking forward to my next 15-20 mile long run, as well as (REALLY) looking forward to getting back on the trails. Hope everyone is enjoying their late spring training and racing!