Time to Taper

This past Sunday, Nate and I ran in the Vermont 50 Mile Ultra. The race is a mountain race traversing the many dirt roads and single track trails of East Central Vermont including the towns of Hartland, Windsor and Brownsville. This is our longest run heading into the Run Across NH as we not taper for our last 2.5 weeks heading into our big run.

Nate finished in a time of 9 Hours 23 Minutes 12 Seconds.
He was 15th in his age group (Men 40-49) and 40th out of the 162 finishers of the race.

Sherpa John finished in a time of 8 Hours 58 Minutes 43 Seconds.
He was 7th in his age group (Men 20-29) and 30th out of the 162 finishers of the race.
To read John's report visit HIS BLOG

Two amazing runs to top off the training regime as Nate and John make their final preparations for their run across NH.
You can still purchase raffle tickets by clicking one of the links to the right. $20 buys you a chance at a 2007 Honda Shadow 600.
If you are interested in joining Sherpa and Nate on their run across the state (for any portion) please contact them by clicking "Contact Us" on the right to state your intents.

PS.... Sherpa SHAVED! Couldn't stand it anymore and it wasn't very impressive

Fancy Meeting You Here...

Nate appeared briefly in Monday's Concord Monitor in a segment they like to call "5 Questions."

Somewhere in the city limits of Concord; a man by the name of Greg Albert sat at home with a bit of surprise when he read of our journey to come. Why you ask? Because it turns out that Greg has his own challenge before him. The same weekend as our Cross State Run (October 18-19), Greg plans to run 48 Miles in 48 Hours from Concord, NH to Groton, MA. Not quite the same scope distance wise... but within the same bounds of what we are trying to accomplish with our run, Greg contacted me.

So.. Greg is running the 48 miles in 48 hours on behalf of the American Cancer Society. Please visit his site and lend him some words of encouragement. 1.) Because its a nice thing to do and 2.) Because this guys is doing exactly what I want our run across the state to accomplish. He is getting out the door and searching for his own "Human Potential." While Greg worries his idea may not be "crazy enough," it is a step towards discovering more about himself. Heck, someday I hope Greg finds himself in the land of Ultramarathons, pushing the limits and finding out that what is impossible was never really impossible at all.

So if OUR run of 124 miles, in one shot, without sleep, across the great State of NH is a bit too intimidating for you to even consider participating in for even a few miles. GET OUT AND HELP GREG! He is doing another amazing adventure for amazing people like you, me and our loved ones. LEFT RIGHT REPEAT!

Anterior tibial tendonitis

In an earlier post I explained that I am having some ankle pain that doesn't seem to want to go away. I decided to see my favorite Physical Therapist, Brian Verville (Granite State Physical Therapy). A year ago Brian fixed my Plantar Fasciitis on my right foot. This was a great help as it had bothered me for over a year and sometimes the pain felt like a nail was being driven into my heel. Not fun...

Brian diagnosed me with Anterior Tibial Tendonitis. This is another common problem for runners, espcially runners who pronate like me. I suppose running all these miles doesn't help, but there is no way that I am going to stop so something else has to be done. Brian has been giving me "Iontophoresis" treatments which is doing wonders. This is a neat treatement that involves a sticky pad that gets saturated in an anti-inflamitory liquid then attached to a electronic device. This device puts electricity into the area that is inflammed and drives the medicine into the area. It hurts a little bit, sort of like getting a tattoo, but not that bad. Brian also does some ankle manipulation to try to stretch out the tendons.

Both of these problems are caused by my incredible lack of flexibility. Tight calfs and pronation are not a good combination. I have been thinking about taking a Yoga class, but I am afraid as I can barely touch my toes.

I go back for two more treatments this week and I am going to put it to the test this weekend at the Vermont 50, a 50 mile race through the mountains of Vermont. Lets hope it holds up!

Forrest Gump

Things are coming along greatly for the Run Across NH next month. Various business's and non-profits are coming together to help our cause in raising money for The Make-A-Wish Foundation of NH. While the run has turned into a fundraiser, I am most excited about the experience. I've always wanted to experience NH in a unique way, on foot, close to the land and its people. Its important to me. In any case; here is an update to fill everyone in as to what we're currently cooking up for the run.

We are working with "The Hawk" FM Radio Station and Eastern Mountain Sports to try to bring you guys a wonderful family experience the weekend of our run as Concord awaits our arrival. The EMS location in Concord is just past half way in our cross state adventure and we want to celebrate the halfway mark with all of you. So stay tuned as these things are finalized.

We will be finshing our run at The Seacoast Science Center in NH's very own Ordiorne Point State Park. Park admission on Sunday (10/19) is going to be FREE and the Seacoast Science Center is going to open its doors Free of Charge to Make-A-Wish Families. You can find out more info about the SSC by clicking HERE. It really is a gorgeous location and I can't wait to get there to end our run. We hope many of you will come help support the SSC and help us celebrate the first Cross State Run in NH History.

Training is going much better now that my Iron pills are kicking in to quell the effects of Anemia. Doctors appointments are not over but I feel much better and am hopeful. The Vermont 50 is next weekend (9/28) in Vermont and its one of my favorite races; one that I look forward too all year. 50 Miles in the mountains of Vermont is going to be a great last long run as we head into our 124 mile adventure.

For those who remember the movie Forrest Gump, I've decided to try my luck at growing a beard for this adventure. It's actually a pretty sad looking process and it definately is not what I am used to. But I also like not havign to shave. Every morning in the shower I reach for the razor only to leave it in place. So my plan is to hopefully make it to October 20th without shaving. October 20th is my 27th birthday and the first day after what I hope is one amazing journey. And I guess if I shave it off or not will depend on what I get out of this great adventure. I'm sure it won't get as long as Forrest's but it'll be funny none-the-less.

Below is a movie I like because it answers those same repetitive questions Nate and I hear a lot: "so what do you eat? What if you have to pee?" Forrest can answer for us nicely.

So.. I'm taking my peach-fuzz and going to continue to prepare for the Vermont 50, and this first continuous crossing of NH on foot. Hope to see you all out there!

Map of the run!

Click on the image to view it bigger!

And We're Off!

This past Saturday we kicked off our fundraising with an open house at National PowerSports Distributors. We had an amazing time at the shop, especially seeing as a few of our wish families showed up to lend a hand and some support. Zach, Steph and Emily are all wonderful kids and their families extra special. It truly is an honor to be running on their behalf.

The shop donated $100 from the sale of every motorcycle, offered up bike cleaning and detailing for donation. We sold Make-A-Wish stickers, wrist bands, etc. And we kicked off the raffle of the 2007 Honda Shadow 600, which you can buy tickets for now through December at $20 a piece (see buttons on the right).

All in all, we had an amazing day raising over $1,800 for The Make-A-Wish Foundation of NH on our first day. We still have $8,200 and we know we can do it. But we can't do it alone. We still need your help. So spread the word about what us crazy guys are doing next month and get your motorcycle lovin' friends to try their luck on an awesome ride!
(Stephi goes for a spin!)

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Nate and I both ran in the Pisgah State Park 50K this past Sunday out in Chesterfield, NH; which is right down the road from where we plan to start next month. We got a first hand look at our route on the way home from the race and we both acknowledge that there is nothing easy about what we plan to do. The hills are all 2-3 miles in length, relentless and paved.. yuck! But it's still a small price to pay for such an amazing cause.

Nate finished the 50K (31 Miles) in 5:59 while I ran in at 6:31. What made the event extra special (besides the rain and endless mud) was seeing our friend Steve VanOrden finish his first 50K. On Sunday, Steve proved to many folks in his life that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. With that being said, we hope many of you will continue to consider coming out to run along side us next month. We'd really enjoy your company.
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We're still working out the details on some special events we hope to have taking place during our run across NH. Once we finalize the details, we'll relay the info to you all here and hope to see you in Concord and in Rye during our run for some special events thanks to our sponsors. Stay tuned!

Open House For Make-A-Wish

THIS SATURDAY come on out to National Powersports Distributors on Route 106 in Pembroke, NH for their Open House to benefit The Make-A-Wish Foundation of NH.

Nate Sanel is openning his doors to everyone and anyone. Please join us for an Open House on Saturday, September 13th to benefit the Make-A-Wish foundation of New Hampshire. We will have all kinds of fun events such as Benelli Demo test rides, free food by Einstein Bros., bike washing and detailing (by donation) and live radio broadcasts. For every bike they sell on that one day only they will be donating $100 to the NH Make-A-Wish foundation!

Joining us for the event is Frank FM 106.3, Einstein Bros. Bagels and the two of us crazy runners. We'd LOVE to see you there!


Speaking of Frank 106.3; this morning Nate and I had an interview on Frank's Place with Jim and Sarah. If you want to listen to it here are some directions:
~Go to http://www.1063frankfm.com
~In the upper right hand corner you'll see "Listen Live - On Demand Media Center"
~Click on it
~Ok... a pop-up box radio will appear and you'll have to endure a commercial.
~Once the commercial ends, you'll see in the upper right hand corner "Live" or "On Demand Media"
~Click On Demand Media and then look below. You should see "Nate Sanel and John Lacroix - Frank's Place talks to Crazy People!!"
~Click on that and listen to the entire interview!!

24 Miles hurt, whats another 100 going to do to me?

This morning I slept in late (8:00) and then gathered up my gear for a 26 mile run. I ran 10 miles on Thursday and another 10 yesterday and have been feeling pretty strong. I really tried not to run to fast, but just have a nice day of sightseeing. I put two of my usual routes together which have a ton of hills and just took my time. The weather was beautiful and I was thankfull that I didn't have to run in a downpour like I did Thursday. I'm not ready to run in my basement on the treadmill yet. I'll be doing enough of that this winter and want to wait as long as possible before I have to endure that boredom.

Tweleve miles into the run I was feeling great and stopped at "The Beanstalk" on Rt 106 in Loudon. I said hi to my former neighbor Russ, the owner (I used to own the building next door when my motorcycle shop, National Powersports was in Loudon) and filled up my bottles. I took off through Canterbury into even more steep hills. About 15 miles into the run my right ankle started to really hurt. I have been having this problem off and on since I raced a 53 mile race with extremely steep hills in Pittsfield VT and it seems to hurt worse when I run on the pavement. I did my best to get around it and still maintained a pretty good pace (24 miles in 3 hours 33 minutes) but it is really getting into my head how difficult it is going to be to run this long on the pavement. If it was off road I wouldn't be worried as much.

I'm going to go to my PT and see if I can find out what I can do to get it stronger. I'll post here as soon as I know more info. In the meantime, it is time to get ready for this weekends race, a 50k (31 miles) in Chesterfield NH. This will be in the area that the run is going to start so John and I are going to scope out part of our path.

How Far IS 124 Miles?

Trust us, it's pretty darn far. As Nate mentions below, physically we know we can run the distance; but its the sheer mental capacity that is truly needed to meet our goals. Determination and sheer will power can get you pretty far on the road.. but its motivation and fortitude we will look towards. The children of Make-A-Wish New Hampshire are motivation enough; and fortidue I know I have from my experiences in long distance running.

I've run races in New Hampshire, New York, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Florida, Virginia, Illinois, Wyoming and Vermont. Running has shown me many wonderful places, and brought me closer to various peoples, their local cultures and landscapes. This is why I run. And I run to give others hope.. that they too can get up off the couch, put down a cigarette or a drink and change their lives forever. Running is a great way to escape.. to release.. to believe in yourself once again. And as we bring the chance at granting wishes to our state's children, we also strive to empower the people of the Granite State to get moving and do something good for not only yourself but for others.

People always say to "Leave the world a better plan then when you found it." What are you doing to make this happen? You can;t change the world until you learn to change yourself. Its in you.. all you need to do is believe in YOURSELF and the rest will follow. I believe in you... all of you.. no matter where you are. And I hope next month, you'll come to New Hampshire, you'll hit the roads.. and show us that seeing is believing and doing is forever.

Having visited so many wonderful places in my travels, I always thought about "what if" I ran across NH. I've been toying with the idea for some time now. Then I learned that a friend of mine ran across Long Island (lengthwise) on behalf of a charitable cause. I knew that if he could do it.. then I should do it. I ran the idea past many friends and Nate is the only one who accepted the challenge. With his drive to raise money fo an amazing cause, we chose to combine our passions and go the distance.

Just how far is 124 miles?
For those who regularly travel I-93. 124 miles is from the Mass/NH Border - Northbound to Littleton, NH
Its Boston City Hall to somewhere shy of Waterbury, CT... yes... South of Hartford, CT. Boston City Hall to Hartford City Hall is only 100 Miles... think of that for a minute.

124 Miles is Five Marathons (26.2 Miles) back to back
124 Miles is Nine Half Marathons (13.1 Miles) plus a 10K back to back
124 Miles is Twenty 10K (6.2 Miles) races back to back
124 Miles is Forty 5K (3.15 Miles) races back to back

124 Miles is the Connecticut River in Chesterfield, NH to the Atlantic Ocean across New Hampshires storied countryside, where its people are as resilient as the granite that shapes the land. Yes.. 124 miles is a long way. And we'll enjoy every step we take. See you there!

~Sherpa John

Getting ready

Today John and I ran in Patuckaway State park for about 2 hours. Most of our time was spent talking about our approach to this run and what a monster it is becoming. The people who have shown interest in supporting the run have been fantastic. It looks like there will be a ton of media coverage as most people are pretty blown away when they hear that we will be running for so long at a time. For us, the idea of running 124 miles is fairly technical. Mentally we both are pretty prepared. Neither one of us has run for more than 100 miles at a time; John has done it 6 times, I have only done it once and we know the toll it will take on our bodies.

One thing that we have learned by running long distances is that the mind is equally, maybe more, important than your physical ability. This is one of the reasons that I am so inspired to run for Make-a-Wish. The kids that are facing life threatening illness understand this power of the mind because the have no choice. They have to fight and they do it with dignity and a power that most of us will never have to draw upon. During this run I am prepared to be in incredible pain and I also know that no matter how bad it hurts I can stop. These kids don't have that luxury and they provide me with the inspiration to continue no matter what.

John and I will be posting here regularly to keep everybody up to date on new developements of the run and to share our training.

The Run Across New Hampshire

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
John Lacroix
235 Central Ave Apt 3
Dover, NH 03820
(603) 391-8599
Sherpajohn@gmail.com


AT A GLANCE:
WHO: Ultramarathon runner “Sherpa” John Lacroix
WHAT: A 125 Mile Around the Clock Run from The Connecticut River to The Atlantic Ocean.
WHY: To benefit The Seacoast Science CenterWHEN: Saturday, October 17, 2009 – Sunday, October 18, 2009
WHERE: Route 9 Chesterfield, NH to Ordiorne State Park in Rye, NH.

Epping, NH – September 15, 2009
What started out as an idea to discover New Hampshire’s autumn charm, has turned into a fundraiser for The Seacoast Science Center. Ultramarathon runner "Sherpa” John Lacroix is planning to run around the clock starting October 17th; 125 miles from New Hampshire’s Western-most point to the State’s easternmost point and do it all to help raise funds for a Seacoast Education Institution.

The Runner
“Sherpa” John Lacroix is an ultramarathon runner from Epping, NH and full time student at the University of New Hampshire where he majors in Outdoor Education. Previously Lacroix has raised over $20,000 on behalf of the American Diabetes Association Research Fund through a documentary film he made on hiking New Hampshire’s 4,000 Foot Peaks. Lacroix ran across New Hampshire in 2008 in part of a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Hampshire.

The Route
Lacroix’s journey is 125 miles (200 Kilometers) in length and will be run Around The Clock, start to finish without stopping. He will start on the NH Route 9 Bridge connecting Brattleboro, VT with Chesterfield, NH over the Connecticut River. His Run on Route 9 will take him through the towns of Chesterfield, Keene, Sullivan, Hillsborough, Henniker, Hopkinton, and Concord. He will then take US Route 4 through the towns of Chichester, Epsom, Northwood, Barrington, Lee, Madbury, Durham, Dover and Newington. He will then run through the streets of Portsmouth and New Castle before reaching the terminus at Ordiorne State Park in Rye, NH. He also plans short stints through downtown Hillsboro, Henniker, Concord, Durham and Portsmouth.

How You Can Help
The runners encourage everyone to show support through donations to the Seacoast Science Center. He also invites everyone in the surrounding areas to come on out and run with him on his Around the Clock Journey across the state. Whether it be for 1 mile or 20 miles, he asks that you donate at least 1 dollar per mile you run beside him.

About The Seacoast Science Center
The Seacoast Science Center, located in historic Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, NH is a flagship institution in the region's cultural economy. A popular destination for families and students to learn about coastal environmental history, the Center creates connections to nature through personal learning experiences in the natural sciences. The Center's mission is met by providing engaging and interactive programs and exhibits. Each year, over 60,000 people visit the Center, 15,000 of whom are students from throughout New England.

When the Center opened in 1992, it was considered a model of public/private partnership. Managed by the Audubon Society of New Hampshire under contract with the state, Center operations were also overseen by an affiliation with the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and another non-profit, the Friends of Odiorne Point State Park. In 2001, the Center became an independent non-profit organization. A year later, the Friends merged with the Center. Today, the Seacoast Science Center, still operating under contract with the state, has over 1,300 member households, over 100 volunteers and a year-round crew of 16.

For More Information about the Seacoast Science Center, please visit them online at:
http://www.seacoastsciencecenter.org