virginia is for racers

Alenda and I spent the weekend racing in Abingdon, VA. She ran the Highlands Spring Chase 15K on Saturday, and I ran the Virginia Creeper Marathon on Sunday. The forecast looked good when we left, but on the way the temperature dropped into the forties and it started raining. Conditions were not ideal, but Alenda did well, running the course in 85 minutes. She got third place in the female division. The 15K was also on the Creeper Trail.

The area is beautiful.

The weather was worse on Sunday with rain and temps in the thirties. I was cold at the start line.

I still finished strong in 3:29. My goal was 8 minute miles and I averaged 7:59.

It was a great weekend.

I paddled the Watauga nearly 20 times in March. These shots are from an early run.

fired up

My next race is the Virginia Creeper Marathon. I was training for it on Tuesday in the heaviest rain Johnson City has seen in a year. "I wonder if anything is running?" I thought as I slogged through deep puddles. I checked the gauges when I got home, but nothing was registering. I took a chance and drove up to the Doe. I was rewarded with 800 cfs of muddy, brown water. The next day Russell and I got a couple of runs on the Laurel Fork at a good level. Big R boofing the entrance rapid on the Laurel Fork.

This rapid has a couple of stout ledge holes and a gnarly corner pocket. The Laurel Fork is walled in and tight. Darwin's Hole is a mandatory class V rapid that consist of two, five foot ledges. The second one is a smooth, uniform ledge creating a potentially fatal hydraulic.
The portage around the Falls is badly eroded. We roped our boats down. The Falls are runnable, but not by me.

A couple of days later we were surprised by a juicy Watauga. This is Seth running Hydro. Russell on the traditional line at State Line.

Tennessee the Hard Way.

The Veil. All State Line photos by Seth.