LENNY HUFFMAN
MPF RNR Athlete
Lenny - I have been running for many years on the trails and road. I enjoy competing in races of all distances, from a 5k’s to a 100 miler. However, I do prefer to compete in races in the half marathon range. When I want to challenge myself physically & mentally I head out to tackle the ultra distances. Nothing is better then being out in the woods and running the trails. Running allows me to challenge myself every day. There is always another hill to climb, trails to explore or miles to tick off . Several years ago I turned my passion of fitness into a career and became a Strength & Conditioning Coach.
For the last 3 years I work doing in home personal training for clients of all ages and fitness levels. I am an avid runner both on the roads & trails and enjoy competing in races of distances anywhere from 5k to 50 miles. I also enjoy cycling, climbing, hiking and almost anything outdoors. Additionally I train in martial arts and hold rank in a number of disciplines including black belts in Judo, jujitsu and kempo.
Len climbing Breakneck Ridge at the 2015 Breakneck Point Trail 25k.
Len's Articles, Race Reports, Reviews & Adventures
Len was focused on the Vertical K on Saturday, which was extremely challenging. He was a bit unsure about the 2nd days Marathon but with encouragement from his wife, he ended up having a weekend to be proud of!
It was a another big weekend of racing for the team with The North Face Endurance Challenge visiting the great trails of Bear Mountain & Harriman State Park of NY, as well as the Rock the Ridge 50 Mile Endurance Challenge.
Up Up Up. Those are words my 15 month old daughter says to me to be picked up. Those are words that one could also use to describe the Breakneck Marathon & 25k race held on 4/18 in Beacon New York. The course was a combination of monster climbs followed by brutal descents.
Earlier in the winter, or should I say the extended fall, I was thinking that this run on the Breakneck Point race course might be relatively snow free, or at least have somewhat fast conditions. How things change! I can easily say that that was my slowest, uh, attempt at forward motion, ever!
We covered just over 8 miles of trails in Sterling Forest, most of it was covered in ice. The rocks and trees were even wrapped with a thick layer of ice. With the weather we had today, it is especially important to be prepared and carry some emergency gear.
Temps started out at about 40º and rose steadily through the morning. Trails were slushy, some had ice and a little snow cover, others were wet but traction was surprisingly fine at times. Looks like some cold weather is in the forecast and more rain on the way tonight, microspikes may be in order. Lets hope for some snow this coming Tuesday!
Each year we look forward to November because of the changes that it brings. Cold weather slowly moves in with the winds, trees become barer by the day and the chance of snow increases each week.
I heard about the Vermont 50 back in the spring from several of my Mountain Peak Fitness / Campmor teammates. Joe Azze was doing the 50 mile bike and Jules Moore the 50 mile run. I had not run a 50 mile race in 2 years so I wanted to give it a go. My obstacle though was my new baby daughter.
By MPF Athlete, Len Huffman
I am what companies call brand loyal. When I find a product that I like and it works for me I tend to stick with it. I am like this with my running shoes. I started my running days in Pearl Izumi's. I loved them. I had 4 or 5 pairs, same model (shines). I ran my best marathon in Synco Fuels. Unfortunately Pearl Izumi stopped making the ones I liked and the models they replaced them with just didn’t feel the same.
The 2014 Escarpment Trail Run was held on July 27th. This was my second running of the race, which has been happening since 1977. Held in the Catskills Mountains, it a grueling 18 mile trek up and over 3 peaks on trails littered with roots & rocks. I was excited to try to best last years time of 4 hours 20 minutes. My goal was 4 hours.
Hey Bear Mountain - shove it! Yeah, you heard me. Yes I am pointing 2 appendages your way. You always try to thwart us with your rocky and rooty paths. Your climbs often make us want to curl up into little balls. This year you added streams of water where there shouldn’t have been and mud...
As September neared its end, I was preparing for my 3rd Mountain Madness 50k. I had mixed feelings about the race this year. Last year I had trained on the course often and had more miles in my legs but felt under trained this year. A busy schedule had kept me from but just 1 training run on the course. The course was also different this year due to pipeline construction. Never the less, I signed up and prepared to do my best.
The 18.6 Mile Escarpment Trail Run has been taking place in the Catskills Mountains of New York for more than 30 years. It is a race that has been on my radar for a while but never fit into my schedule. This year the timing was just right!
The weekend of May 4-5th brought The North Face Endurance Challenge back to Bear Mountain in New York. I was competing in Sunday’s half marathon for the fifth time. This race has been my spring goal for the last few years. I have enjoyed high finishes and went into this years race looking for more success.
On race morning my wife and I drove out to Reading for the race. It was only about a 2 hour ride. The race had an 11am start time so it was nice not to have to rush out to early. Check in was held at a “social” club at the race finish
I started my 2013 race season on February 3rd at the NJ Trail Series last race of the winter season. My goals for the first half of the year consist of shorter races so I signed up for the 5 mile race
When the summer ends and fall rolls around there are a number of things that you can look forward to: Crisp cool air, leaves changing colors….& Mountain Madness.
I have been a fan of Inov-8 for a few years now. They have delivered countless miles of reliability to my feet in many different conditions & distances. When I had the opportunity to get another pair, I chose the Inov-8 Mudroc 290's.
On May 6th I participated in my 4th North Face Endurance Challenge half marathon in Bear Mountain, NY. The North Face races take place over 2 days with the longer races taking place on Saturday and shorter ones Sunday. There is only one word to describe the course...grueling!
The Febapple was held on February 25th at South Mountain Reservation. It is a race organized by NJ Trail Series. The race offered distances of 50 miles, 50k, 21 miles and 10 miles. The Febapple was not on my original schedule, I had planned to do a 10k the week before but did not make it. On Wednesday I made a last minute decision to enter the 10 miler.
Good Legs are only part of the equation…Mountain Madness 50k (referred to often as MOMA) is a trail race put on by NJ Trail Series. It is held in parts of Ringwood & Ramapo state parks in northern NJ. Now in its 3rd year, MOMA had races of 50k, 25k & 7.7 miles. This years event took place on October 15th.
Repeating is hard: Mahlon Mayhem is a trail race put on by NJ Trail Series in Mahlon reservation in Jefferson, NJ. The race, in it’s second year, has distances of 100k, 75k, 50, 25k & 12.5k.
By MPF Athlete Len Huffman
The pack - The Nathan Endurance hydration pack is the latest addition to the Nathan Hydration pack family, It is a vest style hydration pack that features a 70oz bladder. It has 1 medium sized storage pocket that has a divider and is large enough for a light weight ,compact piece of clothing such as a winter hat or additional nutrition along with a cell phone, etc.
Today (Sunday the 31st) was the 40th running of the Escarpment 18.6 Mile Trail Run. We had pouring rain and slick conditions, but with the hearty souls that toed the line and the volunteers the braved the conditions, the 40th running of the Escarpment Trail Race was an epic success!