I love the Pennsylvania mountains, but how could they begin to prepare you for the fresh hell of Montana’s magnificent peaks? Cody Harris, as a Montana State alumnus, has a deep fondness for the state and the courage (or masochism) needed to sign up for a truly crazy event. The Crazy Mountain 100 webpage warns potential runners, “This is sure to be the craziest race you have ever attempted,” and boasts elevation gain of 23,000 ft, not to mention a base elevation of at least 5,000 ft above sea level. (I live at about 300 ft, for reference.)
We woke up at 3 a.m. on Friday and loaded up the rental SUV with coolers, food, sleeping bags, and gear, knowing that it would be a long time before we saw the Airbnb again. Cody was stressed, his watch telling him, “Body Battery: 6%” (Sidenote—what happens when it reaches 0%?) The only solution to prerace nerves is to start running, and Cody joined the crowd of crazies to hear a blessing from a member of the local Apsaalooke (Crow) tribe as the sun rose. The race kicked off at 6:00 a.m., with a few runners bursting out of the portajohn to join the herd as it took off for the mountains.
Then, the crew’s job began. Brittni drove us to the first crewable aid station, Ibex. Each aid station was accessible only via remote forest roads, and the parking situation was inevitably sketchy. At Ibex, Brittni drove up to a guy wearing a bright pink hat.
Brittni: Can we park down there?
Pink Hat Guy: No.
Brittni: Don’t you think you should stand back there to direct people?
Pink Hat Guy: I don’t work here.
You could almost hear him thinking, So fuck off, Karen. In retrospect, we rolled right past a sign that read, “No crew vehicles past this point.” We saw Pink Hat Guy repeatedly over the course of the race, and at the finish line Steve apologized to him over some foamy beer. Brittni remains unapologetic (well, he shouldn’t have been standing there).
My first time crewing at an aid station, I waited among happy dogs, ringing cowbells, and the smell of pancakes. Family and friends lined up along the trail, many wearing custom T-shirts of their runner. Cody arrived a little ahead of schedule, and Brittni offered him a variety of foods, while I ran to replenish his water bottles and ice bandanna. Cody spilled some mashed potatoes on himself, Brittni wiped it off with her clothing, and sent him on his way.
Cody left the first aid station in good spirits, but when we saw him again at mile 43, he had blisters on both feet. The top of the mountain was far wetter than we predicted (the surrounding landscape is arid) and mixed with a brutal climb, his feet were in bad shape. Brittni patched up his feet and put on fresh shoes and socks, and we sent him back up the mountain with Steve, knowing he was in for a world of pain.
Brittni and I wouldn’t see the boys again till after midnight, so we tried to catch some sleep at the next aid station. Brittni blew up a sleeping pad for me, and I stretched out behind the car, sleeping bag zipped over my head against the bugs. I woke up in darkness to my alarm 90 minutes later. There was a dog yipping nearby, and Brittni assured me that he’d been going for a long time. On our hike to the aid station, we saw headlamps twinkling down the mountain, some alone, others in pairs.
The descent from Sunlight Peak changed things. Steve originally planned to pace Cody through the night, but traversing the loose rock cliff face, in the dark, for half a mile of sheer terror, and at least a 20% chance of death (though not a bad way to go), Steve didn’t want to slow Cody down. Cody, at this point, was beyond caring much if he lived or died and wasn’t bothered by the potential free fall into shadow. Brittni switched Cody’s shoes and socks again, loaded up an extra battery, and Cody headed out solo into the night.
I slept again on the drive to Forest Lake, the final crewable aide station before the finish line. We parked right next to the trail, and I kept sleeping until Brittni woke me up.
“Cody’s two miles away!”
I scrambled to get changed, eat something, and gear up. As Cody walked and then jogged out of the driveway and onto the trail, I could have skipped. Finally! Getting to do what I’d been training for. Steve told me and Brittni about the beauty up in the mountains, what we could only imagine from the aid stations below. Alpine lakes surrounded by mountains and snow-melt waterfalls. For the first ten miles or so, Cody seemed spirited. He was conversant and ran whenever the trail leveled out. We had one main climb that took us out of tree cover to fields of wildflowers under stunning blue skies. The trail unraveled before us, utterly exposed. Not a good thing for Cody’s burnt legs, and watching runners climb distant hills sucked the truth out of my assurances that “This is the last climb!”
The last seven miles were the worst. Though finished with the mountains, the pastures spread infinitely before us, the farm where we would finish a mere speck in the distance. But even though his hip flexors and feet hurt, he kept taking painful steps forward. The body is incredibly resilient, and Cody went from a sleep-deprived start, to uncertain whether he’d be able to finish with blisters and 60 more miles to go, to sprinting across the finish line so fast I couldn’t get my phone out in time to take a picture.
If you run into Cody and notice his shirt doesn’t fit right, it’s because he’s got a belt buckle the size of a dinner plate. Brittni ran the operation so smoothly that Cody’s only job was to keep moving forward and consume whatever she gave him. Crewing wasn’t easy, with driving two hours between aid stations with terrible parking.
I’m so lucky I got the chance to tag along on this adventure (thanks, Matt, for taking a conflicting trip to Nova Scotia). The Pagoda Pacers sustain a culture that makes the crazy seem possible, and if you see me running far beyond that amount recommended to maintain a healthy lifestyle, blame the bad influence of my friends.
What’s Cody doing next? Well, he might try to beat his 5k PR from high school, or raise the difficulty of running 100 miles by going unassisted. Whatever his goal, Cody is absolutely crazy enough to achieve it.
Anyone that has been in the ultrarunning scene for a while knows about the Barkley Marathons and Laz. So few runners get to experience this test, Laz created the Fall Classic as a way for more mortal runners to partake in the Barkley experience in a smaller dose. I’m not sure at what point I learned about this race, but last year, I decided to put myself in the lottery on a whim. I can’t take away from myself what I’ve accomplished over the past 15 years of ultrarunning, but I really didn’t think I had any business doing this race. While I have determination and a crazy amount of endurance, I’m not particularly fast. For whatever reason, Laz decided I should be running this race, so I started planning.
My summer had some solid training, getting into elevation in Blowing Rock and then Creede, pacing Maggie at Eastern States 100, and running 50k with Niki at Labor Pain. I was trained, if nothing else. We drove part way and then finished our drive to Oliver Springs on Friday, heading right to packet pickup. I felt an immense imposter syndrome as I listened to Laz talk about how the mountains formed and how Barkley came to be. We ate dinner at packet pickup but skipped the football game where the runners are welcomed into the community. I needed time to prep, and I wanted to try and get a decent amount of sleep.
With our bibs, we were given a compass, a whistle, and a cloth map of this year’s course. The course has minimal markings, and I watched groups of people gathering to scrutinize the map and discuss plans. I chose to forego that exercise. We got to our cabin, and I started pulling my gear together for the next morning. I knew from research that the briars on the powerline climb called “Rat Jaw” could be brutal, and runners had a multitude of approaches to handle this. I chose a pair of what hashers call “shiggy socks,” soccer shin guards, and a heavy-duty pair of work gloves. I had a ton of snacks packed in my hydration vest, and a cheap kid’s pedometer watch, since GPS is forbidden. Trekking poles are also not allowed, but runners can utilize any sticks they scrounge up on course.
The morning of the race, I made some coffee and had some pastry for breakfast—no skimping on calories! It took us about 15 minutes to get to Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, where the race started. At this point, I felt oddly calm and really just wanted to start already. I got to talk to Laz for a minute prior to the ceremonial lighting of the cigarette, and we were off. Jeff went to his assigned volunteer assignment at aid station 3 while I tackled the first hill.
The first cutoff was an hour into the race, and Laz said if you couldn’t make it to the top of the road climb in an hour, you had no business pressing on. It was a steady climb, but nothing that felt horrible. We dipped into the woods onto some single track at the top, and I got into a rhythm. Then we hit Upper Rat Jaw. Immediately, there were multiple lines driving uphill directly under the power lines. Leaving that course would result in disqualification. There were heavy briars and other types of brush, in addition to the steep, loose dirt paths. In some sections, there were cables that could be grabbed, but having the gloves allowed even the briars to serve as something to grab to assist with getting up the hill. Since the course was just staying under the power lines, people were taking all kinds of different routes, crisscrossing under the wires. I was no exception, and I pressed up an alternate route with another woman, working our way under the briars in almost an army crawl at points.
We hit a wall of rock and had to wait our turns to get through the narrow channel cut through. Once we finally hit the top of the climb, we were scratched and bloody, but nothing really felt terrible. There was a fire tower just above Rat Jaw, and I got my first letter punched on my bib, which is one of the ways they can track that you’ve done the whole course. Then it was time to cruise some downhill. This is my happy place, the more technical, the better. I passed maybe 20 people on this section, and I had a few other runners comment that they didn’t know how I was moving like that on such technical trail. I explained that I live in Rocksylvania, and one guy told me it really showed.
Unfortunately, this section was also quite cambered, and I was still wearing those thick socks. I felt my foot sliding weirdly but didn’t think anything of it right away. Then I started feeling right heel pain. I decided to try and take care of my feet sooner than later, so they wouldn’t get any worse. I had a shear injury on the heel from all of that movement, which was essentially a very deep blister that covered the entire heel. I tried to drain it unsuccessfully and settled for throwing some kt tape on with my normal socks. I was still moving but had to slow on the descents. Every time my foot would land on a rock, my ankle would immediately try to roll, likely as a way of trying to protect my heel involuntarily.
I continued to push forward, and I really started pushing uphill, since I could control my foot placement a bit more reliably. Lots of people were using sticks on the climb, but I used the hands-on upper thighs approach. I passed maybe 25 more people in this section. I heard a very distinct whoop in the distance and knew I was approaching AS 3, where Jeff was. One of the volunteers told me I was the 48th woman. It was a quick stop for me, just topping off water and mixing two more bottles of electrolytes. With the temp in the 90s, this was a necessity. After I left the aid station, I pulled out the fabric map from my pack and realized that I could wring it out. This section was an old jeep road, and I did my best to keep running, despite again trying to turn my ankle on multiple occasions. A handful of people passed me in this section. There was another AS in this section, and John Kelly punched my bib before I continued on.
This jeep trail led back to the iconic yellow gate, and a photographer was there—I can’t wait to see that picture. I continued onto a section of road, back to AS 2/5. The cutoff was 4:20, and I got there a bit before 2. I asked one of the volunteers how I was doing on time, and he told me it was going to be tough to hit the final cutoff at the decision point in time. I had to be there by 5:20. I started climbing another brutal trail called Chimney Tops Trail and decided that I would make one more attempt at trying to fix my heel if I had any chance for the full “50k.” I very quickly realized it was a futile effort and pushed on. This is when it really hit me how well prepared I was. I don’t consider myself a strong climber, but I again passed many people and never saw them again.
Chimney Top climbed forever, and eventually I was back at the fire tower, which I now had to climb. Once down, I got another punch and now had about 20 minutes to make it down Rat Jaw…the whole way down. I think this was one of the few times where I wish I’d been going up. Down was brutal. I had my gloves still with me, and I used all the plant life I could along the way to break me from freefalling. I ended up in a pack with a few guys. The one caught his foot in the cable and did a split. Not long after, he said he needed to sit as we passed him. I thought he needed to gather himself after the fall, but I could hear him start prolifically vomiting behind me. This sped me up a little bit.
Descending all the way down Rat Jaw took way longer than I had hoped, and I watched the cutoff pass before I reached the decision point. I had passed the guys I was with and kept pushing. Then I heard someone behind me again and realized my vomiting companion was rallying. I let him blow past me. The last bit of descent was very steep, and I needed to crabwalk down a few feet before reaching the last gully as I approached the decision point. I fell forward hard but caught myself with both hands on the uphill without missing a beat. The spectators cheered for that, and I approached Laz. At this point, my time was stopped, but I was able to cross the finish line below for the “marathon” finish (most people calculated this as about 28-29 miles and ~9500 feet of vert). Jeff was waiting, they announced my name, and I earned my dog tag.
As soon as I crossed the finish, my foot decided I no longer wanted to be able to walk easily. We grabbed some food, sat on the grass, drank an amazingly cold soda, and I finally exhaled. This was a tough race, but I never felt like I was doing something beyond my ability. One thing I noticed, and I wish was not the case, was how few women were out there. We made up 22% of the field. I really thought about this after the race. I had the idea that I had no business being here, but I take that back. I have every right to push myself into these spaces. I really hope my fellow women runners take this to heart. You belong in these races, too.
The winter holiday season always seems to creep up very quickly at this time of the year and brings with it additional daily stressors for many people. It seems like good timing to have a stress article series, starting with some basics this month and building from there, including how it affects our health and ways to cope and manage (including some that may surprise you, such as nutrition).
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, and this information is for educational and informational purposes only. Reading this article does not create a coach-client relationship, and you have full personal responsibility for your health and wellness. Please seek professional medical or psychological help if you have any concerns or issues.
Did you know?
Between 60% and 90% of doctor’s visits are related to stress (Powers & Dodd, 2020; Harvard University, n.d.).
Back in 2010, the American Psychological Association said stress is becoming a public health crisis (American Psychological Association, 2011).
In the American Psychological Association’s “Stress in America 2025” report, top stressors include the future of our nation, the economy, work, spread of misinformation, money, U.S. Politics, housing costs, relationships, and the rise of AI (APA, 2025).
Stress can lead to poor health or make current chronic health diseases worse (National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching, 2022).
The Basics:
Stress can be good for us, helping us do better with certain things. Examples include studying for a test you are stressed about or preparing for a public speech (Greenberg, 2025, chapter 1). We need just a bit of stress in our lives.
Physical and emotional symptoms of stress can include “irritability or anger; fatigue; lack of interest, motivation, or energy; feeling nervous or anxious; headache; feeling depressed or sad; feeling as though you could cry; upset stomach or indigestion; muscular tension; change in appetite; teeth grinding; tightness in chest; feeling faint or dizzy; change in menstrual cycle; etc. (American Psychological Association, 2011; McCarthy, et al., 2016; Greenberg, 2025, chapter 1). Other symptoms can include racing heart or palpitations, sweating, ringing in ears, frequent/urgent need to pee; restlessness; fidgeting; overuse of alcohol; emotional eating/overeating; clenching your fists; smoking more than usual; withdraw from others (wanting to be alone); boredom; worry; poor concentration; trouble with memory; loss of sense of humor; etc. (Harvard Medical School, 2024). Knowing and being aware of these symptoms can be helpful for successful stress management.
Some stressors can be subjective (or symbolic), based on a person’s attitudes, personality, culture, environment, outlook on life, etc. (Greenberg, 2025). What stresses you out may not stress someone else out. Regardless, our bodies all respond the same (such as elevated heart rate and respiration rate, muscle tension, and blood pressure) (Greenberg, 2025, chapter 1).
References
American Psychological Association. (2011). Stressed in America. Monitor on Psychology.
Harvard Medical School (2024). Stress Management: Special Health Report.
McCarthy, C. J., DeLisi, M., Getzfeld, A. R., McCarthy, C. J., Moss-King, D. A., Mossler, R., Privitera, G. J., Spence, C., Walker, J. D., Weinberg, R. S., & Youssef-Morgan, C. M. (2016). Introduction to applied behavioral science. Bridgepoint Education.
Dates: 2nd Sunday: Dec 13th, Jan 10th, Feb 14th, March 14th.
Time: 10:00 am; registration opens at 8:30.
Location: Jim Dietrich Park, Muhlenberg Twp.
Come out and join us for the best winter series in the area!! If you have never run a Shiver race or it’s been a few years, this is a great reason for running through the winter, not to mention seeing runners you haven’t seen for years! If you are one of the many runners we see year after year, we look forward to seeing you again.
We are not mailing apps; however, we will accept mail-in registrations. Apps can be downloaded and printed by clicking HERE or can be picked up at one of the many races timed by Pretzel City Sports. Pre-registration is only available for the series; however, we will have race day registration for both the series and individual races.
This year’s swag is a long-sleeve tech shirt with a NEW design!!!!! Also new this year, THE SHIRT MUST BE PRE-ORDERED!!! There will be no extra shirts available on race day. Runners who want a shirt but do not plan to pre-register for the series must still pre-order either online or by mailing a registration form. Pre-ordered shirts will be available for pickup at any of the races. The deadline to order a shirt is Nov 13th.
Each race includes a post-race buffet of soup, pretzels, and snacks. The end-of-year party includes a hot and cold buffet plus lots and lots of door prizes, overall awards, and 5-year age group awards. As always, this buffet is free to any runner who registers for the series or runs at least 3 races. There is a nominal charge for all others.
On Saturday, October 24th, we are hosting our 18th annual Berks County Junior High “Run Off” Championships at Reading Fairgrounds. Sadly, Tom and Gwyn Chobot have stepped away from this event, so I am going to try to honor them, as well as “tweak” some things, in order to carry this very important event far into the future.
A few changes:
Besides the boys’ and girls’ 7th/8th grade races, we will introduce a new .6 mile 6th grade open race (so 3 races instead of 2). The hope is that this will draw kids who might have looked at soccer or lacrosse towards what cross country is.
Although this is, and always will be, a Pagoda Pacers event—I am looking (reaching out) for additional sponsors (in order to “lighten the load” financially for the club). Fleet Feet, Redner’s, Tower Health, Clean Eatz, and possibly a few others are being asked to help make this race a bit more financially stable. (It has always lost money, and shrinking cross-country participation is really making me nervous about the future). This should be viewed as a “community race,” so we need to see if the community is willing to pitch in—even a little bit.
Besides selling shirts, I am also looking at selling a cross-country-specific poster. This will consist of all the participating schools’ mascots racing towards the finish line!!! (There will be limited printing just to gauge interest for the future).
What I am asking from the club is volunteers for race day. If you can be there by (at the latest) 7am-7:15am in order to help with parking, directing traffic, and registration (packet pickup)—as well as signing up the 6th graders (sign-up will be day of). Helping Ron Horn at the finish, awards, crowd control, and course cleanup/takedown. We have always been grateful for all the volunteers—and the more there are, the better off we are. Hope to have everything done and wrapped up by noon (ish). I am planning on using all of Friday to set everything up. I have been mowing the hill all summer—so I hope things will go smoothly (fingers crossed).
3 things I may need help with: The finish line blow-up banner. How do we collect $ from credit cards and such?
Any fabric banners that I can hang all over.
Thank you so much!!!! I can be reached at lechnerp@comcast.net or 610-478-1861 (leave a message).
Girls on the Run Berks County is in full swing with our Fall 2026 season, with 15 teams and 210 girls participating across Berks and Schuylkill Counties!
We are just about one month away from our Fall 5K on Saturday, November 7, at the Berks Heritage Center. Community members are invited to join us as runners and experience the energy and joy of Girls on the Run!
Interested in volunteering on race day? Email 5kvolunteer@gotrberks.org, and our team will be in contact with information about volunteer opportunities and where we could use your help.
Finally, we are excited to be looking to add additional members to our Girls on the Run Berks County Board of Directors. If you are interested in becoming more involved with GOTR and serving on our board, please reach out to Executive Director Amanda Ford at aford@gotrberks.org for more information.
Thank you to the Pagoda Pacers for your continued partnership and support of Girls on the Run Berks County!
Price until November 19: $20 for Pagoda Pacers members in good standing; $30 for non-members
Price increase starting November 20: $25 for members; $35 non-members
Price includes food from Fat Pineapple Catering, beer, wine, soda, and entertainment from DJ Tori from All Party Starz!
Our intended timeline for the party: 6-7 Cocktail Hour 7 Buffet starts (cleared by 9) 8/8:30ish music starts
It’s the event you don’t want to miss!
If you have items you’d like to donate for a raffle prize or if you have a business and would like to donate gift cards or products for raffle prizes, please contact me (Julia Hager) asap! I’d like to have all raffles in my possession by November 28th!
Those of us who love trail running, mountain biking, and hiking are so fortunate to live here in Berks County, where there are so many great trail networks to explore.
But maintaining our awesome trails requires a significant amount of work. Luckily, we know that many hands make light work. Join your fellow Pacers on upcoming trail maintenance days, led by our own Cody Harris and Michael Whalen.
No experience necessary—all ability levels can help!
No need to bring tools or special equipment!
Volunteering can count towards community service hours or Pacer Passport requirements!
The next chance to help out is on SUNDAY, October 18.
October 10thshirt cut-off and the next price increase are fast approaching!!!
There’s now 1 month to go until the Oley Country Classic 10M/6K. The shirt cut off is October 10th, and after that, you will not be able to get one, as no extra shirts will be available on race day. Additionally, both the 10-mile and 6K prices will increase by $5 after the 10th. There’s still time to get a great deal on a fantastic mid-fall race and a super-looking shirt!!!
If you’re not looking to run that day, please consider volunteering, as we need over 30 volunteers and only have a handful so far. Please see the link below for volunteer information.
Race Date: Sunday 11/1/2026
Location:
Oley Valley High School
17 Jefferson Street, Oley, PA 19547
Start Times:
9AM for the 10-miler
9:10AM for the 6K
New for 2026:
100% paved running surface for both distances!!! We got lots of feedback on last year’s “back-of- the-school tour” and changed the beginning of the course slightly to keep you on pavement for 100% of the course.
Regular registration pricing and shirt option (until 10/10):
9/8 – 10/10 (regular):
10-Miler: $30 without shirt; $48 with shirt
6K: $25 without shirt; $43 with shirt
10/11 – 10/28 (no shirt):
10-Miler: $35; 6K: $30
Day of Race (no shirt):
10Miler: $45; 6K: $40
Awards: 1st & 2nd in 5-year age groups (including 80+) are available in both the men’s/women’s categories of each race, and the 6K has added an under-14 category. Also, the 10-miler is an RRCA Eastern Regional Championship, so there’s a chance of double awards for some people.
Volunteers are a vital part of every race our club presents. As this race is spread over 10 miles, with almost no overlap, we’re looking for about 30 people willing to help (road marshals, aid stations, registration, setup, and cleanup). In the past, we’ve had race participants volunteer for setup/registration and then go run the race or run the race and then help clean up. If you’re not planning on running, there’s plenty of help needed as either a visible road marshal or aid station volunteer. Every bit of help is greatly appreciated by Danny & Jennifer. All the volunteer spots are listed via the link below:
