Dane Mitchell- Newest Athlete to the Rock/Creek Race Team

Rock/Creek is proud to announce the newest member to the Rock/Creek Race Team, Dane Mitchell!
Below is a brief biography and overview of his running career. Welcome to the Team Dane! We are positive you will lead the pack for some strong and fast finishes!
You may follow Dane’s running successes by checking back on his profile for upcoming races and finish times.

Dane Mitchell
Age: 32
Occupation: Trim Carpenter
I started running a few years after college. My wife, Sara, and I were living in Asheville, N.C. and we began to frequent the trails at Bent Creek. As we became more fit and competitive, we joined up with a track club in town. Norm Blair, owner of Jus’ Running, headed up the group. I spent the following few years running under his patented Masochistic Training Technique (MTT), learning how to train and race.

Since then, we have moved around pursuing higher educational opportunities. We lived in Flagstaff, Az. for a couple of years here Sara got her Masters degree and then moved on to Denton, Tx, where she was able to pursue her PhD. We’re currently, temporarily, in my hometown of Birmingham, Al. In each place, running has been our link to the community. I feel fortunate to have met so many inspiring athletes and mentors along the way.

Though my focus has largely been on road racing and marathons, I’ve begun to shift in the past year to trail racing and ultras. That shift has helped me to rekindle a passion for running and training that had begun to dwindle due to various reasons. A large reason I began running, in the first place, was to experience the local trails and environment on a daily basis. I’ve been able to return to that exploratory mindset while also working on a whole new set of challenges in preparing for the strength and endurance required to excel on the trail. It’s also been a breath of fresh air to experience the comraderie and support of the trail running community.

Favorite Training Trail:
My training grounds in Bham are on the various loops at Oak Mtn. It’s hard to beat the terrain and trail quality- especially the blue trail.
The portions of the Pinhoti trail that I’ve run (around Cheaha State Park) are both rigorous and beautiful.
The Mt. Elden trails in Flagstaff- incredible views and burly terrain will whip you right into shape.
Though I just ran it for the first time a couple of weeks ago, the Raccoon Mtn. trails in Chattanooga have great flow to them….kudos to ye trail builders.

Running Tips:
Running is rhythm. Arms, legs, heartbeat, breath. The cycles of training and racing are rhythmic. Work on creating a concise and efficient flow. Each person’s rhythm is a little different. There are some general scientific guidelines to follow in training, but there are also artistic adaptations to that training that are equally as important. Use scientific prinicples to create the building blocks of your training and artistry to adjust the details.

2009 Races and Past Accomplishments:
(PR’s): 5k(road): Carlsbad 5000, Carlsbad, Ca. – 14:49
8k(road): Race for Literacy, San Diego, Ca. – 24:58
10k(road): Foothills 10k, Cave Creek, Az. 31:13
Half-marathon: 3M Half, Austin, Tx. 1:06:42
Full marathon: Houston Marathon 2:25:27

Race Calendar for 2010:
2/20 Black Warrior 25k (trail) – 1:32:46 CR
2/28 Mt. Cheaha 50k (trail) – 4:00:25 CR
3/27 Oak Mtn. 50k (trail-33 actual miles) – 4:00:10 CR
Rock/Creek Scenic City Trail Marathon– May 22, 2010
Rock/Creek Chattanooga Mtn. Stage Race– June 18,19,20, 2010
Rock/Creek StumpJump– October 2, 2010