Running and living in Boone, North Carolina. How is it?

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oke doke

Boone, NC is the home of Appalachian State University. ASU is a Division I shcool with a track and cross country team and a good track. Boone has tons of trails for good summer training and about 10 miles down the road is Zap Fitness (http://www.zapfitness.com/?page=24) in Blowing Rock. Zap runs a training compound for distance runners including a group of elite athletes running about 13:30-14:30 for 5k.

Nearby is several state parks with good trails and adventures. Recently Boone was the host to the Grandfather Mountain Marathon, a race with a 1000 foot elevation gain over the length of the course. I ran it and would suggest the course for a tough long run. It finishes at the top of Grandfather Mountain so plan to get a ride back.

While Denver is the "mile high city" Boone is the "kilometer high city" siting at 3300 ft. (1000m) altitude so you get the benefit of altitude training.

The town itself is small (10-15k in pop) but accessable and as a college town has plenty of stores and things to do.

Not a bad place to spend a summer but a little on the cold, windy and snowy side for my taste in the winter.

I would suggest contacting the ASU track and cross country coach to let him know your in town and ask for guidance on using the track and other training in the area.

OK, let's get some things straight on this topic.

1. Boone is not all that different from Flagstaff in terms of the town's "feel." It is a realatively small town that is dominated by the university that's there. It has some tourist appeal, as does Flag, and it's got that "mountain vibe" going that draws in the granolas and artisans. It is definitely smaller than Flagstaff, but the two really aren't that different.

2. Boone's weather isn't nearly as good as Flag. It is hotter in the summer, and as cold or colder in the winter - and without the sunny days that Flag still gets. It is a "wet cold" and "stuffy heat" kind of climate, but the summers are mild enough that the App State dorms lack AC.

3. The trails/routes in Boone are probably better than those in Flagstaff, especially if you work in the general area. They tend to be more for general pedestrian use (ie, old people and tourists) and I think this is better for running as they're wider and smoother than say the trails on the Peaks and such.

4. Altitude in Boone is a non-factor and should not be considered as a reason for coming. The mountains in Boone top out much lower than is needed for real benefit - it's not really even that much higher than say Atlanta or Ashville. Those who say they use Boone for "altitude" have never really done time at 7,000+.

5. 13:30-14:30 is not Elite. Heck, it's barely All-American. That said, there are a lot of people who choose Boone specifically to train, so there are plenty of runners around.

All in all, I'd give Boone the edge in running routes and probably training partners. Flag in everything else.

Flagger wrote:

4. Altitude in Boone is a non-factor and should not be considered as a reason for coming. The mountains in Boone top out much lower than is needed for real benefit - it's not really even that much higher than say Atlanta or Ashville. Those who say they use Boone for "altitude" have never really done time at 7,000+.

There is a SIGNIFICANT difference in altitude between Boone and both Asheville and Atlanta. Boone's got 1,200 feet on Asheville and 2,300 feet on Atlanta. I agree you probably would want more than 3,300 to get the altitude advantage, but don't try to put Boone in the same category as the other two.

[quote]Flagger wrote:

4. Altitude in Boone is a non-factor and should not be considered as a reason for coming. The mountains in Boone top out much lower than is needed for real benefit - it's not really even that much higher than say Atlanta or Ashville. Those who say they use Boone for "altitude" have never really done time at 7,000+.

5. 13:30-14:30 is not Elite. Heck, it's barely All-American. That said, there are a lot of people who choose Boone specifically to train, so there are plenty of runners around.

quote]

three things Flagger,

1) i agree 3300 ft is not exactly ideal for altitude training but is much significantly better than training at 500 ft in somewhere like Charlotte or Atlanta. You can notice a difference in the supply of air.

2) Zap calls their athletes elite and those are the times they run. My definition and your definition may not agree with theirs but at least they are putting a group together to train and race post collegiately; think baout cutting them some slack.

3) chill-out, you are very testy without good cause. Go for a long run, take a whirlpool and get some sleep.

There's a track at McRae Meadows on Granfather Mtn (altitude ~4500ft I think.) Just a 20 minute drive from town and I hear Appstate runners train there occaisionally.