It's time for the race I love to hate - The Blessing of the Fleet 10 Mile Road Race. The event itself is super fun with so many friends, past and present, in attendance. I have real expectations this year, and hope to be ready to rock on Friday night. I need to go sub 1 hour. I want to go sub 59. Because of my training this year (very limited road tempo's or races), I'm not sure what sort of shape I'm in. However, after a strong race at the Keene 4 on the 4th, I hope that I'm capable of doing very well. Weather is always a factor. We'll see.
Monday: 10 miles - Rome Point trails and coastline alone. Very hot day (low 90's), so I was just looking to grab some miles and then swim in the cool bay waters. I was feeling pretty good however, and grabbed a bunch of miles before I stopped on the north side of the point to cool off. The tide was strongly running out of Bissel Cove, which created a 'lazy river' situation. Fun stuff. I then ran for another 15 minutes or so as the skies darkened and then briefly rained on me as I finished. Total time: 1:20:08.
Tuesday: 10 miles - Snake Den trails alone. I was trying to spice up my lackluster day with a new spot to run. Somehow I ended up scoping out Snake Den State Park. It actually wasn't that far from the office. I had printed out the state map, but also ran with my phone in my hand to watch my GPS position. The place was really fun. Most of the trails are double track and fast. But there are some interesting hills to run and the connector trail was an overgrown single track that was hard to follow and hard to stay clean on. There are also Strava segments. I do love them, especially on hills. I wasn't looking for a workout, so I didn't kill myself on any this time around. Besides, Seth has set the bar pretty high on a couple I found out. Well done Seth. I mostly stayed on my anticipated course, beginning on the south side and winding my way over to the north. I really liked the south to north climb that cuts across a powerline. It was long and challenging. There was a nice view at the top and I stopped to snap a picture. Despite it being cooler than yesterday, it was still very hot, especially with the sun out and climbing hills. I was sweating buckets! I continued on, finding a creepy area that looked like a dump and had a recent forest fire in it. I ended up missing the segment back up to the lookout named 'Seth' and instead ended up on a much flatter double track. That was the only bummer of my trip. I refound the connector and picked up my pace since it was a segment in this direction. What a disaster! I kept losing the trail, I fell once, and was hammered by deer flies. Once that was over, I detoured to check out a segment called 'Lost Trail Climb'. This trail was awesome. A hilly switchback that ended (or began) in a field overlooking a farm. I stopped to check my map and let a woman and her dog pass before I ran the segment. Fun stuff. I then had another mile of double track to get back to my car. I really enjoyed this place and hope to come back soon. Total time: 1:17:10 with 715' of elevation gain.
Wednesday: 7+ miles - bike path/Canonchet Farm Trail, and beach roads. I had to stop at Wakefield Music to pick up some supplies for the band. I then ran from the Belmont parking lot via the bike path to the Canonchet Farm Trail. I was surprised at how hot it felt, since it was supposedly much nicer weather today (it still got up to the mid to high 80's). I tried to ignore the many deer flies bouncing off my head and back on the trail. I then ran about 2 miles of roads in the beach area. What a zoo. I returned on the trail and bike path to my car. Total time: 55:43.
Thursday: 0 - Whale Rock hike by myself at lunch. This place is awesome. The half mile trail empties out onto rugged coastline. Today I went north about 3/4 of a mile. It was just me and the birds out there.
Friday: 16 miles - Blessing of the Fleet - 58:39, huge PR!! See separate write up.
Saturday: 0 - dog walk in the Glacier Park while the kids were at karate. Legs feel decent. Still very excited about the race.
Sunday: 8 miles - Burlingame trails with Garvin and Gazelle. We did a loop from my house in the morning. Despite racing the last two days, Jeff was pushing the pace, and especially out of control on the down hills. Deer fly city on this muggy late July morning, which is to be expected I guess. Fun showing the guys around. Total time: 1:05:06 with 580' of climbing.
Overall: I'm just super pleased with my Blessing race. I ran smart, but hard. Light week overall, but it paid off. I hope to ramp up the miles again the next two weeks, before slowing down during vacation time. I hope to possibly race another of the big local races, but most likely my next race will be the St. Peter's 4 Miler in Portland, ME on 8/15. My first as a master! I do plan on getting back to lots of hill work and trails, gearing up for Pisgah 23K and Nipmuck Trail Marathon in the early fall.
Weekly Total: 51 miles
Last Week: 56 miles
Year to Date: 2,029 miles
July Total: 217 miles
Friday, July 24, 2015
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Beaver Week: 7-13-15 to 7-19-15 UPDATED w/ Race Report
I'm looking forward to Saturday's trail race - the 4th annual Run with the Beavers (10M). This year's field looks super competitive and should have a fun team battle component as well. The first year I was on a team with my brothers, since no one from the WTAC was running the race. The last two we included Boj on our team and modified our team name in the process to Hammboj. Last year was a narrow loss to WTAC (now well represented at the race). This year, we have added again to our roster (based on a discussion at the Ragnar Trail Relay a few weeks ago). We are now team Hammbojaloob - adding Mike Galoob to the roster. This should make for a very interesting showdown with WTAC, which includes super Kiwi Ryan Woolley (3 fastest splits at Ragnar), Chris Garvin, Muddy, and Seth (among others). I have no idea how this will turn out, but hopefully the friendly competition will lead to an epic race and PR's.
Monday: 12 miles - mix of paved and dirt roads in the Exeter/Richmond area. I guess I got the idea to run here after reading Jeff's post about Old Mountain Trail. I parked on the NLT near the Wawaloam School and ran a loop from there. It was hot and humid, but I carried nothing. The run went well. I was using my phone (RidewithGPS app), so I didn't know how long, fast, or far I was going. I just ran on feel - trying not to overdo it in the heat. I ended up with just over 1,000' of climbing according to the app and finished in 1:32:20.
Tuesday: 10 miles - morning group track workout at CCMS with Galoob and Woolley. It was great to have Woolley join us this morning. It was extremely muggy - 70 degrees with 70 degree dew point. During a longish warm up with strides, the workout plan was hashed out. Those two guys were going to do 6-8 1K repeats at roughly my R pace (74s quarters). I would do 10-12 400's with them. This worked really well. Every two 1000's, I ran the first lap with them, did a second 400 alone during their recovery, and a third 400 on their last lap of the 2nd 1000, then we would recover together and start again. I felt much stronger than last week's 10x400 workout, but I was having trouble nailing my target of 74. I'm guessing it was the heat. My body felt under control the entire time today and I ended up doing 12 repeats: 76/74/74/75/76/74/75/75/75/74/74/75. 1 mile cool down. I planned to go back out for a short double later that day, but ended up bagging it.
Wednesday: 7 miles - late afternoon 5K tempo alone. There was talk at the track yesterday about following up with a tempo block today. I was a little apprehensive about doing too much the week of a race, but I also want to put up a good time at Blessing next Friday night. I was stuck in the office all day until late in the afternoon. I decided to run in East Matunuck. The roads are relatively flat, I could swim or bodysurf in the ocean post run, and I could reminisce about the place I lived for a few years after college. I parked at the end of Succotash Rd in the village of Jerusalem. It was another very muggy day with a foreboding sky. I checked the radar and it looked like any thunderstorms were far enough away that I wouldn't be in danger. I jogged north up the road. The air was extremely thick. I was still oddly looking forward to this. The loose plan was 20 minutes at T pace (5:52), but I was going to be satisfied with 5K. After two miles warming up, I was happy to see there was still a bathroom at the tennis courts. I then ran another 1.5 miles through the South County Hills (good name for a blog) neighborhood, mixing in some strides. I stopped at Jerry Brown Farm Rd to stretch and collect my thoughts. The amount of sweat on me was amazing. I jogged a few more meters and then began my tempo. My GPS watch pace always bounces around so much the first half mile, so I tried to not look at it. I got a little turned around in the neighborhood, which wasn't a big deal, but still equated to a cone turnaround event. What I hoped would be a downhill then flat course, turned out to have a couple of uphill bumps in it the first mile. My watch pace settle on 5:51 after a mile, and I kept it right there most of the rest of the way. Despite the workout yesterday, I was happy that the pace felt decent on my legs. I was uncomfortable though thanks to the weather. I pushed on, even through a slight annoying headwind near the ocean. I made the decision after two miles to just do 5K, rewarding myself for nailing the pace so far. As I got closer and closer to the finish, my body seemed to get hotter and hotter. Finally I reached 3.1 miles and stopped. 18:07! (5:51 average pace). I was elated. I quickly got in my car and drove down to the state beach lot (now not charging). I couldn't wait to ride some waves - they looked good during my run. I parked at the far west end. The storms looked pretty close. I decided to jog .4 miles to get an even 7 for the day and then bodysurf. I kept my watch on and the playback on Strava is kind of fun. Waves were chest high and occasionally bigger. I need to keep my bodyboard and fins in the car just in case for times like this.
Thursday: 5 miles - Rome Point trails alone. Just a very easy run. Total time: 42:43.
Friday: 7 miles - deCoppet Preserve scouting. I needed to find some way to spruce up another easy running day and quiet day at work. I decided to park at the Crawley Preserve on Glen Rock Rd in Usquepaug and run a loop of roads and trails. I headed down the road and then up and over the big hill on Punchbowl Trail. I continued west on Punchbowl, now an old dirt road. Once I reached Hillsdale Rd, I veered north. It was kind of hot and I just tried to keep the running easy. I then reached a gate I planned to run trails in. Although there are no maps online, the state has posted maps at all marked gaits for the relatively new deCoppet Preserve. I planned to connect to James Trail (paved road) and then return to my car. Instead I just cruised on the ridge carriage road heading south through the preserve. I stirred up a large deer and then a fox a few minutes later. Eventually I connected back on the dirt Punchbowl Trail. I then went up and over the paved hill and returned to my car. This was a really fun place to run. The carriage roads are great for fast trail running and the paved roads have some super hills. I hope to do a long group run in here soon. Total time: 55:33 with 618' of climbing. I drove down the road to a small parking area near the Dugway Bridge and took a quick swim to cool off.
Saturday: 14 miles - Run with the Beavers 10M Trail Race - 1:10:03, 7th overall, team Hammbojaloob 2nd place. This is always a great race put on by the Jackmans. The 5 mile loop is legit. So fun for a trail race. This was my fourth time running it (check my races page for the other write ups). I knew that the race was going to be stacked with fast friends, and this might have tempered my enthusiasm for racing the day of. It was more just a great excuse to hang out and run with my peers. Don't mistake me, the effort was going to be there, I just wasn't nervous at all. At bib pickup, Bob handed me the reward for our team win at the Ragnar NE Trail Relay last month - a giant belt buckle/bottle opener. Pretty cool. I spent a lot of time chatting with WTAC and Hammbojaloob team members and eventually most of us headed out for a warm up. It was relatively cool this morning and overcast. I knew it was going to be muggy, but at least the other two 'H's were under control. I did a bunch of strides to wake up my legs at the start line. Finally it was time to race.
For so many fast guys up front, no one wanted to lead. After the initial hill, things began to shake out the way I thought. A lead pack of Greg, Woolley, Galoob, Garvin, and Brightman developed. I wasn't planning on hanging with them. I did however want to be in front of the other WTAC guys Muddy and Seth. Things were going pretty well the first couple of miles. I was trying to work the technical single track hard, knowing I had some nearby lurkers. After the sketchy steep downhill I was now trying my best to negotiate the wet and muddy spots. I ended up planting my left foot in some mud and the mud ate my shoe. My foot popped out and I took a couple of steps with only one shoe on. Now what!? There was a fleeting thought of just keep going, but that would be crazy. I turned around and grabbed my shoe out of the mud. I then had to decide to either untie it or just try to jam my foot back in. I tried the latter, but it was stuck on my heel. At this point 5 guys had passed me. I didn't panic, but wasn't sure how to proceed. I decided that for the team battle, I needed to get back as many places as possible and also try to run as fast as possible for the duration (I wasn't sure which team scoring method was being used). Just staying pat was not going to cut it. It's really weird trying to start right back up racing. It felt awkward. I caught one guy (who I believe was doing the 5 miler?), but catching anyone else quickly was not going to be easy. Finally on the dirt road section I passed a Crutchley lookalike and then before the next trail section, I caught Seth. Seth was not going away quietly however. Despite my pushing hard, Seth seemed to be right on my tail. I could hear him close by until the long climb in the last mile. I flew down the other side and completed my first lap. I didn't bother to look at my watch. It didn't matter. I just needed to catch the next guy who was in my sights - Chris Fox. On the dirt road beginning of lap 2, he seemed like he was within striking distance. Surely he would slow down on the impending technical single track. I was motivated, but tried to just keep plugging along. After a while in the woods, it became apparent I wasn't going to catch him. There was no sign of him or anyone. To make things more depressing, I saw Galoob walking down a dirt road which meant he had dropped out of the race. There would be no team win for us this year. I tried to keep going as fast as possible, but I'm sure there was a natural let down in my pace. I continued to run in no man's land to the finish.
Post race was festive, chatting with the same group of guys as earlier. We did a very slow cool down and then left after awards. Results here
Scott Mason photos here
Me playing catch up on lap one - pic
Me trying to keep my shoes on lap two - pic
Sunday: 0 - decided to give my body a break from running. I managed to keep myself busy doing other things on this HHH day including 1.5 hrs of swimming in a pool and 2 hrs of bass slapping at band practice.
Weekly Total: 56 miles
Last Week: 73 miles
Year to Date: 1,978 miles
July Total: 166 miles
Monday: 12 miles - mix of paved and dirt roads in the Exeter/Richmond area. I guess I got the idea to run here after reading Jeff's post about Old Mountain Trail. I parked on the NLT near the Wawaloam School and ran a loop from there. It was hot and humid, but I carried nothing. The run went well. I was using my phone (RidewithGPS app), so I didn't know how long, fast, or far I was going. I just ran on feel - trying not to overdo it in the heat. I ended up with just over 1,000' of climbing according to the app and finished in 1:32:20.
Tuesday: 10 miles - morning group track workout at CCMS with Galoob and Woolley. It was great to have Woolley join us this morning. It was extremely muggy - 70 degrees with 70 degree dew point. During a longish warm up with strides, the workout plan was hashed out. Those two guys were going to do 6-8 1K repeats at roughly my R pace (74s quarters). I would do 10-12 400's with them. This worked really well. Every two 1000's, I ran the first lap with them, did a second 400 alone during their recovery, and a third 400 on their last lap of the 2nd 1000, then we would recover together and start again. I felt much stronger than last week's 10x400 workout, but I was having trouble nailing my target of 74. I'm guessing it was the heat. My body felt under control the entire time today and I ended up doing 12 repeats: 76/74/74/75/76/74/75/75/75/74/74/75. 1 mile cool down. I planned to go back out for a short double later that day, but ended up bagging it.
Wednesday: 7 miles - late afternoon 5K tempo alone. There was talk at the track yesterday about following up with a tempo block today. I was a little apprehensive about doing too much the week of a race, but I also want to put up a good time at Blessing next Friday night. I was stuck in the office all day until late in the afternoon. I decided to run in East Matunuck. The roads are relatively flat, I could swim or bodysurf in the ocean post run, and I could reminisce about the place I lived for a few years after college. I parked at the end of Succotash Rd in the village of Jerusalem. It was another very muggy day with a foreboding sky. I checked the radar and it looked like any thunderstorms were far enough away that I wouldn't be in danger. I jogged north up the road. The air was extremely thick. I was still oddly looking forward to this. The loose plan was 20 minutes at T pace (5:52), but I was going to be satisfied with 5K. After two miles warming up, I was happy to see there was still a bathroom at the tennis courts. I then ran another 1.5 miles through the South County Hills (good name for a blog) neighborhood, mixing in some strides. I stopped at Jerry Brown Farm Rd to stretch and collect my thoughts. The amount of sweat on me was amazing. I jogged a few more meters and then began my tempo. My GPS watch pace always bounces around so much the first half mile, so I tried to not look at it. I got a little turned around in the neighborhood, which wasn't a big deal, but still equated to a cone turnaround event. What I hoped would be a downhill then flat course, turned out to have a couple of uphill bumps in it the first mile. My watch pace settle on 5:51 after a mile, and I kept it right there most of the rest of the way. Despite the workout yesterday, I was happy that the pace felt decent on my legs. I was uncomfortable though thanks to the weather. I pushed on, even through a slight annoying headwind near the ocean. I made the decision after two miles to just do 5K, rewarding myself for nailing the pace so far. As I got closer and closer to the finish, my body seemed to get hotter and hotter. Finally I reached 3.1 miles and stopped. 18:07! (5:51 average pace). I was elated. I quickly got in my car and drove down to the state beach lot (now not charging). I couldn't wait to ride some waves - they looked good during my run. I parked at the far west end. The storms looked pretty close. I decided to jog .4 miles to get an even 7 for the day and then bodysurf. I kept my watch on and the playback on Strava is kind of fun. Waves were chest high and occasionally bigger. I need to keep my bodyboard and fins in the car just in case for times like this.
Fantasic conditions at East Matunuck
Take out dinner, watching storms from my deck
Thursday: 5 miles - Rome Point trails alone. Just a very easy run. Total time: 42:43.
Friday: 7 miles - deCoppet Preserve scouting. I needed to find some way to spruce up another easy running day and quiet day at work. I decided to park at the Crawley Preserve on Glen Rock Rd in Usquepaug and run a loop of roads and trails. I headed down the road and then up and over the big hill on Punchbowl Trail. I continued west on Punchbowl, now an old dirt road. Once I reached Hillsdale Rd, I veered north. It was kind of hot and I just tried to keep the running easy. I then reached a gate I planned to run trails in. Although there are no maps online, the state has posted maps at all marked gaits for the relatively new deCoppet Preserve. I planned to connect to James Trail (paved road) and then return to my car. Instead I just cruised on the ridge carriage road heading south through the preserve. I stirred up a large deer and then a fox a few minutes later. Eventually I connected back on the dirt Punchbowl Trail. I then went up and over the paved hill and returned to my car. This was a really fun place to run. The carriage roads are great for fast trail running and the paved roads have some super hills. I hope to do a long group run in here soon. Total time: 55:33 with 618' of climbing. I drove down the road to a small parking area near the Dugway Bridge and took a quick swim to cool off.
view of Dugway Bridge from my swimming spot
Saturday: 14 miles - Run with the Beavers 10M Trail Race - 1:10:03, 7th overall, team Hammbojaloob 2nd place. This is always a great race put on by the Jackmans. The 5 mile loop is legit. So fun for a trail race. This was my fourth time running it (check my races page for the other write ups). I knew that the race was going to be stacked with fast friends, and this might have tempered my enthusiasm for racing the day of. It was more just a great excuse to hang out and run with my peers. Don't mistake me, the effort was going to be there, I just wasn't nervous at all. At bib pickup, Bob handed me the reward for our team win at the Ragnar NE Trail Relay last month - a giant belt buckle/bottle opener. Pretty cool. I spent a lot of time chatting with WTAC and Hammbojaloob team members and eventually most of us headed out for a warm up. It was relatively cool this morning and overcast. I knew it was going to be muggy, but at least the other two 'H's were under control. I did a bunch of strides to wake up my legs at the start line. Finally it was time to race.
For so many fast guys up front, no one wanted to lead. After the initial hill, things began to shake out the way I thought. A lead pack of Greg, Woolley, Galoob, Garvin, and Brightman developed. I wasn't planning on hanging with them. I did however want to be in front of the other WTAC guys Muddy and Seth. Things were going pretty well the first couple of miles. I was trying to work the technical single track hard, knowing I had some nearby lurkers. After the sketchy steep downhill I was now trying my best to negotiate the wet and muddy spots. I ended up planting my left foot in some mud and the mud ate my shoe. My foot popped out and I took a couple of steps with only one shoe on. Now what!? There was a fleeting thought of just keep going, but that would be crazy. I turned around and grabbed my shoe out of the mud. I then had to decide to either untie it or just try to jam my foot back in. I tried the latter, but it was stuck on my heel. At this point 5 guys had passed me. I didn't panic, but wasn't sure how to proceed. I decided that for the team battle, I needed to get back as many places as possible and also try to run as fast as possible for the duration (I wasn't sure which team scoring method was being used). Just staying pat was not going to cut it. It's really weird trying to start right back up racing. It felt awkward. I caught one guy (who I believe was doing the 5 miler?), but catching anyone else quickly was not going to be easy. Finally on the dirt road section I passed a Crutchley lookalike and then before the next trail section, I caught Seth. Seth was not going away quietly however. Despite my pushing hard, Seth seemed to be right on my tail. I could hear him close by until the long climb in the last mile. I flew down the other side and completed my first lap. I didn't bother to look at my watch. It didn't matter. I just needed to catch the next guy who was in my sights - Chris Fox. On the dirt road beginning of lap 2, he seemed like he was within striking distance. Surely he would slow down on the impending technical single track. I was motivated, but tried to just keep plugging along. After a while in the woods, it became apparent I wasn't going to catch him. There was no sign of him or anyone. To make things more depressing, I saw Galoob walking down a dirt road which meant he had dropped out of the race. There would be no team win for us this year. I tried to keep going as fast as possible, but I'm sure there was a natural let down in my pace. I continued to run in no man's land to the finish.
Post race was festive, chatting with the same group of guys as earlier. We did a very slow cool down and then left after awards. Results here
the first climb
mile 4
mile 9
Photos courtesy of James Lastowski. More hereScott Mason photos here
Me playing catch up on lap one - pic
Me trying to keep my shoes on lap two - pic
Sunday: 0 - decided to give my body a break from running. I managed to keep myself busy doing other things on this HHH day including 1.5 hrs of swimming in a pool and 2 hrs of bass slapping at band practice.
Weekly Total: 56 miles
Last Week: 73 miles
Year to Date: 1,978 miles
July Total: 166 miles
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Weekly Log: 7-6-15 to 7-12-15
Trying to get in a good strong week before upcoming July races (Run with the Beavers 10M Trail Race on 7/18 and Blessing of the Fleet 10M Road Race 7/25).
Monday: 10 miles - Big River loop alone. This was a good run in the woods on a hot day. I was annoyed a couple of miles in when I realized my GPS had stopped tracking me. My goal was to run some middle trails (Allen's Ave, Dumbo, I See Dead People) and then finish up on the new single track that begins at Tarbox Pond. As the run progressed, I was thinking a swim in the pond was in order. Unfortunately, the pond was not looking appetizing where I was, but I did get to see a bald eagle being chased by a crow. I did splash myself in the connecting stream before summiting to the parking lot. Total time about 1 hr 20 min with about 1,000' of climbing (guessing).
Tuesday: 15 miles on two runs. First, I met up with Galoob at the CCMS track at 7AM. The plan was for me to run 400's at my R pace (74s) while he ran mile repeats at the same pace. My legs weren't feeling very spry after my busy weekend of running, but I managed to hit my target on most. Results: 74/75/72/74/74/74/75/73/74/74 with 2-2:30 minute recoveries. 3 mile warm up with strides and 1 mile cool down. In the early afternoon I shuffled around Rome Point trails for a few more miles. This time I did find a good spot for a swim which felt delicious.
Wednesday: 10.5 miles - road/dirt/trail loop from the Cuttyhunk Preserve parking lot. HHH day (87 degrees at the start and sunny, 85 and cloudy at the finish). This was a new loop to me that included my first time running on some paved roads in Exeter. I did include Pardon Joslin Rd and Stony Lane for my unimproved dirt road fix. Finished on trails in Cuttyhunk and a thorough soaking the brook. Beat the thunderstorms that followed. Total time: 1:20:54 with 578' elevation gain.
Thursday: 10 miles - road out-and-back in EG/NK. I began from the park and ride on Rte 2 near Rte 4 and headed up the long South Rd hill. I turned left on Narrow Lane and then descended down Stony Lane (paved here). I crossed Rte 2 and continued south on Stony Lane until I hit 5 miles. I then turned around and retraced my steps. Two good climbs on an easy day. Total time 1 hr 15 min with 550' of climbing.
Friday: 11 miles - 10K trail tempo in Ryan Park alone. I haven't been in Ryan forever. I guess because there aren't good hills, but the trails are very fun. I planned to do the Belleville Pond Trail 10K course as a hard tempo. With the Beavers race coming up, I wanted to get in a sustained trail effort like this. I've done this workout in the past and my best tempo time was 40 minutes flat. That was my goal today, although it was HHH again. My warm up went a little long (close to 3.5 miles) because I ran too far before doing my planned field strides.I then regrouped at my car, drank water, stretched a little, all while listening to RATM's "Know Your Enemy". I needed to pump myself up! I then jogged over to the basketball court and got to work. My run was nearly derailed 1 minute in when a truck blocking my path (after passing the first ball field) distracted me and I had a spiky vine rake across my mouth. I was worried I was bleeding and going to look pretty sketchy for a few days (turned out to be okay). I kept going, trying to be consistent. I had one more distraction when I came upon a woman with 3 dogs on the rail bed (2 were leashed, all were energetic). I had to go off the trail to avoid being jumped on and was knocked out of my rhythm. I continued on to the fields and the slow hill climb/side trail on the power line. I regrouped and ran a steady pace on the Rte 4 trail, but I wasn't thrilled that I was only half way done. Luckily the 2nd half went by more smoothly. I was in a good groove on the single track and the rail bed. I made a final push at the end and finished a few ticks above 40 flat. I was pleased. And disgustingly sweaty. I jogged a not quite 2 mile cool down and then drove to my in-laws (to meet up with my family) and swim.
Saturday: 15 miles - Arcadia loop with Woolley. Ryan was looking to see more of Arcadia and I was happy to have company on a long trail run. We began from the church and ran a fun loop that included some trails I had just figured out a couple of weeks ago SE of Breakheart Pond, and then looped around the Browning Mill Pond/I95 section, and finishing up along the side of Bald Hill. The pace was quick at the start, but either we slowed down or I acclimated to it after a while. Time was passing quickly as we chatted, trying not to pay attention to the buzzing deer flies. We ran into one person the entire run. She had 3 dogs and after we snuck by, we got attacked by yellow jackets (probably agitated by the dogs that just went through). We both got a few stings, but nothing serious. We were getting thirsty by the time we reached our cars after 2 hours. 924' of climbing.
Sunday: 1.5 miles - barefoot beach run with Brett in Watch Hill. Fun day on the beach with close friends. This was just and out-and-back to Taylor Swift's house, not nearly as long as Mike B's usual route (yes, I did see him but he was hard to recognize with a hat, glasses, and shirt). I even did some open ocean swimming (too pathetic to record) since there were no waves today. Many stripers could be seen in the shallows where we were.
Weekly Total: 73 miles
Last Week: 56 miles
Year to Date: 1,923 miles
July Total: 111 miles
Monday: 10 miles - Big River loop alone. This was a good run in the woods on a hot day. I was annoyed a couple of miles in when I realized my GPS had stopped tracking me. My goal was to run some middle trails (Allen's Ave, Dumbo, I See Dead People) and then finish up on the new single track that begins at Tarbox Pond. As the run progressed, I was thinking a swim in the pond was in order. Unfortunately, the pond was not looking appetizing where I was, but I did get to see a bald eagle being chased by a crow. I did splash myself in the connecting stream before summiting to the parking lot. Total time about 1 hr 20 min with about 1,000' of climbing (guessing).
Tuesday: 15 miles on two runs. First, I met up with Galoob at the CCMS track at 7AM. The plan was for me to run 400's at my R pace (74s) while he ran mile repeats at the same pace. My legs weren't feeling very spry after my busy weekend of running, but I managed to hit my target on most. Results: 74/75/72/74/74/74/75/73/74/74 with 2-2:30 minute recoveries. 3 mile warm up with strides and 1 mile cool down. In the early afternoon I shuffled around Rome Point trails for a few more miles. This time I did find a good spot for a swim which felt delicious.
Wednesday: 10.5 miles - road/dirt/trail loop from the Cuttyhunk Preserve parking lot. HHH day (87 degrees at the start and sunny, 85 and cloudy at the finish). This was a new loop to me that included my first time running on some paved roads in Exeter. I did include Pardon Joslin Rd and Stony Lane for my unimproved dirt road fix. Finished on trails in Cuttyhunk and a thorough soaking the brook. Beat the thunderstorms that followed. Total time: 1:20:54 with 578' elevation gain.
Thursday: 10 miles - road out-and-back in EG/NK. I began from the park and ride on Rte 2 near Rte 4 and headed up the long South Rd hill. I turned left on Narrow Lane and then descended down Stony Lane (paved here). I crossed Rte 2 and continued south on Stony Lane until I hit 5 miles. I then turned around and retraced my steps. Two good climbs on an easy day. Total time 1 hr 15 min with 550' of climbing.
Friday: 11 miles - 10K trail tempo in Ryan Park alone. I haven't been in Ryan forever. I guess because there aren't good hills, but the trails are very fun. I planned to do the Belleville Pond Trail 10K course as a hard tempo. With the Beavers race coming up, I wanted to get in a sustained trail effort like this. I've done this workout in the past and my best tempo time was 40 minutes flat. That was my goal today, although it was HHH again. My warm up went a little long (close to 3.5 miles) because I ran too far before doing my planned field strides.I then regrouped at my car, drank water, stretched a little, all while listening to RATM's "Know Your Enemy". I needed to pump myself up! I then jogged over to the basketball court and got to work. My run was nearly derailed 1 minute in when a truck blocking my path (after passing the first ball field) distracted me and I had a spiky vine rake across my mouth. I was worried I was bleeding and going to look pretty sketchy for a few days (turned out to be okay). I kept going, trying to be consistent. I had one more distraction when I came upon a woman with 3 dogs on the rail bed (2 were leashed, all were energetic). I had to go off the trail to avoid being jumped on and was knocked out of my rhythm. I continued on to the fields and the slow hill climb/side trail on the power line. I regrouped and ran a steady pace on the Rte 4 trail, but I wasn't thrilled that I was only half way done. Luckily the 2nd half went by more smoothly. I was in a good groove on the single track and the rail bed. I made a final push at the end and finished a few ticks above 40 flat. I was pleased. And disgustingly sweaty. I jogged a not quite 2 mile cool down and then drove to my in-laws (to meet up with my family) and swim.
Saturday: 15 miles - Arcadia loop with Woolley. Ryan was looking to see more of Arcadia and I was happy to have company on a long trail run. We began from the church and ran a fun loop that included some trails I had just figured out a couple of weeks ago SE of Breakheart Pond, and then looped around the Browning Mill Pond/I95 section, and finishing up along the side of Bald Hill. The pace was quick at the start, but either we slowed down or I acclimated to it after a while. Time was passing quickly as we chatted, trying not to pay attention to the buzzing deer flies. We ran into one person the entire run. She had 3 dogs and after we snuck by, we got attacked by yellow jackets (probably agitated by the dogs that just went through). We both got a few stings, but nothing serious. We were getting thirsty by the time we reached our cars after 2 hours. 924' of climbing.
Sunday: 1.5 miles - barefoot beach run with Brett in Watch Hill. Fun day on the beach with close friends. This was just and out-and-back to Taylor Swift's house, not nearly as long as Mike B's usual route (yes, I did see him but he was hard to recognize with a hat, glasses, and shirt). I even did some open ocean swimming (too pathetic to record) since there were no waves today. Many stripers could be seen in the shallows where we were.
Weekly Total: 73 miles
Last Week: 56 miles
Year to Date: 1,923 miles
July Total: 111 miles
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Week of 6-29-15 to 7-5-15
Playing catch up and then hoping to stay on top of the blog. Last week was a really awesome one both running-wise and life-wise.
Monday: 7.5 miles - 6 x Camp Nokewa trail loops. My body was toasted thanks to Ragnar, even with a day off. I just tried to complete as many loops as possible for the elevation and the post run swim in Carr Pond. Total time: 1 hour with 1,040' of elevation gain (according to RideWithGPS).
Tuesday: 10.5 miles - Ten Rod Road dirt hill repeats. Last day of June and I needed another 1,000'+ day to complete my Climb For Nepal challenge (reaching the height of Everest). I parked on the New London Turnpike near the Wawaloam School. I then did 3 out-and-backs on the stretch of dirt road between the NLT and Rte 3 (at the intersection with Rte 165). A good hill on each end. The road itself is in great shape and well shaded. Some people use it as a cut through and drive really fast though. On a dry day like this one, it would create a plume of dirt I had to inhale. This was the only negative. The best part was finishing the month with 29,202' of elevation gain - slightly exceeding my goal. Total time: 1:18:24 with 1,367' of climbing.
Wednesday: 5 miles - Big River trail loop with my boss. I was planning on an easy day and then I got a call from my boss who wanted to run around Big River if I didn't mind showing him. We met at the Hopkins Hill lot and did a fun loop around Carr Pond and over the ridge. I debated tacking on a few more miles, but I really was content with just taking it easy on this hot day. Total time: 44:12.
Thursday: 0 - fun day spent in Stoddard New Hampshire with my family and my brother Glenn's family.
Friday: 6 miles - Mt Monadnock hike with my son via the Dublin Trail. My son has been asking to summit Mondnock since last fall. We finally nailed down the time to do it, and had decent weather to boot. We began around 9AM and made it to the top in about 2 hours. My son was very pleased with himself. Total time including a lunch break was about 4 hours.
Saturday: 10 miles - Keene 4 on the 4th race. 10th(?) overall, 22:12. I traveled down from Stoddard with my dad and met up with my brother Greg at registration. The weather was really good - mid 60's and overcast. I did a warm up with Greg, 4 time winner Thomas, George (on bike), and a couple of fast high school kids. My legs felt really good thanks to the light workload the last 3 days. I didn't have any expectations going into this race. I was more just curious how all the mileage and hill training translated to road speed. My plan was to not look at my watch and just run by feel. Before the start I met up with Glenn and family, plus other familiar faces (Boj, Chris B, Clint). I did quite a few strides to keep lose before the gun. The field for this race is always competitive. I lined up in row 2. The first mile is on the bike path and a gradual up hill. I tried to be smart with my effort, but it is so weird to have so many people in front of me, but even weirder to have Greg only a few steps ahead. Last year I ran near Chris Barry the entire time and I found myself slightly in front of him this year. He ran a very disciplined race last year and I thought that I was in the right spot at this juncture. I made a mental note to increase my effort as I tend to slow down once the adrenaline wears off (usually after the first 1000' meters), and the bike path kept "climbing". By the time I finished the first mile (not sure where the mile marker was - Strava data had it as 5:30), I was by myself. There was no one catchable in front of me and I didn't hear anyone that close behind. This was going to be a time trial, at least for a while. I tried to keep up my effort on the slightly undulating road. I then bombed the steeper down hill and tried to sprint across the soggy field section. This really takes you out of your rhythm. After some tight turns (GPS mile 2 5:41 - might be off), you then are traveling against a long stream of runners. The advantage to this is that I was getting a lot of support (since I was alone). I wasn't sure if I was hitting the tangents as well as I could if the course didn't double back on itself. I sprinted the short steep hill, and began reeling in a young runner ahead of me. Finally I reached the bike path again and I knew I had about a mile left, mostly down hill or flat (GPS had my third mile at 5:52 which doesn't make sense). I steadily gained on the youngster ahead of me. In a fatherly moment, I encouraged him to keep it up and not let me pass him. He didn't and I passed him a few moments later. I was trying to really let my legs go. I was now glancing at my watch (first time was at about 3 miles) looking at my overall average pace. It was at 5:40 and I knew I was going to have a decent finishing time. I kept pushing, but waiting for the final turn to sprint. I had no one around. I hit the final straightaway and when I got visual on the clock it had just turned to 22 minutes. I was going to PR! I sprinted harder and finished in 22:12. I composed myself and then chatted with others as we watch our family and friends come in. I got in a group cool down with Greg, Thomas, Chris B, and Chris R. I bonked the last mile. A quick stop at D&D helped. Unfortunately, I'm not in the results. I did contact the timing company and they nicely put me in, but at this time, they haven't resubmitted to CoolRunning. Whatever.
Funness ensued back in Stoddard with the full Hammett clan, despite the unforecasted rain. We did manage to get out on the boat in the early evening.
Sunday: 17 miles - Burlingame trail run alone. We had another fun morning on the lake and in the pool in Stoddard before heading back home in the afternoon. I didn't get to do a hilly trail run in NH this time, but at least I had some time in the early evening at home to get in a long run. It was muggy and a little buggy. I ran a peppy pace the entire time and felt good. A great way to end the week. Total time: 2:11:40 with 796' of climbing.
Weekly Total: 56 miles
Last Week: 45 miles
Year to Date: 1850 miles
Monday: 7.5 miles - 6 x Camp Nokewa trail loops. My body was toasted thanks to Ragnar, even with a day off. I just tried to complete as many loops as possible for the elevation and the post run swim in Carr Pond. Total time: 1 hour with 1,040' of elevation gain (according to RideWithGPS).
Tuesday: 10.5 miles - Ten Rod Road dirt hill repeats. Last day of June and I needed another 1,000'+ day to complete my Climb For Nepal challenge (reaching the height of Everest). I parked on the New London Turnpike near the Wawaloam School. I then did 3 out-and-backs on the stretch of dirt road between the NLT and Rte 3 (at the intersection with Rte 165). A good hill on each end. The road itself is in great shape and well shaded. Some people use it as a cut through and drive really fast though. On a dry day like this one, it would create a plume of dirt I had to inhale. This was the only negative. The best part was finishing the month with 29,202' of elevation gain - slightly exceeding my goal. Total time: 1:18:24 with 1,367' of climbing.
Wednesday: 5 miles - Big River trail loop with my boss. I was planning on an easy day and then I got a call from my boss who wanted to run around Big River if I didn't mind showing him. We met at the Hopkins Hill lot and did a fun loop around Carr Pond and over the ridge. I debated tacking on a few more miles, but I really was content with just taking it easy on this hot day. Total time: 44:12.
Thursday: 0 - fun day spent in Stoddard New Hampshire with my family and my brother Glenn's family.
Friday: 6 miles - Mt Monadnock hike with my son via the Dublin Trail. My son has been asking to summit Mondnock since last fall. We finally nailed down the time to do it, and had decent weather to boot. We began around 9AM and made it to the top in about 2 hours. My son was very pleased with himself. Total time including a lunch break was about 4 hours.
Making a friend near the summit
Dublin Trail marker at the summit
summit selfie
trail graffiti left for me?
Saturday: 10 miles - Keene 4 on the 4th race. 10th(?) overall, 22:12. I traveled down from Stoddard with my dad and met up with my brother Greg at registration. The weather was really good - mid 60's and overcast. I did a warm up with Greg, 4 time winner Thomas, George (on bike), and a couple of fast high school kids. My legs felt really good thanks to the light workload the last 3 days. I didn't have any expectations going into this race. I was more just curious how all the mileage and hill training translated to road speed. My plan was to not look at my watch and just run by feel. Before the start I met up with Glenn and family, plus other familiar faces (Boj, Chris B, Clint). I did quite a few strides to keep lose before the gun. The field for this race is always competitive. I lined up in row 2. The first mile is on the bike path and a gradual up hill. I tried to be smart with my effort, but it is so weird to have so many people in front of me, but even weirder to have Greg only a few steps ahead. Last year I ran near Chris Barry the entire time and I found myself slightly in front of him this year. He ran a very disciplined race last year and I thought that I was in the right spot at this juncture. I made a mental note to increase my effort as I tend to slow down once the adrenaline wears off (usually after the first 1000' meters), and the bike path kept "climbing". By the time I finished the first mile (not sure where the mile marker was - Strava data had it as 5:30), I was by myself. There was no one catchable in front of me and I didn't hear anyone that close behind. This was going to be a time trial, at least for a while. I tried to keep up my effort on the slightly undulating road. I then bombed the steeper down hill and tried to sprint across the soggy field section. This really takes you out of your rhythm. After some tight turns (GPS mile 2 5:41 - might be off), you then are traveling against a long stream of runners. The advantage to this is that I was getting a lot of support (since I was alone). I wasn't sure if I was hitting the tangents as well as I could if the course didn't double back on itself. I sprinted the short steep hill, and began reeling in a young runner ahead of me. Finally I reached the bike path again and I knew I had about a mile left, mostly down hill or flat (GPS had my third mile at 5:52 which doesn't make sense). I steadily gained on the youngster ahead of me. In a fatherly moment, I encouraged him to keep it up and not let me pass him. He didn't and I passed him a few moments later. I was trying to really let my legs go. I was now glancing at my watch (first time was at about 3 miles) looking at my overall average pace. It was at 5:40 and I knew I was going to have a decent finishing time. I kept pushing, but waiting for the final turn to sprint. I had no one around. I hit the final straightaway and when I got visual on the clock it had just turned to 22 minutes. I was going to PR! I sprinted harder and finished in 22:12. I composed myself and then chatted with others as we watch our family and friends come in. I got in a group cool down with Greg, Thomas, Chris B, and Chris R. I bonked the last mile. A quick stop at D&D helped. Unfortunately, I'm not in the results. I did contact the timing company and they nicely put me in, but at this time, they haven't resubmitted to CoolRunning. Whatever.
finishing up - photo by tri-state-racing
Funness ensued back in Stoddard with the full Hammett clan, despite the unforecasted rain. We did manage to get out on the boat in the early evening.
swimming with the kids in Highland Lake
Sunday: 17 miles - Burlingame trail run alone. We had another fun morning on the lake and in the pool in Stoddard before heading back home in the afternoon. I didn't get to do a hilly trail run in NH this time, but at least I had some time in the early evening at home to get in a long run. It was muggy and a little buggy. I ran a peppy pace the entire time and felt good. A great way to end the week. Total time: 2:11:40 with 796' of climbing.
Weekly Total: 56 miles
Last Week: 45 miles
Year to Date: 1850 miles
Monday, June 22, 2015
UPDATED June: Climb for Nepal UPDATED
I haven't done a Strava challenge in a long time, but I took interest in the Climb for Nepal challenge when it popped onto my Strava feed as the calendar switched to June. Rather than simply just competing against yourself and/or others for the most miles, etc., this one also had a charity component to it. Doing my taxes earlier this spring, my wife and I were a little disappointed in how much money we donated during 2014, and vowed to not let it happen again. I decided to take the challenge. Through More Than Sport runners could make a donation or start a fund raising campaign. I made a donation, but then decided to make it a personal campaign by trying to run for 29,029' of elevation gain in the month of June (the height of Mount Everest), and donating $.01 for each foot climbed. That meant I needed to climb about 1,000' each day, which is not easy around here, where the biggest hills are only in the 200'-250' range. I love hills though, and I thought it was for a worthwhile cause.
Seeing through this challenge has been tricky. The quest for new hilly routes is the fun part. I've been using the route builder function on Strava quite a bit. I turn on the global heat maps to see where people have run or biked before to get ideas. The builder gives an estimation of elevation gain, but it always seems optimistic compared to the GPS total. In addition, I have been using my Garmin watch (620) less and less. This began in May, as I noticed my watch began losing me once the trees leafed out. Also, when I ran with others, my watch was measuring significantly shorter than theirs. But the main issue is as it relates to my climbing challenge, is that it was recording less elevation than other people and other devices. So I've been almost exclusively been recording my runs on my phone. I've been using a mountain biking app called RideWithGPS. I started using it as a mapping tool when in Big River. All the existing trails are shown on the map, so I could find new trails or get back to places very easily. It turns out that it also measures better for mileage and elevation. It must use different algorithms than Garmin and Strava. The result is better (hopefully more accurate) elevation gain totals. I upload my gpx file from RideWithGPS to Strava. Strava "fixes" the elevation (usually down but still better than my watch - yes I've worn both at the same time and compared more than once).
UPDATE: Here are the final numbers. Very pleased to reach Everest (according to RideWithGPS)on the last day of the month!
This was not an easy accomplishment. Hill repeats on the biggest hills I could get to were the way to go. My body was pretty beat by the end. I'm sure the summer heat didn't help. Going forward, I do think that the hill work translated into fitness and speed. I want to continue hills regularly, but not to the same extent.
Here are the weekly running numbers in June:
Another 300+ mile month that easily could have been more if I didn't have a low mileage week because of the Ragnar Trail Relay. Looks like I'm also on pace for a significant miles run PR this year. That wasn't planned, but I'll take it.
Monday, June 8, 2015
May in Review
Still playing catch up with the blog. May was my second month in a row with over 300 miles! Training has been going very well. Here are the weekly numbers:
The first week was a little light because of the Wapack 21.5 Mile Trail Race. This was the biggest highlight of the month. I came away with a sense of accomplishment on my abilities for longer trail runs with plenty of elevation. What I need to work on for next time is more long trail runs and rock descending.
Other highlights this month included:
-lunch runs in Big River with Garvin
-continuing to explore new paved/dirt roads looking for hills
-25 mile long solo adventure run in Tillinghast Pond/Arcadia/Wickaboxet area:
-20 mile long solo run in Burlingame:
-trail run in Stoddard, NH with my brother Greg:
On to June!
The first week was a little light because of the Wapack 21.5 Mile Trail Race. This was the biggest highlight of the month. I came away with a sense of accomplishment on my abilities for longer trail runs with plenty of elevation. What I need to work on for next time is more long trail runs and rock descending.
Other highlights this month included:
-lunch runs in Big River with Garvin
-continuing to explore new paved/dirt roads looking for hills
-25 mile long solo adventure run in Tillinghast Pond/Arcadia/Wickaboxet area:
-20 mile long solo run in Burlingame:
-trail run in Stoddard, NH with my brother Greg:
On to June!
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Wapack 21.5 Mile Trail Race 2015
At some point in late January, when the weather turned dreadful, and I was looking for motivation to continue my strong training, I saw something on social media about the Wapack and Back Trail Races registration opening. Hmm. This seemed really interesting. I liked the idea of doing the full length of the Wapack Trail. The shorter race, begins by taking a bus to the northern terminus and heading south, covering a few small mountains and ridges in the process for 21.5 miles until reaching the southern end. Checking previous results, it looked like people who had also run the Nipmuck Trail Marathon, had slightly slower times at Wapack. The main difference being the 4,600' of elevation gain slowing things down. This seemed like just the challenge I needed. After blocking off the date on the home calendar, I signed up. The race sold out very quickly, and I could see on ultrasignup.com who my competition would be. Besides a couple of relative unknowns, it appeared that ultra//mountain runner guru Ryan Welts would be the favorite. Even though never meeting or racing against him, he was my focus as I trained hard for the months leading up to the event. I put in week after solid week, spent all of April on trails, and of course focused on hills as much as possible, even on easy days. I disciplined myself to taper appropriately. I even worked on my upper body strength by doing about 100 pushups a day, 4 or 5 days a week (I'd noticed my arms and upper body in general being sore and tired after long trail races). By the time May 9th came around, I literally felt like I was in the best running shape of my life. Two questions remained: how would training on the low hills of sourthern RI translate to the Wapack Mountain range? and What sort of shape was Ryan in?
Race day, and I slept okay, although waking up before my 4:15AM alarm. I made the solo trek up to Ashburnham, Massachusetts, the southern terminus of the Wapack Trail, and where registration was set up. I arrived even earlier than I planned and was one of the first to pick up my bib. I hung out in my car, not nervous at all, just listening to music and prepping for the race. I did a short warm up (out-and-back) on the end of the trail, just to get a feel for it. It was rather technical. I didn't know anybody there, and the conversations I heard were mostly about ultra races people were planning for the future. I was focused on this race. The one curveball the weather threw was that it was way colder at the start than forecasted. That was actually a good thing, and the predicted heat later in the day seemed like it should hold off longer. It was in the 40's and scheduled to reach the low 80's. I didn't want to wear a shirt, but being so chilly, and facing a 40 minute bus ride elbow to elbow with a stranger, it seemed like I had to wear something. I asked the race director if clothes could be dropped at the start and would be brought back to the finish, but it seemed complicated and a long wait after I was done. I slapped on one of my now dingy WTAC singlets, a running hat (to keep the sun off my eyes on the open ledges rather than wear sunglasses), trusty running shorts and socks, and my newly broken in trail shoes - Inov8 Trailroc 245's - they provide more traction, protection, but extra weight than my usual Nike Terra Kiger's. I had a 16oz. handheld with water (I hate carrying them, but I was worried about the heat as the race went on), and 5 GU's in my pockets. I hopped on the bus and sat up front next to a very pleasant guy from Vermont. We had a good chat until we reached the starting area. I shook out the legs and chatted with a couple of local RI trail racing ladies. It was then game time.
Before I forget, let's talk about goals. I wanted to win this race period. I wasn't sure what time goal to shoot for. I had run 3:34 at Nipmuck last year, so I thought that sub 3:45 could be possible. Getting into the 3:30's would be fantastic, but Sam Jurek won last year at Wapack in 3:38 (and was sub 3:30 at Nipmuck the same year). I wanted to see if I could beat a mountain goat (Ryan) on his home turf. I wanted to prove to myself that I could run well in this type of race.
The race director nonchalantly told us to go, and we were off. The first couple hundred of meters are on a paved road, before truly starting the Wapack Trail. I shot to the front with Ryan close behind. He was very friendly right away, helping me find the trail entrance. I tried to keep my excited breathe under control and also my pace. I knew the trail climbed right away up North Pack Monadnock. This would be the longest climb of the day, gaining over 950' in 1.3 miles. The trail rose gradually at first and I was leading Ryan by a few steps. Eventually, the steep rock climbs emerged, and I was surprised to feel very alone. I had definitely created quite some space. Maybe Ryan was just taking it easy today? I tried to just focus on my own running. Don't overdo it, hike if I need breaks. I reached the summit - Strava segment info here (looks like I had 45 second lead on Ryan) and began the long descent. It was very steep in places with many large jagged rocks to navigate. I did my best to keep up a peppy pace, but was discouraged when I noticed Ryan in view behind me as I reached the bottom. Luckily, it was now time to climb South Pack. I again pulled away out of sight. This was another tough one, but not as long. I reached the top, and tried my best to descend as fast as possible. Again, it was steep and very rocky in places. At many points you feel like you are on the edge of a cliff, yet still trying to run down on rocks. Frankly it felt dangerous, but I felt like I was being chased down. I knew the descent was taking too long and once again Ryan was in view at the bottom. There was an aid station here, but I plowed right through. I hadn't really touched my water (still cool out) and I hadn't even been running for an hour yet. I just wanted to stay ahead of Ryan.
I crossed a road and began an open double track trail up Temple Mountain. It was runnable, which I did for the most part. I believe I passed the 50 Miler leader here. Ryan was again out of sight. I took a GU at the one hour mark. I reached the first summit (apparently there are a few on this mountain). Again looking back on the Strava data, I put on 27 seconds over Ryan on this 410' climb. Then the running got real good. I felt like I was on a ridge, with a few small up and downs. The footing was decent, I was sometimes in the shade, and I felt fast. I figured this was catering to my strength as a trail runner and I was banking a lot of time. It was rather lonely, and looked rather "bear-y" in places, but still I was feeling very good. I felt like I was going to win. Eventually, the terrain began dropping more steadily - not as bad as the Packs - and again I made sure to do my best descending. I then reached a paved road and a water drop. I briefly stopped to open a gallon and pour it into my handheld. I had been running for an hour and 34 minutes at this point. According to this Strava segment of the entire Temple Mountain, I had put on 47 seconds over Ryan, however, he had descended Temple 25 seconds faster than me.
I didn't realize he wasn't too far back until I began running again after the quick water stop. I didn't know which way to go and I couldn't find any markings. I panicked. Left or right on the road? No trail straight ahead. I wish I had paid more attention to the course beforehand! I went left, and then back tracked. Luckily, there was a house nearby and a woman outside in her garden. She directed left down the road. Phew! But, look who is coming out of the woods - Ryan!!
I didn't realize the trail followed a pave road at any point on the course. Rookie mistake. I motored down this road, still in a panic. I was frustrated that I lost 30+ seconds to confusion. I was frustrated that clearly Ryan was not going away. Not knowing it, my pace was dropping down to low 6's then high 5's. At the end of the road I could see the trail continued straight on an old double track. I made the quick decision to drop my shirt and hat here, thinking that I could theoretically drive back to this spot later to pick them up. I was now hot and drenched in sweat. I threw them off and looked back to see that Ryan was again dropping back. My frustration continued for the next mile or so. The double track was tricky (dark woods, deep wet tire ruts, and tempting side trails). I was having trouble following the blazes, and momentarily stopped a few times to stay on course. I knew Ryan knew where he was going. The trail was a long gradual climb as well. Running-wise, my body was still feeling very good. I may have had another GU somewhere here.
I reached a road, probably looked confused to a cop directing traffic who pointed the direction I needed to go AND told me which side of the road to run on. I passed a sign for Windblown Ski Area. Soon I reached an aid station. It was about 2 hours in. I stopped and they refilled my handheld with water. I drank two small cups of Coke and grabbed a couple pieces of watermelon for the road. I didn't see Ryan behind me (the aid station was in an open area) when I moved on. I was feeling good again. The volunteers at the aid station perked up my confidence. I felt like my nutrition was under control. I wasn't too hot anymore now that I was shirtless and letting my body do its cooling thing. I didn't fel like Ryan was running me down anymore and again I thought that I was going to win.
Things changed again on Barrett Mountain. There was a long double track climb leading out of Windblown up this mountain. I resorted to hiking much sooner than on the others. I happened to glance back before I left an open area and entered deep woods and much to my surprise I saw Ryan again. This time he was gaining on me on a climb. I knew this wasn't a good sign. I had heard the southern half of the race is much easier and less hillier, and I hoped there was still hope for me. I pushed ahead and ran more. I finished this 500' climb 6 seconds slower than Ryan. Barrett Mountain becomes New Ipswitch Mountain, with open ledges at the summit. The short climb introduced a new issue - calf cramps. I could feel my calves wanting to cramp up if I pushed too hard or took too large of steps. This was a new experience for me. I've only had calf cramps when bodyboarding in cold water. Usually, my feet are my undoing in a long trail race, but they were fine. At the summit I passed by Ben Kimball taking photos. Here are a couple of links - where's Waldo? face of pain.
I was slowing down now. The terrain wasn't that difficult at all, but I couldn't climb like I wanted because of cramping, and descending wasn't going that well anymore either. I made my way down Pratt Mountain and on easy footing near Binney Pond, Ryan finally passed me. This was after 17 miles of leading. We chatted briefly, he told me I was killing it all day out there, and that 2 hours to Windblown was really fast. He then gradually pulled away. Besides feeling lousy about losing the lead, I was thirsty and hot. I finished my water bottle and hoped that the final aid station was just around the corner. I eventually reached it and stopped. The volunteers were awesome. It was probably obvious that I was struggling a bit. I asked for cold water to be poured over my head and down my back which they did. I had Gatorade and Coke and grabbed a big piece of watermelon for the road. There was about 3.5 miles left - up and over Mount Watatic. They told me it was very runnable. I so wished my legs were in better shape. I grudgingly left the aid station and wandered off.
The final stretch was tough. The northern ascent was gradual but in the sun. It was on a smooth double track that I could have really hammered home, but instead I did my best to just keep running, albeit slowly, with some hiking on the ups. I resolved in my mind that there was no catching Ryan. I was now focused on finishing time. After leaving the aid station, I checked my watch and realized that I was just over 3 hours in. I still was going to post a fantastic time, maybe even flirt with 3:30!! My plan was to stave off calf cramps on the ups and then push the descent as best I could (final mile). Again, this was not to be, as after summiting, my calves now felt like they were going to lock up going downhill. It was frustrating to have energy at the end, but not be physically able to use it. I passed a ton of hikers on the downhill. Some encouraged me on, some ignored me, some got in my way. Finally, I recognized where I was (from the warm up) and hobbled to the finish in 3:34:24.
I was really pumped. I didn't get the win, but I surpassed my expectations with time. If fact, this was the third fastest all time on the course after Ryan's 3:24 today and David Herr's 3:22. Ryan and I chatted quite a bit and had beers (I had them in a cooler for a family party I had to drive to following the race). His wife soon finished (3rd overall and new course record in 3:57). I lingered a bit more eating and drinking more Coke. Then it was time to head off.
Results
Strava data
Thank you to first time race director Jesse Veinotte and his wife for a well run event. I had a blast, proved a lot to myself, and can't wait to race again next year, this time finishing the last few miles off strong.
Race day, and I slept okay, although waking up before my 4:15AM alarm. I made the solo trek up to Ashburnham, Massachusetts, the southern terminus of the Wapack Trail, and where registration was set up. I arrived even earlier than I planned and was one of the first to pick up my bib. I hung out in my car, not nervous at all, just listening to music and prepping for the race. I did a short warm up (out-and-back) on the end of the trail, just to get a feel for it. It was rather technical. I didn't know anybody there, and the conversations I heard were mostly about ultra races people were planning for the future. I was focused on this race. The one curveball the weather threw was that it was way colder at the start than forecasted. That was actually a good thing, and the predicted heat later in the day seemed like it should hold off longer. It was in the 40's and scheduled to reach the low 80's. I didn't want to wear a shirt, but being so chilly, and facing a 40 minute bus ride elbow to elbow with a stranger, it seemed like I had to wear something. I asked the race director if clothes could be dropped at the start and would be brought back to the finish, but it seemed complicated and a long wait after I was done. I slapped on one of my now dingy WTAC singlets, a running hat (to keep the sun off my eyes on the open ledges rather than wear sunglasses), trusty running shorts and socks, and my newly broken in trail shoes - Inov8 Trailroc 245's - they provide more traction, protection, but extra weight than my usual Nike Terra Kiger's. I had a 16oz. handheld with water (I hate carrying them, but I was worried about the heat as the race went on), and 5 GU's in my pockets. I hopped on the bus and sat up front next to a very pleasant guy from Vermont. We had a good chat until we reached the starting area. I shook out the legs and chatted with a couple of local RI trail racing ladies. It was then game time.
Before I forget, let's talk about goals. I wanted to win this race period. I wasn't sure what time goal to shoot for. I had run 3:34 at Nipmuck last year, so I thought that sub 3:45 could be possible. Getting into the 3:30's would be fantastic, but Sam Jurek won last year at Wapack in 3:38 (and was sub 3:30 at Nipmuck the same year). I wanted to see if I could beat a mountain goat (Ryan) on his home turf. I wanted to prove to myself that I could run well in this type of race.
The race director nonchalantly told us to go, and we were off. The first couple hundred of meters are on a paved road, before truly starting the Wapack Trail. I shot to the front with Ryan close behind. He was very friendly right away, helping me find the trail entrance. I tried to keep my excited breathe under control and also my pace. I knew the trail climbed right away up North Pack Monadnock. This would be the longest climb of the day, gaining over 950' in 1.3 miles. The trail rose gradually at first and I was leading Ryan by a few steps. Eventually, the steep rock climbs emerged, and I was surprised to feel very alone. I had definitely created quite some space. Maybe Ryan was just taking it easy today? I tried to just focus on my own running. Don't overdo it, hike if I need breaks. I reached the summit - Strava segment info here (looks like I had 45 second lead on Ryan) and began the long descent. It was very steep in places with many large jagged rocks to navigate. I did my best to keep up a peppy pace, but was discouraged when I noticed Ryan in view behind me as I reached the bottom. Luckily, it was now time to climb South Pack. I again pulled away out of sight. This was another tough one, but not as long. I reached the top, and tried my best to descend as fast as possible. Again, it was steep and very rocky in places. At many points you feel like you are on the edge of a cliff, yet still trying to run down on rocks. Frankly it felt dangerous, but I felt like I was being chased down. I knew the descent was taking too long and once again Ryan was in view at the bottom. There was an aid station here, but I plowed right through. I hadn't really touched my water (still cool out) and I hadn't even been running for an hour yet. I just wanted to stay ahead of Ryan.
I crossed a road and began an open double track trail up Temple Mountain. It was runnable, which I did for the most part. I believe I passed the 50 Miler leader here. Ryan was again out of sight. I took a GU at the one hour mark. I reached the first summit (apparently there are a few on this mountain). Again looking back on the Strava data, I put on 27 seconds over Ryan on this 410' climb. Then the running got real good. I felt like I was on a ridge, with a few small up and downs. The footing was decent, I was sometimes in the shade, and I felt fast. I figured this was catering to my strength as a trail runner and I was banking a lot of time. It was rather lonely, and looked rather "bear-y" in places, but still I was feeling very good. I felt like I was going to win. Eventually, the terrain began dropping more steadily - not as bad as the Packs - and again I made sure to do my best descending. I then reached a paved road and a water drop. I briefly stopped to open a gallon and pour it into my handheld. I had been running for an hour and 34 minutes at this point. According to this Strava segment of the entire Temple Mountain, I had put on 47 seconds over Ryan, however, he had descended Temple 25 seconds faster than me.
I didn't realize he wasn't too far back until I began running again after the quick water stop. I didn't know which way to go and I couldn't find any markings. I panicked. Left or right on the road? No trail straight ahead. I wish I had paid more attention to the course beforehand! I went left, and then back tracked. Luckily, there was a house nearby and a woman outside in her garden. She directed left down the road. Phew! But, look who is coming out of the woods - Ryan!!
I didn't realize the trail followed a pave road at any point on the course. Rookie mistake. I motored down this road, still in a panic. I was frustrated that I lost 30+ seconds to confusion. I was frustrated that clearly Ryan was not going away. Not knowing it, my pace was dropping down to low 6's then high 5's. At the end of the road I could see the trail continued straight on an old double track. I made the quick decision to drop my shirt and hat here, thinking that I could theoretically drive back to this spot later to pick them up. I was now hot and drenched in sweat. I threw them off and looked back to see that Ryan was again dropping back. My frustration continued for the next mile or so. The double track was tricky (dark woods, deep wet tire ruts, and tempting side trails). I was having trouble following the blazes, and momentarily stopped a few times to stay on course. I knew Ryan knew where he was going. The trail was a long gradual climb as well. Running-wise, my body was still feeling very good. I may have had another GU somewhere here.
I reached a road, probably looked confused to a cop directing traffic who pointed the direction I needed to go AND told me which side of the road to run on. I passed a sign for Windblown Ski Area. Soon I reached an aid station. It was about 2 hours in. I stopped and they refilled my handheld with water. I drank two small cups of Coke and grabbed a couple pieces of watermelon for the road. I didn't see Ryan behind me (the aid station was in an open area) when I moved on. I was feeling good again. The volunteers at the aid station perked up my confidence. I felt like my nutrition was under control. I wasn't too hot anymore now that I was shirtless and letting my body do its cooling thing. I didn't fel like Ryan was running me down anymore and again I thought that I was going to win.
Things changed again on Barrett Mountain. There was a long double track climb leading out of Windblown up this mountain. I resorted to hiking much sooner than on the others. I happened to glance back before I left an open area and entered deep woods and much to my surprise I saw Ryan again. This time he was gaining on me on a climb. I knew this wasn't a good sign. I had heard the southern half of the race is much easier and less hillier, and I hoped there was still hope for me. I pushed ahead and ran more. I finished this 500' climb 6 seconds slower than Ryan. Barrett Mountain becomes New Ipswitch Mountain, with open ledges at the summit. The short climb introduced a new issue - calf cramps. I could feel my calves wanting to cramp up if I pushed too hard or took too large of steps. This was a new experience for me. I've only had calf cramps when bodyboarding in cold water. Usually, my feet are my undoing in a long trail race, but they were fine. At the summit I passed by Ben Kimball taking photos. Here are a couple of links - where's Waldo? face of pain.
I was slowing down now. The terrain wasn't that difficult at all, but I couldn't climb like I wanted because of cramping, and descending wasn't going that well anymore either. I made my way down Pratt Mountain and on easy footing near Binney Pond, Ryan finally passed me. This was after 17 miles of leading. We chatted briefly, he told me I was killing it all day out there, and that 2 hours to Windblown was really fast. He then gradually pulled away. Besides feeling lousy about losing the lead, I was thirsty and hot. I finished my water bottle and hoped that the final aid station was just around the corner. I eventually reached it and stopped. The volunteers were awesome. It was probably obvious that I was struggling a bit. I asked for cold water to be poured over my head and down my back which they did. I had Gatorade and Coke and grabbed a big piece of watermelon for the road. There was about 3.5 miles left - up and over Mount Watatic. They told me it was very runnable. I so wished my legs were in better shape. I grudgingly left the aid station and wandered off.
The final stretch was tough. The northern ascent was gradual but in the sun. It was on a smooth double track that I could have really hammered home, but instead I did my best to just keep running, albeit slowly, with some hiking on the ups. I resolved in my mind that there was no catching Ryan. I was now focused on finishing time. After leaving the aid station, I checked my watch and realized that I was just over 3 hours in. I still was going to post a fantastic time, maybe even flirt with 3:30!! My plan was to stave off calf cramps on the ups and then push the descent as best I could (final mile). Again, this was not to be, as after summiting, my calves now felt like they were going to lock up going downhill. It was frustrating to have energy at the end, but not be physically able to use it. I passed a ton of hikers on the downhill. Some encouraged me on, some ignored me, some got in my way. Finally, I recognized where I was (from the warm up) and hobbled to the finish in 3:34:24.
Finishing up. Photo by Jesse Veinotte
I was really pumped. I didn't get the win, but I surpassed my expectations with time. If fact, this was the third fastest all time on the course after Ryan's 3:24 today and David Herr's 3:22. Ryan and I chatted quite a bit and had beers (I had them in a cooler for a family party I had to drive to following the race). His wife soon finished (3rd overall and new course record in 3:57). I lingered a bit more eating and drinking more Coke. Then it was time to head off.
Results
Strava data
Thank you to first time race director Jesse Veinotte and his wife for a well run event. I had a blast, proved a lot to myself, and can't wait to race again next year, this time finishing the last few miles off strong.
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