Monday, December 24, 2012

2012 in Photos

Spectated at US Cross Country Nationals in Rumford, ME on my birthday weekend

Hike up Rumford Whitecap on my birthday. Thanks Jess!

The awesome wrestling belts Jess and I made for trophies for the Whitaker Woods Snowshoe Scramble

Awesome day for a run up Mt. Washington via Lion Head, mid February, courtesy Mike Pelchat, Mt. Washington State Park 

The run we almost died on, with Double J, on Pierce and Eisenhower

Flogging Molly and The Devil Makes Three for Jess's birthday in Boston

Tim Livingston and I skiing the Sherburne Trail, Mt. Washington

Great weekend in and around Quebec City for Snowshoe Worlds

Greg Hexum and I around 6k at Snowshoe Worlds, finished 7th

Double J and I running up and down Chocorua in March

Lincoln Brook "Trail" on our loop up and around Owls Head with Double J and Troy Shellhamer

Great 16 mile hike with Jess through the Pemi Wilderness on Memorial Day weekend

Run up Jefferson and Washington via Huntington Ravine with Pete Mallett and Coby Jacobus. It was steep.

Pemi Loop with Double J the NEXT DAY.

Finishing up a PR run at the Pikes Peak Ascent

Cool run with Peter Maksimow up the Manitou Incline the next day.

Great hike in RMNP up Deer Mountain w/ Jess.

Nice run up Fall River Rd. in RMNP.

Lots of elk in RMNP.

One of my favorite photos of all time. Bear Lake with Long's Peak in the background.


Full moon/sunrise run up the auto road with Double D.

Millen Mile


A few sunset shots from Mt. Jefferson after work one night.

Zealand River during foliage.

Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge

Heron (?) at Echo Lake

Foliage at Echo Lake & Cathedral Ledge on a foggy day

Foliage from Deer Hill

Snow and foliage from Lowe's Bald Spot, near Mt. Washington

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Where to Begin...

It's been a while since my last blog post. Nothing too exciting. I won a couple of races, the Bradbury Bruiser 12 miler for the 3rd time in a row, and the Kismet Cliff Run "Beast of the East", a couple of weeks later. I rounded out my fall season with an ill-advised run at the Cape Cod Marathon, which pretty much ended any momentum I had going this fall.

Since then, I've struggled to get any type of training going since the couple of weeks I took off after Cape Cod. I've been dealing with a lingering plantar fascia issue that has subsided in the last week, and my overall energy has been pretty low. I've had multiple nights of 10-11 hours of sleep, even on days where I didn't do anything physical, which is usually a sign that something is up. I've been pretty wiped from all of the field work I've been doing the last few months, trying to finish up projects before we got any significant snow. This time of year is always busy at work, and I've never been a fan of trail running in the dark, so it's usually a good time to lay low and re-cooperate, but something has been off the last few months. I finally went in for a physical last week, something I haven't done in 12 years, and had some blood work done to check my iron levels and to check for Lyme Disease. I have a follow-up appointment on the 15th, so hopefully I'll have some answers then. Until, then, I'm going to just try to take it one day at a time and try to get outside when I don't feel completely run down. We have some snow here in the north country now, so I'm looking forward to some snowshoeing,  XC skiing and some winter hiking. T'is the season.


Hopefully some terrain I will see soon.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Millen Mile

Coming through the quarter. Photo by Jess Tilton

The mile is not my specialty, but this race is too cool to pass up. Last year was the inaugural Millen Mile, a one-mile track race held at half time of the Kennett High School football home opener, under the lights. It is held in memory of former Kennett High football coach, social studies teacher, and all-around good guy Gary Millen. I only had Mr. Millen for 9th grade Civics, but he was a good teacher and he took an interest in all sports, and you would routinely see him at many sporting events. Gary died of a heart attack in 2006; way too early, especially for someone who meant so much to the community.

Last year I won the race in 4:38, about 3 seconds slower than my PR, but I was pretty happy with it as I pretty much ran alone and hadn't really done much track work to prepare for it. This year I knew I would have my hands full as Tim Livingston has been running well and Fryeburg Academy and University of Southern Maine alum Tim Even would be toeing the line. Adding to difficulty of this race would be the fact that I have felt like garbage all week. I wasn't sick, but I felt run down everyday and each run was not pretty until Thursday, where I managed 3 miles and some drills and strides and I didn't feel like I was going to fall over from dead legs.

All that aside, I got in a good warm-up with plenty of drills and strides and just tried to stay loose. The timing of the start of this race is interesting as you need to keep an eye on the game clock, but you never really know when you'll start because of all the timeouts and such. After each runner was introduced we got on the line and got ready to burn our lungs for four and a half minutes.

Tim Even took the lead early, as expected and Tim L. and I filed in behind him. The pace was a bit quick for me, but then again, any pace on the track is probably too quick for me. I came through the first quarter in 67 just behind Tim E. with Tim L. on my tail. I knew it was a bit quick, but I wanted to take advantage of having both Tims to run with and maybe run a PR, so I went with it. I tried to stay close, but Tim E. accelerated onto the back stretch on the second lap and Tim L. went by me at the 600m mark. My goal was to stay smooth on this lap and see what happens. I stayed on Tim L. to the 1/2 mile mark (2:17) and went around him going into the turn. At this point Tim E. had a pretty good gap on us, but I didn't know what his fitness was like, so I just tried to keep running hard and see how things would shake out.

I was tying up a bit on the third lap, but sub 4:40 mile pace will do that to you. Tim. L passed me backsoon after, and I stayed as close to him as I could and banged out another 70 (3:27). The bell lap hurt like hell, but I felt like I was speeding up. I tried to closer the gap on Tim L. (Tim E. was long gone at this point), and I was hoping to make a move on the home stretch. Fat chance of that. Despite the cheers of the crowd, I couldn't close on Tim and ran a 71 for the last lap. Ugh.

Overall, I am happy with the race as I did zero prep for it and ran as fast as last year. One of these days I really should run an indoor season and try to break 4:30 for the mile and 15:00 for 5k. I don't have the wheels to do that without any track training. Congrats to Tim Even on his 4:29 and the win, Tim Livingston on his fast race, Darin Brown for nearly cracking 5, Gabe Flanders for jumping in at the last minute and running a 5:22 (a PR!), Steve Piotrow and Allen Whitley for pushing themselves on the track, Leslie Beckwith on her win in the women's race running a 5:44, and to Cathy Livingston and Meredith Piotrow for going out and racing hard! Also, thanks to Bernie Livingston and the Millen Foundation for organizing such a cool race and to the spectators for cheering us on. It's a really unique experience to run in front of a crowd like that under the lights.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

2012 Pikes Peak Ascent

Getting chased by Gerald Romero near the finish

Well, that was fun. A week away from the heat, humidity and bugs of New England was just what I needed. Summer is my least favorite season and the crash that I usually experience after Mt. Washington, good race or not, leaves me longing for the cooler air and changing foliage of fall. I wasn't planning on going anywhere for vacation this summer, but early in July Jess and I decided we might want to head out west somewhere for a week. We have both wanted to go back to Rocky Mountain National Park since our trip in 2008, so Colorado it was! No trip to the Rocky Mountain state in August would be complete without racing up Pikes Peak though, so Jess was gracious enough to give up a few days in RMNP to stay in Manitou Springs with our friends Peter Maksimow and Nora Duane.

It was good catching up with Peter and Nora after not having a chance to see them after Mt. Washington. Peter took me on a nice 7 mile run on the Intemann Trail on Friday morning. The legs felt good, but my lungs and head were definitely feeling the altitude a little. I knew I hadn't hydrated on the plane as well as I normally do, but I figured I would just try to catch up before the race. I also caught up on the awesome beer selection of Colorado in Peter and Nora's fridge!

Race day dawned a little warm and humid, but nowhere as near as humid as the weather we've dealt with in New England this summer. Peter, Rickey Gates and I warmed-up by heading to the start from Peter's place, about 1.5 miles away. There are a lot fewer butterflies for me at this race than Mt. Washington, despite the looming task of running uphill for two and a half hours. Lowered expectations will do wonders for your intestinal systems. I got a few last minute pointers from Pikes Peak legend Scott Elliot, then we were off.

Making my way to the finish

My goal anytime I race at altitude is to find my red line, but DO NOT GO OVER IT. Especially in a race that's two plus hours long. Some people may look at it as a wimpy way of racing, but you have to know your limits. Blowing up 4 miles in isn't going to do me any good running up a 14,000 ft. mountain. One thing I wasn't expecting 4 miles into the race was to get passed by Kim Dobson. Or maybe it was earlier, my brain was already a little fuzzy. The hard part about running by feel and ignoring mile splits is that you never really know how you're running time-wise. I knew Kim was either flying or I was really dogging it. I felt like I might be going a touch fast, which made me think Kim was REALLY moving. After she passed me in the W's I just tried to run smart knowing that I still had 2 hours of mountain running ahead of me.

I was pretty much in no-man's (or no-woman's) land until Barr Camp. Just before we reached the aid station I actually caught Kim and the guy from Arizona with the pink socks. At this point I still had a low grade headache, but I felt like I was getting into a good rhythm. I came through Barr Camp around 73 minutes, about two minutes slower than 2009. Scott Elliot reminded me at the start that Barr Canp is about half way time wise. Just after the aid station I passed Kim and the pink socks guy (Brian Folts). I was able to open a bit of a gap on them as the trail started to get more technical. I also spotted Peter up ahead a little ways and I made a move to catch him.

Peter has done a ton of running on this mountain and I knew I was in good company to be running with him at this stage in the race. We worked together to keep moving up the hill and hopefully catch some stragglers past the A-Frame. As we approached the A-Frame aid station Kim and Brian caught Peter and I and Peter went around me. I guess I was slowing us down and holding us up, but it was imperceptible as we climbed the rugged switchbacks. My fingers were starting to swell and my hands were tingling. The pressure in my skull was getting greater, but it was nothing to be alarmed about. I came through the A-Frame checkpoint in 1:43:26, about a minute and a half behind my PR from 2009 and 14 seconds behind Kim and Peter. I was a little worried that I was slower than PR pace, but I remembered that I did a lot of walking above treeline in 2009, and I was determined not to do that this year.

Running above treeline at Pikes Peak looks a lot like the terrain above treeline on Mt. Washington, but there is actually a trail on Pikes. There are a few rocks to hop over, but it's not constant scrambling like running up the summit cone on Big George. That being said, running above 11,000 ft. is pretty damn tough. At this point my quads were starting to feel the cumulative fatigue of 1:40 of running uphill, and I was getting twinges in my calves from dehydration. I just tried to keep my head on my shoulders and put one foot in front of the other.

At this point I wasn't thinking about racing, just getting to the top as fast as possible. I could see Peter and Kim ahead of me every once in a while, but the trail switchbacks so much you never really know how far anyone is ahead of you. You can also look up 1000 vertical feet and see people near the summit, but you're still a couple of miles away via trail.

Speaking of seeing people above you, I spotted mountain running god Killian Jornet coming down the mountain when I hit the 2 miles to go sign. He was bounding from rock to rock on his way down. He offered some encouragement as I trudged up the mountain. Not long after that he decided to turn around and pass me on the way up. I used him as a carrot and stayed with him until just before the 16 Golden Stairs. There was a search and rescue crew hanging out here and they were playing "America the Beautiful" on kazoos. I kid you not. I asked them if they knew "Another One Bites the Dust". They got a kick out of that.

I got a kick out of knowing that I was almost finished. The 16 Golden Stairs look a lot like New England mountain running terrain, and I take pride in running everything in front of me, but I put my hands to my knees and did the Euro-hike on most of this stretch. Lack of oxygen and fatigue weren't going to allow for any explosive movements from my body, unless they were coming from my bowels or esophagus.

Peter Maksimow, myself and Gerald after the finish

Despite being thoroughly exhausted and having a pounding headache, I was determined to finish strong and run as much as possible. I was even more determined when I spotted Gerald Romero behind me with less than half a mile to go. I was one spot ahead of Gerald in 2009. He was a lot closer this time and I knew I was close to a top 10 spot and didn't want to lose it. I managed to find another gear, the one past the red line, and kicked it in to stay ahead of Gerald and squeak under 2:30 in 2:29:48, a 2 minute PR. My lovely wife was there to catch me and make sure I wasn't drooling all over myself. I was definitely feeling the effort and the altitude after I finished, but I was able to choke down some water, Gatorade and some food before heading back down the mountain. I ended up wearing the new Inov8 TrailRoc 235s which worked great on the hardpacked Colorado trails.

A big thank you to Peter and Nora for allowing us to stay with them in there awesome cabin, and a big thank you to Peter for pulling me along in the race and reminding me how much fun it is hanging out with so many cool runners, even on the weekend of your biggest race of the year.  And a big thank you to the organizers of the Pikes Peak races for putting on a great race and event. Also, congrats to Kim Dobson on an amazing run. Each time she went by me she looked so strong. You could tell she trained hard for this race and was a woman on a mission. She had the 3rd fastest split from A-Frame to the summit! 

As painful as it sounds, I thoroughly enjoyed the race itself and the atmosphere around it. It was nice going into the race with not a lot of pressure to run a certain time or place. I still had goals, but they weren't all consuming. Running is funny. Sometimes the harder you try the further you'll find yourself from what you're trying to attain.

This one says it all



Monday, July 9, 2012

7/9/2012

AM: 4.0 miles in 33:57 on the Conway Rec Trail. Nice and easy.
PM: 10.0 miles in 1:13:14 with Double J and Joe Shairs on Town Hall Rd. About 40 minutes up and 33 minutes back.

Time to get serious for UROC and Pikes Peak.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Training 5/14-6/3

5/14-5/20
M- 12.1 miles in 1:29:18 with Jim on Corridor 19. Felt ok.

Tu- 8.9 miles in 1:09:05 with Jim on the Lower Moat Brook singletrack. Stomach felt awful. Need to eat better.

W- 1:08:36 on the auto road. Pretty psyched. Did this one after work. Ran in control. A little windy above treeline, pushed it a little the last 1/2 mile.
Splits: 8:01 8:43 8:46 8:47 9:24 9:20 15:32 (last 1.7), 1:15:47 down!

Th- 8.2 miles in 1:00:44 w/ Jim on the back roads of Eaton and South Conway. Lunge routine after.

F- 9.4 miles in 1:22:04 w/ Jim on the roads and trails around Whitton Pond and Whitton Ledge. Pretty nice loop. Quads stiff.
Running along the top of Whitton Ledge. Photo by Double J

Sa- Bedford 12k 39:32, 11th place. Best NEGP race in a LONG time. 3.5 wu, drills and strides, 3.0 cd

Su- 5.0 miles in 40:43 with Peter on the Mineral Mine Loop. Felt ok, just tried to run easy.

Totals: 72.0 miles, 9.55 hours

5/21-5/27

M- 0 half day at work, then travel to Ashland, MA for the Inov8 brand conference.

Tu- 5.0 miles in 32:57 around Ashland Pond with Dwight & Chris (Inov8 sales reps). Felt ok. Spent the rest of the day checking out the new models and presenting my feedback on some models I've been testing. There is some great new stuff in the pipeline!

W- 4 x Cathedral Ledge Circuit. Felt like junk. Travel and bad eating caught up to me. 2.0 wu.

Th- 0 Long day at work.

F- 6.2 miles in 1:01:17 with Jim on some random trails in Albany. Fun run, felt good.

Sa- 1:00 on, 1:00 off fartlek up the auto road. 33:15 to 4 miles. Much better than last time.
Splits: 7:00 8:33 8:52 8:50, 36:57 down., 2.0 wu, drills and strides.

Su- 0 running. 16 mile hike with Jess through the Pemi Wilderness though, which was a lot of fun!

Totals: 27.3 miles, 4.13 hours


5/28-6/3
M- Mt. Washington training run w/ Jim, Nate Jenkins, and Melissa Donais. 1:08:02. Pretty psyched with this one. No real plan time-wise as Jim, Nate and I were planning on something at tempo effort. I felt pretty smooth the whole way and my breathing barely ever felt labored. My hamstrings were super tight on the warm-up and I noticed them while running, but they didn't seem to slow me down! This run was a huge confidence booster. A big thank you to Jess for driving us down so our quads wouldn't be sore for the next week! 2.0 wu
Splits: 7:28 8:44 9:00 8:53 9:30 9:16 9:09 5:57

Tu- 1.0 One stinking mile with Jim at Whitaker Woods. I hate lightning.

W- 0 Stomach bug. Called in sick to work. Felt better near the end of the day, but still low on energy.

Th- 4 x Cathedral Ledge Rd. 6:52 6:59 7:09 7:16 (7:04 avg., 7:51 pace) Slower and harder than I hoped, but a solid workout either way. Might still be feeling the effects of yesterday's stomach bug. (1:01:56), 2.0 wu

F- 8.4 miles on Peaked Hill Rd. (gravel) and Province Pond Trail with Jim in 1:02:30. Gradual climb on the way out and gradual down on the way back. Felt ok. Body feels fresh but legs feel a little weird. Apparently my body doesn't know how to react to not being sore all of the time. 3 strides after while Jim pooped in the woods.

Sa- 6.5 miles in 52:30 with Jim and MIT-bound Peter Haine on the Jackson XC Hall Trail and Maple Mtn. Loop. Wet, overgrown and muddy, but fun! I was hoping to go up Washington this morning, but the conditions above treeline were unfavorable.

Su- Pack Monadnock 10 Mile Road Race, 3rd, 1:02:45, :42 behind Brandon Newbould and :15 behind Justin Freeman. I knew this was going to be a tough race as I haven't been working on my road speed at all this spring, but I knew I needed to work on some race tactics, such as reeling people in, and I figured this would be a prime opportunity.

Brandon and Justin went out front right from the start, but the pace seemed manageable, so I latched on until we crested the hill just shy of the mile mark. From here they slowly opened a gap on every down and flat. Tim Van Orden caught me not long after this, but I was able to pass him back just past the reservoir.

I was working pretty hard, but was seeing that my splits were slower than when I did this race back in 2010. I had the luxury of running with Eric Blake that year, and I was in really good road shape at that time too. I knew I would be slower this year when I hit 5 miles in 28:47. I was 27:40 in 2010. I just kept telling myself that Washington could feel like this and that I needed to keep pushing and try to reel Brandon and Justin in on the 2 mile climb at the end.

Unfortunately, my legs were spent at 7 miles, but I kept plugging away. I was relieved to see Route 101 (for the first and only time in my life) as I knew the climb would start once I got on it. My legs were still tired, but I was looking forward to the climb, knowing that I could have a chance of getting back in the race if I ran this section well. I know, I'm a sick f*ck.

I was able to keep my eye on the leaders as I saw Brandon open a small gap on Justin. I could sense that I was slowly closing the gap, despite the fact that my stride felt choppy. I lost sight of both of them just before we entered Miller State Park. The steep climb starts not long after entering the park. I downshifted and tried to stay smooth. I covered the 9th mile in 6:32. I knew I was just under 9 minutes for the last mile in 2010, so I told myself I had 9 minutes to go. On the next steep section I was able to see Justin, and saw that he wasn't that far ahead. I tried to open my stride on the few flat stretches, but lost sight of Justin as the road curved back and forth. I kept plugging away and was rewarded with the view of Justin's and Brandon's backsides on the last steep climb. I hammered it with everything I had. I knew I probably wouldn't catch them, but I figured I would give it a shot anyways. I covered the last mile in 9:04, 10 seconds slower than 2010, but about 30 seconds faster that Justin and about 20 seconds faster than Brandon. I would have loved to had been closer, but I was happy that I still had my climbing legs under me despite my legs being dead at 7 miles.

Splits: 6:08 5:42 5:22 5:55 5:39 (28:47) 6:02 5:47 6:30 6:32 9:04 (33:58)

4.0 wu, drills and strides, 0.5 cd

Totals: 49.2 miles, 6.36 hours

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Training Week 5/7-5/13

M- 9.7 miles in 2:17:01 in the Moat Mtn. Range w/ Jim. Went north to south on this one. The climb up North Moat is brutal, but I felt pretty good on it.

Tu- 12.1 mile Glines Hill loop with Jim in 1:24:44 (6:59 pace). Hilly loop. 1500 ft of elevation gain. Solid run. We didn't kill it, just rolled along. 9:00 for the full mile up Glines Hill Rd. 7 strides in the last mile.

W- 4 x Cathedral Ledge Rd. hill circuit. This workout is brutal, but makes you strong as hell. 8 minute pace at 12% grade feels easier after this one. 3.5 mi wu, 8.7 miles total.

Th- 11.7 miles in 1:31:16 on the snowmobile trails near Chocorua Lake and the Hemenway State Forest. I was pretty tired, and Jim was more than happy to run easy with me. Soaked in the lake 10 minutes after.

F- 3 mile uphill fartlek (1:00 on, 1:00 off) on the auto road. Quads were a little stiff going into this, but nothing major. Mile splits of 6:52, 8:22, 8:49. It was spitting snow at 3 miles. That last mile was pretty tough. 2.0 mi wu.

Sa- 10.8 miles up Rattlesnake, Middle and Peaked with Paul in 2:17:44. A little tired and I probably overdid it with this one, especially with a race the next day, but with 5 weeks until Washington I still have some time for some solid training before worrying about freshening up.

Su- Sleepy Hollow Mountain Race, 2nd place, ~1 minute behind Josh Ferenc. Fun course and a good race against Josh. I knew it would be an interesting race with Jim, Josh, Todd Callaghan, TiVo, Ross Krause, Double D and Mike Quintal, but I had no idea how it would shake out. Reading the course description it sounded like a lot of fast downhill, which is not my strong suit, but I knew I was probably the strongest climber in the field, so I made it my mission to do as much as I could on the climbs.

Unfortunately, after the start I found that my legs could not get moving despite a 2.5 warm-up. Josh took it out with Mike and another guy and I tucked in hoping that my legs would wake up. After about half a mile and swallowing a couple of black flies, I moved up behind Josh and gave chase on the way to the high point of loop 1, the king of the mountain preme point. I covered the first mile in 6:47, but Josh got to the top about 5 seconds ahead of me. From there Josh opened up a good gap on the muddy downhill. I moved as fast as I could, but was feeling the effects of the cumulative fatigue of the training week and the fact that I got 2.5 hours of sleep last night after seeing Flogging Molly and The Devil Makes Three in Portland. Oops.

On the second lap I just focused on working the uphill hard and making it the best workout I could. I could see Josh up ahead of me, but he wasn't out of reach. I slowly made my way up the hill and managed to take the lead about 2/3rds of the way up the climb. Josh hung tough though and we were even at the 3 mile mark. From here, he took of like a bat out of hell while I just tried to keep him in sight. I was barely able to do that on the way through the loop 2-3 transition. I hoped I could pull another rabbit out of my hat on the last climb, but I only saw Josh one on the singletrack climb from 4-5 miles. I did see a porcupine climbing a tree though.

From 5-6 miles I just tried to run the smooth downhill as fast as possible and hope that Josh was just around the corner where I couldn't see him. He was around the corner, about 1 minute around it at the finish line.

Overall, I was pretty happy that I raced hard despite being tired, and Josh is a hell of a downhiller, so to be even that close to him in an up/down race makes me happy. It was good to see that Jim pulled out a good race. I know he's making me a better runner, and I hope I'm helping him.

A big thank you to Paul Kirsch for driving my sleep-deprived ass to VT after my late-night hi jinx. Paul is a glutton for punishment though since he's headed to a concert in Boston tonight.

Also a big thank you to Kasie Enman for putting on a great race and sharing all the trails in her backyard with the New England mountain running community. The 1/2 gallon of maple syrup was a nice touch too!

Splits: 6:47 5:37 8:28 6:02 7:53 5:34

Totals: 69.5 miles, 11.0 hours, butt-load of vertical. Another solid week. I was pretty tired all week, but that's a sign of good training. I need to be careful this week about getting plenty of sleep, eating right and staying hydrated so I don't put myself into a hole after the late night Saturday. 5 more weeks.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Training Week 4/30-5/6

M- 5.2 miles in 43:42 on the Lower Nanamacomuck with Double J. Legs were pretty beat. We took it easy, then iced our legs in the Swift River. I made it about 2 minutes, took a break, then went in for another 2 minutes.

Tu- 10.9 miles in 1:23:09 around the Trout Pond area and Pine Barrens with Jim. Felt much better today. Ice bath helped, I think.

W- 4 x Cathedral Ledge Rd. repeats (0.9 miles) 6:52 7:00 7:04 7:08. Pretty psyched with this workout. Two weeks ago I went out way too hard on the first one in 7:16 and had to dial back to 7:40's for the last two. These all felt way better this time. 7:12 = 8:00 pace, so they were still pretty quick, but in control. They were still a little harder than tempo effort, but I wasn't dying at the end of each one. 2.0 wu, drills and strides.

Th- AM: 8.8 miles in 1:00:49 from Jim's house over Eidelweiss, Modock Hill and Pound Rds. Hilly-ass loop and managed to average 6:56 pace for the whole thing. 1000 ft. of elevation gain.
PM: 4.0 miles in 37:41 with Roger and Jim after the KHS track meet. 5 barefoot strides after felt much better than the run itself.

F- 0 Bruised my right foot pretty good while trying to set a metal fence post at a volunteer function at work. I don't think I did any damage, but I decided to be smart and let it heal for the night. Plus, we had pizza and beer at Brennan's after, so I couldn't pass that up.

Sa- 7.0 miles up and down Black Cap in 59:51, 28:53 to the summit (2:02 PR, 8:15 pace).1.0 wu on flats. Hard effort. I was hoping to do a run this morning on the auto road with Paul, Leslie and Frank, but I didn't know how my foot would react to 4 miles of downhill running on pavement, so I headed to the Red Tail Trail. I am really pleased with this effort. I have only run this trail hard a handful of times, but when I have I was in pretty good shape. Also, the foot was completely fine, so I don't have to worry about that.

Su- 12.5 miles in 2:10:58 on the Flat Mtn. Pond Trail, bennett St. and Whiteface Intervale Rd. Nice run with Jim and Sam Wood. Quads were a little tired, but it was a quality run.

Totals: 58.6 miles, 8.30 hours. Not as much volume as the past two weeks, but I needed the easy day on Monday and the day off on Friday I had no control over. Body feels good though and got in some good workouts. I'm having fun with the mountain specific workouts and feel myself getting stronger with each one.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Bucket List

I've had this list floating in my head for a while. I thought I'd put it down on paper the web.

Running Races:
Boston Marathon - A must do for every runner, especially if you're from New England.
New York City Marathon - I'm not much of a city person, but big city marathons are pretty cool (other than the logistics).
Pikes Peak Marathon - I have always said I would never run this, but after having to turn around at mile 10 of the 2008 Ascent and run back down I decided that racing down the Barr Trail might be fun.
Western States 100 - The most prestigious ultra in the country and it covers some awesome terrain.
Leadville 100 - I've been through Leadville once and wasn't too impressed, but the race course looks beautiful.
White River 50 Miler - awesome course, great scenery and usually pretty competitive.
Dipsea Trail Race - A classic trail race in California with a unique age/gender handicapped start.
La Ciaspolada - The biggest snowshoe race in the world, in Italy (6,000+ finishers!)
Sierra Zinal - one of the European mountain classics

Other:
AMC Hut Traverse record attempt
Ski the American Birkbeiner XC ski race in Wisconsin
Ski the Tuckerman Ravine headwall - will probably never happen unless I work on my downhill ski skills and grow some gonads
Ski from the Mt. Washington summit to Pinkham Notch Visitor Center
Hike the length of the Appalachian Trail in NH as a thru-hike
Ski from my house to Canadian border on snowmobile trails (~200 miles?)

I am sure I should have something related to road or mountain biking, but I can't think of anything yet. Feel free to add any suggestions or post your list on your blog!


Sunday, April 29, 2012

Training Week 4/23-4/29 & Muddy Moose

M- AM: 6.0 miles in 51:14 with Jim at Purity Springs. Cold and wet and no dead moose.
PM: Black Cap fartlek (1:00 on, 1:00 off, all uphill) 3 miles, 25:31. 6 seconds slower than when I did it a couple of weeks ago, but considering I ran 22 miles a few days ago, I'll take it. Cold and wet. Horrible weather for training, but I wouldn't complain if it's like that on June 16.  1.0 wu, 3.0 cd.

Tu- 10.5 miles in 1:07:06 (6:23 pace) from Jim's house on the Silver Lake Loop. Way quicker than I would have run on my own, but I think I need some runs like that. He was dropping me like a bad habit on the climbs which were plentiful in the second half.

W- 7.5 miles in 1:11:29 up Kettle Ridge and down Red Tail on Black Cap with Jim. 41:46 to the summit. Second fastest time I've ever run up that trail. We weren't pushing just running a consistent pace. 1st time I've ever been sub-30 down the Red Tail on the way down too. 5 strides after.

Th- 7.4 miles in 1:11:14 on the Bloody Arm Loop with Jim. Felt good to go easy on the singletrack. Lunge routine after.

F- AM: 3 x hill circuit on Cathedral Ledge Rd. 3 x (:30 high knees, 1:00 tempo, :30 butt kicks, 1:00 tempo, :30 A skip, 1:00 tempo, :30 bounding, 1:00 hard, 10 squat jumps, all up a 10+% grade, jog down recovery). Quads were smoked after this. Great workout to work on leg strength though. 2.0 wu, 3.9 miles for workout.

PM: 6.8 miles in 58:21 at the Bolles Preserve in Chocorua with Jim. I felt like junk on this one and thankfully Jim took it easy on me.

Sa- AM: 8.0 miles in 1:07:53 on the Lower Moat Brook Loop w/ Jim. Nice and easy was the name of the game. Quads felt better.


PM: nice easy 5.6 mile hike into Zealand Falls Hut with Jess. I love that place and it was nice to get out for a hike with my lovely wife.

Photo by Josh Spaulding, Granite State News

Su- Muddy Moose 14 Mile Trail Race 1:25:06 (CR), 1st place, almost 3 minutes up on Justin Freeman and 3:45 faster than my course record from last year. I am super pumped with this race. I was psyched with my time last year, and honestly wasn't sure if I could run faster this year despite better training all of this winter and spring. I did know I was fit though and was looking for a good race with Double J and Justin. RD Fergus Cullen told us that the course was pretty dry, which wasn't surprising since we had a lack of winter or any rain this spring. I figured my trusty Inov8 X-Talon 212's would be perfect for the conditions though.

The three of us took it out at a pretty quick pace, but in control for the first mile or so, with Justin inching ahead before we hit the first mud pit. This first muddy section had been logged recently and was still covered in logging slash. I was able to tip toe may way through it and take the lead as we hit some drier ground. I stayed out front with Justin right on my heals as we hit the junction for the 4 and 14 mile races at around the 2 mile mark. We came through here in 11:36, about 45 seconds faster than I did last year. The pace still felt manageable though, so I stuck with it.

From here, the course dumps out on a gravel road for about a mile, and my worst fear came true when Justin went by me and upped the tempo on the fastest part of the course. I am nowhere near Justin on the flat stuff in road races, and he ran away from me on the few flats at Mt. Washington last year. I was having a hard time staying with him on the road, but I just tried to stay close and run as smooth as possible.

Right before the infamous escarpment I was able to pull ahead and take the lead as we made the hard left hand turn up the steep bank. I opened a little gap on Justin on the nasty climb, but worried that I may have worked myself a little too much on the 1/4 mile climb. Luckily when I reached the top I was able to recover a little as I shifted gears on the singletrack, which, little did I know, would be the theme of the day.

While bombing down the backside of the escarpment, I could hear Justin's footsteps as we worked our way down the smoothed out snowmobile trail. I just kept hammering along at a good clip, knowing that if I backed off Justin might go by and I might not be able to answer. We made the turn onto the Jeep roads at the bottom of the hill, which were dry and there were no puddles in sight.

Coming through the 5 mile aid station I checked my watch and saw a split of 29:16. Last year I was 31:00, so I knew our pace was still pretty quick, and well under the course record. I opened up a little more of a gap as Justin stopped for water and a gel, as my tiring legs kept motoring along. At this point I could tell I was slowing a little, but I just kept telling myself to stay smooth and let the fitness do its work. Easier said than done as Justin kept closing the gap on me on the way to the beaver dam loop.

Every year I take the left hand turn on this loop as I like to run the technical section uphill rather than downhill. The downside to this is that you have to get wet at the beaver dam crossing and your feet and legs might be numb on the climb from the cold water. Today was no exception. The water was about mid-thigh deep this year, but I managed to splash my whole body with frigid water as I tried to keep my momentum going forward. It took a little while to get warmed up again, but my legs were on fire once again when I reached the top of the hill. I still had Justin in tow though and couldn't afford to let up. Soon after, I passed Double J going in the other direction and he warned me of the rough footing ahead, but I couldn't manage to squeeze out a warning about the beaver dam.

After exiting the loop, I was able to open up my stride a little as the trail turns into a smoother Jeep road and has a slight downhill. I didn't dare look back to check on the gap, and kept my head down and watched out for rocks, roots and washouts. I came into the 9 mile aid station to the encouragement of Tad and Sheri Thomas in 54:06, compared to 58:00 last year! I had to double check my watch as I didn't believe that I had actually cut more time from last year's pace. At this point I couldn't hear Justin, but I still didn't dare to look back.

The last 5 miles I had to constantly switch gears as the course changed from Jeep road, to brutal climbs, to singletrack. Each time I changed my stride though, I would recover a little and use a different set of muscles to keep barreling along. The mile long gravel stretch was tough, especially with the head wind, but I was determined to keep hammering. I was slipping all over the place on the last muddy sections, but that was not surprising as my legs were tired and the trail was pretty rutted from 200 runners passing through it earlier.

I crossed the line in 1:25:06, 3:45 ahead of last year. I had no idea I would run that fast, especially after a less than stellar time at The Rivah. This raced showed that the work I have put in this winter and spring has really paid off. I probably wouldn't have run that fast without Justin and Jim pushing me though. I would rather run a fast time against competition and risk not winning, than win easy in a slower time with no competition. Also a big thank you to Fergus Cullen for putting on another great race.

2.0 w/ Jim, 3.0 cd w/ Jim and Justin (bonk fest).

Totals: 78.10 miles, 10.47 hours A pretty good week. Two solid workouts and an awesome race. Some of the "easy" days with Jim are a little quicker than I am used too, but I need that little kick in the butt, and I think we're both going to run better as a result.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Training Week 4/16-4/22

M- 12.5 miles on the Mt. Washington Auto Road. Progression run past the 6 mile mark (57:55). 8:09 9:15 9:06 8:57 22:26 from 4 mile mark to past the 6 mile mark. Road was clear of snow and ice until just past Cragway. 56:35 down

Tu- 5.1 miles in 48:12 at Whitaker Woods fun run. Earliest we've started these that I can remember. Ran most of it with Jim. Drills and strides after.

W- AM: 6.6 miles on the Conway Rec Trail with Peter Haine in 52:19. Nice and easy.
PM:  4 x Cathedral Ledge Rd. (0.9 miles, ~10% grade avg., much steeper in spots) 7:19 7:16 7:44 7:39. Goal for these was to run tempo effort and I went way too hard on the first two. Settled in nicely on the last two. 1.6 wu, 0.2 cd.

Th- 9.0 miles in 1:24:12 on the Upper Moat Brook Loop plus dirt road add-on. Felt ok. Just tried to run easy as my quads were fried from all of the downhill running so far this week.

F- 4.9 miles in 55:05 with Jim on Hedgehog Mtn. Good solid run and Jim was pushing the climb, so I just tried to stay with him. Quads still not feeling great, but that's part of training. Soaked in the Swift River for about 2 minutes after until I couldn't take it anymore.

Sa- 21.8 miles in 5:20:27 up and down and around Owls Head with Jim and Troy Shellhamer. What better way to get your legs to feel better than to go for a 5 hour trail run? This run was a lot of fun and it was good to run with Troy as I have known him for a few years, but we've never had a chance to run together. The conditions were mixed, but it was good running, especially for mid-April. Soaked in river after.

Coming down the Owls Head Slide

 Lincoln Brook "Trail"

Nice swimming hole / water refill station near 13 Falls

Su- 7.3 miles in 1:04:27 with Jim on the Wal-Mart Singletrack (Outer Limits). I forgot how much that trail climbs. I also forget when the last time someone ran away from me on singletrack on a training run was, but now I know it is April 22. Lunge routine after. felt surprisingly good.

Totals: 76.2 miles, 13.6 hours. Solid week. A good amount of volume, two good workouts and some up-tempo running in there. I'm not used to getting pushed on training runs, but I definitely need it. Good first week of mountain specific training. 8 more weeks until Washington.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Training Week 4/9-4/15 and Racing on the Rivah

M- 11.0 miles in 1:16:13 with Double J on the dirt roads of South Conway. Original plan was to do a few miles easy as a warm-up, then 12 miles of 3 min on 3 min moderate, but neither one of us was feeling great, so we just ran steady 7 min pace on the hilly roads.

Tu- 3.2 miles in 35:57 with Double J and Roger after timing the KHS track meet. Roger and I were ready to skip the run, but Jim guilted us into getting out.

W- 4.0 miles in 31:55 from Jim's house on the roads to the McNair easement, then the trail around the pond. Another day where I wanted to take a zero after hiking 12.2 miles up and down Cranmore for work. http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/82751775



View from my office for the day, Cranmore Mtn.


Th- 5.0 miles in 44:49 with Jim on the trails behind my house. I don't run there very often because most of them are dead ends. I really need to get out there and do some trail work to make some loops.

F- 6.1 miles in 48:06 from Jim's house over Chamberlain Ledge, Modock Hill Rd. and Pound Rd. Solid run.


The gloves say it all


Sa- Merrimack River Trail Race, 1st place, 59:13, 16 sec ahead of Tim Van Orden. Decent race. My legs felt like garbage all week, and race day was no different. No soreness, just felt like I had battery acid running through my veins all week. My goal was to just run smooth the first half and hope I could run a harder effort the second half.

I passed the first mile in 5:09 in the lead, right about where I am every year and was a little surprised as it felt slower that. I took my splits and tried to not think about times, more about the effort. I was running fairly quick despite how my legs felt. I wasn't breathing terribly hard, so I knew I was running smart. All the while I was being dogged by a mysterious runner, but I didn't dare look back to see who it was as I don't look behind me in races. The mystery runner stayed behind me all the way until just after 4 miles where we hit Powahline Hill. He was close on the hill, but I recovered quicker and was able to open up a good gap by the time we hit the 5 mile turnaround. I had 28:59 on my watch at half way, which I knew projected out to about 59:00 for the full race. I was hoping to run a couple minutes faster when I started looking at splits a few weeks ago, but I didn't feel like complete ass back then.

Making my way back I saw that my pursuer was TiVO. I was a little surprised to see that it was him, but I shouldn't have been as he's been running really well this winter and spring and is tough on the trails. I just tried to stay smooth knowing that I wasn't going to set a PR, but I wanted to put in a hard effort. I made my way back through the masses, each mile split a little slower than on the way out, some from running into oncoming traffic, but, mostly from fatigue. This race course should be right in my wheelhouse, but I've only managed to run really fast on it once.

Around 8 miles the course climbs up from the river onto a high bank and I had to opportunity to look behind me without turning my head, and I spied TiVo about 10-15 seconds back. I was running hard, but wasn't in the mood to have the race come down to a kick, so I put in some hard work in the last 2 miles to make sure that didn't happen. As bad as I felt the last 2 miles trying to run hard, a kick would have hurt a hell of a lot more.

I crossed the line pretty light headed, mostly because of my dead legs and not because I was breathing terribly hard. My face was encrusted in salt too. I'm guessing I have been dehydrated all week after the head cold I had last week and my 12 mile hike at Cranmore on Wednesday. I pounded 1/2 gallon of Gatorade on the ride home and drank more water when I got home. A good night of sleep helped.

A big thank you to Double D and Petey for putting on a great race.

3.0 wu, drills, no cd

Splits:
1 5:09
2 5:20
3 5:55
4 5:50
5 6:43 28:59
6 6:57
7 6:13
8 6:14
9 5:30
10 5:19 30:15 2nd half

Previous River Results:

57:46 2008 1st
58:58 2005 3rd
59:05 2010 1st
59:07 2011 2nd
59:13 2009 2nd
59:13 2012 1st
59:35 2006 2nd
59:48 2007 2nd

59:06 avg. time, 1.75 avg. finish. At least I'm consistent.



Su- 11 miles in 1:26:24 with Peter Haine at Lincoln Woods. We ran the Wilderness Trail out and the Pemi Side East Trail back. Some crazy damage from Hurricane Irene on the East Side past the Wilderness boundary. Soaked in the river for a few minutes after, but it was too damn cold!

Totals: 53.3 miles, 6.71 hours. A ho-hum week. It would have been a lot worse if Jim didn't drag me out the door a bunch of those days. Tim and I cut out the morning runs this week in order to catch up on sleep and get the legs feeling good again, but it didn't work. I didn't realize that dehydration was the problem until after the race on Saturday. A little disappointed that I didn't get the strides and drills in this week. This coming week leaves 9 weeks until Mt. Washington. I know I'm in better shape than last year and will start doing mountain specific workouts. It's going to be a fun build up.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Training Week 4/2-4/8

M- AM: 5.3 miles in 1:02:45 with Tim and Double J on the Wal-Mart singletrack. 6 strides after.

PM: 5.2 miles in 52:35 with Roger on the Experimental Forest roads. A little cooler in Bartlett than in Conway.

Tu- AM: 6.0 miles in 1:04:31 on singletrack and Corridor 19 with Tim, Double J and Sarah. Nice and easy. 4 strides after.

PM: 6 x mile at half marathon effort, 3:00/400m recovery 5:08 5:13 5:11 5:09 5:11 5:15 (5:11 average) Good workout. Not very smooth as I ate junk at lunch and took advantage of Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day mid-afternoon. Did this workout with Double J which was a big help. I would lead the first two laps of each repeat, and he would take the second two. I had a hard time keeping up with him, but I just tried to stay smooth. On the last three, Jim led the first two laps and I pulled us to the finish. My stomach got the best of me on the last couple, but I made it. Jim got a bad calf cramp on the last one, so I ended up leading the whole thing.

2.5 wu + drills & strides, no cd

W- AM: 3.0 miles in 31:26 on Corridor 19. SLOW and sore. Good head cold going too.

PM: 3.3 miles up Mt. Willard in 1:38:18 w/ Roger. Combo run/bushwhack. We were hunting for the elusive tri-county marker on the side of Willard, but had no luck finding it. Great view on that little summit though.


Roger on Mt. Willard


Th- 8.6 miles in 2:06:57 on Carter Ledge and Middle Sister with Double J. Lots of climbing to redline some trails on the side of Chocorua. Windy and cold up high, but some cool views.


Jim on Carter Ledge


F- 7.8 miles in 1:09:05 on the Lower Nanamacomuck w/ Double J. I was hoping to do a workout today, but I'm still pretty stuffed up, so I figured I'd push it to tomorrow. Lunge routine after.

Sa- 0 Real life took precedent as we did some spring cleaning to get rid of a bunch of stuff that has accumulated in our condo over the years. Probably need the rest.

Su- 0 again. I really had no motivation to go for a run. Head cold is mostly gone, but still lingering at the end of the day. The last two nights I got 9.5 hours of sleep each night, which is a sign that I need some rest, as I rarely sleep that much. Got out for a nice 5 mile walk at Rob Brook with Jess though.

Totals: 49.0 miles, 9.52 hours. OK week until the weekend. The rest is probably needed though and I want to kick this thing before The Rivah this weekend.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Training Week 3/26-4/1: What The Hell Was That?

M- 3.7 miles in 45:14 with Tim on the Green Hills singletrack. Pretty tired. Planned on doing a 6 x 1 mile workout later in the day, but procrastinated. I probably needed the rest anyways. I may have overdone it last week. 6 strides after.

Tu- 8.3 miles in 1:04:47 at Purity Springs with Double J. We saw a dead moose, and I didn't feel much better than he looked. Lunge routine after.

W- 4.4 miles in 56:48 on the Green Hills singletrack with Tim. Felt ok.

Th- 0 surveying conference in Claremont all day. Left Conway at 5AM and didn't get home until 10:30PM. I was planning on doing a token 2 miles before I left to keep my 28 day streak alive, but I didn't want to get out of bed.

F- 11.1 miles in 1:31:42 with Double J around and over Foss Mountain. We made an awesome loop using Class VI roads and the trail over the mountain. We had about 4 miles of pavement on Rte. 153 and Snowville Rd., but even that was nice. Not an ideal pre-race run, but I need to get back into a routine. 1600 ft of elevation gain on this bad boy. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/163124565

Sa- Gilmanton 5k, 16:15 (14 sec course PR), 2nd place, 8 seconds behind Brandon Newbould. Hard race on a hard course. I managed to stay with him until just before the mile (4:51). At the 3k mark he probably had 5 seconds on me as we hit the hairpin and started climbing for the next kilometer. I closed the gap at the top of the hill, but Brandon is a strong runner and took off from me on the downhill in the last k. I made a couple of valiant efforts to reel him back in, but it didn't happen. Still felt a little rusty trying to race a 5k, but it was a solid effort and a coursre PR there is a sign of good things.

2.0 wu + drills & strides Brian Fox, 4.0 cd w/ Brandon

Su- 7.2 miles in 1:29:09 w/ Paul up Cranmore and Black Cap. 24:30 to the summit of Cranmore, 45:35 to Black Cap. We were scouting out some ski trails for this year's Cranmore Hillclimb. I was planning on adding on some peaks in the Green Hills, but I was pretty sore.

Totals: 43.8 miles, 6.88 hours. Not what I was hoping for, but I probably overdid it last week and paid the price. Once again proof that consistency is way more important than just sheer mileage. I should have been able to get in another high mileage week, but I didn't plan my days very well and my running suffered. I am happy with the race though and am looking forward to getting back at it this week.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Training Week 3/19-3/25: No Screwing Around. OK, Maybe A Little

M- AM: 3.6 miles in 46:05 with Tim on the Wal-Mart singletrack. Trails 95% clear. I couldn't believe it.

PM: 2.1 mile warm-up, then 9.7 mile fartlek (3:00 on, 3:00 moderate) with the blogger formerly known as Double J. Covered the loop in 58:09 (6:00 pace). Solid workout. It was great to have someone to do a workout like that with. Jim actually pulled us along on the last 6.

Tu- AM: 5.4 miles in 1:02:42 with Tim and Sarah on the Rec Trail Loop. 6 strides after.
PM: 5.0 miles in 55:53 with Roger Marcoux. Lunge routine after.

W- AM: 6.0 miles in 1:04:46 with Tim on Corridor 19. Felt good.

Mid-AM: 2.0 miles wu, drills and strides, then up the Mt. Washington Auto Road to the finish in 1:17:05, 1:17:51 to the summit. I was looking for a 45-60 minute hard climb today, and figured I would run hard until the conditions wouldn't allow it. I made it past 4.5 miles before the snow got deep. The road was completely runnable up until that point. Splits: 7:20 8:46 9:20 9:24 5:46 (0.6 miles). Pretty solid workout. The first time on the auto road for the year is always a ball buster. It was all about getting in a good effort. That being said, I would have like to had been faster, but it's March and not June, so I have some time to get some more work done. After stopping at 4.6 miles, I decided to run easy to the summit, as the road was in great shape and the weather was awesome. 7.6 miles down, 1:05:39.

PM: +/-5 miles in +/-55 minutes with Jim at Purity Springs. The rare triple. This run was not exactly flat, but my legs were.

Th- AM: 3.4 miles in 40:31 with Tim and Sarah on the Audubon Loop. I called this one short. I was a little tried. I wonder why?

PM: 8.9 miles in 1:32:41 with Jim on the Upper Moat Brook Loop. I was surprised to see that the trails were 95% clear. What a weird winter/spring. Got a little dark near the end, so Jim dropped the hammer on the dirt road part.

F- AM: 3.7 miles in 47:55 on the Wal-Mart singletrack with Tim and Sarah. 6 strides after.

PM: Was planning on 8-10 miles after some work stuff, but I gave Jim a hand moving some stuff and getting rid of some "junk" from his house. Probably needed the rest anyways.

Sa- I was supposed to do a 12 mile tempo, but wasn't really in the mood, so I talked myself into doing something on Black Cap. Started with a 1.0 warm-up, then 3.0 miles up Black Cap via Hurricane Mtn. Rd. doing 1:00 on, 1:00 off. Interesting doing a fartlek up a 10+% grade. Hit the summit in 25:25 (8:28 pace) , a 1:03 PR up Black Cap. How I ran that fast I don't know, especially in a fartlek. The other times I have run this route hard, I had done a 5 mile tempo right before, but to still run faster while doing a fartlek must mean I'm getting in shape. 32:11 down the Red Tail Trail which was 95% clear.

Su- 16.1 miles in 3:02:42 with Paul (full 16), Tim, Peter and Sarah (9). A little wet, but a great day to be out on the trails. The trails on the flats still had some snow/ice in spots, but nothing to keep me from going back soon.

Totals: 93.6 miles, 15.80 hours. That was a pretty good week. I was trying to hit 100 miles, but it's just a number. My goal all winter has been to get out twice a day M-F and a longer workout Saturday and a long run on Sunday. That's pretty much what I did this week, just with more miles on a lot of the runs. I feel pretty good right now. I'm going to try to do something similar next week while I have the time.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Training Week 3/12-3/18: There Goes the Neighborhood

M- AM: 5.8 miles in 1:04:42 on the Rec Trail Loop with Tim and Brian. Felt good. 6 strides after.
PM: 6.0 miles on Sawyer River Rd. in 1:05:13 with Roger and DoubleJ. Still pretty good snow cover.

Tu- 5.7 miles on the Rec Trail Loop in 1:06:19 w/ Tim, 6 strides after. Same weird stomach bug thing I had a few weeks ago after the run. Felt like complete garbage.

W- +/-9.0 miles in 1:12:17 on the snowmobile trails and roads with Jim. Trails are starting to get bare in spots.

Th- 6.0 miles on Corridor 19 in 1:09:23 with Tim and Sarah. 6 strides after.

F- AM: 4.6 miles in 42:17 with Paul on Corridor 19. Good to get out with Paul for a lunch run.
PM: 5.6 miles in 53:33 exploring some trails in Madison with Jim. Found some cool singletrack that I never knew existed on Chamberlain Ledge (which I had never heard of). So many hidden treasures in plain sight. Still a good amount of snow in the woods.

Sa- AM: Winter Wild Championships - Bretton Woods. 3rd overall, 1st runner, 1st to the top of the peak. 27:57. That was a pretty fun race. The course was 3.2 miles up and down the Bretton Woods ski area, with a 1.9 mile climb followed by a 1.3 mile descent. I made it to the top of climb with a sizable lead, as the up was pretty steep and I was wondering if the XC skiers would even make it up without taking their skis off. On the way down I just tried to run as fast as I could in the soft snow and hope the skiers didn't catch me, as there wasn't much I could do about it. 0.4 miles from the bottom Brendan Sullivan went screaming by me like he was on alpine skis. He beat me by 1:33 in the last 0.4 miles. He averaged 41 MPH on xc skis on that stretch! It was a really fun race and a great raffle afterwards. It was fun travelling up with Paul, Frank Holmes and Leslie Beckwith, who won the women's race with a last minute pass at the line! Thanks a lot to Danny Ferreira and Rich Lavers of acidotic Racing for putting on a great event.
1.0 wu, no cd

Roger Marcoux's video of the race: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=3026949426267


My awesome mustache in action. Photo by Gianina Lindsey


PM: 4.1 miles in 37:25 with Jim over Chamberlain Ledge. Felt surprisingly good after the race, so got in some easy miles with Jim from his house.

Su- 8.6 miles up and down Mt. Chocorua with Jim in 1:58:33. 1:01:05 to the summit. What an awesome day. The Champney Falls Trail was 100% covered in snow, and the MicroSpikes worked great. Ran most of the way in shorts and a long sleeve. Views were great at the top (as usual) and there was only a slight breeze. What a day.



Totals: 59.6 miles, 10.5 hours. Pretty good week after coming back from Quebec. No workouts in there, but good to get some consistent running in, a bunch of strides and a fun race on Saturday. I plan on getting back into full-on workout mode this week, and also getting a ton of miles in as I am currently under-employed for the next few weeks.