Leadville 100 Race Week - Day 5

Mike, Gerry & Charlie

Day 5, August 18, 2010

Another blue bird day today.  Joe and Mike were busy doing work this morning as I slept late.  Then it was time for the usual breakfast with waffles, pastries, cereal, etc.  We headed out to meet Charlie and Gerry this morning on the Hagerman Rd. and planned on running from May Queen to Hagerman Rd. on the Colorado Trail.  Joe, Mike and I planned on running back to May Queen too.  We dropped a car off on Hagerman Rd., and then off to May Queen.  There was a slight uphill on the road to the Colorado Trail then it turned into very nice single track.  The trail was soft and dry with a slight uphill for most of it, then a steeper climb to Hagerman Rd.  The lungs felt great today and no problems on the uphill climb.  Once we got to Hagerman Rd. I continued up to where Sugarloaf Mtn. dumps out, a gradual uphill for another mile.  The return trip was even nicer with a gentle downhill  back to the May Queen aid station.

Jack & Joe at May Queen

After the run, we drove parts of the course from Fish Hatchery to Half Moon to Twin Lakes and then the 12 mile dirt road to Winfield. Along the way at Twin Lakes we ran into one of the lama crew, Vickie, with her 4 female lamas. Corky took a quick liking to me so we have a date to meet on Saturday up at Hope Pass.

Jack & Corky at Twin Lakes

Another great day in CO.

Leadville 100 race week-Day 4

Day 4, August 17, 2010

Jack & Joe on top of Mt. Sherman

Here it is race week and we should be resting but there's too much to see and do here.  Today was a bluebird day and it was too nice to pass up the opportunity to bag a 14er.  Never having been that high before I figured this would be a great way to acclimate to the high altitudes of Leadville.  Mike snuck out early to meet an old friend to bag their own 14er, Mt. Quandary at 14,265.  Joe and I slept in late and took advantage of the breakfast and carbo loaded again with waffles, etc..  After breakfast we grabbed some lunch to have at the summit and headed out to Mt. Sherman, just outside of Leadville at an elevation of 14,036.  Luckily we were able to drive quite a ways up and could start at 12,000 but still there would be a 2,000 ft climb in 2.25 miles.  On the drive up there are a number of old abandoned mines and interesting landscapes and of course incredible views.  There are no signs but a website at 14ers.com has great directions and pics to find the way.  The sun felt warm but there was a wind humming through and we knew it could be cranking on top so we packed some warmer clothes.  Once on the trail there was a slight downhill, a small stream crossing then up, up, up.  We were able to run some of it then it became more of a power hike.  Lots of loose rock and steep climbing made the calves burn a bit but the elevation factor seemed to be fine.  By the time we got half way up, the wind was really blowing up through the pass.  We decided to layer up which included hats and gloves.  Other hikers were wearing full winter attire.  It was a power hike up most of the way from there, went through a knifes edge and then came to the final accent, a nice runnable trail to the summit.  Yes, running along at 14,000 ft.  At the summit the wind seemed to die off and the views were just incredible.  Mt. Sherman, 14,036, my first 14er!  We found a nice rock wall on the back side and sat down to enjoy lunch while acclimating.  We probably hung out for a good half hour before descending.  On the top we found a memorial stone from some hiker who must have died back in 2005, a bit spookie.  Descending was certainly easier but there were a lot of loose rock so I had to be a bit careful as my ankle is still tender.  Time up was about 1:07, coming down was 40 minutes or so for the 4.5 mile round trip adventure.  Another great training run!

Mike had a great hike too and met up with some rather large critters.

Mountain Goat on top of Mt. Quandary

Next Up - Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run

Time For Leadville!
Burning River 100 is over and done with.  Now it's time to focus on Leadville.  1 week of recovery, 1 week of taper and now it's race week.  Let the fun begin!

Day 1, Saturday August 14, 2010
I arrived in Denver Saturday mid-day after an easy flight beginning at 7:30 AM in Burlington to Chicago to Denver with fellow VT ultra runners Joe Carrara & Mike Weigand.  We're here a week early in hopes of acclimating to the high altitudes.  We grabbed a rental car and headed off to Boulder to visit a college buddy of Joe's for an afternoon lunch BBQ.  Had an excellent time and great food.  This started race week off with some serious carbo loading.  Afterwards we headed to the mountains.  For the beginning of the week, we'll be staying in Silverthorne, about 25 minutes from Leadville.  And from Thursday through Monday, we'll be right in Leadville.  On the way to Silverthorne, we stopped at Loveland Pass, altitude 11,900 for training run # 1.  We planned on doing an easy 4 mile run going up the trail to some peak with an elevation of 12,500.  4 miles is usually no big deal but get 3 flatlanders running uphill at over 12,000 feet, just 12 hours from leaving home with an elevation of 400 feet,  and it can be quite the experience.  As soon as I got out of the car to put on my brand new Mizuno Wave Cabrakan 2's, even bending over was a challenge.  I felt a bit light headed and was moving rather slowly.  As soon as we started out, the run became more of a run/walk.  The lungs were feeling odd and the head was on another planet.  I could barely run/walk a straight line.  Finally we arrived at this unknown peak only to continue on running down the ridge a bit further to get in the full 2 miles out, as according to Joe's Garmin.  On the downhill, I was starting to feel better.  Only to turn around and run back up this peak before the long descend back to the car.  The head was in and out of the clouds and the lungs were working harder than usual.  We all survived but all got a reality check about the altitude.  Afterwards, we arrived in Silverthorne and checked in to the hotel.

Day 2, Sunday August 15, 2010

I got to finally sleep late and then it was breakfast time.  Free continental breakfast and they have a waffle maker, my favorite!  Pastries, bagels, fruit, muffins and of course the waffles, yes I had all of that.  A great way to start the day and prepare for the days run.  Today we planned on running the first and last 13 miles of the course.  Being an out and back course it makes it easier to preview as you only have to run half the distance to see the entire course.  We started the run at the May Queen Aid Station area, elevation about 10,500 and were running the course back to the finish line.  The first half of the trail runs along side Turquoise Lake.  A very nice single track trail with incredible views all around.  I was feeling great at this altitude with no problems, or so I thought.  Immediately at the start of the run, my lungs were not feeling right again and I was getting dizzy.  I did some "power breathing" and relaxed, slowing down a bit.  After about 2 minutes I was feeling much better.  Onward to enjoy the run.  We ran at a decent pace without pushing too hard and the trail was in excellent shape and only slightly rolling.  Very Nice!  I can handle this. 

Joe & Jack

Mike & Jack

After running around the lake, it was on to some power line trail then a combination of paved and dirt roads towards Leadville in the hot sun.  I took it easy on this gradual climb back into town enjoying the scenery along the way.  The final 1/2 mile was a slight uphill climb to the finish in downtown Leadville with some amusing remnants of the bike race held the day before visible on the road.  Chalk writing on the road said, "Lance is a wimp".  (Lance backed out of the bike race at the last moment and the town of Leadville made it well known).  Afterwards we met up with Charlie from Lake Placid and a bunch of fellow ultra runners from Texas for some pizza at the local pizza joint.  After lunch we spotted an establishment on the main road offering a 2 for 1 special.  2 PBR's for only $1.  How could we turn that down.  And they were ice cold and tasty! A great way to end the day in Leadville.

Enjoying the PBRs

Downtown Leadville

Day 3, Monday August 16, 2010.

Breakfast and waffles again after sleeping late.  A great way to start the day!  Today we planned on running Sugarloaf, the second highest peak of the race at an elevation of 11,100.  We had planned on running this with some of the fellow Texans we met the day before and with Charlie but the rains had come in and it was pouring.  Everyone bagged it except for Joe, Mike and myself.  Charlie helped us drop a car and then headed for the hot springs.  It sounded like a good idea as we sat in the car preparing to step out into the rain for this 7 mile jaunt.  Once we got going the rain was not a problem and it stopped within the first mile. A bigger problem were my lungs, that strange feeling again deep in, but again after a couple of minutes, they felt fine.  After about a mile on a road, we headed onto a trail and up the power lines to climb to the top of Sugarloaf.  Nothing too technical but a good steady climb with many false peaks.  But there were also some plateaus and small sections of downhills on the way up.  I took it rather slow and steady sort of race paced as this will be the climb from mile 78.  Once we reached the peak it was another 2 or so mile downhill to the car.  Nothing too steep but a good solid downhill effort with some tricky footing near the end.  We lucked out with the weather and it turned out to be just right with cooler temps and overcast skies.  Afterwards we headed to Leadville and had lunch with Charlie at a local spot in town.  For excitement after lunch, we got to watch Joe get his hair cut at a local barber in Leadville.  Her name was "Mud" and she was a biker chick so she and Joe got along just fine.

The Gear:
The new Mizuno Wave Cabraken 2's arrived on my doorstep Friday miday.  Just in time for Leadville.  Have run in them since Saturday on all kinds of terrain.  Very Nice!

New Mizuno Wave Cabraken 2

Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run 2010

This year's 2010 USA 100 Mile Trail Championships were to be held in Willoughby Hills, Ohio on July 31, 2010. Deciding to crew and pace at the VT 100 2 weeks ago instead of running it created an opportunity for me to attend this year's Burning River 100 miler before heading to Leadville later in August.

A trail race in Ohio? I really knew nothing about Ohio other than driving through it one day in 1980. But after some research, I found out about this really neat trail system that runs through much of Ohio and through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. So time for a road trip, 12 hours from home in VT. I loaded myself into the car with my newest companion, a Garmin GPS for navigation. The last couple of road trips I had some difficulties and doing the guy thing of never asking for directions and being lost was getting old so this would hopefully make the trip more enjoyable with less wasted time. Also, the course handler stations were all laid out with GPS coordinates so I plugged those in to help navigate around the course. I broke the trip up into 2 spending the night at Niagara Falls with a day trip the next day to see the Falls as I had never been there. Niagara Falls were OK, I think I was a little disappointed and expected more but the most awesome part was the Daredevil Museum located in some dumpy little store around the corner. Inside were the actual "crafts" used to go over the falls.

Jack by one of the "over the falls" crafts

Hmm, ideas. I've always thought about a trip over the Falls. And after viewing the Falls I determined the Horseshoe Falls was the one to drop in to and not the American Falls which are way too rocky upon impact. And after viewing the "crafts" I think the simpler is better. Maybe just an inner tube for better viewing and also to be able to dive under while getting away from the pounding waters. We'll have to put that on the to do list for another day. I have a race to run and I don't want to risk injury just days before. Time to drive to Ohio.

Lot of material here.

This one had the Bud lid too.

On I went to Ohio. I arrived on Thursday afternoon so I could preview a small part of the course. Being in "taper mode" I was trying not to run too much but that never seems possible. So I headed over to the Boston Store and did a short 5 or 6 mile loop. And of course I got lost. I went over to Happy Days to run around the Ledges area and to see how my ankle was feeling on the rougher terrain. It was still quite sore. I tweaked it pretty good just over two weeks ago, not running but on a bad landing while skydiving, another one of my hobbies. A gust of wind hit as I was landing and threw me sideways and down hard. Ouch!! I had been running in an ankle brace ever since so this was the first time on trails without the brace. It hurt. The downhills were still painful, the side hills too but the uphills were OK. I'll just have to live with it for tomorrow is race day. I'll make adjustments. Later that evening I went over for the pasta dinner and didn't recognize any one. Finally I did see some familiar faces, Leah and Rob Perry from Maryland, acquaintances from the Finger Lakes races in July. Time for bed so after dinner I drove up to Willoughby Hills to spend the night closer to the start line.

The start was at Squire's Castle, 5:00 AM and still dark. At home it was getting light at around 4:30 am as that's when I drive to work every day but here at the far end of the time zone it was still dark as can be so I decided to at least have the headlamp with me. The first part of the course was on the roads so I don't think I ever used the light. It was fast out of the start with some one really far ahead. I thought way too fast. I was not far behind and in some kind of loosely formed lead pack. Slowly the guy ahead dropped out of sight and I was running with Todd Braje. I recognized the name as one of the contenders. Nice young guy from California. We ran together for a while and then we were joined by Eric Grossman and Scott Dunlap. But there was some other guy running ahead, in white spandex and headphones. Not sure what that was all about but eventually he dropped out of sight too. Meanwhile the 4 of us ran along and chatted while Scott ran in front at times trying to take our pictures while on the run. It seemed to be a comfortable pace. Shortly after one of the handler stations, we missed a turn and got really lost. Scott seemed to have found the right way but Todd, Eric and myself were backtracking until we found someone else and discovered the Buckeye Trail, which got us back on track. Meanwhile another pack of runners took over the lead. Soon we caught up again. In the group was Mark Godale, a local legend who would guide us on the right path as he knew this course as well as any one. Also in the pack were Jay Smithberger, Phil Kochik and some others.

Eric in the lead with Todd right behind.

The course meandered through the woods which was way better than the earlier roads. There were some stream crossings too but it was mostly passable without getting the feet wet especially following Eric. Eric had a way of finding a good line with the least amount of water getting into the shoes. Worked good until I stepped on a rock which was like walking on ice and down I went. Not only did the feet get wet but my whole body slammed into the water and rocks. So much for the good line. Nothing unusual for me, falling on the trail. I was still cautious on the downhills with the ankle as it still hurt quite a bit and there was a long way to go. The pack was thinning again with Todd and Eric holding the lead with myself not too far behind. I had settled into a grove and felt good trying to conserve a bit for the mid-day heat was coming and knowing that I always hit a low point then but come back later as it cools. Well that was the plan anyway. Todd and Eric were still in the lead with me behind. But then there was Eric walking through the woods. Leg issues, he was done. Too bad as Eric was looking really strong. I remember the only other time I met Eric was at the VT 100 in 2006. He finished just ahead of me and I remember him commenting at the finish that he would rather be passed by a girl than by some old guy. Well Eric is now in his 40's, and getting to be almost an old guy. Watch out Eric, it will happen.

Me coming into an aid station.

So onward on the course. As it was getting warmer, I was starting to feel the heat and backed down a bit. Meanwhile Phil passed by as did Mark. More trails, more road and tow path. I never knew what a tow path was before but I certainly do now. It's a flat as a pancake wide trail with either gravel or pavement that goes on forever. Yes you can pick up the pace but it also tires you out, too. I couldn't wait to get off and back on the trails which felt so much better. Somewhere around mid race I started to cramp. Heat and loss of electrolytes has always been an issue with me. I have it figured out for the most part but sometimes have to make adjustments. I was loosing a lot of sweat but to drink more could put me in more trouble so I had to adjust my intake of electrolytes and experiment a bit. Within an hour the cramping was gone and off I went but still conserving a bit. I would say the highlight of the aid stations were the sponges. To grab a sponge from ice cold water and wipe your face and head was a real treat. At ever station the first thing I would look for would be the sponges. The watermelon was good too but the sponges were key to surviving the heat, unless you had an ice vest like Todd.

Todd with his ice vest.

Somewhere after Happy Days, Nathan Yanko passed by as I was dealing with heat issues. And Jay went by too. I try not to get worried about others going by and run my own race. I know that there will always be those who blow up and drop out and others who tire out near the end. I tend to get stronger later on in the race so no worries. Speaking of dropping, just before Sound of Music Hill Phil was walking and done. Too bad as he was running well too. It was getting warmer and up to the Pine Hollow was exposed to the hot sun. I knew after that it would start to cool some as the day was getting on. But just before Pine Hollow I needed a cool down and stopped for a quick visit at Kendall Lake. I figured I could quickly dip my head in. Not so, it was a duck pond with poop everywhere. Still, it was water so I took a quick cool down amongst the droppings and off I went. On the second loop around Pine Hollow I managed to awake some hornet as it attached to my leg for a good sting. Hmm, could bee venom be good for energy? Whatever, there was nothing I could do. Onward towards the Covered Bridges. All I remember are corn fields and dogs in this section. Some dog came after me and I had to turn quickly which really aggravated my ankle. Luckily not too bad. By the time I arrived at the Covered Bridges for the second loop, I had caught up with Jay and Nathan on the hills in the woods. They both were not doing well on the trails. But at the aid station heading out of the Covered Bridges, they both took off quickly and ahead of me. I was doing a quick shoe change. I had been running in the Mizuno Cabrakens, a fabulous trail shoe but now was changing to road flats as I heard it was mostly flat and hard for the last 15 miles. So I put on fresh socks and my Mizuno Wave Musha 2's. I call them my sparkly shoes as the have sparkles in the laces. The girls love them.

Mizuno Wave Mush 2 sparkle shoes.

After leaving, it was roads for a while. The light shoes felt great and I could see I was gaining on Jay and Nathan in the distance. Finally the course headed into the woods with some hills. Did I say I like hills? First I caught up to Jay as he was walking up a hill, then it was Nathan. I figured this was my chance to try to get ahead as more flats and tow paths were to come and these guys fly on these roads. Jay has legs that are as big as me and can do one stride for two of mine. I built up a decent lead but you never know how far ahead you are when you are being chased. I came into the Car Wash Aid station after a long bout with a tow path, not liking it. Food, I need food. I saw a grilled cheese and chips, what a great snack! Meanwhile more tow path lied ahead. As I departed I turned onto the dreaded tow path. There was a nice couple going the other way as I swallowed an electrolyte pill gone bad. Awhgg, not good. It's coming back, quickly. I held it together as the couple walked by and then stopped and did the AWJ spray. And another 2 or 3 times. In case you don't know the AWJ spray watch the video of Andy Jones-Wilkens at Leadville last year. It's not unusual to purge and it was time to empty the stomach. A real pro at purging can run and purge at the same time without loosing a step, like Todd Walker. Not me, I have to stop. Anyway, I stood back up, felt great, had a quick wash of water in the mouth and onward ho again. It was time to end this journey. The tow path didn't seem as bad this time. One more quick aid station and then up more hills. Yes hills, got to love them and a chance to gain some more time. Shorty thereafter a local park too with trails and hills, even better. It was starting to get dark but not dark enough to turn on the headlamp which I picked up at the Car Wash Aid Station. One more stretch along the power lines and on to the city streets. I had no idea where I was but knew the end was near. Finally I was right there with the time clock in front of me. Done in 16 hours and 22 minutes. 3rd Overall Finisher and 1st in the Grand Masters. Todd ending up coming in 1st with Mark 2nd. Afterwards I climbed into the fountain along the finish line which felt so good but only to be informed by a concerned citizen about the posted electrical hazard in the fountain. Not feeling a need for an electrical shock I opted for the shooting water spraying out of the ground next to the fountains to celebrate the end of another 100 miler.

Thanks to all the volunteers for their amazing help throughout the race and for Joe and his crew who put together a very well organized and fun race. Also thanks to Colin and Mizuno for awesome sneaks and clothing.

Jack getting his award from Race Director Joe Jurczyk

USATF National Club XC 10K Championships

Lexington, Kentucky 10K XC National Championships

December 12, 2009

First of all, where is Kentucky? Never been there, never thought I would be going there, had no reason to go until "The Team" coerced me into going. The Team was the same "Team" of GMAA runners who had me going to a 5K out and back road race in October where I nearly puked at the finish. Yes this would be on grass instead of pavement and would be twice the distance from before and have some hills. I figured I would do it for "The Team" and booked my flight to Lexington. The Team consisted of Norm Larson, Tony Bates, Jim Miller, Kevin McMahon and myself. And for this race we added Keith Woodward, Bud White and Ted McKnight.

The big issue in training for the race was to properly train in spikes on golf course like terrain. We were informed that the course would consist of rolling hills on grass. What better way to prepare than to run on a golf course. But we don't all have access to a golf course. On the advise of Kevin & Norm I started to do weekly speed work but on the gravel and wood chip trails in the Park behind my house with the spikes, my Mizuno Kaza spikes. 4 minutes hard, 4 minutes easy and so forth with many variations. And of course tempo runs too. I think these are Norm's favorite. Any way, for the month before the race, I tried to fit this all in with a crazy work schedule that had me up at 2:00 am most mornings and some nights working until 10:00 pm. If anything, I looked at this trip as a chance to catch up on some sleep.

Friday afternoon at 4:30 pm was my flight out from Burlington. I ate my pasta dinner in the airport before loading on the plane. No sooner did I get on the plane, that I passed out immediately and awoke as we were up in the sky flying to Chicago. With a quick transfer, I was off to Lexington arriving sometime after 9:30 pm and at the hotel shortly after 10:00 pm. Norm had the room all ready and had picked up the race bibs earlier in the evening. After a little snack and pre-race briefing, I was sound asleep until our morning wake up run at 8:00 am. Nice thing about this race was that we weren't racing until 11:30 am! I had an incredible sleep. Hadn't slept that good in months. I was woken up by a phone call from Bud who was wondering about our morning run. I looked over to Norm and he was already gone. I thought I overslept but Norm was out getting some snacks and arrived with bagels and juice. Nice! Shortly after that, we were down in the lobby and out the door for a morning run in Lexington. 22 degrees and mostly clear, not bad at all. After a 10 minute or so run, we were back at the hotel. More food and some rest and we were off to the races, only a 5 mile drive to Masterson Station Park. It looked just like a golf course, only it was a horse park with nicely groomed rolling grass terrain. We all took some time to check out the course and our spikes. Norm was hopeful that we could finish in the top 5 and if all went well, maybe the top 3. That seemed reasonable as this was the Nationals and more experienced teams from all over the country were here.

For the start, we had our block to start in, on the lower side of the field with a little more of an uphill climb. After some pre-race warm up, we were off and running. Right from the start, Norm was in the front for our team. Tony was next with some goofy green hat that you couldn't miss. I was a short distance back from Tony with the rest of the team behind. The course consisted of 3 full loops with a finish at the stadium. The pace seemed much more comfortable than at the 5K road race in October and a much softer surface which was more to my liking. I much prefer to run on grass and dirt than pavement. The race seemed to thin out from the mass start and we all got into certain groups. I was trying to watch the competition and at the same time was looking for Tony's goofy hat to make sure I was keeping pace. I felt pretty good and the sleep I had certainly helped. The spikes were digging into the soft spots and felt good too. The first 2 laps seemed uneventful and I was keeping a steady slightly under 6 minute pace. On the third lap, Jim Miller came by. Jim had been doing nothing but water training for the past month and I guess it worked. He was looking strong as he went by. Nice work Jim. I could see him picking off runners as he edged his way forward. And with Kasie on the sidelines yelling, I had to pick up the pace too. On one of the uphills I passed by David Oliver running for Greater Lowell, who has always finished ahead of me. Could I stay ahead? Almost to the finish, Kasie was yelling again to sprint. And with about 100 yards to go I decided to kick it in as I saw another runner ahead with a "50" on his back. (That meant he was running on a 50's team). I passed him and ended up finishing one second ahead, good enough to finish in 19Th place for our team. Kevin was just behind me and finished the same time as another 50 year old but with a photo finish, put him ahead. We all felt good about our race and with Norm leading our team coming in just under 35 minutes, incredible! Tony, Jim, myself and Kevin all came in within a minute of one another. And Keith, Bud & Ted, following along.

In the end, we all were surprised when we found out we won! We beat the second place team by one place. This was a team who won the last 3 years in a row and were the heavy favorites. After the race we all watched the women's open race to cheer on Kasie Enman and then I added some more miles for the day and explored the rest of Masterson Station Park and then ran back to the hotel to get ready for the post race party.

We have an incredible bunch of senior runners who help push each other to run the way we do and have fun while doing it. I was proud to be part of this team and thankful that I was invited to participate.

MY GEAR: The Mizuno Kaza spikes were awesome! When I needed the traction on those slippery sections, I just dug in my toes and they responsed as they should. It was warm enough to wear the Mizuno shorts too. For the run before and after and the run back to the hotel, the Mizuno Alchemy's worked great as usual. Thanks Colin!

Maybe next up, I could get these guys to do some team Ultra event. Wouldn't that be fun!

Full results are here: http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/USATFClubXCChampionships/results/mastersM.asp

"2009 National 10K XC Club Champions"

Stone Cat Ale 50 miler

It was nice to return to run with the GAC crew this year at the Stone Cate Ale 50. I missed it last year but had been there for the previous 3 years. I was looking forward to this years race as it looked like a reunion of the top ultra runners in New England with the likes of Leigh Schmitt, Todd Walker, Kevin Sullivan, David Herr, Brian Rusiecki, Joe Carrara and Aliza Lapierre. My training leading up to the race had gone well, racking up lots of miles as usual, mostly on trails. But the big change this year in the week leading up to the race was sleep, or should I say lack of sleep. The combination of personal changes and working a new part time job which has me up at 4:00 AM led to a week getting anywhere from 1 to 4 hours of sleep a night. Not my usual 7 hours to replenish the body & brain. A little burned out by Friday but thankfully I got a ride down with Joe Carrara & his wife Kathleen and a new young buck from Middlebury College, Alex Russo. I passed out soon after I got in the car. On the way down we stopped at Lui Lui in NH and carbed up on some great pasta and a nice cold beer. Back in the car and back to sleep for the trip to Danvers, Mass. Alex and I roomed together for the night, getting our race gear ready for the early morning wake up.
Race Morning:
4:15 AM wake up. Breakfast was on! Hot Waffles! One of my favorite pre-race meals. A short drive afterwards led us to the race start in Ipswich. A quick registration process, race meeting and meeting with old friends and we headed outside. A cool morning in the upper 20"s. Shorts or tights? Shorts was my call which worked out just fine. Soon the sun was up enough to see and the start of the 2009 Stone Cat 50. Feeling sluggish as usual in the morning, I tried a short warm up run to get the blood flowing and then we started. Right off the line Ben Nephew took off. He was only running the marathon distance so he went out at a fast pace along with Greg Hammett who was also running the marathon. There was a group of six of us running together, chatting along as we pulled slightly ahead of the other runners. We were led by some unknown runner who set the pace, but it seemed comfortable. We had Leigh, Kevin, Todd, Brian and myself. David Herr was just back a bit, trying to be smart and conserve a little for later as the last three runnings of this race I've had with him, he lost it on the last lap. This was lap one of four to make up the 50 miles. Soon in lap one I saw that Todd has fallen back but at the same time noticed that David Herr had caught up. It was still the unknown runner leading followed by Leigh, Brian, Kevin, David & myself. First lap was uneventful, we were going along at a good pace but not killing it. We were probably doing a 7:30 to 8:00 pace for much of it. I usually pride myself in the fact that I can pee and run at the same time, usually saving it for an uphill climb where the pace slows down but I was amazed to see that Leigh had perfected it. He could pee while we were running full speed and without losing a second. Wow, that's how he wins all those 50 milers! I tried it later on but had to slow down a bit. Need to practice. Lap one was done with the unknown runner coming in first with the four of us following. I did a quick fluid exchange which was all set to go and off for lap 2. It was the four of us again but the unknown runner was starting to fall off. We headed out at roughly the same pace until Kevin, who "was not racing" today decided to pick up the pace about halfway through lap 2. He took off and we all followed. After a while, the lack of sleep was catching up. I knew if I continued to run Kevin's race, I would be done soon. I backed off and decided to run my own race. Kevin, Leigh, Brian & David continued on ahead. I was really starting to feel tired and a bit dizzy and then I went down, hard! That hurt. Up and onward. A little while later, down again. This time on my face, knee and thumb. That really hurt! Not having fun. I was ready to give up but kept on going, sort of like in a trance or zone. Finally lap 2 was done and it was slightly faster than lap one and I was only a few minutes behind the other 4. A quick refuel and out I went for lap 3. Kevin had continued on his fast pace for lap 3 but as I headed out, I saw Kevin limping back in. Calf issues and done. Then there were only 3 ahead, Leigh, Brian & David. Lap three felt better although I was in the full trance/zone just plodding along by myself. It was great to see the aid stations on route for a quick drink and a bite to eat. Still I went down 2 more times, hard. Never have I fallen this much. Lap 3 ended and I was about 10 minutes slower than the previous 2 laps. As I was heading in I saw Brian, Leigh & David still moving along, probably about 10 minutes ahead of me. They all looked strong. Lap 4, I was in the zone and dizzy, thinking I could just walk and still finish without a DNF. Then I figured if I could just maintain and get in under 2 hours, I would still be able to do a sub 7 hour finish. I could live with that for such a tough day. I also kept thinking about the keg of Stone Cat Ale at the finish. The sooner I finish, the sooner I can have a beer and then sleep! Next thing I knew, I was down again, hard. 5th fall today, not good. Pick up the feet. I felt like I was slowing down incredibly and kept looking at my watch to see how much time I was losing. Could I even get in under 2 hours, I was starting to doubt it and wanted to walk. But no, keep going. After going by the old car in the woods where the guy in the Stone Cat outfit usually honked the horn, I knew the end was near. Coming around the last hill about a mile from the finish I saw someone in an orange shirt. He looked familiar. It was David. He had lost steam on lap 4, worse than me. At that point I was actually feeling better knowing a slight downhill was all that was left. I passed David and picked it up a notch, or it felt like that anyway. Finally the finish with the last lap under two hours and with my total time of 6:51, coming in third overall and first master with a new 50 mile PR for me. Hmmm, what if I were rested?
Post Race:
Beer time! I don't why but I was being served beers as I stood around after finishing. Thanks Jason and someone else who brought me beers. Instead of sleeping, I was hungry so had a couple of burgers off the grill and other snacks. David Herr ended up coming in just behind me, less than a minute. Brian ended up winning the race in 6:27 (course record) and Leigh was second in 6:30. Soon after David was my buddy and VT 100 pacer, Joe Carrara in 7:18. Joe does incredibly well for not training enough, or so he says. And a minute after that was Aliza Lapierre, first woman with a new course record. We also had some of our local VT trail runners down for this even. Alex Russo, the youngen (20 years old) from Middlebury finished his first 50 miler ever in 8:02. Soon after that was Sue Dodge in her first 50 at 8:04 for third place in the womens division and first women's master with blood streaming down her shin. Formerly a road runner, Sue has crossed the line into trail running. Then was Rowly Brucken, Bob Ayers Jr. & Todd Archambault. Todd was also running the next day at Franklin Park for the NE XC Championships. Good luck Todd! One the way home Alex and I got a ride back from Bob Ayers, Jr. I knew with the lack of sleep I would be in no position to drive home myself. Thanks Bob! Another Stone Cat come and gone. It was great to see old friends and chat. And the GAC crew puts on a great low key, well organized event. Thanks again.
The Gear:
I wore the Mizuno Wave Cabraken trail shoes. Great shoe! The rest of the gear, Mizuno shorts & Mizuno shirts (layered in the morning and took off the long sleeve as the day warmed up). Excellent techy wear. Thanks Colin for all your support.

End of August 2009 Report

Another full month beginning with rain, finally some hot and humid summer weather and now cooler temps. More of a recovery month for me as feeling a little burned out from the 100 last month and many miles and races leading up to that. No running plan to follow but I seemed to still crank out the miles with over 430 for the month. I guess not much of a recovery but raced only in the local Tuesday night 5 k trail races at Catamount and the GMAA 5K XC Scholarship run held at Redrocks Park. Came in first in my age group with a time of 17:56. Not really being a short distance runner, I was pleased. And my new secret weapon for the xc races, the Mizuno Kaza XC shoe with SPIKES. Wow! They are fun. Thanks Colin! First day I had them I ran 10 miles of trails to break them in for the Scholarship run. They were different than my usual Mizuno Trail shoe but so light and you can feel most everything, which I kind of like now. And they look good too, bright yellow. It just makes you feel fast.

During August I also had some nice longer training runs, one of my favorite being the round the mountain loop which starts at Stevensville Rd. in Underhill and follows the Long Trail to the Trout Club, then along the Catamount Trail to Trapps to the Haule Rd and over to the Mansfield XC Center, then up the Toll Road to the Chin, VT's highest point, then heading back south on the LT and back to Stevensville Rd. by the Notch Brook Trail. Some good runnable terrain and some great hills and a little bit of scrambling along some rocky sections with ladders. Overall a fun run, especially along the rocky ridge of Mansfield. 

BIG Moose prints!

Kept up with the Catamount Wed. night bike races for my crosstraining. Fun times too but I seem to crash too often. Maybe it's because I've been using a vintage late 80's Diamond Back Tapanga. Overall it works great even with the Bio Pace technology but it has no suspension so I tend to bounce a bit. I had some good crashes and head-ons into trees but the last race I did the Superman over the handlebars, landing on my side HARD. Weeks later, I can still feel it. The rider behind me said I looked like a rag doll when I hit and the rider in front heard the crash but was afraid to look back at the carnage. Still I got up and continued to ride and finished 2 more laps. If I didn't I think I would have hurt more.

Some of the other crosstraining I did was at Vermont Skydiving, for mental preparation and to relax. I also do the Superman there too as I exit the plane but not for landing purposes.

That's it for August. Til next month.