Mt. Washington Weekend June 20-21, 2009

MT. WASHNGTON ROAD RACE

I had a wild two days in NH this past weekend and am still recovering today. Friday night I drove over and car camped at the base of Mt. Washington and did the Mt. Washington Road Race Sat. morning. I did it but just didn't have the energy to really push myself and didn't have anyone to chase after as in years past. For the two previous years I started and ran part of it with Kasie Enman until she took off, but still it was nice to have someone to pace with even only for the first mile. This year I was 4 minutes slower than last year. Not my best performance. I also had 80 miles in for the week before Saturday's race and I felt it. Can I say taper, not very easily. But, just a training run. After the race I felt fine and ran for almost 2 1/2 hours on rough mountain trails. Overall results, I came in 60th place and 5th in my age group. Last year I came in 63 overall and 4th in my age group but with a faster time. I broke out the Mizuno Elixur's which I save for shorter distance road races. A little bit lighter than my Alchemy's but with the same great fit.

Here's a link to the results: http://www.coolrunning.com/results/09/nh/Jun20_49thMo_set1.shtml


THE PRESIDENTIAL TRAVERSE

Then Sunday morning I did the annual Presidential Traverse starting at 2:30 am from Rt. 2, car camped again. It rained most of the day and the wind blew on any of the east facing trails, with temps in the mid 40's. After 5 hours and 5 peaks, I finally reached the summit of Washington and was quite hypothermic. I never had it as bad. I was out of control shivering and spent over an hour in a sleeping bag wrapped with a heated blanket thanks to the hospitality of the folks manning the summit. It took that long for the shivering to stop. Wearing running shorts and a light long sleeve tech shirt was not enough for those conditions. I did wear a hat and gloves which I think is why I made it home at all. Lesson learned, once again. Then, after some food in the belly, refilling my hydration bag with Amino Vital Endurance Formula for the extra calories, putting on warm dry clothes and my rain shell, I continued on for 3 more hours in the rain and wind, although not as bad. I wiped out many times on slippery rocks throughout the adventure. The Mizuno Trail Ascends did what they could but water on rocks and roots is not a good combo while running. Even though I was very sore and tired I still needed more miles for the week so I got in another 5 when I returned home. Is that true dedication to training or am I just nuts?

Mt Washington is one of my favorite places to train as after an adventure up there, the races don't seem quite as hard.

Late Spring Report

Vermont City Marathon May 24, 2009

VCM is always a fun event. It's a well organize race and the local crowds couldn't be any better. Although non-local runners get tired of all the cheering I seem to get from friends all along the course. This year seemed like most, cool and overcast in the morning. But just as we started the light rain began. It didn't feel so bad at first but it just continued and came down harder and harder. By mile 10 while running through the puddles on Pine St. I had enough of the water. I felt like I was running with an extra 10 lbs. Other than the rain, I had the pleasure of running the first half of the race with Tony Bates and Allen Mead. Both great master runners. During the second half I was able to run with Todd Archambeault for a bit. Still a younster but getting faster and stronger every year. After the midrace blues I seemed to feel better, maybe because the rain let up and I kicked it in a little on the bike path to try to make up for some lost time. In the end I was about 1 minute slower than last year but at 2:48 I was winner of my age group and 4th master overall. I'll take it. Immediately afterwards, I grabbed a quick bite to eat and went back out to run the second half of the course again. I caught up to the last runners and chatted and then little by little continued upon more runners. I had a blast talking with the runners and tried to help them out if needed. The sun was coming out and it was getting hotter so the runners where starting to feel the heat. I even had to give one runner who was cramping some electrolyte pills. Something I usually have with me.

Thanks to Zeke for having me part of the Elite Runners again, what an honor. And a big thanks to Colin and Mizuno for supplying me with excellent running gear. The Mizuno Alchemy 8's were the perfect shoe again for the 40 miles I did that day and the clothing was top notch as usual. And great timing on the cap, just what was needed for the early rain and the second half sun. And thanks to Amino Vital for their special drink mix, the Endurance Formula, which keeps me going for hours and hours.

Nipmuck Trail Marathon, June 7, 2009

This was the 26th running and my third consecutive running of the Nipmuck Trail Marathon and as always I had a great time. I drove over the night before and found a nice spot along the back roads to car camp. The Nissan motel works wonderful especially when I can fit a large foam mattress inside. As the sun came up, I awoke and drove to the race start, only 1/4 mile from my motel landing and got a great parking spot since only a handful of volunteers where there at 6:30 AM. The weather was overcast but not bad at all. By race start at 8:00 am we all were gathered for the race director's meeting. Dave this year surprised us all with a warm up song. As we started out on the race, a small group of runners immediately took charge. Ben Nephew was leading and never looked back. I was in a small group for a short time and then settled in behind Jim Thompson. After about a mile, I passed Jim in an effort to try to catch Ben. I was feeling good until I came to a 4 way intersection with no idea where to go. Lost again, it happens every time. I went left, then right, then straight ahead and finally saw a trail marker on a downed tree. A minute or so lost but on track again. I ran the rest of the race by myself. During the second half I got lost again. I recognized the spot but couldn't remember where to go and had to backtrack a bit until I found the trail again. Just another day in the woods. The last few miles, I had no idea how far I was from the finish. I misjudged where I was and was thinking my time would be slower than the last two but suddenly I saw the road up ahead and the finish line. Done! And it was actually my best time for this race. I finished at 3:25: 49, almost three minutes ahead of last year came in second place overall, first for masters but the biggy, I set a new age group course record by almost 15 minutes! Not bad for an old guy. There were some funny comments from the other runners, one being Jim Thompson:

"One mile in, I had someone on my back and close. I pulled aside and let them pass. Judging by the sound of their voice and the look of their body (from behind), I was sure this runner was in the sub Masters category and so I let him go without too much of a care. My goal afterall was to win the Masters. But right before the first turnaround at six something miles, I got a look at the two people ahead of me. The leader was a baldheaded rock star hammering like a diesel engine through the Connecticut woods and not too far behind him was the man in second place. He was blasting it too but to my bitter frustration, I found him to be not some young Turk but a gray haired guy with a few wrinkles and clearly over 100,000 miles on his engine. It was Jack Pilla, 51 years of age and a total running stud. I knew right then I was in it for third or worse".

And another by Scott Livingston:

I glanced at the results and was really pleased to see that two age group records were set. Jack Pilla, who is 50, had an incredible 3:25:49, good for 2nd place overall. His Grand Tree percentage was 93.35%, which is amazing considering that the winner, Ben Nephew, is 17 years younger. At about the five mile mark, I chatted up 55 year old Rob Higley, who is no slouch. We talked about Jack and how darn fast he is. Rob called him a “real runner.” Rob finished 4th, so no one is crying for him. Heck, compared to Rob, Jack is a puppy. They are both real runners in my book!
So another day, another race. Thanks to Mizuno, the Trail Ascend 4's were great! And the rest of the Mizuno Gear worked equally as well as always. And thanks to Amino Vital for the Endurance Formula drink mix to keep me going for hours again.

North Face 50 Mile Endurance Challenge

The race, it was such a crazed week leading up to this race and I don't think I was ever so unprepared for a race, mentally and physically. I had not planned for anything and I made motel reservations just before I hit the road at 5:00 PM Friday night. I ate pasta salad as I was driving down on I87 as I didn't have time to stop anywhere. I finally got in to some motel at 10:00 PM, about 30 minutes from the race. To bed by 11:00 PM only to be awakened by someone next door at 2:00 am looking for some chick in the "white dress". So sleep was not plentiful either. I blew out of the motel at 4:30 am and barely made it to the race start in time. Luckily someone saw me at a light heading in the wrong direction at the entrace to Bear Mtn. and redirected us to the start or I would have missed the start. In a fog at the start, I just followed in a crowd of a dozen or so. Blew through the first aid station. By the second aid station at mile 8.9 or so, I was still with the first pack of 12 or so but took my time and decided to do my own thing and got out behind everyone. Finally was running more comfortably and just going along. Then one by one I was picking off runners throughout the race. At mile 28 I couldn't believe it was only 28 miles. I thought we were well over 30 miles at that point and had to conserve on the fluids I was carrying and electrolyte pills as I was getting low. Meanwhile, I passed the 4th place runner who was cramping. Then there were three more, Leigh, Brian and Ben. It seemed like the three were at least 15 minutes ahead. Not much hope unless they bonked. These were the same three who were ahead of me at Seven Sisters and I knew they were running strong. On I went, then had some bad stomach cramps, visited the woods and on again. Oh well, I kept going through the mud and muck. Finally finished in fourth place behind Leigh, Brian and Ben, in that order. I felt ok during the race but not very energized. I hadn't slept good for weeks and usually I find sleep is critical the week before for me. I have to figure out how to sleep more. Maybe if I have more closings, sleep would not be such a problem. Anyway, another 50 done, fair performance on my part. I still feel like I haven't had enough good trail running yet this year. But hey, at 50 I won my age group and set a new master's and age group record. So what if this was only the second running of the race. Won some good Northface bootie but no $$ as only the top 3 got that. And got a picture with Dean Karnazas. Body feels fine and I ran a nice 10 miler two nights later and 20 miles the next night. I guess I didn't push hard enough during the race. Ankle is still swollen from 7 Sisters and I did wear a brace for the entire 50 miles which helped hold it together with only minor pain and difficulties. And thanks to Mizuno for the terrific shoes and gear and to Amino Vital for the Enurance Formula drink that keeps me going.

April 2009 Report

How things change in just a months time. A month ago we were running in snow and cold, Tuesday was near 90 degrees, yesterday ran in frost. Got to love this New England weather!

This past month brought on more training miles and finally included some trail running. The back dirt roads softened up to mud for a short time but have dried up since. A lot of the trails are now runnable but still offer some great mud and muck. See the attached pic for some good muddy Ascends. Race season is underway with races to be found every weekend if needed.

April 11 brought on the first trail race of the season in Union, CT. The Northern Nipmuck is a 16 miler all trail run with a lot of technical slippery rocks, especially with the rain that day. It was a real good trail tester for me as I rediscovered the joys of trail running on fun single track. I got lost after the first few miles and then tripped and wiped out. I blame it on being up at 4:30 am to drive down to the race. The second half of the race I finally woke up and almost caught the third place finisher. In the end I came in 4th behind three 30 year old youngens. The Mizuno Ascends 4's worked great for the race.

Next up was the Rollin Irish 1/2 Marathon on April 18th put on by the GMAA here in VT. A hilly, dirt road course on the back roads of Westford and Essex. A cool day with a bit of a head wind for the first half kept the times down a little but for the most part all went well. I met up with Mike Oliva from NY and my pacer from the Western States 100 in 2006. We ran together for the first 2 miles. He then pulled ahead until after all the hills. By mile 9 I reconnected with Mike and we chatted. He was trying to get in under 1:23 as a qualifyier for the NYC Marathon. Mike, without a watch, was clueless as to the time. I did a quick calculation and told him it would be close. By mile 11 I told him to get going if he wanted to make it so off he went. Mike did get in under 1:23. I came in 6th overall, first master and first in my age group. But the bigger accomplishment for me was setting a new age group record for this 31 year old race. This race was also part of a 30 mile training run for me that day. And the Mizuno Inspires did a great job.

Next up could be the Seven Sisters in Amherst, Mass this weekend. A bony, rocky 12 miler along the Mt. Holyoke Range. Then the following weekend is the Northface 50 miler at Bear Mtn. in NY. The entrants list is filling up with some big dogs from all around, I think because of $$$ being offered for prizes. Team runners from North Face and Inov-8 will be there. Should be fun! Then two weeks later is the Vermont City Marathon. I've been "invited" to VCM again so I'll get some special treatment. I like that, especially being able to have my own water bottles at the aid stations.

Early Spring Update

The snow is almost gone now in the lower elevations except for an occasional mound of snow or ice in the shady areas. And with the disappearing snow comes the emergence of MUD. Yes, tripped and went hands first into some nice wet, cold and squishy mud tody. Spring is here!

Up til now, the winter training has been happening with cold, wind, snow and ice. I don't use the treadmill or belong to a club so all running has been outside, every day. No major falls on the ice for me this winter but many friends have gone down. One treat this year has been the use of the UVM indoor track for one hour each week for 12 weeks thanks to the Green Mountain Athletic Club. Doing speedwork in the middle of winter is new to me as is the use of an indoor track. And running with the shorter distance fast guys is a motivator if you can avoid injury. In the end, it should help in my longer training.

The race season officially started in February with the Amherst 10 miler. We lucked out with weather as we drove down in snow but it stopped about half way down. For the race, temps were in the 30's which is balmy for us northerners, some even wore shorts. But I held out and wore tights and was glad I did as around mile 7, the cold damp air returned with a light drizzle. This was part of the USTAF Grand Prix Series so all the New England fast guys were there. I was there with 30 or so members of the GMAA team. In the end, I was ok for my "training run" as I call all of these races and finished 3rd in my age group but did get a * which I never had before. (time met the USATF guidelines for national ranking). I always wanted one of those. One the way back it snowed the whole way and a long ride it was.

The second race of the season was two weeks ago, the New Bedford Half Marathon which was also a New England Grand Prix race with close to 2000 runners. We had about 24 of us representing the GMAA. Another "training run" for me. It was shorts weather for sure with temps nearing 50, almost hot for us notherners. Very little wind too so great race conditions. My goal was to keep it around 6 minute miles and be consistent. And that I did. In the end I ended up 3rd in my age group and received another * for my efforts. I finished 7 seconds slower than last year but was still my second fastest 1/2 marathon. Not too bad for a 50 year old.

Now with those two road races done and trails opening up, I can focus on what I really enjoy, the longer distance trail runs. I've been getting in 80 to 100 miles each week and feel good.

Mizuno has been treating me with some excellent gear including fantastic clothing that has gotten me through the winter running season being as warm and comfortable as is possible. And the shoes have been a long time favorite. I prefer the Mizuno Alchemy on hard surfaces such as pavement and frozen dirt roads for the extra stability. For the dirt and running in snow, the Mizuno Ascend is great. Light weight, quick drying yet grippy and stable enough to handle even the rockiest of terrain. The Ascend 4, the newest of the series features a more aggressive grip for the rocks and rough terrain. Thanks Colin from Mizuno & Emily from The SkiRack! :)

For nutrition/sport drinks I have been using the Amino Vital products. Thanks Amino Vital! Being a former member of the Amino Vital Team two years ago, I learned the advantage of their products. They have an endurance formula for runs over 2 hours with added calories. Excellent to use, especially if you are having a hard time getting calories in from other food. I also find with the amino acids in their products, recovery periods are shorter therefore I can train harder with less recovery time. And one of my favorites would be the Fast Charge Powder. I'm not sure what it is but it keeps me going.

Next blog, a tentative race schedule.

2008 Wrap Up

2008 ended up to be a very busy year in many respects yet slow in others. Life as usual was busy but work was slow which is probably why I was able to get in some extra miles. In the running world, I was very pleased with my year. I can't even remember all the races but logged in over 4200 miles. I set many new PRs for myself and hit a new age category in June, 50 years old! And for my birthday I celebrated by running 50 miles that day except for the last mile which I saved for a night run on trails in the buff. I had a lot of fun races this year. Some of the highlights:
Finger Lakes 50 Mile in July. Ran my first 50 miler in under 7 hours while chasing Leigh Schmitt. Came in 2nd overall, just a few minutes behind Leigh and set a new master's record and age group record.
Vermont 100 Mile in July. Had a fun race running with Andy Jones-Wilkins, Glen Redpath, Kevin Sullivan and Joe Kulak. Warm and humid as usual with some lightning and downpours to add to the fun. Joe Carrara was again my pacer, kicking my butt along the way. Thanks Joe! Overall came in 3rd behind Andy and Kevin and set a new age group record.
Wasatch Front 100 Mile in September. Now this was fun! Unbelievable views and trails. Nothing like this in the East. Met some new friends and saw some old ones. I wasn't sure what to expect running with the big dogs out West but overall it went well. I ran the first 5o miles with Andy Jones-Wilkins, Geoff Roes and Larry O'Neil. Dehydrated myself a bit mid-race and fell back some but drank and ate to get back. Great aid stations and course. Ran through the night by myself with a dim headlamp. Not too good on the steep backside of Brighton but still had a blast. Overall came in third, not far behind Andy again. Geoff had an awesome race winning in 20 hours. I set a new age group record. Not bad for some Easterner.
Vermont 50 Mile in Septemeber. Ran with a bunch of friends again and met some new faces. Leigh Schmitt, Todd Walker, Joe Carrara, Justin Keeney, Sherpa John, Todd Archembault and others. Poured the night before but stopped for the race which helped keep the mud down. Had a good race and with only three weeks away from finishing at Wasatch. Chased Leigh again throughout the race. Snuck up on him at one point which I think made him go harder. Overall was pleased. Ran my best VT 50 and got in under 7 hours and finished 2nd overall and again just a few minutes behind Leigh.
Boston Marathon in April. This was just a training run but posted my best marathon time ever with a 2:43. I had to run this again after a horrible race in 2004 or so when the temps were in the 80's with full sunshine and I fried and bonked.
Vermont City Marathon in May. Always a fun race but again a training run. Posted my fasted VCM time yet with a 2:47. Thanks Zeke!
Some other races were the Northern Nipmuck Trail Race and the Nipmuck Marathon and others. Ended the year on a good note. Decided at the last minute to run a 5K race on New Years Eve day, the Shelburne Field House Athletic Club End of the Year Race. I don't usually run 5K road races but the weather was looking like it could be a challenge. Cold and windy with temps in the single digits and snowing. With a snow covered course, I put on my Mizuno Ascend Trail shoes for extra grip. Right from the start there were a couple of youngsters going out fast. I stayed right behind but by a half mile or so it felt like a casual Sunday run so I took off and never looked back. I won this race by a minute. Not bad for some old guy and a good way to end the year.

So that's it, my recap of 2008. And thanks to Mizuno for the great gear and running shoes.

New England Cross Country Championships

This weekend are the NE XC Championships in Boston, MA. Heading down with the GMAA team. We should have a great masters team and seniors team this year. We will see. Race on Sunday.