Feel Good Farm Snowshoe Race

One trip up & down Moose
Mountain...one to go!

 "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings."  -John Muir

Lyndeborough, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- Moose Mountain...you won't find it on a map or an AMC trail guide.  But anyone who attempts (and finishes) the Feel Good Farm Snowshoe Race become intimately familiar with it.  Due to two consecutive postponements, FGF would be the opening race in the 2011 Granite State Snowshoe Series.  Last winter was the first winter this event was included in the series and my first time in Lyndeborough.  With over 3000' of climbing this may be the one of the toughest courses in NH...and perhaps in the northeast.  As if one time up and down Moose Mountain weren't enough, the 5+ mile course travels TWO times up and down the mountain.  The fabulous snow we had received the week before drew a very impressive field, both in number and in quality...Ferenc, Tilton, Nephew, Kelly, Cunningham, Therriault, Jackman, Wolfe, the Ferreira's, Snow, Principe, Welts, Fitzgibbon, Lavers, Myers, Curry, Wade, Smith and the list went on and on.  A Top 20 finish in this crowd would be a HUGE accomplishment.  The race started with a 250 meter 'sprint' around the parking lot on double wide semi-groomed track in an effort to get the field single file before we hit the singletrack which would comprise 99% of the race.  As predicted, this first section of the course was a sprint with snow, knees, and elbows a flying.  I tried to stay patient and tucked in behind my teammate Steve Wolfe.  By the time we hit the singletrack there was a quite a line of 'shoers and I estimated myself to be somewhere in the Top 15ish.  With the entire race in front of me and two trips up Moose Mountain ahead I was in no hurry to start pressing.  As we negotiated the first 5 minutes of singletrack Steve, racing directly in front of me, fell straight forward landing on his chest.  Figuring he'd dragged a tip, and knowing there were 50+ snowshoers directly behind us, I slipped by and encouraged him to go.  In retrospect I should have stopped...but more on that later.  Approaching the first climb I was in a very strong group consisting of David Principe, Sean Snow, and Amber Ferreira.  Dave & Sean were ahead with Amber pressing hard in back.  I asked her once or twice if she wanted the spot and each time she deferred.  As the ascent pace slowed to a power hike Dave stepped aside and let Sean, myself, and Amber pass.  Cresting Moose Mountain for the first time we began the gnarly steep descent that makes this race exciting and dangerous all at once.  Typically conservative on the downs I was unable to hold off a very hard charging teammate, Ryan Welts who went around myself and Sean.  No sooner had we lost nearly all the elevation that we had gained and we were once again climbing back up the mountain on a slightly steeper route.  It was here that I stepped aside and let Amber press forward to Sean and Ryan who I was beginning to lose.  Not long after Amber flew by two things happened...Ryan came back to me and Danny went around.  Although Danny had raced the Winter Wild uphill snowshoe earlier than morning he had no trouble putting the hammer down on me on the climb no less!  By the time we had made it around once (with one loop to go) Danny, myself, and Ryan were in a pace line doing our best to keep Amber and Sean in sight.  But that wouldn't last long as those two, perhaps feeding off each other, seemed to accelerate on that third ascent.  They would not be seen again...at least by Ryan and myself.  Danny rallied in those final two climbs putting a gap on Ryan and myself (who traded paced several times) and closing the gap on Sean and Amber (who he eventually caught and beat by less than 30 seconds).  On the final climb Ryan scooted around me and never looked back.  Although I kept him in sight he was far too strong and never let me get any closer than our finishing gap...6 seconds.  I crossed the line in 46:08 good enough for 13th place overall and 2nd 40+ behind Sean who beat me by more than 90 seconds.  Individual accomplishment aside, acidotic RACING had an incredibly strong showing with 4 in the Top 10, 8 in the Top 20, 14 overall finishers, and one podium...Amber's female win! 

PS.  I had mentioned that I should have stopped and helped Wolfe when he fell.  Apparently he pulled what's now referred to as an Wamber...stepping through one snowshoe with your other 'shoe hopelessly entangling your cleats.  Believe it or not, Danny actually stopped to help him, was unable, and eventually continued...and still beat me!  As I was finishing my last loop I noticed Steve taking pictures.  Once he eventually untangled his 'shoes the Velcro straps had gotten covered with powder rendering them useless.  He struggled to the finish the first lap with his snowshoes barely attached before wisely calling it a day.  Knowing Steve he'll unleash the fury next weekend at Whitaker Woods...and I'll be the unfortunate recipient of his revenge.

RESULTS

NEXT UP:  Whitaker Woods Snowshoe Race, North Conway, NH (GSSS #2)

[Photos courtesy of Scott Mason Photography & Steve Wolfe]

WAMBER: To punch the tip of one snowshoe
through the top of the other causing an
immediate faceplant and possible DNF; named after
both Wolfe and Amber who popularized the method.



GSSS#4: Sidehiller

Center Sandwich, NEW HAMPSHIRE--The Sidehiller Snowshoe Race was the fourth race in the Granite State Snowshoe Series and my fourth snowshoe race of the winter. The rain that followed our race at King Pine put a damper (literally & figuratively) on the snowshoe racing conditions throughout southern and central New Hampshire. RD Paul Kirsch did his best to eek out the full four mile course, but the conditions on the opposite side of Bean Road just didn't cooperate. He settled for a modified course which included three roughly 1.7 mile loops on the Sandwich Fairgrounds. Maddie & Avery once again made the trip with me. We arrived by 9:30 am and found my teammate Rich Lavers and former US Champion Double D already there. It was great to see Dave back on the mend after recent back troubles threatened his 2010 snowshoe racing season. Before long the rest of the aR gang had arrived including Geoff Cunningham. But today Geoff would be taking pictures instead of battling for a podium finish. Some of the same problems that caused him to miss the entire 2009 competitive season have started to creep back up and he wisely took the day off. When Paul told me about the course at registration I did my best to put a positive spin on it. The reality was...I let the loath of loop courses get in my head. As Rich & I finished our warm-up we discussed strategy. I quickly made the decision to go out "easy" on the first lap (it was 5 frickin' miles after all!), pick it up on lap #2, and then see what happened on the bell lap. With an incredibly loaded field at the front I was content to position myself in the 2nd row. I hadn't thought about it until right at this moment, but I think this also reinforced my negative energy about the race. When the GO command was given the field SHOT off the line like it was a 100 meter dash! All at once at least 25 snowshoers were ahead of me and pushing hard. This was not what I had in mind. As I attempted to regain my bearings and assess who was ahead of me I recognized a couple of folks including Trail Monster Ryan Triffitt and teammates Ri Fahnestock, Jerry Fitzgibbon, and Rich! What the heck was Rich doing AHEAD of me?! Damn. He must have taken advantage of our conversation when I told him I was "going out easy". He was killin' it on the first lap! I have no problem losing to Rich, but he was going to have to earn the win over me. By the time we finished the first lap (:11 and change) I had passed Ryan & Jerry and was in the pull with Ri & Rich. As we started the 2nd lap I eased around Rich and settled in behind Ri. Easily one of the strongest competitors (mentally & physically) in any endurance event he's in...Ri Fahnestock is a warrior and it's always a pleasure to compete against him. The three of us held our position through the 2nd lap and began the last lap without any real threat from behind and the lead group too far ahead to catch. As we were racing my prevailing thought was that my legs felt empty and that I was content to stay with Ri and ahead of Rich. I think the two of them knew I was vulnerable and both attempted to exploit it in their own way. The only real "hill" (a 6-7 meter climb to a leach field) comes roughly a 1/3 of the way through the lap. It was here that Ri decided that his 2 meter lead on me was too close for comfort. I felt him accelerate as we climbed. I didn't have an answer. As he pulled away all I could do was watch. Now the focus turned squarely on holding off a highly motivated and incredibly fit Rich (I've been training with him for a month now). I must have spied over my shoulder 20 times in that last km. I crossed the finish line in 19th place (36:35). Rich missed out on a Top 20 finish by 8 seconds! It's hard to be disappointed when you get beat by the guys who are suppose to beat you, but I just didn't feel like myself. My first subpar performance in...well, in a very long time. It certainly made me realize that my subconscious sets the pace. That's something I need to continue to work on. Another great team turnout by my teammates from aR! Charlie Therriault, Tim Cox, and Danny Ferreira all finished in the Top 10. Amber Cullen won her 4th GSSS race in a row and Ann Rasmussen again joined her on the podium! Another HUGE aR showing (17 snowshoers) helped us take home another team title. This time over the emerging CMS Polar Bears.

Next Up: Horsehill 7k Snowshoe Race (Saturday) & Frosty's Dash (Sunday)

[Photo cred: Geoff Cunningham]

Sidehiller Results

Pooh Hill Snowshoe Scramble

East Madison, NEW HAMPSHIRE--A combination of perfect weather, a beautiful setting, and some great racing action resulted in another aR success...the Pooh Hill Snowshoe Scramble at King Pine & Purity Spring Resort! With 82 finishers it was another record field for this event. Jim Johnson (CMS Polar Bears) picked up his 6th win this winter and continued his recent dominance of the sport. The Top 3 were rounded out by his CMS teammate Ben Nephew (Mansfield, MA) and Robert Jackman (Warwick, RI) of the Tuesday Night Turtles. Not to be overlooked and perhaps equally as dominant is aR's Amber Cullen (Concord, NH) who logged her third victory of the season. Joining her on the podium was aR's newcomer Ann Rasmussen (Plymouth, NH) and junior sensation Jessey Campbell (Northwood, NH). Campbell, a recent grad of Coe-Brown Northwood Academy, is very likely the best U19 in New England. New for 2010 is our expanded awards categories. The SuperMasters Top 3 were Walter Fortier (Concord, NH), Jim Barry (Ipswitch, MA), and Gary Reuter (Kittery, ME...and the oldest competitor in the field!). In the Masters competitions, the Top three women were Lisa Ransom (Concord, NH), Diane Gagnon (Old Orchard Beach, ME), and Diane Levesque (Rochester, NH). On the men's side, Steve Wolfe (Merrimack, NH), Robert Wanamaker (Eliot, ME), and Ed Mulvey (Boxford, MA) climbed the podium. The fastest growing segment of the sport, juniors, were also recognized. The Top 3 Junior girls were Shelby Erwin (New Durham, NH), Jessica Mulligan (Cambridge, MA), and Avery Adams (Strafford, NH). In the boys race Top 3 honors went to Sam Wallis (Allston, MA), Patrick Graham (Northwood, NH), and Philip Erwin (New Durham, NH). In the team competition a very familiar group stood atop the podium, acidotic RACING. Despite the fact that a number of our top 'shoers were absent, the team won with great individual performances and a huge overall turnout. The Top 3 aR teammates were Tim Cox (Northwood, NH), Steve Wolfe (Merrimack, NH) and Danny Ferriera (Concord, NH). The next race in the Granite State Snowshoe Series is the only US Snowshoe Association qualifier in NH, the Sidehiller 4-Mile Snowshoe Race in Center Sandwich, NH on Saturday, January 30, 2010.

Check out the results and photos on our website!

PS. I am extremely excited to announce that we collected 36 coats through our One Warm Coat drive yesterday which will be donated to New Horizons of New Hampshire! Thank you to everyone who brought a coat (or coats). If you missed this one, we'll be holding a coat drive at each of our final three events (Exeter Snowshoe Hullabaloo, Kingman Farm Moonlight Snowshoe, and the Granite State Snowshoe Championships).

GSSS #2: Feel Good Farm Snowshoe Race

Lyndeborough, NEW HAMPSHIRE--Perhaps no snowshoe race (or any other race for that matter) has as ironic of a name as the Feel Good Farm Snowshoe Race. I didn't feel particularly good at any time during my morning "on the farm". Today's race, the second in the Granite State Snowshoe Series, was billed by the RD as the "toughest snowshoe race" in New England. If walking during a snowshoe race is any indication of how tough it is then he's getting no argument from me. Double loop courses for me are about as much fun as a poke in the eye. Two loops and four (that's right FOUR) trips up Moose Mountain was what was in store today. Under mostly sunny skies and unseasonably warm temps (it may have been warmer here than in parts of Florida) a very deep and fast field of 100 snowshoers attacked all this course had to offer. Knowing how strong the field was and how tight the course got on the immediate first climb I killed it from the start to trying to establish a good spot in the Top 10. Mission accomplished. I settled in behind Christian and Wolfe and braced myself for the pain. The course conditions were a little sketchy with lots of exposed rocks, roots, and even a brook crossing. The past 48 hours must have taken a toll on the snow pack temps. On the first climb Ri and I passed Christian and tried to keep up with Wolfe who had gone out in typical fashion...hard. The first descent from Moose Mountain was steep and I tried to focus on easing my foot off the brakes. Ri, an experienced alpine skier and tremendous athlete, blasted by Wolfe and I. After a few minutes of rolling twisting singletrack we began the second ascent of Moose Mountain. It was here that I knew something wasn't right with Steve. Shortly after we started to climb we both began walking and he told me to go by him. Not the Wolfe I know. I reluctantly obliged and tried to keep the pace with Ri. No more than a hundred meters into the climb I had caught Ri and passed him. As we finished the first loop I could still see him 5-10 seconds behind me. That gap was just about the same distance as Jim Pawlicki had on me. I stuck with him for the first climb of the 2nd loop (3rd time up that damn Moose Mountain if you're counting) but felt him move away from me as we crested the hill. I held onto that spot until the final climb up...you guessed it, Moose Mountain. By this time I walked the hill almost as soon as the elevation changed and Ri went for the kill. He passed me, good natured as he always is, and encouraged me to tag along. Feel Good Farm had taken just about everything I had and I felt him move out of my clutches. Although I kept him in my sights I was no threat to him in the final few hundred meters. Peeking over my shoulder as I began the final bear rock descent I saw Chris Mahoney finishing the climb and closing fast. It would be the final time I looked back as I managed to hold onto the 8th overall spot (and 1st Masters), finishing just 10 seconds behind Ri and 22 seconds ahead of Chris [RESULTS]. My overall master's win was bittersweet however as I later learned why Wolfe had seemed to struggle so mightily (and uncharacteristically). His posting can be read here. Finally, it was another great day for aR! Although the team standings haven't been officially posted I'll bet we were in the Top 2...and probably on the top podium. Geoff finished second, beating Ben Nephew who bested him last week and Charlie came in 4th. Ri finished the Top 3 scoring for aR finishing in 7th place. Amber won the women's race with Ann finishing alongside of her on the podium in 2nd. I think we had 21 snowshoers in total...another FANTASTIC number with a couple of aR 1st timers including Christian and Peter Floss. I'll take a weekend off from racing next week as we're hosting the Pooh Hill Snowshoe Scramble on Saturday (1/23).

NEXT UP: Sidehiller Snowshoe Race, Center Sandwich, NH

[Photo creds: Scott Mason Photography, Karen Dunn]

Olde Salem Greens Snowshoe Classic

Salem, MASSACHUSETTS--Well, the word's finally out. Snowshoe racing is no longer a fanatical winter distraction enjoyed by a few. It's now emerging as a legitimate winter sport for trail and road racers alike looking to maintain their connection with the outdoors, refine their fitness, and enjoy some tremendous competition. Witness nearly 200 finishers at yesterday's Olde Salem Greens Snowshoe Classic. The "first annual" by the way. RD Eileen Dunn and her team of volunteers did a fantastic job organizing what may have been one of the largest snowshoe races in recent New England snowshoe racing history. And the crew from Dungeon Rock Racing masterfully crafted an interesting and challenging mix of rolling open spaces and twisting singletrack. Although not part of the Granite State Snowshoe Series specifically, the event did award series team points and the snowshoe racing crew from aR was well represented. Thirteen teammates including Geoff Cunningham, Charlie Therriault, Ri Fahnestock, Jerry Fitzgibbon, Rich Lavers, Jay Myers, Austin Stonebraker, Scott Graham, Richie Blake, Timmy Lindsey, Gary Reuter, and Michael Amarello raced downhill from the start with the powder flying in an effort to establish their place before the singletrack. I got off to a good start and found myself in third place behind Ben Nephew (the eventual winner) and Geoff within the first 200 meters. It wasn't long however before I felt someone or someones pressing from behind. In a flash both Dan Verrington (CMS) and my teammate Charlie pushed past. I implored Charlie to stick with Dan as I tried to hang on to the two of them. At times I felt them come back toward me on the climbs but they moved away easily on the flats and downs as they worked together, Dan holding off Charlie. Just before we hit the singletrack, in a lightly wooded area, I peaked behind to see Ri in 6th place less than 200 meters back. Having lost the pull from Dan & Charlie, now more than 100 meters ahead, I found myself alone and struggling to maintain the pace. As I exited the singletrack and popped back out onto the golf course I noticed that Charlie had moved ahead of Dan into third place. Now back onto the open expanses of the course it was easy to see who was ahead and behind. Dan, now in 4th, seemed to pick his pace up with less than 800 meters to go. With no chance to catch him the objective was to simply maintain my position and hold off Ri who was charging hard and closing the gap. By the time I could see the finish there were only two turns left and an uphill climb to the tape. I crossed the finish line in 24:57 good enough for 5th place overall and runner-up in the master's division (40+). It was my first Top 5 finish of the series and I was very pleased with my race plan, execution, and fitness. Overall, aR dominated the field winning the team competition with 2 on the podium, 3 in the Top 5, 5 in the Top 10, and 7 in the Top 20 with multiple age-group winners. The GSSS gets back in swing next week as snowshoers travel to Lyndeborough, NH for the Feel Good Farm Snowshoe Race.

NEXT UP: Feel Good Farm Snowshoe Race

Olde Salem Greens Snowshoe Classic RESULTS

GSSS #1: Beaver Brook

Hollis, NEW HAMPSHIRE--The first race of the Granite State Snowshoe Series was an incredible success despite the sketchy driving throughout the region this morning. With a couple of inches on the ground and snow falling I headed out extra early just in case the travelling was slow. I probably could have stayed in bed another 30 minutes. What should have taken me 90 minutes took 2 hours, but I arrived a little less than 3 hours before the race. Oh well, I always say "better to be 3 hours early than 1 minute late". If there was any silver lining in that (storm) cloud it was that I finally beat Scott Graham to a race. Speaking of Scott...he, myself, and 16 other aR teammates were in full regalia and ready to defend our GSSS title. Although there were rumors of a last minute change, it turned out that Michael decided to stick with the standard out-and-back course. I felt confident in the course because of my experience there earlier in December. By 10:00 AM (90 minutes prior to the start) snowshoers began arriving...and arriving, and ARRIVING! I couldn't believe the number of crazed snowshoe fanatics willing to risk life, limb, and property on a snowshoe race. When everyone finally stepped to the line the final count was in...90 snowshoe racers. Easily the best turnout for this event and a great start for the series. Michael's go command sent us stomping through 6+ inches of fresh powder through a 200 meter field to the first hairpin turn. I got out fast but was still caught behind 8 or 9 'shoers who were kicking the powder up so violently that I could only see blurry figures ahead of me. I trusted my foot placement because seeing my feet wasn't an option. By the time we hit Cow Lane (seriously, it's called Cow Lane), the racing in the front was still side by side. I lost a spot early to one of the top NY snowshoers, Matt Westerlund, but settled into 10th place behind teammates Danny Ferreira and Jerry Fitzgibbon along with Dungeon Rock Racing's Christopher Smith. It seems as though I learn something about snowshoe racing every time I compete. Today was no different. Prior to the race I got caught up in a discussion about the binding system on my DION 121's and apparently neglected to secure the tie on my new CW-X tights. When I finally made a move around Danny, Jerry, and Christopher I realized my tights were half way down my rear end. For the remainder of the race I spent every 10th stride 'hiking' them back up to a socially acceptable height. Just unbelievable. I guess between loose snowshoes and loose tights...I'll take the tights. I felt a surge of energy with every teammate I saw on my way back to the finish. Like them, I did my best to recognize each one by name. I spied over my shoulder one final time within 50 meters of the finish just to make sure I didn't get jaked at the line. Without anyone in immediate sight I took the final few uphill strides to the tape finishing in 17:40 (unofficially). The finish was good enough for 7th place overall. Teammate Tim Cox finished 2nd to winner Jim Johnson while my other teammate Steve Wolfe finished 5th. I apparently took a little less than 2 minutes off my time from December. I guess 'shoeing around 30+ trail runners actually did slow things down last time. With an incredibly strong team surrounding me, I'm very pleased to have placed 3rd for aR. Although the official team scores have yet to be posted it appears as though aR won the team competition today. Putting nine in the Top 15 will make us tough to beat anywhere by anyone. Finally, it should be noted that teammate Amber Cullen (Ferreira) won the women's competition. A great day personally as well as for the entire aR snowshoe racing team. Next week is an off week for the series, but team points are up for grabs at the Olde Salem Greens Snowshoe Classic in Salem, MA. I'm eager to keep the mojo rolling...this time with my tights securely fastened.

NEXT UP: Old Salem Greens Snowshoe Classic

[Photo credits: Scott Mason Photography]

Snowshoeing in August

Yeah, I realize it's August 2nd but it's never too early to begin planning a snowshoe racing series. In 2009 the Granite State Snowshoe Series (GSSS) was born as the collection of existing NH-based snowshoe races were organized together to further promote snowshoe racing in the region. Whether causal or coincidental, all six races in the series saw record numbers of participants. The series also developed a strong team aspect to this individual sport as a number of groups raced under united team colors including Dungeon Rock Racing, Rochester Runners, CMS, Team TNT, and of course the series champions...acidotic RACING. In addition to team excellence, the series witnessed the rise of two stars in the sport, Jim Johnson (CMS) and Liz Hall (acidotic RACING). These two athletes captured the men's and women's series titles. They were not, however, the only top athletes to compete in the series. Both categories saw fierce battles for podium positions with the Top 3 overall spots determined on the last racing weekend of the series. Laurel Valley, Leslie Dillon, Diane Levesque, Ri Fahnestock, Scott Graham, Jay Myers, and Steve Wolfe all either finished on the series podium or were within points of doing so.

Looking forward to the winter of 2010, the northeast will be the epicenter of snowshoe racing in the United States as the US Championships will be held in Syracuse, NY on March 5-7th. Not to be outdone, the GSSS will add a Granite State Snowshoe Championship event on March 13th (tentative) at a location to be determined. The original six series races will return with the possibility of an additional one or two races added before this fall. The 2010 GSSS schedule is set to be released very soon on the GSSS website. Check it frequently in the next few weeks. Snowshoe racing is argueably the fastest growing winter sport in the northeast and the success of our series is a testament to that fact.

[Photo cred: acidotic RACING's Jay Myers at the Pooh Hill Snowshoe Scramble, Madison, NH]

GSSS Final Thoughts

The final Granite State Snowshoe Series standings are now posted on our website as promised. Red Bull is a remarkable thing. It's almost 10 pm and I feel like I could go all night. Problem is, in about 30 minutes I'll be wishing I could fall asleep. A couple of finals thoughts about the 2009 GSSS...we saw a 42% increase in participation in the three races we hosted (173 vs. 246 competitors). There were 309 men & women along with 29 teams who competed in series races. Two races in the series had over 100 competitors (Frosty's, 141 & Kingman, 107). I've said it before and I'll say it again, team racing is becoming a big draw and more RD's should consider it during all seasons. At acidotic RACING we're now 70+ strong and all of the team-focused events we race (24 Hours of Great Glen, Reach The Beach, Pinnacle Challenge, etc.) fill up very quickly. There's something special about being part of something bigger than yourself and the additional motivation derived from not wanting to let your teammates down. Perhaps this is why the team events I race during the year are always the most rewarding and memorable. Sharing and spending time with teammates takes me back to a very happy time in my athletic life. Looking forward, the series is likely to expand in '10 and will include a year end championship event at a location to be determined. The other RD's and I will get together over the summer to discuss and set the schedule. We'll also talk at that time about potential series scoring changes (ie. best 6 of 8 races). I'd personally love to see one or more new RD's in NH get into the mix. There's really only so much Deb, Paul, Michael, and myself can do and we'd certainly welcome more positive energy.

Frosty's Dash for a...Podium?

Atkinson, NEW HAMPSHIRE-- Frosty's Dash for a Cure is one of the longest running snowshoe races in New Hampshire and routinely raises thousands of dollars for cystic fibrosis. As the 4th race in the Granite State Snowshoe Series the usual cast of characters were present and accounted for including Jim Johnson, Bill Morse and the Dungeon Rock Racing group, and of course my teammates at acidotic RACING including Ri, Jay M, Steve S, Chris E, Gary, Liz & Ted, Michael, Steve W, and Scotty G (who by the way has the whitest legs I've ever seen...and displayed them proudly today). This morning I headed toward Atkinson early anticipating a 90 minute drive (or at least that's what Google maps had me believe). Pleasant surprise #1 of the morning was the fact that my Garmin said it would only take an hour. Pulling out of the driveway I quickly glanced at the car thermometer and was greeted by pleasant surprise #2, it was 45 degrees. My mother always told me that good things happen in 3's. Actually she always said that bad things always happen in 3's but I'm taking a little creative liberty 'cause it's my story. I arrived about 2 hours before the race, met the RD Deb Fudge, and began to make the circuit talking to many of my new snowshoe racing friends. I think the small "community" vibe is something I really like about snowshoe racing. Everyone seems to either know or recognize everyone else and is very willing to stop what they're up to and share a moment or two of their time with you. Yesterday I wrote that today was my first ever racing double. But as I sat to write this today I realized that like many things as I get older, my memory is beginning to dull around the edges. In fact, I do have experience with racing multiple times in short periods of time. My teammates and I have raced the Reach The Beach Relay for the past three years. Those of you who've raced the 200+ mile relay know that the 3rd leg of the relay is as hard as anything you'll do in endurance sports (with respect to Ri and his incredible feats of aerobic strength). Sizing up the field before the start I felt like I had a legitimate chance of a Top 10 finish. When the "GO" command was given I quickly established my place in the top 5 and attempted to make note of the condition of my legs. Pleasant surprise #3 was that my legs felt good despite the mashed potato consistency of the snow. It didn't take long to get into a rhythm and settle in behind my much stronger (and older) teammate Steve Wolfe. Today was a little different story from yesterday when the gap between us was much too wide to get any hooks into him and feel a pull. It's likely that he's still not back to 100% because I raced on his heels for most of the race. He actually let me slide by for about a 1k and pull him a little, which I happily obliged. It wasn't long however before he tired of my plodding and regained the podium spot that we were both racing to attain. I stayed with him as we worked together to put a little more distance on the 5th place guy. We both kicked a little with 50 meters to go and crossed the tape in 3rd & 4th. I was glad to see him get the podium finish as he's battling for one of the top 3 spots in the GSSS standings. For me, two very solid performances in a row have helped me regain a little confidence in my fitness that I had lost at the gruesome end of '08. Next up on the schedule is GSSS race #5 Horse Hill 7k Snowshoe Race coming up this Saturday in Merrimack, NH. That race will probably end my snowshoe racing for '09 so I'd like to log one last strong showing.

Sidehiller 4-Mile Snowshoe Race

Center Sandwich, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- Although I've been racing for the better part of the past twenty years, this weekend will mark something I've never done...pull a double. I know full well that racing twice in the same weekend is by no means rare, unusual, or exceptionally heroic but for me it's uncharted territory. Part of the motivation comes from my desire to support the other races in the GSSS series, some of it is just pure curiosity. As it turns out, 24 hours ago the prospects of me doing a single were in serious doubt. I took Thursday & Friday as zero days because of a new and quite uncomfortable case of anterior tibial tendonitis (self diagnosis) in my right lower leg. This morning when I got up I was feeling considerably better and felt confident that the rest had at least put me in a position to race the Sidehiller 4-Mile Snowshoe Race today in Center Sandwich, NH. I decided to arrive at the race site early to help fellow RD Paul Kirsch set up. When I pulled into the Sandwich Library Parking lot the big dogs (Double J, Double D, and Jim Pawlicki) had already marked their territory. Actually, they too had arrived early to also help Paul. As both a WMAC & GSSS points race this event promised to draw some of the best regional snowshoers and it didn't disappoint (more on that in a moment). As usual, Scotty G. was third car in the lot and he and I chatted a bit while I shared my knowledge of the course. It wasn't long before the rest of the acidotic RACING snowshoeing team began to arrive. I'm happy to say that we had a very strong showing once again represented by Ri, Leslie, Jay M, Scott, Michael, Steve W., Ted & Liz, Danny, Joe, Gary, and Steve S.. I'm sure I must have missed someone but the point is we had a great turnout. I suspect that we stayed ahead of Dungeon Rock Racing at the very least. They too had a very good turnout and it was nice to be able to catch up with all of them. If there's a greater bunch of competitors, I haven't met them yet. I love those guys. With the "GO" command the race was off and immediately a group of about 10 snowshoers made a very fast break. I wasn't in that group. But I did keep the tail end of that hurtin' train well in sight. Just before we crossed the road, Scotty G. came up hard to my inside and pulled ahead of me. For me this would have been perfect. I was hoping to have someone to pace with to help pull me through the rough sections (and I knew they would come). Sadly, before we crossed the road either he let me move ahead or I picked up the pace and moved up ahead of him. As we began to make our way toward the only elevation on the course a guy ahead of me had fallen and was lying by the side of the trail. As I got to him and offered a hand to help him up I noticed he had stepped on his other shoe and had wedged it hopelessly behind his other cleat. We struggled for a moment and finally freed his 'shoe. After helping him up I pushed him ahead of me. I believe in trail karma and that what comes around goes around. I never hesitate to help someone in need because you never know when you might need the favor returned. When I finally arrived at the climb I was pleased to feel some of the folks ahead of me come back toward me and I actually passed two 'shoers before the end of the climb. Training at Mt. Blue Job had definitely paid dividends in the hill climbing category. As most others have reported the snow was fairly slow going and I, like everyone else, plodded along trying to catch the folks ahead and stay in front of the folks behind. I was firmly in the 10th overall spot behind Steve W. the last 2/3 of the race. While I've witnessed him perform at snowshoe races this would be my first time feeling him race a snowshoe race. The guy is a machine. I know how strong he is (I've seen his race pace at various distances), but you can't truly appreciate a person's metabolic engine until you give everything you've got and he still pulls away. Thus was my experience racing behind Steve today. I managed to maintain the 25-50 meter gap for most of the other side of the road, but after the last open field and before the descent he pulled away. Although I once again fell on my face climbing over a stone wall, he honestly was widening the gap before that. When we arrived back on the fairgrounds I checked back over my shoulder to gauge the chase group that I knew was coming. Happily I saw only one individual but he seemed to be closing the margin I had developed as quickly as Steve had moved away. With 100 meters to go I could hear him. In a flash he was beside and beyond as I meagerly tried a half-hearted attempt at a kick. The combination of soft snow, low snowshoe-specific fitness, and a general lack of will contributed to my 11th place overall finish in a time just over 40:00. For the past two years I had logged third place finishes here at Sidehiller. Now, I am a year older and undoubtedly slower, but I promise that if I raced this event 10 more times with this field I'd have a hard time placing any higher. This field was deep and fast. All in all, I'm very pleased with the effort. I felt very strong on the climb, maintained an even pace, and had no measurable heath issues. As a bonus, I had the opportunity to get to know Danny & Amber a little better on our cool-down. Recoverite, two of my latest handcrafted Sovereign Trail Ale's, and 600 mg of IBU and I'll do it all again tomorrow at Frosty's. This double thing's not that bad.

The State of Snowshoe Racing

This is an incredibly exciting time to be involved with snowshoe racing. The sport is currently enjoying tremendous growth here in the Northeast. In fact, our friends from the Albany Running Exchange just held what they're billing as the largest snowshoe race ever held in the Northeast! And with 173 finishers I'm in no position to question them. Kudos to them. From all accounts they are a first class organization and it's a fantastic event. Those of us to the east aren't doing so bad either if I must say. Between the WMAC and the Granite State Snowshoe Series, snowshoe racing here in New England has exploded. In an effort to recognize the excellence of many of the men and women snowshoe racers here in our midst, we will soon release on our website (http://www.acidoticRACING.com) the New England Snowshoe Rankings. We will take the results of all New England snowshoe races and publish a list of the Top 10 male and female snowshoe racers. The list will be updated weekly as snowshoe races occur throughout our region. The list may be both controversial and informative...but despite what you think if you're talking about it the sport of snowshoe racing will grow.

Scouting Trip

With a little more than a week to go, the Pooh Hill Snowshoe Scramble course is beginning to take shape...finally. Anyone who knows me knows this is generally not how I operate. I'm the guy with the 50 item checklist for races and events. Teammates ask me for copies of my checklists. Putting on a great show for our participants means everything to me. For the past few weeks, it seems any number of circumstances have conspired against me getting up to King Pine & Purity Spring Resort to set this course. Despite this being the best college football day of the year...Pop, Brayden, & I were in the parking lot at the resort this morning at 8:00 AM. With air temps in the single numbers and wind chills below zero (on one of my few days off), for a fleeting moment I wondered what in the world motivates me to do these things? When we finally started and snowshoed our way around Purity Lake on the nordic trail network the answer came to me...it's about spending time with family and experiencing the natural beauty that surrounds us. We had a great morning. The trek up the Pooh Hill Trail was spectacular and an interesting surprise greeted us near the summit of Toll Hill. A small, fairly neglected cabin with a wood stove was nestled among the evergreens. One of the 'hallmarks' of our events is my father positioned at the top of the highest point of the course greeting people as they're ready to hurl their morning coffee and muffin. Stocked but locked, this cabin may play a role in next weekend's event. Although I'll plan to head back up there again this weekend and work a little more on the bushwhack, the course is 99% completed and will measure approximately 8 km. I think it's a great mix of groomed nordic, ungroomed snowshoe, and backcountry authentic old-school snowshoe tramping. Although the roughly .3 mile climb up the Pooh Hill Trail will leave many cursing my name, all will be forgiven on the FAST and packed groomed nordic trails that constitute at least 1/2 the course. I'm excited to get the first race of the Granite State Snowshoe Series off to a great start!

Kickin' Up Snow

Although not a single point has ever been scored in the new Granite State Snowshoe Series, it seems as though we're already the "favorites". At least that's my athleto-centric interpretation of the snowshoe racing world now that there's one more team in the mix, Dungeon Rock Racing. Although these folks are the "new kids on the block", don't mistake this group as a bunch of winter neophytes. A very good friend of acidotic RACING, Bill Morse of Team WMAC, apparently got a little tired of getting snow kicked in his face so he and his WMAC brethren have teamed up with a couple of smaller snowshoe racing teams (ie. Wicked Racing and Comprehensive Racing) to form an ubersnowshoe racing conglomerate. In classic Holtzian style, Morse is downplaying his team's chances while discreetly raising our expectations by implying that we are in fact the team to beat. While we may disagree about who is or isn't the favorite this winter, the one thing we can agree on is that team competition will make snowshoe racing in the Granite State Snowshoe Series even more enjoyable.