Great Adventures Challenge

Finishing the bike leg.
[Photo courtesy of Gianina Lindsey]

"Children, gather round! No retreat, no surrender; that is Spartan law. And by Spartan law we will stand and fight... and die. A new age has begun. An age of freedom, and all will know, that 300 Spartans gave their last breath to defend it!" -King Leonidas from the movie 300

Bridgton, MAINE -- No retreat, no surrender!  That is aR law.  Heading into the Great Adventures Challenge (Bridgton, ME) I had one single purpose...race as hard as I could and "blow up or show up".  My legs bounced back nicely from my little bicycle ride last weekend aided in part by the planned restoration week.  Doc Sprague had done this race the past few years and was the inspiration behind Timmy Lindsey and I (along with our team photographer Gianina) taking the 2 hour drive north to Shawnee Peak.  The paddle was a mass start of humanity with oars clashing in the craziest game of bumper boats you've ever played.  I was struck by how challenging it was to keep the boat straight with the water so churned up.  As quickly as I could I found some quiet water and spotted the first buoy.  I did my best to pick a straight line wasting as little time as possible with needless zig zagging.  But even by the time I reach the first buoy the leader was already nearly a 100 meters ahead of me and the rest of the field.  I stayed around the Top 10 for the entire paddle neither gaining nor losing any ground to those around me picking a "straight as an arrow" line.  Doc was about 10 meters ahead the entire way and transitioned to the bike almost a minute ahead.  He had paddled with his helmet, bike shoes, and gloves already on while I chose to make a quick "costume change" (thanks Timmy) at the paddle/bike TA.  Doc had a killer weekend at the 24HoGG finishing 4th overall in our King of the Glen competition last week, so I already had my work cut out for me if I had any hope of beating him.  As soon as I got on my bike I stood up on the pedals in the big ring and mashed as hard as I could trying to close the gap.  Immediately I picked up two places passing some faster kayakers but slower mountain bikers.  Within a mile I caught a glimpse of Doc and my energy levels soared.  Not long after seeing him I was on his back tire and made him an offer to work together.  He graciously accepted and I attached myself to his back wheel letting him do most of the work.  Shortly there after I felt him slow on a flat section of road that we should have been hammering.  I decided to jump in front and return the favor encouraging him as I got into position.  He said his legs were gassed from last weekend and for me to go ahead and race for a podium.  I insisted we would race together and help each other to a Top 10 finish.  For the next few miles of dirt road and snowmobile trail we stayed together with me pulling him along.  Just past the half way mark he had fallen back as a signal for me to go.  Standing up again on the pedals I cranked as hard as I could toward the rider a hundred meters ahead.  After a little work I finally caught him and worked my way past.  My legs felt strong and I rode most of the next 5 miles in the big ring with the lone exception of the last hike-a-bike steep ascent back up to the ski area.  I had come out of the water 11th overall (solo's & teams) and finished the bike in 6th.  I transitioned to my trail shoes, grabbed my bottle of HEED, and headed out for the final two miles of the race.  With full sun and temps in the 80's it was a challenge to remain hydrated although I had made it to this point in the race without even so much as a muscle quiver.  I ran the first 20 meters up Pleasant Mountain and then realized it was a futile exercise.  We would gain ~1300 feet in a mile to the summit house.  With 15.5 aggressive mountain bike miles on my legs and very, very little tri-specific training (ie. bricks) in the bag I immediately switched to survival mode.  The two guys ahead of me were walking and as I peeked back EVERYONE else behind me was walking as well.  The way I reasoned as long as I walked as fast as everyone else my place was secure.  Counting the top competitors ahead of me I estimated myself to be somewhere inside the Top 10.  Although I don't know if they were solo's or teams, I lost two places on the mountain.  The downhill sprint was punishing on the legs but it felt great to move so purposely toward the finish.  I crossed the finish line in 2:17:23 good enough for 5th/49 solo (8th/83 overall/).  Obviously I'm really, really pleased with the result.  Despite a couple of sections on the mountain that I wished I was anywhere else but there...I raced hard from cannon to finish and held up remarkably well.  For my first real triathlon in nearly 20 years I'd say it was a success. 

Google Earth map and elevation profile.  As you can
see, Pleasant Mountain isn't so much.

Post-script:  I must say "kudos" and "thank you" to race director Rob Knowles for putting on such a unique race.  Rob was very gracious and generous with all three aR athletes in attendance.  This really is a great event.  Super challenging and fun course and a killer free lunch with burgers, dogs, and ice cream.  Great volunteers and a heaping dose of Maine "charm" make this a race I'd definitely go back to do...I just hope he moves it back another week from the 24HoGG.  I'm going to "run" Pleasant Mountain next time!  [At least to the first aid station]

NEXT UP: Reach The Beach Relay (NH)

24HoGG

Sunrise on Sunday morning starting
my second of two laps.
[Photo courtesy of Gianina Lindsey]

"We do not remember days, we remember moments."     - Cesare Pavese
Gorham, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- Like Reach The Beach and Pineland Farms 25k, the 24 Hours of Great Glen mountain bike race I've now done for the past five years.  It's an event that everything else gets scheduled around.  I even plan my work vacation in conjunction with the race.  And the funny thing is...I'm only a recreational mountain biker.  Yeah I've taken strides over the last 15+ years to improve my 'technical ability', but really I'm an average trail/mountain runner who happens to love this little 24 hour mountain bike race.  Those of you who follow this blog and these race reports know that there are times (very recent times) that mountain bike racing hasn't gone very well for me.  [Reference " The Pinnacle"]  My love-hate relationship with the sport is well documented.  But the 24HoGG is different for a few very important reasons and those start and end with my aR teammates.  I race the event as part of a 4-person team and have shared some pretty incredible experiences with some pretty incredible people over the years.  This year was no exception.  aR brought the most teams to the event in our history (3) and it would be the first time that all four winners of the King of the Glen award would race together including Steve McCusker ('07), Steve Sprague ('08), Ted Hall ('09), and Jay J. Dunn ('10).  It's also a special weekend because I get to share it with my family.  My son Brayden and brother Jay have raced the past two years and my wife and daughters typically come up on Saturday and follow the action through the cannon on Sunday.  Last year I had a pretty miserable time and it was completely my own fault.  I got a little too caught up in the intra-aR competition and I lost touch of why I love the weekend so much.  This year I was determined to re-focus my attention, race as hard as I could, stay healthy, and enjoy what really is one of my favorite events of the year.  When I put the first two teams together back in the spring I attempted to make them as even as possible.  aR-BLACK was led by Ted Hall and included Austin Stonebraker, Ri Fahnestock, and myself.  aR-GOLD was captained by my brother Jay and included Steve Wolfe, Steve Sprague, and Brayden.  Shortly after these two teams were finalized there was enough interest to form a third team, aR-GREY and it included Timmy Lindsey, Jay Curry, Steve McCusker, and invited guest David Cretsinger.  With Timmy and Curry as first timers and David an unknown it was really unclear as to how this third team would fare in the competition between aR teams.  The week leading up to the race was anything but typical for me.  Fortunately I had taken the week off from work because I spent most of it nursing a strained muscle in my back suffered at work the previous week.  I took 4 consecutive zeros and spent most of the time lying on the floor as it was the only position that provided any measure of relief from the crippling back spasms.  I had actually lined up my teammate Amanda House as a replacement if I couldn't ride.  Hell, I could barely walk less than 4 days prior to the race.  Needless to say it wasn't the ideal way to taper but by Thursday I was feeling better and felt confident that I would be able to ride (racing may be another story).  With three very strong and very experienced teammates to back me up I took the 4th place in our rotation.  My first lap was serviceable as a I rode a 51:04.  With the improvements to the course I was able to ride the entire 8.5 mile loop including the infamous "bone yard" plunge at mile 8.  Other than some expected stiffness my back held up and I rested up for more riding.  A little before 6:00 pm I went out for lap #2 and decided to tone things down.  Like so many of my longer events I have experienced some epic physical collapses at this race which significantly reduces the "fun factor".  I once again rode all 1100+ feet of climbing and logged a 56:28 for Lap #2.  At this point we were able to determine some predictions about subsequent laps based on lap times.  It looked like my next single lap would be under darkness with lights around 9:30ish pm.  Ri came storming into the transition area at 9:24 pm and I was off for my first night lap.  Knowing that it was my last single before a solid five hour overnight break (while my teammates did their 'doubles") I continued my conservative approach trying to ride smooth and clean.  Riding all the ascents on the "Blueberry Hill" side of the operation I settled for walking the new Whiplash and Angel Station singletrack climb.  It was a little disappointing because in past years I've ridden the Angel Station singletrack on every lap.  With discretion being the better part of valor I walked but maintained a brisk up tempo 'hike-a-bike' cadence.  I finished Lap #3 in 1:03:28.  After a quick shower and a snack I set my alarm(s) for 2:30 am and laid down in Wolfe camper.  Steve has brought the camper for the past few years and has graciously offered a bed for me to sleep in during the overnight.  I rested as much as slept and awoke just before the alarm chimed.  My 'double' was next and thanks to my rider position and the timing, I would only have to do one of the laps with lights because in all likelihood my second lap would be started at dawn and finished around sunrise.  Overnight doubles have psyched me out in the past so knowing that I'd be riding in the daylight was a huge mental relief and it allowed me to relax and enjoy the 17 miles of riding.  I walked quite a bit of the first lap (Lap #4) and finished in 1:12:53.  I quickly ditched my lights and hydration pack, ate a quick snack, and then began my second lap.  Shortly after starting and right around the Honeymoon Cottage I was caught by my son.  He had done his overnight double hours earlier and was setting out on his 5th lap.  He offered to ride with me to pull me along and thanks to his company (and draft) I was able to negative split and ran a 1:12:36 for my Lap #5.  And by riding together we kept our two teams (BLACK & GOLD) in a virtual deadlock for the aR team title.  To this point in the event my conservative strategy had paid off.  I hadn't had any health issues and was having a great deal of fun hanging out with teammates between laps.  All that conservative fun and games changed less than three hours later and my son and I waited in the transition area for our riders (Ri & Doc) to arrive.  Since we had handed the batons to Ted & Jay hours earlier the two teams had battled neck and neck and were still less than a minute apart after having raced for 20+ hours.  Knowing I had raced a smart race to that point and knowing it was not only my last lap but it was also a chance to help keep aR-BLACK on top for our last two riders I was going to give it everything I had.  Ri came into the tent less than :10 seconds before Doc.  It was my 18 year old son and myself for bragging rights on the last, typically hardest, lap.  Right out of the transition area I stood up in the big ring and hammered with what little I had left.  As I made it to the Blueberry Hill switchbacks I could see him right behind me riding hard and closing fast.  He had crushed me at The Pinnacle in June so this was my chance at revenge.  Riding through the tunnel I felt as if I had kept the slim :10 margin I had started with but with 6 miles to go I knew anything could happen.  Brayden is particularly fearless on the descents and with his carbon fiber bike and 18 year old fearlessness I knew I had a race on my hands.  Giving it everything I had in as big of a gear as I could push I started to lose glimpses of him behind and I felt like I had gaped him.  I rode most everything I could and ran with my bike on everything else.  At one moment during the Angel Station singetrack climb as I pushed my bike hard I felt my quads begin to quiver.  I quickly pulled out the Endurolyte FIZZ I had put in my back pocket just in case.  Popping it in the water I had left in my bottle I drank a 1/4 of what was left and almost immediately felt better although this bobble allowed Brayden to close and although I couldn't see him I knew he was right behind.  When I made it back to the meadow I once again stood up on the big ring and peddled as hard as I could through the chicane finish, dismounted the bike, and handed the baton (and a :30 lead) to Ted.  Thanks to Brayden's 'push' I rode a solid 56:32.   After he finished, Brayden told me that he had to stop to fix a chain suck just before the last switch back climb.  He said he had started to see me again before the mechanical but the :30 he took to fix his bike was the difference in our lap times.  With very strong efforts from Ted and Austin were able to hold off the very tough aR-GOLD team by just a scant few minutes with each team completing 26 laps for the race.  As I reflect on the race, I had a much better time this year than last and it was probably due to 1.) my new Felt Q720 ran like a charm with zero mechanicals, 2.) my racing approach consisting of riding to my fitness level, and 3.) my general disregard for competing specifically against any other rider racing the course and myself instead.  If you're a mountain biker you must do the 24HoGG as a 4-person team.  It's an incredible experience and a fantastic weekend.

COMPLETE PHOTO SET COURTESY OF GIANINA LINDSEY

NEXT UP: Great Adventures Challenge (Bridgton, ME)

Tough Mountain Challenge

aR @ Tough Mountain Challenge
[L-R] Jason Massa, Dan Dion, Chris J. Dunn,
Rich Lavers, Steve Sprague

"If you can't take the heat, don't tickle the dragon." - Anonymous

Sunday River, MAINE -- Obstacle course racing is a fairly new genre.  I actually find the stunning popularity (reference 20,000 people at an event in Amesbury, MA this month) quite an interesting phenomena.  And I've had long discussions during equally long car rides, without consensus, about the explanation behind it.  Regardless, aR has capitalized on the novelty of the sport to carve out some measure of success winning back-to-back titles at the Hoppin' Mad Mud Run.  I'll admit that 80% of the field at most of these events are groups of co-workers, sorority sisters, or weekend warriors but the task is always the same...be the fastest team to cross the finish line.  And don't get me wrong, I think the whole idea of folks getting out and crawling around in the mud, hurdling walls, and running through the occasional pit of fire is a great way to promote physical activity and teamwork.  It may actually be the spark (pun intended) to light a fire under the asses of some people in need of a little motivation to 're-start' or 'ramp up' their exercise programs.  And without the aforementioned 80%, there would be very few (or no) opportunities for the other 20%.  So with that, when the Tough Mountain Challenge came to our attention a few months back (just off our win at Hoppin') we didn't hesitate.  Three of the five from the podium crew at Hoppin' (Jason Massa, Rich Lavers, and myself) would travel to Newry, ME along with newcomer Dan Dion subbing for the injured Steve Wolfe.  But we weren't the only aR members racing.  Steve Sprague raced as a solo with Nick Langelotti and Craig Poirier both leading duo's.  The group that we had assembled to challenge for the 4-person team podium was presumably as strong any team there but because this looked like a bigger event there was no way of telling what the competition was.  With a 1:20 start time we'd have a long time to sit around and anticipate the task at hand.  When it was finally time to start we had full sun with temps easily in the 90's.  As I said to the group before the start if some other team jumped us early on let them go but keep them in sight.  The intel we had received from those who had already finished the course suggested there was plenty of climbing to do which played right to our strength.  As if scripted, when the go command was given for the 1:20 start a young team of guys hammered off the line and began the first ascent.  Running up a muddy ski slope through the water spraying snow cannons was tricky but felt great after baking in the sun at the starting line.  By the time we finished the first 300 meter climb the group of 4 that blasted the start had become three.  We easily cruised by them and began to open a gap on the rest of the field.  The roughly 3-5 km course was a steady diet of up and down the mountain with obstacles like 8 ft climbing walls, spider webs, tunnels, and steep 25 meter rope-aided ravine ascents.  Amazingly there were no back-ups and we took advantage of racing out front to cleanly negotiate the obstacles...for the most part.  With Jason leading we ran through the first tunnel and after popping out continued to traverse the gnarly rocky ravine to the second, must smaller and sketchier, tunnel.  It was only when we emerged from the second tunnel that we realized we had gone off course.  After a brief discussion we scrambled back up out of the ravine in the direction we had travelled and quickly got back on course.  Fortunately we had a large enough lead on our nearest competitors that our position in the heat was secure, but we all knew that there was still at least one more wave of 4-person teams to follow.  We were racing the clock for sure.  Excelling in the tight twisty singletrack sections we began to catch the slower teams from the 1:00 pm starting wave.  We flew down the final 'slip'n slide' obstacle and ran through the finish together in 34:50.97.  And in the end it turned out that even our 2:00 "extra tunnel" gaff left us enough cushion to take home the win in the 4-person category as our closest competitors finished 5:00 back.  We weren't the only aR podium team however, Nick and his buddy took 2nd place in the duo category.  Overall the event was extremely well designed and run.  Kudos to the folks at Sunday River for putting on a great race!  We'll be back in 2012 to defend our title for sure.  And who says belt buckles are for sub 24 hour 100 miler finishers?!

1st Place Buckle!

NEXT UP: Kingman Farm Trail Race presented by GoLite Footwear

Bradbury Scuffle

The aR crew: (R-L)
Me, Judson, Doc, Dan, Gary, Austin, Craig, & Mike

In some mysterious way woods have never seemed to me to be static things. In physical terms, I move through them; yet in metaphysical ones, they seem to move through me.  - John Fowles

Pownal,  MAINE -- This morning I took the trip up I295 to Bradbury State Park (ME) for the Bradbury Scuffle hosted by our good friends from Trail Monster Running and expertly co-directed by Ian Parlin and Ryan Triffitt.  I've raced at Bradbury on trails and snow but never on the "other side of the road" so this would be a new experience for me.  When I arrived I parked next to aR's Judson Cake and we chatted while the rest of the crowd began to arrive.  I warmed up on the last few hundred meters of the course just to get a sense of my surroundings although as it turns out I didn't 'pre-run' back far enough.  Starting on double-wide I tried to seed myself approximately 3 rows back somewhere in the Top 20.  Being a 6 miler the front group went out predictably hard and I did my best to avoid the scattering of rocks and roots early on while in a constant elbow to elbow mosh pit for position.  Within a few hundred meters I found myself behind RD Ian Parlin who was running at a very good pace.  An extremely strong and talented trail runner, with far more miles on his legs in 2011 than I, it became my intention to stick with him as long as possible letting him show me the way through the 2+ mile section of twisting singletrack.  Ian and I picked off a handful of runners in this section as we rollercoasted through this sweet flowy section of trail.  At one point I actually felt a little dizzy staring at his feet watching for the rocks and roots that would appear in an instant from under his step.  Approaching the first aid station around 3.5 miles he pulled over for a drink allowing me to run ahead.  I fully expected him to surge back and retake the position so I focused on the next group of competitors up ahead trying to get hooks on them.  As we spilled back onto double wide for the last 1.5+ miles I spotted a group led by Trail Monster Running's Jeremy Bonnett.  He had passed Ian and I on along the singletrack section and accelerated away.  I was surprised to see that I had made up some ground on his group.  On a slight incline I accelerated by and took the lead on this hard charging group.  Jeremy uttered some words of encouragement and I could feel someone come along.  Turns out it was him.  Using the Steve Wolfe approach of running 'ascared' and not looking back I picked up the cadence and tried to relax my upper body on the smooth slightly rolling section of double-track but I could feel someone within striking distance.  With less than a mile to go on a very small climb Jeremy passed me again (this time for good) and put the hammer down.  I picked up one more place in the last few hundred meters and finished 12th overall (3rd masters) in an unofficial 44:09.  After last weekend's embarrassment at Loon Mountain Race I felt like I ran very hard and raced for the first time in a while.  It's possible I may have made my move past Jeremy's group a tad too early as I could not hold him off in the end, but all in all I'm very pleased with the effort.  After three consecutive weekend's of racing I'm looking forward (but not as much as Karen) to a weekend off.  From a team perspective we had a great turnout with a number of awesome performances.  It was great to see Austin, Doc, Craig, Mike R., and Dan D..  And we had two podium finishes...Judson who was first overall setting a new course record and Gary who won another age-group podium.

UP NEXT: Tough Mountain Challenge, Sunday River, ME

PS.  Thanks to Ian, Ryan, and the entire Trail Monster Running team for another outstanding event.  These folks are the standard by which we measure our event hosting.  Once again a job very, very well done!

Loon Mountain Race

The beauty and misery of
Upper Walking Boss.
[Scott Mason Photography]

"No matter how sophisticated you may be, a large granite mountain cannot be denied-it speaks in silence to the very core of your being." -Ansel Adams

Lincoln, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- It's amazing the difference a week makes.  Buoyed and a little cocky after last weekend's "conquering" of the Cranmore Hill Climb (ran the whole damn thing) I came plummeting down to earth at yesterday's Loon Mountain Race directed by Paul Kirsch.  If it's an epic physical collapse you're looking for look no further than my racing resume.  My Top 10 is as ugly as they come.  And while the 15+ minutes I spent on Upper Walking Boss may not make the all-time list...it was nonetheless a gruesome slow motion one-sided beatdown.  Like 50% of the races I do, Loon Mountain wasn't on my schedule at the beginning of the year.  But the events of the week prior (see below) made it mandatory that I be there...and if I was going to be there I was going to race.  I pride myself as a very capable climber relishing the challenge that any hill or mountain has to offer.  Because this would be my first Loon Mountain Race, I gathered as much intel as I could from trail/snowshoe/mountain running friends like Scott Mason, Paul Bazanchuk, and Rich Miller.  And I'm so glad I did because they told me that the infamous Upper Walking Boss section of the course (700' of vertical in 1 km) was not the end of the race and that one more steep descent and ascent to the finish remained.  Along with 218 other (fool)hardy mountain runners we took off along the Pemigewassett River for a short section of downhill racing on double wide gravel road before a "S" turn got us to the mountain.  I ran comfortably hard during the first 10 minutes of the race trying to find a low sustainable climbing gear.  Was fortunate to have the opportunity to run with Jeff Dengate early on but couldn't hold him as he slowly moved away.  Shortly after Jeff moved out of sight Paul Bazanchuk approached on my right shoulder and gave me the thumbs up.  He and I ran "together" for the next 15 minutes.  At some point just below the final climb before Upper Walking Boss I gave up the silly idea of attempting to run opting instead to powerhike behind Paul as he continued his amazing ascent of the mountain with a steady and resolute short-strided running cadence.  As I picked my way down toward UWB I briefly took in the amazing views of the Lincoln area while attempting to hold off a hard charging crowd back behind.  As a first timer to UWB you cannot imagine how steep and how long it looks as you make the sharp right hand turn onto the climb.  The competitors at the top look like ants.  As you begin UWB it's a full on assault with the mountain simultaneously stealing the juice from your quads and ripping out what little courage you had left in your soul.  Not five minutes into my first UWB experience I felt humbled, over matched, and under prepared.  I was passed by at least 10 racers without as much as an iota of fight.  I paused briely to stand upright every 20 steps or so just to stretch my back and hamstrings.  I was so deep in the hurt locker that I just continued to stare at the mountain under my feet as each agonizing minute passed.  I kept telling myself that every climb has a top and eventually so did UWB but not before it ravaged my legs and whatever Top 40 finish I had going.  As I began the final descent I felt my right calf tighten in an ominous warning of a monumental physical breakdown.  Deciding it was better to finish than to run the last downhill I choose to walk the first 50 meters before testing the calf out a second time.  Miraculously it held and I was able to negotiate (albeit slowly) the final 100 meters of ski slope.  With a cheering crowd I was able to run the last climb up to the finish.  My 1:06:48 was good enough for 51st place overall (20th master).  aR as a team had a pretty good showing with Dan Dion (42nd), Richie Blake (87th), and 'Drea McCusker (104th) making the trip.  After the race Paul announced that he was stepping down from RDing the event he started in 2006 and that aR would take over the direction of the race.  It's really an incredible honor and challenge for us but one that we are excited to tackle.  Without question Loon Mountain is one of the most spectacularly beautiful and demanding races I've ever done.  And for my money, Upper Walking Boss is the most brutal 10-20 minutes of any race anywhere.

UP NEXT: Bradbury Scuffle

RESULTS
Photo courtesy of Scott Mason Photography

US Mountain Running Championships

The "down" side of mountain racing
at Cranmore.
[Photo courtesy of Joe Viger]

"It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves." - Sir Edmund Hillary

North Conway, NH -- Sunday's Cranmore Hill Climb served as the 2011 US Mountain Running Championships and provided me yet another incredible opportunity to race against the best.  But it wasn't the guys from CO, WA, & CA that I was at all interested in...it was the men whom I've done battle with on the snow, trails, and mountains of New England that I was most interested in testing my mettle.  At 42 years of age I'm very fortunate to be in good enough health (and decent enough physical condition) to be able to compete.  While not a "mountain goat" I am very comfortable racing up mountains and actually consider hill climbing a strength.  So when it appeared as though the Cranmore Hill Climb would finally fit in my schedule I committed.  Teammate Ken Young and I drove up to North Conway and met fellow teammates Dan Dion, Dan Hayden, Andrea McCusker, Ahna McCusker, and Judson Cake.  The layout of the course was pretty straightforward, three 3.87 km laps up and down the mountain with 206 meters of gain on each lap.  Not having scouted the course I decided to attempt to gain as much pre-race knowledge as I could and polled nearly everyone I knew including master's mountain running legend and fellow competitor Paul Bazanchuk.  Paul and I have raced against each other on snow, trails, and mountains.  I have a great deal of respect for him and his incredible fitness and tenacity.  Although I frequently see him before a race I rarely see him during them.  He's typically way out in front.  When I saw him finishing a warm-up lap before the start I took the opportunity to ask him about the course.  Gracious and forthcoming as always he offered up a little inside knowledge.  And when I asked if all of the climbs were "runnable" he said that they definitely were.  So, I quickly formulated a race plan no less than 10 minutes before the start.  I'd go out conservatively on the first lap to see first hand how challenging the climbs were and then from there would attempt to run the whole damn thing picking off the guys who may have gone out a little too hard in the beginning.  Tim VanOrden told me at Mt. Washington last year that it's always better to be passing people rather than getting passed at these mountain races.  As the "Go" command was given by mountain running legend Dave Dunham I hung off the back half of the field as the top mountain runners in the US blasted off of the line and hurdled themselves at the mountain.  After roughly 100 meters the course began to climb.  Almost immediately I encountered slower traffic (some walking) and hugging the far right side of the access road made my way around 15-20 people.  The course was a great mix of ski slopes, access roads, and singletrack with traverses and even a couple of brief descents in the 2+km climb to the high point.  After having run the entire first climb I attempted to relax on the descent and hold whatever places I had gained.  Still needing a great deal of work in that area I gave back a handful of places to runners who seemed to be flying 2 feet off of the ground as they glided downhill.  Passing the START/FINISH I grabbed a splash of water and headed up for lap #2.  I leap frogged 3-4 guys passing them on the ups (which I was still running and they walking) and then giving back the places on the descents (which they were running faster...still).  I passed the START/FINISH again in approximately 40:00 having run two very consistent laps.  Just past the 1km mark of the last climb I caught a glimpse in the distance of Paul Bazanchuk.  Because I am very, very rarely within 5-10 minutes of him I was immediately buoyed seeing him within striking distance.  Picking up the climbing pace (still running) I was able to close the gap and get to his shoulder.  Without speaking he acknowledged my presence and I felt incredibly uplifted.  As we both slogged through those final few climbs (running by the way) I briefly got in front and implored him to follow feeling that I owed him the favor of pulling him up the last pitch after he let me ride along for the last few hundred meters.  Beginning the last downhill I knew that as good of a climber as I am...Paul is three times as good of a descender.  And it wasn't longer before he blasted by me chasing down the 2-3 guys just ahead of us.  Not really sure how to go any faster than I was going and stay on my feet I made my way back down to the bottom of the mountain and crossed the finish line in 1:00:40 and 52 place overall (19th master).  As proud as I am of a Top 20 finish at a US Championship I much more proud of the fact that I ran the whole damn thing.  I realize that there were scores of men who beat me and walked, but I was also in a private 1-on-1 battle with the mountain.  And this time, I won.

Photo credit: Joe Viger Photography

NEXT UP: Bradbury Scuffle