tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38629890655503318382023-11-16T02:41:12.827-05:00Dare Mighty ThingsFar better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those timid spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.comBlogger148125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-53287724639484032972012-09-20T13:56:00.000-04:002012-09-20T13:59:05.068-04:00Run to Fall 5k<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfuUxGhsZxWmXflHrvvXSL4qM8Z956b1I7vnzF3tD-qszHD3UBAiHSW2KujtBpG4PQKXXKWoEk9Zd0M4dKQcU8iz-MWBUHd3MwW6YHtf4lQjNt-4p0qM2kOqpNNPbehM2jfNvFeG8zBk/s1600/383314_10151384795699256_1501481623_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfuUxGhsZxWmXflHrvvXSL4qM8Z956b1I7vnzF3tD-qszHD3UBAiHSW2KujtBpG4PQKXXKWoEk9Zd0M4dKQcU8iz-MWBUHd3MwW6YHtf4lQjNt-4p0qM2kOqpNNPbehM2jfNvFeG8zBk/s320/383314_10151384795699256_1501481623_n.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beginning of the end of my<br />
Run to Fall <br />
[Photo courtesy of GSTS]</td></tr>
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<strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." -Beverly Sills</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
Northwood, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- Two races in a row right in my backyard (sort of) makes up for the 2 hour trips to race all corners of New England. For the past several years the Dunn's have made the short 30 minute drive to Coe Brown Northwood Academy for the annual<strong> Run To Fall</strong> 5k XC race. I enjoy the relaxed low key atmosphere, seeing local aR teammates, and racing a sport (XC) that I don't get a chance to race much. The course is a reverse figure 8 that repeats sections but never in the same direction. Last year was the first year of this new modified course. But it might as well have been the first time because I really didn't remember it too well. What I did remember was that we'd be running the backstretch of the course on the first and last lap but in opposite directions. One hundred sixty eager runners lined up on the 100 meter wide starting line and with a starters pistol we were sent sprinting across the baseball outfield to a 15 meter wide opening to the double-track gravel trails. I typically get off the line pretty well and by the entrance to the trail network was well within the Top 5. The first mile is a net descent and can be deceptively fast. My 5:49 seemed exactly where I wanted to be and my Top 10 position after the first mile was also spot on. The lead pack separated quite quickly and I was left to race with a handful of other folks. After the first 'trail loop' we were back on the track for the backstretch before heading back into the trail network. As I approached the backstretch turn I noticed cones marking a cut through on the grass field to the exit of the track. My nearest competitor was roughly 20 meters ahead and continued on the track and the backstretch turn. For some odd reason my brain reasoned (in a millisecond) that <em>he</em> must have missed this cut across and was running off course. I stepped off the track into the grass infield and cut off the backstretch turn (probably 10-15 seconds of running). When my competitor and I reached the exit of the track he was directly in front of me. In the time that it took for me to run that 50 meters or so I surmised that <em>I </em>was in fact the one who had run off course and had cut the turn. Assuring him I knew my mistake I told him to stay in front of me because I was going to DQ myself at the end. Knowing that I had screwed up but not wanting to waste the effort I continued to race. My junior competitor fell back a bit in this last mile and I raced back and forth with another 40+ runner only to have him run away from me with less than a 1/4 mile to go. I crossed the finish line in 19:08 (6:10's), 7th overall, and 3rd 40+. But all was for not as I reported my error and DQ'd myself to my teammate and RD Tim Cox. Despite my boneheaded mistake I did win a $20 state inspection in the raffle. I love this race.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>NEXT UP: Reach The Beach Relay</em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-67051795382092745142012-09-05T18:48:00.000-04:002012-09-05T18:48:48.224-04:00Barnstead Firefighters Association 5k<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX06k5VS3pI8ct5jReBsI9LdKO1W9m6MpnvOaU5VSq-K4TCztTHS3dDlPaFdf6tJUTPulBoS0v6zU-KYdofhhVvnQOXt60qSUS-00Z46Df29vTV8ajOHhFSVSQGsXmhVMlDHBAi7NWjRE/s1600/ar118021262343978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX06k5VS3pI8ct5jReBsI9LdKO1W9m6MpnvOaU5VSq-K4TCztTHS3dDlPaFdf6tJUTPulBoS0v6zU-KYdofhhVvnQOXt60qSUS-00Z46Df29vTV8ajOHhFSVSQGsXmhVMlDHBAi7NWjRE/s320/ar118021262343978.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barnstead, NH is home to the only green fire trucks<br />
in the US. [okay, I <em>might</em> have made that up]</td></tr>
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<strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"It's a pity that, as one gradually gains experience, one loses one's youth." -Vincent van Gogh</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
BARNSTEAD, NH -- Feeling foolishly unprepared for next week's Reach The Beach Relay I decided to find a local 5k <em>road</em> race to prepare myself for the rigors of three 6+ mile races in less than 24 hours. Actually now that I write it down it really doesn't make any sense? Either way, that was the plan. A very quick search for 5k's in NH last weekend revealed only one logical choice...the <strong><span style="color: red;">Barnstead Firefighters Association 5k</span></strong> in Barnstead, NH. Being only thirty minutes from the house meant it was one of the shortest race commutes of the year. And having Karen come with me to race was an added bonus. We arrived the customary sixty minutes before race time and found aR teammates <strong>Craig Poirier</strong> and <strong>Richie Blake</strong> who had answered my call for some additional aR support. The out-and-back course was flat as could be with one initial and final 90 degree turn 50 meters from the START/FINISH. It looked to be a very small but youthful crowd at the start. It's funny how fast folks <em>look</em> prior to a race as they warm up. I wonder what people think about me? Because I didn't recognize anyone that I knew that was faster than me I lined up on the front row with about a dozen runners none of which appeared older than 18. At the siren we were off. And it was a predictably fast start. I had lined up inside the first hard right hand turn and managed to out sprint most of the crowd to the hole shot. Within 200 meters I was squarely in the top 5 with the eventual winner (Andew Tuttle) already gapping the field. Over the next several hundred meters things began to shake out a little. By the mile split (5:47) I was in 5th place with two teenagers just 20 meters ahead. Just before we hit the turn around I closed the gap and was right on their heels at the 1/2 way mark. One of the two backed off a little as I ran with the other for the next 400 meters. He too seemed to fall off the pace just past the 2 mile mark. Now in 3rd place I called for the hammer to put him away for good but alas it wasn't in my bag of tricks. As I hit the wall (running a 6:00 3rd mile) the youngster took back the podium spot without any challenge from me. Lucky to hold off the rest of the field I crossed the finish line in 4th place overall (1st 40+) in 18:16 (5:54's). Far from my PR at the distance I learned at least one thing this weekend...youth trumps experience in a 5k road road. Every time.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>NEXT UP: Run To Fall 5k</em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-57396349798044569352012-08-25T14:06:00.000-04:002012-08-25T14:06:11.655-04:00Greenfield Highbush Half Marathon<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaLBrTbXlzK-vqKVX8NXIots8_D6Swh8uhy4Fd5H6e35Jh3mKhEim5oRzt1-KN5JRW5mtr9-5_ijPkSB-xaycVWNHzVExeymqMnHXtoB3kM3R5NJtSwdypoP3sDUjKUZnIuz8_DLxMT8/s1600/7820345972_3c2c255b51_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaLBrTbXlzK-vqKVX8NXIots8_D6Swh8uhy4Fd5H6e35Jh3mKhEim5oRzt1-KN5JRW5mtr9-5_ijPkSB-xaycVWNHzVExeymqMnHXtoB3kM3R5NJtSwdypoP3sDUjKUZnIuz8_DLxMT8/s320/7820345972_3c2c255b51_c.jpg" width="241" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rounding the corner to the finish!<br />
[Photo courtesy Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_887464021"></span><span id="goog_887464022" style="color: yellow;"><strong><em>"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So...get on your way!" -Dr. Seuss</em></strong></span><br />
<br />
Greenfield, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- My latest venture, the <strong>Granite State Trail Series (GSTS)</strong>, is yet another expression of my passion for training and racing in beautiful wild places. And it's a tremendous pleasure to collaborate with other passionate and talented folks...like the <strong><span style="color: red;">Greenfield Highbush Half Marathon</span></strong> RD <strong>Jen Shultis</strong>. Last weekend Karen and I caravaned with our neighbors the Lindsey's to Greenfield for the 2nd race in the GSTS. Lately I haven't put in much mileage as I've tried to balance my training (running & cycling) so a 13+ mile trail race would be a big stretch for me. What I might not have had going for me with respect to miles on my legs I certainly made up for it with being rested and injury-free. Coming off a recovery week I felt great. The intel on the race was that it was a big clockwise lollipop on a combination of single & double-track with approximately 1000 feet of climbing up and over Crotched Mountain and her sister peaks. Knowing that my training was rather sparce for this distance I decided to go out easy, hammer the climbs (my strength), and then do my best to hang on at the end. With the go command the group quickly narrowed to double and then fairly technical singletrack along a beautiful little pond. Over the first few miles I held my place and pace pretty well as the race became single file. I settled in with a small group of 2-3 other runners. I stayed right behind them allowing them to pull. On any of the climbs they dropped back and I easily ran past. Then on the descent they would accelerate and run right by me. We played this game of leap frog right up to the first major ascent of the day. I'm guessing it was at least a mile climb...probably more. Playing into my strength I held my pace and surged past the two runners I was trading places with for the first 10k+. Because of my conservative early pace I felt great on these climbs. The ascent was a combination of gravel roads, singletrack, and exposed granite "hiking trails" with very steep, but very short, pitches. Once on the ridge the next mile or two did put me in mind of the infamous 7 Sisters Trail Race with the constant short and steep elevation changes. Without any particular pace or place goal I actually stopped to pee on the ridge...and three guys ran by me. I managed to catch up to two of them and when they missed a turn I was able to sneak by them. It should be known that I hollered to them that they missed the turn and they eventually got back on course. Always important to bank good trail karma. As I started the descent I could spy one of guys I had traded places with the entire first half of the race. He was probably 20-30 seconds ahead of me. The final 4+ miles were a gradual descent on some of the best singletrack I've seen. This section was awesome. At the ~10 mile AS the volunteer told me that I was in 9th place. At once it was great news and bad news. Great news that I was actually in the Top 10. Bad news was that the two guys who had missed the turn earlier were right behind again...and now I was in a race for the Top 10! For the first time all day I started to "race". As I picked up the pace I could hear their back and forth chatter getting softer and softer until I didn't hear it any more. Thanks to my increased tempo with about a mile to go I actually caught up to the guy in 8th place. I closed a 100 meter gap to just feet before we hit the first of a few very short (10 feet) but very steep (45% grade) ups at which point both my adductors went into spasm as I attempted to run up. Grinding me to a very slow shuffle my adversary was able to increase his margin on me in very little time. I was able to run again on the flats but alas like Superman losing his ability to fly, my "climbing powers" had escaped me. I peeked back to make sure that my Top 10 was secure and 'limped' into the finish in 2:11:38 good enough for 9th overall and 5th 40+. As a first year race I must say that the course was very well designed, expertly marked, and fantastically organized. It's a shining example of what trail racing is all about here in NH. Kudos <strong>Jen Shultis</strong> and your entire crew of volunteers!<br />
<br />
<strong><em>NEXT UP: Barnstead Firefighters 5k</em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-48890017476551970882012-08-19T13:15:00.000-04:002012-08-19T13:15:21.890-04:0024HoGG | 2012<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7L_gl46AKIEf4z3wjeZHNxxOhk5AqG8r6LvCFVuaZZ5u8qbK0wGcB3Pt6JdiRgwuY7PGVSzzEV0_lwLLDbIFfpJdSBxOadzOeGnDF8w27pK8qKQZTq4XuKTjWZ_wdk3nfKAYsrQ6JKM/s1600/7778799270_03539820a9_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7L_gl46AKIEf4z3wjeZHNxxOhk5AqG8r6LvCFVuaZZ5u8qbK0wGcB3Pt6JdiRgwuY7PGVSzzEV0_lwLLDbIFfpJdSBxOadzOeGnDF8w27pK8qKQZTq4XuKTjWZ_wdk3nfKAYsrQ6JKM/s320/7778799270_03539820a9_c.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keepin' the rubber down.<br />
[Photo courtesy of Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
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<strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"Discretion is the better part of valor." Shakespeare</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
Gorham, NH -- <a href="http://www.acidoticracing.com/" target="_blank">acidotic RACING</a> has been built on the famous words of Teddy Roosevelt..."Dare mighty things...". But at some point as Kenny Rogers sang, "You've got to know when to hold them and know when to fold them.". The 2012 edition of the <strong><span style="color: red;">24 Hours of Great Glen</span></strong> (24HoGG) was yet another incredible weekend of aR fellowship and racing. It really is the highlight of the racing calendar for my family and I. Unfortunately for me however, the course conditions would make my 4 laps around the 8.5+ mile loop an exercise in futility as the tire sucking mud and slippery conditions would spook me into long stretches of hike-a-bike. I really, really enjoy riding my new <strong>GT Zaskar 9er Expert</strong>. The bike is amazing and absolutely everything I've always wanted. I'm just not a strong mountain biker in general and technical rider in particular. In most years though the 24HoGG course is 100% rideable for me thanks to the great work by the Great Glen crew to improve the course. Two and a half inches of rain on Friday afternoon would stretch the limits of any course and crew however and the singletrack and off-road double-track became a quagmire of 6-8 inch deep mud. The following is a brief synopsis of my four laps;<br />
<br />
<strong>Lap #1</strong><br />
Time of day: 2:10 pm<br />
<br />
As the designated third rider I took my first turn on the course. Having pre-rode the day before (in a driving rainstorm) I had the lay of the land including some of new singletrack on the Blueberry Hill side of the course. I managed to ride the first set of climbs up past the Honeymoon Cottage before taking the turn on the new singletrack off the Aqueduct Loop. By the this time the course was already beginning to get chewed up and I cautiously picked my way through the muddy singletrack dabbing here and there and walking some sections. Once on the nordic track I made the conscious decision to ride conservatively and attempt to save something for the 2nd day. Although I felt physically prepared, my history of epic physical collapses here are always in the back of my mind. I rode all the carriage road climbs but was already off bike on most of the sections that were either underwater or sketchy, muddy, rocky descents. <strong>Lap time: 1:06.12</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Lap #2</strong><br />
Time of day: 6:33 pm<br />
<br />
With a very easy pace on the first lap I was more than ready for my second lap. The rain had been on and off for most of the afternoon but seemed to hold off for me on this lap. Once again I rode the switchbacks on Blueberry Hill and up past Honeymoon Cottage. But the singletrack off the Aqueduct Loop was beginning to fail miserably. The trail crew were already diverting past unsafe sections and doing their best to fill in the muddiest spots with boulders...slick wet boulders. I walked this entire 1/2 mile + section. Mountain bike racing for me becomes a big head game when I'm off bike and pushing. Walked the same spots on the festival side of the road...slowly. <strong>Lap time: 1:11.10</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Laps #3 & #4</strong><br />
Time of day: 2:40 am<br />
<br />
As planned, Ri started our doubles at 9:07 pm. That would give me roughly 5 hours before Andy returned from his double. For some odd reason I didn't feel like lying down and instead opted to stay awake and watch the race. Camp aR got very lonely after 11:00 pm as most were either lying down or riding. I relaxed in my recliner (yup...I have one for the 24HoGG) and attempted to rest as hard as I could. My hydration and nutrition were spot on and I felt very good physically. Around 1:00 am I made myself some Starbucks VIA with my JetBoil and tried to get my gear ready for long wet muddy slog. I typically treat the overnight laps as an adventure race. Being mentally prepared to be out there for up to three hours in the darkness is really important. Andy handed off to me at 2:40 am and I set out. Anticipating a 3+ hour ride I was concerned that I'd have enough lights to make it to morning. I spared my handlebar light and burned my Exposure helmet light on the medium setting. Same general description of the course conditions but as can be expected that had continued to deteriorate. The combination of the darkness, rain, and mud made even <em>walking</em> on sections of the course very hard. Resigned to very slow laps and long stretches of hike-a-bike I put in two 90+ minute turns. My estimation of a 3+ hour "adventure race" was pretty good. <strong>Lap times: 1:35.22, 1:33.22</strong><br />
<br />
And that would turn out to be the end of my race. Due in large part to my very conservative approach in very difficult conditions I managed to spare both my bike and my body. No significant equipment mechanical or physical injuries although I witnessed many riders who were not so fortunate...from busted derailleurs to puncture wounds. Although there would have been time for me to take one last lap before the cannon fired I choose to pass. I had had my fill of hike-a-bike. There would be no glory lap for me this time. My aR-GREY team (Ri, Andy, myself, and Kurt) did manage to complete 18 laps which was good enough for 16/25 in the 4-person Sport Class. We had a stretch of four great years with respect to weather and course conditions so it's hard to complain too much about this year. <br />
<br />
<strong><em>NEXT UP: Greenfield Highbush Half Marathon (trail)</em></strong><br />
CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-74058118911074844272012-07-22T17:42:00.000-04:002012-07-22T17:42:52.783-04:00Stonewall Farm Mountain Bike Race<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3CjDUpI8CndjG0Jj4T2482fo0kTTIgmsipDwfcKLR2b-RmARLBs0S_nZy7YruRo8IXsGhJdGPpumpn7_VKACiRZ_S5DSoqrtGl4O5BNWE3xeOEjjP_evQkr4ICTpFcGAwtavS8ig3SA/s1600/stonewall+farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3CjDUpI8CndjG0Jj4T2482fo0kTTIgmsipDwfcKLR2b-RmARLBs0S_nZy7YruRo8IXsGhJdGPpumpn7_VKACiRZ_S5DSoqrtGl4O5BNWE3xeOEjjP_evQkr4ICTpFcGAwtavS8ig3SA/s320/stonewall+farm.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holding on for dear life!<br />
[Photo courtesy Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
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<strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"Nothing defines humans better than their willingness to do irrational things in the pursuit of phenomenally unlikely payoffs." -Scott Adams</span></em></strong> <br />
Keene, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- In my on again off again romance with mountain biking, the experience on my new GT Zaskar 9er Expert at last weekends <strong><span style="color: red;">Stonewall Farm Mountain Bike Race</span></strong> has 'spiced' things up a little...to say the least. <u>Finally</u> I don't need to eyeball the other rides on the rack. At the age of 43 I now own a certifiable rocket ship. The only thing holding this bike back is me. With the 24HoGG looming now less than a month away I've started to shift my training focus to the two-wheeled variety. I've been under prepared at the 24HoGG and it can be a miserable experience. So in an effort to get a little racing action on the new bike I talked my teammate and neighbor <strong>Timmy Lindsey</strong> into taking a trip to Keene (with the promise of a stop at the Elm City Brewery for a beer and a burger afterwards). Stonewall Farms Mountain Bike Race is part of the Root 66 Series. Having never raced here before I was drawn to it by the promise of new singletrack. It certainly delivered. Riding in the 40-49 yo Category 3 (Cat 3) class we would ride two laps of the 4.? mile course. My quick race plan (developed in the starting grid) was to go out conservatively on the first lap to see what I was up against and then hammer as hard as I could on Lap #2. Timmy and I lined up with the other 40-49 yo's in our group and were off. The lead couple of guys took it out hard. I held back and found myself nearly next to last within the first kilometer. The course was probably 90% smooth singletrack with almost zero flat sections. If you weren't going up, you were descending on tight and loose hairpin turns. The combination of the track being very new and the course being very dry there was an inch layer of very powdery dirt making some of the downhill turns a little tough (for me). Thankfully the second half of the loop climbed quite a bit and although not really trying I began to pick up places as riders were off bike and walking the climbs. My bike felt very comfortable and very capable of attacking these climbs and I alternated sitting and standing up as I climbed to the high point of the course. As I finished the first lap I peeked at my watch and it read :30 low which meant absolutely nothing. The objective now was to pick up as many spots as I could taking advantage of my climbing strength. As in the first lap I continued to consistently pick up places as riders who went out a little too hard for all the climbing started to fall back to me. Hard as I tried I could still tell I was too heavy on the brakes on the descents but I really thought I was riding it right on the edge. Keeping the rubber down and only dabbing a few times on some hairpin downs I eventually found myself on the back wheel of a 40-something rider from Cycle Loft as we climbed the final hill. Partly because I'm still not terribly confident in this sport and partly because I lack the killer instinct on the bike I stayed behind him DESPITE the fact he verbalized at least twice that he was cooked on the ups. We crested the final climb wheel to wheel and started a spine tingling dirt pump track descent to the gravel road. In less than a half a mile he put 21 seconds on me because of my lack of nerve and technical descending prowess. That 21 seconds was the difference between 1st, and in the immortal words of Ricky Bobby...last. Officially I finished in 1:02:42 which was "good enough" for 2nd place in the 40-49 yo Cat 3 class and 7th overall in Cat 3. A great beer and lunch after the race with the family capped off an amazing day of racing. I will most certinaly be back in 2013!<br />
<br />
<strong><em>NEXT UP: Bradbury Breaker </em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-19233842111573017002012-06-30T09:24:00.000-04:002012-06-30T09:26:15.321-04:00Cranmore Hill Climb<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCNgeHzU7rZEGK2vVnkHc2zN0Ot-59Gs-KbcMdrm3NWPIyZo1QdwSqMcvY-kk8BpcCnlduszUDP634TE38M6k6cUM9jXIXgyb2fHib8pIvMJIsfGAw3lNQ4pXkw0To0pDtX4EbQWOzJs/s1600/7437369350_94179ba478_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCNgeHzU7rZEGK2vVnkHc2zN0Ot-59Gs-KbcMdrm3NWPIyZo1QdwSqMcvY-kk8BpcCnlduszUDP634TE38M6k6cUM9jXIXgyb2fHib8pIvMJIsfGAw3lNQ4pXkw0To0pDtX4EbQWOzJs/s320/7437369350_94179ba478_c.jpg" vca="true" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hammering" the final descent <br />
(sort of) at Cranmore<br />
[Photo courtesy Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<em><span style="color: yellow;">"I have climbed several higher mountains without guide or path, and have found, as might be expected, that it takes only more time and patience commonly than to travel the smoothest highway." Henry David Thoreau</span></em><br />
<br />
North Conway, NH - Of all the things I race, I enjoy mountain racing the most. I am by no means the swiftest nor the strongest yet mountain racing touches a part of my soul that no other form of racing does. Perhaps it's the duality of feeling so incredibly small when you're standing at the bottom yet so incredibly large when you crest the summit. And the only way to get to the top is with effort and perserverance. A summit is never handed to you. With my crazy busy schedule the <span style="color: red;"><strong><a href="http://www.whitemountainmilers.com/cranmore" target="_blank">Cranmore Hill Climb</a></strong></span><span style="color: black;">, ho</span>sted by my very good friend <strong>Paul Kirsch</strong>, is the only "summer" mountain race I can fit in. But if I'm only going to do one mountain race a year...the Cranmore Hill Climb is the one to do! There a lot of things to love about this race. First, it's in North Conway and an easy and beautiful drive north from Strafford. Secondly, a stop to the Moat Mountain Smokehouse & Brewery for lunch is a fantastic way to apres after the race. And lastly, Paul changes the course each year making the race almost entirely new every time you do it! The 2012 version of the course was two different ascents with a 50% shared descent. Wanting to get a little intel on the course I found and spoke to photographer extraordinaire <strong>Scott Mason</strong>, who had previewed the course the previous day, and of course Paul. In separate conversations they both told me to hold a little back for the second loop as the 1.3 mile ascent (with sections of 30% grade) was a bear. Always a competitive field I seeded myself in the 2nd or 3rd row and got off rather easy at the start command. In fact I felt 1/3 of the field surge by me in the first 50 meters of flat before the climbing began. Wanting to stay patient and stick to my plan I let folks go knowing that the longer 2nd climb was my strong suit. As we picked our way up a combination of access roads, singletrack, and grassy ski slopes I began to gather folks back in as the elevation began to cause people to walk. Maintaining a very controlled climbing pace I ran the entire first ascent and then began to head back down to the start/finish. This section of course was the same as 2011 and I immediately recognized where I was. Knowing I'm not a strong downhill runner I purposely focused on staying relaxed and trying to hold as many positions as I'd gained on the climb. By Karen's account, who had made the trip to cheer me on, I was in 24th place after the first loop. As we began the second, longer and steeper climb, I was feeling great. Once again I began to reel in other runners who had started to powerhike this unrelenting section. And by this time the sun was high in the sky and the rain from the previous day made the mountain feel like a tropical rain forest. Within a few minutes of climbing I spotted fellow masters runner <strong>Peter Keeney </strong>from Crow Athletics. Peter and I have raced many times and it's rare that I'm ever close to him. Setting my sights on him I started to feel the pull and before long I was on his right shoulder. He acknowledged I was there as we ran together for a while. I was cautious not to jump out in front too quickly instead settling on letting him do the pulling. At a aid station he must have stopped or significantly slowed to get a drink because all of a sudden I was out in front of him. Assuming I was getting close to the summit I inexplicably began to powerhike the last 100 meters. I don't remember being gassed and the grade wasn't anything that I couldn't run butu for some reason I decided to walk. Quite honestly, at that point my walking pace equalled my running pace. Rounding the barrel at the summit I noticed that Peter was right behind me and within 10 seconds of descending he was already by me. Running downhill hard takes a combination of technique, fitness, and courage. Three things I obviously don't posses enought of at this point. Hard as I tried he effortly moved away from me. The objective then turned to not getting passed again. Not wanting to risk a fall I didn't look back instead using teamamate Steve Wolfe's approach of "running scared". I managed to hold off my closest competitor and aside from Peter didn't get passed again on the way down. Feeling really great I ever kicked a little in the field to the finish and crossed the tape in 52:30 good enough for 18th overall and 8th 40+. Amazingly I had picked up 6 spots on the 2nd loop. What an amazing course and an incredibly well run event once again by Paul and the White Mountain Miles. Can't wait to see what he has in store for us in 2013.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>NEXT UP: Stonewall Farm Mountain Bike Race</em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-51866223853883727752012-06-17T07:41:00.000-04:002012-06-17T07:41:05.742-04:00Exeter Trail Race<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeH7jzQRhIqT-lE1dkvdGnzW2TSFgsba27g7p20WukcwYEEY5afnyqKs4j9P1f6yHE7YZOjSYAvEC6qHxf_JerjvtNxlSfoy3QbRVmxfwwIxjyZMIFXbGTg3lhZg_aK_iAgjl9pFtc8s/s1600/XTR1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" pca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeH7jzQRhIqT-lE1dkvdGnzW2TSFgsba27g7p20WukcwYEEY5afnyqKs4j9P1f6yHE7YZOjSYAvEC6qHxf_JerjvtNxlSfoy3QbRVmxfwwIxjyZMIFXbGTg3lhZg_aK_iAgjl9pFtc8s/s320/XTR1.jpg" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuffed in the hurt locker.<br />
[Photo courtesy Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<em><span style="color: yellow;">"The highest reward for a mans toil is not what he gets from it but what he becomes by it." -John Ruskin</span></em><br />
<br />
Exeter, NH -- Is <em>not</em> having a plan <em>technically</em> a plan? If so then for the second consecutive year at the <strong><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.acidoticracing.com/ExeterTrailRaces.html" target="_blank">Exeter Trail Race presented by GoLite Footwear</a></span></strong> I executed my plan perfectly. Problem was that this year, like last year, my failure to plan once again haunted me in the crucible moments of the race. The XTR is one of my favorite races on the schedule for several reasons. First, to really race well there you need a combination of technical skill, agility, power, and aerobic endurance. Every footstrike needs to be strategically placed and there is a continual push and pull of acceleration and deceleration as the course serpentines through a rollercoaster of singletrack. Secondly, as an <strong><a href="http://www.acidoticracing.com/" target="_blank">acidotic RACING</a> </strong>event I'm so proud of the RDs Ri & Sarah who have developed the event into one of the premier trail races in NH. A record field of 148 runners (4 & 10 milers) stepped to the line and received the start command from Sarah. After 20 meters the course takes a hard right hand turn into the trail network. I was on the inside of the turn near the front but nearly got boxed out by 5 runners trying to fit in a space 3 runners wide. Safely through that section things got single file very quickly and I found myself in the Top 7-8 and assumed that at least a few of the folks around me would probably be racing the 4 miler. I picked my way around a couple of runners early on and settled into a group with new aR teammate <strong>Jeff Hixon</strong> in from and teammate <strong>Bob Swarthout</strong> behind. Running singletrack can be a little deceiving at times. When I'm racing hard it always seems like I'm going faster than I really am. Without mile markers and the potential for face plants littering the trail there was no need to peek at the watch. I could <em>feel</em> the pace was hard. At the 4 mile turn around just before we entered the tunnel Bob peeled off and shouted some encouraging words. The group I was racing with seemed fairly content with the pace and the place they were racing so we held our ground for most of the Oaklands Loop. Before we passed back under the tunnel Jeff and the other guy I was racing fell back and I managed to pass them. At this point, although I didn't know it, I was 5th overall. Not long after that I caught a glimpse of aR's top ultrarunner <strong>Ryan Welts</strong>, who had just scorched the first half of the race. Setting my sights on him I was able pull up along his right shoulder. We ran together for a 1/2 mile or so before he encouraged me to go ahead. Just before we entered the tunnel for the final 4+ miles of the race I went around him for 4th place. Still feeling good I tried to maintain the pace I was running. This particular counterclockwise course rotation is a little 'easier' finishing 5k because the trail is a little less technical. But as I found out...easier does not equal easy. With about 5k to go I slowly began to feel a bonk coming on. I must have looked like a train wreck in slow motion. My recklessly hard pace early on coupled with a lack of hydration began to take a toll on my legs and my will. Seemingly out of nowhere Nate Bassett, who had been trapped behind slower traffic at the start, went flying by be like his hair was on fire. It wasn't long before Ryan, Jeff, and the other guy whom I had passed and dropped 2 miles earlier had caught and passed me like I was a spectator. Getting passed at any time during a race is hard, but it's demoralizing when it happens in the last section of the race while you're 2/3rds of the way in the hurt locker. With my legs gone and the fire in my belly extinguished I was helpless to fend off two more runners who also picked the remaining flesh off my bones. As I passed teammate and traffic cop Mike Sallade for the last time and began the Camel's Hump climb there was no more pretending...I was cooked. I had run this part in 2011, but not this year. With my head down I marched up as quickly as a I could and gave one final peek over my shoulder to see if there was anyone else I wouldn't be able to hold off. When I passed my lovely wife Karen (volunteering at the first major trail junction) I knew I had only 200 meters to go to the finish. Aided by the fact that it was downhill and I could hear the crowd I managed to pick up the pace (a little) and actually look like a competitor as I crossed the finish line in <strong>1:20:59</strong> (11th place, 2nd 40+). A quick review of my 2011 result showed that I was about :90 slower this year although the last 5k was almost the same. <br />
<br />
[NOTE TO 44 YEAR OLD SELF: Run the first 7 miles a little more conservatively in 2013 so you've got a little something left for the final 5k.]<br />
<br />
<em><strong>NEXT UP</strong>: Cranmore Hill Climb</em> CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-44851417194124530542012-05-28T08:51:00.000-04:002012-05-28T08:51:09.558-04:00Pineland Farms 25k<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdobLXrV3WDbbhNQ03MzZtpCCRGFAvBgz_Ohx_u_1UptJ3VmFQJfucYEepCx2HnS29RQbh1zVtccZvdRwHrIH0bvOuQl8G1AUpnCrTiFijL_9X8ydMpumTKMpcaK1ARD76LTuzcxJ_SU/s1600/7283966552_3f558a7039_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdobLXrV3WDbbhNQ03MzZtpCCRGFAvBgz_Ohx_u_1UptJ3VmFQJfucYEepCx2HnS29RQbh1zVtccZvdRwHrIH0bvOuQl8G1AUpnCrTiFijL_9X8ydMpumTKMpcaK1ARD76LTuzcxJ_SU/s320/7283966552_3f558a7039_z.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RACING acidotic for my team and my<br />
sponsor GoLite Footwear<br />
[Photo courtesy Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"The best things in life are unexpected-because there were no expectations." -Eli Kharmarov</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
New Gloucester, MAINE -- Just run. That was the race plan for this weekend's <strong><span style="color: red;">Pineland Farms 25k</span></strong>. If I've learned anything over the last five years at this race it's that planning doesn't necessarily equal success. Last year I had meticulously calculated PR splits only to run my slowest time at this race. And because 25k is a little bit of a reach for me, I decided to try something new this time around...no plan, just run to feel. Which might be easier said than done with so many friends and teammates whom I have raced with and against for years. A particularly stacked front end lined up at the starting line under bright blue skies, light winds, and temps in the 70's. I purposely lined up a little closer to the front so as not to get caught up in traffic even though I did not intend on hammering the first downhill 5k. I patiently held back a little through this first section as teammates and friends worked their way by me. At some point early on I hooked up with GCS foe <strong>Mike</strong> <strong>Wade</strong> who seemed to be using the same tactic. We hit the 5k mark at 22:03 (7:05's). The 2nd 5k makes up half of the elevation lost in the first 5k with some open field rollers. I felt very under control and strong on the short climbs although I knew my pace had slowed considerably. I had moved around Mike but I could see that he was within 25-50 meters. My 10k split was 46:30 (7:51's) for this net gain 5k. The 3rd 5k is a net zero with the first half a descent and the second half a roughly equal ascent. Again, I felt very strong on the climbs and actually started to pick up spots. Although the open mowed fields were hot and slow, the woods were shaded with a beautiful breeze making the conditions quite tolerable. I hit the 15k mark at 1:10 (7:47's). With roughly 1.5k to go before the START/FINISH area I finished my handheld bottle with Hammer Nutrition FIZZ (a first at this race). Coming through the START/FINISH Karen handed me my second cold bottle of FIZZ and focused on the 4th 5k. Sometimes the little things can make all the difference in the world. The combination of my lovely wife's support and the cold FIZZ immediately perked me up and I felt as ready as ever to attack the last two segments of the race. The 4th 5k climbs for the first mile to the high point of the course and then descends an equal amount (common theme). With my attention squarely focused on the 20k split I ran very well on the climbs and continued to pick up spots on the ups. At this point of the race I typically begin to experience leg weariness and twinges of cramping but none of that emerged this time around. I marked at 20k at 1:35 (8:00's). Slower for sure but still motoring on the climbs and with the toughest (in my opinion) section of course remaining. The final 5k is a net gain and includes several hundred meters of open field before crossing back over the road to the finish area. Just past 21k my teammate <strong>Steve Wolfe</strong> <em>finally</em> caught up and ran by me like it was his first 5k. He implored me to tag along and I did for a little while but as soon as hit the fields and I asked my legs for more they had nothing left to give. Not wanting to risk paralyzing cramps I held steady and let him go. I finished the last bit of FIZZ, put my head down, and raced to the finish. My 1:58:05 was good enough for 33rd overall (13th 40+) and my 3rd fastest time in six tries. I guess I proved to myself that it's definitely possible to over think this race. Very pleased with the performance and very grateful for a large aR turnout. <br />
<br />
Special thank you to my sponsors GoLite Footwear, Philbrick's Sports, Redhook, Young's Restaurant, and Poco's Bow Street Cantina.<br />
<br />
<strong>NEXT UP: <em><a href="http://www.acidoticracing.com/ExeterTrailRaces.html" target="_blank">Exeter Trail Races presented by GoLite Footwear</a></em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-33666060019057284472012-05-26T14:01:00.000-04:002012-05-26T14:01:14.452-04:00Hoppin' Mad Mud Run <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfGJQMMzBGMmUIe_h3TpDQMx8rqwqYWkE35OmI4L5WJI7kVajigdYmruc-q-bF8JUCi6NGJ8CzS6s3g2Mtp4iV7iew4etNTB3UGTWRp8ZOOzJZkqA3czfV_SDfJk52Jj7oZ1bhaXN2aw/s1600/0520121200a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfGJQMMzBGMmUIe_h3TpDQMx8rqwqYWkE35OmI4L5WJI7kVajigdYmruc-q-bF8JUCi6NGJ8CzS6s3g2Mtp4iV7iew4etNTB3UGTWRp8ZOOzJZkqA3czfV_SDfJk52Jj7oZ1bhaXN2aw/s320/0520121200a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(L-R) Bon Swarthout, Jason Massa, Chris J. Dunn, <br />
Jeremiah Fitzgibbon, Rich Lavers<br />
[Photo courtesy Craig Poirier]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"Even absurdity has a champion to defend it." - Oliver Goldsmith</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
Amesbury, MA -- Getting to the top is hard, but staying on top is even more difficult. Particularly when you lose two teammates within 72 hours of a two-time title defense. aR had made two previous trips to the <strong><span style="color: red;">Hoppin' Mad Mud Run</span></strong> and walked away with two 5-person team titles in this challenging 10k obstacle course race...well, more like a 5k road race <em>followed</em> by a 5k obstacle course race. And without a doubt that first <em>roughly</em> 5k on the road has played to our advantage. Obstacle course competitors, for the most part, aren't necessarily all that keen on fast 5k road races. But to take home the cash prize you've got to do what you've got to do. Title defenses are indeed impressive particularly when you bring a different team each year. This year was no exception. Bob and Jeremiah would join our 5-person team for the first time (Bob's 2nd HMMR and Jeremiah's 1st). Rich, Jason, and myself had all returned from 2011. Actually, both Bob and Jeremiah were very lat minute additions with the late scratches of both Phil Erwin and Ryan Welts who were both injured less than a week before the event. As in 2011, we were seeded in the "elite" first heat assuring we'd have a clean run at the course. Again, the first 2.5+ miles were on the road as we worked our way to the back of the event property. Predictably the field went out fast at the start command. Almost immediately our group of 5 was mixing it up toward the middle and back of the top 10. As the first mile progressed however, many of those eager obstacle course racers began to fall back. I led our team of 5 through the first mile in 5:44ish. The second mile rolled a little and was a bit slower as we approached the last uphill segment of road before heading onto the farm. By this time Bob and I were running side by side with Jason, Rich, and Jeremiah in tow. The first few obstacles were basically the same as before including a handful of high/low hurdles and 5' walls. When we approached the steep 200 meter uphill/downhill lollipop (covered in a tarp with dish liquid in 2011) we found a pile of tires. Selecting one we carried it up, around, and down the lollipop. Jason had effortlessly moved around Bob and I on the walls and we both watched him run up the steep grassy hill with the tire over his shoulder. I opted for the powerhike also putting a little distance on Bob in what he would later note as my "old man strength". An important change to the event was how the teams were timed and scored. This year we would all be independently chip timed with our 5-person average time as our overall team "score". Without the shackles of dragging us through the course, aR's expert obstacle course warrior Jason Massa ripped through each challenge and actually appeared to get <em>stronger</em> as the race progressed finishing <strong>2nd <u>overall</u></strong>! Bob and I continued to race side-by-side through mud pits, low crawls, high crawls, agility tires, 45 degree rope assisted ramp climbs, and cargo netting. Despite a couple of navigation foibles were managed to stay in the Top 10 overall with Bob finishing 5th and me finishing 7th overall in 47:00. Rich was close behind in 8th and Jeremiah in 13th. With 4 of our 5 in the Top 10 we easily took the 5-person team title again. It's very likely we'll be back to defend again...I'm just not sure who it'll be?!<br />
<br />
<strong><em>NEXT UP: Pineland Farms 25k Trail Race</em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-40969779428044342492012-04-21T14:54:00.002-04:002012-04-21T14:54:51.395-04:00Merrimack Rivah Trail Race<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGgsvrQ-WBgJZu3Qp5GCC5gSSJlgQOgrriSEyyoPeOJsC7vNW0MxQcnZvEqcJxXHwXgsypxBXrvw7bngrU3J1b4Ejo-olqMETwX2hBOz-9IJCLz20dkucmjmpqnr4Qw59u_j8IOx4dzc/s1600/IMG_1512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGgsvrQ-WBgJZu3Qp5GCC5gSSJlgQOgrriSEyyoPeOJsC7vNW0MxQcnZvEqcJxXHwXgsypxBXrvw7bngrU3J1b4Ejo-olqMETwX2hBOz-9IJCLz20dkucmjmpqnr4Qw59u_j8IOx4dzc/s320/IMG_1512.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing another 'Rivah'.<br />
[Photo courtesy Dave Dunham]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"Despair is most often the offspring of ill-preparedness." -Don William, Jr.</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
Andover, MASSACHUSETTS -- The winter that never was has given rise to a bountiful spring of opportunity. Having probably put in more 'longer' quality training units than in the past several winters, the <strong><span style="color: red;">Merrimack Rivah Trail Race</span></strong> was an excellent venue to test my early spring fitness. Last weekend was my third trip to the "Rivah". I had PB'd last year by almost two minutes (1:11:15). Father Time marches on for everyone, but nevertheless my goal was to get in under 1:11:00. To do that, the plan was to split sub 35:00 and then find a dance partner to bring home. An absolutely beautiful day greeted us at the start line with temps in the 60's, a light breeze, and full sun. I lined up 2-3 rows back and waited for the start command. As predicted when the race started everyone took 7-8 very slow choppy steps forward and then came to an almost complete stop as 25-30 runners attempted to funnel through a very tight opening to the trail network. I managed to make my way through the mess without hazard but again felt like I had started too far back as I had to pick my through and around some slower competitors to find some clean trail. As things began to thin out I found Trail Monster Running's <strong>Ian Parlin </strong>who had gotten off to a great start and was running very strong. I tucked in behind him and tried to match his pace as he accelerated around slower runners. Although I wasn't looking for it I happen to catch a quick glimpse of the 1 mile marker and looked down at my watch...6:08. Drawing on experience, although it was much quicker than my average pace would be at the end I knew that to get to the turn around in under 35:00 the first 5k would need to be very brisk. I settled in over the next few miles and ran comfortably hard as my pace moderated a little probably in the 6:30's. In the 72 hours leading up to the race I was very concerned about the state of my legs and my overall fatigue. I wasn't feeling at all myself and actually considered going to see my PA...but I didn't. I chalked it up to a couple of really hard training cycles including a month's worth of three days a week of run/ride doubles. My concerns faded away quickly when I got up to pace and was able to maintain the effort. Right around 4 miles we popped out to a series of very steep and loose powerline climbs. I ran all of the ups and cautiously picked my way down the downs hitting the 5 mile split in 34:42. The first part of the PB mission was a success. I had placed myself in great position at the half way mark to meet my goal, now all I needed to do was find someone to run with to force me to stay on pace during the last 5k which tend to be my nemesis. Luckily I had several guys within 2-5 seconds/mile of my target pace who were more than willing partners. We cruised through the last few 'in' miles maintaining a very strong and consistent pace, albeit slower than our 'out' pace. With a little over a mile to go my new teammate <strong>Gabe Flanders</strong> caught the group I was racing with and went around. He apparently had run a very conservative first half and was saving his legs for the final 5k. Both he and the guy I was running with began to accelerate away from me leaving me in the dreaded "no mans land". They were just a little too strong and I was a little too apprehensive to TNT my PB so late in the race so I let them move away as I focused on straying relaxed. Moments later I spied the overpass and quickly looked at my watch. As long as I avoided a catastrophic fall I was in position to run under 1:11:00. Rounding the final turn I accelerated back to the pavement and the finish line in <strong>1:10:33</strong>. My second PB at the event in as many attempts. The finish was good enough for 20th overall and 6th 40+. My 'in' split of 35:50 was clearly slower than my 'out' 34:42 but I'm convinced that for me not only was the sub 35:00 'out' the correct tactic by my return split variance (:42) was as good as I've done at this race. Needless to say I was very, very pleased with the result and encouraged that as poorly as I felt heading into the race that when the lights come on I'm able to rise to the occasion. <br />
<br />
<strong><em>NEXT UP: Hoppin' Mad Mud Run, Muddy Moose, or perhaps Willowdale MTB Race</em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-77928363326082857302012-03-18T16:05:00.000-04:002012-03-18T16:05:28.653-04:00WinterWild Championship at Bretton Woods<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtON-d244IX6mI5v5eFNQppL-bvrCjQIK0-IhCB-kYZfJd7DD-8sBdml_gvsAoeMO4N1l3nTVV7X-IctSRh07saRdqMrhgG-m_140WoaudWgHXP8aSExQ_HSF2LzM5A4A2r_bp6jHlndo/s1600/420664_10150608001831027_581776026_9673608_778393303_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtON-d244IX6mI5v5eFNQppL-bvrCjQIK0-IhCB-kYZfJd7DD-8sBdml_gvsAoeMO4N1l3nTVV7X-IctSRh07saRdqMrhgG-m_140WoaudWgHXP8aSExQ_HSF2LzM5A4A2r_bp6jHlndo/s320/420664_10150608001831027_581776026_9673608_778393303_n.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finish to a long descent at the WinterWild<br />
Championship at Bretton Woods<br />
[Photo courtesy Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"Champions know that success is inevitable; that there is no such thing as failure, , only feedback. They know the best way to forecast the future is to create it." -Michael J. Gelb</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
Bretton Woods, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- Nothing like finishing a lousy winter of snow-related sports with a FANTASTIC championship event! <a href="http://www.acidoticracing.com/" target="_blank">aR</a> played host to the <strong><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.winterwild.com/index.php?doc=17_5" target="_blank">WinterWild Championship at Bretton Woods</a></span></strong> this weekend. Not being a skier many of the WinterWild stops have been first times for me at these mountains and Bretton Woods was another fine example. The facilities are simply amazing and the mountain absolutely majestic. Although with a dark and foggy 6:30 AM start there really wasn't anything to see when we got started. My teammates <strong>Rich Lavers</strong> and <strong>Danny Ferreira</strong> expertly pulled off a terrific event in their RDing debut's. As I've mentioned in other WinterWild recaps, these events have been a tremendous amount of fun and I'm already looking forward to more of them next winter. Of course the great thing about these races is that even if Mother Nature doesn't blanket us with enough snow to snowshoe on...she keeps it cold enough for the ski areas to make snow. Having missed a race two weeks ago (Mt. Sunapee) there was no chance of catching masters leader <strong>Mark Hecox</strong> for the series title so my focus turned to giving one more quality effort this winter and ride the good vibe right into spring trail racing. But a week before the race I learned that my mountain running arch nemesis, <strong>Paul Kirsch</strong>, would be making his WinterWild debut. As a fellow masters runner, Paul is best known for his mountain prowess. Living in the NoCo gives him easy access to big tough trails and his mountain racing times reflect his training and his experience. It's fair to say that I measure my fitness and training with head to head performances against Paul. To stay close to him in a mountain race is a huge victory...to beat him is the ultimate confirmation that my mountain/hill-specific training is dead on. I helped with registration so didn't have a moment to warm-up so when Rich announced the start had been pushed back to 6:30 AM I was thrilled. Paul and I chatted briefly before the race and he did his best to lower expectations. The way I saw it, despite the fact that he hadn't raced since <em>last</em> June didn't diminish his toughness and experience with mountain races. With a final course modification announcement (we'd miss the two peaks due to poor snow coverage and the course would be shorter) the race got off under misty darkness. I had turned my <strong>Petzl Tikka Plus2</strong> on just before the race but within 10 minutes of the start the sunrise began to lighten the shadows and the course became easier to follow. Assuming the field would be strong I took off hard right from the start. Climbing is the stronger aspect of my mountain racing so I pushed hard on the initial series of ups. The over OPEN leaders, <strong>Kevin Tilton</strong> and <strong>Andy Greene</strong>, along with several elite Nordic guys gapped the field within minutes. Mark, appearing stronger than ever, never let me get anywhere close and hammered out a secure 3rd overall (1st masters) spot over the first half of the race. I settled into the 5th overall place (2nd masters) during the first 800+ feet of climbing. Peeking back a couple of times I didn't see Paul but knew that as tough as he is on the ups, he's just as fierce on the downs which is the weaker part of my game. Just before we took the final turn back down the mountain the younger guy I was racing stopped to re-adjust his MircoSpikes and I moved into 4th overall OPEN (still 2nd masters). As I took the turn for the long descent of Sawyer's Swoop I noticed that I had several pursuers but couldn't make out exactly who they were. Almost immediately as I began to descend the younger guy bombed past me with his MicroSpike back in place...5th place. Half way down the run I felt like I was going hard relaxing and letting gravity pull me to the bottom. The footstrikes were soft and at times I felt like I left a 4-6 inch divot. Then I began to hear the pounding of footsteps and the paced breathing of more than one runner. Whoooosh. Two more guys passed me...7th place now (? masters). I watched in amazement as they hurdled effortlessly down the mountain. By this time I needed the race to be over before I fell out of the Top 10 all together. When I could see the finish I peeked back one more time just to make sure I wouldn't be edged at the line again (see Pat's Peak). Without anyone in sight I strided to finish in 32:29 good enough for 12 place overall, 7th place OPEN, and 4th master. Of course it bothers me to give up a Top 5 finish and a masters podium but it strengthens my resolve to train as hard if not harder on my descending technique this spring and summer. My good friend Paul finished just behind me. He was right...<em>training</em> fitness isn't the same thing as <em>racing</em> fitness. I expect to see him again soon and there's a pretty good bet I won't be looking down at him in the results. <br />
<br />
PS. My winter racing and training is now wrapped and other than the disappointing snowshoe racing season I feel really good about my performances. When we did race on snowshoes I think I put in solid performances. The competition wasn't as tight this winter because of the snow. I missed racing against the likes of Steve Wolfe, Sean Snow, and David Principe. But I more than made up for those absences by trying to stay close to Mark Hecox in the WinterWild series. I'm probably not as fit and definitely not as light & lean as this time last year but I'm healthy and I'm ready to start racing on trails and mountains really, really soon.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>NEXT UP: A well earned transition then the Merrimack Rivah Trail Race (MA)</em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-13482765049873491292012-03-14T20:00:00.001-04:002012-03-14T20:03:13.442-04:00NH Snowshoe Championship<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl360YyPs1jkaXBrn5PkQTr3GMLhYlgiVvRyg3V7QYd55XBeWm6yTVilXn6tbZ9LwYfMhzjNEWingTvPDGnJqrp_ttIGKKZKhagZ_6QmT1Hrmzibr3sOFvkn_khElh0iiSLp8Vjb-BDYM/s1600/426173_2767637786569_1126672196_32124706_483190835_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl360YyPs1jkaXBrn5PkQTr3GMLhYlgiVvRyg3V7QYd55XBeWm6yTVilXn6tbZ9LwYfMhzjNEWingTvPDGnJqrp_ttIGKKZKhagZ_6QmT1Hrmzibr3sOFvkn_khElh0iiSLp8Vjb-BDYM/s320/426173_2767637786569_1126672196_32124706_483190835_n.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing the final km at the Glen<br />
[Photo courtesy Scott Mason]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere as long as the policy you've decided upon is being carried out." -Ronald Reagan</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
Gorham, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- As incredible as the winter of 2011 was...the 2012 version was equally as disappointing. That is if you plow snow for a living or love snowshoe racing. When it snowed last Halloween I was absolutely convinced that <em>this</em> was the winter we'd break attendance records. That <em>this</em> was the winter that we might see the first 250 participant field at a NH snowshoe race. And that <em>this </em>would be the winter of ALL winters for those of us that love racing on the racquet's! And then a funny thing happened...it really didn't snow again. Although we managed to squeeze in a race in North Conway in January and a soggy slushshoe in Merrimack, everything thing else was scratched because of the paucity of snow over much of NH. Everything else that is <u>except</u> the <strong><a href="http://www.acidoticracing.com/NHChamps.html" target="_blank">Granite State Snowshoe Championship</a></strong> at the <strong>Great Glen Outdoor Center</strong> in Gorham, NH. Reports from the Mt. Washington valley in the week leading up to the event were that the snow cover was decent. My very good friend and teammate <strong>Timmy Lindsey</strong> and I rode up to the Glen the day before the race to mark the "2nd 5k" singletrack on the Aquaduct Loop and were met by teammate <strong>Leslie Beckwith</strong>. On the drive north from Strafford many of the towns on Route 16 were snow-free. I assured Timmy that "everything will be fine" when we got to the notch. In fact the snow cover did pick up as we continued further north and began to gain some elevation. But pulling into the parking lot of the Great Glen Outdoor Center my first impressions of Blueberry Hill (the link between the Nordic 5k and the Aquaduct 5k) were not very promising. Large patches of bear ground dotted the landscape. We met Leslie inside, packed our backs with flags, and headed out to see if we could salvage a course on the "singletrack" side of the course. Rounding the storage shed adjacent to the main building my heart sank...the 8 foot bridge to the Blueberry Hill singletrack was bear. No snow. And just pass the bear bridge were fist sized drainage rocks followed by a ice with a very thin coating of fresh snow. If the bear bridge, rocks, and ice weren't that big of a deal there was some crusty snow. At this point my mind raced and multiple contingency plans were beginning to take shape include the creation of the dreaded "snow bridge". I have, in an effort to solve thin snow cover, shoveled snow to make a "bridge" over bear patches of ground. We continued to tramp up and around Blueberry Hill for another few hundred meters but just as we headed back behind the building the final blow to the singletrack plans was thrown. Yet another critical 3-5 meter stretch of course was bear. The Aquaduct Loop would be eliminated from the course. Most of the significant elevation and all of the sweet singletrack would be gone from the 2011 version of the event. Needless to say I was devastated but because there wasn't a lot of time to wallow in pity, the three of us got busy on a Plan B. Without any real great options we decided to make the Championship 10k a 'double looper'. We headed out to lightly mark the course and scout out the conditions on the Nordic side of the operation. The snow was very hard packed and noticeably icy in spots although offered 100% coverage. We finished up, said goodbye to Leslie and then headed to our favorite north country watering hole (and BBQ joint) for an adult beverage. On race morning we arrived early to put the last finishing touches on the course and set up registration. I'm so very, very lucky to have my wife Karen and great friend Kate take care of registration at all our events. Particularly this one because it's one I enjoy directing <em>and</em> racing. As always time flew by quickly as I visited with the dozen or so aR teammates who showed up to race. A very small, but enthusiastic field of 30 snowshoers stepped to the line as I gave the final instructions and with a "Runners ready...GO!" command we were off. One of the top snowshoers in all of the northeast, <strong>Jim Johnson</strong>, was predictably off the line fast with myself, <strong>Dave Dunham</strong>, <strong>Peter Keeney</strong>, and teammates <strong>Rich Lavers </strong>and <strong>Phil Erwin</strong> in pursuit. But by the time we cleared the stadium and turned onto the NordicMeisters course he had put a 10 meter gap on Dave and a 20+ meter gap on myself and Rich who were running 3rd & 4th. In the past few years I've been just ahead of Rich on the snow but with the volume of training he's logged this winter and a couple of recent srong road performances under his belt I wasn't at all surprised that he was pushing me so hard so early in the race. He stayed just off my right shoulder as we raced harder that I thought we should through the meadows. 10k on snowshoes is a haul and this loop was deceptively hilly once...not to mention twice! With Dave out of sight the focus was on holding off Rich and the multiple pursuers that I knew were directly on our heels. As the course began to climb I felt him drop back a little. The first chance I had to glance back on a switchback I noticed that Phil had caught Rich and the two of them were racing together less than 50 meters behind. Generally two snowshoers working together are faster than one racing alone so I knew that despite my early success that the race was far from over. With every opportunity I stole a peek back at those two and mentally measured the gap. Popping back out into the meadows we raced around the tubing hill and completed the first 5k with the encouragement of course marshall and teammate <strong>Scotty Graham</strong>. Although I struggled to find a rhythm in the first 5k I did manage to get in a groove on the second loop. Rich and Phil stayed close but weren't able to close the gap and I held them off for 3rd place overall (2nd 40+) in a time of 42:56. A short season for sure but a very successful one. I'm thrilled with my effort and performance. It was great to see so many teammates and friends come out and support the race. I'm very grateful to each and every one of them.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>NEXT UP: WinterWild Championship at Bretton Woods</em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-81597132591214312922012-02-19T18:56:00.001-05:002012-02-19T18:57:07.113-05:00WinterWild-Pat's Peak<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1v7dtjt6WHDeGdWJn2KeEZhAh05p2JaKHETyH0NKijVFnxrmy-V8gVUCbV0kVKxh2hTcMhaAeZ7CuFgTO_ntziSaAWjw8WxVLbRs1RVZeDLPMbpRNrnPJ7PsEBpT_AO5K8pukGRSmLis/s1600/6897853441_167c7e73e8_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1v7dtjt6WHDeGdWJn2KeEZhAh05p2JaKHETyH0NKijVFnxrmy-V8gVUCbV0kVKxh2hTcMhaAeZ7CuFgTO_ntziSaAWjw8WxVLbRs1RVZeDLPMbpRNrnPJ7PsEBpT_AO5K8pukGRSmLis/s320/6897853441_167c7e73e8_z.jpg" width="314" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brandon Baker and I pacing each other after<br />
finishing the first of two laps.<br />
[Photo courtesy Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"The higher you climb on the mountain, the harder the wind blows." -Sam Cummings</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
Henniker, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- It's rare that I wake <em>before</em> an alarm...particularly a 3:00 AM alarm. But on Saturday I had a mountain to climb and an age-group series lead to maintain at <strong>WinterWild-Pat's Peak</strong>. The third race in the five race series. Brayden and I packed the Explorer the night before. We picked up the Lindsey's around the corner and then Rich at the Concord P&R. Arriving at 5:30 AM we had plenty of time to leisurely change and chat with friends and teammates before the start command was given at 7:00 AM. In some strange twist of fate I had found myself tied for the 40-49 year old series lead with <strong>Mark Hecox</strong> of Henniker. He and I had traded age group wins in the first two races. WW-Pat's Peak would be the largest race of the winter with over 225 starters. At the start command a group of about 10-15 wide (including skinny plankers) took off on a flat section of mountain and within 25 meters were funnelled into a 15 meter shoot wide enough for 1 or 2 skiers and not much else. I did my best to get off fast, stay to the left edge, and try not to get a pole in the eye. As we made the sharp left hand turn up the mountain most of the top Nordic guys were already a few meters ahead but I had once again found myself running out amongst the front of the open category. Mark must not have had a great start because it was a several hundred meters up the mountain before he pulled alongside. We acknowledged each other and focused on dodging the skiers as we attempted to find a clean line up a relatively easy pitch. The first 2/3 of the climb up Puff (green) was absolutely runnable and Mark and I stayed close to each other. It wasn't until we made the turn onto Twister (black) for the last ascent that things got considerably more difficult and Mark made his one and only move. I tried to quick chop the first few meters but decided very fast that it would be better to power hike this section as it was the first of two trips we'd make here. And walking turned out to be every bit as fast as "running". Mark, on the other hand, had made the decision to go for broke and muscled his way up this 200+ meter climb putting a 20+ meter gap on me in no time. At this point I still felt like there was a lot of racing to do and I was confident that I was improving my descents. I didn't want to risk the entire race to chase him down and figured I'd be able to recover and close on him during lap #2. Mark had other ideas. He stayed in sight up Twister but disappeared as we crested the mountain into the full splendor of a beautiful NH sunrise. As I began the descent of Breeze (green) I could see him slowly increasing his lead as he hammered down the mountain. Hesistant not to blow my legs up trying to close an almost insurmountable gap, I pushed hard but conservatively, working with young gun <strong>Brandon Baker</strong> to pick our way down the mountain. Passing the START/FINISH Mark was out of sight and my goal quickly changed to staying in the Top 5 open category. Running 5th as we started back up the mountain I felt strong and in control. I ran all of Puff and again power hiked Twister back to the sun splashed summit. I peaked quickly just before setting off down the mountain and didn't see any immediate open threat. Relaxing a little more on the second descent I could feel my turnover increasing and my legs slowly going numb. Luckily Breeze, Zepher, and Blast are all gradually sloping green trails keeping the pounding on my legs at a manageable level. Making the turn around the chairlift at the bottom all that was left was a 100 sprint up a slight incline to the finish. Then it happened...out of nowhere I had someone on my left shoulder. Right away I assumed it was Brandon who had caught me but it was actually another 20-something challenger. We ran stride for stride for five or six steps and then I felt him pulling ahead. With 10 meters to go, in one last "old man" attempt at holding my spot I leaned forward and "accelerated" with everything I had. For 2-3 strides I actually felt like I had pulled ahead but with less than 5 meters to go he just barely pulled ahead and beat me by a nose. It was the first time in recent memory I had to finish with a sprint. Guess I need to work on my explosive foot speed. My unofficial finishing time was <strong>37:50</strong> and good enough for 6th overall open (3rd 40+ open). With Mark's 90+ second win he's now back on top of the 40-49 year old series open category with two races to go. I have fallen back to 2nd. If this is going to go down to the wire, and there's no reason now not to think it will, I need to have a game plan in place for Sunapee. Any move he makes will need to be immediately countered because I've learned he's a great closer.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>NEXT UP: WinterWild-Mount Sunapee</em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-6955359657017798772012-02-05T09:56:00.000-05:002012-02-05T09:56:50.965-05:00WinterWild-Ragged Mountain<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMSBfFiix89e5GNNI9ZCRZQXbztDl1rUB2wZNDAJJvEU3TSt4_Ph_eS4OZ3X1cEbRR5HmTGXTKaucotH6VJNGiNjGUWKTqgFEM9Nb5urahOgUT46bH3YEhwGsNUxABepqkAFTkxsZHGU/s1600/6821349285_c5c2242699_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMSBfFiix89e5GNNI9ZCRZQXbztDl1rUB2wZNDAJJvEU3TSt4_Ph_eS4OZ3X1cEbRR5HmTGXTKaucotH6VJNGiNjGUWKTqgFEM9Nb5urahOgUT46bH3YEhwGsNUxABepqkAFTkxsZHGU/s320/6821349285_c5c2242699_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leading the field up Exhibition at the <br />
2012 WinterWild Ragged Mountain Race<br />
[Photo <a href="http://www.peepspix.com/" target="_blank">Gianina Lindsey</a>]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><em><span style="color: yellow;">"I have climbed several higher mountains without guide or path, and have found, as might be expected, that it takes only more time and patience commonly than to travel the smoothest highway." -Henry David Thoreau</span></em><br />
<br />
Danbury, NEW HAMPSHIRE - Sometimes things just 'click'. I'm not the strongest nor fleetest of foot but there's something about mountain races that I thoroughly enjoy. Standing at the bottom and gazing up there's an incredible sense of excitement for the adventure to come. I've never run to the top of any of these mountains so everything is new. Everything is an exploration. For me the lure is the challenge. To do something that many wouldn't dare. And so it was that I once again rose to a 3:00 AM alarm and with bleary eyes climbed into the back of the aR caravan (aka the Lindsey's mini-van) for the roughly two hour trip to Danbury, NH for <strong><a href="http://www.winterwild.com/" target="_blank">WinterWild-Ragged Mountain</a></strong>, the 2nd race in the five race series and the brainchild of <strong>Chad Denning</strong>. This time, however, I'd be joined by my son <strong>Brayden</strong> who would make his aR snowboard racing debut. Check snowboarding off the list of sports that we now compete in. We arrived in plenty of time to get registered, changed, and warm-up a little before the race. The temperatures were much warmer than two weeks earlier at Whaleback. Also different from two weeks prior was the presence of the other winter disciplines including Nordic, Tele, and Alpine (ski & board). Chad gave his final race instructions including the process for the "orderly" descent down the mountain...runners to the LEFT and everyone else to the RIGHT. From everything I'd heard the Nordic guys typically have a big advantage and usually dominate the overall results. Although they might not be able to climb as fast as a runner they more than make up for it on the descent. I saw a handful of familiar faces including my new WinterWild masters rival <strong>Mark Hecox</strong> (Henniker, NH) who just nipped me at the line at Whaleback. As the race began I was surprised to find myself leading for the first 100 meters. My visions of grandeur were short lived however as the nimble, light, and <u>young</u> guns began to motor by me. I was able to hold onto 3rd/4th place as Mark and I raced neck-and-neck up the hill. Roughly 500 meters into the race I noticed someone making a hard push on us. At this point I was still running (slowly) but my new masters OPEN challenge was maintaining a steady pace as he <u>walked</u> by both Mark and myself. I later learned it was <strong>Paul Doe</strong> of Derry, NH. He easily pulled away from both of us as he marched up the steepest section of Exhibition toward the summit. Not long after Paul went by us I began to separate from Mark. He and I had been racing on opposite sides of the ski slope with me taking the inside line. It really wasn't a purposeful tactic on my part I just chose to take the shorter of the two routes. By not racing within the magic 3 meter range it allowed me to get a little gap on him although in the back of my mind I was reminded how strong he was on the descent at Whaleback so I knew our race was far from over. Reaching the summit Paul had a 50 meter lead on me and because of the hairpin summit turn I couldn't determine how close Mark was. And down we went. As firm as the ascent was, the descent was equally soft with spots that left a 3-5 inch footstep. Not sure if it made it harder or easier as my focus was squarely on finding a line and falling forward down the mountain. Roughly 500 meters into the descent I could hear the first Nordic guys coming. Three of them "WHOOSHED" by in a full tuck blur. Because I wasn't really racing those jokers it didn't bother me. Paul really pushed on this final section and wouldn't allow me to close. As I spied back up the hill on a few occasions I noticed my pursuers but they didn't seem to be making up any ground. When I could see the lodge I knew we were getting close. I rounded the chair lift and made the final 10 meter "uphill" push to the finish without having to fight for the place. My <strong>22:07</strong> (7:23's) was good enough for 7th overall, 4th OPEN, and 2nd OPEN 40+. Mark finished just behind me. Having traded 40-49 OPEN wins in the first two races we are now tied for the 40-49 OPEN series podium. Can't wait to take on <strong>WinterWild-Pat's Peak</strong> in two two weeks. It should be the biggest challenge of the winter as the race is a <u>two</u> loop course. <br />
<br />
Here's some great POV video that Brayden captured of the descent. Gives you an idea of the spectacle that is a WW race. [NOTE: shot with our DRIFT HD170]<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/XMsA710uvJU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<strong><em>NEXT UP: Horsehill Snowshoe Race, Merrimack, NH</em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-77277958090916154582012-01-22T09:58:00.001-05:002012-01-22T10:00:37.615-05:00Whitaker Woods Snowshoe Scramble<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXTN3m1K6zehpWrcJCfER-DeIy0os4vXCh37SJ72V-Qu_5h_FAVgTcdf6MKppHoWvqbdNaFpSfk944nWVIdRdF4WSPucofV1qTA1AVti05ooI43owtexysRTn1k-14YaT408i8n_vlro/s1600/6739050569_a314e21976_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXTN3m1K6zehpWrcJCfER-DeIy0os4vXCh37SJ72V-Qu_5h_FAVgTcdf6MKppHoWvqbdNaFpSfk944nWVIdRdF4WSPucofV1qTA1AVti05ooI43owtexysRTn1k-14YaT408i8n_vlro/s320/6739050569_a314e21976_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start of the 2012 Whitaker Woods Snowshoe Scramble<br />
[Photo courtesy of Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure." -Sven Goran Eriksson</span></em></strong> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">North Conway, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- One of the not-so-obvious benefits of frequent racing for me is a lack of fear. So often endurance athletes are hesitant to push beyond the obstruction for fear of what lies on the other side. The result so often is finishing a race with regrets about leaving "something in the tank". Experience (and racing a lot) has taught me that I can go to that incredibly uncomfortable place and stay there assuming my training and preparation has been consistent and purposeful. This weekend was my second snowshoe race of 2012. I picked up my teammates <strong>Timmy & Gianina Lindsey</strong> for the ninety minute ride to beautiful North Conway for the <strong><span style="color: red;">Whitaker Woods Snowshoe Scramble</span></strong> hosted by <strong>Kevin & Jess Tilton</strong>. I was very pleased and proud to see such a great <strong><a href="http://www.acidoticracing.com/" target="_blank">acidotic RACING</a></strong> turnout as well as some of my good snowshoe racing friends. The Scramble would be a 4 mile combination of groomed nordic and fresh powdery snowshoe singletrack with what seemed like 75% climbing. I had apparently repressed the memory of how much climbing this course had because I was amazed how much we went up. Fortunately I fashion myself as a climber so it actually fit my strength. At the gun I got off fast and found myself running in the top 5 stride for stride with past US Snowshoe Racing champion <strong>Dave Dunham</strong>. In short time however Dave began to move and effortlessly pulled away from me as he chased down the leaders <strong>Jim Johnson</strong>, <strong>Judson Cake </strong>(aR), and <strong>Danny Ferreira </strong>(aR) leaving me in 5th place overall. The course switches and winds back onto itself enough to occasionally catch a glimpse of the pursuit. And I could clearly make out my teammate <strong>Ryan Welts </strong>and a member of the <strong>Tuesday Night Turtles</strong> (who I later learned is named Chris...interestingly enough). I've only occasionally beaten Ryan on snowshoes and it's almost always early in the season before he gets his "racquet legs" under him. A fearless and tenacious descender I had a feeling that when we eventually lost the elevation we'd gained he would shoot by me as is his MO. What I didn't expect however was to be overtaken by this newcomer from the TNTs. At approximately the 1/2 way mark he passed me on a short groomed nordic descent and would maintain the 50 meter gap for the rest of the race. I pushed as hard as I could on the singletrack sections as the soft snow provided very little purchase and occasionally spied back at Ryan to measure the gap. Surprisingly he didn't seem to be getting any closer. When I popped back onto the ball field for the last 100 meters of the race I looked back one last time and didn't see him. I finished 6th overall (2nd Masters) in 31:11 (7:47's). Amazingly, I ran the <strong><u>exact</u></strong> same time last winter on this course but finished 16th overall. I'll never be a podium contender but I'm no less satisfied with my results particularly when I can take a seat on the 'pain train' and ride it to the last stop.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9UPeGPPE_t4Y-_2SxePnRrXBdLYXP9QGjV0beiLjXLXMQMRbU4NVL5Fkuo9fpj0rJXhPwy_aDlZMZp9cN3XWTb53CuD394Zb6civf3AOfyhy3tDJPO4xqxSa9u1hVko5mpBD-ZfkYSow/s1600/6739112085_2711ac0818_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9UPeGPPE_t4Y-_2SxePnRrXBdLYXP9QGjV0beiLjXLXMQMRbU4NVL5Fkuo9fpj0rJXhPwy_aDlZMZp9cN3XWTb53CuD394Zb6civf3AOfyhy3tDJPO4xqxSa9u1hVko5mpBD-ZfkYSow/s320/6739112085_2711ac0818_z.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm old...but not as old as my<br />
snowy beard would suggest.<br />
[Photo courtesy of Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><strong><em>NEXT UP: Sidehiller Snowshoe Race, Center Sandwich, NH</em></strong> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em>POST SCRIPT: Tremendous kudos to Kevin & Jess Tilton for putting on another outstanding event. The course was expertly marked and very well designed. Registration was effortless and well organized. There were even handmade prizes again this year. A nice touch. And a heartfelt thank you to my teammates Gary, Richie, Lisa, Timmy, Ryan, Kristina, Mariano, Mike, Danny, Jay, Robin, Leslie, Dan, and Judson for showing up and RACING acidotic. Not to mention winning yet another team title and putting two on the overall podium (Leslie 1st and Judson 2nd). I'll look to carry this momentum onto Sidehiller next weekend against the deepest and most talented field I'll face all winter long.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-28982670022600920632012-01-19T20:36:00.000-05:002012-01-19T20:36:33.929-05:00Weekend Double: WinterWild & Hebron Hills<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2VGZBd59pxle73rmLETexFWzRhyNufZv7HCqR9uOz18hDdVRBdf_Lur9k5Xf98IC3Y4r5IxziVKKSf_OIXReMua3_DX7c3GiVseZZOhzv4-jWWu-2VAzcWiMDHYSA2UXqYZ6y6RLo70/s1600/winter_wild_logo_opt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2VGZBd59pxle73rmLETexFWzRhyNufZv7HCqR9uOz18hDdVRBdf_Lur9k5Xf98IC3Y4r5IxziVKKSf_OIXReMua3_DX7c3GiVseZZOhzv4-jWWu-2VAzcWiMDHYSA2UXqYZ6y6RLo70/s200/winter_wild_logo_opt.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"Gravity is the contributing factor in nearly 73% of all accidents involving falling objects." -Dave Barry</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong>SATURDAY: WinterWild Whaleback</strong><br />
<br />
Enfield, NEW HAMPSHIRE - Everyone once in a while it's good to try new things. Even if those new things drag you out of bed at 3:30 am in January, drive across the state, and run to the top of a ski slope...and of course back down. Such was my first experience at the wildly popular new race series here in NH, the <strong>WinterWild</strong> hosted by Chad Denning. Full disclosure: aR will be hosting the <strong>WinterWild Championship at Bretton Woods </strong>in March so I thought it would be a good idea to check the 'phenomena' out for myself. Plus, I'm a decent uphill runner. Going back down, however, is another story entirely. I met teammate <strong>Rich Lavers</strong> at "the" Park & Ride in Concord and we drop up together. Rich is a veteran of these races but hadn't done this particular stop in 2011. We arrived about an hour before the start and got the intel on the course...0.6 miles to the summit and then a return trip back down on the same slope. There would be about 100 meters of flat with a slight uphill finish in soft chewed up snow. I changed into my MicroSpikes and trail shoes and warmed up. Just as soon as the race started a group of about 10 competitors pushed hard on the initial flat and attacked the hill. I stayed cautiously to the outside edge of the pack and settled in as we began to climb. Within 30 seconds of ascending I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest as my complete lack of preparation for <em>this</em> type of race became painfully obvious. Learning to stay patient with uphill-type races I found a cadence and slowly began picking people off. I ran approximately 1/2 way up the climb before alternating between running and walking particularly on the very steep sections. By the time I reached the top I had managed to move into 6th place overall. As I began the descent I noticed two competitors directly ahead. Traditionally I've struggled with descending. It's probably more fear than lack of fitness. For some reason however this time was different. Feeling confident in my grip I leaned forward and used my arms like windmill counterbalances as I wildly threw myself back down the mountain actually picking up two places in the process! Just as I leveled out at the bottom I gave 4th place back and lost to the overall masters winners by a second. I finished the 1.2 mile course in 13:13 (2nd Masters). While cooling down with Rich my left calf felt very tight and a little crampy. We drove back to Concord in a snow squall...where was this weeks ago?!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZQVZZmxZ1nIbWkojQW0aGV82AXr3z6bSgPnERHi-7N-lC45a3z7GOvWPkbpM5eoxQh1WM3DAwb9G5x6xZfpzqtMfButJIkxebm0opIihc9MuuymqV7Cr16i9yCg9_-hV0wiAzpz0vwA/s1600/HebronLogo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZQVZZmxZ1nIbWkojQW0aGV82AXr3z6bSgPnERHi-7N-lC45a3z7GOvWPkbpM5eoxQh1WM3DAwb9G5x6xZfpzqtMfButJIkxebm0opIihc9MuuymqV7Cr16i9yCg9_-hV0wiAzpz0vwA/s200/HebronLogo.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"A true friend is someone who thinks you're a good egg even though he knows you are slightly cracked." -Bernard Meltzer</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong>SUNDAY: Hebron Hills Snowshoe Classic</strong><br />
<br />
Hebron, MAINE -- This really is one of my favorite races and race <em>courses</em> of the entire <u>year</u>. Our teammate <strong>Austin Stonebraker</strong> has designed a fabulous track on the campus of Hebron Academy. This year, however, the course had to be slightly modified due to the lack of snow. Much of the killer singletrack would be left out but <u>all</u> of the hills would remain...and we'd get a chance to do all of them TWICE as the course would be a double loop measuring around 4.5 total miles. My calves were trashed from my WinterWild exploits 24 hours earlier. I actually had a noticeable limp when I attempted to warm up. And "warm up" was a relative thing as temperatures were close to zero with wind chills in the negative double digits at the start. Sizing up the competition at the start it was obvious that I wouldn't be running with the top 2...aR's <strong>Judson Cake</strong> and top masters snowshoer <strong>Scott Horney</strong>. Also in the field was my good friend <strong>Chuck Hazzard </strong>from Trail Monster Running. Chuck and I have duked it out on trails, mountains, and snow over the years with our overall head-to-head series probably dead even. Right there at the start I devised a plan...I'd race with Chuck and let him keep me company. Not feeling quite 100% and the first time racing on the racquet's this winter it seemed like a good strategy. When the race started Judson and Scott quickly gaped the field. Chuck also got a great start and shot out ahead obviously not having planned the same race strategy as myself. Within a 100 meters I had caught him and we were running side by side and all alone in 3rd & 4th place. And moments later we having a conversation...perfect. I think he figured me out right away and because he's such a great guy he played along. We tempo'd the course with me pulling slightly ahead on the ascents and him bombing by me on the descents. As we neared the finish line he just nipped me at the tape. I finished 4th overall in 41:22 (2nd Masters). I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to run every hill on the course including "breaker" both times. All in all a great start to the 2012 racing season!<br />
<br />
<strong><em>NEXT UP: Whitaker Woods Snowshoe Scramble (North Conway, NH)</em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-64812031410837397012012-01-01T10:16:00.002-05:002012-01-01T10:26:55.633-05:002011 Racing Recap<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDlJczBvsJEaeahTJvC-oG6IeJhD2f48sT3Z8hTQLleNk5LfE_ACVsCTY5rfSNvW6lNXMpJ14oihtscCzs2LYA4IFfVigcHZk3Kpba1wB4YC38EHSKb_4etDK5xn6wp0YGni1MLL2Keo/s1600/6372074607_3380785b11_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDlJczBvsJEaeahTJvC-oG6IeJhD2f48sT3Z8hTQLleNk5LfE_ACVsCTY5rfSNvW6lNXMpJ14oihtscCzs2LYA4IFfVigcHZk3Kpba1wB4YC38EHSKb_4etDK5xn6wp0YGni1MLL2Keo/s320/6372074607_3380785b11_z.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me & T-Lite 'Doggin' it at the<br />
HalloWiener Hustle in ManchVegas<br />
[Photo courtesy of Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Wow. What a year! Thirty-three events was by far the most I've ever done. Credit two things, 1.) avoiding injury and 2.) Karen being in graduate school. Karen finished her degree in December so I expect to race a little less this coming year. Great times with great friends. Everything I love about endurance sports in New England.<br />
<br />
- Old Salem Greens Snowshoe Classic (5th)<br />
- Feel Good Farm Snowshoe Race (13th)<br />
- Whitaker Woods Snowshoe Race (16th)<br />
- Sidehiller Snowshoe Race (17th)<br />
- Hebron Hills Snowshoe Classic (5th)<br />
- Exeter Snowshoe Hullabaloo (12th)<br />
- Horse Hill Snowshoe Race (9th)<br />
- Bear Paw Classic Snowshoe Race (5th)<br />
- Northeast Championships (16th)<br />
- Bradbury Blizzard (5th)<br />
- NH Snowshoe Championship (10th)<br />
- Merrimack River Trail Race (29th)<br />
- 7 Sisters Trail Race (83rd)<br />
- NE Trail Championships (50th)<br />
- Hoppin Mad Mud Run (1st team)<br />
- Pineland Farms 25k (22nd)<br />
- Exeter 10m Trail Race (10th)<br />
- Pinnacle Mtb Race (DNF)<br />
- US Mnt Running Championships (52nd)<br />
- Loon Mountain Race (50th)<br />
- Bradbury Scuffle (12th)<br />
- Tough Mountain Challenge (1st team)<br />
- 24HoGG (18th team)<br />
- Great Adventures Challenge (5th)<br />
- Run2Fall 5k (9th)<br />
- Reach The Beach (19th team)<br />
- Pinnacle Challenge VII (3rd team)<br />
- Grog & Dog Jog (?th team)<br />
- Firetower 5k (4th)<br />
- No Brakes Mtb Race (4th)<br />
- RI 6-HR Relay (1st team)<br />
- Hallo-Wiener Hustle (1st co-ed team)<br />
- Andover XC (27th)CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-60901442590200066572011-12-04T09:58:00.000-05:002011-12-04T09:58:25.365-05:00Andover XC Race<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUiy3q4WMBf0eTnzobTAD8t7O3qBLH3ahtTE8qrcgCep6AxeD4JR0X1miBc1_mqtA4LFU2u26ZzgFw0fNphhNq10gDVyw2EmuB_j2vKTt6HEFdc89KdANJ93mDS2ywmoTh_I3udb0QpA/s1600/379953_10150390404466027_581776026_8925090_294333490_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUiy3q4WMBf0eTnzobTAD8t7O3qBLH3ahtTE8qrcgCep6AxeD4JR0X1miBc1_mqtA4LFU2u26ZzgFw0fNphhNq10gDVyw2EmuB_j2vKTt6HEFdc89KdANJ93mDS2ywmoTh_I3udb0QpA/s320/379953_10150390404466027_581776026_8925090_294333490_n.jpg" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RACING acidotic for the final<br />
time in 2011.<br />
[Photo courtesy of Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"You only live once. But if you work it right...once is enough." -Joe Louis</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
Andover, MA -- My 33rd and final race of 2011 was the <strong><span style="color: red;">Andover Striders 6k XC Race</span></strong> in Anodver, MA. I discovered this race last fall and had such a good time that I decided to go back...and bring friends. I rode down to the event with <strong>Timmy & Gianina Lindsey</strong> and met fellow teammates <strong>Kate, Richie, Jeremiah, Jen, Sinthy, Craig, Scotty </strong>and <strong>Chris</strong>. For me there are a few reasons to love this event; 1.) it's a great early snowshoe racing-specific barometer of fitness, 2.) spaghetti & free beer after the race, and 3.) there's always GREAT competition! We lined up on the 18th fairway facing in a slightly different direction this year which would result in the course being just a whisper shorter than 2010. The field was at least 30 wide at the gun and within 150 meters needed to get to 4-5 wide to cross a short footbridge and make a hard uphill left hand turn on a cart path. Having negotiated it last year I was prepared for the bottleneck and carefully picked my way through this minefield trying not to lose momentum or take down the front of the field. The course rolls and meanders through the Andover Country Club course as die hard members sneak in a late season round of golf. Typically we stay to the edge of the fairways with the occasional cart path thrown in for good measure. Two runners gapped the field within a kilometer leaving a large chase group (20+ runners) to battle it out. I was just off the back end of that group leap frogging a couple of competitors...I'd pass on the climbs and they'd surge back on the descents. Despite cutting my training volume back considerably over the last month I felt like I was racing hard and pushing a consistent pace. As we approached the last mile we emerged into a small gated fairway community and began the last series of climbs. Peaking back over my shoulder I didn't have any immediate threats. The final kilometer has the steepest little grassy climb and I felt like I probably could have walked it faster than I ran it but I managed to find my way to the top and then descended down the driving range as hard as I could to the finish. I taped a <strong>20:45</strong> (5:56's) which was good enough for 27th overall (13th master). Looking back at 2010 my pace was 6:12's so I was ecstatic with the performance. Once again <em>quality</em> trumps <em>quantity</em> for me at this time of year.<br />
<br />
<strong>PS to 2011</strong><br />
<em>What an incredible <u>injury-free</u> year of racing! Thirty-three events including snowshoe, road, mountain bike, trail, mountain, obstacle, dog n' beer relay, and XC. I was incredibly fortunate enough to compete in the Northeast Snowshoe Championship, New Hampshire Snowshoe Championship, New England Trail Championship, US Mountain Running Championship, and the New England Ultra Running Championship (as a relay). I enjoyed 16 Top 10 overall finishes as an individual or a team including four overall <u>team </u>wins at the Hoppin' Mad Mud Run, Tough Mountain Challenge, Rhode Island 6-Hour Relay, and the Hallo-wiener Hustle. Finally, I must thank my very understanding wife Karen who has supported me throughout the year. What I do wouldn't be possible without her blessing. Thank you also to the various RDs from the many races we do who provide very generous "incentives" for us to participate. And a heartfelt thanks to my <strong>acidotic RACING</strong> teammates who stood beside me and motivated me to explore the unknown. It's time to take a deep breath and begin to craft and even MORE exciting 2012!</em>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-71435982485685080842011-11-25T09:35:00.000-05:002011-11-25T09:35:46.028-05:00Hallo-wiener Hustle<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAsCwTu1gno-rPIKoj1x2SZtEOrohBTHbUZWJzHTaUIdQqrP6qvdP2pw3-HHEuFoyl_Duh8yG9KO7amEqfgd3-nAOhYLmzkKKMD7qR8akddaN-m__LFkMSZLG41lk88mEka86F1Ejzks/s1600/6372106793_6c8a27edb1_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAsCwTu1gno-rPIKoj1x2SZtEOrohBTHbUZWJzHTaUIdQqrP6qvdP2pw3-HHEuFoyl_Duh8yG9KO7amEqfgd3-nAOhYLmzkKKMD7qR8akddaN-m__LFkMSZLG41lk88mEka86F1Ejzks/s320/6372106793_6c8a27edb1_z.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing the first leg of the<br />
Hallo-wiener Hustle in Manch Vegas<br />
[Photo courtesy Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"Drinking beer doesn't make you fat, it makes you lean...against bars, tables, chairs, poles..." -Anonymous</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
Manchester, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- You know the old saying...if you can't beat 'em, start racing in hot dog and beer drinking relays! For the second time in less than two months I found myself dressed in full redneck regalia on the starting line with Perry the Platypus, a 5 foot tall Coney Island Dog, and some dude in a poncho and sombrero. What in all things Dijon was I doing? Why the <strong><span style="color: red;">Hallo-wiener Hustle</span></strong> of course. This new event popped up on the radar back in the summer when the RD e-mailed me to ask for help spreading the word. Originally the race was scheduled for Halloween but a freak snowstorm forced a postponement. We lost one of the original four, but found a Disco Bunny as a replacement. This relay was modeled after the <strong>Grog 'N Dog</strong> that we did in October...4 person team, 1.25 mile city loop, hot dog, and beer. Back in Providence last month I held back a little not having any experience with following a run with shoving a hot dog down my throat and guzzling a beer. Turns out it was still difficult so this time I decided to employ the Fitzgibbon Principle; <strong>show up or blow up</strong>. But this event wasn't mine alone to win, I brought three very capable (and very thirsty and hungry) teammates in <strong>Dena 'Disco Bunny' Beauchesne</strong>, <strong>Timmy 'Wiener' Lindsey</strong>, and <strong>Mariano 'The Nerd' Santangelo</strong>. Without our 4 minute miler<strong> Nick Wheeler</strong>, who happened to be in Philly trying to qualify for the US Olympic Marathon trials, I would lead off the race and attempt to establish us somewhere in the Top 5. With the aid of a belt (I didn't wear one last time and ran with one hand on my cutoffs the entire way) I jumped off the line hard and tried to stay with the lead group. Clearly the ringers would be a 4-some of tight wearing no shirt 20-somethings who apparently thought 'abs' were a costume (thank you <strong>Gianina Lindsey </strong>for that line). The youngster quickly gapped myself, Perry, and the dude with a sombrero. By the time we had run the 1/4 mile up Elm and before the turn onto Blodgett I had moved into 2nd place and was pushing as hard as a redneck could push. Perhaps pulled by my younger and faster competition or lured by the smell of stale beer and cigarettes in McGarvey's Bar, I arrived back at the start in 2nd place overall in a brisk 6:45 for the 1.23 mile loop (5:30's if you're scoring at home). Quickly 'hustling' inside I found my place marker at the corner of the bar with my steamed wiener and a 22 ounce Miller Lite. Not a big fan of the bun dunk and naked dog chomp I methodically alternated between bites and gulps. With the dog down I still had about 1/2 the beer to go and with two college-sized 'sips' I emptied the plastic cup and set it down emphatically on the bar. Apparently my skinny-legged ab wearing foe must have been drinking his beer with a straw because I emerged out of McGarvey's in first overall! Or did I? Handing the baton off to Mariano we were now in 1st place overall...for the moment, and what a brief moment it was. The #2 'ab' clad no shirt wearin' track star quickly overtook Mariano making him look like he was running in chinos...wait, he was running chinos. With a determined look and a pocket protector he bravely held off all other challenges and matained our 2nd place overall lead as he arrived back at the bar. In a dog eating display that would have made Joey Chestnut proud, Mariano buzzed through his Schonland and empty his beer with dizzying efficiency. Sort of made one wonder if he had done this before? By the time he handed the baton to Dena the "transition area" outside the bar was chaos and it was becoming next to impossible to figure out who was where and what place we were in other than behind the "Dudes With Abs" and in front of the "4 Amigos". In true aR fashion, Disco Bunny Dena ran her tail off (figuratively) and although gave up a spot to a guy in a multi-colored poncho kept us decidedly in the mix overall. Our anchor, Timmy Lindsey (or as they call him in the 'hood, T-Lin), had made the most ironic journey of all to be in that moment to help us podium. Only a few short years ago he had found himself topping 375 lbs. With the support of his family and incredible determination, he had lost over 200 lbs. and is now a multiple time marathon finisher! As he took the baton from Dena his two worlds collided in the most ironic moment in dog & beer relay history. Here he was setting off to do something that had become a huge part of his life now (running) to get to a place he had been to not long ago (devoring hot dogs and drinking beer). In a head-to-foot hot dog costume he steamed the course and pushed up the bar for the last 'leg' of his race and ours. Harkening back to his days as a semi-pro eater he devowered the dog and polished off the beer in near record time sprinting out of the bar and perhaps into Hallo-wiener Hustle history! Confident we had to have been in the Top 5 overall and perhaps the fastest co-ed team we anxiously awaited the results. And when they were finally posted we were shocked to see...that we weren't even listed!? Fearing there had been a mistake I immediately went inside to talk to the timer (and aR teammate). Apparently, during the pre-race briefing I was too busy getting in the head of the young guy with tights and didn't hear the RD explain there was one door for going <strong><u>into</u></strong> the bar and another for <strong><u>leaving</u> </strong>bar. And the door for leaving the bar had the official timer. My lap had never been recorded. I wasn't alone. Multiple teams made the same mistake. But we ran all the loops, ate all the dogs, and drank all the beer. After a few tense moments and some re-scoring the official annoucement was made...we had won the co-ed division! Our prize? A Pabst Blue Ribbon beer wagon. Oh, how I love these races!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1k0ehaS0Y0PWJ4iy9giKALCB01YkSnvNUwTT5CQ3cm_mgmRaFPhTIrjW_m8xBwE8qExsI2Tcv3-S9zV9bFz78a7V01v0RZA67pabYnju0jTBz1G4PTlqS2SB0ghw6IUx86uRo5BC2rcY/s1600/6372072757_f72aa9a469_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1k0ehaS0Y0PWJ4iy9giKALCB01YkSnvNUwTT5CQ3cm_mgmRaFPhTIrjW_m8xBwE8qExsI2Tcv3-S9zV9bFz78a7V01v0RZA67pabYnju0jTBz1G4PTlqS2SB0ghw6IUx86uRo5BC2rcY/s320/6372072757_f72aa9a469_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[L-R] Dena, Timmy, Chris, Mariano<br />
[Photo courtesy of Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <strong><em>NEXT UP: Andover 6k XC Race</em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-61748588685876287392011-11-16T20:45:00.000-05:002011-11-16T20:45:43.521-05:00RI 6-HR Relay<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCXPQ4ZaTXiNkg-7EdeFqWAhn4Fwxz2FwXuE5imTaWyZ-V4SkRTvfxZTzzPTGZc7f83IFZYtutui0czvLfkGEzCQmrkOgcZdyY0gPJLdqgUpX3ebtbDiIJWRvJ7OC7G0YQ4a2sTBfipU/s1600/SDM_1974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCXPQ4ZaTXiNkg-7EdeFqWAhn4Fwxz2FwXuE5imTaWyZ-V4SkRTvfxZTzzPTGZc7f83IFZYtutui0czvLfkGEzCQmrkOgcZdyY0gPJLdqgUpX3ebtbDiIJWRvJ7OC7G0YQ4a2sTBfipU/s320/SDM_1974.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing lap #4 of the RI 6-HR Relay<br />
[courtesy of Scott Mason]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"The older I get, the better I used to be." - Lee Trevino</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
Warwick, RHODE ISLAND -- Among the many things that <a href="http://www.acidoticracing.com/">acidotic RACING</a> provides is the chance to be a part of something great. Sunday at the <strong>Rhode Island 6-Hour Relay,</strong> hosted by our friends from the Tuesday Night Turtles, we had the chance to <em>defend</em> greatness. Last year our 5 person relay team won the event and set the relay course record by running 22 laps (59.4 miles) in 5:54:00. Four of those athletes including Rich Lavers, Danny Ferreira, Charlie Therriault, and myself would return accompanied by newcomers Judson Cake and Chris Lalmond. Top to bottom we had at least as strong of a group as 2010 and we had our sights firmly fixed on a record breaking 23 laps. Judson led the event off and put down a very fast first 2.7 mile lap establishing an early 90 second lead. And we were off. Charlie, Danny, Chris, Rich, and then myself took turns looping the gently rolling Warwick City Park bike/walking path negotiating the tight turns, ultra runners, and leashed 4-leggers. Heading into the event I felt a little tired from a busy year of racing and aside from some annoying nagging hamstring tightness quite healthy. I opened with a 16:01 (5:55's) and felt comfortable doing it. When I got back to our team area word had it that Chris' foot issue was a much bigger deal than originally thought. His opening 16:51 was very uncharacteristic and not at all representative of his immense talent and very high fitness. As we clicked off the laps our lead began to grow as our nearest competition from Fuel Belt was running a man down with only five. In the sixth position it was certain that I'd only run three laps total so I attempted to repeat my first effort on my second lap. At 16:07 (5:58's) I was a little off pace but felt like I ran in control and consistent. Sitting down to recover between laps the word came that Chris would be forced to withdraw from the event because of his foot. Although he was obviously disappointed it was certainly the correct decision. Our overall lead was secure and through a dozen laps we were actually a little ahead of record setting pace. Knowing I had a little less time to recover and would need to run a 4th lap I adjusted my race plan for lap #3. Not having any experience running 4 laps at this race I chose to throttle back for my third loop and ran a very conservative 16:45 (6:12's). By the time I finished I could almost tell my goose was cooked. I quickly headed to our rest area to hydrate and get my sweats back on my legs to keep them warm. Laying down I elevated my feet and began to wonder what I'd have left to give on my 4th lap. As is typical of my aR teammates they gave nothing less than everything they had and their tenacity was infectious. Everyone was obviously feeling the effects of 5 1/2 hours of very hard racing including Charlie who due to a calf injury could barely manage a stiff legged shuffle during his warm-up only to snap out of it miraculously once he got up to race pace. Judson was rock solid as always, Danny stayed on course, and Rich exceeded his #5 placing putting in one fast lap after another. Then with just shy of 30 minutes left in the race Rich handed the bracelet to me for our 22nd and record tying lap. In order for Judson to have <em>any</em> chance of putting in #23 (and breaking our own course record) I would have to run at least 30 seconds <u>faster</u> than my fastest lap of the event. I'm as positive as they come but I'm also very realistic about my athletic ability. I took out of the transition area determined to 'show up or blow up' and to give Judson at least a fighters chance at the record. I hit the mile split in 5:50, ccertainly faster than my Lap #3 split but not fast enough to run sub 16:00. I ran as hard as I could but was struggling to find a rhythm. That was until I met Danny and Rich who had doubled back on the course to intercept me and pick me up for the last 1/2 mile. Danny immediately got 3-4 meters in front and shouted encouragement while Rich hung back to pace teammate Ryan Welts who was finishing the ultra. The course rolled over those final few hundred meters and I felt Danny's energy pulling me forward. Finishing in 16:29 (6:06's) there's no question that without his help I probably would have repeated my 16:45 Lap #3 performance. Judson knew that 13 minutes and change didn't leave him enough time to complete a full lap but he headed out to cross as many timing mats on the course as he could. We didn't officially finish that record breaking 23rd lap but we did set a new course record of 22 laps (59.4 miles) in 5:47:33 (5:51's) breaking our own mark by 6.5 minutes and defended our title! I'm so proud of my teammates for the toughness they displayed including ultra runner Ryan who finished 11th overall running 37.8 miles in 5:48:50. Just incredible. For our victory we won three cases of Harpoon beer and a cool RI6-HR Relay pint glass. A very heartfelt thank you to our hosts Bob and Jackie Jackman from the Tuesday Night Turtles for another fantastic event. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecOKR65x3-kgSwl1eFdBNy_zUREkV_cMXJ4eqwVnsFsF2fMGJfU2NOkR8FirEqittCOA8e6ck7BJ-XhQNbGGfWAzjDE-X_eEDX5vyKgQLBAG_LrVz6vByAbPL3qrPmTWhbr9w7O25C08/s1600/SDM_1232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecOKR65x3-kgSwl1eFdBNy_zUREkV_cMXJ4eqwVnsFsF2fMGJfU2NOkR8FirEqittCOA8e6ck7BJ-XhQNbGGfWAzjDE-X_eEDX5vyKgQLBAG_LrVz6vByAbPL3qrPmTWhbr9w7O25C08/s320/SDM_1232.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(L-R) Chris Lalmond, me, Judson Cake, Rich Lavers, <br />
Charlie Therriault, Danny Ferreira<br />
[courtesy of Scott Mason]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<strong><em>NEXT UP: Hallowiener Hustle</em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-72803215234251364622011-10-19T19:57:00.001-04:002011-10-19T20:04:31.419-04:00Weekend Double: 2x4th<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pECTplTncpAV5xrkcmf5bYiERVwiWdQoOm1wea-FDBcoJN1kPrG8zfMzNEUcSNcZB2fFLgc1oZjVK3jcGGQMkT1R_ojr5IKmEfPksjg3_E3ATORAl0s63pAmM1DjdnNE3VI7XWlGJA8/s1600/NoBrakes2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pECTplTncpAV5xrkcmf5bYiERVwiWdQoOm1wea-FDBcoJN1kPrG8zfMzNEUcSNcZB2fFLgc1oZjVK3jcGGQMkT1R_ojr5IKmEfPksjg3_E3ATORAl0s63pAmM1DjdnNE3VI7XWlGJA8/s320/NoBrakes2011.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making the turn to the finish of<br />
the "No Brakes" Mtb race<br />
at Stratham Hill (NH).</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"Missed it by that much." -Maxwell Smart</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
Stratham, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- Last weekend was a rare opportunity (lately) for me to squeeze in two races. They would both be my first experience and I can <u>easily</u> say they won't be my last. My teammate, Amanda House, alerted me to the weekend's festivities when I saw her earlier this month at the Pinnacle Challenge VII. At the time she informed me of the <strong><span style="color: red;">No Brakes</span></strong> <em>mountain bike</em> race on some of the newest singletrack in Stratham (NH). It was only later that I found out that the same morning they held a 5k trail race at the same park. The RDs spaced the two events so that it was possible to do both...although I would learn that very few would attempt. A little back and forth on Facebook and I had a handful of teammates doing the trail race and still a few others doing the mountain bike race. This time of year for me, is a transition from the longer and harder training and racing I do from January through September. If I'm racing it's generally shorter stuff that's closer to home and the two events at Stratham Hill (5k trail & 9 mile mtb) only 30 minutes from home fit the bill perfectly.<br />
<br />
<strong>EVENT #1: FIRETOWER 5k</strong><br />
Prior to the race I gathered a little intel from teammate <strong>Jeremiah Fitzgibbon</strong> who had pre-run the course. A mix of carriage roads and single/double track with one climb to the fire tower (hence the name). He told me to expect it would be fast. He, I, and new teammate <strong>Tom Cross</strong> lined up with 170 trail runners in the soccer field next to the 4H building on the Stratham Fairgrounds. Looking around it was obviously a family environment as the starting line was dominated by pre-teens. Not wanted to risk getting tripped and trampled I decided to get off fast when the gun fired (by Miss Stratham Fair I might add). Within the first few hundred meters I was in the Top 5 running stride for stride with a young guy who seemed pretty determined to keep me behind him. The top 2 guys were putting a gap on us by the 6-7 minute mark but I was securely in 5th, directly behind 4th, and could see 3rd place. Just before the 2 mile mark the young guy in 4th fell back to me and I moved around encouraging him to stay with me. Approaching the firetower climb I could feel myself closing the gap on 3rd place. About 1/2 way up the 300+ meter climb I caught and passed the guy for 3rd place to the top of the hill. But as we began to descend the doubletrack trail he quickly regained the spot and accelerated away. I obviously still have a lot of work to do on my downhill racing. Back in 4th place I caught a glimpse of <strong>Keith Schmitt </strong>closing on me. Knowing he's a far more talented runner than myself but recognizing the finish was only a few hundred meters away I leaned forward and if he was going to pass me he would have to earn it. Luckily the finish line came when it did as he was only 2 seconds behind. I was able to hold him off for a 4th overall finish in <strong>18:50 </strong>(6:04's). I'm incredibly pleased with the result. I felt strong but not quite red lined. A really, really great late season effort.<br />
<br />
<strong>EVENT #2: NO BRAKES MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE</strong><br />
The Firetower 5k finished around 9:30ish. My SPORT class one lap 9 miler would most likely go off around 11:45ish (or when the last of the ADVANCED/EXPERT riders completed their first of two laps). I changed into my aR cycling gear, drank some HEED, and chatted with teammate <strong>Geoff Cunningham </strong>who was making his mountain bike racing debut on his new Specialized 29er. My love/hate relationship with mountain bike racing is pretty well documented. It can be incredibly exhilarating and challenging but it can also be so humbling that it hardly seems worth the effort. And the more I've thought about it, the more I realize that it's <em>how</em> the races are organized, not necessarily the sport itself. And the folks that put the No Brakes race on know exactly what they're doing. By sending the ADVANCED/EXPERT riders out first and waiting to start the SPORT race until those riders had finished their first lap assured that we (or I) wouldn't be traffic for the faster more skilled riders. In fact, we would never see each other on the course. Lining up for my race there appeared to be a small crowd of maybe 20 riders with all ability levels represented. I actually began to think that it was probably <em>me</em> that looked hardcore in my aR cycling kit. Little did they know. I lined up in the 3rd or 4th row and decided I would get a feel for the crowd in the first few minutes of the race and then try to forget everyone else and ride as hard as I could. As the race started I immediately felt a sense of urgency and pushed toward the front standing on the pedals in the big ring. Moments later I was again in the Top 5 (like the trail race). The course consisted of two primary "climbs" connected by some smooth, fresh, twisting singletrack. I'm a fairly strong climber so I was able to catch a couple of guys on the first climb to the same fire tower I had raced to earlier that morning. As we hit the singletrack however I started picking my way through and obviously slowing them down. When I found a spot I told them to go ahead and try to catch the guys on the podium. For the next 7 miles I essentially rode alone. I dabbed a few times on the tight switchback climbs...not for fitness, but for lack of bike handling skills. The singletrack sections were sensational and as I was racing I was already making plans to return and ride these tracks again. I missed a turn toward the end but quickly figured out my error and probably only lost 10-15 seconds. Pushing hard on the last 2 miles of flat carriage roads and fields I felt very, very strong as an entire spring, summer, and fall of riding had paid off. I crossed the finish line in <strong>51:07</strong> and in 4th place overall. My second race and second 4th place finish of the day. The race was a blast! <em>That</em> type of mountain bike racing I love. Racing against fairly evenly matched athletes without holding up 20-30 elite riders. <br />
<br />
This is most certainly a double I will do again next fall. And hopefully I'll have some aR teammates willing to try to capture my new <strong>King of the Hill</strong> crown.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>NEXT UP: Hallowiener Hustle</em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-44517113562801461722011-10-11T20:27:00.000-04:002011-10-11T20:27:40.329-04:00Grog & Dog Jog<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Q5s71yK6ugeNMZ4TELiK_EoYDydFg08Wij9gI5ncPzyYHbSUs45yQNIHCR8coAWiUDjfqEtu1CbYEdiPTZRiqTeRGPBzYXQYHWVyEbDn1kMy4ZPf8KpE_6_-Mab7iCDsOxExMutDKec/s1600/300822_2041530954352_1126672196_31829581_2063860294_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Q5s71yK6ugeNMZ4TELiK_EoYDydFg08Wij9gI5ncPzyYHbSUs45yQNIHCR8coAWiUDjfqEtu1CbYEdiPTZRiqTeRGPBzYXQYHWVyEbDn1kMy4ZPf8KpE_6_-Mab7iCDsOxExMutDKec/s320/300822_2041530954352_1126672196_31829581_2063860294_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The camera loves me as I'm groggin' & doggin' rockin'<br />
the Mississippi mudflap mullet and Wal-Mart t-shirt<br />
[Photo courtesy of Scott Mason Photography]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"There is only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous." -Napoleon</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Providence, RHODE ISLAND -- They say a picture tells a thousand words. But no amount of those words can describe the fun that was had at this weekend's <strong><span style="color: red;">Grog & Dog Jog</span> </strong>at the Wild Colonial Tavern. Our buddies from the south, the <strong>Tuesday Night Turtles</strong>, introduced us to this race last year and we were finally able to accept the invitation to join them this weekend. In fact, we actually sent two teams of aR "athletes" to see what all the fuss was about. As a jack of all trades master of none this type of thing fits exceptionally well into my fall transition period. I'm neither 1.) motivated to train, nor 2.) currently training for anything important so the way I saw it, a 1.25 mile city loop followed by a hot dog and a beer would be the <u>perfect</u> "training" for my planned November shutdown. Turns out, seven of my other aR teammates felt the same way. I divided us up into two <em>fairly </em>evenly matched teams with (of course) my team constituting not only the lion share of the runners, but the hungriest doggers to ever order a round of grog. This one, as they say, would be like taking candy from a baby. My aR-GOLD included Jon "Where's your shirt?" Letendre, "Super" Sam Watts, Nick "Capt'n Feathersword" Lavoie and of course...me. aR-BLACK was represented by Nick "Malibu" Langelotti, "Downhome" Amanda House, Jeremiah "Gettin' Tail" Fitzgibbon, and Craig "What are you a pirate?" Poirier. The two fastest dudes in the bunch, Jon and Langelotti, led off the race for their respective aR teams. Jon entered the 'Eatatorium' with about a :30 lead on Nick. However, not having eaten a hot dog in years cost him dearly as his lead was quickly erased by Nick's engulfing the dog with three swift bites and washing it down with nearly one swig of the warm Narragansett. And from there it was all downhill for my aR-GOLD. Jeremiah, always a poor front runner, took off like he was being chased by a pack of crazed dogs nearly :45 seconds ahead of me. Knowing that he has a tendency to take it out hard and then fade back to me I set off with the plastic mug baton to run him down. What I didn't account for however, was the jean cutoffs and the mullet. Both binding and billowing I felt like I couldn't really pick up any momentum which was surely aided by my lack of warm-up and/or the energy drink induced slight state of dehydration. Nevertheless I averaged <strong>5:53's</strong> for the 1.25 mile loop. Just sayin'. Unfortunately while I made up a little of his gap it wouldn't be even remotely enough as his gullet-stuffing-mashed-dog-regurgitating-beer-swilling exhibition got a HUGE rise out of the crowd and put us even further behind. It's funny, I never would have guessed how nauseating the smell of steamed tubular pork product would be immediately following a mile dash. And I like hot dogs! Okay, love hot dogs. Fearing I'd take a large bit of wiener sideways down the esophagus and need to be Heimlich'd by a dude dressed like a nun I decided to play it "safe" and alternated chomping small bites with big gulps of 'Gansett. How did you spend your Columbus Day weekend thank you?! As soon as I finished the dog and the grog I handed the mug to "Super" Sam who did her best to catch "Downhome" House but alas it was not aR-GOLD's day. Craig closed the deal for aR-BLACK as the corduroy clad Lavoie represented himself, his family, and the town of Scarborough, ME proudly with an impressive hot dog eating and beer drinking display. Our guests from TNT won the event <em>again</em> (yawwwwn) but we were really there for the 'fun of it'. Who takes these things seriously? The event was hosted by a tavern so I doubt results will be up soon but it really doesn't matter. I had a great time GROGGIN acidotic with my 'mates and by the smiles on their faces (and the beers in their hands) after the event I think they did as well.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em>NEXT UP: "No Brakes" Mountain Bike Race </em></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxwK8u5obDD3r_ehdhC651xrdY73hf-QAW9LeMJeGmGHMdVJIIpoQmkfM8nKo0GbD1AvmZHpTdMWoXj7arG6PBS0E4dw8vNsqlD7msKGnDjNR3HqhRtvL8lYpoORA-dy6mlsrVwc249A/s1600/314938_2041627036754_1126672196_31829622_860248896_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxwK8u5obDD3r_ehdhC651xrdY73hf-QAW9LeMJeGmGHMdVJIIpoQmkfM8nKo0GbD1AvmZHpTdMWoXj7arG6PBS0E4dw8vNsqlD7msKGnDjNR3HqhRtvL8lYpoORA-dy6mlsrVwc249A/s320/314938_2041627036754_1126672196_31829622_860248896_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-R BACK ROW: Jeremiah, Langelotti, me, Lavoie<br />
FRONT: Letendre, House, Poirier, Watts</td></tr>
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</div>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-54039664117018560402011-10-03T20:12:00.000-04:002011-10-03T20:12:03.554-04:00Pinnacle Challenge VII <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxj9PNXjkQ3ly4uhIjsHJqPJFArJnDfseZ9RGqSi7cinlXejprnhISUnqYwqxbtTG-ve1zfL1jJnlkWWy6M2BLwY-So6TxPiyRfmqjXX35cKB-b-5or7PEG2LNOAM39Se94OQ4O5PPvkM/s1600/6206053034_f75974cf0a_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxj9PNXjkQ3ly4uhIjsHJqPJFArJnDfseZ9RGqSi7cinlXejprnhISUnqYwqxbtTG-ve1zfL1jJnlkWWy6M2BLwY-So6TxPiyRfmqjXX35cKB-b-5or7PEG2LNOAM39Se94OQ4O5PPvkM/s320/6206053034_f75974cf0a_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading out to loop the Pinnacle for aR-WHITE<br />
at the Pinnacle Challenge VII <br />
[Photo courtesy of Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <strong><em><span style="color: yellow;">"Teamwork is essential. It allows you to blame someone else." -Anonymous</span></em></strong><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Newport, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- Growing up playing and loving team sports I find it incredibly special now as a adult to get the chance experience it from time to time. For the most part endurance sports are individual pursuits but every once in a while I get the chance to contribute my effort to the collective success of a team. This weekend was a fantastic example of that as I once again raced the <strong><span style="color: red;">Pinnacle Challenge VII</span></strong> in Newport, NH hosted by the folks at <strong>Team Pinnacle</strong>. This incredibly unique double duathlon has quickly become a showcase for <a href="http://www.acidoticracing.com/"><strong>acidotic RACING</strong></a><strong> </strong>as we now send as many as eight teams with a scattering of solos. This year 32 aR athletes made the trip to RACE acidotic at the Pinnacle. My team (aR-WHITE) figured to be competitive in the highly contested 4-person male category with our brothers from aR-BLACK being one of the favorites. Arriving around 8:00 am for a 9:30 am start there were already a dozen or more aR athletes already on site. It was awesome to see so many friends and all of them wearing the aR colors. <strong>Dan Dion</strong> would lead us off on the 5 mile road run putting down an impressive 28:17 and sending me out in the top 5 overall. As my trail runner <strong>Rich Lavers </strong>worked to remove the timing anklet from Dan's leg he, in haste, removed the timing chip mechanism and then became all thumbs as he tried to thread it back on the sweaty velcro strap. With precious seconds ticking away we fumbled for nearly a minute in the TA before finally approximating it <em>close enough</em> to send me away. Although they immediately began to worry about it staying on, I never thought about it again. Having raced this course for the past five years I was pretty familiar with the layout...or so I thought. When I did the Pinnacle <em>mountain bike race</em> earlier this year (and DNF'd) we actually rode to the high point of the trail network (or "Pinnacle") but in years past the double duathalon followed a slightly different course avoiding 100+ feet of climbing. Because I never looked at the course map I didn't see that the Pinnacle Challenge mountain bike course would be the same as the 2nd lap on the Pinnacle <em>mountain bike</em> race. By the time I realized we were racing to the top of the Pinnacle I was so focused on keeping the rubber down on the slippery, muddy course that I forgot about my pathetic DNF on Father's Day weekend. I was passed by at least 7 stronger riders during my 5.4 mile loop but I stayed on the bike, dabbed a handful or times, and only ran-a-bike for 5-10 seconds when I yielded to a faster rider on some singeltrack and put my front wheel in a bad spot. The new "playground" pumptrack was once again worth the 3+ miles of ascending as I whipped around the 6 foot high berms on the descent to the finish. I entered the TA in 41:39 and handed off to our road cyclist <strong>Jay Myers</strong>. I knew I had given up a number of spots but I was hopeful I hadn't given up the podium spot Dan had handed me. By the time <strong>Rich </strong>tore out the TA for the last leg of the race we were in 4th place in the 4-person male category trailing the 3rd place team by less than a minute. Running with his sights fixed on third place he caught and passed the guy with less than a mile to go and held him off for the podium finish. As a team we finished in <strong>2:21:14</strong> just 6 seconds from a <u>overall</u> team podium finish. I was clearly the weakest link for my group of four but me + mtbing = not always stellar. I feel like I'm giving a solid effort but I'm a very weak downhiller and not much of a risk taker. Perhaps I can't get the "survive to race another day" mantra out of my brain? Nonetheless I have a tremendous amount of <em>fun particularly</em> when I'm racing for a team. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkQnEM4TxZpqV11wsHt9Sc-aQbFadOVGH6D7C70mNhCOBiZ8rHedQycRT0UWt8wSc9DHLrEObGbdzcm5_H-gX9vg2tTDx_NEtu_-JevtSHDFXIKXqBQpYjS9c9O-aLBolxCuY5B-Kf00/s1600/6205671325_dc85107b14_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkQnEM4TxZpqV11wsHt9Sc-aQbFadOVGH6D7C70mNhCOBiZ8rHedQycRT0UWt8wSc9DHLrEObGbdzcm5_H-gX9vg2tTDx_NEtu_-JevtSHDFXIKXqBQpYjS9c9O-aLBolxCuY5B-Kf00/s320/6205671325_dc85107b14_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3rd Place 4-person Male <br />
R-L Me, Rich Lavers, Dan Dion, Jay Myers<br />
[Photo courtesy of Gianina Lindsey]</td></tr>
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em>NEXT UP: Grog & Dog Jog</em></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em>Post-script: A big "THANK YOU" goes out directly to RD <strong>PJ Lovely</strong> and his teammates and volunteers who put together a fabulous event. It's by far the biggest aR team turnout of any event we race all year. And what a turnout it was; 32 athletes and podium finishes for aR-BLACK (1st 4M), aR-PINK (1st 4F), aR-DUO (1st 2M), aR-CLASSIC (3rd 4CE), Jay Massa (2nd AG-solo), and Steve Wolfe (3rd AG-solo). </em></div>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-73678354878518566812011-09-18T21:49:00.006-04:002011-09-18T21:55:56.054-04:00Reach The Beach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20MnIF-YRgK7sqzw0FborGWBdzkyxgE_uP5HZV6v18G9BHx2HMTs19QiVkAPpqWSFY5Hz9DmcLh0ldIAUQ7Egj8YuzHW-7dZh548f7Is7b9KVVCJl8ZOssuOZGQh1gv2AmRsQJsrgpyk/s1600/reach-the-beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20MnIF-YRgK7sqzw0FborGWBdzkyxgE_uP5HZV6v18G9BHx2HMTs19QiVkAPpqWSFY5Hz9DmcLh0ldIAUQ7Egj8YuzHW-7dZh548f7Is7b9KVVCJl8ZOssuOZGQh1gv2AmRsQJsrgpyk/s1600/reach-the-beach.jpg" /></a></div><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><strong><em><span style="color: yellow; font-family: inherit;">"A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they’re capable of understanding." -Pre</span></em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">NEW HAMPSHIRE -- For the sixth year in a row I've had the good fortune to race with an unbelievable group of friends and athletes in the most epic of relay races in the US. The <strong><span style="color: red;">Reach The Beach Relay</span> </strong>has for Karen and I become "our" event. The one race we do <em>together</em> each year. And at 200 miles and 24 hours it's easily longer than all the other races I do the <u>entire</u> year combined! I coordinate </span><a href="http://www.acidoticracing.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">aR's</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> entry and each year the team changes slightly. This year we added three new members, <strong>Bob Swarthout</strong>, <strong>Piper Davis</strong>, and <strong>Judson Cake</strong>. Bob and Piper had been alternates on the 2010 team and were the first to be called when <strong>Jay Curry </strong>and <strong>Mike Chagnon</strong> gave up their spots this year. Judson, on the other hand, found out he was racing the day before the event when <strong>Doc Sprague</strong> hurt his back and had to withdraw from the event at the 11th hour. Luckily for us Judson is in decent shape. Joining Bob, Piper, and Judson were my wife Karen, <strong>Ann Rasmussen</strong>, <strong>Nick Lavoie</strong>, <strong>Matt Rousseau</strong>, <strong>Kevin Burt</strong>, <strong>Austin Stonebraker</strong>, <strong>Rich Lavers</strong>, and <strong>Scott Dodier</strong>. With Doc originally slotted in my van (#2) I decided that placing Judson in our van would cause the least last minute disruption. With Judson being a better runner than myself it then made sense to assign him the top spot in our van thereby moving me from the #8 runner position. In a little bit of musical chairs I took Ann's spot (#9) and she took Doc's original position (#7). Piper, Karen, and Nick would run 10, 11, & 12. The entire crew met at the Northwood Mobil Friday morning and headed up to Cannon Mountain for the start. Our 2:40 pm start time would be the latest we had ever had at the event. We watched Austin get our race started and then headed down to Attitash to the first Vehicle Transition Area (VTA) to await our pre-determined 7:30 pm start time. Hurricane Irene had caused incredible devastation along the eastern coast of the US with parts of VT and NH especially hard hit. Turns out Irene had washed out a bridge on RT302 that the RTB passed through resulting in a last minute course and event plan. Arriving at Attitash at 4:00 pm resulted in a significant amount of just waiting around. But I did get the chance to meet our newest teammate <strong>Chris Lalmond</strong> who happen to be standing next to our van when we pulled in. We chatted briefly before his team was off to continue their race. I also <em>ran</em> into snowshoe racing competitor <strong>Christopher Smith</strong> of Dungeon Rock Racing. When Ann finally got away it was dark and starting to get cold. Not accounting for our later starting time I had only packed one change of warmer running clothes (ie. long-sleeve top). My first leg would be a 6.36 miler starting from HAM Arena and finishing at Madison Elementary School. As Judson approached it was around 9:00 pm with temps in the 40's. Fortunately the wind had died down leaving behind a bright moonlight night with a sky full of stars. It's always a challenge to figure out how to pace at this event. Racing three times in less than 24 hour while driving 180+ miles without sleeping can wreak havoc with the body. Perhaps inspired by Judson's presence I took the baton from him and pushed hard out of the TA into the darkness. I felt a little tight for the first 10 minutes but then settled into a groove. I had told Piper to expect me in around 40 minutes. I handed him the baton at <strong>40:43</strong> good enough for 6:25's for my opening leg. Our van finished running our first legs around midnight and then headed to Laconia for our overnight break. We got about two hours of rest before Van #1 had us in cue and we were grabbing some Starbucks VIA and banana chocolate chip muffins my mother-in-law Judy had made. My second leg (#21) would be an 8.5 miler with 554 feet of elevation gain. Nearly all of it in a 1.5 mile stretch just before the half way point. I again gave Piper a rough one hour estimate of my arrival time so he could be prepared. The first 2.5 miles of my leg were downhill but the uneven pavement of RT 107 made the footing a little unpredictable and I was a cautious not to turn an ankle. Studying the course profile beforehand I knew than just before the 3 mile mark the course began a three mile ascent to the high point of the leg before descending 2.5 miles to the TA. Running at night gives me a misleading sense of pace...I always feel like I'm running faster than I really am. After slogging through the climb and beginning to descend a fairly steep slope I felt a sharp pain in my hip with every footstrike. Fortunately I was able to run through it and I handed Piper the baton at <strong>1:01:56</strong>. I was a little disappointed and slightly surprised with the 7:17's effort. I knew it was a conservatively paced leg but I felt like I might have held back a little too much. But the great thing about RTB is that there's still a ton of racing to do and absolutely no time to second guess. We met Van #1 at Bear Brook State Park VTA around 8:00 am. They we all in great spirits and were holding up very, very well. As soon as Nick handed off to Austin we loaded in the van and drove to the Longbranch Restaurant in Raymond for our traditional Saturday morning breakfast. Once again our nemesis the <strong>Grumpy Old Men</strong>, led by aR teammate <strong>Jeremiah Fitzgibbon</strong>, beat us to breakfast and were just being served as we sat down next to them. After we ate we drove to Sanborn Regional High School VTA to rest before our final set of legs. When the text came in from Van #1 that they were approaching it was becoming evident that we had a legitamate chance of finishing in under 24 hours. And as we had progressed later in the event it was also clear that we had raced up toward the front as the VTA's were much less crowded. My final leg was a 4.15 miler from the TUCK Learning Center in Exeter, NH to Timberland Headquarters. Warming up my legs felt suprisingly good. I broke out the racing flats and dug deep into my bag of expectations. I wanted to go sub 26:00 on the mostly flat run through downtown Exeter and finish my portion of the event as an assest rather than a liability to my team. The first mile I probably ran sub 6 as the excitement of the downtown crowd and the steady stream of runners up ahead pulled me forward. But my legs felt heavy in the middle two miles and I couldn't seem to find a pace that felt fast enough not to be too slow. With a mile to go I recognized where I was and began push a little harder. I passed off to Piper at <strong>25:19</strong> (6:06's). For the last leg of the race and without having raced on ashphault all year I was very happy with the result. The last three legs of the race flew by as they always do and before we knew it we were standing on Hampton Beach with Van #1 waiting for Nick to arrive so we could finish together. Crossing the finish line around 2:50 pm we celebrated another fantastic aR team performance. The official results had us in 19th place overall in a time of<strong> 22:17:48</strong>. We averaged 6:58's for 200 miles and finished 8th in the MENS-OPEN division out of 119 teams. I would have never imagined in 2006 when we finished 164th in 30:17:26 that five years later we'd crack the Top 20 without <em>intentionally</em> fielding a Top 20 team. This race has always been about two things for us; 1.) having fun and 2.) reaching the beach. I am incredibly proud of my teammates who once again demonstrated what <strong>RACING acidotic</strong> is all about.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7sGnQeLsddg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Video clip of Ann leaving Attitash VTA</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><em>Post-script: Turns out we weren't the only aR athletes who "reached the beach" this weekend. Thanks to Chris Lalmond, Scott Graham, Dan Dion, Jason Massa, Matt Benelli, Jeremiah Fitzgibbon, and Andy Corrow who all RACEd acidotic for their respective teams. </em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><strong><em>NEXT UP: Pinnacle Challenge VII</em></strong></span></div>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862989065550331838.post-47554776863226822312011-09-11T14:31:00.000-04:002011-09-11T14:31:02.705-04:00Run to Fall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj447u7d43aPh0tTuzpdvoH31VqGINkqyvf2VoQWNDIsvZbiWKpgb2iUzaMcFaWv6zkcAlXx_mFqMCPh0qs4V5kK_PqTHu17NHQ-4l5mU040p8aAf3UaI8dGl78TMowuv4VvFLXhmaamyw/s1600/1309504031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj447u7d43aPh0tTuzpdvoH31VqGINkqyvf2VoQWNDIsvZbiWKpgb2iUzaMcFaWv6zkcAlXx_mFqMCPh0qs4V5kK_PqTHu17NHQ-4l5mU040p8aAf3UaI8dGl78TMowuv4VvFLXhmaamyw/s200/1309504031.jpg" width="181" /></a></div><strong><em><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Play not only keeps us young but also maintains our perspective about the relative seriousness of things. Running is play, for even if we try hard to do well at it, it is a relief from everyday cares." </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Jim Fixx</span> </span></em></strong><br />
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NORTHWOOD, NH -- With less than a week to go before <strong>Reach The Beach</strong> I once again headed 25 minutes north to Coe-Brown Northwood Academy for the 11th Annual <strong><span style="color: red;">Run to Fall 5k</span> </strong>XC race. This is easily one of my favorite races of the year. It's not just that it's close to home, but it has a really low-key friendly trail running vibe although it's probably technically a XC race. Hosted by two CBNA XC seniors as their "senior project" it's always very well run. This year would feature a new course on a recently finished section of double-wide track in a classic figure 8 loop. Purposely arriving early I was eager to pre-run the course and see the new section of double-track. I ran into teammate, CBNA XC coach, and course designer <strong>Tim Cox</strong> before the race and got the course description. With about 75 minutes before race start I set out to run the course as both a warm-up and preview. The course begins clockwise on the "old loop" before entering the new section of trail. This new section rolls and turns for about a kilometer. The footing is excellent and features smooth crushed gravel. The figure 8 set-up would have us racing this new section in both directions. Finishing the warm-up preview I changed into race attire and attempted to stay loose while catching up with numerous familiar faces. The entire 180+ field lined up on the starting line in the baseball outfield and after a momentary starting gun misfire we were off. Within minutes I was directly behind the lead pack. I was warned that the first mile was fast and my <strong>5:48</strong> was proof enough. A quick checkpoint assessment revealed that although I was pushing pretty hard I didn't feel like I was in too deep. Around the same time I began to close hard on CBNA alum <strong>Derrick Hamel</strong>. A legit 28 year old "skinny legger" the thought crossed my mind that 1.) he must be having an off day or 2.) I'M WAY OVER MY HEAD to even be within 2 minutes of him. Last year at this race he beat me by almost 90 seconds finishing a very strong 9th overall. I latched on to his left shoulder and was immediately struck by how effortless he seemed to move. I, on the other hand, felt a little like an ox at a state fair pulling competition. But amazingly I held on and actually moved around him on a slight incline. Before I could get comfortable he blasted by me on the next slight descent and I figured that it would be the last time I saw him. It wasn't. Moments later I was again on his hip and matching him stride for stride. As we entered the final new section of trail with less than a mile to go I gaped him on a climb and remarkably was able to hold on to the very slim :05 margin finishing in <strong>19:12</strong> (6:11's) good enough for 9th overall and 3rd 40+ master. I am incredibly excited with the performance considering this is the only 5k event I race and my training has been pretty mixed (mtb & trail running) for the last few months. Now time to recover and begin to plan for Reach The Beach at the end of the week. Looking to carry some of this mojo with me to Cannon.<br />
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<strong><em>NEXT UP: Reach The Beach</em></strong>CHRIS J. DUNNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12277811517683520269noreply@blogger.com0