WinterWild Championship at Bretton Woods

The finish to a long descent at the WinterWild
Championship at Bretton Woods
[Photo courtesy Gianina Lindsey]

"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

Bretton Woods, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- Nothing like finishing a lousy winter of snow-related sports with a FANTASTIC championship event!  aR played host to the WinterWild Championship at Bretton Woods 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 Rich Lavers and Danny Ferreira 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 Mark Hecox 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, Paul Kirsch, 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 last 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 Petzl Tikka Plus2 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, Kevin Tilton and Andy Greene, 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...training fitness isn't the same thing as racing 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. 

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.

NEXT UP:  A well earned transition then the Merrimack Rivah Trail Race (MA)

NH Snowshoe Championship

Finishing the final km at the Glen
[Photo courtesy Scott Mason]

"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

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 this was the winter we'd break attendance records.  That this was the winter that we might see the first 250 participant field at a NH snowshoe race.  And that this 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 except the Granite State Snowshoe Championship at the Great Glen Outdoor Center 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 Timmy Lindsey 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 Leslie Beckwith.  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 and 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, Jim Johnson, was predictably off the line fast with myself, Dave Dunham, Peter Keeney, and teammates Rich Lavers and Phil Erwin 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 Scotty Graham.  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.

NEXT UP: WinterWild Championship at Bretton Woods

WinterWild-Pat's Peak

Brandon Baker and I pacing each other after
finishing the first of two laps.
[Photo courtesy Gianina Lindsey]

"The higher you climb on the mountain, the harder the wind blows."  -Sam Cummings

Henniker, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- It's rare that I wake before 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 WinterWild-Pat's Peak.  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 Mark Hecox 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 Brandon Baker 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 37:50 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.

NEXT UP:  WinterWild-Mount Sunapee

WinterWild-Ragged Mountain

Leading the field up Exhibition at the
2012 WinterWild Ragged Mountain Race
[Photo Gianina Lindsey]

"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

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 WinterWild-Ragged Mountain, the 2nd race in the five race series and the brainchild of Chad Denning.  This time, however, I'd be joined by my son Brayden 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 Mark Hecox (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 young 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 walked by both Mark and myself.  I later learned it was Paul Doe 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 22:07 (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 WinterWild-Pat's Peak in two two weeks.  It should be the biggest challenge of the winter as the race is a two loop course. 

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]

NEXT UP:  Horsehill Snowshoe Race, Merrimack, NH

Whitaker Woods Snowshoe Scramble

The start of the 2012 Whitaker Woods Snowshoe Scramble
[Photo courtesy of Gianina Lindsey]

"The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure."  -Sven Goran Eriksson

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 Timmy & Gianina Lindsey for the ninety minute ride to beautiful North Conway for the Whitaker Woods Snowshoe Scramble hosted by Kevin & Jess Tilton.  I was very pleased and proud to see such a great acidotic RACING 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 Dave Dunham.  In short time however Dave began to move and effortlessly pulled away from me as he chased down the leaders Jim Johnson, Judson Cake (aR), and Danny Ferreira (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 Ryan Welts and a member of the Tuesday Night Turtles (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 exact 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.

I'm old...but not as old as my
snowy beard would suggest.
[Photo courtesy of Gianina Lindsey]

NEXT UP:  Sidehiller Snowshoe Race, Center Sandwich, NH

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.

Weekend Double: WinterWild & Hebron Hills

"Gravity is the contributing factor in nearly 73% of all accidents involving falling objects."  -Dave Barry

SATURDAY:  WinterWild Whaleback

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 WinterWild hosted by Chad Denning.  Full disclosure:  aR will be hosting the WinterWild Championship at Bretton Woods 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 Rich Lavers 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 this 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?!

"A true friend is someone who thinks you're a good egg even though he knows you are slightly cracked."  -Bernard Meltzer

SUNDAY:  Hebron Hills Snowshoe Classic

Hebron,  MAINE --  This really is one of my favorite races and race courses of the entire year.  Our teammate Austin Stonebraker 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 all 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 Judson Cake and top masters snowshoer Scott Horney.  Also in the field was my good friend Chuck Hazzard 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!

NEXT UP:  Whitaker Woods Snowshoe Scramble (North Conway, NH)