Exeter Trail Race

Stuffed in the hurt locker.
[Photo courtesy Gianina Lindsey]

"The highest reward for a mans toil is not what he gets from it but what he becomes by it."  -John Ruskin

Exeter,  NH -- Is not having a plan technically a plan?  If so then for the second consecutive year at the Exeter Trail Race presented by GoLite Footwear 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 acidotic RACING 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 Jeff Hixon in from and teammate Bob Swarthout 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 feel 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 Ryan Welts, 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 1:20:59 (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. 

[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.]

NEXT UP: Cranmore Hill Climb   

Pineland Farms 25k

RACING acidotic for my team and my
sponsor GoLite Footwear
[Photo courtesy Gianina Lindsey]

"The best things in life are unexpected-because there were no expectations."  -Eli Kharmarov

New Gloucester,  MAINE -- Just run.  That was the race plan for this weekend's Pineland Farms 25k.  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 Mike Wade 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 Steve Wolfe finally 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. 

Special thank you to my sponsors GoLite Footwear, Philbrick's Sports, Redhook, Young's Restaurant, and Poco's Bow Street Cantina.

NEXT UP: Exeter Trail Races presented by GoLite Footwear

Hoppin' Mad Mud Run



(L-R) Bon Swarthout, Jason Massa, Chris J. Dunn,
Jeremiah Fitzgibbon, Rich Lavers
[Photo courtesy Craig Poirier]

 "Even absurdity has a champion to defend it." - Oliver Goldsmith

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 Hoppin' Mad Mud Run and walked away with two 5-person team titles in this challenging 10k obstacle course race...well, more like a 5k road race followed by a 5k obstacle course race.  And without a doubt that first roughly 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 stronger as the race progressed finishing 2nd overall!  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?!

NEXT UP: Pineland Farms 25k Trail Race

Merrimack Rivah Trail Race

Finishing another 'Rivah'.
[Photo courtesy Dave Dunham]

"Despair is most often the offspring of ill-preparedness." -Don William, Jr.

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 Merrimack Rivah Trail Race 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 Ian Parlin 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 Gabe Flanders 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 1:10:33.  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. 

NEXT UP:  Hoppin' Mad Mud Run, Muddy Moose, or perhaps Willowdale MTB Race

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