Camp Saratoga 8K - 15 Feb 2015
Today's race was a shock. First, and foremost, it was cold. Normally when you start any winter activity, a hike, a run, whatever, you want to start off a bit cold, because your body will warm up. Today, through, I found myself wishing I had worn my balaclava, and a thicker pair of socks. My toes were so cold as we waited around for the race to start that I was clenching and releasing them just to keep blood circulating. I was punching my fists together, too, for the same reason. (Sometimes being an armchair mountaineer pays off.)
The race HQ, set up inside the old International Paper Winter Lodge, was toasty, but I had already checked in and gotten my bib, and I was eager to race. So, I wandered around outside, clenching toes, punching fists, chatting a bit here and there. I ran into one of the guys I had talked with at the Coles Woods races last year, and said hello, and that I needed to keep moving to stay warm. Then the crowd started to move down the trail, and I figured I should follow. The starting line at these smaller events isn't always obvious, so it's good to wander when the crowd does. We all wandered back to a piece of tape stretched across the trail, turned around, and danced a bit as 100-200 of our closest running buddies (by proximity) filled in the trail ahead of us. I think the race director said something, but I honestly couldn't hear anything over the people talking nearby. Then we were off.
Despite my decision to keep it slow, I found myself penned in after a few hundred yards, and started pushing and maneuvering for position. Eventually I found myself with other runners who were keeping a similar pace, and I settled in. The first leg of the run kept fairly close to the Stryder's 5K course (aside from our makeshift starting corral), so within the first mile we had two steep fins to climb up and then drop down off of. (They feel like eskers but they're not; they're probably remnants from the lake that once sat here.) They aren't particularly high, maybe 30', but they're high enough that everyone in my cluster of runners switched to hiking on the climb.
After that I slowly lost position as we continued along the 5K course. When we got to the turnoff for the Opdahl Farm, we took it, and immediately plunged into unsteady singletrack snow. At least a hundred pairs of snowshoes had gone through ahead of me, but every step had some lateral rock in it. Normally, after a few people have broken a trail, it's solid, but here it was like it was overbroken, if such a thing is even possible. Out on the 5K course, we were on woods roads that had been groomed for XC skiing, so I could move to the side a few inches and avoid the sloppy mess. Here, the snow on either side was deep, and would have been too taxing to break at a running pace. I kept moving as best I could. It reminded me of running in snowshoes over boot-broken ground. Clearly, it pays to be up front.
We looped through the Opdahl Farm, past the church and eventually made our way back towards the trails of Camp Saratoga. We cut through a small, pretty, open area, one of my favorites along the 5K course, which I think used to be an open sandy area back in the Scout camp days. Instead of the normal 5K route, though, we took a different turn, and plunged into what looked like a trail cut by a snowblower: the walls were fairly straight, and about 18" tall. This lead up and up to what appears to be the high point of the course, at 342', right around the 5K mark.
I was an hour in by this point, and had just been passed by a guy who appeared to only be walking. I knew that I was going to be moving slowly due to the fact that I was still recovering from a stomach bug, but this was ridiculous. On top of all of that, my knee started acting up. It's an old injury, but I tread gently around it, since it has the ability to ruin many successive days of training.
I decided to just walk.
We (that is: I, and a few of the other back-of-the-packers,) worked our way back over to the 5K course just in time to cross Scout Road. I found myself getting cold, and ran a few times to warm up, but couldn't muster enough energy to keep it up for very long. So onward I crept. The hills on this side are steeper, and on a few I found myself sliding down, despite the crampons on my snowshoes. I did my best to go with it, and to keep a hand out in case a tree rose up to meet me.
Finally, eventually, I found myself running along the edge of the marshy area, and then across the bridge over Delegan Pond. Alas, this was not the end of the course. To ensure that we got our money's worth, we got to trudge past the finish line, past where the snack hut used to be, past the barbeque pits, past the old mess hall, then climb up a hill, cut through what was clearly a bushwhack, and then, finally, drop back down the hill and cross the finish line.
It was a bit anticlimactic, but all in all, it was a fun race. I crossed the old parade ground, stopping at my car to take off my snowshoes, then headed over to the old IP Lodge again to get something hot to eat, drink, bathe in, whatever. It didn't really matter. I warmed up, chatted with the two people whom I knew, and then headed out. I didn't stick around for the raffle because I had, once again, mysteriously, lost my raffle ticket. This time I hadn't bothered to memorize the number, so there was no point in lingering. I had promised to take my kids out after the race, and I needed to get home to fulfill that promise.
Saratoga Spa State Park 5K - 1 Feb 2015
Two weeks earlier, I had wandered across the mall (large, open area) of Saratoga Spa State Park, attempting to locate the starting line for a race that was about to start. I found a banner that clearly stated it was the Start / Finish for the race, and figured that I had found it.
I was wrong.
Another runner, who had done the race in a previous year, directed us to the actual, unmarked starting line, which was along the carriage path in front of the unnamed building that sits across the mall from the Roosevelt Baths. We lined up, the race director said a few words, and we were off. We ran around the perimeter of the mall, then crossed the road and ducked in to the woods, not far from where I had seen the finish line. We followed this path through the woods and then ran down to the Geyser picnic area along a gravel road. There wasn't much snow on the ground, but it was enough that I didn't hear my crampons scraping very much on the gravel.
Once down in the picnic area, we cut across the first pedestrian bridge over Geyser Creek, and then ran through the woods back over to the gravel road, making our way up, over to, and then around the Peerless Pool, before plunging back down the way we had come. This time, though, we followed the creek along the old carriage road, crossed the creek again, crossed the picnic area road again, and then climbed up a rather steep climb toward Columbia Pavillion. Here I expected us to link up with the Five Mile Trail, but wisely the route avoided it, since the FMT in this section dances along a cliff. Instead we cut straight through the woods and then linked up with the FMT once it was past the potentially dangerous section. We found North South Road, ran along it for a minute, past the ticket booths, and then ducked back in to the woods near Ferndell Pavillion. We were on the final kilometer of trail, so I started pushing hard. From here, it was all carriage roads to the finish line, and mostly level. I managed to hold the pace for most of the last stretch, enough so that when I crossed the finish line I was ready to hurl.
We warmed up in a room inside the Administration Building, enjoying a spread as wonderful as the one shared at the race today. The Stryders definitely know how to warm up after a snowshoe run. I look forward to running in future snowshoe races.
Ten Feet Square:
Reflections on Hiking, Trail Running, and Getting Unstuck.
Occasional geek-outs.
Showing posts with label race report. Show all posts
Showing posts with label race report. Show all posts
18 February 2015
Savoy Mountain Trail Race - 17 Aug 2014
(This was originally posted on a test blog hosted on svbtle.)
When I look back on this race, 3 months later, the only word that comes to mind is: broken.
I felt myself burning out in the run-up to this race, and I scaled back my training to try and compensate. It didn’t help; I felt undertrained in the race, and broken afterwards. It was somewhere around 15.2 miles in length, and the only flat parts were on the last mile or so. Everything else was rolling, so that coming down off of the mountain was as brutal as going up. Not that any portion of it was truly brutal, but it was way more than I was expecting. There was a touch of technical stuff near the summit, but nothing terrible. There was a guy running with what appeared to be running crutches, and he managed to get through the technical stuff, and beat me by at least an hour.
I don’t know what else to say about it. It took 2.5 months for me to enjoy running again after this race. It broke me, badly. It took another race to rebuild me. I’ll get to that in about 5 more posts.
Putting aside my personal difficulties, this was a very cool race. The people were pretty laid back, and they had a big picnic waiting for runners as they finished. The view from the summit of Spruce Hill was pretty, as was the view from the drive in: my route took me over the Petersburg Pass and along the hairpin turn on Route 2. Just past thexperience hairpin turn, I saw the BNRC trailhead for the Hoosac Range Trail, and the tables for water stop #3 set up in the parking lot.
A few other thoughts stand out in my mind…
Well, that’s about it. I will be back to this race, and I will do better. Since I’ve had time to think about it, I’ve decided is time to push myself harder in training, and to start winning my age division in racing.
Until next time, be excellent to each other.
When I look back on this race, 3 months later, the only word that comes to mind is: broken.
I felt myself burning out in the run-up to this race, and I scaled back my training to try and compensate. It didn’t help; I felt undertrained in the race, and broken afterwards. It was somewhere around 15.2 miles in length, and the only flat parts were on the last mile or so. Everything else was rolling, so that coming down off of the mountain was as brutal as going up. Not that any portion of it was truly brutal, but it was way more than I was expecting. There was a touch of technical stuff near the summit, but nothing terrible. There was a guy running with what appeared to be running crutches, and he managed to get through the technical stuff, and beat me by at least an hour.
I don’t know what else to say about it. It took 2.5 months for me to enjoy running again after this race. It broke me, badly. It took another race to rebuild me. I’ll get to that in about 5 more posts.
Putting aside my personal difficulties, this was a very cool race. The people were pretty laid back, and they had a big picnic waiting for runners as they finished. The view from the summit of Spruce Hill was pretty, as was the view from the drive in: my route took me over the Petersburg Pass and along the hairpin turn on Route 2. Just past thexperience hairpin turn, I saw the BNRC trailhead for the Hoosac Range Trail, and the tables for water stop #3 set up in the parking lot.
A few other thoughts stand out in my mind…
- The Hoosac Range is moody. For the first several hours the threat of rain dominated the course, but nothing fell aside from some mist in the air. After that, the sun came out and stayed out.
- The course crossed over two power line cuttings on the way up to the summit of Spruce Hill, and then again on the way back. On the way back, as I was running toward one of the cuttings, I heard a cacophony off to the left (downslope). I thought, nay hoped, briefly, that the finish line had been moved up to here, and there was a magical shortcut to bring me back to my car. No such luck; it was a hoard of 4x4s and their drivers, who had come up the service road to have a party, apparently.
- The out-and-back format meant that I got to see every other runner on the course; I had just cleared the photo area coming off of the summit nub when the leaders came tearing past from the opposite direction. I did my best to encourage everyone.
- I need to so a lot more training before I tackle anything this hard again.
- Topos never give the full picture. The terrain looked fairly simple. It wasn’t.
- I don’t want to race anything I haven’t already seen for a long time. I had thought about reviewing the course ahead of time but never actually got around to doing that. When I was recovering at the end, I joked with one of the other runners that I was glad I hadn’t run this course in advance, because there’s no way I would have come to the race. In hindsight, I would have known it was too much, and I would have saved myself a lot of trouble. Live and learn.
- My salt strategy for this race was insufficient, and that contributed to my pain. On the last third of the race, I felt my energy draining, so I kept taking in fuel, but I never recovered. As it turns out, I had switched fuels a week or so before the race, due to some intestinal issues, but I hadn’t noticed that the fuel I was now using didn’t have salt in it. By the time I realized my mistake, it was to late to correct it.
Well, that’s about it. I will be back to this race, and I will do better. Since I’ve had time to think about it, I’ve decided is time to push myself harder in training, and to start winning my age division in racing.
Until next time, be excellent to each other.
28 May 2014
AdiRUNdack Trail Series - Race 4 - 27 May 2014
This week I learned several things:
On that pleasant note, the AdiRUNdack Trail Series has come to a close. Kevin and Elizabeth Emblidge carried the series for their respective genders. Susan Thompson and Tylor Duguay took second, and Joe Porter took third for the men. The third place women's slot was a close one, with Gabriella Frittelli managing to hold on to her lead over Dennie Swan-Scott by 25 seconds. All told, 66 runners made it out for all four races. Congrats to everyone who participated in the series, and in individual races!
Today's race was easily the warmest of the series, with a temp around 80ยบ F for the start of the race. The biggest change I noticed was that the run up toward the water tower was not flooded with sunlight. As I neared the top of that, I kept hearing clicking noises, like someone was on a bike right behind me, but every time I glanced back, I couldn't see one. Finally, as the trail started to descend, I saw a pack of mountain bikers making their way along a different path.
As I hit the track for the final stretch, I was happy to see my family there, cheering me on. It took a little while, but I managed to sprint some of the track, coming in at 29:48. Once we were all back in, Rebecca started the raffle and then the awards ceremony. After that, we all headed up to get ice cream and then head home. I can't wait to race here again next year.
Next up is Savoy Mountain, in August. I'm starting my mileage build this week.
Until next time...
- My fitness is finally at the point where I can hike for hours at a time and not burn out.
- The black flies are out all over the place, and biting at lower elevations.
- I swell up at the site of black fly bites like some people swell up from mosquito bites.
- I'm finally capable of running a 9 minute mile.
- It takes more than 5 hours for a large burrito to pass through my stomach.
- I can run a 9 minute mile with a burrito trying to escape.
On that pleasant note, the AdiRUNdack Trail Series has come to a close. Kevin and Elizabeth Emblidge carried the series for their respective genders. Susan Thompson and Tylor Duguay took second, and Joe Porter took third for the men. The third place women's slot was a close one, with Gabriella Frittelli managing to hold on to her lead over Dennie Swan-Scott by 25 seconds. All told, 66 runners made it out for all four races. Congrats to everyone who participated in the series, and in individual races!
Today's race was easily the warmest of the series, with a temp around 80ยบ F for the start of the race. The biggest change I noticed was that the run up toward the water tower was not flooded with sunlight. As I neared the top of that, I kept hearing clicking noises, like someone was on a bike right behind me, but every time I glanced back, I couldn't see one. Finally, as the trail started to descend, I saw a pack of mountain bikers making their way along a different path.
As I hit the track for the final stretch, I was happy to see my family there, cheering me on. It took a little while, but I managed to sprint some of the track, coming in at 29:48. Once we were all back in, Rebecca started the raffle and then the awards ceremony. After that, we all headed up to get ice cream and then head home. I can't wait to race here again next year.
Next up is Savoy Mountain, in August. I'm starting my mileage build this week.
Until next time...
21 May 2014
AdiRUNdack Trail Series - Race 3 - 20 May 2014
This Tuesday was the third installment of the 2014 AdiRUNdack 5K Trail Race Series, and it was another fun day. Next week will be the final race of the series, and we'll find out who won the 20k challenge.
The 20K challenge is looking fairly locked up: Kevin Emblidge crossed the finish line first in each of the three races, running 17:47, 17:22, and 17:29, followed in each race by Tylor Duguay, at 19:05, 18:49, and 18:26. Joe Porter finished 3rd in the first two races and 4th in today's, at 19:19, 19:08 and 18:36, and appears to be the current contender for #3. Erik Sointio and Ryan Connor appear to be in the #4 and #5 slots, respectively, but Erik only has about a 20 second lead. (I am basing this off of an informal review of the race data; I have not loaded this in to a spreadsheet for analysis and my findings are by no means official. In order to win, place or show in the 20k challenge, you need to participate in all four races, and you need to be fast.)
On the women's side, it's a little harder to see without loading the data up, but here's what I think is going on: Elizabeth Emblidge is the clear leader, running 19:38, 19:21 and 19:23. Next up is Susan Thompson, with 21:40, 21:30, and 21:24. In third is Gabriella Frittelli, with 23:04, 22:54, and 22:56. Susan Keely was in 4th, with 23:25, 23:17, and 23:20, but she was overtaken this week by Dennie Swan-Scott, who cut a full minute off of last week, running 23:31, 23:35, and 22:25. (Again, this is by no means official; just my observations from reading the results sheet.)
Walt McConnell deserves a special shout-out, too. At 82, he's the oldest participant in the series, and if I can run as fast as he can when I'm 82, I'll be very, very happy: 44:09, 42:29, and 41:13.
It's great to see so many people improving week over week!
Rebecca started us off again, this time with a working megaphone, and we were off. I ran well the first two miles, but fell off the pace a bit on the third. I had already decided that I wasn't going to sprint the track this time (more on that in a minute), and I think that was the deciding factor. I finished in 31:05.
What went wrong?
I stepped out of the office to head to the race, and the moment that I stepped outside, I felt a twinge run through my Achilles tendon. I knew exactly what it meant: I had been pushing the transition to zero drop too hard, and my tendon was starting to get injured. I considered heading home to get different shoes, but there was no way I could make it in time. So, I decided to just roll with it, and to ease off if I felt it twinge again. The tendon was fine during the race, but I didn't want to risk another round of tendonitis, so I kept my pace as consistent as I could as I ran the final portion. I love to finish strong, whether it's on a long run or at a race, but I just couldn't justify it today.
(Looking back over my data, my minimalist mileage (barefoot, or shod in VFFs or Trail Gloves) went way up the past few weeks. I had been doing 1-3 miles a week (walking or running) in minimalist footwear, and then I jumped up to 4 miles, then 11 miles and so far 6 miles this week. This is most likely the source of the problem. I need to reel the miles back in and then slowly build them up again, and not let myself get overconfident yet again.)
I also screwed up the fueling a bit. I had eaten a snack two hours before the race start, but it was a bit heavier than I really should have eaten, and I don't think it had a chance to fully digest. Furthermore, I've been experimenting with different fuels, and today's pre-run fuel did not sit well at all. As soon as we rounded the hard left to start climbing the hill (into the sun), I felt like I was going to throw up. That feeling didn't leave me for hours.
I think that's about it. I was very happy with my first two miles; I might have pushed too hard on mile 2, but I was having fun running uphill into the sun, despite my digestive issues. I think that's what matters here, anyway: having fun. Pushing yourself, and having fun.
Until next time, be excellent to each other!
Current Standings
The 20K challenge is looking fairly locked up: Kevin Emblidge crossed the finish line first in each of the three races, running 17:47, 17:22, and 17:29, followed in each race by Tylor Duguay, at 19:05, 18:49, and 18:26. Joe Porter finished 3rd in the first two races and 4th in today's, at 19:19, 19:08 and 18:36, and appears to be the current contender for #3. Erik Sointio and Ryan Connor appear to be in the #4 and #5 slots, respectively, but Erik only has about a 20 second lead. (I am basing this off of an informal review of the race data; I have not loaded this in to a spreadsheet for analysis and my findings are by no means official. In order to win, place or show in the 20k challenge, you need to participate in all four races, and you need to be fast.)
On the women's side, it's a little harder to see without loading the data up, but here's what I think is going on: Elizabeth Emblidge is the clear leader, running 19:38, 19:21 and 19:23. Next up is Susan Thompson, with 21:40, 21:30, and 21:24. In third is Gabriella Frittelli, with 23:04, 22:54, and 22:56. Susan Keely was in 4th, with 23:25, 23:17, and 23:20, but she was overtaken this week by Dennie Swan-Scott, who cut a full minute off of last week, running 23:31, 23:35, and 22:25. (Again, this is by no means official; just my observations from reading the results sheet.)
Walt McConnell deserves a special shout-out, too. At 82, he's the oldest participant in the series, and if I can run as fast as he can when I'm 82, I'll be very, very happy: 44:09, 42:29, and 41:13.
It's great to see so many people improving week over week!
The Race
Rebecca started us off again, this time with a working megaphone, and we were off. I ran well the first two miles, but fell off the pace a bit on the third. I had already decided that I wasn't going to sprint the track this time (more on that in a minute), and I think that was the deciding factor. I finished in 31:05.
What went wrong?
I stepped out of the office to head to the race, and the moment that I stepped outside, I felt a twinge run through my Achilles tendon. I knew exactly what it meant: I had been pushing the transition to zero drop too hard, and my tendon was starting to get injured. I considered heading home to get different shoes, but there was no way I could make it in time. So, I decided to just roll with it, and to ease off if I felt it twinge again. The tendon was fine during the race, but I didn't want to risk another round of tendonitis, so I kept my pace as consistent as I could as I ran the final portion. I love to finish strong, whether it's on a long run or at a race, but I just couldn't justify it today.
(Looking back over my data, my minimalist mileage (barefoot, or shod in VFFs or Trail Gloves) went way up the past few weeks. I had been doing 1-3 miles a week (walking or running) in minimalist footwear, and then I jumped up to 4 miles, then 11 miles and so far 6 miles this week. This is most likely the source of the problem. I need to reel the miles back in and then slowly build them up again, and not let myself get overconfident yet again.)
I also screwed up the fueling a bit. I had eaten a snack two hours before the race start, but it was a bit heavier than I really should have eaten, and I don't think it had a chance to fully digest. Furthermore, I've been experimenting with different fuels, and today's pre-run fuel did not sit well at all. As soon as we rounded the hard left to start climbing the hill (into the sun), I felt like I was going to throw up. That feeling didn't leave me for hours.
I think that's about it. I was very happy with my first two miles; I might have pushed too hard on mile 2, but I was having fun running uphill into the sun, despite my digestive issues. I think that's what matters here, anyway: having fun. Pushing yourself, and having fun.
Until next time, be excellent to each other!
14 May 2014
AdiRUNdack Trail Series - Race 2 - 13 May 2014
Last week I wrote a quick report about the first leg of this series, and posted it to my blog as I usually do. I don't usually promote these posts; they're done so I can remember what I did a year from now, so I can practice my writing skills, and so my friends can learn about what I'm up to. Imagine my surprise, then, when I received notification from Facebook that my blog post had been posted to the Adirondack Runners group. The race director, Rebecca Smith, had kindly posted my blog post to the group, and the president of the group, Amy Hachem, had commented on the Facebook post. I was floored.
So, when I went to get my bib for tonight's race, Rebecca recognized me, and said that she had found the post while looking for articles on the race. I was still amazed that someone had found it that quickly, and I'm thankful for everyone reading these posts, and to Rebecca for posting it where others could find it.
I walked a few laps around the track to warm up and then made a quick trip to my car to drop off my water bottle. I had contemplated running with it (it's a small running bottle with a bit of nylon to keep it on your hand while you run), but decided I didn't need it. During the last race I had found myself wanting for water midway through, but I had made it. I figured that I would be fine this time around, too.
We all lined up near the start a little before 6. I found Matt, whom I had talked with briefly after the last race. We chatted for a few minutes, and then Rebecca got up to say a few words. She remarked with a chuckle that no one had gotten lost last time, reminded us that there was no one out there to tell us where to go, and to just go straight if we were in doubt. Then we were off.
I started in the middle of the pack this time, and found myself running way too fast once again. Matt pulled a little bit ahead of me, and I tried to keep up with him, but he was moving just a little too fast for me. At the end of the first lap, I managed to catch up briefly, and then he was off again. I did my best to keep up the pace, to keep passing, and to keep moving, which worked for the first mile. Right before the end of the first mile, Brian Teague ran past me, talking with another runner. He had taken pictures of the last race, after having run it himself, and then repeated the trick on the Prospect Mountain race last weekend. I don't know how he can run and then immediately hold a camera steady enough to take pictures of the other runners coming in, but I'm grateful for it.
I slowed down a lot on the second mile's hills. During the last race, mile two was when I found myself fighting the urge to walk almost constantly. This time around, it wasn't quite so bad. My knee was hurting, I was thirsty, but I would live. So I kept running, right up until we passed the water towers near the mall and the course started descending. The big toe of my right foot got caught on a root or a half buried log, and I found myself sailing toward the ground. I caught myself on my hands in a break-fall, but I didn't have time to throw my legs back. My right knee, the one that had been hurting, the one that always hurts, ended up covered in dirt and what appeared to be blood. The race had me in its thrall, though, so I jumped back up and kept running.
Two other runners whom I recognized as being around my pace cut past me just then, and I felt a surge of adrenaline. I flew down the hill, focusing on turnover, and I passed them in short time. I was determined to finish strong. When I got past the people cheering at the edge of the track, I poured on whatever energy I had left. During the run last week, I had nothing left by this point, and I just did my best to finish. This week, I didn't have that problem: I ran the track portion at the end in the 7s, and finished at 29:20, a full 35 seconds faster than the previous week, another PR. (I know I'll plateau eventually, so I'm enjoying these PRs while I can.)
Afterwards I walked over to the point where the track meets the woods road, and cheered other runners on for a little while. After that, I caught up with Matt; he had also bettered his time from the previous week. He said he was constantly looking to see if I was catching up to him, but I had lost sight of him after the first mile and hadn't seen him at all after that.
I'd like to say a huge thank you to Rebecca, and all of the staff and volunteers who put on these series. The races are a LOT of fun, and they're well run. I strongly recommend that any area runner check them out. There are two more left in this year's series, on the 20th and the 27th.
One interesting aspect of running the same course week after week is that you can compare gear when you're pushing yourself over the same terrain. There's a lot that you can't control, such as the weather, or how you're feeling, but you can use the experience to get a rough feel for how you perform when using certain gear.
I had already decided, going in to this, that I would run this course with different footwear each time, to try to finally figure out what shoes I want to wear for this terrain. I've dialed in my road footwear (Brooks PureFlow 2), but my trail footwear is still all over the place. After this race, I also realized that it might not be cut and dry. I love my Bikila LSs (Vibram FiveFingers) for the type of terrain in Coles Woods, and they also did great on hikes up smaller mountains, and even Mount Equinox. When it came to the High Peaks, though, with its mud and and eroded faces, they fell short. I found that I had to push my foot down completely against the rock to get traction, and when I didn't, there was a good chance that I was going to slip. The treads on the Bikila aren't that deep, and I think that's the source of the problem: get enough mud on them and you're in danger of not making contact with the terrain. So I might need to settle on one pair for woods roads and smaller mountains, and another for the High Peaks and similar terrain. Regardless, I still have a lot to learn.
On the first race of this series I ran in my Trail Gloves (Merrell), which are perfect for this terrain, and I didn't have any problems with them. This week, I took out my Spyridon LSs, which are the trail running FiveFinger model. I have a love-hate relationship with these shoes; they bite well on most surfaces, including some ice, but they tend to hurt my feet. I'm not quite sure where the problem is. In today's race my feet were OK, but my knees were hurting. I'll probably run in my Bikilas next week, and I'm curious to see if my knees end up hurting during that run. For the final week I might take out my road shoes.
I'm also trying to nail down running backpacks and clothing, as I find myself gearing up for longer and longer runs. This race, to keep it simple, I just ran with an SPI Belt to hold my phone and my keys, and I found myself forgetting that it was there. Last week, I, uh, well... I ran in my work clothes. So my phone and my keys were in my pocket; no pack needed. It wasn't horrible, running in jeans and a polo, but it was definitely sweaty. (I do most of my midweek runs like this during the cooler months, when sweating isn't a problem.) This week I stuck to a normal running outfit: wool running shorts and a wool base layer up top.
Well, that's enough rambling for one day. Until next time, be excellent to each other.
So, when I went to get my bib for tonight's race, Rebecca recognized me, and said that she had found the post while looking for articles on the race. I was still amazed that someone had found it that quickly, and I'm thankful for everyone reading these posts, and to Rebecca for posting it where others could find it.
The Race
I walked a few laps around the track to warm up and then made a quick trip to my car to drop off my water bottle. I had contemplated running with it (it's a small running bottle with a bit of nylon to keep it on your hand while you run), but decided I didn't need it. During the last race I had found myself wanting for water midway through, but I had made it. I figured that I would be fine this time around, too.
We all lined up near the start a little before 6. I found Matt, whom I had talked with briefly after the last race. We chatted for a few minutes, and then Rebecca got up to say a few words. She remarked with a chuckle that no one had gotten lost last time, reminded us that there was no one out there to tell us where to go, and to just go straight if we were in doubt. Then we were off.
I started in the middle of the pack this time, and found myself running way too fast once again. Matt pulled a little bit ahead of me, and I tried to keep up with him, but he was moving just a little too fast for me. At the end of the first lap, I managed to catch up briefly, and then he was off again. I did my best to keep up the pace, to keep passing, and to keep moving, which worked for the first mile. Right before the end of the first mile, Brian Teague ran past me, talking with another runner. He had taken pictures of the last race, after having run it himself, and then repeated the trick on the Prospect Mountain race last weekend. I don't know how he can run and then immediately hold a camera steady enough to take pictures of the other runners coming in, but I'm grateful for it.
I slowed down a lot on the second mile's hills. During the last race, mile two was when I found myself fighting the urge to walk almost constantly. This time around, it wasn't quite so bad. My knee was hurting, I was thirsty, but I would live. So I kept running, right up until we passed the water towers near the mall and the course started descending. The big toe of my right foot got caught on a root or a half buried log, and I found myself sailing toward the ground. I caught myself on my hands in a break-fall, but I didn't have time to throw my legs back. My right knee, the one that had been hurting, the one that always hurts, ended up covered in dirt and what appeared to be blood. The race had me in its thrall, though, so I jumped back up and kept running.
Two other runners whom I recognized as being around my pace cut past me just then, and I felt a surge of adrenaline. I flew down the hill, focusing on turnover, and I passed them in short time. I was determined to finish strong. When I got past the people cheering at the edge of the track, I poured on whatever energy I had left. During the run last week, I had nothing left by this point, and I just did my best to finish. This week, I didn't have that problem: I ran the track portion at the end in the 7s, and finished at 29:20, a full 35 seconds faster than the previous week, another PR. (I know I'll plateau eventually, so I'm enjoying these PRs while I can.)
Afterwards I walked over to the point where the track meets the woods road, and cheered other runners on for a little while. After that, I caught up with Matt; he had also bettered his time from the previous week. He said he was constantly looking to see if I was catching up to him, but I had lost sight of him after the first mile and hadn't seen him at all after that.
I'd like to say a huge thank you to Rebecca, and all of the staff and volunteers who put on these series. The races are a LOT of fun, and they're well run. I strongly recommend that any area runner check them out. There are two more left in this year's series, on the 20th and the 27th.
Gear Analysis
One interesting aspect of running the same course week after week is that you can compare gear when you're pushing yourself over the same terrain. There's a lot that you can't control, such as the weather, or how you're feeling, but you can use the experience to get a rough feel for how you perform when using certain gear.
I had already decided, going in to this, that I would run this course with different footwear each time, to try to finally figure out what shoes I want to wear for this terrain. I've dialed in my road footwear (Brooks PureFlow 2), but my trail footwear is still all over the place. After this race, I also realized that it might not be cut and dry. I love my Bikila LSs (Vibram FiveFingers) for the type of terrain in Coles Woods, and they also did great on hikes up smaller mountains, and even Mount Equinox. When it came to the High Peaks, though, with its mud and and eroded faces, they fell short. I found that I had to push my foot down completely against the rock to get traction, and when I didn't, there was a good chance that I was going to slip. The treads on the Bikila aren't that deep, and I think that's the source of the problem: get enough mud on them and you're in danger of not making contact with the terrain. So I might need to settle on one pair for woods roads and smaller mountains, and another for the High Peaks and similar terrain. Regardless, I still have a lot to learn.
On the first race of this series I ran in my Trail Gloves (Merrell), which are perfect for this terrain, and I didn't have any problems with them. This week, I took out my Spyridon LSs, which are the trail running FiveFinger model. I have a love-hate relationship with these shoes; they bite well on most surfaces, including some ice, but they tend to hurt my feet. I'm not quite sure where the problem is. In today's race my feet were OK, but my knees were hurting. I'll probably run in my Bikilas next week, and I'm curious to see if my knees end up hurting during that run. For the final week I might take out my road shoes.
I'm also trying to nail down running backpacks and clothing, as I find myself gearing up for longer and longer runs. This race, to keep it simple, I just ran with an SPI Belt to hold my phone and my keys, and I found myself forgetting that it was there. Last week, I, uh, well... I ran in my work clothes. So my phone and my keys were in my pocket; no pack needed. It wasn't horrible, running in jeans and a polo, but it was definitely sweaty. (I do most of my midweek runs like this during the cooler months, when sweating isn't a problem.) This week I stuck to a normal running outfit: wool running shorts and a wool base layer up top.
Well, that's enough rambling for one day. Until next time, be excellent to each other.
07 May 2014
AdiRUNdack Trail Series - Race 1 - 6 May 2014
I've wanted to check out Cole's Woods, in Glens Falls, NY, for a while. I got the chance yesterday, when I participated in the first leg of this year's AdiRUNdack Trail Series, put on by The Adirondack Runners and the Glens Falls YMCA. The turnout was a record: 163 runners and 142 finishers. The organizers seemed very pleased with the number of participants.
Around 6pm, the designated start time, we made our way over to the start line. The race director said a few words, explaining that there would be no one out on the course telling us where to go, but it was well marked, and if we were in doubt, just go straight. Then we were off.
I started too far back in the pack, and spent most of the first lap around the track passing other runners. After a lap, we headed in to the woods as one long mass of runners. I passed a few more runners, and eventually found people who were running at roughly the same pace.
The course is a lollipop, with some time on the track thrown in at both ends. In the middle is a hill that goes on for a while. I pushed hard up it, and pushed hard down it, trying not to give up any ground. As we started making our way back to the track, I found myself getting passed. A lot. I did my best to keep up the pace, but I was running low on gas. I accepted my fate, did my best, and ran every second of the course. For my efforts, the timing gods blessed me with a 29:55, which beat my goal for the race by a full 5 seconds.
It was also a PR. The last (and only other) time I ran a 5K was for a virtual race to benefit the Boston One Fund. I ran a 36:06 on the Camp Saratoga 5K course on 4/20 last year.
After the race, as I was recovering, I ended up talking with another runner, named Mike. He said that he had been following me for most of the race, and didn't think I was going to let him pass. I told him I was doing my best not to get passed, but on the final stretch I ran out of gas. We talked a bit more, and then I went up to the finish line to cheer other runners on. Once I felt I had returned to a somewhat normal state, I took my leave and headed out. As I was leaving, an 82-year old gentleman named Walt was coming in, and I stopped to cheer him on, too. He finished in 44:09.
All in all it was fun, and I look forward to doing it again. I love the energy that comes from running with other humans, especially in a competitive environment.
Until next time, be excellent to each other.
Around 6pm, the designated start time, we made our way over to the start line. The race director said a few words, explaining that there would be no one out on the course telling us where to go, but it was well marked, and if we were in doubt, just go straight. Then we were off.
I started too far back in the pack, and spent most of the first lap around the track passing other runners. After a lap, we headed in to the woods as one long mass of runners. I passed a few more runners, and eventually found people who were running at roughly the same pace.
The course is a lollipop, with some time on the track thrown in at both ends. In the middle is a hill that goes on for a while. I pushed hard up it, and pushed hard down it, trying not to give up any ground. As we started making our way back to the track, I found myself getting passed. A lot. I did my best to keep up the pace, but I was running low on gas. I accepted my fate, did my best, and ran every second of the course. For my efforts, the timing gods blessed me with a 29:55, which beat my goal for the race by a full 5 seconds.
It was also a PR. The last (and only other) time I ran a 5K was for a virtual race to benefit the Boston One Fund. I ran a 36:06 on the Camp Saratoga 5K course on 4/20 last year.
After the race, as I was recovering, I ended up talking with another runner, named Mike. He said that he had been following me for most of the race, and didn't think I was going to let him pass. I told him I was doing my best not to get passed, but on the final stretch I ran out of gas. We talked a bit more, and then I went up to the finish line to cheer other runners on. Once I felt I had returned to a somewhat normal state, I took my leave and headed out. As I was leaving, an 82-year old gentleman named Walt was coming in, and I stopped to cheer him on, too. He finished in 44:09.
All in all it was fun, and I look forward to doing it again. I love the energy that comes from running with other humans, especially in a competitive environment.
Until next time, be excellent to each other.
05 May 2014
Spring Has Sprung 10 Mile Run - 4 May 2014
"Legs. Are. Sore. High Peaks sore."
I texted that message to a couple of my hiking companions this afternoon, one of whom had just accompanied me on an eye-opening experience. For nearly two years now, I had been engaging in active aerobic activities primarily for the purpose of building cardiovascular fitness for hiking. I had burnt out early on a climb up Wright, and I had decided that I needed something a little more intense than walking to build up my fitness level.
I tried going to the gym and riding on an exercise bike. After all, it had helped me immensely when I was losing weight years ago, perhaps it could help me now. I found the experience unsatisfying, though. Feeling more like a hamster than a human, I started relying on thrash metal to power me through the workouts. Mustaine and his rotating group of musicians can only carry a person so far, though. A month later, I tried running on the streets around my neighborhood. It was all right, but my real breakthrough came when I went for a run at Camp Saratoga, in September of 2012. Between the softer surface and the sunrise I caught, I was instantly hooked.
I've been running on and off since then, pausing to let injuries heal, and my hiking performance has noticeably improved. In April of 2013, I ran a virtual 5k to benefit the Boston One Fund, but, aside from that, I didn't run any races in these two years. The virtual 5k, given my inexperience, was basically just a long run on that particular weekend. I was literally running just for fitness.
At the urging of my friend and hiking companion, Jason, we started discussing a race schedule for this year. I set two goals for myself: a road race and a trail race, preferably with elevation. We're still in the midst of deciding what races we're going to enter later on in the year, but Jason mentioned that he was thinking of doing a new race along the Zim Smith Trail, called the Spring Has Sprung 10 Mile Run. The race had caught my eye a few weeks earlier, because of where it was being held, but I thought the distance would be too much for me. When Jason suggested it, I thought, "why not?". We were discussing running a half marathon, and running 10+ mile trail races, so, why not? When I finally went to sign up, I found that the race had been moved from the Zim Smith Trail to Clifton Park, which actually made it easier to manage, since it was now starting and ending in the same place, as opposed to the point to point race it was scheduled to be originally.
I built up fairly quickly from my 6-7 mile a week base, peaking at 13 miles 3 weeks before the race. The week after that, I missed my long run due to a nasty intestinal bug, and the following week, I bonked hard after 4 miles due to what I think was the lingering effect of the intestinal bug, and a fueling issue. I was extremely nervous going in to this race; I didn't think I could do it. Several of the people I spoke to about it said I should be fine, and I calmed down a bit after a decent run on Tuesday. Taking my boss's advice, I decided not to go for a short run on Thursday, and to just lay low until the race. I also decided to just roll with the fueling plan I had used on my last successful long run; I knew it wasn't ideal, but it had gotten me through 9.5 miles. I would eat half a bag of fuel after 30 minutes, and continue eating half a bag every 15 minutes after that, more or less.
Jason and I rode down to Clifton Park together, where we met up with his father, Bela, who was also running. Several of Bela's colleagues and/or friends were running as well, and he introduced us to a few whom we met while getting ready. The Clifton Park YMCA was hosting the race, organized by Jennifer Casey and timed by ARE. We went in to the Y, got our bibs, chips, and swag, and then headed out to drop our extra layers and finish getting ready. The morning was cool and damp, and while we knew we would warm up quickly, it was tough for me to figure out what to bring. In the end, I decided to keep my soft shell on, knowing full well that it would spend the majority of the race around my waist.
We lined up, Jennifer Casey said a few words explaining the course, and we were off. It was fascinating watching the crowd move out. We flowed as one at first, quietly finding ourselves. After a short while the crowd started to thin out, and I started to slow my pace down a bit, searching for a level I could maintain. In training I had been running 11:00-12:00s on my long run, and my plan for this race was to start at a 12:00 pace and aim for negative splits. Instead, I ran the first mile at 9:30, and then started slowing down into the 10s and then 11s. During that first mile, I settled in next to a gentleman named Scott, and we talked and ran together until the first water stop. I hadn't gone on a run with anyone else prior to this race, and it was excellent to just run and talk. It made the first two miles go by very quickly. When we got to the first water stop, at mile 2, he said he was going to to walk it, and I said I'd see him soon. We ended up running in proximity of each other for the remainder of the race, passing each other a few times.
Just past the first water stop, the informal strung out clump of runners I was rolling with came to the T intersection on Moe Road, and we went west, a direction that I can't remember ever taking in my car. I cracked open the first round of fuel and walked a bit so that I could choke it down. Despite being sweet candy, it was remarkably hard to chew and swallow.
The route ran past a reservoir, and I was delighted to see a few ducks or geese out for a cruise (I honestly can't remember which; in my head at the time, I said "duck", but looking back in my mind's eye, they were clearly geese). What really caught my eye, though, was a Great Blue Heron, perched not far from the road, eyeing us with the suspicion only a prehistoric-looking bird like the heron can produce.
Just past the reservoir, the road angled up. I decided to walk it; I could have run it, but I didn't see the point. I would waste fuel trying to run up it, and I was still worried about a burn out. I started running as I crested the ridge, and the skies decided to open up briefly and heavily in response. I put my coat back on, and pushed on. In a short distance, the route came to the intersection with Grooms Road, and I was stunned to find myself there. I knew where I was and couldn't believe that I had just run down here from the Y.
Shortly after the intersection, I moved a foot to the left to enjoy a strip of soft dirt, and then the skies opened up once again. The rain was clearly punishing me for my insolence; it was pouring buckets, and I had to keep my hood up just so that I could see out of my glasses. The route turned back into a neighborhood, and then picked up a bike trail that I was completely unfamiliar with. Most of the bike trails in Clifton Park are set alongside the roads, but this was a meandering path that took us through woods, past tiny wetlands, and dropped us not far from the Clifton Commons. I expected us to cut through the Commons, but instead we stayed on Vischer's Ferry Road and then cut over to make our way through residential streets toward Shen.
I went for my third fuel pack, this one caffeinated, in hopes of keeping myself going long enough to roll across the finish line. The route went briefly along Route 146 (horrifying, even on the sidewalks), and then ducked in to Shen at the main entrance. We had been warned at the start that the route through the Shen campus would be on sidewalks, and indeed, it was. Cold, hard, sidewalks. We went past Gowana, then a brand new looking pool building, then Koda (now High School West), then around a much larger track than I remember, and finally past the High School. I stared at the High School, my high school, as I ran past, my mind full of nostalgia. I was approaching mile 9, though, so I snapped out of it, and texted my wife by voice to say I was getting close. (She had asked for advanced warning, in case the kids were acting up.) Then, I decided to see just how fast I could run the last mile.
I pushed hard, and managed to shave a minute off of my last mile. As I rounded the final stretch, I recognized the people in the distance, cheering me on. My family was there, and Jason and Bela had walked over, too. It was great to see them, and I picked up the pace even more on the last bit. My oldest had even made signs to cheer me on! My youngest daughter held out her arms as I ran past, and I realize now that I should have grabbed her and carried her across the line, but it didn't occur to me then; I was in "go mode", so I went. On the other side of the chute was a small group of people waiting to relieve us of our timing tags. I reunited with my family and fellow runners, and we exchanged congratulations and salutations.
We all hung around long enough to see the other runners I had been running with finish, including Scott, and then we headed over to the Y for some refreshment. The award ceremony started 15 or so minutes later. The fastest runner that day finished in under an hour, at 57:39, and he was nearly 7 minutes ahead of the next fastest runner. With a finishing time of 1:27:23, Bela won his age group, but he would have won it with any finishing time, as he was the only male in that group. Jason came in at 1:26:09.
All in all, it was a wonderful experience. I had no idea that I would get such a boost out of being around other runners, but it's something I intend to explore more as time goes on. My goal for this race was to run it in 2 hours, fully expecting to walk a lot during the final miles. It didn't happen like that, though. I walked very little; the longest I walked was up the hill after the reservoir. I ran the first mile in the 9's, the next two miles in the 10's the middle in the 11's, and the last in the 10's. My official time was 1:50:25, nearly 10 minute faster than my intended time. I'm elated, stunned, and can't wait for more.
I texted that message to a couple of my hiking companions this afternoon, one of whom had just accompanied me on an eye-opening experience. For nearly two years now, I had been engaging in active aerobic activities primarily for the purpose of building cardiovascular fitness for hiking. I had burnt out early on a climb up Wright, and I had decided that I needed something a little more intense than walking to build up my fitness level.
I tried going to the gym and riding on an exercise bike. After all, it had helped me immensely when I was losing weight years ago, perhaps it could help me now. I found the experience unsatisfying, though. Feeling more like a hamster than a human, I started relying on thrash metal to power me through the workouts. Mustaine and his rotating group of musicians can only carry a person so far, though. A month later, I tried running on the streets around my neighborhood. It was all right, but my real breakthrough came when I went for a run at Camp Saratoga, in September of 2012. Between the softer surface and the sunrise I caught, I was instantly hooked.
I've been running on and off since then, pausing to let injuries heal, and my hiking performance has noticeably improved. In April of 2013, I ran a virtual 5k to benefit the Boston One Fund, but, aside from that, I didn't run any races in these two years. The virtual 5k, given my inexperience, was basically just a long run on that particular weekend. I was literally running just for fitness.
At the urging of my friend and hiking companion, Jason, we started discussing a race schedule for this year. I set two goals for myself: a road race and a trail race, preferably with elevation. We're still in the midst of deciding what races we're going to enter later on in the year, but Jason mentioned that he was thinking of doing a new race along the Zim Smith Trail, called the Spring Has Sprung 10 Mile Run. The race had caught my eye a few weeks earlier, because of where it was being held, but I thought the distance would be too much for me. When Jason suggested it, I thought, "why not?". We were discussing running a half marathon, and running 10+ mile trail races, so, why not? When I finally went to sign up, I found that the race had been moved from the Zim Smith Trail to Clifton Park, which actually made it easier to manage, since it was now starting and ending in the same place, as opposed to the point to point race it was scheduled to be originally.
I built up fairly quickly from my 6-7 mile a week base, peaking at 13 miles 3 weeks before the race. The week after that, I missed my long run due to a nasty intestinal bug, and the following week, I bonked hard after 4 miles due to what I think was the lingering effect of the intestinal bug, and a fueling issue. I was extremely nervous going in to this race; I didn't think I could do it. Several of the people I spoke to about it said I should be fine, and I calmed down a bit after a decent run on Tuesday. Taking my boss's advice, I decided not to go for a short run on Thursday, and to just lay low until the race. I also decided to just roll with the fueling plan I had used on my last successful long run; I knew it wasn't ideal, but it had gotten me through 9.5 miles. I would eat half a bag of fuel after 30 minutes, and continue eating half a bag every 15 minutes after that, more or less.
The Race
Jason and I rode down to Clifton Park together, where we met up with his father, Bela, who was also running. Several of Bela's colleagues and/or friends were running as well, and he introduced us to a few whom we met while getting ready. The Clifton Park YMCA was hosting the race, organized by Jennifer Casey and timed by ARE. We went in to the Y, got our bibs, chips, and swag, and then headed out to drop our extra layers and finish getting ready. The morning was cool and damp, and while we knew we would warm up quickly, it was tough for me to figure out what to bring. In the end, I decided to keep my soft shell on, knowing full well that it would spend the majority of the race around my waist.
We lined up, Jennifer Casey said a few words explaining the course, and we were off. It was fascinating watching the crowd move out. We flowed as one at first, quietly finding ourselves. After a short while the crowd started to thin out, and I started to slow my pace down a bit, searching for a level I could maintain. In training I had been running 11:00-12:00s on my long run, and my plan for this race was to start at a 12:00 pace and aim for negative splits. Instead, I ran the first mile at 9:30, and then started slowing down into the 10s and then 11s. During that first mile, I settled in next to a gentleman named Scott, and we talked and ran together until the first water stop. I hadn't gone on a run with anyone else prior to this race, and it was excellent to just run and talk. It made the first two miles go by very quickly. When we got to the first water stop, at mile 2, he said he was going to to walk it, and I said I'd see him soon. We ended up running in proximity of each other for the remainder of the race, passing each other a few times.
Just past the first water stop, the informal strung out clump of runners I was rolling with came to the T intersection on Moe Road, and we went west, a direction that I can't remember ever taking in my car. I cracked open the first round of fuel and walked a bit so that I could choke it down. Despite being sweet candy, it was remarkably hard to chew and swallow.
The route ran past a reservoir, and I was delighted to see a few ducks or geese out for a cruise (I honestly can't remember which; in my head at the time, I said "duck", but looking back in my mind's eye, they were clearly geese). What really caught my eye, though, was a Great Blue Heron, perched not far from the road, eyeing us with the suspicion only a prehistoric-looking bird like the heron can produce.
Just past the reservoir, the road angled up. I decided to walk it; I could have run it, but I didn't see the point. I would waste fuel trying to run up it, and I was still worried about a burn out. I started running as I crested the ridge, and the skies decided to open up briefly and heavily in response. I put my coat back on, and pushed on. In a short distance, the route came to the intersection with Grooms Road, and I was stunned to find myself there. I knew where I was and couldn't believe that I had just run down here from the Y.
Shortly after the intersection, I moved a foot to the left to enjoy a strip of soft dirt, and then the skies opened up once again. The rain was clearly punishing me for my insolence; it was pouring buckets, and I had to keep my hood up just so that I could see out of my glasses. The route turned back into a neighborhood, and then picked up a bike trail that I was completely unfamiliar with. Most of the bike trails in Clifton Park are set alongside the roads, but this was a meandering path that took us through woods, past tiny wetlands, and dropped us not far from the Clifton Commons. I expected us to cut through the Commons, but instead we stayed on Vischer's Ferry Road and then cut over to make our way through residential streets toward Shen.
I went for my third fuel pack, this one caffeinated, in hopes of keeping myself going long enough to roll across the finish line. The route went briefly along Route 146 (horrifying, even on the sidewalks), and then ducked in to Shen at the main entrance. We had been warned at the start that the route through the Shen campus would be on sidewalks, and indeed, it was. Cold, hard, sidewalks. We went past Gowana, then a brand new looking pool building, then Koda (now High School West), then around a much larger track than I remember, and finally past the High School. I stared at the High School, my high school, as I ran past, my mind full of nostalgia. I was approaching mile 9, though, so I snapped out of it, and texted my wife by voice to say I was getting close. (She had asked for advanced warning, in case the kids were acting up.) Then, I decided to see just how fast I could run the last mile.
I pushed hard, and managed to shave a minute off of my last mile. As I rounded the final stretch, I recognized the people in the distance, cheering me on. My family was there, and Jason and Bela had walked over, too. It was great to see them, and I picked up the pace even more on the last bit. My oldest had even made signs to cheer me on! My youngest daughter held out her arms as I ran past, and I realize now that I should have grabbed her and carried her across the line, but it didn't occur to me then; I was in "go mode", so I went. On the other side of the chute was a small group of people waiting to relieve us of our timing tags. I reunited with my family and fellow runners, and we exchanged congratulations and salutations.
We all hung around long enough to see the other runners I had been running with finish, including Scott, and then we headed over to the Y for some refreshment. The award ceremony started 15 or so minutes later. The fastest runner that day finished in under an hour, at 57:39, and he was nearly 7 minutes ahead of the next fastest runner. With a finishing time of 1:27:23, Bela won his age group, but he would have won it with any finishing time, as he was the only male in that group. Jason came in at 1:26:09.
All in all, it was a wonderful experience. I had no idea that I would get such a boost out of being around other runners, but it's something I intend to explore more as time goes on. My goal for this race was to run it in 2 hours, fully expecting to walk a lot during the final miles. It didn't happen like that, though. I walked very little; the longest I walked was up the hill after the reservoir. I ran the first mile in the 9's, the next two miles in the 10's the middle in the 11's, and the last in the 10's. My official time was 1:50:25, nearly 10 minute faster than my intended time. I'm elated, stunned, and can't wait for more.
20 April 2013
Virtual 5K Trail Race at Camp Saratoga - 20 Apr 2013
I had been looking for something to do to support the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing, when I came across a decent-sized list on Runners World. One of the things that caught my eye was a virtual 5K race hosted by NYCRUNS (https://nycruns.com/races/?race=runners-for-relief-a-virtual-5k-supporting-boston-marathon-bombing-victims). I decided to go for it. The money would go to the Boston One Fund, and it would give me something to focus on beyond the death and devastation so close to my home. Again.
Mind you, this was my first race. Ever. I knew there was a marked course over at Camp Saratoga, as I had run it a few times before (and gotten off-course almost every time). There's a loop near the beginning, and both of the junctions can be confusing if you don't have your wits about you. There's also a hard right turn right after the only road crossing that's easy to miss if you're not paying attention.
Fortunately, today I did have my wits about me, and I stayed on course. I wasn't entirely sure where the course ended, but I knew from a picture on one of the sites associated with the course that it ended somewhere on the parade ground. So, I guessed. I had intended on stopping at the posts that used to hold a volleyball net, but I ended up running to the hanging grills instead.
The course itself is hilly, with a few steep ones at the very beginning that almost always have me walking as fast as I can (which today felt faster than normal). After that the course goes up and down a bit, with one climb just past the second junction of the loop that also had me speed walking (actually I think trail runners are supposed to call it "power hiking" or something like that). Anyway, I made decent time through most of the course, keeping my pace roughly between 11:00 and 12:00 (my intended range, and the range that I had decent success with last weekend). As I got into the last kilometer, on the hilliest and most treacherous part of the course, I pushed a bit harder, and started running up the hills. At the end I was watching the watch, trying to figure out where the end of the course was supposed to be.
I should probably explain that last bit: the course is marked with white markers that say "5K". There's one bit of trail that appears to have been added specifically for the racing route, and the rest of it follows the roads that we used to use to walk and drive around Camp Saratoga when it was still a Boy Scout camp. On the last section, the 5K route dives down to a single track hiking trail that runs beside Delegan Pond that used to serve a few of the campsites. It rushes past the cabins, bends left around the pond, crosses the dam, and then exits out onto the parade ground. After that, it isn't marked. So, I guessed.
I crossed the "finish line" at around 36:09, giving me a pace of 11:34 for the course, which the GPS measured at 3.13 miles (a hair over 5K, but GPSs aren't always accurate). After that I went for a walk to cool down.
Most interesting of all, for me, was the psychological aspect of this. I wasn't racing against anyone, and yet I was, in a sense, since a winner will be chosen from the entrants into the race. While I was eating my lunch beforehand, and getting my gear together, I noticed that I was visibly shaking. I managed to calm myself down some, but I was definitely still in a competitive mood / mode. The psychological aspects continued on the trail, as well. After the first mile I felt like I was moving at a snail's pace on the trails, despite the fact that I was running the entire time (minus the few short hills), and generally moving very well given where I'm at, physically. I know that I could have run faster, but I also knew that if I ran too fast, I would end up having to walk a lot, which would throw off my overall pace.
Anyway, this event was also a chance for me to try out fueling a bit. The short of it is:
Swedish Fish: bad. Too big and too chewy. Hard to chew and swallow while running. The smaller ones might be OK, but I think I'm going to try out other options.
Fruit leather: possibly good. I brought two along but didn't eat them until I was done. They were OK to eat then, though I did notice that the wrapper has to go immediately into a baggie. Stowing it in a pocket is just asking for trouble, due to the inside of the wrapper being insanely sticky.
I hadn't intended on fueling at all until around mile 2, so that I would have an extra kick on the last bit. Around mile 1, however, I started feeling sluggish, so I opted to fuel early. I had intentionally gone the sugary route since I knew that anything complex just wouldn't be useful on such a short course. It worked, I guess, but I still have a lot to learn about fueling. I'd rather not fuel at all on these short courses, but after last week's run I've realized that I need to pay more attention to it, and figure it out.
Also, my lumbar pack was a bit big for a race. It's great for general trail running, since it'll hold a lot of gear, but when it comes to a race, which is generally supported, I think something lighter would be better. Maybe just a water bottle and something to hold a few essentials.
Finally, while the race was fun, but I can't help thinking about everyone who was injured or killed during this past week. Especially the poor guy who had both of his legs blown off and shown for the world to see, Jeff Bauman, and the victims killed outright by the blast: Martin Richard, Lingzi Lu, and Krystle Campbell. Even for those not physically injured, I know that the psychological injuries can cut just as deep, and take just as long to heal, if they ever do. To anyone and everyone affected by this, my heart goes out to you. It was such a senseless, horrifying, and despicable act.
Mind you, this was my first race. Ever. I knew there was a marked course over at Camp Saratoga, as I had run it a few times before (and gotten off-course almost every time). There's a loop near the beginning, and both of the junctions can be confusing if you don't have your wits about you. There's also a hard right turn right after the only road crossing that's easy to miss if you're not paying attention.
Fortunately, today I did have my wits about me, and I stayed on course. I wasn't entirely sure where the course ended, but I knew from a picture on one of the sites associated with the course that it ended somewhere on the parade ground. So, I guessed. I had intended on stopping at the posts that used to hold a volleyball net, but I ended up running to the hanging grills instead.
The course itself is hilly, with a few steep ones at the very beginning that almost always have me walking as fast as I can (which today felt faster than normal). After that the course goes up and down a bit, with one climb just past the second junction of the loop that also had me speed walking (actually I think trail runners are supposed to call it "power hiking" or something like that). Anyway, I made decent time through most of the course, keeping my pace roughly between 11:00 and 12:00 (my intended range, and the range that I had decent success with last weekend). As I got into the last kilometer, on the hilliest and most treacherous part of the course, I pushed a bit harder, and started running up the hills. At the end I was watching the watch, trying to figure out where the end of the course was supposed to be.
I should probably explain that last bit: the course is marked with white markers that say "5K". There's one bit of trail that appears to have been added specifically for the racing route, and the rest of it follows the roads that we used to use to walk and drive around Camp Saratoga when it was still a Boy Scout camp. On the last section, the 5K route dives down to a single track hiking trail that runs beside Delegan Pond that used to serve a few of the campsites. It rushes past the cabins, bends left around the pond, crosses the dam, and then exits out onto the parade ground. After that, it isn't marked. So, I guessed.
I crossed the "finish line" at around 36:09, giving me a pace of 11:34 for the course, which the GPS measured at 3.13 miles (a hair over 5K, but GPSs aren't always accurate). After that I went for a walk to cool down.
Done.
Most interesting of all, for me, was the psychological aspect of this. I wasn't racing against anyone, and yet I was, in a sense, since a winner will be chosen from the entrants into the race. While I was eating my lunch beforehand, and getting my gear together, I noticed that I was visibly shaking. I managed to calm myself down some, but I was definitely still in a competitive mood / mode. The psychological aspects continued on the trail, as well. After the first mile I felt like I was moving at a snail's pace on the trails, despite the fact that I was running the entire time (minus the few short hills), and generally moving very well given where I'm at, physically. I know that I could have run faster, but I also knew that if I ran too fast, I would end up having to walk a lot, which would throw off my overall pace.
Anyway, this event was also a chance for me to try out fueling a bit. The short of it is:
Swedish Fish: bad. Too big and too chewy. Hard to chew and swallow while running. The smaller ones might be OK, but I think I'm going to try out other options.
Fruit leather: possibly good. I brought two along but didn't eat them until I was done. They were OK to eat then, though I did notice that the wrapper has to go immediately into a baggie. Stowing it in a pocket is just asking for trouble, due to the inside of the wrapper being insanely sticky.
I hadn't intended on fueling at all until around mile 2, so that I would have an extra kick on the last bit. Around mile 1, however, I started feeling sluggish, so I opted to fuel early. I had intentionally gone the sugary route since I knew that anything complex just wouldn't be useful on such a short course. It worked, I guess, but I still have a lot to learn about fueling. I'd rather not fuel at all on these short courses, but after last week's run I've realized that I need to pay more attention to it, and figure it out.
Also, my lumbar pack was a bit big for a race. It's great for general trail running, since it'll hold a lot of gear, but when it comes to a race, which is generally supported, I think something lighter would be better. Maybe just a water bottle and something to hold a few essentials.
Finally, while the race was fun, but I can't help thinking about everyone who was injured or killed during this past week. Especially the poor guy who had both of his legs blown off and shown for the world to see, Jeff Bauman, and the victims killed outright by the blast: Martin Richard, Lingzi Lu, and Krystle Campbell. Even for those not physically injured, I know that the psychological injuries can cut just as deep, and take just as long to heal, if they ever do. To anyone and everyone affected by this, my heart goes out to you. It was such a senseless, horrifying, and despicable act.
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