A Year of Long Distance - Race#4
Powerbar 4.5 Mile Trail Race
Saturday, June 10, 2006

2006 Powerbar 4.5 Mile Trail Race Results
Powerbar 4.5 & 9 Mile Trail Races info

2006 Powerbar 4.5 Mile Trail Race Photo Slideshow

OK, I guess 4.5 miles doesn't really qualify as long distance, but the short races have significance too. They give me a chance to try running faster than usual (since I don't need to save energy for all those upcoming miles) and they're fun, too!

Another great race from Yellowjacket Racing out in Rochester. And another race where they had a record turnout - roughly 200 runners between the short and long courses. And another chance to run in beautiful Mendon Ponds park! There were two options - a 4.5 mile and a 9 mile (2 loops of the 4.5 mile.) I chose the shorter option because (1) I wasn't sure what the course would be like (I suspected lots of hills) and (2) Ann and I were planning to do some travelling this weekend, and the short race would leave me more time with her. A good choice, as it turned out.

Once again, we had abnormal weather for this race - in this case, temperatures in the 50's on June 10! That left things a little uncertain as far as clothing goes, but I finally decided to go the (initially) chilly route and chose shorts and a long-sleeved shirt. Another good choice, as it happens, because by the end I was pretty darn hot!

So a bit before 9 AM we all crowded into the start area (the edge of a field) and got a humorous pre-race briefing from Dave "Boots" Boutillier, including being told "You'll know the steep hill when you come to it. The footing is rough, so be careful. There are three trees on the left you can use to slow down, and at the bottom there's a big tree on the right you can aim for - it will definitely stop your forward motion!" and "If you're doing the long course and you get to the waterstop and decide you want to switch distances - smart move and it's no problem. If you're doing the short course and you feel great at the waterstop and want to keep going for the long race - you're crazy, but again, no problem!" And then - off we went!



Initially this race reminded me of a snowshoe race... within a quarter mile we were on singletrack and given the number of runners had a fairly lengthy train set up (a long line of runners one after the other.) Then the hills began and the line spread out... :-)

We ran almost the entire race in the eastern part of the park, on trails used primarily for XC skiing in the winter and horseback riding in the summer. There are a few fields but it's predominately woods, with LOTS of hills. A few level sections, but almost all the time we were going either up or down. I managed to run the uphills for the first half, but after that had to walk most of them - I was pushing hard enough that at one point I wondered if I was going to throw up (fortunately I didn't!) On a flat course that probably would have translated into 10-11 minute miles - here it was more like 12's. Passed a few people, and was passed by a few as well, but never really hit a point where there weren't other runners around. Most of the time we were on the main trails, but at a couple of points they diverted us off onto deer paths and we were dodging fallen trees and tripping over roots. Boots was right - the steep downhill was easy to pick out, though I did avoid the tree at the bottom! To add to the fun, not long after that we had another shorter, steep downhill with a 3 foot dropoff at the bottom! After those two sections the rest seemed, well, tame...





A few minutes before the waterstop several fast runners blew by me - the lead guys in the 9 mile race! Must be nice to be biomechanically blessed... boy those guys are fast! As I was approaching the waterstop and the short stretch to the finish, I heard them announcing the winner, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers for the 9 mile. On the last uphill I passed two gals who were walking (it was a short hill, so I pushed and ran it) but then they both blew past me on the downhill. Got my picture taken (twice, actually, but I didn't realize Ann was there until later!) and then ran as fast as I could to the finish. Didn't have a prayer of catching those two gals, but I did manage to cross the finish line in 55:18... not bad, considering the hills on this course.





Staggered back to the car and as I was refueling (ie. drinking water and chomping on trail mix) Ann caught up with me - a pleasant surprise, since I hadn't realized she came over for the end of the race! Since it was pretty cold (to her, at least... I'd been working hard enough that I was still warm) we packed up and headed home.

So I'm very glad I ran this - it was a lot of fun, and I got to see some more of the trails in a section of Mendon I hadn't really been to before. (And a section that will be very good for getting in some hilly runs this summer, when I'm out in Rochester!) And I got a cool T-shirt with a trail-running skeleton!

Next up: GREYLOCK.

-JMH

2006 event totals
snowshoe - 3 miles, 59.5 min
running - 52 miles, 14 hr 02 min
riding - 32.4 miles, 2 hr 32 min

RETURN OF THE MUDDY TURTLE
12 Mile Run at Thacher Park & on the Long Path
Sunday, June 4, 2006

I knew I wanted to get in a longer run (2 1/2 to 3 hours) this weekend, preferably someplace where I haven't been running recently and preferably with a bit more technical terrain than the Pine Bush (after all, GREYLOCK is rapidly approaching!) At first I considered heading to Alander or Beartown, but those are both a haul (3 hour round trip.) I toyed with the idea of checking out the Taconic Skyline trail just west of Pittsfield, but even that's a bit of driving (90 minutes round trip) and I just didn't feel like sitting in the car for that length of time. So in the end I decided to visit Thacher Park, home of the Indian Ladder Trail Race (which I've run 6 times in the past 8 years) and the Hairy Gorilla Trail Half Marathon (which ended up being more fun than I'd expected.) In addition to being someplace I haven't run much before, Thacher also has some reasonably long hills and connects to the Long Path, which I'd like to explore a bit more.

Parked at Hop Field, which in the winter is one of the bases for XC skiing at Thacher. Geared up and headed off for the trail along the escarpment, and immediately regretted not bringing my camera - with all the rain we've been having, the waterfalls over the escarpment were spectacular. Ran the escarpment trail all the way up past the Haile's Cave picnic area, then revised my plan to run the trail through the woods behind there when I discovered the trailhead totally flooded. So it was back down the escarpment (following the current Indian Ladder Trail Race route!) and then up Paint Mine Road, the first significant hill (made it all the way to the top without stopping!) After that I headed uphill on the Long Path to Roemer's High Point, a spot with a pretty darn great view. Of course, there was a LOT of climbing to do to get there (what would you expect, running to someplace named "High Point"?) Some sections were too steep and muddy for me to run, and unfortunately what were probably once some very nice sections of trail are now a torn-up logging road. But I did make it to the High Point, and even went a little bit beyond before heading back to Thacher.

From there I headed down into the XC ski trails, many of which I haven't run since the route for the Indian Ladder Trail Race was changed back in 2000. I had forgotten how pretty that section of the park is, so I'm really glad I ended up running it today. That was also the muddy section back when we ran the race there, and today it was a swamp. Mud and water everywhere - what a blast!

My legs definitely felt the 3 hours and all the climbing, but it wasn't bad... and being on such great trails definitely helped to wrap the run up on a positive note. I ended up very wet and very muddy, which is usually a lot of fun (and definitely was today.) One thing that really stood out was the lack of traffic noise - as much as I like the Pine Bush, there's almost always the sound of traffic somewhere in the background, and at Thacher that only happened when I was near roads. I will definitely have to spend more time running there this summer! Too bad I didn't have my camera; maybe I can get some pictures after a storm sometime in the next few months.

-JMH

THE WEEK AFTER NIPMUCK

16 mile bike ride
Monday, May 29, 2006

4-5 mile run
Wednesday, May 31, 2006

So what does one do after running/hiking 19.5 miles across a technical hiking trail in northeastern Connecticut?

My legs were tired Monday but not totally shot, so I took my bike over to the Mohawk-Hudson Bike/Hikeway west of Schenectady and rode the path from Schenectady County Community College out to the railroad crossing at Scrafford Lane and back. A good evening for a ride - it was fairly humid and very hot, so the breeze from riding felt good, and that path is fairly flat, so it was a nice way to get my legs working again.

Wednesday night I headed over to the Pine Bush for a short run. I could definitely feel the aftereffects of Nipmuck in my legs, but it was still nice to be running again. Half an hour into the run a thunderstorm rolled in, and then it turned into a cool run. (Actually, quite literally - the rain felt great after running for 30 minutes in the muggy weather we've been having!) Just the thing I needed as a pick-me-up in the week following Nipmuck.

JMH

A Year of Long Distance - Race#3
Nipmuck Trail Marathon
Sunday, May 28, 2006

2006 Nipmuck Trail Marathon results
Nipmuck Trail Marathon info

2006 Nipmuck Trail Marathon photo slideshow


"When you can't run, you walk. And when you can't walk, you crawl. And when you can't crawl, you find someone to carry you."
- Captain Malcolm Reynolds, Firefly

So after that ominous quote, let me answer the big question first: was I ready for Nipmuck? The answer - apparently not. I pulled myself from the race after 5 hrs 45 min at the northern turn-around, at mile 19.4, and caught a ride back to race HQ at the start/finish area. And I'm very disappointed, because I really wanted to finish NIPMUCK, both because it's been a goal on and off for 8 years now and because I really wanted one of the cool finishers trophies (a section of log with a sticker and a blue blaze painted on it!) But sadly, this year NIPMUCK finished me instead.

The day started early - alarm went off at 2:45 AM, and I was on the road at 4:15 to try to get to Ashford, CT, by around 7 AM. Drive was pretty straightforward, except for lots of mist and fog (not a positive sign regarding humidity levels later in the day!) All in all, a pretty drive through the mountains of southern Massachusetts, before a short jog down into Connecticut. And a big plus - almost no traffic at that ungodly hour!



Apparently I was part of the "early" group to arrive, because I managed a parking spot close to the start/finish line. The race is run out of a trailhead along Perry Hill Rd and and this is probably the busiest it ever gets, with the road lined with cars in both directions (after all, there are typically 150-200 runners.) Got a free water bottle (from the Fuggawee Athletic Racing Team - look at the initials and you'll see someone has a sense of humor) and a free Techwick T-shirt for the 2006 Montrail/EMS Northeastern Trail Running Series. Also got my race number, complete with bright orange "High Fall Risk" sticker indicating that I am a Nipmuck neophyte. Then I geared up and hung around waiting for the pre-race briefing.

After a few technical difficulties, Nipmuck Dave (the RD) ran us through the briefing, which consisted of a series of taped questions from "Inbred Trail Runner", "Trail Geezer", and so on, the bulk of which was designed to remind us that we MUST take responsibility for our being there and that no one else could be held responsible for anything which happened to us. We heard that many, many times during the 10 minute briefing. We also were informed of the cutoff times - 3 1/2 hours for the 1st out-and-back (wasn't expecting that to be a problem) and 6 hours to reach the 2nd turnaround (that one worried me a bit, since I'd heard the 2nd half is much hillier.) So that gave me some additional goals to shoot for (besides just finishing.)

And then, a few minutes later - off we went!

The 1st leg was a LOT of technical terrain - not particularly hilly, but rocks and roots everywhere. Also some very pretty surroundings - at two points we were running through pine forests along streams. About 2 miles from the turnaround, the faster runners started coming back - the big disadvantage to an out-and-back, if you're slower you spend a bunch of time getting out of the way of people on their way back. But I doubt that slowed me down all that much. Reached the 6+ mile mark, chatted briefly with the nice folks manning the aid station, and headed back, pretty much alone on the trail once I'd passed the half dozen folks who were still on their way to the turnaround. Kept up a pretty consistent pace, and pulled into the start/finish area at 2:55, which was what I was aiming for.

Took a 10 minute break to change into a dry shirt, re-grease my feet and change socks, and grab something to eat... unfortunately, I had no stomach for solid food and ended up eating 1/4 of a boiled potato. I suspect the heat was the culprit there - just thinking about my Clif bars made me slightly nauseous. And the lack of solid nutrition (despite sucking down bottles of Hammer HEED and Perpetuem that I'd brought with me) may be what led to my problems in the seriously hilly second half. That and the relentless pounding my legs took in the technical 1st half. My legs were tired enough that I had to walk the uphills - no big deal. Unfortunately, even a little ways in I was finding it difficult to run the few level sections and downhills. I did some running during the next 3 miles, but after that I was reduced to hiking almost everything. Still not a huge problem, though I was beginning to get worried. But, tired as I was, things were looking OK as I walked into the aid station at mile 17.8, at 4 hours 50 minutes - I was still on pace to finish in under 8 hours, even hiking all the rest.

Unfortunately, the section between there and the turnaround at mile 19.4 was easily the toughest section of the course. Non-stop steep up and down, over technical terrain... I slowed to a crawl and knew I was in trouble. Hiking that section sucked away what little energy I had left - and I was going to have to go BACK over the same terrain on the way back! So over the next 50 minutes I made the tough call, and decided to pull myself from the race when I hit the turn-around. And that's what I did, after coming down a section so steep that there was a STAIRWAY installed!

It was a really difficult decision to make. I really wanted to finish and I hate giving up. But it was clear that, if I were to keep going, (1) it was going to take me at least 3 hours to get back, which meant I wouldn't make the 8 hour cutoff, (2) it's possible I would have reached an aid station after the 8 hour point and gotten pulled from the course by race management (which would have really hurt), and (3) my legs would have been even more beat up and my recovery time would be that much longer - not to mention the hollering my bad knee was doing on the ups and downs. So I caught a ride back to the finish, saw the RD who seemed saddened by the fact that I didn't make it, and watched a few people come across the finish line as I changed into dry clothes and bought one of the custom tye-died Nipmuck Trail Marathon T-shirts. (Don't know if I'll ever wear it - but I had to have one!)



So I'm disappointed but also determined to go back next year and finish. Being on the course has given me some new insight into training (more technical trail! more hills! and more long distance runs!) And perhaps next year, with a better base to start from than I had this year, I'll be able to do it.

And if nothing else - I got to spend six hours out on some really beautiful trails, with a whole bunch of folks who are as crazy or even crazier than I am!

JMH

Next up: a short trail race at Mendon Ponds park, and then - GREYLOCK.

2006 event totals
snowshoe - 3 miles, 59.5 min
running - 47.5 miles, 13 hr 07 min
riding - 32.4 miles, 2 hr 32 min

Jedi Turtle or Grease Monkey?
Saturday, May 27, 2006

Last November it was a bad water pump leaking coolant the morning I was driving down to the 'Gunks to run the After the Leaves Have Fallen 20K. In December it was a soft tire (and various mishaps while trying to change it on a sheet of ice) the morning I was driving to Vermont to run the I Love Woodford 3 mile snowshoe race. So I should be starting to expect automotive challenges before races... but I wasn't expecting my alternator to give up the ghost on Friday night, a day and a half before I drive to Ashford CT to run NIPMUCK.

Fortunately, after an evening of stressing about it, I popped over to Advance Auto Parts, bought a remanufactured alternator, and greatest blessing of all, installed it without any problems in about 45 minutes. So apparently this was a speed bump on the road to NIPMUCK and not the powers that be warning me to stay home tomorrow.

JMH

LAST RUN!
5-6 Mile Run at Five Rivers
Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Well, my last run before NIPMUCK. Not my last run ever! I hope...

The trails at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center were great today... kind of muddy in spots, but that's fun. The section along the Vloman Kill was especially nice - I love all the little waterfalls and the cool rock formations in the stream bed.

I've spent this week recovering from the duathlon last weekend and resting up for NIPMUCK. Short runs, nothing more than 90 minutes. And, oddly enough, it will be nice to get back to doing some longer runs once NIPMUCK is over.

I don't know if I'm truly prepared for NIPMUCK. I readily admit, it's a scary intimidating race right now, since I'm really not sure how well I'll finish (ie running, walking, or crawling) or how long it will take me. The forecasts of hot, humid weather are not helping.

Well, I guess all there is to do is go to Ashford CT on Sunday and find out!

NIPMUCK.

JMH

A short walk at Mendon in the cold, wind, and rain
Sunday, May 21, 2006

map of Mendon Ponds park

Ann and I wanted to get outside for a walk, despite the cold windy rainy weather, so we headed over to Mendon Ponds park to see the geese and walk on some trails I've never been on before (the cross country skiing/hiking/horseback riding trails in the eastern end of the park.) Only saw one family of geese, but the trails were very pretty and did a good job of keeping the wind off us (though it was a bit eerie listening to the trees creak and groan.) Off course it started raining just as we came off the trails (and while we still had a bit of a walk along the road to get back to the car) but that didn't last long. That's definitely a nice section of the park and one I'll have to do some running in this summer.

JMH

A Year of Long Distance - Race#2
Rochester Spring Classic Duathlon
Saturday, May 20, 2006

Rochester Spring Classic Duathlon 2006 results
Rochester Spring Classic Duathlon info

Rochester Spring Classic Duathlon 2006 Photo Slideshow

So here I am, a year after running/riding my first duathlon, back at the Rochester Spring Classic Duathlon. Originally I wasn't leaning toward doing this race again - it was fun last year, but the multiple loops are a bit repetitive, and I wasn't expecting to get a lot of time on the bike, due to training for Nipmuck. But I wanted to get in a shorter race in May, prior to the marathon, and I also wanted to do some duathlons prior to the Pinnacle Challenge in October - so I signed up for the Spring Classic again. And as it approached, I found myself really looking forward to it.

The Spring Classic saw some changes this year, in particular record registration levels (170 competitors half a week before, over 200 total on the day of the race.) This has the folks at Fleet Feet Sports and Yellowjacket Racing very excited, but it also created some logistical problems which they resolved by rearranging the course a bit. In the end I don't think that affected me in the slightest, other than adding to the overall feeling of anticipation.

The latter part of the week leading up to the race was one of the coldest I've ever experienced for May, and (of course!) rain was forecast for Saturday morning. In fact, I woke up in the middle of the night and it was pouring (great...) and when I got up to get ready, it was still raining pretty steadily (what fun...) But not long after heading over to beautiful Mendon Ponds park, the rain let up, and all we had was cold and wind. LOTS of wind.

So I checked in, and was pleased to have two of the volunteers remember me from last year (guess the guy who comes in last stands out!) Geared up in tights, a long-sleeved shirt, and a fleece vest - figured I'd be warm running, but I didn't want to totally freeze riding. And then hung around as the crowd built and they got ready to set us loose!



First run went well, though at 2 miles I was barely warmed up and it was over. Averaged 11 minute miles, which shows just how effective my plan was to "take it easy" in preparation for the marathon. Hah.








Hopped on the bike, and set off for a very chilly 10 mile ride into some pretty good wind gusts. Then it was back for another mile, which was over before I realized it - good thing, too, because the bike-run transitions always kill my legs. The 2nd ride actually felt a bit warmer, though the effects of not-enough-riding this spring were clear as I struggled through the last few miles.






And I was definitely warm on the final run - ended the race with my vest unzipped and my sleeves rolled up. Felt like I was barely moving, but I made pretty consistent time on all three runs, and decent time overall - 2 hr 31 min 41 seconds overall. On average I think I did better running this year (much more consistent than last year) and went a bit slower on the bike (no surprise, given my lack of riding and the headwinds.) But I had a lot of fun, and my work for the marathon showed in that I wasn't totally dead at the end. I even had enough energy to walk the running course and take some pictures!









So I'm definitely glad I did the Spring Classic again. Don't know if the timing will be right for the Fall Classic, but if it is - I'll be looking forward to it!

JMH

Next up: NIPMUCK.

2006 event totals
snowshoe – 3 miles, 59.5 min
running – 28.1 miles, 7 hr 22 min
riding - 32.4 miles, 2 hr 32 min

Iaido Class
Friday, May 12, 2006

A fairly productive class - opened with our usual warmup and ceremonial cleansing of the training area, then split into groups (advanced women, advanced men, and beginners) to work. We spent most of the time working on a single kata - Nukiuchi, which means "Unexpected Attack." The kata begins with a draw into a horizontal cut, chest-high (a warning technique), and follows with a downward cut to incapacitate or kill the attacker as he turns to run away. After that is a series of movements preparing for the possibility of further attacks, either from the front or behind, and then, when it becomes clear this won't be happening, chiburi (shaking the blood off the blade) and re-sheathing the sword. We worked on this kata for about an hour, with only a couple of short breaks to practice another kata once or twice. I first learned Nukiuchi sometime before our trip to Japan in 2002 to train with Master Matsuno, and I remember being very excited to learn it, as it was the first one where we got to perform an additional cut after the initial draw-and-cut. Despite working on it for over 4 years, there are still many small details that I need to perfect, but at times Friday night it felt pretty good and I had a couple of times where I felt I managed to move from thinking my way through the kata to letting my body and mind just do it. Maybe someday I'll manage that with my empty-hand katas too...

JMH

"At every endurance event, there comes a time when you'll say, ' What the (expletive deleted) am I doing here?' And you'll say, 'This is what I do.'"
- John Spas, ultramarathon cyclist, quoted by Bill McKibben in Long Distance

SIX HOURS IS A LONG TIME TO RUN...
20 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Tuesday, May 9, 2006

Albany Pine Bush Trail Map

... and for those who are wondering - running for 6 hours and 20 miles freakin' HURTS.

Last fall, as I was working through the Six, then Seven, and then ultimately Nine Strenuous Weekends, I came up with the idea for a Crazy Pine Bush Run, which was basically - run all the major trails of the sections of the Albany Pine Bush that I frequent, in one long run. Today I did that run, albeit leaving out one section (Rensselaer Lake) for logistical reasons (plus I had never really decided if that was included in the Crazy Pine Bush Run or not.) I parked at the Willow Street trail head, ran over to the Karner Barrens (by the new Pine Bush visitors center) and ran the trails over there, on both sides of Rt 155. Then it was back to the Madison Avenue Pinelands/Great Dune (known around here as the water tower section) where I ran some of the trails before heading back to the car to re-provision at 3 hours. After that I headed back out and made my way over to Blueberry Hill/Kalkout Kill Barrens (known around here as Columbia Circle) and ran most of the trails there (one trail is currently a mess due to habitat restoration ie. all the plants have been stripped from the ground to remove a black locust infestation, so the section is basically a sandy desert.) And then finally back to the Great Dune to hit the last trail there.

Don't really know if I'm ready for the Nipmuck Trail Marathon, but the time for long training runs has passed - it's tapering time! Hopefully the taper period will work its magic and the marathon will only be somewhat painful (unlike my long training runs!)

JMH

"And what did I learn from running eighty thousand miles and hundreds of races, being the first to cross the finish line and once or twice not crossing it at all, those runs on icy roads in winter storms and those cool fall mornings when the air was ripe with the smell of grapes, my feet softly ticking against the pavement?

"I learned I was alive and it felt good. God, it feels so good."

-from "Running with Time" by Roger Hart, in How Running Changed My Life

RUNNING THE TRAILS, RUNNING THE RAILS
7 Mile Run in Fishers, NY
Saturday, May 6, 2006

Lehigh & Auburn Trail map (Victor)
Fishers Park trail map
Lehigh Crossing Park trail map

Last October I ran and biked the Black Diamond Offroad Duathlon in Fishers, NY, and spent 4 miles on the trails in Fishers Park and 10 miles on rail trails, dirt roads, and a bit of pavement in the surrounding area, all in 45 degrees and the rain (and naturally I had a blast freezing my backside off.) I've wanted to get back there again either for some running or some riding, and today was my opportunity. I needed to get in a short (90 minute) run, on the way to Ann's house, but still have time to get showered and change once I arrived so that we could head off to her nephew's annual Boy Scout fundraising dinner. The trails in the Fishers area seemed ideal - fairly flat, and I knew them well enough that I could be pretty sure of keeping to my 90 minute time limit.

Fishers Park is small but riddled with trails that run though both the woods and some fields. The two other major trails in the area are the Auburn and Lehigh Valley trails, both on abandoned rail beds. The Auburn trail was once the Rochester and Auburn Railroad, and runs from just north of Fishers down to Victor. The first time I rode it (3 years ago, maybe?) it was mostly singletrack and quite rough-and-rugged... in other words, lots of fun! Since then a major portion of the open trail has been widened, leveled, and given a base of compacted stone dust. A connecting ramp has also been built, connecting the Auburn trail to the Lehigh Valley trail at an old railroad trestle. The Lehigh Valley trail runs from Victor all the way to the Genesee River and the Genesee Valley Greenway just south of Scottsville, and was once the route of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, which was built to take advantage of the lucrative coal freight business (also known as "black diamond", hence the black diamond logo on the trail markers and the name of the Black Diamond Duathlon.) The Lehigh Valley trail has also been widened, leveled, and given a nice stone dust base. I must admit to having mixed feelings about this - on the one hand, I'm pleased that resources are being used to keep these trails open to the public. But I do miss the old trails, which were wet, muddy, rocky, bumpy, in places overgrown, and generally a lot more interesting and fun!

Anyway, I parked at Fishers Park, geared up, and headed off for one of the Auburn trailheads. First surprise - had to run up a hill to get there! Ah, well, that was a good workout. Hit the trail and headed along a "unimproved" section, including running through a mammoth tunnel under the Thruway. Crossing through Fishers again, I started a long and at times slightly boring run down the section we rode in the Du. A little ways before the end, I ducked through the woods and ended up in the Lehigh Crossings Park, for a brief change of scenery and terrain (fields and dirt road instead of stone dust trail.) Then it was back on the Auburn trail, and up onto the Lehigh trail, for more basically flat, straight running. Finished up with a short stretch of road and then a run through Fishers Park, and managed what was probably about 7 miles or so in an hour and a half. Not a bad run, all told.

The trails are a bit dull at times, but the scenery can be pretty, and there were very few people out when I was there. I'll have to go back with the ATB this summer and ride the rail trails some more. There's a park with some fairly extensive mountain bike trails just off the Auburn trail in Victor - it could be fun to go for a ride and/or a run there sometime, too!

JMH

"When you see a mountain, climb it. When you get to the top, go down the other side. When you come to a river, cross it."
-Description of the Hardrock 100 course by Race Director Dale Garland

Sounds like a pretty good summary of trail running to me!

JMH

COYOTES HOWL
6-7 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Monday, May 1, 2006

Toward the end of last week my left knee began giving me a fair amount of grief, which had me seriously concerned about whether or not I'd be able to keep up with my training plan and have a chance of completing the Nipmuck Trail Marathon at the end of the month. So after several days of no running and a certain amount of feeling sorry for myself, as well as some research into the possible causes of the pain in my knee (probably overuse, surprise, surprise), I once again hit the trails in the Pine Bush to determine what I can and can't do (in particular, how would running or walking up hills affect it.)

It definitely felt good to get out in the woods again, and much of the time all I got from the knee were mild twinges. I carried an expandable treking pole with me, and discovered that (1) it's a big help on the hills, and (2) if I'm going to RUN up those hills I need poles in both hands. (So now I'm thinking about a carrier for the poles that I can strap to my back. Collapsed, they're about the size of escrima sticks, so it might be possible.)

I hit the trails fairly late, so I didn't have much company, at least not of the human kind. Shortly after dark I heard what sounded like dogs howling - figured it was dogs at one of the nearby developments, but then decided it was too close, so my 2nd guess was kids out fooling around. A little further and I realized - nope, not kids: coyotes! I'd read about the coyotes in the Pine Bush but had never seen any sign of them, but they were definitely making a racket last night. They quieted down as I got near, but I'm pretty sure I heard them moving through the woods off to either side, and I may have even seen the eyes of one as he crossed the trail a ways ahead of me. It was a bit spooky, but pretty cool at the same time.

Later I caught a deer staring at me from off the trail - two orange reflections in my headlamp. Possibly one of the group that I've seen repeatedly over the last few weeks of running in there. He took off when I turned out my light momentarily. Guess he was no longer a "deer in the headlight."

Of course, the coyotes may have been laughing at me, since last night I was the Trail Running Geek from Heck. Normal running gear (shirt, shorts, and waistpack with water bottles) supplemented by a pair of 1 lb wrist weights (working the upper body/cardio), a treking pole in one hand, and, once it got dark, a headlamp. I guess it gets the job done but I'm glad no one's snapping any pictures of me.

So tomorrow night it's another run, longer and possibly hillier, to see what my knee can and can't handle. Next Monday is the last LONG run (20+ miles) assuming my knee can take it. I had been thinking of running the Thom Bugliosi 26K Trail Race on Saturday, but I'm going to pass on it... no sense risking an injury running a race on an unknown course. I did find a cool-sounding offroad duathlon for the following weekend - don't know yet if I'm going to give it a try, guess I have to see what the body's up for when the time comes. I'd REALLY like to run and finish Nipmuck, even if I'm slower than slow.

JMH


coyotes in the Pine Bush, photographed as part of a research study run by the NY State Museum's Wildlife Science and Conservation Initiative.

COLD WET LONG RUN
18 Miles from Fairport to Gates
Saturday, April 22, 2006

map of the route

Saturday was the last day of classes for the AMAI Fairport location, so I went and helped with the last two classes and then got geared up to do a long training run while the Rochester instructors and students worked on getting the location into shape to turn it back over to the landlord.

The day before I had decided to do something different for this run, based in part on the weather forecast I was hearing (cold and raining.) Rather than do a pair of out-and-back runs along the Genesee Valley Greenway (too easy to wimp out and cut those short!) I decided to run from Perinton Park in Fairport to Ann's house in Gates, a distance of just over 18 miles. Since it was a point-to-point run, and I don't have a cell phone to call someone to come pick me, I knew I would have no choice but to finish what I had set out to do!

This run was also different from virtually every other one I've done in the past year in that 2/3 of it was on pavement. While in some ways pavement running is easier than trails (and so not a great way to train for a TRAIL marathon!) given my lousy knees I knew 12 miles of pavement might be a major challenge (and so this run was also a first check into the feasibility of my running the Adirondack Marathon in September, since that will be entirely on pavement, albeit with the possibility of my running parts on the unpaved shoulder.)

Anyway, finally got my gear sorted out and packed into the nifty North Face Mountain Biker waist pack that I got for Christmas (thanks, Mom and Dad!) This pack is a major piece of work - I ended up with 5 water bottles, two spare shirts, a bunch of Clif and granola bars, spare socks, etc, etc - everything I might need for a 5 hour run with no hope of support once I'd been dropped off at the start. Of course, it weighs a ton loaded with all that gear, but I used most of it during the course of the afternoon, and it sits fairly comfortably on my hips (with very little bounce! too cool!) At the last minute I decided to pull on my tights - good choice, too, because my legs were nice and warm the whole time, and they would have been freezing in just shorts. Ann dropped me off at Perinton Park, and off I went.

The weather forecast had called for rain in the morning, then clouds and maybe scattered showers all afternoon, with temperatures in the low 50's. Well, it was raining when I hit the path, and it rained until about the last hour of my run. Sometimes light, sometimes hard, but rain, rain, rain. There was also a breeze much of the time which would have been refreshing on a hot day, but which was freakin' cold today! So in fairly short order I looked like a drowned rat and only became more waterlogged as the afternoon progressed.

The first six miles, from Fairport to Perinton, are on a stone dust path - nice running surface. Saw three other people - two walkers and one runner. From Pittsford on the path was paved, and I only encountered half a dozen other nutjobs out in the rain (no surprise, most of them were runners.) At one point I had a nice chat with Chet, a local ultrarunner out training with his wife Diane for next weekend's BPAC Six Hour Run in Buffalo and then the Damn Wakely Dam 32.6 mile trail run at the end of July. It was really nice of Chet to slow down and talk to me, and they were very encouraging when I passed them on their way back. But for the most part it was just me, the rain, and the pain. Yup, running 18 miles HURTS.

Made reasonably good time... averaged a little over 15 minute miles for the first 15 miles, including two longer stops to change into a dry shirt(not it it stayed dry for long!) and consolidate fluids. The last three miles was a killer and took me almost an hour. Not only was I running along the local roads, and not only was I well into the really painful and slow shuffle last miles of a long training run, but it was mostly uphill! First a fairly gradual grade and then a steeper one for the last mile or so. That was just no fun at all.

So the total damage for the 18 miles (plus maybe a quarter mile) was 4 hours 49 minutes. Not great, but I did finish, and under fairly challenging conditions too. (And I keep reminding myself that my long training runs for the Anchorage marathon were absolutely miserable, and took substantially longer than the marathon itself. Of course, since this is my 2nd marathon, this may be the one where the long runs AND the marathon are both miserable. But I hope not.)

Two more weeks of long runs, then it's time for - TAPER! That's going to be sweet... of course, I have to survive a 20 mile and an over 20 mile run first...

JMH

A Year of Long Distance - Race#1
Northern Nipmuck 16 Mile Trail Race
Saturday, April 15, 2006

Northern Nipmuck 2006 results

Northern Nipmuck 2006 Photo Slideshow

After more than a few years of riding and running, you'd think I'd have learned what could be referred to as the "hill code" - you know, when a course description or a guide book describes what the hills are like on the route. It goes something like this:

• "flat" = either flat or flat with small hills (which might still be steep)
• "rolling" = a whole bunch of hills, some long, some steep, and some both
• "hilly" = up and down mountains

Why do I bring this up? Because this is the official description of the course for the Northern Nipmuck 16 Mile Trail Race:

7th ANNUAL NORTHERN NIPMUCK TRAIL RACE
16 Miles of Hills & Hollows

The course runs 8 miles south on the Nipmuck Trail to Boston Hollow Road in Ashford (the northernmost point of Nipmuck Marathon) and returns on the same trail. The terrain is constantly rolling, and although there are no monster hills, there are enough steep sections to test your anaerobic capacity. The total gain over the 16 miles is approximately 3,200 feet. The footing is usually decent, but there are some steep, rocky sections that demand caution. If it has rained recently, expect to get your feet wet in several of the low-lying areas. Snow and ice may be present on the course at this time of year.

OK, the "hills & hollows", "constantly rolling", and "steep sections" should have clued me in, and I should have ignored the "no monster hills", recognizing that this description was probably written by someone who has repeatedly run Greylock and Escarpment. Maybe I wouldn't have thought this course was all that tough back when I was regularly running in the Berkshires (prior to 1999 when I moved to Albany.) But for where I'm at today - this is one tough course, with some killer climbs and descents.

The alarm went off at 5 AM for a 7 AM departure... that would have been an easy race day last fall, but I've gotten out of practice. Grumble, grumble. Didn't help that I woke up at 3:30 or so to a thunderstorm (and had visions of running for 4+ hours in the pouring rain!) Anyway, got on the road without mishap and had a fairly pleasant drive along the Massachusetts Turnpike (which is mainly woods and mountains for the section I was on.) Arrived at Bigelow Hollow State Park in Connecticut, and fortunately saw some runners on the park road, since there were no signs or indications that a race was taking place! After checking in and gearing up, I headed down to the starting line, about half a mile from where I had parked (the race uses the park as a base, but actually starts across the road from it.)

This is one of the smaller Grand Tree events, probably a combination of the distance this early in the season and the terrain the race covers. Still, I saw a number of folks I recognized from last year's races. And since it's an out-and-back, I knew I'd be seeing them again, as they passed me on the way back! After a few words from the race director (including a warning to "Pay attention to the blue blazes and orange flagging tape! If you get lost, don't complain to us - we'll just laugh at you!") we got the command to go, and off we went.



Well... sort of. The first half mile was what I would consider a monster hill - a nonstop climb! Apparently many of the other runners thought the same thing, since there was a long line of folks trudging up the hill. 10 minutes later things flattened out a bit and we started running... for a few minutes until the next hill... and then a little more running... until the next hill... and so on. To add a little variety, some of the hills went down instead of up (my bad knees LOVE steep downhills... argh!) We did hit some sections where it was possible to run for a while - those were great!



Fairly quickly I found myself pretty much alone on the trail, except for one other young gal who was going pretty slowly. Turns out she'd never run trails before - for some reason her boyfriend wanted to run this race, so she came along with him and ran the first half just to see what it would be like. Running with her made me realize that I'm a grizzled old Trail Turtle - she was pretty clueless about trail running, and asked questions about whether or not there are special shoes for it (I guess her road shoes weren't providing the best traction!) and how fast the really good runners would be going. She also started to get lost on a number of occasions - admittedly, it takes practice to keep an eye on the trail (so you don't end up kissing the ground) and keep an eye out for blazes at the same time. To her credit, she never once complained, though she did say she thought she'd probably hike back to the start instead of running.





After an hour, we hit the first road crossing and aid station, at the 4 mile mark. That was reassuring, because it meant I was on target for a finish time of about 4 hours (little did I know what the second leg would be like!) Not long after that my trail buddy decided it was time to head back, so I wished her and her boyfriend well and continued on toward the turnaround. The trail wasn't bad for the first couple of miles, as it climbed up to the top of a ridge along a gradual incline (actually runnable!) And then it turned into a monster - steep downhills, steep uphills, running along rock outcroppings - absolutely killer. At that point the bulk of the other runners started passing me on the way back. At times we were on sections that could be run, and I ducked to the side of the singletrack to let them pass. Much of the time we were passing on sections I was staggering down (trying to keep my knees intact) and they were staggering up.






Finally made it to the turnaround, to find that I had to climb down a cliff only to climb back up it a few minutes later for the run back! But the folks at that aid station were really nice - they refilled one of my water bottles and repeatedly said they didn't mind being out there, because it beats running the course! I also got my picture taken running in; hopefully I'll be able to get a copy of it! My time to the turnaround was a bit longer - 1 hr 15 minutes - but I still hoped to finish in 4 1/2 hours... (foolish!)







So then it was time for the trek back, at which point the real challenge of an out-and-back became apparent - every hill I came down on the way out I had to climb on the way back, on legs that were rapidly giving up all semblance of wanting to run. My feet were really starting to hurt too, between pounding against rocks and my toes getting mashed into the toebox of my shoes on all those downhills (and doing the bulk of the work on the steep uphills.) There was one point where I was in a shady pine forest, listening to the birds, and I found myself thinking it would be really nice to just stay there and take a nap. But I persevered, going slower and slower and cursing the hills more and more, until finally I made it back to the aid station at the middle of the course. That took about 1 hr 30 minutes. Incredibly, the nice fellow there was very positive about the whole thing. We refilled my empty water bottles with a mix of water and Gatorade, and off I trudged for the last painful 4 miles.







Up, down, up, down. What running I did was fairly slow - more like a fast walk - and some sections I'd run when fresh I had to walk, simply because the trail was too rocky and rooty for me to risk stumbling and crashing. After what seemed like forever (but was actually a little over an hour) I came to the top of that original half mile long hill and "ran" (ie. slowly plodded) down it, to find folks still waiting at the finish - the fellow from the last aid station(who cheered and gave me five as I plodded by him) and the folks recording the times. The last four miles took me about 1 hour 20 minutes - I finished with a total time of 5 hours 8 minutes.

And then slowly walked the half mile back to the car...

The course was really beautiful - cool shady pine forests, mountain laurel (OK, those stretches were hot and sunny on the way back, since there were no leaves on the trees!) rocky ridges, and a variety of cool boulders dropped by glaciers ages ago. A few muddy sections, and three or four stream crossings, but since we've had a dry spring, it really wasn't particularly messy. (Just as well... by the time I was done, I had a number of blisters, and that was in spite of trying to keep my shoes dry!) At one point we ran alongside a pond, and at another point alongside a stream, all under shady pine trees. We crossed a field of big mossy rocks - a pain to run through (or stagger through, on the way back) but way cool all the same.

The volunteers at this race were fantastic - I'm planning to write the RD about that. I doubt any of them expected to be out there that long, but they were still positive and supportive - what a great group of people!

Afterwards, I chatted with two other runners (there were only three or four still there when I finally shuffled into the parking area) who tried to convince me that I should run Seven Sisters, a mountainous trail run at the beginning of May. Maybe next year - I have to get into much better shape for this kind of running before I tackle a 12 mile race that's like the Northern Nipmuck course but with worse footing and longer hills (their description!)

So, I'm glad I approached this as a training run - I would have blown up had I been trying to make good time on this course, for this distance! And, as a training run, it had a lot in common with my 1997 marathon training runs - slow times and blistered feet! It also showed me that I need to do more work on these kinds of trails to get ready for the Nipmuck Marathon - I suspect I will be spending time up near Thatcher on the Long Path over the next few weeks, and perhaps I can manage a trip down to Beartown. Albany just doesn't have much in the way of gnarly trails.

This also reinforces that another year of training before tackling Escarpment is probably a wise move, since Escarpment makes the Northern Nipmuck look like a walk in the park...

(And I'm NOT going to talk about the fact that I got my butt kicked today by a 76 year old man and a pregnant lady...)

Next up - the Rochester Spring Classic Duathlon in late May! And lots of distance work over the next few weekends to get ready for the Nipmuck Marathon...

JMH

2006 event totals
snowshoe – 3 miles, 59.5 min
running – 23.1 miles, 6 hr 25 min
riding - 12.4 miles, 1 hr 1 min

A Year of Long Distance

In 1997 I signed up to run the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska, as part of a fundraiser for the Leukemia Society of America's Team in Training program. When I sent in my registration I had never run, other than short stretches in summer karate classes and at the annual karate camp I used to attend. Training for the Anchorage Marathon was TOUGH. The long runs were difficult and painful, and by the end of most of them my toes were so badly blistered that each step felt like hot knives being jammed into my feet. But, after my final long run, a 22 mile exercise in utter torture that took me over 5 hours to complete, I was confident that I could complete the race. And not only did I complete it - I had a great time - the best long run I had ever done!

In 1999 I signed up to run the Nipmuck Trail Marathon, and came down with a nasty stomach virus four days before the race. In 2001 I signed up to run the Adirondack Marathon, and decided not to run it on the morning of the race, after a night of very little sleep (noisy neighbors!) and, realistically, knowing that I really wasn't sufficiently prepared to run a marathon.

When I began training seriously again in 2005, on some level I knew that I was once again heading toward long distance running...

MAJOR RACES FOR 2006:

• Nipmuck Trail Marathon - May 28, 2006 (I'm finally going to run it!)
  
• Greylock Trail Half Marathon - June 18, 2006 (only a half marathon, but it goes up and over Mount Greylock!)
  
• Savoy Mountain 20 Mile Trail Race - August 20, 2006
  
• Adirondack Marathon - September 17, 2006 (Another one I'm finally going to run!)
  
• Pinnacle Challenge Double Duathlon - October 15, 2006 (5 mi road run/6 mi mountain bike ride/ 13.5 mi road bike ride/ 3 mi trail run - way cool!)

and the "finale" - either the

• Mendon Ponds 50K trail run - early November 2006

or the

• Stone Cat Ale 50 mi trail run - early November 2006 (my money's on the Mendon 50K)

And of course, a few shorter events in between the longer ones...

I had originally hoped to do the Escarpment Trail Run at the end of July... but now I don't think my legs will be in shape for that kind of mountain running this year. Maybe next year (or maybe if Nipmuck and Greylock go REALLY, REALLY well...)

So now all I have to do is train and stay healthy and uninjured!

It should be a challenging year...

JMH

Next Race: The Northern Nipmuck 16 Mile Trail Race - TOMORROW!

2006 event totals
snowshoe – 3 miles, 59.5 min
running – 7.1 miles, 1 hr 17 min
riding - 12.4 miles, 1 hr 1 min

9 Mile Ride in the Albany Pine Bush
Thursday, April 13, 2006


Pine Bush Ride Photo Slideshow

Decided to take a break from "training" and just enjoy the gorgeous weather from the seat of my mountain bike on the Pine Bush trails. One of the treats of going out mid-day is that there are very few other people on the trails! The weather was perfect for trail riding - sunny and warm. Got some good pictures, too!

Tomorrow is a "rest day", in preparation for the Northern Nipmuck 16 mile Trail Race - for me, a long training run in preparation for the Nipmuck Marathon! (only 6 weeks away!)








JMH