Thanks, Runningwarehouse.com (use code CP15 for a 15% discount, click on "Team Discounts" up at the top first).
(the anti-gravity shoe)
Sept 29th, 2010 - Training - Tewksbury, MA - 3.1
Day 271 - Started the emergency breaking in of my new pair of Newtons for Hartford. Also picked up a pair of Nike Free 7.0 for JFK.
Thanks, Runningwarehouse.com (use code CP15 for a 15% discount, click on "Team Discounts" up at the top first).
Thanks, Runningwarehouse.com (use code CP15 for a 15% discount, click on "Team Discounts" up at the top first).
Sept 28th, 2010 - Training - Tewksbury, MA - 4.1
Day 270 - No lingering effects from the Wilmington Half on Sunday. The beautiful weather (considering it's fall) has been really beneficial for my night runs.
I love the fall. The smell of dirty, dead leaves. The wet pavement. The cool breeze.
When I think of running, I think of the fall.
What we do in the spring and summer is prologue to what we accomplish in the fall.
Best of luck to all in the fall!
I love the fall. The smell of dirty, dead leaves. The wet pavement. The cool breeze.
When I think of running, I think of the fall.
What we do in the spring and summer is prologue to what we accomplish in the fall.
Best of luck to all in the fall!
(The colors of running)
Sept 27th, 2010 - Training - Tewksbury, MA - 3.1
Day 269 - I am officially registered for Hartford (Thanks, Beth!) and Baystate (Thanks, GLRR!).
I usually go into each race with at least three goals in mind. For Hartford, my goals will be the following:
1) Qualify for NYC 2011 with a sub 2:55
2) Set a PR with a sub 2:58
3) Since he's probably not reading my blog anymore, beat EJ
4) All of the above
I usually go into each race with at least three goals in mind. For Hartford, my goals will be the following:
1) Qualify for NYC 2011 with a sub 2:55
2) Set a PR with a sub 2:58
3) Since he's probably not reading my blog anymore, beat EJ
4) All of the above
(EJ, you did not just throw that down, did you?)
Sept 26th, 2010 - Race - Wilmington, MA - 13.1
Day 268 - GLRR was all over the Merrimack Valley today, taking home their share of race hardware.
Mike Shanahan was down in Billerica winning the Bill West Memorial 5K, and GLRR HoF'er Eric Beauchesne was On The Road and winning in Lowell at the Jack Kerouac 5K.
I found myself in Wilmington, MA with fellow GLRR's Andy Pupa, Andy Chandonnet, and Joe Ferris at the 6th annual half marathon.
I actually didn't find out about this race until about 9PM last night, after my 13.5 mile training run! My original plan for today was to run the Kerouac 5K, or put in a long run to get my mileage back up.
It's been almost a month since I last ran a road race (not including RTB), so I was itching to get that competitive juice flowing again. The last time I raced more than 10 miles was back in May at the Sugarloaf Marathon. The last time I ran a half-marathon was New Bedford in March, where I managed to PR with a 1:23:25, but missed qualifying for NYC 2011 by 25 seconds!
I had unfinished business to finish today.
The race was pretty late (10AM) considering the distance, but fortunately for me, the start and finish was less then 10 miles from my apt. Other than racing in Lowell, I can't recall the last time I took part in a race this close by. Very convenient.
Breakfast consisted of pasta and a banana, and off I went by 9AM. I told Rachel that I'd be back by 12:30 and we'd try to catch a movie. It definitely didn't feel like a race day.
I got down to the race site by 9:30AM and saw Andy C. already warming up on the roads of Wilmington. I parked, got changed (Newtons and GLRR white), took a few last sips of water, and stuffed a GU packet under my cap just in case I needed it later on.
I was praying that my trusty, but well-worn Newtons still had at least 13.1 miles left in them. Note to self, I need to get some new racers after this race.
My warm up was basically the .15 from my car to the registration. Handed over my check and got my number. Very quick and low-key. Awesome!
Hit the john and then got the call to the starting gate.
I walked to the starting area, about a quarter mile away, with Andy and Andy. Andy commented on the fact that we were starting much further ahead then where the start normally was in prior years.
We milled about for another 15 minutes as the race organizers tried to time the start of the race with the four train crossings on this course. Course record holder, local wunderkind, and RD, Dan Vassalo, gave the pre-race instructions and sent us off on the horn by 10:20AM.
My race plan was to stick to about a 6:30 pace through the first 3 miles, and then start bringing down the pace to the 6:19 that I would need to qualify for NYC. Of course, nothing ever goes as planned.
I went out at about a 6 min pace and found myself alone in front through the first half-mile. It was pretty cool to be right behind the police cruiser.
That quickly changed as Mike Girouard came charging up from behind me, and then Dave Corbett soon joined us to lead the pack through the first mile at a 6:05 pace. The official first mile was off by about .05, and the timer there read out 5:54 for elapsed time, which I knew was way off.
I managed to stick with Mike and Dave as we tested each other out. Mike made his moves on the turns throughout the first part of the course, while I made mine on the uphills. The three of us didn't separate from each other through the next three miles, averaging 6:13, 6:14, and 6:24, respectively.
I knew I wouldn't be able to hang on with them much longer and they proved that by mile 5, where I averaged a 6:28, while they were still cruising along at 6:15's. They continued to separate from me throughout the rest of the race, and I found myself in no man's land for the next 8 miles! I did, however, manage to keep them in my sight for at least the next four miles, so I optimistically even thought I had a chance of catching them by the end!
The day was getting warmer with the temps inching closer to 70 by the half way mark. I continued to drink at every water stop, which was basically every two miles, and dump as much water as I could on my cap. I made the deliberate decision at the race start to wear my white GLRR singlet in order to avoid the sweater vest syndrome that accompanies the green singlets when they become wet. Today was going to be a wet day.
My overall pace (according to my Garmin) was inching closer and closer to the magical 6:19 cutoff as each mile went by. I was definitely slowing down as the race went on.
Mile 6: 6:30
Mile 7: 6:33
A couple of things kept my morale up. One was the fact that the course was definitely going to be short. At this point, every mile after mile 1 was at least .10 short, and I projected that the entire course itself was going to be no more than 13 miles. I guess Andy was right about the starting line.
The other thing that kept me going was that I had a chaser on my tail. I wouldn't have noticed him if not for his bright orange shirt (No, it wasn't Fil). I typically don't look back during a race, but I had nothing else better to do, so I kept checking in on him every chance I could, usually around very wide turns.
The fear of being chased got my ass moving, getting through mile 8 in 6:23.
By mile 9 (6:27), I was starting to feel the effects of the 36 miles at RTB the prior weekend, and the 14 miles the previous night. My body felt OK, but my mind started to wander a bit. I knew that I would eventually need to take my GU in order to finish this one strong, but I didn't want to do it until at least mile 10.
I bit the bullet at the water stop at mile 10 (6:34) and took down a half packet of GU. The chaser was only getting closer at this point, and I felt that he was about to over take me. I really wasn't in the mood for a 5K duel, so I was ready to relinquish 3rd place to the chaser if he had picked it up just a tad. I could actually hear his footsteps at this point!
Then, something inside of me, perhaps the GU, told me to make him earn it. From that point on I was focused on increasing my pace and turning the screws on the chaser. Even with that effort and motivation, I could only manage a 6:37 for mile 11, my slowest mile on the day.
The chaser was still at bay, but my overall pace was creeping up into the low 6:20's. Doing the math quickly in my head, I knew I had at least 2-3 seconds per mile in my favor if the course continued to run short and finish under 13 miles.
I typically have fast miles at the end of a race, so I knew I could bring my pace down a little with a strong kick.
The last two miles on the course is curvy (and not very well directed by the volunteers), so that help keep my focus sharp. I pushed into another gear and managed a 6:21 mile 12, finally separating myself from my stalker for good.
Knowing that the course was going to be short really motivated me to start my final kick sooner than I normally would have. I just pictured myself at GLRR track doing the mile repeats. It was going to be over in about 6 minutes. I just needed to hang in there.
The finish was in the parking lot of the WCTV office, which was covered in poorly paved potholes. I was actually worried about twisting an ankle over the final stretch!
I crossed the finish line with a 1:22 on my Garmin (3rd overall - highest finish ever at "this distance"), with a total distance read out of 12.96. Whoops.
My official finish time was 1:22:28, good enough to NYCQ. It would have been really, really, really close if the course had actually measured 13.1. I think I would have still finished under 1:23, but probably by no more than 5 seconds!
The chaser (Chris) finished 25 seconds after me. I learned after the race that I'll be dueling with him again at Baystate, where he will try to run a sub 3:15 to BQ.
Andy C. and Andy P. soon followed with a time of 1:27:29 and 1:27:49, respectively. A PR for Andy P. Not bad considering that he also ran the Wicked Half the day before, and the Philly Half last weekend!
They both placed in their AG, with Andy C. taking top honors in his.
The comeback kid, Joe Ferris, just missed placing in his age group with a time of 1:48:57.
What an awesome day of running for the Green (& White) throughout the Merrimack Valley!
Time to catch that movie!
Mike Shanahan was down in Billerica winning the Bill West Memorial 5K, and GLRR HoF'er Eric Beauchesne was On The Road and winning in Lowell at the Jack Kerouac 5K.
I found myself in Wilmington, MA with fellow GLRR's Andy Pupa, Andy Chandonnet, and Joe Ferris at the 6th annual half marathon.
I actually didn't find out about this race until about 9PM last night, after my 13.5 mile training run! My original plan for today was to run the Kerouac 5K, or put in a long run to get my mileage back up.
It's been almost a month since I last ran a road race (not including RTB), so I was itching to get that competitive juice flowing again. The last time I raced more than 10 miles was back in May at the Sugarloaf Marathon. The last time I ran a half-marathon was New Bedford in March, where I managed to PR with a 1:23:25, but missed qualifying for NYC 2011 by 25 seconds!
I had unfinished business to finish today.
The race was pretty late (10AM) considering the distance, but fortunately for me, the start and finish was less then 10 miles from my apt. Other than racing in Lowell, I can't recall the last time I took part in a race this close by. Very convenient.
Breakfast consisted of pasta and a banana, and off I went by 9AM. I told Rachel that I'd be back by 12:30 and we'd try to catch a movie. It definitely didn't feel like a race day.
I got down to the race site by 9:30AM and saw Andy C. already warming up on the roads of Wilmington. I parked, got changed (Newtons and GLRR white), took a few last sips of water, and stuffed a GU packet under my cap just in case I needed it later on.
I was praying that my trusty, but well-worn Newtons still had at least 13.1 miles left in them. Note to self, I need to get some new racers after this race.
My warm up was basically the .15 from my car to the registration. Handed over my check and got my number. Very quick and low-key. Awesome!
Hit the john and then got the call to the starting gate.
I walked to the starting area, about a quarter mile away, with Andy and Andy. Andy commented on the fact that we were starting much further ahead then where the start normally was in prior years.
We milled about for another 15 minutes as the race organizers tried to time the start of the race with the four train crossings on this course. Course record holder, local wunderkind, and RD, Dan Vassalo, gave the pre-race instructions and sent us off on the horn by 10:20AM.
My race plan was to stick to about a 6:30 pace through the first 3 miles, and then start bringing down the pace to the 6:19 that I would need to qualify for NYC. Of course, nothing ever goes as planned.
I went out at about a 6 min pace and found myself alone in front through the first half-mile. It was pretty cool to be right behind the police cruiser.
That quickly changed as Mike Girouard came charging up from behind me, and then Dave Corbett soon joined us to lead the pack through the first mile at a 6:05 pace. The official first mile was off by about .05, and the timer there read out 5:54 for elapsed time, which I knew was way off.
I managed to stick with Mike and Dave as we tested each other out. Mike made his moves on the turns throughout the first part of the course, while I made mine on the uphills. The three of us didn't separate from each other through the next three miles, averaging 6:13, 6:14, and 6:24, respectively.
I knew I wouldn't be able to hang on with them much longer and they proved that by mile 5, where I averaged a 6:28, while they were still cruising along at 6:15's. They continued to separate from me throughout the rest of the race, and I found myself in no man's land for the next 8 miles! I did, however, manage to keep them in my sight for at least the next four miles, so I optimistically even thought I had a chance of catching them by the end!
The day was getting warmer with the temps inching closer to 70 by the half way mark. I continued to drink at every water stop, which was basically every two miles, and dump as much water as I could on my cap. I made the deliberate decision at the race start to wear my white GLRR singlet in order to avoid the sweater vest syndrome that accompanies the green singlets when they become wet. Today was going to be a wet day.
My overall pace (according to my Garmin) was inching closer and closer to the magical 6:19 cutoff as each mile went by. I was definitely slowing down as the race went on.
Mile 6: 6:30
Mile 7: 6:33
A couple of things kept my morale up. One was the fact that the course was definitely going to be short. At this point, every mile after mile 1 was at least .10 short, and I projected that the entire course itself was going to be no more than 13 miles. I guess Andy was right about the starting line.
The other thing that kept me going was that I had a chaser on my tail. I wouldn't have noticed him if not for his bright orange shirt (No, it wasn't Fil). I typically don't look back during a race, but I had nothing else better to do, so I kept checking in on him every chance I could, usually around very wide turns.
The fear of being chased got my ass moving, getting through mile 8 in 6:23.
By mile 9 (6:27), I was starting to feel the effects of the 36 miles at RTB the prior weekend, and the 14 miles the previous night. My body felt OK, but my mind started to wander a bit. I knew that I would eventually need to take my GU in order to finish this one strong, but I didn't want to do it until at least mile 10.
I bit the bullet at the water stop at mile 10 (6:34) and took down a half packet of GU. The chaser was only getting closer at this point, and I felt that he was about to over take me. I really wasn't in the mood for a 5K duel, so I was ready to relinquish 3rd place to the chaser if he had picked it up just a tad. I could actually hear his footsteps at this point!
Then, something inside of me, perhaps the GU, told me to make him earn it. From that point on I was focused on increasing my pace and turning the screws on the chaser. Even with that effort and motivation, I could only manage a 6:37 for mile 11, my slowest mile on the day.
The chaser was still at bay, but my overall pace was creeping up into the low 6:20's. Doing the math quickly in my head, I knew I had at least 2-3 seconds per mile in my favor if the course continued to run short and finish under 13 miles.
I typically have fast miles at the end of a race, so I knew I could bring my pace down a little with a strong kick.
The last two miles on the course is curvy (and not very well directed by the volunteers), so that help keep my focus sharp. I pushed into another gear and managed a 6:21 mile 12, finally separating myself from my stalker for good.
Knowing that the course was going to be short really motivated me to start my final kick sooner than I normally would have. I just pictured myself at GLRR track doing the mile repeats. It was going to be over in about 6 minutes. I just needed to hang in there.
The finish was in the parking lot of the WCTV office, which was covered in poorly paved potholes. I was actually worried about twisting an ankle over the final stretch!
I crossed the finish line with a 1:22 on my Garmin (3rd overall - highest finish ever at "this distance"), with a total distance read out of 12.96. Whoops.
My official finish time was 1:22:28, good enough to NYCQ. It would have been really, really, really close if the course had actually measured 13.1. I think I would have still finished under 1:23, but probably by no more than 5 seconds!
The chaser (Chris) finished 25 seconds after me. I learned after the race that I'll be dueling with him again at Baystate, where he will try to run a sub 3:15 to BQ.
Andy C. and Andy P. soon followed with a time of 1:27:29 and 1:27:49, respectively. A PR for Andy P. Not bad considering that he also ran the Wicked Half the day before, and the Philly Half last weekend!
They both placed in their AG, with Andy C. taking top honors in his.
The comeback kid, Joe Ferris, just missed placing in his age group with a time of 1:48:57.
What an awesome day of running for the Green (& White) throughout the Merrimack Valley!
Time to catch that movie!
(Gotta Run!)
Sept 25th, 2010 - Training - Tewksbury --> Tyngsboro - 13.5
Day 267 - My original plan to run from Woburn to Tewksbury got nixed, so I improvised and put in a late, long run from Tewksbury to Tyngsboro. Deliberately ran at an 8 minute pace to continue to get use to my goal pace for JFK.
Tomorrow's plan is to run Jack Kerouac 5K in Lowell...well, that was until I learned that there's a friggin half-marathon less than a half-marathon from my apt! Only around here.
It's the 6th Annual Wilmington Half! I've never heard of this race until tonight when I saw Andy Pupa and Joe Ferris mention the fact that they were going to Wilmington for a half marathon.
I was like, why are they both going all the way to Delaware for a half-marathon when this weekend is filled with halves all over New England! A google later and I discovered this gem of a low-key race.
Logistically, I could probably do both races. Wilmington is at 10AM and Jack is at 12PM. If I can run the half in 1 hr 23 mins (last minute goal is to quailfy for 2011 NYC at Wilmington with a sub 1:23), then I could probably get up to Lowell by 11:59.
We'll see.
Tomorrow's plan is to run Jack Kerouac 5K in Lowell...well, that was until I learned that there's a friggin half-marathon less than a half-marathon from my apt! Only around here.
It's the 6th Annual Wilmington Half! I've never heard of this race until tonight when I saw Andy Pupa and Joe Ferris mention the fact that they were going to Wilmington for a half marathon.
I was like, why are they both going all the way to Delaware for a half-marathon when this weekend is filled with halves all over New England! A google later and I discovered this gem of a low-key race.
Logistically, I could probably do both races. Wilmington is at 10AM and Jack is at 12PM. If I can run the half in 1 hr 23 mins (last minute goal is to quailfy for 2011 NYC at Wilmington with a sub 1:23), then I could probably get up to Lowell by 11:59.
We'll see.
(This could be me by tomorrow afternoon)
Sept 24th, 2010 - Training - Tewksbury, MA - 3.1
Day 266 - Still feeling some slight side effects from RTB, but body is at about 90% recovered. Cramps and soreness are almost gone. Legs still feel a little dead, but feeling good overall.
I've regained whatever weight I've lost during RTB by pigging out for the past week under the guise of, I deserve it. Not good.
Timing Woburn 5K in the morning, and will probably run back to the apt from there for an 11 miler.
I've regained whatever weight I've lost during RTB by pigging out for the past week under the guise of, I deserve it. Not good.
Timing Woburn 5K in the morning, and will probably run back to the apt from there for an 11 miler.
(Insert funny picture here)
(Insert funny caption below funny image)
Sept 23rd, 2010 - Track - Chelmsford, MA - 4
Day 265 - I can't even remember the last time I got out to GLRR track, but it's been awhile. It was nice to see all of the familiar faces out there working hard at their targets.
Scott and Paula were getting ready for the Wicked Half Marathon on Saturday. Deric was also working hard towards his first half at some point later this year or early next year.
I did the marathon workout (8 x 800's at marathon target time, for example, 3 hr marathon goal = 3 min 800).
I came late so I jumped in with Andy while he was on his second interval. He was targeting 3 min 800's.
We went through all of his remaining intervals pretty much at the same target or a little faster.
I ran the last two intervals on my own and managed a 2:48 and 2:43 800. Now if I only I could run a 2:40 marathon....
Nothing planned for this weekend other than work. Sunday just freed up so I might do a race somewhere. I wonder where I could find a race on a Sunday in New England...
Scott and Paula were getting ready for the Wicked Half Marathon on Saturday. Deric was also working hard towards his first half at some point later this year or early next year.
I did the marathon workout (8 x 800's at marathon target time, for example, 3 hr marathon goal = 3 min 800).
I came late so I jumped in with Andy while he was on his second interval. He was targeting 3 min 800's.
We went through all of his remaining intervals pretty much at the same target or a little faster.
I ran the last two intervals on my own and managed a 2:48 and 2:43 800. Now if I only I could run a 2:40 marathon....
Nothing planned for this weekend other than work. Sunday just freed up so I might do a race somewhere. I wonder where I could find a race on a Sunday in New England...
(I guess we have it pretty good at CHS)
Sept 19th, 2010 - Undisclosed Location - 3.1
Day 261 - You never know where life is going to take you. I flew into Dulle
This post has been removed.
This post has been removed.
Sept 17th - 18th - Race - Cannon Mtn --> Hampton Beach - 209.06
Days 259 & 260
Legs 35 & 36 - JB - 7.5 - 57:25 (7:39)
I started to feel the chill of the ocean air as I got closer and closer to Hampton Beach. The temps were down below 60 at this point, and the sun was nowhere in sight. All I had on was my GLRR sweater vest and happy shorts.
A runner in a cow suit passed by me. Was I hallucinating? He was the first runner to pass me since I started my first mile over 21 hours ago. Seriously? An f'n cow/human hybrid?!
I started to feel numbness in my lips and the tingling sensation you get in your fingertips when you know you're in trouble on a cold run. I first slowed to a jog, and then, against everything I had left, I came to a crawl, and then was only moving forward because I felt like falling over.
The giant blister in my right foot was probably bleeding profusely at this point. I didn't want to stop and check since it was the only warmth I could feel on my body. It actually felt nice.
I just had only half-a-mile to go, but damn, this was going to be the longest, and toughest, two laps around a track of my life...
Pre-Race
I had been up since 6AM after experiencing six agonizing hours of Snore Wars II between Brian and Double D (not Lauren).
DD gave in and was thinking about ending it all. Fortunately, I stopped DD before he could kill Brian in his sleep. I wanted the pleasure.
As the other team members were waking up, I quickly scurried back to my sleeping bag like the four (now dead) squirrels that ran up inside Brian's and DD's noises the previous night.
The original Masssoles team would be kicking it off at 10:20AM for the start of this year's RTB. Masssoles "We Sand Bag" Too would follow an hour later, and we would start stalking our prey at 1:20PM.
We said our good byes and good lucks to the Masssoles as they headed off to Cannon Mtn, and then we sat around staring at each other for the next hour. It wasn't a pretty sight.
This year's ultra team saw the return of Iron Donkey (JS), Dashing Double D (now Triple D), The Saint (KG), Andy "2 Kool 2 Have a Nickname" Bragg, and newcomer, Fembot v 3.0 (replacing Fembot v 2.0 ((Catherine The Great)) from the prior year, who replaced Fembot v 1.0 (from the year before that year))) OK, this is starting to look like an out-of-control Excel formula))))
We eventually left the condo by 9:30AM and grabbed brunch at DD's (not Lauren or Dave), and headed to the start ourselves.
The rain had stopped (insert Dane reference here), but the fog was rolling in for our 1:20PM start, which would now requireJoe Jay to wear the night equipment, sans headlamp, for his first leg.
Jay was lined up, pumped up, and rearing to go, but things got taken to a whole new level once they started playing Lady GaGa for the 1:20PM start group. Iron Donkey turned into......IRON DANCER!!
MOOOOSE!!!!!!!!!!! We came across our first wildlife sighting while driving to the next TA.
OK. This is just getting re-iron-donculous! I was ready to throw out my projections at this point after The Saint pulled off ANOTHER stunning running that caught us all by surprise. Well, everyone except for Eagle Eyes Andy (nah, too lame). KittyKat was just heading to the starting line for Leg 5, for her own double-up, when Andy screamed like a little girl after spotting Kevin from five miles out. Kevin pulled into his finish (parachute in tow) 5 minutes ahead of HIS projected time! WTF are they feeding these folks in NYC. Must be the water.
Legs 5 & 6 - KA - 14.1 - 1:29.13 (6:19)
BEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another wildlife sighting at this point. DD's going to crap himself when he sees this thing!
Things were going too smooth up to this point. It was actually getting a little mundane in the ultra van. It was getting too easy and we didn't have any more running jokes!! I know my formulation for our projected pace was bound to correct itself eventually, "butt" when? "Ahhhhhhhhh, there it is". "That feels better".
*This portion of the write-up has been censored. DDDDD had to make a detour "in between his legs" before his "#2" leg*
We were now back on projected track after Dave's "gut-wrenching" run that "took a lot out of him". You know what I mean.
On a serious note, Dave continued on for as long as he could throughout this RTB. He definitely earned his keep as an ultra runner, and didn't make a peep about how he really felt. Every time I asked him how he felt, he just said, I feel better, and went out and gave it his all. I was just amazed at how long he was able to hang in there. He continued to put in leg after leg while feeling really (end of serious note) crappy.
Legs 9 & 10 - JB - 11.5 - 1:13:30 (6:24)
Not another double-up! Who the hell came up with this leg strategy?! We had a total of four double-ups all of last year, and none of them totalled more than 8 miles! We were now on our 4th double-up with three of them more than 10 miles!! This is madness!
It was 8PM and night time running had already been in full effect for almost 3 hrs by the time Dave reached me for my first run. For perspective, our last runner for the first set of legs last year, started at 1PM....
My back was a little tight after waiting around for almost 7 hrs to run, but it eventually loosened up enough for me to make up ground on a couple dozen teams. By the end of my run, I managed to bag a PR of overtaking 40 teams over the course of my run.
I did, however, finish my legs a little slower than what I had projected, giving back two minutes.
It was once again Jay's turn to take over for the night.
Graveyard Shift
The one thing that everybody remembers from RTB is the night running. It was in the mid 50's throughout the early evening, but without much cloud cover overhead, the temps just kept dropping as we marched into the night.
The crew rolled on through the night with some more amazing runs. A few of us managed to get some winks during our downtime, which is always a good sign.
The one thing that stood out for me early on was the fact that we weren't really stopping during the legs. We either went straight to the next transition, or we quickly drove by to provide assistance on the move. It was a sign that everybody was pretty well prepared for their turn and recovering quickly, even though nearly every run was over 1+ hours in duration.
Iron Donkey was still kicking himself to get started, but he wasn't feeling it quite yet even though he was well ahead of his pace last year, so we decided to give him the first ever TRIPLE-UP!!
Legs 11, 12, 13 - JS - 12.6 - 1:45:44 (8:24)
Jay ate up the miles like it was breakfast at Dean Karnazes' house. It's one thing to run almost a half marathon, but it's another to run almost a half at 9PM, in the middle of NH, in the dark, and after running eight miles seven hours earlier.
I can't remember if Jay snapped out of his funk at this point, but if he wasn't feeling crappy before, he definitely was now!
The momentum continued to swing in our favor as Andy followed up with another fantastic run on Leg 14, finishing with a shit eating grin on his face. Dammit, I'll have what he's having!
KG & KA completed Legs 15 & 16, respectively, right on or faster than projected pace (again). These two legs marked the start of some wicked hard legs that would last for at least another 40 miles, culminating with the back breaking Leg 21.
DDDDD gutted out Leg 17 to eat up 7.4 miles. He was our second fastest runner last year, so it was time for us to carry him for a bit.
I got back on the road with a double-up of Legs 18 & 19 totalling 9.22 miles. I remember nearly twisting my ankle about 3 times over the first 2 miles of this new portion of the course. There was hardly any shoulder, plenty of potholes, and very scary blind turns. I'm pretty sure Leg 18 will need to be changed for next year since somebody will eventually, if not already, get seriously hurt on this stretch.
I couldn't believe it was already 4AM when I finished up my 2nd of four scheduled sets of legs. We were now 13.5 hrs and 115 miles into this ordeal. For the most part, I think everyone, with the exception of DDDDD, was still feeling pretty good.
Jay took on what was once the hero leg in prior years, Leg 20, without much issue (9.23 - 1:25:34). Leg 20 is without a doubt a doozy. I remember running this leg a couple of years ago. See for yourself.
I say Leg 20 was once the hero leg because the race organizers decided to add Leg 21 this year:
(RTB 2010 Begins)
Legs 35 & 36 - JB - 7.5 - 57:25 (7:39)
I started to feel the chill of the ocean air as I got closer and closer to Hampton Beach. The temps were down below 60 at this point, and the sun was nowhere in sight. All I had on was my GLRR sweater vest and happy shorts.
A runner in a cow suit passed by me. Was I hallucinating? He was the first runner to pass me since I started my first mile over 21 hours ago. Seriously? An f'n cow/human hybrid?!
I started to feel numbness in my lips and the tingling sensation you get in your fingertips when you know you're in trouble on a cold run. I first slowed to a jog, and then, against everything I had left, I came to a crawl, and then was only moving forward because I felt like falling over.
The giant blister in my right foot was probably bleeding profusely at this point. I didn't want to stop and check since it was the only warmth I could feel on my body. It actually felt nice.
I just had only half-a-mile to go, but damn, this was going to be the longest, and toughest, two laps around a track of my life...
Pre-Race
I had been up since 6AM after experiencing six agonizing hours of Snore Wars II between Brian and Double D (not Lauren).
DD gave in and was thinking about ending it all. Fortunately, I stopped DD before he could kill Brian in his sleep. I wanted the pleasure.
(DD with his DD)
As the other team members were waking up, I quickly scurried back to my sleeping bag like the four (now dead) squirrels that ran up inside Brian's and DD's noises the previous night.
The original Masssoles team would be kicking it off at 10:20AM for the start of this year's RTB. Masssoles "We Sand Bag" Too would follow an hour later, and we would start stalking our prey at 1:20PM.
We said our good byes and good lucks to the Masssoles as they headed off to Cannon Mtn, and then we sat around staring at each other for the next hour. It wasn't a pretty sight.
This year's ultra team saw the return of Iron Donkey (JS), Dashing Double D (now Triple D), The Saint (KG), Andy "2 Kool 2 Have a Nickname" Bragg, and newcomer, Fembot v 3.0 (replacing Fembot v 2.0 ((Catherine The Great)) from the prior year, who replaced Fembot v 1.0 (from the year before that year))) OK, this is starting to look like an out-of-control Excel formula))))
(of course, this was before the "shit" hit the van)
We eventually left the condo by 9:30AM and grabbed brunch at DD's (not Lauren or Dave), and headed to the start ourselves.
The rain had stopped (insert Dane reference here), but the fog was rolling in for our 1:20PM start, which would now require
Jay was lined up, pumped up, and rearing to go, but things got taken to a whole new level once they started playing Lady GaGa for the 1:20PM start group. Iron Donkey turned into......IRON DANCER!!
(Notice the hand gesture on ID, and the WTF looks from those around him)
Hide the women and children!
Leg 1 - JS - 7.97 - 59:18 (7:26)
Jay flattened a piece of Cannon Mtn with his Leg 1 performance, coming in faster than his originally projected time of 59:46. This first leg quickly put ID in the running for the Sand Bagger, Iron Donkey, AND Best Comic Routine during a Dance Performance award!
Jay handed it off to an eagerly awaiting Andy at TA 1, and then proceeded to insist that he give Katy a hand with her stretching (start of running joke #1).
(The Return of the Iron Donkey)
Leg 2 - AB - 8.96 - 1:12:59 (8:08)
Andy had a lot on his mind. He was out to prove that he's not the whiny little girl that he so desperately tried to prove last year. Also, he wanted a cool nickname too, or at least try to steal one, like Iron Donkey.
He flew through Leg 2 with a dazzling performance, coming in a full minute under his projected time!! He was now in full control of the Sand Bagger AND Iron Donkey award! Unfortunately, it would take a miracle for anyone on the team to take the Iron Dancer status away from Jay at this point in the race (thank gawd).
Kevin, the graduate from nearby (eventually) St. Anselm College, was on deck with the first double-up of the race.
Legs 3 & 4 - KG - 6.78 - 45:13 (6:40)
MOOOOSE!!!!!!!!!!! We came across our first wildlife sighting while driving to the next TA.
(Moose on the Loose)
OK. This is just getting re-iron-donculous! I was ready to throw out my projections at this point after The Saint pulled off ANOTHER stunning running that caught us all by surprise. Well, everyone except for Eagle Eyes Andy (nah, too lame). KittyKat was just heading to the starting line for Leg 5, for her own double-up, when Andy screamed like a little girl after spotting Kevin from five miles out. Kevin pulled into his finish (parachute in tow) 5 minutes ahead of HIS projected time! WTF are they feeding these folks in NYC. Must be the water.
(KG, making headlines!)
Legs 5 & 6 - KA - 14.1 - 1:29.13 (6:19)
Yeah. We were now about 15 minutes ahead of projected run time thanks in large part to SpeedyKittyKat's
"unassisted" half-marathon + 1 run for the ages! The girl with more nicknames (No, Andy, you can't have one) than you can shake a marathon stick at, re-wrote the record books. The Sand Bagger Award was now being passed around, and used more often, than the handi wipes that Yvette used in the middle of her own runs. If you know what I mean.
Dashing Double D Dave Dorsey (DDDDD) was on deck for his double. How do you like dem apples, Dr. Seuss!?
Dashing Double D Dave Dorsey (DDDDD) was on deck for his double. How do you like dem apples, Dr. Seuss!?
Legs 7 & 8 - DDDDD - 13.84 - 2:04:18 (8:58)
BEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another wildlife sighting at this point. DD's going to crap himself when he sees this thing!
(Note: This is not the actual bear that we saw. Our bear was taking a dump)
Things were going too smooth up to this point. It was actually getting a little mundane in the ultra van. It was getting too easy and we didn't have any more running jokes!! I know my formulation for our projected pace was bound to correct itself eventually, "butt" when? "Ahhhhhhhhh, there it is". "That feels better".
*This portion of the write-up has been censored. DDDDD had to make a detour "in between his legs" before his "#2" leg*
We were now back on projected track after Dave's "gut-wrenching" run that "took a lot out of him". You know what I mean.
On a serious note, Dave continued on for as long as he could throughout this RTB. He definitely earned his keep as an ultra runner, and didn't make a peep about how he really felt. Every time I asked him how he felt, he just said, I feel better, and went out and gave it his all. I was just amazed at how long he was able to hang in there. He continued to put in leg after leg while feeling really (end of serious note) crappy.
Legs 9 & 10 - JB - 11.5 - 1:13:30 (6:24)
Not another double-up! Who the hell came up with this leg strategy?! We had a total of four double-ups all of last year, and none of them totalled more than 8 miles! We were now on our 4th double-up with three of them more than 10 miles!! This is madness!
It was 8PM and night time running had already been in full effect for almost 3 hrs by the time Dave reached me for my first run. For perspective, our last runner for the first set of legs last year, started at 1PM....
My back was a little tight after waiting around for almost 7 hrs to run, but it eventually loosened up enough for me to make up ground on a couple dozen teams. By the end of my run, I managed to bag a PR of overtaking 40 teams over the course of my run.
I did, however, finish my legs a little slower than what I had projected, giving back two minutes.
It was once again Jay's turn to take over for the night.
Graveyard Shift
The one thing that everybody remembers from RTB is the night running. It was in the mid 50's throughout the early evening, but without much cloud cover overhead, the temps just kept dropping as we marched into the night.
The crew rolled on through the night with some more amazing runs. A few of us managed to get some winks during our downtime, which is always a good sign.
The one thing that stood out for me early on was the fact that we weren't really stopping during the legs. We either went straight to the next transition, or we quickly drove by to provide assistance on the move. It was a sign that everybody was pretty well prepared for their turn and recovering quickly, even though nearly every run was over 1+ hours in duration.
Iron Donkey was still kicking himself to get started, but he wasn't feeling it quite yet even though he was well ahead of his pace last year, so we decided to give him the first ever TRIPLE-UP!!
(You gotta be careful who's lurking in the BG at night)
Legs 11, 12, 13 - JS - 12.6 - 1:45:44 (8:24)
Jay ate up the miles like it was breakfast at Dean Karnazes' house. It's one thing to run almost a half marathon, but it's another to run almost a half at 9PM, in the middle of NH, in the dark, and after running eight miles seven hours earlier.
I can't remember if Jay snapped out of his funk at this point, but if he wasn't feeling crappy before, he definitely was now!
The momentum continued to swing in our favor as Andy followed up with another fantastic run on Leg 14, finishing with a shit eating grin on his face. Dammit, I'll have what he's having!
KG & KA completed Legs 15 & 16, respectively, right on or faster than projected pace (again). These two legs marked the start of some wicked hard legs that would last for at least another 40 miles, culminating with the back breaking Leg 21.
DDDDD gutted out Leg 17 to eat up 7.4 miles. He was our second fastest runner last year, so it was time for us to carry him for a bit.
I got back on the road with a double-up of Legs 18 & 19 totalling 9.22 miles. I remember nearly twisting my ankle about 3 times over the first 2 miles of this new portion of the course. There was hardly any shoulder, plenty of potholes, and very scary blind turns. I'm pretty sure Leg 18 will need to be changed for next year since somebody will eventually, if not already, get seriously hurt on this stretch.
I couldn't believe it was already 4AM when I finished up my 2nd of four scheduled sets of legs. We were now 13.5 hrs and 115 miles into this ordeal. For the most part, I think everyone, with the exception of DDDDD, was still feeling pretty good.
Jay took on what was once the hero leg in prior years, Leg 20, without much issue (9.23 - 1:25:34). Leg 20 is without a doubt a doozy. I remember running this leg a couple of years ago. See for yourself.
(Those aren't hockey sticks)
I say Leg 20 was once the hero leg because the race organizers decided to add Leg 21 this year:
(That's a scythe)
In all my infinite wisdom, I decided to double-up Legs 21 and 22 for Andy, since I didn't know how bad Leg 21 was when I originally scheduled the legs. I actually felt guilty when Andy was out on the course running both legs...but only for a second. That's what you get for having the fewest miles!...for now.
Andy and Jay would spend the rest of this edition of RTB arguing the merits of Leg 20 vs Leg 21, in the hopes of impressing Katy. I don't think it worked since Katy thought her legs were the hardest, which is not true, since I had the most difficult legs, right Kevin?
The Morning After
I managed to pass out at some point during the night and got about 15 minutes of sleep. It was 7AM, and the start of day running was back with us for good as Andy finished up Leg 22.
Kevin kicked off his 3rd set of legs (Legs 23 & 24 - 13.1) with the morning sun. Kevin had been dreading this leg since the start. It was his longest leg totalling 13.1 miles. Nothing like the smell of a half-marathon in the morning. Kevin completed his half in 1:41, good for a 7:44 pace overall. He could now rest easy going into his final leg.
Katy followed up with an 8+ miler rated as Hard (Leg 25 - 8.6 - 1:01 - 7:06). Jay managed to point out the fact that he ran this leg last year and that it was ALL uphill. Katy agreed. Apparently, it wasn't too bad as she managed a 7:06 pace over the entire climb. Katy pretty much had the Fastest Ultra Runner award locked in at this point.
DDDDDDDD would get up and down for his next leg (Leg 26 - 5.1 - 58:17 - 11:23), but unbeknownst to us at the time, it would be his final leg of the day. He was still struggling and it wasn't going to get much better. His final set of legs were scheduled for 4 hours from now. Any takers?
I could barely get up for my 3rd leg (Leg 27 - 8.5 - 1:01 - 7:12). My entire abdominal area cramped up the moment I stepped on the road. It was definitely due to poor hydration. I had instructed the Sssoles to just get to the next transition, only throwing me a water bottle as they passed by. Unfortunately, they threw me a bottle with about two sips worth of water, not enough to quench my thirst and cool off my over heating. It was getting really warm with the temps climbing into the upper 50's, and even higher in the sun. It was time to fight in the shade.
I started begging for water from other team vans around the 5 mile mark. I could barely take in any air because of the cramping in my abs, managing only short breathes to help ease the pain. One team van drove by and threw me the coldest bottle of water I had ever had the pleasure of feeling and tasting. I couldn't believe how good it felt, and it cured my cramping instantaneously. I was once again able to over take some more teams and focus on a sub 7 pace. Thanks to whichever team gave me that water!!
Last Legs
Jay got ready at Leg 28 for the start of the final set of legs. The final legs covered the remaining 38 miles of the course and would be relatively short, flat, and easy runs.
Leg 28: JS - 5.5 - 47:44 (8:37)
Leg 29: AB - 4.1 - 33:08 (8:07)
Leg 30 & 31: KG - 5.6 - 41:23 (7:25)
Leg 32: KA - 6.7 - 46:26 (6:56)
DDDDDDDD was no longer available to run at this point, he was down and out for good. Similar to last year, somebody would have to step up and take over the legs. Technically, it should have either been Katy or myself picking up DD's final 8 miles of Legs 33 & 34, but we were in no shape to take on any more legs.
Andy was still in a cheery mood, so he decided to jump back into the ring for a shot at the title of Iron Donkey. Of course, defending Iron Donkey, Jay, couldn't give up his ID title without a fight. Jay asked for Leg 33, and gave Andy the shorter Leg 34.
With the completion of these two legs, Jay repeated as ID at RTB, and Andy finally felt like the rest of the team, like crap. It only took 37 miles at an impressive 8:29 pace to make him feel human.
WhereTF is the Beach?!
It was exactly 4PM when we started our final assault on Hampton Beach, me vs the road, and the van vs traffic.
I was projected to finish a little before 5PM.
My plan for the final two legs (7.5 miles) of RTB was to go out as hard as I could, since I knew the first leg (Leg 35 - 3.4) was pretty fast to begin with. The weather was near perfect with little hints of sunshine mixed in with a cool breeze.
My cramping had subsided, but I was still sore in the abs, which continued to hamper my breathing. I was hoping that it would just ease up as I ran.
I've ran Leg 35 on at least two occasions, last year being one of them. It's an up and down leg, but at this point in the race, everything felt like up. My legs were dead, and I was about 2 miles away from completely bonking. I completely forgot to bring my only packet of GU for this final stretch!
Instead of getting better, things got worse as I approached the final 4 miles of Leg 36.
Once I reached the storm walls of Hampton at mile 207, the weather turned for the worse with a nasty headwind coming off of the water.
I started to feel the chill of the ocean air as I got closer and closer to Hampton Beach. The temps were down below 60 at this point, and the sun was nowhere in sight. All I had on was my GLRR sweater vest and happy shorts.
A runner in a cow suit passed by me. Was I hallucinating? He was the first runner to pass me since I started my first mile over 21 hours ago. Seriously? An f'n cow/human hybrid?!
I started to feel numbness in my lips and the tingling sensation you get in your fingertips when you know you're in trouble on a cold run.
I first slowed to a jog, and then, against everything I had left, I came to a crawl, and then was only moving forward because I felt like falling over.
The giant blister in my right foot was probably bleeding profusely at this point. I didn't want to stop and check since it was the only warmth I could feel on my body. It actually felt nice.
I just had only half-a-mile to go, but damn, this was going to be the longest, and toughest, two laps around a track of my life...
I was continuously looking for the final turn before the run on the beach, with my team, to the finish line.
Another two runners passed me at this point. That's 2.5 human runners over the past 22 hrs. Not bad.
The turn finally arrived. The beach was in sight. But where the heck was my team?!
I looked around at the crowds, but couldn't pick out any familiar faces. I continued on the sand towards the finish. The sand finish was grueling, but I was less than a tenth of a mile from the finish line.
Crossing that finish line was the most satisfying feeling that I've had in awhile at a race. I was basically a van completely out of gas, and had to be pushed downhill to the finish.
A friend (Kelly) not connected with the Masssoles was the first to greet me after I finished. I could barely mutter anything meaningful other than, "I'm cold" and "where's my team"?
Katy eventually found me in the crowd and explained to me that they were all stuck in traffic getting to the finish area. We both ran back through the finish area and found the rest of the team in order to run across the finish line together.
It felt just as good the second time.
Official Results
- 95th out of 431 teams
- 9th out of 19 Ultra teams
- Finished about 40 minutes ahead of last year's time
Some ideas for the next Masssoles RTB:
- Skip the fall RTB in 2011, and try the new course at the new spring RTB in 2012
- All Masssoless teams enter in the same projected pace so that we can all start together. At least we'll be able to see each other at least once on the course...
- Get another Masssoles Ultra team going. We would like to share in the pain.
Personally, I didn't hit my main goal of going sub 7's over my entire run, but this year's course was definitely more grueling than what I've experienced in the past. I definitely feel like we earned the finish this year.
This run was perfect training for JFK. Experienced a little of everything, and definitely learned a thing or two about ultra racing to the point of exhaustion.
Time to recover and rebuild towards JFK in November. On tap is Hartford, Portland, and Baystate Marathon in October for the final tune up.
Katy's version of what really happened
Brian's version of what DIDN'T happen to the Masssoles
SPECIAL THANKS:
Andy's B-I-L for lending us the condo once again!
The Soroko's in Old Salem for being an awesome post-race host!!
The LGO's for the awesome organization and baked goods!!!
All of the great volunteers at RTB that made it possible for us to kill ourselves in an orderly fashion for 26+ hrs!!!!
The bear for not eating our runner!!!!!
The Morning After
I managed to pass out at some point during the night and got about 15 minutes of sleep. It was 7AM, and the start of day running was back with us for good as Andy finished up Leg 22.
Kevin kicked off his 3rd set of legs (Legs 23 & 24 - 13.1) with the morning sun. Kevin had been dreading this leg since the start. It was his longest leg totalling 13.1 miles. Nothing like the smell of a half-marathon in the morning. Kevin completed his half in 1:41, good for a 7:44 pace overall. He could now rest easy going into his final leg.
Katy followed up with an 8+ miler rated as Hard (Leg 25 - 8.6 - 1:01 - 7:06). Jay managed to point out the fact that he ran this leg last year and that it was ALL uphill. Katy agreed. Apparently, it wasn't too bad as she managed a 7:06 pace over the entire climb. Katy pretty much had the Fastest Ultra Runner award locked in at this point.
(Don't let her cuteness fool you. She will kick your ass.)
DDDDDDDD would get up and down for his next leg (Leg 26 - 5.1 - 58:17 - 11:23), but unbeknownst to us at the time, it would be his final leg of the day. He was still struggling and it wasn't going to get much better. His final set of legs were scheduled for 4 hours from now. Any takers?
I could barely get up for my 3rd leg (Leg 27 - 8.5 - 1:01 - 7:12). My entire abdominal area cramped up the moment I stepped on the road. It was definitely due to poor hydration. I had instructed the Sssoles to just get to the next transition, only throwing me a water bottle as they passed by. Unfortunately, they threw me a bottle with about two sips worth of water, not enough to quench my thirst and cool off my over heating. It was getting really warm with the temps climbing into the upper 50's, and even higher in the sun. It was time to fight in the shade.
I started begging for water from other team vans around the 5 mile mark. I could barely take in any air because of the cramping in my abs, managing only short breathes to help ease the pain. One team van drove by and threw me the coldest bottle of water I had ever had the pleasure of feeling and tasting. I couldn't believe how good it felt, and it cured my cramping instantaneously. I was once again able to over take some more teams and focus on a sub 7 pace. Thanks to whichever team gave me that water!!
Last Legs
Jay got ready at Leg 28 for the start of the final set of legs. The final legs covered the remaining 38 miles of the course and would be relatively short, flat, and easy runs.
Leg 28: JS - 5.5 - 47:44 (8:37)
Leg 29: AB - 4.1 - 33:08 (8:07)
Leg 30 & 31: KG - 5.6 - 41:23 (7:25)
Leg 32: KA - 6.7 - 46:26 (6:56)
(Andy taking his own photo. This isn't MySpace.)
DDDDDDDD was no longer available to run at this point, he was down and out for good. Similar to last year, somebody would have to step up and take over the legs. Technically, it should have either been Katy or myself picking up DD's final 8 miles of Legs 33 & 34, but we were in no shape to take on any more legs.
Andy was still in a cheery mood, so he decided to jump back into the ring for a shot at the title of Iron Donkey. Of course, defending Iron Donkey, Jay, couldn't give up his ID title without a fight. Jay asked for Leg 33, and gave Andy the shorter Leg 34.
With the completion of these two legs, Jay repeated as ID at RTB, and Andy finally felt like the rest of the team, like crap. It only took 37 miles at an impressive 8:29 pace to make him feel human.
WhereTF is the Beach?!
It was exactly 4PM when we started our final assault on Hampton Beach, me vs the road, and the van vs traffic.
I was projected to finish a little before 5PM.
My plan for the final two legs (7.5 miles) of RTB was to go out as hard as I could, since I knew the first leg (Leg 35 - 3.4) was pretty fast to begin with. The weather was near perfect with little hints of sunshine mixed in with a cool breeze.
My cramping had subsided, but I was still sore in the abs, which continued to hamper my breathing. I was hoping that it would just ease up as I ran.
I've ran Leg 35 on at least two occasions, last year being one of them. It's an up and down leg, but at this point in the race, everything felt like up. My legs were dead, and I was about 2 miles away from completely bonking. I completely forgot to bring my only packet of GU for this final stretch!
Instead of getting better, things got worse as I approached the final 4 miles of Leg 36.
Once I reached the storm walls of Hampton at mile 207, the weather turned for the worse with a nasty headwind coming off of the water.
I started to feel the chill of the ocean air as I got closer and closer to Hampton Beach. The temps were down below 60 at this point, and the sun was nowhere in sight. All I had on was my GLRR sweater vest and happy shorts.
A runner in a cow suit passed by me. Was I hallucinating? He was the first runner to pass me since I started my first mile over 21 hours ago. Seriously? An f'n cow/human hybrid?!
I started to feel numbness in my lips and the tingling sensation you get in your fingertips when you know you're in trouble on a cold run.
I first slowed to a jog, and then, against everything I had left, I came to a crawl, and then was only moving forward because I felt like falling over.
The giant blister in my right foot was probably bleeding profusely at this point. I didn't want to stop and check since it was the only warmth I could feel on my body. It actually felt nice.
I just had only half-a-mile to go, but damn, this was going to be the longest, and toughest, two laps around a track of my life...
(running on empty)
Another two runners passed me at this point. That's 2.5 human runners over the past 22 hrs. Not bad.
The turn finally arrived. The beach was in sight. But where the heck was my team?!
I looked around at the crowds, but couldn't pick out any familiar faces. I continued on the sand towards the finish. The sand finish was grueling, but I was less than a tenth of a mile from the finish line.
Crossing that finish line was the most satisfying feeling that I've had in awhile at a race. I was basically a van completely out of gas, and had to be pushed downhill to the finish.
A friend (Kelly) not connected with the Masssoles was the first to greet me after I finished. I could barely mutter anything meaningful other than, "I'm cold" and "where's my team"?
Katy eventually found me in the crowd and explained to me that they were all stuck in traffic getting to the finish area. We both ran back through the finish area and found the rest of the team in order to run across the finish line together.
It felt just as good the second time.
AWARDS:
Iron Donkey (Most Mileage): Jay
Fastest Ultra: Katy
Least Whiny: Dave
Most Improved Over Last Year Because He Trained and Didn't Drink Any Myoplex: Andy
Most Consistent: Kevin
Sleep Deprived: Jason
Notable Notes:
We managed to see a moose, a bear, a pig with really huge balls, and a human/cow hybrid.
Quotable Quotes:
"I LOVE MY PENIS!!" - All the guys in the van (end of running joke #2)
- 95th out of 431 teams
- 9th out of 19 Ultra teams
- Finished about 40 minutes ahead of last year's time
Some ideas for the next Masssoles RTB:
- Skip the fall RTB in 2011, and try the new course at the new spring RTB in 2012
- All Masssoless teams enter in the same projected pace so that we can all start together. At least we'll be able to see each other at least once on the course...
- Get another Masssoles Ultra team going. We would like to share in the pain.
Personally, I didn't hit my main goal of going sub 7's over my entire run, but this year's course was definitely more grueling than what I've experienced in the past. I definitely feel like we earned the finish this year.
This run was perfect training for JFK. Experienced a little of everything, and definitely learned a thing or two about ultra racing to the point of exhaustion.
Time to recover and rebuild towards JFK in November. On tap is Hartford, Portland, and Baystate Marathon in October for the final tune up.
Katy's version of what really happened
Brian's version of what DIDN'T happen to the Masssoles
SPECIAL THANKS:
Andy's B-I-L for lending us the condo once again!
The Soroko's in Old Salem for being an awesome post-race host!!
The LGO's for the awesome organization and baked goods!!!
All of the great volunteers at RTB that made it possible for us to kill ourselves in an orderly fashion for 26+ hrs!!!!
The bear for not eating our runner!!!!!
Sept 16th, 2010 - Training - Waterville Valley, NH - 3.1
Day 258 - The day has finally arrived, the eve of RTB is once again upon us. The NYC crew drove up and met the MA crew in Waltham to pick up the mobile attack vehicle. We then proceeded to do the car drop offs at Jay's parents' place in Old Salem.
We were already on pace at this point and managed to get in dinner at a small, quaint, local eatery in Tilton, NH named Uno's Chicago Bar & Grill by 7PM (yeah, I know. I used this joke last year).
We got up to Andy's B-I-L's condo in Waterville Valley, the staging area for our assault on RTB 2010, by 8PM.
I still had to get in my 5K for the day, so I slipped on my VFF's and headed out the door by 8:30PM. No other Masssoles wanted to join me. Thanks team!
It was drizzling out, but this was supposed to be the worse of it before our scheduled start time of 1:20PM tomorrow afternoon. This would also be the latest that any Masssoles team has had to start RTB in the 6 years of doing this. We need to learn how to sand bag better!
The weather was perfect, less the rain, for running. If it clears up, like its supposed to, then we're going to have perfect running weather over the next 2 days!
The other Masssoles team didn't arrive at the condo until after 11PM, and then the Snore Wars began....
We were already on pace at this point and managed to get in dinner at a small, quaint, local eatery in Tilton, NH named Uno's Chicago Bar & Grill by 7PM (yeah, I know. I used this joke last year).
We got up to Andy's B-I-L's condo in Waterville Valley, the staging area for our assault on RTB 2010, by 8PM.
I still had to get in my 5K for the day, so I slipped on my VFF's and headed out the door by 8:30PM. No other Masssoles wanted to join me. Thanks team!
It was drizzling out, but this was supposed to be the worse of it before our scheduled start time of 1:20PM tomorrow afternoon. This would also be the latest that any Masssoles team has had to start RTB in the 6 years of doing this. We need to learn how to sand bag better!
The weather was perfect, less the rain, for running. If it clears up, like its supposed to, then we're going to have perfect running weather over the next 2 days!
The other Masssoles team didn't arrive at the condo until after 11PM, and then the Snore Wars began....
(It should actually read 209.06 miles in 26 hrs and 34 mins)
Sept 15th, 2010 - Training - Tewksbury, MA - 3.1
Day 257 - Took it real easy and careful tonight as I prepare to depart for RTB tomorrow afternoon. Went on the treadmill and watched TV.
Here's the current projections for Masssoles Ultra at RTB:
Here's the current projections for Masssoles Ultra at RTB:
(Painful just to look at it)
(more pain)
Sept 14th, 2010 - Training - Lowell, MA - 3.1
Day 256 - Found myself running in Lowell tonight. It's been awhile since I last ran in the area. Glenn & Co still doing the weekly Good Times Withdrawal Run. Saw Frank running home after his run, as I was just driving into the city.
Didn't see the rest of the group until after I put in my own run around the river, and they were already chowing down over at the Old Court. Ahhh, memories.
Here's what the current leg breakdown looks like for Masssoles Ultra at RTB:
Didn't see the rest of the group until after I put in my own run around the river, and they were already chowing down over at the Old Court. Ahhh, memories.
Here's what the current leg breakdown looks like for Masssoles Ultra at RTB:
(Zoom In and Enhance...like they do in CSI)
Sept 13th, 2010 - Training - Tewksbury, MA - 3.2
Day 255 - Tapering as I head into RTB weekend. Testing out some more night time running equipment. No choice since work has been work, and I haven't been able to leave before sunset for the past couple of weeks. No end in sight. Bury me now.
(The only reward for hard work is?...(answer provided at the bottom of Day 1))
Sept 12th, 2010 - Training - Hopkinton State Park - 3.1
Day 254 - Completed another run with my brother after timing a tri down in Hopkinton. We went out on the run course together, and this time he hung with me the entire way. I didn't even have to go barefoot this time!
My brother is really starting to take this running business seriously. Watch out running world, he was a better runner than me when we were in high school!
My brother is really starting to take this running business seriously. Watch out running world, he was a better runner than me when we were in high school!
(You keep your friends close, and your siblings even closer)
Sept 10th, 2010 - Training - Tewksbury, MA - 3.1
Day 252 - It's always fun when I can run with someone that rarely ever runs. Tonight was with my mom on the treadmills at the apt.
She hasn't run that much over the past year due to shin splints when she did try running last year, even doing some of the GT5K races with me!
Tonight, she wouldn't stop running until she got 2 miles under her belt. Now I know where I got my determination from!
Working weekend on tap, first in Ogunquit, ME and then Hopkinton, MA. Should be able to put in some decent runs, but still tapering for RTB in less than 7 days!!
She hasn't run that much over the past year due to shin splints when she did try running last year, even doing some of the GT5K races with me!
Tonight, she wouldn't stop running until she got 2 miles under her belt. Now I know where I got my determination from!
Working weekend on tap, first in Ogunquit, ME and then Hopkinton, MA. Should be able to put in some decent runs, but still tapering for RTB in less than 7 days!!
(Thanks, Mom)
Sept 9th, 2010 - Training - Tewksbury -> Tyngsboro - 13.1
Day 251 - Original plan was to lap Deric nine times at track tonight, but life got in the way. Left work late and couldn't get up to CHS track in time for the GLRR workout. I heard it was a good turnout on a cool night.
I managed to kick wussy Jason to the curb and regain some of my shot confidence on a 13.1 miler to my parents' place.
I managed sub 7's over the last 3 miles, running down Dunstable Road in complete darkness and all alone (well, Pre was with me). It was beautiful.
Returned to the basics tonight. No music. No Camelbak. No care in the world.
I managed to kick wussy Jason to the curb and regain some of my shot confidence on a 13.1 miler to my parents' place.
I managed sub 7's over the last 3 miles, running down Dunstable Road in complete darkness and all alone (well, Pre was with me). It was beautiful.
Returned to the basics tonight. No music. No Camelbak. No care in the world.
(Dude, you gotta Mile 14 that stuff)
Sept 8th, 2010 - Training - Tewksbury, MA - 3.1
Day 250 - Something has to give. I'm either going to give up on running or come back even stronger. Still lumbering through my workouts, and just doing them to get them over with.
Somebody slap this funk off of me!
It got so bad tonight that I ended up on the treadmill when it was really nice out. This is a bad sign.
Part of it has been work. I didn't get home until 8:30PM, and by then, I was ready for bed. Looking forward to the three day interrogation in two weeks for the new job.
250 down, 115 to go.
Somebody slap this funk off of me!
It got so bad tonight that I ended up on the treadmill when it was really nice out. This is a bad sign.
Part of it has been work. I didn't get home until 8:30PM, and by then, I was ready for bed. Looking forward to the three day interrogation in two weeks for the new job.
250 down, 115 to go.
(Right on, buddy.)
Sept 7th, 2010 - Trainng - Tewksbury, MA - 3.1
Day 249 - It's usually the second day after a tough race that most runners feel the weakness leave their body, and today was no different.
The full impact of Wapack hit me like a ton of bricks this morning when I got out of bed. I can't remember the last time my body ached this badly.
My confidence and motivation to run still shot, so I decided to go test out some of the safety gear for RTB with a nice and easy run. Everything fit snugly and not much stuff bouncing around other than my man boobs.
The full impact of Wapack hit me like a ton of bricks this morning when I got out of bed. I can't remember the last time my body ached this badly.
My confidence and motivation to run still shot, so I decided to go test out some of the safety gear for RTB with a nice and easy run. Everything fit snugly and not much stuff bouncing around other than my man boobs.
(I must be really weak than)
No Labor Day, 2010 - Training - Tewksbury, MA - 3.1
Day 248 - I woke up today with no motivation to work. Thank goodness it was Labor Day! I also had no motivation to run either. My poor performance at Wapack yesterday still fresh on my mind and legs.
Spent the day with the in-laws, and then finally managed to get in a very easy 5K on a very cool night.
I discovered that it's about 20 laps around my apt's parking lot to get 3.1
Spent the day with the in-laws, and then finally managed to get in a very easy 5K on a very cool night.
I discovered that it's about 20 laps around my apt's parking lot to get 3.1
(great hill workout)
Sept 5th, 2010 - Tracing - New Ipswich, NH - 18
Day 247 - The pain still lingers, and even though a year has passed, it still feels like it happened 364 days ago...
Sept 6th, 2009 - Wapack Trail Race - Mile 4
I knew right away it wasn't good the moment I heard the dull pop and felt the pain shoot up my right leg.
I came off of the 3 ft rocky ledge fast, off-balance, and out of control. I paid the price for being careless.
Tears began welling up in my eyes, and a full fall season of running flashed in front of me: RTB Ultra, Applefest Half, Portland Marathon, Hartford Marathon, and NYC Marathon. All within the next month. All pretty much gone the moment I decided to go for it all at Wapack.
After sitting there for a few minutes and bracing for the worse, I got myself up and tried to walk on the already swollen ankle. There was a sharp pain. Not good.
I was a mile from the first water stop at mile 5, and four miles from the start. I decided to hobble to the aid station to see if I could get a lift back to the start.
Runners began passing me. It was painful to be passed even though I knew that my race was over. My first ever DNF. FUCK!
I got to the aid station, and the fine folks there said that there was nothing they could do for me at the moment. They would need to stay here for the entirety of the race to support the other runners, which was going to be at least another three hours. I just wanted to get out of there and start the healing process.
I turned back and began my long and grueling two plus hour trudge back to the start, up over a few mountains.
I vowed that I would come back next year to finish what I had started.
Sept 5th, 2010 - Wapack Trail Race
Dane and I got up to New Ipswich, NH for this year's Wapack Trail Race by 8AM for the low-key 9AM start. I was going to attempt to race it, but would turn it into a training run if the course got as hairy as I remember from the four miles that I managed last year. I rarely ever use a race as a training run, but today was going to be an exception.
Double J was here, along with Jimmie C. and Mike S. Mike was getting ready for his own ultra, his first 50k, in a couple of weeks. About 70 others runners also made the trek to the hills of Wapack on this cool Sunday morning.
The course itself is 9 miles out and 9 miles back, over Barrett Mtn, New Ipswich Mtn, Pratt Mtn, the NH/MA border, then the biggest beast of them all, Mount Watatic (short for "wicked retarded"). We cross over these mountains twice on this course.
For gear, I just brought along my Camelbak with the water/Gatorade mix and one GU. That's all I figured I would need on this course that's supposed to be the equivalent to running a marathon.
On a side note, I never do well on courses that are supposed to be the equivalent of some other course/distance. Case in point, Mt. Washington. Your time on that course is supposed to be equivalent to your half-marathon time. I finished it in 1:34. My half-marathon PR is 1:23.
Wapack is supposed to be close to your marathon time. My marathon PR is currently 2:58.
I think part of the problem for me is pacing myself at any other distance other than a distance that I am familiar with. I suck at doing math in my head during a race, so I can never figure out my proper pace at a new distance, and of course, I never plan that stuff out ahead of time. I tend to just go out and run based on how I feel, and most of the time, I definitely don't give it my all or sabotage myself early on.
The other issue is pre-race prep. If this was a normal marathon, then I would have carbo loaded the days leading into the race. I just looked at this race as just an 18 miler, and didn't eat properly the days before.
This year however, I did take the the advice of DQ and taped my ankles. I also decided to wear my Nike Frees. I wore trail running sneakers last year and that didn't work out too well.
Everybody was ready to go by 9AM and the RD let everybody loose on the mountains with an interesting start. He just gave instructions and then told everybody to go.
I went out on the new part of the course at about 7:30's and felt pretty good. The footing was tough over the grassy trail, but I managed. I realized that I might have taped my ankles a little too tight and stiff, but I would rather suffer a little over the course of the race than suffer a lot with a badly twisted ankle.
We came upon the first climb on the course at 1.5 and that's when Jimmie passed me. He asked me how I was feeling, and I told him that I was already tired! I seriously was though. I couldn't believe how dead my legs felt, and I was basically walking up the first hill. It wasn't even that steep! The 70+ miles so far this week was catching up to me. It was going to be a long day.
It was on the downside of this first hill that I realized that it was time to call this one a training run. I started to let other runners go by me on the single track trail as I hate being chased on single track, especially on trails this technical. It was demoralizing and very unlike me to just let others pass, but memories of last year were still fresh on my mind.
At mile 4 I noted the spot that ate my ankle last year. I took my time navigating this section this time around. As a matter of fact, I really took my time throughout today's race, especially on the technical downhills, while others were just flying past me. I was uncharacteristically running with a lot of fear and that's never a fun thing to do, and I was less than half-way through with the race! It was going to be a really, really long day.
I suffered my first bad ankle breaker before the first water stop at mile 5, but the ankle tape did its job. I still felt a twinge of lingering pain, so I shudder to think how bad it might have been if I didn't do the tape job. I suffered a few more close calls throughout the day, and after about the 10th one, I got really frustrated at myself. I started to walk the technical and uphill portions of the course. What was I doing here?! I should have just ran the 30 miles with Reno today!
I got to the turn around point at mile 9 in 1 hr 39 mins. I was way behind any logical and reasonable pace, and just had to swallow my pride and finish this unforgiving race in one piece. Call it a learning experience.
The first mountain to greet you on the return trip is Watatic. This thing was a pain to run down. Trust me, it was a million times worse crawling back up. This part of the course helped me reach a PR of a 17 minute mile! I managed to set another mile PR later in the course. See splits below.
The rocky terrain was starting to really wear on me physically and mentally. My Frees weren't the best choice for this terrain as my feet were sliding all over the place with each step. Even with my Injinji tetra socks, I was starting to feel hot spots on my feet due to the constant uneven footing.
There's roughly a total of maybe two miles of flat, even trail throughout this race, and it was such a relief to be able to run on this surface, but it was rare. There was hardly any rest from the technical stuff that got old real quick.
I eventually got passed by two other runners between mile 9 and the finish, when I took a wrong split in the trail at about 12.5 (apparently, a lot of others did the same), to put me in my final finishing position of 26th place overall.
This was one of the few (probably only race) that I didn't pass one single runner on the course.
By mile 15, I just wanted to get the race over with and move on with the rest of the fall running season.
I took a GU before one of the final climbs that probably saved me from completely bonking. I was now having a hard time standing straight, and was forced to stop a few times, dead in my tracks, to catch my breath.
I eventually crossed the finish line in an unglamorous 3 hrs and 38 minutes. Remember, this course is supposed to be the equivalent of a marathon, and my best marathon to date was 2:58!
This race was probably the most grueling race I've ever done, including my first marathon when I couldn't walk for nearly a week afterwards.
I was just glad it was over and that I was able to go home injury free, but I don't think I'll ever have the courage to ever race this race again. The risk of injury is just too high. Don't get me wrong. I love challenges and challenging race/adventure courses, but I too have my limits and for this type of race, Wapack is my upper limit.
It was physically draining, but the part that still lingered with me as I got home and tried to enjoy the rest of the long weekend, was the mental toll that it took on me. I wasn't happy with my performance and I actually, for the first time all year, didn't feel like running anymore.
Hopefully, this is just the kick in the ass that I needed before I head into the RTB Ultra and the JFK 50.
I'll see how I feel in the morning....
Results
Sept 6th, 2009 - Wapack Trail Race - Mile 4
I knew right away it wasn't good the moment I heard the dull pop and felt the pain shoot up my right leg.
I came off of the 3 ft rocky ledge fast, off-balance, and out of control. I paid the price for being careless.
Tears began welling up in my eyes, and a full fall season of running flashed in front of me: RTB Ultra, Applefest Half, Portland Marathon, Hartford Marathon, and NYC Marathon. All within the next month. All pretty much gone the moment I decided to go for it all at Wapack.
After sitting there for a few minutes and bracing for the worse, I got myself up and tried to walk on the already swollen ankle. There was a sharp pain. Not good.
I was a mile from the first water stop at mile 5, and four miles from the start. I decided to hobble to the aid station to see if I could get a lift back to the start.
Runners began passing me. It was painful to be passed even though I knew that my race was over. My first ever DNF. FUCK!
I got to the aid station, and the fine folks there said that there was nothing they could do for me at the moment. They would need to stay here for the entirety of the race to support the other runners, which was going to be at least another three hours. I just wanted to get out of there and start the healing process.
I turned back and began my long and grueling two plus hour trudge back to the start, up over a few mountains.
I vowed that I would come back next year to finish what I had started.
Sept 5th, 2010 - Wapack Trail Race
Dane and I got up to New Ipswich, NH for this year's Wapack Trail Race by 8AM for the low-key 9AM start. I was going to attempt to race it, but would turn it into a training run if the course got as hairy as I remember from the four miles that I managed last year. I rarely ever use a race as a training run, but today was going to be an exception.
Double J was here, along with Jimmie C. and Mike S. Mike was getting ready for his own ultra, his first 50k, in a couple of weeks. About 70 others runners also made the trek to the hills of Wapack on this cool Sunday morning.
(Before we realized what we were getting ourselves into)
The course itself is 9 miles out and 9 miles back, over Barrett Mtn, New Ipswich Mtn, Pratt Mtn, the NH/MA border, then the biggest beast of them all, Mount Watatic (short for "wicked retarded"). We cross over these mountains twice on this course.
For gear, I just brought along my Camelbak with the water/Gatorade mix and one GU. That's all I figured I would need on this course that's supposed to be the equivalent to running a marathon.
On a side note, I never do well on courses that are supposed to be the equivalent of some other course/distance. Case in point, Mt. Washington. Your time on that course is supposed to be equivalent to your half-marathon time. I finished it in 1:34. My half-marathon PR is 1:23.
Wapack is supposed to be close to your marathon time. My marathon PR is currently 2:58.
I think part of the problem for me is pacing myself at any other distance other than a distance that I am familiar with. I suck at doing math in my head during a race, so I can never figure out my proper pace at a new distance, and of course, I never plan that stuff out ahead of time. I tend to just go out and run based on how I feel, and most of the time, I definitely don't give it my all or sabotage myself early on.
The other issue is pre-race prep. If this was a normal marathon, then I would have carbo loaded the days leading into the race. I just looked at this race as just an 18 miler, and didn't eat properly the days before.
This year however, I did take the the advice of DQ and taped my ankles. I also decided to wear my Nike Frees. I wore trail running sneakers last year and that didn't work out too well.
Everybody was ready to go by 9AM and the RD let everybody loose on the mountains with an interesting start. He just gave instructions and then told everybody to go.
I went out on the new part of the course at about 7:30's and felt pretty good. The footing was tough over the grassy trail, but I managed. I realized that I might have taped my ankles a little too tight and stiff, but I would rather suffer a little over the course of the race than suffer a lot with a badly twisted ankle.
We came upon the first climb on the course at 1.5 and that's when Jimmie passed me. He asked me how I was feeling, and I told him that I was already tired! I seriously was though. I couldn't believe how dead my legs felt, and I was basically walking up the first hill. It wasn't even that steep! The 70+ miles so far this week was catching up to me. It was going to be a long day.
It was on the downside of this first hill that I realized that it was time to call this one a training run. I started to let other runners go by me on the single track trail as I hate being chased on single track, especially on trails this technical. It was demoralizing and very unlike me to just let others pass, but memories of last year were still fresh on my mind.
At mile 4 I noted the spot that ate my ankle last year. I took my time navigating this section this time around. As a matter of fact, I really took my time throughout today's race, especially on the technical downhills, while others were just flying past me. I was uncharacteristically running with a lot of fear and that's never a fun thing to do, and I was less than half-way through with the race! It was going to be a really, really long day.
I suffered my first bad ankle breaker before the first water stop at mile 5, but the ankle tape did its job. I still felt a twinge of lingering pain, so I shudder to think how bad it might have been if I didn't do the tape job. I suffered a few more close calls throughout the day, and after about the 10th one, I got really frustrated at myself. I started to walk the technical and uphill portions of the course. What was I doing here?! I should have just ran the 30 miles with Reno today!
I got to the turn around point at mile 9 in 1 hr 39 mins. I was way behind any logical and reasonable pace, and just had to swallow my pride and finish this unforgiving race in one piece. Call it a learning experience.
The first mountain to greet you on the return trip is Watatic. This thing was a pain to run down. Trust me, it was a million times worse crawling back up. This part of the course helped me reach a PR of a 17 minute mile! I managed to set another mile PR later in the course. See splits below.
The rocky terrain was starting to really wear on me physically and mentally. My Frees weren't the best choice for this terrain as my feet were sliding all over the place with each step. Even with my Injinji tetra socks, I was starting to feel hot spots on my feet due to the constant uneven footing.
There's roughly a total of maybe two miles of flat, even trail throughout this race, and it was such a relief to be able to run on this surface, but it was rare. There was hardly any rest from the technical stuff that got old real quick.
I eventually got passed by two other runners between mile 9 and the finish, when I took a wrong split in the trail at about 12.5 (apparently, a lot of others did the same), to put me in my final finishing position of 26th place overall.
This was one of the few (probably only race) that I didn't pass one single runner on the course.
By mile 15, I just wanted to get the race over with and move on with the rest of the fall running season.
I took a GU before one of the final climbs that probably saved me from completely bonking. I was now having a hard time standing straight, and was forced to stop a few times, dead in my tracks, to catch my breath.
I eventually crossed the finish line in an unglamorous 3 hrs and 38 minutes. Remember, this course is supposed to be the equivalent of a marathon, and my best marathon to date was 2:58!
(At least it didn't kill me)
This race was probably the most grueling race I've ever done, including my first marathon when I couldn't walk for nearly a week afterwards.
I was just glad it was over and that I was able to go home injury free, but I don't think I'll ever have the courage to ever race this race again. The risk of injury is just too high. Don't get me wrong. I love challenges and challenging race/adventure courses, but I too have my limits and for this type of race, Wapack is my upper limit.
It was physically draining, but the part that still lingered with me as I got home and tried to enjoy the rest of the long weekend, was the mental toll that it took on me. I wasn't happy with my performance and I actually, for the first time all year, didn't feel like running anymore.
Hopefully, this is just the kick in the ass that I needed before I head into the RTB Ultra and the JFK 50.
I'll see how I feel in the morning....
Results
(Don't let the negative splits fool you)
Sept 4th, 2010 - Training - Lowell, MA - 10
Day 246 - Went out for a 13 10 mile run with the GLRR group, specifically with Cody, Andy, and Andy C.
Another run cut short because I felt like crap. First ever 70+ mile week starting to wear on me, especially with the two heat runs on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Plan is to "taper" a bit before RTB in two weeks, and then pick it back up again for JFK.
Wapack 18 miler tomorrow morning. This is the same race that nearly ended my running season last year, and I still get chills when I think about what happened there. I'll tell that story one day. Just not ready yet. Maybe tomorrow.
It's been awhile, but here's some more GLRR baseball cards:
(We look better every week!)
Another run cut short because I felt like crap. First ever 70+ mile week starting to wear on me, especially with the two heat runs on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Plan is to "taper" a bit before RTB in two weeks, and then pick it back up again for JFK.
Wapack 18 miler tomorrow morning. This is the same race that nearly ended my running season last year, and I still get chills when I think about what happened there. I'll tell that story one day. Just not ready yet. Maybe tomorrow.
It's been awhile, but here's some more GLRR baseball cards:
Sept 3rd, 2010 - Training - Tewksbury, MA - 3.1
Day 245 - Went out for a pre-work run to get it out of the way since Rachel and I were going to see Wicked in Boston tonight, and probably wouldn't be back until after midnight.
First morning run in awhile, and legs were still heavy and sluggish from prior long runs on Tuesday and Wednesday. Hopefully the malaise will soon past. Looks like it's time to replace the Dr. Soles in my Frees. I ain't gellin' anymore.
Looking forward to the long weekend and racing Wapack 18 miler on Sunday.
First morning run in awhile, and legs were still heavy and sluggish from prior long runs on Tuesday and Wednesday. Hopefully the malaise will soon past. Looks like it's time to replace the Dr. Soles in my Frees. I ain't gellin' anymore.
Looking forward to the long weekend and racing Wapack 18 miler on Sunday.
(She must have been from New England)
Sept 2nd, 2010 - Training - Chelmsford, MA - 5
Day 244 - Completed a 5 x 1600 work out at half-marathon pace (6:30) with 400 rest in between each mile in 90 degree temps (ran all of the intervals at or below 6:30 pace) and ran them with Andy and Andy on the track at CHS with Jim and Glenn timing us and Matt, Dane, Deric, and other GLRR members there tonight having a blast and legs felt heavy at first but felt great after the workout and Fil couldn't make it so we picked on Deric the entire night and why is this a run on sentence?
Oh yeah, I also lapped Deric 7 times. Just kidding, Deric. It was only 8.
Oh yeah, I also lapped Deric 7 times. Just kidding, Deric. It was only 8.
(I kid because I care)
Sept 1st, 2010 - Training - Tewksbury > Lowell - 12
Day 243 - My change of plans tonight made up for my change of plans last night. Last night I did 13 when I wanted to do 18. Tonight I did 12 when I had only planned on doing 3. Sorry, Cody.
It was another scorcher of an evening when I left the apt a little before 7PM. This time, the route was going to be from the apt down to Battambang Market near downtown Lowell. I was just going to do a 5K on the treadmill to stay out of the heat and recover, since I took a brutal beating in the heat last night, but Rachel needed some supplies from the local Asian supermarket.
I never turn down a run when Rachel asks me to run. I may be stupid, but I'm not dumb.
Making things a little more difficult tonight was the fact that I had to take with me a completely empty Camelbak in order to carry the groceries back with me on the return trip. No water. No Gatorade. No phone. No bailout point. Just cash.
I went out 6 miles at a sub 8 minute clip and felt pretty good considering it was just as hot and humid as last night. This time I wore my Newtons, which had a little more support than the now worn out Nike Frees.
Took me about 55 minutes to reach the store, make the purchases, replenish with some liquids, pack the groceries, and start heading back. Once again, it was pitch dark out, but the streets in this area had more shoulder than last night's finish in Tyngsboro.
I did a little above 8 minute pace on the way home, mainly because of the darkness and most of it was uphill.
Run was completed in about 1:30 without any issue, but damn, why did I wear a cotton shirt!?!
(Wet cotton t-shirt winner!)
August 31st, 2010 - Training - Lowell -> Tyngsboro - 13.1
Day 242 - Tonight ranked up there as one of the toughest training runs of the year for me.
I was just glad that it was over and that Edward would have to find his meal somewhere else tonight.
My original plan was to run 18+ from Tewksbury to Nashua, NH to meet Rachel by 8:30 near the Pheasant Lane Mall. Yeah, I know, there's a thing called a car.
(My other car is a Pterodactyl)
My bailout points were 6 miles apart, the first one at Hookslides and the second one at my parents' place in Tyngsboro.
I left the apt much later than I had wanted (7PM). Sunset was now 7:20PM, so that gave me no more than 45 minutes to run in sunlight, and get off of the traffic heavy Rt 38, before the vampires came out.
(Even more reason to run faster)
It was still in the low 90's when I started out, and I don't think it dropped that much over the next 13 miles, even after the sun went down, and Edward was out looking for his next under age victim.
My first constraint was time. I had at most 2 hours to travel the 18 miles to Nashua, with 6 of it over uncharted territory, in the dark. Rachel was not going to wait for me much past 9PM to get my hurtin self up there, and I didn't feel like running 36 miles tonight.
By the time I got to Hookslides at 7:45PM, I knew there was no way I could get up to Nashua by 9PM, given the current conditions. I was also at Hookslides hoping to catch Glenn & Co on their GT5K Withdrawal Run. They started at 7PM, and were not back yet. The only sign I saw of Glenn was his formerly tree-battered Baja parked out backa.
I texted Rachel and told her to meet in Tyngsboro at 9.
I just wasn't feeling it when I tried to start back up again from Lowell. The legs were heavy and I was moving at no more than an 8:30 pace.
My water/Gatorade mix in my Camelbak wasn't cutting it either. It was just too humid and hot to be putting in a long run without some cold beer.
The other main constraint on this run was the darkness. I knew what I would be facing going up the Tyngsboro stretch of Dunstable Rd in the dark, and that wasn't pretty. Hardly any shoulders and a bunch of prick drivers trying to run you off the road. I had on all the safety gear, but I was still fearing for my life.
Like I said, the last 6 miles was going to be over uncharted territory, so I didn't want to chance it. After a little more than 13.1 miles and 1 hr and 45 minutes (8:05 pace), I pulled into my parents' driveway and called it a night.
I generally like to run in heat (insert snicker here), but there was just something about tonight. Perhaps the air quality. Perhaps the fear of being molested by Edward. Whatever it was, I hope it doesn't happen again.
Footnote: I think part of the problem is that I've gotten so use to doing my runs with others that it's hard to do them without others! If you want to be my running buddy, let me know.
(Sums up how I felt on this run)
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