Horse Hill Update: PLENTY of SNOW!

I just got back from running the Horse Hill 7k Snowshoe course with Bill Morse and the conditions were fine. Although the snow is much softer than earlier this week, there were no bare spots and most of the trail is pretty firm. A couple of cold nights over the next few days and conditions should be pretty good for Saturday.
There were a few more rocks and tree stumps exposed but nothing serious. I also took the liberty to mark the course with orange spray chalk along the edge of the trail and note roughly where the kilometer marks are. Hopefully they'll last a few more days. I believe Michael is going out tomorrow to officially mark the course with signs. The course is pretty darn close to 7k +/- a little.
The easy way to visualize the course is like a big lollipop. For those of you familiar with Motionbased, you can check out my GPS download of the course here, otherwise you can just look at the pictures below.

Overall Map:

















Elevation Profile:













See you Saturday.

Horse Hill 7k Snowshoe Race Course Preview

Next up in the Granite State Snowshoe Series will be race #5, the Horse Hill 7k in Merrimack, NH. Since this is my home course and I snowshoe in the Horse Hill Nature Preserve 2-3 times a week, I thought I'd be a nice guy and give everyone a course preview.
Michael A. has a version of a course map linked on the race website above, which essentially is a copy of the trail map for HHNP. I decided to put together a more detailed map and describe some of the key features/obstacles you'll find along the way. You can either click on the picture for a larger view of the map or you can download a PDF version here.

Course Description:

UPDATED MONDAY NIGHT AFTER I RAN THE COURSE. All updates are in green.
The trails have not been gone over with a snowmobile yet and the footing can be a little hard on the ankles. The snow is VERY firm and packed (unlike anything we saw this past weekend). I've gone over the course twice in the last couple of days and my shoes don't even leave a mark. If the trails were smoother, the conditions would be lightening fast. I still think they'll be fast as long as you're careful with your footing. I'm still hoping to get a snowmobile to drive over about 1/2 of the course before Saturday.

• The start/finish is right next to the Amherst Rd parking lot for HHNP.
• The first 300m is generally flat and wide (about as wide as a dirt road) and should be packed down pretty well.
• At about 300m you'll take a sharp LEFT onto the Blodgett Hill Summit Trail. This trail is mostly single track but sections might be as wide as a snowmobile trail. You'll cross a small, open brook (jump!) and then will have a short (100m), moderately steep climb. This is HILL #1 on the map. I think most will be able to run it or at least power-hike it. One exposed rock right in the middle of the hill, you can't miss it. The trail continues to climb gently until it levels off near the summit of Blodgett Hill (423ft). When you see the green 4x4 post, you've reached the summit. Continue STRAIGHT.
• After about 30m you'll take a sharp LEFT, go another 10m and then take a sharp RIGHT onto the Ledges Trail. The Ledges Trail is a snowshoe-only trail. Unfortunately there's been a few lazy-ass snowshoers out there and they've cut a few of the corners so you'll have to watch out for the spur paths. Hopefully we'll mark it well and it won't be an issue.
  
• The Ledges Trail is a nice downhill single track that switchbacks down the back side of Blodgett Hill and should be very fast and fun. The back and forth switchback will allow you to see runners in front and behind you on some sections. The 1k marker is roughly at the bottom of the first down slope, right before you start to switchback.
• Shortly after crossing a small bridge, the Ledges Trail ends and intersects with the Loop Trail (one of the main trails in HHNP). NOTE: you will run this entire section BACKWARDS on the way back to the finish later on. This is HILL #3 on the map.
  
• Take a LEFT onto the Loop Trail and follow for about 250m. The wide trail descends slowly to the next trail junction. You'll want to go STRAIGHT or SLIGHTLY RIGHT. The trail crosses another small brook that may or may not be open water (depending on how much melting takes place). The brook is frozen over, no problems crossing. The main trail turns right after the brook but you want to go straight where it looks like no one else has gone. Just go as straight as possible through here, as the trail changes to the Rocky Trail. FYI, all trail junctions are marked with green 4x4 signposts which are numbered and labeled with the appropriate trail name. Chances are you won't have time to read the posts so just watch out for the RD's course signs instead. A copy of the Trail map can be found here.
  
• Stay on the single track trail that follows the Rocky Trail. It's not called the Rocky Trail for nothing. Although some of the rocks are visible in the middle of the trail, the snowshoe trail stays to the side and is fine. Up until now the snow depth has been good and no rocks have been exposed. The recent warm weather might change this. The snowshoe trail tends to stay to the side of the main trail so it should be ok.
• Right at the 2k marker you'll take a sharp RIGHT onto the steepest trail in HHNP. The East Slope Trail climbs approximately 300m to the summit of Horse Hill (388ft). Most will have to walk part of this trail, it is steep. As of today, there are only 2 sets of tracks on this section of trail and the snow is very crusty. Tough footing on this section. The good thing is you'll be going slow anyways so it won't slow you down much. This is HILL #2 on the map.
  
• Near the summit (and at the next sign post) you'll take a sharp LEFT onto Horse Hill Summit Trail. The trail climbs just a bit more but then starts to descend all the way down to the power lines.
  
• Once you hit the power lines you'll turn LEFT and head down the power lines for about 150m and then turn RIGHT and head back into the woods. There's a few side trails through here so be sure to look for the course signs.
  
• You're back on the Loop Trail, which will be mostly single track for the next 500m. This section is rolling terrain, crosses a nice brook (on a bridge this time) and may run into a wet section around the 3k mark (depending on how much snow melts). Make sure you cross on the first bridge (newest). The wet sections are all snow covered so no problems through here.
  
• The trail climbs back up to the power lines but this time you'll cross right over and get back onto the Loop Trail all the way until the Ledges Trail. This section of trail is very wide and most likely will be packed down by snowmobile traffic. The early section is mostly downhill, the later section is mostly uphill. It can have some wet sections about midway (just prior to the 4k mark). This section of trail is wide and fairly packed down. There's some ice in one of the wet sections but mostly the trail is fine. It climbs a little near the end of this section right after the 4k mark but then drops pretty quick down to the next bridge.
  
• It crosses another decent stream around 4.5k (on another bridge) and then starts to climb slowly, all the way back to the Ledges Trail (see above). There are a couple of turns along the way but the course stays on the Loop Trail all the way to the Ledges Trail. Just follow the signs and you'll be fine. The Loop Trail will continue past the 5k mark and will intersect with another major trail. Turn RIGHT and head up the small hill. You're still on the Loop Trail. This will bring you back to the entrance to the Ledges Trail.
  
• When you get back to the Ledges Trail you'll take a sharp RIGHT. The rest of the way is a reverse of the first 1.5k of the start. You'll climb the Ledges Trail to the summit of Blodgett Hill (roughly the 6k mark). Most of this trail will be an easy climb, but be careful because the trail is really narrow and close to trees. The last section is a little steep but runable. When you get to the top you'll take a sharp LEFT and then a sharp RIGHT and you'll be back on the Blodgett Hill Summit Trail.
  
• It's less than 1k and ALL downhill to the finish from here. This section will be FAST but be careful on the short but steep downhill section: there's a big rock right in the middle of the trail. At the bottom you'll cross the brook again (jump), climb a tiny bit and then flat until the Loop Trail.
  
• This section is mostly single track until you take the final RIGHT onto the Loop Trail. You'll have about 300m on this wide section until the finish.
  

Frosty's 5k Snowshoe Race

Note to self: next time I get sick for a week and run less than 30 miles in 2 weeks, don't sign up for back to back snowshoe races on the following week. Actually, all things considered, it wasn't that bad of a weekend. Yesterday I raced Sidehiller which at the time I thought had some of the toughest conditions to date to race in. Plenty of snow, nice fluffy powder in fact but not nearly firm enough to run comfortably.
Today was Frosty's 5k on the grounds of the Atkinson Country Club golf course. On paper this race should have been much easier. Nice, easy slopes, no real hills to speak of and temps pushing 50. Of course the wind was pushing 50mph as well but not much of a factor surprisingly. A freshly made snowmobile track was the course du jour. The snow would make Frosty proud. Perfect for making snowmen but less then ideal for racing. Technically, the snow was fine for running, it was the course that made it difficult. The snowmobile trail just wasn't firm enough to push off on and that sinking feeling was there throughout the day.
I opted for standard snowshoe race attire: shorts and a short sleeve shirt. I couldn't help myself...I mean how many times do you get the chance to comfortably race on snowshoes in shorts and a t-shirt??
A quick scan of the athletes on the line and I figured my chances were good for a decent showing. GSSS standout Jim Johnson was there with an unknown (at the time) CMS runner along with a boatload of DRR runners and too many acidotic RACING team mates to mention. Quick math would mean Jim would be 1st, unknown CMS runner would 2nd (ALL guys with CMS singlets are speed demons) and the rest of us would battle it out for 3rd and beyond. As usual Jim took off like a shot at the start and I slipped into 2nd after going out pretty fast. Jim was out of sight by about the 1/4 mile mark and left the rest of us in his snow wake. I felt like I should be fast but I just wasn't moving. The CMS guy passed me somewhere prior to the 1st mile and kept a comfortable lead on me the rest of the way. Not long after he passed I heard another shoer sneaking up on me, fellow team mate Chris Dunn. He was running strong and I was fading. Always the team mate, Chris encouraged me to work together and I quickly hopped on his heels (I think I actually ran on his snowshoe heels a few times in fact...sorry Chris). Unlike the 2 guys up front, Chris had a stride very similar to mine and I followed in his footsteps exactly. To be honest, I prefer to follow anyways so for the time being things were good. With probably less than a mile to go I pushed to the front on a short downhill. I was really hoping Chris would either fade like an old pair of jeans or bounce back and drop me like a rock, putting me out of my misery once and for all. Nope, he decides to push and race me to the finish. Gee, thanks Chris :-)
We crossed the line in a photo finish, and technically with the same times. This time I edged the old guy, although I think he could have passed if he wanted to. Excellent race.
Snowshoe races have turned out to be much more social than your typical road race for me. From the fastest to the slowest, all shoers are friendly and willing to share stories. We warm up and cool down together and listen to all kinds of stories. The unknown CMS guy turned out to be David Quintal, yet another fast masters runner. David reads my blog so I guess he must be a good guy. Fellow GCS track coaches Richie Blake and Keith Obrien were there, snowshoe racing for the first time and coming darn close to breaking into the top 10. Fellow team mate Scotty G beat fellow age-grouper Bob Dion to score an age-group win in the senior circuit (ok, 50-59 group). All in all a very good day but I'm not looking to do another double anytime soon.

Full results can be found here.

Sidehiller Snowshoe Race

The 3rd race of the Granite State Snowshoe Series (Sidehiller 4-Miler)was in Center Sandwich, NH , a relatively short (in snowshoe racing terms) 1.5 hr drive north. Michael Amarello and I got an early start, arriving in this tiny town around 9:30am for the 11am race...and we weren't even the first ones there.
The weather report claimed a warm up was in store for today (supposedly 40+) but when I left my house it was 0 degrees and maybe 10 degrees at the race site. A whole lot of warming would have to take place to hit 40, that's for sure.
Michael and I chatted with fellow acidotic RACING teammates Chris, Steve and Scott for a few minutes and then Scott and I went for a warm up run on the course (in running shoes). We heard there was a hill and we wanted to see it for ourselves. Running Pooh Hill and Cobble Mt tends to make racers a little hill-phobic. The first mile or so was on a nicely groomed cross-country ski trail before crossing Squam Lake Rd and heading into a 2 1/2 mile loop on mostly single track snowshoe trails. We found the hill (Ha, you call this a hill????), thought 'this isn't so bad' and then looped back down to the road and onto the cross country trails to the finish. At the time the trails didn't seem that bad.
Weather be damned, I went with the short sleeve shirt. Surprisingly I was the only one. Come on people, the weatherman said it would be 40 degrees today, act like it!! Ok, so I was a little cold, but in a snowshoe race it's probably better than being a little warm.
Not only was Sidehiller a GSSS race, it was also a WMAC Dion Snowshoe series race AND it was also a regional qualifier for the USSSA (whatever that means). A major acronym race no doubt.
It was also stacked up front with Jim Johnson, Kevin Tilton, Dave Dunham, Tim Van Orden, Bob Jackman and a few other CMS guys I didn't know well. A top 10 finish would be a challenge.
At 11am a field of about 70 took off in a cloud of snow dust and you could tell immediately this would not be a fast day. Even the nicely groomed xc trails were slow. They 'looked' like they should be fast but your shoe would sink in the snow on nearly every step. Unfortunately this was the fast section...it would get much harder and much slower. With firm snow conditions (which we did not have) this would be a relatively fast course, no big hills, nice rolling terrain, decent single track and some snowmobile trails...a really nice course. But for whatever reason, today was not a fast day. The single tracks were more like running in sand. You just couldn't get any grip, sinking into the soft powdered snow on nearly every step. My position in the race was set early, around the 1/2 mile mark. After that point I passed no additional runners and nobody passed me. I followed Danny Ferreria (acidotic RACING) from a distance for most of the remainder but never really gained on him until the last 200 meters but not enough to actually catch him. In the end I finish just under 40 minutes in 9th place overall. I haven't seen any official results but will post a link once they become available. Another good team showing from acidotic RACING and Dungeon Rock Racing, this rivalry thing is pretty cool, especially when we beat them :-)
They may have spanky new DDR singlets but we've been getting the team wins (and now we have our own stylying acidotic RACING skully's).
The next race of the GSSS is tomorrow. I hope the legs recover in time.

Complete results can be found here.

Indoor Track

In hindsight it was probably not the smartest thing to do but I am a creature of habit and on Tuesday nights I have indoor track practice. Period, the end. Nothing bad happened so I guess in the end it all worked out.

Just prior to track Michelle Poublon (Gate City Striders President) made a surprise announcement and presented me with the GCS 2008 Comeback Runner of the Year award. She had some very nice things to say about me (all untrue of course) and rattled off some of my results from 2008. I have to admit, I was a bit embarrassed and generally do not take compliments well but it was nice to be recognized by my peers. It's no 'Major Award' (aka A Christmas Story) but it was a nice plaque nonetheless. Ok, enough about that...

Tonight's workout was not too stressful (6 x 800's at 5k pace, 400 rest). 800's are my favorite track distance but 6 didn't sound like enough. Well for tonight anyways I was grateful it was only 6. I ran hard but held back a bit on the first 3-4 to see how they would feel. I did the first one with Joe Rogers but he quickly tired of me and dropped me on the next 5. He was running 80 sec 1/4's and I was running 84 sec. Right behind me was Jerry Fitzgibbons and that's the way we stayed the rest of the night. Throw in a couple miles of warm up and COOL down runs and by 7pm I had 6.7 miles in the books. Snowshoe racing for the weekend is looking good!

Stumbling Back to the Track

It's been a week since I last went for a run, and I'm not even injured. Last Wednesday it all started with a stomach ache and went downhill fast shortly after that. I won't go into the gory details, but let's just say I lost nearly 6% of my body weight in just a couple of days. Yikes.
Tonight I'll head back to the track, stumbling of course.
I'll be good to be back.

2009 Grand Tree Trail Races

The Western Mass Athletic Club (WMAC) announced their race lineup for the 2009 Grand Tree Trail Series. The list includes 14 races in Massachusetts, 5 races in Connecticut, 4 races in New Hampshire and 1 race in New York. You can check out the complete list at:

WMAC 2009 Grand Tree Race Schedule

NOTE: the list doesn't include race #5 or #23.