Rambling running experiences from southern New Hampshire with a focus towards road, trail, mountain, relay, track, snowshoe, triathlon, adventure, hiking or anything else that interests me....hey look, a chicken.
I really tried to hang up my snowshoes for the season but I couldn't do it (at least not yet). I decided to head out to Hawley Kiln for one more snowshoe race on Saturday. I haven't heard a lot about the actual course but I've heard a TON about the post race breakfast at the South Face Farm Sugarhouse. I hope it lives up to the hype :-)
Sidehiller in the News - A Lakes Region reader sent me the following scans from the Meredith News (or whatever the local paper is called). There was an article about the Sidehiller snowshoe race, with pics of several racers ( Kevin Tilton, Jim Pawlicki and John Skewes) and quotes from Dungeon Rock's Jay Curry and acidotic RACING's Liz Hall and myself.
Check out the lastest blog post from our friends at New England Track and Trail (NETT). One of their runners was out for a run and a hawk swooped down and tried to carry him off. Unbelievable.
Saturday - I made the relatively short trip over to Madbury for the last race in the GSSS with wife and kids in tow. As usual I was early and as usual I was not the first. I think Scotty slept over and Jim Johnson was hanging in the Town Hall. Michael was setting up his timing equipment so I took a few minutes to swap out one of his cleats with a spare I had brought. It was nice to have an indoor facility, a fact not lost on my family (or me for that matter). Jim and I headed out to run the last section of the course (Hicks Hill) to check conditions and course markings while we still had some daylight. After summiting up and over the hill we decided to run the entire course (backwards) since we had plenty of time and Jim likes to get his gazillion miles in anyways. Oh, did I mention this was a night race. I did this race last year and it was one of my favorite races of the year. I was really looking forward to running it again. Surprisingly, this is the ONLY snowshoe race I've run this year that is exactly the same course as last year. Last year I was 5th out of 88 and ran 27:42. As usual, Jim told me how he was going to take it easy, blah blah blah. Of course I said pretty much the same thing. We were both running the Jones Group 10-miler the next day so the smart thing would be to take it easy. Unfortunately that's not the way I run. I guess I can't help myself.
Deb (along with Ben and Jessica) positioned themselves about 100yds from the starting line and managed to get some interesting night video. Actually, the audio may be more interesting, at least it was for my kids (note their commentary).
The start was very narrow, maybe 4-5 wide tops. With a 107 snowshoers it meant they were stacked pretty deep. I settled in behind Josh Merlis and waited for the start command. It was a VERY fast start with about 5-6 shoers jumping out in front and me just trying not to trip, following comfortably behind (my favorite spot). Shortly after the first turn I slipped by Chris Smith and Scotty G and found myself all alone (or so I thought). Heck, Bob Jackman and Jim Johnson were nearly out of sight by the 2k mark. Then I spotted what looked like a runner without a headlamp. WTF? As I got closer I realized it was Josh but he must have had the worst headlamp ever and I don't believe the light even reached the snow. I got up on his heels and adjusted my light to shine a little more in front, trying to give him something to see (especially at the turns). We stayed in this position all the way to about the 4k mark (except for one brief section in which I lead for about 100yds). Around the 4k mark (on one of the switchbacks) Josh missed a sharp turn and headed into the woods. I yelled, ran past him and never looked back. Heck, if I had looked I probably wouldn't have seen him anyways. I figured he was right behind me but I hoped I could put some distance on him on the downhills since he was running nearly blind. Hey, I'll take whatever advantage I'm given! As I came across the finish I was told I got 2nd place with a time of 25:18 (nearly 2 1/2 min improvement over last year). Huh? What the heck happened to Bob Jackman? I didn't recall seeing or passing him. Very strange. Of course then I was told what happened to Bob. Bad luck Bob got tackled by a dog somewhere along the course and in the process had his snowshoe knocked off as well. Now that's the story he's telling anyways, I don't recall seeing any dogs either :-)
Splits for the night: 1k 4:12 2k 4:58 3k 5:09 4k 6:04 5k 4:51
Danny Ferreira was able to nose out Josh Merlis for 3rd with Bob 'the dogman' Jackman rounding out the top 5. The top 20 are listed below (with my team mates highlighted in RED)
Place Time Pace Pts Name Team Age Sex Bib City St ===== ======= ===== ==== ====================== ========================= === === === ================== 1 22:36 7:16 107 Jim Johnson CMS 31 M 115 Salem NH 2 25:18 8:08 106 Steve Wolfe acidotic RACING 44 M 36 Merrimack NH 3 25:50 8:19 105 Dan Ferreira acidotic RACING 26 M 87 Concord NH 4 25:51 8:19 104 Josh Merlis ALBANY RUNNING EXCHANGE 27 M 34 Albany NY 5 25:53 8:20 103 Robert Jackman TUESDAY NIGHT TURTLES 26 M 113 Warwick RI 6 26:40 8:35 102 Ri Fahnestock acidotic RACING 30 M 55 Dover NH 7 27:08 8:44 101 Warren MacPhail DUNGEON ROCK RACING 42 M 47 Winthrop MA 8 27:11 8:45 100 Shane Sherwood Dungeon Rock Racing 36 M 91 Winthrop MA 9 27:13 8:45 99 Leslie Dillon acidotic RACING 25 F 56 Troy NY 10 27:20 8:48 98 Patrick Smith DUNGEON ROCK RACING 46 M 43 Salem MA 11 27:23 8:49 97 Jay Myers acidotic RACING 38 M 7 Dover NH 12 27:36 8:53 96 Luke Fernandez Team TNT 22 M 122 Kennebunk ME 13 27:48 8:57 95 Chris Smith DUNGEON ROCK RACING 42 M 110 Woburn MA 14 28:15 9:05 94 Dan Cooper DUNGEON ROCK RACING 36 M 42 Salem MA 15 28:31 9:11 93 Scott Graham acidotic RACING 50 M 100 Westford MA 16 28:40 9:13 92 Danny Chick DUNGEON ROCK RACING 49 M 63 Lynn MA 17 28:45 9:15 91 Austin Stonebraker acidotic RACING 29 M 84 Dover NH 18 28:47 9:15 90 Jay Curry DUNGEON ROCK RACING 37 M 45 Lynn MA 19 29:19 9:26 89 Ted Hall acidotic RACING 35 M 58 Merrimack NH 20 29:20 9:26 88 Elizabeth Hall acidotic RACING 35 F 59 Merrimack NH
These snowshoe races have been really cool. Almost all runners stick around afterwords for awards, the infamous Chris Dunn Raffles or just to socialize. Road races tend to be 'run and done'. Of course it helps to have an indoor facility (thanks Madbury for the use of your town hall). I got my first podium win too (although I've been second twice before, I've never actually stood on a podium). I think my kids thought it was cool as well. I also picked up a 12-pack of Copper Hook for my effort. In my house this is equivalent to winning 'Beer for 2 years'....I'm a slow drinker :-) I managed to finally beat Jim Johnson at something: I won a Redhook hat in the raffle and he scored a goose egg. Keep training Jim, you'll get better at the raffles next year.
Sunday - Part II of my weekend double took place in Amherst, MA. This would be the 1st race in the USATF NE Grand Prix series, a "challenging race along scenic, hilly rural roads (some dirt)" according to the website. Yep, that pretty much sums it up.
I left my acidotic RACING membership at home and went with my Gate City Striders card instead. I met up with a bunch of Striders in Nashua and we all piled into 3 vehicles for the roughly 2hr drive to hilly Amherst. 33 of us made the trip which was pretty amazing considering the doom and gloom forecast we've been hearing about for a couple of days. Turns out the weather held out for most of the race and was only a minor inconvenience for the ride home. (photo credit - Mike Wade) Generally I have some sort of a goal going into most races. I don't always 'share' my goal but that's a different story. I can honestly say I had NO goal going into this race. I really, truly had no idea what pace I would run.
With so many fast guys (and girls), I was careful not to get too close to the front. With very little hoopla we were off. Right from the start I spotted a few familar faces; Todd Brown (CT) who I ran with for 90% of the Baystate Marathon and Keith Schmitt from Dover,NH who I ran with for about 90% of the Boston Prep race. Both were masters runners and both were close enough to my pace that I felt pretty comfortable where I was. Technically I trailed a small pack they were running in for the majority of the race. I could never quite catch up to them and was stuck in no mans land for much of the race.
The first two miles were relatively fast (6:03 and 5:48) but I knew the hills were coming. The next 2+ miles were net uphill with a couple of steep sections and my times slowed a LOT (6:41 and 6:52). I struggled on the hills and my legs were definitely fatigued from snowshoeing the previous night. Mile 5 and 6 were mostly flat (6:20 and 6:14) with part of this section on an iced over dirt road (which made traction challenging with racing flats). Mile 7 (5:56) was nearly all downhill and mile 8 (6:08) was mostly flat. I was feeling much better after running a couple of easy terrain miles. I was also gaining on the small pack in front of me which now included fellow GCS team mate Joe Rogers. I have never beat Joe in a race so to be this close to him was puzzling to me. Right around mile 8 I decided to pick up the pace and I passed Joe with my definition of 'authority'. I had also caught up with Todd after pushing pretty hard up the hill to mile 9 (5:58) and was close to Keith but he was doing a good job maintaining his lead. Mile 10 (6:21) had a nice double up hill climb with about 1/2 mile to go before finally peaking, providing for a fast downhill finish (except for a strange, awkward loop around a parking lot). Overall I was pleased with my run, a little sore today but pleased.
The group that finished around me are listed below, including some of my GCS team mates.
Place Div/Tot Div Time Pace Name Ag S Race# City/state Team ===== ======== ===== ======= ===== ====================== == = ===== ======================= ===== 101 6/86 F2039 1:01:51 6:12 Christy Carrara 33 F 279 Hudson MA NBB 102 28/131 M4049 1:01:59 6:12 Ron Moreau 43 M 29 Natick MA BAA 103 29/131 M4049 1:02:13 6:14 Keith Schmitt 40 M 692 Durham NH 104 30/131 M4049 1:02:14 6:14 Kevin Delaney 40 M 82 Arlington MA CSU 105 67/122 M2039 1:02:18 6:14 Ben Ndaya - Mizuno 32 M 697 Lowell MA RUN 106 3/109 M5059 1:02:20 6:14 Ephraim Ezekiel 51 M 342 Newton MA WHIRL 107 4/109 M5059 1:02:20 6:14 Jon Waldron 51 M 667 West Newton MA CSU 108 31/131 M4049 1:02:21 6:15 Andrew Biancheri 40 M 168 Westborough MA GLRR 109 68/122 M2039 1:02:23 6:15 Pat Ard 24 M 336 Raymond NH WHIRL 110 32/131 M4049 1:02:26 6:15 Steve Wolfe 44 M 164 Merrimack NH GCS 111 33/131 M4049 1:02:29 6:15 John Chapin 42 M 315 Arlington MA SRR 112 5/109 M5059 1:02:42 6:17 Tom Offenbacher 52 M 177 Westborough MA GLRR 113 34/131 M4049 1:02:46 6:17 Ted MacMahon 43 M 460 Harvard MA 114 7/86 F2039 1:02:48 6:17 Carly Graytock 30 F 17 Cambridge MA BAA 115 35/131 M4049 1:02:50 6:17 Joseph Rogers 41 M 156 Lyndeborough NH GCS 116 69/122 M2039 1:02:55 6:18 John Barrett 39 M 1 Needham MA BAA 117 1:02:55 6:18 Todd Brown M 646 NMC 118 70/122 M2039 1:03:04 6:19 Max White 25 M 616 Jamaica Plain MA GBTC 119 8/86 F2039 1:03:07 6:19 Lara Johnson 27 F 21 Boston MA BAA 120 71/122 M2039 1:03:09 6:19 Andy Brown 26 M 709 Belchertown MA 121 72/122 M2039 1:03:15 6:20 William Wheeler 29 M 402 Belchertown MA 122 73/122 M2039 1:03:27 6:21 Brian Walsh 34 M 699 Ludlow MA GSH 123 9/86 F2039 1:03:37 6:22 Tammie Robie 34 F 357 Milford NH WHIRL 124 74/122 M2039 1:03:37 6:22 Will Paulding 30 M 741 Deerfield MA SMAC 125 10/86 F2039 1:03:38 6:22 Jennifer Campbell 25 F 726 Newmarket NH CRC 126 1/42 M6099 1:03:41* 6:23 Bill Dixon 61 M 170 Brattleboro VT GLRR 127 1/59 F4049 1:03:44* 6:23 Simonetta Piergentili 44 F 353 Wilmington MA WHIRL 128 11/86 F2039 1:03:54 6:24 Tara Vance 25 F 129 Jamaica Plain MA GBTC 129 36/131 M4049 1:03:57 6:24 Brian Reeves 45 M 485 Shirley MA 130 75/122 M2039 1:04:03 6:25 Frank Pilhofer 35 M 154 Nashua NH GCS 131 12/86 F2039 1:04:08 6:25 Michelle McCreary 25 F 80 Cambridge MA CRC 132 37/131 M4049 1:04:11 6:26 Peter Fratini 43 M 217 Westfield MA GSH 133 38/131 M4049 1:04:12 6:26 Jonathan Wyner 48 M 96 Arlington MA CSU 134 76/122 M2039 1:04:14 6:26 Marco Iannello 28 M 443 Springfield MA 135 77/122 M2039 1:04:19 6:26 Brian Tinger 31 M 700 Somerville MA SRR 136 39/131 M4049 1:04:25 6:27 Michael Wade 40 M 163 Nashua NH GCS
Now as a running club, we did ok considering we're competing against some incredibly strong teams from all over New England.
Gate City Striders Team Results Mens Open - 7th (14 teams) Mens Masters - 7th (13 teams) Mens Veterans - 5th (12 teams) Mens Seniors - 2nd (5 teams) Female Open - 6th (9 teams) Female Masters - 5th (10 teams)
I'm tired. No race reports for today, maybe later. Quick summary of my weekend:
I ran the Kingman Farms Snowshoe race last night. I felt great and had a good race, finishing 2nd overall out of 107. It was a ton of fun and I'm looking forward to telling you all about it...later. It was also the first time my wife and kids joined me at a race this year. Deb was nice enough to take some video during the race and pics after the race. I've posted the pics here. I haven't done anything with the video yet. Stay tuned.
On Sunday I got up early and drove 2hrs to Amherst, Ma for the 35th Jones Group 10 Mile USATF race (along with 30+ Gate City Striders). What a tough course! Finished with a time of 1:02:26 (6:15 avg) and humbly finished 110th overall, 31st in my age group (ouch). There are some FAST folks in New England. Overall, I was happy with my time.
Chris Dunn has an update on the conditions at Kingman Farm on his blog, but that might change after tomorrow's potential snowstorm. Wait and see. I marked up the local trail map with what I believe to be the course for Saturday night. As far as I know it's the same course as last year.
What I remember:
The start is a short walk up the trail from the parking lot (town hall).
The start is very narrow.
The course runs clockwise.
Most of the early stuff is on typical winter hiking trails, maybe snowmobile width.
There is a sharp left turn maybe 1/4 mile in. I only remember it because I tripped on my own snowshoes making the turn and had visions of being trampled by 80+ pairs of snowshoes.
Most of the course is fairly flat to gentle rolling terrain, all the way up to the composting shed (see map). My guess is it will be fairly fast, with plenty of room to pass if needed.
Once you get past the Compost shed the trail is mostly single track if I recall. You really need to get position before heading back into the woods and begin ascending Hicks Hill.
The climb is taxing but runnable if I remember correctly. There are some pretty long switchbacks on the way up AND the way down, allowing you to see runners in front and behind. If you can't see them I promise you'll hear them.
I think we sort of summit Hicks Hill and descend for a while before slowly climbing again around the perimeter towards the summit again. This was a difficult section last year (icy), sort of like running on a side of a hill.
Lots of sharp turns up and over Hicks Hill so pay attention. Sight range is limited at night and you might run into a tree.
The course was very well marked with surveyor flags...as long as you pay attention.
The last section towards the finish has some fairly steep sections with lots of turns before leveling off near the finish.
The finish was within spitting distance of the start.
My guess is this course will have the fastest times of any race in the GSSS.
Don't be surprised if you get beat by a banana.
The owner of this blog is not responsible for any inaccuracies, falsehoods or outright lies associated with this race. I can barely remember what I had for breakfast.
I left my acidotic RACING membership at home and went with my Gate City Striders card instead. I met up with a bunch of Striders in Nashua and we all piled into 3 vehicles for the roughly 2hr drive to hilly Amherst. 33 of us made the trip which was pretty amazing considering the doom and gloom forecast we've been hearing about for a couple of days. Turns out the weather held out for most of the race and was only a minor inconvenience for the ride home. (photo credit - Mike Wade)
In case you haven't checked recently, they've posted a bunch of pictures from the snowshoe race at the Frosty's Dash for a Cure website.
Chris Dunn has an update on the conditions at Kingman Farm on his blog, but that might change after tomorrow's potential snowstorm. Wait and see.
