The next race in the Xterra Trail Series was supposed to be this Sunday (4/20) but was postponed until May 11th due to snow. Yep, mid-April and the trail is 90% snow covered. That's what happens when you get over 10ft of snow for the season I guess.
Of course the new date creates a dilemma for me (maybe). I'll be on the other side of Lake Winnipesaukee on Saturday May 10th running the Big Lake 1/2 marathon. This is one of my favorite races of the year so my focus will be on this one. However, I really, really, really want to run the Muddy Moose as well. It's probably wishful thinking on my part to think I can do both. Obviously if I did the Muddy Moose I'd have to go easy on that one. Being a trail race through the muddy trails of Wolfeboro may help with that as well. Heck, if nothing else it would be good practice for the Jay Marathon in July (50k+ trail race).
For now I'll focus on Big Lake.
Showing posts with label Xterra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Xterra. Show all posts
Friday, April 18, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Xterra Merrimack River 10M Trail Race
When I got up Saturday morning it was pouring rain and I told myself I wouldn't race in the rain (any excuse to give me a way out since my legs were still tired). A couple checks of the weather though indicated the rain would most likely clear up by race time so I headed on down to Andover.
The race is an out and back 10m race along the Merrimack River. The trail follows the river pretty closely for the first 2-3 miles and is relatively flat. I couple of water crossings (ankle deep stuff) and a little mud but generally decent single track trails. I hit the 3 mile mark at 20 minutes even. The next 2 miles were considerably harder with several water crossings (one which was nearly knee deep for about 20-30 ft), lots of mud and roots and some pretty steep up and down crossings of ravines where brooks and streams feed into the Merrimack. We also climbed a pretty steep section at the power lines which had you sucking for oxygen by the time you got to the top. At the 5 mile mark I snagged a cup of water and made a u-turn and returned on the same trail, trying to avoid the slower runners still coming out. On single track, this isn't always that easy (but it was fun). More than a few runners took some spills. The mud was slick, the hills were slick from the rain and the bridges felt like they were iced over at times. I was able to navigate all the hard stuff but couldn't figure out how to get through a mud puddle without hurting myself. At mile 7 I was running through one of the muddy, wet sections when I stepped on a board and rolled my right ankle all the way over (and yes, this is the same ankle I've been having problems with). I kept on running (with a slight limp) but my ankle was really sore. I managed to complete the last 3 miles in about 20:30 and finished with an overall time of 1:13:49, 28th overall out of 183. It was a good effort and I felt pleased with my results. I ran the 5 mile out and 5 mile back in nearly the same times (+/- 30 sec or so).
Video of the Start
I kept thinking if this was an easy one the other ones must really suck! You definitely have to be sure footed when it comes to trail running, taking much more mental effort than road racing. I was constantly looking where the next step would be, all while running nearly as fast you can go. Overall, it was a good time and look forward to the next trail race. Race summary reports can be found at the Xterra site and on Coolrunning. Time to ice my foot...
The race is an out and back 10m race along the Merrimack River. The trail follows the river pretty closely for the first 2-3 miles and is relatively flat. I couple of water crossings (ankle deep stuff) and a little mud but generally decent single track trails. I hit the 3 mile mark at 20 minutes even. The next 2 miles were considerably harder with several water crossings (one which was nearly knee deep for about 20-30 ft), lots of mud and roots and some pretty steep up and down crossings of ravines where brooks and streams feed into the Merrimack. We also climbed a pretty steep section at the power lines which had you sucking for oxygen by the time you got to the top. At the 5 mile mark I snagged a cup of water and made a u-turn and returned on the same trail, trying to avoid the slower runners still coming out. On single track, this isn't always that easy (but it was fun). More than a few runners took some spills. The mud was slick, the hills were slick from the rain and the bridges felt like they were iced over at times. I was able to navigate all the hard stuff but couldn't figure out how to get through a mud puddle without hurting myself. At mile 7 I was running through one of the muddy, wet sections when I stepped on a board and rolled my right ankle all the way over (and yes, this is the same ankle I've been having problems with). I kept on running (with a slight limp) but my ankle was really sore. I managed to complete the last 3 miles in about 20:30 and finished with an overall time of 1:13:49, 28th overall out of 183. It was a good effort and I felt pleased with my results. I ran the 5 mile out and 5 mile back in nearly the same times (+/- 30 sec or so).
Video of the Start
I kept thinking if this was an easy one the other ones must really suck! You definitely have to be sure footed when it comes to trail running, taking much more mental effort than road racing. I was constantly looking where the next step would be, all while running nearly as fast you can go. Overall, it was a good time and look forward to the next trail race. Race summary reports can be found at the Xterra site and on Coolrunning. Time to ice my foot...
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Events in March/April
Ok, so I want to be a trail runner but....
My all time favorite race distance is the 1/2 marathon. So with that in mind my planned race schedule for the next few weeks is as follows:
My all time favorite race distance is the 1/2 marathon. So with that in mind my planned race schedule for the next few weeks is as follows:
April 6th - Great Bay 1/2 Marathon Newmarket, NH. This will be my 1st time running this one. Looks like a decent course but I may ask some friends who ran it last year to comment on it.
April 12th - Xterra Merrimack River 10 mile Trail Race - Andover, MA. Haven't decided on this one yet, I have another race scheduled for the following day. I don't think I want back to back race days so I need to decide on one.
April 13th - Nashua Soup Kitchen 10k - Nashua NH. This race is a club race, part of the New Hampshire Grand Prix series.
April 20th - Xterra Muddy Moose Xduro 14 mile Trail Race - Wolfeboro, NH.
April 12th - Xterra Merrimack River 10 mile Trail Race - Andover, MA. Haven't decided on this one yet, I have another race scheduled for the following day. I don't think I want back to back race days so I need to decide on one.
April 13th - Nashua Soup Kitchen 10k - Nashua NH. This race is a club race, part of the New Hampshire Grand Prix series.
April 20th - Xterra Muddy Moose Xduro 14 mile Trail Race - Wolfeboro, NH.
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