Jingle Bells and Commitment

At the 2011 Somerville Jingle Bell Run I ran with Brenda, and Monica was our cheer leading section and head photographer.  She enjoyed the experience so much that she said she wanted to train so she could run the race in 2012 - her goal after being out of running for a long time.  Not only did she achieve that goal of running the race this year (in a very fetching elf costume I might add) but she raced a summer 5K series and a 5 miler up in NH, plus has added training runs every week.  The run this year was just as much about being part of 5000 costumed crazies as it was about completing a task that was started a year earlier.  This year's race was great; we had good costumes (Monica in green, Dave in blue), got a great parking spot, ran a good race, and easily made it into Redbones for the free meal and beer after.  You can't ask for much more from a cold December Sunday with rain in the forecast.

I've been talking about my goals for a while, and one that has been on my list but that hadn't yet come into fruition was running a 50K before my 50th birthday.  My previous blog entry was about it and I talked about possible races I could enter.  On 12/12/12 a message came across my facebook wall about a special offer to save $12 on the entry fee and I bit.  A few keystrokes later and I'm officially registered for the Pineland Trail 50K.  It felt great to take a tangible step toward my goal and commit publicly.  The die is cast.

Figuring out how to combine my ski schedule this winter and work related travel with long training runs will present some interesting challenges, but goals aren't meant to be easy.  I'm working now to map out the training schedule and find a few kindred spirits to train with as I enter the new world of ultras.  Once more into the breach!

50/50 Split

This past weekend I heard that TARC was holding their Fells Trail Ultra (5 laps of the 8 mile Skyline Trail) and it's just a few miles from home so I figured I'd stop by.  Kristina was running and Ryan was going to be pacing her for some of the laps so I could visit, hang out and take a few photos.  I got there a few minutes after the start unfortunately so I wasn't going to see the runners for another hour.  Ryan and I chatted for a bit and I took a walk around some trails a bit, going gingerly on my sore ankle.  The falling snow made for some nice photography, as well as cold, wet running.  Eventually the runners started showing up and I started taking pictures, one of my favorite things.


All the runners looked like they were having fun despite the steady snow and cold temps. I waited for Kristina to arrive, smiling like always, and near the front of the pack.  I felt the need to stay and photograph the entire field, because that's what photographers do.  I really like trail running and I really like pushing myself, and observing the race made me more committed to my goal of running a 50K before my 50th birthday next year.  Right now I'm planning on the Pinelands Farm 50K up in Maine on Memorial Day weekend.  That should give me enough time after the end of ski season to get in some long runs and not miss too much skiing.  I'm thinking that the TARC Spring Classic would be the right tune up race as well, and I'd love to run a TARC event.

I'm not sure why I've latched onto the idea of a 50K for my 50th, but it's pretty firmly set in my brain.  It's not much more than a marathon distance, but there's something about being able to call myself an ultramarathoner that has great appeal.  It's the internal challenge, since at my pace I clearly don't care about time. The discipline, the self-control, the drive to work through pain and setbacks; those all have a strong pull as I approach a milestone birthday.  Yes, it's just a number but if  nothing else it give you pause to reflect and make plans.

So that's my plan; 50 by 50.  I'll be the first to admit it's not the best plan but it's mine and I'm sticking to it.  Unless the ski season is fantastic and I have no time to train, then I'll pick another 50K.

The Art of Getting Lost

As Douglas Adams said, "The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."  Translated into trail running, the knack lies in learning how to get lost while knowing where you are.  In the past few trail runs I've managed to get turned around, doubled back, and confused, and yet was never worried about getting back. Most of the places I run, the the Fells, Waldon Pond, and Great Brook Farms, are bounded by roads, rivers, or obvious barriers.  As long as I can determine which way to go when I hit the barrier I'm good. 

When Amy, Bonny, and I ran in Walden recently the started at the pond and that was pretty straightforward.  Well, except for AAA replacing Amy's car battery in the parking lot and Bonny locking her keys in her car, but that's another story. The first loop was simple, around the the pond and back to the restrooms.  We guessed at a few trail intersections but Rt 2 is a pretty big barrier to miss.  From there we went to trails none of us had been on but we had a map so what could go wrong?  Bonny's knee started hurting her so we figured out a route for her to head back along a road and we continued on.  At one point Amy recognized the road to the Gropius House so we turned that way and entered the woods again.  We came across some railroad tracks which were on the map and that led us back to the trail next to the road which we followed almost back to the car.  At the last minute we followed some trails we came in on and then missed a turn so we ended up climbing up the one hill on the map. 

When we hit the road on the other side of the hill we pulled out the man and realized that we had missed the turn we were looking for.  We knew exactly where we were, but it wasn't where we wanted to be.  So, back up over the hill turning our 6 mile run into a 7 mile run.  On the other side we got headed back the direction we wanted and chose to drop out to the road to avoid another additional section.  Back at the cars we took stock of the situation, Bonny was still locked out but we could handle that.  It was a long run, longer than we had planned but we had everything we need, and were never far from where we wanted to be, which is all you can ask from a run.

This morning I went to the Fells, the location of my one seriously lost episode.  I was trying a new area which would hopefully give me a shorter loop.  The parking area at Bellevue Pond was full so I parked just up the road and took a trail I'd never seen to the Mountain Bike Loop.  From there I ran on familiar trails, but in the opposite direction than I usually run. Fortunately, there are some unmistakeable landmarks to make sure I was in the right place.  But I ran a section of the Reservoir trail that I rarely use, and managed to get turned around enough that when I hit Molly's Spring Road I turned the wrong way.  Fortunately I saw a sign for a parking area that, to my mind, was pointing the wrong way so I followed it out to the road to check where I was, figured out my location on the map and headed back in the right direction.  It took all of 5 minutes to get back on the right path, but it was 5 minutes well spent.  The rest of the run was uneventful and I made it back right on schedule.

I enjoy getting lost occasionally.  It sharpens the mind, quickens the pulse, and keeps me engaged in an otherwise ordinary run.  In full daylight there's no real danger, but I'll try to avoid it near sunset.  On both of the runs described here I had everything I needed, food and water, cell phone, and a general idea of where I was. I'm not sure I would feel the same way if I was in a brand new area, but close to home it can't be beat.

Just One More ...

48!

Just one more peak to finish Monica's 4000'ers.  As most people near the end of their list they start evaluating the remaining mountains to choose the right one for the final peak.  The three remaining candidates for Monica were Carrigain, Cabot, and Isolation, and she chose Isolation for a few reasons.  I think being a long hike worked a bit against it, but it's much better than Cabot for the view, and the road walk for Carrigain (Sawyer River road was closed until this weekend) dampened that choice.  She's been working on the list for 2 years as she got the hiking bug just before we met.  Until we started hiking she didn't really know about the 4000'ers and this became a serious goal for her.  The past two summers we dedicated a chunk of time to knocking off mountains on the list, including some ambitious weekends.  She and her sister did a two night Presidential Traverse saying at Madison and Lakes last year, and this year we did a Bonds Traverse on a gorgeous day to pick off a bunch more, followed five days later by Owls Head.  As the summer ended and fall started we were determined to finish up this year.

Just one more mountain to finish my 3rd round of the 4000'ers.  For years I only needed two peaks to finish my 3rd round; Owlshead and Isolation. I hiked them the first time as part of my 4000'ers.  The second round I was accompanying others on their peaks and it was the same for the third round.  Well, that's not fair to Isolation, which has a fantastic view and is wonderfully remote.  Owlshead is just a too long walk in the woods to a cairn in the trees.  Sorry everyone who loves Owlshead, but it will never be a favorite of mine.  At this point, if I do Isolation and Owlshead again I think I'll complete my 4th round, but I think I'll stop counting at this point.

Just one more weekend dedicated to finishing the list. Hiking is a great joy for both of us, and the 4000'ers list is a great way to explore and track your accomplishments.  And it is a big accomplishment; it represents a commitment of time and energy over an extended time period to achieve an end.  There are (literally) high points and low points along the way; spectacular views and knee deep mud.  But with the end in sight it sometimes feels like a chore to knock off another peak on the list each weekend.  Fortunately there always seems to be at least one memorable view, animal sighting, conversation, or just mind clearing moment of Zen along the way.  Still, not having to plan your weekends around a list is extremely liberating and we're both looking forward to having no constraints.

Just one more day, the forecast on Saturday was for rain all afternoon.  I don't know if it really fell up there since we drove up that afternoon but the Sunday forecast looked good and we woke up to a beautiful sunrise in Jackson.  I'm not really good at delaying plans but I finished my first round of the 4000'ers on Isolation, alone and in the rain, and I didn't want Monica's finish to suffer a similar fate.  It would be colder on Sunday, but had the right gear and we could sense the start of Fall with some possible snow in the forecast for the next day.

Just one more mile from the junction of the Isolation (East) trail and the Davis Path to the summit.  We've been rock hopping, negotiating waterlogged trails, and leaping across stream crossings for 3.5 hours and the end is in sight.  It's a simple goal, but it also represents the end of a major goal and the two thoughts are intertwined.  Of course, the trail along the ridge is a muddy mess (how does this happen on a ridgetop?) and we navigate with care.  I knew that the sign to the summit spur trail was gone, but the two other signs remained on the Davis Path so finding the way wasn't difficult.  Just a few more steps and there we were!  Oops, the true summit is 20 feet further over the scrub; OK, now we're really there!


Just one more stream crossing, one more mile of mud, one more encounter with hikers headed in, one more stumble on a rock hidden under a pile of colorful fallen leaves.  After feeling a bit grumbly on the way in the return trip was surprising quick and painless.  Yes, it went on for a while but the rock hopping and mud were a minor inconvenience rather than the mind numbing chore we thought it would be.  Hiking out is always easier than the trip in and with the realization that this goal had been completed we started discussing other hiking goals, like a one day Presidential Traverse, backpacking the Adirondacks, some longer dayhikes next summer and the upcoming ski season.  But no new lists for a bit.

Just one more person accompanied me on this trip up Isolation than did on my first time; but if it's the right person one is enough.

First run of Autumn

It was a weekend full of activity, a perfect way to Fall Back.  It started with a mountain bike ride down in Wompatuck State Park with Jeff on a somewhat drizzly Saturday morning.  Unknown to us there was a road cycling fundraising ride being run out of the park so we had to park at some random side area but it was a small detour.  We road a good chunk of the course Monica and I road a few weeks ago, and explored a few new areas as well.  Both of us had our share of falls; I managed to pull a muscle in my chest and get scrapes all up my left arm, but it was worth it.  After watching Jeff trying to handle some of the rockier sections on his hardtail, I'm happier than ever with my full suspension 29'er.

Sunday we met a few friends for Dim Sum in the morning, then did a bunch of housework before heading to the Fells to take advantage of this great Fall weather.  This was the first run in my Brooks Cascadia 6 trail shoes and they worked great.  No foot pain, great traction, and they go really well with my Lime Gatorade Hurl Dirty Girl gaiters.  It was Monica's first real trail run.  We had done running as part of some long hikes along the Wilderness Trail but this was the first time we set out for the purpose of running.  She used her Camelback pack with mixed success; I used my Nathan belt.

Fortunately, my sore ribs really didn't bother me much.  I felt pain when I needed to take a jarring step or twisting motion, and when I tripped and went down it wasn't an entirely pleasurable experience, but for the most part I was fine.  On the easy footing flats especially things felt pretty close to normal so that bodes well for some runs this week.  We did a modified Reservoir Loop of about 5.75 miles, which is a great way to end the weekend and start the Fall.

Garmin Track of the run - Ignore the elevation numbers, at one point it had us at 184 feet below sea level

Oh, so that's what improvement feels like

I'm not a fast runner.  Other runners seem to have a gear that they can shift into when they want to pour it on; not me.  I have one gear - plodding.  Don't get me wrong; it's a good gear.  I like plodding.  It's a fairly efficient pace, with some variety between slowly jogging and rapidly ambulating.  My pace got me through a marathon and I'm pretty pleased with that.  My schedule this summer hasn't allowed for too many long runs, so Monica and I signed up for a series of Thursday night 5Ks along the Charles River.

I have never placed in the top 10 for my age group and unless I find a race with fewer than 50 participants I probably never will.  But I like racing because it gives me an objective measurement to gauge my progress.  Training runs, no matter how well intentioned or rigorously run don't put you in the same frame of mind.  In the minutes before the starting gun you anticipate, concentrate, and fully invest.  No matter how important the training is, it never puts me the same frame of mind.

Last Thursday was the final 5K of the summer.  Monica couldn't make it so I was running solo for the first time this year.  On a whim I decided to run with my MP3 player, something I've never done in a race before except for the first Jingle Bell Run 4 years ago.  I usually like paying attention to the sights and sounds around me, especially when running with someone else but this was an unusual solo run so all bets were off.  The start was delayed by reasons unknown for 15-20 minutes so we all had extra time to mill about and get a little extra anxiety.

I moved a bit further up in the queue than usual as the crowd was a little lighter than the previous races in the series; perhaps the earlier start and the impending darkness played into it.  As the crowd surged forward I felt surprisingly good. The hip problems and general lethargy of the past month weren't present so this was a pleasant surprise for me.  I started scanning the runners ahead of me and thinking "I should be faster than him or her."  It's not pretty, but it often works for me.  Granted, some of those people I think I should be faster then just pull away and I never see them again, but such is life.

At the one mile mark my pace was 8:11, faster than any other race we've done this summer.  So, naturally I slowed down a bit but nothing was hurting and my stride was easy so I crept the pace back up. After the first mile and the out-and-back most folks settle out into a steady stream of about the same pace.  I passed a few people, a few people passed me.  I was tempted by the water station but decided I was going to push it a bit so I sped (ha!) by the folks getting water, crossed the bridge, and entered the home stretch.

Except it's still 1.1 miles to the finish and that section seems to go on forever.  With .5 miles to go I attempted to increase my pace but that elusive gear remained elusive.  Looking the data from the watch I guess I sped up a bit but just barely until the last .2 miles.  Lots of folks passed me in this section, including several that I had passed between miles 1 and 2; that hurt.  But with the end literally in sight and the smell of BBQ in the air I pulled it together and crossed the finish with my pride intact.  My time was 25:40, around 30 seconds faster than my previous PR.  It's not a huge improvement but 10 secs/mile is nothing to sneeze at.  I finished 300/807 overall, 202/347 males.

Pushing 50 it's nice to see that I can still improve.  There's hope for me yet, still trying to work the clutch and get the shifter into that elusive higher gear. 

Garmin Track of the race

Taken for a ride

I had my gym bag with me at work on Friday, getting ready for a post work run that I wasn't really looking forward to.  I'd had a few mediocre runs recently and this seemed (at least in my head) to be shaping up for another.  At 2:00 PM Monica texted me that she would throw the bikes on the car and meet me at Great Brook Farms if I wanted to go for a mountain bike ride instead. That sounded better for my disposition and my legs, so we agreed to meet there around 5:45 for some playing in the mud.

Aside from both of us making wrong turns on our way to place we'd been to many times we arrived without major incident.  Monica brought all my biking clothes I changed in the restrooms and we started riding.  After a quick loop to warm up we headed to our favorite single track loop.  This was my first time at Great Brook on my new bike and the difference was pretty significant.  I'm finally beginning to let the bike do it's job, and concentrate on doing my job.  I can pedal just fine, keep the bike pointed in the right direction, and trust that the suspension will absorb the impacts. The best example was the narrow bridges on the Tophet Loop.  In the past I was constantly adjusting the steering, worried about dropping off the side into the mud.  Now, the bridges just seemed wider.  I could look ahead and plan for the dismount and keep my speed up.

Over a rock wall

After the Tophet Loop we did the more technical Keyes Loop which has a few rock walls to scale.  I gave up on the first one, and after making it over the later ones on the trail I really wish I had tried it again.  Next time.  Then we explored a new area, trying to follow the map and find more single track.  Aside from a lot of dogs barking at us and getting turned around once we found some good terrain that we'll return to.  It was getting a bit dark as we finished that loop so we decided to head back to the cars rather than fight the dusk.  There's one section that we rode a long time ago where we both had to walk and even carry the bikes that I'd like to try again.

A great Friday alternative to heading to Applebee's for a beer and potato skins. Can't wait to explore some more.

GPS track of the ride 

Owl's Head dayhike

Another of the long hikes remaining for Monica's 48 was Owl's Head, the much maligned and often lamented walk in the woods.  We had just done a 20 miler 5 days ago but the weather was too good to pass up and, frankly, we were in a groove.  I was a bit worried about the blister on my heel, but I had run the day before and it survived so we decided to go for it.

Early morning start

Owl's Head, by the standard route, is 8 miles of flat, 1 mile up, 1 miles down, and 8 more miles of flat.  Unless you miss the turnoff to the slide path, but more on that later.  We left Boston early and managed to arrive at the trail head and get on the trail before 8:00 AM.  We decided to start off by running the Wilderness Trail and get some miles under our belt quickly.  After a few minutes finding the start of the Franconia Brook trail (don't ask) we alternated running/walking until we got to the Lincoln Brook trail junction.  Aside from a few muddy sections the footing was fine and the ground level.

On the slide

The Lincoln Brook trail isn't as easy to run so we hiked along at a good pace until we reached the first stream crossing.  It's the biggest one of the trip and we spend a good 15 minutes scouting out the best crossing point.  Even with that Monica slipped on a wet rock and got her shoes and socks wet.  We dried them as best we could and kept an eye on any potential blisters but it wasn't going to change our plans.  We ran into our first other hikers of the day, coming out from 13 Falls, as they were crossing the opposite direction by wading across.  The second crossing is short way away, and we made it across this one after another 15 minutes of searching but without significant incident.

On the summit

There are two more stream crossings along the way but they're a bit smaller so we didn't spend any time scouting those. After the 4th crossing the Owl's Head slide path takes off to the right, but we managed to walk right past it.  I got a feeling that we had done so but we wanted to make sure before reversing course so we went 25 minutes past the crossing before deciding to turn around and look again.  Sure enough we spotted the path easily on the way back and only lost 45 minutes or so.  Up we went, picking our path through the rocks and scree.  We got some nice view from the slide and tried to keep a steady pace while climbing.

The next step wasn't a good one

Once at the top of the slide followed the well worn but too long trail to the old summit, where a rock arrow pointed us to the new summit.  I'd never been there before, my previous two trips were to the old summit so this was new terrain for me.  There are several herd paths but they all generally lead to the right place.  We had a nice lunch of prosciutto and provolone wraps and a well earned apple and a bit of a rest before heading back down.  The slide wasn't bad on the way down, and we ran into a guy with two big loveable black labs heading up for the night.

Once down we filled up water at the first stream crossing and added iodine purifier.  The trip out was pretty uneventful except for me falling off a rock on the third crossing and getting a wet foot.  We both used our water shoes for the final crossing and the cold water on our feet and legs felt great.  From the Franconia Brook trail junction we ran most of the way, walking a few times but keeping up a good pace. The last 2 miles on the Wilderness trail always suck, but knowing there was a cold beer in the car waiting for us helped.  The trip took just under 10 hours, surprisingly a few minutes longer than the Bonds traverse but I think a lot of that was the water crossings.  Only 5 left for Monica's 48; only 1 left for my 3rd round.

Bonding

Monica is working on her 4000'ers and a Bonds traverse would give her 4 peaks in one big day hike.  We've been working on longer hikes and this trip is close to 20 miles so it would be a great test of our stamina and fitness. The forecast looked OK, with some possible thunderstorms in the afternoon that we'd have to look out for.  On the drive up Friday night we witnessed a car right in front of us veer off the left lane, hit the end of the guardrail, and explode in a fluffy of car parts before coming to halt on the shoulder.  As we approached the car to render aid a second car pulled up with an EMT and a nurse so we backed out and continued on our way as the police arrived.  Good way to start the weekend.

Tracy, Randy, and Quinn at Zealand Hut

Our plan was to get an early start so we could avoid the heat of the day for our climb.  We parked at the Zealand trailhead and were on the trail by 6:20 AM.  There was another group heading for the Bonds as well, and we quickly caught up with them and left them as we started to mix some easy jogging on the flat sections before the hut.  When we arrived we ran into Randy and Tracy (with Quinn) who were also headed for the Bonds.  Quinn was so happy to see us he followed us right into the hut, leading Randy where he wasn't headed.  Sorry about that. :)  We each drank two large glasses of water because water was going to be a concern all day and continued on.

Monica on Zeacliff

Up the Twinway towards Zeacliff in the cool of the morning.  We didn't see anyone  the whole way up, and had the views to ourselves.  I'd forgotten how flat the terrain is above the cliffs and we had some great discussions and enjoyed the quiet as well. Fairly quickly we found ourselves at the spur trail to Zealand, and then at the summit, our first of 4 for the day.  We took a break, had a snack, applied sunscreen, and got ready for the climb down and up to Guyot.  There were a few other hikers coming through now, either from the shelter or Galehead hut and it was beginning to get warm.

Crossing Guyot

At treeline by the summit of North Guyot we spotted a large group on South Guyot so we gave them a few minutes to pack up and move on.  They were a camp group that had stayed at Guyot Shelter and were headed for Ethan Pond, part of a large crowd (over 60 people) at the shelter/campsite Friday night.  We paused again briefly at the summit of South Guyot, pointed out our next destination of West Bond, and talked about whether we wanted to drop down to the water source.  We elected to conserve water and save the elevation and headed to West Bond.  We had the peak to ourselves again and took a well deserved rest.  The views were spectacular and the breeze felt great.  After a few minutes and some photos we headed back to the ridge.

Blueberries!

The trip up to Bond went quicker then we expected and we had another time to rest and take a bunch more photos of Bondcliff, and then the final push of the day.  The trip down to the col is the roughest rock of the trip, but the reward was lots and lots of blueberries along the way.  Monica went into summit fever mode and I followed along eventually, my hands stained blue.  After the full set of photos from Bondcliff we attempted to eat our very unappetizing lunch and failed.  We weren't very hungry but knew we needed some food so we ate what we could and finally packed up for the trip out.

The classic pose

From Bondcliff it's 9 miles out, mostly easy downhill and flat but 9 miles is still 9 miles.  There was no water at the first two stream crossings as expected, and we filled the extra bottle we had at the third crossing, but our purification tablets were the wrong ones that take 4 hours.  Oh well.  We ran the bottom of the Bondcliff trail, then started running out the Wilderness trail.  After the crossing at Franconia Brook Monica decided to run the rest of the way, I alternated walking and running due to a blister on my left heel.  About a mile remaining I ran out of water but grunted it out, arriving at the parking lot about 5 minutes behind Monica.

Running out on the Wilderness trail

After a wait for our car we hitched into Lincoln and grabbed a booth at the Common Man for beer, bad food, and good company.  It was a big successful day, setting the tone for future big trips.

Racing in a Sauna

Monica and I run in a once-a-month musically themed Thursday night series along the Charles River, a 5K that ends with a BBQ, band, and beer.  This month was the Jerry Garcia Memorial Run.  The start/finish for this series is close to the house so it's easy logistically.  Monica parked a car in the lot across the street earlier in the day and we road our bikes to the start.  It didn't seems so hot at first, but as we arrived at the car it was clear that it was going to be a tough night.  The humidity and lack of wind gave the scene a rather drastic feel.

First, we changed into running shoes and pinned our bibs on, then headed over to pick up the t-shirt Monica had ordered.  Runners were beginning to gather in greater numbers, so we walked around the tents to see what was there and dropped the shirt off back at the car.  In just a quick jog across the road I could feel my hip bothering me, and I knew it wasn't going to be an easy race.  At the starting line we stretched and did a quick warmup run to get the muscles moving.  At 7:28 the massed runners surged toward the tunnel under the bridge and at 7:30 the race started right on time.

This time the start was much more organized and orderly than the first race in the series.  There was no mud, and less chaos so we were able to settle into a full speed pace quickly.  As we made the turn at the sign and headed back to the tunnel everyone was already starting to sweat.  Monica was running with her GPS watch and she said that it seemed to take forever to get to the first mile beep, but in fact we were well under 9:00 pace.  This was the first 5K I've ever stopped to get water, it was just brutal.

We crossed the bridge which is right around 2 miles and were headed back towards the finish line now, my hip wasn't bothering me as much as I expected and we kept up the sub-9:00 pace.  We actually passed a few folks that had been ahead of us the whole way.  At the turn into the finish line we handed our tickets to the collector, I said "Hi" to Jackie who I haven't seen in a long time, and we quickly headed for some water, food, and beer, in that order.

On the beer line I kept feeling someone spilling what I thought was beer on my shoes.  It was my own sweat dripping off my elbows. Yuk.  The beer tasted great but it was really too hot to enjoy the food.  The band was fine and I got to quickly catch up with Jackie and Christopher but we were both ready to head home.  We were drenched with sweat even 45 minutes after we finished; thankfully Monica has waterproof seat covers in her car.  Our time was great, around 26:15 which was about 3 minutes faster than last time.  If the weather is cooler for the next two races it will be interesting to see our times improve.

One's cross (training) to bear

In the past 7 days I've gone road running, trail running, hiking, and mountain biking.  Looking back another week and you can throw in road biking and weight training, and a little swimming a bit further back.  One of my goals for this year was to mix up my training in an effort to stay motivated and to avoid injury.  I've certainly been successful in the former, the latter is more of a mixed bag.

The biggest change has been the mountain bike which opens up a significant new level of activity.  The speed, full body workout, and potential for disaster keeps me motivated and alert.  While I love hiking and will never give it up, mountain biking is new and exciting.  There's so much to learn and experience, and I find new challenges each ride that are within my reach that I come away with a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment that I've missed recently.

Trail running has also been a fun activity, one that adds variety to my weekly running mileage.  I'm not convinced it has been good for my injury, since I often end the loop in the Fells with a sore hip but I think it has been a good experience in general.  I enjoy the need to think and react while running, instead of the steady plod of one foot in front of the other.  Once a week seems about right for me, and I get the added bonus of surprising deer on the trail.

It's hiking season and we're heading north most weekends now.  We've got a few longer hikes planned and there's nothing like that feeling at the end of a long day when you arrive at the car, exhausted but satisfied with a job well done.  I'm mostly hiking in trail shoes and when we can we run the flat stretches.  With our weekends up north we have been hiking one day and doing 1-3 hours of mountain biking the next which makes for an easy drive home without being exhausted.

I still run 3-4 days a week, trying to mix in some variety (hills, sprints, races) but my routine is usually to just go out for a run and see where it takes me.  I still have a group of runners at work but our regular Monday run has taken a beating due to a lot of travel.  With the heat this summer my pace has been rather slow and methodical, but miles are miles.

Weight training is the odd ball.  I have a gym at work that I use when running, and I occasionally do sets of exercises that I've done for decades, but I don't really have a plan or goal.  This is probably where I would get the most bang for my buck, but I don't really have the energy to set something up.  Any suggestions for a training plan that would help me as a runner/hiker/biker?

The only other thing I would consider adding is swimming with the hopes of a triathlon in my future.  The logistics are hard to figure out so I'm just putting that on hold for now.

I wonder if watching the Tour de France and the Olympics on TV counts for cross training?

Runners are stupid

Especially injured runners. This isn't a groundbreaking revelation, but I'm pretty lousy at being injured.  For the past two weeks I've been fighting a nagging pain in my left hip/leg/thigh that doesn't respond to ice, stretching, or Ibuprofen.  The only option remaining seems to be a pretty drastic one; and I'm not sure I'm ready for it but it may be time: rest.  All athletes hate being on the sidelines, and I'm no different.

The worst part is that we are finally getting some good weather after a week of rain and some killer thunderstorms.  I'm stuck in the house with an ice pack on my leg while outside everyone and their sister is running, biking, hiking, and generally having a heck of a time out there.  Rest sucks: it's the absence of fun. I even forced myself to run last week while I was having trouble walking up stairs.  I would hold onto the railing and pull myself up each flight and somehow I felt it was a good idea to run 5 miles.

Monica and I went for a hike in the Blue Hills on Saturday and I was hoping that my leg would loosen up after a bit.  No such luck; about 15 minutes into the hike I knew we couldn't do our planned route, and it probably would be best to just turn around.  So naturally I insisted we go another 10 minutes to the viewpoint, limping up the climb and stumbling back down.  Back at the car we ran into friends from the AMC who were halfway through a double Skyline traverse and I felt even worse about the whole thing.  So instead, we went shopping.

I've got a race on Sunday, so I'm going to rest all week.  Assuming I can survive the rest I should be able to struggle through 5 miles since I really don't care about the time.  I have to run it since the race comes with a t-shirt and I won't be able to wear it if I don't finish the race.  And of course there's BBQ at the end.  That's good for recovery, right?

Finding my Way

Last night I went back to the Fells in an attempt to regain my trail running stripes.  I took a few precautions this time to avoid the fiasco that happened last time; getting lost, coming out after dark without a light, no food or water.  This time I made a few changes:

• Started and ended at Sheepfold, which cut about 2 miles total from the loop
• Carrying my running belt with a map, flashlight, phone, and water
• Planned out my route before starting and stuck to it

The run went pretty well, about 5.5 miles averaging around 11:30 miles on some fairly rough trails, but I did end up with the same pain in my left foot that I need to address.  Right now I'm resting and icing it, but some stretches and exercises are probably in order.  This run was on the new Asolo trail running shoes, but I'm not sure they're ideal.  They offer more cushioning than the Innov-8s but I don't think they fit as well.  More tinkering is in order.

The weekly trail run is a nice addition to my cross training.  I now have a 5.5 mile and a 7.5 mile loop so I can tune it to how much time I have or how I'm feeling. One thing I am not using for the trail running is my MP3 player.  It's nice to listen to the sounds of nature, and it's good to be able to hear the mountain bikers coming up behind me.

Losing my way

When hiking in the Whites I rarely take a map with me.  I know the trails quite well and most of the major intersections have good signs so getting lost isn't really an issue.  Above treeline in the fog or snow I can use a compass and know enough to not head blindly in a direction without cairns, blazes, or a trailbed to keep me on track.  I always carry two light sources, even on a simple day hike, along with extra food and water.  But for some reason I abandoned all that knowledge and preparation for a trail run within earshot of a major highway and it led to a pretty hairy adventure.

I was meeting Robyn at on the Belleview Pond parking area on South Border Road in the Fells for a 7 mile trail run, basically following the mountain bike loop which I have run several times.  We started on the trail at around 5:45 which would have been enough time for the loop.  I was dressing in shorts, a long sleeve top, and carried only my car key.  Just before starting I drank water and had some food. We ran the first 1.75 miles before Robyn said that her knee was bothering her (she'd been having some problems with it, so we knew this was a possibility) and she turned around and headed back to the car.  I continued over to Sheepfold on familiar trails and ran the first 2/3 of the loop without problems.

Ignoring the choice to run without my pack (food, water, light) this is where I made my first poor decision.  I elected to follow the Reservoir trail instead of my usual Mountain Bike loop, thinking that they essentially parallel each other. This was probably less than two miles from the car, so close.  The Reservoir trail was a little rougher than I expected, and didn't seem to be crossing familiar terrain.  As it happens, the trail keeps turning left (east) instead of going straight (south) so I was headed in the wrong direction.  At mile 7 I started getting some pain in my left foot, probably just a bruise but it made me stop running and I had to walk and jog slowly the rest of the run.  I was at a dirt road here, but decided to continue following the Reservoir trail, probably not a great decision either.

So, on I went.  It was getting darker now, and I had the first glimmer of doubt creeping into my mind.  Still no familiar terrain and I-93 seemed closer than it should be.  I came across a trail junction but it gave me no additional information.  There had been no other hikers or bikers for about 30 minutes now, and because I was walking now the chill began to sink in. I stopped at one point and made a decision to navigate by I-93, which I knew was east of me and I could reliably head south which is where I wanted to go.  This was a good decision, and it was accurate.  However, since I was a bit turned around it meant that I ended up back on the Reservoir trail, headed in the other direction!  This freaked me out a bit and I admit that I had a little bit of panic.  I couldn't understand how I ended up back on the trail, even though I thought I was headed in the right direction.  (I was.)

I regrouped a bit and headed out at a jog in the right direction on a dirt road for easier footing in the dark.  I did start seeing familiar sights again including a section of the Skyline trail I ran at around mile 3, so I knew pretty much where I was.  Finally I came across a trail sign that pointed to South Border Road, my destination!  A bit later there was a sign for Belleview Pond, even better!  After another 10 minutes (which seemed like an hour) I came to another dirt road that led to a gate on South Border Road and since I was having trouble seeing the ground on the Skyline Trail I elected to take that.  In two minutes I saw the cars on South Border, then the gate, turned left and soon came to my car parked alone and inviting.  It was now 8:10 PM, dark, and about 49 degrees.

It's a very unusual experience being truly lost, confused, and worried in the woods at night.  During the last hour of my run I could feel panic rising, could observe myself making snap decisions without stopping to reason, rushing around in the dark risking injury when I should have slowed down.  Even at the time part of me knew what I was doing and how I should calm down I really didn't act on those feelings. Headed down a trail I wondered if I had really read the last sign correctly, without heeding the desire to double check the signs and the intersection.  In retrospect I ended up making good decisions, but I could easily have made bad ones; a sobering thought.

Was I in danger of spending a night in the woods?  Possibly, but not likely unless I had gotten hurt.  You're never far from civilization in the Fells and there's always the sound of cars nearby.  My bigger concern was getting hurt by falling or twisting an ankle in the dark which could have led to an unpleasant night for sure. But seeing the cars on South Border road was still a huge relief; I could feel the built up tension release when I stepped out past the gate.  Even with the pain in my foot I was walking easier.

Lessons learned:

1. Never underestimate the woods
2. If you start out within 3 hours of sunset, bring a light source
3. Don't assume you know where trails go, check the maps
4. Don't panic - you have good woods skills so use them
5. Explore new terrain earlier in the day

 Here's the GPS track for the run. Replaying it I can feel the anxiety when I realized that I was looping on the same trail and back tracked.

It's spring, time for trail running

The last two weekends Monica and I have headed out to Great Brook Farm State Park in Carlisle.  She brings her spiffy new mountain bike, and I bring some trail running shoes.  I'll be getting a mountain bike soon so I can join her on rides, but for now I'm content to run some of the great double and single track available in GBF.  I haven't done too much trail running, but I'm enjoying it a lot these days.  The pace is generally slower, the ground is much more forgiving on my legs, and I don't have to deal with traffic lights.

I've been using my new small hydration pack, giving me some easily accessible water, a few Gu's, and a place to hold my wallet and phone. I've used a Nathan hip belt but with the twisty trails the backpack feels like it carries more smoothly and allows me to twist and turn more comfortably. It also looks cool.  For shoes I have two pair; Innov-8 and Asolo.  The Asolos are new and this past weekend was their first day out.  I bought the Innov-8s last year and they have been on a few long hikes and run in the Whites.  The only other trail running gear I use are my Dirty Girl Gaiters, in Lime Gatorade Hurl.  They also look cool.

The trails at Great Brook are a mix of farm roads, paths in fields, and single track.  I don't know the trails in detail but it's not very big and bordered by a few main roads so you can't get too far off.  The first time I ran there I just stayed on the wide paths and strung together a 4 mile loop without crossing my tracks.  The second time I tried more of the single track, such as Indian Hill (Tip: avoid trails with the word "Hill" in the name) and the Woodchuck Loop, then followed a trail I had never seen before which took me out to some town land called Thanksgiving Ground Forest.  It was just an out and back before hitting some more double track, crossing the road and taking the Tophet Loop, which is my favorite mountain bike single track, and working my way back to the car.  It rained for the second half of the loop but never too hard so it just made running in the woods more interesting.  People hurrying back to their cars under umbrellas gave me some odd looks.

The plan is to add at least one day of trail running a week, after work on my way home.  I can run a 7 mile loop in the Fells that offers some nice variety of single and double track, plus the occasional view of Boston from a tower.  That should add some variety to the week and make the longer runs easier on my knees.

Besides, anything that lets me wear the Dirty Girls is a good thing.

New Training partner

Monica has decided to take up running after a gap of over a decade, so I have a guaranteed running partner for at least 1 or 2 days a week if our schedules mesh.  She has to deal with a reconstructed ACL so running is a bit of new venture for her, one she's taking carefully but with gusto.  We started with a few run/walk ventures until she could run a full 5K without stopping several times; we've since gone up to 4 miles.  Our most common route is from the house to the Charles River and up or down a few bridges, which has been my regular morning routine for a while.  Until now I've never run that route with someone else; it's different when you're having a conversation the whole time.

When I started running I ran mostly alone, or with someone who was a much more experienced runner than I, like Al, Robyn or Mimi.  They would guide me with suggestions on stride, pace, stretching, etc and just keep me moving in the right direction.  Now someone is looking to me for the same kind of advice and I feel like I actually know what I'm talking about.  We went through the shoe buying process, getting the right running clothes, training plans, and we're looking at signing up for her first 5K. It feels like I'm going through the introduction to running all over again.

It has reminded me that I need to set a new goal and create my own plan to achieve it.  Right now I don't have a particular race or distance that I want to work on, although I'm very interested in more trail running.  Time to bring up CoolRunning Event Calendar and start looking for something interesting.

Not just another pair of running shoes

Before I started running semi-seriously (or whatever the heck I'm doing now) I never tracked how long I had a pair of shoes, or how many miles I ran in them.  They didn't wear out; I wore them until they fell apart. When they were too far gone to ignore I'd buy a new pair. I never kept track, it didn't matter.  But now, I buy shoes after doing actual research.  I go to running stores, sample a bunch of shoes, have my gait analyzed, and don't always buy whatever is on sale. The price isn't a problem since I feel like I'm getting good use out of them. I use runningAhead to track every run, every mile, every minute I spend on my feet.  It's great for training, for looking back at the past year or month and feeling a sense of accomplishment, for knowing when it's time to retire a pair of shoes.

I've just retired my last pair of Saucony Ride 3's after a fine snowy run in shorts. They have 350 miles on them, which I find is just about where I start getting some discomfort after runs, so it's time.  Looking back through the log, I just discovered that these were the shoes I used for the Boston Marathon!  I was sure it was a different pair, but the computer doesn't lie.  They also ran the Bay State Half marathon and the Jingle Bell 5K.  All the rest of their mileage was training runs, from 2 to 21 miles in length.

I've retired a few pairs of shoes, but these have done the most with me.  A quick review of the runs with this pair of shoes brought back all sorts of memories, both good and bad.  Of course there was the marathon, but also the 21 mile training run 3 weeks before which let me know that I could do it.  There was the very painful 13 miler in September that convinced me to switch from the full to half marathon in October.  There was the Jingle Bell Run with Brenda, wearing matching reindeer antlers. All from a single pair of shoes.

Like Gu and Clif Bars, shoes are consumables.  You buy them in order to use them up.  They have an expected life span and they serve you well, but their destiny is to become trash.  Perhaps they can be used as casual shoes, or in my case then end up in the pottery studio covered in mud, but their days are numbered.  Or in the case of running shoes, their miles are limited. But I'm a nostalgic fellow, and it's rare that something from such an important event in my life gets discarded so easily.  I'm not sure what I'll end up doing with this pair, but it's the last pair of Ride 3's I'll ever own.  They've switched to the new Ride 4's (which I just ordered).  The Ride 3 was the first shoe I had fitted to my feet, and I went through 3 pairs of them.  I may just hold on to this last pair.

My Frienemy - The Treadmill

Running in winter can be an invigorating experience; full of bright sunshine, clean, cold air, dedicate running companions.  It can also be a miserable, exhausting mix of sleet, extremely poor footing, short periods of daylight, and streets and sidewalks narrowed by piles of frozen mess.  Which leads me directly to the treadmill at the gym.  When it's snowing hard, or this winter, raining, more often I have been choosing to run on the treadmill rather than run outside.  Last winter when training for the marathon last year I rarely ran on the treadmill.  The runs were longer and spending all that time on a treadmill wasn't worth it.

But this winter I'm not as motivated to suffer outside so I end up downstairs.  The gym has a couple of nice modern treadmills (and a few crappy old leg breakers) with a lovely view of the parking lot. At least once a week I head down there, pop my headphones on, and spend 30-50 minutes staring alternately at the lights in the parking lot and the glowing red LEDs of the display.  No TV at the work gym.  My chief entertainment is singing along with my music and calculating the next fraction of my remaining run.  Math is fun. I usually determine how far I will run based on how I feel after the first mile; I rarely have a definite goal in mind.

So, why frienemy?  I have so many conflicting thoughts I decided to put together a list:

Pros:

• No need to deal with foul weather or darkness
• Fairly accurate timing, distance, and calorie calculations
• Ability to adjust elevation at will
• Automated programs

Cons:

• Boring as sin
• Tendency to race against a clock or arbitrary goal leading to possible injury
• Ever-present fear that one small misstep will propel me backwards into the wall
• Lack of breeze
• No variation of the running surface
• Only have access at work/gym
• Boring as sin (yes, I said it already but it deserves saying again)

 I'm sure there are more pros and cons, but frankly, one run a week on the treadmill doesn't warrant that much thought.  The workout is still good, and the mileage still counts, so I run and try to get through the boredom and think of longer, warmer days.

Mountain biking - new hobby

Last summer Monica was invited by her friend Dave to be on his team for 24 Hours of Great Glen, a mountain bike race near the base of Mount Washington.  She wasn't an experienced rider but as is pretty common with her she threw herself into the experience and her competitive nature made her want to be better at the sport for next year.  With David's help and lots of research she bought a new bike to replace the Boat Anchor (David's words) that she had been using.  I have an old bike and this fall we went for a few rides locally with Brenda, Steve, and Michelle and I think I got the bug as well.  One thing was sure, my bike (and the Boat Anchor) weren't suitable for keeping up with Monica.

Since the winter started out with a dearth of snow, and we had a bunch of shared vacation time between Christmas and New Years we took a few rides on new terrain.  I borrowed a bike from David - the one Monica rode at Great Glen - and armed with my new GoPro camera hit the trails at Great Brook Farms in Carlisle, MA and Big River Reservation in West Greenwich, RI.  We learned our share of lessons about layering for the cold, riding during hunting season, the fine art of falling safely, and mud.

First, let's establish some ground rules: I'm not an adrenaline junkie.  Sure, I like sports that require you to get out there and push the envelope from time to time, but in the grand scheme of things I don't like really fast speeds or living on the ragged edge.  This point was driven home forcefully a few years back when I was driving F1 gocarts at a friend's bachelor party and I came in dead last in every race.  Small children were passing me in every corner because I just don't have the killer instinct needed to dive into those turns at top speed.  Apparently using the brakes is frowned upon.  And this translates to mountain biking in a way that means each segment we ride I start out right behind Monica and while trying to negotiate a tricky section I look up to see that she is gone, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake while I chicken out on log jumps.  Such is life.

I own a mountain bike.  Well, I own a bike that many folks would consider a mountain bike.  It has a front fork suspension, but I've modified the bike for commuting and the less said about it the better.  When Monica got her bike I borrowed her old bike; formally the Barracuda but now rechristened the Boat Anchor. Until recently I would have been happy with a bike like this, but riding the terrain we've been riding recently its shortcomings are clear.  It's an older bike with a front fork but other than that it doesn't compare favorably to a Big Wheel, let alone a full suspension bike with disk brakes.  Finally, I borrowed Kathy's bike (the one Monica used at Great Glen) and riding became a whole new sport.

With a full suspension, trails look very different.  Terrain that used to have me picking my way down at a snail's pace I could now ride at a good clip, looking ahead to pick out my best line without worrying about every rock and root.  As the speed picked up I fell into a better rhythm allowing me to enjoy the ride, rather than think my way through everything.  Riding became more instinctive and flowing, and while I still don't have the killer instinct that lets some people ride down cliff faces I can go across narrow bridges, jump some logs, and get through steep descents without embarrassing myself.

I'll be picking up a new bike for myself this spring and exploring the local trails.  It's a great cross training sport, and is more stimulating than road biking.  Maybe a western mountain bike adventure is in the works?

New Years Resolutions

A new day and a new lease on life!  Time to reflect on 2011 and plan for 2012.

2011 was a pretty big year for Runner Dave. The highlight was certainly running the Boston Marathon, my first.  My friend Robyn ran every step with me and I'm eternally grateful to her for that.  The race itself was a mixed bag; I had calf cramps for the last 10 miles that caused me to walk a bit each mile but I finished and I was very proud of my accomplishment.  There was also my first real bout of disappointment related to injury.  I had registered for the Bay State Marathon in October but leg problems caused me to scale it back to the half.  It was a big disappointment and felt like a failure, but completing the half even though my training had been so poor and interrupted was a boost. I even got a chance to pay forward Robyn's gift to me by running with Brenda on the Somerville Jingle Bell Run, which was my first race ever 4 years ago. I ended the year healthy and excited about running.


So, I'm looking forward to 2012 and planning out some races and goals for the year. Here they are:

1. Stay Healthy - I had several problems in 2011 with injury, from ITB tendinitis during my Boston training to a persistent cramping problem in my calves. They seem to be related to overtraining issues and technique.  To address this I am going to do a lot more cross training; adding road and mountain biking to the weekly schedule and creating a weight lifting program that strengthens my knees. I'm looking into Yoga to help my flexibility and I want to keep to a sports massage once a month because I like pain, apparently.
2. Eat better - In 2009 I lost 60+ pounds and felt great.  It made running much more enjoyable and made me feel better during and after.  After Boston and the inactivity that came with injuries I've gained back some of that weight so I want to get back to the diet that helped me lose and maintain my weight.While exercise is part of it, getting back to the eating techniques that worked is the key.
3. Create a routine - I've got a group run on Monday with some co-workers that has become part of my weekly tradition.  A weekly schedule that mixes running (indoors and out), biking, and weights in a coherent training schedule will help me focus and motivate to get in the full number of workouts per week. Weekend backcountry skiing this winter will replace the long runs, assuming we ever get any snow.
4. Add some new race challenges - A second marathon is in my future at some point, not sure when or where.  For some reason I want to run a 50K trail race before my 50th birthday, and Pinelands on Memorial Day weekend could be the right fit.  It's daunting but so was the marathon.  We'll see how the long runs in the spring go.  One last piece of the puzzle is a triathlon.  Before I started running I was a biker and growing up I was a competitive swimmer, so a tri seems logical, right?
5. Have fun - I think this one is pretty straight forward.  Why do it if it isn't fun?