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