So this happened on Saturday afternoon: I had looked at the Goat Hill races for a while. It was on my radar, 1 hour from the house, and promised 1000' elevation gain for each 8-mile loop. Some of my friends were signed up for the various distances (8, 16, 24-miles, and 50k). Registration had closed on Thursday on Ultrasignup (and no race day reg.), so I texted the race director about possibly getting on board. He replied back that their own website still had open reg. for a few hours, so I registered for the 50k, on my phone, in the middle of Stop & Shop. That's a first! And the 50k. In for a penny, in for a pound, in all its definitions (and there are many!).
I kept things quiet, even telling my wife that I was going for a long run with friends, which was mostly true! I let a couple people who were going know I'd be there, and got to bed early.
4:30 alarm for a 5:15 departure. Ugh. I ONLY do that for races or travel. The weather looked perfect for the race though, sunny skies and very little wind. I made the 1-hour drive to Uxbridge, Mass., and got set up quickly. Ran into Sonny G., TNT's "untaggable" Chris J. (who was 6th overall in the 50k!), Ben N., and chatted with them before the race. Our small group of 25 or so 50k runners listened to a quick course meeting, sang a VERY soft National Anthem (like a whisper, haha), and then we were off! Ultra-badass running superstars Pat and Ben (eventual 1st/2nd) took off like a shot, and I stayed with Sonny (Who got 5th, a week after Traprock!) for about 1/2 mile, until his pace was too fast for my game plan and I fell back. After about a mile, runners hit Goat Hill, and a short but steep climb. The course is rolling, somewhat technical in places, and has switchbacks from Hell. Never seen anything like it, and it really messes with your head during the race. You could be 10 feet from another runner, think you're just behind them, and in reality they're 1/2 mile ahead of you! Nuts!
So I made the first loop in 1:31. Perfect. The second loop was uneventful until I tripped on a root right before a muddy patch, went all the way in, and got totally filthy. Trail races! If you don't get dirty, you're doing it wrong, haha...and lap 2 ended in 1:36. Still pretty damn good. Things were already heating up temperature-wise, and the 8/16/24 milers were on the course, which was fun. Lots of runners! And fast! Got to see TNT runner Patrick Quinn (who made the podium!) on the course before he caught me, thanks to the ever-present switchbacks! Fun!
Out of the woods after loop 2 or 3, cruisin'...
Photo: MRA Multisport
I was slowing big time on lap 3, but my strategy of walking the uphills and running/jogging everything else seemed to be working. My legs were getting pretty beat from the constant change of direction, climbs/descents, and technical terrain, but whatever. I was going to finish the 50k no sweat. I caught up to a 50k runner toward the end of loop 3, who had pulled away from me early in the race, and was now dropping. I made it a mission to get through the start/finish and back on the trail ASAP. Too easy to drop on a loop course. Once I was into loop 4, it was all good! It was warm out, I knew exactly where I was on the course, and gauged my time well, figuring I could get in under 7 hours. I ran with a couple people and we all chatted about how we were likely the last people on the course! Turned out, we weren't. I ended up following a woman in bright colors, who had no quit and never got less than 50 yards from me. We picked up the pace in the last couple miles, and finished the Goat in 6:53 officially.
Finishing the 50k
Photo: MRA Multisport
31.5 miles with 3888' of elevation gain, and I was handed a 10th place finisher trophy with a goat on it! Sweet! I never get stuff like that!!!
Goat trophy, bib, and celebratory beer!
What a cool race. Very well marked course, perfect aid stations, the volunteers were great (especially the rainbow unicorn gal directing runners at the top of the Goat, you rock!) and I was stoked that such a laid-back event felt so well organized. Congrats too to all the runners who tackled this course at any distance, it's a tough one! I highly recommend MRA Multisport's events, as they were friendly, supportive and kept things low-key and world-class at the same time. Props!
My Ultra training schedule is, to say the least, spotty and questionable and basically nonexistent. So it's a big boost to my confidence that I was able to jump in last-minute on a tough trail 50k and do fairly well!
I'm Woody in this picture, howdy howdy howdy ;)
Next up? A return to 7 Sisters, thankfully with friends this time, and hopefully a course PR. Really want a sub-3 hour on the course, and it could happen!
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