And here we are again...I did a switcheroo from the World's End 100k to the Chesterfield Gorge Ultras (where I'll also be shooting for 100k), and for a couple of reasons. First, I have to work on the Friday before the race, so the WE race would have been a logistical nightmare, between the drive, setting up a camp and checking in for the race, etc. Second, I've been training with John for his Western States endeavor, we run well together, and when he signed up for this race I was much more intrigued. Third, there's a bunch of other people I know going to this and running different distances, and I'll be able to see them during the race as it's an out and back along the gorge (which I've never been to)! And lastly, my partial refund for one race basically paid for the other, so that was almost a wash. All that aside, I'm excited about this race! It's directed by Amy and Brian Rusiecki, who also RD at 7 Sisters, another of my favorites, and are both accomplished Ultrarunners themselves so they know what us folks need :)
Why I lose time at aid stations :)
I'd misread the start times and thought that the race started at 8, but that's the shorter race. We start at 6. Whoops. Driving up the morning of not being an option, I decided to book a hotel room nearby, probably better than leaving my house at 3 a.m.! Anyway, here's my week:
Monday - 0. Memorial Day food overdose. And family time :)
Tuesday - 5 miles. Gravel track fun with Faith. Supposed to be a structured run for Faith with me just tagging along, but it was uncomfortably warm so we bailed into a nearby neighborhood where it was much cooler. Still, had a fast final loop around the track to finish things out!
Wednesday - 3 miles. Beach run at Napatree Point in Watch Hill, arguably one of my favorite places in the world. Perfect day to take advantage of sunny skies, a cool breeze and low tide. Maybe saw a dozen people the whole time.
Thursday - 7+ miles. An "easy" run with Faith at Bluff Point. Easy, as in just cruisin' along until Faith decides to haul ass up the only real climb on the loop, and then innocently ask "Did I just do that?" Ha! I forced a slowdown for the rest of the run, and still ended up with my third fastest time there. Whoops!
Thanks, Faith!
Friday - 0. Travel to MA.
Saturday - Chesterfield Gorge Ultra! Report to follow.
I emerged from Soapstone a bit sore, but otherwise fine! With two weeks until the Chesterfield Gorge Ultra, I had the chance to squeeze in some important last minute training, then try to taper (whatever that is)... Chesterfield Gorge Ultras
Monday - 3.5 miles. Bluff Point. It was gorgeous out! I got out of work early enough to get a few miles in, and figured I'd do a leg check at Bluff. Main loop, nothing crazy. I started out intentionally slow, felt better as I went, and it ended up being my fastest time on the main loop! Progression run from outta nowhere, and I was really pleased with my effort.
Tuesday - 7 miles. Poquonnock Plains Park w/Faith. Gravel track? Sure. Faith was doing some kind of interval run, and I just got new shoes, so why not? It was raining, a cool steady drizzle, and we went through the intervals pretty much on the money. The shoes felt great! They're the Salomon S/Lab Ultra shoes, their distance trail shoes. Already happy with them.
Wednesday - 0.
Thursday - 0.
Friday - 9 miles. Arcadia run with George and Kim. George hit me up for a run in Arcadia, and mentioned that his friend Kim wanted to come along. Sure! We all met up at Midway lot, and George had mapped and led this run. So happy to see him out on the trails and enjoying his running again! Great times in Summery weather, it was mid-80s and "webby" on the trails. Kim is just getting into trails and did awesome, but she's a rockstar athlete so I'm not surprised! Great time!
Saturday - 16.5 miles. Arcadia heat training run w/John P. The plan was originally for 20, but the heat won the day. Already 70+ degrees at 8 a.m., and we set out at a conservative pace. Five miles in, we were already hot and feeling the effects of our previous days' efforts. Stopped at a couple of streams to dip our hats, and I mentioned that I knew a good swimming hole near mile 9.
Sh-sh-sh-shark!
Not a secret spot. Just an awesome spot. Below the bridge across from Frosty Hollow Pond in Arcadia. You're welcome!
Yeah, that was a lifesaver! John had stashed his handhelds at around mile 7, and as we circled back to the cars around 11 miles (to grab drinks/food), we decided to run back to get them and call it at 17-ish miles. Of course, that meant another dip in the swimming hole! That water really did rejuvenate us on a hot, hot day. Crisp, clean, cool, and deep enough to submerge. John said this was a big part of Western States training, with the heat beating down and the knowledge that those quick dips do wonders for your mental and physical state during that kind of race. Awesome day!
Sunday - 0. I'm cool with that, I'm finding a great balance with running, family and work, and if I can keep things like they've been lately, that'll work just fine for me. I had the chance to go out again for a few miles but it wasn't going to be beneficial. I'm hitting all my goals, and my miles/hours/elevation totals have been climbing steadily since the beginning of the year. So it's all good! And I feel good. No injuries, issues, etc...so I'm pretty stoked about the next few months!
Total: 36 miles on 4 runs. One week until Chesterfield Gorge. Shooting for 100k.
I got some runs in while we were in England, but missed out on two weekends of long runs, soooo...after we got back, I knew there was some catching up to do. I knew a couple of friends who were doing the Jack Bristol Lake Waramaug races, which consisted of 50k, 50m and 100k options. After some hemming and hawing, I threw my name in for the 50k race, figuring it would also kickstart my racing season! I also somehow convinced my friend Adam to enter (because I'm chock full of bad ideas, just ask!), and we made a plan to carpool to the race.
Leaving my house at 4:30 under cover of darkness SUCKED. Not a fan of fumbling around in the dark, waking the dogs and having to let them out, etc. while trying not to wake the family. But that's how it goes sometimes!
Met Adam at a commuter lot, and we hauled ass across CT for the early start. I'd scoped out some results and knew that it was a low elevation, rolling road loop around Lake Waramaug. We'd have a short out/back, three 8-ish mile loops around the Lake (which was beautiful!), and one more out/back at the end of the 50k.
Long story short, I messed up my packing the night before and left my handheld at the house. I also left my good raincoat in Adam's truck, which I was sure was locked (it wasn't). Whoops. It then proceeded to rain for the first two hours of the race. I had a windbreaker on, but got soaked through, and when the rain finally stopped I changed into a dry shirt and was instantly recharged.
Pacing? I wanted to start deliberately slow and maintain my "All Day" pace, and I was able to accomplish that, in spite of the weather. Steady as can be, and no walking...my only takeaways from the day were: pack your shit better the night before a race; and stop spending so much friggin' time at the aid stations, you glutton! I figured I lost 20 minutes of unnecessary time at the aid stations...but disclaimer: their aid stations were unbelievable...the deviled eggs at AS3...loved those...
My friend Faith was running with an Achilles runner in the 50-miler, and they started early...I was hoping to run into her at some point but we stayed on opposite ends of the lake all day! Some highlights included running with local friend Meghan M. for a while, and Maria C. from Rhody, who was kicking ass in the 50-miler.
On the last out/back I was trying to get to the turnaround mat, and was just ready to be done, when I heard a runner coming up behind me...I said something like "Nice to hear footsteps, I've been in no man's land for a while," to which he replied "Yeah, I've been there before..." We chatted for a bit before I got to my turn and he continued on, and I said "I'm Mike, what's your name?" and he said "John, it's been nice running with you!" Turns out it was John F., one of the only finishers of the Barkley Marathons (kind of a big deal)...and that's a good way to cap off an ultra, I'd say!
I ended with 31.6 miles in 6:09, good for 28th place of 56 finishers in the 50k. I'm good with that! On the way out, Adam wanted to see his grandfather's old home, where he would spend summers and run down the dirt road to the lake to go swimming, and it just happened to be across the street from Kent Falls Brewing! Ha! I've had their beer, it's good! On the way out, I had a sudden craving for an ice cold Coca-Cola. I don't drink soda ever, except at Ultras, and we stopped at a store, I bought one and drank it in one shot, and it was delicious!
Hey! My first marathon/ultra on roads!?!
And the following weekend...
5/6 - CT Trailmixers Spring Fling 600:
Another last-ish minute decision. I'm a Trailmixer, which got me half off the race. Sweet! I was concerned about the weather driving up, but it was an easy drive and not too early, easy setup and the rain basically held off all day. Overcast and basically cool, perfect running weather.
With a 3-mile loop, I was able to run without anything. No handheld, no pack, etc. After I got set up, the race started quickly and I decided to just go for it, plowing through the muddy bog 1/2 mile into the race and getting really muddy...
Yeah, muddy puddin'! But not THE Muddy Puddin' ;)
No chance of knowing who was doing what distance, for how long, etc...so run your own race! I also got through the start/finish area in less than a minute for the first 7 or 8 loops. I'd hit my drop bag for gels and stuff, then have my friend Brian count me down from 10, and I'd stuff my face, drink quickly, and head back out with handfuls of chips and shit. Better than last week!
p.s. Great aid station! They even had a dude making crepes, and cups of fresh lobster meat later in the day! Who does that???
After I passed marathon distance, I called my better half to see what was happening. She mentioned some things for her car that needed doing, and I agreed to head out on one more loop to pass the 50k distance (and then some). Officially I was 24th of 129 runners, and did 34.1 miles in 7:10. Sweet! Back-to-back ultras. Now we can relax until June...
Mud.
Fling Done!
Except...
The following weekend I banged out a hilly, technical 16-miler in Pachaug with some friends, and filled in the week with a couple of other trail runs...
Then?
5/20 - Soapstone Mountain 24k trail race:
A last-minute decision to jump in on the Soapstone Mountain 24k. I'm also a Shenipsit Strider, and again got a half-off discount to enter, and we had no weekend plans, sooo...I entered the race and drove the 1.5 hours, while heating the water in my new portable shower, a gift from my nephew this past Christmas! I'll say in advance that this is one of the best gifts I've ever received.
Best. Gift. Ever. Believe that shit. Nothing like washing off the trail funk and driving home clean as a whistle! Thanks to my badass nephew Tristan for this gift. Beer by Beer'd.
I get to the parking lot, meet up and chat with a few people, and jog the 1/4 mile to the start line. The aid stations were supposed to be stocked with Tailwind (which I drink) and solid food (which I eat), so I downed my only gel before the start and drank about half my bottle before the start. The race began with a screaming downhill on a dirt road, which spread out the field. I was just happily cruising along until we reached "the Sandpit," and there's suddenly a line formed to climb straight up a sandy hill. Short but steep enough that the heel of the person in front of you was at eye level. Fun!
The big climb at the race was a few miles in, and was a rocky vertical scramble up a power line cut, very steep and very slow going. After that, mainly runnable but technical terrain for the rest of the race.
It was very humid and quite warm. I'd say I bonked, although I was only walking the steeper uphills toward the end. Not having Tailwind at the aid stations really messed me up, as Powerade doesn't sit well with me and water isn't enough on days like that. Also, I made the cardinal error of not being prepared to be self-sufficient, and pack my own shit. S-caps (I sweat like a bastard), hydration pack (just in case), extra gels and food. My fault. Won't happen again. Otherwise, the course was kickass!!! I really like the tough race courses, they're the most memorable! That said, I'd have changed things there slightly, including adding directional signs at the outer lollipop section, strictly for idiots like me who can't follow simple directions...
I ended in 3:14, and was #58 of 125 runners in the 24k-ish. Ok then! I'll take it.
And now I'm all caught up! Two 50k races and a 15-mile race in four weeks, and one more Ultra on the horizon at the beginning of June, the Chesterfield Gorge Ultras (directed by rockstar runners Brian and Amy Rusiecki), where I hope to go longer than I have so far! And hey, I'm happy as Hell that I'm running more, not injured (knock on wood), and seem to be on a pretty regular training schedule (for me!). My mileage has been climbing steadily since the beginning of the year as well, and I'm hitting all my goals right now, so fingers crossed! Next up: Back to weekly updates, hahahahahahaha ;)
Since my last post, a few things have happened. Here's a recap of the first couple of events, with a look forward to the next few to get this thing caught up! We went to England again!
The week before we left for England, I was hurriedly trying to finish up a tiling project at work, but was able to get it done midweek, and give John P. a shout about a short road trip out to Hubbard Park in Meriden. I hadn't been there in some time, John had never been there, and I wanted to get him some of the hill training he was asking for! I figured on multiple up/downs from the main lot, and we were able to "tag" all three of the main high points at Hubbard, and run twice down my favorite section of trail there, the "Kamikaze Trail Descent" segment, which is a mile long, technical, and totally runnable straight shot from the top of the middle peak near Castle Craig down to the reservoir. It's quintessential New England trail, and exactly the right pitch to just open up on...John loved it. We covered 13 technical miles at Hubbard with about 2400' of climbing. Great day!
Me and JP
Castle Craig
From the "Other" peak
Looking across to the "Castle"
England:
The next day? Packing, getting the beasts situated, and a redeye flight from Boston to London, to kick off a 10-day family vacation, see the country, possibly get some running in, and attempt to source some decent craft beer there (I did succeed!). Our trip would take us from London to Bath, the Cotswolds, Oxford, and back to London for one more day before our departure. Our first hotel directly faced the London Eye, was a few blocks from Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, and Buckingham Palace, and kicked ass. Our first day was just dealing with fatigue, mostly mine as I can't sleep on planes and the girls slept the whole flight. Oh, and London has shit for decent beer. There, I said it. Good restaurants who offer Budweiser, Heineken and Guiness as their premier beers need a clue...
Trafalgar Square
The view from our first hotel, just awesome...
Day 3? A tour of the actual studios where the Harry Potter films were made! So cool...
Strive to be Number One!
Day 4! A morning run in London, sunny skies and crisp air, and many streets around Buckingham Palace closed for the Commonwealth meeting! Ran through St. James's Park, Green Park, and along the river for a bit. Next, a drive to Bath with a pit stop at Stonehenge...cold on the hill, but humbling to stand there...for a few minutes, then back into the car.
My kind of town!
Never saw anyone gardening, they just appear this way :)
Nice place...I mean, palace!
Early a.m. in the parks is glorious...
Perfection in St. James's Park
COLD.
I loved Bath. It's a gorgeous little English village tucked into the hills, everything's extra green and there's history galore. It's also where, lo and behold, I found the Nirvana of all craft beer shops!!! One block from our mediocre hotel, where I had to store my newfound score in their coat check mini-fridge, and ask for it like a beggar. Like a beggar! And then get a bucket of ice from the bar to keep my fancy craft beer chilled. Five stars? I think maybe not so much...
Bath Abbey!
Greenery!
Craft Beer!!! From all over Europe, no less. They had NEIPAs from Finland that tasted as good as Treehouse brews. Not even kidding.
Day 5. Walking tour of bath with Mrs. Norris (same name as Filch's cat in Harry Potter, I'm sensing a theme here...), where we hiked up to the Royal Crescent, toured their place, as well as the Jane Austen Center (where I got dressed up as Mr. Darcy, WTF), the Fashion Museum, and the Roman Baths, which would have been cool if not for the 40,000 teenagers running amock throughout the baths. My daughter, an American teenager, HATES American teenagers. I can't blame her, hahaha...
The Roman Baths, overrun with teenagers taking selfies, as it was in ancient times...
Lord Critchlery does not approve.
Day 6 dawned with a glorious sunshine, crisp air and my chance for a run. I immediately headed uphill, and up...some hills in Bath! I got to the top of one of the 7 hills of Bath and saw a "Cotswold Way" sign on a gate. Wait, what??? I thought it started in Chipping Campden and went North, but apparently it starts there and ends in Bath...so I got some small time on it inadvertantly. I continued on, and ended the run with a short jaunt near the river. Picture perfect.
The Cotswold Way. It's gonna happen at some point. Follow the acorn!
Gorgeous parks on the hillside
Found this in a small neighborhood park. Sweet fountain!
Along the river, early a.m.
Bath from below. Really liked this town...
In the morning we headed toward the Cotswolds, by way of Lacock Abbey (site of a lot of HP filming, and where the first negative print was created, for all you photography buffs!), Avebury and its mysterious, massive stone circle (way bigger than Stonehenge), and some Hobbit-esque shires along the way. Makes total sense why it's the weekend retreat location of choice for the well-to-do in the UK. I'd totally live in a thatched roof cottage alongside a trout stream, with footpaths crossing here and there and a neighborhood pub on the corner! Heaven!
Old Brewing!
Lacock Abbey
Harry Potter scenes filmed here!
Hey, that's a ford! A ford...
We checked into our hotel in the village of Stow-on-the-Wold, where all the businesses closed promptly at 6. Cool! Soph even had her own room with bunkbeds, and our hotel had local craft beer and a restaurant with delicious food. Perfect.
Day 7? A tour of the Cotswolds. We started in Chipping Campden, the start of the Cotswold Way, where I found the plaque that marks the beginning of the 102-mile footpath. We then made our way to the Broadway Tower, a "folly" tower that also resides on the path, and climbed to the top! We also cruised through several really cool towns before returning to our hotel.
This is the beginning of the Way...
There's a plaque here, and one at Bath at the other end.
Alleys in Chipping Campden
A Shire!
Lori at the top of Broadway Tower. Proud of her, she's afraid of heights and felt surprisingly calm here.
Looking over the Cotswold countryside from the Tower
Day 8 started with a run in Stow, including a short jaunt on the Gloucestershire Way, another national footpath. Trails! Lots of gates to go through, but if it's a designated national footpath, private property owners are not only required to allow access, but also maintain the section that passes through their land. Pretty cool!
Morning mist
Hey! It's a Way!
Gates everywhere
Short singletrack section! Saw a red fox!
Alleys in Stow
Serene early morning runs are the best
We headed out later that morning for a drive to Oxford, by way of Blenheim Palace. That place was massive. The grounds are immaculate, I was itching to drop everything there and go for a run around the lake, but played nice and we had a great time.
Enormous place...
Eye see you!
Excuse me, that's quite a large organ you have there...
Landscape Heaven
Here's the only thing about this trip that was awesome and difficult at the same time: the country is so rich with history, you can't go ten feet without tripping over a historic stone wall, national landmark, Harry Potter film location, etc...and our drivers were all locals to their specific areas, and had/wanted to show us as much as possible during their time with us. We arrived to Oxford, checked into our hotel and went out to see some sights, but missed our window with a boat ride on the Thames we booked, got to the historic library we wanted to see 10 minutes too late, and opted to do some shopping instead. I bought Oxford shoes in Oxford! Ha! We stayed in a very old hotel with odd hallways, and a "Shining-esque" vibe to it. Nice...
Day 9: No run in Oxford, unfortunately. We were staying only a mile away from the Oxford track where Roger Bannister ran the first sub-4:00 mile, and I just couldn't make it happen. Next time, then! Took a commuter train from Oxford to London, and grabbed a cab to the hotel. Last day in London so we made it count, walked all over the place (including St. James's Park where they were setting up for the London Marathon), had dinner at Covent Garden, and generally stayed out late.
A gorgeous day in London...
The 26-mile mark for London, right next to Buckingham Palace. Only 385 yards to go, fools!
Day 10 was a rude awakening, as our schedule was off by an hour and our ride to the airport was early, so we scrambled to pack our shit and get going. I really wish I'd known that the London marathon was held the day we left, as I'd have entered the lottery and maybe capped the trip with the race, we totally could have extended the trip by a day for it!
We had a direct flight back to Boston, great food on the plane, arrived early, and breezed through customs no problem. Back at the house by 4 p.m.! What a Hell of a trip. No real problems to speak of, and damn sure nothing to really complain about! That's a win in my book.
So there's a capsule version of our England trip, it's a glorious place, they have a robust running scene, and I'm really serious about running the Cotswold Way. I even popped into a bookstore there and bought a book about the entire route, complete with detailed maps, etc. They also have some shorter distance races!
My last thoughts: I may have said it before, but running early in the morning is really the best way to see an unfamiliar city. I'm not a really early morning runner, but on vacation I get to see miles of a place, where it might take hours to cover the same distance in a cab. It's been a highlight of my short running history, these jaunts around places we don't go to often, so I really look forward to them!
Next up: Two Ultras and a Mountain Race...catching up from the last four weeks...
