Since I last posted we have had a Hurricane, and elected a President. Since then I ran the Jack London 10K Trail Race and started my "MO", Don't know what I mean by Mo? Well stick around, or skip all this running crap and scroll down. The JLTR was on Saturday 11-3-12 at Mine Falls Park in Nashua, NH. I waited until the very last minute to sign up, given my recent DNS for the Bay State Marathon. Last week I got my mileage up to a "satisfactory" amount and figured why not race JLTR again this year. Last year the event was cold and small. I really liked the way the race was organized so I wanted to make an effort to come back for the 2012 race. In 2011 a storm had knocked a lot of trees down across the trails in Mine Falls park so we raced an alternate route. With Hurricane Sandy striking just a week or so before the 2012 event I assumed more of the same, especially judging from my trail workouts in Haverhill preceding the race (Kenoza Lake trails were similar to a Spartan Race in some ways with lots of debris on the trails). Much to my surprise the original course was used. The park in Nashua is generally pretty flat which doesn't suit my training as of late, but fast races are fun races. The Goal was to finish in under 43:00 minutes which for me is pretty fast for a trail race (for me of course, 40+ minutes in a 10k is not super fast for much more talented athletes. Before the race I noticed the Somerville Running club was out in full force, and the field was MUCH larger than last year. I wanted to start with a 7:00minute mile for the first mile. I got very clogged up at the start and spent the first few minutes trying to get into a pack of runners around the same speed. After the first half mile i was just under an 8min. mile so I tried to make up time to stick to the goal and pace. After that I wanted to be in the 6:40 mile range. I finally got into a solitary position and comfortable pace and basically tried to stay there. The course wound through the park and was very scenic and had surprisingly safe footing (Most trail races in the fall offer "surprises" under the leaves that tend to hurt). The final stretch had a very tall man made climb (20-30') that really burned for the remaining quarter of a mile. I ended up crossing the finish line in 25th place overall (5 places BACK from 2011) at 42:20. I was expecting to do much better in the field, but you can't help who shows up. This year a lot of very talented people toed the line so I can't be disappointed. I hit my goal time and that's all I could ask for! The splits were as follows:
1-7:02
2-7:24
3-6:50
4-6:54
5-6:48
6-7:13
Jack London 10k logo
The course measured out on my GPS to be 6.03 miles which is a bit short for a 10k so the official results will show average pace slightly faster than actual. I have no complaints about this event, the price was only $20, I received another pair of JLTR socks, and at the finish they served DUNKIN coffee (my most favorite recovery beverage). Anyone looking for a good value in a trail or road race in New England should check out http://www.3craceproductions.com/ . They have raised of $3million for charity over the last 10 years!
2012 Jack londond Trail Race results
MOVEMBER!
Those of you who know me, (electronically on Facebook or in person) probably know that I spend 1/12th of the year with a "MO" stache. Unfamiliar?
I have been unable to replicate the epic handlebars of 2010
http://us.movember.com/ is a charitable organization that promotes and raises funds for research for popular men's health issues like Testicular and Prostate cancers. Their main beneficiaries are the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Livestrong foundation (don't hate. Regardless of Lance Armstrongs doping allegations, the Livestrong foundation, while affiliated with him is a key player in marketing awareness and combating cancer). My work team "Merrimack Mo's" has raised over $4,000 since 2009, and $460 already in 2012. So guys grow a mustache and solicit donations from friends and family. It's a great (not to mention fun) program to participate in. If you would like to donate to me or my team please visit my "MoSpace" . Every little bit counts and you can donate as little as a dollar! I wouldn't ask if it wasn't for a good cause!
NOR'Easter
New England is currently experiencing a "Nor'Easter" right now so today I stayed off the trails, tomorrow may be a different story!
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