PEAK
I am a little behind on this one but I think I ought to tell the story before I forget it. Well? 7,000+ feet of climbing, a wrong turn, hot weather and a podium finish are kind of hard things to forget. So back on Veterans Day I saw an offer for a race discount from Peak Races. Though, I have successfully distanced myself from most things Spartan, a good value ultra was hard to pass up.
I got to the event held on Joe Desena's property around an hour before the race start. It was supposed to be a really hot day so I made a few adjustments to my carriage of water/electrolytes. The plan was about 70fl. ounces of water and to use Swedish Fish and my maple/honey/sea salt gu packs I have become a fan of.
Looking Old and Heavy at the Start of the Peak Ultra
At the start I bumped into fellow Salming Ambassador Matt "Iron Beast" Dolitsky. Matt is another few times over Spartan Ultra Beast, and we ran the inaugural 2012 event together (this blogs namesake). We both made the decision to run with the Salming Trail T5 which proved to be formidable against these mountains in the Killington foothills. Soon we were off and I found myself in second place after a few minutes of uphill grinding. I seemed to make a lot of ground on the "powerhike" sections in the early miles. At this point I saw no other competitor in the 30 mile event, for about 16 miles. Going into the aid stations I got updates on the leader who was holding around 7 minutes ahead of me. I thought that I should just maintain and hopefully finish in this position.....and then....
Two Salming Boys setting off on a 30+ mile 7k' journey
I entered an "out and back lolipop" to which a few miles was a COMPLETE BUSHWHACK with flags hanging from trees every 60ish yards. While making a steady pace I must have passed the point where the bushwhack started and ran about two miles up a nearby ridge After not seeing a flag for over ten minutes I decided to backtrack and found my way to the turn that I had missed. When I finally exited this out and back section the aid station informed me that I was now in third overall and about 13 minutes behind second place. With that I tried to stay positive, and kept driving on thinking I may be able to close the gap between us. As the miles built up and my left knee started bugging me, I decided that I should dial the effort back and do what I can to hold on to a top three position.
Course from The Blood Root Ultra 30 The Eastern Loop was done twice.
The far West "Out and Back" was my extra credit mileage while lost!
I ended up walking SEVERAL of the last 8-10 miles, with the idea that if somebody challenged me for third place I would respond to it. At approximately 31 miles on my GPS I was descending a switch back and I saw 4th place not far behind. I decided that I should truck the last mile or two since I had essentially been resting and walking an easy pace.
I ended up finishing third overall behind two speedy Canadians. The course was rugged, muddy, and thorny! Never have I left an event this beat up! Even after a barbed wire incident at the Amesbury, MA Spartan Sprint in 2012 that probably should've required stitches. In all the Trail 5's from Salming proved to shed mud quickly with the Vibram MegaGrip outsole, and the wide toe box made for a comfy ride especially in the later miles.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1552191765
UP NEXT: Ethan Allen 24hr
After being electronically introduced (read: Facebook) to Adam and Eliza I had the brief pleasure of a fist bump at Snowshoe nationals. Since then we have stayed in contact and he has kept me apprised of his new event management company's plans. Nor'East Trail runs (https://www.netrailruns.com/) is bringing some serious trail and ultra events right in my backyard of Southwestern Vermont. Among these races, ranging from 10k to 24HR, are events at Bromley Mountain, Dorset Peak, and to the Mount Anthony High School track in Bennington, VT. At the moment, I am committed to the timed event at the MAUHS track. The Ethan Allen 6/12/24 hour is shaping up to be an awesome event, drawing the attention of some legendary ultra runners!
I am lost when it comes to flat ground running and this will likely be the furthest I have gone in a single day, and a HUGE learning experience. My goal is to reach the coveted 100 mile mark, which doesn't sound too bad because you have all day to do it, however the logistics here are daunting, and the training is simply confusing. Since I am a complete stranger to this type of racing I have elicited the help of others. The advice I have received is as follows:
-Walk early and often
-train slow...and walk during training
-stay on your feet as much as possible
-stay healthy!
I believe I am disciplined enough to do most of the above, however staying healthy can be a challenge with children, long work hours on the ocean , and lack of sleep. Thus far my key training days I am doing this:
-Cyclocommute to work at 0430 AM 15mi
-Work 12 hours without sitting down
-Cyclocommute home 15mi stopping at a High School track
-10-15 miles alternating between 10 minute miles and walking on a track
Doing this workout usually gets me home at approximately 8PM
The Commute "Queen Slipper to Clipper Cities"
My Homemade "Do-everything" bike has been part of me "Staying Healthy"
In addition to these types of workouts I have been doing a lot of hiking with my son. Brycen is now around 25lbs, and luckily for me he enjoys the ride in our backpack. Most recently we hiked around 11mi. climbing about 3,000' through Hell Brook on the A.T. He's a good training partner since he seems fascinated with the sights and sounds of nature.
Trail Name "Banana" got his first exposure to Through Hikers
The Weapon of Choice for the Ethan Allen 24.
The Salming Enroute is a clone of the T5 with a
Less aggressive outsole.
Happy Trails!
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