Not feeling too fresh today after a 14 miler in the woods of lovely Haverhill, MA. I did two laps (horse shoe out and back) around Kenoza Lake after a long return trip from Vermont. I'm pretty certain I saw my
www.mapmyrun.com course nemesis (somebody that seems to best me shortly after acquiring "king of the mountain" status ruitinely) buzzing along at a quick pace. I had a long trip that was detoured in the Wachusset mountain area for nearly an hour searching for a rest room...uncool. Since My last Blog post I competed in the Winners Circle Running Club Wild Turkey Trot at Pipestave Hill in West Newbury, MA. I got a couple more 4,000 footers crossed off the List thanks to climbing partner and fellow Coastie Matt Seel. Lastly I made a trip to my hometown of Bennington, VT to visit friends and family.
WILD TURKEY TROT
Aside from getting lost on the way to the race, I though this event was pretty successful. It raised money for Hurricane Sandy victims and burned off the calories that the runners were likely to consume that afternoon. The event, like many similar across the nation was a 5k cross country race on moderately hilly course. Two co-workers, Gabe and Scott accompanied me in the annual race. It was pretty cold outside (lower 40's if I remember correctly) but not too chilly for shorts. I used compression socks, not necessarily to increase blood flow, but to have an added layer of warmth. This race had a self described "Braveheart" start which can only be described by the photo below. I lined up in the front not wanting to be stuck behind the large herd running towards the first tape marker. I had hoped to come close to my 19:30 5k personal record, until the announcer said "you will not run this course as fast as you have run road 5k's". I figured that was a fair enough warning, but too late to change my goal (moments before the start). I recognized a lot of the regulars at the starting line. At the Gun I went into a jittery 5:15 pace for the first 300 yards or so, mainly to avoid any bottle necking at the first turn. That proved somewhat successful but I couldn't settle into the pace I knew I could manage for the entirety of the race. The first half mile split was around 2:50, way too fast! It took two of the short/steep hills on the course to settle me into a 6:15ish pace. The announcer was not lying and before I knew it, I was really feeling the wrath of Pipestave Hill. I finished with a time of 20:22, which was far from a PR but good enough for 16th overall and 2nd in my age group.
WCRC Wild Turkey Trot Results
Like the huge dope that I am I left before the awards ceremony, thinking a 16th overall didn't qualify for much. I had a great time and thought this race was well organized. The registration was very inexpensive, especially considering all racers received a long sleeved shirt and a finishers medal. Winners Circle along with the sponsors (including Rick Bayko's Yankee Runner) did an incredible job with the event. Rick Bayko and I later joked that we did not see each other at the race mainly because of our killer mustaches!
"Braveheart Start" I'm towards the left of the camera hog in blue, note the block compression socks
Mount Passaconaway & Whiteface
While my efforts to "bag" all 48 of NH's 4,000 footers may be unrealistic (I am up for transfer this summer). I am continuing on the quest to get as many as I can. On Tuesday I travelled to Albany,NH to Hike Mount Whiteface and Passaconaway. As recommended from an experienced hiker we decided that we would do Passaconaway first up Diceys Mill trail and then cross the Ridge to the steeper, more challenging Whiteface. The trails were a little tracked up, likely from the weekend before so that helped us follow the otherwise hard to follow Diceys Mill Trail. this trail cut through a few private properties before the ascent. Passaconaway was a little bit Icy,
making it necessary to use crampons/microspikes. The ascent was pretty uneventful, as was the summit of Passaconaway. There was one overlook on Passaconaway but the summit was completely wooded, leaving much to be desired. Matt and I crossed over to Whiteface which showed a lot of signs from Hurricane Sandy. We found ourselves "bushwhacking" around many fallen trees along the ridge. whiteface also had a wooded summit but provided a nice perch about 3/4 of a mile from the summit along Blueberry Ledge trail. The overlook was definitely a very rewarding way to eat lunch. We started our descent after 2pm so daylightwas becoming a serious concern. We aborted our plan to backtrack and decided the steeper Blueberry ledge would be a better descent plan based on time. Blueberry ledge proved challenging at the higher elevations but became very tame below 3,000'. we finished the 12ish mile round trip in about 6 hours of hiking time. photo/video below.
View from Whiteface Overlook
Sandy won this battle
Whiteface Summit 4,020'
Blueberry Ledge was no joke
New Runner Advice
As an average runner (and that is being nice) I was flattered when my brothers girlfriend asked for some pointers for her first half marathon this January. Since I am not in a great position to give advice, I would Rather pass on the advice given to me over the last few years. I have been fortunate enough to get to know some very talented, athletes over the last couple of year. They have offered the following advice (in no particular order, I will try to give due credit).
-"Don't go out too fast."
Rick Bayko, gave me this advice before my first marathon, it makes plenty of sense but it's easy to forget in the spirit of competition. I found my first two miles were ridiculously fast, and my last FEW were snail pace...heed this warning.
-Drink at every aide station and WALK through them
I got this pointer out of a book by Hal Higdon, who has really broken down the science of marathoning for his readers. I am yet to go the distance without some sort of costly hiccup. All of which can be found in the pages of his books.
-"Go easy on your first race, you are guaranteed a PR"
I like to tell people this because it is the only thing i can say with some degree of certainty. If you are running your first race of ANY distance, make the goal "to finish". Improve upon your times later.
-"Avoid speedwork if you are new to running/racing"
Similar to above. Make the goal finishing the race and having fun, if you set the bar too high and don't reach it you will be disappointed or INJURED.
-Race to "race another day"
forget about registration fees and PR's and listen to your body, sit out or take it easy so you can stay healthy.
-"Don't wear/use anything you have not tested on a "long run".
This is an important one, it pertains to clothing, footwear AND nutrition. Race day chafing, Blisters or GI issues (gastrointestinal) are not something you want!
-Long runs are the most important part of your training regiment
Don't skip these! Do them SLOW! So longer races are based on your ability to maintain a pace. The long run is to improve your endurance, finishing a race relies on this training, once a week with several shorter runs in between will do just fine.
-Build up to your goal distance
a general rule of thumb for injury avoidance is to not increase distance by 10% per week. There are no reasonable exceptions to this rule. If you ran 50 marathons in your life but haven't crested 5 miles yet this year...you should not pepper 20 milers into your weekends! fitness goes away...QUICKLY!
-Prep the night before
Eat foods that work for you (test on long runs). Take advantage of "pre race packet pickup" and have your breakfast ready to go. Make your morning as stress free as possible.
-Don't bother with pricey gear.
Shoes are the exception to this rule. If it is comfortable wear it. Big brands like Nike make products much akin to lesser known brands. With shoes I would recommend a gait analysis from a RUNNING store. If that isn't available there are many techniques you can use to analyze your own gait/arch type. use the google machine. Shoes are important, if you are a new runner...use traditional running shoes. Vibram five fingers and all of the other variants of "minimalist" shoes will require a learning curve and a lot of Achilles/hamstring strengthening before use.
-Run your own race
Not hard to forget this during a "Braveheart start" but you should know what you are capable of for the duration of the race.
-"They're not as fast as they look"
This was a tough one for me. I was easily intimidated in my first few events. "YOU DESERVE TO BE HERE" is my favorite slogan when I am standing alongside of "blah blah race team". They say don't judge a book by its cover, I say don't judge your competition by their discount outerwear :).
-HYDRATION
Important? Sure. Don't overload yourself with water and sports drinks. Hydration is a tricky balance of maintaining electrolyte to water balance. Electrolytes will make you thirsty, excess water will flush electrolytes. Drink when you are thirsty (before the race, during the race drink as often as possible). Porta-potty lines are usually LONG and get longer as the start looms plan accordingly.
These are very general, and most don't come from me personally. I have either learned the hard way or heeded the warning of someone who has shared the information with me. I would like anyone who reads this that has some more advice/tips for runners (new and old) to please pass the information on in the comments below. I know that there is plenty more to be said on the topic since the above is what a mediocre runner has come up with.
