I'm Alive

Today I felt more alive than I have in months.  Running trails with a group of friends will do that to you. At least it does for me.  The struggles I've faced in the past five months with rehabbing my IT band and the boredom I've felt on far to many solo runs was all forgotten in the span of running 6.2 miles of rocks, roots and hills.  Ah, the hills.   I got so caught up in the excitement of it all that I actually allowed myself to run up and down most of them today.  Damn you IT band! I'm not babying you today!  Thanks Team T, Dan, Roz, Bill M., Bill H. and KZ for making this possible. 

A few interesting comments were heard as we previewed the Tuff 10K Trail Race course in Breakheart Reservation.

"Runners will be calling this hill, Dan's Death March."
"It's a little Seven Sisters like."
"Thanks for taking us on a 12 mile run, Dan"

and my favorite of the day,

"This is F&%*ing insane!"  I was told that meant the Sarge approved of the course which means it must have lived up to it's name. 

It was a good day indeed.

Inov-8 310s in search of Mr. Right

Hi, my name is Flyroc and I’m looking for a new owner.  My current Master purchased me at the Merrimack River Trail Race and one week later took me on a 10 mile jaunt in Blue Hills Reservation. It’s the only time I was able to run wild since April. Although he told me he was very pleased with my performance, he said my low heel caused pain to his plantar fascia. I told him to stop being a candy-ass sissy-boy and to man up. He responded by tying me up and stuffing me into a dark, cramped cardboard box. I haven’t seen the light of day in four months. I really need to feel the earth beneath my endurance rubber soles and the wind through my breathable mess uppers. Won’t you please help me?

I am extremely loyal and require very little care. I do not need to be watered or fed and only need an occasion bath when I become so stinky that your significant other will make me sleep out on the back porch. I will protect you from all harm (below the ankle) and will bring you hours of freedom and joy. I am most happy when running over gnarly roots, ridiculous rocks, wading through water and muddling in mud. Sorry, I do not enjoy long walks on the beach, unless maybe it’s at the Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass. In that case, you better be moving faster than a walk or you’ll freeze off more that your ass.

If interested in a mutually satisfying, long-term (as in 400-500 miles) relationship, please contact me here.

PS If you're one that believes size matters, then I'm a size 10.5.

Moose On The Loose Training Run

I haven't had much success trying to run any distance over 5-6 miles on the trails of my usual training grounds.  The constant changes of elevation in Breakheart Reservation takes a toll on my ailing ITB.  I thought the nearly flat trails in Mine Falls Park in Nashua, NH might be the way to go.  I had no plans to race here, just maintain a steady pace and get through 10 miles pain-free, or as close to it as possible.  RunninRob came along for the ride but he ended up being much more than an "also ran."

I'm not sure how this race came to be named "Moose on the Loose Trail Race."  I'm sure there hasn't been a moose sighting in the city of Nashua in quite some time.  I do know, however that this was the best weather I've encountered  in the three times I've come to this race, 70 degrees with some humidity.  My first run here was in the year of the "Monsoon Moose" with four inches of rain falling during the race.  I will say running through all the large puddles and mud created by the rain only added to my enjoyment.

My second run here was not so pleasant as I had the misfortune of running in the year of the "Melting Moose" with 90+ degrees and high humidity.  Moose was also a NH grand prix race that year and it was first time I ever heard a runner in a race yell to others, "Slow runners to the right!" so she could pass without weaving her way through traffic.  Needless to say, I planned to stay to the right this year.

As the race went off I started out slowly an soon found myself just one runner away from DFL. Not that I cared.  I was admiring  the scenery and fantasizing about running through the river we just crossed instead of taking the bridge over it. Shortly after, I ended up in a cluster of chatty Cathys who's conversations were a distraction... to put it politely. After running with them for a half mile or so I determined I would either have to pick up the pace and escape or take my own life.  I chose the former.

The course, which is a 2.5 mile loop run four times, is great if you're looking to run a fast time but can get boring if your just out there on a training run like me. The boredom factor was compounded since I ran the rest of the race on my own. My only contact with other runners was when I passed the ones that went out too fast, and they weren't in a talking mood.  I did get lapped a few times, or passed by the relay runners, it was hard to tell which race people were running.  I just know they were moving way faster than me when they went by. They were talkative though and offered encouragement to me.  I guess I looked worse than I felt.

I ended up having a decent 10 mile run.  Sure I was slow, but not as slow as I thought I would be.  I ran progressively faster "slow" 2.5 splits:

• 23:18
• 22:37
• 22:02
• 21:57

I felt a little fatigue setting in about one mile from the finish but I expected that.  Most of my runs have been in the 3-5 mile range so this was bit of a push for me.  The good news is no knee pain during or after the race.  That's all I was hoping for. As for RunninRob, he ran a PR and finished second in his age group!  Not a bad day for the north shore boys.

Run safe...

Summer Lost

I can hardly believe summer will soon be coming to an end.  Even though it's not my favorite season (especially for running) I still hate to see it pass.  Speaking of summer running, I haven't done much of it.  My ITB injury is proving to be as stubborn as Garry Harrington's ass (as in burro) and it's healing oh so slowly. In fact, I only ran 110 total miles during the months of May, June and July. I know Vermont 100 finishers Steve and Streph would call 110 miles in 3 months over training but I like to train more for my mental health than physical. August is starting out slightly better but I still have knee pain whenever I run more than 5 or 6 miles.  It's been, and continues to be, a long process but I hope to be fully recovered by the spring of 2011 so I can run a few ultras that interest me.

Not running so much has freed up a fair amount of time to pursue other past times such as camping, hiking, biking, gardening and volunteering at the weekly races in Lynn Woods.  It's also allowed me to check off a few long-standing items on the honey-do list.  Still, the list just seems to grow longer each year.

Base camp at Mt. Desert Narrows

The ocean was about 20 yards from our tent.

The ocean breeze did a good job of keeping the mosquitoes at bay.

Scorpion rock.

Watching the sun set.

We got to witness this every evening.

Off to hike Cadillac Mountain.

Up and away.

Taking a look behind.

But this is where we're heading.

From here these islands look like stepping stones.

Closing in on the summit.

We stopped smiling after we realized we had to hike back down to our car.

Biking on the many miles of fine carriage roads in Arcadia National Park.

These gravel carriage roads are in better condition than most of the roads in Massachusetts.

A tranquil pond.

And rushing water.

Eagle Lake

Taking a break at Eagle Lake.

This is a good place to start your hike around Eagle Lake.

Back home tending to the salvias and celosias.

And impatiens

An osteospermum draped swan.

It's a yellow rose but it ain't from Texas.

Yes, I've been keeping busy but damn, I'd rather be running.

Traprock 50K Report In July Issue of Ultrarunning Magazine

I was happy to see the article I submitted to Ultrarunning Magazine was published in their July issue.  I know editing is something that must be done due to space constraints but I was disappointed that the last paragraph of my article and none of my photographs were included by the magazine.  The omission read like this:

"Co-Race Directors Steve Nelson and Kevin Hutt and all the volunteers did a fine job in providing a much needed spring ultra to the New England area. The course was adequately marked and the aid stations were well stocked and staffed. All the runners I spoke to during and after the race were very positive about their Traprock experiences. This is definitely a race I’ll be running again in 2011."

And the photographs looked like this:

Elaine Romano (3rd female) on technical descent.

Runners working their way up the steep "Stairway to Heaven"

Here is the published article:

Ultrarunning July 2010

June In Review

My plan for June was to refrain from running and continue with rehabbing my ITB but I still held on to the hope of running Wakely in July.  The lure of Wakely won out over common sense and I started training two weeks earlier than planned. I felt encouraged that running 3-4 miles every other day on flat surfaces did not cause any knee pain. I added a slightly longer 5 and 7 mile run on the weekend and still no pain.  Things were looking up!

June Re-cap
Total Miles: 37
Longest Run: 7
# of Runs: 8
Avg Run: 4.6

With Wakely only three weeks away I decided to test the ITB on a longer run with more challenging terrain this weekend.  I needed to know if I could handle some distance before driving 5 hours to the Adirondacks for the race. The good news is I covered 10 miles in the blistering heat.  The bad news is my knee was in pain by mile seven. I probably should have walked the last three miles out of the woods, but I didn't.  I can be stubborn at times.

I have to be realistic about my injury.  It's just not going to heal as quickly as I would like. Any thoughts of racing (or training) long distances have to be banished for now.  I'll rest and ice for a few days and go back to my boring 3-4 miles runs.  It's better than no running at all.   I'm sure you're sick of reading about this injury as much as I am of writing about it so I'll be signing off for now.  I won't be back until I have something positive to say. I hope it's not too long.

Have a nice summer....

Western States 100

The Western States Endurance Run is one of the oldest ultra trail events in the world and certainly one of the most challenging. It's the "Granddaddy" of ultras, the race every ultra runner aspires to run. Sort of like the Boston Marathon for serious road runners. The Run is conducted along the Western States Trail starting at Squaw Valley, California, and ending in Auburn, California, a total of 100 miles. Most of the trail passes through remote and rugged territory. The trail ascends from the Squaw Valley floor (elevation 6,200 feet) to Emigrant Pass (elevation 8,750 feet), a climb of 2,550 vertical feet in the first 4½ miles. From the pass, following the original trails used by the gold and silver miners of the 1850’s, runners travel west, climbing another 15,540 feet and descending 22,970 feet before reaching Auburn.

A few of my trail running friends will be toeing the starting line in about one hour.  I'll be checking in during the day (and night) to watch their progress. They are all mentally strong runners so I'm sure they'll do well.  I just hope the weather isn't insanely hot as the temperature in the canyons can rise to well over 100 degrees.  Running 100 miles in 100 degrees, there's something very wrong with that.  And to think I entered the the lottery to run this thing! What was I thinking?

Lucky for me, I never win anything.

Back To Breakheart

Well, I went back to Breakheart this weekend to map out a route for the trail race I will be hosting in October.  My original plan was to have a 10 mile race using my standard 10 mile training loop.  No scoping out new trails, no measuring, no surprises, no additional race preparation. Simple right?  Wrong!  The park ranger at Breakheart wasn't keen to the idea of having runners on just about every trail in Breakheart. He wanted the race to be shorter, using less of the trail system. I agreed to make it a 10K.  Better a short race than no race at all.

I got to Breakheart about 10:30 this morning.  It was super humid and the insects were out in full force. I managed to map out a course approximately 6.2 miles long with a good mix of terrain.  There's the mandatory rocks and roots but also some pleasant stretches on pine needle covered trails.  Breakheart doesn't have any monster hills but what it has, I took full advantage of ;-).  I think it will make for an interesting race.

I'm currently working on developing a race website, taking photos of the course, writing a course description, contacting potential sponsors, lining up volunteers and a whole lot of other stuff.  Participating in a trail race is so much easier than organizing one!   I'll be posting updates in the coming weeks and will give you the link for the race website when it's ready.  For now, just reserve October 17, 2010 on your race calender.  I hope you'll join me then and make this race a success.

Thanks

Breakheart Hike

I was at Breakheart Reservation to meet with the park ranger about having a trail race there in the fall.  He was willing to allow a race even though it's a very busy time of year in the park.  He gave me two dates to work with, both which conflict with other North Shore trail races.  I really don't want to compete with other RDs in the area but I have to work with what I was given.  I'm filling out the permits and will see where it goes from there.  More to follow as this progresses.

Since I was already at the park I decided to take a short hike.  Once I entered the woods it occurred to me it was the first time I've been to Breakheart since I stopped running six weeks ago.  And how I've missed this place.  I walked for a little over two hours and covered about six miles.  I was a little worried about all the steep climbs and descents I was doing but my knee felt fine the whole time.   It's not running, but I'll take what I can get at this point.  Here are a few photos I took along the way.

View of Boston Skyline

Castle Rock in the distance. Highest point in the reservation.

Another view from the ridge.

Traveling along the Ridge trail.

This is what I've missed. The pine needle covered highway.

More cushioned trail.

Small brook crossing.

Gimp boy out..

May In Review, Strike Two

The best thing I can say about the month of May is "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out."  This was the worse month of (non)running I've had in over three years.  I started the month with severe knee pain brought on by a bad case of ITB syndrome.   My failure to recognize the injury early on and my attempt to run through it only made matters worse.  I finally stopped running when the pain started to interfere with normal everyday activities, like walking and sleeping.  Too bad it was too little, too late.

After three week of rest and PT my knee pain was beginning to subside.  I made a commitment to myself not to try running again until I went 10 days pain free.  I'm sure you know how well that went.  After five days my impatience won out and I went for a very slow and easy 20 minute jog.  It felt great to be moving again even if it was for a short time. I was encouraged that I made it through the "run" without any knee pain.  The day after the run I had some minor discomfort but no real pain.  Things were looking up!

Today, after two rest days, I tried another run.  This time around it didn't go as well.  I stated to feel some discomfort during the run and then the pain returned at the 20 minute mark. I immediately shut it down and walked about five minutes before the pain disappeared.  This was the second time in May I tested the knee and the second time I swung and missed. It's obvious I'm not ready to take on running in any form, no matter how slow or short it may be.  It looks like I'll need to take another month off which will totally blow all my summer race plans.  

It's going to be a long, boring summer....

North Shore Trail Series

There's a new 2010 trail race series on the North Shore starting with the first race next weekend. It consists of six local races ranging in distance from 5K to 26.2 miles. Three of the races are held on private property so this series is a great opportunity to run on trails not generally open to the public.  Here is an excerpt from the race website.


"The North Shore Trail Series features six local trail races spread across six months. We've worked hard to put together a series that showcases the best trail running the North Shore has to offer. Over the course of the series you will experience gentle carriage roads, rocky single track, ocean vistas, and private estates normally closed to the public. With races ranging from a 5k to marathon, by the end of the series you will have experienced the full gamut of trail racing here on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Though the emphasis is on participation, we will be offering awards to top overall finishers and to top age group finishers."

Test Run

I have little patience when it come to dealing with running injuries.  I suspect most runners are that way.   It's one thing to be injured in the dead of winter when there's not much happening but totally different to be injured in the middle of race season and missing out on trail racing and fun times with friends.  My impatience got the better of me over the weekend and I decided to take a test run to see how my ITB would react to some very easy jogging. I've been treating the injury for three weeks now and I've taken the past two weeks off from running. I thought maybe I would be ready to resume training, easy training that is.   I was wrong.  I jogged for five minutes and then the knee pain returned. It was a short test and I failed it.

I'm disappointed it didn't go well but I'm glad I tried it anyway.  I think it was good for me to get a dose of reality.  Before taking the test run I was thinking I could get over this injury quickly and get back to running and racing this summer.  Now I'm ready to accept that it's not going to play out that way. The Nipmuck Marathon is definitely not going to happen for me this year since it's only three weeks away. The Wakely Dam Ultra, my key race for the summer, is likely to become another race casualty to the ITB demon.  Oh well, life goes on.

I'll continue with my current treatment plan an maybe try another test run in three weeks.  If it goes well I may be able to salvage Wakely by using the run/walk method to get me through the 33 miles of wilderness.  If it doesn't work out, I'll set my sights on the Pisgah 50K  or Vermont 50M in September.  

I feel much better now that I've given up hope.

This Weekend On The Trails

There's only one race in the area this weekend and it's the Soapstone Mountain race in Staffort Springs, CT.  This is a great race and is part of the Grand Tree Trail Race Series. I am registered to run but will have to pass on it.  I still have tightness and pain from my ITBS so it's preventing me from running.  

Course Description:
The first mile of the 24k travels along a slightly downhill dirt road before turning sharply onto a more 'traditional' hiking trail. From there it starts a slow accent towards Soapstone Mountain. After crossing the first road, the trail makes another sharp right where participants are challenged with the first difficult climb - a very steep 1/2 mile trail named "Killer Hill". Once at the top of the hill, runners travel by the Soapstone Mountain observation tower and then run down a steep descent. Following the downhill, the trail becomes a series of switchbacks and rollers through the woods - though it's challenging, the rollers aren't steep enough to dramatically alter one's overall pace. There are brook crossings and a muddy stream decent. There are lots of rocks and roots to twist ankles on. Watch your footing! Towards the latter half of the race, the course has one more significant climb up a single track, followed by a steep descent on a dirt trail continuing on dirt road and finishing on single track to end the race in a grassy field. The entire course is marking with painted white dots on rocks and trees. In areas where the trail splits or is tricky there will be additional flagging.


My 2009 Soapstone race report.

My 2009 Soapstone photos.

Have a great weekend!

Product Review - Inov-8 Flyroc 310

The Flyroc 310 is one of Inov-8s first trail shoes.  It has recently gone through some changes that improved on an already good design.  The 310 is light enough for racing but also offers enough cushioning to make it your everyday trainer. The upper webbing support provides a secure foot hold and the meta-flex grove in the sole allows the fore foot to flex naturally.  Both of these design features make the shoe very nimble on technical terrain. The mid sole is fairly stiff and offers good protection from rocks and roots.

The Flyroc is wider than the Roclite models and has a very generous toe box. This makes the Flyroc and excellent go-to shoe late in a 100 mile race when your feet are swollen and you're looking for some relief for your tired, aching dogs.  Another noticeable difference is the height of the heel.  In the Flyroc, your heel sits very low in the shoe.  This gives you an excellent feel for the trail and allows you to pick your way though a mine field of rocks and rocks more surely than with other trail shoes.

Unfortunately the low heel was my undoing. I suffer with plantar fasciitis and I think the lower heel must place addition strain on the plantar fascia.  After wearing the shoe for the first time in a 10 mile race I had a moderate flare-up in symptoms after being nearly symptom free for 3 - 4 months.   Although I don't recommend this shoe for sufferers of PF, I feel this is a very good trainer/racer on hard-pack and technical trails.

Me and my ITB

It's been a week since I stopped running due to a severe case of Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome.  I've been icing, stretching, performing strengthening exercises, using my foam roller and getting treatments by my chiropractor using Active Release Technique. After seven days, I have only a very slight improvement in symptoms.  I still have knee pain when walking down stairs and some days have pain when doing absolutely nothing!  My hopes of a speedy recovery are fading but I'm not ready to completely rule it out. My advice to anyone with symptoms of ITBFS is to get it treated right away and do not wait until it becomes a Grade 4 injury like I did. Stupid me!

Grades of Iliotibial Friction Injuries:

 Grade 1
Pain does not occur during normal activity, but generalized pain is felt about 1 to 3 hours after sport-specific training has ended. Tenderness usually resolves within 24 hours without intervention.

Grade 2
Minimal pain is present towards the end of a training run; performance is not affected. Appropriate treatment may be necessary to prevent a grade 3 injury.

Grade 3
Pain is present at an earlier onset of training, and interferes with the speed and duration of a training session. Treatment and training modification are necessary to prevent a grade 3 injury from progressing to a grade 4 injury.

Grade 4
Pain restricts training and is also noticeable during activities of daily living; the athlete can no longer continue sport-specific training. Low-impact training, such as swimming, running in a pool, and biking, can be implemented for cardiovascular fitness and aggressive muscu- loskeletal therapy can reduce the severity of the injury. The goal of therapy is to reduce inflammation and restore strength and flexibility of the hip and thigh musculature, allowing for the athlete to return to pain-free sport-specific training.


Grade 5
Pain interferes with training as well as activities of daily living. Aggressive therapy is required and surgery may be necessary.

I hope week two goes better than the first.

This Weekend on the Trails

There are plenty of race options this weekend so get out there and enjoy the trails.  I'm still under doctor's orders not to run due to an injury but I'll be lending a hand at the GAC 6 Hour run on Sunday. Working the aid station will be almost as fun as running, almost. 

Saturday, May 8:


Mt. Tom Road to the Pogue 10K, Woodstock VT - Run through one of Vermont's most beautiful landscapes, under the shade of sugar maples and 400-year-old hemlocks, across covered bridges and alongside rambling stone walls.

Samuel Fuller School Trail Run 5K & 10K, Middleboro MA -  The race is an adventurous course through some beautiful conservation land in the town of Middleboro. The trail winds through the forests of the Pratt Farm, across fields, over streams, and past ponds and bogs.

MorFun Wapack Trail Races 21M, 42M & 50M Ashburnham MA - The race covers the challenging and technical 21 miles of trail from Mt. Watatic to North Pack Monadnock and the several mountains in between. Approximately 14,000 feet of elevation gain for the full 50 miles.

The North Face Endurance Challenge 10K, 50K & 50M Bear Mountain, NY - Runners can expect technical terrain and rocky footing that cuts to the chase, with some trails heading steeply uphill rather than zig-zagging at a gentler grade. Descents end in wooded hollows before the next rapid climb ending with a breathtaking view. Make no mistake: this will be a tough test of off-road endurance.

Allegany Adventure Run 22K Salamanca, NY - Beautiful and challenging trail running in deep woods on wide, rolling xc ski trails.
 
 
 

Shad Bloom 10K Trail Run Block Island, RI - 10k course over magnificent, rolling, protected hiking trails on the scenic south end of Block Island







Sunday, May 9:

Gil's Athletic Club 6 Hour Run - Topsfield, MA - A 5K loop in Bradley State Park consists of gravel paths, carriage paths through open fields, and trails along the Ipswich River,  

April Review

The month of April was good and bad to me.  It started off poorly with a very bad run at the Northern Nipmuck 16M race.  The heat got to me during the second half of the race.  I cramped badly and walked quite a bit over the final four miles.  Following Nipmuck I ran three good races at Merrimack River10M, Traprock 50K and Blue Hills 10M. At Merrimack and Blue Hills I ran negative splits and at Traprock the last 10K was my fastest of the race.

The day after Merrimack River I awoke with moderate knee pain.  I ran through it for a few days but when it didn't improve I rested for two days and the pain disappeared.  I thought I was in the clear but the pain returned at mile 21 at Traprock.  Again I ran through the pain and raced again at Blue Hills the following week.   Looking back, running four races in four consecutive weekends was not very wise given the knee pain.  I may have injured myself to the point were I'll have to take an extended amount of time off.  I should know for sure next week when I go for treatment.

Here are the numbers for the month.  Not bad, but I was shooting for 150 and could have reached that if I stayed healthy.

Total Miles: 139
Best Week: 47
Longest Run: 31
# of Runs: 18
Avg. Run: 7.2
# of Races: 4
Race Miles: 67

I have a strong feeling the numbers will look much worse for May.

This Weekend on the Trails

There's not a whole lot happening on this weekend's race calendar but here are a few races to consider.

Saturday, May 1

Muddy Marathon, Rockaway, NJ - The trail course is 6.55 Miles with over 1600' of elevation gain and loss which begins inside Craigmeur Recreation Complex, running through wooded paths, old ski trails and open fields. This is NOT a trail race for beginning trail runners. You will run through water, mud, over rocks, possibly over downed trees, on blazed trails and also areas where there is no trail.

Sunday, May 2

Spring Sprint 5k Trail Run, Esopus, NY - A challenging and technical 5k run on Shaupeneak Ridge’s rugged trails. Runners will be rewarded with magnificent views of the Hudson River and Louisa Pond.

Medved Madness 15M Trail Race, Mendon NY - The course consists of three very distinct loops with mud, water and tough terrain.

7 Sisters 12M, Amherst, MA - An out-and-back roller coaster ride along the ridgeline of the Mt. Holyoke Range on a single-track trail. Very scenic overlooks of the Pioneer Valley and the Connecticut River. Extremely hilly with 3,700 feet of climb consisting of many steep hills with hazardous footing in places due to the many sharp basalt rocks the comprise the elevated ridge of Mt. Holyoke.