Thursday, July 19, 2012

Sunday - Stowe

I hemmed and hawed whether or not to do this race while training at 120+ miles, and wondered if I would do alright... Then I remembered, I have to!
The idea for Stowe was to race but race with a workout in mind, i.e., run conservative at 5:30 pace and ten see if you can drop to 5:15 pace. All the time being in control, fast and relaxed. Leading in I was tired and a little flat. Had two great weeks, like no other two weeks back to back, and figured an 8 mile race would be a possibility. I also really wanted to be able to say, "I won Stowe."
This is a comment that a lot of people want to say, I acknowledge their thinking, but as tired and flat as I could have been, I was going to the race to win.
It was a gorgeous day for anything other than trying to run as fast as you can for 8 miles. It was hot (as it always is) and it was humid (as it...).
At the start of the race 6 dudes jumped out in front. They all looked legit, but I didn't know any of them. I had demons early in trying to stick to the race plan before I said, "cuss it, bring it on."I could still run part of my goals of, fast and relaxed and in control...
They hit the mile in 5:02(?), and I was at 5:17, and seemed out of the race. But then guessed they had ten seconds on me after the 800, so all there time was from the start. As soon as we were past 1 mile, two if the six looked done. By 2 miles I caught the pack (running a 5:24 mile, they must have dropped a 5:40+), while one guy was still 5 seconds up, but about to come back on his own. I continued to run my race and was very relaxed as I passed him on the hill leading to 3 miles. He made no effort to stay as I kept my pace (5:15). After passing my friend Justina's house (100 meters from mile 3) and was told I had 10-15 seconds on the next person I decided to take a gamble down the hill and push a bit harder than my effort. I ran a 4:55 down the hill and continued I stretch my lead. By mile 5 I was starting to notice the heat and get a bit hot. At every water station I was Harvey-ing the waters, and taking as many as I needed (this is more of a "fun" jab at anyone who complained about my teammate) and dousing my entire being. This was refreshing, bc the long section of dirt road around mile 6 was cussing warm.
By mile 7 I finally turned around to see... Not a cussing thing, which was awesome. I was able to relax, get some composure back and finish. The last mile was a 5:48 and felt glorious to know that I didn't have to go to the well. My workout was perfect, I ended up running 5:22 pace for the whole race and felt very good.
Had an extended cool down and logged 16 miles for the day and 116 for the week.
Next stop: Mt. Ascutney

Catching Up

Now I don't like it anymore than you do, but I'm going to have to consolidate a two week period into one long cuss entry. Here it goes:

Thursday - banged 12 in the AM with Greg, Fyffe, Najem and some Keene Staters; Brett MastroItaliano and Chris Plankey. In the evening I got on it for another 10 in Athens VT. This run was rugged and tough terrained... In the pics of the Montpelier Mile, I'm chill as cuss through the first 56 sec quarter, but not as cucumber cool as Najem finishing, killer steez.
Friday - met Fyffe in Putney, parked at the culvert and shagged 12 like it weren't no thing. Conversationally fast but easy. That evening I hustled 5 on the desolate roads of scenic VT town Grafton.
Saturday - this was a preview run. Fyffe and I ran from the culvert but added a loop in the woods on the trails I make it 15. This was in preparation for a Sunday run with a group.
Sunday - same loop as Saturday but also in attendance was Greg, Thomas, Brett, and Chris. This run was a reality check for myself and a reminder that, even though sent to earth from a distant land, I still have human qualities. Aka: I was cussing tired. We all ran together for 12, and I chilled in at 7 minutes. Meanwhile, the other dudes had a cuss measuring contest and did some work to finish the run. No lie, not sad I missed it. That trojaned up my July 4th week, happy birthday Ellie!
Total miles for the week: 121

This is from July 9-15...
Monday - took an adventure out onthe Grafton power lines. Wasn't much of an adventure, I tried a new trail that was only 22 min add on... Still great. There is a valley known as Satan's Smile, unbelievably steep and vicious climb. Just picture a V, that's what it looks like, awesome. 17 miles
Tuesday - Boj joined me for another adventure day. This was more of linking a bunch of runs into one run. It was awesome, we weaves around and then through an abandoned apple orchard and crossed a cool suspension bridge. Found some new trails in between. 2+ hours of conversational rubbing, 18 miles. Later that night I met up with Tim Clark and shook out 4 more. Felt fresh and brand new on both runs! Got to tell Tim all about the anatomy of Amsterdam... 22 for the day.
Wednesday - parked at Vermont Academy, which has amazing XC ski trails, and ran 7 easy miles. Then went to the workout in Keene. In Keene , Boj and I parked at the Stonewall Farm and ran a loop on the single track and continued to the workout at Keene Middle School. I chose 8 x 200 in 38-40 seconds to shake it out an run possible race pace at Stowe 8 miler on Sunday. Nailed 19 in the afternoon to nab 26 for the day.
Thursday - Met up with a lifer, Matt Haley. He was up visiting from ATL. We drove to Windham VT, and ran a 12 mile loop that ended at Hamilton Falls, an awesome 125' cascading waterfall. Later in the evening, pirated 5 more easy miles with Larry Sayers and the BFUHS trails.
Friday - took a moderate rest day with Stowe in mind. I parked in Putney and lonesomely ran an out and back on amazing picturesque dirt roads.
Saturday - Ran an out and back 6 in Athens VT at the "Secret Swim Hole." you're wondering where it is? Keep wondering mother cusser, it's got it's name for a reason cussers. This rounded my weekly mileage up to 100 on the dot with Stowe to go...

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Tuesday - Finger Poppin'

Najem and I had some giggles to 21 J St the night before and planned out our day: run easy 7 in the morning, hang out all cussing day, hustle a mile in galactic speeds, make $ and relax for our 4th of July races... Cussing easy.
The 7 miler was flat and easy out on Athens roads. It was warm but we finished and soaked in the healing waters of the River Saxtons. This meant that we had all day to fret (or I did) about the mile and hopefully win some $.
Najem and I had a plan: we'd go 1, 2 and win all possible $. Sounds easy enough.
Larry Legend joined us for the ride to the capital city. Najem and I were solely going to win $, we weren't going to finger each other cussholes, so I needed to be on. Najem can roll for the mile, an I'm just filthy at everything, so we had a good shot to clean house. Not to mention how handsome.
We hit the capital and the first thing you got to do is size, size everybody up. The winning time from the precious three years is around 4:34 and I by a masters runner. I'm not hating (maybe a little bit) but this shouldn't be a thing. I did see that the masters runner son was 16 the previous year and ran 4:44, this is solid and was second.
The first people we see are said masters runner and his Galen Rupp lookalike son. No bull cuss, I thought it was Galen Rupp finally courageous enough to tow the line against me. This kid looked legit.
Here's how the race goes: $50 bonus to the first person I cross the quarter mile, $100 bonus for the course record, and money to top 5... We in the $.
I was dead set on bringing soemthing home and after a solid sizing of all competitors it was Najem, Galen Rupp and myself. I'm figuring I will need to sprint the whole thing, I got 120 miles from last week and some not cussing around miles from this week, so sprint I must to run well. Truthfully, I figured on sprinting yes, but Najem winning easily with myself second.
At the sound of the gun I was cussing gone, for real. I went, figuring Najem would pass me 200 in and lock up that bonus, what I didn't realize was that I was on the verge of PR-ing through the quarter. I ran with my head turned behind me, set on not losing that bonus. Once I knew I was going to get the bonus toward najem's and i's pocket, I wasn't about to let up and let some sneaky cuss steal something I was killing to get.
I hit the quarter in 56 and felt awesome. Had I not heard my split I would have figured that I ran a 64-65. Now the real questions: will I run 3:44? Did I just cuss my race in the cuss with no protection? Is that time cussing serious? Cuss!
Cuss it, I just kept going... By half way I was ready to be done but saw that Galen was still with us. Najem and him went by me just after half way and starting gapping me. Was I gaped? They put a little distance on me the thirds quarter and knew I was going to rally, I didn't like the lactic acid I was tasting but knew I would close well.
The kid was hanging on Najem but could see Najem putting a stride in front. With less than a quarter to go, Najem and Rupp were 15 meters up, I put my head down and started hunting. I put my head down and told myself to try and get back to Najem's shoulder. My head was down for three strides and in the time I caught the kid, and Najem put another 15 meters on us. He must have switched gears the same time I did but Najem is working with a few gears I don't have installed at this time.
Najem won, just missed the record, but ran 4:24, I was second in 4:29, Rupp was third in 4:31... Kid turns out to be a 4:21 NY high school miler. It was good to know that my VT powers were alive.

Monday - ReBegin

Woke up feeling fresh and awake and very alive, so I hit the trails early. I drove out to Ledge Rd am figured in running 5. The morning was too nice to just run 5 so I hit the Lost trail and made my morning 10. Knowing I was going for 10 later in the day was a great feeling. 20 sounds so much better than 15...
Peter Najem jingled my cellular devise and said he was en route to run the afternoon with me, cuss yea! Once Pete got to VT we ran a great newer loop. From my place we hit the road (I left the girls at home due to the heat and the fact that they ran earlier) am headed towards Leach Hill Orchards. This is an abandoned apple orchard on the top of a hill. Awesome run with only 3 miles of roads... The way we ran made it so we had gradual climbing versus extreme-rape-your-quads and soul climbing. Along the way Najem brought up the idea of racing a downhill mile in Manchester NH. This was a thrilling idea and I was all in (after I battled demons trying to make me soft and question my legendness). I mean, cuss, it's only a mile and it's downhill...
We hit wings for dinner at the pub, where Larry Legend met us. Larry suggested we go to Montpelier and hustle a flat mile race instead. One, it was closer and; two, less competition which means greater chance to haul in some Washington's (but hopefully Grant's and Benjamin's). Montpelier it is.
Not a bad Monday, 20 miles, wings, anxiety to sprint a mile, 21 Jump St and Najem.

Sunday - Rounding Third

Once again I got my way and had people wanting to come out to run an hopefully soak in the awesomeness I transcend. Thomas Paquette an George Adams joined Fyffe and I for a 15 miler on the Avalonian trails behind my house. We climbed our way to the Knife's Edge trail to the Athens Lookout. It was a great day with great visibility. It would have been extremely hot had the breeze not been continual and awesome. This loop has some challenging climbs that are very close together.
I felt surprisingly good/great (having eclipsed 100 miles in the week the day before with 4 to go of the 19 miler) and it helped that I lead the run to keep the pace under control. No one seemed to mind the slow/recovery pace.
Great run, great dudes (and my girls) on a great day. Cuss Yea!!! 120 miles for the week (which ain't for the weak).

Saturday - I Am So Skinny But Live So Fat

Greg shot out to my place today with the goal of rolling the Marathon Road, which is a 19 mile road loop starting in Saxtons River, heading out towards Townsend, back to Grafton and rolling in to the SR. The first 8 miles are large rolling hills followed by 11 miles of flat and downhill where if you want to work, you can fly.
Greg and I hit the road early, trying to avoid the heat, and was welcomed by a great breeze throughout the run. Te best part is the last 11 miles follows a river and we were able to through water on us when needed bc it did get toasty.
Without a lot of effort and a lot of controlled chilling, we ran 2:01:58 for the 19, great time on relaxed effort.

Friday - Wilson

Headed to Pisgah to voltron with Greg and hit a 9 mile run around Kilburn Pond/Lake. This is a great loop of runnable trails without a lot of climbing. There is a huge reward to running here with a stop towards the end for a swim. With another hot day, swimming is godsend.
Later in the day I hustled out for a plodding 5 miler behind my house. Te start to any run at my house goes up hill for 3 straight steeper-than-you-want minutes, followed by rolling to hilly. Shook out an out and back 5 with a swim in the river. Great day: 14.

Thursday - The Pharcyde Of Things

Met up with Fyffe in Putney for a run. Fyffe had a great idea to park at the culvert so we could just be there an jump right in after the heated run. It was a warm one but the loop of meandering through the dirt roads of Putney were well shaded. There was also two water stops along the way to grab a quick swish (a drinkable fresh water spicier right out of the mountain's teat).
I was pulped that Greg was there in hoes of outweighing the Fyffe Factor, and our 2 v 1 could make the run easy...
We didn't have to worry much about the Fyffe factor, bc the day before, Fyffe went out on a hilly 10 and buried souls. He ran a ridiculous hilly loop in 54 minutes, which on a flat run translates out to be 29.77mph for 10 miles! He vomited a few times leaving "DNA samples" on the run. This is hilarious and awesome bc it lead to a very enjoyable day of moderate pace and kick ass aqua therapy when we finished.
I later went out and did 5 miles (2.5 of work) worth of half mile hill repeats. Total for the day was 15, and. Wing Thursday puts me at 72 for the week. 120 here I own.