Loon Mountain Race

This weekend I participated in the final mountain race in the New England series that I’ll be doing this year.  The Loon mountain race is by far the most difficult race of the entire series, it is flat out brutal.  When registering the course map that was displayed on a screen said there was a 26% average grade from what I remember and it definitely felt like that.  The real kicker in this race though is the infamous upper walking boss which boasts a ridiculous 40% grade over 1000 meter.  Did I mention this course is brutal? Typically the race drops down again after the boss and then climbs up to the gondola for the finish.  This year due to the race being the women’s US mountain team qualifier the race finished at the top of upper walking boss. 

On the women’s side the race was stacked with some super tough ladies vying for the coveted team spots.  They race went out quick for them and they hammered up the mountain.  From the start though the team seemed to be some what decided, at least from what I could tell from the photos. A huge congratulation’s to the four women who made the team this year.  Morgan Arritola, Melody Fairchild, Brandy Erholtz, and Stevie Kremer.

Going into the race I wasn’t nervous but intimidated after reading the course description on the race website.  Add to that that the past week of training was basically nothing with a 10 mile day Tuesday, 7.5 on Friday, and 5 on Sunday.  Definitely not the kind of week that builds confidence that you’ll race well.  With that in mind I just went for it.  The race went out stupid fast with people blasting away out of the dirt parking lot the race started in to the start of the climbing.  Once the course started climbing it there were really only 3 spots that didn’t climb.  After the half mile there was a mellow down hill then around mile 3 there was a flattish single digit grade section, and finally as you pass the gondola there was a super steep downhill that mellowed out as carried us to the start of the boss.  Other than these sections it was climbing the whole 5 brutal miles up hill. Up to mile 3 I was feeling great in this race spreading my energy well.  After that it all ended the final 2 miles absolutely destroyed me.  Mile 4 was hard climbing up grassy ski slopes.  The start of five had that brutal drop off from the gondola and the downhill stretch which sufficiently beat up my legs before making the turn onto the walking boss.  Not having seen the upper walking boss before the moment all I could muster was “holy sh@#”.  Then the climb began.  1000 meters of power hiking and attempting to run up a wall.  When I finally finished it was official this WAS the hardest race I have ever run.  With that said I can’t complain about the outcome.  With a pitiful week of training prior to the race and no experience on an all up hill race I mustered out a 15^th place finish in sub 50min.  Would I have preferred a faster time? You bet, but I’ll take what I can, and come back next year much better prepared for the series as a whole with much more climbing in my training. 

This was another great race in the series with great organization and tons of prizes and raffle for all the participants. The amount of stuff being given away after the race was amazing with a Gopro hero 2 being raffled off, and then local food, tee shirts, hats, trail running books, gift certificates, water bottles and probably many other items being given away through race number drawings.  I came in 15^th and walked away from this race with a Scott water bottle as an entry gift, then got drawn in a give away receiving a t- shirt, reusable metal water bottle, and a free pair of Scott running shoes of my pick which I can’t wait to test out.  All in all this was a great last race for my New England mountain series.  There is still Ascutney left so if you interested sign up and try it out.

www.endurancestrengthspeed.blogspot.com

www.acidoticracing.com/LMR.html

www.club.penguincycles.com/AscutneyRun.pdf

Cranmore Hill Climb Recap

The most recent race I’ve run as part of the USATF Mountain series was the Cranmore Hill Climb.  This race was my first introduction to mountain racing last year and though it destroyed me, I also fell in love with the challenge of these races the second I crossed the line in 2011.  Aside from the awesome all around atmosphere that comes with this race the course changes a little every year to keep it interesting.  In 2011 it was a 3 loop course covering the same loop 3 times.  This year’s race was two completely separate loops the first was one of the 2011 loops while the second was a brutal ascent up to the top of the mountain.  As said the organizers of this race know how to put on an awesome race.  Registration is quick and easy.  Everyone is super friendly and the atmosphere is amazing.  This year the race featured Italian runner Marco De Gasperi the 6 time world mountain running champion who was the clear race favorite on this day. 

The gun went off sending us on our way and as expected Gasperi and Kevin Tilton an extremely fast local runner took off.  I went out a little quick coming through the first lap in 6^th place but was being closely followed by Dave Dunham.  Dunham and I have gone back and forth with him getting me at Sleepy Hollow and myself beating him at Wachusett.  Today I knew he had the edge since he can climb like nobodies business.  I held him of for about a quarter of the second major climb until he came roaring by.  It took everything I had to try and keep him in my sites on this long climb but he managed to slowly pull away.  The final big climb up to the top really killed me which allowed Dunham to get out of reach on the downhill but with a decent lead on the runner behind me I knew as long as I held my place to the top I could hold my place on the downhill.  A quick loop around a barrel at the top and a quick look at the view while doing so brought a little life back into me.  So down I went. All I had to do was just lay on the gas down while being careful not to take any huge falls that would take me out of it and all would be well.  Shortly later I was crossing the finish line.  The second loops climbing absolutely destroyed me in this race.  It was super steep to the top and one of the photographers who directed me half way up at a fork when I almost went the wrong direction said it best “Either way sucks!”  He was right in a super fun kind of way.

The race was a blast there was an awesome gathering as usual after the race for the awards.  As expected Marco De Gasperi took the win with the top New England guys close behind.  To top off a good day I managed to take first for my age group.  To celebrate it was off to Moat mountain brewery for burgers and suds before the ride home.  This is a race I love because one it absolutely kicks my a#@ and two because it was my introduction to this new obsession of mine to run up big hills.  Next up is the Loon mountain race which I am very nervous for because it is 5 miles all up hill, hopefully a recent 10 mile loop up and over Mt. Chocorua will help me out to not suffer to bad.  All you New England trail runners if your looking for some fun there are two races left in the series with Loon and Ascutney mountain challenge which I will unfortunately not be able to attend.

www.whitemountainmilers.com/cranmore

www.whitemountainmilers.com

www.usatfne.org/trail

Sleepy Hollow Race Report

On mothers day I had the pleasure of running the first annual sleepy hollow mountain race which was held in Huntington Vermont.  The race was being put on by Kasie Enman who is the 2011 World Mountain Running champion so going in it was obvious the course was going to be challenging. The race acted as the first race of the USATF New England Mountain Running Series.

I arrived at Sleepy Hollow Inn the night before the race and set up my tent in the field right by the start.  After setting up camp I took a quick run out to the course.  The course definitely didn’t disappoint in the toughness department.  In addition to the unrelenting climbs over the 3 loops totaling six mile, there was shoe eating mud for the entire first two loops making for some hard yet fun running.  On the steep down it was more like water skiing than running because of the mud and on the ups it was like one step forward two steps back.  None the less is was an awesome course laid out on cross country ski trails. Most of the running was on wide grassy and muddy trails with some awesome sections of single track tossed in to mix it up.  In the first 1/3^rd of the race we topped out to the high point of the course and hit some brutal climbs in doing so.  This was especially true in the second huge climb of the race which felt like I was going up for a good 15 minutes. 

The hills in this race definitely killed me as I way underestimated what I needed to be doing in training to be ready for them.  Not being able to climb the way I was hoping the game plan quickly changed to just get up the hills and hall ass on the downs to make up ground.  This definitely worked to keep me somewhat in the race but I paid the price in the last couple miles of the race as my legs where completely shot.  Trying to sprint in at the finish was an absolute no go.  All in all, the race kicked my but, I had a blast the whole way though.  I didn’t run nearly as well as I had hoped for, but can definitely say a huge overlook in what it would take to be prepared for the hills and some very sloppy conditions caused the not so spectacular performance.  I also can’t complain too much coming in 12^th place in a time of 43:36 in my second ever mountain race.

The race was awesome either way. Did I say that already?  It was great being able to camp in the field at the start, and it was very well organized with some great food at the end. I especially liked the fact that maple syrup was given out as awards, that was cool seeing as we where in Vermont.  Everything was efficient and you can definitely tell some very hard work was done on the course to get it ready.  I actually ran into Kasie on the course the day before working on it with a group. Sorry this isn’t a long or overly detailed report, I didn’t want to bore people.  On a side note outside of the race the Ben and Jerry’s factory is only 20 minutes from the race.  You better believe I made a stop there for a tour and some ice cream on the ride home.  There is no food I love more than Ben and Jerry’s.

http://sleepyhollowmtnrace.wordpress.com

A Run up the Falling Waters Trail in the Winter

One of the iconic hikes in New England runs along the Franconia ridge from Little Haystack to Mt Lafayette going over Mt Lincoln in between.  During the summer the hike up the Falling waters trail to little haystack involves steep and difficult climbing.  The 3.5 mile trail climbs 3100 feet to reach the wide open summit of this 4780 foot tall hill.  So the obvious question is; why wouldn’t you want to run up this trail in the winter?  How rocky this trail is during the summer makes it more of a fast hike with a lot of boulder scrambling.  In the winter because of its shortness and awesome views this trail is almost always well packed from snowshoes, which makes for much better running. It is some of the most scenic running you will do in a 6-7 mile round trip anywhere in the northeast but will absolutely kick your butt in the process. After the first half mile to mile of gradual up hill the trail starts really climbing and doesn’t stop till you hit the peak.  The falling waters trail officially starts when you take the right over the bridge up to little haystack instead of going left up the old bridal path to Mt Lafayette.

                This trail is named after the waterfalls you encounter on the trail however in these winter conditions they are more walls of ice and snow. The first mile winds up the side of the mountain crisscrossing over the stream which feeds each fall on the trail. The trail climbs gradually with a few steeper sections gaining 450 ft in this first mile.

The second major fall, Swift water falls is at roughly the mile mark on this trail.  The trail runs across the base of this 60 foot ice cliff and up the left side bringing you adjacent to the top of the ice fall.  At the top of this hill you scramble up a small climb to the right and keep on pushing up the mountain.

From here it gets a little steeper for the next half mile to the third wall of ice on this run. You switch-back up the mountain running along some cool and steep side hills.

This section gains another 550 feet for 1000 feet of climbing at about 1.5 miles marked by Cloudland falls.  This is roughly the halfway point to the summit.  At the base of the falls you have to climb a steep rock section covered in ice followed by a 100ft section of trail which is about 2 feet wide and runs up the side of the 80 foot falls to the top.

In reality this section of trail is about a foot wide.  If you where to step onto the unpacked shoulder you’d sink up to your knee which could very easily result in a fall off the side here.  Use caution on this section. Up to this point bare trail shoes are fine, but beyond here micro spikes are recommended.  Slipping on the trail up beyond this point can end up in a bad fall.

From here on out the real climbing begins.  After climbing up next to the fall you run over the stream into the woods on a section that felt like being on the moon in these winter conditions.

 This was followed by some nice climbing under cliffs, and through the thinning trees. 

The great views begin coming during this last half of the trail.  The next stop is the cut off for the side trip out to the shining rock cliff. This is a good spot to take a break as well as put on a wind breaker before back tracking to the main trail and entering the alpine zone.  Even if the run has been perfect weather all the way up, when you get above tree line it is almost always windy and in the winter, this means some truly freezing conditions. That 40 degree day becomes 10 when you get hit by the wind above tree line.

Unfortunately due to a later than planned start and storms blowing over the top of the mountain all day which would have made for no visibility when we got out of the trees. I don’t have pictures of the section above shining rock. So I put a call out to friends for some summit shots from a past hike up this trail we did a few years back.  This is the most scenic and difficult section of the trail which kind of bummed us out that we couldn’t get out of the trees. It’s a choice you need to make often when running in the mountains. When you’re that far up with miles to get to the car and no one to help if you get in trouble, it is ALWAYS best to air on the side of caution.  Once you start approaching the ominous alpine zone sign warning of the worst weather in the world and past hikers who have died in summer and winter the running becomes very difficult.  It turns into a scramble/run since the trail stops switch backing and takes a strait shot up to the peak when you leave the trees.  Once you’re up there though, you will be in awe of the amazing views and how small you feel being up there.  The ridge to the left brings you over Mt. Lincoln to Mt. Lafayette.  Going to the right brings you to Mt. Liberty and the Flume(Do not go near flume if you don’t have full crampons, ice axes and experience with ice climbing).  Directly over the back of the summit is an amazing view of the pemi-wilderness.  Off the front of the summit are great views of Cannon Mountain and the Bond cliffs.  From here you can go across to Lafayette if you have crampons and do a loop back to the car taking the green leaf trail.  If you don’t have full crampons you are best served turning around and going down where you came up.  Enjoy the 3 mile descent and of course be careful.  This is an amazing places and well worth the run up. hopefully I’ll see some of you on the trails up there. I look forward to bringing more of these reviews to Flotrail.  Running in the mountains in the winter is slower but it is also an experience that most never get.  Oh yea, here are the views I promised.

It time to get back on track!

Ok, so I have completely slacked on the blog over the winter between finishing school, a new job, and spending most weekends in the White Mountains hiking.  It is time to get back on track! 

I’m going to switch it up a little bit by focusing only partially on the write up of different fitness aspects and more on the current races going on and the training I’m doing currently.  I’ve been focusing on training for about 10 weeks now and have run two races.  Race reports will be on their way for those. I have also done a trail review over on flotrail.com as well as a video trail review which will be posted here shortly.

Some of you know my focus has turned to trail racing and mountain running recently and I have been doing a lot of training on the trails and hills since.  I’m hoping that by adding some real life experience of training and how it’s affecting my racing some attention will be brought the great races held on the local mountains and trails.