trail racing in the heat near florida, (ma)

2007 Grand Tree Series Race #8 - Mt. Greystone Trail Race 13.5 miler
A few months back, a new friend (who happens to also be a psychologist) and I were discussing trail running.
Although she was polite as to the 'why', I volunteered that I like not knowing (entirely) if I am going to finish in a certain time...and some times even if I am going to finish. There is most certainly a awesome feeling when I do get to that point when you cross the finish line ~ no matter the finishing time.
At that point she mentioned that maybe I like the adrenaline rush that this provides.
An adrenaline junkie? Me???
I've thought about that a while and wondered whether it is because I really do enjoy the adrenaline or if I enjoy something similar (like the pain). "No". I am a wuss.
So this spring, I've had a few hours to ponder why I run trails.
The best answers so far?
I like being an underdog to a task and relish the sense of accomplishment from completing a task and doing it thoroughly. Especially so on one that is challenging.
I like doing the things that the average person believes that they cannot do.
I like trail runners. They (and I include myself in this sub-population now) are an interesting lot.
This is especially so when you meet people who have just done their first trail race and see what comments they offer up. It brings you back to why the minute the first event ended, you started planning the next one.
This weekend was a great case-in-point.
Mount Greylock arrived with absolutely pitiful preparation both physically and mentally. I haven't been sleeping well or enough due to work and life, I've run a handful of times since Soapstone and nothing longer than 6 miles although my splits have been coming down (as usual) due to the demands that I get back to work in a hurry. I've eaten way poorly in the last few weeks. Each could make for a bad race. All together, they did make for a less-than-stellar event.
My punishment?
I got to run in the woods for a few hours.
Life could be worse, eh?
The day started late. I wanted to go back to bed. It was Father's Day and I should be the epicenter of my children's world! Breakfast in bed! Huzzah!
I got to the race late and actually had to run to the starting line. Thankfully, I did get to chat with a few friends I have made on the courses this year and got some course feedback. With a new course due to the road being rebuilt, no one knew quite what to expect, but any advice is good advice.
The course basically went up and skirted the top for about 2.5 miles, down for about 2.5 miles to a water stop, turn around and almost perfectly back-track back up and then the down was slightly altered and fast. Somewhere around this point (10 miles), the 4 liters of fluid (water and nuun) and the shotglass of pickle juice that I had downed were simply not enough to prevent cramping. Not twitching like at Soapstone. Cramping. Lightning bolt cramping right up the calves, hamstrings and right to the ishial tuberosities (collective groan by all of the sports med people out there). All the way up there.
The problem here was that the course re-tracked not 200 feet from the start / finish when this happened. For the first time since my first 7 Sisters, I thought about quitting in the middle of a race. I mean, after 40, "DNF" stands for "did nothing fatal", right? I thought and thought. I headed out back onto the short (3.5 mile) loop. I'll walk for a bit and keep hydrating. I'll hit a GU and see what happens.
What happened?
More cramps. Stronger cramps. Storm clouds passed to the immediate east. I was tempted three times to just pack it in. Being stuck in unfamiliar woods with an electrical storm and cramping is *not* good.
I am not sure why, but I didn't stop, even when the bolts in my arse were more than the bolts in the sky. Even more cramps. I apologize to the people that thought I must have been giving birth with each incline.
There came a point where the course did a quick loop not 50 feet up a steep hill only to turn right back down and pass right to the base of the same hill. Easy to just cut off this useless appendage as easily as cutting off my useless legs at that point. But.....no.....one.....did. That says much about trail racers. Not a single road racer would have done that. Trust me.
Somewhere on the way back, the cramps became less frequent, although with every toe catch, they were certainly just as painful. About 1.5 miles from the finish, I started to run again, albeit slowly.
A slow finish (2:27:10), but considering where my brain was even 40 minutes beforehand, I was damn intrigued to see what was really inside my gray matter.
We'll see what the next few weeks holds. I've already paid for the Assault, but with the muscle damage I've done in my legs from this event, I may take some time off and save it for People's Forest.

on competition

The only person you should ever compete with is yourself. You can't hope for a fairer match. -Todd Ruthman

busy day thought

I get up every morning determined both to change the world and to have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning the day difficult.
-E.B. White, writer (1899-1985)

the sound of silence

We’ll save the full, hairy, detailed monologue of “why I run trail” for a future edition, but for this entry, there is the desperate need for a rant.
One of the things that really ticks me off about trail running is people that run with headphones on. Plainly said: “Wha?!?!?!?!?!”
One of the key differences of the trail versus road is being in the woods is a great way to ‘get away from it all’. So, why would you want to bring ‘it’ with you into the woods? I can see bringing a cell phone for safety, but an iPod?
Secondly, running with headphones on is a great way to get into deep trouble – could you hear a bear growl if you have your iPod on? Or worse yet, something even more dangerous to runners like a bobcat or puma…or human with not fully altruistic intentions? Isn’t that why we all do our best never to train in the woods alone unless we absolutely have to?
Running trail RACES differ from road because the race is not you against the next person. It is an event where you run against the course. People help each other on the course because in a strange way, you’re all on the same team. Having headphones on keeps people from talking during the course, for socializing, saving each other from hazards on the course, missing blazes and mostly it allows for safe passing (“trail LEFT”).
If you dear reader are one of those that run trail with headphones on, take this piece of advice – leave the headsets at home or for the treadmill at the gym. They are handy little devices there and I use them too, but in the woods, you’re in the real world and need your hearing.
* * *
One of the other trail bloggers up here in New England recently penned about being happy running trails even when you’re not having a great day running the trails.
Today is one of those days for me. And I am not even running trails today.
When I sat down last autumn and thought out my races for this spring (and subsequent training plan), I wanted to peak this week so I could *survive* the Nipmuck Marathon. That would be a personal stretch of an event for me in distance and time of year.
I *wanted* that one just like I wanted the 7 Sisters back in 2004.
All throughout this brutal winter with that still undiagnosed and odd sinus / lung problem and then right Achilles bursitis greatly affecting my training volume and intensity from December on, I still gave myself up until this past week before making the difficult decision to pass on this event. Didn’t I just do both the 7 Sisters and Soapstone with 3 minutes past my PR at each?
I even had a chat with Nipmuck Dave two weeks ago at Soapstone about it. Surely, I could pull this off.
But with last Monday morning finding me still walking like I just rode horses all weekend, the decision was easier (although not easy).
My body carried me as far as it could this spring with the limited winter base. I need some time off.
But make not doubt about it ~ I haven’t given up the idea. In fact, it is inside my squishy gray matter right now festering for 2008. Plus, all the rest of 2007 still in the deck.
Taking this weekend off has helped I am sure. It also will help the races the rest of the summer.
I have to take next weekend off also to attend a course of conditioning periodization that I am very excited about, but it will mean missing Northfield Mountain too.
It’ll just make me happier when I do get to run trails again.