Winter in May :O

Woke up yesterday morning and was glad I hadn't put away the winter running gear.  With 22+ mph winds, the low 30's had a real feel in the low 20's!  In a change from my normal weekend routine - running on the Bronx River Parkway - I switched over to the Leatherstocking Trail.  My ulterior motive wasn't running portions of the Paine to Pain course (which I did) - but rather have the woods act as a barrier to some of the winds (which they didn't).

As sign of the times - "park users practice safe social distancing."

Astonishingly, while runners, walkers and others did that -- a full grown deer was standing on the trail as I approached.  That wasn't astonishing.  What made me do a double take was that it made no effort to move as I got closer!  It wasn't until I slowed down and reached into my pocket for my phone that it decided to run off.  Apparently it was photo-shy - not runner shy!

This morning it was noticeably warmer and less windy - but still chiller than a "normal" day in May.

Last, but certainly, not least:  Happy Mother's Day!

2018 Paine to Pain Trail Half Marathon: Race Photos & Results

My 4th consecutive Paine to Pain is in the books!  It was Nick's 11th(!!) - Eric recognized him, and the other runner, at the start as having lined up for all 11 editions of the race!  Weather-wise, the 100% humidity made for some tough going.  On the bright side, last year we had the same 100% humidity, but on and off rain as well!  But the weather didn't take away from another great day on the trails!  As always, this is a fantastic event.

One of my favorite moments was coming off the trail and heading uphill on the small road portion that connects the course to the next trail head - and hearing Green Day's "Know your Enemy" cranked out by the roadside band.  That was pretty great.

As for the race, I did not get off course in Saxon Woods like I did at the course preview 2 weeks ago.  But even with no bonus miles, I still missed a sub-2 hour finish (2:02:50).  I'll blame that, conveniently, on the brutal humid conditions - haha!  The 10 miler I ran yesterday may have also contributed my less than fresh legs.  Although that run did include parts of the course - and I took a few pre-race pictures (you might say).  I especially like the one in front of the row of empty porta-johns (echoing Eric's similar shot when they were delivered to the site last week).

I include a couple of the memorials to Thomas Paine, which most runners don't have the opportunity to see (as they are located up the road, on North Avenue).  A descendent of Thomas Paine was ran the race as well.  He began a hour before the official start.  Very, very cool - and a gave him a shout out when I caught up to him.

Here are the preliminary race results from the race website.
I'll add a link to the photos as well, when they're posted.

2018 Paine to Pain Packet Pickup at Westchester Road Runner

A tie-dyed colonial is this year's tee shirt for the Paine to Pain Trail Half Marathon!  Although I will say we did get a soft-reveal at the course check two weeks ago :D


This will be my 4th consecutive Paine to Pain - and, counting course checks, my 7th time running the full course.  I run the southern portion of the trail system often as part of my weekend training runs.  I'm looking forward to getting a refresher on the northern trails (clearly needed, it seems, given the bonus mileage in Saxon Woods I added during the course check - haha).


If you're at the race on Sunday, say hello!

2018 Sarah Bishop Bushwhack Trail Run

 

This was my first time running the Sarah Bishop Bushwhack which, I believe, was the 6th edition of the trail race.  It literally is up the road from Wards Pound Ridge Reservation, home of the Leatherman's Loop.  It's also part of the 7 race "trail mix" series (of which, I've now run all (except one), at least once). 

The race takes its name from an actual person, who lived in a cave, self-sufficiently, for about 30 years during the early part of the 19th century.  A precursor of sorts to the wanderings of the Leatherman himself!

As for the race itself, I was well off my 1 hour target for the 10k-ish course.  It had run as long as 6.4 miles but Rob told me before the start (as he was pointing out the trail highlights on the map) that a stretch of road in the second half was replaced with trails.  So it was "officially" a 6 mile course (though my GPS clocked in at closer to 6.3 miles).

My 1:04:15 finish was good for a 10:42 pace (1:22 over 6.2 miles :D). 

Here are the official results, on the race home page (but will probably be moved to the results page in a few days).

Here are the race photos, hosted on the Leatherman's Loop page.  (of which, my finishing photo was borrowed from :D).

2018 Paine to Pain Trail Half Marathon Course Preview

This morning we ran the Paine to Pain Trail Half Marathon course preview.  Great weather - and a bunch of runners who will be lining up for the real deal in just a couple of weeks!  A fantastic, and no pressure, way to scope out the trail. 

I've done the preview and race many times over the years.  But I must admit that I run the second half of the course many, many times as part of my general runs.  That's a huge benefit for living in the neighborhood :D

Despite that, still managed to go OFF COURSE in Saxon Woods - haha!  A trail run just wouldn't be complete without some bonus miles :O

Done, after 14.2 miles :D

2018 B.U.S. Smart Ass Trail Mix Up "Adventure Run"

On the drive to Forest Park we actually had on again/off again drizzle - not an auspicious start to a race primarily on trails!  But, luckily, it had stopped when we arrived (minutes before the start)!  This race was held in Alley Pond Park last year (in December, actually), so we didn't know what to expect with the terrain/layout.  Needless to add, it turned out to be a beautiful - but challenging (as in hilly) course.  Less than a mile of it was on park roads, the balance of the 5k loop was on trails.

The course was well marked - which does little to explain how I went off course during the first loop!  Not a big deal, 5 minutes, maybe 3/10ths of a mile overall - but definitely not - to repeat myself - an auspicious start to a trail run!  The 50k was 10 loops.  That was my original plan.  But I dropped down to the 30k (6 loops) because I'm registered for the Sri Chimnoy Marathon this Thursday, at Rockland Lake.

That was a smart move because it took me roughly 3:37 to finish the 30K.  That was a solid half hour slower than my 50k split at the Alley Pond version of this race last year (I did 50k there)!  The hills and humidity took a toll. Still it was a great day - and Richie, our fearless leader, can chalk up yet another fantastic BUS event!

Here are the 30k results (as well as 50k finishes) from NY Ultrarunning!

2018 Escarpment Trail Run Race Report

Escarpment #8 is in the books (and now just 3 more finishes to reach the 200 mile club)! But the 42nd edition will probably be my favorite for a long time to come because – out of the blue – I managed a course PR! Even as I write this I find it hard to explain how, less than a month away from my 56th birthday, I ran a dozen minutes faster than my first Escarpment – way back in 2006!

Back then, at the relatively young age of 43 (soon to turn 44), I ran a 5:20:48 and was convinced that I’d return the following year and run it in under 5 hours! Ah, the hubris of youth! Needless to say, a sub-5 hour finish was my goal for those years. It wasn’t until my 4th finish that a realized that target was getting a bit further and further from my abilities! Thereafter, I focused on running sub 5:30 – and trying to beat my 5:20 PR (a more realistic goal).

Ironically, this time around I really didn’t have a goal in mind – other than finish and requalify for next year. I thought I could run a 5:30 – but honestly, wasn’t too confident about that because of my poor showing at the Vermont 100 last week. Not only did I DNF there, but I ran my lowest number of miles (44) in all of my 7 trips up there (my record has gone into the red, 3 finishes and 4 DNF’s – but that’s a story for another day). Were my quads sufficiently recovered for the downhills of Escarpment? That was the question that preoccupied my attention going into the race.

Okay, as for the race itself, I was slotted into the very last wave (20) – but actually went off with the 14th wave (and, ultimately, I think there were only 16 wave that went off). On the climb up to Windham, I fell in with a trio of runners who happened to be from Scarsdale – how bizarre is that?! There was a 4th member to their group (also from Scarsdale), but he was behind us and I never got to meet him. We reached the peak in just over 56 minutes – which was 2+ minutes faster than I did that climb back in 2016.

I had a handheld water bottle with me, but it was in my backpack. The weather would turn out to be so exceptional that I never took it out. Running from aid station to aid station without my handheld was a bit of an alien experience. In most years I could drink the entire 20 ounce bottle well before reaching the next refueling point! Also, for the second time in a row I had cut off gloves with me. I didn’t put them on till the base of Blackhead, but then wore them straight to the finish.

When I reached Blackhead I was surprised to see I was 11 minutes ahead of my 2016 pace (2:09 versus 2:20). It didn’t seem as if I was pushing the pace – and I actually gave back a full minute on the climb up to the peak, reaching it in 27 minutes versus the 26 it took me in 2016. Amazingly, at the elevation high point I found myself a solid 10 minutes ahead of my previous performance. But that was really the last of any big time gains. For the rest of the distance I managed to keep pace with 2016 (or again a minute here and there).

I picked up 4 minutes on the descent to Dutcher’s Notch and climb up to Stoppel Point, reaching it in 4:02 (versus 4:16). But coming off Stoppel, on that treacherous stretch of rock bed we have to traverse before the final aid station, I took my first (and only) fall of the day. I landed on my right side, bruising my forearm (the welt is still there as I write this) and my ego. But I wasn’t any worse for the wear and pushed on. The final 4+ miles from Stopple to North Lake may be the most technical stretch of terrain (even though all the real elevation change is over at that point).

Right behind the photographer taking our pictures as we come down off one of the endless patches of boulders that populate the last 2 miles was a signpost that read, .9 mile to North Lake. I took it in with a simultaneous mixture of relief and dread! My legs were pretty exhausted by that point, but that wasn’t road mile left to go – it was more boulder hopping! Even so, I just pushed on, knowing it would be over soon enough. When I finished, I was actually confused because backing out 1:05 (the elapsed time from my starting wave at 10:05) it worked out to 5:10 finish! I was both dubious and thrilled (mostly dubious, but I was sure my finish was a sub-5:20).

While I waited for the official results, Doug kindly offered me a beer! I found myself sitting in the sun sipping from the beer on one hand – and a coke from the other hand. There really isn’t a good explanation for that particular rehydration plan – ha! I also had a couple of peaches, but wasn’t up for anything approximating real food. When the results were posted my official finish was 5:08:03 (16:32 pace)! It was 2 minutes better than what I had calculated!

So it was a great day in the Catskills for me (which may even be an early birthday present)! Now, as a result, the idea of running a sub 5:00 finish has been resurrected for me! Not sure that’s possible (this may have been a total fluke), but I will go into the 43rd edition with that time goal in mind :D

2018 Escarpment Trail Run - Quick Recap

Quick Recap of today's Escarpment Trail Run - 5:08:03!  That was a solid 16 minutes faster than my last Escarpment 5:24:19 (2016) - and, in more amazing news, a PR for me!  It shaved off 15+ minutes from my old 5:23:30 (2006) personal best over the course!  At my age, any PR is a reason to celebrate - ha!  But this one is especially sweet ;D

Maybe it was the perfect weather?  Maybe it was going into the race with zero expectations (or nearly so, I was hoping to finish in 5:30 - or at a minimum, re-qualify for next year).  Whatever the reason(s) - I'll take it :D

Here is my race report.

Here are the official race results from the Albany Running Exchange.

Volunteering: North Face Endurance Runs - Bear Mountain

Put in a few volunteer hours at the North Face store in the Westchester Mall today.  The NF Endurance Run 50 Miler at Bear Mountain has been on my "to do" list for years!  Alas, I'm not running it this year - but enjoyed meeting some of the runners lining up for it tomorrow morning (at 5 AM). The 50K and marathon are also run tomorrow.  The Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K races are run on Sunday.

Most of the events had sold out.  NF had close to 500 runners signed up for the 50 Miler - and about 650 runners in the 50K!  That's well over a 1000 ultra runners taking over Bear Mountain.  Those numbers are on the scale of the turnout for JFK 50 Miler!

Good luck to all the runners - at any distance - lining up at Bear Mountain this weekend :D

2018 Leatherman's Loop: Race Photos & Results

My fifth Leatherman's Loop is in the books!  What a great day to run - sunshine and warmth!  Which is saying a lot in a season where winter doesn't want to give up the ghost and welcome spring!  In fact, up until last night the race director had posted that the final water crossing (aka the "splashdown") would be bypassed because of the condition).  Luckily the water level and current dropped enough to restore the iconic water crossing to the course (with the added bit of runner safety - a guide rope)!


As for the actual race - I thought the mud was much more challenging than the 2 water crossings.  Maybe it was my imagination, but mud was the word today. I don't think it effected my race given that my finish time was only 1 second slower than last year :D


Already looking forward to the 2019th edition!


Here are the official results from Leatherman's Loop.

2018 NJ Ultra Festival: Race Photos & Results

Be careful what you wish for - and be prepared for the consequences!  I had been praying for the end of winter and return of sun and warmth... little did I expect it would arrive all at once - yesterday, in time for the NJ Ultra Festival!  Despite all the miles of training (in 30 and 40 degree temperatures), it wasn't preparation for running in an ultra (or any shorter distance, for that matter) in 80+ degrees!


The heat took its toll in spades.  Not only did I drop down from the 50 Miler to the 50K, but my time for the 50k (roughly 7:32) was perhaps my slowest 50k performance - ever!  What I had hoped would be a solid 50 miler turning into a very tough 50k training run.  It would have been a much different day (goes without saying, obviously) had we run 50/60 degrees - but 70/80 was not fun :(


I'll write up a race report later this week.  Still, despite the heat (it was still 75 degrees when I finished up at 5:00!), I really did enjoy the day out on the trails. The double loop course (2.4 miles around the lake and 2.6 miles through the woods) was challenging - and filled with some spectacular views and "obstacles" - including a rope crossing!


Here are the official results from NJ Trail Series.