Training Week 2/14 - 2/20

No rant this week. I would complain about the Olympic coverage, but it's the same thing everyone except Dick Ebersol is saying. That being said, it's a simple solution: show the events live as they're happening on one of the many stations, and use the prime time coverage to show recaps, puff pieces, ice dancing and more puff pieces. On PTI today, Wilbon called NBC the "Lifetime Network." Classic.

So, it was definitely food poisoning. It wasn't pretty, but I bounced back nicely this week.

Onto the numbers:

2/14, Sunday: 3 - 24:12, Suck Loop. Still some lingering stomach nastiness, but the run felt good.

2/15, Monday: 5 - 41:41, Highland Green Loop. Yup.

2/16, Tuesday: 3 - 25:39, Suck Loop. It was snowing heavily. It snowed heavily for 25 minutes and 39 seconds, and we got nothing out of it. *grumble*

2/17, Wednesday: Off

2/18, Thursday: 7 - 51:53, Bike Path. Marathon Pace Run: 7:21/7:25/7:20/7:29/7:26/7:26/7:23. Very encouraging workout. I felt pretty comfortable the whole way despite running a number of those miles directly into a pretty stiff wind.

2/19, Friday: 3 - 26:02, Suck Loop. The trail sections of the loop were pretty sketchy. Either slick ice or soft snow, and I was worried about breaking through a number of ice bridges. Felt good, but a bit tight.

2/20, Saturday: 15.5 - 2:24:51, Val's Fat Ass. A terrific day with the Trail Monsters, and, most importantly, happy 50th birthday, Val!

Totals:
Miles: 36.5
Trail: 15.5
Road: 21

A very strong week for me, especially the last three days. I knew that would be a tough stretch, but it went pretty well. The conditions of the loop at the Fat Ass were tricky: a mix of ice, snow, mashed potatoes, grass, frozen grass, mud, frozen mud, lumps of frozen grass and mud, wet mud—everything you'd expect running through fields in April. It was April warm, too. That being said, it was a great day on the trails. (I just wish I had had more time to hang out and run with everyone there. And, take a helicopter ride!) From a training standpoint, that run was a big jump and a big confidence boost. It was my longest run in both time and distance since the September fiasco. The time on my feet was the biggest leap, and that was the hardest part. I was dragging in the middle of my third loop, but managed to rally to feel pretty good by the end. A good sign both mentally and physically.

So, I think there's hope for me yet...



Fingers crossed that I get to snowshoe race this weekend.

Oh, and here's the best picture ever:

Training Week 2/7 - 2/13

Last Sunday, I volunteered at the Mid-Winter 10 Mile Classic in Cape Elizabeth. I worked both the 3-mile and 8-mile aid stations. It was really cool to see a race from the other side, so to speak. But, it was something else that really struck me. Now, this is a 10-mile road race in the winter, primarily contested by Mainers. Granted, it was a cold day, but not a brutally cold day by Maine standards. I could not believe the way some people were dressed to run: fleece jackets, puffy jackets, puffy jackets over fleece jackets, giant woolen mittens, scarves. Oh, and don't forget the extra jacket tied around your waist. We live in Maine, people. Haven't you run outside before when the temperature is below 50 degrees? Do you only run on the treadmill from October through May? Seriously, stop watching the Weather Channel and go outside.

In a totally unrelated story, I had a fairly craptastic week of training/not training. In part, this was due to some mysterious bowel wrenching ailment. Probably a small dwarf.



Onto the numbers:

2/7, Sunday: 4.5 - 36:22, 3x Mt. Ararat HS Loops. Didn't get out until late in the day. Somewhat disinterested in the proceedings, but I got the miles in.

2/8, Monday: 5 - 43:44, Topsham Snowmobile Trails. Energy a little low.

2/9, Tuesday: 3.5 - ~35:00, Nordic Meisters at Great Glen Trails. 7 minute warm up on snowshoes. 2 mile snowshoe course: 18:40. 10 minute warm down on the road. Fifth week of Nordic Meisters. Had a bit of a hectic day, so I was really just squeezing it in and didn't have time for my full warm up. Ran my fastest time yet, but it seemed to hurt more than it should have. The new ice cleats worked great, and they were necessary.

2/10, Wednesday: 3 - 26:53, Powerlines. Blech. Felt off, and my stomach troubles were just beginning.

2/11, Thursday: Off. Considered logging the mileage to and from the bathroom.

2/12, Friday: 3.25 - 27:30, 2x Mt. Ararat HS Loop w/ D and the Little Lady in the B.O.B. Fun to be out on a run as a family. Stomach still felt off, but I didn't need to make any pit stops.

2/12, Saturday: Off. Stomach still not right. Had hoped to race at the Horse Hill 7k Snowshoe Race, but since we live north of the Mason Dixon line, it was postponed due to lack of snow. My other alternative was the Polar Bear 5k in Portland, but I opted not to go. Instead, I stayed home all day with a very cranky baby, which took a lot of energy out of me.

Totals:
Miles: 19.25
Trail: 10.8
Road: 8.75

Lame. So, as good as I was feeling last week, it's the total opposite this week. Granted, I've been ill, but the cancellation of multiple snowshoe races has really hurt my motivation and mojo. Just not feeling good. Based on health, I certainly could have raced yesterday morning (most likely), but I just wasn't motivated. I could have run yesterday evening, but just didn't. A lot of "could haves" don't add up to good results. As I write this it's after 3:00pm, and I still haven't run yet today. I need to get it together.

Not going quite as far back this week:

"I'm doin' laundry..."

Training Week 1/31 - 2/6

No race for me this weekend because the Exeter Snowshoe Hullabaloo was postponed until February 27th due to lack of snow. Sure wish I lived in Maryland. I could have raced tomorrow at the Mid-Winter 10 Mile Classic, but I frankly didn't want to because...well, I hate that race. Plus, I'd already offered to volunteer during the race, which should be significantly more enjoyable. I actually think I would have done fairly well based on my recent results on snowshoes, but I'm not sure how I great I'd feel after pounding the roads for 10 miles. I briefly toyed with the idea of driving to Northfield for a snowshoe race, but the 9:00am start time made that unrealistic. Instead, I spent the day hanging out with the little lady. Certainly, not a bad option.


"Sup, dawg?"

Onto the numbers...

1/31, Sunday: 5 - 50:49, Windham. Met up with a bunch of Trail Monsters to celebrate/congratulate Blaine on his 1 More Mile for Sunshine challenge. Blaine and Erin hosted a Fat Ass from his house with Blaine running all 50k. I ran 5 miles, mostly with Mindy. Nice day, good times, felt good.

2/1, Monday: 5 - 44:09, Topsham Snowmobile Trails. Great run until I broke through an ice bridge and smashed my left knee. Frozen peas on the knee all night.

2/2, Tuesday: 4 - ~40:00, Nordic Meisters at Great Glen Trails. 10:00 warmup on snowshoes. 2 mile snowshoe course: 19:04. 10:00 warmdown on the road. Fourth week of Nordic Meisters, and the conditions were the fastest yet. Felt really good; better than expected on the heels of Sidehiller. Broke toe pieces off cleats on both snowshoes. Emailed Bob Dion, and he was very willing to send me the ice cleats to replace the standards—I've already broken 4 cleats this season. Hopefully, the ice cleats will hold up better. Knee was fine.

2/3, Wednesday: 5 - 43:53, Topsham Snowmobile Trails. Felt a bit sluggish at first, but felt great by the end.

2/4, Thursday: 9 - 1:12:39, Simpson's Point. Great day for a run to the ocean, even with the gusty winds. (OK, the winds really sucked in some places.) Didn't mean to run the loop that fast, but I just felt good. I'll take it.

2/5, Friday: Off

2/6, Saturday: 3 - 27:17, Powerlines. Due to schedules, I had to get up and go early. I hate that. Felt not that great. It was also 10 degrees.

Totals:
Miles: 31
Trail: 21
Road: 10

That makes up a really good week for me. I may be jinxing myself by typing this, but I'm feeling pretty good about the state of my running right now. I can't remember when I've felt this sharp. I have to admit, I definitely missed racing today. I might be addicted. Speaking of addicted, next week my plan is to race Frosty's Dash for a Cure, a snowshoe race in Atkinson, NH, but unless the forecast changes, I doubt there will be enough snow. So, if that race gets "grounded" out, I'll probably jump into the Polar Bear 5k in Portland. Let's hope for snow.

This week's super awesome retro tune:

Training Week 1/24 - 1/30

New feature here at Snowman Says: a weekly review of my training. Why? Because it's super exciting. OK, not really. I just thought it would be a good way for me to step back and take a good look at my training log. I find myself just entering and walking away. So, really, it's all about me.

But, wait there's more! I'll be posting a super-awesome retro song of the week that I've been listening to over the last week. So, see you get something, too: a terrifying glimpse into the music/noises my head.

One note on my training log: I just use a regular planner, not a fancy-schmancy training log, so my weeks start on Sunday. Apparently, this is weird. I'm OK with that.

Onto the numbers...

1/24, Sunday: 2.25 - 20:54, Georgetown roads. Met D while she was finishing her long run from my parents' house.

1/25, Monday: 5.5 - 44:52, Middle Bay. Absolute monsoon, and windy. Felt sluggish and tight...almost drowned.

1/26, Tuesday: Off

1/27, Wednesday: 6 - 44:13, Bike Path. Marathon pace run: 7:15/7:27/7:16/7:26/7:16/7:30. 7:27 was the pace I was looking for, so I was happy to be under that. The last mile reflects me actually relaxing because I didn't want to be too far ahead. It wasn't an easy workout, but it certainly didn't break me.

1/28, Thursday: 6 - 50:23, Mt. Ararat Loops. Nighttime, Blizzard. Best part about the run was not getting run over. Tough to tell if I was tired from Wednesday or just thrown off because it was dark and snowing and windy and moderately dangerous.

1/29, Friday: 3 - 26:49, Highland Green Out-n-Back. Cold and really windy. Felt tight.

1/30, Saturday: 7. Sidehiller Snowshoe Race

Totals:
Miles: 29.75
Trail: 7
Road: 22.75

Way too many road miles this week. Just kind of happened that way. I was very pleased with the pace run, but, overall, I felt a little off for most of the week. Well, until, Saturday, so I guess I'll take that.

And, what you've really been waiting for:



Depeche Mode is tremendous. I will not argue this point.

Sidehiller Snowshoe Race - Race Report

Center Sandwich, NH is hard to find. Well, not really, but it felt like the other side of the universe, even though it only took me a little over two hours to get there. After a few minutes of thinking I would never get there, I finally arrived about 55 minutes before race start. I grabbed a potentially towable, certainly jerky parking space almost on the walkway to the Center Sandwich Library and headed to registration.

The mood around registration was somewhat comical. On top of the fact that it was cold—even cold for a snowshoe race—the official word on the course change was out. Due to Monday's monsoon, the snowpack in the woods was not suitable for racing. So, instead of the allegedly groovy course over the hills and through the woods past grandmother's house (literally), the course was laps around the fairgrounds. Three laps to be exact. The three laps brought the total distance to 5.2 miles, which according to my math is longer than the advertised 4. That being said, Paul, the race director, did a fantastic job of creating an interesting and fun course out of nothing. He found/made some good singletrack and even found a hill. Granted, that hill saw us running to the top of the leach field, but it still counted as a hill. Even though it wasn't the original course, which would have been fun, I have to admit that the lack of major climbs and fast surface really suited me. I was able to find my rhythm and stay in it. Well, as best you can in a snowshoe race. The singletrack sections felt like running in sugar. One section was sugar over a swamp, and with each lap it got browner and browner and browner as more swamp bubbled to the top. Running in brown sugar is hard, too.

At the start, I thought I lined myself up fairly conservatively: third row. But, as Paul gave the command for the race to start, the vacuum sucked me right out. After 400 meters, I looked up, and I could still easily see the front runners and was near the front myself. "Whoooaaaa, big fella!" A couple people went by me, but I just stayed relaxed. And, surprisingly, quite comfortable. Admittedly, going into the race, I was a touch nervous how I would feel after feeling kind of flat and tired for the second half of the week. I spent a good twenty minutes on the foam roller on Friday night, and I felt shockingly frisky on my warm up. OK, let's keep rolling...literally.

Going through the swamp singletrack, I did the second most athletic thing I have ever done in my life. (The first being when I caught and tracked a Norwegian skier from UVM on a hill during a cross country ski race in college. It was EPIC.) There were three other racers right on my heels, when I tripped on something unseen. I knew that there was a 100% chance that I was going to get trampled and cause a massive pile up. As I was going down, I somehow managed to roll to my left out of the singletrack into the "soft" snow. I looked up as the three runners went by unscathed. It was just like in the movies, when the hero nearly gets run over by a truck, rolls to safety, looks up intently and watches it speed away. Just like that. At the finish, the guy who was right on my heels at the time ended up finishing just behind me, and all his oxygen-deprived brain could come up with was "Hey, you're the guy that went down on the first lap. Man, that roll was awesome!" Or, at least that's what my oxygen-deprived brain heard. But, trust me, it was indeed awesome.

After the fall, I managed to get up and get back on the train. The fall happened so suddenly, it didn't throw me at all. I went through the first lap in 12:40. Because I'm a runner geek, I was so tempted to hit the split button on my watch. I refrained. On the second lap, I just stayed steady. It was nice to be a bit spread out after the first lap because where the new snow had drifted across the course, it was like running through a cold smoke screen. Every time the runner in front of you hit the fresh drifts, it was cold enough to sting your face. My split for to laps was 26:12, a 13:32. "Hmmm...I could break 40:00. Hmmm. Wow. Really? Let's do this."

Just before the close of the second lap, I passed a couple guys, and started to close on a third. I really wanted to run the last lap hard and not back off. Heading around the field that made up the first section of the lap, I feebly passed the aforementioned third guy. I stayed ahead for a bit, but he was a bit stronger in the singletrack, and he passed me back and pulled away a bit. Going into the final swamp singletrack, I caught another runner and stayed just behind him the whole way. I wish I'd been able to get him before the singletrack because he was going a touch slower than I would have liked, but not slow enough that I could get around him. Plus, I was in the hurt locker at this point. It's hard to run at that pace on snowshoes for that long. I passed him just as we came out of the singletrack, and the runner who had caught us also tried to go by me. I put in a short surge just enough to put him behind me for good. In the last stretch to the finish, there was a close to 90° turn that gave you good opportunity to scope out the competition behind you. The guy in front of me did just that, and I thought, "If you're looking, I got you." I put my head down and opened it up. Apparently, he did the same because I never got any closer. I didn't look back at the turn because I really was focused on the guy in front of me. (That's a really good racing sign for me.) I said to myself, "If anyone's going to catch me, they're really going to have to earn it." No one did, and I finished in 30th place in 39:21. A 13:09 last lap that really hurt, and a 7:34 per mile pace, which is shockingly fast for me.

RESULTS

Overall, this was my best race so far. (So far.) Certainly, the course and conditions helped, but I raced well. Simply: I'm getting into race shape. My place was worse than at Pooh Hill, but the top end of this field was much deeper, since this race was also the qualifier for Nationals. The top end of the field was fast...really fast. (Speaking of fast, congrats to Kevin on his second win of the season.) In order to qualify for Nationals, you need to be in the top 5 of your age group and be a member of USSSA. Going into the race, I figured I had a really, really outside shot of qualifying, but it was a moot point. The race is in Syracuse, and I have a work commitment that same weekend. So, even if I did qualify, I couldn't go. With that in mind, I decided to save the $30, and not become a member of USSSA before the race. But, looking at the results, it appears I finished 4th in my age group (35-39, since it's based on your age on 12/31/10) and would have qualified. Cool. Oh well, maybe next year.

The madness continues next weekend in Exeter. Apparently, this course is all singletrack, so it should be a lot of fun.

Great photos of the race from Jamie Gemmiti.

Pooh Hill Snowshoe Scramble - Race Report

Photo by Dan Houde, Marketing Director for King Pine & Purity Spring Resort

Kevin commented on my Facebook page that he was looking forward to my "always entertaining" race report. I have to admit that this made me a bit nervous about this race report because I had already been thinking: "Hmmm...what am I going to say about this race? This is going to be a boring race report." The pressure might be too much, but I'll give it a try...

I ran hard. It hurt. I'm pretty happy with the result.

And, really, that's about it, but here's a shot at elaborating:

With the new snow this week, I was pretty psyched to be going to a snowshoe race that would actually be held on snow. (Unlike last week.) As a bonus, I had a cheering section as D and the Little Lady came along. D said, "I really want to see about all this chaos."

After a short warm up on the roads, I headed to the line and waited for the chaos to commence. I lined myself up further back this week with the hope of pacing myself a bit better and comfortable in the knowledge that the first 400 meters were on wide groomed trail. This was a good choice as I didn't feel so harried as the race started, and I was able to get into a good rhythm right away and pass a number of people right out of the gate.

The groomed trails made up about half the 8 kilometer course with the other half being singletrack. No deadly hills to contend with, but there were enough longer steady climbs or short, very steep hills to keep things interesting. The majority of the singletrack had seen very little traffic, so it was soft and fluffy. Beautiful, but tough. And, the groomed trails weren't nearly as fast as I thought they would be. They were inconsistent: some places they were firm and fast, but in others I felt like I was sinking as much as in the singletrack. My guess is that in the world of snowshoeing this would be considered a relatively easy course, but it sure wasn't easy. One thing I've determined about snowshoe racing: it's all hard.

The majority of the singletrack was covered through the first half of the course, and I just tried to stay relaxed and enjoy the scenery...you know, while busting my ass. This section really was beautiful. My plan was to hit the long stretch of groomed "road," and pick up the pace. In truth I did manage this, but I really couldn't go much faster. It's really hard to change gears while snowshoeing. It's slow and slower.

Two guys caught me just before we entered a windy section of "unnecessary" singletrack. I asked the race director, Chris, if this section was "necessary" after the race because it wove through a field when there was a perfectly nice groomed trail all the way around the same field. He laughed at my wussiness. I did my best to hang with these guys through the singletrack not only because...well, you know...it's a race but also because a third guy was creeping up behind me. I had no desire to have to pull over and stop to let him through. I did manage to hang on, but I was really hurting by the time we made it back to the groomed. At this point, I assume we had about another mile to go.

The guy behind me did eventually go by me on the groomed section, but I fought back to pass him again just after we crested a short uphill. I'm sure he thought I was dying because I was making all kinds of noise and the snot was flying everywhere. Ah, snowshoe racing! About 400 meters to go to the finish is the steepest, nastiest uphill of the whole course. My buddy caught me again at the bottom of the hill, but there was no way I was going to let him take me on the hill. I really powered up this thing (at 17-minute pace...RAWR!), and he didn't come with me.

You can just about see the finish from the top of this hill, which does give back with a short downhill just on the other side, so I dug in for the final "sprint."

Here's the most important lesson I learned today: Under no circumstances can I outkick a 16 year-old. Now, this should be obvious, but my oxygen deprived, adrenaline fueled brain was blissfully unaware of this truism 7.9k into the race. Brain said: "Go fast. Catch runner. You good." About 100 meters from the finish, this was true. Coming off the downhill, I was all out, and I went by the kid with a good head of steam. For about 2 seconds, I thought I had him. I really believed it. Not so much. He had another gear of youthful exuberance that I had absolutely no chance of touching. He blew by me about 10 steps before the line. I finished in 26th place in 45:40. RESULTS


"Respect your elders!!! Can't you see I'm in tremendous pain?!?!" Photo by D

Overall, I'm really happy with my race. I went hard, and I never backed off. The course was certainly more suited to me than Feel Good Farm, which helped, but my effort was much stronger. I raced. It hurt. It was fun.

Next week is the Sidehiller 4 Mile Snowshoe Race in Center Sandwich, NH. Word on the street is that the course is similar to Pooh Hill, so I'm looking forward to another good result.