Pride Run

This past weekend we went to NYC to visit with some friends, hit some museums, and go out to a super fancy dinner. I also had the chance to run the Front Runners New York Lesbian and Gay Pride Run on Saturday - a 5 mile jaunt through Central Park. The New York Road Runners put on about 50 races per year (including the NY Marathon) so this was just another routine race for many. I was still amazed at how smoothly and well-organized everything was - there were over 3,600 runners. The best part of the race was getting to see my friend Richard, whom I haven't seen in about 9 years or so. We were running pals back in Philadelphia, when I first started "really" running and would run together with a group almost daily on the streets and trails of Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. Hours of great conversation passed back in those days and I never thought I would find another group so enjoyable to run with until I found the Trail Monsters here in Maine. Richard and I met up before the race and had a few minutes to catch up while we did a little warm up run, then it was off to the corrals. They have organized, seeded corrals for little 5 mile races! I was pretty much just doing this as a "fun run", I didn't feel like I was really trained to do fast, short, run. The morning was getting warmer and warmer and there wasn't going to be much shade along the course. As an experienced NY road racer, Richard gave me a quick verbal overview of the course. He mentioned a few hills and started telling me about one that lasted about 2-3 (I waited for it) minutes. Whew. Thought he was going to say 2-3 miles. After last weekend's Mt. Washington race, hearing about a 2-3 minute hill made me giggle. We were in separate corrals as Richard is super speedy, so we wished each other good luck and headed to the start. After what seemed like a lot of speeches and instructions and the National Anthem, we were off. It was pretty crowded most of the race and I just kept telling myself it was only 5 miles since I was kind of nervous about racing in the first place (I always am) and especially over a short distance. I found a relatively comfortable pace and clicked through the miles. It was a blast running in Central Park, which is beautiful, even though I wasn't really taking in everything around me. Finally, the home stretch! I tried to kick it up, but didn't really feel like I had much left. I was glad to be done. Once over the finish line, we were herded through like any race, but at the end, they were handing out bags of pretzels, water, and...giant popsicles - which was an awesome idea given that it was so hot out, but a definite wink to Dr. Freud. Hello! What says Gay Pride race like huge popsicles everyone was walking around sucking after the race. Genius. Though I would have liked to have gone a little faster (who doesn't say that after any race?), it was still fun and I'm glad I did it. Afterward Richard and I met up with one of my closest friends from college and his partner for a yummy brunch downtown and we all got to sit outside, relax, eat good food, and catch up. A great trip!

Hitting Play: Mt. Washington Road Race Report

I'm not sure I have any readers left out there since I hit pause on my blog several months ago...but in case there is intelligent life out there, I'm back - and posting my race report from today's Mt. Washington Road Race!

Last year I entered the lottery for the Mt. Washington Road Race and was amazed to find that I got in. Then I promptly got injured and was unable to run the race. I emailed the race director just letting him know my spot was free (I didn't know if they might be able to use the slot for someone else) and he said I could defer to the next year - I'd be able to bypass the lottery and just sign up for the race - awesome. Fast forward to this summer and next thing I knew, the race was upon me.

Let me backtrack and get you caught up on what's been going on at Squirrel HQ lately. I last mentioned some concerning shin issues which I automatically feared were my bones disintegrating into multiple stress fractures - turns out that is not the case and it was just some shin splinty stuff that eased up fairly quickly. Since then, I've been running pretty steadily and feeling pretty good. Still cycling a bit, but mostly trying to concentrate on the running and enjoying being injury-free. In May I ran my first race in quite awhile, the Pineland Farms Trail Challenge, which I may go back and write a race report for if I can remember the details... I also have had some nice long runs on trails in Maine and the Appalachian Trail in PA which I may go back and post on as well, but don't hold your breath on those.

Now, back to the race.

The Prep:

I really had no idea what to expect, other than that it was going to be uphill. I had heard different strategies, run/walk, power hike, survive...and different accounts of people's races, but probably the best thing was when Ryan, Jeff, and I previewed the course last weekend. As we drove up the Road, I felt I could get a good sense of the grade and was surprised to find that there were actually a few "flat" sections (which really meant "less steep"). Ryan gave us some very helpful pointers along the way (e.g., running on the outside of some of the turns as they were actually a little less steep than the inside) that I actually remembered during the run. The best advice was to just not worry about what anyone else was doing and run what felt comfortable and what worked. Pacing was another story. The website provides a time predictor based on your times in other race distances. Apparently most people seemed to concur that your finish time would be pretty close to your 1/2 marathon time. I avoided the time predictor and just kept a vague idea in my head of a range of possible finish times and worked out what the pace would be for those. Even though there were a lot of unknowns, I think it worked in my favor as far as mental preparation goes. The best I could do would be to just get out on the course on race day and see how it felt and whatever happened was going to be my own unfolding news story in real time. It kind of took the pressure off any performance expectations.

The Race:

Race day started pretty early in the morning. Pete and I met Jeff, Cacky, and Danielle at the Gray Park & Ride at 6 am where we had orchestrated a complex caravan of vehicles to travel to and from the race at various times to fit various schedules. After a boneheaded issue with my timing chip which I won't bother addressing (me being the bonehead), Ryan (who had stayed in NH the night before), Jeff and I chillaxed in Ryan's office before the race while our significant others drove up the Road for a little hike and to wait for us to arrive at the summit. Ryan's office? Yes, since he works for the Auto Road, we were treated to all kinds of little insider goodies, among which was getting to sit inside before the race, use normal restrooms instead of portapotties, and generally have some quiet time before the start without having to mix with a thousand other anxious runners. Next thing I knew, we were out on a little warm up run and then to the start. Jeff made his way toward the front and I knew the next time I would see him would be at the top as he's one speedy mofo. Ryan and I started together, but I knew he would soon become a speck in the distance as well. My other concern of the day? What annoying song would surely be in my head the whole way up the mountain. Rob Base. Yep, "Joy and Pain". Sigh. Luckily, I managed to override joy, pain, sunshine and rain (pump it up, pump it up, now!) with the sounds of my own (and hundreds of my newest closest friends') labored breathing. Speaking of rain, the weather was actually really nice - warm even. I didn't need the arm warmers that I had brought and the summit temps were sounding downright balmy! No time to think of the summit though. With the fabled "Only one hill!" pronouncement from the race director and a VERY loud starting gun, we were off in a mob shuffle. The first bit is actually on a flat section, so I just took it easy and tried to get a sense of what the pace would be. That ended pretty quickly as we immediately began climbing upward and I soon settled into a low gear that I would pretty much maintain the rest of the race. I recalled from our reconnaisance mission the week before that there were indeed some sections that just felt steeper than others when I finally found myself on one of those sections (at least I hoped it was one of those sections and not just me breaking down) I decided to power walk up to...the top? Well, there was no end, so when it felt a little less super-steep, I started running again. I feared walking because 1) I didn't think I'd get going again, 2) my running gear actually felt pretty decent and 3) I just wanted to get to the top and running, no matter how slow, was going to get me there faster than walking. All in all, I'd say I only walked a tiny bit - at the water stops and maybe one or two other times on really steep sections. At mile 2 I was pretty sure I was never going to get to the top - it just. felt. so. long. (I'd feel this way until about mile 6 when the end finally seemed somewhat close.) At some point I settled into the aforementioned "gear". It was a pace that kept me going forward steadily, felt relatively comfortable, and was something I thought I could maintain if I kept focused. This actually came as a bit of a surprise to me because I had imagined that my pace was going to be very erratic and I was pleased to settle into a steady forward motion, albeit slow. My mind felt strong and I started counting to 100 over and over with each step. I told myself I could walk if I wanted, but I had to get to 100 first - then instead of walking, I'd just start counting again. A little Rainman-y but it worked. Forget trying to reel people in and pick them off - I think I passed and was passed by the same group of runners the whole way up - everyone had a different strategy and it seemed like we all leapfrogged and ended up in the same place at the same time. Never mind, I was happy to just worry about my own self. It was hard work and I just wanted to hang on and get there. Somewhere after mile 3 I thought I saw Ryan up ahead. As I inched closer and closer, I could tell he wasn't feeling the love of Mt. Washington primarily because of the fact that I was approaching him and normally I'd be eating his dust. As I came up to him, he confirmed that he was just having a crappy day, which happens to all of us, and I knew we'd see each other at the top - no need to discuss it. One, two, three.....ninety-nine, one hundred, one, two, three.... and I was above the treeline. The sun was shining now and clouds hung in the valleys next to the mountain. I could see the tips of the surrounding mountains poking through the fog and ahead I could see a long string of runners ahead winding up, and up, and up. At one point the road curved in such a way that I could see a faraway string of runners behind me also winding up and up - it was a very cool view. When I saw the radio tower of the summit I knew I was really getting close. Then the final stretch was upon me - the short 22% grade wall - and then the finish! Jeff and the rest of the crew cheered me in and I remembered again how awesome finish lines are. Thanks so much to Pete, Danielle, and Cacky for supporting us and spending the day on the Mountain (sounds like they got a pretty good hike in at the alpine garden as well). Ryan was not far behind and once all the Trail Monsters were done, we walked up to the true summit to take a few pictures and recap the race. Jeff came up in a blazing fast 1:25 and had a stellar day. I rolled in in about 1:42 and was happy with how it went given that I had no idea how I would feel. Ryan has the best attitude of anyone I know on a day when he said he just didn't have the focus he usually does, but still had fun. Afterward we all went to the Moat and had a wonderful leisurely meal and the usual entertaining conversation. I'm glad I had the experience of such a unique race I probably never would have done otherwise.

I also want to mention that this was the first time ever that I have raced under a team name and worn a team singlet. Although our team didn't qualify for points (too few people and they don't allow mixed teams - stupid) it still felt pretty cool to be wearing a Trail Monster singlet (thanks Emma!) and running under a team name. I'll post some pictures once I get them off my camera.

It's good to be back writing here.

Hitting Pause

I haven't been motivated to write for awhile, so I decided to put Five Squirrels on a little hiatus after this post, so at least I won't feel guilty for not writing.  I will, however, be keeping up with all your blogs.

It's been almost exactly one year since my femoral neck stress fracture of last year.  It was a long road back, but I'm full on back to running and biking.  The bad news is that I've been having some suspicious shin issues lately and there are a few "tender spots" on my shins that I fear may be more stress fractures developing.  I can't bear the thought of this.  I am very close to just calling the ortho to make an appointment to check things out, but there's not much they can tell on diagnostic tests early on - a SF wouldn't necessarily show up on an xray and they probably wouldn't call for an MRI, they'd just tell me to ease up on the running (or stop) for awhile to see what happens.  I'm very frustrated and upset about the possibility of this happening again, but I'll just keep playing it by ear this week and taking it easy.  

I'm not sure when I'll return with the Squirrels, but thanks for reading and I hope I'll be back sooner rather than later.  

JBS

This morning I made the Monday trudge up from the parking garage to my work. I crossed the street to the block my building is on and out of the corner of my eye, I saw this small little grizzled figure running toward me looking like they were late for a meeting. Her face and gait were unmistakable from a half a block away. It was Maine's own Joan Benoit Samuelson. I've seen her before at events (it's not that big of a running community) and even introduced myself to her once (totally embarrassing). She's super tiny and was enveloped in a regular winter coat and winter clothes. But she was running. Somewhere. Right in front of me. My love for pop culture spills into the athletic world as well (one time I saw Joe Namath in an airport in Florida) and I was starstruck. A million thoughts went through my head and I immediately turned into some kind of Frankensteinian oaf. "ME WANT TALK TO HER!" Why is it that we feel the need to connect somehow to famous people? The time it took for her to approach and pass was momentary and I had a steady stream of potential things to say in case she stopped and wanted to chat. But in my head it went something like this: "I KNOW you!! Where are you going? Do you always run everywhere? Are you late for a meeting? I know what you DO! I am a runner, too! We are KIN! It's icy J, be careful! Where's the race? Have a nice daaaaaay..." Instead I just stood there grinning stupidly at her as she ran by.

Later on instead of concentrating on my work I thought up clever things I could have said or done. Like calling out her pace as she went by (5:32, looking good J-Sam, nice pace!) or handing her a water. Or running next to her then slowing down and yelling "Just go ahead without me, I'll catch up!"

Yep, me an J'noit, kickin' it on Congress Street today.

Mid Winter Classic

Ran the Mid Winter Classic 10 mile race today. Geez, the roads definitely beat you up more than the trail - and I didn't even race it. I ran without a chip, just carried my own water and ran with Claire. We chatted away mostly about cycling. Afterwards had an awesome brunch with Danielle and Ryan who had great races as did Ian, who I saw quickly before the race started. Was great to see several Trailmonsters out on the course volunteering! It's sucks not being in race shape, but I'm following my slow and steady return and still enjoying just being able to run again. Patience...

Movies and Books

I added two new page elements to my sidebar - Supermini Movie Reviews - where I give up to 4 stars for my most recently watched movie (usually while riding on the trainer) and a one or two sentence review. Other one is What I'm Reading - which probably won't get updated as frequently and I don't offer any reviews. I welcome any comments about either!

p.s. You can vote more than once for your fave squirrel picture (if you absolutely can't decide on your favorite). I know this is very important stuff. I forgot to mention it before. Don't lose any sleep over your decision.

Thorncrag Brrrrrrrrd Sanctuary

Ran today at the Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary in Lewiston, ME with Ian, Emma, and Valerie. It. Was. Cold. Like, frozen snot in your nose cold. Like, frozen eyelashes and hair cold. Like, what exactly does frostbite feel like cold. I just learned that it was about -17 out. We were all bundled up, so no one was unprepared, but starting out was a little bit daunting until we got moving and heated up. I used hand and feet warmers (awesome - thank you Ian) and really, it was only my fingers that were cold for about the first mile, then they seemed to thaw out and I was quite comfortable the rest of the run. We only did about 6.8 miles, but we explored almost all the trails there were - you could run all kinds of combinations of the trails. The conditions were great - packed down snow in a wide enough track that you didn't feel like you had to do what I like to call the "runway" which is putting one foot almost entirely in front of the other one (like a runway model - which, you know, used to be my other job) in order to stay on the trail and not fall off the side into a snowbank or ice pile. There was only one small section of ice and a few places that were a little less traversed so the snow was a little greasy and squishy. Oh, and there were a bunch of hills, did I mention that? It was kind of a roller coaster actually, but I didn't mind it - it felt pretty good to have some hard hills to work. My legs felt strong although my mileage is still only about 20-25 miles a week. I'm looking forward to starting to get into some longer runs, but I'm totally patient with it right now. The trails were really beautiful and apparently there are great views of Mt Washington. On the way home we stopped at Tim Horton's for hot coffee and a bite to eat. Talk turned to the warmer spring and summer that lies ahead and the potential destination trail runs that could get planned - White Mountains, Mt Desert Island. I'd love to do a weekend trip (Jamie suggested this last year) where we head somewhere and do some nice long trail runs during the day, camp over, and then hit them again the next day. I also started eyeing up the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim run - but from what I'm learning, it's a bit more complicated as you have to pack in a lot of your own supplies, it's sort of more of a hike in a lot of places than running, and there may be some permitting issues, but I'd like to research it some more. We took a few pictures with my phone after the run, but for some reason they didn't save (crap!!! sorry guys...) which totally sucks, because everyone looked pretty funky with frozen eyelashes. We certainly have some beautiful places to run here in Maine, it's been fun getting out an exploring them - even in -17 degree weather!