Its been well over a year since my last race report. Much has been going on in “Suds World” during this time and that has changed my running habits. I have had a lot of downs and a few ups during this time and everyday seems to get a little bit better. As long as I’m running that is. I will be building up to do long runs again and I can’t wait but have to. In the meantime I thought of doing this little mountain running circuit. Which is right up my alley.
The Northfield Mt. race is the first of a six race series I need to complete. If I complete all six races I will be able to bypass the Mt. Washington road race lottery system for 2012 ! I am attached to getting to run up the auto road for 7.6 miles up by purely for the love of Mt. Washington and the White Mountains. It is a passion of mine that is embedded in my blood and is a personal challenge of will and strength. So after two failed attempts to be chosen in the lottery I have decided to honestly bypass that system and do it the hard way by entering these six mountain races.
In Northern Mass. on the eastern side of the Connecticut river is Northfield Mt. (1206 ft.) A mere foothill. It lies in part of the Miller’s River Highlands. The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail crosses the summit ridge.
A hydroelectric plant is actually built underground in the mountain. Once one of a kind in the world. There is also a cross country ski area on the mountain thus making it an ideal venue for a trail race.
This race is also part of the Grand Tree Series. I‘ve checked previous years results and knowing my body I figured I could run this race in less than 70 minutes. The race director Dave Dunham of Central Mass. Striders made his intro and jokes to psyche everyone up for the race. About 225 runners started and we were off up the hill just after 9 a.m. I chose to be in the head of the back of the pack like I always do. Those few I passed on the way up quickly passed me on the way down. So for about 4 miles the wide forest trail went up and up then flat ,then up ,a little down, then up and up and up for about 40-45 minutes. The trail rounded off at the top of the ridge then just a little more up to the water station near the summit viewing platform. Out of the water station for some down hills. It wasn’t long before I realized that I spent a lot of energy going uphill because those downhill sprints weren’t as sprint-able as I hoped. But I tried running as fast as I could and then realized my shoe was breaking up and would prohibit me from going full bore downhill. Plus that bagel I ate two hours ago is feeling like a lead bullet in my side. Down and down I went trying not to brake to hard but the cruising’ was not there. About 25 minutes of pounding the wide forest trail downhill I arrived at the finish within one minute of my initial goal! My time was 69 minutes 4 seconds. Winning time around 37 minutes.
I have learned a couple of things this day of mountain running:
1). Train on running downhill faster.
2). Be careful what you eat before a race.
3). Buy new shoes. How am I gonna run down hill faster ? How about screaming like your falling off a cliff as you run.
My eating, well don’t barf up your dinner the evening before and don’t eat before a short race. Just drink coffee. And oh ya buy new shoes when they show signs of rot.
I’m glad I am making a rebound from my hiatus of last fall and winter. There is a lot more ahead of me in my training and endurance to get my body adapted again for what I want to run. Doing this USATF New England Mountain Running Circuit is a self test of what I am made of and what I can become.
-Suds
Northfield Mt. Race 5/21/11 9:00 a.m.
- Weather
- 60 degrees – Overcast, hazy ,some fog.
- Trail Conditions – damp
Great report Suds! This might actually inspire me to get out of the office and run. Keep us posted on your Grand Tree progress. -BW
Great Job Suds!!! Yeah, lotteries suck. Haven’t won one yet. Don’t think of it as being the hard way to get into the Mt. Washington race, think of it as the honest way. Anybody can put their name in and win the lottery by draw. You are earning your spot to run that race. Much cooler.
BTW, running downhills with total disregard for bodily injury assures a relaxed descent. Well, bodywise anyway. You might mentally freak out.
Keep pounding those hills.
Suds- Great report! Great undertaking!! The series looks very fun. You ran well and right where you wanted. Keep up the good work. you”ll be up Mt Washington in no time, the honest way (I like that Bounce).
Down hill running… we could talk a lot about that!!!
Loopy
Suds, Excellent report, impressive determination! I like that you decided to run around the lottery gamble by running directly over the requirements for automatic entry. Congrats on meeting your goal and on facing the challenge head on. Looking forward to hearing about the next race! 🙂
Suds! You are an inspiration as always. You are WAY to good for the stinkin’ lottery anyway. You are too tough, and too cool, for that. You have Tuckerman’s Ravine snowmelt in your veins and Mt. Madison granite in your bones. There are no mountains you cannot tame, you have shown that over and over. You know we are all pulling for you, and I for one, am a little bit envious of your amazing fearlessness when it comes to tackling those mountains. Here I am, afraid to even meet the Seven “little” Sisters! As regards training, now that you are “back”, I gotta get back to doing lots more runs too, oh, and definitely talk to Loopy about downhill running, she really knows her stuff about that. Running uphill is just a matter of work…work…work, but the key, I now believe, is to being a better (smarter, nimbler, fearless) downhill runner. THAT’s how to shave minutes off your time.
Great racing Sudsie!!! Will be with you on your journey through, up and over this series! I think I can speak for all of Bimbledom when I say how great it is to have you racing and reporting again! Sudsville is a special place! Let’s go!!