Vermont Overland

West Windsor, VT

Saturday, May 11, 2024

I learned about this race from running friend Nick Alge, who has run it the past two years and signed up again this year.  There is an Overland Trail (15M) and Overland Path (5M) option.  The only reason I'd consider the shorter Overland Path option was that it allowed dogs, but even then, it wasn't a canicross race, so I'd be at a big disadvantage if I ran with Brady on a leash.  

This fit reasonably well in my schedule, given that it was two weeks out from my spring marathon, but the issue I feared is that I hadn't been training on hills at all, and this race was at Ascutney Mountain, with over 2,000' of elevation gain.  Nothing crazy, but still several 300' and 400' climbs, and a 700' drop.

For lodging, I was leaning towards the recommended mode of camping, which was available at $5 or $10 per night (note: no facilities).  I periodically checked in on the weather and as of the Monday of race week (i.e., five days before race day), the weather forecast was for rain both the evening before the race and the morning of the race itself.  Well, that does it - no camping.  This is a fairly remote area, and that late, the best I could find was a motel 30 minutes north in Woodstock, so that's what I booked.

Course preview:  We arrived at the race site, Ascutney Mountain, Friday afternoon in time to get changed and go for a featured 4pm course preview run.  I checked in with the course preview leader, who introduced himself as Dan, as to whether dogs were allowed on the preview run.  He said yes, we're very dog friendly.  The course preview would take in the first 1.5 mile section and the final 1.5 mile section.

Although I had studied the course maps prior to the race, and found Strava posts from previous years' participants, there is no substitute for getting out the course itself.  About 30 people (plus Brady!) showed up for the run.  The first half of the preview run was mostly uphill, and I sensed that I was breathing harder than those around me.  This was not a good omen for tomorrow.

Start of the group run 
(Brady and I on far right side)

Once we hit the hills, the group broke up
into different sections

On single-track with Brady just ahead of me.
It's difficult for me to run with my left leg being so much
longer than my right leg, but I do my best.
(Race Instagram site)

With Brady being the only canine in the group, several runners asked his name, including the race leader, Dan, and a fast looking blonde woman.  

One of my favorite pics.  Exited the single-track,
and back up to climbing grass slopes.

Group pic at top of slope

Brady found a nice stream to
cool off in.

Finishing up the group preview run.

Our motel that evening was nothing to write home about,
but it worked for a short stay and good night's sleep.

Quite rural area.  We crossed through this
neat covered bridge, and were on miles of
hilly dirt roads between the motel and race site.

Have my racing gear all laid out for tomorrow's race.

Race day:  Arrived race area two hours before start, got a simple breakfast, and actually got in a few more winks in the car before loading my pack and getting ready.  Met up with Nick (running the 15M) and Heather and Meriden (running the 5M "path" option) and went out for a short warm-up with Brady, before heading back to the start to line up.

Runners and dogs before the race.  Interesting that the
race photographer once again including Brady in the
race photos.

Very dog friendly here!

The Race Director went over a few logistics, including that 15M runners would follow orange flags and signs, and 5M runners would follow turquoise, and if you forgot which color to follow, look at your bib (also color coded).  There were other pointers given, but that was probably the most important one.

Race start:  I lined up about three rows back, and we were quickly off without much fanfare.  Shortly into the race, the blonde woman from yesterday jokingly asked me, "Not running with Brady today", as she passed me at the start of the first uphill.

Pic by Jana.

Exactly like yesterday, I was breathing really hard in the first significant climb.  I was already writing my Strava post "obituary" in my mind - "was dying on the first climb, getting passed by so many runners, and it got worse from there."

The first climb

Top of the slope, just before going back into single-track

As you can see in above pic, I was just barely ahead of two fast women runners.  As we left the field and entered the single-track, still climbing, I was keenly aware that I was now holding back the two of them as well as several guys who had now joined the back of the queue.  I had a quick flashback to the Quebec Mega Trail 50K, where I made the analogy that I was a school bus holding up a long line of cars and should pull aside to let them pass.  At QMT, I did pull aside, and while I pondered the same here, an opening came up quickly which made it unnecessary.  The two women went past me, and promptly one immediately wiped out in the mud and went down and the second one veered off course onto a different trail!   (Yes, we did yell for her to come back, and yes, as they each recovered and got back on course, they both repassed me again.)

Miles 3 -5:  I was glad when the 300' climb ended about two miles in, although Miles 3 and 4 featured one of the twistiest miles on the whole course.  It was towards the end of this section, about four miles in, when I heard, "It was nice of you to wait up for me!".  I recognized the voice of the only other runner I knew in this race, Nick Alge.  I expected him to go past me at this point.  We left the twisty section and were headed downhill on a wide grassy section with lots of mud.  I could hear one person just behind me and I just assumed it was Nick.

Miles 5 - 7:  We emptied out onto a gravel road, which we would be on for the next two miles.  This would also feature a 400' climb, but surprisingly I not only held my own but actually passed quite a few runners, including the two women that went past me back at Mile 2.  There was an aid station on the left side of the road and runners were stopping for it.  I was tempted to see what they had, but resisted the urge to stop and sauntered on.  (Note this was a cupless race, so you would have to come to a complete stop to get a drink or refill your pack.  I guess this was one advantage of me filling my pack with about 1.5 liters of water; I never needed to stop.)

Miles 7 - 10:  After a short downhill section, the gravel road continued straight, but the course took a hard right off the road and onto an uphill single-track section.  I continued straight on the dirt road, veering off course for the first of two times.  The person I had just passed yelled at me, and as I turned back, he said, "I think the course goes this way", pointing into the woods.  Indeed it does.  Argh.  Following the race instructions, I had downloaded the GPX route onto my watch, and vowed to actually pay attention to the watch going forward.

I repassed the runner, as well as the next runner who was power-hiking the hill, as we ascended another 400' to what would be the highest point on the course.  Shortly after, it was on this section where I made my second and final error in going off-course.  About the time I noticed I hadn't seen a flag in a while, I checked my watch which indicated that I was indeed off-course.  Obviously, I missed a turn but since it appeared I was running parallel and very close to the true course, I continued on hoping the two trails would reconnect.  They would not.  Unfortunately, I quickly came to a point where the trail I was on continued straight while the true course veered left.  Now what?  Retreat or bushwhack?  Given that I was seemingly so close to the true course and I had run at least 1/4 mile since the trails diverged, I chose the latter.  Here I briefly came almost to a walk as I was bushwhacking through thin trees very close together.  Fortunately, after only about 50 meters of this, I came upon and re-entered the course, right in front of a runner I had passed at least a mile ago.  Yes!  Just as I was fearing a DNF, I was back on track.

Mile 10 was downhill, partially with switch-backs through the woods, and partially along the edge of a grass field.

Miles 10 - 12:  These two miles would be on dirt roads.  We exited the grass field onto Bible Hill Road, and Mile 11 saw over a 300' drop, with Mile 12 going back up for about 160'.  My legs are feeling really tired by now, and I'm welcoming the downhill on gravel roads.  Mile 11 will be my fastest mile at 6:26 (6:56 GAP), and I again pass quite a few runners on the downhill and uphill, probably at least a dozen more.  This includes at 2-3 that have resorted to walking uphill, but I'm feeling reasonably good and that's not even a consideration for me.  I pass aid station #3 with two runners stopped, but at this point I feel good, I still have plenty of water and I have been taking GUs every 45 minutes, so I decline to stop and continue on.

Miles 12 - Finish:  We turn off the dirt road for the final time, and head slightly uphill over a long and very wet and muddy grass field.  I catch up to a runner, who promptly takes off again as I catch him.  I'm running my own race and not specifically chasing him, but we play this cat and mouse game for several iterations more before I finally pass him for good.  When I reach the top of the open field, I recognize this from yesterday's course preview run, and realize that we just have ~1.5 miles to go, with the vast majority of it downhill!

Wet muddy section towards the end

I am really enjoying this section of the course and savoring that we are very close.  There are actually a couple of spectators on this single-track section of the course, likely runners themselves, and they are telling me that I've also to the finish.

As we exit the trails and onto the short section of ski trails downhill, I catch and pass several more runners.  The finish line is in sight.  When Jana asked me what time I expected to finish in, I had guessed about 2:20, so I was that much more surprised when I saw 2:00:xx on the clock as I approached.

Finished!  Feeling pretty good, actually.

Final result:  2:01:01, 23rd out of 106 males, 1st in M50-59 age group.  Full results here.

Celebrating with my fan base

What went well:

• Very well organized.
• Fun, low key event.  (I didn't know the course preview leader was pro runner Dan Curts, he just introduced himself as Dan.  Similarly, the friendly young woman runner that was talking to me even during the race went to win the race and $1,250, but never mentioned it.  Humble.)
• Nice mix of single-track and dirt roads.  Going into the race, I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but I rather enjoyed it.
• Near zero asphalt (only crossing roads or transitional to the next trail).
• Continuous camp fire added to the trail run vibe:
• 
• Dog friendly!
• Post-race burrito lunch:
• 
• I ran well and had a lot of fun!

What could have gone better:

• The race seemed a little pricey to me, at $115.
• I struggled on the uphills, especially early on.  I've always been a slow uphill runner relative to others my pace, but I have some work to do.
• While the course was generally well marked, I still managed to go off-course not once, but twice.  Fortunately I followed the directions and downloaded the route to my watch, otherwise it would have been tough to recover from my second deviation.
• 

April 2024: Taper & Spring Marathon

Running stats:

Miles run:  251.0

Elevation gain:  14,242'

Weekly miles (for weeks ended in month):  64, 59, 51, 55

Reduced mileage and elevation leading up to and through marathon taper and race

Primary running surfaces:  Roads (130 miles), trails (101)

Primary running locations:  Charlestown (74 miles), then Exeter (35)

Other disciplines:

• Walk / hike:  12 miles

Quick synopsis:

• Mileage lower as expected, due to marathon taper.
• Three races this month.  Goal race was the St Lawrence Marathon.  Too many races; more on this facet later in post.

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Interesting runs:

• Workout Wednesday, Charlestown, April 17.  16 miles with 8 in the middle at MP.  Trouble is it was too little, too late.  I kept deferring this intended workout (originally 22 miles with 12 at MP) because of other races, group runs, weather excuses, etc.
• Potter Woods, Queensbury, NY, April 28.  Short and easy post-marathon recovery run, with Brady, in a fun area.

• 
  

  
  
  
  

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Races:

Middletown 10K (Apr 7):

Middletown, CT

USATF-CT 10K Championship.  36:45, 2nd in 55-59 age group.  My fastest certified 10K ever!  Every single mile was sub-6.  And our Grandmasters male team came in 1st place!  Really happy with this one!

Race report here

Rocky Neck Trail 5K (Apr 21):

East Lyme, CT

USATF-CT MUT Series.  21:40, 5th overall.  In retrospect, I really shouldn't have run this, given that it was six days before my spring marathon.  I wanted to help out the team, but we ended up coming in 3rd place (out of 3 male teams), so I didn't do the team or myself any favors, and it just wasn't worth the risk.  I did take it easier on the race, but even if it didn't directly hurt my marathon chances, it came at the opportunity cost of not being able to do a quality training run that day or even weekend.  For the next marathon, I simply need to get better at weeding out races that aren't helping me.

St Lawrence Marathon (Apr 27):

Cornwall, ON

2:57:48, 13th overall, 1st in age group.  I was initially really disappointed with this.  Not the time I was looking for, and I had some issues with progressively slowing down, but it wasn't a disaster either.  The marathon was very well organized and quite scenic for most of the course.

Towards the end of the race.
Form is looking better than I felt.

Well, seeing this observation about the weather from the local newspaper in Cornwall, ON,
I feel a little better about my slowing down more than expected.

Race report here

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Miscellaneous:

• For the second consecutive month, I had to cancel the WLT Thursday series hike I was scheduled to lead.  Yet another rainy day on flooded trails.
• Congrats to Foreigner for finally and deservedly making it into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  But how ridiculous is it that it took a classic rock band like Foreigner years to get in, while this year also saw the entry of Kool and the Gang and some rap / hip-hop band named "A Tribe Called Quest".  Is this a rock and roll hall of fame, or just a free-for-all any kind of music hall of fame?
• Disappointed that the Mad Fox Trail Fest (Waterville Valley, NH) has been cancelled.  Supposedly due to low registrations, but since it was cancelled a full two months before race date, seems suspect and premature.  This would've been the 2nd canicross race with Brady; I'll have to look for something else.
• On our trip into Canada, the Canadian customs officer pointed to Brady in the back seat, and asked, "Do you have any documentation for him?"  We had stopped presenting Brady's papers at border crossings, because we just weren't being asked for them.  Of course, we complied, and the customs officer spent the most time examining Brady's documentation in detail before finally letting us enter.
• On the return into the US, when I was asked the purpose of my trip, I explained I ran the St Lawrence Marathon.  The US customs officer seemed very interested in the marathon, and he spent the next few minutes asking me many detailed questions on the marathon and its route, asked us no other questions at all, and let us in.
• We had a fantastic [mostly] healthy lunch in Cornwall, Ontario, the day before the marathon:
• 
  
  
Not so healthy choices on the New York side:



What the heck is a "tornado" anyway?
And do you really want to be eating "River Rat"
cheese curds?

• For the past 2-3 years, I had been putting off a landscaping project in the front of the house.  Meanwhile the bushes continued getting out of control, taking over our driveway, sidewalk, and front steps.  This project took longer than I expected (of course, right?), but it's done:

  

  I liked our "dwarf" Alberta spruces, but
  they were taking over our steps,
  driveway, and sidewalk.

  

  The trunk was much larger than I expected.

  

  A chainsaw was necessitated.
  And yes, this is how I dress in the sun now
  after cancer excision surgeries on the head.

  

  Digging out the root clusters was the biggest and hardest chore.

  

  This time I smartened up and bought not only
  bushes that were small, but ones that are projected
  to grow no higher than 2' high.
  (Identifications below:)

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  

  Also added in two hydrangeas that Jana picked out.

  
  

  

  These should be much more manageable,
  with plenty of room to grow.

• 
  

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Looking ahead to May:

Two races on the docket:

• Vermont Overland, West Windsor, VT, May 11.  15M race on a mix of hilly gravel roads and trails.  Nick A has run this the past two years and running it again this year; that's how I learned about it.
• Ottawa 10K, Ottawa, ON, May 25.  It's odd that this is a Saturday evening run.  Not sure how that will go, but it'll be fun as part of a mini family get-away, including Matthew this time.

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Monthly highlight: 

Middletown 10K.  For a race that I contemplating not running at all this year, it exceeded my expectations.  And it's rare that I can get a PR in any distance.

Monthly lowlight: 

While I wasn't happy with how much I slowed down in the St Lawrence Marathon, that seems a stretch to call it the lowlight of the month.  Maybe the Rocky Neck Trail 5K for the combined reasons of 1) I really shouldn't have run this six days prior to a goal marathon, and 2) about one-third of the "trail" race is on pavement!

St Lawrence Marathon

 

Cornwall, Ontario, Canada

Saturday, April 27, 2024

When looking at a spring marathon for this year, I ran an online marathon search looking for flat or mostly flat, average starting temp < 50°F, > 100 runners, no later than April, and eliminated multi-loop and pure OAB courses.  There really aren't a lot of marathons fitting that narrow criteria.  I considered both Shamrock Marathon (Virginia Beach, VA) and St Lawrence Marathon.  Both are relatively flat and both typically have decent race day temps.  A number of race reports suggested that very often wind can be a factor for Shamrock, so ultimately I decided on St Lawrence as I clicked through the registration process on New Year's Day and paid a very inexpensive marathon fee of CAD 90 (~ US$ 65).

Goals:  

• "A" goal was to run a PR (2:47:55, Detroit Marathon, 2022).  This was a stretch goal that I didn't expect, but you have to push yourself, right?
• "B" goal was to run sub-2:55.  I DID expect to run this.
• "C" goal:  skipped this one.  I used to say "Boston Qualifier", but my BQ now is a 3:50!  Certainly not a reflection on others, but for me, if I'm not breaking 3:50, I'm having a really bad day!  (Only once have I ever finished a road marathon slower than 3:50, and that was Boston 2004 when the start was at high noon and it was a freak heat wave with an 86°F start.)

Race travel:  Being roughly a 7-hour drive from home to Cornwall, I opted to break up the trip in order to start the marathon well rested.  Drove as far as Lake Placid, NY on Thursday, leaving Friday a rest day with just under a 2-hour drive.

Great view and hotel grounds at the Crowne Plaza, Lake Placid

Older, but very nice and comfortable hotel,
quite reasonably priced (off-season)

The patio doors from our room onto a large grass field.
Very convenient, especially for taking Brady out for a walk
or to play ball.

Yes, of course Brady came for the trip!
(Rest stop I-87 Queensbury, NY)

Friday was mostly a rest day.  Slept in, easy run on Lake Placid roads with Brady, crossed into Canada, easy race check-in, and a pasta dinner with Jana at a nice Italian restaurant in Cornwall to cap the day off.

Race morning:  Race start at 7am.  Alarm went off at 5am.  Not terrible.  Much better than Honolulu marathon last December, where I was getting up at 3am for the 5am start!  Anyway, had my very usual breakfast of oatmeal and a bagel, and was out the door by 5:30am.  Being a point-to-point marathon, we were bused from the finish to the start, just like Boston.  But unlike Boston, you board the bus between 60 and 90 minutes before race start, not 3+ hours!  Jana dropped me off at the race start at 5:45am, and I immediately boarded the bus.

The bus ride went by quickly, mostly because I struck up a conversation with the guy sitting next to me.  Geoff (good name, right, despite the spelling?) from Ontario was wearing an Ironman Muncie [Indiana] cap, ran Tokyo Marathon last month (2:46), and had seemingly run many marathons all over.  No problem finding conversation there!

The bus arrived at the race start about 6:20am, and we all jumped into the long (but fast moving) line for the porta-potties.  Went for a short warm-up, came back to where I stashed my bag next to a tree, ate a Honey Stinger waffle, stripped down to my race gear, put 3 GU gels into my shorts back pocket, and changed into race shoes.  Lined up in the second row.  Found it somewhat comical that as the RD was counting down from ten, several participants were running towards the starting line and would not make it in time.  The RD was very clear that the race would start on time at 7am, and there was a digital clock displaying the time, so not sure what the issue was.  (NB:  Full disclosure that yours truly was a full twelve minutes late to the Blessing of the Fleet 2019.) 

Lined up ready to go, in a very rural environment

Start to 2KM:  Rough surface.  It was fully disclosed on the race website that the first 2km would be on dirt, and there was even a video showing this, but it was somehow rougher than I had expected.  It was a hard-packed surface with divets and tire tracks.  39°F at the start, so maybe those tracks had even frozen?  (conjecture on my part).  I got caught up in the fast runners taking off and ended up running a 6:07 first mile, before correcting back to my 6:20s target.  I settled into 6th place, where I would remain pretty much for the first half.

You can see the dirt surface here.
(Race IG site)

2KM to 14KM:  Waterfront Trail (paved bike bath).  I was feeling really good here (as I certainly should this early in the race!), and was hitting my 6:20s target.  There were water / Gatorade aid stations every 2-3 kilometers and the volunteers were cheery and friendly.  At one aid station I caught and passed the 5th place runner, who immediately sped up and repassed me.  This section was really scenic through pine forests and then along a canal.

8K mark (from race website course preview)

11K mark (from race website course preview)

14KM to 24KM:  Long Sault Parkway.  This was the only on-road section of the marathon.  We were told to stay in the left shoulder, so I was expecting a busy road, but the reality was that this was an extremely quiet road with almost zero traffic.  This was where I started my gradual slow down.  Mile 11 was my final mile in the 6:20s, and I would progressively and consistently slow from there.  I really don't have an explanation why, and was searching for one.  There was a hill climb, but it was only 40'!  The terrain was open now, and there was a very slight but perceptible "headwind", but it was only 5mph!  All excuses.  

14K:  start of the Long Sault Parkway
(race website course preview)

I told myself if I could stay in the 6:30s, I might still break 2:50.  I hit the half split at 1:24:59, and the first of a number of runners passed me.  I knew sub-2:50 was out the window.  Sub-2:55?  By the end of this section, I had drifted into the 6:40s.  Ouch.  Maybe things would get better for me once I got off the road and onto the next bike path.  (Spoiler alert:  they wouldn't.)

Waterstop along the Long Sault Parkway. I really do appreciate
the volunteers here, but I am just very focused.
(Free photo from race photographer Captured Moments)

24KM to Finish:  Waterfront Trail (paved bike path).  Unlike the earlier section of bike path, the next few kilometers were not nearly as attractive as they were along a road.  By the time I hit the 30KM mark (each kilometer was marked), I was just mentally checked out.  I was warm, I had small bugs in both my eyes that I couldn't get rid of, and I was running high 6:50s.  It was frankly really depressing to see several more runners pass me, but I had zero response, and just had to feign support and enthusiasm as I said "Good job" to each of them.

30K  (from race website course preview)

After Mile 20, I was running north of 7-minute pace.  I knew my "B" goal of sub-2:55 was out the window, and I was worried I wouldn't even break 3 hours.  Now that would be really depressing.  The half-marathon started at 9am and it was an OAB on the same bike path, so soon I saw the half-marathoners coming at me.  At that point, they stayed to my left on the bike path, and marathoners finishing stayed to the right, and there was really plenty of room for us to maneuver.  This helped divert my attention and the kilometer markers seem to come up quickly.  The mid-pack half-marathoners were especially supportive and some even lied and said I looked really strong!  

37K (race website)

39K - Seaway International Bridge (race website)

The 10K and 5K races would start at 10am sharp.  I remember thinking:  please let me finish before then.  I feared I would soon be running 8-minute miles or worse, but my slowest mile was 7:28 at Mile 23, and by then we were so close to the finish that I was able to dig down and finish without further slowing down.  The last few kilometers were back directly along the St Lawrence River, running through greenway and quite scenic.

Nice pic coming off the bridge in final kilometers

(Race photographer Dick Budge)

I really like this photograph.  Both feet off
the ground, with the St Lawrence River in the
background.  I believe about 1km to go in the photo.
Form looks much better than I expected.
(Free race photo)

Final strides to the finish,
at St Lawrence College.
(Photo by Jana)

Done.  Crossed the finish line.

Final result:  Chip time 2:57:48.  13th overall (of 223), 1st in age group.

Immediately after finish,
with one of my biggest fans, Brady!
(Photo by Jana)

Interesting note that this was my first race ever in the M60+ category (see screenshot below).  At first, I thought this was some kind of mistake, as I'm "only" 59 years, 9 months.  But I later Googled and learned that in Canada, your age group is based upon your age at the end of the calendar year (much like triathlons here).

What went well:

• Did I mention the entry fee?!  US$65 is probably the lowest price I've ever been charged (other than comp entry of course).
• Pre-race e-mail was very detailed and informative.
• Course was very well marked.
• Course was scenic (forests, greenway, canals, lake, St Lawrence River).
• Each kilometer was marked.
• Volunteers were supportive, engaged, and friendly.
• Starting weather (calm, 39°F) was conducive.
• The first ten miles of my race went according to my plan and target splits.
• Abundant post-race food (water, Gatorade, chocolate milk, yogurt, bagels, orange slices, etc.)
• Free race photos!
• First name on bib.
• Jana and Brady at finish line!

What could've gone better:

• The first 2KM on dirt track was rougher than I expected, and I had to be really careful with my footing.
• I ran well for 10 miles, but then just progressively slower and slower.  It just wasn't my day.
• Warm and sunny in finishing miles (60°F).
• Annoying little bugs that we ran through, and got stuck in my eyes, irritating me.  Talking to one competitor just at finish, I noticed he had them all over his face and upper chest.

Post-race, I received a lot of supportive comments through texts and Strava.  The perspective was helpful, and in retrospect a 2:57 marathon at age 59 isn't that bad.  Matthew told me it equated to a 2:26 age-graded.  While I can't call it a well run race, as I dropped a full minute in pace time from 6:20s to 7:20s, it could have been much worse.  

I'll have to perform some more analysis and introspection on how I could have better prepared in training (and I know much of that already), but for now, I'm OK with the race and am moving on.  A couple of trail races coming up short term, and looking forward to summer racing season, which will bring me into training for road marathon #27!  Onwards!