Weekly Log 22-Aug to 28-Aug-2022: Maine

Monday:  8

Groton, CT.  Haley Farm and Bluff Point State Parks in the rain.  After not having seen any decent amount of rain in well over a month, it was a nice welcome to have a steady heavy rain today.  The rain was especially heavy as I started my run with Matthew and Brady, and abated late in the run.  One of the things I don't like about these two parks is how popular they are, so today was a great day to go!

We saw one older gentlemen out on a mountain bike in a downpour.  He smiled and said he was surprised to see anyone else out here.  The second one was a woman walking in the rain in a rain jacket and hood.  I especially liked the parts where it was a downpour, as there were literally streams flowing on top of the trails, and plenty of puddles.  Fun!

Tuesday:  1 hike, 8 run, 0.5 swim

AM:  Westerly, RI.  Clean-up work for WLT at Avondale Preserve.   Hot with mosquitos while working to expose a stone wall.

AM:  Charlestown, RI.  Went from Avondale to Burlingame Picnic Area.  Very slow shake-out (8:30 pace) on mostly dirt roads with once connecting trail.  Battle of Stonington this evening.

AM:  Charlestown, RI.  Immediately followed up my run with a 1/2 mile swim.  Of the three morning activities, this was my favorite.  I took it intentionally slow (I'm always slow, but I mean slow for me), got into a rhythm, and just really enjoyed myself out in the water.

PM:  Stonington, CT.  Battle of Stonington 5K.  Separate write-up to follow.

Wednesday:  11

Charlestown, RI.  Burlingame's Vin Gormley loop with Brady, with a couple of tack-ons:  Added on Burlingame Trail/Wildlife Loop instead of going through campground, and went down to North Camp on dirt road and back on parallel single-track.  Swims at North Camp and at finish at boat ramp.  Dripping humidity.

Thursday:  10

Charlestown, RI.  Dragged my feet getting out of bed and after a meeting with ham radio team on planning for Grills Trail Race, didn't start my run until 11am.  By then, the temp was in the low 80s, with direct sunlight and no breeze.  I wore a hat, as I do almost every run (unless dark or very overcast) since my cancer surgeries on my head, but it still wasn't very smart running in the mid-day heat.  I was hot and felt some mild heat exhaustion later in the afternoon.

Friday:  5

Westerly, RI.  Easy run with Brady scouting out condition of Wahaneeta Preserve, especially after the pond-dredging work is now done.  There is some restorative work and minor trail maintenance that will need to be done before race date on September 14, but it's all very manageable.  Got back home and drove up to Maine for a weekend trip.

Saturday:  12

Bar Harbor, ME.  Matthew had planned out a 16-mile mountain run, which certainly sounded good, but unfortunately my body just wasn't up to it.  We had camped in Camden the night before, and drove the 1.5 hours to Acadia National Park.  We set out from Eagle Lake Bridge with hydration packs properly loaded and in great temps (62°) albeit very high humidity (93%).

Flat and easy along dirt carriage roads for the better part of three miles.  Had to keep Brady on a leash due to the number of walkers and bike riders on the carriage road.  Had to hold him back as he wanted to run ahead with Matthew and not be slowed down by me.  We turned off the carriage roads and onto singlet track about 2.75 miles in, and from there the work began in earnest, with a 900' climb up to the summit of Pemetic Mountain (1,274').  I ran much of the ascent, but there were parts that were too steep for me.  There was also one steep part up a rock slab that I needed to physically lift and hoist Brady over.  Nice views and open above treeline running at the summit, and then what goes up must came down, with an equivalent 900' descent.  

Technical climb up Pemetic Mountain.

Section where I needed to pick up
Brady and put him on this ledge.  Oof.
(He weighs 72 pounds, more than half my weight.) 

 

At the summit.

Running above treeline was a blast!

We stopped at Jordan Pond House to refill packs and continued on.  The plan was to summit Penobscot Mountain next, but early on running/hiking the Ridge Trail it became apparent that this was just way too technical for Brady to ascend, and it made the choice easy for me to part ways and backtrack as I was physically tired and having doubts on my own limits for today.   Brady and I ran carriage roads for a while and should've continued, but I saw a shorter route, not realizing how technical the next three miles would be.  I had plenty of water, and also gave Brady plenty, but I bonked nonetheless.

One of the most technical sections, between Jordan Pond
and Eagle Lake.  Slow going through the boulder fields.

Edge of Eagle Lake

Sunday:  12

Camden, ME.  Fun fact:  this was our 3rd consecutive August staying in Camden Hills State Park and also running up Mount Battie from the backside.  Ran the usual route of Route 1 downhill into Camden, technical climb up the backside of Mount Battie, up to Ocean Lookout, and Mount Megunticook.  From there, though, we ventured into new territory with trekking over to Cameron Mountain.  The early miles were the hardest, and the last few miles were mostly on dirt roads.

Technical climb up Mt Battie

Nice views at Ocean Lookout

Weekly mileage:  68 run, 1 walk, 0.5 swim

Weekly synopsis:  Another good running week!

Weekly highlight:  Camden Hills run.  By rights, it should've been the Acadia National Park run, but I was just gassed and a little lost on my return.

Weekly lowlight:  Not getting in a long run.

Weekly Log 15-Aug to 21-Aug-2022: Stonington XC

Monday:  10

AM:  Stonington, CT.  1.5 miles with Brady at SHS, checking out the previously overgrown section of the course where we're hosting a run this Wednesday.  Looks good!  2 DFKs.

AM:  Exeter, RI.  We met Matthew at Midway parking lot on Route 165 for another 8-miles.  Mix of trails and dirt roads inside Arcadia.  I know the trails better, and Matthew knows the roads better, so between the two of us we got it done.  

Tuesday:  12

Charlestown, RI.  My turn to plan out the run.  I was looking for a 12-13 road run today, and I really like running the Quonnie roads, so we went to West Beach lot (free) and started from there, running my regular Quonnie route of about 7 miles, plus added a section north of Route 1 by running Klondike up and 216 back.  

This was my first run on my 3rd (and probably final) pair of NB Rebel 2.  As I mentioned before, I just love these shoes.  Comfortable right out of the box, lightweight, and springy.  Unfortunately, they have a major flaw in the upper material prematurely separating from the midsole.  This is a known issue that NB is looking to fix in the Rebel 3, which is due out any day.  In the meantime, I bought my last two Rebel 2 pairs for $62 per pair ($130 retail) and the last pair made it to 290 miles before end of life, so not terrible.

Despite temps being in upper 70s during our run, I felt great.  To be fair, the humidity was only about 65% so the weather was much better than of late.  With two miles to go, Matthew said if I wanted to run faster I should go for it, and I was feeling good so I picked it up to close in 6:15 and 5:42.

Wednesday:  8

AM:  Westerly, RI.  3 miles at Bradford Preserve, with Brady, mapping out requested course options for Westerly Middle School XC home meets, while no longer utilizing the portion of trail under the current wetlands violations restrictions.

PM:  Stonington, CT.  Stonington XC Fun Run, including course marking, warm-up, and running the race itself.  Brief recap of my own race:

Mile 1:  The first 500 meters is on the track.  Went through the start/finish (400m) in 75 seconds, which is an unsustainable pace for me at about 5-flat, but I stuck it out with the pack.  There are a few grass sections during the rest of the first mile to slow down the pace a bit, but the first mile also has the most road sections, and here the lead pack continued at a very fast pace for me, and I got passed here by a guy in a Bridgewater State singlet, and the five now ahead of me only increased their gap on me.  Mile split 5:51.

Just 100 meters into the race,
as Matthew leads from the start
(Pics by Jana)

2nd lap around the track:
I'm struggling to stay relevant here,
as I'm in 5th place
and I will soon be passed by the guy in the 
red Bridgewater singlet

Mile 2:  This mile is almost entirely trail.  The course has more trail this year and less field, due to incorporating the brand new red trail at the request of Stonington Rec.  This was the right move, as it eliminated both a run around a soccer field always in use as well as more importantly removing the only 2-way traffic section.  The cost to pay is that the new trail (and by extension the new course) is slower as there is additional trail and that trail being newly cut is rougher, as well as has a few mildly technical sections.  I would say that it's slower for everyone, which is true, but apparently favored me, as on the trails I went from 6th position to 2nd.  Early on in the trails Nick sensed me coming up on him (probably by the loud breathing) and graciously moved to the side and pointed for me to go by.  One down.  Immediately ahead of Nick was the red singlet Bridgewater guy.  He didn't seem like he'd be letting me pass of his own volition, and this was pretty tight single-track, but I soon saw an opportunity and took it:  just ahead there were two decent size rocks on the right hand side of the trail.  Correctly deducing that he would take the flat surface to the left of the rocks, I sped up, jumped onto the rocks and quickly vaulted off the rocks back onto the trail in front of him.  It worked!  Two down.  Ran as an island until towards the end of the red trail, when I came up on Dave and just said, "On your left!" and went by.  I almost fell as I went by!  Dave is just such a nice guy that he apologized, but the truth is it was all on me rounding a corner poorly.  Three down.  Red trail ended, and we re-enter the trail with the short but steep hill with a caution sign.  From here on out, the course would remain the same as last year.  Accordingly, we were soon on much wider trail.  I could see Jonny E in near distance, and gradually caught up to him before passing him at the end of the trail.  Mile split 7:16.

Mile 3:  The final mile is back to being fast.  There is a very short section of road, a short section of trail, and the rest is grass and track.  As I start to approach the section going around the pond, I see Matthew at the opposite end of the pond.  He is solidly ahead of me, but I'm just surprised to see him at all.  I remind myself that I passed the four guys during the trail section, and any one of them or all could re-pass me now.  That kept me pushing hard, as I feared someone coming up on me, but wasn't going to waste any valuable time looking back.  The mile was a hard effort for me but I managed to fend off my competitors, as I finished 15 seconds ahead of Jonny.  (I was over a minute behind Matthew who won in 18:27.

400 meters to go.  Pushing hard to stay ahead of Jonny.

Final result:  19:31, 2nd of 46 finishers.  Results here.

Thursday:  10

Westerly, RI.  Low tide beach run with Brady.  This was actually my first time running barefoot the full 10-mile stretch (Weekapaug Breachway to East Beach, Watch Hill, OAB).  And it's mid-August now.  Finished with an obligatory swim in the ocean.  Very refreshing.

Friday:  9

Charlestown, RI.  Rhody reverse loop with Brady, plus tacked on North Camp with a swim in the middle.  So surprised to see so much traffic on the local Charlestown roads on a Friday morning.  Some of it looked like it was for Camp Watchaug.  Glad we got that road mile out of the way first!  Additional swim at boat ramp when we finished.  Unfortunately, there were two young girls that seemed very afraid of Brady.  I get that some people don't like dogs and/or have had bad experiences, so I kept him on a leash until we got to the dock, but I wasn't about to put him on a leash in the water jumping off the dock and swimming!  Sorry, girls.  Their Mom seemed totally fine with Brady and did her best to tell the girls that Brady was fine.

Saturday:  20

Charlestown, RI.  Parked at The Bakery, and mapped out kind of a double-lollipop:  head west with a small loop in Arnolda/Ninigret (8 miles round-trip) and then head east with a small loop in Matunuck Beach section of SK (some of same roads on Run 4 Kerri, but skipping neighborhood).

The run went surprisingly well, especially given humidity north of 90%.  I wore one of the lightest singlets I own, but still very early could feel the dampness and about four miles in I my singlet was just soaked.  Fortunately, the course gave me an opportunity to return to the car 8 miles in and by then I was feeling dehydrated, so a good time to stop, lose the singlet, and get a gel and water.

I saw a few people in Ninigret Park, was surprised on way out to Matunuck to see so many walkers, runners, and riders on Matunuck Schoolhouse Road.  All the walkers and runners said hello, and in keeping true with Mikey B's biker theory, less than half the riders waved or nodded.  I want to be fair in that the ones that did wave and/or nod were exemplary, as one even deliberately rode into traffic in front of a car just to make sure that I had plenty of unobstructed room to run.

I feared getting tired and having issues on the way back in the humidity.  As I reached Mile 15, by now my shorts and even my socks were drenched.  But I trucked on and at a sub-6:45 pace at that.  When I finished up 20 at The Bakery, I was conscious that I was a disgusting sweaty mess in line at The Bakery.  The owner said it must have been a tough run out there, and as a former WTAC runner himself, I doubt he minded my condition.

I was quite dehydrated by now.  Quickly downed an iced latte, a cranberry juice, a scone, and most of the water I had with me before the short drive to Watchaug Pond to jump in and soak.  Not my kind of weather, but I got it done!  6:42 average pace for 20 miles.

Sunday:  7

West Greenwich, RI.  One mile dirt road, six miles trails.  Slept in and drove to Stepstone Falls, as I thought that would be a good place to take a dip at the end of the run and maybe even try the rope swing.  I just feared there would be too many people on a lazy summer Sunday morning.  Wrong on all accounts.  The good news is that very few people were there, but the bad news outweighed the good, as the falls were completely dried up.  There was a pool of water where the rope swing was, but it was about a foot deep at most.  Yeah, this isn't going to work.

Ran down the Ben Utter Trail, and at the base of the trail, there were at least a few pockets of moving water deep enough for Brady to lie down in and cool off.  Ran Breakheart -> Shelter -> Plain Road, where we once again to took a short break for Brady to hydrate and cool over in the river.  On Plain Road, I waved to the only biker I saw, who scowled back at me and then looked away.  I have no idea what was up with that.  Went back via the unnamed (?) trail just west of and parallel to Ben Utter Trail.

Deprived of my own dip (and Brady's) at the falls, I stopped at the check station on Route 165 on the way back.  The Wood River there was very low, but fortunately there was a decent length of a 4' deep section, deep enough and long enough for me to dive under and swim some strokes.  Cool and very refreshing!

Weekly mileage:  76!

Weekly synopsis:  Highest mileage week since Christmas 2018, so certainly quite happy with that.  Also happy to get a 20-miler in.  Eight weeks 'til fall marathon.

Weekly highlight:  Completing the 20-mile training run in average 6:42 pace in spite of horrible humidity.

Weekly lowlight:  Not mixing in any biking or swimming, but clearly the fall marathon is my goal, and triathlons are just a fun distraction for me.

Weekly Log 8-Aug to 14-Aug-2022: Bottone Mile

Monday:  0.5 swim, 9 ride, 6 run

Charlestown, RI.  Triathlon simulation at Burlingame Picnic Area.  First time using triathlon mode on my Fenix 5.  Intuitive and easy to review.  Set "Triathlon" mode to start, then just press "lap" to move through swim, T1, ride, T2, and run.  What was far less easy was getting this activity done in yet another hot and humid day.

Tuesday:  9 run, 1 kayak

AM:  Stonington, CT.  Another super-humid (93%) run.  Even at 8am, it was already close to 80°.  So sick of this weather.  This is about the fifth day in a row, and supposedly the last in this heat wave.  It was my first time ever running on Osbrook Point Road (Matthew arranged the route), and it was pretty neat, but I just couldn't enjoy as I was having trouble breathing the thick air.  Next up was Barn Island Management Area, which was so laden with deerflies that I couldn't wait to get back on the roads.  13 DFKs.  Miserable pests.  I know, a lot of whining on today's post, but it just wasn't my day out there.

PM:  Haven't run with Brady in five days, mostly because I don't want to drag him out on runs in this nasty weather.  I sort of made up for it by taking him to a neighbor's pool to swim, and then for a kayak on Watchaug Pond.

I guess he's content!

Wednesday:  5

AM:  Westerly, RI.  Short and easy run with Brady in Woody Hill, from Fallon Trail.  Shake-out run with the deerflies in tow.  5 DFKs.

PM:  Westerly, RI.  Bottone Mile.  This is the one WTAC event each year that I get the most nervous about.  Not about my own racing, but as Race Director.  There are three events that happen in rapid succession:  1) Children's 1/3 Mile Run, 2) 1-Mile race, and 3) summer youth awards ceremony.  The children's race is by far the easiest of the three and seldom presents issues.  As for the 1-mile race, it's tougher to hand time because so many runners are coming in at the same time, but beyond that, it seems every year we have stragglers that show up at the last minute unregistered and every year I have at least one person that wants to argue with me about something, despite it being a free race.  I enjoy the summer youth awards ceremony, but inevitably every year at least one child and/or their parent(s) is disappointed when an award is not received, and while I'm far from perfect, it's almost always the fault of the parent who didn't check their child in, didn't provide their child's time, and didn't check any of the results online each week, despite my requesting them to do so multiple times verbally and in e-mails.

I totally missed introducing Nick Bottone for his customary remarks.  I did not mean to slight him at all, and I did reach out to him the next day to apologize and let him know it was just my forgetfulness with so much going on.  I need to go back to having cheat sheets of what I want to say as RD.

Don't get me wrong; more than 90% of the runners are positive, complimentary, and appreciative, but that's the backdrop of my stress going into the evening.  Now that I got that rant out of the way :) , here is my own brief race report:

Tonight's course

Started in the second row of the first wave (of two).  The first turn (of four - see map above) is the worst, probably because it's the most crowded and also because it's a tight narrow turn onto the busiest road of the course (Atlantic Ave).  Turning again quickly off Atlantic onto Crandall, at 1/4 mile in, I am already in oxygen debt and will be breathing hard and loud for the rest of the race.  I resist any urge to check my watch, which maybe I should have as it looks like my slowest section.  It's flat and fast here, so I can't exactly understand my slowdown.  Maybe it's just subconscious.

  

Start of race.  It looks like I quickly dropped back to about the 
3rd row.

I am in blue cap on far right.

The next and final two turns are easy to negotiate as you can cut as wide an arc as you want.  I catch up to both Nick and Steve deCastro, who urges me on with "let's go, Jeff; only 400 meters left".  I pass Nick and give chase to Steve.  It's good to have that carrot in front of me, as even though I do not catch him, it propels me along quickly.

Sprinting into the finish, I can sense someone
right behind me.  My guess is it is Nick,
but as you can see it is Tom. 
Pushing a double stroller!  Wow.

Final results:  5:12!  Full results here.  My fastest road mile ever!  Three seconds off my track mile.

Thursday:  18 run, 1 walk

AM:  Westerly, RI.  Coastal run.  I struggle in the heat and humidity (mid 70s and 94%).  I had put a $10 bill in my shorts, and I'm glad I did, as I stop for a break in Watch Hill to get an iced coffee and catch my breath.  Not one of my better long runs, but I got it done.

PM:  Westerly, RI.  Easy pre-dinner walk with Brady at Avondale Farm Preserve.

Friday:  11

AM:  Richmond, RI.  6-mile run with Brady at Baker Pines section of Arcadia.  Disappointingly overgrown on several sections of NST.  The only ones we saw out there was John Kostrzewa, who writes a weekly series in the Sunday Providence Journal on trails in Rhode Island.  I had met him before and supplied some info for his Wahaneeta / Woody Hill write-up, so I stopped and talked to him for a few minutes.

PM:  Groton, CT.  5 miles at the Groton Fun Run (Bluff Point State Park), including a cool-down with Dave.  Attendance was pretty light, but I think that was because a number of regulars were up in Vermont this week for the "100 on 100" relay.  In past years I would make a number of these, but this year this might be the only one.

Saturday:  11

Charlestown, RI.  Extended Rhody loop with Brady, including Burlingame Trail, Wildlife Trail, and North Camp.  Swim at North Camp.  Absolutely no one else out there.

Sunday:  7 run, 0.5 swim, 11 ride

East Lyme, CT.  Niantic Bay Triathlon.  Brief separate write-up to follow.

Weekly mileage:  66 run, 1 swim, 20 ride, 1 kayak, 1 walk

Weekly synopsis:  Quite a mix of physical activities for me this week.  And I still managed to get in a long run as well.  Good stuff.

Weekly highlight:  Best accomplishment was notching a new 1-mile road PR.  Most fun event was the Niantic Bay Tri.

Weekly lowlight:  Just the stress at the Bottone Mile.  But it's behind me now.

Beach to Beacon 10K

 

Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Saturday, August 6, 2022

After my two previous attempts to run this race failed, mostly due to the COVID pandemic, the third time (this year) was the charm.  This race typically opens on a spring morning at 7am and sells out in mere minutes.

Cape Elizabeth is about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Westerly, without traffic.  Bib pickup race morning was only allowed if absolutely needed and pre-arranged.  Therefore, ideally one would stay in the Cape Elizabeth vicinity the night before.  But having just recently spent ten days on a European vacation, and now waiting to the last minute, we were looking at hotel prices for the night mostly around the $500 mark.  So we did indeed arrange for bib pickup that morning at the Cape Elizabeth High School, but that would close at 7:15am as would shuttle service from the high school to the race start.  Leaving a buffer of 45 minutes for checking in and showing required COVID-19 vaccination proof, I wasn't interested in leaving Westerly by 3am or earlier.

The compromise between a high hotel or airbnb price and a long morning drive was driving up Friday night and staying in Andover, MA, reducing the Saturday morning drive time down to a more manageable 1.5 hours and the hotel price, even with including a surcharge for Brady, down to a more reasonable price of about $200.  Had a nice pasta dinner (shrimp scampi for me) at a nearby restaurant and got to bed at a reasonable hour.  We were up and out the door right about 5am, and got breakfast sandwiches from Dunkin' on the way.  Not ideal breakfast fare, but good enough for a 10K race.  So far, so good.

Undue stress:  The drive was uneventful until we got onto the Casco Bay Bridge, heading south from Portland towards Cape Elizabeth.  We had only four miles to go, with a straight shot down the main road (Route 77), and the GPS showed an ETA of 6:40am.  Sounds perfect with a buffer built in.  Or so we thought.  The traffic on the bridge came to a stand-still and barely creeped forward, as the ETA kept ticking up minute-by-minute.  It was stop and go the full four miles, and long story short, instead of arriving at 6:40 and being comfortable, we pulled into the high school parking lot at 7:05am (ten minutes before bib pickup was scheduled to close and last scheduled shuttle bus).  I was nervous and worked up.  Fortunately Matthew and I got out as Jana went to park the car.  We ran up to the nearest high school building.  Locked.  We asked a race volunteer where the bib pickup was, and she said she didn't know and directed us to another volunteer across the street.  Off and running.  The second volunteer told us bib pick-up was around the back of the building behind him.  OK, off and running.  Where?  We went completely around the building.  Nothing to be seen.  We came back to the same volunteer and told him we couldn't find the bib pickup.  A third volunteer told us completely different instructions going down in a hill in the opposite direction.  OK, off and running.  The third instruction was the charm. But we only have a few minutes to spare now.  How long is the bib line and will we make the last shuttle bus?  The line was almost nonexistent and we were able to quickly check in and show vaccination proof in order to get our bib.  Ran back up the hill and boarded the bus.  At 7:15am.  Whew!  (Note:  Jana would later tell us she saw runners boarding for at least another twenty minutes, but obviously we didn't know that at the time.)

The bus was quick for the roughly 3-mile trip to the start.  Dropped our bag, went to slightly shorter porta-jon lines, and went for about a 2-mile warm-up.  The lowlight of our warm-up was seeing Full Frontal Nudity Guy, who clearly didn't go far enough away from the road to take care of his stuff.  Temps were in low 70s, but humidity was a drenching 100%.  Glad I had a separate warm-up shirt from my race singlet.  Got back to the bus drop-off point with not a lot of time to spare.  Surprisingly ran into Chris Garvin, as I figured we'd never see him.  We changed into our race singlets, checked in our bags, and the three of us then wove our way through the crowds for the 1/4 mile to near the starting line, and then kind of pushed our way through the crowded corrals.  In a bonehead move, I had put my race hat into the bag and checked it in.  No time or room for strides.  Two minutes to the start.

Mile 1:  I was somewhere around ten rows back in the crowded start.  Based on the difference between my gun time and net time, it only took me six seconds to reach the start line.  I stayed on the far left shoulder for two reasons:  1) it meant less passing and weaving, and 2) there was more shade on the side of the road than in the middle!  I would say I saw the leaders for 1/2 mile, but it would be more accurate to say that I saw the lead vehicle and its big clock for 1/2 mile.  Mile 1 split 5:47.

Mile 2:  Early in this mile, I knew I had no shot of besting my 10K PR (36:22, 2012).  Side note is that it was set at the Christmas 10K in Newport, which is rumored to be a short course, and my Garmin has never recorded more than 6.15 miles on that course.  So should I just drop this particular PR?  I'd rather beat it fair and square on a certified course, and as 36:22 works out to an average 5:51 pace, I feel that's not out of the realm of possibility.

But it is today.  The humidity is doing a number on me and the clammy air is soaking my singlet and shorts.  A young girl flies by me, and I wonder if she will be able to keep that pace.  She will, as the 16-year old finishes in 36:28!  Mile 2 split 5:59.

Mile 3:  This was my favorite mile.  Early in the mile, a roadside band was blasting out Tom Petty's "Running Down a Dream".  Besides have the word "running" in the title, like VH's "Running with the Devil", this song is also very motivating!

While I can't place the exact location here,
I feel reasonably confident it was somewhere
between Mile 0 and Mile 6.  Is that helpful?
---
The few shaded sections were less awful
than the direct sun parts.  But I still look
pretty miserable here and I imagine drenched by now.

The mile is net downhill, and only turns uphill towards the end of the mile.  I felt like I was running pretty fast and surprised to see this mile split was 6-flat.  OK, half-way done.  Hold on and do your best.

Mile 4:  Jana and Brady would be watching during this mile, and try as I might, I never saw them.  I remember being distracted by (or rather attracted to) a water sprinkler on the course right near the high school where they'd be, and that could've been the spot where I missed them.  Just past the high school, the course makes a hard right onto Shore Road and it's nice to see the signs that we're just over two miles away from Fort Williams Park, where the race will end.  Mile 4 split is 6-flat again.

Mile 5:  We get a little respite here with another net downhill mile.  There is about a 50' drop down to the water.  I notice I'm passing some of the same runners that were passing me on short uphills.  I'm drenched and counting down to the finish.  Mile 5 split 5:52.  And that's with the downhill already factored in.  Not great.

Mile 5.  The one place on the course
where it goes right along the water.
(Official race pic)

Mile 6:  My worst mile, by far.  Often in the final mile just knowing the "end is near" is enough incentive for me to push it in hard.  There are a few hills in this mile, and they are only small rollers of not more than 40', but they're enough to do me in.  I feel like so many people are passing me in this final mile.  We turn off into Fort Williams Park, and there is one final small uphill to add insult to injury.  Mile 6 split 6:25.  Yikes.

Finish:  Finally at the Mile 6 marker, the course turns downhill once again as we head towards the water.  I see one guy with gray hair and fearing he may be in my age group, I chase after him.  I catch and pass him, as well as many more.  Much like Vermont, we turn off the pavement for a very short sprint on the grass to the finish line.

Sprinting to the finish.
What kind of bizarre angle is my left
foot at?

Done.

Final results:  37:20 gun time, 37:14 net time. average pace 6:00.  124th overall (out of 5,364 finishers).  2nd in age group (out of 174).  Official results here.

One of those newfangled fancy scoreboards that scans your
bib and then displays your results.

I crossed the finish line, and after catching my breath, asked the older looking guy (whom I passed) his age.  He replies that he is nowhere near as old as I think he is!  Is this because 1) he gets this type of remark often?, or 2) because he looks at me and decides he's nowhere near my old age?  His age is 38.  Boy, was I off on that one.

I try hard to stay out of the sun.  I retrieve my hat for at least some sun protection as we head towards the food offerings.  They are really good!  I come back for watermelon seconds and thirds before continuing on to sample other food.  Chocolate milk!  Delicious and protein rich.  I love it when races have chocolate milk.  I will end up drinking two of these and get two of the small containers of Maine blueberries they are giving away.  Now that is unique!  The only food I did not like was the mango pineapple drink that Dunkin' was giving away.  Made me pucker up.  The ocean floor is very rocky here, but I end up submerging myself in the ocean to cool off, while waiting for awards.

Casco Bay.  With the first of many runners to take to the
water.  This was refreshing!

After picking up my award (a $25 gift certificate to LL Bean), we headed towards the line where buses would bring you back to whatever parking lot you came from.  Only this line was just so long.  So Plan B was a trail run of four miles back to the start.  It should've been fun, but I was beat, we were awkwardly carrying our gear bag, and I was still in racing flats.   Made the best of it, although I felt badly that we really held up Jana and Brady quite a bit.  By the time we get back to the high school. it's after 11am, which means they had been at the high school for four hours now.  Fortunately, they're great supporters.

Random reflections:

• The course is really good.
• The organization and communication is top-notch.  (Well, except for the bib pickup directions miscommunication.)
• The race logistics are pretty difficult, including really congested roads arriving, long lines for buses returning, and difficult to self-seed in a very deep race like this.
• The starting area is non-descript, but more importantly, the finish area is beautiful with the ocean and a lighthouse right there.
• The post-race food was very good.
• Free photos are a great touch.  I run so many races that I seldom purchase race pics anymore unless it's something really phenomenal (like Laugavegur Ultra in Iceland), but I have no problem with the race organizer paying professional photographers out of our race entry fees even though it likely increases the entry price.
• This was one of the most miserable weather conditions I've ever encountered in a race (moderate heat plus drenching 100% humidity) and for that I suffered.  Obviously out of the hands of the race organizer.

Weekly Log 1-Aug to 7-Aug-2022: The Dog Days of Summer

Monday:  5

Charlestown, RI.  Drizzly warm run with Brady and the deerflies.  Burlingame North and North Camp.  Best part was a dip in Watchaug Pond at the docks, where there are never any deerflies.  Water is a little warm, but still feels good.

Tuesday:  1 walk, 10 run

AM:  Westerly, RI.  Weekly WLT mowing crew.  Today was weed-whacking and clearing out an old foundation at Sunny Acres.  All went well until I hit a yellow jacket nest without knowing it.  They let me know they were there, when one bit my arm.  Smacked him, and turned back and saw a torrent of his family was none to happy with me.  Dropped the weed-whacker and ran out of the foundation.  Two more stung me.  Hurt like a mother.  Swelled up pretty good before I was able to clean it up and the swelling went back down.  Had three welts for a couple of days.

Late AM:  Richmond, RI.  Asphalt / dirt road / trail run that Matthew had mapped out.  About 80°F at the start, about 85°F at the end.  Debated taking Brady or not, but once I saw there was a river about every 3 miles or so, went for it.  At every river, he would just lay down and soak, and I let him take all the time he needed.  Once he exited the river and we started running again, he really did fine.  There was one stretch of open sunny uphill asphalt about Mile 9 that he really slowed down on, but I did too, and fortunately the final mile was shaded Arcadia Trail.  Post-run the three of us fully soaked in the nearby Wood River.

Cooling off on a hot day

Just off Arcadia Road.  I never even knew these falls existed.

Wednesday:  9

AM:  Westerly, RI.  Local roads and trails with Brady.  Thrilled that there were no deerflies at Champlin.

PM:  Westerly, RI.  Final Fun Run of the year.  Where does the time go?  Was shooting for a sub-18, but ended up with 18:09.  Not the fastest course with 21 turns, and the 80° heat didn't help.  I know, excuses, excuses!

Start of the final fun run of the year.
My stance looks terribly awkward.

Passing through Mile 1

Thursday:  10

Westerly, RI.  Early (6:30am) run on the beach, OAB from Weekapaug Breachway to Watch Hill, with Matthew and Brady.  Ran three miles with shoes before stashing them at the west end of Atlantic Avenue, then barefoot the rest.  Refreshing dip in the ocean at end of run.

Friday:   6

Charlestown, RI.  Run with Matthew at Ninigret Park.  We were limited in our route options, as much of the field was blocked off for the setup of the annual Seafood Festival.  Sweaty mess.  Sick of this weather.

Saturday:  12

Cape Elizabeth, Maine.  Beach to Beacon 10K race, including warm-up and cool-down.  Separate write-up to follow.

Sunday:  14

Charlestown, RI.  Recovery run with Matthew.  Wanted to run an 18-miler, but the weather continues just to be brutal.  When it's 80° or more by 8 or 9am, and then factor in 90% or humidity, this is just a horrible recipe for running.  While there are a few runners who profess to prefer heat and humidity, various scientific studies have shown these conditions, especially at 80 degrees or higher, to have a negative performance factor for runners.  Such was the case today (80°F at start, with 90% humidity).  My legs were already sore from yesterday's race.  When I added the heat and humidity, I just found it harder to breathe, and by Mile 2 my running clothes were pretty much soaked.  Gross.  Matthew had planned out a 14-mile road route CCW around Watchaug Pond and then dipping down into Quonnie.  Fortunately, he had also planned out a stash of drinks and GUs at Miles 8 and 12.  Ice water tastes so refreshing in the heat!  Long soak in Watchaug Pond post-run, and despite the warm water temperature, that felt good as well.

On a more positive note than my whining about the heat and humidity,
today I picked the first two
cucumbers out of our garden this year.  Less work
to just buy them at the store, but something satisfying
about picking your own produce.  And it always tastes better!

  

Weekly mileage:  68

Weekly synopsis:   I would summarize it as a good running week in lousy weather conditions.

Weekly highlight:  Beach to Beacon race.  Not my fastest 10K race and not the time that I was looking for, but not terrible either.

Weekly lowlight:  Terrible weather.  Constant heat and humidity.  I seriously miss the weather in Iceland and have had it with summer weather here.

Blessing of the Fleet 2022

 

Narragansett, RI

Friday, July 29, 2022

This would be my 20th consecutive running of the Blessing of the Fleet!  I've run it in extreme heat, thunderstorms with driving rain, while suffering from rheumatic issues, and even ran the virtual offering in 2020 just to keep the streak going.  Whatever 2022 threw at me during this race, I would not be missing it!

When asked for my time goal in this year's race, I tended to answer that anything sub-63 would be good, when my secret personal goal was really a PR (60:52 in 2015).  So how am I going to get there?  Well, since I'll probably run an extra 1/10 mile out on the course, that really means I'll have to run very close to a 6-flat average pace.  And given that I nearly always slow down a bit on the warmer sections on Route 108 (Miles 5 and 6), I'm going to need to "put some time in the bank" (something generally not recommended) and run closer to 5:50 in the first few miles.

Warm-up:  Arrived at the start with plenty of time (thanks to Jana chauffeuring me and her dealing with finding a parking spot) and leisurely went for a 1.5 mile warm-up.  Caught up with many runners pre-race.  This year, I actually remembered to bring my WTAC singlet, my race bib, and even water.  So far, so good.  It was hot (82°F is far from ideal racing temps), but not sunny and not terribly humid.

Front half:  The days of seeded bibs for the first 100 Blessing runners are unfortunately in the rear-view mirror, so I made sure to be at the starting line five minutes prior to the gun.  Lined up about four rows back, exchanged pleasantries with a few runners, invited teammate Dave in to my cramped and sweltering row, and basically waited for the gun to go off.

As usual once the gun went off, the chaos ensued.  I have learned in the first mile that you will push and get pushed and I am particularly focused on not going down, not getting tripped, and watching out for that sidewalk on the left side of the course as you race down South Pier Road in a thick sea of humanity.  Mile 1 split is a fast (for me) 5:45.  OK, faster than I was looking for; time to settle in.

About 1/2 mile into the race

In Mile 2, I see Dave Principe and Daniel Hawkins just ahead of me.  Both are faster than me, but I make a note to keep Dave at least in my sights, and that helps with the pacing.  Mile 2 split 5:59.  In Mile 3, I catch up to a group that both Principe and Hawkins are running in and run with that group for a while until it breaks up.  I am on the left side of the group and Principe on the far right, so I can't tell how he's doing, but Hawkins is failing the breathing test as he's breathing harder than me.  Mile 3 split 5:54.  OK, so far holding on to the plan with the first 3 miles sub-6.

In Mile 4, I go past Hawkins, but Principe goes ahead of me.  Mile 4 is always slightly slower for me, as we go past Scarborough Beach, and right for a short uphill on Knowlesway.  I definitely lose time here as I run a 6:13.

Mile 5 is often rough with the sun baking you on Route 108.  And unfortunately, the sun has come out now.  But I'm feeling good here and I run what I believe to be my fastest Mile 5 split ever at 5:56, passing Dave Principe in the process.  I know not to count him out, but still I'm optimistic half-way through the race as I am pretty much dead even with my 2015 PR race.

Back half:  Unfortunately my momentum slowed in Mile 6, in the second and final mile on Route 108, my least favorite part of the course.  Busy road, open sun, and hot.  I got re-passed by Dave Principe for the last time and slowed all the way to a 6:16 mile.  At this point, I was still optimistic that I could pick the pace up back close to 6-flat once I turned off 108, as I have sometimes gotten a second wind here, but alas this was not to be.  I felt like I was pushing hard, but the next three miles all came in slow at 6:11, 6:13, and mile 9 was my slowest at 6:20.  Yikes.  What's up with that?

Mile 10 is a fast mile, as 1) it's a gradual but net downhill, and 2) the anticipation of finishing gives me the motivation to nearly sprint.  I run what I believe is my fastest Mile 10 ever at 5:48, but after my slow Miles 6-9, it is not enough.

Sprint to the finish

Final result:  61:01, 2nd (to Principe) in age group out of 162, 73rd overall of 2,112.  Full results here.

Catching up with teammates post-race

I ended up finishing just nine seconds off my all-time PR, so I guess I can't complain too loudly.  I have every intention of coming back next year to have a go at it again.  That will be my final Blessing in my current age group, so while I'll welcome the opportunity to race in a new age group, I'm also cognizant that as I'm pushing sixty my PR chances are diminishing.

Speaking of age, on a positive note, I'm very happy on an age-adjusted basis to have run 3rd overall:

It may not be a perfect system, but it's the only age-grading we have,
and it gives me confidence.

Weekly Log 25-Jul to 31-Jul-2022: Return Home

Monday:  5

Charlestown, RI.  First run back in the US, after being away for ten days.  Dragging a little bit, and feeling a little sick, but wanted to get out there and get back into a routine.  Burlingame South, with a dip in the pond with Brady.

Tuesday:  2 walk, 7 run

Westerly, RI.   Mowing and weed-whacking Shore Road entrance to Winnapaug Farm Preserve.  

Westerly, RI.  Parked at Weekapaug Breachway (plenty of spots still available at 10am!).  Ran Weekapaug roads, before a dip in the ocean at Fenway Beach.  First time running in carbon fiber shoes, New Balance SuperComp Pacer.  Felt fine while running, but leg pain afterwards.  Not sure if related to run or some lingering run down / body aches / sickness during recent travel back to US.

NB SuperComp Pacer, 6.9oz, carbon fiber plate

Wednesday:  6

AM:  Charlestown, RI.  Short and easy run with Brady at Ninigret.

PM:  Westerly, RI.  Fun Run week #9.  Succeeded in running easy.  About 21-flat, easy conversational with Jonny E and Matt S.

Thursday:  5

Westerly, RI.  Easy Wahaneeta / Woody Hill run with Brady.  Deerflies were terrible, but I knew that in advance.  Wahaneeta Pond dredging project almost complete.  12 DFKs.

Friday:  11

Narragansett, RI.  Blessing of the Fleet #20.  Separate write-up to follow.

Saturday:  21 ride, 3 run, 0.5 swim

Charlestown, RI.  Informal triathlon fun with the guys at Watchaug Pond.  Chris planned the bike route, Tom the general logistics, Mike brought ice cold Gatorade to share and cookies post-run, and Tom brought iced tea and cupcakes.  Me?  All I had to do was show up!  Wasn't sure I'd be able to do this after Blessing, but other than the legs a little sore on the bike, all else was good.

Sunday:  10

Charlestown, RI.  Thought about getting out early for a long run, but had already started yesterday at 6:30am, and needed my beauty sleep.  Met up with my out-of-state cousins for a once per year trip to the beach with them to Charlestown's East Beach.  Free admission to all state beaches today for Governor's Bay Day, and even though I was in line 15 minutes before the beach opened, so were many others and I just made it in before the lot filled.  The nearby town beach (Blue Shutters) charges $40 per day on weekends!

After hanging out in the ocean and cavorting 'til 10am, I bid them adieu and went for a Quonnie road run.  Hot and sunny.  Took it slow.

Weekly mileage:  47 run, 2 walk, 21 ride, 0.5 swim

Weekly synopsis:  Low mileage week.  As long as it's the exception and not the rule, it's fine to take a down week now and then.  Thus endeth July.

Weekly highlight:  Blessing of the Fleet #20

Weekly lowlight:  Lingering sickness for a few days early in week.  Caught a cold my last day in Scotland, and it made the flights back uncomfortable especially with sneezing and a runny nose.  Felt off back in the states on Monday and Tuesday, but fine by midweek.