2013 Soapstone Mountain Trail Race

Well, the 29th annual Soapstone Mountain Trail race is in the books! It was a fantastic day in Somers, Connecticut. The Shenipsit Striders nailed it again, with an awesome event. I’m so proud of Debbie and her team of volunteers.

It was great to see so many friends from the New England trail running community (and beyond) on our home course. Feedback from many of the runners was excellent. The Shenipsit State Forest course was in good shape. It wasn’t bone dry, and even dusty in spots. There was a smattering of mud in some of the wet areas, but the infamous streambed was mostly dry. The logging damage remains, but the course markings were the best that they have ever been.

This race has so much tradition and it is great to see it thriving under a new generation of oversight. Debbie has been the Race Director for more than a dozen years, but the past few editions have seen a dramatic increase in the number of enthusiastic club member volunteers and other volunteers.

Soapstone is grassroots trail running at its finest and our format is appreciated by so many. We had good weather for running and spectating. It was mild, a bit muggy, and the rain held off until the fifth hour of the race. By then, just about everyone was finished.

The 24km race was won by Matt Shamey in 1:38:38. He was followed by Brian Nelson, Ben Carrington, Ryan Welts, and Brett Stoeffler. The course was slightly shorter than in years’ past. We cut out a small hairpin section that may have saved runners a minute or two depending on their pace. First woman was Kristina Folcik in 1:54:40, a stellar time. She had a breakout year in 2012 and has taken it up a notch in 2013. She is crushing the local competition and making quite a name for herself on the national ultra scene. She was followed by Nicole Kornas and Meghan Pagliuco.

The 6km Soapstone Sampler, with modified Dipsea timing system, was won by 71 year-old Hal Bennett in an age/gender graded 23:12. His gun time was 34:24. He was followed by Alex Smith and Brian Smith.

I ran the 24km race and was very pleased. It was a lot of fun to run stride for stride with Mike Mazzotta between mile one and mile 13. We traded pulls for more than 90 minutes before he pulled away in the last mile. I only had one fall and it was mostly a soft landing. I’ll feel it in the morning. I ended up in a cloud of dust, but it could have been worse. I was very happy that I didn’t fade until the last bit. This bodes well for my fitness level, which I finally feel is building again after a rough start to the year. Bring on the triathlons!

179 runners finished the long course and 67 runners finished the short course. That is a decent turnout. Special thanks to Jerry Turk and Kerry Arsenault from RAT Race Timing. They did a good job dealing with the challenge of more than 100 race day registrants in their first year on the job.

We started a new tradition this year with the addition of a kids’ race. More than 20 kids finished the un-timed run. Most did the one loop 1/2 mile race, but our son and one other kid did two loops. The parents and children had a joyous time. This was a real hit.

See you all (and more) at the 30th anniversary Soapstone on Sunday 18 May 2014!

Race Results

Printroom Photos

2013 Mother’s Day Dash

It had been a few years since our family went to the Mother’s Day Dash in Vernon, Connecticut. This is a hometown race that we have done many times. Thanks to Wapack and Back being yesterday instead of today, we had the opportunity to race a 5K in Rockville.

Unfortunately, the weather didn’t clear in time for my 45 minute ride to the race from Bolton and I was soaked to the bone when I arrived. I also took a little too long getting ready and arrived only six minutes before the start, and had to work hard to make it with that much time to spare.

Debbie and the kids were also late arriving. I changed quickly while they registered us. The national anthem was played, and boom, we were off. Brian Nelson, the fastest guy in Vernon, posted a good time in the high-16′s. He was followed by the speedy masters runner, Brett Stoeffler, who took 1st in my age group in 17:24. I kept Brett in sight and periodically counted the seconds after he made a turn or passed a landmark, but I never gained any ground. I did earn my race fee back in the form of a $20 gift certificate to Rein’s Deli. That was nice! Karina Johnson was the top woman in 19:03 despite running a track race last night.

However, the highlight of the day was seeing our six-year old son complete the race without walking a step. I ran back to see them and did the last 1.5 miles alongside. Debbie, showing little muscle soreness after yesterday’s punishing 50 miler, pushed our daughter in the Chariot CX-1, which is increasingly rare but enjoyable. Our son earned the Tom Curtiss award for being the youngest finisher of the race. That was extra special for both his Mom and Dad, and the little runner was stoked.

 

My legs are starting to come around after a less than stellar start to the endurance sports season. At least I held off the 14 year-old and 11 year-old kids. These guys are trying very hard to make a 40 year-old look bad! I put my wet knickers back on and did another 90 minutes on the bike, taking a little longer route home. Mercifully, the rain stopped just before the start of the race and by the end of the awards ceremony, the sun was out. I took some of my favorite roads including Valley Falls Rd. and Spring St. It was nice to see other folks enjoying the improved weather conditions.

 

 

At the Dash, it was great to see so many friends from Bolton, Vernon, Manchester, Tolland, Ellington, and the surrounding towns. This event is a fixture on the calendar and gets great sponsorship support and has a lot of history. I like the course. It has a little rise in it and the finish is a little kicker too. It’s been a full weekend of running in the Livingston household, which is just fine with the four of us.

Race Results

2013 Wapack and Back Trail Race

Debbie Livingston is one tough mother! I had to come right out with it on Mother’s Day and state that fact after yesterday’s 50 Mile Wapack and Back Trail Race on some of the toughest terrain in New England. If this isn’t an Ultrarunning Magazine 5/5, then I’m not sure what is. The surface (rocks/roots/mud/singletrack) has to be a 5 (very rough trail). The terrain (hills) may fall to a 4, but that is an objective formula. If the reported 10,200 feet of elevation gain is accurate, then that is 204 feet/mile (very hilly) and short of the magazine’s 250 feet/mile (mountainous) criteria for a 5. Yet, my argument is that a New England climb is not the same as a Colorado or California climb. These are punchy steep climbs that come at you relentlessly. Out west, you can get 1,500 feet or more in one ascent. Not here. My New England trail running bias is creeping into this post and I’ve only written one paragraph. Enough.

Back to Debbie and the other strong runners who tackled the Wapack Trail yesterday. In its 90th anniversary year, the Wapack Trail has a nice new map thanks to cartographers and the Friends of the Wapack. The 21.5 mile trail goes from Greenfield, New Hampshire south to Ashburnham, Massachusetts along the Wapack Range. The start of the race is at the southern terminus. The turnaround is at the northern terminus. To get the 50, runners have to go back on the trail north over Mt. Watatic to the 3.5 mile aid station, and then return to the finish.

That one small detail makes this a very hard race to finish. It takes super motivation to get to the finish line, only to turn around again and run for another seven miles, especially with the no-pacer rule. The difficulty of the race and the 14 hour cutoff (you must be at 43 miles in 12 hours) are challenging, so a lot of runners end up with a 43 mile finish, which is still hugely respectable. To do the Wapack twice in a day is a fantastic feat. The extra seven just gets you a round number.

Race Director Norm Sheppard and his volunteers keep this race small. Only 40 started the 50 miler. Norm took over RD duties from Bogie Dumitrescu, who headed west, but was back in New England to run yesterday. We last saw Bogie at Zane Grey last year, so it was nice to reconnect. A companion 21 miler (start north after a bus ride and head south) attracted more runners. The trail markings are sparse. You have to follow the yellow blazed triangles. If you know me, then you know that I rely on my Outlook Calendar to keep my life sorted. I tell everyone, including Debbie, to send me an “Outlook invite” if you need me in a meeting, at an event, or at a race. Debbie is clear on this request so she invited me to Sunday’s race when she registered four months ago. There was a big problem. The race was Saturday, and she didn’t realize this until last Wednesday night. We won’t even delve into the reasons for the error, but wouldn’t you think that if you were going to run 50 miles, that you would get the day of the week right!?

That was a huge curveball and our weekend plans were jumbled.The 5:00 A.M. start in Ashburnham and rainy forecast were a bad mix for the kids, so we secured last minute childcare with Mrs. Schieffer. Thank you Momma S., you came through again! Debbie and I drove up after I rode home from work on Friday. We camped in our van at the start and 4:00 A.M. came fast as runners and volunteers arrived at the trailhead.

It was very humid and started raining just as the race began. The assembled mass of runners cheerfully headed up the trail and I returned to our van to sort gear. Debbie used drop bags, so she was less reliant on me than past races. She started with her Ultraspire Surge pack and had a second one in her drop back at the Greenfield Aid Station. She swapped them at the turnaround and then dropped that pack at the start/finish. She used an Ultraspire handheld for the last seven miles.

It was nice to not have to drive a chase vehicle. I kept the van parked and headed up the Wapack Trail for a walk. I had my cameras, some water, and a Clif Bar. I walked all the way to the nine mile aid station at Windblown XC area in New Ipswich, New Hampshire. One highlight was Binney Pond and a second was the Binney Pond Overlook.

The rain was intermittent, but the humidity was constant. I chatted with some friends at the aid station before reversing course and walking back to the start. It was fun to see and photograph Josh Katzman, deep in the woods as he powered to an 8:51 course record, besting his time from 2012 by nearly 15 minutes. I saw him on his southbound leg and then on both legs of his seven mile out and back. I made it to the  start/finish, refilled my water, and then walked back up the trail to wait for Debbie.

I’ve had my own love/hate affair with the Wapack. In 2009, I did the shorter fall race that starts at Windblown, heads to the southern terminus, and returns. That is the same 18 mile route I took yesterday, but in reverse. In that race, I missed the turn on the Watatic summit and it cost me a few extra miles. When I saw that spot yesterday, I knew exactly where I had previously gone wrong. The only blight on the day was the black flies. It was better when it was raining. They went away, but when it stopped, they were ferocious! Regardless, a walk in the woods is exactly what I needed.

Debbie hit 43 miles in 10 hours flat, a bit behind her goal time, but she was in good spirits. She opted to change her socks, but kept the same shoes for the final seven miles, which took her 1:45 for a total time of 11:45. Katzman led the way, but there were many great runs yesterday. Scott Patnode did the 7 Sisters/Wapack double like Debbie. Sisters was six days earlier, but is quite the leg pounder in its own right.

Each runner who went 43 or more got a finishers award, a sweet bottle of Ben’s Pure Maple Syrup. This is proof again that ultramarathon trail running isn’t about the money!

Debbie has to recover because next up on the Grand Tree Trail Running Series calendar is the Soapstone Mountain Trail Race next Sunday. She is the race director and the Shenipsit Striders are ready to go.. Soapstone stuff has already taken over the house. T-shirts are blocking my spot in the garage. Bib number are clogging the mud room. Soapstone, here we come!

Race Results

Printroom Photos

2013 7 Sisters Trail Race

Today’s weather at the 7 Sisters Trail Race was spectacular. Debbie ran this legendary race for the 14th time in 15 years. The kids and I saw her at the start (which was nuts as usual), again on her return leg where the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail (M-M) crosses Mountain Road on the way to the summit of Mt. Holyoke.

I’ve written about the rocky and rugged 12 mile (6 out/6 back) race on the New England Scenic Trail (M-M) many times, so there several posts in my blog archives that cover history and past races.

Today’s race was notable for the record number of entrants. Results for this race are normally not posted for several days, but I bet there are 500 or more finishers, which is ridiculous. It’s amazing how this race has grown in popularity. The rugged nature of the course is the likely reason because other New England Grand Tree Trail Running Series races see far fewer runners. That’s too bad because there are some beautiful courses at some of the smaller events.

7 Sisters has its painful charm. I saw a fair amount of sprained ankles, bumps, bruises, and cuts. I didn’t run this year, but I trust Debbie’s judgment when she says that there were too many people on this narrow rocky trail. It’s single track 95% of the way and with the out and back format, the congestion is a potential safety issue.

Despite all of the newbies 7 Sisters, we saw a lot of our friends from the New England trail running community, including many club-mates from the Shenipsit Striders. The abundant sunshine, deep blue sky, and mild temperature permitted everyone to lounge on the grass after the race. The organizers moved the parking, registration, and post-race refreshments to a “The Bunker” located on Amherst College property up Military Road adjacent to the Bare Mountain.

I found results on Coolrunning for 26 other running races for 5 May in Massachusetts alone. There must have been even more races, plus Connecticut, so running in the spring is definitely growing in popularity, which is a good thing.

After watching the start, we drove over to the Mt. Holyoke side of the course. The gate on Mountain Rd. was closed again this year because of the ongoing construction at the Summit House. We parked and walked up the road to where the trail crosses on its way to the summit and then back down to the Connecticut River. We missed Debbie on her outbound leg, but we saw her on her return leg. She was in 2nd place, but ended up third. She wasn’t far behind first or third.

Her time was much slower than her personal best from the early 2000′s, but she still had a blast in the woods today. I’m proud of her 14 finishes. I wonder how many other runners at today’s race have that many finishes?

We lingered after the race and had a picnic lunch. Then, Debbie and the kids visited the Eric Carle Museum where they did artwork.  Then they went for a bike ride on the Norwottuck Rail Trail. While they were sightseeing, I went for a long bike ride. I went back to Mountain Rd. and did six repeats from Rt. 42 to the summit and back. It was a good workout. After the last climb, I spent a little time on the summit taking in the awesome views.

The only hiccup was when I returned to Military Rd. to find my Subaru behind a locked fence. I purposely moved my car outside of the parking lot and on to the road to avoid a fence, but I missed the second fence farther up the road. I tracked down a ranger, who was helpful and contacted the Amherst College police for me. They sent an officer out after 30 minutes and he helped me liberate my car. I completed the days adventures by reuniting with Debbie and the kids in Northampton for a nice dinner. Maybe I’ll run 7 Sisters again in 2014. Maybe…

See you all at the Soapstone Mountain Trail Race in two weeks. Debbie is the Race Director and would LOVE 500 runners. Just pre-register so we have enough veggie chili and pickles!

Race Results

Race Photos (Printroom)

Tucson Travel, Tucson Swimming, & Tucson Adventure

Last week’s trip to Horst Engineering de Mexico brought me through Tucson, Arizona. I hadn’t been there in more than three years because I’ve been taking a connecting flight through Phoenix. This time, I flew to Tucson and drove all the way to Guaymas where our operation is located.

Tucson has always been one of my favorite places. When our plant was in Nogales, Sonora, I passed through Tucson frequently. It was fun to go back, particularly in April. I was only passing through again, but I spent a night on each end of the trip. The weather was cooler than normal, but when the sun shone, it was brilliant. Tucson is known as a great winter and pre-season spot to train for endurance sports. I know a lot of athletes who attend training camps in Tucson. The swimming, cycling, and running are awesome. Tucson also has great trails for running and mountain biking.

I wanted to swim while I was there, so I searched Google for options. Thankfully, I came across professional triathlete, Hillary Biscay’s blog. We first met Hillary at the 2010 Ironman Brazil. I already had her blog on RSS, but hadn’t previously seen her post about swimming in Tucson, where she often trains. It was a great resource and led me to the Tucson Parks and Recreation website. Early on Tuesday, I swam at the Clements Pool; and early on Friday, I swam at the Archer Pool. Both pools were open at 6:00 A.M. and with the time change, it was easy to get up. Clements was definitely the nicer of the two facilities, but the lifeguards were friendly at both pools and you can’t beat $2/day for an out-of-towner. The City of Tucson aquatics program is highly recommended.

When in town, I visited several customers, but I also had a chance to visit a non-profit that Thread Rolling Inc. and Horst Engineering support through our 1% For The Planet membership. The Sonoran Institute has always been an interesting organization to follow. I had previously been invited to visit their headquarters in Tucson, but since I’ve been connecting through Phoenix, I never made it. Since that initial invite, they moved to new shiny downtown Tucson offices. Their presence is part of the downtown redevelopment. I met with a wonderful project manager who was doing passionate work in the Colorado River Delta and on both sides of the border. We compared notes about our work with conservation oriented non-profits and I learned more about the institute’s current projects throughout the US west, in Sonora, and in Baja California.

While in town, I visited three vegan friendly restaurants. Top of the list was Lovin’ Spoonfuls, an all vegan place. The service was fantastic and there were some wonderfully creative food options. I went back twice. I also had a meal at Renee’s Organic Oven. The service was excellent and I had the gluten free/vegan pizza. I also had lunch at Sparkroot, a cafe near the Sonoran Institute’s headquarters. All three restaurants are highly recommended. I found Lovin’ using the Happy Cow app on my iPhone and I was referred to Renee’s, though it also shows up on the Happy Cow site with good reviews.

Next door to Renee’s was Sabino Cycles. I checked out the bike shop (I love bike shops) and as soon as  I walked in, I came across a Seven. That pumped me up. It was fun to randomly come across a Seven dealer because I’m part of Team Seven Cycles and if you read this blog, know that Debbie and I are fortunate to have several Seven’s in our stable. I chatted with a few of the sales guys at the store. Sabino is geared towards road, but they have been expanding their mountain biking lineup. It looked like a nice shop with solid inventory including three Seven’s on the floor.

Posted on the wall was a newspaper article about Tucsonian Max Morris, who is going for the Triple Crown of ultra-distance mountain biking. He is currently doing the Arizona Trail 750 which I wrote about a year ago when Debbie ran the Zane Grey 50 Mile Endurance Run in Payson, Arizona. I was crewing for Debbie and shooting pictures when a Jill Hueckman, a female mountain biker, emerged from the woods. She was headed up the trail to the Mogollan Rim and I chatted her up. She was in the middle of the AZT 750. I immediately put it on my mental bucket list.

I followed her through the rest of the race and then forgot about it until walking into Sabino Cycles last week. I was back in AZ and it felt good. If Morris finishes the AZT 750, Tour Divide, and Colorado Trail Race in 2013, then it will be quite an accomplishment. Those races are the big three in “bikepacking.” In the new story I saw, Morris is riding a titanium Seven Sola, which is pretty cool.

On Saturday morning before I caught my flight back to Connecticut, I ran the SAR Spring Cross-Country Classic 5K. I still had 90 minutes to kill, and it was on the way to the airport, so I toured the Pima Air & Space Museum, which has always been on my list of places to see in Tucson. I love aviation and this place is fabulous. Seeing a Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird up close was an intense experience. Powered by Pratt & Whitney engines, this aircraft is a beast. Seeing technology like this makes me proud that our family has been in the aerospace components business for 67 years.

It’s hard to believe that I did all of this stuff in my spare time on a business trip! I spent hours working, but somehow managed to do this stuff. There was no downtime, no TV, just adventure.

Sonoran Growth

Last week, I returned to Sonora for the first time since last fall. Ever since Horst Engineering moved our maquiladora operation from Nogales to Guaymas, I have taken a connecting flight from Phoenix directly to Guaymas. That all changed when on that last trip, I took the last flight out of Guaymas before USAirways cancelled the route.

That meant that this time, I would either have to fly from Phoenix to Hermosillo and drive, or drive the whole way. I opted for the latter approach, but with a variation. I returned to Tucson for the first time since those Nogales days, which was very cool. So, last Monday, I flew into Tucson. In the afternoon, I visited a customer, and then I got a motel for the night. On Tuesday morning, after swimming at a Tucson pool, I hit the road for the 6.5 hour drive south to Guaymas.

It was a good trip. I’ve made the drive before, but only as a passenger. There were no serious delays, other than some traffic in Hermosillo. I figured out the border crossing, immigration, and checkpoints. It was uneventful, which is good. I had a new Ford Fusion that had only 150 miles on the odometer when I got it. It had satellite radio, which was awesome considering the events of the week starting with the Boston Marathon. It was a weird feeling to be so far away from my beloved Boston knowing that so many of my friends were running or watching the race. CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox, NPR, and MSNBC on the radio kept me close to the action.

Business in Sonora is good. The manufacturing economy is thriving in Mexico again, and this time it is higher tier more precision products that are leading the way. Our business is taking advantage of this resurgence. Sonora is a great nearshore location for companies who are focused on developing a lower cost manufacturing location. It isn’t the total solution to the challenges that manufacturers in high cost regions (e.g. New England) face, but it is part of the solution. Route 15 from the border south is being developed with separate southbound and northbound lanes, and with two lanes on each side. The construction is ongoing.

The rail line between Sonora and Arizona is being developed further. Guaymas continues to expand its deepwater port as an alternative for incoming cargo that will ultimately reach the United States. Hermosillo was booming with multiple infrastructure projects and a lot of construction activity. Even San Carlos, that little town favored by ex-pats and snowbirds, is seeing some economic development. Our maquiladora shelter partners are clearing land for further development of their Roca Fuerte industrial park. Things are looking up.

All of the development has a downside. It is sad that Mexicans struggle with conservation and an environmentally sustainable mindset. They are decades behind the United States in this regard. Actually, even Arizona is behind many other states in this regard. Recycling is almost non-existent. There is a ton of litter and the growth is far from “smart.” Evidence of this in San Carlos was the further desecration of the land around Teta Kawi. Last year, on a return trip, I noticed a new OXXO convenience store go up across the street from the mountain. This week, on my normal morning run route past the marina and towards the beach, I came across a sign on the Teta Kawi side of the road announcing a new gas station. What a shame. There aren’t enough cars or visitors to San Carlos to warrant another gas station. You have to know the area to know this, but trust me. I wish for a land trust or some conservation organization to assert itself. I need to learn more about the local politics. It pains me to see Sonora make the same mistakes that the USA made decades ago.

My return trip to Tucson was last Thursday. It took a bit longer to go north. I drove by our old plant in Nogales, skipping the truck route and saving one toll. Our old building has been empty since we left for Guaymas. Nogales was busy, but it has border town challenges. I was back in Tucson in time for dinner. The total trip north took seven hours including a full hour waiting in line at the border. Eventually, I was just waived through after  quick check of my passport, but there were a lot of vehicle searches around me. On Friday, I had a few more customer visits in Tucson. It was a good trip.

Southern Arizona Roadrunners Spring Cross-Country Classic 5K

This past Saturday, I ran a little trail race in Tucson, Arizona. The Spring Cross-Country Classic 5K was hosted by the Southern Arizona Roadrunners. I was passing through Tucson on my way back from Horst Engineering’s operations in Guaymas, Sonora.

My flight wasn’t until noon, so it made sense to squeeze in this fun little race. I didn’t have good legs, but it was a blast to run through the desert of Lincoln Park. 108 men and 119 women ran in separate races.

It was an early 7:30 A.M. start, which was perfect for me.  I went early and ran a lap of the course before the race. Then, I ran a lap of the course after the race. I even had time to wash up, visit the Pima Air & Space Museum and still catch my flight.

I got a kick out of this twisty course; there was even a cactus right in the middle of the trail, encircled with chalk. Look out! The views of the Rincon Mountains were fantastic and the sun was shining brightly. The temperature started out cool, but the sun warmed things up and I was able to run without a shirt, but I was also the guy from Connecticut. The locals weren’t as brave.

The Lincoln Park course was a bit hard to follow as it wound its way through Attrubury Bird & Animal Sanctuary, so I’m glad I did a loop beforehand. I went out way to hard, but that has been my mode lately. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to hold the pace and lost quite a bit of ground by the finish. It was another good test.

I was a bit spooked when another runner wiped out hard on a sharp right hand turn into a set of wooden steps. He got up and was covered in blood after scraping his hands, arms, legs, and face across the loose stones. I hope he is alright.

Thanks to SAR and the volunteers who put on a fun run.

Race Results