In the summers, a Croo man’s the lodge and takes care of the 60 or so guests on a busy weekend. There was a caretaker on site, but we had to look after ourselves. We played games, relaxed, and enjoyed the views. This unseasonably warm New England winter has resulted in very little snow cover. We had an icy couple of inches on the ground, and that was about it.

The guys and girls alternated short hikes up Mt. Cardigan and the Firescrew. It was down right treacherous. It was foggy, damp, and dark. Kahtoola Microspikes were a much better choice if you had them because the ice was insane. I hiked in Yaktrax and I spent a fair amount of time on my rear end. It was ugly. My legs still weren’t working two weeks after the Lookout Mt. 50. This recovery is going to take a while. The hike was three hours of torture, but we got it done.

We enjoyed some less slippery walks on the surrounding nature trails and all of the kids enjoyed the outdoor fun. One highlight on the drive from Connecticut was the moose that we spotted. The big old bull cross the road in front of us and meandered into a field. He was huge. That made the trip!

In 2010, with Ironman Brazil and the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, long distance triathlon was a huge focus, and my “year in review“ reflected that. The training, preparation, and travel for these races took a lot of time, and  Ironman was the big theme. Before 201o ended, I made a strong commitment to support Debbie in her ultramarathon trail running endeavors. She put here weight behind me during my Ironman campaign, so I made it my number one goal to support her in 2011. She got top billing within the Livingston clan and her races took precedence.

She had a fantastic year, meeting most of her objectives while winning five of six ultras: Traprock 50K,Bear Mt. 50 Miler, Laurel Highlands Ultra, TARC 12 Hour, Grindstone 100, Lookout Mt. 50 Mile Trail Race. Both she and I got in six Grand Tree Trail Running Series races, though for her, the GT campaign was more geared towards training rather than racing. Also, the major travel and logistics were devoted to her events. She sprinkled in some road races to build her speed, but the trails is where she made her mark.

In 2011, I swung away from the full Ironman distance. I needed a break. I returned to my old pattern of mixing it up. While meeting my goal of crewing for Debbie and caring for our kids, I somehow managed to race more than last year. The events didn’t have the same significance, but I did 36 of them, vs. 31 in 2010. There was no real focus to my training, and I sort of did what was fun without putting a whole lot of pressure on myself for results. Last month, I did an interview for the Hartford Extended Area Triathletes. It sheds a bit more light on my racing thoughts.

• 36 Races (14 triathlon, 1 duathlon, 1 cyclocross, 2 road bike, 1 mountain bike, 5 road running, 12 trail running)
• 788 miles of racing
• ~8 hours per week of exercise, nearly 2 hours per week less than 2010
• 1,100+ miles of bicycle commuting to/from work

It wasn’t a race, unless you can count it as racing against Debbie, but our one day White Mountain Hut Traverse is the effort that stood out above the rest. It was a fantastic day and a wonderful way to celebrate 10 years of marriage. We did it Livingston Style and it hurt so good.

The triathlons were shorter, and several were off-road. I had a blast with the sprints. My two half iron-distance races were nothing special. I was flat in both of them. I had more speed in the shorter events. My trail running was a real highlight with good results, particularly at Soapstone, Greylock, and NipMuck, Toby, and Busa. I was happy to finish two ultras, Traprock 50K and Lookout Mt. 50 Mile Trail Race, but they absolutely hammered me. The post-Lookout fatigue was a factor in delaying this post.

It was fun to return to the VT50 on my mountain bike, but my race was ho-hum. I didn’t do much road running, but was still pleased with my Manchester Road Race time.

2012 probably won’t be much different from 2011. I’ll try to increase my “training” if you can call it that. I want to swim faster. I want to get in a couple more half iron-distance races, but go quicker. I’ve got a few interesting races to focus on, but I’m not really talking about them. I want to race the short tri’s again. I’ll probably run less trail races. My body needs a break from that. My ankles (both of them) have been giving me problems. I need to alter the cycle that I’m in and recover in certain areas. This is an important mental thing for me to keep interested in endurance sports, particularly the ultra kind.

The other big deal in 2012 is that I enter the “masters” division. I’ll be in 40-44 for most triathlons and 40+ for cycling and many other events. I’m not sure what to make of this yet. I’ll have to come up with something truly epic to celebrate the milestone. I haven’t got it planned yet, and it  may not happen until 2013, but trust me, I’ll come up with something.

Aside from that, this year, I’ll try some new things. I’ve always wanted to go 100 miles on my mountain bike. I want to do better at off-road triathlon. I want to keep having fun. This is another big year for Debbie. She has a wonderful slate of ultras planned. It will take positive energy to keep pace with her while looking after our kids. Business is also improving at Horst Engineering, as it is for the broader manufacturing sector.  Of course, I always have my hands full at work. I definitely want to commute more. It makes for a great day when it starts and ends on a bike. I’m glad the days are getting longer because 2012 is looking brighter by the day.

Debbie ran off on her own, apparently, fully recovered from last week’s Lookout Mountain 50 Mile Trail Race. I’m far from recovered. Eight days later, my legs are still blasted from that effort, so I took it really easy. Debbie earned a little reindeer picture holder for her effort, but this event is much more about the cause and camaraderie than the results. Janit Romayko and Mary Lou White are the co-race directors. They time the event, but it is very low-key. Many people get into the holiday spirit by running in costume. Some are outlandish.

The current residents of the shelter were all smiles and offered many hearty cheers to the runners. It was nice that so many runners find it in their hearts to contribute to this race. No entry fee is specified, but judging from the haul, people were very generous with their contributions. The Shenipsit Striders and Silk City Striders were well represented. As long as we are in Connecticut for Christmas, we will run this race. It was a wonderful final race of 2011. It was my 36th event. I’ll look back later this week when I put closure on 2011 and start locking in the goals for 2012.

Race Results (will be posted when available)

What didn’t make sense was that I asked her to sign me up too! Her first ultra was the 1999 Vermont 50 Mile Ride & Run, which is where we met. I’ve run several 50k’s and done other hard trail stuff, including covering 50+ miles in the mountains on training runs/hikes, but I had never put on a bib number for a 50 mile trail race. I figured what the heck.

We arranged for Deb’s parents, Schieffer’s, to take our five-year old and two-year old for the weekend so that we could jet down to Chattanooga for the race. It was a quick trip. Less than 48 hours from beginning until end…with 9+ hours of running in the middle. I worked half a day on Friday, Debbie picked me up at work, we flew to ATL from BDL, and after a short mechanical delay, were in Chattanooga by 7:30 P.M. We grabbed dinner at Sluggo’s North Vegetarian Cafe (a new favorite that we discovered last year), and were in bed at our hotel by 9:30 P.M. The plan was to be back in Connecticut by mid-afternoon on Sunday, but I had to finish the race first…

I had a nutty week at work leading up to the race, and I was battling a head cold. Before the start, my voice was a barely audible croak, and after the race, the rasp made me sound like aged-rocker Tom Waits. I felt the need to tell people that I don’t usually sound like this. I wasn’t in the best condition to run, but that’s how it goes.

We got up early on Saturday for the white knuckled drive up to the start/finish at Covenant College across the state line in the town of Lookout Mountain, Georgia. It had rained heavily the day before the race, so the mountain roads were slick, a foreboding for what the trails were going to be like. The race was sold out with 250 registrants. I’m not sure how many toed the line, but given the cold and wet conditions, I’m sure there was attrition both before and during the event. We were fully committed.

We had some last-minute drop bag sorting and labeling to do, and froze while hustling around before the start. We didn’t want to wear too much, but we had to be smart about not warming up. In the end, I started the race with a Capilene sleeveless base layer, my Shenipsit Striders Capilene short sleeve shirt, arm warmers, tri-shorts, and compression socks. I wore a fleece bonnet that covered my ears, and gloves, which I never removed. I hemmed and hawed about my sunglasses, but eventually wore them, and I’m glad I did. It started out cloudy, but by mid-morning, it was clear with brilliant sunshine. We learned that last year’s race was colder, but drier, which is an important factor. The combination of wet (water-logged trails) and cold (low 30′s Fahrenheit at the start) with a breeze, made for an epic day.

Debbie had a good race in the slow conditions. She missed the women’s record of 8:51, but won the race in 9:16:20, and was 20^th overall. She is happy with the result and excited to enter a rest phase. This was her sixth ultra of the year (Traprock 50K, Bear Mt. 50 Miler, Laurel Highlands Ultra, TARC 12 Hour, and Grindstone 100 were the others), with lots of short stuff mixed in. I am biased, but I am impressed. She did all of this in a year that she stopped breast feeding, potty trained our daughter, gave away our crib, worked part-time, and focused on her training (with help from Coach Al Lyman) more than ever. She is in her prime for this distance stuff, and after running with her for several hours yesterday, I’m convinced she can get stronger, particularly on the uphills.

My Lookout plan was to check my ego, throttle back on the speed, and shadow her, which is if you know us, actually running 30 seconds to a minute in front of her. She prefers to follow and I prefer to pull. We need to give each other space because we have completely different running styles. I like the ups and she likes the downs. I knew that I had to run 25 miles at a reasonable speed, get to 31, and then just hang on because the last 20 were going to be a whole new experience for me.

The course was stunning. I highly recommend this race and the entire Rock/Creek Trail Series. There were 6,300 feet of elevation gain and 6,300 feet of elevation loss, so it was moderately hilly. The race is rated 4 for terrain and 4 for surface by Ultrarunning Magazine, which is pretty hard. With all the water on the course, I would bump the surface up to the maximum 5 rating, at least for a day. There were incredible views as we ran the ridge in multiple directions. The rock overhangs were spectacular. In some spots, we were running on narrow singletrack with sheer drop-offs of more than 100 feet. This is not a race for runners with acrophobia.

The first 25 miles featured large groups of runners sticking together as we crisscrossed the ridge. There were a lot of hairpin turns and a lot of streams to cross. I can’t believe we tried to keep our feet dry because around the 14-mile mark, there was a massive creek crossing. We learned that this was a dry trail just days before the race, but heavy rains flooded this section. It was more like a pond than a creek. The water was murky brown and freezing. It was waist deep for about 100 meters, and there was no way around it. I got a little too far right, slipped and went in up to my chest, dunking my left arm in the water while trying to regain my stability. My left hand was cold for the rest of the day. It took five miles of running to get my core temperature warmed up.

There were several more stream crossings and a massive switch-backed climb before we returned to Covenant College at the 22 mile mark. Debbie caught up to me at the aid station. I spent too long searching for my drop bag. This was my only gripe. All of the volunteers were fantastic, but some of the aid stations lacked organization and searching for your stuff among 200 other identical Ziploc bags (race rules) was time-consuming and frustrating. If there is a “next time,” I’ll be sure to put some colorful tape on mine.

Debbie and I were close together over the next 14 miles. For most of that time, I could hear her chatting with other runners, a mere 20-30 seconds back. I chose to soldier on in silence. We met up again the first time through the Lula Lake Aid Station at mile 28. Right after the aid station, we passed the most spectacular waterfall. These are the lower falls of Rock Creek.  It sounded like a freight train way off in the distance and it was stunning, with mist rising several hundred feet. I wished I had my camera.

We went up a steep climb to the top of the ridge and ran together most of the way. We were also together on the gnarly tornado damaged trail that led to the Long Branch Aid Station at mile 34. We left the aid station together at the start of the 4.5 mile loop that brought us back to Long Branch at mile 38. I opened up a gap on the hilly terrain, but she caught me, passed me, and pulled away on a quad pounding descent. Moments later, I stepped awkwardly, twisted my ankle badly, and hit the ground. It was a spectacular fall and left me a bit stunned. I stayed on the ground for a minute, pondering what a long 14 mile walk it would be to the finish…in the dark.

I gingerly walked the next mile as the trail twisted and wound its way back to Long Branch. I was able to run the last bit to the aid station, increasing the pressure on my left ankle, as the stinging pain faded. I filled my hydration pack, popped a Tylenol (my third of the day) sat down, tightened the laces on my shoes, and ate some potatoes with salt. Amazingly, I got through this race without a hot spot or blister anywhere on my feet. I also grabbed my headlamp from my drop bag, an ominous move that indicated I wasn’t sure how long it would take to get to the finish. It was chaotic at the aid station with runners coming and going, lots of volunteers, and crews. Usually I’m the one crewing for Debbie, so it was a fun and unique experience to have a volunteer ask if I needed help.

There was a short road section after the aid station, and then we returned to the gnarly section of tornado damaged trail with tons of logging slash, and then a monster climb back up to the ridge. I was able to run through most of this while focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. It was slow going and I was passed by several runners.  It helped that this was an out and back section, so I knew what to expect, and it was nice that there were a lot of runners headed to Long Branch whom I enjoyed greeting.

I was hoping that Debbie was hammering away towards the record and I knew that she would be worried that once I was dropped, that it would be a long night for me. Little did she know (or I know) that I would get a second wind. Second wind may not be the right description. I actually came back from the dead. The descent off the ridge back to Lula Lake Aid Station was insanely steep and I took it slowly. One spot had makeshift ropes fashioned to aid the runners going up and down. I went by the waterfall again, pausing to take in the view in the late afternoon sunshine. I had been intermittently pulling down my arm warmers on climbs and pulling them back up in the shady downhill sections; but I never removed them.  I got to Lula and didn’t stay long. The volunteers told me it was 5 miles to the finish, but I think they fibbed! I grabbed some potato chips, after surviving for most of the day on Hammer Perpetuum, Hammer Gel, Raw Food Bars, and potatoes.

Amazingly, after Lula, at 44 miles, I got that death-defying second wind, which lasted for four miles. Without this surge, I might still be out on the trail. I used it to my advantage and picked up the pace through some of the most amazing singletrack that I have run. I was retracing my steps from earlier in the race, but it felt different and better. Eventually, I ran out of gas again after hitting the power line section. It was getting colder as the sun went below the horizon. The last 2 miles were absolute hell, as the trail wound along a muddy streambed.

I emerged on campus after one final climb, ran across the summit parking lots, and finished in the gloaming after 9:32:55 of constant running, which was good for 32^nd place, 11 spots behind my favorite runner. There was no fanfare at the finish. It was cold, windy, and a handful of folks were huddled around a fire. I walked back to our rental car, a bit worried about Debbie, since I expected to see her at the line. When I spotted her muddy shoes outside our car, I breathed a sigh of relief. She was inside, shaking uncontrollably, and trying to get warm. She only finished 16 minutes in front of me, so I had pulled back some time on her.

When she saw me, she was very surprised. I was thinking, “Wow, she has such confidence in her spouse.” She was fully expecting me to walk the last 14 with my headlamp, after dropping me two and a half hours earlier. Instead, we shared big smiles of amazement in the back seat. Somehow, I willed myself through this one. We changed up and returned to the finish. It was freezing, so we spent several hours in a small Army style first aid tent that had been set up with a wood stove, folding chairs, and cots. It was mostly bliss, though every time the wind blew the tent flaps open, we cringed while being blasted with cold air. Eventually, Debbie got to climb the podium and received some nice prizes from the folks at Rock/Creek.

The men’s winner was Johnny Clemons in 7:23:04. He was followed by Troy Shellhammer in 7:32:52 and Nick Lewis in 7:42:56. They were the only three to break 8-hours. I remember passing Clemons on my way out to Long Branch. He was coming towards me at blazing speed. I was so surprised to see him, that it didn’t register that he was the race leader. My lack of pre-race preparation was evident since I didn’t even know that this section of the course was out and back. My “nice job” comment didn’t leave my sore throat until he was 50 feet passed me. I was with another runner and we both marveled that this guy was crushing it. The second place woman was Lora Liu in 10:05:54. Third was Molly Freeman in 10:15:22.

Back in the tent, we shared Lookout war stories and chatted amiably with our tent-mates about other ultras past and future. Every few minutes, someone else would poke their head in and share good cheers, while we listened to runners cross the line on the other side of the tent wall. Eventually, we were able to gather all of our returned drop bags, and drive back to Chattanooga for a well-earned shower and dinner. We were both completely knackered, but we were in good spirits.

The Chattanooga trail scene is fantastic. The area is an endurance sports junkie’s Mecca. This race, like the others in the Rock/Creek Trail Series, benefits Wild Trails, a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit conservation organization. I first said it after Upchuck in 2010, and I’ll say it again. “We shall return.”

Race Results

I started last today. They went to chip in the bib-number timing and added a mat at the start line. Last year, I was able to run with the Chariot CX-2 by “cheating.” I started 50 feet in front of the line where I was stationed in someone’s driveway. This year, since I had to cross the mat to get scored, my strategy wouldn’t work. If you can’t get the hole shot, you are stuck behind a lot of people. Plan B: I was hoping to just wait to cross the start line until everyone got down the hill so that my “net time” would be more reflective of the effort. The “gun time” i the official time, but every runner know stat when you are trash talking with your buddies and sharing war stories, that it is “net time” that matters! After all, it might take you 3 seconds to cross the start line and that could be a huge disadvantage! Well, the organizers didn’t like my Plan B strategy. As soon as everyone but me had crossed the start line (I was just standing there in the road with the stroller), they threatened to “pack it up.”  I think the timer actually said, “I’m not staying here all day. Get moving.” So I just ran for fun and let Debbie race.

The whole episode was kind of funny. I was forced to start a race or get disqualified. I have to say that is the first time that has happened to me! I might have been the first person to be at the start line but get a DNS and DNF simultaneously. My kids were confused as to why I wasn’t moving. I used a few sidewalks to get past the throngs, but it was fruitless. I chilled out and just ran for fun, saying hello to everyone I knew in the crowd. Between the warmup, race, and warm down, we did three loops of the course, which frustrated our 5-year old. He is a sport for letting us do this stuff, but it didn’t take that long. We do appreciate his whining. There are probably worse things that parents could do to their kids, than run a little longer on a Sunday.

Debbie had a great race, but their fancy chip timing system didn’t work. I don’t know how many people are missing from the results, but she is one of them, which is a disappointment. She had a great battle with her friend, Allie Burdick. She had a back and forth race with Allie and just got past her in the final stretch. Debbie should have been 3rd overall and 1st in her age group, but it looks like she didn’t run at all. She ran much faster than 2011, so she was pleased.

We got a double bummer when we returned home and learned that her name was not picked in the 2012 Hardrock 100 lottery. Only 100 out of 600+ get in. It’s not worth explaining the complicated Hardrock lottery. The bottom line is that she wanted to run the famous Colorado race and now has to find something else epic to do instead. She will try again in the future, but once again, she needs to run one of the qualifying races just to get a lottery ticket. The Grindstone 100 was her 2012 qualifier, but who knows if she will return  to Grindstone or find something else to do.

Anyway, the Santa’s Run was a fun time with the kids. We already discussed 2012. If we return, rather than battle the  crowds, we might just enter the costume contest instead.

Race Results

I wish I had more time to plan the trip, but sometimes you just have to jump on a plane and go. That is atypical for our small business and we try to avoid expenses like that. I can see how the whole travel industry is driven by corporate spending. I pulled out a Southwest drink coupon to give to the flight attendant and they rejected it. He said, “We stopped taking those in August.” Huh? There was no expiration date. I said I wasn’t going to pay $5.00 for a drink. The passenger next to me overheard the exchange and suggested that I just put it on my company expense report. His attitude was hilarious. I bet that he hits his own company hard when he travels. I explained that it was my family’s business and that frugality was our way. I guess it’s all about shifting dollars from one company’s pocket to another.

I preceded my supplier visit in Santa Ana with a customer visit in Chatsworth. I had to drive across Los Angeles during morning rush hour and it wasn’t pleasant experience. I was only 20 minutes late, but realized that I couldn’t live there, even for a week. It was just a normal day in L.A. with gridlock. A tractor-trailer truck passed me. The truck had another supplier’s name on it and it looked t be loaded with a bunch of extrusions bound for another shop like ours. We have had a particularly difficult time with this supplier, so I snapped a few photos of the truck speeding by. Maybe it will give me leverage in a future negotiation!

The customer visit went well and took most of the day. Just before sunset, I drove to the closest visible hill, parked at a playground, and changed from my shirt and tie into my running clothes. I donned my headlamp, a reflective vest, and went for a short run. I found a horse trail and followed it for 20 minutes. I returned to my car after sunset, satisfied with the run. I waited till after the evening rush hour to return to Anaheim, where I was staying. I’ve been using Hampton Inn’s during most of my business trips. I know the routine, can get oatmeal and fruit in the morning, and the Internet is free.

I met up with my key customer and gave him a ride to our supplier. He was visiting from Japan. This is an important project for Horst Engineering, so it was an important visit. It was a long way for us to travel, but we solidified our relationships and got a better understanding of the steps that our parts go through. I was impressed with the supplier’s technical abilities and the scale of their operation. It was evident that doing business in California is no easier than doing business in Connecticut. Manufacturing is tough wherever you are in the United States.

After returning our customer to his hotel, I spent the afternoon doing work from my computer. Late in the day, I found a gym with a pool and swam for 45 minutes. It was a nice gym and a nice outdoor pool. Dinner was at Au Lac, a high quality vegan restaurant. I returned to the hotel for my final night in Orange County. Thursday morning, I got up early and ran the Anaheim strip before settling down for another work session prior to my flight. I was planning to visit other suppliers, but the scheduling didn’t work out and the traffic was nightmarish following a wild night of Santa Ana winds. Fortunately John Wayne Airport is far enough inland that my flight wasn’t affected. It was a bumpy ride to my Denver connection, where it was snowing. The views of the Rocky Mountains on the approach were spectacular. I was home by midnight and back to work in East Hartford on Friday morning.

This year, we went south to north. The first group left the trailhead at the southern terminus at 7:00 A.M. The second group met them in Bolton Notch at the Hop River Linear Park (Rail Trail) for the hand-off at 12:30 P.M. The second group stumbled onto Old Springfield Road, the northern terminus, around 7:00 P.M. Dave was shattered and humbled by the trail, but as they say, “He got it done!”

The quote of the day goes to Dave. About 40 miles into his run/hike, when we were headed up Soapstone Mountain at dusk, I yelled back, “How are you doing ultra-man?” He replied, “Ugggh!”

Debbie ran the first half with fellow Shenipsit Striders: Clint Morse, Dave Almand, Dominic Wilson, Ron Starrett, Alison Cleary, David Sutherland, and David Merkt. I ran the kids down the rail trail  to the Notch parking lot at noon so that I could do the second half. I was joined by Tony Bonanno, and of course, Dave. We had incredible weather. It was shorts and shortsleeves weather, which is wild for late November. The sunshine was brilliant, the sunset was fantastic. Even the darkness was beautiful.

Our group kept a good pace until we reached Ellington, when we slowed considerably. However, we kept plugging along. We had great conversations and enjoyed every minute on the trail. We even came across another group of Shenipsit Striders doing trail maintenance. Thank you Stuart King, Norm Cormier, and Bill Metzger. That’s what it is about!

The trail was in decent shape. We thought it would be worse. There has been a lot of cleanup since the late October snowstorm that damaged so many trees. There was still blow-down and branches in many sections, but overall, it was OK. The mud wasn’t too bad. I heard it was worse in the first half. The trail was well-marked, especially in the northernmost sections, where we needed it most. We were unprepared for the final section of trail which seemed to go on forever. There was a lot of climbing at the end. It was a great day in the woods.

Join us in 2012.

Debbie and I ran and the Schieffer Family watched our kids and the race. This grand tradition continues. My race was ho-hum. I had a crazy work week and with the added stress, I was a little “off” going into this morning’s 4.748 mile event. I really wanted to break 27 minutes, but fell short by 9 seconds. I ran my fastest MRR (27:00) two years ago and was close to the magic number in 2010 and again today. I know a lot of folks would kill for a 27-something race, but I’ve done this race enough times to know when I’m “on” and when I’m not. I also have high expectations and know what I’m capable of. I just haven’t put together “that race” at Manchester yet.

I told Deb after the race that 2012 is my year. I enter a new and exciting age group (gulp) next year and it is time to finally focus on this race. We just ran the Busa Bushwhack five days ago and it beat us up. It wasn’t supposed to be that way, but Busa was postponed because of the freak October snowstorm. I would have much rather rested last weekend, but we wanted to get in our 6th New England Grand Tree Trail Running Series race and I had to give it my all at the rescheduled race. I don’t know any other way. When in a race, you race.

So, today, I felt like my body was stiff. My back was bothering me yesterday and again this morning, so I just lathered on enough “start oil” with camphor to get a fire going. I’m still burning up as I type this! My legs never loosened up and I ran a slower hill than normal. I was OK on the Porter St. descent, but then faded a bit between miles 3 and 4. Brett Stoeffler caught me in the same spot as the past two years. He nabbed me at the 3 mile mark and I couldn’t hang on. It pains me to watch him go up the road because he is a master at pacing. One of these years, I’ll keep him in sight and I’ll get the time that I really want. Not this year…

Debbie had a solid race, but she was also unhappy with her speed. I thought that records might fall today, but neither the men’s winner, Brian Olinger, or the women’s winner, Sally Kipyego, were close. Still, these were amazing performances in a pressure cooker of a race. I was amazed with Don Cabral performance. He is the Glastonbury kid who was crushing all on the high school scene three short years ago. He was 6th today, which is spectacular for a local guy. He can win this thing some day, and I hope he does.

Last night, Deb, the kids, and I went to the annual pre-race pasta dinner at the Elks Club. We saw many friends and had a fun time chatting with the elite runners. I was inspired by seeing Julia Chase-Brand, who was one of the first women to compete in and finish the MRR. She “broke the gender barrier” for women’s distance running 50 years ago at the 1961 race. It gives me chills to think about that race and how she must have felt when she ran Manchester again today. There was a nice story in the New York Times and several stories in today’s Journal Inquirer.

It was great to see all of our club-mates from the Shenipsit Striders and Silk City Striders. All I can say is that the Manchester Road Race is awesome and that thinking about it brings a smile to my face.

Here is the full version of what I wrote:

When asked to reflect on my Manchester Road Race memories, I realized that there were gaps in my own records. I first ran the race in 1985. I think I’ve run it 20 times. I know that I have done it 16 years in a row. I’m registered again this year.

I’m working with the Manchester Library to locate results and reports from 1985-1995. Prior to the Internet, the results were published by the Manchester Herald and the Hartford Courant.

I first ran it when I was at Vernon Center Middle School. I took up cross-country and running as offseason training on the recommendation of my youth hockey coach. He wanted me to build more speed and endurance. I stopped playing hockey as an 88 pound freshman. I hadn’t grown fast enough and my father joked that I was going to be the “puck” with so many bigger kids.

I think my first exposure to Wickham Park was as a 12-year-old in 1985. That was also the year of my first MRR. My father brought me to the race. I was intimidated by the large crowd, but I made it to the finish in less than 30 minutes. Whenever I think of MRR, I think of Ray Crothers and my grandfather. I got my first pair of Tigers (now Asics) running shoes that fall. Every year after that, my grandfather would take me to the Run In to buy a new pair of shoes. Ray always enjoyed my grandfather, especially in my Gramps’ later years. We would spend two hours at the store and I would try everything in my size, running laps around the building. Ray was a big inspiration.

During those years, I was also enthralled by John Treacy and the other Irish Connection runners. I clipped a lot of newspaper articles about the great athletes who competed in Manchester. I ran cross-country for East Catholic High School. In the late 80’s, Treacy visited the school during race week. I got his autograph on my lucky Mickey Mouse boxer shorts. Boxers were all the rage at that time, and I wore them underneath my running shorts in the big races. It looked kind of funny and would certainly be a uniform violation today, but I got away with it then. Eventually those shorts became so thin that they just disintegrated.

1989 was a magical year. I was a senior on the ECHS squad. Our coach was Paul Haggerty and he was way ahead of his time. He had us doing bounders, strides, and a lot of plyometrics. The running took a back seat to some of the strength and form stuff. He could outrun all of us, so we couldn’t pull any fast ones on him. Occasionally, we would go to Wickham Park when he didn’t run with us and we would play football (we stashed one in the woods) and horse around, but mostly we were serious because we had a lot of promise. I was the #4 runner most of the time and was just average. I made up for my lack of height and talent with hard work and suffering. Our top runners were Chris Ray and Dan Feehan. Both came from big time running families. They had pedigree, but hadn’t fulfilled their promise.

Coach took a lot of criticism for his unorthodox style. The parents weren’t happy. Our regular season was mediocre, but he had worked with us to set very strong end of season goals. They were established early in the year when we first got together for summer training. He was happy to forsake the regular season meets if we won the State Championship. Our goals were to win the Class meet and make top five overall at the State Open. Chris was 26^th the prior year, having just missed out on All State Honors, so he was hungry. Coach had a saying, “You don’t want to peak until the leaves start falling off the trees.”

Coach’s approach worked perfectly, though I had a minor setback. 20 days before the state championships, I broke my left wrist playing football. It was a stupid mistake on my part. I kept running with my cast, and it no time, it rotted out and was rattling on my wrist. It was supposed to be on for eight weeks, but I insisted on getting it removed the day before the states. My parents relented and I still have occasional pain more than 20 years later!

We were peaked for the big meets, won the Class MM and then went on to a stunning third overall in the State Open behind powerhouses Xavier and Staples. We really overachieved that day. Chris shocked everyone by winning the overall title in very muddy conditions. Dan was an amazing 11^th. I was third runner on the team that day. It was one of the best days in ECHS sporting history. Everyone on our team ran their hearts out.

I also did the MRR that year because I had successfully carried my fitness into November, and had a very good race in 27:52. As a 17 year old, I just missed third in my age group.

I had a stretch from 1990-1995 where I wasn’t serious about running. I had some knee problems and that is when I took up competitive cycling. I still did a few MRR’s, but don’t have all the records. I came back in 1995 or 1996. I just missed breaking 30, and I tore up my legs trying. I hadn’t run at all leading up to the race. Several times in the late 1990’s, I did the race as my only run of the year. I was riding a lot (250-300 miles a week in those days), but running uses different muscles. I recall limping for days after the MRR, but it felt so good just to be part of the vibe. I sort of missed running.

I met my spouse, Debbie, in 1999 and started running seriously again, but mostly on the trails. I crushed my 10-year-old PR in 1999 with a 27:18. I’m happy to say that I’ve had a very steady progression since then. I’m also happy to say that I’ve gotten faster in my late 30’s and can’t wait for 2012 when I enter the 40 plus age group. I ran 27:00 (my fastest) in 2009, 10 years after my prior PR, and I ran 27:06 last year. I’ve broken 28 five years in a row. My goal has been to break 27 and also to be in the top 100 runners. I sort of achieved both.

Some 2009 results show me at 26:59, but others at 27:00, so I have to live with it! I remember coming down Main Street and seeing the time on the clock and realizing it was going to be close. As the road pitched up in the final meters, I gave it my all and just hoped for the best. It was so close. I’ve altered my strategy over the years. Some years, I went out hard and blew up. Other years I went out easy and never picked up the pace. You would think that I would have it down by now, but the course is an enigma. The weather is always a factor too. I remember the snowy years vividly. I think 1987 was a big snow year. We sloshed our way around the course. In my opinion, the 1.25 miles between 2.75 and 4 is the key to the race. I have yet to run a perfect Manchester, but I’m still trying.

In recent years, I’ve enjoyed doing the race with lots of family. My kids have been coming with us and it is a tradition for my mother-in-law to stay with them under the big tree in front of St. James Church. That is where we used to meet back in my high school XC days, so I have stuck with that spot. I often see folks on Thanksgiving Day that I haven’t seen since the last year’s race. I see them once a year, under that tree. I can’t wait until my children are old enough to do the race, but due to my competitive nature, I doubt that I could give up my seeding card and run with them.

I’m so glad that I’ve stuck with endurance sports. It is a huge part of my life, and I’ve done over 800 races including all of the running, cycling, triathlon, and adventure racing. I have results from nearly all of them. I’ve done the MRR more times than any other race. It is a tradition I won’t miss.

His club, the Greater Framingham Running Club, is the host for this 10 mile affair. The course is in their backyard at Callahan State Park. Today’s race was rescheduled from October 30th because of the freak snowstorm that devastated Connecticut and Massachusetts. There was no snow on the trails today. Instead, we were greeted with an unseasonably warm temperature of 60 degrees, and abundant sunshine. Neither Debbie or I had ever run on the Callahan trails, so it was a new and fun experience.

Last weekend’s Mt. Toby Trail Run was fast, but not nearly as fast as Busa. The trails were covered in leaves and there were a few spots of mud, but for the most part, they were not technical. There was some up and down, including the infamous Busa Hill, but you had to just lay it out there because this was a fast track. I only missed one turn, which is a testament to the good course markings and all of the excellent GFRC volunteers. Without that extra effort, I would have been lost because there was a lot of criss-crossing and doubling back.

Alas, it was a good day. We were pumped to get in our sixth Grand Tree race of the year. Both of us needed it to qualify for the season points. GFRCer, Wendy Cashen Akeson, was kind enough to connect us with club-mate Jill Conroy, who watched our kids while we hammered in Callahan. The finish line was at the Brophy School, which was neat. There was a playground, so it qualifies for family friendly. We walked from the school to the start, which was in a neighborhood. At the end of the cul-de-sac was a trailhead for the state park. 167 runners finished the 10 mile race and 81 finished the 5.3 mile short course.

Stephen Granger-Bevan blasted the 10-miler in 1:03:09, which is pretty good considering that this is all trail and the footing was tricky. Jim Johnson went faster last year, but for today, Stephen was top dog. I chatted with him after the race, and he was genuinely happy to get the win because he has been hampered by some nagging injuries. He beat out Mt. Toby and Stone Cat champ, Ross Krause, who has been absolutely flying. Ross finished in 1:04:38. Russell Johanson rounded out the top three in 1:06:30.

I ran a 1:09:16. Hot on my heels was the women’s winner, Kim Webster, in 1:09:23. Kim closed in on me with about 1.5 miles to go. I could hear her breathing and I knew that the runner stalking  me was a girl, but I never looked. I had faded a bit in the second half, but I wasn’t about to get caught near the finish by a boy or a girl! Her breathing was labored, so I kicked it up a notch when we hit the final 1/2 mile road section, which was enough to hold her off. The final push did get my heart rate up to 191, so I should at least thank Kim for that.

She had a great race. Her gap to second place finisher and last week’s Mt. Toby champ, Kelsey Allen, was significant. Kelsey still had a great time of 1:12:39. Kath Hardcastle was third in 1:14:24. Ashley Krause was fourth, Amy Lane was fifth, and Debbie was sixth in 1:20:14. This race was a little short and the trails were a little too tame for Debbie, but she still had a great time.

It was nice to hang out with Richard after the race. His race resume is amazing. I’m glad that the GFRC gang got this race in. Two weeks ago, it looked grim. Today, it was glorious. We got to run some new trails, see some old friends, and meet some new ones too. It’s sad that the Grand Tree series is in hibernation until next April. Bring on Northern Nipmuck!

Race Results

The race was held in conjunction with the Sports & Fitness Expo. The venue was the Bennett Soccer Field in downtown Manchester, Connecticut. Before the start, the children (and adults) were treated to a special event. Three sky divers leapt from an airplane and landed in the park, only 50 feet from where everyone was gathered. It was a nice start to the day.

The races were fun to watch. All of the kids got sweatshirts and medals. There were post-race refreshments. The volunteers were great. I hope they keep this tradition. Some of these kids will graduate to run in the big race on Thanksgiving Day.

I prefer the November race date. It was chilly at the start and there was lots of mud on the course, but that beats heat and humidity. Toby has been around for many years, though this year, Sara Smiarowski took over from long time race director, Scott Hunter. The usual volunteers, including the Sunderland Fire Department manned the aid stations and start/finish. This was the fifth time that I’ve run Toby, but the first since 2008.

Mt. Toby is a pretty good hill. The race has 1,850 feet of elevation gain and 1,850 feet of loss, so you get some ups and down, though the ascent/descent of Toby itself is the most significant. The main part of the climb goes up 800 feet in 2 miles and then you turn around at the base of the fire tower and blast right back down. My splits were 52:25/48:35 for a total of 1:41:00. I shaved 2:18 off of my previous best time on the course, so I was happy with my result, especially because the footing was so bad. We had to dodge a lot of puddles, and we couldn’t avoid all of them. Even though I ran faster on the downhill half of the race, I much prefer the uphill. The pounding on the fire road was painful for my quadriceps and my toes. Toby isn’t the prettiest course, but there is still an allure to running it. My GPS tracked the elevation profile.

I’m just starting to build fitness again. The last time I ran hard was at the NipMuck Trail Marathon five weeks ago. Winter storm Alfred threw a wrench into  my exercise regimen, but I’m back on track. Debbie had a good run. She was 2nd woman and finished in 1:57:23. It wasn’t her fastest time, but she had a really good negative split. Toby is about as fast a course as you can get for a trail race. It isn’t super-technical and the downhills are quick.

The men’s winner was Ross Krause, who is still basking in the glow of his Stonecat Trail Marathon win from last weekend. He ran a stellar 1:31:53 today. He was followed by Chris Hayhurst and Aaron Stone. Ross was pushed hard, but he came out on top. The women’s winner was Kelsey Allen. She ran 1:47:41. Debbie was also second to her at 7 Sisters earlier this year. Kelsey has had a great Grand Tree season with recent wins at Curly’s Half Marathon and the Monroe Trail Race. Kristine Lynch was third today. It’s worth noting that for first place, Ross scored a six-pack of 22 oz. bottles of Berkshire Brewing Company’s Steel Rail Pale Ale. Man, I wish I could run faster!

I finished just in front of Donald Pacher. The two of us had a race-long battle, which made the time go by quicker. We both complained about the downhills, so neither of us had an advantage. I think I whined more than he did. We traded places many times, but stayed within 20 seconds of each other the whole way. I pulled away in the last 1/2 mile. He and I had fun. We enjoyed the post-race cookout, though it was so cold in the shade of the pavilion. We had a chance to hang out with friends Todd Brown, Dave Sutherland, and Randall Dutton, who also drove up from Connecticut. Mary Lou White finished just as we were leaving, so it was good to see her.

We stopped in Northampton for a treat and smoothies. We have one more Grand Tree race left and that will make six for us. We have one more chance at the Busa Bushwhack next weekend.

Race Results

I hadn’t run this far since the NipMuck Trail Marathon five weeks ago. So, it will take a few more of these to get my legs going again. We had great conversations and once again, this proves that the Striders are running strong!

If there was ever a weekend to bag a race, it would have been this one. After having the week I had with all of the power outage challenges, I wasn’t too motivated and I was feeling pretty stressed out, but the glorious fall weather (quite a contrast from a week ago) was something I didn’t want to miss. We had a fantastic day at Look Park in Florence, Massachusetts. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Cycle-Smart is a two-day affair, so many of the cyclocrossers also raced yesterday. It was nice to see teammates Pat, Paul, Matt, and Wade. Wade and I did the 35+ age group race while the other three did the 45+.

Debbie and our kids joined me for the fun trip to Northampton and even the little ones got into the action. They had a whole series of kids races.

My race was enjoyable. I got a good start, but faded as I predicted. One setback came on the second lap when approaching the barriers. I unclipped my right leg and swung it over the top tube to dismount. In a split second, my left foot also came out of my pedal and then all I saw was blue sky as my bike went flying and I did a barrel roll about five feet before the barriers. I remounted, but my chain was off, so that cost me 10 or 15 spots that I never recovered. It didn’t matter. My primary goal was to finish and my secondary goal was to not get lapped. I achieved both. I wore my GPS watch and it recorded my heart rate. It was low, which showed that I didn’t have good fitness, but I was able to edge it up throughout the race. I covered just under 11 miles in 46 minutes, which is pretty good for a cross race, but I was well back of the leaders.

The course was wicked fast. There were only a few slick corners. The sand pit was rideable and so was the “run-up.” The only time you had to get off was at the barriers. I would have preferred a bit slower course for my first race of the year, but you take what you get. After the kids races, we watched the elite women and elite men. Katerina Nash won for the second day in the row. Luke Keough also did the “two-fer” in the men’s race. I love watching the top cyclocrossers. They are powerful and smooth.

We enjoyed the playgrounds of Look Park and then went to our favorite restaurant in Northampton. So, for a week that was full of problems, we ended it on a very positive note.

This October snowstorm of 2011 will go down as one of the most devastating natural disasters that southern New England has ever seen. Connecticut was the hardest hit state. The Nor’Easter that tore through these parts on Saturday and Sunday has left a lot of damage.

I haven’t got much more to say right now. We awoke on Sunday to an incredible snowfall for October. It was freakish. Many adjectives will be used to describe this storm. From my perspective, we had an early snowfall. The snow as wet and heavy. We have had a mild and very wet October so the trees were full of leaves, and many of them were green. They hadn’t turned and they hadn’t dried out. The ground is saturated from all of the rain that we had this summer and fall. It was a recipe for disaster.

Despite the wind and rain from Hurricane Irene back in August, there were many weak branches and trees that haven’t fallen.

The weight of the snow and the wind from the storm spelled disaster. More than 830,000 Connecticut customers lost power, and most of us don’t have the lights on yet. It could be a while. Like I said, this story will continue.

First thing Sunday, Debbie and I went for a walk up to Rose Farm and then around our neighborhood. We surveyed the damage. There were a lot of trees and branches down. The sunrise was incredible. We came back and shoveled our driveway.

We drove over to Case Mt. We parked at Highland Park Market. We had a few detours and there were a few cars on the road. It was very slippery. All of the traffic lights were out. We ran a 7 mile loop in Manchester and witnessed a lot more damage.

Eventually, we made our way to West Hartford, where there were some businesses open, including Whole Foods. We stocked up on groceries and met up with Grandma and Grandpa Schieffer, who had our kids from the night before.

We returned home. I took a ride to my parents’ house. They had some heavy damage from a couple of large trees that fell in their yard. Fortunately, they didn’t the house, but they did pull down all of their wires.

I returned home and ate dinner with the family by candlelight (again). We did a “night walk” as my son is fond of calling our evening hikes around the neighborhood. The stars were brilliant thanks to the darkness that Connecticut had plunged into. Monday was crazy. The story will continue from there.