Monday, February 29, 2016
Leap Day
Happy Leap Day! Here's a small selection of leaper photos taken since my last leaper post in late 2013 (see Leapers). As before, the phenomenon tends to happen more frequently at trail races and ultras, but it certainly also occurs at road races and other events as well:
Saturday, February 27, 2016
A Winter That Wasn't
Last winter was a tough one here in western Massachusetts. I say that as a full-on winter-lover, one who happily embraces cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking in crampons to icy summit vistas. It was tough. Long and cold, with a lot of shoveling. And the snow actually wasn't all that great due to the wrong combination of weather factors that left it crunchy, glazy, or wet at the times whenever I was free to go out and play in it.
THIS winter, however, seems to have passed us by entirely. Valentines Day weekend was really cold, and certainly felt like winter, but there wasn't any snow to go along with it, and the following week warmed up to temps in the 50's. Most of the snowshoe races in the area were cancelled, as was the annual Thunderbolt Ski Race on Mt. Greylock. And forget cross-country skiing; I think there was one weekend where there was skiable snow at Northfield Mountain.
THIS winter, however, seems to have passed us by entirely. Valentines Day weekend was really cold, and certainly felt like winter, but there wasn't any snow to go along with it, and the following week warmed up to temps in the 50's. Most of the snowshoe races in the area were cancelled, as was the annual Thunderbolt Ski Race on Mt. Greylock. And forget cross-country skiing; I think there was one weekend where there was skiable snow at Northfield Mountain.
So it's been a bust for traditional New England winter adventures. On the flip side, however, it's been great for runners training for Boston or other spring races. And trail running season basically just never ended, except for a couple of icy/glazy weeks here and there.
Back in January, Jen and I took a 5-mile run on the M-M Trail through Northfield State Forest, including the Bald Hills loop. There was about an inch of light snow on the ground, which made it perfect for Yaktrax running. This is what the trail looked like a lot of the way:
Bald Hills loop trail at Northfield State Forest
So anyway, now it's almost March. And the ground is totally bare. And it's going to be in the 50's again tomorrow. Weird. But just like I always say to embrace winter and all the fun things you can do in it, I guess the thing to do now is roll with this too, and enjoy it for what it is.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Fitting Pursuits
read the full issue Blending my athletic passions with my enjoyment of writing and editing, I recently stepped in as the editor of my local running club's newsletter, The Sugarloaf Sun. The publication had been on hiatus / dormant since mid-2011. The latest issue, previewed and linked to in the image above, blossomed in size as I was producing it, with a hugely welcome number of submissions by club members and contributors. I had a great time putting it all together, slapping a Star Wars homage-y feel on it (in appreciation of the just-released Force Awakens episode), and releasing it to the club and public at large on New Year's Eve. Going forward, new issues will come out every 2 months and be linked to on the Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club's website.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Gift Idea: Trail Running Western Massachusetts
To all readers of this blog, and other friends, family, and colleagues, I have a shameless request: please help me promote my new guidebook Trail Running Western Massachusetts (which in about a month I suppose I'll have to stop referring to as "new"). If you know of any runners, hikers, adventurers, or trail enthusiasts in New England who might appreciate good intel about and maps of cool trails, please consider giving them the book as a gift. It's loaded with detailed information and features such as links to enhanced maps for profiled sites; it's affordable; and I'll admit, I'm really pleased with how it came out. I'd love to do more, and every sale increases the likelihood of updates and sequels (VT, NH, or eastern MA, you could be next!).
Here's the link for the book's page on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/dp/1611687861/
Here is its Facebook page (please "like"!):
Here's the link for the book's page on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/dp/1611687861/
Here is its Facebook page (please "like"!):
and here is an incomplete list of excellent local booksellers and retailers who carry it (definitely check ahead as they sometimes sell out):
Massachusetts: Amherst Books (Amherst), Arcadian Shop (Lenox), Atkins Farms (Amherst), The Bookloft (Great Barrington), Broadside Bookshop (Northampton), Cup and Top Cafe (Florence), The Old Creamery Co-Op (Cummington), Odyssey Bookshop (South Hadley), Trail Head Outfitters (Orange), the UMASS campus center bookstore (Amherst), World Eye Books (Greenfield), and soon to be at Boswell's Books (Shelburne Falls).
Vermont: The Bennington Bookshop (Bennington), Bartleby's Books (Wilmington), and soon to be at Everyone's Books (Brattleboro).
New Hampshire: Toadstool Bookshop (Keene)
Connecticut: Elm Street Books (New Canaan)
It's also frequently in stock at Barnes & Noble (Hadley, Holyoke, Pittsfield).
Massachusetts: Amherst Books (Amherst), Arcadian Shop (Lenox), Atkins Farms (Amherst), The Bookloft (Great Barrington), Broadside Bookshop (Northampton), Cup and Top Cafe (Florence), The Old Creamery Co-Op (Cummington), Odyssey Bookshop (South Hadley), Trail Head Outfitters (Orange), the UMASS campus center bookstore (Amherst), World Eye Books (Greenfield), and soon to be at Boswell's Books (Shelburne Falls).
Vermont: The Bennington Bookshop (Bennington), Bartleby's Books (Wilmington), and soon to be at Everyone's Books (Brattleboro).
New Hampshire: Toadstool Bookshop (Keene)
Connecticut: Elm Street Books (New Canaan)
It's also frequently in stock at Barnes & Noble (Hadley, Holyoke, Pittsfield).
lower portion of Roller Coaster at Bachelor Street trails in the Holyoke Range
As anyone who's already seen the book knows, it profiles 51 of the best trail running sites in the region, and provides maps, information, and more about each. There are scannable links to bonus content for each site, including color photos and full-page, very detailed pdf maps that you can either print or download to your phone to take with you. In many cases, these maps are the most detailed and accurate ones available anywhere. On top of all that, this blog offers occasional bonus site maps and profiles, like this one for the Chapel Brook to D.A.R. Trail.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Northeast Race Photo 2015 Highlight Gallery
There's still a full month (plus a few days) yet to go in 2015, but I've thrown together a highlight reel from my Northeast Race Photo shoots. There's more shots than usual this year because I wanted to include a variety of shots from each race in addition to showing the variety of races. Probably the completist in me.
Partly the album is just for fun and partly its to remind everyone that there's still plenty of time to order race photo prints and merchandise for holiday gifts. There's tons of stuff available, from prints to posters to magnets to mugs and more. Plus digital downloads, of course.
Here's the link to the full album on Smugmug:
https://northeastracephoto.smugmug.com/2015-Races/2015-Highlights/
and some cool sample shots to tease ya with =)
Partly the album is just for fun and partly its to remind everyone that there's still plenty of time to order race photo prints and merchandise for holiday gifts. There's tons of stuff available, from prints to posters to magnets to mugs and more. Plus digital downloads, of course.
Here's the link to the full album on Smugmug:
https://northeastracephoto.smugmug.com/2015-Races/2015-Highlights/
and some cool sample shots to tease ya with =)
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Bonus Site: Ashley Pond area
My guidebook Trail Running Western Massachusetts (click here to view the book's page on Amazon) profiles 51 of the best trail running sites in the region. It was a challenge to whittle down the final list to include in the book to just 51 sites, and some that I really like or that would have been nice to include had to be cut for space. I occasionally post profiles of some of those "bonus sites" here and link to them from the book's Facebook page. (see the Chapel Brook to D.A.R. Trail post for a previous example).
one of the causeway trails at Ashley Pond
In this case, the bonus site is the Ashley Pond area in Holyoke and West Springfield. It includes the northern end of the Bear Hole Watershed (north of the Mass Pike) and the portion of East Mountain just south of the one profiled in the book (site #46). The reason for not including this one was a combination of a.) the book already having a number of sites right in that area, b.) the mix of land ownership and the closing of the McLean Reservoir area, c.) the inconsistent signage and marking of trails, d.) the fuzziness of parking legality (it's OK to park by the Ashley Reservoir entrances and at the south end of Millville Rd), and e.) the fact that the "trail" around the reservoir(s) is really more of a dirt road and arguably straddles the line between trail running and road running. That said, the trails to the south and west of the ponds are a mix of rugged old roads and winding singletrack, including a segment of the Metacomet-Monadnock (M-M Trail). Some of it is quite nice and fun to run on, while some of it is heavily eroded by many years of off-road vehicle use.
The dirt trails around the Ashley Pond reservoirs are wide, flat, and generally out in the open with great views across the water. Some of them are on causeways that remind me of a landscape out of Middle Earth. These are excellent trails for anyone looking for an easy introduction to trail running. A weekly series of alternating 5K and 10K cross-country races use the trails around Ashley in the summer, and several races take place here throughout the year, including the Jonno Gray 5K, the WMDP XC festival, and the 6-mile Talking Turkey Race on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
A few notes about trail closures and off-limits areas: the trail that leads up to McLean Reservoir is currently closed to the public, as are all of the trails around it, probably due to security concerns? Also, there are a number of unofficial paths leading through the woods just southwest of Whitney Ave and the Elks Lodge, but visitors are asked to stay on the major trails in that area, and actually there's quite a bit of poison ivy in those woods anyway so, you know... not worth it.
At the southern end of Ashley Reservoir, a narrow foot trail leads across the railroad tracks (be VERY careful crossing the tracks) to a junction on the other side. From here, Millville Road (dirt) leads to the right and heads south, while a rough dirt road leads left towards the end of Quarry Road. In between is a segment of extremely fun, sinuous singletrack trail that curves back and forth on itself for nearly a mile until it ends at a wider path about a quarter of a mile to the south.
Southwest of the ponds, a network of old roads threads through the northern half of the Bear Hole Watershed, and the M-M Trail runs along the crest of East Mountain. Many of these trails are in very rough shape due to years of heavy off-road vehicle erosion, and in some spots there are deep, near-permanent(?) pools of stagnant green water. They are now officially closed to such traffic, but they are still used sometimes. I once even saw a Subaru Outback station wagon driven by two young men improbably make its way almost to the crest of the East Mountain ridge. The trails are also well-loved by mountain bikers, who have maintained various sections and named certain segments (Cauldron, Lower Yeti, etc.) and marked them with green trail signs. Some segments of the M-M Trail have also been marked with green signs (White Lightning, Armageddon, Widow Maker, etc.). One or two of the trails currently dead end where sections have been flooded by beaver activity.
While researching and mapping these trails, I came across several very confusing online posts suggesting the existence of newer singletrack trails that either aren't there or are very hard to find, or possibly are alternate names for parts of the M-M Trail. I wasn't able to find them despite several attempts. If you know anything about such trails that might be helpful to people out there, please share in the comments below!
While a good percentage of the trails in this area are heavily eroded, you will still come across the occasional very fun section of narrow singletrack trail, particularly just south of Ashley Reservoir. It's worth exploring (this map should help) and making a several hour trail running excursion of out it.
If you have any comments, complaints, corrections, praise, or suggestions about this bonus site or anything related to the Trail Running Western Massachusetts guidebook, please comment below or drop me an email with your thoughts!
The dirt trails around the Ashley Pond reservoirs are wide, flat, and generally out in the open with great views across the water. Some of them are on causeways that remind me of a landscape out of Middle Earth. These are excellent trails for anyone looking for an easy introduction to trail running. A weekly series of alternating 5K and 10K cross-country races use the trails around Ashley in the summer, and several races take place here throughout the year, including the Jonno Gray 5K, the WMDP XC festival, and the 6-mile Talking Turkey Race on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
A few notes about trail closures and off-limits areas: the trail that leads up to McLean Reservoir is currently closed to the public, as are all of the trails around it, probably due to security concerns? Also, there are a number of unofficial paths leading through the woods just southwest of Whitney Ave and the Elks Lodge, but visitors are asked to stay on the major trails in that area, and actually there's quite a bit of poison ivy in those woods anyway so, you know... not worth it.
sweet, sinuous singletrack trail just south of Ashley Pond
At the southern end of Ashley Reservoir, a narrow foot trail leads across the railroad tracks (be VERY careful crossing the tracks) to a junction on the other side. From here, Millville Road (dirt) leads to the right and heads south, while a rough dirt road leads left towards the end of Quarry Road. In between is a segment of extremely fun, sinuous singletrack trail that curves back and forth on itself for nearly a mile until it ends at a wider path about a quarter of a mile to the south.
M-M Trail ascending East Mountain just north of the Mass Pike
Southwest of the ponds, a network of old roads threads through the northern half of the Bear Hole Watershed, and the M-M Trail runs along the crest of East Mountain. Many of these trails are in very rough shape due to years of heavy off-road vehicle erosion, and in some spots there are deep, near-permanent(?) pools of stagnant green water. They are now officially closed to such traffic, but they are still used sometimes. I once even saw a Subaru Outback station wagon driven by two young men improbably make its way almost to the crest of the East Mountain ridge. The trails are also well-loved by mountain bikers, who have maintained various sections and named certain segments (Cauldron, Lower Yeti, etc.) and marked them with green trail signs. Some segments of the M-M Trail have also been marked with green signs (White Lightning, Armageddon, Widow Maker, etc.). One or two of the trails currently dead end where sections have been flooded by beaver activity.
While researching and mapping these trails, I came across several very confusing online posts suggesting the existence of newer singletrack trails that either aren't there or are very hard to find, or possibly are alternate names for parts of the M-M Trail. I wasn't able to find them despite several attempts. If you know anything about such trails that might be helpful to people out there, please share in the comments below!
Cauldron Trail east of the main East Mountain ridge
While a good percentage of the trails in this area are heavily eroded, you will still come across the occasional very fun section of narrow singletrack trail, particularly just south of Ashley Reservoir. It's worth exploring (this map should help) and making a several hour trail running excursion of out it.
If you have any comments, complaints, corrections, praise, or suggestions about this bonus site or anything related to the Trail Running Western Massachusetts guidebook, please comment below or drop me an email with your thoughts!
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
12 Marathons
I've now run 12 official marathons (not counting the 2 ultras I've done in the last few years, and one that I ran/hiked in the mid-90s). Finishing times can't be reliably compared to one another since there are so many variables, including: how hilly the course, weather, temperature, nutrition, fitness level, terrain/course surface, number of tight turns, and quality of training. But it's really hard to not compare anyway.
Reflecting on the four that took me longer than last weekend's 4:01:53 trail marathon (which clearly OUGHT to take longer than a road one for the simple reason that it's trail not road), here are my reasons/excuses for why they were slower:
1997: Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon, Anchorage, AK (4:19:00)
During the training for this one, which took place on the June solstice, I pulled a hamstring around mile 18 of a 20-miler about 3 weeks beforehand, and didn't run a step during the 21 days in between. Not too surprising, since the race came only 3 months after my fastest marathon, at the Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon in Virginia Beach (3:22:00). I cramped pretty bad somewhere around mile 19 and basically limped to the finish.
2006: Key Bank Vermont City Marathon, Burlington, VT (4:03:29)
I blame this one on the heat. After a record cold spring where I don't think I got to run in shorts and a t-shirt more than once, this Memorial Day race took place on a sweltering day where the temperatures climbed well into the 80s. I started well but suffered greatly in the later miles. Basically, I melted.
2008: Around the Lake Marathon, Wakefield, MA (4:12:38)
This one was a "novelty" race that I didn't really take seriously anyway. For one thing, it takes place at night, in the middle of the summer. For another thing, it was really just an extra-long long training run that I was using as build up for the Clarence Demar Marathon 8 weeks later. (photo from a later year here)
2008: Clarence Demar Marathon, Keene, NH (4:10:17)
I actually don't know why this one was so slow. Maybe it was the extreme humidity. Or maybe I was just taking it super easy to make sure I finished; I had to pull out of this race at mile 19 in 2007 due to a stress fracture in my foot, and I really wanted to complete it. I needed to finish it, for lots of reasons. (photos here)
Still, Stone Cat featured rugged trail terrain and endless twists, turns, and short, steep hills. Plus I fell/crashed hard, twice. And there were no mile markers. And I went into it with a seriously compromised Achilles. It should have been my slowest marathon. Which makes me feel extra good that it wasn't.
The other seven, from first to last:
1995: Marine Corps Marathon, Washington DC (3:44:00)
1997: Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon, Virginia Beach, VA (3:22:00) PR
2004: Mount Deserst Island Marathon, Bar Harbor, ME (3:44:15)
2005: Tucson Marathon, Tucson, AZ (3:42:59)
2006: California International Marathon, Sacramento, CA (3:33:22)
2010: Marine Corps Marathon, Washington, DC (3:36:50)
2012: Jacksonville Marathon, Jacksonville, FL (3:36:11)
Reflecting on the four that took me longer than last weekend's 4:01:53 trail marathon (which clearly OUGHT to take longer than a road one for the simple reason that it's trail not road), here are my reasons/excuses for why they were slower:
1997: Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon, Anchorage, AK (4:19:00)
During the training for this one, which took place on the June solstice, I pulled a hamstring around mile 18 of a 20-miler about 3 weeks beforehand, and didn't run a step during the 21 days in between. Not too surprising, since the race came only 3 months after my fastest marathon, at the Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon in Virginia Beach (3:22:00). I cramped pretty bad somewhere around mile 19 and basically limped to the finish.
2006: Key Bank Vermont City Marathon, Burlington, VT (4:03:29)
I blame this one on the heat. After a record cold spring where I don't think I got to run in shorts and a t-shirt more than once, this Memorial Day race took place on a sweltering day where the temperatures climbed well into the 80s. I started well but suffered greatly in the later miles. Basically, I melted.
2008: Around the Lake Marathon, Wakefield, MA (4:12:38)
This one was a "novelty" race that I didn't really take seriously anyway. For one thing, it takes place at night, in the middle of the summer. For another thing, it was really just an extra-long long training run that I was using as build up for the Clarence Demar Marathon 8 weeks later. (photo from a later year here)
2008: Clarence Demar Marathon, Keene, NH (4:10:17)
I actually don't know why this one was so slow. Maybe it was the extreme humidity. Or maybe I was just taking it super easy to make sure I finished; I had to pull out of this race at mile 19 in 2007 due to a stress fracture in my foot, and I really wanted to complete it. I needed to finish it, for lots of reasons. (photos here)
Still, Stone Cat featured rugged trail terrain and endless twists, turns, and short, steep hills. Plus I fell/crashed hard, twice. And there were no mile markers. And I went into it with a seriously compromised Achilles. It should have been my slowest marathon. Which makes me feel extra good that it wasn't.
The other seven, from first to last:
1995: Marine Corps Marathon, Washington DC (3:44:00)
1997: Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon, Virginia Beach, VA (3:22:00) PR
2004: Mount Deserst Island Marathon, Bar Harbor, ME (3:44:15)
2005: Tucson Marathon, Tucson, AZ (3:42:59)
2006: California International Marathon, Sacramento, CA (3:33:22)
2010: Marine Corps Marathon, Washington, DC (3:36:50)
2012: Jacksonville Marathon, Jacksonville, FL (3:36:11)