Pack Monadnock

Pack Monadnock is the second race in the 6-race USATF NE Mountain series. The event drew a record crowd of over 330 runners (despite the hefty entry fee). I was hoping to have a good run as this race was more suited to me than the up/down at Wachusett. The 10 mile distance was a bit of a worry as my mileage this year has been low (historically) and the early fast miles do not favor a slow Mountain Goat like me. I hoped to stay off the back of a pack and hit the 5m mark in about 30 flat to 30:30 and then see what happened on the second half.

Dave Q and I met up at 6:30 am for the hour drive. We were both fueled by Dunkin's and some "up" tunes on the stereo. I peeled out a little in the dirt parking lot at Temple mountain but the few people there that early did not seem impressed. We tucked some gear into the Mahoney's car and Tim and Abby joined us (along with a friend of Paul B) for the ride back to the start.


Wapack Trail Marker

It was great to see such a large CMS contingent show up, we had a better turn-out than the 12 km champs J. A large group got together and we headed out for an easy 3 mile warm-up. Easy is a relative term as the warm-up included the first mile of the race. The first mile is easily the toughest mile in the first half of the race. After the warm-up I changed into my Loco Banditos and headed for the line. No strides today as the pace would be slower and the distance much longer than recent efforts.

I got out well in the first mile, maybe a bit too aggressively as I hit the mile split in 6:26. I was 10 seconds up on what I wanted and hoped that would translate into a fast time. Todd Callaghan and College runner (and 2006 Globe All-scholastic) Pete Asaro went by just before the mile and disappeared into the distance. Tim Van Orden drew even with me and we motored the downhill/dirt section with another guy. The other guy fell off soon after 2 miles (12:25-5:59 split) and TiVO and I were on our own as Todd was 10 seconds up and moving away. I could still see Ben Nephew and Jim Pawlicki in the distance but the leaders were out of sight. Soon after two miles I pulled clear of TiVO. I didn’t feel all that good and felt like I was pressing too hard for this early in the race. I hit 3 miles in 18:09 (5:44 split) which still had me ahead of pace but I was losing ground on a 30 flat split. I had some dizziness during the fourth mile and just did not feel good. I kept looking ahead trying to focus on keeping the guys in sight. I hit four in 24:37 (6:28 split) and knew that 30 flat wasn’t going to happen but felt that 30:30 and a sub-1:07 might still be do-able.

Mt Monadnock from Temple Mtn

I started feeling a bit better as I headed toward the 5-mile mark. I was looking forward to the real uphill running that would commence soon after the half-way mark. I saw Ben hit the half at around 30 flat and Todd went through 10 seconds later and 22 seconds up on me as I passed it in 30:32 (5:55 split). I hadn’t written down any of my previous splits and really only knew what I wanted to hit 5 in. I did start calculating that I’d need to run 6:40’s for 5-8 then 7:30 and 9:00 in order to break 1:07. Mostly I was thinking that I wanted to close the gap on Todd. It is funny how close he’d look on the climbs as we all slowed down, but then he’d suddenly double the distance as we hit a downhill. I steadily closed on him, hitting 6 miles in 37:12 (6:40 split) and Todd’s lead was now down to 14 seconds. I figured that I had a shot at catching him by 8 if I kept closing at the same rate. From 6-7 I only made up another 2 seconds, as I passed 7 in 43:20 (6:08). He still had 12 seconds and I noticed that Ben was another 10 plus seconds up on him.

I started thinking about the long grind up route 101, I was looking forward to going slower. The up/down nature of the early miles was beating me up. I was grateful for the final downhill before the 8 mile mark and noted that Ben was 20 seconds up and Todd was 6 seconds up as I hit eight in 50:22. I was also still thinking I might break 67. The long climb up 101 was more my style and I caught Todd shortly after the 8 mile mark. I could see Ben just ahead and set my sites on him. I also saw Jim P up ahead and wondered how much juice he had left in the tank.

We headed into the park and the real mountain race began. I shifted into low-gear and kept my head up checking for Ben who was looking back at me a lot. I figured the high mileage and the 50 mile races might have taken something out of his legs. Nine miles was hit in 58:02 and my hopes of a sub 67 were still there, but more importantly Ben was only 10 seconds up. He power-walked a few times, but that wasn’t all that encouraging as Ben does that a lot in Mountain races and can still manage a solid pace. I checked my watch and 6 minutes had passed since the nine mile mark, time was running out. I through everything I had at Ben in the last quarter-mile on the 30% road but just couldn’t close. The final mile for me was 9:35, something of a disappointment and the final time was 1:07:35. A relatively good run for me, but also my worst time and place ever at Pack. I’ll take solace that I gave my all and that is all you can ever do.

It was great to see my teammates do so well. Man, we stacked up the top 14! After a quick photo-op we ran down the Mountain. I was joined by Ed Parrot (former New Englander and at one time CMS member) and we chatted about getting old and slow. We also offered encouragement to our comrades who were still heading up the mountain. After a quick slug of Coke and a large dose of Pepto-Bismol I headed out/up for another 3 miles that included a run up to the top of the old Temple mountain ski area then a rolling run over to Holt Peak on the Wapack trail. It was a nice warm-down but during the descent I went into major bonk and was wobbly the last mile. Some Coke and a raw cookie got me back on solid ground, and finished the day and the month on a good note.

Pack Monadnock from Temple Mtn

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Pack	2009	Splits	2007	Splits	2006	Splits	2005	Splits
1	06:26		06:37		06:33		06:39
2	12:25	05:59	12:46	06:09	12:34	06:01	13:02	06:23
3	18:09	05:44	18:34	05:48	18:20	05:46	19:10	06:08
4	24:37	06:28	24:54	06:20	24:52	06:32	25:56	06:46
5	30:32	05:55	30:52	05:58	30:40	05:48	32:20	06:24
6	37:12	06:40	37:18	06:26	37:03	06:23	39:12	06:52
7	43:20	06:08	43:21	06:03	43:10	06:07	45:45	06:33
8	50:22	07:02	50:20	06:59	50:05	06:55	53:09	07:24
9	58:02	07:40	57:47	07:27	57:01	06:56	1:00:56	07:47
10	1:07:35	09:33	1:07:12	0:09:25	1:06:39	09:38	1:11:43	10:47
2nd 5m	37:03		36:20		35:59		39:23
Place	9?		3		3		3

Clear shades

I've found this Spring that clear shades are great for keeping pollen and other gunk out of my eyes. I hadn't realized how much you can see the terror in my eyes! I think I'll have to stick with the reflective lenses.....at least on scary descents. Photo of me at Wachusett mountain by Scott Mason.

Most popular race

This time of year I run some of my favorite races (and a couple of not so favorites). I spend a lot of time around now thinking about Mt Washington and getting myself mentally prepared for the task. I’ve found that some of the best mental preparation comes from doing some of the Mountain series races leading up to the big race. None are quite as consistently hard as Mt Washington but all have unique challenges. I find it hard to believe that I’ll be running my 20th Mt W in just a couple of weeks. Below I’ve listed the races I’ve done the most. With 1,062 races completed 130 of those finishes can be accounted for in the 13 races below. I really miss the Kearsarge race, it was a classic. I’m definitely looking forward to the Carson 2m on the fourth of July!

Rank No. Best Place Worst Place # of wins Best time Worst Time Race Dates
1 --- 19 --- 1 --- 31 --- 3 --- 1:00:37 --- 1:10:40 --- Mt Washington --- 1988-2008
2 --- 14 --- 1 --- 11 --- 3 --- 0:24:37 --- 0:28:20 --- Wachusett Mountain --- 1995-2009
3 --- 11 --- 1 --- 5 --- 3 --- 0:59:13 --- 1:11:43 --- Pack Monadnock --- 1992-2007
4t --- 10 --- 1 --- 12 --- 3 --- 0:56:42 --- 1:06:19 --- Merrimack river trail --- 1995-2008
4t --- 10 --- 2 --- 80 --- 0 --- 0:50:10 --- 0:59:29 --- Newburyport --- 1985-2008
4t --- 10 --- 1 --- 46 --- 2 --- 0:36:59 --- 0:41:55 --- Rotary race --- 1994-2009
7t --- 9 --- 1 --- 22 --- 5 --- 0:09:20 --- 0:10:40 --- Carson Memorial --- 1984-2006
7t --- 9 --- 1 --- 10 --- 3 --- 0:51:23 --- 1:01:31 --- Mt Kearsarge --- 1995-2005
9t --- 8 --- 1 --- 243 --- 1 --- 1:05:02 --- 1:27:46 --- New Bedford 13.1 --- 1990-2009
9t --- 8 --- 1 --- 5 --- 5 --- 1:37:54 --- 1:48:34 --- Stu's 30K --- 1988-2001
9t --- 8 --- 1 --- Unk --- 4 --- Various --- Various --- Mill city relay --- 1987-2006
12t --- 7 --- 2 --- 14 --- 0 --- 0:15:18 --- 0:16:58 --- Trav's trail race --- 2001-2009
12t --- 7 --- 2 --- 24 --- 0 --- 1:22:48 --- 1:27:32 --- Challenge Stellina --- 1993-2000

Pack Monadnock

Pack Monadnock has been around since the early 90’s (I think). I first ran the race in 1992. I can’t say this is one of my favorites; actually it is probably the mountain race I LEAST like. Part of my dislike has to be that it is not a course that is the “style” that I enjoy. It is essentially an 8 mile road race with a tough mile then a 1 mile mountain climb. The final mile is a monster, quite enjoyable if you enjoy grinding up a steep hill. When Morse set the CR in 1999 he actually dipped under 8 minutes for the final mile. He is the only one to ever drop under 8 for that. I think most people would be hard pressed to do that even without the preceding 9 mile jaunt. Anyway, the course and the VERY expensive entry fee make this one unattractive to me. However, it is part of the USATF NE mountain series and I want to do the series so here we go again! I think this will be the last time I’ll do this one if the entry fee keeps going up, only so many dollars in the budget.

Here is a bit of a course description. The race starts on Highland St. in Wilton. The first mile is a kick in the groin. It is the slowest mile in the first 7 miles of the race! The course flattens out and you turn onto a dirt road and get some fast downhill running and rolling miles. The first steep testing climb is after the half-way mark, there is steep ¼ mile climb. Then the course bears left onto Webster Highway for 1.5 miles of sort-of flat, rolling paved road. Just before 8 miles you turn onto Rt. 101 and the real climbing starts. There is a very short break in the climb as you crest the road and then turn into Miller State Park. The last 1.3 miles of the course has a lot of switch-back (which is good for checking out the competition) as you grind out the big climb to the top. The last 100m is a knuckle dragging 30% grade.

Course Records:
Eric Morse 58:36
40+ - Craig Fram 1:00:53

All times under 1:05

Time rank	Time	Place	Name		Age	Team	Year
1	0:58:35	1	Eric	Morse	34	CMS	1999 Pack
2	0:58:49	2	Dave	Dunham	35	CMS	1999 Pack
3	0:59:07	1	Eric	Morse	36	CMS	2001 Pack
4	0:59:13	1	Dave	Dunham	32	CMS	1996 Pack
5	0:59:31	1	Dave	Dunham	28	CMS	1992 Pack
6	0:59:40	2	Dave	Dunham	37	CMS	2001 Pack
7	1:00:12	1	Eric	Morse	32	CMS	1997 Pack
8	1:00:53	3	Craig	Fram	42	WRT	2001 Pack
9	1:00:58	1	Craig	Fram	43	WRT	2002 Pack
10	1:01:13	1	Bob	Hodge	37		1993 pack
11	1:01:25	1	Eric	Morse	35	CMS	2000 Pack
12	1:01:28	2	Mike	Casner	33	CMS	1996 Pack
13	1:01:31	2	Eric	Morse	37	CMS	2002 Pack
14	1:01:40	1	Dave	Dunham	34	CMS	1998 Pack
15	1:01:50	1	Dave	Beauley		GCS	1994 Pack
16	1:01:59	2	Mike	Casner	29	CMS	1992 Pack
17	1:02:01	2	Dave	Dunham	36	CMS	2000 Pack
18	1:02:10	3	Richard	Bolt	28	CMS	1999 Pack
19	1:02:13	3	Fergus	Cullen	28	HTC	2000 Pack
20	1:02:18	2	Richard	Bolt	27	CMS	1998 Pack
21	1:02:39	3	Mike	Casner	35	CMS	1998 Pack
22	1:03:01	4	James	Garcia	39	CMS	1998 Pack
23	1:03:17	2	Mike	Casner	34	CMS	1997 Pack
24	1:03:33	3	Edward	Sheldon	32	GCS	1997 Pack
25	1:03:43	2	Mike	Casner	31	CMS	1994 Pack
26	1:03:53	3	David	Hannon	23		1994 Pack
27	1:03:54	4	Edward	Sheldon	34	GCS	1999 Pack
28	1:03:55	1	Paul	Low	32	CMS	2006 Pack
29	1:03:56	4	David	Hannon	26		1997 Pack
30	1:04:06	5	Fergus	Cullen	26	HTC	1998 Pack
31	1:04:33	3	Paul	Low	28	CMS	2002 Pack
32	1:04:35	5	Fergus	Cullen	25	HTC	1997 Pack
33	1:04:42	4	Mike	Casner	39	CMS	2002 Pack
34	1:04:42	1	Paul	Low	33	CMS	2007 Pack
35	1:04:51	5	Dave	Dunham	38	CMS	2002 Pack
36	1:04:53	6	Brian	Stevens	33	GCS	1997 Pack
37	1:04:58	6	Stephen	Peterson	32	CMS	1998 Pack

Gosnold

Well….my quest to run in every town in Massachusetts is complete. On Monday Cath and I took the ferry to Cuttyhunk Island which is one of the Elizabeth Islands that make up the town of Gosnold. The ride over was pretty smooth unlike the stomach churning crossing when I went to Martha’s Vineyard last year.

We walked for a little bit, checking out what little there was to check out on Cuttyhunk. The Island has about 50 residents and only a couple of automobiles. Most of the islanders travel via golf cart or by walking. The island is very small. We found a dirt road that was not posted and off we went on a three mile jog. The area was very scenic, but the road was a bit overgrown and when we hit the single-track trail it was very grassy. I think it gets a lot of use in season, but this was pretty early in the year for tourists.

We did a nice climb up to the highest point on the island (Lookout hill – 154’) and took a short break on the summit to check out the view and for me to scramble down into one of the military bunkers (remnants from WW2). We finished with an easy jog down into town stopping at the town post office for a photo-op.

The day was just about perfect for walking around, but a bit warm while running. We stopped at the “market” and got some Gatorade, Coke and some snacks for the ride back. No messing around in our schedule as we were back on the ferry by noon and back into New Bedford harbor by 1:00. The ride back was even more pleasant than the ride out. There were many sailboats out and it seemed like everyone waived as they went past. The view was fantastic; you could see each of the islands and the faint outline of Falmouth off on the horizon. Heck, even New Bedford looked nice from a couple of miles out J

This was a most excellent way to finish all 351 towns/cities. I don’t think I’d ever try that again (although I’ve got ½ of the towns/cities in NH) but there are a few towns I’d like to go back to for some more exploring.

The next adventure will be hiking the Long Trail in July/August. I’ve never done a long distance hike, so I really don’t know what to expect. Albee and I will be heading out in late July to cover the 270 miles from the Mass border to Canada through the tops of many of Vermont’s most scenic mountains.

Trav's trail race

I signed up for Trav’s a few weeks back but wasn’t sure if I’d be able to run it. It is one of my favorites and it is close to home on an excellent course, tough to pass up. The problem was that it fell the day after Wachusett. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, I’ve done that double five of the previous six times I’d done the Trav’s race. This year would be a bit different as Wachusett was an “up/down” race this year.

I was pretty sore when I got up on Sunday morning, but nothing seemed so bad that I couldn’t race. I figured I’d give it my best and see how fast I could go. I headed out for a warm-up on the course and saw only a few others out there (mostly UNFRIENDLY elite types). I took it easy and just tried to loosen up. With 15 minutes to go I put in another mile and did some strides. I felt pretty decent, so I just jogged around and waited for the start.

It was surprising to see a couple of Kenyan’s on the starting line. I guess the $$$ attracted them, it was more surprising when the start command was issued and Joseph Ekuom took off at an angle way to the right of where the course went. Some of the other guys followed, but I took the direct line to the dirt road and the ½ mile drop that always goes by in a blur.

I hit the bridge and the first mud puddle in 15th place and almost immediately lost another two places on the steep climb up. I made up some ground as some HS kids began to feel the piano landing on their backs. By the mile (no mark but a general idea of where it is) I had moved up to 12th and had a couple of guys in sight. On the long straight-away I pulled in one guy and on the downhill into two miles I caught another. With ¾ of a mile to go I passed the last guy I’d catch.

I worked the final downhill pretty hard and could definitely feel the soreness in my hip sockets from the previous day’s downhills. The final uphill was tough but I knew I would be close to 17 minutes so I pushed it hoping for a decent performance. I was a bit bummed that I hadn’t closed on 8th place but was happy with the time. I was only 15 seconds slower than last year (when I did not double up), which was a good sign and I came out of the race not much more sore than I entered.

This race is a classic that I look forward to doing many more times.

Trav’s Trail run – May 24, 2009
3m Cross-country
===== =================== === = =======
1 Joseph Ekuom 39M 14:32 4:51
2 Tom Webb 22 M 14:35 4:52
3 Matt Ely 33 M 14:41 4:54
4 Mathe Kiplagat 26 M 14:50 4:57
5 Matt Carter 30 M 15:35 5:12
6 Chris Kealey 41 M 16:14 5:25
7 Mike Cohen 30 M 16:23 5:28
8 Ed Jensen 36 M 16:39 5:33
9 Dave Dunham 45 M 16:43 5:35 CMS
10 Justin Maloney 30 M 16:57 5:39

Here are the results of the DRC runners in the group shots:

Dave 16:43
John 28:44
Rose 29:00
Nichole 31:06
DL 31:12
Greg 32:39
Cathy 33:12
Denise 34:38
Steph 36:10

Wachusett Mountain

Kicking it in (both feet off the ground) - Pic by Kristen

I’ve always enjoyed doing the Wachusett race, it was one of the first mountain races I did. I’ve never had my best performances at Wachusett due in part, at least I think, to the course not being “slow” enough for me. The traditional course with climb, break, climb, long break, long climb, was not suited to my style of running (one gear). This year the course was changed due to construction on the auto road. The new course would be up/down and ¾ trail. That would make it even less suited for me, but it is part of the USATF NE mountain series so off to Westminster I went.

Teammates Kevin Tilton, Tim Mahoney, and Abby Mahoney joined me for a run over the new section of the course. We picked up the course at about 1.8 miles and ran the loop to the finish (5.2 miles) and added on a little to check out the first single-track section. For the most part the course would be very run-able and very fast. I was very surprised to see Craig Fram as I headed over to the start. He had won the 40+ division in 2008, but has stated a number of times how much he dislikes off-road running. There were also some fast runners present including 2008 winner Ryan Carrara and more of my CMS teammates (Andy McCarron, Jim Pawlicki, Tim Mahoney and Tim Van Orden to mention a few).

The pack took off at a near sprint at the start. I think a lot of people figured they’d get a break with the long downhill single-track so why not run harder than usual at the start. I ran pretty hard and found myself in 13th as I passed the mile in 6:51. The last couple of years I’d been right around 7-flat at the mile so that was a good sign. I was very cautious on the downhill and caught Craig about ½ way down as he stood on the side of the trail and let me go by. He noted as I passed “this is not for me” and continued “I don’t want to get hurt”. I could certainly relate. I just wanted to get through the ½ mile without any major problems then press.

I hit Balance rock road in 12th place and immediately caught two guys on the first uphill pitch. The steep single-track uphill brought another guy back and got me within striking distance of Allen Spencer. The long steady downhill was fun and fast. I pushed as hard as possible and could see Jim Pawlicki, TiVO, and Todd Callaghan up ahead and somewhat closer was Tim Mahoney. I pulled up closer to Spencer but couldn’t quite get around him. As we closed a bit on Tim, the other group pulled further away. I thought about every second TiVO gained on me that I’d need to earn back on the steeper climbs later in the series. That kept me motivated to keep the hammer down.

I could see Jim, Todd, and TiVO battling at the bottom of the hill although I never saw Todd wipe out (he did a nice recreation during the warm-down). I couldn’t get around Spencer and in the chute the first thing I asked him was “are you over 40”. He was, so I ended up third master for the second year in a row at Wachusett. My percentage behind Carrara (who took Kevin in a tightly contested race up front) was nearly the same as it had been last year, so I’m pretty happy about that.

A big group headed out and ran out/back on Balance rock road for a warm-down. It was a lot of fun to rehash the race and there was an added bonus in having us turn at the water-stop so we could even get a drink on the warm-down. I was at a sugar low by the time we got back and was glad to find a cold Polar Cola and some Funny Bones. That made my day!

The complete results are not posted yet but here are the top 9.

Wachusett Mountain - May 23, 2009
5.2 mile with 1,000’ climb & 900’ drop
===== =================== === = ======= =====
1 Ryan Carrara 30:44 NB-Boston
2 Kevin Tilton 30:48 CMS
3 Andy McCarron 31:46 CMS
4 Jim Pawlicki 32:44 CMS
5 Tim Van Orden 32:45 CMS 40+
6 Todd Callaghan 32:48 GCS
7 Tim Mahoney 33:26 CMS
8 Allen Spencer(?) 33:31 BAA(?)
9 Dave Dunham 33:35 CMS 40+

Week ending 05-24-09

Another 80 mile week despite two races and a sore calf.

Mon - Lunch run 4m 27:39
PM Bird sanctuary 6 with Dan 43:36

Tues - Got shoulder checked (Tendonitis) and a cortisone shot. 10 mile double loop at Winnekenni with Al (first 4 with Diana as well) 70:27

Wed - Lunch run 4m o/b 27:07
PM track workout with jj, Dan, Albee 3 w/up, 3 w/dwn and 12x200

Thurs - Lunch 2m on tread in 13:33 into 4m o/b with Jack in 32:42
PM 94 degrees at Winni alone for 6m loop with Basin 41:47 (calf, achilles sore)

Fri - Lunch 4m o/b 27:52
PM o/b 8m at Winni with jj 56:40

Sat - Long w/up on the new Wachusett course with KT and the Mahoneys 37:15 then 1m with strides and jog to line. 5.2m race with 1,000' climb and 900' drop in 33:36. W/dwn on the course with bigh group 30:25

Sun - 3m wup at Trav's trail race 24:15. 1m of strides, then 3m race in 16:43. 3m w/dwn on the course in 24:35.

Total for the week = 80 miles

Next up:
Pack Monadnock 05-31

Biggest "week" ever

I recall “back in the day” that Petey claimed to have a 100mile week. When quizzed about it he admitted that it was 100 miles over seven consecutive days. Of course I would not let that go, so over the years it evolved into Petey claiming to get 100 miles in “seven non-consecutive days” or “seven calendar days”. Recently I got thinking – What are my seven biggest days of the week (not 7 biggest days because most of those would be on a Saturday or Sunday). So here is my biggest week ever and below that the seven biggest days.

Monday, April 17, 1989 - 29
Tuesday, August 04, 1987 - 24
Wednesday, March 27, 1991 - 27
Thursday, August 24, 2000 - 24
Friday, June 21, 2002 - 37
Saturday, July 28, 2001 - 50
Sunday, October 08, 2000 - 62
My biggest week ever: 253 miles

Seven biggest days =
Sunday, October 08, 2000 - 62
Saturday, July 28, 2001 - 50
Saturday, November 17, 2001 - 50
Sunday, August 26, 2001 - 42
Friday, June 21, 2002 - 37
Sunday, October 18, 1992 - 35
Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 33
Seven big days = 309 miles

Me and Petey at The Dipsea race in 1994 (shirt # = place in the handicapped race)

Track workout

First track workout in a few weeks. With the 5k champs looming, I need to work on speed. It turned out to be a decent workout with Dan, JJ, and Albee towing me through.

12x200 with 200 rest
35.4
35.6
35.8
35.3
35.5
35.5
35.5
35.6
34.3 (40+ PR)
35.6
36.4
36.2

Week ending 05-17-09

M – Lunch run felt great 4m in 25:49. PM Bird sanctuary 6 with Dan and last mile with jj 45:06

T – Lunch run 2 on treadmill in 13:33 into 4m with Jack in 33:14. PM Bird sanctuary 6 with Dan in 44:48

W – Lunch run 4m new PR 25:37, felt excellent. PM Bird Sanctuary with Dan and JJ – 42:39

Th – Lunch run 2 on treadmill in 13:33 then into 4m with Jack in 32:09. PM Bird sanctuary 6 with Dan and jj in 43:06.

F – Lunch run 4m in 28:07. PM Winnekenni 6m with Dan, jj, TiVO and Albee in 43:56.

Sat – 3 w/up with big CMS group at Bedford 12km in 23:31 another ½ mile of strides, then 41:45 (5:36 pace) 13th in the 40+. Warm-down with big CMS group 3m in 23:49.

Sun – 10 plus on the Bruce Freeman rail trail with Petey, Scott, and Dave La – 1:21:22.

78 miles for the week.
Month – 196
Year – 1,486
Life – 105,597

Bedford 15 years ago

12 km championships

Bedford 12km

I’ve been looking forward to the USATF 12km championships for a while. I really enjoy the 12km distance; it really is suited to me. I don’t have leg speed but I can keep a steady pace going for 7+ miles. With the training I’m doing anything longer is a whole other story.

I took it relatively easy this week dropping my mileage down to the 70’s and doing some easy running. The fact that Dan is coming back from a virus has kept the afternoon runs nice and easy. Three old men head for the start

I was really nervous as we drove up to Bedford, I carpooled with Kevin and JJ and TiVO followed us. Conditions looked good and there would be no excuses. Hanging out by the school entrance waiting for teammates to arrive I bumped into about 50 people I knew. I love going to races, it is great to see old friends and familiar characters.

A big group of CMS headed out 45 minutes before the race to get in a three mile warm-up. The course was very much the same as it had been in the past, except we started/finished at what had been about 6.8 miles into the old course. The feel of the course was essentially the same, although the dirt road section was missed (we ran on a road just before that). On the warm-up we checked out the last 1.5 miles of the race, which is always a good idea. It just makes sense to have an idea of where you are in the latter stages of the race.

I changed into my old Reebok race flats and did a few strides before the start. We had a nice wide starting line and I positioned myself on the line all the way over on the left. It seemed like a good location to stay out of trouble. With the “go” we were off flying down the little hill. I felt quite good during the first mile and tried to find a comfortable rhythm as things began to settle in. I could see Jim P a little ahead and TiVO was a couple of seconds up. I figured I was pretty much where I should be as Mike Platt was right with me (he has smoked me so far this year, but we were reasonably close in a few races last year). John Barbour and Mike were making small talk during the first mile, I never quite understood why some runners like to “chat” during the early miles. I’ve got nothing to say and need all the air I can get.

I hit the mile in 5:20, which was a bit fast (I was hoping to hit 5:30-5:35 pace). I think the mile might have been a bit short as some of the splits didn’t seem quite right. A 5:31 and a 5:40 brought me to three miles in 16:31. It also brought even with teammates Larry Sayers and TiVO. We ran together for a bit then they dropped back as we hit the only real hill on the course. As they dropped, Terry McNatt (CSU) came with me as we started catching a few runners. We hit four miles in 22:11 (5:40) and continued to catch random runners as we hit five miles in 27:47 (5:36). That was a 40+ PR for me bettering my time at the Bill Luiti (8km) race from last year by five seconds. I was starting to feel a bit ragged and struggled to stay with Terry as we caught Mark Reeder (GLRR) and Ryan Aschbrenner (GBTC) after the five mile mark. I could see Carlos Rivera (GSH) just ahead and was hoping to get him by six. Terry had a step or two on me as we hit six in 33:20 (5:33). He passed Carlos just after six and I got within a step of him soon after. That would be the end of me passing anyone as Terry pulled away and Carlos did the same. I was a bit disappointed by the seven mile split (5:47) and hoped I’d still have something left as we went up a short hill before hitting the track. Aschbrenner sprinted by me on the track and I could not muster a response. I was spent when I hit the line in 41:45 (2:38 last .45), but pleased with a 10 second 40+ PR.

There was a lot of mingling going on track-side, but I just wanted to head for the car and get out of my racing flats. I had a pretty raw area where the shoe had given me a good bite. The warm-down was a lot of fun as a big CMS group headed out and the pace was nice and easy. We were a little behind some of the CSU guys and Terry laughed when I mentioned that I sat behind him into the wind (I really didn’t) and noted that I like running near him because he makes me look thin. I caught up to U-Lowell teammate Jason Cakouros after the race and was glad to see he had a solid performance. The big surprise had to be how well Tom Doody did. Tom has been injured on/off over the last couple of years but looked really fit when I saw him before the race. He took 25th overall and 5th in the 40+.

All in all it was an enjoyable day. I hit close to the time I wanted (goal was 5:35’s and stretch goal was 5:30’s) and placed in the top 15 for the masters. Next up in the Grand Prix is the 5km which is definitely my weakest distance. I’ll give it my best, but I just don’t have the leg speed to keep up. I’ve got two mountain races before that and those will help me gauge my readiness for Mt Washington which is coming up fast!

Bedford is now tied for fourth on my list of “most raced” with ten finishes.

Rank -----------Distance----Dates-------No.-Best Place
1 Mt Washington---7.6 m--1988-2008---19---1---best time=1:00:37—Worst time=1:10:40
2 Wachusett Mtn--4.3 m--1995-2008---13---1---best time=24:37----Worst time =28:20
3 Pack Monadnock-10 m---1992-2007----11---1---best time=59:13----Worst time = 1:11:43
4t Rotary race----12 Km---1994-2009---10—1---best time=36:59---Worst time=41:55
4t Merrimack River--10 m-1995-2008---10--1---best time=56:42---Worst time=1:06:19
4t Newburyport--10m------1985-2008 --10--2--best time=50:10---Worst time=59:29

Kicking it in.
Pics courtesy of Kristin

Wachusett mountain preview

The USATF NE Mountain running series will kick-off at Wachusett Mountain on May 24. The six race series (best five results count) has typically started at Wachusett. This year runners may be in for a bit of a surprise. The course has changed from a road race to the summit to a road/dirt road/trail race with up and DOWN hill running to test your mettle.

Dan and I checked out the course last Sunday. Here is my description of the new race course.

The first 1.3 miles are the same as the traditional course. Starting at the intersection of Mile Hill rd. and Bolton rd. you climb without a break until the park entrance where you turn right onto Up Summit rd. The climb to the entrance is steady, picking up 480’. From the park entrance you drop down 295’ on Donbrowo trail. Donbrowo has reasonable footing and although it twists a bit it is generally straight down (nearly to the base lodge). At the bottom of Donbrowo you turn left onto Balance rock road which is a wide dirt road. While on Balance rock road you generally climb, gaining 175’ in about ½ mile. Then you turn left on Old Indian trail and really start climbing! OI trail is steep and has some rock and roots. The footing doesn’t matter much as you will be moving pretty slowly. Half-way up you head right on Semuhenna trail and continue climbing. Just after you pass three miles you will come to the Up Summit road. The Single track climb is only about ½ mile but it climbs 300’. Pretty much the rest of the way is downhill on good footing. Turn right on Up Summit road and immediately right onto North road (dirt). The downhill is steady but not so steep that you can’t run fast. From just after 3 to 4 miles you drop 250’. At 3.5 miles you turn right onto Balance rock road and continue descending. Keep you eyes open after 4 miles, at about 4.3 you may start seeing runners who are on the way out on Balance rock (Tom D and I are at the rock in the above picture) road. You continue to drop steadily on dirt road with good footing. From 4 miles to just before 5 miles you drop another 225’. The final section on the grass ski slope drops another 65’ and the last 1/10th of a mile is flat around the man-made pond and across the bridge to the finish line.

The total climb for the course is 1,048’ and the total descent is 925’ over the 5.2 miles. Totals by surface type 1.3 miles paved, 2.5 miles wide dirt road, 1.1 miles of narrow single-track, and 3/10th of a mile grass.

I think this will be a lot of fun! Not your typical road race, but none of the races in the series are. With Wachusett going off-road that leaves only Pack Monadnock as the only road race.

Latest from Running times

Rich Bolt was featured in a section on cross-training, talking about mountain running. I also included Adam Chase's take on "kickbiking"....

20 Years ago

The USATF NE Grand prix (then called the NEAC) was only in its 5th year in 1989, but the competition was heated. 20 years ago yesterday I placed 4th in the 10 KM championships in Nashua NH. Results below:

Andy Ronan and Fernando Braz (2nd & 9th respectively) are currently highly regarded coaches. Larry Sayers (7th place) still runs for CMS and is one of the top New England masters runners. Dennis Simoniatis (10th place) is one of the top masters runners in the country. Wayne Levy is a top New England master competing for the BAA. Reno Stirrat is one of the top New England 50+ runners.

CMS placed third in the team competition despite averaging 30:08 (4:51/mile) for five guys! Rich Classic AC and Nike Boston are clubs from the late 80’s early 90’s that no longer exist.


Nashua Trust – Nashua, NH 05-13-1989
1 29:03 Frank Powers N/B * New England Champion
2 29:06 Andy Ronan RCAC
3 29:07 John Clopeck N/B
4 29:18 Dave Dunham GLRR
5 29:23 Hans Koeleman UN
6 29:28 Dan Dillon RCAC
7 29:31 Larry Sayers CMS
8 29:33 Mark Donahue RCAC
9 29:38 Fernando Braz N/B
10 29:46 Dennis Simonaitis RRC

11 29:51 Rick Doiron CMS
16 30:13 Wayne Levy CMS
17 30:19 Stan Bickford CMS
21 30:47 Reno Stirrat CMS
32 31:27 David Alden CMS
36 31:33 Wayne Jacob CMS
51 32:04 Kevin McGovern CMS
52 32:06 Rich Ovian CMS
53 32:08 Neil Faugno CMS 40+
65 32:37 Peter Blomquist CMS
76 33:06 Tim Murphy CMS
84 33:20 Cragi McAdam CMS
102 33:58 Rene Daoust CMS

Teams
1 Nike Boston 2:28:03
2 Rich Classic AC 2:28:05
3 CMS 2:30:40
4 GLRR 2:36:48
5 BAA 2:38:46
6 WRT 2:41:06
7 CSU 2:43:16
8 BRR 2:46:24

40+
1 CMS 2:50:18
2 GLRR 2:50:51

States (and Countries) I've raced in

# in St	St	Last time	Last location
627	MA	04/18/09	Ipswich
213	NH	02/07/09	Sandwich
34	VT	01/24/09	Readsboro
27	ME	09/24/05	Eliot
27	NY	01/18/09	Guilderland
21	RI	04/25/09	Greenwich
15	CT	04/15/06	Union
9	PA	03/23/02	Pittsburgh
8	CA	07/15/07	Stinson beach
5	MO	07/08/95	Faucett
5	AL	12/14/02	Huntsville
4	CO	07/06/03	Vail
3	NC	10/15/06	Brevard
2	ND	03/14/87	Fargo
2	OH	04/11/92	Columbus
2	WV	08/15/92	Parkersburg
2	WI	11/28/92	Racine
2	VA	11/26/98	Ashburn
2	IL	04/07/01	Chicago
2	MI	02/16/02	Traverse City
1	NJ	03/09/81	Princeton
1	FL	03/26/83	Gainseville
1	MS	11/17/84	Jackson
1	DC	04/15/91	Washington
1	NV	12/04/93	Las Vegas
1	KS	07/16/95	Kansas City
1	WA	07/28/01	Crystal Mountain
1	MD	11/17/01	Boonsboro
1	AK	06/09/02	Anchorage
1	UT	03/29/03	Solitude
1	GA	11/14/04	Peachtree City
1	IN	12/19/04	Huntington
1	HI	12/02/07	Honolulu
1	OR	03/08/09	Mt Hood
-------
9	ITA	01/05/03	Fondo, Italy
5	SUI	08/30/98	Zermatt, Switzerland
4	AUT	08/27/00	Kitzbuhel, Austria
3	FRA	08/26/01	Cleder, France
3	GER	09/10/00	Bergen, Germany
2	BER	01/16/93	Hamilton, Bermuda
1	BEL	06/21/02	Torhout, Belgium
1	GRE	04/09/95	Athens, Greece
1	IRE	01/20/96	Ireland
1	JAP	02/18/90	Ohme, Japan
1	SCO	09/10/95	Edinburgh, Scotland
1	CAN	8/12/2007	Hallifax, NS

May 9 & May 12

Today is one of the two weirdly significant dates in my running. Through a quirk of fate I have never missed running on those two days. The other 364 days I’ve missed at least once in the more than 30 years of running.

May 9 – most run = 19 miles, least run = 3 miles.
May 12 – most run = 16 miles, least run = 3 miles.

I’ve only missed running once on Feb 29, Dec 10, five days in April, and three days in May. It looks like April and May have the least missed days and Nov/Dec have the most.

In all I’ve missed 1,472 days over the span of 11,115 days or 13%. That works out to an average of 1 day off for every 7.5 days run.

Most popular date to not run:
Feb 23 = 9
Oct 10, Nov 19, Dec 27, & Dec 30 = 8

Old Picture from Switzerland in the mid-1990's. Left to right: Mike Casner, Dan Verrington, dd, Lyndon Ellefson, Robb Reece.

Week ending 05-10-09

Travel this week through me off a bit, that and staying out late on Thursday to catch opening night of "Star Trek". All in all a decent week with 80 miles and a race.

M - 615am run o/b with Eric in Wall, SD 5m in 39:03. 8:30am second run with Eric, in Badlands NP on trails 5m in 42:03.
T - Lunch 4m on treadmill - 28:00. PM: Dan pretty sick but wanted to run. Slow 6 Bird Sancturay 47:43
W - Felt great, 4m o/b at lunch - 25:52! PM: Bird Sancturay six with Dan 45:59
T - 2 on treadmill (13:33) into 4 with Jack 33:06. PM: 6 with JJ & Ken @ Winni 42:18
F - lunch 4m o/b - 26:44. PM: 8 @ Winni with JJ & Albee 57:08
Sat - 3m with Petey @ 6am. 3m with Scott S @ 8:30am. 3m race @ 9am - 17:09. Cleared the course and another big loop with Jack for a total of 50:15.
Sun - Short 6 with Dan including the new Wachusett course then into 5 more on my own. Total 1:30:25.

Total for the Week = 80 miles
Month = 118
Year = 1,408
Life = 105,519

The Bear Trail race

Yesterday I ran the first annual Bear 3m trail race in Carlisle. I hadn't planned on racing and was thinking of doing a Sunday race. Late in the week I changed my mind and figured I'd give it a shot.

I met up with RD-Petey at 5:45 AM and we set up a couple of water stops before going out for a 3m run. Then we hiked the course putting out over 200 flags and a couple of mile markers. The course was a bit muddy and had some rolling hills but was in decent shape otherwise. After setting up registration there wasn't much that needed doing so I headed out with Grey Wolves teammate Scott Spence for about 2.5 miles of the course. I changed into racing flats and did another half-mile of strides before hitting the line.

Petey's command of "ready, set, cayuga" sent 88 runners off. I went to the front and pushed. At approximately the mile (5:43) I glanced back and noted that I still had company (Andrew Wedlake). I tried to run as hard as possible for the next mile, but didn't gain much ground. I didn't want to leave it to a kick as I don't have much of a kick. I hit 2 (ish) at 11:45 and almost fell in the biggest of mud puddles. The final uphill half-mile (same as the Chamberas XC race) was tough. I was very happy to take the victory in 17:09 a good effort for me. I'm looking forward to hitting the roads next week in the 12km road champs.

Top five
Place Time Pace Name Team
1 17:09 05:43 Dave Dunham M 45 Grey Wolves
2 17:38 05:53 Andrew Wedlake M 37 BAA
3 18:33 06:11 Scott Spence M 44 Grey Wolves
4 18:57 06:19 Ian Finlayson M 34
5 20:10 06:43 Rebecca Mayer F 24

I've now run in 50 states, raced in 34 raced, visited 11 state high points and 68 county high points. Here is a list of the first time I ran in each state. Maybe continents next?

Date 1st run ---State ----------Town------------ Notes------------------------------------------------------------ Reason
12/10/78 --- Massachusetts --- Falmouth --- Falmouth invitational - 3rd place freshman mile 5:24 --- Race
05/10/80 --- New Hampshire --- Salem --- Freshman sophomore meet - 3rd place 2 mile 10:03 --- Race
03/09/81 --- New Jersey --- Princeton --- Eastern states 2 mile - 10th place 9:35.7 --- Race
05/09/81 --- New York --- White Plains --- Loucks Games 3,200m - 3rd place 9:24.8 --- Race
04/23/82 --- Pennsylvania --- Philadelphia --- Penn Relays 3,000m - 10th place 8:44.0 --- Race
12/11/82 --- Maine --- Lewiston --- Bates dual meet mile - 2nd place 4:21.8 --- Race
02/12/83 --- Connecticut --- New Haven --- Easterns @ SCSU 2 mile - 3rd place 8:55.5 --- Race
03/26/83 --- Florida --- Gainseville --- Florida relays 5,000m - 1st place 14:27.7 --- Race
05/26/83 --- Missouri --- Cape Giradeau --- NCAA Championships 5,000 1st round 12th pl 14:58.0 --- Race
10/23/83 --- Vermont --- Burlington --- Easterns XC @ UVM 5m - 3rd place 24:54 --- Race
11/12/83 --- Wisconsin --- Racine --- NCAA XC Championships 10km - 23rd place 31:27 --- Race
10/20/84 --- Rhode Island --- Smithfield --- Easterns XC @ Bryant - 5.2 miles 1st place 25:55 --- Race
11/17/84 --- Mississippi --- Jackson --- NCAA XC Championships 10km - 12th place 30:48 --- Race
03/16/85 --- North Dakota --- Fargo --- NCAA Championships 5,000m - 5th place 14:27.8 --- Race
05/24/85 --- California --- Los Angeles --- NCAA Championships 10,000m - 7th place 30:16.4 --- Race
08/23/87 --- Hawaii --- Honolulu --- 1st run in 1987. Raced in 2007 5th place 5km 17:20 --- Race
05/30/88 --- Colorado --- Boulder --- Bolder Boulder 10km - 37th place 32:04 --- Race
11/20/88 --- Georgia --- Peachtree City --- USATF 50K championships 5th place 3:27:14 --- Race
03/08/89 --- Iowa --- Sioux City --- 6 mile loop from hotel with Declan --- Coaching
03/09/89 --- South Dakota --- Vermillion --- Track workout at the Dakota Dome --- Coaching
11/11/90 --- Ohio --- Columbus --- Columbus marathon - 26th place 2:19:28 --- Race
05/26/91 --- West Virginia --- Wheeling --- TAC National championships 20km - 8th place 65:31 --- Race
11/24/91 --- Illinois --- St. Louis --- Deaconess 4m - 1st place 19:35 --- Race
12/12/92 --- Alabama --- Huntsville --- Rocket city marathon - 1st place 2:20:51 --- Race
02/07/93 --- Virginia --- Hampton --- Pomoco Colesium half-marathon - 3rd place 1:05:49 --- Race
12/04/93 --- Nevada --- Las Vegas --- TAC Delegates race 5km - 1st place 16:04 --- Race
05/13/95 --- Michigan --- Grand Rapids --- USATF championships (Old Kent 25km) 13th place 80:44 --- Race
07/16/95 --- Kansas --- Kansas City --- Kansas city 5km - 2nd place 15:12 --- Race
12/07/95 --- Tennessee --- Nashville --- Airport run with Dan and Byrne on the way to Huntsville --- Race in AL
03/17/96 --- Wyoming --- Evanston --- 88 mile drive from SLC then 3 mile o/b run --- Work
03/18/96 --- Utah --- Solitude --- USSSA Nationals - 4th place 49:25 --- Race
03/22/96 --- Idaho --- Woodruff --- 65 mile drive from SLC then 3 mile o/b run --- Work
03/01/97 --- Arizona --- Pima --- Empire ranch orienteering meet with Alar - 15m on day 1 --- Race Orienteering
09/01/98 --- Texas --- Austin --- 10 mile o/b run on first day of IRS meetings --- Work
04/12/99 --- Kentucky --- Cave City --- 3 mile o/b on first day of vacation at Mammoth cave --- Vacation
11/29/00 --- New Mexico --- Albuquerque --- 3 mile run at 7 PM first day of USATF convention --- Convention
12/13/00 --- North Carolina --- Greensboro --- USATF XC championships 12km - 88th place 44:43 --- Race
07/28/01 --- Washington --- Crystal Mountain --- USATF National 50m trail Championship - 2nd pl 6:59:15 --- Race
11/17/01 --- Maryland --- Boonsboro --- JFK 50 mile - 2nd place 6:11:18 --- Race
12/01/01 --- Lousiana --- Slidell --- Drove 100m at 7AM for 6 mile run at USATF convention --- Convention
06/09/02 --- Alaska --- Anchorage --- Wolverine Peak mountain race - 2nd place 48:43 --- Race
09/29/02 --- Delaware --- Newark --- 6 mile run with Woody at White clay creek state park --- Race Orienteering
12/04/02 --- Oklahoma --- Baxter spring --- 2nd state run of the day, 4m o/b --- Convention
12/04/02 --- Arkansas --- Bella Vista --- 200 mile drive from USATF convention for 4m o/b run --- Convention
12/05/02 --- Nebraska --- Omaha --- o/b 6 mile run on Lewis & Clark trail --- Convention
08/02/04 --- Minnesota --- St Paul --- o/b run to the river after IRS meetings --- Work
11/13/04 --- South Carolina --- Morgana --- 2.5 hour drive, 3m run w Beck, Morse in Sumter State park --- Race in GA
12/19/04 --- Indiana --- Huntington --- HUFF 50K - 5th place 3:43:25 --- Race
04/19/07 --- Oregon --- Portland --- Trail run from Rich's house --- Race in Canada
05/01/09 --- Montana --- Baker --- Road run with Al and Eric from hotel in Baker --- Vactaion

Quad state trip

A couple of months ago my running teammate Eric Morse came up with the idea of visiting (bagging) a few states he had yet to run in. I’m always up for an adventure so I signed on immediately and as soon as Al Bernier heard about it he was in as well.

Eric laid out the basics of what he wanted to see and I did a bunch of research to figure out how to maximize our time and not only get the four states (ND, SD, MT, & WY) but also get some other interesting locations. I researched nearby county high points , fire towers, state high points, benchmarks, and trail runs in the Badlands and Black Hills .

I figured out a general plan but nothing too solid and brought along a ton of maps so that we could figure out where we wanted to go on the fly. There were so many things to do and we tried to cram it all into a little more than four days.

The trip started with a cold (27 degree) and dark (4:30 am) run at Eric’s house then we were off to Rapid City SD. We arrived on Thursday afternoon and quickly made our way to Belle Fourche SD. We visited the visitor’s center and the monument for the Geographic center of the US . The true center lay 20 miles to the North and we’d bag that the next morning. We headed out for 8 miles, running a double loop of the paved bike path in Belle Fourche. The next morning we drove to the field where the actual center was located. After some pictures Eric and I headed off down the road and Al followed a bit later in the car picking us up four miles down the road.

Me at the center

In three states at once.

Then we headed for ND to bag the state high point (White Butte. We did a nice 4 mile run on an un-maintained trail to the summit and back. There was a cairn and a register, Al signed us in and I was surprised to see how many people had visited this point. It really seemed desolate and I couldn’t imagine other people out here. Next up we decided to see if we could locate the point where MT, SD, and ND all met. We were able to locate the area and were surprised to find a monument. Next up we stopped in the town of New England for gas and a photo-op on our way to a county high point and a benchmark. Navigating the maze of dirt roads went relatively well and we hit that high point and two others as we completed a loop in ND. We finished the day with a 60 mile drive to Baker MT where we found a place to stay for the night. We got hooted at when we went out for a run; I guess three guys in shorts running around town is not a common sight.

Al and Eric on the summit in ND

We left Baker early the next morning and drove to a county high point in MT, we had some trouble matching a trip report to what we were seeing and as we were getting close to bailing things started to make sense and ultimately we found the spot we were looking for. I found an antler and we also came across a good sized prairie dog colony on the way back to the car.

We then headed for a fire tower in Montana, but were thrown a curve when the road became un-negotiable in our rental vehicle. We decided to head out on foot and run to the tower, but we could only guess how far it was as we couldn’t exactly pinpoint where we were on the map. It turned out to be a great 10 mile run. We were rewarded with great views from the fire tower and an added bonus – the fire tower had a geocache in it. We were really covering all of the nerdiest hobbies imaginable (although it didn’t feel that nerdy to me).

After the 10m run we hopped in the car and headed for Devil’s tower in Wyoming. It was an impressive sight and we got a close-up look by running the 3 mile trail looping around the tower. The final drive of the day was another long one with us ending up in Deadwood SD. We found a nice hotel and checked in, but it wasn’t the final trek of the day. At dinner Al mentioned that Mt Roosevelt was only a couple of miles away and was drive-able. Eric stayed behind as we headed up the access road. We were stopped a little over a mile from the summit where snow blocked the road. We were hoping to catch sunset so it was off for a run again. I felt lousy with a stomach full of P’zone and lemonade and 5,000’ of altitude. It turned out to be well worth the trip as we hit the top just after sunset and we able to check out the view from the lookout tower. In spots on the summit there was up to 3’ of snow, which was a cause for concern as we planned on going 2,000’ higher on the following day.

Running at Devil's tower

We were up early the next day and out toward Sylvan Lake for a run up to the highest point in SD. Prior to the run we stopped for a short hike up Sylvan Peak which is the Custer county high point. Eric headed out to do some running (and 10x1 minute hill repeats!) while Al and I climbed to the top. It was only a 24 minute climb and we were rewarded with views of Harney Peak and Crazy horse. We descended and met up with Eric who was going to have a long day of running (with an hour already in the bank). We headed out from Sylvan Lake to the top of Harney and made the 3 miles in just over 42 minutes. There was some mud and snow but for the most part it was very run-able, it was what I would call Colorado-TechnicalJ. We spent some time on the summit checking out the lookout tower and rock outcrops then headed back once we got pretty cold. The run down went by quickly and we even saw some people who were heading out for a hike. The great thing about visiting at this time of year is the total lack of crowds; we almost always had wherever we were to ourselves.

Summit of Harney

After the high point we headed to Crazy Horse , but I have to admit my energy level was at a low and at one point I spent about 30 minutes snoozing in the car. I woke up in time to watch them blast out a section of the sculpture. The final tourist stop of the day was Mt Rushmore where we spent about an hour or so wandering around checking out the sites and taking pictures. Then it was off to Wall SD and a run on a grass/dirt track and some more strange looks as we ran through town.

The final day of the trip was about a half-day in SD. Eric and I were out running by 6:15 AM and we did an out/back on the main road. It was kind of funny (and a little sad) when we turned to come back to the hotel and you could see it 2.5 miles off in the distance. We quickly gathered up Al and headed for the Badlands. Our second run of the morning was much more scenic as we ran a loop in the Badlands that included a tough climb for the first ¼ mile. Al stayed behind and took some pictures.

Al is on top of the outcrop

I was surprised to see him way up on a rocky outcrop when we were heading back. He claims he could hear us yammering over a mile away. We finished our trip with a very touristy stop in the Wall Drug Store . A “store” that was the size of a city block. It was mostly a collection of goofy stuff, but we had fun moseying around. By 1:30 we were on a plane heading home and thinking about where we could go next!

Al at sunset on Roosevelt
Me at Wall Drug
Miles driven – 1,123
Miles run – 60
Peaks bagged:
White Butte, Slope County ND – 3,506’ (ND state highpoint)
Brown Benchmark, Stark County ND – 3,061’ (ND county highpoint)
Black Butte, Hettinger County ND – 3,012’ (ND county highpoint)
Whetstone Buttes, Adams County ND – 3,149’ (ND county highpoint)
Fallon county high point, Fallon County MT – 3,620’ (MT county highpoint)
Tri Point, Long Pines MT – 4,220’ (MT fire tower)
Mt Roosevelt, Deadwood SD – 5,490’ (SD lookout tower)
Sylvan hill, Custer County – 7,000’ (SD COHP)
Harney Peak, Pennington County – 7,242’ (SD state high point)

States run in:
South Dakota
North Dakota
Montana
Wyoming

Sites visited:
Geographic center of the country
Tri state marker (SD, ND, & MT)
Devil’s tower
Crazy Horse
Mt Rushmore
Deadwood
Wall Drug
The Badlands