2013-2014 SKI SEASON - recap

Had a great ski season this year. One day trip and four overnight trips. Hit CO as well as all the northern New England states: MA, NH, ME, VT. Eleven days of skiing in all. Here's a semi-randomized recap:

First time out was at Wachusett where I demo'd three pairs of skis; I ended up buying the prior year of one of those models at the end of December. Opted for what I thought at the time were wider skis (83 underfoot, an upgrade from my other pair which are 69 underfoot), but as it turns out I probably should have gone even wider (like 100 underfoot). The skis were great on the slopes in New England (with a couple exceptions where we got loads of powder), but it was the Colorado trip where I truly learned an appreciation for fat skis. Up towards the top of Breck (12,000+ ft elevation) - the powder was just too deep for me to keep the skis on top of the snow for long. The steepness of some of those slopes combined with the deepness of the powder made for some great spills. (Can you say "yard sale"!?) And was certainly humbled at times by burning muscles due to being out of shape and from being at 2mi+ elevation. Haha, well - I was able to ski the entire mountain, but definitely encountered some rough patches.

Went out to Breck with sunglasses, but ended up buying goggles while out there. Sunglasses just don't cut it when it's snowing hard high up on the mountain. I skied the first half of the first day with sunglasses, slicing down the mountain half blind feeling my way over the terrain, constantly wiping them, using an anti-fog cloth (to little avail) and finally realized I needed goggles. I know, a pretty amateur call. Luckily I didn't get fleeced buying a pair right in the mtn lodge. A very reasonable $40 got me a solid pair of Smith Transit goggles, and I was set for the rest of the season.

Skied a decent variety of terrain this season. Getting much better at moguls, just need to work on steeper slopes with moguls (next season). After 8 days of skiing this season, I think my legs got tired; my quads never burned so quickly as on that last trip in VT. Early on, did a fair amount of glade skiing, including a few tight sections where you really have to turn quickly to avoid the trees. Guess this was a bit risky without a helmet. I'm a convert on that and will aim to get a helmet by the start of next season. It's the safe thing to do. Not to mention for the jumps here and there, some fast runs (speeds at 40+ mph), and well - protection against other skiers/snowboarders.

I also hope to get new ski boots. The pair I currently have I bought used a couple years ago, and while they generally fit me ok, they are not quite snug enough, even after I used the latches and screws to make adjustments. There is so much technology and design into all this equipment, I ought to take advantage of a proper fit and set of features.

Got in some air travel (to/from CO) with all this equipment as well. While schlepping through the airport with tons of equipment can be a hassle, I think it's worth it if you like your equipment. The Dakine bags held up just fine (added some cardboard reinforcements to the ski bag for extra protection). No issues to report with the airlines, the bags or the equipment. Skis, poles and boots all made the out and back trip in proper condition.

I think that's it. Lots of fun on the mountains this season, what with the views, meals, apres ski/nightlife, and so on. Looking forward to the warmer season and getting fit for next year's fun on the slopes.

EQUIPMENT

Skis: Salomon Enduro XT850 (170cm length with sidecut: 127-83-110)

Bindings: Salomon STH12 (o/s, 90mm)

Poles: Salomon North Pole (120cm)

Ski Bag: Dakine (padded, reinforced myself with cardboard)
Boot Bag: Dakine (with front pocket & helmet pocket)

Boots: Dalbello Avanti V8

Jacket: North Face Venture

Sunglasses: Arnette Tantrum

Goggles: Smith Transit
Helmet: none

OUTINGS [# of days skiing]

2013-Dec 15: Wachusett, MA [1]

2014-Jan 3-5: Bretton Woods, NH [2]

2014-Feb 8-13: Breckenridge, CO [3]

2014-Feb 14-17: Sunday River, ME [2]

2014-Mar 14: Sugarbush, VT [1]

2014-Mar 15-16: Stowe, VT [2]

Season Total: 11 days of skiing

2013 Road Race Results

2013 Road Race Results

April 15 (26.2 mi) Boston Marathon
> DNF, reached mile 25.5. Sighted guide for Visually Impaired runner Richard Marsolais, bib #20969. Boston 2014 here we come.
Mass Assoc for the Blind & Visually Impaired
Garmin track of the 2013 Boston Marathon

June 23 (10k/6.2 mi) BAA 10k
> 46:10 (7:27/mi) Darn hot day.
Garmin track of the 2013 BAA 10k

September 8 (5k/3.1 mi) Emarc 5k
> 22:30 (7:15/mi) Return from injury.
Garmin track of the 2013 Emarc 5k

October 20 (13.1 mi) Baystate Half Marathon
> 1:35:16 (7:16/mi) Ran completely by feel without looking at watch/pace.
Garmin track of the 2013 Baystate Half Marathon

Marathon Sports

Marathon Sports

As many of us here in Boston have been doing lately, I’ve been strolling down Boylston Street every day since it reopened after being closed for over a week due to the investigation of the bombings at the Boston Marathon this past April 15th. Supporting the businesses there by buying some items or grabbing a bite to eat every outing, after a short stop at City Sports yesterday (Friday, April 26), I headed up Boylston Street to Marathon Sports – the site of the first blast on marathon day.

A note about Marathon Sports. I’ve been shopping at Marathon Sports (Cambridge and then Boston locations) since the early 90’s. Must have bought my first dozen pairs of running shoes there, not to mention running shorts, shirts, socks, and accessories like compression calf sleeves, an armband case for my cell phone, etc. I remember one of my first visits – a sales associate setting me up with a pair of Asics Gel-Lyte Ultras (my very first pair of Asics) – and I then went on to buy 3 more pairs of that very same shoe from them. It was the beginning of a great relationship. They hook me up with sweet kicks, I run and wear them out. And repeat.

Before everything was published on the internet, we runners actually visited the shops more often to chat with the sales staff and learn about running and the latest shoes. I remember visiting the shop even just to pick up their annual 12-month wall calendar which previewed a year’s worth of races – there just weren’t as many ways to find out about races back then.

So fast forward from those days in the past to this Friday.

How often do you walk into a retail business and find the owner arranging product on the shelves? Well, that’s exactly what I observed this past Friday. I had recalled briefly meeting the owner Colin years ago (he did not remember me, nor did I expect him to) and I was happy to see him on the sales floor and very happy to see the shop so crowded. As I was browsing, I turned and nodded to him: “It’s good to be back, huh?” and we went on to chat for a couple minutes.

Many will have read reports of how the Marathon Sports staff came quickly to the aid of many of the victims from the first blast and how the store itself was used to bring in people from off the sidewalk and treat them before moving them along to the hospitals. We said simultaneously of our running community: “we’re all one family” – at which point he excused himself for a moment, presumably to tend to the store, but then returned quickly with a Marathon Sports shop branded t-shirt in hand, extending it to me and offering it “I’d like you to have this”, noting a t-shirt from a competing shop (City Sports) I happened to be wearing. Oops. After a chuckle and an exchange with me completely caught off guard “no way, really… I can’t accept that as a gift… that’s so kind… thank you…” – I put the shirt on immediately saying “I’ll wear it with great pride.” As I went to check out with another item I’d selected, Colin was at the register and I attempted again saying “I know you extended this as a gift, and I really appreciate that but I’d really like to support the shop –it is ok if I paid for it?” – he wouldn’t hear of it and said it was a personal gift “it’s from me to you”. After me trying again “Please?” and “Are you sure?” – he insisted and I could tell in his eyes that him giving me that shirt meant 100x more to him than my receiving it. I relented with a very appreciative handshake.

 


I walked into the store wearing what’s on the left (Red Sox cap showing my Boston love and a City Sports New York t-shirt (the only thing I have that actually says “New York”) to express being thankful that the two bombing suspects weren’t able to continue their violence down in NYC as they seemed to have planned) – and then departed the shop wearing my new Marathon Sports t-shirt (courtesy of Colin P.).

There's plenty of miles in me to wear both t-shirts happily and to continue supporting both shops.

By the way, the back of the Marathon Sports t-shirt reads: “keeping your life in motion”.

Couldn’t be more true.

Boston Marathon 2013

Boston Marathon 2013 – April 15, 2013

For the 117^th running of the Boston Marathon, visually impaired runner Richard Marsolais (from Ottawa, Canada; bib 20969) and I ran tethered together as I served as his guide. Together we navigated 41km – but with a mere 1km to go our race stopped due to two bomb explosions along Boylston Street near the finish line – a horrific act of violence.

Such an incredible race, so quickly turned sad and tragic. Deep sorrow for those who lost their lives and were injured, and countless others who were impacted. Graphic video cycled by the media, and more personal accounts continue to stream in. The blasts occurred in my Boston neighborhood of Back Bay, my stomping ground - about a half mile from home on the day of my favorite event of the year. I take this despicable act personally and feel a great sadness and loss.

Richard and I were among thousands of fellow runners halted by police on Comm Ave near the Mass Ave underpass. Spectators and fellow runners were all amazingly supportive of one another. Offers to use cell phones, water, shelter, bathrooms, clothing to keep warm, etc. and lots of hugs were rampant in our unexpected, makeshift corral. We tried to keep loose and warm and remained patient to receive more information. I pulled out my cell phone and already had several messages – but the network was overloaded and with great frustration all my outgoing messages and calls could not be completed.

After about 20 minutes and a few more news reports coming in, we decided the best thing to do would be to get home, inside, safe and warm – so we began the 1 mile walk to my place, offering many others along the way to join us if needed. After about 10 minutes of very slow walking due to Richard cramping up, we flagged down a kind soul in a car to drive us the remaining 5 blocks. Thankfully I had my house key handy in the key pocket of my running shorts instead of stowing it in my checked bag which I could not get to.

A few other friends and neighbors stopped by through the evening. With limited mobile network yesterday, it took a long time to make sure that everyone was accounted for – all Team With A Vision folks as well as my neighbors and other friends running, spectating, and volunteering – that was an anxious stretch of time waiting to hear from everyone.

It was a long emotional day yesterday continuing into today – the day after. I am so touched by all the support from friends, family and loved ones from all around the world. Thank you so very much. Lots of choking up, deep breaths and hugs.

Sleep was minimal last night. Helicopters once again flying overhead early this morning. Took my nervous energy and rode my bike over to Mass General Hospital (MGH) to donate some blood first thing in the morning – very therapeutic for me and so great to see John Paul there to donate as well. (By the way, for anyone else wanting to donate blood to Boston Hospitals, the Red Cross/Hospital Admins/MA Governor Patrick all suggest people come next week or in a couple weeks as they have enough blood right now and prefer a sustained donation effort.)

Later in the morning, Betty and I took a walk through Back Bay. Some people – tourists and locals – milling about, but most businesses were closed along Newbury Street. Eerie to have the cross streets and Boylston Street still all closed down. I didn’t feel like taking any pictures, but the barriers were still up and normal discarded post-race paraphernalia was still scattered about within the lockdown zone - so surreal with heaping piles of silver mylar blankets shimmering in the somber muted sun.

They say it’ll take at least a couple more days of investigation work before they reopen that area. So much more of this story to unfold...

With Richard in Hopkinton prepping for the start of the race.

With Richard at about Mile 24.

Our splits through 40k.

Boston Skyline the next morning. Standing tall, standing strong.

Giving blood at MGH.

2012 Year in Review

Ha - so clearly blog posts fell off the priority list in 2012. I guess there were more important/fun things to do. Anyway, here is a summary of notable events/activities from the year. This serves as a placeholder for any catch-up posts from 2012...

Swam < 1 mile. Biked 458 miles. Ran 806 miles. Total SBR: 1264 miles. No triathlons this year. Not the highest volume year by any means, but still had lots of fun along the way.

Happy New Year - bring on 2013!

Apr 15 (3.1 mi) BAA 5k

(blindfolded w/a sighted guide)

>> Finish Time: 23:38 (Pace: 7:37/mi)

>> Overall Place: 903 / 5255 runners

May 18-19 Reach the Beach MA
(200 mile team relay)

>> Run1: 6.71mi/51:15 (Pace: 7:38/mi)

>> Run2: 4.15mi/30:07 (Pace: 7:15/mi)

>> Run3: 6.65mi/50:00 (Pace: 7:31/mi)

>> Team Place: 11 / 175 teams

May 29 Hike: Slopes of Mulhacen (Spain)
>> Distance: 21.57 miles (round trip)
>> Time: 10:18:41
>> Elevation gain (net): ~6,000 feet
>> Elevation gain (gross): 10,500 feet

Sep 9 (3.1 mi) Emarc 5k

>> 22:57 (Pace: 7:23/mi)

>> Overall Place: 47 / 402 runners

>> Age Group: 7 / 20 runners

Oct 21 (13.1 mi) Baystate Half

>> 1:42:28 (Pace: 7:49/mi)

>> Overall Place: 217 / 1323 runners

>> Age Group: 20 / 90 runners

Nov 4 (3.1 mi) Watertown Boys & Girls Club 5k

>> 20:52 (Pace: 6:43/mi)

>> Overall Place: 10 / 302 runners

>> Age Group: 1 / 36 runners

Skiing at Loon - February 2012

Skiing at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire - February 2012.

Skiing at Loon Mountain, NH - Feb 2012

Thanks for your patience in seeing an update to the blog. Yes, it was a long delay in editing and publishing this video. Some more updates to come soon... For now, since today (publish date June 22, 2012) is day 3 of 90F+ heat in Boston = a heat wave, I figured what better way to 'stay cool' than to 'think cool' by watching some winter skiing...

It was a pretty tame winter, but managed to get in a few days of skiing.

Nothing too dramatic happens in the video but hopefully still entertaining nonetheless.

Some windsweeping snow going up the chairlift, a bright and sunny day, went over a few hits (small jumps) though not sure you can tell in the video, a random dude crashes midway through and I help recover one of his skis (I sped up that part), and finally just me making my way down the mountain.

Click here to watch the video on YouTube.

Thanks for watching!

2011 Race Results

Jan 08 (3.1 mi) Resolution Run 5k
>> Finish Time: 21:15 (Pace: 6:51/mi)

Feb 06 (6.2 mi) Super Sunday 10k
>> Cancelled (bad weather, course conditions)

Feb 27 (13.1 mi) Hyannis Half Marathon
>> Finish Time: 1:33:43 (Pace: 7:09/mi)

Mar 13 (3.1 mi) Ras na hEireann 5k
>> Finish Time: 20:11 (Pace: 6:31/mi)

Mar 20 (3.1 mi) Malden Rotary Road Race 5k
>> Finish Time: 20:39 (Pace: 6:40/mi)

Apr 17 (3.1 mi) BAA 5k
>> Did Not Start

May 1 (26.2 mi) Providence Marathon
>> Did Not Register

Jun 2 (3.5 mi) JPM Chase Corp Challenge
>> Finish Time: 24:46 (Pace: 7:05/mi)

Jun 18 (14.5 mi) Mt. Evans Ascent
>> Trip cancelled due to recovering left calf.

Jun 18 (3.1 mi) Spectacle Island 5k
>> Finish Time: 22:32 (Pace: 7:16/mi)

Jun 26 [8am] (6.2 mi) BAA 10k
>> Finish Time: 45:15 (Pace: 7:18/mi)

Jun 26 [2pm] (3.5 mi) Warrior Dash
>> Finish Time: 50:27 (Pace: 14:25/mi)

Aug 2 (10 mi) Yankee Homecoming
>> Did Not Start

Sep 18 (0.25/10/3) FUNtastic Nantasket Triathlon

>> Did Not Start

Oct 2 (250/10.2/3) BrickMan Triathlon
>> 1:03:26 (24th out of 104)

Oct 16 (13.1 mi) Baystate Half Marathon

>> Finish Time: 1:36:59 (Pace: 7:24/mi)

Nov 6 (3.1 mi) Watertown Boys and Girls Club 5k
>> Finish Time: 21:16 (Pace: 6:52/mi)

Nov 13 (13.1 mi) Chilly Half Marathon

>> Did Not Start

November / December 2011 recap

November / December 2011 recap

Had to stop running early-November and decided to take the rest of the year off.
Summary is below, let's see what kind of training, races and adventures the new year brings.

Chilly Half Marathon - did not start

Chilly Half Marathon - did not start

Race date: Sunday, November 13, 2011

Was hoping to add this as another fast-paced training run, and to run it with a friend doing the Philly Marathon this upcoming weekend, but sadly I turned up injured a couple days before and thus didn't run. Not a bad idea to take some time off right now anyway. I thought I'd be more disappointed, but too much other stuff going on to fill the time. Will see how things are going after a couple weeks though...

Watertown Boys and Girls Club 5k

Watertown Boys and Girls Club 5k - Race Report

Location: Watertown, MA
Date: Sunday, November 6, 2011
Distance: 5k / 3.1 miles
Time (pace): 21:16 (6:52/mile pace)
Place (overall): 11th out of 302 runners
Place (division / M3039): 4th out of 24

Ran this in support of the Watertown Boys and Girls Club - a nice organization that provides activities for local kids, including my friend's two little girls. Team City Sports was well represented at this race - finishers included Eric, Alex, Nilesh (me), Anna, Chenine, Jan and his 9 year old daughter Ashley, and Mary-Benham. Taylor was out on the course handing out water.

Was hoping to do some extra miles before this race and treat it as a training run. Then decided to race it intending on adding miles later in the day (which I did not do either, hey there's always tomorrow). It was a great day for a run, sunny and dry with the temperature around 50F.

As for the race, managed a couple quick first miles (6:26 and 6:37) but then slowed down considerably for that third mile (~7:30) - finally finishing in 21:16 (6:52/mile pace). There was one significant hill in that first mile which definitely got my heart rate elevated (no pun intended). My average heart rate was around 182 bpm, and my heart rate monitor tells me I hit a max of 195 bpm (definitely a lot higher than the rule of thumb "220 - age" formula). Half-way into that first mile I realized I was wearing my slightly heavier training/trail running shoes instead of my lighter weight trainers that I race in. I guess I completely forgot them, ah well. At least I remembered my race belt and sunglasses.

Some nice snacks and lots of raffle prizes were handed out at the end. A well run event!

Always fun racing with friends, and then enjoyed a post-race feast and hanging out over at the Nygren's place. Also fun tracking several other friends doing the NYC Marathon that day. Congrats to all IMFL finishers on Saturday and NYC Marathon runners Sunday/today.

October 2011 recap

October 2011 recap

October was a decent month, I mean as far as months of the year goes, nothing can compare to September, but for running – October isn’t so bad. Cool fall temps, crisp air, pretty leaves turning color – what’s not to love? Had two fun races this month, the BrickMan triathlon and the Baystate Half Marathon – really enjoyed both these events. Increased my mileage a good bit throughout the month as well. Not sure how the heck I ran as much as I did back in January and February (a short month at that), but starting to put those kind of miles back into the legs. Keeping the left calf stretched out as much as possible and doing the usual maintenance on my right side ITB. Still feeling good, so can’t complain. To mix things up, this past week returned to my old school street hockey roots and also added back in a Crossroads run (9 miles on Thursdays through the Newton hills). That Crossroads run this past week was pretty tough – a fair test of mettle, some parts saw snow that night – endured a cold, rainy/sleeting tromp back into the city after taking the T far out. Anyway, here’s the quick summary…happy trails!

Baystate Half Marathon Race Report

BAYSTATE HALF MARATHON
(officially known as the Lowell Sun Half Marathon)

SUMMARY

·         Date - Time: Sunday, October 16, 2011 – 8:00am start

·         Location: Lowell, MA

·         Conditions: ~50F at the start, dry ground, some wind on the 2-loop course

·         Distance: Half Marathon / 13.1 mile race (mostly flat, but some small inclines over the bridges)

·         Finish time: 1:36:59

·         Average pace: 7:24 / mile

·         Overall place: 146 out of 1,591 runners

PRE-RACE

For dinner the night before, had my trademark Masoor Dal (lentil soup) along with veggies and soy milk. Ended up going out that night but came home ‘early’ and got to sleep by 1am. Awoke at 5:45am, ate more Masoor Dal and a banana washed down with a glass of Gatorade. Set out from Boston and arrived at the race site just minutes past 7:00am. Was able to park at the Tsongas Arena garage (for $5) right at the race site, so that worked out perfectly.

(Click on images to enlarge.)

Anna, Nilesh, Betty before the race in the Tsongas Center

Met up with fellow City Sports run clubber friends Betty, Anna and Jan (Patrick was elsewhere) inside the warm Tsongas arena, used the facilities and attended to last minute pre-race details. Stepped back outside, dropped my bag at the bag check tent, warmed up by jogging and stretching before sliding in the starting corral with prolific marathoner Betty. (Betty’s race report.) Getting a little antsy in the starting corral, I started doing those short little hops that runners do when they wait at a traffic intersection not wanting to cool off too much. Given the packed corral, I landed one of my hops lightly on the toe of a guy standing behind me. Oops. I turned around and apologized profusely, he was fine so I joked: “That’s my strategy, take out the competition!” haha – that got a little laugh from those standing around us and hopefully diffused some pre-race nerves a bit.

THE RACE

Since I hadn’t raced a road race since June (battled injuries, etc.), I was hesitant to run this at first, but the team mentality swayed me. Three key goals:

1. Enjoy a nice outing with friends

ü  Got to run the entire half marathon with Betty, cheer on / provide race support for friends Anna (half marathon), Jan (full marathon) and Patrick (full marathon) and enjoy post-race time with everyone.
2. Run a pace between 7:15 to 7:27 min/mile (pace range for a potential future marathon)

ü  We averaged 7:24/mile – excellent!
3. Gain some information about my current fitness level.

ü  See further below for pacing and heart rate info…

The course was two-loops along the Merrimack River crossing at bridges close to downtown. Mostly flat, but a couple ‘inclines’ along the route, especially at one of the bridges. Kind of weak of me to even notice those inclines, clearly a result of running along the super-flat Charles River paths, time to vary up my routes and get some proper hills in… Crossroads Run anyone?

Both the full marathon and half marathon started at the same time, so got to see Patrick tucked in with the 3:05 pace group at the start. Betty and I continued on a fair pace for the first couple miles, I was happy to lock on to her pace throughout the run as she cruised the flats, glided through the water stops taking water without pause and powered up the inclines passing folks left and right. It was fun. We chatted a bit through the first loop of the course, and then kept conversation light on the second loop as our pace picked up. I tracked split times using my stopwatch and called them out as we hit each mile marker which seemed to work well for us both.

Betty and me about 3 miles into the run, rounding the corner and heading over the first bridge crossing the Merrimack River.

Mile-by-mile splits and average heart rate (HR) info below. The high HR (above 170) during the second half of the run indicates a solid effort to maintain this pace. I mean I felt relatively comfortable holding pace for 13.1 miles, but could I have maintained that for twice the distance? Not so sure, looks like I’ve got some training to do…

Nutrition/Hydration: Felt well hydrated at the start, carried a 12oz bottle of Gatorade and sipped it through 9 miles, then used the last two water stations – still looking back I could have drank more. Also around mile 7 ate two bites of a PowerBar stashed in my shorts pocket. Took a while to chew through it but it provided good nourishment, never felt hungry throughout the race.

By the way, while the course may be regarded as boring, and the foliage colors hadn’t kicked in yet, there was this rather dramatic view of the Merrimack River with the glistening sun bouncing off the rocks. I’m sure my HR dropped a few beats as this view induced a sense of calm and peacefulness for me. I took this shot from my bike after going back and cheering on Jan and Patrick doing the marathon.

Nice view of the Merrimack River from the race course.

POST-RACE

Finished with Betty – we were both really happy with our run performance. Went to pick up our bags and quickly changed into warm clothes, had some quick recovery protein, and stretched while cheering on several of Betty’s fellow Back on My Feet runners.

After cooling down, grabbed my bike from the car and rode the course backwards to support and cheer on Patrick and Jan running the full marathon. Encountered Patrick around mile 23 and then found Jan around mile 21. They both looked great. Headed back towards the finish line, ended up riding about 11 miles that day. Betty also ended up running in with Anna at the end of her half and then with Jan to bring him in the last couple miles of the marathon (I think she ended up covering 20+ miles total that day).

Got back with enough time to greet Patrick after an incredible debut marathon (3:00:50!) and then hi-five Jan through the last stretch of his run on his way to setting a marathon Personal Record (PR). We all enjoyed swapping stories while devouring the post-race food assortment: PBJ sandwiches, warm minestrone soup, bananas and salty potato chips.

Post-race celebration (l to r): Nilesh, Betty, Jan, Anna, Patrick

Had an occasion to attend later that afternoon and so was able to shower and change over at the UML Rec Center, which was very convenient.

OTHER NOTES

Race organization was great, from the race director promptly helping fix my registration mistake weeks before the race (oops, accidentally signed up for the full marathon), to the cheery volunteers when I went to pick up race bib numbers for the team on a rainy Friday, to the race day volunteers, many at the water stops dressed in lively costumes.

Had a fun pre-race dinner Friday night graciously hosted by Anna, who took extra care to make sure I had plenty of vegetarian options including tasty vegetarian (vegan) meatballs (brand: Nate’s) doused in her homemade sauce to go along with the pasta. Also enjoyed a couple special bottles of wine that night.

Great carbo-loading pasta+ dinner at Anna's in preparation for Sunday's Baystate Half & Full Marathon. The bottle on the right is a 1997 Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva that I've been holding onto for 10+ years. Needed to let it breathe for a little while after uncorking, then it slowly found its flavor. The bottle on the left was a 2001 Villa Antinori Toscana Anna just happened to have, another fine Italian origin. Matching bottles, how about that!

Thanks for reading! Great team run, hi-five!

BrickMan Triathlon Race Report

BrickMan Triathlon Race Report - Lawrence, MA
8:00am -- Sunday, October 2, 2011 -- 56F, overcast with wet roads
BrickMan Triathlon race website - click here.

Race Distances (Description):
> Swim: 250 yard (in a pool)
> Bike: 10.2 miles (3 loops of a circuit with several turns, pretty much flat)
> Run: 3 miles (4.5 loops around a park, very flat)

Background and Preparation
The BrickMan Triathlon is a small, local community race in Lawrence, Massachusetts (about 35 minutes north of Boston). This race is hosted by the Lawrence YMCA and benefits both the Y as well as Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity. This year 2011 was the 2nd annual running of this event - there were 103 finishers.

Decided within the week to jump into this race. That's the great thing about sprint triathlons, with relatively good fitness you can decide fairly last minute to do them. I went into it from a more 'fun' perspective rather than 'competitive', especially since I hadn't swum in over a year since I did the TDD Triathlon last year (clearly swimming is not my favorite) and also hadn't biked much this year (a paltry 300 miles ridden in 2011, thankfully including some recent time in the saddle on my road bike during a couple 40 - 50 mile rides with friends last month. Running, of course, I've been training...

The night before, had potato gnocci with marinara sauce for dinner along with a bowl of Masoor Dal (lentil soup). Not that this was going to be some long endurance event, but a little carbo-loading never hurt. Besides, I like gnocci and hadn't had it in a while. Morning of the race ate a couple more bowls of Masoor Dal around 5:30am. Left the house around 6:20am and arrived on site comfortably by 7:00am - plenty of buffer before the 8:00am start time. I had brought a PowerBar to nosh on during the drive up, but just didn't feel hungry for it then; of course during lap2 of the bike portion felt kinda hungry and regretted not having eaten it. Ah well.

Parking was easy and plentiful in a lot right behind the YMCA. Registration was a breeze in two minutes, and it included a nice poly t-shirt. The transition area was a grassy fenced off area within the park right across the street from the Y, and had plenty of space to rack your bike.

The Race Segments


Swim (250 yards: 5:35)
Since this was going to be a pool swim in the YMCA's pool (nice, clean, clear water pool by the way), they had asked for your estimated swim time during registration so that they could seed / stagger the start with the fastest swimmers at the front. The idea is that the first swimmer would go down lane1 to the other side of the pool, dip under the lane divider and then swim back and down lane2, dip under the next lane divider and repeat all the way to the other edge of the pool. Doing that would be 250 yards. And every subsequent swimmer's start would be staggered after the previous swimmer just about reached the opposite end of lane1, usually about 20-30 seconds between each swimmer.

So I estimated my 250 yard swim time conservatively at 5:55 (5 minutes 55 seconds). I was thus seeded as the 60th swimmer in line to start the race, so I started my swim roughly 20 minutes after the first swimmer started. I was pretty happy with a swim time of 5:35, which ranked as the 58th fastest swim time of the day, so not a bad estimate I guess their system works! As usual I was just happy to get out of the water...

Transition 1: swim to bike (2:19)
I forgot my race belt which holds your race bib number making it easy to put on top of your outfit. Because I forgot it, I had to use safety pins, and without going into too much detail, getting my full zip jersey on took some effort in the transition area which required me to repin my bib number, which probably added an extra 30 seconds to my transition time. Dealing with sharp, pointy pins when you are in a rush is never a good idea!

Bike (10.2 miles: 31:50 / 19.2 mph)
I also hadn't ridden my tri bike since last year's triathlon, and the battery on my cycle computer had run out, so I would be riding this one without any speed information. No biggie, just meant I would have to ride purely on feel which I should be doing anyway. It had rained recently, so the ground was wet which made for cautious cornering on the many turns throughout the circuit course. The course was almost completely flat with just one small 'bump'. The road quality was ok, some parts were a little cracked up, but you could usually find clear stretches to ride through. Volunteers and a police detail were stationed at every turn and intersection helping to direct cyclists and pause car traffic. I finished the three loops in 31:50 (19.2 mph) which ranked as the 22nd fastest bike split.

Transition 2: bike to run (1:35)
Even though this transition time was still a bit on the longer side relative to others, I'm pretty happy given my history of l-o-n-g transition times. Also decided to go sockless on the run, so saved some time not having to put them on my wet feet. Had a little concern with getting a blister since the roads were wet, but decided to htfu and keep moving.

Run (3.x miles: 22:08 / 7:16 per mile)
Came out of the transition area flying happily, but tried to make sure I didn't over-cook myself right of the bat, so backed off my pace a little. Lots of company out on the course at that point due to the swim stagger, though people were comfortably spread out through the course the entire time, I never felt overcrowded. As usual with me, it took a bit to find my running legs - and it's such a short race, there really isn't time to 'warm up' during the run. Anyway, after the first couple loops, I started picking up the pace. In retrospect I could have run a bit faster and endured a bit more 'suffering' but again, was just doing this for fun. I finished the 4.5 loops of the run course in 22:08 about a 7:16/mile pace and the 16th fastest run split of the day.

Total Race -- 1:03:26, 24th place overall out of 103 finishers

Final Notes
Race coordination and volunteers were fantastic, absolutely fantastic - everyone was smiling, attentive and helpful and provided clear instruction throughout the event. Being able to use the locker room at the Y was great, and provided a warm, comfortable and easy place to gear up and get ready for the race and then to change back into warm clothes afterwards. Post-race food included bagels, orange slices, tortilla chips and hummus, water and gatorade, among other items. Race winners and age-groups winners received awards which were actual bricks with an engraved plaque cemented on the top, novel idea.

All in all, this was a great little race benefiting good causes - I'd recommend this race, either for a seasoned triathlete getting in a final race of the season or especially for a first-timer who would be hard pressed to find a friendlier, more welcoming race to make their first foray into triathlon.

September 2011 recap

Just a quick recap for the month of September... added some decent base mileage as well as some bonus time hiking and cycling. My overall training pace/speed improved, but I'm not convinced that's an indicator of anything really important. Adding track workouts or intervals would improve my pace, but long slow distance runs may slow my overall pace. Doesn't really mean a good or bad result, just mixing up training overall to race strong, confidently and fast. Anyway, looking forward to October now and running through autumn in Boston. Happy trails!

Timex

I've been wearing a Timex watch ever since I can remember. You remember their slogan: "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking." Well, corollary to that is if something does go wrong with your watch, the Timex Service Center will either repair it or replace it (for a small fee).

In 2008, I brought my Timex Ironman watch to one of those mall kiosks for a battery replacement. Mistake. The waterproof seal was never the same. After several pool swims, the display began to fade. So I sent it in and within a couple weeks they sent me a replacement. They charged me 50% of the original cost of the watch, so 50% of $75 = $37.50. Not bad I thought.

So that replacement had been doing just fine for quite some time, until... well, I like to roll the band around on my wrist. Sometimes I like the face to be on the inside of my wrist and sometimes on the outside, and instead of taking the watch off, I just wrangle/force it around to the other side when I feel like it. All was fine until one day while switching the orientation on my wrist, pop - the band broke. Turns out that the part of the band that broke is permanently molded to the face of the watch. Again, I went through the process of sending in the watch (sent on Aug 18) and just today (Sep 29) - exactly 6 weeks later (a bit long since they said they were a bit swamped lately) received a brand new replacement watch, total amount due: just $10. It's the most recent comparable model to what I had with a heart rate monitor, so it's a very useful, sensitive, quality piece of equipment.

Top: Old watch with broken band (watch itself still works).
Bottom: Brand new replacement watch.

I am a satisfied customer and just wanted to share this brief story.

But while I'm talking about Timex, I'll also share some notes about their foray into the GPS watch space.

Last year I purchased the Timex Global Trainer Ironman GPS watch. I called it the "hockey puck watch" cause it was so big. But it was packed with cool features - especially the ability to track multiple segments in one consecutive workout (e.g. Swim, T1, Bike, T2, Run) so as a triathlete I thought it would be a great training and racing tool. Well, it was a bust. I was happy to be able to use it up in New Hampshire on some long hikes where I used it to chart elevation and topography, but right here in Boston along the open expanse of the banks of the Charles River, I experienced much difficulty "locking" the GPS on satellite signals. Pretty frustrating when you go out for a run, but then have to stand there holding your arm up to the sky for a few minutes while it "searches for satellite". Ugh. And even the times when I was able to get a GPS lock and start a run, often times it would drop partway through and I would lose my speed/distance details. Thankfully I purchased the TGT at REI, and so was able to return it and get my money back.

All that said, I'm hoping Timex has learned from whatever design issues the TGT faced, and have corrected them in their latest soon-to-be offering (expected to be released this Oct 2011): the Timex Run Trainer. From a feature perspective, this is a running watch only. I'm looking forward to trying one out when they're released.

FUNtastic Nantasket Triathlon

I was supposed to do the FUNtastic Nantasket Triathlon (sprint distance) last weekend, but wasn't able to make it. On top of two great days of hiking in NH (see Galehead Hut and Beyond post), some other fun stuff kept me from it. This status update last Sunday morning (the morning of the race) "summed" things up:

Weekend math: [last night] * (Beehive + "Party to Celebrate Everything" + late night dining at Felipe's) + [this afternoon] * (heading down to the Patriots game) = [this morning] * (-sprint triathlon + a little extra sleep + brisk fall run instead)

Galehead Hut and Beyond

Great two-day journey into the mountains of New Hampshire. From Boston took I-93 to Rt. 3 to Gale River Loop Road, about a 2.5 hour drive. Summarized itinerary and stats [trail names in brackets]:

Elevations in order of itinerary:

3,800' - Galehead Hut

4,902' - South Twin Peak

4,761' - North Twin Peak

4,024' - Galehead Peak

4,500' - Garfield Peak

A bonus to this itinerary is checking off four more mountains from the NH 48 4000-footers list, so that makes 18 out of 48 covered thus far. I like these multi-day, multi-peak hikes. And this route did not disappoint in regards to the views and terrain, pictures and captions are further below.

Equipment

Wore my trusty Asics Trabuco Trail running shoes along with my awesomely moisture wicking SmartWool socks. Brought my NorthFace sleeping bag awkwardly bungeed to my REI Flash 30 backpack. Brought an extra nalgene bottle pre-loaded with lemon-line Gatorade powdered mix, but never used it. Just stuck with one water bottle the whole trip (re-filled at the hut) and only drank water, the benefit of a cooler weather outing.

Did all the hiking in hiking pants and a long sleeve tech shirt, usually rolled up the sleeves – and also had arm warmers and light gloves for those cooler spots along the trails. Wore a Mizuno “BreathThermo” hat, great at keeping head and ears warm and dry. For both days hiking temps were between 34F – 45F, perfect if you ask me – cool and insect free hiking!

The Trails

The trails were pretty reasonable. As usual, I did well ascending quickly but kept very cautious while descending. Didn’t tape up either of my ankles, didn’t feel I needed to despite my previous record with sprains. I guess I was crossing my fingers. The toughest trail was the Garfield Ridge Trail (from Galehead Hut to the summit of Mount Garfield) – just didn’t expect a ridge trail to be so undulating and it was pretty rocky too. That said the Mount Garfield Trail which connects back down to the trailhead on Gale River Loop Road from just below the summit of Mount Garfield had to be one of the easiest trails I’ve ever been on in NH. If you are looking for a minimally technical, relatively easy day hike that provides some decent views, I would recommend taking this trail up and down Garfield. The last 10 minutes to the summit are rocky (along the Garfield Ridge Trail), but otherwise – a very forgiving gradient and good footing (comparatively). There are even several stream crossings to keep things fun and interesting. So when taking the Mount Garfield trail down on day 2, since it was such an easy trail, broke into a running gait at times. So much fun cruising down, albeit still an easy pace with a ~14 lb. pack to carry.

The Galehead Hut

Nice hut nestled in the ridge between Mount Galehead and the South Twin Peak. Sleeps 38 in bunks stacked 3 or 4 high. Relatively sparse accommodations providing a mattress, pillow and a couple wool blankets, along with cold running water, dinner and breakfast. The hut is completely off the grid – all the electricity comes from solar panels and a wind turbine on the roof. So that’s pretty cool. I think I saw some propane tanks in the back, so they might use those for cooking. Given that the hut is not heated, it was interesting how in the afternoon the hut was so cold since it was empty, but later at night when it was a full house, it warmed up with everyone’s body heat. I guess 38 people generate a lot of warmth!

Dinner at 6pm was great, my tummy felt full from the vegetarian cuisine prepared for me and a couple other guests. After dinner a few games and a little party ensued (wine and even Macallan scotch were kindly shared). Lights out was around 10pm. Sleeping at night was fine, not nearly as cold as might be expected. It was about 28F outside, but kept toasty warm in my unzipped sleeping bag. The only slight noise was that of the wind turbine on the roof swirling frantically with every gust of wind. The sweetest part though was being awoken at 6:30am to a member of the crew serenading us to “Summertime” from Porgy & Bess. My favorite part of the song was: “One of these mornings / You’re gonna rise up singing / Then you’ll spread your wings / And you’ll take to the sky”. She had a great voice, wish I could wake up every morning to singing like that. Breakfast at 7am was satiating too, while the hut crew performed a skit reminiscent of the old Hans and Franz SNL bit, hilarious breakfast theater, cinnamon sprinkled on oatmeal provided a final warm welcome to the mountains before setting out in 34F morning temps for day 2 of hiking.

Wrap-Up

Lots of interesting people met along the way, including a gentleman celebrating his 50^th birthday with a hut-to-hut trip with his two teenage sons, a roving party group of 10 folks who defined “mountain hut party” and a playfully sparring couple - the wife was exuberantly working her way through her second iteration of the NH 48 4000-footers list, while the husband appeared completely disinterested in anything much to do with mountains, he just wanted to eat lunch at the summit of Garfield. They were funny, but so very happy.

After reaching the Garfield Trailhead, coming off the mountain unscathed, there was a 1.6 mile trek along the Gale River Loop Road back to the car parked at the Gale River Trailhead. Decided to leave the backpack and gear at the Garfield Trailhead and just run the distance (~11 minutes) to fetch the car and return back, body felt great and it was just much easier that way.

As for preparations, probably should have brought a map and should not have forgotten my mobile phone at home before leaving for the trip, but did enough quick research to get through the trails further honing my navigation and dare I say mountaineering skills.

Feel so very fortunate to have spent this time in the mountains, in nature completely off the grid.

Pictures and Captions

(click on an image to enlarge)

All set to start - sleeping bag strapped to backpack - total weight about 14 lbs.

Started out at the Gale River Trailhead

They had just finished (last month, Aug 2011) the new trail replacing the old eroded trail paths.

It's hard to tell even with the backdrop against the dark trees, but it started snowing.
Those are snowflakes that landed on my wrist.

These signs were always helpful. Closing in on the Galehead Hut.

Galehead Hut

Galehead Hut

Outside temp = 34F

Christmas in September?
On the way up to the South Twin Peak from the Galehead Hut.

It doesn't get much prettier than this, does it?

Rocky trail close to the top of the South Twin Peak.

South Twin Peak - view of the Franconia Ridge
(l to r: Flume, Liberty, Little Haystack, Lincoln, Lafayette)

South Twin Peak looking toward the North Twin Peak

North Twin Spur trail from the South Twin Peak toward the North Twin Peak 

North Twin Peak lookout to the left

Westerly view in the distance of the Franconia Ridge from the North Twin Peak
and of Galehead Mountain in the foreground on the left.
If you look closely you can see the Galehead Hut down the slope of Galehead Mtn.

Southerly view of the frosted over South Twin Peak from the North Twin Peak
and of Galehead Mtn on the right in the picture with the Galehead Hut in view as well.

North Twin Spur trail on the way back up and over the South Twin Peak

A pretty steep section going back towards the South Twin Peak.
That's about 25 feet straight down.

Closing in on the South Twin Peak from the North Twin Peak

Re-summiting the frosted over South Twin Peak coming from the North Twin Peak

Made it back down to the Galehead Hut and headed over to the Frost Trail to ascend Galehead Mountain

The summit of Galehead Mtn - no view

View from an outcropping on Galehead Mtn looking back down at the Galehead Hut
and in the distance North Twin Peak (left) and South Twin Peak (upper right)

Sunset from the Galehead Hut porch

Lights out in the bunks

Member of the Galehead Hut crew setting up for breakfast

Humorous skit by the crew during breakfast

Setting out from the Galehead Hut that morning looking back at the wind turbine and shot of the moon 

Garfield Ridge Trail across from the Galehead Hut to Mount Garfield

Garfield Ridge Trail - undulating and rocky

My 'artsy' shot - stones on the bottom of clear still water reflecting the heights of the trees

Open rock face approach to the summit of Mount Garfield

Final approach to the summit of Mount Garfield.
Remnants of an old fire tower, just a shallow four wall structure.

From the summit of Mount Garfield - Franconia Ridge
(l to r: Flume, Liberty, Little Haystack, Lincoln, Lafayette)

Owl's Head on the left

Galehead Mtn just over the lip of the stone structure, with the South Twin Peak above it in the center,
saddling the Galehead Hut then the North Twin Peak sweeping to the left and
way off in the distance on the far left - yes, that snow-capped mountain is Mt. Washington.

Galehead Mtn closer on the right hand side, with the South Twin Peak above it in the center,
saddling the Galehead Hut then the North Twin Peak sweeping to the left and
way off in the distance on the far left - yes, that snow-capped mountain is Mt. Washington.

Feeling the peaceful glow of this stream crossing in such a beautiful natural setting.

Thanks for reading and taking a look at all the pictures!