Training Log Archive: Ari-o

Seven Sisters Seven Sisters Seven Sisters!

This might be my favorite race, or close to it. It's so damn hard, it's super hilly and rocky, and all without going over 1000 feet. Beautiful scenery, beautiful trail, and just a great way to break yourself in the best way. I have no idea what the climb is—my Garmin says 3500', Alex's 4400 (using that from last year because I can)—but it falls somewhere in between a vertical K and a vertical mile, up and down, in well under the advertised 12 miles (more like 10.5). With those ups and downs, it's impossible to measure. I'm using the higher number because I don't think Strava samples enough, and I trust Attackpoint more.

Unlike last year, I didn't run 13 miles of trails the day before. Also unlike last year, I ran Boston two weeks before and am still recovering (although done, I think, after that). And also unlike last year, it was hot today. Sunny, and in the 50s rising towards 70. Not a cool race day. I was going to wear the CSU colors, but it was too warm, I threw it at a friend and we were off, after some timing delays, anyway.

Felt good up the first hill and passed Kehr and Kelsey, so I knew I was doing pretty well. But it was warm, and I don't do well in the warm, especially when it's early season warm. 65 and sunny and dry in October? I'd be fine. Right now? Pretty brutal.

I was sucking down gatorade but didn't need the energy. I didn't take water at the first feed stop (mistake) and kept on trucking, but started overheating. I gulped some blue juice and cooled down some, and was doing well to the second feed, where I got water and diluted the blue and felt pretty good. Then it was up to the Summit House and a mandatory walk across the porch (in the shade! I was happy to walk) and down, after some ups. Came in to the turn at 1:09.

But going out, it was still hot. I had to keep the pace under control and take on as much water as I could to keep my core temperature down, and that meant mostly fast hiking the hills. My feet hurt a little, but my legs felt pretty okay, it was more heat management. That was fine, although major positive splits: 1:09, 1:22. (Not sure what my splits were last year, I think a little more even.)

I took on water at each stop on the way back, and probably drank 2L during the race, and needed every bit of it. No goos; I had plenty of energy, just water to keep me cool. Ran with a few people for the first half of the way back, then on my own. Some struggles up the last hill and down the last hill; I was pretty sure I was behind last year's time but then I thought I ran 2:30 last year, in fact 2:31:37. So I may have beaten it, and today was much harder running weather for me. It will be interesting to see what the %back was, too.

This race is outstanding. It's hard. Real hard. It has the rate of climb of the hut traverse (or more), and therefore of the Hard Rock. It's super low key: it seems they use chip timing only because they have to. Someone was saying they aren't capping the number of starters, even though it's grown, as the RD said that races come and go, and they figure it will go down at some point. But with trail running become more of a thing—and with this being basically the hardest race out there, and such a great course and all—it might not get much smaller. But it's manageable; there's only a couple minutes where the passing is much of an issue, and everyone is super-supportive, and the organization is great, and the money goes to a good cause (iirc, to the range itself). It's going to be a mainstay on the calendar, even if it is right after Boston, I can do it!

C • Happy memories 3

Event: West Point A-Meet
 

Roommate: want to go for a short, slow bike ride? Me (thinking about 7 Sisters): YES!

Out around Mystic Lakes and back. Some potholes, but mostly nice riding. Chilly, and a breeze both ways, it seemed. Pushed a couple of times, but not hard with 7S tomorrow!

Out to O. Met Alex at home after a presto-change-o change of clothes and bag pack (and probably a 6 minute ride home from work with a tailwind making almost every light) and we set off. Alex didn't want to go fast. I'm okay with that.

We had a bit of an adventure on Western. I took the cycletrack, she stayed in the street. A block later, I saw a car blocking the cycletrack and she decided to try it, so we decided to switch. Only we didn't tell each other, and almost crashed, and certainly made contact. And laughed it off at the next light.

We hit a lot of lights, but it was certainly faster than all those people in their rolling coffins sitting in traffic. No other close calls and even a couple courteous drivers in Waltham! Nice breeze, nice afternoon for a ride.

Ran in to the woods to pee, then around a bit to warm up.

Cat Rock! Great course set by Pia for the O today. I can't find my map but here's what happened:

1. I glanced and said "oh, that marsh sucks, trails." Then I turned on the wrong trail. Probably 20 seconds right there. I ran towards 1 and went to take a bearing and looked at my thumb and there was no compass. I'd left that little doohickey at the start (in my bag). Most park-Os you barely need one, but Cat Rock sort of has terrain and features and such that it might help. But I figured I'd be sporting and not run back and restart, so I decided to run the course without a compass, and use the terrain and features. (I need some compass work, but ParkO is probably not the place for it anyway.)

I'd caught the marsh-going Katia and we went together to 2 and 3, jumped over the stream, and I spiked 4. And 5. And 6. Ran the long leg to 7, spike, and 8-12. It was off to 13. I wasn't going particularly fast, but I was going very much in the right direction. This felt good.

The plan for 13 was to take the northern little trail to the junction and attack off of that (less green) I ran the trail and the junction was so shallow I way overran, and then had to run back through the woods. This cost me damn near a minute.

Then I went to the finish. Good to feel good about O!

Ran to pick up a couple controls.

Then had to choose between the biking home, the 70 bus, and the train. Decided on the train, because headwind and dark. Took the train to Belmont, and that seems to be the Concord Academy Express (well, I'm not sure, but there were a lot of kids on it and I don't think there's a private school in Shirley). Due to the construction the schedules are about 20 minutes later, so I didn't get to Belmont (saved $3 with an interzone ticket) until 8:12 (still faster than biking, even with a speed restriction out of Waltham). The conductor asked me which side the platform was on, apparently her first week on the job. Okay then.

Biked home and then saw Life Alive and OOH LIFE ALIVE. 65 minutes park to attackpoint, including getting food.

Sprint - Splits

Ugh. I probably should have laid low but it's the last stadium TT until basically the fall because I can't run wicked fast when it's 75˚ at 6:35 AM, even with a bottle of ice water. Anyway, I ran 11 sections in 7 minutes, so I was on pace for about 24 minutes, when my right calf acted up. Uh, okay, slow down. Nope. Stretch. A little better but still balky. Then after a while I couldn't get any balance on it. It's not really pain, it just had that feeling of "if you keep doing this bad things are going to happen."

I was not happy with this. So I went home.

Quick run around the river. Picked the wrong direction and went in to a stiff wind all the way along the river, but fast enough. Legs feel fine! 7 Sisters in a few days!