Recovering, Fall Racing, and What's in Store for 2018

Recovering from a 100 race has been an interesting venture to say the least.  It took about about four days for the muscle soreness to go away, about two weeks before the inflammation / tendonitis in my feet subsided, but even after 6 weeks I am not sure I have fully recovered mentally.  I'm back at it, running 40-50 miles a week again, but we will see when my will to really push comes back.

Transvulcania
Before recapping the fall racing, I am excited to say that I have signed up for my first big race of 2018: Transvulcania Ultramarathon.  The race is 74.3 k (46.2 miles) with a whopping 14,200' of climbing.  It takes place on the Island of La Palma, which is one of the Canary Islands (Spanish territory off the coast of Morocco) and is billed as one of the most beautiful races on Earth.    While it isn't another 100 miler, it will be every bit (if not more) of epic an experience.  For more info checkout http://transvulcania.info/ (They also have shorter races if anyone wants to join).

Pic from http://transvulcania.info

With three races down and two more to go (in the fall racing season), it is time to recap what I have been doing since Hennepin.

Groton Trail Race

Location: Groton, MA

Date: 10/15/2017
Distance: 3.4 Mile

Goal: Win a bottle of wine (Top two in each AG)

Actual: 2nd AG

One week out of Hennepin we went up to Groton for the annual BBQ at our friends John and Sue Ann's house which alway coincides with Groton Trail race.  This year I tackled the shorter option having not really recovered yet (In previous years I have run the 9.5 mile option).  

As with most races with multiple distances, the shorter option is less competitive and I was able to hold on for a 5th overall, 2nd place AG finish winning a bottle of white wine.  The BBQ was a blast and huge shout out to John and Sue Ann for hosting us again.  

Steps 2 Cure NF

Location: Wakefield, MA

Date: 10/22/2017
Distance: 3.1 Mile

Goal: 1st OA

Actual: 1st OA

Two weeks out, I ended up with a scheduling conflict and had to pull a double: pacing the first half of the Baystate Marathon in the morning and then racing a 5K at Lake Quannapowitt in the afternoon.  

Pic Compliments of NF Northeast

Pacing, as always, was a blast as I delivered the 3:05 group in 1:31 and change to the half way point.  

An hour later I was in Wakefield and warming up for a 5K race.  This was my second year doing the Steps 2 Cure NF 5K and after winning it last year and then becoming known for my running in the NF Northeast community I knew nothing other then first overall would be acceptable.  

This year I had a little competition and had to push hard to the finish to stay in the lead.  All and all had a blast and was glad to participate in such great event again.  

Cambridge Half Marathon

Location: Cambridge, MA

Date: 11/19/2017
Distance: 13.1 Mile

Goal: 1:24:55 (6:29), Stretch PR 1:21:40 (6:14)

Actual: 1:26:35 (6:37)

My big fall race was the Cambridge Half Marathon which was in it's second year.  Last year almost everyone I know had amazing PR's and raved about how great the race was and the party that went with it.  

I figured on a crisp fall day, I had a shot at running a good half marathon and if the planets aligned, maybe even a PR.  So I signed up.  The course largely hugs the Charles River which I have run along countless times.  

Fall this year in New England has been weirdly non-existent.  It has either been 60 or sub 30.  The day before the race I put a few easy miles in on the trails in 28 degree weather.  Race morning it was 60 degrees, humid, and raining.  Not what I was looking for.  

Pic Compliments
of Dan Forward

I started the race off with the plan to run between 6:20 and 6:30 for the first half and hopefully run a negative split.  I guess I let the adrenaline get to me a little as a dropped the first two miles at 6:15. Even at this point I knew I wasn't going to be able to keep that pace so the goal of staying under 6:30 pace came into play. 

I pushed along, slowing a couple of seconds per mile until I hit the Eliot Bridge.  Here they routed us on a dirt section that had turned into a mud pit.  All of a sudden I was having flashbacks from the Pineland Farm's Mud Running Festival of 2013. 

This little bit of extra effort was pushing me out of my comfort zone and quickly made me realize I have not fully mentally recovered from the Hennepin 100.  I just wasn't ready to suffer that much again.  

I kept plodding along finally making it to the Arsenal (another mud section) and then crossing the bridge for the return trip.  

With about two miles to go, I finally got it back together and finished strong.  The final quarter mile was all mud with 6 inch deep puddles as you wrapped around the back of the Cambridge Side Galleria.  

I finished in 1:26:35 nearly 5 minutes slower then my PR, but still the second fastest half marathon I have ever run.  This was my first half in over 3.5 years.  

Next

I have two more races left this calendar year before I relax a little and then get serious about a training for Transvulcania.  Next up is the Gobble X 3 on Thursday where hopefully I can run something around 6 minute pace for four miles and then in two weeks the Mill Cities relay.  Mill Cities has been one of my favorite races over the past few years and I have never had a bad performance there.

Happy Thanksgiving.

- Scot