Saturday, December 31, 2011

December Recap

Week - 1
Leah and i did something a bit unorthodox in our relationship in the first week of the month.  We had not one, but two date nights.  Our first date was a  lovely night of Tai food and watching The Muppets movie.   I can't say enough good things about that movie.  I bounced around in my seat, i cried, i laughed.  They couldn't have done a better job bringing back a classic.  Date night number two found us sipping amazing margarita's at Hermanos in Concord (Thanks Nate) as we waiting for our "sold out" showing of The Way.  Actually, we had an entire theater to almost ourselves.  Two other people came in just as the movie started.  This movie was out of this world. It made me laugh, and i actually cried a little.  It's got me pining to get back on the trail. I miss my 40lb backpack.  I've been out of the woods and in a cubicle for too long.  I highly recommend BOTH movies. 


( Muppets and The Way )

Week - 2
A busy weekend was slated as Rob and Keira were to host their annual "Fancy Pants" party to give everyone an excuse to dress up and pretend to be classy while playing inappropriate card games and consuming some of their liquor bar.  We descovered a new game that will have to work into rotation asap called Loaded Questions.  Straight from one hangover to the next it was off to Stockbridge VT where we'd get to meet the newest member of the Fortin family named Lula.  No, not a baby, but a million times better...She's a fuzzy little chocolate lab puppy!!   After an amazing meal and several hours in the hot tub it was homeward bound. And nothing helps a hangover like making wine.  The smell of booze and grapes in the air.  Leah and I started our first attempt at making wine at home with a Pinot Noir.  I'm sure you'll hear more about that as it progresses.

(Being Fancy)

Week - 3
The Third weekend was nothing much to write about.  Loni was off to her Christmas party and i got to house sit my fuzzy buddy.  Mr Surley old Buttons.  He's still my best-est buddy even though the photo says otherwise.

(Sir Butt-of-Tons)


Week 4
Loni hosted her annual Solstice dinner where she treated the group to a wonderful Lasagna meal.  A run was slated to happen, but we all wussed out, it's dark, it's cold, none of us were feeling up for the task.  So beers and stupid amounts of food were consumed instead.  Since Loni changed her dinner to Lasagna that opened up my ability to cook up a spiral ham for the small second annual "loser Christmas eve"  where i cook for a few of my friends and family that don't have any other places to be on Christmas eve. Spiral Ham, Smashed potatoes, Green Been Casserole, Crescent Rolls, Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Pie, along with an amazing truffle/fruity dessert.

(A Buffet of Food and Beers were served)


Week 5
Christmas was fantastic. I hid at home, watched old time cartoons from my youth and sketched.  My goal is to have logos for most/all of our club's events and some additional nonsense to give my blog some more cartoon-y flare.  I've got a long way to go. Most of my work isn't that original just yet, using other artists work as visual (postures, facial expressions, etc.) examples and tweaking their characters to suit my needs.  I'll get there eventually. I just need to spend more time putting pencil to paper. 

Thursday night was a treat when I got to run a nice nighttime 8 miler with Sherpa John back in town from Colorado.  His stories are always second to none and helps the mileage fly by.  Even when he lived a few hours away we never ran together that much. But the short time we shared on the trails really made me miss the miles that we had. 

Leah and I transferred one of our wines into the second carboy and hopefully it'll be clearing off and ready to bottle in a few weeks. And in a perfect world, drinkable come spring/summer-time.  Along with starting a new batch of cabernet sauvignon for summertime as well. 

When this posts the gang will be gathered in Nashua partying down.  Hope you've had a great year. I know i sure have.  For those wondering, the 2011 Year In Review video will be up in a couple of days so stay tuned! 


(First Sketch of the year)

By The Numbers(2010 Numbers in Quotes):
Miles Run:  46.6 (18.5)
# of Runs: 12 (7)
Average Miles: 3.8 (2.6)

Month Starting Weight:  176 (172) Lbs
Month Ending Weight: 180 (179)Lbs
Weight Change:  +4lbs

Race Results:
n/a

Friday, December 23, 2011

November Recap

Week - 1
The Month started out with the Stonecat Marathon.  The day started cold, but the sun came out it warmed into a perfect day.  Complete recap can be found here.


(Parting with the Cat)

Week - 2
11's are Wild Run happened on friday night.  I don't need to any anything more than what Loni wrote on her wall.  Seemed to sum it up perfectly.
"Ran an awesome11k at 11pm on 11-11-11 with Josh and Leah. Highlights including walking threw Fox forest with no lights on and hearing ice crystals/rain hit the dry leaves. Watching the full moon go in and out the clouds. Awesome narly old trees silhouetted against the night sky. Moonlight horse pastures. Quacking nervous ducks in cages. Watching my shadow glide in front of me, felt like I was flying watching it. Silver moon reflected in puddles and streams. Yep it was good :-) thanks josh for the idea and hosting !"


(The Evil Night Tree)


Week - 3
"Anyone intested in this run?"   Was sent out to the team.  The response came at a a fevered pace. YES!  Run only 1.25 miles and then HAVE to drink 23oz of beer AND eat a hot dog in a relay??  Boy that sounds like a perfect race for us.  Our team of 30-ish year olds still trying to relive our college days that do a "beer mile" annually.  Needless to say we didn't put together one team for the event, but two!  And the photo recap of the day can be found here.

(The Team)


Week 4
Per yearly tradition. After a trip to Vermont for Thanksgiving it was off to knock out some miles on Loni's Birthday Run.  We had a bit of a concern after the recent snowfall of what the woods would have in store for us, but the only thing we had to deal with was some cold wet feet on the last lap.
(Happy Birthday Puma)


By The Numbers(2010 Numbers in Quotes):
Miles Run:  95 (45)
# of Runs: 12 (13)
Average Miles: 7.9 (3.5)

Month Starting Weight:  178 (?) Lbs
Month Ending Weight: 176 (172) Lbs
Weight Change:  -2lbs

Race Results:
Stonecat Marathon -6:30:54
11s are Wild - n/a
Hallo-wiener Relay - 54:27
Loni's Birthday Run - 18.5M - 5:15

Upcoming December Events:
n/a

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Stonecat Race Report

Saturday November 5th, 2011

It had been 6 long years since i'd made the trek down to the GAC stomping ground in Ipswich, MA.  Last time, it was a frigged lonely solo race.  I had a cold, and i struggled through two laps.  This year, after being pier pressured into signing up for the race at the last minute, i'd be running with 6 or 7 ultra buddies along with having many many more miles of training under my belt.

(Dark Start)
For those unfamiliar with the race the 50 milers and the marathoners all line up on the edge of a massive sports field and take off into the dark.  The marathoners having to do an extended lap around the field and down the road n back to make up the extra 1.2 miles needed to tack onto our two 12.5 mile laps through the state park.  Grant and I fall in line as we tend to do and shoot the breeze.  Our conversation interupts from time to time when the crowd yells from in front.  "bench!"  or "swingset!"  and the pack splits around whatever  obstacle blocks our path.   One older fella turns with a disgusted look and says to us  "This needs a cone!"
Grant, myself, and the rest of the pack shrug, run around it, and go about our day.  We laugh about how he must be a road runner, because a trail runner wouldn't get hung up on anything foolish like that.  

As we work our way down the road we shoot the breeze about how Grant had just got power back for the first time in a week after the unexpected early snow had knocked out much of southern NH.   I told him about how i hooked up my new transfer switch and should be able to power all essential items in my place.  Blah blah blah, boring i know, but it helped pass the out and back on the flat straight pavement and before you knew it we had ducked back into the woods. 

We were following what seemed like an atv trail just off but paralleling school grounds 50 feet away from where we started.  I heard the whoops from a few runners ahead but didn't notice the giant puddle until my left foot was ankle deep.   So much for my new shoes being new.  Yes, like a fool, i had purchased new shoes after the VT50, but couldn't have been bothered in even putting them on before this morning. 

The sun is rising and the trail is slowing lighting up more and more.  After shedding a few layers we're finally able to ditch our headlamps and start enjoying the trail.  I had forgot how much fun this course was.  Funny what time does to the mind.  I swore i'd never come back for years after the last time.  Leah, Peter, Grant, Loni and I all swapping leads depending on what the terrain was like.  One of us would cut off for a bathroom break and the other would jump right into the conversation like we'd been running together for years.  

Grant and I started talking about our strategy in the upcoming Halloweenie race. Which then of course turned into a, well lets take our Cinco De Mile run and add food to it.  Which soon turned to even more bad ideas.  Other ultra runners will understand what running in the woods for 26 miles with 5 of your closest crazy friends will do.  Grant mentions his friend that was growing ghost peppers.  "Enjoy your colostomy bag," Leah chimes in with the quote of the day.  A few turns later and we got to the water crossing.  It was pretty awesome.  I'm not going to lie.  I love water crossings.  It really separates trail runners vs road runners.  The poor souls that showed up hoping for a flat marathon in the woods would be bitching for the rest of the day. 

(Crossing lap 1)
(Same Crossing, Looking back, Loni close behind)

Soon after the crossing you pop out into Al's Cat Lounge where we are greeted with a ton of volunteers and smiling faces.  Grant and I joke with the volunteers and how they must be holding out on us because there isn't any beer out yet. "Next lap" we're promised.  We top off our water bottles and take off chasing the rest of the group weaving through the single track. 
(The Lounge)

A few miles of single track later, before we popped out into the second aid station, I let the group run ahead and i ran off trail to snap a photo and take a breather.  It's spots like this and times like that where i really appreciate to do what i do.  Perfect silence. Sun rising the background.  Cool, crisp, natural beauty. 
(Swamp Mirror Reflection)

Before too long we're heading back to the start.  Peter and I having some GI issues were pining for the school and a restroom. We jetted ahead and before long we were crossing the beaver pond that you could hop from rock to rock to get across without getting wet if you were careful. 
(Navigating the wet trail)

Back at the start after our first lap the winners of the marathon (two lap-ers) came screaming in.  I know, some runners would feel shame, or whatever about these guys.  Personally, i have too many interests to train like these guys train.  For a road runner, i'm sure there is a cash hand out.  To many a trail runner, a win means nothing more than the first pick of sizes at a finishers jacket.  And that's why I'm a trail runner.  

I made a b line for the rest rooms before anyone else came to our drop bags.  Peter was close behind, as was the rest of the gang.  I promised that we wouldn't leave without him.   Funny part of the day was when one of the volunteers said. "Breakfast is on." while pouring a massive pot of bacon into a warming dish while i was getting some water.  I of course looked at my running mates and said....bacon??  And of course went for a strip or two.  "Protein, fat, salt.  I'm down in all of those." I joked with the aid station crew.
(Everything is better with bacon, even marathons!)

With daylight on the first part of the second lap it seemed like everything was new.  I got to snap a photo of the corkscrew tree/vine that was a bit hard to see on the first lap.

Loni was shocked that she was keeping up with us.  She is not the fastest runner, but currently she was the most trained of the group.  She hadn't gone out of the gate too fast, but like the wild cat description i gave her many a month ago, she'd closed the gap.  And passed us with silent grace while we'd fool around in the aid stations. 

(Sunny Single track)
(Smiling Ferret)

Loni volunteered to run through the water crossing on the second lap before us to record this pretty awesome footage.  Leah and Peter out in front.  Then Grant and I playing like a couple of kids.  It's pretty awesome.


Like last lap, you ran just far enough to warm up your legs from the crossing and you'd pop out at the first aid station of the lap.  This time I needed water in my pack for the first time.  While the friendly volunteer poured the pitcher into the bladder i had taken out of my pack he asked me if there was anything else he could get me?
"Yeah, how about that IPA you promised on the last lap?"  To which i didn't get a smile, but a shocked, "OF COURSE!"  I said id' split one with that guy, pointing ahead to Grant further down the table, still in shock of how responsive he was.  "Anything else i can get you?  a shot?"  I smirked...."sure what the hell."  Before i could finish answering the fella had called around the ez-up tent to another guy. Who emerged and said, "you want some 'booka?" in the thickest accent i have ever heard.  I'm 18 miles into a trail race, the sun is out, i'm running with my best friends.  With the biggest smile i had on my face responded to this guy, "is the sky blue?"

Loni and Peter had headed down the trail. Grant, Leah and I were enjoying the open bar.  Marathon? What Marathon?  God we're a bunch of jokers.
(Beer at mile 17?  What "wall")

Uh oh, i started hitting a sugar low and the pack started pulling away.  I took a recap of what i had eaten all day. Only one gu, 2 strips of bacon and two drinks. I quickly slammed down 2-3 GUs and chugged a bunch of water.  This is what i ALWAYS run into when i do these race with a group of people. I lose track of what I need to do and blow up.  Today obviously was no different.  So i paused, looked up and took in the scenery as the sugar and carbs got into my system.

(Looking skyward as the gang pulls ahead)

As the much needed fuel starts hitting my system i start to run again. I catch the gang quickly and just as quickly, surprising to me, i dart ahead. WAY ahead.  And i actually wait at the next aid station for a good 5-6 minutes for the rest of the gang to catch up to me.  I later find out that Leah had a rock in her shoe and was digging it out on the side of the trail.   

Leah darted in and out of the aid station like a rocket.  Peter was amazed and said that he had to get her before she burned out miles from the end.  I said it was ok, and that she'd slow down on her own terms, and that she had other things on her mind.  But like a stubborn father protecting his offspring, like my father many a time with me, he went after her and slowed her down.  It made me really miss my dad and i was bummed he couldn't have been here today. 
(I think the flagging on the tree sums it up)

After passing through the last field we could hear the honking in the distance. THE CAR! that i had rememberd so well.  The mascot, the horn, the corney music, the booze!  The memory of 6 years prior came flashing back to me as i rounded the corners.
(Cat Coffee Car)

Cat - "What can i get you guys? Coacoa? Coffee? Kahlua?"  
Me - "How about one of them there PBRs my furry friend?"
(PBR's FTW!)

A beer and a few turns later the 4 of us were crossing the finish line.  I was about to hand my gear to Leah and run back out to see where Loni was only to find out that she was seconds behind us.  We were all a little bummed that we didn't see her first and we could al finish together.  A few hamburgers and hot dogs later we all parted ways until another time.  A new yearly staple?  Perhaps?

Results:
Leah - 6:27:28
Peter - 6:27:28
Grant - 6:27:28
Josh - 6:27:28
Loni - 6:30:52

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Hallo-wiener Race Recap

November 20, 2011

A Race that someone said, "this seems like a race that Team Robert came up with."  Well i say no, we didn't come up with the idea. Nor put on the race.  But dang it, we kicked it's but with a smile on each and every one of our faces.  Normally i do race recaps of ultra's but this thing was so odd and unreal that i figured a mostly photo and caption recap would suffice.  Hope you enjoy!

(Team Scooting Schoolgirls)
VS 
(Team Hillsboro Hell Runners)


(The Starters taking to the line full of nerves)

Mandiee (14:39) DOMINATES the first leg and gives Keira a nice cushion before Rob takes over for the winded Greg (16:35)

(Greg Making the handoff)

(Keira Strutting her stuff in the lead.  She's sexy and she knows it)

(Rob putting the hurt on an Angry Bird)

(beer soooo big!)

(Rob taking the task in stride)

Rob(15:30) (running his first race) not only reduced the gap in the run, he killed the beer and hot dog and left Keira (17:31) in the dust and passed me the baton WITH A LEAD!

(Off like the wind)

(But Loni is close behind)

(Easy peasey, had i looked back though Loni was in site)

(Omnomigon)

(Strike a pose, tap tap...uh oh)

(Loni's closed what little lead i had)

I (11:33)  finish my hot dog and slam the rest of my beer and see that Loni(16:52) still has a ways to go i know it's in the bag now.
(Grant, the anchor, is out ahead)

(Leah too a few minutes later, but she's got a game plan)

(wayyyy out ahead)

(Grant decides he's not only going to win the race, but also beat the girl sitting next to him)

(Piece of cake)

(Meanwhile Leah is battling her own demons, they just happen to be a pirate)

(Leah's technique, the dunk!)

(*hurk* Am i done now?)

With our fastest runner Grant(10:49) as our anchor the lead only increased over the schoolgirls.  Poor Leah(12:22) even with the schoolgirls fastest time didn't stand a chance.

Official Results
Hillsboro Hell Runners                Scooting Schoolgirls
Greg - 16:35                               Mandiee - 14:39
Rob - 15:30                                Keira - 17:31
Josh - 11:33                                Loni - 16:52
Grant - 10:49                              Leah - 12:22
     54:27                                          1:01:24


(The Gang, all smiles again once the beers and hot dogs settled)