2011 Hammy Slammy Race Report

February 26, 2011

(Looking excited to be 30)

After having a meltdown and throwing my Nathan bladder around the house like a psycho clown and then hurling it into the yard like a water balloon I managed to get myself under control. 30 years and i still throw an occasional temper tantrum. Grant and I shooting the breeze. Laughing at the house that i was trying to purchase last year and how piss poor it was in comparison to the awesome place i finally got into. Suck it bad Realtor's!

We climb the hill up to Loni's place where she greats us with a smile. It's funny how just seeing one person raises the spirits. I turn to Grant and say, "well, bud, only 30 miles or so to go."

Bog road was busy as usual this time of day so we took turns running single file in the road side slush from the Friday storm that dumped a foot of snow in the area. We trot past Morse sporting goods. Grant introduces me to chocolate covered almonds (which were really good). As he pushes towards the VT50 this fall he's doing the smart thing and working out the nutrition aspect ahead of time. A novel idea, as a 11 year veteran of these things you'd think i'd have started doing something similar, naahhhh.


The sun is shining brightly and we go between being bundled up due to the tree cover and wind howling off of the Contoocook and sweating profusely in the blazing sun. Around mile 5 Grant says "huh, i forgot to lube." to which my brain clicked and i went "oh nuts, neither did I. Whelp, this is going ot end poorly."

Leah was waiting for us at the detour bridge over the Contoocook to snap a few photos. We're making pretty good time thus far, or at least it feels that way. We pass a big kid, a small kid, a dog and a pellet gun? We laugh about what we would have done if the dude actually had shot at us. Then we suspected the little tirants were probably shooting their dog. As we turn up 114 in downtown Henniker we're met with another oddity. A dude, urmmm lady? Holding an American flag with a masking tape peace symbol on it. No sign, no speech, just holding a flag. I found it odd that if you are motivated enough to stand on a corner that you'd say hello to two people running by.

As we run next to Blueberry Hill the sentiment between the two of us is "..this pavement is wearing on me." with a variety of expletive lead ups. I'm really feeling the 10 days of cold as between chatting, eating, and drinking water i go through fits of coughing and almost barfing. The lack of training really has got my Achilles tendon irritated. It's been half injured since hiking for 18 miles in my Columbia non hiking, non-active winter duck (shit-kicker) boots in Bear Brook.

We do a ton of walking/climbing as we get back into Emerald lake. The slight down grade next to the river you don't really notice until you go back on the other side and are confronted with a couple of ball breaker hills. I ask for the time, gasp and then start crunch numbers in my head based on how late it already was. My phone beeps as the rest of the gang trys to figure out where we are and how bloody far behind we already are.

(Sporting the 2011 Team Robert Shirts between Laps)

Onto Lap 2 where Leah joins into the mix. Her fresh legs, upbeat spirit, and converstation make the next couple of miles pass quickly. At one point I got ahead of the two only to discover that i had an "antiqued butt." I complain a bit about how my joints are really aching as we turn onto Bacon Street. Leah yells out that, "aww baby, your achin' on bacon!" Hardy har har. At the next climb a car slows and puts her windows down. It's Paula my old landlord from in town. She chats with us for a few minutes before she takes off down the road. I hadn't seen her in four years.

It's at this point where Leah and Grant run ahead. They both need to use the restroom something fierce, and my chafe is killing me so i've slowed quite a bit. I say i'll catch them at the Mobil station and I did. As I walked into the lot Leah's coming out of the store as pale as a ghost and looking like she might throw up. Apparently there was an incident in the bathroom. And that the snowmobiler that used the room before Leah got there essentially "destroyed" it. By smell and physical debris. I could hardly contain my laughter. Last year a number 2 incident cost Sherpa his gloves. This year, it was the Mobil incident. It's good to see that the Hammy Slammy now has a running tradition. My chafe was now almost unbearable, but the downgrade through Henniker couldn't be wasted and i trotted ahead down the hill as Grant and Leah snack up.

We pause briefly at the infamous pizza sign and I pose "sherpa style" while Leah uses their restroom instead.

Loni messages that she's backtracking from the park n ride. After drinking 4 liters of water i finally pee for the first time. Which is a welcome relief. I'm starting to feel better aside from the nagging tendon and the super painful chafe. Things are looking up and i knew there was beer stashed in the snow in a couple of miles.

(Trail Magic!!)

With 4 Miles to go and back on Bog Road Grant and Leah start tossing massive snowballs at one another. Grant's still got TONS of energy. Leah's doing a great job keeping up. Me, well the empty calories from the beers have worn off and I'm hardly shuffling anymore. I down 2 more GUs and the rest of my trail mix and manage to work a trot up the hill to Loni's where Mandiee and Greg await.

A couple of cookies and a half a beer later the pack that started out 29 miles before of Grant and I had grown to 6. Grant and I running with beers in hand. With Keith's maybe an 1/8th of a mile away we break into a full sprint. Why or how you ask? No idea, perhaps the sugar rush from the GUs and cookies or maybe the beers were finally taking effect.

Keith welcomed us into his toasty home with a birthday shot and beer. Knowing that this motivated feeling i had wasn't going to last I tried to get the group to get out of the door for the last 3/4 of a mile before sunset. Again, with a couple of us with beers in hand we were down the snow covered roads.


At the final turn i see Grant unloading the tires he had ordered for me and rolling them down the road toward me. I tell Loni to hold my beer and pick up the tire and run the last 300' with the tire on my head. Then, in an exhausted celebration. I climbed up onto my deck railing. Pounded the rest of my beer and did a celebratory flip into the 3+ feet of powder in the backyard.


Thanks everyone for coming out. It certainly was a birthday i won't forget.
Total Miles: 31.4 Miles - 8:05

2010 Peak Ultra Race Report

So this seems to be a running tradition now. Run the Peak 54 in June, write the outline, and then look at it for 6 months. I finally got around to posting my 2009 Report in February of 2010. And at this rate the 2010 Report will go up in March 2011. I figure, if i keep this up I'll be a full calendar year back by 2013.

Saturday June 5th, 2010

(Wet Registration)

Leah, Loni and myself arrive in a thunderstorm filled Pittsfield VT before the crowd, excited to participate in the day's events. Before long everyone else starts to fill up the parking lot. It's amazing how well timed people are. In a 10 minute gap the parking lot went from 2 cars, to 30. Andy gave the pre-race meeting to the group as we huddle under the overhang on the east side of Amiee Farm.

(Team Robert and Sherpa John)

Rik, who arrived under prepared without any gear needed to borrow my water belt. Luckily for him I tend to over pack for these things. While he stuffed as much fuel as he could into my double bottle belt and i threw on my Nathan pack, grabbed my trekking poles and we headed to the start. It was crazy, the rain wasn't letting up at all and the early morning Vermont fog had set in. It was almost surreal knowing we'd be out here in potentially these conditions for the next 16 hours.

(The Start)

It didn't take long for Rik and I to fall into our old rhythm and we took the first few miles to catch up on the latest happenings in our lives. The rain seemed to be letting up by the time we got around the Liberty Hill loop but as you can see i was already soaked from the first couple of miles.


From Liberty Hill we head down the road towards Colton's. We start running with John "Not Sherpa" Larcoix. He's actually a friend of Rik's and lives in the same town as him up in the Champlain Valley. I chuckled as he had to specify that he wasn't Sherpa when he introduced himself.

(John, Rik and I heading to Colton)

I quickly was re-introduced to the ball busting climb up on a 4wd trail behind Colton's Camp. I extended my trekking poles, changed my stride and let my hiking muscles take over. As we approached the top, there was no bear, and they had changed course a bit to an extra steep bushwack section. Sherpa yells, "it wasn't my idea!" as he screams past already heading down the trail. I catch Julie almost at the top and she mutters, "dang...should have brought my poles."

I ended up putting quite a bit of space between myself and Rik getting out of Colton. Which was good, because my stomach was bubbling up a storm and i knew he'd catch me soon enough. The sun was trying to poke threw the now thinning clouds and a day that was once going to be a dreadful muddy mess was shaping into a beautiful Vermont day. When we get to Upper Michigan our crew awaited us. Which consisted of Leah, bright eyed and excited, and Steve, a.k.a. Lurch who groaned from the back seat when we woke him up.

(Upper Michigan Loop 1)

On our first jaunt out of Upper Michigan we spent most of the lap running with Kevin from Boston. He's training for VT100, ran Pineland Farms the previous weekend, and Wapack a few weeks prior. No wonder he said i looked familiar. We swap trail stories for awhile. He's a bit apprehensive about the tough Blood Root section that lies ahead. Rik and I did our best to keep him on his toes.

(Off to Blood Root)

We wolf down our food and laugh about how we had caught Joe "Millionaire" here last year. And then Joe was talking to Rik about me as i walked ahead without knowing that I was his son. We look at the sky and it looks like the clouds are starting to break and the blue sky was taking over. The aid station was moved from the top of Blood root because they couldn't get the supplies up there so the clearing was the aid station this year. A spot that in the past had been simply a mirage as by the time Rik and i got there, there was nothing but tipped over and empty Gatorade buckets.

Our pace had to be slowing, or we had gone out way to fast. It was 14 miles into the run and Rik and I were ahead of John Izzo & Dave Delbac. A feat that rarely happens. Izzo had brought along a friend from Florida who seemed to be having a grand old time playing in the woods with us Vermonters. At the clearing I ate another PB&J and topped off my 2l bladder figuring that HAD to be enough to get up and over. I walked ahead with Kevin as Rik started to feel the climb. About 1/4 a mile from the top i stopped and sat on a rock and waited. And waited. and waited. I was starting to get worried and thought that maybe Rik had bigger issues. Just as i was about to start heading back down he turned the corner and we were able to crest the top of blood root together.

The rain and previous runners had pretty much tramped any kind of stinging nettle that we would have seen in the past. But the thick deep mud made running impossible at some points. Meanwhile the sun was breaking through and the humidity and heat were climbing rapidly. I tried to battle it by consuming almost all, and then all of my water. really? i kept saying to myself, i just drank 2l of water in 6 miles? How is that even possible? at every corner i kept hoping to see the next aid station. I was so thirsty i was getting tunnel vision. Then just as all hope seemed to be lost the aid station appeared around the next bend.

After eating 1/4 of a watermelon, 2 cups of coke and probably a half a dozen cookies i was able to leave the aid station. The next road stretch is always a problem for me. I'm tired, I'm in my typical 15-25 mile low, and it's run-able. I'm a great speed hiker, not a runner. So i struggle to keep up with Rik for the next stretch. replaying where we are on the course again and again in hopes that Upper Mich 3 is around the next bend

(Steven enters the mix. a rejuvenated Team Robert presses on.)

The next stretch features the brutal climb up behind Jason Hayden's home. He's responsible for much of the trail work and trail markings at the Peak races. And this year was no disappointment. It was as tough as ever. Steven curses and asks, "Why would someone build a trail here?" followed by a, "What the bo-jangles!" as the trail somehow got steeper at the next turn.

(YOU CAN DO IT BOYS!)

When we come off of Haydens we're dumped out at Riverside Farm where we are greeted by a now larger crew. John finished what sounded like hours ago and was here with Sara and Leah to give us a few words of encouragement. "It's a lot easier this year!" John says. "Yeah yeah, sure it is man." I unconvincingly reply as Rik sips a Labatt Blue and Steve and I share a Red Bull.

The gang walks with us up to Dove where we dip back into the woods. Sherpa knows the people that own the house and runs out with a Corona that Rik takes a long swig out of. While John was right about the section not being as steep. They certainly did a great job adding about 30 switchbacks. Somehow though, for the first time in several hours we started to catch a guy, and then another. One of the guys was Izzo's buddy from Florida who said that their speed had finally caught up with him.

At Tweed we again experienced a heavy dose of the "woo girls" who had obviously been hitting the wine for some time by this point. We made quick time at that aid station. I mean, it's nice to have the people at the aid station be upbeat, but after 14 hours of running/hiking, seeing someone else with that much energy is disgusting.

From Tweed aka Cabin 2 it's a climb up threw the Labarinth and over the top of Joe's. Then a fun filled roller coaster ride down Fuster's where they had done quite a bit of work as well. Every time we thought it was the last turn, it'd make another one, and then we'd climb a bit. I have to admit though, it was great not having to run on the snowmobile trail for long. We soon heard the river below, then we saw the bridge. We joked with Steven that he'll be able to tell his friends that he ran 16 miles over the weekend when he has to explain why he's walking like a cowboy. Leah, Loni, and a few scattered runners remaining cheered us on as we climbed up the last knoll at 16:02.

Couldn't have been a better day in the woods with my family. Already looking forward to coming back in 2011!

(Post race exhaustion)

February Recap

Week - 1
The first weekend of the month started out with the 5 of us playing in the woods of Fox Forest yet again. With the logging going on over by Loni's we rediscovered some of the Ridge trail on the south side of the woods. It was nice to see the other side of the woods again. Greg and I used to bike on that side often when we lived in the apartments. But then they logged and pretty much trashed the dry half of the trails. After some narrow log bridges we were off to my place to finalize the Team Robert Logos

(Log Bridge on Ridge Trail)

Week - 2
Saturday had us driving to Massabesic Lake take part in Sherpa John's Streakers Frozen Caboose 50k. It became obvious early on who the stronger runners were and Leah, Grant and I sat back while Nate, Julie and John trucked off ahead of us down the super flat snowmobile trail. I'd run the first 5 miles before, but never all of the way to the far side of Raymond. There were several road crossings, but the scariest being the super short tunnels (due to the snow) going under the more major roadway. John laughed as I emerged from under 101 with a shutter and said "I'd rather be under the Brushy Mountain Penitentiary!"

(Playing on the Train's in Raymond)

Less than 24 hours later Leah and I tossed on our snowshoe and joined Greg, Mandiee and Loni for a trek around Greenfield State Park. After about 5 minutes into the hike I became painfully obvious that there were no trail markings for winter hiking/snowshoeing. At least from where we went in. So we broke trail for awhile, playing in the campsites and marveling at the piles of snow on the picnic tables. With less than a mile left in our hike we finally discovered the trail we had been looking for for the previous few miles and got to enjoy a semi-broken path for the first time of the day.

(I carved a snow-frame on a down limb)

Week - 3
Weekend three was set to be another bash. At the Luah last year there had to be 30+ people. Or at least it felt that way to me who was delirious from the No Power No Problem 50k earlier in the day. This year, with a change of venue, and the major participants being out of town it was going to take on a new feel. The Luah was Leah's big gathering. My St Patties, or Oktoberfest so to speak, so it comes with high expectations. I certainly think it lived up to the hype. Sure it might not have been as big as last year. But it had good people, good music, and good conversations. On a side note i know know who the Clitinatti are.

(the end of the night a race to the bottom of the blender)

Week - 4
After fighting off a cold for the better part of 10 days and some trials and tribulations leading up thru the week towards my birthday it was time. Much like other runners and Loni two years ago it was time to do a 30-on-30. Last year i hosted the "Hammy Slammy," and this year the two events were to be combined. The day was pretty awesome. With 12" of snow on Friday and 8" of snow coming down on Sunday we hit the window of weather perfectly. Race report to be linked here once posted.

(All of us (Grant taking photo) at mile 29 of the Hammy Slammy)

By The Numbers(2010 Numbers in Quotes):
Miles Run: 85.5 (102.3)
# of Runs: 13 (28)
Average Miles: 6.6 (3.7)

Month Starting Weight: 177(175) Lbs
Month Ending Weight: 175(175)Lbs
Weight Change: -2 lbs

Race Results:
Streakers Frozen Caboose Fat Ass - 13.5 Miles - 2:45
30 on 30 (Hammy Slammy Part Deux) - 31.4 Miles - 8:05

Motivational video of the month:
Versus Motivational Video

Song of the month:
Tim McGraw - My Next 30 Years

Book of the month:
Downshifting
Kind of a good follow up to last month's book. It breaks down the what, where, how to start slowing things down in your life. With checklists that you can fill out and see how other people will potentially see your choices.

Upcoming March Events:
5th - Peak Snowshoe Marathon
19th - 9th Annual St Patties Day Party

2011 Team Robert - Part 2

So after last post I felt like I had left too many people out. The "team" post was only the people involved with buying the shirts. But i felt like the team really expands beyond that. So with that said, i bring to you, in no particular order, the Team Robert "honorary members" (i.e. the ones that didn't want to spend the money on the shirts, but as far as I'm concerned, are still part of our team)

The Lush (ha, sorry Keith)
While Keith never actually joins us for our runs, he has provided us with an aid station or two on several of the fat-asses here in Hillsboro. His happy attitude and willing-ness to always host an aid station and tip back a cold one is almost unanimously welcomed in our runs.

The Surpass-er
I met Rachel, god-knows how many years ago, before she was a runner. Her gung-ho attitude took us from playing soccer in town together to her running the Pisgah 50k. The following week she was off to run the VT50 with my father(while i wuss'd out at the 50k). The next two summers she put together back to back Vermont 100 finishes the following two years before she stopped running. She may not still be running but her contribution to Team Robert early on will always be remembered. Maybe someday we'll get her to put her shoes on the trails again.

The Sherpa's
John and Sarah have been friends of Team Robert before Team Robert even existed. When our club started i fantasized about being as large, powerful as Team Sherpa (who several us of are honorable members of as well) are. OK, maybe they aren't either of those two things, but the money they have raised for causes close to them inspires me to want to do the same.

"The Strong's" (Name stolen from Leah)

Heather - "Clothespin"
Heather, who'd never run a distance beyond a 5k last spring, joined Grant and I for a 14 miler thru the woods in Wolfeboro. Two months later, did her first 10k/25k back-to-back weekend. Shortly thereafter thru-hiked with her husband, all while graduating with a RN Degree. Her amazing ability to push through diversity and any challenge makes her an asset to the team.

Dustin - "Inchworm"
While Dustin holds fast to his trail name of Inchworm his attitude on the trials while running is nothing of the sort. After running with several of us in countless Harpoon 5ks, he joined us on the trails at the Muddy Moose last spring and was sold on trail running. Like his wife, he also broke into the longer distance running doing a 25k with 'clothespin', 'puma', and 'ferret' at Pineland Farms in 2010.

The Strong's relocated back to Vermont in 2010 are now the Team Robert's home base for Peak Race's (Snowshoe and Ultra)

"Wicks"
Lisa's nickname born from her passion for candles, personal and guest versions. While yet to join us for a run, she's our ever welcoming post run host in Nashua. Like Mandiee a few years ago, we've been working on getting her out for some time. Excited for her to join us on a run in 2011!

Tina and The Mechanic
The Christians joined the team thru Loni. Kiera's nickname isn't ours, but she looks ridiculously like Tina Fay. And our goal is to get her out to at least one 5k with her daughter in stroller this summer. Rob, the Mechanic, known for his automotive prowess has the ability to be a strong member of the team. We've just gotta work on twisting his arm to get out there and run with us. If we get Kiera, Rob is certainly to follow.

30 on 30 (Hammy Slammy Part Deux)

Mark your calendars for Saturday February 26th.

This will be a return of the Hammy Slammy in Hillabamy from last January. Details of that event can be found in my 2010 Race Report or SJ's 2010 Race Report.

Similar to last years run it will be 2, yes two, 16 mile loops. All road, 50% asphalt, 50% hard packed dirt road. Only a few sections qualify as non-back country roads. First loop counter clockwise (as the map is numbered) and the second clockwise to keep us semi awake.

Course here:


Aid Stations:
My Home at the S/F of both laps.
There is a Mobile station approx 8 miles into the loop if needed.
Loni's Home (aka Beer stop one) 2 Miles from home on lap 2
Keith's Home (aka beer stop two) under a mile from home on lap 2

Jump in Points:
Lap 2 - My home - 16 miles remaining
Lap 2 - Hillsboro Park&Ride - approx 4 miles remaining
Lap 2 - Loni's - approx 2 miles remaining
Lap 2 - Keith's - approx 1 mile remaining

The Pace:
The pace is going to be relaxed. 9-11 minute miles with plenty of walking on the hills. Slow enough to laugh and shoot the breeze but fast enough where we won't be out there all day. The goal is to finish somewhere around 7 hours with the stops.

Start Time:
The plan is to be laced up and down the road by 9am. Rain, Snow, or Shine

Additional Details/After party:
Don't feel like you have to run the whole thing, join us for a few miles around the lake. Hell, bring and ride your bike like Leah did last year while nursing an injury. The pace will be relatively slow as many of us SHOULD be tapering for the Peak Snowshoe race the following weekend, but 30 only comes once.

Ideally they'll be a couple of crock pots of good food and a new beer on tap for after the run. If anything, join us for that!

Email Me (felixatvtc@gmail.com) if interested. Hope to see you there.

2011 - Team Robert

What's Team Robert's mission statement?

Was a question i faced a few weeks back.

I'd never thought about this before. The name was yelled at Rik and I at the Vermont 100 years ago. It stuck, later that fall i created a blog and got shirts, but then it kinda petered out. It was just a cool display of my artwork that i could share with my family and girlfriend at the time. To run trails? too common. To hike and camp? too specific. To get outdoors? too broad. The short answer is, i didn't have one, and to be honest, I still don't have one.

Here's a snippet of what hit my Inbox last week written by my lovely girlfriend that i think sums it up more than anything I have written.

"Team Robert started as a family team. In Josh's (and so many of our) words, "Friends are the family that you choose." When you spend hours on the trail with someone, they know you on a deep level. When you train with people weekend after weekend, they see the good and bad. We've been through a lot together, on and off the trail, and we're all family: a team. We're planning on many outdoor events together, and it would be great to have support of a team even when we're not close to each other."

When we sent out the email regarding team shirts, I never expected the feedback i got. I'm humbled to mention that many of my friends expressed interest in being part of the team, even if we don't have a goal yet. With that being said, let me introduce you to the team.



The Family:
The family gets updated logos for the 2011 shirts with some more color. You all know Rik, the ever stubborn father of the group and reason we're out there. Steven, who ran the last 16 miles of the Peak Ultra last June, and has spent countless hours crewing for Rik and I. Kate, we're still trying to get out and run a race with us, but you've probably seen her at an aid station or two.

The Moose:
Greg got this name based on how he is when we hike. Always plodding along, and crashing thru the brush, but generally happy to be out there. Like moose, you rarely see them run, but when you do, you make sure you get out of their way. Often times, pie is used as an incentive. His wife's love for Moose helped with the nickname.

The Gazelle:
A name that fits Mandiee perfectly, in pink obviously. Her long legs gives her amazing speed and the ability to bound over objects on the trails. After years of telling her that she had the build of a runner and should give it a shot. We got her to finish her first 5k last July.

The Puma:
Loni's been known as Puma to me for as long as I've known her. While she may not be as quick as a puma in a sprint, but her feline like ability to silently watch from a distance, survey her surroundings and will wear you down with her un-slowing pace. Still looking to conquer her first 50 miler, she presses harder towards the VT50 this fall.

The Ferret:
Common characteristics of the ferret are; curious, persistent, and fearless. All makes perfect sense to me. Leah's fearless hockey playing is what attracted me to her in the first place. Her curiosity is what got her into running with me, and if you read her blog she's very persistent in her research amongst other things. A once non-runner "unless being chased" is really coming into her own finishing a half marathon on the roads and in the woods in 2010.

The Beer:
Or the nickname coined by Leah, "Taps." Grant, being a brewer of beer and having 5 beers on tap at any given time made the moniker an instant hit. He's taken the enthusiasm that he has for making beer and put it into running. In 2011 he's decided to stretch his legs into the ultra community with his first 50 Miler, and is currently the most trained of the group.
The Wolf/4-Leaf: (Which someone else wrote for me)
Always the leader of the pack, Josh's token, fittingly, is the wolf. Sometimes playful and bounding with joy, sometimes all-business hunting through the woods with a purpose, but always looking out for each member of the group. The four-leafed clover paw pad on the wolf is a nod to Josh's trail name, earned when he found the another lucky plant on the Long Trail. (Although I've been running with a 4leaf clover on my water belt for the better part of 2 years prior)

January Recap

Week - 1
The first week of the month was great as Leah and I were putting run after run in. All while knocking out p90x routines to boot. My days had become, get up, work, come home, run, work out, and sleep. It wasn't bad, for awhile, but like with anything else, life got in the way. A few long late days at work, getting walloped by snowstorms and the removal that follows them took a toll on the limited time i had in the day. Saturday morning came fast and into Fox Forest the group went for the first time of the year. A quick 2 mile hike up and a 1 mile run back was a great warm up for weekends to come.

(Post Fox Snowshoe)

Week - 2
A group of 6 of us parked at the Wilmont Town Hall on a sunny Saturday. Four of us returning to Bog Mountain for the first time since RANH. Grant and I having hiked this stretch with John overnight thought it'd be a fun hike to see during the day. That and the likely hood of me getting peed on by a Turkey again was reduced drastically. The views were great, as was the playtime on the chain swing half way up. To amuse myself on the hike down i created a couple of snow figurines on the trail.

(My "snow" owl that i left on the trail to make other hikers laugh)

Week - 3
The 3rd weekend of the month marked the 4th annual "Thank God the Holiday's are Over Party." The great part of this years event was that it would no longer be in Massachusetts. D&H had moved to a wonder spot in Stockbridge Vermont, approximately 5 minutes from Amiee Farm (the start/finish of many Peak races). So of course, my first thought was, time to get some training in. With the temps steady at about 8* and with -11 overnight ahead of us, we climbed up Joe's towards cabin one. Having to break 90% of the trail Dustin, Heather and I traded off plowing thru the knee deep powder. I was surprised how few people had been using the trails. After drinking copious amount of booze and enjoying plenty of amazing plates of food a smaller group of us went out again on Sunday. This time, the temps were almost balmy at 11*. I was to lead the group up the Fuster's trail until we ran out of time and turned back. Unfortunately for me, I'd never run Fuster's backwards before. So we were lost for a good portion of the time. Thankfully with some, "lets just go this way" navigation skills we were able to find and break trail yet again back down Fuster's to Amiee.

(Top of Joe's at Cabin One)

Week - 4
Leah's father, an ultra runner himself, was to be visiting our lovely state of NH so around Christmas a plan was hatched to have a fat ass run. Which would turn into a short snowshoe hike, which would turn into a long day in Bear Brook State Park. John and I, being fans of pain decided to meet up 3 hours early, and get some extra time in. We hadn't seen one another since RANH so it was good to catch up before the rest of the gang arrived. "Leah has no idea what's she's getting herself into." Well, to be honest, I think John and I were the only two that knew exactly how large the loop she laid out for us was. The 5 mile bail out loop turned into, a 11.5 mile where we all bailed out loop. And as much as we all were grumbling a little. It was a pretty rewarding adventure.

(6 of us breaking Bear Hill Trail)

Week - 5-ish
After Leah, I and several others were unable to complete the 2 miles a day Streak contest on the month there was one last task. The Naked Mile. A concept created from the broken brain of Sherpa John last year. That was to be tacked onto this years challenge. Since bonus points were to be awarded I figured why not. After some convincing i was able to get Leah to join as long as it was only to be .5 miles outside. So with a short jaunt each on the treadmill it was 12:10am Jan 31st, and it was Streaking time!

(Ever run nude in 2* weather before?)

By The Numbers(2010 Numbers in Quotes):
Miles Run: 69(109.2)
# of Runs: 21(25)
Average Miles: 3.3(4.4)

Month Starting Weight: 179(175) Lbs
Month Ending Weight: 177(175)Lbs
Weight Change: -2lbs

Race Results:
n/a

Motivational video of the month:
Why I Run

Song of the month:
Ray Stevens - The Streak

Book of the month:
In Praise of Slowness
Fantastic read. Puts a lot of things in perspective. Has really helped me appreciate the little and slow things as generally i am a "speedaholic."

Upcoming February Events:
12th - Streakers Frozen Caboose Fat Ass
26th - My 30 on 30 Run (Details Soon)