Did an easy 6 miles before picking up the packets for both Ashley and I for our races this weekend. But alas, the hurricane has cnacelled both races, so guess we at least get pretty T-shirts. And, this is also my last run before the surgery.....poo...
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
This guy ran Mt. Washington!
Mt. Washington is the highest peak in New Hampshire and home to the world's worst weather. The peak sits at about 6,288 ft and is actually reachable by a road. The road climbs about 5,000 feet in 7.6 miles, with an average grade of 12% and some places reaching as much as 22%. It is straight up the entire way and is punishing for cars. I had read a while back about a race that is held on this very road and about how ridiculous it is. I knew that running Mt. Washington must go on my "Things to do" list. And so, vacation in New Hampshire in the White Mountains seemed the perfect time to do it.
Ashley and Gabriel dropped me on the entrance road on the way in and assaulted the mountain by car. I started running from the toll house and never looked back. It is not common at all for someone to be running the mountain outside of race day, so i got a lot of looks of amazement from tourists as they drove by, some cheering for me and telling me i was almost there. This run was by far harder than any training run or race that i have done, even tougher than all of the marathons i have tackled. It was a nonstop punishment from start to finish. The only relief i got was when the road flattened to an 8% grade!! I averaged 11:45 per mile, which seems terrible considering most of the time i run in the 6-6:30 range, but as compared to the hills, it was actually pretty good. I really started to feel it in my legs around mile 3, but i was determined not to walk. I kept my head down and kept putting 1 foot in front of the other. At mile 4, asphalt gave way to dirt, and the road straightened and steepened. If Gabriel and Ashley (and little baby boy) were not waiting for me at the top, i would have stopped and walked or rested a bit. But I didn't, and i kept on moving.
I started to notice the thin air around mile 5, which was also about 5,000 feet in elevation, and I also began to notice the giant blister forming in my arch from running on my toes the whole time. I still was not going to quit, but I did notice that now my mile split was slower than 13 minutes!! The miles were crawling by, it seemed as if I would never make it, I could see there was still a lot of mountain to climb. I just had to keep thinking about who was waiting for me at the top, and that soon enough, I would round a corner and there they would be.
By now there were no more trees around me, just rocks and small shrubs and road continuing to the sky. Mile 6 went by in a blur, and I could feel my legs began to get achy and crampy. It took all my mental strength to force myself not to walk. With less than a mile to go, I saw the top, the summit was in reach, I was going to do it. I could hang on now, I was passing 7 miles, just a few more minutes left. As the observatory came into view, I could see lots of people milling around on top of it, and out on the rocks in front of it, I could see my 2 biggest fans waiting for me. I hit the parking lot and in 1:26 and still had enough energy left to catch Gabriel as he was running across the parking to congratulate me. I did it!! I ran the hardest run I have ever done. I am so glad I got the chance to do it, and so excited Gabriel and Ashley could be there to share it with me!! And glad they could give me a ride back down!!!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Rainy Days
It was pouring rain today, nice day for a long run. I managed 9.2 miles today, sticking mostly to side roads and dirt trails to avoid the traffic and possibility of getting run over. It was a nice soggy run...
8 Up at the Lake
We are up at the Lake in New Hampshire for a few days. i was able to get a nice relaxed 8 miles in this morning along the shore. Amazingly, there was a fair amount of hills.
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