Training Log Archive: Ari-o

After an OH party without enough beds and sleeping in my car (which works!) it was time to run the OH-maintained trails. Up Hall's Ledge, back down Hutmen's. Scouting a trail race for next year. These trails get very little traffic and are partially on ski trails up top of Carter Notch, and I'm guilty of having them right in the OH backyard and never going up. The idea is to have an Old Hutmen trail run, finishing at the cabin.

So we ran down Route 16 and up Halls Ledge with Lincoln and Jess. Halls Ledge is beastly. 40% grade with loose leaves. It snowed overnight (yes, it had been 75º 36 hours prior) and then melted so the water was pooled on top of the leaves and unevaporated. But it was impossible anyway, the leaves were loose like the steep sections of the Raid the Hammer were a couple years back, and we were on all fours grabbing trees up the (well-blazed) trail.

It was fun. It would make a good, almost orienteering start to the trail race. Actually, there's some terrific-looking terrain back there, and some nice thin woods.

Anyway, up top there was an inch of snow to run in and Mount Washington was coming out and looking particularly snowy (and cold, 8, wind chill of -20, so yesterday was the day to run up high). We went all the way to Carter Notch Road but you could cut through on a ski trail, then back and down the Hutmen's Trail. Well, flat along a road, then along a ski trail, and then along a hiking trail. And then it dropped. Not as steeply as Halls Ledge (there's a reason we did it in this order) but 30% grade downhill. On what seemed to be an old road or graded trail, but way too steep for any vehicles, really. We pretty much skied down to the road on that. In theory you wind up only about 300 yards from the OH cabin and for a trail race could cut/mark a trail over to the cabin without having to go down to the road first.

This might happen.

Then we ate doughnuts and cider.

All told, going to BTB and running BTB and drinking beers and running home. It was fun.

Hut kid trail run down the 19MBT. There wound up being a pack of about 9 or 10 of us at one point jogging down, but with someone to lead you can get going pretty well (if they didn't slip, I won't slip!). We passed a group of young folks at least one of whom had Harvard insignia. I was at the end of the train and heard one of them say "we need to be more badass."

I smiled.

Kea fell and skinned her knee pretty well about 3 minutes later. Two (!) people had first aid stuff with them, which is way more than the usual zero. So she got patched up and I ran down with Eric to take him to Gorham to fetch his car before A&A closed for the weekend.

I was going to go run lowland trails: the mountains were in the clouds and the forecast was for cold (20s) and wind (50-70 mph). But when I got to Pinkham to use the restroom, the clouds had parted and I decided "eff it, I'm running the Adams Challenge."

So I drove back down to the Pinkham B Road and was at the parking lot by 1. Quick change in to wind briefs, tights, and a wool hoodie (left hat at home) for the run up. It was cool out but I was dripping sweat and moving pretty well up until treeline. When I popped out in to the 40+ mph winds it got a lot colder. I stopped to layer up (lobster mits, hood, wind breaker) and then again later for some rime-y pictures. Got blown around a bit on Durand Ridge and Lowe's, but really not too bad.

1:54 was slower than last time, but my legs were tired from 1000m of climb yesterday and that is elapsed, including some stopping for clothing and fighting through a bit of wind. Luckily just a bit of rime (traction) and no ice.

Run down from the summit. Knee feeling it a little, and quite windy until the hut. I then ran my usual hour down the Valley Way. I never got good at running that trail. Of course, I was usually packing. Still. 29 minutes is ridiculous (the recent record).

Ooh good hill workout. Pretty warm and it was run with a partner day but I felt pretty ducky for the running up and down the hills. Four "full" hills at 8s, with >300m of climb. Not bad for a Friday morning.

Good run for a sad reason. A friend from the huts died in a running/climbing accident out west, and this was a get-together at Carter in his memory. Lots of laughing, lots of crying.

We got going after a short day at work and hit the trail around dark. Lots of new trail construction at the base, and a pretty baller new bridge over a stream I barely remember being there. I took a dive at one point and got a pain in my bottom, but even I have a little padding there and was able to carry on. Warm for the time of year, in the 60s going up the trail!

I have a problem. I bought a 12 oz bag of cranberries yesterday evening. I finished it in less than 24 hours. I mean, I guess it's better than when I eat a 12 oz bag of candy corn (I survived! I didn't succumb and buy any this year!) but still, jeez.

Oh, that's in addition to the maybe 3 oz I put in a smoothie. So a pound of cranberries in a day for this guy.

Stairs! Warm in the sun but mostly in the shade. Went out even and passed most of the field and felt pretty good (if hungry) the whole way round. Then steamed for a while since it was still 50º.

Out for the early ski with Isak. I updated my phone overnight and that borked the alarm (really, Apple? don't tell me I can update overnight if it means the alarm fails in the morning). Anyhow, he stashed his school gear in the woods near Alewife and we skied out the bike path. He had to turn back in Arlington somewhere, but I went up to the top of the "hill" in Lexington before turning back for the cruise down.

Lots of confused people, scared dogs and stares on the T. As usual.

Run over to the Harvard track, because trackwork seems more useful than just a run somewhere.

400-800-1200-800-1200-800-400

Took the first 400 slowly and didn't feel great (94) and then went easy on the 800 (3:04) and in to the 1200, which I was treating more like tempo than speed (4:41). Then I decided I wanted to go faster. So I ran faster for my 800 (2:52) and felt okay about that and then did my 1200 a bit slower (4:51) to save up for the last 800. That one I went all out and looked at my watch and it was 2:44 and that's a negative split, and if I could keep that pace a 10:20 3k. Then a rest and then the 400m last fast split in 77 seconds. That felt pretty good.

So negative splits on the 400s (big time) and 800s (also pretty big time).

Then a cool down to Whole Foods. Mmm, food.