Training Log Archive: Ari-o

Trail run with Maartje, Kyle et al. Good company, good running for 11 miles. Then mile 12. First I put a branch in to my eye, so run with a sort of blurry eye for a while. Then I put my foot in a divot and sprain my ankle. Not badly, but ugh. Hobble back to the car, but seem okay.

Easier to run across the lake in the light; last night got lost in the fog. Quick run down, not super speedy with so little snow, though.

Oh Craftsbury. Years of having usually decent excuses to not do Craftsbury (I have another race! It's pouring rain! I don't want to ski a 50k classic race) but I finally acquiesced. Wax was klister binder covered with Rode -1 – -5, no glide because fuck glide. (Also because I didn't want to put glide wax on at 10 on Thursday night, and also also because blow torches are way more fun than wax irons, and faster, too.)

Time to test wax and pee and not eat enough, and the go! Some moron crashed in front of me by changing lanes without looking, stepping on the tips of the guy in front of me. By tips I mean he put his foot on the guys tips, like not even close, dude. I cursed at them and stayed upright, praise allah.

Then took it easy; not about to win Craftsbury. Also, 50k classic.

First couple laps were tolerable. Downhills a little sketchy, a few dirty spots, a few thin spots, but overall not too bad. Craftsbury is a very nice course, but four times around it is, well, leaves something to be desired for the premier marathon in the northeast. I will hand it to them, though, it is a full 50k. None of this Sugarloaf 50k 40k nonsense.

Which hurts, because classic. My back. Oh, my back. Longest classic race I've done.

Near the end of the second lap the fucking paper bib came part undone, and started flopping around, and I said fuck it and tore it off. Paper bibs should die. If you are going the cheap route, give out paper numbers with safety pins because those don't fall off and flop around. If you are charging $100 for a race buy fucking cloth bibs like every race in the Midwest, because a) people won't hate you and b) your sponsors get more play because people save them and hang them up rather than throw them away. I was powered by anger for most of this race.

Third time up Ruthie's I bonk, but thank goodness they have goo at the top. Lost two guys there. My skis, never fast, got a bit more sluggish although my kick was okay the whole way (just tireder later on). Kept the two guys within visual range the last time up Ruthie's but had no get up and go, and they stayed in front, and one more guy caught me on the last hills. Major positive splits (41, 45, 48, 49). So that's, well, not great.

Izzy beat me by a minute, too.

But I skied Craftsbury. Now that I've joined NENSA Andy said he'll put me on the marathon committee so I can bitch about how stupid marathon racing is in New England.

C • paper bibs 5

C • 50k clásico 2

Ski back to car. Realize keys are in pants at center. Ski back and forth to get dry clothes.

Despite my B&Ming, I actually did have fun.

Ski out a bit and realize I am hopelessly beat and that this skiing is doing nothing training-wise and ski back to the car and then drive to Hill Farmstead. Yes, beer.

Run up to the Lonesome Roadside Motel. Long drive up (traffic + accident on 93) and the caretaker was already asleep (or not there, or something). Ran in to the hut to the amazement of the goofers (as usual), especially when they looked at my shoes. "What did you run up in?" "Trail runners and microspikes." "How long did it take you?" "Half an hour."

Good night sleep in sleeping bags :)

Mediumish run along the river, one fast mile, Garmin pooped the bed along the way. Just lost GPS and did silly things.

Mostly teaching people then skiing around a few times, with some speeds. Fast tonight! Would have been more fun for Worlds.

Four laps pre-race. Slow! I do not have the skis for this and I didn't wax the skis I have. So, fun.

Here's a new one for TNWs: The groomer is out on the course at the start of the race. So we all stand around and make comments, then start skiing. Finally get started.

My skis were slow.

I couldn't hold on to the front pack at all, and you could see that Rob and John had fluoros on their skis because they were right off the front right away. I had struggles: worked hard but couldn't get any speed up. Fell in to a group of three and finished in the middle of it as my skis sucked on the snow. It would have been nice if it had frozen, eh?

Run to and from NP

November Projects! Lunges! Runs! Bench Dips! Push ups!

This is kind of fun. I can deal with some Mondays.