tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39435023403713894532024-03-05T13:42:47.173-08:00Chasing Ultra "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go" - T. S. Eliot
Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-49264604196663162702021-07-03T16:10:00.001-07:002021-07-03T18:12:13.404-07:00Midnight Squatchapalooza 6H Timed Race<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>It’s been a while since I’ve posted here and a large part of the reason for that has been due to a lack of races the last year and a half, but a smaller, yet still significant part has been a lot of life changes that have just made it more difficult to carve out the time to keep this blog up, though I hope to continue to dedicate more time to it now, and in the future. In the past two years since I have posted, I have finished my Masters of Business Administration at Bentley University, moved into an apartment with my girlfriend in Revere, Massachusetts, worked at Bank of America, moved to my girlfriends’ parents’ house in New Jersey for a year due to the pandemic, left Bank of America, moved into another apartment with my girlfriend in Norwalk, Connecticut, and started a new job. In that time, I have also had my share of ups and down’s involving running. Some of the ups include setting a new Marathon PR of 2:49:37 at the Baystate Marathon in October 2019 and taking part in the Quarantine Backyard Ultra in April 2020. Some of the downs included DNFing my first Ultra at the TARC Fall Classic 50 Mile in September 2019 and taking two months off for a stress fracture in my tibia in September 2020. <br /><p></p><p></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRKe9JBFKQ4QO5W_9IJRHi7Jj3leXLxPGz5-JuDW5PLFLnU9QzXiJyr11yc1GQuXmEgRypZj0K8ySt4u_w7mLohCLY-8ORlbBe_12ob4BG6Hbd8cJktNjziotefmni7lIf9CZaMNQiYGC/s1989/211635512_2618869715080909_5846195482805661469_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1989" data-original-width="1989" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRKe9JBFKQ4QO5W_9IJRHi7Jj3leXLxPGz5-JuDW5PLFLnU9QzXiJyr11yc1GQuXmEgRypZj0K8ySt4u_w7mLohCLY-8ORlbBe_12ob4BG6Hbd8cJktNjziotefmni7lIf9CZaMNQiYGC/s320/211635512_2618869715080909_5846195482805661469_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race Start! Photo by Greg Hudson</td></tr></tbody></table>I have recently started racing again as the pandemic has wound down and it has definitely put a spring back in my step, in terms of my love for running. I have always been a racer at heart and it had been really tough to keep up my motivation with a lack of races. For right now, my primary goal is to run a new PR at the Boston Marathon in October, but with more races opening up, and the fact that I had not run an Ultra in just about two years, I felt called to find one and run one, which led me down to the Midnight Squatachapalooza 12H/6H Timed Race in Columbus, NJ put on by Sassquad Trail Runners. As an aside, one of the things that left me even more motivated to run this race was seeing others begin to race again as well. I attribute part of the reason for having such a positive race to watching all the awesome guys and girls running at Western States and in the Olympic Trials. It was just a great week(end) all around for running and I really felt like I capitalized on the energy surrounding that. </p><p></p><p>As the title of this post suggests, the race did in fact start at Midnight, something I felt a bit underprepared for, if I’m being honest. I don’t have much night running experience, but that is one of the things I wanted to change since my goal is to eventually compete in longer races and Backyard Ultra’s that will certainly require that. In fact, I’ll be running the Mountain Lakes Backyard Ultra in New York in August, and that race starts at 6:30 PM, so this would be a great test run! On to the race…</p><p>I arrived at the Burlington County Fair Grounds in Columbus, NJ at about 11:00PM after a two-hour drive from my apartment in Norwalk. I quickly picked up my bib and started prepping for the race. I had planned six bottles of water mixed with Tailwind, or about one per hour. I also had one gel and a couple bags of potato chips, but I had planned to try and run completely off of liquids for this race since it was on the shorter side. Fast forward an hour later and I am standing on the starting line, not entirely sure what to expect from my first night ultra, and first timed format race for that matter. </p><p>At 12:01 AM, we were off. For this race, we would be completing 2.5 Mile loops with about a third of the loop being on pavement, and the other two-thirds through grass fields. I am a bit directionally challenged when it comes to trail races, so my strategy was to stick behind at least one other person for the first lap, or until I felt confident in my ability to navigate the loop. We started on the pavement and turned onto the grass field after about a quarter of a mile. I will say that I was unprepared for how tall the grass was and how it would feel; almost like running on sand. I settled into third place as we moved into the middle of the first lap as I worked to steady my nerves. I knew that I was in good shape; I had been putting together 70-75 Mile weeks for the last two months. I also have a great coach, Kris Brown, whom I have been working with for the past few months. In addition to being a great all-around guy, Kris is an impressive ultra-runner, sporting a top-10 placing at the 2018 Western States. He is one of the coaches that is a part of the Chaski Endurance Collective, founded by Marathoner and Ultramarathoner Tyler Andrews (who previously coached me in 2019). I have been a part of this group for almost a year now and I can’t say enough good things about it. Kris helped me to carve out a good race plan in terms of both pacing and nutrition. For pacing, the goal was simple: hold a sub-8 average pace for as long as possible. I knew this would be a possibility due to the fact that the course only had 20 feet of elevation gain per mile, but I was worried about the heat and humidity, and how my stomach would react to a night race. Still, I felt prepared. When I hit the first mile in 7:29, I felt comfortable knowing that the effort was not super difficult and all systems felt normal. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1p2rfLzUAYXizPHEZAIOS5MR8uWnvqMatL5nS6u2k0c60ewRiqAqiWB4TApDJzGxzgE_is7_i_yvZdYrmfk8cbCEsk6n-qeWLQbqmCaJpx9gaG-skUl4FBPycJZznhQUEBe0FLW9Mtfj/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1540" data-original-width="1540" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1p2rfLzUAYXizPHEZAIOS5MR8uWnvqMatL5nS6u2k0c60ewRiqAqiWB4TApDJzGxzgE_is7_i_yvZdYrmfk8cbCEsk6n-qeWLQbqmCaJpx9gaG-skUl4FBPycJZznhQUEBe0FLW9Mtfj/w379-h378/212594795_2618872758413938_2261185452230420188_n.jpg" width="379" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mid-Race. Photo by Greg Hudson</td></tr></tbody></table>Overall, the loop course was extremely well marked, and only featured a handful of turns. At no point during the race did I ever need to even think about where I was going so I could really dial in my focus. As we exited the grass portion of the loop for the first time and hit the pavement again, I picked up the pace to move to catch up to first. We came through the first loop together in 18:37. He stopped quickly, and I didn’t, so I pulled into the lead, which I would not relinquish for the rest of the race. I will say that the grass portion of the course was a touch slower than I expected; I was running about 20-30 seconds a mile quicker on the pavement with about the same effort. My fastest mile of the day was Mile 3 in 6:51, which I attribute to being mostly on the pavement and the adrenaline from moving into first. While I was running by myself now, I ran into the friendly headlamps of lapped runners by about mid-loop and this would continue to direct me for the rest of the night. In fact, I dropped my headlamp at the end of loop two and relied solely on my small hand-held flashlight. The headlamp was tight on my head anyway, so it wasn’t a big loss. I hit loop two in 18:19, my fastest loop of the day. </p><p>Beginning loop three, I remarked at how strong I felt, of course, it was early, but I was nervous about planning my sleep and my fueling the day of the race. The previous morning, I had slept in as long as possible and took a nap in the afternoon and that seemed to have been enough. I went for something easy for dinner, just a sandwich around 7PM, and that also seemed like the right call. I finished loop three at 19:06 and reloading on my water bottle. My informal goal was to run about 16-18 loops, or about three loops an hour so that generally left me in a good place to refuel each hour. </p><p>Loop four (19:43) and loop five (19:25) went down without a hitch, but I hit my first low point of the race on loop six. By now the adrenaline had worn off, and my stomach was starting to give me issues, probably because I’m usually asleep at 2AM, not running through open fields in the middle of New Jersey. I could feel my pace begin to flag and a bit of doubt start to creep in. I hit loop six in 20:04 and stopped to refuel, which helped. For loop seven (20:08) and loop eight (20:21), I had begun to settle into a new pace range right around eight minutes per mile. Overall, my legs were feeling good still as I began to approach the marathon mark. </p><p>Loop nine again brought problems with my stomach and my pace began to drop to nine minutes a mile, where it would remain for most of the race. I had built up a pretty big buffer on sub-8 pace but really was not feeling great. I hit loop nine in 22:43, with my total time at right around three hours. I knew at that point 18 loops were probably out the window, so I focused on a new goal of getting in eight over the next three hours to go for 17 loops total. Loop ten came and went in 23:01 as my pace continued to hover around nine minutes a mile. By the time I hit the Marathon mark in 3:27:58 (7:56 Pace) I was still in a bad place. All of the liquid in my stomach was sloshing around and I felt like I was going to throw up. I tried to stop on the side of the trail and force it but to no avail. Maybe a quick stop was all I needed to settle my stomach and refocus though because I started to get a second wind as I came into loop eleven in 22:42. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzhSBOfeAQdYuIFz5X16lBiSwmAI0uQPBdTzeQsUeIyR0JhEDTxBLlWFvTvOOUlznQK6HVBz8T9zTHLPzJGn-pgg_B4dV-wFWXC1rKn9O1ibv2oDq3g4X_-kt1ee4vuaTCeGREY_KgjJT/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzhSBOfeAQdYuIFz5X16lBiSwmAI0uQPBdTzeQsUeIyR0JhEDTxBLlWFvTvOOUlznQK6HVBz8T9zTHLPzJGn-pgg_B4dV-wFWXC1rKn9O1ibv2oDq3g4X_-kt1ee4vuaTCeGREY_KgjJT/w400-h300/IMG_9043.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-Race Sasquatch <br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">One of the things that kept me motivated in this race was the fact that I had absolutely no idea who was behind me and whether or not they were closing. I figured as long as I kept everyone behind me though, I would be good. I hit loop twelve in 23:05 and the 50K mark in 4:12:37 for an 8:07 average pace. While I had dropped above a sub-8 average pace, I still felt very content with the race I had run thus far. Maybe it was the lack of elevation change, but my legs really still felt fresh. I hit loop thirteen in 23:39, my slowest loop of the day, but still very much in control and with a lot left to give. As I began on lap fourteen I felt like I could begin to see the first hints of the sun beginning to appear, a sign that my time on the course was beginning to dwindle. At this point, I knew it would be super tight for me to get in 17 loops, but I had an outside shot at it. The course record was 15 loops, so I knew I was pacing well to break that. I hit loop fifteen in 23:39. I told the timing guys I had two loops left in me and of course, they were goading me on to do three instead. I stopped for my last water bottle here and set off on loop fifteen. I accidentally left my flashlight at the aid station, but at this point, I didn’t need it anyway. </div></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>All I could think about with each step was that I just had to pass each spot one more time, just one more time. I hit loop fifteen in 22:47 and began on my sixteenth lap. By this point, I had mentally accepted that this was the last lap of my race, baring being passed by another runner. I had already dropped my water bottle to free up my hands and I was really moving to pick up my pace. It was definitely a mentally challenging lap, even though I knew I was almost done. Everything must come to an end though, as I turned onto the pavement for one final time. I pulled down the pace to bring it in strong and finished loop sixteen in 20:34, my fastest loop since loop seven, for a total time of 5:37:23 and a total distance of 40.78 Miles for an 8:16 Pace. While I may have been able to just sneak in one more lap, I was more than content to take the win and the course record. While I missed my pace goal slightly, this run was probably my best ultra-performance thus far in my running career and by far the furthest I have ever run at a pace like this. I’ll definitely be attempting more of these timed races with flatter, shorter, and faster courses in the future. </p><p>Thanks to the Sassquad Trail Runners and RD Kim Levinsky for putting on an amazing race! I’ll definitely be back to another one again in the future.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZ7Fe-qNJLVqlh0JUxCYYS2pvrw8XuDD4YnZTmnG_biFEL4JbrHw_eaxxjMtMcGoJl-CKle18es_odtfaFP720XHzaD6tRBEQ7opMyYqS_w-Du5xp7qiFUuajq_pP38veDmjtsLsnXDai/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="595" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZ7Fe-qNJLVqlh0JUxCYYS2pvrw8XuDD4YnZTmnG_biFEL4JbrHw_eaxxjMtMcGoJl-CKle18es_odtfaFP720XHzaD6tRBEQ7opMyYqS_w-Du5xp7qiFUuajq_pP38veDmjtsLsnXDai/w400-h311/Screen+Shot+2021-07-03+at+6.58.39+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Loop Splits from Strava </div><br /><p></p><p></p>Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-33079452605761584552019-06-09T12:43:00.001-07:002019-06-09T12:46:40.395-07:00The North Face Endurance Challenge 50K<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
This was my first Ultramarathon since the 60 Miler at Ghost
Train last October, and it felt great to be back! I signed up for this race
only a few days prior after receiving a promotional code from a friend and
learning that a few other friends were running. I had wanted to run this race last
year, but at the time, it did not fit into my schedule, so I was excited to
give it a shot! Truthfully, I went into this race a bit more ambitiously than
I should have. I had not done the proper hill training and had been taking it
relatively easy since my 2:52:16 (a new PR!) at the Boston Marathon in April. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sXbQfeKfXXgxR982BZzYkQ0h4GdR1ZbWy9_AlT11hSLK0FzjkgjicBC5Ikr0wBNtCOoFF3kzP8mYpzTw-OVkVS0bAIqU-1NF1R-iAoGsN-ri1tBeaqKvvARwuhkTtgK6bDzznXCXL50s/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-06-09+at+3.44.17+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="704" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sXbQfeKfXXgxR982BZzYkQ0h4GdR1ZbWy9_AlT11hSLK0FzjkgjicBC5Ikr0wBNtCOoFF3kzP8mYpzTw-OVkVS0bAIqU-1NF1R-iAoGsN-ri1tBeaqKvvARwuhkTtgK6bDzznXCXL50s/s400/Screen+Shot+2019-06-09+at+3.44.17+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Course Map!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">This race took place at Wachusett Mountain and Leominster
State Forest in Princeton, MA. It is the part of a larger series that includes
New York, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and culminates in a Championship Race in
California in November. I expected a great race considering that the event was
being put on by North Face, and it didn’t disappoint. The course was extremely
well marked, which was comforting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOpSdxDMHrj4of1F3E4OlPOmmv-iZdGXC9_coH9uE7LvLp0AgAddvL2tcp8cfYbKi14xymGm1EYsX1VYAopkCV6KCHt_lVLCsdArs-U4ajQGZO2LHl6I20Fv2kDmqi-xGp5cMTNHgv7pv/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-06-09+at+3.19.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="156" data-original-width="1123" height="55" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOpSdxDMHrj4of1F3E4OlPOmmv-iZdGXC9_coH9uE7LvLp0AgAddvL2tcp8cfYbKi14xymGm1EYsX1VYAopkCV6KCHt_lVLCsdArs-U4ajQGZO2LHl6I20Fv2kDmqi-xGp5cMTNHgv7pv/s400/Screen+Shot+2019-06-09+at+3.19.19+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elevation Profile</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">My day began with my alarm going off at 4:00 AM to drive an
1:15 to the race. I was shocked when I arrived at 6:00 AM and almost no one was
there yet. As people gradually started to roll in, I picked up my bib number, and
met up with my friends who were going to be racing their first ultra! Pretty
soon, we were on the start line, mentally preparing for the 700ft climb in the
first two miles.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4heKbBaCzJQGpSRLursG9Z0KnnuHPDUktyuC919GXdVlK64cRc9NAwoTJSgwNGgtnjgcnQwFIRz01SzgsKMQ5mNG5ueOKwc1oN2KKHAEhA7_uhxZKmmDfMdkmozCUtzsPF2zdNBlCC0UP/s1600/62008934_2255505361152224_2963500049528520704_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4heKbBaCzJQGpSRLursG9Z0KnnuHPDUktyuC919GXdVlK64cRc9NAwoTJSgwNGgtnjgcnQwFIRz01SzgsKMQ5mNG5ueOKwc1oN2KKHAEhA7_uhxZKmmDfMdkmozCUtzsPF2zdNBlCC0UP/s320/62008934_2255505361152224_2963500049528520704_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the Summit at Mile 6</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The race began, and we were immediately going up. It took a
few minutes to settle in as we were on a single-track trail for the first half
mile with everyone jockeying for position. We opened onto a larger fire road
which allowed me to get into a better rhythm. I was trying to be relatively
cautious for the first few miles but was pretty surprised to see my heart rate
hovering in the high 170s for these first two miles. For the next three or four
miles, we were heading slightly downhill before preparing for the first summit
to the top of Wachusett Mountain. This was course was extremely technical, even
more so than the Middlesex Fells at some points. I don’t consider myself that
strong of a technical downhill runner so it was irritating to feel like I was
losing time in these places. The course was also pretty wet and at Mile 6 I
went down straight into the mud, covering my shoes. I was caught by my friends
Pete and Mitch at about Mile 7 right as we began the first summit. This was one
of the most technical climbs that I had ever done. I was literally on my hands
summiting the 20-25% grade. At one point, we climbed almost 150ft feet in only
a tenth of a mile. However, there was something quite exhilarating about it,
especially when you reached the summit to see all the spectators who had taken
up the chair lift! I reached the first checkpoint at Mile 7.1 in 10<sup>th</sup>
Place in 1:13:01 (10:17 Pace). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbbn2h7JuC-9sM5CulIp4_uU_Ls2Oxk4oUMC7DI9lX7Fz4ZPvrq7CbW9kmMmzzQIGfaNkeGJv8c7IAoZFBWNWxzzPqk-R6YElXCV-o6_bLYJSip0aJJQTLaB8cyXPnQ5SEVM4_vkkOQ1L/s1600/636956673127280726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbbn2h7JuC-9sM5CulIp4_uU_Ls2Oxk4oUMC7DI9lX7Fz4ZPvrq7CbW9kmMmzzQIGfaNkeGJv8c7IAoZFBWNWxzzPqk-R6YElXCV-o6_bLYJSip0aJJQTLaB8cyXPnQ5SEVM4_vkkOQ1L/s320/636956673127280726.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the Second Summit at Mile 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I began my fueling by using Tailwind mixed with water, and
Mitch was kind enough to give me another one of his packets, but after that I
was stuck relying on Hammer Nutrition for the rest of the day, which was not
great, to say the least. I was a bit disappointed in the food selection at the
aid stations. This was my first time running an ultra without some form of a loop, so I was at the mercy of the aid stations. All I really wanted was my
Cape Cod 40% Reduced Fat potato chips! After the first summit, we took an
equally technical downhill before looping back and attacking the climb once
again. It certainly was not easier the second time. I crested the top for the
second time with Pete and Mitch right behind me. I must have spent longer than
I thought at the aid station as Mitch was out of sight by the time I left. At
the second summit at Mile 9.4, I was still in 10<sup>th</sup> Place in 1:43:24
(11:00 Pace). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pete and I left the aid station and we ran the next few
miles together. It was certainly a relief to get some less technical downhills
for the first time all race! At the next aid station, we were told that we had
a few people that were only 3-4 minutes ahead, so we focused on closing some
distance on them. I lost Pete shortly after, and I was on my own for the rest
of the race. For me, the unexpected thorn in my side was the trail that traversed
between Wachusett and Leominster State Forest. I still felt strong on this
section and had passed two people, but I was acutely aware that there were
going to be some very tough climbs when we came back this way towards the
finish. This section was also very technical and had some rock climbs similar
to what the summit ascents were like. I came into the next aid station at Mile
16.4 in 8<sup>th</sup> Place in 3:05:42 (11:19 Pace). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoX8lT8Odxblbk0fRiMoTZvXUs4Mh7dRt61tMaf1FpsqiR9YPkCv90FF1WMeT_zmbxRTv_pypUetFoOc1m72K1OWhOeqipN9E8PBB-t_s_obF2CTMHXD3RWarHJMOox3zWAzNhsOWW96jn/s1600/636956673052120980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoX8lT8Odxblbk0fRiMoTZvXUs4Mh7dRt61tMaf1FpsqiR9YPkCv90FF1WMeT_zmbxRTv_pypUetFoOc1m72K1OWhOeqipN9E8PBB-t_s_obF2CTMHXD3RWarHJMOox3zWAzNhsOWW96jn/s320/636956673052120980.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wachusett to Leominster Traverse at Mile 15</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this point, I entered the easiest part of the course,
which was about a five-mile loop on open fire trails. After a moderately sized
climb, I was greeted with flat, fast, open downhill. This was my quickest mile
of the race at 8:00, but again, I definitely need to work on my downhill and
technical running. I was passed at this point by a guy going at least 6:30-6:45
pace during this section. During this loop, I also started to see more 50 Mile
racers who had started their day two hours earlier at 5:00 AM. It was great to
be able to cheer each other on, but it was also good for me to have something
to focus on ahead of me. I reached the next aid station and refueled with more
Hammer and grabbed half a peanut butter sandwich. I could definitely feel the
temperature picking up and it felt scorching whenever I was in the sun. As I
left this aid station, a woman there told me the next one would be in five
miles. Since I was only carrying a 16oz handheld, I knew it would almost an
hour before I reached the next aid station, which was not a good sign. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I must have misunderstood the course map, as I expected that
we would complete the fire trail loop a second time, but instead, we followed
another very technical single-track trail. At Mile 20 I could tell that I was
starting to struggle due to the heat. My legs felt fine, but I just could not
get my heart rate down. I was only a mile into this loop and I had already
taken half of my water. My mile times started to creep up into the 12-13-minute
range. All told, this felt like one of the longest hours of my life. I finally,
came out of the trail as the course looped back to a previous aid station. I
ended up reaching the 25.7 Mile checkpoint in 7<sup>th</sup> Place in 4:51:29
(11:21 Pace). I spent a bit longer at this aid station then previous ones as I
desperately needed more water. I gave up on the Hammer mix for the last few
miles and switched solely to iced water. Leaving this aid station and again
following the traverse from Leominster State Forest to Wachusett Mountain, I
hit (to me) the most brutal uphill of the course, which was a technical 400ft
climb. This was the point in the race where I was completely reduced to walking
as I couldn’t run because my head was spinning so hard. This was by far the
slowest and most painful mile of my race at just over 20 minutes. I had one guy
go by me during this time, pushing me down to 8<sup>th</sup>, and I expected
more to follow him, but no one ever did. I figured the heat must have really
been hurting people.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0s_t22PbBBX8x06CoJRACZTeNTViGar0mGjOWSAbWhP2temdH7s8PNA8Qyf6ppqNqW6-QgcfMfwX6FCvAVaxocSkzt5OTBUsMpvN9p_Xo6LcHIc4oHcg8Qc0my8fAsccJs7yVS-A8N51J/s1600/636956673093841332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0s_t22PbBBX8x06CoJRACZTeNTViGar0mGjOWSAbWhP2temdH7s8PNA8Qyf6ppqNqW6-QgcfMfwX6FCvAVaxocSkzt5OTBUsMpvN9p_Xo6LcHIc4oHcg8Qc0my8fAsccJs7yVS-A8N51J/s320/636956673093841332.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leominster to Wachusett Traverse at Mile 26</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After this mile, I was finally able to switch back to
running. Taking the time to get my heart rate and breathing back under control paid
off. Feeling much better now, I actually caught up to and passed the guy who
had breezed right by me just two miles before. Now back in 7<sup>th</sup>
place, and with three miles to go, I felt much stronger and wanted to put some
distance between myself and the 4-5 runners I assumed were right on my tail. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With about a mile and a half to go, the course opened up to
a rolling fire road before dropping down to the finish. I quickly stopped at
the last aid station about a mile before the finish to grab water and to check
to see if anyone was behind me. During the last few miles, I kept expecting the
course to finally start dropping downhill to the finish, but it never really
did until the last half mile, which went straight downhill. Finally, I crossed
the Finish Line in 7<sup>th</sup> Overall in 6:04:14 (11:50 Pace)! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I truly underestimated just how hard this course would be. I
had the technical experience with the TARC Winter Fells Ultra, but not the
elevation experience. I definitely have a lot of things to improve on going
forward if I want to be more competitive, especially my technical downhill
running. Right now, I have a few events on my schedule over the few months,
mainly the TARC Summer Classic 40 Mile in August, the TARC Fall Classic 50 Mile
in September, and the Ghost Train Trail Race 100 Mile in October. However, I
jumped into this race on a whim, so who knows, I may just do it again! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also want to give a shout out to my friends, Mitch Graves
(6<sup>th</sup>, 6:00:24) and Pete Taglino (31<sup>st</sup>, 7:07:19) for
finishing their first ultramarathons! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, I have made my activity public on Garmin Connect in case anyone is interested in looking at splits, elevation etc. <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3728051685">https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3728051685</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvMZskyPVdB2Y4muF-Q8qQIyWMsi1B0mRcIaFda5Z1rD4M1EqOiwYlZoHsQSNocshhqZo0LH-KVL3GOfifED5FhCwzzrf0wJ4cAYnZ4HWAr-QyXxD0We7HRVsMw-3oG4s4lG7hD4whdtKa/s1600/IMG_2905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvMZskyPVdB2Y4muF-Q8qQIyWMsi1B0mRcIaFda5Z1rD4M1EqOiwYlZoHsQSNocshhqZo0LH-KVL3GOfifED5FhCwzzrf0wJ4cAYnZ4HWAr-QyXxD0We7HRVsMw-3oG4s4lG7hD4whdtKa/s320/IMG_2905.JPG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-67214224366553384002018-10-27T13:23:00.003-07:002018-10-27T13:46:26.139-07:00Ghost Train Trail Race Race Recap - "Success is not Final, and Failure is not Fatal" <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">It’s taken me a bit longer than usual to put together a race recap as I have been working through what I wanted to say in this post over the past few days. I didn’t necessarily make it a secret that I was going for my first 100 Mile finish. I had signed up for this race on January 1<sup>st</sup>, 2018 proclaiming that “this was going to be the year” I ran 100 Miles. I had also written about it in previous blog posts, and I had told friends and family about the race. So, to not make it all that way was incredibly disappointing and I’m still trying to process it even as I type this a week later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHTFnqt76xfriJW4i-VgYomGTZ8nwnHWn9d-0U9Obe4w8w576LB8KZM9hJRnRRjdFSgwtKLgLEQspO_svTLBJmq7sSFlilRl0FO7rggWtXHiIIe4r2bihiD_cJ6X-_HpYiTiIagmppaue/s1600/IMG_4170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHTFnqt76xfriJW4i-VgYomGTZ8nwnHWn9d-0U9Obe4w8w576LB8KZM9hJRnRRjdFSgwtKLgLEQspO_svTLBJmq7sSFlilRl0FO7rggWtXHiIIe4r2bihiD_cJ6X-_HpYiTiIagmppaue/s320/IMG_4170.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start Line!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">For this race, my parents both flew up from North Carolina to help crew me. It was parents weekend at Bentley University, and try as they might to convince me to enjoy a normal parents weekend with them, I could not be swayed. We arrived at Camp Tevya around 8:00am on race morning and quickly unloaded our supplies from the car and found a spot close to the start line. The weather at the race was perfect and stayed in the mid-50s for most of the day. For this ultra, I had more supplies and more changes of clothes than I had for any previous ultra. We ended up setting up right across from Brian Butterfield, whom I had met at the TARC Fall Classic 50 Mile, a few weeks earlier. We talked for a few minutes before both going to our respective camps to finish setting up. Brian would go on to run an incredibly even paced race and take 2<sup>nd</sup> Overall in the 100 Mile in 16:41.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Before I knew it, there were five minutes until the start and everyone began to line up. I ran a quick double check over my supplies to make sure I had everything. For this race, I would be carrying 200 calories of Tailwind with base salts and about 250 calories of chips and cookies. I would be able to refuel my bottle at each end of the course so I would be getting in about 700 calories for each loop. Finally, after some words from the incredible race directors, we were off and running. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I found myself going out quite a bit faster than previous ultras, even much shorter distances than my planned 100 miles. I felt like it was difficult to properly gauge my efforts at times during the first four miles of the out and back as it was pretty much razor flat. As a side note, the course traverses between Brookline and Milford, New Hampshire, with Milford serving as the turn-around point for each lap. Overall, I still really feel like I haven’t hit my full potential on trails. I haven’t been able to translate my marathon and half marathon speed as well as I would have liked, but I’m hoping it improves in future ultras. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maybe I just need to train harder? </i>I rolled through the first few miles in about an 8:20 pace, making sure to keep my heart rate right around 150 beats per minute. I definitely like to run my own race, and I seldom, if ever, find myself running with anyone else for very long. This isn’t because I don’t like to talk with other runners, it's more because I find my pace a bit more cyclical than others. One minute, I judge that I’m putting too much effort in and slow down, and the next I find myself picking it right back up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrql-K2W80Q82bLTN1Pla_1qUA9bCYb-iHMbVckwy6jOe3jrynTHDZe89XBvmOme4iH4L67t0YxZYIOeLPQUzf4vuMTXRlMHHNLnTxSUGy2yCbao8uLzsy1S3Gz8DosR5YwEaIwKegd_N/s1600/IMG_6062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrql-K2W80Q82bLTN1Pla_1qUA9bCYb-iHMbVckwy6jOe3jrynTHDZe89XBvmOme4iH4L67t0YxZYIOeLPQUzf4vuMTXRlMHHNLnTxSUGy2yCbao8uLzsy1S3Gz8DosR5YwEaIwKegd_N/s320/IMG_6062.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Power Line Aid Station: First Lap<br />
Photo Credit: Jon McInerney</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">One thing that surprised me at this race was that there were quite a few road crossings. None of these, however, were ever a problem with cars, which was a relief. When I was running I always felt like there were two distinct “sections” of the course. The first part ended when we went by a road crossing and went down these big wooden steps on each lap. This section was much more technical and slower than the first part of the course. Towards the end of my race, I really felt like this was the area I was losing the most time at, especially the big hill around Mile 6 and Mile 9, which was rockier than I expected. By far the coolest part of each loop was going under the pipe tunnel a few minutes before hitting the mid-lap aid station. Even during daytime, the middle of the tunnel is still pitch black and cold! I hit the turnaround at the mid-aid station in 1:00:57. I tried to spend about under a minute here each lap, only stopping to refuel my bottle with Tailwind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqF6FgNcjq001NkmX2jb213PYVhL5ExQvRWl7bNjFyVjZkpEGMuU64Kf3Gaad3jdejAMbTRWEo7kyJcuLEmW1D1iCABU5gyr_bjf4R-UeVUubh14_jyLS3tKkkg1EvBfMA8jnQotml0bY-/s1600/IMG_4180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqF6FgNcjq001NkmX2jb213PYVhL5ExQvRWl7bNjFyVjZkpEGMuU64Kf3Gaad3jdejAMbTRWEo7kyJcuLEmW1D1iCABU5gyr_bjf4R-UeVUubh14_jyLS3tKkkg1EvBfMA8jnQotml0bY-/s320/IMG_4180.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">15 Miles Done!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">A few minutes after I left the aid station, I was caught by Dima Feinhaus and we enjoyed several miles together. We talked about time goals for the race, and he told me that it was a long race and I shouldn’t really think about time goals for my first 100. I wish I had considered his advice a bit more carefully looking back on my race. I lost him after the hill on the course, but the great thing about Ghost Train is that it is an out and back course so you will see each person at least twice during a lap. It was also so uplifting, especially in later stages of the race, to constantly be around people, as everyone was always quick to offer words of encouragement no matter how much they were hurting themselves. Making my way back on the first loop, I was feeling pretty strong. I had decided as part of my racing strategy not to stop at the “mid- “mid” aid station, which was halfway between the start and the turnaround, in order to save some time. Another interesting part of the course is about a quarter mile stretch that is lined with carved pumpkins. I had heard from previous participants that they had been filled with scented candles in the past so I was interested to see how I would react to the smell later in the night after hours of running!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCLuwl41fqSaz5CKJY7Sh640b-u9_jiXV-lW__2QTYqaez17Xs42J0TcHmLdvjPb-ZSOAcALwDUkLioMlUP3tCoe7zH3CfBcA5V6n2CjpFIWvkSh21xUALj1z9j4z7cEGoUAAtjJ4gZQe/s1600/IMG_6038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1464" data-original-width="1600" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCLuwl41fqSaz5CKJY7Sh640b-u9_jiXV-lW__2QTYqaez17Xs42J0TcHmLdvjPb-ZSOAcALwDUkLioMlUP3tCoe7zH3CfBcA5V6n2CjpFIWvkSh21xUALj1z9j4z7cEGoUAAtjJ4gZQe/s320/IMG_6038.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing Lap One!<br />
Photo Credit: David Metsky </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Finally, I hit the road section of the course, which only covers about the first and last quarter mile of each loop. The good thing about the set-up of the course is that at the end of each lap you have to run past your crew and the start line to a covered bridge just down the road, turn around and then run back through the timing mat to begin the next lap. This allowed me to yell out to my parents what I needed for each lap as I passed them and gave them about two minutes to prepare it for me so I didn’t waste valuable time trying to explain. I only stopped for about a minute and a half the first lap before going through the timing mat in 2:06:21 (8:23 Pace) in 9<sup>th</sup> Overall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The next stretch heading back to Milford was probably the best I felt all race; I even saw a 7:58 Mile in there at some point, which was probably just a touch fast. Another good thing about the out and back course was that I could generally gauge how far ahead I was from people running close by me, which was helpful in determining if I was gaining or losing ground. By now, everyone was fairly spread out and I didn’t have to really dodge any people like how I felt coming back from the first turnaround at 7.5. Probably my favorite people to see on the course each lap were the family with the two young kids who were also running! I was just so inspired by them being out there together and having the opportunity to participate in this awesome sport at such a young age, one of them was as young as 8. In fact, they were still going for at least 2-3 hours after I had finished and completed the 30 Mile event. Also, worth mentioning is that Ghost Train is special in the sense that there are no “DNF’s”, Did Not Finish, as the race allows you to complete as many 15 Mile laps as you can in a 30-hour time limit. As a result, there were people running 30 Miles, 45, 60, 75, 90, or 100+ Miles, meaning you never really knew what race people were running or if it would be the last time you would see them on the course. Speaking of the course, I hit the turnaround for the second time, Mile 22.5, in 3:07:45 for an 8:20 Pace.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6e9SZhecADDKnTjUKPaIGgntj6aCsC8AfVIHQD4pN1mwDOsL-rSXp0vqJXVCUHROpgOqRxqLpjgqX5szCRhiSrgEEWHreY1mL7l8yUXYkQrUNcrJzCaNKaZg0LgY_53Yy3TMV09QWWbWf/s1600/IMG_6065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6e9SZhecADDKnTjUKPaIGgntj6aCsC8AfVIHQD4pN1mwDOsL-rSXp0vqJXVCUHROpgOqRxqLpjgqX5szCRhiSrgEEWHreY1mL7l8yUXYkQrUNcrJzCaNKaZg0LgY_53Yy3TMV09QWWbWf/s320/IMG_6065.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Power Line Aid Station: Second Lap<br />
Photo Credit: Jon McInerney</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Heading back to Tevya for the second time was not kind to me. Maybe I went out to fast, or maybe I let the enormity of the task ahead of me get to me, but I found myself really struggling as early as 25 Miles. It’s difficult to shut off your brain when it tells you that you have already run a marathon today, yet you still have 73.8 Mile to go. My pace slipped considerably even though I did not feel all that tired. I did not feel great mentally when I hit Tevya for the second time. I probably spend about 3-4 minutes at my base camp this time, where I made sure I took in a slice of pizza and some water. I felt really stiff leaving camp, especially on my right leg, which was an early sign of future problems</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> in the race. I hit 30 Miles in 7th Overall in 4:23:53 for an 8:47 Pace. I was off for my third loop.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOgRhcNVJHlmQQYdV-Y73t0uDOEE4-YohgPs82iTEaJCAZeGrhkeq16rt9at0JqkKdJUhyAFyA4RjrDqdydc5LMF7a46nql-SR_OyZtTgo4bQ1kh7GRp2k88fFci9sIvwrDXFJS40BXXm/s1600/IMG_4184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOgRhcNVJHlmQQYdV-Y73t0uDOEE4-YohgPs82iTEaJCAZeGrhkeq16rt9at0JqkKdJUhyAFyA4RjrDqdydc5LMF7a46nql-SR_OyZtTgo4bQ1kh7GRp2k88fFci9sIvwrDXFJS40BXXm/s320/IMG_4184.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End of Second Lap! </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I desperately needed to “reset” my body and head so I began to implement a nine-minute run and one-minute walk system. This helped tremendously as I was hitting splits that were faster than my last eight miles where I wasn’t walking at all. This system had me hitting just under ten-minute miles as I remember seeing a lot of miles in the 9:40-9:55 range. I was feeling much stronger than the last lap and rolled into Milford for the 3<sup>rd</sup> time feeling pretty confident. I had moved into 4<sup>th</sup> place and was in a pretty solid position overall. The only thing I felt like was really draining me was the hilly section of the course and I was ecstatic each time when I would climb up the big wooden stairs and enter the flatter part of the course. Coming into Tevya for the third time my parents remarked that I looked so much better than when I had come in for the second lap. I knew that I only had one more lap before I picked up my parents to help pace me from Miles 60-90. I hit 45 Miles in 4<sup>th</sup> Overall in 6:57:00 for a 9:16 Pace. On a side, note I wanted to congratulate Patrick Caron for his course record in the 45 Mile race in which he ran a blistering 6:40 pace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsJotmbuaDJMpcatDO_Go_UpcUneNwLeHACLLSKi3kquKMS81UIaEmEV2pHQw01JKQmlI5bVzpNj0WzSXBIpB9HXl4sKNbmwDjkSFMDqPuIlvHGca6DOo3M9z-Fc0tQQKtMgQolF2EXyR/s1600/IMG_6061-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsJotmbuaDJMpcatDO_Go_UpcUneNwLeHACLLSKi3kquKMS81UIaEmEV2pHQw01JKQmlI5bVzpNj0WzSXBIpB9HXl4sKNbmwDjkSFMDqPuIlvHGca6DOo3M9z-Fc0tQQKtMgQolF2EXyR/s320/IMG_6061-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Power Line Aid Station: Third Lap<br />
Photo Credit: Jon McInerney</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I set off for my fourth lap with my headlamp, however, I choose to remain in a singlet and not put on any gloves, which was a huge mistake. It had been pretty warm during the day, but I had underestimated how quickly it would get cold. Probably not even two miles into this fourth lap and I suddenly just felt toast. My right leg had been giving me a lot of issues, especially in my hamstring area, over the last 15 Miles and it was only getting worse. I had been having an issue with my right leg in various areas during my training so it was definitely my fault that I didn’t take care of that by stretching, icing, or seeing a sports doctor. My pace, like the last lap, had continued to slip. I was still implementing the nine-minute run and one-minute walk, but already I was splitting about a minute a mile slower. I had also lost my appetite for the chips and cookies I had been eating the last eight hours and was only consuming my tailwind. When I came into Milford for the 4<sup>th</sup> time I spent a few minutes extra at the aid station. I thought it was really odd that the table where I filled up my water bottle was suddenly moving, but then I realized it was just my head that was spinning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKpKHP9Ed6Ud6YMW4UIC7mOIM1Dw0pzvE7vb7HbVDMcJCr_wkKvOPQ589CwLYKVN_O1-czLqas-rBHqpewUlWo36i5SkgwW-ukFlKamgGuEKHgxkRp1os8mC_Mp4T221RXGibBqAlquew/s1600/IMG_4204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKpKHP9Ed6Ud6YMW4UIC7mOIM1Dw0pzvE7vb7HbVDMcJCr_wkKvOPQ589CwLYKVN_O1-czLqas-rBHqpewUlWo36i5SkgwW-ukFlKamgGuEKHgxkRp1os8mC_Mp4T221RXGibBqAlquew/s320/IMG_4204.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">End of Third Lap! 45 Miles in! </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I left the aid station at Milford knowing deep down that I probably was not going to be back. The sun was also now setting and I was getting cold. I had also spilled water all over the bottle handle and my hand was now freezing, which was definitely poor planning on my part. These last few miles saw me splitting mostly in the 12-13 minute miles despite the fact that I was solely running, having abandoned implementing my walking since my right leg was in so much pain. It was on this stretch back to Tevya that I was lapped by Alex Jinks who ran a ridiculous 8:05 Pace for 100 Miles to set a new course record in 13:29:19. I turned on my headlamp for the last hour of this race, wondering when Brian, whom I had a 20-minute lead on at one point, would also catch me. The answer to that question was right as we hit the road with about half a mile to go for the lap. He asked me how I was and I said not very well and that my right leg was in significant pain. He was nice enough to allow me to use his roller and to take one of his No-Doz if I wanted. He looked super strong when he went by me right before Mile 60 so I knew he was going to have a great rest of his race. When I passed my parents at the end of the fourth lap, I told them I was going to go through the lap timing mat and then come back to them. I knew what this probably meant for my race. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-OnxInpzX5HLR7v6_w7V7SOfZHf9_sX-omDRL_AjuHN7faCilbsaFUhxDTizcr-XqefMRqTtQX6333cv1rDV9gMx-h9zF8qO74tAy169uTn8HnO8Co_WSi_WjvRBG7EPcjYcVrEuOt08/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-10-24+at+1.42.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="928" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-OnxInpzX5HLR7v6_w7V7SOfZHf9_sX-omDRL_AjuHN7faCilbsaFUhxDTizcr-XqefMRqTtQX6333cv1rDV9gMx-h9zF8qO74tAy169uTn8HnO8Co_WSi_WjvRBG7EPcjYcVrEuOt08/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-10-24+at+1.42.40+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakdown of Lap Splits </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">In the end, I crossed the timing mat for the final time in 9:55:57, a 9:55 pace for 60 Miles. I had managed to win the 60 Mile race, but this didn’t really feel like much of a consolation prize at the time. I had wanted 100 Miles. The farthest I have ever run before was a 100k, or 62 Miles, so it was a strange emotion to feel so disappointed at “only” running 60 Miles. A lot (or all) of the issues that had plagued me during this race were my fault, from failing to make sure I was properly taking care of my body in training, to running without proper clothing for the fourth lap, to having my only “real” long training run be my 50 Miles at the TARC Fall Classic. The great thing about ultra-running though is that it is a live and learn sport. I know I will be back to Ghost Train and Camp Tevya, and I’ll be looking to go farther than this time. In the meantime, I have a doctor’s appointment scheduled for November 5<sup>th</sup> to check out my leg, and I am taking a week or two off from running (goodbye 150-day </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">running streak). If all goes well, I hope to see my fellow Trail Animals at the TARCkey Trot 6 Hour and the TARC Winter Fells 40 Miles in a few weeks!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Finally, I want to shoutout Chris Wristen, the man behind MassUltra, for the mention in the Ghost Train recap article! I really feel as I have joined a special community in the Trail Animals Running Club and I always look forward to all of their races. The race directors really know how to put on a great event, and the runners and volunteers always make it worth it to be out there on the trails. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MassUltra Article<br />
Credit: Chris Wristen</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">One last thought I want to leave with actually comes from one of about thirty paper plates that were nailed to the trees along the hilly part of the course. These quotes were all funny or inspirational, but only one really stuck with me: </span><b style="font-family: "times new roman", serif;">“Success is not final, and failure is not fatal.”</b></div>
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Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-17888771923513652072018-10-01T21:27:00.001-07:002018-10-01T21:45:02.646-07:00TARC Fall Classic 50 Mile Race Recap It feels great to race an ultramarathon again! I want to start off by thanking the race directors, volunteers, and fellow runners for putting on an incredible event. Out of the four ultramarathons that I have run, three have been put on by the Trail Animals Running Club (TARC) and they have all been well organized, well executed, and the comradery among runners and volunteers just makes it a great experience.<br />
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I went into this race with high expectations given that I have been running about 70 Miles a week for the last two months and have been training specifically on trails. I knew I was in good shape as the week prior to the 50 Mile I ran the Wilmington Half Marathon in Wilmington, MA and finished in 1:19:31, despite losing almost a full minute on a missed turn.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Race Bib! Lucky #2182 </td></tr>
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<b>4:00 AM. </b>Race Day. I slowly made my way out of bed and surveyed the gear and food I had laid out<br />
<b></b>the night before. Everything appeared to be in order. After a light breakfast, I headed down to the main campus to pick up Charlotte and Victoria, who had once again graciously agreed to help crew me for this race. I know college students who would still be awake at 4:00 AM on a Saturday morning, so the fact that they had agreed to help me out once again and get up hours before the sun rose on a Saturday was just really special. We set off for Carlisle, MA at around 4:45 AM and arrived at Great Brook Farm State Park right around 5:15 AM.<br />
The TARC Fall Classic 50M features five laps traversing the trails of the mostly runnable State Park. I knew this course and I had run it before, but I was a bit nervous before the start of the race for a few reasons. Firstly, when I ran the 50k at the race last year I went off course twice on the first lap, losing over ten minutes and it was just demoralizing. I wasn’t in nearly as good of shape last year and it hurt losing those valuable minutes. Secondly, the competition, based on UltraSignup results, was supposed to be pretty strong. There were numerous runners who have run in the 14 -18-hour range for 100 Mile races. Finally, 50 Miles is a long race. It would be the second farthest I had ever run behind only my 100k.<br />
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<b>6:00 AM. </b>The race begins. I was smarter this year and actually bought a headlamp instead of just using the flashlight on my phone since the sun doesn’t rise until about 40 minutes into the race. I started the race in 4th place for the first few miles while I tried to settle into a rhythm. At about Mile 2, I was caught by another runner named Brian. We decided to stick together since we had around the same time goals and we would both be running Ghost Train in a few weeks. One thing about this race that was surprising to me was how fast runners started out the first lap. I know I can be guilty of the same thing, but I knew better than to try that the first five miles of a 50 Mile race. I was running in about 8th place by the time I was about an hour into the race, but 50 Miles is a long race, so I wasn’t worried yet. The best way I could think of to mentally handle each lap was to split it into thirds. The first third, was relatively flat and runnable fire trails until you reach the first aid station. The next third included mostly winding trails and my favorite section of the race where there is an open trail where you can see about a quarter mile ahead of you. The final third of the race, after passing the aid station for the second time, is the toughest. Three of the four major hills are in this section and it is also the most technical and difficult to run. Overall, I was feeling pretty strong by the time I reached the wide-open field the last half mile, which we would run around to reach the start line and aid station before beginning the next lap.<br />
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<b>Loop One: </b>1:38:15 (9:49 Pace), 7th Place. <b>Total Time: </b>1:38:15 (9:49 Pace)<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">20 Miles In!</span></div>
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I reached the end of the first lap in about 1:36 and only spent two minutes refueling, taking off a layer, and dropping off my headlamp. For fuel, I was carrying an 18oz bottle of water mixed with Nuun Performance, and eating snack bag with about 250 calories of cookies and potato chips that I could stuff into a pocket on my water bottle. I’m honestly not a huge fan at all of running ultras with energy gels or similar products as I really can’t stomach the taste and the sugary feeling. I would take real food any day, and it has never given me any problems. At the start of the second lap, I lost Brian, who I had been running with the entirety of the first lap. I wasn’t too sure if he had left the aid station before me and had gotten ahead or if I had left before. Now that I was warmed up and had dropped my extra layer I felt strong but wanted to be careful not to run too overzealously. The temperature was still relatively cool for this lap so I felt pretty relaxed. For the most part, I ran this loop by myself, but I did hang on with one of the top women running the 50k for almost an hour. I was passed by a few more people in the 50k, which I expected, but I did not see anyone from the 50 Mile outside of one person that I passed towards the middle of the lap. Finishing up the loop around the field, I still felt strong, which was a far cry from how I felt during this race last year, even though I was only running the 50k then. I reached the aid station, and stripped off my last top layer and began refueling. I was lucky to have my crew prepare my water and Nuun mixture beforehand each lap, and I already had assembled a snack pack the day before so I did a good job of getting out of the aid station fairly quickly. After this lap, I also ate a slice of pizza I had cooked the night before, and it was honestly one of the best decisions I made with my race fueling.<br />
<b><br />Loop Two:</b>1:34:30 (9:27 Pace), 6th Place. <b>Total Time: </b>3:12:45 (9:38 Pace)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Thinking about Pizza</td></tr>
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Lap three and four are always big laps for me. I am generally a pretty strong finisher, so it's these </div>
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middle laps that make or break my race, whether I let my pace slow or hang strong. I felt like I was making significant ground on some of the people ahead of me, and I passed another runner about four or five miles into this lap. I hit the halfway mark, 25 Miles, in about 3:59, which put me right under an eight-hour finishing time, although I knew I had no shot at that given the difficulty in negative or even splitting ultramarathons. Still, I felt good and was moving well. It was now getting much hotter than the previous two laps and I was definitely drinking my water faster than before. I probably should have stopped at the second aid station for more water on this lap, but I plowed ahead as I had another runner in the 50 Mile in my sights. I passed this runner going through the last technical section of the trail and opened up a bit of a gap over the last two miles. I came through to the aid station where my crew told me that I was about 15 minutes behind second place at this point. I once again refueled my bottle and had another slice of pizza, which was definitely my favorite part of completing each lap. My crew told me I looked pretty good and I actually felt pretty good too! 30 Miles down, 20 to go.<br />
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<b>Loop Three: </b>1:40:10 (10:01 Pace), 4th Place. <b>Total Time:</b> 4:52:55 (9:46 Pace)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">40 Miles Down, 10 to go!</td></tr>
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Since I had stopped at the aid station for a bit longer than the guy I had just passed, I was back into fifth place for the next two miles before I passed him on a long winding hill. I had been power walking small sections of this incline on previous loops, but I did not want to show any weakness so I kept running and put on a permanent gap this time. By now, the temperature had reached the high 60s and low 70s and the sun was beating down, and I was honestly pretty uncomfortable. I knew this was going to be a tough lap, and I had told my crew to expect slower time than before. This lap was also the first time all race that I stopped at the aid stations and refueled my water bottle. I knew I needed the calories, but I was getting sick of eating and drinking. I finally spotted third place as I entered one of the only open sections of the course. She was about two minutes ahead and moving well, but I managed to catch up by Mile 37 when we both reached the aid station. I left before her and worked hard to increase the gap on the hills the last 3 miles. I actually came in a bit faster than I expected to for the fourth lap, which had surprised me as I felt like my pace had started to suffer. When I reached the aid station for the last time I took a final slice of pizza, refueled my bottle and sped off. My crew told me that 2nd place was 11 minutes ahead and appeared to be hurting. I felt much better and told my crew three simple words: “I’ve got this.”</div>
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<b><br /></b> <b>Loop Four: </b>1:46:45 (10:40 Pace), 4th Place. <b>Total Time:</b> 6:37:40 (9:56 Pace)<br />
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In actually, I did not quite “have it” but we will get to that shortly. I set out on my final lap on a </div>
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mission. Just like my last ultra at the TARC Winter Fells 40 Mile, I was shocked at how good I felt. I was determined not to stop or slow down outside of at the aid stations. When I reached the first station I refueled my water bottle and asked about 2nd place, but much to my dismay they did not remember 2nd place coming through recently. I kept expecting to round corners and see them up ahead, and I definitely expected to be making progress by the time I reached the open part of the course, but there was nothing. Coming into the aid station for the last time, I refueled with just water as I was so sick of Nuun, and asked again about 2nd place one again. Still nothing, except that they “maybe” left a bit ago. I powered ahead, running up the steep inclines that I had previously walked or power hiked the prior four laps. I finally exited the trails and entered the flat stretch before the last lap around the field. Just as I entered the field, I finally saw her. 2nd place, who I had been chasing for the last 20 miles, was about 1:30 to 2:00 minutes ahead. Seeing 2nd place lit my adrenaline on fire. I sped up and I was closing rapidly; my watch was showing my pace at 5:40-5:45. I had closed the gap to about 20 seconds with less than a quarter mile to go, and I think she could sense it because she finally turned around. I knew then that it was over when she saw me. I closed hard down the stretch and finished 4 seconds behind. In the end, I had closed the last half mile of a 50 Mile race in 3:05! I finished in 3rd Overall with a final time of 8:15:56, or a 9:55 Pace. I spent a long time after the race thinking about where I could have cut off 4-5 seconds off of an eight-hour long race. Could I have left an aid station earlier? Did I really need to stop for water with only 3 miles left? In the end, I made peace with it. One of the scariest things about ultras, but also one of the best things, is that seconds can completely change your race. My entire race could have been different if I spent less time at an aid station or decided to forgo refilling my bottle.<br />
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<b>Loop Five: </b>1:36:16 (9:37 Pace), 4th Place. <b>Total Time: </b>8:15:56 (9:55 Pace)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Support Crew: Charlotte & Victoria </td></tr>
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Overall, I was really happy with my race. I ran pretty consistent by ultramarathon standards (1:36, 1:38, 1:40, 1:46, 1:38) as there was only a 10-minute split between my fastest and slowest laps. It always difficult to rationalize how you feel at the end of a race when you think about it the next day, but I definitely felt like I could have gone farther. Right now, I am entered into the Ghost Train Ultra in three weeks with the intention of running my first 100-mile race and I am really looking forward to it. Finally, I just want to again thank the race directors and all the volunteers for putting on a great event. None of this would have been possible either without the help of Charlotte and Victoria supporting me. I also want to congratulate Megan, the second-place finisher, who ran an amazing race to take over 35 minutes off the women’s course record. Results for the race can be found at: <a href="https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=52483#">https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=52483#</a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you to the Trail Animals Running Club (TARC) for a great race!</td></tr>
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Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-89728405929798881982018-05-26T13:14:00.000-07:002018-10-01T19:20:12.912-07:002018 Run for the Red Marathon – A Pennsylvania Redemption RunI want to start off this blog post a little differently than I usually do. I want to talk about my experience at a different marathon first, the 2016 Lehigh Valley Via Marathon, a race that has plagued me for almost two years. After running 2:53:16 in only my second Marathon at age 18 at the 2015 Thunder Road Marathon in Charlotte, NC, I decided I still had better times in me. I signed up for the 2016 Lehigh Valley Marathon held the first weekend in September in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Then, I went to work. During the Summer before the race, I put in an average of 85 miles a week over a 10-week period, with two weeks at 100 Miles. I was in the best shape of my life, having run 16:35 for the 5K in high 80 temperatures, and a solo 14 Mile Marathon Pace Tempo in the middle of July at 6:14 Pace. I was ready to run a huge PR.<br />
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Unfortunately, the weather had other plans for me. The weather that day was already 72 degrees by the start at 8am, and only climbed from there. The humidity was also in the high 80s to low 90s. Obviously, not ideal marathon temperatures, but I was so steadfast on my goal of 2:45 that I didn’t even consider adjusting. I hit the first mile in 5:58, still my fastest split at any point in any marathon to this day, and kept going from there. I hit the 10K in 39:20, about a 6:17 Pace. I still felt great at<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">2016 Lehigh Valley Marathon - 10K Split </td></tr>
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Mile 11, but then I took a Gu, missed the water stop right after that, and everything went crashing downhill from there. Anyone who has run a marathon will tell you that Mile 11 is not where you want to be really hurting. By Mile 13, I had slowed considerably, by Mile 17, I was walking and running. At Mile 22, I passed a medical tent and an aid station. I ran about 100 meters past it before I threw up, and then promptly turned around back to the tent. I sat in the back of a stationary ambulance for about 10 minutes while I had my vitals and my personal information being taken. Afterward, they asked me if I wanted a ride back to the finish and I briefly contemplated taking my first DNF ever, before saying I wanted to go back out. The last 3.6 miles of the race, after the 22.6 Mile checkpoint, took me over 56 minutes to finish. I finally crossed the finish line in 3:42:31, almost 50 minutes slower than I had run about 10 months before.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished! (Medical Tent Time) </td></tr>
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I didn’t post about this marathon afterward, and I didn’t put it on Strava. I had worked the hardest I ever had to get myself into the best shape of my life, and everything collapsed. In the 20 months since this race, I have run 4 more marathons (3:01:34, 2:56:30, 3:03:03, 2:58:21) and two ultras, a 50K, and a 40 Mile race, but even completing these races I still feel as if I haven’t really put my best effort forward. I got away with training for all these races on literally no long runs over 10 Miles, and weekly mileage of 20-40 miles a week. Back in February, my Mom and I signed up for the 2018 Run for the Red Marathon, and I was nervous about going back to race in Pennsylvania, considering how poorly things had gone the last time. After running 3:03:03 in the Milan Marathon on April 8th, technically a Boston qualifying time, but definitely not enough under the standard to get in, I knew I had some work to do. After taking about a week of recovery, I put in weeks of 60, 65, 70, 40, and 50 in the five weeks leading up to and including the marathon. While I didn’t have any long runs over 10 Miles I had days where I sometimes ran 3 times a day for a total of 15 Miles.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-Race</td></tr>
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Fast-forward to May, and I find myself, my Mom, and my girlfriend pulling into the middle of nowhere Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania at Stroudsburg High School for the race expo. The weather had been nonstop rain for the past two days and it looked as if that may continue into the race tomorrow. The race had even issued a special email stating that the weather for early that morning included lightning, and if the lighting was spotted prior to the start of the race, the race would have to be called off. After leaving to the packet pickup, we drove to our hotel near the start, lounged around quite a bit, ate dinner at one of the only Italian restaurants we could find, and then went to bed early.<br />
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My goal for this race was, hopefully, to run around 2:55, but more importantly to run under three hours and give myself more breathing room on my Boston qualifying time. When we woke up the next morning, we found the weather less than ideal, although we were anticipating this. The good news was that there was no longer lightning, or even rain, in the forecast. However, near 100% humidity promised to make it an interesting morning. We arrived at Pocono Mountain High School at around 6:20am, about 40 minutes before the start. Usually, the half an hour leading up to a race moves fairly quickly for me, and this race was no exception. It was already 6:55 by the time I decided to do a quick two-minute shakeout and head to the starting line. A quick rendition of the National Anthem, and few words, and then we were off! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Game-Face On Always. </td></tr>
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The Run for the Red Marathon was a little bit different from others that I have run in the past, as it features about a 1400-foot elevation drop over the course of the race, with the vast majority coming between Miles 6-11. I was interested to see how my quads and my hips would react to Miles 7-8 specifically, which dropped over 550 feet. What I wasn’t interested to see was the last eight miles of the course which featured significant rolling hills from Mile 18 all the way to the finish. For this race, I had ordered a Marathon Pace Band with the goal of a 2:55 finish time. I had selected the splits to be based on the course profile, with a negative split, increased effort in the second half, and boy was this a mistake. I don’t think I hit a single split within 5 seconds of the band all race. The first five miles of the race is fairly rolling, and I focused on settling into a rhythm and feeling strong with controlled breathing by the time I reached the downhills at Mile 5.5. I hit Mile 1 in 6:40, only a mere 22 seconds faster than my pace band. Shortly afterward, and much to my surprise, I literally “ran” into another runner I knew from Charlotte, Andrew Charters. We had raced against each other quite a few times at the U.S National Whitewater Center. He told me was going for under three hours, so I had somebody to work with.<br />
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The first few miles of the race were largely uneventful, but try as I might, I couldn’t reign in my pace and put 45 seconds on my band by the time we hit the downhills. I consider myself a fairly strong downhill runner, but much to my surprise, I was already developing some pretty strong tightening in my hips by Mile 6. I’m not entirely sure if this was due to my shoe choice or not. I ran in a fairly new pair of HOKA Clifton 4s, with only about 8 Miles and a bit of walking on them. I had not anticipated wearing them, because the weather did not seem like it was going to cooperate, so I did not break them in that much. It was either these shoes or a pair I have been wearing the last few months with over 550 Miles and at least 150 more walking.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moms 6th Marathon Finish!</td></tr>
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My favorite part of this race was definitely Mile 7 & 8. It was absolutely, totally, and 100% downhill. I just let my legs fly, even faster than I had anticipated. Nothing feels better than a 6:08 at Mile 7 and a 6:00 at Mile 8 with minimal effort. However, after the race leveled out the next mile, I could really feel the effort of running on rolling hills versus running downhill. I hit Mile 9 in a time of 58:50, about a 6:34 Pace Overall, and 1:29 ahead of my pace band. By this time, Andrew had been running a great race and he pulled away from me as well so I was working with a few other guys for these middle miles. It was shortly after around Mile 11 or so where I just felt off. I’m not sure if I worked it too hard on the downhills, or if the humidity was getting to me, but I lost almost 40 seconds on my pace band in just 3 miles. Once I took my second Gu at Mile 12 I started to feel a bit better, then earlier and picked it up to hit halfway at 1:27:07, still 43 seconds ahead of the band, and only 29 seconds behind my PR pace. For the next several miles I ran with only one other person, working together to try and close the gap on a group of runners up ahead. Even after the half marathon split off and finished I found that we lost very little people, as most ahead of me were in the Marathon.<br />
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Overall, I would say my largest gripe with this race was that the road was not closed off from traffic at all the second half. The course was completely open and we had cars going by us constantly. We were relegated to the left of the white line, only about two feet at a time and slightly cantered to run on. I understand it may not be entirely possible to shut down the whole course, but there were not even cones or markings blocking the runners from passing cars. Regardless, I was willing to put up with it for a downhill course and the beautiful scenery of the Poconos.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obligatory Post-Race Medal Pic </td></tr>
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Shortly after Mile 16, I lost contact with the guy I had been running with the past few miles. This was definitely a rough stretch for me for whatever reason. I did not feel like I was slowing down a ton, but I still had about 5-6 people pass by me. I was worried that the last 8 Miles would be a nightmare if I was not feeling great already. At Mile 18, to quote numerous people, the “party is over”. Unrelenting hills awaited us. I hit Mile 18 in 1:59:50, about a 6:39 Pace, and only 7 seconds ahead of my pace band. I had run the Miles from 9-18 in about a 6:45 Pace. At this point, I was already calculating the pace I needed to hold to the finish, about 7:20 per Mile, in order to finish under three hours. I decided I needed a “reset”. I needed to take a Gu, get my breathing under control and focus on my arm movement. It actually helped tremendously, at least for a little while. I thought I could ride my second wave of energy all the way to the finish, but alas it was only until Mile 21. The last split I remember hitting was a 6:45 at Mile 20 before I stopped looking at my watch. The good news was that even though I was slowing down, so was most everyone else. In fact, looking at the results after the race, I went back to look at the top 75 finishers and only two negative split, or even managed to positive split within a minute. Going up the largest hill of the race at Mile 21 I managed to gain ground and eventually passed back 4 of the people that passed me earlier.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Best Support Crew! </td></tr>
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The last few miles of the marathon for me are always the same, a painful fight to the finish. The only race I can say this wasn’t true was the Vermont City Marathon last year, the only marathon I have ever negative split. Maybe I should try that strategy more often… The last few miles I was running entirely by myself without a person in sight on either end or so I thought. Right before Mile 25, I had another young guy, who had asked to look at my pace band while we were waiting in line at the bathroom before the race, blow right by me. I hit Mile 25 in 2:49:50 overall, so I knew a sub-three-hour finish and a BQ were within reach as long as something drastic did not happen. The last bit of the race, as we entered Stroudsburg High School seemed to last forever. Even though you “enter” the grounds of the high school, the last 300 meters on the track where we finished is still a good half mile away. I managed to pass one person during this last part before entering the track and another runner on the backstretch before finishing on the straightaway in a time of 2:58:21! I finished in 21st Overall for a pace of 6:48 per mile. The eight miles, despite the hills, didn’t cost me too much time as I averaged about a 7:08 Pace. I also want to give a congratulation to my fellow Charlotte runner, Andrew, who finished in 2:57:11 for 16th place overall!<br />
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As far as my racing plans go for the future, I have a busy schedule. I can confirm I will be running the Boston Marathon in 2019 so I am very excited about that. This summer I will be training for two very important races: the Kodiak 50 Mile in Big Bear Lake, California, and the Ghost Train 100, in New Hampshire. Finally, I will also be racing the Drummer Hill 50K in New Hampshire, and the TARC Fall Classic 50 Mile as tune-ups!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race Finish! </td></tr>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
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Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-49283109753036077712018-04-10T07:06:00.001-07:002018-04-10T14:28:44.848-07:002018 EA7 Milan Marathon Race Recap <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Over the past year, I have grown accustomed to racing long distances on little training, a strategy I don’t necessarily recommend. April 2017, I gritted my way to a Boston finish in 3:01:34 off of about an average of 26.5 Miles the preceding 12 weeks, and with no run over 12 miles. Six weeks later I ran a 2:56:35 at the Vermont City Marathon off of an average of 29.5 Miles the preceding 12 weeks with one long run of 18 miles.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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For the 2018 EA7 Milan Marathon I ran an average of 22.5 Miles the preceding 12 weeks with one long run of 17 miles… Certainly not ideal by any standard, and even lower than I had previously calculated. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race Expo!</td></tr>
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For the past 3 months, I have been studying abroad in Milan, Italy and have been fortunate enough to travel around Italy, France, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, just to name a few. While it hasn’t been the easiest to balance running, traveling, classes, and being in a foreign environment, I decided there was no way I was leaving Europe without running an International Marathon, and what better place to do it than my home city. <o:p></o:p></div>
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During this blog post, I am going to try and highlight some of the differences between racing in the United States vs. racing in Italy. For starters, you don’t necessarily have the “right to race” in Italy, i.e. you can’t just sign up for any race and run it like you can in the United States. Every runner who signed up for the marathon had to either have a sixty-euro medical exam done, clearing them as physically able to run, or be a member of their IAAF country affiliate. For Italy, that would be FIDAL, and for the United States, it is USATF! This meant that I had to renew my long dormant USATF membership from 2011 in order to race. Another difference was that my race bib was made of some strange printed fabric paper, instead of the traditional paper bibs I am used to. Finally, running in Europe, for whatever reason, is an incredibly male “dominated” sport. When I looked at the results for last year’s race, only 15% of the finishers were women, and this year it was only slightly higher at 16.5%! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Course Map </td></tr>
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On Sunday morning, I arrived at the starting area around 7:30 am with my girlfriend, Charlotte. This was usually earlier than I would have arrived for a 9:00 am start time, but we were told if we did not arrive before 7:45 am there was a possibility we would not get through the metal detectors and security in time. The line moved much quicker than I had planned on and I was through at around 7:50 am. The only problem was I had chosen not to use my race bag which I could store and pick up after the race as I did not want to risk any of my valuables. As a result, I was left without my phone or jacket for over an hour before the race. To pass the time I did some light stretching, ran about a mile warm-up and ran to the bathroom. <span style="font-size: 12pt;">. In Italy, or at least this race, the portable
toilets are only stocked with one roll of toilet paper each for all the
thousands of participants, and they aren’t replenished when they run out… Moving
on… </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Overall, the layout of the pre-race activities was extremely hectic to me. I did not figure out exactly where to go for the start line until 15 minutes beforehand.</span><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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For this race, I was in the first wave of runners who had previously run sub-three hour marathons, so I was right behind the elite runners. My goal for this race was to run even splits and stick with the 3:00 pace group, three runners with yellow balloons attached to them, for as long as possible. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Dieci…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nove…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Otto…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sette…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sei… <o:p></o:p></div>
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Cinque…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Quattro… <o:p></o:p></div>
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Tre… <o:p></o:p></div>
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Due… <o:p></o:p></div>
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Uno!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10KM Split!</td></tr>
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We were off! On a side note, numbers one through ten basically covers the extent of what I have learned studying the Italian language this semester… Sorry, Mom. I tried to settle into a rhythm from the gun but it was difficult due to the sheer volume of runners, much like at the Boston Marathon. I was ahead of the 3:00 pace group for just a few minutes before I relaxed and allowed them to pass by me. I had decided to use my Garmin for this race as in Europe the markers would be in kilometers instead of miles and I didn’t feel like doing mental math at “Kilometer 32” trying to convert my total time to my average mile pace. I instantly regretted this as my Garmin did not sync up with the GPS satellites properly and the first few miles were dreadfully off, I had already decided by 5K that I would only be looking at it for the total time in order to calculate my 5K splits, which I knew I could do pretty easily. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One thing about the Milan Marathon is that it has a huge amount of turns and I constantly felt like I was turning, making U-turn’s or looping back towards the same area we had previously been. Our 3:00 pace group was incredibly massive, probably over 100 runners, which made every water stop hectic, to say the least. At our first water stop, I nearly did not grab a bottle in time. You read that right. At every water stop, the table was lined with hundreds of 0.5L, 16.9-ounce plastic water bottles, something I found extremely wasteful and unnecessary as runners would drink maybe a fifth of the bottle and then throw it to the side. There were some friendly runners who did hold these bottles and yell “Aqua!” and pass them around to those who needed them before throwing them. I hit 5K in about 21:35, a few seconds off of sub-three-hour pace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Milan, like most Italian cities, has its fair share of cobblestone streets and as a result, we were forced to run on cobblestone and rail tracks for about 2-3 miles throughout the race. While I’m not sure this necessarily slowed me down, I definitely did not like the feeling under my feet, especially later on in the race. At around 10K, we passed by Milan’s most famous landmark: the Duomo! For some reason, Italians love shouting out landmarks as they run by them, so all I heard for about a minute as we passed by was “Duomo! Duomo! Duomo!”. I’m not sure I would ever shout “Citgo Sign! Citgo Sign!” while running the Boston Marathon, but to each their own. I hit the 10K split in 42:52, pretty much perfectly on pace. It was here that I took my first Gu; a Strawberry-Banana PowerGel. I’m going to come straight out and say I do not recommend these at all. They taste much worse than other Gu brands and they did not sit well with me. However, as I did not have many options for nutrition, I was stuck with them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near Mile 20...</td></tr>
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We continued to wind through the outskirts of the city during the next few miles (I will include a course map in this post to highlight all of the turns) as the sun steadily began to rise and the race started to heat up. I had not been used to running in hotter temperatures as Milan, and Europe, in general, has been experiencing a particularly cold winter. The late start now meant that the temperature was beginning to reach the 60s, which is not awful for a marathon, however, it felt much hotter with minimal shade and the sun beating down on us. I hit about 1:04:08 or so for the 15K, still with the pace group, and feeling strong. It seemed that everyone in the 2:58-3:05 marathon vicinity had decided to stick with this pace group as there was literally no one in front of the pace group and no one behind it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I started to feel the first bit of fatigue around the 20Km mark. Nothing detrimental, however, I was now aware of how my legs were feeling after the initial excitement had worn off, i.e. I was racing a marathon. We hit the halfway mark, 21.1Km, slightly ahead of pace in 1:29:41 for about a 6:50 Pace. Shortly after we passed the halfway I made the conscious decision to run behind the pace group by about 10-15 seconds. This wasn’t because I couldn’t keep up with them at this point, but because I had grown tired of running in this massive pack and competing for water positioning at every stop. Moving back caused me to feel the best I had all race from about 22Km to 30Km. My breathing was smoother and I also felt less hot outside of the large group. I stayed where I was positioned until we started making our way back towards the finish. I hit 30Km in 2:07:43, still about 20 seconds ahead of schedule!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost Done!</td></tr>
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At this point, I was really starting to feel the fatigue and could tell I was slowing down for the first time. Another note, the EA7 Milan Marathon is marked solely in kilometers except for one spot… Thank you for reminding me, Milan Marathon, that I was passing Mile 20. Hitting “The Wall” definitely still exists in Italy. I started to lose contact with the pace group and I decided to fall back and pace myself rather than blow up the final 2-3 miles sticking with them. Surprisingly, or rather, not surprisingly, my legs were the part of my body giving me issues, not my breathing or my heart rate. My breathing was akin to easy pace running, I just could not get my legs to turn over faster. I guess I kind of deserved to suffer a bit at the end because of my (lack of) training. After a rough stretch from 35km to 39km, I could feel my leg turnover improving a little bit. I wasn’t necessarily picking people off, but I wasn’t getting passed very much either. I hit 41Km and could really start to feel the pain in my legs. I refused to glance down at my watch time as I believed that it would already be in the 3:00:00+ range. One thing that I learned in this marathon is that regardless of whether it is in kilometers or miles, the last marker in a marathon feels equally as long. I rounded the final corner and had only about 200m to go. I was surprised to see the clock ticking in the 3:02:XX range! While I want to say that I then powered it home with an all-out 200m sprint to finish under 3:03:00, that was not the case. I crossed the line in a chip time of 3:03:03, a 6:59 Pace, and good for 271st place in a highly competitive field. I’m sure there was only a handful of us, but at least now I can check “1st Overall American at an International Marathon” off the top of my bucket list. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I had an interesting post-race experience, to say the least. After taking the metro to the Duomo and getting my favorite vegan chocolate gelato at Venchi, I retreated back to my room. Just a few short hours later I would find myself tripping into our glass living room table and cutting open the direct bottom of my foot on broken glass. As if running a marathon was not exciting enough, to top it off my body decided I needed a bruised bloody foot and a limp. I am currently on Day 169 of a run streak and boy was it fun running a 9:36 Mile last night.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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While I technically qualified for the 2019 Boston Marathon at this race, I know for a fact that it is not going to be enough. I was 1:57 under my cutoff time, however, last year you had to be 3:24 under the cutoff to even get in. Before this race, I was already registered for the Run for the Red Marathon on Sunday, May 20th so I wasn’t super worried about qualifying here. I am going to give my body about a week to recover, which will give me five weeks to train for this marathon! As far as future races and plans go, I am excited to say that I have a full schedule coming up! This summer I will be staying in Boston, MA and interning at Bank of America. I will also be finishing up a semester early and graduating from Bentley University in December! For races, I am currently registered for the Run for the Red Marathon (Pennsylvania) in May, the Kodiak 50 Miler (California) in August, the TARC Fall Classic 50 (Massachusetts) in September, and the Ghost Train 100 Miler (New Hampshire) in October! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I hope to have a lot more to post about in the future, and as always, thank you to everyone for giving this a read! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFbYACrjEumYqVsW81oi1aG-1OLtTjErYvYiwIHVCIpLzPYtTS08WYFCK2Txje7-8imwgYeCkFD-t0hA49LOmMvvhsLFK1Q4uWZAyZlnuNus9LJ6Kucd282z4YpCIf1kovo_ckaobTi8g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-04-10+at+3.55.57+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFbYACrjEumYqVsW81oi1aG-1OLtTjErYvYiwIHVCIpLzPYtTS08WYFCK2Txje7-8imwgYeCkFD-t0hA49LOmMvvhsLFK1Q4uWZAyZlnuNus9LJ6Kucd282z4YpCIf1kovo_ckaobTi8g/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-04-10+at+3.55.57+PM.png" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-Race</td></tr>
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</style>Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-21881368007412900162017-12-03T10:57:00.004-08:002017-12-03T20:23:29.359-08:00TARC Winter Fells 40 Mile Race Recap <div class="MsoNormal">
First off, I want to say thank you to the race directors and all the volunteers who spent many hours out on the trails making sure the runners had everything they could possibly need. I also want to give a big thank you to my girlfriend, Charlotte, and one of my best friend’s, Victoria, both of whom crewed me for this race. I couldn’t have done it without them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As far as this race goes, this was my 3<sup>rd</sup> Ultra ever. Going into this race I had been putting in consistent 50-mile weeks, which is at least double the amount I had been running for my last Ultra. Obviously, the mileage should have been a little higher, and there should have been a few longer runs, but I was confident in my abilities and believed I could finish. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Fast forward to race morning and my alarm goes off bright and early at 5 AM. The forecast for the race was cold, with temperatures in the high 20s to start, and only warming up to about 38 by the end of the race. As a result, I had packed a few different clothing options with me so I could add and subtract layers depending on the weather and how I was feeling. The previous day I had visited a local running store in Lexington, MA and picked up a much-needed pair of winter running gloves, which made a world of difference come race time. At 5:50 AM we set off for the race which was located in Stoneham, MA. We arrived at the Middlesex Fells Reservation around 6:15 AM and I quickly went to pick up my number before getting back to the car to prep my crew. Soon enough it was time to make my way to the start line, where I recognized one of the people running, John Fegyveresi, one of only 14 or so people to ever finish the Barkley Marathons, a 130 Mile brutal trail race in Tennessee! As I was at the starting line, I tried to think back to the only time I had run on the course before, a slow four mile run with some friends back in September of 2016. I remember the course being pretty brutal, but it was even worse than I had imagined. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-Race! Credit: David Metsky, TARC</td></tr>
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At 7am sharp, the race began. My pacing strategy was “conservative”, but “conservative” is just a relative term in ultras. It is highly likely that you will slow down, sometimes by minutes each mile, so it’s all about focusing on your perceived effort. The TARC Winter Fells takes place on the Skyline Trail of the Middlesex Fells Reservation. The 32 Mile Race featured 4 laps of the trail, while the 40 Mile features an additional lap. Runners complete about a .25 Mile out-and-back at the start and end of each lap. The race director describes the course as ‘A nightmarish course of rocks and roots with a bit of elevation thrown in”, and somehow that description does not even do it justice. The nice thing about the Skyline trail is that since it is a loop the race director allows runners to go either CW or CCW around the trail, and since the people ahead of me had all chosen CW to start, I wasn’t about to go off by myself the other way. Since there were 32 Mile runners going a little bit faster than me it was nice to have people with me and ahead of me for directions, as I sure needed guidance that first lap. I settled into a nice group of about four to five runners to start and we carried along on the technical terrain. I finally got myself a Garmin, the Fenix 3 HR, so I could actually know my splits from now on rather than being in the dark on it. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lap 2, Credit: David Metsky, TARC</td></tr>
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I<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> hit the first Mile in 9:59, which sort of shocked me considering my heart rate was already in the 160s. The thing about the Skyline trail, however, is that it is highly advisable to walk or power hike up some of the larger and steeper inclines if you want to have any chance at all of the finishing the event. As we carried on the first loop, the trail only got worse. There are actually some spectacularly steep rock faces that you have to climb up on your hands and knees to continue on the trail, something I have never had to do before in a race. It’s usually not a good sign when it feels a little difficult to run an 11:27 Mile 3, but that is the nature of the skyline trail. As I figured out during this first lap, going CW means that you get a majority of the largest hills and all the rock faces out of the way in the first 3.5 Miles of the loop, with the remainder of the loop being “less technical”, although I’m not really sure that is the right way to put it! As we began the second half of the loop our group had splintered to three people, one of whom was named Sylvain, who I had a great chat during this loop with about what else but, you guessed it, running. As hard as a tried it was incredibly difficult to settle into a rhythm as there really are no flat and totally runnable areas, save for a few sections. Even the downhills on the course are just as brutal and require you to be incredibly careful to avoid falling, which I’ll get too later. About a mile and a half before the end of the loop, things finally open up and become slightly more runnable, with the only stretch where you can really open up your stride lasting maybe 0.4 of a mile. Sylvain and I had gone from low 11s to high 7-minute pace for at least part of this section. Finally, we popped out of the loop portion of the trail and headed back on the 0.25-mile flat stretch to the fueling station. We crossed the end of loop one side by side.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Loop One: </b>1:20:47, (10:05 Pace), 6<sup>th</sup> Place. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lap 2, Credit: David Metsky, TARC</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKUMFXClYwVSRcmwxzqbcQ_panR0Jp_hZ2gjDz2_1lDHCV27WheGT4uOjCNxofmSNfDawNQjBbJKFdyR50-6ftDZKCNVEX49aRZxDO2PQTs026x7MDBpT6txI586e6BLsRaLP393MSsMB/s1600/24173862_10155957063286340_2935564136738635551_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>At the aid station, I was able to see Charlotte and Victoria and refuel my supplies. For the race, I had decided to drink Nuun’s Electrolyte and Carbohydrate replace, since I couldn’t find tailwind, and consume mostly solid food, like cookies and chips. I only spent maybe 2 minutes refueling, but Sylvain was long gone before then, I wouldn’t see him again until the finish. I started off the second lap with another runner doing the 40 Mile who had come in about a minute after I had on the first loop. We quickly passed the first few miles talking about running, vacations, college, and Asheville, NC. About ten miles into the race we almost missed a turn and I had to turn fast, placing my foot hard on an especially pointy rock. Examining it the next morning, there is definitely a sizable bruise. Eventually, we parted ways going up one of the rock faces and I was on my own. I had paid attention to where I was going on the first lap, so I knew I had a solid understanding of the course. However, there was one turn on the back half of the course that did not clearly indicate which way to go, and as a result, I paused there for about 45 seconds to let the people I could hear behind me catch up. There were two runners, with one of them being a lively 23-year-old named Matthew, whom I shared a few miles with. We were about 13 Miles into the 40 Mile race when he just yells “Today is a great day to be alive!”, and I loved it. We split up when I stopped at the mid-race aid station to grab some food, but I stayed within eyeshot of them for the remainder of the lap. I was still feeling great when I came to the aid station at the end of lap two. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Loop Two: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>1:23:32 (10:26 Pace), 5<sup>th</sup> Place. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Total Time:</b> 2:44:19, (10:16 Pace) <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lap 3, Credit: David Metsky, TARC</td></tr>
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I began loop three alone, but feeling strong, having no idea how bad I would feel in just a few miles. I crested the now familiar steep hills and knew exactly which sections I needed to take a little slower, or just walk entirely. I had another runner, who was entered in the 32 Mile, just a little bit in front of me, and we had been trading passing each other for most of the second lap and third lap thus far. Right around Mile 19, I was going down a steep hill, and another runner was going up, making the footing were technical. I misplaced by foot, slipped, and crashed hard, with my face going right into a rock. I was very fortunate that only my cheek hit the rock because there could have been many worse outcomes there. I was now bleeding from my face and had also landed hard on my hip and both my knees. I had to sit on the side of the trail for several minutes while I waited for my left knee to stop shaking enough to begin running again. At this point, I seriously considered turning around and dropping out, but instead, I took it a little more slow and gingerly. About three miles left in the loop I was caught again by Matthew and another runner, whom I had assumed were ahead of me, but they had actually just stayed at the aid station a little longer. Again, we ran within eyeshot of one another for most of the rest of the loop. As I began the last stretch to the aid station I felt tired and in pain. This was definitely my low point of the race. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skyline Trail Blazes! Credit: David Metsky, TARC</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Loop Three: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>1:33:00 (11:36 Pace), 5<sup>th</sup> Place. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Total Time:</b> 4:17:19, (10:43 Pace) <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m sure my crew was shocked to see me with my bloody face coming into the aid station. I took extra time to get some food and water, and to clean off my cut. I told my crew I wasn’t entirely confident I had two loops left in me, but I was going out for my fourth. I left again, alone, and began to trudge my way up the first half hills. My pace had slipped considerably from the first lap, but still not outrageous. However, I will say that I had never in my life expected to “run” a 14:20-minute mile (Mile 27) and have my heart rate be in the 170s. The rest of this lap was slow going, although I did begin to feel better than the previous lap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took a few more falls over the rest of the lap, which I had just begun to accept as an inevitable occurrence. Again, I stopped at the mid-race aid station to refuel my water bottle and stuff my jacket with potato chips. For the rest of the lap, I focused on catching up to the 32 Mile Runner who had practically been only a minute ahead of me for the past 24 Miles. I passed him shortly before the end of the loop, wishing that I too had only signed up for the 32 Mile. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Loop Four:</b> 1:40:00 (12:30 Pace), 5<sup>th</sup> Place. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Total Time:</b> 5:57:19, (11:09 Pace) <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the Fall. Credit: Chris Wristen of Mass Ultra</td></tr>
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After stopping for only about two minutes to get fuel from my crew, I began the fifth lap, determined to finish strong. I knew that I felt good, and didn’t have another lap after, so there would be no going conservative now. I was going all in for my final lap. It a weird feeling, but also a great one to pass the landmarks that you have become accustomed too for the last 6-7 hours, although I’m not sure I was going to miss them. About a mile into the last lap, I noticed a runner maybe a minute ahead and tried hard to reel him in over the next few miles. I know he could sense I was behind him and it felt like he was trying hard to stay ahead of me. I was feeling great though, and even running up hills I had walked in the previous few laps. Finally, I passed the other runner with around 4 miles to go when it looked like he stopped to retie his shoes. I wasn’t about to have him see that I was hurting too, so I speed up as I went by him for the next few minutes to put some distance between us. I passed the aid station for the last time, pausing to get more water and to thank the volunteers. Before I knew I had entered the two miles of relative easier running. I felt surprisingly good and really wanted to bring it in hard. As I ended that final loop and started on the last 0.25 miles back to the finish, I turned on the speed and finished that last quarter mile in about 6 flat pace after 40 miles of difficult trails. Overall, I crossed the finish line with a big smile on my face in 7:30:03 and 4<sup>th</sup> Overall!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Loop Five:</b> 1:32:44 (11:34 Pace), 4<sup>th</sup> Place. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Total Time:</b> 7:30:03, (11:16 Pace)<br />
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After the race, I talked to both Sylvain and Matthew for a little bit, who came in 2<sup>nd</sup> and 3<sup>rd</sup>, respectively. I had made up about 6-7 minutes on each of them on the last lap, although I had run out of trail to try and catch either of them! Charlotte, Victoria, and I did not stay much longer since I was in significant pain, and freezing now that I had stopped running. Overall, I had a spectacular time at this race. The race directors and volunteers have truly put on something special. I hope that next year, and in the future, I can tackle the “Fells” once again. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish! Credit: Charlotte Hayes </td></tr>
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Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-37632431701075796972017-10-01T12:25:00.002-07:002017-10-01T12:44:33.652-07:00TARC Fall Classic 50K Race Recap <br />
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The TARC Fall Classic 50K marked my first ultra-marathon since the Weymouth Woods 100K and only my second ultra-marathon ever. I ran the Weymouth Woods 100K back in January of 2016 when I was only 18 so to say running another ultra was overdue would be an understatement. The race was located in Carlisle, MA which is only a 25-minute drive from my apartment at Bentley University, so not much travel was required. However, the race did have a more aggressive start time than I was used to at 6 AM.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-Race!</td></tr>
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On race morning, my alarm went off bright and early at 4 AM. I put on my running clothes, ate a light breakfast, and then double checked that I had everything I needed. I had packed numerous water bottles, salty snacks like peanut butter pretzels and potato chips, and a few pairs of socks and a change of outfit since there was supposed to be rain throughout the race. At 4:45 AM, I was met by my girlfriend, Charlotte, and our friend Victoria, both of whom had graciously volunteered to crew me for my race, not that I had really given them much of a choice. We arrived at Great Brooke Farm State Park at around 5:15 AM. Sunrise was not until 6:45 AM, so I would be running for the first part of the race in the dark. For this race, the course featured a 10+ Mile loop that I would have to complete 3 times. The TARC Fall Classic also had a 50 Mile Race that started at 6 AM which was 5 laps around the 10 Mile course, and then a Half Marathon and 10K that started later at 8 AM. I prepped my sleepy crew on what I would need each time I came to the aid station, mainly a change of running gear, salty snacks, and a refill on my water and Tailwind. At 5:50 AM, there was a very brief pre-race meeting, and before I knew it I was on the start line.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntAxmKL63YGAsY2GRzZIJ9428p_XtSonLU7ChLMEahqZnNhdtnsfDLuDBjjQJFplpL_N2KjTjTp4votUtT2fvAlD34VYQGVli780j5vbUFEbsdAQvuD4jZ0B3FPQrDvamni1JpxIQSyOj/s1600/image3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntAxmKL63YGAsY2GRzZIJ9428p_XtSonLU7ChLMEahqZnNhdtnsfDLuDBjjQJFplpL_N2KjTjTp4votUtT2fvAlD34VYQGVli780j5vbUFEbsdAQvuD4jZ0B3FPQrDvamni1JpxIQSyOj/s320/image3.jpeg" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start Line </td></tr>
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Since the race was held by the Trail Animals Running Club (TARC), each race began with a ceremonial “howl” as the starting signal. After the start, I focused on going out conservatively and trying to stick with someone because I only had my cell phone for a flashlight, and I did not know the course at all. The 50K started with a mile loop around an open field before connecting with the main 10 Mile trail. I was passed by a few people during the first 30 minutes or so while I found my rhythm. Starting out conservatively was especially important to me, as my longest run of th past month and a half had been 9 Miles and I had only been averaging about 25-30 Miles a week. I did not want the last 10 Miles of this race to be a slow death crawl. As it grew lighter, I started to get a better bearing for the course. Some of the race consisted of more open, wider trails, but the great majority was rooty, rocky, and windy single-track trails. I can’t even remember how many times I stepped on a root the wrong way, or almost stumbled going down a rocky section of trail. I had been running alone for a good deal of time now, which was concerning to me as this was my first time ever on this course. I debated speeding up to catch someone ahead and run with them, but I decided again it. About an hour into the race, I blatantly missed a turn. I was supposed to turn right but missed the sign and ran straight for about three minutes or so before realizing I was going the wrong way. I backtracked and ran into a group of people and stuck with them while I attempted to regain my composure and not allow this to throw off my race. <span style="text-align: center;">Not 10 minutes later, our group went off course again. This time, however, there was clearly no trail marking anywhere. After about two minutes we backtracked and passed about 8-10 people, all who were none too happy to see us as they realized they were going the wrong way as well. After stopping at an intersection, our group of about 10-12 realized that we were meant to go up a very steep narrow trail. The course was covered with pink markers and had arrows at major intersections, but at this turn, they appeared to be hidden, or not there at all. All told I lost about 10 minutes or so. I stuck with a smaller group for the rest of this loop, which continued for about 2 more miles. The last 2 miles of the course was the most challenging of the loop as it featured more winding trails and abrupt steep climbs. Finally, I was done with the first loop, which ended with the same circle around the field that we ran at the beginning of the race. I finished the first lap slower than I anticipated in about 1:40 to 1:41.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDKR-osHYHeh9qlIO_ulRQvoe011Ae2j3BLlYDZmyuYjK-DS1HjPh-VM_0dr7olqGxk_KBRmyFfq_pZuhUO36R8N5srcWAIEShuv1q55SAnIc7JVMAjXGRrnB0AbUc-MAyyKkXFy13JoH/s1600/image2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDKR-osHYHeh9qlIO_ulRQvoe011Ae2j3BLlYDZmyuYjK-DS1HjPh-VM_0dr7olqGxk_KBRmyFfq_pZuhUO36R8N5srcWAIEShuv1q55SAnIc7JVMAjXGRrnB0AbUc-MAyyKkXFy13JoH/s320/image2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Motivational Sign #1</td></tr>
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I did not spend long at my crew’s station. I changed from my long sleeve shirt and Boston Marathon jacket into a more breathable singlet, replaced my Tailwind and water mixture, and stuffed my face with handfuls of potato chips. Charlotte and Victoria told me that I looked pretty good and that despite the missed turns I was in 12th place and seemed like I was in good spirits. I set off on my second lap with the same guy that I had been running with to end the lap and we chatted for a few minutes. I must have felt like I needed to make up time, however, as I quickly lost him. I caught up and passed another runner about ten minutes later. I was moving pretty well and feeling pretty well too. About two and a half hours in it started to pour down rain, and around this time was where I started to feel not as fresh. The positive here was that this lap I did not make the same mistakes as the first lap and I stayed on course. About 7 or 8 Miles into the second lap I started running into people doing the Half Marathon and the 10K who were running a modified shorter loop of about 6 miles. The issue here was that it was incredibly difficult to pass some slower people or groups of people especially the last 3 Miles of the course. Combining the downpour, having to expend energy passing people, and being already 20 Miles into the race, I was feeling pretty spent by the time I was nearly the end of the second lap. I had moved into 10th place but was passed hard by another runner with a little bit left to go. Finally, I reached the open field and finished up my second lap in around 1:27 or so and total time so far of 3 hours and 8 minutes. This time around I spent longer at my aid station. I grabbed a hat, drank an extra water bottle, and refilled my tailwind and grabbed a snack. Charlotte and Victoria told me that I looked good, albeit very wet. After 5 minutes or so I started off on my final lap.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Motivational Sign #2</td></tr>
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The final lap was practically a blur for me. I was completely alone and fighting to keep my legs moving. Stopping to refuel gave me a boost of energy for about 30 minutes or so, but by the time I hit 4 hours of running I felt spent. Every root I stepped on sent shooting main from the bottom of my foot up to my hips. I was in a low place, but thankfully still moving. Every person I passed told me that I looked good and to keep it up, which was encouraging. I passed the mid-race aid station for the final time and began the last 3 hilly miles. I was out of water and fighting hard to get to the finish. I was fairly confident that as long as I kept moving I would be a bit under 5 Hours. I was also conscious that I had slowed down to mid to high 9 Minute pace and was at a risk of being passed. Finally, I emerged out of the woods and knew I only had a few minutes to go. I entered the open field for the last time and actually kicked it in a bit as I went around the final bend. I crossed the finish line in a time of 4:51:38, 11th place out of about 80 runners, with a finishing pace of 9:23 per mile. My last lap had taken me about an hour and 38 minutes to complete.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxxMbkfbIbB0MtBE6TGjhSLvsNujnktK54iknzGHedOxKu09G3pWtEKcpwR4RI2yTpD3CjGlmlJckQWtDu3FA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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We did not stick around afterward very long due to the weather, and the fact that my crew was pretty tired after waking up at 4 AM. Overall, this was a tough race, much harder than I anticipated it being. I was happy with my result, but believe I have much more potential with some solid training and some actual long runs. Currently, I am planning on running the Cambridge Half Marathon in November, the Turkey Trot 8K on Thanksgiving, and the TARC Winter Classic 40 Miler in December! Time for a few days of recovery before I resume training!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_5rw44w2KqGNEpbZB0oQVVOGmApOcd9WvBt3Jts5Ga3G7mw2_eEuL6Zn67bRzJUQCCsd2_ln_VsMRnIfgVxFXIgjXtRL56ZdFcH8jKf2npwNuXDkPKlA1wwHwttcxIsxVK2TMjAiOzBc/s1600/image1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_5rw44w2KqGNEpbZB0oQVVOGmApOcd9WvBt3Jts5Ga3G7mw2_eEuL6Zn67bRzJUQCCsd2_ln_VsMRnIfgVxFXIgjXtRL56ZdFcH8jKf2npwNuXDkPKlA1wwHwttcxIsxVK2TMjAiOzBc/s400/image1.jpeg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish!</td></tr>
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Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-4712352449335495452017-05-31T13:56:00.003-07:002017-05-31T13:57:43.747-07:00Vermont City Marathon: Negative Split!<div class="MsoNormal">
I signed up for this race on a whim, and I couldn’t be happier with the result. After having just an incredible experience at the Boston Marathon I felt completely ready to jump into another marathon right away. I have previously considered doing this marathon in the past so I knew some general information about the course as well as what to expect from some other race reviews. In addition, I also knew of another Bentley Student on the Triathlon Team who would be there running his first marathon!</div>
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My training for this race remained mostly unchanged from that of the Boston Marathon in terms of mileage. I averaged around 30-35 miles during the 6-week training cycle after Boston, which did include a week of recovery mileage after Boston and a week of taper before Vermont City. I put in several long runs of 12-18 miles while training, but my big addition to this training cycle was adding more speed work and weight training. Previously, I haven’t spent very much time on weight training, but I have found that it has helped me to feel stronger later in my workouts.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9POhqO-QgwP2R85ndKBjBuxxBa6DiK4FimIseAu8FjYO8YQ1bx-FZHWNsstXmjOi_J5u9g82dFwX-mhfy0lrej6eUvwNceTKq6lvrBtkLCJCF23sbn-Zz8qu_Z-OHCmuYF6K8Cs62nv7t/s1600/IMG_3754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9POhqO-QgwP2R85ndKBjBuxxBa6DiK4FimIseAu8FjYO8YQ1bx-FZHWNsstXmjOi_J5u9g82dFwX-mhfy0lrej6eUvwNceTKq6lvrBtkLCJCF23sbn-Zz8qu_Z-OHCmuYF6K8Cs62nv7t/s320/IMG_3754.JPG" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race Outfit!</td></tr>
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I arrived in Burlington, Vermont with my girlfriend, Charlotte, at around 2:00 PM the day before the race after traveling around seven hours or so by car over th<span style="text-align: center;">e previous two days. I was slightly worried about how I would feel after all the travel, but I found that it did not end up having an impact on my race. After stopping for lunch we headed over to the expo to grab my race number and to check out the booths! The rest of the day was spent exploring Burlington and grabbing a pizza before turning in for the night. One of the coolest parts of the whole trip was being able to see the beautiful Lake Champlain for the first time!</span></div>
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Before I knew it my 5:00 AM alarm had sounded and I was throwing on my running clothes. Once again I went with my HOKA ONE ONE Clifton 3s, and my Zensah Compression Socks, both of which I wore at Boston. I had also planned on carrying and taking 4 GU’s during the race at Miles 6, 11, 17, and 22. One of the best parts about the race was that public parking was free for the entire day so we were able to park close to the race and had no problem at all leaving afterward.</div>
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I arrived at the race around 6:15 am, 45 minutes before the 7:00 am start time. Like Boston, I did not end up doing any running to warm-up pre-race, instead, I focused on collecting my nerves, hoping in the bathroom line, and staying properly hydrated. My overall goals for this race were to beat my time from the Boston Marathon (3:01:34), run under 3 hours, finish the race strong, and have fun and enjoy the course and the beauty of Burlington. Before I knew it I was on the start line and the gun was sounding!</div>
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One thing about the Vermont City Marathon that is different from any marathon that I have previously run is that a large number of runners are competing in relays. The race is billed as a “Marathon and Relay” with relays of anywhere between 2-5 people breaking up the marathon distance. I had to be extremely mindful of this, especially in the first several miles of the race as I controlled my pace. As I expected, I was immediately swallowed up by many more runners than I had anticipated during the first mile. This first mile features one of the 3 “major uphill’s”, albeit the smallest, of the course, but thankfully my adrenaline from the start of the race made it feel effortless. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbzoNfkCg_6jyxmZ_-9u3EsVWEjvpa4YAsvFbKOiikPxFubXRKlhw7ug58gW7vbVm-TFu9gAwID03sZIwSXn83IpODH4zMfcN4IUUg9e_sFe8wppS2wvyZ51qCVj7I3D1M1XmBmhSJ1oF/s1600/IMG_3757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbzoNfkCg_6jyxmZ_-9u3EsVWEjvpa4YAsvFbKOiikPxFubXRKlhw7ug58gW7vbVm-TFu9gAwID03sZIwSXn83IpODH4zMfcN4IUUg9e_sFe8wppS2wvyZ51qCVj7I3D1M1XmBmhSJ1oF/s320/IMG_3757.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Start!</td></tr>
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The first few miles went through the streets of central Burlington and were largely covered with shade, which I was thankful for after being scorched during the Boston Marathon. I passed Mile 1 in 6:44 and entered a long downhill for the second mile. I still had people streaming by me, but I was determined not to let this impact my racing strategy. I wanted to hit approximately 1:30:00 at the half-marathon mark and close in at even or negative splits. I hit Mile 2 in 6:44 as we headed back through Burlington and passed the starting area. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzXQZLfpqCp5WjRljAhT-hsuRlmQfY6EEf72HOLVcu3Knou5xJD2-CfzlCFbYf-hGMeJQpMRIQ4xYwY7In49yoDmXZjxy7CgFg0p5-n8jgho4LY7spJXGQuMDJ7duP1_9aG7xI_wg-5xg/s1600/IMG_3832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzXQZLfpqCp5WjRljAhT-hsuRlmQfY6EEf72HOLVcu3Knou5xJD2-CfzlCFbYf-hGMeJQpMRIQ4xYwY7In49yoDmXZjxy7CgFg0p5-n8jgho4LY7spJXGQuMDJ7duP1_9aG7xI_wg-5xg/s320/IMG_3832.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 9!</td></tr>
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The Vermont City Marathon Course is comprised of four distinct “loops” and you actually pass through the starting area several times, the reason for this being so that there is a clear place for most of the relay exchanges. I hit Mile 3 in 6:46 as we began to enter the section of the race that runs out and back along the highway, which is only closed once a year for this very race. This loop is slight downhill for the out section and then slight uphill for the entire way which back so I focused on not expending unnecessary energy on the downhill section. I passed Mile 4 in 6:41. By Mile 5 I decided that I needed to stop very quickly and use the bathroom, which ended up costing me about 20 seconds. I tried hard not to make up time after the 7:00 fifth mile, but the downhill and my urge to “catch-up” lead to a 6:31 Mile 6. At this point, I was able to watch the top runners, who were flying, run back along the other side of the highway which was pretty neat as it’s not usually something you get to see while racing a Marathon. Shortly afterward I made the turn at the end of the loop and headed back up the highway. I was a little surprised by Mile 7 split of 7:10. I couldn’t tell if Mile 6 had been a little short, the course was heading more uphill than I expected, or I had stepped off the pace accidentally while trying to locate my friend who would be coming on the downhill section of the race. Regardless, I quickly got back on pace and passed Mile 8 in 6:50 just after seeing my friend Jake who looked strong early on! I had just taken my first GU a few minutes prior, but I could feel a little fatigue creeping into my legs which I attribute to the long uphill for the previous few miles. I was ecstatic to finally crest the top of the highway and head back into town where there would be much more shade. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAK7SbkZBID8AAyaKiXXyAdyeDnrshGOzZhClC_MMF-YAdoEd0dD4c0v8CJm1UpTAPFXPfSpqjE7Y0TCPZCXPIlDjBhI1b9ioXak34TuX4adejtMUJfV2EwzlGvdvJzRflybR0vKeETUo/s1600/IMG_3865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAK7SbkZBID8AAyaKiXXyAdyeDnrshGOzZhClC_MMF-YAdoEd0dD4c0v8CJm1UpTAPFXPfSpqjE7Y0TCPZCXPIlDjBhI1b9ioXak34TuX4adejtMUJfV2EwzlGvdvJzRflybR0vKeETUo/s320/IMG_3865.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 15!</td></tr>
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I felt much better as soon as I crossed the start area again and headed back on Main St. One of the best things about the course, was the spectator support, as you could see the same people <i>three </i>different times: Mile 3, Mile 9, and Mile 15. Usually, I, am lucky if I see my girlfriend or family once between the start and end of the race! After running along Main St, I turned down Market St and began to coast on a nice long downhill as I began the third loop of the course. At this point, I was running with two of the Elite Women and we were holding a pretty steady pace so I decided to stick with them. For some reason I had difficulty locating several of the Mile Markers during the next section of the course, so all I have is my three-mile split time between Miles 9-11, which ended up being 20:24 or a 6:48 pace. Around this time I took my second GU and performed an overall assessment of how I was feeling, which turned out to be great! My breathing was under control, the weather was perfect, my legs felt strong, etc. Our group began to splinter around Mile 12 as we entered a shaded greenway and I was now on my own at this point. I hit Mile 12 and Mile 13 both in 6:52 and then the halfway split in exactly 1:29:00. After the race, I was able to count up and see that I was in around 95<sup>th</sup> place at this point. </div>
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After crossing through the greenway and the area where the 2-Person Relay Exchange Zone was, I was on my way back up towards central Burlington. I hit Mile 14 in 6:47 and was just able to see my friend from school again as he was nearing Mile 11 still looking strong! The next mile featured a return on Pine St. which I had been running down around 30 minutes or so ago. It was cool to once again see other runners heading down the street as you were heading up and to have people cheer you on. In addition, I had an idea for the first time in a few miles as to where the next group of people ahead of me were. I hit Mile 15 in 6:37 as we turned onto Battery St. This mile of the course is by far the hardest and is nicknamed “Assault on Battery St”, as it climbs around 150 feet over the course of this mile. Had I started too fast, this mile would have been absolutely debilitating to me, as Heartbreak Hill during the Boston Marathon was. Instead, I was “flying”, up the hill and enjoying the spectator support. I crested the hill and hit Mile 16 in 7:09 and then focused on controlling and regulating my breathing after the hard uphill. At this point, I had been steadily passing a few people and was not being passed at all. In fact, I was not passed one time after the half marathon mark. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBdZES2hh7JG0trGTbH_OFCA1nYsXl_NnI-q1gCRshEjhzoWq_DPDs-uUFbRXHATyRAApKmA0AMyuHT8CtBvTdwLQwl1sBP9SsEZZu8xuS86LwYQnazloUx-rAcFmMs8joa0Iu-S1_3zX/s1600/IMG_3888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBdZES2hh7JG0trGTbH_OFCA1nYsXl_NnI-q1gCRshEjhzoWq_DPDs-uUFbRXHATyRAApKmA0AMyuHT8CtBvTdwLQwl1sBP9SsEZZu8xuS86LwYQnazloUx-rAcFmMs8joa0Iu-S1_3zX/s320/IMG_3888.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost There!</td></tr>
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I was finally on the fourth and final loop of the course and was feeling strong. I took my third GU around Mile 17 which I hit in 6:43. The next mile featured some rolling uphill’s and downhill's, but was straight almost the entire way which allowed me to hit my second fastest split of the day with a 6:29 at Mile 18! Next, I turned into some winding neighborhoods and caught up to a larger group of about 4-5 runners. Normally, I may have tried to stick with them, but I was still feeling strong and decided to pass on. I hit Mile 19 in 6:39 and entered another short section of greenway. I had been getting water at pretty much every single stop except for maybe two or three miles and was taking in Gatorade every 3-4 miles or so. At around Mile 19, there was also a GU station sponsored by CLIF bar with a bunch of younger kids handing out GU’s who were all screaming for me to take one. Definitely a highlight of my race! At Mile 20 I was still cruising and came upon another large pack of five runner’s right as we passed the last timing mat on the course. I ended up hitting this mile in in 6:34. Another runner and I went by this pack and I focused on sticking with him. What I did not know, however, was that he was running the relay. He dragged me to a very fast 6:30 Mile 21 and 6:31 Mile 22 before I decided to let him go ahead. At this point, I could feel my energy flagging a little bit. While my legs still felt decent, the general fatigue of the race and the increasing temperature were starting to get to me. I took my last GU at Mile 22 right as we turned onto the greenway that was a straight shot to the finish. Normally, I do not end up taking the last GU during marathons, but this time I felt like it was necessary. It was also a huge relief that the last four miles of the course were almost completely shaded. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPAQLHX9RHVpZnlTb95GUPrwGphyphenhyphenkRpUDhw3CMlkKa39nP0JTkT6pUDGgTCX6LOJEqOviGprtKuiXwTov4gEjfeqwZ6vZLB3wzvwkyGQf4Yj4MvtolIWtlG9OibpKSVfcqL2h7rL0Q8Mji/s1600/71610642-SM2_1165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPAQLHX9RHVpZnlTb95GUPrwGphyphenhyphenkRpUDhw3CMlkKa39nP0JTkT6pUDGgTCX6LOJEqOviGprtKuiXwTov4gEjfeqwZ6vZLB3wzvwkyGQf4Yj4MvtolIWtlG9OibpKSVfcqL2h7rL0Q8Mji/s320/71610642-SM2_1165.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final Sprint! Photo by Scott Mason</td></tr>
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After a few minutes, I felt much better than I had before and was starting to pick up the pace. I had slowed down on Mile 23, which ended up being 6:48, but I still felt like I had a good shot at that point to finish right at 2:58:00. I was still taking water at pretty much each aid station and I was beginning to close ground on quite a few people and fly by. I passed some absolutely incredible views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains during these miles and couldn’t help but appreciate the beauty even during the middle of a marathon. I hit Mile 24 in 6:40. By now I could feel that the finish line was getting close and I was still feeling exceptionally strong. In almost all of my previous marathons, I would pretty much be running mid to high seven minute miles at this point as the last 3-4 miles of the marathon has been a work in progress for me. I hit Mile 25 in 6:33 and continued to pick up the pace. I was now on the last mile of the course and began to exit the Greenway and head towards Battery Park. I could hear the roar of the crowd from almost half a mile away so I knew I was close! Finally passing Mile 26 and seeing that I had split a 6:24, my fastest mile of the race, and one of my fastest splits in a marathon ever was an incredible feeling. I had never run that fast after that long before. I just enjoyed the last quarter mile of the race and soaked up the atmosphere and as I turned onto the grass for the last 100 yards I could see the clock ticking into the 2:56:xx range still! I raised my arms and finished in 2:56:29, a 6:44 Pace and good enough for 47<sup>th</sup> overall officially.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish! Photo by Scott Mason</td></tr>
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After finishing the race I collected my medal and found my girlfriend who had been able to capture a video of me finishing! Afterward, I grabbed some water and sat down in the shade underneath a tree to cool off. This was also the first of my fives marathons that I did not have to go to the medical tent after finishing so that was quite the accomplishment! We hung around the post-race festivities for about an hour longer at which point we went to grab lunch before beginning the long drive back home. I will say that driving for 6 hours after finishing a marathon is not a fun experience!</div>
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Overall, this race was a bigger success than I had anticipated. I was most happy with my negative split, 1:29:00 on the front half (6:48 Pace), and 1:27:29 (6:40 Pace) on the back half. In addition, I moved up approximately 50 spots from the halfway point and was never passed. I also managed to finish my last 10K at a 6:35 Pace and had the 18th fastest last 10K split of the race! As far as my next marathon, I have not entirely made a decision yet. I would love to actually run some more miles, put in a few more long runs, and add more weight training and see what my real potential can be. For now, I am looking for a fall marathon in either September or October and I am definitely open to suggestions!</div>
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Finally, I want to say thank you again to everyone who reads my blog! I also want to give a big congratulation again to my friend Jake Gehrung, a freshman at Bentley University, who finished his first marathon in 4:22:20! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-Race Photo!</td></tr>
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<br />Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-32300707442033960252017-04-18T17:05:00.004-07:002017-04-19T11:16:58.174-07:00121st Boston Marathon Race Recap<div class="MsoNormal">
First off, I want to say: See you in 2018, 122<sup>nd</sup> Boston Marathon! <o:p></o:p></div>
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This was my first Boston Marathon, and an experience that I will never forget. I have wanted to qualify for and run this race since I started running at 12 years old. Both my parents have raced it a number of times and I wanted to finish it as well. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Going into the race, my goal was simply to have fun, take in the atmosphere, and run my hardest. I’m happy to say that I believe I accomplished all of these goals! Overall, my training for the Boston Marathon in the past few months has not been of the greatest quality or been the highest mileage, but I believed in my ability to finish and was not going to give up. I peaked at about 40 miles a week for this race and put in a few long runs of 16-18 miles. In addition, I started more weight training than I have done in the past and put on ten pounds since the beginning of the year. Finally, all of my training data is published daily at my account on Strava. I definitely believe with a solid training schedule I would stand a good chance of lowering my PR and qualifying time of 2:53:16 from the 2015 Thunder Road (Charlotte) Marathon. Now for the race recap! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dying on Comm. Ave at Mile 24</td></tr>
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I woke up at 6:30 am after a pretty restless night and quickly threw on my running clothes and packed my things. I was wearing a pretty new pair of HOKA Clifton 3’s, a black and orange singlet, and a pair of Zensah compression socks. In my starting area bag, I packed my energy GU’s, a water bottle, and some peanut butter pretzels in case I got hungry before the start. Since I was in Waltham and couldn’t take the shuttles from Boston, I had my girlfriend, Charlotte, drive me to the start in Hopkinton. We left at around 7:30 and arrived at the runner drop off at around 8:15. I handed her my phone and wallet, grabbed my things, and then I was all alone. I made my way over to the shuttles that transported runners from the drop-off area to the start line. Once I arrived at the start line I made my way over to the athlete's village, which was actually much farther away than I expected it to be. After arriving, I looked around for a bathroom, but all the lines were ridiculously long. I decided to stand in line and wait. I did not make my way over to the start line until about 9:25 and finally arrived there at around 9:40. On the way to the start I ran into Megan Hovis, one of my former coaches when I was in middle school (and also a ridiculously fast runner), we talked for about a minute or so and I wished her good luck!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boylston St.!</td></tr>
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The start line was packed when I arrived, and there was very little room to warm-up. I was thankful that I had just made the Corral 2 (Bib #1837) cut-off to push myself a little bit further up. The next 20 minutes passed by painstakingly slow. I did some stretching and some general moving around but for the most part not much else at all. For fuel, I was carrying 4 energy GU’s with me that I had planned on taking at Mile 6, 12, 18, and 22. With less than 5 minutes until the start, I double checked my shoes, made sure I had all my GU’s in place, and moved up a little bit further to the front. I saw the Elite Men, and Galen Rupp, come out to the front and this really made me excited to start! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Before I knew it, the gun sounded and I was off to Boston! My plan had been to settle into 7:00 pace, which would have given me a finishing time of around 3:03:00 or so, but my nervous energy and the large crowd of people around me had propelled me to a faster pace. I felt like I was barely moving and being passed left and right, but I ended up hitting the first mile in 6:36. Temperatures were already hovering around 70 degrees and the sun was beating down, with very little shade on the course. I settled into a pretty good rhythm and enjoyed the downhills of the Boston course. My 2<sup>nd</sup> mile came and went in 6:25, and my third mile in 6:31. My first race mat split was 20:16 for the 5K. I could feel my skin heating up already and I made a conscious effort to monitor this going forward. I took Gatorade every few miles or so, and water at every mile, pouring some on my head and back to cool myself down. I had started the race feeling good, and as I entered Ashland I was still feeling pretty good overall. I hit Mile 4 in 6:30 and Mile 5 in 6:42. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Around Mile 16</td></tr>
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As the miles began to start going by, I told myself that I needed to slow down because it was a hot day, but as hard as I tried, I couldn’t settle into a rhythm at a different pace. I hit Mile 6 in 6:33 and the 10K in 40:46 (6:35 Pace). My splits did start to creep up into the high 6:30s and low 6:40s by now. During this race, I always had people around me, both runners and spectators alike, which I had never experienced in a previous marathon. It was both exhilarating and terrifying. I never did truly run with anyone or latch onto anyone in this race. I ran my own race and passed people when I wanted to and let people go by me. I entered Framingham and hit Mile 7 in 6:30. There was a very nice tailwind pushing everyone forward, but I desperately wanted a little breeze in my face or a little patch of shade to run under. I hit Mile 8 in 6:42 and Mile 9 in 6:37. I had not intended to bank time on the front half of this race, but I knew that I had built up a nice little cushion. I was running at 2:50-2:53 Marathon Pace, which was a little quick considering my fitness level, the course, and the weather conditions. I thought it would be in my best interest to slow down a little, but my stubbornness prevailed. I passed the third timing mat, the 15K, in 1:01:18 (6:35 Pace). At this point, I could feel some fatigue starting to set in when I was running on the uphill’s, but the downhills were still coming easily. I hit Mile 10 in 6:44 as I entered Natick. My pace had started to decrease slightly with Mile 11 coming in 6:42 and Mile 12 in 6:45. I hit my first low of the race before the 12<sup>th</sup> mile and desperately needed a shot of energy. I took my 2<sup>nd</sup> GU of the race shortly after and started to feel much better. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost there!</td></tr>
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One of the coolest parts of the Boston Marathon course was definitely the Wellesley Scream Tunnel at Wellesley College just past Mile 12. It was incredible having that spectator support and being able to hear everyone from over half a mile away. I gave out high-fives all the way down the scream tunnel and got a huge surge of energy. There are very few moments that can top thousands of people screaming and cheering you on while you run. I hit the 20K in 1:22:22, Mile 13 in 6:41 and the half-marathon mat in 1:26:50 (6:38 Pace). I was still taking water every mile and I was feeling great at this point, I even had delusions of running a PR still! Passing through Wellesley I hit my 2<sup>nd</sup> fastest mile of the day at Mile 14 in 6:26. It was after this mile that things slowly started to unravel. I was running out of energy, the sun was beating down on me and we were about to enter Newton and take on the rolling hills that I knew could easily end a runners race goals. I hit Mile 15, a largely uphill mile, in 7:01, my first mile above seven minutes. My 25K time was 1:43:15 (6:40 Pace). Fortunately, the next mile was a steep downhill and I was able to make up some ground by hitting Mile 16 in 6:45. The hills of Newton were a very dark place for me. I was still moving decently well, hitting Mile 17 in 7:09 and Mile 18 in 7:12, but all I could think about was Heartbreak Hill between Miles 20 and 21. I was especially nervous because this was the point where I had fallen apart during most of my previous marathons. I felt like I was moving much slower than I actually was, which was a huge relief. I took my third GU of the race at this point, opting not to take the last one later on for fear of upsetting my stomach. I was also taking one to two cups of water at each station, but the heat still felt horrendous. I managed to hit 30K in 2:05:15 (6:44 Pace). I split Mile 19 in 6:59 and Mile 20 in 7:13. I focused on doing anything and everything possible to power myself up the hills, and then to recover and regain my breath on the downhills. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9k6Cd7AbScxeK2yTZ9SJsqf_mqyQqPPX1pZoP-xyrxP3H_ZCKPvw__XXh5xPQxwCYFWjYY2ix3Mj10nuXqJM7N-l8h1Bwgra1EwletjiaorYu-nlk8W1fN8EuI2rSZS7dNZ6_in6kcKlr/s1600/640778_252361645_Medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9k6Cd7AbScxeK2yTZ9SJsqf_mqyQqPPX1pZoP-xyrxP3H_ZCKPvw__XXh5xPQxwCYFWjYY2ix3Mj10nuXqJM7N-l8h1Bwgra1EwletjiaorYu-nlk8W1fN8EuI2rSZS7dNZ6_in6kcKlr/s320/640778_252361645_Medium.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CITGO</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right when I thought I couldn’t take any more hills, I hit it. Heartbreak Hill. And if I am being completely honest, that is exactly what it did. This was one of the points where I considered packing it in for the day. I felt like I was barely moving and I was started to feel dizzy and have numb hands, a feeling that accompanied me to the finish line. I obviously did not do enough hill training in preparation because I just felt beat down on the hills. Every little incline put a burden on my pace. I finally crested the top of Heartbreak Hill and relaxed a little knowing that it was pretty much downhill the rest of the way and that I only had about 35-40 minutes to go. My split for Mile 21, which included Heartbreak Hill was 7:50, my slowest of the day. On a positive note, this was the first of my four marathons that I did not have a single mile above eight-minute pace! Even in my PR race where I ran 2:53:16 my last mile was still over eight minutes. Just because the uphills were pretty much finished did not mean I would be cruising to the finish line. I picked up the pace a little bit from the last mile and hit 35K in 2:28:08 (6:49 Pace) and Mile 22 in 7:20 as we entered Brookline. The next mile, however, seriously tested my willpower as I truly believed that I was going to have to walk when I reached Mile 23. I reached Mile 23 in 7:30 and was greeted by a nice steep downhill. I believe that if not for the downhill right after Mile 23 I would have found myself walking. By now I had started taking two to three cups of water at each aid station, two to drink and one to pour on my head. On a side note, they did have several rain sprinkles out on the course for runners to run under and cool off at which was awesome! I finally entered Boston and hit Mile 24 in 7:30 as I was running on Beacon St! At this point, I could see the CITGO sign so I knew I was close! I was doing my best to hold on, but I knew I did not have much left to give. While I was excited to see the CITGO sign, staring at it for over a mile lead me to believe that it was speaking to me, taunting me and telling me to give up. I finally passed the iconic sign and hit Mile 25 in around 7:50 and 40K in 2:51:29 (6:55 Pace). I did not get an accurate Mile 25 split because I hit my watch early at the 40K. I was finally on Comm. Ave and had less than a mile to the finish line! The sound of the crowd was almost deafening but in reality I don’t think I really heard any of it. I was in my own little world trying to hold myself together the last mile. All I could think about was that I had 1 Mile to go, and then 0.75, 0.5 etc.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Turning onto Boylston St. was honestly one of the greatest feelings of my entire life. I don’t even have the words to describe it properly. Waiting so long for this moment and finally achieving it was just incredible. I hit Mile 26 in around 7:15 and from that point just tried to enjoy the last 0.2 Miles. I finally crossed the finish line in 3:01:34 (6:56 Pace) and raised my arms in the air. I had requalified for the 2018 Boston Marathon! <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGJo6ZHQ7QUesqNOoM9B3iiM5Kqg2gM6pABqQ7uY3pLx1_ppDQ4mtl220le10SzIauXfUgH6wlSHZxvtNK9PQow-Z_iR_1QLx6TQVClZ6oUOGGTqD42jR2kvgG4pQlQKggEOi35IF1Ap6/s1600/640778_251990364_XLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGJo6ZHQ7QUesqNOoM9B3iiM5Kqg2gM6pABqQ7uY3pLx1_ppDQ4mtl220le10SzIauXfUgH6wlSHZxvtNK9PQow-Z_iR_1QLx6TQVClZ6oUOGGTqD42jR2kvgG4pQlQKggEOi35IF1Ap6/s320/640778_251990364_XLarge.jpg" width="214" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINBMPpz5gIbfx82MSUMIlDsYmGC24AAGqLgIlml0ANI951svbgqoTPAkzQDHT33IuBe8K_DTa0aKUnlTX4pEz0JYR-2-HOwK7p00Fp1yX47oCWBsEuIoHW6d3d7vbTT2EWSbPLwjClW8A/s1600/640778_252695950_Medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINBMPpz5gIbfx82MSUMIlDsYmGC24AAGqLgIlml0ANI951svbgqoTPAkzQDHT33IuBe8K_DTa0aKUnlTX4pEz0JYR-2-HOwK7p00Fp1yX47oCWBsEuIoHW6d3d7vbTT2EWSbPLwjClW8A/s320/640778_252695950_Medium.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After crossing the line, I proudly collected my very first Boston Marathon finisher’s medal! After picking up the medal, I walked around in a delusional stupor drinking water and Gatorade for a few minutes before deciding that I needed to go the medical tent. Once I reached the medical tent I sat down for a little bit, had my vitals done, and drank way too much Gatorade. I had the same issue happen to me at the 2015 Thunder Road Marathon where I got lightheaded and my hands went numb. After about 20 minutes I was released and I went back to the finish area. I ran into my old coach at Charlotte Catholic, Coach Conrad, and we congratulated each other on finishing on what was a hot day for sure. After this, I met up with my girlfriend who made a sign and a t-shirt to cheer me on! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Overall, the Boston Marathon was an incredible experience, and one I will never ever forget. I couldn’t have gotten to the start line without the support of my parents, friends, girlfriend and everyone else who has had an impact on my running career. With the 2017 Boston Marathon in the books, I am already looking forward to 2018 and beyond!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Splits (Kilometers):<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5K: 20:16<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
10K: 40:46<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
15K: 1:01:18<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
20K: 1:22:22<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Half-Marathon: 1:26:50<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
25K: 1:43:15<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
30K: 2:05:15<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
35K: 2:28:08<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
40K: 2:51:29<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Marathon: 3:01:34</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Splits (Miles):<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:36, 6:25, 6:31, 6:30, 6:42, 6:33, 6:30, 6:42, 6:37, 6:44, 6:42, 6:45, 6:41, 6:26, 7:01, 6:45, 7:09, 7:12, 6:59, 7:13, 7:50, 7:20, 7:31, 7:31, 7:50, 7:15 <o:p></o:p></div>
Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-32405234287982723572016-08-06T15:11:00.001-07:002016-08-07T17:43:44.060-07:00Summer Update: Some New PR’s, a Change of Direction, and a Whole Lot of Miles <div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been a while since my last blog post, and part of the
reason for that is due to being busy with training. The other reason is that I have
been trying to decide which direction I want to take with my training before I
gave an update. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have decided to put Ultra Training on hold for the next
9-10 months or so, unless I choose to run Weymouth Woods again in January, in
order to focus on the Marathon. As such, I did not decide to run the Black Mountain
Monster, which I ended up being too sick to do anyway, as well as the Dusk to
Dawn 50 Miler and the Grandfather Mountain Marathon. I have a passion for long.
ultra-distance running, but the idea of putting in a solid year of uninterrupted
training to improve my marathon time seemed to tempting to pass up. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Instead, I registered for the Lehigh Valley Marathon in
Allentown, PA which will take place on September 11<sup>th</sup>, 2016. The
bulk of my summer thus far has been spent training for this race. In addition,
I got into the New York City Marathon on November 6<sup>th</sup>, 2016 via my
time qualifier in the Half Marathon. Finally, I will also be running the Boston
Marathon for the first time in the spring after qualifying with a 2:53:16 at
the Thunder Road Marathon last November. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Summer Races: </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite starting Marathon training I did manage to crank out
a PR of 16:36 and a 2<sup>nd</sup> Place Overall in the NoDa 5K in Charlotte. This
race was during the middle of June and the temperature was probably approaching
90 degrees. I’m confident that I could run sub 16 in the 5K if I trained
specifically for the race and had a nicer day. I also raced the Summer Track
Series 5K at Marvin Ridge High School at the end of June, and while I did not
PR I did take the win and run a strong solo race for a time of 16:45.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMTIJJLI1ThGPXhZBEQNjUSTk1zQYz-YSXJbi1_v_-O-68MvnP-hidshyphenhyphenx7bNKms3PD8kQRBmWbGvU-hTJNYE40eqWRZV9tB27PjWxTUjjiWwaiZkVqra2T6i8JOCYMAeEicaL98Y_W1f/s1600/noda.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMTIJJLI1ThGPXhZBEQNjUSTk1zQYz-YSXJbi1_v_-O-68MvnP-hidshyphenhyphenx7bNKms3PD8kQRBmWbGvU-hTJNYE40eqWRZV9tB27PjWxTUjjiWwaiZkVqra2T6i8JOCYMAeEicaL98Y_W1f/s320/noda.JPG" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NoDa 5K! New PR. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most of my races this summer have been at the U.S National
Whitewater Center, about 25 minutes from Charlotte. Here, I was able to still
fulfill my love of trail running without competing in an ultra-distance event.
My first race of the summer was the Memorial Day Trail Race 8-Miler which ended
up taking place in the pouring rain and was my first race after being sick for
almost two weeks. I took 2<sup>nd</sup> Place Overall and also met some new
running buddies in Ed Schlichter, who won the race and would continue to beat
me at pretty much every USNWC race I went too, and Caleb Denton, an Ultra
Runner from TN who placed 2<sup>nd</sup> in the 68 Mile Georgia Death Race! I
finally was able to take my first win at a USNWC race at the Brew Dash 6K in
mid-June which I led start to finish and held a 5:59 average pace even on the
trails. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8GakENFhwP-_V_mvgpOBNiCYxBMcs0ub2wKsPn_s3ccw6RnCf5L-u8r6dfZd4ZuhdDNbeNJg9ydT1s7qjbAEwEqINLSbXUHyQjtXAWbm7TB79fGdZ_EWeBWKsaOjXEXFVzieOQUOK5JT/s1600/brew.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8GakENFhwP-_V_mvgpOBNiCYxBMcs0ub2wKsPn_s3ccw6RnCf5L-u8r6dfZd4ZuhdDNbeNJg9ydT1s7qjbAEwEqINLSbXUHyQjtXAWbm7TB79fGdZ_EWeBWKsaOjXEXFVzieOQUOK5JT/s320/brew.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brew Dash 6K Victory!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also competed in the River Jam Run Race Series 6.5 Miler which is
held on the second Thursday of every month at 6:15pm. It’s been great to come
run a fun, hard race during the middle of the week without the pressure of a
normal weekend race. The July version, which topped 95 degrees, was not quite
as fun as the June version! My favorite race of the summer, which I had been
looking forward to for months was the Tread Nightly and Tread Brightly Half
Marathons. Tread Nightly started at 8pm on July 22<sup>nd</sup>, and Tread
Brightly was the next morning at 8am on July 23<sup>rd</sup>. I signed up for
both races as the USNWC was offering an awesome custom made “Treadmeister Award”
to the top five men and women who received the most points in the weekends
race. First place in each race received 37.5 points, then 36 points for second,
34.5 points etc. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWkiMSiO7UEIGJGkXDkrvdxrkvoEzLfBOuR6n08yDXx2_YUjUeKWCIBwSnN2V2QdZfNBMaEOHsOK2rP6dajD4CZGllGpAW9Juhrf6JzEmX5c6RkNGQPv3FEV_qGa1FDs9DUwVEiY-lYh_/s1600/tread.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWkiMSiO7UEIGJGkXDkrvdxrkvoEzLfBOuR6n08yDXx2_YUjUeKWCIBwSnN2V2QdZfNBMaEOHsOK2rP6dajD4CZGllGpAW9Juhrf6JzEmX5c6RkNGQPv3FEV_qGa1FDs9DUwVEiY-lYh_/s320/tread.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tread Nightly & Tread Brightly: Done </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These races were much tougher both physically and mentally
than I expected. There was the added challenge of not knowing whether someone
was doing both of the races and whether or not you needed to stick with their
pace or not. I ended up finishing Tread Nightly in 6<sup>th</sup> place in
1:55:53 after only going off course and adding on distance during the fourth
mile. It was 12:30 in the morning before I finally got to bed and I was back up
at 6am to head back for Tread Brightly. I knew this was going to hurt, and by
mile five I felt ready to be done. I was pretty strong on the flats and
downhills all things considered, but the uphill’s were at a cripplingly slow
pace. Still, I held on for 5<sup>th</sup> place in 2:00:17. I ended up being 4<sup>th</sup>
out of the possibly five to receive one of the “Treadmeister Awards”, which
were awesome hand-made pottery mugs! Also left the race weekend with two
medals, two new shirts and a new running hat! Nothing better than racing 30
Miles on the USNWC trails in only 12 hours! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Summer Training: </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As far as Summer Training goes, I have been building up my
mileage for the Lehigh Valley Marathon. My goal is to aim for a sub 2:45
marathon (6:18 pace), and so far my training indicates that I should be capable
of this. Right now, I am entering my last training phase where I will be
peaking at 100 miles a week for the next three weeks. Typically, my workouts
each week have included running an interval or hill workout with Tri-Yon Performance
in Charlotte, coached by Jamey Yon, on Wednesday mornings at 5:30am, a 8-14
Mile Half Marathon to Marathon Pace Tempo on Friday, and a long run with a fast
finish on Sunday. Building up for the Marathon I have run training weeks of 62,
61, 69, 73, 80, 85, 90, and 87 miles. I will run weeks of 100, 100, 100, and 75
to close out my training before tapering. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Typical 100 Mile Week:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Week of August 1st, 2016 to August 7th, 2016<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
100 Miles<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
13 Runs<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Average of 7.69 Miles Per Run<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Runs: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Monday: 15 Miles (12 @ 6:47 Pace, Moderate)(4 @ 7:17,
Recovery)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tuesday: 14 Miles (11 @ 7:17 Pace, Recovery)( 3 @ 7:28 Pace,
Easy)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wednesday: 18 Miles (4 WU, 4 @ 6:30 Pace, Hill Workout)( 7 @
7:22 Pace, Recovery)(3 @ 7:06, Easy)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thursday: 10 Miles (7 @ 7:35 Pace, Recovery)( 3 @ 7:39 Pace,
Recovery)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday: 17 Miles (2 WU, 12 @ 6:14 Pace, MP Tempo)( 3 @7:09
Pace, Recovery)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturday: 5 Miles @ 7:13 Pace, Recovery<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday: 20 Miles @ 6:55-7:00 Pace <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Conclusion:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As of right now, I am debating hoping into the News &
Sentinel Half Marathon in West Virginia on August 20<sup>th</sup>, or the
OrthoCarolina Classic 10K on August 20<sup>th</sup> in NC. If I do not do
either of these, I will instead run a 16 Mile Tempo/Time Trail around the same
date. I will also be posting more regularly in the future now that I have some
bigger races coming up. Finally, I am also now on Strava! I post all of my
training with paces on the app or website! Thank you for checking out my blog
and following up on my training! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-90880147256819608482016-04-25T09:28:00.000-07:002016-04-26T10:04:34.583-07:00Almost Home: James Joyce 10K Race Recap, and Training Update<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;">On Sunday, April 24</span><sup style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 106%;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;"> 2016, I competed it
in the 33</span><sup style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 106%;">rd</sup><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;"> Annual James Joyce 10K in Dedham, MA. This race does not
start until 11AM so Hannah and I were able to sleep in before heading out. We
ended up leaving Boston at around 9AM and taking the Orange Line to Forest
Hills and then taking an Uber the rest of the way. Once we arrived at the
Endicott Estate, where the start of the race is located, I went over and
registered. I grabbed some water and then listened to some music before going
on about a two mile warmup. I was able to run a good portion of the first mile
of the race, which featured a slight downhill. I knew we would be coming back
up that way toward the finish so I kept that in the back of my mind. I took off
my sweatshirt and put on a new pair of compression socks that I bought last
week at the Boston Marathon Expo, I had run in them one other time this week,
but really wanted to test them out in a race situation. Soon enough I was
waiting around at the start line, but I was not able to do many strides because
the USATF Masters National Road Race Championship started a few minutes before
us and were blocking the way. This was somewhat of a nuisance during the actual
race because you had to weave around people at certain point, but overall it
was not too big of a deal and didn’t ever cost me any time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">The official
starter of the race ended up being Uta Pippig<span class="apple-converted-space"> the first
woman to win the Boston Marathon three consecutive times. Soon the gong
sounded and we were off and running! I quickly watched a very large pack of
elite men escape off into the distance. My plan was to start off conservatively
and run even 5:40 splits to finish right at or under 35 minutes. I quickly
settled into the group of elite women running for the B.A.A, the Saucony Racing
Team, the Boston Track Club, or the Cambridge Running Club. There were around
six or seven of us and I felt like running in a group would help push me along
so I stuck with them. The slight downhill of the first mile pushed me to a
faster time in the first mile than I was expecting in 5:28. I continued to hang
onto this group of women and soon we entered the windier section of the race
after leaving East St. On the first hill of the course the pack split up and
there were now only five of us. I had taken the hill conservatively and pushed
the downhill to connect back with the front of that group. We ended up hitting
the two mile marker in 11:11, which was a little fast but nothing to worry
about. A few minutes after passing mile two I just felt my legs start to burn a
little bit as I attempted to hold onto the surge of the group I was with. At
this point I dropped off of the front two women and settled into my own rhythm.
I was running with the 3<sup>rd</sup> and 4<sup>th</sup> place females and
attempting to limit the distance that the other gained on me. Pretty soon we
came and passed mile three in right at 17:00. The race did not have official 5K
splits so I estimated that I probably crossed in about 17:34-17:35. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><span class="apple-converted-space">Soon after
I entered the toughest mile of the entire course. This mile weaved through the
Noble and Greenough school and featured steady rolling hills. I could feel
quite a bit of pain in my legs so I focused on rhythm and recovering on the
flats and downhills. I was pretty much running on my own at this point, but I
was not necessarily making up ground, or being passed. I did have a few runners
only a couple seconds ahead so I focused on maintaining and closing the gap
during this hill mile. Right as we exiting the school I saw the fourth mile
marker. I could tell I was a little bit off my goal, but not terrible. Four
mile time was 22:53. At this point I had entered a long flat stretch of road
that I was really able to pick up my pace. The rest of the race after this
point ended up being almost pancake flat. I focused on reeling in a member of
the Cambridge Running Club and trying to reconnect with the female elites
during this mile. I did not get an accurate split of the last two miles as one
was too short, and the other was too long. Right after passing mile five there
was a gradual downhill before we turned back up the street the way that we had
started. I knew at this point that I had less than four or so minutes to go so
I was doing everything I could to keep my pace up and try and reel in anyone
ahead of me. Mostly this mile I maintained my position. As I approached mile
six I could see the clock ticking past thirty four minutes, but I was still a
little bit off. I knew that sub 35 was now out of reach, but I could still come
pretty close. I dug in and sprinted hard the last two tenth of a mile. I was
able to make up around seven or eight seconds on the fourth place women alone
in just the last 100 meters. I finally crossed the finish in 35:26, a new PR! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><span class="apple-converted-space">I
ended up splitting this race pretty evenly with 5K times of around 17:35 and
17:51 respectively. My last 2.2 miles after the four mile split were run at
right about 5:42 pace. Later on after the race I learned that the women I had
finished only one second behind, Melissa Nash, was actually a Bentley
University graduate a couple years back! After the race I cooled down and hung
around the post-race party. I ended up placing 29<sup>th</sup> Overall and
winning my division. Initially, I did not expect this race to be quite as
competitive as it was this year. It actually turned out to be great for my race
as I was able to pivot perfectly off of other runners, which I have not been
able to do recently as this was the first really competitive race I have
competed in quite some time. I feel like I could have run a little bit faster
with fresher legs, if I had decided to take a recovery week instead of a normal
volume week this week. Legs are still adjusting back to the high mileage I have
been running the last month or so and this left me a little less fresh than I
would have liked. Afterwards, I received a very unique award for finishing
first in my age group. The award ended up being two books, one of which was a
collection of works by James Joyce, the Irish writer by whom this race is
inspired! It always great when a race can give out an award that has special
meaning to the race itself, and it also gives the runner something to remember
the race by. I know I will certainly remember this race! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyqchb2bPg8hIdBqrf5sCXCNsNdX0yOe5KuS1fvTTpAmrDufq_SiyzZjmbVO9N059dY_hsYJPpGsFBSKsjh1trK_H46Qyaw4zhU1Mr_yRF6k9D3ofj24KGA_EnVKJd7PpWD9jK09_db1e/s1600/James+Joyce+10K.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyqchb2bPg8hIdBqrf5sCXCNsNdX0yOe5KuS1fvTTpAmrDufq_SiyzZjmbVO9N059dY_hsYJPpGsFBSKsjh1trK_H46Qyaw4zhU1Mr_yRF6k9D3ofj24KGA_EnVKJd7PpWD9jK09_db1e/s320/James+Joyce+10K.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final Sprint!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><b>Training Update: </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><span class="apple-converted-space">This race capped off a 65 mile week for me. Last week I finished right at 70 miles, and the week before that I was at 60. I'll be raising my mileage a little bit higher the next few weeks as I prepare for the Black Mountain Monster on May 21st. I have decided to drop down to the six hour event as a tune-up for the Dusk to Dawn 50 Miler in June rather than attempting the 12 hour race and not being ready to compete again by the 50 Miler. On may 12th i'll be running in the River Jam Race series at the White Water Center. I'm very excited to be racing on the trails again! There are so many races there that I have wanted to run this year but could not because I was at school. It's tough reading the results for races you know you could have done well in. There is also a slight possibility that i'll jump into a half-marathon sometime over the next few weekends to try and lower my 1:19:28 time that I ran in September </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Week
of April 4th, 2016 to April 10th, 2016<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">60.3
Miles <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">11
Runs <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Average of
5.48 Miles Per Run<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">7.08 Hours
of Running <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Runs: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Monday: 11
Miles (7 @ 6:59 Pace, 4 @ 6:58 Pace)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Tuesday: 8
Miles @ 7:10 Pace <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Wednesday:
9 Miles (5.75 Tempo Run @ 6:13 Pace, 3.25 @ 7:00) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Thursday:
10 Miles (6.5 @ 7:01 Pace, 3.5 @ 7:05 Pace) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Friday: 6
Miles @ 7:10 Pace <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Saturday:
7.2 Miles @ 7:43 Pace<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Sunday: 9
Miles (5 @ 6:54 Pace, 4 @ 7:06 Pace) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Week
of April 11th, 2016 to April 17th, 2016<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">70 Miles <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">10 Runs <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Average of
7.0 Miles Per Run<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">8.02 Hours
of Running <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Runs: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Monday: 14
Miles (9 @ 6:51 Pace, 5 @ 7:00 Pace)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Tuesday: 9
Miles @ 6:47 Pace <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Wednesday:
Steady State 10 Miles @ 6:35 Pace<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Thursday:
13 Miles (9 @ 6:53 Pace, 4 @ 7:03) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Friday:
6.5 Miles @ 7:06 Pace <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Saturday:
8.5 Miles @ 6:48 Pace<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Sunday: 9 Miles
(4 @ 7:01 Pace, 5 @ 7:00 Pace) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Week
of April 18th, 2016 to April 24th, 2016<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">65.5 Miles
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">9 Runs <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Average of
7.28 Miles Per Run<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">7.46 Hours
of Running <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Runs: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Monday: 7
Miles @ 6:55 Pace <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Tuesday:
12.5 Miles (9 @ 6:49 Pace, 3.5 @ 7:16 Pace)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Wednesday:
Tempo Run 10 Miles (5 WU @ 7:07 Pace, 5 Tempo @ 5:53 Pace)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Thursday:
11 Miles @ 7:05 Pace <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Friday:
8.5 Miles @ 7:03 Pace<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Saturday:
7 Miles (4 @ 6:54 Pace, 3 @ 7:13)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Sunday:
10K Race 9.5 Miles (3.25 WU/CD @ 7:23 Pace, 10K Race @ 5:41 Pace) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Conclusion:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Had some great runs and some not so great runs during
the last few week of running. Focus now will be on increasing mileage and
shifting my training toward my summer races. I will be returned home to
Charlotte for the summer on May 10<sup>th</sup> so I will also have to readjust
to the heat. Excited to have lots of time to train and race this summer though.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Some other exciting news: I have decided to enter the
Lehigh Valley Marathon on September 11<sup>th</sup>, 2016 to lower my marathon
time before the 2017 Boston Marathon Registration opens. This race is point to
point with a slight net downhill so I am very excited to train hard over the
summer and see what I can turn that training into. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-20584645456621663532016-04-04T14:58:00.001-07:002016-04-04T14:59:28.513-07:00Year of the PR: Training Update, and Shifters 5K Race Recap<div class="MsoNormal">
As far as improving on my times in various events, this has
been a breakout year. In the last 6 months I have smashed my half marathon PR
in September and marathon PR in November by 3.5 minutes and 13.5 minutes to
1:19:28 and 2:53:16. I also lowered my 8K by 40 seconds in November to 27:59
and now my 5K PR by 15 seconds in April to a new time of 16:43! To top all of
this off, I made my Ultramarathon debut in January with a 9:55:06 in the 100K.
All my hard work is now starting to pay dividends in events I did not even
expect it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Saturday, April 2<sup>nd</sup>, 2016 I competed in the
Shifters 5K in Waltham, MA. I decided last minute to hop into this event
because I wanted to see if I had improved on my 8K effort from two weeks before
hand. The race starts at 1:00pm so I had plenty of time to sleep in a little
bit and get ready for the race. The forecast called for cold rain, and sure
enough it was pouring out when I woke up. I got ready, ate a bagel for
breakfast and then waited for my friend Dave Menard, who also ran the 5K, to
come drive us to the race. When we got to the race we quickly registered and
then ran the course to get a feel for it. The course had one giant hill at the
very start but made up for it on the last mile which was almost all straight
downhill. I was feeling alright on the warmup, but not great. My goal heading
into this race was too get in a solid effort and hopefully push under 17:30. As
the race came closer to starting I surveyed the competition and did some
strides and stretches. Soon enough, we were on the start line and the rain was
coming down pretty hard. The siren went off and I jumped to the front. My plan
was to start conservatively and push hard as soon as I crested the hill. This
led to a five or six of us all hunched in the lead until I blew it open when we
hit the flats. Only one guy stuck with me and he went hard, even passing by me
for about a half a mile. The two of us hit the mile right at 5:37. I was
feeling pretty good and my turnover felt surprisingly high. The second mile featured
the most turns on the course although it was largely flat. All I could think
about this mile was keeping the 2<sup>nd</sup> place guy behind me until we hit
the downhills. Just before we hit mile two I threw in a surge to try and keep
him off balance and I believe that I opened up a second or two, which he
quickly closed. We both passed mile two in 11:10 with a 5:33 second mile. When
I turned and hit the downhill I took off with all the speed I had in my legs
and put in a huge surge. We were flying on the downhill, but I did not feel
like I was opening up too much of a lead. I kept hitting the pace hard and
finally rounded the last turn of the course before a long straightaway to the
finish. I could feel myself slowing down a little bit but not too bad. As I closed
on the finish line I looked back and saw that I had the win safely in the bag.
It was at that point though that I noticed the clock. I had assumed that I
would finish somewhere in the 17:15s based on how the race had panned out so
far, but I was shocked to see 16:30s ticking up on the clock. I pushed as hard
as I could and finished 1<sup>st</sup> Overall with a new PR of 16:43! Second
place came in just behind me in 16:48. He said that his Garmin recorded a split
of 5:04 for the 3<sup>rd</sup> mile, meaning that my third mile had come in at
4:59 to 5:00! I was pretty ecstatic with this result and I think I am looking
good for a sub-35 10K at the James Joyce 10K on April 24<sup>th</sup>, 2016.
After the race Dave and I headed over to the Cooper House Tavern where they
were having an after party with music and free food. For my win I ended up
getting and medal as well as a 40$ gift certificate to the restaurant. All in
all, a great race that also capped off a solid week of training. That now
brings me to my last two weeks of training… <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Week of March 21st, 2016 to March 27th,
2016<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
65 Miles <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
10 Runs <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Average of 6.50 Miles Per Run<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
7.54 Hours of Running <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Runs: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Monday: 10.2 Miles (6.2 @ 6:37 Pace, 4 @ 6:57 Pace)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Tuesday: 11.3 Miles @ 6:56 Pace <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Wednesday: 8.5 Miles @ 6:58 Pace <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Thursday: 10 Miles (7 @ 7:00 Pace, 3 @ 7:04 Pace) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Friday: 10 Miles @ 7:03 Pace <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Saturday: 8.5 Miles (6.2 @ 7:39 Pace, 2.3 @ 6:26
Pace) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sunday: 6.5 Miles @ 6:35 Pace <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Week in Review:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pretty solid
week of training, but it was difficult on my legs to readjust to the higher
mileage. Felt a lot of fatigue towards the end of the week. Switched out my
shoes and got a new pair of the Mizuno Wave Hitogami’s as well as a pair of the
HOKA ONE ONE Challengers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Week of March 28th, 2016 to April 3rd,
2016<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
60 Miles <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
8 Runs <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Average of 7.5 Miles Per Run<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
7.20 Hours of Running <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Runs: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Monday: 8.1 Miles (5 @ 7:22 Pace, 3.1 @ 6:55
Pace)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Tuesday: 7 Miles @ 7:07 Pace <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Wednesday: 19.3 Miles @ 7:27 Pace<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Thursday: 4 Miles @ 6:43 Pace <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Friday: 6.2 Miles @ 7:18 Pace <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Saturday: 8 Miles (5K in 16:43, 4.9 Miles @ 7:40
Pace) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sunday: 7.5 Miles @ 7:08 Pace <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Week in Review:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What started
off as a pretty bad week turned into a great one by Sunday. Had a little more soreness
after my long run than I would have liked, but I do not think it ended up
hindering my race on Saturday. Overall, the lower mileage this week definitely
helped my feel fresher and I’m ready to crank it up a little bit more this
week. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One again
thanks to everyone who gives my blog a read. Going to continue to have training
updates, race recaps, and probably just more running news in general. In
addition, if anyone is interested reading about my workouts or wants to know splits
I have my training log up on Athleticore at: <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
http://athleticore.com/directory/profile_view.asp?id=11073&sort=LName,%20FName&searchbox=FName&searchtext=chase&page=1<o:p></o:p></div>
Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-76372287438607769252016-03-23T17:01:00.000-07:002016-03-23T17:01:42.928-07:00Welcome to Spring: Elizabeth 8K Race Recap, Training Update, and Updated Racing Schedule<div class="MsoNormal">
On Saturday March 19<sup>th</sup>, 2016 I competed in the
Elizabeth 8K Road Race in Charlotte, NC. My goal going into this race was
simply to run strong and consistently and put in a confident performance. I
woke up at 6:15am on Saturday, got dressed for the race, and had half a bagel
for nutrition. Soon we were off and headed to the race. Cole and I warmed up just
about two miles and did stretches and strides on the start line. Going into
this race I figured I had a decent chance to place top five or contend for the
money available to the top three finishers. On the start line I recognized a
few people from around Charlotte that I believed would be right up there with
me, including a senior from Rock Hill, SC that I used to race against in high
school. When the gun went off I quickly settled into fifth place at a comfortably
pace, but unfortunately I had already watched the top three runners slip away.
I credit that to my lack of strong mileage recently, which I’ll talk about
later in this post. In 4<sup>th</sup> place, however, was the high schooler
from Rock Hill. I focused on holding on a few seconds back from where he was.
The Elizabeth 8K course is pretty challenging due to its large number of turns
and long uphill’s so I wanted to use the slight downhills to open up my stride
and the slight uphill’s to power up and make up ground. I hit mile one, about 5-10
seconds back from 4<sup>th</sup>, in 5:50. This was the only split I recorded
for the race so I am not entirely sure what my other mile times were. As we
neared mile two and started going on an uphill section of the course I closed
hard and reached 4<sup>th</sup> right at mile two. I moved into 4<sup>th</sup>
and worked on opening up around a five second gap over the next half a mile. Unfortunately,
at mile three I was led off course due to an errant volunteer but I was able to
quickly cut through a yard and only lost ten seconds max. I was now back in 5<sup>th</sup>
place and breathing heavily due to my quick change in pace and lose of rhythm.
I worked very hard to stick to him and get back into a comfortable pace. Finally,
I was able to power by on another long uphill section just before mile four. I
opened up another five second gap but I knew that he was not going away. I felt
pretty controlled, and felt like I could hold off a surge but I continued
pushing the pace in order to avoid having us make contact. As we entered the
last quarter mile of the race I attribute the strength I have developed due to
my mileage over the last six months in powering me through to take 4<sup>th</sup>
place by four seconds. I ended up finished in 29:00 for the 8K or about a 5:49
Pace. I probably could have taken another 10-15 seconds off if not for the
wrong turn, but that is nothing to dwell on. I was pretty happy with my time on
a particularly tough course as well as the strength I displaced in holding a
consistent pace, which I have not usually been able to do on shorter races. I cooled down around a mile with my brother
Cole, who finished in around thirty three minutes, as well as the runner from
Rock Hill, before calling it a day and heading back home.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
As far as training goes I have been keeping it fairly low
mileage over the last two months until just the last two weeks or so. I believe
part of the reason I had such a hard time recovering was due to the fact that I
wore my Mizuno Wave Hitagami 2’s, designed for the 5K to half-marathon
distance, for the 100K. In response to this, I visited Greenapple Sports &
Wellness over break and had my hips, hamstring, and shins looked at, as well as
received some strengthening exercises to incorporate into my routine. I also
purchased a pair of HOKA ONE ONE Challenger ATR trail running shoes for my
trail races and ultra. I am hoping that I will be able to recover a lot faster
next time with more cushioned shoes. Over the last two weeks or so I have been
upping my mileage to 50 miles and have been feeling great. This week I have a
goal of 60-65 miles to gauge how my body is feeling. This now brings me to my
updated racing schedule… I am planning on entering three big races over the
summer: The 12 Hour Event at the Black Mountain Monster in Black Mountain, NC,
the Dusk to Dawn 50 Miler in Southern Pines, NC and the Grandfather Mountain
Marathon. The first race is near the end of May so I will be pushing my mileage
up to 70-90 miles a week over the next two months to prepare. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b>
<b>Full Race Schedule: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Elizabeth 8K – March 19<sup>th</sup>, 2016 – 4<sup>th</sup>
Overall in 29:01 (5:50 Pace) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
James Royce Ramble 10K – April 24<sup>th</sup>, 2016 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
River Jam Run 6.5 Miler – May 12<sup>th</sup>, 2016<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Black Mountain Monster (12 Hours) – May 21<sup>st</sup>,
2016 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Memorial Day Trail Race – May 29<sup>th</sup>, 2015<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Summer Track Series – June 2016 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
River Jam Run 6.5 Miler – June 9<sup>th</sup>, 2016<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brew Dash 6K – June 18<sup>th</sup>, 2016<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dusk to Dawn 50 Miler – June 25<sup>th</sup>, 2016 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Grandfather Mountain Marathon – July 9<sup>th</sup>, 2016<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
River Jam Run 6.5 Miler – July 14<sup>th</sup>, 2016<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tread Nightly Half Marathon – July
22<sup>nd</sup>, 2016 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tread Brightly Half Marathon – July 23<sup>rd</sup>, 2016 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
River Jam Run 6.5 Miler – August 11<sup>th</sup>, 2016<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ortho Carolina Classic 10K – August 20<sup>th</sup>, 2016 <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll be posting many more race recaps, training updates, and
other information in the near future. Thank you again to everyone who has taken
a look at my blog thus far. <o:p></o:p></div>
Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-12275657320943250382016-02-16T21:17:00.002-08:002016-02-16T21:17:50.489-08:00Training Update: Weymouth Woods 100K Recovery ProcessIts been a long month of recovery since the end of the Weymouth Woods 100K in Southern Pines, NC where I finished 2nd Overall in 9:55:06. As far as "feeling better" goes, I was surprised to feel relatively decent as soon as three days after finishing. I tried a few easy shakeout runs the week after the race, and that's when a variety of nagging aches and pains got the better of my legs. After a rather pitiful session of about a mile and a half on the treadmill a week or so after the race, I decided that my legs needed a break. I took a full week off and then slowly incorporated some mileage back in, definitely on the very low side of my training volume. After the week off, I focused on runs of 3-5 for a total of 18 miles that week. The next week featured a few slightly longer runs with a peak of 8.5 miles for a total of 30 miles that week. I am happy to say that my legs are finally feeling better and that I have the spring back in my step. I had targeted the Tobacco Road Marathon in March but after a hard winter season of racing the Thunder Road Marathon and then the 100K I decided that it would be in my best interest to take some recovery time.<br />
<br />
Right now, I do not have a definitive race in mind. I am looking at doing a half marathon in May, and then an Ultramarathon, probably another 100K, in either July or August. In November, I will more than likely be racing the New York City Marathon! For right now, I am going to continue to building my mileage back up to a base of 55-65 miles a week. I'm going to run a few local races when I return to Charlotte over spring break such as the Shamrock 4 Miler and the Elizabeth 8K.<br />
<br />
Finally, I want to say thank you to everyone who has read my blogs post or congratulated me on one of my races. I promise that you will be hearing much more from me in the future. Another training update coming soon.<br />
<br />
<b>Tentative Race Schedule:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Shamrock 4 Miler - Charlotte, NC - March 12th, 2016<br />
Elizabeth 8K - Charlotte, NC - March 19th, 2016Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-38856929490834266192016-01-17T20:29:00.004-08:002016-01-19T15:55:46.706-08:00Weymouth Woods 100K: An Ultramarathon Debut <div class="MsoNormal">
First off, I would like to thank Marie Lewis and Magnum
Track Club for putting on a spectacular event! I also want to thank all of the
volunteers working both of the aid stations who made sure that all the runners
were looked after. Finally, I want to thank my family, and girlfriend Hannah,
for supporting me, crewing me, and putting up with me while I ran for 62.58
miles.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We left our home in Charlotte, NC for Southern Pines around
noon on Friday and arrived at around 2:30pm. After checking into the hotel my mom and I went to run the course for the first time. I had read previous
race reports that stated that the course was fairly rooty, but I was surprised at
how technical certain sections were. After completing the course, we went back
to the hotel and then went to get Italian food at a local restaurant. A short while and a few supply checks later, I
was off to sleep.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCl59pfqGMhri8P28Ck1aGv2Y-SJkdvqBUdEXLD8QXNK5wV-Qgw1v0foOaKvNmy2nOL7OTL0On2cE08nN6Nxp61LlpELaUKeBZgg0mNdeCCeMb1oKTBiKTdtWlXaqr5OA_NWfyhdd9Baj7/s1600/IMG_6812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCl59pfqGMhri8P28Ck1aGv2Y-SJkdvqBUdEXLD8QXNK5wV-Qgw1v0foOaKvNmy2nOL7OTL0On2cE08nN6Nxp61LlpELaUKeBZgg0mNdeCCeMb1oKTBiKTdtWlXaqr5OA_NWfyhdd9Baj7/s320/IMG_6812.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Race morning came at me fast. I woke up at 6:00am and
immediately put on the outfit I had planned on wearing. When it comes to shoes,
I am more of a minimalist, even over the longer distances, so I wore my Mizuno
Wave Hitogami 2’s as well as a pair of X2 compressions calf sleeves. For
breakfast I kept it pretty simple and had a bagel with peanut butter and some
water. We loaded up and arrived at Weymouth Woods right around 7:00am. The next
hour passed by pretty quickly as I went to get my race number, attended the
pre-race meeting, and made some last minute checks. It was a little chilly out
so I started with a light jacket on for the first lap. I made my way over to
the start line, gave a few last minute hugs, and before I knew it, we were off!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqw9lf28O2OsDp8R6LnUZVJI0tjHdenvRTBp19YfEL2iwBsf1NlM_DGCiT-tW-VUzem7zhyF63DaG5nUyc0y4lH5RnDZpP0r1n5rWBnYuOz7cIPLJVDMWKpqHsVXtwiZW61mWGZ15YsmU/s1600/IMG_6770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqw9lf28O2OsDp8R6LnUZVJI0tjHdenvRTBp19YfEL2iwBsf1NlM_DGCiT-tW-VUzem7zhyF63DaG5nUyc0y4lH5RnDZpP0r1n5rWBnYuOz7cIPLJVDMWKpqHsVXtwiZW61mWGZ15YsmU/s320/IMG_6770.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Couldn't have done it without my support crew </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Months and months of training had prepared me for this
moment. I started out fairly conservative so I could get a sense of how my body
was firing, as well as a better feel for the course. The course is filled with
roots for much of the first half so I always had to be conscious of this. I
quickly latched onto a group of four other runners during Lap 1, one of only two
times all day that I would run with someone. For this race I was carrying a
single 20 ounce bottle of water that contained approximately 200 calories worth
of Tailwind. The plan was to switch out for a fresh bottle after each lap.
Before I knew it, I had passed the first aid station at around mile 2.4 and I
began what I referred to as the second half of each lap. This section here was
where the trail because much more runnable, but was also much hiller, featuring
three tough ascents over the last mile of each lap. I ended up passing the
first lap in 37:36, which I thought was a good pace to hold. I only spent about
10 seconds at my “base camp” grabbing a new water bottle before I was off for
my second lap! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-0Vjnljz7vKmYgfbcVGyeoigpYM0QVpy2Z6cyE1mKNocDRZhfhzLZX5kFWBlk_uUwa6QiEZcMAoCieCRYYntZWdcYM-sexeY9oAPgCv7rZpVc4yH2jMJzgbCJcnS6Padie4agzW1xIx1/s1600/IMG_6762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-0Vjnljz7vKmYgfbcVGyeoigpYM0QVpy2Z6cyE1mKNocDRZhfhzLZX5kFWBlk_uUwa6QiEZcMAoCieCRYYntZWdcYM-sexeY9oAPgCv7rZpVc4yH2jMJzgbCJcnS6Padie4agzW1xIx1/s320/IMG_6762.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lap 3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was passed by Mark Rostan just after I entered the trails
for the second time so I knew I was in either 3<sup>rd</sup> or 4<sup>th</sup>
place. I let him go ahead of me and
focused on settling into a rhythm. It was early, but overall my body was
feeling pretty good. Near the end of the second lap I had caught back up as we were going up the last hill. I crossed the second lap in 36:32 or
about an 8:10 pace. He stopped for a little bit longer than I did so I was
all alone one again. The laps started to feel like they were going by pretty
quickly. I crossed the third lap in 36:20, my fastest split of the day. For lap
four I picked up my younger brother Cole who was a big help because he got me
talking and kept my mind occupied. He told me that I was in 2<sup>nd</sup>
place, which surprised me because I had believed that I was running in 3<sup>rd</sup>.
He also got me to eat some energy chews which my body was starting to need. I
crossed my fourth lap in 37:26 and with an overall time of 2:27:56. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFHjHBNqCP7KK-R4L9T_s-eT8LqmPW2GGNgFpv1b-GV85lUvQ5HwfdQlLX4nzAmq37lNI3s6wfs459ucm6BExx4bpCoZfcT3DOzA1n74h5Wr0qKwQCJZH-yGxtvplnBouJcL7PDyuLbEx/s1600/IMG_6727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFHjHBNqCP7KK-R4L9T_s-eT8LqmPW2GGNgFpv1b-GV85lUvQ5HwfdQlLX4nzAmq37lNI3s6wfs459ucm6BExx4bpCoZfcT3DOzA1n74h5Wr0qKwQCJZH-yGxtvplnBouJcL7PDyuLbEx/s320/IMG_6727.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lap 4</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even on lap five I was still getting in and out of our base
camp in more or less 15 seconds. I probably should have taken a little bit more time because at this point I was running alone in second
place. During this lap I focused on doing a general body check and assessing
how I felt. My legs were still very strong, but my feet were starting to hurt a
tiny bit from the roots. I was also finishing off my water bottle during each
lap so that was a good sign. Around this lap I decided that it would probably
be in my best interest to slow down just a little bit going up the last hill in
order to keep my heart rate down. I crossed lap five in 36:31 and picked up
Cole for another lap. I made a huge mental mistake here and began asking Cole
how far ahead the leader was, but he did not bite. Unfortunately, I later
learned from another runner that I was only about two minutes behind. Thankfully,
Cole realized this and pushed me to slow down my pace. When I finished lap six
in 37:58, I had officially run farther than I ever have before. I crossed the
marathon mark in right around 3:37-3:38. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WN01U3iK6EtbHhKcfUlJtghMqlKmEX6U9TERlX46YWcSduM8OBMhrKoQVlahqHsxJ8xbWtQ5TzQMDMfHLws7Y1Su1ImUN83HP7Tzz6WYMGjd-O2qTInhnPmq7jn3xtkuh7KOwgqkGWJG/s1600/IMG_6766.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WN01U3iK6EtbHhKcfUlJtghMqlKmEX6U9TERlX46YWcSduM8OBMhrKoQVlahqHsxJ8xbWtQ5TzQMDMfHLws7Y1Su1ImUN83HP7Tzz6WYMGjd-O2qTInhnPmq7jn3xtkuh7KOwgqkGWJG/s320/IMG_6766.PNG" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lap 7</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lap seven I was still feeling pretty strong, but I was
entering unfamiliar territory. I was about 40 seconds behind the leader, and as hard as tried not too, I ended up catching up to him right near the middle
aid station. His name was Scott Harber, and we chatted for around five or so minutes.
I’m not quite sure what happened next, but gradually I just lost contact with
him. It was a huge mental blow. I crossed lap seven in 37:45, approximately 25
seconds off the lead. I picked up Cole for a third lap and he could tell that I
was hurting now. He helped to distract me a little bit, but I could feel my
pace slowing. I was still drinking plenty of fluids but I was starting to get a
little disoriented. By now my legs were killing me and each root I stepped on
felt like a dagger. The hills were still not bothering me too much but I had to
walk for the first time during the final set of rolling hills on this lap. I
crossed lap eight in 43:43 with an overall time of 5:03:53. At this point I was
in a very dark place mentally. I began lap nine, not entirely confident that I
would be able to continue after this lap. After what seemed like an eternity, I
finally reached the familiarity of the last mile and my favorite part of the
course, the crest after the first hill before you dip down into the steepest
descent of the trail. Even in my stupor,
I still appreciated the beauty of the surrounding forest. I ended up walking
most of the final uphill on this loop before crossing the ninth lap in 51:47.
When I got to our base camp I felt like I could barely move. My legs felt like
lead blocks and my mind was in shambles. I really thought this was going to be
the end for me. My mind starting pleading with my legs, but my legs (and my
support crew) won out.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
My biggest mistake during this race was mental, not
physical. I did not go out too fast, I did not push the hills too hard, instead
I had neglected my nutrition, and in the end it came very very close to ending
my race. Aside from a couple of energy chews and the Tailwind in my water
bottle, I had not eaten any food over the first seven laps of the race and that
was what had created my downfall here. My support team went to work making sure
that I took in thousands of calories over the second half of the race. My Dad
was especially good at making sure of this. From lap nine onward I came back to
the aid station and had potato chips, peanut butter pretzels dipped in base
salts, and sugar water each time. We also started to mix in the base salts to
my Tailwind. The impact was almost immediate. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After spending about 10 minutes at my base camp I set off on
my tenth lap with my mom. I knew that we were moving slowly, but at least we were
moving. 3<sup>rd</sup> place was still about 10-15 minutes back so I was not
extremely worried but that was a thought on my mind. Lap ten really was a great
mental pickup and by the end of the lap I was moving much faster. Even though I
came through this lap in 57:52, much of which can be attributed to my long aid
station stop, my family told me that I looked much better. I abandoned my old
race strategy of getting through the aid station as quick as possible and
instead I focused on eating pretzels and chips each lap and getting water in
me. I set off on my eleventh lap feeling surprisingly strong and confident. Some
of the pain in my legs actually decreased! I felt like this lap went by fairly
quickly and I was back around to the start before I knew it. This lap was in
43:41 with an overall time of 7:37:14. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaUsBDndPLOsCYFyk1L4Y2dzEYCsBJBtJxPRYd7NssiK18nlAq3v1BFvrFbCdO7g3-kN3YvY3t9z0If6k2wjWT5l9v4zhCsGcVNPyt3TLSYNVlhnffQTKVkeO3Y3hnmPE4vXdpvXKmvCA/s1600/IMG_6769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaUsBDndPLOsCYFyk1L4Y2dzEYCsBJBtJxPRYd7NssiK18nlAq3v1BFvrFbCdO7g3-kN3YvY3t9z0If6k2wjWT5l9v4zhCsGcVNPyt3TLSYNVlhnffQTKVkeO3Y3hnmPE4vXdpvXKmvCA/s320/IMG_6769.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lap 11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I did some quick calculations in my head and figured that I
could finish in under ten hours if I kept up around my current pace. I was off
for my 12<sup>th</sup> lap which meant that I had just over a half marathon to
go. I was over 50 miles into a 100K race and amazingly I was still riding off
of my second and third wind. I was beginning to see that the sun was setting
and I was hoping that I could finish before I needed my headlamp. I finally
crossed lap twelve in 44:54 and picked up my mom for the penultimate lap. I
knew that no matter how bad I was hurting that I could still do 9 miles. Even
though I was so close to being done, this lap was one of the hardest both
mentally and physically. I tried to look at it like this lap was the final lap
and that lap fourteen was just a “victory lap”. I wore my headlamp for this lap
just in case, but did not end up turning it on. After what seemed like an
eternity I crossed lap thirteen in 47:13. Right as I started on my final lap I
saw Scott cross the finish line. He ran a brilliant second half that I was just
not able to match. I knew that I had second place almost locked up because I
was about 20 minutes ahead. I set off on the last lap with my Dad and felt a rush of relief
due to the fact that I was passing all of the landmarks on the course for the
last time. I said goodbye to the huge roots and twisting turns in the first two
miles. I was really picking up the pace over the last two miles and I actually
was feeling great. I did have to turn on my headlamp for just the last mile or
so because it was getting hard to see some of the roots. I crested the rolling
hills for a final time and dipped down before going up the rooty incline one
last time. I tripped for only the second time all race as I tried to ascend the
hill as fast as I could. Finally, I turned the corner and sprinted across the
finish line in a time of 9:55:06! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMLZbmEZIKGRVQ-91O0pumLQ8pwGYpXXTxUu5gbeOJ1GvPfmIK33Wqnt22rAFN4dDI-67Zmrl-vmcd9y4ZFxy7T9iz7CnlKofEWMoX4Y58Nz67-on-yIKV2h-XIQXyi53zBtnnsYeUMve/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMLZbmEZIKGRVQ-91O0pumLQ8pwGYpXXTxUu5gbeOJ1GvPfmIK33Wqnt22rAFN4dDI-67Zmrl-vmcd9y4ZFxy7T9iz7CnlKofEWMoX4Y58Nz67-on-yIKV2h-XIQXyi53zBtnnsYeUMve/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After I finished I was interviewed by the local paper,
received a beautiful custom made pottery finisher’s award, and took some photos
with my family and girlfriend. I also spoke with the winner, Scott, for a
couple minutes and congratulated him. I was overwhelmed now that I was finally
done. I ended running a 9:31 pace overall and finished about 26 minutes ahead
of third place. Not too bad for an Ultra marathon debut!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxWdG_iDeQDlrYBiXXtQ81bN-eDT-SBNy5pma5EjEhxkiVNUA83gmvrgKwLUBOREUSlasLHcscwPELWhfJPQg7jb4chz-amvnZBfOWQ2a1AXhATtliWJrKmRxKSW67X0sx5PMteHyreWE/s1600/IMG_6773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxWdG_iDeQDlrYBiXXtQ81bN-eDT-SBNy5pma5EjEhxkiVNUA83gmvrgKwLUBOREUSlasLHcscwPELWhfJPQg7jb4chz-amvnZBfOWQ2a1AXhATtliWJrKmRxKSW67X0sx5PMteHyreWE/s320/IMG_6773.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
I cannot thank Marie Lewis and Magnum Track Club enough for
putting on this event. All of the volunteers and the other runners were
incredibly supportive. As I type this recap the next day, I still have not
fully comprehended that I completed my first ultramarathon. I’m tired and sore,
but that’s just a small price to pay for seeing just how far and how fast you
can really go.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0GH1_w-WozmZEgXVwE2aBAgOHzae3oQhbaow99sKBPQ62O_G7XSCA5rT4RsAy98yKC_UZ-0Zr9O0Rwd9N1yhSVLrc88u235z7OSSRYNysHVM6gfFafUAXZSFReh5cOasNsymhN36jjnP/s1600/Weymouth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0GH1_w-WozmZEgXVwE2aBAgOHzae3oQhbaow99sKBPQ62O_G7XSCA5rT4RsAy98yKC_UZ-0Zr9O0Rwd9N1yhSVLrc88u235z7OSSRYNysHVM6gfFafUAXZSFReh5cOasNsymhN36jjnP/s320/Weymouth.JPG" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lap Splits </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-33054719426734831462016-01-07T21:23:00.002-08:002016-01-07T21:23:35.865-08:00Training Update: 8 Days Out From Weymouth Woods It's almost race day and my excitement is continuing to build as we get closer and closer to the starting gun! I feel like I am in probably the best shape of my life at the moment. Some other race related news that has popped up: as of now the weather is calling for rain during the afternoon hours of the race, but this could change so I don't think that it will be much of a problem. We have a hotel booked that is only 3-4 miles from the course and we are leaving for Southern Pines, NC around noon on Friday so that I can run the course beforehand. Have already figured out my pacing and fueling strategies and spent a good deal of time talking with the guys down at the Ultra Running Store in Charlotte, NC about what to expect in my first ultra. I have started my taper and I am cutting mileage down to about just over 50 miles this week with just a few short easy runs next week. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Listed below is my training for the past several weeks. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Week of December 14th, 2015 to December 20th, 2015 </b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
64 Miles </div>
<div>
10 Runs </div>
<div>
Average of 6.40 Miles Per Run</div>
<div>
7.8 Hours of Running </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Runs: </b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Monday: 11 Miles (5 AM, 6 PM)</div>
<div>
Tuesday: 8 Miles</div>
<div>
Wednesday: 11 Miles (6 AM, 5 PM)</div>
<div>
Thursday: 12 Miles (8 AM, 4 PM) </div>
<div>
Friday: 8 Miles </div>
<div>
Saturday: 1 Mile </div>
<div>
Sunday: 13 Miles @ 7:09 Pace </div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Week in Review:</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Not a great week of training due to studying for exams and having to fly home. Fell short of my mileage goal for the week but still managed to get in a run on Saturday even though our flight ended up being cancelled. Regrouping for a solid week this coming week. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Week of December 21st, 2015 to December 27th, 2015 </b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
74.2 Miles </div>
<div>
11 Runs </div>
<div>
Average of 6.75 Miles Per Run</div>
<div>
8.94 Hours of Running </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Runs: </b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Monday: 4 Miles </div>
<div>
Tuesday: 11 Miles (8 AM @ 6:46 Pace, 3 PM) </div>
<div>
Wednesday: 7 Miles </div>
<div>
Thursday: 11 Miles (9 AM @ 6:54 Pace, 2 PM) </div>
<div>
Friday: 6.2 Miles </div>
<div>
Saturday: 20 Miles (16 AM @ 7:18 Pace, 4 PM) </div>
<div>
Sunday: 15 Miles (10 AM @ 7:25 Pace, 5 PM)</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<b>Week in Review:</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Very strong week after weaker mileage last week. Felt great on my back to back long runs and it was good to spend more time on my feet. Also had some solid runs during the middle of the week.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Week of December 28th, 2015 to January 3rd, 2016</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
80 Miles </div>
<div>
12 Runs </div>
<div>
Average of 6.67 Miles Per Run</div>
<div>
8.94 Hours of Running </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Runs: </b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Monday: 9 Miles (5 AM, 4 PM) </div>
<div>
Tuesday: 8 Miles </div>
<div>
Wednesday: 9 Miles (5 AM, 4 PM) </div>
<div>
Thursday: 9 Miles (4 AM, 5 PM) </div>
<div>
Friday: 5 Miles </div>
<div>
Saturday: 20 Miles (16 AM @ 7:13 Pace, 4 PM) </div>
<div>
Sunday: 20 Miles (16 AM @ 7:32 Pace, 4 PM)</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<b>Week in Review:</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Hit my first ever 80 mile week this week as well as my first time doing 12 runs in a single week. Great week of training overall that is giving me confidence for this race. Running back to back 20 mile days definitely gave me an idea of what it would be like running when I am exhausted though. Taper starts now! </div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Recap: </b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Overall, I feel pretty confident in my aerobic base right now. I have been building up since August when I first started training for the Thunder Road Marathon. I have put in 7-8 weeks of 70+ miles since then with a few more in the mid 60s. If this race goes well I am thinking of changing up my racing schedule and entering in the Vermont 100 Mile, which conveniently has a registration date of January 17th, 2016, only one day after my 100K. </div>
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Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-21564768534941096702015-12-15T10:45:00.002-08:002015-12-15T10:57:05.793-08:00Week-In-Review 12/07-12/13 & 2016 Racing Schedule <div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In this post I am going to talk a little but about my latest training week in preparation for the Weymouth Woods 100K in Janaury, as well as my racing plans for 2016. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Total: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
73 Miles<br />
11 Runs<br />
Average of 6.64 Miles Per Run<br />
<br />
<b>Runs: </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Monday: 6 Miles @ 7:23 Pace & 5 Miles & 7:14 Pace<br />
Tuesday: 9 Miles @ 7:12 Pace<br />
Wednesday: 14 Miles @ 7:25 Pace & 4 Miles @ 7:19 Pace<br />
Thursday: 6.25 Miles @ 7:31 Pace & 4.75 Miles @ 7:21 Pace<br />
Friday: 6 Miles @ 7:29 Pace<br />
Saturday: 8 Miles @ 7:19 Pace<br />
Sunday: 5 Miles @ 7:20 Pace & 5 Miles @ 7:18 Pace<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Week In Review: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">First week of training for the Weymouth Woods 100K on January 16th, 2016. Started at around 70 miles for this week and I am planning on building up to 85-90 miles when I peak in 2-3 weeks. Overall, this was a great week in terms of mileage, but I was sick for majority it so most of my runs were not what I would have liked as far as pace goes. This coming up week will be 75 miles on the dot before hoping up to 87 the following week. Excited to be able to run outside more when I get back to Charlotte instead of just on the treadmill.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<b>Tentative<span style="font-family: inherit;"> 2016 Racing Schedule:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">January 16</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">, 2016 – Weymouth Woods 100K
(Southern Pines, NC)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">February 13</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">, 2016 – Martha’s Vineyard 20 Miler
(Martha’s Vineyard, MA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">March 13</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">, 2016 – Tobacco Road Marathon (Durham,
NC)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">May 13</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">, 2016 – Twilight 5K (Charlotte, NC)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">May 29</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">, 2016 – Memorial Day Trail Race 8 Mile
(Charlotte, NC)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">June, 2016 – Summer Track Series 1 Mile, 2 Mile, 5K
(Charlotte, NC)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">June 9</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">, 2016 – River Jam Run 6.5 Mile
(Charlotte, NC)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">July 4</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">, 2016 – Spectacular 4 Miler (Charlotte,
NC)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">July 14</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">, 2016 – River Jam Run 6.5 Mile
(Charlotte, NC)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">July 22</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">nd</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">, 2016 – Tread Nightly Half Marathon
(Charlotte, NC)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">August 11</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">, 2016 – River Jam Run 6.5 Mile
(Charlotte, NC)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">October 8</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">, 2016 – B.A.A Half Marathon (Boston,
MA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">November 6</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">, 2016 – New York City Marathon (New
York, NY)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">November 24</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">, 2016 – Turkey Trot 8K (Charlotte,
NC)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have also attached my tentative racing schedule for all of 2016. Most of these races are set, but it is likely that a few could change. My current plan is to train for the Weymouth Woods 100K in January and the Tobacco Road Marathon in March, and then take a break from longer distances until I start training for the New York City Marathon sometime in late July. I have included some short road races and multiple track races because I really want to lower some of my high school PR's. There are also quite a few trail races at the USNWC center in Charlotte, NC that I thought would be lots of fun. One of the races I am most looking forward to though is the B.A.A Half Marathon because this race is practically in my backyard now that I go to school in Waltham, MA. </span></div>
Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943502340371389453.post-11813016661317307572015-12-03T19:19:00.001-08:002015-12-05T21:13:49.362-08:00Thunder Road Marathon Race Recap <div class="MsoNormal">
Welcome to my blog! Here, I will be sharing race recaps, updates about my training, my goals for the future, and any other running related news I may have. With my first post I wanted to give a recap of my recent marathon on November 14th, 2015 in Charlotte, NC. In preparation for this marathon I peaked at 75 miles per week for a period of 4 weeks with a long run up to 24 miles. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tier I Goals:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sub 2:50 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Top 5 Overall <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tier II Goals<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sub 2:55 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Top 10 Overall<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tier III Goals:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Boston Qualify
– Sub 3:02 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Top 15 Overall
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Actual:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7<sup>th</sup>
Overall<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2:53:16 (6:36
Pace)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My goal for this race heading
into it was Sub 2:50, but the main objective was to qualify for the 2017 Boston
Marathon, which I am proud to say I accomplished! I arrived in Charlotte at
around 3:00pm on Thursday because I wanted a day or so to adjust and not feel
rushed at all in my preparation. Went home and started to carb load up for the race! Fast forward
to Friday night, I went on a 15 minute shake out run with my brother, Cole, and did some
pick-ups at or around race pace to loosen up my legs. On Saturday morning I
woke up at 5:40am and put on my race outfit and bib. Went downstairs and had a
glass of water and half a bagel with earth balance. Left for the race at 6:25
after my girlfriend, Hannah, got to the house. The hour leading up to the race happened so fast
I almost couldn’t believe it. Usually, the hour or so before a race seems to
drag on for me, but not here. Cole and I made a trip to the bathroom as soon as
we got there and then set of to run for around 10 minutes or so. Afterwards we
made our way to the starting line where I did a few strides to get the legs
moving. The field around me looked particularly fast so I wanted to make sure
that I did not go out too quickly. Cole was running the half marathon and he
was planning to run with me as long as possible before dropping off. Took a few
pictures, stood around for a few minutes, and then we were off!<br />
<br />
One of the
biggest issues for me right away was the fuel belt I was wearing. I had not
used one in training, which was a big mistake. It would not stay still and it
took a lot of messing with the first two miles to finally secure it. I had
placed my Honey Stinger chews in there and planned to take them at miles 6,
11.5, 16, and 20.5. I made sure my breathing and legs were relaxed the first
mile, which we hit in 6:27. At Thunder Road, the first half is renowned for its
hilly route while the second half is flatter, but much lonelier as there are
not as many spectators or runners. Cole and I hit the next three miles in 6:25,
6:32, and 6:28. The largest hill on the course at mile five was a little
taxing, but not too bad overall. We hit that mile in 6:31 and five miles total
in 32:24 (6:29 Pace). The next few miles passed by in 6:25, 6:32, and 6:28. I
was feeling good overall. Took water at every stop and my first set of chews at
mile six. At the second largest hill on the course at around mile nine Cole and
I tucked behind a pack of three other runners because the course had been
pretty windy up to this point. I realized that we had slowed down going up the
hill, but I wanted to wait on passing them until we crested the hill. Hit one
of my slowest miles of the day in 6:44. At this point I ended up dropping Cole
and the others because I needed to get back on pace. The tenth and eleventh
mile were in 6:26 and 6:27. My next set of chews I was supposed to take at mile
11.5, but the water station was much closer to mile 11 than I expected. I had unzipped the fuel belt and also
simultaneously tried to take water and the result was that around half of my
chews ended up falling out of the bag. I tried not to let this bother me and I
instead focused on taking advantage of the large downhill section of mile
twelve, which ended up being tied for fastest of the day in 6:16. After that, I decided to regroup and slow
down my pace a little bit, but I did not end up slowing down that much the next
mile. At around mile 13 the half marathon and the marathon split. I got to see
Hannah, my Dad, and my other brother Trevor cheer me on there! They told me that I looked pretty
good, and I felt pretty good too, but I could feel the fatigue in my legs already
coming on. They told me that I was currently in 10<sup>th</sup> place overall!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ChZJFW8dI7wn_oF1jKGtcGzo3SELH8qva6F7sO59K8wcXAVy9q8fb9SfRsWXSMRSTfQqS-tFzfVdH7-uFU1t87GW9SIk6O240zHTu2C2rPEJQaWUUhyphenhyphenGjyOZU0YoY_aIn2gDAT-ButvI/s1600/Marathon1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ChZJFW8dI7wn_oF1jKGtcGzo3SELH8qva6F7sO59K8wcXAVy9q8fb9SfRsWXSMRSTfQqS-tFzfVdH7-uFU1t87GW9SIk6O240zHTu2C2rPEJQaWUUhyphenhyphenGjyOZU0YoY_aIn2gDAT-ButvI/s400/Marathon1.JPG" width="262" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I hit the 13<sup>th</sup> mile in 6:20, and the half marathon split in 1:24:48,
right on pace for sub 2:50. The next two or three miles were very lonely and a
little bit windy. I managed to pass one guy, and could see another guy around a
minute or two up the road and I focused on slowly reeling him in. These miles
actually went by pretty quickly though in 6:26, 6:19, and 6:22. The best
section of the course, on the first half and the second half, was going through
NoDa and hearing everyone cheer. This gave me a little spring in my step and I
started to close pretty quickly on the guy ahead of me. Around this section
though, I could tell I was starting to run out of energy. I did not know it at
the time, but I had run out of chews after I had taken some at mile 16. There
were some very nice, long, downhill sections at this point on the course.
Passed the runner I had been tailing at around mile 17 and he told me that I
was still on pace for sub 2:50! I had written the splits I needed to be at for
miles 15 and 20 on my arm to be under my goal of 2:50. Miles 17 and 18 were
6:22 and 6:25. At this point my legs were really killing me and I was wishing
that I was done. I had another runner in my sights, who I found out later was
the same guy that narrowly beat me in the half marathon event last year, but I
never managed to catch him, although I did get within 7 seconds of him
according to our 20 mile splits.<br />
<br />
Once you pass Mile 18 of the course though there are
a ton of turns at certain sections that can really kill your momentum. Mile 19
was one of the last good mile before my wheels started to fall off. In
retrospect, maybe if I had taken this mile a little easier, which I hit in
6:16(!) I may not have had the problems in the next few miles that I did. In
reality, it was probably caused by my lack of fuel intake due to all of my
chews falling out back at mile 11. Mile 20 and 21 came and went in 6:35 and
6:31, but at this point I was really hurting and could tell my legs were
starting to feel heavier and heavier. I knew that I was in damage control mode
now and I just worked on keeping my legs moving. Mile 21 featured an absolutely
brutal uphill section that just seemed to last forever. Hit Mile 22 and 23 both
in 6:48. Around this time I could tell that my hands were starting to go numb
and my vision was starting to get a little blurred. My legs were also starting to
quiver, a problem I had in the last few miles at my first marathon in Myrtle
Beach. Mile 24 featured a ton of turns and ended just before we hoped on a greenway. Mile 24 was in 7:04, but I could still feel myself slowing down.
Running on the greenway was not too bad, but I had a trouble in my disoriented
state telling if I was going the right direction as there were very few people there directing runners and I was also running alone, but thankfully I was still on track. I knew the
last mile was going to be slightly uphill, but nothing prepared me for how
brutally awful it actually was. I hit mile 25 in 7:23 a little bit after exiting
the greenway and headed up what was appropriately named “Stonewall St”. I felt
like I was moving at around a 10:00 minute per mile pace and I was doing
everything I could to prevent myself from walking. I can honestly say that this
had to be one of the single toughest miles I have ever run in my life. My hands
at this point were completely numb and my vision was shaky at best. What got me
through this mile was all the hard work that I have put in for this race and my
goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. After what seemed like an eternity,
I finally turned right on a street and passed mile 26 in 8:04, by far my
slowest mile of the day.<br />
<br />
I wish I could have enjoyed the last two tenth of the
mile where I finally realized that I was going to qualify for Boston, but all I
could think about what finishing. I crossed the finish line in 2:53:16 which
was over a 13 minute PR and a Boston Qualifying time! I was given a medal and
then I slowly walked over to get something to drink. My vision was almost gone
at this point so I was rushed to the medical tent to be looked at. I spent over
25 minutes in the medical tent drinking more Gatorade than I ever wanted to
before I finally felt a little better and was allowed get up and walk. While we
were in there my Mom, who had raced the half marathon, told me that I had come
in 7<sup>th</sup> Overall and first in the 01-24 Age Group! After exiting the
medical tent we took a few more pictures and then left. The finisher’s medal I received
was the biggest I have ever seen, and I also got a pretty sizable framed award
for coming in first in my age group. Overall, this was a great event put on by
Run for Your Life! Even though I did not exactly hit the time goal that I
wanted, I am so excited to finally have my biggest dream come true and run the
Boston Marathon in 2017! Up next is 1-2 weeks of recovery before I take on the
Turkey Trot 8K when I come back to Charlotte for Thanksgiving, and my biggest
test yet, the Weymouth Woods 100K in January! <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zOVAyJaOpLsVxQOuX1JqUmwYaGmKjsXiqD0KFxEp1l7KD1uXKAIn-BZk55Vd3VQKf_-ziZvJkU5-j2yXmuHBkPx7rpnxIXE5W3S8hQvbAd2tovm_mzq6r4BZjS-PyRiTs1rlqAww36hZ/s1600/marathon6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zOVAyJaOpLsVxQOuX1JqUmwYaGmKjsXiqD0KFxEp1l7KD1uXKAIn-BZk55Vd3VQKf_-ziZvJkU5-j2yXmuHBkPx7rpnxIXE5W3S8hQvbAd2tovm_mzq6r4BZjS-PyRiTs1rlqAww36hZ/s400/marathon6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Splits: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:26<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:25<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:32<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:28<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:31<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:25<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:32<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:28<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:44<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:26<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:27<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:16<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:20<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:26<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:19<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:22<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:25<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:24<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:16<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:35<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:31<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:48<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:48<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7:04<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7:23</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8:04 <o:p></o:p></div>
Chase Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00937302823944632479noreply@blogger.com0