Mt Waumbek: 4k footer #3 of 2019: May 11th

Eric is on Vacation this week, my college age employee has returned for the summer, and THUS we are planning a hiking binge.

We scored a decent day on Saturday, so headed off to conquer Mt Waumbek, another new mountain for all 3 of us.

Parking was straightforward, up a short dirt road that went behind several large, newer looking homes that obviously love the front yard view (all mountain, all direction.) I imagine during winter this parking lot is inaccessible (I checked- it is, but you can park out on the "main" road.) The trail head is very obvious and easy to find. On this day, plenty of parking. Summer? Who knows.

Not hidden

The trail (Starr King Trail) started off muddy, and alternated between wet conditions, and conditions that were rather surprisingly dry given the mess of a winter and spring.

Hi Ellen

The extremely well marked and pleasant trail was clearly a popular destination for early season hikers, and we met several on their decent (we seem to be doing a lot of mid-afternoon hiking due to my work schedule, and late sunset!) We were warned early on about "a lot of snow up top" which didn't worry us, because we had traction (and skills...?)

Nice dry woods with a hidden view

We found the first trace of snow at mile 1.25, and gave up and applied micro spikes at 1.75.

The first signs of snow. Ellie couldn't care less. 

The monorail was narrow in places, but in very good condition. A couple post holes, but we managed to remain upright and unscathed. It was a chilly afternoon, which contributed to the stability.

Post hole proof

This trail might frighten a novice 4k foot hiker, because it is longer than some (7 miles round trip according to The Book. slightly shorter according to GPS.)
HOWEVER.
I would really highly recommend it. The incline is never extreme, and from what we could tell (under some snow) the trail is very forgiving. No fiddly technical bits. No stream or river crossings. All below treeline, so weather is somewhat less of a concern (clearly, one should always be mindful.)

At mile 2.5 you summit Mt. Starr King, which was a nice surprise on this particular day.

Mt Starr King

The sun was out, the view was great, and there is some lovely old stonework which is all that remains of an old cabin. Also, if this was the hike you chose for your first 4k, and had concerns about continuing, this would be a good turnaround point after the reward of a nice view!

I bet it was a fancy cabin

The summit of Waumbek is a mile past Starr King, and doesn't have very much additional incline to handle. (Mostly a rolling trail from this point.)

We certainly did NOT encounter the "lots" of snow that we had been cautioned against, at any point. Actually, rather the opposite. While we kept traction on, for convenience, the trail oscillated between snow and dirt multiple times (and rapidly, see photo below for evidence.)

Confused

Don't get too excited about the summit. You will NOT be standing on the top of the world!

But you can crouch with your dog!

Hike a bit farther (like, 10 steps) and there is a big blowdown that offers some really nice scenery.

This is nice

It was really a pleasant, and quiet day on the mountain, and the nice sunshine kept us happy at the top for a few minutes.

The decent was similar to the climb. User friendly, uncomplicated, decent conditions. Really, a very pleasant hike and one that I would very highly recommend for a first timer (or anyone actually. there is nothing not to like about a pleasant trail!)

So guys. Bottom line- you can not beat this trail if you just want a lovely hike, in a lovely forest, with some nice views. You're not going to get *extreme rock scrambling river crossing technical chaos danger omg omg* But you will have a really fun time. We did.

Done!

Oh, and Ellie missed the final photo because she jumped in the car and went to bed!

I AM NOT TIRED MOMMMMMM

Stats:

Total elevation: 4008 (another squeaker!)

Strava data: (we take this with a grain of salt) 
-elevation climbed: 2,793
-miles covered: 6.83 (book has it at 7+)
-elapsed time: 3:53, which includes breaks. (book: 5) 

Difficulty: Easy due to lack of technical/steep trail, trail well marked, lack of above treeline danger. Nothing fussy about this mountain- not even a river crossing to mess with. At 7ish miles, you clearly need to have spent some time on your feet, and should have hit some smaller mountains before attempting. 

Views: Limited, but two summits equaled two views which was fun

Bugs: None NONE!!!

Dog friendly trail? Absolutely. This is a great trail for the 4 legged friends. 

Mt Tecumseh: 2nd 4k footer of 2019, May 5th 2019

It is Spring, and thus, WE HIKE.

We had a decent weather day on Sunday so we took advantage and scooted off (or drove 2 hours) to Waterville Valley to take a crack at Tecumseh.

Knowing that the Spring weather would have brought many hikers out the previous day, we waited to read the trail report before selecting this as our final pick. With the report saying that there was a stable monorail, doable stream crossings, and no major blowdowns we set off with confidence.

So basically, you drive to Waterville Valley Ski Resort (the sign promises you a "Vacation Of A Lifetime" which I am skeptical of. But I suppose it is a very subjective topic.) You drive to lot 1 at the actual ski area, park, walk across the access road and the trailhead is RIGHT there (my GPS was very accurate.)

On this particular day, there was a fairly significant brook gushing along, about 6 steps into the journey. Ellie had never seen such a thing, and was moderately horrified. We carried her across easily (there were 2 legit stream crossings, and a couple smaller ones such as this. If you have a small dog, and good balance, or a brave dog, there would be no issues.)

The beginning of the trail (the first .83 miles, to be exact) was in excellent condition. It basically looked like Fall, as the beach leaves have not yet rotted. The going was pleasant, an it was a really fine day (it was in the mid 60's at the base, dry, no bugs. Basically a miracle!)

Just prepare to see a lot of dog hiking pics this year.

Right at that .83 mile mark, we stopped to put on micro spikes. The trail turned into snow pretty quickly and was quite hard packed and icy in places. We have the gear, so there is no reason to struggle.
And at that point, we saw other hikers on the way down who were certainly struggling. Even in the most promising summer conditions, I question hiking in casual shoes. And THIS was not the time to try those shoes out. To each his or her own, and if you can climb a mountain in keds- good for you! But just don't.

Mile .83

Mostly, the trail was (as reported) in pretty good condition. Solid monorail, and only a couple times that it turned into a tightrope.

We did see a few postholes, and if you took so much as ONE step off the trail, IN you went (we did not, but we witnessed a crotch deep sinking by another hiker.)

Also, the occasional on-trail death trap

Tecumseh is listed in many places as being one of the best, and easiest hikes for first time 4k foot hikers. I agree with this because it is a short hike (5 miles.) It is also well marked, below treeline, and clearly heavily travelled. HOWEVER. It is not flat. There is most definitely a stretch that is unrelentingly uphill. While one might expect this, I feel that someone who is inspired to try their first big mountain would want to have a few good uphill climbs under their belt before attempting.

It is steeper than it looks. 

Also, if the thought of a remote hike seems daunting, and intimidating than this is the hike for you! You basically hike up next to a ski mountain. There certainly is a feeling of security, knowing that you're so close to civilization.

Random black diamond trail

And more good news! Before you really get tired of hiking uphill you pop up JUST high enough to get a nice view, from a summit with little to no fanfare. (but a summit is a summit!!!)

The miracle? That we actually have a view!!!!

We scooted down in basically no time, taking advantage of the relentless hill to more or less slide down (not really, but Ellie is a fast downhill dog. Which we don't actually care for!)

Ellie leads the way (she is there, I promise)

Anywhoo. We made it down in plenty of time to beat sunset, we had some parking lot snacks and a beer. Ellie chased beech leaves and we were all happy. We forgot to take photos.

So, my thoughts. (Keeping in mind that we dealt with a considerable amount of snow/winter.)
Yes: This is one of the shorter, and therefore easier than some of the higher, or longer mileage peaks. (Jefferson and Bond come to mind here, one for challenge, one for pure distance.) There were absolutely no technical or fiddly sections of trail. Very well marked and clearly heavily travelled. All below treeline, so no real worries about dealing with horrible weather. Even in Spring, all stream crossings were manageable.

But: Quite steep in some sections. If you have a few hikes under your belt, where you have spent several hours on your feet, and have managed some decent elevation gain, you'll be fine.

Stats (I can't remember how I worked this out last year. So this is the 2019 stat edition)

Total elevation: 4003 (you're a squeaker, aren't you??)

Strava data: (we take this with a grain of salt) 
-elevation climbed: 2,131
-miles covered: 4.77 (book has it at 5+)
-elapsed time: 3:08 (this includes all stopped time.) Book time varies between 3:30 and 4:00

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate. Easy due to length, well marked trail, lack of above treeline danger. Moderate die to quite a decent stretch of incline, plus 2 stream crossings that could daunt a beginner hiker in wet or icy conditions.

Views: Limited, but fairly good at the low fanfare summit.

Bugs: None

Dog friendly trail? Absolutely, but don't let your dog crap on the trail. Come on....

Currently

Since I'm in post race recovery mode, my weekly writing has fallen off course.

The past couple weeks have been good, recovery went smoothly, I have had some enjoyable recreational runs, and have managed to get in a couple hikes (despite the persistent snow cover on the trails.)

Spring arrived over the weekend, and we had a run with Mrs Ellington that finished at the pub! (clearly, she did not run the whole way. she would like to, but no.)

Fast!!

It was nice to have temps in the 60's again. Ever since Boston, the weather has been pretty dank.

Not dank today!

Even though Ellie thinks she should be running high mileage, she definitely appreciates post run nap time (MOM! I AM NOT TIRED!!)

NOT TIRED

So, in the meantime.... I don't have any pressing need to run high mileage, or terribly fast during May. I'm shooting for a few runs per week at no particular pace. Easy. Just making sure that I don't fall into a heap of slothdom (which is terribly easy to do. one skipped run turns into a week... a month.... the summer of 2018!!)

July through late October will definitely be structured (and hot, I am sure.) Thus, I really don't want to "train" through May when I have no reason to at all. (and at the same time, I do need to fight the sloth.) I plan to use June as a rebuilding month, making sure to get in some reasonable but still somewhat low mileage. June is my biggest competition and travel month of the year, so it's tricky to train but I'm pretty determined to schedule 4 runs per week.

So that's it from the running front. Boring, I know!! Eric, Ellie and I are getting in some decent early season hiking so I expect my next few posts to cover that topic.

Boston Marathon 2019: Post race edition

I have enjoyed my post marathon recovery time very much.

I think it is easy to enjoy a few days off, when you are 100% satisfied with the way your race turned out. To be honest, as the days have gone by, I have felt more and more pleased with my race execution. This is a nice change from how I felt after Hyannis, but as mentioned, that was a good wake up call (if not a good race.)

I was pretty sore until Thursday, and then *poof* I was fine. Thanks to my multiple massages and chiropractic adjustments leading up to race day, I am actually feeling better than I have in quite a while.

Eric and Ellie and I enjoyed out typical post-race Tuesday in Boston. It was a sunny but chilly day, and VERY windy! If the heat on Monday had killed me, I would have been pretty offended (but it didn't. So I wasn't!) We enjoyed a nice walk after sleeping in (I woke up at 6, was too tired to deal, and fell back asleep until 8:00 which is RARE.)
Then we tried to have a little breakfast, but ended up enjoying a nice walk more than food.

Spring everywhere

I thought my stomach had bounced back from the hot-race-grossness, but I actually felt a little off all day. This was a bummer, because I was both STARVING and slightly SICK. Rude. My plan was to march through Boston eating pastry, ice cream, ramen, burgers, donuts and gelato, but I basically bailed after one lame ham and cheese croissant!

I did have some Thai... 

I ran exactly zero miles until Sunday, when I went out for an easy Easter 4, and it felt fine. I certainly don't have any "workouts" planned at the moment, but I think I'll shuffle around a couple times next week. Or not. I'm really not into having a plan until about 6 months post race. (more accurately: I make sure NOT to push anything for at least 14 days.)

So. What is next??

I had the Sugarloaf Marathon in my calendar as a backup, incase I did not BQ in Boston. Despite the fact that I would like to run Sugarloaf someday, this will not be the year. I did what I planned to do in Boston, and another marathon so soon just doesn't sound fun or particularly wise. While lying in bed post Marathon last Monday I said to Eric "ummmmm, I don't think I'll bother with Sugarloaf." And he was like "well. that seems like a GOOD decision!" (rare???)

I seem to have forgotten my dislike for Fall marathons (or more accurately, summer training) and secured myself a bib for the Marine Corps Marathon. I'm actually really looking forward to it (or so say I, in April!) But I'll also need to make sure to run more than 12 miles this summer. My plan is to take it pretty easy through May, and then contemplate my training *plan*.

Oops

Generally speaking, I tend to do some pretty random Spring things (run up all the hills! Do a 60 mile week! Run a random 50k!) but as of today, there is nothing of the sort on the agenda.
*We will see how long that lasts*

Boston Marathon 2019: Lucky #7

Boston Marathon 2019. Lucky number 7 for me. (7 Boston's, I have done a few other marathons here and there.)

This is one of the only times I have gone into this race without my BQ for the following year already in the bag.
Years ago, I randomly decided that I really wanted to qualify for, and run, 10 consecutive Bostons. Kind of an arbitrary goal, but isn't that the way goals are sometimes? Anyway, Boston 2020 (#8) was most definitely NOT locked down yet, and I was certainly feeling some self imposed pressure.

Eric and I were walking down Boylston on Sunday evening, while looking at the forecast for the next day. The prediction was holding steady from the day before- temps rising from 60-70 during my race hours, humidity, possible thunderstorms, maybe some rain, or some sun, or some wind who knows!!! I had received no fewer than 3.2 million texts wishing me luck in "the sauna". I was like "Eric! I have to go for it, I can't mess around. You think I can do this, right?" And he like, snorted and said "duh, of course you can." So the plan remained intact, run BQ pace for as long as possible. Do or Die.

We were awakened early on Monday by a fire alarm. While it did not affect our floor, Ellie woke up quickly and needed to go out, and then she and Eric were stuck in the lobby for close to 40 minutes. I was glad that I stayed put in the room, as I was able to putter along and get ready according to plan. Just as Eric returned, a huge thunderstorm blew through Boston.
This is a first for Marathon day (for me, anyway.) It was pretty exciting, although I was glad to hold off on hiking to the bus until it had let up.

This is the thunderstorm

I had originally planned to dress in 19 layers of winter clothing, to avoid frostbite in the village. That ended up being completely unnecessary, as it was both warm and humid. I chucked on a couple bonus layers, my trusty muck boots, and (umbrella in hand) I headed off into the storm!!!

Ellie and I ARE READY TO BRAVE THE STORM

I hopped onto lucky bus #15 (as one does) and enjoyed the LONGEST RIDE EVER (in the HOTTEST BUS EVER!!) I was lucky to make friends with a super nice woman from NYC, and we passed the time chatting and sticking our heads out the window to stay cool (not really.) It was just a really long trip this year. I was on the bus at 8:06, and off of the bus at 9:26. Not a problem at all, but pretty rare.
(I have never been on the bus for more than an hour.)

I MADE IT TO HOPKINTON! And it was warm and not raining.

Athlete's village was an absolute delight compared to last year. I mentioned to my bus friend that I expected the rain to finish up before we arrived, and it did! The clouds were still quite ominous, and it was cool-ish. I stood in bathroom lines, and ate some food, and my feet stayed nice and dry in my huge boots.

Pics of potty lines are critical

It was not long at all until my wave was called for corral loading. I was not in the mood to procrastinate this year, because I wanted a few minutes to pee, and get my kit in order. So I actually left the village on time, possibly for the only time in my life.

Off we go!

On the walk into town, the clouds began to break up, and the temp began to rise in a very noticeable way. I was sad to part with my too big boots, but it was time!

Bye big boots

I had become nervous in the morning, and had applied a layer of sunscreen but was uneasy that in the following hours (and sweating in the bus, and pulling layers off) that it easily could have rubbed off. So who do I find? A wonderful fellow Mainer, who was also running for Crow, who knows me on the Insta (as Ellie's mom!) who had a tube of sunscreen and was happy to share (spoiler: this was a LIFE SAVER.) (and hi Leslie!! Thank you and congrats on a great race!)

Due to my mindful planning, I made it into Corral 1 with two whole minutes to spare. Impressive!!

Down to bare min clothing at the start.... Not always a great sign.

 I felt good from the start. Really good. The snap that I hope to feel in my legs after a nice taper was right there, and I felt ready to roll. Oh, and it was humid AF. Like a dripping mess. I kept thinking "wow, we need a puff of wind" and right on cue, a little puff of wind would come along. This gave me the amusing notion that I was somehow in charge of my climate zone, like in a little bubble of magic. This was quite cheering.

I stopped to pee at mile 7 because I can not not pee. It took me an actual 5 seconds. NBD. This was the only time I stopped for bodily functions. (YAY!)

Here's the thing. At mile 10 I knew it was my day. WHO KNOWS WHY THIS WAS, THERE WAS STILL SO MUCH RACE LEFT! But in my mind, I knew it was going to happen. I did not care that the sun had come out in absolute blazes (WHAT?) I totally ignored how warm I was. (and it WAS warm- close to 70.) I was running calmly, and still was running with a healthy buffer for the second half of the race.

Yes. I came in with a solid plan to positive split. I have run this course enough to know how to manage the miles to meet my needs. Even on a day when I feel good, I plan to add several minutes to the back half of the course. (because it is a bitch. and because, let's be real, I'm just not that strong! Fuck it. I get it done.)

I came into the half with a nice bit of time to play with. 1:42:37. This, absurdly had me not just on a BQ pace, but a borderline PR pace. I was like, "hahah woman, nope. today is NOT that day!" (and this was not self sabotage, but an honest reminder to myself about my current fitness, the weather, and realistic expectations. I came to run a 3:37 not a 3:25.)

At mile 17 I shouted a text to my Dad. "MILE 17 104 PM. RUNNING WELL, THIS WILL NOT BE A LONG STOP." Poor Lee drives 8 gazillion miles, and then he and my Aunt and Uncle set up camp by Chestnut St to see me for 12 seconds. I felt bad! But with the sun beating down on me, I thought an epic crash could possibly happen and I needed the banked time safely in hand. I had sent in a pre-order for chapstick (I was desperate for it)

Thank heavens for Lee's chapstik!

So I basically cruised though my mile 18.2 pit stop in a complete flurry.

Hi Lee. Bye Lee.

Everyone was like "GO GO GO!!!" And it was very exciting. So off I went! (literally, 16 seconds later)

GO GO!!!

At mile 19 my body decided, rudely, that it had had enough gel, enough water, enough sun, and enough running and it was going to be sick. I'm like, "body, you are NOT." I began to calculate exactly how much time it would take me to barf and get going again. I did not like how the numbers looked, so I shut it down. ALSO. ALSO, you don't want to be the person who blows chunks on heartbreak hill. That is just wrong. I decided that that when I felt super sick, I would keep running but keep my mouth shut and tread gently. And when I felt better, I would speed up! This was a good plan, and it kept me going (although, in a rather heater skelter way) until mile 23 when I suddenly felt better. YAY! Feeling better is the best.

So, barfy feelings left behind, I decided to finish the damn race.

Shockingly (especially since I really had not been able to eat since mile 16 or so) my legs were feeling good. I was poaching a bit in my own sweat, but I had hiked up my singlet and had been dumping cups of water on my torso for quite some time. (I was very *moist* GROSS.) But I was happy.
I was happy to have had a great race on a day when the weather easily could have messed me up. Or, messed with my head.
I was happy that I was going to BQ again, and with a "safe" amount.
I was happy to have enjoyed almost every mile!
I was very happy that I had not succumbed to a fit of violent vomiting.
And MOSTLY I was happy that I was close to the finish, and would be able to get an extra extra large ginger ale, with extra ice. I had been thinking about that since mile 20, and I was SO SO thirsty that I never thought I would not be thirsty again. I could not stop imagining the deliciousness of a ginger ale. (I get a weird ginger ale craving after certain long runs. Clearly, this was one fo those runs!)

As I cruised down Boylston, I was able to pick it up for one last "sprint" (haha.) I heard my name being called, and saw Eric, Evan and Ellie waving to me! I was so happy to see them!

YAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

I finished and went all weird hands-on-knees gasping for air ugly crying. This is the kind of behavior that beckons the medics, but I assured them that I was fine.

AND I HAD DONE IT. 3:30:38, my BEST Boston time Ever!!!!!!

I was 100% delighted

I was tired. THIRSTY, SO THIRSTY. Salty. Definitely not jogging to the family meeting area like last year. I was pooped, I had left everything out there. I ran a much better race than I thought I could. I refused to let the heat, or the hills, or anything get in my head. When it got tough, I refused to stop. And I was pretty exhausted because of that. But happy. VERY happy.

And believe it or not, I saw Mainer/sunscreen goddess Leslie again! I babbled incoherently to her about lord knows what. Marathons make me even more verbose than normal. And dumb.

And go figure, by the time I made it to meet Eric (and Elle, and Evan) clouds had rolled in (and 30 minutes later, it was raining! CRAZY.)

My babykins. Too big to hold post marathon!

The 3 of us humans, and one of us dogs, walked the one magical block to the hotel. Evan immediately collected a giant, icy gingerale for me (which I drank in one big gulp.) And I babbled to Eric for a solid 40 minutes about my whole day! I took a painful, blistery, chafey (but NOT sunburney!) shower and then proceeded to lie in bed for 90 minutes, drinking endless ginger ales and eating the Kings Hawaiian sweet rolls that we get in the finishers snack bags. I love those stupid things.

Then, so as not to spend the rest of the day in bed, we took a magical family walk (and the wind had picked up, and was all aggressive!)

My hot husband

Because we are bossy parents, we made Ellie pose on/with things.

Ducks!!

Big trees!!

So that's a wrap! What a great Boston experience. I'm extremely happy to have secured my spot for next year, (and it's a weight off my mind, to be honest.)

I'm very happy with this race, and felt that I did my best in many ways. It's races like this that remind me why I work hard to get here in the first place! See you in 2020, Boston.