MHM -56/Savoy Mt Trail race -- Sun. Aug. 15

Up at 5:45 and get sorted and ready; pack for good weather, and head off at about 6:40. Drive 9-116-91-2, stopping for coffee in Charlemont, then dive off 2 into small roads, even dirt roads briefly, to arrive at the State Park at about 8:10. Good turnout, evidently; go and register, then change and warm up for most of a mile before stretching. Eat and drink a bit more, and decant Gatorade (unfortunately it's low-cal, I realise!); Ned J introduces himself, and chat a bit, then w/ minimal ado, we're off at 9.

Fabulous course: the best trail course I've ever done, for all that it beat me up a bit and wore me out. I'd do it again tomorrow if I had time! Despite the almost drought we're having, the bogs had mud in them (I can see how it would have been hellacious last year!) and the underfoot was tricky almost throughout, although very varied. Make a steady start, but after a mile and brief chat with Sri (who's just using it as a training run, and has done it before), start to move up a little at a time, but keeping pace gentle. Get into good rhythm with a couple of others (including Jeff D) but shoelace comes undone after three miles, so stop to let group pass; retie and launch off after them, but in haste miss footing and roll right ankle hard. Oww!! Curses -- surely the end of the run, I think -- but once restarted, jogging carefully until I finally catch up with someone again, the pain subsides, and I manage to keep splashing cold water or mud on ankles/feet, which helps. Realise I've missed the 4 mile turn-back point, so figure I'll do one lap at least. Keep pace gentle, imagining there's going to be a second lap, and after a while it feels possible. For the rest of the first lap I moved pretty steadily forwards, catching up with one or two runners at a time, caboosing a while, then passing. By the peak I was with Jeff D and a couple of others -- the view was indeed sublime, but we didn't stay long. On the steep initial descent (including two stone stairways) a guy who'd been downhilling hard asked to pass, and no sooner did he than he was sprawled, down with a twisted knee (I didn't see it but he looked hurt when we passed). Then three of us, and older guy, Jeff and me enjoyed the only fast wide section of the course, and I moved up to lead--just as I was passing him the older guy took a high speed slow motion tumbling skidding fall; I paused, but he yelled to keep moving, he was fine. After that the two of us chugged on, and eventually caught one other guy; we ran as three to the end, where I felt so good I went ahead and finished in 1:40 or so (Lap 1).

Went off track, grabbed a banana, took off shirt, refilled gatorade, drank water, then back out for round 2. Ankle and foot sore, but not obviously swollen, so fingers crossed. Jeff passed me (with a kind positive comment on rhythm; all I could manage was "I'm tired" -- this was very the truth) but after a bit I caught up with him caboosing on the third guy (Nick?) we'd run the end of lap 1 with; I tagged on and we chatted for a bit, but I was fading, and by mile 3 or so I was lagging -- even walking the steeper bits. Banana helped, and I took on water at all the stops, but I was just getting tired, worn out; chugged on as best as I could, holding place for most of the 7 mile ascent; food/water stop guy told me there were 7 ahead, which was encouraging, but all my walking eventually meant people were closing in. Two passed before I got to the summit, by which time I was bonking pretty badly--I'd stopped to tie a shoelace at one point and forgot to pick up the 1/3 banana that remained, and really I needed more than even that. Also a pit stop (at least I was hydrating properly) lost a bit more time. とにかく、 I found blackberries at the last desperate bit of the ascent, and then more at the top -- this gave me enough energy to push a bit at the wide flat trail, and I made it to the food stop at the second set of power lines -- two cups of water and two Fig Newtons (to carry and eat slowly), and I was good to go. Now only fatigue and footsoreness to slow me down.

The last couple of miles seemed like forever: I'd been passed by a few more people at this point, and I wanted to stop the rot. eventually I even caught up one guy, and by the finish I was able to race against the clock to try to get in under 3:47. Couldn't quite do it, but it felt good to try:

Time: 3:47:03
Distance: 22 miles (with a 0.8 mile warmup at easy pace too)
Pace: 10:19s

Comment: after the finish, I grabbed a brownie-ish thing, and a can of gingerale, then put on shirt (it was surprisingly cool, with a mild breeze) and headed down to the pond to soothe and rinse sore and muddy legs. Chatted a bit with others, especially Ned; enjoyed more food, w/ a couple of hot dogs and some bean salad, all after changing into dry clothes. Felt *much* better than post marathon; really quite good, considering. The second lap was of course *way* slower (2:08) than the first, but with a bit more general conditioning I think I could do the course in 15-20 minutes less than today. And one lap: maybe a 1:35-7, in those conditions (which, I guess, were pretty mild). Overall, a great course, good race, learning experience and a pleasant social one. On the map for next year, with a target of better time and better place in class (came third this time).