Goat Hill 50k - Race Report

My first planned race this spring was the TARC Spring Classic 50k in Weston, a race I did last year and spectacularly blew up at. (Race Report here) I was hoping this year to run it again, but I am coaching T-ball for my son’s team and there was a schedule conflict. That’s when I took a look at the Goat Hill 50k in Uxbridge, MA, and the date lined up being on the Sunday of that same weekend. It is a first-year race organized by the MRA group out of the Blackstone Valley area, they have several fun races they organize and I figured it would be a good course for a training race.

A few friends were running the 50k as well as some of the other distances that day and I figured it would be a fun atmosphere along some good rolling trails. I did a couple course previews with friends prior to the race, including a group run with about 20 people, so I had a good idea of what the course entailed. The majority of the 8 mile loop (50k runners repeat 4 times) consisted of singletrack mountain bike trails as well as some doubletrack and one steep climb at approximately mile 1.

The morning of the race I learned that Patrick Caron would be running the 50k, and he has put up some fast times at the Fells Winter 40, Hale and Back 6 hour, among other races. I had a hard time planning what would be a good target time for each loop and I was thinking it would probably be around an hour or an hour and ten minutes per loop, at least to start with.

We started the cool and dry day with the National Anthem, as they do at all MRA races, and got ready to settle into a pace that would work for the duration of the run. I started out the race with Patrick leading and Anthony DelleDonne setting the pace not far behind. I chatted and ran with Anthony for the first lap and we ended up coming into the end of the first lap right behind Patrick at 1:04 (8:27/mi). Anthony had to stop for a minute, so I tried to hang with Patrick as long as I could for the second lap. We talked about races coming up and adventures we had in the mountains, and the second lap went pretty well for me at a little slower (more comfortable) pace in 1:10 (9:11/mi). It was a well laid out course and we had a middle lap aid station to look forward to at about mile 3.5 where Kristen and Luke Legendre were cheering on the runners as we went by.  The start/finish aid station was spot on for the water filling, I didn't end up taking any food from there until after the race. My running partner and friend Jason Gray and all the other awesome volunteers at the aid station and throughout the course did an awesome job keeping the runners moving.

Finishing the second loop, mile 16. Photo courtesy Ben Kimball at Northeast Race Photo

Just after the start of the third lap, Patrick was still running up the steep hill and I decided to walk so that would be the last time I would see him until the finish. At this point I just tried to run a consistent pace and stay on top of fueling and hydration. The third loop went by pretty quickly at a 9:57/mi pace in 1:15 and I just tried to hold onto my second place standing for the last lap while really slowing down. It got pretty ugly on this lap and I walked some of the flat sections, somehow I was able to finish in second place with a last lap time of 1:27 (11:30/mi pace) and overall race time of 4:59:12, pretty far off my PR on a different 50k course from 2013. A bunch of people came in only ten minutes behind including Anthony who I ran the first lap with, and Patrick ended up with the win in 4:34. It was great to finish and see my family there cheering me on. I love to go to the local races that they can easily attend to include them in my hobby. I owe a lot to my wife for letting me take off for long runs and mountain adventures, and it is great to be able to include her and the kids in what I love to do for fun, trail running.

My kids hydrating while they wait for me to finish

For a first year race, the organizers had everything marked well, aid stations stocked with good stuff, and the scene and food afterwards was great. I would suggest to anyone looking for relatively technical course with a decent amount of climbing in Central Massachusetts, to check this race out next year. Great trails!

Gear:

Shoes: Scott Kinabalu Supertrac

Socks: Darntough VT Herringbone Micro Crew Ultralight
Shorts: The North Face Better Than Naked 5"
Shirt: Wapack and Back 2012 shirt, with Patagonia All-Weather Long Sleeve

Hydration: Ultimate Direction handheld with Honey Stinger gels stuffed in (maybe 6?)

Strava link

Results link

Twisty singletrack loop

Overall pace was okay, but you can see how it really went down in the last 6-8 miles

Better Late Than Never - 2016 Goals

 I figured I'd put down a few goals that I am working on this year in writing, mostly to give myself some accountability in completing them.

(Non-running goal) of completing 2 of my 5 Architectural Registration Exams (AREs):
There is a series of tests that I am working on studying for and hope to have two completed in this off-season.


4/2/16 Runamuck 50k:

To start off the year, I am hoping to run the Runamuck 50k in Vermont (used to be Twin State 50k/50m) with my friend Jay. Last year we ran it and had a great time on the hilly dirt road course.

Link to last year's write-up.



4/23/16 TARC Spring Classic 50k:

Photo by Edith Dixon

On the list again this year, the course was fast if you don't blow up at mile 24 like I did last year. I am hoping that this year I can complete my goal from last year to run a personal best for the 50k distance (sub 4:27) and maybe even sneak under 4 hours for the 50k. On this course, I think that if I am trained well and in good shape I can sneak under 4 hours, we'll see how that pans out in late April. The main goal for going to this race is to gather as much chips and soda as I can from the leftovers, to be used at Wapack and Back. I ended up in fifth place at 4:33.

Link to last year's write-up



5/7/16: Race Directing TARC Wapack and Back:

My daughter bringing in snacks from SC 2015 to be used at Wapack

This will be the second year my wife and I are putting on the Wapack and Back Trail Race in Ashburnham, MA and we are looking forward to it again this year. This race is special to me because it is held on a trail that is nearby to my home and I try to train on it several times a year, as well as the race that I had my first win at (2012, 21.5 miler) and at the time my first podium spot at a tough ultra (2014, 50 miler, 2nd place). We are looking forward to hosting everybody at the well-loved and well-established race that some of the local legends started many years back.

Link to a first time race directing report


6/18/16 Manitou's Revenge 54 Miler:

Course profile from the race website

I just received my confirmation that I am accepted to the Manitou's Revenge race. This one is something I've thought about over the last few years, but this year will make the trip down to experience what the Catskills have to offer. I am looking forward to making this a major goal race for the year and focusing my training in the late winter/spring towards it. The course offers 54 miles through the mountains and around 15,000 feet of climbing. My family and I are combining this race with an extended weekend making a vacation out of it and I am looking forward to having them there for support.



Link to race website



7/6/16 AMC Hut Traverse:

Last years' plans to attempt this route were put on hold until this year, due to logistics and a chosen date that I didn't have a lot of wiggle room with. I hope to give this one a little more of a date range since I need a ride to the start or someone to go with. The plan, as it was on the first attempt in 2014, is to complete the full route of about 50 miles with 17,000 feet of climbing and in a decent time of around 15-16 hours.

Link to the traverse report from 2014


MMD:

The MMD 50k is a fun low-key fat-ass run that I've done in 2012 and 2015 and I am looking forward to running it again this year. The concept is MMD stands for More and More Difficult and the course changes every year. It's a good test for my mental and physical endurance that I love to participate in.



Link to last year's write-up


August Pemi Loop:
I have been bugging my buddy Jay to have him experience the classic trails of the Pemi Loop someday, and I think he has just agreed to it for this summer. Hoping for a decent weekend in August sometime to get out and do the standard loop for it's 29 miles and 9,000 feet of climbing. Goal for this one is to have a good time and enjoy a long day in the mountains.

Link to a write-up of my first Pemi Loop with Justin Contois

A write-up of a longer Pemi with additional peaks I did with Jerimy and Eric

Pisgah 50k:
Where my ultrarunning began. I did my first 50k trail race here in 2011 and have been thinking about getting back there ever since - it just hasn't worked into my schedule in recent years. I'm hoping to get back up there this season and lowering my time on the course.



TARC 100M:

Photo by Eric Ahern of me nearing the finish of the TARC 100k this past year

So far I have only attempted one 100 mile race, but this fall I hope to attempt another at the TARC 100miler in Hale Reservation. I ran the 100k at that location this year and loved the course and volunteers, aid, etc. The event is very well organized and a lot of fun to be a part of, so I am making it a goal for the year to complete my second 100 miler to date, hopefully in better shape than my last one.

Link to Justin's write-up of crewing/pacing my Ghost Train 100 finish

TARC Winter Fells Ultra 40miler:

Photo by Douglyss Guiliana

This race is the only course I have ever failed to complete (twice) and I hope, as long as recovery goes well after TARC 100, to have another shot at it. This year I was signed up and feeling ready for the course but sprained my ankle two weeks before it and had to drop out from starting it. I don't know what it is about the course, but it has defeated me twice. Seeking redemption, I will make another attempt at it hoping just for a finish.

Link to write-up from 2013

Link to write-up from 2014



There might be a few long mountain training runs as I lead up to the key races that I am not counting, but that is the tentative schedule for the year - with the two goal races being in June at Manitou's Revenge and at the TARC 100 miler in October. Also, I am hoping that my wife will consider taking me along for some of her peak bagging trips this summer on the NH48.