It takes two

It takes two to make a thing go right
I takes two to make it outta sight
It takes two to make a thing go right
I takes two to make it outta sight classic Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock

Congratulations to Team Stupid Running Friends. Thomas and Lisa a husband & wife team completed the first Super Ultra (2-person team) Green Mountain Relay in an exceptional time of 34:42:19. What a team!

SPROUTS

I'm a little delayed in getting out the past weekend happenings with my Century week. Very happy to report everyone did well and had a good time at this weekend’s Corrib Road Race. My wife Cathy, her cousin Maureen and Beth made this their debut 5K, congratulations on training and reaching your goal.



As for me after this 5K I live by four words “breathe easy run long”. The last five I ran was the Vasque Artesian Park 5K I managed to finish in 20:36 while pushing the two kids in double jogger and placed in my age group, with this in mind I was looking for a PR and the possibility of placing top ten. The race started at noon and the temps where approaching the high 80’s. It was warm and I felt a little out of place toeing the line with the front of the pack but it was good to see a few New England Track & Trail shirts in the mix. The start was wild and I got boxed-in a few choice words where exchanged towards me then I took off like a spooked horse leading the parade of 1,708 runners for about a quarter of a mile while thinking in my head “hey where is everyone”. I new I blew a PR by going out to fast it’s always better to start in the back and move your way up to the front than it is to start in the front and move your way to the back so when I approached my kids I pulled in and cheered on the runners with them while I waiting for my wife, I enjoyed the time spent running/walking and crossing the finish line with her. The free beer and free food line was almost as long as the race so we all headed back to our house for some good eats and drinks while the kids and I enjoyed cooling off with the garden house.

RACE RESULTS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK - My own personal quote “Breathe Easy Run Long”

YOUTUBE OF THE WEEK -




UPCOMING EVENTS

Little NorthernROOTS


Holy Name Family Fitness Day

My daughter’s runningROOTS are growing and just as much as she enjoys riding in the jogging stroller with me she wants to take her own steps into the world of running. Sometimes on these outings she’ll run a few meters on the trail and for fun she always picks the hilly parts watching her run up/down the hill with such enthusiasm and joy makes me a proud daddy maybe one day we’ll both run long distances together. She has the perfect form head to toe, if you watch kids run they’re a great example of how we should be running. On Saturday her school is having a family fitness day and we’re all looking forward to cheering and ROOTing her on.


W.A.R Against Ovarian Cancer 5K Walk and Run

The Night Owls Screechers are off to another race this Sunday for a wonderful cause. Good luck beat the heat stay cool out there.

Mark your calendars for June 29th the 1st Cape Cod Beach Safari

The New York Marathon lottery was held on June 4th and believe it or not I got accepted, I only wish I was this lucky when it came to the Western States lottery back in December.


Its Friday…bottom’s up!

SPROUTS

My transition to barefoot running –

If you think about it humans have been running barefoot for centuries, we were born barefoot and runners seem to have done just fine over the ages with a piece of cloth sown onto a rubber sole forget all the modern technology and keep it simple so a couple months ago I did just that. I decided to err on the side of caution by using minimal shoes as a transitional aid. It was hard to do but I traded in my comfy Montrail Hardrocks for a pair of La Sportiva Fireblade’s and my comfy Mizuno Wave Rider’s for a pair of Brooks Burn, believe it or not I put my green Superfeet insoles aside too. The first week of the experiment my feet hurt; my legs where sore and I’m sure I was on the path to an injury, I wanted my comfy shoes back. Then a couple weeks later like a beam of light, everything changed my running felt smooth, my stride was longer, I felt faster, I enjoyed the feel of the earth under foot, and the feel of my foot as it was flexing every footstep. What had I been missing and why did I have this conception I needed cushioned running shoes which controlled my natural foot motion and running stride. The transition to Vibram Five-Fingers Sprint was an exhilarating experience. The first time a ran in them I went 4 miles and the next day my legs really hurt especially my calves. I continue to run two days a week in the Five-Fingers, I it took a few weeks for my body to adjust but now I just love the freedom, you feel connect to the earth in a certain way. In my opinion running in these is more comfortable then any shoe but the recovery period after short miles is a lot longer so now I do 1 to 2 easy workouts during the week in the Five-Fingers to help strengthen my legs and feet and it’s also a nice change of pace. I’ve got a fun mix and my weeks look like this -

7 mile tempo run
5 mile Vibram Five-Finger Run
Easy Run
6 mile run with hill repeats
5 mile Vibram Five-Finger Run
Long Run

Next up I’ll attempt actual barefoot running :-)

RACE RECAP -

A belated MorFun Wapack Trail Race Recap -



I ran the Wapack Trail Race E2E on May 10th; it was a grand experience, sunny skies, majestic views, wonderful support from the all volunteers thanks to Ron, Thomas and others and a big thank you goes out to the race director Bogie D who was everywhere. The neat aspect of this race is you leave your car at the finish and hop on a yellow school bus which drops you off at the trail head and you run 21 miles south back to your car hence the End-2-End. I had a few ailments enroute but managed to complete the run in 4:38, just enough time to head home and enjoy the rest of the day with the kids.

Results

DEAL OF THE WEEK Montrail Highlander $59.47


QUOTE OF THE WEEK - "Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way.”
Dr. Seuss


YOUTUBE OF THE WEEK - "The Runner" Now's he's on a new quest for the CDT record stop by Sherpa John's blog for a recent interview with Dr. David Horton.





UPCOMING RACES –

The Schreechers are on a great pace for a great race on June 1st, we’re all looking forward to next weekend’s Corrib Classic 5K.

Good luck to everyone running Pineland Farms Trail Challenge this weekend especially Thomas and Ron the Buddha sends his best.

Spend a day at the beach -

6/29 Cape Cod Beach Safari - Race Across the Sand

Have a great


Run short, run long, run here, run there, run up, run down, run one, run all.

SPROUTS vol. 3

How quickly the weeks come and go, we’re springing into Spring here in New England with last weeks warm temperatures and welcoming sunshine NE is finally showing its brighter side. It was a wet start to the week but it's always a blast to get outside and run through the drizzling rain and muddy puddles it makes you feel like a kid again. Have a great week running!

Training

Night Owl Screechers have just 4 more weeks until there 1st 5k, congratulations on putting one foot in front of the other and moving on to WEEK 5. Now you’ve got a solid base and have made significant improvements the running ROOTS are growing stronger.

YouTube video of the week - Alone Across Alaska



Deal of the week -Montrail Hurricane Ridge XCR Trail-Running Shoes - Men's - '07 Closeout




Is Running a Religion? by Dr. George Sheehan


Quote of the week - "Everyone is an athlete. The only difference is that some of us are in training, and some are not." George Sheehan

Sprouts Vol.2

Weekend Adventure

“Out like a hare in like a tortoise” the Trail Animals Don’t Run Boston 50K is all but a gratifying memory. On Saturday April 19th 7:45AM I stand with a group of 18 other spirited runners and one illustrious race director. Howie Breinan created the DRB50K 12 years ago for those of us out there who are looking for a little something different than the traditional marathon. I was a little apprehensive about the outcome of the day since my last long distance race was Stone Cat Trail Marathon back in November. But all that faded away when I saw a few familiar New England faces on the scene. I enjoy the morning ChitterChatter as everyone gets reacquainted since the last adventures. In my right hand I hold my water bottle and my left is a map of the Blue Hills Reservation which looks like something my kids just drew on. If you imagine the White Mountains as the grand daddy of backwoods roller coasters then Blue Hills is one of the grand children and to squeeze 31 miles into a park just 8 miles from Boston is very impressive. We roamed thru just about every nook and cranny of the 7,000 acres of woods – traveling over bridal paths, single tracks trails, rolling terrain, dense forest, bushwhacking, switchbacks, and along granite ridges with panoramic Boston Skyline views. With the course laid out and map in hand the group begins the march precisely at 8.

Pink - 9.8 miles The Hare section for the runnable terrain and how fast I progressed though here. Its run or bust with inner thoughts of getting lost I keep my sights on the pack in front of me.

Blue – 6.2 miles The Camel section for the humps along this portion and similar to a camel I was moving comfortably along retaining water and energy for later. The morning moves fast as I make the turn onto the quad crushing Skyline Trail. As I expected here the group fans out as each individual has there own method for traversing over this rocky and hilly section. For me it was a brisk run/walk bouncing from rock to rock power walking the ups and running hard on the downs. With the sun on the rise I feel its warm rays on my back as I scamper on I remember to focus on proper fueling and my energy needs anticipating the long hot day on the Boston horizon. I covered most of this section alone. With a welcome greeting from Howie who is manning the only aid station along the road where the trails merge so the runners pass through here three times. It was good to change into trail stable shoes and drop some extra clothing.

Yellow – 4.3 miles The Snake section for the many twist and turns the course takes and like a snake I slithered along. Back into the aid station I’m in and out during the walk to the next section I feel the effects from the morning pursuit and Skyline Trail. Glancing down at the map is a quick reality check as to just how much more ground there is to cover. One wrong turn and my spirits are down luckily on my way back I run into a familiar face. From here on out Thomas and I remained together pulling one another along. The New England weather hadn’t given me much of a chance to get acclimated to the heat and what probably was a cool 65 degrees felt like 80 degrees. We meander along thru the maze of twist and turns, ups and downs, finally popping out at the Trail Side Museum.

Green – 8.2 miles The Zebra section the trail resembles the black patterns on a zebras back as it zigzags over rolling hills. Thomas and I had a few minor heat cramps in this portion but continued to push the pace. We ran into a few other animals in this section Paul Kearney came barreling down on us, guess he had gone off the course and was making up for the lost time because just as quickly as he came he went. Then Thomas and I spotted a couple other animals up-ahead the trail master Steve Pero and Chris move quickly out of sight. I was feeling the toll of the day’s event by this point so seeing these two off in the distance was fuel for the fire. Thomas had become the navigator and if it wasn’t for his help I would have wandered off the course again for sure.

Orange – 2.6 miles The tortoise section for the shortest distance as I crawled along to the finish at Houghton's Pond.

DRB50K is a local race with lots of character, BIG thank you to all who made it possible and thanks for sharing the experience.

Scan of UltraRunning Magazine write up -



Race Results

Times truncated to the minute

1. Bob Mathes, NH 6:04
2. Paul Kearney, VT 6:21
3. Jeff List, MA 6:26
4. Garry Harrington, NH 6:35
5. Chris Shanley, MA 6:44
6. Steve Pero, NH 6:45
7. Ryan Prentiss, MA 6:57
7. Thomas Mikkelsen, MA 6:57
9. Damon Lease, VT 8:54
(18 starters)

Training

Easy recovery week supporting the pack of night owls

Week 4 of the couch-to-Corrib Classic 5K
Besides a couple incidents of being heckled and honked at while out on there evening runs the pack is doing spectacular entering week 4 of training. If you’ve done a Google search for beginning 5k running plans you’ve probably found there’s an overwhelming supply of information. The key element to any exercise program is consistency and the focus with 3-4 days of running/walking gradually building a base over an 8-5 week period leading up to the 3.1 mile race. Don’t feel like you have to follow the couch-to-5K to the T, use it as a guideline. Keep going strong.


Upcoming Adventures

Weekly group training runs

Wapack Trail Race on May 10

Deal of the week - Patagonia Capilene T





Sound training advice for the week - Strength Training for runners

YOUTUBE OF THE WEEK Peasall Sisters"O Come Angel Band"

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or gazelle when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."
- Inspirational sign

E hele kākou

SPROUTS

Early Season Happenings at NR

It’s April, Mud Season here in the Northeast. It’s also a time when life rises from its wintery shell, colors of green burst from the earth and warmer temperatures entice all back to the great outdoors. Here at NR there is a small pack quietly emerging, hitting the city streets in the dark of night preparing and planning for there first road race the local Corrib Classic 5K taking place on June 1st. The pack is following the Couch-to-5K Running Plan and I’m happy to report week 1 is underway and off to a great start. Some key things to keep in mind – Rome wasn’t built in a day start easy, go slow, don’t be afraid to walk, leave the watch at home, most importantly have fun and enjoy the experience. We’re ROOTing for you!

Races past, present & future

Past:
Back in March Myself and fellow running friend Thomas made weekend getaway plans to drive down to the Terrapin Mountain Marathon in Virginia but an unexpected virus a few days before the event forced me to stay behind. I was looking forward to the adventure and seeing the Blue Ridge Mountains personally. Thomas ventured down and had a wonderful weekend in Virginia. He reports – "It was a great event. The weather was perfect (mid-thirties to start, but still) with a peak temp of about 50 when I finished in warm sun. The course starts out fairly easy, just a slog uphill with a gentle ridge-line run on grassy access road. Then it gets ugly. ;-) The toughest part of the course came at 4 hours in (I finished in 6:18) when you summit Mt. Terrapin and then go down the other side. The downhill is *long* and steep with lots of loose rocks. It was a tough one. Imagine some of the tricky rock bits on Skyline if they lasted for a mile or more. Ugh. Definitely worth putting on the calendar again for next year I think."

Congratulations on a successful finish at Terrapin - I hope to make the trek with you the next time around.

Congratulations to another friend of ours Ron who was one of only two runners to complete all 40 miles at the 1st Fells Trail Race in 08:07:00.01. The race director posted some great action shots from the day - see photo #197 looking good Ron!

Present:
In collaboration with Thomas we found our next adventure the DRB50K aka Don’t-Run-Boston 50K a low-key event taking place along the trails of the Blue Hills Reservation on April 19th.

Best wishes to friend and runner Sherpa John who is off this weekend running 150 miles at the McNaughton Park Trail Run.

Future:

DRB50K 4/19

MorFun Wapack Trail Race 5/10

Corrib Classic 5K 6/1

Pittsfield Peaks Ultra Challenge 6/14

Montrail's Run Like a Girl 9/7

New York City Marathon 11/2

Interested in NR, have comments, suggestion or advice your welcome to drop the pack and email at northernrootsrunning@hotmail.com

E hele kākou