an amazing likeness
Welcome to October. Here in New England, the early trees to change have starting turning colors and the vistas are a beautiful mix of yellows and reds just starting to overrun the green. In a few weeks, frosts will settled in and the winds will empty the trees.
Light schedule on our calendar for the opening weekend: (assuming there's not another Matt tri in the works)
I'm off the 30th running of the Applefest Half Marathon where they promise hills and apple crisp:
Runners of all abilities can look forward to a hilly but scenic tour on paved roads. Your efforts will be rewarded with a finisher's medal, and a wide array of post-race refreshments, including New England Country Pie's famous apple crisp...After the Merrill Rd hill the Applefest course is finished having its way with you and it's downhill most of the way to just a mild incline at the high school entrance. Now you've earn the post race spread.
Looking forward over the coming weeks on the calendar, the races start coming fast and furious. So, get those training runs in, but take care of your body and be mindful that it is better to be a bit undertrained and fresh than worn out.
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
You're having a very appley racing season. Good luck Andy!
Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and roguesWe're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes
To be clear, however, the Applecrest Half was apple pie, and the Applefest Half is apple crisp. I will report back on the relative merits of each following in-depth study of the crisp tomorrow. I also don't know how the two events feel about each other, so I'm going to research that by wearing the race shirt from the Applecrest while running the Applefest.
Sadly Andy, October is empty for me from a race perspective - "Run, or Run not - there is no Tri" as Yoda would likely say in this instance
Good luck with your race though mate. Even though I have not been around as much as I would have liked this year I have followed the Challenge with interest and ever increasing awe! What ever will you do next year?
Look forward to the results.... good to hear you are comparing apples to apples!
2017 Goals1) Run more than 231 miles2) Be ready for HM in the spring
Good luck tomorrow, MT! You'll need the apple crisp after that hilly course for sure. Have a great time!
Don't make excuses for why you can't get it done.
Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen.
I’ve been trying to think how to describe this race, and not getting much inspiration…which probably is a reflection of my race overall – uninspiring.
The course lived up to its upfront billing as a beautiful run through the rural southern NH countryside – among trees turning yellow and red, we ran past lakes, alpaca farms, orchards and pumpkin patches.
Also as advertised…the course was hilly and challenging, but less rolling hills than I expected. The first 6 miles were rolling uphills & sharp downhills with a steady (and deceptive) downhill trend. Then 6 – 9 was pretty flat. Just after 9 came “The Climb” – a 1.5mi of steady, stair-step climbing where each turn in the road revealed another section of hill, to make up all the elevation given up in the first 6 miles. This lead to a brief flatter mile from 11 – 12, and then punished with a steady uphill to 13 and the finish.
Even though I expected it, and backed off to the shortest little stride I could, “The Climb” took so much out of me, I didn’t recover at all…from 11 onward it was just a shuffle jog to the finish, weaving between the walking wounded who were mixing walk and jog. Cramps started in my right calf just after 12 and I couldn’t toe off with my right leg without it cramping from there to the finish.
Bottom line is I blew it…I didn’t use the downhills in the 1 – 5 section as I was trying to save my quads for later; I ran the section from 6 – 9 too easy, losing the chance to bank time, and then wasn’t strong enough to recover after “The Climb”. The unseasonably warm day (75F) didn't help my cause either.
5KM splits (which mask some of the up/down variation into a longer trend) tell the story:
24:22 / 24:37 / 24:34 / 26:49 + 1:47 for 1:47:46 finish.
Now to what you really want to hear about…the apple crisp - it was tasty. Nice cinnamon accent, good texture to the apples…very sugary. Just wasn’t up to the high standard set by the warm apple pie and local ice cream at the AppleCrest race.
Well organized race, course well marked, and really well marshaled. All the details of the morning were well done from parking to bus to the start to bib pickup. They’ve done this race for 30 years and it shows.
Organization overall: Tie
Course: Applecrest
On course: Applefest
Pre-race: Applefest
Post-race: Applecrest
Pie vs. Crisp Pie
Great report Andy - shame there are no pictures of the "Crisp". Reports are always better with pictures!
The course looks beautiful on the satellite map but if you switch to the Topo view you can see it's a bit of a killer!!
I had a similar experience in Tyler last year with hills at Mile 10 that I just did not manage well enough for. It happens.
I'm still going to say that a 1:47 finish is awesome. I know it's not close to your PB but... still awesome mate!
Only 2 more months to check off!
Nice work!
A trip out into the great google universe has revealed little in the way of pictures so far...someone had this one of the start lineup in her blog. Also found a youtube video of the start.
(Woman in the pink top, with the yellow shoes and pony tail...she had amazing turnover in her stride....we traded back and forth for the first 7 or 8 miles. She'd come down the hills at a good clip with these little pitter-patter footsteps...and I'd plod by her up the next hill like some snorting John Deere tractor...then she'd come back down the other side of the hill all quiet and quick footed. Left her behind somewhere after the alpaca and before the climb...never saw her again.)
Another nice race Milk Truck.
PBs since age 60: 5k- 24:36, 10k - 47:17. Half Marathon- 1:42:41.
10 miles (unofficial) 1:16:44.