Off to Pittsfield

Tomorrow we leave for Pittsfield (Jennifer, Julian, Harley and I). The race is starting to seem intimidatingly difficult and some may argue that it is the hardest 50M race in the US (or at least on the eastern side of the country). I have posted a course description below that was provided by one of the participants of last year's event.

I feel pretty well prepared except that I have never run with a headlamp and flashlight before...but how hard could that be? I also seem to be developing some sort of compulsive list making disorder. I continue to make list after list of all of the things that I need to bring with me both for my drop bag, clothing changes, nutrition, hydration, chargers for electronics...all sorts of things. After I complete a list I do it again because I think I may have forgotten something.

In any regard, I feel confident that everything will make it into the truck for the trip. I have my race plan, my nutrition plan and I am mentally prepared to run for 24 straight hours. My prediction is that I will finish in 18:30, or around 1:00 am on Sunday morning. I wonder if there is an all night Diner in Pittsfield where I can catch breakfast after I am finished?

Course Description:

Last fall I went out to the course and ran the "Bloodroot Loop" and a few other portions, covering about 30 miles of the course. I would say that this is the heart of the course. I had run a couple of moderate 50k's in 4:55 that summer and was in great shape. I had run the VT 50, my first, in 10:02 the week before and was feeling rested and recovered. The friend I brought down was a 4:30 50k runner and a sub-3 hour marathoner.

Those 30 miles took the three of us over 8 hours if memory serves. We finished with a glazed look in our eyes. It was brutal.

The course at Pittsfield starts in the little town center, which is tucked up against the Green Mountains. It climbs on dirt roads out of town and into the hills, starting on a well-traveled dirt road with homes and barns, and then passing into the Green Mountain National Forest. At some point, the roads devolve into "jeep roads." These are rough dirt roads with no winter maintenance that can be rutted and messy in the spring, sometimes totally unpassable. There are ruts and rocks and although you are on a "road", you need to wear trail shoes and watch your footing. I wrenched my knee pretty good at one point and kicked a couple of rocks that I thought at first had broken toes. These are the access roads to different campsites hidden deep in the park. The impression I'm trying to convey is that you are leaving civilization behind and climbing further and further into the park and up into the mountains. Eventually the double-track disintegrates into a bramble-clogged mess, a former-road, really; basically singletrack, that starts to climb straight up the side of the mountain. The overall layout of this loop is that it climbs up the ridge, drops way off the other side, then turns an about-face and climbs back up and over. The climb in both directions is steeper the closer you are to the ridge line, so when you hit the bramble-clogged singletrack, you feel like you are climbing a wall. It is the final push to the ridge, but it is nasty. Even walking, you will be breathing very hard and may have to stop and rest. It's ridiculous. Take your time to enjoy the pristine beauty of the national forest because it's the only thing that is going to take your mind off your discomfort and it really is an incredible forest.

At the top, you are treated to a precipitous drop down the other side. Be careful here. A- Don't fall. B- Don't let yourself get out of control. You never know what logs or rocks are going to appear in front of you. C- Don't get "on the brakes" so much that you have blown quads by the end. Frankly, I think that you would be well-served to walk the first downhill portion because it's just so nasty steep, so as to avoid A, B, and C, and saving your legs for the lovely, more moderate downslope that follows. Sadly, however, this is just elevation you are going to have to run again anyway on the way up, but enjoy the glimpses through the trees into the lush wild heart of the Greens. Here is where you realize that Sugarbush, Killington, and the rest are no different than these mountains. Any of these mountains could have been a ski resort.

At the bottom, there is a left hand turn, and eventually another leading back up the mountain to the ridge again. This, again, is just ridiculously steep; a good solid hike. There are meandering double-track sections at various points here that are quite nice. Some are smooth and well-traveled, with a view over to the reservoir or to other mountains. Take a moment to enjoy these. You earned these views. Then get back to the job at hand. You will see lots of snowmobile signs. There is a big network of trails all over the state and a ton in this area. Eventually, after more huffing and puffing, you will reach the ridge again and do the process in reverse. Rugged, grown-over used-to-be-a-road plummets off the ridge in ski-trail fashion, eventually leading to worn-out double-track, then access roads, then normal dirt roads. This is a long, long way down. I had never run anything like this before. Then, on to the next loops of the course, none quite as nasty or as long as Bloodroot, but none too easy either, I gather. Enjoy.