Roaming Further Afield

by Laura Clark, Josh Merlis, Emily Bryans & Pat Glover

Since so much of our life is rigidly scheduled, it is easy to fall into the habit of regimenting our play time as well. To break the cycle, why not participate in a destination event slightly at the edge of your comfort zone? Sure, it can be intimidating to confront an unknown race course in unfamiliar surroundings with wild card competitors, but think of the opportunity for adventure! No longer constrained by a compulsion to keep up with familiar faces, you are free to enjoy the day at your own pace, speeding up or slowing down as the mood strikes you.

While the events that are highlighted below — More Marathon and Half-Marathon, Mudders & Grunters, Bridge of Flowers and Reach the Beach Relay — would make a wonderful weekend getaway for you and your family, some are perfect for day tripping with a few touristy excursions thrown in for good measure. You will return refreshed and rejuvenated and your family will be more tolerant of late night suppers if you can involve them in future outings.

More Marathon and Half-Marathon by Laura Clark
Think yourself past Punxsutawney Phil and on into spring — March 26, 2006 to be exact. Picture your winter-white legs pumping vigorously past tulip gardens, a zoo, a castle and a tavern. No, you are not in Amsterdam or Paris, but just a few hours away in Manhattan’s Central Park at the More Marathon and Half-Marathon.

The only catch is that to qualify you must be an over 40 woman marathoner or half-marathoner or a younger woman partnered with an over 40 woman in the half. The race sponsor, More magazine, is a publication celebrating the lifestyle of over 40 women, hence the masters emphasis. Incredibly, although it is now entering its third year, MORE is still the only marathon in the world exclusively dedicated to older women. So a woman undertaking the More journey can consider herself a true pioneer in an age when there are few such opportunities.

The half-marathon course is a nostalgic two-loop trip on the original 1970-1976 New York City Marathon route. The full consists of five slightly shorter loops. While the half has a different starting point and begins slightly before the full, these intersecting loops provide many opportunities for both groups to intersect. Although those who choose to partner in the half are not required to cross the finish line together, many in fact do just that while chatting and laughing the entire time.

Be warned, however, that there are hills. The half features one significant climb, while the full contains the rolling variety. But the fantastic crowd support will pull you to the top each and every time. If you opt for the full experience or decide to walk the half, you will also enjoy a more unique form of crowd participation. The route is divided into two sections with runners going clockwise around the inside lane and park-goers filling the outside lane in a counterclockwise direction. So as you run toward your goal, you are treated to a kaleidoscope of walkers, joggers, bladers and bikers heading in the opposite direction. This provides a wonderful diversion during the later stages and makes each similar loop seem somehow different.

Emboldened by the “femaleness” of the weekend, I decided to sign up with a marathon pace group for support. The pacers were members of the New York Road Runners club and were intimately familiar with every twist and turn on their home turf. I had never run with a pace group before and did feel less intimidated in an all female group. The women in my group were friendly and chatty but totally committed to achieving their time goal. I found it difficult to both talk and run but I did enjoy being on the listening edge of many fascinating conversations. But instead of a solid commitment, I hovered between a realistic assessment and a dream finish time. When my group got behind schedule, I optimistically scooted up to the next level with disastrous results. Next time I become a groupie I will know enough to keep the faith.

But the real point of the weekend was that there were over 3,500 women who despite family and job obligations, found the time to train seriously. More is an ideal choice for first timers and walkers, especially with the six-hour, 30-minute limit for both events. And for experienced runners, the magic is still there. When faced with a choice between the National Snowshoe Championship in Bolton Valley, Vt., and rejoining her college buddies for their third More weekend, Maureen Roberts of Saratoga Springs, decided that running isn’t always about individual goals — sometimes it’s about friendship and fun. For more info: www.nyrr.org.

Mudders & Grunders Trail Race by Josh Merlis
As we can all agree, there are so many races out there from which to choose. A race that I definitely suggest checking out is the Taconic Road Runners Club Mudders & Grunters five-mile trail race, to be held in Yorktown Heights on April 2, 2006. It is a race unlike most others...

In early 2003, a few months after the Albany Running Exchange started, I sat down with a few others in the club looking for races that looked like fun. We wanted to offer club members the opportunity to participate in events outside of your typical, mundane road race. We were looking for something unique, and let me tell you, we found it here!

One item of particular interest that caught our attention was the advertised “World Famous Geronimo Cup” to be awarded to the fastest team. While competition isn’t always the reason one attends a race, this next part of the application won us over: All runners compete on the same approximately five-mile, single loop course. The course is run off-road, through as much muck, mud and water as we can find. Some hills are included. Multiple water crossings are present; depth is dependent on pre-race weather. Course difficulty is determined by weather. Wear old shoes and clothes. Eye goggles recommended.

We immediately made the decision to participate and our anticipation only grew as the date neared. On March 30, 2003, we made the 120-mile drive to Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park battling a relentless storm of snow and sleet. To say the weather was bad is an understatement, but truth be told, it only added to the aura of the event.

This was more than just a trail race. After an easy first mile around a field and then down a legitimate path, we crossed a swamp only to soon emerge in a mucky mess that was hungry for running shoes. We were instructed to follow all the flags on the course; soon enough, they cut sharply to the left. Mind you there was no trail here, just a hill with flags about every 80 meters and dozens of fallen trees, thorn bushes and the like to tear at your fortitude and character. As if that wasn’t enough, a half-mile from the finish we had to cross a four-foot deep creek that was freezing with the runoff of late March melting snow.

Amazingly enough, however, out of 256 total finishers and a gap of 237 separating the ARE’s first and last finisher, every single one of us was in love with this race. It was an absolute roller coaster ride, an adrenaline rush rarely experienced in races, and one in which we were addicted. This April will be our fourth year at the event, and it’s heralded as one of the highlights of our calendar for both our speedsters and Joe/Jane runners alike. They have a filling post-race feast and best of all they give out delicious cookies as awards. You just can’t beat it. For more info: www.runner.org.

Bridge of Flowers 10K Race by Emily Bryans
“I’m not going back.” For the past several years, I have organized a contingent of the Willow Street Athletic Club women’s team to travel to Shelburne Falls, Mass., to compete in the Bridge of Flowers 10K Race, held this year on August 12. It is a race that elicits a strong reaction among some of the women each year in February when we get together to discuss and decide on our schedule for the upcoming year. However, we make our decision through a democratic process and each year, by majority rules, the race makes its way back onto our schedule.

Shelburne Falls is nestled in the Berkshires just off the Mohawk Trail. Just as the town is defined by the hills that surround it, so too is the 10K course. Namely, one hill: Crittendon. The name strikes fear into the hearts of many of those who have run it. Crittendon starts just before the two-mile mark on the course and ends just after three. It is undeniably one of the hardest “hills” I have encountered in a race. In fact, I think that anything that has a switchback in it should be defined as a mountain. Furthermore, it has a false crest such that if you are able to muster enough strength to look up as you reach the far end of the switchback, the hill gives you the false hope that you are reaching the top, only to realize that it continues to rise well afterward.

Once you do reach the true top of “The Hill” it is a rip down the other side which many runners use to make up some of the time lost going up. Further the last two miles are relatively flat, with just a couple of minor uphill grades and this part of the course can also be used to pick up time. Unless, that is, it’s a typical August morning with the mist of the night before burning off just as you reach this portion of the course, which, I’m afraid is largely unshaded.

This probably doesn’t sound like much of an endorsement. And while, as I said, these aspects have discouraged a couple of the women on my team from going back, there are some who enjoy the challenge of the hill and the weather.

Shelburne Falls is an attractive town that offers art galleries, an old fashioned style general store, and an assortment of shops and cafes. There is a river that runs through the town over and around rocks marked by glacial potholes. The bridge of flowers that goes over this river (which in the early years was actually part of the 10K course) is planted with an amazing assortment of flowering plants and shrubs. And, most importantly, there is the community that seems to be wholly in support of this race.

Spectators line Main Street and much of Crittendon Hill cheering the runners on, playing music, ringing bells and handing out water. Several of the buildings on Main Street are open in the morning to allow the runners to use their bathrooms. The post race party boasts an amazing spread of cold drinks, yogurt, fruit, burgers and hot dogs (even better, they were soy burgers and tofu pups). The awards are often pieces made by one of the local galleries, and the field has an inspiring level of competitors in every age group.

So, while Bridge of Flowers is arguably one of the most challenging races I have ever run, both for the course and the weather, I also consider it one of the best. In an age of making courses as flat and as record-setting fast as possible, it’s nice to know that there are still those who hold onto tradition. For more info: www.bridgeofflowers10k.com.

Reach the Beach Relay by Pat Glover
“200 miles in 24 hours” is what it says on the Techwick T-shirt. Actually it’s closer to 210 miles, but at that distance, why quibble over a few extra miles? The Reach the Beach Relay on September 15-16, 2006 is billed as the longest running relay race in the US. The course starts at Bretton Woods Ski Area in northern New Hampshire, travels through the White Mountains and finishes on the Atlantic Ocean in Hampton Beach.

The relay consists of 36 legs varying in distance from 3.1 to 8.8 miles each. These legs are covered by a maximum of 12-person teams traversing the roads over two days at the beginning of New England’s foliage season. That translates to each person running three legs, covering an average distance of 17 miles. There is also an ultra division limiting teams to six members, each covering approximately 34 miles. The course takes athletes past fields, lakes, hilltop vistas, and an occasional covered bridge as they travel through 31 towns and six state parks. In all, there are 18 divisions including men’s, women’s and mixed teams of various ages.

You get a flavor for the festive atmosphere when you pull into the starting area. There is a sea of team support vans creatively decorated with names such as Fast Men Faster Women, Scrambled Legs and Achin, Kickin Asphalt, Agony of Da Feet and Where The $*#% Is The Beach?

With 300 teams in the competition, each has been assigned a starting time based upon the predicted average pace of its runners. Slower teams are sent off early in the morning, followed by the progressively faster teams throughout the day. This helps to insure that all teams finish by the 6:30 pm cutoff time the next day. With inspirational music along with screams of encouragement, the first runner starts off on what is billed as “the toughest 5K you’ll ever run.” And that’s no exaggeration as they climb up the face of Bretton Woods ski slope. The good news is they come back down to hand off their team wrist wrap (rather than baton) to runner number two.

The 36 transition areas are staffed with friendly volunteers, medical personnel and support facilities. Much of the plethora of food and drinks are complimentary, and some specialty items are sponsored by local organizations for a nominal fee. In addition, bringing team food supplies along the way is certainly an option. With several hours between legs, there is ample opportunity to rehydrate and replace valuable calories.

Once established, a team’s running rotation must be followed for the duration of the race. If someone drops out, that person cannot reenter the race at a later time. The rotation merely continues without the runner. This assures that each person will get the “opportunity” to run in the dark. Race safety rules require that you have either a working flashlight or headlamp along with a reflective vest with blinking lights on the front and back. Your support van may follow behind with its headlights when it doesn’t impair traffic.

The course itself is a pleasant mixture of highways, back roads and short sections of trails. The terrain is rolling, which truthfully involves a fair amount of downhill as well as some pretty steep uphill stints — seemingly more of the latter. The runner knows exactly what their upcoming leg will be like, since each van must be equipped with a detailed handbook and map.

The last few miles are flat and fast — well, sort of fast considering you’ve done over 200 miles — along the sea with some breathtaking views. However, since most of your breath will probably be gone, you will be more interested in seeing the finish area. As your final runner enters the last stretch, speakers are blaring music and announcing their arrival, tradition dictates that the person is joined by the whole team as you cross the finish line together. At that point, I can guarantee that you will be overwhelmed with emotion emanating from a tremendous sense of team and individual accomplishment. The day concludes with a raucous barbecue/party including music, awards and endless story swapping.

Reach the Beach is more than a race — it is truly a unique adventure, encompassing competition, perseverance and a healthy dose of camaraderie. It is superbly well-organized and an absolute blast to participate. So my suggestion is to hook up with 11 of your best running buddies soon and make plans to compete. The memories alone will be well worth the trip! For more info: www.rtbrelay.com.

While each of these events are challenging and require a specific training routine, they are not out of reach for the average runner. And that, too, is part of the appeal. By stretching your goals beyond the tried and true, you will not only grow as an athlete but also gain increasing self-confidence that will spill over into other areas of your life.

Laura Clark of Saratoga Springs is an avid trail runner, snowshoer and cross-country skier, and is president of Saratoga Stryders.

Josh Merlis of Albany enjoys running, snowshoeing and mountain biking, and founded the Albany Running Exchange.

Emily Bryans of Schenectady is the women’s long distance chair for Adirondack USATF and is captain of the Willow Street AC women’s running team.

Pat Glover of Clifton Park was a member of the Forty Fifty and Fast team, who won the RTB 2005 Super Masters division in record time.

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