Running

“I Think I Can, I Think I Can…”
You, Too, Can Race the Train

by Laura Clark

Are you tired of doing the same humdrum 5Ks? Are you feeling guilty that your weekend sports plans fail to include your family? Are you tired of competing against the usual cast of characters? Would you like to achieve all of these goals on a single Saturday morning? Then it sounds like you are a likely candidate to take on “The Train.”

Train, an employee of the Upper Hudson River Railroad, challenges all comers to an 8.4-mile race from Riverside Station in Riparius to the North Creek Depot. In the interest of fairness, Train has agreed to handicap all two-footed runners with a forty-five minute head start. During last year’s inaugural event, twenty-seven entrants (out of a field of 191), with times ranging from 49 minutes to 1:01:52, managed to come in first, ahead of Train. Imagine … a race where more than one person can justifiably claim first place!

If these standards are a bit too world-class for your level of enjoyment, Train has thoughtfully designed a secondary challenge. Somewhere past the halfway mark, Train will pause so the passengers can disembark and cheer their personal heroes. The trick is to adjust your pace to coincide with Train’s arrival. Last year, with a finish of 1:21, I was able to sneak past Train, tortoise and hare style, while he rested. In my case, however, the race belonged to the sprinter.

Race Director Gary Wilson, who lives near the train station in Riparius and regularly exercises on the seasonal-use dirt road next to the railroad tracks, got the idea for the race when Train gleefully charged past him. Not wanting the runners to have all the fun and secretly hoping to further handicap Train, he decided to encourage family members to sign up for the round trip experience. Last year, it was difficult to tell who was more excited — the runners about to compete or the kids of all ages who were enjoying the ride.

From the conductor, convincingly dressed in 1900s garb, we learned that Train boasts an impressive set of historic credentials. The original Adirondack Railroad was built just after the Civil War by Thomas Durant and consisted of sixty miles of track stretching from Saratoga to North Creek.

In 1901, when President McKinley was shot, then Vice President Theodore Roosevelt rushed to his side. When told the president was out of danger, Roosevelt resumed his Adirondack vacation. Unfortunately, McKinley experienced what would be a fatal setback while Roosevelt was hiking Mt. Marcy. A coach relay rushed Roosevelt to North Creek, where he boarded Train for the remainder of the journey to the President’s bedside.

Again, in 1934, Train proved his mettle as an all-weather endurance athlete when he morphed into Snow Train, ferrying New York City slickers to North Creek and the Gore Mountain Ski area. This was known as the “Ride Up, Slide Down” experience. Upon learning this, the runners among the passengers became increasingly apprehensive as they realized Train had kept in shape over the years and would be a serious competitor.

Most of us had assumed that Train would, like his peers, prefer flat, fast terrain. This general feeling was reinforced by the flyer, which promised a “moderate course with gentle hills.” And the first hundred meters or so were fairly easy. But then Train whistled gleefully at the gasps of the runners as they approached River Road and discovered themselves battling two miles of steady uphill. Even Brian Teague, who had previously surveyed the route, commented after the race that he didn’t remember so many hills. This impression might have been due to the fact that hills do grow steeper as day wears on. Whatever. But for every uphill, there is a corresponding downhill and we enjoyed flying down and feeling the wind on our faces.

Many others who ran that day were also surprised. Coach Jeff Lutzker, of the Saratoga Stryders running club, commented that this was one of the most challenging and enjoyable races he had ever done. Since cars were banned from competition, we all enjoyed freely weaving in and out around the puddles and potholes on River Road. In the end, it didn’t matter whether or not you had beaten Train: the satisfaction was in conquering the course and coming up smiling. And at the impressive post-event buffet it was easy to push aside aches and pains, enjoy the homemade goodies and wonderfully cold ice pops, and swap war stories worthy of an Adirondack Tall Tale.

If this year will be your first attempt at beating the train, it would be wise to sift through some of these tall tales and extract a few nuggets of training wisdom. In true scout tradition, Maureen Roberts of Saratoga Springs suggests that runners “be prepared” and pack water and a gel or two. While there are water stops, extra refreshment might just give you the boost you need. And know that Train, your competition, always carries extra fuel aboard. To prepare for this year’s race, Maureen would encourage competitors to emphasize extra long hill repeats. And, in an exclusive interview, Train suggests that you repeat his mantra, “I think I can, I think I can,” while you chug up the hills.

If you find it difficult to stop at just one such event, Train’s cousin, the Talyllyn Railway, hosts a similar journey through the Welsh countryside. Or, if your family begs for a return trip to North Creek, consider the Payroll Robbery Run, the Fall Foliage Tour or the Halloween Train. Eventually, Train plans to make tracks all the way to Saratoga Springs. Sounds like a unique marathon possibility!

For more information, visit www.adirondackrunners.com for race applications; www.racethetrain.co.uk for the Talyllyn Railway; and www.uhrr.com for Train’s home site. Finally, read The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper.

Laura Clark (laurac@sspl.org), an avid trail runner, snowshoer and cross-country skier, is a children and young adult’s librarian at the Saratoga Springs Public Library.

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