Training Log Archive: cmorse

Event: Hoot, Toot & Whistle Snowshoe Race
 

update: - finally got results - 33:34, 90 seconds behind the winning time... woot!!

A tough course today in Readsboro, VT - deep unbroken singletrack made for a very anaerobic 3 miles along the Catamount trail. Managed to get out with the lead group before the change to singletrack 100m down the trail and settled into 7th or 8th spot for the first half. Realized I really couldn't maintain that effort for another mile and a half and had Amy Lane breathing down my back so stepped aside to let her pass and BAM! before I could get back on the trail I had surrendered 10-12 spots to the train immediately behind her. With no real viable passing options, I ultimately settled for 19th place with only one fall in the last half mile.

Most folks I spoke with fell much more than I did, so I don't feel so bad. Since the lead group was trading trail breaking duties, the top 25 or so finished within 2 minutes of the leaders so I wasn't that far behind but you really had to win your position early, then run a clean race - one fall and and you lost quite a few places with no real hopes of regaining them unless someone in front of you went down. My loss of position was simply me trying to be polite to the obviously faster runners right behind me. I'll think long and hard before conceding my position in this kind of race again...