Category: Hike NH

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Trilife update, 48 in my 49th year

Since I signed up for Ironman Coeur d’Alene that takes place in June 2021, the White Mountain Triathlon, which I deferred to 2021 is on the same weekend. I decided to sign up for an alternate race and use my credits from the White Mountain Triathlon – so I’m racing The Sunapee olympic distance triathlon on Saturday. 

When I signed up for Sunapee I knew that I would have to swim consistently for the weeks leading up to the race; and I have been. I feel like my swim fitness is enough now for Saturday. Swim fitness seems to come back pretty quickly unlike running and biking. 

This will be my first race of 2020 and I’m pretty psyched for it. With all the precautions I know it will be unlike any triathlon before but I don’t care. I’ll do what they say and get this race done. It will be race #1 for my new Cervelo tribike!

While I’ve been trying to swim, bike and run as much as I can I’m also making a push to finish all the 4,000 footers in one year. I have eight weeks to finish 21 more peaks. 

Some of the harder ones are left: Carters, Wildcat, Kinsman. Isolation. I will have my work cut out for me getting these done. But since I have completed no goals for 2020 this one just may be in reach.

On Sunday Peter, Pete and I hike Waumbek. It was a perfect fall day to hike it. WInnie and Goldie hiked too. This was Goldie’s 2nd 4,000 footer and Winnie’s 8th, plus it’s the second time Winnie has hiked Waumbek. There were no other dogs on the trail. I later read a race report that so many people were on the trails the day before, for the Flags on all the Peaks on 9/11, which was why maybe there were so few people on Sunday.

The trail is in great shape however no water at the water source. As we climbed it got colder and colder with a wind. I was sweating bullets, as per usual yet so cold, too. While Waumbek is touted as an “easy” hike, the climb is constant; just no rocks or granite slabs to contend with.

Pete told us about the blow down just past Waumbek’s peak so we had views of the entire Presidential Range. Waumbek itself has no views but we hiked a few feet past the cairn to sit down and gaze at the amazing views of the entire Presidential range. While the air was cold, the sun was warm so we took a break before heading back down. It was a good day to be above 4,000 feet.

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Mount Carrigain and Ironman Training

This morning is a big morning.

Run and hike with dogs.

Swim at 8:30.

It’s amazing how motivating signing up for an Ironman can be. It’s been a while since I took the dogs for the loop hike/run at Winant but since they must get back into hiking shape to help me finish the 48 4,000 peaks by Nov. 13, they need to hike/run with me as much as possible.

On Sunday Winnie and Goldie hiked Mount Carrigain.

May 1989 was the last time I hiked this mountain. I remember it was a solo backpacking trip and I did the big loop including Desolation Trail. Wow that was a long time ago. However, I remember seeing a group of men camping with a fire going. The trail was really wet and my feet were soaked. I saw their hanging socks over the fire. They invited me to join and I declined. 

Peter pointed out that the mountain name Carrigain is spelled differently on this sign than everywhere on the internet.

This time Carrigain was a day hike with two of Peter’s friends: Pete and Eric. The first two miles are so nice – just a walk in the woods. Then the climb began to the ridge. Once we got to Signal Ridge there were amazing views. Then at the summit, spectacular 360 degree views. It was a perfect day to be in the White Mountains and the dogs did great. On the way down Winnie had two incidents with dogs but both turned out okay (Winnie was not at fault this time.)

Winnie cooling off after summiting.

It was Goldie’s first 4,000 and she was pretty tired on the ride home, sleeping sitting up. 

Now it’s time to plan next weekend’s hike – most likely the Kinsmans. 

But today I hike, run and swim before work. 

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Hiking Tecumseh, E-Biking at Gunstock

This past week was filled with fun activities: running, hiking and e-biking at Gunstock.

Peter and I hiked Tecumseh and even ran a part of it. Even though it was under 5 miles, those stairs to the top are tough!

It was a fun hike. I needed it for my grid and it was Peter’s 14th 4,000 footer.

On Wednesday I e-biked with Becky and Sara. Sara is in charge of the Outdoor Center at Gunstock and an avid mountain biker. E-bikes are so fun and power boosting up hills is exhilarating. The trails around Gunstock are pretty fun and extensive – they go on and on forever. This weekend I hope to get on my mountain bike and explore.

This week we celebrated National Dog Day. Thanks to Peter for taking care of my dogs during the day. Despite being allergic to them he loves Winnie and Goldie. [love]

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A July Pemi Loop (attempt)

I met my hiking friends at Lincoln Woods at 3:30 which meant the alarm went off at 2:00. We started shortly after 3:30 with headlamps hiking up Osseo Trail with the most elevation gain to start. It was a slog to Flume with a socked in summit but still beautiful to be up there. Onto Liberty and still no views but we felt the fog would burn off.

By the time we hit Haystack a gorgeous 360 degree view of the Pemi Wilderness and Franconia Notch made all the suffering worth it. 

From Haystack looking toward Lafayette

At this point everything hurt. The first eight miles my ankle was sore from spraining it last week and my balance seemed off. I used poles and they kept me balanced. 

The hike to Lafayette makes you forget all your ailments with spectacular views and rocks formations. At the summit a light wind kept the bugs away. As we headed toward Garfield I struggled with leg pain every time I lifted my right leg. I didn’t feel great but I was happy to be there.

I began thinking about what my hiking partners said, that the hike would be about 18 hours and we wouldn’t get off the trail until 10:00 or so. 

When I started the day, for some reason I was thinking we would finish in 15 hours. Mentally, I didn’t think I could end at 10:00 or later. So many things conspired to make this a day of not finishing what I started. 

I really want to finish what I start but many times over the course of my endurance-athlete-life I get mental blocks. My legs are dead or I’m having a bad race and I just want to be done. I’ve talked to other athletes who didn’t finish what they started, whether it was a 100 mile race or a marathon and they told me – they just wanted to go home and be around their family. When I’m stressed or think I can’t finish I just want to go home. 

When we arrived to a closed Galehead Hut where we were hoping to resupply food, I decided that I didn’t have enough food to make it over Twin and the Bonds. So I took the bailout option well….. And … because .. I couldn’t fathom getting off the trail at  midnight. 

As I hiked/ran down Twin Brook and Franconia Brook trail I was nervous. I didn’t want to hike alone at night so I ran as much as I could. My thoughts go to a dark place telling myself I would never do this again. I thought of all the things I did wrong: how I need to fix my injuries, train harder and keep working on mental strength. I hiked/ran about 26 total miles but my Garmin, that died at mile 19 didn’t synch to Strava so I have no elevation gain for the first 19 miles it recorded before arriving at Galehead.

Today, Sunday, I completed every run on my training plan that included 21 miles of running this  weekend. And I talked to Mark about running a Pemi Loop in the fall. 

I’m getting there – back to where I want to be: super fit.

Here’s Vicky on the Franconia. Ridge – a fun hiking partner. It was a great day to be above treeline.
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Racing Update Ragged Mountain, Gunstock Trail Festival

I deferred The Ragged Mountain Stage race to 2021. 

I’m not happy about it but it’s a fact. Facts are facts, or so says Andrew Cuomo. 

I am not trained or ready to race. But you know what? I love everything about July so I’m okay with it.

Mountain Biking. Swimming. Biking to dinner. Biking in new places. Biking with new people. I’m really bike ready. I’m not mountain running ready. Next year, I will be ready. I will race the Ragged Mountain Stage race in 2021.

It’s been a strange year. I will say that again, I’m sure. And while I’m not happy that I’m not doing the stage race, I will train for the Gunstock race. I will. 

Tomorrow I hike Gunstock, Rowe and Belknap. I think it’s a good sign that all these things are happening or not happening. 

2020 – anything is possible and stranger things have happened – two phrases I write a lot on this blog and have so many meanings and connotations. 

I will start again. Monday – 50 miler training. Starting again – I know how to do this!