Race Report

Today was the final race of the Saratoga Stryders’ 2018 Trail Series. Each race is 5K, held on the same course at Camp Saratoga, now called the Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park. The race has a mass start, with 80-100 runners starting on top of a hill, converging almost immediately into double track.

It’s been nearly three weeks since Ragnar, and I’m still struggling to put it in to words. On one hand, the camaraderie was as strong as ever, and I think this was my favorite van, yet. We worked well together, and took care of each other to an extent that I wasn’t expecting.

I didn’t get a chance to write up a report for last week’s race, so here’s a report on both. I ran in the Adirondack Runner’s AdiRUNdack Trail Race Series at Cole’s Woods these past two weeks, along with at least 100 others each night. Rebecca Smith, the RD, mentioned the first week that this was the 10th year of the Trail Series.

Well, the 2015 AdiRUNdack Trail Series has come to a finish. Thank you, Rebecca Smith, for another wonderful year! Heidi Underwood won the fourth and final 5K for the women’s race, and Alex Benway once again won it for the men’s race. Overall, Sue Thompson won the 20K women’s race, with an average 5K finish time of 22:33, followed by Justine Trybendis with 22:46, and Angie Thomas with 23:57.

Looking at the forecast this morning, I had expected to be running in the rain today. Instead, we were treated to abundant sunshine, slightly softer earth, and our dear friends, heat and humidity. Current series leader on the men’s side, Alex Benway, ran a full two minutes slower, while last year’s champion, Kevin Emblidge, won his first race of this series by two seconds.

Week two of the 2015 AdiRUNdack Trail Series is in the book. The weather was noticeably cooler than it has been, and it was windy, but the trees did a good job of sheltering us from the wind. I had thought, earlier in the day, that the trail would be muddy mess, since heavy showers were making their way through the area.

Last night was the first night of the AdiRUNdack Trail Series, a series of four mid-week 5K races, put on by the Adirondack Runners, a friendly running club that operates in the Glens Falls, NY area. Rebecca Smith does an excellent job of directing the race. The field was much larger than last year, with 146 people running in the first race.

When I look back on this race, 3 months later, the only word that comes to mind is: broken. I felt myself burning out in the run-up to this race, and I scaled back my training to try and compensate. It didn’t help; I felt undertrained in the race, and broken afterwards.

Camp Saratoga 8K - 15 Feb 2015 Today’s race was a shock. First, and foremost, it was cold. Normally when you start any winter activity, a hike, a run, whatever, you want to start off a bit cold, because your body will warm up. Today, through, I found myself wishing I had worn my balaclava, and a thicker pair of socks.