Ascutney Race Report

June 9th (Sunday): 6:45am wakeup. Ellie (one of Ferenc's dog joined me after I woke up). Gathered up the belongings and out the door by 7:15am to met up with FyffeDog at the park & ride. Stopped at the Irving gas station (Dunkin Donuts located inside) for a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese and a couple Glacier Freeze Gatorades.

 

Loves being under the covers.  

 

Not my bike.  

Arrived at the base of Ascutney just before 8am. Registered and chatted with some of the guys before a warmup. 2+ miles (16:xx) with Newbould, DoubleJ, Ferenc, and Fyffe. Changed into flats and no shirt. Legs still a bit tight, but feeling good. A few strides before the start of the race.

 

Right after the warmup (Courtesy of Ian MacLellan).

Off the line well and relaxed into a large group for the first 1/2 mile or so. It flattened out for a few meters and decided to throw in a strong surge to open up a decent gap. Maybe VCM would allow me to "outclimb" Ferenc. Nope. He's too tough. Continued climbing/charging before being joined by Ferenc for a short while around 2 miles I believe. He passed me and I stuck on him for maybe 200-300 meters. Maintained 2nd place to the finish at the parking lot. Solid finish in 30:38. Jogged off, ate a slice of watermelon, and drank some water before trotting the single track up to the summit tower for amazing views. Back down to the parking lot for awards. Realized that Ferenc and Fyffe (my ride) already made their way back down the auto road. They thought the awards were at the bottom. Oh well. Floated the descent back to the car.

 

Grinding it out (courtesy of SNAPacidotic).

Fyffe, Ferenc and I purchased some kielbasa and chicken sausage to avoid bonking. I grabbed a thing of chocolate and Sunkist orange soda. The bonking hit Fyffe hard right after we left the store. Coca-Cola was his savior. Back to Ferenc's for grilling and chilling. Once our bellies were satisfied, we biker ganged it down to the beach area of the nearby river for a cold soak.

Fyffe headed out after we got back. Ferenc and I just chilled outside. I ended up falling asleep on the recliner chair for an hour or so. Remembering that I hadn't eaten my Cowtale (delayed gratification) popped me right out of my seat to chomp it down. So good.

Changed up for a shakeout run. 5+ miles (42:26) at Grafton Pond trails. Legs felt surprisingly good, but kept it easy through the switchbacks and muddy terrain. My legs will be grateful for the shakeout and into Mount Washington.

Back to NY by 8:45pm. Bed by 11pm.

I am excited for Washington because it's just only uphill. I just need to deal with the constant discomfort and I should be good. Easier said than done. Ascutney was a good preview, but only a taste of the pain I will experience next weekend. Get pumped!

16 miles on the day and 61 miles for the week. Semi-recovery week before Washington, then a couple weeks of hard workouts before Loon.