Old Mountain Trail 5K

I got up in the morning of the race and first thing I did was to check the temp. 18 that's a little chilly.  My buddy Kenny picked me up around 8:15 and we headed down to the race, we pulled in and registered then got ready to run the course as a warm up.  We had a good warm up and where ready for the 10am start, then we saw the huge line for registration then heard they pushed the start out to 10:30.  We ended up sitting in the truck for a while to keep warm then about 10:20 started to try to warm up again, which was difficult after working up a sweat on first warm up and the cold temps made for a very chilly start.

I knew the start was going to be hard, the single track in woods is tight and the first good hill is only a half mile into the race, and didn't want to get bottle necked behind a big group.  I felt gassed right off the start not a good feeling, I kept telling myself just settle into a nice pace. I pushed up the hill knowing there was a downhill I could recover on.  Then we hit the new cut trail it had a couple water crossing which i was able to get over without getting wet. then we hit the fields and then back into the woods for the last section before the finish.  I just never felt good, the whole race was a struggle.  It was unfortunate to have a bad race because it was a nice course, rocky root filled single track.

We decided to run the course a 2nd time as a cool down, finished the day with 9miles.  Even though I had a bad race it was still a fun day of running...

Weekly Log 11-19-11 to 12-25-11

Monday: 0 day off

Tuesday: 0 had dentist appt. no time for a run

Wednesday: 7.5mile road run, felt good pushed the pace and pr'd this run by 3mins

Thursday: 7.5mile road run leg felt good and kept a good pace

Friday: 0 day off

Saturday: 6.5mile trail run Big River

Sunday: 0 day off

Weekly Total: 21.5  miles
Last Week: 23 miles
Year to Date: 1372 miles

Weekly Log 11-12-11 to 12-18-11

Monday: 0 day off

Tuesday: 6.5mile trail run Big River, ran my normal loop felt OK didn't see anyone else out on the trails nice and quiet

Wednesday: 0 was suppose to run at night but didn't get to

Thursday: 0 day off

Friday: 7.5mile road run normal loop legs felt good kept a good pace

Saturday: 0 day off

Sunday: 9miles 3mile warm up 3.1 mile race Old Mountain Trail 5K, then a 3.1 mile cool down. Nice course.

Weekly Total: 23 miles
Last Week: 32 miles
Year to Date: 1350.5 miles 

Weekly Log 11-05-11 to 12-11-11

Monday: 0 Day Off

Tuesday: 7.5mile road run legs felt good

Wednesday: 7mile road run in the rain felt tired

Thursday: 0 Day Off feeling tired

Friday: 7.5mile road run, legs felt OK but I just feel burnt out

Saturday: 0 Day Off, still feeling tired overall

Sunday: 10mile trail run Buck Hill, ran with Kenny nice technical and hilly 10mile loop lots of rocks water and steep climbs, legs felt good but still just feeling blah no energy.

Weekly Total: 32 miles
Last Week: 41 miles
Year to Date: 1327.5 miles

Weekly Log 11-28-11 to 12-04-11

Monday: 7.5Mile road run, Laten Knight Rd. loop legs felt good ran a nice pace

Tuesday: 7.5mile road run Laten Knight Rd. loop felt good

Wednesday: 0 day off

Thursday: 7.5mile road run Laten Knight Rd. legs felt heavy and still feeling the effects of giving up coffee

Friday: 7.5mile road run Laten Knight Rd.legs still felling heavy felt better at end of run

Saturday: 0 day off

Sunday: 11mile road/trail run with Kenny nice run and then checked out the cyclecross race nice sunday run.

Weekly Total: 41 miles
Last Week: 13 miles
Year to Date: 1295.5 miles

Weekly Log 11-21-11 to 11-27-11

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 0

Wednesday: 0

Thursday: 3.1 miles Greeley Turkey Trot 5K, this was my first ever race last year and I did it in 34:36 this year I finished it in a PR 23:18 it was a fun race that I ran with my family.

Friday: 0

Saturday: 10mile road run

Sunday: 0

Weekly Total:13 miles
Last Week:26 miles
Year to Date: 1254.5 miles

Li'l Rhody Run Around race report

Wow is all I can say Nov. 20th and in the mid 60's and sunny couldn't ask for better weather.  It was nice to have an 11am start let me sleep in a bit got up at 7am had my coffee and small breakfast a nice warm shower and out the door around 9am.  I got to the race around 10am picked up my number, and as I was about to leave the reg. area there was an old cycling buddy Kenny I hadn't seen him in years.  we  pinned on our numbers and then ran a nice little warm up.

We lined up for the start, I had no idea how I was going to feel seeing a week ago I had finished my first ultra marathon.  The gun went off and down the road we went my plan was the same as usual just a steady pace.  All my races this year are just training, I spent the whole year just building up my base miles slow endurance miles no speed work.  I was once a decent road cyclist so I know it takes time to get fast and first thing you need to do, is build your base endurance miles then work on speed.  I felt good on the trails, but when we hit the roads I would get passed seeing I have no leg speed.  I passed at least 10 people in the last 2 miles but we had 3 quarters of a mile on the road before the finish were I was passed by at least 7 people, but all and all I was happy with my run and had a great time.

The best part of the whole day was hooking up with my old cycling buddy Kenny, he runs with some guys on Wed's and Sun's which is what I need stronger runners to push me and help with my leg speed.  Looking forward to things to come.

Weekly Log 11-14-11 to 11-20-11

 Monday: 0 day off recovery

Tuesday: 0 day off recovery

Wednesday: 7.5mile easy road run

Thursday: 7.5mile easy road run

Friday: 3mile active recovery hike

Saturday: 0 day off

Sunday: 8miles Li'l Rhody Runaround


Weekly Total:26 miles
Last Week:47 miles
Year to Date: 1241.5 miles

RI 6hr ultramarathon race report

I had to work till 11pm on Saturday night, so by the time I got home and in bed I only got about 4hrs sleep before my alarm went off.  I felt OK when I got up I didn't feel too tired, made some coffee had some oatmeal, then off I was to the RI 6hr ultra.  I rolled into the parking lot and picked up my race number and got ready for a nice 6hr run.  Couldn't have asked for better weather cool and sunny at the start.

We all lined up at 8am and off we went, my plan was to run 9:2* min. miles just nice and steady.  I carried a hand bottle an a few gels and salt tabs.  I kept telling myself you need to drink got to stay on top of this I was drinking HEED, and planned on taking a salt tab every 45mins.  It was going as planned until I hit about 13miles then I started to feel off.  My stomach went south, but even more concerning was the fact my body was just totally dumping water.   I could not figure out what was going on I was drinking plenty of fluid and taking my salt, but soon I was starting to cramp.  At 4hrs into the race I was about to drop out when I saw by kids cheering me on and that gave me a boost to keep going.  For the final 2hrs I switched to drinking just water and didn't eat anything else. I got a second wind and started to feel much better, but my legs were trashed from the cramping.  I suffered through and ended the day running a total of 29.77miles, it was less than I had planned but glad I had the mental toughness to keep going when everything was going wrong.

I think I may have drank to much so my body started to expel the fluid and salt leading to my cramping and stomach issue lesson learned

Weekly Log 11-07-11 to 11-13-11

Monday: 3mile walk recovery and taper for 6hr Rhode Island ultra

Tuesday: 3mile walk active taper

Wednesday: 5mile trail run Big River, put on my orange and off to the trails I went.  What a beautiful day sunny and 63F, hit the trails for a nice steady run.  My legs felt good had to keep myself in check would have loved to have gone for a longer run.

Thursday: 0 Day off

Friday:3mile walk

Saturday: 3mile shake out jog, guess I am ready for tomorrows RI 6hr ultramarathon

Sunday: 29.7mile RI 6hr ultramarathon

Weekly Total:47 miles
Last Week:39 miles
Year to Date: 1215.5 miles

Weekly Log 10-31-11 to 11-06-11

Monday: Day Off

Tuesday: 7.5 mile road run normal loop easy pace legs felt heavy

Wednesday:13.5mile road run hilly loop up hope rd to pipin orcahrd to plainfield pike to 116, beautiful day for a long run legs felt good kept  a good steady pace.

Thursday: Day Off Achilles heal felt tight

Friday: 7.5mile road run easy, just my normal run didn't push the pace

Saturday: Day Off

Sunday:10.5mile road run hilly loop up hope rd, to pipin orchard, to scituate ave to 116... still felt flat so kept pace slow but steady... endurance run

Weekly Total:39 miles
Last Week:33 miles
Year to Date: 1168.5 miles

Weekly Log 10-24-11 to 10-30-11

Monday: Day Off
Tuesday: 7.5mile road run easy pace
Wednesday: 7.5mile road run steady pace
Thursday: Day Off
Friday:7.5mile road run good pace and pushed it the last 2miles
Saturday:7.5 mile 1mile warmup followed by6.5mile easy run
Sunday:3.1 miles Monster Dash 5k nice run 10min faster than my first 5K less then a year earlier.
 Weekly Total: 33 miles
Last Week:51.5 miles
Year to Date: 1129.5 miles

Weekly Log 10-17-11 to 10-23-11

Monday: 7.5mile road run nice pace.

Tuesday: 7.5mile road run tempo felt good

Wednesday: 11mile trail run Big River, hard rain, lots of mud and large puddles but a fun run never the less. Drymax socks are the best and the Brooks Pure Grit were great good traction and drained well.  Legs felt good for the first 7miles then felt heavy.

Thursday:Day off


Friday: 7.5mile road run, legs felt heavy so took it slow today

Saturday: 7.5mile road run, still a little flat but faster then yesterday, but very glad to be getting the miles in.

Sunday:10.5mile road run, 1mile warm up and 9.5miles easy pace


Weekly Total: 51.5 miles
Last Week:37 miles
Year to Date: 1096.5 miles

Weekly Log 10-10-11 to 10-16-11

Monday: 6mile trail run Big River, easy pace did not feel all that great just kind of blah.

Tuesday: 7.5mile road run, easy pace just tried to keep an even pace the whole run.

Wednesday:9mile trail run Big River.

Thursday: 4mile road run, first run on my new road shoes Brooks Pure Connect.  Shoes felt good legs a little tired this being my 4th day running in a row.

Friday: 3mile walk active recovery day

Saturday: 7.5mile road run, felt good nice pace

Sunday: 0miles I had planned running 13 but didn't have time. Spent the day with the kids

Weekly Total: 37 miles
Last Week:28 miles
Year to Date: 1045 miles

Weekly Log 10-03-11 to 10-09-11

Monday: 3mile recovery walk

Tuesday: Day off yard work

Wednesday: 5mile trail run Big River, I felt good just a nice easy pace.  This was also my first trail run in my new Brooks Pure Grit trail shoe and I must say very impressed can't wait to try them out on a longer run.  They are much more shoe than I am use to, I have been doing all my running in NB Trail Minimus.  That being said, they felt great, comfortable and better grip on slick trails I give them 2 thumbs up.

Thursday: 6.4mile trail run Big River,  Weather was great nice cool and sunny around 52F.   Spooked a doe, although I have seen many deer while trail running it always brings a smile to my face.  My legs felt good really liking the new shoes.

Friday: Day off, took Amanda to American Girl Doll... wow that hurt

Saturday: 13.1mile half marathon trail run Big River, I felt good kept a good pace the whole run.  Time difference between the 1st and 2nd lap were small,  very happy with run.  The new shoes felt good on the longer run no blisters or hotspots.

Sunday: Day off went and cheered for my wife as she ran Gloria Gemma 5k

Weekly Total:28 miles
Last Week: 43 miles
Year to Date: 1008 miles

Nipmuck trail marathon race report

We got up at 4:30am and were out the door around 5:45am, and headed to the Nipmuck trail marathon my wife kids an I.  We pulled up to the race site at 7am i signed in got dressed and was ready to go.  At the pre-race we were told the course was going to be muddy to near record rain in Aug. and Sept.

Off we went, it was slow going for the first couple miles single track right from the start.  It was muddy and slick but, not to bad that was until we had about 30mins of torrential rain.  I felt good when I hit the first turn around at 6.2miles.  On the return run the trail was like running in a thick grease but runnable and I felt good I made sure I kept taking my gel and s-caps on a regualr basis and plenty of fluids.  Closing in on the 12mile mark I reached for my s-caps when I noticed they were gone, that took a little wind out of my sails.  I was greeted at the 12.4mile mark with a hug from my kids an wife, I did a sock and shoe change replenished my gel stock and off I went.

The second half of the course was a 7mile out and back, and from what I was told much harder then the first section.  I tried to keep my fluid intake up now more than ever since I had lost my s-caps I was still feeling good.  At the 15mile mark I could feel my self starting to cramp, I kept saying to myself of all the thing to lose the s-caps, I needed them to get through this run.  I hit the aid station at 17.5 miles and was told only about another 1.5 to the turn around but by this time I was starting to suffer.  The 1.5 to the turnaround was the hardest part of the course tons of climbing and rocky train this hurt all the way to the aid station.  I hit the aid station and to my luck they had s-caps so it took a few for my return run.  On the return run I was joined by a woman that was also suffering from cramps in her calf's we ran and hiked together for 3miles.  It was great to have some company we chatted and slowly made our way to the final aid station all the while I kept taking the s-caps and fuel.  We hit the final aid station refilled my bottle with Gatorade and we were joined by 2 other runners.  As we set out for the final 2.5miles my legs started feeling good and I was able to start running again and was happy to be able to finish strong running the final 2.5miles.

I had a great time didn't do the time I wanted but that was ok, I was glad to finish my first marathon.   My goal at the start of the year was to be able to run a marathon and was able to accomplish my goal.  I must say I think I am hooked, had such a good time running a great race with some nice people.  I think I will take a few days off and recover..

Weekly Log 9-26-11 to 10-02-11

Monday: Day off, another long day at work

Tuesday: 4mile trail run Big River nice easy run

Wednesday: 6mile trail run Big River nice tempo run, kept a good pace.

Thursday: Day off Nipmuck marathon on Sun.

Friday: 3 mile walk taper for Sunday race

Saturday: 3mile walk/run/walk to get legs loose for Sunday

Sunday: 26.2mile Nipmuck trail marathon

Weekly Total:43 miles
Last Week: 25 miles
Year to Date: 980 miles

Weekly Log 9-19-11 to 9-25-11

Monday: Day off still beat up from Pisgah

Tuesday: Day off long day at work

Wednesday: 6 mile trail run Big River just a nice steady run legs were tight but felt much better by end of run.

Thursday: Day off working 10hr days is wearing on me

Friday: 6 mile trail run Big River kept a good pace and felt good the whole run also first run I tried s-cap no cramping at all.

Saturday: 4 mile road run nice steady pace up the 1 mile climb and then just a nice steady pace rest of run

Sunday: 9 mile trail run Big River used s-caps during run, kept me from cramping but bonked a bit out on trail but other wise was happy with run. one week away from the Nipmuck trail marathon.


Weekly Total: 25 miles
Last Week: 24 miles
Year to Date: 937 miles

Pisgah Mt. Trail race 23K

I decided early in the week I was going to head to NH early Sunday morning to run the 23K version of Pisgah.  My only goal in this run was to finish, this would be my longest race, and first trail race since I started running.  I figured this would be good training for my upcoming trail marathon.

My alarm went off at 4:30am, made myself a fruit smoothie and a cup of coffee and out the door.  It was a nice drive to NH pulled into the parking lot around 7:30am. Registered, got my race attire on, I didn't do much of warm up knowing i was going to start out slow.

I started the race off slow figuring if I wanted to finish this race better to go out conservatively.  I really felt good on Reservoir trail, went through the first aid station at 6.7miles feeling really good.  That's where the real climbing began.  I took it slow and steady up Pisgah Mt. trail some great views at the top, but on the way down I started to cramp.  By the time I hit the aid station at mile 9 I started to cramp big time thighs and calf's in both legs.  I tried to take in more fluid and fuel but couldn't get in enough to get the cramps to subside.  Mile 9 to the finish was just a slow painful hike, but very glad to have finished.

But what a great race the trails where outstanding, what a beautiful area...

Pisgah Mt. Trail race 23K by timgillbo at Garmin Connect - Details

My journey from overweight couch potato to a some what trail runner

Early November 2010 I decided I needed a change, time to shed some weight and start running.  I decided my first race would be on Thanksgiving day in Cumberland Center Maine the Turkey trot 5K.  So there I was, I had 5 short runs under my belt as i bellied up to the line literally.  I weighed in at 230lbs at 5'6".  I suffered through the race and ran the whole distance finishing my first 5K in 34:36.


I continued to run and walk, I was dedicated to losing weight and transforming myself into a runner.  I pushed myself to get out and run as much as possible to date I now weigh 175lbs  here is a list of races I have done to date and my finishing times.
Turkey Trot 5k 34:36
Jingle 5k 32:43
St. Pat's 5k 30:09
Chafee 10k 1:04:55
Great Bay half marathon 2:38:47
Rhody 5k 28:07
Blessing of the Fleet 10mi 1:44:59
Pisgah Mountain Trail Race 23K  3:06:17
nipmuck trail marathon 26.4 6:20:45
monster bash 5k 24.49

My next journey will be the Nipmuck Trail Marathon on Oct2nd.

I will blog my training, weight loss and race reports.  My goal is to transform from an overweight couch potato to ultra trail runner weighing in at 155lbs or less, and to complete the Vermont50 in 2012.