Mass Dash 2011 Race Report from the Must Dash Team

I found myself running along Route 135 from Westborough to Hopkinton in 87 degree heat with high humidity and very little shade. I began to wonder if I would be able to finish the last 3 miles of this final leg of my portion of the Mass Dash relay. I could feel my energy slipping away at a rapid pace. I was sweating profusely and could feel my body starting to rebel against the effort. I stopped to walk for 2 minutes in hopes of resetting myself for the final push. When I started to run again, I knew I was finished. It would be a long 2.7 miles to the transition area. I would be forced to walk/run to the finish. I felt defeated.

How did I get to such a low point in a race I was so excited to be a part of? It is really very simple – poor planning and Mother Nature. Mother Nature was totally out of my control. I could not help the fact that we ran the race on one of the warmest and most humid weekends so far this summer. What we could have done was plan better. Our team did not run our legs in order. Therefore, we had no time to really rest and recover between legs and we never had a prolonged period overnight where we could catch at least 3 - 4 hours of sleep. I am proud of the team for persevering. Each of us pushed ourselves to the absolute limits of our body.

We all met at 2:30 am to jump into our two support vehicles for the drive out to the starting line at the Mt. Greylock Visitors center. We had to be there to check in by 5:30 am as our start time was 6:00 am. We arrived in plenty of time to check in and get our numbers. There were several teams that would be starting with us. There were only 31 teams registered to run in the race. I realized that this meant when we were out on the course there would not be a lot of other runners with us as we ran our respective legs.



The race started right on time and our first runner was really pumped up and ready to go. At this point, I knew that I would not be running my first leg until the late afternoon. We decided that we wanted to travel together to each transition area (TA) to cheer on our runners as they came in and went out. We only had 8 runners who would be running and travelling the entire route to Boston. As our first few runners completed their legs, I calculated that I would be going out at 2:30 pm. I knew this meant it would be hot and humid. Not ideal conditions for any kind of P.R.

When we dropped off our runner at TA 9, my van decided to head to TA 11 where I would be leaving from and to grab lunch. We went into Buckland and had lunch at a little pizzeria/sandwich shop. I had not had anything but a couple of Nutrigrain bars at this point. Knowing I had to run 6.2 miles, I decided to eat a small turkey sandwich. I was sure I had enough time to digest it before I had to run. I was hydrating to offset the heat and humidity I knew I would be facing on my first run. After lunch we headed back to TA 11 to wait for the hand off.

At 2:52 pm with the sun high in the sky, I received the handoff bracelet and headed out. I had thoroughly studied the route map and knew I had a tough run ahead. I would be climbing almost the whole way. The first 3/4 of a mile was shady and I felt pretty good despite the heat. But as I turned onto Route 112, I knew I was in for a very warm run. There were no shade trees along the route and the constant climb took its toll as I continued on. Between mile 2.5 and 4, the grade was 6-7%. My legs were really hurting as I pushed on up the hill. It finally leveled off as I crossed mile 4. A bit of relief before I had to run another 5% grade to the TA. I persevered and finished in 1:00:46, a 9:53 per mile pace. I was disappointed in my time. But, considering the heat and time of day, I was happy to finish in under 10:00 per mile.

My next run was going to come up 4 hours later. I did my best to hydrate and get a little food in my belly. The turkey sandwich was not a good choice prior to a hard effort in high heat. I am just glad I didn't leave it on the side of the road. I stretched out in the back of the van and cooled down as we drove on. We finally reached TA 18 around 7:30 pm. I got out of the van to put on my reflective vest, headlamp and flashing safety lights that are required for the evening runs. I mentally prepared myself for a redemption run. I knew I had 3.8 miles of relatively flat road ahead. I wanted to make up time for the team. I stretched a bit and waited for our runner to come in for the handoff.

I took the handoff at 8:09 pm. One of the high school track teams in the race was going out a few minutes ahead of me. I decided to do everything I could to keep her in my sights. I knew a 50 year old man was not going to catch her. But, I would let her pull me along at a good pace. Well, it worked. I finished in an excellent time 30:18, a 7:55 per mile pace. I have to say I was really pumped up when I finished. I grabbed a banana from the tent. Since this was the half way point, the race had food and drinks for all the runners. Check out my report from there.



Now, I had 9 hours before my next run. I really wanted to get some sleep. Unfortunately, the way the legs were set up, we had to support runners from our van through the night. This meant constant noise and lights. I lay down in the back of the van and caught a few snippets of sleep here and there. But, I knew it was not going to be enough. I became a little worried about taking on the longest leg of the race with no real sleep and not a lot of nourishment. I was not feeling very hungry and not eating. I should have forced myself. Despite the trepidation I was feeling we pushed onward.

At 5:00 am, I gave up on trying to sleep at all and decided to simply mentally prepare myself for the run. at 5:30 am, we pulled into TA 26. Our runner arrived 15 minutes later and I was off on my third leg of the race. I pushed on feeling pretty good despite my lack of sleep. I knew the route was mostly downhill and I was planning to take advantage of it. I also knew there was one stretch in the later third that was a 4% grade. I was dreading that short portion. I trudged on alone. There was only one runner ahead of me. I decided to push a little and pass her. I did just that about 4 miles into the leg. I was feeling pretty good about that little win.

As I approached the 4% grade, I could hear her running behind me and knew that I could not push myself any harder. She passed me as we neared the top of the hill. I knew at this point it was literally all downhill and I felt I could pass her again and beat her to the TA. As I came over the hill, I noticed her support van pulled over to the side of the road and she was getting into it. Next thing I know a fresh runner jumps out and leaves me in the dust! Not only is this against the rules but very demoralizing. I trudged on an finished the full leg all on my own in 1:34:35, a 9:34 per mile pace. I was pretty proud of my effort and so were my teammates.

I had one more leg and it was only going to be about 4 hours later. I was comforted by the fact that I was going to run a leg that I have run during my training numerous times. I had agreed to switch with one of our runners to allow me to run from Westborough High School (where my kids graduated from and go to) to the starting line of the Boston Marathon. I would have to run 6.5 miles with a net gain of 130' which comes all at the end as you head up to the Hopkinton green.

I took the handoff at 10:26 am and headed out on my final leg. The sun was beating down and the pavement was throwing up heat as well. At the beginning I held a very steady pace of 9:30 per mile for the first 2 miles. I simply wanted to keep that pace to the end. But, I started to feel bad so I slowed it down. My teammates met me at the 3 mile mark and got me hydrated a bit. I told them to move ahead 2 miles. I set off again and when I hit about 3.5 miles I realized I had no gas left in the tank. I tried to push on but my legs wouldn't go. I walked and jogged the last 3 miles just wanting to finish and not let my team down. It took me over an hour to run something I routinely run in 55 minutes. I was disappointed but glad to have finished. Check out my video from the finish of my leg.



We now had 6 legs left. Time was beginning to ebb away. We knew we had an absolute time cut-off of 36 hours. Our team was all feeling the effects of the last 30+ hours on the road both running and driving. We did our best to cheer each other on and will our way to the finish. Our last 2 runners had 2 hours and 20 minutes to finish 12.4 miles and get us over the line before the cut off. I have to say it was definitely touch and go.

I dropped our last runner off at Franklin Park and she had to run through Dorchester (not a safe area) to get to the finish line at UMASS Boston. We could tell she was struggling. So, one of our runners got out and stayed with her for a little over a mile and then her husband (one of our team) decided to run with her the rest of the way. Well to not drag this out any further, we all met near the finish line and ran across as one team. We finished in 35 hours 59 minutes and 52 seconds. Dead last. One team did not finish at all.

I am not sure where our energy came from but we whooped and hollered and were elated. We had finished a very grueling race. I personally had run 26.3 miles and somehow averaged 9:38 per mile. While I cannot say that I am pleased with my overall performance, I am very proud of my team and how hard we worked to get to the finish line. Looking back on it a week later, I have to say that I would do it again. I would just do a better job of planning out the running rotation to make sure all the runners were well rested and prepared for each of their legs. As Greg Anderson said, "Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” I couldn't agree more!

Jul. 10 – 8.10 miles (1:11:42, 8:51 pace)
Jul. 11 – 6.00 miles (53:44, 8:57 pace)
Jul. 12 – 4.00 miles (35:56, 8:59 pace)
Jul. 14 – 3.10 miles (27:51, 8:59 pace)
Jul. 16 – 6.20 miles (1:00:46, 9:53 pace) – Leg 1, Mass Dash
Jul. 16 – 3.80 miles (30:18, 7:56 pace) – Leg 2, Mass Dash
Jul. 17 – 9.80 miles (1:34:45, 9:34 pace) – Leg 3, Mass Dash
Jul. 17 – 6.50 miles (1:07:41, 10:26 pace) – Leg 4, Mass Dash
Jul. 23 – 5.00 miles (42:10, 8:38 pace)

Total Miles: 52.5 miles
2011 YTD Miles: 863.1 miles

Mass Dash Part 2

I finished my last long run today in preparation for my legs in the upcoming Mass Dash relay race. We are tentatively starting off next Saturday morning at 6:00 am from the official starting line at the Mount Greylock visitors center. For those not familiar with Massachusetts, Mount Greylock is the highest point in Massachusetts and the second leg of the relay takes you 3.1 miles up to the summit (3,489 ft above sea level). For a West coast guy, that is not a very high summit. But I am sure my teammate Josh will think it is challenging when he heads up that 4-6% grade.

We were not able to entice enough runners to field a team of 12. So, a couple of us more daring runners have volunteered to log 4 legs. As you probably guessed, I opted to take on 4 legs. This means that I will be running 25.43 miles in total in this race. I have to admit I am a little nervous about being able to do 4 legs on very little sleep. The only comforting thing is that I will have some rest in between legs. I have completed 6 marathons, I am sure I can cover the distance. I am more worried about the heat and humidity during the daylight legs. All I can do is stay hydrated and go for it.

The first of my 4 legs (assuming we start at 6:00 am) will be at 1:30 pm on Saturday afternoon. It will definitely be warmed up by then. My first leg is Leg 11 and covers 6.21 miles and has a net elevation gain of 830 feet. I will be running on Route 112 from just south of Ashfield to Buckland Center. The race director says that this is a beautiful scenic area and very tranquil. Doesn't sound like a bad place to log my first leg.

Ashfield was first settled in 1743 and was officially incorporated in 1765. The town was originally called "Hunttown" for Captain Ephraim Hunt, who died in King William's War, and who had inherited the land as payment for his services. The first permanent settlement was in 1745, by Richard Ellis, an Irish immigrant from the town of Easton. The town was renamed upon reincorporation, although there is debate over its namesake; it is either for the ash trees in the area, or because Governor Bernard had friends in Ashfield, England. Ashfield is the birthplace of prominent director Cecil B. DeMille (whose parents were vacationing in the town at the time). (Quoted from Wikipedia)

Buckland was first settled in 1742 as "No Town," as it was not currently part of either the village of Charlemont or Ashfield, which the land belonged to as one large town. A sawmill was set up that year by Othneil Taylor and Asaph White, and eventually settlement occurred. However, the townspeople did not want to cross the Deerfield River or travel the long distance to Ashfield Village to attend services, so they petitioned the Massachusetts General Court for a separate incorporation. The town was incorporated on April 14, 1779 as Buckland, presumably named for the abundant hunting in the area. (Quoted from Wikipedia)

My second leg is Leg 18 which finishes at UMASS at Amherst. I should be starting this leg around 6:00 pm on Saturday. The leg covers 3.84 miles and has a net elevation gain of 30 feet. The end of this leg is the midway point of the race. They are supposed to have a campfire and "psychedelic Dixieland jazz" band playing there. They will also have food for us which will be helpful. The race directors recommend that teams stop here and rest for a while. There will be showers in the nearby gym that the runners can use. I am not sure what my team is going to do when we get to this point. We will have to see when we get there.

My third leg is Leg 26 and is the longest leg in the Mass Dash. If we don't rest at UMASS, I should be starting this leg around 2:00 am. The race organizers recommend that runners on this leg "take it easy here and enjoy a nice relaxing jog". The leg covers 9.8 miles starting at the Charlton Depot in Charlton. The leg has a net elevation loss of 380 feet.

Charlton was first settled in 1735. It was established as a District separated off from Oxford on January 10, 1755, and became a Town in 1775 by a law that made all Districts into Towns. It was named after Sir Francis Charlton. During the 1800s, farming continued to be the major occupation, but woolen mills were being built along some of the town's brooks by the turn of the twentieth century. The grave of John "Grizzly" Adams is in Charlton. Adams died of meningitis that he had contracted from an open head wound that resulted from an accident while training a monkey on tour with P.T. Barnum in 1860. It is said that P. T. Barnum paid for his tombstone. (Quoted from Wikipedia).

The finishing point of the leg is Lemansky/Rocketland Park in Auburn. Auburn was first settled in 1789 and was officially incorporated in 1808 as the town of Ward, in honor of American Revolution General Artemas Ward. The town changed its name to Auburn in 1837, after the Post Office complained that the name was too similar to the nearby town of Ware. Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket from his Aunt Eiffie's farm in Auburn on March 16, 1926. (Quoted from Wikipedia).

My fourth and final leg will be in Westborough. The leg is Leg 29. I should be starting this leg around 5:00 am on Sunday morning. I suspect that Mara and Nathan won't walk down to see me run by my neighborhood. The leg covers 5.58 miles and has a net elevation loss of 20 feet. The leg finishes at Westborough High School. If all goes well, I will be done running my legs by 6:30am on Sunday morning and then I can cheer on the rest of my team as we finish the last 7 legs.

The race finishes at UMASS Boston which is the home of the JFK Presidential Library. They say we will enjoy food from Domino's Pizza. If we can hit our goal pace of 9:00 minutes per mile, we should be finishing up just after noon on Sunday.

The Mass Dash was ”conceived as a two-day team adventure race with a very significant purpose, the Mass Dash will bring together hundreds of runners, sharing their time, their thoughts and themselves while racing across Massachusetts on a summer weekend, all dedicated to raising awareness and funds to support family, friends and neighbors in the fight against cancer." Each member of my team already donated $84 per member to meet our minimum fund raising requirement for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute's Jimmy Fund. If you are so inclined, please donate to our team. No amount is too small. You can donate by going to this link:

www.active.com/donate/massdash2011/tfrumkin

I will post full race report (assuming I survive) for your enjoyment.

Jun. 19 – 10.10 miles (1:31:38, 9:05 pace)
Jun. 20 – 6.10 miles (56:55, 9:20 pace)
Jun. 30 – 6.20 miles (54:09, 8:44 pace)
Jul. 1 – 6.20 miles (54:02, 8:43 pace)
Jul. 2 – 8.20 miles (1:12:02, 8:41 pace)
Jul. 3 – 10.10 miles (1:29:30, 8:52 pace)
Jul. 4 – 6.10 miles (53:46, 8:49 pace)
Jul. 5 – 3.10 miles (23:22, 7:33 pace) – Speed Work
Jul. 7 – 6.10 miles (53:16, 8:44 pace) – Tempo Run
Jul. 8 – 6.20 miles (54:56, 8:52 pace)
Jul. 9 – 8.10 miles (1:11:27, 8:49 pace)

Total Miles: 76.5 miles
2011 YTD Miles: 810.6 miles