My Next Adventure...200 miles in Vermont

I had to take off time from running due to a severe case of shin splints in my left leg.  It started to manifest itself during the last 3 weeks before I ran the 2012 Boston Marathon.  It would come and go.  So I didn't worry about it too much.  During my taper phase for Boston, it went away completely and I did not feel that pain until I was about 18 miles into the marathon.  It was bearable enough so that I could finish the race.  But, when I returned to running a few days after the marathon, it became worse and worse until I decided to stop for a week and to go see my massage therapist.

The good news is that my massage therapist was able to get my soleus muscle to let loose and stop pulling hard on the back side of the tibia thus relieving the pain.  In fact, I went for a short run the next day and felt 75% better than before I went to see her.  One week later, I was back to normal pain free running.  I was so happy.  The best part of the treatment is that it has allowed me to get back to running at a faster pace comfortably which will come in handy the weekend of June 22 as I join a team of runners in the Green Mountain Relay in Vermont. 

Yep, I am running another one of those crazy adventure races.  The Green Mountain Relay is over 200 miles of bucolic country scenery for the participants to enjoy.  It is always run over or near the summer solstice weekend.  This year the summer solstice is June 20th.   The runners will run through the heart of Vermont's lush green valleys and of course hills, much of it along Route 100, one of Americas most scenic two-lane roadways.  The route is as challenging as it is beautiful, as Vermont is hilly.   What I am most excited about is that we will always have something new to look at along the route: covered bridges, farmland, valley vistas and small villages brimming with charm.

The race is limited to just 100 teams, thus providing runners an intimate, peaceful racing experience.  This year there are only 28 teams meaning we will have the roads to ourselves most of the time.  The starting line is in Jeffersonville, VT about 45 minutes from Burlington.  The finish line is 200 miles south in Bennington, VT.  There are 36 legs and each of our team members will run 3 legs.  I am going to be Runner #5 and will run 19.3 miles.  My legs are rated the most difficult overall of the 12 runners and I can’t wait.  My first leg is 8.2 miles.  The second leg is 6.7 miles and the final leg is 4.4 miles.  I know my team will be cheering me on. 

If you want to check out our finishing time when the race is over, just go to this web site (http://rltrelays.com/index.php/races/green-mountain-relay.html) and look for The Howlin' Haulin' Huffin' Herd.  I will be writing about our experience in my next post.  If you are a serious runner and like camaraderie, these adventure races are the thing to do.  I highly recommend them.

May 14 – 6.10 miles (57:33; 9:26 pace)
May 15 – 3.10 miles (24:24, 7:52 pace)
May 17 –5.10 miles (40:27, 7:56 pace) – Tempo Run
May 18 – 6.20 miles (56:40, 9:09 pace)
May 26 – 4.10 miles (36:14, 8:49 pace)
May 28 – 5.20 miles (44:38, 8:35 pace)
May 29 – 3.20 miles (25:30, 7:58 pace) – Speed Work
May 31 – 5.20 miles (41:31, 7:59 pace) – Tempo Run
June 1 – 6.20 miles (54:10, 8:44 pace)
June 3 – 7.20 miles (1:04:25, 8:57 pace)
June 4 – 5.20 miles (47:30, 9:08 pace)
June 5 – 3.20 miles (25:21, 7:55 pace) – Speed Work
June 6 – 6.20 miles (49:29, 7:59 pace) – Tempo Run
June 8 – 5.10 miles (45:21, 8:53 pace)
June 9 – 8.30 miles (1:13:31, 8:52 pace)
June 10 – 7.20 miles (1:04:31, 8:58 pace)
June 11 – 4.30 miles (39:36, 9:13 pace)
June 12 – 3.10 miles (26:42, 8:37 pace) – Speed Work
June 14 – 6.60 miles (54:11, 8:45 pace)
June 15 – 4.10 miles (36:12, 8:50 pace)
June 16 – 8.20 miles (1:12:11, 8:48 pace)

Total Miles: 113.1 miles
2012 YTD Miles: 753.2 miles