I Hope your training, racing and adventuring are all going well!! Here are some of the events I've been racing this past month or so...
Sept 3rd Wapack fall race 18m NH 5th place- 2:53
Cold, wet and dark- The remnants of hurricane Harvey made running the Wapack Ridgeline quite interesting to say the least- Luckily it started to dry out on our return trip- I caught last years 2nd place runner in the last mile, but other than that, the effort left a lot to be desired. Kanoa King, Brian Ruseiki and Jon Mcinerny ran well in tough conditions to sweep the top 3 spots.
Sept 16th Mettallak adventure- short course w Danny Ouellette NH First Place 2 man Team 4:03 28+ Miles Mt. Bike/Canoe/Run/Trek/Mt. Bike
Easily the best day of racing this summer- What a magical adventure in the North country! Dan and I started riding mountain bikes together in middle school, raced road bikes for years and now are re-united as he has ventured into trail running, mt. bike racing and now duathlon?? Dan's a strong guy, and although he was a little tired out on the run portion, we had enough of a gap on the Canadians to bring home the W- What a great course, beautiful trails of the North country- Highly recommended and we'll be sure to be back next year! #TeamAMPactive
Sept 24rd Kismet Cliff Beast of the East half marathon NH 3rd Place 2:39
Super hot for this fall classic, when you toe the line with Tristan Williams, you are pretty much guaranteeing the race is now a battle for second! I fought hard through some diabetes issues and even though I ran in 4th/5th much of the day, I was gifted a podium spot as two runners missed the last turn around the lake. Beautiful day in the mountains! Lots of strong AMPers in the Beast and little Beast!!
So this week I am tapering for the Stowe Mountain marathon- This is going to be a special one for me because the Catamount Ultra 50K, held on the same trails in the summer, is the only race I have ever quit. Back in 2015, I started the race after a long work week and I had been in a bit of a rut that summer...I think mostly because I was spending so much time running alone and really missing my faithful training partner Chad Denning- So for the first time ever, I just decided to turn around and run back to the start line- All of the racers I ran into immediately told me to turn around, I was headed the wrong way! I knew it, but my heart was heavy and I needed a different sort of experience that day- After I told Jacqui what I was doing and officially dropped out, we spent the rest of the day chasing people around the course offering encouragement and laughing; I went swimming, drinking some great beer, and exploring Stowe with Jacqui, ultimately finding a little peace I was struggling to find.
Sometimes we need to experience these low points to make a breakthrough or really value what we have in life. As endurance athletes we are constantly pushing through or just grunting out "one more mile", but it takes self awareness and maturity to sometimes slow down or even take a break. I have had lofty aspirations in endurance sports and still do- But you've got to do your best to keep a balance with your relationships and keep the mind and spirit nourished too; Running, especially distance running, is about more than just killer quads! So with my body a little tired from a long season, I have decided to shut it down after Stowe and focus on the M-S greenway FKT next spring.
So this weekend, I Hope to race to the top of my ability and find some redemption, but I also want to be present and get ready for a break in my own personal running- It's been a good season overall- Plus, as I like to say, its time to put on the RD hat and let focus on other people's racing for a few months :)
You can keep tabs on my adventures by following me on Strava or instagram @BrandoRuns-
Please feel free to reach out if I can be of help in any of your goals and dreams via running, hiking, mountain biking, nutrition, and training...and what Salmings to wear!
Its an honor to be able to do this for a living and I love the community that is continuing to make each other better and better, in body and mind; my co-conpsirators of Team AMP active and all the athletes and adventurers of New England.
Until next time- Cheers and Happy trails!
#Explore4Chad #InspireActiveLiving #NoNonsense running
Thanks for the support:
@TeamAMPactive @OmerandBobssportshop @SalmingRunningNorthAmerica @JulboUSA
