2012 Greenway Challenge

Greenway Challenge Race Report

(and photo montage via tons of awesome greenway photographers!)

It poured cats and dogs Friday as I packed my gear and belongings into my old beat-up minivan. I was drenched to the bone, cold, and exhausted from an unrelentless workload from school and work. I have been suffering from chronic moodiness, grumpiness, and frequent grumbles as my regular routine of riding bikes, running miles, and playing in kayaks have all but ceased.  Yet, somehow  I was to head out in the morning for a 7 stage adventure race known as the Greenway Challenge,  A logistical challenge to say the least, I had to pack for mountain biking, road biking, 3 legs of running, and paddling. There was no time to checkout gear, organize clothes, or carbo-load. My diet consisted of toast, coffee, school lunch, more coffee, and overcooked leftovers. Crystal, my ace support crew, who also has been swamped to the bone with work orders, hasn't even looked at a course map, let alone know what state the race was being held. Yet, in all the poor plannings and preparations, i was still looking forward to 4 hours of exertion. I sure knew my head could use it.

The Greenway challenge is a very unique adventure race. The course is redesigned every year and incorporates cycling, running, paddling, mountain biking, and trail running. No one segment is overly long, but the combination will keep you on the course between 4-6 hours. Most competitors attack the challenge in teams such as defending champs Great Canadian,  led by the enthusiastic Mark Trahan and calculating David Mangori while others as soloists. I will be taking this challenge solo.

This year's race ordering of events was a 1.5 mile trail run , a 5 mile mountain bike, 3 mile flatwater kayak, 5 mile road run, 24.5 mile road bike, 4 mile trail run, then another 4 mile downriver kayak.

Crystal and I set up the kayaks, drove to check out the transition areas, and headed to the start. All that was left was to put the mountain bike at the first transition area. As i pulled the bike out of the minivan and began to ride it over, I noticed something wasn't right. The chain kept dropping off the small ring. Further inspection showed that the chain was bent. We had 10 minutes to the start of the race and i had no tools to fix my bike.   The race seemed to be over. Competitors were already lined up at the starting line as I looked for anyone that could help. Crystal was wildly doing the same. I bumped into Dave Fagnant, longtime greenway racer and super great guy. After hearing of my woes he called over a friend, John, a local mechanic who was supporting another team. What luck! I brought him to Crystal and wished him the best.  Then the gun went off.

The start!

 The trail the Greenway organizers set up was super fun, a technical, but not too technical, single track with a challenging climb and fast finish all within 1.5 miles.With no warm up, my legs immediately fatigued as we climbed the first hill. Josh, my biggest competitor went off in a blaze while I held back still wondering if i would have a bike to ride in the next leg. Would it be possible just to run the mt bike route?

Doug Guertin of Cyclonauts

Josh crushing the trail run

As i came out of the woods I found my bike ominously  hanging from a tree branch. I thought to myself, well, that cant be good. John, the mechanic from Union Cycle was able to break the chain and pull off the busted link. Then, when putting the chain back together he accidentally rerouted the chain outside of the derailuer so that, for you non bike folk, the chain had to be broken again and rerouted. Unfortunately  John had to leave to the next transition since he was supporting a team mate of his own. As i roamed around looking for some pliers, Crystal broke the chain with her bare hands (and super strength) and then reassembled the link with no knowledge of bikes or chains. Have i mentioned how amazing she is?. I got on the bike and went....yippeeee!!!

I began the mountain bike well in the back and knew i had to ride some pretty good lines to make up some lost time. I weaved around riders and got myself into a good groove. What a super fun course. Dave Fagnant, volunteer for the Greenway, designed a beautiful  single track course over diamond hill and with the recent rains, there was plenty of opportunity to get muddy.

John McCarhy

Mark Trahan of Great Canadian

Josh Flanagan, 2011 Champ

I came out of the mountain bike course to see Crystal cheering wildly and ringing her cowbell. She is a wild women, though since i was covered in mud, she was a little more than hesitant to receive a kiss.  At this point Josh was well ahead of me and Dave Fagnant about 10 mins ahead.  I ran hard trying to get back in the top 3 ironmen. I covered the 5.1 mile course in 31 mins, just about a 6 min mile average, 1 min faster than what Josh F covered it in, 9 mins faster than David.   Pushing the run though would ultimately result in more fatigue later in the race. I came to the kayak transition to see Crystal with my paddle and jacket. She told me that Dave just left the transition area, he was only 1 minute ahead.


Former Tuck's Teamate, Alex, all smiles 
as he burns the competition

 After a few minutes on the kayak i saw Dave's boat, a Cobra surf ski. I relaxed into the paddle focusing on a clean quiet stroke with good rotation and good paddle placement. I was feeling good and just pass the first portage i was able to pass him. Later he told me that he though i had the sweetest paddle stroke. Thanks Dave!

Mark showing how to carry a boat!

Mark and Dave Mangori making the trade

We pulled up on a river bank near the bike path. I carried my boat down the path 100 yds to where Crystal should be waiting to hand me my bike from her and give me my lucky kiss. Earlier in the day we planned to leave the bike at this transition but since there was no supervision, we decided it was safer to hang on to the bike. Crystal would drop it off later. As I dropped the boat, I looked around to  find no bike nor Crystal. A few minutes passed waiting while competitors proceeded to their road bikes, including Dave Fagnant. I saw Mark Trahan and Justin Deary loading their boats (Justin the support person for Josh Flanagan) and ran towards them. Just then i saw Crystal pull in.  The next 1.5 minutes were awsome. Justin and mark hopped in action, pulling my bike out of the van , grabbing gear, and helping Crystal. Crystal was upset for being late, but it wasn't her fault. The greenway staff where not letting vehicles into the transition area and Crystal had to explain to multiple people that she was supporting a soloist. The Greenway still needs to work on their transition areas.

Dave Fagnant still killing it at 50!

Feeling the hurt after 26 miles on the road

At this point fatigue was beginning to settle in, physically and mentally. Once again i had to push hard to get back into the race specially since I knew how good a biker David was. The bike was uneventful, just a tiring slog of rotating pedals. The mental fatigue was the most taxing

Back to the run, 4 more trail miles. Now I'm hurting. The pushing earlier in the race has caught up to me. I kept up my cadence as best as i could, but my pace slowed down quite a bit and i was feeling drained. The mind was beginning to play tricks, telling me to stop,  or some crap like that. In spite of the fatigue i saw Dave not to far ahead, so i kept pushing, passed him and tried to build my lead.




As I approached the last transition, a downriver paddle i was feeling wiped! Crystal set up the transition perfectly, with my 19ft racer ready to go. When i got to the boat, i determined the 19 footer was just too risky to paddle, as i was too exhausted to balance it around the tight turns of the blackstone. So we ran to the car to get the back up kayak, a kevlar wavehopper. In hind sight, the 19 footer would have been fine.

The downriver kayak run meandered down the blackstone river, portaging twice and finishing in front of a large grassy area. I kept my lead over Dave and was able to finish 2nd ironman. I was glad to be done!

DONE!

It was a great race  with Josh Flanagan finishing first in the ironman, myself second, and David third. Meanwhile, Great Canadian dominated the team division.! Of course i could not have done it without my best support, Crystal!

Great Canadian

Josh Flanagan



Me, Josh, and David

Crystal and John

Dave Mangori gives his winning prize kayak to a new racer! Awsome generosity!

No Race for the Weary

The is a copy and paste from the Greenfield Recorder. If there is a copyright issue here, please contact me and ill be happy to take it off. Go team SMAC Down!



Greenfield Recorder 07/19/2012, Page B01

 

No race for the weary

By JASON BUTYNSKI

Recorder Staff

Team SMAC Down members pose for a shot Saturday morning at the Mount Greylock Vistors’ Center in Adams before embarking on a grueling, 26-hour, 200-mile, cross-state relay race that ended Sunday in Boston with a second- place showing. The team members are (standing), left to right, James Callaway, Donna Utakis, Carla Halpern, Mike Towsley, John McCarthy, Leeann Cerpovicz and daughter Allie Cerpovicz. In the front row, left to right, are Rebeka Slowzak, Garth Shaneyfelt, Marc Guillaume, Kristin Tetrault, and Luca Grisa. 

Driving from the summit of Mount Greylock to Boston would not be a short trip.

Try running it.

That’s exactly what a dozen members from the Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club did this past weekend, when they took part in the Mass Dash Relay to benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The Mash Dash is in its third year of existence and covers 200 miles, beginning at the Mount Greylock Visitors Center in Adams and ending on the beach just past the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.

The team, called Team SMAC Down, included captain Marc Guillaume (Greenfield), Garth Shaneyfelt (Greenfield), Mike Townsley (Bernardston), Carla Halpern (New Salem), Luca Grisa (Amherst), James Callaway (Keene, N.H.), John McCarthy, Kristin Tetrault, Donna Utakis, Leeann Cerpovicz, Allie Cerpovicz, and Rebeka Slozak. The 12 runners competed against 30 other teams and came home with the silver medal, finishing the course in second place in 25 hours, 58 minutes. The winning team finished in 23 hours, 58 minutes, 10 seconds.

But running a 200-mile relay is about more than just passing a baton and trying to finish ahead of the other teams. There’s much more to it than that.

The course was made up of 36 legs, with each team member running three. Each leg varied in distance, but Bernardston resident and SMAC Down member Townsley said the running ability of each team member also varied, so things worked out well for the team to perform at such a high level.

The team was broken up into two vans, so that when the first van was running, the second van could move ahead and give members a break. While a member of a van was running, the other members of the same van were able not only to support the runner, but also to provide water and other liquids to stay hydrated.

Staying hydrated was crucial with the temperatures soaring into the 90s with high humidity throughout the day, then dipping into the low 70s with high humidity at night. Townsley said many of the runners would inform teammates in the same van when they needed a drink and the van would move ahead to accommodate the request. Teammates would then jog alongside the runner and pass a drink to help cool the him or her down.

“It was a pretty good feeling to see all the members working hard like that,” Townsley said of the hydration efforts. “Hydration and team support was a major contributor to (our) success.”

Townsley also said that members of the team were able to stop off at the Daughters of the American Revolution State Forest in Goshen to jump into the Highland Lake and cool off. But aside from the quick swim, it was all about drinking water, drinking water and more water.

A trip from Adams to Boston as the crow flies would not total up to 200 miles, so as you can imagine, it full of turns that took the team through a number of towns.

Another issue was that, unlike a smaller, more normal-sized road race, was navigating a 200-mile course on See RACE Page B3

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■ Race: Local heroes

From Page B1

which a runner could easily get lost on. With all the twists and turns, you might think runners might miss a turn and run off-course. But event organizers made sure this didn’t happen. All 200 miles were marked with signs at all of the turns and cones with blinking lights so that nighttime runners could see the turns.

“The people that put this race on did a phenomenal job,” Townsley said. “All corners and turns were marked with signs. It was a major concern going into the race. You’re out there and there’s no course officials. But the people who put on the race did a great job.”

Running a race at night was likely a new experience for many of the participants. Runners were required to wear flourescent vests, a blinking light and a headlamp for their safety. Townsley noticed a distinct difference running at night.
“Time tends to go a little bit faster,” he explained. “Even though some of the runners were running six to nine miles, it was like there was no difference in time from someone running less miles.”

After running during the early part of the night, Townsley said his van raced ahead to Hopkinton and arrived at the town common where the Boston Marathon begins. The team pulled out sleeping bags around 2:30 a.m. and tried to catch some quick Zs, getting about two hours before waking up and preparing for their next transition at 5:30.

“It was a little bit different, laying on a town common in a place you don’t know,” Townsley joked.

After starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, the team finally crossed the finish line around noon on Sunday. Many of the participants then headed into the ocean to cool down and celebrate the second-place finish.

A fitting way to wrap up a 200-mile journey.

2012 Charlemont Downriver Race

The Charlemont downriver race is a class 1-2 canoe and kayak race on the Deerfield River from the Zoar Picnic area to the Charlemont high school know as the Shunepike section. I have been told since Hurricane Irene the shunepike rapids have increased in number and size, but they are all still easy to read and very managable. With that in mind i choose my weapon, the 19ft West Side Exceed.

The magic of duct tape

I got to the race pretty early to patch up my boat. I had to replace a bungee on the rudder and patch up some screw holes and rig up a webbing brace. Nothing a little duct tape cant fix.

Modern wildwater boat vs. vintage boat

We had a great outing of canoes and kayaks. Included in the long kayak division, 14 ft kayaks and greater, were US Wildwater Team member Mark Wendolowski, Pro Female kayaker Elaine Campbell, class 5 kayaker and volunteer firefighter Jeff Berienger (off to fight fires in Colorado...good luck Jeff), local racers and former winners Tim Nutt and Lou Carrier,  Dryway racer Carl L, and myself.


After hanging around waiting for the water to make it down from the Dam release, we sat around talking shop. Lou, Tim, and I each had a 19 ft West Side Boat, the fastest boats in the group if you can handle the length and tippiness. Jeff was trying out his first 'pure' wildwater boat, a very tippy rounded hull, he was to spend as much  time controlling his stability than moving forward. Carl L had a vintage wildwater boat from the 70s (pictured on left)


The Charlemont race presents some additional challenges in that the river is not excluded from the local public and on a warm day as it was this Saturday, hundreds of tubers (maybe even
thousands) will come to float down the cool Deerfield rapids.

Mark in his Wildwater

The race started in 5 min groupings, with small kayaks first followed by long kayaks and then the canoe divisions.  The race started and immediately Mark shot out like a cannon. Tim and I quickly went after him. After the first rapid i was able to move ahead of Tim and move within 20 feet of Mark. I wanted to turn my head to see who was behind but did not risk flipping my boat.  Better to keep my eyes on Mark anyway.

 

Me, weaving through kayaks

 I weaved through the tubers, rafters, and eventually the short kayak class trying to get best lines of current without taken off anyone's hand. At one point the rapid hugged close to a rock and  myself and 3 short kayaks fought for the rapid. As a result, we got hung up and i lost the ability to accelerate from the rapid. My apologizes to the kayakers if i gave them a bit of a yell.  I was matching Mark stroke for stroke and keeping the distance between the two of us constant. Yet every time i gained some momentum from a rapid he would move ahead just as quick  Even though i was definitely in a faster boat then mark, i finished about 30 seconds behind.  I have to say though i am very happy with my paddle, after all he is a member of the US wildwater team

.

Race Organization

Downriver canoe and kayak races can be a real challenge to organize. With several divisions in kayaks and canoes, a point to point course, insurance, and having to work with local electric company to time the dam releases, i give anyone that is willing to organize this type of race a great deal of respect. Charlie Brackett has been running this race for years and does a fantastic job. Much like a trail race, this is a grass roots race with no bells or whistles (except the ones on you PFD). The cost is low at $15.00, which considering insurance and liability is really cheap.  

Be aware that changes to the schedule can happen at a days notice and this year was no different. The schedule release of 10:00 was pushed ahead an hour to 11:00, which changed our starting time from 1:30 to 2:30. My suggestion to future racers is to have a backup plan in case there is a delay. Bring a second kayak, some running shoes and /or bathing suit. Many racers took a few practice runs down the Gap while others including myself, socialized with other kayakers and canoeists and enjoyed the cool shade. If there is a delay, the Zoar picnic area is a great place to kill some time.

 This year the award ceremony coincided with the Deerfield River Festival which brings whitewater enthusiasts together and provides music, food, vendors, information, etc. 

            http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Wiki/aw:events_deerfield 

My only complaint/suggestion for the NECKRA Charlemont downriver race would be to hold the award ceremony in the pavilion during the River Fest.  The festival would be provide a great opportunity to encourage more participation from other would-be racers, give out information about NECKRA and Birch Hill Canoe club, and would keep more charlemont racers at the awards ceremonies as many chose ( or had to go due to sponsors and support)  to attend  the festival rather than the Award ceremony held at the Warfield house.

At the award ceremony, Charlie Brackett announced this will be his last year organizing this race. I hope we can convince him otherwise, or we can find another member to give it a go. This is a fantastic race and should continue for many years to come.

Charlie given directions prior to the race

2012 Mount Greylock Trail Race

This was my first go on this trail race. I heard 2 reports prior to the race, a very tough and not so bad. My version goes with the first, Mt Greylock is a tough bastard of a race and the other guy who thought it was 'not so bad' was obviously messing with me.

The race starts with a 3 mile scramble up thunderbolt trail climbing over 2000 ft. A tough climb, i fared well holding a position in the top 15. As the climb got steeper, my run transitioned into a fast hike. I noticed how the more experienced trail runners hiked more efficiently and faster than i could. I was greeted at the summit with a couple of teenagers in traditional Mexican dress ringing cowbells and hollering ye-haaaas. Their cheers were very welcomed. At the first rest stop I grabbed a handful of trail mix, drank some powerade and began the 11 mile descent (more or less).

My goal for the race was completion, I had no intention to compete, so as I began the downhill portion, my plan was to take it easy and not break an ankle. Regardless the downhill portion was to be proven quite technically. Fast, steep, single track covered in rocks and roots, there was a certain amount of  'fear factor' as i ran down those trails. As i focused one step ahead of the other, I was being passed by runner after runner in blazing speed. Even though I practice on trails once a week, my experience does not compare to these seasoned trail runners. There is a certain level of skill that I need to develop in running these rocky paths. 

At around mile 8 or so, the trail opened up to a beautiful field with the Appalachian Mountains in the background. Over the next grassy hill the teenagers from earlier were ringing their cowbells. I love these kids. I gave them a few high fives, stopped at the rest stop, drank some water, and enjoyed the view.

I finished the race in 2:09 minutes, 28th place out of 178 runners. Given my average road half marathon, this race took almost an hour longer. 

WMAC puts on a fantastic race. Like their other races, Monore and Savoy, the Greylock Trail Race is a classic grass roots race. No fancy arches to run through, hi tech computerized timers, massage tables, or finisher medals, just a great course with great food, potluck style from the race organizers.

                                  
Left:  On the menu: hot dogs with all the toppings, 2 types of pasta salad, various cookies, all sorts of potato chips, bananas and other fruit, double fudge brownies, pastries, bananas, chocolate milk, soda, and beer.

Training Week 6/18-6/24

First week on vacation by the beach. You would figure being next to the ocean i would be able to get in more kayaking. Yet vacationing is hard work and after all the fishing, Portugeses Festival, wine tours, and a heat wave of several  95 deg days, i was exhausted. I need a vacation from my vacation. Overall though a productive week.

Monday: NADA
Tuesday: BRICK run 4.5, 10k Kayak race at the
              rows (see post)
Wednesday: NADA travel day
Thursday: Cycle: 41 total: 19mph total
Friday:    Cycle: 38 total 19 mph avg with Charlie
Saturday: Long Run relay training. 7.5 miles in the
               AM,  7.5 miles in the afternoon. 15 total.
Sunday:   20min barefoot beach run followed with
                 20 mins stretch.


Total: Run: 21.5 miles, Cycle: 79 miles Kayak: 6.1
Time in Training: 8 hours

June 19 Holyoke Rows Kayak Race

What a great showing at this weeks kayak race with Mark Wendolowski, Joe Shaw, Ed, Dvorchick, John McCarthy,  Christopher Kielb, Jack Morse, and Mike Craft. Conditions were choppy with 15 mph southerly wind producing some 1-1.5 foot waves. Great conditions for the surf skis.

As Mark let out the command 'go' Joe, Jack, and myself in surf skis moved ahead in a pack. Mark was there too but taking in water in his ICF boat. Two words Mark, spray skirt. After a short while Mark's boat filled with water and had to head to the river bank to empty out the boat. I did my best to hang on to Joe and Jack's draft, staying on their wave. After the first turnaround, Joe and Jack. begin to move ahead and i lost their draft.

This was Jacks first race in a surf ski and he was matching Joe's paddle stroke for stroke. Jack is famous for his racing and training on the CT in C-1s and C-2s (solo racing canoe and tandem racing canoe). The transition from canoes to kayaks for Jack seemed to be seamless. As much as I tried to close the gap to catch up, they would move just a little more ahead of me.

As we approached the second bridge i was still holding on to third place. Then i heard a little splash of water and realized Mark Wendolowski, after having his boat filled up with water, paddle to the bank, dump the water, paddle back in the race, has caught up to me. I know there was a good chance he would catch up, after all he is one of the best at this sport. Yet I was amazed at how little noise he made with his stroke, i never heard him catch up. Signs of a really good paddle stroke!

I stayed with Mark for 200 or so yds after the turnaround and then he took off. At that point i was really feeling cramped in the V10l, a surf ski about 2 sizes too small. (i could not stretch out my legs more than a 30deg knee bend). A few times paddling up-wind  i felt the instability of  being a boat too small  and my hamstrings where cramping.  I am looking forward to racing in a boat that actually fits me. Someday i suppose.  Yet, for now, the seat in the V10 is more comfortable than any racing kayak i have used so far!

Great weather, great turnout, great race. Lets do it again next week,

http://www.holyokerows.org/

The final results follows

1. Joe Shaw
2. Jack Morse
3. Mark Wendolowski
4. John McCarthy
5. Mike Craft
6. Ed Dvorchick
7. Chris Kielb (late start)

The CT river from Holyoke Rows

Lake Wyola Road Race

One thing about racing is that athletes tend to be so  focused on racing, they miss whats happening around them. Thankfully i pre-ran the Lake Wyola course and really got to experience the beautiful scenic roads and neighborhoods. This course is a gem. Yet, like most races, once the race begin, the view point changes.

The Lake Wyola trail race is a challenging 4.8 mile course that ascends for 2 miles, decends rapidly down a shady dirt road followed with rolling hills before the straight away to the finish.  I moved up that first hill at a moderate pace without falling too far behind my competition. By the time i reached the top of the hill though, i was already feeling exhausted. My recovery is not as quick as it used to be. I was still holding on to 6th place, behind some of the faster runners in the area. On the downhill, i let my legs fly and made some progress, but it was the rollers on the last 2 miles that really made me feel like i hit a wall. This was a tough race for me. I finished in 7th overall.

The race included a team competition and as a member of the Sugarloaf Athletic Mountain Club we had a great turnout with 3 racers in the top 10 and a second place finish. I got to take home a massive danish that Crytal, her sister Ann Marie, and myself ate for the rest of the week.

After the race, several of us  went for a 3 mile cool down through some of the prettiest shady meandering dirt roads. I definitely want to head back to Shutesbury for more long runs..they are fantastic.  My knee felt good and after all was done I tallied just about 14 miles. This is about the time the brain starts putting crazy ideas in my head...racing + distance=racing longer races.....do i dare start to think of the 'M' word again.