Wapack Trail Race

That's right, yet another race on the Wapack Trail. Sunday, we start at the Windblown X-C Ski Area and do an out and back to the Ashburnham trailhead. This is the tougher section of the trail, over New Ipswich's steep hills. As last tempo run before Pisgah, it is a quite a bit hillier but a very good workout. I feel I should run this fast, as the distance is well within my range. On this course, fast would be 3:30:00 and a decent run through bonk or other issues in 4 hours. Knowing the terrain now, the hills are very steep, but there is a nice section to stretch your legs on past Binney Pond, at mile 4, and a long downhill making for a faster return to Binney from mile 11. 

 

I am psyched to return to this trail after the first pass in May. There is quite a season of running in between which includes some of the toughest races shorter than a marathon in this area. Ed and I covered a longer distance with almost as much climbing last weekend on the M+M, at about an 11:00 pace.  That involved slower terrain than Wapack offers, so maybe I can surprise myself and break 12:00 per mile.  He and I also ran Ecarpment, which is only a little longer but twice the climbing, and that took 4:30:00.  It is very hard to gauge these things analytically, but I feel breaking 4 should be easy.  I'll be wearing my new 30 lap Timex, maybe some exact split times might aid my judgement.