D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Jan 18, 2012, 3:21 pm
Well, the dull ache I've had in my foot since November turned into a "hot poker" stabbing me in the foot sort of pain two weeks ago.  Since then, I wisely stopped running and made an appointment to see a podiatrist. Some would argue it would have been wiser to stop running BEFORE the "hot poker" i...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Jan 3, 2012, 2:01 pm
Last September I was one of the lucky ones that helped the Umstead 100 reach its entry limit of 300 runners in a mere six minutes! At the time I had no reason to believe I would be ready to run 100 miles in March. I had been bothered by chronic injuries all year and there was no sign of any improvem...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Dec 16, 2011, 7:54 am
We're only ten days away from the start of the 2012 DION SNOWSHOE RACING SERIES with the "I Love Woodford" 3 mile race in Woodford VT kicking off the season. Five days later the GRANITE STATE SNOWSHOE SERIES begins it's season with Beaver Brook 5K race in Hollis NH. Last year I was only able to make...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Dec 15, 2011, 4:30 am
I haven't run on the Bay Circuit Trail since May when I meandered for 30 miles through seven communities, getting lost in the process.  I've been reluctant to return to the BCT and cover the remaining 100 (or so) unfinished miles to the shores of Kingston.  Most of the sections yet to be run are...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Nov 24, 2011, 7:18 pm
I drove to Framingham MA with every intention of racing this 10 mile classic honoring Richard Busa but "stuff" happened and the race turned into a training run/photo shoot instead.  Not racing was a good decision.  Even though I ran easy and stopped often to take photos, the many ups and downs on ...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Nov 17, 2011, 11:38 am
The Roclite 319 is one the newer creations from UK manufacturer Inov8 replacing the discontinued 305 and 320 models.  I've put about 100 miles on my 319s and my first impression is very favorable.   Inov8 markets this shoe as a great choice for road runners switching to trail running for the fir...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Nov 11, 2011, 7:43 pm
My 2011 race season started off much like it did in 2010 with a 50K race in April.  And just like last April, I ran this year's spring 50K with a good deal of IT band related knee pain.   I thought a winter of stretching and strengthening had put the issue to rest but I was wrong.  Under traine...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Nov 8, 2011, 5:51 am
2011 race results are up! 50 Mile Finishers: Here Marathon Finishers: Here
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Oct 24, 2011, 10:05 am
I haven't posted in a while because I haven't done anything worth mentioning. Ever since I finished running a marathon at the TARC Summer Classic two months ago I haven't felt like training much. I just got tired of running in the summer heat and humidity and dealing with nagging injuries.  I prett...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Oct 11, 2011, 5:18 am
I've been a fan of Injinji socks for a number of years so when I was asked to test their new lightweight, no-show performance series sock I was happy to accept.  During much of my 40 years as a runner I've been prone to blistering.  Then I discovered Injinji socks and I've been nearly blister free...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Sep 6, 2011, 9:44 am
3C Race Productions is one of the sponsors for the Tuff Ten Trail Race (held on September 25th) so Saturday morning I drove to Merrimack NH to pick up some items Michael (of 3CRP) donated for my race's post-race raffle. I met him at Horse Hill Nature Preserve which is not far from when he lives. Mi...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Aug 15, 2011, 10:34 am
First off let me say that the TARC 12 Hour Run in Medfield MA was an awesome race.  Co-RDs Chris and Josh and all of the race volunteers did an amazing job and were as supportive, friendly and helpful as any I have met in my years of running ultras.  Josh was so supportive, he would have convince...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Aug 1, 2011, 1:29 pm
After cresting a steep climb around mile 19 Kevin and I saw a runner sitting in the middle of the trail on the downward side of the hill.  He was sitting up and leaning back slightly against a fallen tree limb.  When we asked if he had fallen or was hurt he turned his head slowly and looked back ...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Jul 19, 2011, 9:43 am
In four days I’ll be running 32.6 miles of the Northville-Placid Trail in one of the remotest areas in the Adirondack Wilderness. Having never been on the NPT previously I have no idea what to expect, other than getting bombarded by squadrons of persistent deer flies. Wakely is a tough race. The ...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Jul 3, 2011, 10:59 am
With three weeks to go until the Damn Wakely Dam Ultra in New York's Adirondack Wilderness it was good to see Co-RD Doug conduct a recon mission to get an update on trail conditions.  Most of the North East experienced heavy rains this past spring and upper state New York had serious flooding in...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Jun 23, 2011, 1:27 pm
Inov8 has updated their popular Roclite 295 model for 2011.  Gone are the dull gray and blue uppers and endurance rubber soles.  This year's shoe has a sharper black and lime green upper with the Inov-8 logo boldly displayed.  Not that fashion matters among trail runners.  It's function that cou...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Jun 21, 2011, 4:45 am
This past Saturday I completed my 5th and longest run to date on the Bay Circuit Trail.  With warmer weather approaching and the expected increase in biting insect activity I was hoping to make it to the halfway point on the BCT.  By doing so I could take a break from the trail in July and August ...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Jun 14, 2011, 5:25 am
I've always been fascinated with creative people.  They possess a gift that allows them to transform their thoughts, ideas and visions into something tangible for others to enjoy. I recently worked with a large group of creative people shooting a commercial for Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital's "...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Jun 6, 2011, 4:00 am
Saturday morning was a perfect day for a long run.  The air was cool and the cloudless sky a deep blue.  Bill H. and I were off before 9 am to run the 4th and 5th sections of the Bay Circuit Trail.  Although I was looking forward to running the many trails in the AVIS network I was dreading the r...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Jun 1, 2011, 6:44 pm
Last Sunday I took advantage of a drop from the previous days 90+ degree temperatures to run in the desert of Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas, Nevada. Red Rock Canyon is located 17 miles west of the adult playground and is in marked contrast to the neon, noise and crowed streets of the concrete jungle...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - May 18, 2011, 9:04 pm
While doing some research on the Bay Circuit Trail I came across this article about a 50 mile race on the BCT hosted by GAC back in 1998.  I see a few familiar names on the list of finishers.   It would be pretty cool to see an ultra return to the BCT. Any RDs out there looking for a challenge? Th...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - May 16, 2011, 8:41 am
Saturday morning I met my friend Bill H. in Andover to run my third leg of the Bay Circuit Trail.  This leg begins in Boxford at the entrance to Boxford Wildlife Sanctuary and ends in Andover.  The distance reported on the trail map was 14.5 miles but with re-routing caused by beaver activity and ...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - May 8, 2011, 1:53 pm
I headed to Bradley Palmer State Park this morning intending to run for 6 hours or 50 kilometers, whichever came first. In the back of my mind I knew there was a strong possibility this may not happen. Two weeks ago I experienced significant knee pain while running the TARC 50K. Since that race I ha...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - May 1, 2011, 6:58 pm
In the past year I’ve become very familiar with the many IT band straps on the market. Since first experiencing knee pain during the Traprock 50K in April 2010 I have tried four straps from different manufacturers with mixed success. No IT band strap on the market will cure ITBFS, nor will it allo...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Apr 25, 2011, 4:54 pm
The TARC Spring Classic was held this past Saturday under less than ideal conditions. Unfortunately, the meteorologists got it right this time and the rain, wind and cool temperature arrived as predicted.  That didn't stop this inaugural event from being a complete success.  Close to 200 runners i...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Apr 18, 2011, 2:38 pm
My original plan for the past weekend was to run the Traprock 50K in CT. During the week I was having a bit of knee pain so I reluctantly scraped that plan.  I did not want to risk damaging my IT band further with 31 miles of steep climbing and descending on the rugged trails of Penwood Forest.Â...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Apr 11, 2011, 1:18 pm
The Bay Circuit Trail (BCT) is a  permanent public recreational trail and greenway, linking parks and open spaces in fifty-seven Boston area communities, 200 miles from Plum Island in the North to the Duxbury/Kingston shore in the South. I first thought of running the length of the BCT a few years ...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Apr 4, 2011, 9:43 am
Conventional wisdom and common sense would call for a runner to gradually increase mileage after a long layoff or returning from an injury.  I recently told an ultra running friend of mine to take it slow and easy even though she wanted to pump up the distance of her runs.  I should have listened ...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Mar 28, 2011, 8:21 am
After running only four times in four months I've finally managed to string together two consecutive weeks of training.  My plantar fasciitis, ITBS and chronic nerve pain are either asymptomatic or at a tolerable pain level at this time.  I don't know how long it will last but I'm going to take a...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Mar 7, 2011, 11:28 am
2010 was not a very good year for me.  2011 didn't start out any better.  Injuries and a chronic neck problem kept me from running most of the time.  In fact, I've run only four times in the past four months.  I have managed to get in some winter hiking, mostly on snowshoes, so I haven't been a ...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Jan 12, 2011, 10:45 am
I haven't done any running during the past 10 weeks but my neck is beginning to feel a little better.  I may try to do a little running in February to see how it effects me.  If my symptoms worsen, I'll stop.  If they stay the same, I'll keep running.  Pretty simple plan.  Not running hasn't ...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Dec 31, 2010, 11:59 pm
I planned on spending the last day of 2010 snowshoeing at a Mass Audubon property south of Boston.  Unfortunately, I overslept and then spent most of the morning drinking coffee and gazing out the kitchen window at the 20 inches of snow in my back yard. Moose Hill would have to wait for another tim...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Nov 29, 2010, 10:00 am
This is the time of year when I normally reflect on my running accomplishments (and failures) during the past 12 months. Although 2010 started out with some very good race results through April, injuries kept me out of the game for most of the summer and fall. Since most of this year involved no ru...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Nov 19, 2010, 2:37 pm
And I’m not taking about the weather. The elation I felt after finishing the Stone Cat marathon was short-lived. Two days later, I injured my neck doing something stupid (I’ll leave it at that) and had a return of the neck pain, muscle tightness and head and facial numbness and tingling I first...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Nov 13, 2010, 12:53 pm
For those that know me, this hasn't been a great year for me running-wise.  I've been dealing with a very stubborn IT band that has kept me from training much during the past six months.  When I registered for Stone Cat a few months ago I thought I would be over this injury come November.  Well...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Oct 30, 2010, 5:45 pm
I sure do have some crazy running friends.  Steve ran the Vermont 100 Endurance Run in July on training of 11 miles a week.  He went into the race with a bad IT band and had to hobble the last 80 miles to the finish line.  Talk about determination!  Another good bud Streph, also ran the ...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Oct 25, 2010, 8:08 am
It's been a week since I made my debut as a Race Director at the Tuff Ten (10K) Trail Race in Breakheart Reservation.  I learned early on that organizing a race is a huge effort and would consume many hours of free time.  On race day I learned that you can't plan for everything and something is b...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Oct 11, 2010, 9:25 am
Less than one week to go to the Inaugural running of the Tuff Ten (10K) Trail Race in Breakheart Reservation and there's still much to be done.   I never realized how many hours go into organizing a trail race, even a small one, and I now have greater respect and appreciation for all Race Director...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Sep 12, 2010, 8:29 pm
Today I felt more alive than I have in months.  Running trails with a group of friends will do that to you. At least it does for me.  The struggles I've faced in the past five months with rehabbing my IT band and the boredom I've felt on far to many solo runs was all forgotten in the span of run...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Aug 24, 2010, 7:42 pm
Hi, my name is Flyroc and I’m looking for a new owner.  My current Master purchased me at the Merrimack River Trail Race and one week later took me on a 10 mile jaunt in Blue Hills Reservation. It’s the only time I was able to run wild since April. Although he told me he was very pleased with...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Aug 23, 2010, 9:07 am
I haven't had much success trying to run any distance over 5-6 miles on the trails of my usual training grounds.  The constant changes of elevation in Breakheart Reservation takes a toll on my ailing ITB.  I thought the nearly flat trails in Mine Falls Park in Nashua, NH might be the way to go. ...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Aug 16, 2010, 7:31 pm
I can hardly believe summer will soon be coming to an end.  Even though it's not my favorite season (especially for running) I still hate to see it pass.  Speaking of summer running, I haven't done much of it.  My ITB injury is proving to be as stubborn as Garry Harrington's ass (as in burro) and...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Jul 16, 2010, 4:45 pm
I was happy to see the article I submitted to Ultrarunning Magazine was published in their July issue.  I know editing is something that must be done due to space constraints but I was disappointed that the last paragraph of my article and none of my photographs were included by the magazine.  The...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Jul 5, 2010, 4:38 am
My plan for June was to refrain from running and continue with rehabbing my ITB but I still held on to the hope of running Wakely in July.  The lure of Wakely won out over common sense and I started training two weeks earlier than planned. I felt encouraged that running 3-4 miles every other day ...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Jun 20, 2010, 5:19 pm
Well, I went back to Breakheart this weekend to map out a route for the trail race I will be hosting in October.  My original plan was to have a 10 mile race using my standard 10 mile training loop.  No scoping out new trails, no measuring, no surprises, no additional race preparation. Simple ...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - Jun 8, 2010, 8:33 pm
I was at Breakheart Reservation to meet with the park ranger about having a trail race there in the fall.  He was willing to allow a race even though it's a very busy time of year in the park.  He gave me two dates to work with, both which conflict with other North Shore trail races.  I really do...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - May 31, 2010, 4:25 pm
The best thing I can say about the month of May is "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out."  This was the worse month of (non)running I've had in over three years.  I started the month with severe knee pain brought on by a bad case of ITB syndrome.   My failure to recognize the i...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - May 30, 2010, 1:53 pm
There's a new 2010 trail race series on the North Shore starting with the first race next weekend. It consists of six local races ranging in distance from 5K to 26.2 miles. Three of the races are held on private property so this series is a great opportunity to run on trails not generally open to t...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - May 17, 2010, 7:30 am
I have little patience when it come to dealing with running injuries.  I suspect most runners are that way.   It's one thing to be injured in the dead of winter when there's not much happening but totally different to be injured in the middle of race season and missing out on trail racing and f...
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D S. posted an article on Breakheart Trail Running - May 14, 2010, 8:28 am
There's only one race in the area this weekend and it's the Soapstone Mountain race in Staffort Springs, CT.  This is a great race and is part of the Grand Tree Trail Race Series. I am registered to run but will have to pass on it.  I still have tightness and pain from my ITBS so it's preven...
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