Normally I get nervous for races I'm running in. I was not running in the Mt. Washington Road Race, but I was very nervous. Perhaps not as much as Snowman, who called it "terror," but nervous. I wanted to make sure Snowman was OK. I knew I couldn't see him start. Would his calf be OK? Would he be able to make it? All these thoughts raced through my head. In my heart, I knew he could do it, but there was a lot of uncertainty...I dropped Snowman off at the starting area at the base of the road around 8am, and headed up the mountain. It was odd that I wouldn't be able to see the start and finish, but such is the life of a spectator at a point-to-point race. I was bummed to be leaving Snowman so early, but I wanted to have time to get up the road, do a bit of hiking and still be able to watch the race. Besides, leaving early meant I had more time to drive up, which is another thing I was nervous about. I am not super good with exposure, and there are definitely points on this road that are exposed! However, it was a beautiful day, and the drive up went well. I took my time, and enjoyed the views and the wildflowers along the roadside, including blue bead lilies, false lily of the valley, goldthread and bunchberries. The sky was clear until around 7 miles up the road, when the clouds we had seen sitting on the summit earlier began to engulf the car. Still, hard to ask for a better day. Not too hot. Not too cold. Not windy. Not rainy. A bit overcast and in the clouds, but otherwise perfect.
After parking, I set off into the mist down the Nelson Crag Trail to the junction with the Alpine Garden Trail. There was no one around, and I had the trails to myself. The Alpine Garden Trail is a beautiful trail, running relatively level for about 1 mile on a plateau below the summit. The flowers weren't superb, but I still enjoyed having the chance to see the diapensia, labrador tea and alpine azalea, along with the typical bluets and bunchberries. There were numerous springs and small streams as well, along with some great views as the clouds lifted. Once I junctioned with the Lion Head Trail, I had a bit of a stiff climb back up to the summit, where lots of people had gathered to cheer on the runners. It was a fun atmosphere, with a good announcer and music. The winner finished in a little over an hour, and after that, a steady stream of runners ran, walked and gritted their way up the mountain. The last pitch before the finish is something like 20% grade! A mean final stretch... It was fun to see everyone really cheering the runners on here as they were almost done!
As the clock neared 1:30, I kept hoping to see Snowman coming around the bend.... being a spectator is brutal! But finally, at 1:42:40, he crossed the finish line, putting in an awesome effort and a great race! Congrats go to Kevin and Stephen too, along with all the other runners. Good job! I was hurting just watching :-) Also fun to meet Jamie, who was Stephen's driver.
We drove two other runners down, Nancy and Art, who have done the race several times. They were super nice, and the conversation helped me to not be too nervous about driving down the mountain! Snowman and I enjoyed the food served up by the race organizers, watched the awards and enjoyed a chat with Ian of Trail Monsters who was volunteering at the race along with doing a big hike/run up and down Mt. Washington as training for the VT 100 mile race next month. The day ended with us heading into town for a well-deserved beer at Moat!
Photos here.
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