Dam Trail Race
Hodges Village Dam
Oxford, Massachusetts
Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010

Results
11.5 miles (rocky, rooted technical trails of all varieties)
Finish: 1:26:26 (~7:30 pace)
10th Overall of 100
4th Place M40-44

Links
Results: here
Race Website: here
Photo credits to the very talented and all-around great guy, Ken Skier, of Run with Ken fame.

Race Report

Carrying the theme “Trails, Trails, and More Trails” further, I decided to put the Dam Trail Race in Oxford, Massachusetts on my race calendar. The race was appealing for its distance, set at 11.5 miles, since it would step me closer towards a trail marathon later in the fall. Making it a sure thing was that many friends from the Mountain Goat Series would be there.

The course, according to race website, was “well marked” and “rolling… covering a variety of terrain in the Army Corps of Engineers Flood Control Project” at Hodges Village Dam. “It’s about 11.5 miles long, through woods, water, and uneven ground.” In another place it said: “This is NOT a road race. You WILL get wet, and possibly muddy, scraped and bug bitten.”

This, I would find out later, would all prove true – unfortunately the scraped part, too.

…

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Categories: Race Reports

Saucony Grid Fastwitch 4 – “Happy-fast Feet!”

RUN – Race
• Lightweight light stability racing shoe
• Versatile enough for those fast training days to marathon day
• Weight: 7.0 oz

Introduction

Happy-fast Feet!

That describes my feet when wearing a pair of Saucony Fastwitch 4’s, a light-weight racing shoe with a trace of stability.

Not only are these racers extraordinarily comfortable, as your feet slide right in as if a pair of form-fitting socks, but they also provide superior performance when running hard, be it during speed or tempo training or even racing distances up to the marathon.

Gone are the days of sore arches or foot pain after hard runs; these racers have ample cushioning, just enough stability, and good arches. And gone are pains in the joints from pounding the pavement at those intense levels; these dampen the load with a smooth cushioned yet feather-light ride and just enough stability.

If you’re looking for a pair of fast, light-weight shoes for those speedy training runs or for road racing of all distances, from 5K up to the marathon, make your feet happy with the Saucony Fastwitch 4’s.

RunningWarehouse.com has this to say about the Fastwitch 4’s:

“Flexible and fast best describe the Fastwitch 4. It’s a versatile road racing shoe for any race distance or up-tempo training and offers support for over-pronators. Lightweight mesh keeps the feet cool and a modest midsole height…

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Categories: Product Reviews, Running, Training