2012 Season Review

While we haven't been diligent posting about training and events as they happen, Chas and Brooks had excellent adventures with each other and friends in 2012 and we'll recap the year in one long post.  It was everything we could have hoped for with accomplishments and memories in the bank and one of us (Chas!) being in the best shape of his life.

Our embracement of triathlons began in 2007 and dominated training and goals for five years but 2012 was the year we stepped away for a season and focused on the bike and a re-dedication to the run.  While looking forward to getting back in the pool, swimming wasn't a part of either of our routines most of the year.

As is always the case, the first step in any process is establishing the goal and we put some fun ones out there over the course of the year.  Early season biking goals had us logging more miles in the spring and late season running goals had the bike on the back burner through the fall.  Through it all, we saw each other more than we have in years with monthly visits from March through August.  2012 was a perfect year and a model for how to make the most life has to offer with family and friends.

March Visit to Maine

Jake Foehl's end of season nordic event brought us to Maine and the opportunity for a visit with Chas and family for a night.  Chas and I got out for a good run in the early morning

April Visit to MV

Chas found himself flying solo up in Maine during April vacation so he came down to join our family and the Orluks for a few days on Martha's Vineyard.  We had a couple great rides and some good runs, too.  With the Gran Fondo lurking a month away, we got in our longest ride of the season- 61 miles around the Vineyard.  An earlier post explains how the New York Gran Fondo got on the calendar for late May.  Preparing for a 110 mile ride requires some discipline and an unseasonably warm winter/early spring made it easier than normal to get outside.

The one question still unresolved was which running event would we bite off later in the season.  When initial attempts to get into the New York Marathon were thwarted (for the best, it turned out), focus turned to signing up for the Philadelphia Marathon on November 19.  Chas, Brooks, Tim and Karen Bock pulled the trigger on Philly in April with Cary Collins intrigued but unsure whether her body would hold up through training.

Berkshire Classic on May 6

One of the fun aspects of having goals is to keep track of things you wouldn't have done had the goal not been in place.  The Berkshire Classic is a perfect example- riding 85 miles in early May would not have happened without the Gran Fondo staring us in the face.  As it was, this was an amazing opportunity to log miles together on an excellent supported ride.  Tim, Chas and I had an awesome day exploring South County and the nearby CT border towns.

New York Gran Fondo, May 20

Just two weeks later, we gathered together in NY for our 110 mile adventure with 5,000 of our closest biking friends.  The ones on our group were Cary and Lew Collins, Tim Bock, me and Chas, '88 classmate Dave Greenberg and friend of Cary and Lew from Wellesley, Kevin.  Before we dive into the Gran Fondo here's a quick story that's indicative of how our group of friends operates.

Any events that go on the calendar are meant to be as inclusive as possible.  You want in, just make it happen.  The Bock's were hosting us the night before the GF at their home in Scarsdale.  Over dinner, Chas and Tim and Karen were discussing plans for a July visit to Maine.  The Bock's daughter, Sarah, goes to camp in Maine and they would in Vacationland for parent's visiting day and stay with Chas and family.  Chas mentioned there was a half marathon in Portland scheduled for Sunday.  My ears perked up, along with Cary's, and not wanting to miss out on any adventures we quickly consulted calendars and spouses.  Within five minutes a four family weekend gathering in Maine was planned- more on that great weekend below.

The Gran Fondo was an interesting day.  Good times with great friends, overall, but the race organizers were not prepared for the numbers participating.  The route was excellent with only the last 5-7 miles being a bummber weaving through heavy NJ traffic to the end. 

Here we all are at the end- Cary, Lew, Dave, Tim, Brooks, Kevin and Chas

In June, we got to see Chas, Rick and all the gang from Williams '87 at their 25th reunion.

Next up was our big Portland, ME weekend- July 20-22.  An amazing time all around with both Foehl familes and the Collins and Bock's together at Chas and Sara's.  Saturday was beautiful and we went out for a great ride that morning.  Here are Lewis, Sara, Cary and Chas at the Winslow Homer house in Prout's Neck.  The ride will be remembered because not only was Sara Mayo out on her bike, she threw herself into an all women's peloton which overtook us along the way.  We had a tremendous breakfast at a great joint near the end of the ride.

The next day there were 13.1 miles to be run.  As much as Cary wanted to be out there, injury kept her on the sideline.  The runners that day were (pictured below before the race) Dave Foehl, Brooks, Tim, Chas and Karen.

Here we are again at the end, minus Dave, whose long run to date had been four miles.  Chas and Tim crushed it running some insane pace that I can't even remember- low 7 minute miles.

One month later, we all were together again in Williamstown for an annual late summer gathering.  Activites included an awesome ride up Mt. Greylock from the south.  Pictured below are Tim, Cary, Chas, Brooks with Lewis being flanked by Brooks good friends, Julie Greenwood (Williams '96) and her fiancee, Kieran. 

Philly Marathon trainging was in full swing for Chas, Brooks, Tim and Karen and we did a great 16 mile run on Sunday morning- here we are afterwards with Chas taking the picture.

The craziness of the fall took over as we all retreated to our lives and had to settle for sharing motivational messages with each other instead of miles on the road together.  We were all doing our training for Sunday, November 17.

The weekend of the race, we gathered together at Karen's childhood home with her parents, Roz and Larry, taking great care of us.  Chas drove from Portland to Scarsdale and he joined Karen and Tim for the ride to Philly.  I joined them that afternoon and we went into town to pick up our race packets.  The next morning, we were out the door at 5:15am headed back downtown for the 7am start.  Here's a picture of Chas and Brooks trying to stay warm as temps were in the 30's.

Here's a great picture of Tim, Chas, Brooks and Karen after the race.  Speaking of the race, Chas and Tim once again were insane, running together almost the whole way with Chas running a 3:12 with Tim right behind at 3:13.  Karen logged a 3:56 with Brooks bringing up the rear at 3:58.

 

 

The marathon provided a tremendous exclamation point on the 2012 season.  It will be difficult to replicate the great times we enjoyed with each other and our friends in 2013 but we're in the process of planning what the road holds ahead for us all.

What We Do When We're Not Sleeping

When the alarm goes off in the long days of late spring, summer and early fall, chirping birds and breaking dawn greet you at 5:30 or 6am.  Nothing but cold and dark await through the dark days of winter making it really hard to pull yourself out of bed.  Sometimes excuses are thrust upon you, as was the case this Saturday morning when Jake needed to be at Jiminy Peak for Mount Greylock High School nordic practice at 6:45am.  This winter has been brutal on all the cross country skiers in New England- grabbing sixty minutes on man-made snow before the downhillers take over is what their season has come down to.  While skate skiing is in my future, I'm not there yet so I went for a five mile run while Jake and his teammates cranked around the base of Jiminy.  Jake and I returned to the house around 8:30 with Alison, Brady and Toby surfacing for breakfast while the two early risers had checked off their workout boxes for the day.

Jake at Jiminy base before the downhillers arrive

More time on the bike

Brooks,

I was glad to see your announcement this week that you're officially signed up for the Gran Fondo NY in May. But the news also woke me up to the fact that I better start training on the bike.  My running has been going very well since the first of the year and I've been averaging 35 miles per week with some good tempo.  But I did just 79 miles on my bike.  I've never done a century this early in the season and training outside in Maine in early Spring can be difficult.  I haven't even started reading about the "timed climbs", but I'm sufficiently worried.
So last night I prepared all my gear to be able to attend an indoor training class at a local bike shop, Gorham Bike and Ski.  Everyone brings their bikes, and they supply the trainers to pop the bike into and the instructors to lead you through the session.  They hold hour long classes during the week and an hour and a half "endurance" class on Saturday.  I was a little nervous as a first timer and planned to get there 10 minutes before start time thinking that would be early enough to pay and get my bike set up.  I pulled into the lot and thought, "uh oh, there are a lot of cars here".  And as I drove around the corner, I saw a store clerk pull the door shut and put a sign up on the door.  I ran up to the door to find the door locked, and a sign reading "class is full".  Maybe I'll have better luck with a mid-week class, but that means setting the alarm for a little earlier.
Coincidentally, a good friend gave me a present last night at Walker's swim meet.  He's the one that was trying to convince me to do the Harpoon Brewery-to-Brewery ride, and we've talked a lot about the boredom of winter bike training.  You've probably heard of these DVDs, and I know Cary and Lew have used them.  They're called Spinervals. I did the 50 minute work out called the Pain Cave.  Nothing spectacular about it, but it was better than watching an old movie.  Maybe I won't still be saying that after I've watched the Pain Cave for the tenth time.  So I think I'll be getting some more and I may even have to "invest" in some better basement equipment to take full advantage of this training.  They talk a lot about heart rates and wattage and cadence, plus there is a fair amount of gear shifting and some of the drills are done standing up.  My 1980's vintage set up of bike and bike roller may not cut it.  But I was on the bike and Troy pushed me to work harder and work smarter so that was worth it.
Goal this month is to keep the running about the same but up the bike to 250 miles for the month.

Take care.  I miss you and would love to get something else on the calendar before May.

Love,  Chas

Chas = Blogger

Let the record show, as it most clearly has, that Chas has shared the first two posts of 2012 and is officially a blogger.  Little warms my heart more and a robust future for Tri and Tri is ensured!

Of greater concern is how the hell I'm going to keep up with you as this running group is clearly working at a much faster clip than me and my running buddies in Williamstown.  The bar has been set and I'll need to step up accordingly.

Thanks for your first post, Chas.  You know all sentiments are reciprocated and look forward to our adventures in 2012.  I'll sign up for the NY Gran Fondo which will be a good early season biking goal for us both with others to follow.  Would like nothing more than to do a half and full marathon in 2012 with you while upping the ante for my wife on her running, too.  Hope a half iron is in the works, too.

Last ride of 2011:  MV with Gyver, Lew, Chas and Brooks

Running Group

Hey Brooks,

I'd like to run a little faster this year, and I'd like to run more with other people, so I joined a running group.  It's about 8 or 10 guys who work downtown and meet at 12:30 five days a week.  And they are fast.  During the winter months when footing is a little slippery they "ease up" to about 7:15's.  The chatter is good and I can usually stay with them for the 4 or 5 miles it takes them to get back to their workplaces.  Most importantly, perhaps, it gets me out there everyday at noon.  Yesterday, was case and point.  We had a very welcome snowstorm that dropped 10-12 inches in Portland.  Noontime was about two-thirds of the way through that.  But I was there to meet the group at 12:23.  And as it turned out I didn't mind running alone.  I thought it might be smart to stick to a 3 mile loop, but ended up doing the usual 6.

The mileage is up since joining the group -- I've already logged about 30 miles this week, but no swimming and no biking.  I'll have to figure out how to fit those in.  For now the running group feels like a good idea.

Take care,  Chas

P.S.  For any Foehls reading this note, one of the longtime members of the group is Charlie Humphries, one of Curt's best friends in high school.

New Year

Dear Brooks,

Thanks very much to you and Alison for hosting yet another special New Year's.  We're very lucky to have such good friends and equally lucky to have access to the Brooks House on Fuller Street.  Lots of good walks, some runs and bikes, but most importantly plenty of good talk.  As in many years past, some of our talk centered around what we wanted to put on the 2012 calendar to continue this journey of adventure together. Late 90's were marathons, then onto adventure races at the beginning of the century and for the past few years its been about triathlons.  I thought the kids did a great job on this year's Show putting your Iron Day in the appropriate historical context alongside 2011 events such as the Kardashian wedding, the European debt crisis, and the death of Steve Jobs.  Before posting today, I looked back at your Iron Day journal.  Great accomplishment and equally great account.

My favorite idea that was discussed was a spring half marathon primarily because I heard Alison pipe up and say she would do a 10K if we could find a combo event.  I quickly went to work on a search and it looks like a 13.1/10K would require too much travel, but there are plenty of 13.1/5Ks to choose from.  Sara would like to do the 5K too.  The other ideas we considered are a May "Fondo" century, a July Brew-to-Brew 148 bike, an August half-iron, and a fall marathon.  Now that I've written it down we've doubled the chances of all that actually happening, and I think that stat relates to a personal paper and pencil version, not a public blog, so I may have tripled the chances.  Putting it on the calendar makes it a near certainty.

The weather on the Vineyard was possibly the best we've had in our 19 year history.  And thanks to the inspiration of Lew and the idea that we could ride with Gyv, we brought our bikes.  One of our rides took us to the highest point on the island. 

Brooks at 311'

Another ride took us toward South Beach for a nice short New Year's Eve loop.

Brooks, Chas, Lew

Most of all I look forward to the last few sunset runs of the year over some of my favorite courses where we stop to take in a couple of very memorable views. 

 Our favorite runners running away from us.  

As I look back on 2011, I'm thankful for our friendship and for we've accomplished together.  And as I look forward to 2012, I'm thankful for all the positive energy I received at our annual gathering, and eagerly anticipate this year's adventure.

All my Love, Chas

August 27, 2011

With the support mini-van packed with supplies and everyone ready to roll, it was time for the adventure at hand.  Chas and his son, Reed, pulled into town late on Thursday night and joined the Bock family at their house; the three families gathered at 184 Longview for an awesome carbo-loading dinner on Friday night.

Chas and Brooks throwing down pasta

Support point team of John Denne and Taylor who's looking excited at logistics overview meeting

The Team heading out for Great Barrington

Chas, Tim Bock, Taylor and I headed south to Great Barrington at 7:15 on Friday night.  We arrived at the Bock home on Lake Buel in the dark, took the support kayak down to the dock and settled in for the night.  As we lounged in the tranquility of the rustic lakeside home, we pointed out differences between what we were doing and the official races we've all been part of.  Sleeping at the start line was one (which we all found very relaxing) and a dining room table had never been used as a transition area.  We all hit the hay around 10 with alarm set for 4:30am.

Bock dining room table as transition area

We all woke up as relaxed as we were when we went to bed.  Got the engines started with some breakfast and caffeine and headed down to the dock for 6am start.

Morning Chas!

The Swim:

Conditions for the swim were ideal.  Light was breaking with a pre-Irene cloud cover that would stay with us most of the day.  Chas and Tim were in the double kayak helping me keep my line and tracking distance on GPS.  The swim was a perfect start to the day- 35 minutes for the first 1.2 miles and 40 minutes back for moving time of 1:15.  

Swim team ready to roll

Heading out

Chas on Lake Buel

Half-way home

 

Bock dock and home nestled in the trees

Tim ready for the 112 bike

The Bike:

Another obvious difference between a race and what we were doing on Iron Day is that transition times were not a substantial concern.  I hoped we could take about 15 minutes from swim to bike but it took closer to 25 minutes.  Needed to load up the double kayak on the car and close up the house- not normal transition items.  Chas, Tim and I got changed into our biking gear and were rolling a little before 8am.

Chas, Tim and Brooks heading out on Loop 1

Chas was riding the first 56 and would join for the last 13.1 of the run.  Tim was on board for the 112 mile ride and it felt great to be out on the road with them both.  Our route would take us south into CT and our first meeting point with the support van would be at the CT border at mile 19.  Taylor was riding solo in support van and did an awesome job taking care of us.

The day before, Nat White, Williams '99, posted on FB that he would be riding from his home in Lakeville, CT to Williamstown on Saturday and perhaps our paths would cross.  Sure enough, as we headed south on Route 41, we connected with Nat heading north.

Nat and Brooks connecting on Route 41 near CT border

Support van at CT border

At mile 30 in Canaan, CT, we were greeted with a surprise.  Signs on the side of the road saying "Go Bock", "Go Chas" and "Go Brooks" were interspersed at regular intervals, some stapled to telephone poles, others on sticks.  It was a mystery to the three of us but it was soon solved on the other side of town when we came across this character by the side of the road:

Who was this person reading the paper by the side of the road?

Rick Orluk gives a boost to the Team

Rick's handiwork- thanks Big Daddy!

Rick Orluk is a close friend to all three of us and '87 classmate with Chas.  He lives in West Granby, CT and drove an hour to cheer us on.  He was in cahoots with Taylor and we had a good visit with him at the one quarter mark of the ride.

You can't ride in the Berkshires without hills and miles 40-70 were the most challenging stretches on that front.  We finished loop one averaging about 17mph with a moving time of 3:20.  Real time was around noon, about an hour behind the preliminary schedule.  At the transition area, Chas jumped out and Steve St. Clair jumped in for the second 56 mile loop.  Chas would join Taylor and father-in-law, John Denne, in support of Loop Two. We were feeling good at the half-way point but for however smoothly the first loop went, the second threw us some curveballs making the miles and time on the bike feel very long.

There's a 10 mile stretch on Route 23 between Great Barrington and Otis, MA that we had scouted out earlier in the summer.  Since that time, the Mass DPW had started work on repaving the road slowing us down significantly.  It wasn't constant, but we had stretches on gravel and dirt and were relieved at the end of each section only to come upon another one.  This, however, wasn't the only issue we faced.

At mile 64, 8 miles into Loop 2, my rear derailleur cable snapped.  In plain English, I no longer had the ability to change gears and no quick fixes were available.  As Tim, Steve and I assessed the situation, Chas drove up behind us and we put his bike into action.  Given a number of permutations- height, shoe size, type of shoe cleat- we ended up with the following set-up for the last 50 miles:  I used Steve's bike (and had to wear one of his shoes because my lollipop cleat worked in one my shoes but not the other), Steve rode Chas' bike wearing Chas' shoes, too, with Tim on his own bike in his own shoes.

Brooks' shoe on right foot, Steve's shoe on left!

When I took my bike to the shop to get the cable replaced, I asked if the routine check I should have had before the ride would have surfaced the fraying cable- the answer was "probably".  Lesson learned and we were lucky it cost us nothing but some time.

This was the 4th Century+ ride Tim and I had done together this summer.  In the previous three, we were with groups and hammered away the last 30 miles in pace lines averaging 20+ mph.  Not the case today.  I was adhering to USTA rules on the drafting front and the miles were trickling away.  The exciting part is that were working our way to more friends and family who had been monitoring our progress via texts updates from Taylor.  Most of those messages were along the lines of- "everyone doing well but behind schedule".  At 3:30pm, 7.5 hours into the bike, spirits were lifted by a welcoming committee at the head of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail in Pittsfield, 99 miles into the ride.

The cheering squad at mile 99

Me and Steve on our new bikes

Big hug from Brady

We had 13.5 miles still left on the bike and Steve, Tim and I did an out and back on the rail trail to get us to our 112 mile total.  In anticipation of Irene, the rail trail had been closed earlier in the afternoon but we forged ahead seeing some folks out there but far fewer than on a regular summer Saturday.

While waiting for the bike to end and the run to start, the kid cheering section did some amazing chalk work on the rail trail- a sample below.  

Great job chalking by the Abel kids!

Want to thank Tim for doing the whole 112 and Steve for doing the second half of the bike on Chas' bike and for letting me use his!  Steve's work was not nearly done as he was on board for 13+ miles of the run.  The second bike leg took 3:45 of moving time- we were out there for 4.5 hours total for a overall elapsed time for the bike being 8.5 hours.  It was now 4:30pm and the love and support shared by friends and family were going to be needed the next five hours.

The Run:

Christy Abel had been waiting patiently throughout the afternoon and was ready to run her fourth marathon.  Elizabeth St. Clair was ready to run a half-marathon, as was her husband, Steve.  Chas would do the same and Ann Marie Swann was ready to run 16 miles.  Throw in a special guest half-marathoner and a gaggle of kids joining for the last mile and the 26.2 miles from the base of the rail trail to Williamstown was going to be one heck of an adventure.  We were supported the entire way by Taylor, John Denne, and many other adults and kids as the van was waiting for us every 2.5 miles along the way.

Lacing Up

 

Thumbs up or hitching a ride?

Christy and Steve ready to roll!

The rail trail is almost 11 miles long and there were three of us for this stretch.  Christy and Steve St. Clair helped me through what was probably the most difficult portion of the day.  My legs felt great as we settled into a 9 minute mile pace for the first 10 miles.  My stomach wasn't doing so hot, though, and I wasn't sure if I should be trying to fuel or let it settle.  I had eaten and hydrated well on the bike so was feeling properly fueled to that point.  While there wasn't any sun, it was warm and humid and feeling like rain was on the way and I was concerned about over heating.  I had been introduced to the frozen towel earlier in the summer and had a bunch ready to go for the run.  They were lifesavers helping to stay cool until the rains came and nighttime fell.  Also, for the record, I've never run with my shirt off- obviously don't have the ability to pull that off- but nothing could have felt better!

First water stop- note awesome chalking by Elizabeth!

Christy, Steve and Brooks cranking out miles on the rail trail

How's our pace?

Christy and Steve did an awesome job through the tranquility of an empty rail trail and we connected with a big group at the Visitor Center in Adams.  Elizabeth was switching places with her husband and Ann Marie Swann was joining in for the last 16.  Looking back, physically, this was probably the low point of the day for me if there was one.  It was short lived, however, as the 13 mile mark was a psychological turning point- running 13 miles was not a daunting task and I was more or less holding it together.

Me and one of my guardian angels

Heading out at Mile 10+ with Elizabeth, Christy and Ann Marie

Love this picture with Elizabeth St. Clair!

13 miles done, 13 to go- Christy cheering our progress!

Chas was ready to go at the 13.1 mile mark and he talked Tim's wife, Karen Bock, into doing the last 13.  Karen is a marathoner but this would be her longest run in a while- she kicked butt as expected.  We must have made quite a sight as we ran along Route 8 and turned west on Route 2 toward Williamstown.  We were never smaller than a group of six the rest of the way and the miles, despite our progressively slowing pace, felt like they were passing more quickly. 

Chas and Karen Bock join for the last 13.1

Sometime after mile 13, it began to rain and continued to do so lightly and intermittently until the end.  We left North Adams in fading daylight and by the time we were in Williamstown we were running in the dark.  Things were getting pretty surreal at this point as we made a loop around town clicking off the final six miles.  The group was tight as Elizabeth finished her 13 miles and Steve jumped back in for the final three.  All of us were either wearing reflective gear, blinking lights or both.  It must have made for quite a sight for any passing drivers.  Overall, though, it was pretty quiet with the air calm and damp and silence broken only by words of encouragement to each other.

At mile 25, sometime around 9:15pm, members of the kid cheering squad were ready to join for the last mile of the run- how cool is that?

Ready to bring it home- Matthew and Will Bock, Toby and Brady Foehl and Reed Foehl

As we weaved around town working our way to 26.2, an official finish line was being set up in front of Chapin Hall on the Williams campus.  To give you an idea of what kind of a person Elizabeth St. Clair is, just know that she drove up to Lake Placid in July to cheer on a friend tackling the Ironman.  She wanted to make sure Iron Day had a proper ending so she made a banner for the finish line and she and Christy ordered a Berkshire Ironman medal.  She also had a Laurel wreath for me at the end- she didn't miss a trick.  So at approximately 9:30pm, as our Garmin watches clicked to 26.2 miles, we all crossed the finish line and the celebration began.

Sarah and Josh Bock tending the finish line

Crossing the finish line with everyone right behind

Jubilation!

A big, sweaty hug with Marathoner, Christy, and Elizabeth with wreath

Is there any way to properly thank everyone for their support and love on August 27 and all the days of the journey before?  I don't see how, but I won't ever stop trying.  Beyond the gifts of friendship shared with all, here is the Iron Day accomplishment roll call:

Hours and hours of support: Taylor Foehl and John Denne
Living with Brooks: Alison Foehl
Matthew and Will, Brady and Toby and Reed- 1.2 mile run
Karen Bock- 13.1mile run
Ann Marie Swann- 16.2 mile run
Elizabeth St. Clair- 12.5 mile run
Steve St. Clair- 56 mile bike, 13.5 mile run
Tim Bock- 112 mile ride
Christy Abel- Marathon- 26.2 mile run
Charles Foehl- 56 mile ride, 13.1 mile run
Brooks Foehl- 140.6

Ann Marie, Chas, Tim, Brooks, Steve, Elizabeth, Karen and Christy

For however remarkable a collective effort we were all a part of, it never happens without one person.  When this crazy idea entered my head a year ago, it could have died quickly.  In fact, it would have if Chas hadn't embraced it.  Throughout last fall and winter, we let the idea percolate and grow to what it would become.  Our friendship has evolved over the course of our entire lives and we've been side by side for most of our greatest accomplishments, August 27th, 2011 just being one more along our path.  Thanks for being my best friend, Chas.

Me and Chas