In early April, I ran Mt. Ascutney in Windsor, Vermont with my girlfriend and two writers from Far North Endurance. Ascutney is about the same percentage of incline, but it's about half the distance and half the elevation. Frankly, that sucked.
Road Race in June, I have started to realize how ridiculous this whole thing is going to be, and how high 4,700 feet really is.
Two weekends ago, I ran the auto road of Mount Kearsarge. That was about the same distance as Ascutney, but the elevation and incline weren't as bad, although it had its moments.
As it relates to Mount Washington, I was lucky enough to be interviewed for their piece on preparing for the Mount Washington Road Race. Be sure to read the actual experts' stories first, well before you read what mostly sounds like unbridled fear from me.
It's now just over a month away, and it's getting closer by the day. I'm torn between being excited for it to happen and petrified that it's going to happen. I'm sure it will be fine and we'll finish (which is the only goal), but I can't imagine how I'm going to feel when it's done (both good and bad). But I can imagine how good the beer is going to taste.
Far North Endurance is a blog dedicated to trail running in the northeast. The founders realized that there wasn't a spot for interested trail runners to go, and no one was focusing on the runners themselves. With the feats that some of these trail runners have completed, they should be getting a lot more notoriety. Enter the fine folks at Far North Endurance.
Preparing for Mount Washington (Far North Endurance)