Race Report: 7 Sisters Trail Race

I was winded, panting, a special kind of whole-body tired. Looking at the trail ahead of me, which meant looking UP a tumble of large rocks in the middle of the woods, I could see other runners picking their way up yet another technical ascent. More runners were right on my heels. I couldn't stop here. Gotta keep moving. But if things didn't change soon, I knew I'd have to drop out of this race. It was a 12-mile race, and I was only on mile 2.

The 7 Sisters Trail Race is an iconic race that I'd mainly heard about by reading one of my favorite running blogs, Relentless Forward Commotion. (Hi, Heather!) I probably should have re-read her race reports before signing up, or investigated the course in any way, but I did not. I signed up in a rush on the last day before the price increase. Only afterward did I sit down to research what I'd gotten myself into.

 

The course is 12 miles out and back on the Monadnock-Metacomet trail near Amherst, MA. The turnaround is the lowest elevation point of the race, and the 2nd half is more uphill than first, if you can picture that.

"Widely considered the most challenging trail race in the Northeast..." race website

"Might just be the most technical trail run in New England..." Runner's World

"It has always attracted the best trail runners in New England..." as quoted on Relentless Forward Commotion

So what does "technical" mean when it comes to trail running? Basically it means that the course demands a lot of attention and energy—roots, rocks, climbing (sometimes on all fours), and in this case on this particular day, add MUD to the mix. As one fellow runner said to me on the trail after we'd both been slipping and sliding all over, "I've decided this race is not about how fast you can run, it's about how long you can stay standing up!"

Skills I quickly learned on the technical trail: How to search for footholds on a natural rock staircase made for giants. How to grab roots or saplings when ascending or descending so as not to plunge down the hill. How to tell if a promising shiny spot in a large slick of mud is an actual stable rock or just more mud. How to walk in the middle of a stream because the water knows the best way. How to negotiate steep wet slopes while also staying out of the way of frontrunners (and midrunners) on their return lap. How to take in an amazing view while still moving moving moving.

Maybe I had no business attempting the 7 Sisters, but I didn't know that until I was two miles in and hoping SOMETHING would look up. I'd been training for a marathon all winter, so I didn't think I was out of shape. I've also been taking an excellent strength and plyometrics class that has been helping me cross-train as well as deal with discomfort and repetition... perfect for this race. But I had not been specifically training on incessant vertical terrain.

3,938 feet of gain on this course

Fortunately, things did start going my way.  First, my GU Roctane, the energy drink that I swear by, started to kick in. It contains caffeine, amino acids, sodium, and potassium and I adore it (now in delightful Summit Tea flavor! (I am not affiliated with GU)). I carried it in my hydration vest and sipped throughout the race, and I swear it gets me through just about anything. (I drank over 2 litres over the course of the race.)

Another thing that changed my mood was the return of the frontrunners. Their energy and verve and even reckless joy at running this thing FAST was contagious. As the elites all passed and the "regular" folks started passing me too, we'd exchange smiles, encouragement, quick tips.

And the nature of an out and back course takes off some mental pressure. Unlike my experiences with a looped course where I mentally grapple with multiple opportunities to drop out, here there was really nowhere to go but back to the finish. (Of course if someone needed serious help, it was available.) While the physical assignment was intense, at least I wasn't goading myself to keep going as I've done in some races, particularly the 6-hour ones. I just set the intention that I would finish eventually. And I did: In 4:29:37, in 390th place (out of 439).

Final thoughts: I would probably do this again.