Sunday, March 31, 2019

Black Birch Vineyard 10 Miler

March 31, 2019 was the inaugural Black Birch Vineyard 10 Miler. There aren't that many 10 milers that are available; plus, this one was put on by the folks who organize the Happy Valley and Fort Hill Brewery Half Marathons. I was impressed enough by last year's Fort Hill Brewery Half to sign-up again, and it made me want to give the Black Birch Vineyard 10 Miler a try. I anticipated based on my past experience that the race would be well organized and a good time. It did not disappoint.


At around 9:15 a.m. I arrived at Black Birch Vineyard in Hatfield, Massachusetts. Volunteers directed me to free parking on the road, about a third of a mile from the start line. I was lucky to have a buddy for the event -- my most excellent colleague and very good runner, Emily, had signed up for the race as well. We headed to the winery, where I grabbed my bib (very fast!) and then we waited in the restroom line (very slow!). We had time to make it to the starting line, where we informally lined up and heard a few announcements. The start was chill -- no super loud noises and a minimum of music. It was perfect!

The course for the Black Birch Vineyard 10 Miler was an out and back. The race website describes it in the following way, "There is 498 ft. of climbing with endless scenery that includes rural roads, babbling brooks and rolling farmland. The first 1.7 miles will give you a flat warm-up on your way to the first climb into Whately alongside West Brook. From there you will make your way onto a beautiful dirt road section, the last climb of the day and the turnaround. The second half of the course will be fast, downhill and full of scenery as you make your way back to Black Birch Vineyard and the post race celebration!" That description is pretty spot on.


The race started by taking the runner out along dirt paths through the Vineyards and through "downtown" North Hatfield. That first mile was fairly flat and once we transitioned off the rocky (but nice and soft!) dirt roads, I got into a bit of a groove. Emily zoomed off to connect with me quickly right after the turnaround -- a fun part of an out and back -- and later at the finish line.

As promised at around mile 1.7, we hit a serious hill. My left calf has been a bit tight and it cramped up. I switched to power hiking to mix it up, plus I wasn't going fast enough for it to matter anyway. Though I had taken a nice taper period before this race, for some reason I was feeling extremely sluggish and my legs felt heavy. I knew it wouldn't be a day of great with a great performance, especially since I am not a great runner uphill. This would serve as a good training run in a new place with an opportunity to keep strong.

The scenery was great! I tend to have mixed feelings about out and back courses, but in this case, it was great to see the scenery again. I love running through the wood and farms remind me of home. The majority of the course was along small roads hemmed in with forest on either side. The only breaks in the trees, rocks, and streams, would be for pockets of farmland with historic homes or other houses nestled in the trees.

I was glad to have so much to enjoy looking at because the first half of this run was a struggle. It was almost all uphill to one degree or another and I was beat. I have been doing a lot of speed work but not much hill work lately and my legs were feeling it. I also wasn't feeling entirely my best but tried to keep my spirits high and keep forward momentum. I plodded along slowly at around 11:00 with the miles and miles (or so it felt) of climbing.

A pro and con of an out and back course is that for those in the middle of the pack, you get to see the leaders. I was at around mile 3.75 or so when I saw people racing back. To run that fast on that course is amazing. Especially because I would rate this 10 miler as more challenging than some half marathons I've done on flatter courses.

I was flagging and beyond relieved when I climbed the final hill to the halfway point. I was exhausted. Usually a 10 miler is a good distance for me -- long enough to feel like a long run but not so long as to be a beatdown. I felt wrecked though. I gnawed on some chomps and chugged some water. I'm not a strong hill climber, but I love a good downhill. I had about five miles of that coming up. I could do this!

As it turned out, the run back was indeed much better. I enjoyed the scenery as I spaced out a little bit. The miles ticked by. It had been a mild day for late March, with temperatures in the upper-50s but overcast. There had been rain in the forecast, but I was hoping to finish before that became a factor. Unfortunately, that was not the case. About two miles from the end, the rain started coming down. I shrugged on my running rain jacket and tried my best to see through my rain streaked glasses. The last mile was a drag. It was wet, the temperature was dropping, and I was ready to be done. I was relieved, more than anything else, when I crossed the finish in 1:51:22. Not a great showing for me pace-wise, but I had done it nonetheless. A volunteer handed me a finisher wineglass, thoughtfully wrapped in bubble wrap.

Emily, who had finished in 1:44 (yay!), and I headed inside the winery. There we got free wine from Black Birch and, more importantly, food. There were sandwiches / wraps and salads. I got a veggie burrito wrap and an orzo salad, both of which were excellent -- some of the best race food I've had. The place was packed, so we snagged a small spot on the floor and were visited by one of the lovely dogs that lives on the farm. Soon we were full of good food but getting chilly, so we headed out, having had a nice race day.

The Black Birch Vineyard 10 Miler was a scenic if challenging course with a great post-race "party" and good organization. I am pleased to see another great local race joining the scene to give runners more options and more motivation to keep up their winter running. I'd love to come back for this race again next year.