An avid triathlete, distance runner and Adirondack 46er, Henderson works as a coordinator for recreational and intramural programs at William and Mary College.
My favorite part has always been about 30 minutes prior to start time on the morning of the Sprint. The air is cool, people are gathering, and anything can happen.
2. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF THE PATCH SPRINT?
Pok-O-Moonshine up to the first set of cliffs. You've just completed three mountains and about 11 miles, and then you just start going up. It gets a little easier once you find your rhythm (for me above the first set of cliffs), but that first 1/2 mile on Pok-O is brutal.
3. WHAT IS YOUR TRAINING REGIMEN FOR THIS EVENT.
Depends on the year and injuries. In the three years I had my best times (1999, 2000, 2004), the one consistent training factor was that I had also been training for triathlons those years. I'm convinced that cross-training is essential to success.
4. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE 2006 RACE?
A personal best time. If I can get the conditioning part right, I think my race-day nutrition knowledge is better than it was when I set my personal best in 2000. A lot also depends on race-day conditions, though. So relative to the rest of the pack, I'd love to get top 3.
5. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER DONE THE PATCH SPRINT?
Know the course beforehand, don't go out too quickly, and enjoy the course. I think it would be very difficult for a very well-conditioned person to come in on race-day and win the Patch Sprint without having a good knowledge
of the course. One wrong turn can cost you an hour of time. There are even folks who have run the course several times and still take the occasional wrong turn (the three big trouble spots are coming down off Bare, the top of Rattlesnake, and the road behind Sugarloaf leading to Fiegalley). We've alleviated some issues by flagging the backside of Sugarloaf, but don't assume the entire course is marked. Read the course descriptions you receive prior to the race.
If you're racing, take a moment to glance down at Long Pond and over at Poko from the Bare spot on Bare mountain, look to your right on Rattlesnake to see spectacular views of Lake Champlain and Vermont. If you're trekking and not worried about time, take some moments to check out the views. I trekked last year for the first time, and one of my favorite things was watching the race unfold. First we saw the Women's Open leaders pass us, and later saw the Men's Open leaders pass us. The staggered start times allow trekkers a front-row seat and insight into the ultimate outcome of the divisional races.
Also, walk or run with someone you might not know too well. One of my favorite things about the staggered start times is that you are either being passed, staying even with, or passing someone else. Say hi, ask how folks are doing, latch on to someone who knows their way down Sugarloaf and over to the tunnel if you're not too sure. Most of all, enjoy it!