Profile: Colin Smith
By: Matt Sherman
Name: Colin Smith
Town: Lebanon
Where are you from originally and what brought you to this area? Adlington, England (about 20 miles northwest of Manchester). My wife Alyssa is from Chicago and we moved to the Upper Valley in 2003 for work, and to start a family, after a few years in and around London and a brief spell back in Chicago.
What do you do professionally?
Transportation planning at RSG in White River Junction
How long have you been running?
On and off since I was in school, when I first did track, so about 30 years
How long have you been running competitively?
I was reasonably competitive on the track at school (mostly 100m and 200m as well as long jump, and occasionally 400m), but most running I did later was cross training for soccer and rugby and then later for mountain bike and cyclocross racing. It wasn’t until I moved to Lebanon that I started doing road races regularly, although I did do several of the London Universities cross country races when I was in college there (it is a series of 8k races in the parks in London such as Parliament Hill, Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common).
Why do you run?
I like being active, being outside, and I enjoy competing in races.
Best athletic accomplishment and why?
I finished the 50K at the VT50 in September 2019. It’s a race I did twice on a mountain bike in 2004 and 2006, and always wanted to get in good enough shape to run it. It took 13 years around having kids, a knee surgery, and a bit of a running hiatus after the surgery, so I was very happy to be able to run reasonably well and finish it. I didn’t exactly pace it well -- I ran with a fast moving group in the top 10 for about the first 30K and then paid for that towards the end of the race, but I think that is all part of the first ultra experience.
If you like to race, favorite race distance? Why?
I really like the half marathon road race distance (or trail races of a similar length by time, say 75 to 90 minutes). It’s long enough to be an endurance effort but short enough to race it and recover reasonably quickly. Plus, the halves I’ve done most often (Covered Bridges in Woodstock and the Seacoast Half in Portsmouth) are both great races that I like going back to.
If you like to race, notable race moment? OR most memorable race? There is a fell (hill) running race near to where I grew up, the Rivington Pike Fell Race, which is a roughly 5K race up (about 800ft) and down a local hill. I didn’t run it growing up and wasn’t aware that it was such a well known race. In 2008 we were home visiting my parents over Easter (the race is on Easter Saturday) so I did it. I got a sense for how competitive it would be when I recognized the national fell running champion, Rob Hope, on the start line, as well as another ex-national champion, Ian Holmes. Anyway, I did okay (I ran a half marathon PR at Covered Bridges a few weeks later so I was in good shape) but I finished a long, long way back from the leaders. Definitely the most stacked race I’ve ever run in, and not the little local race I was expecting.
Training partners?
I’ve been doing regular weekend long runs with Rob Frost for the last year and a half, along with Laura Hagley, Joe Burnett and others. I’ve known Paul Coats pretty much since I moved to Lebanon and have run with him a lot over the years.
Cross training activities?
Biking (far less than I used to, but that is changing again now that my kids are getting faster on bikes and run/biking with them isn’t working as well), and hiking.
Favorite local running route?
I probably run on the rail trail and Mascoma River Greenway more than anywhere else, but the trails in Boston Lot are my favorite place to run. I couldn’t tell you my favorite route in there as I don’t know that I have ever managed to do the same route twice, it is more like constant exploration.
Favorite post run treat?
Anything made of chocolate, or homemade cookies, or freshly baked bread. Erm, etc., etc.
Any notable streaks or other unusual running events?
My longest streak was last year, I ran every day during 2020.
What made you start running?
My transition from sporadic or cross training only running to regular running and racing happened when I moved here in 2003. There was a lunchtime running group at work and we trained for the 5K at the Harpoon Oktoberfest.
Who is your running “idol”?
I liked watching track and field on TV when I was a kid. Steve Cram was the big star at the time for British middle distance running, so he was an idol when I was younger. These days it is ultra runners and fell runners like Nicky Spinks (a British fell runner). I’d like to do some of the mountain rounds that Nicky Spinks has held records on like the Bob Graham Round in the Lake District. Her commitment and ability to slog through those incredibly demanding runs is inspirational.
Why did you join UVRC?
The club is a great way to connect with the local running community
Ever run in a costume?
No
The only running shoe for me is...
Brooks Ghost. (at least right now, they seem to work well for me on the road. Plenty of drop which is easy on my achilles)
Ever been injured? How did it happen?
I had Osgood-Schlatter disease in my right knee when I was a teenager (which I blame on too much cricket -- impact on the right knee during the delivery stride for a left arm bowler) and the bony lump on my tibia from that disintegrated in 2011, requiring surgery at DHMC.
I got doored while cycling in London, just before the student national time trial championships, which was a four man team time trial. Me and another guy from the University of London team were out for a final training ride and gear check a couple of days before the race and a driver opened their door as we rode past, just down the street from Hampton Court Palace. I was in hospital for almost a week, and still have metal plates in my face. I wasn’t off the bike for long but couldn’t run (or even walk) without pain in my face and head for months.
More recently I injured my achilles doing sprint starts while helping coach the Granite State youth track program in Lebanon.
Hot or cold weather runner?
I like running in all weather conditions but don’t seem to do well with the combination of heat and high humidity. I always appreciate breezy, 45F, overcast, and drizzle as it reminds me of every day back home.
Morning or evening runner?
I’d like to run in the morning more but seem to be stuck cramming weekday runs in between work and dinner at the moment. Last year I did a lot of 9 or 10pm runs after kid bedtime to keep the streak going.
What is your motivation?
Right now it is getting in good enough shape to try some ultra races and long mountain runs/fast hikes, like the VT50 again, Hanover to Moosilauke on the AT, Presi traverse in the Whites, the Bob Graham Round in the Lake District, and CCC in the Alps.
What is your favorite race?
One of Shamrock Shuffle, Covered Bridges HM, or the VT 50.
What does your daily workout consist of?
Junk miles on the MRG or rail trail
How about favorite work out?
I can’t say I’m a fan of track workouts, but I don’t mind hill repeats. Probably my favorite work out is hard long “progression” runs: 15-20 miles a bit faster than I should do long runs with Rob, Laura, Joe et al, along a rolling, mostly dirt road route in Norwich or Lyme or Canaan, closing out with a couple of miles at sub 6:45 pace chasing Laura. I guess they are really long runs but feel like a workout.
What is your diet like?
This year it has deteriorated due to a lot of snacking while working at home, supplemented with kid leftovers.
If you could run with anyone, who would be the person?
It would have to be Nicky Spinks and she would be pacing me on the Bob Graham Round.
What else should the club know about you?
I am chair of the Lebanon Pedestrian and Bicyclist Advisory Committee, an advisory committee to the City Council. If anyone in the club has any questions, concerns, or ideas about any pedestrian or bicyclists issues in Lebanon, they can let me know.
Aside from running, what are your hobbies?
Other outdoor sports like biking, hiking, skiing (XC and downhill), all preferably with my kids. I especially like downhill skiing with them, usually at Whaleback as they zip around and jump off things. I took a cabinet making class at Ava Gallery and have been doing a lot of carpentry the last couple of years as we fix up our house.
