Recap: Sunapee Scramble

This past weekend, I headed to Mount Sunapee for the Sunapee Scramble—a roughly 9-mile trail race packed with vertical gain, steep ski slopes, giant mud pits, and punishing downhills. It was my final hard effort before the Mount Washington Road Race on June 14th.

Taper Week: Nailed It

Leading into the race, I had a solid week of training. Monday was an easy 60-minute bike ride. On Tuesday, I hit 400m repeats in the morning to dial in speed, followed by an easy 10K trail run that afternoon. Thursday was a rest day. Friday I did a light lift. And on Saturday, I wrapped it up with an easy 2-mile neighborhood jog, ending with a few hill strides to prime the legs.

Historically, I’ve either overcooked my taper or taken it too easy—both leaving me feeling flat at the start line. Not this time. My volume and intensity were right where they needed to be, and I lined up with some bounce in my step.

The Warm-Up

I had plenty of time to warm up: 20 minutes walking around the lot and slopes, 15 minutes of easy running, some drills to fire up my legs, and a few strides uphill to raise the heart rate. Everything felt dialed.

The Start

I started toward the back of the pack—this race drew a crowd of elite runners trying to earn a spot on the U.S. Mountain Running Team. The opening stretch rolled slightly downhill before we hit our first climb up the ski slope.

It was steep. The tall grass and recent rains turned the course into a slip-and-slide. One wrong step and you were ankle-deep in mud or sliding backward. After grinding up the slope, we hit the gravel summit road—an unrelenting climb that reminded me exactly of what Mount Washington will feel like. I ran and hiked strategically, knowing we still had to summit again.

Downhill Mayhem

Once we crested the top, it was time to bomb the downhill. I separated from the group I was running with to give myself some space through the glades. The soft loam made for a fast, squishy descent—until it dropped onto a regular ski slope that was even steeper. I did my best to stay upright... until I didn’t. I wiped out trying to dodge another runner and slid on my butt for a solid 10 feet. Got up, laughed, and kept hammering to start loop two.

Mud

The second climb started the same but veered off onto a hiking trail—basically a mud pit. By then, I had mud caked on my shins, face, and hands. I ran where I could and focused on staying upright and holding position.

After reaching the summit again, it was time to descend. My quads were lit up and every step felt reckless in the best way. This is my favorite part of trail running—the focus it demands. You can’t think about anything else but the next step. I found some flow and flew down the final descent, kicking hard into the finish.

Final Thoughts

I crossed the line just over 2 hours. My “A” goal was sub-2, with a stretch goal of 90 minutes. That wasn’t in the cards this year given the course conditions—even the elites were slower compared to last year. But I’m proud of my effort and how my fitness is trending.

Most importantly, I’m still fired up for Mount Washington. Sometimes a race right before a big one can drain your competitive edge—not this time. Ten days to go!

—Justin Miner
@justinminergain

The classic “my quads hurt every step” face.