Twilight "Trail" Run
Groton, CT
Friday, June 1, 2018
I really enjoy running in Bluff Point and Haley Farms State Parks, site of tonight's run. While I did realize ahead of time that most of the race would be on carriage roads and not on my preferred single-track, I was still looking forward to the single-track heading out from Bluff Point on the way to Haley. Tonight held an added bonus as it had rained much of the day and the single-track would be wet and muddy. Fun! Or so I thought ...
Last minute sign up and check-in just 15 minutes before race start. What a rookie! Caught up with CT runners Rob Buttermore, Mathew Ridley, Paul Gray, and a few others. Only had time for a 1/2 mile warm-up, then toed the line. The race featured both a 3.5 and 7.4 mile distance, but it looked like all the fast runners were running the long distance. The race director announced that the single-track was too wet and muddy to run on, and so that portion of the race would also be re-routed onto carriage roads. What?!! How is that possible? I've raced through swamps, boulder fields, a foot of snow, ice, etc., so how can a race course be "too wet and muddy" to run? Had I known this ahead of time, I wouldn't have come. I know I probably sound like a spoiled little brat or at least a poor sport, but bear in mind that I paid $30 to run the Twilight TRAIL Race, and I wouldn't end up running trails at all.
The gun went off, and I tried not to sulk and stay positive, but my motivation was gone. Not an exciting race for me by any means. The two leaders took off so fast that I figured [incorrectly] that they were running the short race. I saw Mathew Ridley for a little while, I got chicked by fast Becky Snelson, and then I settled into a routine. At about 1.5 miles where we round the peninsula and start a slow climb, I passed one runner, uphill, go figure. The re-route not only took away the only single-track on the course, but also added injury by having you run through the finish line and then out again.
I followed Becky out to Haley Farm and passed her there. After that I just ran in no-mans land for the rest of the race, missed the finish line completely, which added a few seconds to come back and cross, but I really didn't care. Scratch this race off my list. Again, Bluff and Haley are fine places to run, and my disappointment was entirely that the race terrain (carriage roads) didn't live up to the race billing. False advertising. End of whining.
Final results: 49:25, 5th overall, 1st in age group. Full results here.
Back Road Ramble
Charlestown, RI
Sunday, June 3, 2018
This was the 7th annual edition of this race, of which I've raced all 7, and served on the race committee for the past 6. This race has had many race modifications, the latest last year when DEM put the kibosh on any more races that go through the campground during camping season. As an alternative, I came up with the idea of starting out on dirt roads (North Camp) to allow a mass start, and then single-track the rest of the way, including the moderately technical Sammy C's, before running the mile road to finish at the YMCA's Camp Watchaug. The hitch was being point-to-point meant we needed to provide transportation, and I was skeptical we could pull that off, but when the Chariho bus company donated two buses and drivers, we were in!
To broaden appeal, we have both a "long" course (5.8 miles) and a short (2.7), and typically get about 100 runners. Why the waterfront activities (use of kayaks, canoes, swimming, water trampoline) and lunch included in race entry don't induce more runners to sign up is beyond me.
Arrived at 6:30am to set the course with fellow committee member, Sergio Cherenzia. We ran, flagged, and marked both the long and short courses, before arriving back at Camp Watchaug in plenty of time to meet with the course marshal and water stop personnel. Unlike last year's scramble, I headed out earlier to get both groups situated at their designated points and got to the start line 10 minutes ahead of the start. After some pre-race remarks from Karen (RD and Arcadia Y branch manager) and me, we were off.
A kid of about 8 flew out ahead of everyone and then 100 meters in, unceremoniously completely stopped in the middle of the trail. Odd. Chris and Jonny took it out pretty good, and I followed them for the mile down to the North Camp beach. At that point, I had occasional glimpses of Jonny for the next mile, but they were basically gone and no one was around me. This was in sharp contrast to last year, when I stayed with leaders Galoob and Jonny for 2 miles and had youngsters nipping at my heels.
Unfortunately, I was lulled into a slower pace than I realized. By all rights, I should have run faster than last year's much hotter weather, but it wasn't to be. All of Sammy C's passed by fairly quickly and easily, which confirms I wasn't working hard enough. Hitting the road for the final 0.9 mile, I passed a few walkers from the short course. Finally picked it up, but finished 37 seconds slower than last year. My cool-down was a swim out to the water trampoline, which unfortunately I couldn't drag any of my teammates along this year. :(
Final results: 40:26, 3rd of 36 in the long course. Preceded by Chris and Jonny, and succeeded by Jonathan Short. Full results here.
Post race follow-up: We met as a race committee a week later for a post-mortem as we always do. It really is a good idea while the successes and short-comings are fresh in one's mind. We had 102 registered runners this year, with 82 finishers across the two races. This was the lowest turnout in a few years. Plausible explanations ran the gamut, from too many race conflicts on this same date, colder weather tampering interest in water activities, a second trail race in Charlestown just one week later, absence of SNERRO keeping away a few race entrants, and late day start a turn-off for some as it takes up so much of the day. After much discussion, the only planned changes thus far for next year are to hold it later in the month (June 23, 2019), start 1 hour earlier (10am) and nix the grill items due to time of day and replace with something else.
Groton, CT
Friday, June 1, 2018
I really enjoy running in Bluff Point and Haley Farms State Parks, site of tonight's run. While I did realize ahead of time that most of the race would be on carriage roads and not on my preferred single-track, I was still looking forward to the single-track heading out from Bluff Point on the way to Haley. Tonight held an added bonus as it had rained much of the day and the single-track would be wet and muddy. Fun! Or so I thought ...
Last minute sign up and check-in just 15 minutes before race start. What a rookie! Caught up with CT runners Rob Buttermore, Mathew Ridley, Paul Gray, and a few others. Only had time for a 1/2 mile warm-up, then toed the line. The race featured both a 3.5 and 7.4 mile distance, but it looked like all the fast runners were running the long distance. The race director announced that the single-track was too wet and muddy to run on, and so that portion of the race would also be re-routed onto carriage roads. What?!! How is that possible? I've raced through swamps, boulder fields, a foot of snow, ice, etc., so how can a race course be "too wet and muddy" to run? Had I known this ahead of time, I wouldn't have come. I know I probably sound like a spoiled little brat or at least a poor sport, but bear in mind that I paid $30 to run the Twilight TRAIL Race, and I wouldn't end up running trails at all.
The gun went off, and I tried not to sulk and stay positive, but my motivation was gone. Not an exciting race for me by any means. The two leaders took off so fast that I figured [incorrectly] that they were running the short race. I saw Mathew Ridley for a little while, I got chicked by fast Becky Snelson, and then I settled into a routine. At about 1.5 miles where we round the peninsula and start a slow climb, I passed one runner, uphill, go figure. The re-route not only took away the only single-track on the course, but also added injury by having you run through the finish line and then out again.
I followed Becky out to Haley Farm and passed her there. After that I just ran in no-mans land for the rest of the race, missed the finish line completely, which added a few seconds to come back and cross, but I really didn't care. Scratch this race off my list. Again, Bluff and Haley are fine places to run, and my disappointment was entirely that the race terrain (carriage roads) didn't live up to the race billing. False advertising. End of whining.
Final results: 49:25, 5th overall, 1st in age group. Full results here.
Back Road Ramble
Charlestown, RI
Sunday, June 3, 2018
This was the 7th annual edition of this race, of which I've raced all 7, and served on the race committee for the past 6. This race has had many race modifications, the latest last year when DEM put the kibosh on any more races that go through the campground during camping season. As an alternative, I came up with the idea of starting out on dirt roads (North Camp) to allow a mass start, and then single-track the rest of the way, including the moderately technical Sammy C's, before running the mile road to finish at the YMCA's Camp Watchaug. The hitch was being point-to-point meant we needed to provide transportation, and I was skeptical we could pull that off, but when the Chariho bus company donated two buses and drivers, we were in!
To broaden appeal, we have both a "long" course (5.8 miles) and a short (2.7), and typically get about 100 runners. Why the waterfront activities (use of kayaks, canoes, swimming, water trampoline) and lunch included in race entry don't induce more runners to sign up is beyond me.
Arrived at 6:30am to set the course with fellow committee member, Sergio Cherenzia. We ran, flagged, and marked both the long and short courses, before arriving back at Camp Watchaug in plenty of time to meet with the course marshal and water stop personnel. Unlike last year's scramble, I headed out earlier to get both groups situated at their designated points and got to the start line 10 minutes ahead of the start. After some pre-race remarks from Karen (RD and Arcadia Y branch manager) and me, we were off.
 |
| Crowded start line with a number of the usual suspects. (All pics courtesy of Jana except as marked.) |
A kid of about 8 flew out ahead of everyone and then 100 meters in, unceremoniously completely stopped in the middle of the trail. Odd. Chris and Jonny took it out pretty good, and I followed them for the mile down to the North Camp beach. At that point, I had occasional glimpses of Jonny for the next mile, but they were basically gone and no one was around me. This was in sharp contrast to last year, when I stayed with leaders Galoob and Jonny for 2 miles and had youngsters nipping at my heels.
 |
| In no-man's land about 2 miles in. (Courtesy YMCA) |
Unfortunately, I was lulled into a slower pace than I realized. By all rights, I should have run faster than last year's much hotter weather, but it wasn't to be. All of Sammy C's passed by fairly quickly and easily, which confirms I wasn't working hard enough. Hitting the road for the final 0.9 mile, I passed a few walkers from the short course. Finally picked it up, but finished 37 seconds slower than last year. My cool-down was a swim out to the water trampoline, which unfortunately I couldn't drag any of my teammates along this year. :(
 |
| Finishing up at Camp Watchaug |
Final results: 40:26, 3rd of 36 in the long course. Preceded by Chris and Jonny, and succeeded by Jonathan Short. Full results here.
 |
| With a few of my teammates at the waterfront |
Post race follow-up: We met as a race committee a week later for a post-mortem as we always do. It really is a good idea while the successes and short-comings are fresh in one's mind. We had 102 registered runners this year, with 82 finishers across the two races. This was the lowest turnout in a few years. Plausible explanations ran the gamut, from too many race conflicts on this same date, colder weather tampering interest in water activities, a second trail race in Charlestown just one week later, absence of SNERRO keeping away a few race entrants, and late day start a turn-off for some as it takes up so much of the day. After much discussion, the only planned changes thus far for next year are to hold it later in the month (June 23, 2019), start 1 hour earlier (10am) and nix the grill items due to time of day and replace with something else.
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