Trails to a Cure

Cockaponsett State Forest

Chester, CT

Sunday. September 20, 2020

This was my second consecutive year running this race.  Last year I ran, had an absolute blast, and even happened to win the race (caveats:  small field, and you race who shows up).

While most organizations and RDs are opting to cancel events outright or go virtual, when I talked to RD Charlie Iselin at People's Forest Race in late August, I learned he was going to try to put on the race.  I was psyched when registration was open, and seeing the state-imposed COVID limit of 75 runners total, promptly signed up.  (The race did sell out a few days before race day.)

When the race sold out, I researched my competition that was signed up.  That was one advantage of no race day registration this year; I knew who was going to show up.  None of the three guys that I trailed for the first half of last year's race were registered.  OK.  Teammate Dave Goodrich and I are about even and go back and forth at races, and I'm hoping the advantage goes to me because of some technical terrain.  But, wait, there's a guy named Chris Pagliuco registered, and he won the race in 2015, came in second in 2016 and 2017, and all three finishing times were faster than mine last year.  Gulp.  

It was only 45° when we arrived, and a mere three degrees warmer than that at race start.  The water temp at the infamous crossing will certainly be warmer than the air today.  Went for a 2-mile course warm-up with my WTAC teammates Nick, Kevin M, and Dave (and Brady!) before stripping down to a singlet (and shorts of course!) and heading to the start line.

Start of race:  I have to commend SNERRO's Pete and RD Charlie for keeping their remarks brief and interesting.  I can sometimes be long-winded and try to keep mine focused at WTAC races.  Pete explained the COVID-required staggered start process, which was already very similar to what we had been doing in WTAC free summer events, and Charlie had two interesting notes on modifications for this year:

1. Due to COVID, there would be no spectators or lifeguards at the chest-deep water crossing this year.  We were on our own if we chose the water crossing, which of course I would be as it saves a good minute or more.
2. Because a number of runners in the past purportedly remarked on the course being short of 8 miles on their GPS (like that's accurate in the woods), he added a section at the north end of the course and you would cross Old County Road (dirt road) and run a short section of trails there.  Sounds intriguing!

Tying my shoes as others stretch at the socially distanced start

I was seeded in the first wave and of course looked around trying to figure out who the 43-year old Chris P was.  The gun went off and three of us took the lead:  Dave in front, then me, then a guy who introduced himself as Rob Low and recognized me as L'il Rhody RD.  OK, so where the heck is Chris P?  Let it go and focus on the race.  The first half mile is on an old asphalt road, barricaded off from traffic, and kind of annoying, but I remembered it's the only asphalt on the course.  I passed Dave (it looked like he let me pass) just before turning off the road onto the single-track, and from there I put distance on him.

Start of wave 1

Dave and I take it out

Starting out on the road section, 
it was Dave, then me, then Rob Low

We had about 1.5 miles of net downhill on sometimes twisty, sometimes technical single-track to the southern end of the course, where you make almost a 180° turn and head north.  I remembered last year I was annoyed that the runners in front of me slowed down on anything technical (well of course they did, but I meant they slowed down much more than I would have), and this year I pushed it fairly hard and that paid dividends, as at the southern turn I could see the trail I just ran on, and nobody was within sight.

Another 1.5 miles back to near the starting area.  Between running this last year as well as earlier this year with Matthew, the territory was somewhat familiar to me.  The long 200' climb and then the only rock scramble on the course where I was also frustrated last year as I had to wait for the two in front of me that came to a stop and there was no room to pass.  After the rock scramble, it's downhill to the course split (near the end of the 4-mile course), and Jana and Brady were there waiting.  It probably wasn't nice of me to call out to Brady, who instantly wanted to chase after and run with me and pulled hard on the leash and ultimately on Jana.

Behaving himself while waiting for
me to finish
(all photos courtesy of Jana)

The second half:    Shortly after the course split, we come to a very fun and appropriately named segment (below).  

This was the segment snippet and my 3rd place from last
year, with my blog comment at that time:
"Very appropriately named segment!  And only 7 seconds off the CR!
That means I have to go back next year, right?"

So did I take the 7 seconds off this year, or not?

Took 15 seconds off and got the crown!  Ecstatic when I found out.
(I know some people aren't in to segments, but I don't get many,
so let me have my bragging rights until someone takes it away.)

Less than a mile after Rocks n' Shit, I reached Old County Road, where the race turned around in the past.  Not today.  Across the road for some new to me terrain and some really fun single-track.  I was expecting a short section, but the trail just kept going.  (Charlie actually added an entire mile of trails!)  I am feeling really good, so I'm figuring as long as I don't start to fatigue, this extra distance is benefitting me.  At one point, we ran across a really cool stone dam, and that was tempered by some loose gravel dirt road, but still overall really great new trail additions.  

Crossing back over Old County Road, we have about two miles left to go.  I remember that is generally one of the flatter and non-technical sections of the course, so while I can't see anyone, I better be vigilant.  I went quite a while without seeing any "confidence" flags and was getting nervous that I was no longer on the course and had missed a turn somewhere.  Maybe I screwed up at the last trail intersection and misread the flags?  This went on for a while, and I actually thought about turning around and running back to the last intersection, but fortunately I finally saw another flag.  Whew!  In truth, I had read the last marked intersection correctly and there was nowhere to turn off the trail after that, but I do like a good confidence flag.

We were soon running alongside the Pattaconk Reservoir, I could occasionally hear SNERRO over the loud-speaker, no doubt announcing 4-mile finishers, and I knew the water crossing was coming up quickly.  Saw the sign to make a 90-degree left turn if you wanted the water crossing, and that pretty much dumped me out immediately into chest high water and muck.  As with last year, I couldn't figure out if best to try to swim or pull myself along the rope and I kind of alternated both methods.  Not that I felt uncomfortable with no spectators or lifeguards this year due to COVID, but I did prefer having them there for mental support if nothing else.

And here's the water crossing!
(2019 picture of me halfway across it)

Out of the water and high-tailed it the 1/4 mile or so to the finish.  

Final results:  1:03:41.  1st overall out of 37!  Full results here.

Going into the water to clean-up post-race, 
with Brady behind me and Dave to my left.

So what happened to that Chris P guy?  A no show I figured, but I'll have to wait until I get home, as no race results posting allowed onsite to avoid crowding during COVID.  It turns out he was in the 2nd wave and ended up 2nd just ahead of my teammate Dave.  Sandbagger!  

While I missed the post-race camaraderie, brick oven pizza, and awards ceremony, it was still a really fun race!  Some runners I know have said that in the COVID era, races are just no fun and even "terrible", but I am certainly not in that camp by any means.  Huge kudos to Charlie and his wife Becky striving against the odds and putting this on in these odd times.  Well done!

Good turnout from WTAC, especially considering "so far away" (do I sound like a Rhode Islander?)
kneeling front row, left to right:  Me, Paul, Dave
back row, left to right:  Sharon, Bill, Rose, Kevin, Nick