Li'l Rhody Runaround 2022

 

Charlestown, RI

Sunday, November 20, 2022

The 31st edition of the Li'l Rhody Runaround Trail Race.  My 19th running personally, with 18 years on the 8-mile course and one year (last year) on the newer 4-mile course as I was one week out from the Philadelphia Marathon at that time.

I've written plenty of times about this race and its background and all the great volunteer work that goes into it, so this time we'll jump right into my 2022 race experience:

First half of race:  After two consecutive years of COVID-related restrictions, including waves and a modified race start, this year we were back to "normal" with a mass start from the traditional start line on Sanctuary Road.  It was chilly in shorts and a singlet at the start with 37°F and 20mph wind off the water, but once we got going and especially into the woods I warmed up just fine.

Lead pack in '22 Li'l Rhody

There were at least eight of us that stayed together in the lead pack for the entire distance on Sanctuary Road (about 3/4 mile).  As Jonny Hammett would later muse, the pace was slow and nobody wanted to take it out.  I contemplated taking the lead myself but thought better of it.  I have run my Mile 1 pace in the past as fast as 5:35, but today we did not even break 6!

Just at the split, Tom and Dave went left for the 4-miler, while I edged in just behind Brian Coyne and Brendan Atkins (Grills 10-Mile '22 winner) to enter the single-track.  After a short single-track section to the campground, we open up onto asphalt road for about 1/2 mile.  At this point, Thomas McLaughlin goes by me easily and joins the two ahead of me.  

The first two miles are flat and fast, with substantial road sections, and it is a struggle for me to keep the lead runners in sight and fend off other runners.  Just after two miles, though, as we get close to Klondike Road, there are twists, bog bridges, and roots, and I'm able to catch and repass young Thomas here.  After Klondike Road intersection, there are some rocky sections and by then I can no longer hear or sense Thomas immediately behind me.  Good.

Mile 3 I run as an island, but for most of Mile 4 I can sense someone just behind me and closing.  Is it Thomas again?  No, towards the end of the mile and not long before the water stop, Ben Q announces he's passing me on my left, and I give him some encouragement to catch the two leaders.  Where did he come from?!  I knew he was signed up for the race, but not having seen him until now and knowing he wasn't ahead of me at that point, I just assumed he didn't show up.  See what happens when you assume?

I came into the water stop that Team Garvin (Chris and Seb) were manning and I totally botched getting my cup of water and spilled it instead.  Chris later said that he spilled it on me, but I'm pretty sure it was my own clumsy error.

Half-way done, coming into the water stop
(Pic by Chris G)

Second half:  After the water stop, on the short section on Buckeye Brook Road, I could see the top three guys ahead of me.  As each turned off the road back onto the single-track, that would be the last I would see of each of them until after the race.  

I ran the entire second half as an island, and periodically reminded myself to keep the pace up and try not to resort to the default of just naturally slowing down.  I don't remember anything remarkable on the second half, except that I was relieved to see the sharp turn at Mile 5.5 intact from this morning's save.  Specifically, at Mile 5.5 there is a trail intersection where a trail goes straight but our course makes a turn more than 90°.  Jonny had heavily marked this the afternoon before, including a sign in the middle of the trail directing runners to go right.  Sometime between then and race morning, some hooligan(s) had rerouted the sign and flags to point runners straight (the wrong direction).  This has been a fear of mine dating back to pranksters removing flags from the old Big River Half Marathon, but had never materialized until now.  And I don't think we would normally catch this, except that Matthew just happened to be running the course before his volunteer course marshal duties and caught and fixed the error.  We got lucky this year thanks to Matthew, and while hopefully just a one-off random occurrence, we'll have to give thought on how to verify next year.

Back out on the road, I ran a 5:43 pace to the finish.  I lamented about how much I dislike the asphalt road finish and feared someone would pass me here.  My fears were unfounded as I crossed the finish line almost a minute and a half of the next runner.

Headed to the finish line

Final result:  50:20, 4th overall of 152, 1st in age group.  Full results here.

This ended up being my 3rd fastest Li'l Rhody ever.  I only broke 50 minutes once (49:10) and I ran 50:16 in 2014.  So while I was secretly hoping to got sub-50, I'll take it.  While I'm certainly not making any excuses and am happy with my performance overall, I believe there was a heavier leaf cover than in recent past years and I'm just wondering if that had any impact at all.

I felt warm during the run, but post-race even after donning
pants and a quarter-zip, I quickly got cold.
The fire felt great, as did the hot soup.

This ends the WTAC Fall Trail Race series, and trail racing overall for me this year.  I'm contemplating running in the Border Patrol Challenge to have some trail runs to keep me motivated during the winter, but even if I do, that will have to take a lower priority than training for any spring marathon that I decide upon.  Much more to come!