Philadelphia Marathon 2021

Philadelphia, PA

Sunday, November 21, 2021

It's been eighteen years now since I ran my first marathon, which also happened to be the Philadelphia Marathon.  So many rookie mistakes were made that debut marathon race, including wearing a cotton shirt (seriously!), throwing out my space blanket immediately post-race and feeling like I was freezing a few minutes later, sitting down in a chair just after I finished and then unable to stand up on my own (a stranger and Jana worked together to get me up), and driving back to RI post marathon, a painful experience.

Finish line at my 2003 Philadelphia Marathon,
baggy shorts, cotton t-shirt, race belt, and all.

Fast forward 18 years, and let's see how my race four days from now goes.  I'll throw out my goals now, and then revisit them post-race and see how I did:

• "A" Goal:  sub-2:50.  Yes, that's seriously aggressive, but I'm running well and want to at least try.
• "B" Goal:  a PR (i.e., sub-2:51:55).  Again, aggressive.
• "C" Goal:  sub-3.  One could even argue that's aggressive, as the past few marathons I've run, I've just barely gotten in sub-3.

Saturday morning Matthew and I took the train from Westerly to Philadelphia.  Driving home from Philadelphia after my first marathon in 2003 was pretty miserable and uncomfortable, so I decided to make the travel a little easier and more relaxing this time (especially as I can travel for "free" on Amtrak, based on all the money spent commuting daily on Amtrak to Boston for 13 years).

Philadelphia Amtrak Station:
nice building inside and out

Arrived Philadelphia about 1pm, and after lunch, checked into the hotel and went to the expo.  The expo was pretty small and unremarkable, but mandatory to attend, show vaccination proof (vaccinated only at this marathon), and pick up shirt, bib, and drop bag.

Expo was well laid out and inviting

I set out everything I would need for the marathon
before going to bed:  clockwise from upper-left:
gear check drop back, face mask (required to get into
starting corral), gloves, Garmin watch, red
bracelet needed to get into security area and
proving vaccination screening, 3 x GU,
running clothes with bib pinned,
and maroon corral designation.

Race start jitters and errors:  Set the alarm for 5am (7am race start one mile away).  Had a bowl of oatmeal with dried cranberries and blueberries we picked up from an organic store last night, plus half a bagel.  (Note to self:  never microwave a bagel again.  Never.)   Got into my race clothing, and then rested until about 6:15am, before stretching out and heading to the race.

I was feeling confident as I jogged in the pre-dawn darkness to the race and feeling excited as I saw hundreds of other runners, police, fountains, and the flag-lined start at Ben Franklin Parkway near the famous Philadelphia Art Museum and "Rocky" steps.  I showed my bracelet (which we got after validating vaccination status yesterday), got to the start at about 6:40am, and thought I'll do a few strides, shed my quarter-zip and gloves into the gear back, drop my gear bag, and be ready to go.  If only it were that easy ...

Fountain at Logan Circle, near start,
as I arrived about sunrise

And then it hit me:  I was woefully unprepared for the enormity of this event and ensuing logistics of the start area.  I better drop my bag right away.  Where is that bag drop?  Three times I had to follow the pattern of 1) asking a volunteer which way the bag drop was, 2) run/jog between scads of people in the general direction I was pointed, 3) repeat process of finding and asking another volunteer.

So now I've arrived at the bag drop.  It's 6:50am.  Ten minutes to start.  Uh-oh.  The bag drop consists of maybe a dozen UPS trucks backed up and lined up ready to accept gear, and then facing the trucks are long lines of hundreds of runners ready to drop off their bags and stretching out further in the distance than I can see.  Now what?!  Hide the bag behind a tree instead?  No, someone would probably throw it out and I have my cell phone in the bag.  Carry my bag while running and hand it to Matthew whenever I first see him?  That doesn't sound good either.

I flash back to the Vermont City Half Marathon, where I held onto my gear until about three minutes before start and then dropped off my gear bag and still had time for a few more strides.  Irrelevant comparison!  Vermont City Half had 442 finishers, whereas Philadelphia Marathon has more than 7,500.  

Ran alongside the long line until I got to the back.  Other runners are also questioning whether they'll get to the start of the race by the 7am start.  Then one runner points out you don't need to be there by 7am; you just need to be there by the time the final runner in the final waves crosses the starting line.  OK, so I won't miss the race, but I don't want to miss my wave either and have to start at the back.  That would be horrible.

I stay in line and the line moves quicker than I expected, but I am constantly staring at the minutes ticking away on my watch and it feels harrowing.  I am getting very close to the start of the line when we hear announced that the wheelchair division just got underway.  OK, my wave is two waves away, but I don't actually know the time separation.  I check my bag, get my bag receipt, stuff it in my back pocket, and run towards the start.  During my run to the start, I am getting close to the entry for my "maroon" wave, when I hear announced the start of the elite and seeded wave.

I pull into the maroon entrance and on to the starting road, Ben Franklin Parkway.  I walk towards the front of the pack, sidestepping many runners, and get up to about the 3rd row.  I hear a speaker giving tips on the race, and look to my right.  About three feet from me, up on a reviewing stand platform, is Meb Keflezighi speaking!!!  I also recognize Aliphine Tuliamuk on the platform (maybe because I just read an article about her and her husband).  Pretty cool.  This helps just a tiny bit in calming my nerves.  The crowd chuckles as Meb says, "If this is your first marathon, you are going to have a PR!"  

We are packed in like sardines here.  I take solace in the fact that every single runner here is fully vaccinated.  Honestly, I hope this vaccination requirement becomes a trend at races, or at least larger races.  The next thing I remember is another race official starting a countdown to the start, and we're off!

Start to Mile 10:  I've often heard the marathon referred to as "two 10-milers, plus a 10K", so I'll outline this report from that perspective.  Even though I made it up to the third row, I didn't have the clear running path that I had anticipated.  People ran ahead of me only to slow down (in a marathon, right at the start, really?) and there were people in front of me that were clearly much slower than me that I had to weave around.  It was really tight for the first half mile or so, then it thinned out at least enough that I didn't have to do any more weaving.

Busy, packed in start
(from race FB photos)

This gives you a feel for how many runners were on the course.
I tried to stay to the outside as much as possible for efficiently passing people.

I heard and recognized Matthew's voice as I went past where he was standing outside the corralled off running lanes.  The first two miles of the course head east through Center City (where we spent the night), Chinatown, and towards the Delaware River.  About two miles in I go past a runner pushing a wheelchair participant, and he is blasting "Thunderstruck"!  Gave them a huge thumbs-up.  Inspirational!  

As we get to the Delaware River and turn to head south along its banks for a mile and a half, I come up on to the tail end of a massive group of runners, as in hundreds and hundreds of them across the width of the road for as far as I can see.  What gives?  The only two waves that should be ahead of me are the wheelchair division which started at 7am, and then the elite/seeded section a few minutes after that.  I panic a little as I weave through runners, but then smarten up and decide it's best for me to run on the far left side of the mob, where there is plenty of room for me to pass runners, and pass them I do.  I glance to my left a few times, but the warehouse look of Camden, New Jersey on the opposite side of the river is less than appealing.

We head west through a downtown area, and there is a two mile section (Miles 6 and 7) that are among the liveliest on the course.  Throngs of spectators are out cheering, many with homemade signs.  I notice the "Run like the Wind" sign that is ubiquitous at many marathons, but I am intrigued with the "Lauf Langsamer" sign (translated "Run Slower") and wonder if the person got the wording wrong or else why slower?  As we run past a pizza joint, I notice the cheeky if not mildly inappropriate slogan, "Where you always get a piece" and chuckle to my immature self.  I then hear AC/DC's Thunderstruck a second time, as a random spectator is blasting it.  This section is really motivating, and perhaps explains why I logged my two fastest miles of the race here, with Mile 6 a 6:05 and Mile 7 a 6:04, at least according to my GPS watch.

Based on those two splits and the fact that every other split to date on my watch registered 6:16 or faster, I figured I was well ahead of my target pace of 6:20 for the first twenty miles, and decided to dial the pace back a bit.

HOWEVER, it turns out my actual pace for the first 10K, unbeknownst to me at the time, was 6:22, not the 6:12 or so that I had projected based on my GPS splits.  More on that later.

At about Mile 8.  Form is still good here.
(Note I don't mind buying an occasional photo
at $5 or $10, but $30 apiece is the price for a download of these photos!)

We close the first ten miles with two back-to-back climbs, a 60' climb followed by a downhill into a 100' climb as we enter Fairmount Park.  I felt the second climb and it was only offset mentally by watching the leaders come through the opposite direction towards us as we started a 2.5 mile loop here.

Miles 11 to 20:  The hill plateaued and we ran a couple of easy flat miles before the descent back out of the park.  

Towards the end of Mile 12, I looked over at the runner I came up on and thought he looked similar to Justin Madry of New London, a runner I met earlier this year while running the John Kelley Half.  Nah, can't be.  He already ran his fall marathon a few weeks earlier.  As I get right up to him, he calls out to me.  Yes, it's Justin!  I asked him, didn't he just run a marathon?  Yes, he explains, he ran at Chicago (3:12), but didn't do well, so he's back at it today (where he would run a 2:58).  It was pretty cool to be 250 miles away from home and randomly run into a runner you know, while running.  At any rate, he encouraged me to keep going and finish strong, and I moved ahead.

I enjoyed the ensuing downhill, but we almost immediately went into another uphill.  I had studied the course and was quite sure there were two hills at Miles 8 and 10, and that was it.  Well, obviously I missed something as I had a 90' climb in Mile 13.  Ugh.  I am feeling this one.  I go through the half in 1:23:07, which is pretty much right on target for my plan of 6:20s for first 20 miles, then I can afford up to 6:50s for remainder.  It's at this point I realize I haven't covered as much ground as my watch would indicate.

After another loop in a different section of the park, we descend the final hill down to begin basically a 10-mile OAB along the Schuykill (pronounced skoo'-kil) River.  At this point, at Mile 16, I see Matthew on the side of the route.

The run along the banks of the river is pleasant with plenty of room spaced out between runners at this point.  Except for this one annoying runner, whose family is following him on bikes on the bike path on the side of the course.  He keeps turning his head around to check out where his family members are and isn't really running an efficient straight line.  Why do I care?  Because he has already cut me off once and I have to make slight stride alternations when he crosses the path in front of me.  My guess is he's much younger than me, so I don't care that he's ahead of me, but just that he occasionally affects my gait and I find his loud conversations with his family hard for me to focus.

On a positive note, the hills are truly done now and I'm able to resume target 6:20 pace for most of the miles from 15 to 20.

Miles 21 to finish:  Just after Mile 20, there is a cone turnaround.  The dreaded cone turnaround.  Many marathons have them, and that is a shame.  Especially this late in the game.  This is what did me in at Newport Marathon in 2017, when I was running 6:20s and 6:30s with Tommy 5K through Mile 21 turnaround, and then I blew up and my pace ballooned to an 8:15 and I just eked out a time under 3 hours.

I take the turnaround as wide as I can to hopefully lessen impact.  I am thrilled to have made it this far at this pace, but I am tired now, and have six long miles to go, with all the remaining miles pretty much the same monotony.  I'm fighting the mental urge to just slow down and be very happy with a PR (sub 2:51:55) or even happy with a sub-2:55, the likes of which I have only seen once, and not in seven years.  I need something to take my mind off the mental battle going on in my head and the return trip along the river, which seemed scenic on the way down and now monotonous on the return.  I decide to employ a mental strategy I've read about and learned to help get you through the final six miles.  The tactic is to dedicate each of the remaining miles to people close to you in your life, and reflect on that person during "their" mile to get your mind off the struggle.  OK, here goes:

Mile 21:  This one is for Dad.  Long departed, and never a runner, but he was always there for me and always encouraged me to do my best.  One of his phrases to me was, "If it's worth doing something, it's worth doing it right".  6:39.  Can I keep it at 6:45 or around there?

Mile 22:  Mom.  Supported me at so many running events; was even there for me at my first Boston Marathon.  6:28.  OK, that's more like it.

Mile 23:  Brady.  Seriously, a dog?  Yes!  Boundless energy, provides me with entertainment and laughs, and is always up for a run with me.  6:38.  OK, still sub 6:45.

Mile 24:  Mark.  Wished me good luck at today's marathon.  He's pretty much independent now and lives 1,000 miles away, but I'm still flattered when he checks in with me for advice on life and financial topics.  6:40.  I am in pain now.  Hang in there.  Just over 2 miles to go.

Mile 25:  Matthew.  One of my most stalwart running partners and believes in me and my running capabilities even more than I do.  He is somewhere out on the course cheering right now.  6:50.  Pain in my legs with every stride, but I have to keep pushing.  I do the math in my head, and it looks good for a sub-2:50, but awfully close.

Mile 26:  Jana.  Always supportive of me and my crazy endeavors, from volunteering, to cheering at far flung places, including flying to my last marathon (Myrtle Beach in 2019), to putting up with me returning from trail runs bloodied and muddied.  7:05.  Fading and hurting, but not blowing up.  Hang in there.

Somewhere towards the end. 
I am in pain.
My form is breaking down now,
and doesn't look strong like in
previous pic.

That final 0.2 is so long.  Where the hell is that finish line?  I'm ready to walk.  Or cry.  Or both.  Come on man, keep it together, would you?  I finally see and cross that finish line, as I hear the announcer say, "Crossing the line now is Jeff Walker, who today is Jeff Runner".  26.62 miles on my watch.  Not good.  That final 0.62 miles was at an average 7:25.

Final results:  2:50:16!  Average pace 6:29/mile.  166th overall out of 7,511.  1st of 254 in age group.  Full results here.

Done.  Spent.

No, I didn't hit my A Goal of sub-2:50, but as I had mentioned, my goals were pretty aggressive, I came pretty close, and I beat my PR by more than a minute and a half!  And that was when I seven years younger at the ripe young age of fifty!  Pretty ecstatic with that!

I finished the marathon at 9:58am.  For the next several hours, I went through stages of pain, shivering, and weakness.  I picked up my finisher medal, some food and drink, got my photo taken, and ambled off to the UPS trucks that were serving as drop bag collection today.  I ambled up to the table in front of "my" UPS truck, handed my baggage ticket to the young attendant, and put my stuff down on her table as I winced in pain and leaned bent over against her table.  There was clearly something wrong with locating my bag as people who came after me were leaving with their bags while I waited for mine.  I didn't have much voice at all, but asked at least twice more if someone was getting my bag, only to be politely reassured each time that they were working on it.  After what seemed like an eternity, a young Asian man came out of the truck, apologized to me for the delay, and handed me my bag.

I looked around to see where I could sit to eat my food and wait for Matthew to arrive.  Many runners were sitting on the edge of a fountain already, so I went just past that to the base of the steps in front of a small statue of reindeers, which in turn had a huge horse statue at the top of the monument.  That is where I shall sit, and spend the rest of my days as I will surely never get up again.  I painfully lower myself to sit on the steps, and for some reason, type only the word "Help" to Matthew.  It is 10:15am.  It has taken me seventeen minutes to get from the finish line to here.  It felt like hours.

I'm in pain, but still warm at this point, and keep my mylar blanket wrapped around me.  The temp is in the 40s, but the direct sun feels really good as I drink my chicken broth soup, and eat the food provided and slowly give Matthew some visual clues to help find me.  What I don't realize at the time is he has to walk a long way to get around all the fenced off enclosures and that I am in a secure area that he can't reach.  22 minutes later he's close enough to see me, and I very slowly stand back up and start to walk in his direction.  Navigating sidewalk steps is painful and when a runner next to me yells out a profanity as he has to step down over a sidewalk, I chuckle and empathize.  The hotel is one mile way, but fortunately there are shuttle buses close by that will bring us to two blocks away from the hotel. 

Getting out of the bus and back into the fresh air, this time I am cold.  Really cold.  In the short walk back to the hotel, I start shivering and my teeth start chattering uncontrollably.  Even inside the hotel, this does not abate until I am able to get into a hot shower.   A long hot shower and a change into dry street clothes finally takes care of the issue.

Feeling very weak now, we checked out and went to a diner Matthew picked out to have a late hearty breakfast.  Fortunately, it was a very short walk.

We took our time getting to the train station as I reveled in my results and checked out many of the details in race results and Strava.  Again, super happy with the results!

Official splits from race.  (As sent to me by Chris Garvin)

Same source, web version.

In Tommy 5K fashion, what went well:

• Reasonably consistent pacing for 20 miles (you can see in above graphics that at least through 30K [18.7M], I was consistently averaging about 6:20 pace)
• I persevered and hued very closely to the plan (6:20 for 20M, up to 7:00 for the last 6 - you can see above my average pace from 30K to finish was 6:51)
• Beating everyone in my age group in a very large race.  Stoked with this as well.  I received an e-mail from the race organizers the next day indicating they would be mailing a prize to me.  Looking forward to it!

What could've gone better:

• Not having enough time pre-race to drop bag.  That one is completely on me.  I unrealistically based the time I needed on the much smaller Vermont City Half Marathon, and didn't take into effect the added logistics of a much larger race.
• Having hundreds of runners in waves ahead of me.  Either many runners just went ahead in the Elite/Seeded heat where they didn't belong, OR related to my botching my time preparedness, is it possible that I actually missed my wave and started in whatever the next wave was?  Either way, it was several miles of running through hundreds of runners in a packed field.
• Failing to know there was a 3rd hill coming.  It wasn't huge, but mentally, I honestly thought I was done with hill climbs at Mile 10 and I wasn't prepared for climbing yet another hill at Mile 14.  Again, that one is on me.  I think I was studying Strava maps from previous years, which only had 2 hills.  (The course was changed slightly this year due to construction.)
• My watch showed 26.62 miles, an extra 0.40 miles!  Obviously it's a certified course, but I can't tell if 1) I ran an extra 0.4 miles, perhaps in part because of the weaving around runners early and inability to run tangents, 2) my GPS was off, perhaps in part because GPS doesn't work well in an area of tall buildings, or 3) the more likely scenario, a combination of both.  I looked at my GPS mileage recorded in recent past marathons (chart below), and this was tied for my highest mileage recorded at a marathon.  If I really ran an extra 0.4 miles, well that is extra time added that I didn't "budget" for.  If just a GPS error, then it at least impacted me mentally as I intentionally slowed a bit to compensate.

I certainly "faded" the last 6 miles, but comparing to above,
I guess I didn't "blow up" like I did at 2014 Hartford, 2016 Sugarloaf, or 2017 Newport.

My 21st and fastest marathon.  Yet.

One of the coolest medals I have earned.
The Philadelphia Marathon 2021, and my PR, is in the books.
Now what's next?

Weekly Log 29-Nov to 5-Dec-2021: Recovered!

Monday:  1 walk

Mark and Matthew left home yesterday, and today I'm back to work after nine consecutive days off.  Ugh.  On the bright side, after catching 4 mice in 3 days, I was relieved to see the mousetrap in the basement empty today.

Easy post-work neighborhood walk with Brady.  It's the only time I left the house today.

Tuesday:  3 walk

AM:  2 miles.  CCC at Avondale Farm Preserve.  Today's job was an interesting one:  walk the fields, locate rocks, dig/pry them up, move to a local pile for pickup by farmer.  I had no idea what to expect, and feared the back-breaking work my father and oldest brother did in moving rocks and establishing a stone wall along the border with a neighbor.  It was anything but, and as my grandmother used to say, "Many hands make light work.".  Between about 20 volunteers, the farmer and his tractor, and various implements, it wasn't bad at all.  

PM:  1 mile.  Afternoon walk with Brady at Avondale Preserve.  I contemplated going for a run, but between feeling tired and run down (what gives?  a cold?  leftover weakness from marathon?) and my last meeting getting out at 4:30pm when it was dark, 35°, and raining/snowing, I lost interest and am surprised I got out to do anything at all.

Wednesday:  8 run, 1 walk

Morning run on the VG loop with Brady.  Felt pretty good out there.  Until I wiped out on an icy bog bridge, that is.  Landed hard on a bog bridge, and then somehow rolled off and there were briars jammed up into my shorts.  Got the wind knocked out of me, ripped up by briars, and a good raspberry on my hip, but otherwise seem fine.

Late afternoon returned to Avondale for a walk with Brady and Jana.

Thursday:  5

Lunchtime run with Brady at Woody Hill Management Area, from Fallon Trail DEM trailhead.  It was 57°!  Sweat was running down my face, as this is not very December like.  There was not a soul out there today.  Well, except the snake that was sunning itself, and I didn't notice until it moved as I almost stepped on it.  Beautiful creature.

Friday:  10

Very pleasant trail run at Grills with Brady mid-morning.  Had taken off all Fridays in the month of December (my employer has a "use it or lose it" policy), and after a Westerly Land Trust meeting early morning, it was so nice to casually run without having to look at my watch and see what alterations I might need to make to get back to work and whatever meeting I'm running close for.

Very windy day, so appropriate to seek the protected safety of the woods.  This is also the last day before the start of shotgun season, so I'll stay out of the woods for at least a few days.  While most hunters are fine, I've certainly run into a few that have told me I don't belong in the woods in hunting season, and a few that have grumbled or yelled at me, and while of course I have every right to be out there, arguing with an angry person with a shotgun isn't an approach I'm comfortable with.

At any rate, today's run was awesome.  Ran the nascent Grills 10 Mile Trail Race course, and ran into two very friendly small hiking groups.  The trails were covered in dry leaves and frankly, I like that surface and fall feel.

Saturday:  8

WTAC Mystic group run, as organized by Kevin Murphy.  Nice quiet roads on the Groton side, and good conversation as always.  Finished up with a visit to Sift, ostensibly for coffee, but as the line was so long, Kevin suggested a place right across the street owned by the same baker.  First visit to Young Buns.  Coffee was good; doughnuts were pretty interesting but a little too rich for me.

Lots of neat creations.

My doughnut today.  You only live once.
1/4 of this would have been good.
Peppermint Hot Chocolate doughnut.  It was tasty.

Sunday:  7

Pearl Harbor Memorial Race.  Write-up to follow.

Weekly mileage:  36 run, 5 walk

Weekly synopsis:  I suppose 40+ combined run/walk two weeks out from the marathon is OK, especially I took the first two days off and have been feeling a little run down.  But I am also conscious that I am running without any kind of plan, and I feel a bit aimless.  Signing up for two short races this weekend and next does help with motivation, but I feel I "need" to get something bigger on the books for spring.

Weekly highlight:  Running and winning the Pearl Harbor Memorial Race!

Weekly lowlight:  A bit of stagnation, a couple pounds of weight gain, slightly run down, and needing to figure out what's next.

Weekly Log 22-Nov to 28-Nov-2021: Marathon Recovery

Monday:  1 walk

Afternoon easy walk at Wahaneeta with Brady and Jana.  Sore for sure, but nothing like past marathon recoveries, where I had trouble going up and down stairs even.  This is encouraging.

Tuesday:  2 walk

A fair amount of walking while working during this week's CCC session at Winnapaug Farm Preserve.  Clearing along stone walls and the trails going down to Winnapaug Pond.

Legs not only still sore from marathon, but also some very minor dull pain in my right knee.  Just enough to convince me to play it conservatively and take one additional day off from running.

Wednesday:  3

Easy run at Ninigret on grass, trailing Matthew and Brady.  First mile felt really sore, even at 9-minute pace.  Second and third miles slightly faster (slightly less slow?) and felt slightly better.  Still, three was enough.  Made the tough, but likely best, decision NOT to run in the Pie Run tomorrow.  I really like that race, but I wouldn't run it easy, and my body is clearly not ready.

In the evening, we picked up Mark from the airport, and the four of us subsequently went out for dinner at Condesa Restaurante Mexicano in West Warwick.  Besides being fun to have the family together for the first time in three months, I think I can unequivocally speak for each of us that we really enjoyed this restaurant.  Not your everyday Mexican-American restaurant, but rather a bevy of authentic dishes to sample, none of which disappointed.

Thursday:  3

Thanksgiving Day.  Four days out from the marathon.  Went to Barn Island with Brady with expectations to run about six miles and hopefully feel just fine.  Didn't really pan out that way.

Parked at the first entrance to Barn Island Management Area on Palmer Neck Road, only to see a sign that the trail there was closed due to construction.  Continued on down the road to the main entrance, to find a similar sign and with further explanation that that the trails here were closed during the months of November and December but to access via Stewart Road.  OK.  Drove to Stewart Road, where the trails were open, but had a less than optimal encounter with a hunter that approached me as soon as I stepped out of the car.  I won't rant about it and he peppered in "Good morning", "Happy Thanksgiving", and other feel-good phrases, but interspersed, he proceeded to tell me the rules of the preserve in a somewhat condescending way.  At one point, he said to me, verbatim, "I don't want to be a dick about it, but ..."  Um, then don't!  Not sure why I struck him the wrong way.  I generally feel uncomfortable at all speaking to hunters while they are carrying a rifle, so I didn't argue at all or even speak much and was just glad when our one-way "conversation" [really a lecture] ended.  Just one reason why I love to run at preserves where I encounter no humans.

The run went only marginally better, as my hamstrings were tight the whole time and we soon ran into a roped off section of the trail and preserve, where past the roped off area there was a lot of construction equipment and the trail was dug up, so we had to backtrack.  I won't be coming back to Barn Island until at least January, when at that time both the construction and the hunting season will be concluded.  Onward.  

The rest of the Thanksgiving Day, including time with my sons, Mom, and two local brothers all went well.  Good food, good company, good conversation.  That's all that counts, right?

Friday:  5

Burlingame picnic area and a little bit of the campground trails.  2 miles with Matthew, all five with Brady.  Longest run since the marathon.  Felt pretty good overall as well.  Certainly not 100% but getting more comfortable.

Saturday:  5

Burlingame campground roads with Matthew and Brady.  Very windy, especially on exposed areas near Watchaug Pond.  Pretty much deserted.  Felt good overall.  Stop at The Bakery post-run.

Sunday:  5

Got up at 3:50am to drive Mark to the airport for his return flights.  Flights were slim picking and expensive on the busiest travel day of the year.  I am so not an early morning person.  Came home and promptly went back to bed.  My early morning days taking the train to work in Boston are 7 years in the rear-view mirror now, but even as recently as March of last year (pre-pandemic) I would regularly (once every week or two) leave the house at 5am to drive up to work in Wellesley, MA.  I can't imagine doing that on a regular basis again, and honestly hope I never have to go back into the office again.  (January 10, 2022 we're supposed to return.)  But I digress, as usual ...

Bluff Point fire road loop with Matthew and Brady, before Matthew went back to NH.  One week out from the marathon now, but for some reason, my legs gave up earlier gains and were super tight the entire time.  Not just the hamstrings this time, but the calves as well.  What gives?

On a positive note, there were sporadic snow flakes and even a brief snow squall towards the end of our run!

While cleaning up the backyard of leaves
and sticks in the afternoon, against the
stark background of late November,
it was neat to see Jana's roses in bloom.

Weekly mileage:  21 run, 3 walk

Weekly synopsis:  The low mileage is fine and expected, but my recovery didn't go as well as I had hoped.  If you search online for guidance on when to resume running after a marathon, perhaps not unexpectedly the advice varies greatly.  Some suggest as much as three weeks off!  Obviously some of this is subjective depending upon the person, fitness level, how many marathons they've run etc., but I honestly thought 3-4 days and I'd be fine.

I do have to put it in perspective, as after my first marathon, I think walking was still a chore three days later, so no major complaints, but rather a minor disappointment.  

I think the bigger issue for me is now that the marathon is over, what now?  How will I stay motivated and engaged?  Will the Border Patrol Challenge return this winter?  If so, should I sign up for that?  Or now that races will be back in early 2022, pick a few and target those?  Or just pick a spring marathon, and focus on that?

Weekly highlight:  Running-wise, the Burlingame campground run and Bakery visit.  Non-running-wise, having the week off, both my sons home even if just for three full days, and spending Thanksgiving with family.

Weekly lowlight:  As mentioned, post-marathon recovery taking longer [than my own expectations].  Non-running-wise, I am just feeling run down.  Or maybe the two go hand-in-hand?  Certainly a day off from running is in store tomorrow to start the new week.

Rhody 4 Miler

Charlestown, RI

Sunday, November 14, 2021

30th annual Li'l Rhody Runaround.  30 years is a long time, and while I always say that the race started way before my time (which is true), when I think about it, I realize I've run more than half of them.  I had run 17 consecutive Li'l Rhody Runaround 8-Mile Trail Races, from 2004 through the COVID-restricted 2020 version.

I started competitive running in March 2003, and 2003 and 2021 are the only years thus far that I did NOT run the Rhody 8-Miler.  Coincidentally, the reason for not running Rhody 8-miler in both years was my participation in the Philadelphia Marathon.  In 2003, I ran my very first marathon (Philly), and it coincided to the exact same day at Li'l Rhody, so clearly that couldn't happen.  In 2021, as I will be running Philly (for the 2nd time) just seven days after Rhody, I don't want to risk impacting my Philly performance.

More than one person suggested that I just run the 8-mile race easy.  But those that know me well know that just isn't going to happen.  It just doesn't fit my competitive nature, and especially not at this race.  So cancel out of Rhody?  Or run the 4-miler?  Obviously, at this point you know I chose the latter.

Race day:  Arrived about 7:30am to finish final marking at start/finish and perform miscellaneous RD duties (race start was 10am for reference).  Only the very beginning of the course was altered this year, in order to accommodate a timing company request to have the start and finish "co-terminus" for chip timing, and the remainder of the two courses were identical to those utilized in recent past years.  Thanks to our great group of volunteers handling varied duties, we were able to get the race started pretty much right at 10am.  

While I wasn't enamored with the course start change this year,
it worked.  (Wave 2 start; all pics from Jana)

Mile 1:  Fast right out of the gate.  How fast?  My "Sanctuary West" segment (most of the first mile) was an average 5:48 pace.  Tommy was right around me as raced down the dirt road.  Chris, Dave, and a few others were ahead of us, but a 16-year old kid was far ahead of us, and while Chris was running the 8-mile course today, I knew from the kid's questions pre-race that he was also running the 4.  About 3/4 mile in, the course splits.  The kid went straight on the 4-miler, everyone else in front of us went right on the 8-miler, and the race would be between the kid, Tommy, and me.

Here I am, just seconds after the start, going through the
parking lot before hitting Sanctuary Road westbound.
---
That's Chris, not me, you say?  Well, yes, the 8-milers get the
full billing, and I get 70% at least in this pic, as you can
see most of me in far front right (blue cap), 
in same row to the left of Chris and Todd Callaghan,
and just ahead of Tommy and Jonny.

After the course split, the 4-mile course continues only a little bit further on the road before turning right through a small open field and onto the trails.  At this point, Tommy (on my heels) and I had caught up to the kid.  The kid exclaimed, "This is weird!".  Not sure if it was weird good, or weird bad, or what exactly was weird at all, but I was already panting and didn't answer.  I followed closely behind him as it was tight single-track, while consciously looking for the first opportunity to pass.

Mile 2:  Opportunity arises!  When the trail re-crosses the dirt road (Sanctuary Road), I make my move going past the kid hard on his right, and re-entered the trail just ahead of him.  So we're still in a tight formation, but now the order is me, then the kid, then Tommy.  I realize when we get to the campsite shortly, he'll have opportunity to retake me again, as he will also on the Burlingame Trail just after that, so I push faster to try to get some separation before then.  

I make the hard right turn out of the campground and onto the Burlingame Trail, and as I do, I glance to my right.  Yes, I have a little bit of separation, but not much.  He and Tom are pretty close behind me.  Damn.  I'm running hunted and scared.  If I can hold them off on the Burlingame Trail, I'm thinking my next opportunity to open more separation will be coming up on the non-trail leaf-covered path through the woods between campsites.  I feel I ran fast on both the Burlingame Trail and then on the campground leaf-covered section through the woods, and I'm hoping I got that separation.

We make a 135° turn onto the Bog Bridge Trail and this is my opportunity to see where my competition stands.  Darn, they're still pretty close behind me.  I wasn't able to shake them after all.  I'm seriously running out of opportunities now.  

Mile 3:  Start of the Bog Bridge Trail (not really the name of it, but that's what we commonly refer to the 1/3 mile section of Wildlife Loop Trail w/ 19 bog bridges, connecting the campground to Vin Gormley).  Some bridges will be covered with leaves, others will be wet, but I have to run this full bore to the best of my abilities, make no mistakes or slide or fall, and just hope that my opponents take a less aggressive strategy.

I have run this trail enough times that I know in advance which bog bridges I take (most), which I side-step, and the few with awkward angles that I jump up onto or off of instead of taking the ramps.  A few are dicey, but I just go for it, and my footing through is good.  I'm feeling real good about this effort, but I also felt good about earlier sections to no avail.

I exit the Bog Bridge Trail, turn right on Vin Gormley, and with so many 8-mile runners coming at me, I feel like I'm a fish swimming upstream against the current.  They're taking up most of the trail and then road when I enter the campground, but obviously there are much more of them than me and I do have room, even if a little narrow.

On the campground paved road, the runners are starting to thin out a bit and just before the first rotary, I spy the back of the pack runners/walkers, followed by Eric D, who is kind enough to volunteer for yet another year of sweeping the entire 8-mile course.  (Nate V swept the 4-mile course today, and added to our awesome cadre of volunteers making the event possible.)  As I passed by Eric, I shouted out, "How far back is the next runner?".  Apparently I was coherent, as his reply was "Far".  Awesome!  Had they still been just behind me, I'd be done here as I'm not going to outkick a 16-year old (or Tommy) on roads.  

But I can't rest on my laurels, as I still have a full mile to go, and much of that is on road (Sanctuary Road) as well.

Mile 4:  After the second rotary, I run past the playground and leave the campground for good.  There is a short trail section that is deep with leaves and a few sharp turns (Kimball trails) before we exit onto Sanctuary Road, and I'm thinking maybe I can pick up a few seconds here as well.

The return Sanctuary Road portion is not fun, but I fight the urge to slow down as I really want this win.  I can see Steve Dinsmore up ahead, as he's manning the course marshal station where you take a hard left off of Sanctuary Road to head down to the boat launch.  Good, I'll utilize the opportunity to check in again where my competition is.  I ask him the same question I asked Eric, but this time the response back to me is that no one is in sight.  Yes!

There is only 1/4 mile left now, and none of it is on roads.  The short section on sand right on the edge of the pond is super fun, and at the end of it, just before exiting onto the beach and heading for home, Jana is there taking a few pics.  If nobody has caught me yet, I'm confident I have the win now.  I go past the cabin (where I can smell the fire! thanks to Schane, another awesome volunteer) and scurry up the steep but very short leaf-covered embankment (can you believe Mikey B wanted to leaf-blow the trail here?!) to behind the composting toilets and then the finish line is all but in sight.

Fun section running on the pond's edge.

[Not me] One of the very few and very short sections
of asphalt on the 4-mile course, as you run
past the cabin ...

... before the short leaf-covered climb to the
outhouses and finish.

Final result:  24:33. New course record!  1st of 54 runners.  Full results here.

I catch my breath at the finish line, and then have a birds-eye view to watching the 16-year old cross a minute later, followed very closely behind by Tommy 5K.  Congrats to both on running a good race, and keeping me pushing hard by running scared most of the race.

I never had chance to catch up with the youngster, but Tommy did come over and we chatted for a while.  Sure enough, it was the bog bridge section of trail where I really got my separation, as Tommy said from that point forward, they never saw me again.  

So I think it's pretty clear what alterations I need to make to the 4-mile race:  install more bog bridges and have less sections on road and trail straight-aways!  

5th place finisher and Rhody regular Tom Olendorf, one year my junior, told me later that while watching the early part of the race unfold ahead of him, he was really rooting for me to win over Tommy and the kid.  I literally had to laugh, because my translation of that back to him was that he was hoping that I would win outright, as that removed me from his age group contention!  And it did.

On a more serious note, while I only ran the 4-mile because I thought the 8-mile was too much too close to Philly, and I don't know when I would run the 4-mile again, this was a really fun course!  It's actually more scenic than the 8-mile course and the beach section is a blast.  This was a great idea to add this option a few years back (I think Jonny Hammett's idea) and certainly one we will keep.

In addition to this year's short sleeve tech shirt
for all runners and walkers ...

this year we also had a singlet for those 27 runners
that ran 3 or more of our Fall Trail Race Series.
(Series results here.)

Thanks to all the runners and volunteers who came out today and made this yet another successful and fun event!

2021 saw the return of fires and soup!
(Thank you Heather and Nick on the latter.)

Pretty neat prizes and gift certificates this year,
as donated by Block Island Sport Shop,
Wakefield Running Company, and WTAC.

(Westerly Sun article)

Weekly Log 15-Nov to 21-Nov-2021: Taper Week

Monday:  0

Intentional zero.  This will be a light week.  

Busy and demanding workday from 7:30am to 5:00pm.  After having the past four days off (Veterans Day', Friday vacation day, weekend), it was tough going back to work.  Reminded myself that this is my last full work week of the year, as I have Thanksgiving week off, then every Friday off in December, plus 1 1/2 weeks at Christmas.  That made it a little easier!

Tuesday:  1 walk, 8 run

AM:  CCC at Avondale.  After another (and final) session of clearing the road edges, ditches, and stone walls of choking overgrowth of weeds and vines, my shoulder is pretty sore from swinging the bladed weed-whacker.  Good thing we're five days out from Philly.  No more strenuous work until after Philly.

PM:  Traditional post-Rhody final sweep of course.  Except I started at sunset with Brady, and we only had about 20 minutes of daylight.  Picked up two remaining course signs and just one remaining flag.  Even with my headlamp and course familiarity, I went off course (just for a few seconds) twice.  I missed the turn at the water stop, and then somehow got off course right around Rhody Rise.  Brady had had enough of my shenanigans by then, and mercifully led the rest of the way back to where I had parked at Kings Factory Road trailhead.  It was really nice having him ahead of me as he sensed and took every turn in the trail, both natural twists in the trail, as well as trail intersections where he instantly and correctly selected the trail that Vin Gormley continued on.  

Wednesday:  7 run, 1 walk

Today's training plan was "Dress Rehearsal", which equates to mimicking what you're planning to in the marathon, including wearing the same planned attire, and running two of the miles at target marathon pace (the rest easy).  So I did.  Parked just off Shore Road to eliminate hills this close to marathon and reduce mileage from 8 to 7, as I went for an around-the-pond.

Felt pretty good.  I've put the work in, and am both excited and nervous about Sunday.  Four days to go.

With Jana working tonight, me having a long work day (project implementation going to about 9pm), and Brady in need of some attention, I broke away from the computer just before sunset to take Brady to Avondale for a walk.  I needed the distraction, and it was funny watching him chase bunnies.  (Fun for me that is; probably not fun for the bunnies.)

Thursday:  5

Easy recovery pace with Brady at Ninigret Park.  Followed that up with stopping at John Ward Physical Therapy to thank him in person for sponsoring Li'l Rhody Runaround and catching up with him.  When I told him I am running Philly this weekend, he commented that he had run Philly years back as well.

Friday:  5

Solo easy run on the Clamdigger course late afternoon.  Chilly breeze.  Finished up with 6 x 100 meter strides.

Well, well, check out this e-mail that I received today:

Yeah, this probably isn't too helpful.

But scroll down in the e-mail to the English language
version:  I got in!  I threw my name into
the lottery last week, and certainly had no 
expectations, so I'm pretty thrilled about this!
(215 applicants did NOT get in.)
---
Good thing it's not 'til summer, as I'll obviously
have to do some research and planning on this one.
Immediately reached out to Adrian Massie, the only
person I know who has run this race.

Saturday:  3

Easy run from the house into Misquamicut and back, before taking the train with Matthew down to Philadelphia.  29°, but with almost no wind, it didn't feel cold.

Sunday:  28 run, 1 walk

Philadelphia Marathon!  Separate write-up to follow.

Weekly mileage:  56 run, 3 walk

Weekly synopsis:  A rewarding running week, to say the least!  I put in the training efforts over the last few months, and I feel I executed exactly to plan on this final taper week.  I got my just rewards at the marathon!

Weekly highlight:  Returned to my first marathon course (although slightly altered since 2003), and got a new PR at my age!

Weekly lowlight:  Certainly nothing directly running related this week!  I was going to say learning from the owner that The Bakery, a favorite coffee and scone stop of mine post-runs, would be closed from Thanksgiving until spring.  That is, until I saw this FB post:

Yes!  Count me in!

So then what?  While it doesn't overshadow the great week I had, I was saddened to see multiple incidents of people yelling at each other on the streets of Philadelphia, far away from the marathon, but seemingly imbued into the daily city life.

Inaugural Grills Trail Race!

Westerly, RI

Saturday, October 30, 2021

Last November (2020) at the conclusion of the Fall Trail Series with three races, we sent out a survey to runners who had run at least two of the three 2020 WTAC Fall Trail Races.  

60% of respondents asked us to consider adding one more race
(one added in comments to add two more races; another added in comments to bring
back the 10-mile Rhody as a spring race)

60% of respondents indicated a desire to add an additional race to the trail series, and we discussed this as a board and agreed in principle.  Now, what exactly do we add?  A few suggestions were discussed, but we wanted to keep it in our "core" local area, be able to address parking and restroom issues, and keep it low cost and low frills.

The winning choice, if we could pull it off, was to put on a longer trail race towards the end of the series utilizing both Westerly Land Trust's Grills Preserve and Hopkinton Land Trust's Grills Wildlife Sanctuary.  In January, I did some route modeling on the computer, and then several of us board members (and Brady) got out to run and see if it worked and any modifications we should make.

As I expected, the proposal was a fairly easily sell to Westerly Land Trust and fit in nicely with their intended usage for "passive recreation".  And yes, when the vote came to me in my WLT role on the Stewardship Committee, I abstained.  As for the Hopkinton Land Trust, I had no idea what to expect, and I had no contacts there.  Unlike the WLT which is a private entity, the HLT is a municipal entity.  The initial response to my email seemed positive and we were asked to come to one of the their board meetings to explain further and answer questions.  I went with Nick; they were all friendly and interested and their Chairperson advised that she had run our Li'l Rhody Runaround years prior herself! We presented a course map and a certificate of liability insurance for the race indemnifying the Town of Hopkinton.  Approved!

We set a capacity of 75, figuring we wouldn't get that many, but in case we did, we were concerned with limited parking logistics.

But what happens if we build it and no one shows up?  Or ten of us show up?  Last year at races, we had somewhat of a captive audience as we were one of very few organizations in RI going the extra effort to jump through all the hoops to satisfy state COVID requirements, and nearby CT and MA completely shut down all races at this time last year.  Sure enough, with race restrictions nearly gone this fall and many spring races deferred into the fall, we saw lower registration numbers at our first two races of our fall race series.  But suddenly in the last two weeks of registration, the Grills registrations were coming in every day and the event sold out a couple days pre-race!

Race day:  Unfortunately the race day forecast did not look great, with a forecast of rain.  Sure enough, as Justin and I were setting up the first two canopies, it was during a downpour.  We had several tarps to put the timing equipment and other items to keep them dry.  Of course, after setup, the rain stopped completely and would then hold off until during the race, when it only returned in the form of sporadic very light rain.  And then it was off for final course marking.  Several of us had tag-teamed pretty well during the week to get most of the course marked already, especially the far reaching places in the two preserves.  My fears of someone pulling up signs and flags never materialized, and I should let that one go, but it stems from several years in a row when someone would intentionally pull up flags at Mike Galoob's now defunct Big River Half Marathon.

Race start:  After a brief very positive commentary from the Chairperson of the Hopkinton Land Trust, I gave a few RD remarks and we were ready to go.  (NB - Westerly Land Trust staff had also planned to attend, but out of an abundance of caution from exposure to a COVID case, declined at the last minute.)  Our race had sold out at our pre-determined capacity of 75 (driven by parking shortage), but about 20 less than that toed the line.  Almost all of the 20 no-shows were in the 10K category, and were presumably mostly due to the forecasted rain.

Thank you, Marilyn (Hopkinton Land Trust chair),
for approving the event and for coming out to the race!

First half:  Eric D started the race with a siren, while he and my brother Kurt started the timing.  There was plenty of room to spread out, as the first 1/4 mile is wide double-track (dirt road), then 1/4 mile of single-track, and then another 1/2 mile of dirt/grass road along the banks of the Pawcatuck River.  As we approached the course split at 1 mile, I was running in my usual trio with Dave and Nick, and could see Adrian Massie a little ways ahead and Chris distantly ahead of him (although Chris would be running the 10K today).  Just before the course split, where my Mom was standing, speedster and ultra-marathoner Ben Quatromoni blew past us and I followed closely behind Nick and Dave across the aluminum bridge and into Hopkinton's Grills Wildlife Sanctuary, where we would spend the next four miles.

Milling about at the start.
No asphalt at start, finish, or anywhere on the course!

And we're off!

Once across the bridge and into Hopkinton, I knew we only had a short window of time on double-track before turning onto technical single-track, so I pushed it and went past Dave and ducked in behind Nick, just as we made the sharp turn onto single-track and began the climb.  I felt like I could go just a tad faster, but going uphill is not my forte so I waited until after we crested the 100' climb to make a move.  This section of trail between Polly Coon and Tomaquag Brook Bridge is pretty technical, and now add in the downhill, and this was the time for me to go.  Went around teammate Nick on his left and continued on the ragged edge of control over stream beds and through tight single-track.

Polly Coon aluminum bridge, separating the two towns, and
replacing previous wooden bridges dating to early last century.

This is what it looks like running across the bridge.
I could hear Dave easily as he was wearing XC spikes.

After crossing the Tomaquag Brook bridge, the next two miles are flat and non-technical, mostly single-track but with some double-track (dirt road) mixed in.  I didn't know if Nick or Dave or both would catch me here, so I kept pushing.  Other than the very fast first mile, this would be the only other section that I would run sub-7 on.  The single-track along the western banks of the Pawcatuck River is both scenic and fun.  Right about 3 miles in, the course leaves the Pawcatuck River and makes a hard left to start to return towards the Tomaquag Brook bridge.  Neither Nick nor Dave caught me, but what kept me from the feared "no man's zone" was at this point seeing Adrian Massie ahead of me.  He was a ways ahead, but with most of the leaves off the trees I could see him at certain points where the trail had switchbacks like this, but at least up until now, he didn't see me.

Just two weeks earlier, a huge blowdown blocking the Hopkinton
course, which Nick (in pic) and I took out.

Another half-mile and I was back at the Tomaquag Brook bridge.  Adrian was far enough ahead of me that I couldn't see him even on this very long bridge, but yet I would get glimpses of him through the trees or climbing hills from time to time.  As I was crossing the bridge, two women towards the back of the pack were coming straight towards me.  The bridge is narrow and I kept racing across it, but seeing their expressions, I assured them I wouldn't push them off the bridge!  The next mile (Mile 5) would be my slowest of the race, and certainly a tough one with steep single-track technical climbs.  Re-crossed the Polly Coon bridge back into Westerly, and took a cup of water from my Mom at the water stop she and her friend Bob were graciously manning.  (She would later tell me how polite and friendly the runners were; good to hear.)

Water stop a mile into the woods

Second half:  The Hopkinton side is done, and I know the Westerly portion of this course like the back of my hand.  The yellow trail along the eastern shore of the Pawcatuck now is one of my favorite trails at Grills, and other than this race, I can't remember that I've ever seen another person on this more remote stretch, but I am happy to get those glimpses of Adrian through here and that keeps me pushing.  Most of Grills Preserve trails are actually quite flat, so I made sure to add in two climbs of Big Hill when designing this course.  The first hill is after the end of the yellow trail, and it's a partial and gradual climb only, but it's still 100' gain, followed by an adrenaline rush downhill through the clearing, before heading out towards the racetrack.

When I was marking this very intersection (just before 1st Big Hill climb)
two days prior, I marked my Strava post "'I didn't see the turn" ...
is something hopefully we don't hear on Saturday morning.  At least
not at this intersection!
---
Well, guess what?  One runner saw another runner on the opposite
site of this sign and caution tape (running on a different part of
the course), and not only failed to turn left at the left arrow,
but went through the caution tape to join the other runner!
There is only so much you can do.

 

The trail out to the foundation (Larkin Farm, ca. 1655) is such thick vegetation along the edge of a forestry clearing, that it is unpassable for the summer months and took a few CCC sessions to get this cleared this fall in advance of the race.  (Now would be a good time to recognize how invaluable and supportive the Westerly Land Trust's Tuesday morning Coffee & Clearing Club was in getting the trails ready for the race.)  I could not see Adrian here at all through the vegetation, but since the racetrack trail itself is a lollipop, I hoped to see him while he was in the section.  

Leading a CCC trail work session on Oct 5,
and liberating the Polly Coon Bridge from
summer overgrowth.

The trail leading up to the bridge looked like
a jungle when we started.0

Back to the race and the racetrack trail.  Here comes a runner!  Adrian?  No, it's Ben Quatromoni.  Making a mental note that the racetrack trail is roughly half a mile, that this is a fast section (well, except for the tree trunk you have to go up and over) and the fact that I'm a little bit in when our paths cross, I'm still guessing he's a good two minutes ahead of me.  I make it out to the racetrack itself and still haven't seen Adrian.  Hmm, I couldn't have missed him, so I'll take this as a good sign.  Sure enough, on the racetrack loop itself as I'm heading out towards the tracks, I see Adrian coming back as this is pretty much open grasslands here.  He sees me as well, and yells out, "Oh no!" [I think].  This loop takes about one minute to cover, and given that I'm 1/4 in on the loop and he's 3/4 in, I make a rough mental note that he's somewhere around 30 seconds ahead of me.  Well, he knows I'm not all that far behind him now.

Here's the blowdown that came down in the week of the race,
and besides not having enough time to clear this one way out
in the woods, I also don't have a chainsaw long enough.
---
Did my best to break off and remove small branches around it,
and then flag up and over the tree trunk.  I didn't hear
complaints, but I did hear compliments that it was a fun obstacle!

I knew we had one tiring climb ahead of us, one technical descent, and the rest pretty flat, but Adrian seems a strong trail runner to me in all aspects, so I can't think of one area that would favor me to alter strategy, and I just vowed to myself to push hard.  Coming off the racetrack trail and back into the clearing, we have just over two miles to go.

Very shortly thereafter, we start the tiring climb to the summit of the mighty Big Hill.  (I didn't name it; it was referred to as Mouse Hill back in the late 1800s, so I guess "Big Hill" at least sounds a tad more daunting?)  It's a short climb, and just over 100', but it's straight up, fairly steep, and at this point 8 miles in, I'm panting and feeling tired.  I'm just hoping it has a similar affect on Adrian, who I can see up in the distance.  The very last section of the climb to Big Hill levels off a bit, and at the summit, there is actually a partial view despite the dreary weather, and I'm so glad we cut a short trail to allow us to go over the summit and ridge before descending.  The descent is short, but it's 120' straight down a steep unmarked path strewn with small ankle-biting rocks.  I heard later than some runners walked this section out of an abundance of caution, but I threw caution to the wind as I'm racing and chasing.

Up and over the Big Hill ridge.  I love this part of the course!

This picture doesn't do it justice,
but this a tight right turn on newly cut very short single-track downhill,
before the ankle-biting rock scree.

A mile and a half of mostly tight single-track remains, with a few short sections of dirt road, so I'm certainly happy at least about the former, even if no downhills or technical terrain remains.  With about half a mile to go, I seriously narrowed the gap on Adrian.  I'm in a near all out sprint now, and as I make the final turn into the finishing field, he's just ahead of me.  He's sprinting also, and crosses the finish line a mere 5 seconds ahead of me!

Final results:  1:10:26, 3rd overall.  Full results here.

I certainly had no previous delusions that I would finish anywhere near Adrian, but seeing him for much of the race pushed me to run harder than I would have had I been in "no man's land".  I thoroughly enjoyed racing this, loved the small old school race feeling, and am thrilled that we now have a 10-mile 100% trail race here.  

Loved the vibe of this trail race.

Self-timing saved us a lot of money, more than enough to
pay for this race clock.  Thanks to today's timing crew.

Based on comments on Strava and social media, apparently a number of other runners felt the same way:

• Super fun event!  Really fun trails - mostly non-technical singletrack with some nice doubletrack mixed in.
• Thanks to Jeff and the WTAC volunteers for an outstanding event and extremely well-marked trails.
• Such a fun course!
• Fun course and no sprained ankles today! 🍂
• Tough course. I did okay. But really that was fun. It felt like everyone was having a great time. A lot of good runners and smiling faces. Thank you all
• Great area to run.
• Grills! Grills! Grills! Good stuff, Terrific event
• Grills 10 mile trail race! Longest trail race I have done!
• The rain pretty much held off! Well-marked challenging course with roots, rocks, hills, boardwalks, and cart paths — something for everybody! Great run! Great volunteers!
• Great course! Won my age group! And hold the course record for 50 year old women 😉
• Thank you Jeff for an amazing trail race series and new race at Grills Preserve, which is my favorite so far!
• My new favorite too. Wouldn't be surprised if Club always limits its participant capacity, But what a terrific event for the lucky 75 that got to participate.
• My opinion goes with this race as the best one of the 4 races in the series. Great 10K course and trails, with a view and even passed by a little cemetery. And no tar!

Great race and running group out there today!  Looking forward to next year's race!