Savoy 20 Mile Trail Race - DNF
Sunday, August 18, 2008
2008 Savoy trail race results
2008 course maps
Originally this race wasn't going to happen. After 20 years the Savoy trail races were cancelled due to difficulty in finding volunteers to help, especially with the many water stations needed to put on a safe out-and-back 20 mile trail race. But a couple of months ago Marty Glendon approached the guiding powers of the WMAC and said he would do whatever was needed to keep the Savoy races going, and he ended up designing a 2 loop course for the 20 mile run and adapting one of the snowshoe courses for the 4.5 mile race. So Marty and the folks at the WMAC deserve a huge thank you for keeping the mid-August races at Savoy alive.
I was faced with a tough decision when I signed up for this one... I could sign up for the short race and have no problem finishing, or sign up for the long one and stand a decent chance of dropping out after the first loop for a DNF. Despite my poor performance at every long race I've attempted this year, I went for the challenge of the 20 mile course... heck, with all the DNS's I've racked up this year, a DNF might be a nice change of pace.
The drive over was uneventful, and I had plenty of time to gear up and enjoy the cool morning. Took a few minutes to say hi to some of the folks that are often near the back with me - Rich, Konrad, and Bill - and wandered around a bit seeing the usual sights of the North Pond picnic area. Then, after a few words from Marty both about the race and the fact that this year is the 75th anniversary of the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps, whose work formed the foundation of many of the state and national parks that we enjoy today, his brother Bill lit the fuse on a small cannon and with a loud blast off we went!
We started out on a trail I've run for every race I've done at Savoy (three trail races and two snowshoe races so far) but then headed off into unfamiliar territory around South Pond and Tyler Swamp. Hit some patches of mud along the way, but the real muck-slog started on the far side of the swamp, where we had what seemed like non-stop mud and water. No great surprise - Savoy is muddy during the driest summers, and this year has been anything but that. Eventually we ended up back on the trail we usually run, and I found myself having flashbacks to February's snowshoe race as I trudged up the hill and then ran as best I could down the other side. Despite the mud and water, I still felt pretty good about the pace I was keeping, and even felt like I might be able to do a second loop if all went well.
After crossing Old Florida Road (which the Savoy trail map amusingly describes as being in "poor condition" - it's tough to run on, I can't imagine trying to drive a vehicle over it!) I made a brief pause at the 2nd water stop to top off my water bottle and then headed off into more parts unknown, on trails that would eventually lead to the crest of Spruce Hill.
At first the run continued to go fairly well, but then things fell apart. First a small group of us made a wrong turn and ended up hiking along the power lines on a fairly steep uphill - great view at the top, but that hike up the hill and then back down was both a bit draining and demoralizing. The trail after that had a lot of up and down (mostly up) and I found it very difficult to run. The last part of the climb to the top of Spruce Hill was the worst - first steep technical trail, then an almost vertical scramble up through the rocks. At that point I pretty much made up my mind to bail when I finished the 1st loop... the hills had my legs pretty well beat up, my hip was getting sore, and I knew it would take much longer for me to hike that section a second time. And would leave me pretty much incapable of any hiking for the rest of the day, and possibly keep me from running or riding for a few days. In the end, that just didn't seem worth doing a 2nd loop.
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Oh, but what a fantastic view from the top of Spruce Hill!
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The climb back down was tough, too, though the trail was a little better than the climb up. Along the way I passed a tiny snake sunning himself (or maybe trying not to be noticed by all the giants that were passing through that day.) Lots of downhill after that... I ran when I could (when it wasn't too technical) and walked the rest of the time. Ended up hitting the 3rd water stop at a little after 3 hours... not so hot, considering I'd hoped to do the 1st loop in 2 1/2 hours, and I still had two miles to go!
Old Florida Road was tough going, between the uphill stretches and the deep puddles. At one point there was a calf-deep stream flowing across the road - no way around it, so I waded through. The cold water actually felt pretty good. Eventually found the trail back into the woods - the same one I ran in 2005 during the 2nd part of the short race - and made my way slowly back through the woods and around North Pond to the beach/boat launch access road. Usually I would try to pick up my pace for the last bit, but today I just didn't have it in me, so I plodded to the finish (being passed along the way by the 1st place woman - the first 5 men had passed me some time back) and at 3 hrs 47 min let them know I was done, even though I had only completed one loop.
And that was that... I gobbled down a hot dog (just about the only time I'll eat those things is after a race, when they're the only protein option available) and refilled my water bottle with some refreshingly cold water, then went to the car and gladly changed out of my drenched clothes. Then I headed off to the western end of the forest for my first post-race hike, down to Tannery Falls.
I'm not sure exactly why I have a soft spot in my heart for Savoy... maybe it's all the mountains or how everything there seems miles from any sort of civilization. All I know is I was bummed when it was announced that the races wouldn't be happening this year and happy when Marty stepped in to keep them alive. Here's hoping that a year from now I'm writing about the 2009 Savoy trail races, no matter how well or how poorly I run at them.
JMH
2008 Event Totals
Run 136.5 mi / 31 hr 40 min
Bike 32.4 mi / 2 hr 19 min
Snowshoe 45.7 mi / 13 hr 19 min
states visited: CT, MA, NH, NY, PA, VT
