the Way of the Turtle

TRAVELLIN' TURTLE - 2 DAYS, 4 STATES, Part 5
NOT-SO-LONG DISTANCE 2008 - Race #30
Lil Rhody Runaround 7.9mi Trail Race
Saturday, November 23, 2008

2008 Lil Rhody Runaround results

the short version:
After a really tough first half, I ran another PR (barely), finishing approximately 2 minutes faster than I did in 2005. It was a wonderfully sunny day... fortunately, because it was also really freakin' cold, especially when the wind was blowing off Watchaug Pond! All in all this turned out to be a good run and well worth doing.

the longer version:
The air was actually fairly comfortable when I left the motel in New London, and I drove to RI thinking I might actually run in shorts today. That changed when I parked the car and walked down to the picnic shelter to pick up my number and T-shirt and nearly froze in the icy blasts coming across Watchaug Pond. Even in the sunshine it was bloody cold! So I wandered around very briefly snapping photos, then changed into my race gear and sat in the car for about 10 minutes waiting for the pre-race "briefing" to start.

After repeated reminders that we all needed to be wearing orange (why is that some folks find that a difficult concept, despite being told multiple times that no orange = no run?) and some words of caution geared mainly for the non trail runners in the crowd, we all made our way to the park entrance and waited for the fun to begin. A few more comments (including sending a couple of runners looking for, yes, something orange to wear - good heavens, they handed out orange T-shirts with the race numbers!) and then it was time to run!

The first part of the race goes down a dirt access road, which is good because it allows the pack to stretch out a bit before hitting the singletrack. I went out a good deal faster than I should have, in part because I was cold (and that wind was blowing through the trees!) and in part because I didn't want to end up behind a slow train once we entered the woods. Of course, over the next few miles I was passed by about a dozen runners who went out more sensibly and then picked up their pace as mine slowed. About a mile in we came out on the road to the campsites and spent a good distance, almost a mile, running along the pavement - I had forgotten how far that stretch of road actually was. Then it was back into the woods for about another two miles.

The mud had frozen which made for slightly easier going but the trails were a lot more technical than I remembered - lots of roots and rocks. No major hills, thankfully... by trail race standards the first half of this one is "easy." I still found it tough going because my legs just didn't seem to want to loosen up... I spent the first five miles fighting myself to maintain forward motion (and wishing I'd both started off slower and spent more time running over the last few weeks.)

After another brief stretch of pavement we headed headed back into the woods for 3 miles of more challenging terrain... hills, huge rocks, roots, running water, all manner of fun. Around 5 miles in my legs finally loosened up and I started feeling pretty good and passing folks... I probably passed half a dozen runners between miles 5 and 7 and managed to stick to a pretty good pace. And the scenery was gorgeous... I was concentrating on running so I didn't take any pictures, and I definitely want to get back to Burlingame Park in warmer weather and either hike or run that trail.

Finally we came out on the road with about a mile to go, most of it downhill, and I hammered as hard as I could, hoping to break 90 minutes. Passed a couple more runners and pushed the pace all the way back to the park, where I crossed the finish line in 1:27:32... roughly two minutes faster than in 2005 (though my "official" time for '05 was 1:25... somewhere along the way the timer lost 4 minutes.) One of the cool things about this race is the fact that the announcer calls the names of the finishers as they come across the line - it's almost like being a real athlete!

After that I staggered back to the car, changed into a warmer top, and wandered down to the shelter to get some food... good thing I'd brought bagels with me, because all that was left at the post-race "feast" was some very good soup. In 2005 I remember sitting on my front bumper in the sunshine, enjoying my soup and bagel on a beautiful fall afternoon. Today - I sat in the car! Finished my food, changed into some jeans for the trip home... and then it was time to get on the road, so that I could hopefully see some sights before it got dark.

I had a good time running this race again - I would definitely like to come back, both for the race and just to visit the park during a different season.

And - 5 1/2 weeks before the end of 2008, I've done it - I've run and/or ridden a race in every state in New England this year, plus New York (of course) and Pennsylvania. A silly goal with no real significance to anyone other than me... but one I've accomplished all the same. Woo hoo!

JMH

2008 Event Totals
Run 255.7 mi / 58 hr 21 min
Bike 68.4 mi / 4 hr 59 min
Snowshoe 45.7 mi / 13 hr 19 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, PA, RI, VT