Training Log Archive: cmorse

Ran some trails before the race to get my heart rate up a bit. Well marked courses - 5km & 5mi simultaneously with a little overlap.

Nice race - both courses started off up the road from the beach parking area with the 5km folks turning left onto the white trail system. 5 milers kept going to the front of the park and picked up the red trail by the ranger cabin. In a comfortable position going into the woods knowing that it was single track for a bit, passed a couple folks but not really keeping track - plenty in front and the front runners already out of sight.

Out onto the jeep road (still red trail, in fact red trail for the entire race) and a gentle downhill, starting picking off more folks feeling very confident on the rocks. Across the stream and up the hill, ran through a few large muddy spots while others picked their way around, then out on the jeep road at the top of the hill heading S. A few others around me, no sign of leaders. Passed the guys in my group headed downhill toward the stream crossing where the 5km folks turned L toward the pond (they had rejoined our course on top of the hill) and someone manning the split/aid station (maybe Art Byram?) called out my name and encouragement. An MRC guy passed me going up the shallow hill, but I passed him on the muddy, rocky section down the other side again. Pretty much played that game of letting them pass me on the uphills, and then overtaking them on the downs for a couple miles with the MRC guy eventually going off the front and getting away. No real clue what our positions in the race were but there weren't any folks in sight ahead or behind after MRC went off the front.

After crossing over Blackledge Brook a young guy in a blue singlet passed me uphill, but I wasn't about to overexert to catch a young one so let him go and pretty ran N on the red trail with one other guy who appeared to be in his 30's probably. He surged on the last uphill bit and I didn't chase. He stayed about 30m in front of me over the final mile or so even when I tried to surge to catch him, he just stayed about the same distance in front.

rejoined the 5km folks and then popped out on the road headed back toward the beach to the finish. Quite surprised to cross the line in 5th place overall in the 5 miler and first master by a decent margin. Doing the math in my head of where I was jockeying for position around the 2 mile mark I figure I must have actually been in 2nd place overall for bit with only the young 20 year old way out front.

Quite a satisfactory effort and a very well produced event by the Hartford Marathon Foundation folks - I think this may have been their first trail race offering. They've done some hybrid type events and duathlon/triathalon events...

Now time for a relaxing afternoon (I think)

Note: Advertised as a 5 miler, but OCAD puts the distance at 8.95km (5.56m) so that's what I'm logging....