​

At the Turnaround

### Race Information

* **Name:** 2022 Northern Nipmuck Trail Race

* **Date:** April 10, 2022

* **Distance:** 16 mi

* **Location:** Union, CT

* **Website:** http://shenipsitstriders.org/club-races/northern-nipmuck-trail-race.html

* **Results:** https://www.runwmac.com/gt2022/northern-nipmuck2022.html

* **Strava:** https://www.strava.com/activities/6961692741

* **Time:** 02:34:29

* **Pace:** 9:39/mile-10:18/mile depending on true distance

### Goals

| Goal | Description | Completed? |

|------|-------------|------------|

| A | 8:30 Pace | *No* |

| B | 9:00 Pace | *No* |

| C | 9:30 Pace | *No* |

### Splits

| Half | Time |

|------|------|

| First Half | 1:12:11

| Second Half | 1:22:18

### Training

I don't exactly train for anything in that I don't have a true progression and taper, but I did take it easy over the last few days. I run 5 days a week (M-F), most of my runs consist of one mile from my office to a trail, 6-8 miles on trails, and one mile back to my office, and I do 40-50 miles per week. I try to run hard on Tuesdays and Fridays, not structured speedwork, but I'll focus on hills or some unstructured Fartlek type stuff or just run hard the whole time and see how it goes. About a month (March 15) ago I re-aggravated my calf strain (well, I think I just have chronic strains, as the injury was in a different spot on the calf and potentially affecting a different muscle than previous strains). The second half of January and most of February was pretty icy here, so I did more road running than usual and broke 90 in a hilly road half time trial(?) on February 4, so before the strain I thought I was in great shape. I also got to run sections of this course a few times since things thawed and felt like I could comfortably do most of it at a 9:30 pace with some chance of going much faster.

### Pre-race

The race started at 9 and the drive took about 30 minutes. I got to the start about an hour before the start and I hung out with some people from the local trail clubs. I'm trying to meet new people but I'm not very good at it and my schedule doesn't really let me join their social runs, so hopefully things like this will help me get to know them. With about 35 minutes to go I walked a "quarter mile" up the road to the porta-potty and then I jogged back to the parking area as a warm up (the jog was a mile, FWIW https://www.strava.com/activities/6961691320). I had had my normal breakfast (a boiled egg, some toast and butter, and a banana) at 7, and I didn't have any nutritional or digestive issues, then or during the race. Its been relatively dry for New England, and hadn't rained for a couple days, so the trail would be as good as could be hoped - ie wet in places but not slippery. I wore shorts, a white tee, a ball cap, and a calf sleeve. The trail is out and back and all single track except 100 meters on a dirt road half-way to the turnaround. There were aid stations at the dirt road and the turnaround and I didn't carry a backpack or anything like that.

### Race

At the starting line, I chatted with some of the other runners. There were about 50 people and I was trying to figure out who would be trying to go relatively fast because I wanted to run with someone so that I wouldn't go out too fast and burn myself out. I didn't succeed, and when we started I tried to get out front so that I wouldn't be stuck behind anyone on the uphill. I knew from my practice runs exactly how fast I could go on this trail if I wanted to feel comfortable to do half of it. I figured if I went that pace, I would feel comfortable for half and uncomfortable for the second half and would be fine. This was not correct, it was too fast, but that's ok. As I said, the trail starts off with a steep uphill, then two wet/boggy sections, then a somewhat technical section. There are a number of forestry tracks/tote roads we cross, and the second one is about 2 miles in. Right after that is another steep section which has a spur trail and a sign for Walker Mountain (at 325 meters, its as much of a Mountain as exists in north east Connecticut, and not quite the best views in the area, FWIW) followed by a fairly long mostly downhill mostly non-technical section that went really well. Just before the first aid section is a technical/rocky bit (technical sections are difficult with the calf strain as my footwork is more clumsy), and I was in first the whole time. I stopped for water at the first aid section and was passed by the eventual winner. I tried to catch up on the road, but he didn't slow down and when we got back on the trail it was pretty clear that I was being dropped. The next part of the race was more technical and hillier than the first, consisting of a rough, ravine filled climb for a mile, a two mile less technical section that gently climbed, and a final mile which consisted of a technical climb (steep enough that there is an improvised 2 by 4 tied to trees along side to use as a rail), a nice view of the Mount Hope River Valley and Fenton River Valley, and another steep, technical downhill to the turnaround. While going down that final turnaround my legs felt very clumsy and my calf pain flared up. I know where it happened; I heard third place coming up and looked back to see him, and very slightly mis-stepped. I mostly midfoot run, but the calf strain means I can't push off with my toes much. This doesn't affect me when I train, but it means I cant push too hard on hard, flat surfaces and I can't lean forward and use my calf on uphills. As a result, I'm using a lot more energy on uphills than I think, hence the dead legs. Third place looked more like he was dancing than I felt and he passed me before the turnaround. Now I was third place. And the second half of the run is net uphill. Again I stopped for a quick water and was glad they had music playing at this station. I don't remember what it was, but I think it was Rolling Stones, which made me happy.

Fourth place was the first woman, and we crossed paths just under a quarter-mile from the turnaround. In my head, I was wondering if I could hold her off because I had more strength than she did or if her better endurance would be the difference. I don't know why I thought that would be the difference, but it was in my head. Near the overlook I crossed paths with fifth place. I struggled with that section, but knew there was an easier section to come and felt fair and kept an ok pace when I got to the less technical section. But when I got to the ravine-filled section before the aid station, my legs were dead and I was walking the uphills. After the aid section, there was the technical, rocky section in a pine stand before the long, less technical uphill. but before the less technical uphill, there is a steep part that takes you out of the pines and into mountain laurels, which is an evergreen similar to azalea or rhododendron. Walking up out of the pines, I saw third place was pretty close. She passed me in the laurels, but didn't blow past. However, sometime before we got to the Walker Mountain trail sign, she was out of sight and somewhat out of mind. However, when I got to the Mount Walker sign, I knew there was under 2 miles left - half uphill and a downhill finish. I knew how fast I had done that section before and I suddenly felt really good. The climb was a bit slower than in my training runs, but the first half of the downhill is really non-technical and is really more of a tote-road than single track. I saw third place on the climb and figured my best shot at passing her was to do it slowly at first, and then all at once (hat tip to Hemmingway for that line). And so I did. After most turns and dips, she would be a bit closer to me than the last one. She was smoother and faster in the technical sections, but wasn't getting further ahead on the steeper uphills. And when we got to the tote-road downhill section, I picked it up to catch her. I wasn't sure when she realized I was gaining on her, but in that section, it was clear she was kicking. So I went ahead and kicked too. And all at once, I was even with her. The left side of the trail was mostly drier than the right, which I knew and, apparently, she didn't. And the trail was really soft and non-technical and my calf suddenly felt fine. As soon as I caught her it felt like she slowed down; I don’t know if she was trying to hold me off and when I reached her she realized she was beat, but that is how it felt. I caught her earlier than I expected. Before the end, the trail turns back onto the single track, and we were well before that section. I expected to be neck and neck when we got to the single track and had told myself that if that were the case, to let her go first and do the final, relatively steep 50 meters safely. But I passed her well before that, and I felt embarrassed not to keep pushing it, so I kicked it in and the adrenaline kept me safe on the final steeper 50 meters. She finished less than ten seconds behind me. We were eight minutes behind second place, who was a friend of hers. First place beat us by 20 minutes.

### Post-race

After the finish I got to chat with some of the other finishers. We first four took a picture together and that was the prize for finishing in the top group. It was nice to meet people and I hope I get to meet them again - perhaps outside of races.

### Personal reflections

Fifth place was an ultra guy who had run 20 miles the day before. So while I was happy to get third, my time wasn't competitive compared to previous races and I kinda feel like I came in last among the men who wanted to win. If I spent 20 second at each aid station (time well spent), I wouldn't have been close to second. The course felt hillier than I expected and my legs felt deader after about 13 miles than I expected. I'm not sure how much of that I can chalk up to the calf strain and how much to being slower than I like to imagine. I'm tempted to sneak back to the trail and "jog it" in a couple weeks, just to see if I would be faster if I didn't try so hard in the first half. If I do, I'll give an update. My suspicion is that I could probably have cut five to ten minutes off my time if I went out slower, but who knows. I ran by myself for all of it but the last mile when I was catching and passing fourth place, so doing it solo would be feasible.

My phone-gps estimated a distance up to a mile longer than others (my Strava estimated I went 15.60 mi, others I can see estimated distances including 14.47 mi, 14.91 mi, 15.05 mi, and 15.20 mi), so if that is the true distance my pace was 9:54/mile which. If the true distance was 16 miles (25.75 km), then I was my pace was 9:39/mile. If the true distance was 15 miles, then my pace was 10:18/mile. Who knows, I'm happy with my place all the same. And in hindsight, I think my goal times were a bit ambitious.

A lot of the runners in the race seemed to focus on ultras, and I can say that I really enjoy shorter distances. A 5 mile trail race sounds a bit stressful, but I wonder how an 9 mile race would feel. I hope to do a couple more trail races this year, there is a half marathon that follows trails by my work that I would like to enter. There are a couple other trail races around, so watch this space if you want to see what happens next.

Previous entries:

October 3, 2021 - Nipmuck Trail Marathon - https://www.reddit.com/r/trailrunning/comments/q17pem/race_report_nipmuck_trail_marathon_2021/

November 14, 2021 - Upton Half Marathon Trail Race - https://www.reddit.com/r/trailrunning/comments/qu33yb/race_report_2021_upton_half_marathon_trail_race/

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