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https://preview.redd.it/5wku5l5w2f591.jpg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c3678e815fe4c2cd6aa56f3afdad286620f0975d

### Race Information

* **Name:** 2022 Nipmuck South Trail Race

* **Date:** June 12, 2022

* **Distance:** 14.5 mi [15.3? mi]

* **Location:** Mansfield, CT

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

* **Results:** https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=91254

* **Strava:** https://www.strava.com/activities/7298309609

* **Time:** 02:05:18

* **Pace:** 8:00/Mile to 8:10/mile depending on true distance

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### Goals

| Goal | Description | Completed? |

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

| A | 2 Hour | *No* |

| B | 7:59 Pace | *Maybe?* |

| C | 8:30 Pace | *Yes* |

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### Splits

| Half | Time |

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

| First Half | 0:59:20

| Second Half | 1:04:58

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### Training

This race goes right by my workplace (University of Connecticut) and follows trails I run on very frequently, starting at Mansfield Hollow Reservoir in eastern Connecticut. I intended to skip the race, but last week on my Saturday run I ran a bit farther and faster than normal largely on the course - 10.5 miles at 7:53 pace (https://www.strava.com/activities/7249430983), and thought maybe I should run it and see if I could break 8:00 pace. I've been mostly uninjured recently. I had a low fever and a cough a couple weeks ago (May 24-28), and had a negative at home Covid test and I ran a couple times during it and didn't have any drop off after. I don't train for any specific things and usually run 90% of my runs on trails. Every couple weeks I'll do a road time trial type thing to start off one of my runs, and on Tuesday after the illness I did 5k in about 19:30, about a minute off what I should be able to do fresh, but a reasonable pace and a good indication that I am at least 95%. Otherwise, I run fast sometimes and slow other times, depending on how I feel, and that's what goes for training for me. I signed up on Friday, the 141st sign up - there would be 111 finishers, and I may have been the last signup for all I know.

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### Pre-race

The race started at 9 and I live pretty close to the turnaround, so I got there pretty early without even trying. The park was already busy, and I parked at a different lot so I could walk over and get over some nerves. There was still 40 minutes to go when I got my bib, so I walked the trails down to the reservoir. I feel really awkward at these things, but did chat with a guy I met at the last race I entered, which was nice. I haven't been eating great recently [when I get depressed, I tend to eat too little], and for breakfast I only had some toast and cheese (skipping my usual banana and boiled egg). For those interested, I'm 6'3", weigh 180, and I keep track of my weight so that I don't loose (or gain) weight unexpectedly, so I'm ok on that end. As usual, I didn't have any digestive issues, then or during the race. Its been dry and the trail was in great shape (or at least I thought so). I wore shorts, a white tee, a ball cap, and a calf sleeve on my left calf. I haven't strained the calf since mid-March, but had repeated strains all fall and winter and haven't run without the sleeve since. The trail is out and back and largely single track along the west side of Fenton River although there is a 1.2 mile half paved half gravel road mostly downhill out (uphill back) at the 4 mile/10.5 mile mark. Also, the first/last .75 miles is along and then on a partially gravel and partially paved dike. The Nipmuck Trail (the race's namesake and the trail the race follows) exists along the river for that section, but for some reason they skip it - that section of the trail is a bit more technical than most of the course, but I'm not sure why we skip it. There were aid stations at the 4 mile mark and the turnaround and I didn't carry a backpack or anything like that.

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### Race

Just before we started, I was talking with my friend from an earlier race. He had won that race, but he was training for an ultra and had already run some before the race and said he was aiming for 9:00 pace. I said I hoped to do 8:00, so we split up right away. I didn't quite hear the start, but the trail was wide at the beginning and I was able to move up to the top 10 right away. I wasn't sure where I was, but I figured 10 was a good guess. I knew that there were at least two people who would be at or below 7 minute pace, and was kinda hoping to get into the top 7, thinking back to my cross-country days when the top 7 got medals. Within the first mile, I got a cramp-like feeling in my right lower hamstring. I have been having some trouble with my right knee which I ascribe to overcompensating for my left calf issues. At first I worried that I might have to stop running, but after limping a few steps and then returning to a regular stride, I found it wasn't getting worse and it didn't affect me that I know of. After we got off the dike, the trail goes around some baseball fields that have been under renovation (and fenced off by the construction) for way longer than necessary and cross our first road, and the only road where there could be traffic, so we had fire department volunteers helping there - thanks to them! The next section of trail is one of my favorite. Mountain bikers use it a lot, but its this short, rocky downhill, followed by a clearing below a dike where we cross Schoolhouse Brook on two short bridges. The clearing and the grass is really beautiful and whenever I am there, the temperature feels perfect; cool yet sunny, etc. When I was there a couple weeks ago, I almost tripped over a large snapping turtle on the trail. I tried to take a picture, but I'm not much for photos and was slow to get out my camera/phone and didn't want to bother the creature for too long. Anyway, the race course used to cross the river near there, but one of the bridges washed out this winter, so the trail continued on the west side of the river. I grew up near the Missouri River, so I think its funny calling Fenton a river, as the water is ankle deep and I cross it sometimes on my runs, but I guess it is good for the river bank that the course didn't send 100 runners across it.

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After the new section is a section right on the river bank. I was kind of frustrated by this section, as the trail splits here and one choice is to run a straight, flat, fast path through a meadow and instead the course followed a twisty, rooty section along the river, a section I did once and since avoided in favor of the meadow. After that we crossed another road and climb the so-called 50 foot cliff. The cliff is actually an overlook at the top, and I think is 50 meters climb. The rock overlook is one of a couple places in the area for rock climbing and offers about 15 meters of climbing, while the trail goes around and is only really steep for a short section. For most of this section, I was one of three runners within about 50 meters of each other and we were slowly converging on each other. Just before the climb the first of us three let the second pass him. Shortly later he let me pass, too. After that, I think we spread back out, I lost sight of the guy in front of me and I think the guy behind lost sight of me. I was fresh and had no problem running it, but I purposely took it as slow as I could so I wouldn't kill my legs. After the climb, there was a short, mostly downhill until we got to the road. I stopped for a drink of water (thanks volunteers!), chuckled to myself that they were so thankful I threw away the water cup myself, and started off on the road section.

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The road section ended in a place called Gurleyville and the trail from there to the turnaround happens to be the trail I run on most. It was nice to be on my home turf, I know every rock. I also knew that my pace was a good deal slower than I am capable of running it. I could tell by feel I was right around 8 minute pace, and I know I can run that section at closer to 7 minute pace, but my normal runs are more like 9 miles, and 8 minute pace was my goal, so I didn't pick things up. I figured if I still felt fresh when I got to the 10 mile mark (when I got back to the road section), I could run hard the last 5 miles. At the 6.2 mile mark, I saw the two leaders. I was kinda shocked they were so far along. It turned out they turned around early. I didn't know it at the time, but I had been running for 47 minutes at that point. If they hadn't turned around early, they would have gone a bit over 9 miles at that point - 5 minute mile pace! I kinda know one of them and he ended up running 13 miles at a little over 7 minute pace. But none of us knew what was up. Over the next mile and a half, I think I saw three other runners go by, so think I thought I was in 6th place. Watching the runners, I didn't feel like I was likely to catch any of them. At the turnaround I again stopped for water and the volunteers (thanks!) asked if the course had been well marked. I said yes, but in hindsight, I could have run the course unmarked, so my answer was definitely unreliable.

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I felt good still, but when I got to the road section, I was worried I wouldn't last, and decided to take the road easy. Most of my miles thus far were below 8:10 (except for the 50 foot cliff climb), but the mile with the steeper road climb came out at 8:46. I had taken my shirt off just past the turnaround (I think the temperatures were in the low 70s) and a guy passed me at this point and joked that he wondered how everyone was able to run with their shirts on. I like to say something encouraging as I cross paths with the other runners, I think I said "good job" or "you too" about 100 times during the race, and didn't have the breath to respond. I also had no interest in trying to stay with him on the climb, so I let him go past. At the end of the road section, I had to tell the volunteers (thanks!) my number, but I skipped water. I knew the 50 foot cliff climb descent pretty well and was able to do it pretty fast, but by the bottom I was beginning to stumble. I was thinking to myself that I wished I had carbo loaded, although I don't know if that is really a thing. On the twisty/technical section along the river another guy passed me, and two more people passed me on the new section after where the bridge washed out, so I was in tenth place. I felt really bad, but was still under 9 minute pace as the trails are very runnable. However, the clearing I like so much is preceded and followed by a couple ravines that took a lot out of me. That said, I liked top ten and tried to hold things together. I like to think of myself as a good finisher, but in this case finishing strong meant doing the last .75, which was pretty flat and non-technical half-paved half-gravel half-grass, in 7:35 pace. I adjusted my t-shirt, which I was carrying, so that the number would be clear to the finishing line. When I finished moved off the trail and laid down on my back for about two minutes, a rest that had been motivating my last couple miles for sure.

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### Post-race

If you for some reason only want to think good thoughts about me, skip this section. So anyway, I was pretty exhausted and was laying there happy to have gotten 10th place but perhaps the most exhausted I've ever been. I've run longer distances, so I think the problem was nutritional. Half asleep, I realized I was not fully in control of my bladder, I'm not sure if anyone noticed given I was already drenched with sweat. Once I caught my breath, I pulled myself together and sat up, and remembered to turn off runkeeper (which I sync to strava, in case you are wondering). When I turned on my phone, I accidentally hit the wrong button and it started installing updates. Luckily, the run was already saved, I guess. It was at this point that I heard that the top two finishers were disqualified, so I had actually finished 8th. I saw my friend finish about ten minutes after me. Somewhere around this point, I saw one of the guys who passed me in the last three miles finish - he must have gotten lost, so I finished 7th. I wasn't sure of this until this morning when the results were posted online, but 7th is a pretty fun place for me. I chatted with my friend who was going to do another jog after the run as part of his ultra training. I tried to run with him, but my legs weren't into it, so I walked back to my car.

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### Personal reflections

I was very happy with this race. I guess I don't have much more to say about the race than that. I think it was really well organized and marked, and having done other trail races, would be really interested in understanding what happened that so many people got off trail - there seems to have been a lot of people who ran an extra tenth of a mile to 2 miles, and, as I said, at least two who were DQd for missing a checkpoint. That said, the trails are really local to me, so I'm if I sound judgmental.

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I think my hamstring will be fine, I noticed it a bit during the race, especially in the last mile, but not much.. I'm taking today (Monday after the race) off, but imagine I'll be back to my normal running tomorrow. I noticed in the run that it seemed like others were engaging their calves much more than I do. Actually, the only time I got to look at anyone else's form was when I was passed on the dirt road uphill around 10.5, being passed on an uphill gives you a good view of the other runners legs afterall. But, because of my calf strain issues, I adjusted my stride last year to be easier on my calve. I wonder if I tried to adjust back to use my calves more if that would be good for me.

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As for pace, strava gave me 8:00 pace, one second off my goal. Strava automatically removes seconds not moving, so runkeeper gave me 8:08 pace. I don't know how much of that was at the end (a couple minutes) and how much was at the water stations (a few seconds), so I could probably tell myself that I hit my goal. On the other hand, my gps always gives a longer distance than most others. So mine says I ran 15.7, which is the longest I can see on Strava of racers who didn't get lost. Most people's says they ran a bit over 15 with about 15.3 being the modal distance. But either way, my understanding of my speed is based on my gps reports, so I feel like I did well.

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I'm happy with my racing, but I think that might be it for me. I am really competitive, and I don't like how racing causes me to take risks with my health. Like, I hit the downhills really aggressively (because I know them so well, I told myself), but in hindsight, doing that with a tender hamstring and possibly a not fully recovered calf was pretty risky and it would suck to have torn a muscle or tendon. I stopped racing after high school and did my first race since then last year. I've since done two other races (so this is my fourth in a year). I think I might try to do a flat road marathon or two sometime in the next couple years, just to see if I can break three hours. That said, I've been a bit melancholic recently, so maybe I'll be more interested in racing again in the future.

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Previous entries:

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

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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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April 10, 2022 - Northern Nipmuck Trail Race https://www.reddit.com/r/trailrunning/comments/u32w1y/race_report_2022_northern_nipmuck_trail_race/

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Made with a new [race report generator](http://sfdavis.com/racereports/) created by /u/herumph.