Shad Bloom Trail Race - Week of 5/6 to 5/12

So this will be a new one...taking the ferry from Point Judith out to Block Island, getting a 10K trail race in the books, and hustling back to the ferry in time to make it home...busy week with school activities, but with Jeff W. as inspiration (who fits in a half-marathon distance run during a layover in a foreign country?  Jeff, that's who!  And with photos to prove it!), I'll get my miles in to prep, and maybe some trail maintenance as well...

Monday, 5-6 - 4.5 Miles (Trail) - Lantern Hill Double-up.  Ouch.  Warmup on the Woods Trail down below, then ascended to the top of Lantern Hill, down the backside to the transfer station and back to the car...then took the more direct route straight up to the top and back down a different way.  So many ways to dissect that hill...



Tuesday, 5-7 - 3+ Miles (Trail) - Devil's Hopyard State Park, East Haddam, CT.  Trail recon here, their trails are not super well-marked, but this is day two of very hilly, technical, keep-you-honest trail work.  I have to say, the trail leading up to and down from the "Devil's Oven" (see below) was as sketchy as it gets.  Got lost a few times, but with lots of unmarked connector trails, was able to get back on track.  Beautiful views, trails along 8 Mile River, and an awesome waterfall make this a damn cool place to play.  Photos below:

The "Devil's Oven"...no way I'm going in there...

8 Mile River

Nice falls - trail went up and around the other side

So a good, hilly start to the week, and with only one hill of consequence that I've heard of at Shad Bloom this weekend, maybe I can set a 10K trail benchmark for myself...

Wednesday, 5-8 - 4 Miles (Trails) - Slippery Mount Misery in the rain, Pachaug State Forest.  Probably could have picked a smarter place to go for a run...but saw something I didn't expect:  a hiker with a remote-controlled Monster Truck, driving it up to the top.  Weird, but it was working!



Thursday, 5-9 - 3.5 Miles (Trails/Dirt Road) - Green Falls and Dinosaur Caves loop with Tia and Jim.  Absolutely pouring when we set out, but why not?  It was warm enough, got muddy and soaked, and we had a great time making the short, technical trek along the stream leading up to the dam at Green Falls, skirting the lake and then heading over to the "Dinosaur Caves," huge rock formations that are climbed up, over and around.  Once we got to the RI/CT border, we turned onto Green Falls Road and completed the loop.  3.5 miles as a loop, that could definitely be incorporated into a longer run:

Foggy action shots

Jim and Tia, ready for their Bold-R-Dash race next week!

Friday, 5-10 - 0 Miles - Planned zero, yardwork and family time...

Saturday, 5-11 - 7 Miles (Trail/Dirt Road) - Shad Bloom 10K Trail Race, Block Island, RI (and short warmup).  Picked up Jeff, who was just coming off a hellatious 30 hour travel time trip back from India (you Animal!!!), and we made it to Point Judith for the ferry.  The 11:00 ferry was filled with runners, which was really cool, and we chatted with several people and potentially picked up a new WTAC member, Colleen S.  After we arrived, Jeff and I skipped the windy walk to the school.  It was a bit chilly and already threatening rain...met up with Eric B. and Yvonne R., Carol Ann, Paul and Liz G., Way, and David S.  Great WTAC representation today!  I counted 10 total?

So after a quick warmup, the race starts and I settle into a good rhythm, and with 200-ish runners in attendance, I lined up pretty well.  Was only passed a couple of times, and passed more than that.  The initial couple of miles were into the wind, or it was coming in sideways, 25 knots or so and gusty, but the rain held off until about mile three, and then the sky opened up, torrentially.  I ran with David S. until mile 4 when he pulled away from me, but was running with Eric for a bit as well.  Great crowd, trail crowds are so laid back.  Rolling dirt roads on the course and mostly grassy trails, but there were some wooded twisty muddy trails mixed in.  At the end of mile 4 there was a hill the locals called "The Wall," which was very steep and worked out to a 15-20% grade, pretty short but enough for most everyone to slow down and walk for a minute.  I was able to pass several people in mile 5 and 6, and Jeff had finished the race and gone back to get some action shots on the trail, so thanks Jeff!  Jeff finished 5th, by the way, which is spectacular considering his whirlwind tour of the "other side of the pond..."

I came across the finish line officially at 51:41, good enough for 38th place?  Pretty stoked.  I had nothing to compare this to other than the Belleville Trail 10K, which I did in 54:45 - not quite the same course, but I think they even out on paper, so I'll call this a PR!  Next!



Really nice to relax with a beer on the ride back to the mainland, and talk shop with Jeff, Eric and Yvonne, thanks guys!  I was finally able to get dry socks at 5:30...

Sunday, 5-12 - Mother's Day!  Planned and expected zero, and lots of family time today!