Story
Robert H. Treman State Park is one of my favorite places in the world. This is not an exaggeration. The trails are a perfect combination of well-maintained and just wild enough, and there’s something about the feeling of running along the forest floor surrounded by grass and ferns and tall trees that just can’t be beat. Not to mention the rest of the park: swimming, camping, etc. But today I was here for the running.
I was planning on the forecasted rain to help keep me cool this morning.
Ron Howard narrator voice: there was no rain.
07:57am, 00.0 miles
I actually got up early this morning! I guess I was pretty excited to do this?
I had stashed a drop bag at Woodard Road, which I crossed at 3.5 and 6 miles, downed some Gatorade on the way out and scarfed a banana on the way back down. I was better about slowing down for a couple minutes and not just blowing through, and that definitely helped me regain some energy.
On the way back down I crossed a hiker and an ultra runner with poles at the same time – a little crowded for single-track – but other than that it was a quiet morning.
09:43am, 09.3 miles
I came into the Yaris aid station feeling good. I chose the Treman side first because that long flowing downhill at the end would have been wasted after 12 miles. Chugged half a liter of water and headed out towards the tracks.
The inlet looked like it was only about a foot deep, so I just took the water crossing. It was more like 2 feet, but still nice and refreshing, and my socks and shoes got rid of most of the wetness fairly quickly.
I knew what to expect for Lick Brook: even if it has been 9 years since I did CT50, you don’t forget that sort of thing. Maybe it’s just because I was already pretty spent by that point, but it actually didn’t feel too bad, hiking up. By the time I made it to Town Line, I was back to a shuffle, which shortly turned back into a proper jog. The way back down felt smooth and quick, though my legs were definitely solidifying by this point.
I crossed the tracks via the bridge on the way back, apparently with good timing, as a train came by within 5 minutes. Once I heard the 13 mile alert, I hammered it in pretty hard --6:49 pace, according to my watch.
10:27am, 13.2 miles
This was my longest run in 9 years (since CT50 in 2013), but overall I’m quite happy with my current endurance level. I’m definitely looking forward to doing this a few more times as I continue to consider giving Virgil Crest another go.
Challenge completion celebratory chocolate bar in the woods!
