A state of good running

It started easily enough, a 10k (OK, maybe it’s a bit longer than that!), a 50k and then a run that involved running at night. If you’re going to run through the night why make it a good distance? In fact why not go from one end of the state to the other? And so the concept of the TCU was born.

Of course, there would need to be a trail and conveniently the New England scenic Trail provided that. But then there would need to be some form of certainty it was doable! That is where the notion of the TCU Fat Ass came into being, an attempt to cover the trail from the state line to Elizabeth Adams School in Guilford.

The plan formed slowly but the difficulty was estimating where an when I’d be in order to be resupplied and also to meet companions who wanted to join the adventure. In the end a best guess of a 24 hour pace was used together with an iPhone tracking app to monitor progress in almost realtime. Together with food and drink for the first 20 miles or so and some very basic survival gear in case of emergency and an enforced lonely night on the trail, I headed out.

Forrest drove me to the start before then putting in a few hours trail maintenance in honor of Trails day. I was about a mile into the trail when I remembered I hadn’t started my GPS. I looked at my wrist and to my horror remembered I’d left it on the roof of Forrest’s car while it located the satellites and I put on my Moben sleeves. I left him a panicked voice mail and made my way back to the start. Miraculously, we found the device a few yards down the road, battered but still serviceable and back into the woods I went.

The going to route 44 was pretty good. The temperature gradually climbed but the shade of the trees provided plenty of relief from the sun. There were plenty of climbs, descents, a few open sections on ridgelines that offered great views and the track that paralleled the Hartford Reservoir was a joy to plod along. At route 44, Lostc was on hand to resupply my drink and provide a PB&J sandwich  before a quick dance amongst the traffic and then back into the woods. From here it got noticeably harder. The traprock underfoot was constant and the pace slowed as a result. The woodland floor was alive with chipmunks and squirrels and the pickings must have been so good that I came across three large owls at different times perched no more than 8 feet off the ground. On seeing me they would fly a little higher and then bob up and down from their vantage point trying to make out who/what I was.

My next supply drop was near the Crescent Lake on the trail map. Lostc left a package close to Roger’s Orchard Barn that contained ice! What a treat, by now it was hot and I was getting through liquids quite quickly. Leaving the barn the trail followed a couple of lanes past fruit orchards that looked like apple and peach trees. I knew the next resupply would be Guthrie and as I made my way up to Ragged Mountain bumped into Snobody. He commented on the rugged character of the trail and some of the down hills we were about to negotiate. He wasn’t kidding, covered in smaller stones hidden beneath dried leaves the surface was like ice. How we didn’t shoot down on our butts is a mystery!

By the next stop Guthrie supplied cheese and PB sandwiches. When I first put these foods together she thought I was nuts. Maybe she still does, but at least she also understands now! They were a nice change from the constant sweetness and while we ate, we waited for Loopy and Forrest to join the party. Then it was off again, now a party of four plus a dog. The trail remained constant, constant that is in that it maintained its up and downward direction over yet more traprock. Loopy halted at the next stop as the pollen was getting to her while the guys pressed on as the daylight faded. I can’t recall the time but we reached a dirt road called Victoria Road where that the trail should have crossed, but on the far side there were no markings. We wondered up and down, called the girls, ventured on a nearby paved road and still couldn’t work out where to go. Eventually we walked up the dirt road and found blazes. By now it was cold as well as dark.

Another pit stop and both Snobody and Forrest were at the end of their journey for the day. More food and I went back into the woods. It was cold and very quickly the trail became difficult to follow. The blazes were inconsistent and the going underfoot less obvious than it had been all day. Sometimes the blazes were only visible on the reverse side of trees but regardless there wasn’t any visible sign of a foot path. Some 40 minutes and 1 mile later I popped out into a field. Again there were no signs to indicate direction or where the trail might head. I wondered out into the long wet grass and then had difficulty finding the opening to go back into the woods. It was time to call it a day, call the others and retrace my steps.

After resting, I have wondered if the route really is a viable race, but it think that is a decision that is still too early to make. I’d like to determine where the trail goes at the point where I lost it, it can easily be re-blazed. Without a doubt, if a race does manifest from the adventure it will be one of the hardest on the trail running scene anywhere. That isn’t bravado; it may not have the elevation gains of some but the rugged going underfoot will humble and challenged the best in the field.

My mileage predictions to the various stops need adjustment but that was part of the exercise. The many major road crossing would need marshalling for safety, but the sense of progression south would create a buzz for any crew following a racer especially as they neared their goal. That said, south of New Britain the trail loops north for a while before swinging south again. That and the constant rocks will test the mental stamina of some beyond the point of wanting to continue. It would be either a race that everyone wants to try at least once, or the race that no-one wants to try at all!

Thanks to everyone who offered words of encouragement or direct support in particular; Guthrie, Loopy, Forrest, Lostc, Snobody, Catamount and Ultra.