Last year, I did not sign up. I had Heartland 100 mile on my calendar the week before, so I thought signing up for the Bluff would be a foolish thing to do. I did not finish Heartland….got off course after 80+ miles into the run…. But I still made the long drive to Connecticut to help at the Bluff. My son lives there; and I love Connecticut in the fall season.
With a strong finish at Heartland this year, I did not intend on finishing the Bluff one week after. But of course who really want to quit without a good reason. Plus a small part of me wanted to finish….to make it very different from last year….when I did not finish Heartland and didn’t start the Bluff!! Arrogance!!!! Haha.
To my amazement, I recovered quickly from Heartland. Didn’t run at all, but I did walk a lot; and swam a couple of times. Friday was my day off, so I went to visit my girlfriend in NYC Friday, and left for CT there on Saturday morning. I stayed with one of the CT runners who was kind enough to let me crash at his place Saturday night after we shared a nice meal together in my favorite place on Branford Green.
That shoreline CT is such a welcoming place for me….brought back a lot of great memories of my younger years when I lived there with my very young son and former husband. My years in the Navy, and friends I made while in service….
Still I treated this race very casually. I felt pretty good for the first 10 miles….moved a bit faster than I thought I was able to, but conserved….held back….just took it very easy….Brian Loose was behind me….SURPRISED at that! So I thought I was okay time wise.
Very surprised that Brian was behind me, but of course he caught up to me toward the end. We bantered back and forth with one another! So much fun! Another female runner, Michelle, was around me….she got off course a few times….normal for newbie at Bluff…. The course was in such a perfect condition….I had no excuse…. I had all the right reasons…perfect reasons to continue….Friends, new and long time, were rooting for me….George Papuga, my hero….my former neighbor who I ran with a few times so long ago…he was there volunteering at SEVERAL aid stations along the way.
Seeing George, and other runners, Jay, Brian, Kerry, Jerry….. at the finish was just so beautiful….words cannot fully describe.
Caroline E. Williams
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