Twilight Trail Run

I couldn’t resist returning to the Twilight Trail Run (7.4 miles) near Groton on 5/29, since it was my first-ever trail race last year. (And, admittedly, I was tempted by the raffle, which—last year—boasted a kayak as a grand prize and so many donated awards that almost everyone patient enough to brave the cold rain was rewarded). I hoped to beat last year’s time and maybe win more than a Mystic-area car wash coupon book this time around!
Despite some organizational strangeness (such as not announcing the winners, since there was no official timing system and they apparently couldn’t make sense of the times, since some long course runners started with the later short course start and short course runners started with the long course start…), this was a very enjoyable event on a beautiful and interesting course. I like to support races that have a nice, LATE, humane start time (6 pm)!
I drove up after work with Diana and her Mom, who planned to walk the short (3.6 mile) course. Quentin the dalmatian stayed home, though it turns out he would have been welcome. When we arrived, there was a corps of about 25 massage therapy students and their overseers, who were aggressively recruiting clients for pre-race stretching and massage (I later learned this event served as their midterm exam). I had time to kill, so I submitted to their ministrations, flustering the poor guy a bit with the extreme flexibility of my hamstrings.

While waiting for the race to begin, I overheard much talk regarding the prior week’s Providence marathon and the following week’s Nipmuck .There was a man standing near me with two dogs who could definitely have won one of those dog-and-owner lookalike contests: all three had a similar stocky build and similar scraggly, wiry black-grey hair.
The race director stood on a chair and thanked sponsors, explained the lack of a timing system (preferring to donate more proceeds to the Women’s Shelter), and urged us to be careful on the slippery rocks and enjoy ourselves. The course began on a wooded dirt road, with lovely views of the water, sightings of beach roses, and plenty of muddy areas (fortunately, Leatherman’s Loop had desensitized me to the sensation of plunging right through!) It had rained during the afternoon, leaving the area pleasantly cool and a bit misty. I found myself going out faster than advisable, but still being passed by most of the crowd. As I went up one of the course’s few hills, I heard very heavy breathing behind me, before being passed by a guy with a shirt touting “LONG, HARD COX mountain marathon.” (Oddly, he complimented my breathing as he passed me.).

I managed to get ahead of him and several others when the race veered off on to a single track hiking trail, with lots of slick rocks, though I continued to fear that I might have gone out too fast. The route then ran parallel to a railroad on chunky gravel, exiting Bluff Point park en route to Haley Farm state park, affording more water views and some swan-sightings. After a crossing an old bridge over the railroad, we ran a pretty loop through a meadow with water views reminiscent of Branford point, crossed a small stream on a boardwalk, then ran uphill into another wooded section bordered by marshy wildflowers and rough-hewn rock fences. After retracing my path back along the railroad (the one smoother trail in the heavy gravel now shared by outgoing runners), I was fatigued, but relieved to return to the wide, wooded dirt road and pleased to be able to finish the loop holding my pace and feeling strong. After crossing the finish, I munched on bagels and fruit and scored a second massage while waiting for Diana and her Mom to finish their walk. (As a vegetarian, I can’t vouch for the clam chowder, but others seemed to be eating it with gusto.) Mom reportedly picked up the pace in the last five minutes to beat in the final walker by a few seconds! They reported a gorgeous, scenic walk, but were disappointed that most of the water and food ran out before they arrived, given the unexpectedly large crowd. I saw Brian, another intermittent Bimbler, as I headed off to change clothes, but no other faces I recognized.

No winners were announced, given the timing mix-up, but the raffle did not disappoint…among the many prizes were a casino restaurant voucher, large Starbucks baskets, foot care kits, karate lessons, cycling shop gift certificates, and a case of wine–distributed one bottle at a time. (When a young kid won the white wine, they kindly swapped it out for him).
All in all, it was a wonderful evening. I shocked myself by coming in five minutes faster than last year (57:29 and I think third in my age group). And Di’s mom scored a pizza gift certificate! Idiosyncrasies and all, I would certainly recommend this race for next year.

For the full results, click here.