2009 Li'l Rhody Runaround

Sunday morning I packed a bag of blaze orange and headed to Burlingame State Park picnic area for my second Li'l Rhody Runaround 8 mile Trail Race (Snerro Results).

The WTAC puts on a nice event that draws the usual trail vets, Sunday Frunners, and a lot of fast road racers. Of course, many of the lead trail racers also perform as speedily on the roads, watch out! The field was packed with 290 runners, 130 of whom were race-day registrants. The RD reminded (scratch that) WARNED the crowd that this Li'l Rhody is a trail race and that means rocks and roots and "Danger, Will Robinson" all over the place! Oh yeah, by the way it's hunting season, so you must wear some orange or no turkey for you! (Above: Alan Bernier with Diana Davis).

As promised, the course was muddy, rocky, rooty and nearly flat-to-rolling gloriously runnable. 'Twas quite tame, actually.
UNLIKE the aggressive and territorial goose who honked up a storm along that last road section before the finish. If you warmed up there, you might've been chased by the feller.

This year the top-four overall finishers crushed last year's winning time of 46:31. Greg Hammett, 2008 winner, shaved 83 seconds off his time this year. Still, Jacob Edwards, held off Hammett with 44:45 for first. Cody Thompson and Alan Bernier must've gone all out in the finishing chute for 3rd and 4th places (45:57 and 46:00).

The top two females also finished closely; Renee Knapp took first (54:06) and Michaela Driscoll was a few ticks behind (54:24). Diana Davis, road and track racer, set down her studies to tear up the trails for a solid 3rd (56:37).

Then there's us...

(Trail Pixie Trespas, Bill H and John P)
The middle-packers who run for a few spare points.

At Li'l Rhody Runaround 2008 it was 2o-below with the wind-chill. I scurried for some last-chance ENETRS points against some talented female runners with whom I was beaver-tooth-to-tail (translation: "neck-in-neck"). In this year's series, I ran more events early on, then shifted my focus to the USATF Mountain Running Circuit for mountain-goat status. After the Stone Cat Trail Marathon, I return to the series, tickled to discover I still lead for the women. Hot Beaver Dam!

While I wore Don't Shoot Me orange, I wanted to REPreSENT so I flashed my pink "Beaver Power" Sock Guy Socks. I think I should also try the white/brown "Got Wood" pair, too, just to see what happens. Sock-ET 2 Em.

Without the competition gnawing my tail, I ran at a fun conversational pace. Thom P and I talked horror films the whole time and created our own Li'l Rhody Trail-Saw Massacre.

It was hot this year (mid-50's) so after the run I soaked my feet with Bill H in the Watchaug Pond. OMG, That was cold. (Pond in November = free & natural ice-bath substitute).

Apparently we weren't the only crazies as several other running-nuts followed suit. Then it was on to the fires.

2008 1:10:58
2009 1:15:39

Overall by slowing down my pace by 30 seconds/mile, I felt awesome for most of the race and had something left for the road sprint and that goose —#42!

Other beavers from our colony were missed, especially, Li'l Roy.
Julie O was at JFK!