King Tut

No race plan ever survives contact with Race Day. Doesn't it seem that something always comes up that can throw a monkey wrench at months of preparation? That's life.

At the last minute I changed the venue of the King Tut Half Marathon from Leominster State Forest to Groton Town Forest. I got up around 7 to get ready for the race. Had a bowl of oatmeal, loaded up the Camelbak, stuffed some Gu in my pocket & headed to LSF. When I got to the parking lot around Rocky Pond there were more vehicles than I've ever seen there before. Turns out a bunch of people were going into the woods to cut down some trees. I wanted solitude not a bunch of pickup trucks tooling through the wooods. Thought of rescheduling the race to Tuesday. Two problems: Hunting season is getting into full swing on weekdays & I was all set to run.

Plan B. Drive to Groton Town Forest & do the race as a double loop of the Groton Town Forest Trail that I always use. I drove to Groton. When I got to Groton there was almost as many vehicles in the parking lot as there were at LSF. WTF? A bunch of guys my age were getting together to drive their mountain bikes around the woods. Some people might've been there to walk their dogs. Whatever.

The first loop I decided not to use the Camelbak but, did decide to use my Shuffle. Why not? My race, my rules. The first loop was uneventful.

The route starts along the outer edge of the forest. I can see into the backyards of the big, new homes that abut the woods. Then the trail borders an oxbow of the river to complete the first mile or so. Then it goes uphill into the woods on a series of switchbacks. The grade isn't too tough but, you have to concentrate on your footfall, lots of roots & rocks under the pine needles & leaves to catch the unwary.

You come out of the path onto a dirt road called Town Forest Road that you follow for about another half mile, you take a V to the left on another dirt road & finally take a path to the right back into some thicker woods & some more switchbacks.

The Town Forest Trail is actually a very clever use of the woods. The Forest isn't particularly large but, the dirt roads radiate throught the forest kind of like the spokes of a wheel & the paths between the roads zig-zag between the spokes. Because of the rolling terrain & the thick forest you get to run a longer route in a fairly small area.

The dirt road to winding path repeats itself a couple of times. Then the first of a couple of steep grades that hallmark the last third of the course. Just as the inital feelings of fatigue creep in the terrain turns extra rugged. No problem. Toss back a Gu packet I stuck in my Shuffle (wish I had some water now) & keep chugging. Around the 5 mile mark is the steepest incline. When I first started running GTF I would walk this segment. Now, although it probably doesn't look like it, I run this part.

From there the route is through a part of the forest with a lot of short,young pine trees. Fairly easy, although as I get to the end I realize I have to do another lap.

When I get to my truck, there's a lady with three dogs just getting out of her car. Pretty collies. I grab the Camelbak, swallow a Gu, stuff the rest into a pocket & start lap 2. I feel pretty good.

The 2nd loop is identical to the first but, with the inevitable fatigue certain to make it an interesting. The thing with trail running is you really have to concentrate with how you place your feet & to stay loose enought so, when you hit a rock or start to twist your ankle on a root you can shift your weight quick enough to avoid injury. Takes a lot of concentration & as you get tired you can start to make mistakes.

Somewhere around Mile 8 the tip of my right foot found a root. I took a tumble. I tried to roll into the fall but, managed to clobber my left knee (always the LEFT knee!)as I hit the ground. I'm lying on my back staring up at the trees. I get up & wait for the waves of pain. I put weight on my knee & it hurts. I start walking to shake it off & realize it's not going to stop me from doing the rest of the run.

The rest of the run was a repeat of the first loop but, with a twinge of pain every other step. Even though I had water & Gu, fatigue was becoming a factor in my pace. I was really being careful with my foot placement because I didn't want to fall again. I never see the cyclists from the parking lot throughout the run but, I see their tracks on some of the trails

The end was somewhat anticlimatic. I come through the little pine trees & there's my truck. Tap the tailgate with my left hand & I'm done. There's even more vehicles in the parking lot.

I ran 12.8 miles in 2 hours & 32 minutes. That's about an 11:53 pace. I'm satisfied. Trail running is tough & this is a challenging course. That's the furthest I've run out in the woods & the second longest distance I've run since I got back into the sport.

That's a wrap on the 1st Annual King Tut Trail Race. I hope do another one next year.