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| Flat section around mile 19 |
After getting absolutely destroyed by the New York FKT attempt of the Appalachian Trail I wanted something to hang my hat on before the end of summer. The FKT for Connecticut had in the back of my mind since last year, when I being really exploring the trail in NY and set the record in NJ. When it turned out Elizabeth and I were headed up to Massachusetts for the weekend, it made sense to leave a day early and try to take some time off the current record.
Elizabeth and I arrived at the NY/CT state border at 5:15am on Friday morning, planning for a 5:30am start. I hadn't run more than 50 feet on the Connecticut AT section, so I would be on new trail all day. To start, I wore a light singlet and a hand-held water bottle, opting to switch to my hydration pack when I saw Elizabeth after the first 4-ish miles. After walking out to the starting point we decided it was still a little too dark, and pushed the start to 5:40am. A small satellite snafu pushed us back another minute, and I was officially on my way at 5:42am.
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| 2nd time starting here, 1st time going north |
The trail started out a bit technical for the 1st half mile before crossing over Rt. 55, then proceeds to flatten out a bit before the 1st climb of the day up Tenmile Hill. I passed a tent at the base, and thought to myself I hope I don't startle them. I felt great climbing up the hill, though my heart rate was a bit higher than I was hoping. After jogging down the backside of the hill, the trail parallels the Housatonic River for the next mile or so. I was being to warm up and moving quickly to try and match the pace of the current FKT holder, Scott Gregor. I don't know Scott personally, but he is a phenomenal runner and has been tearing up trails all over the northeast for the last several years. I eventually reached Bulls Bridge Road around 4 miles in and proceeded down Schaghticoke Road and found Elizabeth on the side of the road, just before the trail dips back into the woods.
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| Out of the singlet, into the tri-top |
I arrived at the aid station almost exactly on pace, in about 42 minutes. I swapped my singlet and handheld for a tri-top and a hydration vest, as the next section was a bit longer (about 7 miles). I took a banana and some ginger snaps and made my way back onto the trail. I was immediately greeted by one of the more difficult climbs on the route, Schaghticoke Mountain. The trail climbs roughly 900 feet over the next 1.8 miles, with some technical spots. I took my time going up, eating my ginger cookies and drinking water as I proceeded. Once up the mountain, the trail skirted across the ridge with some great runnable sections as well as technical spots. I passed a few hikers on my way down to the next road crossing, near one of the creeks that flows into the Housatonic River. After exchanging pleasantries, I dunked my hat in the cool water, and continued to run. The long descent took me across Old Barn Road and I found Elizabeth shortly after at Macedonia Road.
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| The early views were covered in a thick layer of fog |
I was about 10 minutes behind pace, arriving in 2 hours 14 minutes. I tried to eat as much as I could while Elizabeth refilled my water bottles. I was still feeling good at this point and I knew I only had about 5 miles until I arrived on River Road, which was flat for about 5 miles (something I was very much looking forward to). I stayed at this station a touch longer than I would have liked but eventually got back underway and jogged across the field on the other side of the road.
After crossing the field, I was greeted by another difficult climb, though I'm not sure of the name. I was becoming mentally exhausted, which was unusual for me this early into a race/event, and proceeded to walk the entire hill. I tried to get into a rhythm as soon as the trail leveled off, but found myself stopping shortly after for a view at St. John's Ledges. I continued on, feeling more relaxed knowing I was approaching the flat section. Making my way across Skiff Mountain Road, I proceeded up Caleb's Peak. There was fantastic view near the top, and I was able to stop for a quick photo and chatted for a minute with a thru-hiker taking a break at the vista. The descent down was long and technical, and I was having trouble moving quickly with my less-than-100% ankle causing me some discomfort. About half-way down, I cam across a 2-ft snake in the middle of the path. It scurried out of the way seconds before forward momentum would have landed my foot right on it. Researching after the run, I concluded it was either an Eastern Ribbonsnake or Eastern Garter, both are nothing to worry about. I continued down until finally emerging onto a dirt/gravel road close to the Housatonic. I presumed this would lead me to Elizabeth, who was planning on meeting me at the start of the flat section of River Road, and I carried on.
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| St. John's Ledges represented the first real view of the day |
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| Good things come in pairs |
I trotted down the dirt road awhile before I started to get concerned. I still had not seen Elizabeth and the path showed no sign of any real road coming up. I was a mile further than I expected the road to be, so I stopped and tried to call Elizabeth. It took 3 tries before the call went through, but no answer. I left a message saying the trail must have been mislabeled on the map, and to meet me at the next station, another 7 miles further. At this point I was running low on water, but luckily could resupply at the Housatonic River, which paralleled the trail. This was another low point mentally, and I couldn't get myself to run for more than a mile or so at a time. After passing a campground and going through a field or two, the trail finally diverged from the path and I made my way up Silver Hill. There was a nice overview at the top where some day-hikers had stopped for lunch but I was trying to move quickly so I didn't spare any time to chat. After a steep (but not technical) downhill Rt. 4 was in sight. I told myself that if Elizabeth was not there I would drop abandon the FKT attempt and try to congregate with her. At first I didn't see her and a wave of relief washed over me. But sure enough, I saw her Ford Escape just a few yards up the road, with her sitting in the front seat.
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| Taking my time down the steep descent |
Once I arrived I found out she had her own obstacles in that section. Apparently the road we were supposed to meet on was closed today so she was desperately trying to find another way to see me (this included yelling for me at the top of her lungs into the woods, which I did not hear). Thankfully we found each other at the next aid, though the spotty service meant she never actually got my message. However, she being there meant I needed to keep going, which was difficult to wrap my head around. I had some PB&J and Fritos as well as much needed water and Gatorade. I was looking for her to give me any excuse to drop out now, but she made it clear we were not calling it quits this early. After refilling my pack and wishing me well, I was off once again.
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| Wanting to quit less than half-way in |
This next section was relatively short (4.9 miles) but I struggled to maintain any semblance of my intended pace. After the intial climb up Bread Loaf Mountain (actual name) I arrived at the Pine Knob Loop Trail, which is indicated by light-blue blazes, and shares the AT for the next 3/4 mile before splitting off again. I passed several day and thru-hikers during this section, which allowed me to take a few mini-breaks to chat. I spoke with one young woman as I passed through, "Hope the weather holds out" I remarked, and she agreed, as the clouds were starting to close in. The weather didn't hold and within a minute, it was down-pouring. Despite what I said, I welcomed the relief from the heat, and was happy the rain was keeping the bugs away. There were several other day hikers making their best attempts to stay dry, but to avail. Toward the end of this section I began feeling much better and the mile times began to slowly decrease. The rain stopped shortly before I hit my next aid stop at W Cornwall Road, where Elizabeth was waiting for me.
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| The rain kept me from using my phone so here's another great lookout from the last section |
I dropped my pack off and immediately darted back into the woods for a bathroom break. When I returned I felt even better than before and found Elizabeth had already refilled my water bottles and set up some food options. I settled for a BLT she picked up at a local gas station and it tasted incredible. I wolfed down half of it and had her save the 2nd half for the next station. I believe I also had some Fritos and possibly a Mountain Dew at this stop (my memory is a bit hazy here). Feeling much better and trying to move quicker through the stations, I headed across the road where the next section awaited.
I knew that after this section there would be 4 miles of flat trail, which got my spirits up. After the initial climb, I began to run again, this time feeling stronger. I begun calculating the pace I would need to break the record and realized I was already a bit behind. I became obsessed with keeping my miles under 15 minutes and only walking during the more difficult climbs. The air was humid and the bugs began to emerge again. I jogged by a couple with there pants down (oops) and tried to mosey by without an awkward encounter. "Sorry" I yelled as I passed. They did not appear too concerned or embarrassed. The trail in this section was extremely runnable, without many interruptions for hills or rocks. Eventually I started to climb Sharon Mountain and my pace slipped again. But I ran strong on the descent and before I knew it I was back on the road headed toward Housatonic Valley Regional High School, where Elizabeth would be waiting. I was able to pick up the pace on the road and felt really good knowing that the next sections would be almost entirely flat.
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| The calm before the storm (Pt. 2) |
After turning onto Warren Turnpike Road, I quickly spotted Elizabeth in the school parking lot with the food already set up. I arrived and finished off my sandwich from earlier, explaining to her how well the last section had felt, as I stuffed my face. While I was indulging, a man came up to us and asked about what we were doing (he had seen me earlier on the road). We explained the record attempt and chatted for a few minutes before left and wished us well. The monsoon was back, and soon I was scrambling to get my pack together so I could run through the next section. Before I left I requested an ice cream sandwich for the next section, to which Elizabeth gladly said she would pick up.
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| Jogging into the High School parking lot |
I began running down the road to the tune of thunder and lightning, my shoes and socks becoming soggy with every step. I passed a thru-hiker just before re-entering the woods, and thought about the challenges rain presents to those going the full distance. The trail aligned with the road for the next half-mile or so, and although it was not technical, the lack of drainage made it extremely rough going. Eventually I crossed over Warren Turnpike Road and into a small park. I passed by another hiker who had set up a tent roof and was casually reading a book in the middle of the monsoon. I envied his patience, but continued on. Surging forward and completely drenched, I advanced to Water Street. I traveled down Water Street, which aptly lived up to it's name, and found the next trail inlet at Falls Mountain Road. This small section may have been the most water-laden trail I have ever run. It constantly felt like I was running directly up a stream bed, as water flowed toward me and into the Housatonic River to my right. After stopping for a quick video to record the downpour, I arrived at the car, quickly jumping in the trunk and shielding myself from the rain.
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| No caption needed |
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| No that's not sweat |
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| Photobombing myself with my own phone (showing Elizabeth the video above) |
As promised, I had two ice cream bars waiting for me. I practically inhaled them as I recounted the last section to Elizabeth, who stayed in the front seat this time. The next section started with one of the most difficult climbs of the day, and I knew I would need to keep the aid stops to a minimum if I was going to have a chance at the record. After a few more chips and water/gatorade I was on my way again. Just before jumping back into the woods I stopped and applied some Chafex to my inner thighs, took one last look back at Elizabeth, and proceeded up the climb.
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| Possibly my favorite trail marker of the day |
I passed some day hikers as I ran through a small field before reaching the climb. I asked if the climb was as bad as everyone said (though honestly no one told me it was bad, it just looked bad on the elevation profile). The assured me it wasn't and moments later I was surprised to find out they were mostly right. I glided up the hill, stunned that I had finished so quickly. Once at the top, the trail migrating in and out of field edges, following a gentle downward grade most of the time. I was running fast and feeling good. This section was busier than most, with several thru-hikers attempting to reach the state line. I got behind a small group as we hiked up a smaller climb, and chatted for a few minutes. We were both headed to the state line, and they wished me well as I slipped by them. I passed a collection of day-hikers as I neared Canaan Rd (Rt. 44). After a soggy stretch alongside the road, I emerged onto the road.
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| Rock |
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| I'm not sure this is OSHA certified |
I told Elizabeth that if she couldn't find parking at Rt. 41, to meet me at this intersection. When I didn't see the SUV, I knew she must be waiting another mile ahead. I was happy she was at the next road, as I wanted to use the new-found energy instead of stopping. I expected the trail to go straight across the road here, but it turned left on Rt. 44. I made my way down the road, following blazes carefully and making sure I wasn't straying off path. Eventually I made the right-turn down Cobble Road and another right into a large field and back into the woods. The trail here was flat and mellow, great for walkers and the like. After a short jog through this section, I arrived at Rt. 41. At first I didn't see Elizabeth's SUV, but quickly spotted it in a parking lot the trail was leading to. The rain appeared to be completely gone, and the weather was perfect. She got out of the car and was setting up the aid when she sensed my urgency. I told her I need to move as fast as possible if I was going to have a shot at the record. Realistically, I knew I had some time to spare, but I didn't want to break the record by only a minute or two. I gulped down a Monster Energy (which is something I NEVER drink anymore, this was the 1st energy drink I'd had since 2013). I chugged the whole thing, had a few chips, then spent 30 seconds talking to Elizabeth about the last section, the section coming up, and the finish area. (Looking back, we should have spent another 10 seconds identifying a key detail, see the last paragraph). I left the aid station bottles filled, ready for the final push to the state line.
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| No better way to make what I'm doing seem insignificant |
This section contained the climb up the infamous Bear Mountain, the most difficult climb of the day. The trail started climbing immediately, and I power-hiked up, running wherever I could find a flat section. There were plenty of thru-hikers and day hikers alike on the trail, which was mostly a double-wide gravel path. I continued climbing, sometimes running the uphill sections if they were short. I felt great, but was concerned the real climb hadn't begun yet. Eventually the trail narrowed and veered left and down into a valley. I could see "Bear Mountain" in front of me (notice the quotes), but couldn't quite believe it still had so much climbing left. Eventually I reached the "real climb" and there was no mistaking it (again, the quotes). I hiked hard, making sure to keep under 20-minute mile pace. The trail split with the Appalachian continuing up to my right, while another trail followed the mountain down to the left. I kept hiking, and the further I went, the rockier the trail got, until I was climbing up massive rocks near the summit. This part of the trail was reminiscent of the climb up West Mountain from the Palisades Parkway in NY, also part of the AT. I saw people at the top and decided even though I was short on time, it was worth taking a break to enjoy the view (and catch my breath).
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| Best view of the day |
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| I wasn't the only one admiring the view |
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| Selfie! |
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| Ok this is getting ridiculous, time to go |
After a few pictures, a found my way back to the trail. The path followed the ridge for a while and offered another view of the opposite direction, but soon meandered down the ridge. I picked up the pace, realizing how close I was to missing the record. I didn't know exactly when I would arrive at the state line, and was trying to calculate the distance based on my watch, comparing when I arrived at the top of the mountain to when Scott had. I knew I must be close and I continued to push the pace, jumping down into the 9:00-range at times. I passed several trails that looked like they could be the side entrance that Elizabeth would take to meet me. But with each one, the trail showed no signs of changing states. Then the trail began to climb again, which surprised me as I had thought the climbing was finished. A run turned into a power-hike turned into a walk, but the trail was unrelenting. I slowed my pace feeling mentally defeated. I was frustrated that I didn't know exactly where I was or why I was climbing this far in. I didn't dare spend the extra time to check my phone for context to where I was, and I was sure I wouldn't have had service anyway. Eventually I arrived at this 2nd summit, to find that I was just now arriving at the peak of Bear Mountain (the previous peak being a mountain called Lion's Head).
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| I should have paid closer attention to this sign |
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| The REAL Bear Mountain view (though I didn't climb the monument) |
I persisted, realizing now that I was in the home stretch of the event. To my dismay, a steep technical descent awaited, and I was forced to tip-toe down. I sped through as fast as I could, almost losing my balance on more than one occasion. After a frustrating downhill, I sped up once again. The trail was slow and easy to run now, and after seeing a turn-off to my left, Elizabeth was finally in sight. I dashed forward excited to find the state-line sign.
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| Arriving at the finish line! |
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| Ignoring the finish line |
I yelled to Elizabeth as I passed that I needed to find the official sign, and ran ahead. I trailed slightly switchbacked downhill before arriving at the Sage's Ravine campsite. On my way down, I did stop to read a sign which I thought could be the one Scott had used as his endpoint, but did not recognize it as the correct one. I traveled on, running across the bridge to the campsite looking for the sign, but again could not find it. I frantically continued back across and continued on the AT once again. With every step I was sure the sign would be just around the bend. I had less than 5 minutes to find it. I sped up again, jumping over rocks and roots as the trail became more technical, but the sign was nowhere in sight. With about 90 seconds left, I gave up. I found a spot overlooking the stream, and sat down, removing my pack. I couldn't believe that I had come so close, with the sign being just out of reach.
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| The view after time expired |
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| View from the other side after time expired |
Post-Run:
After a few minutes in my pity party, I backtracked toward Elizabeth, who I imagine had no idea what was going on. I walked the entire way, restarting my watch on 'hike' mode so I could see how far I had run past her. I eventually reached her by the Sage's Ravine Campsite, where I announced that I never found the sign. She mentioned that, according to Google, she had been standing exactly on the state line. Not good enough, I thought to myself. I needed to find the sign that Scott used as the finish point. Apparently I had not shown the sign to Elizabeth, so I pulled up a screenshot I had taken with my phone. "I'm pretty sure you passed that", she explained. We backtracked more, as we need to head in that direction anyway, and found the sign I had glanced at after I passed her. Sure enough, It was the correct sign, and I had remembered it differently in my "altered" state-of-mind (runner-brain, as some ultrarunners say). I couldn't believe I had actually done it, but I still had a problem. I didn't know exactly what time I passed the sign. But I could worry about that later. For now I was excited to be done.
This has been the longest I have ever spent on a race report, so I may be a little foggy on some of the final details. I did my best to recount as much information as possible, but honestly, in over 50 miles of AT running, some of the sections do tend to blend together.
After carefully reviewing my GPS data on Garmin Connect and Strava, I have concluded that I arrived at Sage's Ravine in 12:47:19. I cannot pinpoint the exact time I arrived at the sign, but seeing as this was the closest landmark after passing the sign, this is a time I feel comfortable posting as the new FKT.
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| Notice the time in the lower-right hand in conjunction with the position on the map |
The run challenged my weaknesses more than my strengths, and I am a better trail runner now than when I began. I am not strong on new terrain, when things seem out of my control (see NY FKT attempt) so this was a fantastic way to improve in that area. Thank you so much to Elizabeth who spent the whole day chasing me around the woods, only to be rewarded with a cranky, tired, and sore boyfriend. I would also like to mention that I plan on running this route again, and improving on this time now that I know the course and most importantly, where it ends.
Cheers!
Gear:
Watch: Garmin Fenix 5
Shoes: HOKA Challenger ATR 3
Socks: Injinji & Drymax
Pack: Ultimate Direction AK 3.0
Gels: Huma
Anti-chafe: Chafex
