I cut this one a little close, I guess. I parked somewhat precariously on the shoulder of the road, and when I tried to register, a half hour or so before the start of the race, I was told I needed to find the race director and request that he re-open online registration so I (and a few others in the same boat) could register. Luckily, they were able to make it happen, so we could be official.

The course was, in a word, painful. It felt like it was somehow all uphill, and involved three loops of the same, mostly-uphill route. I feel so slow, felt like I was struggling up hills especially in the last two laps, and even though there were very few people running, I still managed second in my age group. This was a tough one.

Bloomfield Cross Country Invitational | 5K | 9/15/24 | 31:57 | 132/169

My first two-race weekend in some time, and somehow, this ended up being a second surprise trail run in a row. The race itself was quite different: nearly 200 runners, pre-race group stretching, and the race was very well staffed and the route well signed. So many volunteers and signs along the route were sure signs of the first edition of a race.

I felt OK, but my time was again, as usual, slower than I thought it would be or than I felt. I managed 20th, and with the free doughnut token at the end, I went from the finish to Rise Bakery and stood in line for nearly as long as it took me to run the race to get an indulgent doughnut.

Come Out and Run | 5K | 9/15/24 | 26:24 | 130/169

Hartford probably hosts more races than any other town in the state, so I’m not sure why I haven’t run here before except because of just that reason: there’s no shortage of races, so I always felt like I could pick one up anytime. As I return from Alaska and the fall race season starts up, I’ve realized I’m more than 3/4 of the way there, with only 40 races left, and I’ve got a renewed sense of drive to make as much progress as I can. I signed up for three races on Friday, but now that I’m this far along, plenty of weekends go by now with no helpful races, so I want to make sure to take every opportunity I can to make headway.

This was a small race, just 37 runners, and was a benefit for a community rowing program, so we were running alongside some people rowing in the Connecticut River as well as some erging in front of the boathouse. This was a nice semi-trail run along a dusty path through the woods and fields along the river. It was essentially a big loop, with some very long straightaways making it easy to see those I was hoping to catch… but never did. This was scored with a strange 41-60 age group, where I came in 6th of 13 in the inevitable 25 minutes, which is just where we are, I guess.

Run for the Riverfront | 5K | 9/14/24 | 25:15 | 129/169

Located in that triangle formed by New Haven, Hartford, and New London, East Hampton is about an hour from home. It was raining until just before the start of the Belltown Spring Sprint, which was a benefit for a post-graduation party for the local high school seniors. The race was fine; I got passed by a bunch of racers, I passed a bunch, and was probably net minus one for the whole race. 14th place overall (out of 46) and felt good, but somehow I ended up fourth of four runners aged 40-49. Looking forward to a new age group.

Belltown Spring Sprint | 5K | 3/23/24 | 24:30 | 127/169

A nice, big, well-organized race (more than 400 runners), up in Windsor Locks, near the airport. We started and finished at the high school, and while I didn’t manage to come in under 25:00 again, I gave it a good effort. I don’t know the last time I saw as many people running in the official race shirt.

Bradley Road Race | 5K | 3/30/24 | 25:26 | 126/169

The “elusive” status of Westbrook was enough to overcome the fact that the forecast predicted solid rain all day (to the point where the race website posted a pop-up indicating that the race would go on, rain or shine). The town is one of the closer targets left on my list, now numbering less than 50, and I set out in the downpour, up 95 to Westbrook, where I don’t think I’ve ever been before. Despite the rain requiring some double-time wipers and making visibility on the drive pretty poor, it calmed down by the time I arrived, and the race itself wasn’t bad.

Again, 25:00 seems to be the new 23:00, which I keep trying to touch again, but it wasn’t to be, especially with a back muscle that seized up at mile one and the stiff breeze along Long Island Sound on the way back. I managed a decent finish, in a race that was won by a 17 year-old who finished a full two minutes ahead of the next finisher.

Daisy Dash | 5K | 3/23/24 | 25:20 | 125/169

Crossing over 120 has somehow made 169 seem not as far out of reach, so I’ve been adding races to the calendar and trying to knock off as many as I can, when I can. It’s not going to happen in the “under ten years since I started” or “before I turn 50” milestones like I once imagined, but I am energized to get it done.

This one was a real muddle: it was supposedly in the town of Ledyard, but the directions were to an address in Gales Ferry (passing the Submarine Museum entrance on the way), and the bibs were left over from the 60th Annual Ocean Beach John & Jessie Kelley Road Race… The rain died down to a light drizzle before the start, and the race, a two-loop affair, was nice, through the neighborhood around the town center. I thought I came in under 25:00, but apparently I missed it by a second or two.

O’Ledyard Grad Dash | 5K | 3/17/24 | 25:01 | 124/169

Trying to keep a shorter gap between races over the winter—last year I went four months—I was glad to find a January race that wasn’t too far away. It was far enough away that there was snow on the ground, though, which we no longer have down here. It felt like a slog, honestly, as I haven’t run outside in months and I’ve gotten soft. 25:00 is the new 24:00…

Brian Aselton Snow Dash | 5K | 1/28/24 | 25:26 | 84/169

I always thought the minimum to count for a town race was a 5K, but apparently that’s not the case. This two mile race was a nice change of pace. While the girls headed off for their CMEA auditions, I headed to Berlin for this race. Lots of runners in costumes, and Christmas music was blaring, but with no song and 47º, it didn’t feel that wintry. I pushed myself harder than usual, with the short distance, and finished in just over 15 minutes. I thought I wasn’t going to place again, as I saw who’d come in before me, but thanks to the weirdest age groups I’ve ever seen, I managed to take home a first place trophy for the men’s 42-49 group. Of course!

Tinsel Fun Run | 2M | 1/28/24 | 15:01 | 92/169

After last weekend’s race, Dad and I had talked about doing another one this weekend, but I was a little surprised he was up for it on his vacation. North Haven has been a surprisingly elusive town for me, so close but not a town I’ve managed to get to during all these years. The fact that the race was only 20 minutes away was hugely convenient.

I pushed it early on, with a 7:35 pace over the first mile, which was a little ambitious. I lagged a bit in the middle, but got back on pace by the last mile and put in my fastest time since last fall. While I came in my customary 4th place in my age group, Dad won his and was cheered for having come from so far away.

Tessa Marie Memorial 5K | 5K | 11/12/23 | 24:15 | 121/169

This time, Grace put her foot down and insisted on sleeping in, but my dad was up for a 5K, so we headed to Stonington and parked in the lot at the Mystic Aquarium. Having a pair of African penguins at the start was definitely a first. The race was well organized, heavily staffed, and with nice tech t-shirts, but there weren’t really that many runners, under 150, which was a surprise. I came in 25th and managed to get in under 25:00, so my new goal is to avoid getting any slower before I’m in the new age group next year.

Run/Walk for the Penguins | 5K | 11/4/23 | 24:50 | 120/169

Grace and I got up without too much trouble at 6:45 and made it to the Quiet Corner of the state for the 9 a.m. start in Ashford. I pulled off the road into the Ashford Park entrance, next to another car but more importantly, right on top of a concrete culvert hidden from view. My left front tire went off the edge with a decisive thunk and was left floating above the ground. No amount of rocking back and forth was going to get us anywhere, and we didn’t have long before the start, so we headed to the pavilion and put our out of commission car out of our minds.

The first race was the longest, nearly a 5K at 2.6 miles, and it went well. I tried to see if we might get someone to push us out after the race, but we didn’t have the time or tools. We caught a ride from Alex and Alexis to the next race, the shortest of the three at under two miles. It was raining in Hampton, but we were all in at this point. Our new friends gave us another ride to Chaplin, and we finished strong, with the cumulative 10K now under our belts. We caught an Uber back to Ashford, and with the help of Megan, Bernie, and their son, who jacked up our car and pushed us out, we were on our way home. I was proud of Grace for sticking with it, and glad that even though our insurance provider found no one in the Quiet Corner of the state who could tow us out on a Sunday afternoon (now that I say it that way, I doesn’t sound that unlikely), we didn’t have to spend all day dealing with my bad luck.

Quiet Corner Challenge: Ashford | 2.6m | 6/12/21 | 25:25 | 117/169

Quiet Corner Challenge: Hampton | 1.6m | 6/12/21 | 15:37 | 118/169

Quiet Corner Challenge: Chaplin | 2m | 6/12/21 | 24:52 | 119/169

Grace and I drove up to Farmington for a really nice 5K trail race at Winding Trails camp today. She was plagued by the same leg pain that bothered her during the ski season last year, so we took it slow, but she kept at it and ran most of the way. We’ve got out three-race day next weekend, so I’m glad we go out there, even if it wasn’t a banner day.

Farmington Valley Pumpkin Run | 5K trail | 10/22/23 | 40:56 | 116/169

I had four races to choose from this morning, and went for the one I could get to in time, with a 10:30 start in Simsbury. The rain was steady the whole way up, and I only got there 20 minutes before the start. Another first: QR code, credit card-enabled registration on site, after which you tell the volunteer the bib number that you got, a quick and easy solution.

The course was an interesting mix, starting on neighborhood streets and then cutting off into the woods for a trail run. A sub-25:00 is where I am these days, I guess, despite feeling like I was giving it what I could in the moment. When 24th overall is 11th in my age group, it’s time for a new age group.

Run Back to School 5K | 5K | 9/24/23 | 24:52 | 115/169

I’m getting closing sewing up all of New Haven and Fairfield Counties, so it was finally time to head back to Greenwich for maybe the second or third time since leaving there in 2000. I wonder if any of my former students’ families were running today… It’s been long enough that I don’t know if I’d recognize anyone, anyway.

There was, weirdly, absolutely no mention of the course in the opening words from the organizers; rather, they spent time thanking the sponsors and detailing the giveaways, which included a camouflage diaper bag from “Tactical Baby” (?) and a dumpster for use in a home renovation. Wow. Somewhat annoyingly, the course was .35m too short, so while it was a nice course at Tod’s Point, my under 24:00 time, for the first time in awhile, wasn’t legit.

Golden Lights Fun Run | 5K | 9/17/23 | 23:06 | 119/169