My Home Course

Monday I was able to run in the morning before work. I dropped my son off at preschool and left my daughter at my parents house. My dad was happy to watch her while I got a run in. I decided to run my home course - the Vin Gormley Trail in Burlingame State Park. This is the trail where the annual Lil' Rhody Runaround takes place. It's a 8 mile loop around Watchaug Pond. Parts of the trail are fast - a mile or so of pavement, some dirt roads - but there are also plenty of rocky, rooty, wet technical sections. When run clockwise, it feels that the course is mostly uphill. Runners around here find it to be very challenging. My brother Greg and other NE trail runners find it flat, easy, and fast. He won it 3 years in a row and then had a 2nd place finish last year. I easily had my best time last year - 58:19.
Monday, I wanted to test my fitness level, and pushed myself alone around the loop. The trails were muddy and wet after all the rain, but they actually were in better shape than I expected. I completed the course in 60:09. I was a little disappointed, but the wet rocks and bridges did slow me down.
Here's a link to the race homepage:

Lil' Rhody Runaround 2010

Here are some photos from last year's race: