[2023] last year report here for reference. I haven’t reread it before writing this post, so, my memory of last year might be a bit off.
It seems I was fast last year (8:16). This year, it almost took me 10 hours to finish. I finished just shy of 5 pm and I was granted an hour head start.
I was dragged kicking and screaming to this race last year, or at least that how I remembered it.
It was held in Connecticut, which means a long drive to get there from where I live. The six hours estimated time from the mapping software usually ended up way longer. It was nine hours, plus the pure rush hour insanity on the US Interstate of I-95, on the way there and on the way back. We paid a toll at every half hour or so on this road.
There was no easy way to bypass Washington DC, then Baltimore, then Philadelphia, New York City, and the Greater New York traffic, before we get to Connecticut. On the way back, you have to sit in traffic at New Haven, and many of Connecticut towns before getting back to New York. We left at 4:30 but did not reach Guildford until 2 am. Pretty much same story on the way back. We even skipped dinner this year. No thai drunken noodle soup with hangover Korean noodle bowl (or is it the other way around, drunken noodle with the hangover soup).
Was the race worth it? Yes. I love a hard technical race. I won’t say the race is super hard but it is sufficiently hard.
The trail is runable. There are some elevations, though after having been to Utah, couple hundred feet here and there is something to laugh about. The trail after a while like 15 miles in, you will feel it in your legs. I was sore and crampy even after first 5 miles.
A friend invited me to come. I don’t know anyone from Connecticut but one and she is not a trail runner.
There are some annual runners, Roy, I met him at the Vermont 100 this year. He is a good guy who kept me company for majority of this race. Roy finished Vermont 14 times! And I believe he also has maybe as many finishes at the Bimbler.
There was Nickmuck Dave. And a guy in a shirt, no, a kilt, forgot his name.
The race is known for its characters.
The RD, Raymond, has been at the helm for 4 years. Last year I went with a friend to retrieve her trekking poles. She had left at the race the previous year and he kept them for her until she showed up again last year. What an RD.
When I learned of the early start option available for those who think they are chasing the cutoffs, I wrote to him to add me to the early starting list. I guessed he pulled up my record and wrote back, you know the early start is for slower people (heavily paraphasing here), and if you run it, the early aid station(s) might not be available for you. I wrote back, I think I can manage running for a long stretch without supports as an ultra runner.
The race had good aid stations, which I completely skipped or overlooked the year before.
Not this year. We arrived a day early and ran into a local runner (Gretchen) at a shoe store. I brought a new pair of Altra, which I instantly tested on the course the next day. Let just say, I would not prefer Altra on that trail.
Gretchen said look for her midway for her Grilled Cheese. So for the first 15 miles of the race, all I could think about was the mouth watering grilled cheese cooked by lady Gretchen. I did see Gretchen when I got to the aid station and had the grilled cheese. People kept hustling me out there but I just wanted one more grilled cheese.
We had the warmest ever at the start of the race. I was still wearing three layers, a hoodie, a long sleeve, and a t-shirt under, plus a long sweat pant. The Race Director (RD) said, you don’t need that, trust me, he said. OK, I ditched my hoodie.
The early start at 7 (by the way, we were up by 5, my friend was up at 4 am). Both of us were excited to be back. The reason I wanted the early start was I can’t wait at the start for an hour while my friend was having all the fun on the trail. My intention was to keep up with her.
So off we went. I was the last one. All the old and young (youngest being 16 y o), and oldest was like 75. They all beat me around the loop at the back of the school before hitting the trail.
That’s fine. I was used to running (walking really) by myself.
A bit later I caught up to a 59 y o. He was having a bit difficulty but was moving fine. So we chatted a bit. He just did Grindstone. So I told him my misery there having done 13 hours on a 15 mile section of that course. He laughed. That was a pure hell. We expected some of that today. Bimbler was his first ultra (50k) many years (15) ago. He just had a hip replacement. Doctor said no more running for him. He did the Grindstone and now here doing the Bimbler. He will be back at the Grindstone next year.
A bit later I met Roy at the first aid station. I asked him if he saw my Friend. He said she’s just a bit ahead, if I hustle, I will catch up to her.
Little did I know I wouldn’t catch up until a few hours later at 2 pm, maybe with 10 miles left in the race.
We were also playing a guessing game of when would the first runner (at 8 am regular start) caught up. They caught us maybe by 9:30, at mile 10 maybe, before the first aid station.
I did not have to fear of running too fast and missed the first aid station opening. They were there when I reached it.
The rest of the wave caught me somewhere between the first and second aid station. I thought maybe 50 people had passed me. I did not know there were 80+ that passed me by.
I enjoyed the day out. I knew I would not be particular fast. Just as long as I don’t DQ or DNF I would be happy. By the time we reached the third aid station, I knew the race was in the bag.
We reached the fourth and final aid station after 4 pm. We had more than an hour to do the last two miles. We finally finished just before 5 pm, 4:46 or something, almost 10 hours.
I was sore but not too sore. I was happy. I had my workout. The friends I made and beauty of the trails were wonderful. I told them until next year we will meet again.
In awe 