Hi, Just returned from CT and visit back to my family. On the way down ran the Dam race 10 or 11 mile trail race in Oxford, MA. this was put on by CMS who had many members at the event. Went out moderately as it was a distance event and it takes my ankle and legs a mile or so to warm up at race pace these days.( I guess this is a over 40 thing.) Settled into the back of the second pack of runners maybe a minute off the leaders. Things went well by three miles I had worked forward into the fromt of the second group. Anyone who has done a trail event knows you have to pick and choose when you pass. At 6.5 just after an up through and along a quarry I arrived at an interesection with no flagging or paper plate with an arrow. The entire lead pack was standing there debating on the right way to go. The masters guy in front of me turned and said "Great we have a breather". I having read the directions at the start rememered one of the land marks and continued on one of the three choices of trail. When I got down the trail about 3 tenths of a mile I saw the flagging again. It was soon after that the younger guys figured out that I knew what I was doing and followed me. The lead caught me sometime soon after and I found myself in the back of the lead pack for awile. In the last mile when you reach the base of the Dam where you start the run they took off. I finished about eight overall not to far back and where I have been finishing most of the events I have done this season. At the end the lead guys were very thankfull to me saying that I saved their race. I was glad they felt that way as part of trail running is keeping your head up and knowing you land marks to cross reference the route.

Happy trails.
Peter K.