L.L.Bean Bradbury Bruiser Race Report

Saturday it rained. And rained. And rained. When I left the Bradbury Bruiser course on Friday afternoon, the trails were immaculately raked and marked. And then the rain and wind on Saturday once again consumed the trail. The leaf cover and wet conditions left the runners with a very fun, eventful race course on Sunday morning.

My brother, Chris, and I arrived at Bradbury State Park just after 6 AM. We were a couple minutes late due to a planned and necessary stop at Dunkin' Donuts for a box of Joe for all our volunteers. The morning temps were in the high 40s with a clear sky. Perfect for a trail run. As we drove up, we were met by Ian Parlin, race director extraordinaire, and fellow Trail Monster Jim Dunn. They had camped out the night before to get a jump start on race preparations. I forewent the campout and watched the Sox on the tube and enjoyed the comfort of my warm bed. We immediately set out to get the start/finish line set up and to lay out the aid station supplies. The park rangers were kind enough to aid us in delivering the water to the stations using the park's ATV. This was not the first and only help the rangers provided. They were incredibly valuable to us and we could not have made this happen as easy without their support.

Surprisingly, the first runner showed up just after 6:30 AM, right after Jamie Anderson and his friend Kate showed up for their volunteer duties. Jamie and Kate were slated to handle registration and then the timing at the finisher's chute. I can say without spoiling this report that they did a superb job from recording finisher's times to auditing the list for unfinished, and presumably, lost runners. More on this later. By 7 AM the parking lot was full of excited runners looking forward to a unique and challenging trail run. They were not to be disappointed. The registration table was humming in the hour before the race with over an estimated 30 runners registering that morning.

Just before start time at 8 AM, Ian rang his Pineland cow bell to invite the runners to congregate for the pre-race meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to instruct all the runners, especially those new to trail running, the etiquette of running in the woods and to describe what they all would see soon enough on the trail. Everyone was cautioned on the slippery conditions, the obscured trails, and how to pass on single track trail. The energy in the crowd was noticeable and as everyone moved across the street to the start line shortly after the talk ended.

The start line was set up across the street from Bradbury Mountain and the parking lot, on an old jeep trail that allowed quite a few runners to run side by side for 1/10th of a mile or so before hitting the single track. The finish line was situated near the start on a perpendicular jeep trail. In between the two was the food table, a very popular spot with runners at the end due to the awesome volunteer supplied homemade baked goods and veggie chili from Bruce's Burritos (check this place out if you haven't already - it's awesome). Due to the slow nature of my GPS, the race started one minute after the posted start time. Ian was very gracious to give my Garmin the time it needed to lock onto the satellites. As I locked on, Ian rang the cow bell once more and the race was underway.

The pace out the gate was quick but restrained as Phil DiRusso took the lead. Following him were a few quick runners including Tom Page, Scott Ellis, Tom Tero and a couple other strong runners. In the mix also was Ian and myself. The first mile through through the Lanzo extension included some hooting and hollering from the lead pack as the snaking line of runners weaved back and forth through the woods, offering glimpses of runners behind us a number of times. The pace was an 8:02, which is no easy feat given the lateral movement this trail requires. Ian and I agreed that the pace was a little quick and of the eight or so runners that were in the lead, all of us held back as Phil and Tom Page took off. They would not be seen again until an unfortunate wrong turn presented them to us on the "O" trail.

Later during the slow, second mile (the slowest of the day until the "O" trail), more runners broke from the pack, leaving Ian, Tom Tero, and myself running together. The pace we settled into at this point was a much more reasonable 8:46 as we all tried to figure out how much to throw at the trail this early. Despite still being early in the race, the field of 100+ runners was starting to thin out. Up front Phil was pretty much alone with Tom Page, Dave Roberts, Scott Ellis and a couple others not far behind keeping the pace quick. As we passed the first Aid Station, manned excellently by Jimm Dunn, and headed onto the Ragan trail at mile 3, Ian decided he was going to ease up a bit. Tom and I turned up the pace as the Ragan trail provided a nice running surface (and a pretty cool raised bridge) and we clocked a 7:55 as we felt the runners ahead of us slipping away. As we entered the Ginn trail and mile 4, we sped up and ran a 7:35 as we reeled in Dave Roberts.

The three of us ran together for a couple miles and caught a glimpse of Phil in the lead as the trail doubled back on itself at mile 6. He looked strong and was surely headed towards a win. Our pace during miles 5 and 6 was done at an 8:00 average pace. Early in mile 7 Tom separated himself from me and Dave Roberts. My pace was a 7:19 and Tom pulled away pretty convincingly and I had nothing with which to respond. This mile drops the runners onto a long stretch of wide snowmobile trail and I could still see Tom ahead but within reach. There were no other runners visible behind me and Dave Roberts. Dave pulled ahead a little but I quickly passed him as he stopped for water at the third aid station, professionally crewed by Katy, of Chuck and Katy, and her friend (sorry but I never got her name). Thanks guys! Shortly ahead was the sight I look most forward to on any run, and that is my wife and kids. Kelly had pushed the kids in the double jogger up Old Tuttle Road, an abandoned road that is now mostly used as a horse trail. Quinn saw me quite a ways up the trail and I could hear his laughter for about half a minute before I reached them. I gave Quinn a high five and Riley got a blown kiss as I blew by them, on my way to the "O" trail and the finish.

About a quarter of the way into Mile 8 I was greeted with a surprise. I found myself being diverted from the well worn path that I had run every training run to heavily covered trail that weaved its way through the woods. This was completely new to me, as well as Ian I discovered in conversation later. Apparently this was the result of the course check we had commissioned before the race started from a well-intentioned mountain biker. The trail we were running was mountain bike trail, and well marked I should say, but not one we had planned to use during the race. I was momentarily stunned and quite afraid that this was a cruel trick from the local resident who had removed markings from another part of the course the week leading up to the race. My fear that the rest of the course had been tainted and rerouted was unfounded as we eventually were directed back onto familiar territory. All told this only added maybe a tenth of a mile to the course and despite my shock, I still managed a 7:28 mile.

Dave Roberts and myself once again reconnected and later in Mile 9 we caught Scott Ellis. I was surprised to see Scott as he is a fantastic runner who has posted some great results at some very difficult races, including winning the inaugural Pineland Farms 25KM last year. This mile was done at the mildly more conservative pace of 7:55 as I mentally prepared for the arduous task of tackling the always daunting and never tamed "O" trail. (I really wish I could find someone to explain the origin of the "O" name.) Mile 10 was even slower, run at an 8:38 pace, as the approach to "O" became imminent. It was about half way into this mile that we reached the final aid station (number 4) where Jeff Walker and family were serving up some tasty water and Gatorade. As I always carry my own "juice" I did not have need to stop but I did unsuccessfully try to communicate with Jeff. What I tried to say was "thanks" to Jeff and ask of the whereabouts of the runners ahead of me, especially Phil DiRusso as I was really pulling for him, but this all came out garbled from my tired body. It's never too late to say thanks, so "Thanks Jeff."

The entrance to the "O" trail comes approximately at mile 9.5. It was here that I saw Kelly's dad, Phil, for the second time. He had kindly driven well over an hour to be the videographer for the race. He got some great footage of the start and finish, runners weaving their way through the Lanzo extension, and of runners entering the "O" trail.

Shortly after entering the "O" trail, Dave Roberts and I took a wrong turn across a somewhat obscured barrier of boulders and downed trees onto an adjacent marked trail, which actually was the end of the "O" trail. After 9.5 hard miles, it becomes very easy to ignore trail markings and get confused. Keeping one's focus is a fundamental "have-to" and skill of trial running. Ian received an email from a runner who acknowledged how trail running is unlike a typical road race in that it is as much about mental stamina as physical stamina. You have to keep your wits about you and your head up at all times scanning the trail ahead of you to make sure you are headed in the right direction. Unfortunately there were a number of runners who did not follow this basic tenet and were met with frustration and confusion as a result. Fortunately, 99% of these runners laughed it off and chalked it up as a great experience and lesson for the next trail race Ian and I conjure up.

Back to mine and Dave's wrong turn. I noticed the misstep immediately and steered Dave back in the right direction. This is part of the reason I decided to run. I was very divided about whether I should run as I was one of the co-directors (albeit not an equal to Ian's amazing race directing talents). Ian and I thought it would be good if we were on the course to help runners avoid this mistake. In this case it helped. Dave and I once again were pounding the trail but at a much slower pace. The first full mile on the "O" trail took us 9:55. This trail is crazy gnarly with all kinds of twists, bumps, turns, obstacles, and switchbacks. You name it, the "O" has it. Still, we made good time and once Dave caught sight of Tom Tero through the woods less than 50 yards in front of us, he smelled blood and went after him.

We did eventually catch Tom not too far up the trail and in the final mile we ran into the lead pack who had become hopelessly turned around on the trail. Phil was unfortunately part of these wanderers and he decided to drop out at that point due to his perceived notion of fairness. While I think he was too harsh on himself and he definitely deserved the win, he stepped aside and let the remaining four of us battle it out. The lead group now consisted of myself, Tom Tero, Tom Page, and Dave Roberts. This group was not going to give up easily with the finish so close. However, as we made it to the same spot where Dave had gone wrong near the "O" entrance, the four of us went the wrong way again simply due to going too fast and not paying attention. We quickly resolved our mistake as Tom Tero and I recognized a downed birch tree laying across the trail and turned everyone around and got us back on track.

After backtracking to the right trail, the race was on. Each of us in the lead pack of four could taste victory. Despite this incredible motivation, the pace of mile 12 slowed to a 10:15, largely due to our slowly trying to correct our mistake of taking a wrong turn. I would have sworn I was running my 10K road pace of about 6:00, but no such luck. It is really difficult to judge pace as trees "whiz" by you, you jump boulders, and skirt tree roots and stumps. There was some jockeying for position as Tom Tero took a slightly more aggressive approach to passing on the narrow "O" trail. He went for the lead by risking a run just off the side of the trail to pass Dave and Tom Page, who had joined us on the "O" trail when we came across Phil. Tom Tero's stunt and excellent trail running ability paid off and he was in the lead as we exited the "O" trail and entered the Knight Woods trail for the final quarter mile to the finish. No one could outkick Tom T. and he crossed the finish line in 1:41:31, just a fraction of a second in front of Dave Roberts and Tom Page. I was a close fourth three seconds behind these very impressive trail runners. Most impressive was that none of them wore a coveted bruise from the course!

To all our surprise, there was one runner at the finish line who had crossed the line seven minutes ahead of us. As I thought I knew who had gone off the front of the pack at the outset of the race and I was sure that no one had passed me, I went to investigate. It did not take any Sherlock Holmes expertise to discover that this runner had taken a wrong turn (let's call it a very, very innocent shortcut) and missed part of the trail. He was a very gracious person and stepped aside for Tom Tero to assume the position of victor of the first annual L.L.Bean Bradbury Bruiser 12 Mile Trail Race!

Shortly after our sprint finish, scores of runners started arriving. In fifth place was Scott Ellis, just under thirty seconds behind me and then a minute later we welcomed the arrival of the women's first place finisher, Catherine Sterling of Kent's Hill. Ian finished in an impressive 1:44:18, good enough for 8th place. Ian's wife Emma, running under the pseudonym of Gnarls Barclay (like the naming of the "O" trail, I do not know the story behind this), arrived a few minutes later and snatched the second place women's title.

The post race festivities included great grub. The chili was a big hit, despite my brother's best attempt to burn it and the fact that he used a stick found in the woods to stir it. Unlike most races, there were no fruits or similar health foods allowed at this feast. Since this was a grueling 12 mile trail race, we decided during pre-race planning that all the runners could afford and would appreciate the luxury of some home baked goodies like brownies, cupcakes and rice krispy treats, which were made by my daughter Riley. (Note to other race directors: there were tons of bagels left over but not a crumb of a brownie was to be found.)

The awards ceremony was held at the finish area and was attended by a good number of runners and their families, despite the chill in the air. Best Costume and Bruise awards were voted on by the crowd and happily accepted by the winners. Age group awards were picked up and the crowd slowly dwindled to the hard core cadre of volunteers that made this race tick. Jamie, Chuck, and Kate scoured the list for runners that might still be on course while my brother and father-in-law started breaking down the start/finish area. Other volunteers like Jim Dunn, Scott Ellis, and Eric Boucher (loads of thanks to these guys) made their way back on the course to pick up markers and clean up the aid stations.

It did not take long for a couple of helpful mountain bikers to find one of the missing runners and the park ranger rounded up another. There was still one runner missing more than four hours after the start so Ian and I ran the "O" trail to find him. I started my search at the end of the "O" trail and after about 10 minutes of running with no sight of this runner, my thoughts turned grim and I was getting worried I was going to find him unconscious on the side of the trail. Luckily this scenario did not play out but I did find a mountain biker who said he had directed a runner onto the Knight Woods trail which should have led him back to the finish. As I finished running the"O" trail I met Ian coming the opposite way and I turned around to run the trail a third time that day to pick up all the flags and tape. After about another hour of running and collecting, I made my way to the finish to find my exhausted brother. I also received word that the final missing runner had been found...on Route 9 walking away from the park still lost. Jeff Walker saw him, stopped his car and gave the guy a ride back to the park. And all that time this guy's wife and dog were waiting for him at the park. Ian had the bright idea of sending him an unclaimed age group award, which was an L.L.Bean gift card, with the suggestion he buy a GPS!

With the last surveyor flag tucked cleanly into my car with the pot coated with burned chili, my brother and I bid farewell to Ian and headed home. Since Sunday, I have thought a lot about how great it was to see this race go from a little thought to a full blown race with over 130 registered runners and 108 race day competitors. Tonight I watched the video my father-in-law took and was excited to see that almost every runner he videoed had a huge smile on their face. I have been running seriously for almost six years and this is the most I have given back to the sport of running which has given so much to me. Ian, myself, and all our friends that helped us get this race from conception to reality have aided in spawning a new phenomenon in Maine and that is Trail Running. I suspect we are here to stay and in a big way. See you on the trails...in Maine!

Check out a preview of the Bradbury Bruiser video. Footage includes the start, runners traversing the Lanzo trail, and the close finish. A full video with footage of all runners on both the Lanzo and the entrance of the "O" trail, as well as each runner's finish will be available somewhere soon.

Bradbury Bruiser Eve

It is the eve of the Bradbury Bruiser (too late to sign up online but you can sign up in the morning at the park). Yesterday Ian and I met at Bradbury in the early morning hours to survey the course and mark it for the final time. There was some damage done through the week from falling leaves and from a nearby resident who apparently took offense at the marking we left on the course. Last Sunday we raked and marked the Lanzo trail and I am guessing that a person who resides nearby and who complained about the markings took it upon himself to remove the tape. This left me quite perturbed for a few reasons: 1. this resident owes me the $3 for the tape, 2. he owes me for my and Kelly's time we spent out there marking, and 3. I want to know how much said resident has given to the park since he has been using it. My guess is this jerk does not even pay the $3 park fee when he uses the trails, while we are putting on this race (thus the markings) which will result in a nearly $2,000 donation. Match that and I have no problem with him removing our tape. Otherwise leave it alone and call me if you have a problem. The park has our information.

At any rate, we did mark the whole course and rake again. All told, we have put in close to 10 hours of raking time. Yesterday I had my wife and brother (visiting from VA) raking the Lanzo trail while Chuck Hazzard and myself raked and marked the "O" trail. Ian rode the course on his bike and marked and cleaned the rest. We are all feeling really good about the race and it is near go time! The race is going to be great. I have talked to so many runners who are both first timers and veterans and they are all pumped about the race. And these are all runners I have not met previously. The weather is looking to be perfect for both runners and spectators. I hope to see you out there in the morning!

Pileated Woodpeckers, Banners, and LiveStrong

The last couple days have found me pretty sore and tired on my runs. This past weekend's run and work left me a little on the depleted side. Yesterday I ran with the boys (Ethan, Jim, and Tom) on the roads around South Freeport. The pace was moderate at 7:30s and the 6.1 mile run was pretty uneventful. That is with the exception of the weather. Unbelievable temps in the high 60s, low 70s and sunny. Not to mention the awesome fall foliage, all of which has now pretty much taken up residence on the Bradbury Bruiser course!

Today I was lucky enough to hit the L.L.Bean trails with Tom and Jim. Ethan is scared of trails. It seems he is too valuable of a commodity to risk an ankle twisting (defend yourself Ethan if you are reading). We all gave him a hard time and then headed out. The temps were again unseasonably warm with an overcast sky, hopefully which is the leading edge of a front that will bring our temperatures down for this weekend's race. As we were running on the trails we spotted a few unrecognizable guys walking off the trail in the woods. We all suspected foul play and sped up to get out of the imagined crime scene. (Later we would learn that it was a few of our coworkers who were attempting to run the trails but who had become hopelessly loss. To think we work for an outdoor specialty company...) The highlight of the run was the opportunity to observe a pileated woodpecker up close at work. This guy was pretty big and showed off his colors proudly. Quite a bird. I have been quite fortunate on the trails as far as bird watching goes. First an Osprey, and now Woody. Cool. This run was done at a very conversational and moderate pace at 8:40s for the just over 5 mile course.

Tonight Kelly worked hard on registration, start, and finish banners for the Bruiser this weekend. Given that Ian is an architect and a damn fine designer, this was bold of Kelly to undertake anything creative that would have to pass muster with Ian. I hope he likes them. Things are coming together for the race. The L.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery School (ODS) folks are on board big time for Sunday and are planning on bringing out some pretty cool stuff to the race. It's gonna be exciting!

And today something pretty special and symbolic happened to me. As I was sitting in a meeting, I noticed my LiveStrong wristband was beginning to tear. I was diagnosed with cancer on October 31, 2002. Next week marks the 5 year anniversary of my cancer diagnosis. The 5 year anniversary is quite a milestone for cancer survivors. I donned my LiveStrong wristband immediately when they were released in May of 2004. Only once have I removed this particular wristband, which has been with me for three years and five months, and that was by accident. On a run one spring day I pulled my gloves off and the band came off with it. It wasn't until I jumped in the shower post run did I realize the band was gone. I retraced my run but could not find it. The next day a friend returned it to me. He knew I had lost it and stumbled upon it on his run. I call this divine intervention. Anyhow, I have debating for some time when and if I would ever remove the band. This afternoon answered that question. When I returned home I had my wife finish the tear for me and remove the band. The fact that I was forced to this decision on the eve of my 5 year anniversary speaks to me of some pretty deep symbolism and a message from above that a new chapter is about to begin for me. Wish me luck. Godspeed to you all.

Bradbury, Bradbury, and Bradbury

This weekend was a planned Bradbury weekend and that is what it was...at least today. A group of Trail Monsters was planning on meeting out at Bradbury yesterday morning to run and clean up the course in anticipation of next weekend's race. The plan was then to go back out this morning to run and check up on all the work we did Saturday. Unfortunately underage hunters and rain changed those plans. We all decided Friday that we would surrender the woods on Saturday to the Maine youth that would be partaking in Youth Deer Day and stay dry in our homes.

This morning we all met at Bradbury at 7 AM for our usual weekend traverse of the course. I just have to say here that it is an awesome course and tons of fun to run. The group this morning was a good one, with Jamie Anderson and Brian Mainson there when I arrived, and Blaine Moore and Ian Parlin arriving shortly afterwards. Also in attendance was a new trail runner, Randy I think was his name. I am terrible with names, especially first thing in the morning. In fact, I think I still call Jamie James sometimes and vice versa. Sorry guys. I should also add that Phil DiRusso joined us a couple miles into the run. Phil has the amazing ability to just meet us on the trail. At random spots. I have no idea how he does it but somehow he can sniff us out.

Today really was about working out the subtle details of race day and massaging the nuances of the course and making sure everything was thought about before someone complains about it on race day. So before starting, we discussed the start area and finish area set ups (plans changed a bit since the park rangers were hoping we could minimize the impact on the campground that is next to the start). We then headed out on our run and quickly discovered that the leaves on the Lanzo extension trail had to be cleared away if we had any hope of getting more than half the starters to the finish. Luckily there was enough experienced Bradbury runners on this run to get us through with no problems. All in all, the course was okay despite all the rain and wind the last couple weeks. Especially the "O" Trail. Apparently Ian thinks he is made of kevlar and no Maine youth would take a potshot at him. He braved the Maine woods yesterday and raked most of the heavily leaf canvased gnarly trail that is the "O". I met the creator of the "O" trail today as I was cleaning the course and he deemed us "cruel" for finishing the race on the "O". No one said this was going to be easy. Back to Ian and his rake. Awesome. Ian did a fantastic job and made running the trail more about physical stamina than an act of navigation. Thanks Ian.

Distance was a question that needed answering today. A couple days ago we got an email that said our course was 13.5 miles. Uh oh. The course is hard enough without adding any unadvertised miles. I have run the course with GPS a number of times and measured the course at 12 miles each time. Today we did it again with GPS (Jamie and myself) and both of us got close enough to 12 miles to call the course 12 miles. Curiously I set my Forerunner 305 to record data every second (versus the automatic default 3 (?) seconds) and found the course to be 11.8 miles. Every other time with the automatic setting I have recorded 12.05 to 12.10 miles. Once I uploaded the data to SportTracks my course distance was listed as 12.1 miles. I am not sure why the 1 second recording would be that much different than what SportTracks corrected it to and what my GPS recorded previously. Any ideas? Jamie, using the automatic recording got a course distance of 12.o or 12.1, so 12 it is.

The best thing happened at the end of the run. Once we exited the "O" trail my tummy starting fussing about how hungry it was and then I saw Kelly with Quinn and Riley. Excellent. Even better, Kelly had brought a bag of six breakfast sandwiches for us all. Perfect. My wife is the perfect specimen. Not only did she come out to help us clean the course (with the kids in the jogger, she brought food for us all). (I just told her what I wrote about her and she prefers I refer to her as "Super Woman".)

After a scrumptious bite we headed over to our cars, changed into our work clothes, grabbed our rakes, received our assignments from Ian, and then headed out. Joining us after the run to help us clean was Jeff Walker. I have never run with Jeff but I hear he is quick. Even better, he is a good person for selflessly giving up his Sunday morning to come out and help us clean the course even though he isn't able to run the race due to injury. He will be out at one of the aid stations with his wife and two kids, so if you are running the race and see a fit looking guy at an aid station with his family, thank him. My assignment was to clear the Lanzo and Lanzo Trail extension. This is no more than a 1.5-2.0 mile trail so how long could it take to mark and clean. Well, after seeing Ian's work on the "O" trail, I knew I had to keep with the high standards he set. Kelly brought along Riley and Quinn on the thin trails in the jogger (she worked harder getting them through the trail than I did raking) while continuously assuring mountain bikers that she wasn't lost. Phil also came along with us and helped Kelly tie surveyor's tapes to trees, set orange flags, and place red arrow signs to assure that no runner gets lost. And I raked...and raked...and raked. The Lanzo and Lanzo Extension trails now have about a two foot path raked through the woods. I have the blisters to prove it. It was worth the work as about 99% of the bikers and runners that came through the trail behind me thanks me profusely but went ahead of me with a little trepidation of what an unraked trail would bring them. I fear that Ian's and my rake have spoiled everyone. Sorry people, this is a once in a year occurrence. I will continue to do this for the users of Bradbury State Park if some of them will come rake my disheveled yard! I can say with a lot of confidence that if you get lost on the Lanzo Trail or on the "O" trail you need help.

After today's work I feel much better about the course for next weekend. It is going to be a great race for the experienced trail races as well as the newby. We are looking forward to over 100 runners, which exceeds our goal for the race. This will be a great turnout for a new race that has only been in the planning stages for two months. This speaks highly of the possibility of a season long trail racing series in Maine next year. More on this later. I gotta go. It's a one run game in the bottom of the 7th. Go Sox, or Cleveland (I live in New England but have family in Ohio). Oops, correction, Pedroia just hit a two run homer. Three run game. Maybe I can get to bed early tonight! Go Sox!

The Osprey

I was lucky enough again today to be able to enjoy a run during the most perfect fall weather possible. Tom and I headed out a little before Noon to run the L.L.Bean/South Freeport trail system. The run started as usual as we headed across Casco Street onto the trail system, into the tunnel under the road and around L.L.Bean's distribution center at Corporate HQ. We then entered the woods again to follow the network of trails that permeates the woods behind the office.

After running through a nice mixed forest for a half mile, the trails enter a clearing for about 200 yards. This is where the coolest thing happened. I heard squawking which I immediately recognized as some bird of prey, but I just figured it was a hawk or falcon, which we see often while running the woods. Instead it was an Osprey. A big Osprey with lunch in his/her mouth. There is an Osprey nest over at Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park a few miles away, but I had never seen an Osprey away from the water. Although as is obvious from the picture above we are never far from water in Freeport so I guess it was just out hunting one of the rivers or many lakes and ponds that dot the landscape. This sighting was very motivating and carried us along the rest of the run. After the Osprey left our sight we continued on up a nice long hill that left both of us breathing a little heavy. After this hill the course levels off for the next few miles as you run around some beautiful ponds. On the way back you have to navigate a pretty rough and rocky downhill and then one more challenging hill to get you back home...or at least to your computer in my case.

The trails in Freeport are excellent and ripe for a trail race. Maybe next season we will have to contemplate a 5 miler early in the season. The trails are relatively wide. They are definitely wider than Bradbury but not nearly as wide as Pineland. The couple hills, up and down, do make this a challenging run despite is shorter distance. Look for this one in 2008.

Fall running in Maine

Fall is my new Spring. Growing up in Virginia, Spring was the best season. A beautiful dogwood in full bloom graced my parent's front yard. I still remember the smell. When I moved up here Spring all but disappeared. There is no Spring up here. So it seemed that everyone up here puts there hopes in Fall. Fairs, apples, cross country season, all kinds of great things. However my first Fall living here was consumed by my cancer diagnosis and chemo.

It has been five years since that first Fall and I have finally been able to embrace Fall with all the enthusiasm it deserves. I am on the eve of my five years cancer free and this is the best fall yet. The weather for running has been great, the leaves spectacular, and the apples tasty. Tonight I met the Trail Monsters, Ian Parlin, Chuck Hazzard, Chuck's dog Miss Ellie, and Eric Boucher out at Twin Brook. The evening air was chilly, like a good Fall evening should be, as we set out. The pace started out conversationally and got quicker after a couple miles and only got faster through the run. The conversation centered around the Bradbury Bruiser and trying to convince Ian that he is well prepared to run his first 50-miler at Stone Cat. His training has been spot on and we were trying to give him some confidence. Time will tell. What we do know is that he will be out racing the Bruiser. We all had a great time running under our headlamps as Miss Ellie guided us around the trails. The splits for the evening run or just under 6 miles was 9:12, 8:29, 8:16, 7:57, 7:59, and finally, 6:34. The 6:34 happened on the last straightaway as we all were happy to stretch out our legs. For you numbers people out there, my HR followed the trend of the pace: 137, 143, 150, 154, 161, and 172. The 172 average seems a bit understated to me as I felt like my heart was coming through my chest at the end. My max heart rate on the run, which happened at Mile 6, was 193. This is my max HR. So it was about to bust. Also, according to my Garmin, at some point during that last mile I hit a 4:41 pace. I don't know for how long nor am I sure I believe I actually got that fast, but we were all moving at the end. Good times.

And thanks to my buddy Blaine for his excellent write up on the upcoming Bradbury Bruiser. This weekend we are planning on running the Bradbury Bruiser course at 7 Am and then doing some trail maintenance afterwards at 9:30 AM. Everyone is welcome. Bring a friend.

Sunrise and Bradbury

First, I want to give a big congratulations to my buddy, Jamie Anderson, who ran the MDI Marathon today and set a big PR. Congratulations Jamie!

Today I ran. Yesterday I did not. Some days I just want to wake up with my kids crawling all over me and have a nice leisurely time with my kids and wife. To be honest, leaving my kids asleep in bed is harder than any run I find myself on. I love to spend the waking hour with them but this is typically the only time I have during the day to get out and run. Once the kids are up, they are a full time job! So yesterday I forewent the run and hung out with the kids. This also gave me an early start on the shed construction.

This morning I awoke with less aspirations than running a marathon. In fact, when the alarm went off this morning I didn't want to leave it. However, shortly after rolling out of bed and into the car, I was ecstatic I had made that move. The sunrise this morning ranks in the top 10 best I have witnessed. There was a thin band of clouds across the sky that stopped at the coast line. The clear sky at the horizon over the water was golden while the clouds were bathed in red, orange and purple. These colors mingled perfectly with the hues of the maple leafs. Perfect. This was the type of sunrise you wish you could share with someone else because words could never do it justice, at least not my words.

As the sun rose in the sky the colors faded and I pulled in behind Tom as he arrived. We both started the run sounding like a emphysema ward at a hospital. While our pace was strong, our lungs were not. This resulted in weak legs as our muscles were not getting the oxygen they needed to keep moving. These colds need to move on. Despite this we had a nice run and decided to bail out after 9 miles and an hour and a half. Our average pace of 9:45 was slightly skewed by a couple restroom breaks and other stops. We had a few late miles in the 8:30-8:45 range that is quite a feat if you know the course. Speaking of the course, the storm we had last week downed about every leaf on the trees so the course was quite covered. Maintenance is needed and maintenance is what the course will get. Next week a group of Trail Monsters and others are headed out to Bradbury to clean up the course for race day. Anyone is welcome. Come one, come all.

And to the shed. It had all four walls, windows, but not roof. I'd love to share pictures, but none are available. In the meantime, feast your eyes on a little Andrew Bird in the streets of Paris. This guy is amazing. Enjoy!