Some good runs and two days

So the countdown is on to the Western States 100 lottery drawing with just over two days to the drawing. We are having a lottery party here to hopefully one of us getting in. The involved parties are myself, James Demer and Jamie Anderson. While the chances are low, I am still feeling good that all three of us could get in. If not, there is always next year. Regardless, there is a 100 miler in my future next spring! Going to VA in May for the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 wouldn't be the worst thing. The last couple months have been somewhat uninspiring from a running perspective. After all the training for the Vermont 100 I was left feeling a little burned out. I am now ready to get back at it. Saturday will be good in that I will then have a goal race on the horizon and training once more will have a purpose beyond fitness maintenance.

The last few days have been good in that I have been able to get out for some mid-day runs. Monday I ran with Ethan, Jim and Tom for just over 6 miles at a 7:30 pace while maintaining an average HR of 159. At this point in my training/fitness, this was a great tempo run. Yesterday Tom and I went out for just over 5.5 miles at a similar pace to Monday at an average HR of 147. Today was great in that I hit the trails, and by hit, I mean hit. After Monday night's rain, the trails behind work are a little wet. While making a little turn, my Nike Frees (terrible choice for trails, but that's all I had) failed me and I hit the mud. Jim was supportive but I am sure he was dieing laughing inside. Good run at a moderate pace. The 5.1 mile run was done at an 8:45 pace (given the unsteady footing and ups and downs and turns of the trails) at an average HR of 139. Hopefully tomorrow will grant me the time to get out as well. As far as the weekend, I have family in town which means running may not be possible, but Sunday I am on the fence on the Jingle Bell Run in Freeport. We'll see.

Chilly and windy

This morning I got out a little later than usual. I had off today and took full advantage of the time. I woke up relatively late as my alarm clock (named Riley and Quinn) didn't go off until 7 AM. By the time I got out of the house, it was 8:20 and 30 degrees.

The plan was to run down to Twin Brook park, run the trails a bit and then head home. The run to the park went well at a pace near 7:30 and I felt great. The run around the trails was a little complicated as there is a bit of construction going on and I found myself right in the middle of it when I tried to run across a patch of cleared ground which turned out to be mud. This lasted for about 100 yards and resulted in me carrying about 10 lbs. of mud on my feet. There were quite a few people milling around Twin Brook with their dogs, obviously enjoying their day off as I was mine.

The trip home did not go as well. The temperatures did not change much as it was around 32 on the way back but what did change was the wind. I realized the reason for the easy trip to the park was due to tailwind I had been riding. This same wind about stood me up going home. At 32 degrees with the wind in my face, I realized I am not quite acclimated yet to run in the cold. For some reason the last few morning runs have left me short of breath and feeling as if my long gone exercise induced asthma was back. Not sure what's up but I will be keeping an eye on it.

I did take this opportunity to listen to a few Podcasts from Endurance Radio and The Final Sprint. Highlights included a talk with David Goggins (the dude is unbelievable) and Karl Meltzer, a way laid back guy. Also of note is that we are now just over 7 days from the Western States 100 lottery. Knowing my chances are slim (but I am not giving up yet), I am very comfortable and excited about running a 100 in my native land of Virginia. The Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 will be a very special race. We'll see soon enough.

Time: 1:27:54
Distance: 11.0
Avg. Pace: 7:58/mile
Avg. HR: 154 bpm.
Weather: 32F avg., 10mph Wind

For a little enjoyment, check out the video below. Who would have thought I would find a real cool band watching an animated movie with my daughter (the movie is Surf's Up and is definitely as much geared towards adults than kids).

Stand Tall

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Bradbury Weekend

First note before I get into the runs of the weekend. It appears that someone on the ultralist who is very involved in the Western States lottery puts the chances of getting drawn in the lottery at 16%. Not good. This year witnessed the largest lottery entries to date as well as an assumed lowest % chance to get in. While I still feel good about my chances, I have started mentally preparing myself to tackle the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100-miler in May in VA. This actually will work out better with the Vermont 100 which is in late July. Stay tuned.

This weekend was all Bradbury. Yesterday I met up with quite a Trail Monster crew, including Ian and Emma (check out Ian's 50-mile race report), Chuck, Eric Boucher, and a new TM by the name of Ben. We headed out a bit after 8 AM to make our way up to the summit of Bradbury Mountain. Even though one might not put epic and Bradbury Mountain in the same sentence, the course Ian took us on was indeed epic. There is some great trails with a sizable water crossing along with a couple pretty good climbs to a couple different summit lookouts. And you will do all this twice if you decide to do the race Ian is planning for next year. In fact, the course could be considered downright cruel. In fact, I hit my max heart rate on the climb up to the Bradbury summit and I felt every beat. I had family obligations so I bailed on the group after the first 4.75 loop that took us nearly 48 minutes. Not quite the pace I was expecting but it was fun.

This morning I had the good fortune of hooking up with my buddy and blogging legend Jamie Anderson for a run around the east side of Bradbury Mountain State Park. We pretty much followed the Bradbury Bruiser course with the exception of the punishing "O" Trail. The run started shortly after 7 AM in temperatures I have not run in this year. The 22 F temp at the outset was a bit much for my poor digits which took most of the run to warm up. I have yet to find the perfect clothing combination for every gradient and this morning was no exception. I was freezing at the outset, melting 45 minutes in, and then cold again after removing my outer layer of fleece. At least this is something to aspire to. As always, the run was good and the conversation better. I feel a great kinship with Jamie, and maybe this is the fact that we are both southerners aspiring to be New Englanders. Much like the flowing of stories that happens when two southerners sit down with a bottle of bourbon, Jamie and I follow and explore the arcane and expound on it until we completely get it. This morning this was a good thing as my legs did not want to cooperate. I was sluggish for most of the run, but when my legs and mind came around, I felt great. By the end of the run I had reaffirmed why I allow myself to leave the warmth of my bed to endure a cardiovascular punishment in the cold. It's just good to be alive doing these things I love with good friends. All told, we ran just over 10 miles in about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Cheers.

Enjoy the ride

This past week was a good one. Work is a little more under control and I got out for a few great runs. The weather has been unbelievable. We had a couple days this week with temps that got into the 50s. One day was downright warm. I did run a couple road runs with negative splits that got me down to about a 7:00/mile pace. Thursday Tom Tero and I braved the South Freeport trail system behind L.L.Bean despite another runner's spotting of a couple hunters (with rifles!). It was well worth it as the trails are a welcome relief from the hard, dull asphalt.

This weekend I am planning for a full agenda of Bradbury mountain running. Tomorrow I am heading to the west side to run the mountain and Sunday I am planning on running the east side which consists of the trails we used for the Bradbury Bruiser. Saturday's run starts at 8 AM and Sunday I am starting at 7 AM. Come on out if you like. I am meeting some other Trail Monsters and am looking forward to it.

The drawing for the Western States 100 is 15 days away. There are over 1,350 people entered for just 400 spots. That leaves me and my buddies Jamie Anderson and James Demer just under a 30% chance of getting the privilege to run the Sierra Nevada in June. Keep an eye on the website December 1st starting at Noon as winners of the lottery will be posted every few minutes as they are drawn.

More importantly, this week showcased my daughter Riley's three year check-up and my "discharge" from the Maine Center for Cancer Medicine. Riley got a flu shot and I was told I was free to go with no more cancer checks, that is unless I am invaded once more which I was told was more likely in those that have had cancer previously versus the general public. Oh well, I guess I am living dangerously. Five years have passed now since my life was irrevocably changed and I am grateful for those five years. My theory during this time has been to grab life by the b***s and enjoy the ride. I think I have done that. I will have to write more about that soon. In fact, that is the theme I am planning for an article I am going to attempt to get published (following in the footsteps of fellow hundred miler and friend Jamie Anderson).

Thanks for reading.

Excuses

I missed my run this morning. Today was the first time I have been a no-show at a run where I said I would be. I have all the usual excuses that I usually shelve once the alarm goes off and I start getting ready for the run, but this morning they got the better of me. The usual suspects are later to bed than planned, a fussy child in bed with us who never stops moving the entire night, too cold, and just plain tired. As I noted in an earlier post, work has been getting the better of me and leaving me feeling beat up. So I took this morning off. Besides, soon enough there will be another 100-miler looming on the horizon to start training for and that is when the excuses will be ignored. In just three weeks the drawing for the Western States 100 will take place and I will know if that is where I will be running in late June. Until then, I think I will enjoy my time in bed with my kids on these marginal days!

Unfortunately, I left my buddy Chuck hanging this morning, and for that I am sorry. It seems like he had a great run. Also of note, my friend Ian ran a successful Stone Cat 50-miler today and his wife Emma actually won the women's title in the trail marathon. Congratulations to them. That is one race I really was hoping to get in on but things at home built up that need attending to after a couple weekends of family from out of town.

On a cool note, I got over to L.L.Bean's Winter Sports Festival yesterday and was able to spend a little bit of time on the air rifle (laser equipped) at the Maine Winter Sports Center's booth and had a great time. I am looking forward to checking out Biathlon this winter and especially some of the run/rifle biathlon's in Southern Maine next summer. Cheers.

Birthday, survival, and not much running

Last week I celebrated a couple very important milestones, none of which involved running. My daughter turned three on Sunday(!) and I hit my five year cancer free date. As far as running, I got in four miles.

My daughter Riley turned three on Sunday. After the party we sat down and watched the videos of the day she was born and looked at photos. It is unbelievable that three years has passed. I am already finding myself reminiscing of when she was "small". Boy am I in trouble when she goes off to college...The party was a hoot with a bunch of Riley's friends doing hoola hoops outside. It was a good time. Happy Birthday to my little girl.

Last Wednesday I hit my five years of being cancer free, earning me the distinction of being as "cured" as one can be of cancer. It has been five years since I heard those fateful words, "You have cancer", and was subjected to the most painful thing I have ever experienced: a bone marrow test. Ouch. Running a 100 miles is nothing compared to that needle pushed into the hip. Lance Armstrong did not need drugs to win the TDF seven times because he had a well of tough experiences from which to pull perseverance. Once you have been down the hall to a chemo ward, you do not exit the same person. You are emboldended. Your faith is deepened and set in concrete. You love life and go after everything you never did with a passion not commonly found in others. You win the TDF seven times. You run 100 miles. You live and you love like you never have.

But you still have to work. Work as of late has been tremendously stressful and all consuming of much of my time. Such is life. I did manage to get in one post-Bradbury Bruiser run last week through the woods of Freeport and another run in today through the same woods. Today was beautiful, with a nice crisp feel to the air. Perfect running weather. Tom Tero and I took a 5.2 mile jaunt through the LLB trails and discussed my race plans for these woods. I am trying to figure out how to keep the runners from doubling back on the course into the face of slower runners. I have some time to next spring to get this right. It should be a fun course.

My buddy Jamie Anderson sent me a link to the following YouTube video of a Vermont 100 mile participant. Check it out if for nothing else than the guy's vacant stare about half way through. God bless him. Also, the soundtrack is excellent.

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.