Never thought I'd find myself out running in a T-shirt and shorts on the first day of winter, but that's exactly what happened! No, I haven't gone nuts, but perhaps Mother Nature has. Yesterday (Thursday, Dec. 21), the temperature in our part of the world was in the low 50s, which is at least 20 degrees higher than what we usually see this time of year. Also, there's no snow on the ground, as we've had above normal temps pretty much constantly since a freak snowstorm dumped about two feet on us two months ago. (It quickly melted afterwards.)
And so, when by now I'd usually be spending time in the gym, I've actually continued to run outside pretty regularly, long after the point where it's impossible or dangerous. As a bonus, it's been mostly with the two youngest of our three dogs, who have a lot of energy to burn. We do a regular route that includes trail running and jumping into a brook (them, not me), so it's quite a good workout for everyone.
This has continued pretty regularly, with varying degrees of energy on my part. With the two dogs, however, it's impossible to push yourself in terms of stride or pacing. Often it's enough just to keep them in formation as you barrel along down the local roads. As a result, I don't pay attention to miles/times, and I'm content to do about an hour when we go out.
So it was quite a surprise yesterday when I took out the older dog (the younger two were in daycare) for a solo spin on the shortest day of the year, and from the start just felt infused with a great deal of energy that didn't seem to want to break or let up. She's older, but still very active, so off we went, on a long run that wound up being about 5 miles in the incredible time of 45 minutes!
I don't know if it was the temperature (cool but not cold), the two cups of coffee I had earlier in the afternoon, the different dog situation, the adrenaline of holiday preparations, the 10 hours of sleep I got two nights ago (a rarity for me) or the fact that I had an entire pint of black raspberry frozen yogurt the night before, but I haven't felt that strong running in a long time.
Or maybe, just maybe, it was the accumulated efficiency of regular running lo these many weeks, all through November and December, that finally paid off. Whatever it was, it was simply thrilling to run like that within weeks of my 48th birthday. So I don't care what happens at Christmas: I've already had the gift of a good run!
Looking ahead to 2012, right now races are scheduled in only a handful of New Hampshire places where I haven't run before. Things will fill in more as we get closer to spring, but even so it's getting to be about time when I have to start planning my own 5K runs in communities that aren't likely to hold a race anytime soon—for example, the north country town of Odell, population 0. Otherwise, I'll never finish this crazy quest.
In the meantime, I hope to keep running outside as long as the weather holds. If this keeps up into January, I might be heading into 2012 in the best running shape in years! On the other hand, I might sprain my ankle tomorrow, or fall into the brook with the dogs. Either way, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Saturday, Nov. 26: Rollinsford 5K (#130)
...in which I was injured by a bagel. Read on...
Went out to New Hampshire's eastern limits this morning to run a race in Rollinsford, a town on the state's border with Maine. In fact, the "Tatenda 5K" crossed over into Vacationland and back, making it the only bi-state race so far in the 130 I've completed in my quest.
It's been unseasonably mild for the end of November, so some of us (me included) ran the race in t-shirt and shorts, which is very unusual for this time of year. At left is photo taken at a more verdant time of year. For me, the barrier is usually 40 degrees Fahrenheit -- anything below that, I need pants, a sweatshirt, etc. I brought all the cold weather gear with me on the hour-long drive, but at race time (9 a.m.), the temperature was already in the mid-40s, on its way to the upper 50s. So bare skin prevailed.
Rollinsford (population 2,500) is a town I know nothing about except I have a cousin who lives there. (Hi John Fortier!). The town is centered on Salmon Falls Village, which itself is clustered around a large brick former textile mill complex on the Salmon River. As in every other old New Hampshire milltown, textiles are long gone, but Rollinsford doesn't seem too be doing too badly. The sprawling complex of what used to be the Salmon Falls Manufacturing Co. has been renovated into space for artist studios and chai cafes and many other small businesses. The town, as well as South Berwick, Maine across the river, has a kind of hippie flair to it, with organic cafes and coffeehouses and funky small restaurants everywhere.
An unusual feature is that the main railroad line connecting Boston to Portland, Maine runs right through town, crossing the Salmon River on a very high bridge, at least from the perspective of the mill below the falls. As I was warming up, I heard the tell-tale honk of an Amtrak Downeaster passenger train from afar, and was surprised to see it suddenly shoot over the bridge way above us at a fairly fast clip.
Speaking of which, I was hoping to run at a fairly fast clip as well, as the course was promoted as "flat." All I can say is, whoever decided that must have been raised halfway up the Mount Washington Auto Road. The course, which makes a zig-zaggy loop from Rollinsford into South Berwick, Maine and then back, was full of ups and downs. That, coupled with a persistent minor cold and a lousy night's sleep, prevented me from breaking the 30 minute barrier, though most other conditions were favorable -- I've been running regularly, the temperatures were cool, and I felt pretty strong.
The finish was tough because you come back into the millyard and there's a long straight stretch to the finish line way in the distance. I could see the clock said "29:something" but couldn't tell the seconds. As I got closer, it was in the 40s, but I kept pushing even though it appeared I would slide past 30 minutes. The official time: 30:14, finishing 24 out of 45 participants.
Two unusual things. At the start, announcer Andy Schachat handed over the mike to an organizer to say a few words, and she concluded her remarks by unexpectedly saying "Go!" Half the field immediately took off, but Schachat called everyone back to try again after the National Anthem. Also, after running a total of 130 races, this was the very first time that I suffered a treatable injury. It happened not during the race, but after, while slicing a bagel, when the plastic serrated knife went through the bagel and fairly deep into the tip of my right index finger. Sheesh! Injured by a bagel. Many thanks to the women of the White Heron Tea Co. (Motto: Good Tea for Good People), who allowed use of their first aid kit for me to patch myself up.
Entry fee: $25, not outrageous, and all proceeds support Tatenda International. And what the heck is that? It's an international service group that supports "efforts of established relief organizations via retreats, resources and youth development." The word 'Tatenda' means “thank you” in the Shona language of Zimbabwe. For more information about the program, check out the group's Web site.
So a big Tatenda to all who made this race happen. It's likely the last new city, town or unincorporated place in New Hampshire that I'll race in this year, and was a memorable finale. So we end 2011 with a total of 130, meaning there's just 104 to go.
Went out to New Hampshire's eastern limits this morning to run a race in Rollinsford, a town on the state's border with Maine. In fact, the "Tatenda 5K" crossed over into Vacationland and back, making it the only bi-state race so far in the 130 I've completed in my quest.
It's been unseasonably mild for the end of November, so some of us (me included) ran the race in t-shirt and shorts, which is very unusual for this time of year. At left is photo taken at a more verdant time of year. For me, the barrier is usually 40 degrees Fahrenheit -- anything below that, I need pants, a sweatshirt, etc. I brought all the cold weather gear with me on the hour-long drive, but at race time (9 a.m.), the temperature was already in the mid-40s, on its way to the upper 50s. So bare skin prevailed.
Rollinsford (population 2,500) is a town I know nothing about except I have a cousin who lives there. (Hi John Fortier!). The town is centered on Salmon Falls Village, which itself is clustered around a large brick former textile mill complex on the Salmon River. As in every other old New Hampshire milltown, textiles are long gone, but Rollinsford doesn't seem too be doing too badly. The sprawling complex of what used to be the Salmon Falls Manufacturing Co. has been renovated into space for artist studios and chai cafes and many other small businesses. The town, as well as South Berwick, Maine across the river, has a kind of hippie flair to it, with organic cafes and coffeehouses and funky small restaurants everywhere.An unusual feature is that the main railroad line connecting Boston to Portland, Maine runs right through town, crossing the Salmon River on a very high bridge, at least from the perspective of the mill below the falls. As I was warming up, I heard the tell-tale honk of an Amtrak Downeaster passenger train from afar, and was surprised to see it suddenly shoot over the bridge way above us at a fairly fast clip.
Speaking of which, I was hoping to run at a fairly fast clip as well, as the course was promoted as "flat." All I can say is, whoever decided that must have been raised halfway up the Mount Washington Auto Road. The course, which makes a zig-zaggy loop from Rollinsford into South Berwick, Maine and then back, was full of ups and downs. That, coupled with a persistent minor cold and a lousy night's sleep, prevented me from breaking the 30 minute barrier, though most other conditions were favorable -- I've been running regularly, the temperatures were cool, and I felt pretty strong.
The finish was tough because you come back into the millyard and there's a long straight stretch to the finish line way in the distance. I could see the clock said "29:something" but couldn't tell the seconds. As I got closer, it was in the 40s, but I kept pushing even though it appeared I would slide past 30 minutes. The official time: 30:14, finishing 24 out of 45 participants.
Two unusual things. At the start, announcer Andy Schachat handed over the mike to an organizer to say a few words, and she concluded her remarks by unexpectedly saying "Go!" Half the field immediately took off, but Schachat called everyone back to try again after the National Anthem. Also, after running a total of 130 races, this was the very first time that I suffered a treatable injury. It happened not during the race, but after, while slicing a bagel, when the plastic serrated knife went through the bagel and fairly deep into the tip of my right index finger. Sheesh! Injured by a bagel. Many thanks to the women of the White Heron Tea Co. (Motto: Good Tea for Good People), who allowed use of their first aid kit for me to patch myself up.
Entry fee: $25, not outrageous, and all proceeds support Tatenda International. And what the heck is that? It's an international service group that supports "efforts of established relief organizations via retreats, resources and youth development." The word 'Tatenda' means “thank you” in the Shona language of Zimbabwe. For more information about the program, check out the group's Web site.
So a big Tatenda to all who made this race happen. It's likely the last new city, town or unincorporated place in New Hampshire that I'll race in this year, and was a memorable finale. So we end 2011 with a total of 130, meaning there's just 104 to go.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Some goals for 2012
We're not done with 2011 quite yet, but I thought it would be a good idea to set out some fitness adventure goals for 2012 now. Why? Because we're getting close to when winter hits around here (meaning snow on the ground that stays, and little daylight), and so it's important to stay motivated, get out when I can, get back in the gym regularly, and so on.
So!
Here are a few adventures I hope to accomplish in 2012:
WINTER
• Do one "ski area" mountain road race
• Go downhill skiing at least three times
• Start swimming with goal of competing in triathalon in 2012
SPRING
• Do one Half Marathon
• Bike from York, Maine to Bedford, N.H. Before they take out Memorial Bridge...
SUMMER
• Complete the 48 N.H. 4,000-footers. Zahnna has 18 to go...
• Bike the Kanc (out and back) before it gets hot
• Run in the Mt. Washington Auto Road race. Lottery is in February/March...
• Join in the Winnipesaukee Relay Race in September. Pick up rare towns...
FALL
• Half Marathon in Dixville Notch
• New Hampshire Half Marathon. Route includes three rare towns...
• Manchester (N.H.) Half Marathon.
So!
Here are a few adventures I hope to accomplish in 2012:
WINTER
• Do one "ski area" mountain road race
• Go downhill skiing at least three times
• Start swimming with goal of competing in triathalon in 2012
SPRING
• Do one Half Marathon
• Bike from York, Maine to Bedford, N.H. Before they take out Memorial Bridge...
SUMMER
• Complete the 48 N.H. 4,000-footers. Zahnna has 18 to go...
• Bike the Kanc (out and back) before it gets hot
• Run in the Mt. Washington Auto Road race. Lottery is in February/March...
• Join in the Winnipesaukee Relay Race in September. Pick up rare towns...
FALL
• Half Marathon in Dixville Notch
• New Hampshire Half Marathon. Route includes three rare towns...
• Manchester (N.H.) Half Marathon.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Winding down for the winter
Well, time to update things. I've been going through a cycle where weekends have been burdened with commitments that have prevented me from getting out to any of the few remaining races this season. I missed the "Ghost Train" race on an abandoned railbed in Brookline, N.H., and also the Manchester Marathon (half marathon for me) last weekend, and this weekend I'll be out of town for an odd annual race in Grantham. (Next year for sure!)
But I'm still running -- more than usual, in fact. Lately, as the days have been growing shorter, I've been fitting in hour-long runs with two of our dogs through the streets and woods of Bedford, N.H., our hometown. We have a heckuva time, first running fairly aggressively on trails through a nearby patch of woods, and then, when the initial excitement dies down, in formation along the sides of roads. Abby and Inca have turned into a good and responsive team, at least after they've calmed down a bit.
Partly, these runs are self-preservation. If the dogs didn't get the exercise, they'd go crazy. (Come to think of it, so would I.) But it's also a reflexive response, I think, to the shortening days at this time of year, and the desire to get in as much outdoor activity before the weather really turns and you have to start thinking of what to wear to not freeze to death or be hit by a car when the roads are narrowed and lined by snowbanks.
So as we enter the home stretch of 2011, I feel I'm in pretty good shape overall. Started by bagging Antrim as Town #113 this past April, and got as far as Lempster as Town #129 last month, passing the half-way point (to #234) along the way somewhere. I may still be able to notch a coupla three races around Thanksgiving, although one of them involves a slog all the way up to Whitefield, N.H., something like two hours one-way. We'll see.
And before you know it, we'll be planning out races for 2012. There's still a sizable number of towns with races that I haven't yet run, but we're getting to the point where I'm going to have to start doing "freelance" races (making them up myself) in some towns to keep the momentum going. After, all it's not likely that the town of Odell (population: 0) is about to hold a 5K anytime soon.
Geez, though. More than half-way there. I might actually finish this quest one of these days...
But I'm still running -- more than usual, in fact. Lately, as the days have been growing shorter, I've been fitting in hour-long runs with two of our dogs through the streets and woods of Bedford, N.H., our hometown. We have a heckuva time, first running fairly aggressively on trails through a nearby patch of woods, and then, when the initial excitement dies down, in formation along the sides of roads. Abby and Inca have turned into a good and responsive team, at least after they've calmed down a bit.
Partly, these runs are self-preservation. If the dogs didn't get the exercise, they'd go crazy. (Come to think of it, so would I.) But it's also a reflexive response, I think, to the shortening days at this time of year, and the desire to get in as much outdoor activity before the weather really turns and you have to start thinking of what to wear to not freeze to death or be hit by a car when the roads are narrowed and lined by snowbanks.
So as we enter the home stretch of 2011, I feel I'm in pretty good shape overall. Started by bagging Antrim as Town #113 this past April, and got as far as Lempster as Town #129 last month, passing the half-way point (to #234) along the way somewhere. I may still be able to notch a coupla three races around Thanksgiving, although one of them involves a slog all the way up to Whitefield, N.H., something like two hours one-way. We'll see.
And before you know it, we'll be planning out races for 2012. There's still a sizable number of towns with races that I haven't yet run, but we're getting to the point where I'm going to have to start doing "freelance" races (making them up myself) in some towns to keep the momentum going. After, all it's not likely that the town of Odell (population: 0) is about to hold a 5K anytime soon.
Geez, though. More than half-way there. I might actually finish this quest one of these days...
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Oct. 8: Lempster (#129) 5K, but just barely
I sometimes cut it close getting out to races, but today was the closest shave yet. The "Windmill 5K," set for 11 a.m. in Lempster, was originally set to take place on a service road among 12 enormous wind turbines that were erected on a ridgetop in town in 2008. By enormous, I mean the towers are 250 feet high and the blades are 139 feet long, meaning each windmill stands nearly 400 feet high.
It's New Hampshire's first commercial wind farm, and the huge white windmills, visible for miles around, make for quite a sight as the blades pinwheel around. So the chance to run a race on the facility's service road was too good to pass up.
Alas, safety concerns prevented use of the service road, so organizers relocated to roads around the Goshen-Lempster School, whose parent-teacher group staged the race. Either way, I needed Lempster, so off I went, taking our smallest dog, one-year-old Inca, along for the ride and possibly the run.Lempster is one of those hill towns in southwestern New Hampshire that started small and stayed that way. No railroad ever came to town, so there was never any commercial center or "downtown." It was just upland farms and such, with a few gravel pits for good measure; when I worked for the Eagle-Times in Claremont, I got to do a few stories from Lempster because the town was on the fringe of the paper's coverage area. Until the establishment of the wind farm, the town's most noteworthy distinction was an inn that boasted an unusual three-story outhouse. (Alas, it's now gone.)
It's about 90-minute drive to Lempster from where I live, and I pulled into town via Route 31 (great views of the wind farm from the east) at about 10:45 a.m. -- plenty of time for me! I thought I knew where the school was so drove south on Route 10 (the main drag) until I thought I'd missed it, so turned around and headed back north. I went up "Ball Park Road," thinking that might be where the school was, but nope. Crossing into Goshen but seeing no school, I kept going, thinking perhaps I'd misread my map.
With minutes ticking away, I drove all the way to Goshen's border with Newport, the next town up, thinking by then it was unlikely I'd find the school in time to run the race. Rats! I turned around, headed south again, but just to head home on a different route. After driving a few minutes, I passed where I'd first turned around, and just beyond that -- sure enough, one of those "Kid and Parent" signs that means "SCHOOL AHEAD" I looked at my dashboard clock just in time to see it change to 11:00 a.m.
And there, on my left, was the race! Everyone was lined up, a police escort was on hand, and a woman was giving instructions to the runners. So I pulled over, hopped out, and asked if I could join in and register afterwards. (So much for warming up or stretching!) Told yes, I confirmed with the cop it was okay to leave my car there (unlocked, with wallet and keys and phone -- this was Lempster, N.H.) and then, seeing no problem with taking the dog, got Inca out and on her leash.
The race started right then, and off we went, down a dirt road, running past the school and up the hill below the wind farm, which loomed over us. Inca was thrilled to suddenly be running with all these people (she probably thinks this is what I do every day when I leave the house in the morning) and pulled me right along, adding to the absurdity of it all.
The course was a hilly one, and the day was sunny and already unseasonably warm, so it was sweat city as we went up and down the back roads, at one point circling a pond and encountering an older black Lab, who followed us for awhile before peeling off. At the turn-around point (on a non-maintained "Class VI" road), I was surprised to be told I was in 9th place overall, but that changed quickly when we encountered a loose and very playful puppy. No one know whom he belonged to (though he had tags and a collar), and he was causing disruption with the runners, who at that point were coming in both directions.
He was a real distraction for Inca, and there seemed to be every chance that he'd follow us for the rest of the race, so I stopped and made it my business to get the dog so a kid could hold onto him until we could get away. Except the dog had other ideas -- he was in play mode, and the best game of all was apparently "Keep Away from the Human in the Orange Shirt."
After a few minutes of this (and being passed by a dozen people), I gave up, and Inca and I continued on. Yes, he followed us until he spotted another dog coming in the other direction (with a walker), and then went back in the direction of where we first encountered him.
But my troubles weren't over! After sprinting down the long hill (not easy on a dirt road full of rocks), Inca and I made a right into the school parking lot to finish. However, a sign said you had to go "around the school" first. Or at least I thought it said this, because what you really had to do was just go around a little loop in front and finish. Instead, Inca and I went all the way around the school, a considerably longer distance, before coming around to the finish chute.
People saw this, but no one said anything because I wasn't wearing a number, and a woman said they just assumed I was out for a run on my own. (This in a town where everyone knows everyone else on a first-name basis?) In coming down the chute, my numberless status prompted a brief cross-examination. Turned out I couldn't be included after all, but I paid the $20 fee just the same. My time was officially something like 35 minutes, but that included time messing with the dog plus the extra distance around the school, so I didn't really take it too seriously. Even so, I just looked at the results, and that placed me 16th out of 32, which isn't too shabby.
Thanks for holding the race, Lempster, and for letting me just show up like that and run it.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
October, 2011: Some big 'uns coming up
Okay, just getting organized for a few October races. I was out in New Mexico at a newspaper confab the past week, and got in a couple of runs in the cool, dry morning air of Albuquerque. Then, this past Monday, I arrived back in New Hampshire at 8:30 p.m. to find it humid and 80 degrees. I tell ya.But fall is here and I'm sure things will be cooling down for the next batch o'races. The first (on Saturday, Oct. 1) is a big one: a half-marathon that will take me through three new towns. It's part of the Bristol-headquartered New Hampshire Marathon that's run each year on the first weekend of October. There's also a 5K in nearby Sanbornton that could bring the day's total to four. We'll see how I feel on either of these.
Then, on Saturday, Oct. 8, there's a cool-sounding race among the wind turbines up in the tiny hill town of Lempster, and on Sunday, Oct. 23 there's a loooooong (15 mile!) trail race on an abandoned rail bed in Brookline. The same day also brings a much tamer 5K in Laconia, a place I still need as well, but which always has races going on.
Also on Sunday, Oct. 23, there's a 10-miler in Concord sponsored by the Grappone Co., a local auto dealership in our area. Not sure if I'll do this or the Brookline one or the race in Laconia. But there's more info on the Granite State 10 online. Check it out!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Sept. 17: Report from New Ipswich 5K (#128)
Off to New Ipswich, N.H. (Town #128) for an early morning 5K in that town. Almost didn't make it because the race start was 8 a.m. and it was only after 7 a.m. when I checked the info at home, which is in Bedford, N.H. about 35 miles away. Whoops! But I hit the road fast and made good time, arriving with 10 minutes to spare -- a pretty wide margin for me, and downright excellent when you consider I had to guess at the location of Mascenic Regional High School, site of the race.
One factor was a good intuitive decision I made at the last minute. See, all I knew was that Mascenic High was on Route 124, which runs the length of the town. When I hit Route 124, it was on the far eastern side of town. Turn left, and the road went only about a half-mile. Turn right, and it ran about seven miles to the next town line. So to find the high school, odds are you turn right, right?
And that's what I was about to do, right at that intersection, until I glanced left just to check for traffic, and noticed a little "RUNNERS IN ROAD" sign. Hmmmm. On the left side of the intersection. Should I turn left? And then I remembered: it's Mascenic Regional High School, meaning more than one town sends kids to it, and in this case the towns are Greenville and Mason, which are, yes, to the left.
All this thought happened in a split second. I didn't have time to make a mistake, but I figured if I turned left and there was no high school in the half-mile in that direction, I at least had a chance of turning around and finding the school in the other direction. But if I turned right, I could go up to seven miles and not find it, making me miss the race.
So I turned left, drove up a hill, and there it was, off on the left: Mascenic Regional High School. Ha! No lottery tickets for me today: I've used up all my good fortune for awhile.
For me, it was the first race of the "post summer," meaning it was noticeably chilly at the start and in the shade, though not a problem to still wear the simple shirt/shorts outfit that I stick to when it's above 40 degrees. (It was 43 when I got out of the car, but felt colder because I'm not used to this just yet. By January, 43 will seem downright balmy.)
This first-ever "Viking 5K" was to support the school's athletic booster fund ($15 registration fee, very reasonable), and I was in need of a little boosting myself. I haven't been sleeping consistently all week, and I think I've started to pick up the cold my wife has been battling. And then the layout isn't conducive to fast times, as it includes a series of upgrades and finishes with a pretty steep incline. To make it more interesting, much of the race is on Route 124, a narrow state highway that remained open during the race, and which carries significant truck traffic, at least on a Saturday morning.
Still, I hung in there and finished in 30:33, not bad considering how I felt. At least I didn't stop on any of the hills, and I did have a nice burst of energy at the end, after topping the final hill, and was able to finish strong. Ended up as 51 out of 99, with pace of 9:50.
One interesting twist that I'd never seen before was that the timing folks had a large video display set up on which results were posted sort-of-live. (It took a bit for you to appear after finishing, and the results weren't posted in order.) Quite different from the usual print-it-out-and-tape-it-to-the-bandstand method widely in use.
One factor was a good intuitive decision I made at the last minute. See, all I knew was that Mascenic High was on Route 124, which runs the length of the town. When I hit Route 124, it was on the far eastern side of town. Turn left, and the road went only about a half-mile. Turn right, and it ran about seven miles to the next town line. So to find the high school, odds are you turn right, right?And that's what I was about to do, right at that intersection, until I glanced left just to check for traffic, and noticed a little "RUNNERS IN ROAD" sign. Hmmmm. On the left side of the intersection. Should I turn left? And then I remembered: it's Mascenic Regional High School, meaning more than one town sends kids to it, and in this case the towns are Greenville and Mason, which are, yes, to the left.
All this thought happened in a split second. I didn't have time to make a mistake, but I figured if I turned left and there was no high school in the half-mile in that direction, I at least had a chance of turning around and finding the school in the other direction. But if I turned right, I could go up to seven miles and not find it, making me miss the race.
So I turned left, drove up a hill, and there it was, off on the left: Mascenic Regional High School. Ha! No lottery tickets for me today: I've used up all my good fortune for awhile.
For me, it was the first race of the "post summer," meaning it was noticeably chilly at the start and in the shade, though not a problem to still wear the simple shirt/shorts outfit that I stick to when it's above 40 degrees. (It was 43 when I got out of the car, but felt colder because I'm not used to this just yet. By January, 43 will seem downright balmy.)
This first-ever "Viking 5K" was to support the school's athletic booster fund ($15 registration fee, very reasonable), and I was in need of a little boosting myself. I haven't been sleeping consistently all week, and I think I've started to pick up the cold my wife has been battling. And then the layout isn't conducive to fast times, as it includes a series of upgrades and finishes with a pretty steep incline. To make it more interesting, much of the race is on Route 124, a narrow state highway that remained open during the race, and which carries significant truck traffic, at least on a Saturday morning.
Still, I hung in there and finished in 30:33, not bad considering how I felt. At least I didn't stop on any of the hills, and I did have a nice burst of energy at the end, after topping the final hill, and was able to finish strong. Ended up as 51 out of 99, with pace of 9:50.
One interesting twist that I'd never seen before was that the timing folks had a large video display set up on which results were posted sort-of-live. (It took a bit for you to appear after finishing, and the results weren't posted in order.) Quite different from the usual print-it-out-and-tape-it-to-the-bandstand method widely in use.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Deja vu in Bristol (#127) on Saturday, Sept. 3
Well, that seemed familiar. And that's because it was. Today's 4.2-mile "Run Your Buns Off" road race in Bristol was actually almost entirely in neighboring Bridgewater, and followed the exact same course I ran in that town just this past May. The only difference was that it started and ended just over the Bristol line instead of the Bridgewater Fire Department, about 100 yards up the highway. Strange!
So technically, because 98 percent of the race was in Bridgewater, it doesn't really count as "doing Bristol" under the terms of my quest. (At least half the distance of a 5K needs to be in a town for it to count.) But since I'll be running the N.H. Half Marathon on Oct. 1 this year, and since it ends in Bristol (and passes through four other towns!), I'm not going to be too upset about it. Heck, I'll even count today's race as my official run in Bristol, though mostly because I don't want to feel like an idiot for going up there and running it.
I almost didn't find it. I went up Route 3A from the town center, thinking the bakery was just up the road. So I drove, and drove, and soon was way out of town and heading along Newfound Lake to Bridgewater, the next town up. I figured I'd somehow missed the race, and was looking for a place to turn around, when up ahead I noticed a big crowd on one side of the road and a police officer directing traffic, and that was it.
Really? I thought we must have been in Bridgewater by then, but no -- the "town line" sign was right there, just beyond the bakery, which must occupy the last lot before the border. So yes, the race started and ended in Bristol, but only about 200 feet of the course was in the town. The rest was in neighboring Bridgewater. Weird, too, that I ran the Bridgewater race on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend (to start the summer), and then did this one on the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend, traditionally the end of the summer season around here. Nice symmetry!
Oh well. Sunny, warm, and humid this morning (a change from the nice dry conditions we've had all week) and I thought it would be a slog, but no. I started strong and kept up the pace all the way, following a gal for the first half before losing her after the one long hill, then racing and beating a 10-year-old in the home stretch, even with my left shoe completely unlaced. (I'm not proud to say that I won, but kids gotta learn what the real world is like someday.)
Not at badly organized race. Reasonable same-day registration fee of $20. Start was a little confusing, with no one able to hear any announcements due to passing motorcycles on Route 3A and the guy constantly turning his megaphones in all directions as he talked. (I got one thing: "Have a fun time!")
The race was organized by the Basic Ingredients Bakery to benefit Bristol Community Services and was organized on an unusual Yin/Yang promise: that one of their sticky buns (free to all finishers) = 420 calories, which is exactly what would be burned off by a typical person running 4.2 miles. Well, okay! I'm just glad they didn't serve ice cream (maybe 1,000 calories) alongside it because there's no way I could have run an extra 10 miles.
The sticky buns afterwards were, sorry to say, a bit of a let-down: dry and kinda bland and actually not very sticky. Maybe I got one that missed out on the cinnamon and sugar and all that, but it seemed a little weird for the star attraction to not live up to the hype.
No results posted yet, but the clock read 40:22 as I crossed the finish line. Just over my imagined goal of finishing in 40 minutes, but came durned close. Worked out my pace as 9:36 per mile, but we'll see if my math agrees with theirs when results get posted.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Late August update
Bit of a breather here, meaning a couple of weekends with no new towns to run in. And just in time, too, because in the past two weeks I've been nursing a stubbornly inflamed Achilles tendon in my right foot. Usually this goes away readily, but it's stuck around pretty consistently since the race in Epsom on Sunday, Aug. 14.
So, besides applying cold packs to it, I've been staying off it, which is sometimes the only cure. Hope it calms down in time for the races that starting coming fast and furious again next month. I'd still like to go for a couple of long-ish ones, including the New Hampshire Half-Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 1, but that's only going to happen if things go well.
Well, it's been a productive season. I've added about a dozen new communities to my roster, taking it up to a total of 126 (out of 234) and passing the half-way point somewhere in there. I might have a discrepancy in the count this spring, which I have to look into and rectify. I tell you, it's always something.
In the meantime, I've finally been getting on the bike and getting in some mileage. We've had excellent summer weather here in New Hampshire -- sunny, breezy, and dry. So on Monday I rode for about an hour, and then on Tuesday I pushed myself and took a hilly ride all the way out to New Boston, a nearby town, and then back through Goffstown and Bedford. About 2.25 hours, longest ride by far this season and on my new Giant Defy touring bike.
It's been more than a year since I had my bike-destroying accident (on July 31, 2010) and to be honest, I'm still a little apprehensive on some of the narrower roads when traffic is present. Hope that goes away, but it's hard to not be thinking that every driver who comes up behind you could be the one...
Most drivers are considerate and clearly drive in a way that shows a willingness to share the road. To those who do, thanks!
So, besides applying cold packs to it, I've been staying off it, which is sometimes the only cure. Hope it calms down in time for the races that starting coming fast and furious again next month. I'd still like to go for a couple of long-ish ones, including the New Hampshire Half-Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 1, but that's only going to happen if things go well.
Well, it's been a productive season. I've added about a dozen new communities to my roster, taking it up to a total of 126 (out of 234) and passing the half-way point somewhere in there. I might have a discrepancy in the count this spring, which I have to look into and rectify. I tell you, it's always something.
In the meantime, I've finally been getting on the bike and getting in some mileage. We've had excellent summer weather here in New Hampshire -- sunny, breezy, and dry. So on Monday I rode for about an hour, and then on Tuesday I pushed myself and took a hilly ride all the way out to New Boston, a nearby town, and then back through Goffstown and Bedford. About 2.25 hours, longest ride by far this season and on my new Giant Defy touring bike.
It's been more than a year since I had my bike-destroying accident (on July 31, 2010) and to be honest, I'm still a little apprehensive on some of the narrower roads when traffic is present. Hope that goes away, but it's hard to not be thinking that every driver who comes up behind you could be the one...
Most drivers are considerate and clearly drive in a way that shows a willingness to share the road. To those who do, thanks!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Sunday, Aug. 14: report from Epsom (#126)
Ah, the increasingly rare joy of a short drive to a road race. That's what I experienced this morning in getting out to the Epsom Old Home Day 4-miler, which took place about a half-hour drive from my home in Bedford, N.H. (And that included a stop for gas!) Really - with very few remaining towns that are that close to home base, I've resigned myself to a lot of windshield time to continue this quest. So when you get one that's this close in, it's a special gift. And the weather was nice, too: building overcast without a lot of sun to heat things up.
Webster Park is a big town recreation area right on Route 28. I've driven by it probably a hundred times and never noticed it, but it's on a grand scale, with fields and roads and granite benches here and there. It's also the site of the town's annual Old Home Day festivities, which was what prompted the road race, which was a benefit for the park.
It was a classic N.H. race in two respects: the familiar voice of Andy Schachat was on the P.A. system calling it, and Delta Dental CEO Tom Raffio was running. The course was a straight-forward out-and-back, with Epsom Central School the turn-around point, though Schachat made sure everyone knew to turn left at the army tank (really!) to enter the park on the way back. (The retired tank, a full-size real life one, is on display outside the American Legion Ellwood O. Wells Post No. 112.)
In case you're interested, here's a picture of the tank, which to me looks like an M60 A3, which the U.S. phased out in 1997, I'm told. But oops, several people apparently overshot the tank on the way back, adding maybe an extra third of a mile to their run. I can how that happened, as the only turn indication was a white arrow chalked onto the road, and it was easy to miss with that big tank right in front of you. Well, these things happen. Next time I'd get a volunteer to main this spot.
The course was a nice one, with rolling hills and some sections along actual working cornfields, where the stalks are at their full height this time of year. I'm sure we crossed the grade of the long-abandoned Suncook Valley Railroad, but I couldn't tell exactly where.
Finished in 38:58, for a pace of 9:44, not bad and a nice recovery from yesterday's slow run in Richmond, N.H. Finished 37 out of 56. Entry fee, another reasonable $15. And I won the very last raffle prize: a visor made in China! And that's the story of Town #126. Only...er, 108 to go!
Webster Park is a big town recreation area right on Route 28. I've driven by it probably a hundred times and never noticed it, but it's on a grand scale, with fields and roads and granite benches here and there. It's also the site of the town's annual Old Home Day festivities, which was what prompted the road race, which was a benefit for the park.
It was a classic N.H. race in two respects: the familiar voice of Andy Schachat was on the P.A. system calling it, and Delta Dental CEO Tom Raffio was running. The course was a straight-forward out-and-back, with Epsom Central School the turn-around point, though Schachat made sure everyone knew to turn left at the army tank (really!) to enter the park on the way back. (The retired tank, a full-size real life one, is on display outside the American Legion Ellwood O. Wells Post No. 112.)
In case you're interested, here's a picture of the tank, which to me looks like an M60 A3, which the U.S. phased out in 1997, I'm told. But oops, several people apparently overshot the tank on the way back, adding maybe an extra third of a mile to their run. I can how that happened, as the only turn indication was a white arrow chalked onto the road, and it was easy to miss with that big tank right in front of you. Well, these things happen. Next time I'd get a volunteer to main this spot.
The course was a nice one, with rolling hills and some sections along actual working cornfields, where the stalks are at their full height this time of year. I'm sure we crossed the grade of the long-abandoned Suncook Valley Railroad, but I couldn't tell exactly where.
Finished in 38:58, for a pace of 9:44, not bad and a nice recovery from yesterday's slow run in Richmond, N.H. Finished 37 out of 56. Entry fee, another reasonable $15. And I won the very last raffle prize: a visor made in China! And that's the story of Town #126. Only...er, 108 to go!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Aug. 13: Richmond (#125) at Camp Wiyaka
Richmond is one of those quiet New Hampshire backwoods towns, one that the railroads missed and everything else, too, I never expected to find a 5K road race there. But that's what happened today (Saturday, Aug. 13), as the good folks at Camp Wiyaka organized one as part of their annual Alumni Day, which marks the close of camp for the season.
I hadn't been in Richmond for years, but I have some prior involvement with the town. About 25 years ago, I tried to buy a 48-acre woodlot in a remote part of town. Asking price: $15,000. It was 1986. I had just graduated from college, and my idea was to build a cabin and use it for writing. (Present day reaction to this scheme from one of my colleagues: "Okay, Mr. Henry David Thoreau.") In my mind, I had my own version of my grandfather's asbestos hunting cabin, which still stands in the backwoods of Harrisville, N.H. This would be my own, and minus the asbestos.
The land fronted on a Class VI road, meaning one that was no longer maintained by the town. Small towns in N.H. are riddled with these, left from a time when most of the land was farms that have since been left to grow back to forest. To get there, a real estate agent and I drove up Benson Road as far as we could, then hiked in the rest of the way, about a half-mile. Like of lot of rural New Hampshire, it had been left abandoned sometime after the Civil War. It had beaver pond with a big dam, several small family graveyards in which the most recent date was 1888, and stone walls all over the place. Curiously, there was also an abandoned school bus that had somehow made it up there, and which someone had been living in until recently.
It was exactly what I wanted.
However, the catch was that the town would not issue a building permit for land with no access. No building permit, no cabin. So unless I wanted to live in the bus, I was stuck. The lot was good as forest, but not much else, unless I wanted to pay to bring the road up to town standards. Also, for the first time in my life, I encountered property taxes. So poof went that dream!
Plus, I found out that a few years prior, the bus was scene of a honest-to-goodness backwoods New Hampshire murder! Really -- the abandoned road led all the way into the town of Troy, where there was a tough country & western dance place, and one night a woman for some reason was dragged up the road to the bus, held captive, and eventually murdered!
This really happened.
It wouldn't have kept me from buying the place, and I often wonder what would have happened if I had. And now, 25 years later, here I am driving into Richmond to find Camp Wiyaka not too far from my own version of Paradise Lost -- just on the other side of Route 32.
The camp, 90 years old this season, consists of rustic buildings spread out along a small lake and up a small hill. Campers stay for a week at a time, sleeping in platform tents that bunk eight. There's a dining hall, recreation hall, playing fields, and overall the place looks pretty timeless -- not much different in 2011 than it probably did in 1921. Heck, I wouldn't have minded staying a week here.
On this Saturday morning, all the campers are gone, having departed the night before after completing Camp Wiyaka's final week of the 2011 season. Today is Alumni Day, with a road race at 9 a.m. kicking things off. Fine, except someone posted a 10 a.m. start online, which means me and a few others turn up after the race has been run!
Faced with this, the Camp Wiyaka organizers decided to run the same race all over again at 10 a.m. Course volunteers were told to maintain their stations (some walkers were still out there from the 9 a.m. start!) and a half-dozen of us lined up on the lakeside volleyball court for the second edition. Entrance fee was a reasonable $15.
The course was unusual and varied -- part rough trail, part paved road, part dirt road. The first part took us on a loop through the campgrounds, including behind the latrines, before getting us out onto paved Sandy Pond Road. We changed to a dirt road until the half-way point turn-around, then back, including the camp loop one more time before the finish.
I have to give credit to the volunteers who maintained their posts long after they expected the event to be over. They were cheerful and did their best to mask what must have been utter boredom -- a kid at one intersection was actually building a house of cards on the pavement!
Though I was a complete outsider, people were friendly enough, and I didn't feel like a visiting space alien as I explored the camp. Finishing time was 35:02, which is really slow, but I felt sluggish all week and I have a feeling the distance of the Camp Wiyaka Race was a little longer than 5K. But no matter. I had actually run a race in Richmond, N.H., thanks to the good folks of Camp Wiyaka.
Now, I need to go looking for some property...
Rindge (#124) on Saturday, Aug. 6
A belated post on the Rindge "Tour De Common" -- sorry, but it's been than kind of a week.
Nice weather, a little warm but overcast building in, for a 5K race in this town on the Massachusetts line, about an hour's drive from where I live. Not too much prior experience with Rindge, though technically the Jaffrey-Rindge School District was part of my beat when I was education writer for the Keene (N.H.) Sentinel, the local paper, two decades ago.
The only other thing I can think of is that I bought some coins at an auction house here many years ago, too. Another distinction of Rindge is that it's one of only a handful of New Hampshire communities with a one-syllable name. Offhand, the only others I can think of are Lee, Bath, Troy, and Hill. Oh, and Weare. (Where?)
Anyway! Very organized race with a really well laid-out course, too. Starting just above the town common at the police station; first mile drifted steadily downward, then bottomed out. Before Mile 2, we hit a series of upgrades, none of which were soul-destroying, but just enough to keep you focused. (It helped that a woman was continually coming up behind me, then walking, then catching up again, then walking, which kept me from slacking off.) Then, for maybe the last half-mile, it's a long downhill back to the town center, and razor straight and open so you can see who's in front of you and all that.
The net effect of all of this was to just pull me along at a quicker rate than usual, even though the sun was breaking through and starting to heat things up. Finished in 29:07, my fastest time in years! Pace of 9:24, vs. the usual 10-minute mile. I came in 41 out of 73 runners, or just five places out of placing in the top half, a rare occurrence for me.
One weird thing about this one was that after going to my car to change into a non-soaked shirt, I returned to the town common to find a group of woman line dancing as part of the awards ceremony. Hey, whatever. Also, I had a few moments to study the town's veterans memorial, which reads like a language lesson. Class, what tenses are in use here? Pay attention!
As for Canaan on Sunday, Aug. 7, I'm embarrassed to say I overslept and would not have made it up there in time. Let's hope the Canaan Police Department decides to make their "Run From The Law" an annual event so I get another shot.
Monday, August 1, 2011
What happened to Brentwood? (Not #124)
Well, it happens once in awhile. On Sunday, July 31, I drove out to the town of Brentwood (about 40 minutes) to take part in the "Kuiper Twin 5K," set to start at 8 a.m. at "Brentwood School" (actually Swasey Elementary School) on Middle Road. Simple enough. So I get out there, and the school is completely deserted. So is the town hall/police station. So is the town recreation center. So is everything. And there's no one to ask. Anywhere. Not even birds are chirping.
By the time 8 a.m. came and went, I had checked out all the likely spots, and found no race evidence: no cones in the road, no arrows chalked at intersections, no volunteers cautioning me to slow down for runners in the road. So I went and had breakfast in Exeter. Oh well! I'll have to pick up Brentwood (one of the remaining towns in Rockingham County) some other time.
I later found that yes, there had been a "Kuiper Twin 5K" race, but it took place on Saturday, July 30, not Sunday. D'oh! Lesson learned: check and double-check obscure road race listings before setting out, as more than a few times I've beed misled by inaccurate postings or what I refer to as SCC Syndrome. (The initials stand for "Self-Caused Confusion."
By the time 8 a.m. came and went, I had checked out all the likely spots, and found no race evidence: no cones in the road, no arrows chalked at intersections, no volunteers cautioning me to slow down for runners in the road. So I went and had breakfast in Exeter. Oh well! I'll have to pick up Brentwood (one of the remaining towns in Rockingham County) some other time.I later found that yes, there had been a "Kuiper Twin 5K" race, but it took place on Saturday, July 30, not Sunday. D'oh! Lesson learned: check and double-check obscure road race listings before setting out, as more than a few times I've beed misled by inaccurate postings or what I refer to as SCC Syndrome. (The initials stand for "Self-Caused Confusion."
Saturday, July 30, 2011
July 30: Dashing madly in Madbury (#123)
This morning it was out to Madbury, N.H. (about an hour's drive to the east) to bag this quiet Rockingham County town by running in a 5K-or-so trail race. Today's conditions: Relatively dry, hot in the sun, nice in the shade, with intermittent breezes to keep things reasonable rather than roastable. A great day for a race, considering what's possible for July in New Hampshire. (How often do I look at the weather map this time of year and find it's warmer here than in Miami?)
Going in, all I knew about Madbury is that it's home to one of our U.S. Senators, Jeanne Shaheen, and that the town is shaped like a thin slice of birthday cake. I've already run races in all the towns around it, but none had been held in Madbury - until today's trail race on the town-owned Kingman Farm property, which is across the road from the town's elementary school, where they've painted their own rendition of the town hall.
And the reason for the race is Chris Dunn and "Acidotic Racing," an adventure/endurance group (motto: Dare Mighty Things) that he started with his brother James in 2001. From the looks of the Web site, they organize a lot of wild events all over the place, including participation in the "New England Dirt Cup," a regional trail race competition. And they raise money for a lot of good causes.
I was surprised to see their members include a guy from my current hometown of Bedford, N.H. and also people from my original hometown of Nashua, N.H. Pictures show members running in snowshoes and across mountain ridgetops and biking in the fog and scaling sheer rock walls and one guy actually leaping a series of burning logs! Well, maybe someday. :)
Today's trail run (sponsored by GoLite Footwear!) seemed rather tame in comparison, but it attracted the faithful, as a very-much-fitter-than-the-usual-5K-road-race crowd was on hand. It being race day, I didn't expect much of a chance to speak to organizer Chris Dunn, but right off the bat I encountered his cheerful and energetic dad, who told me where I should park (around by the dumpsters near the school) and encouraged me to take advantage of the "brand spanking new" port-o-potty on hand, because I'd probably be only the 15th person ever to use it. (I did and it was pretty nice, for a portable toilet.)
One piece of great news about Madbury's Kingman Farm trail race: the entry fee was a "economy-friendly" $10, which came as welcome relief after seeing fees in some cases hitting $30 this year. Thanks! Proceeds were to go to the "Friends of the Earth, Sea, & Space Museum."
One bad piece of news, at least for me with my history of turning ankles, is that, yes, it was entirely a backwoods trail race. But that really means I just have to pay extra careful attention about where my feet fall from start to finish and not get too ambitious in terms of pace or whatever. Luckily, the trails that made up the course were all pretty well groomed.
About 75 people showed, which Chris Dunn told us all was way more than he expected, but it all went off without a hitch. I parked myself near the back (as usual) and off we went to a cowbell starting signal. Surprisingly, I found I had put myself too far back, and began passing folks when the trail allowed. We circled clockwise through shady forest, sometimes on paths and other times on old farm roads, down at first but then grinding up a long hill to emerge in open and working farmland. The corn wasn't quite as high as an elephant's eye (with apologies to Oscar Hammerstein), but it seemed to be coming along well enough.
(The photos here, including one of me, were taken by Steve Wolfe. At that point, I began to hear this horrible bird-like squawking coming from up ahead. Not sure what was going on, I began to feel like a cast member of Alfred Hitchcock's film 'The Birds.' What it was, I found, was the latest scarecrow replacement technology: automated recorded bird screeching triggered by motion, including passing runners, apparently. The real concern here, though, was that it was a long stretch to be in the sun, which is still pretty high in the sky this time of day in Thermador, as Napoleon would have called it.
But I made it back into the woods, entering a dizzying series of switchbacks that took the course up and over a large hill. Weird to see people running in other directions in the forest above and below you! I played tag with a pair of young men, who tended to fall behind on the uphills but powered by me on the downhills.
I had just said "Go for it!" to one of them as he passed me when he tripped on a log and took a classic tumble in the dirt. He wasn't hurt, but the excitement (and the finish line and cowbell looming somewhere below) prompted me to pour it on in the final switchbacks, flying over rocks and turns -- not the smartest thing for me to do, but I somehow survived.
One nice thing about the race was that in the middle of it, I got to hear the horn of Amtrak's Downeaster passenger train, which connects Boston with Portland, Maine. The line runs right through Madbury, and so it was nice to hear the train's flatulent toot echo through the woods as it sped through town while the race was in progress.
Finished in about 39 minutes, 49 out of 75 (Official result: 39:50, 48 out of 74) and was curious to see Chris Dunn's homemade "old school" results board -- something you see less and less of in this age of computerized results. Nice to see the old ways being kept alive! Afterwards, I did get a chance to say hi to Chris and tell him about this adventure, but couldn't stay for the awards and prizes because I had to hightail it back home.
Chris and all the organizers, thanks for a great race!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Marlow (#122) 5K: Happy 250th Birthday!
It was the biggest birthday cake I've seen all year. Unfortunately, it was made of plywood. But there it was, as big as a hot tub turned inside out, sitting on a wagon and waiting to be pulled by a tractor in the parade honoring the 250th birthday of Marlow, N.H., population about 750. But first there was a 5K road race to run -- a rare one-time-only event, presumably, in a town I never expected to get. So I hauled myself the 90 minutes up to Marlow to bag it.
Marlow is another one of those towns I used to write about while working as a local news reporter in this part of the state. My big hurrah, I remember, was reporting the 50th anniversary of the Great Marlow Forest Fire of 1941, which started in Marlow and burned most of three towns, but miraculously missed Marlow's historic village area. (It's pictured above.)
Speaking of pictures, dopey me forgot to bring the camera today, which was too bad. Not only was there an over-sized plywood cake to photograph, but all sorts of other interesting things, too. How many chances will I have to get so close to an antique hand-operated road-grader?
Marlow is a classic New Hampshire upland rural town in that its history follows a common pattern: established just prior to the Revolution, most of it soon cleared as farmland or pastures, then steady population growth until the Civil War; after that, a slow decline as farms were gradually abandoned for better land beyond New England. Bypassed by the railroad, Marlow developed little real industry, so the population continued to shrink right through the Great Depression. Things finally started perking up after World War II, when better roads put the town within commuting distance of the bustling county seat -- in this case, Keene, N.H.
Marlow's history has one really unusual twist. In 1982, it was the birthplace of PC Connection, Inc., a mail-order computer supply business. The company grew like a weed -- so much so that new phone lines had to be run to the town to handle all the calls coming in.
Soon PC Connection moved into a dilapidated mansion, which the company renovated, restored, and eventually rechristened the Christmas Trees Inn, giving the community a highly visible showpiece (instead of an eyesore) right on Route 10, the main road into town. PC Connection did right by Marlow, even building homes so employees could there, but it eventually had to move to larger (and less remote) facilities, on its way to becoming a $2 billion company. The inn is still used as a conference center, though it sports a prominent 'Christmas Tree Inn' sign. To prevent confusion, a permanent NO VACANCY sign has been added, which lends a strange aura to it. Not as blatant as KEEP AWAY!, but carries the same feeling.
It's not the only building in Marlow that sports an unusual sign. Jones Hall, where we registered for the road race, carries this placard: BUILT 1792, MOVED 1845, ALTERED 1892, GIVEN 1908.
While waiting for the start, I explored Marlow's impressive war monument, which anchors a triangle-shaped park in front of Jones Hall. Dating from the 'World War' of 1914-18 (no one expected a second one at the time), it features a lifesize doughboy atop a large pedestal, on which are carved names of all Marlow residents who answered their nation's call.
The monument's roll call actually provides a rough snapshot of the town's declining fortunes. A total of 50 names are listed as Revolutionary War veterans (including my favorite, Zebidee Whittemore); then 19 in the War of 1812. This is followed by 44 for the Civil War, then just eight for World War I. (No mention is made of the Spanish-American War.) A plaque added later lists 39 residents as World War II veterans.
What about the road race? A nice and mostly level 5K, including a loop right through a historic cemetery, which if nothing else serves as a good reminder of where we're all headed -- the ultimate finish line. Entrance fee: just $10, yay! Small field, about two dozen runners, plus about same number of walkers. Warm and humid, though not nearly as bad as what we've had recently (temps of 100+) in this part of the world.
Felt tired during warm-up run, and draggy for first half of the race. Not sure why, but the weather is a factor for sure. Sun and humidity slow me down. Even so, surprised to finish in my best 5K time so far this season, breaking the 30-minute barrier. Completed in 29:27. No idea about placement but at least I know I wasn't last.
Had to leave before other town birthday activities took place, including the parade with the birthday cake. My favorite on the schedule: the "town picture" scheduled for 1:15 p.m. at Jones Hall. Say cheese, Marlow!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Ossipee (#121) 10K: once again, not last!
Drove about two hours north and east today to run in a 10K in the town of Ossipee, a town just south of the White Mountains and close to the Maine border. Town #121, and it wasn't one of the easier ones.
Why? Because it's mid-July, the start of the hottest time of year in this part of the world, and today's run had a relatively late start of 10 a.m., meaning we'd be out on the roads when the sun was at its strongest. A cloud-free morning and a lack of shade along portions of the course helped heat things up. Good thing the finish line was at a church, because I might have needed it.
And who knows what I was thinking this morning when I left the house without sunscreen and wearing a dark blue moisture-wicking shirt -- one that would absorb the heat -- rather than a white one, which would deflect it. Well, at least it wasn't humid, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.
Very small turnout for this one, which was a benefit for the town's Main Street revitalization efforts. Kudos for the relatively reasonable $18 registration fee, but I hope they cleared enough for the event to be worthwhile. Exactly 12 people registered for the 10K, and I think about two dozen were in the 5K.
With such a small field, there's always a chance that I might be the odd man out in a field of otherwise elite runners. This time, however, it was mostly just plain folks, and I came in 8 out of 12, with a time of 1:02:08. That's close to a 10:00 minute mile pace, which is pretty good for a hot day with lots of ups and downs, though I was disappointed to once again not break the one-hour barrier.
I arrived at 9:30 a.m., and glad I did because the 10K started at 9:45 a.m., not the advertised 0 a.m. The few of us brave enough to do a mid-summer 10K lined up, and the next thing I knew, an airhorn was blown and off we went. Course was basically a loop that took us out into backwoods Ossipee, out southwest of town, then back to town center to the finish line in a church parking lot.
Once again, a longer race (6.2 miles) didn't seem as long as it might have. Seemed like we reached Mile 3 before we knew it. The course between Mile 4 and Mile 5 was the only tedious section, with ups and downs and some sun exposure that was really starting to get to me. Nicely paved roads, but not much to look at, though at one point we went by a charred mobile home, the remains of which were choking on mounds of half-burned debris.
I had been just ahead of a woman most of the race, and then we both passed a guy who was clearly slowing down, so as we progressed I felt assured that at least I wouldn't be last. The last mile, mostly in the sun as we headed downhill and back into town, I was able to push myself so that I finished more than a minute ahead of the woman. Still, a tough race and, by virtue of its mid-day time in mid-summer, one of the hottest races I've done.
The only two I can think of that compare to it are a blastingly hot races in Keene on July 4 about 10 years ago, and the pavement-meltingly hot 5K race at the NASCAR track in Loudon at about the same time. And there have been a few CIGNA 5K races in Manchester that have taken place in sweltering heat, but they're evening races (in August), and the sun is usually low enough for its impact to be mitigated.
Missed a race in Langdon today, but hope to pick up the Monadnock Region town of Marlow next week (Saturday, July 23), where they're celebrating the town's 250th birthday. See you on the road!
Why? Because it's mid-July, the start of the hottest time of year in this part of the world, and today's run had a relatively late start of 10 a.m., meaning we'd be out on the roads when the sun was at its strongest. A cloud-free morning and a lack of shade along portions of the course helped heat things up. Good thing the finish line was at a church, because I might have needed it.And who knows what I was thinking this morning when I left the house without sunscreen and wearing a dark blue moisture-wicking shirt -- one that would absorb the heat -- rather than a white one, which would deflect it. Well, at least it wasn't humid, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.
Very small turnout for this one, which was a benefit for the town's Main Street revitalization efforts. Kudos for the relatively reasonable $18 registration fee, but I hope they cleared enough for the event to be worthwhile. Exactly 12 people registered for the 10K, and I think about two dozen were in the 5K.
With such a small field, there's always a chance that I might be the odd man out in a field of otherwise elite runners. This time, however, it was mostly just plain folks, and I came in 8 out of 12, with a time of 1:02:08. That's close to a 10:00 minute mile pace, which is pretty good for a hot day with lots of ups and downs, though I was disappointed to once again not break the one-hour barrier.
I arrived at 9:30 a.m., and glad I did because the 10K started at 9:45 a.m., not the advertised 0 a.m. The few of us brave enough to do a mid-summer 10K lined up, and the next thing I knew, an airhorn was blown and off we went. Course was basically a loop that took us out into backwoods Ossipee, out southwest of town, then back to town center to the finish line in a church parking lot.
Once again, a longer race (6.2 miles) didn't seem as long as it might have. Seemed like we reached Mile 3 before we knew it. The course between Mile 4 and Mile 5 was the only tedious section, with ups and downs and some sun exposure that was really starting to get to me. Nicely paved roads, but not much to look at, though at one point we went by a charred mobile home, the remains of which were choking on mounds of half-burned debris. I had been just ahead of a woman most of the race, and then we both passed a guy who was clearly slowing down, so as we progressed I felt assured that at least I wouldn't be last. The last mile, mostly in the sun as we headed downhill and back into town, I was able to push myself so that I finished more than a minute ahead of the woman. Still, a tough race and, by virtue of its mid-day time in mid-summer, one of the hottest races I've done.
The only two I can think of that compare to it are a blastingly hot races in Keene on July 4 about 10 years ago, and the pavement-meltingly hot 5K race at the NASCAR track in Loudon at about the same time. And there have been a few CIGNA 5K races in Manchester that have taken place in sweltering heat, but they're evening races (in August), and the sun is usually low enough for its impact to be mitigated.
Missed a race in Langdon today, but hope to pick up the Monadnock Region town of Marlow next week (Saturday, July 23), where they're celebrating the town's 250th birthday. See you on the road!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Some unusual towns coming up
Update on running. So far it's been a good season. Bagged seven new communities since April, which takes me up to #120 out of 234 total. And many more possibilities starting in mid-July -- something like a dozen that I may be able to get in 2011.
I'm especially impressed with the number of one-shot races this year in the state's picturesque southwest corner. It's a place filled with sleepy small communities that often claim fewer residents today than before the Civil War, when they were in their agricultural heyday, or hayday.
Let's see: on Saturday, July 16, there's a 5K race in Langdon, N.H., a small community where as a reporter I once covered the doings of the Fall Mountain Regional High School. The school, which served five communities, was in Langdon, and so is the road race. I once profiled the community for the Keene Sentinel, and one thing I remember was that Langdon didn't get electric lines until the 1940s. Wow!
And then the tiny town of Marlow on Saturday, July 23 to celebrate the town's 250th anniversary. Marlow is locally famous as the starting point of a spectacular forest fire in 1941, one which miraculously missed the village itself, going around either side before continuing on through three towns. It's also as the birthplace in 1982 of PC Connection, Inc. a computer sales company that has since become a Fortune 1000 company with annual sales topping $2 billion. (And for which I worked for four years, from 2000 to 2004.)
And then on Saturday, Aug. 13, there's a 5K in the even tinier town of Richmond. It's being put on by Camp Wiyaka, which sounds good to me. (It's a YMCA camp celebrating its 90th season this summer.) Richmond is where, after graduating from college in 1986, I almost bought 48 acres of long-abandoned farmland for $15,000. On the property was were several cellar holes, a few derelict family cemeteries ("Here Lies Caliph, 1810-1836), a full-size beaver dam, and an abandoned school bus which a few years earlier had been the scene of a murder! The lot was pretty useless; no building permit could be issued because the lot did not front a town-maintained road. But still, the plan was to build a cabin where I could work on some writing. (Not as economical as, say, roistering in Istanbul and living like a prince for $10 a day, the going rate then, but I digress.) Anyway, the sale didn't go through, so neither the cabin nor the writing has happened. But here I am, getting ready to run through the town!
And, perhaps oddest of all, there's a 5K race in Lempster on Saturday, Oct. 8. What's unusual is that it apparently takes place on a wind farm: a series of giant propellor-driven turbines arrayed on a ridgetop. Just learned of this one, but that time of year the foliage should be beautiful.
I'm especially impressed with the number of one-shot races this year in the state's picturesque southwest corner. It's a place filled with sleepy small communities that often claim fewer residents today than before the Civil War, when they were in their agricultural heyday, or hayday.
Let's see: on Saturday, July 16, there's a 5K race in Langdon, N.H., a small community where as a reporter I once covered the doings of the Fall Mountain Regional High School. The school, which served five communities, was in Langdon, and so is the road race. I once profiled the community for the Keene Sentinel, and one thing I remember was that Langdon didn't get electric lines until the 1940s. Wow!
And then the tiny town of Marlow on Saturday, July 23 to celebrate the town's 250th anniversary. Marlow is locally famous as the starting point of a spectacular forest fire in 1941, one which miraculously missed the village itself, going around either side before continuing on through three towns. It's also as the birthplace in 1982 of PC Connection, Inc. a computer sales company that has since become a Fortune 1000 company with annual sales topping $2 billion. (And for which I worked for four years, from 2000 to 2004.)
And then on Saturday, Aug. 13, there's a 5K in the even tinier town of Richmond. It's being put on by Camp Wiyaka, which sounds good to me. (It's a YMCA camp celebrating its 90th season this summer.) Richmond is where, after graduating from college in 1986, I almost bought 48 acres of long-abandoned farmland for $15,000. On the property was were several cellar holes, a few derelict family cemeteries ("Here Lies Caliph, 1810-1836), a full-size beaver dam, and an abandoned school bus which a few years earlier had been the scene of a murder! The lot was pretty useless; no building permit could be issued because the lot did not front a town-maintained road. But still, the plan was to build a cabin where I could work on some writing. (Not as economical as, say, roistering in Istanbul and living like a prince for $10 a day, the going rate then, but I digress.) Anyway, the sale didn't go through, so neither the cabin nor the writing has happened. But here I am, getting ready to run through the town!
And, perhaps oddest of all, there's a 5K race in Lempster on Saturday, Oct. 8. What's unusual is that it apparently takes place on a wind farm: a series of giant propellor-driven turbines arrayed on a ridgetop. Just learned of this one, but that time of year the foliage should be beautiful.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
June 26, 2011: Enfield (#120)
Ran the 'Shaker Seven' today, a race with an odd distance (seven miles) because that's how far it is if you run completely around Mascoma Lake. But a key bridge is being rebuilt this year, which turned the loop into an out and back just this once.The route was still all along the lake, a good-sized one with lots of summer homes, especially on Shaker Boulevard, a dirt road that hugs the eastern shore. At one point, someone was running a motorboat in the distance; nothing can recreate my childhood like the sound of an outboard motor out on the water. (Combine it with the smell of leaded gasoline and I'm three years old again.)
Lucked out with the overcast; if the sun had come out, we all would have roasted for sure. As it was, the humidity (and the length of the course) made it one of those races where your shorts get completely soaked through, which is actually a satisfying feeling to me -- proof that I've exerted myself.
Finished in 1:11:57, or just over a 10-minute mile pace. (Checked the results page, and it was 10:17, putting me 64th out of a field of 81.) Not bad considering the lack of sleep of late, plus careless eating, i.e. nothing beforehand. I did drink coffee, but that only served to open the floodgates. Though I used the portable toilets prior to the race (for once I wasn't the last person to register), I later had to do something I rarely indulge in -- the mid-race dive-into-the-woods to relieve yourself.
But in this case it was needed, as we were only at Mile 4 and I could feel myself being, er, constrained by a full bladder. It's funny, but that can really hinder your speed. At that point, I was on a curve, and my fellow runners had spread out along the course. So I hopped off the road, ducked behind a boulder, and let go, hoping to get it taken care of quickly.
Unfortunately, the quantity did not lend itself to a quick return. And I wasn't that far into the woods, and to my alarm, a group of women were coming up quickly while I was still in mid-stream.
Not wanting to get charged with indecent exposure, I did my best to finish before anyone got too close, and then jump back into the race. In doing so, I unexpectedly sprayed my left hand. Smooth! So I just held it kind of out there and away from me until we reached the next water station, where I rinsed myself back to civility.
So that's Enfield, Town #120. Coupla weekends off until the next races in new towns on Saturday, July 16 in either Langdon or Ossipee. Decisions, decisions!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Saturday, June 25: Goffstown (#119)
You know it's going to be an interesting road race when, just before the start, a guy right behind you -- one of those guys with a voice that's louder than he realizes -- says, speaking in your direction, "Well, I see a lot of pretty unfit people here, so at least I know I won't be last."
That was the 32nd annual Goffstown Gallop, a 5.2-mile loop through the community, skirting the village area but sticking mostly to suburban roads. For me, it's #119 out of New Hampshire's 234 cities, towns, and unincorporated places, and it's an unusual one because it's the next town over from where I live. At this point, I often have to drive a couple hours one way to get to races I need, but for me, Goffstown's just a bit further away than the Bedford town dump.
Good thing, too, because I got a late start and wound up not even leaving the house until after 8 a.m. -- kinda late for an 8:30 a.m. start, even if it is the next town over. And then I didn't realize you have to park at the high school, which is a 10-minute stroll from the registration area and starting line, meaning I just barely got there in time. I was actually the last person to register, completing my paperwork as a guy called out "Four minutes to start!"
Although this race is close by, I haven't done it until now (after pursuing this quest for more than a decade!) because each year, the last weekend in June either found me out of town or at some other less-well-established race in a town I needed. So Goffstown took a while to get filled in, but I felt I could wait because the race is a community tradition, with little chance it would just disappear.
The full name of the race, by the way, is the "32nd Annual Dave French Goffstown Gallop," named after the town's long-time (and now retired) recreation director. I used to work with Dave when I was editor of the local paper, the Goffstown News; we were once part of a "lose weight for charity" campaign some years ago, but my favorite rec department activity was Dave's annual smelliest sneaker contest. Each year we'd photograph the winner (and the shoes) and run it in the paper. An egalitarian honor, it was something that all area youth could aspire to no matter what their athletic abilities might be.
And Dave French himself was running in the race, for what I gathered was the first time ever after years of organizing it. I didn't get a chance to speak to him, but it's somehow comforting to know you're running with the guy who the race is named after.
The length of 5.2 miles is a little odd, the result of the course having to start and finish at the town's recreation property. But it's funny how a 5K (3.1 miles) can sometimes seem longer than you expect, while something 5 miles or more (like today) can whiz right by, which is what seemed to happen today. Before I knew it, we were at the 4-mile mark and the race was almost over! There's something psychological behind this, and perhaps it's nothing more complicated than expectations vs. reality, but I don't know.
The same thing happened with what I thought would be the course's "one big hill" between miles 2 and 3, which I overheard some runners speaking of prior to the start. I braced myself for a long, motivation-sapping upgrade, but found it to be a mild uphill that barely rose at all. I kept waiting to get hit with a steep climb, but it never happened; instead, we leveled off and then began descending. That was it?
Weather: Unusually cool for late June in New Hampshire, mid-50s, overcast, occasional mist. Great running weather, so that helped. Surprised to see my time at the finish as 50:25 (just missed 50 minutes!), which means something under a 10:00 mile, I think -- my best pace this year so far. The weather certainly helped.
Kudos to race organizers for keeping the entrance fee to an affordable $10 in advance, $15 day of registration. Elsewhere, we're regularly seeing registration fees of $25 and $30 now, and that's a little steep, even if it's for a great cause.
I just checked, and yes, the results are online: my pace was 9:46, and I finished 174 out of 219. No exactly medal material (although all finishers got one), but not last, either.
Geez, I wonder how the guy with the big mouth did?
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
It's been a quiet month...
...for road races in New Hampshire, at least with towns where I've yet to run. But after a drought for most of June, the end of the month brings a spate of races that continues all the way into the fall, with something like two dozen new communities in the cards. The list includes obvious ones you'd think I'd have gotten by now, such as Goffstown and Laconia, and also tiny towns that usual don't host races, such as Richmond and Marlow.
Though I haven't been running any official races, I've been keeping limbered up by taking one of our dogs, an eight-year-old German Shepard named Zahnna, up several more of New Hampshire's 4,000-footers. There are 48 in all, and as of now, Zahnna has been to the summit of 25 of them, which is slightly more than half. (About the same as my running quest!) Most recently, we completed the southern Presidentials, tagging Mount Pierce and Mount Jackson on Friday, June 16.
I've also been running with the other dogs, Abby and Inca, who make a good two-dog crew to patrol the neighborhood. We've been getting out every other day or so, doing three miles or so.
But the big news is that I've bought a new road bike, which means I can once again add this joint-friendly activity to my roster again. And as always, I have some goals for this as well: namely, to ride from York, Maine home to Bedford, N.H. (about 60 miles) and to bike the Kancamaugus Highway in the White Mountains. I'm aiming to do both later this summer, once I've built up my mileage and gotten my biking legs (and other parts) back.
The key, of course, is to not get injured. Keep your fingers crossed, and see you on Saturday, June 25, when I tackle a road race either in Goffstown (probably) or or Northfield, and then on Sunday, June 26, when I do a 7-miler in Enfield.
Though I haven't been running any official races, I've been keeping limbered up by taking one of our dogs, an eight-year-old German Shepard named Zahnna, up several more of New Hampshire's 4,000-footers. There are 48 in all, and as of now, Zahnna has been to the summit of 25 of them, which is slightly more than half. (About the same as my running quest!) Most recently, we completed the southern Presidentials, tagging Mount Pierce and Mount Jackson on Friday, June 16.I've also been running with the other dogs, Abby and Inca, who make a good two-dog crew to patrol the neighborhood. We've been getting out every other day or so, doing three miles or so.
But the big news is that I've bought a new road bike, which means I can once again add this joint-friendly activity to my roster again. And as always, I have some goals for this as well: namely, to ride from York, Maine home to Bedford, N.H. (about 60 miles) and to bike the Kancamaugus Highway in the White Mountains. I'm aiming to do both later this summer, once I've built up my mileage and gotten my biking legs (and other parts) back.
The key, of course, is to not get injured. Keep your fingers crossed, and see you on Saturday, June 25, when I tackle a road race either in Goffstown (probably) or or Northfield, and then on Sunday, June 26, when I do a 7-miler in Enfield.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Saturday, May 28: Bridgewater (#118)
Bridgewater is one of those New Hampshire towns I'd never been through and knew nothing about. It's in the northern end of the Merrimack River's watershed, just north of Bristol on Route 3A, with a prime stretch of shore on Newfound Lake and much backcountry to the east. Today's "Sprint into Summer" race, billed as a 5K, was my chance to get acquainted. For fun, I brought along Zahnna, our eight-year-old German Shepard, who would run if it was that kind of race.But the adventure nearly didn't happen. Almost immediately after leaving my home in Bedford, we became snarled in a pretty good traffic jam on Interstate 293 in Manchester. After sitting completely still for 10 minutes, and with no movement in sight (and no local traffic info online or on the radio on Memorial Day weekend), I could see the Bridgewater race's 8:30 a.m. start time slipping away. Finally, we all started up at once; turned out it was a FedEx tractor trailer that had the misfortune to break down exactly at a point where there are no breakdown lanes, and somehow that had clogged things completely.
It was 7:25 a.m. Bridgewater (and that 8:30 a.m. start) was an hour away. I resolved to give it my best effort, mindful that troopers would be all along I-93 running speed on the holiday weekend. And people were really driving goofily, so you had to be on your guard. By the time I made it to Route 104 (the turn-off to Bristol and Bridgewater), it was 8:10 a.m., so I felt I had a good chance at making it. Except, that is, for this really slow van I was stuck behind. Damn! I kept just missing chances to pass it, but then we got into Bristol, where we had to sit in traffic for a church rummage sale. At least I'd lose the van here, I thought, but no. It kept going the same direction I was, out of town and north on 3A! Damn again!
With the clock hitting 8:20 a.m., we were in Bridgewater, and I knew it was going to be close. And then, to my relief, I saw one of those yellow "Fire Station" signs a lot sooner than expected. But at the same time, the van's blinkers went on, and it pulled into the fire station! I felt glad I hadn't been a more aggressive driver, but I still pulled around and in back of the fire station in case I had been irritating. How poetic for what I perceived to be my obstacle to actually be a part of the event I was seeking.
Anyway, all the rush was for nothing because 8:30 a.m. was when registration started, not the race itself. The race was one of the looser ones, in terms of organization: I checked in with a nice guy at a card table (who took my name for a raffle), made a $20 donation, and that was it. No bib, no chip, no timing. Simple! After awhile, a few other folks showed, many of them walkers, who were encouraged to just head out whenever they felt like it, which they did. Finally, a guy from the fire department hauled a tall step ladder out to the parking lot and mounted it to welcome us and start the race. He did this by just yelling "Go!" And off we went.Because so few people were "registered," Zahnna came along and did just fine. The course took us up Route 3A, then west on a road by Newfound Lake (very pretty), and then south back to 3A and the fire station. Cloudy, overcast, not really cool but not warm either, nice weather for running. Started slow but surprised to see all ahead of me walking up the one sustained hill, so wound up passing several folks, including a guy I later learned was the town's police chief.
Finished strong on a good long stretch of 3A to the fire station, where there was no clock and not even any pretense of a finish line. Oh well! By polling a guy who finished ahead of me and a woman who finished behind me, we decided on a time of "about 35 minutes," which seemed slow. But then someone mentioned it was "more like three and a half miles," and so it made sense. (I later drove the route and yes, it was exactly 3.5 miles.)
But what about that raffle? This was the only race I've ever won that finished in a conference room, where we were all herded for the drawing of prizes as soon as all participants were accounted for. The same guy who started the race told us we raised $595, which would be used to pay to replace the department's carbon monoxide detector, which he said was destroyed last spring by a member of the department "but we won't mention any names." I never win anything, but was surprised to get named almost right away, giving me my pick of prizes. I chose a gift card of undetermined amount at Pat's Seafood and Pizzeria in Bristol. So guess where I'll be stopping on my next trip up north?
Afterwards, Zahnna and I felt good enough to tackle the summit of Mount Passaconaway (4,043 feet), which we reached by Dicey's Mill Trail (4.6 miles one way) out of Wonalancet, one of those strange villages in New Hampshire that you sometimes find on the back roads off the back roads. Left the car at 12:15 p.m., made the summit at 2:51 p.m., then back to the car at 5:45 p.m. Nice hike, except for a few scrambles near the top and people constantly mistaking Zahnna for a bear in the fog. Passaconaway has one of the most indistinct summits of any peak I've climbed: 
a dead-end trail leads into a flat wooded area, several subtrails peter out, there's no pile of rocks, and you're left guessing where the high point is. Zhanna laid down at what seemed to a good choice, so that's where I took the photo. This was Zhanna's 21st summit in her quest to climb all 48 peaks in New Hampshire that are 4,000 feet or higher. She's getting to the end of her "peak" years (har!) and so we need to hustle this year to close the gap. Just 27 more to go! Sounds like I should be doing a separate blog about this, but we'll see...
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Saturday, May 21; Madison (#116) and Easton (#117)
Tumbled out of bed early on Saturday, May 21 and hauled myself two hours north to run in the John Nute Memorial 4-miler in Madison, N.H., a small community near the Maine border. Race held at Purity Spring Resort, a lakeside campground and recreation compound (also the King Pines Ski Area in winter) that's been in the same family for more than a century.
Not a big race, really a warm-up for a duathalon and triathalon the next day. Still, about 50 of us gathered for the start on a lakeside beach, including several dogs. It being one of the increasingly rare dog-friendly races, I used the chance to harness up Inca (our adopted mutt, Dog No. 3, one year old and with me for the ride) and bring her along.
Registration was only $15, the least expensive I've seen in a long time. Bravo to organizers for keeping the costs reasonable for us serial road racers.
One notable thing about this one was the bugs. This year has been the worst I can remember for bugs. They're out early, and everywhere--mosquitoes, gnats, you name it. My theory is that it's a fungus that's hitting the local bat population pretty hard. Each bat eats something like two pounds of bugs in a season, so with bats out of commission, the bugs are going nuts.
The race started on a beach, which was nice, but bugs were bad. As we stood there waiting for the start, everyone was swatting insects. If you didn't know any better, you'd think we were all very friendly people to wave at each other so energetically.
So it probably wasn't the best time for someone to sing The National Anthem, but that's exactly what happened. "Please take off your hats," someone said, and then we got the Star Spangled Banner, and of course it had to be the extended play version, with a talented young singer really holding onto those vowels.
The race was a four-mile loop around Purity Lake, much of it on an unpaved road along the eastern side of the pond. Inca did very well for her first race, despite being somewhat alarmed by the airhorn used at the start.
We've been stuck in a changeable but damp weather pattern, and those conditions prevailed on Saturday. Gray skies and patches of sunlight to start, but then windblown showers just after I finished. (Here's a photo of some people behind me who were caught in the downpour.) My time was 42:12, or pace of 10:34, which is pretty rotten but then again I haven't been training in any systematic way lately. Not sure how I ranked because info hadn't been posted.
As for the quest to run a 5K race (or longer) in all of New Hampshire's 234 cities, towns, and unincorporated places, this one presented a conundrum. I did it because I needed Madison. But almost during the first mile, we passed on of those "town line" signs that said Eaton. Eaton? Well, which town was it in? A check of the map later showed the four-mile course to be divided almost exactly in half between the two towns. What to do?
Usually, my methodology for a multi-town 5K is to count only the town where the race starts. In this case, because the course was slightly longer than a 5K, and because it was pretty much half in one and half in the other, I opted to give myself a break and count both towns. So that's #116 and #117.
Not a big race, really a warm-up for a duathalon and triathalon the next day. Still, about 50 of us gathered for the start on a lakeside beach, including several dogs. It being one of the increasingly rare dog-friendly races, I used the chance to harness up Inca (our adopted mutt, Dog No. 3, one year old and with me for the ride) and bring her along.
Registration was only $15, the least expensive I've seen in a long time. Bravo to organizers for keeping the costs reasonable for us serial road racers.
One notable thing about this one was the bugs. This year has been the worst I can remember for bugs. They're out early, and everywhere--mosquitoes, gnats, you name it. My theory is that it's a fungus that's hitting the local bat population pretty hard. Each bat eats something like two pounds of bugs in a season, so with bats out of commission, the bugs are going nuts.
The race started on a beach, which was nice, but bugs were bad. As we stood there waiting for the start, everyone was swatting insects. If you didn't know any better, you'd think we were all very friendly people to wave at each other so energetically.
So it probably wasn't the best time for someone to sing The National Anthem, but that's exactly what happened. "Please take off your hats," someone said, and then we got the Star Spangled Banner, and of course it had to be the extended play version, with a talented young singer really holding onto those vowels.
The race was a four-mile loop around Purity Lake, much of it on an unpaved road along the eastern side of the pond. Inca did very well for her first race, despite being somewhat alarmed by the airhorn used at the start.
We've been stuck in a changeable but damp weather pattern, and those conditions prevailed on Saturday. Gray skies and patches of sunlight to start, but then windblown showers just after I finished. (Here's a photo of some people behind me who were caught in the downpour.) My time was 42:12, or pace of 10:34, which is pretty rotten but then again I haven't been training in any systematic way lately. Not sure how I ranked because info hadn't been posted.As for the quest to run a 5K race (or longer) in all of New Hampshire's 234 cities, towns, and unincorporated places, this one presented a conundrum. I did it because I needed Madison. But almost during the first mile, we passed on of those "town line" signs that said Eaton. Eaton? Well, which town was it in? A check of the map later showed the four-mile course to be divided almost exactly in half between the two towns. What to do?
Usually, my methodology for a multi-town 5K is to count only the town where the race starts. In this case, because the course was slightly longer than a 5K, and because it was pretty much half in one and half in the other, I opted to give myself a break and count both towns. So that's #116 and #117.
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