About to add another state...

Right now I'm in Orlando (that's our hotel, above) for a printing conference, which gives me the first chance of 2013 to pick up a new state: Florida! Land of the low-hanging fruit, and also the hanging chad.

The weather here is pleasant, with a mid-day high (right now) of about 75 degrees, which is a big improvement on 0 degrees in New Hampshire, which we left behind yesterday.

I went for a brief run this morning (2.5 miles) to gauge the area and climate prior to attempting an 8-mile circuit on either Monday of Tuesday. Unfortunately, there's no easy way to rent a bicycle where I am (hotels near the airport), so it's running.

There's a pool, too, so I may go swimming today (Saturday, Jan. 26) and tomorrow as part of the prep. I need to do more swimming anyway if I'm going to do better in any triathlons this summer.

Today I got a nice e-mail today from a guy named Andrew Cushing, a guy who was race director of a 5K I did in the town of Grafton this past fall. To help in my question to run in all of New Hampshire's cities, town, and unincorporated places, Andrew proposed organizing a few 5K runs in the sparsely populated hill communities north of Interstate 89: places such as Dorchester and Orange.

Not sure if this proposal was made out of pity, but I'm game. So I look forward to joining Andrew and his running pals some day when the weather warms up to bag as many as three towns in a single day. Thanks, Andrew!

And you know, I just cruised the N.H. race listings at www.coolrunning.com and out of something like 100 races already scheduled for the 2013 season, I think I saw maybe two towns that I hadn't run in before.

So this is the year, it seems, where I have to seriously broaden my effort to include non-racing towns, just as Andrew has suggested. It's the only way I'm ever going to get to finish this silly quest by the self-imposed deadline of May 14, 2016.

Also, one more note to myself. As motivation to keep things going this winter and into the summer, I have to remember there are plans afoot to join an expedition to trek to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in August or September of this year.

As a climb, Kilimanjaro isn't technically that difficult. With its big broad profile and steady slopes, this immense mountain is like a gigantic version of New Hampshire's Mount Washington. Even so, conditioning will improve my chances of making it to the summit, which is (gulp!) 19,341 feet.

So I have a specific reason to push myself in the months ahead, don't I?

And so maybe this will be what gets me to complete another list-in-progress: the 48 4,000-footers in New Hampshire, where I've been stuck at 30 since the season before last. We'll see.

Saturday, Oct. 6: Grafton, Town #139

The course was once the main railroad line linking Boston and Montreal.

Ran a 5K this morning in Grafton, an up-country towns in the state's western hills. Finished in 29:58, a minor miracle for me. The fact that there was actually an official race in Grafton was a minor miracle as well.

The morning was warm--warmer than you'd expect for the Saturday on Columbus Day weekend. Grafton is a small town on Route 4 about an hour away from home base, and it's far enough up for you to still see Ron Paul for President signs on the side of barns.

I know Grafton as one of the towns on the "Northern Line," meaning a railroad that linked Concord, N.H. with White River Junction, Vt. by snaking through this part of the state. At one time the corridor was part of the main linking connecting Boston and Montreal, and was very busy both with passenger and heavy freight.

Alas, the line was abandoned in the 1980s, and the tracks have since been removed. But the corridor itself remains intact, and still runs through the small towns of western New Hampshire -- often straighter and more level than Route 4, which parallels it. These days, it serves as a route for fiber optic cables as well as a recreational trail in Andover, Danbury, and yes, Grafton.

As such, it played host to today's race, both the 5K (which I ran) and the 8K course. The event was a fundraiser in support of the Grafton Historical Society's efforts to restore a local carding mill that dates from 1823.

Getting ready to run.

The race started from a recreational field off Route 4. An interesting side adventure was a lone portable toilet that I made use of. The thing was in a state of almost comical disrepair, and felt like it was about to tip over when I stepped inside. Here's a picture:

About 40 people turned out, with most walking or running the 5K; the course for the latter would be entirely on the railbed of the Northern Line, which at least meant a level course. (The 8K included hills outside of town and then a leg back on the railbed.)

I knew it would be an interesting race when I overhead organizer Andrew Cushing mention that he wasn't sure if the rail trail has been mowed lately. And the next thing I knew, a young gal was crazily shouting "Who wants to SAVE THE MILL!?" And that was our signal to start.

The course was level, yes, and took us past the usual railroad archaeological sites: old depot platforms, etc. I was surprised to see not one single tie or spike, so the salvage folks were very thorough. I found it strange to be jogging exactly on a path where immense steam locomotives once ruled.

Not sure of my order of finish, but I wasn't the last 5K runner, so I can say at least that much. The 29:58 time was encouraging, as I haven't done too many timed races in recent weeks. Hoping to push that down to below 29:00 before the season is over.

I couldn't stay for the cookout that followed, but I saw some quirky signs on the ride out. Just down the road, the Grafton General Store was promoting soft serve cones for "100 cents," and in Danbury, I passed the Route 104 Auto Repair and Computer Service. Guess they still have to wear a lot of hats out in these parts, ayup.