2013 Bradbury Breaker Race Report

Went to bed last night feeling rather tired and creaky, so I wasn't quite sure what today was going to bring, except that I certainly wasn't expecting to be fast! ;-) Not to mention, Ian modified the course a bit, so it was longer, and a bit tougher, if you ask me, with the addition of the Ski Trail up and the new, not-as-friendly Switchback down. But regardless, the day dawned bright and clear, and best of all not all that hot or humid! I left Sam happily playing with Jessi, and got over to the park a little after 8:00. After checking in, saying hi to a few folks, and standing in the already long bathroom line, Ryan and I headed over to the east side for a warm-up. I was surprised to find I didn't feel all that badly, but was still determined to run the first lap at a comfortable pace so as to avoid a potential bonk on the 2nd lap.

I started a bit farther back in the field than I might normally have, which is just never a good idea. I ended up working a bit harder than I would have liked to get around people and jostle myself into a decent position. Caught up with Bob Dunfey going up the Ski Trail, and we leap-frogged a few times, before I finally pulled ahead on one of the first ups on the Boundary Trail. I did manage to run the whole first loop up until the Summit Trail, which made me pretty happy. And honestly, the Summit Trail just not reasonable for me to run, so I wasn't upset to be walking. I huffed and puffed up to the top, and then fell in with a guy in black on the start of the Tote Road. We chatted for a bit about the race and the Trail Monsters before he pulled away, and I kept on running at what felt like a reasonable pace. As I got to the Northern Loop trail for the return to the summit, Nate was already heading back up the Ski Trail! Nice.

Photo by Kevin Freeman/Maine Running Photos

I didn't really like the revised Switchback trail - too steep for me, as I've never been all that efficient of a steep downhill runner/hiker. I passed the aid station near the field at right around 48:00 and stuck my tongue out at Amy's cheering to let her know how I was really feeling about the whole thing :-) But on I trucked. I definitely lost a bit of steam on the 2nd portion of the Boundary Trail the second time around, as I was mostly running alone and I was just plain tired :-) The climb up to the Summit took a bit longer too, but as I reached the top, a woman came up behind me, and well, I just really didn't want her to pass me. Always good to get those competitive juices flowing a bit! She stayed right with me for a ways, but I then made a concerted effort to pick up the pace and use the Tote Road to my advantage. It worked, as she fell off behind me and I gained a bit of ground on a few guys ahead of me. I also tried to go as fast as I could on the Terrace Trail and on the final leg into the finish. I was gaining, but running out of ground. Oh well. Caught sight of the guy in black, who I had lost sight of until now, just before the finish. Think he got me by about 30 seconds.

In the end, came in slower than last year, but as my Garmin showed the course as 0.4 miles longer, I actually did run faster per mile this year than last, so I guess I'll take it :-) Still nowhere near 2011 pace, but oh well. Also managed to luck out (again!) and win my age group, although only because the really fast 30-somethings were 1, 2, and 3 :-) The Breaker is a tough one, for sure, and I'm glad to have come up with what felt like a fairly decent race after a long run yesterday. I'm chalking it up to a good training weekend, for sure!

Thanks as always to Ian, Ryan and all the awesome volunteers who make this race so great. We certainly are lucky!

RESULTS

1:36:47

64/152. 5th woman.

Bradbury Fun

Ryan was up and out early this morning to get in a run and mark the Breaker for tomorrow. Sam and I had a mellow morning at home and headed out ourselves around 9:30 to go to the park. We saw Mindy, Val and George in the parking lot, refueling as they got ready to tackle the 2nd loop of the Breaker in the midst of their Ultra Extreme Bad Bass run of all three courses in order. Ryan had sent me a text saying it was going to take longer than anticipated to mark the course, so I told those guys I would just have to catch up with them later, and Sam and I went over to the playground to swing and play. Around 10:45, Ryan came rushing up, saying "Sean's going to run with you. Sorry I'm late!" I wasn't prepared for having to do such a quick turn-around from playing on the playground to running, but as company on long runs is always a good thing, I was more than happy to rush out and get in a few miles with Sean before he had to head home. I had no real plan for a route in mind, so decided to go out on the Bruiser course. We wandered this way and that, skirting the slick mud puddles and chatting away for about 3 1/2 miles before Sean took off back to the park. I stopped to pee and have a snack, and then figured instead of heading on alone, I would retrace my steps in the hopes of meeting up with Mindy, Val and George. I found them not long after, and fell in step behind Mindy as we continued along the course. George, still recovering from VT 100, was behind us, moving well but at his own pace.

It was fun to catch up as we ran along. Thanks for the company, Mindy and Val! As they were about 16+ miles in a 28 mile day, the pace was mellow with some stretches walked plus a few pit stops and stops to search out frogs in puddles along the way. I was happy to tag along. Compared to the weather the past few weeks, it felt a bit hot and heavy out there, although not nearly as bad as many of the July days we had. Still, I was drinking a lot of water, although was decidedly not eating nearly enough (OK, Ryan, I admit it ;-) ) The miles ticked by and I was enjoying the company but time seemed to be moving more quickly than the miles and I realized I was going to be out there for longer than I had planned, or hoped.

I have a rule that I'll only run the O Trail once a year :-), so when we got to the turn-off, I let the girls go on ahead, and I continued back to the parking lot. I had drained my water around mile 11 or so, and stopped at the car to drink some Gatorade and call Ryan to let him know how it was going. Looking at my watch, I knew I didn't have it in me to get in another 6 miles. I was ready to call it a day at 12, but Ryan convinced me to go out for another 12 minutes so I'd at least have been out on my feet for 3 hours. I wasn't super excited about the idea but figured I could handle 12 minutes and would still be OK on time.

I left my pack in the car and headed back across the street, feeling light on my feet without the weight on my back. I headed out onto the Scuffle course, and then turned off the Snowmobile Trail onto the Link. As I was doing the math in my head, I realized if I got in 14.5 miles I could at least still hit the totally arbitrary number of 40 for the week, which for some reason seemed like a good goal. As if 40 is really better than 39.5 or as if my Garmin numbers are truly accurate... But I digress. That seemed like a good goal, so to achieve it, I ran out on Lanzo for a 1/2 mile before turning around. I got back to my car right as the Garmin hit 14.5 miles. Mileage not what I was shooting for, but time on my feet was probably about right. Considering I'm running the Breaker tomorrow, I think I can still consider this weekend a solid one in terms of training, and all the miles will be at the Brad!

After a quick lunch and shower, we headed over to Nate and Shannon's to meet the newest member of their family, little baby Annelise. We were a little late, but they didn't mind - time doesn't mean much when you have a newborn :-) Sam was very excited to meet Annelise and was so cute holding her. She was loving it!

So cute :-)

 We had a nice visit, and then hit Little Toyko for a yummy dinner on the way home, not to mention the mandatory stop for gelato next door. Veggie dumplings, veggie sushi rolls and gelato are the perfect post-3 hour run and pre-race meal, right?! :-)

Chopsticks! CHOMP!

Rainy

Sam decided 5:30 am was a good time to fall out of bed this morning, so I got out a bit later than planned. Somehow she had shifted so much in her sleep that her head was where her feet should be on the bed, well, except that she was on the floor. I guess I know whose sleep habits she's gotten! Sleep has been restless for me lately. Can't figure out why. I've even been trying to stay off the computer at night, and sitting on the couch to read a chapter or two of Scott Jurek's "Eat and Run" before going up to sleep in an attempt to relax. Doesn't seem to be working though. Guess I'm not so good at relaxing. Ryan can no doubt confirm...

In any event, headed out under overcast skies as drops began to fall. There was a thin line of pink along the horizon as I crested the powerline hill but otherwise, fairly monochromatic out there this morning in the sky above. Ran the Highland Green loop. I feel like I've been doing a lot of slow running lately, which is certainly applicable given that I'm training for a 50 miler (speaking of which, Ultrasignup shows my "target time" as 8:44?!), but decided I would at least try to go at a decent pace on the loop. Since it's mostly road/dirt, that certainly helps. Managed to average 8:17 pace, ha :-)

As an aside, I bought Sam a new bike last night. She's been riding a cute, but heavy, little tricycle handed down to her from Morgan. She's finally gotten better about steering it and moving around on it, but we thought she might have an easier time with a "big girl bike." She was extremely excited about the bike, and Ryan was a great father and put it together the second he walked in the door last night. However, she does not seem to have enough power to push the pedals, nor understand the concept of keeping her legs circling around to keep moving forward? Again, she certainly is my kid. Never had much coordination for that sort of thing. Poor kid. Hoping she will figure it out soon. But at least the bike has sparkly tassles - that makes her happy :-)

Rosy

Haven't slept well the past few nights, which meant I happily and groggily ignored the alarm yesterday morning and instead chose to stay in bed a while longer. But this morning, I knew I had to get up and out, so despite a restless night, I padded downstairs a little after 5am. The sky was still dark and the thermometer was only reading 52 degrees. Feels like the seasonal shift has begun. Very fall-like this morning. Headed out a little after 5:30 down the powerlines, toward the rosy horizon. Always nice to run on a cool, crisp morning, listening to the birds chirp, enjoying the purple asters and deep purple blackberries along the trail's edge, and watching as the early morning glow spreads down over the trees as the sun rises. A good 5 miles to start the day.

A Day Off? Nah!

Worked until noon today and then came home to clean the house and get the cats to the vet at 2:00. I spent the whole 25 minute ride down being serenaded by a chorus of yowling and meowing from Ronnie and Gigi. A very pleasant drive, indeed ;-0 However, it was lovely to visit with Katy, although sadly, as we would have all suspected, both cats are too fat and need to go on a diet. :( In any event,  I was home by 3:00 and although I had planned to take the day off, it just seemed too nice out not to run! So, I put on my running clothes and shoes and headed out the door for a run down to the river. It was sunny and breezy, the sun was warm but the humidity was low, and it's always good to run down by the river. The run was marred slightly only by the creepy guy who said "Hey, where you headed?" as I ran by he and his friends out at the Quarry. I think my heart practically shot up into my throat. I ran up and beyond the Quarry and out onto the cart path as fast as I could before I finally slowed down once I darted back onto the singletrack into the woods. When I run early in the morning, places like the Quarry and the dump are always quiet - I guess the troublemakers like to sleep in :-) Gotta remember that for my afternoon runs!! In any event, I bypassed the Quarry on the way back and took the road. Enjoyed some nice blackberries along the way, so it was all good :-)

Wolfes Neck Weekend

Yesterday morning, Ryan ran the Beach to Beacon. Although I know he had hoped for a better showing at the race, finishing in under 41 minutes and coming in something like 323rd out 6,000 sounds pretty good to me :-)  Bob graciously helped him out with the logistics of getting to and from the start/finish lines, so despite 6,000 people running the race, Ryan was able to get home around 11:00 am, and we were able to fairly seamlessly get the car packed up and head over to Wolfes Neck for our overnight camping trip. After a rainy and overcast morning, we were treated with beautiful weather for the rest of the trip!

August afternoon

Sam exploring

Blue skies and fluffy white clouds above

Late afternoon on the farm

Does an August afternoon get any better than this? Beautiful blue skies, fluffy white clouds, a rocky beach and a visit to watch the oreo cows with my two favorite people. We sure are lucky.

Of course, luck did us no good at bedtime, and Sam didn't fall asleep until around 9:45. *Sigh* This meant morning came too soon, and we were all awake before 7am - the downfall of sleeping in a tent in the summer when the sun sets late and rises early :-) But that was OK as I needed to be up anyway - Amy was meeting me for an 8am run on the roads and trails around Wolfes Neck. While we ran, wandering the dirt roads and the trails out behind the farm and in the park and chatting away for 10 miles, the guys and the kids had fun down at the beach after a breakfast of pancakes and donuts. 

Sam and Will having fun in the water

Splash!

Sometimes fitting it all in can be hard, but when I look back at photos like these, it sure makes me think we're doing all right ;-)

Mid-day 16

After a rainy morning, the skies had cleared by the time I headed out for my run a little before 12:30. In fact, I was surprised by how warm and muggy it felt, especially as the sun came out in the middle of the run. I ran the loop around the edge of the Bowdoin fields and headed into the Commons. Then out into Pennelville, where I ran two pavement/dirt road loops for a total of 4 miles before ducking back into the woods again. I took the long way back so that by the time I was ready to head back out into the Commons for the 2nd time, I already had 11 miles done. I felt pretty good - I wasn't pushing the pace and was just cruising along, thinking about nothing and anything at all.

The final 3 miles back to the car were probably the slowest of the run - I was just ready to be done, as by that point I was thoroughly saturated and could feel the sweat running from my soaked shorts down my legs and into my shoes. Ew! But I just kept moving forward, and got in my 16 miles at just under 10 minute pace. Was happy to have the legs feel good throughout, even if I slowed a bit near the end, and to have been able to eat and drink adequately without stomach revolt. Even better was that I didn't feel entirely wiped out when I got home. I quickly showered and went to pick up Sam from daycare. We headed right into town for a yummy dinner at our favorite Japanese restaurant with gelato for dessert. Sam was a fun dinner companion and we had a good time talking about our day and watching the rain pour down outside as we ate. We brought home dinner for Ryan too, so he didn't totally miss out :-)

All Over the Place

Life lately has been a bit all over the place. Work at Tedford is going well and the 25 hours is just about perfect. That said, I'm not just sitting around the rest of the work week. I've been working at the gallery at least one afternoon a week, and have another project that has me in Portland one afternoon a month. The project I was working on last winter should be starting up again in the fall. Sam has been up late, late, late at night. Last night she didn't fall asleep until 9:20. If she takes a nap at daycare, we're screwed - it means a long night and a struggle to get her to sleep. Tonight was pretty good - I think I was downstairs by 8:30. This means my evenings aren't quite as productive as they used to be, so I feel like I am not getting much done as I would like to be. I just can't stay up late enough. Last night, I was so mad about not having the time I wanted, that I went to Target at 9:30 at night to get some grocery shopping done. I'm getting up a few days a week at 5:00 to get in my runs. This morning, well, that just didn't happen (see 9:20 bedtime and 9:30 Target trip above). So, tonight I went out for a run after Ryan got home from work. I had already eaten dinner and hung out with Sam for a bit, but rallied to get out into the evening air for a run around the Highland Green loop. Had to stop to take a few blackberry breaks along the way, of course! The legs felt heavy at first, but loosened up a bit as I went along. Was glad I had the motivation to get out in the evening when I normally don't run and certainly don't feel fresh. Tomorrow the plan is for 16 miles at high noon once I get done with work. See? All over the place ;-)

Running Schizophrenia

Went from practically having a panic attack over training (and my long runs aren't even in the 20s yet!) and fitting it all in and wondering why I was even contemplating 50 miles on Monday night to getting up this morning and running Mt. Ararat hill repeats at 5:45 am. Nothing like running schizophrenia ;-)

I hadn't planned to run on Monday, which was a good thing as I was simply exhausted. Perhaps that had something to do with all the panic. Yesterday morning I was up and out early into the fog and mist at 5:30 to run 6 miles on the golf cart paths. Still struggling a bit with finding my running rhythm so early in the morning. Once I'm up, I'm up and alert so that isn't a problem, but my body seems confused to be out running before breakfast and a bit of wake-up time, and every pre-6am run seems to involve at least some sort of bathroom break mid-run. Sigh. Still, it was a lovely, if humid, morning and the run was decent.

This morning, well, I got up and out and ran hills. I did 6 Mt. A. loops for a total of 4.25 miles, which I realize is nothing spectacular but hey, I was out there doing it, so I am calling it a win for the morning. It was only 59 degrees when I stepped out the door - heaven! Couldn't quite find the extra gear to push the uphills, so tried to run the downhills hard as Ryan had suggested. Probably a good exercise for me anyway, as I've always been a bit timid in my downhill running and hiking. Came away with the feeling that I was serious, dumb, slow and tough all at the same time. Schizophrenic, indeed...

Short

It was Ryan's turn to run long yesterday so he headed over to Bradbury to run a lap of the BBU course. Sam chose this morning to sleep late, so *gasp* I actually sat on the couch for about a 1/2 hour reading some magazines. That hardly ever happens anymore! When she got up, we headed over to Bradbury to play on the playground for a while and then took a short walk on the trails, looking for mushrooms and blue blazes as we waited for the guys to come back from their run. We finished up the morning at Edna & Lucy's, catching up with Mindy, Pete and Tim, who were there with Mindy's folks, as well as enjoying our delicious sandwiches with Ian and John. By the time I finished off lunch, I certainly wasn't feeling like donning my running shoes and hitting the trails, so I came home instead. That said, I knew I shouldn't waste a weekend day, so I finally headed out for a very slow 4 miler around the block. I really had felt pretty good on Friday and Saturday's runs, so it was a bit of a bummer to really not feel up for even 4 miles. My mileage did hit 40 miles for the week, which hasn't happened since April, so I suppose that might have something to do with it. In any event, today is a rest day - hurray! - and then back at it tomorrow.

Full Day

Managed to pack a lot into the day today. I was up and out the door at 5:50 am for my run. Ran down the powerlines and out to the dump, adding on the extra loop out there. That area had been logged this winter/spring, and I thought it would be impassable after that, but they'd done a nice job of packing down the trail and keeping it up for the ATV/snowmobile crowd. By the time I got back to Highland Green Road, the Garmin was beeping 8 miles. Only 6 to go! Took the back dirt road out to the Cathance trails and then ran down along the river for a bit before heading back along the Heath. I had been keeping up a pretty steady pace until I hit the Cathance trails, but the bridges and roots were slick so those single track miles were definitely slower :-) When I got back to the Quarry, I took the long way around and then did one loop on the Mt. A. snowshoe loop before heading in. Made a number of stops along the way to pick blackberries and raspberries, go to the bathroom, etc etc, and just sort of ran at a pace that felt comfortable. I finished feeling pretty good, getting in a solid 14 at a pace that certainly wasn't killing it but which seemed fairly reasonable. 

So, the reason for the 5:50 start, you ask? Well, what other than donuts?! We were meeting up with Annie and Phil at Frosty's at 9:00 so I wanted to get my run in before we headed out. And the deliciousness of Frosty's made it all worth it! And the kids had a lot of fun playing with the new kitchen set-up up in the window, complete with - what else? - wooden donuts! Adorable.

Frosty employees in training :-)

We hit the Brunswick playground to let the kids run off all the sugar, and then headed our separate ways for lunch. After a bit of downtime at home, during which time Ryan got in his run, we headed back out - this time to pick up some new sneakers for Sam and then over to the Cathance to search for frogs in the vernal pool. Sadly, the frogs weren't out this afternoon, but we did find some choice raspberries to munch on before walking down to the river. Sam was tired on the way back and kept asking for "uppy." Neither Ryan nor I were in the mood to carry her back, so Ryan suggested they instead run to the top of the hill. She was game, and they were off! So much for tired :-) They ran all the way back, with Sam making Ryan put in an honest effort a few times. That girl is getting fast! 

Sam in her sporty new sneakers :-)

Leading the way!

We finished off the day having dinner and making a trip to Gelato Fiasco with Nate, Shannon and the kids. I think I've had my dose of sugar for the week :-) but it sure was fun!

Colors on a Gray Day

I'm feeling a bit frustrated at the moment, as Sam literally just fell asleep. I know it makes rest time at daycare easier for everyone when she sleeps, but it really puts a kink in our bedtimes when she does! A 3-year old should not be going to bed in the same hour that I would like to! AIE :-/

I did, however, have a lovely mid-afternoon 8.5 mile run today, through the Commons and out into Pennelville, so I will try to channel the feelings I had during the run, which were much calmer than the moments right after coming downstairs from putting Sam to bed ;-)

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Lush green forest.
Bright red bunchberries.
Deep blue blueberries.
Golden grasses waving in the breeze.
Yellow goldfinch twittering on the powerlines above the fields.
Magenta thistle and milky white queen anne's lace.
Thick grey cloud bank above.

Somehow the colors seem all the more brilliant on an overcast day.

Berries

Ended up taking the past two days off. I was simply feeling exhausted from Monday's travel experience and lacking sleep the past few nights didn't make that any better. So this morning, it was up and out! No excuses :-) I figured I would just get in a nice, easy run to shake the legs out and get back in the swing of things. And it couldn't have been a better morning. Beautiful. I was greeted by cool temps, a soft breeze and a colorful sunrise as I crested the hill on the powerlines. Stopped to enjoy a few blueberries, raspberries and blackberries along the way - sweet and delicious. Listened to the bullfrogs croaking out in the Heath and the birds chatter. Got in 4 miles and finished with a smile. If the rest of our summer mornings could be just like this, I'd be one happy runner :-)

Yesterday

Yesterday morning's run seems like so long ago. The Landing Course is closed on Mondays for maintenance, so I could just run right out back, hop onto the cart paths and run 6 miles along the winding concrete way back to my parent's house without even having to think about a route. Very nice. And even better, Kristen decided to join me for the first few miles! That doesn't happen very often, so I was extremely happy for her company! She's just getting back into running, so I let her set the pace and we enjoyed chatting as we ran along the first 6 holes before she headed back and I headed on. Thanks for running with me Kristen! The rest of the run went by at an easy pace. Saw 9 bluebirds, one red-headed woodpecker and heard the bobwhite whom I've heard the past few runs but forgotten to mention. It was a nice, if muggy, morning to be out, and a good end to a fun summer trip to my parent's. It was a great trip!

Getting sprayed by Sam with the hose after my run (and yes, she's not wearing any pants :-) )

We headed out to the airport around 10am, and the first leg of the trip went fine. Once we got into LaGuardia things started to unravel. First it was a delay in our flight, by 4 hours! We kept ourselves busy eating, and playing with the the IPads they had out in the waiting areas.

Airport fun

Although I had checked into the other flights to Portland, both of which were full, when we first arrived, I hadn't thought to actually check at the gate. For some reason, I decided we should, just to see if there happened to be any seats. There weren't, but the man at the desk put us on standby saying there just might be seats due to so many other delays on other flights. So, we stood around, waiting, hoping. That flights also got delayed. More waiting. Then our original flight was cancelled. I waited as we moved slowly up the standby list, fretting and groaning and sweating and swearing. We ended up getting the final two seats (!) on the plane only to have them ground us right as we were boarding because of an accident on the runway. There were a few frantic phone calls to Ryan to figure out alternate plans in case the airport didn't open up again, but in the end, our plane somehow managed to get out even as they were saying all (or most) flights would be cancelled for the night. Hurray! Thank god. Sam was a wonderful traveler through it all, asking a lot of questions but never complaining. I, of course, did my fair share of swearing in front of her through the ordeal so if you hear her say 'oh damn' anytime soon, well, you know why!

The second we got on the plane, she fell right asleep, exhausted. We were so happy to land in Portland, see my bag come through the baggage claim carousel and have Ryan there to pick us up. What a crazy day of traveling! Of course, when we got home, Sam said, "but we missed dinner," and had to sit down to have a bowl of rice before finally going to sleep at 11:00 :-) Ha.

Quiet Morning Run

Woke to news that Emma and Zak had crushed the VT 100, finishing with outstanding times. Way to go Trail Monsters! Inspiring and amazing as always. Headed out at first light, a few minutes before 6:00 am to get in a run before we headed to the beach. I ran down the quiet streets to the River Lodge, cut across the path through the woods and then back along the main drag of the community, taking the berm along the edge and back home. The sun rises about an hour later here in the south, and apparently everything and everybody else gets up later too! I was thinking I'd see a whole host of wildlife being up so early, but nada. Just me, the birds and the honeybees. Pretty morning although with the heavy cloud cover there wasn't much of a sunrise. Got in 8 in 1:10, and got home in time to see that George had finished yet another 100 miler with a smile on his face and in an awesome time! Hurray! I quickly showered and changed up and then we headed down to Wilmington for more time at the beach.

It sprinkled on the way down and the clouds were thick, but things cleared up a bit as we hit the beach and honestly, the clouds made it much more pleasant at the water's edge! Lots of fun as usual digging in the sand and playing in the surf. The trip was made complete with yet another ice cream stop at Boombalati's. Yum!

The start of our sandcastle

Sam, Neenie and the dribble castle

Surfing in the waves on the boogie board!

Happy at the beach...

...and even happier after a dish of ice cream!

We're headed home tomorrow after a fun trip filled with sun and water fun. Sam has been great, minus a few meltdowns, and it has been a lot of fun to see Neenie, Pippi, Morgan and Kristen! We are so lucky to have had the chance to come down and spend a few days with family!