The Maine-iacs at the 2013 Cabot Trail Relay

Background

When people ask me what my favorite marathon is I have a hard time answering. There are many that put on a well-run race over a scenic course. If the question is expanded to my favorite race, then the answer is easy: my favorite race – bar none – is the Cabot Trail Relay around Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

The Cabot Trail Relay is unique among relay races in that it is a staged relay. By staged relay, I mean that every leg starts together (Leg 1 starts at 7 am, Leg 2 starts at 9:40 am, etc.). It is a great move logistically in that race organizers only have to maintain one point along the course and move it to the finish / start of each leg. And even though it runs against the handoff that we picture when someone says “relay”, the set-up is a lot more fun for the runners as well. This year I ran the final leg – Leg 17. Had this been a traditional relay my team would have given me the baton (or whatever is used) and I would probably have carried it alone for my 12-mile leg. Instead I had other runners to chase and be chased by to spur me on. I would love to see more relays adopt this format.

The format makes the race fun – however, what puts this race at the top for me is team aspect. The best description I can give to people who have not run a relay like this is that it is a mobile running party. Over the course of the years I have toed to the line of other races with the people on my team who I now can cheer on. At local races in Maine I only see their backs and I might get to talk to them for an hour or so after the race. At Cabot however I get to watch someone like Louie Luchini or Cheri Piers in action along the entire course. Over the course of many sleepless hours we travel together from Maine, around Cape Breton Island and back.

Getting to Cape Breton (Thursday, 23 May)

Getting year’s race was a challenge. I flew from my home in Boulder, CO on Thursday to New York. The flight into New York was delayed by thunderstorms and when I finally arrived I discovered that all the flights to Bangor were canceled for the night. I could not fly into Bangor, Portland or even Halifax until Saturday – the day of the race. Finally, I asked about Boston. They put me on standby for a flight at 6 am on Friday morning. I went to the terminal where my flight was to leave – upset not only that I would be sleeping in the airport but also that I would miss the drive up from Bangor to Cape Breton. As Thursday turned to Friday I tried to sleep in a less trafficked part of the terminal. Over the intercom I heard they were boarding a delayed flight to Boston.

This intercom announcement spurred my imagination. I grabbed the 12:30 am flight (slept as much as I could) and landed in Boston around 1 am. I then rented a car and took off to Bangor. I pulled into Bangor around 5:30 in the morning. Adam Goode picked me up at the airport after I dropped off my rental car. We picked up my mother’s car and went to the Exit 197 Dysarts. Here we picked up two other vehicles and the host of Maine runners from the Old Town / Bangor area.

On the way out we typically leave the US via Houlton and take the Trans-Canada Highway (Routes 2 to 104 to 105). The centerpiece of “Leg 0” is the Big Truck Stop in Aulac, New Brunswick. This year we were in for a treat when the manager showed us the specialty poutine menu. For those who have never experienced French fries, cheese and gravy – I have little to say. Adam got the pulled pork poutine and I tried the turkey dinner poutine. It was epic.

We made Baddeck around 5:30 (Atlantic Time) and went for a shakedown run. It had been a full 36 hours of travel. I would do it again in a hearbeat.

Saturday, 24 May – Legs 1 to 8

The Maine-aics typically stay at the Telegraph House – although there are many other good locations in Baddeck, NS. For breakfast / lunch most of us go across the street and get the boxed lunch with a scone from the High Wheeler. You have to order this the night before though as this is a popular stop for the 17 runners from the 70 teams at the relay.

I have rarely seen the start of the relay since anti-congestion rules prevent support and team vehicles from leaving until 30 minutes after the start – if they do not leave 10 minutes before the race start. Instead of watching the start, a few of our team vehicles went straight to the 5k mark. At this point the relay consists of stopping along the way and waiting for your runner to come by. During these points you often catch a nap, some conversation, or an Alexander Keith’s IPA. We would give our runner the scope on how far the next runner was behind and how they were looking and then jet on.

Kirby Davis lead the relay for the Maine-aics. He went out strong but was overtaken by a perennial local (who we will call Mullet Guy) in the last third of the race. This native of Nova Scotia shows up every year and always throws down a hard run. Louie Luchini then came out of the gates in Leg 2 with a dominating performance. Louie, a sub-13:30 5k runner from Stanford, is one of those runners who is just fun to watch and Cabot Trail is one of the few chances to see something other than his back. Jeff Ashby followed up with 2^nd place on Leg 3.

The first three legs are rolling and reasonably challenging, but it is Leg 4 - Cape Smokey that first gives runners a taste of the Cape Breton Highlands. After 10k of rolling hills you gain 800 ft in about 1.5 miles. Then you go through a screaming downhill and two small but painful uphills. There are tougher legs to come, but this one is a worthy opener. Erik McCarthy ran a smart tactical race. He trailed the lead run through the opening 10k and the climb. By the descent he closed the gap. By the finish he had put a minute on the 2^nd place runner.

Leg 5 was a solid run by Al Bugbee, but it was the Maine Road Hag, Cheri Piers who shone – beating all the guys. For those who do not know, Cheri is the top women’s marathon masters runner in country and has won the women’s master’s division at Boston more than once. Legs 6 and 7 saw good performances by Josh Zolla and Jon McGonagle. By this point it was clear that our competition was a team from Ontario called the Black Lungs (I assume a reference to the region’s coal mining history). We had a little more depth than them, but when we were beat in a leg they were usually the culprits.

Leg 8 has a special place in Maine-iac running. It is not particularly hard, but it finishes with the sunset on Saturday. This symbolic “running-into-the-sunset” has made this leg the final Maine-iac run for many a founding member of the team. This year Rich Chalmers, a Maine-iac and Cabot legend, was completing his last un-run leg of the relay.

Unfortunately, at this point our coach, Brian Hubble, was insisting that Mike Bunker, Louie Luchini and I head to Cheticamp to get some rest before our Sunday legs. While I wanted to see Rick run into the sunset I knew I had pushed Brian as far as I could in watching the relay and the man knows Cabot. If Brian Hubbels tells you it is time to rest, you rest.

So Mike, Louie and I drove out to Cheticamp. After an scenic wrong turn up towards Meat Cover we found ourselves at Laurie’s in Cheticamp around 7:30 pm. Cheticamp is the lone town of any size on the far side of the island. It is a popular resting spot for runners doing legs on Sunday. We grabbed some sandwhiches at Timmy Ho’s (Tim Hortons) and went to bed.

Sunday 25 May – Night leg recap and Legs 14 - 15

Mike, Louie and I got up at 4:30 to get Mike Bunker to the start of Leg 15. As we got Mike checked in I got the update from Adam on how the night had gone. We had learned at the start of Leg 9 that the Black Lungs were only 12 minutes back. We had thought they were further back but they had had a penalty incorrectly assessed to them and this penalty had been removed. This news fired up Van Hoogenstyn, a Maine-aic rookie who ran for UNH. ‘Hoog destroyed the 1000-ft climb up North Mountain. He was followed by Adam Goode who likewise crushed the 10-mile run up MacKenzie Mountain. This put the Maine-iac lead back around 25 minutes. Matt, Tim, Jeremy and Rob followed with solid performances on Legs 12-14.

In spite of rough winter and spring training Mike Bunker ran a good race for Leg 15, coming in second. Then Louie notched a second win of the relay on Leg 16 in spite of some sore legs (from yesterday’s victory).

Leg 17

Now it was time for my leg. I had run the mountain legs – 4, 9, 10 and 11 as well as the hilly and challenging leg 6. This year I had requested and got Leg 17 – the glory leg. For logistically reasons the race did not allow teams to stop or cheer on runners for Leg 17, so the course could be lonely along the way compared to other legs. The glory was in finishing in front of your team and every other team. The course was different this year (and last) due to construction on a bridge along the course. I was dropped off by Adam and Mike who then left me to head for the finish.

Although we had the relay title locked up, I still sized up the competition – Dan Way from the Black Lungs. He had already won leg 8 and run a 2:27 at Boston. While victory in my leg was unlikely I intended to stay close as I could for as long as I could. Dan let me lead out the first mile in 5:45 before pulling ahead. He took another runner, Sean Patterson, with him. While Dan gradually pulled away, Sean appeared to have gone out a little too fast and I spent the next three miles pulling him in over the rolling hills.

We crossed several old green steel bridges each followed by a climb out of that particular drainage. Due to living at 5300 feet in Boulder my breathing was fine but my legs were comfortably maxed. I went though 10 miles in 59:30 as the route did a long lonely stretch paralleling Route 105. But this came to an end as I turned left and began the descent into Baddeck.

The finish was everything I had hoped it would be – fast (due to the downhill) and lots of high fives. I finished in 1:11:50 at an average pace of 5:58 per mile. I was a hair over two minutes behind Dan Way of the Black Lungs and a minute ahead of Sean.

Banquet and Leg 18

I ran a cool-down with Erik McCarthy and Rick Chalmers and took a shower in my room at the Telegraph House. Around 11:30 am I started for the banquet. The banquet is held in Baddeck’s ice rink. Race goers have their choice of lobster, steak or vegetarian lasagna. This year there was an extra treat of a new brewery on the island. Big Spruce started up last year and had a tasty Cereal Killer Stout. The race director, Mark Stein, called for a moment of silence for a runner who died last year on Leg 17 as well as the people who were killed and injured at this year’s Boston Marathon.

Following this somber moment we went into the awards. The Maine Road Hags claimed their 5^th consecutive women’s title. We went up and claimed the overall title – our 7^th in the last 9 years. The winning team gets a large road sign for the Cabot Trail. In acknowledgement of completing all 17 legs of the relay (and his contribution to Cabot lore) the team gave the sign to Rick Chalmers.

While some Maine-iacs and Road Hags commenced immediately with festivities, many of us took a much needed nap before heading off to the Yacht Club. In the earlier days of the relay, the Maine-aics used to go home on Sunday until a few years ago when Rick Chalmers discovered  that there was a great party at the Baddeck Yacht Club. After a 24-plus-hour-relay, beer and relaxing by the water wins over a nine-hour drive.

The Yacht Club usually has a good local band which, at our request, generally plays Wagon Wheel three or four times over the course of the night. This year the Big Spruce stout and pale ales were on tap which were a nice addition to the Alexander Keith’s IPA (which is an IPA the way Budweiser is a Bohemian Pilsner). There are many stories that come out of  this party every year and this one was no exception. For now those stories will stay with the Maine-iacs and those other teams that make themselves mainstays of Cabot lore.

The Journey Home

Another aspect that I love about Cabot is that over the years every part of the trip has developed its fun traditions. The group that I travel with generally leaves around 6:30 am. In 2009 we discovered the Nova Scotia Visitors Center off Exit 1 on Highway 104 just before you leave the province. There is a nice flat dirt road that goes through farm country from this spot. Over the last two years wind turbines have sprung up which is appropriate since there always a strong headwind on the way out. All of our legs are sore but we all appreciate this run for how it breaks up the drive and loosens our legs for a few slow miles.

The same year (2009) that we discovered our mid-way run we also found the Barn Yard BBQ. This restaurant is paired with the Pump House Brewery and sits on the outskirts on Moncton, New Brunswick. There is sister brewpub located in the downtown that also has fine fare. Most of us chose the Burger That Ate Moncton – which is every bit as epic as its sounds. And, of course, some poutine.

The Bangor / Old Town group generally returns to the US via Vanburen and Route 6. It takes about the same time at the northern route (Houlton / I-95) or the southern route via St. John and Route 9. We made Old Town around 5:30 Eastern Time and went our separate ways. The journey back to Cabot Trail is never a sure thing with my job and family out west but even if I do not know when I will return, I surely will. We all already know what leg we will each request next time.

Garmin Forerunner 205 GPS watch

Background

I first stumbled onto GPS watches for running when I was deployed to Iraq in 2006. A lieutenant colonel and I started discussing running and he recommended a Timex GPS watch. It came in two pieces. The GPS was worn on an arm band and communicated wirelessly with the watch which looked like a normal sports watch. The GPS unit was powered by a AA battery. In order to look at your data on the computer you had to purchase a third piece that also recorded the data from the GPS.

In spite of the multi-piece set-up, it worked well and it was good to be able to measure my runs. I trained for Ft. Campbell’s Army 10-Miler team doing 800 repeats and tempo runs measured out with this GPS watch on the dirt path around Camp Striker in Iraq.

The Gamin Forerunner 205

I’ve moved on from my first GPS watch and at this point in my running I use the Garmin Forerunner 205. There are more advanced GPS watches out there; however, they tend to cost upwards of $400. If you are willing to go for a less advanced model like the Forerunner 205 you can still get most of the features for under $150.

The big display makes for easy viewing of your time and splits while running (although this will not be doubling as your time piece – if you even wear one anymore). You can also easily view the breadcrumb trail of where you have been. I have found this feature useful for getting home sometimes when running on unfamiliar trails or in new areas. It can charge from a USB port on your computer. The free software (Garmin Training Center) allows you to download and views runs from the watch.

But my favorite feature is that once you have downloaded your run you can view the route on Google Earth. I have often gone on trail runs before and come back wondering where I had gone, especially when I ended up on some game trail that was probably not on any map. In order to view the runs on Google Earth you need to download Garmin’s communicator (free) in addition to the Training Center Software.

Drawbacks of the Forerunner 205

One issue that I have noticed with using the GPS watch for trail running though is that I have found that its elevation gain / loss numbers always seem a bit high. I have generally found my actual elevation gains (based on mapping the route in Google Earth and the estimates of other gunners) are about 70-90% of what the watch tells me.

Another slightly annoying feature is that it is easy to accidentally turn the watch on. Sometimes I have done this when putting the watch in my running bag. A few hours later I have pulled out the watch and found that there battery is almost dead.

These annoyances are small though and I recommend a the Forerunner 205 or any other GPS watch for any runner who enjoys stats or just seeing where they have gone. Happy exploring.

A Tale of Two Marathons - Rockin’ K Trail Marathon

April 6^th, 2013

Kanopolis State Park

It was the worst of marathons in that the Rockin’ K Marathon wrung me out. When I finished I can honestly say I left it all on the course. It was best of marathons though in that a day later I was less sore than I have ever been. The lack of pavement (and, I will confess, slower pace) had left me better set to run again than ever before. The course was also beautiful – and not just by the standard of I-70 through Kansas.

The pre-race dinner was a low-key affair. Kanopolis State Park is along a dammed-up section of Kanopolis Lake. The race “headquarters” were at a hard-stand shelter overlook the lake. There were about a hundred runners and their families there for the pasta dinner. Food was plentiful. Many of the people we talked to had done the race multiple times – which speaks well for a race that caps its field at 100 runners. We met the race founder Phil and his poodle Charlie. Charlies was a fit looking dog who probably has more trail miles than me. After dinner we got a quick pre-race talk about the trail marking and potential hazards.

We thought about camping at the park (there were ample sites), but I had camped in Kansas before and was worried that the wind would preclude a good night’s rest. So we drove to Salina and stayed in the Best Western.

On the morning of the race my wife and I arrived at 6:30, a half-hour before the start, and checked in. There was no real wait for the porta johns – a real perk of doing a race with only a hundred people. The start was tame as expected. We ran about a mile on pavement before turning left onto the trails. Around mile four I came to the first of many water crossings. The streams were not that high but I managed to find a rock under the mud. I banged my left shin which gave me a good goose egg to show for the rest of the race.

The first 7.5 miles to the unmanned aid station (Gate 2) was a good mix of terrain and a preview for the rest of the course. It had ankle-deep loose sand, prairies, hardwood draws; and, of course, the ever rolling terrain. This course was designed to quash any flat-jokes about the state.

The weather for this year’s race was ideal. There was the ever-present wind that I have always found in Kansas, but it was fairly mild for most of the race. The wind was even from the northwest which meant it was to our backs on the way in – when it was much appreciated.

After Gate 2 we went through open prairie lands. The trail got a little thinner at this point and we often seemed to be going across open prairie as we searched for the red and white checkered flagging that showed us the way. At this point I was in second behind a green shirted fellow (who eventually won) who had gone out at a good 7 min clip. I was trailed by one other fellow who would keep me company through most of the next 10 miles.

At mile 13 I came to the manned aid station. By this point I was starting to feel the effects of my lingering cold and spotty training. This also coincided with the Big Bluff Loop. I crossed a barbed wire fence that was laid over with a blanket and I found myself on the bluff overlooking the river. My racing friend and I then began the first of the steep climbs. Four times I looked up, laughed. . . and then walked to the top. As we bent back around to the manned aid station the trail became thin at spots. At one point my friend and I missed a hairpin turn and found ourselves deciding if we were meant to cross a river. Fortunately we found the last markers and regained the trail. A mile or so later we found some other runners who had gone completely the wrong way on the big bluff loop.

The Big Bluff loop then came back to the manned aid station at Gate 6 around mile 18. I filled up my water bottle, kissed my wife and went on to slog out the last eight-or-so miles. And it was a slog. I will not reveal my pace other than to hint that it was creeping ever upward. The open and rolling terrain were beautiful though and were much better solace than the hard pavement at the end of a road race. I was passed by two other runners who were looking much stronger.

At the end of mile 24 and the beginning of mile 25 I crossed two thigh deep streams. At this point in the race the cold water felt absolutely glorious. After the race another runner confessed to me that he had taken a 30-second pause. I considered doing such, but at this point I was ready to be done. With less than a quarter-mile to go I turned onto the pavement to the Corral Shelter. There were burgers, beers and other drinks. I would say they tasted great, but everything does at this point. The worst thing I can say about the race is that the beer selection (Bud light, Coors and Miller Ultra) was a little weak – we are indeed in Kansas, not Colorado. After recovering with food and drinks, Alita and I left the race and drove across the dam to Cottonwood Campgrounds where they had free showers.

On the way out we stopped at Mushroom State Park. We were a both tired, but when else were we going to see a rock formation shaped like a mushrooms? These amazing formations were well worth the stop. They were right by the road and they really did look like giant petrified mushrooms. We marveled for a while and then went on to Gella’s Dinner for a late lunch.

Gella’s Dinner in Hays, Kansas is a real gem – good food and good beer. I would have loved it even it I wasn’t starving and ready for a good microbrew. It’s right off I-70 in a in a beautiful brick building right in the middle of a quintessential plains town. The beer names are not that original (No. 24 Pale Ale, etc.), but the brewery (actually Lb. Brewing Co – even though it’s part of the restaurant) has five GABF medals in the last five years. We had stopped by for a sample on the way out (i.e. carbo-loading) and so we knew to go for the IPA and the stout. For food got the smothered bierock– try to imagine the child of a chicken-pot-pie and a philly cheesesteak. This is how to end a marathon trip.

13 states down. 37 to go.