It won't be a PR but....

it is an incredible, challenging, diverse, scenic course...the Stratton Faxon Fairfield Half Marathon on June 22, 2008.

Nothing like a 13.1 mile training run on a new course in a new town. Isn't something new always exciting?

From the start in front of Jennings Beach, a pre-season community of summer homes and under-construction beach side McMansions the course is flat for about 2 miles. Next comes the aptly named streets with hills, some rolling, some more challenging. Sasco Hill Rd. up & then down to Harbor Rd. Harbor Road is a picture postcard of the sound and harbor with stately homes and docked sailboats. Coming onto Pequot Ave. into the historic town of Southport of antiques and the Horseshoe Tavern I knew from my map that I was running with the next challenge was just in front of me. Crossing over the intersection of Route 1 & I-95 bearing onto & up Mill Hill Road, again "hill". Running through first some residential neighborhoods the hill goes on & on & on up into the shaded and wooded Woodland Conservation Area. A short cutover on Morehouse Lane leads to Hulls Farm Road and into a row of horse farms dotting this country road. A long, almost 3 mile stretch leads you down (finally!) along the Mill River back into Southport across Rose Hill Road (yes again 'hill") to a return loop of the views of the sound on Harbor Road and the best downhill of Sasco Hill Road to the flats of the beach area. Of course I took this souvenir shot on the beach 2:20 after I started. Slow & steady... that was me....and strong.

"The future's uncertain & the end is always near...."

Do we need to feel this everytime we lace up or put on our helmets to hit the open road? I do think about it from time to time as most of the narrow back roads I run and ride on are traveled my motorists in such a hurry they are oblivious to us on the road. Talking on their phones or yelling at the kids in the back seat. When you can't see the whites of their eyes you know the potential for danger is near as I thought my last ride EVER was yesterday.

Riding up Main Street, just past the firehouse, I crossed over to ride against the flow as the intersection was flooded with traffic. Between Williams Gas Station and the XtraMart coming out of Michael Neuner Blvd. sits a truck waiting to pull out. I see him, I think he sees me. As I pass in front of him he decides it is his only split second chance to beat all the other cars to pull onto Main Street. I yelled as loud as I could "Don't do it"! His front bumper is 2 inches from my front wheel as I swerved around him. Luckily my yell caught his attention as it did all the other cars, with their windows down, all the way down the block & he stopped. As I continued to ride and passed him he uttered "sorry" to which I replied "yeah sorry"...thinking maybe he will look both ways next time!?

Bike on!

Fairfield Half