Notes
On call this weekend, so plan was a long run of the Tour de Rumford. The morning was cool and foggy, Bob and Glenn were running it counterclockwise from the Middle School starting at 5:00am. By the time I got out at 10:00am it was pretty warm. I headed up to the Hydro road and then up high on the powerlines. I was already sweating alot. I crossed the bridge and made the first climb up, down, and back up again. I was hot and tired and mentally not having it. I did something I've never done before, I stopped and sat on a rock for about 5 minutes. I really wanted to turned around and quit but I eventually talked myself into keep going. I started to feel better, running and also hiking the steep sections. The long descend to the Swain road trail is now incredibly rocky. I really had to pick my way down. At the bottom I got out a GU to fuel up for the next big climb. Got out to Swain road and soon after I crossed it a big fawn jumped out right in front of me and ran across the trail into the brush. It was pretty cool. Soon 2 ATV's came, never seen any on this section before. Ran and hiked up and around the reservoir. Ran all the way up to the powerlines. Stopped to take a picture back across the powerlines. The trail at this point was really grown in, maybe 1 ATV has been through here. Hiked the steeper sections and ran out to the big climb where I had done hill repeats earlier in the spring. The sides and middle of the trail were really grown up and there were way more rocks. It seems like the dirt has washed away leaving only rocks. There is no way I would hill repeats there now. The road down to the laydown area was nice though, not as rutted up as it used to be. Didn't stop at the laydown but kept running. The trail was completely covered in grass. I was pretty nice running though. The super long downhill, was again, really rocky. This trail has really gone to hell with all the ATV traffic tearing up the rocks. It was nowhere near as fun to run down as it used to be. After about 3/4 of the way down I noticed below my right knee was starting to get sore. It was ok on the flats and climbs though. Stopped at the bridge just before Isthmus road to splash my face. The water was nice and cold. Ran down the pavement to where the trail cuts back into the woods. I saw a bike ditched in the woods, wasn't sure if someone was walking or if it had been stolen and abandoned. A little ways down the trail there was an older guy just finishing picking blackberries, there was quite a few. He recognized me and asked my name. His name was Charlie Kozlowski I think? He had done the White to Back race the first year. We talked about it for a bit and then an ATV came along. It was Aaron and Tracy Cummings out for a ride. Aaron said he hadn't been running this summer but was planning on getting back into it. They took off in the opposite direction and then I kept going. The trail out to Beliveau road was also rocky. Crossed the road and got out a 1/2 of stinger waffle. Ran most of these climbs. Stopped to take a picture of the old hunting stand. Once I got to the powerlines I stopped and had a GU for the next big climb up Thompson hill. Continued down to Black Bridge and stopped just before the road to fill up my pack with the cold water and ice (melted) I had stashed there before I went in the mill. The pack was completely full, about 3/4. The cool water was nice though. Crossed Black bridge, stopping to take a picture of the Swift, then started the long climb. Hiked the steep sections and ran all the way to the old crossing that used to go back down to Rte. 17. The long climb up to the field was mostly in the woods, which is not how I remember it. Bob said it was the same though. I hiked most of this as it was pretty steep, steeper than I remembered. Ran when it flattened out some and finally got to the field. Continued running and hiking some up to the Clubhouse. The ITS 82 trail cuts to the left a short ways before the clubhouse. Stopped in and saw Bob and Glenn had signed the book. I signed it also and then headed out on the trail which had a steep climb and looped around to ITS 82. I should have gone back and ran it from the split, it would have been easier. The trail was pretty good except for a big mud hole before it started to drop. Came out into a big clearcut and the trail was full of old branches and rocks. Stopped to take a picture looking out at the mountains though which was pretty. Had to look hard for the trail that turns right towards the Thompson hill road. This used to be a fun trail to run down, but again more rocks! It took longer than I remembered to get out to the road. It also took longer to get down to the road to the left turn towards the Ledge. The road was rockier than I remember it. Really bad. I made the turn and stopped to splash my face again in the brook under the first bridge. I was pretty hot and it felt great.The water was nice and cold. Geared up for the big climb up to the round it stump.