Pineland Farms 25K

New Gloucester, ME

Saturday, May 29, 2021

Certainly my first visit ever to New Gloucester.  In fact, I don't think I had even heard of New Gloucester before, so besides the running experience, it's good to have expanded my horizons as well.  As New Gloucester is about a 4-hour trek from Westerly, Matthew and I opted to head up the night before and stay in nearby Lewiston.

Shrimp scampi.  Good to get in a pasta dinner the night before the race.
If you're ever in Wells, Maine for dinner, I highly recommend
Varano's Restaurante Italiano.
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Just to be extra gluttonous, we had their delicious chocolate cake and
coffee for dessert.

The next morning, after a quick breakfast of oatmeal and yogurt, we checked out of the hotel and made the short trip to Pineland Farms, arriving about 45 minutes before race start.  The 50-milers had started at 6am and would be making 3 loops (plus a little extra), 50-K started their first of two loops at 8am, and we would be starting our single loop of 25K at 9am sharp.  (For those gluttons for punishment, the 24-hour run as many loops as you can division would start at 12noon.)

On Sunday (tomorrow) the "trail festival" continues with additional options of 15K, 10K, 5K, and 5K Canicross.  We had initially considered that as well, and I think it would neat to enter a race with Brady, but one deterrent is the irony that except for the canicross race itself, dogs are strictly prohibited at Pineland Farms at all times.  Thus, if we all went up, Brady would have to stay in the car the whole time during our 25K race today instead of coming out on leash with Jana to watch.  But I digress ...

Many events in the schedule.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, or rather farm, it was an unseasonably chilly 43° with light rain when we arrived.  This is Memorial Day weekend after all!  Parked about 1/4 mile away and walked to check in to pick up our bib and pretty cool tech hoodie.  Saw a number of runners with packs and wondered if this was like Soapstone in which it would be a cupless event.  (We brought our packs, but I'd really prefer not to wear them.)  Eventually saw most of the faster looking guys NOT wearing packs and not carrying hand-helds, so opted to omit.  After a return to the car and then a short warm-up on the course, wearing jackets, headed over to the start, and put the jackets under a tree.

Runners bundled up check in.

Well, that answers that question!

After some brief instructions, we were off.  This was my first mass start race since pre-pandemic.  Made sure to get very close to the front.  One guy in light blue led us off, with Matthew right behind, and a number of very fit looking guys chasing.

Kind of a crazy, twisty course route!

While there were lots of switchbacks indeed
(like here), they were all very wide turns,
so no sharp turns at most switchbacks.

Matthew quickly eclipsed the leader and after a half-mile, I didn't see him anymore.  The dust settled, and I was in about 7th place.  At the first of many switch-backs, I could see all of the race leaders as they came back towards me, except Matthew.  The first three miles were downhill on wide double-track gravel trails.  One guy passed me a couple miles in, and while I re-passed him on a downhill, he went past me for good on a hill climb.

This picture (from race organizer's FB page) is actually the start
of the 50 Miler that day, but it's the same course and gives you a feel for the
types of trails we'd be running on (double-track, non-technical).

At about 4 miles in, we ran the first of several fields.  In each of these cases, we'd run the perimeter of the field, which was always mowed, but more of a rough hewn ankle height, with wet clumps of cut grass, rather than a finely mowed lawn.

This is what the grass/hay fields looked,
and how the course was marked through here.

At Mile 6, the next field perimeter came up, and it was so similar to the previous field perimeter a couple of miles back that I was momentarily convinced that I was running circles and back at the same spot.  The course was very well marked, but doubled back on itself often, and there were so many spots where I could have zoned out, missed a marked turn, and gone off course.  Finally, when I saw barns, I knew we were in a different spot.  Kind of neat that we were running at times on a working farm, with tractors backing up and cows mooing.  From here on in, I start catching and passing a lot of the 50 Milers and eventually probably the back-of-the-pack 50K'ers.  I am often running adjacent to another section of the course, so I frequently see runners ahead of me, behind me, and on trails next to me, and I can't discern where in the course I am or am going.

If you look at this satellite image of my Strava
tracks, you'll see there are many fields we're running across
or on the perimeters of.

At Mile 7, we now in effect reverse the first three miles of the downhill from the start, as we started a slow, gradual 3-mile climb back to the starting area.  As we approached the start/finish, I opted to take the only GU that I had brought.  Crossing adjacent to the finish line, I threw the empty GU wrapper in the trash and continued across the only road crossing, for the second part of the course.  Fortunately, there was a police car and officer stopping traffic for runners to cross.  We quickly come up on a water stop, but there are no cups of water, only bottles of water.  Seems too cumbersome, I'm not dehydrated like Soapstone, so I opt to skip and run sans  water break.

10 miles in, we run around yet another field perimeter.  This is wet and besides the clumps of hewn grass, the ground itself is clumpy and feels uneven in places.  I must've unconsciously slowed down (I did) as a runner is coming right up on me in this field section.  This runner is approaching but is not yet close enough for me to tell if a man in my age group, and wearing a hat is not helping.  I'll just assume that the runner is in my age group, and that actually helps me pick it up a bit, and I have a second wind now.  Two miles of mostly downhills also plays to my strength, and while I'm not able to shake my competitor, I also am able to keep some distance.

Miles 12-14 are pretty flat, on gravel double-track, and I push them hard and finally am able to put a gap on my competitor to the extent the runner is no longer in sight on switchbacks.  The rain has returned now, but ever so lightly.  One more grass field to run around, and then a slight uphill to cross the road again, and I am very close.  I recognize and pass the original lead runner in this area!  He looks like he's having a tough time.  The finish line is in sight; you can go left to continue the 50K and 50M course, or right to finish the 25K course, and despite this being clearly marked, I somehow am zoned out and take the left!  What a dolt.  Fortunately, Matthew is watching me come in, and despite probably being embarrassed at the stupidity of his old man, sets me straight and I change course and head to the finish line.

Finish line!

My competitor comes in 37 seconds behind me.  Not only is the runner NOT in my age group, but she is a 40-year old female.  Time for an optometrist visit?   Anyway, she congratulates me and I do the same to her (female winner).  She said she was trying to catch me, but that I ran a fast pace at the end.

Final results:  1:50:36, 6th overall, 1st in age group.  Full results here.

I must've passed one more 25K runner somewhere in the last few miles, as I ended up finishing one place higher than I thought I was in.  We didn't stay around long, and Matthew had already finished 15 minutes prior (he won the race outright) and we would soon both be cold.  It was light rain again and the temps would never get out of the 40s that day.  We asked about awards, and were told they were waiting for all the age groups to come in.  I explained that we had come up from RI for the race and needed to start the trip back.  The organizers just asked us to hold on for 5 minutes or so, and they would verify and come back with our prizes.  That was really nice of them, and I'm glad they did, especially for Matthew's sake, whose loot included a bigger coupon to the local running store (I got $25, he got $40), plus a $50 LL Bean gift card.

While we waited for awards, I saw a number of other 25K runners make the same final turn error that I did, so I felt less dumb than I originally had.  We went to try the empanadas that were being promoted, but everything was for sale and not knowing that, we hadn't brought cash out to the start line.  The grill (hamburgers and hot dogs?) hadn't started yet either, but just then an announcement on the loud speaker noted noted that those would also be for sale.  I think the RDs should either get the food donated or they should pay the food vendors out of the race proceeds, even if it means bumping up the entry fees a few shekels to compensate.  It's just not convenient to carry cash at a race.

Technical hooded shirt and medals
for all 25K finishers.

One of the food vendors at the race.  Never got to
try any of the food, because I didn't bring any cash
while racing.

Overall, this was a fun race and a huge redemption for me after my Soapstone letdown.  There is zero single-track at this race, so perhaps more akin to traditional XC terrain?  While light rain and low 40s isn't the weather that most would expect or want on Memorial Day weekend, I welcomed it for racing!