Inside a Journalist's World

Getting Started: Don't go too heavy!

2011-11-29T11:54:00.000-08:00

Now that I've explained to some degree what BodyPump is, and what to expect from the class, it's time to get over that first hump: Trying the class for the first time.

I'll start by saying a high percentage of BodyPump participants at both gyms I've taught at are women. For whatever reason, most men either don't enjoy group fitness as they do pumping iron in the weight room, or simply don't like the setting. However, a lot of folks don't realize that taking classes such as BodyPump can burn a LOT more calories than an hour on the treadmill (aka Dreadmill) or the Eliptical machine.

Even if you're a seasoned weightlifter, don't expect to chuck a ton of weight on your barbell when you step into your first BodyPump class. Why? Because in the weight room, you're only under tension for about 15, 20 seconds, as opposed to up to four and a half minutes in BodyPump.

In other words, if it's your debut and you toss 60 pounds on that bar for the squat track, your legs will be screaming after the first set, and there's at least three remaining!!

The big key: Start slow and let your muscles get used to the longer amounts of tension, particularly in the slower tempos, since those beats keep the muscles under tension longer. You also may find yourself doing moves not typically found in the weight room, such as bicep rows and tricep kickbacks. Also, you want to make sure you maintain proper form, especially in the second half of the track, when the muscles tend to fatigue.

Once you take the class two or three times, and you are feeling good about it, that is the time to start upping the weights. Trust me, it took me a while too! The most important things those first few times are to have some fun, get used to the music and the moves, and making sure your technique is spot-on! After that, the rest is history, and who knows, maybe you'll be on stage one day!

Quarterly Workshop Baptism and some GTL

2011-11-28T11:38:00.000-08:00

Ever since I took the plunge and became a BodyPump instructor, all I kept hearing about were Quarterly Workshops, and how inspirational they are. My trainer, Julie, even grilled this into our heads at initial training.

Quarterly Workshops are generally offered four to five times a year, and feature top-notch instructors from across the country coming together to present the latest releases in all the Les Mills programs.

My first big-time workshop was a mere week after I had earned my teaching certification in September 2010, and it was quite the adventure. The workshop was in Poughkeepsie, New York, on a Saturday, and since it's nearly impossible to get Fridays off covering sports for this newspaper, I knew I was facing an all-night drive.

Thankfully, this newspaper allowed me to go to Farmington to watch a soccer game before hitting the road, and I was too wound up and excited to think about how tired I was, even while slogging between Albany and Poughkeepsie at 3:00 in the morning.

After dodging deer on the Taconic Parkway, I pulled into the club at about 4:15, giving me enough time to find my bearings and grab a catnap in the car before jumping in line. I was beyond excited, since one of the presenters for Pump was Sheldon McBee, one of the best instructors in the U.S., and someone whom I inspire to be. We were doing release 75, for which he was one of the video presenters, so it was only fitting that he was there.

The atmosphere in the club was electric. I walked in at 5:00 in the morning and people were fired up, there were HUNDREDS of benchtops waiting to be secured, and music was cranking. I'm NEVER awake at such an ungodly hour, so I must love Les Mills, right?

Once the Masterclass for Pump started (Pump is always first), the energy in the room was even more amplified. Sheldon and the other presenters were outstanding and inspirational, and teaching at quarterlies is one of my long-term goals for group fitness.

I even got to take some classes I had never tried, which was a fantastic experience, but since I had plans to visit friends in New York City and spend the night there, I had to head out after half a day.

Exhausted after a handful of classes, I headed to a nearby diner to grab something to eat, and it wasn't until I was leaving that I wished I hadn't left my camera in the car.

As I slogged toward the door after paying my bill, who else walks through the door but Poughkeepsie resident and "Jersey Shore" star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi. Even though I'm sure she's never taken BodyPump, or any group fitness class for that matter, she had a solid idea the workshop was in town for the weekend, saw I had a Les Mills sweatshirt on, welcomed me to Poughkeepsie and gave me a hug! No, she wasn't hung over and worse, she wasn't wearing heels, so she barely came up to my stomach!!

Les Mills workshops are an amazing way to mingle with fellow instructors/group fitness fanatics, get a plethora of kickbutt workouts and enjoy some new experiences! My first big workshop was certainly unforgettable, and was absolutely worth missing out on one day of sleep.

What is BodyPump?

2011-11-16T08:57:00.000-08:00

Every time people come up to me and ask what I do for a living, I often get asked the same follow-up question: "What is BodyPump?"

I guess I should start by introducing what this blog is about. I've been a group fitness instructor for a year and a half now, and I'll be telling you folks why group fitness can be fun, the benefits of it, and my own personal experiences on the BodyPump stage.

First of all, BodyPump is one of 10 exercise programs that Les Mills International offers people from Maine to New Zealand. It is a barbell class that shapes, tones and strengthens your entire body, according to the Les Mills Web site.

BodyPump is a fairly easy class to learn. The only equipment needed is a benchtop, risers, a barbell, a set of weights, and most importantly, YOU! Unlike in the weight room, BodyPump focuses on toning all the basic muscle groups by focusing on a higher amount of repetitions using a lower amount of weight. In other words, when you get to the chest press track, don't try to chuck 250 pounds on your bar! :P

A typical BodyPump class goes like this: Warmup, Squats (legs), Chest Press, Back, Triceps, Biceps, Lunges, Shoulders, Abdominals/Core and cooldown. The class also features chart-topping music, which in my opinion, makes the class a lot more fun!

The benefits of Pump include burning an average of 530 calories per class, developing strength and endurance in all the major muscle groups, and more importantly, having fun in a group-exercise setting.

This blog will also feature my own personal experiences with BodyPump, which include meeting a reality TV star, overnight drives to quarterly workshops, plates falling in the trash, and what happened on my long journey to becoming one of Maine's top instructors.

It's that time again....

2011-04-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

The way winter was going, many folks, including myself, were afraid the snow would never melt.
But it has, and while thoughts this week are directed towards southern California beaches, the Price is Right and many baseball games, the high school softball season is upon us, and it's time for the annual preseason prognostications.
CLASS A: Of course, it always starts with the defending champion, which is Bangor in this case, as the Rams will be defending an Eastern Maine championship for the first time in school history.
While Bangor did lose some key players to graduation, the Rams still have a potent offense, led by seniors Kim Jordan, Sadie Redman and Hannah Lust, and classmate Taylor Lewis has had a strong preseason in the circle.
Brewer should be better this year, as the Witches feature a talented lefthanded pitcher in Emily Cox, while Jordan Nickerson will handle the catching duties.
The Witches were young last year, but a year of experience under the underclassmen's belt will surely help.
Cony is another preseason favorite, led by pitcher Emily Soule, another lefty, while Skowhegan can't be counted out.
This will be one of those years where any of the top six teams can win it, but I've got to take BREWER.
CLASS B: A lot of softball pundits - including myself - think this region will come down to Hermon and Mattanawcook, which it did a year ago.
The Hawks are the defending state champions and return eight starters, including pitcher Debbie Colpitts, while the Lynx will counter with a talented ace of their own in Tayla Trask.
Perennial contender Bucksport cannot be counted out, along with Old Town, John Bapst and Medomak Valley.
When it all shakes down, it looks as if the Hawks and Lynx are the two top teams, and they should meet in the regional final again, with HERMON coming out on top in another title battle.
CLASS C: George Stevens Academy is the defending regional champion here, but Calais is the early-season favorite.
The Blue Devils ran the table in regular-season play last year only to get ousted in the quarterfinals by rival Woodland, so the motivation will be there for Calais.
George Stevens and Woodland, along with Washington Academy, will be solid contenders, along with Orono, which has fielded strong teams over the last few seasons.
The pick: CALAIS
CLASS D: Deer Isle-Stonington, led by Pittsburgh native Sidney Outzs, claimed the regional title last spring with a mix of strong pitching and hitting.
With Outzs and many of that 2010 cast back in the fold this year, it appears the Mariners are the team to beat again.
Other contenders include Southern Aroostook, Limestone and Bangor Christian.
The pick: DEER ISLE-STONINGTON

Who will it be?

2010-11-29T09:47:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and now is the time to look ahead to winter.
No, we're not talking about Christmas, snowstorms, black ice and long lines at the mall, we're talking about hoops, as in which Eastern Maine girls basketball teams will likely be the ones fighting for gold balls come March.
Let the prognosticating begin.
Class B: This ought to be an interesting battle this season, with three or four teams all with legitimate shots at playing in the state championship in Portland on March 4.
Nokomis won its first regional championship since 2003, when the Warriors were in Class A, and coach Kori Dionne's club did it the old-fashioned way, with an efficient offense and tough defense.
The Warriors did lose a couple key parts in point guard Mary Badeen, who transferred to Messalonskee, and Kara Batchelder, who graduated.
But Marissa Shaw, Danielle Watson and Julie Smith are all back, and they should make the Warriors a force in the KVAC, and one of the favorites come tourney time.
Presque Isle was young and powerful last winter, and features a quick, athletic squad led by Chelsea Nickerson, Chandler Guerrette and Kayla Richards.
MDI, which played in the regional final last winter, will reload a bit around PVC Player of the Year Megan Phelps and guard Brailee Black, while Camden Hills has a new coach in Marty Messer and one of Eastern Maine's top young players in sophomore Jordan Knowlton.
Presque Isle and Nokomis appear to be the top two teams on paper, so look for those two to meet in the regional final, with the Wildcats coming out on top in a close, hard-fought game.
Class C: Central enters this season hungry and motivated after falling in the regional semifinals to eventual state champion Calais in 2010, and the Red Devils have a talented returning cast led by 6-foot-4 senior Bekah Campbell, and classmate Hannah Pray, a 5-8 guard.
Max McHugh had a solid freshman campaign, and she, Roberta Trafton and Brianna Speed, along with Pray, will headline a strong backcourt.
Calais did graduate its two top players in Alex McVicar and Nicole Osborne, and seniors Shannon Brown and Rebecca Redding, who were solid in the tournament last winter, will be counted upon to provide some leadership for the Blue Devils.
Washington Academy, which fell to Calais in the regional final, lost only four seniors, and feature some talented returnees, including Taylor Seeley, while Orono looks strong out of the PVC as well, along with Stearns.
Central is the pick here, since they have a solid blend of height and speed.
Class A: Skowhegan broke through for its first regional championship since 1979, but will have to do without the services of point guard and All-Maine third-teamer Whitney Jones for about a month (foot injury).
Bangor has a new coach in Katie Herbine, and the Rams nearly squeaked into the tournament last winter after a slow start, so look for Bangor to continue that momentum.
Hampden Academy had a strong 2010 under first-year coach Chad Bradbury, and returns its entire cast, led by senior guards Katelyn DeRaps and Michaela Stephenson.
Messalonskee, with the addition of Badeen and Megan Pelletier, who transferred from Winslow, is improved, while Brunswick took Skowhegan to the limit in the Eastern Maine final last year.
Again, as any coach will tell you, its a tough call, because anything can happen, but look for Jones to come back strong and lead Skowhegan, but Hampden, Bangor and Messalonskee will be formidable challengers in the KVAC North while Brunswick looks strong in the south.
The pick: Brunswick.
Class D: History was made last season, with Fort Fairfield claiming the school's first state title, girls or boys, and the Tigers are poised for an encore performance.
Fort Fairfield is led by 2010 Eastern Maine tourney MVP Amanda Hotham, a junior, while the Tigers graduated just two seniors.
Guard Sydney Churchill had a strong freshman season, while senior center Brooke Beaulieu will complement the hard-working Hotham inside.
Central Aroostook, the No. 1 seed last year, graduated its top scorers in twins Chelsea and Brianna Hartin, but still feature Kristen Long, Rachel Grew and Victoria McIntyre, while Southern Aroostook should be tough as well, along with Bangor Christian and Washburn.
Fort Fairfield is the pick here, as Hotham will continue to improve.
Enjoy the games. It'll be tourney time, and for me, California-time, before we know it.

Two types of people in the world....

2010-09-13T17:59:00.002-07:00

In the week-plus since I had gotten my hard-earned and well-deserved BodyPump certification, the celebrating had never stopped. After getting home from the County and receiving congratulations from my teammates and gym members, Caroline and I headed to a party at SkyDive New England in Lebanon for the weekend, and after that came and went, I prepared for my first big event as a qualified instructor, the Super Quarterly in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
This was something I had been looking forward to all summer, as it was my first major workshop. My teammates had informed me to expect hundreds of people in the master classes, as instructors come from all over the world to do the new releases before their respective clubs launch them (I think we're launching BP 75 sometime in October).
The workshop was Saturday, with Pump at 7:30 a.m., so I asked for a Bangor-Mt. Blue girls soccer game in Farmington on Friday, and got my wish. After watching the Rams and Cougars battle to a 3-3 tie and grabbing some dinner with a couple friends, I headed to Poughkeepsie around 9.
My original plan was to drive to Boston, and get on a midnight bus to Albany and get to Poughkeepsie from there, but an accident on I-95 just south of the I-93 interchange prevented me from getting there by 11:30 (luckily I hadn't bought a ticket), so I just decided to drive the rest of the way to Poughkeepsie.
I finally got there at about 4 a.m. It sounds like a grind, but the trick to driving all night is taking breaks every couple of hours, stretching the body and getting fresh air (which was vital, since I'd be doing a ton of Les Mills classes in just a short time).
The gym wouldn't open for people to line up for check-in at 5, so I found a gas station to hit the restroom. The clerk, however, would have none of it, and angrily asked me to leave (apparently he thought I was drunk or something HAHA).
Nevertheless, I got to the gym around 4:50 and checked in to set my bench top up at about 5:45. Luckily, the benches and weights were set up for us, so all I had to do was put my camera and water bottle on top of my bench to claim it.
After doing that, I took quite a few pictures, and meandered around and got to know some of the other instructors, including a few from New Jersey, and a nice woman from Connecticut, who claimed the step next to mine.
The most touching thing was the September 11th tribute, since this workshop was held 9 years to the date of the greatest tragedy on American soil. It was emotional, as there were quite a bit of tears shed by those around me, including the emcee, and it was a great way to bring the Les Mills tribe together.
The master class was like a rock concert, with spotlights everywhere, a huge stage, and amazing presenters, including Shelbon McBee, whom I had met at a workshop over the summer. He's one of the best instructors in the world, and was on the Pump 75 Instructor DVD, so taking a class with him again was the best feeling in the world (he even took a couple pics with me, and congratulated me on my certification).
After doing Pump, RPM and BodyVive, I headed to NYC for the rest of the day for dinner at my friend's house.
It had been a long day and I had been up all night, but was too wound up to take a nap even though my body was telling me too. After all, I needed this energy to find a place to park outside the city. I found a Metro North station in nearby Rye, so I put the car there, and headed to Brooklyn.
Everyone subsequently congratulated me on my certification, and we made a delicious Beef Stew dinner, played some Harry Potter Lego on XBOX, had some drinks, and just cherished the moment.
I decided to hit the road at 7 the next morning to get home at a decent time, and made it back to Old Town around 3:00, and it was finally time to catch up on my much-needed sleep.
This workshop was an amazing experience, and the culmination of how far I've come in these last 12 months, from a sucky student to a (hopefully) inspirational instructor. This is only the beginning, and I'm hoping this will launch my Les Mills career far beyond my own expectations.

Two types of people in the world....

2010-09-13T17:59:00.001-07:00

Mission Accomplished

2010-09-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

I expected this to be a typical last day in the County: Wake up, go to breakfast, do a BodyPump workout, go to a thrilling soccer game, grab some sleep and head on home the next morning.
But this day started with quite a blur.
I should have known something unusual was in the muggy Presque Isle air when I awoke at 8 a.m. to an alert of a Facebook posting from Barb, asking when I was coming home. I replied that I was returning to Bangor the next morning, and headed off to breakfast.
I normally check my email first thing every morning, and something told me I needed to. The first thing I saw was a message from Les Mills, and the subject was "Assessment Notification Pa," with the other two letters missing. I thought, could this really be true? Did I pass my video? Am I really certified?
The answers were yes, yes, and yes, as I found out that five months of hard work and training and pushing my body to a pulp had paid off, as I had found out that yes, I was indeed, officially a qualified instructor for BodyPump. I didn't even know what to say, other than smile pump my fists, put up a status on Facebook and immediately call Wendy (the first thing she said was congratulations, you deserve this). That boosted my spirits really high, even though I was exhausted, and went down and did my BP workout in the hotel weight room.
Oh, and there was still a soccer game to be played, between Caribou and Presque Isle, a girls matchup.
I headed to Dyer Brook that afternoon for my second attempt at a story on the Southern Aroostook girls, but found out they had cancelled practice due to the oppressive heat (the JV game proceeding mine succumbed to the heat as well), so I headed back to Presque Isle to get some lunch, and eventually headed to Tim Horton's to write a story on the Caribou cross country teams, then headed over to the game.
Since the JV match wasn't happening, I had an hour-plus of time to kill, so I chatted with both coaches and some players once they arrived, got my laptop set up in the press box, and settled in for what I hoped would be a great game between these ancient County rivals.
Presque Isle won the Eastern Maine championship in 2008 and Caribou played for the title the next fall, and the Vikings had knocked the 'Cats out of the playoffs the previous year, so Presque Isle clearly had revenge on its minds.
But Jenna Selander, one of the best offensive players in the state, put those thoughts to bed with three goals. Presque Isle did score early in the match, maybe suggesting a hint that the Wildcats would get some payback, but Caribou scored twice in 10 minutes late in the first half and twice more in the second to take a 4-1 lead.
Presque Isle's Chandler Guerrette got her team back in the game with a 25-yard strike, but Selander completed her hat trick shortly thereafter to seal the win.
After getting my story done, former Presque Isle star Sarah Porter, now a sophomore at UMaine, contacted me on Facebook as she was curious about the game. I told her Caribou had won, to which she wasn't too pleased with, and I asked how late the Governor's in PI was open (it was 9:15 and I was starving, and she said 10, so I headed over).
Unfortunately, it was closed, so I had to settle for a pizza, and even though I wanted to get some sleep, I found myself awake until about 1:00, even though I was driving back at 8 the next morning. Hey, I had passed my video, so I was fired up :)
This was a memorable County trip, from a four-goal game to a Fort Kent player copycatting Wendy and I's favorite nutrition meal (peanut butter and banana), and, of course, the certification. Kia Kaha :)

The power of peanut butter

2010-09-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

After not getting back to Presque Isle until nearly midnight Tuesday, I braced myself for a long day, in which I was scheduled to travel to Dyer Brook to interview the Southern Aroostook girls in the morning, stop by and chat with the Caribou cross country teams.
I woke up at 7:30, armed with 5 hours of sleep, headed to breakfast, and came back to my suite to discover that the Warriors had the day off after playing a game Monday afternoon, so that enabled me to grab another hour of sleep and get a workout in.
After grabbing lunch, I headed to Caribou around 2:30 to chat with their cross country teams. I kind of felt bad for them, since temperatures were in the 90's and they were slated for a speed workout (being a runner, I know how that feels), and after I finished those interviews up, I headed back to the Valley to catch one of northern Maine's best soccer rivalries, Madawaska and Fort Kent.
Normally, when you go to the Valley, even in August, its essential to bring warm clothes, as I found out the hard way last summer, but it had been in the 90's all week, so my hoodie stayed in the car, and after a stop at Subway, I headed over to the field.
I should've known this was going to be a high-scoring, entertaining game as Roxy Pelletier put the host Warriors on the board about 5 minutes into the match, and she scored again right before halftime.
This game turned out to be the Roxy Pelletier show, as she scored all four goals in a 4-0 Fort Kent victory.
Toward the end of the game, Pelletier was standing in front of the small dugout where the announcer and I were, waiting to check in, and he asked what she had for breakfast, and she replied a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Now, as we all know, that is packed with protein, and its something I usually eat before bed to load up for BodyPump practices or classes, so it was quite obvious a reference to that was going in the lead of the story.
I managed to get everything filed before 9 this time, since there was no overtime or anything, and after grabbing a burger, hit the road and didn't see any moose (again, thankfully), en route to Presque Isle. Only one more day in the County, and it would turn out to be an amazing one!

Oui Oui

2010-09-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

There's no other place I enjoy going on my soccer trip than the St. John Valley. It's a nice drive (during the day, of course, when I can see if there are any critters with antlers lurking), the people are nice, and the soccer is fantastic.
And of course, every year, I have to make my once-a-year stop at Tastee Freeze in Madawaska, which I did en route to Monday night's game between the Caribou and Fort Kent boys.
The ice cream at Tastee Freeze is unlike no other, so although I was quite full after a club sandwich and milkshake, I had to get a peanut-butter flavored ice cream (soft serve, of course), and after stuffing my face, I headed down to Fort Kent.
The weather was very un-Valley like, in a good way of course, as temperatures during the JV contest were in the upper 80's, which prompted me to leave my sweatshirt in the car, a rarity for night games up here.
After getting my laptop plugged in, I settled in to watch the Vikings and Warriors do battle.
Caribou always has contending teams and Fort Kent was the defending Eastern Maine Class C champions, so I figured this would be a competitive game.
I was right, as both teams played hard, aggressive soccer throughout the first half, but once again, goals were at a premium. I got to thinking, was this going to be my third 1-0 game in four days?
It sure looked that way after Fort Kent's Lucas Levesque scored in the final seconds of the first half, even though the Warriors were dominating, Caribou couldn't muster any scoring chances.
Then, while talking with some of the officials at halftime, one of them uttered the words you NEVER say in a close game when a reporter is on deadline: "I hope this game doesn't go into overtime." Had we learned nothing from the Bangor-Skowhegan regional softball final when someone uttered those words and that contest went into extra innings before the Rams prevailed?
It looked as if my worst fear wasn't going to come true, but then Caribou's Blake Blackstone scored late in the second half to tie the game, and both teams couldn't score for the remainder of regulation.
The good news was there is a short break in between regulation and overtime in high school soccer, so I was able to get a few paragraphs written.
Both teams had chances in the overtimes, but the game ended in a hard-fought, 1-1 tie. I managed to get everything done before 9:30.
Normally I like to stop and eat after games, but I had a long trek back to Presque Isle and another trip to the Valley the next night, so I got out of there as quickly as I could, arrived home at 11:00 and was asleep by midnight. Two rivalries in two nights to finish my trip, so I needed my rest!

Golf, Copper's and oh yeah, soccer

2010-08-31T08:33:00.000-07:00

My Saturday routine usually involves get tting up at 7:15 in the morning to teach or take part in BodyPump, so it felt really weird on this particular Saturday that I wasn't waking up with the sun, but it was also nice to get some much-needed rest.
It was a good thing, too, since my next game was a high noon, girls-boys doubleheader featuring Washburn and Ashland.
Ashland has played its home games in Presque Isle the last few years, so thankfully I didn't have to go very far.
I could tell this was going to be a fun day when I showed up at the field and saw some Washburn players busting a couple dance moves to the music coming over the loudspeakers (it was a BodyPump song too, so it made me happy to think that Les Mills was inspiring people in the County).
It didn't take long for the game to get physical, as Washburn 'keeper Rayah Saucier was hurt in a collision early in the first half, and had to sit out the last 30 minutes or so of the period.
I figured this would be a close, physical game, since Washburn came in 4-1 and Ashland 1-0, but the Hornets had only played that one game, and it showed, as they failed to capitalize on some scoring chances.
The Beavers' Rebecca Campbell cashed in on hers midway through the first half, and the match would remain a defensive struggle.
It got me thinking, am I really going to see back-to-back 1-0 games to start my week? It is a rarity in soccer, especially this early in the season, but Saucier came back in the game in the second half and made some outstanding saves against relentless Ashland pressure, preserving the, you guessed it, 1-0 victory.
I decided to watch the boys' game in the press booth, since I was playing golf the next day and didn't want to get too much sun. Throughout the next match, the guy keeping the clock, a 2004 Ashland graduate, and I bonded over our love of "Varsity Blues," and both agreed that Mox should've taken advantage of Ali Larter's character in that whipped cream-outfit.
There's not much to say about the boys game other than Washburn scored some goals early, Ashland scored one late in the first half, Washburn scored another one late and Jordan McLaughlin's hat trick powering the Beavers to a 4-1 triumph.
Afterword, I got my Web and newspaper stories written fairly quickly after grabbing some dinner. I had contemplated going out to Copper's Lounge in town, since I had no other plans and wanted to watch the Sox battle the Rays.
After the game ended, another Sox loss, PI girls soccer coach Ralph Michaud walked in and we had a nice chat.
The next day, I took advantage of my day off to play the beautiful Aroostook Valley Country Club in Fort Fairfield, which is one of the best courses up here. I brought a lot of balls, figuring I'd lose a few, but not only did I finish with the same ball I started with, I manage to shoot an 88!!! Not bad :)
It was a long, hot weekend, so after finishing my round, I headed back to write my high school report, sleep and prepare for two games in the Valley in two nights

It all starts up again

2010-08-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

To say the least, this has been a busy summer, and we're not talking from a writing standpoint.
Teaching BodyPump and going for my certification, which I should receive note on in the coming weeks, has consumed a lot of my time, but that time has flown right on by and lead to an end-of-the-summer work ritual which I have come to enjoy.
That would be heading to Aroostook County to cover a week's work of high school soccer, and a lot of times, the experiences enjoyed at the games throughout the week go way beyond what is read in the Bangor Daily after the final buzzer sounds.
Thanks to the Bangor Senior League team's remarkable World Series run, this County trip would start a little later than usual, but that's OK, since there were some big games on the slate for the final week of August heading into September.
August 26 marked my first off day in nearly two weeks, so I took advantage of it and traveled to Presque Isle after a nice late-afternoon run with Quincy.
Luckily, I didn't see any moose, which keeps my track record perfect in that department, and I finally settled in around 10:30 Thursday night, enjoyed some Jersey Shore and rested up for the first game of the week, pitting Class C rivals Fort Kent and Houlton.
This marked my first of three Fort Kent games on the week (I had the girls twice and boys once), and since I was due to interview a couple Warrior players prior to kickoff for another story, I headed in early, as I always do.
It was a chilly day for the end of August, but since I have family in the County, I know how to dress up here, and I'm glad I had dress clothes on, since it would be crisp by the time 6:00 rolled around. While the boys game was going on, which Fort Kent won 3-2, I chatted with Fort Kent players Andrea Nadeau and Kate Morneault, who volunteered at Camp Sunshine, a camp in Casco for children with special needs, earlier in August.
It didn't take long for the game to get physical, with both teams playing hard, aggressive soccer throughout the first half. Houlton's field is in an interesting spot, and the sun was setting right above the spectators, thus forcing it into the eyes of the timekeeper and myself (thank god for my Oakley's, LOL) but it didn't obscure the view too badly.
The Warriors were clearly the better team, as they outshot Houlton 26-2 on the match, but four of those shots hit posts and Houlton's goalie, Marina Cameron, played extremely well.
Fort Kent finally scored midway through the first half when Mary Grace Morris blasted in a shot from the right side of the penalty area.
There would be no more scoring, although Carissa Pelletier of FK stuffed a couple Houlton breakaways late in the second half, and the Warriors held on for a 1-0 victory.
Our first-edition deadline is 9:30, so with the game ending just before 8, I had no problem making that, but had to wait patiently for postgame comments, as both coaches were chatting with the officials (while this was going on, I snacked on a Whoopie pie).
After managing to get my stuff filed, I grabbed my first slice of pizza of the week and headed back towards Presque Isle to wind down and practice my lunges. After a long summer of waiting, the 2010-11 high school sports season was underway!

A life-changing experience

2010-08-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, when one door closes, another can open.

Last July, little did I know that would be the truth.

That summer, a foot injury, plantar fasciitis, had derailed my running career, resorting me to train on the stationary bike at BBAC and hit the weight room a few days a week, and after a few weeks, this became boring.

I had heard of this class called BodyPump, which friend and coach, Wendy Watkins, recommended during my rehab, since it could build muscle strength and endurance, so I decided to try it.

Naturally, early on, I sucked at it -- so much so that after my second class, Wendy had me stay after so I could work on some dead-rows and dead-lifts, probably two of the toughest moves in the class and ones that took me a while to get mastered. Upon embarking on a week-long business trip to Aroostook County a week later, I honed my skills a bit in the weight room, and as my foot continued to get stronger, I kept taking classes twice a week, and eventually began running again.

But things didn't start to change until February, when, a month before a big training trip to Colorado, one of the other gym members told me after a class, "Have you thought about becoming an instructor? You're pretty good." The answer was no, not really, and then a week later I saw a notice at BBAC that new instructors were being sought, and after talking to Wendy about it, she agreed to let me give the initial training a whirl. But little did I know that I'd nearly never get the chance, as a car accident in a Colorado snowstorm nearly slammed the door on my teaching dream. After escaping from that with no injuries, I looked forward to training a week later.

Not knowing what to expect, I went into it just looking to impress the master trainer, and did just enough to get a pass, and start team-teaching. In four months time, I'd have to complete a certification video, ship it to Les Mills, and let them determine whether I suck or not.

So, I got right back to work, teaching at least twice a week and lifting twice more a week, building more muscle and perfecting my technique. Eventually, on June 20, it was time to film. But if the Bangor softball team's loss in the state final the day before was any indication, this would not be the Rockstar's day.

It wasn't, as nerves took over, and I messed up things I don't usually mess up, with the same thing happening a couple weeks later on take two. Frustrated, I was close to quitting after that, and even though coach was frustrated, we had a long conversation after the second taping, and she said to stick with it, you didn't come this far to just quit now.

That's not my style, so going into the third (and final) chance to nail the video, it was nothing but stealth, guts and determination. Taking advantage of my third chance, it was definitely the charm, as all three key elements of BodyPump teaching, coaching, technique and connecting with your class, came together and I was able to send my video.

It was a huge sense of relief to get it in, and although I won't find out until September whether or not I'm certified, I can now just focus on starting my Les Mills career and soon building my own class, once that day arrives.

This summer has been a true learning and life-changing experience, and Les Mills has done a lot, and opened so many doors I'd never think would be opened. My fellow instructors and coaches have been there every step of the way, from when I sucked to when I became good enough to take the stage, and I wouldn't be who I am without them (you guys know who you are). Every time I get on that stage, something just happens, and to have a lot of people looking up to you is gratifying.

Whether I get that certification in the mail in 6 weeks or not, knowing I didn't surrender to the pressure is a victory in itself. Teaching BodyPump has changed my life for the better, and what Les Mills has in store for the future remains to be seen, but it is certainly a bright one.

Who will it be?

2010-04-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

Spring can only mean two things around here: Visions of beaches, ladies in bikinis and 80-degree days are just around the corner, and the high school softball season is upon us.
That being said, here's a look at how things may shake down across the state this spring.
CLASS A: While there are 15 teams that are competing for Eastern Maine title honors, in the minds of many, the two favorites reside in Bangor and Skowhegan, and rightfully so.
The Rams and Indians boast two of the state's top pitchers in Sam Bedore and Becca McCarty, respectively, and both have formidable lineups.
Bangor has a boost in the middle of its order in Hannah Lust, who has hit well during the preseason, with Sam Gray powering Skowhegan's lineup.
This will likely come down to who makes fewer mistakes in a potential regional championship game, since both teams mirror each other.
Brewer and Cony are looming as potential contenders as well.
Bangor has been knocking on the door the last two years, but my crystal ball says this is the year they kick it down.
THE PICK: BANGOR
CLASS B: Always the toughest to pick, since Medomak Valley has won the last two Eastern Maine crowns out of the No. 8 seed.
The Panthers did suffer some tough graduation losses, losing their top pitcher and best hitter, and Bucksport appears ready to step to the forefront.
Coach Mike Carrier's team features a veteran roster that includes pitching ace Abby Yeo, and a number of these Golden Bucks were the nucleus of the town's U-16 team that played in that age bracket's national tournament last summer.
Mattanawcook Academy out of the PVC will provide a challenge, with another top pitcher in the hard-throwing Tayla Trask. Ellsworth should be better with Sumner transfer Tashia Daley in the circle and John Bapst will be in every game as long as Laura Jordan is throwing strikes, but Bucksport has too much.
THE PICK: BUCKSPORT
CLASS C: There are a number of teams who could emerge here, among them reigning state champion Calais, 2009 Class D state champion Woodland, and Central, which moved down from Class B.
The Blue Devils bring back four starters from their state-title team, among them the power-hitting Nicole Osborne, who has had an outstanding senior year, garnering all-state accolades in basketball and volleyball while leading Calais to state championships in both sports.
Woodland will provide a challenge in Calais' quest to repeat, as the Dragons feature a top pitcher in Shelby Bassett, while Woodland only graduated two starters.
Plus, this team will play hard for late coach Rick Pullen, who passed away last July.
Central compiled a respectable 7-9 record in Class B a year ago, and with a talented nucleus of returning players, the Red Devils appear to be the top team in the PVC.
Sumner has always been a contender, but will have to find some pitching depth now that Daley is at Ellsworth, while Orono may be solid as well.
THE PICK: CENTRAL
CLASS D: As was the case in basketball, there will be a new champion with Woodland now in the Class C ranks.
Southern Aroostook was the No. 1 seed in the postseason last spring, only to be ousted by Woodland in the semifinals, while Limestone, Bangor Christian, Ashland, Fort Fairfield and Central Aroostook normally field contending teams.
The Warriors from Dyer Brook are led by the Goodall sisters, Elizabeth and Evangeline, who will do the pitching and catching. Many of SAHS' core players made up the school's state soccer championship team, so the early edge goes to the Warriors.
THE PICK: SOUTHERN AROOSTOOK.
Good luck to all teams, and enjoy some fun in the sun!

Getting "pumped"

2010-03-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

Even though I'm a distance runner, I've always been a well-rounded athlete. When my foot was injured last summer, I took up this class called "BodyPump," which is a total-body weight training class, to not only improve my strength, but my endurance.
Seven months after I took the plunge for the first time, I decided to take an even bigger one, and go to a training workshop in Lewiston over the weekend to attempt to become an instructor at Bangor Brewer Athletic Club, my home gym.
Knowing two other girls from my gym were going down, I figured it would be easier since I would at least know two other people.
I braced myself for the long weekend Friday, awoke fairly early, got some stuff done, and headed out to be in Lewiston on time for the first session, which would last from 12 noon to 9 p.m.
Once we got down there, we did some introduction-like stuff, and then proceeded to do BP 73, the new release which we would be learning over the weekend. We are launching that same release later this week at BBAC, so getting ahead of the 8-ball a little bit wasn't going to be a bad thing.
After doing BP 73, we were each assigned a track to study and teach the next day, and I drew Triceps, so I really focused on hitting my coreography in that track on Day 1.
We did BP again later in the day, this time with our head trainer, Julie, fine-tuning some things as far as technique go, and we managed to get out just before 8:00, which was good.
After checking into the hotel and grabbing some food, I studying my triceps track as much as I could before memorizing the beats and moves fairly quickly, chatted with my coaches back and Bangor, and headed to bed.

"Recovery" day

2010-02-22T17:13:00.000-08:00

President's Day is always a so-called "break" from the tournament madness, where I swap back into my track beat for the state championships.
After seeing the good (Grace Maclean setting a state record in the HJ for Bangor and Steven Rice winning the hurdles for Brewer) and the this-is-getting-old (Scarborough winning another girls state championship), I got as much sleep as I could after returning from Portland, bracing for another 3-game day in Bangor.
The first pitted the Calais and Madawaska boys. Oddly, I always seem to get the Calais boys' games early in the tourney, which isn't a bad thing, since Eddie Leeman is a great guy to deal with.
Cam Shorey, Calais' big man, is an absolute house who can do it all. At 6'4, he can drive to the basket, penetrate, and even hit the 3-pointer, and I didn't think Madawaska could keep up.
I was right, and the defending state champions ran away with a victory. I'm not the biggest fan of 'back-to-back' games, but I did have about an hour between this game and my next one, so I managed to get my Web version out of there and grab my first slice of Auditorium pizza of the week for lunch.
My next game was a girls' matchup featuring Calais (again) and Woodland.
Having plenty of time before tip-off, I decided to chat with both coaches and get some insight on what it would take to win.
These two are rivals that split during the regular season, so I figured I'd be in for quite a show.
It turned out I was correct, and this game had the intensity of a regional championship game, not a quarterfinal. The Blue Devils and Dragons went back-and-forth all day, prompting me to give Calais a nickname later on in the week.
Even though Woodland has a good defense, they lack in the post, and Nicole Osborne, a Calais 6-footer, took advantage, recording a double-double.
In the final seconds of overtime, she was hacked under the basket going up for a put-back, and easily sank both FTs as Calais won 58-56. Apparently, I have the midas touch (so far) when it comes to Calais.
I knew my last game of the night wouldn't top that one, but I was wrong.
Later on, Foxcroft and Stearns were featured in my final game of the day, a 4-5 boys matchup.
As far as these schools go, my heart was in interesting places. As we all know, my dad, uncles, aunt and cousins all went to Stearns, and I've dated two girls (one pleasantly, one not so much), from FA. You gotta love basketball, it really brings people together.
Anyways, this game had all the drama that the girls game in the afternoon did, with free throws, once again, being the difference.
Josiah Richard sank a couple of freebees for FA in the final seconds after being hand-checked on a drive down the lane, and the Ponies held on for a dramatic two-point victory.
With another three-game day the next day, I needed sleep big-time, so it was time to catch up on some with a 5 a.m. wake-up call for a 6 a.m. workout. But, I instead headed to the bar to celebrate a friend's birthday, and drank a little more than I should have. Oh well, good times never seemed so good, even during tourney week!

Tourney Time!

2010-02-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

They're my favorite two weeks -- at least work-wise -- of the year. Yes, we're talking about Maine's version of the 'Big Dance', the high school basketball tournament, and last year, my first as a full-timer, was quite the experience.
From nearly wrapping my car around a tree to Bob Saget chants, from jubilation and missed-layup heartbreaks, it was an interesting first year, and going into the second, I was even more fired up.
It all started Friday, with one boys game and one girls game in the Class B ranks, with Mount View taking on Old Town in the first game of the tournament.
It was a 3-versus-6 matchup, so I anticipated a fairly close game, but knowing Mount View had defeated power Camden Hills earlier this winter, I figured they had a slight edge.
The Mustangs established that edge early, blazing out to an 11-point lead in the first half before Old Town even knew what hit it, but the Coyotes had a run in them, closing to within four at halftime.
I figured, since Mount View was tall and fairly quick, OT would switch to a zone defense, which they did, but the Mustangs slowed the tempo and worked for easy buckets, and held Old Town to two field goals the final 6:15 of the contest.
The Mustangs hit their free throws -- an uncommon theme for everyone on the first day of action -- and eked out a 46-38 win that was closer than it probably should've been.
Since the boys were playing back-to-back games, I got a nice breather in between that game and my next, between Camden Hills and Winslow in another 3-6 tilt.
Watching Winslow is a lot like watching John Bapst, in the sense that the tempo is extremely slow, and they don't exactly like to run, which Camden did, so I was hoping the Windjammers would set sail.
It didn't work out that way, as Camden turned the ball over more than they scored in the first half, and with Winslow double-teaming freshman star Jordan Knowlton, the Raiders took a 28-8 lead at halftime that seemed insurmountable.
As tired as I was getting, I was hoping Camden would have some-what of a run in them so this game would at least be interesting (plus, Winslow and Brewer used to be archrivals in football, so my un-biased heart was leaning toward the 'Jammers), and CH did fight back in the second half, but it was not to be, as Winslow won 39-36.
With the second boys game going into overtime, the girls game started way late, so I was obviously exhausted, and didn't get home until midnight with a 7 a.m. workout staring me in the face, not to mention three games -- including the last of the night -- the next day, but hey, the roller-coaster ride that is tourney time is in full swing!

A not-so-storybook ending

2010-01-11T12:24:00.000-08:00

After beating Carolina, the Patriots defeated Buffalo and Jacksonville to clinch the AFC East while losing a meaningless season finale in Houston, which turned out to be disastrous for the offense.
The Pats would go into the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the AFC, which meant a rematch with Baltimore, a team we had defeated 27-24 in October.
Season-ticket holders get first dibs on playoff tickets, so after we beat the Jags, I managed to secure two in the corner of the end zone three rows up :) So I'd be bringing a friend of mine, who came down from New Hampshire.
Of course, we'd be without Wes Welker, who tore his ACL against Houston, setting off another debate on whether key players should play in those types of situations.
Nevertheless, I headed down to Foxboro Saturday night (to a hotel infested with Ravens fans), and met up with my friend at Gillette around 10 a.m. Sunday morning.
It was sunny but cold, with temps in the 20's, so I was well-prepared with running spandex, wool socks, a hoodie, and tons of under-armor. Needless to say, I wasn't cold.
Regardless of what happened, this was likely to be my last game of the year, so we got there well before the gates opened (at 11), and saw Pat Patriot and a few cheerleaders outside the ProShop, so I snapped a few pics on my cell.
After walking around and getting some hot chocolate, we went to our seats, and the view was unbelievable. Brandon Meriweather came over during pre-game warm-ups, and he recognized me as the reporter who had interviewed him for a story when he had come to Maine to take a first grader to school back in April.
That turned out to be the best part of this day, however, as Ray Rice scored on an 83-yard touchdown on the game's first play, and a Tom Brady fumble on the subsequent possession led to another Ravens' TD.
I won't go into all the pathetic details, other than that we were down 24-0 at the end of the first quarter, and 24-7 at halftime.
Julian Edleman's third-quarter TD gave us a ray of hope, and made it 27-14, but Baltimore ran up 260 yards rushing on our defense (despite passing for only 36), and Rice's second TD of the game sent many fans to the exits early in the fourth.
I would never leave a playoff game early (some of my friends even saw me on TV), and this one guy kept talking about streaking onto the field and tackling Ray Lewis. His friends were egging him on, saying they'd bail him out of jail if he did it, and security eventually asked him to leave.
I finally bailed out about halfway through the fourth quarter, knowing I had a 200-plus mile drive awaiting me. I was on the road at 4:05, on the interstate around 4:30 and home just before 9, and some great conversation with a beautiful lady I really like made that drive feel more like a win than a loss :)
Even though my first playoff game didn't go as planned, having season tickets this year was an awesome experience. I went 6-1, saw some great games, including an amazing opening-night comeback, an October Winter Wonderland thrashing of the Titans and fun wins over the Jets and Dolphins.
Who will I cheer for to win the Super Bowl remains to be seen (anybody but Peyton or the Jets or the Ravens will suffice), but I'll never forget the memories of the games I went to this season and the people and friends I met.

Mother Nature's a bitch

2009-12-15T19:50:00.000-08:00

In the two weeks since my last game, things have not gone well for the Patriots. After getting shellacked by the undefeated Saints a week after beating the Jets, they managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against the Dolphins. It was under this dark cloud -- and with a one-game lead in the AFC East -- that we took on the Carolina Panthers.
Since the friend I was going with is dating a guy who attends Bentley University in Waltham, we drove down the night before, which saved us about 4 hours of sleep. After resisting the urge to jump off the Piscataqua bridge on the way down and having a few drinks at a party Saturday night, we headed to Gillette at about 9:30 Sunday morning.
It turned out to be a weird day; when we left Waltham it was sunny and beautiful and when we boarded the train two hours later, the sun was completely gone. Ah, the beauty of New England in December.
We finally made it to the stadium around 12:25 for a 1 p.m. kickoff, and made it to our seats with about 5 minutes to spare, leaving me just enough time to grab my beer and hot dog and settle in.
I sensed that the Pats' first two-game losing streak since 2006 had taken all the air out of the stadium, because throughout the first half, it was like a ghosttown as Carolina took a 7-0 lead as New England's offense struggled.
I kept thinking to myself, I haven't seen a loss all year, NOW is not the time, with the playoffs on the line!
New England lost two fumbles - including one by Randy Moss on his lone catch of the afternoon - and Tom Brady threw an interception in the first half before Kevin Faulk scampered in from three yards away just before halftime to tie the game.
Ben Watson's third-quarter TD catch gave us the lead for good, and even though Kendra was fairly cold sitting in a chilly drizzle, we tacked on two field goals and the defense stiffened for a 20-10 win that was fun yet boring.
We hurried to the commuter rail and headed back to Dedham, and I had received fair warning that it had been snowing in Maine most of the afternoon, which had me worried since I had been in an accident last February driving in a storm.
It turns out it was all rain driving through Mass. and NH, which wasn't bad, and we were over the bridge by 7:30 and at the West Gardiner tollbooth by 9:15, so I figured I'd easily be home by 11.
But once we hit I-95, it was nothing but ice, slush and snow, and I couldn't go any faster than 40 the rest of the way.
It was 9:30 when we passed the first Augusta exit, and when I dropped Kendra off in Old Town, it was 11:45. So much for getting home early!
By the time I had dropped Alicia's car off in Eddington it was 12:15, and after taking 20 minutes to get up her hilly, icy driveway, I was finally home at 12:55, and in bed just after 1:30. Hey, it would've been worse if we had lost :)
One more game vs. Jacksonville, and I decided not to go to the playoffs since it's a little too pricey.

Payback's a bitch!; Nov. 22, 2009

2009-11-30T15:03:00.000-08:00

After taking a much-needed trip to New York to visit friends and re-charge my batteries, I returned to Foxboro as the Pats looked to avenge an early-season loss to that fat, cocky Rex Ryan and the New York Jets the Sunday before Thanksgiving.
While in the Big Apple, things went fine for the Pats, as when I left to catch my bus home, we were leading the Colts 31-14, before that ass behind center (the word Manning is a curse word in Bangor), and Belichick's gamble not paying off led to a demoralizing 35-34 defeat that made an 11-hour bus ride, which started at 12:30 a.m., seem a lot longer.
Anyways, I should've known this was going to be a great day when I sprang out of bed, albeit with a slight hangover, to a warm, sunny morning. Since I promised an ex-girlfriend this game while we were still dating this spring, I brought her.
After picking her up in Augusta around 9 that morning, we blazed to the Alewife T station, rode up to South Station and saved a LOT of money by taking the commuter rail to Gillette.
It didn't take long for the Patriots to take control, as Leigh Bodden returned a first-quarter Mark Sanchez interception for a touchdown, spearheading a furious first-half defensive effort in which we held the Jets to 34 total yards and two first downs.
Meanwhile, the Pats' offense was dominating, as Tom Brady threw one TD pass and Laurence Maroney ran for another and we had a 24-7 halftime lead.
Needless to say, that shut up a bunch of obnoxious Jets fans who were occupying the standing-room area behind my section (I even told one guy in a Joe Namath jersey that Suzy Kolber was here and wanted to kiss him).
Namath was famous for drunkenly trying to make out with the ESPN reporter during a sideline interview while these teams played back in 2003.
Anyways, the second half was merely a curtain call, and Wes Welker's career-high 15 catches highlighted a fun, 31-14 win in which we forced five turnovers (three of which were Bodden interceptions).
It took a little while to get back to Boston - an hour on the commuter rail - followed by a 20-minute subway ride back to the car, so needless to say we were exhausted.
Since I usually take my friend Alicia's car to my games, and we had gone to the UMaine hockey game the previous night, my car was at her place in Eddington, so when I dropped Barb off in Augusta, it was just before 1 a.m., 2:30 when I reached Eddington and almost 3 when I finally got back to my place. Hey, sleep's over-rated :)
Oh, and my inovice for postseason tickets is supposedly arriving this week, so I'M GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS!!!! Let's hope we get that No. 2 seed!!

Squishing some Fish; Sunday, Nov. 8

2009-11-11T15:15:00.000-08:00

After the winter-wonderland massacre against Tennessee, the Patriots headed over to London and smacked Tampa Bay, 35-7, and earned a well-deserved bye week heading into a Nov. 8 matchup with the hated Miami Dolphins.
For the second consecutive week, I brought a co-worker, this time Andy Neff, who had taken me to my first Pats game waaay back in 2001 at the old Foxboro Stadium. I was hoping our good fortune would come to fruition, since we saw them beat the Chargers 26-23 in overtime.
Since I didn't feel like driving (thanks to a slight hangover), Andy and I met at the BDN around 7:50, and headed in together, and just like on Opening Night, made a beeline toward Gillette, since it was a 1:00 game and we needed time to tailgate, obviously!
We didn't really get stuck in traffic, and even with one stop in N.H., we were parked by 12:15 and had the beers going (I even had one on the way down lol) and the hot dogs fired up not even five minutes later.
After pounding a couple brews and a couple dogs, we headed to our seats, and even though we missed the opening kickoff, I didn't mind that so much after hearing Tom Brady threw an interception on the first drive of the game.
Miami would turn that turnover into three points, but our offense bounced back quickly, and after Randy Moss made a one-handed catch to get us to the 1-yard line, Laurence Maroney pounded one in from a yard out for a 7-3 lead.
Three Gostkowski field goals and a Ricky Williams touchdown equaled a 16-10 halftime lead, but the Wildcat struck in the third quarter, and the Dolphins had a 17-16 lead before I was barely halfway through my 7.50 bottle of Coors.
Patriots fans are known not to panic, and it turns out, the Brady-Moss connection struck shortly after to give us a 24-17 lead, and the defense took over from there.
The dreaded Wildcat didn't do much the rest of the game, and the Pats took a 27-17 win, which was fun and refreshing.
It turned out to be a beautiful day for the second weekend of November - there wasn't a cloud in the sky, temperatures neared 60 degrees, and I didn't even need my hoodie.
After the final gun, we headed to the parking lot for more hot dogs, waiting for the traffic to disperse (which didn't work, because we spent 45 minutes crawling up Route 1). I figured I'd be home around 9:30-10, but it didn't work that way, as we stopped at the N.H. liquor outlet (yes, I did buy something).
I was finally home at 11:05, and in bed around 11:55, so it was too late to make any supper, which I paid for at practice on Monday, seeing as how all I ate besides breakfast was two hot dogs before and after the game and a munchie here and there. Oops!
But the game was awesome, and it was an important win, as the Pats now have a 6-2 record and a two-game lead over the Jets in the AFC East. Now we just gotta beat that douche bag Peyton Manning next weekend, and I'll be back in two weeks for the showdown with that hated team from New York.

An October Winter Wonderland

2009-10-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

The winter wonderland that is Gillette Stadium
Football, like my sport, cross country/running, is meant to be played in ANY weather, and that was definitely true as I returned to Gillette for Oct. 18th's game against the Titans..er..the Oilers.
It was definitely a crazy weekend, as after covering the KVAC Cross Country championships in Augusta the previous day, I traveled to Kittery for the night, caught up on much-needed sleep and met my co-worker in York.
The whole drive down, it was pouring, but we arrived as soon as the parking lots opened at 12 noon for the 4 p.m. kickoff, so traffic was not an issue at all. Since we had two hours before the gates opened, we wandered around the Patriot Place shops (my co-worker, Elyse, bought a red Tom Brady jersey while I found some classic Cheers! shot glasses at the CBS Scene store).
After taking some of our purchases back to the car, and waiting for the gates to open inside the ProShop, warm and dry, we headed in right at 2:15.
Once we got up to my section, we figured it would be smart to wait to go out to our uncovered seats in the dry (but not warm) concourse. We each got a hot chocolate, which warmed me up some, and about a half-hour before kickoff, I got my traditional two hot dogs plus a beer, but holding the cup of beer didn't suit well for my already wet gloves, and I just pounded the damn thing like I was at my buddy's house or a Bang-town bar.
Once we got out to our seats, it had started snowing, which seemed to pump everyone up, especially the Patriots. Both teams wore throwback uniforms, since this was another one of those AFL-Legacy games, with the Pats donning the old Red unis and the Titans the classic Oilers attire.
This is the type of game I love...a nice, relaxing blowout. On the Pats' first drive, Stephen Gostkowski missed a chip-shot field goal, and I was thinking that I wasn't going to get the blowout I had hoped for. But that changed in the second quarter.
The Pats led 10-zip after the first 15 minutes, then went on the offensive in the second, as Tom Brady lit up the Titans' secondary for five touchdown passes - an NFL record for most TD passes in one quarter, and our boys had a 45-0 halftime lead, another NFL record.
Most of the fair-weather fans bailed at halftime, since this game was decided and the weather was miserable, but if you're a season ticket holder from Bangor, Maine, you stay til the end, and we're glad we did because we bailed into the seats in the end zone where the lighthouse is located, about 10 rows behind the goalpost.
In the third quarter, we witnessed some more history, as Brady completed his day with his sixth TD pass to Randy Moss (his third TD catch of the afternoon), and Bryan Hoyer, the backup QB, snuck in from one yard out in the picture below, giving the Pats a 59-0 lead and breaking the team record for most points in a single game. The previous was 56 against the hated Jets in 1979.
Brian Hoyer makes Pats history!

The Pats also set a team record for total yardage in a game with over 600, and we headed out midway through the fourth quarter. With all the snow and traffic, it took us a while to get back - it was 10:30 when I dropped my co-worker off in York and almost 3 when I finally made it home (needless to say, after what happened last February, I was careful driving in the white stuff). But a 59-0 win made me all the happier with the four hours of sleep I got that night before heading to practice the next day.
My next game isn't until Nov. 8th against the hated Dolphins.

2009-10-05T19:19:00.000-07:00

In the two weeks since opening night, things have been up-and-down for the Patriots, with the down coming in a frustrating 16-9 loss to that hated team in New York, in which the offense was stuck in neutral.
On the upside, they bounced back with a solid win over Atlanta a week later at home, which my dad and uncle wound up seeing.
After a few weeks away, I was back for what promised to be a clash with Baltimore.
This time, I was smart with my traveling, and it helped since I was going with my friend Erika, who was staying in Providence for a few days. After work on Saturday, I wound up driving to Warwick, R.I., and staying over.
Half of that trip was a nightmare, as it rained from Belfast, where I had been working, through New Hampshire, but it was totally dry in Mass. and R.I., so I just booked it, and it took me an hour and 20 minutes to drive from Seabrook, NH to Warwick.
After meeting up with Erika after some parking issues, we headed in, and since this was her first Pats game, I had to show her the bridge in the end zone, which she really enjoyed.
The game started well enough, with Brandon McGowan recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff, but once again, the Pats had to settle for a field goal.
It was certainly a back-and-forth affair, with Baltimore turning its first drive into a touchdown, but Brady engineered a TD drive of his own with a rushing score to put the good guys up for good.
New England was in complete control in the first half, thanks to a balanced run attack that featured a heavy dose of Sammy Morris, Laurence Maroney and Fred Taylor, and Brady spreading the ball around in multi-receiver sets.
That, plus some roughing-the-QB penalties on the Ravens led to a 17-7 halftime lead, and I figured we would cruise to an easy win.
But Baltimore scored a defensive TD to pull back to within 17-14 early in the third..to which the idiot Raven fans in our section got completely obnoxious.
Brady would respond yet again, hooking up with Randy Moss for a touchdown for a 10-point lead, but the Ravens wouldn't quit, as Willis McGahee caught a screen from Joe Flacco to bring the Ratbirds (thanks Amy) back within 3.
Stephen Gostkowski's field goal gave us a six-point edge, and the Pats wound up stopping the Ravens on two fourth downs in the last three minutes to hold on for the win!
The drive home was a complete adventure, as it took as an hour to get out of the parking lot, and another hour to get from the stadium to where I-95 and 93 split just north of Wrentham.
After that, we just booked it, and (after getting flipped off randomly by some dipshit about 15 miles from Bangor), I dropped Erika off in Brew-town around 11:15, and I was home by 11:30.
It was a fun, relaxing win, since Erika is like my sister, and she really enjoyed herself.

Back on the run....

2009-09-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

In the month or so since I had been cleared to run by a therapist in Fort Kent, things have been up, down and up again, training wise.

Over the last couple weeks, I had been taking it really easy, with my 'long' runs going no more than 6 miles, since as a runner, you have to ease your way back into your regime, especially after an injury that I had.

But this week and the end of last week, it was time to step it up, and that was evidenced earlier this week, when I was given arguably my toughest practice since I've been back. My assignment was to run about 4, 4.5 miles in the morning, go to my BodyPump class in the afternoon, and run some more after that.

The 4-plus miler felt a little blah, since I had had a long night at work the night before, but was still on an adrenaline rush after seeing Presque Isle nip John Bapst 3-2 in an epic soccer match the previous afternoon.

Turns out I finished the run an hour before BodyPump, and BodyPump kind of kicked my ass, since I got a little too ambitious on the clean and press and squats. Let's just say I gutted out the last half of the double with nothing but guts and determination, but sometimes you just have to suck it up.

Things are going very well training-wise, and I legged out a tough 6-miler today, but I was happy as hell after meeting an awesome lady the previous night, who I have started to date, so could this be a sign that my running is only going to get better? Only time will tell....especially with two doubles on tap for next week, since my next Pats game is Oct. 4, and I'll be there the whole weekend since I'm staying in R.I. the night before.

Heart-attack opener.....

2009-09-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

This was a night I had been waiting for since January, and even more since the NFL schedule was released in mid-April.
My beloved Patriots were to host the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football to open the season, my first as a season-ticket holder.
Opening night is always special in any sport, and needless to say I couldn't sleep the night before, and tried to keep myself occupied by getting stuff done around the apartment and office, and making sure everything was in order.
Around 8 a.m. on gameday, I sprung out of bed as happily as a first-year season-ticket holder could be, and was so amped up when I headed to the gym for practice, I decided it might be best to keep my workout light and not tire myself out, which it turns out was a smart call.
My friend finally got out of class at 11, and we met in Bangor at 11:45 to head to Foxboro.
We made an absolute beeline toward the stadium, and were on pace to hit the parking lots at around 3:50, start drinking and tailgating and soak it all in.
But the 20 miles between Newton and Gillette took a frustrating hour and a half, and we didn't even bother grilling..just drank a couple beers and headed to our seats.
I know games aren't played on paper, but this was sort of a mismatch, since the Patriots are Super Bowl-favorites and the Bills are probably a year or two away from contending seriously, but the Pats have always had trouble with the Bills, even though they've won nine straight meetings.
Tom Brady started off sluggishly in his first game in over a year after knee surgery, going 4-for-8 for 27 yards in the first quarter.
The first half was indeed sluggish, and the Bills took a 14-10 lead into halftime.
The Pats' offense struggled to get going, as they settled for field goals in two trips inside the 10-yard line, and Buffalo eventually took a 24-13 lead with 5 minutes to play, thanks to some bullshit calls and even worse defense.
Some of the fair-weather fans around us started to bail out, but a true fan sticks it out. Brady took his team down the field for a quick touchdown to Ben Watson just before the 2-minute warning, and the Pats had all their timeouts so we figured they'd kick it deep, stop Buffalo and see what would happen.
But Steve Gostkowski of all people recovered a fumble on the kickoff, and we had the lead three players later, thanks to another Brady-to-Watson hookup. Gillette exploded, and some of the fans who had bailed came rushing back in. I don't even remember the play exactly, I was too busy hollering and high-fiving random strangers.
After the Pats defense closed it out, we hurried to the car and tired to get out of there as fast as we could. The problem is, if you're going north, there's only one way in/out, so it took us a good hour to drive the 3 miles from Gillette to the interstate.
Besides that, we made great time, even though it was nearly 4:00 when Jill dropped me off, and almost 4:30 by the time I crawled into bed, and 8:00 the next morning when I headed to the golf course with a friend from work, and followed that up with a long practice and a long shift at work.
But, the roller-coaster ride that is the Pats is in full swing, and if this is the finish I'm getting in Week 1, the sky is the limit.

Thanks Taylor.....

2009-09-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

I'm a very stubborn athlete, especially when it comes to injuries (after all, I hobbled through XC regionals my senior year, only to have us lose by a point...I won't even mention the school we lost to), and having been hampered by an injured foot all summer, I was starting to run out of options even though it was getting better.
My 'middle' day in the County, when I headed to Fort Kent for a girls game, I did a nice interview for a story on FK senior Taylor Boucher, who was playing her first soccer match since tearing her ACL in January.
She had talked about going to this place called County Physical Therapy in Fort Kent when she was rehabbing, and praised them for helping her get back on the field, where she is at home.
The roads are my home. It was getting boring training on a bike all summer - inside my gym no less - even though I was still in fine shape thanks to that and vigorous weight training.
But enough was enough, and after my tape recorded had been shut off, I explained to Taylor about my injury and the extend of it - it turned out to be plantar fasciitis - much better than the tendon tear I had thought it was.
She recommended I go and see the therapist(s) there, and on my off day, I took advantage of that. They looked at my foot extensively, and had me do a couple strides outside, and after mentioning they were pain-free, they cleared me to run. YES!
Even though I would be confined to the treadmill for a couple weeks (which isn't a bad thing since that is what occupies most of my training in the winter), I was happy to be able to lace up my shoes again and hit the roads, which I did Sunday and Monday, feeling great each time. Let the road back begin.
Usually, I get feedback at the impact I make on high school athletes I meet, interview, and get to know more about, which is one of the more rewarding things about my job. But, primarily thanks to one, I'm healthy and on the roads again. I'm nowhere near race shape, but give me a month or so, and hopefully I'll be there again.
Thanks, Taylor! Hopefully you will have success on the field and court and myself on the roads and track thanks to the fine folks in the St. John Valley :)

The Bangor Massacre....

2009-09-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

Bangor-Brewer games in any sport are always fun....well...unless we're talking about girls soccer, since Bangor's always great and Brewer has never been good.
Since I knew I was in for a long game, I decided to head over early and catch a cross-country meet, also being held at Bangor. I write for running Web site Milesplit too, so I figured I'd do something on that meet - which I did - and it turned out to be a good one, with the Brewer girls and Hampden Academy boys triumphing.
With my soccer game at 7:30, I had plenty of time to get that written, eat, grab a sweatshirt (which I didn't end up needing) and head back to BHS.
Of course, I headed over early, to chat with Bangor coach Joe Johnson, a couple of players, and have a much-needed bite to eat (one player even tried to coax a chip out of me, but I'm not one to feed players junk food before a game, being an athlete).
It started innocent enough, with Bangor leading just 2-0 only 20 minutes into the match, and all I could think was, is this not going to be the blowout I hoped for? The beauty of blowouts is they equal easy write-ups.
I got my wish, as the Rams, powered by the talented Eliza Estabrook and a strong freshman in Grace Maclean, overwhelmed Brewer 14-1.
As it turns out, it took a mere 35 minutes to get the game story written, and the only reason we covered these games (the Bangor boys won 5-0 on the other side of the river) is that its Bangor-Brewer, two local teams.
I finally headed home around 11:45, resisting the urge to join friends at Carolina's, but I had an early-morning cross country meet the next morning, and needed some sleep.
On another note, I've been cleared to run, which makes me exuberant!! I've been doing about 4 miles a day, and while I'm nowhere near race shape, it feels great to be on the roads again. And, football season FINALLY begins next Monday! I'll be writing about all my experiences at Gillette Stadium this fall.

One more....

2009-08-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

Last summer, I played things smart and departed The County the morning after my last game, not wanting to get back too late.

However, with Hurricane Danny closing in, I was smart to head home on Friday night.

Thus, having to check out of the hotel in Presque Isle before noontime, I decided to head up to St. Agatha for the day, resisting the urge to sit next to Long Lake on the way in. After a big lunch at the Lakeview Restaurant, which I recommend if you're in that area, I headed back south for one final game, this one between the Ashland and Washburn girls.

This meant my trip would finish where it started - in the tiny town of Washburn.

Ashland has always had great teams, so after discovering there was wireless on the field, I was hoping for a blowout, easy write-up, and arrival in Bangor by 9 for a night with the girlfriend.

Things sort of didn't turn out that way, as the Hornets didn't play up to their standards, mainly thanks to a 10-day layoff.

Both teams were a bit tentative, but Ashland finally broke through late in the first half and seemed to seize the momentum heading into halftime.

But things didn't turn out that way, and Ashland didn't take advantage of their scoring opportunities, frustrating themselves, their coaches, and even myself. Yes, I am impartial, but they were clearly the better team and did not show it.

However, Washburn's keepers played their asses off, and even though Ashland won 1-0, it could've been a lot worse.

I managed to get my stuff filed and got on the road around 6:15, much sooner than the 7:15 I had predicted a day earlier. So I took it easy on the road and arrived back in Bangor at 9:30, and with my shoulder hurting like hell from the long ride, I headed out with my lady for some good times.

This year's County trip was better than last, I had a lot of fun, made a lot of money, and took home more rewarding experiences. Now, it's time to rest and get ready for the start of the regular season down here Friday, where I'll get to watch Bangor destroy Brewer. Welcome home!

An off-day that really wasn't

2009-08-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

Normally, being a high school writer, when you look at a scheduled day and see that you're not down to cover any games, it usually means a day off.
But for me, on this soccer trip, it meant, go to some practices and collect some notebook stuff.
After (finally) catching up on some sleep, I had to get up early to head to Dyer Brook, an hour an 15 minutes south of Presque Isle, to chat with the defending Class D state champion Southern Aroostook girls soccer team.
Last year, this team was quite the interview, as I stopped down there to talk to them after a regional doubleheader in PI the previous night, and even covered their state-game win, so I figured they'd be excited to see me.
It was very cold for late August, so I figured wearing jeans would be the best way to go, but I didn't pack a sweatshirt, so I had a polo and jeans and flip-flops on. Not exactly proper attire for a windy, God's Country morning.
After a wind-swept drive down Route 1 (literally), I arrived in Dyer Brook just after 10, in time for the Warriors to conclude practice at 10:30.
Normally, these girls wouldn't meet anyone from the city, so a couple players thought I was their brother, another a boyfriend (which even at the pup-age of 24, wouldn't come to fruition unless I wanted to lose my j0b), but lo and behold it was just a fit, attractive, athletic young journalist arriving for yet another story.
The kids, as usual, were entertaining, and after interviewing the coach, I found out she had been in New York City the same week I was in July, and had gone to Yankee Stadium the night before I did. Go figure.
After chatting with them for almost an hour, it was time to head to the Houlton truck stop for a very late breakfast, go to PI and recuperate and head to Caribou for my third attempt at talking to the cross-country team(s).
The third time was a charm, I finally got the interviews for two stories (one for the BDN and the other for the running website Milesplit, for which I will be doing multiple XC stories this fall).
I know the Caribou kids pretty well, and always seem to bond well with them, since my mom grew up there (one girl talked about seeing a bear in her backyard while running, rekindling up a story of a big black bear stalking my grandmother's backyard back in the day).
After writing both of those up, getting a swim in and grabbing some dinner, it was back to the room to relax and recuperate for my final game of the week.

Back to 'The Valley'

2009-08-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

Before last summer, the St. John Valley was the only part of Maine I had never seen, and when I drove up to Madawaska for the first time last August, I was in awe at how awesome the drive and the views were, and was eagerly waiting for that experience again.
After grabbing some rest and a nice lifting session Wednesday morning, I was back at it and ready to head to The Valley for what promised to be the best game of the week, between the Houlton and Fort Kent girls.
Last year, I didn't think to bring my camera to get any pictures, but this year I managed to get a few in the Van Buren area, and a couple near Madawaska.
All this was accomplished because I went up super early (my game was at 4), and I wanted to experience the drive, and not feel rushed, and try to enjoy a bit of downtime in the midst of this business trip.
Upon my arrival in Madawaska, I headed straight to Tastee Freez, a take-out place on Route 1 that my ex-fiancee, who grew up in The Valley, had recommended (I did stop there twice last year and loved it).
It didn't disappoint again this year, the atmosphere is real chill, the products (ESPECIALLY THE SHAKES) are awesome, and it was a nice way to gather my thoughts and get ready for the game.
It's a good thing I went up early, because a construction on Route 1 between Frenchville and Fort Kent put me behind a bit, but I headed to where Route 1 ends in downtown Fort Kent, got an obligitory picture then headed into the game.
Getting there an hour early, I was able to set up a post-game interview for a future story on Taylor Boucher, a Fort Kent player who was playing in her first game since tearing an ACL playing basketball last January, and chat with a couple of the Fort Kent players who came into the media dugout to get some music going. They had a nice hip-hop mix, the kind of music I love to listen to when I'm training.
It was a real windy (but sunny) day, and I figured in the end I was going to pay for wearing a polo shirt and shorts.
The game lived up to its billing, and although Fort Kent was going into the wind during the first half, their attackers controlled the ball well and got some good shots off.
However, Houlton wound up getting on the board first, courtesy of a rebound. The Warriors, living up to their name, got one back before halftime, which was crucial, since they'd have the wind for the second half.
Fort Kent peppered the Shires' net in the second stanza, but Houlton keeper Madison Lezotte played her ass off and made some outstanding saves.
But the Warriors finally broke through with over a minute to play, with Lexi Desjardins, a freshman, scoring to give the hosts a hard-fought 2-1 victory.
It really started to get cold after doing interviews with Desjardins, Taylor, and the FK coach, and instead of waiting for the Houlton coach and knowing I was on deadline, I headed out.
Turns out, I ran into a few of the Houlton players when I stopped at Burger Boy for an ice cream on my way back into PI, and they commended me for the coverage of the County teams (which was surprising after a tough loss).
After writing up and dinner at Governor's, its time to relax for interviews with three teams on what will be a crazy Thursday. I'll post some pics soon!

A 'Hoosiers'-like feel

2009-08-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

After a sloppy, sluggish game welcomed me to the County on Monday, I was ready to rest and gear up for my next game Tuesday, featuring the Limestone and Easton boys.
With plenty of time before the game, I decided to head up to Caribou in the morning to play a little golf, and try and get an interview with the cross-country team afterward.
After a nice, relaxing round of golf, I headed back to PI to shower, then ran back to Caribou to try and catch the XC teams.
Unfortunately, a bomb threat thwarted those plans, as the students were sent home early, thus postponing those interviews until Thursday.
So, with plenty of time before a 4 p.m. kickoff, I headed to Burger Boy, a local diner, for lunch. This place is significant because my mom grew up in Caribou, and that place was her high school hangout. I've stopped there a couple times, and the food is pretty good.
After a nice, laid-back lunch, it was off to Easton. It didn't take long to make me feel like I was Norman Dale from 'Hoosiers,' as right after I arrived at the school, the athletic director gave me the grand tour, showing me the gym, his office, you name it. It was a really cool experience, and it truly felt like something out of small-town Indiana, minus Jimmy Chitwood.
As for the game, it didn't take long for it to become one-sided. Easton blitzed out to a 3-0 lead in the first half, scoring twice in the game's first 3 and a half minutes.
The Bears, who have quickness up front and great athleticism, rode that momentum to an easy 7-1 victory.
Normally, it sucks to see mismatches like that, but sometimes blowouts are easier to write up, so it was a nice, refreshing day after a long travel day Monday and a couple long days to come.

'Official' end of summer

2009-08-26T06:50:00.001-07:00

When I took over one of the lead high school reporting positions in March of 2008, one of my first questions was, 'Does this mean I get to do the soccer trip at the end of the summer?'
My bosses grew yes, and I grew excited for that end-of-August ritual in which we give the teams in Aroostook County some coverage.
You see, they start playing earlier because they take some time off for the potato harvest, so this is the best time of year to give them some game coverage, while things back in the Queen City still aren't as hectic.
My first experience last summer was a great one, seeing the St. John Valley for the first time, doing a couple of training runs with the Caribou boys cross country team (one of their assistant coaches is an old running friend of mine) and of course, witnessing quality soccer. My ex-fiancee, who grew up near St. Agatha, recommended this take-out place, Tastee Freeze, in Madawaska, for lunch on the days I was going to be in the Valley, and I ended up stopping there twice (the second time, the girl at the register recognized my name after she had swiped my debit card, as the reporter covering games here all week). Go figure, I'm a celebrity in the Valley. Oui, oui!

All summer, I had been itching for the 'soccer trip' again, and early Monday morning, I went and picked up my rental car (my personal vehicle is getting up there in mileage) and headed to Presque Isle. Normally, I like to travel the day before my first game and the day after my last, but it didn't work out that way this year, and after a 7 a.m. wake-up call, I arrived in PI at roughly 1:00, and had to wait a couple hours to head to Washburn for my first high school event of 2009-10!!

Washburn is roughly 20 minutes from Presque Isle, so I made sure to get there early. Today they were taking on the Wisdom Pioneers, from where else, but St. Agatha. My ex's mom is a Wisdom alum, but that breakup was a while ago and we've actually become great friends, so there was no sense of wierdness.

The game started early and Wisdom was in control. Both teams are young, but the Pioneers are a lot more skilled which led to them taking a 2-0 lead barely five minutes into the match. But Washburn took advantage of Wisdom's tenatitveness, especially in the offensive end, and tied the game in the second half.

But thanks to a meeting at midfield after the Beavers' second goal, and perhaps some harsh reminders from their coach, Wisdom woke up, scored twice in a three-minute span and escaped with a 4-2 victory.

It was a farily well-played game, but I only wanted to talk to both coaches since I was completley exhausted and ready for some rest. I managed to get some light lifting in, but my body was too worn out for a full session, and after getting everything written up, I took it easy the rest of the night, with a full week of games ahead of me!!

2009-05-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

Ever since I ran awesome in New York, my last three races have been forgettable for different reasons.

A mere six days after the Colon Challenge race, I ran terrible at the Flat Top 5K in Lamoine, mainly because of the short week and long trip home. But karma was really a bitch after that, as three days after Flat Top I contracted the flu.

After being laid up for about a week, I started preparing for the Orrington 10K, which was worth points in the Sub 5 series, so I knew I needed to score some points, as I was way behind the 8-ball.

The good news was, I did, the bad news is, I felt so terrible. I had a goal of breaking 38 minutes, but that didn't happen, mainly because I hadn't pounded the miles after contracting the flu.

I was amped for the Sugarloaf 15K, but couldn't run in it because my parents' anniversary party was that same weekend, and the only way I could go would be to leave at 3 a.m. on race day.

So, I decided to go to Lee for the Patty Corbin Memorial Run, just because I needed to get a race in before my next points race, the Main Street Mile on June 13.

It was a gloomy, chilly day, but the good news was, it was a 1:00 start, so I could get some much-needed sleep after covering five softball games and a track meet in six days.

I didn't know where my competition would come from, so I figured since it was a hilly first mile, I'd run smart and see what would happen.

Of course, this was a small-town race, so there are going to be kids sprinting out at the beginning, which annoys the fuck out of me. I got cut off three, four times in the first 800 meters.

As it turns out, the course wasn't accurately measured, so my splits were way off. I went back and re-measured it Monday, and it turns out it was a 3.2-mile race.

The good news was that I won my age group, so there was some consolation, but I know I have tons of work to do, especially since there may be college kids at many races over the summer. Time to pound some miles!

Colon Challenge 4-miler (NYC)

2009-03-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

Usually when I come to New York its to have fun with my friends, enjoy the city and unwind for a little while. But this time, with my training getting more serious by the day, with a 4-miler on tap for the weekend I was going to be in town, I had to compete.
Unfortunately, I got shut out because registration filled up before I could sign up, roughly 4, 5 weeks before my trip. However, a friend of mine was running the same race and his girlfriend was sick so I was able to use her bib number and chip. YES! I would have an official time!
The night before was really chill, and I walked around the city and did a little shopping (I've been to New York many, many times and have done the whole sightseeing thing, so it was nice to spend a little bit of money) and finally met up with Bec around 5 near Rockerfeller Center.
After literally running back to Brooklyn and cleaning the apartment, we started cooking dinner for a pre-race party with all my friends, which was really awesome because it was nice to carbo-load and get to see most of my Big Apple friends at the same time.
After a long night of carbo-loading and playing Apples to Apples, we finally got to bed around midnight and I headed to the course with my friend around 7:30.
It was a 9 a.m. start and we got up to Central Park around 8:30, with just enough time for me to fasten my chip, secure my bag and do some long stretching and a short warm-up jog. Since my friend's g/f had a high bib number, I had to start way in the back since the race had 'corrals' (I can understand this, since its annoying when little kids will start up front with the big boys and sprint the first 400 and cut us off).
The first mile was spent weaving and elbowing through much slower runners, and it took me a mile to get up to where I needed to be pace-wise (I hit the first mile in roughly 6:15, and it featured the only major uphill on the course).
The second mile felt great, it was all flat and had some downs so I cruised through in 5:48, worked the third mile solidly even though I was starting to hurt, and hit 3-mile mark in around 18:18 and the 5K in 18:59. The fourth mile was all guts, and I managed to gut out a 5:59 and finished strong in 24:17.
I wound up placing 28th overall (although technically it was my friend's g/f who did since I used her bib) but seeing as how I started near the rear of the field that's very respectable.
With the Flat Top 5K only six days away, I feel very strong and ready to run in the low 18's or maybe better with a full week of training.
After the race, we went back to my friend's apartment and had some hot dogs and beans before I went back to Bec's to catch a nap. My train to Boston doesn't leave until 6:15-ish so I won't be back in Brew-town until early Monday morning. So it'll be a long night, but that's OK, because I had an awesome time in NYC and I didn't want my trip to end!

2009-03-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

I was really looking forward to vacation in not only the sense that I'd get to see my friends in NYC for a while, but I'd get to escape Maine for 5 days.
Not wanting to travel from Maine to NYC all on Thursday, I spent Wednesday night in Boston, since I was taking Acela from there to NY on Thursday morning.
Since the Celtics were taking on the Miami Heat that night, I had to get tickets. Unfortunately, they only had scattered single seats, so my friend couldn't come.
I took a seat about 10 rows behind the Celtics bench, which are arguably the best seats I've ever had at the Garden.
The injury bug had bitten both teams, as Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Dwayne Wade were all sidelined, while Glen Davis wasn't exactly 100 percent either, but he sucked it up and played.
Shortly after tip-off, a beautiful young, Latino woman sat in the seat next to me with a friend and her friend's twin daughters. At first glance, I thought, OK, this is just another group enjoying the game in good seats, but she seemed to know a lot about the Heat's team and basketball (which is a good thing).
Casually, I asked her who her favorite player was, and she replied 'My husband, Eddie.'
Eddie is Eddie House, one of the Celtics' best shooters, and my jaw dropped when she said that (She's also Mike Bibby's sister). She stayed through the first half, and we talked a lot, and she was an absolute sweetheart (even said I had gorgeous eyes lol). We even talked about running a little bit, since she did track in high school, specializing in the 400. I was so focused on our conversations I hadn't realized the Celts were blowing what had been a double-digit lead.
She headed down to the players wives' lounge at halftime to watch the rest of the game (I can't imagine the royal treatment they get).
The teams went back-and-forth in the second half, with Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce each playing out of their minds, with Allen and KG both out.
The Celts had a chance to win in regulation, but Pierce's shot at the buzzer rimmed out, so we were off to overtime. I knew it was my lucky night when House's 3-pointer on the first possession gave Boston the lead for good.
The Celts scored the first eight points of OT and hit their free throws down the stretch to post a needed 112-108 win and clinch the Atlantic Division title. I stuck around for a little bit after the game, and just missed catching Pierce's headband and House's armband (my seat was close to the Celtics' tunnel).
After looking around, I hurried to the subway and got back to my hotel around 11:15 p.m. or so. Knowing I was heading to NYC in 12 hours, it was time to catch up on my sleep and get ready for a short run a long train ride.

Back to training

2009-03-05T18:07:00.001-08:00

Now that the madness also known as tournament week is behind me - with only the McDonald's All-Star games and banquet to cover next weekend before heading to Boston for St. Patty's Day and New York a day later for the rest of the week - I've finally been able to settle back into my training, without missing a beat.
During the regional tournament week, I managed only three days of running after plugging 40, 45 miles a week on a consistent basis prior to that (a good base), but that was understandable seeing as how I was in a car accident, at the Auditorium on a daily basis and not feeling 100 percent the beginning of the week.
The week leading up to states, I was finally able to get back into it, but some bad-luck headaches and dizziness after a speedworkout forced me to stop training that week and take a couple days off.
So far, this week has gone great. My first race was originally set for the 15th of March in Saco, but citing financial reasons and a long down-and-back trip, I decided it would be in my best interest to keep training and focus on the 4-miler in Central Park on the 22nd, and more importantly, the Flattop 5K in Lamoine, a points race, the 28th.
This week will consist of roughly 40 miles or so with two speedworkouts, the first of which I did on Wednesday, 8x400 reps with complete recovery.
The reps were consistently in the high 60- low 70-second range, which isn't too bad (by this summer I'd like to get those down into the 66-68 mean), and except for the last one, where I was completely out of gas, it felt great.
After that, I hurried back to the gym to get some lifting in, which was probably not a good idea since I had to do an easy distance day Thursday before a 6x800 workout Friday.
So much for easy distance - I was feeling kind of blah but still managed to run 5 miles in 37:20, which is slightly under 7:30 pace (ideally, your training runs should be 1:45 or so slower than racepace), but for some reason, my legs just felt shitty, even though I maintained the pace well and ran negative splits.
It's going to be a long next couple weeks getting ready for NY, but I'm going down there with nothing to lose - literally (I'm running as a bandit, since the race filled up before my last paycheck came and I could sign up), but I did the same thing in a 10K in the Big Apple a couple years ago, and wound up with a PR in both the 5 and 10K. So that should be a good omen.
A 4-miler is a tough race to run, since its just over 5K and just under 5 miles, so my objective will be to run it like a 5K and just hold the hell on that last mile. In other words, a sub-23 minute run would be nice. Gotta keep training hard now that I won't be covering any games for another month..hey, at least I'm thinking spring.

State Finals

2009-03-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

My final games of my first basketball season as a beat reporter! I always like to show up early to games, not only to get an ideal parking spot, but to chat with coaches before tip-off and get a general consensus of gameplans and all that jazz. And I knew it was going to be a while before I would visit the hallowed Auditorium again, so I soaked it up as much as I could.
The first game featured the Class D state championship between Woodland and Valley. Class D games tend to get sloppy sometimes, but watching Woodland's always fun, since they play great defense and can shoot the ball well.
Earlier that week, on my day off of all days, I had traveled to Woodland - its just under 100 miles from my place - for a state-game preview story, of sorts. Ariel Knights and Ashley Laking, who I interviewed, were flattered that I had driven a boring 100 miles on my day off just to talk to them.
Anyways, the game started sloppy (what a surprise) and neither team was shooting the ball well, so it was going to come down to defense.
Fortunately, Knights, Laking, Taylor Cochran, Molly White and company were their usual selves on the defensive front, as they halted Valley's attack and rode it to a 49-35 win, which was somewhat closer than the score indicated.
Afterword, I did the usual interviews and after talking to Knights, presented her with her regional tournament MVP trophy. Now most kids would just say 'thank you very much' or whatever, smile, shake your hand and head back into the locker room to celebrate. But (and I found this somewhat amusing) Knights' replay was 'aww, thank you so much that's such an honor), to which I just grinned, gave her the plaque, and headed off to get lunch and write my stories.
After writing up, eating lunch and enjoying some old-school NBA footage thanks to YouTube (boredom around the office between games can suck sometimes), I braved the cold and headed back over for the Class C game between GSA and Jay, regretting the fact I had left my winter coat on my chair at press row since it was windy and very cold.
Once again, I got there early, and chatted with old buddy Toby Nelson, who was doing play-by-play for MPBN for the game. He's one of the region's top radio broadcasters and I even had him as a NESCOM professor.
He asked me what I was going to do as soon as this game, and my tourney experience, was over, and I just flashed a wry grin and said, 'just a typical Saturday night, hitting the bars with my friends.'
Right from the tip I could tell this was going to be an entertaining game. Led by Alida Peake and Maddie Park (whom if GSA won I would present her with her MVP trophy), the Eagles took a one-point lead into halftime.
But Jay had some surefire scorers of its own in Liz LeBlanc and Hillary Deane, who are certainly tough as nails.
Stevens led 38-34 with a couple minutes to go, but missed layups and player-control fouls and a clutch shot by LeBlanc led to Jay taking a 39-38 edge with just under a minute left.
On an inbounds with about 20 seconds left, Park cut around the Jay defense and toward the basket, uncontested, got the ball for a wide-open layup, and I was ready to give her two points, and think what I wanted to ask her after the game.
But as sheer bad luck would have it, the shot rolled out, Jay hit its foul shots down the stretch, and won their first state title, 44-38.
With 0.2 seconds left, a Jay player was shooting a free throw and I noticed Park sitting in front of her bench, crying her eyes out. That provided me a flashback of the regional cross country championships my senior year, when Mt. Blue beat us by a point although I sucked it up and ran with a bad knee. Painful losses suck.
It was a great game, great way to end my tourney experience, and after chatting with the Jay players and giving the GSA coach Maddie's MVP trophy (she didn't appear to be in a talking mood), I decided to stick around for the boys game (and I'm glad I did), but one of my friends called and said she was heading to the bar, so around halftime, I ducked out, headed to the office to write my web story, and went off to have a couple beers.
My first tourney experience come and gone, now all I have to do is wait a couple more weeks before vacation time hits, along with a four-day trip to NYC, which will include spending St. Patty's Day in Boston with a couple friends before seeing my best friend and other friends in the Big Apple. Judging from the stack of boxscores on my desk from the entire season and huge wad of saved-up money in my closet (I wont mention how much, those who know me should know), this is one vacation I have definitely earned.

Championship Saturday

2009-03-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

Championship Saturday is always fun, and can be special in a way, in terms of seeing the players happy with what they accomplished.
After catching up on much-needed rest after a three-game day the previous day, I headed to the gym, and decided to watch the Class D girls game on TV during my run. I was surprised to see Fort Fairfield hanging with Woodland, before the Dragons pulled away late for an easy victory. Their boys later completed the sweep, and after 5 nice miles and a sound lifting session, I got prepared for what should've been a great Class B final between Bapst and Waterville.
But it was anything but, and Morgan Frame looked all the bit like the Miss Basketball favorite that hoop prognosticators (including myself) were pegging her. She dropped in 20 first-half points as the Panthers went out to a 20-point lead.
The Bapst student section is known for coming up with stupid and rediculous chance. It was no surprise, late in this game, that they were chanting 'SAT Scores' (if they were so smart, they would've come up with something much more creative, because the Waterville fans responded: Ours are Better).
As for the rest of the game, Bapst made a mini-run but it was too much Frame, and the Panthers posted a 59-47 win.
The only annoying thing about championship games is the TV sideline reporters going after the players for postgame interviews right away (makes me glad we don't have a Sunday paper). But I know that my compadre, Ernie and myself are ten times better at our jobs than those guys, so I don't worry about it.
After chatting with Frame, Jen Nale, and hearing about Stephanie Whitten's promise to finish off the 18-wheeler at Dysarts (if a little, 150-pound distance runner failed to do it, I dont know if she can, but we'll see), I got my Web version written, then watched most of the boys game with Kendra Lenz, a Bangor track runner who I've become semi-friends with.
After watching Camden Hills blow out Rockland and engage in track talk and talk of my accident with Kendra, I headed out to grab a quick dinner, get some of the newspaper story written, and get ready for the Class C game.
This game, between WA and GSA, was going to be fun. This would be GSA's year to take it, with a strong senior class, while WA had some great young players.
It was back-and-forth throughout (and getting to hear GSA's entertaining band again was a plus of course), and I figured the last team to have the ball would win.
GSA, however, is a great defensive team, and it was too much Maddie Park, India Frazier, Stevie Theoharidis and company, and the Eagles prevailed, 51-41, for their first regional title since 2000.
It was coach Don Allen's birthday that night (I didn't ask him how old of course, but he told his kids 32, and I sort of believed it), so the kids were in an upbeat mood.
After scrambling to get my web story done, I was torn between going to my friend's party or not, but after debating for a little bit, and realizing I hadn't talked to any girls over age 17 for 8 days, I headed to Lewiston to soak up tourney week in a couple beers and two beautiful girls (it was my friend's 21st, you do the math).
After getting home around 2:30 a.m., it was time, once again, to catch up on sleep, and get ready for a week of state championship preparation!!

tri-fecta

2009-03-03T16:14:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Mother Nature, Friday was going to be a long day, but the good news was, with the easy Thursday, I was able to get home early, catch up on sleep and eat a hearty breakfast before heading back to the Aud for a Class D semifinal between Central Aroostook and Shead.
Central Aroostook's always one of my favorite teams to cover. Unlike a lot of teams that just jog down the floor and dump the ball into their post player(s) and hold the ball, the Panthers like to run, shoot, and run and shoot some more.
This made for an entertaining game, which went back-and-forth throughout the first half with Manny Martinez and company pulling away for a somewhat comfortable victory.
I thought about rushing to the gym after this game, but with my next one at 2:05, and a web story, newspaper story and box score to do, that sounded impossible, so I rushed back to the BDN and did all that.
After sneaking a disgusting double-cheesburger into the Aud (I tend to bring in my own food as opposed to eating the nasty Auditorium stuff), I was set to head back into my girls' beat with a Class C matchup between GSA and Orono.
GSA's another one of those 'fun teams', they are very athletic, get up and down the floor well, and play great defense.
Orono was the Cinderella team in Class C after defeating Stearns (kind of painful since that's my old man's alma mater), but I didn't think they'd be able to keep up with the quick Eagles.
Maddie Park and Stevie Theoharidis were dynamite in this game, as they spearheaded a balanced offense to a 49-30 win. The most entertaning thing was the GSA band (their fight song sounds like Notre Dame's...wahoo...and they played tunes such as Stairway to Heaven and 867-5309). Good music only enhances my tourney experience.
After getting my story and box done, I headed home for some spaghetti (the first time I had eaten dinner at home all week, which says something about my first 'true' tourney experience).
Following that, I was back for my third and final game of the day, a boys game between Calais and Lee.
It was a rematch of last year's regional final, but it was definitely a mismatch.
This one was all Calais, and in the second half all I was thinking about was which Calais players I was going to talk to after the game, and whether to go to a friend's birthday party in Lewiston Saturday night.
The Blue Devils won going away, making for an easy story (thankfully because by then, I was dead exhausted). Thankfully, I didn't have to do any of the Class D regional finals the next morning, so I was somewhat happy with the prospect of once again being able to catch up on training and sleep.

2009-02-22T18:30:00.001-08:00

For the first time in six days, I was offered a chance to be a single, 23-year old endurance athlete with no tourney games in the afternoon. After catching up on my sleep, getting a nice run in, doing some lifting and going on a date, I decided to not head into work until 5 since I had just one game, a 7:05 Class D matchup between Fort Fairfield and Southern Aroostook.

The snow was falling hard, and my car accident Monday was still kind of in my head, but luckily I didn't have all that far to drive (my date goes to NESCOM, so I just had to drive across town to pick her up, and the gym I go to is just outside of downtown Brewer).

It's unusual for me to go on a first date in a shirt and tie, but hey, welcome to tourney week! Not the first time too...happened back in 2006 as well.

Anyways, tonight's game was, on paper, supposed to be a good one, with the winner likely getting to get smoked by Woodland in the final (but I don't think SAHS and FF were thinking about that sentiment).

It was a typical Class D girls game: Sloppiness, lots of turnovers, shaky shooting. But Class D players are athletic and quick, and they love to run the fast break which can be fun to watch.

Fort Fairfield, which is young and talented, pulled away in the second quarter and won rather comfortably.

One of the girls I talked to after the game must've been hanging around with my buddy Kira this week because her throat was completely gone. I could barely hear any of the quotes while writing up, so that was an adventure.

After writing up the story and catching the Woodland game on TV (they killed Washburn not surprisingly), I headed home to sleep. Another 3-game day, starting at 9:35 Friday!

2009-02-22T18:16:00.000-08:00

After an 'easy' day on Tuesday, Wednesday would not be so simple.

Wednesday at 11 a.m., I was back at the old Auditorium for not one, not two but three games, with the first being a Class C boys quarterfinal between Washington Academy, the top seed, and Narraguagus.

This had mismatch written all over it, with this being a 1-8 game, and having gotten little sleep the night before after informing friends that I was OK after my accident Monday, I was hoping for a blowout and an easy write-up.

I got my wish, as WA ran away with it, with Noah Von Rotz capping it all off with a highlight-reel dunk. The WA coach has a British accent, so he was great to talk to.

After that terrible game, I had to suck down an Auditorium slice of pizza for lunch (nasty), and head over to the Civic Center where the Miss and Mr. Maine Basketball Semifinalists were being announced, along with the Senior All-Star teams.

After the quick press conference, I chatted with Erica Lyford and Casey McCloskey, since none of the Miss Basketball semifinalists had bothered to show up (Morgan Frame and Waterville were playing later that afternoon, so she wasn't in town yet), but I managed to get a nice bit on those two being named to the Class C/D East All-Star Team.

McCloskey, for one, cracks me up. I got to meet her family too (I had done a story on her earlier in the week), and she comes up with some interesting quotes. Since she's a fine runner too, we talked running for a bit too, and got so sidetracked that I forgot I had a game at 2:05, and I had to race back to the Aud!

My next game was a B girls semifinal between Bapst and Presque Isle, and there's no love lost between these two. Presque Isle had beaten Bapst in soccer playoffs in the fall (I even made the trip to the Star City to cover that game), and the Crusaders had revenge on their minds.

This game was sloppy in every sense of the word, with two methodical teams proving, once again, why high school basketball NEEDS A SHOT CLOCK! When teams (especially Bapst, b/c they're known for this, and they did it in a game I covered during the regular season), try to hold the ball, its irritating.

In the end, Bapst had too much for PI, making clutch free throws and earning a hard-fought victory. Now, with no between-game stories to do, I could get an actual meal before writing up! Hell yeah!

Apparently I bring bad fortune to PI teams in the winter as opposed to good in the fall (the girls soccer team can tell you better), because in my third game of the night, Rockland creamed the Presque Isle boys in another B semifinal.

Both the Bapst and Rockland fans started 'Start the Tractors' chants at the PI fans late in the games, which is unoriginal. Hey, at least it wasn't 'Potato Pickers'!

After writing up my final game story, I expected to head home and unwind from what had already been a 12-hour day. But no. If there's one thing I don't like, its having to do 2 hours of headlines after covering games for 12 hours. And to top it off, I was tired, hadn't done any training all week, and was slightly hungry (those three factors lead to me being grumpy more often than not).

Finally, at nearly 11 p.m., I hurried home and got some sleep. Thankfully, there were no games until 7:05 the next night due to an impending snowstorm. I don't say this often, but GOD BLESS MOTHER NATURE!!

the day after...

2009-02-18T06:03:00.000-08:00

A little over 12 hours after what turned out to be quite the near-death experience, I was back at the Aud for some Class C quarterfinal action, but mercifully, only two games (11:05 and 7:05) thanks to the long (and I do mean long) night on Monday.

The first one pitted Orono and Stearns in a 7-2 girls matchup, and although you have to be impartial in this line of work, my heart was slightly leaning towards the Minutemen, since that's my old man's alma mater. In fact, he played on the 1977 Eastern Maine Class A championship team. I don't need to mention what happened in the state final.

Anyways, the way it started, it appeared the Minutemen were doomed, as Orono led by as many as 21 in the second half.

But never question the toughness of Millinocket kids, as Adriana Eurich, Sam Lyons and Kirsten Marter caught fire in the fourth quarter, spearheading a dramatic comeback to bring Stearns within two.

Orono's defense proved just too much and Stearns was way too sloppy, committing 29 turnovers while Sarah Thibeault was 7-7 shooting.

The final score was 48-44 Riots, their first tourney win since 1998, when coach Jessica Libby was a junior.

I like having lots of time between games, so I can get the story written, grab some food and hit the gym (not all in that order).

After getting all that done, I was back for a 4-5 contest between Penquis and Washington Academy.

The way it started, it looked as if it was going to be a great game, with the Raiders leading 13-12 after one quarter.

However, pressure defense and transitional baskets helped stretch that lead to 11 at halftime, and they cruised in the second half, leading by as many as 16.

Meanwhile, late in the game, some WA fans directly behind me were getting completely obnoxious. As a guy who was once a proud member of Brewer's rowdy crew, I can understand berating the refs for bad calls, as athletic directors tend to let fans boo and taunt all they want at the Aud (Morgan Frame even got a Bob Saget taunt on Saturday, which was strange yet somewhat amusing. I dont know what a geeky, former Full House star has to do with Maine's best schoolgirl player).

But WA went on to win 57-47, and their 'zoo crew' was happy. I expected to write my stuff up and head home after a long day, but that wasn't the case. By the time I had written up, had something to eat and gone to bed, it was 12:30 a.m., with 3 games, the first being at 11 a.m., staring me in the face Wednesday. Now we're cooking!

10 seconds of agony

2009-02-17T13:12:00.000-08:00

Knowing I had to be back at the Auditorium fairly early after a long day at the track, I was determined to get back to Brew-town as quick as I could. After a somewhat-tasty meal at Amato's in Gorham, I headed north, not knowing tragedy would almost strike.
The ride went smooth for the most part, but once I hit Newport, some light snow started hitting my windshield. I'm thinking oh no worries, its only 26 miles, and even going 50-55 MPH I can be in my driveway in a half hour or so.
But little did I know would I nearly end up in a hospital bed.

About 20 miles from Bangor, I hit a patch of black ice (I think its what it was, couldn't tell), and my car spun every which way but right. I was facing the traffic on two occassions, spinning out of control on the greasy highway. My life was flashing before my eyes every second, and all I could do were say my Hail Mary's, and think of my friends, family and the high school track and basketball community, through which I've made many friends, and of course, the girls on Brewer's team that I've come to love as sisters. Fortunately, I was five miles south of a stretch of road where there are rocks on the right side of the highway (since my car wound up head-on into a ditch off that side of the road). If I would've crashed five miles further north, I could've been seriously hurt, or much worse. Eventually, a state trooper showed up, as did a tow truck, and after being stuck for an hour, finally made it home around 10 p.m. Ironically, Bangor's track team bus passed me when I was in the ditch. It was a shaky experience, and thankfully I wasn't hurt physically, but mentally it does a lot to you, especially since it was my first accident. But, I sucked down some food, watched a little TV, talked to my best fri end in NYC and finally got to bed around midnight. Only 11 hours til my next tourney game. Ugh.

State Class A championships

2009-02-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

My final indoor track and field meet of 2008-09! On Sunday afternoon, I headed south for the Class A state track championships in Gorham, giving myself a one-day break, sort of, from all the Auditorium hoopla.
After staying in Scarborough Sunday night (which may have been a bad omen), I headed over to USM early Monday morning.
I should have known this was going to be a long day when, upon turning onto Route 114, I not only got stuck behind Scarborough's team bus, but an oil truck.
Upon arriving at USM, I got my laptop and other gear set up in an office just off the homestretch of the track, and braced myself for a long day. The Brewer girls were favored to win their meet, while the Brewer boys were poised for a long day.
But, the flu had bitten the Witches big-time, especially Kira Giroux, who spent all day Valentine's day in the hospital with bronchitis, but as I would do, sucked it up and ran for her team.
Things started off fine for the East, with Brewer placing 3rd and Bangor 5th in the 4x800 relay. Although the Witches led with 2 laps to go, Scarborough had its fastest girl anchoring, who had run a 2:19. Talk about some bad karma.
It was about to get worse. Kait Noyes came a fraction of an inch from clearing 9-6 in the pole vault, which would've given her the win and Brewer 10 points (they wound up with seven in the event), and when Mackenzie DeGraff didn't make finals in the 55 dash, it was time for a new gameplan.
About halfway through the meet I started experiencing bad headaches and aches and pains and some stomach pain, which was baffling (I'm assuming it was from exhaustion), but thankfully I had some ibyprofin in my briefcase, which helped, sort of.
Ben Sinclair aided the Brewer boys cause with 28 meet points (two firsts, one second), and they held second most of the day before finishing a strong fourth.
The Bangor girls, running hard in coach Maynard Walton's final meet, wound up fourth while Brewer, which was no doubt less than 100 percent, settled for ninth after being seeded with the most points.
Bangor senior Dee Wilbur is one of the funniest kids I've ever met, she's always smiling and has something nice to say (even asked if I had a nice V-day...go figure).
Anyway, Scarborough won on both sides, with the girls winning for the 5th year in a row (apparently the rules of cycles in high school sports don't apply to this team). It's astonishing to me how you can win like that year in and year out and not face rebuilding. Strange.
Bangor and Brewer had solid days, and who knows what Brewer's girls could've done if KG was 100 percent. But she ran her tail off, it was very inspirational, and once I finally got my story written up around 5:30, I headed out, facing a long drive home, which would turn out scary.

A long second day...

2009-02-15T17:45:00.000-08:00

I should have known this was going to be a long day when my alarm clock decided not to go off, and I woke up a half hour late.
I'm not a big fan of covering morning tourney games, but its still basketball. I was back at the Aud early Valentines Day morning for two Class B quarterfinals (one boys, one girls) and another in the afternoon (girls).
After smuggling a Dunkin Donuts breakfast into the building and hearing the MDI band entertain me with songs such as Jesus Christ Superstar and My Shirona, I saw a sluggish game between Presque Isle and MDI, with teh second-ranked PI boys coming out on top eventually.
After that, I settled in for the girls game bewteen MDI and Mount View, kind of hoping MDI would come out on top since they're a PVC team and one of my good friends, Kate Goupee, is the XC coach there.
Like the Bapst-Winslow game I watched less than 18 hours prior to this one, it was ugly in every sense of the word. MDI hadn't played at the Aud for a few years, and it showed, as they turned the ball over 12 times in the first half and trailed by 11 at halftime.
The Trojans didn't give up, taking the lead at one point, but didn't have enough. Mount View wound up winning 34-30.
After writing a short story on the two games for the BDN web site, I headed back over to the Aud to watch the Hermon-Foxcroft boys game, since my next game, Waterville-MA, followed.
I had a feeling this was going to be a long afternoon when my buddy Andy barely showed up for the Hermon game in time, I saw my ex fiancee's friend (she's a Hermon cheerleader, my ex went to Hermon) and the Hermon band played 'My Girl' on Valentines Day of all days. Anyone got a beer?
As expected, Waterville rolled over Mattanawcook, so after that 50-21 blowout, I headed home to my dad's birthday party, then eventually soaked up a long-ass day at the Aud to the tone of some beers with my boys and the NBA slam dunk competition.

Tourney Time!

2009-02-14T10:01:00.001-08:00

I've always had a love and passion for basketball, and once tournament week rolls around, Bangor goes hoop-crazy.
Since I'm the girls basketball writer at the BDN, the Auditorium'll be my second home for the next week-plus.
The first day is always special, and the fact that it was Friday the 13th added spice to the pot.
After a nice, relaxing 5-plus mile run and lifting session at the gym, I headed over to the Aud for two Class B girls games, with Presque Isle facing Medomak in the first one.
Both teams seemed a bit tentative early, and the first half was very sluggish, with Presque Isle racing out to a 15-point lead at one point only to have pesky Medomak creep to within four by halftime.
I was surprised to see as many PI fans as I did, since they all had to rush down for a 5 p.m. start after school had wrapped up, but their side was pretty full, and the band was up and rolling, making for a typical Tourney atmosphere.
The second half was all Presque Isle, as they outscored Medomak 34-10 behind a balanced scoring effort with 3 players, Caitlin Esancy, Sarah Porter and Kayla Richards to win 62-34.
Porter is one of the funniest kids I've ever interviewed, she's always got a smile on her face and has something interesting to say. She and Esancy were very talkitive and well-spoken.
After that, I rushed back to the table, just in time for the nightcap between Winslow and John Bapst.
Right from the get-go, I could tell this game was going to be a snoozefest (Bapst held the ball for 10 minutes in a game I saw vs. Hermon earlier this year).
The Crusaders aren't exciting to watch, but they're well-coached, very disciplined and have one of the top guards in Class B in Morgan Chasse.
Bapst wasn't exactly playing like a No. 2 seed that had won 17 games over the course of the regular season, and they led just 18-15 at halftime over a team they clearly had the upper hand against.
But, from my vantage point, they were playing not to lose as opposed to playing to win, missed several free throws down the stretch, but still pulled out a 33-29 win.
Waiting for postgame interviews can be hectic, with the radio folks grabbing players immediately (its worse when the MPBN people are around after regional and state finals) but I managed to get everything written by 8:45 and was home by 10:15. Good thing, because I had an early wake-up call the next day!

long time no write

2009-01-07T16:55:00.001-08:00

So its been a while since I updated this thing, and things have no doubt been wacky and wild.
After recovering from an injury suffered while playing basketball just before Christmas, I have resumed my training, although mother nature has wreaked havoc over the last week or two...a sub-zero day here, a snowstorm there.
That's when I woke up and decided it was time to get a gym membership in Brewer, not only to have a treadmill to get runs in on whenever the weather turns lousy, but it so happens Kira Giroux, a friend of mine who is also one of Eastern Maine's best sprinters, is a member/employee there, so I have a lifting buddy from now on.
So, I'm logging roughly 30-35 miles a week, which isn't too bad given Maine's unpredictable conditions this time of year. I'm hoping to get those figures back up into the 50's soon, now that I've got a gym membership locked up and a 5K to be run the first weekend of February.
On a personal note, I won 2009 New England Patriots season tickets a couple days ago! I just about had a heart attack when I found out (I'm a huge Patriots fan). How I won them, you ask? Well, the Pats run this picks contest on their website, and I was trailing by 2 games going into Week 16, but leapfrogged 3 people with a 13-3 final week, and finding myself in a first-place tie, thus resulting in a random drawing.
Having to sweat it out for a week, I finally found out that I won after a brutal (but satisfying) speedworkout Monday night, and I'm already getting ticket requests haha.
When the football season starts, I'll update this thing after each game, complete with my weekly experiences and photos. Hopefully Brady gets healthy soon!

Turkey Trot 5K

2008-11-24T15:43:00.000-08:00

When I woke up Sunday morning and saw fluffy white stuff in my yard, my first thought was Brewer H.S. should re-name the Turkey Trot the Snowman Trot, or something wintry.
Nevertheless, I awoke at 9 for the 1 p.m. race, and prepared for it just like any other, even knowing that temperatures were forecasted to barely get out of the 20's and for winds to howl like a wolf.
Usually on race morning I get some butterflies over the breakfast table, but there was no such bad luck this time around, as I devoured a bowl of cereal, OJ and a banana (my traditional race day breakfast).
Needing something to do to relax my mind, and legs, I watched 'Eight Crazy Nights' with my sister, furthermore getting into the Holiday spirit. Nothing like an Adam Sandler Christmas movie before Thanksgiving haha.
Just after 11, it was time to head to the course. Driving it before I headed to the high school, my worst fear was confirmed: We'd have a headwind the last mile, mile and a half. Oh lord.
After picking up my materials and all that jazz, I met up with some past/present Brewer runners for a warm-up, chatted with some old friends from the running circle, and wondered how I was going to survive.
Not wanting to get boxed in, Travis Blackmer and myself inched up as close to the front as we could, but not wanting to get sucked into the fast pace Riley Masters and Judson Cake were going to set.
The first mile went some-what according to plan, with me going through in roughly 5:45. I was aiming for a 5:30 or better, but was feeling nice and relaxed heading up the hill to the turnaround point.
Boy, once we got down that hill, it was like running into a ton of bricks. That last mile was all about survival.
I drafted off a few runners and came home in 18:50, which wasn't too bad giving the conditions.
Afterword, it was straight into the cafeteria to enjoy some delicious hot chocolate and cookies among other goodies, and enjoy the prize raffle with some of my fellow Brewer alums and members of the current XC team.
I went home empty-handed, which is a bummer, but Turkey Trot's always a fun race.
Oh, and Melody, if you happen to read this, I felt your pain about grumpy officials shoving you through the finish chute after a hard race haha :). My old high school coach of all people was screaming at me to keep moving. Go figure lol.
Anyway, time for a few days off for Thanksgiving Day and to finish my high school basketball previews. Will check back soon! Next race: Dec. 28th in Bangor.

Trotting for Turkeys

2008-11-21T14:49:00.000-08:00

As November starts to wind down, that can only mean a couple things: It's time to make that fast transition from cross country and soccer mode to basketball and indoor track mode, and gear up for a Brewer tradition: The Turkey Trot 5K.
Since the BayState Half Marathon in late October, I haven't done any races. As you all know, being a full-time journalist and a full-time runner at the same time is no easy task, but the training has been going swimmingly.
As the temperatures have dropped (its felt more like January and February rather than November all this week), the mileage is dropping as well, from 50-60 a week down into the low 40's.
Usually with the Turkey Trot comes the end of the road racing season, the chance to catch up with friends, current and old, and yes, try to make my mother's Thanksgiving shopping a lot easier by bringing home a bird.
50 holiday turkeys are up for grabs at this race, which raises funds for Brewer's sophomore class, along with plenty of other prizes, so there are plenty of incentives to compete.
As far as the training, this week I've kept things fairly simple: Easy 7-mile run Sunday, a couple of nice distance days Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with speedwork sandwiched in Wednesday.
With the mercury refusing to climb above the donut, and with a freezing wind whipping around the Garland Street track in Bangor (no track in Brewer anymore), I was forced to take the show to the field house at UMO.
The last couple days, my legs have been feeling kind of jelly-ish yet good at the same time. Today was supposed to be an easy 4, but I was feeling it after going through the first mile in the low 7-minute range, so you can say I warmed up pretty quickly.
Well, time to chip away at some H.S. basketball preview stories (tis the season). I'll update this soon.