Post RTB!

Sunday, September 14, 2014 · Mike Davis

Good Afternoon! Some might think this blog is late because I needed to sleep in after running Reach the Beach (RTB). However not so. I did sleep until 7:30, but then I was up and realized that it is the middle of September! For me that means apples are ready to be picked, so off to Butternut farm I went ready to pick Cortland apples. As I pulled in to the entry the sign said that they didn't open until 9 and at that point it was only 8:20! No problem, instead of grabbing breakfast after, I went over to Sophie B's and enjoyed a great breakfast and conversation with an older gentlemen at the counter. That took me till 9 something and then a few minutes after that I was back at Butternut Farm (Rochester) and the parking lot was already nearly full. If you enjoy apples, Giff (the owner) told me that this apple picking season is going to be a short one, most likely over by Columbus Day. If you live in the southern Maine - New Hampshire area and never been to Butternut Farm, you need to get there! Beautiful drive and a wonderful family farm that has everything. I got picked my apples and some for my wife's uncle along with some small pumpkin whoopee pies. Missed not having my wife with me, but she is off running the "Run For The Fallen". RTB This year we had an earlier start so Friday morning I was up at 3:30am and my van was on the way to Cannon mountain by 4:30am, for our 7:45 race start. This was my fourth RTB and definitely one of my most enjoyable yet. Our van had many first timers which was pretty cool, but one particular first timer was my little girl Jennifer. Now many of you may know Jennifer as not such a little girl but of course that's what she will always be to me. Anyhow, Jennifer was running her first RTB and what a thrill for parent it is to be able to enjoy doing such an event together. I give her so much credit as she was out quite late the night before at a country music concert and yet she was at our place ready to go at 4am. Jennifer has come to have the same passion her Dad has for running and RTB was another one of those events that she wanted to experience with her old man! Truthfully I was not sure I would continue running RTB after last year, but with Jenn wanting to do it, there was no chance I would not return. Without a doubt it turned out to be as wonderful an experience as I could have hoped for. Jennifer was absolutely amazing, running so well and also knowing when her Dad needed an arm around his shoulder. I can't say enough about her thoughtfulness for everyone in our van but selfishly I was lifted up by just having her there. Yes we are already talking about next year! While Jennifer alone made my RTB perfect, in reality other things helped a great deal as well. As I mentioned we had a lot of new people in my van to include the driver and most of the people were complete strangers to each other when we started. Despite that, we quickly got comfortable and meshed super well. The loudest person by far was yours truly, but it wasn't deafly quiet either, just a fun group of people that supported each other as we moved from Attitash Mountain to Hampton Beach. As I have said before, RTB enjoyment for me is all about your van and nothing can make 30 something hours miserable more than sharing a van with less than enjoyable people. I have been lucky to have enjoyed all of the vans I have been a part of, but this van seemed to be my best yet. Everyone maintained a positive approach throughout the night and right up until we said goodbye Saturday night. Talk of next year was not just talk and I was actually thinking that next year would be possible. Another aspect of this year being one of my more enjoyable RTB's was the experience from the previous three. Definitely knowing how it works, what to expect and not expect (sleep), help a great deal as you move through the miles. It is hard to believe that it was my fourth RTB, but the years definitely move quickly. Finally I am happy to say that my body held up much better than I could have hoped and I ran far, far better than I anticipated. My first run for 6.8 was along West road in North Conway, which happens to be my favorite route and that run gave me a great deal of confidence heading into the night. My second run was an 8.8 that went out around 2am and while it may have been my slowest time running that particular leg, I did okay and even enjoyed it. I was lucky to find a great woman to run with for a couple of the middle miles and that certainly helped. Finally I dawn my traditional Moose hat and thanks to the energy of the cheers and encouragement, I ran a pretty solid last leg. The moose hat has been a tradition from day one and I believe it is no longer a choice, but despite the additional sweating, I enjoy the response I get when I dawn it. I am glad to have RTB 2014 behind me as I have one less thing to worry about, but it was definitely a great time! Next year will be a conversation for another day, but it will be hard not to go back. I would like to have my wife give me another chance, but we will see. Time to go work on some training plans and other NFLR stuff. Hope you have a great week! Mike