by Julie Millard Most runners have a love-hate relationship with the sport, but we are often inspired by our training partners, who get us out the door even on the toughest days. In recent years, my most faithful running companions have been lovely ladies with four legs and infinite enthusiasm. My current trail buddy is Lily, a young Border Collie, who is always up for an adventure. On Memorial Day weekend we made the trip to Pineland Farms for the Canicross 5k. This race was part of the new Pineland Farms Trail Festival-- a lot like the old Trail Running Festival but under new management by Back40Events!
Canicross (canine cross country) is a legitimate sport with its origins in keeping sled dogs fit during the off season. It differs from just running with your dog in that the human wears a waist belt, the canine wears a harness, and the team is tethered together by a bungee. During a competition, the length of the bungee becomes important so that it doesn’t impede other runners. At Pineland, there was no official equipment check, but the sport can be quite serious, with a Border Collie/Whippet mix named Bailey leading her human (former Olympian Anthony Famiglietti) to 3:59 mile in 2019 (according to Runner’s World). I had no idea what to expect of this event, having previously only participated in the longer races at Pineland as an individual. When we arrived at the venue, the clearing was filled with teams of varying sizes, colors, and shapes- from a 13-pound Jack Russell with her 66-year-old partner to the greyhound-and-human pair who would lead the field with a sub-14 that day. I knew that I would be the weak link in our duo, but Lily’s enthusiasm for greeting the competition reassured me that being in the middle of the pack would be fine with her. As the pre-race clock counted down, the excitement seemed to build, with lots of barking and baying. Teams were spread out at the start, but the course rapidly funneled into a narrow trail after a relatively sharp downhill turn, making it quite easy to slip or get tripped up by someone else’s bungee. (I speak from personal experience.) In future, I would definitely start closer to the back to avoid a tangle. All the dogs seemed to understand what to do- just follow the pack! Although the sport can be quite complicated with several recommended voice commands, I relied on the standard “Leave it,” “Go go go,” and “Good job”! Some dogs pulled up sharply for emergency potty breaks or to drink from a puddle, and it was important to be on the alert for a dog crossing over into one’s lane. (This annoys me immensely when humans do it during a race, but my tolerance was much higher for my canine competitors.) Several times Lily made the rookie mistake of looking over her shoulder, but I attribute this to race inexperience! There were a few mouth breathers- the kind that make you tired just hearing them- but they seemed to drop back once we hit the second half of the course, which was a fairly steady uphill. Amazingly, Lily and I were 21st place in a field of about 70 teams, but the reward of having her tired out for the rest of the day was the biggest accomplishment of all! If you have a furry friend who loves other dogs, I highly recommend checking out a Canicross event. Lily and I will probably be there! Members had so much fun at the club's first online trivia event that they demanded another trivia night. As part of the winning team from the first event, Julie Millard graciously volunteered to host and provide the questions this time around. Although many members struggled with their knowledge of Maine Olympians, Brian Morin, Amy Stabins, and Alicia Wilcox pulled out the win and earned themselves each a new Central Maine Striders pint glass.
We're not sure when, but we promise that there will be a third Striders trivia night. You should join us! Just a reminder that you can purchased Central Maine Striders shirts, singlets, and hats at Joseph's Sporting Goods in Waterville. Click here to download the pricing sheet.
To order, you can call Joseph's at (207) 660-6676, or stop by their store at 146 Kennedy Memorial Drive in Waterville.
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Central Maine Striders weren't able to have their annual year-end social this year. As a way to foster some kind of social spirit amongst the members of the club, Club President Ryan Goebel hosted an online trivia night after the December 15th Striders monthly meeting. The 25 questions were all running-related, with topics ranging from Striders history to movies about running to songs with running in them. Although some may say that the random algorithm that Zoom used to divide the teams wasn't very fair, the "Running With The Dogs" team (Julie Millard, Ron Peck, Pat Guerette, and Rob Krickus) came out on top of "The Mainiacs" (Alicia Wilcox, Tom & Lynda McGuire, and Drew McCormick) and "Posterior Cross Bite" (Deb Violette, Sapan Bhatt, Shanon Delaney, Brian Morin, and Kate Scott). Although Julie Millard proved to have some impressive Striders historical knowledge, no one could have guessed that it would be Ron Peck's knowledge of the song "Run" by Korean boy band superstars "BTS" that held onto the win on the final question of the night.
Thanks to everyone who participated. We already have plans for a second trivia night coming soon.
Jordan, thanks for everything you've given our club. It's been an honor and a pleasure getting to know you. We will miss the excitement and positive energy that you brought to all of our club events. And we hope that you wear your Striders beanie with this much joy in Minnesota too!
After a brief hiatus, everyone's favorite jog into the past is back! In this edition of Running Backwards, we're heading back to the year 1990. As many years do, 1990 started off with a quick summary of 1989. Just think, these guys thought 1989 was a strange year. Obviously, they hadn't experienced 2020 yet! Also, Ron Paquette, Donnajean Pohlman, and Gene Roy got their photo taken with a guy that is almost Chuck Norris. Throughout the year, there were several mentions of Maine running magazines and newsletters that were ceasing publication. Maine Running and Outing Magazine seemed to be the biggest one to call it quits that year. I'm not sure what's harder to believe: That there were so many publications about Maine running back then or that so many were stopping circulation BEFORE the internet became widely available later that decade. Although he's no longer a member of the Striders, David McIntyre still pays attention to the Central Maine running scene and recently showed up at our Fall Classic 10k and took some very nice videos of the leading pack. I'm not sure which publication this "Town Line" was reprinted from, but it's a really nice article about Doc and Mardie Brown. It's too bad that myself and many of our younger members never got a chance to meet them, since they seem like truly amazing people. And personally, I was excited to read that they had a house rabbit. (For those of you that don't know, the current club president has two house rabbits).
Talking about legends, Joan Benoit Samuelson showed up multiple times in the 1990 Interval newsletters. Below she is pictures with a couple Striders legends. In 1990, the Striders issued their first "computer generated" newsletter. We told you the Striders were a big deal back then! Current members Anne-Marie and Rick Davee were featured in a "Meet Our Members" article in the July-August issue of the Interval in 1990. The legendary Roy family were featured on the front page of the September 1990 Interval. Some 1990 "updates" on a few guys that are still members today: It was nice to see a little write up about some of the Striders ladies in the Interval. Current Strider Linda Benn was amongst a group of them that took a trip to Boston to run in the Tufts 10k. Gene Roy put together a pretty good group for a winter weekend run. We can't wait for this Covid thing to finish so we can get back to some club group runs! I told you the club was big back then! For comparison, we currently have 75 memberships (which is up from 60 last year), and we hosted two races (the January Thaw and the Fall Classic 10k). Check out the planned 1991 race calendar below. Wowsers! That's a lot of club races! Also, look how many club members were willing to be race directors (hint, hint... anyone?). And to end this edition of Running Backwards, here's proof that our membership fees are still a great value. In 1990, a membership cost $12 and stamps were 25 cents. Here in 2020/2021, club membership is $20 and stamps are 55 cents. In case you are rusty on your math, club memberships have risen only 67% in the last 30 years, while stamps have risen by 120%. That's all for this edition of Running Backwards. Thanks for jogging along all the way to the finish line!
Are you interested in purchasing some Central Maine Striders gear?
We've partnered with Joseph's Sporting Goods in Waterville for some exciting new Striders apparel. They'll have Striders short and long sleeve tech tees, singlets, hoodies, and hats available for ordering. Click here to download the pricing sheet. To order, you can call Joseph's at (207)660-6676, or stop by their store at 146 Kennedy Memorial Drive in Waterville. It's getting to be that time of year again. The temperatures are dropping and 2021 is approaching. That also means that it's time to renew your membership for 2021. Also, memberships for anyone who joins now will be valid through December 31, 2021.
Keep in mind that membership benefits include: - Membership for your entire household - Being part of the oldest, active running club in Maine - Subscription to our e-newsletter, The Interval - Discount on entry to local road races, including the January Thaw 4.5-Mile Road Race, Central Maine Striders Fall Classic 10k, Doc & Mardie 5k, Quarry Road Summer Race Series, and Save Your Breath 5k. - Discounted or free Central Maine Striders gear - And more benefits coming soon! Go to www.centralmainestriders.com/join for more info and the link to join. |
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