Being up in Maine near family is fantastic, because my mother and mother-in-law have been watching the boys in the breakfast hours so I can go for my runs. They’re not short runs, either. The Run Less, Run Faster half marathon plan has me running about an hour and fifteen minutes for each of my two short runs this week, and longer for my long run. Add in a stretch, a shower, and the time it takes before leaving to disengage myself from my gorgeously captivating coffee children, and it’s like a two hour commitment. I will miss having help from family when I’m back in Massachusetts trying to squeeze a run in before Greg leaves for work, or running in the heat because no babysitter is coming at 7 a.m. for me!
In just over a week, I’ve already gotten 4 runs in up in Maine, totaling over 25 miles. Here’s what I’ve learned about running in Maine.
Scenic, small roads: They’re windy, they’re gorgeous, there are trees on either side and cute little antique cars parked out front, and you almost never see another car or pedestrian. Perfect… except….
Deer Flies: The more scenic, remote, and wooded an area is… the more deer flies. Do not take that adorable, recently paved for lake-goers road that meanders through wood and vale unless you are COVERED IN BUG REPELLANT. That said, grab the bug repellant and go for it. You’re going to go home and shower anyway, so lay on the sunscreen while you’re at it.
Dogs: Those nice scenic roads out in the middle of nowhere probably don’t get very many pedestrians or non-local traffic. So it’s pretty safe… for dogs. At least that’s what some dog owners seem to think, because I’ve had two encounters with dogs so far in Maine who weren’t on leashes or the invisible fence. Friendly? Luckily. Disconcerting? YES. I did some reading after my first scare, and the most common advice I saw was to stop and stand still if a dog comes after you. Don’t give them anything interesting to chase! If you’re actually attacked, lie in the fetal position face down to protect your face and torso. Don’t stare or act aggressive, that could make a threatened dog MORE likely to attack. I never worried about dogs in Massachusetts, where population density makes it more necessary for everyone to have their dogs safely confined to their yards. (Greg has had some issues with unleashed dogs and ambivalent owners on trails, but that’s another story.)
Major Roadways:
Some benefits of running on major routes: I never thought I’d be the type to run in the breakdown lane of a major route with a 50 mile per hour speed limit, but it has some benefits. The road is long, without many street lights or intersections that require stopping or watching for turning traffic. There are many fewer bugs than you find on side streets. Out and back runs are easy ways to run for miles without getting lost in a new destination. I’m more likely to have cell phone reception than on a back road in Maine. If I did get in trouble and didn’t have cell phone reception, there are a lot of people driving by that I could hopefully flag down.
Hazards: There are some BIG trucks going by, and they go FAST. The breakdown lanes are pretty large, and I tend to hop off the tarmac onto the grassy area when a large truck is coming, but it’s still disconcerting. Twice I’ve had my hat blown off my head from the draft following a large truck. (The draft comes about 5 seconds after the truck has actually passed you, that’s when you want to tilt your head down or grab your hat with one hand.) I sometimes worry that someone will try to pass a left-turning car by going into the breakdown lane, and I won’t see them coming in time. I also worry when there’s a guard rail, which would make it harder for me to jump out of a cars way. These fears have been reduced by wearing bright colors, and by watching traffic carefully. The cars are going fast, but I have great visibility running opposite traffic, and I can easily get over if someone is turning or a large truck is coming. Break down lanes are wide. People turning out of driveways or off side streets are extremely rare (which is how I’ve come closest to being hit by a car in Massachusetts). So I’m going to keep holding onto my hat with one hand, and running Route 25 West until I hit the Limington Rapids. Ahhh, gorgeous.
