I might become a lumberjack

Because everyone that will be living in get Gallagher house has moved in, the modivation to make improvements to the house has risen. We cleaned out the basement, moved the junk from the garage to outside the garage, and cut down a tree! We cut down the tree because it was dead and preventing the alive tree adjscent to it from growing. I found out from chopping up the tree that chainsaws are very fun and powerful. It's safe to say that I had a grand afternoon. (I was very safe and cautious because Austin told us a story about how he almost sawed off his foot last year.)

Dustin going at it

On Friday, Dustin and Nate had to go to Bangor, so Mitch, Austin and I went candlepin bowling! Candlepin bowling is just like regular bowling except the ball is the size of a grapefruit and the pins look like tall, thick candles.

 

Sunday was the last over distance workout of the year that we got to choose what we do. We choose to go mountain biking in Edmondston, New Brunswick. We have gone there before and the trails are world class, going back was a must. Dustin finally got Austin's bike fixed that I wrote about a month ago. 

On the way to Fort Kent, where we spent the night, we stopped at the MWSC farm house. Welly Ramsey has an extensive garden so we picked some veggies while he was away. While we were there I caught a mouse! We decided not to keep him because we already have 3 fish at home and having a mouse would be just too much responsibility. 

The trails are so great in Edmondston because of the extra things. Like little jumps and pipes they put instead of bridges!

The little kid in me still thrives so naturally I decided to ride through a big puddle as fast as I could. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.

 Austin at a senic view

An interesting tree on the side of the trail

 It easily the best mountain bike ride I've ever gone on, injury free, bike injury free and no Rio incidents!

This week is testing week. We do lots of the same test that my very first blog post was about plus a 3k time trial up Mars Hill and a 15k skate rollerski time trial. These tests will determine how training has gone this summer and what my weakness' are! Check back on Monday for a report on my pain filled week!

Home & Home

It's been a little while since I've posted but it is what it is!

While I was home I started using my brothers road bike which he used to use to get around, but hasn't used  since he moved to college. I took it on a nice triangle loop in greater Portland. I rode from my house to Pineland Farms, across to Wolfe's Neck farm and home again. The ride took me about 3 hours, which isn't bad considering I'm riding a 1970 Raleigh Grand Prix. 

Later that day my father and I went go-carting! It was very exciting and new school beat old school!! That's something that never happens to me so every victory counts. After our two races we went and got lunch at Chicago Dogs, it was a different type of restaurant that makes their own hot dogs. I suggest going there if you're in the Scarborough area.

Thursday I went for another bike ride, except I had company for half of it. My good friend Mitch met me at Thorton Academy, half way on my ride to Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunk. Ever since I can remember I've gone to Goose Rocks Beach every summer because my great aunt rented a beach house there every summer for a month. My father has 2 sister, so each family got a week plus my grandmother also got a week. It is a fact that Goose Rocks Beach is the best beach in the entire world. Undebatable. The sand is so soft and it's never too busy. If you go you also need to go to sinking sand island. Unfortunately a little over a year ago my great aunt passed away and the tradition was no longer. Luck for me, last year my aunt and uncle did rent a house on the same beach but it wasn't the same, close though. Because this would have been the first summer not going, I figured I needed to go. Because I didn't have a car that day I figured it'd be a good idea to make a workout out of it, and I'm extremely happy I did. 

                                  Even though it was a cloudy day it was worth the 4 hour ride

                               The ride home looking out onto the Scarborough marsh

That night my grandmother took me out to Boone's fish house for the best swordfish I had ever had in my entire life.

The day before I left I went for a rollerski with my middle school coach Mark Arienti. It was good to talk about the days when I was a wee lad. 

Later that day my grandmother took my brother out again to the Royal River Grillhouse in Yarmouth. It's a favorite spot of my because the food is always extremely good.

Back in the Aroostoock we started the training week strong with some bounding intervals.

Was nice to be home in Portland but it's also hard for me personally to train by myself. Being back in the county feels awesome and I can't wait to put the nose to the grindstone during the fall and get fit!