Along the River and Through the Hills

Had a really nice long run today. Nearly half of it was on roads that I hadn't run on before. Nothing like a little adventure to make things fun. Part of the route paralleled the Saco River, and I was curious to see what it'd look like after yesterday's storm. To my surprise, it was still frozen over at the first bridge. The second bridge looked a bit more as I expected, with high water levels and swift moving water.

I turned right on Saco River Road, which goes through some hay fields, leaving me exposed to some pretty gnarly headwinds for a few miles. Wasn't so bad though, and I actually welcomed it in a way as it quickly evaporated my sweat but at the same time didn't leave me feeling too chilly.

Route then took some back roads where I was afforded more tree cover. Enjoyed a long climb as my direction turned away from the river. Stopped to snap a picture of a babbling brook that was pretty swift moving. Made me look forward to fly fishing season, which is just a few weeks away.

The apex of the climb was at Pleasant Hill. A pretty steep stretch took me to the top, where a little self-contained community existed. It was pretty neat. Never knew about this area before.

From there, hit the dirt roads which were full of ups and downs and led me back up to Deering Ridge, not far from my house. Enjoyed the downhill home. Felt great and strong throughout. Good run.

Ran 20.7 miles @ 8:30/mile pace.
AHR/MHR - 143/167
Paved and dirt roads.
Very hilly.
Upper 20s, partly cloudy, very windy.
Long pants, fleece jacket, long sleeved shirt, short sleeved shirt, refl. vest, beanie, gloves (off and on).