Van Buren, Maine

I decided that the product in my head required entirely too much time to research, much less write about.  Running was getting kind of lost.  So I decided to make a change away from the in depth city profiles and focus on running.  I will tip my cap to the cities as I pass through with a much reduced profile and some pictures.  I will also beef up the linkage to the city sites.  The focus, though, is going to come much more around to running.

The gap in posts is due to A.)time, and B.) my three year old decided it would be a good idea to get up at three am three nights in a row and refuse to go back to bed.  I have still managed, though bleary eyed, to get out there.  Three recovery and four tempo.

I wrote this on July 31^st.

Yesterday I was ruled by heat, pain, and general exhaustion.  Today I was in control.  There was never a question of how am I going to finish this.  I controlled the pain with an efficient stride, I controlled the heat with an earlier run, I controlled the exhaustion with a better pre run meal.  I didn’t let anything stop me today; not even getting to Van Buren.  I never stopped, right through the center of town, continuing on US 1, ending five and a half miles into the trip to Caribou.

Van Buren, Maine

By the numbers Van Buren is an exceedingly small town 2,300.  The median income here is just over 20,000 with house values on the rise, but the median value is in the low 70,000’s.  All of maps make it look downright provincial.  So does Google Maps.  According to their website, I am a week early…

The Fort Kent – Van Buren Muskie Tournament is next weekend!  Three day fishing tournament going after some really big fish.  42” 18 pounds won last year’s tournament.  There is also a $10,000 cash prize and a $25,000 draw prize for the first 300 entrants.  Almost makes me want to take up fishing.  Associated with this tournament is a Ploy Festival and street dancing.

For a town that is so small they have a pretty extensive website.  Including a large promotion of their downtown that states they have “tasteful signs.”  I wonder what brought that phrase to their website.  

I think shrinking the scope will improve the quality...At least that is the plan.