2022 Race Photo Highlihgts

It's been a busy year here at Northeast Adventures, with so few blog posts to show for it. So far. Let's remedy that right now, starting with a selection of some of my favorite race photos from events I shot at this past year. 

Alex Jospe at the Seven Sisters Trail Race in Massachusetts

 

L: Running strong at the Vegan Power 50K Trail Race

R: An iconic moment at the Vermont 100 Ultramarathon

Late afternoon light at Vermont 100

Kids triathlon near Keene, NH

 

Wheeling for Healing in Greenfield, MA

Finishing the New England Green River Marathon

Well-earned relief

Here is a link to the full album: 
https://northeastracephoto.smugmug.com/2022-Races/2022-Highlights/ 

All of the Above Trail Fest

The first weekend in November was WARM this year. I mean, really warm. Which worked out well for the first-year All of the Above Trail Fest at Berkshire East, the ski area in Charlemont, MA. The race started on a ski slope by the lodge and climbed singletrack trail in the woods to the top of Mt. Institute, then wound around all over the place on a mix of singletrack, snowmobile trails, woods roads, and dirt roads. For me it was tough, it was sweaty, and it was a total blast. 

The event was created to promote greater inclusivity in the running community, and it felt great to support that. I’m not sure who all was there, but I know I ran many miles with Tom Davidson, Donna Utakis, and Alex Wirth-Cauchon; was handed my bib by Matt Czaplinski (who also raced); was greeted by Kristin Loiko in full costume; and high-fived my RD pal Amy Rusiecki at the finish. 

finishing the AotA trail run (photo by Jen Garrett)

New Book Press

It's been great to see some recent promo pieces for the new guidebook come out. 

MassUltra (Chris Wristen's amazing passion project, essentially a one-stop shop for all ultra-level trail racing news in New England): https://massultra.com/2022/04/14/pandemic-provided-perfect-opportunity-for-kimball-to-craft-new-trail-running-guidebook/ 

The Greenfield Recorder (story shared with other local media outlets including The Valley Advocate, etc.): https://www.recorder.com/Greenfield-resident-combines-passions-with-books-on-trail-running-45937648 

me, staging a running shot along Greenfield Ridge (photo by Paul Franz for The Greenfield Recorder) 

Also, stay tuned for several sweet podcast episodes, dropping soon! 

The New Book Is Here!

My new guidebook, Trail Running Eastern Massachusetts, is finally in hand! It matches the previous volume very well, and I just love how it looks in general. The official release date is still technically tomorrow (3/31/22), but pre-orders should be showing up now. There are several ways to get copies if you would like one, but why not just order it from your local independent bookseller; everybody wins that way.

The book on the publisher's website: 

www.umasspress.com/9781625346353/trail-running-eastern-massachusetts/ 

How To See The Super-Awesome Full Moon

Important steps you need to take to see the super-deluxe mega-awesome extra-full moon: 

• Figure out which night of any given month the full moon will be on (tip: use a calendar)
• Go outside ON THAT DATE (but make sure it's at night)
• Look at moon
• Watch out for werewolves

Note: For some super-duper overblown occasions, clickbait media will try to convince you that this is the Largest Moon You Will Ever See (since the last Super-Deluxe Extra Mega Full Moon about a month ago), and there may technically be some validity to that, but seriously, think about it for a second and realize that we're basically talking fractions of a nano-size here. The tides aren't suddenly going to sweep the sides of Mt. Everest, nor is the moon going to look like a Death Star coming up over the horizon on the planet Scarif. It's going to to look like the moon, when it's full, which always appears larger when it's right above the horizon. 

Two Months to Go

It's a good feeling. Design, layout, proofing, and final tweaks to my new trail running guidebook are complete and it is officially off to the printers now. Release date is set for just over 2 months from now, and advance hardcopies should arrive well before that. So close now. I'm very pleased with how it came out and can't wait to share it with the local Massachusetts and regional New England running and hiking communities. 

Here is the book's Facebook page on which I plan to post a bunch of cool photos and other media in the coming months: https://www.facebook.com/TrailRunningEasternMA 
(note that this is just a "book" page, not a group or club)

Here are its pages on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble (links open in new windows).

If you're interested, please consider pre-ordering to reserve your copy today and help generate awareness and buzz around the release. You can use the links above or ask a local retailer to order and save a copy. 

Link to an earlier "teaser" post (with lots of pretty pics) from last summer: 
http://benkimballphotography.blogspot.com/2021/07/coming-soon.html 

Seventeen Songs

There’s some writing I need to finish up today, so naturally I spent some time coming up with this totally unrelated list of seventeen favorite new or new-to-me songs I heard this past year: 

YONAKA – Lose Our Heads
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOPVsA6Y2-c 

SAM FENDER – Seventeen Going Under
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAifgn2Cvo8 

HOLLY HUMBERSTONE – The Walls Are Way Too Thin (live)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4_lX5bGssY 

HOLLY HUMBERSTONE – Scarlett
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=982QP-10GcE 
(great growling guitar bit)

BELLY – Human Child
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m9u4rp4afQ
(nostalgia factor 11)

GREEN DAY – Dreaming (cover)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32az2CLr6bo 
(Blondie song cover; he does one of “I Think We’re Alone Now” with his two sons, too) 

BILLY JOE ARMSTRONG – Manic Monday (cover)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5qPCKxlw2M 
(with Susannah Hoffs bouncing around like a teenager, and we all know damn well she’s no teenager)

AC/DC – Through The Mists Of Time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7-bIFDMSFA 

HAZEL ENGLISH – Never Going Home
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgN_OFosKzY 
(also check out "I'm fine" and "Waiting", among others)

SUNFLOWER BEAN – Moment in the Sun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij3FfnVQsWw 

ALVVAYS – Hey 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKMMc_8xaXI 
(also check out "Plimsoll Punks" and "Lollipop" from the same album)

WOLF ALICE – How Can I Make It OK? 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt_TsuBIcGY 
(love the slow build on this one)

TAYLOR SWIFT – All Too Well (10-minute version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRxrwjOtIag&t=214s 
(it’s weirdly good)

ADELE – Easy on Me 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3ASj1L6_sY
(it’s just... well damn if it isn't just really easy on the ears)

MINT JULEP – Some Feel Rain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahcjPAoPwWQ 

LORD HURON – Long Lost
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2JmQ-j0jlc 

PHOEBE BRIDGERS – Steamroller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBgpbiXMfrM 
(“you’re the feeling I get when I’m feeling fine”)