FKT: Barry Howe - Camden Hills (ME) - 2024-04-16

Heading up towards Mt Battie, I felt like my focus was off. I felt uncoordinated and out of breath. Thankfully, I started feeling sharper as I worked my way up Megunticook and was able to move very well down to Maiden Cliffs. Climbing back up from Maiden Cliffs is tough after having just bombed down but I stay focused and was then able to keep moving well to Zeke's lookout and (mostly) down to Mt Cameron. Somehow the mostly downhill trail to Cameron confused me a little and I think I lost some focus here but overall still felt like I was moving well as I tagged Cameron and then pounded my way down the road to the turn-off for Derry and Frohock. Running out to Derry and Frohock was rough. On my way back, I tripped and fell forward pretty hard. Thankfully I landed unhurt on a soft pine needle section of trail but I did slow down a bit afterwards. Climbing up Bald Rock, I really struggled to maintain a good pace and in retrospect I wish I had taken the climb a bit slower so I could have picked up relatively easier speed on the descent. In any case, I made it up and over Bald Rock with my focus largely intact and then had to settle in for running the road/ski trail back to the Ranger station. This section was hard for me and represents the best opportunity for a speedier road runner to gobble up several minutes of time over my FKT. All the same, I gave it my very best effort and arrived at the ranger station feeling like I had given this route my best possible effort on the day.