A Day of Firsts

[image credit Greencastle Flyers running club]

On Saturday for the first time is probably 7 or 8 years I ran a road race; this one was a local 5 miler, the 2013 Martin's Mill Covered Bridge Challenge.  I only ever run trail races nowadays, and very few of them.  But this race was close and I just felt like it.  Plus it crosses the now-closed-to-traffic bridge at about Mile 4, which is way cool.

When I looked over the app I noticed that for the first time I would fall into the last age group, 61-69.  The last age group.  Now, that's a bit disconcerting.

The final first this day was that I managed to actually win said age group, with a smoking hot time--wait for it--of a mere 45+ minutes!  My shoes practically ignited from the friction. 

Of, course, the depth of the 61-69 field was small; in fact, I don't recall seeing any other old guys around, so maybe I was the age group. 

Nevertheless, I am happy to admit that it was a cool experience to snag the trophy.  The victory was all the sweeter because I was able to share it with my good running buddy Jody, who unexpectedly showed up to run the race with me. So technically I had a pacer--hope they don't strip me of the trophy when this gets out!

 

Where I Run: The Southern PA Iron and Railroad Company

A couple of weeks ago I posted about one of my road routes from the house along the appropriately named Stone Bridge Road.

That same route also contains evidence of the former Southern Pennsylvania Iron and Railroad Company right of way, and a bridge that I've blogged about previously, here (where I have a couple additional photos at bridge level). 

This is an abandoned Pratt Through Truss bridge (circa 1896) over Conococheague Creek:

[Image credit: a way cool site called Bridgehunter]

 

 

A couple of miles further west the railroad right of way runs through what now is a pasture.  The embankment is largely gone, but the farmer wisely saved a small bridge that carried the railroad across a small stream:

 

 

[Image credit Gary]

 

 

Last view is just of the abandoned grade of the railroad, right near the Stone Bridge:

 

 

[Image credit Gary.  This section, unfortunately, is on private ground that is posted with No Trespassing signs]

 

 

Where I Run: Stone Bridge

One of my road routes from the house is along the appropriately named Stone Bridge Road--so named for the 2-arched limestone bridge that there crosses the East Branch of the Conococheague Creek:

View from the downstream side

View from the upstream side

These images show that there is a modern, two-lane concrete bridge superstructure superimposed upon the underlying original 1-lane, 2-arch limestone bridge. 

Most people know little of the underpinnings of society--what makes things work--and I suspect this bridge falls into the same category.  I doubt whether even half the people who use it every day even know that they are driving on an antique (but fully functional) structure.

This is what the circa-1850 bridge would have looked like originally.  This photo is of the nearby Social Island Road bridge, from a way cool site called Bridgehunter:

 

Where I Run: Abandoned Railroad Truss Bridge

This "through truss" bridge is about 3 miles from my home, crossing the Conococheague Creek.  It once carried the line of the Southern Pennsylvania Iron and Railway Company from near Marion, PA to Mercersburg and thence to Richmond Furnace, PA.  From the east:

And a bit closer....

[preceding photos by Gary]

This railroad through truss bridge was built around 1896 and abandoned around 1973, according to local bridge aficionado Jodi Christman:

Southern Pennsylvania Iron and Railway Company built this bridge as part of the railroad with a mission to connect to ore lands where new furnaces were built. Richmond Furnace, being one of the furnaces, unfortunately turned into an expensive disappointment. Later in the 1950s there was a surge on this railway as additional tunnels for the Pennsylvania Turnpike were built. I believe the railroad closed in 1973, but I am not certain. SOURCE-"Railroads of Western Franklin County" by Randy Watts

Jodi's site contains maps, coordinates, and many additional photos.

I've run across this bridge a few times, most recently about two years ago when PENNDOT was rebuilding the auto bridge 1/2 mile north and the creek was just too high to ford.

 

Running on NC's Outer Banks

Juts back from our annual vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Little time to write now other than to say I ran a great 13 miler from our rental house in South Nags Head, south down Route 12, across the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, then some 4 miles further south to where the bride picked me up at a prearranged time.  Here are a couple aerial shots of the bridge (photo credit here):