Queen of the hill ...

Marti Shea, to use one of my brother Sean's quaint colloquialisms, is a "device." The Manchester, NH, native isn't just going strong at 47, she's shattering long-held notions of what women can do past their 40th birthdays. Now based in Marblehead, Mass., Shea is a personal trainer and strength coach, when she's not riding her bike straight up hills. I profiled Shea recently for the Boston Globe. That story can be found here. Below is the unabridged version.

Queen of the Hill
Former runner Marti Shea finds her niche in cycling

There was no way Marti Shea was missing the Allen Clark Memorial Time Trial in Vermont last Sunday. The Marblehead cyclist held a razor thin 3-point lead in the BUMPS Challenge (Bike Up the Mountain Point Series), even though she had defeated Kristen Gohr, the second place rider, in four races this summer. The BUMPS scoring system, said Shea, worked unfairly against her. That ticked her off, which was bad news for Gohr. The last thing any racer wants to do is have Shea angry.

"It's crazy. I've beaten her by three minutes up Mount Washington, 2½ minutes up Equinox, and 2½ minutes up Ascutney," said Shea before the series' penultimate race at Mount Greylock in Massachusetts, when she actually trailed Gohr in the standings. "The three times we've met head-to-head, I've crushed her. How can you beat someone three out of three times and still lose to them? I don't get it."

So Shea took matters into her own hands, winning at Mount Greylock in September, and then dominating the Allen Clark race up Vermont's Appalachian Gap. To put an exclamation mark on that win, she set a new course record of 26:46, shattering the old record (set by Gohr, coincidentally) by 80 seconds.

"I felt great," said Shea.

And, oh yeah, she's 47. The feisty, 5-foot-4 blonde who talks as fast as she rides simply crackles with energy. And she has a remarkable gift for denying gravity. Last year, she won the inaugural BUMPS Challenge, earning the moniker Queen of the Mountain. This past summer, she won both bike races up the Northeast's highest peak, the Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb in August, and Newton's Revenge in July. In between her Greylock and Allen Clark victories, she finished second in the Everest Challenge, which features more than 29,000 feet of climbing in two days of racing in California and Nevada.

"I'm bummed to say I took second place both days behind a 24-year-old pro rider," said Shea. "But I did give her a hard time on both days."

When it comes to competition, Shea is an undeniable force of nature. Want proof? Entering her second cycling stage race ever this past September, Shea convinced race organizers and USA Cycling officials to upgrade her license so she could race against the pro riders. She finished 11th overall, despite he fact that she had never raced a criterium, which was the final stage.

"It went out so freaking hard," said Shea of the crit. "I somehow managed to get on the end of it, for eight laps. All these girls are getting dropped all around me, and I'm telling myself, 'Don't give up, don't give up.'

"It wasn't the smoothest, but I finished with the leaders."

Shea has always been hyper-competitive, dating back to her days as a high school student at Manchester Memorial in New Hampshire. "Marti Shea? I played soccer against her," says MaryEllen Stergiou, who graduated from Manchester Central. "She was a beast."

Shea laughs when she hears Stergiou's comment. She was a five-sport athlete at Memorial – soccer and cross-country in the fall, basketball in the winter, and track and softball in the spring – until the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association adopted a one sport/one season rule. Shea's competitive gene, she said, comes from her father, William "Willy" Shea, who was a ball-hawking guard for St. Joseph's (now Trinity High) basketball team in Manchester.

"Willy was an outstanding guard," said William Pare, who now lives in Maryland. "The basketball coach at St. Joe's at the time was Doddie Healy, and when asked what an aspiring kid should do to learn how to play basketball, he'd simply say 'Watch Willy Shea.' Which was amazing, since Willy was very short for a guard."

At 5-foot-4, Shea's daughter is also small in stature, but with a big engine. A gifted all-around athlete, she concentrated on track "because I thought I'd get further with that." She was right, parlaying her high school accomplishments into an athletic scholarship at Boston University, where she ran the 3K, 5K and 10K, indoors and out, as well as cross-country. After earning her bachelor's degree in K-12 physical education, and a master's in education, Shea continued running as a sponsored athlete for Nike, while starting her own personal-training business, Select Fitness in Marblehead. She also participated in the 1988 Olympic trials, an eye-opening experience.

"There was really a lot of drug use, a lot of people making big teams doing stuff. And I didn't want to go down that route," said Shea. "I felt like I had reached my potential naturally, I wasn't going t get much faster. I was a high 32:50 10K runner. Back then, the Olympic time was about a 30:30. If I could have knock off another minute, that would have been phenomenal. Anything under 32 was exceptional. But that wasn't going to happen, not without doing something I didn't want to do."

Instead, Shea turned her focus to the marathon trails in 1992, but foot and knee problems became increasingly more chronic. "My dad told me a long time ago, you only have so many races in the tank. You can only go to the well so many times, and then you don't want to do it anymore," she said. "I remember him saying, 'You're going to grow up and you'll know when it's time to quit.' I felt like that in running. I remember doing a track workout, and thinking, I don't want to do this. Something just snapped."

So Shea hung up her running shoes, and got on with her life. "In all honesty, I felt like I needed a break from competing," she said. "I had been competing since I was 15. I just needed some time. I still loved running, but I was tired of having to push myself so hard. I missed sports. I wasn't doing anything else when I was running. So when I stopped, I took up windsurfing, snowboarding, mountain biking. I had a blast doing a bunch of other stuff."

It proved to be a real transitional period in Shea's life. She got divorced, entered into a new long-term relationship, and started putting more energy into her business. However, working as a personal trainer brought She into constant contact with athletes, and one started talking up the Mount Washington bike races. At the age of 44, with an arthritic right knee that prevented her from running, even for fun, Shea thought cycling was a good fit. Plus, she felt a spark again.

"Part of the reason I did it was to see, 'What can I do? Am I never going to be a great athlete anymore? Is this it? Is it over? I wanted to wee if I could still do it, still perform at a high level," she said. "It was really for fun. I love challenges. That's why Mount Washington became a goal. I wanted to show that I was still fit, that that I could still do it."

Sponsored by her husband Joe Tonon's Destination Cycling business, Shea entered the Mount Washington race in 2006, and came in third, with a time of 1:11:40, only three minutes off the winning mark. Last year, she finished second, and this year she won the women's category outright.

"I think I'm breaking some boundaries here. I feel like I'm really making a statement for older women, that it is possible for us to do these things," she said. "It's great. I'm totally intrigued by it, because I'm surprising myself. I believe in my heart that I can compete against these younger girls, but it's one thing to say it, an it's another thing to prove it."

Once again, as she did in high school and college, Shea is letting her results do the talking. She won the very first stage race she ever entered – the Killington Stage Race in Vermont last May – and now has two BUMPS titles on her resume. With the help of sponsors such as Cervelo bicycles, Laser helmets and Fit Werx of Peabody, Shea plans to take her talents to the road-racing arena next year, and will compete in several major stage races, including the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico and Cascade Cycling Classic in Oregon.

"To me, it's like a second chance. This is the twilight of my career," she said. "I have no idea how long I can compete at this level. I'm definitely making a commitment for two years. If I still have the ability to compete against young girls who are 25, 26, I'll keep going. I'll keep going as long as I can."

Her experience at the Everest Challenge, where she finished second to 24-year-old Kathryn Donovan, was both a wake-up call, and an inspiration. "She is the real deal," said Shea. "She came in 10th overall in the Gila and Cascade, so that tells me the work I have cut out for myself to raise the performance bar over the next eight months."

Given her track record, it wouldn't be wise to bet against Marti Shea. "I'm a wicked tough competitor. I love to win, I hate to lose," she said. "But I also love the process of getting to that goal as much as attaining that goal."

FINIS

Drop the puck!

I always look forward to Hockey East's Media Day, because its the milepost that indicates that the college hockey season is right around the corner. This year, I covered the festivities for ESPNBoston.com. The main feature can be found here, with the accompanying Notebook posted here. Below, you can find both. Full props to Steven King of Icon SMI for this great shot of Boston College netminder John Muse.

Defending champs tabbed as nation's No. 1
BC faces tall task of repeating, gunning for third crown in four years

Make no mistake. Boston College hockey coach Jerry York knows exactly the odds he's up against this season as his Eagles (29-10-3 overall last year; 16-8-3 Hockey East) look to defend the national crown they won last spring. Minnesota (2002-03) and Denver (2004-05) were each able to repeat earlier this decade, but an East Coast squad hasn't won back-to-back championships since Boston University turned the trick in1971 and 1972.

That hasn't discouraged the pundits, who pegged York's Eagles as the overwhelming preseason favorite in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll. BC garnered 28 of 34 first place votes and 504 points, easily outdistancing North Dakota (4 first-place votes, 462 points). Hockey East coaches agreed, giving the Eagles the top spot with a virtual unanimous vote (York cannot vote for BC).

"That's the best hockey team I've seen in a long, long time," said Northeastern coach Greg Cronin. "They could get 40 wins."

But for York, the memory of a lackluster 2008-09 season (18-14-5, no NCAA bid) on the heals of BC's 2008 championship is still fresh. The same thing happened to York's Eagles after their 2001 title run, when they responded with an 18-18-2 mark, and again missed the NCAA cut.

On Wednesday, though, York looked cool, calm and composed during the Hockey East Media Day at TD Bank Garden in Boston. The No. 1 ranking, he said, is simply "an indication that we have a lot of good players."

Like their cross-town rivals Boston University, the BC Eagles don't rebuild as much as they re-load. The leadership void created by the loss of senior captains Matt Price, Ben Smith and Matt Lombardi is expected to be filled capably by seniors Joe Whitney and Brian Gibbons, and junior Tommy Cross. Add senior goaltender John Muse, who already lists two national championships (2008 and 2010) on his glittering collegiate resume, and the Eagles have the players that can crack the whip.

"Obviously, we'll get everybody's best game, every night," said Muse. "I think our guys have prepared this summer. At the end of the day, it will all come down to how hard we work, and how much fun we'll have."

As for coming into each game with a bull's-eye, Muse replied: "When you come to Boston College, there's the expectation to win every year. So I don't think we'll get worn down by expectations."

York concurred, saying that his players understand that Boston College is never a date that opponents look past. Though the coach prefers to nurture his team during the course of the season, allowing younger players time to develop and mature, he knows the No. 1 ranking brings added pressure from the first drop of the puck this year.

"We're accustomed to that," said York. "We also have high expectations. Now it's time to tee it up."

York can afford to be eager. Cross, the highly regarded blueliner (a Boston Bruin draft pick), is finally healthy, and York expects the junior to have a breakout season. Cross heads a young defensive corps that made huge strides last year (Brian Dumolin led Hockey East with an astounding plus-40 rating as a freshman). Muse and goaltending partner Parker Milner shore up the goal. And up front, the Eagles return their top three scorers, and seven of their top nine, from a team that outshot opponents 33 to 26½ per game, and outscored them 171 to 104, last season. Leading that Magnificent Seven are junior Cam Atkinson (53 points), and senior captains Gibbons (50), and Whitney (45).

And more reinforcements are on the way. York's incoming class, with three NHL draft picks, including first-rounder Kevin Hayes (Chicago), is again rock solid, despite the loss of NHL draft pick Cody Ferriero (San Jose) to Northeastern. Ferriero won't have to wait long to get a close look at the team he spurned, as the Eagles and Huskies clash at Northeastern in the season opener on Saturday, Oct. 9. NU's Cronin knows his Huskies will have their hands full.

"BC has so much returning talent," said Cronin. "So much firepower."

York, however, isn’t making predictions. He expects another season-long battle in Hockey East play, pinpointing Maine (ranked No. 2 in the coaches poll), New Hampshire, Boston University and Merrimack as teams he's particularly concerned with. Asked to handicap his team's chances of repeating as NCAA champs, York opted to hold his hand close to the vest. "That's a question that has to be answered in late April," said the coach who has the second most wins (850) in college hockey history.

But York made the statement with the confident air of a man who expects to be there when the final cards are dealt.

NOTEBOOK
BOSTON - While Boston College is looking to defend its national title, here's a look at Hockey East's other Boston-area schools following media day on Wednesday:

Boston University
Legendary BU bench boss Jack Parker has seen plenty of surprises in his 37 seasons at the helm of the Terrier program, but few could have prepared the 65-year-old for the shock he got late last July. Parker went into the hospital to have a stent implant, but left after having quadruple bypass surgery on his heart.

"I feel fine," said Parker on Wednesday. "I was all blocked up. They say I'll have more energy, now that everything's flowing again."

Which leaves the Terrier coach, who has more wins (834) at a single institution than any other hockey coach in NCA history, itching to get back on the ice. He also has a team that he's excited about, despite losing five of last year's top six scorers (only 31-point man Chris Connelly returns).

"We have 17 freshmen and sophomores on the roster, so we're very, very young," said Parker. "It's quite a turnaround from the championship season of two years ago." This coming season, the Terriers must make due without the bruising presence of Eric Gryba (the school's all-time penalty minute record holder), slick puck-moving defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (who left a year early to pursue his pro career with the Colorado Avalanche), and feisty forward Nick Bonino. The loss of Bonino, a face-off specialist who was critical to BU's success when he was healthy, may loom largest, but Parker wants to make certain his gifted-but-young blueliners continue to mature.

"Our biggest concern will be on defense," he said. "The only guy (on defense) back from the championship team is David Warsofsky, but he's a hell of a player."

A talented junior goaltender tandem of Kieran Millan and Grant Rollheiser return from last year's 18-17-3 squad as well. Also keep an eye on the freshmen forwards, led by NHL draft picks Charlie Coyle (San Jose) and Yasin Cisse (Atlanta). "It'll be interesting. I think it's a terrific (incoming) class," said Parker. "We expect two or three forwards to be very important right out of the gate. And from what we've seen in practice, we can expect a lot of them."

Merrimack College
The Warriors have one of the league's most gifted offensive threats in sophomore Stephane Da Costa, who ran away with the league's Rookie of the Year honors last season after tallying 45 points on 16 goals and 29 assists. However, like BC, Merrimack coach Mark Dennehy (an Eagle alum) must prevent his charges from being simply happy with getting to the Hockey East playoffs. "We took huge steps, but we didn't achieve a lot of our goals," said Dennehy. "Complacency won't be part of our vocabulary."

To make inroads, and possibly gain home-ice advantage in the Hockey East playoffs, the Warriors must improve on last season's woeful 4-16-1 road record. "What it comes down to is confidence," he said. "We know we're good enough. Now we have to take that on the road."

A key could well be the play of junior goalie Joe Cannata. "I think Joe Cannata is floating under everybody's radar," said Dennehy. "I think he's one of the best goalies in the league. And when the lights are shining brightest, he's at his best."

Northeastern
Woe to any Husky who thinks coach Greg Cronin won't be breathing fire this season. The Huntington Hounds missed the Hockey East playoffs last year on the last game of the season, a short 12 months after one of the program's most successful campaigns of recent vintage.

Sophomore netminder Chris Rawlings will have another year under his belt, and if he can mirror the same improvements he showed last season, NU will be set in goal. The incoming freshmen class, which includes forward Cody Ferriero, who spurned Boston College, looks promising as well, with a quartet of towering defensemen, Jake Hoeffler (6-foot-5, 210), Jamie Oleksiak (6-foot-7, 240), Luke Eibler (6-foot-2, 180), and Anthony Bitetto (6-foot-2, 200).

"Those guys are going to be critical," said Cronin. "I'm tired of being small. We've got to make sure we're defending our net."

Up front, Cronin expects typical tenacious Northeastern hockey from his upperclassmen forwards, especially captain Tyler McNeely and fellow senior Wade MacLeod, as well as talented sophomore Steve Quailer, who was granted a medical red shirt after a season-ending injury last fall.

UMass-Lowell
So, who's left to play defense for the River Hawks? UMass-Lowell coach Blaise MacDonald acknowledges that the conventional wisdom is to build from the net out, but the reality is that he lost his top two goaltenders and four top defensemen from last year's 19-16-4 squad. Perhaps UML's best defense will be a strong offense.

"I think we can roll out 12 really good forwards," said Riverhawk coach Blaise MacDonald. "Our forwards are faster and better than last year."

MacDonald said he'll rely heavily on the leadership of his four captains, and especially senior center Scott Campbell.

UMass-Amherst
Coach Donald "Toot" Cahoon lost his two most potent offensive players from last year's squad when James Marcou and Casey Wellman turned pro. "We've got 13 freshmen," said Cahoon. "We're the youngest team in college hockey. We're the great unknown."

"But I love the character of our kids,' he said. "The joy of this is that it's fresh. I'll have their attention."

FINIS

Thirty miles to glory

An epic accomplishment by my new friend, Davis Lee, who succeeded in his quest to conquer the English Channel. My account in last week's Boston Globe can be found here. Below is the unabridged version, accompanied by a stunning photo from Lisa Poole.

Thirty miles to glory

So, Davis Lee, you've finished your long-anticipated solo swim across the English Channel. What's next? According to the 35-year-old nuclear physicist from Newburyport, that's a question that requires reflection.

"I'm not sure if I've exorcised whatever demons made me want to do it, but perhaps it's all still a little too surreal," said Lee after his 12-hour, 41-minute swim from Dover, England, to Calais, France, last week. "I think one needs to stand on the cliffs of Dover and look into the distance, the cold, gray, rough water, with tons of shipping traffic, to even start to comprehend the absurdity of the task."

Lee was joined in England by his two-year-son Oliver, and his wife, Katharine, who is expecting the couple's second child in November, as well as his coach, Andrew Soracco, and his brother, Timothy Lee. Having a solid support crew was a comfort, though it didn't offset all the obstacles thrown at Lee. His anticipated swim date was delayed for two days. When he finally got the green light, it came at 1 a.m. Lee learned his start time six hours earlier, so he'd been awake for 16 hours by the time he stepped into the murky waters off Shakespeare Beach.

And he was already cold. The swashbuckling crew aboard his pilot boat, the Sea Satin, were below deck "guzzling tea and chain-smoking," said Lee. So the first-time channel swimmer had to choose between staying above deck, and getting chilled, or keeping warm below deck and risk nausea from the secondhand smoke. With high humidity, the salt air felt as cold as the water, he said, and swimming at night was "really, really freaky."

"The first hour was very calm, the next eight were very rough," Lee said. Worse, the tide changed just a few miles off the coast of France, turning the channel into "a washing machine."

"There were times, both early on and later on in the swim, when it was just dark, figuratively and literally," said Lee. "I wasn't going to allow myself to give up before I got to France, but if they pulled me from the water, I don't think I would have minded."

Even stepping onto French soil, after swimming 31.6 statute miles, was a bit anticlimactic. "I wish I could say it was amazing, with fireworks going off," said Lee after his first day back at Axcelis Technologies in Beverly. "But I was just spent. I was cold. I'd been awake for more than 30 hours. There was nothing left there to feel."

"And once you get out (on the French coast), you have to swim back to the boat to go back to England. That was probably the longest 300 yards of my life."

Reunited with his family in Dover, Lee grabbed a pint at The White Horse, a pub named after the channel's whitecaps that are said to resemble horses. The walls and ceilings are littered with signatures of successful channel swimmers.

"One of my favorites, because I could relate, had the name, time, date, and just said 'It was bloody horrible,'" said Lee. Lee took a similar tact, finding a spot on a ceiling beam above the bar, and signing his name, date, time, and adding, simply, "It was cold."

This week, Lee said he finally feels normal again. "I've forgotten a lot of the pain. The saltwater has been rinsed from my mouth. If you gargle saltwater for 13 hours, your mouth is destroyed."

Still, the question remains: What's the next challenge? Prior to his English Channel adventure, Lee admitted he was eyeing the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland, a stretch of open water that makes the English Channel look like child's play due to the frigid temperatures.

"It's equally long, but about 10 degrees colder. There are only eight or nine people who have done it," said Lee. "It's significantly more complicated. They have a little web site, that says, 'If you haven't completed an English Channel swim, we wouldn't even consider taking you on this. Don't even bother calling.' That's pretty hard-core."

However, after his channel crossing, Lee acknowledged he's gained a new perspective of the effort required, and the potential hardships. "We've got a baby coming," Lee said. "I'm going to see how that goes before planning any big, crazy swims."

Plus, the prospect of even colder waters would force Lee to recalibrate his training regimen. "I'd probably have to train in Maine all summer," he said, laughing. "And pack on another 40 pounds of fat."

FINIS

'Cross and burn

I never tire of writing about cyclocross, one of the most dynamic and spectator-friendly disciplines not just in cycling, but in all of sports. This was done for the Boston Globe (th published version can be found here).

'Cross and burn
The manic sport of cyclocross on full display in by the sea

GLOUCESTER – Stage Fort Park, with its expansive views of the Atlantic Ocean and rolling hillside topography, is an undisputed gem, for residents and visitors alike. Children can romp, and parents relax. And this weekend, cyclists can race, as the park again hosts the two-day ode to cyclocross, the Great Brewers Gran Prix of Gloucester.

"There is something about that place. It's got a soul," said Chris Zigmont of Exeter, N.H., an avid amateur racer and longtime cycling industry representative. "I've been everywhere in the world that cyclocross races, and little comes close to the aesthetic drama of Gloucester. It's becoming one of the very special places for cycling."

Now in it's 12th year, the GP of Gloucester, put on by local cycling club Essex County Velo (ECV), is firmly established as the pre-eminent cyclocross event in the Northeast, and one of the most prestigious in the country. Despite New England being a hot pocket for this zany, off-season cycling discipline, the Gloucester races are the only ones in the six-state region affiliated with a national race series – the North American Cyclocross Trophy. Still, the race is known from coast to coast.

"My wife and I were in Mexico with some friends last year, standing in the surf break, and we ran into some folks from British Columbia and Seattle," said Scott Bumpus of Seaside Cycles in Manchester-by-the-Sea, one of the sponsoring shops for ECV. "When we told them we were from Cape Ann, they told us they had heard all about the race, and wanted to come out to do it."

It's proven a win-win for the city as well. "Any time you can bring in that many athletes and their families, it's great for the business community," said Bob Hastings, president of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce. "It's also good for the psyche of the community. This is one of a number of big-time events coming into our city, and that gives the Gloucester and Cape Ann brand a nice bump."

The Gran Prix has even raised eyebrows across the Atlantic. Cycling News, one of the sport's leading voices based in the United Kingdom, recently ranked Gloucester as one of the best events in North America. In this gritty seaport city often known for hard knocks, cyclocross seems to be a perfect fit. There are no shortcuts. The only way to win is to bury yourself in the pain, and push through it harder and faster than anybody else. Former national junior champ Jesse Anthony of Beverly, when asked if the Mount Washington Auto Road Hill Climb race was the toughest 60 minutes he'd ever spent on two wheels, just laughed. "It's not even close," he said. "Nothing compares to cyclocross."

Cyclocross has often been referred to as the "steeplechase" of cycling, featuring a cross-country format with a mix of natural and man-made obstacles requiring racers to dismount and run with their bikes. Racers must combine the quick-twitch speed of a 100-yard sprinter with the agility of a star halfback and the endurance of a 10K runner. It's that sublime mix, coupled with the spectacular venue, that will draw 700 racers each day to Gloucester this weekend, rain or shine. In the past 11 years, the Gloucester races have been held in pelting rain, snow squalls, and dazzling sunshine. Nothing short of lightning will prevent a cyclocross race.

"The weather is always a factor," said former national team member Josh Anthony of Beverly (Jesse's older brother). "There was the year it snowed one day, and was 60 degrees the next."

Visitors to Stage Fort Park this weekend can be forgiven if they suspect a two-wheeled cage match just broke out. Suffice to say, all is fair in love and 'cross. The races often feature full-body contact, and bruised egos, especially at the elite men's level. In fact, something of a border war has been brewing between Tim Johnson of Beverly, a three-time national elite champ, and New Hampshire's Jonathan Page, who has also claimed the national elite crown three times. The two rubbed elbows and more during the Gloucester races last year, and again this past weekend at the Planet Bike Cup races in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. The clash led to a war of words between New England's finest after Johnson's victory, prompting Page to state that he was returning to his Belgium home for the European season.

However, fireworks are still on the Gloucester menu. Johnson and his Cannondale-CyclocrossWorld.com teammates Jeremy Powers of Easthampton, MA, and Jamey Driscoll of Vermont are expected to lock horns with the upstart Team Seaside Cycles-Antero Resources, lead by homegrown riders Shawn Milne (pictured above) and Phil Wong.

The bottom line, say competitors, is that despite all the hard work, and possible carnage, cyclocross is flat-out fun. "When you find yourself racing in something big, like Gloucester, the crowds are unreal," said Fries. "The courses are narrow – just 10 feet wide – and the crowd is leaning over the fences, and ringing bells so wildly you simply cannot quit."

"The thing that sticks out to me about the Gloucester cross races is the intensity, the atmosphere, the wild crowds," echoed Josh Anthony. "In my opinion, the only other race in the United States that comes close is Nationals. It's always the 'hometown' race as well. For me and the rest of us North Shore riders, it's even more intense because of everyone screaming at us."

Former masters national champ Paul Curley of Taunton agreed. "You always try harder when lots of people are watching," he said. "Misery loves company."

"Company," or camaraderie, is another aspect that makes the sport special. Unmistakably, there's a genuine sense of "we're all in this together" among 'cross competitors.

"The New England and even national cyclocross community is tight-knit and easy going," said Dan Tieger, a veteran amateur racer and ECV member from Manchester-by-the-Sea. "Race days are mini-parties. You can race in the morning, get something to eat, and then watch the best."

At Gloucester, that party atmosphere includes grabbing a carbonated beverage, as the title sponsor – Great Brewers – returns with the ever-popular beer tent. The Gran Prix, says promoter Paul Boudreau, is the culmination of North Shore Beer Week, and spectators and racers can sample craft brews from Ommegang, Victory, Brooklyn Ale, Stella Artois, Smuttynose, Jack's Pumpkin Spiced Ale, Wachusett and Cape Ann Brewing. For the youngsters, there's a free Kids Race, which will be held shortly before 2 p.m. Sunday.

Last, but not least, the event has a charitable component. A portion of the proceeds collected will be split between two local non-profits, the Gloucester Fisherman's Athletic Association and the Gloucester Writers Center.

For details on the Gran Prix of Gloucester, visit gpgloucester.com.

FINIS

Channeling his energy!

How can you not enjoy meeting someone like Davis Lee, an individual who is both inspirational and inspired? Articulate, humble, brilliant - he's the ideal interview. But what drives a man to want to tackle the English Channel? It's a simple question, but one that has no easy answer. Below is the unabridged version of my story that ran in the Boston Globe (click here to read the published article).

The Long Swim
Newburyport man attempts to cross the English Channnel

When Newburport's Kate Lee learned she was expecting her second child this spring, she sent her 2-year-old son Oliver to greet his father at the door with a bottle of tequila and a shot glass. Given Davis Lee's plans to swim the English Channel later this month, seven week's before Kate's due date, the couple's friends might wonder if he didn't finish off the entire bottle.

But such recklessness would be far too rash for this 35-year-old nuclear physicist. Lee, a native of Greenwich, Conn., has actually been entertaining thoughts of an English Channel swim for two decades, since he was 14, living in the Bahamas. In a way, much of what he's done since has pointed toward the day that he would tackle the feat.

"Most people think I'm nuts," said Lee recently, between training swims. "It's just something I got in my head. Not many people have done it. Maybe I have something to prove. I don't really know. It's just something that became a goal. Why do people climb Mount Everest? You set a goal, and you do it."

The idea never left him. After Lee secured his doctorate in nuclear science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2003 and moved to California, his fascination with the Channel took flight. He started swimming off San Diego's La Hoya Cove several times weekly. A chance encounter with another swimmer training for the Channel cemented Lee's ambition.

"That's when it all came together," said Lee. "It just spiraled from there."

Lee immersed himself, literally, in his pastime. In 2005, he contacted the Channel Swimming Association one of two governing bodies overseeing crossing attempts, for details. Two years ago, he and Kate, even as they became parents, agreed to marshal their resources for a Channel swim this fall.

"Pushing myself is a big theme," said Lee. "Physically, you can train yourself to do anything. But there's this massive mental component. I like putting myself in situations where I have to tell myself, 'I'm going to power through this, somehow.'"

Those who know Lee well won't be surprised. This is a man who overcame the challenge of dyslexia to earn his degree in math and physics from the University of Mary Washington in 1998 and his Masters in applied physics from John Hopkins in 2002 before securing his PhD from MIT. He's approached this latest challenge in the same vein – decide on a goal, plot a course, and follow that plan religiously.

"It's one of my big problems," said Lee. "I don't know when to quit."

A strict adherence to training over the past 18 months has Lee in ideal shape for his Channel adventure. Stocky by nature, Lee now has 190 pounds hung on his muscular 5-foot-9 frame. In July, he tamed the Kingdom Swim, a 10-mile race across Lake Memphremagog in northern Vermont, in 4½ hours. Last month, Lee entered the Boston Light Swim, an eight-mile race from Little Brewster Lighthouse to South Boston, for the second year running, and shaved 44 minutes from his 2009 effort, finishing under three hours.

"Davis is definitely ready. If anything, I've had to hold him back," said his coach, Andrew Soracco. "He's pretty amazing."

He'll have to be. The English Channel crossing is no small task. The 21-mile gap between Dover, England, and Calais, France, has played its siren song to swimmers for more than 135 years, ever since Captain Matthew Webb first completed an official, observed crossing on Aug. 25, 1975, in 21 hours, 45 minutes. However, due to tides and currents, Channel swimmers are typically forced to take a more roundabout line. Lee can expect to swim at least 30 miles in a large "S" formation, said Soracco.

Still, there are very real dangers. Lee, claiming he's not averse to risks (although he has put his sky-diving hobby on hold for the past 18 months), nonetheless employs his analytical approach to minimize them. "I like to know as many variables as possible," he said, sounding every bit like the nuclear physicist who works for Axcelis in Beverly.

"Everything in my make-up says I'm in the low probability side of the equation. I'm relatively young. I'm fit. I've really put in my time training. I've conditioned myself to the cold water."

Lee's chief concerns are water temperatures, changing water conditions, the distance, and stress.

"Physically, probably the most important thing is being able to withstand the cold water," said Soracco. "The channel averages between 55-56 degrees. If you can't keep your core temperature up, you're going to go hypothermic. That's the number one safety concern."

Lee estimates his body fat percentage is "somewhere between 12 and 18 percent," but he's not worried. After his tune-up at the Boston Light race, and a required 6-hour practice swim in late August, Lee and Soracco both deemed the swimmer Channel worthy.

"If I could magically be in England and swim tomorrow, I'd happily take the day off and just go do it," he said. "I don't have any anxiety or fear about it. I'm just eager to go.

Soracco also knows that conditions can change dramatically during the brief window when swimmers leave Shakespeare Beach. "The day Sybil swam, the Channel was like a washing machine," he said. "The first four, five hours, she fought to get her rhythm. The waves would come up and roll her over when she tried to take a breath. It was really harsh. The day after, it was as smooth as glass. I couldn't believe it was the same body of water."

Consequently, mental toughness is often the swimmer's greatest asset. And Lee has that trait in spades. "You have to have the mental capacity to keep everything together, and to keep moving," Soracco said. "The real draw is the risk, and overcoming the risk. It's so easy just to bag it. People quit, even though they certainly could have made it. Most people are their own worst enemy. They cave."

"Davis is almost supernatural. He never seems to falter. He never seems to have any doubt, at all," he said. "This guy is set. I'm just trying to keep him healthy. But mentally, he's unstoppable."

Unlike San Diego, where seal and shark sightings aren't uncommon, there are few "natural" dangers in the Channel, other than jellyfish. "The biggest hazard is the shipping traffic, which is ridiculous," said Lee.

"You're really trusting the Channel federation guys to know their route and know the boat traffic and let everyone know we're there," Soracco said. "Those tankers, they don't even see you. Those things are immense."

Kate, meanwhile, admits she knew exactly what she was getting into when she embarked on a life with Lee. "I actually asked him to marry me," she said. "When I met Davis, I knew this type of adventure, doing something that some people might consider out of the ordinary, that was him. To take away his ability to do any of that would be to take away Davis. It would have been signing up to be with someone else."

"People keep asking whether I am nervous, but I'm not. Both Davis and I grew up on the ocean. We both have a deep respect for the ocean, and having that understanding and respect for the ocean really makes me comfortable with him doing it."

She may not see her husband swim firsthand, though. She'll be seven months pregnant by late September, and she doesn't want to be a distraction on the pilot boat. If not, she and Oliver will be waiting in Calais. "I want all of Davis's concentration and energy to be focused on the swim," she said. "Even if I'm totally fine, I don't want people to be concerned about me on the boat. I want them all to be focused on Davis."

Concentration is key. While fewer than 1,200 swimmers have made crossing, thousands have failed.

"I want to finish, first and foremost," Lee said. "Assuming I do that, I would like to do it under 12 hours, and I would be ecstatic with a time under 10 hours."

Lee said he's not sure if he's prepared for the San Andreas-type shift that his life will take once he completes the crossing. There's the young family's new addition, a daughter, due to arrive on Nov. 14, to consider. Plus, the family bank account will need time to recover (Lee estimates the swim, from start to finish, will cost between $15,000 and $20,000).

"It'll be weird when it's all over, just because so much of our life has been focused on the swim for so long," said Kate Lee. "But so much of our life has been focused on this for so long that we're also excited for it to finally happen."

As for the immediate future, there's likely to be a glass of champagne, or maybe a shot of tequila, to be shared on the shores of northern France.

To follow Lee's Channel adventures, visit his web site at SharkyTreat.com, or his blog at sharkytreat.blogspot.com.

FINIS

Sidebar 1
In the boat

Davis Lee won't be adrift alone when he attempts to cross the English Channel.

For safety, and verification, every official Channel swimmer must hire a pilot boat. Lee rented a boat from the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation, the second of two sanctioning groups, to escort him through the Strait of Dover. Typically, the boat is a 35- to 40-foot fishing vessel, and the pilot helps navigate the waters, communicates with other boats, and often provides "encouragement."

Lee's coach Andrew Soracco said he'll play second fiddle to pilot Lance Oram in the cheerleading department. In 2003, Soracco took another swimmer, Sybil Fisher, to the Channel. Oram's father, Michael, was the pilot, and he didn't mince words when Fisher faltered in the heavy chop.

"His basic concept is, 'If you've got enough energy to complain, you've got enough energy to keep swimming. So, shut up and swim!' That's his motto," said Soracco. "Now we've got his son, Lance, and they share the same philosophy."

Meanwhile, Soracco will concentrate on keeping Lee's engine running. To fuel his Channel effort, Lee will rely on training drinks and energy gels, plus the occasional banana. Soracco will prepare a regimen of drinks and gels (and bananas) that he'll relay to Lee by way of a Tupperware container duct-taped to a rope.

"It's really high tech," said Soracco, laughing. "We spared no expense."

Competitive swimmers, on average, burn between 800 and 900 calories an hour, said Soracco. Open-water swimmers, who must also generate heat to combat the cold, consume more than 1,100 calories an hour, meaning Lee can expect to expend more than 11,000 calories during his effort. That's especially important since English Channel crossing rules don't permit wetsuits.

Still, those limitations don't faze Lee. "I'm a purist," he said. "I'll wear a swimsuit, cap, and goggles. That's it. Those are the rules. A wetsuit doesn't count. I plan to abide by those rules."

Sidebar 2
Big Red Numbers

2 – Number of sanctioning bodies that govern "official" Channel crossings, the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation and the Channel Swimming Association.
43 – Number of crossings by the Queen of the Channel, Alison Streeter (United Kingdom)
34 – Number of crossings by the King of the Channel, Kevin Murphy (United Kingdom)
6:57:50 – Time (in hours, minutes, and seconds) of the fastest recorded solo crossing, by Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria) in 2007
7:25 – Time (in hours and minutes) of the fastest recorded solo female crossing, by Yvetta Hlavacova (Czech Republic) in 2006
26:50 – Time (in hours and minutes) of the longest solo crossing, by Henry Sullivan (United States) in 1923
70 years, 4 days – Age of the oldest man to cross, George Brunstad (United States, in a time of 15:59)
60 years, 10 months, 4 days – Age of the oldest woman to cross, Linda Ashmore (United Kingdom, in a time of 15:11)
11 years, 11 months – Age of the youngest person to cross, Thomas Gregory (United Kingdom, in a time of 11:54)
12 years, 118 days – Age of the youngest girl to cross, Samatha Druce (United Kingdom, in a time of 15:27)
Source: The Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation (channelswimming.net)