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Article by: Peter Morrison / Portland Fire Department

I haven't seen a real fire yet. I am not salty. My friends all know this, and  my  friends and family continue to ask "seen any fire?".   I have been waiting near the truck for the tone that will eventually be my call to duty; my very own chance to put the wet stuff on the red stuff and stop telling people I work for the city and start saying I am a Portland Firefighter! That in mind I want to be ready to do what's expected of a firefighter. In order to ensure I stay in shape it's easy for me to set goals to achieve, the latest being a triathlon. The Bowdoin College Ironbear! Held every spring at the Bowdoin campus in Brunswick. The triathlon is said by those in the business to be a sprint. I clearly am not in the business, as the three events were more of a marathon for me. Unlike fellow firefighter and Captain, Eric Dunn, who decided last minute to compete with me and still managed to come in third in his age group and  30th out of everyone.

Back to the race, three events the swim, bike and run. Saturday morning of race day I felt like I was ready I had done two triathlons in the past and that nervous "what in the name of all that is holy am I doing here" feeling was at a mild roar. I had been training. I may have started training too soon because two weeks before the race I was beat and managed to talk myself out of any training up until race day.

All doubts aside the race started with the proverbial bang. One quarter mile in the pool, that's 21 lengths of the pool. For me it was an eternity. By length four I heard my low air alarm going off and was starting to wonder why I did this and when in the world would I ever have to swim to a fire? Vacationland anyone? Not wanting to be shown up by the 47 year old mother of four in the lane beside me I finished. Somehow managing to drag myself over the side of the pool and out into the outside world I made it to my bike. The transition went well, got dressed got the bike moving and off I went. The trick at this point is to not think about it. I hopped on the bike for the 11 mile trek around the campus, things went well. The course is designed specifically to avoid all the local collegiate watering holes. So as I am drawing nearer to the end of the bike there is not a quiet muscle on my body, as a matter of fact they are all very angry. I am parched because I can't slow down my breathing enough to supply myself with the gallons of water I want to consume, but somehow here it is the end of the bike and back to the transition.

5K or 3.2 miles is the distance of the run. My legs are stiff and growing more irritable. I am anxious and frustrated and the only thing I can think to do is just keep running. I am thinking only of Dora the Fish from Finding Nemo swimming in a pint glass muttering "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming!" So, yes I am a little loopy at this point. Then, I actually start to feel better. I am running through the woods on a beautiful warm sunny day. I am mostly through a definitively difficult event and I feel confident I can complete the race. Aches and stiffness aside I posted a reasonable time. I broke no records, but I have times posted after my name on the score chart and not the feared - D.N.F. Did Not Finish!

All in all I feel great. I am pretty sure that if a tone goes off that will send me to a real live fire, what do they call em? Workers? Well, I am fairly confident I could do what my officer and fellow firefighters needed me to do.

PLACE IN SEX IN CLASS # SEX CLASS Hometown SWIMTIMES  PLACEBikeTIMEBike PLACERUN TIMeRUN OVERALLTIME

26 3 191 M M25 Adam St.Pierre Newmarket NH 11:02.3 215 0:33:32.3 36 22:17.7 35 1:06:52.3

27 3 97 M M40 Chris Cox Freeport ME 09:17.2 101 0:34:12.3 49 23:50.2 68 1:07:19.6

28 5 140 M M35 Robert Riley Chelsea ME 10:26.9 169 0:33:31.5 34 23:46.0 66 1:07:44.4

29 4 145 M M45 Charles Melton Biddeford ME 10:24.3 167 0:34:06.4 46 23:16.9 49 1:07:47.6

31 4 243 M M40 alan mc grath south portland ME 08:42.2 71 0:36:14.5 89 23:36.7 59 1:08:33.4

32 4 194 M M50 Tom Trytek Harpswell ME 09:33.4 118 0:36:08.1 87 23:03.5 48 1:08:45.0

33 6 80 M M35 Marc Robitaille Greene ME 09:04.7 89 0:34:49.1 60 24:52.6 95 1:08:46.4

34 7 163 M M35 Mark Goode South Portland ME 09:14.4 100 0:35:59.4 84 23:36.2 57 1:08:50.0

35 8 189 M M35 David Smith Waterville ME 09:44.6 134 0:34:15.5 51 24:53.3 96 1:08:53.4

36 3 171 M M01 Esko Heilner North Yarmouth ME 09:37.1 121 0:35:38.4 76 23:40.5 62 1:08:56.0

37 4 49 M M30 Zeki Gurcan Scarborough ME 07:42.9 21 0:36:06.5 85 25:11.1 101 1:09:00.5

38 4 89 M M25 David Panton Portland ME 08:28.4 54 0:36:31.3 98 24:48.6 92 1:09:48.3

39 5 218 M M45 Christopher Mende NORTH BERWICK ME 10:36.4 183 0:34:30.7 57 24:44.5 89 1:09:51.7

40 8 2 M M20 B Ian Kyle Brunswick ME 06:34.4 1 0:37:45.1 139 25:32.4 111 1:09:51.9

41 5 83 M M30 gabe schuft liberty ME 08:27.6 52 0:34:53.6 61 26:39.0 147 1:10:00.1

42 6 152 M M45 John Collins Orr's Island ME 10:14.6 156 0:35:18.5 67 24:27.3 77 1:10:00.3

43 5 125 M M40 Eric Shell Scarborough ME 09:51.2 142 0:33:32.1 35 26:37.0 143 1:10:00.3

44 9 62 M M35 Jay Tobias Yarmouth ME 09:43.0 130 0:35:19.9 68 25:16.9 105 1:10:19.8

45 5 244 M M50 Nelson Parise Portland ME 11:10.9 220 0:41:28.8 239 18:02.8 2 1:10:42.5

46 6 74 M M40 Vincenzo Marotta Dresden ME 08:07.4 34 0:36:31.7 99 26:32.9 140 1:11:12.0

47 6 195 M M30 Tim Vercoe Bath ME 10:19.4 160 0:34:19.0 53 26:36.5 142 1:11:14.9

48 9 199 M M20 Nick Benjamin South Easton MA 11:13.9 222 0:36:41.8 105 23:27.4 52 1:11:23.2

49 7 112 M M45 ERIC ALTHOLZ Portland ME 09:36.7 120 0:35:25.9 71 26:26.1 134 1:11:28.7

50 6 131 M M50 Brian Wall Caribou ME 09:48.5 139 0:34:02.8 45 27:41.2 175 1:11:32.5

51 8 143 M M45 John Townsend Scarborough ME 10:07.4 153 0:36:34.6 101 25:05.6 99 1:11:47.6

52 7 22 M M30 Brett Heppler Northwood NH 08:09.4 37 0:35:12.3 65 28:36.3 212 1:11:58.0

53 7 180 M M40 Sean McLeod Brunswick ME 09:25.2 109 0:36:25.0 95 26:10.2 124 1:12:00.5

54 7 212 M M50 Larry Dreher Topsham ME 09:54.2 144 0:36:08.1 88 26:04.4 123 1:12:06.8

55 10 135 M M35 Justin Dentry Yarmouth ME 09:19.1 102 0:37:33.1 132 25:16.5 104 1:12:08.7

56 10 66 M M20 B Robert Burns Brunswick ME 08:13.2 41 0:40:23.1 214 23:34.0 55 1:12:10.3

57 11 149 M M35 David Brackett Windham ME 10:57.4 209 0:33:46.4 38 28:02.5 192 1:12:46.3

58 8 254 M M30 Matt Furtney North Yarmouth ME 09:41.9 128 0:38:36.2 167 24:32.7 80 1:12:50.9

59 8 296 M M40 N. Seth Levy Brunswick ME 10:17.9 158 0:37:45.7 140 24:47.8 91 1:12:51.3

60 9 234 M M30 Jeff Riddle New Gloucester ME 10:30.3 176 0:37:38.8 135 24:44.3 87 1:12:53.4

61 12 24 M M35 Jason Leggett Windham ME 07:00.7 7 0:38:09.4 154 28:07.3 195 1:13:17.5

62 9 94 M M40 David Beauregard Nobleboro ME 09:24.6 107 0:37:09.2 118 27:05.8 159 1:13:39.6

63 5 6 M M25 Chris Bagg Wiscasset ME 07:36.5 18 0:45:02.1 314 21:09.4 22 1:13:48.0

64 13 104 M M35 Jim McGrady Brunswick ME 09:13.5 99 0:36:25.3 96 28:12.2 198 1:13:51.1

65 14 284 M M35 Erik Baker Topsham ME 10:51.4 203 0:36:58.9 114 26:22.7 133 1:14:13.0

66 11 85 M M20 Reid Smith Portland ME 08:00.3 32 0:37:39.9 137 28:41.3 216 1:14:21.6

67 10 216 M M40 Guy Hernandez Portland ME 11:31.1 228 0:34:27.6 54 28:24.1 204 1:14:22.8

68 11 87 M M40 Humphrey Johnson Freeport ME 09:07.5 91 0:36:19.1 91 29:00.5 227 1:14:27.0

69 1 134 M M55 Rick Ackermann Portland ME 10:15.0 157 0:35:14.0 66 29:01.0 229 1:14:30.0

70 15 45 M M35 christopher matava portland ME 08:31.8 58 0:39:27.0 189 26:43.8 150 1:14:42.5

71 12 119 M M20 B Alexander Graber Brunswick ME 08:52.8 77 0:40:38.3 219 25:18.1 106 1:14:49.2

72 12 192 M M40 Scott Steele West Newton MA 10:27.8 171 0:38:24.5 163 26:10.7 126 1:15:03.0

73 8 170 M M50 David Heilner North Yarmouth ME 08:57.8 83 0:38:05.2 153 28:03.3 193 1:15:06.4

74 10 289 M M30 Matt Geary Cape Elizabeth ME 09:57.2 147 0:35:50.6 82 29:19.5 243 1:15:07.4

75 13 241 M M20 B Mike Hickey Brunswick ME 10:32.3 177 0:41:47.5 245 22:52.4 46 1:15:12.2

76 13 92 M M40 Bradford Walfield Bath ME 08:30.8 55 0:38:21.9 160 29:02.3 230 1:15:55.1

77 4 302 M M01 Dave Smith West Bath ME 10:22.8 164 0:37:04.2 115 28:47.3 220 1:16:14.3

78 1 205 M M60 Charles Cary Harpswell ME 10:32.9 180 0:36:34.4 100 29:07.0 235 1:16:14.3

79 16 207 M M35 Ranjiv Advani Freeport ME 10:40.6 189 0:38:02.0 148 27:39.2 172 1:16:21.7

80 9 200 M M45 James Favreau Brunswick ME 12:15.7 251 0:35:35.0 74 28:38.1 214 1:16:28.7

81 14 126 M M20 B Michael Taylor Brunswick ME 08:51.2 75 0:39:30.3 191 28:21.6 202 1:16:43.0

82 15 247 M M20 Eric Stailing West Bath ME 09:38.8 124 0:39:55.7 200 27:15.0 164 1:16:49.5

83 17 204 M M35 Chris Volan scarborough ME 10:03.3 152 0:37:20.5 124 29:44.1 259 1:17:07.9

84 2 312 M M60 John Lightbody Falmouth ME 13:10.4 276 0:37:20.1 123 26:49.9 154 1:17:20.4

85 11 162 M M30 James Glazer Portland ME 10:41.6 190 0:37:50.6 142 28:49.8 222 1:17:22.0

86 18 164 M M35 David Gordon Brunswick ME 11:47.0 238 0:40:21.8 213 25:30.9 110 1:17:39.7

87 9 188 M M50 gerard salvo portland ME 09:38.4 123 0:40:30.9 216 27:32.6 170 1:17:41.9

88 10 248 M M50 Tod Szczech Boothbay ME 11:43.6 236 0:36:41.8 104 29:32.6 253 1:17:57.9

89 19 226 M M35 nicholas sherman durham ME 10:59.8 213 0:39:03.2 181 27:56.6 184 1:17:59.6

90 14 281 M M40 Nathan Strout Monmouth ME 10:39.9 187 0:39:30.7 192 28:16.4 200 1:18:26.9

91 3 52 M M60 Gerry Brookes Brunswick ME #N/A #N/A 26:01.8 119 1:18:28.6

92 10 210 M M45 Edward Charbonneau Yarmouth ME 10:36.7 184 0:43:22.5 280 24:51.1 94 1:18:50.2

93 12 256 M M30 Timothy Keene Portland ME 11:38.0 232 0:39:12.0 184 28:01.3 189 1:18:51.3

94 5 328 M M01 Derek George Kents Hill ME 12:02.2 243 0:40:13.3 208 26:44.1 151 1:18:59.6

95 20 238 M M35 Eric Foushee Brunswick ME 10:41.9 192 0:38:57.0 175 29:32.9 254 1:19:11.7

96 13 233 M M30 Matt LaForge Brunswick ME 10:48.6 198 0:38:28.2 164 29:56.9 260 1:19:13.6

97 6 323 M M25 Frank Yerina Bowdoin ME 15:02.2 304 0:39:44.9 195 24:46.3 90 1:19:33.4

98 21 165 M M35 Brent Graham Cape Elizabeth ME 10:01.3 151 0:41:38.6 242 28:03.7 194 1:19:43.6

99 16 285 M M20 B Joseph Brazzi Brunswick ME 11:12.8 221 0:42:10.7 253 26:22.3 132 1:19:45.8

100 7 84 M M25 Ben Shaw Scarborough ME 08:31.5 56 0:41:48.4 246 29:32.1 251 1:19:52.0

101 11 309 M M50 Michael Boyson North Yarmouth ME 15:28.4 309 0:40:41.6 222 23:45.0 65 1:19:55.1

102 14 173 M M30 curt jensch south portland ME 10:51.9 204 0:38:38.4 168 30:31.5 270 1:20:01.8

103 12 166 M M50 Kenneth Gray cape elizabeth ME 09:44.4 133 0:39:43.3 194 30:39.7 274 1:20:07.4

104 17 137 M M20 Thomas Hazel South Easton MA 09:22.5 106 0:41:34.4 241 29:34.2 255 1:20:31.1

105 18 159 M M20 B Thomas Elson Brunswick ME 12:05.7 246 0:40:39.6 220 28:00.6 188 1:20:45.9

106 22 102 M M35 Richard Truluck Bath ME 08:39.0 67 0:37:36.8 133 34:46.5 348 1:21:02.3

107 23 206 M M35 Wayne Boucher Dover NH 09:55.2 146 0:38:38.9 170 32:29.7 310 1:21:03.8

108 11 110 M M45 Jim Wereszczynski Brewer ME 09:27.9 111 0:37:27.5 129 34:08.6 337 1:21:04.1

109 4 178 M M60 Ted McCarthy Portland ME 11:00.5 214 0:39:10.2 182 31:09.7 288 1:21:20.4

110 8 187 M M25 Todd Proulx South Portland ME 09:20.5 105 0:45:24.0 321 26:57.1 157 1:21:41.6

111 9 292 M M25 Joe Kilch Bath ME 12:33.5 261 0:43:59.6 293 25:09.3 100 1:21:42.3

112 15 255 M M30 Brian Graves Portland ME 09:51.3 143 0:40:48.2 224 31:38.7 297 1:22:18.3

113 10 297 M M25 Eric Lewis Old Orchard Bea ME 11:15.1 223 0:43:05.5 276 28:27.2 207 1:22:47.8

114 2 105 M M55 Bob Bean 09:33.0 116 0:45:32.0 325 27:47.1 178 1:22:52.1

115 16 168 M M30 Kristian Haralson Topsham ME 10:48.9 199 0:43:30.2 282 29:14.4 240 1:23:33.5

116 24 315 M M35 Michael Chase Bowdoin ME 13:21.2 282 0:40:17.4 211 30:12.3 263 1:23:50.9

117 17 322 M M30 Colby Wallace South Portland ME 12:25.8 256 0:42:35.0 261 29:05.7 233 1:24:06.5

118 18 257 M M30 Chris Ledwick Brunswick ME 13:02.9 273 0:43:42.4 288 27:24.5 166 1:24:09.8

119 25 282 M M35 Brian Tucker Gray ME 13:52.5 294 0:42:36.2 264 27:42.6 176 1:24:11.3

120 13 239 M M50 Carl Gercke Falmouth ME 12:10.2 247 0:43:02.7 275 29:04.8 232 1:24:17.7

121 1 295 M F40 Andrew Landes Cape Elizabeth ME 13:47.8 291 0:41:42.7 244 29:09.0 237 1:24:39.5

122 15 278 M M40 Glenn Jordan Cape Elizabeth ME 11:43.5 235 0:45:52.5 331 27:12.6 162 1:24:48.7

123 3 190 M M55 Todd Smith Kennebunkport ME 10:50.0 200 0:41:41.6 243 32:32.1 311 1:25:03.7

124 11 14 M M25 Tom Charette Westbrook ME 08:17.6 45 0:41:23.5 236 35:48.2 361 1:25:29.3

125 19 181 M M30 Daniel Mocarski Stamford CT 11:42.6 234 #N/A #N/A 1:25:30.5

126 16 313 M M40 Kenenth Branstetter saco ME 11:51.0 240 0:43:12.1 278 30:52.9 278 1:25:56.0

127 14 174 M M50 Stephen Jordan Yarmouth ME 10:51.4 202 0:43:21.7 279 32:25.9 308 1:26:39.0

128 17 259 M M40 marc christensen new gloucester ME 10:59.0 212 0:44:56.6 310 31:09.2 287 1:27:04.8

129 20 240 M M30 Ted Gilbert Portland ME 10:43.2 193 0:46:26.2 339 29:58.7 261 1:27:08.1

130 18 318 M M40 Andrew Merrill Brunswick ME 17:56.8 335 0:41:07.4 229 29:22.5 248 1:28:26.6

131 19 267 M M20 B Brandon Parise Brunswick ME 12:25.0 255 0:44:16.3 300 32:03.5 305 1:28:44.8

133 12 266 M M25 Elmer Moore Topsham ME 12:57.8 271 0:43:09.7 277 34:50.2 349 1:30:57.7

134 15 167 M M50 brian hallowell bath ME 11:27.7 226 0:46:48.7 344 32:53.0 316 1:31:09.4

135 5 276 M M60 Allan Drew Portland ME 12:53.1 270 0:43:02.0 274 35:15.8 351 1:31:10.8

136 16 307 M M50 Richard Orr West Hartford CT 16:50.7 321 0:40:27.8 215 34:11.1 338 1:31:29.7

137 19 209 M M40 Robert Boylen Gorham ME 09:59.1 150 0:43:51.0 290 38:07.2 381 1:31:57.2

138 12 41 M M45 Tim Haley Kennebunkport ME 09:01.0 86 0:48:59.5 367 34:27.6 344 1:32:28.2

139 22 237 M M30 Daniel Cote Auburn ME 12:26.7 257 0:46:53.8 346 33:52.1 331 1:33:12.6

140 4 290 M M55 Charlie Gordon Brunswick ME 13:58.7 296 0:44:21.8 302 35:05.3 350 1:33:25.8

141 13 311 M M25 Joe Ouellette Portland ME 13:29.4 288 0:45:52.9 332 34:16.8 342 1:33:39.1

142 6 253 M M60 Richard Cromwell Brunswick ME 11:45.2 237 0:43:57.1 291 38:41.3 390 1:34:23.6

143 13 270 M M45 Mark Ramsey Wiscasset ME 13:21.9 283 0:47:38.8 355 36:39.2 374 1:37:39.9

144 17 208 M M50 David Bois Kennebunk ME 13:49.9 292 0:47:47.3 360 36:27.2 370 1:38:04.4

145 18 299 M M50 Thomas Novak Springfield VA 12:12.0 248 0:54:29.5 396 32:58.0 320 1:39:39.4

146 6 300 M M01 Evan Novak Fayetteville NC 12:14.8 250 0:54:28.7 395 32:57.3 318 1:39:40.8

147 19 201 M M50 Charlie Giles New London NH 11:06.0 217 0:51:41.4 384 39:33.2 393 1:42:20.7

148 20 99 M M20 B Nicholas Kasprak West Hartford CT 08:44.0 72 0:59:05.4