Running New England Book Test Drive

   I have been working for five years on getting the green light from a publisher for a running/health/travel book I am calling Running New England.  It will feature fifty of the most beautiful running routes in New England.  It will include details of the running route itself, where to start, where it goes, what you will see, and photos from the route.  It will go deeper and share other nearby attractions, where to eat, places to stay, nearby road races, and some general history of the town where the running route is.  

   In order to pitch the book to some of the larger publishers I first need a literary agent.  Many of them want samples from the proposed manuscript sent along with a query.  That being said what follows is an example of a 'chapter' from the possible book. I am creating three which I will then send to various agents and see what happens.  I hope that you enjoy this taste of what I am hoping to create in the near future.

Running New England

A Guide to the 50 Most Beautiful Running Routes and more

#1 - Shore Run, Chatham, Massachusetts

Starting Line: Cow Yard Lane.  GPS: 41.695902, -69.951520

The Basics: This course is 6.5 miles in length and is of moderate difficulty due to rolling hills and little in the way of sidewalks.

The Route:  This run begins on the short dirt road Cow Yard Lane off of Old Harbor Road.  Turn left heading out of Cow Yard Lane and head up a rather steep incline to a set of lights.  Take a left turn at the set of lights; this is Shore Road.  This road has several rolling hills.  Follow Shore Road south all the way past Chatham Lighthouse which is on your right.  Just past the lighthouse is where you will take a left down Morris Island Road. 

Fishing Boats at Aunt Lydia's Cove.

Take the first right turn to continue on Morris Island Road.  Follow the road all the way out to the Monomoy Wildlife Refuge.  There are signs for it and it is on the left.  Once at the Wildlife Refuge turn and follow this route back to beginning.  The route overall is quite hilly.  There are several rolling hills and little in the way of sidewalks.  The majority of the route will be run on the road itself.  Once you get to Morris Island Road the route becomes relatively flat.

Attractions: 

-         North Beach Island Cottages:  Cow Yard Lane.  At the beginning of the route, on Cow Yard Lane you can gaze out across the water toward North Beach Island. Once upon a time the beach was connected to the mainland to the south and there were more than forty beach cottages dotting the sand.  Today only two remain and the former barrier beach is an island a little more than two and a half miles in length.  (GPS: 41.695902, -69.951520)

-         Aunt Lydia’s Cove:  Barcliff Avenue Extended.  Located along Shore Road this area is home to numerous fishing boats during the season.  It is a haven for harbor and gray seals.  It is a beautiful spot to stop and enjoy the scenery.  It is also home to the Chatham Pier Fish Market.  (GPS: 41.688168, -69.952002)

-         Chatham Lighthouse:  37 Main Street.  Standing stoically on Coast Guard property this forty-eight foot tall beacon has been guiding vessels safely along the shore since 1877 with the station being established in 1808.  Until 1923 there were twin lighthouses at the location before the right ‘twin’ was moved up to Eastham where it stands today as Nauset Lighthouse.  (GPS: 41.671321, -69.949432)

Chatham Lighthouse 

-         Monomoy Wildlife Refuge:  1 Wikis Way.  Located on Morris Island Road this conservation land was established in 1944 to provide habitat for migratory birds.  Though it is 7,604 acres in size only forty of those acres are part of mainland Chatham.  The rest make up the two Monomoy Islands which stretch south for eight miles.  (GPS: 41.657565, -69.958755)

Food:

-         Del Mar: 907 Main Street, Chatham – Seafood, Bistro Cuisine, Thin Crust Wood Fired Pizza

-         Corner Store: 1403 Old Queen Anne Road, Chatham – Sandwiches, custom burritos

-         Chatham Squire: 487 Main Street, Chatham – Classic Pub Fare

-         Red Nun Bar & Grill: 746 Main Street, Chatham – Award-winning burgers

Lodging:

The Beach at Monomoy Wildlife Refuge

-         Chatham Bars Inn:  297 Shore Road.  A luxurious resort opened in 1914 it has won numerous awards.  It boasts spectacular views of the ocean, a private beach, spa, pool, elegant rooms and dining.  It is a world class experience.

-         Chatham Inn At 359 Main: 359 Main Street.  A highly regarded, centrally located hotel.  It has been voted one of the ten most romantic hotels in the United States.  It has 18 rooms and is a renovated 1830 Federal-style mansion.

Nearby Races:

-         Brew Run: Brewster, 5.2 miles.  This is an annual race held in August and sponsored by The Brewster Woodshed.  Every runner gets a free beer at the end.  There were more than 1,200 runners in 2016

-         Harwich Half Marathon: Half Marathon or 10K.  This is an annual race held in October.  It starts at Monomoy Regional High School in Harwich.  There were over 400 runners in 2016.

About Chatham:

          Chatham is a seaside town located at the ‘elbow’ of Cape Cod with a year-round population of 6,125.  It has a thriving Main Street filled with quaint shops and superb restaurants.  Explorer Samuel de Champlain landed at present-day Stage Harbor in 1606 giving it the name ‘Port Fortune.’  It was home to the second Marconi Wireless Station.  Built in 1914 along Rt. 28 it included six 365-foot tall antennas.  The former Chatham Naval Air Station saw action during World War I when a German U-Boat attacked vessels off of Orleans in 1918.  Chatham is home to Forest Beach, Hardings Beach, Lighthouse Beach, Ridgevale Beach and is great for fishing both salt and freshwater.

The Chatham Course Map