Bean's and Back
This 18 mile run out to L.L. Bean headquarters in Freeport
and back to Bowdoin takes place at the end of a hard season, or when anyone is feeling daring enough to attempt its long, greuling hills.
Veteran Bowdoin Track star,
Tony "Boom
Boom" D'Alessio (14:53 5K), relates the early history of the famous Bean's and Back run:
Andrew Yim and Dave Wood set the record of
1:53 their senior year. I guess they were exhausted after, and according to Maley the only thing either of them could say was, "Do you
have a quarter. I need sugar." Phil Sanchez ('96) and I ran it for the first time in the spring of my
sophomore year. When we got back, James Johnson ('97) who had already done nine that afternoon was
sorry he had not gone with us and went out and did it by himself in the dark. On a separate occasion, Johnson
tied the record with a 1:53. The Sunday after the New England Div. 3 Cross
Country Meet, Peyron, Blaine and I ran in the snow in a
slow 2:20 or so. I ran it again that Thursday (2 in a week) in 1:58. I then ran it two more times in the
following weeks for 4 in 4 weeks. This spring (1995) my two best times were
1:56 and 1:55.
Bean's Update:
Within 24 hours of finishing 55th at the New England Div. 3 Cross Country Meet, Ryan C. Johnson had completed the infamous Bean's and Back Run in a record-tying time of 1:53:51. The conditions were nearly perfect, if not above par, for a Sunday in late November. His glory was short lived, however, as Captain Matt Hyde bested Yim, Wood, Johnson and Johnson by nearly 7 minutes! Hyde's time of 1:46 on Monday the 23 of November will definitely stand on the top for some time to come.
Bean's 2000 Update:
Toby Walch and Conor O'Brien become the first members of the class of 2003 to complete the traditional blood-sugar draining "Bean's and Back" Run. Joining them was senior Ryan C. Johnson, a Beans veteran and tied-for-third place on the All-Time list. The three set off on a cool, crisp and deliciously uneventful Sunday morning. After a hearty encounter with a plain clothes security officer inside of the LL Bean store in Freeport, Toby and Ryan jacked up the pace for negative splits (66 min. out, 60 back). Conor "Strawberry Boone" O'Brien struggled on the hills in the second half, but still prevailed with a fine time. This coming less than 24 hours after O'Brien set a personal best in the 5000 meters (16:01.98) at the state of Maine indoor track meet in Gorham. Postscript: Toby also finished three donuts within an hour of finishing the Beans run. Can anyone top that in the future?
Pat Hughes '05 (9:16 Steeplechase) had this to say about the famous run:
Bean's n' Back isn't just a run. It's an institution. It's where the BBXC men are separated from the boys. My grandmother could get to Bean's on foot if needed. That ain't no thang. But for those that attempt the return, that have the gumption to leave the comfort of that stupid canoe-paddle-for-a-door-handle thing at Bean's to return on foot and not in the comfort of a van, well, those are ones that get a really good look at what they're made of. The return is initially somewhat daunting, but the task appears manageable at the outset. Then come the hills. They slowly beat you down. One after another. You begin to attack them with less and less ferocity. It slowly degenerates from a controlled distance run with the boys to an individual battle; every man for himself. It begins when one person starts to pull away on one of the hills. Someone goes after him. The rest of the pack has to respond. It comes down to a simple decision, but everyone has to make it for himself: "Do I have it today?" Most people know the answer before they even get to Bean's. Sometimes, people know the answer is "no," but they attempt the return nonetheless. Hell, [Taylor Washburn '04] would sometimes run Bean's n' Back knowing full well before he even left the fieldhouse that the answer was "no."
Regardless, though, once it starts, it can't be stopped. The pace escalates quickly, and soon, those who have decided to go with the leaders--those that answered "yes"--are pulling away from the defeated few. The once closely packed group strings out on Pleasant Hill into a long line. Once you pass Casco Road, it's a straight shot to Maine Street. If you're at all questioning your resolve at this point, you crumble. The end is practically visible, but it's so damn far; too damn far. Finally, you spot the leaders off in the distance, either when they're cresting the hill at Woodside or when you do. Either way, though, they left you to your own devices long ago. You're an after thought. They themselves are far too concerned with holding themselves together until the bitter end. Whatever is left at this point has to be rationed between here and Longfellow, where the final push is made. If you go too early, it could be your downfall. If you let someone get too far ahead, you may never make up the deficit. So you just deal with the pain. You just freaking deal. It hurts, and you've got nothing left, but somehow, your legs keep turning over. And, eventually, it's all over.
And this is the beauty of Bean's n' Back. You leave the fieldhouse under the auspices of a group run, but you return broken and alone. Your blood sugar is so low that you can barely make it to the showers. Your legs burn, your entire body is exhausted, and at the end of the day, you're either fired up with your performance or you're totally demoralized. It's one or the other, but regardless of the outcome, you know what your made of... at least until the next time, that is.
Todd Forsgren '03 and I once played this game, just he and I. The date escapes me, but I believe it was during a spring break after he had graduated. He was preparing for the Boston Marathon, and I, for the spring season. We set out, controlled and jovial. One the return, however, Todd stated early on that he intended to hammer. I was reluctant to join him, knowing full well that Todd is plain and simply an animal. But I went with him, nonetheless. I felt good and was staying with him just fine. Eventually, I wound up in front of him. My spirits were high, and I continued to feel good. I stepped it up. Somewhere along the way, Todd started to fade. I thought this odd, given Todd's unmistakable ability to run like a maniac on little to no training, but I kept trucking. Somewhere between Highlands Road and Maine Street, I found myself hammering. No, sprinting, or so it felt. I had decided to make a run for the clock. I held the pace, I'm proud to say, all the way to the fieldhouse. 1:56, I think. Todd never returned. No, seriously. He went straight back to the Tower. I waited for him at the fieldhouse and then drove most of the Bean's n' Back route in search of him. Either way, it was a good day.
[Ben Peisch '05], I recall, did the same thing during our senior spring. I didn't have it that day, but Peisch schooled the youngins', spandex shorts and all. Ah, good times.
Ben Peisch '05 talks about the rules and logistics of running Bean's:
You might want to add on there that for a Beans and Back record to be officially recognized, you must start your watch at the front entrance to the field house, touch the front door of LL Bean, and stop the
watch once you reach the field house front door. It must be on a watch, you can't just use the field house clock and guesstimate when you get back.
There has been some controversy about running Beans and Back solo- whether the record should stand if there is no one there to verify it. I think Barbuto once said that he broke the record, but he may have been drug tested afterwards and been discovered to have too much wilyness in his
bloodstream, I don't know.
Bean's All Time List
1:46 Matthew Southmayd Hyde '99 (11/23/98)
1:52 Matt Hyde
1:53 Andrew Yim and Dave Wood
1:53 James Johnson
1:53 Ryan C. Johnson '00 (11/22/98)
1:55 Tony D'Alessio
1:56 Tony D'Alessio
1:56 Pat Hughes '05 and Todd Forsgren '03
1:57
Pat Hughes '05
1:58 Tony D'Alessio
2:03 Adam Cowing '01
2:06 Toby Walch '03 and Ryan Johnson '00 (2/13/00)
2:10 Conor O'Brien '03 (2/13/00)
2:12 Russel Sherwood '01
2:20 Mike Peyron, Blaine Maley, and Tony D'Alessio (snow)