Fire call
Garden magic
Officials warn of possible smoky summer
Hinesburg garden tour returns in mid-July
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Volume 53 Number 27
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shelburnenews.com
July 3, 2024
‘Don’t let age limit you,’ says Shelburne racer LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
Family affair The osprey family in Shelburne keeps an eye on the surrounding territory as an adult, seen above, brings prey back to the nest.
PHOTOS BY LEE KROHN
For some, retirement is a time for relaxation. For others, like Susan Grimes retirement is just an opportunity for more adventure. In her case, that includes completing the Marathon Des Sables, a 156-mile race over six days in the Western Sahara in Morocco. “It just seemed pretty intriguing,” she said. “To be able to be in the Sahara for some days at a stretch and survive, let alone be in a race.” Dubbed the hardest footrace on earth, Grimes was one of 60 people from the U.S. and over 857 participants who completed the race. As if completing a race of that size wasn’t enough of a reward, Grimes also placed first for a woman in her age bracket. “My goal was to just complete it,” Grimes, a longtime Shelburne resident now living in South Burlington. “There weren’t that many ladies in my age group. But still, I was just thrilled to finish it and to be able to be like ‘Hey, you know what, I can do this.’” The trek was a race against both time and natural elements. From 100-degree afternoon temperatures to heat exhaustion and the
rapid loss of hydration through sweat, each day proved to have its own set of hardships. Grimes alternated between walking, power walking and running, which was usually solely to finish that day’s stretch of miles before it got unbearably hot. “You really had to pace yourself,” she said. “It was important to stay hydrated because you’re carrying everything. So, running at home I’m not used to carrying a backpack that has everything I need for the week, the heaviest part being the food.” Organizing the pack and finding the right balance of food and weight also proved to be a unique challenge. “There was a mandatory checklist of things you were required to carry, as well as the number of calories that were minimum requirements per day,” she said, adding that at many points she was forcing herself to eat and drink since hunger and thirst seemed to fade after each mile. The day would usually begin at 4:30 a.m. as runners prepped their bags. The race would officially begin around 6:30 a.m., with “Highway to Hell” blasting See GRIMES on page 10
The Farmhouse Tap & Grill presents
CELEBRATION OF SUMMER TOMATOES Wednesday July 10 th 5-9pm The Beer Garden
Live Music • Tomato-Inspired Food & Drink Specials
FARMHOUSETG.COM