A hard lesson learned, Radloff is back on course

A cross-country trek on a bicycle encompassed everything Rex Radloff wanted to do before his sophomore season running at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

Since his days at Dedham High, Radloff dreamed of seeing the heart of America on a bike. He saved his money, bought maps, and plotted the trip, deciding the summer of 2007 was the best time. The trip lived up to the excitement Radloff had hoped for, but it also led to an experience he will never forget.

Radloff and his cross-country teammate Stephen O'Brien flew to San Francisco and then headed back East on their bikes, camping and surviving on peanut butter and honey sandwiches as they traveled through the Sierra Nevada to the Ozark Mountains.

In 33 days, Radloff and O'Brien had traveled 3,300 miles, but were still well short of Massachusetts. At the Kentucky-Virginia border, the two were traveling downhill through the Appalachian Mountains when Radloff lost control on a hairpin turn and tumbled down a hill. He suffered deep bruises and scraped limbs, and his bike was mangled. He woke up in a local hospital, his only memory the peanut butter and honey sandwich he had eaten earlier in the day.

A police officer arranged for the friends to stay in a local dorm until Radloff's sister could drive from Washington, D.C., to pick them up.

The summer adventure over, they turned their attention to the cross-country season. For Radloff, it was difficult lesson. He planned the trip without talking to his coach, Gary Gardner, and didn't keep up with the summer running program that would have prepared him for the fall season.

Even though Radloff didn't complete the trip, he doesn't think he'll attempt it again. At least not any time soon.

"I told my coach I won't do anything like that again while running for him," Radloff said. "It was a little unfair to him and my team."

Radloff said he wasn't prepared for cross-country and as a result, redshirted last fall. As a freshman, he underwent hernia surgery and redshirted his spring track season, which kept him out of competitions for most 2007. He trained hard last fall and returned for the indoor season, finishing as the runner-up at the Northeast-10 championships.

In the spring season, he really took off. Radloff captured the Northeast-10 Conference title in the 1,500 meters (3:57.89) and reached the NCAA Championships in the 5,000 meters for the first time.

At season's end, he was selected the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division 2 Northeast Region Track Athlete of the Year.

Radloff continued to train last summer, running between 120 and 130 miles a week. Even when he took a trip to Colorado he kept up with the training.

Although he felt "rusty" in his first cross-country meet this year, he quickly grew comfortable. Radloff finished third at the New England Championships recently, and helped the River Hawks win the New England championship for the second time in three years.

"I feel like I'm in the best shape I've ever been in," Radloff said. "I'm completely where I want to be."

Radloff said he thanks Gardner for showing interest in him while he was at Dedham, where he ran track and field for five years.

Gardner said Radloff has proven how important training has become for him and the results are showing. Now Radloff is part of one of UMass-Lowell's strongest teams.

"He's still far from running his best race this season," Gardner said. "We still haven't seen the best of him."

Bentley senior Melissa Nash of Marshfield turned in a Top 5 finish among Division 2 runners at the New England Intercollegiate Women's Cross Country Championships last week at Franklin Park.

Nash finished 38th overall (18 minutes, 39 seconds) but fourth among Division 2 runners in a field that included 301 athletes on the 5,000-meter course. The time bested her 2007 mark by 25 seconds, finishing in the top 40 in back-to-back seasons. Nash helped Bentley place 35th out of 45 teams with 1,021 points.

The next major event for Bentley will be the Northeast-10 Championships Saturday at St. Michael's.

Monique Walker can be reached at mwalker@globe.com.