Friday, December 31, 2010

LOOKING BACK AT 2010
Friday, December 31, 2010

RUN 829.8 mi

RIDE 1096.2 mi

SNOWSHOE 107.5 mi

HIKE/WALK 300.1 mi

PADDLE 29.3 mi

XC SKI 15.7 mi

DAYS OUTDOORS 262/365

2010 Event Totals
Run 336.6 mi, 77 hr 5 min
Bike 119.4 mi, 8 hr 51 min

Snowshoe 74.7 mi, 19 hr 12 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT

more to come...

CRITTERS, CRITTERS, & MORE CRITTERS
3 Mile Walk at Mendon Ponds Park
Friday, December 31, 2010
LAST RUN OF 2010
5.9 Mile Run at Black Creek Park
Friday, December 31, 2010

Thursday, December 30, 2010

ALBANY TO ROCHESTER ADVENTURE
Hawks, Eagles, Crashing Trucks, and Lights on the Lake
Thursday, December 30, 2010

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

2.8 Mile XC Ski at Five Rivers EEC
Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

3.6 Mile XC Ski at Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve
Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Sunday, December 26, 2010

STAGGER, STUMBLE, SLIDE... REPEAT...
4.8 Mile "Run" in Tibbits State Forest
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Season of the SnōShū 2011 - Race #1
I Love Woodford 3mi Snowshoe Race
Sunday, December 26, 2010

2010 Event Totals
Run 336.6 mi, 77 hr 5 min
Bike 119.4 mi, 8 hr 51 min

Snowshoe 74.7 mi, 19 hr 12 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT
Weekly Training Summary
12/19/2010 - 12/25/2010

running (2x) - 6.8 mi
riding - 0 mi
snowshoeing (1x) - 2.3 mi
paddling - 0 mi

Well, it's not much but at least I did a little bit this week...

JMH

Saturday, December 25, 2010

1.6 Mile Walk in the Pine Bush
Saturday, December 25, 2010

Friday, December 24, 2010

1.3 Mile Walk on the Erie Canalway Trail
Friday, December 24, 2010

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Season of the SnōShū 2011
Snowshoe Racing Explodes in the Northeast US!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Winter Solstice - Hurray!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010

The winter solstice has been celebrated historically by a variety of cultures for a variety of reasons. I've really only got one reason to be happy every year on this day - finally the decrease in hours of daylight reverses and we begin regaining a few minutes of daylight each day. That shouldn't matter all that much, except - I like to get outdoors in the late afternoon and evening rather than the morning, and each day from here on out means we're a little closer to my running or riding or whatever in daylight rather than the dark. (Not coincidentally I'm also a huge fan of Daylight Savings Time.)

This year the solstice was also marked by a lunar eclipse the night before... unfortunately it occured in the middle of the night and I was too beat to get up and watch, plus it was probably cloudy, seeing as the sky was overcast both when I went to bed and when I got up. Apparently, though, the last time a lunar eclipse coincided with the winter solstice was back in 1638, and it won't happen again until 2094 (more info.) While lunar eclipses aren't nearly as rare as solar ones, the last full lunar eclipse was three years ago, in February 2008. I remember that one well, since it happened earlier in the night and I spent the entire time outside running and enjoying the show.

JMH
4 Mile XC Ski at Black Creek Park
Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Monday, December 20, 2010

FIRST SNOWSHOE OF THE SEASON!
2.3 Mile Snowshoe Run at Wegman's Recreation Complex
Monday, December 20, 2010
HUNGRY, HUNGRY BIRDS
2 Mile XC Ski at Mendon Ponds Park
Monday, December 20, 2010

Sunday, December 19, 2010

FINALLY!
6.1 Mile Run at Five Rivers EEC
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Weekly Training Summary
12/12/2010 - 12/18/2010

Sigh.

Two weeks off from work. Time to get my backside in gear instead of sitting around getting fatter and lazier.

JMH

Thursday, December 16, 2010

MOONLIGHT & BEAVERS
3.4 Mile Walk on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Thursday, December 16, 2010

Had some errands to run so I decided to head over to the bike path for a walk before heading home. It was a good night for it... cold but not too much so, no wind, and a bright half moon lighting everything up. Clear moonlit nights in the winter can be very, very cool... the snow reflects the light all around, so who needs a headlamp? The snow does make it tough to walk quietly (crunch, crunch, crunch) but most of the time I wasn't trying to sneak up on anything anyways.

When I got back to the park, I stopped and listened to the river for a little bit... and heard chewing noises coming from down by the boat put-in. As I was walking toward the hill I heard the very distinctive splash of a beaver tail in the water, and as I made my way down toward the water as quietly as possibly I watched the dark shapes of three beavers come up out of the water and resume munching away at whatever they were gnawing on. They popped in and out of the water several times as I inched closer, and the light I had with me wasn't strong enough for me to get a clear look at any of them, but it was definitely a trio of beavers.

One thing that really jumped out at me was how much I wanted to run while I was walking down the path... had I been dressed a bit differently I might have gone for it. I think tomorrow after work I definitely have to get out and run a few miles... and then maybe a few more Saturday...

JMH
Sigh... No Snowshoe Race This Sunday...
Thursday, December 16, 2010

After the 2010 MA Championships at Northfield Mountain were cancelled back in March due to a distinct lack of snow, the hope was that they could instead be held at Savoy around the middle of this month... a long shot but one worth hoping for. Unfortunately all the recent rain has left the underlying ground pretty wet (and lets face it, the Savoy trails tend to be on the wet side to begin with) so even though the snow is starting to fill in... no race this Sunday.

So I'll just have to find somewhere to go on my own to get in either a bit of running or some snowshoeing... with a 2 week break from work coming up I'm determined to get off my backside and get back to getting outdoors on a daily basis.

JMH

Monday, December 13, 2010

Woo Hoo! The Tannahill Weavers In Concert!
Monday, December 13, 2010

Sunday, December 12, 2010

&%$$*!!$*##ing Albany...
Sunday, December 12, 2010

Got up way too early this morning to head off to what would probably have been my last running race of 2010 - Gail's Trail Run, in the past run on the Leatherman's Loop course at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, but this year being held at the Collis P. Huntington State Park in CT... so I was not only looking forward to the race but also to seeing some new sights. Plus I was considering stopping by Ward Pound Ridge on the way home and running at least part of the course there too... all in all a plan for a pretty decent morning, dampened only by the threat of freezing rain followed by just plain cold wet rain. (And actually, the freezing rain was just starting in Albany as I left the house, which did give me a pause... but I decided to at least start the drive and turn back if it seemed like the roads were getting treacherous.)

All that took a nose dive when I got to my car and discovered that some scumbag had smashed the small quarter panel window on one of my rear doors to get into the car, rifle through the items in the small storage bin under my stereo, and steal - a bag of dirty laundry containing a couple of shirts and some socks and underwear. Aargh!

By the time I was done putting some plastic over the hole it was too late to get to the race on time, so I moved the car closer to my place and went back inside to file the insurance claim. For once I was pretty sure it would be a snap - file the claim, which should be paid for by my full glass coverage, and have whatever company the insurance people wanted come to my car while I'm at work and fix the window. A hassle but no big deal... until I found out that at some point my coverage was apparently changed and I no longer have full glass. So I get to pay for the repair! Hurray! My insurance company strikes again! (What do I pay these guys for again?)

On the plus side, I probably was better off not trying to drive to CT... since when I went out to the car about an hour later to bring more stuff into the house everything was coated in ice... so much so that I first slipped and slid all the way to the bottom of the steps (fortunately doing nothing worse than bruising my backside and my dignity) and then after crossing the street to my car I slipped and fell on the sidewalk, gaining a few more bruises in the process. Aargh.

All in all, not a great start to Sunday... but also not as bad as it could have been, so enough complaining.

JMH
Weekly Training Summary
12/5/2010 - 12/11/2010

What training? Nothing to see here, move along, move along.

On the plus side - if I do anything next week, it's an improvement over this week.

JMH

Saturday, December 11, 2010

SNOW!
3.3 Mile XC Ski at Beaver Lake Nature Center
Saturday, December 11, 2010

While I knew ahead of time that the Syracuse area had anywhere from a foot to two feet of snow (Albany is still bare) it was still a pleasant thrill to see snowbanks when I pulled into the parking lot of the motel last night.

Originally I was going to do the Last Chance Trail Run & Pancake Breakfast at Highland Forest this morning, then Ann and I were going the spend the rest of Saturday and a chunk of Sunday together before heading back to our respective sides of the state. But then the forecast changed to sleet/freezing rain Sunday morning and we decided to head home Saturday night instead... so I really couldn't see spending the whole morning apart. So instead we slept in a little later, had a leisurely breakfast, and headed over to Beaver Lake Nature Center to do some XC skiing.

Ann had commented last winter that she'd really like to ski someplace where there were dedicated XC trails (most of the places we go are also popular with runners and walkers... especially dog walkers, many of whom seem to think there's no reason to clean up after their pets in the winter... so skiing those trails is often an exercise in bouncing over post-holes and trying to avoid piles of poop.) I've been to Beaver Lake twice before - once with Ann for a bit of walking, and once for a small snowshoe race - and have wanted to get back there ever since. Add in some good snow reports (15-20") and it was a no brainer to do some skiing there this weekend.

We ended up skiing the Lake Loop, with an initial side trip along the Deep Woods Trail. Tracks were pretty well set for much of it, and we passed through a lot of different terrain - hardwood and evergreen woods, swamps and streams (with lots of boardwalks and bridges), a bit of uphill and a bit of downhill, but mainly pretty level terrain. After a fairly chilly couple of days today was downright balmy; I ended up taking off my hat and ear warmers about halfway through the trip and was very happy I'd gone with only a long-sleeved shirt and a lined jacket.

Despite the fact that I haven't been on skis for over 1 1/2 years (I'm pretty sure I was last skiing at the Pineland Farms Winter Triathlon, way back in March 2009... whew!) my meager skills don't seem to have deteriorated much, though I ended up wishing I hadn't waxed the skis as much as I did... they were definitely squirrelly a few times when I stopped to snap some photos. I'm also pretty sure I'll be feeling some sore muscles early next week, especially given my recent inactivity.

Along the way we spotted a few woodpeckers, chickadees, juncos, and cardinals, as well as a hawk and a deer. I was surprised we only ran into half a dozen other folks on skis, but maybe we just timed it right. Afterwards we headed into the Nature Center and spent a few minutes checking out the displays and watching the birds and squirells at the feeders. I wouldn't have minded doing that for a bit longer... but lunch was calling...

With luck I can get back there once or twice this winter on my way to or from Rochester... and we agreed that we'd definitely like to visit in warmer weather.

JMH

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

1.9 Mile Walk in the Pine Bush
Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Sunday, December 05, 2010

Weekly Training Summary
11/28/2010 - 12/4/2010

running (1x) - 11.1 mi
riding (1x) - 19.2 mi
snowshoeing - 0 mi
paddling - 0 mi

JMH

Saturday, December 04, 2010

19.2 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Saturday, December 4, 2010

Friday, December 03, 2010

Snow Tires.... Sigh
Friday, December 3, 2010

I do enough driving into what many people would consider the back end of nowhere (snowshoe races! yeah!) during the winter that I see the usefulness of snow tires on my car... heck, there was at least one occasion last winter where lots of folks were really having trouble getting their cars up into the Hallockville parking lot and my little Civic growled up the hill no problem. Between that and just plain doing a lot of driving during the winter (why would winter be any different from the other 3 seasons?) I appreciate extra traction.

But I also dread putting them on because I know my gas mileage will drop and the car will end up driving, as the technician who did the changeover put it tonight, "like a tank on a very bumpy road."

At least I can look forward to switching back to my regular tires sometime in March...

JMH

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Hey, Noah!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Looked out the window this afternoon and I could swear I saw an old guy building an ark... at times the rain was almost coming down sideways, and much of the time I could barely open the window for fear of getting soaked.

If I'd had the day off I would have doubtless headed out into the deluge for a run... as it was I chose to stay at work late grading papers until the worst had passed and I could head to my car without ending up drenched. Some Most days I'm such a wimp...

And of course I can't help wondering... what if we'd had snow instead? Imagine the snowshoeing and XC skiing...!

Welcome to December... just 30 days and another year is in the books...

JMH

Sunday, November 28, 2010

8 Mile Run/Hike at DAR State Forest & Chapel Brook
Sunday, November 28, 2010
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #41
Gorge Apres Gorge 5k Trail Race
Sunday, November 28, 2010

JMH

2010 Event Totals
Run 336.6 mi, 77 hr 5 min
Bike 119.4 mi, 8 hr 51 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT
Weekly Training Summary
11/21/2010 - 11/27/2010

running (4x) - 24.8 mi
riding (1x)- 15.4 mi
snowshoeing - 0 mi
paddling - 0 mi

JMH

Saturday, November 27, 2010

BIRDS, BIRDS, BIRDS... & DEER!
Late Morning At Mendon Ponds Park
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Another Surprise...
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #40
RT Turkey Run 5mi Road/Trail Race
Saturday, November 27, 2010

The Short Version - the turnout was low enough that I ended up taking 2nd place in my age division... this has been a very strange autumn racing season...

JMH

2010 Event Totals
Run 333.5 mi, 76 hr 33 min
Bike 119.4 mi, 8 hr 51 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT

Friday, November 26, 2010

2.8 Mile Walk at Thousand Acre Swamp
Friday, November 26, 2010

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

OK, This Was a Surprise...
Tuesday, November 24, 2010

A few weeks ago I ran a fun trail race down near Kingston - the Ulstercorps Service Spint, a 5 mile jaunt through the hills and hollows of the Hudson Valley Resort property on Williams Lake. I ran a decent race but I can't say I went all out, seeing as I was planning to run a bit more and ride my bike later in the day, and the next day I had the Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon up at Thacher Park. The race had a pretty good turn out for a 1st time event during a fairly busy racing season - about 50 runners or so.

So I was more than a bit surprised when the following arrived in the mail today:



Like I said after the Portage Lakes Du, sometimes it's all a matter of choosing the right race... even when you don't know you've done so. And it sure was awfully nice of the folks at Ulstercorps to take the time and postage to send me the certificate.

Of course, this also probably means I've reached the apex of my racing career... two age group first place finishes in one year. I doubt that'll happen again before I hit the 70+ age group... and possibly not even then!

JMH
PRE-THANKSGIVING RUN
8 Mile Run at the Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve
Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

15.4 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Sunday, November 21, 2010

2.8 Mile Walk at Trustom Pond NWR
Sunday, November 21, 2010
RUNNING 3 STATES IN 2 DAYS - RHODE ISLAND
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #39
Lil Rhody Runaround 8mi Trail race
Sunday, November 21, 2010


2010 Event Totals
Run 328.5 mi, 75 hr 38 min
Bike 119.4 mi, 8 hr 51 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT
RUNNING 3 STATES IN 2 DAYS - RHODE ISLAND
3.8 Mile Run at Ninigret NWR
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Weekly Training Summary
11/14/2010 - 11/20/2010

running (3x) - 20.4 mi
riding - 0 mi
snowshoeing - 0 mi
paddling - 0 mi

JMH

Saturday, November 20, 2010

RUNNING 3 STATES IN 2 DAYS - CONNECTICUT
4.8 Mile Run at Bluff Point State Park
Saturday, November 20, 2010
RUNNING 3 STATES IN 2 DAYS - MASSACHUSETTS
4.6 Mile Run at the Meadows
Saturday, November 20, 2010

Thursday, November 18, 2010

SAD NEWS
Thursday, November 18, 2010

I just learned that Jack Horkheimer, host of "Star Hustler" and more recently "Star Gazer" died on August 20.

more to come...

Sunday, November 14, 2010

2.5 Mile Walk at Durand Eastman Park
Sunday, November 14, 2010
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #38
Dirt Cheap Stage Race#3 - Epic Stage 11mi Trail Race
Sunday, November 14, 2010


2010 Event Totals
Run 320.5 mi, 74 hr 12 min
Bike 119.4 mi, 8 hr 51 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VT
Weekly Training Summary
11/7/2010 - 11/13/2010

running (3x) - 24.1 mi
riding (1x) - 22.5 mi
snowshoeing - 0 mi
paddling - 0 mi

JMH

Saturday, November 13, 2010

1 Mile Walk Along Durand Beach & the Irondequoit Lakeside Trail
Saturday, November 13, 2010
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #37
Dirt Cheap Stage Race#2 - Devil's Bathtub 5mi Trail Race
Saturday, November 13, 2010


2010 Event Totals
Run 309.5 mi, 71 hr 35 min
Bike 119.4 mi, 8 hr 51 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VT
Running & Walking Around Mendon Ponds Park
Saturday, November 13, 2010
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #36
Dirt Cheap Stage Race#1 - 3.3mi Time Trial
Saturday, November 13, 2010


2010 Event Totals
Run 304.5 mi, 70 hr 34 min
Bike 119.4 mi, 8 hr 51 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VT

Thursday, November 11, 2010

22.5 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Thursday, November 11, 2010

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Another Wizard Named Harry
Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Monday, November 08, 2010

Let It Snow...
Monday, November 8, 2010

I was very surprised to look out the window this morning and see snow falling... that's been an increasingly unusual occurence for early November around here. The even greater surprise was that instead of switching over to rain, it got heavier as the day progressed and left us with about an inch of slushy white covering the ground by the time I headed home. I wish I'd had my camera with me so I could have gotten some shots of the first snow of the season... even better would have been having the day off so I could go for a run in the storm.

Of course, seeing snow on the ground reminded me that it's almost SNOWSHOE SEASON!

more to come...

Sunday, November 07, 2010

2.8 Mile Walk At Nyack Beach State Park
Sunday, November 7, 2010
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #35
Alexa's Thunder Run Trail Half Marathon
Sunday, November 7 , 2010


2010 Event Totals
Run 301.2 mi, 69 hr 49 min
Bike 119.4 mi, 8 hr 51 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VT
Weekly Training Summary
10/31/2010 - 11/6/2010

running (2x) - 17.7 mi
riding - 0 mi
snowshoeing - 0 mi
paddling - 0 mi

JMH

Saturday, November 06, 2010

Sigh... No Run for the Turtle & Goodbye Daylight Savings Time
Saturday, November 6, 2010

And I had such big plans for today... I was going to get up early and head to NJ for tomorrow's race, stopping along the way for a short run and also a ride... well, those plans were reduced in scale first by my not getting up all that early and then by my not leaving the house until midafternoon due to a variety of chores and general laziness. But I still planned to stop at the Columbia Land Conservancy's Greenport Conservation Area... I enjoyed running there last fall and since I bailed on the trail race this year, I've wanted to stop there and do a couple of loops. Today seemed like a good opportunity...

... until I got there at a little before 4 PM and discovered a fancy automated gate at the start of the dirt road leading to the parking lot, along with signs indicating that as of 11/7 the gate would close at 5 PM. I drove down to the parking lot anyway, and found more signs indicating that at other times of the year it closes at 7 PM. Granted it's only November 6th, so I might have still had until 7, and I could have at least squeaked in one loop (about 3 miles) before 5... but the concept of possibly being locked in threw me sufficiently off my game that I bailed on the run entirely. I thought about other possible places to go, but nothing came to mind that was both close enough to get to before it was too close to sunset and had sufficiently long trails that I wouldn't be running many loops to get in 5-6 miles. Guess I should have gone with an earlier thought and run somewhere close to Albany... oh, well.

Today also marks the last time for several months that I'll be able to get outdoors after work in the daylight... with the switch back to Standard Time sunset will occur most days right around when I leave. I don't mind running in the dark all that much - sometimes it's actually lot of fun - but it is tough to get motivated to head out into the cold dark night for a couple hours, and it also limits my choices, since many of the parks I'd usually head to are closed after dark.

Still, I shouldn't complain... at least they changed the dates that DST begins and ends back in 2007, extending it by about 4 weeks. The change was supposed to reduce energy use though my understanding is there's not much agreement as to whether it actually does, and interestingly some of the main lobbyists for the change were retail groups that would presumably benefit by people being out and about after work. I recently read an article that claimed that the change was pushed by retailers to provide an extra hour of daylight on Halloween, and thus more sales of supplies for trick-or-treating. Without any evidence to back it up that idea seems a bit silly to me, since it ignores the fact that Halloween has long since stopped being primarily for kids (like it was when I was younger) and now seems to be mostly an excuse for adults to dress up in costumes and party. The world being what it is these days, kids' activities on Halloween seem to be more and more structured in the form of community parties and activities at school. A shame, really... it seems like it's lost some of the innocent scariness I remember it having when I was a kid.

JMH

Friday, November 05, 2010

4.6 Mile Run Through Albany & Around Buckingham Lake
Friday, November 5, 2010

Finally a break in the rain! Other than being a bit chilly and windy it was fairly nice outside when I got out of work, and I had a bit of time before tonight's performance of the fall play, so I headed out for a short run to try and work the rust out of my legs after too many days of inactivity. Can't say I'm particularly fond of running around Albany, but it beats not running at all, and spots like Buckingham Lake Park offer a slight nature break in the midst of the city neighborhoods.

I had planned to do three loops around the lake, but my guts were in something of an uproar by the time I got there so I cut the run short and headed for home before things got really unpleasant. I suspect I have my own stupidity to blame - I probably shouldn't have downed a Powerbar right before I headed out the door.

JMH

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

2.5 Mile Walk at Thacher Park
Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Sunday, October 31, 2010

REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #34
Hairy Gorilla Trail Half Marathon
Sunday, October 31 , 2010


2010 Event Totals
Run 288.1 mi, 66 hr 45 min
Bike 119.4 mi, 8 hr 51 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, OH, PA, VT
Weekly Training Summary
10/24/2010 - 10/30/2010

running (3x) - 11.3 mi
riding (2x) - 30.7 mi
snowshoeing - 0 mi
paddling - 0 mi

JMH

Saturday, October 30, 2010

10.4 Mile Ride on the Walkway Over The Hudson and the Hudson Valley Rail Trail
Saturday, October 30, 2010
3.3 Mile Run at Franny Reese State Park
Saturday, October 30, 2010
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #33
Ulstercorps Service Sprint 4.7mi Trail Race
Saturday, October 30 , 2010


2010 Event Totals
Run 275.0 mi, 63 hr 58 min
Bike 119.4 mi, 8 hr 51 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, OH, PA, VT

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

20.3 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Another gorgeous day today... one of those days where it's really tough to be indoors, especially knowing that the warm weather will disappear soon and then it's going to seem even colder than usual. Sunshine during lots of the day gave way to clouds by the time I got my bike over to the bike path, and the loss of the sun meant it got slightly chilly fairly rapidly... fortunately I was able to grab my windbreaker out of the car as I came back through the Nisky Lions Park.

Started out riding west... along the way spotted ducks, geese, and even an egret off in the marshes near the beaver pond. Water in the river is the highest I've seen it in months (probably since late spring.) Work on the new Niska Isle bridge is proceeding well - looks like it might be open for traffic soon, which makes me wonder when they'll tear down the old bridge (and if they'll remove the "road" they built across the mouth of the Lisha Kill to provide construction access.) Stopped at Lock 7 to take some photos of the water roaring over the dam. At the base of the old landfill I was overcome by a moment of insanity and decided to ride up the hill to Blatnick Park... something I really should have done more often this year, since hills have been kicking my backside in a big way.

It was getting dark as I headed east from the park, so I was glad I'd transferred a light from my mountain bike (my preference for riding in the dark) to my road bike... I definitely needed it for most of the 2nd half of tonight's ride. Passed a couple of other riders with lights shining brightly, including two fellows with incredible lights - the first time I saw them I thought there was a car coming down the path toward me!

I can't say I enjoy riding in the dark as much as I enjoy running in the dark -partially because I have to have a light to ride and partially because there's just something about balancing on two wheels when I can only see the path a few feet ahead of me that causes concern... plus the fact that usually if I'm riding in the dark it's probably cold! But on a warm fall night like tonight riding in the dark is definitely much better than no riding at all.

JMH

Monday, October 25, 2010

3.3 Mile Run in the Pine Bush
Monday, October 25, 2010

Today was the first day I tried my new strategy to get my backside out for a run or a ride after work... essentially it came down to taking my running gear to work and heading out directly from there instead of going home first and falling prey to the lure of dinner and either the couch or bed. And it worked... in some ways. Unfortunately I didn't have much handy to eat after wrapping up my last extra help session so I went with a Powerbar and some chips while driving over to the Pine Bush, which may have contributed to the digestive issues I had about 1 1/2 miles into the run. I was halfway around the perimeter loop on the Great Dune trails, and when I got to the connector trail for the Madison Ave Pinelands I decided discretion was the better part of valor and called it an early night. While I wish I'd done another three miles or so (my original plan) it was a good decision, especially since it started raining not long after I got back to the car.

It was good to be back in the Pine Bush, even if I didn't stay as long as I'd hoped. We're having a couple of days of unusually warm weather, so it was a great evening to be out running. I startled a woodcock just after hitting the trails, and watched a bat zipping around in the meadow that's been subject to much habitat restoration over the last few years. After that it was too dark for me to see much, though I did spot some glowing eyes (deer and in one case a housecat) in the light of my headlamp. Of course, in a couple more weeks I'll be doing all my evening runs in the dark... sigh.

JMH

Sunday, October 24, 2010

DUCKS, GULLS, SWANS, A CORMORANT, & A COOT
1.5 Mile Walk at Turning Point Park & Along the Genesee Riverway
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Weekly Training Summary
10/17/2010 - 10/23/2010

running (2x) - 12.5 mi
riding - 0 mi
snowshoeing - 0 mi
paddling - 0 mi

Of course, "training" may be a major misnomer for this past week... sigh. Though I may have come up with a solution to my giving in night after night to post-workday lethargy... time will tell.

JMH

Saturday, October 23, 2010

3 Mile Walk at Black Creek Park
Saturday, October 23, 2010

Friday, October 22, 2010

Harvesting Seeds in the Pine Bush
Friday, October 22, 2010

Several times a year we have community service days at work where we spend the day doing work both at the school and volunteering in the Albany area community. Since I have a new group of student advisees this year, it was an opportunity to go to a new venue to work (my previous group was adamant that we continue to work with the same organization every time, in part because they often bought pizza for us afterwards) and I chose one that is near and dear to my heart, the Albany Pine Bush Preserve. Since moving to Albany in late 1999 I've run, biked, snowshoed, skied, and walked countless miles on the Pine Bush trails, so this was an excellent opportunity to give back a little bit.

Our job today was working with two staff members harvesting bush clover seeds for planting next spring in one of the areas where habitat restoration is being done, a process where the vast majority of plants in an area are removed, leaving behind essentially bare soil, to get rid of invasive species and allow re-establishing of native species that are important to the various endangered species that need the Pine Bush to survive - in this case, the Karner Blue butterfly, which as an adult feeds on the nectar from the bush clover blossoms. After meeting the staff at the Pine Bush Discovery Center we headed over to a field along Kings Road where we spent 2 1/2 hours harvesting seed materials, which will be run through equipment later to extract and clean the seeds to planting in the spring.

I was pleasantly surprised that the boys didn't grumble about the work being pretty boring, though they did get antsy toward the end, mainly because they were getting pretty hungry and in some cases a bit chilly. Before we headed back to the Discovery Center for lunch, the staff members weighed the bags we'd collected - turns out we gathered 63 lbs of material altogether, which is pretty darn impressive.

Back at the Discovery Center the staff explained why the Pine Bush is important (it's environmentally unique) and we got to see the box turtle they have there (rescued from someone who had been keeping him illegally.) The boys chowed down on the food we'd brought with us from the school and then spent a while checking out the displays and activities. I was glad to have the opportunity to see the inside of the Center - usually I'm there in the evening when it's closed - and chatted with the staff briefly about how tough it's been with all the budget problems NYS has been having, before we hopped back on the bus to return to school.

JMH

Thursday, October 21, 2010

4 Mile Run, Albany Academy to Normanskill Farm
Thursday, October 21, 2010

Very little time today between wrapping up extra help sessions with my students and another work function, so I squeezed in a very short run from the school over to Normanskill Farm. After following city streets for a ways, I went down what used to be a yellow-brick road (before it was paved over, though in spots the asphalt has worn away revealing the bricks underneath) and over the Whipple bridge to follow a trail down the hill and then along the Normans Kill a short distance before turning around and heading back. I would have liked to have run longer but there just wasn't time...

The last time I was at Normanskill Farm was almost a year ago, after last year's Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon, when I stopped to get some photos of the many trees that were in brilliant fall colors. There were fewer showing gold and reds today, possibly because of the recent rain or possibly because some of the trees have yet to change color. Still, it was awfully nice to spend some time surrounded by a bit of nature, before having to follow the city streets back to work.

JMH

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

BACK TO THE BEGINNING...
8.5 Mile Run on the Appalachian Trail, South Egremont to Sheffield
Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Sunday, October 17, 2010

1 Mile Walk at Ontario Beach Park
Sunday, October 17, 2010
3.1 Mile Walk at Gosnell's Big Woods Preserve
Sunday, October 17, 2010
A Change in Plans... No Ridgewalk For Me Today...
Sunday, October 17, 2010

There are a bunch of reasons why it didn't make sense to do the 15 mile Ridgewalk trail race today, but the most important one is pretty simple... by not running the race I have more time to spend with Ann. (Of course, this leaves me with 4 DNS's to one actual running of the event... Ridgewalk is kicking my backside!)

Next year...

JMH
Weekly Training Summary
10/10/2010 - 10/16/2010

running (3x) - 26.5 mi
riding (2x) - 21.0 mi
snowshoeing - 0 mi
paddling - 0 mi

JMH

Saturday, October 16, 2010

FALL COLORS AT LETCHWORTH STATE PARK
Saturday, October 16, 2010
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #32
Black Diamond Offroad Duathlon
Saturday, October 16 , 2010

2010 Black Diamond Duathlon results
Black Diamond Duathlon information

Overall a decent race on my part, though my slowest time yet (by a little over 3 1/2 minutes, sigh.) Finished in 1:33:39, with a little over 20 minutes for each 2 mile running leg (not PR's but decent for the way I've been running this year) and a whopping 50:16 for the ride. I don't know if it was the wind, the wet ground, or my not putting in enough time on my bike recently... just had a tough ride today.

On the positive side, this is the first time I've done this race when it didn't rain! I really started to wonder when I was about 20 miles east on of exit 45 with sunny skies and saw a band of dark clouds covering the Victor/Fishers area... but while we started the race with grey clouds overhead we had sunshine during the last part of the ride and during my second run... for me, sunshine on a cool fall day makes racing so much easier. I even considered heading back out on the bike afterwards to get some photos of the fall colors along the rail trail, but decided to both save some energy for tomorrow and get over to Ann's a bit sooner.

One runner had a close call during the second run... apparently he was found unresponsive on the trail and when I went by was being given CPR while they waited for the EMT's arrival. By the time I came back through they had already gotten him on the road to the hospital... the word from a variety of sources is that he went into cardiac arrest and was found by other runners who began CPR, then was revived either by a sheriff's deputy using an AED or the EMTs, there are conflicting reports in the articles I found about that. As of Saturday night he was in the hospital in guarded condition. Scary stuff that definitely makes you think... and it reminded me that I while I keep thinking I need to take a CPR course I really need to get off my backside and actually do it.

JMH

2010 Event Totals
Run 270.3 mi, 63 hr 7 min
Bike 119.4 mi, 8 hr 51 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, OH, PA, VT

Thursday, October 14, 2010

11 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Thursday, October 14, 2010

Good thing I remembered to bring a light, since I did half my ride tonight in the dark... two more months of nightfall creeping earlier and earlier, almost four of running and riding primarily in the dark when I go out in the evening. Oh, well, I guess it helps me appreciate the long days of spring and summer that much more.

Lots of ducks on the river and a few geese... even saw and heard a couple of herons.

I was hoping I'd beat the rain but no such luck... it started about a third of the way into the ride and increased in intensity as I kept riding. Stopped at the car on my way back through the Nisky Lions Park to trade my windbreaker for a rainjacket... good thing, too, since it really picked up after that. I knew my tights were getting soaked when I could feel water running down the fronts of my shins... brrr.

I'd like to get in another short ride tomorrow but if it rains like the weather forecast is calling for... I'll have to settle for a run instead.

JMH

Monday, October 11, 2010

A GORGEOUS FALL DAY IN HAWLEY, Part 3:
0.8 Mile Walk at the Hawley Old Town Common Historic Site
Monday, October 11, 2010
A GORGEOUS FALL DAY IN HAWLEY, Part 2:
0.6 Mile Walk on the Hawley Bog Trail
Monday, October 11, 2010
A GORGEOUS FALL DAY IN HAWLEY, Part 1:
12 Mile Run in Kenneth Dubuque State Forest
Monday, October 11, 2010

Sunday, October 10, 2010

GEESE GALORE
A Brief Visit to the Brunswick Wildlife Viewing Area
Sunday, October 10, 2010
A GORGEOUS FALL DAY ALONG DUNBAR BROOK
3.4 Mile Walk in Monroe State Forest
Sunday, October 10, 2010
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #31
Monroe Dunbar Brook 10.5mi Trail Race
Sunday, October 10 , 2010


JMH

2010 Event Totals
Run 266.3 mi, 62 hr 26 min
Bike 109.4 mi, 8 hr 1 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, OH, PA, VT
Weekly Training Summary
10/3/2010 - 10/9/2010

running (2x) - 12.0 mi
riding (1x) - 20.0 mi
snowshoeing - 0 mi
paddling - 0 mi

Not the direction I should be heading in... must get motivated and get my backside outdoors!

JMH

Saturday, October 09, 2010

6 Mile Run at Colonie Mohawk River Park
Saturday, October 9, 2010

Friday, October 08, 2010

3.7 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Friday, October 8, 2010

Sunday, October 03, 2010

1.2 Mile Walk on the Chili Nature Trails
Sunday, October 3, 2010
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #30
Rochester Autumn Classic F1 Duathlon
Sunday, October 3 , 2010


JMH

2010 Event Totals
Run 255.8 mi, 59 hr 38 min
Bike 109.4 mi, 8 hr 1 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, OH, PA, VT
Weekly Training Summary
9/26/2010 - 10/2/2010

running (2x) - 17.0 mi
riding (1x) - 31.2 mi
snowshoeing - 0 mi
paddling - 0 mi

Sigh... another lazy week... too bad I'm not tapering for a big event...

JMH

Saturday, October 02, 2010

2.3 Mile Walk at Letchworth State Park
Saturday, October 2, 2010
2.2 Mile Walk at Stony Brook State Park
Saturday, October 2, 2010

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

7 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Sunday, September 26, 2010

I CAN'T BELIEVE I RODE THE WHOLE THING...
31.2 Mile Ride on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail
Sunday, September 26, 2010
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #29
Pfalz Point 10mi Trail Race
Sunday, September 26 , 2010


JMH

2010 Event Totals
Run 249.8 mi, 58 hr 30 min
Bike 89.4 mi, 6 hr 36 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, OH, PA, VT
Weekly Training Summary
9/19/2010 - 9/25/2010

running (2x) - 17.5 mi
riding (2x) - 41.5 mi
snowshoeing - 0 mi
paddling - 0 mi

JMH

Saturday, September 25, 2010

4.4 Mile Walk at Five Rivers
Saturday, September 25, 2010

Friday, September 24, 2010

A HOT MUGGY SUMMER AUTUMN EVENING
18.5 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, September 24, 2010

Thursday, September 23, 2010

WELCOMING AUTUMN
8.2 Mile Run at Thacher Park
Thursday, September 23, 2010

Finally got out for a run this week... it seems appropriate that it was the first full day of autumn. Debated a variety of possible locations and finally settled on Thacher Park, which turned out to be a good choice - very few people on the trails, and once I was away from the roads, very little traffic noise (one of the main drawbacks to the Pine Bush, which has all sorts of busy roads right nearby.)

Since I suspected it would be dark before I finished I parked on Beaver Dam Road and started out by going most of the way up the old ski run. Along the way I had some nice views of trees that have started to change to their fall colors, lit by the sun hanging low over the horizon. From there I looped down through the Hop Field trails and over to the hill above the Maintenance buildings, where I took a trail I've never been on before (and there aren't many of those at Thacher!) out to the road. Looking at the trail map, there's another trail in that section that I haven't explored - I'll have to check that out on a future trip.

As I ran through the Overlook area and along the escarpment it became fairly clear that I was running out of daylight... but I still chose to run the around the rim of the Horseshoe and up to the Haile's Cave picnic area, since I knew the worst that would happen is I'd end up going up Paint Mine Road in the dark, which is no big deal. And it turned out to be well worth it, since at Haile's Cave I looked out over the valley and was treated to a great view of the yellow-orange moon rising over the Helderberg Escarpment from behind the clouds. Spent a while trying to get some decent photos before heading back through the picnic and parking areas to Paint Mine Road, which I did end up climbing in the dark. But that had it's pluses too - I got to listen to an owl hooting off in the woods.

Once I got back to the car, the lure of being out in the fields in the moonlight was too strong, so I headed back up the old ski run for a short distance... if I'd had more time and my headlamp I might have gone all the way up to Roemer's High Point, because it was a gorgeous night. Instead, I reluctantly headed back to the car to head for home and the work I had waiting for me for tomorrow's classes.

One of the things that really stood out during tonight's run is how dry everything is... very few of the streams had more than a trickle of water in them. I may regret saying this if I end up running wet race after wet race this fall... but we really could use some steady rain (or lots of snow this winter, which would be welcome for an additional reason!) to replenish the water table for next year.

JMH

Monday, September 20, 2010

A First for the Turtle
Monday, September 20, 2010

Quite literally. There were so many participants between all the races going on yesterday at Portage Lakes that they weren't able to post results immediately afterwards... but they've got them up today and -

I took 1st place in my division!



OK, time for the full disclosure... sometimes it doesn't matter if you're slow and fat if you pick your race carefully. Apparently Olympic Distance du isn't all that popular, because only 25 people actually competed (out of somewhere around 900 spread out over all the tris and dus yesterday)... and I came in 24th out of those 25. I also signed up for an age group - Over 40 Clydesdale 220+lbs - which I knew was unlikely to have many (if any!) other participants. So yes, I came in 1st out of a group of one fat old guy... though the results do show that had I signed up for my age group (45-49) I would have taken that too, since apparently I was the only guy in that group running and riding yesterday.

But you know what. I don't care. I drove for 9 hours round trip (17 from Albany) to compete yesterday and I busted my butt to finish the race. I rode fairly well (for me), made it through the run uninjured, and paced myself well enough that I didn't end up having to crawl the last couple of miles and even managed to break 3 1/2 hours. And in the process I got my first ever first place finish... I think I've earned the right to enjoy it for a bit, before I go on to get my butt kicked in the races coming up next weekend... and all the weekends after that too.

JMH
2.5 Mile Walk at Ann Lee Pond
Monday, September 20, 2010

It was such a nice evening (cool and sunny) that I was almost tempted to go for a run... but I was pretty sure I'd regret it for the rest of the week if I didn't take a rest day, so in the end I headed over to Ann Lee Pond to wander in the woods for a while.

No surprise, the water was even lower then the last time I was there... at most a couple of inches deep in the back of the pond, making the Crazy Bridge seem much higher. Apparently the local kids have been up to no good, since there were a number of places where the railings on the bridge had been damaged... stupid. I didn't see much wildlife, though I was pleased to see a heron on the shore - I've always wondered why I don't see them more often in the pond, especially now that I know they have a rookery back in the beaver ponds. Of course, he wasn't pleased to see me... there were a couple of times over the course of the evening that he flew to another spot squawking his displeasure.

After that I spent a while walking through the woods. I didn't see much point in going back to the beaver ponds, both because it was getting darker and because of how low the water is. I heard lots of woodpeckers and a few other birds I didn't recognize, as well as the usual jays and robins. Eventually I made my way back to the shore of the pond and checked out the ducks for a bit before heading over to the Shaker Historic Site.

There were people with the bulls, so I wandered down through the site and took a look at the old buildings. I couldn't see much but overall it looked pretty cool... I would definitely like to get back there at some point during the day and see more. I did manage to get some pretty neat pictures.

JMH

Sunday, September 19, 2010

REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #28
Portage Lakes Olympic Distance Duathlon
Sunday, September 19 , 2010

JMH

2010 Event Totals
Run 239.8 mi, 56 hr 33 min
Bike 89.4 mi, 6 hr 36 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, OH, PA, VT
Weekly Training Summary
9/12/2010 - 9/18/2010

running (3x) - 28.8 mi
riding (1x) - 12.6 mi
snowshoeing - 0 mi
paddling - 0 mi

JMH

Saturday, September 18, 2010

1.2 Mile Walk at Tinker Nature Park
Saturday, September 18, 2010

We definitely didn't want to spend a beautiful afternoon indoors, so after lunch Ann and I headed over to Tinker Park for a short walk. When we got there we were surprised to see the parking lot filled and cars parked out along the road, and lots of people around the nature center... it wasn't until we were able to check the events posted on the message board that we found out that today was the annual Honey Harvest Festival. For a few moments I was at a loss for where we could go instead, then I remembered the 2nd parking lot over near the pond. That was mostly empty, and not too many people were over that way.

Lots of geese near the pond... from the sounds they made mostly youngsters , though they're now visibly tough to tell apart from the adults. Spotted a few fish in the pond but the real find was a variety of types of frogs in the wetlands along the boardwalk... we saw at least four different kinds, and heard plenty of splashing that indicated there were more around.

Things were winding down over at the Nature Center. We went inside and checked out the displays, then headed back out on the trails. One of the deer had come out under the big oak tree; after spending a while watching her munch leaves and acorns we headed back into the woods, where we saw plenty of squirrels and chipmunks. We also saw four more deer just before we got back to the pond.

Some of the geese had moved out onto the water, and while we were there several more groups came flying in, which elicted a lot of noise from the ones already there... for a little while we wondered of we were going to see a goose-fight. But eventually they calmed down, and we headed back home to have some dinner before it was time for me to hit the long road (4 hours) to Akron, OH, where I would be spending the night before heading to the duathlon at Portage Lakes State Park tomorrow morning.

JMH
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #27
Charlie's Old Goat 7mi Trail Race
Saturday, September 18 , 2010

JMH

2010 Event Totals
Run 230.5 mi, 54 hr 45 min
Bike 66.4 mi, 4 hr 58 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, PA, VT

Friday, September 17, 2010

JUST DUCKY (OR DUCKIES...)
12.6 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, September 17, 2010

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Rough Week...
Thursday, September 16, 2010

First full week back to school always wears me out, and this year is no different. Monday I barely summoned up the energy to go for a walk, Tuesday I planned to go out for a ride and ended up conking out when I got home instead, and tonight it was pouring when I got home... so rather than go for a cold wet ride I ended up falling asleep for a couple of hours. I'll be very glad when my body finally adjusts to being at work every day and sleeping on a regular schedule (my summer sleep schedule is anything but that...) Next week I definitely need to push myself to get back to my "outdoors every day" schedule.

On the plus side... I'm definitely not going into this weekend's races overtrained...

JMH

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

7.8 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Wednesday, September 15, 2010

No question fall is on the way... I set out for tonight's run with both short and long-sleeved shirts and in the end only opted for the short sleeves because I remember too many occasions in the past where I spent an entire run where I was chilly at the start and spent the rest of the time overheating. Actually, I enjoy the cooler temperatures, but the ever-decreasing hours of daylight are a bummer... I spent the last mile or more of tonight's run with a view that was slightly better than the photos below, simply because my eyes are more sensitive to dim light than my camera.





Haven't run in the Pine Bush much this summer, partially because there are lots of other places enjoy running, partially because soon the Pine Bush will be one of the few places I can run trails after work (in the dark, with a headlamp) and partially because I didn't run nearly as much this summer as I should have. So it was nice to be there again, even with all the changes that have occured due to "habitat restoration." Even nicer was the fact that I arrived at the Madison Avenue Pinelands trailhead and it wasn't crowded!







During the first few miles I heard a lot of "tap, tap, tap" and after a bit figured out that the noise was woodpeckers. I was a bit surprised by how many I saw, but that may have been a positive outcome of the "habitat restoration" - there are plenty of stands of dead trees, especially in spots where lots of black locusts have been girdled, dead trees are good homes for bugs, and those are a primary source of food for woodpeckers. I saw primarily downy woodpeckers but I think I also heard some pileated woodpeckers calling off in the distance.







I was a bit concerned at first - my legs were feeling pretty tired and a bit sore from last weekend's races in Kinderhook and Pittsfield, despite the fact that overall they felt much better than they had after the Catharine Valley and Oak Tree half marathons. But they seemed to loosen up a bit as I ran, and later in the run I even opted to take the power line trail, which in some spots features killer hills (which I hiked up, of course!) The sand was probably the biggest challenge... right now things are very dry and all the trail usage has really churned up the sandy sections, which was pretty tough going at times.





JMH

Sunday, September 12, 2010

2.7 Mile Walk at Canoe Meadows Nature Sanctuary
Sunday, September 12, 2010

Canoe Meadows trail map (PDF)

Canoe Meadows is a 264 acre Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary close to the center of Pittsfield. Back when I worked in Great Barrington I drove past the entrance several times a month, since Pittsfield was the nearest place to do any major shopping (as well as home to the supplier for the monthly comic book habit I had back then) but it's only in the last two years that I've actually visited the site, partly because there are many interesting places to visit in western MA and I have only limited time to visit them... the fact that there's a $3 fee may also play a role.

more to come...
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #26
Curly's 14mi Trail Race
Sunday, September 12 , 2010

JMH

2010 Event Totals
Run 223.5 mi, 53 hr 18 min
Bike 66.4 mi, 4 hr 58 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, PA, VT
Weekly Training Summary
9/5/2010 - 9/11/2010

running (3x) - 29.6 mi
riding (3x) - 50.3 mi
snowshoeing - 0 mi
paddling - 0 mi

JMH

Saturday, September 11, 2010

17.5 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Saturday, September 11, 2010
1.9 Mile Walk on the Rotterdam Great Flats Nature Trail
Saturday, September 11, 2010
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #25
Red Apple 10k Trail Run
Saturday, September 11 , 2010

JMH

2010 Event Totals
Run 209.5 mi, 49 hr 15 min
Bike 66.4 mi, 4 hr 58 min

Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, PA, VT

Thursday, September 09, 2010

10.2 Mile Run at the Wilton Wildlife Preserve
Thursday, September 9, 2010

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Another Shot at a Longer Du
Wednesday, September 8, 2010

... and in Ohio to boot... though this time in Akron, which is quite a bit closer to Rochester. Still a lot of driving that weekend, but 8-9 hours less than the round trip to Heuston Woods back in August.

So Sept. 18 I'll be heading to Akron for the Portage Lakes Olympic Distance Duathlon. And afterwards I'll make a rather long drive back to Albany so I can be at work Monday morning. Wahoo...

Thinking about it, while this will be the longest du I've ever done, it's actually not that much longer than the Rochester Autumn Classic F1, which I've done 5 times now... just an additional 3 miles of running and 5 miles of riding. Hmm... looks like I'll have to move up to a Half Iron du (!) if I ever want to go significantly longer... and I'm definitely not going to be ready for that challenge anytime soon.

JMH

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

19.5 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Tuesday, September 7, 2010

For whatever reason (maybe a reaction to a day of pre-back-to-school meetings?) this evening it just felt good hammering out some miles on the bike. I kept up a pretty good pace from the Lions Park over to a ways past the Colonie Mohawk River Park, and even skipped a trip down to the riverfront there because I knew I'd get sidetracked.





Though I did make up for it somewhat when I rode out to Lock 7... first I spent a while watching the dozens of gulls perched on the edge of the Lock 7 dam...



... and then I noticed an egret out in the "bay" next to the upstream entrance to the lock, so I walked out on the concrete pier and spent a while watching him and taking pictures.





As I was walking back to my back I realized there was also a heron out there... and startled a second heron that was near the shoreline as well. Unfortunately at that point it was getting too dark for me to get any decent shots of him flying off.






Back at the Lions Park I was pleased to see a bat fluttering around... now if only I could have gotten him to eat the bugs that were biting me as I was trying to load my bike on the car and get ready to head home!

JMH

Monday, September 06, 2010

2.2 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Monday, September 6, 2010



After walking through the gardens by the nature center (where I spotted frogs in the water garden and quite a few different birds at the feeders) I headed down to the Heron Pond and spent a while watching the heron catch his dinner.







While I was doing that I could hear a group of ducks making quite a racket; when I walked out onto the bridge I was able to watch them splashing around in the water like little maniacs. My guess is they have new feathers coming in and were trying to relieve the itching.









Saw quite a few squirrels tonight, all scurrying around looking for food. It's that time of year...







I was surprised to spot fish off one of the observation decks... someone may have been feeding them, because they went after a leaf that fell in the water fairly voraciously. This whiskered fellow (perhaps a bullhead?) was especially active.





Frogs, frogs, and more frogs... it's always comical walking near the ponds because every step or two one of the smaller frogs squawks and leaps into the water. The bigger ones seem to have figured out that it's not worth the waste of energy, or else they're more confident in their ability to get away, since they often remain right where they are.





Spent a while watching the swallows swoop and soar around the research ponds... it's incredible how maneuverable they are. As I was walking back toward the parking lots I even spotted a ladybug on some of the goldenrod.





Rustling in the bushes told me someone was out and about, and I wondered if I was going to see the racoons again... but in this case it was two deer. One with a greyish-brown coat, and one with the more brilliant reddish-brown coat. As is often the case with the deer at Five Rivers, they were fairly unconcerned about my being there and just went on with munching their dinner (or perhaps breakfast, if they were snoozing during the day.)









JMH

Sunday, September 05, 2010

13.3 Mile Ride on the Erie Canalway Trail (Camillus)
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Turtle Rescue?
Sunday, September 5, 2010

I was walking back to the car and just happened to notice this little guy on the stone dust path... a baby snapping turtle, slightly larger than a quarter.





After determining that he was indeed alive, I thought about it for a few moments... on the one hand I probably shouldn't interfere with wildlife, but on the other... he was a heck of a long way from any reliable source of water and actually pretty lucky no one had stepped on him... it was only chance that I noticed him. So... decision made. I interfered.





And carried him over to the dock on the Seneca River/Cayuga-Seneca Canal, where I placed him on a sunny rock right at the edge of the water. Where he stayed for a few minutes until...



... he all but shot into the water (and perhaps thought "crap, that's cold!") and paddled around a bit while seeming to check out some floating bits as possible food.





Should I have left him where he was and let him survive or perish on his own, ie. let nature take it's proper course? Yup. After all it's not like he was in the road and going to be run over by a car or something, and he clearly got to where he was under his own power. But obviously I feel better about having done it this way... and walking back from the dock I got to see several butterflies that I wouldn't have seen otherwise. And who knows, maybe this little guy is destined to grow up to become Gamera and save the world... or at least be a friend to children everywhere.


(Gamera © Daiei/Kadokawa Shoten Pictures Inc.)

OK, probably not.

JMH