SO LONG 2014
APPROX TOTALS:
RUN 486.2 mi
RIDE 2000.2 mi
SNOWSHOE 113.3 mi
HIKE/WALK 627.9 mi
PADDLE 22.3 mi
XC SKI 14.1 mi
DAYS OUTDOORS 353/365
Event Totals
Run 196.4 mi, 44 hr 44 min
Bike 338.3 mi, 29 hr 10 min
Snowshoe 47.5 mi, 14 hr 38 min
Kayak 4.0 mi, 1 hr 3 min
states/provinces visited: AB, CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT
10 snowshoe races
21 trail races
4 road races
5 duathlons
2 paddle triathlons
3 bicycle rides
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Monday, December 29, 2014
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Friday, December 26, 2014
Monday, December 22, 2014
MADE IT!
16 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Monday, December 22, 2014
Another grey, chilly day for a ride (though not as chilly as yesterday.) I toyed with the idea of trying either the bike path west of Schenectady or the Zim Smith trail, but I'm glad I went to the Colonie-Niskayuna path instead... from what I saw of the unplowed sections there, the other two options wouldn't have been rideable on my road bike.
I went into today's ride with just under 16 miles left to hit 2000 miles for the year... that sounded pretty easy. But during parts of today's ride I considered stopping after about 10 miles... what can I say, riding back and forth on the same stretch of path gets pretty tedious, especially on a dreary day like today. The ducks, gulls, and pigeons on the river provided small bits of distraction, but for the most part it was more a day to grind out the miles.
Funny thing was, during my last two miles there was a small break in the clouds and I got a bit of sunshine for 20 minutes or so... that was remarkably symbolic, since that's when I just barely broke the 2000 mile mark for the year. The sun made a noticeable difference in my mood, too... sticking out the entire 16 miles would have been a lot easier if it had been sunny, and I might have even done a few more to boot.
Don't know if I'll be riding again before the end of the month, but regardless this has definitely been a banner year for my cycling... I did several rides over 50 miles for the first time in longer than I can remember, rode my first century, rode over 2000 miles for the year, and rode every month. Nothing to write home about for the hard-core cyclists out there... but all pretty significant for me.
JMH
16 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Monday, December 22, 2014
Another grey, chilly day for a ride (though not as chilly as yesterday.) I toyed with the idea of trying either the bike path west of Schenectady or the Zim Smith trail, but I'm glad I went to the Colonie-Niskayuna path instead... from what I saw of the unplowed sections there, the other two options wouldn't have been rideable on my road bike.
I went into today's ride with just under 16 miles left to hit 2000 miles for the year... that sounded pretty easy. But during parts of today's ride I considered stopping after about 10 miles... what can I say, riding back and forth on the same stretch of path gets pretty tedious, especially on a dreary day like today. The ducks, gulls, and pigeons on the river provided small bits of distraction, but for the most part it was more a day to grind out the miles.
Funny thing was, during my last two miles there was a small break in the clouds and I got a bit of sunshine for 20 minutes or so... that was remarkably symbolic, since that's when I just barely broke the 2000 mile mark for the year. The sun made a noticeable difference in my mood, too... sticking out the entire 16 miles would have been a lot easier if it had been sunny, and I might have even done a few more to boot.
Don't know if I'll be riding again before the end of the month, but regardless this has definitely been a banner year for my cycling... I did several rides over 50 miles for the first time in longer than I can remember, rode my first century, rode over 2000 miles for the year, and rode every month. Nothing to write home about for the hard-core cyclists out there... but all pretty significant for me.
JMH
Sunday, December 21, 2014
COLD WITH LIGHT SLEET...
12 Mile Ride Through the Corning Riverfront Preserve
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Two things this year have made it very clear to me that I enjoy biking but I don't love it in the way I love running and snowshoeing... the first was finding stretches of the Maine Lighthouse Century ride just plain tedious. Hours of riding along country roads with the prospect of hours more to go... sigh. Thank heavens a good chunk of the 2nd half was along the seacoast so at least there was some interesting and (for me) unusual scenery.
The second was getting out of the car today at the Corning Preserve, setting off into the damp cold and mild sleet, with my hands burning after I'd barely started, and thinking how nice it would be to cut the ride short and go back home. Honestly, if I wasn't struggling to hit 2000 miles before the end of the year, I probably would have done just that. Riding on a grey, damp, cold winter day just isn't all that appealing to me.
The ride did get better once I'd warmed up, enough so that I did a second loop down through the riverfront park before loading the bike up, cranking up the heat, and heading back home. But if it wasn't for needing the miles to hopefully make that goal - I would have been much happier going for a run today.
JMH
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
THE SNOW SURE IS PRETTY...
4 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
OK, 90+ minutes to ride 4 miles is definitely nothing to brag about... but there were extenuating circumstances, like the 2-3 inches or of very wet, dense snow I was riding through... and the wind blowing even more snow in my face for half the ride. It was slow, tough going and had me seriously questioning my decision to drive all the way to the bike path for what I quickly realized would be a much shorter ride than I had hoped for.
Actually, I was lucky to be riding at all... I tried going off the section that had been been plowed the day before, where the snow was more like 8 inches deep and found myself making no headway at all.
But on the plus side, the snow-covered trees were very nice to look at, and it sure was peaceful... if I had started earlier (it was getting dark by the time I finished) I probably would have stayed out for a few more miles.
JMH
4 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
OK, 90+ minutes to ride 4 miles is definitely nothing to brag about... but there were extenuating circumstances, like the 2-3 inches or of very wet, dense snow I was riding through... and the wind blowing even more snow in my face for half the ride. It was slow, tough going and had me seriously questioning my decision to drive all the way to the bike path for what I quickly realized would be a much shorter ride than I had hoped for.
Actually, I was lucky to be riding at all... I tried going off the section that had been been plowed the day before, where the snow was more like 8 inches deep and found myself making no headway at all.
But on the plus side, the snow-covered trees were very nice to look at, and it sure was peaceful... if I had started earlier (it was getting dark by the time I finished) I probably would have stayed out for a few more miles.
JMH
Tuesday, December 09, 2014
Sunday, December 07, 2014
Saturday, December 06, 2014
A THOROUGHLY UNPLEASANT
AFTERNOON & EVENING
Saturday, December 6, 2014
I had hoped to stop somewhere along the way to CT for another short walk, but the rain got heavier pretty quickly as I headed south... I'm glad I went out earlier today, and I was lucky that it had eased off at that point. Even the drive wasn't particularly pleasant, between the rain and the idiotic way many of my fellow drivers behave behind the wheel.
I find traveling at this time of the year somewhat frustrating... I got to my motel in CT a little after 5 PM and even if it hadn't been raining steadily, I wouldn't have had many options for being outdoors, since it was already dark. Two more weeks and we start regaining a few minutes of daylight each day...
JMH
AFTERNOON & EVENING
Saturday, December 6, 2014
I had hoped to stop somewhere along the way to CT for another short walk, but the rain got heavier pretty quickly as I headed south... I'm glad I went out earlier today, and I was lucky that it had eased off at that point. Even the drive wasn't particularly pleasant, between the rain and the idiotic way many of my fellow drivers behave behind the wheel.
I find traveling at this time of the year somewhat frustrating... I got to my motel in CT a little after 5 PM and even if it hadn't been raining steadily, I wouldn't have had many options for being outdoors, since it was already dark. Two more weeks and we start regaining a few minutes of daylight each day...
JMH
COLD & RAINY... BLEAH
0.6 Mile Walk at Six Mile Waterworks Park
0.8 Mile Walk at Buckingham Pond
Saturday, December 6, 2014
I couldn't summon the motivation to go for a run or a ride in the cold, steady rain this morning... guess it was just as well I cancelled my trip to NJ to run the 1st of the Winter Series trail races, though it would have been nice to run through Lewis Morris Park in a different season (I ran there back in June.)
Instead I took care of some errands and then went for two short walks... first along the shore of Rensellaer Lake, at Six Mile Waterworks Park, and then one lap around Buckingham Pond. I would have done at least one more lap around Buckingham, but it was getting late and I didn't want to get on the road to CT too late in the afternoon.
One plus to the lousy weather - not many people out on the trails!
JMH
0.6 Mile Walk at Six Mile Waterworks Park
0.8 Mile Walk at Buckingham Pond
Saturday, December 6, 2014
I couldn't summon the motivation to go for a run or a ride in the cold, steady rain this morning... guess it was just as well I cancelled my trip to NJ to run the 1st of the Winter Series trail races, though it would have been nice to run through Lewis Morris Park in a different season (I ran there back in June.)
Instead I took care of some errands and then went for two short walks... first along the shore of Rensellaer Lake, at Six Mile Waterworks Park, and then one lap around Buckingham Pond. I would have done at least one more lap around Buckingham, but it was getting late and I didn't want to get on the road to CT too late in the afternoon.
One plus to the lousy weather - not many people out on the trails!
JMH
Wednesday, December 03, 2014
8 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Well, that was annoying. I was about 6 miles into a fairly pleasant ride when it started raining lightly... which had me questioning if I wanted to continue on past the lot where my car was parked. The question became moot about a mile later when it started raining pretty steadily - and I was riding into the wind, no less. It's one thing to keep riding in the rain during the day... doing so at night is just masochistic. So I ended my ride after doing about half the distance I'd planned and headed back home a bit earlier than I'd expected.
Hopefully the weather will be decent enough this weekend that I can get some riding in after the races I'm running Saturday and Sunday mornings...
JMH
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Well, that was annoying. I was about 6 miles into a fairly pleasant ride when it started raining lightly... which had me questioning if I wanted to continue on past the lot where my car was parked. The question became moot about a mile later when it started raining pretty steadily - and I was riding into the wind, no less. It's one thing to keep riding in the rain during the day... doing so at night is just masochistic. So I ended my ride after doing about half the distance I'd planned and headed back home a bit earlier than I'd expected.
Hopefully the weather will be decent enough this weekend that I can get some riding in after the races I'm running Saturday and Sunday mornings...
JMH
Monday, December 01, 2014
20.9 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Monday, December 1, 2014
In theory this was a great December afternoon for ride, with temperatures in the low 40's... until the wind was factored in. Heading west was tough going... but on the flipside, turning around and heading east was great...
Riding today meant that I've now been out on my bike at some point during every month of 2014. I don't know that I've ever managed to do that before... January and February are usually tough months for me riding... I also rode far enough tonight that I have 75 miles left to ride in the next 30 days, to hit 2000 miles before the end of the year. It's definitely doable... if the weather cooperates and the bike paths remain clear.
JMH
Monday, December 1, 2014
In theory this was a great December afternoon for ride, with temperatures in the low 40's... until the wind was factored in. Heading west was tough going... but on the flipside, turning around and heading east was great...
Riding today meant that I've now been out on my bike at some point during every month of 2014. I don't know that I've ever managed to do that before... January and February are usually tough months for me riding... I also rode far enough tonight that I have 75 miles left to ride in the next 30 days, to hit 2000 miles before the end of the year. It's definitely doable... if the weather cooperates and the bike paths remain clear.
JMH
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
FIRST MAJOR SNOWSTORM OF THE SEASON...
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Ordinarily, I'd go out for a walk in the snowstorm... except the temperature is right around freezing and the snow is very wet, which makes it downright unpleasant to walk in. Plus what's on the ground is very slushy... I think I'll wait for a later storm to enjoy a walk in the falling snow...
JMH
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Ordinarily, I'd go out for a walk in the snowstorm... except the temperature is right around freezing and the snow is very wet, which makes it downright unpleasant to walk in. Plus what's on the ground is very slushy... I think I'll wait for a later storm to enjoy a walk in the falling snow...
JMH
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Monday, November 17, 2014
DISNEY STAR WARS RUNS -
An Unbelievable Opportunity...
Monday, November 17, 2014
Not in that that Disney is holding Star Wars themed runs at all... a quick look at the runDisney event calendar shows that they're offering a variety of themed races over the next year (and here I thought all they did was the January marathon weekend.) Though I am a little surprised at how little hoopla seems to have been made about the Star Wars runs... then again, clearly someone heard about these races, since they all sold out within a very short time of registration opening.
No, what I find incredible is what an obvious cash grab this is for Disney... let's take a look at the prices:
So let's say we have a hypothetical runner who brings along a tyke for the kids race and does every adult race in an effort to get all the shirts and medals, and also wants to add all the commemorative items to his or her trove of Star Wars collectibles... right from the outset this individual is looking at a price tag of around $600, before any travel expenses.
It's probably clear from my username that I enjoy Star Wars, though I don't consider myself to be a hard-core fan... it's quite possible I won't even see Episode VII in a movie theater, since I typically wait for movies to hit DVD/Blu Ray and then watch them in comfort at home. And clearly Disney has hit on a winning combination - I don't know what the registration cutoffs were, but I suspect it's safe to say that Disney is pulling in hundreds of thousands of dollars from this event. One area where George Lucas was a genius was in asking for the merchandising rights when he was cutting the original deal for the first Star Wars movie - as time has shown, Star Wars fans will spend all sorts of money to have Star Wars branded stuff.
That also seems to be true of runners these days... I've always been a little bit frustrated by the steep costs of tri's and du's but chalked that up to "that's just the way it is." Increasingly though it's becoming apparent that folks will pay crazy prices for all sorts of events, the most obvious example being obstacle races, where the fee for a 3 mile-ish course is rarely below $75. Of course, in interests of full disclosure, I've been known to pay a hefty fee a time or two myself, but I guess this makes me appreciate even more the lower-priced trail races and snowshoe races I do... I'm pretty sure you could do the entire WMAC Dion snowshoe series for less than the cost of the Star Wars 10k.
JMH
An Unbelievable Opportunity...
Monday, November 17, 2014
Not in that that Disney is holding Star Wars themed runs at all... a quick look at the runDisney event calendar shows that they're offering a variety of themed races over the next year (and here I thought all they did was the January marathon weekend.) Though I am a little surprised at how little hoopla seems to have been made about the Star Wars runs... then again, clearly someone heard about these races, since they all sold out within a very short time of registration opening.
No, what I find incredible is what an obvious cash grab this is for Disney... let's take a look at the prices:
- Kids races (including a diaper dash) - $20 (not too outrageous)
- 5k - $70 ($22.58 per mile!)
- 10k - $105 ($16.94 per mile!)
- half marathon - $195 (the best "deal" at a mere $14.89 per mile!)
- Rebel Challenge (run both the 10k and the half - for only $320!)
- And, as with most races, all of these prices go up as race day gets closer...
So let's say we have a hypothetical runner who brings along a tyke for the kids race and does every adult race in an effort to get all the shirts and medals, and also wants to add all the commemorative items to his or her trove of Star Wars collectibles... right from the outset this individual is looking at a price tag of around $600, before any travel expenses.
It's probably clear from my username that I enjoy Star Wars, though I don't consider myself to be a hard-core fan... it's quite possible I won't even see Episode VII in a movie theater, since I typically wait for movies to hit DVD/Blu Ray and then watch them in comfort at home. And clearly Disney has hit on a winning combination - I don't know what the registration cutoffs were, but I suspect it's safe to say that Disney is pulling in hundreds of thousands of dollars from this event. One area where George Lucas was a genius was in asking for the merchandising rights when he was cutting the original deal for the first Star Wars movie - as time has shown, Star Wars fans will spend all sorts of money to have Star Wars branded stuff.
That also seems to be true of runners these days... I've always been a little bit frustrated by the steep costs of tri's and du's but chalked that up to "that's just the way it is." Increasingly though it's becoming apparent that folks will pay crazy prices for all sorts of events, the most obvious example being obstacle races, where the fee for a 3 mile-ish course is rarely below $75. Of course, in interests of full disclosure, I've been known to pay a hefty fee a time or two myself, but I guess this makes me appreciate even more the lower-priced trail races and snowshoe races I do... I'm pretty sure you could do the entire WMAC Dion snowshoe series for less than the cost of the Star Wars 10k.
JMH
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Saturday, November 15, 2014
AND SNOW, TOO...
1.7 Mile Walk at Ooms PCA
Saturday, November 15, 2014
About an inch of snow on the ground at Ooms, which was a surprise after the bare dusting we had in Albany. The cold wasn't too bad, until the wind hit... then it was brutal, especially this early in the season.
I was a bit surprised that there were only a couple of geese and ducks on the pond, but maybe the rest were out eating... I know in the past I've been there at dusk when a hundred geese or more flew in to spend the night.
Usually I would just walk up to the gazebo and back, but today I decided the circle the entire pond. Lots of fresh beaver-chewed trees along the path between the pond and the road... guess they were pretty busy stocking up food for the winter.
Unfortunately, the walk was over all too quickly (or fortunately... that let me get out of the wind!) and it was time to get back on the road to southeastern CT, on my way to the Lil Rhody Runaround tomorrow...
JMH
1.7 Mile Walk at Ooms PCA
Saturday, November 15, 2014
About an inch of snow on the ground at Ooms, which was a surprise after the bare dusting we had in Albany. The cold wasn't too bad, until the wind hit... then it was brutal, especially this early in the season.
I was a bit surprised that there were only a couple of geese and ducks on the pond, but maybe the rest were out eating... I know in the past I've been there at dusk when a hundred geese or more flew in to spend the night.
Usually I would just walk up to the gazebo and back, but today I decided the circle the entire pond. Lots of fresh beaver-chewed trees along the path between the pond and the road... guess they were pretty busy stocking up food for the winter.
Unfortunately, the walk was over all too quickly (or fortunately... that let me get out of the wind!) and it was time to get back on the road to southeastern CT, on my way to the Lil Rhody Runaround tomorrow...
JMH
BRRR... WINTER CAME EARLY...
15.1 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Saturday, November 15, 2014
It's a little hard to believe that three days ago I was running in shorts and a T-shirt and riding in summer shorts... during my ride today the temperature hovered around freezing, with a stiff wind from the west making half the ride pretty unpleasant. I had hoped to ride a few more miles than I actually did, but it was just too darn cold, and I'm not even remotely acclimated to winter temperatures yet.
JMH
15.1 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Saturday, November 15, 2014
It's a little hard to believe that three days ago I was running in shorts and a T-shirt and riding in summer shorts... during my ride today the temperature hovered around freezing, with a stiff wind from the west making half the ride pretty unpleasant. I had hoped to ride a few more miles than I actually did, but it was just too darn cold, and I'm not even remotely acclimated to winter temperatures yet.
JMH
Friday, November 14, 2014
Go-Lite Going Out of Business
Friday, November 14, 2014
Well, this sucks. For quite a few years now my go-to brand for waist packs and hydration packs has been Go-Lite... the gear I've used has held up to all sorts of abuse and they have the only waist packs I've ever used that really are "bounce-free." I stopped using their water bottles a while back but only because the Nuun hydration tablets I use are slightly carbonated, which causes every "hard" bottle I have to leak a bit (which is why I'm a fan of Ultimate Direction's water bottle with the soft rubber bite valves.)
Anyway, apparently making and selling great gear wasn't enough (maybe that's the drawback to selling gear that holds up for years and years - without new customers sales dry up) because Go-Lite applied for bankruptcy a month ago and is now in the liquidation phase of that process... I guess I'll try to pick up some gear to put in storage for the day what I'm currently finally wears out...
JMH
Friday, November 14, 2014
Well, this sucks. For quite a few years now my go-to brand for waist packs and hydration packs has been Go-Lite... the gear I've used has held up to all sorts of abuse and they have the only waist packs I've ever used that really are "bounce-free." I stopped using their water bottles a while back but only because the Nuun hydration tablets I use are slightly carbonated, which causes every "hard" bottle I have to leak a bit (which is why I'm a fan of Ultimate Direction's water bottle with the soft rubber bite valves.)
Anyway, apparently making and selling great gear wasn't enough (maybe that's the drawback to selling gear that holds up for years and years - without new customers sales dry up) because Go-Lite applied for bankruptcy a month ago and is now in the liquidation phase of that process... I guess I'll try to pick up some gear to put in storage for the day what I'm currently finally wears out...
JMH
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Sunday, November 09, 2014
ANOTHER LIVE MUSIC FIRST -
Battlefield Band in Concert
Sunday, November 9, 2014
I first started listening to Battlefield Band on LPs in the mid-to-late 1980's... while I never found them as compelling as The Tannahill Weavers or Silly Wizard, I still enjoyed their mix of tradtional and contemporary music (how can you not enjoy a band that plays "Bad Moon Rising" accompanied by a reel on the bagpipes?) I lost track of them around 1990, picked up a couple of cassette albums in the mid-90's (back when the now defunct Borders had an excellent celtic music section), and then gradually acquired all of their albums in either CD or digital format when I updated my music library over the last couple of years. Really, though, their work that I'm most familiar with is 25-30 years old.
Lately I've been making more of an effort to hear some of the music I enjoy in live concerts, when the cost isn't prohibitive. I've heard Dougie Maclean twice over the past three years, and a month ago was treated to my first Tannahill Weavers concert. I was more than a bit surprised a few weeks ago when I got an e-mail from the Eighth Step (the organization which hosted both of the Dougie Maclean concerts I attended) showing Battlefield Band playing in early November, since I had no idea they were going to be in this neck of the woods.
It's a strange feeling looking at a band that has been around for over 40 years in one form or another and seeing mostly musicians who most likely weren't born when the band started. The last founding member, Alan Reid, retired from the band back in 2010, though two of the current members have been with the band for between 10 and 20 years. The music was great, and the banter between tunes and songs was fun (though they readily admitted that it was mainly designed to give whoever needed it time to re-tune their instruments.) I have to admit, though, I missed some of my favorite old tunes. Maybe that just means I need to listen more to their newer albums and pick up some additional favorites.
JMH
Battlefield Band in Concert
Sunday, November 9, 2014
I first started listening to Battlefield Band on LPs in the mid-to-late 1980's... while I never found them as compelling as The Tannahill Weavers or Silly Wizard, I still enjoyed their mix of tradtional and contemporary music (how can you not enjoy a band that plays "Bad Moon Rising" accompanied by a reel on the bagpipes?) I lost track of them around 1990, picked up a couple of cassette albums in the mid-90's (back when the now defunct Borders had an excellent celtic music section), and then gradually acquired all of their albums in either CD or digital format when I updated my music library over the last couple of years. Really, though, their work that I'm most familiar with is 25-30 years old.
Lately I've been making more of an effort to hear some of the music I enjoy in live concerts, when the cost isn't prohibitive. I've heard Dougie Maclean twice over the past three years, and a month ago was treated to my first Tannahill Weavers concert. I was more than a bit surprised a few weeks ago when I got an e-mail from the Eighth Step (the organization which hosted both of the Dougie Maclean concerts I attended) showing Battlefield Band playing in early November, since I had no idea they were going to be in this neck of the woods.
It's a strange feeling looking at a band that has been around for over 40 years in one form or another and seeing mostly musicians who most likely weren't born when the band started. The last founding member, Alan Reid, retired from the band back in 2010, though two of the current members have been with the band for between 10 and 20 years. The music was great, and the banter between tunes and songs was fun (though they readily admitted that it was mainly designed to give whoever needed it time to re-tune their instruments.) I have to admit, though, I missed some of my favorite old tunes. Maybe that just means I need to listen more to their newer albums and pick up some additional favorites.
JMH
Saturday, November 08, 2014
Tuesday, November 04, 2014
Sunday, November 02, 2014
Saturday, November 01, 2014
Monday, October 27, 2014
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Slow & Steady 2014 - Race #29
Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon Squirrely Six Trail Race
Sunday, October 26, 2014
2014 Event Totals
Run 165.0 mi, 38 hr 22 min
Bike 338.3 mi, 29 hr 10 min
Snowshoe 47.5 mi, 14 hr 38 min
Kayak 4.0 mi, 1 hr 3 min
states/provinces visited: AB, CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT
Sunday, October 26, 2014
2014 Event Totals
Run 165.0 mi, 38 hr 22 min
Bike 338.3 mi, 29 hr 10 min
Snowshoe 47.5 mi, 14 hr 38 min
Kayak 4.0 mi, 1 hr 3 min
states/provinces visited: AB, CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Friday, October 24, 2014
FINALLY - A RUN!
5.1 Mile Run at Buckingham Pond
Friday, October 24, 2014
Thanks in part to my bout of the flu (and subsequent relapse) I've run exactly twice in the last 4 weeks, for a total of a little over 7 miles. Which doesn't exactly fill me with confidence regarding the Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon in two days, especially now that they have a time cutoff at 5 3/4 miles...
Since I wasn't sure how my legs would respond, I decided to run at Buckingham Pond... it's a very short drive to get there and easily adaptable for a variety of distances, since the loop is 0.7-0.9 miles, depending on what paths you take - and expandable well beyond that if you venture onto the side streets. Of course, the drawback is the potential boredom factor, since you're essentially running in circles over and over again.
Didn't burn up the path, but overall it felt pretty good... I probably could have kept going but it was getting dark and I didn't think it made sense to overdo it the first time back. Not that I doubted it, but there's no question I can finish the six mile course on Sunday, and I'm fairly sure I can finish the half marathon too (though that will no doubt hurt) - if I make that time cutoff, which is by no means certain.
JMH
5.1 Mile Run at Buckingham Pond
Friday, October 24, 2014
Thanks in part to my bout of the flu (and subsequent relapse) I've run exactly twice in the last 4 weeks, for a total of a little over 7 miles. Which doesn't exactly fill me with confidence regarding the Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon in two days, especially now that they have a time cutoff at 5 3/4 miles...
Since I wasn't sure how my legs would respond, I decided to run at Buckingham Pond... it's a very short drive to get there and easily adaptable for a variety of distances, since the loop is 0.7-0.9 miles, depending on what paths you take - and expandable well beyond that if you venture onto the side streets. Of course, the drawback is the potential boredom factor, since you're essentially running in circles over and over again.
Didn't burn up the path, but overall it felt pretty good... I probably could have kept going but it was getting dark and I didn't think it made sense to overdo it the first time back. Not that I doubted it, but there's no question I can finish the six mile course on Sunday, and I'm fairly sure I can finish the half marathon too (though that will no doubt hurt) - if I make that time cutoff, which is by no means certain.
JMH
Monday, October 20, 2014
EVERYTHING CHANGES...
Monday, October 20, 2014
I was reminded of this last week when I drove to Price Chopper in Colonie and found the old K-mart plaza completely fenced off because they were demolishing the building (which has been empty since K-mart closed its doors... but apparently the site is being redeveloped for a CarMax auto retail center.) A quick check online shows that apparently the East Greenbush store closed back in June, leaving us with only one local Kmart, way out in Rotterdam (and I suspect it's only a matter of time before they're gone... rent at the Rotterdam Square Mall can't be cheap.)
Even more surprising, when I drove past Mohawk Commons on my way home tonight I discovered that the Barnes & Noble there is gone - apparently they closed doors last June. I'd always wondered how the company justified having two stores within a few miles of each other... apparently they are no longer doing so.
Kmart vanishing is more of a nostalgia thing than anything else - I don't shop there all that often (and even less, now that it's a 30 min drive to get to the nearest store.) But I find the loss of any book store a great sadness.
JMH
Monday, October 20, 2014
I was reminded of this last week when I drove to Price Chopper in Colonie and found the old K-mart plaza completely fenced off because they were demolishing the building (which has been empty since K-mart closed its doors... but apparently the site is being redeveloped for a CarMax auto retail center.) A quick check online shows that apparently the East Greenbush store closed back in June, leaving us with only one local Kmart, way out in Rotterdam (and I suspect it's only a matter of time before they're gone... rent at the Rotterdam Square Mall can't be cheap.)
Even more surprising, when I drove past Mohawk Commons on my way home tonight I discovered that the Barnes & Noble there is gone - apparently they closed doors last June. I'd always wondered how the company justified having two stores within a few miles of each other... apparently they are no longer doing so.
Kmart vanishing is more of a nostalgia thing than anything else - I don't shop there all that often (and even less, now that it's a 30 min drive to get to the nearest store.) But I find the loss of any book store a great sadness.
JMH
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Friday, October 17, 2014
A GORGEOUS FALL AFTERNOON
10 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, October 17, 2014
Today was the first day this week where I woke up feeling sort of normal. No fever and no feeling like I'd be dealing with the fever once I'd been up and about for a while. But only sort of normal, because I'm still tired and definitely weak.
That was abundantly clear when I took my bike over to the bike path this afternoon. Five weeks ago I rode 100 miles in one day up in Maine, averaging something like 12 mph... today I struggled to crawl along at 10 mph or so for a meager 10 miles.
On the plus side it was a beautiful day with plenty of trees showing yellows, golds, and oranges, birds chattering away off in the foliage, both red and grey squirrels doing their thing, and even a very large snapping turtle crawling away from the river on some sort of snapping turtle mission (maybe finding a good place to hibernate?) It's too bad I forgot my camera, because it was a good day for photos.
Hopefully I am on the mend and can start getting back to some riding and running that won't be a struggle relatively soon.
JMH
10 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, October 17, 2014
Today was the first day this week where I woke up feeling sort of normal. No fever and no feeling like I'd be dealing with the fever once I'd been up and about for a while. But only sort of normal, because I'm still tired and definitely weak.
That was abundantly clear when I took my bike over to the bike path this afternoon. Five weeks ago I rode 100 miles in one day up in Maine, averaging something like 12 mph... today I struggled to crawl along at 10 mph or so for a meager 10 miles.
On the plus side it was a beautiful day with plenty of trees showing yellows, golds, and oranges, birds chattering away off in the foliage, both red and grey squirrels doing their thing, and even a very large snapping turtle crawling away from the river on some sort of snapping turtle mission (maybe finding a good place to hibernate?) It's too bad I forgot my camera, because it was a good day for photos.
Hopefully I am on the mend and can start getting back to some riding and running that won't be a struggle relatively soon.
JMH
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
IT SUCKS BEING SICK ON A GORGEOUS DAY
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Yesterday would have been a great day to ride my mountain bike on my way back from Rochester. Instead, I got back as directly as I could, went for a short walk, and crawled into bed. Today I skipped a PD day at work to spend much of the day in bed, though I did walk over to Price Chopper and back and cursed the fact that this would have been another great day to be out on the bike if only I were healthy.
No question about it, I need to kick this bug so I can get back to doing the things I enjoy outdoors.
JMH
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Yesterday would have been a great day to ride my mountain bike on my way back from Rochester. Instead, I got back as directly as I could, went for a short walk, and crawled into bed. Today I skipped a PD day at work to spend much of the day in bed, though I did walk over to Price Chopper and back and cursed the fact that this would have been another great day to be out on the bike if only I were healthy.
No question about it, I need to kick this bug so I can get back to doing the things I enjoy outdoors.
JMH
Monday, October 13, 2014
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Saturday, October 11, 2014
FLU RELAPSE? BLEAH...
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Last night I was feeling mildly crappy during the concert and afterwards... and felt pretty much the same this morning. In retrospect perhaps I shouldn't have run the race... but then again, that was part of the reason I was even in the area, and it was a fairly mild feeling. But as today progressed it became fairly obvious that I was once again running a fever - not nearly as high as the one two weeks ago, but enough to put an end to my plans to run the 10k tomorrow morning and to pretty effectively limit what I was able to do this afternoon (I was really dragging after our walk, which was neither long nor difficult.)
Whether it's a relapse or an opportunistic second infection, looks like I'll be battling being sick again for the foreseeable future. Which is getting old really, really fast.
JMH
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Last night I was feeling mildly crappy during the concert and afterwards... and felt pretty much the same this morning. In retrospect perhaps I shouldn't have run the race... but then again, that was part of the reason I was even in the area, and it was a fairly mild feeling. But as today progressed it became fairly obvious that I was once again running a fever - not nearly as high as the one two weeks ago, but enough to put an end to my plans to run the 10k tomorrow morning and to pretty effectively limit what I was able to do this afternoon (I was really dragging after our walk, which was neither long nor difficult.)
Whether it's a relapse or an opportunistic second infection, looks like I'll be battling being sick again for the foreseeable future. Which is getting old really, really fast.
JMH
Friday, October 10, 2014
Sunday, October 05, 2014
Weekly Activity Summary
9/28/2014 - 10/4/2014
running - 0 mi
riding (1x) - 11.5 mi
walking/hiking (6x) - 8.5 mi
kayaking - 0 mi
outdoor activity 5/7 days
YRG -
Not bad, considering I spent the 1st two days of this week in bed with a fever fluctuating between 101 and 104 degrees... and much of the rest of the week on meds to help kick the fever and the underlying influenza B virus.
JMH
9/28/2014 - 10/4/2014
running - 0 mi
riding (1x) - 11.5 mi
walking/hiking (6x) - 8.5 mi
kayaking - 0 mi
outdoor activity 5/7 days
YRG -
Not bad, considering I spent the 1st two days of this week in bed with a fever fluctuating between 101 and 104 degrees... and much of the rest of the week on meds to help kick the fever and the underlying influenza B virus.
JMH
Saturday, October 04, 2014
CHILLY, RAINY DAY...
2.2 Mile Walk at the Crossings of Colonie
Saturday, October 4, 2014
One plus to the chill and rain today - it was very quiet at the Crossings of Colonie. Usually there are dozens of walkers, runners, riders, and dog walkers on the trails... today I think I saw five other people out in the rain in the little more than an hour that I was there.
Another treat was the flock of about a dozen cormorants swimming in the pond... I've never seen that before. Plus of course the usual assortment of ducks, gulls, and geese, and even two herons. I even spotted an egret hunkered down in the wetlands in the southern end of the park - other than blackbirds, I've never seen anything back in there.
Ordinarily I'd have stayed out longer, even with the rain, but in light of the events of this week I thought it best to play it safe. Still, a short walk is better than no walk at all, especially on a day as quiet as today.
JMH
2.2 Mile Walk at the Crossings of Colonie
Saturday, October 4, 2014
One plus to the chill and rain today - it was very quiet at the Crossings of Colonie. Usually there are dozens of walkers, runners, riders, and dog walkers on the trails... today I think I saw five other people out in the rain in the little more than an hour that I was there.
Another treat was the flock of about a dozen cormorants swimming in the pond... I've never seen that before. Plus of course the usual assortment of ducks, gulls, and geese, and even two herons. I even spotted an egret hunkered down in the wetlands in the southern end of the park - other than blackbirds, I've never seen anything back in there.
Ordinarily I'd have stayed out longer, even with the rain, but in light of the events of this week I thought it best to play it safe. Still, a short walk is better than no walk at all, especially on a day as quiet as today.
JMH
Thursday, October 02, 2014
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
1 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Just a very short walk at Five Rivers, around the Beaver Pond and on part of the woodlot trail. The Beaver Pond heron was preening (and scratching for one long while) and there were a few turtles enjoying the last remnants of the day's sunshine. Not too many people on the trail, but when I got back to the car the lot was packed and there was a fairly noisy group gathered at the shelter right next to the lot - I suspected some sort of "learn to walk/run" group for women (and I was right - I'm pretty sure it was the AREEP's "New Beginnings" program.) So good timing on my part - had I gotten there later than I did or had I been planning on a longer walk I'd have found the crowd very frustrating.
JMH
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Just a very short walk at Five Rivers, around the Beaver Pond and on part of the woodlot trail. The Beaver Pond heron was preening (and scratching for one long while) and there were a few turtles enjoying the last remnants of the day's sunshine. Not too many people on the trail, but when I got back to the car the lot was packed and there was a fairly noisy group gathered at the shelter right next to the lot - I suspected some sort of "learn to walk/run" group for women (and I was right - I'm pretty sure it was the AREEP's "New Beginnings" program.) So good timing on my part - had I gotten there later than I did or had I been planning on a longer walk I'd have found the crowd very frustrating.
JMH
BACK OUTSIDE ON A WARM FALL DAY
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Well, after over 2 days of mostly staying in bed and trying to get rest and my high fever coming back again and again, I broke down and went to the doctor. Or rather, to the PrimeCare Urgent Care Center. (I don't mind mentioning them by name because I felt they did a great job of taking care of me. In fairly short order they'd diagnosed my problem as a case of influenza B, gave me motrin to bring my fever down, and put me on two successive IVs to get my fluid levels back up. Unfortunately, I'm likely to remain contagious until sometime this weekend, so no work for me for the rest of the week, which sucks.
When I got home I walked out to CVS to pick up the meds I'm supposed to be using for the immediate future. Can't say I felt particularly strong but it was great to be out walking on a warm fall day after spending much of the last few gorgeous days feeling like crap and lying in bed. I'm not a fan of ibuprofen - but right now it's doing a great job of knocking down my fever, so I'll tolerate whatever doses I need.
JMH
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Well, after over 2 days of mostly staying in bed and trying to get rest and my high fever coming back again and again, I broke down and went to the doctor. Or rather, to the PrimeCare Urgent Care Center. (I don't mind mentioning them by name because I felt they did a great job of taking care of me. In fairly short order they'd diagnosed my problem as a case of influenza B, gave me motrin to bring my fever down, and put me on two successive IVs to get my fluid levels back up. Unfortunately, I'm likely to remain contagious until sometime this weekend, so no work for me for the rest of the week, which sucks.
When I got home I walked out to CVS to pick up the meds I'm supposed to be using for the immediate future. Can't say I felt particularly strong but it was great to be out walking on a warm fall day after spending much of the last few gorgeous days feeling like crap and lying in bed. I'm not a fan of ibuprofen - but right now it's doing a great job of knocking down my fever, so I'll tolerate whatever doses I need.
JMH
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Saturday, September 27, 2014
CRUD... A CHANGE IN PLANS
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Woke up feeling mildly funky this morning... a little achey, tired, and my throat had a slight catch in it. I had hoped that doing the du would kick it, but afterwards it became pretty apparent that if anything it was getting slightly worse.
So both my walks today were shortened and I dropped riding the southern Rockland County rail trails from my plans for the afternoon. Most likely I'll have to skip Pfalz Point tomorrow (right now I'm having trouble walking 2.5 miles, much less running 10) and riding on the Walkill Valley Rail Trail.
All of which means I spent an extra $100 for a room Saturday night in the crummy hotel I stayed at (got back too late to cancel the 2nd night) and I'll lose my registration fee for the Sunday race (at least that's a fundraiser for someplace I admire.) And I lugged my mountain bike up and down the Hudson River Valley for nothing...
Bleah.
JMH
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Woke up feeling mildly funky this morning... a little achey, tired, and my throat had a slight catch in it. I had hoped that doing the du would kick it, but afterwards it became pretty apparent that if anything it was getting slightly worse.
So both my walks today were shortened and I dropped riding the southern Rockland County rail trails from my plans for the afternoon. Most likely I'll have to skip Pfalz Point tomorrow (right now I'm having trouble walking 2.5 miles, much less running 10) and riding on the Walkill Valley Rail Trail.
All of which means I spent an extra $100 for a room Saturday night in the crummy hotel I stayed at (got back too late to cancel the 2nd night) and I'll lose my registration fee for the Sunday race (at least that's a fundraiser for someplace I admire.) And I lugged my mountain bike up and down the Hudson River Valley for nothing...
Bleah.
JMH
Friday, September 26, 2014
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Monday, September 15, 2014
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Monday, September 08, 2014
Sunday, September 07, 2014
GOALS...
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Earlier this year, when it became evident that I would be able to run again, albeit very slowly, I set two major goals for the year - running the Greylock half marathon in June and doing a century ride in the fall.
I fell short when it came time to run Greylock, but did run the Banff Half Marathon a week later, so I consider that one a partial success. I'm still working on distances and terrain as challenging as Greylock... right now my legs tend to lose it after 10-12 miles of easier trails. But I hope I'm improving.
The Maine Lighthouse Century Ride was a definite success, and a learning experience as well.
Now it's a matter of seeing how the rest of the year goes... I'll have to wait to see where I am at the start of next year before I decide if I want to tackle any major challenges.
But for now... a partial success and a complete success seem like good reasons to be happy with what I've accomplished so far this year...
JMH
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Earlier this year, when it became evident that I would be able to run again, albeit very slowly, I set two major goals for the year - running the Greylock half marathon in June and doing a century ride in the fall.
I fell short when it came time to run Greylock, but did run the Banff Half Marathon a week later, so I consider that one a partial success. I'm still working on distances and terrain as challenging as Greylock... right now my legs tend to lose it after 10-12 miles of easier trails. But I hope I'm improving.
The Maine Lighthouse Century Ride was a definite success, and a learning experience as well.
Now it's a matter of seeing how the rest of the year goes... I'll have to wait to see where I am at the start of next year before I decide if I want to tackle any major challenges.
But for now... a partial success and a complete success seem like good reasons to be happy with what I've accomplished so far this year...
JMH
Saturday, September 06, 2014
Friday, September 05, 2014
T-9:00 & COUNTING...
Friday, September 5, 2014
After four and a half hours of driving and four states, I'm trying to figure out what I'll need for 9-10 hours of riding tomorrow (with a possibility of thunderstorms in the afternoon)... and wondering if I'm even remotely ready to ride 100 miles.
I guess by this time tomorrow night I will have found out the answer to that question.
JMH
Friday, September 5, 2014
After four and a half hours of driving and four states, I'm trying to figure out what I'll need for 9-10 hours of riding tomorrow (with a possibility of thunderstorms in the afternoon)... and wondering if I'm even remotely ready to ride 100 miles.
I guess by this time tomorrow night I will have found out the answer to that question.
JMH
Thursday, September 04, 2014
Tuesday, September 02, 2014
Monday, September 01, 2014
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Friday, August 29, 2014
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Monday, August 25, 2014
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
2.9 Mile Walk at the Crossings of Colonie
Friday, August 22, 2014
After spending a while mentally debating about where to run today, I finally decided that the problem wasn't a question of where to run but that I just didn't want to run. And with the rain I didn't really want to ride or walk anywhere particularly muddy - so I opted to hit the paved paths of the Crossings of Colonie, which had the added convenience of allowing me to run a few errands afterwards.
Not too many people - a plus side to the chilly, damp weather - but lots of birds were out and about. Something about that park is ideal for mockingbirds... I've never seen so many in one place, including a couple of of fuzzballs that I suspect were youngsters.
The pond had the usual groups of mallards, with the local geese off in a nearby field getting their dinner. But the treat was an egret near the edge of the pond, picking off little fish left and right. I spent a good while watching him.
There was also a hawk perched on one of the power poles that bisect the southern half of the park, Surprisingly, he didn't fly off when I lingered to take his picture, or when several runners went by.
The one thing I didn't see was bluebirds, which is unusual - typically there are quite a few along the fence line.
JMH
Friday, August 22, 2014
After spending a while mentally debating about where to run today, I finally decided that the problem wasn't a question of where to run but that I just didn't want to run. And with the rain I didn't really want to ride or walk anywhere particularly muddy - so I opted to hit the paved paths of the Crossings of Colonie, which had the added convenience of allowing me to run a few errands afterwards.
Not too many people - a plus side to the chilly, damp weather - but lots of birds were out and about. Something about that park is ideal for mockingbirds... I've never seen so many in one place, including a couple of of fuzzballs that I suspect were youngsters.
The pond had the usual groups of mallards, with the local geese off in a nearby field getting their dinner. But the treat was an egret near the edge of the pond, picking off little fish left and right. I spent a good while watching him.
There was also a hawk perched on one of the power poles that bisect the southern half of the park, Surprisingly, he didn't fly off when I lingered to take his picture, or when several runners went by.
The one thing I didn't see was bluebirds, which is unusual - typically there are quite a few along the fence line.
JMH
Thursday, August 21, 2014
TIRED LEGS
10.1 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Apparently the riding and running I did last weekend and Monday took a greater toll than I had thought... my legs had no juice at all when I got out on the bike this evening. I was able to ride up the first few hills near the old landfill, but in the end it was a real struggle to even last out the 10 miles that I did. All of which tells me that (1) I need to be careful about what I do the week before the Maine Lighthouse Century Ride, and (2) I probably don't want to run a race the next day after all.
Hopefully another day or two of taking it easy and they'll bounce back...
JMH
10.1 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Apparently the riding and running I did last weekend and Monday took a greater toll than I had thought... my legs had no juice at all when I got out on the bike this evening. I was able to ride up the first few hills near the old landfill, but in the end it was a real struggle to even last out the 10 miles that I did. All of which tells me that (1) I need to be careful about what I do the week before the Maine Lighthouse Century Ride, and (2) I probably don't want to run a race the next day after all.
Hopefully another day or two of taking it easy and they'll bounce back...
JMH
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
3.1 Mile Walk at October Mountain State Forest
+ Miles of Driving Down Dead End Dirt Roads
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
One of the limitations of my TomTom GPS is that it really can't tell the difference between a paved road, a dirt road, a jeep trail, and an eroded track that perhaps was a road a century ago and somehow has stayed on the maps. Normally this isn't a problem, but it does sometimes cause difficulty when I'm visiting state forests in MA, which often have all of the above. I should have known I was in for some driving frustration when it routed me over a different route to my destination and I abruptly found myself stopping and turning around because the paved road turned into an eroded mess. The trip out of the forest was even more confused, as I bypassed several jeep trails it wanted me to take in favor of a fairly driveable dirt road... only to end up at a pair of closed gates and a "road closed" sign, which signalled that I would need to backtrack completely and leave by the same roads I eventually arrived on.
In the end, all of this took enough extra time that I ended up abandoning my plan to ride the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail before heading home. Perhaps I would have been better off sticking closer to home today...
So how about that walk? Four years ago I finally got around to visiting the Washington Mountain Meadow trail and found it a fairly interesting place... in the 1980's the plan was to construct a lake using a dam at the southern end, but the dam leaked and was never completed properly, resulting in a wet meadow instead. Beavers moved in at the northern end and built extensive dams of their own, resulting in the large marsh that's there now. There's a trail that goes around the entire marsh, with some sections running through the woods and others over bridges and boardwalks, and the start of the trail runs past cellar holes and an old cemetary. Sections also run through spruce plantations that were planted by the CCC in the 1930's. There used to be a boardwalk/trail that ran across the middle of the marsh, but that had been flooded out when I was there in 2010, with only a few boards remaining visible out in the marsh.
The first thing I noticed when I got out of the car was the swarm of bugs that descended on me... I remember that from every past visit, this is a buggy place in the summer. I was a bit concerned by the sign at the trailhead that said that the loop around the northern end was closed due to flooding, but I pressed on anway because (1) I'd driven over an hour to get there, (2) I'd worn old shoes and brought extra socks in case the trail was really wet, and (3) hopefully that was old info that the DCR hadn't had the opportunity to update.
Most of the trail seemed to point to option (3)... I made it 2 miles and barely got my feet damp, though there were several places where the boardwalks were probably under water not too long ago. Unfortunately at around the 2 mile point my luck ran out and the trail disappeared under water. I spotted part of the boardwalk under the water, but ended up having the wade other sections, with water up to my mid-thighs in spots. But I made it through without a dunking, and that turned out to be the worst part of the walk.
I'm not sure why, but it didn't seem quite as interesting today as it did 4 years ago. Maybe because there wasn't really anything new to see (other than the section I had to wade) and maybe because there isn't much wildlife to see, despite being in the middle of the largest state forest in MA. On the other hand, I did really enjoy the quiet (no traffic noise, no noisy people!) Maybe I should try going back some time in the fall after the leaves have turned and see it in a different season...
JMH
+ Miles of Driving Down Dead End Dirt Roads
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
One of the limitations of my TomTom GPS is that it really can't tell the difference between a paved road, a dirt road, a jeep trail, and an eroded track that perhaps was a road a century ago and somehow has stayed on the maps. Normally this isn't a problem, but it does sometimes cause difficulty when I'm visiting state forests in MA, which often have all of the above. I should have known I was in for some driving frustration when it routed me over a different route to my destination and I abruptly found myself stopping and turning around because the paved road turned into an eroded mess. The trip out of the forest was even more confused, as I bypassed several jeep trails it wanted me to take in favor of a fairly driveable dirt road... only to end up at a pair of closed gates and a "road closed" sign, which signalled that I would need to backtrack completely and leave by the same roads I eventually arrived on.
In the end, all of this took enough extra time that I ended up abandoning my plan to ride the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail before heading home. Perhaps I would have been better off sticking closer to home today...
So how about that walk? Four years ago I finally got around to visiting the Washington Mountain Meadow trail and found it a fairly interesting place... in the 1980's the plan was to construct a lake using a dam at the southern end, but the dam leaked and was never completed properly, resulting in a wet meadow instead. Beavers moved in at the northern end and built extensive dams of their own, resulting in the large marsh that's there now. There's a trail that goes around the entire marsh, with some sections running through the woods and others over bridges and boardwalks, and the start of the trail runs past cellar holes and an old cemetary. Sections also run through spruce plantations that were planted by the CCC in the 1930's. There used to be a boardwalk/trail that ran across the middle of the marsh, but that had been flooded out when I was there in 2010, with only a few boards remaining visible out in the marsh.
The first thing I noticed when I got out of the car was the swarm of bugs that descended on me... I remember that from every past visit, this is a buggy place in the summer. I was a bit concerned by the sign at the trailhead that said that the loop around the northern end was closed due to flooding, but I pressed on anway because (1) I'd driven over an hour to get there, (2) I'd worn old shoes and brought extra socks in case the trail was really wet, and (3) hopefully that was old info that the DCR hadn't had the opportunity to update.
Most of the trail seemed to point to option (3)... I made it 2 miles and barely got my feet damp, though there were several places where the boardwalks were probably under water not too long ago. Unfortunately at around the 2 mile point my luck ran out and the trail disappeared under water. I spotted part of the boardwalk under the water, but ended up having the wade other sections, with water up to my mid-thighs in spots. But I made it through without a dunking, and that turned out to be the worst part of the walk.
I'm not sure why, but it didn't seem quite as interesting today as it did 4 years ago. Maybe because there wasn't really anything new to see (other than the section I had to wade) and maybe because there isn't much wildlife to see, despite being in the middle of the largest state forest in MA. On the other hand, I did really enjoy the quiet (no traffic noise, no noisy people!) Maybe I should try going back some time in the fall after the leaves have turned and see it in a different season...
JMH
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Monday, August 18, 2014
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Slow & Steady 2014 - Event #23
Hoosic River Ride Highland Tour
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Well, that certainly kicked my butt. This turtle is humbled by today's many, many hills.
Much of the ride was in NY, but I also spent 10 miles or so in MA and a little less than that in VT. The official distance was 75 miles, I got 77.5 mi on my bike computer and a little over 75 mi on my Garmin. I'm choosing to believe the bike computer, given all the climbing and descending, which tends to cause the Garmin to underestimate distance.
Here are the map and elevation profile.
Note that the elevation profile is somewhat misleading... after that first spike (riding over Petersburgh Pass, an elevation change of a little over 1200 feet in 4 miles) the rest don't look all that bad... in reality this ride seemed to constantly be climbing, often over significant distances (several miles at a time.) The total elevation gain for the ride came out to around 5100 feet according to my Garmin, or 5700 ft according to MapMyRide... yup, somewhere around a MILE straight up. I first "broke" about a quarter mile from the summit of Petersburgh Pass (got off and pushed the bike) and then broke repeatedly after that, never for more than one or two tenths of a mile, but often enough that I lost track of how many times I pushed the bike uphill, and by the time I was 30 miles or so in, I was crawling up hills I'd normally crank my way over.
Actually, I wasn't even sure I'd do the 75 miler until I hit the point where it split off from the 50 mile course... going up the Pass I told myself there would be no shame in dropping down to the shorter distance, given what that climb did to my legs, and during the 2nd 4-mile climb from roughly 21-25 miles, I had pretty much decided to do just that. And then insanity set in and I kept on the course I'd signed up for.
Pretty countryside (other than all those damn hills) and I got a nice view of just how much of a plateau the Rensellaer plateau really is (it's impressive to see from a distance.) And some nice views across the Tomhannock Reservoir. Also, it's amazing how great cold water feels after 6+ hours of warm water bottles and hydration pack.
Overall, I thought the organizers did a nice job, with every aid station open when I got there (though they need an aid station around the 40 mile mark for the 100 and 75 mile riders) and best of all they kept track of who was still out there (apparently they were wondering where I was, since no one else took 7 hr 42 min to ride the 75 miler.) MUCH better than the Greylock Half Century I rode 9 years ago, where all the aid stations closed before I reached them and when I got back to the start, everyone was gone.
But I don't think I'd do it again without a LOT more hill work beforehand.
Also, I'd been thinking about riding up Greylock again, after the debacle 9 years ago... the ride up Petersburgh Pass may have cured me of that... time will tell...
JMH
2014 Event Totals
Run 140.6 mi, 33 hr 02 min
Bike 223.3 mi, 17 hr 55 min
Snowshoe 47.5 mi, 14 hr 38 min
Kayak 4.0 mi, 1 hr 3 min
states/provinces visited: AB, CT, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT
Hoosic River Ride Highland Tour
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Well, that certainly kicked my butt. This turtle is humbled by today's many, many hills.
Much of the ride was in NY, but I also spent 10 miles or so in MA and a little less than that in VT. The official distance was 75 miles, I got 77.5 mi on my bike computer and a little over 75 mi on my Garmin. I'm choosing to believe the bike computer, given all the climbing and descending, which tends to cause the Garmin to underestimate distance.
Here are the map and elevation profile.
Note that the elevation profile is somewhat misleading... after that first spike (riding over Petersburgh Pass, an elevation change of a little over 1200 feet in 4 miles) the rest don't look all that bad... in reality this ride seemed to constantly be climbing, often over significant distances (several miles at a time.) The total elevation gain for the ride came out to around 5100 feet according to my Garmin, or 5700 ft according to MapMyRide... yup, somewhere around a MILE straight up. I first "broke" about a quarter mile from the summit of Petersburgh Pass (got off and pushed the bike) and then broke repeatedly after that, never for more than one or two tenths of a mile, but often enough that I lost track of how many times I pushed the bike uphill, and by the time I was 30 miles or so in, I was crawling up hills I'd normally crank my way over.
Actually, I wasn't even sure I'd do the 75 miler until I hit the point where it split off from the 50 mile course... going up the Pass I told myself there would be no shame in dropping down to the shorter distance, given what that climb did to my legs, and during the 2nd 4-mile climb from roughly 21-25 miles, I had pretty much decided to do just that. And then insanity set in and I kept on the course I'd signed up for.
Pretty countryside (other than all those damn hills) and I got a nice view of just how much of a plateau the Rensellaer plateau really is (it's impressive to see from a distance.) And some nice views across the Tomhannock Reservoir. Also, it's amazing how great cold water feels after 6+ hours of warm water bottles and hydration pack.
Overall, I thought the organizers did a nice job, with every aid station open when I got there (though they need an aid station around the 40 mile mark for the 100 and 75 mile riders) and best of all they kept track of who was still out there (apparently they were wondering where I was, since no one else took 7 hr 42 min to ride the 75 miler.) MUCH better than the Greylock Half Century I rode 9 years ago, where all the aid stations closed before I reached them and when I got back to the start, everyone was gone.
But I don't think I'd do it again without a LOT more hill work beforehand.
Also, I'd been thinking about riding up Greylock again, after the debacle 9 years ago... the ride up Petersburgh Pass may have cured me of that... time will tell...
JMH
2014 Event Totals
Run 140.6 mi, 33 hr 02 min
Bike 223.3 mi, 17 hr 55 min
Snowshoe 47.5 mi, 14 hr 38 min
Kayak 4.0 mi, 1 hr 3 min
states/provinces visited: AB, CT, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT
Friday, August 15, 2014
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Monday, August 11, 2014
Sunday, August 10, 2014
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