35.2 Mile Ride in Albany, Colonie, & the Helderberg Hills
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Tough ride today, lots of headwinds and hills. Rode over to Colonie to teach class, then in the afternoon took a "scenic" route back home over into New Scotland and Slingerlands. One long, steep hill, and lots of smaller ones that got harder and harder each time I hit another one. But it was a gorgeous day for a ride - cool (mid-70's) with little humidity and lots of sunshine. And best of all - still no broken spokes!
JMH
Friday, June 29, 2007
6.5 Mile Run at Five Rivers
Friday, June 29, 2007
After a fairly lazy week (0ne ride, on Wednesday) motivated in part by a legitimate need to recover from the very race-heavy last week and in part by the hot and humid weather we've been having, I headed over to Five Rivers Environmental Education Center for a (relatively) easy run this afternoon. It was a perfect day for it - temperatures in the 70's and little humidity - and it definitely felt good to be back out in the woods again, even if that meant fighting off deerflies for much of my run.
Started out with a warm-up on the service road around the old field, then headed into the woods - first on the Wild Turkey trail (where the only turkey in evidence was the one running) and then along the North Loop, which was every bit as technical as I remembered it to be (lots of roots, but at least the mud had mostly dried up.) Then it was time for a run along the Vloman Kill (creek) which is probably the most scenic part of the run. Came out on the access road along the shore of the northern part of the Beaver Pond, where I got to briefly watch a mallard and her ducklings, as well as a number of small painted turtles moving around in the weeds and algae (much like the ones in last weekend's trip to the Turning Point Park boardwalk.)
After crossing the road, I took a break on the long bridge across the Beaver Pond to watch turtles and fish. Saw a number of painted turtles, and as I was watching a fairly large snapping turtle came cruising by - I think I snapped two pretty good pictures of him before he disappeared. After five minutes or so two fairly noisy families came along, so I gave up and continued my run along the trail around the pond - spotted another larger snapping turtle haging out in the algae at the far end of the pond, and when I crossed back over the road there was a smaller one in the northern part of the pond, right near the dam.
Then it was time to run along the creek again, and out on the North Loop... I headed off on an old doubletrack instead of going back through the technical section, and finished the run along the service road and then along a grassy path down to the Sunfish Pond and through the old orchard.
Legs are definitely still feeling the effects of last week's races - my knees are a bit sore, and I'm feeling some strain in my left calf where I injured it two years ago and ended up taking two weeks off from running in late July/early August. So I'll probably do another easy run on Sunday, and then maybe a longer run either up at Thacher or over in Massachusetts on Tuesday... have to see how I feel.
JMH
Friday, June 29, 2007
After a fairly lazy week (0ne ride, on Wednesday) motivated in part by a legitimate need to recover from the very race-heavy last week and in part by the hot and humid weather we've been having, I headed over to Five Rivers Environmental Education Center for a (relatively) easy run this afternoon. It was a perfect day for it - temperatures in the 70's and little humidity - and it definitely felt good to be back out in the woods again, even if that meant fighting off deerflies for much of my run.
Started out with a warm-up on the service road around the old field, then headed into the woods - first on the Wild Turkey trail (where the only turkey in evidence was the one running) and then along the North Loop, which was every bit as technical as I remembered it to be (lots of roots, but at least the mud had mostly dried up.) Then it was time for a run along the Vloman Kill (creek) which is probably the most scenic part of the run. Came out on the access road along the shore of the northern part of the Beaver Pond, where I got to briefly watch a mallard and her ducklings, as well as a number of small painted turtles moving around in the weeds and algae (much like the ones in last weekend's trip to the Turning Point Park boardwalk.)
After crossing the road, I took a break on the long bridge across the Beaver Pond to watch turtles and fish. Saw a number of painted turtles, and as I was watching a fairly large snapping turtle came cruising by - I think I snapped two pretty good pictures of him before he disappeared. After five minutes or so two fairly noisy families came along, so I gave up and continued my run along the trail around the pond - spotted another larger snapping turtle haging out in the algae at the far end of the pond, and when I crossed back over the road there was a smaller one in the northern part of the pond, right near the dam.
Then it was time to run along the creek again, and out on the North Loop... I headed off on an old doubletrack instead of going back through the technical section, and finished the run along the service road and then along a grassy path down to the Sunfish Pond and through the old orchard.
Legs are definitely still feeling the effects of last week's races - my knees are a bit sore, and I'm feeling some strain in my left calf where I injured it two years ago and ended up taking two weeks off from running in late July/early August. So I'll probably do another easy run on Sunday, and then maybe a longer run either up at Thacher or over in Massachusetts on Tuesday... have to see how I feel.
JMH
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
RAIN, THUNDER, & LIGHTNING
21.6 Mile Ride in Schenectady County
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Guess I should have gotten my backside in gear sooner, and maybe my ride today would have been finished before the storm moved in! As it was, I had good weather for about 45 minutes after leaving the car at the Lock 8 parking area. Headed down the mostly empty bike path and over onto some roads through Scotia, eventually coming out on Rt 5 right at the point where 890 ends. From there the plan was to ride down Rt 5 and cross the river at Rotterdam Junction, but the sight of lightning off in the distance caused me to revise that plan, and I headed back to the bike path and out towards Scafford Lane. For some reason, the thought of pedaling along the side of wide open road during a thunderstorm just didn't seem like a good idea...
I was most of the way to Scafford Lane when the storm hit... light rain at first, with lightning striking in the hills overlooking the river. Made it to the end of the path then headed back, which is when the skies really opened up with a good downpour. I very quickly was doing my best impression of a drowned rat. Pushed hard back through the Rotterdam Kiwanis Park and to the 890 overpass, where I sheltered for a while to see what the lightning was doing (the rain didn't look to be letting up, but my main concern was the lightning, since some of the sections of path between the overpass and Lock 8 run across open fields.) After a bit it looked like the lightning was easing off, so I headed for Lock 8, and as I was riding that last bit the storm moved off to the north and the sun came out behind me! (Too bad I didn't have my waterproof camera with me, I might have gotten some cool pictures.)
It was clear that not only wasn't it raining along the path to Schenectady, but it hadn't rained there while I was getting soaked. So I headed back down the path to SCCC, in hopes that the sun and air flow would dry me out at least a little bit. Almost pushed my luck too far, though, because as I was pulling back into the Lock 8 parking area, it started raining!
All in all, an interesting ride... the bike handled well in the rain, and truth be told, the rain was rather refreshing on a hot muggy day. But maybe next time we can skip the lightning... I'd much rather be watching that from safely indoors instead of from the back of a bicycle.
JMH
21.6 Mile Ride in Schenectady County
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Guess I should have gotten my backside in gear sooner, and maybe my ride today would have been finished before the storm moved in! As it was, I had good weather for about 45 minutes after leaving the car at the Lock 8 parking area. Headed down the mostly empty bike path and over onto some roads through Scotia, eventually coming out on Rt 5 right at the point where 890 ends. From there the plan was to ride down Rt 5 and cross the river at Rotterdam Junction, but the sight of lightning off in the distance caused me to revise that plan, and I headed back to the bike path and out towards Scafford Lane. For some reason, the thought of pedaling along the side of wide open road during a thunderstorm just didn't seem like a good idea...
I was most of the way to Scafford Lane when the storm hit... light rain at first, with lightning striking in the hills overlooking the river. Made it to the end of the path then headed back, which is when the skies really opened up with a good downpour. I very quickly was doing my best impression of a drowned rat. Pushed hard back through the Rotterdam Kiwanis Park and to the 890 overpass, where I sheltered for a while to see what the lightning was doing (the rain didn't look to be letting up, but my main concern was the lightning, since some of the sections of path between the overpass and Lock 8 run across open fields.) After a bit it looked like the lightning was easing off, so I headed for Lock 8, and as I was riding that last bit the storm moved off to the north and the sun came out behind me! (Too bad I didn't have my waterproof camera with me, I might have gotten some cool pictures.)
It was clear that not only wasn't it raining along the path to Schenectady, but it hadn't rained there while I was getting soaked. So I headed back down the path to SCCC, in hopes that the sun and air flow would dry me out at least a little bit. Almost pushed my luck too far, though, because as I was pulling back into the Lock 8 parking area, it started raining!
All in all, an interesting ride... the bike handled well in the rain, and truth be told, the rain was rather refreshing on a hot muggy day. But maybe next time we can skip the lightning... I'd much rather be watching that from safely indoors instead of from the back of a bicycle.
JMH
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
6 Mile Ride Along the Genesee Riverway
Sunday, June 24, 2007
official site for Genesee Riverway
map of the Genesee Riverway (1.5 MB PDF)
Sunday, June 24, 2007
official site for Genesee Riverway
map of the Genesee Riverway (1.5 MB PDF)
Once the race was over and I'd rehydrated a bit, Ann and I walked out on the Ontario Beach Park jetty - a long walk, almost a mile out and back! While we were there we saw a number of boats go in and out of the harbor... no great surprise, it looked to be a pretty busy day on the lake.
After that, we broke out the bikes and headed for the Genesee Riverway. The best part of the ride was when we got to the boardwalk and Turning Point Park. Apparently Turning Point is has a double meaning - it signifies both that the particular area in the river is where large boats used to turn around before reaching the first of the Genesee River waterfalls, and it also refers to a point in the 1970's when local residents fought a plan by the Port Authority to build an oil storage facility on the site, resulting in the city eventually buying the land and turning it into a park. (Rich & Sue Freeman, Take Your Bike, 2003... see http://www.footprintpress.com/ for more info, as usual!)
As I already mentioned in my race report, the boardwalk through the Turning Point marsh is an incredible addition to the area. We actually dismounted and walked much of it, just so we wouldn't miss any of the flora and fauna. Two swans with a white fuzzy cygnet swam toward the boardwalk; I suspect they're used to getting food from people. Further out in the river was a heron, and red-wing blackbirds were all around us in the reeds and marsh grasses. Further along the walkway, the plants growing in the water were thicker, and we started to see turtles. Many, many turtles... some as big as my hand, all the way down to some about the size of a silver dollar. Sunning themselves, eating... painted turtles everywhere. Don't think I've ever seen so many in one place at a time!
After that we headed up the short, steep hill and then followed the path out to Lake Ave... uphill much of the way, though most of it gradual. Faced with a long ride down the sidewalk along a busy street, we opted to head back - a ride made much easier by the fact that we were heading downhill now! At the point where the path splits, we headed down the gradual downhill, the same as when I ran the race. I had hoped to get some pictures up and down the river from the boat tie-ups, but the paths out to each were lined with too much poison ivy for me to risk it, so instead we headed back to the boardwalk and once again took our time, enjoying looking at the birds and turtles and even a couple of very large fish (we'd seen them jumping earlier, but this time we could actually see the fish in the shallow water.)
From there we climbed back up the hill from the boardwalk and had an uneventful ride back to the park. Packed up the bikes, changed clothes yet again, and grabbed some overpriced but quite delicious steak sandwiches, then spent a while walking along the beach (OK, along the boardwalk and out onto the beach at a spot where it was only occupied by a large number of gulls!) before calling it a day and heading home.
JMH
LONG DISTANCE 2007, Race #12
1st Annual Harborfest 10k
Sunday, June 24, 2007
2007 Harborfest 10k results
1st Annual Harborfest 10k
Sunday, June 24, 2007
2007 Harborfest 10k results
A PR average pace of 10 min per mile! I haven't run a pace that fast since 1999!
What a great course! The Harborfest 10k starts at Ontario Beach Park and runs south along the recently completed Genesee Riverway to Turning Point Park and back. Along the way it runs past the Charlotte lighthouse, under the relatively new O'Rorke Memorial Bridge, along a lengthy boardwalk that traverses the edge of the river gorge through the marshy area of the Turning Point basin, and up into the woods above the Turning Point Basin. Ann and I had been to Ontario Beach Park a couple of times (and found it rather crowded, but that's true of most beaches in the summer!) and the one time we visited Turning Point Park it wasn't terribly impressive. All I can say is, a lot has been done since then and this is now a phenomenal area to walk, run, or ride, and an incredible site for a race!
Met up with Jim and Loretta before the race... Jim's getting to be an old hand at this racing thing, but this would be Loretta's first one. Chatted a bit, then gathered near the start and tried to hear what the RD was saying (no luck!) and then it was time to run!
The first part of the course took us along some roads through the parking areas, past the lighthouse, and under the bridge. Nothing too remarkable there, other than my running the first mile in 10:15 and not feeling like I was going to collapse. After that we had a gradual climb along the paved Riverway path, which was a little bit tougher, though not so bad in comparison to some of the hills I've run in the last week! But then we went down the other side of that hill to the river, and the best part of the course - a 0.75 mile boardwalk through the marsh of the Turning Point basin!
While I was running over the water, I saw ducks, swans, and turtles - how cool is that? I also saw the front runners, who were on their way back toward the finish. At the end of the boardwalk, there was a short, steep hill that I walked up, and then a fairly level stretch past the Turning Point Park parking area, under some pipes that are used to pump dry cement from boats down in the river to storage tanks up on the bluffs, and out to trail with making a much more gradual downhill to water level. That felt pretty good - I was actually able to pick up the pace a bit! Made my way back to the boardwalk, and again had a blast running over the water and marsh - even spotted a couple of turtles floating in the weeds next to the walkway.
What a great course! The Harborfest 10k starts at Ontario Beach Park and runs south along the recently completed Genesee Riverway to Turning Point Park and back. Along the way it runs past the Charlotte lighthouse, under the relatively new O'Rorke Memorial Bridge, along a lengthy boardwalk that traverses the edge of the river gorge through the marshy area of the Turning Point basin, and up into the woods above the Turning Point Basin. Ann and I had been to Ontario Beach Park a couple of times (and found it rather crowded, but that's true of most beaches in the summer!) and the one time we visited Turning Point Park it wasn't terribly impressive. All I can say is, a lot has been done since then and this is now a phenomenal area to walk, run, or ride, and an incredible site for a race!
Met up with Jim and Loretta before the race... Jim's getting to be an old hand at this racing thing, but this would be Loretta's first one. Chatted a bit, then gathered near the start and tried to hear what the RD was saying (no luck!) and then it was time to run!
The first part of the course took us along some roads through the parking areas, past the lighthouse, and under the bridge. Nothing too remarkable there, other than my running the first mile in 10:15 and not feeling like I was going to collapse. After that we had a gradual climb along the paved Riverway path, which was a little bit tougher, though not so bad in comparison to some of the hills I've run in the last week! But then we went down the other side of that hill to the river, and the best part of the course - a 0.75 mile boardwalk through the marsh of the Turning Point basin!
While I was running over the water, I saw ducks, swans, and turtles - how cool is that? I also saw the front runners, who were on their way back toward the finish. At the end of the boardwalk, there was a short, steep hill that I walked up, and then a fairly level stretch past the Turning Point Park parking area, under some pipes that are used to pump dry cement from boats down in the river to storage tanks up on the bluffs, and out to trail with making a much more gradual downhill to water level. That felt pretty good - I was actually able to pick up the pace a bit! Made my way back to the boardwalk, and again had a blast running over the water and marsh - even spotted a couple of turtles floating in the weeds next to the walkway.
Of course, at the end of the boardwalk was another climb, and the 4 mile mark, which I hit at just about 41 minutes... still averaging 10:15 miles. At the top of the hill I tried picking up the pace a bit more, aided by the fact that it was mostly downhill, and managed to reach the 5 mile mark at a little over 51 minutes - which told me I had the possibility of setting a PR pace, if I really pushed the last 1.2 miles. So I pushed as hard as I could, and hit the final loop around the edge of Ontario Beach Park and out onto the boardwalk along the beach wondering if I was going to be able to keep it up to the end, or explode somewhere before the finish. It helped that I could see the finish down on the sand, and passing Ann who took my picture also helped.
What didn't help was when I reached the point where I thought I would be heading down onto the sand and instead was told I had to run around the Community Center building to get to the sand - that left me in serious doubt if I could keep going to the end! But I made it to the sand barely able to breathe and heard Jim and Loretta cheering me on as I "sprinted" across the sand (all my trail running came in handy there!) and crossed the finish at exactly 62 minutes, for an average pace of 10 min per mile!
photo courtesy of Greater Rochester Track Club
Then I staggered around for a while looking for shade, liquids, and food. Chatted with Jim and Loretta, who had done quite well (53:26 and 53:59) and not only had a good time, but also had the same "Oh, crap!" reaction when they found out they had to run around the Community Center to reach the beach. Then it was time to change into dry clothes and enjoy the rest of the morning at the park with Ann.
Needless to say, I'm glad I ran this, even through it was at the end of a strenuous 8 days of races... the course is incredibly cool, and even though I was pretty tired from a long week with not nearly enough sleep, I ran well and had a good time. I suspect this is one I'll be looking forward to running next year!
Next up: tough to say... probably either the Indian Ladder 15k Trail Race up at Thacher Park or the Forest Frolic 15k Trail Race out in the Virgil State Forest... don't know which for sure yet. I'm deliberately taking a break from races for most of July, both to give me time to recover from the last two months and to give me time to train for some distance again.
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 130.4 mi, 31 hr 15 min
Cycling 26.2 mi, 1 hr 55 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, VT
Saturday, June 23, 2007
LONG DISTANCE 2007, Race #11
Schoolcraft 5k Trail Run
Saturday, June 23, 2007
2007 Schoolcraft 5k results
I've wanted to run at Tawasentha Park in Guilderland for almost two years now, since reading about it in various Albany Running Exchange articles, but somehow have never managed to make the opportunity. So when I saw the ads for today's 5k race there, I decided to give it a go, despite having a very busy week of races already scheduled. The proceeds of today's run go toward funding the Schoolcraft Cultural Center, so I would be helping a good cause as well.
Driving into the park, one feature of today's run became very apparent: hills. Lots of hills. I found a place to park and picked up my race number and T-shirt, and realized I wouldn't be taking pictures today because I'd left my disposable camera at home. Then it was just a matter of waiting for things to start...
The starting line was in a field - one of the few times during the 5K when we'd be running on level ground. After giving us instructions to follow the white arrows and orange flags, the RD sounded a siren and off we went!
5k really isn't a good distance for me... I spent the whole time huffing and puffing and never really had time to get into a good running rhythm, especially with all the hills. About half the course was run on grass, one of my least favorite surfaces (even when it's cut short, you can't really tell what's under the grass.) My favorite section was a dirt trail through the woods, which we ran along twice... didn't hurt that part was also mostly downhill! (For a rough idea of the course, take a look at Guilderland XC's 2.7 mile course; they also have pictures of much of where we ran today.)
I finished the run in 34 min 50 seconds... a bit slower than I'd originally hoped for this distance, averaging just under 11 min 15 sec per mile, but given the hills and the condition of my legs after Greylock and Minnewaska earlier this week, I can't say I'm disappointed. This was definitely worth doing, if only to get a glimpse of another local park available for running.
Next up: one more race this month, the Harborfest 10k in Rochester, tomorrow! And then I give my legs a chance to recover from the beating they've taken this week, before getting back to some long training runs again!
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 124.2 mi, 30 hr 13 min
Cycling 26.2 mi, 1 hr 55 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, VT
Schoolcraft 5k Trail Run
Saturday, June 23, 2007
2007 Schoolcraft 5k results
I've wanted to run at Tawasentha Park in Guilderland for almost two years now, since reading about it in various Albany Running Exchange articles, but somehow have never managed to make the opportunity. So when I saw the ads for today's 5k race there, I decided to give it a go, despite having a very busy week of races already scheduled. The proceeds of today's run go toward funding the Schoolcraft Cultural Center, so I would be helping a good cause as well.
Driving into the park, one feature of today's run became very apparent: hills. Lots of hills. I found a place to park and picked up my race number and T-shirt, and realized I wouldn't be taking pictures today because I'd left my disposable camera at home. Then it was just a matter of waiting for things to start...
The starting line was in a field - one of the few times during the 5K when we'd be running on level ground. After giving us instructions to follow the white arrows and orange flags, the RD sounded a siren and off we went!
5k really isn't a good distance for me... I spent the whole time huffing and puffing and never really had time to get into a good running rhythm, especially with all the hills. About half the course was run on grass, one of my least favorite surfaces (even when it's cut short, you can't really tell what's under the grass.) My favorite section was a dirt trail through the woods, which we ran along twice... didn't hurt that part was also mostly downhill! (For a rough idea of the course, take a look at Guilderland XC's 2.7 mile course; they also have pictures of much of where we ran today.)
I finished the run in 34 min 50 seconds... a bit slower than I'd originally hoped for this distance, averaging just under 11 min 15 sec per mile, but given the hills and the condition of my legs after Greylock and Minnewaska earlier this week, I can't say I'm disappointed. This was definitely worth doing, if only to get a glimpse of another local park available for running.
Next up: one more race this month, the Harborfest 10k in Rochester, tomorrow! And then I give my legs a chance to recover from the beating they've taken this week, before getting back to some long training runs again!
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 124.2 mi, 30 hr 13 min
Cycling 26.2 mi, 1 hr 55 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, VT
Friday, June 22, 2007
STRANGE WEATHER
16.2 Mile Ride Along the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, June 22, 2007
Not only was it very chilly for a day in late June (the strong winds didn't help) but periodically there were also light rain showers... often when nearby it was bright and sunny!
Good ride overall, but my legs are definitely feeling the effects of two hilly races this week, so I limited the ride to relatively flat sections of path. Ended up down at the edge of the river watching a heron stalk along the bank of a small island out in the river. I wish I'd remembered my camera... could have gotten some nice shots today.
JMH
16.2 Mile Ride Along the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, June 22, 2007
Not only was it very chilly for a day in late June (the strong winds didn't help) but periodically there were also light rain showers... often when nearby it was bright and sunny!
Good ride overall, but my legs are definitely feeling the effects of two hilly races this week, so I limited the ride to relatively flat sections of path. Ended up down at the edge of the river watching a heron stalk along the bank of a small island out in the river. I wish I'd remembered my camera... could have gotten some nice shots today.
JMH
Thursday, June 21, 2007
10 YEARS AGO TODAY...
Thursday, June 21, 2007
... I ran the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska. My first race, and the reason I started running - to see if I could actually run a marathon.
There have been a lot of ups and downs during those 10 years of running. My feet have carried me on roads and trails, up and down mountains, through streams and swamps, in sunshine, rain, and snow, during the day and at night, in the city and in the country. I've run races at distances as short at 5k and as long as marathons, in eight different states in the USA.
I wonder where these feet will take me during the next 10 years?
JMH
Thursday, June 21, 2007
... I ran the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska. My first race, and the reason I started running - to see if I could actually run a marathon.
There have been a lot of ups and downs during those 10 years of running. My feet have carried me on roads and trails, up and down mountains, through streams and swamps, in sunshine, rain, and snow, during the day and at night, in the city and in the country. I've run races at distances as short at 5k and as long as marathons, in eight different states in the USA.
I wonder where these feet will take me during the next 10 years?
JMH
A PICTURE'S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS...
Maybe so, but it sure takes time to scan and process all those buggers. But I'm gradually working my way through the stack of several hundred photos (going back to mid-February!) and will be adding pictures and slideshow links to lots of past posts over the next week or two.
One of these days I'll manage to get that digital camera and this whole process will be much, much easier...
JMH
Maybe so, but it sure takes time to scan and process all those buggers. But I'm gradually working my way through the stack of several hundred photos (going back to mid-February!) and will be adding pictures and slideshow links to lots of past posts over the next week or two.
One of these days I'll manage to get that digital camera and this whole process will be much, much easier...
JMH
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
LONG DISTANCE 2007, Race #10
Summer Solstice 14k Trail Run
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
2007 Summer Solstice run results (Excel file)
2007 Summer Solstice run photo slideshow
Summer Solstice 14k Trail Run
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
2007 Summer Solstice run results (Excel file)
2007 Summer Solstice run photo slideshow
A while back I wrote about the various reasons I run races... after all, as a back-of-the-pack runner, there are definitely times when people look at me and wonder "Why is he paying money to do this when he's so darn slow?!!!!" I don't generally ask that question, because most of the time when I'm doing a race, I'm having fun... albeit sick, torturous fun.
Two of my reasons for doing races were to go to cool and interesting places to run, and to put myself in an environment where I'm likely to push myself harder than I generally will during a training run. Tonight's run at Minnewaska qualifies on both counts...
I first ran the Summer Solstice 14k back in 1999, and immediately fell in love with Minnewaska State Park Preserve. Tall cliffs, blooming mountain laurel, glacial lakes, pine forests - what's not to love? Since then I've run four more races there (five, including tonight's) and I spent the better part of a day there in 2005 riding the trails with Ann. Admittedly, running this race isn't the smartest move three days after Greylock... especially since the first 4 miles are mostly uphill, and the last 4 3/4 miles are a mix of steady downhill and gradual uphill. But with such a beautiful venue, how could I resist?
Another nice point to this race is the number of runners it attracts who don't usually run this type of distance... that means that there are often folks who are flagging during the last few miles who I can pass if I keep pushing my pace! And as a back-of-the-packer, let me say that opportunities like that are few and far between! The trails are also wide enough and smooth enough that I can run fairly fast (for me!) if I push myself.
So with all that in its favor, it should be no surprise that late this afternoon I hopped in the car and made the 90 minute drive south to Minnewaska. It looked to be a great day for a run - sunny and cool with a bit of wind - though I wasn't sure what my legs would be capable of after Sunday's trek up and down the slopes of Greylock. I love the drive through the woods and up into the 'Gunks on the way to the park... I always end up wishing I could spend more time there (maybe sometime this summer...?)
After I checked in, I spent half an hour wandering around taking pictures and just enjoying the surroundings. Then I geared up and wandered over toward the start to wait. As I was doing so, I heard some disturbing comments that they might have to delay the start for half an hour because of a major traffic back-up coming into the park (apparently the kid taking the $7 entrance fee was even slower at that than I am at running!) Given that it was a bit chilly, I hoped this was just a rumor, but as 6:30 approached and no announcement was made to gather at the start, it didn't look good. A few minutes later the RD went around with a megaphone letting everyone know that the race would start at 6:45... not bad at all.
So a bit before 6:45 we all crowded into the starting area, the RD made a few announcements about the course, and then - it was time to run!
The first 4 miles, up to Castle Point, was tough. My legs were definitely tired from Sunday's race, and I was sucking wind the whole way. Stopped to walk several times, and was passed by a number of runners on the way up. But the laurel was in full bloom (last year, it had bloomed early) and the views from the cliffs are spectacular! There are also lots of cool rock formations. I reached the water stop at Castle Point in about 43 minutes - not bad at all, and on target for a fast time for me if I could pick up the pace for the rest of the run.
The stretch from Castle Point to the Upper Awosting Carriageway twists and turns its way downhill, again with some great views from the cliffs. There's even one spot where the path runs along the top of a cliff, then loops around so that later it passes the base of the cliff... very cool. This section is on the west side of the mountains, so it was also nice and sunny. I managed to pick up speed and set a pretty good pace down the hill, though with all the turns I had to be careful not to blow a knee. Made pretty good time to the last water stop, 1 hour with about 3 miles to go.
The last three miles, along the Upper Awosting Carriageway, weren't as sunny, but the sides of the trail were covered in mountain laurel. The terrain varies from being fairly level to some fairly gentle uphill, with a few downhill stretches thrown in. I pushed as hard as I could, hoping to break 90 minutes, and managed to pass three or four runners in the process. The last 3/4 of a mile is tough - first a gradual uphill, and then a steep uphill for the final tenth of a mile, and it was during this stretch that it became very clear my legs were running out of juice. But I managed to run the whole section, and even ran up the entire steep hill to the finish, crossing the line in 91 min 47 seconds... about 20 seconds slower than last year. So no PR, but a good challenging run all the same, averaging just over 10 1/2 minute miles.
Afterwards I staggered over to the tent, filed my finisher's info, and snagged a bottle of cranberry-apple drink, which turned out to be one of the most delicious things I've ever had to drink after a run. Chatted briefly with Josh Merlis of the Albany Running Exchange (they'd brought a decent-sized group of runners to the race), changed into some dry (and warmer!) clothes, and then bid the 'Gunks a sad farewell. But I'll be back!
Next up: it hardly qualifies as long distance, but the Schoolcraft 5k Trail Race in Tawasentha Park over in Guilderland, bright and early Saturday morning. I've been wanting to run the trails over there ever since hearing some of the stories of the ARE trail runs there, so it seems like a good opportunity. Then Sunday morning is the 1st Harborfest 10k race out in Rochester, which is supposed to take us out-and-back along a very scenic path overlooking the Genesee River. After that - I take a break from racing until at least mid-July.
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 121.1 mi, 29 hr 38 min
Cycling 26.2 mi, 1 hr 55 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, VT
Afterwards I staggered over to the tent, filed my finisher's info, and snagged a bottle of cranberry-apple drink, which turned out to be one of the most delicious things I've ever had to drink after a run. Chatted briefly with Josh Merlis of the Albany Running Exchange (they'd brought a decent-sized group of runners to the race), changed into some dry (and warmer!) clothes, and then bid the 'Gunks a sad farewell. But I'll be back!
Next up: it hardly qualifies as long distance, but the Schoolcraft 5k Trail Race in Tawasentha Park over in Guilderland, bright and early Saturday morning. I've been wanting to run the trails over there ever since hearing some of the stories of the ARE trail runs there, so it seems like a good opportunity. Then Sunday morning is the 1st Harborfest 10k race out in Rochester, which is supposed to take us out-and-back along a very scenic path overlooking the Genesee River. After that - I take a break from racing until at least mid-July.
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 121.1 mi, 29 hr 38 min
Cycling 26.2 mi, 1 hr 55 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, VT
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
20.4 Mile Ride to Colonie & Back
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Had a few errands to run at the karate school, so I took the opportunity to test out my rebuilt rear wheel... so far, so good, despite my hitting some nasty bumps and taking a tight turn or two at speed while trying to get through some intersections before the light changed. (Of course, the last repair held up for 50 miles before another spoke snapped, so nothing is definite...)
My quads are still recovering from Sunday, so I'm ditching my plan to take my ATB down and ride part of the Wallkill Rail Trail before going up to Minnewaska... especially since the first half of the run tomorrow evening is uphill.
JMH
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Had a few errands to run at the karate school, so I took the opportunity to test out my rebuilt rear wheel... so far, so good, despite my hitting some nasty bumps and taking a tight turn or two at speed while trying to get through some intersections before the light changed. (Of course, the last repair held up for 50 miles before another spoke snapped, so nothing is definite...)
My quads are still recovering from Sunday, so I'm ditching my plan to take my ATB down and ride part of the Wallkill Rail Trail before going up to Minnewaska... especially since the first half of the run tomorrow evening is uphill.
JMH
JEDI TURTLE OR WHEEL REBUILDER?
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Took my wheel apart last night to replace the snapped spoke, and ended up replacing a whole bunch of spokes (in hopes of eliminating snapping spokes for the immediate future.) Got up this morning and said what the heck, and replaced all the remaining original spokes on that wheel, then spent a while doing my best to true it. Later today I'll give the bike a test ride and we'll see just how good a wheel rebuilder I am...
Ann's theory was that once I replaced all the original spokes, the new ones would start breaking. Hopefully she's wrong... otherwise it will be time for me to admit defeat and take the wheel to the bike shop to have them adjust it (since continued spoke breaks would probably mean that I'm cranking them too tight or something.)
JMH
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Took my wheel apart last night to replace the snapped spoke, and ended up replacing a whole bunch of spokes (in hopes of eliminating snapping spokes for the immediate future.) Got up this morning and said what the heck, and replaced all the remaining original spokes on that wheel, then spent a while doing my best to true it. Later today I'll give the bike a test ride and we'll see just how good a wheel rebuilder I am...
Ann's theory was that once I replaced all the original spokes, the new ones would start breaking. Hopefully she's wrong... otherwise it will be time for me to admit defeat and take the wheel to the bike shop to have them adjust it (since continued spoke breaks would probably mean that I'm cranking them too tight or something.)
JMH
Sunday, June 17, 2007
20.6 Mile Ride on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail
Sunday, June 17, 2007
official Ashuwillticook trail site
After spending almost 3 1/2 hours running up and down the sides of Mt Greylock in the mid-June heat, any sensible person would grab something cold to drink, put some tunes in the CD player, and head for home. So naturally I drove a few miles south the Lanesborough and took my bike out on the paved Ashuwillticook Rail Trail.
The trail is paved and relatively flat, and runs through some fairly pretty countryside - first through woods and swamps, then alongside the Cheshire Reservoir and along the Hoosic River as it passes through more wetlands. The final stretch down into Adams is through shaded woods.
Managed to find parking in the very crowded lot, geared up, and discovered that my camera battery was dead as I loaded a fresh roll of film... so no pictures this time around. Getting on the bike was a bit uncomfortable, both from having run the half marathon earlier in the day and from riding both of the last two days. The ride out through the initial wetlands and along the Cheshire Reservoir was both easy and fun, especially since I kept my gears on the lower end and my speed fairly slow (about 11 mph.) Lots of other walkers and riders on the trail, especially families on bikes (something I think is a good thing, though I still would like to see more parents with helmets and more keeping to one side of the path.) Saw a fair number of ducks, some geese with goslings, and even a couple of turtles off in the swampy areas.
The ride started to get a bit tougher through the Cheshire wetlands, mainly because my legs were fried and sitting on the bike began to get uncomfortable. I probably should have turned around before the last 2 miles down into Adams, but I was enjoying the shade, the trees and rocky hillside, and the river, as well as not having the pedal much to keep moving forward. Unfortunately, I paid for the latter when I turned around and had to ride uphill on the way back. The grade is fairly low, and ordinarily it wouldn't have bothered me at all, but today it was tough.
Partway through the wetlands, I had unpleasant surprise when another spoke snapped... only six miles to go, but it left me wondering if I was going to end up walking the bike when more spokes went. On the plus side, at least I hadn't been planning to move quickly! The rest of the ride was uneventful, but increasingly difficult as I tried to find some energy in my tired legs.
All in all, a tough ride, but I'm still glad I did it... it was a nice day, and riding through some pretty countryside was well worth it. Still, having ridden over 60 miles the last three days - tomorrow I'm taking a break!
JMH
Sunday, June 17, 2007
official Ashuwillticook trail site
After spending almost 3 1/2 hours running up and down the sides of Mt Greylock in the mid-June heat, any sensible person would grab something cold to drink, put some tunes in the CD player, and head for home. So naturally I drove a few miles south the Lanesborough and took my bike out on the paved Ashuwillticook Rail Trail.
The trail is paved and relatively flat, and runs through some fairly pretty countryside - first through woods and swamps, then alongside the Cheshire Reservoir and along the Hoosic River as it passes through more wetlands. The final stretch down into Adams is through shaded woods.
Managed to find parking in the very crowded lot, geared up, and discovered that my camera battery was dead as I loaded a fresh roll of film... so no pictures this time around. Getting on the bike was a bit uncomfortable, both from having run the half marathon earlier in the day and from riding both of the last two days. The ride out through the initial wetlands and along the Cheshire Reservoir was both easy and fun, especially since I kept my gears on the lower end and my speed fairly slow (about 11 mph.) Lots of other walkers and riders on the trail, especially families on bikes (something I think is a good thing, though I still would like to see more parents with helmets and more keeping to one side of the path.) Saw a fair number of ducks, some geese with goslings, and even a couple of turtles off in the swampy areas.
The ride started to get a bit tougher through the Cheshire wetlands, mainly because my legs were fried and sitting on the bike began to get uncomfortable. I probably should have turned around before the last 2 miles down into Adams, but I was enjoying the shade, the trees and rocky hillside, and the river, as well as not having the pedal much to keep moving forward. Unfortunately, I paid for the latter when I turned around and had to ride uphill on the way back. The grade is fairly low, and ordinarily it wouldn't have bothered me at all, but today it was tough.
Partway through the wetlands, I had unpleasant surprise when another spoke snapped... only six miles to go, but it left me wondering if I was going to end up walking the bike when more spokes went. On the plus side, at least I hadn't been planning to move quickly! The rest of the ride was uneventful, but increasingly difficult as I tried to find some energy in my tired legs.
All in all, a tough ride, but I'm still glad I did it... it was a nice day, and riding through some pretty countryside was well worth it. Still, having ridden over 60 miles the last three days - tomorrow I'm taking a break!
JMH
LONG DISTANCE 2007, Race #9
Greylock Trail Half Marathon
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Greylock Trail Races info
2007 Greylock Trail Races results
2007 Greylock Half Marathon photo slideshow
I have to admit, my attitude wasn't the best when I crawled out of bed this morning... seems my new neighbors upstairs decided to have another drinking party, so I didn't get nearly as much sleep as I would have liked. I briefly considered skipping the race today, but then decided I'd be really aggravated with myself later on if I did... and it's not like it's the first time I went off to do a race on little sleep!
Drive over was uneventful, I find it amusing that at this point I've been to Greylock Glen enough times that I no longer need directions to get there. Parked in almost exactly the same spot as last year, about a quarter mile from the gazebo in the Glen where the race is staged out of. Checked in, then headed back to the car to gear up, taking care to get all my gear together since I didn't feel like making any more trips back and forth. While I was waiting for the race to begin, I checked out the modified course. (The roads to the summit of Greylock are being torn up and resurfaced over the next two years, so the old course, which took us to the summit and then looped around the mountain back to the Glen, had to be modified - there was no feasible way to get aid stations set up.) Looked like a 10 mile out-and-back in one direction, and then the 5k course in the other. Of particular interest were the notes on the course map that read "STEEP HILL"...
After a bit of a wait, we found out that the two races would be starting at separate times (hurray! not as much of a traffic jam at the singletrack out of the Glen!) and that the race was indeed an out-and-back for the first 10 miles, with water stops approximately every 2.5 miles. And then, after a few well-deserved thank you's to folks who had helped with the course marking and aid stations - off we went!
As usual, we had a massive traffic jam at the single track out of the Glen, but that passed fairly quickly because we headed off on a wider path than the usual one up the mountain - in fact, it was the same path we ran on during the snowshoe race back in January! (A harbinger of things to come...) Rolling terrain, a bit of mud, but fairly easy running to start out... then after about half a mile, we headed up the mountain. Up and up and up, it seemed, following steep singletrack along the edge of a ravine with a stream running down it. We had a short break from climbing (ie. something I could actually run rather than power-hike) but then the climb resumed on the Bellows Pipe trail, a wide, rocky, steep biking path. There were several of us marching up the hill, including Rich Busa in a bright orange Nipmuck T-shirt (it was easy to keep him in sight!) At about 2.5 miles we hit a self-serve water stop, and shortly after that we hit the highest point on the trail and started a long downhill run through some beautiful forest... some of the trail was very runnable, other sections were wet and slippery - at one point both my feet slid out from under me and fortunately landed in a spot where I had traction, or I would have probably ended up smacking the back of my head on the rocks.
As I ran down the path toward the turnaround, first individual runners passed me heading back (the front of the pack) and then larger and larger groups went by. Made it into the turnaround at about an hour and a quarter (not bad for five miles with about 2 miles of uphill hiking) where I refilled my water bottles, chatted briefly with the nice ladies manning the aid station, and then hustled back out for the 2.5 mile uphill hike back the way I'd come.
The hike back up the hill wasn't as bad as I expected - I kept a pretty good pace and was feeling fairly strong when I made it to the top of the hill. The run down the other side was tough... some parts were steep, some parts were rocky, and the non-stop downhill really beat up my quads, especially after all the uphill hiking I'd done. Still, I made reasonably good time, and no one passed me. Reached the bottom of the hills and ran as best I could to the 4th aid station at the 10 mile mark... and the start of the last 5k loop.
My legs were definitely feeling it as I headed out across the road onto the 5k course... I had no juice left for running uphill, even though most of these weren't nearly as steep as those in the first part of the race. Had another unpleasant surprise, too - where the previous 5k course had meandered back and forth across the stream and generally headed uphill for the 1st half, the new course basically followed the stream up toward Old Adams Rd... emphasis on the up. I didn't think the climb would ever end! On the plus side, it's a beautiful spot, with the path going through a pine forest overlooking a rocky stream bed. Eventually I reached the top of the hill (or at least, the highest point on the course) and then had a long mostly downhill run back to the road and the Glen. Had a brief scary moment when three dirt-bikers roared by (wish I'd known at the time that those trails are off-limits to ORVs, I'd have snapped a photo of the last guy's license plate and sent it to the Massachusetts DEC) but mostly it was just a matter of enduring tyring to run on my somewhat thrashed legs. Came out in the Glen and managed a decent run to the finish, with lots of folks clapping and cheering... crossed the finish at 3:19:52, roughly an hour faster than last year. (Some of that is because I'm in better shape this year, but a lot of it was the modified course... the hiking sections were split up more, giving my legs a break, and there were a lot more parts of this course that I could run without worrying that I'd blow out a knee.)
After that it was time to snag a quick bite to eat, chat briefly with a few folks, and change out of my soaking wet clothes. While I was doing the latter, two older folks on mountain bikes returned from their ride, and we had a nice chat about riding (they saw my bike racked on the back of the car), the Greylock trails and what a mess the ATVs have made of so many of the parks in the Berkshires.
And then it was time to head south for the trailhead to the rail trail so I could torture my legs further with some riding!
Despite my cranky mood when I got up, I'm glad I ran today. It went better than I expected it to, and it was a nice day to be out in the woods. I finished this one tired and sore, but I don't think Greylock kicked my butt, as it has the last two times I was here!
Next up - one of my favorite races, the Summer Solstice 14k at Minnewaska State Park, one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I can think of no better way to celebrate the solstice than by running along the cliffs and through the blooming mountain laurel at Minnewaska!
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 112.4 mi, 28 hr 06 min
Cycling 26.2 mi, 1 hr 55 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, VT
Greylock Trail Half Marathon
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Greylock Trail Races info
2007 Greylock Trail Races results
2007 Greylock Half Marathon photo slideshow
I have to admit, my attitude wasn't the best when I crawled out of bed this morning... seems my new neighbors upstairs decided to have another drinking party, so I didn't get nearly as much sleep as I would have liked. I briefly considered skipping the race today, but then decided I'd be really aggravated with myself later on if I did... and it's not like it's the first time I went off to do a race on little sleep!
Drive over was uneventful, I find it amusing that at this point I've been to Greylock Glen enough times that I no longer need directions to get there. Parked in almost exactly the same spot as last year, about a quarter mile from the gazebo in the Glen where the race is staged out of. Checked in, then headed back to the car to gear up, taking care to get all my gear together since I didn't feel like making any more trips back and forth. While I was waiting for the race to begin, I checked out the modified course. (The roads to the summit of Greylock are being torn up and resurfaced over the next two years, so the old course, which took us to the summit and then looped around the mountain back to the Glen, had to be modified - there was no feasible way to get aid stations set up.) Looked like a 10 mile out-and-back in one direction, and then the 5k course in the other. Of particular interest were the notes on the course map that read "STEEP HILL"...
After a bit of a wait, we found out that the two races would be starting at separate times (hurray! not as much of a traffic jam at the singletrack out of the Glen!) and that the race was indeed an out-and-back for the first 10 miles, with water stops approximately every 2.5 miles. And then, after a few well-deserved thank you's to folks who had helped with the course marking and aid stations - off we went!
As usual, we had a massive traffic jam at the single track out of the Glen, but that passed fairly quickly because we headed off on a wider path than the usual one up the mountain - in fact, it was the same path we ran on during the snowshoe race back in January! (A harbinger of things to come...) Rolling terrain, a bit of mud, but fairly easy running to start out... then after about half a mile, we headed up the mountain. Up and up and up, it seemed, following steep singletrack along the edge of a ravine with a stream running down it. We had a short break from climbing (ie. something I could actually run rather than power-hike) but then the climb resumed on the Bellows Pipe trail, a wide, rocky, steep biking path. There were several of us marching up the hill, including Rich Busa in a bright orange Nipmuck T-shirt (it was easy to keep him in sight!) At about 2.5 miles we hit a self-serve water stop, and shortly after that we hit the highest point on the trail and started a long downhill run through some beautiful forest... some of the trail was very runnable, other sections were wet and slippery - at one point both my feet slid out from under me and fortunately landed in a spot where I had traction, or I would have probably ended up smacking the back of my head on the rocks.
As I ran down the path toward the turnaround, first individual runners passed me heading back (the front of the pack) and then larger and larger groups went by. Made it into the turnaround at about an hour and a quarter (not bad for five miles with about 2 miles of uphill hiking) where I refilled my water bottles, chatted briefly with the nice ladies manning the aid station, and then hustled back out for the 2.5 mile uphill hike back the way I'd come.
The hike back up the hill wasn't as bad as I expected - I kept a pretty good pace and was feeling fairly strong when I made it to the top of the hill. The run down the other side was tough... some parts were steep, some parts were rocky, and the non-stop downhill really beat up my quads, especially after all the uphill hiking I'd done. Still, I made reasonably good time, and no one passed me. Reached the bottom of the hills and ran as best I could to the 4th aid station at the 10 mile mark... and the start of the last 5k loop.
My legs were definitely feeling it as I headed out across the road onto the 5k course... I had no juice left for running uphill, even though most of these weren't nearly as steep as those in the first part of the race. Had another unpleasant surprise, too - where the previous 5k course had meandered back and forth across the stream and generally headed uphill for the 1st half, the new course basically followed the stream up toward Old Adams Rd... emphasis on the up. I didn't think the climb would ever end! On the plus side, it's a beautiful spot, with the path going through a pine forest overlooking a rocky stream bed. Eventually I reached the top of the hill (or at least, the highest point on the course) and then had a long mostly downhill run back to the road and the Glen. Had a brief scary moment when three dirt-bikers roared by (wish I'd known at the time that those trails are off-limits to ORVs, I'd have snapped a photo of the last guy's license plate and sent it to the Massachusetts DEC) but mostly it was just a matter of enduring tyring to run on my somewhat thrashed legs. Came out in the Glen and managed a decent run to the finish, with lots of folks clapping and cheering... crossed the finish at 3:19:52, roughly an hour faster than last year. (Some of that is because I'm in better shape this year, but a lot of it was the modified course... the hiking sections were split up more, giving my legs a break, and there were a lot more parts of this course that I could run without worrying that I'd blow out a knee.)
After that it was time to snag a quick bite to eat, chat briefly with a few folks, and change out of my soaking wet clothes. While I was doing the latter, two older folks on mountain bikes returned from their ride, and we had a nice chat about riding (they saw my bike racked on the back of the car), the Greylock trails and what a mess the ATVs have made of so many of the parks in the Berkshires.
And then it was time to head south for the trailhead to the rail trail so I could torture my legs further with some riding!
Despite my cranky mood when I got up, I'm glad I ran today. It went better than I expected it to, and it was a nice day to be out in the woods. I finished this one tired and sore, but I don't think Greylock kicked my butt, as it has the last two times I was here!
Next up - one of my favorite races, the Summer Solstice 14k at Minnewaska State Park, one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I can think of no better way to celebrate the solstice than by running along the cliffs and through the blooming mountain laurel at Minnewaska!
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 112.4 mi, 28 hr 06 min
Cycling 26.2 mi, 1 hr 55 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, VT
Saturday, June 16, 2007
12 Mile Ride in the Corning Preserve & Schulyer Flatts
Saturday, June 16, 2007
A bit warmer today, and with Greylock looming over me tomorrow I didn't want to do anything too strenuous... but I just couldn't stay indoors. So I headed down to the river and had a relatively easy ride through the Corning Preserve and Schuyler Flatts. Surprisingly, there were not too many people out... though the waterfront park nearby was jammed with folks picnicing, and it looked like they were setting up for a concert in the ampitheater at the Hudson Riverway Bridge.
Passed a fellow in a wheelchair at one point, and that got me thinking... my hip may ache, my knees may twinge and occasionally pop out, and my calf may be sore... but I was able to spend an hour on a pleasant June evening riding my bike... and tomorrow I get to run through the woods and maybe ride my bike along a bike path in western Massachusetts. I've got it awfully darn good.
JMH
Saturday, June 16, 2007
A bit warmer today, and with Greylock looming over me tomorrow I didn't want to do anything too strenuous... but I just couldn't stay indoors. So I headed down to the river and had a relatively easy ride through the Corning Preserve and Schuyler Flatts. Surprisingly, there were not too many people out... though the waterfront park nearby was jammed with folks picnicing, and it looked like they were setting up for a concert in the ampitheater at the Hudson Riverway Bridge.
Passed a fellow in a wheelchair at one point, and that got me thinking... my hip may ache, my knees may twinge and occasionally pop out, and my calf may be sore... but I was able to spend an hour on a pleasant June evening riding my bike... and tomorrow I get to run through the woods and maybe ride my bike along a bike path in western Massachusetts. I've got it awfully darn good.
JMH
Friday, June 15, 2007
Iaido Class
Friday, June 15, 2007
After the usual opening segments (stretching, etc) we split into two groups - one group that GMC was evaluating for advancing to the next student category, and a larger group that practiced three Muto Dori techniques for much of the class. It was good to get a chance to work on those techniques for a longer period of time, though two included takedowns that left my hip sore (falling onto an unpadded concrete floor will do that!) It also would have been nice to spend more time practicing and less time watching (essentially, we had room on the floor for four people at a time to practice.)
No more iaido until September... hopefully I will find some time to practice the katas this summer. Maybe I can work with Ann and Jim during some of my time in Rochester...
JMH
Friday, June 15, 2007
After the usual opening segments (stretching, etc) we split into two groups - one group that GMC was evaluating for advancing to the next student category, and a larger group that practiced three Muto Dori techniques for much of the class. It was good to get a chance to work on those techniques for a longer period of time, though two included takedowns that left my hip sore (falling onto an unpadded concrete floor will do that!) It also would have been nice to spend more time practicing and less time watching (essentially, we had room on the floor for four people at a time to practice.)
No more iaido until September... hopefully I will find some time to practice the katas this summer. Maybe I can work with Ann and Jim during some of my time in Rochester...
JMH
28.4 Mile Ride Along the Mohawk-Hudson Bike Path
Friday, June 15, 2007
Cohoes to Rotterdam Junction bike path map (1.9 MB PDF)
What a great day for a ride! Not too hot, not too humid... definitely a good time to test out my once-again repaired rear wheel. So I took the bike over to the Niskayuna Lions Park for a ride on the bike path. (Since I'd just fixed the wheel, I didn't want to go out on the road, in case it suddenly self-destructed...)
Started out heading east into Colonie to the Colonie Town Park. Originally I thought I'd turn around here, but the path is pleasantly shady along much of this section down into Cohoes, so instead I went all the way to the end and then climbed the long gradual hill back up into Colonie to return to Niskayuna. Passed a number of riders, almost all older folk (no great surprise, given that it was mid-afternoon.) Not much in the way of wildlife... lots of birds, obviously, and a few chipmunks. After a brief rest stop at the Lions Park, I headed west toward Lock 7 and the Hill (site of last year's Crash.) I was feeling energetic, so I trucked up the Hill and rode past KAPL and over towards GE R&D. Guess I wasn't feeling that energetic, because I stopped before reaching the top of the final hill (the entrance to GE) and headed back instead... needless to say, I was very careful riding down the hills...!
The ride back was a little more interesting, critter-wise. Passed a painted turtle commuting across the bike path, and stopped to look at a big ol' snapping turtle drifting in the sunshine near the bridge across the path. And as I pulled into the Lions Park at the end of the ride, there was a heron out among the weeds in the river.
All in all, this was a good ride - great weather, my spokes held up for the whole distance, and I rode my longest ride yet this year!
JMH
Friday, June 15, 2007
Cohoes to Rotterdam Junction bike path map (1.9 MB PDF)
What a great day for a ride! Not too hot, not too humid... definitely a good time to test out my once-again repaired rear wheel. So I took the bike over to the Niskayuna Lions Park for a ride on the bike path. (Since I'd just fixed the wheel, I didn't want to go out on the road, in case it suddenly self-destructed...)
Started out heading east into Colonie to the Colonie Town Park. Originally I thought I'd turn around here, but the path is pleasantly shady along much of this section down into Cohoes, so instead I went all the way to the end and then climbed the long gradual hill back up into Colonie to return to Niskayuna. Passed a number of riders, almost all older folk (no great surprise, given that it was mid-afternoon.) Not much in the way of wildlife... lots of birds, obviously, and a few chipmunks. After a brief rest stop at the Lions Park, I headed west toward Lock 7 and the Hill (site of last year's Crash.) I was feeling energetic, so I trucked up the Hill and rode past KAPL and over towards GE R&D. Guess I wasn't feeling that energetic, because I stopped before reaching the top of the final hill (the entrance to GE) and headed back instead... needless to say, I was very careful riding down the hills...!
The ride back was a little more interesting, critter-wise. Passed a painted turtle commuting across the bike path, and stopped to look at a big ol' snapping turtle drifting in the sunshine near the bridge across the path. And as I pulled into the Lions Park at the end of the ride, there was a heron out among the weeds in the river.
All in all, this was a good ride - great weather, my spokes held up for the whole distance, and I rode my longest ride yet this year!
JMH
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
TIRED LEGS
8 Mile Run in the Pine Bush
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
I haven't been running over in the Karner Barrens since April, when I ran through them on several occasions on my way to classes. They're not too rough... a few small hills, but nothing too bad - so before classes last night I ran most of the trails over there, as well as two connector trails over toward the Fox Run Estates and Old State Rd.
Along the way, I startled a deer, a turkey (twice!), and several rabbits. That's me, the scourge of wildlife everywhere.
The most noticeable thing about the run is how tired my legs were, despite my not having done much of anything since Saturday's race and riding. Guess Nipmuck is still with me... should make for an interesting time at Greylock this Sunday.
JMH
8 Mile Run in the Pine Bush
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
I haven't been running over in the Karner Barrens since April, when I ran through them on several occasions on my way to classes. They're not too rough... a few small hills, but nothing too bad - so before classes last night I ran most of the trails over there, as well as two connector trails over toward the Fox Run Estates and Old State Rd.
Along the way, I startled a deer, a turkey (twice!), and several rabbits. That's me, the scourge of wildlife everywhere.
The most noticeable thing about the run is how tired my legs were, despite my not having done much of anything since Saturday's race and riding. Guess Nipmuck is still with me... should make for an interesting time at Greylock this Sunday.
JMH
"One recent morning, while running, I had a vision of a bear careening slo-mo through Yellowstone on a National Geopgraphic TV special. Bears are big, but they sure can move. Everyone knows a gazelle is built for running -- and yet you wouldn't want that bear chasing you, would you? Then I remembered that the Colorado Department of Wildlife allocates one hundred square miles for each of our state's brown bears. Any less than that, and you end up with 'nuisance' bears who eat garbage and start fights. I related to this implicitly. If I am prevented from crashing through the underbrush, I too eat garbage and snarl a lot."
-- Robin Chotzinoff, People Who Sweat
-- Robin Chotzinoff, People Who Sweat
Sunday, June 10, 2007
A VERY SHORT RIDE
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Headed over to the bike path along the Genesee River for what I thought would be a pleasant ride on a Sunday evening... and 1/4 of a mile down the path snapped a spoke. So it was back to the car with a lot of grumbling.
Spent a chunk of the evening changing the oil on the Civic instead... while I definitely appreciate the gas mileage and reliability of the new car, this is another area where I miss my old Subaru. I could do an oil change in under half an hour... didn't need to raise the car, and everything was easily accessible. The Civic is too low for me to get under it without jacking the car up, and the oil filter is mounted on the back of the engine, necessitating some interesting contortions to remove it and install the new one. No doubt I'll get more efficient as I get used to it, and hopefully I will be able to do future oil changes without making the huge mess I made this time.
JMH
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Headed over to the bike path along the Genesee River for what I thought would be a pleasant ride on a Sunday evening... and 1/4 of a mile down the path snapped a spoke. So it was back to the car with a lot of grumbling.
Spent a chunk of the evening changing the oil on the Civic instead... while I definitely appreciate the gas mileage and reliability of the new car, this is another area where I miss my old Subaru. I could do an oil change in under half an hour... didn't need to raise the car, and everything was easily accessible. The Civic is too low for me to get under it without jacking the car up, and the oil filter is mounted on the back of the engine, necessitating some interesting contortions to remove it and install the new one. No doubt I'll get more efficient as I get used to it, and hopefully I will be able to do future oil changes without making the huge mess I made this time.
JMH
Saturday, June 09, 2007
A VISIT TO THE ALABAMA SWAMPS
1.3 Mile Walk at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
6.5 Mile Ride at the Oak Orchard State Wildlife Management Area
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge official site
Oak Orchard State Wildlife Management Area official site
photo slideshow
The Alabama Swamp area of western NY covers approximately 19000 acres and is split up into three refuges/preserves - the Tonawanda and Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Areas, both overseen by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, and separated by the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, which is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The wetlands are the remnant of the massive Tonawanda Lake which covered much of western NY at the end of the last glacial period. The Seneca Indians cleared and drained some of the swamp for farming, and settlers in the 1800's extended that practice, to the point that by the 1930's a noticable decline in wildlife was evident to the local residents. In the decades that followed plans were put into place to restore and protect these valuable wetlands. (More info can be found at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge site.)
1.3 Mile Walk at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
6.5 Mile Ride at the Oak Orchard State Wildlife Management Area
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge official site
Oak Orchard State Wildlife Management Area official site
photo slideshow
The Alabama Swamp area of western NY covers approximately 19000 acres and is split up into three refuges/preserves - the Tonawanda and Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Areas, both overseen by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, and separated by the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, which is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The wetlands are the remnant of the massive Tonawanda Lake which covered much of western NY at the end of the last glacial period. The Seneca Indians cleared and drained some of the swamp for farming, and settlers in the 1800's extended that practice, to the point that by the 1930's a noticable decline in wildlife was evident to the local residents. In the decades that followed plans were put into place to restore and protect these valuable wetlands. (More info can be found at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge site.)
Ann and I headed over to the swamps after lunch, hoping to do a little riding and see some wildlife. We parked at the Swallow Hollow area, on the eastern edge of Iroquois, and started out walking the 1.3 mile loop along several boardwalks, the top of a dike, and a path through both a pine forest and a hardwood forest. We didn't actually see much wildlife, beyond several butterflies and a heron, though we did see ample evidence of turtles having laid eggs along the edge of the dike (including several spots where another animal had enjoyed a nice meal of turtle eggs!) The path did give us some nice views of a large pond, and was fairly peaceful even with the other folks we met out walking.
After that we unloaded our ATB's and headed down the road and into Oak Orchard on a DEC access road (ie. gravel and grass doubletrack.) It became clear early on that this would be fairly different from our walk, both in terms of wildlife (the terrain was much more open) and in terms of heat and sun (no tree cover, so it was very hot!) We rode out and back, and along the way spotted three painted turtles crossing the path, apparently making a commute between bodies of water. Oddly enough, I didn't see any turtles sunning themselves on the logs.
Swallows were constantly zooming overhead - I saw some incredible aerial displays on the part of these little guys! I lost count of the number of herons we saw... it seemed like every few minutes another one would be flying off, and periodically we heard them squawking, though it wasn't clear if they were upset with us or with other herons. I was a bit surprised we didn't see more geese, though there were plenty of droppings along the path. At one point I spotted what I thought was a group of ducklings, but after watching them submerge themselves and come up some distance away, I decided I had no clue what kind of waterbird they were!
Near the point where we turned around, we stopped to look at some big fish (10-12" long) swimming in a dammed-up pool at the mouth of a culvert under the road, and were very surprised to see one of the largest of the group repeatedly popping his head up over the edge of the dam. Ann decided to try to get a picture of him doing this, and while she was doing so he came up and pushed himself completely over the dam! Don't know that much about fish, but some of the research I've done in several of my books and on-line suggests that he was a carp (I had previously thought that all carp looked like big goldfish, but found out I was wrong.) We also listened to some incredibly loud frog choruses when we stopped for some sips of water.
Despite the short length of the ride (only 6.5 miles over fairly level ground) I was definitely feeling the effect of being out in the sun non-stop by the time we returned to the parking area, so we abandoned our earlier plans to possibly ride the old road through Iroquois or visit the Oak Orchard Creek waterfall in favor of finding someplace to buy some cold drinks. But not before a quick stop just out of the parking area to scoot a turtle the rest of the way across the road... given the speed at which I saw cars travelling down that road, I suspect he would have been a goner left to his own devices.
At some point I hope to go back with binoculars to better see the birds, but probably not in the middle of summer... a cool or cloudy day seems like it would be best, given that it wasn't terribly hot and humid today and the sun was still pretty brutal.
JMH
LONG DISTANCE 2007, Race #8
Yellowjacket Powerbar 4.5 Mile Trail Race
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Yellowjacket Powerbar Trail Race info
2007 Yellowjacket Powerbar 4.5 Mi results
2007 Powerbar race photo slideshow
After a couple of days of little sleep and lots of work, I was seriously questioning my sanity as I crawled out of bed this morning to get ready for the race. But then I realized there's no question about my sanity (I'm nuts) and that took care of it.
Great day for a race... the morning started out sunny and cool (though it seemed to warm up quickly once I was running!) The beach lot at Mendon was packed, in part due to record turnout for the race (over 200 runners!) and in part because the AMC Outdoor Expo is held at the same time in the same area. Managed to get one of the last parking spaces in the lot... of course, it could have been worse - when we left, there were cars parked along the road for a quarter of a mile in either direction.
Ran into Jim Fryer on the way to registration, along with a friend of his (Ryan, I think) who ran Leatherman's Loop back in April and apparently had a really good time. Jim was excited to be running today and was also excited that I'd be running, as well. After getting my number and timing chip, I hustled back to the car to change and then we had a fairly short wait for the fun to begin.
Boots had his usual words of wisdom about being safe on the course and at the road crossings, and about aiming for the big tree halfway down the really big hill to lose some momentum. He also mentioned the option for 9 milers to drop down to 4.5 at the halfway point (apparently they had one year where half the runners on the long course did that!) and for 4.5 milers to move up to 9 at the halfway mark (only one person has ever done that... I hope to be the 2nd, someday!) Then, with a very familiar honk of an air horn - it was time to run!
We started out running across a field, but after about a quarter of a mile hit the first singletrack and everything ground almost to a halt as the train formed up for running on grassy single and doubletrack for a mile or so. Gradually the group spread out a bit, especially once we hit some of the wider trails, but there were enough people and this was a short enough race that there were always runners right nearby. Early on I ran most of the hills and even managed to pass a few folks. I was also surprised to see that Ryan and Jim were about 20 feet ahead of me and running at what looked like a pretty easy clip (for them... I was working to keep them in sight.) About halfway through we came to a self-serve water stop, and they stopped to get a drink, so I thought I might catch them... but then they disappeared down the trail, and the major hills kicked in, and that was that.
Having run that section of Mendon several times since last year, I now realize that very few of the trails we were on were actual "official" Mendon trails (ie. the ones we used for the snowshoe race in January and the trail race in November.) I'd guess that about half was on the regular trails, with the other half on somewhat gnarly singletrack and game trails... fortunately, I had a fairly good idea of what to expect, and so I knew to start walking when the long, steep hills kicked in. Made it through about 2/3 of the race before feeling like I might throw up (an improvement over last year) but managed to maintain a pretty steady pace right through to the end, even up and down the last couple of nasty, short, steep hills. Ran as fast as I could across the field to the finish, managing to pass one person ahead of me but not the other, and finished in 54:00... a little over a minute faster than last year, and a good pace, considering the terrain, lack of sleep, and the fact that technically I'm still recovering from Nipmuck last weekend.
All in all, I'm glad I ran today... my legs didn't give me any trouble (hip included!) and I was able to give a good effort and had a good run. After the race I found Ann (she'd been wandering around the Expo collecting literature) and we headed home to have some lunch and get ready to head west to the Alabama swamps.
Jim Fryer had a great day, and ran his first trail race and 9 miler in 90 minutes - a phenomenal pace, in my opinion, especially considering he ran the first loop in 50-51 minutes! We didn't get to see him finish, but he's said since then that he had a blast... perhaps we have another trail runner in the making...
Next up: GREYLOCK. 13-14 Miles. No hike up the mountain this time (2400' elevation gain in 3.5 miles) because the roads to the summit are closed for the next two years due to road reconstruction. But the description says to expect " trails offering running worthy of the mountain" (in other words - hills!)
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 99.3 mi, 24 hr 46 min
Cycling 26.2 mi, 1 hr 55 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, VT
Yellowjacket Powerbar 4.5 Mile Trail Race
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Yellowjacket Powerbar Trail Race info
2007 Yellowjacket Powerbar 4.5 Mi results
2007 Powerbar race photo slideshow
After a couple of days of little sleep and lots of work, I was seriously questioning my sanity as I crawled out of bed this morning to get ready for the race. But then I realized there's no question about my sanity (I'm nuts) and that took care of it.
Great day for a race... the morning started out sunny and cool (though it seemed to warm up quickly once I was running!) The beach lot at Mendon was packed, in part due to record turnout for the race (over 200 runners!) and in part because the AMC Outdoor Expo is held at the same time in the same area. Managed to get one of the last parking spaces in the lot... of course, it could have been worse - when we left, there were cars parked along the road for a quarter of a mile in either direction.
Ran into Jim Fryer on the way to registration, along with a friend of his (Ryan, I think) who ran Leatherman's Loop back in April and apparently had a really good time. Jim was excited to be running today and was also excited that I'd be running, as well. After getting my number and timing chip, I hustled back to the car to change and then we had a fairly short wait for the fun to begin.
Boots had his usual words of wisdom about being safe on the course and at the road crossings, and about aiming for the big tree halfway down the really big hill to lose some momentum. He also mentioned the option for 9 milers to drop down to 4.5 at the halfway point (apparently they had one year where half the runners on the long course did that!) and for 4.5 milers to move up to 9 at the halfway mark (only one person has ever done that... I hope to be the 2nd, someday!) Then, with a very familiar honk of an air horn - it was time to run!
We started out running across a field, but after about a quarter of a mile hit the first singletrack and everything ground almost to a halt as the train formed up for running on grassy single and doubletrack for a mile or so. Gradually the group spread out a bit, especially once we hit some of the wider trails, but there were enough people and this was a short enough race that there were always runners right nearby. Early on I ran most of the hills and even managed to pass a few folks. I was also surprised to see that Ryan and Jim were about 20 feet ahead of me and running at what looked like a pretty easy clip (for them... I was working to keep them in sight.) About halfway through we came to a self-serve water stop, and they stopped to get a drink, so I thought I might catch them... but then they disappeared down the trail, and the major hills kicked in, and that was that.
Having run that section of Mendon several times since last year, I now realize that very few of the trails we were on were actual "official" Mendon trails (ie. the ones we used for the snowshoe race in January and the trail race in November.) I'd guess that about half was on the regular trails, with the other half on somewhat gnarly singletrack and game trails... fortunately, I had a fairly good idea of what to expect, and so I knew to start walking when the long, steep hills kicked in. Made it through about 2/3 of the race before feeling like I might throw up (an improvement over last year) but managed to maintain a pretty steady pace right through to the end, even up and down the last couple of nasty, short, steep hills. Ran as fast as I could across the field to the finish, managing to pass one person ahead of me but not the other, and finished in 54:00... a little over a minute faster than last year, and a good pace, considering the terrain, lack of sleep, and the fact that technically I'm still recovering from Nipmuck last weekend.
All in all, I'm glad I ran today... my legs didn't give me any trouble (hip included!) and I was able to give a good effort and had a good run. After the race I found Ann (she'd been wandering around the Expo collecting literature) and we headed home to have some lunch and get ready to head west to the Alabama swamps.
Jim Fryer had a great day, and ran his first trail race and 9 miler in 90 minutes - a phenomenal pace, in my opinion, especially considering he ran the first loop in 50-51 minutes! We didn't get to see him finish, but he's said since then that he had a blast... perhaps we have another trail runner in the making...
Next up: GREYLOCK. 13-14 Miles. No hike up the mountain this time (2400' elevation gain in 3.5 miles) because the roads to the summit are closed for the next two years due to road reconstruction. But the description says to expect " trails offering running worthy of the mountain" (in other words - hills!)
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 99.3 mi, 24 hr 46 min
Cycling 26.2 mi, 1 hr 55 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, VT
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