14.2 Mile Ride Along the Mohawk-Hudson Bike Path
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Another gorgeous fall day today, though it was getting dark by the time I got to the Niskayuna Lions Park and started pedaling west. I was feeling ambitious, so I climbed the hills almost all the way to GE R&D... on the way back it was time to hit the lights.
I guess I'm getting better at judging clothing, because today I was mostly warm enough, between tights, a fleece vest and windbreaker, and thin gloves under my riding gloves... toward the latter parts of the ride I was thinking one of my earbands would have been nice, but it really wasn't a big deal.
When I got back to the parking lot, I found it full of activity... apparently a group had been kayaking on the river and was packing their boats on their vehicles. Lots of headlamps... definitely a busy crew. And they reminded me that I want to take up kayaking in my ample free time!
JMH
Sunday, October 28, 2007
"TO ULTRA (attempt) or NOT TO ULTRA (attempt) ?"
...And the Verdict Is...
Sunday, October 28, 2007
... a no-brainer - I've run three races of half marathon length or more in the past three weekends, and had a difficult time with all three... if I attempted the Mendon 50k, I would most likely make it to 30k and be done, well-done, downright black and crispy. I haven't the slightest prayer of making it the entire 50k, unless I'm willing to walk the last 12 miles or so... and that's not fair to the race volunteers, and it's not how I want to do a 50k.
So yesterday I sent in my Mendon trail runs app for the 20k race. And during the 2nd half of Hairy Gorilla today, I was kind of thinking I should have chosen the 10k!
By the way, seven folks registered their opinions on the sidebar poll I ran for two weeks. 5 voted for the 20k, 2 for go long and see when I crash and burn, and no one for my other options (I was kind of hoping my readers would convince me to stay home and relax that day!) Which just goes to show that 28.6% of you are crazier than I am, and 61.4% of you are smarter than I am (you figured out the smart thing to do fairly quickly, I had to run three tough races to get it through my thick skull.) Of course, you may all be smarter than I am (or not... no one voted for stay home and relax) and we're probably all equally crazy... after all, I'm writing this when I should be doing something productive, and you're reading it when you could be doing something interesting!
JMH
...And the Verdict Is...
Sunday, October 28, 2007
... a no-brainer - I've run three races of half marathon length or more in the past three weekends, and had a difficult time with all three... if I attempted the Mendon 50k, I would most likely make it to 30k and be done, well-done, downright black and crispy. I haven't the slightest prayer of making it the entire 50k, unless I'm willing to walk the last 12 miles or so... and that's not fair to the race volunteers, and it's not how I want to do a 50k.
So yesterday I sent in my Mendon trail runs app for the 20k race. And during the 2nd half of Hairy Gorilla today, I was kind of thinking I should have chosen the 10k!
By the way, seven folks registered their opinions on the sidebar poll I ran for two weeks. 5 voted for the 20k, 2 for go long and see when I crash and burn, and no one for my other options (I was kind of hoping my readers would convince me to stay home and relax that day!) Which just goes to show that 28.6% of you are crazier than I am, and 61.4% of you are smarter than I am (you figured out the smart thing to do fairly quickly, I had to run three tough races to get it through my thick skull.) Of course, you may all be smarter than I am (or not... no one voted for stay home and relax) and we're probably all equally crazy... after all, I'm writing this when I should be doing something productive, and you're reading it when you could be doing something interesting!
JMH
A Short Hike on the Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park
Sunday, October 28, 2007
As I staggered back to the car to change into dry clothes and enjoy some much-needed Diet Coke carbonated goodness, I found myself thinking about what a beautiful day it was, and how I hadn't been to Roemer's High Point on the Long Path this year. Fortunately, by the time I had slowly staggered back up to race HQ, I convinced myself that non-stop uphill for 1-2 miles, followed by non-stop downhill, was a really dumb idea.
click for a larger view
So I walked the Indian Ladder Trail instead. It was simply too nice a day to spend the rest of the afternoon indoors...
There were quite a few other folks on the trail, but that's to be expected on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Mine Lot Falls had a nice flow of water, but Outlet Falls was dry... still, I always enjoy walking along the base of the cliffs, and the views can't be beat! The only thing that would have made it even better would have been if Ann could be there to share the walk (though, since we've walked that trail three or four times, I think she gets a little bit bored with it fairly quickly.)
A pleasant wrap-up to today's trip to Thacher... I'll have to get up to Roemer's High Point some other time before the end of the year!
JMH
Sunday, October 28, 2007
As I staggered back to the car to change into dry clothes and enjoy some much-needed Diet Coke carbonated goodness, I found myself thinking about what a beautiful day it was, and how I hadn't been to Roemer's High Point on the Long Path this year. Fortunately, by the time I had slowly staggered back up to race HQ, I convinced myself that non-stop uphill for 1-2 miles, followed by non-stop downhill, was a really dumb idea.
click for a larger view
So I walked the Indian Ladder Trail instead. It was simply too nice a day to spend the rest of the afternoon indoors...
There were quite a few other folks on the trail, but that's to be expected on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Mine Lot Falls had a nice flow of water, but Outlet Falls was dry... still, I always enjoy walking along the base of the cliffs, and the views can't be beat! The only thing that would have made it even better would have been if Ann could be there to share the walk (though, since we've walked that trail three or four times, I think she gets a little bit bored with it fairly quickly.)
A pleasant wrap-up to today's trip to Thacher... I'll have to get up to Roemer's High Point some other time before the end of the year!
JMH
LONG DISTANCE 2007, Race #25
Hairy Gorilla Trail Half Marathon
Sunday, October 28, 2007
It's funny, after not being sure I wanted to run this race in 2005 (due to the course being moved from the Pine Bush to Thacher Park, where I'd run the Indian Ladder trail race many times) and then running it at the last minute in 2006 (after being out of commission for much of the fall due to the Crash of August 2006) - I found myself looking forward to doing it again in 2007. Perhaps part of that came from the fact that I convinced Jim and Loretta, two of my running and martial arts friends from Rochester, to do the race this year (Jim has family in the area.) Or maybe I was just looking forward to finishing faster (hopefully) than last year.
The drive over was an unexpected challenge, between the last-minute stop to buy my bananas (anyone running the hal marathon needed to bring a banana with them) and trying to successfully navigate the new traffic rotaries that have been constructed in Bethlehem... I knew where I was going and still wasn't sure I was making the correct turns to get out of those things! But in the end I found myself once again at the Haile's Cave picnic area at Thacher, with the ARE's customary loud music and costumed volunteers all around.
One change for this year - we didn't have buckets of rain during the week leading up to the race, so I wasn't expecting the course to be a swamp (though with all the rain yesterday afternoon, I did expect some damp spots.) Checked in, waffled back and forth about what to where, met up with the dynamic duo from Rochester (who were very excited to be running today) and then we all gathered together at the start, for a few words from RD Josh. And then - off we went!
The first stretch runs through the woods behind the picnic area, and given that the past two years that trail was underwater - it was a real surprise to find it essentially dry. Both the half marathon and the 6 miler go off at the same time, so it was pretty crowded... this is a race where I can expect to have company on the trail for the first half, but fortunately the trails are pretty wide after the initial bit through the woods. After a brief bit of the escarpment trail, we headed up hill on the trails above the Paint Mine area... lots of climbing, but nothing too awful. Along here I passed Rich Busa, which is always something of a surprise - even at 77, Rich typically kicks my backside, because he's a phenomonal runner with tons of trail experience.
After a long downhill, we headed back along the escarpment and then retraced our initial path through the woods, coming out on the ballfield behind the picnic area. At that point I bid the 6 milers farewell, and headed off into the 2nd half of the race - 7 miles of more technical trails and tougher running.
more to come...
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 277.9 mi, 64 hr 57 min
Cycling 72.2 mi, 5 hr 15 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
Hairy Gorilla Trail Half Marathon
Sunday, October 28, 2007
It's funny, after not being sure I wanted to run this race in 2005 (due to the course being moved from the Pine Bush to Thacher Park, where I'd run the Indian Ladder trail race many times) and then running it at the last minute in 2006 (after being out of commission for much of the fall due to the Crash of August 2006) - I found myself looking forward to doing it again in 2007. Perhaps part of that came from the fact that I convinced Jim and Loretta, two of my running and martial arts friends from Rochester, to do the race this year (Jim has family in the area.) Or maybe I was just looking forward to finishing faster (hopefully) than last year.
The drive over was an unexpected challenge, between the last-minute stop to buy my bananas (anyone running the hal marathon needed to bring a banana with them) and trying to successfully navigate the new traffic rotaries that have been constructed in Bethlehem... I knew where I was going and still wasn't sure I was making the correct turns to get out of those things! But in the end I found myself once again at the Haile's Cave picnic area at Thacher, with the ARE's customary loud music and costumed volunteers all around.
One change for this year - we didn't have buckets of rain during the week leading up to the race, so I wasn't expecting the course to be a swamp (though with all the rain yesterday afternoon, I did expect some damp spots.) Checked in, waffled back and forth about what to where, met up with the dynamic duo from Rochester (who were very excited to be running today) and then we all gathered together at the start, for a few words from RD Josh. And then - off we went!
The first stretch runs through the woods behind the picnic area, and given that the past two years that trail was underwater - it was a real surprise to find it essentially dry. Both the half marathon and the 6 miler go off at the same time, so it was pretty crowded... this is a race where I can expect to have company on the trail for the first half, but fortunately the trails are pretty wide after the initial bit through the woods. After a brief bit of the escarpment trail, we headed up hill on the trails above the Paint Mine area... lots of climbing, but nothing too awful. Along here I passed Rich Busa, which is always something of a surprise - even at 77, Rich typically kicks my backside, because he's a phenomonal runner with tons of trail experience.
After a long downhill, we headed back along the escarpment and then retraced our initial path through the woods, coming out on the ballfield behind the picnic area. At that point I bid the 6 milers farewell, and headed off into the 2nd half of the race - 7 miles of more technical trails and tougher running.
more to come...
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 277.9 mi, 64 hr 57 min
Cycling 72.2 mi, 5 hr 15 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
Saturday, October 27, 2007
A Short Hike at Mohawk River State Park
Saturday, October 27, 2007
After a morning of teaching karate classes while it rained hard enough to suggest building an ark or two, Ann and I headed over to the Pine Bush Discovery Center for a half hour or so of checking out the exhibits and learning a bit more about the Pine Bush. It was still raining cats, dogs, and various other small and medium-sized mammals when we came out, so we moved on to running a couple of errands - and were pleased to see that when we completed the last one the rain had stopped and the sun was actually peeking through the clouds!
After a quick stop to change into dry clothes, we headed over to the Mohawk River State Park (formerly the Schenectady Museum Nature Preserve) to check out some of the trails over there. I know that the local mountain bikers ride there frequently, and I'd heard some of the local runners go there occasionally too... but I'd never actually gotten out on the trails to explore.
We started at Lock 7, briefly checking out the views along the river before heading down the bike path to the western trailhead. After a brief uphill walk we came out by a stream which had swollen to a raging river from all the rainwater. We followed the stream until we reached the trailhead at the Niskayuna Wastewater Treatment Plant (and didn't that smell delightful...) then headed up to the top of the ridge overlooking the bike path. From there we followed the ridge east until we came to the power lines right-of-way. After a side trip to see a small waterfall formed by the raging stream, we headed back down to the bike path.
Since we still had a bit of daylight, I wanted to check out the eastern trailhead, so we walked down the bike path and then hiked up the trail to another power lines right-of-way. By that point we were losing the light, so we headed back down to the path and walked back over to Lock 7, again checking out the views up and down the river and watching the cormorants flying around.
What little I saw was definitely very nice, and also very runnable... a bit more rugged than a lot of the trails around here (ie the Pine Bush) but nothing too tough. I definitely want to get in there during daylight and explore the trails a bit more... and then maybe at some point I'll be comfortable running there at night with my headlamp.
Legs definitely felt a bit tired during the walking... guess they haven't fully recovered from last weekend yet. Of course, my work schedule and general lack of sleep during the past week probably hasn't helped... all of which makes me wonder just how things will go during the half marathon tomorrow. Guess I'll find out tomorrow morning!
JMH
Saturday, October 27, 2007
After a morning of teaching karate classes while it rained hard enough to suggest building an ark or two, Ann and I headed over to the Pine Bush Discovery Center for a half hour or so of checking out the exhibits and learning a bit more about the Pine Bush. It was still raining cats, dogs, and various other small and medium-sized mammals when we came out, so we moved on to running a couple of errands - and were pleased to see that when we completed the last one the rain had stopped and the sun was actually peeking through the clouds!
After a quick stop to change into dry clothes, we headed over to the Mohawk River State Park (formerly the Schenectady Museum Nature Preserve) to check out some of the trails over there. I know that the local mountain bikers ride there frequently, and I'd heard some of the local runners go there occasionally too... but I'd never actually gotten out on the trails to explore.
We started at Lock 7, briefly checking out the views along the river before heading down the bike path to the western trailhead. After a brief uphill walk we came out by a stream which had swollen to a raging river from all the rainwater. We followed the stream until we reached the trailhead at the Niskayuna Wastewater Treatment Plant (and didn't that smell delightful...) then headed up to the top of the ridge overlooking the bike path. From there we followed the ridge east until we came to the power lines right-of-way. After a side trip to see a small waterfall formed by the raging stream, we headed back down to the bike path.
Since we still had a bit of daylight, I wanted to check out the eastern trailhead, so we walked down the bike path and then hiked up the trail to another power lines right-of-way. By that point we were losing the light, so we headed back down to the path and walked back over to Lock 7, again checking out the views up and down the river and watching the cormorants flying around.
What little I saw was definitely very nice, and also very runnable... a bit more rugged than a lot of the trails around here (ie the Pine Bush) but nothing too tough. I definitely want to get in there during daylight and explore the trails a bit more... and then maybe at some point I'll be comfortable running there at night with my headlamp.
Legs definitely felt a bit tired during the walking... guess they haven't fully recovered from last weekend yet. Of course, my work schedule and general lack of sleep during the past week probably hasn't helped... all of which makes me wonder just how things will go during the half marathon tomorrow. Guess I'll find out tomorrow morning!
JMH
Thursday, October 25, 2007
11.9 Mile Ride at the Corning Preserve & Schuyler Flatts
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Another day where it was pleasantly warm when I walked to my car from work and downright chilly once I finally got out to ride. Saved a little time (possibly very little, given traffic through downtown Albany) by heading down to the Corning Preserve and then spent about an hour trying to beat the loss of daylight. (And I succeeded... I could still see the path when I got back to the car... but I'm glad I wasn't out there 15 minutes later...)
Saw the three deer again that were there almost two weeks ago, when I rode after the Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon... I actually stopped and stood there for about five minutes watching them eat. I guess I was quiet enough that I didn't startle them in the first place, though periodically they'd stare at me and I suspect try to figure out what I was. One meandered to within about 10 feet of me before deciding to head off in another direction. Pretty cool...
Don't know if I'll get out tomorrow evening... got lots to do before Ann gets here. But at least I know I'll be going for a run on Sunday...
JMH
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Another day where it was pleasantly warm when I walked to my car from work and downright chilly once I finally got out to ride. Saved a little time (possibly very little, given traffic through downtown Albany) by heading down to the Corning Preserve and then spent about an hour trying to beat the loss of daylight. (And I succeeded... I could still see the path when I got back to the car... but I'm glad I wasn't out there 15 minutes later...)
Saw the three deer again that were there almost two weeks ago, when I rode after the Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon... I actually stopped and stood there for about five minutes watching them eat. I guess I was quiet enough that I didn't startle them in the first place, though periodically they'd stare at me and I suspect try to figure out what I was. One meandered to within about 10 feet of me before deciding to head off in another direction. Pretty cool...
Don't know if I'll get out tomorrow evening... got lots to do before Ann gets here. But at least I know I'll be going for a run on Sunday...
JMH
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
7.3 Miles Along the Streets of Albany
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Needed to go for a run, but I was too buried with work to spend 40 minutes in the car driving to and from one of the local trailheads, so I hit the streets around here for a short run.
Legs are definitely still recovering from Sunday's suffer-fest. Lots of little aches and pains to go along with the general tiredness and heaviness.
On the plus side, I didn't need a light, even though it was dark when I left, and my trail running skills served me in good stead when it came to running over uneven sidewalks and pot-holed streets.
JMH
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Needed to go for a run, but I was too buried with work to spend 40 minutes in the car driving to and from one of the local trailheads, so I hit the streets around here for a short run.
Legs are definitely still recovering from Sunday's suffer-fest. Lots of little aches and pains to go along with the general tiredness and heaviness.
On the plus side, I didn't need a light, even though it was dark when I left, and my trail running skills served me in good stead when it came to running over uneven sidewalks and pot-holed streets.
JMH
Monday, October 22, 2007
16.1 Mile Ride on the Mohawk-Hudson Bike Path
Monday, October 22, 2007
I definitely make the right choice to take today off from work... by 8ish last night I was falling asleep, so the drive home would have been difficult at best.
Had a gorgeous day for the drive back to Albany - I was tempted to stop along the way and shoot some photos, but decided instead to come straight back and get out on my bike for an easy ride, to get some blood flowing in my battered legs. Ended up heading over to the bike path west of Schenectady, riding out of Lock 8.
It was a great afternoon for a ride... even when the sun started to get low on the horizon it didn't get too cold. My legs grumbled at anything even vaguely resembling a hill, so I'm glad I picked somewhere relatively flat to ride.
Now it's time to get some of that work done that I've been putting off since Saturday evening!
JMH
Monday, October 22, 2007
I definitely make the right choice to take today off from work... by 8ish last night I was falling asleep, so the drive home would have been difficult at best.
Had a gorgeous day for the drive back to Albany - I was tempted to stop along the way and shoot some photos, but decided instead to come straight back and get out on my bike for an easy ride, to get some blood flowing in my battered legs. Ended up heading over to the bike path west of Schenectady, riding out of Lock 8.
It was a great afternoon for a ride... even when the sun started to get low on the horizon it didn't get too cold. My legs grumbled at anything even vaguely resembling a hill, so I'm glad I picked somewhere relatively flat to ride.
Now it's time to get some of that work done that I've been putting off since Saturday evening!
JMH
Sunday, October 21, 2007
A Brief Visit to Kanakadea Recreation Area
Sunday, October 21, 2007
On the way down to Wellsville I passed an area in the dark that looked rather interesting... there was clearly some type of body of water (from the mist rising off it) and something that might have been a waterfall overlooking it. So on the way back I decided to stop, check it out, and give my legs a stretch.
It turned out to be Kanakadea Recreation Area, essentially a Steuben County park. It had a number of picnic sites, many of which were occupied on such a warm sunny afternoon, and a large lake with a viewing platform. The "waterfall" turned out to be a dam.
I walked around, very slowly, for a bit, enjoying the sunshine, the warm afternoon, and the brilliant colors of the autumn foliage, but clearly Kanakadea would be better enjoyed via a canoe or kayak (in fact, I saw some paddlers out on the lake as I was wandering around.) So after a bit I got back in the car and made the rest of the drive back to Rochester, arriving just in time to meet Ann coming back from her EMT conference in Syracuse.
JMH
Sunday, October 21, 2007
On the way down to Wellsville I passed an area in the dark that looked rather interesting... there was clearly some type of body of water (from the mist rising off it) and something that might have been a waterfall overlooking it. So on the way back I decided to stop, check it out, and give my legs a stretch.
It turned out to be Kanakadea Recreation Area, essentially a Steuben County park. It had a number of picnic sites, many of which were occupied on such a warm sunny afternoon, and a large lake with a viewing platform. The "waterfall" turned out to be a dam.
I walked around, very slowly, for a bit, enjoying the sunshine, the warm afternoon, and the brilliant colors of the autumn foliage, but clearly Kanakadea would be better enjoyed via a canoe or kayak (in fact, I saw some paddlers out on the lake as I was wandering around.) So after a bit I got back in the car and made the rest of the drive back to Rochester, arriving just in time to meet Ann coming back from her EMT conference in Syracuse.
JMH
LONG DISTANCE 2007, Race #24
Ridgewalk & Run 14 Mile Trail Race
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Ridgewalk & Run info
2007 Ridgewalk 14 mi trail race results
photo slideshow
The short version:
That was easily in my top ten toughest events ever. I'd say toughest event this year, but it has stiff competition from the Nipmuck Trail Marathon back in June.
I finished in just under 4 hours (about 20 seconds under) thanks to a final sprint to the finish. Right now my legs feel worse than they did after running the Adirondack Marathon five weeks ago.
But oh what a beautiful place to suffer...!
The not-so-short version:
Set off once again in the dark, heading down I-390. Not much traffic at 4:30 AM, which is a plus. Unfortunately, a couple of exits before the one I wanted I was detoured off the highway... but a quick check of my map showed that the road I was re-routed to was one I wanted to be on eventually anyway, so I just stuck with it and eventually ended up in synch with my directions I'd downloaded from Mapquest. At one point I found myself thinking "this seems familiar - I think I've been here before" only to pass the entrance to Stony Brook State Park a minute or so later (so I was right!) As the sun came up, the countryside was beautiful - trees decked out in shades of yellow, orange, and red, mist riding from the valleys... definitely a good start for the day to come!
Once I got to Wellesville and the SUNY campus there, I checked in and learned that I'd won a door prize - how cool is that! Ended up with a bag full of goodies, plus a very nice T-shirt and poster, and for a mere $2 I even managed to get a T-shirt from last year's event, which I'd signed up for but then was unable to run or walk. After that it was time to gear up (I ended up with a short-sleeved shirt over a long-sleeved shirt - it was pretty chilly!) and waited around for the word to board the bus to the start. When we finally did get on the buses, I managed to get on early enough to sit by a window, and then we had a long wait while the stragglers made their way over... and finally, at about 8:40, we set off for the start. After a bumpy ride of about 15 minutes or so, we ended up on a road out in the middle of nowhere... you've got to love a race that starts on Stoney Lonesome Road... gorgeous country, with only a few houses in site. Four busloads of runners and walkers congregated in the road, the crazy folk who were in barely any clothes bounced around shivering, and we waited for the signal to begin. The race official who was there said a few words about the course (something about "you're going to head up this hill, and then just after you turn off onto the trail you hit the first real climb") and then off we went!
I started out running slowly up the hill but then decided that was silly and slowed to a fast walk (which really wasn't all that much slower than my running.) Watched lots of people disappear up the hill, including a few hikers who apparently decided to do a little running to start with. After about half a mile, we turned off into the woods, and I decided to stop and ditch the long-sleeved shirt - all that climbing was making me way too hot. Good thing, too, because the race official was right... just after that was when the real climbing began.
The trail went up and up and up... a climb of about 800 feet over 1 1/2 miles. I knew from the course descriptions that I'd be walking a lot of the first 2 miles, so I wasn't bothered, and the scenery was great... off in the woods, trees a mix of green and gold, leaves covering the trail. At the top the trail leveled off for a bit, and we even had a short stretch along a dirt road before hitting some rolling trail through more woods. Footing was a bit tricky as the path wound through some rock gardens. We had a short steep descent followed by a short steep climb, and then a long, winding, steep drop. Too steep for me to run safely, plus the path was fairly eroded as well. It was along this stretch that three hikers came blasting by me, hollering that they were going too fast to stop... I have to admit, I found that a bit annoying (both that they were very loud, and that they were not in control of their speed.) At the bottom I crossed a stream on a narrow bridge, and after crossing a road and grabbing some munchies at an aid station, started a long uphill hike on a dirt road.
One of my strengths became apparent as I passed folks who were also walking up the road... I'm not very good at running up hills, but I can maintain a pretty good clip hiking up them. I passed several runners and walkers who had gone by me earlier, though it seemed likely that they'd end up passing me again further along. As we climbed the road narrowed and eventually wound its way into the woods, but not before we caught some nice glimpses of views of the hills in the distance, covered with colorful trees. We also started passing signs of the old Alleghany oil wells - abandoned drilling and pumping machinery, and occasional pipes running next to and sometimes across the trail. Finally we came out of the woods and had a short stretch of road to run down, with another aid station at the end.
The view from this aid station was spectacular - we were up on a hilltop and could see hills covered with red, orange, gold, and brown far off into the distance. Spectacular! I had one of the volunteers take my picture - he indicated that he'd been doing that a lot. Then it was back into the woods for a downhill stretch of trail, some of it fairly steep, and then another long, gradual climb. I hiked part of it with another runner who was having a tough time with all the climbing - as she put it, she was in shape to run 14 miles without too much trouble, but not to hike 14 miles! Shortly after we reached the top we hit another aid station, where I refilled my water bottles and mixed some fresh Gatorade before heading off down another dirt road, shared with some riders on horseback and also an increasing number of hikers doing the shorter distance walks.
The next couple of miles had terrain that was easy to run (rolling, but nothing too long or steep) but challenging because the further I went, the more walkers there were ahead of me on the trail. Eventually it seemed like I was spending most of my time saying "excuse me" and then dodging around them on one side or the other (a few were very considerate and not only stepped aside but also hollered "Runner coming through!" to the folks ahead of them.) Much of the last few miles were through fairly thick woods, and I would have really enjoyed my surroundings if it had been safe to take my attention off the path for a moment... unfortunately, it seemed like there was always another hiker to get by.
The last few miles seemed to go on forever, between dodging walkers and having been out on the trail for three hours or more. I though I was in good shape when the path started going downhill again, but then I had a half mile long climb before the long descent to the finish... that hurt! We did have one hilltop with an excellent view, but I didn't dare linger - the trails were becoming more and more crowded (Ridgewalk gets approximately 900 participants, after all) and my pace was becoming slower and slower.
The final descent, to the finish at Big Hill Farm, covered a steep downhill - that was tough, with my legs trashed after all the miles of climbing and descending. We had a nice run along the perimeter of a field, though the footing got tricky at times when I passed the walkers. I hit the final stretch to the finish line and pushed as hard as I could, hoping to finish in under 4 hours... and crossed the line at 3 hrs 59 min 37 seconds. Ordinarily I'd be pretty bummed about taking 4 hours to run 14 miles... but this course was tough.
After that I picked up my drop bag of dry clothes and pulled on a dry shirt, then headed over to the food tent to try and snag some refreshment. Ate a bit, visited a few of the booths set up in the tent, and then slowly made my way outside to see what was going on. A bird rescue group had a large display set up, with owls, hawks, falcons, and a turkey vulture... I spent a while watching them and taking pictures of the birds. On the one hand, I found it a bit sad that these wonderful creatures were tied down and confined... but on the other hand, most of them would probably be dead if they weren't, so maybe it's not such a horrible trade-off. Watched the kids races for a bit, then made my way over to the buses and eventually caught a ride back to SUNY in Wellsville. Somewhat painfully changed clothes and climbed into the car for the long drive back to Rochester (with several stops for cold refreshing drinks!)
This was one of the toughest events I've ever done, but well worth it - what a beautiful fall day to be outside, and what beautiful countryside to be travelling through! I would definitely like to do this again sometime!
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 264.8 mi, 62 hr 20 min
Cycling 72.2 mi, 5 hr 15 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
Ridgewalk & Run 14 Mile Trail Race
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Ridgewalk & Run info
2007 Ridgewalk 14 mi trail race results
photo slideshow
The short version:
That was easily in my top ten toughest events ever. I'd say toughest event this year, but it has stiff competition from the Nipmuck Trail Marathon back in June.
I finished in just under 4 hours (about 20 seconds under) thanks to a final sprint to the finish. Right now my legs feel worse than they did after running the Adirondack Marathon five weeks ago.
But oh what a beautiful place to suffer...!
The not-so-short version:
Set off once again in the dark, heading down I-390. Not much traffic at 4:30 AM, which is a plus. Unfortunately, a couple of exits before the one I wanted I was detoured off the highway... but a quick check of my map showed that the road I was re-routed to was one I wanted to be on eventually anyway, so I just stuck with it and eventually ended up in synch with my directions I'd downloaded from Mapquest. At one point I found myself thinking "this seems familiar - I think I've been here before" only to pass the entrance to Stony Brook State Park a minute or so later (so I was right!) As the sun came up, the countryside was beautiful - trees decked out in shades of yellow, orange, and red, mist riding from the valleys... definitely a good start for the day to come!
Once I got to Wellesville and the SUNY campus there, I checked in and learned that I'd won a door prize - how cool is that! Ended up with a bag full of goodies, plus a very nice T-shirt and poster, and for a mere $2 I even managed to get a T-shirt from last year's event, which I'd signed up for but then was unable to run or walk. After that it was time to gear up (I ended up with a short-sleeved shirt over a long-sleeved shirt - it was pretty chilly!) and waited around for the word to board the bus to the start. When we finally did get on the buses, I managed to get on early enough to sit by a window, and then we had a long wait while the stragglers made their way over... and finally, at about 8:40, we set off for the start. After a bumpy ride of about 15 minutes or so, we ended up on a road out in the middle of nowhere... you've got to love a race that starts on Stoney Lonesome Road... gorgeous country, with only a few houses in site. Four busloads of runners and walkers congregated in the road, the crazy folk who were in barely any clothes bounced around shivering, and we waited for the signal to begin. The race official who was there said a few words about the course (something about "you're going to head up this hill, and then just after you turn off onto the trail you hit the first real climb") and then off we went!
I started out running slowly up the hill but then decided that was silly and slowed to a fast walk (which really wasn't all that much slower than my running.) Watched lots of people disappear up the hill, including a few hikers who apparently decided to do a little running to start with. After about half a mile, we turned off into the woods, and I decided to stop and ditch the long-sleeved shirt - all that climbing was making me way too hot. Good thing, too, because the race official was right... just after that was when the real climbing began.
The trail went up and up and up... a climb of about 800 feet over 1 1/2 miles. I knew from the course descriptions that I'd be walking a lot of the first 2 miles, so I wasn't bothered, and the scenery was great... off in the woods, trees a mix of green and gold, leaves covering the trail. At the top the trail leveled off for a bit, and we even had a short stretch along a dirt road before hitting some rolling trail through more woods. Footing was a bit tricky as the path wound through some rock gardens. We had a short steep descent followed by a short steep climb, and then a long, winding, steep drop. Too steep for me to run safely, plus the path was fairly eroded as well. It was along this stretch that three hikers came blasting by me, hollering that they were going too fast to stop... I have to admit, I found that a bit annoying (both that they were very loud, and that they were not in control of their speed.) At the bottom I crossed a stream on a narrow bridge, and after crossing a road and grabbing some munchies at an aid station, started a long uphill hike on a dirt road.
One of my strengths became apparent as I passed folks who were also walking up the road... I'm not very good at running up hills, but I can maintain a pretty good clip hiking up them. I passed several runners and walkers who had gone by me earlier, though it seemed likely that they'd end up passing me again further along. As we climbed the road narrowed and eventually wound its way into the woods, but not before we caught some nice glimpses of views of the hills in the distance, covered with colorful trees. We also started passing signs of the old Alleghany oil wells - abandoned drilling and pumping machinery, and occasional pipes running next to and sometimes across the trail. Finally we came out of the woods and had a short stretch of road to run down, with another aid station at the end.
The view from this aid station was spectacular - we were up on a hilltop and could see hills covered with red, orange, gold, and brown far off into the distance. Spectacular! I had one of the volunteers take my picture - he indicated that he'd been doing that a lot. Then it was back into the woods for a downhill stretch of trail, some of it fairly steep, and then another long, gradual climb. I hiked part of it with another runner who was having a tough time with all the climbing - as she put it, she was in shape to run 14 miles without too much trouble, but not to hike 14 miles! Shortly after we reached the top we hit another aid station, where I refilled my water bottles and mixed some fresh Gatorade before heading off down another dirt road, shared with some riders on horseback and also an increasing number of hikers doing the shorter distance walks.
The next couple of miles had terrain that was easy to run (rolling, but nothing too long or steep) but challenging because the further I went, the more walkers there were ahead of me on the trail. Eventually it seemed like I was spending most of my time saying "excuse me" and then dodging around them on one side or the other (a few were very considerate and not only stepped aside but also hollered "Runner coming through!" to the folks ahead of them.) Much of the last few miles were through fairly thick woods, and I would have really enjoyed my surroundings if it had been safe to take my attention off the path for a moment... unfortunately, it seemed like there was always another hiker to get by.
The last few miles seemed to go on forever, between dodging walkers and having been out on the trail for three hours or more. I though I was in good shape when the path started going downhill again, but then I had a half mile long climb before the long descent to the finish... that hurt! We did have one hilltop with an excellent view, but I didn't dare linger - the trails were becoming more and more crowded (Ridgewalk gets approximately 900 participants, after all) and my pace was becoming slower and slower.
The final descent, to the finish at Big Hill Farm, covered a steep downhill - that was tough, with my legs trashed after all the miles of climbing and descending. We had a nice run along the perimeter of a field, though the footing got tricky at times when I passed the walkers. I hit the final stretch to the finish line and pushed as hard as I could, hoping to finish in under 4 hours... and crossed the line at 3 hrs 59 min 37 seconds. Ordinarily I'd be pretty bummed about taking 4 hours to run 14 miles... but this course was tough.
After that I picked up my drop bag of dry clothes and pulled on a dry shirt, then headed over to the food tent to try and snag some refreshment. Ate a bit, visited a few of the booths set up in the tent, and then slowly made my way outside to see what was going on. A bird rescue group had a large display set up, with owls, hawks, falcons, and a turkey vulture... I spent a while watching them and taking pictures of the birds. On the one hand, I found it a bit sad that these wonderful creatures were tied down and confined... but on the other hand, most of them would probably be dead if they weren't, so maybe it's not such a horrible trade-off. Watched the kids races for a bit, then made my way over to the buses and eventually caught a ride back to SUNY in Wellsville. Somewhat painfully changed clothes and climbed into the car for the long drive back to Rochester (with several stops for cold refreshing drinks!)
This was one of the toughest events I've ever done, but well worth it - what a beautiful fall day to be outside, and what beautiful countryside to be travelling through! I would definitely like to do this again sometime!
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 264.8 mi, 62 hr 20 min
Cycling 72.2 mi, 5 hr 15 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
Saturday, October 20, 2007
What to Do After a Du
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Let's see... after snagging some baked ziti, pizza, and an apple, I watched runners cross the finish line while stuffing my face, then packed my gear up and rode the half a mile back to the car. Climbing the hill on Wagnum Rd just wasn't fun...
As I was riding back to the car, I noticed lots of nice foliage that I hadn't seen as I blasted along at my fastest possible speed... which convinced me to ride part of the bike course again and take some pictures. So I went for a slow 7 mile ride along the Lehigh Valley trail, the Auburn trail, and the Trolley trail. I checked out the progress made in re-decking the old railroad bridge over the Auburn trail - should be able to ride that next summer! Made my way into Lehigh Crossing Park via the Beaver Bridge... and discovered that those rascally beavers have been hard at work flooding the woods between the rail trail and the interior of the park. My shoes were no longer dry by the time I made it through there!
It's always interesting to ride the course afterwards... the markings are still on the ground, of course, and today the flagging tape was still up blocking side trails... but in the hour that I was riding just about everything else was picked up and put back the way it was before the race. I saw two other riders early on, and then a group passed me as I was heading back, as did one runner. Of course, the cold wind and on-and-off showers may have had something to do with the lack of other folks on the trails...
Got back to Ann's house, did my occasional duty as a grease monkey (oil change and tire rotation on my Honda Civic) and then convinced myself to work for a while. Didn't get as much done as I should have, but more than I would have had I given in to my foremost inclination and gone to sleep (I have been up since 2 AM, after all.)
Tomorrow is the big challenge of this weekend - the Ridgewalk & Run 14 Mile trail race. I must admit, I'm more than a bit intimidated... not by the distance, but by the terrain (check out the elevation profile - dang!) and the knowledge that I'm going into this one having expended a bit of energy in today's race... I think last weekend's race order (long challenging run Saturday and sprint du Sunday) was a better idea.
Oh, well. If the weather's good, the views should be gorgeous, and if nothing else, I'm sure I'll have some sick, torturous fun on the trails tomorrow.
Time for bed... 4 AM will arrive all too quckly.
JMH
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Let's see... after snagging some baked ziti, pizza, and an apple, I watched runners cross the finish line while stuffing my face, then packed my gear up and rode the half a mile back to the car. Climbing the hill on Wagnum Rd just wasn't fun...
As I was riding back to the car, I noticed lots of nice foliage that I hadn't seen as I blasted along at my fastest possible speed... which convinced me to ride part of the bike course again and take some pictures. So I went for a slow 7 mile ride along the Lehigh Valley trail, the Auburn trail, and the Trolley trail. I checked out the progress made in re-decking the old railroad bridge over the Auburn trail - should be able to ride that next summer! Made my way into Lehigh Crossing Park via the Beaver Bridge... and discovered that those rascally beavers have been hard at work flooding the woods between the rail trail and the interior of the park. My shoes were no longer dry by the time I made it through there!
It's always interesting to ride the course afterwards... the markings are still on the ground, of course, and today the flagging tape was still up blocking side trails... but in the hour that I was riding just about everything else was picked up and put back the way it was before the race. I saw two other riders early on, and then a group passed me as I was heading back, as did one runner. Of course, the cold wind and on-and-off showers may have had something to do with the lack of other folks on the trails...
Got back to Ann's house, did my occasional duty as a grease monkey (oil change and tire rotation on my Honda Civic) and then convinced myself to work for a while. Didn't get as much done as I should have, but more than I would have had I given in to my foremost inclination and gone to sleep (I have been up since 2 AM, after all.)
Tomorrow is the big challenge of this weekend - the Ridgewalk & Run 14 Mile trail race. I must admit, I'm more than a bit intimidated... not by the distance, but by the terrain (check out the elevation profile - dang!) and the knowledge that I'm going into this one having expended a bit of energy in today's race... I think last weekend's race order (long challenging run Saturday and sprint du Sunday) was a better idea.
Oh, well. If the weather's good, the views should be gorgeous, and if nothing else, I'm sure I'll have some sick, torturous fun on the trails tomorrow.
Time for bed... 4 AM will arrive all too quckly.
JMH
LONG DISTANCE 2007, Race #23
Black Diamond Offroad Duathlon
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Black Diamond Duathlon info
2007 Black Diamond Du results
Another GREAT morning - 1 hr 24 min total... and I set some more PRs running today!
From the outset it was clear this would be an odd weekend, since I would be out in Rochester all weekend... and Ann would be in Syracuse. On the one hand, that was unfortunate because it meant we wouldn't have a lot of time together... but on the other hand, it also meant I could go to both the races out that way and get work done with a clear conscience.
My original plan was to drive out Friday night, but this ended up being the week from you-know-where, with multiple nights of little sleep, and Friday evening it was clear that driving for four hours was not a safe option. So I collapsed into to bed at the early hour of about 9 PM with my alarm set for 2 AM, so I could be on the road around 4 AM... that would get me to Fishers around 8, which would leave plenty of time for me to pick up my race packet and get my gear ready. (Oddly enough, the same thing happened in 2005 when I did the first Black Diamond Du...)
So sometime after 4 AM found me heading west on the Thruway... as usual, little traffic at that hour, which is always a plus. I pulled into Fishers at around 8:10 or so, picked up my stuff, and then headed down to athlete parking at the industrial park about half a mile away. Geared up, and then hopped on the bike to ride back to race HQ... no trips back and forth to the car at this race!
After getting my bike racked and my gear set up underneath it, I wandered around for a bit snapping a few pictures and listening to folks' pre-race chatter... it was also interesting to watch people ignore the repeated instructions to have their bike on a rack and to ditch their Ipods and MP3 players. (I'd be a very unpopular RD, I suspect...) Eventually the RD ran through the usual pre-race stuff (thanking a whole slew of folks, very well-deserved, and then talking us through the course with a few safety admonitions) while we stood around shivering, and then we all lined up out on the road and waited for the signal to start. And then - it was time to run!
I stayed near the back of the pack as we ran up the road to the trailhead... the first bit of trail is fairly narrow and goes up a moderately steep hill, so there was a bottleneck there. Pushed what felt like a pretty good pace through the woods and then out onto the grassy paths around the field... I was a bit surprised to hit the 1 mile mark at about 9 1/2 minutes, but that gave me incentive to push up the hills along the the perimeter of the field and back through the woods to the long downhill stretch. Thankfully, this year the trail was relatively dry, unlike the mud-fest of 2005, so I was able to run fairly hard all the way back to transition, for a very surprising 18:50 first running leg - under 9 1/2 minute miles!
My legs always grumble a bit at switching to riding, and it didn't help that today was somewhat windy... but fairly quickly I was moving along at a good clip, and managed to pass a couple of other riders. I also had a few pass me, far closer than I was comfortable with and with no warning... one of the hazards of doing a du with a good number of inexperienced multisport athletes. The first part of the ride is fairly straightforward - a long slightly uphill ride along the wide stone dust Auburn trail. After passing under the old railroad bridge, I got to watch faster riders zooming along on their way back. I also leap-frogged back and forth with a couple of riders who didn't seem to be keeping a very consistent pace. We left the Auburn Trail for a lollipop up into Lehigh Crossing Park... the loop portion of that was very challenging, because under the grass were numerous ruts and holes, and there were a couple of times when my pedals hit some decent-sized rocks as well. Had a few places where I wondered if I was going to lose it and crash, but managed to hold it together and zipped back out and onto the Trolley Trail, a very bumpy, rocky, rooty singletrack. That was slower going for 3/4 of a mile or so... then it was back onto the Auburn Trail for the return journey, and I resumed my leap-frogging with two riders who seemed more interested in riding side-by-side so they could chat. How, I don't know... I needed every bit of breath I had to keep myself moving forward! The wind really picked up for the 2nd half of the ride, plus it started to drizzle, which started me wondering if I'd freeze before I made it to the finish... after the railroad bridge, we had a short climb up to the Lehigh Valley Trail, and I finally managed to leave the two chatty riders behind. Pushed as hard as I could, riding into the wind and wondering if I could maintain my pace for the distance remaining. But before I knew it, I was turning onto the road for the downhill to the last stretch along the main road, and then hammering like crazy to get back to transition as quickly as I could. In the end, I did pretty well, with a 44:09 for the bike leg.
After racking my bike and grabbing a quick sip of Gatorade, I staggered out for the final running leg, trying to get my running legs back after 10 miles of pushing on the bike (I really need to do more bricks!) Managed a pretty good pace up the hill and through the woods, then down around the fields... but lost it on the two uphills in the fields and ended up walking them. No big deal, and not really a huge surprise... the return path through the woods went quickly, and then it was all downhill... first through the last bit of woods, then along the road, and across the grass to the finish line. I poured on every last bit of speed in my legs for that final stretch, and finished the race at 1 hr 23 min 44 sec... about a minute slower than my finish in 2005, but the bike course was over 1.5 miles shorter that year, so a pretty darn good time overall. Even more significantly, I did the 2nd run in 18:39 - an absolutely amazing 9:20 per mile!
After that I snagged some food (pizza! pasta! mmmmm....) and then rode my bike back to the industrial park where I was parked... for some reason, riding up the hill next to Fishers Park hurt...
So better weather than in 2005, despite a brief bout of drizzle and some chilly headwinds, and a good performance all told... in fact, a great performance on the runs (for me, at least.) The Black Diamond Du is a lot of fun; I'm glad I did it this year, and I suspect I'll do it again next year, maybe with a better bike.
Next up: Day two of my 2nd killer weekend - the Ridgewalk & Run 14 Mile Trail Race! I suspect I'm going to be ready to drop by tomorrow evening...
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 250.8 mi, 58 hr 20 min
Cycling 72.2 mi, 5 hr 15 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
Black Diamond Offroad Duathlon
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Black Diamond Duathlon info
2007 Black Diamond Du results
Another GREAT morning - 1 hr 24 min total... and I set some more PRs running today!
From the outset it was clear this would be an odd weekend, since I would be out in Rochester all weekend... and Ann would be in Syracuse. On the one hand, that was unfortunate because it meant we wouldn't have a lot of time together... but on the other hand, it also meant I could go to both the races out that way and get work done with a clear conscience.
My original plan was to drive out Friday night, but this ended up being the week from you-know-where, with multiple nights of little sleep, and Friday evening it was clear that driving for four hours was not a safe option. So I collapsed into to bed at the early hour of about 9 PM with my alarm set for 2 AM, so I could be on the road around 4 AM... that would get me to Fishers around 8, which would leave plenty of time for me to pick up my race packet and get my gear ready. (Oddly enough, the same thing happened in 2005 when I did the first Black Diamond Du...)
So sometime after 4 AM found me heading west on the Thruway... as usual, little traffic at that hour, which is always a plus. I pulled into Fishers at around 8:10 or so, picked up my stuff, and then headed down to athlete parking at the industrial park about half a mile away. Geared up, and then hopped on the bike to ride back to race HQ... no trips back and forth to the car at this race!
After getting my bike racked and my gear set up underneath it, I wandered around for a bit snapping a few pictures and listening to folks' pre-race chatter... it was also interesting to watch people ignore the repeated instructions to have their bike on a rack and to ditch their Ipods and MP3 players. (I'd be a very unpopular RD, I suspect...) Eventually the RD ran through the usual pre-race stuff (thanking a whole slew of folks, very well-deserved, and then talking us through the course with a few safety admonitions) while we stood around shivering, and then we all lined up out on the road and waited for the signal to start. And then - it was time to run!
I stayed near the back of the pack as we ran up the road to the trailhead... the first bit of trail is fairly narrow and goes up a moderately steep hill, so there was a bottleneck there. Pushed what felt like a pretty good pace through the woods and then out onto the grassy paths around the field... I was a bit surprised to hit the 1 mile mark at about 9 1/2 minutes, but that gave me incentive to push up the hills along the the perimeter of the field and back through the woods to the long downhill stretch. Thankfully, this year the trail was relatively dry, unlike the mud-fest of 2005, so I was able to run fairly hard all the way back to transition, for a very surprising 18:50 first running leg - under 9 1/2 minute miles!
My legs always grumble a bit at switching to riding, and it didn't help that today was somewhat windy... but fairly quickly I was moving along at a good clip, and managed to pass a couple of other riders. I also had a few pass me, far closer than I was comfortable with and with no warning... one of the hazards of doing a du with a good number of inexperienced multisport athletes. The first part of the ride is fairly straightforward - a long slightly uphill ride along the wide stone dust Auburn trail. After passing under the old railroad bridge, I got to watch faster riders zooming along on their way back. I also leap-frogged back and forth with a couple of riders who didn't seem to be keeping a very consistent pace. We left the Auburn Trail for a lollipop up into Lehigh Crossing Park... the loop portion of that was very challenging, because under the grass were numerous ruts and holes, and there were a couple of times when my pedals hit some decent-sized rocks as well. Had a few places where I wondered if I was going to lose it and crash, but managed to hold it together and zipped back out and onto the Trolley Trail, a very bumpy, rocky, rooty singletrack. That was slower going for 3/4 of a mile or so... then it was back onto the Auburn Trail for the return journey, and I resumed my leap-frogging with two riders who seemed more interested in riding side-by-side so they could chat. How, I don't know... I needed every bit of breath I had to keep myself moving forward! The wind really picked up for the 2nd half of the ride, plus it started to drizzle, which started me wondering if I'd freeze before I made it to the finish... after the railroad bridge, we had a short climb up to the Lehigh Valley Trail, and I finally managed to leave the two chatty riders behind. Pushed as hard as I could, riding into the wind and wondering if I could maintain my pace for the distance remaining. But before I knew it, I was turning onto the road for the downhill to the last stretch along the main road, and then hammering like crazy to get back to transition as quickly as I could. In the end, I did pretty well, with a 44:09 for the bike leg.
After racking my bike and grabbing a quick sip of Gatorade, I staggered out for the final running leg, trying to get my running legs back after 10 miles of pushing on the bike (I really need to do more bricks!) Managed a pretty good pace up the hill and through the woods, then down around the fields... but lost it on the two uphills in the fields and ended up walking them. No big deal, and not really a huge surprise... the return path through the woods went quickly, and then it was all downhill... first through the last bit of woods, then along the road, and across the grass to the finish line. I poured on every last bit of speed in my legs for that final stretch, and finished the race at 1 hr 23 min 44 sec... about a minute slower than my finish in 2005, but the bike course was over 1.5 miles shorter that year, so a pretty darn good time overall. Even more significantly, I did the 2nd run in 18:39 - an absolutely amazing 9:20 per mile!
After that I snagged some food (pizza! pasta! mmmmm....) and then rode my bike back to the industrial park where I was parked... for some reason, riding up the hill next to Fishers Park hurt...
So better weather than in 2005, despite a brief bout of drizzle and some chilly headwinds, and a good performance all told... in fact, a great performance on the runs (for me, at least.) The Black Diamond Du is a lot of fun; I'm glad I did it this year, and I suspect I'll do it again next year, maybe with a better bike.
Next up: Day two of my 2nd killer weekend - the Ridgewalk & Run 14 Mile Trail Race! I suspect I'm going to be ready to drop by tomorrow evening...
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 250.8 mi, 58 hr 20 min
Cycling 72.2 mi, 5 hr 15 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
Complete & Utter Chaos - Part 5
Saturday, October 20, 2007
As I wandered back and forth at 2:30 AM trying to pack for a weekend of travelling to the western tier for the Black Diamond Du and the Ridgewalk & Run trail race, Chaos does her best to stay underfoot while amusing herself with a catnip-stuffed sock.
JMH
Saturday, October 20, 2007
As I wandered back and forth at 2:30 AM trying to pack for a weekend of travelling to the western tier for the Black Diamond Du and the Ridgewalk & Run trail race, Chaos does her best to stay underfoot while amusing herself with a catnip-stuffed sock.
JMH
Thursday, October 18, 2007
5.3 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Thursday, October 18, 2007
I left classes early tonight and went for a run in the Pine Bush... despite having a boatload of work to do at home, I desperately needed to get out for a run, and the weather was simply too warm tonight to pass up.
It was a cloudy, somewhat foggy night, which made for some interesting running. Unfortunately, I ended up cutting it short by a mile or two because my stomach started bothering me... probably the result of stress plus too much pop and iced tea today plus too much pasta and spaghetti sauce for dinner.
Short run or not, it was still great to be out covering some distance on foot...
JMH
Thursday, October 18, 2007
I left classes early tonight and went for a run in the Pine Bush... despite having a boatload of work to do at home, I desperately needed to get out for a run, and the weather was simply too warm tonight to pass up.
It was a cloudy, somewhat foggy night, which made for some interesting running. Unfortunately, I ended up cutting it short by a mile or two because my stomach started bothering me... probably the result of stress plus too much pop and iced tea today plus too much pasta and spaghetti sauce for dinner.
Short run or not, it was still great to be out covering some distance on foot...
JMH
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
15.6 Mile Ride on the Mohawk-Hudson Bike Path
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
It was warm and pleasant when I left work... but by the time I got to the bike path, the sun was getting low in the sky and it was getting downright chilly!
Didn't really lose the light until the last 6 miles or so... unfortunately, I broke one of my old rules and didn't put fresh batteries in the lights. Fortunately, one lasted the whole ride, and the other retained enough juice to operate in LED mode, so I still had plenty of light both to be seen and to see.
Of course, by the time I was finished I was fairly comfortable from riding for a little over an hour... I was almost tempted to keep riding!
What strange nocturnal critter can this be?
No critter, just a bike at night...
JMH
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
It was warm and pleasant when I left work... but by the time I got to the bike path, the sun was getting low in the sky and it was getting downright chilly!
Didn't really lose the light until the last 6 miles or so... unfortunately, I broke one of my old rules and didn't put fresh batteries in the lights. Fortunately, one lasted the whole ride, and the other retained enough juice to operate in LED mode, so I still had plenty of light both to be seen and to see.
Of course, by the time I was finished I was fairly comfortable from riding for a little over an hour... I was almost tempted to keep riding!
What strange nocturnal critter can this be?
No critter, just a bike at night...
JMH
Monday, October 15, 2007
BLOG ACTION DAY
Save the Environment
Monday, October 15, 2007
It's Blog Action Day! The basic premise is - what would happen if thousands of bloggers all over the world addressed the same issue on a particular day, each in their own special way? This time around the issue of choice is the environment... and it should be pretty clear to anyone who's read my ramblings and rantings that I have pretty strong feelings on that score.
I can't claim to have any great wisdom to offer regarding saving our environment. All I really know is that it's pretty darn important. Part of its importance to me is from a recreational standpoint - many of the things I most love to do involve being outdoors, and I'm fascinated by plants, birds, and animals. The thought of perhaps someday not being able to go out and roam around in nature horrifies me. The thought of the whole world being the noisy, garbage-strewn mess that Albany is sickens me. In some ways, I think a part of my soul (and in fact the collective soul of humanity) would die under those conditions.
At the same time, I also recognize that there's a bigger issue, namely survival. Regardless of what our oh-so-brilliant political so-called leaders say, in the quest for easier lives and status and the almighty dollar we seem hell-bent to serve up our own destruction, as well as the destruction of many living things around us. Good heavens, one of the ongoing battles here in Albany is between the city government, which wants to continue to finance much of the city budget with dollars from the Albany landfill, and local residents and environmentalists who have to good sense to realize that the city claiming more of the Albany Pine Bush to expand the landfill's capacity is lunacy. Do we really need to debate over whether or not it makes sense to bulldoze an environmentally unique area so that we can continue to make money accepting vast quantities of out-of-town garbage?
And yet, as outraged as I get over these sorts of things, I'm part of the problem. I buy plenty of products that have too much extraneous packaging that I end up throwing out. I haven't put nearly enough energy into getting a recycling bin from the city so I can recycle more and discard less. I drive the 1.5 miles to work every day rather than get my lazy backside out the door earlier so I could ride my bike or walk. There are a LOT of things I could be doing better.
I'm going to tackle the recycling question first, and get a bin, even if I have to buy one myself. It's not much, but it's a start.
JMH
Save the Environment
Monday, October 15, 2007
It's Blog Action Day! The basic premise is - what would happen if thousands of bloggers all over the world addressed the same issue on a particular day, each in their own special way? This time around the issue of choice is the environment... and it should be pretty clear to anyone who's read my ramblings and rantings that I have pretty strong feelings on that score.
I can't claim to have any great wisdom to offer regarding saving our environment. All I really know is that it's pretty darn important. Part of its importance to me is from a recreational standpoint - many of the things I most love to do involve being outdoors, and I'm fascinated by plants, birds, and animals. The thought of perhaps someday not being able to go out and roam around in nature horrifies me. The thought of the whole world being the noisy, garbage-strewn mess that Albany is sickens me. In some ways, I think a part of my soul (and in fact the collective soul of humanity) would die under those conditions.
At the same time, I also recognize that there's a bigger issue, namely survival. Regardless of what our oh-so-brilliant political so-called leaders say, in the quest for easier lives and status and the almighty dollar we seem hell-bent to serve up our own destruction, as well as the destruction of many living things around us. Good heavens, one of the ongoing battles here in Albany is between the city government, which wants to continue to finance much of the city budget with dollars from the Albany landfill, and local residents and environmentalists who have to good sense to realize that the city claiming more of the Albany Pine Bush to expand the landfill's capacity is lunacy. Do we really need to debate over whether or not it makes sense to bulldoze an environmentally unique area so that we can continue to make money accepting vast quantities of out-of-town garbage?
And yet, as outraged as I get over these sorts of things, I'm part of the problem. I buy plenty of products that have too much extraneous packaging that I end up throwing out. I haven't put nearly enough energy into getting a recycling bin from the city so I can recycle more and discard less. I drive the 1.5 miles to work every day rather than get my lazy backside out the door earlier so I could ride my bike or walk. There are a LOT of things I could be doing better.
I'm going to tackle the recycling question first, and get a bin, even if I have to buy one myself. It's not much, but it's a start.
JMH
Sunday, October 14, 2007
10.8 Mile Ride at the Corning Preserve & Schuyler Flatts
Sunday, October 14, 2007
After running a few errands, I came back home and brought in all my gear from the duathlon. Even though I have a ton of work to do, it was just too nice an afternoon to spend indoors, so I loaded my other road bike on the car and headed down to the Corning Preserve for a slow, easy recovery ride.
I was plenty warm in the sunshine, but in the shade... brrr! The ever-present wind definitely didn't help, though at least it wasn't the constant headwind that I encountered on the duathlon bike course.
On the way back to the car (after taking a turn through Schuyer Flatts Cultural Park) I stopped to watch three deer off in one of the grassy areas... they didn't seem to mind the attention too much (there was a pair of walkers stopped to watch them too) but when another rider came by they jumped into the bushes pretty quickly.
I definitely felt my sore hip during this afternoon's ride, and my legs were a bit tired... but otherwise I didn't notice any major after-effects from this morning's race. Perhaps the past months of training have done some good after all!
JMH
Sunday, October 14, 2007
After running a few errands, I came back home and brought in all my gear from the duathlon. Even though I have a ton of work to do, it was just too nice an afternoon to spend indoors, so I loaded my other road bike on the car and headed down to the Corning Preserve for a slow, easy recovery ride.
I was plenty warm in the sunshine, but in the shade... brrr! The ever-present wind definitely didn't help, though at least it wasn't the constant headwind that I encountered on the duathlon bike course.
On the way back to the car (after taking a turn through Schuyer Flatts Cultural Park) I stopped to watch three deer off in one of the grassy areas... they didn't seem to mind the attention too much (there was a pair of walkers stopped to watch them too) but when another rider came by they jumped into the bushes pretty quickly.
I definitely felt my sore hip during this afternoon's ride, and my legs were a bit tired... but otherwise I didn't notice any major after-effects from this morning's race. Perhaps the past months of training have done some good after all!
JMH
LONG DISTANCE 2007, Race #22
Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon info
2007 Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon results
I had a GREAT morning - 1 hr 55 min total... with some definite PR paces during the runs!
The Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway runs from the intersection of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers in Waterford out to the Stockade District in Schenectady, following roughly along the route of the old Erie Canal towpath. There are a variety of historical sites along the byway, as well as several parks and preserves, and the area has been designated as part of both the New York State Scenic Byway system and the National Scenic Byway system. A number of local organizations work together to maximize the recreational opportunities available to visitors to the Mohawk Byway.
The duathlon is held annually to increase awareness of the scenic and recreational opportunities along the byway, as well as bringing folks into the area who might not otherwise come to visit. I was attracted by both the fact that it's a du, which I like to do (boy, I'm clever...) and by the fact that it's only a half hour away from home. What a concept... get up at a fairly reasonable hour, drive for a relatively short time, and be in a race!
I was a bit surprised by all the activity when I arrived at Krause's in Clifton Park (race HQ, right on the Mohawk River.) Though as one person put it when we were all standing around waiting for things to begin - it was mainly "normal" people, with a few hard-core athletes thrown in. I saw a fair number of hybrid bikes complete with bar-mounted rear view mirrors...
Checked in, unpacked my gear and got set up at a good spot in transition, then wandered around for a bit (my version of warming up) checking out the view of the river and trying to figure out how chilly it was going to be. We had a lot of sun, but it was also pretty windy... no big deal on the run, but that can make for cold riding. I ended up opting for a long-sleeved shirt under short-sleeves. I also stretched a bit - ordinarily I wouldn't bother, given how slow I am, but I was feeling the effects of yesterday's 14 miler in the form of stiff legs and a tight left calf.
A few minutes before 9 AM the RD got us all together, and proceeded to talk and talk and talk, in a not terribly organized manner, while we stood around shivering and wanting the race to begin. But eventually he got through everything he needed to say, and we lined up at the start... and then it was time to run!
The 2.2 mile loop goes out the short road down to Krause's, then down Canal Road for about a mile. I had lots of company for the first part of the run, even at the back. The first mile was fairly level, and what a nice day for a run, even along the road. At White's Lane we turned left and started a steep climb to the top of the hill, about a quarter of a mile. We also hit the 1 mile marker, which I passed in just over an incredible 9 1/2 minutes! That gave me the motivation to run up the hill, rather than walk... at the top I took a brief walking break to catch my breath, then started off down Beach Road, which turned out to be downhill almost the entire way back. I made good time down the hill and ran down the road to transition, crossing the timing mats at 21 minutes... a pretty darn good pace for 2.2 miles!
Hopped on the bike and rode off down the road, enjoying the initial level stretch. Unfortunately, all too quickly we turned up a steep hill, and I had a chance to display my strength as I cranked past a couple of folks who had almost stalled out on the hill. After that I had some downhill to get to the main loop of the 16 mile ride, down along Riverview Road. The initial couple of miles weren't too bad, other than battling a constant headwind, and Vischer Ferry is a nice little town to ride through on a Sunday morning. Passed a few other riders along this stretch, which was a nice feeling.
Then the climbs started... again, I passed some folks who were struggling up the hills (I was struggling too, just slightly faster) along Sugar Hill Rd and Ray Rd. That stretch was tough, but it sure felt good when I reached the top of Ray Rd and turned onto Vischer Ferry Rd for a long stretch of downhill. Unfortunately, that's also where I started noticing a bump, bump, bump from my rear wheel. I ignored it for a while and considered just hoping it would be OK for the remaining 7 miles or so, but finally reached a point just before the turn onto Crescent Rd where I could pull over and check the wheel safely. And I was glad I did - my rear tire had popped loose from the rim and the tube was trying to squeeze out through the gap. So I deflated the tube, worked the tire back under the rim, and pumped it back up as best I could with my little hand pump... nowhere near full pressure, but enough to hopefully make it to the end of the ride. I'm glad I stopped - a blowout could have been catastrophic, and would have taken much longer to fix - and after a couple of minutes I was riding again.
The rest of the ride was a bit nerve-wracking, because I could feel the jolt every time I hit a bump or rough patch and was very concerned I would end up with flat. Pushed as hard as I safely could, and started passing people again. The last stretch was tough - a lot of uphill from miles 14 to 15 1/2 or so, where I tried to catch the guy in front of me... I'd get close on the hills, then he'd pull away on the flats. The final half mile was almost all downhill; I took that as fast as I dared and pulled back into transition after riding for about 72 minutes... pretty darn good, all things considered!
I always find it tough to go from riding to running, and today was no exception. Did my best to ease my legs back into running, gradually catching up to and passing the fellow in front of me on the steep hill. It felt like I was barely moving, which was a bit disappointing after my PR pace for the first running leg. But I also knew that I had a long downhill, and this race was short enough and my legs were fresh enough that I could afford to run hard... so I blazed down the hill as fast as I could (which I suspect still didn't look very fast!) A fellow and his son, both riding bikes up the hill, moved aside so I had a clear path, and called out "You rock!" to me as I went by... that felt good! Hit the bottom of the hill and knew I had only a tenth of a mile or so to go, so I pushed as hard as I could and crossed the finish at a total time of 1:54:54... an absolutely fantastic time, as far as I'm concerned!
I found out later that I did the second run in 20:48 - yes, a few seconds faster than the first run. In both cases my average pace was right around 9 1/2 min per mile, which is simply phenomenal - I haven't run at less than a 10 minute pace since 1998!
After packing up my gear, I headed over to the picnic area for some food, then headed back to the car to drive home. I briefly considered driving the bike course to get some pictures... but decided that between the clouds that had rolled in and the lack of safe places to stop and snap photos, I was better off skipping that.
All in all, an excellent day, and a race I'd definitely like to do again!
Next up: the Black Diamond Off Road Duathlon out in Fishers, NY... did the inaugural race in 2005, then had to skip last year's, so I'm definitely looking forward to "du"ing it again.
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 246.8 mi, 57 hr 43 min
Cycling 62.2 mi, 4 hr 31 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon info
2007 Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon results
I had a GREAT morning - 1 hr 55 min total... with some definite PR paces during the runs!
The Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway runs from the intersection of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers in Waterford out to the Stockade District in Schenectady, following roughly along the route of the old Erie Canal towpath. There are a variety of historical sites along the byway, as well as several parks and preserves, and the area has been designated as part of both the New York State Scenic Byway system and the National Scenic Byway system. A number of local organizations work together to maximize the recreational opportunities available to visitors to the Mohawk Byway.
The duathlon is held annually to increase awareness of the scenic and recreational opportunities along the byway, as well as bringing folks into the area who might not otherwise come to visit. I was attracted by both the fact that it's a du, which I like to do (boy, I'm clever...) and by the fact that it's only a half hour away from home. What a concept... get up at a fairly reasonable hour, drive for a relatively short time, and be in a race!
I was a bit surprised by all the activity when I arrived at Krause's in Clifton Park (race HQ, right on the Mohawk River.) Though as one person put it when we were all standing around waiting for things to begin - it was mainly "normal" people, with a few hard-core athletes thrown in. I saw a fair number of hybrid bikes complete with bar-mounted rear view mirrors...
Checked in, unpacked my gear and got set up at a good spot in transition, then wandered around for a bit (my version of warming up) checking out the view of the river and trying to figure out how chilly it was going to be. We had a lot of sun, but it was also pretty windy... no big deal on the run, but that can make for cold riding. I ended up opting for a long-sleeved shirt under short-sleeves. I also stretched a bit - ordinarily I wouldn't bother, given how slow I am, but I was feeling the effects of yesterday's 14 miler in the form of stiff legs and a tight left calf.
A few minutes before 9 AM the RD got us all together, and proceeded to talk and talk and talk, in a not terribly organized manner, while we stood around shivering and wanting the race to begin. But eventually he got through everything he needed to say, and we lined up at the start... and then it was time to run!
The 2.2 mile loop goes out the short road down to Krause's, then down Canal Road for about a mile. I had lots of company for the first part of the run, even at the back. The first mile was fairly level, and what a nice day for a run, even along the road. At White's Lane we turned left and started a steep climb to the top of the hill, about a quarter of a mile. We also hit the 1 mile marker, which I passed in just over an incredible 9 1/2 minutes! That gave me the motivation to run up the hill, rather than walk... at the top I took a brief walking break to catch my breath, then started off down Beach Road, which turned out to be downhill almost the entire way back. I made good time down the hill and ran down the road to transition, crossing the timing mats at 21 minutes... a pretty darn good pace for 2.2 miles!
Hopped on the bike and rode off down the road, enjoying the initial level stretch. Unfortunately, all too quickly we turned up a steep hill, and I had a chance to display my strength as I cranked past a couple of folks who had almost stalled out on the hill. After that I had some downhill to get to the main loop of the 16 mile ride, down along Riverview Road. The initial couple of miles weren't too bad, other than battling a constant headwind, and Vischer Ferry is a nice little town to ride through on a Sunday morning. Passed a few other riders along this stretch, which was a nice feeling.
Then the climbs started... again, I passed some folks who were struggling up the hills (I was struggling too, just slightly faster) along Sugar Hill Rd and Ray Rd. That stretch was tough, but it sure felt good when I reached the top of Ray Rd and turned onto Vischer Ferry Rd for a long stretch of downhill. Unfortunately, that's also where I started noticing a bump, bump, bump from my rear wheel. I ignored it for a while and considered just hoping it would be OK for the remaining 7 miles or so, but finally reached a point just before the turn onto Crescent Rd where I could pull over and check the wheel safely. And I was glad I did - my rear tire had popped loose from the rim and the tube was trying to squeeze out through the gap. So I deflated the tube, worked the tire back under the rim, and pumped it back up as best I could with my little hand pump... nowhere near full pressure, but enough to hopefully make it to the end of the ride. I'm glad I stopped - a blowout could have been catastrophic, and would have taken much longer to fix - and after a couple of minutes I was riding again.
The rest of the ride was a bit nerve-wracking, because I could feel the jolt every time I hit a bump or rough patch and was very concerned I would end up with flat. Pushed as hard as I safely could, and started passing people again. The last stretch was tough - a lot of uphill from miles 14 to 15 1/2 or so, where I tried to catch the guy in front of me... I'd get close on the hills, then he'd pull away on the flats. The final half mile was almost all downhill; I took that as fast as I dared and pulled back into transition after riding for about 72 minutes... pretty darn good, all things considered!
I always find it tough to go from riding to running, and today was no exception. Did my best to ease my legs back into running, gradually catching up to and passing the fellow in front of me on the steep hill. It felt like I was barely moving, which was a bit disappointing after my PR pace for the first running leg. But I also knew that I had a long downhill, and this race was short enough and my legs were fresh enough that I could afford to run hard... so I blazed down the hill as fast as I could (which I suspect still didn't look very fast!) A fellow and his son, both riding bikes up the hill, moved aside so I had a clear path, and called out "You rock!" to me as I went by... that felt good! Hit the bottom of the hill and knew I had only a tenth of a mile or so to go, so I pushed as hard as I could and crossed the finish at a total time of 1:54:54... an absolutely fantastic time, as far as I'm concerned!
I found out later that I did the second run in 20:48 - yes, a few seconds faster than the first run. In both cases my average pace was right around 9 1/2 min per mile, which is simply phenomenal - I haven't run at less than a 10 minute pace since 1998!
After packing up my gear, I headed over to the picnic area for some food, then headed back to the car to drive home. I briefly considered driving the bike course to get some pictures... but decided that between the clouds that had rolled in and the lack of safe places to stop and snap photos, I was better off skipping that.
All in all, an excellent day, and a race I'd definitely like to do again!
Next up: the Black Diamond Off Road Duathlon out in Fishers, NY... did the inaugural race in 2005, then had to skip last year's, so I'm definitely looking forward to "du"ing it again.
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 246.8 mi, 57 hr 43 min
Cycling 62.2 mi, 4 hr 31 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
Saturday, October 13, 2007
LONG DISTANCE 2007, Race #21
Diamond Hill-Birchwold 22.5k Trail Race
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Diamond Hill trail race info
2007 Diamond Hill results
photo slideshow
I first began wondering what I was getting myself into when I took my gear out to the car at 6:15 AM and found a thin layer of ice coating the car! Fortunately the windshield was covered in dew, not ice, and I was able to get on the road fairly quickly, all under the watchful eye of Venus shining brightly in the pre-dawn darkness.
One plus to driving to Cumberland, RI is that most of the trip is on the highway, which makes for easy driving and lots of available rest stops. But the major minus is the total lack of places to stop when I see something cool and would like to take a picture. I drove through some wonderful parts of the mountains where the mist rising up from the valleys caught the light of the rising sun and positively glowed - very beautiful. But the Mass Pike is definitely not the place to stop and take a picture!
Finally pulled into the Diamond Hill Park parking lot and checked in, picking up my race number and a very nice long-sleeved T-shirt. Then I geared up and spent a while wandering around the immediate area, both as a warm-up and to stay warm on a chilly morning. A few minutes before 10 AM the RD had us all gather at the start - about 50 runners altogether - and gave us some useful instructions about how the course was marked, with assurances that every bit was extremely well-marked exept for a stretch along a road which apparently passes through a residential area where someone routinely takes down any ribbons or flags that they post. So his instructions were "just keep running down that road until you get to the trailhead into the woods"! Once he'd completed his instructions, he gave us the signal to start, and off we went into the wilds of Diamond Hill Park.
The first bit took us up an old ski slope (ie. steep uphill) and then into the woods on singletrack, and it quickly became apparent that this was going to be an interesting run - the trail was fairly technical, with lots of loose rock. We circled along the base of Diamond Hill, then turned and made our way up to the summit, with the trail getting rockier and more technical all the way! After cresting the summit, we had a long downhill stretch - parts quite steep, all loose rock. Within the first 15 minutes or so, everyone had disappeared from view, though I did run into one gal who was having trouble with her quads and was trying to find her way back to the start. I walked with her until we came out just above the old ski slope, where a volunteer offered to help her get down and I headed off onto the rest of the course.
Had a fairly nice run through the woods for a bit, then came out on a paved road through a residential neighborhood bordering the park. A little ways down that road, the path headed into the woods again, going down and down and down until it ran along the shore of the Diamond Hill Reservoir.
The trail along the reservoir showed clear signs of being a multi-abuse trail (ie. one that sees fairly regular ATV traffic.) For the most part it was runnable, though the hills tended to be fairly eroded, and obvious detours had been cut around the muddier sections. Had some nice views of the reservoir before the path took me back up through the woods and across a road to the first water stop, at about 4 1/4 miles. Refilled my water bottle and added some Gatorade mix, then headed back off into the woods.
Had some good running through the woods, though I almost took a wrong turn when the path came out on a powerline right-of-way and headed off to the left... it took me a minute or two of searching to discover that the course ribbons went straight ahead, along a narrow path stomped through the weeds and bushes! From there I spent a little more time in the woods before coming out on a path that circled an overgrown field. On the far side I caught a glimpse of two other runners (the last ones I'd see for the rest of the race!) Followed the perimeter of the field and ended up back in the woods, at a rather tall wooden bridge with steep slippery ramps on either side - ended up getting down the other side by sitting down and sliding!
From there, I hit one of the most technical parts of the course as the path went up and down ridges and rock outcroppings, winding back and forth through the woods and seemingly taking me around in circles. Mentally that was very draining... I'd run for a few minutes then have to slow to a walk for a tricky stretch. Finally ended up on another relatively wide multi-abuse trail, where I dodged my first ATV of the day... actually, he was extremely polite and pulled off to the side to let me go by, and even wished me a good run as I did so. I saw two more riders zipping around as I came out into a large field which I looped through before a damp stream crossing and a short run through more woods.
After that came another mentally challenging section - the second stretch of paved road. At first it was fine, and in some ways a nice break from technical trails... but then I followed the markers and turned onto a road with no course markers whatsoever. Initially I went back to make sure I hadn't missed a side trail, but then I had no choice but to run down the road, hoping I was on course and wouldn't have to go back. As I ran further and further with no markers, I began to wonder if I should head back the way I'd come... but finally after a mile or so, I heard someone holler "up here!" and saw a volunteer manning a water stop just off the roads up in the woods. Phew!
Refilled my bottle and was told I had about 3 1/2 miles to go... that didn't sound so bad! So I headed off down the trail, and fairly quickly hit yet another steep, technical downhill, this one taking the course down to the shore of the reservior again. The trail wound its way through the woods above the shoreline, up and down hills and eventually inland where I was able to make a fairly dry stream crossing. Not too long after that the trails started to look familiar as I backtracked on paths we'd taken on the way out... as on the way out, parts were very runnable and other parts were less so. The worst thing about it was all the nice downhills that had been a pleasure to run on the way out were now uphills!
Finally I made my way up the long uphill stretch back to the paved road I'd run on a good 2 1/2 hours previously, and made my way down the road and past the point where we'd come out of the woods earlier. Apparently the final stretch of the run back would take me along some new trails!
The last stretch of trail was slow going mostly because I had to keep stopping to figure out where to go next! At first the trail was fairly clear, but as it wound down through the trees to the shore of a small pond it basically disappeared and the only way to proceed was to follow the ribbons. Toward the end that got a bit frustrating as it wound back and forth seemingly at random... but then I heard folks hollering that I was almost there and with a quick charge up a short, steep bank, I came out at a paved path and crossed the makeshift finish line (really, the space between two folding chairs) after 3 hr 17 min. Shook the hand of the RD and a couple of volunteers, thanked them for having a race on such a tough course, and then headed over to my car to put on some warm, dry clothes. And then it was time for the long, long drive back to Albany...
Even though this was a tough run and very slow going in spots, I'm definitely glad I did it. I got ton run someplace I'd never been before and chatted with a few more crazy folk I hadn't met before. As I was plodding my way through the last few miles, I also thought about my options at Mendon in early November... if 14 miles was this tough, just how much past 20k do I think I'd be able to do... there's no easy answer to that, but I suspect I would end up stopping after 30k. There was also a minor coolness factor to this race, in that I actually ran in two states - part of the park crosses the border into Massachusetts!
I don't know that this one will become a yearly draw for me... but I think I would like to do it again sometime and see if I can improve my fairly pathetic time...
Next up: the Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon, right near home up in Clifton Park. Should be a fun du!
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 242.4 mi, 57 hr 01 min
Cycling 46.2 mi, 3 hr 18 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
Diamond Hill-Birchwold 22.5k Trail Race
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Diamond Hill trail race info
2007 Diamond Hill results
photo slideshow
I first began wondering what I was getting myself into when I took my gear out to the car at 6:15 AM and found a thin layer of ice coating the car! Fortunately the windshield was covered in dew, not ice, and I was able to get on the road fairly quickly, all under the watchful eye of Venus shining brightly in the pre-dawn darkness.
One plus to driving to Cumberland, RI is that most of the trip is on the highway, which makes for easy driving and lots of available rest stops. But the major minus is the total lack of places to stop when I see something cool and would like to take a picture. I drove through some wonderful parts of the mountains where the mist rising up from the valleys caught the light of the rising sun and positively glowed - very beautiful. But the Mass Pike is definitely not the place to stop and take a picture!
Finally pulled into the Diamond Hill Park parking lot and checked in, picking up my race number and a very nice long-sleeved T-shirt. Then I geared up and spent a while wandering around the immediate area, both as a warm-up and to stay warm on a chilly morning. A few minutes before 10 AM the RD had us all gather at the start - about 50 runners altogether - and gave us some useful instructions about how the course was marked, with assurances that every bit was extremely well-marked exept for a stretch along a road which apparently passes through a residential area where someone routinely takes down any ribbons or flags that they post. So his instructions were "just keep running down that road until you get to the trailhead into the woods"! Once he'd completed his instructions, he gave us the signal to start, and off we went into the wilds of Diamond Hill Park.
The first bit took us up an old ski slope (ie. steep uphill) and then into the woods on singletrack, and it quickly became apparent that this was going to be an interesting run - the trail was fairly technical, with lots of loose rock. We circled along the base of Diamond Hill, then turned and made our way up to the summit, with the trail getting rockier and more technical all the way! After cresting the summit, we had a long downhill stretch - parts quite steep, all loose rock. Within the first 15 minutes or so, everyone had disappeared from view, though I did run into one gal who was having trouble with her quads and was trying to find her way back to the start. I walked with her until we came out just above the old ski slope, where a volunteer offered to help her get down and I headed off onto the rest of the course.
Had a fairly nice run through the woods for a bit, then came out on a paved road through a residential neighborhood bordering the park. A little ways down that road, the path headed into the woods again, going down and down and down until it ran along the shore of the Diamond Hill Reservoir.
The trail along the reservoir showed clear signs of being a multi-abuse trail (ie. one that sees fairly regular ATV traffic.) For the most part it was runnable, though the hills tended to be fairly eroded, and obvious detours had been cut around the muddier sections. Had some nice views of the reservoir before the path took me back up through the woods and across a road to the first water stop, at about 4 1/4 miles. Refilled my water bottle and added some Gatorade mix, then headed back off into the woods.
Had some good running through the woods, though I almost took a wrong turn when the path came out on a powerline right-of-way and headed off to the left... it took me a minute or two of searching to discover that the course ribbons went straight ahead, along a narrow path stomped through the weeds and bushes! From there I spent a little more time in the woods before coming out on a path that circled an overgrown field. On the far side I caught a glimpse of two other runners (the last ones I'd see for the rest of the race!) Followed the perimeter of the field and ended up back in the woods, at a rather tall wooden bridge with steep slippery ramps on either side - ended up getting down the other side by sitting down and sliding!
From there, I hit one of the most technical parts of the course as the path went up and down ridges and rock outcroppings, winding back and forth through the woods and seemingly taking me around in circles. Mentally that was very draining... I'd run for a few minutes then have to slow to a walk for a tricky stretch. Finally ended up on another relatively wide multi-abuse trail, where I dodged my first ATV of the day... actually, he was extremely polite and pulled off to the side to let me go by, and even wished me a good run as I did so. I saw two more riders zipping around as I came out into a large field which I looped through before a damp stream crossing and a short run through more woods.
After that came another mentally challenging section - the second stretch of paved road. At first it was fine, and in some ways a nice break from technical trails... but then I followed the markers and turned onto a road with no course markers whatsoever. Initially I went back to make sure I hadn't missed a side trail, but then I had no choice but to run down the road, hoping I was on course and wouldn't have to go back. As I ran further and further with no markers, I began to wonder if I should head back the way I'd come... but finally after a mile or so, I heard someone holler "up here!" and saw a volunteer manning a water stop just off the roads up in the woods. Phew!
Refilled my bottle and was told I had about 3 1/2 miles to go... that didn't sound so bad! So I headed off down the trail, and fairly quickly hit yet another steep, technical downhill, this one taking the course down to the shore of the reservior again. The trail wound its way through the woods above the shoreline, up and down hills and eventually inland where I was able to make a fairly dry stream crossing. Not too long after that the trails started to look familiar as I backtracked on paths we'd taken on the way out... as on the way out, parts were very runnable and other parts were less so. The worst thing about it was all the nice downhills that had been a pleasure to run on the way out were now uphills!
Finally I made my way up the long uphill stretch back to the paved road I'd run on a good 2 1/2 hours previously, and made my way down the road and past the point where we'd come out of the woods earlier. Apparently the final stretch of the run back would take me along some new trails!
The last stretch of trail was slow going mostly because I had to keep stopping to figure out where to go next! At first the trail was fairly clear, but as it wound down through the trees to the shore of a small pond it basically disappeared and the only way to proceed was to follow the ribbons. Toward the end that got a bit frustrating as it wound back and forth seemingly at random... but then I heard folks hollering that I was almost there and with a quick charge up a short, steep bank, I came out at a paved path and crossed the makeshift finish line (really, the space between two folding chairs) after 3 hr 17 min. Shook the hand of the RD and a couple of volunteers, thanked them for having a race on such a tough course, and then headed over to my car to put on some warm, dry clothes. And then it was time for the long, long drive back to Albany...
Even though this was a tough run and very slow going in spots, I'm definitely glad I did it. I got ton run someplace I'd never been before and chatted with a few more crazy folk I hadn't met before. As I was plodding my way through the last few miles, I also thought about my options at Mendon in early November... if 14 miles was this tough, just how much past 20k do I think I'd be able to do... there's no easy answer to that, but I suspect I would end up stopping after 30k. There was also a minor coolness factor to this race, in that I actually ran in two states - part of the park crosses the border into Massachusetts!
I don't know that this one will become a yearly draw for me... but I think I would like to do it again sometime and see if I can improve my fairly pathetic time...
Next up: the Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon, right near home up in Clifton Park. Should be a fun du!
JMH
2007 EVENT TOTALS
Running 242.4 mi, 57 hr 01 min
Cycling 46.2 mi, 3 hr 18 min
Snowshoe 31.3 mi, 9 hr 11 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
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