12.6 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, October 31, 2008
After a week where I did more to increase my resemblance to Jabba the Hutt than I did to improve my conditioning, I finally got off my backside and got out on the bike on my way to Rochester. Good thing, too... as I was riding I remembered that the upcoming switch back to Standard Time means any riding I do after work for the next few months will be in the dark... sigh. Since I've given all my lights to Ann to help her stay safe during her commutes to and from work, I guess I'd better order some more...
Felt good to be out riding after four days of inactivity, even if it was substantially chillier than earlier in the day... it cools down fast as the sun sets. I rode most of the bike path west of Schenectady in the short time I had available, out and back from Lock 8. Wood ducks and Canada geese on the old canal, and plenty of continued signs of beavers (but no sightings, unfortunately.) I also startled three deer who were at the edge of the path... took them a moment to figure out what the bizarre thing approaching them was (deer always seem puzzled by me when I'm on a bike...) but then they bounded off into the bushes. Looked like a doe and two mostly-grown youngsters.
A major change that's taken place over there is the rampant clearing of bushes and small trees along the sides of the path, especially from the Rotterdam Kiwanis Park over to Scrafford Lane. What used to be a wonderful bush and tree lined corridor is now wide open, I suspect because it's also a power line right of way... looks like they took a Hydro-axe and just mowed down everything in sight. At least I hope it was the power company that did that... if it was the folks who manage the bike path, they're idiots, because it definitely detracts from the overall scenic beauty (for example, the stretch from the Rotterdam Kiwanis Park to Rt 5 now has a totally clear view of the road the entire way... previously the bushes and trees provided a nice buffer and help you forget there was a fairly busy road a few hundred feet away) and also leaves less habitat for birds and small animals. Oh, well.
JMH
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
A NOT-SO-BEAUTIFUL OCTOBER EVENING
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Ditched my run last night because I was tired and sore, and it was dark, damp, and cold outside... of course, as I watched the rain come down in buckets during the day today I kind of wished I hadn't done that. But then the rain turned to wet snow and I felt a bit better about the prospects of a run this evening... it's always fun to run during some of the early snow falls...
Unfortunately, by the time I hit the pavement it had turned back to rain. And the wind had picked up in a big way. As I did my warmup walk down the street and felt my hands going numb despite my gloves, I found it very easy to give my battered legs one more rest day... turned around two blocks away and came back home. Tonight's not fit for man nor beast... I'm not always sure which one I am, but at least tonight I had the sense to come in out of the rain while I could still almost feel my hands...
JMH
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Ditched my run last night because I was tired and sore, and it was dark, damp, and cold outside... of course, as I watched the rain come down in buckets during the day today I kind of wished I hadn't done that. But then the rain turned to wet snow and I felt a bit better about the prospects of a run this evening... it's always fun to run during some of the early snow falls...
Unfortunately, by the time I hit the pavement it had turned back to rain. And the wind had picked up in a big way. As I did my warmup walk down the street and felt my hands going numb despite my gloves, I found it very easy to give my battered legs one more rest day... turned around two blocks away and came back home. Tonight's not fit for man nor beast... I'm not always sure which one I am, but at least tonight I had the sense to come in out of the rain while I could still almost feel my hands...
JMH
Sunday, October 26, 2008
A BEAUTIFUL OCTOBER AFTERNOON, Part 2
1.3 Mile Walk at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center
Sunday, October 26, 2008
On the way back to Albany I decided to stop at Five Rivers EEC for a walk around the ponds... Five Rivers is usually good for spotting some wildlife, and it seemed like a good way to wrap up my Sunday outdoor adventures.
Apparently lots of other folks thought the same thing, because the parking lot was packed. I've never been there and wondered if I'd find parking before today. Thankfully, all those people were either at an event in the Nature Center or visiting other places in the preserve, because I only ran into a few people as I wandered along the trail to and around the Beaver Pond.
One group I passed was definitely made up of serious birders - they had all sorts of optics and were looking at a bird high up in a tree at the edge of the parking lot. I heard somebody say something about it being the first sighting at Five Rivers in two years... if I'd been smart I would have asked what the ID was, but in my fluid and food-deprived brain wasn't working well enough to come up with that. A little later on I spotted a couple of nuthatches, after hearing them up in the trees overhead. (That's one of the cooler things about getting a bit more into birding... being able to hear certain calls and know that a particular bird is nearby. I marvel sometimes at all the birds I was missing back when I was paying as much attention as I do now.)
Other than that, there wasn't much to see, beyond some nice autumn scenery. Only saw two ducks on the ponds, and the ever-present redwinged blackbirds in the reeds. Maybe if I had the energy to walk out to the ponds in the back fields I would have seen more, but by that time I was getting tired enough that I actually sat down for a little while on my way around the Beaver Pond, so I decided to call it a day when I got back to the car and headed off to find some food and drink... and maybe a nice soft bed to collapse into.
JMH
1.3 Mile Walk at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center
Sunday, October 26, 2008
On the way back to Albany I decided to stop at Five Rivers EEC for a walk around the ponds... Five Rivers is usually good for spotting some wildlife, and it seemed like a good way to wrap up my Sunday outdoor adventures.
Apparently lots of other folks thought the same thing, because the parking lot was packed. I've never been there and wondered if I'd find parking before today. Thankfully, all those people were either at an event in the Nature Center or visiting other places in the preserve, because I only ran into a few people as I wandered along the trail to and around the Beaver Pond.
One group I passed was definitely made up of serious birders - they had all sorts of optics and were looking at a bird high up in a tree at the edge of the parking lot. I heard somebody say something about it being the first sighting at Five Rivers in two years... if I'd been smart I would have asked what the ID was, but in my fluid and food-deprived brain wasn't working well enough to come up with that. A little later on I spotted a couple of nuthatches, after hearing them up in the trees overhead. (That's one of the cooler things about getting a bit more into birding... being able to hear certain calls and know that a particular bird is nearby. I marvel sometimes at all the birds I was missing back when I was paying as much attention as I do now.)
Other than that, there wasn't much to see, beyond some nice autumn scenery. Only saw two ducks on the ponds, and the ever-present redwinged blackbirds in the reeds. Maybe if I had the energy to walk out to the ponds in the back fields I would have seen more, but by that time I was getting tired enough that I actually sat down for a little while on my way around the Beaver Pond, so I decided to call it a day when I got back to the car and headed off to find some food and drink... and maybe a nice soft bed to collapse into.
JMH
A BEAUTIFUL OCTOBER AFTERNOON, Part 1
3.1 Mile Walk at Thacher Park
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Today's race was unusual in that shortly after starting I decided to concentrate on running and only snap photos if I saw something extraordinary (well... more extraordinary than 450 runners plowing through knee deep water and ankle deep mud... which, come to think of it, is only extraordinary for me because of how many runners were there.) As a result, I resisted temptation and didn't take a single photo during the race! But I did see enough gorgeous scenery that I knew I wanted to get back out on the trails afterwards, especially along the streams in the Paint Mine area, which were running higher than I've seen them in a long time.
Parked at the Paint Mine picnic area and headed up the hill, stopping to get photos of a variety of waterfalls along the way. Between the high water levels and the leaves being off many of the trees, I saw falls I've never seen before - excellent! As always I stopped to snap a picture at the spot where my knee went out while taking a picture on New Year's Eve 2004... there's an unhappy memory (though a couple of months later I started running seriously again... a happier memory!) Lots of sunshine filtering down through the leaves remaining on the trees kept things pleasantly warm. I walked up the hill to the ledge overlooking the beaver pond, spent a few minutes hoping the beavers would put in an appearance, and then headed back down the hill.
Back at the car I changed into Injinji toe-socks to baby some potential blisters forming between a couple of toes, then headed across the road to walk along the top of the escarpment. Guess it wasn't a good day for turkey vultures... I've had times when I've seen as many as a dozen soaring on the air currents, but today - not a one. I briefly considered heading down to the Indian Ladder trail... but the thought of climbing the stairs at each end and all the people who were probably down there won out over the lure of the waterfalls at high flow, and I stayed up top, eventually looping back to the car.
After that I headed down the road to Hop Field and walked in a little ways to take some photos of the waterfall near the trailhead. I briefly considered either doing some walking on the Hop Field trails or across the road at the Glen Doone picnic area, but decided my legs were sufficiently fried and instead hopped back in the car to head home, with a brief stop at Five Rivers to walk around the ponds and maybe see some wildlife.
JMH
3.1 Mile Walk at Thacher Park
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Today's race was unusual in that shortly after starting I decided to concentrate on running and only snap photos if I saw something extraordinary (well... more extraordinary than 450 runners plowing through knee deep water and ankle deep mud... which, come to think of it, is only extraordinary for me because of how many runners were there.) As a result, I resisted temptation and didn't take a single photo during the race! But I did see enough gorgeous scenery that I knew I wanted to get back out on the trails afterwards, especially along the streams in the Paint Mine area, which were running higher than I've seen them in a long time.
Parked at the Paint Mine picnic area and headed up the hill, stopping to get photos of a variety of waterfalls along the way. Between the high water levels and the leaves being off many of the trees, I saw falls I've never seen before - excellent! As always I stopped to snap a picture at the spot where my knee went out while taking a picture on New Year's Eve 2004... there's an unhappy memory (though a couple of months later I started running seriously again... a happier memory!) Lots of sunshine filtering down through the leaves remaining on the trees kept things pleasantly warm. I walked up the hill to the ledge overlooking the beaver pond, spent a few minutes hoping the beavers would put in an appearance, and then headed back down the hill.
Back at the car I changed into Injinji toe-socks to baby some potential blisters forming between a couple of toes, then headed across the road to walk along the top of the escarpment. Guess it wasn't a good day for turkey vultures... I've had times when I've seen as many as a dozen soaring on the air currents, but today - not a one. I briefly considered heading down to the Indian Ladder trail... but the thought of climbing the stairs at each end and all the people who were probably down there won out over the lure of the waterfalls at high flow, and I stayed up top, eventually looping back to the car.
After that I headed down the road to Hop Field and walked in a little ways to take some photos of the waterfall near the trailhead. I briefly considered either doing some walking on the Hop Field trails or across the road at the Glen Doone picnic area, but decided my legs were sufficiently fried and instead hopped back in the car to head home, with a brief stop at Five Rivers to walk around the ponds and maybe see some wildlife.
JMH
NOT-SO-LONG DISTANCE 2008 - Race #26
Hairy Gorilla Trail HalfMarathon Mudathon
Sunday, October 26, 2008
2008 Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon results
2008 Event Totals
Run 211.8 mi / 49 hr 36 min
Bike 68.4 mi / 4 hr 59 min
Snowshoe 45.7 mi / 13 hr 19 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, PA, VT
Hairy Gorilla Trail Half
Sunday, October 26, 2008
2008 Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon results
2008 Event Totals
Run 211.8 mi / 49 hr 36 min
Bike 68.4 mi / 4 hr 59 min
Snowshoe 45.7 mi / 13 hr 19 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, PA, VT
Thursday, October 23, 2008
COLD AND DARK
5.7 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Thursday, October 23, 2008
No time to get in a decent run before class, so I hit the trails afterwards in total darkness (well... I did have my headlamp.) Started out chilly, then warmed up a bit, then got colder as the temperature dropped even more... I'm pretty sure I saw 30 degrees on the bank thermometer as I was driving home...
Looks like the folks who manage the Pine Bush are re-routing the yellow trail to follow the edge of the newly-cleared area for a little ways. Looking at the boundary marker signs, I suspect that the old route actually left official preserve territory for a short distance and they're trying to fix that... which would also explain why they've never blocked the two access trails from Guilderland Elementary.
JMH
5.7 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Thursday, October 23, 2008
No time to get in a decent run before class, so I hit the trails afterwards in total darkness (well... I did have my headlamp.) Started out chilly, then warmed up a bit, then got colder as the temperature dropped even more... I'm pretty sure I saw 30 degrees on the bank thermometer as I was driving home...
Looks like the folks who manage the Pine Bush are re-routing the yellow trail to follow the edge of the newly-cleared area for a little ways. Looking at the boundary marker signs, I suspect that the old route actually left official preserve territory for a short distance and they're trying to fix that... which would also explain why they've never blocked the two access trails from Guilderland Elementary.
JMH
Sunday, October 19, 2008
FALL COLORS IN THE CAPITAL DISTRICT
2.5 Mile Walk at Ann Lee Pond Nature Preserve
Sunday, October 19, 2008
It was definitely too nice a day to be indoors, so after Ann got on the road to Rochester I headed over to the Ann Lee Pond Nature Preserve to do a little walking. While the pond isn't terribly large and the airport is less than a mile away, it seemed pretty secluded when I was there back in May. Today it turned out to be less so, with quite a few cars in the parking areas... in fact, as I was getting ready to hit the trails another one pulled up and people piled out with their dogs in tow. So much for solitude!
I started out by walking along the west side of the pond, then took the bridge across the water and headed into the woods. Initially I could hear the dog walkers not far behind me, but a little ways in I took what I thought was a marked trail (it turned out to be a herd path) along the shore of the pond and the adjacent wetlands and soon left them behind. Once I figured out that I was no longer on the official trails, I decided to keep going - after all, during my previous visit I'd seen some side paths I wanted to explore, and it seemed much more likely I wouldn't run into too many people if I was off the beaten path.
Ended up following a series of old ATV paths back into the woods, with some occasional bushwhacking to get around newly flooded areas (I saw pretty good evidence that beavers are alive and well back in the wetlands.) Wandered around for a while enjoying the quiet and the remaining fall colors and hoping to see beavers. No luck, but I did hear some wood ducks heading for cover and saw a couple of woodpeckers. Eventually I made my way back to the marked trails and the north shore of the pond, where I spent a while watching the ducks and geese in the pond.
Before heading back to the car I crossed the road to check out the outskirts of the Ann Lee Home Historic Site... in particular, I wanted to photograph some particularly colorful trees and three rather impressive bulls (at least, I assume from their horns they were bulls) in a nearby field. Along the way I also watched a few more birds zipping around among the bushes and trees.
One of these days I'll have to actually visit the Shaker Historic Site that's right next door to the nature preserve. I knew a little bit about the Shakers as a result of frequently passing the Shaker Historic Site in Hancock, MA on my way to Pittsfield (back when I used to make biweekly trips to buy comic books at a shop in Pittsfield) and because I've always found Shaker-style furniture fairly appealing (probably because of the simplicity of design... it's the type of furniture I make!) But I hadn't realized that the Shakers, a religious group which fled England in 1774 to escape persecution, were essentially established in the US in the Albany area, under the leadership of Mother Ann Lee, and subsequently spread to other parts of the country. The group was never particularly prolific (probably due in part to very strict rules including celibacy and separation of men and women, which also meant membership could only grow through recruitment, as well as strong beliefs about communal living) but played an important role as a distinctly American religious denomination. There are currently 4 living Shakers in a small community in Maine and the prospect of the group continuing is fairly unlikely, though they have been working to secure the property against future development. (For more info, the wikipedia articles on the Shakers and Mother Ann Lee are a good start...)
JMH
2.5 Mile Walk at Ann Lee Pond Nature Preserve
Sunday, October 19, 2008
It was definitely too nice a day to be indoors, so after Ann got on the road to Rochester I headed over to the Ann Lee Pond Nature Preserve to do a little walking. While the pond isn't terribly large and the airport is less than a mile away, it seemed pretty secluded when I was there back in May. Today it turned out to be less so, with quite a few cars in the parking areas... in fact, as I was getting ready to hit the trails another one pulled up and people piled out with their dogs in tow. So much for solitude!
I started out by walking along the west side of the pond, then took the bridge across the water and headed into the woods. Initially I could hear the dog walkers not far behind me, but a little ways in I took what I thought was a marked trail (it turned out to be a herd path) along the shore of the pond and the adjacent wetlands and soon left them behind. Once I figured out that I was no longer on the official trails, I decided to keep going - after all, during my previous visit I'd seen some side paths I wanted to explore, and it seemed much more likely I wouldn't run into too many people if I was off the beaten path.
Ended up following a series of old ATV paths back into the woods, with some occasional bushwhacking to get around newly flooded areas (I saw pretty good evidence that beavers are alive and well back in the wetlands.) Wandered around for a while enjoying the quiet and the remaining fall colors and hoping to see beavers. No luck, but I did hear some wood ducks heading for cover and saw a couple of woodpeckers. Eventually I made my way back to the marked trails and the north shore of the pond, where I spent a while watching the ducks and geese in the pond.
Before heading back to the car I crossed the road to check out the outskirts of the Ann Lee Home Historic Site... in particular, I wanted to photograph some particularly colorful trees and three rather impressive bulls (at least, I assume from their horns they were bulls) in a nearby field. Along the way I also watched a few more birds zipping around among the bushes and trees.
One of these days I'll have to actually visit the Shaker Historic Site that's right next door to the nature preserve. I knew a little bit about the Shakers as a result of frequently passing the Shaker Historic Site in Hancock, MA on my way to Pittsfield (back when I used to make biweekly trips to buy comic books at a shop in Pittsfield) and because I've always found Shaker-style furniture fairly appealing (probably because of the simplicity of design... it's the type of furniture I make!) But I hadn't realized that the Shakers, a religious group which fled England in 1774 to escape persecution, were essentially established in the US in the Albany area, under the leadership of Mother Ann Lee, and subsequently spread to other parts of the country. The group was never particularly prolific (probably due in part to very strict rules including celibacy and separation of men and women, which also meant membership could only grow through recruitment, as well as strong beliefs about communal living) but played an important role as a distinctly American religious denomination. There are currently 4 living Shakers in a small community in Maine and the prospect of the group continuing is fairly unlikely, though they have been working to secure the property against future development. (For more info, the wikipedia articles on the Shakers and Mother Ann Lee are a good start...)
JMH
A Bit o' Walking at the Niskayuna Lions Park and Lock 7 Canal Park
Sunday, October 19, 2008
After the race wrapped up we headed up to Clifton Park to get some lunch... originally we'd planned to go walking somewhere afterwards before Ann headed back to Rochester, but she was feeling sufficiently tired that she decided to pass on that. So on the way back to her truck we stopped at the Niskayuna Lions Park and walked down to the edge of the river... not much wildlife in evidence, though we did spot a heron a ways downstream. After that we headed over to Lock 7 and spent a little while walking around, watching the gulls flying around, and watching a decent-sized boat going through the lock.
JMH
Sunday, October 19, 2008
After the race wrapped up we headed up to Clifton Park to get some lunch... originally we'd planned to go walking somewhere afterwards before Ann headed back to Rochester, but she was feeling sufficiently tired that she decided to pass on that. So on the way back to her truck we stopped at the Niskayuna Lions Park and walked down to the edge of the river... not much wildlife in evidence, though we did spot a heron a ways downstream. After that we headed over to Lock 7 and spent a little while walking around, watching the gulls flying around, and watching a decent-sized boat going through the lock.
JMH
NOT-SO-LONG DISTANCE 2008 - Race #25
Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway Duathlon
Sunday, October 19, 2008
2008 Mohawk Towpath Du results
2008 Event Totals
Run 198.7 mi / 47 hr 01 min
Bike 68.4 mi / 4 hr 59 min
Snowshoe 45.7 mi / 13 hr 19 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, PA, VT
Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway Duathlon
Sunday, October 19, 2008
2008 Mohawk Towpath Du results
2008 Event Totals
Run 198.7 mi / 47 hr 01 min
Bike 68.4 mi / 4 hr 59 min
Snowshoe 45.7 mi / 13 hr 19 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, PA, VT
Saturday, October 18, 2008
PLANS CHANGE ONCE AGAIN...
Saturday, October 18, 2008
We spent a couple of hours at the Waldron's pig roast. Ate way too much good food, played with the dogs a bit, and checked out all the animals - horses, a cow, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys. Then we headed back to Albany to pick up Ann's truck and make the drive out to Rochester.
On the way to the first rest stop, I had enough time to think about how tired I was and realized that I would probably end up blowing off the Ridgewalk & Run 14 miler tomorrow morning... so I proposed we head back to Albany (fortunately we'd only gone 20 miles) where I would do the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway duathlon instead, and then afterwards we could spend some time together before she would head back home. Ann was pretty tired herself and went for it... so back to Albany we went, where I pulled together the equipment and registration forms I'd need to do the du. I'm sorry I'll be missing the Ridgewalk - it's a beautiful course and the weather sounds like it will be great - but I won't miss all the driving.
JMH
Saturday, October 18, 2008
We spent a couple of hours at the Waldron's pig roast. Ate way too much good food, played with the dogs a bit, and checked out all the animals - horses, a cow, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys. Then we headed back to Albany to pick up Ann's truck and make the drive out to Rochester.
On the way to the first rest stop, I had enough time to think about how tired I was and realized that I would probably end up blowing off the Ridgewalk & Run 14 miler tomorrow morning... so I proposed we head back to Albany (fortunately we'd only gone 20 miles) where I would do the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway duathlon instead, and then afterwards we could spend some time together before she would head back home. Ann was pretty tired herself and went for it... so back to Albany we went, where I pulled together the equipment and registration forms I'd need to do the du. I'm sorry I'll be missing the Ridgewalk - it's a beautiful course and the weather sounds like it will be great - but I won't miss all the driving.
JMH
A Short Walk at the Hannacroix Creek Preserve
Saturday, October 18, 2008
After karate classes wrapped up on Saturday we left Ann's truck in Albany and headed south for the Waldron's annual pig roast... along the way I took us to the Hannacroix Creek Preserve in Coeymans so we could spend at least a few minutes outdoors. We hiked down the Hudson River Interpretive Trail which goes through wetlands and woods down to the shore of the river - it's also the spot where I saw a bald eagle this summer.
Nice day for a walk... still lots of colors on the trees. The river was at low tide, but it looked like the tide had gone out recently - the mud was still pretty wet. No eagles, unfortunately... just a nice walk in the woods with my sweetheart.
JMH
Saturday, October 18, 2008
After karate classes wrapped up on Saturday we left Ann's truck in Albany and headed south for the Waldron's annual pig roast... along the way I took us to the Hannacroix Creek Preserve in Coeymans so we could spend at least a few minutes outdoors. We hiked down the Hudson River Interpretive Trail which goes through wetlands and woods down to the shore of the river - it's also the spot where I saw a bald eagle this summer.
Nice day for a walk... still lots of colors on the trees. The river was at low tide, but it looked like the tide had gone out recently - the mud was still pretty wet. No eagles, unfortunately... just a nice walk in the woods with my sweetheart.
JMH
Friday, October 17, 2008
MORE "HABITAT RESTORATION"... SIGH
6.5 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Friday, October 17, 2008
Headed over to the Pine Bush for a quick run before Ann got here... started out at the Blueberry Hills East trailhead, but discovered "trail closed" signs and posters declaring that section is going to be undergoing "habitat restoration" for the next couple of months. Sigh. I thought about going in anyways (it's not like they do work in the evening) but in the end headed over to the Madison Avenue Pinelands and the Great Dune for a variation of last night's run.
Another good evening crunching through the leaves and enjoying the fine autumn weather... what a great time to be outdoors!
JMH
6.5 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Friday, October 17, 2008
Headed over to the Pine Bush for a quick run before Ann got here... started out at the Blueberry Hills East trailhead, but discovered "trail closed" signs and posters declaring that section is going to be undergoing "habitat restoration" for the next couple of months. Sigh. I thought about going in anyways (it's not like they do work in the evening) but in the end headed over to the Madison Avenue Pinelands and the Great Dune for a variation of last night's run.
Another good evening crunching through the leaves and enjoying the fine autumn weather... what a great time to be outdoors!
JMH
Thursday, October 16, 2008
A CHILLY OCTOBER EVENING & A SHORT RUN
5 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Thursday, October 16, 2008
After a day of rain, rain, and more rain, I expected tonight's run to be pretty wet... but then towards the end of the day the rain stopped and the clouds started to clear. It was a lot cooler than it has been for the last week or so... but really some very nice weather for a fall run.
There were a couple of places where I really wished I had my camera to get pictures of the leaves on the trees and covering the trails... very nice!
Ran the perimeter of the Madison Pinelands/Great Dune sections... and since I was working under a deadline (I needed to get to class) I pushed along at a decent pace once I got warmed up. Initially it was tough going, between the chill, being fairly tired, and two days of relative inactivity... but after half an hour or so it started to feel pretty good to be out running in the woods.
Hoping to squeeze in another short run tomorrow, and then Sunday is the next big event - the Ridgewalk & Run 14 miler, one of the tougher courses I've run. The weather's supposed to be good this weekend, so it should be a beautiful day to be enjoying the scenery of southwestern NY.
JMH
5 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Thursday, October 16, 2008
After a day of rain, rain, and more rain, I expected tonight's run to be pretty wet... but then towards the end of the day the rain stopped and the clouds started to clear. It was a lot cooler than it has been for the last week or so... but really some very nice weather for a fall run.
There were a couple of places where I really wished I had my camera to get pictures of the leaves on the trees and covering the trails... very nice!
Ran the perimeter of the Madison Pinelands/Great Dune sections... and since I was working under a deadline (I needed to get to class) I pushed along at a decent pace once I got warmed up. Initially it was tough going, between the chill, being fairly tired, and two days of relative inactivity... but after half an hour or so it started to feel pretty good to be out running in the woods.
Hoping to squeeze in another short run tomorrow, and then Sunday is the next big event - the Ridgewalk & Run 14 miler, one of the tougher courses I've run. The weather's supposed to be good this weekend, so it should be a beautiful day to be enjoying the scenery of southwestern NY.
JMH
Monday, October 13, 2008
19.3 Mile Ride Along the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path and at Colonie Mohawk River Park
Monday, October 13, 2008
As I was riding along the bike path tonight I was reminded that yesterday there were hundreds of folks running along the same route in the Mohawk-Hudson River Marathon... a race which I would like to run someday, but which will mean passing on one or more trail races that are held on the same weekend. I was reminded of the marathon first by the bright orange mile-markers that are painted on the pavement - granted, I almost always notice them, but today they held a little extra significance. I was also reminded by the small pile of cups alongside the road where one of the water stops had been set up, and by a cardboard box in another spot supporting a group of cups apparently filled with Gatorade (leftovers from the race, presumably.) I ran the 2nd half of the race back in 1997, to support a friend who was running the marathon that year. Someday I will run the entire thing...
Spotted a number of herons in the river and a couple of egrets. When I made my way down to the boat launch in the Colonie Mohawk River Park, there was a heron just off shore, and while I was there an egret flew in and another heron flew overhead. The heron population seems to be going strong on the Mohawk!
I also spent a few minutes watching a squirrel snag maple seeds and munch away at them... during a recent broadcast of In Our Backyard, WAMC's environmental program featuring NYS Wildlife Pathologist Ward Stone, Ward spoke about how there is a larger-than-normal squirrel population and competition for food is fierce, resulting in many of the squirrels he's examined being underweight for this time of year. I haven't seen any more squirrels than usual, but I was glad to see this fella was having no trouble finding food to build up some weight for the coming winter.
There was also a big group of gulls on the water above the Lock 7 dam... not as impressive as when they were all lined up along the lip of the dam (or when they were all wheeling through the air above the water this past summer) but still quite a sight.
JMH
Monday, October 13, 2008
As I was riding along the bike path tonight I was reminded that yesterday there were hundreds of folks running along the same route in the Mohawk-Hudson River Marathon... a race which I would like to run someday, but which will mean passing on one or more trail races that are held on the same weekend. I was reminded of the marathon first by the bright orange mile-markers that are painted on the pavement - granted, I almost always notice them, but today they held a little extra significance. I was also reminded by the small pile of cups alongside the road where one of the water stops had been set up, and by a cardboard box in another spot supporting a group of cups apparently filled with Gatorade (leftovers from the race, presumably.) I ran the 2nd half of the race back in 1997, to support a friend who was running the marathon that year. Someday I will run the entire thing...
Spotted a number of herons in the river and a couple of egrets. When I made my way down to the boat launch in the Colonie Mohawk River Park, there was a heron just off shore, and while I was there an egret flew in and another heron flew overhead. The heron population seems to be going strong on the Mohawk!
I also spent a few minutes watching a squirrel snag maple seeds and munch away at them... during a recent broadcast of In Our Backyard, WAMC's environmental program featuring NYS Wildlife Pathologist Ward Stone, Ward spoke about how there is a larger-than-normal squirrel population and competition for food is fierce, resulting in many of the squirrels he's examined being underweight for this time of year. I haven't seen any more squirrels than usual, but I was glad to see this fella was having no trouble finding food to build up some weight for the coming winter.
There was also a big group of gulls on the water above the Lock 7 dam... not as impressive as when they were all lined up along the lip of the dam (or when they were all wheeling through the air above the water this past summer) but still quite a sight.
JMH
Sunday, October 12, 2008
FALL COLORS IN THE NORTHERN BERKSHIRES
4.8 Mile Hike at Monroe State Forest
Sunday, October 12, 2008
I typically plan to go for a hike or a ride after doing a race - partly that's to keep the blood moving in my legs and partly it's to maximize my time outdoors during the trip. Today I had planned to stop at Tibbetts State Forest along Route 7 on the way home; I've passed the trailheads numerous times on my way to races in MA and VT but never actually stopped there. But given that I pushed fairly hard for the last three miles of the race and didn't really get to see and photograph much of the course, I decided instead to hike back in along Dunbar Brook and take in the sights at a more leisurely pace.
The walk along the brook was really very peaceful, with the water rushing over the rocks and the wind rustling the leaves on the trees. It was actually pretty nice to just wander along the path at any pace I wanted! The first mile was fairly shady, but then I crossed the Bridge of Death (that's a reference to the 2005 race, when it rained like crazy the day before and the stream was so high that they didn't dare use the bridge, for fear that someone would fall in and get swept downstream to their death) and there was a lot more sunlight coming down through the trees, making much of the forest glow in golds, reds, yellows, and oranges. Beautiful! I also passed several virgin spruce trees - I don't know that I could have put my arms around the trunks - and numerous boulders big and small, leftovers from the glacier that scoured the area
After about two miles I reached a shelter along the trail, and had the option of continuing uphill (ugh) to follow the path I'd run down earlier in the afternoon or following what looked like an old unblazed path along the stream. I chose the latter, which was an excellent decision, since it took me to a fantastic waterfall I'd never seen before. I climbed around on the rocks near the falls, spent a while sitting on a huge boulder and just enjoying being out in the woods, and then finally headed back down the trail to the picnic area.
All in all, a fun hike, and a great opportunity to see some parts of the forest that went by in something of a blur earlier... the only thing that would have made it even better if it Ann had been able to be there with me. She wouldn't have enjoyed waiting for me to finish the race, but I think she would have liked the walk afterwards.
JMH
4.8 Mile Hike at Monroe State Forest
Sunday, October 12, 2008
I typically plan to go for a hike or a ride after doing a race - partly that's to keep the blood moving in my legs and partly it's to maximize my time outdoors during the trip. Today I had planned to stop at Tibbetts State Forest along Route 7 on the way home; I've passed the trailheads numerous times on my way to races in MA and VT but never actually stopped there. But given that I pushed fairly hard for the last three miles of the race and didn't really get to see and photograph much of the course, I decided instead to hike back in along Dunbar Brook and take in the sights at a more leisurely pace.
The walk along the brook was really very peaceful, with the water rushing over the rocks and the wind rustling the leaves on the trees. It was actually pretty nice to just wander along the path at any pace I wanted! The first mile was fairly shady, but then I crossed the Bridge of Death (that's a reference to the 2005 race, when it rained like crazy the day before and the stream was so high that they didn't dare use the bridge, for fear that someone would fall in and get swept downstream to their death) and there was a lot more sunlight coming down through the trees, making much of the forest glow in golds, reds, yellows, and oranges. Beautiful! I also passed several virgin spruce trees - I don't know that I could have put my arms around the trunks - and numerous boulders big and small, leftovers from the glacier that scoured the area
After about two miles I reached a shelter along the trail, and had the option of continuing uphill (ugh) to follow the path I'd run down earlier in the afternoon or following what looked like an old unblazed path along the stream. I chose the latter, which was an excellent decision, since it took me to a fantastic waterfall I'd never seen before. I climbed around on the rocks near the falls, spent a while sitting on a huge boulder and just enjoying being out in the woods, and then finally headed back down the trail to the picnic area.
All in all, a fun hike, and a great opportunity to see some parts of the forest that went by in something of a blur earlier... the only thing that would have made it even better if it Ann had been able to be there with me. She wouldn't have enjoyed waiting for me to finish the race, but I think she would have liked the walk afterwards.
JMH
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
THERE'S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT AUTUMN...
10 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, October 10, 2008
Squeezed in a really short ride before I had to head over to the karate school to cover class... I had considered skipping it and being a little less rushed, but I'm glad I got out in the crisp fall air instead.
I love being outdoors during all seasons but autumn always has a special place in my heart. Some of that may just be that the weather (when it's good) is ideal - not too hot, not too cold. The changing colors are also a big draw... I love being surrounded by green, but there's just something about the reds, oranges, yellows, and golds of autumn that takes my breath away (and has me snapping photos like crazy.) Even though I'm back at work and the hours of daylight are slipping away far too quickly, there's just something about feel and scent of the crisp autumn air and the sound of leaves crunching beneath my feet or my wheels that gets my blood flowing, and I find myself wanting to spend every minute I can outdoors.
Autumn has always had something of that effect on me... I can remember as a youngster getting excited about Halloween (a natural, given my interest in monsters and fantasy), Thanksgiving, and this time of the year. Perhaps it's no coincidence that I first started trail running in autumn... I do know that getting out on the trails and crunching through the falling leaves always takes me back to those first trail runs in the Berkshires, more than a few years ago...
Sometimes it's just good to be alive... and autumn seems to be one of those times where it's easiest for me to feel that.
JMH
10 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, October 10, 2008
Squeezed in a really short ride before I had to head over to the karate school to cover class... I had considered skipping it and being a little less rushed, but I'm glad I got out in the crisp fall air instead.
I love being outdoors during all seasons but autumn always has a special place in my heart. Some of that may just be that the weather (when it's good) is ideal - not too hot, not too cold. The changing colors are also a big draw... I love being surrounded by green, but there's just something about the reds, oranges, yellows, and golds of autumn that takes my breath away (and has me snapping photos like crazy.) Even though I'm back at work and the hours of daylight are slipping away far too quickly, there's just something about feel and scent of the crisp autumn air and the sound of leaves crunching beneath my feet or my wheels that gets my blood flowing, and I find myself wanting to spend every minute I can outdoors.
Autumn has always had something of that effect on me... I can remember as a youngster getting excited about Halloween (a natural, given my interest in monsters and fantasy), Thanksgiving, and this time of the year. Perhaps it's no coincidence that I first started trail running in autumn... I do know that getting out on the trails and crunching through the falling leaves always takes me back to those first trail runs in the Berkshires, more than a few years ago...
Sometimes it's just good to be alive... and autumn seems to be one of those times where it's easiest for me to feel that.
JMH
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
A VERY SHORT RUN
4.4 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
I figured my legs would be pretty well recovered after two days of being fairly lazy, but when I hit the trails over in the Pine Bush tonight they still felt tired, stiff, and sore... guess Breakneck beat me up more than I thought. So I cut my 6-7 mile run short and gave them a break.
Lots of deer out tonight... seemed like every few minutes I saw them bouncing off into the bushes.
JMH
4.4 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
I figured my legs would be pretty well recovered after two days of being fairly lazy, but when I hit the trails over in the Pine Bush tonight they still felt tired, stiff, and sore... guess Breakneck beat me up more than I thought. So I cut my 6-7 mile run short and gave them a break.
Lots of deer out tonight... seemed like every few minutes I saw them bouncing off into the bushes.
JMH
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Friday, October 03, 2008
6.2 Mile Run Along the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, October 3, 2008
I covered the Friday night class at the karate school, so I wasn't able to get out for a run until long after dark... but what a great night for a run! Not too cold (once I got going and started generating some heat) and a crystal-clear sky with stars visible everywhere. Wow! All it needed to make the night even more complete was the coyotes howling across the river in the Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve
Another thing that made this a fun time - two friends were in town and were actually able to come out with me on their first night running adventure. I haven't done a "training" run with anyone else for a long time now, and while I wouldn't want to do that all the time - I like and need my solitude a bit too much for that - it was a lot of fun to have them along and talk a bit during the run. And it definitely made the six miles go by (seemingly) a lot faster.
I was feeling pretty good at the end and contemplated going out for another half hour or so... but decided to be conservative instead (I do have a 20k trail run coming up on Sunday morning) and hung around in the parking lot for a bit chatting with my friends while they did their best not to be too obvious that they were freezing. Don't know when we'll get a chance to run together again - but tonight was definitely a good time and a great way to wrap up the work week.
JMH
Friday, October 3, 2008
I covered the Friday night class at the karate school, so I wasn't able to get out for a run until long after dark... but what a great night for a run! Not too cold (once I got going and started generating some heat) and a crystal-clear sky with stars visible everywhere. Wow! All it needed to make the night even more complete was the coyotes howling across the river in the Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve
Another thing that made this a fun time - two friends were in town and were actually able to come out with me on their first night running adventure. I haven't done a "training" run with anyone else for a long time now, and while I wouldn't want to do that all the time - I like and need my solitude a bit too much for that - it was a lot of fun to have them along and talk a bit during the run. And it definitely made the six miles go by (seemingly) a lot faster.
I was feeling pretty good at the end and contemplated going out for another half hour or so... but decided to be conservative instead (I do have a 20k trail run coming up on Sunday morning) and hung around in the parking lot for a bit chatting with my friends while they did their best not to be too obvious that they were freezing. Don't know when we'll get a chance to run together again - but tonight was definitely a good time and a great way to wrap up the work week.
JMH
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
6.7 Mile Run Along the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
A late start tonight, and uncertain weather, warm and humid with a cold front blowing in and dragging a storm along with it. Given that there was a very loud crqack of thunder just as I left my car to head off down the path, I didn't know what to expect... as it turned out, the evening was uneventful.
Legs felt tired, I suspect in part from all the climbing and descending I did yesterday. Thankfully the section of bike path I ran was fairly flat.
The heron was once again hanging out at the Niskayuna Lions Park canoe/kayak launch... he seems to like it there. When I passed through the Lock 7 parking area, there was another heron standing on the edge of the dock that projects out from the boat launch there... would have been a neat picture, if I'd had my camera and if it was still light enough to get a decent shot (that last part's debatable.)
I'll probably end up taking tomorrow night off, since I have open house at work, but maybe I can get in a short run after class Friday night. Have to wait and see how the legs are feeling.
JMH
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
A late start tonight, and uncertain weather, warm and humid with a cold front blowing in and dragging a storm along with it. Given that there was a very loud crqack of thunder just as I left my car to head off down the path, I didn't know what to expect... as it turned out, the evening was uneventful.
Legs felt tired, I suspect in part from all the climbing and descending I did yesterday. Thankfully the section of bike path I ran was fairly flat.
The heron was once again hanging out at the Niskayuna Lions Park canoe/kayak launch... he seems to like it there. When I passed through the Lock 7 parking area, there was another heron standing on the edge of the dock that projects out from the boat launch there... would have been a neat picture, if I'd had my camera and if it was still light enough to get a decent shot (that last part's debatable.)
I'll probably end up taking tomorrow night off, since I have open house at work, but maybe I can get in a short run after class Friday night. Have to wait and see how the legs are feeling.
JMH
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