LOOKING BACK - 2009
Thursday, December 31, 2009
RUN 760.7 mi
RIDE 958.4 mi
SNOWSHOE 88.6 mi
HIKE/WALK 204.3 mi
PADDLE 43.1 mi
XC SKI 24.5 mi
racing:
14 snowshoe races
4 road races
22 trail races
5 multisport races
279.1 mi run
58.6 mi ridden
57.5 mi snowshoed
3.3 mi XC skied
8 states: CT, NH, NY, MA, ME, PA, RI, VT
Thursday, December 31, 2009
A BIRD IN THE HAND... IS PRETTY DARN COOL!
Feeding Birds at Mendon Ponds Park
Thursday, December 31, 2009
When my friend Elliott and I first went XC skiing at Mendon Ponds Park (way back in 1997 or 1998, I think) there was a fellow standing by the trailhead with his hands out in front of him... we watched for a bit and finally figured out that chickadees were flying down and taking seeds out of his hands. I read about the fairly bold Mendon birds several times since then but never found the opprtunity to try feeding them, so today was a fun first.
There were seeds scattered in the snow so I wasn't sure we'd have any luck, but then I heard wings fluttering and a chickadee landed on my hand, grabbed a seed, and then took off. I had a couple more come in and then Ann tried as well, with similar success. We spotted quite a few more birds in the bushes - sparrows, a few titmouses, and even a pair of cardinals, but the chickadees were the only ones brave enough to come out and take seeds from our hands.
After we finished snowshoeing/skiing, we tried again, at a different set of bushes, and once again the chickadees were clearly the bravest... but we were surprised when a couple of titmouses flew to Ann's hand to get food. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get any shots of them. The cardinals also seemed very used to people (unlike the ones in Ann's yard, which seem downright neurotic - the slightest movement sends them under cover.) I thought we might get one coming to feed, but they stayed in the shelter of the bushes and had a good time with the seeds we'd thrown there.
All in all, I have to say these birds have a good deal... they're probably some of the best fed little guys in the Rochester area!
JMH
Feeding Birds at Mendon Ponds Park
Thursday, December 31, 2009
When my friend Elliott and I first went XC skiing at Mendon Ponds Park (way back in 1997 or 1998, I think) there was a fellow standing by the trailhead with his hands out in front of him... we watched for a bit and finally figured out that chickadees were flying down and taking seeds out of his hands. I read about the fairly bold Mendon birds several times since then but never found the opprtunity to try feeding them, so today was a fun first.
There were seeds scattered in the snow so I wasn't sure we'd have any luck, but then I heard wings fluttering and a chickadee landed on my hand, grabbed a seed, and then took off. I had a couple more come in and then Ann tried as well, with similar success. We spotted quite a few more birds in the bushes - sparrows, a few titmouses, and even a pair of cardinals, but the chickadees were the only ones brave enough to come out and take seeds from our hands.
After we finished snowshoeing/skiing, we tried again, at a different set of bushes, and once again the chickadees were clearly the bravest... but we were surprised when a couple of titmouses flew to Ann's hand to get food. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get any shots of them. The cardinals also seemed very used to people (unlike the ones in Ann's yard, which seem downright neurotic - the slightest movement sends them under cover.) I thought we might get one coming to feed, but they stayed in the shelter of the bushes and had a good time with the seeds we'd thrown there.
All in all, I have to say these birds have a good deal... they're probably some of the best fed little guys in the Rochester area!
JMH
3 Mile Snowshoe at Mendon Ponds Park
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Well, that didn't work out as well as I'd hoped. I knew the snow cover would be light and so snowshoeing would be pretty easy - what I'd hoped was that there'd be enough snow that Ann would be faster than me on her skis. Unfortunately, there were enough spots with roots and leaves poking through that it was pretty slow going for her and a lot of work, and in the end I typically ran ahead a ways, waited for her to catch up, and then ran on a little further. Not much fun for her, unfortunately, and after a little over 2 miles she took me up on my comment about ditching the skis and walking most of the rest of the way, though she did ski the last quarter mile or so back to the trail head.
We went out on the loop around Quaker Pond, which clearly has seen a lot of traffic.... while we were there half a dozen folks passed us on skis. Lots of birds around, and a few deer off in the woods. I got back to the trailhead before Ann so I ran back up the hill we'd climbed on our way out and then down through the field on what looked like a deer track... that was fun.
I was a bit disappointed when we drove into the park that none of the usual Mendon deer were in sight, but the drive out more than made up for that...
JMH
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Well, that didn't work out as well as I'd hoped. I knew the snow cover would be light and so snowshoeing would be pretty easy - what I'd hoped was that there'd be enough snow that Ann would be faster than me on her skis. Unfortunately, there were enough spots with roots and leaves poking through that it was pretty slow going for her and a lot of work, and in the end I typically ran ahead a ways, waited for her to catch up, and then ran on a little further. Not much fun for her, unfortunately, and after a little over 2 miles she took me up on my comment about ditching the skis and walking most of the rest of the way, though she did ski the last quarter mile or so back to the trail head.
We went out on the loop around Quaker Pond, which clearly has seen a lot of traffic.... while we were there half a dozen folks passed us on skis. Lots of birds around, and a few deer off in the woods. I got back to the trailhead before Ann so I ran back up the hill we'd climbed on our way out and then down through the field on what looked like a deer track... that was fun.
I was a bit disappointed when we drove into the park that none of the usual Mendon deer were in sight, but the drive out more than made up for that...
JMH
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
6 Mile Run Along the Albany Streets & Around Buckingham Lake
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
A tough slog on a day that ended up being colder than I expected. Of course, running around Albany doesn't help. Lots of skaters out on Buckingham Lake, but given how cold it's been lately I don't think they needed to worry about the ice breaking. The biggest surprise was the number of squirrels I saw... the chubby little buggers were everywhere looking for food!
I've really got to get back to the point where 6 miles doesn't seem like a tough run...
JMH
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
A tough slog on a day that ended up being colder than I expected. Of course, running around Albany doesn't help. Lots of skaters out on Buckingham Lake, but given how cold it's been lately I don't think they needed to worry about the ice breaking. The biggest surprise was the number of squirrels I saw... the chubby little buggers were everywhere looking for food!
I've really got to get back to the point where 6 miles doesn't seem like a tough run...
JMH
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
1.2 Mile Walk at High Falls Conservation Area
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Despite the very cold, very windy weather, Ann and I wanted to get outside before stopping at my parents' house for a holiday visit. We tried Ooms Conservation Area but it was just too windy, and most of the trails there are out in the open. So then we headed for High Falls, which is where I'd really wanted to go anyway. My main concern was that we'd get there with only half an hour or so left before sundown.
As it turned out, we did a bit better than that, but even in the woods it was extremely cold. We took the lower trail along the stream to try and reach the base of the falls, but the water was high enough that I didn't want to risk dunking a foot scrambling over icy rocks, and we never did get far enough to actually see the falls. And by that point it was getting late enough and we were cold enough that we decided not to head to the overlook but just went back to the car instead. A shame, because I suspect the falls were pretty impressive from the amount of water we saw in the Agawamuck Creek.
As with my visit back in September, I was really struck by the bizarre feeling of walking paths that I wandered along many, many times when I was younger, well over a decade before anyone thought of making the area a nature preserve. Hopefully I can get down there again before the end of the winter; the view of the falls should be much better with the leaves off the trees, and it should be a heck of a lot easier walking those trails on snowshoes than it used to be in boots!
JMH
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Despite the very cold, very windy weather, Ann and I wanted to get outside before stopping at my parents' house for a holiday visit. We tried Ooms Conservation Area but it was just too windy, and most of the trails there are out in the open. So then we headed for High Falls, which is where I'd really wanted to go anyway. My main concern was that we'd get there with only half an hour or so left before sundown.
As it turned out, we did a bit better than that, but even in the woods it was extremely cold. We took the lower trail along the stream to try and reach the base of the falls, but the water was high enough that I didn't want to risk dunking a foot scrambling over icy rocks, and we never did get far enough to actually see the falls. And by that point it was getting late enough and we were cold enough that we decided not to head to the overlook but just went back to the car instead. A shame, because I suspect the falls were pretty impressive from the amount of water we saw in the Agawamuck Creek.
As with my visit back in September, I was really struck by the bizarre feeling of walking paths that I wandered along many, many times when I was younger, well over a decade before anyone thought of making the area a nature preserve. Hopefully I can get down there again before the end of the winter; the view of the falls should be much better with the leaves off the trees, and it should be a heck of a lot easier walking those trails on snowshoes than it used to be in boots!
JMH
Monday, December 28, 2009
WHAT A TURKEY...
2.3 Mile Walk at Five Rivers
Monday, December 28, 2009
My first thought for today was to head over the the Cohoes Falls/Waterford Flight of Locks area of the Mohawk River and see if we could spot any eagles... I've read in several places that they tend to hang out there in the winter because there's open water where they can get fish. Unfortunately, dark clouds were heading into town from that direction, and I really wanted to be in a bit of sunshine today... so I did an about face and headed off towards Delmar/Vorheesville instead, planning to visit either Thacher Park or Five Rivers. The wind hammering the car during the drive made the decision for us - the Helderberg escarpment would have been a very cold, uncomfortable choice - and early afternoon found us bundling up for a walk at Five Rivers.
There were deer in the orchard (presumably after the apples) when we arrived, which was fairly cool. From there we headed down to the Vlomankill Trail and walked along the stream, which had a decent amount of water flowing and big slabs of ice that had been dislodged during the rain a few days ago. Not much wildlife to see but it was still a nice walk with the water bubbling alongside the path.
After that we walked around the Beaver Pond, which was totally frozen over... no sign of beavers (presumably, they're snug in their lodge) and even the birds were pretty scarce. Some cool patterns in the ice, though. When we got back to the parking lot I suggested we check out the bird feeders, and on the way over we were surprised to see - a turkey! He was wandering around near the employee cars looking for food... very unusual. We snuck up on him, but it became clear pretty quickly that this was no typical turkey... instead of disappearing into the bushes as we got close, he kept wandering around looking for stuff to eat. So we wandered with him, tried to get him to take some food from our hands (someone had dumped a bunch of peanuts out, probably for the squirrels - the turkey didn't seem too interested in them) and I took a bunch of pictures. That's probably the closest I've ever been to a "wild" turkey - can't say they're the prettiest birds around, but the irridescence in his feathers when the sun hit them was quite spectacular.
Eventually we decided to leave him to his work (or maybe he was just waiting to cadge a ride to someplace warmer, who knows... he definitely hovered around the cars the whole time) and did a short walk along the woodlot trail. I wandered back over to the orchard to take more pictures of the deer, but they decided they'd had enough of people and took off fairly quickly. By then we were getting pretty chilly and it was getting a bit darker, so we hopped back in the car to head home.
On the way home I decided to pop over to Krumkill Road in hopes of getting some shots of the sunset... not much luck there, though I did get some nice pictures of the clouds from the hilltop near the red barn and a couple of great shots of the almost full moon.
JMH
2.3 Mile Walk at Five Rivers
Monday, December 28, 2009
My first thought for today was to head over the the Cohoes Falls/Waterford Flight of Locks area of the Mohawk River and see if we could spot any eagles... I've read in several places that they tend to hang out there in the winter because there's open water where they can get fish. Unfortunately, dark clouds were heading into town from that direction, and I really wanted to be in a bit of sunshine today... so I did an about face and headed off towards Delmar/Vorheesville instead, planning to visit either Thacher Park or Five Rivers. The wind hammering the car during the drive made the decision for us - the Helderberg escarpment would have been a very cold, uncomfortable choice - and early afternoon found us bundling up for a walk at Five Rivers.
There were deer in the orchard (presumably after the apples) when we arrived, which was fairly cool. From there we headed down to the Vlomankill Trail and walked along the stream, which had a decent amount of water flowing and big slabs of ice that had been dislodged during the rain a few days ago. Not much wildlife to see but it was still a nice walk with the water bubbling alongside the path.
After that we walked around the Beaver Pond, which was totally frozen over... no sign of beavers (presumably, they're snug in their lodge) and even the birds were pretty scarce. Some cool patterns in the ice, though. When we got back to the parking lot I suggested we check out the bird feeders, and on the way over we were surprised to see - a turkey! He was wandering around near the employee cars looking for food... very unusual. We snuck up on him, but it became clear pretty quickly that this was no typical turkey... instead of disappearing into the bushes as we got close, he kept wandering around looking for stuff to eat. So we wandered with him, tried to get him to take some food from our hands (someone had dumped a bunch of peanuts out, probably for the squirrels - the turkey didn't seem too interested in them) and I took a bunch of pictures. That's probably the closest I've ever been to a "wild" turkey - can't say they're the prettiest birds around, but the irridescence in his feathers when the sun hit them was quite spectacular.
Eventually we decided to leave him to his work (or maybe he was just waiting to cadge a ride to someplace warmer, who knows... he definitely hovered around the cars the whole time) and did a short walk along the woodlot trail. I wandered back over to the orchard to take more pictures of the deer, but they decided they'd had enough of people and took off fairly quickly. By then we were getting pretty chilly and it was getting a bit darker, so we hopped back in the car to head home.
On the way home I decided to pop over to Krumkill Road in hopes of getting some shots of the sunset... not much luck there, though I did get some nice pictures of the clouds from the hilltop near the red barn and a couple of great shots of the almost full moon.
JMH
Sunday, December 27, 2009
2.6 Mile Walk at Peebles Island State Park
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Once we got out of the mountains it turned out to be a fairly sunny day, so Ann and I decided to stop and do a bit of walking before we needed to head out to a dinner appointment. I'd been wanting to get back to Peebles Island after running there in mid-July and it was (sort of) on the way home... so that's where we headed.
The path was pretty muddy, but we were expecting that given all the rain we've had recently. We ended up walking much of the perimeter trail, though we did take a short cut back to the trailhead instead of doing the hilly path through the woods. Apparently this was a popular place to go today - we passed ten or so other folks out on the trails.
Not much wildlife in sight, though we did spot a couple of deer early on, and as we were walking back across the old railroad bridge Ann spotted a group of black-backed gulls out on the river. (They're easy to spot when they're with the usual ring-billed gulls because they're so much larger.)
I especially wanted to see the waterfall and wasn't disappointed, though Ann was definitely underwhelmed - she didn't remember much about the island and thought the waterfall was going to be much more impressive (really, it's more of a cascade than anything else.) Despite that it was a good afternoon for a walk - not to cold and lots of sunshine - and having her there just made it even better.
JMH
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Once we got out of the mountains it turned out to be a fairly sunny day, so Ann and I decided to stop and do a bit of walking before we needed to head out to a dinner appointment. I'd been wanting to get back to Peebles Island after running there in mid-July and it was (sort of) on the way home... so that's where we headed.
The path was pretty muddy, but we were expecting that given all the rain we've had recently. We ended up walking much of the perimeter trail, though we did take a short cut back to the trailhead instead of doing the hilly path through the woods. Apparently this was a popular place to go today - we passed ten or so other folks out on the trails.
Not much wildlife in sight, though we did spot a couple of deer early on, and as we were walking back across the old railroad bridge Ann spotted a group of black-backed gulls out on the river. (They're easy to spot when they're with the usual ring-billed gulls because they're so much larger.)
I especially wanted to see the waterfall and wasn't disappointed, though Ann was definitely underwhelmed - she didn't remember much about the island and thought the waterfall was going to be much more impressive (really, it's more of a cascade than anything else.) Despite that it was a good afternoon for a walk - not to cold and lots of sunshine - and having her there just made it even better.
JMH
Season of the SnōShū 2010 - Race #1
I Love Woodford 3mi Snowshoe Race
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Woodford always summons up memories of my first snowshoe race back in December 2005. I had purchased a pair of 25" Dions about three weeks before and Albany spent the whole time with at most of couple of inches of ice-crusted snow. In other words I had no idea what I was getting myself into at Woodford, with 12-18" of relatively fresh powder. By the end of roughly an hour of stumbling and gasping my way through three miles of torture, I had learned what snowshoeing is really like - cold melting snow all over you and the hardest work you'll ever do to "run" at a 20 min/mile pace. But it's also a heck of a lot of fun, which is why I'm looking forward my 5th season of snowshoe racing.
After waking up periodically throughout the night and listening to the rain falling, I was really glad Woodford RD Jack Quinn had sent word earlier in the week that there was plenty of snow at the park. I think I lost track of how many times Ann asked me if I really thought the race would still be on, especially as we drove from Albany to Bennington surrounded by lots of brown and grey and very little white... but then, as has happened on several occasions since I started snowshoeing back in December 2005, we started climbing up into the mountains and there was snow!
After watching a car getting set to be towed up into the parking lot we were thankfully re-routed to the one-way exit road - I'm really not sure my Civic would have made it up that slushy icy hill, even with snow tires. The parking lot was a little bit better than last year - I didn't see Jack gliding around on his skates! Checked in and said hi to a few friends that I didn't see nearly often enough this fall, with my injuries and all, then geared up and we made the trek down to the starting line. Third time at Woodford and I've learned - hike down the road, not the trail, and avoid that drop just before the road crossing!
Chatted with more friends while we waited for things to get started and Ann took some photos. It was definitely looking to be a good day, if a bit slushy - not too cold, and the snow wouldn't be too loose after the rain. All that remained to be seen was how my knee would hold up... Jack said a few words about the race and the course, and then - off we went!
The train starts pretty quickly on snowed over road into the park - it's a lot easier to tuck into a comfortable spot in the lineup and stay on the packed track then plow through the unpacked snow to the sides, though there's plenty of room to pass if you want to. I ended up at the back with the usual suspects - Konrad, Bill, Walter, and Jeff. The road also runs uphill and I always find it surprisingly tough so early on... this year I knew I'd be slow enough that it didn't seem worth jockeying for a better position before the start of the singletrack.
The woods were beautiful as always... one of the neat things about snowshoeing is the various ways the surroundings can be just wonderful. Sometimes it's that bright gleaming white that everything gets in the sunshine, but today it was a grey, misty kind of beauty, with the evergreens standing out just a little more colorfully against the muted background. I especially like it when we approach the shore of the reservoir and can see the water through the trees, and crossing the streams and cascades bubbling away under the ice and snow. I found the running similar to last year - not terribly difficult going, other than trying to keep the snowshoes from getting too wet in a few spots (ice buildup - bleah!) and of course the fact that injuries and laziness have me in much worse shape than I was a year ago.
Eventually the winding path through the woods gave way to the open field just before coming back out on the entrance road. I sensed clear sailing, picked up the pace a bit, and very quickly tripped and slammed myself into the ground... nothing that unusual for a klutz like me, but the knee I injured back in June and November took the worst of the impact. Picked myself up, determined that everything still worked more or less, and headed off down the road to the finish - a bit more carefully than a few moments ago.
With only two prior Woodfords under my belt it still surprises me how quickly the finish comes up once we're back on the road. Ran it in as fast as I could (translation - not very fast!) and was happy to finish in 45 min 22 sec, only slightly more time than last year... not bad considering my knee and general lack of conditioning. Collected my finisher's "trophy" (mmm... Vermont Bread Company!), chatted briefly with a few folks hanging around the finish, and then Ann and I made the hike back up to the car so I could change into some dry clothes and grab a quick bite to eat before we got back on the road.
All in all, another successful I Love Woodford and a milestone for Konrad as well – his 100th snowshoe race! Best of all and another fun time out in the woods with my crazy snowshoeing friends. A huge thank you to Jack Quinn and his wonderful crew of volunteers for a great morning - where else but at one of our snowshoe races would you find a RD stopping by someone's car as they're getting ready to leave to make sure they've gotten something to eat and are going away feeling welcomed and happy? Today was a great start to the 2010 snowshoeing season and the WMAC Dion Racing series - bring on the next couple of months of stomping around in the snow!
JMH
2009 Event Totals
Run 279.1 mi, 69 hr 8 min
Bike 58.6 mi, 4 hr 29 min
Snowshoe 57.4 mi, 13 hr 50 min
XC Ski 3.3 mi, 1 hr 2 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, PA, RI, VT
I Love Woodford 3mi Snowshoe Race
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Woodford always summons up memories of my first snowshoe race back in December 2005. I had purchased a pair of 25" Dions about three weeks before and Albany spent the whole time with at most of couple of inches of ice-crusted snow. In other words I had no idea what I was getting myself into at Woodford, with 12-18" of relatively fresh powder. By the end of roughly an hour of stumbling and gasping my way through three miles of torture, I had learned what snowshoeing is really like - cold melting snow all over you and the hardest work you'll ever do to "run" at a 20 min/mile pace. But it's also a heck of a lot of fun, which is why I'm looking forward my 5th season of snowshoe racing.
After waking up periodically throughout the night and listening to the rain falling, I was really glad Woodford RD Jack Quinn had sent word earlier in the week that there was plenty of snow at the park. I think I lost track of how many times Ann asked me if I really thought the race would still be on, especially as we drove from Albany to Bennington surrounded by lots of brown and grey and very little white... but then, as has happened on several occasions since I started snowshoeing back in December 2005, we started climbing up into the mountains and there was snow!
After watching a car getting set to be towed up into the parking lot we were thankfully re-routed to the one-way exit road - I'm really not sure my Civic would have made it up that slushy icy hill, even with snow tires. The parking lot was a little bit better than last year - I didn't see Jack gliding around on his skates! Checked in and said hi to a few friends that I didn't see nearly often enough this fall, with my injuries and all, then geared up and we made the trek down to the starting line. Third time at Woodford and I've learned - hike down the road, not the trail, and avoid that drop just before the road crossing!
Chatted with more friends while we waited for things to get started and Ann took some photos. It was definitely looking to be a good day, if a bit slushy - not too cold, and the snow wouldn't be too loose after the rain. All that remained to be seen was how my knee would hold up... Jack said a few words about the race and the course, and then - off we went!
The train starts pretty quickly on snowed over road into the park - it's a lot easier to tuck into a comfortable spot in the lineup and stay on the packed track then plow through the unpacked snow to the sides, though there's plenty of room to pass if you want to. I ended up at the back with the usual suspects - Konrad, Bill, Walter, and Jeff. The road also runs uphill and I always find it surprisingly tough so early on... this year I knew I'd be slow enough that it didn't seem worth jockeying for a better position before the start of the singletrack.
The woods were beautiful as always... one of the neat things about snowshoeing is the various ways the surroundings can be just wonderful. Sometimes it's that bright gleaming white that everything gets in the sunshine, but today it was a grey, misty kind of beauty, with the evergreens standing out just a little more colorfully against the muted background. I especially like it when we approach the shore of the reservoir and can see the water through the trees, and crossing the streams and cascades bubbling away under the ice and snow. I found the running similar to last year - not terribly difficult going, other than trying to keep the snowshoes from getting too wet in a few spots (ice buildup - bleah!) and of course the fact that injuries and laziness have me in much worse shape than I was a year ago.
Eventually the winding path through the woods gave way to the open field just before coming back out on the entrance road. I sensed clear sailing, picked up the pace a bit, and very quickly tripped and slammed myself into the ground... nothing that unusual for a klutz like me, but the knee I injured back in June and November took the worst of the impact. Picked myself up, determined that everything still worked more or less, and headed off down the road to the finish - a bit more carefully than a few moments ago.
With only two prior Woodfords under my belt it still surprises me how quickly the finish comes up once we're back on the road. Ran it in as fast as I could (translation - not very fast!) and was happy to finish in 45 min 22 sec, only slightly more time than last year... not bad considering my knee and general lack of conditioning. Collected my finisher's "trophy" (mmm... Vermont Bread Company!), chatted briefly with a few folks hanging around the finish, and then Ann and I made the hike back up to the car so I could change into some dry clothes and grab a quick bite to eat before we got back on the road.
All in all, another successful I Love Woodford and a milestone for Konrad as well – his 100th snowshoe race! Best of all and another fun time out in the woods with my crazy snowshoeing friends. A huge thank you to Jack Quinn and his wonderful crew of volunteers for a great morning - where else but at one of our snowshoe races would you find a RD stopping by someone's car as they're getting ready to leave to make sure they've gotten something to eat and are going away feeling welcomed and happy? Today was a great start to the 2010 snowshoeing season and the WMAC Dion Racing series - bring on the next couple of months of stomping around in the snow!
JMH
2009 Event Totals
Run 279.1 mi, 69 hr 8 min
Bike 58.6 mi, 4 hr 29 min
Snowshoe 57.4 mi, 13 hr 50 min
XC Ski 3.3 mi, 1 hr 2 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, PA, RI, VT
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Time to Fess Up...
Saturday, December 26, 2009
I didn't get outside for 30 minutes today, unless you add up all the time I spent walking to and from the car and setting up a new bird feeder outside Ann's front window. And even then I doubt it would be 30 minutes.
Just after leaving Rochester I mentioned that I'd be going for a walk when we got to Albany and Ann's reaction was "How about you just run circles around the car for 5 minutes at each rest stop instead?" Of course, had I actually done so, it would have driven her nuts in very short order. Instead, I told her that if I ever got that OCD she had permission to whack me in the head with a blunt instrument.
So after we unloaded the car (in the rain) and I went back (in the rain) for a few items I'd forgotten in the trunk (in the rain) I pondered the thought that maybe going for a walk in the rain just to get outside for 30 minutes was more than a bit OCD in and of itself, or at least heading down a very slippery slope in that direction. And decided that perhaps I could cut myself a bit of slack and instead get outside for at least 30 minutes when the conditions are reasonable, no excuses. If nothing else, it made a lot of sense when faced with a half hour walk in the cold winter rain tonight, when I could be sitting warm indoors with Ann instead.
JMH
Saturday, December 26, 2009
I didn't get outside for 30 minutes today, unless you add up all the time I spent walking to and from the car and setting up a new bird feeder outside Ann's front window. And even then I doubt it would be 30 minutes.
Just after leaving Rochester I mentioned that I'd be going for a walk when we got to Albany and Ann's reaction was "How about you just run circles around the car for 5 minutes at each rest stop instead?" Of course, had I actually done so, it would have driven her nuts in very short order. Instead, I told her that if I ever got that OCD she had permission to whack me in the head with a blunt instrument.
So after we unloaded the car (in the rain) and I went back (in the rain) for a few items I'd forgotten in the trunk (in the rain) I pondered the thought that maybe going for a walk in the rain just to get outside for 30 minutes was more than a bit OCD in and of itself, or at least heading down a very slippery slope in that direction. And decided that perhaps I could cut myself a bit of slack and instead get outside for at least 30 minutes when the conditions are reasonable, no excuses. If nothing else, it made a lot of sense when faced with a half hour walk in the cold winter rain tonight, when I could be sitting warm indoors with Ann instead.
JMH
Friday, December 25, 2009
5.1 Mile Run at Onondaga Lake Park
Friday, December 25, 2009
And my Christmas gift to myself was - a run! Stopped at Onondaga Lake Park on the way out to Rochester and ran down the West Shore Trail. At the end of the paved path I continued on for a ways along a dirt/grass path (well, at least it was under the thin layer of snow) and then along a herd path into the woods and down to the edge of a stream flowing into the lake.
Lots of gulls and ducks in evidence... in fact, further down the lake were some very large flocks of ducks, though from the way they flew off I'm thinking they weren't thrilled to see me. On the way back I watched the gulls soaring on the winding and trying to land on chunks of ice floating out in the lake.
One of these days I'll have to do this run at night during the holiday season, so I can see the Lights on the Lake along the far shore!
JMH
Friday, December 25, 2009
And my Christmas gift to myself was - a run! Stopped at Onondaga Lake Park on the way out to Rochester and ran down the West Shore Trail. At the end of the paved path I continued on for a ways along a dirt/grass path (well, at least it was under the thin layer of snow) and then along a herd path into the woods and down to the edge of a stream flowing into the lake.
Lots of gulls and ducks in evidence... in fact, further down the lake were some very large flocks of ducks, though from the way they flew off I'm thinking they weren't thrilled to see me. On the way back I watched the gulls soaring on the winding and trying to land on chunks of ice floating out in the lake.
One of these days I'll have to do this run at night during the holiday season, so I can see the Lights on the Lake along the far shore!
JMH
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
1.6 Mile Walk Around Buckingham Lake
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
My knee was a bit sore this morning, so I decided to wait until tomorrow to get out for another run, which meant I needed to find someplace to go for a walk today. Snow blew in without much warning around lunch time - not a lot, but just enough to make the roads slick, which meant my errands today took longer than I wanted them to and limited me to walking somewhere nearby (to avoid a long drive with all the nutjobs on the road.) Buckingham Lake is a nice little bit of nature tucked away in the suburbs not too far away. There's the lake itself (really a pond) with a path running around it, plus a small playground and some thin patches of woods. I've wanted to go there during daylight hours since I first stumbled across it on a run, so today seemed like as good an opportunity as any.
With the snow falling pretty steadily and the wind and cold, it was no surprise there was only one other person there - a fellow ignoring the "Keep Off The Ice" signs and skating. I did end up seeing four or five other folks walking their dogs by the time I was done going around the lake twice. It was a nice winter scene, though I think I prefer it in the spring and summer when there are ducks and muskrats out and about. The only critter I spotted the entire time I was out was a lone downy woodpecker way up in a tree, though I imagine there were other birds hunkered down in the trees and bushes where I couldn't see them.
JMH
5 days so far... Friday and Saturday will be the real tests of my commitment, though...
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
My knee was a bit sore this morning, so I decided to wait until tomorrow to get out for another run, which meant I needed to find someplace to go for a walk today. Snow blew in without much warning around lunch time - not a lot, but just enough to make the roads slick, which meant my errands today took longer than I wanted them to and limited me to walking somewhere nearby (to avoid a long drive with all the nutjobs on the road.) Buckingham Lake is a nice little bit of nature tucked away in the suburbs not too far away. There's the lake itself (really a pond) with a path running around it, plus a small playground and some thin patches of woods. I've wanted to go there during daylight hours since I first stumbled across it on a run, so today seemed like as good an opportunity as any.
With the snow falling pretty steadily and the wind and cold, it was no surprise there was only one other person there - a fellow ignoring the "Keep Off The Ice" signs and skating. I did end up seeing four or five other folks walking their dogs by the time I was done going around the lake twice. It was a nice winter scene, though I think I prefer it in the spring and summer when there are ducks and muskrats out and about. The only critter I spotted the entire time I was out was a lone downy woodpecker way up in a tree, though I imagine there were other birds hunkered down in the trees and bushes where I couldn't see them.
JMH
5 days so far... Friday and Saturday will be the real tests of my commitment, though...
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
5.5 Mile Run at Thacher Park
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
OK, I definitely should have worn snowshoes today. Not because the snow was deep - it most spots the snow on the trail was frozen almost solid - but roughly 2 miles of the trails I ran today were in awful shape from people walking on them while the snow was soft (and then it froze leaving postholes everywhere. Slow, painful going.)
The rest of the paths were pretty well packed from snowmobiles and made for decent running. I started up on Beaver Dam Road and the first thing I saw was a tree that had been cut down to block snowmobiles from using the path. Surely there was a better way to block the path than to cut down a tree! I looped around on the upper trails and then headed off on the Hop Field trails, which started out OK but quickly became a mess. I was very pleased to finally make it back to the snowmobile trails and be able to run a bit more.
At first I'd planned to cross the road and run along the escarpment for a ways, but the condition of the non-snowmobile trails and the wind that was howling along quickly changed my mind. I'll just have to take in the views from the cliff-tops some other time...
JMH
4 days so far...
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
OK, I definitely should have worn snowshoes today. Not because the snow was deep - it most spots the snow on the trail was frozen almost solid - but roughly 2 miles of the trails I ran today were in awful shape from people walking on them while the snow was soft (and then it froze leaving postholes everywhere. Slow, painful going.)
The rest of the paths were pretty well packed from snowmobiles and made for decent running. I started up on Beaver Dam Road and the first thing I saw was a tree that had been cut down to block snowmobiles from using the path. Surely there was a better way to block the path than to cut down a tree! I looped around on the upper trails and then headed off on the Hop Field trails, which started out OK but quickly became a mess. I was very pleased to finally make it back to the snowmobile trails and be able to run a bit more.
At first I'd planned to cross the road and run along the escarpment for a ways, but the condition of the non-snowmobile trails and the wind that was howling along quickly changed my mind. I'll just have to take in the views from the cliff-tops some other time...
JMH
4 days so far...
Monday, December 21, 2009
Happy Solstice!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Considered the 1st day of winter here in the US and midwinter's day in many Celtic countries... and there's the whole pagan holiday thing as well... of course, in the southern hemisphere today is the summer solstice. How can one day mean so many things to so many different people?
I always harken back to the astronomical significance, which is that this is the day when orientation of the earth's axis tilts the northern hemisphere the furthest away from the Sun. This results in today having with the shortest amount of daylight of all days this year. As I was driving back to Albany I was pleased to hear noted NYS wildlife pathologist Ward Stone bring up the real reason I get excited about the winter solstice during this week's edition of his radio program In Our Backyard - from here on out the days will be getting longer and we're heading toward spring! And while I definitely don't want to cut winter short - there's only so many weeks of snowshoeing available already - I do love the thought of being able to go for a run or a ride after work in another two months without needing a headlamp.
So whatever your reason for appreciating today (or even if you have no reason at all) - happy solstice, everyone!
JMH
Monday, December 21, 2009
Considered the 1st day of winter here in the US and midwinter's day in many Celtic countries... and there's the whole pagan holiday thing as well... of course, in the southern hemisphere today is the summer solstice. How can one day mean so many things to so many different people?
I always harken back to the astronomical significance, which is that this is the day when orientation of the earth's axis tilts the northern hemisphere the furthest away from the Sun. This results in today having with the shortest amount of daylight of all days this year. As I was driving back to Albany I was pleased to hear noted NYS wildlife pathologist Ward Stone bring up the real reason I get excited about the winter solstice during this week's edition of his radio program In Our Backyard - from here on out the days will be getting longer and we're heading toward spring! And while I definitely don't want to cut winter short - there's only so many weeks of snowshoeing available already - I do love the thought of being able to go for a run or a ride after work in another two months without needing a headlamp.
So whatever your reason for appreciating today (or even if you have no reason at all) - happy solstice, everyone!
JMH
A (COLD!) Bit O' Walking at Ontario Beach Park & Durand Beach
Monday, December 21, 2009
Wanted to get outside for a bit before heading back to Albany, so Ann and I headed up to Ontario Beach Park, expecting it to be more than a bit cold - and we were right! We didn't walk far - out on the pier to look at the icicles and the waves - before we got too cold to keep going to headed back to the car.
From there we popped over to Durand to see if the swans were around... all in all, not much to see, unfortunately, though if we'd stuck around we might have gotten to watch the Coast Guard practicing water rescue techniques. As it was, we walked aorund briefly before heading home.
Probably the coolest part of the whole time was right after we arrived at Ontario Beach... as usual there was a large flock of gulls in the parking lot, so I grabbed a couple of old bagels I had in the back of the car and headed over to start a gull riot. No quite surprise they very quickly surrounded me on the ground, but there were also a number that hovered in front of me in the air, so much so that I spent a lot of the time tossing chunks of bagel into the air rather than on the ground. All I can say is, if you've never had a gull hovering six or seven feet in front of your face - it's very, very cool to see. Ann took my camera and snapped a few photos of me surrounded by my feathered entourage, and I tried to get a few shots of the ones in the air as well. Definitely a memorable moment!
JMH
Monday, December 21, 2009
Wanted to get outside for a bit before heading back to Albany, so Ann and I headed up to Ontario Beach Park, expecting it to be more than a bit cold - and we were right! We didn't walk far - out on the pier to look at the icicles and the waves - before we got too cold to keep going to headed back to the car.
From there we popped over to Durand to see if the swans were around... all in all, not much to see, unfortunately, though if we'd stuck around we might have gotten to watch the Coast Guard practicing water rescue techniques. As it was, we walked aorund briefly before heading home.
Probably the coolest part of the whole time was right after we arrived at Ontario Beach... as usual there was a large flock of gulls in the parking lot, so I grabbed a couple of old bagels I had in the back of the car and headed over to start a gull riot. No quite surprise they very quickly surrounded me on the ground, but there were also a number that hovered in front of me in the air, so much so that I spent a lot of the time tossing chunks of bagel into the air rather than on the ground. All I can say is, if you've never had a gull hovering six or seven feet in front of your face - it's very, very cool to see. Ann took my camera and snapped a few photos of me surrounded by my feathered entourage, and I tried to get a few shots of the ones in the air as well. Definitely a memorable moment!
JMH
30 Minutes a Day
Monday, December 21, 2009
I was thinking recently of last March when I spent time outdoors juat about every day of my 16 day spring break... and decided that was a good goal for this winter break, to get outdoors for at least half an hour every day.
And then I started thinking... why stop at the end of winter break?
JMH
Monday, December 21, 2009
I was thinking recently of last March when I spent time outdoors juat about every day of my 16 day spring break... and decided that was a good goal for this winter break, to get outdoors for at least half an hour every day.
And then I started thinking... why stop at the end of winter break?
JMH
Sunday, December 20, 2009
4 Mile Snowshoe at Black Creek Park
Sunday, December 20, 2009
My knee was feeling decent and the weather was pretty good, so this afternoon I headed over to Black Creek Park for either a run or a snowshoe. The trails were packed enough (and the snow was thin enough) that I could have easily run the whole time in my screw shoes, but I decided to go with the snowshoes just so I'd have another chance to get used to them again after 9 months. That may not have been the best decision - while the running was pretty easy (compared to my slog at Five Rivers about a week and a half ago) I ended up snapping a cleat somewhere along the trail. Fortunately it was an older one and I have spares...
As I was gearing up I got a very strong reminder that we've been lucky to have a warm start to the winter - the wind whipping across the parking lot was dang cold! I had to change the cleats and a binding on my snowshoes and my hands were killing me by the time I was done. Good thing running warms me up fairly quickly...
The first part of my run took me through the fields, woods, and swamps of the hardwood swamp trail. Spotted a few birds along the way (including a woodpecker) but not much else. Near the end of the trail the swamp hosts a heron rookery which I discovered last summer; I hiked down to the edge of the swamp to take a look at the nests high up in the trees, but of course the herons were nowhere in sight.
From there I took the newer trails though the woods back toward the parking lot. Again, spotted few birds (including a decent number of robins toward the end of the path) and also some deer way off in the bushes. While I passed a few folks walking their dogs on the trail out, no one else was on this one today. Toward the end I could hear the kids sledding and tubing down the hill, even though I couldn't see them through the trees. Leaving the woods even gave me my one chance for something resembling actual snowshoeing for a tenth of a mile or so, before I was back at the parking lot - the snow in the field hadn't been packed down.
JMH
Sunday, December 20, 2009
My knee was feeling decent and the weather was pretty good, so this afternoon I headed over to Black Creek Park for either a run or a snowshoe. The trails were packed enough (and the snow was thin enough) that I could have easily run the whole time in my screw shoes, but I decided to go with the snowshoes just so I'd have another chance to get used to them again after 9 months. That may not have been the best decision - while the running was pretty easy (compared to my slog at Five Rivers about a week and a half ago) I ended up snapping a cleat somewhere along the trail. Fortunately it was an older one and I have spares...
As I was gearing up I got a very strong reminder that we've been lucky to have a warm start to the winter - the wind whipping across the parking lot was dang cold! I had to change the cleats and a binding on my snowshoes and my hands were killing me by the time I was done. Good thing running warms me up fairly quickly...
The first part of my run took me through the fields, woods, and swamps of the hardwood swamp trail. Spotted a few birds along the way (including a woodpecker) but not much else. Near the end of the trail the swamp hosts a heron rookery which I discovered last summer; I hiked down to the edge of the swamp to take a look at the nests high up in the trees, but of course the herons were nowhere in sight.
From there I took the newer trails though the woods back toward the parking lot. Again, spotted few birds (including a decent number of robins toward the end of the path) and also some deer way off in the bushes. While I passed a few folks walking their dogs on the trail out, no one else was on this one today. Toward the end I could hear the kids sledding and tubing down the hill, even though I couldn't see them through the trees. Leaving the woods even gave me my one chance for something resembling actual snowshoeing for a tenth of a mile or so, before I was back at the parking lot - the snow in the field hadn't been packed down.
JMH
Saturday, December 19, 2009
4.2 Mile Run in the Pine Bush
Saturday, December 19, 2009
I had originally planned to stop and run somewhere on my way to Rochester but ended up leaving Albany too late to do that... so I decided to get in a short run before I left. The other day I got an e-mail newletter from the Albany Pine Bush Commission which mentioned fencing off some of the unofficial trails in the Rensselaer Lake/Rapp Barrens sections, so I had wanted to get over there anyway and check out what's been done...
I'm still not used to this colder weather, especially with the wind that was blowing across the lake... fortunately I warmed up fairly quickly once I started running and the woods cut the worst of the wind. I looped through the Rapp Barrens along several trails - it looks like they've taken down the markers in preparation for reblazing (and probably blocking several of the official cross trails.) There were a couple of shortcuts blocked over near the Rapp Road entrance; of course, the snow made it clear that at least some folks are ignoring the fences.
The trail I was most interested in was the one out to the pennuinsula between the two halves of the lake... it's never been blazed, even though there's a wide path and even a sturdy bridge across the stream. The far side of the bridge was blocked, and the middle section of bridge decking had been removed, so clearly they're looking to close off access to that area. Fortunately I don't run there very often so I don't think I'll miss it much... actually, with that section closed off I'll probably run there even less, since it will be tough to get more thsn 3-4 miles there without doing a lot of doubling of loops (I repeated a couple of sections today just to get in the short distance I ran.)
With the lake frozen over the usual ducks and geese were nowhere to be found... I did see a very cold-looking mockingbird near the picnic area and toward the end of my run through the woods there were chickadees and juncos flitting around, as well as a nuthatch or two. Definitely a lot less than I've gotten used to... everybody must be laying low with the cold and the snow.
JMH
Saturday, December 19, 2009
I had originally planned to stop and run somewhere on my way to Rochester but ended up leaving Albany too late to do that... so I decided to get in a short run before I left. The other day I got an e-mail newletter from the Albany Pine Bush Commission which mentioned fencing off some of the unofficial trails in the Rensselaer Lake/Rapp Barrens sections, so I had wanted to get over there anyway and check out what's been done...
I'm still not used to this colder weather, especially with the wind that was blowing across the lake... fortunately I warmed up fairly quickly once I started running and the woods cut the worst of the wind. I looped through the Rapp Barrens along several trails - it looks like they've taken down the markers in preparation for reblazing (and probably blocking several of the official cross trails.) There were a couple of shortcuts blocked over near the Rapp Road entrance; of course, the snow made it clear that at least some folks are ignoring the fences.
The trail I was most interested in was the one out to the pennuinsula between the two halves of the lake... it's never been blazed, even though there's a wide path and even a sturdy bridge across the stream. The far side of the bridge was blocked, and the middle section of bridge decking had been removed, so clearly they're looking to close off access to that area. Fortunately I don't run there very often so I don't think I'll miss it much... actually, with that section closed off I'll probably run there even less, since it will be tough to get more thsn 3-4 miles there without doing a lot of doubling of loops (I repeated a couple of sections today just to get in the short distance I ran.)
With the lake frozen over the usual ducks and geese were nowhere to be found... I did see a very cold-looking mockingbird near the picnic area and toward the end of my run through the woods there were chickadees and juncos flitting around, as well as a nuthatch or two. Definitely a lot less than I've gotten used to... everybody must be laying low with the cold and the snow.
JMH
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
It's Not Looking Good for Bats in the Northeast...
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The NYS DEC released a report today on the impact of white-nose syndrome on local bat populations, based on information gathered in early 2009... and the news is definitely bad. On the average bat populations were down 91% in the region that so far seems to be hardest hit by the bat die-offs, a set of caves in eastern NY, western MA, and VT. Different species have been affected at different levels, possibly because of differences in preferred hibernation environments. More detailed info can be found here.
Little Brown Bat, the most common variety in the Northeast
(photo coutesy of NH Fish & Game Dept)
White-nose syndrome (WNS) was first discovered in NY in the 2006-07 winter season when it was discovered that large numbers of hibernating bats were dying, with a white fungus circling the nose of many of the dead bats. Since then the problem has spread into neighboring areas, with confirmed cases in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia. While a variety of agencies are researching the problem, to date no one has found an explanation for the die-offs. It isn't clear if the fungus is actually the cause or simply an opportunistic infection; researchers are also looking at the possibility of warm weather disrupting the feeding and hibernation cycle, infection by various pathogens, and effects of pesticides on the bats' food supply. Since it is unclear what's causing the problem and how it is spread, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has requested closing many caves in the affected areas and various cave organizations have advised cavers to limit activities in some areas and disinfect their gear after use. Unfortunately, bats are migratory animals, which makes it extremely difficult to slow the spread of whatever is causing the problem, especially when we have no understanding of what's actually happening. Current estimates place the overall deaths at approximately half a million bats. More info can be found at the US Fish & Wildlife Service site.
Little brown bat with WNS (photo courtesy of the US FWS)
I know some folks would say who cares that a bunch of bats are dying - bats tend to get a pretty bad rap, after all - but this is a huge problem. Beyond the obvious issue of a large group of animals dying for unknown reasons, bats eat insects, with many species consuming their own body weight worth of bugs each night. Half a million dead bats is a lot of insects that go uneaten, which will eventually have effects on crops and people. Besides - bats are incredibly cool. (Admittedly, any critter that eats bugs gets a top grade in my book.) I love watching them flit around at dusk in the summer and I'll never understand why people freak out when one accidentally gets indoors (it's not like the bat wants to be inside, after all.) Ann and I have even talked about building a bat house for her backyard, in hopes of attracting some (and maybe cut down on the mosquito population near her house.) So my hope is that the resources that are being devoted to studying white-nose syndrome will pay off and we'll get a handle on the problem and perhaps be able to do something to help. In the meantime, let's all keep our fingers crossed for the bats in the Northeast... they need all the help they can get to survive the current winter season.
JMH
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The NYS DEC released a report today on the impact of white-nose syndrome on local bat populations, based on information gathered in early 2009... and the news is definitely bad. On the average bat populations were down 91% in the region that so far seems to be hardest hit by the bat die-offs, a set of caves in eastern NY, western MA, and VT. Different species have been affected at different levels, possibly because of differences in preferred hibernation environments. More detailed info can be found here.
Little Brown Bat, the most common variety in the Northeast
(photo coutesy of NH Fish & Game Dept)
White-nose syndrome (WNS) was first discovered in NY in the 2006-07 winter season when it was discovered that large numbers of hibernating bats were dying, with a white fungus circling the nose of many of the dead bats. Since then the problem has spread into neighboring areas, with confirmed cases in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia. While a variety of agencies are researching the problem, to date no one has found an explanation for the die-offs. It isn't clear if the fungus is actually the cause or simply an opportunistic infection; researchers are also looking at the possibility of warm weather disrupting the feeding and hibernation cycle, infection by various pathogens, and effects of pesticides on the bats' food supply. Since it is unclear what's causing the problem and how it is spread, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has requested closing many caves in the affected areas and various cave organizations have advised cavers to limit activities in some areas and disinfect their gear after use. Unfortunately, bats are migratory animals, which makes it extremely difficult to slow the spread of whatever is causing the problem, especially when we have no understanding of what's actually happening. Current estimates place the overall deaths at approximately half a million bats. More info can be found at the US Fish & Wildlife Service site.
Little brown bat with WNS (photo courtesy of the US FWS)
I know some folks would say who cares that a bunch of bats are dying - bats tend to get a pretty bad rap, after all - but this is a huge problem. Beyond the obvious issue of a large group of animals dying for unknown reasons, bats eat insects, with many species consuming their own body weight worth of bugs each night. Half a million dead bats is a lot of insects that go uneaten, which will eventually have effects on crops and people. Besides - bats are incredibly cool. (Admittedly, any critter that eats bugs gets a top grade in my book.) I love watching them flit around at dusk in the summer and I'll never understand why people freak out when one accidentally gets indoors (it's not like the bat wants to be inside, after all.) Ann and I have even talked about building a bat house for her backyard, in hopes of attracting some (and maybe cut down on the mosquito population near her house.) So my hope is that the resources that are being devoted to studying white-nose syndrome will pay off and we'll get a handle on the problem and perhaps be able to do something to help. In the meantime, let's all keep our fingers crossed for the bats in the Northeast... they need all the help they can get to survive the current winter season.
JMH
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Weekly Training Summary
12/6 - 12/12/2009
running (2x) - 10.3 mi
riding - 0 mi
snowshoeing (1x) - 2.2 mi
Two slow, difficult runs this week... still, that's improvement. And a short bit of snowshoeing - I still can't tell how much running vs how much hiking I'll be doing during the snowshoe races in the upcoming season. So it goes...
JMH
12/6 - 12/12/2009
running (2x) - 10.3 mi
riding - 0 mi
snowshoeing (1x) - 2.2 mi
Two slow, difficult runs this week... still, that's improvement. And a short bit of snowshoeing - I still can't tell how much running vs how much hiking I'll be doing during the snowshoe races in the upcoming season. So it goes...
JMH
Saturday, December 12, 2009
SLOW GOING ON A COLD SUNNY DAY
4.1 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Saturday, December 12, 2009
I had not one but two plans I bailed on today, in light of possible lousy weather during my drive back tomorrow... the Last Chance Trail Run and Pancake Breakfast in Syracuse, and the It's a Wonderful Run 5k in Seneca Falls which I signed up for on the chance that I decided not to do the trail run for one reason or another. Instead, I ended up staying here this weekend and headed over to the Rotterdam Kiwanis Park west of Schenectady for a short run on the bike path alongside sections of the old Erie Canal.
I wasn't sure what shape the path would be in, so I took trail shoes, screw shoes, and snowshoes... ended up using the screw shoes, though the snowshoes would have been handy for one stretch. The path had seen some snowmobile action since Wednesday's storm, so much of it was packed down and an some cases had melted and refrozen as a layer of ice. No complaints, that provided decent footing for my screw shoes. Debated about clothing for longer than I should have but in the end dressed right - a bit chilly for the first 10-15 minutes but then comfortable once I warmed up.
This is the first time this winter that the old canal and portions of the river have been frozen over... the cold weather and sudden onset of winter seem to have dampened the spirits of the wildlife, though I did hear some chicadees, juncos, bluejays, and I think a nuthatch. I also briefly saw what I think was a kestrel - he (or she) was perched in a tree overlooking the path taking in some sunshine but flew off before I could get my camera up to take a picture, more's the pity.
I was tempted to keep going for another half mile to a mile but decided to play it conservatively instead in hopes that my knee will bounce back quickly and I can go out again either tomorrow or Monday after work. I really need to get back to getting outside 4-5 times a week if I'm going to have any hope of regaining something resembling my previous strength and endurance (and to work off the addicitive brownie white chocolate coconut cookies Hannaford carries in the winter... since I seem incapable of going in there without buying a box or two.)
JMH
4.1 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Saturday, December 12, 2009
I had not one but two plans I bailed on today, in light of possible lousy weather during my drive back tomorrow... the Last Chance Trail Run and Pancake Breakfast in Syracuse, and the It's a Wonderful Run 5k in Seneca Falls which I signed up for on the chance that I decided not to do the trail run for one reason or another. Instead, I ended up staying here this weekend and headed over to the Rotterdam Kiwanis Park west of Schenectady for a short run on the bike path alongside sections of the old Erie Canal.
I wasn't sure what shape the path would be in, so I took trail shoes, screw shoes, and snowshoes... ended up using the screw shoes, though the snowshoes would have been handy for one stretch. The path had seen some snowmobile action since Wednesday's storm, so much of it was packed down and an some cases had melted and refrozen as a layer of ice. No complaints, that provided decent footing for my screw shoes. Debated about clothing for longer than I should have but in the end dressed right - a bit chilly for the first 10-15 minutes but then comfortable once I warmed up.
This is the first time this winter that the old canal and portions of the river have been frozen over... the cold weather and sudden onset of winter seem to have dampened the spirits of the wildlife, though I did hear some chicadees, juncos, bluejays, and I think a nuthatch. I also briefly saw what I think was a kestrel - he (or she) was perched in a tree overlooking the path taking in some sunshine but flew off before I could get my camera up to take a picture, more's the pity.
I was tempted to keep going for another half mile to a mile but decided to play it conservatively instead in hopes that my knee will bounce back quickly and I can go out again either tomorrow or Monday after work. I really need to get back to getting outside 4-5 times a week if I'm going to have any hope of regaining something resembling my previous strength and endurance (and to work off the addicitive brownie white chocolate coconut cookies Hannaford carries in the winter... since I seem incapable of going in there without buying a box or two.)
JMH
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