the Way of the Turtle

REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #8
Catskill Mountain Spring Series #2 -
Olana Star Loop 10k Trail Race
Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Olana is a beautiful place to run, and I have particularly enjoyed these late-May Wednesday evening runs since I first started doing them back in 2007. Tonight was pleasant in that it was a bit cooler than some years have been. But I was definitely feeling the effects of both being heavier and not in the shape I'd like to be... it was tough going during much of the run, especially on the many climbs.

The course covers most of the trails at Olana... first the carriage trail around the heart-shaped pond, with two out-and-backs to add in some hills and a little distance. Then up the road past the start (near the renovated barn that now serves as a visitors and education center) to a long climb up more carriage trails to the east of the house, followed by a descent down almost to the edge of Route 23... at which point you turn and run back up the hill you just ran down. Up and up along a series of switchbacks, until finally things level off a bit on a trail that goes past an awesome view out over the Hudson River toward the Catskill Mountains. Another steep descent, this time down to 9G, once again with an about-face and climb back to the top at the bottom. From there the rest isn't too bad... a gradual climb up to the house, followed by a rapid descent along the switchbacks and then a relatively straight shot down to the finish. Lots of hills, lots of woods, and some really nice views along the way... one plus to being slow is I can actually take a moment to enjoy those!

The trails have been re-surfaced in most places with crushed stone... while I can see the logic (making it easier for people to use them) I liked the old trails better, with some definitely rough and rugged sections. I actually felt like my footing was a bit less secure in some spots with loose stone underfoot. Still, that was a fairly minor issue, and I suspect over a few years the trails will work their way back to being somewhat less "domesticated" like they were previously.

Initially I was disappointed with my finishing time of 72 min and a bit, since I remember finishing in 66 min last year... but then I checked the previous years and found that they were comparable to this year. So I really didn't do all that badly... but I still hope I can run this one a little faster next time.

JMH

2010 Event Totals
Run 67.5 mi, 15 hr 05 min
Bike 20.0 mi, 1 hr 33 min
Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
Kayak 3.0 mi, 47 min

states visited: CT, MA, NY, VT