10.2 Mile Ride on the Lehigh Valley Trail, Genesee Riverway Trail, & Through Genesee Valley Park
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Tough Decision...
Friday, August 27, 2010
Everything was looking good for this weekend's Hueston Woods Du in Ohio... the weather looks to be excellent (especially compared to last Sunday!) and both the bike and I seem ready to finish respectably (for me, anyway.)
Unfortunately, as the day progressed and I thought about it more and more... I decided not to go. I really want to do the race, for a bunch of reasons - it would be the longest du I've ever tackled, it's in a place I've never been, and it looks like the field for the Olympic Distance is fairly small. But the thought of spending 17+ hours driving this weekend, when I could be doing something fun with Ann on the last weekend before work starts back up (I don't count Labor Day weekend, since she always goes camping then) - in the end, that just seemed like too much.
Maybe next year I can schedule things differently and actually make it an extended trip to Ohio and visit a bunch of parks while I'm there... but this year I think it's going to have to be another DNS.
Sigh.
On the bright side... we'll have an entire weekend with what's supposed to be fantastic weather to get outside and do some fun stuff. Could be a whole lot worse...!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Everything was looking good for this weekend's Hueston Woods Du in Ohio... the weather looks to be excellent (especially compared to last Sunday!) and both the bike and I seem ready to finish respectably (for me, anyway.)
Unfortunately, as the day progressed and I thought about it more and more... I decided not to go. I really want to do the race, for a bunch of reasons - it would be the longest du I've ever tackled, it's in a place I've never been, and it looks like the field for the Olympic Distance is fairly small. But the thought of spending 17+ hours driving this weekend, when I could be doing something fun with Ann on the last weekend before work starts back up (I don't count Labor Day weekend, since she always goes camping then) - in the end, that just seemed like too much.
Maybe next year I can schedule things differently and actually make it an extended trip to Ohio and visit a bunch of parks while I'm there... but this year I think it's going to have to be another DNS.
Sigh.
On the bright side... we'll have an entire weekend with what's supposed to be fantastic weather to get outside and do some fun stuff. Could be a whole lot worse...!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
12 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Thursday, August 26, 2010
I had intended to go out for a longer ride this afternoon, but it was chilly and windy and I was tired, so in the end I called it a day a bit earlier than planned. Along the way I did get to see quite an assortment of birds along the river... it seemed like there were blue herons everywhere, and I spotted a couple of green herons down on the mat of water chestnuts near the old train station. I also spotted several egrets out on the river and had a great view of two hanging out at the top of a dead tree just off the bike path. I was also pleasantly surprised that the eagle was in his usual spot, but a bit earlier in the day than I typically see him... that let me get clearer pictures this time around.
I do need to start keeping one of my cycling jackets in the car... today it would have been a definite plus, and fall is just around the corner...
Thursday, August 26, 2010
I had intended to go out for a longer ride this afternoon, but it was chilly and windy and I was tired, so in the end I called it a day a bit earlier than planned. Along the way I did get to see quite an assortment of birds along the river... it seemed like there were blue herons everywhere, and I spotted a couple of green herons down on the mat of water chestnuts near the old train station. I also spotted several egrets out on the river and had a great view of two hanging out at the top of a dead tree just off the bike path. I was also pleasantly surprised that the eagle was in his usual spot, but a bit earlier in the day than I typically see him... that let me get clearer pictures this time around.
I do need to start keeping one of my cycling jackets in the car... today it would have been a definite plus, and fall is just around the corner...
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
6.6 Mile Run at Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Took a chance that the bugs wouldn't be too bad this late in the summer and headed to Vischer Ferry for a short, easy run. Today was the first day this week that my quads didn't feel like someone had been pounding on them with a hammer, and my left knee was even feeling decent... though both my legs and my knees made it pretty clear that I shouldn't extend the run and overdo it (which of course I wanted to do!)
Spotted quite a few herons and a few ducks along the way... the rain had water levels a little higher than they often are at the end of August, which was rather nice. Maybe the dampness also explained why I saw about half a dozen toads hopping around on the paths. And while purple loosestrife is an invasive species that needs to be controlled so it doesn't out-compete our native cattails and grasses... it sure does look gorgeous against the green background.
By the time I was done I could feel I'd been running, but wasn't particularly worn out or so... a good sign for my longer runs over the next few months. I'm not where I would like to be after having a whole summer to run and ride whenever I want... but maybe I can get closer with some consistent work this fall.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Took a chance that the bugs wouldn't be too bad this late in the summer and headed to Vischer Ferry for a short, easy run. Today was the first day this week that my quads didn't feel like someone had been pounding on them with a hammer, and my left knee was even feeling decent... though both my legs and my knees made it pretty clear that I shouldn't extend the run and overdo it (which of course I wanted to do!)
Spotted quite a few herons and a few ducks along the way... the rain had water levels a little higher than they often are at the end of August, which was rather nice. Maybe the dampness also explained why I saw about half a dozen toads hopping around on the paths. And while purple loosestrife is an invasive species that needs to be controlled so it doesn't out-compete our native cattails and grasses... it sure does look gorgeous against the green background.
By the time I was done I could feel I'd been running, but wasn't particularly worn out or so... a good sign for my longer runs over the next few months. I'm not where I would like to be after having a whole summer to run and ride whenever I want... but maybe I can get closer with some consistent work this fall.
WHAT A SURPRISE... A WATERFALL...
1 Mile Walk at Cohoes Falls
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
With the Mohawk River running fairly high after all the rain over the last few days, I was pretty sure Cohoes Falls would have plenty of water rushing over it - which is unusual for this time of year, when the water gets diverted to the Barge Canal and the power plant. Checking the USGS data (along with the daily pictures they post) told me I was right - from Sunday afternoon through Monday the water nlevels rose almost 8 feet. I was heading in the wrong direction to stop there yesterday, but I was confident that the falls would still be pretty impressive today.
I started out at Cohoes Falls Park just south of the power station, which gives a nice view of the falls - if you don't mind the power lines running across the river right in front of the view. Fortunately they're more annoying than anything else. When I walked to the other end of the park to take a couple of photos of the river and the gorge, a goldfinch came zipping in, landed on some thistles just a short distance away, and proceeded to grab what seeds he could while I tried to take his picture. I'm guessing he didn't realize how close I was, because once I tried to move even closer for a better view he took right off.
After that I walked up the street to Falls View Park. There were geese and ducks in the power canal, and as I walked by I flushed a blue heron as well, who flew across the canal. Crossing the bridge over the canal takes a bit of getting used to, as it vibrates up and down pretty extensively. Nice view of the falls, and initially no one else around. Since I didn't have my bike with me for once, I walked down the stairs to the water level access... while the steps down to the floodplain were closed, I was able to take a path to a platform overlooking the tailrace of the power plant (where the water flows back into river.) From there I had a good view of the many gulls swooping through the air downstream from the falls.
JMH
1 Mile Walk at Cohoes Falls
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
With the Mohawk River running fairly high after all the rain over the last few days, I was pretty sure Cohoes Falls would have plenty of water rushing over it - which is unusual for this time of year, when the water gets diverted to the Barge Canal and the power plant. Checking the USGS data (along with the daily pictures they post) told me I was right - from Sunday afternoon through Monday the water nlevels rose almost 8 feet. I was heading in the wrong direction to stop there yesterday, but I was confident that the falls would still be pretty impressive today.
I started out at Cohoes Falls Park just south of the power station, which gives a nice view of the falls - if you don't mind the power lines running across the river right in front of the view. Fortunately they're more annoying than anything else. When I walked to the other end of the park to take a couple of photos of the river and the gorge, a goldfinch came zipping in, landed on some thistles just a short distance away, and proceeded to grab what seeds he could while I tried to take his picture. I'm guessing he didn't realize how close I was, because once I tried to move even closer for a better view he took right off.
After that I walked up the street to Falls View Park. There were geese and ducks in the power canal, and as I walked by I flushed a blue heron as well, who flew across the canal. Crossing the bridge over the canal takes a bit of getting used to, as it vibrates up and down pretty extensively. Nice view of the falls, and initially no one else around. Since I didn't have my bike with me for once, I walked down the stairs to the water level access... while the steps down to the floodplain were closed, I was able to take a path to a platform overlooking the tailrace of the power plant (where the water flows back into river.) From there I had a good view of the many gulls swooping through the air downstream from the falls.
JMH
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
25.9 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Many days I head out and pause a lot to take pictures... but every once in a while it feels better to just put my head down and grind out some miles with minimal stops. Today was one of the latter days, though I did get a few shots of egrets, herons, and one of the Mohawk River eagles...
I started out heading west to the base of the old landfill, then back east all the way to the end of the bike path in Cohoes (where several miles of roads connect it to the trail through the Corning Preserve.) It's been quite a while since I rode east of Manor Ave in Cohoes, partly because the path really isn't all that interesting there (it mainly runs along backyards and through some sections of Cohoes that are a bit run down) and partly because while the ride out is a sweet downhill, it's a climb all the way back to the tunnel under rte 9, just east of the Colonie Mohawk River Park. Well, apparently this is my week for riding out-and-backs that involve long climbs on the way back...
My legs were definitely feeling the last few days of running and riding, though I did keep up a decent pace and rode one of my longer distances this summer (sad, very sad.) I briefly considered riding out to Lock 7 Rd one more time to end up with close to 30 miles for today... very briefly, since I was hungry and tired.
Now all I've got to do in a week and a half is ride something like this distance... after running a 5k... and then run a 10k... at this point I'm confident I'll finish Hueston Woods, but I have a feeling the end isn't going to be pretty... not that it ever is.
JMH
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Many days I head out and pause a lot to take pictures... but every once in a while it feels better to just put my head down and grind out some miles with minimal stops. Today was one of the latter days, though I did get a few shots of egrets, herons, and one of the Mohawk River eagles...
I started out heading west to the base of the old landfill, then back east all the way to the end of the bike path in Cohoes (where several miles of roads connect it to the trail through the Corning Preserve.) It's been quite a while since I rode east of Manor Ave in Cohoes, partly because the path really isn't all that interesting there (it mainly runs along backyards and through some sections of Cohoes that are a bit run down) and partly because while the ride out is a sweet downhill, it's a climb all the way back to the tunnel under rte 9, just east of the Colonie Mohawk River Park. Well, apparently this is my week for riding out-and-backs that involve long climbs on the way back...
My legs were definitely feeling the last few days of running and riding, though I did keep up a decent pace and rode one of my longer distances this summer (sad, very sad.) I briefly considered riding out to Lock 7 Rd one more time to end up with close to 30 miles for today... very briefly, since I was hungry and tired.
Now all I've got to do in a week and a half is ride something like this distance... after running a 5k... and then run a 10k... at this point I'm confident I'll finish Hueston Woods, but I have a feeling the end isn't going to be pretty... not that it ever is.
JMH
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
7.9 Mile Run at Thacher Park
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Headed up to the Open Space Institute section of Thacher Park for a run this evening... I was initially surprised to see the ribbons marking the Indian Ladder 15k course, but then I remembered that at least once before I'd run up there during the week after the race and the flagging was still up. Not that it mattered much, since I didn't intend to spend much time on that course, having run it two weeks ago (on the day the race was originally scheduled.)
Instead, I followed the old road up to the old quarry, then took a section of the ski loop that I've only run once before down the hill and around to the Long Path. Followed another old road out into a field - I suspect if I'd kept going I would have eventually ended up on a farm lane out to Old Stage Rd, which leads to the current local northern terminus to the Long Path on rt 146 (though there is one more section blazed along the Mohawk River and the old Erie Canal, west of Schenectady.) One of the coolest parts of the run was along these trails, when I was able to stand at the edge of a field and watch about a dozen large dragonflies darting around overhead, presumably on the prowl for mosquitos (go, dragonflies, go!) It was wild to hear their wings buzzing as they zipped around!
After that I followed the doubletrack back to one of the overlooks, with a nice view out over Altamont and off toward Albany and beyond. There was loud music drifting up from the direction of Altamont; at first I thought it was incredibly obnoxious that anyone would be blastying their music that loud, then I realized it was a band playing at the annual Altamont Fair... spent a few minutes enjoying the view, then hit the Long Path again, a section I haven't run in quite a while. Actually I'm not sure I ever ran this exact section, since they've re-routed a lot of Long Path on the OSI property over the past couple of years. The last time I ran these trails I found it very slow going, with the trails very uneven with lots of poor footing. Either my slowing down has improved my opinion of these trails over the last year or two, or they've different paths, because I found them very runnable.
When I finally came out on the gravel road I was tempted to head down to the hang glider launch, but decided that since it was getting late and I didn't have a headlamp packed I'd be better off heading back to the car. So I looped around on the dirt roads until I could take the hiking trail back up the ridge to the old quarry, then retraced the route I took on the way in today. Saw a few more rabbits along the way, and even passed a couple out walking their dogs - the first people I saw today. Got back to the car in plenty of time before dark, changed into some dry clothes, and then headed home. While the markers I passed reminded me that I missed running the Indian Ladder 15k this year (hopefully next year they'll move it back to its usual spot in the schedule!) it was fun to get out on a bunch of trails I don't usually see - something which can be a trick, given that I usually run two races and numerous training runs up here every year.
On the way home I had another cool moment... as I was coming down off the hill from Thacher into New Salem, I started spotting bats fluttering around... there was just enough light to see them against the sky. Must have been a dozen or more in the space of about a quarter mile... perhaps they have a cave nearby where they can roost? All I know is once I was down the hill, no more bats (at least that I could see, but then I did have to keep my eyes down on the road instead of up in the sky.) After all the problems with White Nose Syndrome killing off a sizeable percentage of bats in New York (as well as eight other states in the northeastern US) it's good to see bats out and about this summer.
JMH
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Headed up to the Open Space Institute section of Thacher Park for a run this evening... I was initially surprised to see the ribbons marking the Indian Ladder 15k course, but then I remembered that at least once before I'd run up there during the week after the race and the flagging was still up. Not that it mattered much, since I didn't intend to spend much time on that course, having run it two weeks ago (on the day the race was originally scheduled.)
Instead, I followed the old road up to the old quarry, then took a section of the ski loop that I've only run once before down the hill and around to the Long Path. Followed another old road out into a field - I suspect if I'd kept going I would have eventually ended up on a farm lane out to Old Stage Rd, which leads to the current local northern terminus to the Long Path on rt 146 (though there is one more section blazed along the Mohawk River and the old Erie Canal, west of Schenectady.) One of the coolest parts of the run was along these trails, when I was able to stand at the edge of a field and watch about a dozen large dragonflies darting around overhead, presumably on the prowl for mosquitos (go, dragonflies, go!) It was wild to hear their wings buzzing as they zipped around!
After that I followed the doubletrack back to one of the overlooks, with a nice view out over Altamont and off toward Albany and beyond. There was loud music drifting up from the direction of Altamont; at first I thought it was incredibly obnoxious that anyone would be blastying their music that loud, then I realized it was a band playing at the annual Altamont Fair... spent a few minutes enjoying the view, then hit the Long Path again, a section I haven't run in quite a while. Actually I'm not sure I ever ran this exact section, since they've re-routed a lot of Long Path on the OSI property over the past couple of years. The last time I ran these trails I found it very slow going, with the trails very uneven with lots of poor footing. Either my slowing down has improved my opinion of these trails over the last year or two, or they've different paths, because I found them very runnable.
When I finally came out on the gravel road I was tempted to head down to the hang glider launch, but decided that since it was getting late and I didn't have a headlamp packed I'd be better off heading back to the car. So I looped around on the dirt roads until I could take the hiking trail back up the ridge to the old quarry, then retraced the route I took on the way in today. Saw a few more rabbits along the way, and even passed a couple out walking their dogs - the first people I saw today. Got back to the car in plenty of time before dark, changed into some dry clothes, and then headed home. While the markers I passed reminded me that I missed running the Indian Ladder 15k this year (hopefully next year they'll move it back to its usual spot in the schedule!) it was fun to get out on a bunch of trails I don't usually see - something which can be a trick, given that I usually run two races and numerous training runs up here every year.
On the way home I had another cool moment... as I was coming down off the hill from Thacher into New Salem, I started spotting bats fluttering around... there was just enough light to see them against the sky. Must have been a dozen or more in the space of about a quarter mile... perhaps they have a cave nearby where they can roost? All I know is once I was down the hill, no more bats (at least that I could see, but then I did have to keep my eyes down on the road instead of up in the sky.) After all the problems with White Nose Syndrome killing off a sizeable percentage of bats in New York (as well as eight other states in the northeastern US) it's good to see bats out and about this summer.
JMH
Monday, August 16, 2010
WHAT AN EVENING FOR WILDLIFE!
1.9 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Monday, August 16, 2010
Yesterday's activities left me sore and more than a bit whupped, so I ditched my plans to go for a ride today and ended up heading over to Five Rivers late in the evening. I was very surprised at how many people were there, especially with kids in tow... the turtle bridge and the beaver platform were both fairly crowded, and I ended up spending very little time at them. On the plus side... I have to support parents encouraging their kids to enjoy nature and the outdoors, even if I wish they could do it a bit more quietly...
I started out checking the flower garden for hawk moths... no luck. So I headed down the hill to the Heron Pond, which was actually hosting a great blue heron tonight. Spent a while trying to take pictures without scaring him off, and got a nice shot when he finally decided to head to a more secluded part of the pond. The usual ducks were also puttering around in the background, and I spotted a couple of frogs camouflaged by all the green algae.
Since the turtle bridge was crowded I skipped going there and headed across the boardwalk through the swampy side of the Beaver Pond. I could hear a red-bellied woodpecker calling somewhere off in the trees, but the big surprise was the hummngbird that buzzed up and landed on a branch over the trail, then took off to feed at some flowers before landing again briefly and finally heading off for wherever he roosts in at night.
Briefly spotted one of the beavers from the far end of the pond... perhaps they were waiting for nightfall to be out and about. There were a couple of turtles out on the logs as I walked up the hill and then looped back down to the turtle bridge... which had another group on it. They must have spotted one of the snapping turtles, because they were saying something about never having seen one that big... I wonder if they saw the one of the medium sized ones or the really big fella?
From there it was back across the road to the Heron Pond, where I spent a while watching the heron, the ducks, and especially the cedar waxwings... while I was there I heard something splashing in the water, which turned out to be a fairly large snapping turtle. I followed the paved road back up the hill to the top of the Vlomankill trail, then decided to loop through the field and old orchard before heading back to the car.
Stopped at the Sunfish Pond for a moment and not only got to watch the bats fluttering around but managed to get a couple of halfway decent photos as well (as opposed to the vaguely bat-shaped blurs I usually get.) As I started to head back down the trail to the parking lot, I heard something crashing through the bushes... and a moment later two raccoons popped out, saw me, and dashed up the nearest tree, where they clung staring at me while I tried to get a photo . Finally they decided I wasn't going to chase them, came back down the tree, and disappeared into the bushes. They seemed on the smaller side, so I'm guessing they were youngsters...
When I decided to go for a walk this evening I debated about going to Five Rivers, since it's usually the place I'll go... tonight definitely reminded me why that's the case.
JMH
1.9 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Monday, August 16, 2010
Yesterday's activities left me sore and more than a bit whupped, so I ditched my plans to go for a ride today and ended up heading over to Five Rivers late in the evening. I was very surprised at how many people were there, especially with kids in tow... the turtle bridge and the beaver platform were both fairly crowded, and I ended up spending very little time at them. On the plus side... I have to support parents encouraging their kids to enjoy nature and the outdoors, even if I wish they could do it a bit more quietly...
I started out checking the flower garden for hawk moths... no luck. So I headed down the hill to the Heron Pond, which was actually hosting a great blue heron tonight. Spent a while trying to take pictures without scaring him off, and got a nice shot when he finally decided to head to a more secluded part of the pond. The usual ducks were also puttering around in the background, and I spotted a couple of frogs camouflaged by all the green algae.
Since the turtle bridge was crowded I skipped going there and headed across the boardwalk through the swampy side of the Beaver Pond. I could hear a red-bellied woodpecker calling somewhere off in the trees, but the big surprise was the hummngbird that buzzed up and landed on a branch over the trail, then took off to feed at some flowers before landing again briefly and finally heading off for wherever he roosts in at night.
Briefly spotted one of the beavers from the far end of the pond... perhaps they were waiting for nightfall to be out and about. There were a couple of turtles out on the logs as I walked up the hill and then looped back down to the turtle bridge... which had another group on it. They must have spotted one of the snapping turtles, because they were saying something about never having seen one that big... I wonder if they saw the one of the medium sized ones or the really big fella?
From there it was back across the road to the Heron Pond, where I spent a while watching the heron, the ducks, and especially the cedar waxwings... while I was there I heard something splashing in the water, which turned out to be a fairly large snapping turtle. I followed the paved road back up the hill to the top of the Vlomankill trail, then decided to loop through the field and old orchard before heading back to the car.
Stopped at the Sunfish Pond for a moment and not only got to watch the bats fluttering around but managed to get a couple of halfway decent photos as well (as opposed to the vaguely bat-shaped blurs I usually get.) As I started to head back down the trail to the parking lot, I heard something crashing through the bushes... and a moment later two raccoons popped out, saw me, and dashed up the nearest tree, where they clung staring at me while I tried to get a photo . Finally they decided I wasn't going to chase them, came back down the tree, and disappeared into the bushes. They seemed on the smaller side, so I'm guessing they were youngsters...
When I decided to go for a walk this evening I debated about going to Five Rivers, since it's usually the place I'll go... tonight definitely reminded me why that's the case.
JMH
Sunday, August 15, 2010
A GREY DAY IN NORTHWESTERN MA
22.2 Mile Ride on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail
I had left my plans open a bit, to either do some hiking or some riding after the Savoy trail race... since it was a grey day, I decided riding was the better option, both because it's tough getting good pictures in the woods when it's cloudy and because I knew I'd have a tough time motivating myself to do much walking on a gloomy day after struggling through that bear of a course.
Of course, by the time I got to the Berkshire Mall trailhead for the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, it had started raining lightly... good thing my rain jacket was still in the car! Changed into my riding gear and headed on down the trail. Of course within a mile or so the rain quit and I ended up tying the jacket around my waist.
The first 4-5 miles runs through wetlands, some woods, and then along the shores of Berkshire Pond and the Cheshire Reservoir. I always enjoy looking out across the water, especially down towards Cheshire where you can see Greylock peeking over the tops of the nearby mountains. Today I spotted turtles and wood ducks in the wetlands near the mall, and mallards and cormorants out on the Cheshire Reservoir (as well as quite a few boaters and a couple of folks on jetskis.) When I paused at Farnhams Crossing to get some photos, I found that a small concert was going on - a folk group, I'd guess, who launched into their rendition of The Lakes of Ponchatrain... which of course got me thinking about Planxty (the first group I heard performing the song) and explains why my Planxty CDs are in the car again...
After crossing route 8 at the northern end of the reservoir, the trail runs through woods and wetlands and is scenic in an entirely different way. It also runs predominantly downhill, with the steepest grade being the last few miles into Adams... that makes for fun riding on the way out but tough work on the way back, especially after doing a tough 11 mile trail race in the morning. I was tempted to turn back before then, but reminded myself that in two weeks I've got a pretty tough duathlon coming up... in other words suck it up and get to work!
The water all along the way was the lowest I've ever seen it... barely anything going over the dam on the way into Adams. In town I decided to ride down the street a little ways to the statue of President William McKinley, which I've driven past many times on my way to Greylock. Apparently President McKinley laid the cornerstone of the Adams Free Library in 1897 and the statue of him was placed in the square in front of the library as a memorial after his assassination in 1901. Even more intriguing were the many banners around town showing a bear riding a bicycle... while I couldn't find anything official on-line, the accepted explanation seems to be that the banner represents both the Rail Trail (with its northern terminus in Adams) and a thriving local population of black bears.
From there it was time to, well, suck it up and ride back up the hill. My legs were definitely feeling it, and I was very pleased when the grade leveled off a bit (though, realistically, it's a gentle uphill most of the way back to the Lanesboro trailhead.) Stopped occasionally to snap a photo or two and at the route 8 crossing to inhale a Powerbar and put my rain jacket back on... this time I needed it all the way back. Nothing too heavy (like the downpour that soaked Ann and me last summer) but enough that it made taking pictures tricky. As much as I enjoyed being out on the trail, I was very happy to finally pull back into the parking lot... I have a suspicion I'll be feeling today in my legs for most of this week...
JMH
22.2 Mile Ride on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail
I had left my plans open a bit, to either do some hiking or some riding after the Savoy trail race... since it was a grey day, I decided riding was the better option, both because it's tough getting good pictures in the woods when it's cloudy and because I knew I'd have a tough time motivating myself to do much walking on a gloomy day after struggling through that bear of a course.
Of course, by the time I got to the Berkshire Mall trailhead for the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, it had started raining lightly... good thing my rain jacket was still in the car! Changed into my riding gear and headed on down the trail. Of course within a mile or so the rain quit and I ended up tying the jacket around my waist.
The first 4-5 miles runs through wetlands, some woods, and then along the shores of Berkshire Pond and the Cheshire Reservoir. I always enjoy looking out across the water, especially down towards Cheshire where you can see Greylock peeking over the tops of the nearby mountains. Today I spotted turtles and wood ducks in the wetlands near the mall, and mallards and cormorants out on the Cheshire Reservoir (as well as quite a few boaters and a couple of folks on jetskis.) When I paused at Farnhams Crossing to get some photos, I found that a small concert was going on - a folk group, I'd guess, who launched into their rendition of The Lakes of Ponchatrain... which of course got me thinking about Planxty (the first group I heard performing the song) and explains why my Planxty CDs are in the car again...
After crossing route 8 at the northern end of the reservoir, the trail runs through woods and wetlands and is scenic in an entirely different way. It also runs predominantly downhill, with the steepest grade being the last few miles into Adams... that makes for fun riding on the way out but tough work on the way back, especially after doing a tough 11 mile trail race in the morning. I was tempted to turn back before then, but reminded myself that in two weeks I've got a pretty tough duathlon coming up... in other words suck it up and get to work!
The water all along the way was the lowest I've ever seen it... barely anything going over the dam on the way into Adams. In town I decided to ride down the street a little ways to the statue of President William McKinley, which I've driven past many times on my way to Greylock. Apparently President McKinley laid the cornerstone of the Adams Free Library in 1897 and the statue of him was placed in the square in front of the library as a memorial after his assassination in 1901. Even more intriguing were the many banners around town showing a bear riding a bicycle... while I couldn't find anything official on-line, the accepted explanation seems to be that the banner represents both the Rail Trail (with its northern terminus in Adams) and a thriving local population of black bears.
From there it was time to, well, suck it up and ride back up the hill. My legs were definitely feeling it, and I was very pleased when the grade leveled off a bit (though, realistically, it's a gentle uphill most of the way back to the Lanesboro trailhead.) Stopped occasionally to snap a photo or two and at the route 8 crossing to inhale a Powerbar and put my rain jacket back on... this time I needed it all the way back. Nothing too heavy (like the downpour that soaked Ann and me last summer) but enough that it made taking pictures tricky. As much as I enjoyed being out on the trail, I was very happy to finally pull back into the parking lot... I have a suspicion I'll be feeling today in my legs for most of this week...
JMH
Friday, August 13, 2010
17.1 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, August 13, 2010
I had originally hoped to do a long-ish run today, but during yesterday's jaunt through the Pine Bush I strained my right knee and thought it better to give it a day or two of rest, since I've got at least 11 miles of reasonably rugged trails coming up at Savoy on Sunday. After a day spent mostly at the computer I finally managed to get my backside out the door for a ride on the bike path, and predictably ended up wishing I'd gotten my act together sooner so I might have stayed out for another half dozen miles or so.
I took the path west all the way to the first entrance to GE R&D, just beyond the currently mis-named "Wildflower Meadows" (which this year have been mowed... not many wildflowers left!) I was surprised to see that the path on the side of the old landfill has been re-paved... I knew the fencing had been replaced but had no idea they were planning to put down fresh asphalt. While the smoother surface is nice, it looks like they put the new layer down on top of the old pavement, which has leaves a 2-3 inch drop on both sides of the path. Anyone who comes whizzing down that hill and strays to close to the edge of the path is in for a very unpleasant surprise... not an issue here, since I always take it easy going down that hill after crashing there back in August 2006... just barely under 4 years ago, in fact.
Along the way I saw several herons and an egret that seems remarkably undisturbed by the construction of the new Niska Isle bridge... at least I'm assuming it's the same one I saw perched on a ladder several weeks ago. One of the eagles was also in the dead tree at the edge of the Lisha Kill outlet. I was surprised to see very few rabbits out this evening... usually they're all over the place near dusk but tonight I only spotted one.
My knee seemed Ok with the riding, other than grumbling occasionally on some of the climbs or when I put it in an awkward position... so it should bounce back in plenty of time for Sunday's race.
JMH
Friday, August 13, 2010
I had originally hoped to do a long-ish run today, but during yesterday's jaunt through the Pine Bush I strained my right knee and thought it better to give it a day or two of rest, since I've got at least 11 miles of reasonably rugged trails coming up at Savoy on Sunday. After a day spent mostly at the computer I finally managed to get my backside out the door for a ride on the bike path, and predictably ended up wishing I'd gotten my act together sooner so I might have stayed out for another half dozen miles or so.
I took the path west all the way to the first entrance to GE R&D, just beyond the currently mis-named "Wildflower Meadows" (which this year have been mowed... not many wildflowers left!) I was surprised to see that the path on the side of the old landfill has been re-paved... I knew the fencing had been replaced but had no idea they were planning to put down fresh asphalt. While the smoother surface is nice, it looks like they put the new layer down on top of the old pavement, which has leaves a 2-3 inch drop on both sides of the path. Anyone who comes whizzing down that hill and strays to close to the edge of the path is in for a very unpleasant surprise... not an issue here, since I always take it easy going down that hill after crashing there back in August 2006... just barely under 4 years ago, in fact.
Along the way I saw several herons and an egret that seems remarkably undisturbed by the construction of the new Niska Isle bridge... at least I'm assuming it's the same one I saw perched on a ladder several weeks ago. One of the eagles was also in the dead tree at the edge of the Lisha Kill outlet. I was surprised to see very few rabbits out this evening... usually they're all over the place near dusk but tonight I only spotted one.
My knee seemed Ok with the riding, other than grumbling occasionally on some of the climbs or when I put it in an awkward position... so it should bounce back in plenty of time for Sunday's race.
JMH
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, August 09, 2010
COOLING RAIN...
4.6 Mile Run on the Genesee Valley Greenway
Monday, August 9, 2010
I was going to watch Ann's softball game tonight, but it ended up rained out so she went to a FD drill instead, and I headed over to the Greenway for a short, wet run. After the heat and humidity earlier in the day the rain felt really good, and I generally don't mind splashing through puddles... unfortunately the bugs also didn't seem to mind the rain either, the only minus to tonight's short run.
Oddly enough, I didn't run into anyone else while I was out there...
JMH
4.6 Mile Run on the Genesee Valley Greenway
Monday, August 9, 2010
I was going to watch Ann's softball game tonight, but it ended up rained out so she went to a FD drill instead, and I headed over to the Greenway for a short, wet run. After the heat and humidity earlier in the day the rain felt really good, and I generally don't mind splashing through puddles... unfortunately the bugs also didn't seem to mind the rain either, the only minus to tonight's short run.
Oddly enough, I didn't run into anyone else while I was out there...
JMH
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Weekly Training Summary
8/1/2010 - 8/7/2010
running (3x) - 22.9 mi
riding (3x) - 61 mi
snowshoeing - 0 mi
paddling - 0 mi
I was really hoping I'd manage more miles this week, especially after last weekend... of course, if I'd made it to the race yesterday I'd have run an additional 13 miles. Oh, well. All I can do is keep plugging away...
JMH
8/1/2010 - 8/7/2010
running (3x) - 22.9 mi
riding (3x) - 61 mi
snowshoeing - 0 mi
paddling - 0 mi
I was really hoping I'd manage more miles this week, especially after last weekend... of course, if I'd made it to the race yesterday I'd have run an additional 13 miles. Oh, well. All I can do is keep plugging away...
JMH
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Sigh... 2010 Chingachgook Challenge Half Marathon - DNS
Saturday, August 7, 2010
For whatever reason I just couldn't get to sleep last night... and running 13 miles on 1 hour of sleep just didn't strike me as a good plan, especially not with an hour's drive home afterwards.
Oh, well. It's not even close to my first DNS and it certainly won't be my last...
On the plus side, I got a decent amount of reading and work on the computer done... but I still would have rather been asleep, so I could have run this morning.
JMH
Saturday, August 7, 2010
For whatever reason I just couldn't get to sleep last night... and running 13 miles on 1 hour of sleep just didn't strike me as a good plan, especially not with an hour's drive home afterwards.
Oh, well. It's not even close to my first DNS and it certainly won't be my last...
On the plus side, I got a decent amount of reading and work on the computer done... but I still would have rather been asleep, so I could have run this morning.
JMH
Friday, August 06, 2010
5.5 Mile Run at Five Rivers EEC
Friday, August 6, 2010
Or maybe today instead of next week... the weather was much cooler, and after spending a while waffling about whether to ride or run (I really felt like running, despite having a race scheduled for tomorrow) I decided to head back to Five Rivers for an "easy" 5-6 miles... if nothing else I figured looking at the wildlife would slow me down enough that I wouldn't overdo it and fry my legs before tomorrow's half marathon.
more to come...
Friday, August 6, 2010
Or maybe today instead of next week... the weather was much cooler, and after spending a while waffling about whether to ride or run (I really felt like running, despite having a race scheduled for tomorrow) I decided to head back to Five Rivers for an "easy" 5-6 miles... if nothing else I figured looking at the wildlife would slow me down enough that I wouldn't overdo it and fry my legs before tomorrow's half marathon.
more to come...
Thursday, August 05, 2010
2.1 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Thursday, August 5, 2010
After a day spent trying to convince myself to get out for a run (I absolutely loathe the heat and humidity we've had much of this week...) and then briefly considering a ride at the Corning Preserve (until I verified that Thursdays are when the summer outdoor concerts happen there) I declared today a rest day and went for a short evening walk at Five Rivers, where the bugs really appreciated the fact that I didn't want to stink of bug spray for the rest of the evening... I won't miss the biting insects once cooler weather returns...
The highlights of my walk were
Thursday, August 5, 2010
After a day spent trying to convince myself to get out for a run (I absolutely loathe the heat and humidity we've had much of this week...) and then briefly considering a ride at the Corning Preserve (until I verified that Thursdays are when the summer outdoor concerts happen there) I declared today a rest day and went for a short evening walk at Five Rivers, where the bugs really appreciated the fact that I didn't want to stink of bug spray for the rest of the evening... I won't miss the biting insects once cooler weather returns...
The highlights of my walk were
- watching the cedar waxwings zoom around over several of the ponds... there must have been a couple dozen of them darting all over the place, presumably eating insects (go, cedar waxwings, go!) and their aerial acrobatics were incredible.
- spotting a buck deer on the edge of the Birdwatchers Path... he moved to the opposite side of the path when I tried to get closer to get a better photo, and then a doe popped out of the bushes and joined him, before they both decided to head for cover.
- watching the beavers cruise around the far end of the Beaver Pond... there were three there briefly, including one that submerged for a while then came up pushing a big clump of roots and mud and proceeded to pack it against the dam they've built on top of the dam/spillway at the pond's outlet... so now I can say I've seen a wild beaver actually working on a dam, how cool is that?
- watching three bats flit around above the parking lot when I got back to the car, presumably eating insects (go, bats, go!) I even managed to catch a couple of vaguely bat-shaped blurs in the photos I took...
Next week I'll try to get over there for a run and cover a bit more distance than I did tonight.
JMH
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
GREEN HERONS AND OODLES OF WOOD DUCKS
19 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Hot, muggy evenings are much better for riding than for running... at least for me. Even so, my legs were definitely feeling the effects of the past four days and I almost cut my ride short... until I reminded myself that in less than a month I'll hopefully be doing the longest duathlon I've ever done, with almost 25 miles of riding sandwiched between 5k and 10k runs. Otherwise known as suffer more now and hopefully suffer less later.
Not that tonight's ride on the bike paths between Schenectady County Community College and the far side of Rotterdam Junction were much in the way of suffering... unless you count being hungry and tired, but neither of those states was due all that much to my ride.
Along the way I saw several green herons and of course the usual geese, plus numerous wood ducks complete with youngsters... this seems to have been a good year for them in the old Erie Canal over there, I've seen more than any other year I've been riding and running there. Most had older ducklings that I tend to think of as teenagers but one must have nested late because her brood was still in the incredibly cute fuzzball stage. This is one of the best times to see wood ducks, when they can't fly off without abandoning the youngsters... at other times of the year they're so skittish that even the hint of someone coming along often sends them into the air and away.
JMH
19 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Hot, muggy evenings are much better for riding than for running... at least for me. Even so, my legs were definitely feeling the effects of the past four days and I almost cut my ride short... until I reminded myself that in less than a month I'll hopefully be doing the longest duathlon I've ever done, with almost 25 miles of riding sandwiched between 5k and 10k runs. Otherwise known as suffer more now and hopefully suffer less later.
Not that tonight's ride on the bike paths between Schenectady County Community College and the far side of Rotterdam Junction were much in the way of suffering... unless you count being hungry and tired, but neither of those states was due all that much to my ride.
Along the way I saw several green herons and of course the usual geese, plus numerous wood ducks complete with youngsters... this seems to have been a good year for them in the old Erie Canal over there, I've seen more than any other year I've been riding and running there. Most had older ducklings that I tend to think of as teenagers but one must have nested late because her brood was still in the incredibly cute fuzzball stage. This is one of the best times to see wood ducks, when they can't fly off without abandoning the youngsters... at other times of the year they're so skittish that even the hint of someone coming along often sends them into the air and away.
JMH
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Complete & Utter Chaos - Part 13
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Yes, Chaos does spend time awake... though at roughly 20 years old (somewhere in the mid-90's for a human, the various internet sources I checked disagreed on an exact age) I would say she's entitled to sleep as much as she wants.
Laser vision or demonic possession? Or perhaps a reflective layer in the back of the eyes (called the tapetum lucidum) to improve night vision for a potentially nocturnal predator...
On a more serious note, Chaos has been having difficulty eating over the past day or so... at her age a definite source of concern.
JMH
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Yes, Chaos does spend time awake... though at roughly 20 years old (somewhere in the mid-90's for a human, the various internet sources I checked disagreed on an exact age) I would say she's entitled to sleep as much as she wants.
Laser vision or demonic possession? Or perhaps a reflective layer in the back of the eyes (called the tapetum lucidum) to improve night vision for a potentially nocturnal predator...
On a more serious note, Chaos has been having difficulty eating over the past day or so... at her age a definite source of concern.
JMH
6.6 Mile Run in the Pine Bush
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
What a difference the heat and humidity make... Sunday I pushed myself through almost 11 miles despite having run almost 12 miles the day before. Today I had a tough time plodding through a very slow 6 1/2 miles, and even called it an evening rather than extend my run by another mile or so. Granted, my legs were definitely tired from the last four days of riding and running... but tonight was a reminder of just how tough it is to run when it's hot and muggy (so much so that my glasses fogged over whenever I stopped for more than a few moments.)
Stuck mostly to the Great Dune section of the Albany Pine Bush for tonight's run... didn't see much wildlife, other than a deer dashing away into the brush and two wood thrushes at one point (one perched on a branch in front of me for an incredibly long time; unfortunately, the light was too dim for me to get anything other than a very blurred photo.)
I haven't run much in the Pine Bush so far this summer... it's good to see plants coming back to the many parts of the Great Dune that have been stripped for "habitat restoration" during the last year, and the various wildflowers are especially welcome... lavendar wild bergamot, yellow common mullein, pinkish joe-pye-weed, goldenrod, and all sorts of other blossoming plants cover the many of the open areas.
JMH
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
What a difference the heat and humidity make... Sunday I pushed myself through almost 11 miles despite having run almost 12 miles the day before. Today I had a tough time plodding through a very slow 6 1/2 miles, and even called it an evening rather than extend my run by another mile or so. Granted, my legs were definitely tired from the last four days of riding and running... but tonight was a reminder of just how tough it is to run when it's hot and muggy (so much so that my glasses fogged over whenever I stopped for more than a few moments.)
Stuck mostly to the Great Dune section of the Albany Pine Bush for tonight's run... didn't see much wildlife, other than a deer dashing away into the brush and two wood thrushes at one point (one perched on a branch in front of me for an incredibly long time; unfortunately, the light was too dim for me to get anything other than a very blurred photo.)
I haven't run much in the Pine Bush so far this summer... it's good to see plants coming back to the many parts of the Great Dune that have been stripped for "habitat restoration" during the last year, and the various wildflowers are especially welcome... lavendar wild bergamot, yellow common mullein, pinkish joe-pye-weed, goldenrod, and all sorts of other blossoming plants cover the many of the open areas.
JMH
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