DANG FLAT...
21.7 Mile Ride on the Zim Smith Trail
Friday, July 31, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
CHECKING OUT A NEW TRAIL
6.1 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Thursday, July 30, 2015
I really should have gotten out for this run either Tuesday or Wednesday, but today was really the final chance, to see how my knees might hold up for one or both of the races this weekend (People's Forest on Saturday, Indian Ladder on Sunday.) I'd thought to ease back in with the relatively easy trails at Schodack Island State Park, but time got away from me and I opted for the much closer Pine Bush trails - plus no one would lock me in if I took too long.
The Albany Pine Bush Commission has been making some pretty big changes to the trail system that I've known for close to 15 years now... eliminating connecting trails, moving trails closer to the boundaries of the various areas, all in an effort to minimize human encroachment on the rare pine bush ecosystem. They've also done a lot of invasive species removal and more recently tree thinning (ie. getting rid of lots of native trees as well) in hopes of restoring the pine bush to a state more like what it would be if natural burning occurred. While I support the goal, as I've said before - I still miss the trails and woods that I've spent countless hours on over the past decade or so. Oh, well... as someone wiser than I said, the only thing constant in life is change.
One of the new trails runs from the Madison Avenue Pinelands trailhead over to DiCaprio Park in Schenectady - about 3 miles one way, according to the new trail maps. While I don't generally run out-and-backs, this seemed like a reasonably good opportunity to both explore the new trail and cut my run shorter if needed (simply by turning around and heading back.) In the end, my knees and legs mostly cooperated with my curiosity, and I went all the way to the official trailhead at DiCaprio Park before heading back.
Overall, it's a fairly nice trail... only a couple of hilly spots where it drops down into ravines to cross two streams on a pair of very nice, newly constructed bridges. The rest is flat or slightly rolling. After the first half mile it's wooded, which is a nice change from the open meadows that many of the previously wooded spots have been converted to. There are two road crossings, and at least one is probably pretty busy at the various 'rush hours', and the last 3/10's of a mile or so in the park skirt along the edge of the soccer fields.
All that remains now is to see how much my knees grumble tomorrow... and then decide which (if any) races I'm plodding my way through this weekend...
JMH
6.1 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Thursday, July 30, 2015
I really should have gotten out for this run either Tuesday or Wednesday, but today was really the final chance, to see how my knees might hold up for one or both of the races this weekend (People's Forest on Saturday, Indian Ladder on Sunday.) I'd thought to ease back in with the relatively easy trails at Schodack Island State Park, but time got away from me and I opted for the much closer Pine Bush trails - plus no one would lock me in if I took too long.
The Albany Pine Bush Commission has been making some pretty big changes to the trail system that I've known for close to 15 years now... eliminating connecting trails, moving trails closer to the boundaries of the various areas, all in an effort to minimize human encroachment on the rare pine bush ecosystem. They've also done a lot of invasive species removal and more recently tree thinning (ie. getting rid of lots of native trees as well) in hopes of restoring the pine bush to a state more like what it would be if natural burning occurred. While I support the goal, as I've said before - I still miss the trails and woods that I've spent countless hours on over the past decade or so. Oh, well... as someone wiser than I said, the only thing constant in life is change.
One of the new trails runs from the Madison Avenue Pinelands trailhead over to DiCaprio Park in Schenectady - about 3 miles one way, according to the new trail maps. While I don't generally run out-and-backs, this seemed like a reasonably good opportunity to both explore the new trail and cut my run shorter if needed (simply by turning around and heading back.) In the end, my knees and legs mostly cooperated with my curiosity, and I went all the way to the official trailhead at DiCaprio Park before heading back.
Overall, it's a fairly nice trail... only a couple of hilly spots where it drops down into ravines to cross two streams on a pair of very nice, newly constructed bridges. The rest is flat or slightly rolling. After the first half mile it's wooded, which is a nice change from the open meadows that many of the previously wooded spots have been converted to. There are two road crossings, and at least one is probably pretty busy at the various 'rush hours', and the last 3/10's of a mile or so in the park skirt along the edge of the soccer fields.
All that remains now is to see how much my knees grumble tomorrow... and then decide which (if any) races I'm plodding my way through this weekend...
JMH
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Monday, July 27, 2015
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Friday, July 24, 2015
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Friday, July 17, 2015
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Monday, July 13, 2015
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Friday, July 10, 2015
Thursday, July 09, 2015
Wednesday, July 08, 2015
Monday, July 06, 2015
Tough Decision
Monday, July 6, 2015
Despite my knee mostly behaving itself during Saturday's run (albeit with me running very slowly and carefully with the knee strapped into one of my heavy braces) I've decided to bail on the New Paltz Summer XC Series races this year... while I probably could do them (albeit running very slowly and carefully with my knee strapped into one of my heavy braces...) it seems like a better idea to take things a bit easier and hope for a quicker overall recovery. It's a long way to drive for four Mondays just to limp my way through races where I'll have to run poorly... plus I'm more likely to be stupid and over do it at a race, so waiting a while yet before doing another one probably makes the most sense.
Maybe next summer... sigh...
JMH
Monday, July 6, 2015
Despite my knee mostly behaving itself during Saturday's run (albeit with me running very slowly and carefully with the knee strapped into one of my heavy braces) I've decided to bail on the New Paltz Summer XC Series races this year... while I probably could do them (albeit running very slowly and carefully with my knee strapped into one of my heavy braces...) it seems like a better idea to take things a bit easier and hope for a quicker overall recovery. It's a long way to drive for four Mondays just to limp my way through races where I'll have to run poorly... plus I'm more likely to be stupid and over do it at a race, so waiting a while yet before doing another one probably makes the most sense.
Maybe next summer... sigh...
JMH
Sunday, July 05, 2015
Saturday, July 04, 2015
Friday, July 03, 2015
Thursday, July 02, 2015
Wednesday, July 01, 2015
CREDIT DUE...
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
This morning I drove up to Saratoga Springs to have an oil and filter change done on my car at Saratoga Honda, the dealership where I bought it a little over a year ago. This is the third time I've had work done there, and so far they are three for three - the work has been done quickly (30 minutes today, and I've never been there more than an hour) and every interaction I've had with them has been very professional. I've never had a problem with any of their work, but I have every confidence that if there's a problem they'd do everything possible to resolve it.
It's a longer drive to get there than it would be to go to the local dealerships - but it's well worth the extra time spent on the road. I recommend Saratoga Honda 100%!
JMH
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
This morning I drove up to Saratoga Springs to have an oil and filter change done on my car at Saratoga Honda, the dealership where I bought it a little over a year ago. This is the third time I've had work done there, and so far they are three for three - the work has been done quickly (30 minutes today, and I've never been there more than an hour) and every interaction I've had with them has been very professional. I've never had a problem with any of their work, but I have every confidence that if there's a problem they'd do everything possible to resolve it.
It's a longer drive to get there than it would be to go to the local dealerships - but it's well worth the extra time spent on the road. I recommend Saratoga Honda 100%!
JMH
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