A Snowshoe Race Cancelled Due To... Too Much Snow????
Friday, February 22, 2013
Well... that's what it looked like originally, when the forecast called for about a foot of snow in Hawley between Saturday night and Sunday morning. Good for snowshoeing, bad for parking at the SCA Americorps HQ that we get to use for the Moody Spring and Hallockville races.
While the forecast is now for a lot less snow, Sunday's race is still cancelled - MA DCR pulled the permit, on the grounds that they don't have anyone to plow the parking lot Sunday morning.
While I'm not particularly fond of the Hallockville Orchard race (it's mostly on snowmobile trail) I will still miss the chance to spend some time with my friends over in the forest in West Hawley. On the plus side - I can stay closer to home and get my backside out for a long run instead.
JMH
Showing posts with label snowshoe races. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snowshoe races. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
SNOW, SNOW, SNOW, SNOW!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
A welcome sight after two tough days that saw me too tired and too buried under work to get my lazy backside out the door after work for a run...
OK, it's only supposed to be about 6 inches or so, but it's better than nothing... it was good enough to get us an unexpected day off, it means I'll be able to do some easy snowshoeing this afternoon, and it's probably good news for the snowshoe race scheduled for Saturday morning...
Besides which, it's winter and I like to see snow in the winter!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
A welcome sight after two tough days that saw me too tired and too buried under work to get my lazy backside out the door after work for a run...
OK, it's only supposed to be about 6 inches or so, but it's better than nothing... it was good enough to get us an unexpected day off, it means I'll be able to do some easy snowshoeing this afternoon, and it's probably good news for the snowshoe race scheduled for Saturday morning...
JMH
Friday, January 11, 2013
HURRAY! WE HAVE A SNOWSHOE RACE TOMORROW!
Friday, January 11, 2013
Between the warm weather and the rain we're supposed to be getting, I was pretty sure it would be cancelled... I can't imagine that conditions will be ideal (if nothing else, we're going to be sweating bullets in the 40 degree weather... or else swearing at the rain!) but current word is that tomorrow's snowshoe race at Constitution Hill is ON.
Guess that means I'm getting my backside out the door tonight for a run - finally, after a week of being far lazier than I should have been, given what I have coming up this spring...
JMH
Friday, January 11, 2013
Between the warm weather and the rain we're supposed to be getting, I was pretty sure it would be cancelled... I can't imagine that conditions will be ideal (if nothing else, we're going to be sweating bullets in the 40 degree weather... or else swearing at the rain!) but current word is that tomorrow's snowshoe race at Constitution Hill is ON.
Guess that means I'm getting my backside out the door tonight for a run - finally, after a week of being far lazier than I should have been, given what I have coming up this spring...
JMH
Sunday, January 06, 2013
I LOVE MISSED WOODFORD SNOWSHOE RACE
3.4 Mile Snowshoe at Woodford State Park
Sunday, January 6, 2012
I went into this second weekend of snowshoe races both excited to be snowshoeing and a bit disappointed. I started snowshoeing seven years ago, as a way to keep running trails in the winter, and Woodford was the first race I did. I had purchased a new pair of Dion 166’s and managed to get in one or two short runs in the 6-8 inches of crusty snow that we had in Albany that December. Then right before the race Woodford picked up 18 inches of fresh snow – I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I’m pretty sure that was the hardest I’d ever worked to “run” 20+ min miles! But for some crazy reason I followed that up with another tough run at North Pond a couple of weeks later – and that was pretty much it that season for snowshoe races around here, most of the others were either cancelled or changed to trail races. And here I am, 72 snowshoe races later (including a snowshoe duathlon, a snowshoe triathlon, and more than a few races outside of the WMAC series…) At least now I know why I keep hauling my backside out of bed on the weekends to drive to the middle of nowhere and stagger around in the snow – partially the challenge and the workout, partially a love of the outdoors, and mostly the people I get to spend time with.
In any case, Woodford holds a special place in my heart, so I drove to Vermont this morning with a secret mission – to walk/run the usual Woodford course after doing the race at Prospect Mountain. Post-race I took a few minutes to chat with friends I haven’t seen nearly enough of this fall, then hopped in the car and made the short drive east to Woodford State Park. I found a parking lot filled with trucks and snowmobile trailers instead of chattering snowshoers – but I also found the best snow conditions I’ve seen at Woodford for the last 4-5 years. Deep snow, a well-packed trail through the woods and along the shore of Adams Reservoir – absolutely beautiful and one of the things I really enjoy about snowshoeing. Running at Pine Ridge and Prospect Mountain was fun, but for me groomed XC ski trails just don’t compare to singletrack through the woods.
After being laid up for much of November with an injury and 8 miles of races (including a steep climb or three, thanks to the Brad and Beth Herder and TiVO) my legs were definitely fried by the time I made the final climb away from the reservoir, and the “run” back to the park entrance had a more-than-passing resemblance to walking. But it was definitely worth it, both in the time spent running with our crazy but happy crew in Pittsfield and at Prospect Mountain and my trek afterwards along memory lane and the rolling trails of Woodford State Park.
Now one of these days I have to get here during a different season!
JMH
3.4 Mile Snowshoe at Woodford State Park
Sunday, January 6, 2012
I went into this second weekend of snowshoe races both excited to be snowshoeing and a bit disappointed. I started snowshoeing seven years ago, as a way to keep running trails in the winter, and Woodford was the first race I did. I had purchased a new pair of Dion 166’s and managed to get in one or two short runs in the 6-8 inches of crusty snow that we had in Albany that December. Then right before the race Woodford picked up 18 inches of fresh snow – I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I’m pretty sure that was the hardest I’d ever worked to “run” 20+ min miles! But for some crazy reason I followed that up with another tough run at North Pond a couple of weeks later – and that was pretty much it that season for snowshoe races around here, most of the others were either cancelled or changed to trail races. And here I am, 72 snowshoe races later (including a snowshoe duathlon, a snowshoe triathlon, and more than a few races outside of the WMAC series…) At least now I know why I keep hauling my backside out of bed on the weekends to drive to the middle of nowhere and stagger around in the snow – partially the challenge and the workout, partially a love of the outdoors, and mostly the people I get to spend time with.
In any case, Woodford holds a special place in my heart, so I drove to Vermont this morning with a secret mission – to walk/run the usual Woodford course after doing the race at Prospect Mountain. Post-race I took a few minutes to chat with friends I haven’t seen nearly enough of this fall, then hopped in the car and made the short drive east to Woodford State Park. I found a parking lot filled with trucks and snowmobile trailers instead of chattering snowshoers – but I also found the best snow conditions I’ve seen at Woodford for the last 4-5 years. Deep snow, a well-packed trail through the woods and along the shore of Adams Reservoir – absolutely beautiful and one of the things I really enjoy about snowshoeing. Running at Pine Ridge and Prospect Mountain was fun, but for me groomed XC ski trails just don’t compare to singletrack through the woods.
After being laid up for much of November with an injury and 8 miles of races (including a steep climb or three, thanks to the Brad and Beth Herder and TiVO) my legs were definitely fried by the time I made the final climb away from the reservoir, and the “run” back to the park entrance had a more-than-passing resemblance to walking. But it was definitely worth it, both in the time spent running with our crazy but happy crew in Pittsfield and at Prospect Mountain and my trek afterwards along memory lane and the rolling trails of Woodford State Park.
Now one of these days I have to get here during a different season!
JMH
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
No Surprise... No SnōShū...
Tuesday, February 20, 2012
Didn't take a psychic to see this one coming... we cancelled last weekend's snowshoe races because, well - there's no snow! And with temperatures forecast for the 40's and even 50's this week, along with on and off rain - doesn't look like that will be changing anytime soon, so the plug has been pulled on this weekend's race as well. Fortunately it does sound like they have plenty of snow for Nationals in Frisco, CO... but it's going to be tough going for anyone from around here, between the the few opportunities to train and racing at altitude.
On the plus side, the lack of winter weather has made it much easier to run trails... if only I was getting my backside out the door to run. At this point it seems more and more likely that I will have to skip the Instant Classic Trail Marathon in Virginia in mid-March - I've been way too lazy over the past few weeks and right now I doubt I could even finish 26+ miles, much less in 7 hours or less. Nothing's definite but right now I can't say it's looking good...
JMH
Tuesday, February 20, 2012
Didn't take a psychic to see this one coming... we cancelled last weekend's snowshoe races because, well - there's no snow! And with temperatures forecast for the 40's and even 50's this week, along with on and off rain - doesn't look like that will be changing anytime soon, so the plug has been pulled on this weekend's race as well. Fortunately it does sound like they have plenty of snow for Nationals in Frisco, CO... but it's going to be tough going for anyone from around here, between the the few opportunities to train and racing at altitude.
On the plus side, the lack of winter weather has made it much easier to run trails... if only I was getting my backside out the door to run. At this point it seems more and more likely that I will have to skip the Instant Classic Trail Marathon in Virginia in mid-March - I've been way too lazy over the past few weeks and right now I doubt I could even finish 26+ miles, much less in 7 hours or less. Nothing's definite but right now I can't say it's looking good...
JMH
Friday, February 17, 2012
Long Week...
Friday, February 17, 2012
Heading into the end of the term at work is always tough, but this time seems even busier than usual. Between getting home late several nights, not getting much sleep most nights, and general laziness - I didn't get out at all over the past five days. But tomorrow is looking better - I'll be heading down to Connecticut to run with Ed and Konrad. No snowshoe races this weekend - our essentially snowless winter continues, but at least that's left us with decent conditions for running.
JMH
Friday, February 17, 2012
Heading into the end of the term at work is always tough, but this time seems even busier than usual. Between getting home late several nights, not getting much sleep most nights, and general laziness - I didn't get out at all over the past five days. But tomorrow is looking better - I'll be heading down to Connecticut to run with Ed and Konrad. No snowshoe races this weekend - our essentially snowless winter continues, but at least that's left us with decent conditions for running.
JMH
Saturday, January 28, 2012
HURRAY!!!!
Curly's Snowshoe Race is ON!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Just got word that the snow held up better than anyone expected in Pittsfield State Forest and Curly's Record Run will be held as a snowshoe race tomorrow! Great news indeed!!!
JMH
Curly's Snowshoe Race is ON!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Just got word that the snow held up better than anyone expected in Pittsfield State Forest and Curly's Record Run will be held as a snowshoe race tomorrow! Great news indeed!!!
JMH
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Yet Another Change of Plans... Sigh...
Thursday, January 19, 2012
A very unproductive week... too many evenings of falling sleep after eating dinner and then spinning my wheels while trying to do work after waking up. I haven't gotten outdoors since Monday either... sigh.
I was really looking forward to running Brave the Blizzard on Saturday morning, then driving out to Rochester to spend time with Ann and run the Lake Effect Half Marathon Sunday morning - I did the Lake Effect duathlon the first two years it was held and really want to do the long race that's replaced it one of these years. Doesn't look like it's going to be this year... with all the work I have to do, it doesn't make sense to spend all that time on the road this weekend. Guess I'll go over to Massachusetts and run Constitution Hill instead - word is it will actually be a snowshoe race (unlike BtB, which is almost certain to be a trail run.)
There I go doing what makes sense again... the Apocalypse must be inching closer...
JMH
Thursday, January 19, 2012
A very unproductive week... too many evenings of falling sleep after eating dinner and then spinning my wheels while trying to do work after waking up. I haven't gotten outdoors since Monday either... sigh.
I was really looking forward to running Brave the Blizzard on Saturday morning, then driving out to Rochester to spend time with Ann and run the Lake Effect Half Marathon Sunday morning - I did the Lake Effect duathlon the first two years it was held and really want to do the long race that's replaced it one of these years. Doesn't look like it's going to be this year... with all the work I have to do, it doesn't make sense to spend all that time on the road this weekend. Guess I'll go over to Massachusetts and run Constitution Hill instead - word is it will actually be a snowshoe race (unlike BtB, which is almost certain to be a trail run.)
There I go doing what makes sense again... the Apocalypse must be inching closer...
JMH
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Back to Virginia in March...
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
I've been thinking that I want to run a marathon sometime in the spring, to get ready for a late-spring/early summer 50k (possibly the Nipmuck 50k in early June.) Unfortunately trail marathons within driving distance are few and far between that time of year, as are trail 50k's... briefly considered a road marathon, but none leaped out as being all that appealing. I also found out that some of the long trail races have reached their registration limits, and some have registration fees that are bordering on being, well, nuts ($110, having missed the early-early and early registrations.) In the end I bit the bullet and signed up for the Instant Classic Marathon Trail Run, which very ironically is in Virginia in mid-March. My last race of 2011 was in VA, and it looks like my first race (after snowshoe season) will also be in VA.
I'll have my work cut out for me, too... there's a 7 hr time limit for finishing. I completed Stone Cat in 7:17, and ran the first 26 miles of the Seashore Nature Trail 50k in 6:33... so I think it's doable, if I don't do anything stupid (and if the course isn't significantly harder than the descriptions I've read online.)
One downside is that it's the same day as the last race of the WMAC Dion Snowshoe Series, Catamount Sunset. Then again, that's easily my least-favorite race of the series, so while I'll miss seeing my snowshoeing friends one last time and I'll feel slightly bad for not supporting the series by being there... I can't really say I'll miss Catamount Sunset all that much.
The other downside is it's early enough in the spring that I'll still need to keep busting my backside for a good long time afterwards... no taking it easy using the excuse of resting up for an upcoming 50k!
JMH
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
I've been thinking that I want to run a marathon sometime in the spring, to get ready for a late-spring/early summer 50k (possibly the Nipmuck 50k in early June.) Unfortunately trail marathons within driving distance are few and far between that time of year, as are trail 50k's... briefly considered a road marathon, but none leaped out as being all that appealing. I also found out that some of the long trail races have reached their registration limits, and some have registration fees that are bordering on being, well, nuts ($110, having missed the early-early and early registrations.) In the end I bit the bullet and signed up for the Instant Classic Marathon Trail Run, which very ironically is in Virginia in mid-March. My last race of 2011 was in VA, and it looks like my first race (after snowshoe season) will also be in VA.
I'll have my work cut out for me, too... there's a 7 hr time limit for finishing. I completed Stone Cat in 7:17, and ran the first 26 miles of the Seashore Nature Trail 50k in 6:33... so I think it's doable, if I don't do anything stupid (and if the course isn't significantly harder than the descriptions I've read online.)
One downside is that it's the same day as the last race of the WMAC Dion Snowshoe Series, Catamount Sunset. Then again, that's easily my least-favorite race of the series, so while I'll miss seeing my snowshoeing friends one last time and I'll feel slightly bad for not supporting the series by being there... I can't really say I'll miss Catamount Sunset all that much.
The other downside is it's early enough in the spring that I'll still need to keep busting my backside for a good long time afterwards... no taking it easy using the excuse of resting up for an upcoming 50k!
JMH
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
LACK OF SNOW STRIKES AGAIN...
Turner Trail Snowshoe Race Postponed A Week
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Again, no surprise, there's no currently no snow so the Turner Trail snowshoe race scheduled for this Saturday has been moved the the following weekend (weather permitting) and Greylock Glen, which I co-direct, has been postponed indefinitely. So I will definitely be heading west for the Frozen Assets race, which as of two days ago looked like it will be a snowshoe event. I was hoping to do a little snowshoeing before the first race of the season, but we don't always get what we want. At least it's only a 5k... and if I had to guess, the snow probably isn't very deep.
On the plus side - finding this out today saved me a trip to Greylock Glen tomorrow after work to run the trails and check if there were trees down, etc... now maybe I can drag my sorry backside out the door closer to home for a run!
JMH
Turner Trail Snowshoe Race Postponed A Week
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Again, no surprise, there's no currently no snow so the Turner Trail snowshoe race scheduled for this Saturday has been moved the the following weekend (weather permitting) and Greylock Glen, which I co-direct, has been postponed indefinitely. So I will definitely be heading west for the Frozen Assets race, which as of two days ago looked like it will be a snowshoe event. I was hoping to do a little snowshoeing before the first race of the season, but we don't always get what we want. At least it's only a 5k... and if I had to guess, the snow probably isn't very deep.
On the plus side - finding this out today saved me a trip to Greylock Glen tomorrow after work to run the trails and check if there were trees down, etc... now maybe I can drag my sorry backside out the door closer to home for a run!
JMH
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Beaver Lake Snowshoe Race Postponed to February
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Again, no surprise (though I had slight hope Baldwinsville might get enough snow between now and Sunday) - the Beaver Lake Nature Center snowshoe race has been postponed to Sunday, February 12. Which unfortunately puts it in conflict with both the Highland Forest race and Hoot Toot & Whistle in Readsboro, VT.
Hard to say what the upcoming weekend holds for me... I'm guessing that the Turner Trail snowshoe race will either be postponed or cancelled due to lack of snow, so I'll probably be heading out west to run Frozen Assets - either on snowshoes or as a trail race, depending on how much white stuff Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area gets between now and Saturday morning...
UPDATE: Apparently Harriet Hollister currently has enough snow... looks likely I'll be snowshoeing Saturday morning!
JMH
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Again, no surprise (though I had slight hope Baldwinsville might get enough snow between now and Sunday) - the Beaver Lake Nature Center snowshoe race has been postponed to Sunday, February 12. Which unfortunately puts it in conflict with both the Highland Forest race and Hoot Toot & Whistle in Readsboro, VT.
Hard to say what the upcoming weekend holds for me... I'm guessing that the Turner Trail snowshoe race will either be postponed or cancelled due to lack of snow, so I'll probably be heading out west to run Frozen Assets - either on snowshoes or as a trail race, depending on how much white stuff Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area gets between now and Saturday morning...
UPDATE: Apparently Harriet Hollister currently has enough snow... looks likely I'll be snowshoeing Saturday morning!
JMH
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Plateau Snowshoe Race Postponed
Saturday, December 31, 2011
No surprise there (unless they had decided to hold a trail race) - there's no freakin' snow! (And not much prospect for any in the near future - 2012 is expected to start with temperatures in the high 40's! Though we're supposed to see some more seasonable temperatures early in the week...)
JMH
Saturday, December 31, 2011
No surprise there (unless they had decided to hold a trail race) - there's no freakin' snow! (And not much prospect for any in the near future - 2012 is expected to start with temperatures in the high 40's! Though we're supposed to see some more seasonable temperatures early in the week...)
JMH
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Bummer... Woodford Snowshoe Race Postponed
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
In the words of Woodford RD Jack Quinn -
I did indeed suspect that's what would happen but had hoped that maybe Woodford had a little more snow than everywhere else around here (ie. more than none.) Woodford holds a special place in my heart, because it's the first snowshoe race I ever did (and my first time snowshoeing on snow more than a couple of inches deep) and I always look forward to running/walking/staggering my way through the course. On the other hand, this makes my travel plans a lot less complicated, since it will save me a trip from Rochester to Albany and back.
With luck, if Woodford does get rescheduled it will be for a day when I can be there...
JMH
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
In the words of Woodford RD Jack Quinn -
As you suspected, “I Love Woodford” will be postponed to later in the season. (TBA). I’m sorry to disappoint you all but Woodford without sufficient snow would tear hell out of everyone's equipment. If you pre-registered, please mark your check void. It will not be cashed. Thanks for your support of the Woodford race. For many of you, it marks the northern boundary of your racing season. Merry Christmas, Felice Navidad, Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings! Pick the one that is politically correct for you and delete the rest. May your life be healthy and happy in the New Year with race finishes in front of five people who normally beat you.
I did indeed suspect that's what would happen but had hoped that maybe Woodford had a little more snow than everywhere else around here (ie. more than none.) Woodford holds a special place in my heart, because it's the first snowshoe race I ever did (and my first time snowshoeing on snow more than a couple of inches deep) and I always look forward to running/walking/staggering my way through the course. On the other hand, this makes my travel plans a lot less complicated, since it will save me a trip from Rochester to Albany and back.
With luck, if Woodford does get rescheduled it will be for a day when I can be there...
JMH
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
CRUNCH TIME... BLEAH!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
What a week... I've wanted to get out for a run every night and just haven't had the time or in some cases the energy. We split the school year into three terms, and the winter term ends next week... which means my kids are getting ready to take exams on what we've been studying for the past few months and I'm trying to not only help them prepare for that but also grading work they've submitted so they can use it to help them study. Lots of late evenings giving them extra help and then even later nights at home working means not much time left for getting outdoors.
I'm reminded of the following quote, which I posted several years ago after reading the book it's from:
"One recent morning, while running, I had a vision of a bear careening slo-mo through Yellowstone on a National Geopgraphic TV special. Bears are big, but they sure can move. Everyone knows a gazelle is built for running -- and yet you wouldn't want that bear chasing you, would you? Then I remembered that the Colorado Department of Wildlife allocates one hundred square miles for each of our state's brown bears. Any less than that, and you end up with 'nuisance' bears who eat garbage and start fights. I related to this implicitly. If I am prevented from crashing through the underbrush, I too eat garbage and snarl a lot."
-- Robin Chotzinoff, People Who Sweat
I definitely need to get outside and crash through the underbrush (or at least through the woods) so that maybe I'll eat less garbage... and before I start snarling a lot. Thank heavens we have two snowshoe races coming up this weekend!
-JMH
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
What a week... I've wanted to get out for a run every night and just haven't had the time or in some cases the energy. We split the school year into three terms, and the winter term ends next week... which means my kids are getting ready to take exams on what we've been studying for the past few months and I'm trying to not only help them prepare for that but also grading work they've submitted so they can use it to help them study. Lots of late evenings giving them extra help and then even later nights at home working means not much time left for getting outdoors.
I'm reminded of the following quote, which I posted several years ago after reading the book it's from:
"One recent morning, while running, I had a vision of a bear careening slo-mo through Yellowstone on a National Geopgraphic TV special. Bears are big, but they sure can move. Everyone knows a gazelle is built for running -- and yet you wouldn't want that bear chasing you, would you? Then I remembered that the Colorado Department of Wildlife allocates one hundred square miles for each of our state's brown bears. Any less than that, and you end up with 'nuisance' bears who eat garbage and start fights. I related to this implicitly. If I am prevented from crashing through the underbrush, I too eat garbage and snarl a lot."
-- Robin Chotzinoff, People Who Sweat
I definitely need to get outside and crash through the underbrush (or at least through the woods) so that maybe I'll eat less garbage... and before I start snarling a lot. Thank heavens we have two snowshoe races coming up this weekend!
-JMH
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tough Decision...
Thursday, January 27, 2011
I've really been looking forward to running the Curly's Record Run 4 mile snowshoe race on Sunday. Saturday's races are too far away (3-4 hours, depending on which one) for the distances they offer (3-4 miles) so I had planned to spend Saturday in Rochester with Ann and then come back for Sunday's run in Pittsfield. I feel like I've been running fairly well for the last few races, plus it's a good chance to spend some time in the woods with my friends.
Unfortunately... whatever I did to my right knee Tuesday night is definitely still there. It's nothing major - an occasional twinge when I move certain ways - but I suspect the long climbs and the insane descent at Curly's could easily aggravate it into a more significant injury. And having already dropped quite a bit of money registering for some long races in the 1st half of 2011... I really don't want to end up where I was back in June 2009, when I tore up my left knee two weeks before the Finger Lakes Fifties and attempting my first 50k.
So as much as it's driving me absolutely nuts to do so... I'm going to stay away from Curly's this weekend. Ordinarily I'd go and offer to help on the course somewhere... but if I do that Sunday morning, I have no doubt I'll talk myself into running. And then all my friends will have to holler at me for doing such a stupid thing. And I may find myself limping around for the near and not-so-near future, wondering if my knee will bounce back enough for me to complete a trail marathon at the end of May in under 8 hours (as well as making a bunch of time cutoffs along the way.)
On the plus side - I'll get to spend more time with Ann this weekend, which doesn't happen often during snowshoe season.
But man is it going to drive me nuts Sunday morning...
JMH
Thursday, January 27, 2011
I've really been looking forward to running the Curly's Record Run 4 mile snowshoe race on Sunday. Saturday's races are too far away (3-4 hours, depending on which one) for the distances they offer (3-4 miles) so I had planned to spend Saturday in Rochester with Ann and then come back for Sunday's run in Pittsfield. I feel like I've been running fairly well for the last few races, plus it's a good chance to spend some time in the woods with my friends.
Unfortunately... whatever I did to my right knee Tuesday night is definitely still there. It's nothing major - an occasional twinge when I move certain ways - but I suspect the long climbs and the insane descent at Curly's could easily aggravate it into a more significant injury. And having already dropped quite a bit of money registering for some long races in the 1st half of 2011... I really don't want to end up where I was back in June 2009, when I tore up my left knee two weeks before the Finger Lakes Fifties and attempting my first 50k.
So as much as it's driving me absolutely nuts to do so... I'm going to stay away from Curly's this weekend. Ordinarily I'd go and offer to help on the course somewhere... but if I do that Sunday morning, I have no doubt I'll talk myself into running. And then all my friends will have to holler at me for doing such a stupid thing. And I may find myself limping around for the near and not-so-near future, wondering if my knee will bounce back enough for me to complete a trail marathon at the end of May in under 8 hours (as well as making a bunch of time cutoffs along the way.)
On the plus side - I'll get to spend more time with Ann this weekend, which doesn't happen often during snowshoe season.
But man is it going to drive me nuts Sunday morning...
JMH
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Qualified Turtle
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
It's ironic, really... last year when US Snowshoe Nationals were near Syracuse, I had to go to Vermont to qualify. In the end that worked out OK, because I ended up at a fun race on a cool course and met some really nice folks in the process... even won two bottles of wine in the post-race raffle (more irony, since I don't drink!)
This year, Nationals are in Cable, Wisconsin. While I think it would be very cool to go and run, I really can't justify spending $500 or more to go run a 10k snowshoe race. As Bill Glendon put it last weekend, that doesn't seem like much bang for my buck!
So naturally I qualified no problem at last weekend's Mendon Winterfest race.
(Actually, that's not surprising at all... my guess is only a small number of the runners this year were trying to qualify, given that Nationals are a significant distance away... while last year, everyone and his brother had signed up to try to qualify, and I got bumped down the list by sheer numbers.)
On the plus side, the Granite State Snowshoe Championships are that same weekend at Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center (where I ran a trail race this last June) and I can drive there for a heck of a lot less than the trip to Wisconsin will cost. Maybe I can even convince Ann to come along and we can do some XC skiing there afterwards...
JMH
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
It's ironic, really... last year when US Snowshoe Nationals were near Syracuse, I had to go to Vermont to qualify. In the end that worked out OK, because I ended up at a fun race on a cool course and met some really nice folks in the process... even won two bottles of wine in the post-race raffle (more irony, since I don't drink!)
This year, Nationals are in Cable, Wisconsin. While I think it would be very cool to go and run, I really can't justify spending $500 or more to go run a 10k snowshoe race. As Bill Glendon put it last weekend, that doesn't seem like much bang for my buck!
So naturally I qualified no problem at last weekend's Mendon Winterfest race.
(Actually, that's not surprising at all... my guess is only a small number of the runners this year were trying to qualify, given that Nationals are a significant distance away... while last year, everyone and his brother had signed up to try to qualify, and I got bumped down the list by sheer numbers.)
On the plus side, the Granite State Snowshoe Championships are that same weekend at Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center (where I ran a trail race this last June) and I can drive there for a heck of a lot less than the trip to Wisconsin will cost. Maybe I can even convince Ann to come along and we can do some XC skiing there afterwards...
JMH
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Sigh... No Snowshoe Race This Sunday...
Thursday, December 16, 2010
After the 2010 MA Championships at Northfield Mountain were cancelled back in March due to a distinct lack of snow, the hope was that they could instead be held at Savoy around the middle of this month... a long shot but one worth hoping for. Unfortunately all the recent rain has left the underlying ground pretty wet (and lets face it, the Savoy trails tend to be on the wet side to begin with) so even though the snow is starting to fill in... no race this Sunday.
So I'll just have to find somewhere to go on my own to get in either a bit of running or some snowshoeing... with a 2 week break from work coming up I'm determined to get off my backside and get back to getting outdoors on a daily basis.
JMH
Thursday, December 16, 2010
After the 2010 MA Championships at Northfield Mountain were cancelled back in March due to a distinct lack of snow, the hope was that they could instead be held at Savoy around the middle of this month... a long shot but one worth hoping for. Unfortunately all the recent rain has left the underlying ground pretty wet (and lets face it, the Savoy trails tend to be on the wet side to begin with) so even though the snow is starting to fill in... no race this Sunday.
So I'll just have to find somewhere to go on my own to get in either a bit of running or some snowshoeing... with a 2 week break from work coming up I'm determined to get off my backside and get back to getting outdoors on a daily basis.
JMH
Monday, November 08, 2010
Let It Snow...
Monday, November 8, 2010
I was very surprised to look out the window this morning and see snow falling... that's been an increasingly unusual occurence for early November around here. The even greater surprise was that instead of switching over to rain, it got heavier as the day progressed and left us with about an inch of slushy white covering the ground by the time I headed home. I wish I'd had my camera with me so I could have gotten some shots of the first snow of the season... even better would have been having the day off so I could go for a run in the storm.
Of course, seeing snow on the ground reminded me that it's almost SNOWSHOE SEASON!
more to come...
Monday, November 8, 2010
I was very surprised to look out the window this morning and see snow falling... that's been an increasingly unusual occurence for early November around here. The even greater surprise was that instead of switching over to rain, it got heavier as the day progressed and left us with about an inch of slushy white covering the ground by the time I headed home. I wish I'd had my camera with me so I could have gotten some shots of the first snow of the season... even better would have been having the day off so I could go for a run in the storm.
Of course, seeing snow on the ground reminded me that it's almost SNOWSHOE SEASON!
more to come...
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Cool...
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Sunday's Moody Spring snowshoe race got a write-up on the Runner's World website... the article also mentions Brad Herder's short but hilarious Youtube video of our descent off of Rounds Rock at the Moby Dick snowshoe race the weekend before.
While I didn't think Moody was as difficult as Jeff Dengate describes it, it's worth noting that (1) he came in 5th in 1 hr 5 min, I came in 49th in 1 hr 45 min, and (2) I had over 50 people ahead of me stomping down the trail before I got there... and I still found it very slow going. But maybe I was just saving my energy for Nationals this weekend...
It's hard to believe that in a few more weeks my 5th season of snowshoe racing will be coming to a close... seems like it was only a few short weeks ago that we ran the first race of the season at Woodford!
JMH
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Sunday's Moody Spring snowshoe race got a write-up on the Runner's World website... the article also mentions Brad Herder's short but hilarious Youtube video of our descent off of Rounds Rock at the Moby Dick snowshoe race the weekend before.
While I didn't think Moody was as difficult as Jeff Dengate describes it, it's worth noting that (1) he came in 5th in 1 hr 5 min, I came in 49th in 1 hr 45 min, and (2) I had over 50 people ahead of me stomping down the trail before I got there... and I still found it very slow going. But maybe I was just saving my energy for Nationals this weekend...
It's hard to believe that in a few more weeks my 5th season of snowshoe racing will be coming to a close... seems like it was only a few short weeks ago that we ran the first race of the season at Woodford!
JMH
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Season of the SnōShū 2010 - Race #12
Hallockville Orchard 3.8mi Snowshoe Race
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Today's race was a welcome break in two ways - the course was short and relatively easy, consisting of mostly packed snowmobile trails, and we actually had a building to hang out in before and after the race, an old CCC camp which is now the headquarters for the MA Student Conservation Association - Americorps. After mainly grey skies over Greylock yesterday, today we were greeted by blue skies and sunshine - another welcome break!
Surprisingly, after yesterday's trek I was feeling pretty good - I suspect the beautiful weather and the company of 80+ like-minded crazy people helped that a lot. Or maybe I was just glad today would go a lot quicker than yesterday... in any case, early on I decided to push this one fairly hard (for me, at least) since the course played to my strengths - rolling terrain with no long, steep hills, and well-packed snow.
The run out to the orchard was tough mainly because there's a lot of uphill along the way, but that meant I could look forward to running downhill on the way back. The loop around the orchard was tough because the snow was a bit deeper - not something I've really had much of a chance to get used to this winter! But once I was back on the snowmobile trail I cruised in, running as best I could and walking where I had to. I have to admit, it felt good to finish a snowshoe race in well under an hour (43 min 36 sec.)
It was a gorgeous day to be outside, between the bright blue skies and the sunshine sparkling off the snow. I especially enjoyed the contrast between all the white birch trees and the hemlocks, but I think my favorite section is the hemlock grove just before the lowest point on the course - shady downhill on the way out and shady uphill on the way back, a bit of a break going both ways!
JMH
2010 Event Totals
Run
Bike
Snowshoe 55.1 mi, 13 hr 48 min
states visited: MA, NY, VT
Hallockville Orchard 3.8mi Snowshoe Race
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Today's race was a welcome break in two ways - the course was short and relatively easy, consisting of mostly packed snowmobile trails, and we actually had a building to hang out in before and after the race, an old CCC camp which is now the headquarters for the MA Student Conservation Association - Americorps. After mainly grey skies over Greylock yesterday, today we were greeted by blue skies and sunshine - another welcome break!
Surprisingly, after yesterday's trek I was feeling pretty good - I suspect the beautiful weather and the company of 80+ like-minded crazy people helped that a lot. Or maybe I was just glad today would go a lot quicker than yesterday... in any case, early on I decided to push this one fairly hard (for me, at least) since the course played to my strengths - rolling terrain with no long, steep hills, and well-packed snow.
The run out to the orchard was tough mainly because there's a lot of uphill along the way, but that meant I could look forward to running downhill on the way back. The loop around the orchard was tough because the snow was a bit deeper - not something I've really had much of a chance to get used to this winter! But once I was back on the snowmobile trail I cruised in, running as best I could and walking where I had to. I have to admit, it felt good to finish a snowshoe race in well under an hour (43 min 36 sec.)
It was a gorgeous day to be outside, between the bright blue skies and the sunshine sparkling off the snow. I especially enjoyed the contrast between all the white birch trees and the hemlocks, but I think my favorite section is the hemlock grove just before the lowest point on the course - shady downhill on the way out and shady uphill on the way back, a bit of a break going both ways!
JMH
2010 Event Totals
Run
Bike
Snowshoe 55.1 mi, 13 hr 48 min
states visited: MA, NY, VT
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