A Visit to the Manlius Swan Pond - Times Two
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Friday, May 27, 2016
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Slow & Steady 2016 - Race #9
CDPHP Workforce Challenge 3.5mi road race
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Well, if nothing else I proved tonight that aggravation can make me run faster.
The crowd on Madison Ave in front of the NYS museum was incredible, but I guess packing 9000+ people in that space will do that. I picked a spot about what I thought was halfway down the group - I figured that would put me with the slower runners but ahead of most of the walkers. Looked like I was about a tenth of a mile from the start.
A few minutes before race time, the chair of CDPHP and the mayor of Albany both spoke, and then someone sang the national anthem, and then - it was time to start.
And we slowly walked toward the starting line. It took me five minutes to reach it, walking the entire way.
I figured after that people would start to run, but nope... a few people tried to run by on the sidewalk, but everyone was walking, walking, walking. I picked up my pace and started running where I could, weaving in and out, but the crowd was mostly walkers for the 1st mile, and a lot of walkers for the 2nd mile too... at least at that point things were thinning out slightly, so I could run consistently, with a lot of moving back and forth to find openings.
According to my Garmin, it took me 18 minutes to do the 1st mile, 11 1/2 minutes for the 2nd, 11 1/4 for the 3rd, and I was running a 10:30 pace for the last half mile (admittedly, all downhill.) The good news is my knees behaved the whole time (we'll see what they say tomorrow...) despite the fact that I'd planned to run 13-14 min miles.
I don't know if the problem was that I badly misjudged where to start or too many walkers decided that they should start closer to the front - regardless, it made for a very aggravating race. It doesn't seem like it would be that hard to have pace groups - people holding up signs indicating where the 10 min milers should line up and so on, and especially a "walkers behind here" area. But it looks like a big chunk of the people who do this thing are walkers (maybe as much as 50%) so maybe they don't want to offend them. To me, it just seems important to have that many people better organized.
I will most likely do this again if we have a school team in the future - but I'll be starting a lot closer to the front if I do.
JMH
2016 Event Totals
Run 83.7 mi, 21 hr 3 min
Bike 21.5 mi, 1 hr 40 min
Snowshoe 6.2 mi, 1 hr 39 min
Kayak 0 mi, 0 min
states visited: CT, MA, NY, RI
CDPHP Workforce Challenge 3.5mi road race
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Well, if nothing else I proved tonight that aggravation can make me run faster.
The crowd on Madison Ave in front of the NYS museum was incredible, but I guess packing 9000+ people in that space will do that. I picked a spot about what I thought was halfway down the group - I figured that would put me with the slower runners but ahead of most of the walkers. Looked like I was about a tenth of a mile from the start.
A few minutes before race time, the chair of CDPHP and the mayor of Albany both spoke, and then someone sang the national anthem, and then - it was time to start.
And we slowly walked toward the starting line. It took me five minutes to reach it, walking the entire way.
I figured after that people would start to run, but nope... a few people tried to run by on the sidewalk, but everyone was walking, walking, walking. I picked up my pace and started running where I could, weaving in and out, but the crowd was mostly walkers for the 1st mile, and a lot of walkers for the 2nd mile too... at least at that point things were thinning out slightly, so I could run consistently, with a lot of moving back and forth to find openings.
According to my Garmin, it took me 18 minutes to do the 1st mile, 11 1/2 minutes for the 2nd, 11 1/4 for the 3rd, and I was running a 10:30 pace for the last half mile (admittedly, all downhill.) The good news is my knees behaved the whole time (we'll see what they say tomorrow...) despite the fact that I'd planned to run 13-14 min miles.
I don't know if the problem was that I badly misjudged where to start or too many walkers decided that they should start closer to the front - regardless, it made for a very aggravating race. It doesn't seem like it would be that hard to have pace groups - people holding up signs indicating where the 10 min milers should line up and so on, and especially a "walkers behind here" area. But it looks like a big chunk of the people who do this thing are walkers (maybe as much as 50%) so maybe they don't want to offend them. To me, it just seems important to have that many people better organized.
I will most likely do this again if we have a school team in the future - but I'll be starting a lot closer to the front if I do.
JMH
2016 Event Totals
Run 83.7 mi, 21 hr 3 min
Bike 21.5 mi, 1 hr 40 min
Snowshoe 6.2 mi, 1 hr 39 min
Kayak 0 mi, 0 min
states visited: CT, MA, NY, RI
3.2 Mile Run to the CDPHP Workforce Challenge
1.7 Mile Walk Home from the CDPHP Workforce Challenge
Thursday, May 19, 2016
The shortest route to Empire State Plaza (where the Workforce Challenge is staged) is to go two blocks over to Madison Ave and just head toward the river... it's about a mile and a half. So naturally I ran over toward the school, along Hackett Blvd and down to Lincoln Park, then through the park and over to the Plaza. On the plus side, my legs were feeling much better by the time I go there than they were when I left (which is why I ran to the race in the first place.)
Afterwards I spoke briefly with my teammates and then headed over to pick up my shirt and my goodie bag before walking home. I had planned to take the direct route, but ended up taking a detour through Washington Park instead, which was very peaceful. I even saw a male and female wood duck in the pond. I think I should go down there more often - in all the time I've lived here, less than a mile away, I've only been there on a handful of occasions.
JMH
1.7 Mile Walk Home from the CDPHP Workforce Challenge
Thursday, May 19, 2016
The shortest route to Empire State Plaza (where the Workforce Challenge is staged) is to go two blocks over to Madison Ave and just head toward the river... it's about a mile and a half. So naturally I ran over toward the school, along Hackett Blvd and down to Lincoln Park, then through the park and over to the Plaza. On the plus side, my legs were feeling much better by the time I go there than they were when I left (which is why I ran to the race in the first place.)
Afterwards I spoke briefly with my teammates and then headed over to pick up my shirt and my goodie bag before walking home. I had planned to take the direct route, but ended up taking a detour through Washington Park instead, which was very peaceful. I even saw a male and female wood duck in the pond. I think I should go down there more often - in all the time I've lived here, less than a mile away, I've only been there on a handful of occasions.
JMH
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Slow & Steady 2016 - Race #8
Olana Star Loop 10k trail race
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
I spent tonight's run feeling like I should have had a sing on my back that said "Relax - I'm 20 minutes behind you." Given that my knees have been cranky, I started 20 minutes early and self-timed my run, so that the folks manning the finish line wouldn't have to wait quite as long. I had actually planned to start 45 minutes early... but I hadn't counted on falling asleep after I got home from work.
There's something about the Olana trails that I really enjoy, despite all the hills... it was very peaceful for the first half hour, and even after the faster runners started overtaking me, it was still really nice to be out there on those trails, regardless of how slow I was going.
I think another reason I really wanted to do tonight's run is that tomorrow I'm running the Workforce Challenge in Albany... me and about 9000 other people in downtown Albany. Not my idea of a good time. So I really needed tonight's run on some quiet, gorgeous trails, and there is no question it was worth every minute and every mile of the drive down to Olana and back.
2016 Event Totals
Run 80.2 mi, 20 hr 20 min
Bike 21.5 mi, 1 hr 40 min
Snowshoe 6.2 mi, 1 hr 39 min
Kayak 0 mi, 0 min
states visited: CT, MA, NY, RI
Olana Star Loop 10k trail race
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
I spent tonight's run feeling like I should have had a sing on my back that said "Relax - I'm 20 minutes behind you." Given that my knees have been cranky, I started 20 minutes early and self-timed my run, so that the folks manning the finish line wouldn't have to wait quite as long. I had actually planned to start 45 minutes early... but I hadn't counted on falling asleep after I got home from work.
There's something about the Olana trails that I really enjoy, despite all the hills... it was very peaceful for the first half hour, and even after the faster runners started overtaking me, it was still really nice to be out there on those trails, regardless of how slow I was going.
I think another reason I really wanted to do tonight's run is that tomorrow I'm running the Workforce Challenge in Albany... me and about 9000 other people in downtown Albany. Not my idea of a good time. So I really needed tonight's run on some quiet, gorgeous trails, and there is no question it was worth every minute and every mile of the drive down to Olana and back.
2016 Event Totals
Run 80.2 mi, 20 hr 20 min
Bike 21.5 mi, 1 hr 40 min
Snowshoe 6.2 mi, 1 hr 39 min
Kayak 0 mi, 0 min
states visited: CT, MA, NY, RI
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Roc Du, Where Are You????
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Last year I signed up for the Rochester Duathlon in late May, didn't check the weather forecast before heading west, and found myself heading into race day with warm weather gear - when the temperatures were going to be sub 40's with rain and high winds. Common sense prevailed and I decided to bail on the race and live to do it another year. So I was quite pleased when I noticed registration being open for the 2016 edition, way back in March.
Today I went looking for race day info - and the race has vanished. Active.com shows me registered for it, but doesn't show a listing when I search for race registration. The Rochester Triathletes (the race organizers) site shows no indication that the race ever existed. All I can find is a mention on a couple of other race lists, all of which point back to the Roc Tri site.
I'm assuming it's been cancelled so - why no e-mail? Why no announcement on the Roc Tri site? I've got to say I'm not impressed at the lack of communication on this...
On the plus side - an olympic length du would have been a real struggle, so it's probably just as well, and at least this way Ann and I will get to sleep in and spend Sunday morning together.
JMH
Update - I finally found it - in the archive for the Roc Tri google group. After that I also thought to check their Facebook group and it was announced there as well. Of course I'm not a member of either group... Looks like it was cancelled last week, but at least I'm supposed to get a refund - a rare occurrence on the racing scene. But really, would an e-mail to folks who pre-registered have been that difficult to do?
Update#2 - Got the check yesterday, a group e-mail today, and a phone call as well. All good, and it tells me that I will probably try to do this one again in the future, if they decide to hold it again.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Last year I signed up for the Rochester Duathlon in late May, didn't check the weather forecast before heading west, and found myself heading into race day with warm weather gear - when the temperatures were going to be sub 40's with rain and high winds. Common sense prevailed and I decided to bail on the race and live to do it another year. So I was quite pleased when I noticed registration being open for the 2016 edition, way back in March.
Today I went looking for race day info - and the race has vanished. Active.com shows me registered for it, but doesn't show a listing when I search for race registration. The Rochester Triathletes (the race organizers) site shows no indication that the race ever existed. All I can find is a mention on a couple of other race lists, all of which point back to the Roc Tri site.
I'm assuming it's been cancelled so - why no e-mail? Why no announcement on the Roc Tri site? I've got to say I'm not impressed at the lack of communication on this...
On the plus side - an olympic length du would have been a real struggle, so it's probably just as well, and at least this way Ann and I will get to sleep in and spend Sunday morning together.
JMH
Update - I finally found it - in the archive for the Roc Tri google group. After that I also thought to check their Facebook group and it was announced there as well. Of course I'm not a member of either group... Looks like it was cancelled last week, but at least I'm supposed to get a refund - a rare occurrence on the racing scene. But really, would an e-mail to folks who pre-registered have been that difficult to do?
Update#2 - Got the check yesterday, a group e-mail today, and a phone call as well. All good, and it tells me that I will probably try to do this one again in the future, if they decide to hold it again.
A VERY SHORT TEST RIDE
9.7 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
I had decided to just walk up to the store tonight (I'm beat, and it's grey and windy) but then UPS delivered my new crankset a couple of days early... so of course I installed the new bottom bracket (longer spindle) and new cranks and headed over to the bike path to test it all out.
I noticed immediately that my gear ratios seemed off... my usual gears were much easier and higher gears that I rarely use felt like the usual ones. In fact - it felt an awful lot like the original crankset that came with the bike back in 2006! Tired and frustrated I ended the ride early... the only question was, did I order the wrong set or did the shop ship the wrong set?
Checked my note next to the computer and it showed what I remembered - 48/38/28. Checked the box from the new cranks and it showed what I suspected - 42/32/22. So I was all set to ask for an exchange - except when I pulled up the order, it showed that I'm a freakin' idiot and ordered the wrong gears. Aaaargh!
Hopefully it's only one of those days and not one of those weeks...
JMH
9.7 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
I had decided to just walk up to the store tonight (I'm beat, and it's grey and windy) but then UPS delivered my new crankset a couple of days early... so of course I installed the new bottom bracket (longer spindle) and new cranks and headed over to the bike path to test it all out.
I noticed immediately that my gear ratios seemed off... my usual gears were much easier and higher gears that I rarely use felt like the usual ones. In fact - it felt an awful lot like the original crankset that came with the bike back in 2006! Tired and frustrated I ended the ride early... the only question was, did I order the wrong set or did the shop ship the wrong set?
Checked my note next to the computer and it showed what I remembered - 48/38/28. Checked the box from the new cranks and it showed what I suspected - 42/32/22. So I was all set to ask for an exchange - except when I pulled up the order, it showed that I'm a freakin' idiot and ordered the wrong gears. Aaaargh!
Hopefully it's only one of those days and not one of those weeks...
JMH
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