6.8 Mile Run Along the Streets of Albany
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Ended up running a bit further than I'd planned tonight... I was aiming for a short easy run to stretch my legs and break in a new pair of Adidas Supernova's for Sunday race at Mendon. Haven't run around Albany for a while... other than the convenience, it doesn't have much to recommend it, though at least tonight I ran around Buckingham Lake which I can pretend is a bit of wilderness in the midst of all this annoying civilization.
The new shoes definitely felt better than the old ones... I probably used them past the point I where I should have, but so it goes. These should work fine for Sunday's 15k.
Now we just have to see if I have it in me to do a long run tomorrow night...
JMH
Sunday, March 29, 2009
7.5 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Legs were definitely feeling the effects of yesterday's race... tired, tight, and sore. So I headed over to the Pine Bush for a slow easy run on a softer surface. It was tough going at first but started to feel decent after a couple of miles... and then the last few were tough going, possibly because I was enjoying being out in the woods and ran a little farther than I'd initially planned.
In the last year or so a lot of the trees in the Great Dune section of the Pine Bush have been marked with paint... an enormous number in one section with blue paint, and today I saw a number of trees marked with orange paint. Hopefully this isn't an indication that they'll be cutting all those trees down as part of the ongoing "habitat restoration" (many of them seem to be pines) but then again, if the trees aren't being marked for cutting, what's going on? All I know for sure is it detracts from the view and is definite case for concern.
JMH
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Legs were definitely feeling the effects of yesterday's race... tired, tight, and sore. So I headed over to the Pine Bush for a slow easy run on a softer surface. It was tough going at first but started to feel decent after a couple of miles... and then the last few were tough going, possibly because I was enjoying being out in the woods and ran a little farther than I'd initially planned.
In the last year or so a lot of the trees in the Great Dune section of the Pine Bush have been marked with paint... an enormous number in one section with blue paint, and today I saw a number of trees marked with orange paint. Hopefully this isn't an indication that they'll be cutting all those trees down as part of the ongoing "habitat restoration" (many of them seem to be pines) but then again, if the trees aren't being marked for cutting, what's going on? All I know for sure is it detracts from the view and is definite case for concern.
JMH
Saturday, March 28, 2009
LONG DISTANCE 2009 - Race #1
Run the Reservoir 15k
Saturday, March 28, 2009
2009 Run the Reservoir 15k results
the short version - a nice 15k on a fairly scenic course around the Upper Scituate Reservoir in RI. The course wasn't too tough and I had a good run, finishing in 1:37:52 or slightly over 10 1/2 minute miles - a pretty good pace for me, especially this early in the season. I don't know that I have much interest in going back again - the course is nice but not phenonomenal and run mostly on roads, and it's a bit of a drive just to run a nice 15k.
the long version - when my alarm went off at 4:30 AM I really started wondering if I should have gotten a motel room closer to the race... but at least this way is less expensive. Packed my gear, for both chilly and warm weather and for any hiking or running I might end up doing afterwards, and remembered to print out directions from Diamond Hill Park (which I planned to visit after the race) back to Albany. Unfortunately, I left the directions in the printer in my rush to get everything in the car and get on the road to RI!
The drive was uneventful, other than rain drops during the last few miles... I really didn't want to run this one in the rain. Arrived at the church serving as race HQ to find all the parking full and ended up at alternate parking between a quarter and a half mile away, with a shuttle bus to take me back to check in. So I changed into all my race gear, hopped the bus back to the start, and stood in line for a bit waiting to get my number and, it turned out, my T-shirt.... which meant a trip back to the car. Oh, well. So I jogged to the car, dropped off the shirt, and again took the bus back to the start to wait for the fun to begin...
I know the RD had a bunch of stuff to say but I couldn't hear him over all the blabbering people at the back of the crowd were doing. But it was very clear when the folks up front got ready... and then it was time to run!
We started out down the main road in front of the church and then turned... right past my car. If I'd known that I could have dropped the T-shirt off during the race! Ran up a side road for a ways, then entered one of the attractions of this race - a stretch along a closed road through the normally off limits Providence Water Supply Board land bordering the reservoir. That part was fairly nice... trees all around and relative peace and quiet. I made pretty good time for the first two miles - just under 10 minute miles, meaning I went out too fast, so I slowed it down a bit through the woods. Rolling terrain, but nothing too terribly difficult. All too quickly we came out at the far end of the road, and then had another fun stretch - a half mile long causeway separating the upper and lower reservoirs. I would have liked to stop and look around, but I began to think I'd slowed down a little too much through the woods, so I wanted to keep pushing along at a decent pace.
After leaving the causeway, we hit the "tough" part of the course - a climb up a hill almost a mile long. Can't say it was easy... but it wasn't particularly hard either. At least from the conversations around me it sounded like I had a lot of downhill to look forward to during the 2nd half of the course...
After the long hill we had a couple of miles to run back into town... the road had a decent amount of traffic, but with the PWSB lands all around it was still fairly nice... occasionally there were openings in the trees and I could see out across the reservoir. At one spot there were a couple of folks with scopes checking out birds... I found myself really wishing I had time to stop, but between wanting to make the best time possible and being a little concerned that if I stopped I wouldn't get going again, I didn't think it was a good idea.
Over the last couple of miles I picked up the pace a bit and even passed a couple of runners. The course took us through town and along a quiet side street, then back to the main road to the finish... the uphill finish! That was no fun at all... but I kept pushing as hard as I could and staggered across the finish in 1:37:52. After that I wandered into the church to try to get some food... and was told I'd won one of the raffle prizes, a $50 gift certificate (as it turns out, to a local restaurant... looks like I need to go back that way sometime later in the year.) After a long wait in line I finally got some very delicious soup and a piece of bagel, then hobbled down the road to the car to eat, change clothes, and figure out my next move to start the rest of the day.
All in all, this was a nice event, and it raised money for a good cause - the Trinity Church Food Closet, which provides food for rural RI families that can't afford all that they need. The course was fairly pleasant, though nothing fantastic... I would consider running it again, but I don't know that I'd make a special trip just to do the race again.
Next up: the Spring Forward Distance Run 15k, put on by the fantastic folks at Yellowjacket Racing. A tougher course than today's 15k, but it should still be a good time.
JMH
2009 Event Totals
Run 9.3 mi, 1 hr 38 min
Bike 6.2 mi, 39 min
Snowshoe 54.6 mi, 13 hr 05 min
XC Ski 3.3 mi, 1 hr 2 min
states visited: MA, ME, NY, RI, VT
Run the Reservoir 15k
Saturday, March 28, 2009
2009 Run the Reservoir 15k results
the short version - a nice 15k on a fairly scenic course around the Upper Scituate Reservoir in RI. The course wasn't too tough and I had a good run, finishing in 1:37:52 or slightly over 10 1/2 minute miles - a pretty good pace for me, especially this early in the season. I don't know that I have much interest in going back again - the course is nice but not phenonomenal and run mostly on roads, and it's a bit of a drive just to run a nice 15k.
the long version - when my alarm went off at 4:30 AM I really started wondering if I should have gotten a motel room closer to the race... but at least this way is less expensive. Packed my gear, for both chilly and warm weather and for any hiking or running I might end up doing afterwards, and remembered to print out directions from Diamond Hill Park (which I planned to visit after the race) back to Albany. Unfortunately, I left the directions in the printer in my rush to get everything in the car and get on the road to RI!
The drive was uneventful, other than rain drops during the last few miles... I really didn't want to run this one in the rain. Arrived at the church serving as race HQ to find all the parking full and ended up at alternate parking between a quarter and a half mile away, with a shuttle bus to take me back to check in. So I changed into all my race gear, hopped the bus back to the start, and stood in line for a bit waiting to get my number and, it turned out, my T-shirt.... which meant a trip back to the car. Oh, well. So I jogged to the car, dropped off the shirt, and again took the bus back to the start to wait for the fun to begin...
I know the RD had a bunch of stuff to say but I couldn't hear him over all the blabbering people at the back of the crowd were doing. But it was very clear when the folks up front got ready... and then it was time to run!
We started out down the main road in front of the church and then turned... right past my car. If I'd known that I could have dropped the T-shirt off during the race! Ran up a side road for a ways, then entered one of the attractions of this race - a stretch along a closed road through the normally off limits Providence Water Supply Board land bordering the reservoir. That part was fairly nice... trees all around and relative peace and quiet. I made pretty good time for the first two miles - just under 10 minute miles, meaning I went out too fast, so I slowed it down a bit through the woods. Rolling terrain, but nothing too terribly difficult. All too quickly we came out at the far end of the road, and then had another fun stretch - a half mile long causeway separating the upper and lower reservoirs. I would have liked to stop and look around, but I began to think I'd slowed down a little too much through the woods, so I wanted to keep pushing along at a decent pace.
After leaving the causeway, we hit the "tough" part of the course - a climb up a hill almost a mile long. Can't say it was easy... but it wasn't particularly hard either. At least from the conversations around me it sounded like I had a lot of downhill to look forward to during the 2nd half of the course...
After the long hill we had a couple of miles to run back into town... the road had a decent amount of traffic, but with the PWSB lands all around it was still fairly nice... occasionally there were openings in the trees and I could see out across the reservoir. At one spot there were a couple of folks with scopes checking out birds... I found myself really wishing I had time to stop, but between wanting to make the best time possible and being a little concerned that if I stopped I wouldn't get going again, I didn't think it was a good idea.
Over the last couple of miles I picked up the pace a bit and even passed a couple of runners. The course took us through town and along a quiet side street, then back to the main road to the finish... the uphill finish! That was no fun at all... but I kept pushing as hard as I could and staggered across the finish in 1:37:52. After that I wandered into the church to try to get some food... and was told I'd won one of the raffle prizes, a $50 gift certificate (as it turns out, to a local restaurant... looks like I need to go back that way sometime later in the year.) After a long wait in line I finally got some very delicious soup and a piece of bagel, then hobbled down the road to the car to eat, change clothes, and figure out my next move to start the rest of the day.
All in all, this was a nice event, and it raised money for a good cause - the Trinity Church Food Closet, which provides food for rural RI families that can't afford all that they need. The course was fairly pleasant, though nothing fantastic... I would consider running it again, but I don't know that I'd make a special trip just to do the race again.
Next up: the Spring Forward Distance Run 15k, put on by the fantastic folks at Yellowjacket Racing. A tougher course than today's 15k, but it should still be a good time.
JMH
2009 Event Totals
Run 9.3 mi, 1 hr 38 min
Bike 6.2 mi, 39 min
Snowshoe 54.6 mi, 13 hr 05 min
XC Ski 3.3 mi, 1 hr 2 min
states visited: MA, ME, NY, RI, VT
Friday, March 27, 2009
LOOK! AN EAGLE!
25.3 Mile Bike Ride Along the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path, Cohoes Falls, and Colonie Mohawk River Park
Friday, March 27, 2009
Admittedly, going for my longest ride so far this year may not have been the smartest move in the book, but today was just too nice a day to stop early and head home. And the extra miles definitely paid off, since I saw a bald eagle and even managed to get some halfway decent photos of a truly magnificent bird.
I started the ride out heading east from the Niskayuna Lions Park on the bike path. No surprise, lots of people out and about on a gorgeous warm sunny spring afternoon. I rode all the way over to Cohoes and then headed down to the river to check out Cohoes Falls. There wasn't as much water going over the falls as I was hoping for, but they were still much more impressive than they will be in a month or two when most of the water is diverted. Sadly, the new overlook doesn't re-open until May 1, so I wasn't able to check out the view from above the falls today.
Heading back west, I rode down into the Colonie Mohawk River Park. Stopped at the covered bridge to watch a snapping turtle and a little further down the road to see if I can spot any of the multitude of frogs that were making an incredible racket in one of the vernal pools. From there I headed down to the edge of the river... nothing terribly interesting to see there today, other than a fairly large fish that was jumping out in the water. On my way out of the park I stopped to try and photograph two woodpeckers (no luck) and then it was back to the bike path.
On the way back to the park I spotted more turtles (both a snapper and a painted turtle) and a lone bufflehead in the river near the old train station. I briefly debated whether or not to keep riding - very briefly - and then headed west, figuring I'd at least ride to Lock 7 and back and maybe all the way to the base of the old landfill. As it turned out, there wasn't much going on wildlife-wise at Lock 7, so I decided to finish the ride out by turning around at the landfill and heading back... somewhere around 25 miles for the day.
As I was riding along I kept glancing toward the river to see if I could spot any critters... and was shocked to see a bald eagle perched on a log out in the water! I stopped, got my camera out, and tried to find the clearest shot through the brush... and he flew up into a tree at the edge of the river. So of course I pulled off the path and tried to make my way down to the water's edge, probably sounding like a herd of buffalo crashing through the brush. A couple of times I glimpsed his silhouette in the tree, but when I finally got as far as I could I didn't see him any more, so I shrugged and headed back to the path to finish my ride, bummed about a photo opportunity missed but pleased that I'd seen an eagle.
On my way back from the landfill I again caught a glimpse of him up in the tree near the water - he hadn't flown off after all. This time I tried to get closer from the opposite side... not quite as much racket, but enough apparently, because as I got down near the water he flew off down the river... aargh. So again I made my way back to the bike... and decided just for the heck of it to head back down toward the landfill and see if I could spot him. Success! He was in a tree overlooking the bike path and didn't seem too disturbed by my stopping and shooting a bunch of photos. Conditions weren't ideal - the light was a bit dim and from most angles there were branches in the way - but that was OK, because I was still taking pictures of a bald eagle along the Mohawk River!
I pointed him out to two other riders who stopped to look at the hawk I was photographing... they were quietly enthused. Since I'd taken a couple of dozen shots, I decided it was time to leave him in peace and continued on my way back to the park, where I spent a few minutes taking pictures of mergansers before loading my gear into the car and heading home.
Something I don't totally understand... today was a gorgeous day and I had a blast being outside on my bike, even before seeing the eagle. And as I've already noted, there were lots of other folks out riding, walking, and running... and many of them looked miserable. I have to wonder how much of the beauty around them they missed because they were so wrapped up in their heads and their troubles... seems a shame, really, because I know I had a great time.
JMH
25.3 Mile Bike Ride Along the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path, Cohoes Falls, and Colonie Mohawk River Park
Friday, March 27, 2009
Admittedly, going for my longest ride so far this year may not have been the smartest move in the book, but today was just too nice a day to stop early and head home. And the extra miles definitely paid off, since I saw a bald eagle and even managed to get some halfway decent photos of a truly magnificent bird.
I started the ride out heading east from the Niskayuna Lions Park on the bike path. No surprise, lots of people out and about on a gorgeous warm sunny spring afternoon. I rode all the way over to Cohoes and then headed down to the river to check out Cohoes Falls. There wasn't as much water going over the falls as I was hoping for, but they were still much more impressive than they will be in a month or two when most of the water is diverted. Sadly, the new overlook doesn't re-open until May 1, so I wasn't able to check out the view from above the falls today.
Heading back west, I rode down into the Colonie Mohawk River Park. Stopped at the covered bridge to watch a snapping turtle and a little further down the road to see if I can spot any of the multitude of frogs that were making an incredible racket in one of the vernal pools. From there I headed down to the edge of the river... nothing terribly interesting to see there today, other than a fairly large fish that was jumping out in the water. On my way out of the park I stopped to try and photograph two woodpeckers (no luck) and then it was back to the bike path.
On the way back to the park I spotted more turtles (both a snapper and a painted turtle) and a lone bufflehead in the river near the old train station. I briefly debated whether or not to keep riding - very briefly - and then headed west, figuring I'd at least ride to Lock 7 and back and maybe all the way to the base of the old landfill. As it turned out, there wasn't much going on wildlife-wise at Lock 7, so I decided to finish the ride out by turning around at the landfill and heading back... somewhere around 25 miles for the day.
As I was riding along I kept glancing toward the river to see if I could spot any critters... and was shocked to see a bald eagle perched on a log out in the water! I stopped, got my camera out, and tried to find the clearest shot through the brush... and he flew up into a tree at the edge of the river. So of course I pulled off the path and tried to make my way down to the water's edge, probably sounding like a herd of buffalo crashing through the brush. A couple of times I glimpsed his silhouette in the tree, but when I finally got as far as I could I didn't see him any more, so I shrugged and headed back to the path to finish my ride, bummed about a photo opportunity missed but pleased that I'd seen an eagle.
On my way back from the landfill I again caught a glimpse of him up in the tree near the water - he hadn't flown off after all. This time I tried to get closer from the opposite side... not quite as much racket, but enough apparently, because as I got down near the water he flew off down the river... aargh. So again I made my way back to the bike... and decided just for the heck of it to head back down toward the landfill and see if I could spot him. Success! He was in a tree overlooking the bike path and didn't seem too disturbed by my stopping and shooting a bunch of photos. Conditions weren't ideal - the light was a bit dim and from most angles there were branches in the way - but that was OK, because I was still taking pictures of a bald eagle along the Mohawk River!
I pointed him out to two other riders who stopped to look at the hawk I was photographing... they were quietly enthused. Since I'd taken a couple of dozen shots, I decided it was time to leave him in peace and continued on my way back to the park, where I spent a few minutes taking pictures of mergansers before loading my gear into the car and heading home.
Something I don't totally understand... today was a gorgeous day and I had a blast being outside on my bike, even before seeing the eagle. And as I've already noted, there were lots of other folks out riding, walking, and running... and many of them looked miserable. I have to wonder how much of the beauty around them they missed because they were so wrapped up in their heads and their troubles... seems a shame, really, because I know I had a great time.
JMH
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
2 Mile Walk Along the Canajoharie Gorge
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
I first read about some of the interesting features on Canajoharie Gorge on a website featuring segments of a book-in-progress called Mohawk: Discovering the Valley of the Crystals by M. Paul Keesler, a writer and outdoorsman who spent nearly 50 years of his life promoting the treasures of New York's wild places. The site is currently out of service, and I learned today that Keesler died back in 2005 after a battle with cancer. Fortunately, his last book has recently been published by his family and distributed by North Country Books (and of course I immediately ordered a copy!) In his writings Keesler talked about exploring portions of the gorge, including the Boiling Pot, a huge pothole in the lower gorge, and Canajoharie Falls, further upstream. Ann and I visited the falls back in July 2006, but the film with my photos was subsequently ruined... and we never managed to find the route to the pothole (because I foolishly left the directions at home.) A year and a half ago I used Russell Dunn's Mohawk Region Waterfall Guide to find the lower gorge, but my visit was shortened a bit by the fact that it started pouring just as I arrived. Since today turned out to be fairly pleasant (a bit cloudy, but that's no big deal) and I was looking to take it easy, I decided to stop by on my way back to Albany.
Not as much water in the gorge as I expected, but still enough to create some very nice waterfalls and fill the Boiling Pot to the brim. One nice things about visiting in the middle of the day in March - no people! I walked all the way up to the old dam (you're not supposed to go past the dam, because the side of the gorge are unstable and falling rocks are more than a bit dangerous... while I was by the dam, a fist-sized rock came crashing down the side of the gorge a ways downstream, and while I was walking the nature trail above the upper gorge I heard several loud crashes where rocks fell down in.) All in all, it's a pretty cool spot.
From there I headed to the parking lot for the upper gorge, a couple of miles away, and walked the nature trail along the edge of the gorge under evergreens and through stands of white birch and hardwoods. Not much of a view down into the gorge, but when there was it was spectacular, with steep wooded hillsides and lots of small waterfalls and riffles. I was surprised to see quite a bit of snow on the hillsides opposite where I was. Near a tall white water tower (at least, I assume that's what it is) the path goes steeply down to a large viewing platform with a fantastic view of the main waterfall, which is 45 feet high but seems much smaller because of how high the sides of the gorge are. On the hike back to the car, I was surprised to see a butterfly... don't know how he's been surviving the cold nights.
From there I made one last trip to Prospect Hill Cemetary, in hopes of seeing Cemetary Falls on the west side of the gorge... unfortunately, someone had parked an SUV at the entrance to the access road, and I didn't have time to walk down in, so that will have to wait for another visit.
Legs felt decent walking, so I think I'll skip riding today and make this a true rest day. But tomorrow I run!
JMH
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
I first read about some of the interesting features on Canajoharie Gorge on a website featuring segments of a book-in-progress called Mohawk: Discovering the Valley of the Crystals by M. Paul Keesler, a writer and outdoorsman who spent nearly 50 years of his life promoting the treasures of New York's wild places. The site is currently out of service, and I learned today that Keesler died back in 2005 after a battle with cancer. Fortunately, his last book has recently been published by his family and distributed by North Country Books (and of course I immediately ordered a copy!) In his writings Keesler talked about exploring portions of the gorge, including the Boiling Pot, a huge pothole in the lower gorge, and Canajoharie Falls, further upstream. Ann and I visited the falls back in July 2006, but the film with my photos was subsequently ruined... and we never managed to find the route to the pothole (because I foolishly left the directions at home.) A year and a half ago I used Russell Dunn's Mohawk Region Waterfall Guide to find the lower gorge, but my visit was shortened a bit by the fact that it started pouring just as I arrived. Since today turned out to be fairly pleasant (a bit cloudy, but that's no big deal) and I was looking to take it easy, I decided to stop by on my way back to Albany.
Not as much water in the gorge as I expected, but still enough to create some very nice waterfalls and fill the Boiling Pot to the brim. One nice things about visiting in the middle of the day in March - no people! I walked all the way up to the old dam (you're not supposed to go past the dam, because the side of the gorge are unstable and falling rocks are more than a bit dangerous... while I was by the dam, a fist-sized rock came crashing down the side of the gorge a ways downstream, and while I was walking the nature trail above the upper gorge I heard several loud crashes where rocks fell down in.) All in all, it's a pretty cool spot.
From there I headed to the parking lot for the upper gorge, a couple of miles away, and walked the nature trail along the edge of the gorge under evergreens and through stands of white birch and hardwoods. Not much of a view down into the gorge, but when there was it was spectacular, with steep wooded hillsides and lots of small waterfalls and riffles. I was surprised to see quite a bit of snow on the hillsides opposite where I was. Near a tall white water tower (at least, I assume that's what it is) the path goes steeply down to a large viewing platform with a fantastic view of the main waterfall, which is 45 feet high but seems much smaller because of how high the sides of the gorge are. On the hike back to the car, I was surprised to see a butterfly... don't know how he's been surviving the cold nights.
From there I made one last trip to Prospect Hill Cemetary, in hopes of seeing Cemetary Falls on the west side of the gorge... unfortunately, someone had parked an SUV at the entrance to the access road, and I didn't have time to walk down in, so that will have to wait for another visit.
Legs felt decent walking, so I think I'll skip riding today and make this a true rest day. But tomorrow I run!
JMH
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
2.5 Mile Walk Along the Erie Canal
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The sun was close to setting by the time we got out for a walk this evening... so during the hour or so we were out there the temperature went from cold to really freakin' cold. We walked west from Henpeck Park in Greece, giving our regards to the many pairs of ducks paddling around in what little water is currently left in the canal. Ann was a bit bummed that there weren't any deer or turkeys out in the field alongside the canal path, though we did have two hawks fly by relatively close to us.
JMH
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The sun was close to setting by the time we got out for a walk this evening... so during the hour or so we were out there the temperature went from cold to really freakin' cold. We walked west from Henpeck Park in Greece, giving our regards to the many pairs of ducks paddling around in what little water is currently left in the canal. Ann was a bit bummed that there weren't any deer or turkeys out in the field alongside the canal path, though we did have two hawks fly by relatively close to us.
JMH
5 Mile Run on the Genesee Valley Greenway
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The breeze today made an otherwise bright sunny day a bit on the cold side, but I had more problems with my legs being tired and sore... I almost stopped after about a mile but toughed it out for five instead. Tomorrow will definitely be a day off from running; maybe I can get back to Albany early enough that I can get out on my bike for a short easy ride before tutoring (or even afterwards, now that the sun doesn't go down until after 7 PM.) We'll see how Thursday goes, but right now I'm thinking Saturday's 15k race will end up being my "long" run for the week.
On the plus side, I saw another red-bellied woodpecker and two bluebirds while I was out on the trail... along with robins, robins, and more robins.
JMH
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The breeze today made an otherwise bright sunny day a bit on the cold side, but I had more problems with my legs being tired and sore... I almost stopped after about a mile but toughed it out for five instead. Tomorrow will definitely be a day off from running; maybe I can get back to Albany early enough that I can get out on my bike for a short easy ride before tutoring (or even afterwards, now that the sun doesn't go down until after 7 PM.) We'll see how Thursday goes, but right now I'm thinking Saturday's 15k race will end up being my "long" run for the week.
On the plus side, I saw another red-bellied woodpecker and two bluebirds while I was out on the trail... along with robins, robins, and more robins.
JMH
Monday, March 23, 2009
FEATHERED FRIENDS
A Good Day for Woodpeckers
Monday, March 23, 2009
Lots of activity at the feeders today, especially on the woodpecker front. A male and female downy woodpecker were frequent visitors to the suet feeders... nice to see them again! Then early this afternoon a male red-bellied woodpecker stopped by for a snack, and after while I was making dinner Ann spotted a male yellow-shafted flicker.
A white-breasted nuthatch also put in an appearance... I haven't seen nuthatches for most of the winter (though Ann says they've been by, just when I'm in Albany) so it was good to see one today.
JMH
A Good Day for Woodpeckers
Monday, March 23, 2009
Lots of activity at the feeders today, especially on the woodpecker front. A male and female downy woodpecker were frequent visitors to the suet feeders... nice to see them again! Then early this afternoon a male red-bellied woodpecker stopped by for a snack, and after while I was making dinner Ann spotted a male yellow-shafted flicker.
A white-breasted nuthatch also put in an appearance... I haven't seen nuthatches for most of the winter (though Ann says they've been by, just when I'm in Albany) so it was good to see one today.
JMH
6.3 Mile Run Along the Erie Canalway Trail & in Greece Canal Park
Monday, March 23, 2009
My legs were definitely feeling the effects of Saturday's race during my run today... the climb to the top of Catamount definitely took a toll on my quads and calves, which are still sore, and the pounding non-stop descent just generally beat the heck out of my legs. I was originally planning to do a long run tomorrow, but now I'm thinking I'll do another short one and save the longer distance for Wednesday.
After running from Henpeck Park in Greece east to Long Pond Road and then back, I headed west along the towpath trail to Greece Canal Park. The path along the canal wasn't terribly interesting, and the canal is still drained for the winter, so not much to see there. But last March Ann and I saw a dozen or so woodpeckers in the woods in the park, so I headed there to see if they'd give a repeat performance. No such luck... mainly I saw lots and lots of robins.
At the end of the road I reached a trailhead and decided to go back to the canal via the woods. Other than some flooded sections, that was a lot of fun. I don't know if it was the softer surface, the more varied terrain, or just the mental break of being under the trees, but running along the trail definitely felt a lot better than running along the canal path and the road.
JMH
Monday, March 23, 2009
My legs were definitely feeling the effects of Saturday's race during my run today... the climb to the top of Catamount definitely took a toll on my quads and calves, which are still sore, and the pounding non-stop descent just generally beat the heck out of my legs. I was originally planning to do a long run tomorrow, but now I'm thinking I'll do another short one and save the longer distance for Wednesday.
After running from Henpeck Park in Greece east to Long Pond Road and then back, I headed west along the towpath trail to Greece Canal Park. The path along the canal wasn't terribly interesting, and the canal is still drained for the winter, so not much to see there. But last March Ann and I saw a dozen or so woodpeckers in the woods in the park, so I headed there to see if they'd give a repeat performance. No such luck... mainly I saw lots and lots of robins.
At the end of the road I reached a trailhead and decided to go back to the canal via the woods. Other than some flooded sections, that was a lot of fun. I don't know if it was the softer surface, the more varied terrain, or just the mental break of being under the trees, but running along the trail definitely felt a lot better than running along the canal path and the road.
JMH
Sunday, March 22, 2009
A Short Walk at Onondaga Lake Park
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Definitely draggin' today... guess yesterday's run and snowshoe race took more out of me than I thought. It also feels like my cold may be flaring back up, probably because I stood around after the race yesterday for too long without warm enough clothes. Oh, well.
I found myself getting drowsy during the drive west this afternoon, so I stopped at Onondaga Lake Park for a short walk to wake myself up. It turned out to be a very short walk, because it was freakin' cold! And some dummy left his hat and gloves in the car. But as I walked along the shore of the lake I watched the ducks, geese, and gulls... and had a squirrel following me around, clearly hoping to mooch some food off of me. Whenever I stopped walking he'd come right up to me and look up with what I can only interpret as a hopeful expression, and at one point he came right up to my shoe - I was almost worried he was going to climb up my leg!
The cold air did have the desired effect of waking me up, even if it did cut my walk short... but since I was running very late for getting out to Ann's anyway, that was probably a good thing as well.
JMH
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Definitely draggin' today... guess yesterday's run and snowshoe race took more out of me than I thought. It also feels like my cold may be flaring back up, probably because I stood around after the race yesterday for too long without warm enough clothes. Oh, well.
I found myself getting drowsy during the drive west this afternoon, so I stopped at Onondaga Lake Park for a short walk to wake myself up. It turned out to be a very short walk, because it was freakin' cold! And some dummy left his hat and gloves in the car. But as I walked along the shore of the lake I watched the ducks, geese, and gulls... and had a squirrel following me around, clearly hoping to mooch some food off of me. Whenever I stopped walking he'd come right up to me and look up with what I can only interpret as a hopeful expression, and at one point he came right up to my shoe - I was almost worried he was going to climb up my leg!
The cold air did have the desired effect of waking me up, even if it did cut my walk short... but since I was running very late for getting out to Ann's anyway, that was probably a good thing as well.
JMH
Saturday, March 21, 2009
A Quick Stop at the South Egremont Mill Pond
Saturday, March 21, 2009
I initially headed toward Great Barrington to grab some food and fill up my gas tank in MA (currently about 20 cents less per gallon than NY) but as I drove past the Mill Pond in South Egremont I saw dozens of geese and a swan there, so I decided to stop and see if I could get some decent pictures (a lot of the shore is pretty overgrown.)
Apparently I arrived toward the end of the geese' gathering, since while I was there groups took off and headed away over the hills... by the time I left, there were only two dozen or so geese left on the pond. Maybe, like me, they suddenly realized it was well past dinner time... in the end I decided to save myself half an hour of extra driving and just headed straight home.
JMH
Saturday, March 21, 2009
I initially headed toward Great Barrington to grab some food and fill up my gas tank in MA (currently about 20 cents less per gallon than NY) but as I drove past the Mill Pond in South Egremont I saw dozens of geese and a swan there, so I decided to stop and see if I could get some decent pictures (a lot of the shore is pretty overgrown.)
Apparently I arrived toward the end of the geese' gathering, since while I was there groups took off and headed away over the hills... by the time I left, there were only two dozen or so geese left on the pond. Maybe, like me, they suddenly realized it was well past dinner time... in the end I decided to save myself half an hour of extra driving and just headed straight home.
JMH
Season of the SnōShū 2009 - Race #15
Catamount Sunset 2.75 Mile Snowshoe Race
Saturday, March 21, 2009
2009 Catamount Sunset results
Got to Catamount with about 25 minutes to spare and headed to where registration was supposed to be... except they were closed down. Okay... spent a few minutes trying to hunt down some info on what to do, then chatted with Farmer Ed who said not to worry, if all else failed I could pay afterwards. So I headed back to the car to gear up. Given the nice weather I decided to go light on the clothing - long-sleeved short and shorts. No tights, no jacket. Headed back inside and now we had word about where to register, so I took care of that and then stood around near the starting line chatting with folks, watching the Catamount crew move snow around near the finish, and waiting for things to begin.
A few minutes before the start we got a brief description of the course (up the Sidewinder Trail and then down along the Ridge Run and I think the Promenades, following the orange cones) and a chance to ask questions, then - off we went, for the final race of the 2009 season.
The first bit was deceptive - a short downhill stretch to the base of the Sidewinder trail. It also made me wonder of going without tights was a good idea, because the snow that flew up against my legs was cold and stung like the dickens. But then we hit Sidewinder and that was no longer a problem, because the next 29 minutes/1.2 miles consisted of a non-stop uphill plod. I guess I hadn't really thought that much about the implications of doing a race at a ski resort before then, but really - the trails there are designed to let people ski down them, good and fast. Walking up them - not the smartest idea in the book, unless you enjoy long slow slogs up seemingly never-ending steep hills.
The snow also made the going tricky - it was more ice crystals than anything else and pretty mushy, so at times it seemed like I was in danger of sliding back to the bottom unless I really dug my cleats in... additional strain on my legs, which spent much of the climb asking me "At what point did this even remotely seem like a good idea to you?"
Well, the top finally arrived, and where I was hoping for a bot of relatively level terrain before the descent - well, no such luck. The trail headed down and kept heading down all the rest of the way to the finish. Again, shouldn't have been a surprise - it's a ski area, people pay to ski downhill!
I hammered when I could (not a lot of fun after 29 minutes of climbing) and reined it in when things got too steep or too slippery, since I really didn't want to blow out a knee. In some ways this was less scary than Curly's - the trail was a lot wider and the switchbacks a lot gentler- and in other ways it was more - no deep snow at the sides to plow into to both drop speed and regain some traction. I figured someone would pass me on the downhill but nobody did. 13 minutes or so later the end was in sight, the ground leveled off (finally!) and I pushed as hard as I could to cross the finish in 43:49... not a bad time at all for me on this type of terrain.
After that it was time to hang out a bit chatting with my friends and talking about possible trail races and trail runs... the core group really seemed reluctant to call it a day and head off into the sunset. It's hard to believe another Season of the SnōShū is over... I've said it before, but it seems like just a couple of weeks ago we were sliding around the icy parking lot at Woodford. (Of course, in reality it was almost 3 months ago!) I'll write up some final thoughts about the season on another day... now it's time to really start looking forward to warmer weather and the running season!
JMH
2009 Event Totals
Run
Bike 6.2 mi, 39 min
Snowshoe 54.6 mi, 13 hr 05 min
XC Ski 3.3 mi, 1 hr 2 min
states visited: MA, ME, NY, VT
Catamount Sunset 2.75 Mile Snowshoe Race
Saturday, March 21, 2009
2009 Catamount Sunset results
Got to Catamount with about 25 minutes to spare and headed to where registration was supposed to be... except they were closed down. Okay... spent a few minutes trying to hunt down some info on what to do, then chatted with Farmer Ed who said not to worry, if all else failed I could pay afterwards. So I headed back to the car to gear up. Given the nice weather I decided to go light on the clothing - long-sleeved short and shorts. No tights, no jacket. Headed back inside and now we had word about where to register, so I took care of that and then stood around near the starting line chatting with folks, watching the Catamount crew move snow around near the finish, and waiting for things to begin.
A few minutes before the start we got a brief description of the course (up the Sidewinder Trail and then down along the Ridge Run and I think the Promenades, following the orange cones) and a chance to ask questions, then - off we went, for the final race of the 2009 season.
The first bit was deceptive - a short downhill stretch to the base of the Sidewinder trail. It also made me wonder of going without tights was a good idea, because the snow that flew up against my legs was cold and stung like the dickens. But then we hit Sidewinder and that was no longer a problem, because the next 29 minutes/1.2 miles consisted of a non-stop uphill plod. I guess I hadn't really thought that much about the implications of doing a race at a ski resort before then, but really - the trails there are designed to let people ski down them, good and fast. Walking up them - not the smartest idea in the book, unless you enjoy long slow slogs up seemingly never-ending steep hills.
The snow also made the going tricky - it was more ice crystals than anything else and pretty mushy, so at times it seemed like I was in danger of sliding back to the bottom unless I really dug my cleats in... additional strain on my legs, which spent much of the climb asking me "At what point did this even remotely seem like a good idea to you?"
Well, the top finally arrived, and where I was hoping for a bot of relatively level terrain before the descent - well, no such luck. The trail headed down and kept heading down all the rest of the way to the finish. Again, shouldn't have been a surprise - it's a ski area, people pay to ski downhill!
I hammered when I could (not a lot of fun after 29 minutes of climbing) and reined it in when things got too steep or too slippery, since I really didn't want to blow out a knee. In some ways this was less scary than Curly's - the trail was a lot wider and the switchbacks a lot gentler- and in other ways it was more - no deep snow at the sides to plow into to both drop speed and regain some traction. I figured someone would pass me on the downhill but nobody did. 13 minutes or so later the end was in sight, the ground leveled off (finally!) and I pushed as hard as I could to cross the finish in 43:49... not a bad time at all for me on this type of terrain.
After that it was time to hang out a bit chatting with my friends and talking about possible trail races and trail runs... the core group really seemed reluctant to call it a day and head off into the sunset. It's hard to believe another Season of the SnōShū is over... I've said it before, but it seems like just a couple of weeks ago we were sliding around the icy parking lot at Woodford. (Of course, in reality it was almost 3 months ago!) I'll write up some final thoughts about the season on another day... now it's time to really start looking forward to warmer weather and the running season!
JMH
2009 Event Totals
Run
Bike 6.2 mi, 39 min
Snowshoe 54.6 mi, 13 hr 05 min
XC Ski 3.3 mi, 1 hr 2 min
states visited: MA, ME, NY, VT
BLAST FROM THE PAST
5.5 Mile Run Along the Appalachian Trail
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Back in 1997 when I started trail running the first stretch of trail I tried was a section of the Appalachian Trail in Massachusetts crossing the Housatonic River valley between South Egremont and Sheffield. It had a lot to recommend it, being well-marked and relatively flat, and the first time I ran there I fell in love with trail running. I ran there many times until I moved to Albany late in 1999, but haven't found a chance to go there since then. Today's short snowshoe race late in the day provided a great opportunity to go there and get in a short easy run down memory lane before heading to Catamount Ski Area a few miles away for the race.
I got off to a late start, so I wasn't able to run quite as much of the trail as I wanted... just from the Sheffield Road trailhead out to Jug End Road and back. It was a gorgeous day and that section of trail has a little bit of everything - wetlands with boardwalks, bridges, and puncheons, pine and hemlock forests, hardwood forests, and open fields. I was surprised at how well I remembered the trail, especially since it's been nearly 10 years since I last ran there... each step brought back memories of many runs and had me wishing I could run there regularly again.
All too quickly I was back at the trailhead... I really would have liked to run a bit more, but I was running late for getting to Catamount, so I changed shirts and shoes and hopped in the car to head across the border into NY for the last snowshoe race of the season. But I definitely hope to be back later this year.
JMH
5.5 Mile Run Along the Appalachian Trail
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Back in 1997 when I started trail running the first stretch of trail I tried was a section of the Appalachian Trail in Massachusetts crossing the Housatonic River valley between South Egremont and Sheffield. It had a lot to recommend it, being well-marked and relatively flat, and the first time I ran there I fell in love with trail running. I ran there many times until I moved to Albany late in 1999, but haven't found a chance to go there since then. Today's short snowshoe race late in the day provided a great opportunity to go there and get in a short easy run down memory lane before heading to Catamount Ski Area a few miles away for the race.
I got off to a late start, so I wasn't able to run quite as much of the trail as I wanted... just from the Sheffield Road trailhead out to Jug End Road and back. It was a gorgeous day and that section of trail has a little bit of everything - wetlands with boardwalks, bridges, and puncheons, pine and hemlock forests, hardwood forests, and open fields. I was surprised at how well I remembered the trail, especially since it's been nearly 10 years since I last ran there... each step brought back memories of many runs and had me wishing I could run there regularly again.
All too quickly I was back at the trailhead... I really would have liked to run a bit more, but I was running late for getting to Catamount, so I changed shirts and shoes and hopped in the car to head across the border into NY for the last snowshoe race of the season. But I definitely hope to be back later this year.
JMH
Friday, March 20, 2009
AND THE 1ST DAY OF SPRING BRINGS... BRR!! COLD!!!
12.8 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, March 20, 2009
I thought I was overdressed when I stepped out the front door this afternoon - thermal top and tights - so I changed into lighter gear before heading over to the bike path for a short, easy ride. Fortunately I also had some colder weather gear in my bag, because it turned out to be darn chilly along the river, and it only got worse over the course of my ride, so much so that I eventually cut it a few miles short. It's ironic that the vernal equinox, the official "first day of spring", turned out to be the coldest day so far this week...
Other than being cold, the ride was unremarkable... exactly what I was looking for after the last few days. But in addition to the usual geese and mallards I had a number of surprises among the waterfowl out on the Mohawk... exactly how many surprises I didn't really know until I got home and checked out the photos I took. I saw over a dozen mergansers, near both the Niskayuna Lions Park and Lock 8. I also saw what I initially thought were more long-tailed ducks (like Ann and I saw Sunday evening) but they turned out to be bufflehead, which I've only seen once before. Out near the base of the old Nisky landfill I spotted what I first thought were mallards, then ring-necked ducks... turns out they were type of duck I've never seen before called greater scaups. As I was heading east from the park I spotted what I thought were either more mergansers - turns out they were ring-necked ducks. A definite wealth of waterfowl!
On my way back to the park, I heard an incredible racket that told me I was coming up on an evening flocking of birds like Ann and I saw out at Braddock Bay, and right at the edge of the farmer's fields the trees were filled with birds all chattering away. People were stopping to watch them and I naturally stopped to take some pictures. While we were there they flew to a couple of other trees. I've never been able to figure out what kind of birds they are, though this group seemed to have a few red-winged blackbirds and other birds mixed in with them. Whatever they are, they make a heck of a lot of noise (several hundred birds all talking at the same time will do that) and they're awfully impressive to watch.
Not as much to see on the ride east over to the Colonie water treatment plant... ordinarily I would have ridden to the top of the hill down to Island View Road, but it was getting too darn cold, so I turned around at the old sewage plant. When I finally got back to the park, I went down to the boat launch to get a few more shots of the mergansers, and found two muskrats in the stream that runs alongside the bank... spent a while watching them and got some excellent pictures. What can I say, despite its quirks I love the my new camera.
Today marks the first week of my spring break... one more week (plus a weekend) to go. Best of all, I've been outdoors for a significant amount of time every day of my break... and six of the last seven days I either ran or rode. Definitely a good way to spent my vacation!
JMH
12.8 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, March 20, 2009
I thought I was overdressed when I stepped out the front door this afternoon - thermal top and tights - so I changed into lighter gear before heading over to the bike path for a short, easy ride. Fortunately I also had some colder weather gear in my bag, because it turned out to be darn chilly along the river, and it only got worse over the course of my ride, so much so that I eventually cut it a few miles short. It's ironic that the vernal equinox, the official "first day of spring", turned out to be the coldest day so far this week...
Other than being cold, the ride was unremarkable... exactly what I was looking for after the last few days. But in addition to the usual geese and mallards I had a number of surprises among the waterfowl out on the Mohawk... exactly how many surprises I didn't really know until I got home and checked out the photos I took. I saw over a dozen mergansers, near both the Niskayuna Lions Park and Lock 8. I also saw what I initially thought were more long-tailed ducks (like Ann and I saw Sunday evening) but they turned out to be bufflehead, which I've only seen once before. Out near the base of the old Nisky landfill I spotted what I first thought were mallards, then ring-necked ducks... turns out they were type of duck I've never seen before called greater scaups. As I was heading east from the park I spotted what I thought were either more mergansers - turns out they were ring-necked ducks. A definite wealth of waterfowl!
On my way back to the park, I heard an incredible racket that told me I was coming up on an evening flocking of birds like Ann and I saw out at Braddock Bay, and right at the edge of the farmer's fields the trees were filled with birds all chattering away. People were stopping to watch them and I naturally stopped to take some pictures. While we were there they flew to a couple of other trees. I've never been able to figure out what kind of birds they are, though this group seemed to have a few red-winged blackbirds and other birds mixed in with them. Whatever they are, they make a heck of a lot of noise (several hundred birds all talking at the same time will do that) and they're awfully impressive to watch.
Not as much to see on the ride east over to the Colonie water treatment plant... ordinarily I would have ridden to the top of the hill down to Island View Road, but it was getting too darn cold, so I turned around at the old sewage plant. When I finally got back to the park, I went down to the boat launch to get a few more shots of the mergansers, and found two muskrats in the stream that runs alongside the bank... spent a while watching them and got some excellent pictures. What can I say, despite its quirks I love the my new camera.
Today marks the first week of my spring break... one more week (plus a weekend) to go. Best of all, I've been outdoors for a significant amount of time every day of my break... and six of the last seven days I either ran or rode. Definitely a good way to spent my vacation!
JMH
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The State of the Birds 2009 Report
(And the News Isn't Good...)
Thursday, March 19, 2009
State of the Birds web site
(And the News Isn't Good...)
Thursday, March 19, 2009
State of the Birds web site
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