17.3 Mile Ride on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
12.3 Mile Ride on the Erie Canalway Trail, Gates to Lock 33
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Ann headed down to the ambulance base to spend 4 hours on EMT duty tonight, so I packed my gear and took the bike over to the Public Safety Center for a ride on the canal path. Between the holiday and the fact that it was dark, I was fairly sure I wouldn't see anyone else on the path (and I was right... though I did scare a bunny and a deer while I was riding.)
Right off the bat I ended up questioning whether I should ride tonight, when I got a flat all of a half mile from the car... so I headed back to the car, changed the tube, switched to a slightly heavier jacket (it was chillier than I thought, and I don't have any of my warmer tops out here) and headed back out. Thankfully the remainder of the ride passed without mishap.
The section of path just east of Genesee Valley Park is pretty sad... I had seen it from the highway but it's even worse being on the path. What used to be a tree-lined, partly shaded path is now wide open on one side, thanks to the arboricidal maniacs at the Canal Corporation. Over the last few years they've been cutting down trees and clearly bushes along the edge of the canalway trail, probably for very practical reasons - but I can't help but lament the loss of flora, habitat for the local birds and critters, and shade for those of us who spend time on the path.
I had forgotten that heading east is always easier than heading back west, thanks to the typically eastward blowing wind along the canal - and tonight was no exception. Made for a tough, chilly ride back, with zero temptation to extend my time on the bike for a few more miles.
I continue to be very pleased with my Niterider MiNewt 350 bike headlight - man, that thing is bright! Definitely the best investment I've ever made toward riding at night.
And I continue to be dismayed by how little time I've spent on my bike this year... after all, bike season has wound way down and I'm not even at 700 miles for the year. I've got to be more committed to riding next year, or I'm going to pay for it big time during any duathlons I do.
JMH
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Ann headed down to the ambulance base to spend 4 hours on EMT duty tonight, so I packed my gear and took the bike over to the Public Safety Center for a ride on the canal path. Between the holiday and the fact that it was dark, I was fairly sure I wouldn't see anyone else on the path (and I was right... though I did scare a bunny and a deer while I was riding.)
Right off the bat I ended up questioning whether I should ride tonight, when I got a flat all of a half mile from the car... so I headed back to the car, changed the tube, switched to a slightly heavier jacket (it was chillier than I thought, and I don't have any of my warmer tops out here) and headed back out. Thankfully the remainder of the ride passed without mishap.
The section of path just east of Genesee Valley Park is pretty sad... I had seen it from the highway but it's even worse being on the path. What used to be a tree-lined, partly shaded path is now wide open on one side, thanks to the arboricidal maniacs at the Canal Corporation. Over the last few years they've been cutting down trees and clearly bushes along the edge of the canalway trail, probably for very practical reasons - but I can't help but lament the loss of flora, habitat for the local birds and critters, and shade for those of us who spend time on the path.
I had forgotten that heading east is always easier than heading back west, thanks to the typically eastward blowing wind along the canal - and tonight was no exception. Made for a tough, chilly ride back, with zero temptation to extend my time on the bike for a few more miles.
I continue to be very pleased with my Niterider MiNewt 350 bike headlight - man, that thing is bright! Definitely the best investment I've ever made toward riding at night.
And I continue to be dismayed by how little time I've spent on my bike this year... after all, bike season has wound way down and I'm not even at 700 miles for the year. I've got to be more committed to riding next year, or I'm going to pay for it big time during any duathlons I do.
JMH
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
PRE-THANKSGIVING RUN WALK
1.5 Mile Walk at Buckingham Lake
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
When I got up this morning I was pretty sure I'd go for a short run today... my foot was feeling a good deal better, and I've tried to go for a run the day before Thanksgiving for the last seven years (though I missed 2009 due to a knee injury... bleah.)
But... it was cold and raining outside (as in "barely above freezing" cold and raining.) And I listened to a podcast from Endurance Planet talking about why it's a bad idea to try to run through plantar fasciitis. And I was sufficiently tired this afternoon that I really needed to lay down and take a nap. So - no run for me today. And honestly it was probably best that I keep giving my foot a break from running, especially since I'm planning to run both days this weekend.
Instead, I took the Buckingham Lake ducks some Thanksgiving cracked corn (which they greatly appreciated) and walked two laps around the pond. Between the crummy weather (it had stopped raining but was still cold) and the upcoming holiday there were very few people there. Always a nice plus!
The ducks were, as usual, very entertaining. I fed them at a spot where the water is a bit deeper, so there was a lot of dabbing and splashing (ducks tipping their butts up in the air, so their bills can reach the bottom) and even one female who apparently has been hanging out with diving ducks - she repeatedly went completely under water to get cracked corn that had drifted to the bottom.
JMH
1.5 Mile Walk at Buckingham Lake
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
When I got up this morning I was pretty sure I'd go for a short run today... my foot was feeling a good deal better, and I've tried to go for a run the day before Thanksgiving for the last seven years (though I missed 2009 due to a knee injury... bleah.)
But... it was cold and raining outside (as in "barely above freezing" cold and raining.) And I listened to a podcast from Endurance Planet talking about why it's a bad idea to try to run through plantar fasciitis. And I was sufficiently tired this afternoon that I really needed to lay down and take a nap. So - no run for me today. And honestly it was probably best that I keep giving my foot a break from running, especially since I'm planning to run both days this weekend.
Instead, I took the Buckingham Lake ducks some Thanksgiving cracked corn (which they greatly appreciated) and walked two laps around the pond. Between the crummy weather (it had stopped raining but was still cold) and the upcoming holiday there were very few people there. Always a nice plus!
The ducks were, as usual, very entertaining. I fed them at a spot where the water is a bit deeper, so there was a lot of dabbing and splashing (ducks tipping their butts up in the air, so their bills can reach the bottom) and even one female who apparently has been hanging out with diving ducks - she repeatedly went completely under water to get cracked corn that had drifted to the bottom.
JMH
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Farewell Anne McCaffrey
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Anne McCaffrey was a prolific award-winning science fiction author, best known for her "Dragonriders of Pern" novels. She wrote close to 100 books either as sole author or in collaboration with others, and was very active in the wider science fiction writing community for over 40 years. She died yesterday at her home in Ireland, reportedly due to a stroke, at the age of 85.
I haven't read one of her books in years, in part because it seemed like they were becoming a bit repetitive and in part because my tastes drifted first toward more epic fantasy and then toward mostly urban fantasy. But I have very fond memories of her earlier books. When I first got a job and started earning my own money to spend in high school, one of the things I started to do was buy books. My options were fairly limited - there was a small bookstore in the commercial area outside of Hudson (the largest "city" near where I grew up, about a 20-30 minute drive away) that had a decent science fiction/fantasy section and new releases every week (keeping in mind that the new release market in the early 1980's didn't have nearly the volume it has now.) Of course it helped that they also stocked a good selection of comic books... that was probably what first got me in the door, since those were substantially cheaper than paperback (25 cents, versus $1.50 or so) and much more affordable on the small allowance my parents could provide.
Much of my early book reading in junior high and high school was supported by the school librarian, who was a science fiction fan and loaned me many of her own books, and a fellow who went to the church my family attended who gave me quite a few books and stacks of old pulp magazines that he no longer wanted to take up storage space at his family's home. I owe them both a huge thank you for encouraging my love of books and reading fantastic fiction that continues to this day. Anyway, once I had a little money coming in on a regular basis, it wasn't long before I latched on to the idea of buying books for myself... and Ann McCaffrey's Dragonrider books, with their wonderful Michael Whelan covers, were some of the first ones that I bought and read. I probably even re-read them once or twice - I remember doing that decades ago, before my collection of books grew so huge that even my "to be read" pile has its own bookcases (which are overflowing!)
So thank you, Ann McCaffrey, for many hours of reading pleasure, and for helping to grow my love of reading and my massive collection of books. She was truly one of the great science fiction authors of our time and there is no doubt she will be missed.
JMH
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Anne McCaffrey was a prolific award-winning science fiction author, best known for her "Dragonriders of Pern" novels. She wrote close to 100 books either as sole author or in collaboration with others, and was very active in the wider science fiction writing community for over 40 years. She died yesterday at her home in Ireland, reportedly due to a stroke, at the age of 85.
I haven't read one of her books in years, in part because it seemed like they were becoming a bit repetitive and in part because my tastes drifted first toward more epic fantasy and then toward mostly urban fantasy. But I have very fond memories of her earlier books. When I first got a job and started earning my own money to spend in high school, one of the things I started to do was buy books. My options were fairly limited - there was a small bookstore in the commercial area outside of Hudson (the largest "city" near where I grew up, about a 20-30 minute drive away) that had a decent science fiction/fantasy section and new releases every week (keeping in mind that the new release market in the early 1980's didn't have nearly the volume it has now.) Of course it helped that they also stocked a good selection of comic books... that was probably what first got me in the door, since those were substantially cheaper than paperback (25 cents, versus $1.50 or so) and much more affordable on the small allowance my parents could provide.
Much of my early book reading in junior high and high school was supported by the school librarian, who was a science fiction fan and loaned me many of her own books, and a fellow who went to the church my family attended who gave me quite a few books and stacks of old pulp magazines that he no longer wanted to take up storage space at his family's home. I owe them both a huge thank you for encouraging my love of books and reading fantastic fiction that continues to this day. Anyway, once I had a little money coming in on a regular basis, it wasn't long before I latched on to the idea of buying books for myself... and Ann McCaffrey's Dragonrider books, with their wonderful Michael Whelan covers, were some of the first ones that I bought and read. I probably even re-read them once or twice - I remember doing that decades ago, before my collection of books grew so huge that even my "to be read" pile has its own bookcases (which are overflowing!)
So thank you, Ann McCaffrey, for many hours of reading pleasure, and for helping to grow my love of reading and my massive collection of books. She was truly one of the great science fiction authors of our time and there is no doubt she will be missed.
JMH
Monday, November 21, 2011
Aaargh... Plantar Fasciitis...
Monday, November 21, 2011
For a while now I've had some minor heel pain, usually when I first get up in the morning... initially I thought I'd just bruised it, but the fact that the pain would disappear once I'd walked around a bit suggested that wasn't the case. Instead, it's probably a mild case of plantar fasciitis - an inflammation of the plantar fascii, a band of connective tissue that runs along the bottom on the foot. There are all sorts of reasons it might have happened - increased running mileage, decreased flexibility in my lower leg, or even the weight I've gained over the past couple of years. On the plus side, it's been very minor and most of the time I don't even think about it.
Except of course that this weekend I managed to aggravate it more than usual, possibly by pushing hard for the 2nd half of the Lil Rhody or possibly because I've put too many miles too quickly on the new Adidas trail shoes I've been using, after running mostly on Vasques for the last few years. All I know for sure is that it was sore walking around after the race, and really sore when I got up this morning.
Which is more than a bit worrisome, given that I've plunked down the registration fee for the Seashore Nature Trail 50k in mid-December. So no running for me for the next few days at least, while I see how it responds. I'd been planning to do a long (20 or so miles) run Wednesday but clearly that's not a good idea now - also worrisome since my window of opportunity for a last long run is shrinking rapidly. I may have to go into the 50k trusting my previous training (which hasn't been what I'd wanted it to be, but was enough for me to finish Stone Cat with my fastest time yet for a trail marathon.)
Oh, well, nothing to be done for it other than to try to be sensible and hope for the best...
JMH
Monday, November 21, 2011
For a while now I've had some minor heel pain, usually when I first get up in the morning... initially I thought I'd just bruised it, but the fact that the pain would disappear once I'd walked around a bit suggested that wasn't the case. Instead, it's probably a mild case of plantar fasciitis - an inflammation of the plantar fascii, a band of connective tissue that runs along the bottom on the foot. There are all sorts of reasons it might have happened - increased running mileage, decreased flexibility in my lower leg, or even the weight I've gained over the past couple of years. On the plus side, it's been very minor and most of the time I don't even think about it.
Except of course that this weekend I managed to aggravate it more than usual, possibly by pushing hard for the 2nd half of the Lil Rhody or possibly because I've put too many miles too quickly on the new Adidas trail shoes I've been using, after running mostly on Vasques for the last few years. All I know for sure is that it was sore walking around after the race, and really sore when I got up this morning.
Which is more than a bit worrisome, given that I've plunked down the registration fee for the Seashore Nature Trail 50k in mid-December. So no running for me for the next few days at least, while I see how it responds. I'd been planning to do a long (20 or so miles) run Wednesday but clearly that's not a good idea now - also worrisome since my window of opportunity for a last long run is shrinking rapidly. I may have to go into the 50k trusting my previous training (which hasn't been what I'd wanted it to be, but was enough for me to finish Stone Cat with my fastest time yet for a trail marathon.)
Oh, well, nothing to be done for it other than to try to be sensible and hope for the best...
JMH
Sunday, November 20, 2011
SEALS!
2.7 Mile Walk at John H. Chafee Nature Preserve
Sunday, November 20, 2011
I visited the Chafee Nature Preserve back in May, on my way home from the Shad Bloom 10 trail race on Block Island. At the time I'd read that during the late fall and winter, harbor seals often would haul out on a group of offshore rocks at low tide... unfortunately, I wasn't there at the right time of year or at low tide, so all I got was a pleasant walk through the woods and along a rocky, shell-covered beach. But I did make tentative plans to come back, especially after exploring the excellent Rome Point seals website.
I had originally thought to return to the preserve after running the Lil Rhody Runaround this morning, but then last night I checked the tide table and discovered that low ride would be around 8:30 AM... which meant my best bet for seeing seals would be to go before the race, ideally arriving around 7:30 AM... so I set my alarms for an very early morning and programmed the TomTom for a trip to the Chafee Preserve followed by a dash to Burlingame State Park in time to get ready for the race.
Got off to a slightly late start, but made it to the preserve by 7:45 and was pleased to find myself alone in the parking lot... for a few moments, before multiple cars with dogs arrived. So I hustled down the main path in hopes of remaining ahead of them, and surprisingly managed to do so all the way down to the beach. As I walked along the beach out to the point, I did run into one of the walkers and her dogs... but was lucky to find the actual point deserted. Though the boat out on the water left me skeptical about the chances of seeing any seals...
But once I zoomed in on the rocks, I was thrilled to see that I was wrong - there were several seals on the flatter rocks, as well as gulls and cormorants! So I settled in as comfortably as I could to wait and see if more seals showed up (according to the website, there were no seals the previous two Sundays, but 72 seals this past Tuesday!) It was tough to tell in the small camera screen, but it did seem like a few more showed up while I waited - and later review of the photos showed a number of seals I couldn't see at the time.
While I waited and watched I also watched the gulls, in particular a pair that seemed to be looking for food a short distance away - they drew a lot of attention to themselves by periodically launching into shrieking calls, especially if another gull flew by. I also spent time swatting some nasty biting flies - apparently November only cuts their numbers but doesn't wipe them out completely (then again, it was up around 60 degrees today...)
Eventually time ran out, and I had to make the hike back to the car. Snapped a few final shots of the seals and the bay, and then headed back to the road along a different set of trails. When I got back to the parking lot I discovered that I was leaving at a good time - there were a lot of people and dogs in the lot! I was definitely lucky to have the point mostly to myself for the hour or so that I was down there!
JMH
2.7 Mile Walk at John H. Chafee Nature Preserve
Sunday, November 20, 2011
I visited the Chafee Nature Preserve back in May, on my way home from the Shad Bloom 10 trail race on Block Island. At the time I'd read that during the late fall and winter, harbor seals often would haul out on a group of offshore rocks at low tide... unfortunately, I wasn't there at the right time of year or at low tide, so all I got was a pleasant walk through the woods and along a rocky, shell-covered beach. But I did make tentative plans to come back, especially after exploring the excellent Rome Point seals website.
I had originally thought to return to the preserve after running the Lil Rhody Runaround this morning, but then last night I checked the tide table and discovered that low ride would be around 8:30 AM... which meant my best bet for seeing seals would be to go before the race, ideally arriving around 7:30 AM... so I set my alarms for an very early morning and programmed the TomTom for a trip to the Chafee Preserve followed by a dash to Burlingame State Park in time to get ready for the race.
Got off to a slightly late start, but made it to the preserve by 7:45 and was pleased to find myself alone in the parking lot... for a few moments, before multiple cars with dogs arrived. So I hustled down the main path in hopes of remaining ahead of them, and surprisingly managed to do so all the way down to the beach. As I walked along the beach out to the point, I did run into one of the walkers and her dogs... but was lucky to find the actual point deserted. Though the boat out on the water left me skeptical about the chances of seeing any seals...
But once I zoomed in on the rocks, I was thrilled to see that I was wrong - there were several seals on the flatter rocks, as well as gulls and cormorants! So I settled in as comfortably as I could to wait and see if more seals showed up (according to the website, there were no seals the previous two Sundays, but 72 seals this past Tuesday!) It was tough to tell in the small camera screen, but it did seem like a few more showed up while I waited - and later review of the photos showed a number of seals I couldn't see at the time.
While I waited and watched I also watched the gulls, in particular a pair that seemed to be looking for food a short distance away - they drew a lot of attention to themselves by periodically launching into shrieking calls, especially if another gull flew by. I also spent time swatting some nasty biting flies - apparently November only cuts their numbers but doesn't wipe them out completely (then again, it was up around 60 degrees today...)
Eventually time ran out, and I had to make the hike back to the car. Snapped a few final shots of the seals and the bay, and then headed back to the road along a different set of trails. When I got back to the parking lot I discovered that I was leaving at a good time - there were a lot of people and dogs in the lot! I was definitely lucky to have the point mostly to myself for the hour or so that I was down there!
JMH
Saturday, November 19, 2011
MISSING YOU...
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Often when Ann comes to visit we'll go for a walk at one of the places I enjoy visiting near Albany - Thacher Park, Vischer Ferry, Five Rivers, and others. Sometimes when I go back to those places I find myself thinking about walking there with Ann and really wishing she could be there with me again, seeing the things I'm seeing. We've visited Five Rivers several times, most recently just a couple of weeks ago, and back in August we spent some time in RI and CT where I'm heading today and tomorrow. Today is one of the many days that I miss my best friend and sweetheart.
JMH
Saturday, November 19, 2011
When I left the house this afternoon I was struck by how lifeless it seems when I'm not there... I guess I always used to have a sense of Chaos being there (and even further back, Ninja too) even when she wasn't visible. I try not too think about it very often, but sometimes it just hits me - like this afternoon. I miss my two fuzzy beasties.I've been missing you, more than words can say,
And that I've been thinking about it every day.-Missing You, Chris De Burgh (1988)
Often when Ann comes to visit we'll go for a walk at one of the places I enjoy visiting near Albany - Thacher Park, Vischer Ferry, Five Rivers, and others. Sometimes when I go back to those places I find myself thinking about walking there with Ann and really wishing she could be there with me again, seeing the things I'm seeing. We've visited Five Rivers several times, most recently just a couple of weeks ago, and back in August we spent some time in RI and CT where I'm heading today and tomorrow. Today is one of the many days that I miss my best friend and sweetheart.
JMH
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
