Pharaoh Mountain - 28 Jun 2014

I went for a run up Pharaoh Mountain a few weeks ago, to work on my ability to run up and down steep terrain, and also to get some elevation.  The views were fantastic, but the mosquitoes were vicious.

I parked at the end of Crane Pond Road, and started getting ready to run.  The mosquitoes were already out and looking for a meal, so I went for the picaridin right from the bat.  While I was getting my stuff together, I chatted briefly with another runner, who said he was going up to the trailhead and then running back.  He and his dog set out fairly quickly, and I thought about how great it would be to live close enough to this system that a 4 mile run would be worth the drive.

I set out, along a wide woods road, trying to take in as much as I could while still moving quickly.  I heard and then saw a small waterfall off to my left, running strong from the recent rains.  The other runner passed by on his way back, moving at a quick pace.  There was one car parked at the trailhead for Goose Pond, which was all I expected to see, but then there was another at a small bend in the road.

Then the road dipped down, all the way down until we were in the drainage plain of Alder Pond.  I had been able to avoid the puddles until now, but a road-sized muddy puddle stood before me.  It was impossible to see the bottom, but I knew what to do.  I plunged bravely in, trying to avoid widening the ... road ... and immediately stumbled.  I expected it to be 6-8", but it was much, much deeper.  At least 18", though it wouldn't have surprised me if it was 24".  Down I went, and my left knee smashed into what must have been gravel in a shallower section of the puddle.  I had gone to the puddle near the right edge of it, and it only occurred to me after I had shredded my knee to pieces that the edges of the puddle would be the deepest, due to vehicular traffic.  Where my knee had hit was where I should have been running.

It looked like I had a small gash on my knee.  Nothing too bad.  I could fix it up when I got home.  I pushed on, and found myself standing in a large, pine needle covered parking area.  There were at least ten trucks and SUVs there, though I didn't stop to count.  The moment I stopped running I was swarmed by mosquitoes.  The trailhead was off to the right, and I pushed on, stopping for a moment to clean the mud off of my hands in the outlet of Crane Pond.

The road had been fairly level, never flat, but very runnable.  The trail was fairly runnable, too, and in some places it was as wide as a road, an indication that it might have been one, at some point.  The trail register wasn't too far beyond the bridge over the Crane Pond outlet.  I stopped to register, and then pushed on, still hounded by the mosquitoes.  After a few more strides I stopped, put my pack on a rock, and applied another round of picaridin.  It stung on my knee, but it worked.  The mosquitos backed off once again.

Again I pushed on, taking a left at the next junction, heading south now, toward the mountain.  Whenever I stopped, I was swarmed, so I did my best to just keep pushing.  I reapplied the picaridin a few times, and the effect was the same.  As long as I was hiking, I was generally ok.  Once I hit the steeper portion of the trail, I decided to just keep hiking, to see if the mosquitoes would stay away.  It worked, for the most part.

The trail guide describes the hike as exposed ridge, and that's technically correct, though inaccurate.  The portion where the trail is has been eroded away down to the bedrock in many places, but this is not, in any way, shape, or form, an exposed ridge.  There is a small, 15' section that is exposed (about 10' of exposure) on a herd path paralleling the trail.  That's it.

Exposure has three meanings here, so, in case that wasn't clear:
1) You are hiking on bedrock that has been exposed through erosion.
2) You are not very likely to fall.  (There are cliffs near the summit area that you could fall off of if you REALLY tried.  Keep your kids on their leashes.)
3) You are never above the treeline.  (There are a few large tree-less areas on the summit, and that helps with the view.)

Despite never actually getting above the treeline, there are *fantastic* views from the summit.  After getting up to the summit area, I headed left, scrambled up some rocks and soaked in the view.  I could see Schroon Lake, Desolate Swamp, and the High Peaks off to the northeast.  It wasn't immediately obvious which peaks I was looking at, though I could make out some of the Great Range, which helped with orientation.  The PeakFinder app helped fill in the pieces: the three most prominent peaks I was seeing were Marcy, Dix (the Beckhorn), and Giant.  That struck me: I was standing on the highpoint of one wilderness area and looking at the highpoints of three others.

After a snack and a few glorious bug-free moments in the sun, I went to explore the rest of the summit area.  Just beyond the turn off for the summit proper is a trail leading to a designated camping area.  (I didn't realize there were any designated camping areas on summits, especially prominent summits like this, but it makes sense to keep people in an area that can take it.)  I found the remnants of a fire there, but the flies buzzing about kept me moving on.  Beyond the camping area was another massive open slab, which I explored a bit.  Eventually I was driven away by flies, and I started heading back.  Just before I left the summit area, I found a small wooden structure, like a stash box, a few feet off of the trail, and further down the trail, a small cave that didn't seem to go anywhere.

I wasn't able to run on the steeper section due to the water on the bedrock, which kept the rocks slick.  Once I was past the exposed bedrock, I was able to run some, and that's when I started to run into a steady stream of hikers: one miserable looking guy with a bug net, an older couple resting on a rock, who warned me about the troop coming up the trail, followed by several other smaller couples and even a few small dogs.  When I got down to the water there were canoes out on Crane Pond, and as I ran the road back toward my car, I had to step off several times to make room for the vehicles coming through.  I also saw what I had missed the first time through: a small herd path through the weeds right next to the road where the puddle-trap was.

I made it back to the car more or less intact, and stopped at the Stewart's in Schroon for a snack before making my way back home.

I think I'm more or less done with running on trails in May, June and July.  I can keep the mosquitoes at bay fairly well with long sleeves and picaridin, but it fails utterly and miserably when I'm wearing short sleeves and sweat enters into the equation.  The other non-DEET sprays I've tried, using citronella or oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, follow the same pattern.  So I think it makes more sense to stick to double track when the bugs are at their worst, where I can move more quickly and not bother with bug spray.

Moreau Lake State Park - 1 Jun 2014

I went for a run today at Moreau Lake State Park, to explore the 15k route some, and to continue my mileage build-up for Savoy.  I parked at the Baker/Western Ridge trailhead again, off of Spier Falls Road, with the intention of running down the Western Ridge Trail, over to Mud Pond, then up and over the ridge to pick up the Western Ridge Trail on the other side.  My goal was 6 miles, and I hadn't spent a whole lot of time plotting it out, figuring I'd adjust my route as I went.

As I was getting sunscreen and bug spray on, I chatted with a couple who had driven up shortly after me.  They said they were heading up the Western Ridge (the other way), and I chuckled a bit, saying that it was a bit steep.  They asked how steep and I said that it climbed a couple hundred feet, and they shrugged it off and said it would be fine.  I haven't actually walked up that trail, but running down it was steep and intense.  I said I'd see them out there, and headed off.

I started out way too fast, and it took a while for me to slow myself down.  It's mostly downhill from the parking lot to Mud Pond, and my body was screaming "let's go fast!".  I managed to rein myself in after the second stream crossing, where the trail heads up for a little bit, and settled in to a more reasonable pace.  The trails get nicer around there: fewer rocks and a lot more stable footing, but it was hard to enjoy.  There was what looked like bear scat along the trail, and I'd find more of it every few minutes.  (It was large; the smallest animal it could have come out of was a coyote, but it looked like the animal had been eating mostly berries.  I looked around for the source of the berries that the animal had been eating, but couldn't find them.)

Once I got down by Mud Pond, I started seeing other people quite a bit.  I ran around what I thought was the pond, and did my best to pick out the trail based on my memory of the race course map from last year.  In actuality, I ran around the northern portion of Moreau Lake, and then over an isthmus with a small break to allow boat traffic to travel between the two portions of the lake.  After that point, I was at the beach area proper, with several hundred (possibly a thousand) other people, from the look of the parking lot and the crowds gathered on the beach and at the various picnic areas.  It was *crowded*.

I made my way along the beach, and breathed a sigh of relief as I got away from the crowds.  I ran in front of the cabin along the white trail, which was occupied, and eventually came to a portion of white trail that was too overgrown to use.  There was a blaze right before the overgrown area, so I was certain that I hadn't stumbled upon a herd path.  My choice was to either run through the water next to the trail, or switch over to the road.  I crossed the road, looking to see if the Red Oak Ridge trail connector I was looking for was there, but it wasn't, so I ran through the water, which was shallow.  I'm not quite sure how that trail will look in September.

From there, I got to a boat launch area across from the Warming Hut.  I stopped to use the restroom (between the crowds and the mosquitoes, a wise choice), walked right past the trailhead for the ROR trail, and continued along the white trail.  I got to the point where the white trail hits the road, and started scouting around for a connector that I had seen during the winter.  The sign or marking was gone, as far as I could tell, but I could see the ROR trail, so I walked over to it and started running along it.  Not long after that, I came to a point that I remembered from my winter run through here.  Now, seeing it in summer, it looked like a herd path, and the real path appeared to run down to the Warming Hut.  I ran down, hoping to get some insight, but the trail ended right at the hut.  Frustrated, I turned around, and made my way back to the herd path I had just seen.  Sure enough, there was a blaze, and it seemed to indicate that the way I had just gone, down to the Warming Hut, was correct.  Stubbornly, I took the herd path.

I wasn't very far along when I came to the eroded portion I remembered from the winter, where it felt like I was going to fall down the hill at any moment.  Eventually I came back to the trail, and turned right to see where it went.  Sure enough, I found myself back at the Warming Hut, on the other side of the parking lot from the trail that I had decided was wrong.  I stopped to take a picture of the sign that I had walked right past almost a mile ago, and then headed up.  The mosquitoes got worse as I headed up.  I did my best to run, but the heat and the terrain left me walking a lot.  I made it up to the Moreau Overlook trail, passed by a gaggle of beach-goers having a walk in the woods, and pushed up to the top.  I chatted with a few other people admiring the view, which was fairly clear today, and then headed off again.  I had intended on running along the Ridge Run as far as the Cottage Path trail, but my unintended diversion had eaten up distance and time.  Not long after starting out on the Ridge Run, I turned around, and headed the other way on it, with the intention of picking up the Baker Trail back to the parking lot.  As I ran past the Moreau Overlook again, I saw that the party I had passed were just now pulling in to the overlook.  I smiled as they gawked over the view, and pushed on.

I kept rolling my ankle on the descent, nothing serious, but I think I was a bit tired.  I made it back to my car in one piece, and dove in to avoid the mosquitoes that were starting to swarm around me.  The drive back home was uneventful.  I had seen a couple dozen Tour de Cure participants on the way in, and I saw what appeared to be a few more finishing up on the way home.  That must have been a long day for them!

Anyway, I think that's it.  I'm getting excited about Savoy, and doing the Moreau 15k, if they hold it this year.

Oh, one more note: I read Jake Stookey's report on the 2012 race, and I can't believe he ran it barefoot in 2 hours!  He went on to win the 2013 edition of the race in huaraches, which seems like a more logical choice.  He even set a new course record in 2013, coming in at 1:27:11.  I love being out and about barefoot, and while I can imagine hiking this course barefoot, I cannot imagine running it barefoot under race conditions.  I'd be hobbling by the end.

Anyway, be excellent to each other, carry plenty of bug spray, watch out for ticks, call your mother, and tip your waiter.  Until next time...

AdiRUNdack Trail Series - Race 4 - 27 May 2014

This week I learned several things:

• My fitness is finally at the point where I can hike for hours at a time and not burn out.
• The black flies are out all over the place, and biting at lower elevations.
• I swell up at the site of black fly bites like some people swell up from mosquito bites.
• I'm finally capable of running a 9 minute mile.
• It takes more than 5 hours for a large burrito to pass through my stomach.
• I can run a 9 minute mile with a burrito trying to escape.

On that pleasant note, the AdiRUNdack Trail Series has come to a close.  Kevin and Elizabeth Emblidge carried the series for their respective genders.  Susan Thompson and Tylor Duguay took second, and Joe Porter took third for the men.  The third place women's slot was a close one, with Gabriella Frittelli managing to hold on to her lead over Dennie Swan-Scott by 25 seconds.  All told, 66 runners made it out for all four races.  Congrats to everyone who participated in the series, and in individual races!

Today's race was easily the warmest of the series, with a temp around 80º F for the start of the race.  The biggest change I noticed was that the run up toward the water tower was not flooded with sunlight.  As I neared the top of that, I kept hearing clicking noises, like someone was on a bike right behind me, but every time I glanced back, I couldn't see one.  Finally, as the trail started to descend, I saw a pack of mountain bikers making their way along a different path.

As I hit the track for the final stretch, I was happy to see my family there, cheering me on.  It took a little while, but I managed to sprint some of the track, coming in at 29:48.  Once we were all back in, Rebecca started the raffle and then the awards ceremony.  After that, we all headed up to get ice cream and then head home.  I can't wait to race here again next year.

Next up is Savoy Mountain, in August.  I'm starting my mileage build this week.

Until next time...

AdiRUNdack Trail Series - Race 3 - 20 May 2014

This Tuesday was the third installment of the 2014 AdiRUNdack 5K Trail Race Series, and it was another fun day.  Next week will be the final race of the series, and we'll find out who won the 20k challenge.

Current Standings

The 20K challenge is looking fairly locked up: Kevin Emblidge crossed the finish line first in each of the three races, running 17:47, 17:22, and 17:29, followed in each race by Tylor Duguay, at 19:05, 18:49, and 18:26.  Joe Porter finished 3rd in the first two races and 4th in today's, at 19:19, 19:08 and 18:36, and appears to be the current contender for #3.  Erik Sointio and Ryan Connor appear to be in the #4 and #5 slots, respectively, but Erik only has about a 20 second lead.  (I am basing this off of an informal review of the race data; I have not loaded this in to a spreadsheet for analysis and my findings are by no means official.  In order to win, place or show in the 20k challenge, you need to participate in all four races, and you need to be fast.)

On the women's side, it's a little harder to see without loading the data up, but here's what I think is going on: Elizabeth Emblidge is the clear leader, running 19:38, 19:21 and 19:23.  Next up is Susan Thompson, with 21:40, 21:30, and 21:24.  In third is Gabriella Frittelli, with 23:04, 22:54, and 22:56.  Susan Keely was in 4th, with 23:25, 23:17, and 23:20, but she was overtaken this week by Dennie Swan-Scott, who cut a full minute off of last week, running 23:31, 23:35, and 22:25.  (Again, this is by no means official; just my observations from reading the results sheet.)

Walt McConnell deserves a special shout-out, too.  At 82, he's the oldest participant in the series, and if I can run as fast as he can when I'm 82, I'll be very, very happy: 44:09, 42:29, and 41:13.

It's great to see so many people improving week over week!

The Race

Rebecca started us off again, this time with a working megaphone, and we were off.  I ran well the first two miles, but fell off the pace a bit on the third.  I had already decided that I wasn't going to sprint the track this time (more on that in a minute), and I think that was the deciding factor.  I finished in 31:05.

What went wrong?

I stepped out of the office to head to the race, and the moment that I stepped outside, I felt a twinge run through my Achilles tendon.  I knew exactly what it meant: I had been pushing the transition to zero drop too hard, and my tendon was starting to get injured.  I considered heading home to get different shoes, but there was no way I could make it in time.  So, I decided to just roll with it, and to ease off if I felt it twinge again.  The tendon was fine during the race, but I didn't want to risk another round of tendonitis, so I kept my pace as consistent as I could as I ran the final portion.  I love to finish strong, whether it's on a long run or at a race, but I just couldn't justify it today.

(Looking back over my data, my minimalist mileage (barefoot, or shod in VFFs or Trail Gloves) went way up the past few weeks.  I had been doing 1-3 miles a week (walking or running) in minimalist footwear, and then I jumped up to 4 miles, then 11 miles and so far 6 miles this week.  This is most likely the source of the problem.  I need to reel the miles back in and then slowly build them up again, and not let myself get overconfident yet again.)

I also screwed up the fueling a bit.  I had eaten a snack two hours before the race start, but it was a bit heavier than I really should have eaten, and I don't think it had a chance to fully digest.  Furthermore, I've been experimenting with different fuels, and today's pre-run fuel did not sit well at all.  As soon as we rounded the hard left to start climbing the hill (into the sun), I felt like I was going to throw up.  That feeling didn't leave me for hours.

I think that's about it.  I was very happy with my first two miles; I might have pushed too hard on mile 2, but I was having fun running uphill into the sun, despite my digestive issues.  I think that's what matters here, anyway: having fun.  Pushing yourself, and having fun.

Until next time, be excellent to each other!

Moreau Lake State Park - 10,17 May 2014

(Sleep deprivation is fun.  I could have sworn that I didn't post the report for last week's long run, but.. I did.  I'm leaving this report the way it is, regardless.  This report is more accurate; it's the "Palmertown Range", not "Palmertown Ridge".  Also, the map I was using didn't have a name on the Baker Trail, it was just a green blazed trail.  The newest trail map calls it the Baker Trail.)

I took my last two long runs on Grant Mountain in the Palmertown Range.  If you haven't heard of either geological feature, don't be surprised; both names appear only on USGS maps, as far as I can tell.  This is the mountain that stands just west of Moreau Lake, and this is the mountain that the Moreau Lake 15K runs up, around, and back down.  I haven't committed to doing that race yet, but I figured I should go check out the trails.  So far, I'm very impressed.  This system is an excellent model for training for the High Peaks.  More on that in a bit.

Access

This part confused me quite a bit when I first started investigating this trail system.  There are three trailheads along Spier Town Rd, and there is, of course, access from the campground, too.  You can find maps here: http://nysparks.com/parks/150/maps.aspx.  I am describing landmarks as if you were driving north/east along Spier Falls Road.

Western Ridge Trail

[I have not tried to run or hike from here, yet.]  There is a tiny pull-off near the western end of the Western Ridge trail (yellow), however, on the most recent Trail Map, there is no indication of a parking lot.  It was listed on the 2011 version of the map, and it is still physically there. Heading north, the road goes through several turns, and then when it gets close to the Hudson River, it straightens out.  Right after it straightens out, there is an access road on the right.  This is gated, so don't park here, but there's a small turnout a little further on, with what appears to be a spring.  The trail itself appears to start out following the access road.  I will investigate it further as time allows.

Cottage Path

[I have not tried to run or hike from here, yet, either.]  The parking lot for the Cottage Path trail is further along Spier Falls Road, and is very obvious.  Near the bend in the road, where it goes from following the Hudson to crossing a col in the Palmertown, there is a large access area for boats, with ample parking.  The Cottage Path trail (orange) is accessed on the other side of Spier Falls Road, a short distance to the south.  It appears to follow a stone wall for a while.

(Please note that as of May, 2014, a sign at the third parking area indicates that there is currently construction along the power line corridor, and that trails may be subject to closure.  No trail was indicated on the sign, but the trail most likely to be affected would be the Cottage Path trail.)

Western Ridge / Baker Trail

This is my favorite of the three areas, though extra caution is needed due to the single lane access road and blind turns.  Heading east along Spier Falls Road, the access road is a gravel road on the right, and it is just past the col.  As soon as the road starts to descend, look for gravel on the right.  Turn right into here, and then proceed to the parking area.  (Note that this gets gated off during the winter.  Also note that there is ANOTHER access road that intersects this access road.  DO NOT take this other access road.  I'm fairly certain that it's intended for large electrical utility trucks, and unless you have a big truck, you're likely to get stuck.)  You'll find the parking area a short distance on, and there are three paths you can take out of here.  The first is on your right, just before the parking area; this is the eastern portion of the Western Ridge Trail (yellow).  The second is blocked by a large boulder, along the same road that you drove in on; this is the western portion of the Western Ridge Trail (yellow).  Finally, between the two is another wide trail, marked in green, this is the Baker trail.

(The sign indicating closures due to electrical work could also apply to this access road; so keep an eye out for a closed gate when you're turning on to it.)

Hunting Notice

Please note that Spring Turkey season is in effect during the month of May in New York.  The Spring season runs from an hour before sunrise until noon.  Vermont and Massachusetts have similar Spring Turkey hunting seasons.  Since the season only lasts for half the day, it's courteous to give hunters the first half of the day to themselves.  Turkeys are apparently difficult to hunt, due to their eyesight and intelligence.  If you are out in the woods during hunting hours, stick to popular trails, and wear orange.  Avoid wearing red, white and blue, as this mimics the colors of the male turkeys being hunted this time of year.

Last Week - 10 May 2014

Both weeks I found myself bounded for time between the Spring Turkey season and commitments in the mid-afternoon.  On the 10th, I ended up getting out the door a lot later than I had intended, and decided to cut my run down to an hour, instead of my intended two hours.  I started off strong, heading up the Baker Trail, but I quickly found myself out of breath.  Running uphill is nothing like running along flat bike paths, or even the rolling terrain I had been running on.  After a while the path leveled off a bit, and I was able to catch my breath a bit, but I found myself alternating between walking and running the entire time I was out.

The Baker Trail intersects the Ridge Run Trail.  Without consulting my map, I decided to go left, and I choose wisely.  A short while later I found myself in a still open deciduous forest, clearly high ground, and there were long exposed sections of parallel rock, which appeared to be the remnants of glacial erosion.  This whole section would have been under the ice sheet (the whole state was), and it looks like the movement of the glacier cut these gouges out.  They are beautiful, regardless of their origin.

Just past this area was what appeared to be a view point.  I ran up to it and it was indeed a view point: the Moreau Overlook.  From here I could see Moreau Lake and the country beyond.  What really caught my eye were the Taconic peaks off in the distance.  They were hard to make out, but they were there.  The following week I spent a little more time up here, and confirmed that I was correct: Equinox, Little Equinox, Bear, and Grass are all distinct and visible, and there are are a host of other peaks visible as well.

When I first ran up to the Overlook, I noticed that there were two people, a man and a woman, sitting on a rock nearby, taking in the view.  From their clothes, and the braids in the woman's hair, I assumed that they were runners, too.  We exchanged hellos, and the woman asked if I could take their picture, and offered to return the favor.  After we had taken pictures, we chatted a bit, and then they were off, down the blue Moreau Overlook Trail.  As for me, I lingered briefly, and then continued along the Ridge Run trail.  I knew I had limited time, so I consulted my map, trying to get a sense of what was possible given my constraints.  I saw that there was a loop to be had: if I kept making right turns, eventually I would end up on the Western Ridge Trail, and that would take me back to my car.  Off I ran.

The terrain up here was great.  Baker Trail is mostly loose rocks, but once you're up high, the trails are a lot softer; mostly leaves and loam.  The Western Ridge is a different story, though.  There's plenty of loam, for sure, but there are also sections where you're running along exposed bedrock, not unlike the rocks I had stopped to admire higher up.  It's a lot of fun, but I can imagine that they'd be slippery when wet.  Once the Western Ridge starts to descend in earnest, it has a few short sections of loose rock, and an eroded section near the end of the descent that is fairly steep.  I found myself monkeying along the trees in there at one point.  Once I got past the steeper section, the trail leveled off again, and it was relatively level (though not even close to flat) for the remainder of my run back to my car.  The views looked fantastic along the Western Ridge, but I didn't stop to admire them since I was in a rush.

This Week - 17 May 2014

 This week I decided to check out some more of the Western Ridge, to the east of the parking area.  The Western Ridge drops down to Mud Pond, over fairly gentle terrain.  It had rained the night before, and the streams were going strong.  I ran past the white blazed Turkey Path, and almost took it, but I wanted to get a better sense of the full climb, so I pushed on.  The Western Ridge Path ends at an intersection with the the Mud Pond trail; I went right, along a beautiful corridor of trees, and the over a wide bridge.  From there I hit a woods road, and I went right again, searching for the red-blazed Red Oak Ridge Trail.  I had run the other end of this trail over the winter, and I followed it to the same intersection I had come to back then.  This time, though, I decided to UP the Moreau Overlook trail instead of using it to bail out.

This section was steep, and I had trouble running up it, but I did my best to push myself into a run on the flatter sections.  Eventually I came to a decent sized talus pile and decided to just hike it.  I'm fairly certain that this is the "Staircase of Death" referenced on the event page, or perhaps the whole trail from the ROR/MO junction up to the Moreau Overlook is the "Staircase of Death".  Whatever.  It's steep.

Once I was past the talus pile, a little push put me back up at the Moreau Overlook.  I stopped for a few minutes, trying to enjoy the view and confirm that I was seeing the peaks I thought I was seeing, but the insects were feasting on me, so I had to get back to running.  My pace on the way up had been slow enough that they had found me, but once I started running steadily again, they mostly left me alone.  It was getting to be time to head home, so I ran back to my car, along the Ridge Run and then the Baker Trail.  When I got to my car, I felt like I needed a little more, so I ran along the Western Ridge for a minute just to get a little bit more out.  (Sitting here, writing this, I still feel like I have energy that I need to get out.  I might need to go for a run tomorrow.)

Closing Thoughts

 When I was getting ready to write this, I reviewed the run in Strava, and I was astonished at the elevation profile.  I didn't think it was *that* steep, but I climbed from just under 400' at 1.3 miles to just under 1200' at 2.4 miles.  It's fairly typical for a trail to ascend 800'-1000' in the space of a mile near the top of the High Peaks.  You could run and/or hike up and down the length of the Moreau Overlook trail a few times and simulate the final push of a High Peak trail fairly well.  Furthermore, the trails themselves are typical of the trails found further north in the Adirondacks: a chaotic blend of rocks, bedrock, loam, and roots.

On a different note, I have to say that this park has the most considerate trail system I've ever been on.  There are numbers on the map at each junction, and those numbers are also posted on signs on trees at the junction.  I've never seen that before, but it makes a lot of sense, and I can think of many systems that would benefit from this enhancement.

Continuing on with the non-sequitor, I'm still reviewing gear, trying to figure out what I like best for this particular terrain.  I tried out both pairs of shoes that I had bought from Fleet Feet last autumn when I was finally healed up enough to start running again.  Last week I ran in my ASICs GEL-Scouts, and this week I ran in my Brooks PureFlow 2s.  The GEL-Scouts did very well with the terrain, and I felt in control, but their high heel drop (8-10mm) tends to bug my knee while running, and on this run it was no exception.  The PureFlows are my go-to shoe for running on pavement, where they offer a smooth ride; out here on the trails they felt hard, like I was running in a minimalist shoe, and I felt like I was slipping a few times on the descents.  They're treaded for road running, so I would expect them to have trouble gripping in some off-road situations.  I was just curious to see how they'd do.  Anyway, I still haven't narrowed down my shoe for this terrain.  I'm going to alternate between the GEL-Scouts and the Trail Gloves a couple of times, to try and see if it's just in my head or if there really is a difference in how my knees feel during or after the run.

Well, that's about it.  Next weekend I might try to run the entire 15k course, if time allows.  I've explored roughly half of it between my last three runs here.

...

Oh, before I forget, there's another option for a fall race, a newly created event called the Shawangunk Ridge Trail Run/Hike.  There are three distances: 20, 32, and 74 miles.  Details are here: https://www.facebook.com/SRTRunHike/info, and I've pasted the gist of it below:

"SRT Run/Hike is an endurance event for trail runners and through-hikers celebrating the preservation of natural lands along the Shawangunk Mountains.
...

The inaugural edition of SRT Run/Hike will take place September 19-21, 2014, offering three divisions:
- 20-mile, starting in Minnewaska State Park Preserve, Sunday morning, Sep 21
- 32-mile, starting at Sams Point, Saturday morning, Sep 20
- 74-mile, representing an entire "crossing" of the SRT, starting at High Point State Park, NJ, Friday afternoon, Sep 19"

Looks like fun!  It's the same weekend as the Saratoga Palio, so I wouldn't be able to do both.  I've still got time to decide, though.  Anyway, until next time, be excellent to each other...

AdiRUNdack Trail Series - Race 2 - 13 May 2014

Last week I wrote a quick report about the first leg of this series, and posted it to my blog as I usually do.  I don't usually promote these posts; they're done so I can remember what I did a year from now, so I can practice my writing skills, and so my friends can learn about what I'm up to.  Imagine my surprise, then, when I received notification from Facebook that my blog post had been posted to the Adirondack Runners group.  The race director, Rebecca Smith, had kindly posted my blog post to the group, and the president of the group, Amy Hachem, had commented on the Facebook post.  I was floored.

So, when I went to get my bib for tonight's race, Rebecca recognized me, and said that she had found the post while looking for articles on the race.  I was still amazed that someone had found it that quickly, and I'm thankful for everyone reading these posts, and to Rebecca for posting it where others could find it.

The Race

I walked a few laps around the track to warm up and then made a quick trip to my car to drop off my water bottle.  I had contemplated running with it (it's a small running bottle with a bit of nylon to keep it on your hand while you run), but decided I didn't need it.  During the last race I had found myself wanting for water midway through, but I had made it.  I figured that I would be fine this time around, too.

We all lined up near the start a little before 6.  I found Matt, whom I had talked with briefly after the last race.  We chatted for a few minutes, and then Rebecca got up to say a few words.  She remarked with a chuckle that no one had gotten lost last time, reminded us that there was no one out there to tell us where to go, and to just go straight if we were in doubt.  Then we were off.

I started in the middle of the pack this time, and found myself running way too fast once again.  Matt pulled a little bit ahead of me, and I tried to keep up with him, but he was moving just a little too fast for me.  At the end of the first lap, I managed to catch up briefly, and then he was off again.  I did my best to keep up the pace, to keep passing, and to keep moving, which worked for the first mile.  Right before the end of the first mile, Brian Teague ran past me, talking with another runner.  He had taken pictures of the last race, after having run it himself, and then repeated the trick on the Prospect Mountain race last weekend.  I don't know how he can run and then immediately hold a camera steady enough to take pictures of the other runners coming in, but I'm grateful for it.

I slowed down a lot on the second mile's hills.  During the last race, mile two was when I found myself fighting the urge to walk almost constantly.  This time around, it wasn't quite so bad.  My knee was hurting, I was thirsty, but I would live.  So I kept running, right up until we passed the water towers near the mall and the course started descending.  The big toe of my right foot got caught on a root or a half buried log, and I found myself sailing toward the ground.  I caught myself on my hands in a break-fall, but I didn't have time to throw my legs back.  My right knee, the one that had been hurting, the one that always hurts, ended up covered in dirt and what appeared to be blood.  The race had me in its thrall, though, so I jumped back up and kept running.

Two other runners whom I recognized as being around my pace cut past me just then, and I felt a surge of adrenaline.  I flew down the hill, focusing on turnover, and I passed them in short time.  I was determined to finish strong.  When I got past the people cheering at the edge of the track, I poured on whatever energy I had left.  During the run last week, I had nothing left by this point, and I just did my best to finish.  This week, I didn't have that problem: I ran the track portion at the end in the 7s, and finished at 29:20, a full 35 seconds faster than the previous week, another PR.  (I know I'll plateau eventually, so I'm enjoying these PRs while I can.)

Afterwards I walked over to the point where the track meets the woods road, and cheered other runners on for a little while.  After that, I caught up with Matt; he had also bettered his time from the previous week.  He said he was constantly looking to see if I was catching up to him, but I had lost sight of him after the first mile and hadn't seen him at all after that.

I'd like to say a huge thank you to Rebecca, and all of the staff and volunteers who put on these series.  The races are a LOT of fun, and they're well run.  I strongly recommend that any area runner check them out.  There are two more left in this year's series, on the 20th and the 27th.

Gear Analysis

One interesting aspect of running the same course week after week is that you can compare gear when you're pushing yourself over the same terrain.  There's a lot that you can't control, such as the weather, or how you're feeling, but you can use the experience to get a rough feel for how you perform when using certain gear.

I had already decided, going in to this, that I would run this course with different footwear each time, to try to finally figure out what shoes I want to wear for this terrain.  I've dialed in my road footwear (Brooks PureFlow 2), but my trail footwear is still all over the place.  After this race, I also realized that it might not be cut and dry.  I love my Bikila LSs (Vibram FiveFingers) for the type of terrain in Coles Woods, and they also did great on hikes up smaller mountains, and even Mount Equinox.  When it came to the High Peaks, though, with its mud and and eroded faces, they fell short.  I found that I had to push my foot down completely against the rock to get traction, and when I didn't, there was a good chance that I was going to slip.  The treads on the Bikila aren't that deep, and I think that's the source of the problem: get enough mud on them and you're in danger of not making contact with the terrain.  So I might need to settle on one pair for woods roads and smaller mountains, and another for the High Peaks and similar terrain.  Regardless, I still have a lot to learn.

On the first race of this series I ran in my Trail Gloves (Merrell), which are perfect for this terrain, and I didn't have any problems with them.  This week, I took out my Spyridon LSs, which are the trail running FiveFinger model.  I have a love-hate relationship with these shoes; they bite well on most surfaces, including some ice, but they tend to hurt my feet.  I'm not quite sure where the problem is.  In today's race my feet were OK, but my knees were hurting.  I'll probably run in my Bikilas next week, and I'm curious to see if my knees end up hurting during that run.  For the final week I might take out my road shoes.

I'm also trying to nail down running backpacks and clothing, as I find myself gearing up for longer and longer runs.  This race, to keep it simple, I just ran with an SPI Belt to hold my phone and my keys, and I found myself forgetting that it was there.  Last week, I, uh, well... I ran in my work clothes.  So my phone and my keys were in my pocket; no pack needed.  It wasn't horrible, running in jeans and a polo, but it was definitely sweaty.  (I do most of my midweek runs like this during the cooler months, when sweating isn't a problem.)  This week I stuck to a normal running outfit: wool running shorts and a wool base layer up top.

Well, that's enough rambling for one day.  Until next time, be excellent to each other.

Moreau Lake State Park (Palmertown Ridge) - 10 May 2014

I had intended on staying out for two hours on this weekend's long run, but ended up with only an hour due to other commitments.  So, I did the best I could do with that time.

I parked at the parking lot at the northern end of Moreau Lake State Park, just east of the high point of Spier Falls Road, the only car in the lot at the time.  From there, I started running up the green trail, and quickly found myself out of breath.  It's amazing how much elevation changes the game.  Once I had gotten past the initial burst of steepness, the trail leveled out, but it was rarely flat.  I made my way over to the junction with the Ridge Run trail (red), and headed left, toward Moreau.  A short while later I found myself in a deciduous forest, still winter bare on this hot May day, and I stopped to admire the beauty of the landscape for a moment.  There were several exposed ridges, and they were captivating.  I headed on, and a moment later I found myself at the Moreau Overlook.  The view was fantastic, and there were two other runners up there admiring it as well.  We chatted briefly, and one of the runners asked me if I could take their picture.  I said sure, snapped a few pictures of them, and then she returned the favor.  We chatted a bit more, and then we were off on our separate ways.

I was alternating between walking and running a lot throughout the run, and it reminded me of when I was first starting to run on level ground, and made me think about how far I've come since then.  I made my way along the Ridge Run Trai, and then headed over to the Western Ridge Trail.  The Western Ridge runs along long, thin stretches of exposed bedrock before it starts to descend in earnest, and it was really fun to run along.

The Western Ridge was interesting to descend, and I did my best to stick to fast footwork instead of my typical descent pattern, which involves a lot of fear and cautious shuffling.  It worked, though I did revert to walking when the terrain got sketchy and I was worried about loose rocks on top of steeply angled ones.  All told, I did four miles in an 1:11; nothing to write home about, but the terrain definitely added an extra element to the run.  If I had been hiking here a few years ago, I'm convinced that it would have taken 2 hours, possibly 3.  I remember looking down at my GPS a few years ago, walking back from Awosting with my brother, and saw that we were going 2.5 mph, on level, easy ground.  My pace on hikes before I started hiking was typically 1 mph for steep ground (800-1000' of ascent per mile) and 2 mph the rest of the time.  Descents were as slow as ascents, due to the constant fear of falling.  Using my poles helps a lot, but trusting myself and keeping my feet light seems to help even more.

I can't wait to get back up here, hopefully next weekend, to explore more of the trail network and work on making myself stronger.

A few closing thoughts: the descent down the Western Ridge trail was very much like a descent down a High Peak, and I think it's a good training ground.  The trail themselves are a mix of rocks, loam and exposed bedrock.  This is fairly typical for the Adirondacks, and I think it'll be a good training ground for hiking and running in the High Peaks.

Also, I can totally understand how people get lost on the 15k race.  The trails aren't always obvious; and there's a lot of terrain that looks like a trail.  I also saw what appeared to be several herd paths or true game trails, further complicating things.

AdiRUNdack Trail Series - Race 1 - 6 May 2014

I've wanted to check out Cole's Woods, in Glens Falls, NY, for a while. I got the chance yesterday, when I participated in the first leg of this year's AdiRUNdack Trail Series, put on by The Adirondack Runners and the Glens Falls YMCA. The turnout was a record: 163 runners and 142 finishers. The organizers seemed very pleased with the number of participants.

Around 6pm, the designated start time, we made our way over to the start line. The race director said a few words, explaining that there would be no one out on the course telling us where to go, but it was well marked, and if we were in doubt, just go straight. Then we were off.

I started too far back in the pack, and spent most of the first lap around the track passing other runners. After a lap, we headed in to the woods as one long mass of runners. I passed a few more runners, and eventually found people who were running at roughly the same pace.

The course is a lollipop, with some time on the track thrown in at both ends. In the middle is a hill that goes on for a while. I pushed hard up it, and pushed hard down it, trying not to give up any ground. As we started making our way back to the track, I found myself getting passed. A lot. I did my best to keep up the pace, but I was running low on gas. I accepted my fate, did my best, and ran every second of the course. For my efforts, the timing gods blessed me with a 29:55, which beat my goal for the race by a full 5 seconds.

It was also a PR. The last (and only other) time I ran a 5K was for a virtual race to benefit the Boston One Fund. I ran a 36:06 on the Camp Saratoga 5K course on 4/20 last year.

After the race, as I was recovering, I ended up talking with another runner, named Mike. He said that he had been following me for most of the race, and didn't think I was going to let him pass. I told him I was doing my best not to get passed, but on the final stretch I ran out of gas. We talked a bit more, and then I went up to the finish line to cheer other runners on. Once I felt I had returned to a somewhat normal state, I took my leave and headed out. As I was leaving, an 82-year old gentleman named Walt was coming in, and I stopped to cheer him on, too. He finished in 44:09.

All in all it was fun, and I look forward to doing it again. I love the energy that comes from running with other humans, especially in a competitive environment.

Until next time, be excellent to each other.

Spring Has Sprung 10 Mile Run - Follow-up - 5 May 2014

I've found myself analyzing everything that went in to the race yesterday, and thinking about what I want to do next, in terms of running, fitness, and mountains.  I want to keep the momentum going, and I want to push myself.  Here are my thoughts:

1. Conditions permitting, my next few long runs are going to be trail runs up mountains.  There are a few options within half an hour's drive, and many more within an hour's drive.  I need a break from pavement.
2. As much as possible, I'd like to get my kids and the rest of my family out for a run or hike each weekend.  It doesn't have to be long, and of course they have input into it.  We've had a lot of fun on the outings we've done so far this year, and I'd like to keep it up.
3. I'd like to attend as many of the Adirondack Runner's and Saratoga Stryder's 5K fun runs this spring and summer as I possibly can.  The Adirondack Runner's series is up in Cole's Woods, starting tomorrow, and the Stryder's series is at Camp Saratoga, starting in June.
4. I need to choose one race to focus on.  In my head, I am flipping between several possible races, but I know myself, and I know that if I don't pick one, I'll just keep flipping until it's too late.  Possibilities include the Savoy Mountain Trail Race (15.2 miles), the Saratoga Palio Half Marathon, the Moreau Lake 15k, the Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon, and the Greylock Road Race (8 miles).  That last one is coordinated by Bob Dion, which might very well be the Bob Dion, of Dion Snowshoes.
5. I need to commit to dropping weight, which at this point just means a few dietary Blerch-itarian tweaks, and maintaining a similar amount of weekly mileage.
6. I need to find a better shirt for running in at a race.  I can't wear polyester, which eliminates a lot of options.  The wool t-shirt that I chose performed beautifully, but I didn't like the way I looked in pictures.  On long runs, this isn't a problem; no one is taking pictures, and I'm moving past the general public quickly enough.  With a race, there's a lot of standing around before and after.  If I could find something similar to the Schoeller fabric used on the Ibex Breakaway series, only lighter weight, I'd be all set.
7. I'm going to continue my exploration of homemade portable foods.  Scott Jurek's Eat and Run offers a lot of good ideas, as does Matt Frazier's (et al.) No Meat Athlete site.  I'm also going to bring back (and post) my homemade sports drink formula, which I've used successfully on several High Peak adventures, and doesn't mess up my stomach the way commercial ones do.
8. Speaking of High Peaks, I can't wait to get back up there.  There's still enough snow up high to warrant snowshoes, and enough mud down below to close several of the trailheads, so it's going to be a month or two.  Once mud season is over, I'd like to complete my trip up Wright, and perhaps the rest of the MacIntyres.  It doesn't matter if it's a trail run or a hike, I just hate leaving things unfinished.  (The same goes for Pharaoh Mountain, and little Mud Pond in the Gunks.)
9. I need to commit to stretching and strength training on a regular basis, primarily in the form of calisthenics and yoga.  So far this year it's been ad hoc.
10. I'd like to volunteer at one race this year, and I'd also like to work on one trail crew this year, as well, to help give back.

That's about it, I think.  Until next time, be excellent to each other.

(You know, with my sign off, you would think that the Moreau Lake 15k would be a no-brainer.  The race has an 80's theme, and it looks like a lot of fun.  I was contemplating running it in cut-offs and a Ride the Lightning t-shirt, if I did decide to do it.)

Five Mile Trail - 13 Apr 2014

Today is Monday.  The winds have been blowing hard all day, and tomorrow the rain will likely come, pushing up our already swollen rivers and streams.  Mud Season is upon us in earnest.

Last Tuesday, I ran through the park, through sublimation fog, and fell twice on slick ice.  My hand still bears the marks.  I ate my lunch, a hummus sandwich, when I hit solid ground, attempting to figure out what my stomach can and cannot handle on runs.  I didn't last very long, but it was the ice that shut me down, not the food.  It was everywhere.

On Wednesday, I did a quick make-up session along the Spring Run, which was dry except for a couple of spots.  There was also a patch of late season ice; more like rock or glacier than the slippery stuff that had foiled me the day before.  I did some interval training, but my knee was hurting me, and my pace suffered.  On the way back to my car, I picked up a couple of hot dogs from Awesome Dogs and ate them as I walked.  I don't think I could handle that on a run.

On Thursday, I went back to the park, without food, but with a Heart Full of Soul and a shining sun.  Unfortunately Soul didn't get me very far, though the sun felt nice.  I again ran some intervals, attempting to salvage something of the week.  The ice that remained slowed me down, though, and on the last leg I came across ice that I was unable to cross.  It was angled up, I had no traction aids (it's April!), and it was too slick for me to climb up.  I was several feet onto the ice when I finally turned around, and I fully expected to fall.  I convinced myself that if I got up it, I could get down it, and carefully I made my way back down without falling.

On Saturday, we went to a park down in New Paltz to meet up with some friends.  The kids had fun playing together, and they kept us on our toes.  It was hot; more like June than April.

On Sunday, the kids and I went to my mom's house for breakfast.  Afterwards, they played outside for a while, and then we all pitched in a hand to help with some yardwork.  By noon it was close to 70; another hot day.

Later that day, after a week of horrid runs, and one and a half days of being outside in the sun, I went for a long run.  It was still hot out when I set off around 3:45.  I settled in to a 12:00 pace and did my best to mentally prepare myself for 10 miles of this.  The bike path I was running on was level, and clear of water and debris; as easy as a run on pavement is going to get.  When I hit an unpaved section, I was surprised to find it firm underfoot.

As the path made its way along route 50, I received a reminder of why I prefer to avoid roads: cars.  In this case, it was a car with a half-witted human inside, who decided to compliment me on my choice of hat (a thin explorer's style cap, to keep the sunburn off of my nose and ears).  It was gone before I had a chance to thank them for their kind remarks.  I thought that perhaps on my next run I should run with a ridiculously long multi-colored scarf, so that another kind soul would have something else to compliment me on as they drove in to 'Toga to get drunk.

After that point I decided to make my way over to the mall area and then run the Five Mile Trail, away from roads.  First, however, I needed to start my fueling experiment.

I'm training for a race in May, and I've been trying to figure out what I'm going to do about fuel.  I decided to try out one strategy I had read, I think in Runner's World, which was to start fueling after 30 minutes and then fuel every 15 minutes after that.  I ate half a package of salty jelly beans, which were really difficult to choke down.

The winds whipping across the mall were strong, and I was happy to be in the woods once I got to the other side.  The ice that had been present in the woods three days earlier was now gone, and even the mud was noticeably drier.  I made my way down to the picnic area, past a decomposing possum and a gaggle of people enjoying the day.

The section along Geyser Creek had a little bit of ice left, past the tufa pile.  The air was noticeably cooler down there, too.  I made my way up the stairs as fast as I could, but my muscles were quite upset about being asked to climb stairs after having already run a few miles.  At the top I noticed that it was time to fuel again.

I ate the second half of the salty jelly bean packet, which tasted a lot better this time around.  I swung over to the Orenda Spring to top off my water bottle with some mineral water.  I started feeling strong at this point, and probably should have just stopped fueling for a little while.  Instead, I continued on with the experiment.  As I made my way over to the western entrance, I drank the shot of salty sugar water I had put in my flask.  This tasted delicious: a magical cherry beverage, but I crashed pretty quickly after that, and my pace started to suffer as I made my way through the wetlands.  By the time it was time to fuel again, I opted for a gel.

I'm not really sure...

I think...

I think I'd rather carry a tub of rice pudding than eat another of these gels.

The flavor was described as vanilla, and the taste was somewhere between vanilla pudding (evil vanilla pudding) and these packages of pre-made vanilla shakes that I used to drink twelve (or so) years ago.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good.  My hands were sticky afterwards, and I wasted water rinsing them off so that I wouldn't spend the next few miles trying to obsessively wipe them off.

I finished up the trails and made my way back over to the mall.  I ate the last fuel of my run, a stroopwafel.  (I'm at least 1% Dutch, so it's legit.)  It took me by surprise, though: they are definitely sweet, but the taste ended up bitter.  I'm not sure if it was the lingering bite of the gel, or the effect of the run, but it was strange.

I made my way back over to the bike trails, to finish up my 10 miles, and I found myself running on empty.  I pushed on, but mile 8 was spent in a trance, and not the good kind.  By mile 9 I was feeling better, and I picked up the pace a bit.  I was still zoning out, but it was an "almost done" zone.  At 9.5 miles, I gave up.  My feet were hurting, both knees were hurting, and I had no desire to run any farther.

That last bit is significant: my feet hadn't hurt yet on these long runs.  I'm not quite sure where that was coming from, though I'm guessing the mud and water in my socks may have had some impact on it.

I felt drained afterwards, and all the next day.  I have two more long runs to get this right, before the race.  It's clear that the strategy I used this week is not going to work well.  I'm switching to lower GI food, and increasing the interval between intake.  I'm contemplating three options for fueling: a trail mix that worked very well on Sawteeth last year, o-nigiri, and/or some No Meat Athlete energy bars.  O-nigiri is a portable rice dish, which Matthew Inman (aka The Oatmeal) mentioned in a link off of his running comics (he got the recipe from Scott Jurek's book, Eat & Run).

Castle Point - 29 Mar 2014

Today's long run featured a run up to Castle Point from Lake Minnewaska.  7 miles.  Slushy snow, snappy ice, mud, wind, rain, and mist made for a fun run.

When I pulled up at the booth, I asked the lady working there if the trails were still only for skiing.  She said I could try that, if I wanted, hinting that it wasn't a good idea.  There was still snow, and it had frozen and thawed quite a bit.  I said that I was planning on running on the carriage roads, and she said I could try that, too.  I liked her attitude.

There were quite a few people parked at the upper parking lot, but they all seemed to be hanging around the lake.  I only saw one other person beyond the lake: a cross-country skier.  When I first saw him he was gingerly making his way around some mud.  We exchanged hellos, both of us surprised to see the other.

It quickly became apparent that I needed to put on my YakTrax.  The terrain was rarely level on my route, and there was plenty of solid ice, rubbed smooth and too slippery for my shoes to handle.  Once I had them on I had enough traction to run on the ice, though.  My main problem ended up being the snow.  It was slushy, about the consistency of sorbet, and I ended up going slower than I would have liked.  Still, I made it up and back again in two hours.

The View

The summit was windy, and the view was non-existent, but it was fantastic to be back up there again.  This peak has a special place in my heart, and I've been up it many times.  The views are exceptional, when they're visible, the rock is gorgeous, and the trees are stunted to the point of being cute.

On the drive home I had a bit of euphoria.  I was running much, much slower than I had expected to be, but the snow and the constant up and down explained that.  I was still able to move much faster up there than I ever have.  I can't wait to run back there again, on a day with a view, at a faster pace.  I'd like to run up via the Awosting Reserve, or possibly from the north or west, or even one of the routes I've done many, many times before.

Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail - 23 Mar 2014

Driven half mad by cabin fever, my family headed out in search of some relief.  My first thought, the playground at Clifton Commons in Clifton Park, was a bust: it was covered in what looked like rock hard ice and snow.

We headed further south, and I decided to go have a look at the bike path in Latham and Niskayuna.  We found it mostly free of snow and ice, at least along River Road as far as the old train station.  It was, however, way too windy today to have the kids out for very long.  I do my best to get out under any and every condition, to train my mind as well as my body, but it's too much to ask of small kids.  My youngest has only recently started telling us when she's cold without being prompted.  As such, they only logged six tenths of a mile this weekend.

That was actually an improvement.  Last weekend I took my oldest out for a run along the Zim Smith Trail, and between the snow, ice, standing water, and wind, she only lasted for half a mile.  On the drive home, she said, "I only like running on blacktop."  I asked, "well, what about dirt?"  She said, "dirt is fine, but no snow, or ice, or mud, and especially no water."  I chuckled.  "Ok," I said, "we'll head back out once the snow has melted."  To which she replied: "how about summer?"  I chuckled again, and promised to take her out again once the surfaces were clear.

When we pulled up to the bike path today, she said, "I don't want to go for a walk.  I only like to run," to which we replied: "so run!"  So, she did!

It occurred to me later that her style of running is entirely fartlek (that's Swedish for speed play).  Run as fast as you can here, run over there, stop, walk, stretch, run some more, run fast, run back, stop, run in to someone, run, stop.  It drove me crazy at first, but now I mostly just laugh and encourage her (or corral her, as needed).

I hope to get them out again next weekend, hopefully for a bit longer, and hopefully without any wind.

On a different note: from what I could see of it today, the Zim Smith Trail (where it meets the Northway) seems to still be covered in a layer of snow.  I assume that this is from the sled traffic, compacting the snow down to a rock hard layer, since most of the surrounding terrain is snow free.  When we went out last weekend, we parked at the parking lot off of Round Lake Road.  There were several short stretches of clear pavement, but it looked like the trail was mostly snow, ice, icy snow and standing water.

Rounding out this report: I did my long run yesterday at Saratoga Spa State Park.  The bike paths are a mixed bag.  The portions that are normally clear are clear.  Along Avenue of the Pines there are sections with several inches of water covered by a thin sheet of ice, punctuated at regular intervals by a few crazy fools who decided to run through it (like me).  The closed portion of Putnam Road has a thin layer of milky ice on it.  Further into the park, the woods roads are covered in ice and icy snow.  The western half of the Picnic Loop road is in exactly, and I mean EXACTLY, the same state that it was several weeks ago: covered in several inches of hard snow that is a mess of tracks.  The North-South Road appears to be in the same state.  The East-West Road is mostly free of ice or snow where it was plowed (at least from the western entrance to the edge of the hill after the Peerless Pool).  And, finally, as you would expect, the dirt road leading south off of the East-West Road, across from the Peerless, is a muddy mess that deteriorates the further south you get.

Until next time, be excellent to each other.

The Springing of February - 23 Feb 2014

Yesterday's run around Saratoga Spa State Park was a lovely combination of wet pavement, icy pavement, water-logged pavement, and mud.  My favorite, though, was when the ice and water worked together.  It came in two distinct forms: standing water over hard ice, and standing water with chunks of ice floating in it.  The latter was, by far, the strangest thing I've run through in a long time.

Water on hard ice along Putnam Road.

I first encountered it along the bike path, where it cuts between the apartments along Route 50 and the golf course.  There was a short stretch of it, and it was very much like the inside of a cooler that started the day full of ice and had sat out in the sun for the rest of the day.  It even made the same sound that the ice in the cooler makes as you root around to find a refreshment.  The first stretch was short: long enough to make me take notice, but not so long that it really bothered me.  I had been running through water on and off for the entire trip, so it wasn't really a problem, it was just odd.

As I got over to the crosswalk for Railroad Run, I decided to pop over and check it out.  I had seen bits and pieces of it from driving around, and I knew it was roughly a mile long, that it went past the Y, and that ended over by West Circular.  Little did I know.  The first stretch started out great.  The pavement was wet, yet free of standing water, and it was pleasant.  Conditions were the same after the next street crossing, and even though there were some massive puddles near the intersection, I didn't think much of it.

Around the halfway point, I came to another stretch of standing water with chunks of ice in it.  The water was deep, at least an inch, and as I ran through it I kicked massive quantities of water up onto the bottom of the jacket that was tied around my waist.  (Where my phone was, of course.)  This stretch was longer: at least 100 feet, and immediately after it there was another stretch of equal length, and then another.  Each stretch was long enough that my feet started to go numb.  My feet had been warm up to this point; despite the standing water that I had been running through on and off throughout my run, my feet had warmed up by the 1k mark and hadn't felt cold since.  Now they were dangerously cold.  Mercifully they warmed up quickly after the last ice bath, but there was no way that I was going to repeat that.  I decided to run on the streets back to the last crossing instead of another turn through the ice bath.

The rest of the run was typical.  My shoes (Brooks PureFlow 2) did better than I expected them to on the ice.  One stretch along the bike path, between the dance museum and the Avenue of the Pines, was solid ice with water over it, and I was kicking myself for not bringing my YakTrax along with me, but I was able to navigate it fine, all things considered.  I slowed down a bit and kept my stride short, and I felt stable.  Nervous, but stable.  All told I felt myself lose traction only a few times on the run, and it wasn't so bad that I feared falling.

All told this was a good run.  I managed to go 50 minutes without taking a walk break; I'm fairly certain that's a record for me, or very close to the record.  I have a goal of being able to run 60 minutes without take a walk break that I hope to complete very soon.

Until next time, be excellent to each other.

Zim Smith Trail - 1 Feb 2014

I went for a run today on the Zim Smith Trail.  I was hoping to find bare pavement, since the weather was warm and I know that there's a decent amount of foot traffic on this trail, even in the winter.  I didn't find what I was looking for.

The section between Oak Street and Underpass Road was snow-covered, and packed somewhat from boot and bike traffic.  The packed section was maybe an inch deep, and the unconsolidated section was maybe two inches deep. (Both are very rough estimates.)  All told there wasn't much there.  As I got closer to Underpass Road, I saw some ski tracks originating from one of the private side trails.

The Zim Smith Trail

Crossing over Underpass Road, I ran in the tire track of a truck for a while, pretending that I was on a single track trail.  That didn't last very long.  The surface degraded into a mixture of snow, ice and bare pavement.  I found a hundred or so yards of totally bare pavement over by the industrial park, before it switched back to snow and ice.

After crossing East Line, the trail was incredibly hard underfoot.  This was the result of the snowmobile traffic in this section: a half inch or so of rock hard snow.  It didn't make for very good running; in fact it hurt my knee, so I turned back.  The damage was done, though, and I stopped my run a short distance after I had crossed back over Underpass Road.

This will probably be my last run on the Zim Smith until the snow melts, though I might try it once more with different footwear.  I'm fairly certain that the problem I ran into today was the result of wearing my trail runners and the way that I was running.  They're excellent on snow and ice, providing good grip, but they're a bit jarring on hard surfaces.  I didn't soften my stride when I got to the bare pavement or the snowmobile section, either, which didn't help.

Anyway, the Zim Smith right now is fine for walking and bike riding between Underpass Road and Oak Street (roughly 1.5 miles of trail).  I don't recommend snowshoeing on it: you'll destroy your crampons.  Between Underpass Road and East Line, it's a mixed bag, and once you're across East Line you're in snowmobile territory.  You can still walk or run there, as the snowmobilers don't seem to mind, but you'll be on snow that's as hard as concrete.

Until next time, "be excellent to each other!"

Mini Trip Reports for January, Random Thoughts

I had a few random thoughts that I wanted to post.

First and foremost: I wanted to thank the crew over at Saratoga Spa State Park.  They do an excellent job keeping the park open and accessible, even in the middle of winter.  A large portion of the walking paths, including the stretch along Avenue of the Pines and a good portion of the Putnam Road section are also kept relatively snow free.  It's wonderful, and it's very appreciated.

I went for a run today at lunch time, and found that even the back section, where Putnam Road is closed to traffic, had been partially cleared.  This section is always a bit snowy, presumably because cross-country skiers also use it to cross between the golf courses.  As I cruised up it today, I passed by two XC skiers doing just that.  When I got close, one of them asked, "Are we the only crazy people out today?" to which I replied, "Looks like it!"  I smiled and kept on running.

Part of my smile was due to the fact that I had put on my street running shoes for the first time in months.  I realized that I had been running and walking with 8mm+ drops for far too long, and that I'd have to re-adjust back down to lower drops if I was going to avoid another Achilles injury.  So, today, I went for a run in my 4mm drop shoes (Brooks PureFlow 2), with YakTrax on, because otherwise I would have been skating across the snow.  These shoes do not bite at all on snow.  They do give me +2 speed and +1 stamina, so I'm not complaining.

I got side tracked there.

Second on my list of thoughts: I also want to thank the crew at Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park, for maintaining some excellent trails over at Camp Saratoga and Opdahl Farm.  I went for a snowshoe run there this weekend, and was amazed at how great the trails are.  I kept to the side as much as possible, to avoid damaging the XC ski tracks, but in many sections, there wasn't a single set of tracks, but rather a jumble of them.  It looked like two or three people had been ski-skating through, too, which didn't help with the confusion.  Anyway, I stayed to the side, and deferred to any skiers that I happened to encounter.

That reminds me: the lot was busy when I pulled up!  There were at least 8 other cars there, and as I ran, I saw so many people out on skis.  There were at least 2 snowshoers out, based on the tracks and, well, the two people that I saw walking down Scout Road to their car.  It was great to see so many people out and enjoying the winter.

I had two interesting observations: one, with my jacket tied around my waist and my lumbar pack on, I didn't get a deluge of snow every time I took a running step.  It might have been due to the the trail state, or it might have been due to the stuff around my waist.  I'll have to experiment some more.  Two, the few times that I was trailing a skier, I found that my snowshoe running pace (14:00-15:00) roughly matched their skiing pace.  I guess in my mind I had expected them to go faster than that. 

Well, that's about it.  Oh, and I'm also trying out an alternate lacing strategy (skipping the first crossover) for my boots, to see if that helps at all with the pinched toe.

Until next time, be excellent to each other.

Saratoga Spa State Park - 20 Jan 2014

I went for a run at SSSP today on my lunch.  As I drove in, I could see that barriers were up across the entrance to the picnic areas.

I parked near the Baths, and then ran down the hill (the gravel road).  I was mindful to avoid places where I could create postholes, but there really wasn't anything to worry about.  The entire road and the other roads throughout the park were covered in shallow boot prints, dog prints, tire tracks and even kid's sled markings.  The latter often seemed to be running in to a ditch.  In a few spots I saw bike tracks and what might have been snowmobile tracks.  Only rarely did I see ski tracks.

When I got to the bottom of the hill, I saw that a good portion of Geyser Loop Road was free of snow and ice.  I instinctively went for it, and opened up to a pace that I couldn't sustain (7:30-8:00).  It felt wonderful.  I eased off the throttle so that I wouldn't crash and burn, and continued on to the end of the road.  When I got to the end, I was going to go left on to East West Road, and head back to my car, but I decided to go right, instead.  The road to the right rose immediately, and I wanted to go up it.

I had seen, as I passed through the picnic area, that my return was going to be over snow, but for the length of the East West road, I was on pavement.  It was great to run along these empty roads.  I ran past the Peerless Pool, and got to the top of Geyser Loop Road, and started the return to my car.  The entire length of Geyser Loop Road was covered in snow, and in some places ice, but I was able to run it without too much trouble.  The GEL-Scouts I was wearing do very well on slippery terrain.  They breathe really well, too, which is great for running through shallow snow, but horrid for walking through it.

I was pleased to see that the Coesa Spouter was still going strong as I passed by.  I almost took the (potentially) easy way back to my car, through SPAC, along level terrain, but I decided to go for the extra descent and ascent, and stayed on the Geyser Loop.  I ran past the Island Spouter, which was also going strong, and then made my way back up to my car using a different set of pavilion roads.

All told I did 2 miles, which is my current target for these midweek runs.  It's tough for me to get out in the morning due to familial obligations, and I have no desire to run on winter roads at night.  So, it was a good run.  I was happy to have gotten out, and happy to have been able to run on a track I can't normally run on, through the woods, and faster than normal.

One final thought: as I was running up the Geyser Loop Road at the start, John Krakauer's ruminations in Chamonix about "whether I might, given my limited talents, ever rise above the life of the terminally banal" echoed through my head.  I had just cut back on the throttle because I had been running way too fast (for me) and I was wondering if I'd ever get to the point where I could cruise long and fast.  Then I remembered that I was running through freezing air, over a road that by all rights should have been covered in black ice and impossible to run over at all without traction aids, and that I won't know how much my pace and stamina have actually improved until the springing of the year.  I think it was this thought process that pushed me to go up the hill instead of taking the easier route.  The climb, at the very least, had the effect of focusing on the run and letting my worries fall to the wayside.  By the top of the hill, I was enjoying the run again.

Lincoln Mountain State Forest - 18 Jan 2014

(I think I spent more time writing this than actually running.)

I took a run today over at Lincoln Mountain State Forest.  I had visited there once before, in December of 2012, but that visit had been cut short.  My goal today was to explore the roads a bit, and to explore the area that appeared to be the summit of Lincoln Mountain.

I found it quickly enough.

I parked at the small parking area a quarter mile or so past the gate on Cohen Raod, and got out to check out the ground cover.  The drive in had been a bit sketchy, even with AWD, and when I set my foot down it was immediately apparent why: the road was covered in at an inch or two of ice, topped with another inch or so of snow.  The weather patterns over the past week or so matched what I saw: warm weather, enough to clear up whatever was there, or at least turn it to slush, followed by a torrential downpour on still frozen dirt, followed by a freeze, followed by snow.  I had brought YakTrax and snowshoes, and opted for the YakTrax.

I set out down Cohen Road at a trot, took the obvious left, where an arrow marks the turn of the Jeep trail and snowmobile trail, and started to head up.  I was at the top 8 minutes after setting out from my car.  I tromped around a bit, looking for the highest ground, and it looked like the small patch of dirt, surrounded by the road and a small turn-off, was it.

This was the summit, in all its glory.

Summit?

Sort of.

There's no indication of where Lincoln Mountain actually is on the USGS maps.  None.  It is part of the Palmertown Range, which includes 6 features labeled as "mountains" on various maps with only one obvious col between them, where Spier Falls Road runs through.  The labeled features are:

• Lincoln Mountain, which is identified by the fact that there is a state forest named after it, and a road, which is labeled as Hollister Road on the old USGS maps, but Lincoln Mountain Road on newer maps.
• Mount McGregor, which sits on the eastern edge of the range.
• Corinth Mountain and Wilton Mountain.  The road that runs past Mount McGregor between Route 9 and Spier Falls Road is labeled as both Corinth Mountain Road (on the Wilton side) and Wilton Mountain Road (on the Corinth side).
• Grant Mountain: this is an actual mountain label.
• Palmertown Mountain: this is also an actual mountain label.

The range, massif, whatever it is, fades out slowly to the south and southwest, but drops off precipitously to the east and north, as well as to the west where the range encounters the Hudson.

So where does that leave us?  Palmertown Mountain is clearly defined, and Grant Mountain is clearly defined, and there is a several hundred foot col between them.  Grant Mountain tops out at 1260'+.  Following the features over to Mount McGregor, which tops out at 1070'+, the col appears to be at about 1010', near Lake Ann, giving it a prominence of 60'.  It's a subpeak at best.

With regards to Wilton or Corinth Mountain, I have to assume that these are place names and not peak names, i.e. "Wilton Mountain Road" means that this is the road to Wilton over the mountain, and vice versa.

Looking further along the ridge, at Lincoln Mountain, I see that Lincoln Mountain road drives up to a point higher than what we've currently labeled as the summit of Lincoln Mountain.  The road crosses the 1000' mark near the point where it transitions to Hollister Road.  Clothier Road runs right through a section of 1040'+ land.

Furthermore, between that section of land over 1000' and the 960'+ "summit", there's another bump of land that's taller than our "summit" (as defined on peakbagger.com).  It tops out at 980'+.

I hope to find some historical basis for the name "Lincoln Mountain", and through that figure out where the peak lies.  Until then, I have a hard time calling this point Lincoln Mountain.  If anything, this should be labeled as the Lincoln Mountain State Forest High Point (or something along those lines), though the actual highest point within the State Forest might lay in the higher ground to the northeast.

Topographical quibbling aside, I topped out and explored the area around the summit.  While I was checking out an old cellar hole, my YakTrax got caught on a small stump or root on the ground and I ended up snapping the rubber so that one of the coils was dangling free.  I fixed them as best I could and then decided to continue along the Jeep trail.  It appeared to run on for quite a while.  I eventually crossed off of state land; looking back I could see a sign announcing emergency DEC contact information.  I kept my eyes open for No Trespassing or Posted signs, but the only signs I saw were on a road leading off to the right, by a large turn-around or parking area.

A little ways after that, I came to a junction.  I could tell from my phone's topo maps that state land was over to the left, and I could see a clearing or pond not too far away, so I went over to check it out.  Eventually I crossed back on to state land, marked by a prominent "No Motor Vehicles Allowed Beyond This Point" and yellow paint splotches on the tree.  A little ways after that I came to what appeared to be a frozen beaver pond.  There were tracks leading across it, but I didn't trust the ice, so I returned to the road, which led around the flooded area.  Eventually I passed by a large parking area on my right, and then found myself heading toward Lincoln Mountain Road.  Standing at the edge of the road, I caught a glimpse of the Kayaderosseras Range: my only view of the run.  I had seen this range as I drove in to Lincoln Mountain State Forest along Locust Grove Road, and they beckoned me to come explore them, instead.  (I've already explored one of the peaks in that range, Spruce Mountain.)

I contemplated taking off the YakTrax and running the roads back to my car, but decided against it.  I had come out here to be in the woods, and I'd rather be running and walking over snow-and-ice-covered woods roads than blacktop any day.  I started to head back the way I had come.  When I passed by the beaver pond earlier, I had noticed a clearing through the trees, like an old lane, that followed an old stone wall (there are stone walls everywhere in these woods).  It looked as if the old lane was heading along the narrow strip of land owned by the State.  I followed it now, for a little ways, until it disappeared into some wetlands.  If it was a road at some point, it's lost now.

Disappointed, I headed back the way I had come.  As I was on my way back up to the "summit", I passed by the only other people I saw in the forest that day.  (By the prints, another person was here today or yesterday; they parked off of Lincoln Mountain Road and walked up to the summit area of Lincoln Mountain, then turned around and went home.  He or she was the brave soul whose prints led across the beaver pond, along with a few other, older tracks.)  Anyway, I stopped running as I approached the other party because they had a dog and I wasn't sure if I would spook it if I ran past.  We exchanged pleasantries, though they looked at me like I had an extra head or something.

I got back to my car, then explored a little of the woods just past the parking area, looking for trails or other clearings.  I found what appeared to be an old, disused woods road and signs of old logging, but nothing very exciting, so I headed back home.

The 2002 Draft Unit Management Plan [http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/saratogawardraftump.pdf] for this forest is available online, and contains a wealth of information about these woods.  (If the link ceases to work, search for "Unit Management Plan for State Forests in Saratoga and Warren Counties".)  According to the Draft UMP, which refers to Lincoln Mountain State Forest as "Saratoga I":

Saratoga I contains a major “truck trail” which connects with Cohen Road and traverses state land for about one mile to the southern boundary. This is classified for motor vehicle use. Two other access roads, one east and one west, provide access to parts of state land and for some private adjacent landowners. An easement exists for the road which runs easterly off Cohen Road. The westerly road has been barricaded by the current owner where it crosses his property. The west end of this road is accessible from Green Road. These two roads total about 2600 feet.

I've visited two of the other forests managed under this plan: Ushers Road State Forest, which links up to the Zim Smith Trail south of Round Lake, and Daketown State Forest.  If you look at satellite pictures of Daketown it looks like a tree farm from above, which was part of the reason why I went to check it out.  It looks like a tree farm from the ground, too, because it is, or was.  These are working forests, and the trees are used for lumber.  Middle Grove State Forest also has a seed orchard, supplying the Saratoga Tree Nursery with seeds.

Lincoln Mountain has some other interesting features, including some very old trees.  According to the same Draft UMP:

As a result of Neil Pederson’s research, it has been determined that an “old age” stand of Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) exists in the northern wetlands in Saratoga I off Cohen Road. Neil is a doctorate candidate at the Tree-Ring Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia University. Trees up to three feet in diameter have been found and after aging a number of these trees (using an increment borer and cross dating), Neil has found ages dating back to the mid 1400's (or well over 500 years old). Over 30 trees have been aged and recorded to date (see Appendix 10).

Amazing.

That about wraps it up.  Given that the amount of state land available for running is fairly small, and that I can't find much in the way of details about the easement along the Jeep trail, I have a hard time recommending this land for runners.  You could, in theory, follow the Jeep trail off of Cohen Road down to Woodard Road in Wilton, and then run back up the mountain (an ascent of roughly 500').  It's hard to say for certain whether or not the road is open the entire way, and whether or not the landowners would be OK with this use, though.  So I'm going to keep looking elsewhere.

One final note: this forest is very active with hunters during deer hunting season.  Out of respect for their sport, and concern for everyone's safety, I suggest not entering these woods during the main deer season, unless you are hunting.  This forest sits in the Northern Zone, which is bounded by Route 29 in this area.  Full details are available on the DEC site.

Port Orleans Resort, Disney World - 7 Dec 2013

Rewind to earlier this month:

My family had the pleasure of going down to Disney World for a vacation in early December.   I managed to sneak in a run, after my youngest child decided to wake up at 4:30 and then refuse to go back to sleep.  She usually likes hopping in the stroller and going for a run with me, so my spouse and I hoped that she would be game.  A mile or so in, however, she told me that she wanted to go back to the room.  So, back we went, and then I managed to sneak out again, this time without the stroller.  Needless to say I was slightly faster without it, though I missed having someone to talk to.





This blog post pretty much sums up the running paths at Port Orleans: http://blog.touringplans.com/2013/11/25/disney-world-running-resorts-port-orleans/

The only thing I feel like I should emphasize is that the surface is concrete and very hard, and full of pock marks, which didn't change the surface from a running perspective.  The pock marks in it are probably there to ensure traction when the path is wet, and to that end, they seemed to work well enough.  Everything was a bit damp with morning dew, but I really only felt myself slipping once, and that seemed to be due to the random landscaping liquid I had run through (pesticide, I think; it smelled like cloves).

On our first run, we only saw a couple of people out and about, but by the time I went out again, the sun was up, and there were dozens of people out.  There were a handful of people walking or running for exercise, but the majority of them were walking around with the drinking troughs provided with the meal plan, headed to breakfast, or dragging their luggage behind them on their way to catch their ride back home.

Well, that's about it for the run.  The kids enjoyed Disney well enough: our youngest loved meeting the princesses and other characters, and our oldest thoroughly enjoyed the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game.  As far as rides go, they really liked the flying carpet ride and Spaceship Earth.

Next stop... a frozen mountaintop.