Day 61 - Solid run

I met Ken up at the mountain today at 7:30 for a nice 5 mile run. The temp was around 27° and we warmed up quick when we hit the climb. It was nice to catch up with Ken because it has been a while since we ran together. Ken is also heading to the MMT 100 race this spring. After getting back down to the parking lot Ken said there was another runner running down. It was Steve another entrant in the MMT 100 race. He missed us at the start by 10 min. and was chasing us down following our footprints in the snow and finally caught us. We said good bye to Ken and then headed back up the mountain. We went right up the road hill and Steve powered right up the hill at a good pace. Then we hit the AT to the blue trail, down to the campground, back up the yellow and over to the Pinnacle. The views were good and we were the only ones there. We took the AT back to Pulpit. There we ran into about 8 people snowshoeing. They widened the trail and made the snow very flat taking the deep footprints away. That made for some really nice faster running the rest of the way down. Finishing with 15 miles total it was a good solid morning of running. Steve showed me the Kahtoola MICROSpikes he uses when it is icy. They slip right over your sneakers and hold on to the ice great. I think that might be my next purchase.

The view from Pulpit Rock

Looking down below at Pulpit Rock

1-30-2011 - 15 miles - 3:30 - run

Day 60 - Wow!

Today I ran with Dan and Andy for some snowy trail fun. Wow! The trails were amazing with snow falling for most of the run. We were the first ones up to the top of the mountain. Great views from the top at Pulpit Rock and The Pinnacle. The running was slow due to the 5 to 8 inches of snow. The snow was still stuck to the trees which made for so many great views. All of us have races in the near future so this was good training to keep the legs moving. Making are way down from Pulpit to the Blue Rocks campground was a lot of fun on the long down hill. Making are way up the yellow trail the snow felt heavy but runnable. After stopping at the Pinnacle to check the views out we headed back the AT to the blue trail to the turn at the spring. Once down this little trail to the creek the views were awesome and it was very quiet. After we left that area my feet started to get very cold. The snow on my shoes was melting and my shoes were soaked. I was glad to be heading back to the car. After getting back down to our cars and getting ready to leave our friend Al was just finishing his run.

Around 2 I went outside to make a snow hut for the little ones. The shoveling for that hut was another good core workout. After finishing the hut I was on my way back out to the mountain for round two. The snow was still falling and the mountain was beautiful. The view from the top was barely a view at all with the snow falling. I was checking some different trails out and just having a blast out there. Overall a great day with friends on the trail and some good time on my feet.

1-29-2011 - 10 miles(I think/No Garmin) - 2:30 - run
1-29-2011 - 6 miles - 1:30 - run

The view from Pulpit Rock

The view from Pulpit Rock

Looking up from the Blue Rocks campground

Looking up at Pulpit Rock

Up the yellow trail from the campground

Andy getting ready to go up the last climb up the yellow

Me getting ready to go up the last climb up the yellow

Andy and Dan going up the yellow

The view from the Pinnacle

The view from the Pinnacle

The view from the Pinnacle

The view from the Pinnacle

The view off a side trail

The view off a side trail

Ouch!!! After 2 hours of running

After 2 hours of running

After 2 hours of running

Day 59 - More snow

Today was one of those days I didn’t feel quit on. My stomach didn’t feel the best when I woke up and my energy was low. When I went for my walk and put some music on things started to feel a little better. I love the power of music. About a half mile into my run I looked over at one tree and it looked like a face. So I had to get a quick picture of that. I know what you thinking I’m loosing it from walking and running too much :-) Oh well at least I am having fun out here. Some more snow was falling the whole walk but no accumulation on the roads.

Tonight the family and I went to Ruby Tuesday's for supper. Then the little ones watched their movie and my wife and I watched The Blind Side. There was not to much time for a run. There will be plenty of time this weekend for running, sledding and some more snow.

1-28-2011 - 3.4 miles - 43:50 - walk

Day 58 - It's a beautiful day

Waking up to the snow was great today. It was not enough to stay home from work which I was hoping for:-) I shoveled for a good hour before work and about an hour at work and it felt great to be outside. Living along a heavily traveled road means the snow plow just doesn’t throw the snow in front of your driveway one time. They throw snow it in front of your driveway all night long. It looks like the rest of the snow in your driveway but it is a lot heavier. 

What a pretty day for a walk. A lot of the trees still had some snow on them. You could see which way the wind was blowing when the snow was falling during the storm. Only one side of the trees were covered in snow.

View from my walk

Tonight’s run was to get time on my feet and enjoy the views. I drove up to the mountain so I could get to the top before dark. First tracks again to the top after getting to the road hill. There were about 5 or 6 inches of new snow. The conditions are really nice right now and are only going to be getting better with more snow that might be falling this weekend. On the way back down to the parking lot is was dark. I could hear 2 owls which made for a nice finish to my run.

The road hill up to Pulpit Rock

The view from Pulpit Rock

The view from Pulpit Rock

The side view from Pulpit Rock

The side view from Pulpit Rock

The side view from Pulpit Rock

The side view from Pulpit Rock

The side view from Pulpit Rock

The side view from Pulpit Rock

View from the Appalachian Trail 

1-27-2011 - 3 miles - 39:16 - walk

1-27-2011 - 4 miles - 55:00 - run 

Day 57 - Snow pelting

By the time I went out for my walk the first batch of snow was mostly melted on the road. My legs felt a little slow at the start but felt better after a couple minutes. The walk felt rushed today because the little ones had a half day of school. As soon as I was finished with my walk I was off to pick them up at school and back to work with me to finish my day.

I was out the door tonight around 5 and drove over to the mountain. I ran straight up the road hill to the top tonight. Hitting my first mile in 14:28. That sounds funny after running my first mile last night in 6:34 but the snow covered Pulpit Rock road hill will do that to your time. Running up the road I was hoping to get there for a couple pics at Pulpit Rock before it was to dark and I just made it. It was very windy with snow falling. I snapped a couple of shots and I was on my way. Down the AT I ran back to the car. It is so cool running in the middle of the woods in the dark and snowing. The route was only 4 miles so after I drove home I decided to go run through town. Tonight was also a night you had to run with your eyes almost closed do to the snow pelting you in the eyes the whole time. The snow made it so bright everywhere. There were very few people out driving which made it like I had the whole town to myself. I could really feel my energy level was low and my legs were really sore from my run last night. Keep moving forward is what I kept telling myself.

1-26-2011 - 3 miles - 37:50 - walk

1-26-2011 - 11 miles - 1:58 - run (4 mile trail/7 mile road)

The snowy view from Pulpit Rock

The snowy view from Pulpit Rock

The snowy view from Pulpit Rock

The snowy view from Pulpit Rock

Day 56 - Ready to run

I did my three mile loop again on my walk today. I wish I had more time because I am not ready to stop after three miles. The temps were up and it felt real comfortable outside. No face cover needed today. The legs felt great after a night off of running. The count down is on to spring for most but there looks like some more fun with the snow is on the way again.

Usually when I take a day off from running I am ready go the next day. Well tonight I was ready. I went out knowing I wanted to run ten miles. 6 p.m. I was off running hitting 6:34 on my first mile and thought this could be a fun night. It was a little fast but sometimes it is hard to hold back even when you know your going to pay for it. At that point of the run I was thinking maybe I will try to keep moving at this pace for five miles and then take it easy. Well after moving along and not feeling like the energy was leaving after five miles I was in for the whole ten. I could feel my legs getting tired but I know now when these times come around you have to relax and try to keep moving. The beep from my watch went off and I looked down and it read nine miles - 1:03 something. I closed my eyes for a couple of seconds and dug down deep. I hit 6:41 on my last mile and finished at 1:10:35 with a big smile on my face. Some people say your legs only have so many races in them don't waste it on training run. I say you only live once and if your feeling good go for it you could die tomorrow. And one more thing I will pay for this tomorrow but it was worth it! Bring on the snow!

1-25-2011 - 3 miles - 38:06 - walk
1-25-2011 - 10 miles - 1:10:35 - run
                    1 mile - 9:19 - run(cool down)

Day 55 - No running today

Today was very cold and sunny out. At least everyone keeps telling me how cold it is out. I didn't think it was that cold but then again I am bundle up when I go out. The more time I spend in the cold this year the more I want to be out in it. I really love the winter this year. My walk at work was warmer than I thought it was going to be. It was around 17 ° and that was a lot warmer then the low single digits in the morning around here or the -39 ° up in Canada I read about.

No running tonight for me. I got very busy with everything else at home and I thought it was a good night to rest after 9 days of running in a row which is a lot for me. With another snow storm on the way I am ready to play and the rest will be good.

1-24-2011 - 3 miles - 38:45 - walk

Day 54 - Cold but sunny

Today was a great day out on the trails. With all the hikers that were out in the last couple of days the snow is packed down and most of the rocks are hidden. You could fly down most trails and not worry about tripping on a rock. Its slower running up the hills but so much fun on the downs. I ran one of my favorite runs which includes Pulpit Rock, Blue Rocks Campground and the Pinnacle. I started from home and made my way over to the road up to Pulpit Rock which I run a lot and is a great way to get warm. There was good traction to the top with some truck tracks all the way to the top. Heading down to the campground I had first tracks. Heading up the yellow trail from the campground there were four wheeler tracks that made running a lot easier. The views from the Pinnacle were very clear and you could see forever. There was a guy xc skiing with his two dogs. The stayed right aside of him and didn't leave his side. I thought that was pretty cool.

The view from the Pinnacle

The view from the Pinnacle

View off of the Appalachian Trail

On my way back I looked over at some trees that I always run by and the sign below was nailed to one of them. Its funny you can run by things so many times and never see it and one day it pops out and you finally see it. On my way back down from Pulpit Rock I ran into a great runner friend Beth. She was out enjoying a hike with a friend. After I ran down to the bottom I looked to my right and there was another hiker. I said hi and we started taking about hiking and running. He said he has been hiking up in this area for many years and stopped running when he was 40 because of neck problems. He was out hiking today for about 12 miles. I told him I got a pic of a cool sign on a tree that read something about 1936. He said to me before I even showed him the pic "Was it made out of copper?"  and I said yes. I showed him the pic and he said his son and him found that sign around 25 years ago and never could find it again. You just never know what you are going to find or who you will meet on the trail. It happened so many times to me out on the trail with just the word "Hi!" Life on the trail is good!

April 15 1936
Please Protect These
Evergreen Trees
E.D.K & J.R.

1-23-2011 - 15 miles - 3:20 - run

Day 53 - 2 pair of socks

I left the house with the temp at 9°. It was a 2 pair of sock kind of day. Wait I also had 2 pair of gloves on. The plan was to do a 12 1/2 mile loop on the road to the AT over to Port Clinton and back the road. I did this loop a couple of years ago when the temp was around 4° with some friends. Again I had first tracks on the AT to Port Clinton. That is around a 6 mile section. Everything was going well until the last mile down. I forgot there could be drifts on the mountain and they were there the rest of the way down to the bottom. The drifts were deep about 1 to 2 feet deep. My feet were very cold by this point of the run. The drifts made it hard to see where the rocks were. You can usually see bumps in the snow and that usually means theres a rock or stick there. After a good fall from kicking some rocks and almost eating some snow I slowed down and just wanted to get down. I made it down with no more falls. From there I ran through the town of Port Clinton an up to the Bartram Trail. I passed one guy on the Bartram Trail that I meet over the summer. He was doing an 8 mile round trip hike to the library and back. I hit the road section of my run and decided to add a loop at Kaercher Creek and some more road. I finished up with 16 miles. A good day of survival out on the trail. Not a good day for pics since my battery died.

The Appalachian Trail heading up

Pocahontas Spring on the Appalachian Trail

Kaercher Creek

1-22-2011 - 16 miles - 3:13 - run

Day 52 - Yes! Snow!

My wife woke me up around 5 a.m. and said do you want to shovel? I really don’t have a choice but it was nice of her to ask. After an hour of shoveling the the driveway was clear. I walked inside to the smell of coffee – gotta love that. Now hopefully it doesn’t drift shut by the time I get home. After getting to work I spent another hour or more playing in the snow (shoveling/salting). Today I definitely got a good core workout.

Today on my walk it was windy and sunny. There was also plenty of soft snow to slip on every step.  Some of the roads are starting to drift which made it fun when a car would drive by. 



View from my walk

I made it out on the mountain by 4. A little colder today and the weekend is suppose to be real cold. The weather is saying down to 0 - wow that is cold. The road was drove on by a truck so it was a little easier to run until I got on the AT. From there I had first tracks to the top. The snow was real lite and fluffy. It would be great skiing snow. I only had about an hour to run so I ran down the road hill which was a lot of fun. There is probably 6 inches of snow on it and you could run down it real fast without worry about slipping on ice. When I made it to the parking lot I could see that there was going to be and awesome sunset. I ran down to take a pic and my battery was dead. There is always next time.

  

The road up from the parking lot



Appalachian Trail near Pulpit Rock

 

The view from Pulpit Rock

 

Appalachian Trail near Pulpit Rock

Appalachian Trail near Pulpit Rock

1-21-2011 - 3.4 miles - 45:51 - walk
1-21-2011 - 5 miles - 1:05 - run

Day 51 - Maybe another storm

Looks like some more snow on the way. Hopefully we get a good amount of it this time. Some people are really ready for warmer weather and I can understand why – they don’t run in it and they don’t know what they are missing:) Right now I am all for the snow because it will make me stronger for when the spring comes around. This weekend I will try to drain my tank of energy with plenty of running and sledding in the snow.

On my walk today I was trying to focus on every step. There are so many things to distract you outside. But today I was really zoned in. Yeah it’s only a walk but the more practice the better off I will be when race time comes around. It is so easy to slow down and get in a different pace whether it is running, hiking or walking. Every step counts and I really have to stay focused on what the end result will be. The race will be here in no time!

I decided to have a shorter night of running. I went straight up the road hill to Pulpit Rock breaking through the thin layer of ice. More footprints going to the top tonight which made for a lot of icy prints. Now you have to be careful with the ice footprints. Some are deep and you can twist your ankle on them real quick. I thought maybe there would be a quick appearance of the moon tonight before the snow started but no such luck. I made it to the top right before dark. I got a couple of pics and then headed back down. The tread on my sneakers worked perfect for the run down on the ice covered road. I headed right home and with only a little of over 3 miles in I thought I would run on the treadmill for something different. I'm not a fan of dreadmill but I thought it would be good mental training. My first mile I ran at a 10% grade at 5mph for 1 mile and the last .8 at a 10% grade at 6mph. That was all I could handle. I really have a hard time running with the same surface. I need some rocks, dirt or snow under my feet. It also felt really soft when I would land and I wasn't real crazy about that. Maybe I will shoot for 2 miles next time.

1-20-2011 - 3 miles - 37:31 - walk
1-20-2011 - 3.2 miles - 37:00 - run
                   1.8 miles - 20.00 - treadmill run:(