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| Snow Geese |
1-11-2011 - 2.8 miles - 37:03 - walk
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Day 42 - Snow Geese
Today I could feel that snow was on its way. I could not wait to get out and run in it. On my way back from my walk I could hear a large group of snow geese right above my. They were really high and could barely see them. They blended right in with the clouds. I tried to take some pics of them with my phone. They were not the best pics because I could not zoom in on them. I changed the photo to black and white and then you could see the birds better.
After I got home I really want to wait until the snow was on the ground to run. When 9 p.m. rolled around I was really tired and I think the 50k is finally catching up to me. Little aches and pains here and there I thought I should take the night off. Trust me this is not what I wanted to do but I have a long way to go and I can’t get injured or sick trying to do to much. The body needs some rest.
1-11-2011 - 2.8 miles - 37:03 - walk
1-11-2011 - 2.8 miles - 37:03 - walk
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Day 41 - Calm before the storm
I am like a little kid waiting for it to snow and yes I will be bummed if we don't get the snow that might happen. Being in the mountain with deep snow all around is just a feeling like no other. I was running with a friend the other week and we were talking about anything and everything and skiing came up in the conversation. He said do you like running or skiing better? I replied there is nothing like skiing and no other sport I ever did comes close to it but running in it is close. I only went out skiing a hand full of times in the last couple of years. Time, cost and running got in the way. Right before my wife and I had children I was skiing over 50 days a year. I will get back into it someday since the children are asking more about it. Floating down a trail with a foot or more of powder is amazing and just thinking about I want to go now!
Today on my walk I was thinking about running in the snow that might be arriving tomorrow. Once the snow starts falling I will be out there in it. Last year was a great training year with the deep snow. I did a lot of power hiking because we were forced to until we could run on the trails. The snow was so deep and you had to lift your legs so high. It was a lot of work but it paid off in the spring. I can still remember my friend Dan and I made the first trail to the top at Pulpit Rock in the deep snow about a mile and a half. It took a lot of work to get there. The next day I went up and thought this will be a lot easier since we already had a trail up. I was about half way up the trail and then all the foot prints were filled in with snow due to a lot of wind. So I had to blast through the snow the rest of the way to the top again. Those days were very hard and can’t wait for more of them in the mountain.
Tonight I left the house a couple of minutes before 7 p.m. and had to be back by 8. The temps were in the low 20’s and with no wind it felt surprisingly comfortable out. My legs are feeling ok not great and I thought I would run a little faster then I usually do after a race because I’m not sure what the roads will be like in the next couple of days. Tonight the sides of the roads had some ice and snow – not the best conditions you want to run in on the side of the road. You have to be very careful and watch every step. After moving along the first couple of miles the legs were still felling ok and I kept moving along at a nice pace the rest of the run. I finished with an average pace of 7:53 per mile and I was happy with that. If the snow hits I know that pace won't be seen for a while.
Below are some pictures from one of the big storms from last year I took when I was out for a run. Hopefully I can get more snowy photos soon.
1-10-2011 - 2.8 miles - 38:14 - walk
1-10-2011 - 8 miles - 1:03:04 - run
Today on my walk I was thinking about running in the snow that might be arriving tomorrow. Once the snow starts falling I will be out there in it. Last year was a great training year with the deep snow. I did a lot of power hiking because we were forced to until we could run on the trails. The snow was so deep and you had to lift your legs so high. It was a lot of work but it paid off in the spring. I can still remember my friend Dan and I made the first trail to the top at Pulpit Rock in the deep snow about a mile and a half. It took a lot of work to get there. The next day I went up and thought this will be a lot easier since we already had a trail up. I was about half way up the trail and then all the foot prints were filled in with snow due to a lot of wind. So I had to blast through the snow the rest of the way to the top again. Those days were very hard and can’t wait for more of them in the mountain.
Tonight I left the house a couple of minutes before 7 p.m. and had to be back by 8. The temps were in the low 20’s and with no wind it felt surprisingly comfortable out. My legs are feeling ok not great and I thought I would run a little faster then I usually do after a race because I’m not sure what the roads will be like in the next couple of days. Tonight the sides of the roads had some ice and snow – not the best conditions you want to run in on the side of the road. You have to be very careful and watch every step. After moving along the first couple of miles the legs were still felling ok and I kept moving along at a nice pace the rest of the run. I finished with an average pace of 7:53 per mile and I was happy with that. If the snow hits I know that pace won't be seen for a while.
Below are some pictures from one of the big storms from last year I took when I was out for a run. Hopefully I can get more snowy photos soon.
1-10-2011 - 2.8 miles - 38:14 - walk
1-10-2011 - 8 miles - 1:03:04 - run
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Day 40 - Slow and steady
Went out to get salt for the big storm arriving on Tuesday/Wednesday. I guess we will see if it really happens. I know I hope we get hammered with snow at least in the mountains and not on the roads.
My legs feel pretty good today. Not to sore just tired. The days after and event like yesterday it is just nice to get out and move forward. I left the house around 12:30 p.m. and went right for the mountains. There is a couple of inches up there with very little ice. There were quite a few hikers out today and I saw some friends going for a hike with their dogs. They were trying to get in a quick hike before the Eagles game. I was searching for a trail with no foot prints on and I found one. The blue trail down to the campground had only animal tracks. My legs were feeling very tired once I hit the 1.25 mile climb up from the Blue Rocks campground to the top. I did a lot of hiking on that section. On the way down the Pulpit Rock road hill I opened it up a little and had some fun fast down hill running in the snow. Once I hit the macadam road section my legs felt like Jello and fell into a very slow pace. I just kept moving and could not wait to stop. A couple more days of easy running and I should be back to where I was.
My legs feel pretty good today. Not to sore just tired. The days after and event like yesterday it is just nice to get out and move forward. I left the house around 12:30 p.m. and went right for the mountains. There is a couple of inches up there with very little ice. There were quite a few hikers out today and I saw some friends going for a hike with their dogs. They were trying to get in a quick hike before the Eagles game. I was searching for a trail with no foot prints on and I found one. The blue trail down to the campground had only animal tracks. My legs were feeling very tired once I hit the 1.25 mile climb up from the Blue Rocks campground to the top. I did a lot of hiking on that section. On the way down the Pulpit Rock road hill I opened it up a little and had some fun fast down hill running in the snow. Once I hit the macadam road section my legs felt like Jello and fell into a very slow pace. I just kept moving and could not wait to stop. A couple more days of easy running and I should be back to where I was.
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| The view from the Blue Rocks Campground |
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The view from the Blue Rocks Campground |
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| Looking towards the back of the Pinnacle on the left |
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| The view from Pulpit Rock |
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| The view from Pulpit Rock |
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| The view from Pulpit Rock |
1-9-2011 - 11 miles - 2:30 - run/some hiking
Day 39 - Horseshoe Elevation Fest 50K Fatass
Woke up today around 6:15 a.m. after a pretty good night of sleep. Getting up and out the door a little after 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning with the whole family to go to a 50k for me - I must say my family is very, very, very supportive. It makes it a lot easier knowing I have their support.
We arrived at Stephan's house a couple of minutes before 8. My friend Stephan held the Horseshoe Elevation Fest 50K Fatass (click here if you need to know what a fat ass is) starting at his house. The course is a 6+ mile loop run on the Horseshoe Trail which is on roads and trail. We had to park at the bottom of his driveway and walk up. The driveway was snowy and had some icy spots and was not a good idea to drive up. I was warmed up after walking up his driveway because it is about 600 yards long. Once we made it there we signed in on the table where there was a watch to record your time on every lap. After talking to a lot of friends and getting a group photo we off running down the slippery driveway with snow falling that fell for the rest of the event. There was an inch or two already down on the trail. My wife went on a 7 mile hike with another friend and the kids sledded, watched movies and played Nintendo Wii for the the rest of the event and had a great time.
We arrived at Stephan's house a couple of minutes before 8. My friend Stephan held the Horseshoe Elevation Fest 50K Fatass (click here if you need to know what a fat ass is) starting at his house. The course is a 6+ mile loop run on the Horseshoe Trail which is on roads and trail. We had to park at the bottom of his driveway and walk up. The driveway was snowy and had some icy spots and was not a good idea to drive up. I was warmed up after walking up his driveway because it is about 600 yards long. Once we made it there we signed in on the table where there was a watch to record your time on every lap. After talking to a lot of friends and getting a group photo we off running down the slippery driveway with snow falling that fell for the rest of the event. There was an inch or two already down on the trail. My wife went on a 7 mile hike with another friend and the kids sledded, watched movies and played Nintendo Wii for the the rest of the event and had a great time.
These fatass events are a great way to try different things before a real race. I was trying to use two of my drinks mixes mixed together. 1 scoop of Hammer Perpetuem and 1 scoop of Cytomax. The flavor was not that great at first but wasn't to bad after I used it for awhile. That mixture was giving me 220 calories per bottle. I had 5 bottles made and almost finished one on each loop.
After running down his drive way we made a left and we were running on a trail which lead to a gradual climb off and on to to top of the mountain. From there we headed down to an aid station he had set up at the half way point. Then we hit the road section for a couple of miles through
Adamstown and one last climb back up to the starting point to sign in at the table.
My first two loops I ran with Derek and Tony. It was nice hearing about Derek's goals for the year and his big race in the fall the Pine to Palm 100. He is a great runner and it will be fun to follow his progress along the way to his first hundred mile race. After the second loop Derek was going out for a loop with his dad. I took my first gel on the start of my third loop. Tony and I ran the third loop together and he helped me keep a nice pace on this lap. It was a big help to me to have them push me along for the first three laps. The start of the fourth loop it was gel time again. I was on my own and this is where I started to feel some aches and a little tightening in my legs. I took my first Hammer Endurolyte of the day. These help with keeping your legs from cramping. This loop went really well after the gel and endurolyte knowing once I finished this one I had one more to go. After leaving the sign in table for the last loop my legs felt very tired. After pushing on the road section it was really slowing me down once I hit the trail. I felt like I was moving my legs as fast as I could but they really were not moving that fast. I took another Endurolyte and a couple of minutes later my last gel of the day. This time the long road section went fast knowing I would not see it anymore today. Another fun event I am glad to be a part of from one of our on Pagoda Pacer club members. Thanks to Stephan and his family for hosting a great event. Below are my splits to the event.
After saying good bye to everyone we headed down the driveway for the last time. Slipping and sliding down to the bottom. We made a quick stop at ToysRUs and then headed out for a nice supper with my parents. After getting home and cleaning up we were all beat. If all days could be just like this one!
Lap 1 - 56:15
Lap 2 - 58:14
Lap 3 - 56:27
Lap 4 - 58:21
Lap 5 - 63:23
1-8-2011 - 31 miles - 4:52:40 - run
After running down his drive way we made a left and we were running on a trail which lead to a gradual climb off and on to to top of the mountain. From there we headed down to an aid station he had set up at the half way point. Then we hit the road section for a couple of miles through
Adamstown and one last climb back up to the starting point to sign in at the table.
My first two loops I ran with Derek and Tony. It was nice hearing about Derek's goals for the year and his big race in the fall the Pine to Palm 100. He is a great runner and it will be fun to follow his progress along the way to his first hundred mile race. After the second loop Derek was going out for a loop with his dad. I took my first gel on the start of my third loop. Tony and I ran the third loop together and he helped me keep a nice pace on this lap. It was a big help to me to have them push me along for the first three laps. The start of the fourth loop it was gel time again. I was on my own and this is where I started to feel some aches and a little tightening in my legs. I took my first Hammer Endurolyte of the day. These help with keeping your legs from cramping. This loop went really well after the gel and endurolyte knowing once I finished this one I had one more to go. After leaving the sign in table for the last loop my legs felt very tired. After pushing on the road section it was really slowing me down once I hit the trail. I felt like I was moving my legs as fast as I could but they really were not moving that fast. I took another Endurolyte and a couple of minutes later my last gel of the day. This time the long road section went fast knowing I would not see it anymore today. Another fun event I am glad to be a part of from one of our on Pagoda Pacer club members. Thanks to Stephan and his family for hosting a great event. Below are my splits to the event.
After saying good bye to everyone we headed down the driveway for the last time. Slipping and sliding down to the bottom. We made a quick stop at ToysRUs and then headed out for a nice supper with my parents. After getting home and cleaning up we were all beat. If all days could be just like this one!
Lap 1 - 56:15
Lap 2 - 58:14
Lap 3 - 56:27
Lap 4 - 58:21
Lap 5 - 63:23
1-8-2011 - 31 miles - 4:52:40 - run
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Day 38 - Woo Hoo Snow!
What a great feeling it was seeing the snow starting to fall at 1 a.m. then waking up at 5:45 a.m. with everything covered. That is not what time I usually go to bed but I started fooling around with some pics from our trip and before I realized it was very late. I could not wait to go out in it. I got to spend about 25 min. shoveling it before work. Shoveling snow in my driveway is a great little work out before work.
I got out for my walk a little earlier today right around 11 a.m. The snow was great to see on the ground and made my walk some much fun. Seeing everything covered in snow I now really can't wait to run in it in the mountain. With no running today because of the 50k tomorrow. I won't make it to the mountain until Sunday:( Searching for trails that weren't hiked on is what I will be looking for.
With no school, friend things or running tonight the family and I went to Red Lobster for supper. We had a gift card from the holidays that we could not wait to use. The service and food is always so good and consistent there. Then we headed right back home for the wife to make the cookies for the the 50k and me to get my stuff ready.
1-6-2011 - 2.8 miles - 37:07 - walk
I got out for my walk a little earlier today right around 11 a.m. The snow was great to see on the ground and made my walk some much fun. Seeing everything covered in snow I now really can't wait to run in it in the mountain. With no running today because of the 50k tomorrow. I won't make it to the mountain until Sunday:( Searching for trails that weren't hiked on is what I will be looking for.
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| Walk at work 1-7-2011 |
1-6-2011 - 2.8 miles - 37:07 - walk
Friday, January 7, 2011
Day 37 - Maybe 10 plus runners
I'm still battling my cold but should be ok for Saturdays 50k. Maybe if I would take something it would go away like my wife tells me. I’m not a medicine fan and never will be. My first MMT was in 2007 and that was the last time I took any medicine (2 Advil – during (never again) 1 Aleave - after) other than a couple of cough drops over the years nothing since that race. If I can make it to the race this year without any medicine it will be 4 years med free. This cold is going down with a fight from me!
It seems like ever since I mentioned about how much of a pain an mp3 or music player can be for me I have been using it more now than ever. Today I used it again on my walk and was using the Pandora app on my phone. It leaves you pick a music group (I have AC/DC right now) then it creates a radio station with songs with that group and other groups similar to the one you picked. This is a fun app for your phone or computer if you want to listen to something different on you next run, walk or hike.
I was looking at the final entrants and wait list runners for the MMT 100. Right now it looks like there could be over 10 runners from the Pagoda Pacers to start the event if everyone stays healthy and other runners drop which some usually do. With that many runners, pacers and crews this is going to be one heck of a run fest this year!
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| Pagoda Pacer group photo from 2010 MMT 100 (Photo by: Bobby Gill) |
1-6-2011 - 2.8 miles - 36:41 - walk
1-6-2011 - 10 miles - 1st 6 miles - 42:00 / Last 4 miles - 34:36 - Total = 1:16:36 - run
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Day 36 - Getting there
After a night of not that much sleep I woke up feeling tired and coughing. The morning got better and I started feeling a change for the better - at least for now. Hopefully I will feel good enough for the 50k that I will be running on Saturday. One thing with running for long periods of time you learn to push through things you never would of before. Just like when you have a cold you feel bad but you have to keep moving and it will get better soon. Ultra running is so much like life – you have your ups and downs – just keep moving forward and you will be fine.
My walk was windy today and I could feel it blowing through my other vest that is not wind proof. It is amazing what wind proofing can do for a coat. The energy level is still not there to push my walks. I’m getting better every day but not 100%.
My walk was windy today and I could feel it blowing through my other vest that is not wind proof. It is amazing what wind proofing can do for a coat. The energy level is still not there to push my walks. I’m getting better every day but not 100%.
Tonight I felt like I could throw down a good run. I went with an 8 mile loop and it went really well. I ran a 7:30 first mile which felt good. I tried to stay with that pace and not run any faster. 7:25 was my final pace for the 8 mile loop and I didn’t feel exhausted after I was finished. Tonight I also saw 2 people walking what look like was for exercise. I know that might sound funny but I don’t see that many people walking in my town exercising – at least when I am out running through it.
Today I leave you with a really cool video from another ultra runner Karl Meltzer from Utah. But first I have a little story of my own about Karl. My friend Dan and I got to meet Karl on his Appalachian Trail run in 2008. You could track him on his website and I knew he should be in our area that morning. I ran over to Hawk Mountain Road to run a couple of miles with him. I waited and waited and waited some more. Well I was thinking he already went through and I missed him. I went home and forgot about it for a while. Later that day I thought I would try and go to a different section of the Appalachian Trail to meet him. I got in my car and made a left out of my drive way and looked a head about 50 yards and there was an RV pulled off the side of the road with someone talking to a neighbor. When I went by I looked over and there was Karl’s RV. I got out of my car and went over and told them I was looking for them earlier in the day. His crew was looking for directions to the Hamburg Reservoir – yeah I know where that is I said and I showed them the way there. On our way there I called Dan and he met me at the reservoir. We got to talk to his crew for awhile and they said Karl should be coming through in a couple of minutes. We asked them if they needed anything and they requested some adult beverages. After a quick trip to the local pizza shop I was back and we were all walking up to where the AT runs through to meet Karl with some of the beverages. In no time we look up and there was Karl. From there he decided to do one more 6 mile section before the day was over. He quickly got what he needed for his next section and he was off with beverage in hand. The crew invited Dan and I to the next section to wait for him. When we got there they were already cooking his supper and had everything ready for him. When Karl arrived he was ready to eat and do a little carbo loading. We talked to him for a little and then we headed out. That day Karl ran I think 55 miles. The reason why I missed him in the morning was he started running the wrong way and arrived at that spot a lot later then he was suppose to. The signs around here read like the picture below. We were told when he started running he thought he was heading towards Georgia. He didn’t realize it until the sun stated to come up that he was not. The sign reads Appalachian Trail – Maine to Georgia. Which Georgia on the sign has an “N” below it which means is goes north – kind of confusing.
Today I leave you with a really cool video from another ultra runner Karl Meltzer from Utah. But first I have a little story of my own about Karl. My friend Dan and I got to meet Karl on his Appalachian Trail run in 2008. You could track him on his website and I knew he should be in our area that morning. I ran over to Hawk Mountain Road to run a couple of miles with him. I waited and waited and waited some more. Well I was thinking he already went through and I missed him. I went home and forgot about it for a while. Later that day I thought I would try and go to a different section of the Appalachian Trail to meet him. I got in my car and made a left out of my drive way and looked a head about 50 yards and there was an RV pulled off the side of the road with someone talking to a neighbor. When I went by I looked over and there was Karl’s RV. I got out of my car and went over and told them I was looking for them earlier in the day. His crew was looking for directions to the Hamburg Reservoir – yeah I know where that is I said and I showed them the way there. On our way there I called Dan and he met me at the reservoir. We got to talk to his crew for awhile and they said Karl should be coming through in a couple of minutes. We asked them if they needed anything and they requested some adult beverages. After a quick trip to the local pizza shop I was back and we were all walking up to where the AT runs through to meet Karl with some of the beverages. In no time we look up and there was Karl. From there he decided to do one more 6 mile section before the day was over. He quickly got what he needed for his next section and he was off with beverage in hand. The crew invited Dan and I to the next section to wait for him. When we got there they were already cooking his supper and had everything ready for him. When Karl arrived he was ready to eat and do a little carbo loading. We talked to him for a little and then we headed out. That day Karl ran I think 55 miles. The reason why I missed him in the morning was he started running the wrong way and arrived at that spot a lot later then he was suppose to. The signs around here read like the picture below. We were told when he started running he thought he was heading towards Georgia. He didn’t realize it until the sun stated to come up that he was not. The sign reads Appalachian Trail – Maine to Georgia. Which Georgia on the sign has an “N” below it which means is goes north – kind of confusing.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Day 35 - Blahhh
The sunrise was awesome today. I got this pic with my phone and again in no time the amazing colors were gone. This is one thing to look forward to in the winter when the only colors seem to be are browns, grays and sometimes white:) Only a couple of months and the green will start shooting up from the ground. I really appreciate the change of the seasons more now running in the mountains year-round. It is so cool to see the changes in the mountains on a daily basics.
1-4-2011 - 2.8 miles - 37:32 - walk
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| Sunrise 1-5-2011 |
I’m still not feeling the best today but I decided to go for my walk. I didn’t walk as fast as I normally try to. Just to be out moving forward was my goal. It did warm up and that felt great. I passed one guy on my walk today maybe he was out for a New Year’s Resolution walk.
On my way home after work the sunset was just as cool as the sunrise today. I did get one pic but it looked so much better than the picture shows. Once being home for awhile I knew tonight I was going to have to take off from running. My cold is not getting any better and I feel drained. I decided to bag the run and try and get some sleep.
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| Sunset 1-5-2011 |
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Day 34 - Feeling a little better
I woke up today feeling a little better. I still have the nose thing going on and I will leave it at that. I checked the temps before I went for my walk and it said 32º F and feels like 24º F. It sure felt like 24º F with the wind in my face for about 15 min. It was great to be back walking at lunch. I kind of missed it after being away last week.
It was a lot easier leaving for my run tonight at 6:30. I feel like I am getting some energy back and that is a good thing. The weather was perfect for running tonight. The route was all on road and it was fun to be back running on one of my regular courses. I had the headphones on tonight and was listening to some old nostalgia radio stations for about 6 miles then I need to play some faster music. Then Kickstart my Heart came on by Motley Crue and I just took off running. It was like my legs had a mind of their own and I just held on. The next song slowed a little and I was back to my regular pace for the rest of the run. Those quick burst of fast running to a great song are some much fun.
1-3-2011 - 2.8 miles - 36:59 - walk
It was a lot easier leaving for my run tonight at 6:30. I feel like I am getting some energy back and that is a good thing. The weather was perfect for running tonight. The route was all on road and it was fun to be back running on one of my regular courses. I had the headphones on tonight and was listening to some old nostalgia radio stations for about 6 miles then I need to play some faster music. Then Kickstart my Heart came on by Motley Crue and I just took off running. It was like my legs had a mind of their own and I just held on. The next song slowed a little and I was back to my regular pace for the rest of the run. Those quick burst of fast running to a great song are some much fun.
Below is a picture of one of my favorite quick meals I make after some longer runs. You can use any ingredients you like. Sometimes I will add black beans, fresh tomatoes or avocados. Avocados are added after baking.
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1-3-2011 - 10.50 miles - 1:26 - run
Monday, January 3, 2011
Day 33 - One of those days
Today was one of those days I didn’t want to get out of bed. My throat was very sore and my nose was stuffy. It’s been a while since I had a cold and I guess it is my turn:( One thing I did notice over the years of running my colds don't last as long compared to when I didn't run. I waited until the afternoon to go out for a run. It was not going well I felt cold and I didn’t want to go. I thought I should at least get my running clothes on and see how I feel. Once the clothes were on I started to warm up and felt a little better. I headed out the door around 3 wearing my New Balance 101's. I only wore them on one run and my legs got pretty beat up on the roads. Today I was going up to run in the mountain to see how they stick on the rocks. Being a very minimalist shoe your feet really feel naked in them especially on the rocks. They stuck pretty well on the rocks but I won’t be using them all the time. I can only imagine how you foot will feel when you kick a rock on the front, side or a stick tries to go through the side - not good. Lucky for me I didn’t do that today. With the amount of rock running I do I can't risk running with very little protection on my feet. Now it is off to rest.
1-2-2011 - 8 miles - 1:25 - run
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Day 32 - Happy New Year 2011
January 1, 2010 - That means 4 months to go of training. It seems like yesterday I just started training for this race. Time is moving fast. Before today I only ran 1 time in the last 7 days. Disney vacations will do that to you. We had a great time and kept busy the whole vacation. We were usually up by 7:30/8 a.m. and out the door by 9 a.m. and back in bed by 11 p.m. With that schedule there was not a lot of time for running - at least I wasn't making anytime for it. The weather was in the high 30's with 30 mph winds and no sun some of the days. I felt colder then the low 20's back home before we left. The girls should make great ultra runners staying on their feet for that long and we never came back to the room once we left in the morning until we got back at night.
Today I thought I better try and catch up for the running I missed last week. I know you can't do that but I was going to try. The first run I was out the door by 11 a.m. It warmed up really fast today and it felt great. I headed right to the mountain. The run was up on my favorite parts of the mountain - Pulpit Rock and down to the Blue Rocks. There where a lot of hikers out today and I wished everyone I saw a "Happy New Year". It felt great to be back on the mountain.
The girls where heading to the movies so this was my chance for another run. I left around 6:50 and it was very warm night. No one is out so I have the whole town to myself. I finished with 9 miles and just over 20 for the day. Off to bed for a good night of rest. Happy New Year!
1-1-2011 - 11.25 miles - 2:15 - run
Today I thought I better try and catch up for the running I missed last week. I know you can't do that but I was going to try. The first run I was out the door by 11 a.m. It warmed up really fast today and it felt great. I headed right to the mountain. The run was up on my favorite parts of the mountain - Pulpit Rock and down to the Blue Rocks. There where a lot of hikers out today and I wished everyone I saw a "Happy New Year". It felt great to be back on the mountain.
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| The view from the Blue Rocks Campground |
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| The view from the Blue Rocks Campground looking up at Pulpit Rock |
The girls where heading to the movies so this was my chance for another run. I left around 6:50 and it was very warm night. No one is out so I have the whole town to myself. I finished with 9 miles and just over 20 for the day. Off to bed for a good night of rest. Happy New Year!
1-1-2011 - 11.25 miles - 2:15 - run
1-1-2011 - 9 miles - 1:18 - run
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Day 24 - Off to the flat land
After a fun run last night and full night of sleep it's time to pack today. The family and I are off to see Mickey and his friends. First the second little one was off to the doc to make sure the cough is just a cold and nothing else and it is just a cold. I got to sneak out for a slow 5 mile run before we left. Here are some pics of my run. Merry Christmas. (This was suppose to be posted when I got to Disney but there was no free WiFi so I waited until I got back.)
12-24-2010 - 5 miles - 57:00 - run
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| The view from Pulpit Rock |
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| The view from Pulpit Rock |
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| Watch out for the ice! |
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| The Hamburg Reservoir |
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| The Hamburg Reservoir |
Friday, December 24, 2010
Day 23 - Last day of work
My last day at work for the year is finally here. I changed my loop up for my walk today and it wound up being 3 miles. It felt good to see some different scenery. The wind was really blowing when I hit the wide open fields. All my fast walking so far since starting my training back up I have been using the Keen Voyageur Mid hiking boots. They feel like sneakers and with the side ventilation they don't get hot. A great hiking or walking shoe.
Today at work I was listening to some faster up beat music and that got me charged for tonights run. At that point I knew I wanted to run at a faster pace for my 7 mile loop. I haven't ran all out since last week so I was ready to give it ago again. After the 3rd mile I started to have a little down moment with my stomach and this is where you have to remember to keep pushing on. It is real easy at those points to slow down and go easy. After a couple minutes it felt a little better so I kept pushing along and held on for the last 2 miles. 48:06 was my final time for my 7 mile loop and my fastest time so far this month.
Below is a video of the song that got me charged up to go out and run at a fast pace. The Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl puts everything into this song and I tried to do the same thing with my run tonight. You can just feel the energy in the crowd and on stage - great song!
12-23-2010 - 3 miles - 38:23 - walk
Today at work I was listening to some faster up beat music and that got me charged for tonights run. At that point I knew I wanted to run at a faster pace for my 7 mile loop. I haven't ran all out since last week so I was ready to give it ago again. After the 3rd mile I started to have a little down moment with my stomach and this is where you have to remember to keep pushing on. It is real easy at those points to slow down and go easy. After a couple minutes it felt a little better so I kept pushing along and held on for the last 2 miles. 48:06 was my final time for my 7 mile loop and my fastest time so far this month.
Below is a video of the song that got me charged up to go out and run at a fast pace. The Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl puts everything into this song and I tried to do the same thing with my run tonight. You can just feel the energy in the crowd and on stage - great song!
12-23-2010 - 3 miles - 38:23 - walk
12-23-2010 - 7 miles - 48:06 - run
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Day 22 - Club run
No deer on my walk today but I had my camera ready. That is probably why I didn't see any. The picture below I snapped today on my walk with my cell phone. Then I tweaked it a little more then I normally do. Not sure if I really like it. My legs are really feeling strong on my walks. Usually when I start up walking the first couple of weeks my shins get pretty sore from the fast pace. The hiking I did in October and November I think really helped make my legs get stronger than other years.
I headed down to the Wyomissing tonight to run with the running club I belong to (Pagoda Pacers). The traffic was heavy and I hit almost all the lights on my drive down. I actually got there with a couple of minutes to spare. The run tonight had over 30 runners making there way around the area. It is always nice to see a lot of people showing up for club runs. I can't make them all but I try to get to a lot of them. Tonight the run went along busy roads, through the Holiday Lights at Gring's Mill, Penn State Berks campus and some shopping center parking lots. You know most everyone in there cars that we ran by were out fighting their way from store to store to get last minute shopping done. I'm so glad I was the one running tonight and not in my car being stressed out looking for gifts that are sold out.
12-22-2010 - 2.8 miles - 35:49 - walk
12-22-2010 - 5.35 miles - 45:00 - run
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Day 21 - What the buck
It was another sunny and windy day on my walk at lunch. A couple clouds in the blue sky. On my way back I pass a wooded section of land. There was a stick on the ground and I kicked it off the side of the road. When I did that I kicked up a bunch of stones into the leaves and scared two deer a buck and a doe. They popped right up running into the field above them. They might sit in there every day and I never noticed them. I will be keeping an eye out for them from now on.
I made it out the door around 6 tonight and the moon was looking pretty cool with some clouds around it. I usually try an run fast on a Tuesday night right from the start but not tonight. I just wanted to keep a nice pace the whole run not to fast and not too slow. I had about an hour and half to run so I thought I would try to get in 10 miles. I looped around town trying to hit all the hills and then finishing with a really flat section. The final mile and a half was really fun checking out all the holiday lights around the neighborhood.
Tomorrow I will be running with the club and I can’t wait. Running alone is ok but when you can share it with other runners it is so much better. Below is a video from Málaga, Spain of the El Caminito del Rey walk way that will get your heart pumping and your hands sweating – CRAZY FUN!
12-21-2010 - 2.8 miles - 34:56 - walk
12-21-2010 - 10 miles - 1:19 - run - 450 feet elevation
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Day 20 - Almost full moon
Today’s walk at work my legs didn't feel the greatest but the time was as good as last week’s time when I felt great. Some days you don't feel the best but your time doesn't reflect it. You don't always feel the best in a race at different times and you will have your ups and downs and try to keep moving forward. Training when you don't want to helps push through times like this in a race.
Tonight’s run I really didn’t feel like going out but I couldn’t miss the almost full moon at the top of the mountain. Full moon is at at 3:13 a.m. Tuesday. I was slowly out the door around 6:50 but within the first half mile I was moving along well and felt good. The moon was in and out of the clouds my whole run. When it was out I didn’t even need a headlamp. If there would have been snow on the ground it would have looked like daytime. When I made it up to Pulpit Rock the wind was blowing. I got my camera out and got a couple of pictures after the clouds moved – not the best but they look all right. It is always fun trying to warm your fingers up after having them out of yours gloves for a couple of minutes in the cold. I put my camera away and ran back down. I hit the road section and saw some eyes staring at me about 50 yards ahead. I’m not sure what it was maybe a cat but I had to run by it. So I picked up the pace running towards the eyes and the eyes started to run away from me stopping to look back at me a couple of times until ducking in the trees. Then I took off in a full out sprint not sure why but I did and it was fun.
12-20-2010 - 2.8 miles - 35:48 - walk
12-20-2010 - 7 miles - 1:07 - run - 950 ft. elevation
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Day 19 - Fun in the sun
Lately the weekend long runs are a lot of fun. Just going out for a long time and not worrying about a pace. Right now I am trying to build some good base mileage and have fun. After a good night sleep the legs felt pretty good after yesterday. Today I made it out the door around 12 and the temps were above 30°F. Felt like a heat wave after running in the low 20's in the dark last week.
On the road for a mile or two and then into the mountains to get lost. When I run by myself I usually go right up the road hill to Pulpit Rock. It gets the heart rate up and is one of the steepest hills to run to get to the top. My thought is if I am training for a mountain race I need to hit the biggest hills I can find if I want to be ready for this race.
Leaving the campground you hit a yellow trail which climbs for over a mile and a half with over 700 feet of climb. I now realize carrying 3 full bottles, food and camera going up this climb makes your legs burn. That is ok with me. It makes you feel like you are running on tired legs which you can never have enough practice running with tired legs. The last section of the yellow is straight up for maybe 200 or 300 feet and your lungs and legs feel alive after that climb. Once you make it up the yellow you are now on the AT. From there I made my way to the the Pinnacle and it was real clear today. The houses and barns really stood out. Maybe it was the way the sun was shinning on everything.
12-19-2010 - 15 miles - 3:08 - run - over 1800 ft. elevation
On the road for a mile or two and then into the mountains to get lost. When I run by myself I usually go right up the road hill to Pulpit Rock. It gets the heart rate up and is one of the steepest hills to run to get to the top. My thought is if I am training for a mountain race I need to hit the biggest hills I can find if I want to be ready for this race.
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| The view from Pulpit Rock |
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| The view from Pulpit Rock |
After getting some pictures at Pulpit Rock the AT leads me to the blue trail which runs down to the Blue Rocks Campground. This place is packed in the spring/summer/fall with campers from all over. Right now it is a ghost town. Once you get on the blue trail it is a very rocky section which I like. Even after I rolled my right ankle really bad at the end of June on this trail. I still can't stay away from it. Below is a video I made to show what the last part of the trail looks like.
Leaving the campground you hit a yellow trail which climbs for over a mile and a half with over 700 feet of climb. I now realize carrying 3 full bottles, food and camera going up this climb makes your legs burn. That is ok with me. It makes you feel like you are running on tired legs which you can never have enough practice running with tired legs. The last section of the yellow is straight up for maybe 200 or 300 feet and your lungs and legs feel alive after that climb. Once you make it up the yellow you are now on the AT. From there I made my way to the the Pinnacle and it was real clear today. The houses and barns really stood out. Maybe it was the way the sun was shinning on everything.
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| The view from the Pinnacle |
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| The view from the Pinnacle |
Back on the AT to head home and I passed a friends dad that I know. He said he hikes everyday up here and that is his medicine to keep him healthy. I was thinking about that after he said that and it is so true. A lot of the people I met through running, I now call friends, say pretty much the same thing. We all like to get outside, run for hours, relieve some stress, have fun and feel so much better after - our medicine I guess. To this day it still amazes me that you can run with someone for a couple hours on the trail and you know them better inside and out than most people you knew for years. That is one thing that really hooked me to this sport. The honesty and kindness of the people I met running on the trail in the last 5 years is amazing. I love this sport!
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| The blue trail above the Hamburg Reservoir |
12-19-2010 - 15 miles - 3:08 - run - over 1800 ft. elevation
Day 18 - Long run day
Out the door a little after 7 a.m. It was cold but no wind. I was running by myself until 9 a.m. where I would hook up with some other runners at the Hamburg Reservoir. The run started with a down hill road section to the Bartram Trail in Hamburg. From there it is 2 miles until the Appalachian Trail crosses in Port Clinton. While running on the Bartram Trail I passed a friend Brian running with his dog. He was on his way back to the parking lot where he started. To get off of the Bartram Trail you have to go down a step little section and then go through the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad Company's property.
Once you get through the little town of Port Clinton the trail run's along the Schuylkill River. Then you go under the Rt. 61 bridge, cross Port Clinton Ave. and then the climb starts. The climb goes up about 800 feet in just over 2 miles to the top of the mountain. You really warm up on this section. On top of the mountain you can look down on the town of Hamburg and see all the development over the last couple of years(Cabala's, Lowe's and soon Walmart) While running back to the reservoir I knew I wouldn't make it back in time to meet the group if I stayed on the AT. I headed down a lower trail that goes to the same place but takes away a big climb away.
Arriving in the parking lot at 9:01 the group was there and ready to run. We headed back up the mountain running on the AT, Al's short cut where I tripped and fell, AT, Red Trail, Blue Trail, Spring Trail and back on the AT and out to the Pinnacle. We regrouped at the Pinnacle and looked around, got a group photo and back on the AT. On the way back Dan picked up the pace and we were flying over some rocky sections and it felt great. We regrouped back at Pulpit Rock, headed down the road hill to the red trail and back to the parking lot. I said go bye to everyone and ran back home. Great trails and great friends make a great way to start the day.
12-18-2010 - 20.5 miles - 4:25 - run - around 2000 ft. elevation
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| A side view of the new bridge in Hamburg |
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| Bartram Trail heading to the AT |
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| The Bartram Trail with the sunrise |
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| The view from the AT |
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| Appalachian Trail |
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| Looking down at Cabela's Lowe's and Walmart |
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| Lori, Kallie(dog), Dean, Joanne, Dan, Beth, Pete, Libby and Andy |
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| Lori, Kallie(dog), Dean, Joanne, Dan, Beth, Me, Libby and Andy |
Friday, December 17, 2010
Day 17 - Amazing Sunrise
The sunrise was amazing today! The picture below was taken around 7:30 a.m. Within only a couple minutes after this the clouds covered it and the sky lost its bright colors.
I didn't wear my cover over my face today at my walk and was it cold on the way back. It was 31°F outside but the wind made it very cold. My legs were a little tired for the first half mile and they felt great by the time I finished. I am still using the Cardio Trainer on my phone to do all my walks and some runs. It seems pretty accurate on all my walks so far. This whole week I tested out my new Elements vest from Under Armour. It has some wind proofing in it which worked really great to keep my core warm by preventing any wind from coming in at the zipper. I never really used Under Armour but my great neighbor hooked me up with some great discounts.
After another cold week of running and walking I took today off from running. The down day should help give me more energy for this weekends long runs. The little ones went to a friends house and my wife and I went out for dinner and a movie at home (The Hangover). By the time we got home from picking the little ones up it was almost 10 and I was beat.
After another cold week of running and walking I took today off from running. The down day should help give me more energy for this weekends long runs. The little ones went to a friends house and my wife and I went out for dinner and a movie at home (The Hangover). By the time we got home from picking the little ones up it was almost 10 and I was beat.
12-17-2010 - 2.8 miles - 36:02 - walk
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