Happy Weekend, folks! Beautiful and sunny (and brisk) day here. Got in just under 4 with the group, mostly speedwalking with my injured friend. I will do some yoga later to keep my run-strengthwork streak going.
Yesterday ended up only a couple of miles in the woods (AT- on the same Greenway trail we talked about yesterday). I ran a section I haven't been on in a couple of months and the bank has eroded at least 25 feet in one section since last spring. Last time I ran this part, I noticed the bank was 10 feet from the trail. Yesterday, the trail had crumbled into the creek. The whole stream has moved over and filled in with sediment on the other side. Although this is a slice of wilderness (Rachel Carson lived up the street and this is a namesake trail), it is heavily impacted by the neighboring suburban area.
qotd: Have you had any trail damage, closures or redevelopment on any of your regular routes? In addition to the damages above, the parks are also re-routing a large segment of this trail to bypass part of the floodplain that is often very wet. I'm a little bummed about this since the trail will also now bypass the major bluebell fields in the spring.
Tim
Cold tempo run today on a flat section of AT near Pine Grove Furnace and connecting roads. Fastest run I've had in a while. Not sure if I felt good or just needed to run fast to stay warm. Never looked at the watch until the end and was pleasantly surprised. Long trail run with DW tomorrow now that hunting season is over.
DC - we learned a lot about Rachel Carson in school. Plus my grandfather had a bar on the Chesapeake Bay, and she did a lot for cleaning up the bay before anyone else was pushing for it (at least that's what I remember).
QOTD: Several sections of the AT near me have "alternate" routes due to erosion (near Caledonia SP) or standing water. Some were made by volunteers, and some because hikers diverted to keep feet dry. You can tell the difference when you see them because the official bypasses are well done and the unofficial ones are like stepping between branches.
“Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway!
Thread killer ..
We have an inversion here , been here all week . It's an ice fog and just gray . I heard the sun was shining above 7,000' so we headed up to
see it . Lake Tahoe from the Relay Peak trail .
QOTD: Not really yet . We are surrounded by BLM for hundreds of miles . There is a Land Swap in the works that will change the trails near my house . The BLM is trading land with the County which will allow development in what is public land right now .
Did 20 mi along the Thames this morning. Then took the train to Brussels. Brussels has a lot of closed streets to avoid crazy protests and vandalism like Paris. Then it rained so much that everything calmed down.
qotd: lots of changes happen after hurricanes down here, especially Harvey with its record rainfalls and flooding.
tbd.
About 10 miles with the Lady this afternoon on the trails of Nolde Forest. Nice day for December... cold but little to no wind in the forest and temps about 35. We stopped for 5 guys post run to replenish calories with burgers and fries.
QOTD: Seems most damage on my regular trails with all the rain this year is ruts and washouts, plus downed trees now and then from winds and storms. No real issued here.
ValNV - Great photos!! The sky is so blue and the snow so white.
In dog beers, I've only had one.
Trails
I’ll put up a full RR when I get back but in short it wasn’t my day...dropped after the first loop. Trails were a slippery muddy mess and my friend was having knee problems so when she pulled I did so too. Didn’t want to attempt those in the dark alone. Another area to improve on.
qotd: as were out the I wondered what the park would say about the damage being done.
Are we there, yet?
Track rather than trails, but Camille Herron just set a new 24-hour women's world record with 162.8 miles plus whatever her final partial lap was.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
I was following last night and this morning. Really impressive! I always wondered what she cold do if she ran for the whole 24 hours. The woman's 24hr team will be stacked this year. Can't wait to see what Courtney can do vs. Camille when they are both rested and tapered.
Bob Hearn ran his typical steady race. looks like a real push between 2nd and 3rd man. They were running 7:30 pace the last hour to keep their positions.
8 trail miles with DW this morning. Went on a trail I haven't used since Spring, and with so many blow downs and leaf coverage, got off trail several times, so it was a slow, but fun run.
Dhuff - sorry for your DNF. Live to run another day.
XT - Mmmm, 5 Guys. Haven't been to one in a couple of years, now I'm hungry for a post-run burger. They make great burgers.
Sandy - stay away from all those protests. I have a friend in Paris now (for work). He posted that the city is a mess.
Valerie - WOW!!! Great picture. Jealous.
George - get some rest. I saw you were commenting on the RAT FB page much of the night and morning.
And he also bumped Harvey Lewis, Jon Olsen, and Adrian Stanciu from the top 6 for the 24-hour national team. I'l be figuratively holding my breath every time another 24-hour race is run for the next 5 and a half months to see if Bob can hold that 6th spot.
Yes, great report you had posted.
Don't know if that is more surprising or the fact that a woman needs to run 151.4 miles to get the 6th spot. My friend Laurie Dymond has no hope of getting to that mark.
dhuff - bummer. Next time.
valerienv- great photos, everything looks so fresh.
AT - yeah I think Brussels is being very cautious, the guy at the hotel said that they typically imitate Paris, but he hoped not in this case.
Yesterday in London.
Today in Brussels.
Apres run.
Road/Canal 10k this morning. Cut 15 seconds off last year so I've defeated the odds of getting older AND slower (at least this time! ). It's a local, casual race where the entry fee is either membership in the club or a loaf of homebaked bread. I made bread. And also got a loaf to take home. It's a fun race, but it has a long, steep hill near the end, coming off the c&o, that's a PB killer.
Valerie-- beautiful pictures! Must have been very uplifting to get above the inversion and see the sun!
DHuff-- sorry to hear about the DNF. Another day, another race.
Sue
2 point something yesterday and then ride the Quads in the hills all day. We could only get so far due to snow and bald tires. Then to a party at runner friends house. Got lost going there and hu#band was not too pleased that I did not have my phone to call but it was so easy The one time I was there...but so different in the dark . I was like let me drive I’ll know it by the feel which he was not to pleased with me. And just like that we found it.
Because we were all partying last night we met later today 8:30 and ran 12 miles. I felt pretty good and charged my way up those hils.
Qotd: need rain to damage trails and we aren’t getting any if that. On a side note last year the bikers built this trail called the Hoot trail. Guess it’s a fun roller coaster ride that is brining folks from all around. So normally Mt bikers hit this area around noon, we drove by yesterday at 9 am and the parking area was full.
Duff: sorry about your 50. Mud sounds about as much fun to run in as sand! Although you do need to overcome the fear of running in the dark alone.
Sandy: Guess I am out of the loop and will google what’s going on in London. I like your mapped runs, looks cool.
DC: nice job streaking, JAmie and I started one two for the month. We like and need gimics to motivate us.
valerie: looks like a beautiful day
xt: five guys burgers—until AT said sonething I was surprised you were out running with five guys who you got burgers with later
Jamie: Has thinking about me keep you going throughout the weekend?
05/13/23 Traverse City Trail Festival 25K
08/19/23 Marquette 50 dns 🙄
Awwww, why is tomorrow Monday?! I want more weekend.
Yesterday I ran the Hunter S Thompson Fear & Loathing 50k in San Francisco. A fat ass race on sections of the "49 mile scenic drive" around the city. A fun way to tour the city. But with 99% pavement and >3000 elevation gain, my legs are feeling it today. Here's the start and finish.
Valerie, jealous of your snow and trees.
Sandy, neat maps of your runs.
DHuff, looking forward to your RR. Sorry it was not your day.
QOTD: Like Queen said, we haven't had enough winter weather this year for it to make any difference on the trails. A couple years ago when we had a lot of rain, there were problems with trees coming down and some trail washouts. Pretty much fixed by the following year.
5/11/24 Grizzly Peak Marathon, Berkeley, CA
7/20/24 Tahoe Rim Trail 56 miler, NV
9/21/24 Mountain Lakes 100, OR