Hey all... 31 mi on the trails this past weekend. 10 mi of hilly Nolde Forest trails on Saturday and 21 miles on a mix of flat, twisty, hilly trails at White Clay Creek yesterday. It's snowing here today. Odd. Nothing is blooming yet. Plants are smart. First robin did show up yesterday in the yard. Maybe this means finally we are having the last snow. Oh. Running today. Plan to get out for an hour on the trails after work. Daylight savings time, extra daylight, and snow. Odd mix.
QOTD: Wife has her sewing hobby, I have my running hobby. I think right now the ledger is on my side. She used to travel with me in my road marathon days and is pretty supportive of my running.
In dog beers, I've only had one.
Pete
QOTD: No, never.
TrailTromper
Tallahassee, Florida
Faster Than Your Couch!
10 miles in slushy, sloppy snow. A bit exhausting due to the constant slipping and squashing along. Got sprayed by a car - it was not the driver's fault, he had no way of avoiding it as there was another car right next to him, it just so happened. I laughed it off, I was wet already anyway.
Came across some interesting birds, still have to look one up in the bird book. The other one was a falcon, sitting in a tunnel, hardly moving at all, even though I ran past him at about 4 feet distance. I was wondering if he was ill, but when I came back, he was not sitting there any more, so maybe he had just sought some shelter from the blizzard, or had been enjoying brunch (there's a creek, and many small birds around).
lynde: Congratulations on the glorious race! Well done, great placing!
T&C: Congratulations on the stairs race as well! Nice placing, good job! On another note, my in-laws will be celebrating Passover with us on Wednesday, when my family will join them for the week/end.
lace_up: Sorry for the Titanic-like mishap with your headlamp. Any clue which one you'll get as a replacement?
Jamie: No worries about the little one taking it too seriously. The post-race food is still more important to him than the result. I'll sign him up for a kids' race series held by our running club, 5 races in April and May, and there he'll meet his matches, I'm sure. Good for him, to get him leveled, without compromising his ambition and self-esteem.
QOTD: No. Sometimes I feel guilty about spending too much money on shoes and races, but usually, DH is very supportive. He likes new things for his swimming and other stuff, too.
Run for fun.
Occasional Runner
Not really. I think my buddy Leon is going to get me one. He's in the "gear" business and is an expert on such things. I'm eager to see what he comes up with though.
Sue
Poison Oak this am. Looks like I lost the boxing match. One eye almost closed so went to the doc and got a shot. Should run may not will see.
QOTD: The gear no complaints. If he knew what these races cost he would probaly complain.
05/13/23 Traverse City Trail Festival 25K
08/19/23 Marquette 50 dns 🙄
17 mile run through the canyon to the beach on Saturday was amazing, felt like I had the trails and the beach all to myself. Just got back from 8 miles at lunch today and will do some walking later tonight.
QOTD: Not much complaining here, she knows it makes me happy and as long as the bills are paid there is not much worry how I spend my money. Plus she gets her nails and hair all did up and I dont complain to her about that, so it all works out in the end.
Le professeur de trail
Hahaha. Funny...true but funny.
I think I figured what the deal is after reading everyone's responses. DW is not a shopper and doesn't spend much money at all (on herself anyway). She does like volleyball and plays in a league but all dues are paid/sponspred by a teammates employer. Pretty minimal money going into that hobby. So the reality is I have very little to compare to. The one time I wish DW was a shopper - doh!
My favorite day of the week is RUNday
Yesterday my dog and I went for a run on one of our favorite local trails. I don't go there much anymore. There is more foot traffic there (it recently was mired in controversy about development and people who didn't know it existed go there) and I can't let my dog go leashless because she barks at people and does not exactly come when I call her. Last night there was no one in the parking lot...so we hit the trail. We had a great run.
Unfortunately, the people who want to develop it into a paved bike trail won and this summer they will totally ruin my favorite local trail. To me it is like taking a valuable Ming Dynasty vase and making it into an ashtray.
I'm not sure if I will go back tonight. I may just go to my other running trail where I am less likely to run into other people. That trail finally opened up after nearly 3 years post wind storm that knocked down almost every tree there. It took all that time and a lot of chain saws to clear a path. Looks like a bomb hit it. I almost wish they would do a clear cut burn and plant some more trees. There is just nothing left but logs over the whole landscape.
qotd: Happily, I have no significant other to debate the issue. But my equiptment needs are pretty minimal anyway.
Happy trails!
January , 2022 Yankee Springs Winter Challenge 25k
Ultra Cowboy
FTYC, Congrats to your little one. hope he keeps the fun aspect of running...
We are enjoying all iterations of spring here....Sunshine all the time...Sometimes sparkly like frost, or Liquid like rain or moving fast like a north wind.
QOTD...it is cheaper than farming and that is all I have to say about that...
The last few days have been busy from a running perspective. I bought a pair of the NB 1210 Leadville's and put 40 miles in roughly 40 hours (Three days) on them with a pair of merino Feetures Socks. I'm happy..
Fri/Sat/ Sun was 6/10/24 miles, all on trails. Finished with 50 miles this week. Feeling good...
WYBMADIITY
Save
Uh oh... now what?
Yesterday my dog and I went for a run on one of our favorite local trails. I don't go there much anymore. There is more foot traffic there (it recently was mired in controversy about development and people who didn't know it existed go there) and I can't let my dog go leashless because she barks at people and does not exactly come when I call her. Last night there was no one in the parking lot...so we hit the trail. We had a great run. Unfortunately, the people who want to develop it into a paved bike trail won and this summer they will totally ruin my favorite local trail. To me it is like taking a valuable Ming Dynasty vase and making it into an ashtray. I'm not sure if I will go back tonight. I may just go to my other running trail where I am less likely to run into other people. That trail finally opened up after nearly 3 years post wind storm that knocked down almost every tree there. It took all that time and a lot of chain saws to clear a path. Looks like a bomb hit it. I almost wish they would do a clear cut burn and plant some more trees. There is just nothing left but logs over the whole landscape. ... qotd: Happily, I have no significant other to debate the issue. But my equiptment needs are pretty minimal anyway. Happy trails!
...
Something I wrote in response to the beautiful development on the northerly side of 29th Street NW in Timberhill.
Development
I knew it was coming. They had put up the "Public Hearing" signs.
This afternoon as I started the walk/jog/shuffle through the fieldthat leads to the trailthat leads to the hillthat leads to the forest---
Rats!
A barrier has been put up.It is part of the erosion control, the "'scuse us while we dig up everything" make-believe erosion control system.
The long-awaited subdivision is coming.
I have been spoiled by the nearness, both emotionally and physically,of the trails and the forests.
The subdivision is coming and some of the trails are going away.
It was a place of steep ups and downs,boggy spots and muddy springs,thorns and poison oak,frogs, rabbits, squirrels,and one hawk that used to scare me half to death with its "screeeeee"as the sun cracked the nearby hillside during my morning runs.
It's just a couple of hundred acres that will soon be cross-hatchedwith pavement and houses.It will drain better.The houses will all be code compliant and properly inspected,the plants and lawns will all be nicely watered and manicured,
but
they are ugly,
and
some of the trails are going away.
Run gently out there.
John M.
rgot
John, I feel with you. I am just glad most of my trails are in a State Forest, so they will probably be there somewhat permanently without being paved or "developed" (or taken away completely).
On another note, the one bird I saw yesterday was a belted kingfisher. I am not sure if they are that common in my area, and I'm glad I noticed it.
The other bird, the falcon, does not seem to be native to Central PA, just in MD, and more along the coast. Do you think it could still be a Peregrine falcon (looked exactly like one to me, with the slate-grey back and shoulders), or did I mistake that bird (I was slightly blinded, coming from the snow-covered, bright outside into the dark tunnel)?
Could it be a bird that has escaped from a hunter or club (there was a wild animal exhibition a week ago in town)?
I'd like to hear your opinion (and that of other bird watchers!) on that one.
Wow... you have a very good mind for detail to be able to imprint the image and then
go home and find it. With us, sometimes two pairs of eyes and minds (??) is not
enough and we are left wondering what we saw.
At this time of year many travelers (outliers, occasionals, blown-of-coursers, just a bird
that got hungry and paused when it should be on the wing... ) might be seen almost
anywhere as a late storm blows them off course on their way home.
The Belted Kingfisher would be common to your area (using The Audubon Society
Field Guide to North American Birds: Eastern Edition). They are residents in this
area. They are a lot of fun to watch later when the young ones are learning to fish.
Their 'click-click-click' as they fly makes them easy to identify by ear, then go to
the nearest water's edge and wait--you might get to see them fishing.
The Peregrine Falcon is uncommon in central Pennsylvania, but very few animals
can read so they might pass through by a new route. The book Living on the Wind :
Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds, Scott Weidensaul, is one of the best
books I have read about describing these true ultraathletes--the intercontinental
migratory birds. Pennsylvania is sort of the northern terminus for raptors on both
the southbound and northbound trips. Raptors like the mountain chain (think of an
Appalachian Trail for birds) because of all the air currents they can ride instead of
needing to fly (save energy by gliding).
Birds are one of our favorite "distractions" while out.