My First (and now my Second) 100 Mile Run

ahhh. That was nice!

2011-10-09T18:10:00.002-04:00

It has been a long while since I have posted anything and I have to say it has been a nice break. Not much to post: Work was crazy busy and we just completed the project last week. It will be nice to think that this project should provide a million or two of increased sales. However I still get miffed about why we had to do this project in the first place...sigh...

Started running again this week after I was 'persuaded' by my family to register for the Winter Run for Regis in January. I have been running a couple of times a week over the summer, nothing structured, nothing long; just some "Sanity" runs. I have to admit that it feels good to have an event on the horizon to get me out the door.

The weather has been fantastic this week! It will change, but it has been a glorious fall week. Denise and I went out this morning for a fall hike and enjoyed the colors and the smells of autumn. We then took the girls out this afternoon to Bedford Reservation to look at the Gorge Overlook. Not peak colors yet, but nice nonetheless.

Cross country has been going well for Abby. She PR'd again this week at Stow and the conference Championship race is this weekend. It is safe to say that her freshman year has exceed expectations and she has had a blast too!

Life is pretty good, and I am very very grateful...

Fence project completed.

2011-07-12T22:10:00.002-04:00

After a huge couple of week's worth of work, the fence is complete. Denise and the girls were a huge help and took lots of photos along the way. We compiled a slide-show for our enjoyment and maybe you will enjoy it too.

I am actually thinking about running again... It has been a nice break since Laurel and it is time to plan for a fall event. Many choices: Yut-c 50K, Run with Scissors, Wild Bill's FA. Hmmm, what to do? what to do? what to do?

Real Power Tools

2011-06-26T17:18:00.003-04:00

So, now that my Laurel Highlands race has been completed, what is next? Well, Denise and I have been discussing the idea of a wooden fence for the backyard ever since we moved in here almost 9 years ago! The time has arrived...

I plotted out where we thought we wanted the fence to go and calculated the amount of materials we would need. 285 feet of fence, 40 posts, and around 610 pickets... I also got a quote for someone to install the fence for me... Needless to say, I am doing this myself and saving some serious money.

Anyways, with 40 holes to dig, I was NOT going to attempt that by hand, so I went to the Solon Hardware Rental Counter and asked what kind of tools I could use. They recommended the Toro Dingo with a 12" auger attachment. This was an awesome piece of equipment to say the least! Here is a picture of me just after I unloaded the machine and was headed into the woods to dig a practice hole.

There was a certain technique involved to get the holes straight, and I got pretty good at it after 30 holes. The back section of our property has several small trees with some beech trees mixed in. Lots and lots of roots to work through. I was able to dig a bit and then have to clean the roots from the auger, or worse, cut the roots out of the way. That was not too fun but a saw-saw, shovel, pick, and spud-bar helped a lot.

Here is another in-action photo as I was in the 'easy' grassy part near the end.

40 holes in 6 hours! I had estimated that I would use as much of the 24-hour rental time as I could in order to get all of the holes completed. I was very pleasantly surprised with how well the dingo performed.

This last photo is of me as I moved the dingo back to start the first 'real' hole. It shows the pile of lumber that is soon to become a nice red-cedar picket fence!

Tomorrow is the hole inspection. That's right, Twinsburg requires that the post holes be inspected before you set the posts... Then I get to do a little concrete mixing for the poles. This will be time-consuming since getting the poles set straight and level is crucial for a good-looking fence. I will start in the back for practice...

More updates later as the project progresses. I am enjoying the opportunity to use some other muscles for a change instead of just running.

2011 Laurel Highlands Race Report

2011-06-13T20:00:00.001-04:00

Pre-race:

I drove down to Johnstown, PA Friday afternoon and arrived at the pasta dinner at 5:45pm. I checked in and received my bib number and shirt. The race directors started covering the necessary information while we were eating our meal. The course description was a bit confusing and I stopped listening around halfway through. My biggest fear was getting lost during this race and the description was doing nothing to reduce this fear.

Eventually, the meeting was over and I drove back up to the finish line where I found a parking place and proceeded to get my stuff ready for the early 3:30am departure. I had decided to sleep in my car and catch the shuttle bus to the starting line. I was by myself for this race, no crew or pacer, and I wanted to keep it simple. I fell asleep fairly fast and only woke up to close my window when a brief rainstorm passed by.

I woke up before my alarm went off and got ready for the day. The bus departed on time for the trip to the start at Ohiopyle. While I was waiting for the start, it felt like I had sandpaper in my left sock. I removed my shoe and leftover grit from my last muddy trail run was still in my shoe… Not a good thing… I was starting to panic a bit but then used my extra water to wash my foot off, re-lubed with Vaseline, and hoped for the best. My right foot felt fine. First lesson: Make sure your shoes and socks are clean!!!

The race director prayed a short prayer and then said “10 seconds to the start”… then a simple “Go” and we were off.

Race:

The trail is simply beautiful! Yes, the first 12 miles are tough with the rocks and climbs, but overall, it is an amazing trail. There were several maze-like sections through large rocks, similar to the Ledges area in the CVNP. The mountain laurel was blooming, but I think that we were a bit late for peak. There were several sections of the trail that went through what seemed like an endless sea of ferns. Very nice to see and they did not completely cover the trail like people said they have in years past.

The trail was marked with yellow blazes on trees and rocks where appropriate. As I mentioned earlier, my biggest fear was getting lost. This fear was unfounded. There was only one section that went through a grove of hemlock trees. The trail was almost non-existent since the needles made the ground all look the same. The blazes were on the trees, but with some blow-downs mixed in, it was a challenge. I was glad that I hit this section before nightfall.

The detour was not real fun since we had to leave the trail and go on the roads around the closed bridge. The sun was out, it was hot, but I could see storm clouds coming our way. I have never wished for rain during a run until now… It did start to rain as I neared the end of the detour and it indeed felt very nice to cool off a bit.

The soft trail felt so good again under my feet. Despite my best efforts at blister prevention, I could feel some hot spots forming. I stopped at the 44-mile aid station and applied more Vaseline to my left heel in an effort to slow down the formation of the blister. I knew that I would not stop it and would just have to manage. My right foot decided to also join the “blister party” and I knew that it was going to be an interesting night.

I still felt pretty good mentally and my legs felt good too so I kept running. It was getting dark so I turned on my headlamp and kept going through the ferns. I looked ahead and I saw something in the trail. I first thought it was a possum, but it was larger. Raccoon? Wrong color. Wow it was a porcupine! It was trying to run down the trail away from me as fast as its little stubby legs would go. I was running slowly behind it clapping my hands and making all kinds of noise in an effort to “encourage” it to move off of the trail. It finally turned left into the ferns and then stopped about 1 foot off of the trail.

I thought that was weird. Why would it stop? I could see the top of the porcupine sticking up over the ferns. It was not far enough off of the trail for me to pass safely. I did NOT want to get stuck by quills. I was shouting and making all sorts of noise…not a movement! I grabbed a rock and tossed it at the porcupine and nothing!!! I slowly moved closer to it and peered around and it was a stupid tree stump!!! Boy did I feel silly. I immediately recalled a hallucination story I heard a guy tell during Burning River about, of all things, a porcupine that blocked his path. I knew that I was NOT hallucinating but was just happy that the critter had moved on… I was laughing at myself pretty hard as I started running down the trail again.

Not 10 yards later, my “friend” was back to running down the trail away me again! It tried to climb a tree and got up around 3-feet before it peered around and saw me coming at it. Its eyes got big and it dropped back to the ground and kept going! By now I was laughing and screaming, “Just go right or go left! Get outta the way!!!” Eventually, it went right and climbed up a tree around 10 feet off of the trail. Finally, I could pass by.

The night was quiet with a clear sky and near-full moon. The fireflies were out and it was a very peaceful time. I did not see nor hear anyone for most of the night except for the aid stations.

My feet were becoming more and more uncomfortable and I knew that I would make the cutoffs for a finish, barring an injury. It was now just matter of if I would make 21 or 22 hours. I was able to run the flats and power hike the uphills, but the downhills just killed me. My pace was getting slower and slower but I tried to keep positive and keep moving.

The last two aid stations had soup! Boy did that ever taste good and helped to lift my mood. It was tempting to stay a bit longer and enjoy the food, but I wanted to get to the finish line. I still did not see anyone on the trail until mile 75, when a group of 3 passed me on the 3-mile downhill section… I tried to hang with them but my feet did not want any of it…

I could hear and see lights of the finish line ahead and I crossed the line after completing the 77 miles in 21 hours and 28 minutes.

The race director handed me my finisher’s award, which is a wooden replica of the trail mileposts. There was a 77 etched in the front. We will receive a plate with our name and finishing time engraved on it to complete the trophy! Pretty cool! The best part is that the 77-mile is a limited edition, 2010 and 2011, since the race will revert back to the 70.5 mile distance next year!

More soup at the finish line! I also had a bowl of beans and rice, which also tasted really good. I chatted with Jim for while and felt my exercise-induced coma approaching. I said goodnight and headed to my car. Changed clothes and tried to wash the worst of the grim off of me and quickly fell asleep. I woke up at 5:40am and they were tearing down the finish area. Fell back asleep and woke up again at 7am. I was the only one left in the parking lot…

Lessons learned:

1) Go a little easier at the start. I knew better and thought that I was going pretty conservatively. I backed off a bit once I realized what I had done but…

2) Blisters. Wash my shoes completely before a race.

3) This is “only” a 77-mile race. Treat it like a 100-mile race. It will punish you if you don’t… trust me…

I am pretty pleased with how things went since it could have been a lot worse. I hope to find out next year how it can be better!

Laurel Highlands pre-race prep complete

2011-06-09T20:07:00.002-04:00

I just finished packing my drop bag and gear for the Laurel Highlands Trail Ultra. I will leave tomorrow afternoon to drive down to the finish line, take the shuttle bus at 3:30am saturday morning to the starting line, and then at 5:30am, start running back to my car!

This is my extra incentive to complete the race: My ride home is at the finish line... :)

Weather looks like it could be rainy, but hey, it is not like I did not do any training this spring in the rain... I knew those runs would come in handy.

Taper is going well since I am about to jump out of my skin. I like this feeling of excitement, fear, and anticipation of a wonderful experience on a fantastic trail...at least everyone says that the trail is fantastic. I...can't...wait!!!!

Race report will appear next week...

"I like the mud, really I do!"

2011-05-29T19:34:00.005-04:00

I keep say that to myself thinking that I might actually start to believe it! It is almost working which is good, because I really don't have much of a choice. It has been really really rainy this spring, but, everything is really really green!

The past couple of weeks have gone well, training-wise. I had a great run last weekend in the mud to break in my new shoes. At one point near the goat farm, I ran out of my left shoe! I stood there for a moment and then started to laugh to myself.

Yesterday I ventured back down to the CVNP and participated in the "No Frills, Just Hills" FA run at Kendall Hills. A 2-mile loop around Kendall Lake that went up and down the hills. The idea is to see how many laps you can complete in 6 hours. I decided to just go down and complete 10 laps. I started early since I had a long "to-do" list for the day. Lots of wet grass that quickly turned to muddy grass. The section of the trail that ventured into the woods was also muddy. The only non-muddy part was the parking lot at Kendall Lake! It was nice to catch up with some old friends and meet some new ones too! All in all, a very fun run!

Today I was able to do some heat-training since summer has decided to arrive. Hot, sweaty 8 miles on the trails here near home. The turkeys were out gobbling like crazy and box turtle blocked my way on a bridge, well, actually he didn't block my way, but it was pretty cool to see.

My training for Laurel is now complete and taper begins tomorrow. I need to get my pace chart created and get my drop bag(s) planned. The mental game really begins now...

Oh yeah, here is what I found yesterday morning before I left for my 20-mile run:

Gina had left a note for me before she went to bed Friday night! Needless to say it was a awesome way to start my day. She is leaving tomorrow afternoon for a three-week trip to Italy! She is very excited to say the least and it is going to be very very quiet around here...

Another good week in the mud

2011-05-01T19:25:00.002-04:00

Another rainy week here in NE Ohio which meant the trails were M-U-D-D-Y!!! I ventured into the CVNP again yesterday and parked at Snowville road. My plan was to run the BT50K course for a nice long run. I started off towards Oak Grove and quickly found myself in the mud. There was no place to hide or ways to avoid it. It was pretty sloppy. I was running with my new Nathan hydration vest since I plan on using it for the Laurel Highlands race. As I left the car, I placed my key in my pocket on my running shorts since I had already put the pack on my back and was too lazy to undo everything and put the key in a pouch.

As I was sloshing my way through the muddy trails I was trying to enjoy the sunny morning. It was nice to hear the birds singing and to see blue sky for a change. I soon found myself at Ottawa point and reached around behind me to make sure my key was still there in my pocket... it was not! I almost panicked, ok I did panic for a short moment. I checked again and sure enough, no key. I thought maybe the key fell out when I put it in my pocket and it is on the pavement near my car. Sure, that is what happened... I continued on towards Oak Grove and I checked the pocket again, and found a hole...bummer... That key is surely lost somewhere in the 4 miles between Snowville road and Ottawa point. I turned around and started heading back, with my eyes scanning the trail fruitlessly for a key. I knew that chances were very very slim for finding it but I had to at least try. I saw a couple of runners and asked them to keep an eye out for a key, thinking, maybe, maybe we would get lucky. Got back to my car to check the parking lot and then retraced my trail back towards Ottawa point for a bit, just to see... nothing...

I called Denise to explain my situation and as I ran on towards Boston Store, she brought down an extra key and left it at the car. I was now able to run again w/o trying to look for a key... I made it to Boston Store and then on to Pine Lane. The trail from Boston to Pine lane was not as muddy as I thought it would be. The section from Snowville to Boston however more than made up for it.

Ended the day with close to 30 miles of sloppy running and ran another 15 today on pavement... Denise ran with me for 10 miles so that meant no mud! (which suited me just fine!) Another solid week of training in the books and one week closer to race day. My confidence is building and I am starting to form my race-day plan.

I will take a recovery-week this week, giving me time to get Mother's Day activities planned, and then start the last build period. Taper will start May 30!

Wet Feet

2011-04-11T17:36:00.000-04:00

Another good weekend of running! I ventured into the CVNP for a very muddy 24 miles. I felt pretty good during the entire time and just tried to keep moving. It was much easier to just plow down the middle of the trail rather than try to find an easier path around the edges. There was not an easier path...

Sunday I went back to South Chagrin Reservation and ran another 16 miles on the muddy bridle trails. I headed downhill from Harper Ridge towards Richmond road. This section of the trail is pretty grassy, but was very wet and soggy. I was a muddy mess when I arrived back at my car to refill my water bottles.

A Land Rover SUV (redundant, I know) pulled into the parking space next to my car. "Barbie and Ken" along with their little "foo-foo" white dog which was smaller than our cat, climbed out. These two people were immaculately coiffed and stared at me and my mud-covered shoes and legs with an incredulous look... It was priceless as I nodded my head and asked "Hey, How are you doing?"

I grabbed a banana, closed the trunk, and headed back out onto the trail towards Miles Road. This section has three stream crossings and I have in the past used rocks, or fallen trees to avoid getting wet. I admit, I am a bit of a wuss when it comes to wet feet. Today, I decided that since I was already muddy and my feet were already wet, what harm could a little water do? So when the stream crossings arrived, I simply went straight through them. Big fun! I felt like a kid again. AND, it washed some of the mud off of my shoes. Sure, I had some squishy shoes for a couple of minutes, but they drained pretty fast and my feet really were not any wetter than they already were. It was also a lot easier to run through the water rather than trying to pick a path around it.

My new race plan: Flow with the trail, don't fight it. It is much more fun!

A win!

2011-04-03T16:06:00.003-04:00

The weather forecast for the weekend said rain/snow mix and mid thirties for the temperature. I needed to get a long run in and decided that 40 and dark was better than mid-30s and wet. So I started running friday night after work and completed the Inaugural Twinsburg Marathon! I won the race outright for my first win ever! Of course, I was the only one running, but that is a minor point...

Getting the run out of the way friday evening allowed me to nearly complete the bathroom remodel project yesterday! Denise and Abby cleaned the excess grout from the tile friday, allowing me to set the granite vanity and reset the toilet. I added all of the necessary caulking around the tub and back-splash, and this afternoon I remounted the mirror and replaced the light fixture. Project is now complete! I will post some before and after pictures later this week.

My training for the Laurel Highlands race is going ok. My mileage is not as high as I would like since I have not been getting all of my mid-week runs completed. This crazy thing called "life" keeps getting in the way. However, I have had some great weekend runs and those are the ones that really matter. Friday night's marathon was a good confidence booster and mental test. The next two months is when the real training starts; the prior work has been 'training to train'.

I will start heading to the CVNP for some hills and start to get my nutrition plan in place. The aid stations are farther apart at Laurel and I will need to carry more stuff with me. Choosing the right food(s) and packing it for easy access will be important.

"Goosed" on the "Fool's" Course

2011-03-26T15:52:00.002-04:00

First of all, I want to wish everyone running the Fool's 50K tomorrow a safe and fun run! I ventured out this morning and ran one lap of the course and threw on an extra loop of the Boston Run for a nice 18-19ish miles.

I was happy that it was cold this morning since the trail was nice and frozen. There were lots of shoe/boot prints in the frozen mud and tomorrow's cold temps should provide a fast course. I started at Happy Days and eventually made my way over to Ledges and Pine Grove. Nice quiet morning with the sun shining strong. I crossed over to Kendall Lake and was running across the dam when I noticed two canadian geese on the trail ahead of me. I started making noise in an effort to get them to wander over to the side of the trail. One goose cooperated, the other one however wanted to be difficult. It started hissing and spread its wings and started to charge at me! The goose made a lunge at me but missed as I ran by it. I had a couple of chuckles as I started up the hill on the Salt Run Trail.

As I passed by the short-loop connector, my right foot caught a root and I started to fall. I almost caught myself but started down. As I felt the gravel start to embed into my gloved hand, things started to move in slow motion. I realized that I really need to learn how to tuck and roll when I fall. I then relaxed my arms and started to roll onto my right shoulder. That worked and I found myself flat on my back with my waist propped up on my water bottles. The slow-motion mode stopped as I wondered "How did I get here?" I picked myself up and brushed off the dirt and had another laugh to myself...

The rest of the run was uneventful. Nice morning, great route, good hills! It does not get much better than the CVNP on an early saturday morning!

Watching the snow melt,,,

2011-03-13T19:01:00.003-04:00

The past couple of weeks has provided a wild mix of weather here in NE Ohio. My training through the week has been pretty spotty, but I have managed to get my long runs in on the weekends. Last weekend I went 10 saturday and 20 sunday. Yesterday I managed 12 miles in the slush and another 20 miles today.

Yesterday was sunny and mid-40s. The snow was literally melting as I ran laps on the Old Hickory Trail. My foot-prints became larger and larger as the snow melted and by the last lap, the trail surface was visible. I decided early on in the run to simply run through any water/slush/snow/whatever since it would be impossible to stay out of it. My feet were cold and wet for most of the day, but it was very very fun to splash around through the muck.

Today's run provided a good mental challenge and victory since I was letting the gray sky and the thought of running another 20 miles around Twinsburg get me down. I realized that I should stop thinking about the entire distance; break it into manageable chunks, just like an ultra! Also, I need to get my attitude adjusted back and be thankful that I am able to run, yet alone be able to run long... I finished the day tired, but with a smile on my face.

Laurel Highlands is coming up fast! With the winter that we have had, I am sure that race day will be hot and humid! But you know what? I am ready to sweat...

Boot Camp: Day #1

2011-02-21T10:41:00.002-05:00

I needed a boost, or a swift kick in the pants, in order to start to get some strength back into my core and upper body. Denise found a 'deal' on Living Social for a boot camp package. Today was my first day...

I used muscles that I forgot that I had...

It was a lot of fun and as someone in the class commented, "The hardest 45-minutes of the day!" I will go again Thursday and then start a Tue-Thur set for the remaining sessions. I think that it will be a good thing. I expect to be a bit sore tomorrow and really sore on Wednesday... The ole 48-hour DOMS will be in full force!

Had a good week of running. 42.5 miles total. Yesterday's 20-miles in Bedford Reservation went well. I managed to finish just before the snow/sleet/freezing rain started! I saw my friend Andy on the trail near the end of my run and it was good to catch up a bit with him. Last week's warmer weather was great change and it allowed almost all of the snow to melt from the trails. I am getting anxious for spring even though I know that there is a lot of winter left.

Busy Beavers

2011-01-30T15:50:00.002-05:00

Completed a good week with a total of 35 miles! Yesterday's 12.5 miles were tough on the snowy trails. I was going to do a few laps of the Old Hickory trail but there was only one other set of tracks through the snow. (Probably mine from last week!) I was not looking forward to 4 laps of this until I completed my first lap and saw the Twinsburg Hiking club gathered at the top of the hill. Great! They would pack down the snow for me! I completed a loop down in the park and then headed back up to Old Hickory. Yes indeed, the snow was knocked down, but packed? Not really... It was like mashed potatoes and each footstep was more of a foot-slip! I just kept moving the best that I could and ended up with a great 2.5 hours on the trails. Slow moving, but moving...

Today's 8 miles went much better! The snow had a chance to solidify overnight and the Old Hickory trail was in much better shape. Still a bit sloppy in places but over-all pretty good. I will take it.

As I left our garage at the start of my run, a hawk let out a screech that nearly made me jump out of my skin. It was about 20 feet up in the tree next to the house... Good thing I was not a mouse! Down by the creek, the local beaver family had chewed through a tree last night and it had fallen across the trail. It was pretty neat to see the pile of wood-chips at the base of the tree and to see the tracks of the beavers as they removed branches and pulled them down to the creek. They were pretty busy...

Looks like another week of winter weather ahead. Snow early in the week and then cold for the weekend. At least the snow should be hard for the weekend long run...

Spring is coming...right?

Not the sharpest tool in the shed...

2011-01-19T19:43:00.003-05:00

Last friday I was feeling a cold coming on and decided saturday morning that I would skip my planned run for the day since I was feeling pretty crappy. I thought that common sense should prevail for a change and I would rest in an effort to reduce the effects of the cold. Then my friend Paul called and asked "Do you want to run this afternoon?" Of course, I said "Yes!" So much for common sense...

We left from Shelter House in South Chagrin metro park and headed towards the Polo Fields. The snow was anywhere from 6-12 inches deep and there was 'mostly' a path formed in the snow from hikers, XC skiers, and show-shoes. The temperature was warm enough to keep the snow soft, but the wind kept the chill factor low. It was a slow go but a great chance to catch up with Paul and enjoy the day. I was feeling pretty beat but started to feel a bit better after an hour of slogging. We managed to get 1.5 hours of movement in. (It was sort-of running, but movement may be a better description.) A stop at Caribou for coffee on the way home and it was a good day!

I crashed early saturday evening and woke up at 10:30pm in a crazy wet sweat! My shirt was totally soaked through but I felt much better... I am feeling better each day and now, I just need to rid of this lingering cough. I hate being sick, but now maybe I am done with the colds for the winter??

I am now off a week for my Laurel Highlands training, but at this early stage, one week is not really going to matter much. I have to always keep the big picture in mind. Don't worry about numbers on a printout or schedule, those are just guidelines. Listen to your body and keep healthy.

I need to keep working on that "keep healthy" part...

2010/2011

2011-01-03T12:48:00.002-05:00

2010 went by much too fast! However I have lots of things to be thankful for. First, my Dad's Multiple Myeloma is in remission after 5 of 8 chemo treatments. The doctors evidently had the wrong dosage and 5 treatments instead of the 8 scheduled cleared things up. However, the side-effects were pretty harsh to Dad. Next, the sale of the Keithley Instruments to Danaher is complete and we are now part of the Tektronics group. There was much speculation about what would happen but things appear to be good and 2011 will be an interesting year for sure.

I completed my second Burning River 100-Mile run in July with my goal finish time of sub 24-hours achieved! (23 hours and 31 minutes) It was an incredible experience and one of those days were almost everything went as planned. I tallied my miles for the year and ended up with 1495 miles! Too bad I did not do this a couple of days sooner since I am sure that I would have managed to get another 5 miles....

Goals for this year? Complete the Laurel Highlands Ultra. (77-miles) This race contains a lot more hills and will be a great challenge to complete. Someone said that it is a 100-mile race disguised as a 77-miler... Should be "fun"... I also want to complete the "Run with Scissors" double marathon in the fall again.

My parents will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this summer along with Denise and I having our 20th! Should be lots of reasons to celebrate! Denise and I hope to get the family back to the ADK again for some great hiking! Mt Marcy is calling our name this summer...

Snow run

2010-12-11T10:25:00.002-05:00

What a beautiful sunny morning! The snow has stopped falling, at least for a day, and I needed to get outside for a few miles of running. I was not sure how deep the snow would be in the woods and not sure if anyone had ventured out this week to pack the trails down. Much to my surprise, the trail was mostly packed with only the Old Hickory trail covered with virgin snow.

I love being the first to track through a snow-covered trail! Yes, it is a lot of work, and you do not move too fast, but the return trip is easier! I did stop short at the last of the two long bridges at the gardens however. The knee-deep snow was getting the best of me! It was a great high-stepping session though...

They are forecasting the arrival of a large storm tomorrow with more snow on the way! I am really happy that I like running in the snow, unless I want to use the treadmill, that will be my only other option.

I am just thankful that I can get outside...

Night Run Haiku

2010-12-01T19:01:00.003-05:00

Running in the dark

Feels like I am very fast

My watch does not lie...

Nice run in the dark and snow after work tonight. Sloppy trails but it was nice to clear my head. Funny how the night time makes the run feel so fast, but actually it is a lot slower. I also noticed that no one else was out tonight! hmmm....

I am over my cold, finally, and it feels good to not be coughing so much. Now, it is time to get a race scheduled for next summer. So far, Laurel Highlands for early summer and Run with Scissors for the fall are the leading candidates...

Consistency? What is that?

2010-11-07T18:31:00.002-05:00

We all know that consistent training will allow for the best improvement verses haphazard activity. Unfortunately, trying to get life to cooperate to allow for the consistency is the biggest obstacle. Another common tidbit of information is that we always seem to be able to squeeze the activities that we *really* want to do into our schedule, no matter what... So what am I saying?

I guess that it took a crazy week at work to make me realize how much I have missed the consistent running that training for an event provides. (or forces you to do) I was feeling very very stressed and needed that release that running provides. Now that daylight savings time has ended, I and my headlamp will become one again... I have managed to actually run back-to-back days this weekend! It has been a while since that has happened!

I am struggling with trying to choose an event to train for for next summer. I always do better when I have a target to aim for. It is harder for me to 'just go run' and the motivation, or fear, of a looming event helps to get me out the door, especially now that winter is fast approaching!

I am on the fence regarding Burning River for 2011. Advantages are: is it is local, I know the course, logistics are easy for my crew. Disadvantages are: I know the course. A 100-mile race is never easy and I feel myself wanting to try a different venue. More importantly, I am not sure if I want to commit to the training for a 100 mile race. A spring and fall 50-mile race is sounding pretty good right now. (Two 50s make for a 100 right?? Ha!)

Options I am considering are: Glacier Ridge Trail 50K or 50 mile (April 9)
Nite-owl 50 mile (FA race late May)
Mohican 50 miles (if they have it) (June)
Run with Scissors double marathon (October)

Or do I choose a marathon and try to run faster? That means training on asphalt.... yuk!

I have time to get this figured out. For now, I will work on getting back to at least 4 runs a week and start to build my long run back up to 20 miles. This will get me through the early winter until I choose a race or two.

Sorry, it has been a while...

2010-10-15T12:19:00.002-04:00

Wow! Time flies when, well, you know the rest...

I have been busy trying to catch up on all of the "projects" that were neglected while I was training for the Burning River 100 race. So far the deck has been stained, window trim painted, shutters painted, and office closet cleaned out. There are still lots of things on the list remaining and we are slowly getting them checked off.

Fall has arrived with the flurry of school activities. Abby's XC season will complete next week and since the football team is doing well, Marching Band will probably stretch long into the post-season. Denise will participate in her 5th Columbus Marathon this weekend and we are all looking forward to cheering her on and to see how the day unfolds for her.

I am in a maintenance-mode of running with a few random bouts of 'stress-relief' running thrown in. Speaking of stress relief, the company that I work for has been acquired and the close of the deal should occur in December. Merry Christmas... I think it is a good thing. At least the indications and statements made so far seem positive for our engineering group. But of course, the devil is in the details... I just have to keep remembering the end section of my last post regarding things I can control, and things that I cannot control... It seems that I have to keep relearning this lesson...

Life Changing Events

2010-08-30T20:37:00.004-04:00

This photo was taken in late June, 1987. I had just spent the last 3.5 hours pedaling the 22-miles up "Going to the Sun Highway" in Glacier National Park. Logan Pass was the highest point I would reach on my 4155-mile bicycle trip across America. I was almost 25-years old and had a list of questions that I was hoping to find answers to over the next 3000 or so miles. Questions like, "What am I going to do with my life?", "What about relationships?", "Is there life outside of my hometown?". Normal stuff, I thought...

As I traveled east across the back-roads of America, I was watching for and soaking in all that I could in an attempt to learn and find answers. I finished my trip with eyes wide-open and realized that there was another world outside of my little hometown and I needed to get out.

I changed jobs and moved to Cleveland where I started to date the "hot" new aerobics instructor. We shared lots of hikes and walks in the metro parks and I eventually asked her to marry me! Thankfully she said 'yes'!

Tomorrow marks 19 years since Denise and exchanged our promises to each other. It only seems like 19 weeks since time has passed so quickly. It has been an adventure to say the least and I am so excited to think about the next 19 years!

The photo below is of Denise taken during our honeymoon at Glacier National Park! No, we did not ride our bikes there, but we had some fantastic day-hikes.

Denise, thank you for the best 19 years of my life! I love you...

Oh, by the way, I never did find any answers to those questions. What I did find however was more valuable: I had an attitude change. I realized that God has it all under control. All I have to do is to trust and relax and let His plan unfold. Easy? No. But does it provide peace? You betcha!

100-Mile recovery...

2010-08-22T20:37:00.003-04:00

...is taking me a long time! I have been able to complete some 4 and 5-mile runs these past couple of weeks. My feet feel much better however my left index toenail is hanging on by a thread. I wish it would just hurry up and fall off already...

Running feels good, I just get tired after 4 miles. The same kind of tired that 20 miles felt like. I am hopeful that at least I want to run, unlike 2 years ago where I did not even want to lace up the shoes.

I am also pleased with my nutrition post-race. I have not really changed anything from our normal vegetarian diet and I am pleased that I did not gain 10 pounds like last time. It is all good.

We took a hike today on the Salt Run trail at Kendall Hills to celebrate Denise's birthday and it was nice to get back onto the valley trails again, even if it was not for a run. We packed a lunch for after wards and was just hanging out when I looked in the sky behind us and saw nothing but big black clouds. We gathered our things and headed towards the car. Once inside, the sky opened up and the rain fell. Hard! It only lasted a few minutes, but I am glad that we were not caught out in it.

The girls are adjusting to the school routine. Hopefully, Denise and I will also...

2010 Burning River Race Report

2010-08-07T15:24:00.015-04:00

"8 minutes to spare"

I could tell that I was nearing the Shadow Lake Aid station by the sounds of the volunteers cheering in the runners. As I approached the area, two guys in red shirts asked what I needed. I handed my two bottles to them and followed the shouts of my crew, “Jerry! We’re over here!” I went over to them and asked Denise for pretzels and two power bars. By this time the volunteers had filled my bottles and returned them to me. I shouted “THANKS VOLUNTEERS” and headed out towards the next aid station! My crew just stood there shaking their heads, wondering what in the world just happened?

This was my second entry into the world of 100-Mile ultra running. I completed my first Burning River 100 in 2008 and was hoping to better my time of 26:28 with a target goal of 24 hours or less. The number one goal however was to finish, which is never guaranteed… My race plan this year was pretty simple: 10-minute run/2-minute walk. Walk any up-hills. Get in and out of the aid stations as fast as possible.

The Burning River 100 was the 2010 USATF 100-Mile Championship race and as a result, a record number of participants started the race at 5am. The starting area was awash with runners and their crew/family. I was not able to find Kirk, JP, or Greg, but I did see Mark, Suzanne, and Maria! Before long, “Happy Birthday” and the National Anthem were performed and Joe said “Go!” So go we did…

My nutrition plan was to eat small amounts of food during my 2-minute walk breaks instead of waiting until an aid station to shove a lot of food into my stomach. I was hoping that this would help minimize the energy swings and help keep my stomach in line. In addition, I was using chia seed gel as a calorie source and to help even out my energy level.

My crew was going to wait along the course somewhere in South Chagrin Metro Park to cheer the runners and Denise had mentioned a possible location of somewhere after the stream crossing. As I crossed the creek, I let out a little “Hoo-eee” call and I heard a return call from Denise. The guy running next to me was pretty impressed… It was nice to see my crew and to let them know that things were going well. Before long, I was arriving at the Shadow Lake aid station for the first real meeting as I described above. Denise told me later that their heads were spinning. There was no banter, no joking, I had my ‘game face’ on!

The first part of the race went very well. I would run/walk/eat and get in and out of the aid stations as fast as possible. I had printed out a pace chart to use for reference and was running just under a 21-hour pace. Fast, I know, but I also knew that I would slow down later on the course once the hills started and at night. My crew surprised me by waiting at Bridal Veil Falls in Bedford Reservation for another cheering session before going on to Station Road. But, before I could get to Station Road, I had to traverse 2.5 miles of exposed Tow Path trail. I really dread this section of the course and could not wait to complete it. Like 2008, I walked most of this section to conserve energy and I was so happy to get to Station Road.

Denise had a chair set up on the other side of the railroad tracks for me to use for my first of two planned shoe changes. As I cleaned my feet, I heard the train approaching the station. Oh no! The aid station exit was on the other side and I did not have my shoes on yet! I completed a “now leisurely” shoe change since I could not leave if I wanted to. However, the extra couple of minutes was nice and really did not hurt anything. My friend Scott was there at the aid station taking video of the whole exchange.

I left the aid station and headed into Brecksville Reservation. I looked ahead and a co-worker, George, was there with his two daughters. I had joked with him earlier in the week that I would give a shout as I ran by his house. Instead, he met me along the path with a sign that his girls made! It was really sweet and I am sure that his girls did not know what to make of me or of any of the other runners going by! Scott met me again along the trail at a stream crossing, video camera running as I stepped across the stream on the rocks.

The Ottawa Point aid station was crazy! Lots of cars parked along the road, lots of people, lots of food! I grabbed fluids, a banana, fig bars, and out I went towards Snowville Road. I was starting to feel a bit tired now and consumed a hammer gel for a quick pick-me-up. Was not working…hmmm. How about some power-bar? Still not working and feeling worse… I was expecting to have a ‘bad’ section at some point and I think this was it…

I managed to get to the aid station at Snowville, refilled my bottles, and was still feeling pretty bad. I almost threw up there but managed to hold it together. I left the aid station and started walking up the stairs to the top of the ridge. I realized that all of the food that I had taken in from Ottawa point was just sitting in my gut. I also then realized that I had cinched my waist pack belt too tight in an effort to keep my bottles from bouncing, which prevented the food in my stomach from moving through. So, loosen the belt, keep walking to help my body process the calories, and wait until things stabilize. Fortunately, that was the right call and by the time I hit Columbia Road, I was feeling much, much better. Lesson learned: Stick to the plan of frequent, small amounts of food!

Boston Store #1 was another fast in-and-out after a bathroom break and I managed to get past the Stanford Road section without too much grief. It seemed as if the hill had grown a LOT since my last training run down there! I picked up my first pacer, Andy, at Boston Store #2 and we made reasonable time towards Pine Lane. My feet were starting to feel the effects of 55 miles of running and they were starting to talk back to me a bit. Andy was doing exactly what I had asked him to do: Keep me moving! After the Pine Lane aid station, I caught a root and went down! Fortunately, the fig Newton that I had in my hand helped to break the fall a bit. However the cookie did not survive the impact…

We caught up with Mike George and chatted with him a bit as we traveled along the road. My feet did not like the hard surface at all and I could not wait until we got back onto the trails. Andy and I discussed the idea of me changing shoes earlier at Pine Hollow instead of waiting until Covered Bridge. My feet were really uncomfortable and it was becoming more and more difficult to run.

Meanwhile, my crew was having fun with our neighbor’s and pacer’s families and gave Andy and I a rousing greeting at Pine Hollow #1. We stopped briefly to say hello and then off for the Salt Run loop. Andy and I had caught up with Dave, Bob, and Greg on the backside of the Salt Run loop and I was happy to see some familiar faces on the trail. They pulled ahead on one of the uphill sections and I told Andy to let them go. Maybe we’ll see them again…

Back to Pine Hollow #2 for a pacer change and a shoe change. What a difference a pair of shoes can make! My feet still hurt, but not nearly as much and I was able to run again.

Mike, my second pacer, and I kept running, walking when necessary, eating, and enjoying the fantastic evening. We made it through the Wetmore and Perkins Trail and back to Covered Bridge #2. After a short pit-stop, Denise told me as we left that we had an 8-minute cushion for a 24-hour finish! Not a lot of time, especially with how I was feeling…

As we progressed down the road toward Hale Farm, I was talking with Mike and saying that I thought it would be close one way or the other and that I was ok with going a bit over 24 hours. Then not a minute later, I realized that I did want 24-hours, and I wanted it pretty bad! I did not train all winter and spring to miss my goal by a couple of minutes! I told Mike that it was time to get our game on!

The next 15 miles was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I had a single focus: Get to the finish line as fast as I could! We would run as much as I could, then walk for 30-seconds, then run. Mike would let me know if we were making up time or losing time. We kept making up time! The O’Neil Woods and Meriman road aid stations were a blur as we barely slowed down and we were passing other runners the entire way. One guy stated that we had the strongest pace of anyone that had passed him in the last 2 hours! I kept thinking about how good it would feel to stop running! I was sleepy and kept eyeing the benches along the towpath and thinking that they would feel pretty good to lie down on. I did stop a couple of times for 30-second sitting break to take the weight off of my feet. I was amazed how good those short breaks felt!

We arrived at the Memorial Road aid station for the police escort across the bridge since there really was no extra room between the car lane and the edge of the bridge. The police car made a VERY effective blockade for us! We thanked the officer as we turned left to go up the brick street towards the last Metro Park. I knew that one major obstacle existed for us to overcome: The stairs! There are several sections of stone steps used to climb out of the valley. I was using both arms on the railings and pulling myself up these stairs as fast as I could possibly move! I was not thinking of anything else except just keep moving towards the finish line!

We exited the trail and ran across the bridge with just a bit over a mile to go for the finish! Mike and I kept running/walking/running until I could see the Sheraton sign and then it was run only! Two guys on bicycles came riding towards us to get my bib number and radio it back to the finish area. Annika and Jim were volunteering at the street crossing to stop traffic as we ran across! 100 yards to go and I could hear the announcer calling my name and I could see the time on the clock: 23:31!!!!! We had made up 23 minutes in the last 15 miles!!! I crossed the line and stopped when Joe handed me my buckle. I asked him one question: “Can I stop running now?”

Post race:
I drank a couple of Muscle Milks as I finally relaxed in a chair.

I watched a few other people finish as I sat in the chair and dozed off. I woke up shivering and I managed to change into some dry clothes. My crew then called it a day and went home. I went to my car for an hour nap and back out to the finish line to watch the others come in. My friend JP was still out there, seeking redemption from last years DNF. He was on track and at 10:24am, he came flying across the finish line! All is good!

Damage report:
I only had two small pea-sized blisters! However, my feet feel pretty beat up from the pounding. Changing shoes earlier may have helped to minimize this a bit.

Nutrition:
Gu, power bars, chia-seed gel, bananas, pretzel bites, PBJ, and ginger snaps were my calorie sources. In addition, I had one half of a grilled cheese sandwich at Happy Days. Beverages consisted of HEED, water, and some Coke.

Things to change for next time: Stick to the eating plan. Choose shoes carefully and don’t be afraid to change sooner if needed. Don’t be afraid to push a little harder during the night.

Thank you to my crew/family: Denise, Gina, and Abby. Thanks for tolerating this strange hobby of mine and for your unending support!
Thank you to my Pacers: Andy and Mike for taking time out of your weekend to run through the woods with me.
Thank you to my friends who met me along the course: Scott, George, the Vargo Family, the Bushey Family, and the Hedrick Family. Seeing familiar faces out there helps more than you will ever know.

Thank you to the race committee and to all of the volunteers! Fantastic course markings, food, and support!

It is time....

2010-07-29T20:20:00.002-04:00

Time to run the 2010 Burning River 100 Trail race.

July 31 seemed so far away last December when I registered. My how time flies...

Drop bags are packed. Clothing laid out. Race plan is ready to execute. Goals for the day are:
1) FINISH
2) Finish faster than my 2008 finish time of 26 hours 28 minutes.
3) A 24 hour finish would be very very nice... :)

Race plan is pretty simple: Keep moving, get in and out of the aid stations as fast as possible, and to keep smiling the entire day and night!

There will be a webcast that you can view to follow me around the course. I am bib #90. The Burning River 100 web site has course info and maps if you want to see where we will be running.

Time to get some sleep. I know that I will probably not sleep much tomorrow evening...

My Strange Addiction

2010-07-19T20:50:00.003-04:00

There is a show on TLC called "My Strange Addiction" where they document and describe various behaviors of people. The listing for last night's show is as follows:

"First-hand accounts of individuals battling obsessive behaviors on the verge of taking over their lives, including: a woman who eats chalk, a fanatical runner, a compulsive shopper, and an excessive tanner."

My take on this is the old Sesame Street song "One of these things is not like the other..."

Anyways, the "fanatical runner" was a guy who was running the Javalina 100 mile ultra. TLC was interviewing him at the race with his girlfriend/crew Jen. Jen could not understand why anyone would want to run that far, a couple of 'medical' folks were saying that these people run and feel weak, nauseous, get nasty blisters, etc. and that the body is not designed to do these things. Oh and the other thing is that the runner was wearing some "strange" cave-man clothing over his running shorts and shirt. What TCL did not say is that part of the fun of the Javalina 100 race is that the runners wear costumes. TLC just helped to make this guy look fanatical...

So, of course they show him coming into the aid station around 36 miles into the race, feeling pretty crappy. This is a pretty common time to feel bad and he was. Jen was worried, more medical folks saying that people can die doing these things, blah, blah, blah... Off he goes into the night. He does finish in a very respectable 26 hours and 26 minutes and is ok. Jen hits him when he says that he wants to run another one.

The rest of the show covered the three women with 'real' problems...(lol) The show concludes with an update of the 4 people and they state that the runner is still going and that he completed 4 marathons in 4 days...

Other stuff
Taper is going great! I am alternating between feeling confident and being scared-to-death! (This is all normal for me). I am getting drop bags and other logistics mapped out and having fun with the shorter runs.

Abby and I ran tonight after work on the Buckeye Trail from Alexander Road to Fraizee House and back. The blackberries along the trail tasted pretty good and there should still be lots of them for the race. I will grab a few as I run by next weekend!

When we arrived back on the bike-n-hike path, Abby picked up the pace a bit and I also. We kept going faster and faster and I started to quickly realize that this was going to be the night that I would be 'spanked' by my youngest daughter! I helplessly watched her pull away and then slow down just a wee bit. I surged with what little I had left and managed to barely pull even as we arrived at the end of the trail.

Abby asked me how I felt getting "spanked". My response was a simple "Pretty darn proud!"

How much is enough Funny Bunny?

2010-07-04T16:08:00.002-04:00

I took a trip to the valley friday morning for a long training run on the Buckeye Trail. I parked at Snowville road and headed south towards Boston Store. The start of my run started with a huge chuckle as I passed under the power lines near Snowville. There were two very young rabbits in the trail in front of me and they started to run away, as rabbits tend to do. They quickly darted left into the grass. I was running in the right-hand side of the truck tracks and jumped into the left-hand track in an effort to avoid some overgrowth. Those two bunnies were right in front of me again and none of us expected to see each other so soon! Their eyes were huge as they tried as fast as they could to get out and away from this strange thing chasing them! This was the start of a fantastic run.

My goal for this run was to get a solid 25 miles and to keep my "head in the game". I wanted to use my 10/2 minute run/walk strategy and to keep on top of my nutrition. I made it to Boston Store in good time and refilled my water bottle before I left towards Brandywine Falls. With the exception of Vince and his posse near Blue Hen falls, the trails were empty. I was glad to see that there were log steps on the reworked trail near the falls. The last time I was through there, it was like crisco!

Back to Boston Store and then back to Snowville. I refilled bottles again and headed off towards Ottawa Point. This 4.2 mile section of trail always seems to kick my fanny but I decided that today was going to be different! I arrived at Ottawa Point still feeling good and was enjoying the day. I ran into Wild Bill on my way back to Snowville. It was good to see a smile on his face and he was working on completing 100 miles for the week!

I completed my 25 miles in 5:01:34. Last week's 25 miles on a completely different route was 5:01:42! ....strange....

When I arrived home, Denise and Abby were going out for a 4 mile run. So, why not? I went along! I was able to complete 29 miles for the day and felt great! (Especially after a nap in the hammock!)

I followed the 29 miles with another 16 yesterday and 6.5 this morning. I have 70 miles for the week, which is a record for me! I feel good, legs feel good, confidence is building...

So the question in my title: "How much is enough?" Training for these endurance events is an exercise in balance. You need to stress the body in order for it to adapt, but you don't want to break it either! Each person has their own breaking point. I have been building my mileage slowly all year and this will be the peak. Next week will a bit lower, then taper will begin. Time to rest, get the mental game tuned, and get organized for race day. This is also the important time to keep on top of my nutrition so my body can rebuild.

July 31 is coming fast. I can't wait!!!

Must...remember...bug...spray!!

2010-06-27T18:44:00.003-04:00

Great weekend! It started with running a loop at Salt Run with Abby friday evening. The storms that blew through last week wreaked havoc on the trail. There were lots of limbs and trees blown down, making for some interesting running. It was warm and humid, just like the end of June in Ohio should be!

Saturday morning I drove back down to Happy Days and ran 25 miles of the BR100 course. It was warm, humid, and the bugs were out in full force! At one point I swatted 4 deer flies off at once! I tried to run faster, but that did not help much... :)

I followed the course from Happy Days to Pine Hollow. I skipped the Salt run trail and headed over towards the Covered Bridge. My plan was to turn around at the visitors center on Bolanz Road and retrace my route back.

I was following a 10-minute run/2-minute walk strategy since 1) it was hot, and 2) it is what I think I will be using for the race. Nutrition: I was using power bars and Chia gel. Also, I stopped at the occasional raspberry patch for extra goodies!

The run went well. I kept to the 10/2 plan as much as possible and I think it will be a good pace. I have said it before and I will say it again, the chia seed gel works really well for me and helps to keep my energy level constant. I did not have any 'swings' in mood like I typically do and I felt pretty good throughout the morning.

I was starting to get a bit bored on the return trip until I ran into Wild Bill just before Robinson Field. We spent a few minutes catching up and it helped to break the solitude. The bugs kept me occupied and gave me something to do while I was running!

Today, I followed up with an 8-mile 'heat-acclimation' run in the 90-degree afternoon. I really did not want to go out and sweat again, but I am glad that I did. After the first 3 miles, I felt pretty good and completed the run faster than I thought I would. Confidence is growing for July 31!!!

Nice and Hot...

2010-06-20T19:40:00.003-04:00

Whew! It was a hot and humid weekend here in NE Ohio! Hats off to the folks running the Mohican 100 race. I was glad that I only had a 23 mile training run to complete, not 100 miles. I know that July 31 could show the same type of weather so I did not mind getting out there yesterday.

I met Andy and Mike at Pine Hollow and we ran the BR100 course to Covered Bridge, completed the Perkins Trail loop and then started off towards Hale Farm. We turned around and headed back to the Covered Bridge to watch the Jim Klett 10K runners come by. Denise and Abby were running this event today and I wanted to see if we could offer some encouragement.

Abby completed her first 10K but had quite a time of it. She is fast on her way of becoming an Ultra-runner by mastering the knack of puking and running! Denise has a race report here. I am very proud of Abby in that she did not quit and that she kept on moving! The perfect mantra for a lot of things in life...

The temps kept climbing as Mike, Andy, and I retraced our path back and before we knew it we had returned to Pine Hollow. Andy had to get home and called it a day with 20 miles. Mike and I then headed out onto the Salt Run trail for another 3.3 miles. We had followed a 10 minute run/2 minute walk pace for the entire day and it was working. We felt pretty good and were careful to keep up with our nutrition as we went. I used Chia seed gel again and I really like it!

I felt pretty wrung out yesterday, but I have felt worse... I am pleased with how my training is going and I know that more heat training in my future.

Abby and I took today as a non-running day and went kayaking on the Upper Cuyahoga river. It was a nice change-of-pace and we had a great time laughing and soaking up the sunshine.

Time to get back to running tomorrow...

Run Up Whiteface Race report

2010-06-15T07:48:00.000-04:00

We have vacationed in the Adirondack Mountains for the past several years and enjoy the clear air and great hiking that area provides. Denise and I fell in love with that region when we passed through on our way to Bar Harbor Maine on our tandem bicycle. Then, a couple of Ironman Triathlon races at Lake Placid sealed the deal. We are hooked!

This year, our vacation coincided with the annual Whiteface Mountain road race. 8 miles, 8% grade, 3600 ft elevation gain. Denise 'suggested' that I enter this for a fun thing to do. There is a road that goes up to almost the summit of Whiteface mountain. The course simply follows the road up, and up, and up... Did I mention that the race is 8 miles?

We have driven to the summit a couple of times ourselves and I know that the views are specatular and that the mountain is pretty big. I was looking forward to the day.

I woke up sunday morning to the sound of a torrential downpour of rain! I was worried about Denise having to drive up to the summit to pick me up and was wondering if they were going to cancel the race. I drove to packet pickup and heard people talking about a couple of years ago when there were thunderstorms and the year before that where there was sleet and snow at the summit! No, they were not going to cancel the race because of a 'little' rain shower...

I went back to the cabin to get my family and we drove to the starting line. I grabbed a poncho and said goodbye to Denise and she drove up the road to meet me at the summit. Before long, I was shedding the poncho and the Race Director said "GO!"

The course passed by the trailhead for the Whiteface Summit trail and I commented to the guy next to me that we should take the trail since it is only 5.2 miles to the summit. His comment was "Yeah, but it is a whole lot steeper!" Good point.

I was feeling good until mile 4 when the wind and rain shifted into our faces! It was pretty wet, visibility was pretty poor, and I was not feeling so perky anymore. I kept telling myself that this is only 8 miles, it is a great training run, and that it will be over soon!

I finally saw the sign for mile 7 and knew that I only had one more to go. The rain was still coming down, I still could not see anything, but I was starting to smile again... I could hear cheering ahead in the fog/mist and could just make out Denise, Gina, and Abby standing at the side of the road. I handed them the poncho that I carried up and looked for the finish line. I did not actually see a line, but I stopped running at the end of the road.

I noticed that the path to the summit was closed....bummer.... :)

Good experience, not sure if I would do it again. I think that we will hike to the summit next time! Oh yeah, 1:32 mintes. 8th out of 12 in my age group. There was a 71 year-old man who completed the race in 1:37!!!! I want to be him...

Here is a photo of my dedicated crew waiting for me! The next one is of me appearing out of the mist. The last one is afterwards! I have not been this wet in a long time!

Nite-Owl run report

2010-05-30T20:17:00.002-04:00

I wanted to complete a 50-mile run as part of my Burning River 100 training. I looked at our family schedule and determined that this weekend would be the time. I also decided to do this at night. I did not want to run this alone so I posted a note on the Burning river news group about the Nite Owl 50 mile FA run. All I wanted/needed was one other crazy person to join me. Thankfully, 7 other people decided to join me for part and 3 of them joined me for the entire distance.

We departed Happy Days parking lot with a simple route: Follow the BR100 course until ONeil Woods. Then turn around and run back. The early pace was fast, too fast. But it felt good. The trails were in good condition and the sun started to set. Headlamps were turn on and we continued onto the Salt Run trail. When we exited the woods again at Pine Hollow, the full moon was just rising over the trees, providing an incredible view. Onto the Wetmore trail.

Yes, it was muddy, yes it was technical, and yes, we were still running too fast, but boy oh boy was it fun! We listened to the owls hooting back and forth to each other and as we passed by the goat farm, a "Baaaa" sound joined the owls! Pretty funny.

3 members of our group decided to call it a night at the Covered Bridge while the rest of us ventured onto the Perkins Trail. Again, muddy, technical, however the pace finally slowed down. The 'fun factor' dropped a bit too... Back to Covered Bridge where 3 more of our group called it a night.

Greg, JP, Kurt, and I then headed down Ira Road to ONeil Woods. We listened to the chorus of bull frogs at the pond near Hale Farm. They were very loud had quite the songs going. As we climbed the hill into ONeil Woods, the coyotes joined in with the night chorus. Pretty cool. We stopped at the top of the hill before we entered the 'real' park. We did not want to risk the wrath of the park ranger since the park closes at 11pm.

We decided to do an out and back on the tow path instead of another lap around the Perkins Trail. JP's wife, Maria, met us at the Covered Bridge with pizza! It was a great break and treat and really hit the spot. We were starting to feel the effects of our poor pacing choice earlier but continued on. Before we knew it, we were back at Pine Hollow and the sun was up! Greg was chomping at the bit and took off at his faster pace since the sun was up. JP, Kurt, and I continued to complete Salt Run again and headed back.

I arrived back at my car after 12 hours and 21 minutes of moving through the night. I felt good most of the night. My nutrition worked and I was happy that the Chia seed gel worked really well. I will certainly use this for the race in July. I only have two small blisters on my left heel. This is mainly due, I think, to my old socks that I wore. I had a small rock embed itself in my sock and I have a sore spot on my right heel. Gaiters are on order...

Great night, great trails, great friends! It does not get much better than this! Thanks JP, Kurt, and Greg for the company and support. Andy and Mike, get ready to rock on July 31st!

Pre-Nite-Owl thoughts (and fears)

2010-05-28T15:35:00.002-04:00

Oh boy...

This sounded like such a good idea a few weeks ago: Start running friday evening after work and stop when you complete 50 miles. Well, tonight is the night! Myself and a few friends are leaving from Happy Days parking lot and following the Burning River 100 course to just outside of ONeil Woods metro park. Then we will return. The moon is nearly full and the sky will be clear. Should be a near-perfect evening with temps in the mid 60s.

Fears: The ever-present "Can I make the distance?" Will my food choices be correct and sufficient? Will my legs and feet hold up? Answers: To be discovered tonight...

This is why we do these training runs. To build up confidence, experiment with food and equipment choices, and to just have an excuse to get outside and move! Yes, mistakes will be made, but better to make them now than to make them on race day.

Being able to share this experience with others will be an added bonus...

Run report later...(Tomorrow after I wake up)

More Paul Simon...

2010-05-23T16:44:00.003-04:00

More mud... :)

Yesterday morning was spent 'slip-slidin' away' again on the muddy trails in the valley. I started at Boston store for an out-and-back on the Buckeye Trail to Snowville road. Then I followed the Brandywine Falls section of the BR100 course. The falls had lots and lots of water flowing over due to the rainfall this past week! I have never been there with so much water flowing and it was very nice to see (and hear!)

Followed up today with a nice run with Abby on the Boston Run trail from happy days. I needed to get a new pair of shoes since my Saucony's ripped out AGAIN! This is the second pair that have failed this way. I like the fit and feel of these shoes but the quality stinks! My new Columbia shoes felt great today. I will take them out for a couple of 4 mile runs this week before the Nite Owl 50-miler this friday. That should break them in... :)

This is the last week of school and then the summer frenzy begins. A nice trip the ADK will start things off well. While there I am going for a little 8 mile run up Whiteface mountain. Details can be found here if you are interested. It should be an interesting experience. We have driven up to the summit two times and I would really like to hike to the summit too. I guess I will run there first...

Spider!

2010-05-16T19:07:00.002-04:00

Up at 5am, left the house at 5:35am, heading towards Cleveland where Denise was going to run the 1/2 Marathon. We managed to find our way to the Muni parking lot after navigating around the road closures. As we were walking towards the starting area, Gina and Abby squealed, "Spider!" I looked up and there was a HUGE spider (ok, about the size of a nickle) hanging in front of us about 2 feet off of the ground. I moved the sign that I was holding towards the spider to knock it out of the way and of course, the web filament that the spider was hanging from, stuck to the sign! Then to my horror, the spider starting swinging towards me!

Now there are very few things that scare me. Spiders, however, are one of those things! I jumped, trying to get out of the way, scraped my hand against a light post as I tried to keep from falling, providing much amusement for my family and several others walking near us! The spider was now on the ground, still attached to the sign, following me! Gina, thankfully, stepped on the creature and spared me the additional trauma...

Thankfully, that was the worst thing that happened today....

Denise ran well and surprised herself with a great time of 1:51:13. We met her at the finish line and we then walked towards mile 25 on the course to cheer in the marathon finishers. It was great to see the runners at that point of the marathon. We have all been there, sometimes you feel good, other times you wish you were dead. Today was no different for the runners. But, the best part is that once you cross the finish line, the pain evaporates! All of the training and the emotions of the day provide a wealth of experience to draw from later in life.

We had invited one of Gina's swim-team friends to join us today so she could experience a larger running event that was not High School track or Cross-country related. I think she liked it. I hope that the shock of spending a morning with us does not scar her too badly.

I completed a solid week of 53 miles. I had a 21 mile "Paul Simon" run yesterday on the muddy trails. (Slip-slidin'-away) I ran from Snowville Road to Station Road, following the new BR100 section. I was only 'navigationally-challenged' a couple of times and I think that I went on the wrong bridle trail for a while, but it was a good run never the less. Followed up with 10 miles today. My feet were wet/muddy for most of the day yesterday and I have a small blister. This is my first blister in a long while so I am not too concerned. I will use a different pair of socks for the race if wet weather is in the forecast. I was experimenting with some hiking socks yesterday. They are great for dry conditions, not so great for wet. "Note to self"...

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T19:24:00.002-04:00

Sorry about the "blog-slacking"... It has been crazy around here!

All that Denise ever wants for Mother's Day is to not have to do anything in the kitchen. Gina, Abby, and I enjoy planning the menu and preparing the meals for the day. This year we had french toast with a fresh fruit salad for breakfast. Lunch was peanut-butter with home-made strawberry jam sandwiches that we ate during our hike in the valley. Dinner was Thai vegetable stir fry with chocolate lava cake for dessert! It was another great day!

I was really really tired this week! I think that last week's 56.5 miles took their toll and I needed to regroup and recover. I caught myself in the 'numbers game' where the 'scheduled' amount of miles is all that matters. No it is not! You cannot train a tired body. My primary goals for Burning River this year are (1) Get to the starting line healthy and (2) to finish the distance. Although this week's miles were not huge, standing last night on the concrete floor at the House of Blues for 6 hours counts for something. Also, today's hike from the Wetmore Trailhead to the Goat farm and back was a great active recovery session.

The "Nite-Owl" 50-mile training run is scheduled and planned. Should be a great time with my pacers and trail running friends. All we can ask for will be clear skies. Even if the weather is bad, it is a training run. It could rain on race day, right? These long events require just as much mental endurance as physical...

Which task is more difficult?

2010-04-25T16:50:00.006-04:00

Choices: Running 50K or cutting up two trees?

Answer: Cutting up two trees!

We traveled to NY this weekend so that I could help my father-in-law, Dick, cut up a couple of trees. I was looking forward to this for since I don't get a lot of chances to use a chain-saw, and it is always good to be able to help Dick with his endless source of projects.

We arrived saturday early afternoon to find him already cutting off the smaller branches. I got out of the car, grabbed a pair of gloves and started in with loading the trailer with the brush. Dick told me where to dump branches and off I went with the tractor to unload while he continued to cut. When I returned, he had started to cut up the larger limbs and soon handed over the chainsaw after he stumbled a couple of times! Did I mention that Dick is almost 82 years young? I think he should have given me the saw much sooner but you can't tell an old Italian anything! Ha!

So we worked together to cut up the limbs and trunks. It took a little longer since we would have to prop up the trunk every so often in order to keep the saw blade out of the dirt. I was feeling pretty good after that last cut! Now, the real work begins: Hauling the wood away.

Dick took on the task of loading the smaller pieces onto the lawnmower trailer. I loaded the larger chunks to take over for splitting. This is the part that was work! Running does not do much to build your upper-body strength. I used some muscles that I forgot I had! By late afternoon, we had cleared all of the brush, moved the wood, and put away all of the tools. We were both ready for a nap!

It was a great weekend visit. It is not everyday that people let me use power tools! As an extra bonus, I got to drive the tractor too!

Although this tractor was not quite like the one that I used to drive!

One of the benefits of growing up on a farm!

Recovery from last weekend's race is going well! Time to start another build phase towards Memorial Day weekend!

2010 "Forget the PR" 50K Race Report

2010-04-20T19:17:00.002-04:00

"Run for your Ride"

I had so much fun at last year's inaugural event, I just had to do it again this year. Contrary to the race name, I also wanted to better last year's time of 6:33. My stretch goal was to actually set a 50K PR. (6:05)

Denise, Gina, and Abby accompanied me to the race this year. We spent saturday evening in the Mohican Resort Lodge after taking a side trip to Kenyon College where Gina will be attending a swim camp this summer. The weather was very cool and breezy which squashed anyone's enthusiasm for a hike. We instead relaxed and caught up on some reading.

I went to packet pickup at the starting line, setting way-points on the TomTom for Denise in the morning. She was going to drop me off for the start of the race and then go back to the lodge where her and the girls would have a nice breakfast and wait for me to pass by. Then they would travel to the finish line and wait for me there. Denise told me that they were leaving for home at 2pm, giving me 6 hours to finish the race or I would just have to keep running to get home! I hoped that she was joking but I did not want to take a chance...

Hence the subtitle of my race report: "Run for your Ride!"

Rob Powell, the race director, gave some last minute instructions and before long, we were off and running. My goal for the race was to not kill myself in the first 2 miles of climbing, and then settle down into a nice solid steady pace. I found myself in a conga-line of around 15-20 people moving at a 9-11 minute/mile clip. Just where I wanted to be.

A quick refill of my water bottle at the Hickory Ridge aid station and off I went towards the Covered Bridge. The crowd started to thin out a bit after the aid station making the running a bit easier since the roots and rocks were easier to see. The hills at Mohican are larger than what I am used to running on but the scenery more than makes up for it. I was feeling fine and enjoying the day.

I refilled water/heed and grabbed a stack of pringles at the Covered Bridge aid station before I started towards Little Lyons Falls. This has to be the coolest trail ever! You follow a small valley upstream, crossing the water several times over rocks, trees, sometimes through the stream itself, until you arrive at the water fall. A turn to the left provides you a hand-over-hand climb up some tree roots to get up and out of the ravine! It is really really fun. After the fun of the trail, we were dumped onto the 'dam road' to climb up out of the river valley towards the lodge.

Back into the woods again to make the out-and-back loop to the lodge. The leaders of the race were now coming back towards me and I was surprised that there were not too many people ahead of me. The trail takes a tour of the shoreline of the lake before we pass by the lodge. I stopped to say hello to my family at the lodge before I was reminded that the clock was running and that I had better get running! I had been running for 2:51 so far and my 6 hour goal was close! The lodge was half-way so things were looking good.

Back through the out-and-back section and onward to Big Lyons Falls. The trail here goes DOWN a steep pitch without the aid of the roots like little Lyons. Last year, it was really muddy and my descent was more of a controlled crash than anything else. This year was much dryer, but not much more control... Back to the covered bridge again and off for the hardest section of the race: The fire tower. This leg is only 2.5 miles, but almost all of it is up, up, and more up. Here is where my fast aid station stops caught up with me. I had not been eating nearly enough food. I had food with me, but I forgot that I needed to eat it!

I was feeling apathetic, tired, and I really did not want to run anymore. I was in a group of 4 at the start of the climb and before long I was in a group of one. Not where I wanted to be... I started to eat some powerbar and ginger snaps. I was looking forward to the potato soup at the aid station; I just had to get there.

Finally, I could see the tower through the trees and I refilled my bottles, ate some soup, and took a couple of fig bars with me as I started back towards the covered bridge for the last time. Again, I was alone and started to panic a bit as I did not see any course markings. I almost turned back to make sure that I was not lost but then saw a flag! Good, I really did not want to climb back up that hill. The course was now back on the mountain bike trail and I was able to clock my slow pace...12 minute mile! Hey, that is not bad. It felt more like a 25 minute mile. Maybe things are not so bad after all. I caught up with a couple of people who looked as bad as I had felt and my energy levels were coming back.

Once again, refill bottles, grabbed a couple of cookies, and off I went for the finish. I had 49 minutes to go 4.25 miles to make my 6 hour cut off. I realized that indeed a PR was possible!!! I quickly flashed back to a memory of setting a PR at the Spring Classic 1/2 Marathon with my friend Andy. We were both tired but we pushed each other to a strong fast finish! No one in the group was willing to back off the pace and we kept building until the end. Today was different in that I was alone, but I could feel Andy there beside me. The last section of trail follows the river and Rob took us as close to the river as possible. In fact, I think that if there had been anymore rain that week, we would have been IN the river! I knew from last year that one monster hill remained and I was not going to let it demoralize me this year. I kept running and managed to catch a couple of people before I allowed myself to realize that I had a PR. As I rounded the corner towards the finish line, I saw the clock at 5:59:55 and tried to make it. I crossed at 6:00:11... Whoohooo!!! A PR by 5 minutes over a much much harder course. It was a great day!

Many thanks to the volunteers and to Rob Powell for putting on yet another fantastic event! That course is tough, but oh so nice to run! Thanks to Denise, Gina, and Abby for once again tolerating my strange hobby.

Lessons learned:
1) EAT! I had gu and powerbars with me. I guess I need to actually ingest them for the calories to help.
2) I need to run some more hills!
3) Never give up. Bad patches happen, and then they go away. Keep moving!

Denise, Thanks for not making me run home...

Oh yeah, Mark C. asked me how I was going to recover. This photo is a start...

Taper

2010-04-15T19:20:00.003-04:00

I love to taper! The aches and pains diminish, energy levels rise, and life is good. I am tapering for the "Forget the PR50K" race at Mohican State Park.

Last year's race report can be found here for your amusement. I am hoping to beat last year's time and to enjoy myself immensely in the process. Denise, Gina, and Abby will be there too cheering everyone on.

Weather looks to be great and I cannot wait to climb Little Lyons Falls again! Race report to follow next week.

Good luck to everyone running Boston monday. I'll be following alone on-line...

Best race yet!!!

2010-04-10T19:56:00.002-04:00

Today was the Spring Classic 1/2 Marathon and 5K race in Strongsville. We decided to run this as a family event with Denise running the 1/2 marathon and Gina, Abby, and I running the 5K. Denise was gunning for anything under 2 hours, Abby was gunning for a fast run, and my job was to get Gina across the finish line in one piece.

Gina's run training is not going too well this spring with her allergies and asthma kicking in full force. She would usually end up wheezing and walking on the bike path during the few times she ventured out. Denise and I decided that I would stay with Gina and help do whatever I could to get her through. We knew we had at least an hour and a half to do the 5K before Denise finished her 1/2 marathon.

The morning was near perfect conditions with lots of sunshine and a crisp 38 degrees. We checked in, got our t-shirts, and before long, Denise started her race. 15 minutes later, the 5K started. Abby took off on her own with Gina and I following behind. I kept talking to her telling her to stay calm, breath deep, and have fun. I asked her if she wanted to take a walk break at the turn around and she declined. She told me "If I want a walk break, I'll ask for one. Don't offer it to me." Ok, game on....

We saw Abby running strong after the turn around and she was 8th female at that point! Gina said something about Abby being a running beast and I agreed! Abby is really enjoying the running experience and it shows on her face.

Gina and I made it to the 2 mile mark, still running strong and no walk breaks!! As we neared the shelter area, Gina said "Hey! I am doing this!" Darn right she's doing this, she is crushing this!!

We crossed the finish line in 28:5x and that was enough for Gina to get 2nd place in her age group! The funny thing was, it was also good enough for ME to get second place in my age group!!! I was floored. I never place in a race, yet alone in a 5K. I guess no one else in my age group showed up! Ha! Abby won her age group.

We waited for Denise to complete lap number 1 and showed off our hardware as we cheered her on her way for lap 2. A trip to the food line was next and as we ate, the winners of the 1/2 marathon came through in 1:09!!!! I would like to run ONE mile that fast, yet alone string several of them together.

Denise completed lap 2 with a total time of 1:54 which gave her 2nd in her age group! We were 4 for 4 as a family for hardware!! An awesome day.

Two things stand out from the morning:
1) Gina saying "I'm doing it!"
2) As I went to get our drop bags, an older gentleman asked me if those two girls were my daughters and if so I should be very proud of them. I responded that they were and that I am very proud of them!

He said he was following Abby for a little over a mile, thinking that she would eventually slow down, but she never did!

The smile on Gina's face as we crossed the finish line was priceless... I think the smile on my face was too, at least it felt that way!

Build complete

2010-04-05T14:19:00.003-04:00

I was fortunate to have both last friday and today as holidays from work. I took advantage of the summer weather friday to complete a 4.5 hour run on the local trails. I ventured over to Liberty Park to see the progress on the new trails. There was not much activity other than a few streamers hanging from some branches. I wandered down the grassy section under the power lines toward Route 82, looking for a way to connect the two sections of the park. All I found was lots of deer paths and lots of brambles. My legs will be scratched up for a while...

It was quite warm friday and it was nice to sweat for a change. I met Denise and Abby on the bike path as I returned and shared my remaining water with them. They had the same love/hate relationship with the heat: It felt good, but too warm too fast. Another 10 miles saturday morning completed my build for the "Forget the PR" race.

I completed 10 miles this morning, 5 of which were with Abby! Track practice has started and their first meet is coming up next week. She enjoys running and it has been showing on her face these past couple of weeks! She has the 'glow' about her again.

We attended a fantastic Easter service yesterday morning and then took a great family hike up in South Chagrin park. There are a few challenging hills there that we want to get back to often before our ADK trip. We need to train a bit for our assault on Algonquin Peak.

Spring Classic 1/2 Marathon this weekend for Denise with Gina, Abby, and I running the 5K. We will then cheer Denise in for her finish! Should be a great weekend. I will taper a bit for the 50k these next two weeks and then ramp up again for my 50+ mile run memorial day weekend. I need to get some details worked out about this one. I really don't want to run this alone, especially since it will probably be a night run...

Things you see....

2010-03-27T18:19:00.003-04:00

Another crazy weekend schedule had me completing my long run last night after work. The plan called for 22 miles and I decided that 2 laps of Bedford Reservation would be just right. The training of running after a long day and then running into the night would be good. I started at Egbert shelter and after completing the short out-and-back to the park entrance, followed the Burning River 100 course through the park, across Alexander road, and down to the Frazee house on the towpath. Back tracking to the car completed the first 14 miles.

I refilled my water bottles, grabbed my headlamp, and started the second loop. This time I skipped the out-and-back and headed towards Alexander. As I neared Bridal Veil Falls, the sunset was turning the sky into a brilliant shade of orange and the almost-full moon was out shining bright. I paused to look up at a couple of Canadian geese that were flying overhead and they were a bright orange color from the sun and right in front of the moon! It was one of those perfect photos but, no camera. I will just have to remember that moment...

I had to turn on the headlamp shortly after-wards and completed my run through the woods. I was able to spot a couple of raccoons and several deer. Before long I was back at my car and heading home after completing my 22 miles.

I had almost arrived home when the car in front of me suddenly slowed down. I assumed a deer but there was something scurrying across the road. It was an opossum and he was running as fast as his little legs could carry him. Opossums are not known for their intelligence and sure enough, this one ran full speed into the curb! He hit so hard that his back-end lifted clear off of the ground and almost landed on top of the curb! He picked himself up and scrambled over the curb into the brush, acting as if that was all planned.... They are stupid, but pretty funny!

I ran another 10 miles this morning as a 'recovery' run. My legs felt pretty tired at first but warmed up and I felt ok. As I was nearing a turnaround point on the trail, I looked ahead and saw a woman walking. I was surprised since I usually don't see many people on this section of the trail. I was just about to say "good morning" when all of a sudden she dropped her pants, squatted, and started to relieve herself! She obviously did not expect to see anyone popping out of the woods behind her and even if she did check first, I wasn't there yet... I was nice and quietly turned around and headed back into the woods. I did not need to startle her or worse.... Hey, if you have to go, you have to go. Pretty funny though...

So, 32 miles completed in less than 24 hours. Just some perspective: In three weeks, I will complete the "Forget the PR 50K" (31 miles) in hopefully 6.5 hours and in August, complete 100 miles in 30 hours (or less, much less). These training runs are all stepping stones towards that end goal. It is, and has been, quite a journey.

Big week!

2010-03-21T18:54:00.002-04:00

52.6 miles total! 25 mile run w/JP yesterday in the valley! Still feeling good!

That about sums up the week! I was able to meet JP yesterday and share 25 miles of trails in the CVNP. It was nice to get caught up with him and hear his stories about the Old Pueblo 50 miler he completed! This was my longest run and my biggest week, so far for the year. I know more is to come and I am excited/anxious about "Forget the PR" and "Burning River". My main goal is to keep healthy and keep moving!

We took our annual trip to Burton for the pancake breakfast this morning and enjoyed walking around the Century village after-wards. There were some horses in a pen acting a bit frisky, and then we found some turkeys in another pen, acting very noisy! It was pretty funny hearing the two toms gobble away with their tail feathers in a big fan! The two hens in the pen did not seem too impressed however...

This weather is really helping to brighten everyone's mood... The extra daylight in the evening helps too.

Daddy/Daughter date(s)

2010-03-14T10:40:00.004-04:00

Denise and Gina were at CSU all morning yesterday, leaving Abby and I to hang out and run some errands. We traveled to the Lush store in Beachwood to restock on bath stuff for Denise, Gina, and Abby. It was lunch-time so Abby and I enjoyed a fine meal at the Bistro in the Joseph-Beth bookstore. It was fun to get totally caught up with her school activities, books that she is reading, and life in general (from her perspective). I have not sat down with her to "just talk" in an embarrassing long time. We have, and have had shorter chats, but nothing like yesterday! It was very, very nice.

Abby was then off to a sleep-over, Denise was working, leaving Gina and I together. We headed to Panera for dinner, where again, I listened as she shared scheduling of classes for next year, swimming, ADK plans, and mother's day options for this year. After all, it is never to early to start planning...( I know that Denise will read this! lol ) We then came back home and watched the first half of the "Phantom of the Opera". It was a perfect way to unwind from a crazy week.

We seem to always be doing things as a family and I don't get many chances to spend one-on-one time with each of my girls. As they get older, it becomes more and more difficult, but more and more important. Boys are starting to appear on the 'radar' and I am terrified and ecstatic at the same time. I love my girls and I want only the best for them.

I think they know that but I will keep telling them and showing them for as long as I live...

Didn't feel like a recovery week...

2010-03-14T09:11:00.002-04:00

This past week was the first week in a long while where all of my miles were on the road! With the snow melting and ground thawing, I knew the trails would be a sloppy mess. I am going to wait a few more days before I venture back.

This was also a recovery week in my training plan with only 34 total miles. I am glad because my legs have taken a beating from the hard asphalt surfaces. Trails are much more forgiving, even with the uneven surface and obstacles. Or, maybe I am just getting old...??? I know that the purpose of training is to stress the body just to the point of breaking, but not go over. Recover and do it again... The trick is to know where that breaking point lies.

I am straying a bit from the vegetarian diet in order to get some additional protein. My legs will thank me later. I also need to get more diligent about the late night snacking. I want to get down closer to race-weight for my 50 mile run at the end of May. I want to run the "Run with Scissors" course as a long shake-down training session. I need to decide if I will run it all in daylight, or start early/late for some night running. I think it will be weather dependent. I have to think about this...

Spring fever is in full force around here! The girls are in their last quarter of school and before long, we will be in the ADK, hiking up another mountain or two!

The weekend we waited all winter for...

2010-03-07T15:28:00.004-05:00

Sunshine, temperatures above 40 degrees, Whoo hoo!!!! Spring is getting close. I know that there is still a lot of winter weather left, but boy oh boy, it sure felt good to be outside these past two days!

I had a great 18 mile run early yesterday morning while the snow was still solid. I followed up this afternoon with 10 miles on the asphalt! The bike path was very crowded but I did not mind. It felt too good to be running with the sun beating down!

I finished the week with a total of 48 miles, my biggest week so far for the year! My ramp-up is going well and I am feeling good. Tired, but good. Next weekend will be busy with activities for Gina and Abby, which will make it challenging for me to squeeze in a 20 mile run. Maybe it is time for a night run???

This is probably the hardest part of training for endurance events: scheduling the workouts around 'life'. A supportive family, some creative scheduling, and lots of flexibility, helps. I have to give a shout-out to Denise, Gina, and Abby for tolerating my endorphin habit. Without your support, I would not be able to do this!

Thanks 'deer'....

2010-03-01T19:41:00.002-05:00

I am really pleased with how my training has progressed this winter; until this past weekend... My mileage was building and I was planning an 18 mile run for Saturday. Then yet another winter storm dumped more snow on us and I was not liking the thought of slogging through the wet snow for 3 hours...

I shoveled the driveway, assembled a desk/vanity for Abby's room, and then finally decided to suck it up and get outside for a run. I thought that I would try the trails and then could always bail out onto the bike path if it was as crappy as I thought it would be. My goal was at least 6 miles. Mentally, I was already beat... not a good place to be.

Surprise, the trail was not too bad! A couple of walkers and dogs had been through and the packed snow trail was visible as a rut in the new snow. As long as I stayed on the 'packed path', it was ok. If I wandered an inch or two to the side, it was deep slop. Focus was the word.

Ventured up to Old Hickory trail where I had the pleasure of blazing through the fresh snow. I was out of my 'funk' and was enjoying the run. The hardest part of any run is the first 15 minutes...I seem to keep having to learn this over and over again... Completed the out and back and kept going through the park. I ended up completing 9.5 miles, far short of the 18 that I had originally planned, but good miles nonetheless.

I was hoping to complete the same route on Sunday, but my stomach had other plans. We went to IHOP for lunch after church and something did not sit well at all... I was pretty wiped-out for the afternoon. Oh well, I guess my recovery week arrived a bit early...It is all good.

Tonight, I ventured out after work and repeated the route from Saturday. No one else had ventured onto Old Hickory trail since Saturday except for several deer. They had followed my tracks through the woods, helping to pack the snow. Unfortunately, their tiny hooves do not do a lot of packing, but it was fun to see my tracked mixed with theirs. I heard my friend the Owl hooting off in the distance but was unable to see him. It was still light enough to run w/o my headlamp, which is a good sign that Spring is close. Daylight-savings time starts in two weeks, which will allow for some longer evening routes.

I am ready for spring. The snow has been nice, but I am ready to see some grass. I know that we first have to get through some mud, but that will be a small price to pay.

Pre-race nightmare...

2010-02-22T17:53:00.002-05:00

They have started already!!!! I typically start having some 'strange' dreams about 3 weeks out from a major event. Well, last night I had my first Burning river 100 nightmare. ( early I hope!!!)

I was running in the race and had caught up with a small group of people on the trail, which is good, because I was lost! Then suddenly it was dark and my headlamp was not working! And we were inside some building where there were lots of yoga classes going on. Each of the classes had some chant or eerie sounds coming from them. I was running as fast as I could w/o tripping over people, clicking the switch on my headlamp, praying for light!

Thankfully my alarm sounded and that nightmare ended... I may need to find another hobby... :)

More motivation...

2010-02-21T19:38:00.002-05:00

Wow! We watched the recap of the 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Team this afternoon!!! Two things: 1) Lake Placid. What a beautiful area and it was fun to say "We have been there" as the coverage showed the area. 2) What a game and time in history!

I had a great week of running with 43.6 miles; highest weekly volume for the year so far! There will be much much more to come... :) The 16 miles yesterday went very well and the snow was nice and firm until the last 30 minutes. Today, I ran 8 miles with Denise on the asphalt since I knew the snow would be very mushy in the 40+ degrees. The sun shine both days was wonderful and I have the 'glow' in my face to show for it! (Honest, I did use sun screen! I would hate to see what I would look like if I had not!)

My build up of running volume is going well. This coming weekend's long run is 18 miles and next week's will be 20. I know, low miles compared to some of you, but I want to take the ramp up slow and keep healthy. My goals are to have a solid race for the "Forget the PR 50K" in April, and then complete a 50 mile training run Memorial day weekend. I am thinking of the Run with Scissors course since it is pretty hilly and has some good spots for aid drops. Another 50K or two late June, early July and taper can begin. I like to taper... :)

More winter weather coming this way tonight. There is still a lot of winter left, but the past two days of sunshine helped to remind me that Spring is coming...

Inspiration

2010-02-15T19:33:00.002-05:00

The Olympics have always been a good source of drama and inspiring stories. I watched Apolo Ohno and JR Celski win the silver and bronze medals in the short track speed skating saturday evening. The little feature about Apolo showed some of his training where he was running up a steep hill as hard as he could go. This was not too bad until you noticed that the hill consisted of loose dirt and he was barely moving up it. I took notice of this since it reminded me of my attempts at running up the snow-covered hills lately. Sunday's run I found new motivation and shaved almost 10 minutes off of my time for the same 10 mile loop from saturday!

Today was the 15Km cross-country race and those men are complete animals! Incredible aerobic strength and they leave it all on the course. Almost everyone collapses as they cross the finish line, chests heaving for oxygen. Gutsy efforts by everyone of them.

The mens' mogul skiing makes my knees hurt just to watch!

Great week of running capped off with a back-to-back 10-miles in the sloppy snow saturday and sunday. Not huge miles but I feel good given the conditions and am working on getting my base established. That is good because August is coming fast...

Snow, snow, and snow...

2010-02-08T19:20:00.003-05:00

This past weekend was a bit disappointing from a milage standpoint but a great success from an aerobic standpoint. The snow storm that the weather folks were predicting actually arrived and we caught the edge of it for approx 8-10 inches. It was a heavy snow, unlike the fluffy lake-effect snow we had a few weeks ago. I headed out Saturday morning to see if anyone had ventured onto the trails ahead of me.

There were two sets of foot-prints, human and canine, that had broken a path through the snow. Unfortunately, the only benefit was that my shoes did not fill with snow as quickly. The footing was pretty poor and it felt as if I was running in sand. I decided to stay out at least an hour, and get a good anaerobic workout. I sure was not going to cover many miles in this slippery stuff.

The loop took me right at 1:17 to complete and I returned home to shovel the driveway. One hour later, I had finished and the sun had already started to melt the remaining snow from the drive and streets. The rest of the ground had a milk-white covering of snow! It was a very pretty sight! 30 minutes of yoga completed the morning.

Sunday, the girls all had places to go and I took advantage of it for 1:45 more in the snow. The snow had settled a bit and a few more people had been out on the trails. The footing was still poor, but not quite as bad. I ventured onto the Old Hickory trail and followed a set of foot-prints. It was slow going and eventually caught up with the walkers. I jokingly suggested that they lengthen their stride a bit to make my run easier and they responded with "Now, we'll follow YOU!". I have always enjoyed seeing a single set of tracks through fresh snow. It was hard work creating the tracks, but well worth it. The sky was bright blue and the sun was shining, making it look much warmer than the thermometer reported.

More snow is coming. I will run tomorrow morning before work and then maybe I'll be forced to the dreadmill for a day or so...

Think spring!!!

Cold weather running

2010-01-30T17:19:00.002-05:00

I ventured out this morning for 16 miles in 7 degree temps. Wind chill was -2 and it actually did not feel that bad. I was originally going to join some hearty souls at 7am to run the summer BT50K course. I would turn back at Columbia road since I am no where near ready for 50k. Instead, I chose to stay at home and run loops in the park near our house.

The snow was perfect, the trail was frozen nicely, and the sun was actually shining a bit! A near perfect run.

My clothing choice was perfect with layers being the key. I started with a short-sleeved shirt covered by a long-sleeved shirt. Shorts and windpants for the legs, and my Gore-Tex shell for the top layer. I wore my fleece headband and my balaclava to cover my face. Besides the advantage of covering my face, the balaclava will moisten the air a bit before it enters my lungs, helping to reduce that dry-raspy feeling from cold air. I alternated between my heavy fleece gloves and my regular cold-weather gloves.

I carried my waist pack with water today and I worried about the bottles freezing. I covered them with my jacket, thinking that my body heat would be enough to keep them from freezing and it worked! However, I cannot say the same about my GU... It was frozen pretty solid at the end of my run.

One of the fun things about cold-weather running is how the frost will form on your clothes as you run! I know, I have a strange idea of fun... Anyways, I had pushed up the sleeves on my jacket and I had frost forming on my long sleeved shirt, gloves, and my balaclava.

I was feeling pretty good for the first 13 miles, which is about right where my training is now. The last 3 miles were harder, but that is what training is intended to do: Push your body just past the comfort zone, recover, repeat. Before long, your comfort zone is increased making today's long run, tomorrow's water stop!

Tomorrow will be a short 6 mile recovery run. Burning River is coming up fast...

The day that wouldn't end...

2010-01-25T12:12:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was one of those rare days that seemed to last forever! We attended the Saturday evening service at church, leaving sunday morning available for resting and sleeping in. I woke up at 7:30am, which is sleeping in for me, and wanted to get a quick run completed before the rain started falling. A quick check of the radar map showed that I had a very narrow window so I dressed and started running down the street.

I was not 2 minutes down the street when I looked ahead and saw a wall of rain approaching, fast! It was a short squall-line of showers and it was cold! I was dressed for the 40 degree temperature, but not 40 degrees and WET! I turned around, tucked my tail between my legs, and ran home. Of course, the rain stopped shortly afterwords, but I had already decided to finish my run on the dreadmill.

It was a good interval workout for 6 miles and I treated it like I used to treat my indoor bike workout: Mental training. I was visualizing parts of the Burning River 100 course and how I was (hopefully) going to feel as I ran through them. Any endurance event, whether it be a long hike, Ironman, or a 100-mile trail run, is just as much a mental test as a physical one. The monotonous indoor workouts are a great way to get the 'head-game' straight.

I watched parts of the Flyers/Penguins hockey game, which is another thing that I don't do much of, and then watched football. I now have had my fill of sports TV...

Prepared some stuffed acorn squash for dinner and then help Gina and Abby bake an apple pie! Now that was fun! They had asked me earlier this year to teach them to make a pie and we decided that an apple pie would be a perfect start!

I used my grandmother's "31 1/2" recipe for the crust: 3 cups flour, 1 cup shortening, and 1/2 cup of water. Gina mixed up the crust while Abby and I sliced the apples and mixed the sugar and cinnamon together. Gina rolled out the bottom crust and Abby the top. We put it all together and then waited anxiously for it to bake. It turned out great and tasted wonderful with a scoop of Breyer's Ice cream!!!

Gina has requested that we bake a cherry pie next... I can't wait!

Looking for snow...

2010-01-16T14:12:00.002-05:00

Friday morning, I went for a run before work. As I left the garage I immediately knew that I had overdressed since the temperatures were quite mild. I returned to the garage and exchanged my fleece jacket for a vest and started down the driveway. As I walked I heard a Great Horned Owl hooting off in the woods. I returned the call the best that I could and chuckled to myself as I reminisced about reading "Owl Moon" to the girls at bed-time a few years ago. It was one of their favorite books and also one of mine.

I started to run down the street towards the park and had not gotten more than two houses away and suddenly that owl flew across the road in front of me! It was, needless to say, a pretty cool way to start a run! Made it to the bike path and came across several deer just milling about looking for food. They scattered into the woods as I approached and continued their search.

The bike path was starting to clear of the snow but had several icy patches. I decided to just run on the snowy sections since I knew what kind of footing I would have. I did not want to have a chance meeting with some black ice. A good run and I had a smile on my face for most of the day thinking about the owl.

This morning, Denise and I saw two coyotes walking through our back yard! They looked very healthy and warm in their winter coats and quickly made their way down to the creek. I wanted get 8 miles in this morning but cut it short at 5 miles. The bike path had less snow, but much much more ice. Again, I kept running in the snowy sections, but was not enjoying the experience. The snow is melting quickly and I will get back into the woods either tomorrow or monday.

Snow Globe Run

2010-01-12T18:21:00.002-05:00

I decided to run early this morning in order to 1)get the run out of the way, and 2)because I have not run early morning in a while. The air was a balmy 20 degrees with a wind-chill in the low teens. The best part however was the light snow that was falling! It was like running inside a snow globe. I had the bike path all to myself and thoroughly enjoyed the 4 miles.

I stayed on the path since the snow was only a couple of inches deep. I then cleared the driveway of the new snow as a cool-down. A great way to start the work-day.

I am feeling better and better each run. It is nice to get some consistency back in my running and the 'official' training starts next week for the "Forget the PR50k" race in April. Actually, this race is just training run for me for the Burning River 100, but I really want to drop time off from last year's event. So, let the training begin!

Snow Run

2010-01-06T19:44:00.002-05:00

I needed to get outside for a run and since the snow stopped last night, and there are several people who walk their dogs on the trail to pack the snow down, I thought that I would venture into the woods for a bit.

Well only two people had hit the trail before I had gotten there, making for a slow slog through the snow. It was however a great cardio workout, which was the whole point of the run!

I have two more weeks of "training to train" before the plan kicks in for the Forget the PR 50k race in April. I took the last 6 weeks of 2009 easy, ie not much running at all, and now I need to get myself back into training mode. I am ready to start again.

Cross-Training

2010-01-03T18:27:00.003-05:00

One advantage to training for and competing in triathlons, is the built-in cross-training. The mix of swimming, cycling, and running provides that complete body fitness. After my back spasms last year, it became obvious that I had neglected my core. I worked a little on that last year, key word is little, and want to do much better this year.

This past week has provided an excellent opportunity for upper-body and core work via show-shoveling! In fact today alone, I shoveled the driveway three times and it needs it again. (I'll wait until tomorrow morning however) The Lake Erie snow machine was in full force today and we received a nice deep covering of fresh powder.

I decided to run this morning after shovel session #1. A nice 4 mile run through the woods. The snow was deep, but since it was so powdery, it did not seem too bad. The wind was blowing pretty good, making me glad that I wore an extra layer of clothing, and I had the trails all to myself. I ran a simple out-and-back route and my tracks were almost covered with fresh snow near the end. The hot shower felt pretty good after-wards.

We then decided to check out the sledding hill near Shadow Lake. First I had to shovel the drive again! Sledding was a blast! The hill was just long and steep enough to get a good slide and the return back was an even grade, making it not seem as steep. Denise and I went down together on the sled and we hit some fresh powder and ended up completely covered in snow. We have not laughed that hard in a while. We stayed and battled the wind a while and then headed back home.

I moved things around in the garage a bit and was able to move both cars inside! Yeah! I will not have to scrap windows in the morning!

I was itching for some more exercise and cleared the driveway one more time! The shoveling, hill climbing from sledding, and the run this morning, provided a great day.

Back to work tomorrow...

Big fat Goose-egg for 2009

2010-01-01T09:02:00.003-05:00

Zero, zilch, nada.... For the first time in several years, I had zero bicycling miles! I had grown tired of the battles with traffic and my tandem partner, Abby, had started running for Cross-country. It is a whole lot easier to lace up the shoes and just run than to get the bike down, gear up, and ride. Besides, you don't have to worry about drivers texting when you are running in the woods... :) I have to admit, I do miss it a little...

2009 was a crazy year, to put it politely... A co-worker summed it up pretty well as "Worst.....Year.....Ever". 2009 was the year of 'change'. My neighbor said "2010 will be the year of POSITIVE change!" Let's go with that...

I sent my application in for the 2010 Burning River 100 race. I need the motivation of a huge event to keep me honest in my training. I will attempt to once again, document the journey here with this blog so if you are really bored, you can follow along.

Denise and I have finally joined the Facebook club. I am not sure why we resisted for so long...

Gina is living the phrase "Eat, sleep, swim"... Swim team is going well for her but is a lot of work with the two-a-day practices during school and the 4-hour practices at 6am during this winter break. Swimming is one of those sports that takes a lot of discipline and dedication in order to execute well. Gina is enjoying the experience but is ready to sleep in once in a while...

Happy New Year everyone and let's make a difference for 2010

Finished!

2009-12-06T19:50:00.005-05:00

The basement project is finished!!! (Well, some minor paint touch-up remains)

The sofa arrived yesterday afternoon and we all worked and had it assembled shortly after-wards. We are pretty happy with the way the basement turned out and it kept me busy for most of the year.

I guess the next project is the upstairs bathroom; the only part of the house that we have not touched. A fresh coat of paint and a tile floor will provide a nice makeover. I guess that project will start after the holidays...well after the holidays!

Running has been hit-and-miss with more missed than hit. This break feels pretty good and it gives me time and energy to focus on other things that need attention now. I'll get next year's plan(s) in place in a few weeks.

For now, the rest feels pretty good!

Night run: "whoo...whoo..who is out there"

2009-11-06T12:25:00.003-05:00

I met Paul and his dog Corky at Liberty park for an early evening run. He is training for the 2010 Lake Placid Ironman, and I am more than willing to help him get his third IM finish! It was dark when we started and the remnants of a rain squall were fresh in the air and on the ground. A quick lap around the meadow and into the woods we went.

The fallen leaves made trail navigation interesting since the ground all looked the same. Instead, we ran by 'feel'. If we got off-track, the ground was much softer; on track, the ground was packed hard. After a while we realized that Corky knew her way pretty well and stuck to the trail; except when she darted off after a deer.

We were pelted with some sleet for a few minutes and then the clouds blew away and the stars came out. We were making our way back to the car when I noticed something fly through the trees in front of us. It was too big to be a bat and I immediately thought owl! Sure enough, it flew past us and lighted on a tree limb 20ft up and just off of the trail. We stopped to get a better look at this nice-sized barred owl and (s)he just looked at us back.

Good company, great trails, and wildlife sightings!! It doesn't get much better than this!

2009 Run With Scissors Race Report

2009-10-29T21:10:00.008-04:00

Short version: It took me 11 hours 22 minutes to cover 53.7 miles of mud and hills! It was an incredibly wonderful and beautiful day in the woods! Thanks to Roy and all of the volunteers for a great event!!

Longer version:

This race was advertised as a “double marathon+” distance, and a last minute course change provided a 53.7-mile course. The race application also said that there was a chance of “really crappy weather” too! Fortunately, the crappy weather stopped the night before, but its effects were felt for the entire day.

The course consisted of two laps, each a marathon-“ish” distance, and was divided into the following segments:

Ledges Shelter to Pine Hollow (approx 4 miles)
Pine Hollow to the Covered Bridge (approx 7 miles)
A loop of the Riding Run and Perkins Trails back to Covered Bridge (Approx 5 miles)
Covered Bridge to Pine Hollow (approx 7 miles)
Pine Hollow to Ledges Shelter (approx 4 miles)

The 5am start found us lined up at the Ledges Shelter in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park where Roy Heger, the race director, shouted “Go!” Off we went into the woods with headlamps blazing! It was really neat to see the snaking stream of headlamps as we went down and up and around the trail in the dark! The night sky was ablaze with stars and frost was forming on the exposed grassy areas! The temperature was a few degrees warmer under the cover of the trees in the woods. I spent way too much time before the start fretting over how may layers to wear and eventually settled on shorts, my tri-singlet, and a long-sleeved shirt. Headband and gloves completed my outfit. This combination turned out to be perfect!

I paused for a quick bathroom break at Pine Hollow and got separated from the group I was running with. I then fell in behind a couple of guys and started on the Wetmore bridle trail. There is a reason this trail is named “WET-more.” The rain over the past couple of days provided for a muddy, slippery mess! Of course the fallen leaves did their best to mask the true nature of the surface until you were ankle deep into the mire. It was pretty fun to be at the BACK of the group and listen to the shrieks as another mud pit was discovered! It paid to be a little slow… We finished the Wetmore trail section and then traveled around the muddy corn field(s) on our way to the Covered Bridge aid station.

Roy’s instructions were for us to get a pair of scissors at the Covered Bridge aid station and then start looking for ‘Red Skeleton” on the Perkins Trail, who would be holding a book. We then had to cut a picture from the book and hand in the photo to the aid station workers at the Covered Bridge upon our completion of the loop. As I turned onto the Perkins Trail, I made a note to myself to start to look for Red. It was not hard to find him since he was sitting in a chair, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A STREAM CROSSING! I laughed pretty hard when I saw him and then said a few words as I balanced on some rocks, trying to keep my feet semi-dry. Yes, they were muddy, but not totally soaked, yet!

Daybreak had arrived and I was able to turn off my headlamp and enjoy the colors of the woods! It was absolutely stunning with the leaves both on the trees and on the ground! The sky was clear and the sunshine felt good when I arrived back at the Covered Bridge. I knocked the frost off of my drop bag and left my headlamp there. I also grabbed my hat but kept my headband with me, just in case.

I started back to Pine Hollow via the hilly and muddy Wetmore trail. I was starting to feel tired and decided that I needed to back off my pace a bit if I wanted to complete lap number two. It was mentally difficult as the marathon runners would pass by, but I tried to just keep moving. Finally made it to Pine Hollow after what seemed like a very long time, and knew that in only 4 more miles I would have to do this all over again… Not a good thought so I admired the scenery some more at Kendall Hills as I ran!

I was leap-frogging a guy from Pine Hollow to the Ledges Shelter and when we arrived, he quickly went back out for lap two. I wanted to change my shirt and poor planning had me going to my car to retrieve it instead of leaving a drop bag at the shelter! I started off on lap two and caught back up with Frank. I would catch him on the up-hills, he would leave me behind on the down-hills. I started to feel really bad here; no energy, my knees were achy, and I was just tired of the mud. I tried to think ‘happy thoughts’ but it wasn’t working. I then remembered a lesson I learn from Ironman: Whenever you feel the least bit negative, eat/drink something. So I ate a Tri-berry gu. Tasted pretty good and a few minutes later, I ate a few bites of a powerbar. Suddenly, my second-wind was arriving and I was starting to feel better I took another Gu, just to make sure and I was soon arriving at the Covered Bridge aid station once again! The best part was that Denise, Gina, and Abby were waiting for me there! My friend Kirk surprised me by also coming out to see us running!

I arrived just after Frank did and we departed together. I explained that I felt pretty good again and was “going to make hay while the sun was shining!” I was feeling ok and made sure that I kept eating and drinking. I was running by myself now since the runners were spaced pretty far apart. It was a constant battle to keep telling myself to "just run" whenever I would want to stop. These ultra runs are as much of a mental test as a physical one.

I cut another picture out of the book and completed the Perkins loop for the last time. I arrived at Covered Bridge aid station, changed into a short-sleeved shirt, grabbed some food, and said good-bye to my family. Denise said they would meet me again at Pine Hollow. Off I went myself towards the finish...

There were lots of people on the trails due to the nice weather and I felt like an Ultra-public-relations person explaining what we were doing out there in the woods. It was fun to watch the expressions on their faces as I said we were running a double-marathon! I would just smile and keep moving... I was running alone now and the mental battle was ongoing to just keep moving and to remember to eat and drink. Pretzels, ginger snaps, and bananas all were tasting pretty good. The occasional GU was thrown in also for good measure. It was working and I kept moving.

Pine Hollow the last time was a very welcome sight since I only had 4 more miles to go. The sun and fall colors were blazing and it was a fantastic day! The girls were having a blast running up and down the hills, reliving the Cross-Country meet held there a few weeks ago, and Denise just loved soaking up the sunshine. Quick food stop and off for the final leg.

I was pretty happy to see the ledges trail sign and to be able to run the final section across the field to the finish! It was nice to see Dave Peterman, the overall race winner, hanging around to cheer for us slow-folks! I received my coffee cup from Roy and enjoyed some great food from Chef Bill. A perfect day!

Surprises:

I knew that the Wetmore and Perkins trails would be muddy and I was not disappointed. What was suprising however was how slippery the Kendall Hills section was. The grass/mud combo was like ice in places and pretty sloppy.

Lessons learned:

Keep on top of my nutrition. It seems that I am always learning this... Pretzels. ginger snaps, and bananas worked well for me.

I should have backed off the pace a bit earlier on the first lap. I may have saved myself some time on the second lap had I done so...

Spilts for the geeks in us that care:

Lap #1

Ledges to Pine Hollow: 44:43

Pine Hollow to Covered Bridge: 1:20:47

Riding Run/Perkins: 1:02:37

Covered Bridge to Pine Hollow: 1:21:18

Pine Hollow to Ledges Shelter: 54:11

Marathon time: 5:23:37 (would have been 16th out of 48)

5:47 spent changing shirts...

Lap #2

Ledges to Pine Hollow: 54:24

Pine Hollow to Covered Bridge: 1:22:40

Riding Run/Perkins: 1:11:57

Covered Bridge to Pine Hollow: 1:31:45

Pine Hollow to Ledges Shelter: 52:21

Total time: 11:22:36 (12th out of 22)

A PR at Columbus!

2009-10-20T11:52:00.002-04:00

No, not me; Denise!!! This was the 9th Marathon that she has run and was not really sure of what to expect. She loves the Columbus course and as always, was shooting for a sub 4-hour finish. The day started off COLD, at least for us watching, but perfect running weather with sunshine and 30-something degrees.

Gina, Abby, and I watched the start and then waited for all of the 15,000 runners to pass by so that we could get to the Starbucks across the street! The plan was to get coffee/hot cocoa and then catch Denise at the 8 mile and 12 mile points on the course. These locations were within 3 blocks of the starting line, making it pretty easy to get around. The line at Starbucks was loooonnnnnggggg, but we had plenty of time to get to the 8 mile marker. We watched as E-Speed flew by on her way to a 3:05 finish and saw Jim pacing the 3:20 group. I would like to be able to run that fast, yet alone pacing that fast....wow!

Denise came by and said that she was going much faster than expected but was going to hang on as long as she could. I exchanged some full bottles for her empty ones and she was off! We walked the short distance to High Street and listened to the National Guard band as they played for the runners. Denise came by again and this time said, "I am going to crash and I don't care! This is fun!" Oh boy...

We made our way back to the car and made the short drive to the 19 mile point. The sun was shining bright and it was a great morning! Denise came by again and said "I am dying here..." I replied, "Just keep moving!" Back into the car we went and drove to the finish line.

It is fun to watch the expressions of the runners as they complete the last few tenths of a mile. Some look overjoyed, others look like death warmed over.... The crowds here are great and almost every runner gets that "I am almost done" grin on their face. Other who realize a PR is near or a BQ is in hand, have even bigger smiles!

We see Denise coming and a quick glance at my watch shows that she is well under 4 hours and dangerously close to a PR. I borrowed/modified a line from Lance Armstrong and shouted "Run like you stole something!" She turned the corner towards the finish and we started down the hill to meet her, all with smiles on our faces!

As we waited for Denise, Abby received a 'tweet' with the finish time and we realized that Denise PR'd by 11 seconds!!! Whoohoo!!!

Two days later, Denise is still smiling....

The "REAL" Run with Scissors Route...

2009-10-15T12:03:00.002-04:00

Of course, after I posted the route/map yesterday, I discovered that the route has changed. The Run With Scissors site contains all of the details...

The route will be much better than the earlier one since the towpath section is eliminated! Instead, we will be treated to the Riding Run and Perkins Trails, in reverse direction than usual. Should be a fun fun day.

26.2 mile route Map and Description

2009-10-14T12:27:00.004-04:00

The course description is what Roy handed to us on one of the "Run with Scissors" training runs. I have updated this post to reflect the fact that the course for the race has changed but I will leave this here as a reference. This is a great loop to run regardless...

The start/finish line is at the Ledges Shelter, on the right-hand-side of the map, halfway down... This is also the start/finish line for the Winter Run for Regis race (Winter BT50K).

Course Description

The run begins at the Ledges Shelter. Follow the Ledges Shelter access road, cross Truxell Road, and turn right.
Enter Kendall Lake parking lot and make an immediate left onto the Lake Trail.
Follow the Lake Trail until it intersects the Cross Country Trail and turn left.
Stay on the Cross Country Trail staying to the right when you reach the Little Meadow Fork. You will turn left at the trail post and run two large, steep hills ending at the Pine Hollow Aid Station. (Mile 4 and 30.2) There is crew access at Pine Hollow.

Leave Pine Hollow Aid Station to the South on the grass next to the parking area. You will pass Crowfoot Gully and turn right at the the south end of the Little Meadow parking lot.
After crossing Quick Road, take an immediate left onto Wetmore Trail.
Make a left turn onto Langes Run Trail at the orange fence marking the closed area of Wetmore Trail.
Upon reaching Robinson Field, exit over the bridge and down the driveway to the Akron Peninsula Road crossing at the entrance to the Valley Bridle Trail.
The Valley Bridle Trail section ends with a short Bolanz Road section, crossing the Cuyohoga River, ending at the Bolanz Road Aid Station. (Mile 9.9 and 36.1)

Depart Bolanz Road Aid Station to the north on the Towpath Trail. Stay on the Towpath Trail ending at the Boston Store Aid Station. (Mile 15.7 and 41.9) There is crew access at this aid station.

Follow the Towpath Trail south to it's junction with the Valley and Buckeye Trails, turn left on Valley/Buckeye Trail and left again on the Buckeye Trail. The Buckeye Trail section ends at the Pine Lane Aid Station. (Mile 19.9 and 46.1) There will be limited aid at Pine Lane.

CAREFULLY cross State Route 303 on the Valley Bridle Trail and proceed on Valley to the tower, down the gravel driveway, and make a left turn onto the dirt trail leading to the next Akron Peninsula Road crossing at the Golf Course.
When the Valley Trail intersects Akron Peninsula Road again, turn left onto Akron Peninsula Road, facing traffic.
Enter the Salt Run Trailhead and turn to the left when you reach the main trail.
Salt Run will return you to the Lake Trail.
Turn right onto the Lake Trail, keeping Kendall Lake to your left.
Follow the trail through the tunnel ending at the Kendall Shelter Aid Station. (Mile 24.6 and 50.8 )

Head north into the parking lot, cross Truxell Road and climb the trail to Ledges Trail.
A rocky climb will take you to the overlook and on into the open field ending loop one at 26.2 miles. There is crew access at the Ledges Shelter Aid station.

Double marathon runners repeat this loop.

It seems like yesterday...

2009-10-11T17:58:00.000-04:00

I seems like just yesterday that I was changing her diapers! Last night was Gina's first high-school home-coming dance and she looked magnificent! (Yes, I am biased, but I have every right to be!) She had a good time with her friends and we are all pretty tired today. The rain finally stopped yesterday and the fall colors are in full bloom! We are trying to enjoy this as much as we can before the snow starts flying!

0-dark-thirty

2009-09-25T12:07:00.002-04:00

"O-dark-thirty" is a phrase that I heard a while back that typically is used in context of very early morning... The Twinsburg High School Band was on Fox 8 news this morning, meaning that Gina had to be at school at 4:45am! I decided to take advantage of this and started my run this morning at 5am. 10 miles of trails, in the dark, watching the eyes(deer) watching me, listening to the owls call out to each other, and trying not to trip too much on the roots!

It was a great run! I had a mild bout of stomach upset from the cup of tea I drank but a Tums quickly calmed that down. I felt good running and it was nice and quiet in the woods. I attached my smaller headlamp to my waist belt and the extra contrast helped me miss most of the roots. A single headlamp, on your head, will usually wash-out the roots due to lack-of-contrast from the line-of-sight and line-of-illumination being the same. Having another light at a different angle helps to illuminate obstacles better. I just have to pick up my feet enough to avoid them...

Another crazy weekend in store for us. Cross-country meet, football game, basement painting, etc. It will be busy but fun. The leaves are really starting to drop from the trees and

It is dark out!

2009-09-23T12:14:00.002-04:00

I will try to recap the past week or so since I have been blog-slacking a bit.... Last friday I used my last vacation day and ran a lap of the Run With Scissors course. I managed to run the correct course! and also managed to shave approx 30 minutes of time off too! I will not run the race at that pace but my estimate of sub-10 hours seems realistic, depending upon the weather/trail conditions. A nice 10 mile follow-up run Sunday went very well and I was able to hold a great pace throughout.

I have been running in the mornings before work and this means that my headlamp is required. My pace is a lot slower in the dark, but I don't have to worry about crowded trails either! An interesting encounter this morning occurred as I exited the woods onto the bike path. There was an elderly couple standing on the bike path looking back towards me. Of course, I turn to look behind me to see what they were looking at! The gentleman stated "That is what we saw in the woods!" They were looking at me! They had seen my headlamp as I ran along the ridge and could not figure out what it was. We had a short walk/talk together and I turned off into the woods again to complete my 8 miles.

Life just keeps getting crazier and crazier this fall. School activities for the girls, home projects, work, etc. are all adding up to make training very challenging. Denise and I are becoming more creative than usual in an attempt to get the miles in. Fortunately, there are only a few short weeks left before Columbus(Denise) and Run With Scissors(me). This is both good and bad: Good because we can take a break, bad because we never feel like we have trained enough!

This is where experience comes to play: Trust the training, have a plan, and be prepared to adjust/adapt when things don't go as planned! Because rarely does a race, or life, go as planned...

Kamikaze groundhog

2009-09-14T12:02:00.002-04:00

I am still out here, just not blogging much. The family schedule this fall is crazier than expected, leaving little spare time...

A funny story from yesterday's run: I was running in the Center Valley Park in Twinsburg for a fast 6 miles (fast for me anyways) and as I rounded a corner of the trail, a groundhog was running full-speed straight at me! It took a moment or two for me to realize that indeed, this stupid critter was running at me! I started my attempts at stopping/slowing down/changing direction to avoid this thing when suddenly he darted into his burrow at the edge of the trail, just 3 feet from me! I guess that he thought it better to run to safety toward the threat than away from it... Anyways, I had a good chuckle from this and I am guessing that the groundhog was feeling pretty good about himself also.

I am taking my last vacation day this friday and am going to run one lap of the "Run With Scissors" course again. I should throw on a few extra miles at the end for 30, but we'll see how I feel. I love this fall weather and will try to take advantage of it as long as I can.

"Run with Scissors" Training run...

2009-08-31T11:50:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was the first familiarization run for the "Run with Scissors" double marathon. This is the 3rd year for the race and it will be held October 25th. Twenty-four runners met in the Ledges Shelter parking lot where Roy passed out route descriptions and explained the course a bit for us. Shortly after 8am, we started running.

The morning was nice and cool, more like late september rather than the end of August, but I was not complaining. A short road section to Kendall Lake and then the trails begin. We stopped at Pine Hollow for a refill of water and then off to the Wetmore trails! I have only run on the western part of this area and the route covered the eastern section. Very nice trails and the mud was not too bad. Roy would periodically run ahead and do his best Scarecrow imitation to help show us where to turn.

Before long, we arrived at the Hunt Farm visitor's center on Bolanz road. This is the 9.9 mile mark of the loop and started the 5.5 mile slog on the towpath to Boston Store. Most people love the towpath for its even surface and flat terrain. Exactly the reasons that most trail runners dislike the towpath. Denise and I had just recently run 20 miles down here and it was all too familiar to me. However, the miles passed quickly as our group headed north towards Boston Store. I left the lock 29 area before the group and ran with Roy for a bit to Boston. That guy can move!

Back to the trails at Boston Store. I left Boston Store with Dave and we headed to Pine Lane on the Buckeye Trail. Once again, the conversations help the miles to pass quickly and as we entered the pine root section, there was Roy pointing the way for us! We left him at Boston Store, how did he get here so fast? Dave and I had a nice pace going and arrived at Pine Lane to be greeted by, you guessed it, Roy again!!! This time he had food! Some pretzel sticks and chips-ahoy cookies really hit the spot! Thanks Roy!

By now, Dave and I were wondering where Roy was going to show up next and made our way towards the Salt Run trail. Here is where I misunderstood Roy's directions and we ran on the road from the Golf course to the trail-head instead of taking the Bridle trail and back-tracking a bit to the trail-head. This shortened our day a little, but neither Dave nor I complained.

We headed back towards the Ledges after a quick stop at Kendall Shelter. Brandon caught up with us along this section and the three of us caught up with Suzanne and Sharon as they were climbing up to the Overlook. A nice run across the field to the parking lot ended lap #1. (26 miles) Race day will see us running this loop again... Oh yeah, Roy met us here too!

It was a great day: The trails were fantastic (as usual), the rain held off, and lots of good conversations! Just a bit over 5 hours elapsed time, 4:48 running time.

Just think, that was only 1/2 way...

Just about as good as it gets...

2009-08-25T11:56:00.003-04:00

Nice 4.5 mile run this morning in the cool fall-like conditions. However, the woods were very dark and there were lots of 'strange' noises! Some deer eyes were reflected by my headlamp along with a raccoon in a tree. There was something else off in the distance that I could not recognize and I just kept running, with an elevated heart rate!!!

I had a great run sunday afternoon with JP to close out a 45 mile week! I am looking forward to a lap of the "Run With Scissors" course this weekend. I am feeling good and the miles are ramping up well. I just want to keep it that way!

"BOOMING" on the towpath

2009-08-22T07:18:00.002-04:00

I took friday as a vacation day from work and went with Denise down to the towpath for a run. Her training for the Columbus Marathon had her doing 18 miles this weekend and she decided that 20 was better. Humid start to the morning and we started heading north from Boston Store towards Station Road. The towpath was empty and quiet and peaceful and before we knew it, Station road was here. Quick break to refill water bottles and we start the return trip back to Boston Store.

A few more people had started to venture out and the sun was trying to poke through the clouds. I was hoping that it would stay cloudy to keep the temperatures down a bit, but the humidity was more than making up for it.

Stopped at Boston Store to refill water and kept going south. The plan was to turn around at Bolanz Road to make the 20 mile distance. There are several sweet corn fields along the towpath and the farmer has placed noise-makers in them to keep the birds/deer at bay. These sound like shot-guns going off randomly and needless to say, kept Denise on her toes!

We turned around at Bolanz and started back. We knew that this last 5 miles would where the real training would occur for today. Once again, we were running past the corn fields when all of a sudden BOOM! one of those guns went off right next to us! I jumped, the two guys on bikes that we approaching us jumped, and Denise let out a scream! We kind-of chuckled a bit after this and I asked Denise if she wanted to walk a bit to settle her nerves. She stated that she did not want to waste the adrenaline and to keep running!

Once back to Boston Store, we changed clothes and noticed that the "Trail Mix" store was open. All of a sudden ice cream sounded good and we each had a Starbucks icecream bar! By far the best treat that I have had in a long time!

We are going back to the valley today for a family hike around the Ledges and then a Birthday Celebration for Denise! I am meeting JP for a run tomorrow afternoon which will wrap up a pretty good week!

20 miles in the valley

2009-08-17T21:27:00.002-04:00

I managed to get back to the Buckeye Trail for 20 miles saturday morning. It felt really good to get back onto the section between Boston Store and Ottawa Point. I have not run that section yet this summer! I know, slacker...

The trail was pretty quiet and saw only a couple of hikers and Paul L. who was running the opposite direction. I had dropped water at Snowville road and was glad that I did since the temperatures climbed quickly. I arrived at Boston Store with 19 miles and took a short out-and-back on the towpath for the 20th mile. I thought 20 sounded better than 19, and I felt good in spite of the heat.

Good run and I am looking forward to the first group training run for the Run with Scissors race on August 30th. Should be a good time!!!

The basement project is in the sanding phase. Lots of drywall dust and I think that I am finished with the first half. Now it is time to move everything over to the other side so that I can continue the spackling process. Maybe I'll be done by thanksgiving...

Its Hot Outside: Finally!

2009-08-09T14:34:00.003-04:00

Wow! The august heat arrived overnight and my run this morning felt like a sauna! We have had a very cool summer so far and it is good to finally have the heat! It actually felt good to sweat so much that my clothes clinged to my skin. I also have to admit that after 2 hours, I started to get tired of it!

I ran over towards Liberty Park again this morning. The woods were steamy and there were peaks of the morning sun piercing through the trees, making for some very cool looking beams of light. I scared out 7 very large wild turkeys and a few deer. The woods were actually pretty quiet and it was nice to be able to just run and clear my head of the daily noise that seems to get louder and louder. 3 hours of running this morning was a good start...

I filled out my application for the "Run with Scissors Double Marathon" today and can't wait to spend another day running in the valley. I want to use this race to start my training for next year's Burning River 100.

One more week of summer vacation for the girls before school starts. The tension level has gone up a notch this weekend. Gina started band camp last week and Abby will start cross-country this week. Both girls are excited about school, but the first couple of weeks are always a huge adjustment.

2009 Burning River 100 Crew/Pacer Race Report

2009-08-02T14:00:00.005-04:00

Our family had decided to help Maria crew and I would help pace JP for this year's Burning River 100 race. JP had paced me the last 30 miles of last years race and this was my turn to reciprocate. His training went well and he was optimistic for an expected 27 hour finish time. The weather was a bit warmer than what we had been used to with temperatures in the mid-80s and a chance of rain overnight.

I went to the Shadow Lake aid station to see how he was doing. He was right on pace for 26-27 hours and feeling good. His shoes got wet in the earlier stream crossings and he already had some blisters forming. A quick lube of the feet along with a shoe/sock change and he was off. So far so good.

Denise, Gina, Abby, and I then went to the Station Road aid station where the runners would come through twice, giving us a good perspective on their condition. Again, JP was on track for 27 hours and was starting to feel the heat a bit. His feet were not getting worse, but not getting better either. But, he was moving well and still on track.

We went home for a nap and would see him at Boston Store. As we were leaving home, Maria texted to say that JP just left Boston Store the first time. We arrived and setup camp to await his return. Still on pace, still looking good, and still confident. I was getting anxious to run with him and asked if he wanted me to start pacing now instead of waiting until Happy Days. He said he felt fine and would wait until Happy Days, per the original plan.

We drove off to Happy Days and I was able to see Nick depart, Brian storm in and out, and help Lori get her headlamp set before she started to pace Kirk. Kirk was tearing up the course for his first 100 mile run and said he was not very happy with me for getting him involved in this race! He and Lori ran into me last year randomly during the day and the ultra bug bit Kirk pretty hard!

JP arrived at the aid station just before midnight, a bit later than we expected, but still on 27-28 hour pace. He downed some food and off we went towards the ledges trail. JP's stomach had started to go south and he was feeling pretty nauseous. After the climb to the ledges trail, he finally was able to purge his stomach and felt much better. But now of course, his nutrition was gone. Still feeling queasy, we continued towards Pine Hollow. JP's legs were now feeling the effects of 70+ miles and his feet were becoming numb from the blisters.

Maria and Denise met us at the aid station and off we went towards the Covered Bridge. We had a great pace going through the woods and the rain started to gently fall. We could hear the rain hitting the leaves but we were not getting wet. The perfect kind of rain! JP was not able to eat anything due to his nausea and the inevitable "bonk" began. The only food we had with us was some gels/gu, clif bars, and gatorade. None of these would stay down for JP. Even water was causing the dry heaves and it was getting ugly real fast.

I knew that if we could get to the aid station, he would be much much better. The problem was that the aid station was 1.5 miles away! We would walk a bit, pause and regroup, walk a few more steps, regroup, repeat. It was real slow going, but at least we were going! I became more concerned when JP would start to throw in some weaving, shivering, and feeling light-headed. This was a deep bonk... I started to discuss options with JP: Quit now! (Not an option but I had to say it.) Keep doing whatever we had to to get to the aid station and get the nausea under control. Then eat some calories, let his body absorb them, and get outta there. We now had another enemy approaching: The cut-off times...

We finally arrived at the covered bridge and Tanya got some ginger ale and saltines for JP. These were just the ticket. As JP was regrouping, two more people arrived and I overheard a volunteer say that they just made the arrival cutoff by 6 minutes! Oh boy... I knew the next 4.5 miles were some of the toughest of the day even without having the rain falling! We had 1.5 hours to do this loop. I knew that a miracle would be needed in order to pull this off, but we had to at least try. We would not let JP quit, they would have to pull us from the course.

We left the aid station and started the climb up the Perkins Trail. It was raining. It was muddy. It was not very pretty... Without the mud, without the blisters, we had a small chance, but this was not our day. We exited the woods to cross Everett road and decided to just walk down the road to the aid station. We missed the cut-off, so what if we cut the course now... As we were walking, a park ranger pulled up and asked if we needed help. (we must have looked bad...) We told him what happened and he offered a ride back. Of course we took him up on it! He dropped us off and we reported in with Tanya and our day was over.

The good news: JP completed 82 miles and set a PR for the first 50 miles. He is still able to walk and will be able to run again. They say that DNF means, Did Nothing Fatal...

The bad news: JP will probably lose most of his toenails, and he has some unfinished business with this race.

What did I learn from this? No matter how much we prepare and plan, something can always go wrong, and probably will. Keep moving, keep trying to recover, and do what you can. If it turns out that you are not successful, well, at least you did not give up. We now know what to do, or not to do, the next time it happens.

"...and they're off!"

2009-08-01T07:45:00.004-04:00

The third installment of the Burning River 100 mile race is underway! It is a beautiful morning here now with clear sunny skies and temperatures are expected to hit low t0 mid 80's; a bit warmer than what we are used to this summer, but at least it is not 95!

There is a slight chance of rain tonight so maybe I'll get to finally run in the rain, in the dark! I am going to pickup JP at the Happy Days aid station, somewhere between 10:30 and midnight, and pace him for the last 30 miles! He got me to the end last year, it is my turn now! He is targeting a 27-hour finish time and my job is to get him to Cuyahoga Falls by 8am tomorrow morning!

I am going to head over to shadow lake in an hour to watch some runners come through and hopefully see JP and Kirk.

BR100 pre-race planning

2009-07-22T22:11:00.004-04:00

Denise and I met JP and Maria tonight at Panera to discuss the Burning River 100 race-day plans. I am planning on pacing JP for the last 30-40 miles and we will show up at some earlier aid stations to help Maria crew JP. It was fun to discuss the plans for the day knowing full well that things will not go as planned! But JP has the contingency plans in place and we will see what the day throws at him! He is so ready for this!!!

I have been exploring the local trails and have discovered some great new ones at Liberty Park! Nice ledges and caves along with some great single-track. Summit County Metro Parks have been busy with trail building and I cannot wait for them to be finished! I want/need to borrow someone's garmin to see how to connect two the sections of the park together. I have not been brave enough to bush-whack my way to make my own connection. I would rather have a bird's-eye view first to see how close the two sections are. I think a spring FA in the park would be a fun thing to organize...

Summer is going fast and we have been enjoying the crazy-mild weather! I am sure that the hot-humid stuff is coming, probably in October! We are all running the Monastra 5K saturday in Hudson. I really don't like 5K races but this is for a good cause and it will be fun to have the entire family participating!

New Additions...

2009-07-05T08:50:00.004-04:00

We have been talking about getting another cat for a while and had decided to wait until one of our other pets passed on first...to much chaos in the household... But, there always is a but isn't there?, Abby spotted this guy's picture on Pet-Finder and we decided that we could not wait!

We drove out to Middleburg Heights wednesday evening and picked up "Gilbert". He is a black and white long-haired bundle of energy! He is adjusting well to the other pets, and they are accepting him also. Abby and Gina both are having a blast with him and have assumed the daily chores of caring for him. He is a blast to have around the house...

I took a run towards Libery Park friday morning where I was going to meet Abby, Liv, and Josh for their CC training run. They wanted me to show them the new trail that winds down towards the ledges. As I was making my way over there, I discovered that the Metro Parks have been very busy with trail construction. There is a new trail going in behind the old field off of Post Road. A boardwalk is under construction that takes you into a marsh area. It is really remote and looks to be a great place for bird watching. The trail then goes back into the woods and winds along the base of some other spectacular rocks and ledges! Very green and lush back there.

I then continued towards the park and found what I thought would be a connector trail that headed south towards the park. There were the little 'dots' on the trees that the Metro Parks seem to use for trail markers and it was a nice single track going through the woods. Then, suddenly, the trail just disappeared... I scouted around a bit to see if I could find it again, but I did not have the time to explore since I needed to meet the kids. I want to get back there soon and continue that route. That area could make for a nice 5-10K trail run for Twinsburg!

We took a trip to Farm Park with our neighbors and went to Blossom for the 4th of July concert. Traveled to Solon last night for fireworks and we are off to the valley today for a run/hike on the "Riding Run" trail. Maybe dip our feet in the creek at the covered bridge afterwards!

Great weekend so far! More to come...

Burning River night run

2009-06-28T19:30:00.002-04:00

Last night, JP and I started at 6:15pm from Happy Days to run to the finish line of the Burning River 100 course. My co-worker, Marty, started with us and was going to turn back "whenever he felt like it".

It was a great evening, the heat of the day had started to drop off and we were moving well. I had not been able to run with JP for a while and it was good to catch up. We made it to the turn off of the Salt Run trail at the entrance to the Wetmore trail and Marty started back towards Happy Days. JP and I continued, not sure of how muddy the Wetmore Trail would be. It actually was not too bad since we were able the follow the packed trail of the two groups that ran the course earlier.

We stopped to take pictures of the goats and to eat some early black raspberries. Before we knew it, we were at the Covered bridge and still had some daylight. Once we entered the Perkins trail, the headlamps were turned on and we proceeded up the hill. Once again, the mud was not too bad and we were able to reminisce about last year's race through this section.

The run along Ira Road towards Hale Farm was fun since there were lots of deer in the woods with their eyes glowing with the reflection of our headlamps. There was a party going on at Hale Farm with the music echoing through the valley. The stars were out but not as bright as they were in the Adirondacks!

The climb up into ONeil woods seemed bigger this time and my lack of long run training was starting to rear its head. I was looking forward to a small can of Mountain Dew that I had stashed at Bath Road and we pushed on toward the tow path.

We refilled bottles and I drank my Dew. Shortly after, my stomach turned south. I fought this feeling for the next hour or so and think that it was a combination of having my waist pack belt too tight and the acidic soda in my stomach. I did not have the best nutrition before the run and was feeling the effects. Fortunately, JP had almost 100 miles for the week already and did not mind my slower pace. We continued walking/running south on the towpath.

Finally at the Memorial park aid station I started to feel much better. We entered Cascade Metro park and started looking carefully for the trail. Neither of us felt real sure of the route through here but we manage to find our way with only one minor detour.

The final run through the Gorge was beautful as always and we finished our 31 mile run after 8 hours on our feet. It was a great night-time training run!

JP was running strong and is so ready for August! I will have some more long runs under my belt by then and will not start pacing sleep deprived and hungry like I did last night!

Abby and I ran 25 minutes this morning in the rain which was a lot of fun and helped to loosen the legs a bit. Rest day tomorrow and back at it tuesday!

Lake Placid Marathon (Short story)

2009-06-14T20:19:00.003-04:00

Awesome day in the ADK! The rain stopped and the sun was shining on us today as we ran in our favorite place in America. We completed the Marathon Relay in 3:46:11 which was a PR for all of us!

Detailed race report with photos coming soon...

After the race we decided to go kayaking on the Ausable River. We were treated to a personal tour of the local wildlife rehab facility before retrieving our kayaks. Here is one of the Great Horned Owls. Pretty cool raptors!

Ho Ho Ho

2009-06-12T19:28:00.006-04:00

Day 1 in the Adirondacks found us driving by "Santa's Workshop" in Wilmington, NY on our way to Catamount Mountain (photo above) for a hike. This hike has been on our list of "to do's" for a year or two and its 3.6 mile round trip distance seemed like a good warmup for the week. The ADK Trail Guide book said there would be some rock scrambling, a chimney, but the views of Whiteface mountain and the high peaks were stunning from the rocky summit. Sounded great!

We registered at the trail head and started our way into the woods. Nice level trail through the trees and then we started to climb. We crossed a small brook that was flowing briskly from last night's rainfall.

The trail continued to climb and become more and more rocky. During a break, Abby noticed a "lady slipper" on the side of the trail. We looked closer and there were several of them. These wildflowers are a cousin of the orchid and are very beautiful and delicate.

The trail kept climbing and the views from the various outcrops of rocks were indeed spectacular.

Remember the bit about the Chimney? Well, we managed to get there after several scrambles and managed to coax Denise up the gap. Once though, we still were faced with a significant rock face to climb before we reached the summit. We decided that enough was enough. Denise is not real keen on open rock climbs and I was thinking that the views from here were great already and the climb down would be challenging enough. Besides, we have a race to run sunday!

Denise said they they would wait if I wanted to go on to the summit. I left my pack with the girls, took the camera, and proceeded to the summit. After some very challenging scrambles, I managed to reach the summit, the south summit that is. There was still .3 miles left to go to the actual summit with more open rocks and climbs ahead. Good choice to stop where we did because I don't think that Abby's arms/legs were long enought to climb up one face. I had to be creative myself to get this far...

I snapped a picture and started back down.

The photo is of Gina and I climbing down the Chimney. Oh yeah, Santa would not have made it through the top part! We had to remove our packs to squeeze through the narrow gap!

We made it back down the mountain and to the car, all in one piece. The girls would butt-slide down the rock faces, make the return trip much faster! We stopped at the A&W in Wilmington for ice cream and spotted this snapping turtle along-side the road on our way back to the cabin!

Below is a picture of our home for the next week!

We will hate to leave...

HEADS UP!!

2009-06-06T19:52:00.002-04:00

I took Gina and Abby over to Liberty park this afternoon for a run. We wanted to get 30 minutes in and decided to do a simple out and back. Shortly after we started, we decided to go into the woods for some shade instead of baking in the meadow sunshine. As we prepared to exit the woods, I noticed a trail that veered south and looked like the deer trail I followed last winter. We started down it and it indeed connected with the ledges area and came out back near the gas wells making for a nice loop.

The girls liked the area and we had a good run through the woods. We had to traverse the meadow again to get back to the car and as we passed by a ball field, the batter hit a foul ball and everyone shouted "heads up!" I looked up to see the ball coming down near us as Gina and Abby did the "duck and cover" routine! The ball dropped harmlessly 4 feet away but it was close enough.. That would have made a good story: "Tell me again how you got that lump on your head?" "I went running with Dad..."

Just get out the door! (again)

2009-06-05T18:33:00.002-04:00

I am still having a motivation problem with my training. I guess I really do need an event to train for or to scare me into training. The 'plan' for the Running with Scissors race starts in two weeks so that will be good.

I managed to get out this morning before work for 4.5 miles of the local trails. It was very quiet and very enjoyable. It started the day off well and as usual, once I was out the door, it was great!

Just get out the door...

Our Lake Placid trip is very near and we cannot wait! The weather looks to be near perfect for race day with clear skies and high of 70 degrees. We will probably have to build a fire in the cabin with the lows in the high 40s... However for the mountains, this is as good as it gets!

Adirondacks, here we come!

Wildlife weekend...

2009-05-23T14:20:00.003-04:00

Ok, not the 'party' wild-life but nature wild-life sightings...

One my way to work yesterday, I was sitting at a stop light and noticed something crossing the street in front of me. I quickly recognized a possum and then took a second glance. She had 8 babies hanging off of her as she ambled across the street. One of the babies fell of and she stopped and waited as it scrambled back to her and climbed onto her back. The mother possum then continued her trek across the street. The funniest thing was the expression on the face of the lady in the car next to me. She had this look of disbelief as she moved her sunglasses down her nose to get a better view... It was a true laugh-out-loud moment.

I have been hearing barn owls hooting on some of my runs lately and finally was able to see one a couple of weeks ago. Last week during an evening run, I heard the owl call across the way and then heard another call back the other direction. It was pretty cool to hear them call back and forth but they were both pretty far off. Last night, I once again heard a owl call some distance off and then the response startled me because it was real close. I stopped running and started looking up. I then spotted the owl up in a tree not 10 yards away. It turned its head and then flew away. It was very beautiful to both hear and then to see fly away.

Shortly after the owl sighting, I noticed a turtle digging a hole right in the middle of the trail. She was probably going to be laying some eggs later and I suggested to her that she may want to move to a 'less traveled' location, but she just pulled her head inside her shell and didn't listen. Oh well, living with a teen-aged daughter, I am used to that reaction...

This morning, all of us went out for a nice 4 mile run. It was really run to have the entire family out together on this beautiful day. We then decided to give both dogs a bath to help us cool off. After a nice lunch, Abby spotted something in the woods next to us. Was it our dog? Was it a deer? No, it was the local coyote wandering through the neighborhood. Gina let out a scream when we tried to get her attention from her ipod, and the coyote decided to stay in the woods instead of crossing through our backyard.

We are looking forward to a good hike this weekend. I am planning on taking the girls down to the Buckeye Trail north of Blue Hen falls for a nice jaunt. I really enjoy this section and want to share it with them. Should be fun...

Extra protein

2009-05-07T20:03:00.002-04:00

I have been trying to get back into the habit of running in the mornings before work. I feel it helps the day to go better and I have my evenings free to do other things, like work on the basement project. Mornings are my favorite time of day, I think because it is a new day, full of the promise of things to come. Some days, this feeling lasts until noon, typically, it lasts until I open my email at work...

Anyways, as I was running along the bike path, listening to the woods come alive with bird calls and other sounds of morning, I ran through a small cloud of bugs! Since I was also running a lot faster than usual, trying to get some leg speed back, I was gasping for air and ingested a nice healthy dose of insects! After stopping for a moment to cough, gag, etc in an attempt to clear my throat, I continued on my way, wishing I had water to drink...

Needless to say, I ran the rest of the loop with my mouth closed...

6 weeks!

2009-05-04T12:17:00.003-04:00

6 more weeks until the Lake Placid Marathon! I cannot wait to get back up to the mountains again for a week of relaxation. We are all pretty excited about the race and trying to pick which summit we want to bag the week after the race. So far, Giant mountain is leading. The view from the summit is supposed to be great and there are some exposed areas on the way up to provide good viewing opportunities, (distractions) on the climb up.

Denise and Abby are going to run in the "Run 4 Life" 4 mile run this saturday at Hudson Community Chapel. It will be Abby's longest run to date and I think that she will do great! Denise and Abby ran 3 miles yesterday and Abby felt good afterwards. Denise and I ran 12 together early yesterday morning for her last long taper run before Cleveland marathon next weekend!

I am going to try to get back into the basement project this week. I am ready to rough-in the light fixtures and run the wiring. It should not take too long, it is just the 'getting started' part that is the most difficult. I also have some outdoor projects to complete. Since the weather has been nice, the outdoor items have superseded the indoor ones.

Only 4 more weeks of school for the girls! May will be a whirlwind of end-of-year activities and then "let the summer begin!"

Forget the PR50k Race Report (Oh Deer, what a day!)

2009-04-20T19:44:00.002-04:00

Executive Summary:

I finished! 6:33:45

No blisters; just tired legs and a huge smile on my face!

Paul arrived at my house at 4:55 am and Kirk pulled in at 5am to pick us up. We headed towards Mohican, looking forward to a great day. It was fun to catch up with each other’s training, or lack there-of, and to share plans for the summer.

We turned off of the interstate and started the trek down the State highways toward the park. We were passing through some nice farmland when all of a sudden, Paul shouts “Deer!” and then that sickening “thud” of something striking the van. All I saw from the back seat was I think a deer leg fly across/over the windshield!

We pulled over into a barnyard and assessed the damage. The left front of the van, hood, fender, and driver’s door was damaged. The radiator was hissing and steam was coming out from under the hood. Kirk said “Let’s at least see if we can get to the park before it overheats” and away we drove.

Less than 2 miles later, we hit another deer, this time on the passenger side of the van. Kirk doesn’t even stop for this one… His only comment was “Maybe I’ll run into a turkey on the trail and make it a hat-trick for the day!” Nothing like some humor to help the day…

We arrive at the park and get ourselves checked-in. Great swag was included with a nice race shirt! Before we knew it, Rob was making the pre-race announcements and away we went!

After a short run through the parking lot with the Galion Girls Softball teams cheering us on, we started the first climb of the day. (Only 2 miles!) I had never been down to Mohican before and the views and scenery were stunning! No wonder people like this park so much!

I had to stop and adjust my shoelaces and I lost touch with Kirk and Paul. I would see them a couple of times later in the day on some switch backs, but never managed to bridge the gap back up to run with them.

One of the many highlights of the day was the trek to Little Lyons Falls. Roy Heger caught up to me as we were nearing the falls. He stated that this is his favorite part of the Mohican 100 course and I understand why. It was so green and lush, almost Jurassic Park-like. Then, we hit the root ladder. The trail ascends a rock face via several tree roots that have formed a natural ladder. Very, very cool… Oh yeah, Roy was long gone by the time I made the climb up the falls. He is a machine!

The trails were in very good condition except for a section near the lodge where we had to slog through 3-4” of mud. I started off trying to pick a clean line through but quickly realized that it was faster and easier to just blast down the middle. It was only mud.

The weatherman had forecasted overcast skies with a chance of showers. We had overcast sky, peeks of sunshine, and about 60 degrees. Almost perfect conditions. The bugs were also taking advantage of the weather to stretch their wings and to feast on the moving buffet of ultra runners! It seemed as if I always had a swarm of them flying around me as I climbed up the endless supply of hills.

The steep downhills were taking their toll on my legs. I was really looking forward to the last segment of the course, which followed the river back to the start/finish line. Rivers are flat right? Well, not here…Rob threw in one last HUGE hill at the end. Just when we could almost see the finish line, we turned left and up-and-over one last hill. This one hurt…

Finally, the last downhill, back through the parking lot and I crossed the finish line. The race director was there to shake everyone’s hand as we finished! Paul had finished 2 minutes ahead of me, and Kirk, 20.

We changed clothes and piled into the van. Kirk had checked the van and it appeared that there were no leaks of important engine fluids. After a stop at the Highway Patrol station in Ashland to get an accident report, we made it home.

Great venue, great Volunteers, great aid stations (Thanks Kim!), very challenging course, great day! Regardless of the race title, I did set a PR since this was the first time I ran the course. Now, I’ll have to see about beating my PR next year!

Photo: Right to Left, Paul, Kirk, Jerry (and Forrest licking his lips thinking about all of that venison!)

Taper

2009-04-18T06:51:00.002-04:00

My taper for the "Mohican Forget the PR50K" is complete, and I guess that I have tapered from blogging also... Time has just gotten away from me.

I feel good about tomorrow's event. The only blemish is that there is a good chance for rain. I don't mind rain, but the temperatures are supposed to be near 50. That is not a good combination for me. I am struggling with the clothing decision: wind pants or shorts, long sleeves or short sleeves with a rain jacket, gloves or no gloves? Actually, the gloves decision is the easiest one.

My goal for tomorrow is simple: Finish and have fun! I hope for a sub-7-hour finish time and really don't know what to expect since I have not ever seen the area/course before. I am riding down with Paul and Vince and I will just run my race. They can wait for me at the finish line; at least I hope that they wait for me.... it would be a long run home!

Denise, Gina, and Abby returned yesterday after a short visit to her parent's in NY. I miss them when they are not home. It is just too quiet around here to be comfortable. Yes, the dogs and cat are still here, but they pretty much are just floor-mats most of the time until they are hungry, then they seem to want attention.

Today is supposed to be sunny and 70! Time for some car cleaning and mow the lawn. An early night is in order before our 5am departure tomorrow!

It will be a great day!

"Chicked" at the finish

2009-04-05T19:23:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was the "Run for the Orphans" 4 mile trail race in Hudson. We all signed up for the 2-person relay: Denise and I for one team, Abby and Gina the other. The "Kids vs the Old folks"! The duel was on...

Actually, there was not much of a duel. This was Abby's first race and the plan was for Denise to run w/her for the first leg of 2 miles. Abby has been run/walking for 2 miles and this 2 mile leg would be a stretch for her, especially since she was sick in bed two days before the race! Before you call Social Services on us, we did give her the option to bag the race but Abby really wanted to run it... She is as stubborn as her father...

She did very very well! Denise and her ran the first mile and then took a short walk break. Then they ran again. This cycle continued for the second mile and as they started down the hill before the exchange point I shouted out to them "Go Denise and Abby!" We high-fived each other and Gina and I took off.

I planned to run with or just ahead of Gina to help push her a bit. I was having a blast running with her and she was telling me about how the Cross-country course meandered through the park. Her talking stopped when we hit the hills. I would pull away from her a bit as we went up hill and then I would let her catch back up during the down-hill section. As we neared the finish line Denise and Abby were there cheering us on. I was just running my pace when all of a sudden this white flash passed me! Gina had kicked in the after-burners and passed me just before the finish chute. I kicked it in a was just on her shoulder when we entered the chute...

I was "chicked" by my 13-year-old daughter! For those of you that don't know, being 'chicked' is when a girl passed you at the end of a race... Pretty funny term, and some guys take it much harder than others. Gina had this HUGE grin on her face as we walked through the finish area together. She said, "Of course I had to pass you at the end!" I honestly did not even think about it... I just know that it was a great morning and I would not have wanted it any other way!

Denise and Gina went to the swim team awards banquet where Gina once again won "Most Improved Swimmer". I am pretty proud of her and how hard she works in practice. She does what she is told and always seems to peak at the right time.

I then went out for 20 miles of trails. I took the first part way too fast and paid for it the last 2 miles. Good run, I am bored with the Twinsburg trails, but a good run nonetheless. I saw a wild turkey running through the woods, several deer of course, and a kamakazi squirrel. He was about head-level on the back-side of a tree as I ran by. I reached out my hand to steady myself as I slipped in the mud and almost grabbed the squirrel. I think I scared him as much as he scared me. As he tried to scurry away, it appeared that he was going to jump on me. He was just trying to get himself turned around as fast as he could. I chuckled for a while after that....

Denise and I went back out today for a 10 mile run together. I had some tired legs, but it is a good tired. This was the last big weekend before Mohican. Am I ready? We'll see. It is taper time and all I can do now is mess it up...

The Williamson Family Marathon Team

2009-03-31T19:33:00.003-04:00

Its a go!! After narrowly escaping shutout, we received word from the race director of the Lake Placid Marathon that they would accept our registration for the June 14 event. We had been sitting on our registration to ensure that everyone was on-board and then checked the web site and realized that the relay team entry was CLOSED! Denise sent an email this morning to the race director asking if they would allow one more team. He said YES!

We are going to run this weekend in the "Run for the Orphans" trail run in Hudson as a two-person relay. Gina and Abby are one team, Denise and I are another. Kids vs old folks... who will prevail? We all agree that it will be fun, which is why we do this...

We have tried to promote fitness as a way of life for our family. This is just one more way...

I had a great 6 mile run tonight after work and it was warm enough for shorts and short sleeves! That was very nice. Denise and Abby ran 2 miles together and Abby is getting a nice base built up for next fall's cross-country season. Gina had a good track practice that included fartleks on the bike path. I think that we will all sleep well tonight!

It is fun to see the summer start to unfold with plans being made and weekends filling up quickly. The summer Blossom concert schedule looks to be great and cannot wait to spend some evenings under the starts listening to the best music and orchestra in the world.

Vacation week recap

2009-03-28T16:03:00.002-04:00

What a great week! I needed this break more than I thought that I did. I have not taken a week off to just "do nothing" in a very very long time. Well, those of you that know me, know that I cannot just "do nothing" for very long, so here is a summary of my week.

First, the running part:
The last 11 days I have amassed a total of 82 miles! 57.5 miles this week alone... I know, not big miles by some standards, but this week's total is just shy of my record of 60 miles. Seeing that I am finally over the flu and that I am building my base back, this week was a great confidence booster for Mohican. My legs feel tired, good and tired. It is a good feeling.

I ran 18 miles with Denise on Monday and 17 miles this morning for my 'long runs'. Lots of other 6-8 mile runs with Denise during the week. That was the best part; being able to run with my wife as she is training for Cleveland Marathon!

The basement framing is completed except for some minor access door frames. Next is the electrical work, insulation, and then drywall... I will need to hang 28 sheets of drywall for the walls which will keep me busy for a few evenings. Not to mention getting those sheets of drywall into the basement. Anyone wanting a workout is welcome to stop by... :)

Denise and I set up the trampoline Friday afternoon which made the girls very happy! They can now go out and bounce out some extra energy. Of course, the weather is looking to get cool again for a few days, but that is alright. The nice days are starting to out-number the bad days. April is just around the corner and nice weather will be here for good very soon.

A very good week. I am ready to get back to work and am already looking forward to the next break!

Another great day, another 8 miles....

2009-03-24T18:30:00.002-04:00

Today's run felt surprisingly good. My legs felt the 18 miles from yesterday in the form of soreness only, not loss of strength, so I ran 8 more today. More sunshine, more solitude on the trails, more of those post-run endorphins... love it!

Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow, and I need a rest day, so the timing will be perfect. Time to continue the basement framing...

Oh what a beautiful Morning!

2009-03-23T16:38:00.002-04:00

What a great way to start a week of vacation! Denise and I started from Boston Store this morning at 8am for an 18 mile run together. A bit frosty at the beginning but when the sun rose high enough to shine into the valley, things were about as perfect as they could get! It felt so good to be outside with the sun hitting us, crisp air coursing through our lungs, and all of the sounds and sights of spring all around!

The 3 hours passed very quickly and I was encouraged that I felt as good as I did. It always feels good to run with Denise and we had a very nice time together. We cooled down a bit at Boston Store and headed back home via Hudson's First and Main. A cup of coffee from Caribou and some veggie wraps from Aladdin's for our post-run feast. Denise commented that we were "Hudson Hobos" with the perfume of 18 miles of running and wearing our running garb. We did not quite fit into the normal Hudson Decor...but, who cares?!

Showers and a quick nap and I can't wait for day #2!

Spring Cleaning...

2009-03-22T20:12:00.002-04:00

I am feeling better but now have a nagging cough that I am dealing with. I wanted to get some long runs this weekend but have elected to rest a bit more in an effort to get rid of this flu once and for all. But having said that, I did run yesterday for 8 miles on the local trails.

Tinkers Creek had flooded again a week ago and effectively swept the trails clean. Any fallen limbs, leaves, brush, basically anything that wasn't rooted down, was swept away. It looked like someone had come through with a broom and cleaned up the woods. It was nice running, a bit cool, but nice running.

I seemed to have no energy during the run but kept going anyways, taking more walk breaks than I cared to admit. I returned home and Abby and I continued to work in the basement framing the walls for our remodel project. Pretty fun and we made good progress.

Denise wanted to get a 4 mile run in, Abby wanted to get 2 miles, so the three of us headed back to the bike path. Abby and I ran together and Denise caught up with us as she finished her 4 miles. As we were passing by a clearing, I noticed something in the brush and motioned for the others to stop. A red fox then jumped out of the brush and bounded across the clearing. It was pretty cool to see and we all were happy that we could experience this.

Denise and I ran another 6 miles together today and are planning a 18 miler tomorrow! I am taking a week of vacation to catch up on some home projects. I cannot think of a better way to start than a long run with my wife!

Now, off to bed to rest up for tomorrow!

Vegetarian Update

2009-03-16T10:45:00.003-04:00

I wanted to provide an update to our family's vegetarian experiment. I posted earlier about us giving up meat for Lent and living without meat has actually gone pretty well. We still eat eggs, cheese, and other dairy so we are not going true vegan.

We are all feeling good and actually like not having that bloated feeling you get after a meal of meat and potatoes and everything with it. It is like eating Chinese food, you eat a big meal and 1 hour later, you feel hungry again. I have lost a few pounds already, and am sure it is a combination of healthier eating and ramping up my running mileage again. I find myself snacking every couple of hours with an apple or piece of fruit. Again, these are things that we should be doing anyways but never seem to be able to do.

Denise has it the hardest with planning the meals and shopping. Since we are eating fresh as much as possible, it means more frequent trips to the store as well. We have a list of meal ideas posted on the fridge which helps somewhat. We found a really good lentil-loaf recipe that was a huge hit, although next time a double batch will be made to help offset the time of the prep work. Throw the extra into the freezer for a meal next week!

I read somewhere that good nutrition is really the simplest thing to know, but the hardest to implement. It takes planning and time; which is an investment. We are treating this as an investment into our family's health and just another way to encourage healthy choices.

Bad Timing....

2009-03-15T19:24:00.004-04:00

Absolutely beautiful weather this weekend I had to come down with the flu or cold! Argh! Gina had swim champs this weekend and I went down yesterday to watch. We left at noon and pulled in the driveway at 8pm.... A long day at the pool! Today, just Denise and Gina went down and I stayed home with Abby. She pretty much read and I pretty much slept... We did get out twice to walk the dogs which felt really good.

This week was a planned recovery week so it worked out well getting sick now.... but, I really would have liked to run today in the sunshine! There will be more sunny days I am sure, and some snowy ones too, but that first warm day of spring is always so so nice.

Signs of Spring

2009-03-08T21:09:00.002-04:00

A great weekend comes to a close. Warmer temperatures and spring-like weather provided great conditions for running and just brightened our moods. Last minute changes allowed JP and I to run 20 miles yesterday at Bedford Reservation in a light rain. The temperatures were warm enough that we ran in shorts which felt really good.

Denise and I ran together this morning in slightly cooler temperatures and a heavy rain. Once we got started, it was actually fun. The rain was wet, but we were warm and moving; it was all good.

Denise and I celebrated the 20th anniversary of our first date this weekend with a trip to see the orchids at the Botanical gardens followed by lunch at Tommy's in Coventry. It was a very nice day and the flowers were stunning! It seems that every trip we make to the gardens has been in either a rain or snow storm. We are looking forward to a trip with good weather to enjoy the outdoor gardens!

Daylight savings time has thrown us off a bit with our night-time routine, but the extra light in the evening will be very nice!

A recovery week is in store for the Mochican 50k training, and I plan to enjoy it! Big miles are coming and I need to let my body absorb and rebuild from the past couple of weeks. As always, the goal is to stay healthy!!

School days...

2009-03-04T06:55:00.003-05:00

Each day this week has felt like the first day of school: New teacher (new manager), new classmates (new co-workers), new classess (new job responsibilities). It has been interesting to say the least. Oh yeah, the best part, I am tasked to complete a project that someone else started. There is absolutely no documentation to go with this. So I am in a new class with no syllabus or text book. Fun!

Fortunately, these are the types of challenges I enjoy. I have been blessed (cursed) with the ability to learn new things quickly, and I have wanted to work with this technology for a while anyways. It is all good...just different.

My running has been going great! Nothing like a having a little stress added to my life to 'encourage' me to get out and run. I am thankful that I can run and have an outlet, otherwise I think that you would be reading about me in the paper. Headline reads: "Man's head explodes after company makes crazy decision!"

Weather is warming up, daylight-savings time is this weekend, and SPRING is coming! It is all good...

No more meat...

2009-02-25T19:50:00.002-05:00

We have decided to give up meat for Lent. We normally don't do anything for Lent as a family but this year decided to use Lent as an excuse to turn vegetarian. The girls are very excited about this new adventure and we have been collecting recipes all year to use.

I know that I will be craving a huge hamburger after my long run this weekend, but will have to settle for something else. This will be a great opportunity to purge some bad eating habits and to make a real run towards getting back into shape.

It was great to see the sunshine and feel the warmer temperatures. I took advantage of this for a mid-day cleansing run from a very stressful work-day. I was able to meet Denise and Abby as they finished their run together. I went back for just over an 8-mile run and it felt really good to blow out some stress.

After over 3-years of development, my employer decided to cancel the project I was working on. Needless to say, the project team was decimated and most were let go. I was fortunate? to be moved into another group within the company, so, I still have a job. Although I should feel relieved, I don't feel that way. It hurts....bad!!! We devoted a lot of time and energy to this product and now it will not see the light of day.

I feel the need to run...

Snow, wind, and beaver damage...

2009-02-22T21:12:00.002-05:00

I met JP at lock 29 today for a trail run. We both just wanted time-on-feet and miles really did not matter. We left and headed up old Akron-Pennisula Road toward the Buckeye Trail. Hit the trail and it was not in as good of shape as we hoped. It was pretty icy and with the new snowfall, hard to tell where the ice was and was not. I wore my screw shoes, which helped, but both JP and I each managed to take a fall.

We crosssed 303 at Pine Lane and took the bridle trail towards Salt Run. Just after the golf course, there was a section of the trail that passed close to the river. There were several trees that had been fallen by beavers. Lots of bark eaten off of the fallen timber and several trees in process... The beavers have certainly been busy! Neither JP nor I had a camera but I want to go back again. There was one tree that was at least 12 inches in diameter that had fallen. That must have taken a while to chew through!

We traveled the Salt Run trail to the Kendall Hills. The snow was very pretty as it fell here and several people were taking advantage of it and enjoying a great day of sledding. We headed down the hill and circled the Cross Country course and compeleted the other half of Salt Run. We retraced our path back to Lock 29 for almost 3 hours.

The snow kept falling and the wind kept building as the day progressed. It was a nice day out and our mission of time-on-feet was accomplished. This was my biggest weekend so far this year mileage-wise. Pretty lame compared to where I was last year, but I'll take what ever I can get!

I'm just thankful for being able to get out and enjoy the day!

6 miles and a coyote

2009-02-21T18:38:00.002-05:00

Managed to sleep in til 7am this morning. Thanks Forrest!!! Fed the dogs and cat, while the rest of the family continued to sleep. I changed clothes for a run and as I was lacing up my shoes, Abby came downstairs. Chatted with her for a while and then I departed for a 6 miles of Twinsburg trails. I ventured up to the new trail and blazed a set of foot-prints in the newly fallen snow. A nice sunny morning and very quiet with no one else out.

I returned home and as I was eating breakfast, Denise said, "There goes that coyote again!" I looked out our patio door and a coyote was just strolling through our back yard! He was very healthy looking with a thick coat of hair. The other coyotes that I have seen have all looked shaggy, maybe because it was summer and their coat was shedding?... He continued to meander down the hill through the neighborhood backyards.

Tomorrow is another run in the valley with JP. We are planning on 15-20 miles. It is raining as I type this and starting to turn to snow... Tomorrow is supposed to be windy and possible snow flurries. At least it was sunny this morning!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T19:15:00.003-05:00

...heavy breathing...giggling....sweat....more giggling.... over 2 hours of joy running with Denise in the Cuyahoga Valley! An awesome way to start our valentines day. We started from Station Road and headed towards the Carriage Trail since Denise has never ventured there. We happened to meet the VR group at the base of the climb and watched them quickly pull away from our relaxed pace. We finished the climb out of the valley and started the winding trail.

As I was approaching the first of the three bridges, I stepped on what I thought was hard-pack snow and quickly realized that it was ice! I told Denise to 'watch out for the ice' as I found myself sliding and realized that I was going down, and hard! I landed on my butt, (lots of padding) and right shoulder. (Not so much padding) It was a strange kind of fall in that I felt as if everything was in slow motion. I slid a bit down the hill, jumped back up and checked for any damage. Just my pride was hurt a bit and I realized that my shoulder would be sore tomorrow...

We completed the loop back to Station road and then decided to venture into Brecksville Reservation for another 6 miles. Neither of us liked the fact that a light covering of snow had fallen, making it difficult to see any ice on the asphalt trail. We turned around and went back to the towpath and headed towards Frazee House. We then retraced our path back to Station road and completed a nice 12 miles.

I cooked dinner and we watched Mama Mia to close out the evening... Fun and relaxing day.

Registration

2009-02-09T19:49:00.003-05:00

I sent my race application in today for the "Forget the PR 50K" race at Mohican. My back is feeling much better and I have been able to get some consistent 4-5 mile runs w/o any discomfort. (At least from my back!) Now it is time to get back into shape...

The current thaw is really helping to lift my spirits. Although the snow is pretty, I was getting tired of looking at it and driving through it. I know that more is coming but this week will be a good chance for things to clear out and get ready for the next batch.

I was able to get the Christmas decorations put away last weekend! I have also started Phase II of the basement project. Phase I was finishing a corner and moving the laundry room downstairs. Phase II involves finishing the rest of the basement. This will probably take a while to complete, but will provide another means of stress relief! Hammering nails and hammering trails are both good ways to forget about work!

Denise's marathon training is going well and we choose a good winter to invest in a treadmill. Denise, Abby, and even Gina have all been using it.

We have decide to run the Lake Placid Marathon as a family in June. They have a 4-person relay option and Denise and I will each run the 4 mile legs with the girls, and then run our own legs. I will take the 11 mile finishing leg and run up the hill to the Oval where we will all finish together. The course will cover the Iron Man run course along with a lap around Mirror Lake. A beautiful course and just the excuse we need to get back up to the Adirondacks again. We also plan on tackling another 46'r this summer. We are thinking that Giant Mountain would be a good one...

The economy is still crazy and probably will be for a while...It took a while to get into this mess, and will take longer to get out. I am going to stop listening to the news. I mean, how many times do we have to hear about layoffs and how bad everything is... Let's hear some good news for a change, or even better, let's make our own good news!

Spring is coming! Daylight savings time is coming!!

Healing....

2009-01-28T19:18:00.002-05:00

My back is feeling better each and every day... I am still a bit sore but since I have been working on core strength and flexibility, the aches are from that.

I managed an easy 4 miles sunday and the screw shoes did the trick on the icy bike path. It was nice being able to run w/o worry about sliding. I am getting really antsy to run on a trail but with the snowfall we have now, I'll wait a day or so and let some others pack down a path.

I want to make sure I start back slowly and ramp up in a sane manner towards the Mohican 50K run in April. Time to register for that race to get committed. Time to also get some friends to tag along for the extra peer-pressure!

This has been a long winter already but at least it has stayed cold. Maybe there will be fewer bugs this summer...