Conditions at Lake Denmark, 7/8/2008: Good conditions overall, although there are some new cracks in the pavement after last winter. On Sunday, I scouted out a section of Green Pond Road as a spot to usefor intervals. Between traffic and having to walk back down the hill, we'll see how it works for an actual workout.
I've seen 3 bears in the last 10 days; much higher frequency than in preceding years. I surprised one coming around a bend on my bicycle. Keep your eyes open.
Coach: 6/29/2008 Up until now, my training has been self-directed. But in the last couple of years, I feel that I've fallen into a bit of a rut, and I wanted to try something different. So I've signed on with Janice Sibilia for coaching this year.
I've been accustomed to doing things in a particular way for so long, it's taken some time to adjust to Janice's training plans. Basically that means I haven't beaten myself to a pulp each week: the first few weeks felt too easy. Initially, I must have tried her patience somewhat, with a certain amount of nagging: "I don't think I'm working hard enough. Can't I beat the crap out of myself a bit more?" But as she noted, I signed on because I wanted a change. So I'm going with the flow and expecting to maximize my limited workout time. The first big test will be the Escarpment Race, I'm looking forward to that. Periodically I'll let you knw how it's going.
It may be the embodiment of hubris; it may be a midlife crisis - but it's better than buying a Porsche.
Prospect: This could be the last time -- for this year. 4/13/2008 Lars and I went to Prospect for boys' day out. Rain as we motored up the Thruway began to turn solid as we ascended towards Bennington Gap. Yet again, there was a cloud over Prospect Mountain, and it was snowing. The surface ranged from wet to frozen granular with a dusting of fresh wet snow. There was plenty of snow on all the lower trails, more than a foot in some places. The debris wasn't as bad as they noted on their web site, but the end is near. The warm weather forecast for next weekend will probably end skiing down here.
Last week's washout on Chickadee had widened and become impassible, although one can ski up and back down the big downhill. The top of Workout is just about impassible, and the exposed section of Duke's will become impassible soon.
Conditions at Prospect, 4/5/2008: Very good skiing in spite of the warm weather that's been blanketed the northeast. One section of Chickadee was washed out, but you could ski around it. If you're going downhill this is marked with a couple of bamboo poles. All of the other spots that get hammered first in spring were fine, although Workout was a bit thin towards the top. No problem using good skis. Get up there while you can.
Skiing at Prospect
Laurel with a new friend
In Lewis Morris Park, 2/24/2008: Based on the postings on the Mid Hudson news group, it sounds like the Shawangunks received all snow and none of the sleet that concluded Friday's storm down here. Good grooming too. But I elected to ski another day in the Garden State. Some pictures and a few words can be had here.
Conditions at Freedom Park, 2/23/2008: This morning, a half inch of ice covered about 5 or so inches of snow. The trails were packed with footprints and, here and there, one set of ski tracks: people who had been out during the storm yesterday; this morning I had the place to myself. Downhills with sharp turns were sketchy because the frozen crust made it difficult to turn or snowplow. I finally figured out that I could check speed by getting out of the track and breaking trail through the ice, which was at ankle height.
Once away from the parking lot, it was quiet, the only noise was the occasional bird. There are a couple of low wet spots where streams run alongside the trail. Otherwise the trails were in pretty good shape. There were even sections with ski tracks only; no one had been out walking. If you're on waxable skis, klister covered with hard wax should be the way to go again tomorrow.
Skiing and parenting, 2/18/2008: Kevin Brooker wrote a great article on getting back into it while being a parent. He really puts it all into perspective. Having been a parent for the last 3 years I know exactly where he's coming from. What with cooking meals, washing dishes, reading stories, schlepping to day care etc (and teaching my daughter to ski), I don't get out as much as I used to. I don't update this site as often as I should either, but that's a story for another time.
As close as it is (compared to Finland, Italy etc), the World Masters in Sun Valley isn't a viable trip. It requires too many "me" days: days I won't be able to use for a family vacation, or that I'll need for the ridiculous number of days that my daughter's day care is closed each year. It's also highly unlikely that I'll be walking on a glacier again any time soon, although I've had several opportunities. Same reason: trips that were no-brainers when I was younger, with fewer responsibilities, just don't work these days. There aren't any more two-a-day workouts, and my morning workout is often closer to an hour than the 90+ minutes that I had been accustomed to.
Don't stop dead in your tracks and give up, just because you can no longer ski in 8 races each winter or spend 2 weeks hiking in the Grand Canyon. One can find something to look forward to, a one-day or weekend adventure that doesn't require a plane ticket and a huge amount of time. Know what you're prepared to give up when you broach the topic with your spouse. And when the day comes, be prepared for it.
Adversity/over-trained: Don't let it happen to you. Read a cautionary tale right here.
Daddy's little waxmeister -- spring cleaning
Cross training on water, 1/7/2007: With most of the northeast bone dry, I took to snow's liquid alternative yesterday. With my daughter along for the ride, my friend Barclay and I canoed the Passaic River from Chatham downstream to Florham Park. Plenty of rain had fallen on Friday night to fill the river and get it moving fast. It was a great opportunity to see suburbia's back yard from the water.
Putting in at Shepard Kollock Park, a long block off Chatham's main drag, the current was impressive. After going under a low bridge, we saw houses on the east end of Chatham Boro, across from the Short Hills Hilton. Further up on the right, we passed 3 large reservoirs. One belonged to East Orange; I don't know which municipalities controlled the others. Downstream, we saw all manner of trucks and construction equipment parked in the approximate area of what used to be Pioneer Rental; I don't know what it is now. Going under the bridge on North Passaic Avenue, we came to a familiar part of the woods. Hulking apartment buildings constructed 6 or 7 years ago loomed through the trees on a big stretch of land where I'd done a lot of walking with Barclay and his brother Andrew when we were young. I still find it hard to believe that anyone would want to live in the middle of a flood plain. Indeed I remember a bright April night 20 years ago when we took a canoe out into the flooded freshet where these apartments now stand.
Further out, the woods gave way to a broad marsh bisected by power lines and the decaying catwalks utility workers used to use to walk out to them atop the marsh. Signs of civilization but no humans; we only saw deer and wild turkeys. Nearing Florham Park, the river had so flooded in one spot that we could have paddled a mile or more off to the south. But it was getting late in the day, so we stayed in the current to our take-out spot.
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