Summer So Far

The summer has been very eventful so far, and I'm enjoying the time off with the boys and Tina, now that she is unemployed. After out trip to Slate Run we headed to Rehoboth for a week. We stayed at a new place, which was only a half block off the beach, and it was very nice being so close to the ocean and the boardwalk. We fished, played on the beach, and did the other Rehoboth activities that we enjoy including going to the water park and visits to Dogfish Head Brewing (okay, I enjoy that more than the others).

Kyler and I also ran two races: The Rusty Rudder 5K and the Seashore Striders 5K. In the first race Kyler set a new PR, 23:53, and finished 6th in his age group, 10-14. I ran a 19:07, which was my fastest time on that course and good enough for 2nd in my age group. At the next race Kyler ran 24:20, and finished 4th in his age group. I had one of my best races ever, and lowered my PR to 18:43. This won the age group, and I picked up a $75 gift cert. to the New Balance Store.

Since vacation Kyler has been playing soccer, and is looking forward to two upcoming tournaments. Tristan will soon be playing again as well, and before we know it, the fall season will be in full swing. Currently, both boys are at camp, which has given Tina and I the opportunity to get away a little and catch up on chores around the house. Before the boys left for camp, Tina went to California and the boys and I went on a great camping trip to trough Creek State Park, which is near Raystown Lake. Looking forward to some more camping, fishing and daytrips before having to head back to school.

Slate Run Backpacking

Took both boys on a backpacking trip into Slate Run the third weekend in June. It was Kyler's 4th trip with a pack, but Tristan's first, so I picked a short hike into Slate Run. Joining us was Andy B. and my friend Kyle F. and his son Jackson.

The weekend was a bit rainy, but there were periods of clearing and we had a great time camping on the creek. The boys found many diversions, and had a blast playing in and around Slate Run.

On the way up, we stopped at Bullfrog Brewing for lunch, and on the way home we stopped at Selinsgrove brewing for lunch. Nice bookends to two days of camping.

Pasta Run

Ran this race two years ago off of City Island in Harrisburg. Then I won my age group, and almost won the masters, but for letting a guy pass me mid-race.

Conditions were brutal, 97 degrees at the 6:00 p.m., which was start time. Went out well, but wilted around the halfway point. The guy who beat me two years ago was behind me, so I mustered a little acceleration and opened up a gap, which I was able to maintain. Had a nice kick on the bridge, but came in at 20:03. My streak of sub-20 5Ks ended, but it was good enough for the Masters win, and a pair of Oakley sunglasses.

Bridge Run

Ran the Bridge Run on Memorial day weekend. This was well over a month since running the RACC Run. It was a hot morning. I was hoping to go under 19:00 again, but the course finishes with a major climb.

I ran well, but the heat got to me a little, and I lost time climbing the hill at the end. Also, running approximately 2 miles on a bridge was not the most pleasant event in the world. Ran 19:20, and picked up a second in the 40-49 age group.

The Shenandoah National Park, May, 2011

Last weekend Kyler and I departed for the Shenandoah National Park. We left Thursday evening and stayed in Winchester, Va. Friday morning, we got up early, had breakfast then drove to the Old Rag Mountain parking lot for our hike up Nicholoson Hollow.

The week was nice, but Friday it was raining, however, it stopped during our hike in. We were on the trail by around 11:00, and we met Kyle F. and and Andy B. in camp around noon.

We rigged up a great tarp shelter, and had a place to get out of the rain. We dubbed our shelter the "tarp mahal."

Spent Friday afternoon exploring the Hughes River and it's many rock formations, and I did a little trout fishing. After supper, we had some beers, and played a game of UNO. Kyler was quite pleased with himself, as he won in comeback fashion.

Saturday we explored Hannah Run, and found a beaver colony/dam. This is the first time since coming down in the early '90's that I ever saw evidence of Beavers. Later in the day we went fishing using both the Tenkara rod and traditional fly equipment. Had realy good luck fishing a bead-head green weenie.

Saturday evening was similar to Friday evening, and again, kyler was the UNO champ. UNO might be one of the best backpacking/camping card games ever invented.

Saturday night brought the most rain of the trip, but the new Sierra Designs tent performed well, and we stayed dry. Sunday, broke clear and we were able to pack up in sunshine, however, it didn't last. Fortunately it lasted long enough Sunday afternoon to dry out all the gear.

This was another great trip, and I'm so glad we were able to continue the tradition. Next year, both boys will be with me.

Hibernia Off-Road Duathlon

I have always wanted to do a mountain biking event, and this seemed like the perfect one, because I could get my son involved. We formed Team 2K to compete: Kyler would run, and I would mountain bike. The distances were 2.6 mile run, 12 mile bike, 2.6 mile run. Also competing with us would be Team Runkle consisting of my friend Chris and his son Zac. Both Zac and Kyler are on the same soccer team.

The day before the race, we received 3" of rain throughout the area, so we were expecting muddy conditions. The weather Sunday morning was clear and windy with temps in the 50s.

We arrived about an hour early, and Chris and I warmed up on our bikes then went for a run with Kyler and Zac. During the warm-up we realized just how muddy the course was going to be. Start time was 9:00, and we were ready to go.

Kyler and Zac went out strong and were hanging mid-pack before they dropped out of sight. Chris and I figured we wouldn't see them for at least 25 minutes. Around the 23:00 minute mark, Zac came out of the woods heading for the transition, but Kyler wasn't in sight. Zac tagged Chris, and Chris was off like a shot. About a minute later Kyler came in. I asked if he was okay and he informed me that he had to stop, because his shoe got sucked off in the mud. We tagged and I was off.

I have done many bike legs in triathlons, but never off-road and never in the conditions like yesterday. It was by far the hardest race, or leg of a race that I ever competed in. I don't do that much mountain biking, and fortunately the course was a good beginner course, and wasn't too technical, nonetheless, it presented many challenges.

I was able to stay on my bike for almost the entire loop, but there was a section that I had to dismount to negotiate. There were also two section where I spun out and had to dismount, because I lost forward momentum. I was able to negotiate the loop more efficiently the second time after learning how to get in the right gears and spin up the steep sections. Mud, however, was the word of the day, and I'm surprised that I didn't go down in a few sections that I could feel the front wheel wash out on me.

I came in at least 20 minutes down to Chris, but I knew that would be the case. He is a former mountain bike racer and could fly on this course. I tagged Kyler, and he was off. about 21:00 - 22:00 minutes later he came out of the woods. There was a runner on his heels and we told him to kick it in, which he did. I was proud of his guts and determination, and was happy that he had a grin on his face.

I highly recommend this race. It was well organized and laid-out. If time permits, we hope to do some more off-road events with Mid-Atlantic Events

RACC Run 5K

Great race yesterday. No wind, flat course, cool temps. It was held in downtown Reading; the start was near the RACC campus. The student center was open for registration, which meant access to bathrooms and water fountains.

I arrived about an hour early, and began my normal warm-up procedure including a 1.5-mile run. My goal was to go under 19:00, but I felt a little sluggish. The race went off at 10:00, and I went out at a fast pace, and found myself in the top ten. I hit the first mile at 5:40, and actually felt good. After mile 1, another runner passed me, and that was the last person to pass me. I had another runner about 5 yards in front of me that I kept my sights on, but I never was able to close the gap. My paced dropped off a little by mile 2, but I was able to hang on the last mile and finished in 18:48, which was: 12 below my goal. The finish was a little tough. I like a long straight, which gives me a clear view to the line. This finish passed the original start then made 3 hard lefts to the line.

18:48 ties my PR from two years ago, which made this race special. I still have room for improvement, and I’m still improving despite closing in on a half century. I was 7th overall in the race, and second in my age group (40-49). The runner in front of me beat me by :02 for the age group win.

After the race, I ran my cool-down with Curt M., who finished ahead of me, and Tim H., the guy who finished behind me, and who knocked me off in the last mile of the Kris Kringle race back in December. We also ran with the woman’s runner up, Katherine D. It’s always nice meeting new runners and sharing the camaraderie.

The timing and direction of this race was superb, and the course was nice except, like I stated earlier, the finish was funky. Nonetheless, I highly recommend it.

Frozen Foot Race #3

Here it is, the first week in April, and I'm just now getting to the final report on the Frozen Foot Series. There is a reason for this.

The weather for race #3 was perfect, cool, but not cold and windy. My plan was to try and go under 19:00, but my primary goal was to win my age group. Going into the race, I knew I only needed a solid race at about 19:30 to secure it. I also knew that if one of the masters ahead of me didn't show up, I'd be the masters winner. There was another individual in the masters hunt, but he was a full 2:00 behind me in the standings, so I wasn't too concerned.

When we stepped to the line, I realized that both of the masters ahead of me were not in the race, and they weren't there when the gun went off. I planned my race to start a little slower to compensate for the hills, so I didn't go out as hard as the previous races. At the turn around, I discovered no one was pushing me, and the individuals out in front, while in striking distance, didn't pose a threat to my standings, so, instead of putting down a kick, I cruised the rest of the race, knowing that I had a lock on the masters win.

After waiting over an hour for the awards to be called, it was announced that there was a timing/computer error and that we could stick around if we wanted, but it might take awhile. I decided to leave, but in hindsight, I should have stuck around.

For a chip timed series, the results were always slow in being posted. They went up on Facebook first, and usually not until a week after the race. I knew it would take awhile to get race #3 up, but I used the time to carefully check my standings. In an email from the race director, I was told that in order to win the series you had to run all three races, and that it was based on cumulative time. I raced all three races, and my cumulative time was :40 seconds faster than my next closest competitor despite being beaten by him in race number #3. But, it's a series, and not one race, so I didn't even think about it.

On Friday, April 1st, April Fool's Day. The results were posted, and I was not the master's winner. Why, because the race director decided to use only races #1 and #3. Now, I knew there was a problem with race #3, but at no time prior to the start of race #3 was I, or anyone else that I know of, informed that there was a problem with race #2. Dropping race #2, to me, was equivalent to dropping the first quarter of the Super Bowl, which would have given the win to the Steelers.

I emailed the director stating my case: 1) I raced all three races; 2) my cumulative time was faster than any master that ran all three races; 3) by XC scoring I would have won 4-5.

After three days, he finally responded:

"You are correct to be considered for series awards participants must compete in all three races or all the races we have. That is independent of the scoring of the series. We do not designate the number of races we use to score the series. Because it is a winter series we have had races canceled due to weather. Early in the history of the series we had a race that the timer we hired did not show up so we had no times. At that time we used time to calculate the series results. So we are never certain we are going to have three sets of race results to calculate the series awards.

We do try to score cross country style. This year we did not score cross country style because both in race 2 and 3 we had people who jumped out of line before we got their tag. We had reports of people cutting in front of others in the chute and one person who crossed the finish line multiple times. Race 2 we did not have chip times, so we would need to use gun times. Gun times are inherently less accurate than chip times especially if there are runners leaving the chute.

Race 1 and race 3 we have chip times and finishing order. I am confident the results and positions for race 1 and 3 are accurate. That is why I chose to score the series with these races only. I will not change the scoring for the series. However, I will send you $75 for the masters series ."

My response to him was essentially, "please don't send me the money. It's not about the money."

So, I won my age group which was my goal, and almost won the masters, but for a decision by the race director that I don't agree with, because, as stated earlier, at no time prior to race #3 was it ever announced that race #2 was tainted. Even if the times were not accurate, the standings were never in question, or at least not that anyone was aware of.

With that said, The RACC 5K is this weekend and Kyler and I are competing in the Hibernia Off-Road Duathlon the following weekend. It's time to move on, but next year, if I run a winter series it will either be in York Co., or the Shiver by the River series in Reading.

February and Frozen Foot Race #2

After January's race, the weather turned for the worse, and my training was interrupted. The track was covered in snow, the temps were cold and the roads were hard to run on at times.

The week after the race I took it somewhat easy, and then went on our annual backpacking trip, which was a nice little break from my normal weekend training routine. After the backpacking trip, I began to focus on weight training and hill running to strengthen myself for the three hills on the Frozen Foot course. I also put more emphasis on longer pace runs with shorter rest intervals. Still, I felt like I was not as prepared for February's race as I was for January's.

Race day was pleasant, around 40 degrees, and there was no wind. This was a far cry from the harsh conditions of the previous month. At the horn, I went out a little slower than the previous race, but was still in the the top 20. The slower start paid off and I didn't blow up on the hills like in January. I feel the weight training helped as well. Also, I worked on shortening and quickening my stride on the hills. Nonetheless, I was feeling those hills in the last mile, and again, didn't have my usual kick at the end. When I came to the final turn, I looked at my watch. I thought I was running slower than January, but I was actually ahead of pace. Sub-19 was in my sights, but I didn't have the legs for the last 200 meters, however, I did lower my time 9 seconds to 19:05. This was good enough for an age group win. I'm not sure of my overall place, because as of this writing, results are still not posted. I have never run a race in which it takes so long to get the results posted.

Yellow Spring Rendezvous 2011

This past weekend was the Yellow Springs Rendezvous, and it was the 20th anniversay of this trip. A trip that started with Brian B., Kyle F. and myself. We have learned a lot about Winter backpacking over the years, and the trips seem to get easier all the time despite the aging process. We have had as many as 20 people come along on the trip, but this year we were at 13 (14 if you count Andrew who wandered into our camp and availed himself of our hospitality).

We parked near Rt. 72, and the snow was coming down steady as we prepared to hike. We headed north on the AT. The snow was falling and there was at least 9" of snow on the ground. At some places, the snow was well over a foot deep.

We made our way along at a steady clip, and arrived in Stony Valley around 3:00 p.m. The drill was the same as in years past: set-up the tents, gather and cut wood, bust a few caps, drink a few beers, spin a few yarns and catch-up with everyone. We left the next morning under fairly sunny skies, and were out of the woods around noon. Some in our party went to Funck's for breakfast; the Maryland crew opted for ABC; and Mitch F., Kory E. Scot H. and myslef hit the Bluebird Inn in Cornwall. This may well be the new post hike gathering point for those of us who head back to Lancaster Co.

Lessons learned on this trip were: 1) gaitors are essential when hiking in snow; 2) Pepboy's $10 folding snow shovels are the bee's knees when you need to clear snow for your tent and 3) Oscar Blues products in cans are a far better choice than humping in glass bottles.

Looking forward to the 21st anniversary trip next year: January 28th/29th.

January and Frozen Foot Race #1

Another year older which now makes me the old man in the 45-49 age group. I decided to run the Frozen Foot series in Elizabethtown, which consists of three 5Ks, a month apart, January through March. I have never ran a series before, but it seemed a good way to stay focused over the winter and to prepare for a spring increase in mileage.

January's race was on Sunday the 16th. The weather, despite the frigid cold we were experiencing, was nice: a light wind and temps in the upper 30s. I felt I was ready for this race, and had been able to consistently run and do speed work at the track. Nonetheless, the course is not easy with its hills, so I wasn't sure what I could do. I was hoping to go under 20:00.

Race went off at 2:00, and I went out fast with the lead pack, then settled into my groove. The first hill was tough, but I was able to use it to separate myself from some other runners. The second hill, however, hurt me, and from that point on, I was in a battle with myself to maintain pace. The third hill really took it out of me, and even with a long descent following, I wasn't able to muster the kick that I normally have. As I neared the finish line, I looked at my watch, and realized I was close to being on pace to break 19:00. But, as I said, I couldn't muster my kick and came in at 19:14. I was happy with my time on this course, especially early in the season. It was good for 13th overall (13th place again. That's the 5th or 6th time in the last two years that I had that placing), and 2nd in my age group, which means, I'm sitting in second in the series. I think I can pretty easily maintain a streak of sub-20:00 races this coming season.

As I write this, there is 9 inches of fresh snow on the ground, and since the race, training time has been reduced, because of poor conditions. I have only ran three times since the 16th, but have cross-trained consistently either using my trainer, swimming, or XC skiing. February, however, will be a tough race, especially if I can't get some road miles in. I'll be backpacking this coming weekend, so I'll have to get serious, snow or no snow, next week.

Kris Kringle 5 Miler

Yesterday I ran the Kris Kringle 5 miler, the first 5 mile race I ever ran. The weather was cold and blustery, but the course was labeled as flat with "a small hill at the finish." A warm-up run with my buddy Chop L. disabused me of my ideas of a small hill.

We arrived at the race site about an hour early and had plenty of time to check in. Afterwards, we went for a warm-up run to survey the course. I'm glad we did, because the small hill, as daunting as it was knowing it was coming, would have been more daunting had I remained ignorant.

Gun went off at 11:00, and I went out at around 5K pace. Having never run a 5 miler before, and bouyed by my Harrisburg Marathon run, I thought this was a good idea. I figured I would run the first mile fast, settle in for three, and then have a little left for the last mile.

My strategy seemed to be working but the wind and cold took their toll and when I hit the 3 mile mark, I couldn't help but think that if this was a 5k, I would be done in 176 yards with no "small hill" to contend with. I fell apart mentally in mile 4, and even though I was able to maintain my position, mile 5 was excrutiating, especially having to climb the "small hill."

I was somewhat dissapointed with my performance, but then I realized I was 27th out of 575 runners; I was first in my age group, 45-49; and I would have been 1st even if the age group was 40-49. Also, the times were down from last year; everybody must have been feeling the affects of the weather.

Looking back, the only change I would have made was going out just a little slower, but this race has given me confidence for upcoming 5Ks.

Lancaster Jingle Bell Run, 2010

Kyler and I ran the Lancaster Jingle Bell Run yesterday. We have been running this race together for three years. It is a fairly fast course, and a good one to shoot for a PR, which is what we had in mind.

Kyler was a little bit upset that he was unable to go under 26:00 at the Iron Bridge Run, so he was determined to crack that barrier at the Jingle Bell. Part of the problem at Iron bridge was that it was a XC course, and he developed a side stitch almost immediately that he couldn't shake.

We wanted to avoid the side stitch again, so we spent a good 15 minutes warming up including form drills and dynamic stretches. We took to the starting line about 10 minutes before the gun, and got a good position just off the front and on the right, so that we wouldn't be boxed in, or have to negotiate a wide turn at the first right.

At the gun, we went out a fast clip, and Kyler was going strong, but once again, he developed a side stitch, however, this time he was able to work through it, and we hit the first mile in 7:55, a full :26 seconds below what we needed to break 26:00. I was thinking that since we had money in the bank, we could hold off a little, but Kyler was going strong, and we held the pace. As we ran, I told him that we were looking at going under 25:00. This encouraged him, he picked up the pace slightly. Around the last half mile, I looked at my watch, and realized we had a good chance of breaking 24:00. At this point, I relayed the information to Kyler, and turned the race over to him meaning I fell in behind, and told him that it was his race. He put on a strong kick over the last 200 yards, and even managed to overtake a few adults. He crossed the line in 23:54.

I was quite impressed with his guts and drive, and he was elated that he shattered his PR by over two minutes. His effort earned him 6/39 in his age group; he was only beaten by kids older than him, and half of them were teenagers.

Great Job, Kyler!!!

Lancaster County XC 5K Race Report

After the Iron Bridge Run with Kyler, I decided to run another XC race, and push it, so I registered for the Lancaster County XC 5K, which is held on Manheim Township's XC course. I heard this was a tough course, but still set a goal to go under 20 minutes. I have a streak going right now, and I was sure that I could keep it going.

My buddy Chop L. and I arrived at the race about an hour early, and decided to go run part of the course for a warm-up and to reconnoiter the route. After the warm-up run, I quickyl ammended my expectation of running under 20:00.

The gun went off at 10:00, and I went out at a quick pace, maybe a bit too quick, but I felt good and ran the first mile @ 5:51 - my last good mile. The rest of the course consisted of steep hills, poor footing and strong head winds. It was by far the toughest 5K I ever ran. I managed to hang on the last two miles, and crossed the line in 20:44. This was good enough for 13th place, and a 2nd place medal in my age group (40-49).

Iron Bridge 5K Race Report

Kyler and I ran the Iron Bridge Run on November 20th. Kyler recently set a grade level record for the most laps in the Kraybill Race for Education, so we were pretty confident that we were going to get a PR. His goal was to get under 26:00.

Before the race, we had the opportunity to meet Billy Mills, the 1964 Olympic gold medalist in the 10,000m. He was really nice and let Kyler wear his Hall of Fame ring. After the race, we heard him speak.

The Iron Bridge run is an XC course and we started out at a good pace, but on the first hill Kyler developed a side stitch, which he had to fight through the entire race. The hills were pretty tough, and this exacerbated the problem.

In the home stretch, Kyler was able to muster up a kick, and he set a new PR of 26:17. It wasn't under 26:00, but given the course, and the side stitch, he did a great job. Congratulations, Kyler!!

Harrisburg Marathon/RFE

It was a good week of running, racing and recognition for the Enck family. I ran the Harrisburg Marathon as part of a mixed-master's relay, and Kyler was recognized for his achievements in the Kraybill Campus, Race for Education.

Harrisburg

Back in the fall, my summer running partner broached the idea of putting together a team for the Harrisburg marathon. I was on board, and we recruited two other masters for our team: my current running partner and and a women who goes to church with my Summer running partner (my running partners are based on how early I have to get up in the morning).

We trained hard all fall, and felt we really had a shot at winning (last year's winners came in at 3:11:00). I was running with Paul B. who is a very good masters runner, and the one workout that did more for me than any other was our long tempo runs on Thursdays. Tempo runs were the one workout that I tended to slack off on. Paul, pushed me hard through September and October, and it paid off.

We were hoping to go 3:05:00, and after Jeanette A. handed off the Paul B., we were right on pace. Chop L. hit the Wildwood Hills hard and handed me the baton, and down the river I went. My leg was 4.6 miles, and I was planning on running around a 6:30 pace. I decided against wearing the GPS, and took off fast. I knew I was running well, but had no idea how well, until I began seeing the mile markers and checking my watch. Wow! I was on pace to go under 30 minutes for a 5-miler. I reigned in two relay teams, and when I saw the bridge to the finish, still had plenty in the tank for a good kick. I crossed the line in 3:00:17. We won our division, and beat all master's teams. My split was 27:15, which was a 5:55 pace. My best race to date, even better than the splits from 5Ks.

RFE

As good as our race was, my oldest son bested my accomplishments. He was third in the school, K-8, as a fourth grader in the Race for Education: 29 laps, 7.25 miles in 1 hour. Furthermore, he was first in the fourth grade, and set a new school record for fourth grade runners. His record would have been good enough to stand up in 5th grade as well. Way to go Kyler!!

Tomorrow, Kyler and I are running the Iron Bridge 5K. The honorary starter is Billy Mills. We are then going to go hear him speak. looking forward to it.

It's Been Awhile

I'm not sure anyone is following this anymore; I'm not really sure anyone ever was, at least not on a regular basis. I'm still alive and well, and very busy. And, Facebook has been sucking up my time. It just seems much easier to make quick updates and to share pictures.

Picking up where my last post left off, the boys and I had a great time camping at various state parks in the month of August. We spent 4 days in Ohiopyle at the beginning of the month. This is a great place. We swam in the river, hiked and biked and had our camp pilfered by a raccoon and a bear. Before we left, we visited Falling Water. I can't recommend this enough to anyone visiting Western PA. We also had our annual trip to Pinchot State Park. At the end of the month, we had a free weekend before soccer began, so we met Kyle and Jackson F. at Locust Lake State Park. This was new park for the boys and they loved it.

Tina and I celebrated our 12th anniversary in August, and thanks to my parents who were able to watch the the boys, we spent an afternoon/evening in Selinsgrove, PA, and then stayed at the Selinsgrove Inn. We were able to get to Selinsgrove Brewing and then on Sunday, we visited Spy Glass Ridge Winery and Old Forge Brewing in Danville.

School began for everyone at the end of the month: for me it meant back to teaching; for the boys it meant 4th and 1st grade. Soccer also began, and we have been quite busy with practices and games. Both boys are having great seasons, and I'm learning more about the game by coaching at the U8 level.

Things are going well as far as training is concerned. I ran the Lancaster YMCA triathlon back in September and was pleased with my finish. I moved up a few place both overall and in my age group. I also participated in my 3rd straight Livestrong Philly Challenge Ride. Up next is the Harrisburg Marathon Relay in November. I am part of a mixed masters group, and we should do well.

And that's about it. I may take this blog in a different direction, so if you are following, stay tuned, but don't hold your breath.

p.s. I failed to mention that watching the Phillies was a family activity that we enjoyed, however, that ended last evening with a whimper.

Summer Vacation, So Far

I can't believe how fast this summer is going by. I'll be back in school before I know it, and, as usual, before I'm ready.

After the backpacking trip, the boys and I had a week together without camps, or other obligations. At the end of the week, we departed for our family vacation at Rehoboth Beach, DE. We left on Friday, and again, stayed at the Country Inn and Suites in Dover. To the boys, this is one of the highlights. They love the novelty of staying in hotels, and the indoor pool.

We departed for Rehoboth around noon, and conveniently arrived at DFH Brewing by 1:30 for lunch. After lunch, we were able to check in.

We had a great week. I was able to race two 5Ks (results at the end), and ride and run during the week. The boys enjoyed the boardwalk, Funland and the Midway Water Park, and Tina enjoyed relaxing and reading. We all enjoyed the beach, Grottos Pizza, Dos Locos and watching the Spain v. Germany match at the Rehoboth Ale House. We extended vacation slightly by going to the Phillies game on Sunday, 7/11, where we witnessed the final game in a four game sweep of the Reds. On the way home, we stopped at Victory to celebrate the victory. On another note, I completed a brew pub hat trick in two weeks: Selinsgrove Brewing, DFH and Victory, three of my favorites, within two weeks.

Upon returning, Tina prepared for and departed on a trip to CA. The boys and I held down the fort and decided to go on a camping trip with my buddy Kyle F. and his son Jackson. We selected Twin Grove Park in Pine Grove, PA as our destination. Twin Grove is located in the Appalachian Mtns. and affords both modern amenities with close proximity to a state park and game lands. We took advantage of both by fossil hunting and hiking on Saturday morning in the parks/gamelands and swimming in the pool as well as playing at the arcade and hitting the links, okay mini links, in the afternoon. I always enjoy camping, as do the boys, and we are looking to our next outing in two weeks.

Other than hanging out at the pool, another soccer camp for Kyler, and riding/running/swimming, that's the summer so far. Soccer season is just around the corner, the Livestrong Ride is fast approaching, and the Speedwell Triathlon looms in two months.

Race Results

I successfully defended my 2nd place AG finish in the Jimmy's Grill 5K, and my 1st place AG finish in the Seashore Striders 5K. Both races set attendance records: Jimmy's was the largest 5K at the beach, and the Seashore Striders race was the largest it has been.

Jimmy's Results

Seashore Striders Results

Allegheny Front Trail, June, 2010

From June 24th to the 27th my hiking partner Andy B. and I tackled the Allegheny Front Trail located in Centre Co., PA, Northwest of State College. Our goal was to hike the whole trail, but also take advantage of the trout streams along the way. To that end, we decided to start on Rt. 504 east of Black Moshannon State Park and hike counter clockwise. We would do 8 miles the first day, 9 the second, 17 the third and 6th the fourth. The third day had to be long to maximize the fishing on Thursday and Friday. This would prove to be quite demanding. If you look at the map, you will notice that Rt. 504 provides a good point of reference as it bisects the the area we hiked in. The first two days we would be in the northern part of the loop, and the last two days in the southern part of the loop.

Day 1

We hoped to get on the trail by noon, but had to wait out a passing Thunderstorm, so we didn't get on the trail until 1:00. Our goal was to camp on Benner Run. The trail was well marked and the going was easy, however, we had to hike through alternating patches of ferns and blueberries which, despite wearing gaiters, left our boots soaking wet from the passing thunderstorm. Fortunately, the blueberries were ripe in this area, and that made up for the wet boots. The sun was coming out and there was a breeze, which also made for nice hiking conditions. We made great time on this section of trail, and arrived into Benner Run by 17:00. We set up camp, then went fishing which proved to be quite tough because of being in a Rhododendron Tunnel. After fishing, we had supper and sat around a small fire for about an hour before retiring for the evening.

Day 2

Slept in, then took our time eating breakfast, drinking coffee (backpacking tip: Starbuck's instant coffee is like drinking fresh brewed coffee; no need for filters) and packing up. Got on the trail around 10:00 and hiked down Benner Run. This was one of my favorite parts of the trail. Benner Run is scenic. Arrived at the Black Moshannon Creek around 11:00 and decided to fish for awhile and have lunch. The fishing was great. There were numerous holdover trout and the browns didn't hesitate to take my beetle pattern, or Andy's Stimulator/Green Weenie tandem. After lunch, we were on the trail by 13:00, and hiked along Black Moshannon for about a mile, before hitting our first real climb out of the valley. According to the map, we were to come to a scenic overlook, but after easy hiking on a fire road, we came to a clearing, but not much of an overlook. As we started down into the Red Moshannon, we were afforded a view of the Rt. 80 Bridge, not all that scenic. Shortly afterward, we encountered our first rattler, who coiled up on the trail and forced us off. This was the biggest one at about five feet. Later we would encounter another one in the Red Moshannon Valley.

Upon reaching the Red Moshannon, we were disappointed. Turned out that the red Moshannon was as a dead as a door nail, because of acid mine damage, which was evident by the "yellow boy" on all the rocks, and the orange tinge of the water. The trail in this section was gently rolling, and fairly easy except for the climb out of Sawdust Hollow and Panther Hollow. We arrived into Six-mile Run around 18:30. We made camp, then went fishing. I was pleasantly surprised to catch both wild brown and brook trout. I didn't catch any stocked fish here.

Day 3

This was to be our long day, and it started out well, but ended badly. The Hike out of Six-mile run was pleasant, scenic and easy. We reached Rt. 504 quickly and pushed on through another easy section of trail through a mixed pine forest. We took a break for lunch after descending back into Six-mile Run. From this point on, the hike was not enjoyable. After climbing out of Six-mile Run, we entered into a section of the forest that was devastated both by gypsy moths, and also clear-cuttings. This opening of the forest canopy allowed brush to grow up, and combined with little to no trail maintenance, made for hours of "bushwhacking." We made it to the State Park boundary around 18:00, but because we couldn't camp in the park, we had to push on 4 more miles racing the setting sun. Another challenge in this section was the insects. We had no problem with bugs on the north section, but every biting/annoying fly - deer flies, horse flies, mosquitoes and gnats - took up residence near the lake at Black Moshannon. We finally got to the east side of the park around 20:30, and found a decent camp just on the other side of the Julian Pike. Our feet were sore and we were tired, so we crashed early. During the night we were hit with a brief thunderstorm.

Day 4

We wanted to be out early, so we got on the trail by 8:00. The passing storm had everything wet, but the trail was easy going in the beginning until we got to the vista section. Again, the gypsy moths devastated this area, and the brush, which was also dripping with water, was almost impenetrable, especially where the raspberries took hold. Combined with the thick vegetation was the rockiness of the trail, and the trail designers penchant for gaining elevation only to immediately drop back down. When we came out to Rt. 504, we were quite happy to be done with the AFT. Oh, this was the vista section of the trail, and despite all the work, we were not rewarded with many stunning views, because of the haze that hadn't burned off from the storm.

Final Comments

1. We did the trail counterclockwise, and the northern part was the nicest. If we would have started on the southern part, I think we might have bailed. I won't do this trail again in its entirety, but I would do the northern half for the fishing.

2. Bring gaiters!!!!

3. Bugs were bad in the southwestern and southern part of the trail. Andy had a head net, and I wish I would have had one. The gnats, although they didn't bite, were constantly in our eyes.

4. Trail maintenance was poor in the areas devastated by gypsy moths. This would probably not be noticeable in late fall, or winter, but in summer, with all the growth, it was hard going through the brush. Also, there were three different colored markers: Orange (mostly), yellow and red. There was a very confusing section near Smays Run, because a snowmobile trail and the AFT used the same color markers.

5. The clear cuttings that the trail went through were unsightly. Markings on the trees in the southeast indicate more clear cuttings are on the way.

6. This could be an interpretive hike for environmental degradation: acid mine damage (Red Moshannon); clear-cutting; invasive species and I'm sure it won't be long until gas wells start springing up

7. Selinsgrove Brewing made everything better. We were ready to hike the AT afterwards.

Garmin Connect Tracks

Pichot Triathlon, June 2010

I wasn't planning on signing up for more than one spring triathlon, but after Gretna I wasn't happy with my performance. It wasn't bad given I had a knee injury which hampered my training, but it was not the performance I wanted to end with, so I signed up for Pinchot again. And, Pinchot has always been "beddy, beddy good to me."

Pre-race

Nothing out of the ordinary. Up at 4:30, bowl of cereal, cup of coffee, and a bathroom break, then I was out the door, and off to Pinchot. I arrived around 6:00 a.m., which gave me plenty of time for packet pick-up, set-up and a warm-up, both on the bike and running. I also had time to talk to, and to help, my buddy Dave L. who was competing in his first tri (He finished well despite cramps, way to go Dave, congrats!)

Swim

For a sprint, Pinchot's swim is long, a half mile. Also, it varies depending on who set's up the course. Last year I swam the course in under 15 minutes, so I think it was a little short. This year seemed more like a true half mile. I was relaxed in the water, and stayed with the pack for the most part, and hit T1 at 16:36, which is around 1:53 per 100 yards. I am now consistently swimming under 2:00 per 100 yards, which I'm happy about.

Bike

I'm still a little slow on the bike, but I did manage to come in under an hour for 18 miles. I held my own, but was passed by two people in my age group. One, I couldn't close the gap, the other, I maintained contact with. Time: 58:33

Run

The effort I expended to achieve a sub-1 hour bike was felt on the run. This has been my biggest problem with the lack of bike training time. I can push on the bike, but I have been having problems transitioning to the run. It takes me longer to get my legs back under me. Nonetheless, I was able to quickly catch and pass the two riders who passed me on the bike. I then opened up a gap, and was able to cruise to the finish. Time: 22:03

T1/T2

Good here: 1:21/:53

Results and Final Comments

Time: 1:39:26; 18th overall; 2nd in AG. Hardware, Woohoo!!!!!
Another great Pinchot race, thanks CF Foundation and volunteers.