Training Log Archive: GlenT

Event: DVOA Springton Manor
 

Trails southeast along the Little Lehigh Creek, parking across the road and creek from the fish hatchery. I’ve run on these trails before so was giving Janet a guided tour. We discovered an arboretum, apparently owned and maintained by the City of Allentown (there is a small parking area, placards identify most of the trees, the area is mowed, but there is no signage identifying its ownership or origins - strange). Gorgeous day - bright sun and about 60F.

Running, jogging and walking to warm up.

Lenape Challenge, a race put on by the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy involving a 5 mile trail run followed by a 2 mile kayak/canoe paddle on the Perkiomen Creek back to near the start point. I did the solo version, using a kayak. Teams of 2 used canoes. Weather was outstanding, sunny and upper 40s at the start and climbing to the upper 50s by the time I finished.

The trail run includes two ascents and descents of Spring Mountain, on rocky trails for the climbs but on pavement or gravel for parts of the descents. Quite a variety of surfaces for the trail run: on mowed paths through fields to start, then a stint on the paved Perkiomen Trail, climbing on rocky/rooty trail, back to the paved trail to descend, back up the mountain on a moderately steep eroded ski trail, a nice piece of mostly downhill single-track, then down on a gravel road/ski trail, and finally pavement across a bridge to the transition to boats.

I’ve raced on trail many, many times but have only kayaked a handful of times, and that has always been on flat water. So, any “racing” was done with the trail run and the objective for the second part was just to finish. Fortunately, the water level in the creek was quite low (<90cfm, 150-1000cfm is optimal) so there was minimal risk. The downside to low water is lots of bottoming out and occasionally needing to get out of the boat and drag it through a section. Every time I hit a rock I was thinking “glad it’s not my boat.” So the boat section took a while and wasn’t as much fun as it could have been. (The race is normally held in the Spring when sufficient flow is pretty much guaranteed, but Covid.)

For pandemic safety, there were 5 start waves at 10 minute intervals and chip timing was used, so it was tough to tell where you were placewise. I ended up 55th overall with 86 teams and 18 solos competing. I think I was 14th solo.

I recorded a single GPS track (in this entry) but split out the different activities for logging.

C • It was 2

Transition - putting on a PFD and getting in the boat.

Kayaking portion.

Lums Pond SP in northern Delaware. Partly to break up the drive home, more so to avoid being on 95 and 476 during Friday afternoon rush hour, and also to do some loggable activity for the day. Fed the local mosquitos a bit and spotted some birds. About 70F but it actually felt cool with a low dew point and some beeeze. Quite a bit of wind damage from Isaias - many new, large rootstocks, but trails have all been cleared.

Nature Trail at the condo. Mid 70s, a bit humid.

Paddling around Assawoman Bay. Osprey, herons, cormorants. Light breeze out of the SE. Pretty relaxed.

Around the condohood.

Lewis-Rehoboth Bike/Pedestrian Loop, including the Junction & Breakwater Trail and trails through Cape Henlopen SP, plus connecting on roads through Lewis and Rehoboth. Parked behind the Tanger Outlets on Rt.1 and biked clockwise. Stops in the Park at the bathhouse, at Herring Point and several times along Gordon Pond to check out birds. Upper 60s, low humidity and sunny (attenuated somewhat by high altitude smoke from West Coast fires).

Burton Island Nature Trail in Delaware Seashore SP. The most abundant wildlife species was mosquitos. A distant second was fiddler crabs, followed by birds. Later walked about 2km on the beach (unrecorded, except in Janet’s log).