Training Log Archive: bl

AM DP, thought it was groomed but only first 100m. PL was decently flat/packed. Some standing around, a bunch of marathon skate - efficiency of which is still better than classic. Overcast but bright so that snow surface was not readily clear at times. Good for dogs to have a surface they can function on.

Shoveling the upper roof covered with a lot of snow.

PM DP - Beth's day-old tracks useful. Went off on my own - snow deep , making it honest work, Mocha tagging along. Zoe went back to the house.
Likely would have had a better time of it w/o dogs. Had considered BB today but did not get that direction in the am & the idea lost in interest for today.
Tomorrow - however, it sounds like a freezing rain falling at the moment.

Today, in the depth of winter

Same place, May greenery in the making

AM DP & rake & shovel. Brush dump road not plowed - near 10" of powder to contribute to cold feet. Back to house for more cleaning. Cold, bright blue morning.

12pm: Bright, sunny, seemed windy at first. Couldn't decide whether to drive
away or not, or ski or run for that matter. Felt a run would be more honest (& noting total mileage more than supports) - ran Concord neighborhoods for a pleasant change from trees. A silver-haired lady (75ish?) eating with a spoon in her left hand and turning the wheel thru a 135 degree turn with her right not 5' away from me made my hour! Goal was to run for an hour. Up close & personal with city traffic, something to see.

City Tour

TGIF
New toys for the dogs ($4 each) today and demolished in less than 4 minutes. Gone are the days of 50 cent toys at the Salvation Army. I still have a voice box for one, too elaborate to throw away.

Mocha, one silly dog, guarding toy detritus. She even sits silly. Hardly flattering.



War zone


Light til 5:15; a sliver of moon for an encore.
Glad to be going nowhere this weekend. Last Sat at 0724, I realized we needed to be 165 mi from here by 11AM.

Walks & more on roof - uncover the dam & see slush & even flowing water behind!

Departed work at noon for a Sunapee pm downhill, for all the fresh air I could find*. Was blue dome, calm, 23F. What would one do without escape, crashing headlong into perspective or is it finding perspective by accident? In any event, memorable on a small memory scale. Alpine enthusiasts are a different feather from me but the love of the hills, the somewhat cold, the crystals on branches, parents chasing kids, laughter on the slopes, the far views. Many things are better than a windowless office.

After the skiing, drove to Hermanos in Concord for a dinner with Diane (who got my running going in a more responsible manner a few years ago than went to Manchester VA) & Liz (colleague psychiatrist, Radcliffe '67ish, used to run marathons). I feel privileged to be occasionally invited to the ladies' night out dinner!

Have had too much to eat today but came home & attacked Captain Crunch anyway, a point I shouldn't be making. If I were to enter a Lost & Found, I'd remain on the shelf, never claimed. I'd have to find my own way out - but do so anyway, in real life, after most winters.

*eg, Terry Gross or Soupbone

Another 4" added to a "silence deep and white". Dogs go out with enthusiasm until they see it's a work party. Mocha retires first, back to the door to bark for inn. Zoe hangs in longer but finally the last of hope for fun is gone. And so are they - leaving just me and the sound of silence.

1200 noon @ SPS third day in a row. Snowing hard. Mine were the only tracks - maybe 6" new snow over packed. Some stopping by woods stuff... sort of out of Robert Frost except midday.

BBC, nicely devoid of cars & people. City well-plowed, no problem getting around. Came home to plowed drive & shoveled walk. Did some roof raking.

AM DP, an entire loop it was so enticing. Groomed for S M's - one or two places where 2 cars could pass. Sooty sky, 10F, a few flakes portending the "monster" storm.

1pm, SPS, waxless, very wintry, 3" new powder on top of packed. Saw one woman on SS with 3 dogs: 2 yellow labs, 9 mo & 4 mo as well as a Golden. Winter siege mentality seems pretty prevalent. Was on way to gym for mandatory 30', got into town traffic & turned around. Motivation wasn't there.

Walk & roof. 20" by tomorrow eve, light & fluffy!

AM DP, back to cold but the last of January cold. Lots of snow mobile tracks to stay "afloat" in. Kept to the sun & then decided on a loop.

Waxless, started on bike path by 89, under 89 & onto SPS, along long field then path by river, star gazing bldgs, B&G & onto XC - several different surfaces & widths. Fun loop. And so many tracks indicative of people enjoying the good snow conditions. Chillier than expected. Took a while for equilibrium.

Faraway series, photos from elsewhere, #51
Looking across Tuckerman Ravine from Lion's Head, 1980



Winter returns with the usual vengeance.

At Doug's in Hadlyme - tracks around his property a few times plus the "luge" track once which was not exactly a sane thing to do. Gorgeous woods in that area - all hardwood, open, white with tree shadows, often could see for hundreds of meters. Bill lives adjacent to Hurd SP which is a WCOC O venue of some sort.

C • Hurd 5