Happy Thanksgiving

It's not Thanksgiving without a helping of Alice's Restaurant! I'm sharing a serving this morning, just follow the link here. Happy Thanksgiving!

Being Thankful

It's nearly Thanksgiving, and as the "official" day of thanks approaches, I'm keenly aware of just how much I have to be thankful for. I am thankful that I'm able to reflect upon life and appreciate it and all it involves not on just one day in November, but every other day of the year as well.

In today's modern world, Thanksgiving isn't just about being thankful anymore. It's about the commercial Christmas season: Shopping and spending. It marks the traditional start to the winter holidays, though much of retail has already begun. It's this commercialism that nearly ruined my Christmas spirit last year. But I still love this time of the year. It is, perhaps, my most favorite time of the year. I know it certainly holds the most magic.

And speaking of Christmas and magic, there is absolutely no better way to combine the two than to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra perform live. I'm thankful (and lucky) to have attended four of their concerts so far, all Christmas shows save one. My fifth TSO concert is approaching this Sunday and I'm looking forward to taking the family and doing the show right with seats in the 2nd row! What a start to the Christmas season!

To help ramp up my pre-concert excitement, I've already begun listening to the Christmas CDs. Although I could listen to TSO year round, I force myself to put the holiday music away for the other 10 1/2 months of the year, relying only on their two non-Christmas albums when I need a TSO hit. Just yesterday, while listening to the Christmas trio at work, I was re-appreciating the quality of the talent they have in that band, and remembering seeing them perform on previous visits to Cleveland. I know the touring lineup changes from year to year, and those on tour aren't necessarily the same people who record on the albums. As someone who isn't a "know it all" TSO fan, some of the faces on stage are different from year to year. It made me wonder what happened to some of the faces, and voices, that had touched me in the past.

I was stunned to learn that one of TSO's most powerful voices, a man who would hold the attention of entire arenas when he sang, had fallen silent.

Daryl Pediford was amazing to hear live. As vocally awe inspiring as any of the TSO performers are, Daryl stood out among them. I still get chills just remembering him perform. His passing was not recent, it was in 2004, though I just learned of it. I don't know how I went for six years without hearing about it.

At this time of thanks, I'm thankful to have heard him perform not once, but twice. Two times. Two concerts. Two nights. They may have been seven and eight years ago, but some memories don't fade as quickly as others.

For anyone not familiar with the voice of Daryl Pediford, here is a You Tube video from a 2003 performance in Toronto, which is also the last tour on which I was honored to hear him sing. May the voice of "The Prince of Peace" rest in peace.

Running in the Sun...

...in November! What a fantastic weather day Saturday was. For November 13th, a perfect 10! Bills' Bad Ass 50K was taking place, there was a group run planned for the Towpath, but I needed to get a peaceful, quiet, long trail run in to help deal with everything that's been happening recently and running solo was the only option.

I made base-camp in the Pine Hollow parking lot with all sorts of things to refuel on in the trunk. With all the trails in that area I had many loops available to me and I could stop whenever I needed to. Plus, having a restroom with running water is indeed a nice benefit.

The "Sound of Music" hill was first on my list and I wasted no time running down from the parking lot only to slow to a walk when the grade really set in. I would revisit that later.

I had no distance or time goals. I really only had a vague plan of where to go. After cresting the Sound of Music hill, I turned and followed the course we ran for No Frills Just Hills. While the sun was warming things up on top, the dips and valleys were still frosty in the shady spots. The temperature fluctuations early in the run were dramatic!

After rounding Kendall Lake, I decided to follow the trail up to the Ledges, thinking the lighting on the rock formations would be more dramatic earlier in the day. It was too! Just me, the sun creeping over the top of the Ledges, the squirrels, some birds... and a noise in the distance I just couldn't place.

The noise was constant, and getting louder the further along the Ledges I travelled. At first I thought maybe it was a loud generator up at the shelter.

But as I got closer I began to recognize that incessant whining. A leaf blower! Actually, it was more like half a dozen! With someone to rake and another carrying extra gas too! There was a group of folks blowing the leaves off the trail! That was really the last thing I expected to see that morning. I'm sure it was the safe thing for them to do, to make sure the less than sure-footed wouldn't get tripped up, but it was annoying at the same time. They were travelling the same direction as me and it took me a few minutes to work my way through them all.

Once around them, I followed the signs for the Happy Days Visitor Center and left the noise behind. The Fools 50K goes this way, but I took a right when I should have made a left and ended up going a different direction to get to the Center. No matter, it was where I wanted to get to anyway.

Continuing to follow the Fools course, I passed through the tunnel under Rt. 303 and picked up the Boston Run loop. The parking lot was surprisingly full of cars so I prepared myself to be weaving in and around hikers.

But I never came upon any large packs of people out enjoying the nice November morning. Just a few here and there. I don't know where they were. It was out on the Boston Run trail that things began warming up enough for me to ditch the long sleeve tech shirt I was wearing. I was glad I decided to leave the gloves at the car. They would have just gotten in the way.

Finishing Boston Run, I passed back underneath 303 and ran across the big lawn in front of Happy Days to pick up the trail I had wanted earlier, which I followed back to the Ledges.

There were more folks out exploring the trails now, kids running in and out of the caves and nooks along the Ledges. There were also some amazing patches of breaking sunlight to run through. I could almost imagine following these trails many years ago, before the noise of cars in the distance or airplanes flying overhead.

Once I rounded the other end of the Ledges I began to hear those lovely leaf blowers again. I was wondering if I would catch back up to them. I did. They were just on the other side of the building in the photo below. I took my time approaching them, knowing I would have to work to get past them again.

After finally weaving through them again, tapping the last fellow on the arm to let him know I was there, I picked up the Pine Grove trail. Again, another trail loop we ran on the Fools 50K, but one I hadn't been back on since. This is where I encountered something very interesting. Something I've never experienced, although I've put myself into situations where I might have the opportunity to experience it. The unexplainable.

I was running along, minding my step with all the leaves on the trail, when I heard a child ahead of me on the trail. Looking up, I even saw a kid dressed in grey colored sweats running after what must have been another kid. They weren't right near me, but rather ahead and aside. I assumed the trail did a switchback ahead and I would soon be where they were. Making a mental note, I prepared to make room on the trail as we would pass each other, or to make a pass if we were traveling the same direction. I never passed anyone as I reached the spot I thought I saw and heard them. So they must be ahead of me still. I knew they weren't running faster than me and I would soon catch up to them. I'm not the fastest trail runner, but I was moving pretty good, and kids like to run stop-and-go style.

I never came across any kids. There were no other trails to follow, and I was close enough to hear someone running through all the fallen leaves if they had left the trail. They could have been hiding I suppose, but there were no giggles as I passed that spot in the woods. Nor was there any noise behind me. I could have imagined it, but I doubt it as I'm very tuned in to my surroundings when I'm out on the trails. I can't explain it. We weren't far from the Boy Scout camps that are nearby, so it could have been some boys goofing around. Or it could have been something I simply can't explain. The curious thing is that the thought of having a possible paranormal encounter didn't alarm me one bit. In fact, it felt perfectly normal.

Upon crossing Truxell Rd., I followed the Lake Trail until it met with the Cross Country Trail, which I turned onto. Now I was following the Run With Scissors course. It looked different in the light!

The Cross Country Trail comes out back at the Kendall Hills, and so I found myself back at a crossroads of trails. Decisions, decisions.

Back onto the Lake Trial, I went past the Lake Shelter, through the parking lot, and turned left, following the No Frills course. I went past the spot where the tragic car crash occurred on Halloween morning. While I didn't see any memorials, just knowing what happened at that spot created an eerie feeling.

Once past the lake I picked up the Salt Run Trail. This is a tough little trail with lots of ups and downs, roots, and whatnot. At Fools the trail was mud and standing water. Not so this time. The surface was perfect!

There were more than a few hikers going around Salt Run, but it was still quiet. Just what I had been hoping for. No deer though, and there are usually plenty to see through that section.

After finishing Salt Run I was back out of the trees and climbing the hill to the Pine Hollow parking lot. There I ditched my hand bottle and shirt, re-filled my Fuel Belt, had a bite, and headed back out for more.

Back to the Lake Trail for another loop.

There's an interesting story about this tunnel. You need to walk the trail to find out it's history!

Once more around Kendall Lake and back to the parking lot.

I decided to stop after 20 miles, but I still had a mile and a half to go, so it was back down and up the Sound of Music hill. This time I ran it, digging and pushing myself to the top. That hurt. Then I went down the other side, turned around, and ran back up. Nothing like a little hill work after 18+ miles! That last climb was what did it. I was spent and so decided to use the remaining distance as a cool-down. Back to the lake, but around it to the left instead of the right, onto the little Salt Run section and back out onto the grassy hills.

I was hoping for a little more than 20, but that was all I had in me. Time to cool-down and head home where I might get a little work done outside while the weather was still fine. We did get some work done too. Our wreaths and garlands are now hung for Christmas! I finally saw my deer too. On the way down Quick Rd. a young buck with a short rack stepped out of the trees and right up to the road. I saw him well ahead so I slowed down. He just looked at me. I'm getting closer and going slower and he's just standing there. So I hollar, half to myself, "What ya' gonna' do?" With all the windows down he might have heard me. I guess he decided what he wanted to do because he turned right around and went back into the woods.

2010 Run With Scissors Trail Marathon

My second time running the Run With Scissors proved to be much more fun than even last year. It was held upon Halloween, you see, and we were encouraged to dress in costume! I had just run as Waldo in Columbus but decided that trails required something a little bit less tame. Something a little more... prehistoric!

But before I get into my run report I need to mention the tragedy that occurred just a couple hours before the scheduled start of the race. A horrible car wreck on Truxell Road claimed the lives of two young men early that morning. A third survived. The way the accident occurred and with all of us runners arriving to the Ledges Shelter that morning it's a wonder no one else was involved. More information about the accident can be found here.

Back to the run. The start was pushed back 1/2 hour to allow extra time for everyone to arrive due to the road being closed from one direction. We started promptly, and darkly, at 5:30. I was familiar with the course and held back, unlike last year where I went out hard at the start. I wasn't racing so I had no need to try to run fast in the dark. I found a few groups to run with as the combined lamp light helped illuminate the ground better.

Upon reaching Pine Hollow and the first aid station, I headed straight to the plumbed restroom to take care of some business I couldn't before the start. With that weight off me (literally) I grabbed some PBJ and headed off down the course. One of the guys in the group I joined up with tripped on a root and went down hard. He was OK and was back up and running in the blink of an eye. Luckily I didn't snag any bad enough to send me down.

It began getting light enough to see by without lamps by the time I was approaching the Covered Bridge aid station. There I stowed my flashlight in my drop bag, grabbed some more PBJ, was handed my pair of scissors, and began the two mile climb up the Reading Run Trail and the Perkins Loop. This is a hard loop to run counter-clockwise, but it's even harder from this direction. I ran by myself for most of the loop, which is fine by me. I was enjoying being out in the early morning with mostly silent woods to accompany me.

The scissors we were given were to cut a page from a book that would be hanging somewhere along the course to prove we had actually run it. Last year the books were positioned in the middle of a water crossing, making us stand in the water while we cut. This year I was beginning to wonder if I might have passed it, when we came upon it at almost the end of the loop. Quickly cutting a page I made my way back to the aid station. This stop would be another quick one. I grabbed my powder Gatorade/Nuun mix from my drop bag, spilled a portion of it before a volunteer offered to do it for me, gobbled down some more PBJ, chugged down a cup of Coke, grabbed some fig newtons and my bottle, and began making my way back toward the finish.

Of course this direction is slightly harder as it is mostly uphill. As I had hit mile 13 right at two hours and thirty minutes, I knew I was on the bubble for finishing at or under five hours. I would need to keep pressing. But after the hills of Perkins my legs were definitely getting tired. I pushed as best I could on the flats, walked the uphills, and took the downhills slow to prevent any nasty falls. I made my way back without incident but took the time to admire the rising sun's light falling through the trees in spots. I was carrying my camera, and had yet to use it, but was content to just enjoy those moments for what they were, moments.

Eventually the seemingly endless climbing stopped and I exited the woods to make my way to the Pine Hollow aid station once more. They had a grand fire burning to stay warm and I recognized more people than during my first visit in the dark that morning. I got some more PBJ and a Mountain Dew, said my hellos and goodbyes, and was off on the final leg of the race. Below is the view of the Sound of Music Hill from the aid station.




That final leg was short and quick. A little too short and quick I think, as my Garmin read the distance as 3 miles shorter than last year, but uneventful. We passed close to where they were still working the accident scene. A crane had been brought in to lift what was left of the vehicle onto the back of a flatbed truck. I was quickly past and began to see runners heading back out on the course to complete the double. Maybe next year I'll attempt the double but not this time. No, for 2010, the single marathon was plenty for this Caveman!

That's right! I ran my Halloween edition of Run With Scissors as a Caveman! Full flowing hairdo and all! I was surprised more folks didn't dress up. It made it much more fun! Some of the other costumes I recall were an escaped prisoner in black and white stripes, Robin Hood, King Arthur and his servant Pansy from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a cat, and a strapping young man dressed as Connie Gardner running this year's Badwater! All good stuff!

I made my way inside to grab some Caveman chow provided by Chef Bill and warmed up by the fire. My time was 4:40-ish, which put me in 17th place overall for the single marathon. I was happy to have a much faster time than last year, but kept in mind how short the course was. I'll count it as a marathon, but not as a PR. Now I'll look forward to possibly running the double next year, and for an occaision to bust out Caveman again!