When a Hill Has a Name

Effie in Winter

This is a piece I wrote for the MCRR Newsletter several years ago. Brings back some good old memories. It's about what actually happens during one particular Sunday at Hinckley.

It's 5:30 A.M., and I'm only now just trying to pull into the Spillway parking lot. There have been times when I've arrived early (as early as 4), but this is not one of them; 5:30 in the A.M. is just fine today, thank you. I say I am trying to pull in. The road into the park from Bellus is barricaded off. This is a first. I guess that it's because of the snow that has been falling steadily for a couple hours now, although it has remained open during times of more snow than this.

A car just ahead of me is turning around at the barricade as well. It's Frank Dwyer, who is equally flummoxed. We decide to park at the ranger station just down the road. There are already two cars in the lot, and running back to the lot we see Caitlin Oblander and Rick Roman. Over-achievers that they are, they had arrived at 5 to run a three-mile loop around the lake as a warm-up. Now they're cheerfully imparting tales of running on the barricaded/deserted, snow-covered road, since the all-purpose trail's footing was worse.

The four of us, including Fank in his shorts (!), are about to start out on our nine-mile loop, when Debbie Scheel shows up. It occurs to us that several runners may be a little late today due to the snow on the roads. Regulars Jack Reilly and Michelle Wolff would not be among them at all this time. I am surprised that this many made it so far.

The five of us are about to begin running when more cars begin to arrive. It's Christina Sparks, Rob Lisy and Alan Dravenstott. Once again, the snowy weather had slowed them down a bit. I'm now quite surprised at the showing.

The eight of us start out running up the hill on Bellus. But we don't get too far. Other cars are also arriving. We decide to turn back, trying to get word to everyone to not bother trying to get into the normal parking lot. It doesn't work; everyone tries to make the turn, finds the barricades, and then decides to park back with the rest of us.

This time it's Jeannine Nicholson and Ladd Clifford. They ask us to wait yet another minute for Connie Gardner, who was just behind. I haven't seen these folks here, this early on a Sunday, for many a moon. Ladd and I briefly reminisce about an early morning 24-hour training run we did here a few years ago, in which we did ten three-mile lake loops in cold, icy conditions.

Connie is still getting out of her car as the rest of us begin our run, for good this time. It occurs to me that there is no one - not one person - who's my speed. Well possibly Christina, but even she usually leaves me in the dust the last couple miles. I consider letting everyone go on without me and doing lake loops, but when I voice this thought, Debbie and the rest reassure me that I won't need to run alone.

Heading up Bellus Hill, not to be confused with Effie, I have my doubts. It's oxygen debt almost from the get-go. Bellus is actually even higher than Effie, but at least Bellus is over with rather quickly. We're forced to watch and contemplate Effie for about two miles after turning onto Ledge Road. And of course Effie hits half-way through the run, when one is already somewhat beat up from all the other hills.

For the two or three people left on Planet Earth who do not know what Effie is, it’s a hill on Ledge Road. When a hill has a name, you know it’s a bad one. And when that name is Effie, as in F this hill (coined by Angie Kovacs), you know it’s really bad.

Throughout the run, I'm enjoying the conversation, especially with some of the folks whom I hadn't run with for a while. Connie, Jeannine and Ladd are the same as ever, and of course the conversation quickly heads down into the gutter. I suppose I'm partly responsible, but I would never admit it.

We're doing our share of slipping and sliding on the partially snow-covered roads. Ladd says that he would rather run on trails, but I point out that when snow covers roads like this, they're just like trails.

Rick and Caitlin are long gone. Debbie, Alan and Connie pull away on or just before Effie. The rest of us more or less stick together, gathering at the top of Effie to complete the last miles as a group. I am very pleasantly surprised that I've been able to keep up with all these great runners today.

We turn onto Kellogg Road. It has more snow than ledge, and of course it's still coming down. We talk about how some will be heading out for a second loop. I am jealous; it's been quite a while since I've been able to manage that much running. These cold, snowy nine would be plenty for me today.

As we finish up, John Pavlik appears in the parking lot, ready to run with the second loopers. this time the direction would be counter-clockwise. What a bunch of rebels. I start out with them, but I don't go too far before turning back.

Another Hickley Sunday run in the books. Nothing special about this one, but then they're all special in some ways. I am so glad I stuck with this one.

Doing Effie Twice. At My Age.

Effie on an earlier winter run                       photo by Dan DeRosha

Yes, people my age are usually happy to be able to Effie once, for Pete's sake. But there I was, trudging up the old hag for the second time. And folks are passing me like I was standing still. But I didn't mind. You see, it had been a real long time since I'd done the hilly Hinckley nine-mile loop twice, and after a rough month, I was happy just to be able to make the distance. Effie, by the way, is the name of the big hill on Ledge Road, about half-way through the loop.

These Sunday morning runs at Hinckley are being reinstituted, mostly by me. And we had a great turnout of MCRR runners. I ran the first loop with Renee Harden and Rick Roman. Even for that first time up Effie, they had to wait for me at the top. But I didn't mind; overall, it was a relatively fast one considering the inch or so of snow on the roads. Not so for my second loop - that one was, I think, a PW.

But as I said, I didn't mind.


PostScript: I should add that in my younger days I was able to do Effie three times. Maybe I'll get back to that level one of these decades. On the other hand, I've heard warnings that if you're doing Effie for more than four hours, you should seek immediate medical attention.

If it's Sunday, This Must be Hinckley

About a year ago, I published my list of Hinckley runs, extracted from my running log. If there had been any doubts about my sanity, a quick look at that list will quickly dispell them. This post will be a bit different. It's about what actually happens during one particular Sunday at Hinckley.

It's 5:30 A.M., and I'm only now just trying to pull into the Spillway parking lot. There have been times when I've arrived early (as early as 4), but this is not one of them; 5:30 in the A.M. is just fine today, thank you. I say I am trying to pull in. The road into the park from Bellus is barricaded off. This is a first. I guess that it's because of the snow that has been falling steadily for a couple hours now, although it's remained open during times of more snow than this.

A car just ahead of me is turning around at the barricade as well. It's Frank Dwyer, who is equally flummoxed. We decide to park at the ranger station just down the road. There are already two cars in the lot, and running back to the lot we see Caitlin Oblander and Rick Roman. Over-achievers that they are, they had arrived at 5 to run a three-mile loop around the lake as a warm-up. Now they're cheerfully imparting tales of running on the barricaded/deserted, snow-covered road, since the all-purpose trail's footing was worse.

The four of us, including Fank in his shorts (!), are about to start out on our nine-mile loop, when Debbie Scheel shows up. It occurs to us that several runners may be a little late today due to the snow on the roads. Regulars Jack Reilly and Michelle Wolff would not be among them at all this time. I am surprised that this many made it so far.

The five of us are about to begin running when more cars begin to arrive. It's Cristina Sparks, Rob Lisy and Alan Dravenstott. Once again, the weather had slowed them down a bit. I'm now quite surprised at the showing.

The eight of us start out running up the hill on Bellus. But we don't get too far. Other cars are also arriving. We decide to turn back, trying to get word to everyone to not bother trying to get into the normal parking lot. It doesn't work; everyone tries to make the turn, finds the barricades, and then decides to park back with the rest of us.

This time it's Jeannine Nicholson and Ladd Clifford. They ask us to wait yet another minute for Connie Gardner, who was just behind. I haven't seen these folks here, this early on a Sunday, for many a moon. Ladd and I briefly reminisce about an early morning 24-hour training run we did here a few years ago, in which we did ten three-mile lake loops in cold, icy conditions.

Connie is still getting out of her car as the rest of us begin our run, for good this time. It occurs to me that there is no one - not one person - who's my speed. Well possibly Cristina, but even she usually leaves me in the dust the last couple miles. I consider letting everyone go on without me and doing lake loops, but when I voice this thought, Debbie and the rest reassure me that I won't need to run alone.

Dan running up Effie on a similar Sunday

Heading up Bellus Hill, not to be confused with Effie, I have my doubts. It's oxygen debt almost from the get-go. Bellus is actually even higher than Effie, but at least Bellus is over with rather quickly. We're forced to watch and contemplate Effie for about two miles after turning onto Ledge Road. And of course Effie hits half-way through the run, when one is already somewhat beat up from all the other hills.

Throughout the run, I'm enjoying the conversation, especially with some of the folks whom I hadn't run with for a while. Connie, Jeannine and Ladd are the same as ever, and of course the conversation quickly heads down into the gutter. I suppose I'm partly responsible, but I would never admit it.

We're doing our share of slipping and sliding on the partially snow-covered roads. Ladd says that he would rather run on trails, but I point out that when snow covers roads like this, they're just like trails.

Rick and Caitlin are long gone. Debbie, Alan and Connie pull away on or just before Effie. The rest of us more or less stick together, gathering at the top of Effie to complete the last miles as a group. I am very pleasantly surprised that I've been able to keep up with all these great runners today.

We turn onto Kellogg Road. It has more snow than ledge, and of course it's still coming down. We talk about how some will be heading out for a second loop. I am jealous; it's been quite a while since I've been able to manage that much running. These cold, snowy nine would be plenty for me today.

As we finish up, John Pavlik appears in the parking lot, ready to run with the second loopers. this time the direction would be counter-clockwise. What a bunch of rebels. I start out with them, but I don't go too far before turning back.

Another Hickley Sunday run in the books. Nothing special about this one, but then they're all special in some ways. I am so glad I stuck with this one.

Hinckley X 3

After a couple good night's sleeps in a row, I find myself awake at 2am. The night splint/boot that I wear at night for my Plantar Fasciitis is bugging me as usual. But even after I tear it off, I still can't get back to sleep. The PF seems a bit better these days, but this little bout of insomnia is no fun either.

At 3am I get up and realize that by default, I've made a decision. I will get to Hinckley at 4am. We're there every Sunday, and I'm one of the organizers / regulars. The runs traditionally begin at 7am and include a big loop around Hinckley Metropark. This means starting at the Spillway parking lot, going east on Bellus, turning onto Parker which becomes Harter, then turning onto Medina Line, Ledge, Kellogg and Hinckley Hills before the return onto Bellus and back into the parking lot. It's a beautiful 9.2 mile route that circumnavigates the park, getting away from it in a couple places. And, oh yes, it's quite hilly. The entire course is rolling, but there are two really notable hills: the one starting out onto Bellus Road, and the one about half-way through on Ledge that we affectionately refer to as "Effie". (When we were discussing possible names for her, Angie Kovaks said, "I just call it, 'F' This Hill.")

I arrive just a bit after 4am. It's cold and there's snow about. Yesterday's cold was really down there - -4F when we (Debbie, Michelle, Brad and I) began our run on the parkway - but today's +10 to 12F actually feels colder. The difference is the wind and the snow; they make it feel colder. The snow on the roads makes footing bad, and this also contributes to the overall difficulty.

Since a loop takes anywhere from 75 to 85 or more minutes, I must hurry. It's difficult, but I manage to arrive back within a minute or two of 5:30am. That's just in time to talk to Jack before he takes off on his 5:30 loop. There are often other 5:30 runners as well, but today there is only Jack. And me. I tell Jack that he can begin without me as I need to go to the car for refreshments.

It turns out that I never catch him until the very end of the loop; we each wind up running alone. There is even more snow on the road this second time around, and I run the loop about two minutes slower.

As Jack and I return to the Spillway lot, a small throng of runners has gathered for the 7am loop. This is usually when we have the most folks, and today is no different. I am surprised to be able to keep up with Connie, Bob and Dave during that initial climb on Bellus. It's after the hill when I find I can no longer hang with them.

I run the next mile or two with Michelle, but eventually find that I can't keep up with her either. I'm getting slower and slower as I arrive at the base of Effie to have some refreshments out of Jack's stash. I'm beginning to seriously doubt whether I'll be able to finish this loop at all. Jack arrives at our aid station just after I do, and after some gel and sports drink, we tackle Effie together.

The weather has actually gotten worse; the snow is still slippery, and the wind is at least as cold now as when I began.

Somehow, I manage to stay with Jack for the remainder of the loop. It isn't easy, and I suspect that he slowed down just to help me out. The gel probably helped as well. I shuffle back to the Spillway lot for the last time, say goodbye to Jack and the rest, get into my car and drive home.

Debbie is waiting; she had come home yesterday to visit for the week. We will spend the day visiting Mom and then going to a concert at BW put on by Bob Mayerovitch. We have dinner with Bob and Laura, and also Mike and Judy George.

Whew. What a day.

Sights and Sounds

I am getting a later than planned start. It's 5:20, and although I've been up for quite a while, this is the best I could do to get myself out the cabin door and into the gloomy morning air.

Said cabin is located in Sugar Grove, Ohio. It's in the Hocking Hills region, and we're staying for the weekend with the Dancer family. These digs are pretty nifty.

Gloomy it is - more so than anticipated. I had planned the route: 3 or more 3.7-mile loops on Sponagle, Swartz Mill, Mirgon and Sugar Grove Roads to make twelve or so miles total. I had figured there would be hills, humidity, humility, and darkness, but not quite so much. And I also hadn't anticipated the fog and drizzle. And did I mention the darkness? Oh, yes, perhaps I did.

First, I have to get up the driveway. I do mean up; it's mighty steep. Now on the road, things do level out. A little. I am bumping into plenty of hills. They pretty much won't stop. Eventually, I find myself running mostly down - way down - to get to Swartz Mill Road a mile into the run.

Good thing I have the headlamp because I can't see a darn thing otherwise. The woods are deep and dark, and the fog and mist reflect my headlamp light right back at me. I do notice the occasional light emanating from a smattering of houses that are back in the woods.

At first, it's so very quiet that even that unnerves me. I do get used to it, but soon the morning crickets begin to chirp. Now it's downright noisy. But in a pleasant sort of way.

All of a sudden, something fairly large flies right across my path, directly in front of my headlamp. It startles me, and I stop. It was completely quiet as it flew by. Then another one follows it within a second or two. I look around for others but don't see any. That don't mean anything; I can't see anything anyway. As my faculties return, I begin to wonder whether they were rather small owls or large bats. I am not able to figure it out, but I'm leaning towards the bat theory.

A couple of the houses come with a barking dog. I am not threatened directly, but I do pick up a stick for self-defense, just in case.

The roads and turns are where I expect them to be. The hills are not, since I hadn't known where they would be. Suffice it to say that they're big. Big enough to put Effie to shame. Effie, by the way, is still the standard by which all hills are measured. I manage to complete one loop. I am 3.7 miles into the run, just as anticipated. I try not to look at the related time.

The second loop is better. It's getting light, and I can now begin to see where I went that first time around. The fog is becoming more patchy. And I'm moving a little faster as well. But only a little.

The third loop is faster still. Still agonizingly slow by any normal standards, but faster than the other two loops.

About two and a half miles into that final circuit, it hits me. I love this! I truly do. It's why I run.

Minor runner's high subsiding, I am back in time to start the day with the kids and grandkids. Time to hike.

The Hinckley 9, Number 282

You probably think that Dan is kidding about this being his two-hundred-eighty-second running of the Hinckley Nine. Think whatever you like. But he does have them all documented. Dan can be pretty scary sometimes.

Katherine Kinsey had set this one up, and Dan thought that it would be just her, Chadwick Sunday, Ella, Julie Boggs, Theresa Wright, and Dan himself. This group runs together a lot, and everyone is fairly reliable, especially Ella. But this time, said small group unexpectedly becomes part of a much larger one as Connie Gardner and a bunch of her friends show up. The more, the merrier.

And is quite merry. Until the hills start. Of course, if you're familiar with the clockwise running of the Hinckley Nine, you are well aware that said hills begin with the first few steps. Katherine, Chadwick, and Ella zoom on up Bellus Road, whilst the rest of us have slightly more difficulty. Connie and several of the other smart ones walk most of it. Not Dan. Dan tries to keep running, yet he's not able to keep up with the walkers. Dan hates it when this happens.

Dan struggles mightily to catch up with everyone as the big hills give way to slightly smaller rolling ones. Between huffs and puffs, he is barely able to carry on snippets of conversations. Then comes Effie. This time, Dan does have to walk, a little. But of course, he falls further behind again, anyway. Evidently, it doesn't matter whether he runs, walks, or crawls, he's going to fall behind.

Several runners unexpectedly turn into the trails for the rest of their run, and now Dan is really alone. He sets out to try to catch Julie. By the time she is hitting the final downhill miles on Kellogg Road, he does manage this feat. He informs her, between huffs and puffs, that now that she's caught, she has to stay caught. Dan begins telling stories that Julie has heard before. Just like everyone else has.

They turn onto Route 606, run down some more hills, and then turn onto Bellus. Julie finishes strong; Dan transitions to a slow saunter as soon as he hits the entrance to the parking lot. Chadwick, Katherine, and Ella are waiting patiently. Some (the ones who have issues) jog around to try to get their GPS watches to say ten miles. It's a good thing Dan doesn't have issues such as this (ignore the fact that he ran some before the start of the nine).

It's been one of Dan's better Hinckley runs. Too bad it nearly killed him.

He Tasks Me

I recently watched Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan again for the first time. I had forgotten how good that movie is. Considering all the Trek flicks, it's certainly the best of the bunch. There are at least two quintessential Star Trekky and quite memorable lines. One occurs when Khan cunningly traps Kirk in the center of a planet. Kirk tries desperately to find a way out, telling Khan that he will have to come and get him. But Khan answers, "I've done far worse than kill you. I've hurt you. And I wish to go on... hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me, as you left her. Marooned for all eternity, in the center of a dead planet... buried alive. Buried alive." As a result,  all Kirk can do is yell, at the top of his lungs, KHAN!. The other memorable line occurs as Khan is thinking out loud about how Kirk Tasks him. Please do click at least that last link. I'll wait...

Okay, welcome back. Now of course you're wondering, "Who tasks you, Dan?" Well that's easy.  It's my running coach, Sven. Sven, by the way, is invisible.

It seems as though Sven's been tasking me more lately. Said tasking has involved 60-mile weeks through the thick and thin of January in Northeast Ohio. It's involved slogging through snow like I did for several runs last week, and trying to keep up with the fast kids today. It's even involved staying off the treadmill and getting outside as much as humanly possible in January in Northeast Ohio.

On Thursday, Sven had me run 10 miles in the park through a couple inches of new fallen snow. It actually took me two hours to accomplish that feat, and it was tough. Yet I enjoyed that winter wonderland run as much as any I've done in a long time. I followed that up with 13 from home in much milder weather on Friday.

It was today, Sunday, that Sven tasked me the most. At least the most in the last couple weeks. He had me show up at Hinckley to run with the fast kids: Frank Dwyer, Caitlin Oblander and Debbie Scheel. Frank seemed well-rested as usual, but recovering run-aholic Caitlin and super-mileage specialist Debbie ran well despite other recent running. Recent running, that is, of the fast variety.

It was a good thing that they all took it easy on me. They politely waited at the top of Effie and the other Hinckley Hills, and didn't even complain when I launched my usual silly stories. Those were fewer this time around however, because I was pretty anaerobic today.

All in all, it wasn't a bad day: I did a 3-mile lake loop, the usual 9, then another lake loop and a couple more with Debbie.

I think Sven is happy with me... For now.

After the run with the other kids, another bunch showed up, and I managed to photo-bomb their picture. Jeanne Ineman photo

11 of 9

I ran eleven miles out of the Hinckley nine-mile loop today. It appears that Ledge Road is closed for a while due to bridge construction, and the detour takes us farther south, to Remsen Road. While others have ventured those extra couple miles at times, the route was new to me.

My thought was that it couldn't be any more hilly than the original nine. Au contraire; my Garmin tells me the total elevation gain was 998 feet today, whereas I believe that it's around 750 for the usual course. And I felt every single one of those extra 248 feet. And we haven't lost Effie. Slow going, but at least I made it.

I made it back up to 80 miles this week. It wasn't easy, but now I'll try to do it again. And again.

Day 66: Back in the Hinckley Saddle

What with travel and most notably, the Coronavirus, I have hardly been doing any of my used-to-be-weekly Hinckley 9-mile runs. In fact, I've only done a couple this entire year, and none since early March. But today, I was back.

I've written about the Hinckley Nine before. I've listed the instances (I've done lots more since this list was published), and I've written about doing multiple loops, sometimes as many as three.

I realized how much I missed it. I missed the hills. I missed running with my friends. Today, it was good - real good - to be back. I was joined by running friends Julie Boggs, Dennis Amstutz, and Theresa Wright. The morning was cool and pretty, the hills - especially Effie - were challenging, and I loved my run.

Now then. Next week starts the big push.

Peer Pressure

"C'mon," I'll say. "Everybody's doing it." That's about as sophisticated as it gets when I'm applying peer pressure to my running friends. Sometimes, it works. But I did not like it when Julie Boggs turned the tables the other day and applied peer pressure back at me. "You said you wanted to do two Hinckley loops, so are you gonna do it Sunday?" She asked. She may as well have added (with a Dirty-Harry accent), "Well, are you, punk?" "Wait," I said. "I'm the peer-pressure-er. I'm never the peer pressure-ee!" But my protest went nowhere. I was hooked. 

Now, it's time to get going on the adventure. Theresa Wright is starting with Julie and me, but is only doing one loop. It's warm and humid as always. We chat for a while until the first hill takes its terrible toll. It gets quiet as we transition from running to walking. Eventually, we can run again. Our pace matches the constantly rolling terrain.

Traffic is heavier than usual. A Jeep goes by a little too fast. A quarter-mile later, we see the vehicle off the road and into a ditch with some weeds. We ask if the driver is okay, and they say they are. They are on the phone, asking for help. As we resume running, we see a police cruiser heading over, presumably to help the driver.

That was tough. We finish that first nine-mile loop covered with sweat. It's time for Theresa to go home, and also for Julie and me to begin loop number two. It hurts. What hurts, you ask? Everything. I'm still feeling Friday's long run on Lester. That had gone well, about the same as last week's long, loping Lester run. Today, not so much. Maybe I need more than one day between long runs? Hmm. I'll have to think about that.

Julie, Dan, and Theresa between loops

Traffic is worse now. The sun is higher and hotter. Julie and I are both tired. But at least we're moving forward. Surprisingly, the car had already been removed from the ditch and was gone. We're both feeling sort of gone ourselves. We finally get past Effie and over to the downhill section of Kellogg Road and Route 606. We're gonna make it!

Second surprise: Loop 2 was nearly the same pace as Loop 1. I'm grateful that Julie peer-pressured me into this. But I'd never admit that to her.

The Second Loop

About a month ago, Dan ran the Hinckley 9-mile loop (the one with the hills from hell) for the first time in over a year.  John Hnat, had joined him then, and later suggested a two-loop attempt. That's crazy-talk, thought Dan, but he nevertheless went along with the suggestion for today's run. That's one thing you can indeed say about Dan: he abides.

The first loop had been run mostly with Theresa Wright. They'd fought the wind and rain/sleet/show mixture to crawl back to the Spillway. Now, along with fellow two-loopers John and Julie Boggs, as well as fresh, new folks Harold Dravenstott and Bob Pokorny, it's time to do it again. Dan had barely completed that first hilly loop; how the hell can he do it again? 

The intrepid group ponders their way up Bellus once more. They're all breathing hard and heavy. This shit is getting real. Despite the pain and fatigue, Dan doesn't fail to notice the splendid fall foliage that's apparent in the morning light now that the sun has risen.

After Bellus comes the downs and up (big up) of Parker Road, followed by the rollers of Ledge Road, and then, after five miles of torture... ((drum-roll))... Effie. Dan can only manage to run up as far as the MIA flag, and then he has to walk. But he continues to notice the beautiful autumn leaves as he slowly makes his way up.

At the top, he feels surprisingly good. He begins to run again, and he even enjoys it a little. Just a little. Soon though, he's running as fast as he has for the entire day. There are three and a half miles to go, but it's mostly downhill from here on. He catches up with John, and they talk and talk enough to complete the journey without further pain or mishap.

That second loop wound up being much faster than the first. Daylight helps. So does abiding.

Hinckley is Back

Okay, okay. Hinckley never really left. But a lot of us did; we hadn't been meeting there for our Sunday morning runs for quite some time. This was for various reasons, but now that's all changed.


We met the other day, and did our good old nine-mile loop. It was the same old gang, and the same old hilly "Effie" loop. Some of us did some extra lake loops as well.


Just like old times!!

More or Less

I've lost my base, and don't know where to find it.
...

More

It's Saturday, and it's the usual gang, more or less: Debbie Scheel, Theresa Wright, Harold Dravenstott, Michelle Wolff, and, somewhat surprisingly, myself. My Achilles injury got so bad a couple weeks ago, that I've done almost no running at all of late. Even though I was beginning to feel better, I had informed the group that although double digits would be nice, anything at all would be better than nothing.

Fast forward an hour and a half, more or less. The others want to do more, but I ~~wisely for once~~ decide to quit early. I got ten and change in, and I am feeling pretty darn good, relatively speaking. In fact, I could do more. I've just chosen not to. I feel so darn smart.

Less

It's Sunday, and it's the usual gang, more or less: actually the same as yesterday, minus Harold and Michelle, but plus Frank Dwyer. I got through the rest of yesterday without major mishap, and as we begin today, I am still feeling pretty okay.

But today is Sunday, and so this must be Hinckley. Hinckley, as in hills. Hills that we did not have yesterday. I fall behind right away on Bellus Hill. It gets worse. Even as I battle back, the others get far ahead of me again on other hills, but stop and wait for me at times. Sympathy for the old man, you know; he lost his base, more or less, and can't seem to find it.

Then comes Effie. I'm behind again, except more than ever now. It occurs to me that this day, I could have done less.

I do manage to complete this, and get another double digit run under my belt. The base will come back, won't it? In the last couple downhill miles, Debbie scoots up ahead, and I mention to Theresa that she (Debbie) was doing the right thing for her upcoming Boston run. Theresa, who is going to Beantown as well, sprints hard to catch and even pass Debbie. Never, ever challenge Theresa, or even kid her to say that someone else is doing some training that's 'good'.

But now I'm really tired. And my Achilles hurts more than yesterday. I feel so darn dumb.

Day 80: Like Last Week. Sorta

Last Sunday, I managed to get my long run in and amongst the hills of Hinckley. The plan was for more of the same this time around. In fact, things were going swimmingly. Until they weren't.

Running partners Dennis Amstutz and Theresa Wright are waiting for me at the turn from Ledge Road onto Kellogg Road. Up until a couple miles ago, things had gone extremely well. Like last week, I'd managed to start early and get three lake loops in before beginning this niner. But the wall hit me very quickly, and I'd watched those two easily move up (up Effie) and away. Now, I'm shuffling, and not doing well even at that.

"You didn't have to wait," I say, "I know the way." Theresa just chuckles and smirks. But then Dennis does something that makes a huge difference for me. He hands me a Gu brand gel. After a minute or so, I'm back to the pace I'd been at, and I'm keeping up with my intrepid partners once again.

It turns out to be a pretty good day, despite the heat, despite the early start, and despite that (temporary) crash.

Fall 50

Cold Rain

I hate cold rain. But at least it's not raining all that hard. And at least it's not all that cold. And at least it's not too windy.

I'm here in Door County, Wisconsin with about 150 of my best friends, as the gun goes off. It's foggy, drizzly and gloomy, but last night's downpours have subsided. And it's in the 50's. All in all, things could be worse.

The fast guys - and with the Fall 50 being the USATF Road 50-Mile National Championship, their number is relatively legion - take off right away. They're gone. We won't see them again until the finish party. I am running with Michelle Wolff, and we have a similar goal: to finish. It would be nice, I think wistfully, to run this race fast and to be competitive, but then a dose of reality occurs; those days are pretty much in my distant past.

Debbie and I had driven up here yesterday, and we drove a good part of the point-to-point (Gills Rock to Sturgeon Bay) course. Debbie was concerned about finding her way from aid station to aid station, where she would try to support me. After seeing how well-marked the course was, even including the support vehicle detour routes, she was mostly reassured. We bumped into Andy and Michelle at the check-in / packet pickup in Sturgeon Bay near the finish line. We then all had dinner together at Villagio's, an Italian restaurant along the course that sponsors the "half-way buffet".

Door County is very tourist-oriented, and no wonder. It's the panoramic peninsula that extends into Lake Michigan, north of Green Bay. The Fall 50 is advertised as "the most scenic distance run in the Midwest", and although they could have possibly added even more qualifiers, Debbie and I did marvel at the beauty as we drove it yesterday. Too bad about the gloomy weather.

I only ran a mile and a half with Michelle before we became separated. Pete Schwanke, another MCRR member and one of the fast guys, ran up ahead early on.


My Blessings

I had been counting my blessings with the weather, but now, at Mile 11.5 or so, I'm pulling into the second aid station, and it's pouring really hard. And it seems colder. And more windy.

But I'm doing okay. I'm probably averaging between 9:30 and 10 minute pace, and I'm fine with that. I'm spending too much time at the aid stations, but that should improve later on. Debbie won't begin meeting me until the fourth one at mile 24 or so.


Sunshine!

Yes, the sun is out. And the breathtakingly gorgeous course just became much more-so. I'm running through Peninsula State Park, and thinking that the race just couldn't be more scenic. The reds, oranges, yellows, golds, and every color in-between, combined with views of Green Bay (the bay, not the city), are simply spectacular. I think my pace is improving with the now favorable weather.

My Achilles tendon is talking to me.


Fish Creek

I emerge from the park right by our hotel in Fish Creek, and there's Debbie to meet me at the aid station. She gives me some Hammer Perpetuum, and I kiss her and take off again. I hope that she asks those around her - as she's done on other occasions, "Who was that guy?"

Did I mention that it's raining again? The sun didn't last long.


Half-Way, A Marathon and A 50K

Debbie continues to hand me Perpetuum and gel, and I continue to run. There had been a monster hill coming out of Fish Creek, but it's not the only one. I'd say that there are five or so Effie-type or bigger hills strategically placed along the course, and the biggest one, Monument Point hill, is yet to come.

I go through half-way in just under four hours, the marathon in something like 4:08, and 50K in just under five hours. I'm happy with all that. There's only one teensy little problem: everything hurts. Yes, everything.

The rain stops, then starts back up again.


The Thirties

I'm still moving pretty well, even despite the Achilles Tendonitis, and all the other pain. I've been alone a lot, not that there's anything wrong with that. I pass a couple people, but we runners few and very far between. The first and second relay teams go by. The relay teams started later than us solo runners. They tell me how awesome I am for making it this far. Not able to utter much more than a mumble of thanks, I also think, "The day ain't over yet."

At about mile 39 or so I come to Monument Point hill. Of course I walk it, as I've done for all the other large hills. I have this crazy fear that I won't be able to start running again when I do get to the top.

I do manage to run again, but it seems slower still.


Home Stretch

I have finally reached the final aid station, and now have less than five miles to go. I'm not entirely sure, but I believe I've kept things at a fairly steady 10-minute pace. Debbie tells me that I look great and I'm going to finish in a great time. I think, not for the first time, that the day ain't over yet.

For the last ten miles, give or take, I've completely ignored my watch. I had decided that I only needed to get to the finish. Yeah, the sooner the better, but knowledge of my pace and the mental math to determine potential finish times are now just too much for me.

I keep moving, and the pace still doesn't feel too much slower than it has been. There's a guy on my tail, and I can't shake him, even when I do pick it up slightly. Although I can't be sure, I don't think anyone has passed me since about the first aid station. But that changes as he goes by at mile 48.

Yes, now I've slowed down. I know I will finish, and I can only hope that the fellow who passed me is not in my ancient age group.

The rain stops. And then it starts again.


Crossing the line

I cross the line in eight hours, thirteen minutes. It's faster than the other two fifty-milers I've done, but I don't know if I can call it a PR because I've done the first 50 of a couple 100K runs faster. What do you think? Discuss amongst yourselves.

I see Debbie, and even more than usual, she's a sight for sore eyes. She helps me get around. I have no idea how I can run 50 miles, but then not be able to take a single walking step afterwards.

We see Pete. He ran an outstanding race. I try to change, and after an extreme amount of time, I'm somehow successful. Debbie and I have cold pizza and some beer and wine. I'm not doing too well. I want to wait to see Michelle finish, but I just can't. Debbie helps me back to the car.

But not before I look at the results. I won my age group! That means I'll receive a neat USATF medal and a National Champion patch.

But everything hurts. And the day ain't over yet.

The rain stops. And this time it doesn't start back up again.

Trotting in Turkey

Not much. That was the expectation, and it also turns out to be the reality. Our Turkey trip (for more on that, see my travel blog post) involves staying only one or sometimes two nights in small hotels before packing up and leaving early for the next destination. This kind of itinerary is great for seeing a big country like Turkey, but not so great for consistent running.

In spite of the challenges, I am able to get some miles in here and there. None of my runs set any distance or speed records. But when I do get out, it feels good to do so. And it's always interesting and fun, sometimes even exciting, to run in a new place.

Here are some of the highlights, sights and sounds along the way.

Just a mile and a half in Cannakale. Although this is hardly even a warm-up, I do manage to get myself chased by dogs on more than one occasion.

A couple one-hour runs in Kusadasi. It's nice to be able to stay two nights, and to actually run twice in a place. The second of these is with Ian, a fellow traveler from Christchurch, New Zealand. Ian will be running the Istanbul Marathon the day after our trip concludes there. I wish I'd have known about that.

During several of my runs I happen to be out during the early morning call to prayer. This reminds me, in case I'd forgotten, that I'm not in Kansas any more.

I'm always surprised that more people aren't about at 6:00 AM-ish in the morning. When I run at home at this time, it seems to be about the busiest time of the day. Here in Turkey, the streets are deserted, and no one else is even walking about. This is generally a good thing, but the dogs I awaken are a different story. They seem to want to bark, chase and otherwise terrorize a passing
jogger.

I do run in an ancient Greek/Roman stadium in Aphrodisias. It's actually pretty long, similar to the one in Olympia, Greece. Like that one (that I also ran in), it's probably the length of one stadia, or 191 meters. Too bad I forgot to turn on my Garmin. I therefore can not take credit for running this particular quarter mile.

Although I didn't run at all in Pamukkale or Konya (bad pollution there), I do get out for three runs in Cappadocia. One is a short run in the morning by myself, one is with Ian, and the third is with Ian and Robert, an Australian who sets a good pace from the start. I am having a tough time keeping up, but I later realize that we were going up an incline the whole way. As Ian begins to fall a little behind, I - from my middle position - call to Robert: "Better ease up on the pace; the old guy can't
keep up." I then add, tongue firmly in cheek, "It's not me, mind you. I'm fine. I'm just concerned about Ian." In truth, I am thrilled to slow down a little. And then it becomes much easier to come back down anyway.

Ian and I get out for an early morning run in Ankara, Turkey's busy capital. We try to run by the football stadium, but a guard with an uzi tells us we need to leave the vicinity. We do not argue and we do what he says. Then we try to get into nearby Luna Park, and a guard tells us no. We run around to the other side of the park, where a different guard makes a phone call and then lets us in. We run inside the park for a while, until some loose dogs chase us out. It probably wasn't meant to be. But it was good enough; any run is better than no run, and this one was at least interesting.

Out alone in the early morning darkness in Bursa, I marvel at the level of activity at this hour of the morning. It's still not a lot compared to home, but it's way more than the other areas I've haunted. The pollution is awful here. I eventually find the park that Rob told me about, but since I'm out of time, I have to head back.

And that's pretty much it. I don't get out in busy Istanbul, although I do pine a bit for the marathon that I just miss there. But all in all, it was fun to run in this exotic country.

Click here to see my travel blog post about our travels in Turkey.

Friends who run the Hinckley Hill known as Effie will appreciate the predominant Turkey beer

Hinckley History (Now I've Really Done It)

Now I’ve really done it: extracted all of the runs I’ve done on the Hinckley 9 mile course. In so doing, I am certifying my total insanity. Sorry..

Log ID	Date	Time	Description of Run
1	1/31/2010	77.5	Cold run at Hinckley with Brian. Hills were tough in the cold.
2	2/21/2010	76.5	I was sore, but managed to keep up with the fast crowd, so this was a good one! I'm also catching a cold.
3	3/7/2010	89	This was almost 10 minute pace. I ran with Scott and Michele, who didn't mind that pace. I wasn't too sore, but I sure was tired.
4	3/14/2010	84	this was a slow run of the loop, but faster than last week. Not so bad.
5	3/20/2010	81.5	not too bad - one of the better runs on this course. With Debbie, Debbie, Brad.
6	3/21/2010	80.5	I arrived early to do this Hinckley loop by myself. Not bad.
7	3/21/2010	79.5	This time it was with the group, mostly Greg. Just slightly better than the first round. First time I did it twice.
8	4/11/2010	74	The big loop around the lake with the gang. This was pretty tough after yesterday's race and today's early running. Still a PR however. I think.
9	4/25/2010	77	with the whole gang. Tough run on the hills.
10	4/25/2010	77	second big loop - wasn't sure I would make it, but I did. Not bad at all.
11	5/2/2010	79	first loop with Connie and Bob. Pretty easy going.
12	5/2/2010	77.5	second loop with Debbie and Debbie - Connie and Bob were ahead by a bit. Not bad.
13	5/2/2010	77.5	third loop by myself - way behind Connie and Bob. Still not bad, but it was tough
14	5/9/2010	78.5	an early loop with Debbie
15	5/30/2010	77.5	First big loop with Debbie. Not bad.
16	5/30/2010	90	later loop with the rest of the gang. Sure didn't feel that slow.
17	6/6/2010	82	Surprizingly good considering yesterday. I was at my best for the last few miles.
18	6/13/2010	78.5	this time it was the full loop with the rest of the bunch. Some bugs, but not nearly as bad - must have been the hour. Good run considering the distance and yesterday's race.
19	7/11/2010	83	A pretty decent early loop around the lake with Debbie, Scott, Michele. Fairly easy going.
20	7/11/2010	70.5	A much faster second loop with Mandy Yates and a couple of the guys. One of the fastest on this course. Pretty darn good running.
21	7/18/2010	82	first loop with Scott. Not too bad.
22	7/18/2010	67.5	MUCH faster loop with Brian and Mandy. Pretty sure this is a PR. Really tough in the heat/humiltiy.
23	8/8/2010	70.5	1st loop with Mandy. Pretty good.
24	8/8/2010	76.5	second loop with Debbie, finish with Ladd. Last two were very fast.
25	9/26/2010	72	felt like I was flying running with Mandy. Good run considering yesterday.
26	10/24/2010	76	1st loop at 5:30 with Jess - not too bad
27	10/24/2010	74.5	second Hinckley loop with Jess and Lee. A bit better.
28	10/27/2010	72	A really good solid hilly run with Dave.
29	11/3/2010	72.5	good hill running with Dave. Pretty cold out!
30	11/7/2010	71.5	first loop was fast with Mandy
31	11/7/2010	83	second loop with Jack, Dan D., Brad and Michelle. Slower, but at least I finished fast
32	11/14/2010	89	with Brian.
33	11/28/2010	78	pretty good running with Lee and Jack.
34	12/19/2010	78.5	not too bad - I ran by myself in the opposite direction - kept a steady pace
35	12/22/2010	72	first lap was fast with Mandy
36	12/22/2010	82	second lap with Debbie and Ladd. A little slower, but still a good one.
37	12/26/2010	79.5	good run in Hinckley with Brad. Not easy with the snow and wind.
38	1/2/2011	1:16:00	partially with Mandy, then she left me at Ledge hill. Not a bad run considering yesterday
39	1/9/2011	1:14:00	MUCH faster the second time around. Tried to keep up with Connie and Bob, but only did for half the run. Not bad in the cold however.
40	1/9/2011	1:26:00	brrrr. But nice run with Dan, Jack, Michele and Debbie
41	1/16/2011	1:21:00	first loop with Dan, Jack. 2nd half was pretty good
42	1/16/2011	1:24:00	2nd loop with Debbie, Michelle, Ladd, Dan, Jack. Steady.
43	1/23/2011	1:25:00	first loop at 4am. Tough going in the snow and wind.
44	1/23/2011	1:30:30	colder and snowier still. This time with the bunch at 7am. Tough to finish, but I made it.
45	1/23/2011	1:27:30	getting colder and snowier for second loop at 5:30. not to mention slower
46	1/30/2011	1:18:30	better second loop with Jess
47	1/30/2011	1:25:30	first loop. Not too bad.
48	2/6/2011	1:21:00	second loop with Dan, Jack. Finished strong, but felt like I was flying so the time shoulds bin better. Sloppy footing didn't help.
49	2/6/2011	1:23:00	first loop with Jack, Michelle. Finished strong
50	2/13/2011	1:21:00	the third loop with the gang was still good. Stopping for gu at half-way helped a lot!
51	2/13/2011	1:22:00	second loop with Jack. A little slower, but not bad at all
52	2/13/2011	1:20:30	got there at 4am for this one. It was tough to get moving, but then ok.
53	2/20/2011	1:18:30	third loop with the group really good, although second half was slower
54	2/20/2011	1:22:00	second loop with Jack. Still not bad
55	2/20/2011	1:20:00	first loop at 4am. Not bad
56	2/27/2011	1:21:00	didn't wakeup for 4am loop - this was at 5:30 with Jack and Michelle
57	2/27/2011	1:15:30	7am loop with Jack. I took off after Effie and did well to do the last 3 at tempo pace. Best (finish) in a while
58	3/12/2011	1:14:00	second loop, also with Dave. Still very good.
59	3/12/2011	1:12:30	good running with Dave on 1st loop
60	3/13/2011	1:28:00	another slow loop, but more fun with Jack and Wendy
61	3/13/2011	1:26:00	first loop alone. Not so good.
62	4/23/2011	1:16:30	first loop with Dave
63	4/23/2011	1:18:30	second loop was a bit slower, but I'm happy to have it in.
64	4/24/2011	1:21:30	decent enough run in the cool rain with the bunch. Pretty shot for the start of the second loop though.
65	5/7/2011	1:20:30	ran the old Hinckley Hills with the gang and felt good.
66	5/28/2011	1:21:00	First loop with Debbie and Michelle. It was slow, but still difficult for me.
67	5/28/2011	1:17:30	second loop with Dave. It was tough too, but at least it was faster.
68	5/29/2011	1:28:30	Slow going with the gang today. I had planned to take the day off, but this was better than nothin.
69	6/26/2011	1:23:00	this run felt slow, but the time wasn't as bad as expected. with several MCRR folks.
70	7/10/2011	1:23:00	first loop with Brad, Michelle, Jack. not too bad.
71	7/10/2011	1:17:30	second loop with Debbie. much faster. felt pretty good. getting warmer.
72	7/17/2011	1:20:00	first loop: not too bad. extremely humid
73	7/17/2011	1:16:00	second loop with Dan- faster!
74	7/30/2011	1:23:00	tough going with the gang in high humidity
75	7/30/2011	1:16:00	much faster second loop with Dave. humidity was even worse
76	8/20/2011	1:20:00	first loop with the bunch. not bad
77	8/20/2011	1:15:00	second loop with Dave. better.
78	10/2/2011	1:19:30	pretty decent run with Jack. maybe I'm turning the corner.
79	10/16/2011	1:23:00	first loop with Jack
80	10/16/2011	1:19:30	second loop with Brian. it was faster, but it felt MUCH faster.
81	10/23/2011	1:20:00	Good first loop with Ladd, Jeannine. Cool morning felt good. 2 shooting stars.
82	10/23/2011	1:21:00	Second loop alone. Not too bad, but I was pushing it. Felt like faster.
83	10/28/2011	1:20:30	pretty good run with Debbie and Michelle
84	11/25/2011	1:20:00	decent run with Dave.
85	12/18/2011	1:25:00	Not bad running with Michelle and Jack
86	12/24/2011	1:17:00	fast first loop with Dave and Debbie
87	12/24/2011	1:19:30	second loop with Dave. A little slower, but still very good
88	12/26/2011	1:20:30	seemed like much faster. I did do at least some fast running to call it a fartlek run
89	1/8/2012	1:24:00	Still suffering with sinus infection. Could've been worse.
90	1/15/2012	1:25:30	fairly slow going with Michelle. Cold day. Sinus' a bit better.
91	1/22/2012	1:14:30	Just about killed me. Tough to stay in step with Pete, Frank and Debbie. But I did it. Happy to have it done.
92	1/28/2012	1:17:30	Good Hinckley Hill run with Dave. Snow made it challenging.
93	1/29/2012	1:13:30	Best one of these in a long time.
94	1/30/2012	1:19:00	Decent enough start to this long run. Did this one alone. The ice was bad.
95	1/30/2012	1:26:30	Second loop with Debbie. Much slower, but okay.
96	3/4/2012	1:26:30	Hey - I did a loop (with Jack). Slow but happy to have it done!
97	3/4/2012	1:30:30	Couldn't get much slower, but I was thrilled to do two. Again with Jack.
98	3/18/2012	1:21:00	Pretty good run through a storm with the gang
99	3/25/2012	1:12:30	Well that was fast. Almost killed me.
100	3/25/2012	1:24:30	Second loop - much slower, but I'm still happy with it. Fun stuff.
101	4/8/2012	1:23:30	first loop - slow, but okay
102	4/8/2012	1:25:30	second loop - better than expected
103	4/15/2012	1:20:00	decent time for first lap
104	4/15/2012	1:26:00	second loop was a little slower. pretty tired. not bad however.
105	4/22/2012	1:30:00
106	4/24/2012	1:21:00	pretty decent run with Dave. I think I'm recovering.
107	4/29/2012	1:21:30	First loop with the bunch. Not bad.
108	4/29/2012	1:18:30	Second loop with Brian - better.
109	5/2/2012	1:23:00	real early first loop - not bad
110	5/2/2012	1:24:00	second loop with the gang - not too bad
111	5/2/2012	1:26:00	third loop - a little slower, but still ok
112	5/13/2012	1:23:30	surprisingly okay run with a few friends
113	6/3/2012	1:24:00	Good Hinckley running for lap 1
114	6/3/2012	1:21:30	good second loop. toe hurts, but other stuff better.
115	6/10/2012	1:19:00	good first loop with a fast finish
116	6/10/2012	1:25:30	Slower second loop. still okay
117	6/24/2012	1:28:00	slower than expected. and look at that weight!!
118	7/8/2012	1:25:00	slow going with Michelle. ok though
119	7/9/2012	1:43:00	could not wake up
120	8/4/2012	1:19:30	Not too bad for the first lap
121	8/4/2012	1:17:00	Better for second half. Good running today!
122	8/19/2012	1:27:30	easy does it run with the gang (they waited for me) still a lot of pain
123	9/2/2012	1:28:00	with friends. least pain in a while, so not bad
124	9/5/2012	1:20:00	best in a long time - with Dave
125	11/4/2012	1:18:30	Pretty fast run with Debbie and the group
126	11/4/2012	1:19:30	Another good one with the group. Altogether much better than expected today!
127	11/11/2012	1:29:00	Very easy does it run with Michelle and Jack. Actually tougher than it shoulda been.
128	12/16/2012	1:20:00	I was tremendously out of breath and had to walk effie. THEN, my knee hurt - bad. Is it the Hokas?
129	2/23/2013	1:21:30	much better run with a strong final 3 miles
130	6/22/2013	1:24:00	First of these in a while. With some MCRR friends. Felt ok.
131	6/29/2013	1:20:00	Nice solid run with Dave
132	8/17/2013	1:15:30	very fast and hard run with the group. but I was still up for more.
133	8/17/2013	1:17:00	a bit slower for 2nd loop with Will. only a bit.
134	11/17/2013	1:21:00	Great run with the bunch. Felt good!
135	12/21/2013	1:14:00	Excellent pace on this soggy run with Will, Renee, Brian B.
136	1/19/2014	1:24:00	First loop - not bad
137	1/19/2014	1:32:00	2nd loop - way slower. at least no knee pain
138	2/23/2014	1:22:30	Slow start, but good run overall! Some ice.
139	3/16/2014	1:30:30	Not bad, but it was pretty slow. With Rick
140	5/3/2014	1:18:30	good run on the hills with Dave