2018 Sarah Bishop Bushwhack Trail Run

 

This was my first time running the Sarah Bishop Bushwhack which, I believe, was the 6th edition of the trail race.  It literally is up the road from Wards Pound Ridge Reservation, home of the Leatherman's Loop.  It's also part of the 7 race "trail mix" series (of which, I've now run all (except one), at least once). 

The race takes its name from an actual person, who lived in a cave, self-sufficiently, for about 30 years during the early part of the 19th century.  A precursor of sorts to the wanderings of the Leatherman himself!

As for the race itself, I was well off my 1 hour target for the 10k-ish course.  It had run as long as 6.4 miles but Rob told me before the start (as he was pointing out the trail highlights on the map) that a stretch of road in the second half was replaced with trails.  So it was "officially" a 6 mile course (though my GPS clocked in at closer to 6.3 miles).

My 1:04:15 finish was good for a 10:42 pace (1:22 over 6.2 miles :D). 

Here are the official results, on the race home page (but will probably be moved to the results page in a few days).

Here are the race photos, hosted on the Leatherman's Loop page.  (of which, my finishing photo was borrowed from :D).

Radio GaGa North American Shortwave Pirate Radio eQSL

It's been a couple of years since I've posted a pirate radio eQSL!  I was testing out a new web based SDR located in Milford, PA, and tuned into Radio GaGa's show on 6925 KHz USB this weekend. I couldn't resist sending in a reception report :D

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a reply within 24 hours!  They put on a great show, which included Neil Young, Eric Clapton, CCR, The Who, and David Bowie to list a partial playlist.

Thanks Radio GaGa!

National Punctuation Day

Well who knew there was such a thing?!

Here's the scoop from Wikipedia: 

National Punctuation Day is a celebration of punctuation that occurs each year on September 24 in the United States of America. Founded by Jeff Rubin in 2004, National Punctuation Day simply promotes the correct usage of punctuation. Rubin encourages appreciators of correct punctuation and spelling to send in pictures of errors spotted in everyday life.

Not sure if I'll be able to spot any punctuation errors (other than my own) today - but will be on the lookout :D

2018 Paine to Pain Trail Half Marathon Course Preview

This morning we ran the Paine to Pain Trail Half Marathon course preview.  Great weather - and a bunch of runners who will be lining up for the real deal in just a couple of weeks!  A fantastic, and no pressure, way to scope out the trail. 

I've done the preview and race many times over the years.  But I must admit that I run the second half of the course many, many times as part of my general runs.  That's a huge benefit for living in the neighborhood :D

Despite that, still managed to go OFF COURSE in Saxon Woods - haha!  A trail run just wouldn't be complete without some bonus miles :O

Done, after 14.2 miles :D

Happy Autumnal Equinox - 2018

Happy Autumnal Equinox!

It's a bit early - Fall doesn't officially arrive here on the east coast until 9:54 PM tonight.  But we have such beautiful weather (warm, sunny, and low humidity) that had to celebrate with a longish (17+) mile run this morning :D

Early or not, this is the first taste of Fall that we've had.  Seems like the last couple of weeks have been an unending stream of humidity - and gray skies.  So take advantage of the Fall weather - and get outside! 

Never Forget - 17 Years Later

Now it's been 17 years since the attack on the World Trade Centers and, on one level, it seems like it happened just yesterday.   In fact, the train station at the ground zero reopened just last week - after having been closed for the entire 17 years!

I'm writing this post in my office, in the same building where I sat when the first plane crashed into the north tower.

#neverforget

Here is my post from last year (which, in essence, mirrors my earlier ones on the subject):
 __________________________________________

It's hard believe that 16 years have gone by since the cowardly terrorists destroyed so much on September 11, 2001. Despite the physical destruction - and the loss of so many innocent souls - our collective spirit survived intact and emerged from the ashes. Today the Freedom Tower rises in the former Twin Towers site. We have rebuilt and our lives have go on - despite the horror and sadness of that day. And for those reason, we must never forget what happened.

Never forget the evil.
Never forget the survival.
Never forget the innocent souls that didn't survive.

2018 NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile: Race Photos & Results

Given the wet and dreary conditions outside when I woke up this morning, pretty surprised that I dragged myself into the city to run the Fifth Avenue Mile!  Though the rain never got beyond a drizzle (for the most part), it was a grey, wet morning.  I should not have worn racing flats - trail shoes would have been much more appropriate for the rain soaked streets!

Be that as it may, it was still fun running down a car-free Fifth Avenue.  I surprised myself with a 6:29 mile - shocked, may be a better description!  Given the wet streets and crowded start, I somehow managed to finish just 10 seconds off my 2017 time.  Far, far off a sub-6 minute mile - but boy was I happy with it because I thought my fast-twitch muscles had forsaken me :O

Here are the official results from the NYRR.

R.I.P. - Bill Daily

This morning I learned that Bill Daily passed away - he was 91 years old.  His family released the news that he died on September 4th. 

For people of my generation, he will always be associated with "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The Bob Newhart Show" - though his career spanned a few more decades! He played two of my favorite characters on T.V. sitcoms.

Here is his obituary from the Hollywood Reporter.

As recently as last weekend, "The Bob Newhart Show" reruns were available here on the Decades TV channel.  In a truly unfortunate coincidence - as of September 3, that channel was no longer available on my cable system - argh. 

Be that as it may, I will make it a point to find some episodes to watch in his memory!

2018 NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile - Packet Pickup

Today I stopped by the NYRR and picked up my bib and hat (no shirt this year) for the Fifth Avenue Mile on Sunday morning.  I love one mile races - and this one is an all-time favorite.  It's fantastic not just because of the course - a car free Fifth Avenue! - but it's point to point (no turns)!

Not sure how fast (or dry, since forecast is showing a bit of rain for Sunday) I can cover those 20 blocks.  Hopefully, under 7 minutes (soft target?) - but my fast twitch muscles aren't showing up at races lately :O

Time aside, this is always a great event!  If you're there, say hello!

2000 miles and counting :D

This morning I crossed 2,000 miles (2002.6 to be precise) for 2018!  I have no plans to relive my glory years (ha) - but it's easily been a decade since I've logged this many miles at this point (8 months) in a given year.  At this rate, I could finish 2018 with 2,800 miles - again, something I haven't done in a decade.

On Friday, I was 40 miles shy of 2,000 miles.  I thought that 40 miles over the Labor Day weekend was a decent enough goal - hand in hand with binge watching the just released "Jack Ryan" on Amazon Prime ;D

Mission accomplished on both fronts (it took until Sunday morning to watch all 8 episodes of Jack Ryan).  I ran 17 miles Saturday morning, 13.1 miles Sunday morning, and capped off the trifecta with 12 miles this morning - for a total of 42.1 miles this holiday weekend.

I took this selfie at the south end of Crestwood Lake, along the Bronx River Greenway - about mile 7 of my run this morning.

No race run this weekend - but the Fifth Avenue Mile is on deck for next Sunday!