I don't know why, but I found this fascinating.
As I started out this morning, it's clear, a few high light clouds, sun's not up yet, and it's dead calm. I turn and start running just loops around the track, and I'm quickly caught off-guard by a blue mylar helium balloon that's sort of drifting very slowly across the sidewalk. It's not heavy enough to land, not light enough to rise up, just at that proper weight where's it's bang on the same density as the air. So it drifts about, bobs up, bobs down, but mostly just moves along with whatever slight air currents abound.
In the first pace, it's just a bit higher than I am tall, it has no string attached. It drifts under a tree and just lightly nudges the bottom branches. From there it moves slowly northward into the main field of the park, which is surrounded by baseball diamonds and a club house. As I run my loops I just watch it drifting about, seeming exploring the field.
Along the back of the park I see it's moved down to ground level and the bottom 'plug' skips along the ground, nudging it up when it strikes something, then back. It's moving towards the clubhouse, which has a large covered area like a veranda, and I figure if it goes in there, it'll get stuck and stop.
A lap later it's changed direction, now drifting from north to south. It heads into the back part of one of the larger baseball diamonds, drifts under the foul ball netted and bumps up along the tall chainlink fence that surrounds it. There's just enough moving air to keep it bumped against the fence in a sort of 'stuck' position, and it sits there for a lap.
At this point, the sun is peeking over the horizon, although the field is still in shadow, but there becomes enough radiant energy from the lighted sky to just warm the balloons interior a tiny bit, and it moves upwards into the netting of the batting area.
Another lap, I check the fence and the balloons not there. Seems the air had shifted a little bit again, moving from south to north again. The sun is now above the buildings and balloon has now warmed up more than enough to escape it's earthly grip and is soaring high into the air. When I first spot it, it's moved to the north end of the park and about 70 feet off the ground. With each passing lap and the warming sun, it travels higher and higher and further and further north. By my 6th lap, it's out of sight and disappears into the blue sky.
I was thinking all the time what a cool video it would have made.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Peaking for the Peaks
A couple of years ago, having plateaued in development and PRs for running, I needed to change things up a bit. I'd seen George Malloy's Summer of Malmo workout schedule from links on Letsrun and thought I'd cook up my own version as a test. So from April through the summer I boosted my volume to getting as much as 70 miles as week and sustained 200ish mile months with lots of doubling up (and the occassional triple tossed in for good measure) and lots of easy miles. It worked out nicely and I netted a new 5 mile PR when I ran the Nightcrawler in June.
Another little thing I did was run a couple of 5 Peaks Trail Series events for fun. I ran their 'enduro' events which are about 12k in length, figuring this makes for a good solid Saturday workout even if I don't do well. This year I signed up for all 5 and the first one runs on April 24, just over 5 weeks away.
I don't know how the races progress from event to event. It seemed to me they start them off 'easy' and progress to 'hard', with easy meaning lots of hills but less technical details, and hard being hilly and very technical. Durham forest was the first one I ran, very hilly but not an otherwise demanding course (good footing, reasonably wide, easy to pass...or be passed as it may be). Rattlesnake Point was very difficult with some hills that were simply unrunnable and slippery moss covered rocks and roots throughout. Last year they kicked off on a ski hill in Kitchener, which seemed to not go well as most racers slogged their way through mud and snow, with even the fast guys barely managing an 8 minute pace. This year it starts in the Dundas Conservation area and I'm not quite sure what that area is like, but I suspect it's somewhat hilly and manageable recreational foot trails.
For the last few months, I've been trying to keep decent volume and plenty of running, but it's always tricky in the spring. Fortunately the weather this winter and spring has been outstanding for running. So no excuse there. For the most part it's been work and home that's kept me from filling the log the way I want to. I have though been able to put short boosts of runs together, getting 30-40 miles over a few days, and then being forced to back off with my other obligations. I hope this works to keep pushing me upwards, theory being that the short but heavy cycles of running can carry over a couple of slack days.
For now I'm more or less on track. I've gotten my butt onto the hills the last few weeks for consistent hill workouts, focusing on short hills which is more applicable to these races. I'll still do some long hills for the endurance benefit. I don't think track workouts are worthwhile. And I need, need, need to discipline myself to adding strides on some easy runs. Also doubles are there, I should (he says, hopefully) get 9 runs this week alone, and then the weekend stuff.
So 5ish weeks to race-one, which won't have any real taper but will have easy runs the couple of days leading up to it, and no hills that week except what's normally on the routes I run. If I can keep mileage in the 50's and 60's and not drift back into the 30's and 40's, all should be fine.
This week it's been nearly summer like. Next week apparently mother nature is to remind us that it's still winter/spring and we shouldn't get too comfortable yet.
Another little thing I did was run a couple of 5 Peaks Trail Series events for fun. I ran their 'enduro' events which are about 12k in length, figuring this makes for a good solid Saturday workout even if I don't do well. This year I signed up for all 5 and the first one runs on April 24, just over 5 weeks away.
I don't know how the races progress from event to event. It seemed to me they start them off 'easy' and progress to 'hard', with easy meaning lots of hills but less technical details, and hard being hilly and very technical. Durham forest was the first one I ran, very hilly but not an otherwise demanding course (good footing, reasonably wide, easy to pass...or be passed as it may be). Rattlesnake Point was very difficult with some hills that were simply unrunnable and slippery moss covered rocks and roots throughout. Last year they kicked off on a ski hill in Kitchener, which seemed to not go well as most racers slogged their way through mud and snow, with even the fast guys barely managing an 8 minute pace. This year it starts in the Dundas Conservation area and I'm not quite sure what that area is like, but I suspect it's somewhat hilly and manageable recreational foot trails.
For the last few months, I've been trying to keep decent volume and plenty of running, but it's always tricky in the spring. Fortunately the weather this winter and spring has been outstanding for running. So no excuse there. For the most part it's been work and home that's kept me from filling the log the way I want to. I have though been able to put short boosts of runs together, getting 30-40 miles over a few days, and then being forced to back off with my other obligations. I hope this works to keep pushing me upwards, theory being that the short but heavy cycles of running can carry over a couple of slack days.
For now I'm more or less on track. I've gotten my butt onto the hills the last few weeks for consistent hill workouts, focusing on short hills which is more applicable to these races. I'll still do some long hills for the endurance benefit. I don't think track workouts are worthwhile. And I need, need, need to discipline myself to adding strides on some easy runs. Also doubles are there, I should (he says, hopefully) get 9 runs this week alone, and then the weekend stuff.
So 5ish weeks to race-one, which won't have any real taper but will have easy runs the couple of days leading up to it, and no hills that week except what's normally on the routes I run. If I can keep mileage in the 50's and 60's and not drift back into the 30's and 40's, all should be fine.
This week it's been nearly summer like. Next week apparently mother nature is to remind us that it's still winter/spring and we shouldn't get too comfortable yet.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Dear Red Wing Blackbirds
Yes, I know spring is upon, and you have all migrated back north from the tropical abodes.
But please curb the desire to peck at my head as I'm doing my lunchtime runs.
I can hear you fluttering from tree to tree on the other side of the big fence the separates those big Richmond Hill homes from the street. And I know you're tracking me as I make my way up the incline of Leslie Street to the top. But don't think for even a minute I'm going to be changing my route on YOUR account. This route is nice and undulating, with no flat areas, and I can push a hill, or elect to glide quickly down if I want to work on my turnover. It's large enough that I can substitute for a hill workout if I miss my Wednesday morning ravine appointment.
Yes, they've returned. Usually I spot them first in the Leslie spit, which they seem to enjoy perching on for a while until the snow moves out. This year, we've seen almost no snow at all. If all the snow we had this year fell in one day, it would have been a fairly decent shovelling day, but not enough to shut er all down. So the birds have moved in early. Robins have been here all winter, I've seen them gathered in the hundreds in the trees even when it was 15 below. They've separated now, or maybe the migratory ones have moved back in, but they're also now in the neighbourhoods, singing away at the morning sunrise.
Speaking of morning sunrise, it's been so nice to run in the sunshine in the mornings. All of that will take a temporary haitus when DST kicks in this weekend, and I'll have to start out in the dark again. It's the price us runners pay for a brighter evening.
Anyway. I did sign up for all 5 of the 5 Peaks trail series here in south ont. First race is April 24 and I'm trying my best to be in shape when the first one goes off in Dundas. We'll see how I fair in my shiny new 50+ age category.
But please curb the desire to peck at my head as I'm doing my lunchtime runs.
I can hear you fluttering from tree to tree on the other side of the big fence the separates those big Richmond Hill homes from the street. And I know you're tracking me as I make my way up the incline of Leslie Street to the top. But don't think for even a minute I'm going to be changing my route on YOUR account. This route is nice and undulating, with no flat areas, and I can push a hill, or elect to glide quickly down if I want to work on my turnover. It's large enough that I can substitute for a hill workout if I miss my Wednesday morning ravine appointment.
Yes, they've returned. Usually I spot them first in the Leslie spit, which they seem to enjoy perching on for a while until the snow moves out. This year, we've seen almost no snow at all. If all the snow we had this year fell in one day, it would have been a fairly decent shovelling day, but not enough to shut er all down. So the birds have moved in early. Robins have been here all winter, I've seen them gathered in the hundreds in the trees even when it was 15 below. They've separated now, or maybe the migratory ones have moved back in, but they're also now in the neighbourhoods, singing away at the morning sunrise.
Speaking of morning sunrise, it's been so nice to run in the sunshine in the mornings. All of that will take a temporary haitus when DST kicks in this weekend, and I'll have to start out in the dark again. It's the price us runners pay for a brighter evening.
Anyway. I did sign up for all 5 of the 5 Peaks trail series here in south ont. First race is April 24 and I'm trying my best to be in shape when the first one goes off in Dundas. We'll see how I fair in my shiny new 50+ age category.
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