Smooth Green

A new leaf on my 'Dwarf Namwah' banana plant.

Trail Running Challenges

On the way to the trailhead... Ehhhh

On the way home... Ahhhhh

Recently running has felt different. It seems summer has finally hit the Laurel Highlands. It's been really warm and humid, with storms plentiful especially this past week. I managed to get rained or stormed on several times. The weather was in the lower 90's with the humidity similar or higher. My body has been holding up well to the quick increase of mileage. I've been pushing a little harder, but trying not to overdo things. Being able to run again feels so good and I don't want ruin it. I've been rebuilding my ski injured body with the dreams of pulling off a LHHT double as early as fall (or spring '14). During this rehab and training I've been reading more on Challenges and FKT's (fastest known time's). I'll try to explain the way I understand them. Competing for aFKT's is simply trying to achieve the fastest time over a predetermined course/trail, alone or in a group, but not an organized race on a designated day. They can be short 5K runs or long trails like the Appalachian or Continental Divide. They can be completed any time you choose. No set date, even worse yet, weekend. Only success or failure awaits with only one person holding the FKT. The honor system applies, although for major or serious FKT records tracking devices are utilized for proof. Challenges are different because they're a personal goal to complete, not a race. Did you accomplish the course set out and if you have already, could you do it quicker? Challenges are more about personal accomplishment, although most have a FKT as well.



While browsing around, I stumbled upon this challenge here in my back yard. Its called theOhiopyle 50K (Gate-to-8 X 2) posted on the North East Ohio Trail Club (NEO Trail Club) website. I'm not a member of the club, but found the posted challenge. Whether you have to be a club member to be listed after completion I don't know. Either way, it gives me a goal to accomplish that I haven't done. I know I'm not in super woodz ninja shape right now, so I figured it was time to incorporate the Gate to 8 section of the Laurel Highlands Hiking trail into my week of running as well as some other quicker tempo runs.



Recent runs

The Barn at Bear Run Nature Reserve

Tuesday 7/2 Laura's Tiny Tulip Traverse, 5 miles - This is a run that Laura put together after my Bear Run Trail Run challenge. What a great 5 mile (apprx.) loop in Bear Run Nature Reserve. It follows Tree, Rhododendron, Tulip Tree, Snowbunny, Rhododendron and Tree Trails in a counter clockwise lollipop. The route climbs 718' and is on some pretty amazing trails (especially Tulip Tree) It was my first time running this route and I wanted to apply a reasonable effort. I ran the wonderful course enjoying the steepening climb from the car up to Tulip Tree... Tulip Tree is freakin' fun. What else can I say. This is the best .8 mile trail I've ever run. It is so fast and dabalicious. Quick footwork on slightly downhill single track, runners high for sure! It had to be built by runners. I wish it was way longer. Snowbunny leads back across the hill and down to the early trails you started on, then finishes at the sign-in. Warm and humid as described above. Ran the course in 45:41, with one routing mishap.



Wednesday 7/3 LHHT Gate to 8, 15.75 miles - I was planning on running to MP 10 and back for 20 miles, but... Everything was going well. I ran an "easy" pace NOBO, hiking most of the hills. I was hearing some distant thunder while climbing up "heart attack hill" towards MP7. By the time I had MP 8 in sight, the sky was quite black and the thunder was persistent. Retreat was my thought. I barely took 20 strides SOBO and the skies opened up and the rains came... and came... and came. I bombed heart attack hill in a muddy running creek with extremely limited visibility. My visor helped, but I found its limitations. It was similar to winter white-outs I've experienced. My nonchalant pace quickened on the return trip with rains stopping and skies clearing briefly for about a mile. Despite the heat, slippery trail and slug like pace I managed a 3:23:44 overall. X2 laps would put me under 7hrs for the 50K Challenge. Seems like a good start. Elevation +4081, -4064.



Thursday 7/4 Bear Rocks Loop, 4 miles - It was the Fourth of July. I squeezed in a short, slow, road run in the sun. Ran the loop in 29:03. Elevation +416, -406. Not much to say.



Thursday 7/5 Yough River Trail, 2 miles - Ran with Laura and her sore knee. Rest day, spent most of it lounging by the river at the Oasis...AHHHHH! Then went running. 22:08.

River art = Rart at "The Oasis"

Friday 7/3 LHHT Gate to 8, 15.75 miles- It was 91° which seemed perfect for another training lap of Gate to 8 ;) I figured that If I practice in conditions like that, surely a more comfortable day will feel slightly easier? The cooler months have been when other (wiser) people have done it. I'll try in August and then hopefully improve on that later in the year under favorable conditions. I went out intentionally slow trying to adjust to the heat. Humidity was really high and in no time I was sweating buckets. The overall trip was very hot with a flash storm popping up and tagging along with me for about 45 min. Compared to the dumping on Wednesday this was nothing. I did pass another trail runner around mile 4. We were both moving quickly and gave a wave without stopping. I ran out of water coming up the last hill before MP 3. I should've stopped at the stream to at least fill a handheld. Finished the run in 3:31:03, incredibly hot and thirsty.
Weekly rundown5 runs8hrs31min.42 milesElevation +9,405', -9,306'

Chesapeake Thousand Trails

Back again to Thousand Trails in Chesapeake. Easy drive. The park is more full than I've ever seen it. We were lucky to even get a spot in the section we wanted. We have lots of shade trees in our spot, which should help fight the heat.

Leics Round 8 - Woodhouse Eaves to Rearsby

With Marta. An interesting walk undulating, not hilly -reservoir, towns, villages. Fine weather not too hot. Almost 12.5 miles. 429 ft of ascent.





The drive from Rearsby was very pleasant, through Ratcliffe on the Wreake, and over to Cossington via Humble Hill. There are fine views from here. Then on through some picturesque villages over Swithland Reservoir and on to Woodhouse Eaves, where we began our walk.













We park on Maplewell Road, and walk downhill, across the main road to Meadow Road. The grass track takes us past the primary school. We turn right diagonallly across a field, then following its hedge until we meet a road.





We cross over and walk along the field edge. The path goes in this direction over five fields, heading towards the Great Central Railway line. A steam train passes by, right on cue.





We walk alongside the railway for a short distance, then cross the bridge and walk along a quiet road, along the Swithland reservoir dam.

Looking back to the Charnwood hills

the overflow channel and a serious hunk of granite

Kinchley Lane takes us past some pretty cottages

Hawthorn topiary?

At the T-junction we turn left, and soon right - there's a bench here, but - the cheek - two people are already sitting there. We'll have to walk a little further before our break today.



Another few hundred yards of road - a man emerges from the footpath on our left, and asks us where "the round" is - he's not impressed that it's along the road! He's walking at a fair lick, so we let him dash on with a cheery wave.



Shortly after a railway bridge there's a turn to the right along a farm track. He's missed it, and we're not entirely sure, until we check our nook and map. The sign's not there. By the time we've decided he's well out of earshot.



The track skirts an old quarry and brings us out at Castle Hill in Mountsorrel. No castle now, alas, but there's a beacon and a war memorial. A severe notice warns that sitting and hanging around isn't allowed - it would show disrespect to those young soldiers, who would probably have indulged in canoodling, given half a chance and a longer life.

A handy bench - coffee up!

Beacon on Castle Hill

Sobering to see how many names from one family are remembered here.

We walk down Watling Street into Mountsorrel, which has several interesting buildings:

The Buttercross

Temperance Hall, now a private house

All I could make out on this was the name Inglesant

Old coaching inn dated 1713

Parish Rooms - ex infant school and Mechanics Institute

We walk through the small town and across the recreation ground. We make a small accidental detour here, but we're soon back on track. The next big obstacle is the A6. The original route takes you straight across, though the path looks impassable. Just as well. A much better alternative is to follow the path for a quarter of a mile or so to the underpass.

In this tree is a bird, with a longish tail and pale yellowish underside. Not a tit. could it be a grey wagtail? Very close to the A6.

After this noisy section of the walk we cross fields and bridges to Sileby Mill Boatyard on the river Soar. The shop sells snacks and cold drinks, and lots of boating gear, maps and charts. I decide against buying the sailing captain peaked cap - I'd look silly, really.















So it's on along the riverside path past gravel pits towards Cossington. Another picturesque village, but we're on a mission for lunch. The Royal Oak does a good sandwich, salad and chips.



We decide we should have a wander round the village - there's a moat on the map and we haven't seen it. When in doubt ask a local dog-walker. He shows us the moat - round an island belonging to the Hall - or perhaps the old rectory.

Trees planted for royal occasions from 1902 onwards.

The moat and hall

Cossington church

From here it's another couple of miles, along Bennetts Road and Blackberry Hill, past Ratcliffe College - a Catholic boarding school, high on the hill, and down - across the A46. At least it's dual carriageway with a central reservation. More fields and a minor road. Left here than a footpath on the right - there are two and it doesn't matter which we take as they join at Rearsby Mill - now a beautifully situated house.

We have to cross the main railway line and it's a short distance to Rearsby.

At the corner of Mill Road and Brookside "It is said that in1753 John Wesley stood on this stone to preach to the villagers of Rearsby. The world is my pulpit."

Easy or Difficult? Parallel Narratives

I was speaking with an Austrian friend who rides a bike and works in advertising, and she raised the topic of marketing in relation to "bicycle culture." She finds it interesting ("and very American") that so many bicycle enthusiasts today employ a "strength of character" narrative, instead of an "increased utility" narrative when discussing their interest in cycling or attempting to promote it to others. This way of relating to cycling has never been popular in Europe, but has now become more so - due to an American cultural influence, she believes.



I understand what she is talking about.One method of making a given behaviour seem appealing to people,is to present is as something that will facilitate and improve their lives. But an alternative method is the exact opposite: to portray the behaviour as difficult and often inconvenient, yet indicative of strength of character. The person engages in this behaviour despite all sorts of obstacles, and doing so makes them a special person - passionate, resourceful, dedicated - which, for some, is an appealing self-image.



With cycling blogs, I find that these narratives are often used in parallel, though some will stress one over the other. For instance, themes such as"Once I started cycling, I realised it was actually easier and faster than driving," vs "I arrived soaked, exhausted and late, but proud" can co-exist in a blog despite their contradicting one another (how can it be "easier and faster" if we admit to arriving to work late and soggy?).



I am not sure what I think of my friend's suggestion that the "overcoming adversity" take on cycling is an inherently American one.In my experience, it is true that a European will more readily admit to doing something "because it's convenient for me," whereas an American will be more likely to ascribe greater meaning to the same act. But national character is tricky to discuss based on anecdotal accounts. To me, the more interesting thing is the way these narratives - "cycling is easy" vs "cycling is difficult but makes you a special person," can exist in parallel. I wonder how many new readers and would-be cyclists notice the contradiction.

You Take What You Can Get!

Today was the first time in two months that I went on what can even remotely be described as a "recreational" ride. Having finished my errands, I continued onto the Charles River trail for a half hour - then turned around and rode back. The wind was brutal and the temperature around 30°, but the trail was finally free of snow and I couldn't resist it despite my continually running nose.

It felt weird to cycle "for no reason" after not having done it for so long! I kept thinking "wait, where am I going again?" before remembering that I wasn't headed anywhere in particular. But I'm sure I'll get used to it soon.

The Charles River trail now has less snow on it than the roads do - which is odd, because I didn't think they'd even plowed it all winter. Maybe it's warmer next to the river. As for the roads, the snow has mostly melted - but hardened snowbanks still pop up when you least expect them, making transportation cycling like an obstacle course that requires constant merging in and out of traffic. I keep looking out the window and hoping that finally, today cycling will be normal again. But it isn't quite there yet.You take what you can get.

On the road, I had a conversation with a motorist at an intersection that I've had several times before (not with the same motorist, mind you). The light had just turned red and the driver began signaling a right turn. Since I was already on his right, I positioned myself slightly ahead of him and waited for the light to change.

Driver (good-naturedly): You trying to race me, hon? I'm pretty sure I'll win!

Me: What?... Oh. No, I'm trying to make sure that you see me and we don't collide when you turn right. If I'm further back you might not see me.

Driver: Huh? (thinks about it for a moment) Oooooh. Huh! Okay, that makes sense. And I've been wondering why you guys do that.

For me, these kinds of interactions confirm what I intuitively suspect: Some of the safety maneuvers that cyclists take for granted as being logical and inherently understood by both parties involved, in fact often aren't. So here was this motorist, apparently wondering for God-knows-how-long why the heck all these cyclists need to make it a point of stopping slightly in front of him at intersections, and the reason simply never occurred to him until I explained it. And no, I don't think he was teasing me by pretending not to understand. Still, at least he was friendly and from now on he'll know. You take what you can get!

Early winter on the Pigeon

Grand Portage State Park, MN - Taken just after this year's first snowfall!

Rustic Montana Barns

Sunday, September 18th - - While traveling back north on state road 541, along the Montana Bale Trail, I saw these two barns near the road and just “had” to stop. I love the colors on the weathered siding, especially on the barn on the left. The sun was playing hide and seek with the clouds and a brisk wind was blowing...

A Subtle Surprise: Brooks Cambium C-17

Earlier this year Brooks surprised their fans by announcing the release of a non-leather saddle: theCambium C-17. Selected to be one of the beta-testers, I must have been in the very last wave of recipients, because the saddles have been out for months now and mine arrived only last week. About to head back to Ireland, I threw it in a suitcase and, after several days of jetlag, have now finally managed to get a good look. I have not tried the Cambium on a bike yet, but wanted to post some shots and first impressions, figuring many of you are as curious as I was. And there is good reason to be curious: The Cambium is quite a departure for Brooks of England - a storied manufacturer whose very claim to fame is its leather saddles.






As Brook describes it, the Cambium C-17 is made "from vulcanized natural rubber and organic cotton enhanced by a thin layer of structural textile for added resilience." Considering this is a bike saddle, I'd assumed the fabric would be treated with something to make the surface smooth. But the surface has a distinct texture to it similar to that of artist's canvas or some types of denim. While it's been treated for stiffness and waterproofing, there remains a bit of tooth to it. For that reason I have to admit, I am reluctant to try this saddle with lycra cycling shorts - which can be delicate and abrasion-prone in the seat area. But I'll do it, and will let you know how it goes.






As far as looks, the one word that comes to mind in describing the Cambium is "subtle." This is a minimalist, low key saddle, not an ostentatious one. The colour of the cloth is half way between gray and taupe. In person, it can look either charcoal gray, ashy brown or even mauve, depending on what it's placed next to. This is rather nice, in the sense that it will match pretty much any bike. The brooks logo is stamped tone on tone into the rear of the undercarriage and is only noticeable close-up. The metal bits are matte, almost dull. The overall shape is somewhere between a Brooks B-17 and an '80s style vinyl racing saddle.




While the Cambium's "C-17" label suggests it has the same dimensions as the B-17 touring saddle, this is not the case: The C-17 is narrower (162mm across, compared to the B-17's 175mm), longer (283mm, compared to the B-17's 275mm), and has less height to it (52mm, compared to the B-17's 65mm). The Cambium should be suitable for a more aggressive bike position than the B-17. The weight of the Cambium is 415g (compared to 520g of the standard B-17). The ladies' version - the C-17S - is the same as the C17 in every way, except 18mm shorter and 10g lighter.






I did not receive any special insight into the Cambium's construction from Brooks, so I am just describing what I see. It looks like the undercarriage is modular, similar to Berthoud, with (rivet-shaped) screws instead of rivets.






The matte metal resembles titanium, but it is not labeled or described as such, so I assume it is cro-moly.






Stamped "natural rubber vulcanized in Italy," the saddle is extremely flexible - I can easily bend and twist it with my hands. I imagine Brooks was trying to replicate the hammocking/ suspension qualities inherent to their leather saddles, and this was the solution they came up with. I am eager to experience the feel of this on a bike - especially on bumpy roads, chipseal and gravel.





The surface layer of cotton fabric is cut to form and glued onto the rubber. While the construction looks to be top notch, one potential problem I can see, is that over time the edges might begin to lift. Only long term use can determine whether this proves to be the case.



As I see it, the potential appeal of this saddle is two-fold: Those who do not use leather for ethical reasons will welcome a non-leather option from Brooks. And those who dislike how much Brooks leather saddles change shape over time might prefer the stability of the Cambium's construction.It is also interesting how Brooks went with natural, rather than synthetic materials in constructing this saddle, in keeping with its usual aesthetics. The C-17 will look good on a wide range of bikes, classic and modern.



Well, that is all for now. I am going to try this saddle on a semi-upright pathrace-style bike, then on my roadbike, and report back in a couple of weeks. If you have any questions in the meantime about the construction, shape or aesthetics, feel free to ask. In fairness to Brooks, I would like to note that I was not asked to write about the saddle on this blog or to publicise it in any way; my role as a beta-tester involves only private feedback. I believe the Cambium C-17 and C-17S will be available for sale in September, as a limited edition release. You can see its full specs, as well as read feedback from those who were in the earlier waves of testers, here.