JFK 50 Miler

Well, I finally finished it. After training for months and spending long boring hours on training runs, it's finally over.

All in all I had a very good run. My wife and kids decided to go down with me at the last minute. Alis really wanted to go but we had to drag Andrew kicking and screaming. He was real supprised when we picked him up at school and told him that he was going with us.

We got to Hagerstown pretty late - around 1700. We went immediately to pick up my race packet at the motel. Afterwards we decided to go and eat. We got lost and couldn't find the restrauant that we saw on the way in. As we were driving around, Paul Sweeney called to check on us. We planned on staying with him and because we had not reported in, he was worried.

When we told him that we was looking for a place to eat, he recommended that we meet at the Stadium Bar and Grill. It is a real nice place with wonderful food. It was really good to see Paul again. He gave us directions to his trailer. He wouldn't be staying because he had to go to NY.

We spent the night in his trailer and got an early morning start. We left at 0500 to make sure we made it to Boonsboro by the briefing at 0630. We got off to a wrong start when Gil headed west on Interstate 70. It was really my fault because I told her to take the wrong exit. Luckily she caught it and we turned around.

We arrived at 0615 where Gil dropped me off at Boonsboro school. Our plan was for her to meet me at Weaverton Station as I came off the Appalachian Trail. Because the tempature was 17 degrees I debated as to wear just shorts or not. In the end I decided to go with the naked legs. It turned out to be a good decision. The tempature ended up in the mid forties before it was over. After the race briefing in the gym, we all proceeded outside and up the street to the starting line.

There was a lot of people - 951 runners finished the race - and I had not quite got up to the starting line when the gun sounded and race had begun. As I got to the beginning of the Appalachian Trail at the top of the hill, I looked behind me to see how many were there. There wasn't too many. My main concern was that I had taken it too easy and might not make the cut-off time, so I tried to pick it up. The problem on the trail is that it is mostly single track, except for the part that is hardtop.

Because I had done a lot of trail running, I considered the trail portion of the race as my bread and butter. This is where I would make up time, because I figured that I would be passed on the C&O marathon portion. The going on the trail was slow because of the rocks and it was hard to pass anyone but I was still 30 minutes ahead of the cut-off at the first Aid Station.

As I came out of the mountains at Weaverton Station I was hoping that Gil and the kids would be there. I really needed to change my trail shoes for my running shoes. As I got to the bottom there they were. It really makes all the difference when your family is there. It gives you a reason not to quit. After all, how can you quit when they came all that distance just to be with you. I quickly taped up a blister, changed shoes, grabbed a banana, and then headed out onto the C&O trail, where I would be for the next 26 miles.

I felt really good at the start of the trail. I ran for a few miles with a Brit who lived in Baltimore and who had ran it before. We talked about Europe, running, and our families. It really made the time go by fast. I then moved on ahead and ran by myself until about mile 30 where someone asked me what time it was. I replied and then he asked if I wanted company. I said , "Sure, it'll make things easier." So for the next 20 miles to the finish Michael Kennedy was my running partner. We would run five minutes and walk for one. It really paid off having someone to run with. It was because of him that I kept to my running schedule. I figured as long as he was running and not complaining then I would also. He inspired me to keep going.

Once on the C&O trail the main thing is to focus on getting off. It seems as if it takes forever. It's just one Aid Station after another. You know in your heart that you'll make it once you get off, then it is just a short eight miles to the finish. We meet Michael's girlfriend and son several times at the Aid Station. His son had started out running with him but had hurt his ankle just six miles into the run. When I meet him for the first time, he was on crutches.

We finally came off the trail and onto the road. We then decided to diveate from our plan of running for five and walking for one. Now we would run as long as we could and walk all the hills. This worked out good and we passed quite a few of people. This is where we made up a lot of time. I had told Gil that I would probably finish between 11 and 11 1/2 hours. Instead I saw that we were going to come in around 10:30. I should have called Gil to tell her, but I was afraid if I told her that I would jinx myself. I figured that her and the kids would be waiting away.

As we approached the finish line it felt good knowing that all the hard work was going to pay off and I would finish in less time then I thought. Leading up to the race I was just worried about making the cut off of 12 hours. Now I knew that I would finish well under that time. We came in at 10:22. Unfortunately Gil and the kids were still in the van because of the cold and missed me coming in. She was very upset that she had drove all the way down there and didn't get to see me finish.

We then immediately packed up and left for home. Gil had to work the next day. It was a long drive back, with me sitting in the back with hurting legs. I am now looking forward the next one. I don't think I will do the JFK again. Been there, done that, plus there are too many runners. One of the reason that I don't do marathons anymore is that they are just too crowed.

I ran this race with my trusted Camel Back. I had to fill up the liter and half bladder once. I also ate six or seven chocolate gel packs. At the Aid Stations I ate bananas, preztals, M&M's, and one cup of chicken noodle soup. I also drunk one cup of Mountain Dew and one cup of Coke. This is the first time that I drinked soda since 1997.

Link to JFK 50 Mile Race: JFK 50 Miler

Some Things Never Change

Today the doctor called and said that Alis' was OK and that there was nothing there. Thank God. It had us pretty worried.

Today is Halloween. I was the only one to give out candy. We ended up having approximately 25-30 kids. It was real fun to give candy out to them. There doesn't seem to be as many kids as there once was. When we fist moved to the Hawthorne apartments, there was kids everywhere. My kids would go out with a pillow case and return just long enough to dump the candy on the floor and then would head out again. Those was really fun years.

The weather today is really nice. It got up in the mid 60's. It is supposed to be nice the rest of the week. I guess this is what they call an Indian Summer. Hope it continual.

Andrew got up this morning with a bad cough. He has been getting over a cold and a fever. He went ahead to school and started to feel better. He then came home and played football. Now as I write this, I can hear him coughing downstairs. Hope he gets to feeling better.

Today Alis watched a movie with me. I told her this morning that I wanted a date with her and that she had better not break it. She said OK and that we could watch this really good movie together. It is called "Crash". It's a great movie. I watched it last night but thought that Alis would enjoy watching it also. I was not supprised when she said that it was a good movie.

I really like spending time with her and Andres. It seems like now that they are getting older, that they don't have time to spend with their old parents. They always have something to do with their friends. I guess that it part of growing up though and that it has always been like that and always will. Somethings never change.

Beautiful Day at RCSP

This morning--after setting the clocks back-- I went up to RCSP to run. I first stopped at McDonalds to get a small cup of coffee because even though it was supposed to get up in the mid 60's, it was still cold in the morning.

I parked at Mineral Springs and ran in a clockwise direction. It was very nice and I had most of the trail to myself. I didn't see anyone until I was about 3 miles up the Heritage Trail from the trailhead. It was then that I ran into this guy in his twenties, with a pale face, a dress jacket, and a water bottle hanging from his belt loop. A very strange charter indeed.

After crossing the road on the Heritage Trail I ran into John and his son Eric. They are both training for the JFK 50 miler. I hope to see them down there at the finished line. Other then that it was uneventful. I'm just glad that I went. It might be the last really nice weekend that we have left. Being in the woods running on those trails is really peaceful. I really like it when I don't see anyone. It seems like it is just me and the creatures of the Forrest. I think that I may go back next weekend as well.

Winding Down Training & SAW II

Today I finished the 26 mile long run. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I started around 0730 at mile six on the Montour Trail. I had planned to run up to mile 19 and back again, however, I just didn't feel like running all the way up there. It seems like once I get passed mile 13 it is a different place. Home for me in between miles 6-13.

I ended up running from mile 6 to mile 13 and then from mile 13 to mile 0, and then back to mile 6. All of this ended up making the 26 miles. Althought I was dreading it, it ended up being a great motivator. I felt really good and could have gone another 4 miles or so with little problem. I really enjoyed going down to mile 0. I had forgotten how pretty it was down that way. The only problem is that it is a little crowded.

When I got back home Gil, Andrew, Aaron, and I went to the movies. We saw SAW II. It was Ok, but not as good as the first one.

Waiting

Today we waited on the results of Alis' CAT scan. The doctor said she would call today but never did. Gil called and talked to the Nurse who said that the people at the hospital said that everything looked normale and that the doctor would call on Monday. I'm very relieved but still kind of scared to get my hopes up.

Tomorrow I have to run 26 miles to keep up on my training schedule. I'm really not looking forward to it. These training runs are the worst. They are long and now since I'm up to five hours--really boring. Another reason they suck, is that it doesn't start to get daylight until around 0715 or 0730. By the time I get home, the day is almost half way done. Can't wait to set the clocks back.

CT Scan

This morning I got up real early so that I could come in to work and finish my slides.  I have a presentation this morning and need to finalize the slides.  I finished them and did a presentation to all the AGR 79V about the WO, Direct Commissioned, and 79R missions. 

Afterwards I had a meeting with all of my WOANCO's about the upcoming fiscal year.  I'm not that worried about making the WO mission or the DC mission; however, the same can not be said for the 79R mission.  Sixty packets are going to be tough.

Gullu called me around 1300 to tell me that Alis' doctor was trying to get her an appointment at either Allegheny General, or MPC hospital.  TRICARE will pay for a CT scan at Mercy, but the doctor doesn't think that they do as good a job.

At 1500 Gullu called me back to say that TRICARE would only pay for Mercy Hospital and that an appointment had been set up.  I left work early and we went downtown for Alis' CT Scan.  They would only let one of us go in with her and that was me.  I held her hand will they put the IV in.  I thought that she would break all the bones in my hand.  She actually started shaking.  After  they put the IV in, she said that it wasn't as bad as she thought.  They did the CT Scan and said that the doctor would call us tomorrow.

Andrew was sick today and stayed out of school.  He had a sore throat and a high fever.  His rash seems to be getting better.  The doctor said that it was a virus that he has.  The rash spread from his chest up to his face.  It looks like it is going away.

Good News?

Today we went to Alis' doctor appointment. It was downtown across from Mercy Hospital. I was a little worried because of how fast they gave us the appointment. I was hoping that it was a bad sign that the doctor wanted to see her right away.

We went in to see the doctor. Again, she is very nice and is the one who is treating Gullu's migraine headaches. There were two nurses in the room with us. Again, it looked like a bad sign to me. She sit Alis down and pulled out her MRI results. She asked Alis about her headaches and some other questions. She said that Alis' MRI was very good and she was reasonably sure that she didn't have an aneurysm but that she wanted Alis to have a CAT Scan done just to make sure. She believes that her headaches are migraines. I really hope so. I told Alis now that she's not sick, we can take her clothes back.

Today when I got home I found out that Andrew is sick. He has a sore throat and a fever. He mostly slept the rest of the evening. He didn't even eat. When Andrew doesn't eat, then you can be sure that he isn't feeling well.

Aneurysm

Today we all received a big scare. I was called by Alis' doctor that her MRI showed that she may have a small aneurysm in her brain. I can't tell you how it felt to hear those words. The nurse gave me the name of a neurosurgeon to call.

For a couple of hours I repeatedly tried to call the doctor but could only get voice mail. I left two messages for the doctor to call back. I also tried to call Gullu, both on her cell and the home phone but could not get anyone to answer. The LTC told me to leave so that I could take care of things at home. I finally got through to Gullu and told her the news. She made the call to the doctor only to find out that they could not see her until January. She then called her doctor - a very nice female doctor from Russia- and got an appointment for tomorrow morning at 0800.

After I arrived at home, we took Alis out shopping. She didn't show that she was overly concerned. She was just worried about having her hair shaved if she has to have surgery. Alis, Gullu, and I went to the mall at Robinson. She bought some cloths from American Eagle. She got a brown hoody and some other things.

We also stopped at a little stand in the mall run by some Turkish boys. They sell gold colored dog-tags and some other knick-knacks. Alis got hers with ALIS down the front and TUCE down the back. The "C" was replaced with the Turkish crescent and star. It looked very nice. It was Alis' idea. She's very creative. The Turkish boy gave her another one for free. It had ALIS down the front with a "Baby Phat" emblem next to her name.

I really hope she had a good time. I'm pretty worried about her. It is pretty scary to have one of your kids with something serious like this.

This morning at work we has an APFT for all of the RTO AGR's. We did the push-ups and sit-ups in the drill hall and then proceeded to Moon High School track for the two mile run. I'm glad I did mine yesterday. Today was very cold and rainy which turned to sleet before we left.

APFT Slacker

Today I did something that I can't ever remember doing....I didn't push myself on an APFT. For the first time as long that I can remember, I didn't score more then 290 points on the test. Today I just did 40 push-ups, 40 sit-ups and ran in 15:27. It really was too easy.

The reason that I did this was because I'm afraid that I might hurt myself before the upcoming race. I've worked too hard with those long hours of running to hurt myself and not be able to run. I didn't want to push myself on the run, because I had just ran 20 miles the day before and 20 more the day before that. I had to take it easy.

On the run I ran with SSG Durden. When we started he took off like he was shot out of a cannon. I think he did the first quarter mile in less the 1:25. I let him go, but he slowed way down by the end of the second lap, which is where I caught him. I then ran with him and paced him the rest of the race. He ended up doing 15:27. I enjoyed the run and felt as if I could have broken 14 minutes; I just felt guilty for not going all out.

RCSP and Meatloaf

Today I went running at RCSP. I really enjoy running up there. I ran the loop; however, this time I started the loop at at Mineral Springs. I felt really good even though I had ran 20 miles yesterday. The trail was a little muddy and the temperature was cool--43 degrees--starting out. On the Appaloosa trail I meet my first trail runner on that trail. Until today I thought I was the only one. I said, "Good Morning" and he replied in kind. I meet him again at the end of the Forest Trail by the lake. I stopped and spoke with him a little. His name is John and he is also training for the JFK 50 Miler. The only other event worth noting is that I almost busted my ass. I was running on some west 2 x 6's and slid about 1 foot. Scared the crap out of me. I felt like a surfer.

The natural beauty of the fall colors never ceases to amaze me. So many times on my run I wished that I had a camera. I'm thinking of going back and getting some photos. I hope the Ritz Camera guy can fix my 35mm. I can't wait to get out this winter and get some scenery shots.

The only thing about these long runs is that I feel guilty about being away from home. No matter how much fun I'm having, I can't wait to get home. This time Gullu had her special meatloaf with tomatoes and peppers on it. Everything she cooks is good, but this stuff is excellent. I really think we could make a fortune if we opened a restaurant.

Signing Soccer Balls

Today I ran on the Montour Trail. I ran from mile 6 to mile 16 and back. It was cool and raining. I tried to take it slow, but as I was coming back the rain got heavier. The harder it rain the harder I ran. I hope I didn't wear myself out because tomorrow I'm going run the RCSP loop. I hope it's not raining then. It really sucks there when everything is wet. The weeks and grass conspire to soak your legs and shoes, and the mud gets thick.

I called Gullu when I was about one hour out. I knew she was going to Ross Park mall, but I wanted her to wait for me. I hate shopping but I usually have a good time when I go with her. It's just that if I stay too long I get antsy.

The best thing about going to Ross Park Mall is stopping at the Half Price Bookstore. I found several books that I wanted, but ended up not buying any. They'll still be there when I go back. I'll get them then. I also like the Outdoor store at the mall. It's just that everything is a little expensive.

Today I picked up Andrew at Dean's house where they are having a Halloween party. He had to go to the Pizza place in the shopping center next to the Imperial Gym. The WA soccer team was signing soccerballs for the Senior players. I tried to get Andrew to write big and to write a little personnal note. He ended up just printing his name real small. Just like Andrew

Locked In

Day 5
423 Miles
2997 Total Miles
Charlie Lake - Liard Hot Springs BC

This morning we got up early so that we could be the first ones in line to leave the park. We got there about 0530 and sure enough we were the first in line. We should of saved ourselves the trouble because when the gate opened at 0700 we were still the only ones in waiting.

We passed through Fort Nelson and Summit Lake. At Stone Mountain we saw the unusual rock formations of the mountains. Summit Lake was very beautiful. As we passed through the area between Summit Pass and Muncho Lake we saw a black bear and numerous stone sheep. These sheep are the dumbest animals because you can't get them out of the road. The road is very curvy with lots of steep hills and the sheep makes it that much more dangerous. Between Muncho Lake and Liard River we saw a wild herd of buffalo and horses. They eat the grass on the shoulder of the road.

We arrived at Liard River Hot Springs Park. Here they have two large hot springs that you can soak in. One is nine feet deep where you can actually swim around in. The water is very hot but the mosquitoes is very bad and will eat you up. Andrew and I did the swimming while Dad watched.

Here Andrew built his first campfire and chopped a log into with a hatchet. He got two blisters for his hard work. He a great help and does a lot of things without being asked. I'm glad that he is along to share this trip with me and Dad.

Charlie Lake Provincial Park

Day 4
661 Miles
2574 Total Miles
Battleford Saskatchewan - Charlie Lake, British Columbia

We got up at 0330 and had the tent broken down and everything loaded up by 0400. We made good time and there was little traffic until we went through Edmonton where there was a lot of construction.

We finally made it to Dawson Creek which is the start of the Alaskan Highway. We took time out to do the usual tourist thing like having our pictures made with the Mountie under the sign that designated the start of the highway. We decided to drive a few more miles to Fort St. John and then find a place to camp. There wasn't a good place to camp there so we drove on to Charlie Lake Provincial Park. We quickly located a nice place to camp. The price was $14 to camp and an additional $5 for firewood. The firewood was damp but my Dad - who was known by my Scout Troop as Bonfire Tilley - quickly got a fire started. I went for a quick run and ended up at the front entrance to the park. I noticed a sign that said that the gate would be closed from 2300 to 0700. I asked the girl that worked there if there was anyway to leave before 0700 and she said no. This was a problem for us because we had made it part of our routine to get an early start. We had noticed that most of the big campers didn't get on the road until the afternoon. By then we would have most of our traveling done.

I returned to the campsite and informed Dad. He wasn't too happy but there was nothing we could do other then to pack up and leave. We decided to get up early so that we would be the first ones lined up and the gate.

Crossing the Border

Day 3
690 Miles
1913 Total Miles
Jamestown ND - Battleford, Saskatchewan


We woke up at 0400 and by 0500 we were on the road. We went up HWY 52 and starting out it was very dark. I was following a tractor and trailer and every so ofter he would hit his brake lights for now apparent reason. The road was very straight and there was no traffic other then us. We finally figured out why he was hitting his brakes so often, there were a lot of deer by the roads. I sure was glad I was following someone because I would have hated to his a deer this early in the trip. I did hit a bird which flew into the windshield but there was no damage.

We detoured off Hwy 52 and took a scenic route at Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge. Andrew drove about five miles on the dirt road. On the surrounding hills the local High School graduating classes color rocks white and lays them out in big letters and numbers. The earliest that we saw was the class of "57".

We crossed the border and the Candian Border Guard asked me if I had written permission from my wife to take my son into Cananda. I said, "No, but you can call her." He said that in the future we would need a notirized letter from my wife allowing me to take Andrew out of the country.

We drove to Battleford. We camped out at David Laird Campground. We went to the Fort Battleford National Historic Site where we took a tour of the fort. This was the site of fighting between Native Americans and the RCMP.

It took a little work but we managed to get the tent up. This is our first night sleeping in it but would not be our last. Dad went to sleep early and Andrew and I stayed up playing connect the dots. The prairie dogs are farting althought it smells a lot like Andrew.

Jamestown ND

Day 2
510 miles
1223 total miles
Fort McCoy WI - Jamestown ND

This morning I got up at 0500 and even though Matt said he would be up to see us off, we left quietly after fixing us a cup of coffee. Today we planned on stopping at my wife's sister house in Jamestown ND. We plan on stopping long enough to meet and greet and then to push further north. At Jamestown we will leave Interstate 94 and pick up HWY 52 to the Canadian border which is approximately 260 miles from Jamestown.

We ran into our first heavy rain since leaving home. Just as we entered Fargo it started raining. For some reason they ripped up the east bound lane of Int 94 for about 10 miles. There is nothing but dirt where the road used to be.

We made it to my Sister-in-Law's house. we had some trouble finding it because 7th Ave. stops and then starts again on the other side of the college. Her and her husband was very nice and we had a great time. We went walking down by the Jamestown reservoir. We walked to the small island there and afterwards they insisted that they take us out to dinner. It was a great dinner and we all had a wonderful time. I missed seeing my niece who is in Germany with some classmates.

Enroute to Alaska

Day 1
713 miles
Pittsburgh - Fort McCoy WI

After about a year of planning we are finally on the way to Alaska. We plan to drive from Pittsburgh PA to Fairbanks Alaska via the Alaskan Highway.

The travelers are: my father, James; my 14 1/2 year old son, Andrew; and myself. Andrew was a little upset this morning. He's not quite the adventurous traveling type. He's been moping around and isn't talking much. Andrew wants to stay behind and try out with a Soccer Cup team with his friend. I told him that he can play soccer anytime, but this is a trip of a lifetime. I think someday he will appreciate spending three weeks with his father and grandfather while camping and driving 8,000 miles.

Today we left home with the intentions of stopping at Tacoma WI, where I have a friend there named Matt Colley. We was stationed together here in Pittsburgh before he had to PCS. He's now an instructor at the ARTEC at FT. McCoy.

We covered today's leg in 11 1/2 hours, driving 706 miles and only stopping three times. I myself drove to the WI state line which is approximately 550 miles. We meet heavy traffic coming through Chicago. We also discovered that the road from the PA Turnpike until we got onto Interstate 94 in WI was just one toll after another. In Chicago it was 80-cents every five miles or so. It got annoying very fast.

We had some problems finding Matt's house. He had emailed me the directions; however, I forgot to bring them. I printed some directions from YAHOO, unfortunate Tacoma isn't the best when it comes to posting the names of their road signs.

After passing a key turn off, we backtracked and finally found Matt's house. It was easy to spot because it had a large Pittsburgh Steelers flag on the front of his house.

We was welcomed with open arms and was treated to smoked ribs and chicken. There was plenty of beer as well. He also gave us packs of Cheese curds from WI to take with us. We had a very restful night--maybe our last for sometime-- with Dad sleeping in a bed in one room and Andrew and me sleeping in our sleeping bags in another.

Soccer Parents

Today I want to talk about Soccer parents or any sport parents. My son plays for a traveling team outside of our district. When we first came here, we wasn't too impressed with the quality of his district team. We meet some nice people who introduced us to the coach from another district. He was real nice and gave my son a try out. That was six years ago and he has been playing for them every since.

They were a very good team and won a lot more games then they lost. They even won the Edinboro Tournament twice out of the three times they went. At the end of the indoor season, they played a very awsome last game. We could not wait to start the Spring outdoor season. We were already talking about Edinboro. Little did we know that things would quickly fall apart.

It turns out that four of the parents were unhappy with our coach. They felt that their kids did not get enough playing time. They anti-coach faction ended up taking over the Soccer Assoc. We orignally started the season with two teams, however, the anti-coach team did not have enough players. So, what they did was to disband the pro-coach team and put the extra kids into the anti-coach team. Now our good coach has no team to coach. They told his assistant that if he "didn't like it, he could take his ball and go home." Needless to say, he went home.

Four of the best players on the team quite and ended up playing up an age group. That left us with a team that is challanged when it comes to winning. We haven't won a game since. Instead of a winning team, we now have a feel good team, where all the players are equal and feel good about themselves. Well, that really sucks. Life is not equal and when you get to be 14 years old, it is time you find that out. Everyone is good at something. You just have to find out what it is. The kids understand that there is a pecking order, the parents just can't accept it.

If you had all the kids on the field and threw them a ball, they would play and have a good time. Add into the dish, parents and you have a mess. So, that is what we now have. A great team desroyed by parents who can't accept that another kids might get just a little more playing time then theirs. I would rather be a back up player on the Boston Red Soxs when they won the series, then a starting player for the Pirates. Same with our soccer team. I'm sure that the kids now losing every game would rather play a little less and win a few more games.

Turkey Running

Today I went I was pretty excited. The weather was nice and my knee wasn't hurting. I couldn't wait to get up and go running at the Park. After I got everything together, I was on my way.

About half-way there the woman DJ on the radio said something like, "Good luck to all the turkey hunters out there." I thought, "Shit, I'm not ready to get shot." I had left my blaze orange vest at home. I took it out of my bag because deer season was over and I didn't think I needed it any longer. Well it was too late to turn back.

I was hoping maybe no one would be out there hunting. I knew I was sadly mistaken when I started seeing cars parked on the side of the road. I pulled into the parking lot at the trail head of Heritage trail. There was already two cars parked there. Luckly one of them had a fisherman in it. I can deal with fishermen.

I got out and begain running, well actually walking because there is a serious hill at the start of this trail. At the top of it I begain running. I had on black shorts and a black long sleeve shirt. I starting thinking that maybe one of the turky hunters out in the woods may think that I am a black bear and take a shot at me. I quickly took it off. I finished the rest of the run with a grey tank top.

I ran up the Heritage trail and right after I passed the cutoff to Camp trail I ran into my first turkey hunter. This guy was a real pro. He had two decoys out and was sitting in a blind. I pulled up but he motioned me on. He was right off the trail so I stopped to talk to him. I told him I hoped that I didn't scare anything away. He said "No, I've been trying to call one down from the ridge all morning but hid won't come down. " I wished him luck and continued on.

I ran up to Buckskin Trail and followed it to Niclous road where I caught the Forrest trail. I would end up following the Forrest trail to the end. I felt really good and had no problems with my knee. It's a strange thing but whenever I run on trials I have no problems with my knee. If I run on the road more then 12 miles, then my knee hurts. That's one reason I like trails so much.

Well I came out of the woods with no problem. I was a little wet because it rain a little at the end.

When I got home, I was looking forward to my son's in house soccer game. It was scheduled for 1130. It started raining and thundering a little. We thought that they would cancel it but they did not. It stopped raining and the sun came out. My son did not want to go. I got a little ill with him and gave him the line about commentment and the importance of helping with the team.

Afterwards, my wife spoke to me and reminded me that he plays soccer all the time and goes to every game. He deserves a break every now and then, besides it was just an in house game. She was right of course and I felt bad about it. I apologized to him and hope he wouldn't hold it against me. I'm sure he won't.

Fishing Day at RCSP

This morning I got up early and got ready to make a trip out to RCSP for a trail run. I got there about 0700 and there was a lot of traffic in the park. I found out that it was fishing day. It was crazy. There was cars everywhere and people all over the creeks and lake. I've never seen so many people out there at one time.

I parked at the Heritage Trailhead and ran up to the Camp Trail where I followed the road up to Sioux Camping area. I went up to Palomino trail and caught the Forest trail. Not far from there I saw a Red-Bellied Woodpecker. I then followed the Forest trail to the dam and back to my car. I estimate that it was approximately 12 miles and took 2:56.28.

Coming Home

Left Camp Dawson at about 1030. I drove straight through to make it home in time for my son's soccer game. I had just enough time to get home and change before we had to leave. The game was a good one and they won 3-2. It was worth rushing home for.

Run with OCAR-RTD

Well today upon completing WTT, CPT G from OCAR-RTD wanted to go running. At 1530 I met him and MSG G and we went up a run to a place that turned out to be an ASP. We then we up to the top of the ridgeline and followed it around and down to the lake. CPT G got him a souvenir. It was a "Danger Impact Area Sign". It was a good run and I ended up running about 4 miles.

Camp Dawson

Well here we are in beautiful WV.  I've been here since yesterday.  We have another day and a half of training left.  Hopefully I'll be able to get out of here early on Sunday so that I can make my son's first outdoor soccer game of the year.  I'm still scheming.  We'll see if it'll work.  Today I gave the APFT to approximately 70 Soldiers.  Everyone did well and we only had six failures and two overweight.  There was some complaints that the course was too long.  The course was measured out by the COL and our OPS SGT.  They measured it twice with a wheel.  This morning after the test the SGM had me remeasure it.  It measured about a little long, but since the PT failures failed it by more then 2 or 4 minutes, it wouldn't have made a difference.  It would have created a serious Charlie Foxtrot if I had let it known that it was a little too long (43 feet).

 

I may have finally found someone to run the JFK 50 miler with me.  It's this SFC from VA Beach who a Filipino.  He a nice guy who got me an autograph photo of Rudy from Survivior fame.  It seems that they are neighbors.  He's also ordered me a Filipino wooden name plate.  I wanted one in Guam but didn't have time to find someone to get one for me.

White Bellied Nuthatch

This morning I got up early and went running on the trail. Because I planned on running 10 miles I had to get there before the sun came up. I stated at 0630 while it was still dark. The weather was very nice and warm at 61 degrees. I ran from mile 8-13 and back. I planned on this being my long run for the week, because this weekend I'll be out of town at Camp Dawson WV. I leave tomorrow and come back Sunday. I'm really not looking forward to going down there. I would like to run at RCSP this weekend and get in some trail time, but unless they cancel the training at the last minute, that's not going to happen.

Today, before I took my son to soccer practice I was sitting on the back sun deck. I was watching the birds feed at my feeder. There was the usually house finches and chickadees, when I saw one I've never saw before. It had a dark blue cape, white underneath, with blue wings. I looked it up and found out that it was a White Bellied Nuthatch. I had never heard or saw one before. I also finally saw a male American Goldfinch. I had seen two females before but not a male.

Inside Exercise

This morning I got up and went to spin class.  I waited until 0530 (when the class is supposed to start) and no one showed up.  I wanted to run outside, but with the clocks moved forward it doesn't get light until about 0630.  I ran on the treadmill at the gym.  I did 4 miles which was pretty dang dong boring.  I have to figure out someway of getting in a long run this week.  I didn't do one this past weekend and next weekend I'll be out of town.  I'm thinking that I'll do one on Wednesday.  It's supposed to be a pretty nice day and a high of 71.  The first 70 of the year.  I'll keep my fingers crossed on this one.

SNOW DAY

I woke up this morning at 0600 (after I turned the clock forward) and found out that it had snowed last night.  This weather really sucks.  We had some very nice days through the week and here comes the weekend and we get dumped on.  This week is supposed to be nice too.  It's just the weekend.  Next weekend I have to go TDY so that one is shot to shit to.

 

Anyway I got up and watched my bird feeder through the dinning room window.  I have a nice pair of House Finches which comes regularly.  Yesterday I caught a fox squirrel up there eating the seeds.  He was on the other side but I could see his tail.  I took my cat Gecko up there to scare him off.  I reached around and pulled on the squirrel's tail.  He jumped down and took off running.  By the time my cat saw him he was gone.  I put the cat down and returned back to the house.  Fifteen minuets later and the cat is still sitting in the same spot getting snowed on.  I called him from the front door and he came running in.  Sometimes I think he's retarded.

 

My son has a indoor soccer game scheduled for today.  It's always real fun watching him play.  That's my most favorable hobby.  We are waiting on my wife to get home from work so we can go.  He stayed at a friends house and we will have to take him his uniform and shin guards.  

 

My wife showed up and we, to include my daughter, went to my son's game at Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena.  He's on a very good team and they won their last indoor game 4 - 1.  They placed first for the season.  Now we have to start thinking about outdoor.  Hopefully the weather will corroborate this year.

Rainy Day

This morning I got up early, watch a little TV and went to the dinner in Oakdale to have a cup of coffee. They have the best coffee around and it also has a great atmosphere. I'd recommend it to anyone who visits the town of Oakdale.

Afterwards I went to the Panhandle Trail and parked between mile 2.5 and 2. It was raining a little, but I had my Australian bush hat which is waterproof. I also had my gore-tex jacket which kept me dry. I really enjoyed walking down that trail. I saw a lot of birds and a few that I could not identify (even though I had my bird ID book in the car and look them up afterwards). As I was walking I was passed by a company of Soldiers from the 78th running PT. They were soaking wet. I looked for CPT M who is from the same company but didn't see him. I found out later that he had run on Thursday. It was a nice walk.

I got back home about 1000 and found out that my son's soccer games (he had two scheduled) had been cancelled. In the evening my wife had to work. Me and my daughter went to visit her and when we came out of the store it was snowing a little. This weather really sucks. Where's Spring.

Shadow Day

Today was a very special day for me. Today my daughter followed me to work as part of a school project. We started the day with my Army PT Test (APFT). We took it on the Montour trail. I was worried about my push-ups and sit-ups, because lately I've been concentrating on my running. I stil managed to do 74 push-ups in two min, 77 sit-ups in two min, and run my 2 miles in 13:44. Surely not the greatest, but still not bad for a 38 year old. I'm just glad that I don't have to take another one for another six months.

After the test we went to the office where I was weighed in. You have to meet a certain weight based upon your height, gender and age. If you exceed then you must get taped where they calculate your body fat. Fortunatly I have to gain another 20 pounds to be taped. I'm 69" and can weigh up to 186. I now weigh 164.

After the weigh in we we upstairs to work. I think it was quite boring for her even though she got to watch MTV on the TV that we have in the office. Usually it stays on Fox News. I'm sure it was the first time that it was turned to MTV. I took her to lunch which was a change for me. Usually I stay at my desk and eat. We went to Pizza Hut. We then returned to the office where we managed to leave early at 1500. I had a wonderful time spending a day with her at work (even though she slept some).

LTC's Last Day

Skipped the spin class because I wasn't for sure the instructor would
show up. She's a teacher and today the school was out as part of
spring break. Instead I went down to the trail to run. It was
raining and cool. It took me awhile to get out of the car and get
started. Once I started it felt pretty good. I only ran three miles
even though I had planned to run six. I have that PT test Friday so
went kind of easy to day. Went to the gym afterwards and worked out
with Jimbo.

I have a doctor's appointment today. Hopefully today the doctor will
tell me the results of my thyroid byopise.

Today is the LTC's last day at work. He's a great guy. Hate to see
him go. We really needed someone like him after LTC Dingleberry left.
What a tool he was.

Bird Feeder and Carburated Pipe

This morning me and my Dad go up early. He usually gets up earlier then I do and I get up around 0530. This morning we went to the Oakdale diner and had eggs, biscuts and lot's of coffee. We then went walking on the trail at Oakdale. It was kinda chilly.

We then went home and hung the bird feeder that he brought. I put it up in the back yard. I don't know what the homeowners assocation will say, but I want to see some birds this Spring and Summer. Now I just have to keep Geecko away from them. Gecko is my grey tabbey that we adobted and brought back from Guam. He's a little crazy. He spends most of his time outside killing small animals. He just comes in to eat and sleep. He sleeps on his back with his legs spread open and his privates airing for all the world to see.

We then went to Home Depot and bought a spade and twenty feet of carburated pipe. It seems that I have a low area behind my back deck that collects puddles of water and turns it into a swamp. I put up with it last year but I am not willing to do it this year. We dug a a trench from the metal drain the the yard up my little swamp. It was a very muddy and messy job but we finally got it buried. Hope it works. Dad says it will. Sure hope so.

Mom and Dad's visit and Kids

I went to spin class to day. MB was the intstructor. She's tough. This was the second time I had her as an instructor. She's tough, so you get a good work out with her. Lisa is nice, but not as hard.

Mom and Dad came up today. They will be staying until Sunday. I really enjoy when they come up. Dad brought his homemade pickled eggs and a Deer hindquarter for jerky. I cut it up. You can get quite a lot of meat off of it. I still think it's not worth the trouble though to hunt deer. It far easier just to buy beef. I'm not against hunting and I love the outdoors, it's just that it more trouble then its worth to scout an area, hunt, drag and cut up a deer.

My daughter has been doing really well in school this year. This is different then what has been the norm for the last few years. I'm really proud of her. She's worked hard this year. She's wanting to get her ears pierced in the little inside lobe. Strange place if you ask me, but she really wants it. I'm working on my wife to get it for her.

My son came home recently and said he signed up for Marine Jr ROTC at school. He starts HS next year. I never knew that he was intersted in the military at all. I never influence him one way or another. I'm really proud of him though. I think it was be the greatest thing if I could visit him some day as he graduated from one of the service's boot camp. Doesn't matter which and I'll try not to influence him one way or another. If he does join up, he'll be graduating about the sametime I'll be retiring. I'll have twenty years in the Army come 2008.

I really can't believe as to how quick my kids have grown. Sometimes I wish I could just shrink them down when they was 2 or 4. Sometimes when I look at the old photos I almost cry.

Geocaching with Atlanta Friend

Today I ran two miles of hill repeats on the treadmill at the AFB. I felt really good although I had a slight pain under my left knee cap. It went away after about 5 min. Hope it's not anything major. I'm going to lay off for a little while. My Mom and Dad are coming up tomorrow so this will give me an excuse not to run until they go home on Sunday.

Also, our QC at Atlants SFC Mac came up for a visit. I picked him up at the airport and dropped him off at Embassy Suites. I told him that I would be back to pick him up at 1500 to go hiking at RCSP. I left work at 1400 went home, changed, and picked him up. We parked at the trail head of Forrest trail at the north end of the dam. I had only been on that trail once and that was when I ran the loop a year ago. I forgot how nice of a trail that part is. I indtroduced him to Geocaching. The weather was rainy and cool. Very nice hiking weather. We picked up the first part of the multicache called "The elves tree a racoon". I had found it before but did not follow up on the last part. This time we found it. It was down a road that cut the trail and up a little hollow. The interesting thing about this one was that it was suspended from a tree. It was really cool. I saw it and we managed to get one photo of us in the fading light. MAC had a great time as did I.

Spinning with Mary Beth

This morning I had a great workout. I went to spin class at the gym and afterwards I ran two miles on the treadmill at a pretty good rate. I then worked on my pushups. I have an Army Physical Fitness Test scheduled next week. It is easy to pass. For a 38 year old male, you have to do 34 push-ups in two minutes and 38 sit-ups in two minutes. You have to do the two mile run in 18:18. However, just doing the minimum has never been part of my plan. I always go for the max which is 73 push-ups, 76 sit-ups and run in 13:35. Last time I scored a 298 out of a possible 300. I'm not sure about it this time though. I've been slacking on my push-ups. We'll see.

I'm still really excited about the Trail Run in June and the 50 miler in November. I have to sit down and figure out a workout schedule. I want to start training for the 50 miler, but I know it is way too soon. I'll wait until I come back from my trip to Alaska in June. That should give me enough time. In the meantime, I'll just concentrate on the trail run. I'd like to do it and the bike race following the run, but I've got to get my bike fixed.

Doing Nothing

Well, I did not run or hike today. Even though it is warm outside it
is a rainy dreay day. I think I'll spend this morning on the
computer. Later on we are going to paint my daughter's room. I don't
like the color (a sea color blue), but I'm not in charge. We'll see
how it turns out. My wife is usually right in these matters so it
will probably turn out good.

Where's George?

Well I went running today. I like to get up early in the morning when everone is still asleep and go out. Today I went up to the park and ran the Lake - Forest Trail loop in a counter clockwise direction and then reversed and ran the loop clockwise. Total mileage was almost 8 miles. It took me 1:42. I took my time and enjoyed the almost Spring weather. Very nice out today.

I felt really good and I'm pretty confident that I'll do OK in a 14 mile Trail Race which is scheduled in June in Sarver PA. It is put on by American Adventure Sports and is a great race. I did it last year. It is called the Buffalo Stampede.

I made time to stop by a Geocache right off Forest Trail. I took a "Where's George" $1 bill which had a request to go westward. I have a special trip planed in June and it is going with me. I replaced it with something special to me. I won't say what it is, but it is on the right shoulder of every Soldier in BDU uniform. The cache is part one of a two part cache. I didn't have time to locate the second part but I will for sure go back.

Something New

Well this is a new thing I'm trying. Not really sure how it will turn out. I mainly just want something to record my running and hiking. I'm planning on running a 50 miler in November and need someway to record my running. I also do a lot of hiking and want to record where I go and what I see. I figure this will be a good way to do it.

A little bit about myself:

I'm 38 and presently live in Pittsburgh PA. I'm married a wonderful Turkish woman and have two children who are 14 and 16 and are the best kids anyone could wish for. I joined the Army in 1984 and have been stationed overseas four times. I was in Cakmakli Turkey, Camp Darby Italy, Heidelburg GE, and Guam. I really love to travel and I plan on driving to Alaska this summer with my father and son.

I enjoy running and hiking. I usually go to Racoon Creek State Park on weekends. It's a very nice place to go and I look forward to it every weekend. Tomorrow I'm going to run on the trails there. I plan on running the Lake Trail and loop around the Forrest Trail and probably backtrack back to the start. It'll be about 8 miles. I'll let you know tomorrow how it turns out.