Trail Running

  • Race Re-Cap,  Races,  Running,  Trail Running

    Ragnar Trail Relay VT – Mt Ascutney

    The first weekend in August I participated in my second Ragnar Trail–in Vermont! My friend Margaret captained our team “Peer Pressure Heads for the Hills” for a run-through-the-night trail relay in the mountains of Vermont.  Three of us drove up from Albany on Thursday evening, camped out and awaited our team to arrive on Friday morning. Since I was Runner #1, I started things off at 9am on Friday. My first loop was “Green”, AKA the easy loop. But there wasn’t anything easy about it. It had just started raining, the trails were getting slick, and the first half of the 3ish-mile leg was up a mountain.   Green LoopDistance…

  • Fitness,  Race Re-Cap,  Races,  Running,  Trail Running

    Summer Solstice 14K Trail Run

    Last Wednesday Jenna and I went down to Lake Minnewaska State Park Preserve near New Paltz for the Summer Solstice 14K trail race. It was the perfect night. The race started near the upper parking lot and ran uphill to Castle Point. It was straight uphill for 3.5 miles. From there, it goes back down back to the start making a big loop. It’s part of the same course as the After the Leaves Half Marathon that they hold in November. Jenna and I took a van down with the Albany Running Exchange! It was nice to not have to worry about driving down so late in the afternoon. The race started at…

  • Fitness,  Races,  Running,  Trail Running

    Trail Running

    One of my favorite places to be is on the trails. Obviously! Last night I ran at a new-to-me trail at the Pine Bush Preserve Madison Avenue Barrens. The thing I like about the trails here is that they are wide and not too technical (less chance of falling)! There is also a variety of trails here, too. One of the loops was pretty sandy, which made for a great calf workout! It also kind of felt like running at the beach! I think more of my races in 2015 will be trail races, so I’ve got to amp up my trail running and also find some good spots to…

  • Albany,  Fitness,  Marathon Training,  Race Re-Cap,  Running,  Trail Running,  Training

    Thacher Park Running Festival 10K

    Saturday marked the 100 year celebration of John Boyd Thacher State Park. Ever since I was a little kid I have been coming here to walk the Indian Ladder Trail, and it’s still one of my favorite places to get outside in the Capital Region. I love going to Thacher for nature walks, trail running, fun trail racing, and even snowshoeing. With one of the best views in the area, this place can’t be beat. This is why I ran the 10K on Saturday. As part of the Centennial Celebration, the Albany Running Exchange put on some trail races: a 5K, a 10K, and even a marathon and a 50K!…

  • Events,  Fitness,  Race Re-Cap,  Races,  Running,  Trail Running,  Yoga

    2014 Trail Running Camp at Dippikill

    This past weekend I finally participated in something I’ve been wanting to do for a while–but couldn’t for various reasons–the ARE’s Trail Running Camp! TRC is a three night getaway at Camp Dippikill in the Adirondacks for runners who want to learn more about/experience some trail running. It’s open to runners of all abilities and is pretty much a guaranteed fun time. Thursday night I arrived at around 4:45 on Thursday night, checked in and got my bib for the evening’s run, along with our handbook and our Frog. The theme of camp is Frogs–because of the Froggy Five Mile Race held on Sunday. Frogs were everywhere! I was staying…