The Long Strange Trip: My Bad Travels

Finally back from Texas... and I can't say that it was the best trip. There were some fun points in the middle, but the ends were pretty bad. I still haven't gotten my luggage yet.

I was flying from my familiar (and comfortable) Northeast into the heart of the south, Texas. I had always wanted to go there, would have preferred if my wife had joined me, but not like this.

My "adventure" started on Monday, where upon my arrival in Houston, my connecting flight to Corpus Christi was cancelled. To avoid the uncertainty of standby, my work associate and I opted to drive the 4 hours south. I got to see more of Texas than I expected. Corpus' weather was nice, warm, sunny, a little humid and I had a running partner throughout the week.

I even broke my no fast food rule and gorged on Whataburger after a Reckless Kelly show on my last night. We all knew that Friday's weather in Boston could cause a problem for us. I prayed that I would luck out and get home.

And it didn't seem too bad. My flight from CC to Houston was delayed an hour, but I would still make my connection. They boarded us quickly to try and beat the weather...

Needless to say that didn't quite work out. The turbulence at points closer to home was scary, I have never had a plane shake like that. And as we began our descent into Logan the passengers were overjoyed. We could see the land, could see the runway, and then suddenly we were gaining altitude. WHAT!?!

The captain gets on the PA and announces that there was a plane at the end of the runway which would prevent us from landing. All this took place at 6:28pm. Logan closed at 6:30pm.

However, the tower was going to try and clear the runway and let us try again in 30 minutes, but there was no guaruntee. We didn't have the fuel for that, so we were going to divert to Burlington, VT to refuel and try again. 20 miles from the airport, once again the captain's voice fills the plane. We are being diverted to Montreal.

Upon arrival on Canadian soil, we are not allowed to disembark due to regulations which state that passengers on a domestic flight can only get off the plane on US soil. Therefore we waited, and waited, until once again the captain's voice is heard. His voice would become a depressing notice of unfulfilled expectations and hopes. We would be heading to Cleveland, a Contintental Airline hub, where we would have to spend the night.

At the gate we were greeted by an announcement that we would be on a 10:30am flight to Boston on Saturday and that they had reserved a block of rooms 40 minutes away, which we would have to pay for ourselves. The reason: our inconvenience was caused by the weather and Continental was not liable. God bless CYA, right?

4 other travellers and myself banded together and reserved rooms closer. My agency will be getting the bill. As I laid down in my bed for the night, i anxiously waited for morning to come. I missed Boston, I missed my normal life, and even though I pack running clothes in my carry-on, I was not prepared for 23 degrees and snow. Get me home I need my daily run!

Logan was a nightmare, we landed and I just needed this "adventure" to end. the luggage carousel spun and spun, my bag never appeared. I'm still waiting...

Lesson learned, travelling is hell, and I should have left earlier.

11 days, 11 runs...

Apologies to Influenza

To my loyal readers (hopefully, I've earned a few at this point), I apologize for the apparent lack of activity lately. I was suffering from the flu this week and as much as my mind wanted to blog, my body won the argument. And I slept most of the time.

And while they weren't the most fun (or smart) runs, my streak has survived my illness. I haven't gone out yet today... but will be shortly. Now that my energy has returned, I hope to finish a post I began working on early in the week. Stay tuned for this evening.

27 days, 27 runs...

Great Glades!!

I was up north this weekend and while we bypassed skiing on Saturday due to the wind. I did my daily run, just two miles. The wind cut across my face. It was so strong our house shook under some of the gusts, but still I pursued the streak. However, it was too much to spend a day on the mountain. Got to play the Wii, which is pretty awesome!

But Sunday was another story. Had a great day at Bretton Woods. There I dug a little deeper and hit the glades as the day went on. For those of you who don't know, glades are ungroomed trails riddled with moguls and trees. It's not for the faint of heart, and when taken slowly is a painful workout.

Bretton has some great glades, for (glade) rookies or skiers who haven't done it in a while, they really soften the transition. Off the West Mountain, some smooth shallow ones cover the higher part of the mountain. I recommend Lizzie Bourne Glade. And off of Two Mile Rd. lies my favorite run of the day. Enchanted Bear rolling into Minahan's Ridge and finally Hemlock. Enchanted Bear offers a wide pathway with some smooth carves in between the trees. Hemlock was more challenging, at one point being 12 ft across, skied off and steep. Finally, we came out at the bottom, exhausted and sore.

I felt it today on my four mile run. My quads and calves were sore and tomorrow will be worse.
Free scribbles reminds skiiers and snowboarders to be responsible and play within your abilities. Always good to be challenged, but no when to be safe.

Check out the site and the slopes, I'll have more substance tomorrow.

31 days, 31 runs...

Winter's Tease

The weather today was an anomaly for Boston in the winter. Especially compared to how it has been the past week. Today I ran in 40 degrees and felt overdressed. Yesterday, the temperature was considerably less. I could take the zero away. I won't add the wind chill to the formula. Single digits and it felt every bit of the 4 degrees, frigid and blustery.

And it's hard to adjust on a dime to wearing less clothing. I wear a hat and gloves when it dips below 50 degrees because my ears get cold in the wind. And as the mercury drops another 10 degrees, I start wearing long sleeves. When the thermometer dips into the 30s, I start to wear the running tights. I progressively add thicker layers as the cold further chills the air. The ground has become permafrost.

But as the temperature moves up its tough to measure how you'll feel outside. Especially when it is one day thing. Your body want to be comfortable as it has become for you if you dress accordingly. Sweating has become a foreign feeling and it bothers you. Yes, I still sweat, even in the single digits, but it doesn't feel the same as building a hard sweat when overdressed.

I look forward to wearing shorts and a tee, but I'm not ready yet. There's still more skiing to do.

37 days, 37 runs...

Valentine's Day Storm 2007

Since Monday I had been waiting for the storm to hit Boston on Wednesday. Snow Day? 12+ inches of powder dumped on the city? Yes, please, let me find my shell and shoes.

The thought of running in this weather, like running in sub zero, was very exciting. Why? Two reasons came to mind. First and most importantly, the solitary nature of running. Second, the insanity of the idea.

Running is a lonely sport, one person puts one foot in front of the other and repeats for an extended period of time or distance. But these days, where others tuck in, are the days when one can meditate while moving. Less cars are out, and if you are lucky, there is a park or trail nearby. A place where the other runners go, but not today. Today, the land is clean and pure. No other feet have trampled the turf. The runner is King of the World.

Even, the purist in me needs to have some competition, and the thought of training for an upcoming race (I don't have anything scheduled) when no one else in their right mind would is enticing. It is a test for my body and spirit.

The Valentine's day storm wasn't nearly the wading in snow experience I was expecting, but the freezing rain pelting my cheeks was exhilarating. I urge you to try it sometime, or do a polar plunge, something to make you feel alive. Or at least go skiing this weekend.

43 days, 43 runs...

green ski resorts

Picked up a copy of the February 2007 Men's Journal last night (it was easy to convince my wife to read it, with Matthew Fox on the cover)... anyway. Caught an interesting note in the "What's New" section on the Greenest Ski Resorts in USA & Canada. Sadly, my base lodge (Tenney Mountain) didn't make the magazine, but it's not even open this year, so that's not a surprise.

It's refreshing to see that the resorts are taking steps to conserve the environment and their livelihood. 22 out of 450+ resorts in North America offset their power with renewable energy credits. The article states that only 1 resort did the same in 2005. Let's hope that the number grows exponentially over the next few years.

Also of note in the article was the fact that most resorts do more damage to the environment than good. Only two have earned the gold standard (ISO 14001) for environmental management: Aspen and Jackson Hole. The eight other resorts mentioned in MJ are all working towards this globally recognized certification. Those resorts are: Sundance, Smuggler's Notch, Vail, Mammoth Mountain, Whistler, Moonlight Basin, Alta, and Jiminy Peak.

While some of their practices are very similar, each of them has taken unique steps that make their efforts seem so different. Several are harnessing wind power, either through their own turbines or buying wind power credits. Others have utilized geothermal power, building design regulations, upgraded machinery, and increased recycling efforts. Some of these efforts were initiated quietly over a decade ago.

The challenges moving forward in all environmental efforts is getting the people to sign off. If you ski or snowboard, remember that it can't last forever without some help. While many this season have had more than enough snow, others have had to go through the winter dealing with global warming causing no snow.

Ask your resort today what it is doing for tomorrow.

Running in the Freezing Cold

Today in the Boston Area it was was 6 degrees with a windchill of -6 or -9. Needless to say, it was cold outside... but I had my streak to see to. And I was excited because I had the roads to myself. Who else would be crazy to go out in this weather and run? ... I like that thought.

After a good four mile run, people asked if I survived. That's a tough question to answer. But then, someone commented about how running in the cold was unhealthy for me, more so than running every day. Well, it's just like me to disprove a statement.

Let me preface my argument by stating that I am aware of the hazards of running in cold weather: The increased chance of ice, dangerous driving conditions make the shoulder more threatening, decreased visibility from snow, hail, freezing rain (already dealt with that this winter), sand or salt kicking up from the streets. Finally, there is the chances of frostbite (after reading this I am pretty certain I got first degree frostbite, oops!) and hypothermia.

But my friend's statment was that breathing in too much cold air was detrimental to the lungs, causing damage to both the immune and the respiratory system. And many others comment about how they feel their lungs burning if they walk up stairs outside.

While many might feel the bitter bite, others can sustain their pace in minus 20 degrees fahrenheit. I don't know if I can, never tried, probably never will. The body warms the air before it hits the lungs, preventing the freezing effect that many fear. Because certain hearts pump stronger or faster than others, the blood circulates through the body, keeping the entire body safe from the ice creeping inside. While the skin and extemities are still susceptible to harm, it can be reduced through proper planning. Layering and maintaining a strong core temperature are two important keys, and wearing a hat will help keeping the heat in.

Returning to my rebuttal, one can maintain safer intake temperature by wearing a mask which warms the air that enters the lung. Sure, I can't handle a mask (I will wear one when skiing or running into a sharp headwind, but can't maintain even a bandana for more than 10 minutes)

But I believe that the most important thing to running in the cold is having the right mentality. That mentality can be several things: Tenacious, Prepared, Determined... as most people would think: Crazy.

In the end, I am willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish my dreams... and I am smart enough to know how to prepare to be crazy enough to see it through.

keeping it going. (valuable runner's world resource)

December and the cold is setting in...

Well I haven't written a post in a while. Who knows what thoughts I lost in the meantime. The one thing I discovered was that there was an organization for people who run every day. They have a really clever web site name... runeveryday.com. Okay, it's not that clever... but as someone who wouldn't even scratch the surface of those who are part of the organization... I know that you don't have to be clever to put one foot in front of the other and repeat every day. Rules for counting your streak as official are running one mile within every 24 hour period. Some documentation will also have to be provided for it to be official... although I have to imagine most streakers keep a running logs like myself.

I am happy to have run 251 days in a row... I have to say the 251st was one of the more difficult, today was the first time that the temperature dipped below 30 degrees F. But, I like the notion of being one of very few people out there. It's the attitude of knowing that you are working harder than the competition. Anyway...

I wish the Running Streak Association had a cool tee shirt or something... I'll wait until I rack up a year of non stop running until I think of joining... until then... Make Mine Marvel.