Training Log Archive: SwampfoxIn the 30 days ending Nov 30, 2009:
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Monday Nov 30, 2009 #
biking 50:00 [3]
Biking outside in shorts on the last day of November? Bonus!
skiing 1:16:00 [3]
run 54:00 [2]
Moon nearly full...maybe tomorrow.
Sunday Nov 29, 2009 #
skiing 1:15:00 [2]
Some new snow would be nice now, but it looks like we're going to have to wait on that. One of the solid things about Happy Jack is that pretty much any snow that lands after Halloween really hangs in there good, and it would take pretty much a thermonuclear device going off at close range to do much damage--a possibility that was more actual back in the Cold War days than now, thanks to all the warheaded missiles that used to be (and still are, to some extent?) scattered around Cheyenne.
A good many skiers were out, despite it still being at the end of the T-day holidays.
A good many skiers were out, despite it still being at the end of the T-day holidays.
Saturday Nov 28, 2009 #
skiing 1:00:00 [2]
Intro.
run 1:33:00 [3]
Coda.
Friday Nov 27, 2009 #
run 38:00 [2]
Morning run out on the North Prairie. Yet another beautiful day. People who moved to Laramie in the last 3 weeks are going to have the totally wrong impression; just wait till the winds come back!
Fact of the day: despite being a random American male, more than 84% of the time while I was running this morning I did not get struck by lightning. That was nice, but, even better, 100% of the time I was not hit by any dreaded requests to do a rogaine, somewhere, sometime.
Fact of the day: despite being a random American male, more than 84% of the time while I was running this morning I did not get struck by lightning. That was nice, but, even better, 100% of the time I was not hit by any dreaded requests to do a rogaine, somewhere, sometime.
run 1:03:00 [3]
Part trails with snow, part trails with deep snow, part just plain white snow.
Thursday Nov 26, 2009 #
skiing 2:03:00 [3]
Beautiful out! Lots of skiers were out enjoying the trails.
run 1:13:00 [3]
Some definite moosiness along one of the little marsh valleys.
Wednesday Nov 25, 2009 #
skiing 2:05:00 [2]
Good snow, great grooming, few skiers. Laramie is a university town, and it shows around all the holidays, when large numbers of people leave to spend some time in other, less windy areas.
run 45:00 [3]
A quick trip around some snowy trails after skiing. Perfect weather for running--in the 20s, sun setting, little wind.
Tuesday Nov 24, 2009 #
run 41:00 [3]
100% sun, 100% fun for a Sweet tunes loving swampfox.
skiing 1:46:00 [2]
Superb conditions, brilliant skiing.
run 1:02:00 [3]
Ran over to the barbershop, where I got an exceptionally short cut--Airborne! And then ran home via the Flats, which allowed me to inspect a spectacular sunset, complete with fiery Alpen glow.
Sunday Nov 22, 2009 #
skiing 1:40:00 [3]
The mid-morning sun was kind of in an out, but mostly in, behind a fat cloud over the east half of the valley. By mid-day, the cloud had moved off and it was full sunshine. That's when I went skiing, and the timing meant I caught a part of the pre-lunch crowd, and part of the apres-lunch crowd. I was part of the did-not-eat-lunch crowd. It was hard to be sure if there were more dogs out or skiers. Safest to simply state there were a lot of both.
Good snow, even if some thinning zones are starting to appear. Still really good considering it's only November!
To put things in proper perspective (always important), I skied more today than I did in May, June, July, August, September, and October put together.
Good snow, even if some thinning zones are starting to appear. Still really good considering it's only November!
To put things in proper perspective (always important), I skied more today than I did in May, June, July, August, September, and October put together.
run 1:24:00 [3]
Mix of snow, snow in terrain, snow on trails, and more snow. Plus some wind again at last. The wind has been away for more than a week, which is quite a rarity for this time of year.
I came across one back country skier skiing, one back country skier who was running with skis in hands (not sure what that was about), several droves of snowshoers, and no moose, no moose tracks, and no wolves also.
I came across one back country skier skiing, one back country skier who was running with skis in hands (not sure what that was about), several droves of snowshoers, and no moose, no moose tracks, and no wolves also.
Note
How to tell if it's winter in the Laramie Valley?
a) skiers on snow
b) lack of suntanned babes lounging in Prexy's Pasture
c) amaryllis blooms
a) skiers on snow
b) lack of suntanned babes lounging in Prexy's Pasture
c) amaryllis blooms
Saturday Nov 21, 2009 #
run 37:00 [2]
Snowy trails, cloudy vales.
Friday Nov 20, 2009 #
skiing 47:00 [3]
Orienteering 1:48:00 [4]
Upon learning of the possibility of a law in France forbidding the naming of a pig as Napoleon, I considered the possibility of orienteering at Remarkable Flats, despite the abundance of snow and the persistent lack of pigs gone wild out there--named Napoleon or otherwise.
And it's just like they say: even bad orienteering at Remarkable Flats is still pretty good! Or, wait--maybe that's what they say about carrots? Or could it be something else? I just can't remember.
And it's just like they say: even bad orienteering at Remarkable Flats is still pretty good! Or, wait--maybe that's what they say about carrots? Or could it be something else? I just can't remember.
Thursday Nov 19, 2009 #
run 37:00 [2]
Passed a red fox curled up in the snow in some open space right in the middle of town. Red on white = conspicuous. It was yawning and looking content in the sun, so it probably had just had some yummy mouse and oatmeal for breakfast.
Meanwhile, in the real economy, another foundation for a new home was being excavated today. Maybe they are thinking some Horned Frog is going to come up here and think Laramie is the place.
Meanwhile, in the real economy, another foundation for a new home was being excavated today. Maybe they are thinking some Horned Frog is going to come up here and think Laramie is the place.
skiing 1:19:00 [3]
Another very nice day of skiing.
Wednesday Nov 18, 2009 #
skiing 1:21:00 [3]
Another really nice day of skiing. I've already skied more this season than I had all of last season by the end of December; what a gift of a November (so far.)
Tuesday Nov 17, 2009 #
run 1:05:00 [3]
Ran in snow on trails. Met a pleasant hunter who was after a whitetail; he mentioned he had seen lots of cat tracks in the area. I don't think he meant kitty cats, either. I wished him luck and he wished me a good run. Karma!
Monday Nov 16, 2009 #
skiing 1:28:00 [3]
Full sunshine, excellent grooming, fast snow--great conditions! An easy 10.
run 1:46:00 [2]
From home; observed sunset out in The Flats at about 4:39. The air turned chilly about 1 minute later; before sunset it had been very pleasant out.
Sunday Nov 15, 2009 #
Yowsa!!! 1 [3]
There being more snow, there was also additional Yowsa!!!
run 58:00 [3]
After skiing, I went running. I thought it would do me good. The tiny problem with that was that it seems almost invariably after skiing, when you get back home you feel cold. What you really feel like doing most is hopping in a very hot shower and staying there quite a while. And when you feel cold *inside*, the prospect of going outside, where it's much, much colder, is not the most attractive one. That goes double when it's at the end of the day and the sun is setting.
The trick is the usual one: just find a way to get out the door.
It was still cold though, even after "warming up". And no wonder! It was 3F when I got back home. That's pretty chilly for this time of year here. Luckily there was absolutely no wind.
The trick is the usual one: just find a way to get out the door.
It was still cold though, even after "warming up". And no wonder! It was 3F when I got back home. That's pretty chilly for this time of year here. Luckily there was absolutely no wind.
Saturday Nov 14, 2009 #
Note
3F i morse och mycket sno--det later som vinter till mig!
Yowsa!!! 1 [4]
More Yowsa!!! requirement today met and fully satisfied.
skiing 2:18:00 [3]
Lots of new snow up at Happy Jack, trails groomed, and things are in pretty good shape with only a few thin spots and the couple of well known rocks to watch out for. Very nice for November 14!
Friday Nov 13, 2009 #
run 1:07:00 [3]
An apres sunset run in all the new snow. Since the snow began falling while the ground was still warm, and icy substrate formed which was revealed wherever plows and shovels had scraped off the snow, which in turn required some extra attention in the Jon Bon Jovi slippier zones. A low fog was spilling into town slowly from off the rim of the North Prairie, and some state high school football championships were being played in the UW stadium. In the uncleared areas, about 12" of new awaited, which is pretty big snow for the valley. Skiers are ecstatic and can hardly wait to get up to the trails at H. Jaaack tomorrow.
Yowsa!!! 1 [5]
Heavy Yowsa!!!, pretty much double work.
Thursday Nov 12, 2009 #
run 1:30:00 [2]
Ran trails in the snow in the late afternoon; looks like a "change in climate" is in the works, based both on weather reports as well as a major wall of clouds surging up out of the west, not to mention some aeolian puffs of fresh air.
Thought I could detect tire tracks in the snow going up into Tie City (ie--the trail head for the groomed ski trails during the winter) as I was driving by the parking lot; it could only be the work of the species sub-moron.
Thought I could detect tire tracks in the snow going up into Tie City (ie--the trail head for the groomed ski trails during the winter) as I was driving by the parking lot; it could only be the work of the species sub-moron.
Wednesday Nov 11, 2009 #
run 47:00 [2]
Out on the North Prairie--nice out with a fine warming breeze up from the SW.
Note
I meant to note that I did not see any brown pelicans today, either while I was mapping or while I was riding through the UW campus, being not distracted in the least by any of the coeds.
Tuesday Nov 10, 2009 #
run 1:30:00 [3]
Wind revved back up to the usual levels that makes the beautiful wind farmers smile.
run 1:24:00 [3]
Monday Nov 9, 2009 #
run 1:10:00 [2]
Took an easy roll down some of the Happy Jack trails after getting in a little late day mapping--made possible courtesy of the winds, which were almost non-existent. I was lucky and didn't have to break trail because a moose had been out earlier and had already beaten me to it.
I stopped at the Kickin' Rock Overlook and looked for the windmills to the far off west. It was a little too hazy out, and now the sun sets much too far to the south to highlight them at sunset, so I couldn't see them at all today. That made me sad (but I brightened up again when I saw the afore mentioned moose tracks) because windmills are the most lovely things I have ever seen, cowgirls excepted.
I stopped at the Kickin' Rock Overlook and looked for the windmills to the far off west. It was a little too hazy out, and now the sun sets much too far to the south to highlight them at sunset, so I couldn't see them at all today. That made me sad (but I brightened up again when I saw the afore mentioned moose tracks) because windmills are the most lovely things I have ever seen, cowgirls excepted.
Sunday Nov 8, 2009 #
run 1:36:00 [2]
Ran down the Middle Crow Creek valley, and I did not see any of the following: elk, ant, deer, turkey, mountain lion, moose, coyote, wolf (though it is normal not to see wolf), crow (very unusual to not see crow), trout (did not look in creek, so not so unusual), sub-moron, runner, hunter, mountain biker, or even any other human being at all. You might infer that it was a nasty day out, but in fact it was about as nice as an 8th of November can be up at 2600m. I did see one raven. It was black.
Saturday Nov 7, 2009 #
biking 1:09:00 [3]
run 1:30:00 [2]
Thursday Nov 5, 2009 #
run 46:00 [2]
The air was heavily redolent with the scent of morning french fry, thanks to a breeze wafting across nearby fast food alley. I was grimly determined to not break off the run, head home, grab ketchup, and go out hunting for Big Game French Fry, but I admit it took all my will and then some.
skiing 1:02:00 [3]
Prediction for today was temperatures approaching record warm, and that's the way it felt skiing. Some places were thinning out and so I'll probably wait for the next snow before hitting the trails again.
run 1:14:00 [2]
Saw one moose and many new beaver dams along the Plutonic Pleasures map.
Pretty shocking to get back to the truck, turn on the radio, and hear the news out of Ft. Hood. What a waste.
Pretty shocking to get back to the truck, turn on the radio, and hear the news out of Ft. Hood. What a waste.
Wednesday Nov 4, 2009 #
skiing 55:00 [3]
What a gorgeous day--completely sun drenched, no wind, and some pretty good snow for the 4th of November. A perfect mid-day outing!
Note
Supposedly it got to 61F today in Laramie. Can that be possible? After all, it's November! Satisfying weird, after the snowiest October ever. Odds it will be 61F at Possum Trot? You can't even compute them, they're so tiny.
Tuesday Nov 3, 2009 #
run 1:06:00 [2]
Mix of trails and prairie up in the hills. Saw lots of hunters--all in or on vehicles, none on foot--and one big, orange moon, which was also not on foot. It was very mild out and, somewhat oddly, I found it difficult to not think about trains, even when I ran by an especially impressive, new beaver dam across one of the many Lodgepole Creeks.
Monday Nov 2, 2009 #
Note
The fogs have at last lifted, to reveal a very sorry scene on the golf course, with foursomes scattered around the periphery of the course, all with arms held out, hands facing up, shrugging, as if to say: "Who, me?"
skiing 40:00 [3]
Time for the '09-'10 ski season debut, or maybe past time, since grooming started on Saturday. But skiing on Halloween would have been a spooky experience, maybe?
I was half expecting frozen ruts and uneven coverage since it had been mild out yesterday, and so waited to go up at noon, thinking the sun would soften things some. As it turned out, groomers had been out during the morning, coverage was good with only a rock or two to be seen, and there weren't any ruts at all.
Even if conditions deteriorate before the next snow, there's enough snow and it's heavy enough that a pretty good base will be retained.
Definitely not bad for November the 2nd!
I was half expecting frozen ruts and uneven coverage since it had been mild out yesterday, and so waited to go up at noon, thinking the sun would soften things some. As it turned out, groomers had been out during the morning, coverage was good with only a rock or two to be seen, and there weren't any ruts at all.
Even if conditions deteriorate before the next snow, there's enough snow and it's heavy enough that a pretty good base will be retained.
Definitely not bad for November the 2nd!
biking 1:30:00 [3]
Rode out north of town.
run 52:00 [2]
A very cool Hunter Moon run--I made it out to the Flats just in time to catch the big moon rising up out of the Laramie Range. Adding to the vibe were clear skies and virtually no wind, not even a slight breeze.
There was a big crowd of people at the end of Willett where it meets the hogback. Hard to tell what they were up to but perhaps they were engaged in some sort of ancient druid moon rituals, which for sure is what I would have done if I hadn't been running.
There was a big crowd of people at the end of Willett where it meets the hogback. Hard to tell what they were up to but perhaps they were engaged in some sort of ancient druid moon rituals, which for sure is what I would have done if I hadn't been running.
Sunday Nov 1, 2009 #
run 41:00 [1]
After I got back from riding, the thought of doing an easy run with the nearly full moon out proved irresistible. And anyway I wanted to see how my calf would feel on a hard surface. It felt about like it had when I first tried running in the snow a few days ago, so it looks like things are still getting better. Maybe in a day or two I can try something a little faster.
Note
I don't care how nice it might be out tomorrow, no way in hell am I gonna put my bike through anymore cattle herds for a while. It's too much like rogaining.