50 Years Down, 100 to Go

That’s right, I said 100 years to go. I recently turned 50 but I don’t see that as middle-aged. I see it as only the first third of my life expectancy. I fully expect to live to be at least 150 years old. Now stop rolling your eyes and shaking your head, I have thought this over and I truly believe this to be a realistic goal for a number of reasons. First, three of my four grandparents lived well into their 90s. Second, my parents are both in their 80s and still going strong. As a matter of fact my father has done so with only one lung for the last 48 years. Third, I just bought a house on a mountain in Mandeville, Jamaica where I will retire to in a few years. There I will be able to grow my own vegetables and fruit all year round as well as take advantage of the clean air and miles of trails nearby. And finally, I’ve had both knees fixed and my left Achilles reattached within the past two years so I should be good for my second 50 years. Also, with rapid medical advances by the time I reach 100 I should be able to transplant my brain into a cyborg body and then who knows? My point is, after several major injuries, mostly from soccer, my body is fixed, I’m walking well now and I’m ready to start training again. My immediate goal is to run pain free for the first time in three years. I’m looking forward to getting back out on the Whites Bog trails with my dog Sparta. Another goal is to do some traveling this year and find some beautiful places to run. I also plan to run the Batona 50 mile (actually 53.4 miles) trail point-to-point next winter. These things will happen and more. I’m taking my wife’s advice to stay off the soccer pitch for the year so I can focus on my trail running. 2016 is going to be a great year.

2014 Back to the Couch

 

So this is going to be less about running than I would like it to be but here it goes. With hind sight being perfect, I guess Sunday January 19, 2014 turned out to be a glimpse into my future. While running the Batona Trail leg 5 out and back my left Achilles tightened up and I was forced to do a survival shuffle for miles 17-19. And now, in December I sit on my couch with a throbbing foot trying to take my mind off the pain of yesterday’s Achilles surgery. The year that started with a great 16 miles of trails on January 2nd has come to an abrupt end with my foot in a cast. This is the story of how I got here. I had some great runs in January including a bunch on the Cranberry, Mt Misery and Batona Trails. My favorite run was a night time solo run on the Cranberry Trail in 4 degree weather, 9 inches of fresh powder, and the woods all to myself. I also started using our newly purchased Total Gym and increased my yoga workouts.

February was nothing special really. I had a few good runs but my Achilles was tight most of the month so I backed off on the miles and increased the yoga. The best part of the month was visiting my friends in Albania for a week. Though I didn’t run at all that week I did get a lot of walking in. Another high point was having a five hour layover in Rome which gave opportunity for a very quick walking tour of some piazzas and the Coliseum. It was so beautiful, Rome is definitely on my future vacation list. My only race was the Ugly Mudder Trail Race in Reading, PA. Besides being really hilly this year’s race had the addition of over a foot of fresh snow and a layer of crust to top it off. This turned the trail into mostly single track with plenty of blood stains from the crust cutting people’s ankles open.

March was amazing and my favorite month this year. I spent the entire month in Albania working and hanging out with great friends. I worked out every day running, hiking, lifting and yoga sessions. I helped a group of very professional Albanian military instructors prepare their Officer Candidates to travel to New Jersey where they would attend U.S. Officer Candidate School. I ate a lot of meat and drank a lot of raki (AKA moonshine). The most amazing day was spent on Maja e Kruja where I participated in a pilgrimage into the Bektashi temple located in a cliff-side cave high above the ancient city of Kruja. This was followed by about 3 hours of feasting on fresh meats, breads and fruit. The day ended with a professional futbol (soccer) game between KF Tirana and KF Partizani at Qemal Stafa in downtown Tirana. It was an exciting game which included fires in the stands, explosives thrown onto the field, and ended in a tie with a last minute Partizani score. I met up with friends and finished the evening off with some more food and a lot more raki! Other favorite spots visited included an ancient Roman amphitheater in the seaside city of Durres and a guided tour of the National Art Museum thanks to my good friend Tea who works there.

 

 

  

April and May seemed to fly by so quickly. I had some great runs including Whites Bogs on Mondays, Cranberry Trail Wednesday nights, Tyler Arboretum and Triple Crown trail races and a hash run hosted by three-balls at his Pennsylvanian Barn of Amazement which includes an actual fighter plane hanging from the rafters.  Oh yeah and I finally scored a perfect 300 on my Army Physical Fitness Test! I also co-haired Jim Pate’s Birthday Hash and received my hash name, of which I can not publish here.

During June my left Achilles grew tighter and tighter and the knot on my heel got larger with each run and I required more days off between each workout. I raced the Wissahickon Trail Classic in Philly and my all-time favorite race, the annual Bouncing Buns clothing-optional trail race at Sunny Rest Resort in Palmerton, PA! As the soccer season started in July, my struggle with my left Achilles grew worse. My running shrunk to just the time I was on the pitch and even that was a daily struggle. Even though I couldn't train much I ran the River-to-Sea 91 mile relay race across New Jersey August 2nd with a great group of friends from the Pineland Striders. We didn't score very high but we had a great day running anyways starting at the Delaware River and ending on the beach in Manasquan, NJ. Then it happened, on August 11^th during the soccer playoffs, just as I broke free past the last defender down the right line I heard a pop and fell to the ground. It felt like a rubber band had snapped. My game was done and so was my year. An MRI a couple days later confirmed my suspicion, I had torn my Achilles. On a good note, our team went on to beat the Jamaican team in the finals 3-1 to win the tournament.     

September, October and November was full of physical therapy and a lot of limping but no running. Finally, on December 12 I got a bone spur removed and my Achilles repaired so now I sit on my couch with my foot in a cast waiting and dreaming of getting back out on the trails. I know it won’t happen for a few more months but I'm looking forward to lacing up my Inov-8s and taking that first step. With my knee fixed in 2013 and now my Achilles in 2014 I know 2015 is going to be a great year!

January 2014

Last year I tore my meniscus late in January turning my life upside down for months. Not being able to run for months forced me to look within myself and refocus on the basics as I recovered. This year, January was a great month. It included some fun runs with my wife Denise, my dog Sparta and the Pineland Striders, and a few awesome solo runs on fresh powder.

Sunday, 05 January I ran the Mistress Dee extended Mt Misery White Trail along with a shorter loop for 16 miles. It was a lot of fun running on roughly 4 inches of powder left from the week’s storm. This solo run gave me lots of time to glide quietly through the woods listening to the sounds of nature. I didn’t wear a watch; I just concentrated on form and ran however I felt. Some miles were slow while others seem to fly by. 

Sunday 19 January, I ran the Batona Trail leg 5 out and back between Evans Bridge, located on Route 563, and Bass River.  Thanks to last year’s trail redirection it is now roughly 9.6 miles each way. Roughly 20 Pineland Striders joined in the run with 4 of us completing it as an out & back totaling 19+ miles. This portion of the Batona passes by historic Martha’s Furnace. I ran to Bass River with Jim Pate and Trail Dog Danny. After a quick shirt change and GU I headed back to the start. I felt great and cruised mile after mile until I got to Martha’s Furnace (roughly mile 16) and then I started to bonk. My left Achilles tightened up and I was forced to do a survival shuffle the last couple miles. Even though those last couple miles were tough, it was a fantastic morning to run and a great start to my day.

I continued my Wednesday night trail runs. On 22 January, I ran the Cranberry Trail solo. It was an awesome run with 4 degrees, 9 inches of fresh powder, and the woods all to myself. The Park Police pulled up to me as I got ready to run, rolled his window down shaking his head in disbelief and said "Tell me you're not going hiking in this weather?" So I replied with a smirk, "No way… I’m going running!" Some of my family and friends think I am crazy to run in this weather but as I learned growing up and running in Vermont, it’s all about proper layering. I wore 4 layers on top, 2 layers on bottom, double gloves, and a fleece-lined face mask. I actually had to open the outer two layers to vent some heat out. It was like a 14 mile effort to run the 7+ miles due to the snow but I loved it. It was the most fun run I’ve had in a long time. I hope there will be more like it before this winter is over. The only thing that got cold were my toes and that wasn’t until I had finished and was warming up my car to drive home.

If I was to do a Geico commercial, it would be something like this, “Smart wool socks =$20. Black Diamond headlamp = $40.  INOV-8 Bare Grip 200 running shoes = $90. The look on the Park Police officer’s face when you tell him you’re going running snow-covered  trails at night in 4 degrees and sub-zero wind chills= priceless!”.

I spent the last week as a recovery week with no running but rather concentrating on mind and body with at least 2 hours of yoga each day.

December 2013

December was another great month. Besides increasing my mileage, high points were watching my dog Sparta enjoy his first night trail run and his first run in snow. He reminded me of myself, when as a kid, I couldn’t wait to hike or run trails no matter what the Vermont weather threw at me. I finally have that feeling back again. I don’t care how wet, how cold, how windy it is. I enjoy every rain drop on my face, every snow flake on my tongue, every puddle I splash in…I just love to run again!

 

I started the month by running 22 miles on the first. Dee Perkowitz, Jim Pate, Trail Dog Danny and I ran an extended Mount Misery loop. After a quick water bottle fill and snack at the cars, Dee and I ran a second loop. It was a beautiful day to run with temperatures in the mid-to-high 30s and no wind. We saw flocks of tundra swans in the cranberry bogs again and the local dog sled teams practicing for the upcoming race season. This was my longest run in about 3 years and about 9 miles longer than anything I’ve ran since my knee surgery. Although my legs were tired when I was done, my knees were fine and I couldn’t stop smiling. It was a great feeling of accomplishment. It looks like my recovery is finally complete.

On Sunday the 15^th, I ran the Batona Trail leg 4 with 19 other Pineland Striders. This section of trail traverses 9.2 miles of pine-oak forest and a few cedar swamps between historic Batsto village in Wharton State Forest and Evans Bridge on Rt. 563 where the Wading River meets the highway .Ten of us ran an out & back for 18.4 miles. The weather turned out great. Winter Storm Electra passed thru over night with rain washing away most of our snow and leaving plenty of cold puddles in its place. The best part of the day was seeing a bald eagle flying overhead near Evans Bridge. It was the first one I’ve seen in years. They’re such beautiful birds. The worse part of my day was almost impaling myself with a downed tree. Even though my chest hurt for days I’m still glad I ran. It was a great run, great trail, great group… a great day to be running trails!

Photo by Robert Zmirich

Photo by Jim Pate

 

We continued our Wednesday night Cranberry Trail runs. December 11^th was a fantastic night to run.

The moon reflected bright enough off the snow that we turned our headlamps off and ran by moon light. This might not seem exciting to road runners; but, night running in the woods without a light is a rare treat that only happens once in a while.

 

On Sunday the 22^nd I returned to run Fall Mountain in North Walpole, NH.  It was the first time back since August. That time I was just recovering from knee surgery and had to take it easy. This time I felt great and got some good hill work in. The trail down the back side was pretty challenging with lots of snow, ice, and water running over slick leave-covered rocks. Check out the photo of the fog and snow blowing through my hometown of Bellows Falls, VT.

 

My month ended just as it started, with a 22 mile run. About a dozen Striders showed up for Trail Dog Danny’s 10^th birthday run on a rain-drenched Mount Misery white trail. While everyone else ran one loop, Dee and I ran a second loop. Although my toes were freezing from being wet so long it was a great way to end the year!

November 2013

November was another good month. I continued to test my post-op knee and it feels great. Next month I’ll try some longer runs. High points of the month included running the Batona Trail leg 3 and returning to the Mount Misery Trail on Sunday mornings. I’ve been running the Cranberry Trail Wednesday nights for 6 weeks now. One night I forgot my head lamp but rather than make excuses I ran anyways, shadowing close behind Jim Pate and Trail Dog Danny.

Sunday, November 24^th I ran the Batona Trail leg 3 with roughly 30 members of the Pineland Striders. This section covers 12.5 miles of pine and oak forests and numerous cedar swamps from Carranza Memorial in Tabernacle to Batsto Village in Wharton State Forest. This section of trail is one of my favourites as it never crosses a paved or travelled roadway, its complete wilderness. Temperatures hovered just under 30 degrees with a constant wind chilling the air. Jim’s warm glow-wine at the end was much appreciated. Five crazies ran an out-and-back for a cold 25 miles. Hopefully I can join them soon.

The other Sundays I joined Jim, Dee, and Trail Dog Danny on another of my favorite trails, the Mount Misery white trail. We saw flocks of beautiful snow geese in the cranberry bogs resting from their long migratory flight, and dog sled teams practicing with their wheeled-sleds. Thanks to Jim we had plenty of deer jerky at our water stop! Wintergreen berries were ripe for the picking so I stopped on the way home and picked a bag full. They are great to eat raw or soak the leaves into a minty tea.

 

 

 

 

 

October 2013

October was a good month with lots of short runs in New Jersey with my dog, Sparta. He finally behaves well enough to take him off his leash. He loves when we run in Whites Bog because he can take mid-run swims and soak me when he comes out. I worked on stretching also with yoga 2-3 times per week. High points of the month included running a couple legs of the 53 mile Batona Trail and restarting our Wednesday night Cranberry Trail runs.

 Sunday, October 20 I ran the Batona Trail leg 2 with roughly 30 members of the Pineland Striders. This section covers 13.5 miles from Pakim Pond, Brendan T. Byrne State Forest, traversing around the village of Chatsworth, passes over Apple Pie Hill and finishes at the Carranza Memorial south of Tabernacle in Wharton State Forest.  This section is beautiful and thanks to a reroute last year, now includes a technical section of narrow foot bridges through a cedar swamp and much to my liking some mud! Temperatures were 26 degree at the start and 30 at the finish with a constant cold wind all morning. We enjoyed warm wine and deer jerky at the finish thanks to Jim Pate and Trail Dog Danny. Carranza Memorial is a 12 foot Aztec design monument on the crash site of Captain Emilio Carranza, a Mexican goodwill pilot whose plane crashed July 13, 1928 while returning to Mexico.

Carranza Memorial

Pakim Pond

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday, October 27 I ran the Batona Trail leg 1 with Jeremy Helm, Mike Bialecki, and Sean Toohey. Leg 1 covers 8+ miles of rolling hills, through hardwood forest and cedar swamp from Ongs Hat to Pakim Pond in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest. While Sean and I called it a day, Jeremy and Mike continued on including leg 2 as well totaling roughly 22 miles. The temperature was a comfortable 35 degrees at the start with no wind, a great morning to run! 

Wednesday night trail runs are back! After my long break due to knee surgery, I finally started running my usual Wednesday night Cranberry Trail runs. It’s a mostly flat combination of single track and hard-packed dirt road with very few roots. Head lamps are a must this time of year as we start at 6:30 pm at the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest welcome center, run to Pakim Pond and back. Choices include a 2.3 mile short loop, 6 mile Cranberry Trail (actual), and 7.2 mile Cranberry Trail (extended).

 

Albania 24Aug-14Sep13

My 5^th trip to the Republic of Albania was definitely my favorite. This was the first time I have been there in warm weather; it’s always been winter on my previous visits. I spent a lot of time with old friends and made some new ones. The food was fantastic like always as everything is fresh, no preservatives there. The funniest thing that happened was on the third night I was eating at a Mexican restaurant, in Albania, in August, listening to American Christmas music. You just can’t make that up! 

 

I had the opportunity to hike a few beautiful mountains: Maja e Gamtit (4131 feet), Maja e Brarit (4072 feet), and Maja e Dajtit (5292 feet).  Maja e Dajtit offers panoramic views of the capital city, Tirana. I saw the ruins of Shen Mari (St. Mary's Church) in the village of Shemine on the way up. On the Dajti Plateau, I visited the ruins of the Ish Kampi i Pionerëve (Former Military Youth Camp) used during Communist times. A little further south I met the owners of the Foresta Bar, Hotel, and Restaurant. Using my limited Albanian language and hand signals, I was able to communicate with the elderly couple who led me to the trail head that leads to both peaks. The trail starts behind their home, climbs approximately 1000 feet and then splits in two toward each peak. After hiking around the area, I spent a couple hours enjoying some local beers (Korca) and fresh berries from behind their house.

 

I also visited the beautiful Kalaja e Rozafas in Shkodra District, Northwest Albania near the Montenegro border. Rozafa Castle dates back to antiquity. It was built by the Illyrians, and eventually captured by Romans in 167 BC. The only bad thing was that my sunglasses fell off my head when I leaned over the castle wall and was hit by a strong gust of wind blowing up the steep hill. The good thing is it gave me a reason to run up the steep face to find them. Mission accomplished, not only did I find my glasses but I found someone else’s too which I gave to my friend Dashi. The castle offers beautiful views of Liqeni I Shkodres (Lake Shkodra), the Buna River valley, and Hxamia e Plumbit (Lead Mosque) built in the early 1700s that now sits unused and at times underwater during flood season. After visiting the city of Shkodra, we had a great lunch in the village of Shiroke where we ate Krap (a type of carp only found in this lake) and buke misri (traditional corn bread slow-baked like a cake) along with more local beer and wines.

View of Tirana from Maja e Dajtit.

Ish Kampi i Pionereve (former Communist Military Youth Camp).

Foresta bar, hotel, and restaurant. Trailhead to the two peaks is located behind this building.

Maja e Brarit (4072 feet).



Maja e Brarit.

Kalaja e Rozafas (Rozafa Castle, Shkodra District).

Kalaja e Rozafas

Kalaja e Rozafas



 

 

Trail up Maja e Brarit.

Ruins of Shen Mari (St. Mary's Church in village of Shermine).

 

Maja e Gamtit (4131 feet).

 

My Merrill Trailgloves at Kalaja e Rozafas.

 

Lunch in Shiroke just south of Montenegro border.