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| Scouting the prospective route a day earlier with Bertie; given the number of birds observed, quiet trails, and deer seen crossing the still empty canal, he wholeheartedly approved. (5/9/20) |
Weather: Cloudy, turning Rainy, 36°F (Real Feel 32°F), Wind NE @ 6 mph w/gusts up to 8 mph, 92% Humidity at 6:00 a.m.
Route: Loop segment Erie Canal Heritage Trail from Lock 32 Canal Park west through Lock 33 Park to I-390 Overpass and back (2.85 miles x 2 for 5.7-ish mile loop).
Distance/Duration/Pace: 33.76 miles, 6:08.33, 10:55 min/mile |
| Today's loop on Erie Canal Heritage Trail. |
Pre-Run Ruminations: Mind the Ducks 12 Hour Ultra, Take 2. After Friday's 19 mile "miscue", I have re-calibrated my #MTD2020 plan for today, Sunday, May 10, which also happens to be the day before my fifty-first (!) birthday. After toying with some different course possibilities I opted to use a segment of the oft-traveled Erie Canal Heritage Trail starting at the Lock 32 park and heading west for 3.4 miles. The only concern regarding the course (apart from the possibility inclement weather) is the possibility for a large volume of people traversing the popular walking/biking/jogging trail. My hope is that Sunday morning foot traffic will be lower than usual (Mondays thru Fridays are kind of like Mondays now anyway, aren't they?), though maintaining the 6' social distancing expectation is easily accomplishable given the width of paved trail and sizable grass shoulders. This loop approach will also give me a potential aid station every 10k, some thing that will become more necessary during the later hours. Fortunately, I have the support of my wife, who is also working from home, to go "off grid" for a little while, that is, as long as I don't call her to come pick me up...
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| Just one of the deer that I happened across in the 6-7 a.m. hour. (5/10/20) |
Post-Run Reflection: When I arrived at the Lock 32 State Canal Park at 5:50 a.m., I was greeted by a Downy Woodpecker flitted among the trees, and I hoped my observation of that beautiful bird would be a good omen, and as it turns out it was. All in all, it was an excellent morning of wins and "losses". Many of the failures were unrealistic expectation that I was not really targeting, such as the overall duration. I did not run for 12 hours, but made it to half that with a final time of 6:08.33 and executed my running plan well.
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| This entrance to the trail was my start and turnaround at approximately the 5.5 mile point. (5/10/20) |
My goal had been been to run for in 20 minute increments (approximately 2 miles), followed by 2 minutes of quick walking, and repeat during the entirety of the event. Doing so helped tremendously. To think of the event as consisting of a series of shorter runs rather than as a singular extensive one, I was able to focus on small goals and achievements. The challenge is always to stay in the moment of the run rather than projecting forward to any myriad of possibilities. By thinking "be here now" and exhaling on the now, instead of than saying "if I would just push it more right now in mile 1, I could win!" helps me control my tempo and breathing. Calculating and recounting the splits and times with my watch (I use a $15 Target sport watch) also helps me to stay mentally focused on the task at hand in addition to giving me fodder for mixing up my internal mantra ("Be here FOUR" as in the loop number).
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| A snapshot of what was to be seen on the trails today; early in the day so the rain had not yet started. (5/10/20) |
Had I been a little brighter (or pestered my wife to take a look at it first), I would have also had the energy expended during a more expedient 19 mile run on Friday in reserves for use today, but despite that, I felt strong and confident throughout. There were so many deer early in the day and birds (Blue-jays, Cardinals, Robins, Gold Finches, and even one Drake--thereby allowing me to say I minded at leats one duck) to follow as I ran it provided inspiration and a smile when I would catch them hopping around between trees. Just as the Downy appeared prior, as I was coming down the last loop, and the rain picked up slightly, I did manage to catch a Great Blue Heron come low down the canal way. Tremendous!
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| At the 8 mile point and for about a quarter of a mile, there were MANY snails on the trail. Shout out to snails for letting me be among the faster moving creatures on this stretch! (5/10/20) |
As suspected, the trail was surprisingly traffic-free thanks largely to to the cold and rains which increased in intensity for about 90 minutes. The resulted in puddling along the paved trail and also minimized my ability to take any pictures. Cellphone photography was not a priority today though as I was working hard to stay focused--I did manage a few pics for posterity, though. While I only completed half of the expectec 12 hours, I am very pleased with how it went and look forward to doing the real Mind the Duck run next year (fingers crossed!).
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