Training Log Archive: Gswede

Calf was still feeling a bit iffy this morning. And since I don't have any big events coming up soon, I decided to play it on the very safe side and just go for a hike.

I'm looking to organize the semi-traditional Thanksgiving training camp. Mainly this will be for the area's NJP members, but naturally everyone else can join.

But I am still a bit worried about training in Harriman after my run-in with the ranger who threatened to put pedophilia on my record for running through a summer camp that has kids from June to August.

What are the community's thoughts on this? Should we just do the camp regardless? Is there anywhere else that we could go without the concern of hunters?

I considered Hickory Run as an option, but it's during bear season in PA. Not as popular as deer season, but there'd certainly be plenty of hunters out there. Perhaps it's time for a serious camp at French Creek?

Was planning on a long run today, but I bruised my right calf pretty bad when my bike ghostshifted as I rode around town.

A few hours later and I've still got a notable amount of discomfort. It's probably smarter to take a rest day : /

On a positive note though, it looks like all, or at least most, of Mocanaqua has new (2018), high-density lidar. That's a game changer.

Went for my Strava segment record on Minsi. I'm not sure why, but there are two separate segments on Minsi and neither cover the whole length of the climb.

At any rate, I broke my record for both, by 33s on one and 53s on the other. So I'm feeling pretty fit!

WOW! That was fun terrain! Amazing that it's right outside of town.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/MbcdjbedFj3XaTtY9

The vegetation was about 90% very friendly. I'd say it's very similar to Harriman, but also with a beautiful section of meadows on top with a mixture of grass, blueberry, and bald rock.

There was definitely lots of stony ground, but only in a few spots did it significantly slow my progress.

I would say this is very nice, fun terrain. It's important to note that nice and fun do not mean fast. You actually have to work quite hard to progress through the terrain. But I was having fun the whole time. Loads of fun.

I'll have to work a bit more on the map, especially on the latter half. But for the most part it was really good. I was even able to get a lot of the cliffs and boulders with the slope image.

Access is a bit of an issue since the road I though went to it is fenced off. I had to cross a creek and an active railroad track. Not ideal, but definitely workable.

I'm currently in Scranton for a few days checking out how the city is to live. And I have yet to find the Dunder Mifflin office.

On paper, it looks like the city has a lot of the ingredients that could make for a great place to live:
Very affordable
A revitalized downtown
Very extensive public forest immediately outside the city
An active running community
Multiple universities
Proximity to major population centers

The city is the textbook definition of a rust belt city. Once of the world's centers for anthracite coal mining, the city has gone from a population of 143,000 in 1930 to the most recent estimate of 77,000.

However, the population has in fact grown since 2010, bucking an 80-year trend. This appears to be due to the same trend that has been occurring in the Lehigh Valley: transplants from NYC, mostly Hispanic, have begun to leave the city searching for less expensive, safer places to live. Currently the Scranton-Wilkes Barre metro area has one of the country's fastest rates of Hispanic population growth.

Many of the locals here are criticizing this trend as another sign of the city's decline, "There are billboards in Spanish all over the south side of town." Strangely enough, I happen to be quite comfortable in communities of Spanish speakers : ) In addition, criticism of immigrant populations is a sad American tradition that has yet to result in the country's implosion. Just look at a favored Founding Father's Comments about Germans. After 200+ years of testing, I think we can confirm that this bias is unfounded. Our country certainly has its moments, but those aren't due to immigrants.

This growth also means that there is a growing demand for language professionals. There are simply very few interpreters here. They haven't needed them. Perfect for a Spanish translator-orienteer.

The city also has really stunning architecture. A mixture of historic Gothic revival and Romanesque with Modern-style buildings that seem to have come up over the past 10 years. Still, there are parts of town that are definitely rough around the edges. But what do you expect from a city that has lost half its population over 90 years?

The job market here has left much to be desired, which is the primary reason for the exodus from the city. But many young professionals who work remotely, like myself, have been moving to the area in search of affordable conditions. Simply put, we like cities, but most large American cities are prohibitively expensive. I could survive in New York City or Boston, but I would have to work so much to pay for life that I wouldn't have time to train or even live.

So yes, I'll take a slightly rough city if it means I have time to enjoy my life.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.