Training Log Archive: Swampfox

Some more snow overnight, and ski conditions were really good. I decided to spend all my time up top skiing, and passed on running, and did ski intervals instead--the last of which took me right up to dusk, which was early because of overcast skies and developing fog.

And besides the really nice skiing, I got very lucky as well. Over the past few days, it had seemed like my truck was cranking more slowly than usual, and when I got back to the parking lot after nightfall and went to start my truck, it just *barely* turned over enough to start. Driving home it was fine and completely normal, but it was clear something had to be wrong--and not the battery, because I have a new battery. So once I got safely back home and in my garage, it turned off the engine, and then tried to re-start it: nothing. My diagnosis (re: guess) is the starter has failed. Very happy that it didn't fail in the parking lot, while the fact it has failed doesn't bother me at all--this was the original starter, now 25 years old!

C • guesses 4

We got a brief snow in the morning, maybe a half hour long and amounting to about 5/8". It was pretty warm out (mid-30s and no wind now qualifying as warm for this time of the year) so there was no need to do anything about the sidewalks. But up top on the ski trails, 5/8" of new snow was just enough to bury all the pine needles and bark and other debris from the past week if wind, and transform trails hard packed enough that it was difficult to get an edge in to something that was near perfect. It was really nice to get the trails freshened up, and despite the temps being above freezing (at least in town), the snow on the ski trails was dry and fairly fast.

Funny/strangely enough, there really weren't many people out skiing, at least not when I was on the trails. And yet, when I changed over and went running on the multi-use trails, there were quite a few people out walking, snow shoeing, skiing, and biking. And a good number of dogs as well. Go figure.

So far this week it's been windy and there has been no snow. My choice has been to ski about 40-50 minutes each day, enjoying the hard pack liberally sprinkled with pine needles and other wind debris, and to focus on running longer instead.

From running today, it appears the bike trail groomers must have acquired a new grooming attachment, because the pattern left in the snow was quite different from the usual pattern--it looked almost like corduroy. Snow biking has considerably improved winter trail running at Happy Jack over the years.

C • Cowboy Showdown 2

Quite mild out, making up for last Thursday, with enough wind to take some of it back. Skiing was good except for scattered thin/bare spots, and running was even better. I came across another moose on the trail while running, but it seemed to prefer to go its own way rather than run with me.

Finished drafting up the golf course area and am close to finishing up the indoor portion of the first tranche of Pilot Hill.