Slowly making my way through the Challenge courses. This morning I ran the Jim Schug Trail. The course was pretty, and I especially enjoyed the wildflowers. I scared up at least 3 chipmunks or maybe they scared me? I also heard some frogs, and couldn’t help but wonder if I heard the same ones on the way back as I did on the way out.
After making it to work, I realized I forgot my gym bag at home. I spent the rest of the day marinating in my own stink, trying to avoid co-workers as much as possible. I think I may need to leave an ‘emergency’ bag in my office.
Lovely run tonight with the Wednesday crowd. A massive beaver crossed our path! Too bad that when I took my phone out to take a picture, he quickly disappeared. We also saw deers and squirrels of all sizes and colors . So much wildlife around this trail!
Did the short part starting from the lake parking lot for the group run, and after snacks Jami and I did the longer part. It was hot . Considering our A races this year are ultras, we took the opportunity to work on our power hiking. We also saw Schug the bald eagle hanging out in a dead tree, a blue heron, and lots of turtles and frogs. This is a great course for wildlife spotting!
I got stuck for a little bit at 38 on the way back, with two large trucks going both ways, followed by a small line of cars… I even had enough time to snap a photo. Oh well, it gave me a brief rest before the last push to the finish.
I’d like to come back and do a more leisurely jog and stop at the lake to look for critters sometime instead of rushing through it. I hesitate at posting this finish line photo with my signature beet-red face, but I enjoy seeing everyone else’s faces up. here, so here you go!
Another beautiful day on the Jim Schug Trail! The weather was perfect, especially after 7pm. The wildlife here is unbelievable. In 2 hours I saw:
• a mink crossing the path with a smaller rodent in its mouth
• a muskrat in one of the many little creeks running next to the trail
• a pug on a leash (it barked at me - rude)
• the cutest little eastern kingbird (see picture)
• Schug the bald eagle (see picture)
• a blue heron flying near the turn around
• 2 deer (I shouted HI DEAR at them)
• a big beaver crossing the path near where I saw the mink and the muskrat
• some weird moths mating (see picture)
• countless other birds
Even though the weather was wonderful, I was still sweating and hot at the finish, so I got an ice cream sundae from the place across from the butterfly garden.
I once again got all the way to the trail head and realized I forgot my shoes. Recently I had been trying to be a Responsible Adult™️ and clean my car out after every run, but I had left my shoes in there for so long that I forget I take them out and just assume they’re in my car.
Either way, it wasn’t a long drive back to my apartment, just annoying. I parked on Weber Street to avoid the longer walk from street parking in Dryden, and ran northwest to the start sign, then back past my car in the usual direction. Once again saw a ton of wildlife, from various birds (cardinals, an oriole, flickers - my favorite bird), a snake, a big frog, Schug the bald eagle, and a turtle. I had hoped I would catch some turtles hatching, but there were so many holes with turtle shells around them, I think I missed them again this year.
What a gorgeous trail! This was my first time on it (other than the leg by the lake for the women’s distance festival) and it felt like I was on vacation! Reminded me of a bike path/running route in Cape Cod that I love. I saw so many animals, highlights being a bald eagle wrestling with a 2-3’ carp (some kind birders let me use their binoculars to take a look), and a family of merganser ducks with 8 little babies, all mohawked and quacking! I also saw a baby rabbit the size of a chipmunk, and nearly stepped on several chipmunks as well.
On my way back, I stopped ad Bigsby Market for some fresh local strawberries, rhubarb, garlic scapes, and perennials. Can’t wait for dinner tonight, and to see the lupine and delphinium bloom this summer!
A lovely day for a fast run. And during my warm down I noticed a crowd of people a few streets away from Agway. Much to my surprise Dryden is hosting a festival. There was the cow day run and lots of little contests and sweet things to do, especially with little children. It’s in the park behind the Dryden hotel.
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Make sure you get some cheese from the dairy princesses!
Today is Dryden Dairy Days! I went to Dryden High and had to march in the parade for band every year. You knew when the school year was winding down because the last few weeks we’d be out in the back parking lot marching around practicing.
We also marched in the Memorial Day parade, but Dairy Days was more fun because we got to wear fun clothes and play fun songs.
It was HOT and the bugs were definitely having a party out there but I was glad to see the trail and the lake with the sun, since last time it was a bit rainy.
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As it is tradition, the run ended with pizza and beer at the Dryden Hotel! Some people also had ice cream cause… why not?! Your Italian friend totally approves!
Felt fine running out with @brian-lazzaro, @Dave_K, @JoshB, and @Banyan_Tree for the four miles out, and even for a mile after turning, and then the heat got to me. Josh and I dropped back a bit behind Dave and Brian, and Banyan is getting his legs back after mountain biking. By the time I made it back to the finish, I was feeling pretty rough. Happily, we’d packed the extra watermelon left over from Sunday’s group run and then…
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@tonya-engst went across the street to the trophy/ice cream shop and returned with two scoops of strawberry and dark chocolate that revived me. Put me down for Team Ice Cream with @Benedetta_Carnaghi.
And then we headed over to the Dryden Hotel for pizza and beer and good company. Among the discussions: Is it better to power walk up a super steep hill in a race rather than running? Is even a tiny lollipop course better than a straight out-and-back course? How can you get students to turn on their cameras during class Zooms? Does epigenetics play a role in insect phenotypes? Apparently not. Learn something every day. Similarly, thanks to @mtread, I learned that the US Patent & Trademark Office is the only self-funded (through filing fees) department in the US government, thanks in large part to handling 400,000 patents per year.
A good evening for a stroll on the trail. Got into a verbal altercation with the owner of an off leash dog. Saw deer, heard lots of birds, a garter snake was sunning itself on the trail, and there a few equestrians out for a stroll as well.
Although cliche I read a quote yesterday that went something like this: you dont need motivation to get started, you have to get started to find motivation and that was just what I needed to get back to my challenge goals. I picked the Jim Schug trail because it is close to home and a few of my friends were planning on biking there this evening so I knew that watching for them and seeing them would give me something to look forward to on this hot evening run. I haven’t run 8 miles in a while so I decided to walk miles 4 and 7 so that I could preserve my legs and that plan payed off.
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Finished the run and rewarded myself with a carmel chocolate swirl ice cream with chocolate sprinkles from The Station Creamery, it hit the spot!
Another wildlife-filled power hike. Chipmunks, a fox, a few herons (or maybe the same one multiple times?),a deer, Schug the bald eagle, and a beaver!
I had actually passed this section but thought I had seen a bird on a log, so doubled back. There was no bird, and happened to look down and see this manatee-looking rodent under the water. Such luck!
The only reason I went out this evening was a promise to get myself a milkshake from the Station Creamery. I had parked at the Weber St. crossing and headed south first. When I went back to the start, I bought the milkshake and enjoyed a lesuirely half mile stroll back to the car to officially “cover the ground”.
Kris and I ran the Jim Schug together this morning, at least for a while, until she took off. This was her second run through, my first. It was the last course I needed to finish the Challenge, so yay! I found it a bit of a slog, but that was me feeling tired, not the course, which is beautiful!
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On the way back we filled up with gas at Mirabito near Bixby’s Market. Does that count?
chose a HOT day to run the Jim Schug Trail again! Saw a Great Blue Heron twice -flying over the lake when we were running out, and wading in the lake when we were running back
after the run, we got take-out from the pizza shop then drove back into Ithaca and had a picnic at the Farmers Market, in the shade and watching the inlet
Too bad that when I took my phone out to take a picture, he quickly disappeared. We also saw deers 
and squirrels of all sizes and colors 
. So much wildlife around this trail!
and beer 
hot 
and the bugs were definitely having a party out there but I was glad to see the trail and the lake with the sun, since last time it was a bit rainy.
