A Good Weather Day for doing the Hill Climb Eight Run

Friday, April 30, 2010
Up the hill to fetch nothing except exercise

o Batavia to Sherman Road
o Up, up, up to the gate ... GPS showed 4027' at the top ... 3300' at the ranch
o No snow at the turnaround, but new snow on Blacktail Mountain and the west hills toward Ashley Lake
o Neighborly chat on the return run; good running except for that

-- Mileage log: 8.066 miles ... GPS showed 8.42 counting the return to the ranch and leading horses back from the grazing pastures

Weather changes and Whether to Run or Not?

Thursday, April 29, 2010
If things never changed nothing would ever happen!

The warm and even record temperatures of last week have given way to conditions that average everything out. Way too fast, it would seem! As a result, I have dropped out of my running/biking plan for the last few days. Cool temperatures, and intermittent light rain, along with some windy periods have kept me indoors for the most part.

Partial running summary (I'll have to check my logbook later)

Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Double GPS with a new device to check out ... weather resistant at that! Good thing!


I managed to horn in a run during light rain with a jog down Batavia Lane to Kienas Road and Marquardt Drive.
I ran passed 'castles in the rain' and crossed a couple of bridges in a six-plus miler. It was a nice short outing after the long run that I did on Sunday.


o Mileage log : 6.1 miles (both the GPS watch and Garmin 10 pretty much agreed on this)
o Walk/jog across neighboring farm and through the pastures
o Wet and cool


Sunday, April 25, 2010
Only eight months until Christmas ... shop/run until you drop (or walk)

Bullet points:

o Up and over the pass to Ashley Lake
o More walking/jogging than actually running!
o Views of the lake

o Nice temperature for the long trek
o Gathered more than 15 piles of 4-or-more cans or bottles


- Mileage log : Approximate 15.1 miles (GPS unit lost signal from time to time)


Saturday, April 24, 2010


I was just about ready to do a run around 4:00 P.M., but, the break from scattered showers looked like it was going away soon. So, I just made it to the top of the first turn; saw the hills to the west turning white with blowing rain (almost like snow); turned around and ran back to the ranch. While I was in changing from my running gear back to 'ranch clothes' a huge gust of wind swept through the fields and flipped over two of the horse shelters! It would not have been a pleasant run!


o Running log: 0.34 miles ... not really a run at all


Friday, April 23, 2010
Late day run to give a two day total of 14 miles... but it was worth the wait for the nice conditions


was my second running up Batavia to Sherman Road over the last couple of days. Yesterday the run was all of the way to the Lupine Meadows gate, today I turned around at the three mile mark. It was a good late afternoon run with nice temperatures and mostly clear sky conditions.


o Mileage log : 6.1 miles

Cool Down and Up the Hill I Ran

Thursday, April 22, 2010
After 2 days of record high temperatures cool running returned

Bullets

o Up Batavia to Sherman Road once more I go
o Able to run until after the 3 mile mark where the real hill climb begins
o Alternated jog/walk for the last uphill mile

o After about a 1000' increase since leaving the ranch, I turned around at the Lupine Meadows gate
o Still some snow near the turnaround at 4000'
o Good steady run down the gravel road and on to the last mile back to the start


-- Mileage log: 8.07 miles ... average pace 11:37 - best pace 6:24 (nice downhill stretch!)

Record Temperatures ... No Record Running Pace

Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Deciding to run late in the afternoon meant high temperature and low running speed

It was just the second full day of sunshine and it produced a record high temperature for NW Montana. Since I did a cross training bike ride just before lunch, I didn't get out for a run until later in the afternoon.

(Bullet Points)

o Sunny warm day
o Decided to run up Batavia Lane to Sherman Road
o Did some walking early on during the Sherman uphill jog
o Alternated run/walk for the last mile or so of the uphill to the turnaround



o Some pauses along the downhill on Sherman Road to photograph the Carr farm, farm animals, and "Oreo" the dog (first time that I have seen Oreo this year!)




o Ran/jogged most of the return trip until the last 1/2 mile or so
o Picked up cans during the last 1/2 mile

-- Gps quit for some time, but the log should be ~ 7.2 miles for the day

Six Days on the Road (Running), and I'm Gonna Get Home to Rest!

Sunday, April 18, 2010
Six Days on the Road (Running), and I'm Gonna Get Home to Rest!

Highlights of the last six days of training runs ...


o Since I took the 'Spring Break' from running last week and into early this week, I needed to string several days together instead of doing my run/bike alternating routine. Today made six days straight to get back in sync with my training plan.

o A good run up Batavia to Sherman Road
o Nice images of the farm above Glazier's
o Overview images looking toward Blacktail Mountain (still some snow there)
o Horses grazing at the original Glazier Ranch




o Good run with no walking (much better than some of the runs this week)


-- Mileage log: 6.233 miles

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Saturday, April 17, 2010
Finishing some consecutive runs to end the week


Batavia to Managhan
o Managhan to trail
o Horse riders on trail (while I was on a walking break)
o Jog/Slog the rest of the way back to the ranch via Batavia ... slowly!

-- Mileage log 5.15

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Friday, April 16, 2010
Down to the Castle, Trail, and Managhan Cans & Horse Talk

o Batavia to Kienas (Longhorns along Batavia)
o Kienas to Marquardt
o Marquardt to the trail
o Trail west to Managhan
o Walk/can pickup/small talk with horse friends

o Jog back up Batavia and through the pasture to chat with the horses

-- Running log total 6.63

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Thursday, April 15, 2010
Running in Search of the last of Winter

o Up Batavia Lane passed Sherman and onward

o Onward after the blacktop ended
o Onward after passing Garrison Inn
(Some light snow still on the ground there)
o Onward until the Ashley Lake trail cutoff just after the crest
(Snowmelt runnoff there along the edge of the road)
o (umm, mostly walking from about 2.5 miles to the top of the hill
o Gathered some cans and bottles into piles (lots less than last year)
o Met a walker coming up the hill as I was going down
o Mostly running during the downhill

-- Mileage log 9.1 miles (estimated ... the GPS battery died just after 2 miles)

Just the Running Facts!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Just a short run: Fiver Loop

Kind of a cloudy, damp, and cool day with snow visible on the higher hills around the area. Not a very fast run since this was the second day back into running after a break in the routine. I have not been running on consecutive days (cross-training with biking, instead) so I didn't want to overdo the run today with another long run.

o Down Batavia Lane
o Right at the bike trail after crossing Highway 2
o A couple of creek crossings



o Right on Managhan
o Left on Batavia Lane and back to the ranch


o Some can pick-up during the last quarter mile (walk)

- Mile Log: 5.022

Run, Run, in the Snow and Rain, Dear

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The allowed 'spring (non-running) break' expired today. I needed to get back 'on the road again' regardless of the conditions. It was snowing lightly beginning early in the morning and it appeared the condition would continue into the foreseeable future. If the temperature did increase slightly, the best that could be expected was a cold rain. So, with those environmental conditions in mind I needed to decide between running on the treadmill or running in the snow.

There were no large pellets of ice in the falling precipitation, and that seemed good. I did wear my clear-view/yellow lens safety glasses; at least for the first mile; at which point they were so covered with wet blotches that seeing through them was a non-starter. So, the run continued up the blacktop without the glasses. In a couple of places along the route, deer bounded over the meadow fence, crossed the road, and bounded over the fence on the opposite side. They looked at me as though to say, 'is that guy crazy!? the only reason we're out here is because we have to live in the woods!!', I didn't answer back, at least not loud enough that they could hear me; not through the wind and blowing snow, and rain, anyhow!

Six miles was the target for the run today. I didn't even think about running up the gravel road. It looked more like a sliding quicksand stream to me when I jogged passed the turnoff. I continued up the blacktop, totally refreshed as through in a nice cool shower (kind of, anyway, I was soaked).
I didn't see any other runners. I didn't see any other exercisers of any kind, in fact. That is, until just before the blacktop ended. There, I met a woman who was being walked by four black and white dogs (some kind of terriers, I think, maybe). She said they got kind of soaked, too. It looked like it! I felt better! Since it was not a terrific day for small talk the chat ended soon and I continued another few hundred yards to the end of the blacktop/white-top. There was enough snow accumulating at the higher elevation near the turnaround that the road turned to all snow just as the blacktop ended. I walked up another hundred yards or so to see how the gravel road was: pretty soft and muddy was the answer. So, at that point, I turned around and began the faster (but still wet) return to the ranch.

The distant tree lines were invisible in the continuing snow/rain mix.
As I passed a small group of horses, I noticed they were standing under the overhang of some evergreen trees to stay out of the snow. I could swear I saw their mouths moving as I jogged by, but I wasn't close enough to read their lips or hear what they were saying; I could only imagine that it was something like 'why are you out running in the snow and rain, dear?'; who knows? If they had been cows I would have known that they weren't actually talking, since cows chew their cud; these were horses though, so I knew they were talking about me!

Spring Break (from running) in NW Montana

Thursday, April 8th -- Monday, April 12, 2010
A Pause in the Running Training Routine


Monday, April 12, 2010
.... Rest Day ....


Sunday, April 11, 2010
Mostly a day of rest and some time spent to process the images from yesterday ... Just a 4-mile bike late in the afternoon


Saturday, April 10, 2010
Scenes at Lake McDonald and Biking the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park


Also, see at facebook or at WeatherUnderground


Friday, April 9, 2010
Driving trip to Glacier National Park (no images taken as it was a blustery day and we didn't do much 'out of vehicle' hiking). Plus, a quick tour of Hungry Horse Dam

Hungry Horse Dam Video



Thursday, April 8, 2010
This should have been a running day ... but the snow squalls kept me looking out from the inside (Begin Spring Break!)


Changing Scene throughout the Day

Late Day Run after Waiting Out the Snow Squalls

Tuesday, April 6, 2010
I would have Run in the Snow Pellets to Avoid another Treadmill Workout

Bullets ... to be filled in later

o Morning cross-training bike ride (some wind and cold conditions)
o Sun/Cloud/Snow-squall mix all afternoon
o Considered not running at all ... just take a run-off day
o Out late afternoon between squalls
o Batavia to Sherman Road
o Up the wet sometimes muddy road for two miles
o Discussion with neighbors on return trip down the hill
o Good feeling pace on the last mile (best pace 7:34) Nice!

The Running Plan and Updated Log

Monday, April 5, 2010
Cross Training Day ... And Catchup on the logs (Just the Facts, for now!)

The Running Plan (click image to enlarge)


The Running Log (click image to enlarge)


Sunday, April 4, 2010
No Rabbit Run ... More Like a Turtle! (on Easter Sunday)

Technical Run Highlights
o Up trail
o Danielson to Managhan
o Bike trail to Phanco Lane
o Phanco to Smith Lake Road
o Smith Lake Road to Whalebone Drive
o Whalebone Drive to Dern Road
o Trail back to Batavia Lane
o Batavia back to ranch

- Mixed sun/wind/clouds/cold at times
- Dead skeleton
- Buffalo Mountain Conrad Ranch (Check side story connections)
- Whalebone on Whalebone
- Skunk on Dern
- Some walking after 8 miles jog/walk combo
- Walk across pasture to greet horses

-- Mileage Log: 11.5 miles

--> Photos - Weather at start; Animals or not; Buffalo Mountain; Whalebone


Saturday, April 3, 2010
Is a Treadmill Truly a Dreadmill?

Technical Run Highlights
o Seemed like a good idea due to blustery weather
o Arena temp about 42, so dressed for outdoor running
o Wanted to do 6 miles so set the speed to 6.5 to get it done in under an hour
o Attempt without holding ended after 1 mile (in order to check heart rate)
o Mostly held on for my life for the remaining 5 miles
o Not likely to do more than an hour straight on this machine anytime soon ... would rather suffer the consequences of rain/sleet/snow and wind!
o Original workouts on the treadmill included 10-15 laps of arena in middle of the workout - I didn't do that this time - just did treadmill straight through. Mental note: The switch to running arena laps is a nice break from the treadmill straight through
o Pretty overheated after it was all said and done

-- Mileage Log: 6.0 miles

--> Photos: Treadmill stills


Thursday, April 1, 2010
Run a Good Run without the Slow Walk

Technical Run Highlights
o Trail to Danielson Road
o Danielson Road to Managhan Lane
o Managhan crossing Batavia to Kienas Road
o Kienas to a turnaround at the 3-mile barn

-- Mileage log: 6.1 miles

Photos --> Valley view to Swan Range
--> View to Blacktail Mountain from Kienas
--> Turnaround Barn