Can Lake Recon Road Trip!

August 29th

Road trip time! There's nothing like hitting the road with good friends. And if there's lots of running involved well, even better. This road trip was all about Can Lake course recon.

 

Our crew consisted of Carol "It's Just a Training Run" Shuford, Pam "What's Up Doc" Coleman, and Nicolas "Crazy Train Conductor" Nouvel. We had booked some cheap rooms at the swanky Miami Motel and had the Rolling Aid Station SUV (RASSUV) loaded  down with supplies-- we were set!

 

We met up with our new friend, Matt, and kicked off the run as the sun was coming up on West Lake Drive. 



The Can Lake course is 50 miles of road wrapped around Lake Canandaigua in the Finger Lakes region of New York. It's hilly and beautiful and challenging and I love it.

 

We had mapped out a point-to-point run and used the SUV as an aid station. The plan worked like a charm! 

West Lake Drive is the prettiest part of the course. You're running right by the lake past gorgeous homes with pretty boathouses to match.

 

This is my favorite view from one of the highest points on the course: 

About 15 miles in is the infamous Bopple Hill. It's a monster climb with a 17% incline at certain points. It just keeps going and going and going up some more!

 





Everyone got some good quality time on Bopple.  What's Up Doc gets extra credit here because she made an unscripted turn onto the Hicks Road-Hill-From-Hell and had to backtrack downhill and then take on Bopple! Ay-yi-yi!

 

SRab motored on up and made it look easy! She is a hill climbing machine!

At the top of Bopple is a nice resting place...

But there's no resting for this Silly Rabbit! She's keeping the burpee tradition alive!

 

Me? I drove the RASSUV and did some out-n-backs at our refueling stops. Once we hit Monica's Pies, I turned the RASSUV over to Nicolas and hit the asphalt to finish off my miles. By then it was blistering hot and I was sooo glad I had a mere 5 miles left to hit my 15 mile goal for the day!

 

Took a left on Parrish Road and ran around the south end of the lake to the east side. Eventually I caught up with Matt and we shuffled along until the RASSUV came to our rescue. 

 

 



 

What better way to celebrate a successful Can Lake Recon Run than with ice cream on the banks of Can Lake?

 

 

Can't wait to get back here in October and kick some Can Lake butt!!  But before I wrap this up, I have to show you how we ended the day. 

It's called the Ring of Fire!  Wellll....my pic doesn't do it justice, so let's bring in a professional:

 

 

The Ring of Fire is a Can Lake tradition. On the Saturday before Labor Day everyone lights flares and sets them on the shoreline creating---ta da---a ring of fire! Fireworks light up the sky and people hang out and watch the show.  It's their way of saying farewell to summer...

 

And as we stood there in the dark, staring out at the lights and the fireworks, I felt a bit of sadness. End of summer means end of epic Can Lake training....and it's been quite a journey this year. Isn't it always?

 

That's what I love about this stuff:  You pick a big fat goal race, round up some willing friends, throw in assorted training races, spice it up with a 4.4 mile swim, and train your heart out. Race day comes and you cash in all those miles of sweating and suffering for a glorious trip across the finish line. Sharing it with friends makes it priceless.

 

We are so ready for you, Can Lake. Bring it on!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wild 20 Run

August 9th

You're out of bed at sunrise. Slip into your favorite hi-tech, sweat-wicking combo. Wriggle your feet into your trusty Asics. Drive the usual route to your usual running trail and park in the usual spot.

You know every rise and fall of this trail, every crook and bend and dip.  It's....comfortable, reliable, predictable. It's boring, even. But you file that into the "mental training" category.

Then...out of the blue....you decide to take a random right. And then an unscripted left. You're on a new road, in  a new neighborhood. This is new territory.

That street looks interesting-- turn!  This one has a nice downhill --fine, keep going straight....or don't!  It doesn't really matter today.

You have only a vague notion of where you are, and no idea of where you're headed. But that's the point. This is wild runnin'!  And you love the randomness of it. To heck with the familiar, today you're going rogue!

Your pace ticks up a notch and the giddiness kicks in as you savor the newness. Pretty soon you're in a different neighborhood, on a shady lane, running by pastel-colored Victorian charmers. You've got 20 on your schedule and it doesn't matter how you get there, just that you get it done.

Around the next bend is an Amish farmer's market..

... tables covered with crates of fruits and veggies, buckets filled with sunflowers and daffodils.

 

You hear the ting, ting, ting of a railroad crossing and realize there's a commuter train station across the street.

How lucky is this? You could hop on the next train, ride to the next stop, get off and run back! Take this wild runnin' thing to a new level!

 Yeah, you're that crazy, but maybe leave that one for another day. Time to head back to the car to refuel. Hmmm.....that's if you can find your way back!

Riley's Rumble

August 3rd

With just two months to go to Can Lake, and our grueling, long August runs going full force, we were ready to ruuummmble at Riley's. A mere half marathon? Meh, child's play.

Or not. This race had some serious hills! But Carol, Nicolas, and I knew this going in...and we decided to incorporate it into a longer run.  Carol "The Machine" Shuford was wrapping a 30-something run around Riley's. And I had 18 miles on my rogue training schedule.

 

We blasted off and pretty soon I was playing tag with an older man whose shirt read "Antique but still running.." And he was running ahead of me and was soon out of sight! I was in slow motion on those hills.

The quiet, rural roads...the green rolling hills...the easy camaraderie with the other runners... yeah, all of that was great. But THE BEST part of Riley's Rumble was the popsicles --AKA Electrolyte Freeze Pops!

I opted for the One-More-Hill-and-I'll-Collapse Cherry. Yum! Why don't other races do this?

The volunteers were amazing too... I loved this race!

At the 8 mile mark I still had a 10 mile run ahead of me. It was a rough one-- the humidity, the sore feet, the lack of energy. I suppose the mileage buildup is taking a toll! But it can always be worse, right?

 

Can Lake bound in two months.