This weekend was finally my chance to run the “spring loop”, as it is known amongst the Bimbler’s Sound running group.  The “loop” consists of 38 miles of gentle undulating hills on the Mohawk and Appalachian Trails in the northwestern region of Connecticut.  

A 7:30 start meant hitting the road by 5:45.  I drove along with Forrest and met up with Downhill, Ultra and their pups Chase and Sammy, at the trailhead.  After a few minutes of gearing up we where on our way.  

From left to right-Forrest, Mayor, Ultra, and Downhill

The “loop” was anything but short on hills and this showed immediately right from the get go.  I tried to keep a smooth pace knowing that I would be out for quite some time.  The day was just beginning so I wasn’t trying to push the pace to hard.  This would be one of my last big training runs before VT, so I wasn’t out to push my luck.  For me, this run would be more about endurance than speed.  

The sun made its presence known early in the morning and would cause us to slow down the pace as the day went on.  Luckily for me, I am not much of a sweater, so I was dealing with dehydration al that much.  A 2 qt Camelback lasted me close to 6 or 7 hours.  This was certainly not nearly enough water, but prior to the start of the run, I consumed quite a bit of water melon and topped it off with nearly a quart of water so I had plenty of liquids in my body. 

For us we were lucky to come across many river/stream crossings throughout the day so finding a place to cool off or top off our water bottles came with ease.

We came across many interesting creatures throughout the day.  A few deer were seen as well as frogs here in there, as well as LEACHES!!  I have never seen a leach, and watching Downhill go knee deep into a pond, that would instantly stir up many blood sucking leaches, I was hoping to never see them again.  Another cool creature that I have never seen before were salamanders and the trail hosting what seemed like hundreds along the way.  These were a bright orange color.  I would have like to take one home, but opted to leave them at peace with nature.

A few pics from the trail

Our day continued up and over many hills, around bends, through fields, and eventually came to an end once we reached the top of Mohawk Ski Resort.  Well, we still had a 2 mile road section but we did our best to kick the pace up just to finish as soon as possible.  We ended up finishing in 11 hours and 9 minutes!!  Some may not think so, but even after 11 hours on the trail, the one thing I didn’t lose, was my sanity!!

Today would be another workday at the farmer’s market.  A wide variety of fresh produce has been showing up and today was no exception.  Riverbank Farm, located in northwestern Connecticut, brought an amazing crop of fresh veggies to the Westport Farmer’s Market today.  The lovely ladies of Riverbank Farm offered up some fantastic produce.  Among my purchases were beautiful, ripe and sweet tasting cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, garlic scape pesto, and kolrabi.  With a bag full of nature’s bounty, I was excited to get home and whip up a few dishes.  Here’s what I came up with:

Kolrabi and Summer Squash Pesto

First, make a dressing:

In a blender add the following ingredients:

1/2 c sesame oil

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 c unhulled sesame seeds

1/4 c water

2t kelp powder

1T scape pesto

1T ginger

1 pinch cayenne

Puree until smooth and creamy

Set aside.  Now peel outer layer off kolrabi.  Set aside greens.  They can be used in a wilted green salad with kale, chard and beet greens.  Cut the kolrabiinto chunks and place in a food processor.  Add 1 chopped summer squash and pulse until veggies are reduced to small pieces.  Add about half of the dressing and blend to incorporate.  That’s it!  The delicate taste of the kolrabi is enhanced by the garlic and sesame.  I tend to go lite on the salt beacuse I like to taste what the veggies have to offer.

Early Tomato and Fennel Salad

In a bowl, add halved tomatoes, sliced sugar snap peas, thinly sliced fennel with some chopped fennel fronds.  Add a touch of lemon, olive oil, lots of fresh black pepper, and a pinch of salt.  Heaven!!

A few pints of cherries and strawberries also came with me, but they didn’t make it past the car ride home!

Sunday, while heading out of the hall where my family gathering was,I noticed a large accumulation of dark berries beside my car.  When I looked up at the tree, I noticed it was a giant mulberry tree.  MAJOR SCORE!!!! I bet not a single person, besides myself will enjoy the taste of these amazing berries.  In minutes I quickly yielded a few pounds and have barley put a dent on the amount of berries for the taking.  I will be sure to check back every few days for a fresh batch.  If anybody is interested in a little urban harvesting adventure, let me know!!

Today I harvested some 4+ pounds of fresh kale.  They are so crisp and beautiful, I can’t wait to share them with others.  My garden is in full effect and bursting with colors and veggies.  A gorgeous organic heirloom variety of zucchini just yielded 2 wonderful specimens.  Tomatoes are beginning to take shape and it is is only a matter of a few weeks before i get to enjoy their ripe juicy fruits.  

Between work and my personal garden, I am so blessed to have such a splendid variety of fresh produce.

 I love this life!

Unless I am gifted with incredibly swift feet, when it comes to VT100, I can guaruntee I will be running in the dark.  Today, while going for a quick shake out run during lunch, I realized that I have not run in the dark in well over a year.  

So to add an additional element to my training I decided to wait until the sun went down to go for my daily run.  Around 8:45 pm, I headed down rte 146 and into The Quarry woods.  Atop my head fit my Petzel heeadlamp with a fresh set of batteries.  The first 20 minutes, where a bit awkward as I tried to get the settings right on the light and adjust to a different style of running.  I really enjoyed being in the woods alone at a time of day when most folks are calling it a night.  Thousands of fireflies, would keep me company as I made my way through one of my favorite trail systems.

Two hours later, I would make it home with a smile on my face and a sense of accomplishment.  I will be sure to get in a few more night time runs in over the next few weeks just to feel more comfortable with myself and the darkness.

Since this past weekend,I have really stepped up my training.  Yesterdays double, 20+ miles, and another 2 hour run today have me ready to put in some 80 miles in by the end of the week.  My body is taking a liking to the extra miles and I feel it is perfect timing to get in one BIG week before slowly tapering over the next couple weeks leading into VT.

This has been an EPIC weekend for me on many levels.  First off, summer has finally arrived!  Kids are now out of school and the beaches will be back from now until Labor Day.  The solstice has always been an important time of the year for me because it always meant my birthday was soon to follow.  Today I am now 30 years old.  What does this mean for me now?  Well the only thing I can think of is that I now move into a new age bracket in running.  This is where I get my butt kicked for the next few years.  Not that I am really a contender against anybody but myself, but it is like I stepped up to a new level.  

Yesterday was a big day for me as I near the final stages of training for VT100.  I left my house at 5:30am to meet up with a few running pals and didn’t return home until 1pm.  There where plenty of times that the group and I stopped to chat but I would say I was out running for close to 5hrs.  Nearing the last 1 or so, I was began to hit the wall.  With the exception of a banana and a few apple slices at 9am, I consumed no food.  Water was minimal and the hot sun began to take its toll on me.  When I finally made it home, I could do nothing but curl up on the lawn for a bit to rest my aching legs.  After an icy cold shower, I continued to eat everything in site.  Watermelon quickly went down the hatch and was so perfect and hydrating.

Last night I met up with some of my beautiful friends as we also celebrated the 4th of July in Branford.  A bit early but last night was the Branford Fireworks. Good times with good friends!!

Happy Summer Everybody!!

Today I was fortunate enough to work the Westport farmers market.  Being at the markets is a great way to not only meet the customers, but share some recipes, and take home fresh local produce.  Although it is fairly early in the season, organic farms were bursting with fresh goods.  Also available where fresh baked bread and pastries, meats and shellfish, and a first site for me, Emu eggs.  Emu eggs are huge and their size is equal to about 10 chicken eggs!!

After stocking up on produce, I went home and prepared a few dishes.  Hope you enjoy!!

Mizuna and Radish Salad

Clean and wash radishes.  Save the greens and add to salad mix or if bold, throw into your favorite green smoothie.  Slice the radishes as thin as you can with a knife or a japanese mandoline.  Place in a bowl with a handful or so of fresh mizuna. Segment a lemon by slicing the 2 ends off.  Place on a flat side and cut off the outer pith.  Then cut out the segments, like one would with a grapefruit.  Add a few segments to the bowl.  Drizzle with a touch of olive oil, a pinch of crystal salt, and a few turns of fresh cracked black pepper.  Toss together and enjoy!

“Wilted” Bok Choy Salad

Remove bok choy leaves from stem and place in a large bowl.  Drizzle with some cold pressed sesame oil, and a pinch of crystal salt.  Massage leaves with your hands.  This will soften up the stems and leaves and make them nice and yummy.  Next slice some snap peas and add to the bowl.  Thinly slice a bit of shallot and add that in there as well.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds, squeeze some lime, and add some freshly grated ginger.  Mix well and serve it up!

Kale-Parsley and Strawberries w/ Vanilla Vinaigrette

YUM!!  Ideally strawberries love to be paired with arugula but Starlight Gardens was out of stock today.  So, Siberian kale with a few leaves of parsley will work perfectly.  Tear up the kale leaves a bit.  Sprinkle with crystal salt and massage the greens a bit.  Massaging greens helps to break down the cell walls and allow the heavier greens to digest a little bit easier.  I prefer young tender greens, but if none are available, massaging is a great technique.  Once the greens are tender, toss in some parsley leaves and a few halved strawberries.  

Now its time for the vinaigrette.  I like my dressings to be 2 parts oil to 1 part acid.  So add some lemon juice and a double the amount of olive or hemp oil.  Add a pinch of crystal salt, and some fresh cracked black pepper.  If you have fresh vanilla beans, your golden!  Scrape out a teaspoon or so of the inside and  whisk into the oil and lemon.  Vanilla extract will also work, but it won’t be as magical as the fresh stuff.  Taste the dressing.  Is it perfect?? Does it need a touch of raw honey? Once ready, add to the greens and  gently mix.  Supper time!

Today I had the pleasure of joining friend’s Kevin and Ann Marie Gianni for the newest addition of Renegade Health.  Today’s video featured me making a Cucumber-Avocado soup.  Check it out below!

Aftewards, since I was in Danbury, I decided to head north and go for a run on the Appalachian Trail.  Once in Kent, I found the white blazes and was excited for a taste of the AT.  

I changed into running gear and once on the trail, I instantly found myself climbing up into Macedonia Brook State Park.  It was roughly 3pm and it was unusually dark outside.  Within minutes the skies opened up and the rain began to fall.  I am totally okay with running in the rain, but once I saw lightening come down, I knew it was time to get out of the woods. 

With quick feet, I made my way out of the woods as soon as possible to avoid any encounters with a lightening bolt. With only an hour in the woods, I was a bit bummed to have my run shortened, but happy to be safe in my car.  I then continued north up into the area of the Mohawk Trail.  This trail system, now known to fellow Bimbler’s as the “Spring Loop”, is often used as a training run for us ultra runners, or for some ultra trainers.  I have yet to venture on the loop, but hope to get there soon.

Well, I hope you are enjoying the fresh strawberries that are now in season around the state.  I have been feasting on my first big harvest from the garden of kale, radishes, lettuces, purslaine, and edible flowers.

 Have I mentioned that I love watermelon??

Recipes to follow….

This weekend was once again filled with great training runs.  Saturday morning I met up with Ultra and Downhill for a 3+ hour run on a 15 mile section of the Bluff 50k course.  This particular section features lots of climbs and rocks, but does offer up some wonderful views.  The hot and muggy weather made for some sticky situations and made for a feeding frenzy by the local mosquito population.

Sunday I would bike over to the Branford green and then do the Wagon Wheel loop of the Supply Pond trail system.  I would run for just over an hour before finishing up.  The Branford Road Race was starting to bring runners to the center of town, so I was in debate on whether or not I should take part in the classic 5 mile jaunt.  Around 9:15 or so I said what the heck and signed up.  I wasn’t well prepared and would have to settle for my lightweight new Balance 790 trail shoes.  I must say, they actually felt great even while pounding on the roads.

Some 1500 runners take part in this event, particularly because it is part of a local series of road races in CT.  At 10:15 the gun went off and I tried hard to just run strong and steady without too much effort. I have run this course so many times over the last few years, but it still can creep up on you in certain places. I tried my best to surge the hills and use the downhills that followed as a recovery zone.  This seemed to work and I felt solid throughout the race.  When the final quarter mile stretch comes, I find I am running on pure adrenaline.  Hundreds of spectators line the streets and and cheer on the runners as the near the finish line.  I round the corner onto Main Street and give it everything I have.  I would finish at a time of 34:11.  This was only 20 seconds behind last years time, but I know that I gave everything I had last year to run under 34 minutes.  I feel I have a much mire solid base and a stronger build than I had last year.  As much as I am not a fan of pounding the streets, it was a nice break from the trails, and with the crowd support, made for a great day to run Branford.

I would take Monday off from running but I did manage to put in over 25 miles on my fixed gear.I ventured into West Haven, then made my way into New Haven for a burst of East Rock.  After a brief rest to enjoy the view, I followed rte 80 into North Branford.  I stopped by a friends house to take in some volleyball and before I knew it, the thunder and lightning came rolling in.  Instead of trying my best to make it home before being struck by lightning, I decided to take a ride home.  Smart move…

So I am just about a month away from Vermont.  WOW!!  Hard to believe, but I think all my hard work is paying off.  I am still due for a few more long runs, but now is the time to focus on staying strong and injury free.  I must keep up with proper fueling and adequate rest.

My friend Jerry runs Western States next week, and I must say I am a bit jealous, that I will be missing out. Good Luck my man!!

Hot Dang its Hot!!  But I am okay with that.  I have spent the past few months shaking in my Crocs while trying to get use to spring in New England.  Summer weather is here and I am ready for it to stay.

With the first heat wave hitting the Connecticut shoreline this past weekend, it has caused me to rethink my training strategies.  In the past, I would generally start my training runs earlier in the morning so that I would finish before the heat poured on.  With VT100 coming up I have to face the fact that if it hot outside, which I assume it will be, then I will need to get use to the sun beating on my back. So with my long on Sunday, I decided to head out at 9am.  I completed close to 4.25 hours of mixed roads and trails in temperatures close to if not above 90*F.  It was certainly a tough run and I didn’t have nearly enough water to stay as hydrated as i would have liked to be, but I was fortunate to have a few water crossings where I could dunk my head in and cool my body down a bit.  

Successfully running in the warmer months only proves that there are many other factors in ultra running that can make or break the ability to finish.  The first and foremost need is to be physically ready to endure a challenge like running 100 miles straight.  Proper training, rest and recovery are essential in allowing this to happen.  

For me, my biggest worry may be hydration.  I have always consumed less liquids than I should be and usually feel completely toasted at the end of a long run or race.  In temps over 85*F, I think I will need to consume close to if not more than a half gallon of water every hour.  With aid stations every 3 miles in VT, I will be able to have access to water without needing to carry so much.  I am sure, friends, family and volunteers will help me to keep up with my water intake while on the course.

For those of you constantly on the go, you are in luck.  

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