Rifle River State Recreation Area

This is a bit of a test. I got a new video camera a couple of weeks ago. It's the RCA Small Wonder. It's really small and doesn't have the best resolution compared to full sized cameras. However, it uses flash memory, is very easy to use, and sends video clips quickly to a computer through a USB connection. In other words, it's perfect for carrying around while exploring new parks, as Elliott and I did yesterday when we went for a hike at the Rifle River State Recreation Area, just outside Rose City. It was a really nice place, I would recommend it.





I might even carry the camera during the race. Then, all of you supporters can get a first hand account of the race. I'll have to devise a way to carry it.

Saginaw County Rail Trail

Ah, sweet recovery. Here are my stats: 38 miles this week. 15 mile long run. Average pace (include stops) 10:20 minutes/mile. Average heart rate 148 beats/minute. Almost no knee pain. Nice and nearly back to my pre-injury stats.

Dave, my brother, and Lauren, my sister-in-law, came up from Ohio for a visit (good to see you!) and Dave had the idea to track down the local rails-to-trails system. Rails to trails are genuinely good ideas. Basically, the idea is that you take nicely level and groomed, but abandoned, railroads and turn them into paths for recreation. Think active communities where it is pleasant and convenient to move about by human power. Especially after moving back from Oregon to Michigan, its really struck me how car oriented this area is. I like running--I don't like running while dodging traffic.

To our pleasant surprise, the very newly completed Saginaw Valley Rail Trail is antithetical to the car oriented nature of most city planning. By that, I mean its a very nice place to run. It consists of a 9 mile stretch of pavement that goes from Saginaw to St. Charles. An equestrian trail runs parallel, although this trail was little more than a newly mowed path a few feet from the paved pedestrian path. The northern parking lot was pretty full although most people on the path seemed to be biking with a handful of rollerbladers. Dave, Lauren, and I were the only runners. Along the northern 3 mile section that we ran, trees provided excellent shade and we even discovered a very new looking restroom with a Gatorade vending machine after 3 miles--a runner's dream!

Anyway, I picked up Elliott and Casey to finish my long run for the day later in the afternoon, but it was great to have company for part of the day's run.

Mt. Douglas

My long run turned into a regular run since I decided to go out to dinner with some people from MSU. We went to a seafood place overlooking the bay. It was nice to get a chance to see downtown Victoria.

I wanted to get at least a bit of a run in so I ran to the top of Mt. Douglas after I got back to my room. I'd had my eye on this park since there was a race being held there today. I decided to go to sessions instead of the race, but I figured I could still get some of the experience just running it myself. It isn't a high peak, but I promise you it was steep. The sun was started to set when I started my ascent and it was pretty close to dark by the time I got to the top. That was okay since there was a paved road the whole way and a parking lot at the top with several people enjoying the view. The view of Victoria was awesome and well worth the time it took to get up there. It was dark enough you could see all the lights of the city, but still bright enough you could see the bay and the Olympic Mountains in the distance. Very nice.

So I only ran 9 miles instead of the 20 I had planned. That's okay--sometimes you just need to go with the flow. Besides, I figure the hill more than made up for it.

I gotta leave for the airport at like 4:30 AM so I better get some sleep. Next post should be back in the US.

Adrian Michigan Kiwanis Trail Review

I'm stuck in Minniapolis for a layover and got tired of working on my conference paper so I thought I would write a review of the Kiwanis Trail I did my long run on last week.

The Kiwanis Trail is a rails-to-trails path that runs from Adrian, Michigan to Tecumseh. It's a paved path approximately 7 miles long and originates at Trestle Park. The park is itself worth a short visit as it has a multilevel boardwalk, is well kept, and modern. For you longer runners it also has a fully functional restroom and water fountain.

The path is excellent for running and takes you through a combination of rural residential and farmfields. Scenery isn't anything spectacular with a few rusted out cars decorating backyards. Still, there aren't too many road crossings and most of the path is shaded, which is great in the summer. There is at least one additional water/restroom stop about half-way down the path at a church that was recently constructed adjacent to the path. They welcome visitors and offer a parking lot that could serve as another starting point. The church is just off of SR52 on Valley Rd.

There is a shooting range approximately 5 miles north of Trestle Park. While I haven't noticed any bullets whizzing by, Casey doesn't like shooting so I try and keep this in mind.

Traffic on the path can be somewhat heavy the closer you get to Adrian, but in several runs, I've primarily encountered bicyclists closer to Tecumsah. As with many people, I prefer loops, but this trail definitely makes for an easy and pleasant run in the country without having to put up with the road-kill of a country road.

For more information go to: http://www.a1trails.com/rail/mi/kiwanis.html