Round and Round vs. There and Back

There's an age old question in my mind when it comes to running or hiking or biking or even driving for that matter. Is it better to go in a big loop or back and forth along the same route? I think I prefer the loop but even that gets tiring and I need to switch it up from time to time. Sometimes it hard to choose but the option of not doing anything is far worse.
Here are my usual running routes. The Red Loop is exactly 2 miles and the Yellow Stretch is 1 mile out and 1 mile back. They both offer plenty of hills and scenery through wooded areas and past lakes to keep my mind off of just running back and forth or in circles. In preparation for the Mount Desert Marathon I would do a combination of both and also incorporate many of the carefully measured offshoot roads and trails to meet whatever my goal was on any given day. There was a big difference there too since I had a goal to reach in October. These days I'm usually only running one or the other of these routes at a time with no big plans. I'm happy to be out and running 2 miles most days and with time constraints what they are, will settle for that for now. On each outing I'll start out down the driveway and up to the end of the block where if I haven’t already made up my mind it’s time to make my decision. Go to the left and do the loop or to the right for the straight out and back. Each track has its pros and cons and I often battle with my lazy side as it makes every mental suggestion to take the day off. Come on Gar! It's only 2 miles! The loop with its steep, steep uphill and then steep downhill often finds my mind looking for ways to convince me to just walk up the slope. I generally avoid this temptation on the way up but need to fight it again when I get down to lake level and start back up the gentle rise toward the house. Haven't I run far enough today already? On the There and Back Stretch I am usually ok until the turn around point. It’s that second part that becomes a battle. Do I really have to run this way all over? Once again It's Only 2 Miles Gar! and its all in my head too. I'm not tired, just lazy or worse, I haven't set a goal. In both instances I have to break out my best Captian Kirk/William Shatner "Must Not Stop!" Wasn't there an episode where he dramatically battled some unseen force? Anyway, lately I have been feeling like I need to set another goal to put a little more purpose in my stride. I started with running to do something positive in remembrance Joshua and that continues to be a big motivation anytime I get out and run. An important benefit is that it keeps me in shape for my family as well. I’ve been resisting the idea but thoughts of another marathon have been creeping back into my consciousness. But like which route to choose i've been having a hard time making a decision. I dread the idea of committing to long runs but that comes with the territory. I do have a couple of short organized runs for charity on my radar for the summer just to keep active. I’m not going to be soliciting donations on these although if anyone is inspired to give to any charity that’s great! Be sure to post a comment too! On that note I’m off on a jog, the loop this time, I think.

Spring Cleaning task No3.

The weather continues to warm up as we move into the month of May. Here in the Northeast we have been getting our dose of April and May showers and the rewards for all of this precipitation, the May flowers and green leaves are evident everywhere you look. With all of this springing out around us it’s hard to remember that we even had a winter at all. Just so I don’t forget about it entirely, I’d like to jump back to perhaps the coldest and the coolest days of the past winter. In February, Cari-anne and I had a very rare opportunity to get away on our own. The boys took their vacation from us at Grandma and Grandpa’s and we split for the weekend. Our escape took us north about 5 hours into the heart of winter and to a little town called Saranac Lake NY. We had caught word of a Winter Carnival and for weeks had been eager to get up there to check it out. Each year since 1898 there has been a celebration to break the monotony of the long cold winter. What started out way back then as a one-day event has grown into a 2 week festival that includes parades, dances, stage productions, concerts, sporting events including a 4 mile fun run which is one of the things that caught my eye to begin with. There was also hatchet throwing and even more interesting the cast iron frying pan toss. You really needed to keep your eyes open because more than once these projectiles went off course and toward the spectators. Each year the carnival is given a theme and 2009's theme was "Pirates Of The Adirondacks." So you can be sure there were plenty of people walking around dressed as pirates. Don’t ask me why with all of the real pirates about we got our picture with a cardboard cut-out of Jack Sparrow but we did. There is a genuine Adirondack pirate there too though. I might as well admit to it now and get it out of the way. Even though I packed my cold weather running gear, I just couldn’t resist sleeping late and skipped the 4 mile fun run event. With my 2 little alarm clocks hours away and having no doubt woken the grandparents much much earlier, I was just opening my eyes at the 9am start time. I can’t remember the last time I slept that late! From there it was out to breakfast and delicious hot hot coffee at a local eatery. I did feel a little guilty seeing the runners jogging through the snow in this winter wonderland and then comming into the resturant for a late breakfast. After this we spent the day exploring the town. The main attraction is of course the Ice Palace. It was just a short walk across the lake from our hotel. The entire castle and other items are made from ice blocks cut out of the lake. If you examine them carefully, every now and then you might see a fish frozen in the walls. I noticed a baby bottle in one block as well. When we arrived the night before It was 2 degrees out! Immediately after checking into our room we where off to see this magical structure. So here are a bunch of pictures starting with the view from our hotel the next day and us standing and shivering at the gates of the palace the night we arrived. How could you not be cold the whole place was made of ice right down to the throne, cannons and adirondack chairs. I love things like this and we spent a frigid long time crawling through passages, wandering through the ice block maze and climing on the pirate ship (also made of ice.) There were just to many cool things about this place and to many pictures to add all of them here. We planned our stay to coicide with the opening ceremony for the Ice Palace and our hotel had one of the best views for the festivities. This included the lighting of the Ice Palace and then a tremendous fireworks display. Yeah! who doesn't enjoy a good fireworks display. So here are a few more shots.

This last photo is pretty much the view from our room. It was cool to see it right out the window throughout the night. When we woke up in the morning we could still see the palace glowing. We had to pack up and hit the road again. A quick stop for some more delicious coffee and then back to home. This is a place I know we will return to with the boys when they get a bit older. Next time I'll be sure to do the run too.

If you would like a little more information about the Winter Carnival, it can be obtained by contacting the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, 39 Main St., Saranac Lake, NY 12983, or at 1-800-347-1992, (518) 891-1990 or http://www.saranaclake.com/