Live Free and Hike: A NH Day Hiker's Blog

The Doubleheads with a Good Friend! Jackson, NH 05-20-13

2013-05-21T21:57:00.000-04:00

The Doubleheads in Jackson, NH have always been a fascinating set of mountains for me. I’ve always wanted to hike them but can’t really recall what gave me that itch. Maybe it was just the fact that they were in Jackson. I recall the first time I was able to pinpoint them from a higher elevation. It was on the Lion Head Trail while hiking Mount Washington. They were perfectly shaped mountains. Not too pointy or too round. They looked like perfect twins in the distance…and they were in my favorite New Hampshire town!

Sign at the Doublehead Ski Trailhead

The Doubleheads, as seen from the Lion Head Trail on Mount Washington in 2011

Everyone I’ve spoken to with regards to hiking them always said the same thing, “it’s a steep hike”! How steep could it really be, though? Could it be as bad as the Flume Slide Trail or the upper portion of the Holt Trail on Cardigan? Both of those are steep, but also tough due to rock scrambling. What about Mount Tecumseh Trail? The upper portion of that trail is steep too, covered with rocks and pretty much the same scenery all the way up. I’ve been on these trails and I would have expected the Doubleheads to be similar or less trying…so how bad could it be??? Well, let me tell you, it was bad!

My buddy Alex is having a baby soon (well, his wife is, but he’s certainly involved), as well as starting a new job next week. He was able to work in a little time off before the craziness begins so I decided to recruit him to do some hiking with me. Since I hadn’t been to the Whites for a while, I chose the Doubleheads as a good candidate to reintroduce my endurance to hiking. Alex agreed it would be a good spring hike and we set a date to tackle them.

We started our trip off at one of my favorite breakfast cafes, The Big Bean Cafe in Newmarket, NH. That great breakfast energized us and we grabbed a couple of fresh smoothies for the ride (they make the best smoothies!!!). The drive was a little concerning since it was cloudy most of the way and started to rain pretty hard when we got to Conway. We were thinking we may be rained out but when we hit the trailhead, the sun started to break through the clouds.

Private Road at Trailhead Parking

Ski Trail Exiting from Private Way on Right

Hikers Welcome!

Our original plan was to head up the New Path which ascends South Doublehead, and it eventually meets ups with the Old Path. From there, we were going to head to the summit of North Doublehead, then backtrack to the col, and descend via the Old Path to the Doublehead Ski Trail (which welcomes hikers). From the the Doublehead Ski Trailhead, we were going to hoof it back to the New Path’s trailhead, 0.5 miles south on Dundee Road. However, when we got there, we realized the Doublehead Ski Trailhead is downhill from the New Path trailhead. Therefore, it made sense to do the loop in the reverse direction than what we had originally planned.

Hobblebush Flowers

The parking area is at the beginning of a private road and is large enough for approximately four cars. We geared up quickly, making sure we had enough bug spray to keep the lingering black flies and mosquitoes away after the earlier rain came through. We headed down the private road for a very short distance before there was a sign for the Doublehead Ski Trail exiting on the right. The sign indicated that the trail welcomed hikers, but users of the trail should keep in mind it is a ski trail and respect it as such.

Painted Trillium

Trout Lily Buds

Right away, a few steps into the trail, I noticed my favorite wildflower in full bloom, the Hobblebush. Jim Salge once told me, (or I read on his blog, can’t recall now) that the larger flowers on the perimeter of the cluster are actually “dummy” flowers and can’t be used for pollinating. They are actually there to attract bees for the smaller flowers in the middle. This is amazing to me. Two completely different flowers budding from the same plant and one is literally just a decoy!

Toad Number 1

Toad Number 2

The Doublehead Ski Trail was pretty muddy and waterlogged, but certainly nothing that wasn’t easy to make our way through. The first 0.6 miles went by very fast as we discussed things friends discuss, while admiring Painted Trilliums, White Violets, Trout Lillies (buds, not opened yet) and some hopping toads! We finally came to a junction where the Old Path trail went right and the Doublehead Ski Trail continued left. We took some photo ops at the trail sign and then we were off again.

Here Moosy, Moosy, Moosy! Moose Print!

As soon as we got onto to the Old Path, the trail conditions changed dramatically. We went from a nice wide trail that we could hike two abreast to one that was barely wide enough for one. Also, the moderate grade we had made such great time on was GONE! This trail was steep…I mean close to straight up…and it was brutal! This steepness was consistent for 0.6 miles and did not let up until we met the junction with the New Path at the top of the ridge in the col. There, we saw the first Purple Trillium’s of the day, which made the grueling steepness worth it.

Hobblebush Leaves!

Purple Trillium

We hung a left at this junction and continued on the Old Path. It was not long before that flat, ridge walk turned into the last, very steep (again) 0.3 miles to the North Doublehead summit. Just before the summit, we did find a small cairn, where there was a small spur path to an outlook. We followed it for a few hundred feet, but the path disappeared on us, with no viewpoint in site. So, we continued onto the summit.

Hobblebush Again!

Doublehead Ski Cabin on the Summit of North Doublehead

Sign on the Doublehead Ski Cabin

The Old Path trail leveled off very quickly and a log cabin appeared. It was the Doublehead Cabin, built in the 1930’s around the same time that the Doublehead Ski Trail was blazed. We noticed there were some heads moving around inside and found there were a few guys from Chicago staying in the cabin for a few nights. After chatting with them for a while, we worked our way around the back of the cabin to a viewpoint to the north. We had a quick snack there while watched fast moving fog move in and out of the valleys. After just a short time, the bugs motivated us to get moving again.

View from North Doublehead Summit, with the Fog Rolling Through

Some Little Pine Cones

We headed back down to the col and continued straight onto to the New Path and toward South Doublehead. The climb was by no means as steep as what we had endured previously. 0.2 miles after the col junction, we made our way onto a fantastic ledge with wide views to the west, which spanned from Carter Notch all the way down to South Moat and Kearsarge, North. The sun had made its way out with a few lingering clouds and view was spectacular. We thought this was a perfect place to drop our packs, eat some lunch, drink some coffee and soak in the views!

Black Mountain Ski Mountain

Carter Notch Emerging from the Clouds

After a long rest, Alex and I continued south on the New Path. We soon came to a trail sign which had been knocked to the ground. It didn’t look like a junction to us, but rather a sign letting people know the mileage to the different junctions and summits. We continued straight as we thought this was still the New Path. We soon came to what we thought may have been the summit. A large cairn marked the area with good views. We continued on further and came to “another” summit with two large cairns! I recall reading in the White Mountain Guide that there was as spur path that brings you over two knobs on South Doublehead with great views. I immediately thought this must be what we were on. That lead to the next question…where did we miss the trail turnoff!!!

New Path Sign Knocked Over...This is when we started getting lost!

Cairn on first knob on South Doublehead!

View over to the Moats and Cathedral Ledge

We turned around and double backed to the trail sign that was on the ground. We continued to look around and could not find a trail. We finally looked to our west, since that’s the direction the map told us we should go and made out what “might” be a trail. However, if it was, it was not heavily used! We continued down this path for a short distance and soon found that it must be the trail.

My Buddy Alex and I on South Doublehead!

Double Cairns on the Second Knob of South Doublehead!

Look back on North Doublehead

Carter Notch Again

Remember when I said the Old Path was brutal and steep. The New Path was worse! I think it was steeper, had more slippery roots and did not have any blazes. Alex and I lost the trail multiple times. Also, it looked like it hadn’t been maintained in years, as washouts and mini-landslides had destroyed some sections. On one portion of the trail, there is a wide ledge. Heading down, it’s not clear which direction to go on the far side of the ledge. While looking around for the exit, I slipped and fell pretty hard on the slab. Again, something that I feel could have been avoided with some blazes, markers or cairns…I was very annoyed at this point.

Fire Tower on Kearsarge, North

Washed out New Path Trail

Historical Stonewall near the bottom of the New Path

After an extremely difficult and painful (literally) descent, Alex and I made it to the point where the terrain leveled off. It was finally easy going…but then, we had to dodge dog poop!!! Apparently, and this is just a suspicion on my part since we heard dogs barking form nearby dwellings, someone in the area must routinely walk there dog on the lower portion of the trail. This was not just one occurrence. We had to dodge twenty or more I would say. Needless to say, the New Path was not all that enjoyable for a descent. We did finally make it to Dundee Road, from which we headed back to the car for a relaxing beverage.

Purple Violet

New Path Trailhead Sign

This was a memorable hike because I had wanted to do it for so long and even though I had been told it was steep, I did not expect it to be as difficult as it was. Quite frankly, it kicked my butt! Regardless of the steepness, one foot in front of the other did get us to the summit. We saw some great wildflowers and some toads. We also got to explore some trails we had never seen before and made a loop out of it, even getting lost at times. However, the best part of the day was spending it with a friend that I have not hiked with in a very long time. Hiking in the Whites is therapeutic when with a friend. You can catch up on what’s new and where you’re heading in life, while also reliving glory days that your everyday thought’s have forgotten. That’s exactly what Alex and I did, and I look forward to doing again on another mountain in the very near future.

Lylah's First Hike With Her Own Two Feet!!! Stratham Hill Park

2013-05-06T19:29:00.003-04:00

We were pretty busy this past weekend, but managed to get outside a bit. I started the weekend off with a 4.5 mile run on Friday afternoon, which I had miscalculated the miles for as I had only planned on running 3.25 miles. The extra mileage was tough for me, but I felt good after accomplishing it. On Sunday morning, I decided to get back out for another run. This time, I took the baby in the BOB stroller. She was much more excited than I was and after I got her all bundled up and started up the driveway, she started yelling, “We’re running, we’re running”. That of course put a smile on my face and motivated me to run 2.5 miles. I must say, pushing the stroller up hills while running, definitely adds to the workout.

My little munchkin hiking, for the first time!

Later Sunday afternoon, Jill and I decided to bring Lylah to the park. I had noticed recently that one of my favorite outdoor locations, Stratham Hill Park, actually had a small playground. So, we brought Lylah there as we didn’t believe it would be that crowded on a Sunday. It wasn’t crowded at all and she had a blast sliding down the big slide and swinging on the swings. We didn’t have plans to climb the hill, but I figured I’d ask Lylah if she wanted to go to the top. I was surprised when she said, “yeah”, although I don’t really know if she knew what I was asking her. She answers “yeah” to just about any question these days. What was most astonishing was that she voluntarily walked away from the swings.

The Lincoln Trailhead

Trailhead Sign

Jill and I started up the Lincoln Trail which is gravel covered, but nicely graded. Near the beginning of the trail, I spotted a wildflower and decided to put Lylah down to snap a shot. You see, I had just assumed we’d have to carry her up the hill since she still pretty little, and under two years of age. However, as soon as we let her down, she started marching right up the trail. She’d stop every now and then to pick up a rock that she thought was pretty, but for the most part, she seemed more determined than Jill and I to get to the top. It was really amazing to see the munchkin walk steadily uphill and it was great to see her having so much fun while she was doing it. She had a smile on from beginning to end!

The munchkin again!

Wood Anemone

Not sure what kind of flower this is. If anyone knows, please comment.

View of the fire tower as the trail flattens out.

When we started to peak over the top, the fire tower came into sight. It looks as though they’ve recently put a new roof on it and painted it. I also notice they have a new dish antenna on the side, which is much more noticeable than the other antennas that have always been there. I brought Lylah to the top and she seemed to love the views. She wanted to get down and walk around, so I let her…but kept a strong grip of her so that she couldn’t get near the sides. The trip down the tower was a bit nerve racking. At that point, my little “almost two year old” wanted to get down and do the stairs herself. She was squirming all (and whining). Those stairs are small and steep and it was tough getting down them with her acting like that. I finally made it, however, and we decided to head down Stratham Hill. Not before we got a good summit/foot shot on the USGS Benchmark, though!

Fire Tower, looking great after a paint job and a new roof!

Lylah having fun on the landmark-mileage finder...probably not for standing on, but I don't think she hurt anything!

Jill, Lylah and I headed down the back side of the hill, which isn’t so steep. I figured that would be better for her since she seems to build up momentum that she can’t stop on steep, down hills. When we got to the bottom, she headed right back for the swings and slide. We let her play for another 20 minutes or so and then told her we had to go. That’s when we got the attitude because she didn’t want leave. I won’t bore you with the details of her little tantrum!

Having fun on the swings after an exhausting hike!

I can’t tell you how excited and proud I was of Miss Lylah on Sunday. I didn’t think she was old enough to climb a steep (for her size) hill, but she did so very well. She really dominated that tiny mountain. It gave me a good outlook on a couple things. I always worry that she won’t like hiking. If she doesn’t, I’m fine with that. I want her to be happy doing whatever she wants to do. But I would obviously love for her to love hiking, because I hope we can spend time day hiking together…until she’s a young teenager at least, at which time she’ll be “way too cool” to spend time with her parents! Her face, while hiking, helped reassure me that she may just have been bitten by the hiking bug. Also, I worry that I’m going to have to carry her around in the Kelty child carrier until she’s five or six. I can’t explain to you how uncomfortable it is having a heavy kid on your back…and Lylah’s only two (almost). Seeing her make her way up Stratham Hill showed me that I can rely on her to do “some” hiking on her own while she’s younger…maybe not the whole hike, but some anyway.

It was really a great weekend and it gave me an awesome feeling regarding the future of Lylah’s hiking career!

Stratham Hill Park Map

Wiggin Farm - Tuttle Swamp Conservation Area, Newmarket NH

2013-04-21T21:58:00.001-04:00

We had a very busy weekend. We spent a lot of time meeting with landscapers to have some new walkways quoted, making a lawn care supply trip to Lowes and ultimately, working on the lawn most of the day, Sunday. However, we made a commitment to try to be active outside (more than just working in the yard) every weekend moving forward, so today after the lawn was aerated and fertilized, we decided to head over to the Wiggin Farm - Tuttle Swamp Conservation Area in Newmarket, NH. It's pretty close to where we live and we have driven by it so many times, but have never stopped to explore it. Today we did and it was worth the short amount of time to get over there and walk the loop.

There's a PDF file online which has some information on this conservation area as well as a map showing the conservation boundaries and the trails associated. It is 160 acres, with 25 of them being open field. Apparently, this land was slated for 22 house lots a few years back, but the Town of Newmarket purchased the land and saved the ecosystem to be enjoyed for many years to come.

Map at Kiosk

Bridge at Trailhead

The parking area is just off from Grant Road and can easily fit many cars. When we arrived, there were multiple people walking their dogs as well as people trail running. There is a nice sign at the beginning of the trail. There's also a kiosk with a map and information. We started up the trailhead, which was essentially a mowed, grass path heading east into a very large field. Jill and I were on foot, and the munchkin was in the Kelty child carrier on my back.

View from Near the Trailhead

Trees Across the Meadow

We had blue skies, which was great, but the temperature was a little cooler than we had expected. Since the grade was uphill, we warmed up quickly. At the field's highpoint, we came to a white bench and a small sign on the side of the trail which gave information on the farm birds that frequent the area. We found, as we continued up the trail, there were many of these signs with interesting facts regarding the insects, mammals (including moose, which I found strange because moose are rather rare this far south), amphibians and birds that lived in this habitat. At this first point where we paused, there was also an old piece of farm equipment, probably a horse drawn plow or something of that nature. I wondered if it was actually left behind on the property after the farm was abandoned or if it was placed there for decorative reasons.

First Bench on Trail

One of many signs explaining the animals that live in this ecosystem

Old farm equipment, possibly abandoned or placed for decoration

As we continued on, we passed by some foundations (for an old farm house or barn) and what I thought might be old dug well sites. On the east most side of the field, I noticed the historical stonewalls that made up the field boundaries, were well preserved and cleared out nicely.

Old foundations of possibly the farmhouse or barn that once stood on this property

Another picture of the meadow from the northeast corner

Trail heading into the woods

We finally circled back on the northern border of the field and headed west. It wasn't long before we saw that you could head into the woods on another trail if you desired. We obviously wanted to do this and headed into the forest. Right away, I noticed that we were in a small grove of cedar trees. Cedar trees are around this area, but are rare without a doubt! It was great to see so many of them and some were rather large too.

Some of the cedar trees we saw

Rocks and metal pieces at the base of a white birch tree in the woods, seemed very out of place

The trail lead us to a swamp area and a small pond. I've yet to find a name for the pond, but I imagine it does have one. I was surprised to see no signs of life, no turtles, no frogs, no birds, etc. Maybe it's just too early. The only signs of real life we saw (or rather heard) were song birds, which Lylah kept pointing out when they were singing.

Pond at the edge of the woods in Tuttle Swamp

Well maintained stonewalls

When we headed out of the woods and back into the meadow, we had a better view of the pond. I recall seeing trees in the background and noticing how nicely the colorful buds looked on the skyline. I tried my best to capture this color, but my camera didn't do a good job.

Colorful tree buds over the pond

Shot taken on the way out, moon is visible as it's late in the day.

We finally made it back to the original trail we had walked in on, which completed our loop. At that point, we took Lylah out and let her walk the last 100 yards or so to get her out of the pack. It was at that point we noticed Lylah did something she loves to do on our hikes. She threw a toy out of the pack at some point, which was unknown to us. So, I decided to do the loop one more time, double-time (and my hiking boots are not comfortable to run in!), to find her stuffed dolphin that her auntie bought her. She has ridden in the pack three times, and three times she has thrown her toys out and made us retrace our steps...but that is a post for a different day.

This conservation area is a great, quick walk. It's a great place to go for a family hike, do some trail running or walk your dog. It's pretty easy to find and is not far from any of the southeastern towns in New Hampshire. I plan on revisiting this conservation area soon to see if I can find any wildflowers this season. This was definitely a great place to end our busy weekend.

Let's Take a Vote!

2013-04-19T13:01:00.000-04:00

Okay, so recently, we've found that Oscar, our woodchuck that lives just on the outskirts or our property, has found a new dwelling. Apparently, he has created a penthouse under our front porch steps. Obviously, to get access, he has created two holes to get under there (one on each side of the front steps).

Now, I love woodchucks, whereas most think they are a nuisance. My wife wants to trap him (humanely of course) and "relocate" him to a place where he will not eat our flowers and need holes at our front steps. I say, live and let live! I consider him to be part of the family now. Also, I caught him guarding our front door the other day (see picture below :) ).

So, let's take a vote. Should we keep Oscar where he is (which is what I want), or should we humanely relocate him (which is what Jill wants).

Oscar, guarding our front door!

Oscar, finding his next snack next to our front steps.

Where Have I Been???

2013-04-18T11:16:00.001-04:00

Where have I been? That's a great question! It's been almost four months since my last posting. I hate not adding content to this blog as it is one of my favorite pastimes. However, I've been busy with other things lately, mostly having to do with work and the new house. I haven't had much time to get outside and be active, participate in the online hiking community or write on this blog. I'm hoping that will change now that spring is upon us.

As I just mentioned, I wasn't able to get outside much this past winter. One of my goals was to take snowboarding lessons and unfortunately, that fell through. Jill and I were able to get up to Jackson for one night in February, which was our first night away from the baby (thanks Grammy and Grampy). Since it was only one night, we didn't have much time to do anything outside like snowshoeing or learning how to cross-country ski. Hopefully next year, we'll be able to get up there for a few nights over the winter months so we can play in the snow more!

Also, due to this winter, my running has really suffered. I've only been able to get out once a week at best, which really isn't enough time to keep my endurance up. This week, I've gone twice (and my legs are jello) and hope to maintain a minimum of three times a week through the summer...we'll see what happens.

So what's coming up? I'm really not sure. Jill and I are going to be committed to getting outside at least once a week, whether that is a local nature walk, a hike or visiting a local farm to let Lylah pet the cows. I hope to start capturing these moments again here, as I have in the past. This weekend, we plan on heading over to the Wiggin Farm Conservation Area to see how the nature path is. If we make it, I will definitely snap some shots and share them.

Thanks everyone, for continuing to come back, even after my short break! More to follow soon...

Merry Christmas from us at LFAHNH!!!

2012-12-25T20:18:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas, Everyone!!!!!!

The 2012 Searl Family Christmas Tree!

2012-12-17T21:27:00.000-05:00

Going out and tagging a Christmas tree is a fun event and one that we tried for the first time just last year. We had a great time as a family and I wrote about it here. This year didn’t go so smoothly since Tonry Farm, which is where we tagged last year and were very happy with, was not allowing tagging in an effort to help replenish their inventory. Due to this, we decided to try a tree farm in Newmarket which was right up the street. We figured it was nice to have a tree farm so close and would be a nice place to start a traditional tagging trip to. Unfortunately, we were very unhappy with this tree farm. Each tree looked exactly the same (cone shaped, no space in between branches, very fragile limbs). Also, after stepping in dog poop at least two times, Jill and I decided this was not the place for us!

As I’ve explained on this blog last year, I love vintage looking trees. If you look at a spruce tree in the White Mountains, they are not uniformly shaped and cookie cutter like. Instead, they have character. They have space between the branches which are great for hanging decorations. They have wild branches that poke way out like wild arms. Most of all, their branches are very sturdy and firm, as they have not been trimmed, and trimmed…and trimmed, so they can support heavy decorations without bending way over and hitting the floor. Finding a place that sells trees like this is nearly impossible now a day without heading into the woods for a natural tree.

In late November, Jill got a tip from a co-worker (who also likes these types of natural trees) that there was a place on route 108 in Newfields, NH behind J.M. Hayden Equipment. We decided to drive down there a couple weekends back, after a nice dusting of snow. We found trees after driving around for a bit, out in fields that were way off the main road. We had a difficult time finding anyone who was manning the farm, but soon a lady came out and told us we could take whatever we wanted. We just needed to come back to pay. I thought that sounded good, so we were off.

Our Searl Family Christmas Tree, as we found it in the field

Lylah, having fun with Christmas Trees!

Me, cutting it down!

Once we got out in the farm, it was amazing. All of the trees looked like they had grown in the wild. None of them were trimmed like cookie cutter trees, and I loved it. We found the perfect Searl Family Christmas Tree pretty quickly and I cut it down. Once I had it loaded in the back of the truck, I drove up to the house, handed the lady $40 through my driver’s side window (love the drive through service) and told her we’d be back again next year!

Lylah again!

...and again!

We decorated it the way we always do, lighting it with white lights and stringing popcorn and cranberries. We were able to use most of our decorations this year as the spacing between the branches allowed for us to put bulbs all the way in toward the trunk of the tree. We topped it off with an aluminum foil star and placed my mother’s homemade, quilted skirt at the base. By far, this is my favorite Searl Family Christmas Tree!

Our tree prior to decorations!

Behold, the 2012, Searl Family Christmas Tree!!!

So what are some of your favorite Christmas decorations and traditions surrounding your Christmas tree? Comment here and let me know. I’m always looking for more ways to make this tree even better!

A Local Business Giveaway - Live Free and Fly!

2012-11-27T20:08:00.001-05:00

Recently, I was introduced to a website that is dedicated to providing products which celebrates our beautiful surroundings in New England as well as promotes being active while enjoying outdoor activities. They sell different gear and apparel (tees, hoodies, koozies, sunglasses, etc.) and will soon be featuring prints and paintings as well. The name of the site is also very catchy…Live Free and Fly!!!

Live Free and Fly was founded in the summer of 2010 by Matt and Allison, and was a result of their love for doing outdoor activities (skiing, hiking, boarding, etc.) in the Northeast. They wanted to capture the beauty of the outdoors and make it into a lifestyle for their customers. Their motto is, "We change with the seasons, move with the elevation, and live in the moment". It is certainly a catchy motto and one that a New England outdoors-man will connect with!

Live Free and Fly Homepage

One of the most interesting things that I’ve learned about their designs is that they are all unique and created by Matt and Allison. In fact, most of them are inspired by actual photos of themselves or friends while engaging in outdoor activities. Even the snowboarder doing a back flip is a friend of theirs, that was captured in mid-flight!

Snowboarder back flipping as described above! - Image taken from Live Free and Fly

Matt and Allison were kind enough to donate three tee-shirts and a koozie for a giveaway opportunity. All you need to do to win one of these great items is to comment on Live Free and Hike’s Facebook posting regarding these items and tell us what your favorite outdoor, New England sport is! I'll choose four of your comments using Random.org and give out the tees and koozie to those lucky winners! I will draw the winners on December 12th.

Three Shirts and One Koozie for Giveaway!

Please stop by Live Free and Fly’s website and check out what they have to offer. Their website isn’t the only place you can find these awesome products either. You can also find their products at Warner’s Cards & Gifts in Porstmouth, NH, The Brick Store in Bath, NH and Lahout’s Country Clothing & Ski Shop in Littleton, NH. They will also be at the Holiday Craft Festival in Rockingham Park (Salem, NH) on December 7th – 9th.

You can visit Live Free and Fly at their website address: www.livefreeandfly.com

You can also like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livefreeandfly

Finally, Live Free and Fly Tweets: @LiveFreeAndFly

Time To Weatherproof Your Boots...A Recycled Post

2012-11-26T20:41:00.001-05:00

It’s that time of year again, when you get out the boot care products, a hair dryer and a mason jar filled with a good brew. If you have leather boots, you’re going to want to weatherproof them for the winter hiking months. Depending on how you do this, it may also help condition the boot’s leather as well. Here’s a post from a few years back showing exactly how I go about weatherproofing my leather boots. Enjoy…the beer, and the reading too!

Click Here - My Post On Waterproofing My Boots

All Summits Should Have Summit Signs! Peaked Mountain

2012-11-19T21:52:00.002-05:00

It's funny how one can go from hiking once a weekend to hiking once ever six months. What can cause such a dramatic change in activity you ask? Well, for me it has been a baby and a new house (justified reasons in my opinion). The last time I hiked was back in May, up Black Cap Mountain. Since I had a few PTO days coming up at work, and the weather looked halfway decent in the Whites, I figured it was time to get out on the trail again...and I made Jill come with me!

We dropped the baby off at school early and headed up to Conway to tackle Peaked Mountain. I feel the smaller mountains in the Green Hills Preserve (like Black Cap and Peaked) are highly underrated. Ever since our hike up Black Cap, Jill and I have wanted to explore other mountains in the range like Peaked and Middle. For little effort, you get great views at the summit. Also, since we don't hike as often, the smaller peaks seem to be enough of a workout for us these days.

We parked at the Pudding Pond Conservation Area parking lot, just off from Thompson Road. From the parking area, there's a quick 0.2 mile jaunt up a dirt road to a kiosk with maps and a trail log. We hung a left and headed up the Pudding Pond Trail toward Peaked Mountain.

Gate at the Trailhead

We quickly headed across some power lines and through an old snow barrier fence onto the main trail. Right away, I noticed a lot of leaves...a LOT of leaves. It was easy to tell that this was a beach tree forest since most of the fallen leaves were, yes, you guessed it, beach tree leaves!

Power Lines we Crossed on the Trail

It was cold heading down the trail early, so there was still frost on the ground. The tricky part was, it was covered by the leaves, so it created pretty slippery conditions. With the frost, leaves and not being able to see rocks and roots because of the leaves, the hiking was slow...which is always fine with me!

Leaf Covered Forest at the Peaked/Middle Mountain Trail Junction

After a half mile on the Pudding Pond Trail, we hit a fork where the Middle Mountain Trail went to the right and the Peaked Mountain Trail veered left. Due to time constraints we were on, we opted for the shortest distance to get to Peaked Mountain, which was via the Middle Mountain Trail (sounds counter intuitive, right???), so we headed right. Just past this junction on the left, there was an old, metal structure that had some bullet holes in it. It also had a cutout with a hinge on it which would make one believe there may have been a door on it at one time. My guess is that it was an old stove or something like that...who knows! Trail garbage, but cool nonetheless!

Metal Structure on Side of Trail

Jill stopped to take a break on a boulder on the side of the trail. I noticed holes in the side of it as shown below. The holes didn't look man made to me. I assume their creation had something to do with "glacial" activity from many, many...many years ago. If anyone knows, please comment and let me know!

Boulder with Holes

After 0.6 miles on the Middle Mountain Trail, we came to another junction where the Peaked Mountain Connector entered on the left. We opted to take this trail and it climbed moderately 0.3 miles until it intersected the Peaked Mountain Trail, just 0.2 miles below the summit. Before heading up the Connector, I noticed a fairly fresh woodpecker hole in a rotten tree trunk (see below).

Woodpecker Hole

On the Peaked Mountain Connector, there were nice, small arrow signs. They were green and yellow and helped mark the trail. Typically, each one was accompanied by an orange blaze as well. I thought they were a nice touch and made following the trail easy. I did notice they were made out of plastic instead of metal, obviously so they won't rust and are most likely more affordable. I'm still a firm believer that all trail signs should either be wood or metal with porcelain covering. This is because I love the historical signs!

An interesting feature to note was on the left of the trail, just before you reach the Peaked Mountain Trail, there is a rather large vernal pool. It didn't seem like runoff drainage, but instead like a mini-pond. I thought it was neat and figured I'd mention it.

Vernal Pool on the Peaked Mountain Connector Trail

Once we hit the Peaked Mountain Trail, we went from a hardwood forest (kind of ugly, gray trees, no leaves, etc.) to a pine forest (red pine a believe). It was very nice. The trail became somewhat ledgy at this point as well. It was obvious that we were nearing the summit.

It was at this point that we saw the only wildlife of the the trip. We saw a very fat red squirrel. I'm not a big fan of reds, as they are pretty much bullies. If you have ever noticed, if there red squirrels around, typically, there are no gray squirrels. That's because the reds are more aggressive and chase them off from their territory. Also, we saw some hawks circling above which is pretty common in New Hampshire.

We finally hit the summit, which was pretty small, but very nice and opened. It had restricted views to the north, but great, open views to the south and east! There was also a summit sign, which I'm a big fan of. I think all summits should have summit signs (wooden ones of course). The few summits I've seen with signs definitely standout (like Moosilauke). Also, and I shouldn't admit this, there have been some mountains, early in my hiking career, where I thought I was on the summit, but was actually on a false one! A sign would have helped me realize this!

Looking over the valley, to Chocorua

View over to Black Cap Mountain

View over to Middle Mountain

Restricted views over to Cranmore and Kearsarge-North

The hike down was slower than I would have liked. The leaves were ankle deep and the hidden frost, rocks and roots were brutal. I think the trail maintainers need to get their leaf blowers out ASAP! (Just kidding)

After our hike, we had a little time so we decided to head up to Jackson, our favorite home away from home! We stopped at the Backcountry Bakery and Cafe for coffee and hot chocolate. It was a great hike and a great day in the Whites!

Happy Election Day: "Live Free or Die"

2012-11-06T11:10:00.000-05:00

John Stark was a New Hampshire native and was born in Londonderry, New Hampshire in 1728. When he was eight, his family moved to Derryfield, which is now the great city of Manchester, NH. As a young boy, he spent a lot of time in the woods, as he was an avid hunter and trapper. On one of his hunting trips near the Pemigewasset River, he was actually taken prisoner by Abenaki Indians and brought back to their homeland in Canada. Stark unarmed one of his guards and attacked a number of other guards while trying to escape. The attempt didn’t work, but the chief of the tribe was so impressed by his courage that they adopted him into the tribe. He later returned home to New Hampshire after a ransom was paid.

Stark’s military carrier was as exciting has his childhood and he is known to be one of New Hampshire’s most historical heroes. He served in both the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. During the American Revolution, he served in many famous battles such as the Battle Bunker Hill, Battle of Trenton and the Battle of Bennington, where his valor earned him the title, “Hero of Bennington”.

His military carrier came to an end in 1783 and he retired with a rank of Major General (two stars). He, unlike most famous generals of the Revolutionary War, went back home to New Hampshire and got out of the public line light. I can only think that he, like myself, wanted to be away from the hustle and bustle of politics and the rat race, as it existed back then.

Later in life, when Stark was 81 years old (1809), he was invited to a reunion for the Battle of Bennington veterans. Being the “hero” of the battle, his presence was mandatory. Unfortunately, he was ill and could not attend. Instead, he sent along a letter for his army buddies. In that letter, a toast was included. I can only imagine hearing it read for the first time holding up a glass:

“Live Free or Die: Death is not the Worst of Evils”

As you all know, the beginning portion of that toast became this great State’s motto. It was put in place to remind people how valuable freedom is, and that in order to truly live, freedom is essential. Without freedom, the wonderful things that we all enjoy and take for granted everyday like hiking with our family and friends, being able to enjoy the wonderful views from atop Mount Chocorua or just reading nature blogs may not be possible.

Today is Election Day. I urge all my readers to go out to the polls and vote, no matter how long the lines are. It’s our duty as American citizens to preserve this freedom for our younger generation. Happy Election Day everyone, from Live Free and Hike!

Historic Stone Walls in New England

2012-10-15T20:38:00.004-04:00

Do you ever notice old stone walls that seem to pop up in the middle of the woods? I’m sure you have, especially if you live in New England. It seems you can’t cross through a small forest without stumbling across one (no pun intended). Or, drive through a quaint, historical town without finding at least one road that has old stone walls lining the shoulders. Do you ever think about where these stone walls came from and who may have built them? This always crosses my mind when I find them.

Stone walls in New England are very abundant. In some cases, they are hundreds of years old and were constructed using very primitive methods, such as oxen to drag the stones and some sort of lever bars to move them. Today, people build stone walls to create aesthetic boundaries and decoration. However, back when these older, historical structures were created, they were built mostly to make use of the stones instead the need for a wall.

New England has very rugged and rocky terrain. When the glaciers rolled across the Appalachian Mountains, they deposited stones and rocks of all sizes across the region. When settlers came to New England, they slowly created farmlands and giant fields, many more than exist today. These rocks and stones got plowed to the surface on a regular basis and were nicknamed “field” stones. A farmer had few uses for these rocks. They used them for structures such as foundations, chimney and smoking structures and dug well walls. There were only so many stones that were needed for these necessary items, so the excess stones were used to make stone walls. Many farmers only wanted to drag these stones to just outside the field boundaries as it was pretty laborious work, so many stonewalls signify the edges of an old field…most likely now a full-fledged forest.

I’ve always said I wanted a house that had old stone walls on the property. My new house does have the remnants of an old stone wall on it from the old farm and orchard that used to reside on the property before they built my house. I’m now trying to continue that stone wall further down my property. I’ve been collecting stones, digging them up outback…which I found to be very hard work. I’ve found that making sure it looks good is like playing with a jigsaw puzzle. Here are a few shots of the wall so far. Let me know what you think.

The start of my stone wall.

My stone wall as of recently. It's coming up along well.

Another shot of my stone wall in the works.

An old stone wall on my property line.

A segment of an old farm stone wall left on my property which is now part of my landscaping.

We Have a Neighbor Named Grover

2012-09-29T13:21:00.004-04:00

Growing up, woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, could always be found on my parent's property. Like most people, they saw them as a menacing creatures. Over-sized rodents that ate the buds off from their flowers and stole their vegetables from the garden before they were ripe enough to pick. I'm not sure why, but I have a much different view on woodchucks. I love watching them roam the ground for greens to eat. I always said if there was a woodchuck living on my property, I would leave it alone and hope that it would come back every season. Kind of keep it as an unofficial "pet" if you will...not really keeping it, just letting it live on my property. Well, we bought a house this past August and we have a woodchuck! We've named him Grover. Lylah loves to watch it eat. Here's a few shots...they aren't that great because they were taken through my window screen.

Grover, poking his head up in the overgrown grass!

Grover, running for cover as something spooked him.

Our First Kayaking Adventure! - Pawtuckaway State Park

2012-08-31T21:19:00.000-04:00

Jill and I have been saying for a while that we wanted to try kayaking. We see kayaks on the roofs of cars all the time. It seems as though everyone has one nowadays. Also, I've read a lot of blogs with trip reports regarding kayaking and it looks like so much fun. So, we woke up today and decided to give it a shot.

We rented our kayaks at the Mountain Road Trading Post in Raymond, NH which is just a mile form the Pawtuckaway State Park's main entrance. The price for renting a kayak for a half day was $25 per kayak and that included paddles and life vests. The friendly people there even helped me load them. Once they were secured in the bed of my truck, we headed to the Pawtuckaway State Park canoe launch.

Getting into the kayak was a different experience. Right off, it didn't feel too stable. As I paddled, I felt like the kayak was going to flip on me. However, I think that was just initial uneasiness and not knowing what to expect. After paddling around for just 5 minutes or so, the feeling of instability went away completely.

Jill, "threading the needle" between two islands

Near the canoe launch, a duck, standing on one leg, watched as we got acclimated to this new activity. We stuck by close to the canoe launch first and slowly ventured out. We circled around a couple small islands and caught a view of the main beach as well as Mount Pawtuckaway's South Peak. I thought I could see the fire tower on the top of the mountain, but really couldn't make it out by eye. I tried to zoom in with my camera, but still couldn't make it out in the view finder. However, after dumping the photos on my computer, it's clear it was in fact the fire tower.

Our spectator while trying to learn to kayak!

The main beach, pretty full!

Mount Pawtuckaway's South Peak, with the fire tower just below the arrow

A zoomed in photo of the fire tower on the mountain in the previous photo

The afternoon seemed to go by quickly as we were having a blast paddling around. We decided to paddle down to one last cove before heading back. As we got closer, we were able to make out a very tall bird standing on a rock. It was a Great Blue Heron. These birds are a treat to get a view of. They look very prehistoric and seem to fly away whenever I get close to them in swamps or rivers. This time, I decided to head in very, very slowly and sort of drift over to him. I was able to get within 20 feet or so and got a very nice shot of him. I figured 20 feet was close enough and didn't want to invade his space any further, so I turned at that point. As I put a small distance between us, he must have decided he had seen enough of me too. He let out a huge "crow like" sound and took off, sweeping close to the water. It certainly surprised me and made me jump.

The money shot of the day, a closeup photo of a Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Herons flying low to the lake (circled)

Back at the shore, Jill and I talked about how great of a time we had. After this wonderful outing, don't be surprised if there's a kayak purchase in our near future!

Great Island Common History: Camp Langdon and Wood Island!

2012-08-27T21:27:00.000-04:00

I wanted to write a quick post regarding Great Island Common, which was the destination I wrote about us visiting in my last post. A reader of my blog brought up some wonderful points regarding the ground’s history in my comments section. Me, being a history buff and one that likes to incorporate these facts into my reports, felt that I had done an inadequate job providing this to all of you. So, I figured a follow up post would help redeem myself from my own critique.

I knew there were a lot of coastal military bases and camps in New England, especially during World War II as many feared the German U-Boats offshore. One that is pretty well known is Odiorne Point. However, I didn’t realize that Great Island Common, situated in Portsmouth Harbor off the coast of New Castle, NH, was one of them. Mike, the reader of my blog who brought this to my attention, pointed me to an incredibly insightful website dedicated to these coastal military bases called North American Forts, setup by multiple authors and historians. Specifically on this site is a section for Seacoast Forts of Portsmouth Harbor, setup by Pete Payette.

Courtesy of North American Forts: Seacoast of Portsmouth.

Map originally supplied by John Woolf. Visit the site to see a blown up version.

Apparently, Great Island Common is extremely rich in military history. It had military activity on the grounds from 1909 through 1964. During that time, the Army, Navy, Marine Corp and Army National Guard all occupied this small portion of land at one time or another. The land was initially deemed the New Reservation, but was later (1937) renamed the New Castle Military Reservation. Finally, in 1941, was given its more well-known identification of Camp Langdon, after Governor John Langdon, a Revolutionary War hero for our state, as well as a major contributor in persuading New Hampshire to ratify our great constitution.

John Langdon, Image taken from New Hampshire Division of

Historical Resources site, compiled by Russell Bastedo.

Courtesy of North American Forts: Seacoast of Portsmouth

From the beginning, this fort was used for a multitude of things. It had 3 inch antiaircraft guns on it in its early days as many of the coastal forts did. It had multiple military buildings including a hospital, warehouse, armory and various training buildings. A concrete jetty (which is still there) was also built. In the 1940’s to the 1960’s, the post was used to train the Army National Guard, and later handed over to the Department of the Navy as a rehabilitation center for Court’s Martial Soldiers being released. In its later years, it was used as a Marine Corp training center. Camp Langdon was finally turned over to the Town of New Castle in 1964 and is now Great Island Common.

Flag at Great Island Common

Another interesting bit of history that Mike brought up was the abandoned house out on an island, which I had mentioned I had no idea what it was in my post. Apparently, the island is Wood Island and the building on it is an old Life Saving Station. Many community members are in the process of trying to save and restore this historical site. In the late 1800’s, a military hospital was constructed on Wood Island and was used as a place to quarantine military prisoners from spreading disease. Soon after, in the early 1900’s, the Life Saving Station was erected. This station is noted for saving multiple lives and the governmental department that ran it became what is known as the Coast Guard today.

Life Saving Station on Wood Island

Post card showing the Life Saving Station when it was in commission. Image

courtesy of the Save Wood Island site.

If you’d like to learn more about Camp Langdon and the military history of Great Island Common, please visit http://www.northamericanforts.com/East/New_Hampshire/Portsmouth/harbor.html. The contact to this site, Pete Payette, also has his information listed here.

If you’d like to learn more about the history of Wood Island and the Life Saving Station, or want to get actively involved in helping preserve this piece of history, please visit http://www.savewoodisland.com/. Again, there is contact information listed on the site.

Finally, if you’d like to learn more about John Langdon and his accomplishments during the Revolutionary War and his contribution to New Hampshire as a state, please visit http://www.nh.gov/nhdhr/publications/glikeness/langjohn.html or http://seacoastnh.com/framers/jlangdon.html.

A Family Trip to Great Island Common

2012-08-13T20:54:00.006-04:00

The weather has been pretty nice lately, so the other day, Jill got me to do something that she has never been successful in doing before. She got me to go to the beach with her! I’m not a beach goer by any means. In fact, I would go as far as to say that I dislike the beach. I’m not a big swimmer and for that reason, the ocean scares me. I feel it is similar to the weather in the Whites. If you don’t respect it, it can kill you very easily. Also, I’m a rather fair skinned fellow. I never felt like there was a whole lot to do at the beach other than sit in the sun, which is not my favorite thing to do. So how did she get me to go you ask…she said Lylah loved the beach and we should go as a family! How can you argue with that?

Great Island Common's Sign

Old Glory flying on the grounds

Jill found this great little, secluded beach up in New Castle, New Hampshire called Great Island Common. I was pleasantly surprised when we pulled in to see that it wasn’t strictly just a beach. There was a very large common and picnic area, a huge playground for the kids and a small beach area which contained by rocky and sandy terrains. It also had changing and bathroom facilities available. Best of all, it wasn’t crowded. Lylah’s eyes definitely lit up when we headed out to setup our spot.

View from the parking area over to the shore line

View of the beach area...notice we are all by ourselves :)

When we first got there, I looked around and saw a couple lighthouses, very visible from the shoreline. Also, there seemed to be an island not too far out with a steepled structure on it of some sort. I was also surprised to see a couple dozen Canadian geese swimming along the shore. I was surprised because I thought geese only enjoyed fresh water swimming, not salt water. That certainly wasn’t the case for these guys on this day.

The Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, off to the left of the beach area

Whaleback Light (Lighthouse), seen out in the distance, to the right of the beach area

We headed down to the water to dip our feet in. It only took Lylah a couple quick dunks into the water to get over her initial timidity before she was running around in the waves by herself. She had a blast collecting rocks and see shells and piling them up in the sand. I also enjoyed looking for seashells and finding hermit crabs running along the shallow water.

Old house, secluded out on a peninsula

The Canadian geese, swimming in the salt water!

Old posts sticking up from the ground, I believe for an old dock or something like that

After playing in the water, we headed back up to our blanket and had a snack. I used Lylah’s toys to make her a seahorse and dolphin out of wet sand, but she was more interested in stomping them out than admiring them.

Lylah, heading down to the water

Lylah's stash of rocks and shells. Notice the rock on the right. I believe this was an old
brick that wore down into a rock shape over the years...pretty cool!

Lylah's little footprints

The morning got away from us quickly and before we knew it, it was almost lunch time. We went down to the water one last time to wash most of the sand off from us and packed up our things. We changed into dry clothes and played with Lylah on the playground for a bit before taking off. On the way home, we swung by The Icehouse Restaurant for some ice cream. It was delicious as usual.

Lylah and me waiving to Jill in the water

The playground on the grounds

Lylah, living the dream!

I must say, I was skeptical and fairly unexcited to hit the beach. But after getting there, I was pretty happy that I went. It’s certainly someplace I would visit again, as this was not your typical beach (the ones I like to stay away from), where the sand is crowded, there isn’t much to do, etc. There was great scenery and some awesome sea creatures. Definitely a great compromise for the typical beach goer (Jill) and the nature lover (me)!

Some information on and history on Great Island Common here.

Survival Gear Review - Cobrabraid! - Giveaway

2012-07-27T20:37:00.004-04:00

A while back, I received an email from a company about possibly writing a gear review on one of their products, as I do from many companies. The products for this company consisted of colorful bracelets and key chains. Now, I would be lying if I didn’t first relate these products to friendship bracelets in my head and thought, “this will be a stretch to do a hiking gear review on friendship bracelets!” I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Once I was able to dive into the details of the email and explore their website more closely, it was apparent to me that Cobrabraid made quality survival gear that was perfect for all sorts of outdoorsmen, including those in the hiking community. Cobrabraid makes different types of bracelets and key chains, all constructed out of true 550 paracord (meaning it can withstand a tensile load of 550+ pounds). Apparently, these bracelets were developed overseas by our military personnel as handy survival tools when needed. By having one of these things on your wrist, you’re effortlessly carrying around a hefty length of useful paracord that, when unraveled, could be used for a multitude of things such as a shelter or fishing line. Cobrabraid hasn’t just stopped at bracelets and key chains either. They are also selling dog collars, belts and kits to make your own products. One of the most important things to add is that all their products are 100% made in the USA!

To receive my bracelet, I needed to give them a size measurement. Getting your wrist size is very easy and Cobrabraid gives you easy to follow instructions so that they can ship you the perfect size. Instructions can be found here. One 8” bracelet yields approximately 7-8 feet of 550 paracord which could be a lifesaver if you find yourself in a survival situation on the trail.

When I received my bracelet, I tried it on and it fit nicely around my wrist. It was a little stiff at first and figured that was due to it being right off the production line. I bent it around a little, back and forth, and it loosened right up. The clasp on this particular bracelet was Velcro, which was great because it allows you to make it as tight or as loose as you’d like. I was also particularly fond of the color theme they sent me, being camouflage. I grew up in a military family so camo was a favorite in my household for many articles of clothing :).

Cobrabraid also sent me a great key chain in the same color scheme as the bracelet. It is a bit shorter, so yields less 550 paracord than the bracelet, but has a great little carabiner on the end of it. Hikers love carabiners! This particular carabiner found a perfect home on the a loop on my hiking pack.

It was tough to know if this bracelet would go unnoticed on my wrist or not while on the trial. I actually don’t hike with my wrist watch. This is because the constant movement of my arm lets my watch bang on my wrist, causing discomfort. The only way to know for sure if this bracelet would work for me was to bring it on a hike. Recently, my office had Wellness Week and I planned a trip to Mount Pawtuckaway – North for everyone. I made sure to bring my Cobrabraid bracelet along to wear (as well as the key chain on my pack). It was very light weight compared to my watch and I barely even noticed I had it on…so it passed the test.

I really think this is a great product and one that no one should pass up when choosing survival kit gear. I certainly won’t be found on the trail without it moving forward. It helps you save some room (and weight) in your pack by spreading out your gear to other parts of your body, which is definitely an attractive concept to most “light” hikers. Also, as I mentioned before, it is a USA based company and all products are made with the highest quality in mind.

Cobrabraid was very nice and actually sent me two products to giveaway to some interested readers. I have a bracelet and carabiner key chain (blue and black in color). I will be giving these away on Live Free and Hike’s Facebook fan page. All you have to do is comment on the posting for this article and why you’d like this product for your survival kit and you could win one. You have until Wednesday, August 8th to do comment. I’ll draw two random comments on August 9th and announce them on Facebook, so please leave a comment and check back after that date!

A 26.2 Mile Journey, Part 3: Gear - Guest Blogger Post

2012-07-08T21:17:00.000-04:00

By Kevin Bernier

So, Karl asked me to give a summary of all the gear I used for running. I’ve always been into to grabbing the latest technology, so some of my gear is probably a little over the top and not necessary. That said, if I could single out one thing below as the most important, it is without a doubt, the Body Glide (well, let’s be honest, shoes are the most important, but that was too obvious). Chafing is very, very painful (and most of the time you don’t realize you’ve done it until you get in the shower and the water hits the raw skin…good times).

As with my other posts, please keep in mind that I am still a novice when it comes to distance running.

Garmin Forerunner 410 GPS Watch - Probably overkill; however, it (A) provides your pace for all runs (which is most helpful for fast runs, varying your pace on different runs and generally tracking your progress), and (B) records all your runs so you know how far you’ve run. Garmin also has its own website called Garmin Connect – you can download all your runs to it; check out pacing, elevation changes, splits, etc. You can also take notes and keep an online journal of your runs. Plus, if you like high tech toys, this is a good one (and this isn’t even the newest model…).

Brooks Ghost 4 Running Shoes – I highly recommend getting fit for running shoes if you have not done so before – many specialty running stores will watch your stride, check your feet and make recommendations for the right shoes (they take into account injuries, distances, etc.). I have a neutral stride with a high arch, so the Ghost 4’s work well for me. I’ve also worn the Mizuno Wave Riders (they had a lower profile and better “feel” for the ground), but switched to the Brooks because they just felt better. Now that I’m trying to incorporate more speed (new goal is to break 20:00 in a 5K) into my workouts I just bought a pair of New Balance RC1400’s (I wear these on speed days – plus the colors are pretty bad ass. Side Note: all “speed shoes” seem to have crazy colors…I’m convinced that there are 2 reasons for this (1) so faster runners will be immediately recognizable, and (2) so slower runners, who have no business wearing speed shoes, will be immediately recognizable – I’m more (2) than (1))

Under Armour Cold Gear Everything - I despise running on the treadmill (and I own one). I can run for 2-4 hour stretches at a time, but my maximum time on a treadmill before I start to twitch is about 3-4 miles (and many times I can’t even go that long). So, to combat this issue (and if you are training for a Marathon in February – May it will be an issue for you), I run outside all the time (there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes). As long as it’s above 0 I’ll run outside. It took a while to get used to running in the cold, but you begin to realize that it only take about 5-10 minutes before your body heats up (of course once you slow down or stop it only takes about 2 minutes before you realize how cold it is outside). I own a lot of UA stuff, from compression shirts, to half zips, to running tights. For the really cold days I wear running tights and do a double layer of cold gear for my upper body. I also wear gloves and a hat when it’s below 40 degrees…and if it’s really cold I wear a hood (think “sniper” or “ninja”) that covers my neck and mouth. If you wear the compression tights, compression shirt, gloves and hood all at the same time and all in black you will look like a ninja, which I think we can all agree is pretty awesome (and no one will be able to see you when you run).

Under Armour Socks - As painful as it is to spend money on socks it’s absolutely worth it. My feet take a beating when I run. I’ve dealt with blisters (in all the typical places, plus some places that I did not expect like the tips of my toes), toes rubbing together and have even lost a couple toenails (Side Note: I actually needed to go up in size on my running shoes by a full size to accommodate my feet swelling during runs, and even that did not save my toenails when I did the Marathon). Dry Fit/Wicking Socks are the only way to go (cotton will just get you more blisters).

Running Vest/Reflective Clothing – I have a lot of bright colored clothes but I wear them infrequently. I think it matters most when the weather isn’t great or if you are really running in a place that does not have great lighting (although I would recommend not running in really low lit areas…it’s just not worth it). Plus, I always feel like a schmuck when I wear my reflective vest.

Rain Proof Shell - I went with a shell because I wanted something I could wear when it was cold (over all my other cold gear) and when its warm (a jacket would be too warm and sweating in a jacket makes you feel like you are wearing a garbage bag. Completely Random Note: I once played basketball against a guy who had wrapped himself in saran wrap underneath his clothes…he said it made him sweat more and therefore he would lose more weight…I sometimes worry about the viability of humans as a species). Another consideration is how quiet the jacket/shell is while running…I don’t want to overdue the garbage bag metaphor, but I will, some of the jackets sound like you are running in a garbage bag due to the fabric rubbing together (I just re-read this and I sound like a pampered brat).

Black Diamond Head Lamp - I used to not run at night because I didn’t want to break an ankle…now that I have a headlamp I can run any time of day. You look like a Brazilian Miner (sans mine and the risk of mine collapses), but whatever. If you haven’t used one before, I’d try some out before buying one because they can be heavy and awkward (imagine running with a small apple taped to your forehead). It definitely takes a little getting used to, but I recommend them if you are running at night or early in the morning (and if you have kids or a job, those are the times you are running).

Blinking Flashing Light for Back - I had a flashing light that I clipped to my back so cars could see me from behind. Not sure if it helped (it fell off somewhere along the way), but no one hit me while I was wearing it (although I was also wearing socks and by the same the logic socks will prevent you from being hit by a car).

iPod - I use one for every run. Some people like to hear themselves run so they can “listen to their body” – my body is loud and can be heard over the music so this is not an issue for me. If you are running in bad weather it probably makes sense to ditch the music so you can pay extra attention to not getting killed (for example running in the snow or other bad weather). While running with music is a personal choice, I did not use my iPod for the Marathon (and I don’t use it in races where there are a lot of spectators) because I wanted to take in the crowd and the rest of the experience (and I can confirm that I did not once regret the decision…although on races without spectators the music can help give you a lift).

Body Glide/Vaseline - Once I reached 8 miles things started chafing (I will not describe what was chafing). And as the length of the runs increased so did the chafing (both in the amount of chafing and the number of different things chafing). Pretty much anywhere seams of my clothing touched my body I could count on some chafing. Body Glide is a god send – you can use it everywhere, and I do. It helped the most with my toes and my nipples (too much information? Too bad, if you run a lot you have to deal with nipple chafing…nipple chafing, that’s something I did not ever picture myself writing about).

Fish Oil Supplements/Vitamin D - So I mentioned in an earlier post that I had some knee issues. Due to an extreme fear that my knee would prevent me from running the marathon, I read up a lot about how people dealt with Patella Tendonitis. I found that many people had success using anti-inflammatories such as fish oil and Vitamin D (combined with stretching, foam rolling and ice). I loaded up on both – I have no idea whether or not there was any benefit to taking these supplements, but my knee held up the whole 20 weeks (I also built in some extra rest for it). I am going to declare the supplements a success; however, my doctor said these were fads and that they probably didn’t help (he’s only a doctor, so what does he know…I’m an attorney, so I definitely think I know more than him). If they did not physically help me, then I’ll give them a few points for psychological assistance. If you decide to try out fish oil, read about it first, but also spend the money to get the good stuff; I use Nordic Naturals Ultra Omega Sport (don’t buy it at CVS…I tried this and was burping up fish oil…to say this is disgusting is an understatement). If you have high cholesterol the fish oil helps with that as well, so, regardless, it’s not totally devoid of value.

Foam Roller (and now The Stick) - Also known as the miracle workers. You recover faster and it takes the place of needing to get constant massages. Helped with my knee pain and really helps loosen up those tight IT bands (although foam rolling the IT bands hurts like hell). As an added benefit, my 3 year old son would sit on my back and pretend it was a ride while I was trying to use the roller…it’s fun for the whole family.

Water Bottles/Belt - Tried both the water belt and the hand held water bottle and preferred the latter. I absolutely hated the water belts for several reasons: (1) they look stupid (can you tell I care about how I look), (2) they are uncomfortable (the water swishes around while you run and the belt bounces up and down), and (3) on a cold run, one of them froze. I know plenty of people who use the belts, but they are just not for me – I’m happy to carry a handheld water bottle.

Gu - For all of my long runs that lasting more than an 1:20 I brought GU packets for extra energy. I also tried the Gu Chomps, but found that they were really hard to chew in the cold weather (turns out they are easier to chew in warmer weather or if you can keep them warm during your run). Definitely try out a few flavors because some of them taste gross and tough to get down (I’m partial to the berry flavored ones).

And that about sums up my gear. I’ve done a lot of reading a research so if you have any questions about these or any other gear you’ve read about let me know.

Lylah's First Summit - Black Cap Mountain 05-26-12

2012-06-28T20:14:00.000-04:00

While on vacation up north a few weeks back (my vacation report), Jill, Lylah and I decided to hike Black Cap Mountain. We figured it wasn’t that long and the elevation gain wasn’t much, so it would be a good hike to commit to after a long hiatus from hiking as well as with a one year old on my back.

We took Hurricane Mountain Road to the trailhead, which was an adventure in itself. I’ve heard stories about the road and how steep it was, but nothing really prepares you for driving up it until you commit yourself to it. It was steep, narrow and very windy. A few times, near the top, I felt my rear tires actually slip a bit while going around steep curves. The whole time, all I could think about was how nerve racking the trip down the hill will be.

Putting sunscreen on the Munchkin!

Lylah, ready to tackle her first mountain!

Once at the top of the road, we came to a parking area on the right for the Black Cap Trailhead. We all put on sun screen and bug spray and we were on our way. The beginning of the trail was very nice, and went through a pine grove with little or no elevation gain. Right away, it was clear that we had missed prime wildflower season, as many of the Painted Trilliums had passed and lost their beauty and the hobblebush plant leaves were large with no flowers at all. I did find a couple wild blue violets on the side of the trail. I learned quickly that it’s not easy to take get on your knees and crouch down to take a photo of a flower with a one year old on your back. As soon as I did, Lylah almost came barreling down over my head…thank gosh I caught her before she did :).

Lylah on my back...gosh this pack is so uncomfortable...for me!

A nicely groomed trail!

The butterflies followed us the whole way up to the summit.

At the junction with the Black Cap Connector Trail, there was a kiosk maintained by The Green Hills Preserve. They had some information there, a log book and supplied maps of the local trail network to hikers passing through.

Painted Trillium, past its prime :(

My favorite plant, the Hobblebush, large leaves and no flowers. I missed them this year :(

I assume this to be a Common Blue Violet, but could be another variety.

Green Hill's Preserve Kiosk

We continued on while the trail climbed more moderately. A family passed us just before making our way to the rocky slab portion and asked us if we were missing an “Elmo”. We didn’t realize it at the time, but Lylah apparently got sick of having company in the pack and decided to ditch Elmo further down. They told us they propped him up on a rock in the trail. We figured we’d pick him up on the way back if he was still there.

Memorial on summit

Stairs on summit

Near the top of the mountain, the views open up to a slab trail leading to some view points and eventually the summit. The views to the north and west are great. There were excellent views of the Moats, Chocorua, Carrigain (in the distance) and Kearsarge North. What took us by surprise was Lylah. She kept pointing out to the distance and making sounds, as if she was amazed by the views of the mountains surrounding us. I hope she was…she is my daughter!

Our feet on the summit...notice Lylah's little foot on her first summit!

Family photo on the summit!

Kearsarge North, You can easily make out the famous fire tower on the summit.

The Moat Range, with Cathedral and White Horse Ledges in the foreground.

Even though the summit was breezy, it was still buggy. We took a few pictures, a few deep breaths of White Mountain air and headed back down the way we came. It would have been nice to relax for a bit and soak in the views, but the bugs would not let us! I did notice on the summit, that there was a nice memorial to Anna B. Stearns, whom I’m guessing was a generous contributor to The Green Hills Preserve. Also, there was a set of stairs created from rock and cement, although I’m not sure what they could have gone to. Maybe there used to be a fire tower or house up there at one point. If anyone has any info on these, let me know, because I’m curious. Before we left, we took our standard “summit shot” of our feet on the marked (or assumed by me) summit location…It was Lylah’s first summit, so she got to participate too!

Mount Chocorua in the distance.

Cool, tall tree on the summit

Hurricane Mountain (foreground) and Kearsarge North (background)

Elmo, waiting for us on the trail!

The hike down was fast and smooth for the most part. The munchkin fell asleep half way down and I recall her head resting to the left of me. So, the weighted pack was constantly throwing me off balance, which was a little annoying (I hate this Kelty pack!). We also came across Elmo, propped up on a rock, just like the nice family told us he would be. Once packed up in the truck, we survived the white knuckle ride down Hurricane Mountain Road. It was a great morning hike and one that I hope Lylah enjoyed as much as we did!

Here's Elmo, propped up on a rock!

Lylah, out cold in my pack...throwing my balance off every step!

"Welcome to God's Country!"

2012-06-18T21:36:00.001-04:00

“Welcome to God’s country!” This is what Tom Ryan, author of Following Atticus, commented to me on a Facebook post regarding my family and me arriving in the beautiful, northern New Hampshire village of Jackson. Anyone who reads my blog knows that Jackson is where I want to be, and anyone who has visited Jackson knows exactly why. The village is quaint, surrounded by beautiful mountains, fresh air and completely removed from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Jill and I used to visit Jackson on a much more regular basis, but with the little one, making multiple night trips up there is tough. This was our second trip up there with Miss Lylah, the first being when she was three months old and ended badly, with a midnight ride home due to an ear infection. This trip was much, much better.

Our view of the Jackson Covered Bridge as we arrive in the rain on Friday afternoon

We started the weekend on a Friday evening which was very rainy. We arrived at the Christmas Farm Inn, which has been our inn of choice with Lylah since they welcome children. As soon as we were settled, we did what we always do the first night we arrive, headed to the Shovel Handle Pub for a good dinner and a pint of Tuckerman Pale Ale! The Shovel Handle Pub is by far our favorite pub in Jackson. It’s built in an old, rustic barn next to the Whitney Inn at the base of Black Mountain. The decor is great, consisting of antique outdoor sports memorabilia (snow shoes, skiing stuff, etc.). Later in the evenings, they typically have live music from some great local musicians.

On the first morning, we got ready for a hike up Black Cap Mountain. On the way to the trailhead, I stopped at my favorite Jackson coffee shop, the White Mountain Cafe. To my surprise, it has changed ownership and is now The Backcountry Bakery & Cafe. I wish I had known it was for sale, because that would have been the perfect opportunity for me. Owning a coffee shop in my favorite town, surrounded by mountains…sounds like heaven!!! I chatted with the friendly people behind the counter, purchased two delicious hazelnut iced coffees and we were on our way.

My favorite coffee shop, The Backcountry Bakery & Cafe

Black Cap Mountain, by way of Hurricane Mountain Road, is a short hike so we figured it would be a perfect first hike for Lylah (on my back). I don’t want to go into the details too much since I will write a separate trip report on our hike, but Lylah made it to her first summit by 11am…not too shabby. However, I pretty much decided I hate my Kelty child backpack. I need to figure out something better if I’m to do any distance with her.

Lylah and I ready for our hike up Black Cap

After hiking, we hit up the J-Town Deli, one of our favorite deli shops in downtown Jackson. J-Town has a country store like atmosphere and you can order fresh sandwiches, subs and pastries. On this particular day, Moat Mountain Brewery was doing some promotions in the store, so they were giving away free samples of their brews!

After eating lunch and trying for two hours to get Lylah to take a nap with no luck (she was way too preoccupied with all the excitement of being on vacation), we decided to hit downtown North Conway, one of our favorite things to do while up there. I was lucky and found a parking spot right in front of Zeb’s General Store, so that is where we started our downtown shopping. We made the rounds and found that shopping with a big BOB stroller is not easy when trying to maneuver through the narrow and crowded store aisles. We crossed the street and stopped into Synergy Sportswear and picked up a couple Life is Good shirts. It was really great to be downtown again and the weather was perfect for shopping.

Lylah, a little apprehensive of Zeb's bear behind her

The next day, we went down to breakfast and got a surprise. We saw our first bear out the window of the restaurant. It was a small bear which the locals call Moe and was in search of its own breakfast. I snapped a couple pictures (one of which was Moe on top of the dumpster) and we headed back to the room to pack up. Before heading home, we decided to check out the annual Wildquack Duck River Festival. This is a cool event where the town has festivities which range from kid rides, silent auctions and all sorts of cool things. They end it with a huge rubber duck race down the Wildcat River starting at Jackson Falls. There are many prizes for multiple winners.

Moe, the little black bear hanging around Jackson!

The Wildquack Duck River Festival

We parked in downtown Jackson, got another iced coffee at The Backcountry Bakery & Cafe, and headed down the river path behind the Snowflake Inn. After checking out the festival and allowing Lylah to get her picture taken with a giant duck, we headed back up to the main road and decided to walk down to Flossie's General Store. It’s one of my favorite little shops, which has everything from door mats to kids toys, all stuff related to Jackson, New Hampshire and the wild. After spending some time in Flossie's, it was time to head south again, back to reality.

More of the festival

Duck's Head...I think this is why it's called Duck's Head, but could be wrong!

This was a great trip and Lylah’s first real vacation. We fit a lot in, in just two days of being up North including Lylah’s first mountain summit, downtown shopping, dinner at our favorite pub and checking out the Wildquack Duck River Festival. We had beautiful weather and it was a lot of fun!

I found one thing is for certain after staying in Jackson again, this time with a “larger” family…Tom Ryan is right. This is “God’s country”. It’s a special place where you can forget all of your stresses. It’s where we (my family) belong! Someday…someday…we’ll build that log cabin up there in the foregrounds of the White Moutnains…in “God’s country”!

A Rough Couple Months!

2012-06-18T20:12:00.002-04:00

So, as I'm sure you've all noticed, I really haven't been around much the past month or so. Well, I knew it was going to be busy couple months, but I just didn't realize how busy. I was finishing up my last couple grad classes (two difficult ones too...I left the worst for last), planned my daughter's first birthday (just kidding, my wife planned the whole thing, but I attended and cooked the burgers), and we planned to list our house anticipating it would take a few months to sell. To our surprise, we were under agreement in just one week. This doubled our workloads, getting documents prepared, inspections concluded and everything else that goes with selling a house. Along with that, so we're not homeless, Jill and I had to view tons and tons of new houses in just a couple day's time. We found a new house and we are now under agreement on that! Along with selling/buying a house came a ton of stress!

Anyway, things are winding down now. I'm all done with school and Lylah is now one year old (good lord time flies). We still have a lot to do with selling/buying houses, but we are past the first hurtle. I finally have a little more time to focus on the blog. I have some good stuff lined up in the next few weeks. Jill, Lylah and I took a trip up to our favorite town, Jackson, and hiked Black Cap Mountain. Also, I have a review for Cobrabraid paracord survival bracelets as well as a great giveaway opportunity on the same. Finally, I have to get back to Kevin's four part guest post on his amazing accomplishment of running the Boston Marathon. So stay tuned...hope to have some posts to you soon!

A 26.2 Mile Journey, Part 2: Training

2012-05-12T21:02:00.001-04:00

By Kevin Bernier

Please keep in mind when reading about my training that I have run exactly 2 half marathons and 1 marathon and ~~still have no idea what I am doing~~ am by no means an expert.

So I did two things when I first found out I was officially running the Boston Marathon: (1) ~~panicked~~ went out and bought a marathon book (Hal Higdon’s Book), and (2) ~~increased the amount of my life insurance~~ called my running friends to ask for help. The result was an 18 week training plan that started in early January 2012 (18 weeks prior to the Marathon).

I found out I was officially running in September 2011 so I had a few months before my official plan began. Rather than just wait around, I started training in October because I knew there would be constant adjustments to my training plan (a few reasons for this: (a) I have kids, kids and Marathon training don’t mix well, (b) the weather in New England sucks (I trained in the 2010-2011 winter for my half marathon and had to skip tons of days due to snow and the days I didn’t skip I was running in the street with cars because no one shoveled their sidewalks – Note: I had no idea we were getting the perfect winter for marathon training, and I really had no idea that Mother Nature, being the cruel b***h that she is, was going to prescribe a 90 degree Marathon Monday as my penance for such a great winter), and (c) I’ve always had some issues with my right knee (patella tendonitis) which always seems to bother me at some point and I figured I might need to give it some extra rest).

My goals for this pre-training period were to not hurt myself and make sure that when I started my plan I could run 13 miles without ~~pain dying~~ too much of a struggle. This actually turned out to not be all that bad, since I had run a half marathon and had been running somewhat consistently since March 2011 (and by “somewhat consistently” I mean I was running at least once a week – for someone who has been running off and on for so long, this is consistent). I also needed to make sure I had a decent mileage base (i.e. I needed to be used to running 25+ miles a week) for my upcoming plan.

My training plan had me running between 30-46 miles a week, which is when the ~~ritual torture~~ fun really began. I needed to ramp up to this mileage, so it’s not like I was running 46 miles every week (in fact I only went over 40 miles a week 4-5 times due to various bumps in the road). I started out around 30, then went up to 33, then 36, and then scaled back down to 30…and then back up again. If you increase too much in any given week you really expose yourself to injury (at least this is what my friends and the running books say). I also steadily ramped up my distance runs…14 one weekend, then 15 the next weekend, then back down to say 10, and back up to 16, etc. For many first time marathoners they recommend you work yourself up to a 20 mile long run (running this 20 mile run 3 weeks before the marathon)…I ramped up a little earlier and was pushing for a time (I was pushing for a sub-3:30 time, but Mother Nature had her own ideas), so I did “really long” runs of 18 and 20, ramped down for a couple weeks and then did 18 and finally 22 miles 3 weeks out.

My 22 mile run route!

A lot of people asked why I never ran 26 miles or more during my training. The reason: ~~that would be f***ing insane~~ running 26 miles puts a lot of stress on your body and marathoners, first timers especially, don’t want to overdue the training to the point where you are burnt out before the marathon. This is not to say that experienced runners do not run the full distance as part of their training, but the consensus from everything I read is that it’s not necessary and can be counterproductive to run the full 26 ahead of time (for irrefutable evidence of the impact a 26 mile run has on the body, please refer the hobbling I did around my house following the marathon – I also needed both hands on stair railings to go up and down stairs for a couple days after the marathon – going down stairs was the worst).

One thing I did not know was the majority of the training runs should be slow (much slower than you intend to run the race) – again, the reason is so you don’t wear your body down too much. I incorporated at least one “speed workout” into my training a week – these can vary from short sprint repeats (400’s or 800’s), hill repeats, tempo runs done at or faster than race pace, and farlteks (and no, it’s not pronounced how you are pronouncing it) among others. However, like adding distance, you also need to be careful that when you add speed you don’t overdo it, or you could hurt yourself (potentially hurting yourself is a common theme here).

Many people also asked me about eating and weight loss. If you have a lot of weight to lose, you will lose weight as long as you don’t eat everything in your house (which is very easy to do when you are running for 2+ hours and burning 1000’s of calories). You can eat whatever you want (within reason i.e. don’t eat an entire pizza after your long runs) and not gain weight; however, not watching what you eat can hurt performance. If you plan on running 40+ mile weeks you really need to focus on eating carbohydrates so that your energy supply remains loaded up for all the running and proteins to assist with recovery. Alcohol, not surprisingly, also has an impact on running…I like drinking too much to give it up, but I wouldn’t drink before long runs and really pared back the drinking a couple weeks prior to the actual marathon. I personally only lost about 5 pounds; however, (1) I only ate OK, (2) as I mentioned I enjoy drinking, and (3) while I didn’t lose a lot of weight, my body did change with all the running (my ~~love handles~~ extra weight around the mid-section dissipated, my face was noticeably thinner, my arms and legs became much more defined).

American Chop Suey, my food of choice for long runs!

Like Ron Burgundy, my favorite drink is scotch, scotch, scotch, scotch! Can't give that up!

Now, since all of this previous stuff was way too serious here are some of my training ~~low-lights~~ highlights:

I was almost hit by cars more times that I can count…people on cell phones cannot see anything, even if they are looking right at you. The most common place of my near misses was cars pulling out of driveways and only looking in one direction (some running gear can help, but people on cellphones cancel out all the effects of reflective clothing). Running Tip: It is very empowering to just run in front of these cars and make them slam on the brakes and stop and respect you…this is not a good idea, even if you have the right of way as the runner. Steel trumps bones and skin; you will lose.

I did a 16.5 mile run in the one and only snow storm we had this year. It was like running in quick sand and I had to run off the road several times to avoid being buried by a plow. Running Tip: Do not run in big snow storms, it is not smart.

I got blisters on the tips of 2 toes, yes, the tips of my toes – I did not think this was possible. Running Tip: Your body will do weird things after you run long distances.

Most Embarrassing Moment: While running at 5:00 AM one morning in the dark, a car was coming up behind me with its headlights shined on my back. It reflected my shadow onto a white fence that I was approaching. I, not totally awake at this point, think the shadow is a person dressed in all black, running out of the woods at me. My heart drops, I scream and run into the street narrowly missing the passing car. Running Tip: If we are together and approached by a mugger I am most likely not going to be the one who rescues us. Running Tip: There is no tip associated with this story.

Second Most Embarrassing Moment Narrated by Me While Running: (running by a house where I know a large Newfoundland (a/k/a a f***ing huge dog) resides) "there's that big dog again; good thing they have an electric fence" (the dog is now barking very loudly and running full speed at me) "Ummm…they have an electric fence, right? Yes, they must" (still coming fast and barking even louder) "is there an electric fence?" (I then run into the street screaming like a small child not looking to see if any cars are coming…the dog stops at the edge of the lawn) "yes, there was an electric fence -- I'm never running this way again, I hope no one heard my screams and I think may have peed my pants". Running Tip: Don’t run near dogs in general. In addition to scaring you, they can also run at your feet and cause you to hurt yourself. Also, dogs poop, I feel no further explanation is necessary.

A large Newfoundland...like the dog that chased me!

The Gear Post will be next…we’re going to go with a different format to keep you interested.

Winner of the 5.11 Tactical Flashlight Giveaway!

2012-05-11T12:33:00.000-04:00

So, I’m a little late posting this, but wanted to communicate to you the winner of the flashlight giveaway contest from 5.11 Tactical. The random comment selected was comment number 23! This is Aron who writes the Olympic Wanderer blog. Congrats Aron! Send me an email with your address and I’ll get the flashlight right out to you!

A 26.2 Mile Journey, Part 1: The Decision - Guest Blogger Post

2012-05-03T12:49:00.001-04:00

By Kevin Bernier

So, for those of you who were expecting Karl, please let me introduce myself. My name is Kevin and ~~I know a lot about Karl that I bet he wishes I didn’t know~~ I went to high school with Karl. I also just finished training for, and running, my very first Marathon: ~~the Boston Sauna-thon, the Hike in the Heat,~~ the Boston Marathon. Karl asked that I write a few entries about my experience training for and running the Marathon, so that’s why I’m here. To keep things in an easily digestible format; I’m going to do this in ~~12 posts (I tend to spend too much time trying and mostly failing to make you laugh)~~ four posts: The Decision, Training, Gear and Race Day.

So first, a little running history: I ~~ran~~ was on the track team in high school, but only ~~ran~~ participated in the 100 Meters, 200 Meters and 4x100 Meter relay. When we did our weekly distance runs (usually 5 miles or so) I ~~cut through peoples’ yards so I didn’t need to run the entire thing, ran the first ½ mile or so and hid in the bushes until the group came back~~ was not that into it. I have run on and off since high school, but never more than 5 miles.

Kevin running in The Half of Quincy Half Marathon, March 2011

In October of 2010 ~~my friend shamed me into running~~ I ran my first 5K in Somerville. I trained a little bit for the race, running anywhere from 2-4 miles a couple times a week. I had no idea what I was doing or how to pace myself. ~~The idiot who convinced me to start running again,~~ My friend, who was giving me pointers on training and running, told me whatever I did, I should not do something “stupid” like start out at a 7:45 pace (we figured I’d run it at an 8:00/mile pace) or else I’d have nothing left in the tank to finish. Wouldn’t you know it, adrenaline took over and I ran the first mile in 7:04, and ended up finishing in 22:30 (a 7:15 Pace). I was completely gassed at the end, so good thing it was only 3.1 miles or I would have ended up on the ground in a heap. I was hooked -- one month later ~~in a moment which can only be described as pure insanity~~ I signed up for my first half marathon, which I ran in Quincy in March of 2011, finishing in 1:47:54 (a 7:47 Pace). I was supposed to be running this with a couple friends; however, they bailed I ended up training for it and running it by myself. I’m pretty sure I had issues walking and doing stairs during training and after the run (fun stuff, right?)

All of this brings me to September 2011, when I decided ~~against everyone’s better judgment~~ it would be a good idea to run the Boston Marathon. I lived in Boston along the route for several years and always ~~joked that~~ said I’d run it one day – I ~~assumed~~ figured I was in good running shape from my half marathon, why not do it now? And, although my wife (who didn’t really think I would sign up) and I had just had our second child in August 2011, I ~~closed my eyes and hit submit on my application to DFMC~~ decided to go for it. I did not think to consider the impact having an infant (and a 3 year old) would have on my training (I tried to do a 12 mile run about 2 weeks after he was born and crapped out 4 miles from home due to ~~complete stupidity for trying to run on 2 hours of sleep~~ pure exhaustion and dehydration), but I’ll get to that in the next post.

As you may or may not know, if you want to run the Boston Marathon with an official bib you need to qualify, which for my age group meant running a previous marathon in under 3:10 (since that was too easy, for 2013 the qualifying time for my age is ~~a satanic~~ 3:05) – wasn’t happening; or you can get a charity bib and they’ll waive the qualifying requirements. I signed up with the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC) and got a charity bib – which includes a commitment to raise $4,500, in addition to the entry fees and other fees you need to pay in order to run (and if you don’t raise the $4,500 by the time of the marathon, they take a credit card so they can charge you what you don’t raise!! I can only assume that some wonderful people somewhere along the line decided to just grab the bib and not raise the money -- classy). I ended up raising almost $11,000 and the Dana Farber team’s goal was to raise over $4.8 million: http://www.runDFMC.org/2012/kevinb. For those of you considering running a marathon I highly recommend raising money for charity while running – not only will you be helping good causes (raising money for the Red Sox to buy out Bobby V., John Lackey and Carl Crawford is a “good cause” but not really what I’m getting at), but you’ll also be giving yourself some extra motivation during the long training periods (most training plans are 18 weeks…so you’ll need extra motivation somewhere along the line…unless you are a robot).

Stay tuned for the training post, which I’ll try to get to soon ~~(and by soon I mean I am not committing to any timeline other than “soon”)~~…

Introducing a Guest Blogger: My Friend Kevin!

2012-04-27T12:55:00.001-04:00

Over the next few weeks, Live Free and Hike will be featuring a guest blogger’s story about training and accomplishing the Boston Marathon. This guest blogger is a great, old friend of mine from high school, Kevin Bernier. Kevin and I certainly haven’t kept in touch throughout the years like friends should, due to attending different schools, living in different States and just being caught up in our busy lives. However, a while back on Facebook, he announced he was training for the Boston Marathon and I followed his progress on FB as he got closer to the race date. He ran the race on one of the hottest days in marathon history with a great time and raised almost $11,000 for Dana-Farber cancer research!

Kevin and I at our senior dinner dance...a very long time ago!

As I mentioned above, Kevin and I met at Amesbury High School. He was with me the first time I ever hiked in 1998, which was up Mount Washington. Many of you may have already read about this un-pleasurable ascent on a previous blog post entitled, Once Upon a Time…I Hated Hiking! My Hike Up Mount Washington, Aug. 25, 1998. After high school, Kevin attended Boston University where he studied math. After he received his undergraduate degree, he continued on to law school at BU. He’s currently practicing law at WilmerHale in Boston as a member of the Commercial Real Estate Group. He resides in Natick, MA, with his wife, Jen, and his two sons, Tyler (age 3 and self-proclaimed fastest boy in the world) and Alex (8 months old).

Kevin and I at one of our proms...again...a very long time ago!

As of lately, I’ve started to dabble in running a bit so I thought it would be great if Kevin wrote a post regarding the Boston Marathon, since it is such an extraordinary accomplishment. He’s done better than that, though. He’s broken up his journey of becoming a long distance runner into four separate chapters, which will be posted at different times over the next few weeks. I myself have not read them yet, so I’m just as excited as you are to get them posted. I want to extend a huge thanks to Kevin for taking the time to document his marathon experience and sharing it here, with us, on Live Free and Hike!