Weekly Summary: July 4-10

Back at it after the Finger Lakes 50s. With the Escarpment Trail Run four weeks away, the goal is to get in a couple good weeks with lots of hills, then a couple weeks of taper.

Mon: Forest roads in Tuller Hill S.F. (6 mi, 1:00)
Still feeling pretty tired and sore from the 50k, I ran at a leisurely pace and checked out some new terrain on the west side of Tuller Hill State Forest, including some segments of the Virgil Crest Ultras course. Starting at the big parking lot on Clute Road, I headed west on Vinnedge Road then took a right on another forest road that climbs a fairly big hill to a radio tower. A dense system of equestrian trails intersects the roads in many places- something to check out in the future, though I'm generally no fan of horse trails.

My route

These are pretty nice as far as forest roads go- shaded, rocky, and passing through some nice woods. There are decent views south to Greek Peak ski area and north to the Tioughnioga River valley at a power line cut near the top of the hill, though they are obscured by the power lines.

Tues: rest

Wed: Wilderness-Bog Loop at Lime Hollow (~6 mi)
This was my first real run at Lime Hollow since my quad-loop run a few weeks ago. The trails were totally dry for the first time all year, but the bugs were insanely bad. One of my favorite things about running, rather than hiking, on trails is that the bugs barely ever bother me. Today they were inescapable, and they encouraged me to keep a fast pace to avoid being totally swarmed.

Thurs: Hill and speed work
1 mile at SUNY Cortland track (5:28) and two hill sets at Beaudry Park.

Fri: rest

Sat: Greek Peak hills and Finger Lakes Trail (16 mi, 4000 ft gain, 3:15)
This run satisfied two of my trail running needs: 1) climb the biggest hills possible in preparation for the Escarpment Trail run, and 2) get to know the Virgil Crest Ultras course, which I volunteered to help mark this fall.

Maps of Section 3- Lift House 5 loop (top) and Section 4- Lift House 5 to Rockpile (bottom) of the Virgil Crest Ultras course (courtesy of the race website)

The route covered sections 3 and 4 of the Virgil Crest Ultras course, beginning with a loop on ski trails at Greek Peak and then following the Finger Lakes Trail from Tone Road to the Rockpile and back. I'm very familiar with this portion of the FLT, but I knew it would be tricky following the correct ski trails without any markings. I did my best to study the description on the Virgil Crest website and the Greek Peak trail map, but I still got off course, treating myself to some extra climbing on overgrown black diamond ski slopes.

While it offered everything I wished for in terms of vertical relief, the Greek Peak section was otherwise disappointing. The trails were overgrown in most places, and in some sections the vegetation was more than waist high. I did the plants a service by assisting in their seed dispersal, as thousands of tiny seeds and other bits of plant tissue stuck to my sweaty body. I would definitely not run these trails again in this condition, though I imagine they get cleared for the race.

The 900 ft climb from Tone Road to Virgil Mountain on the FLT was much more enjoyable, though the forest on top of the hill has been thoroughly decimated by very recent logging. This was just another reminder that state forests are anything but nature preserves, and that the aesthetic quality of hiking trails is not a high priority.

The rest of the run out to the Rockpile was pleasant and uneventful. I stopped to enjoy the view on this sunny day, then retraced my steps back to the car. The climb back up Virgil Mountain was a bit of a beast, but I managed to run it all, and I let loose on the final descent to Tone Road to give my quads a good beating. Another hard trail run in the bag.

Sun: Lime Hollow (~45 min)
An easy trail run to wrap up the week. I put together a nice loop mostly on trails left out of my usual Lime Hollow route. Lehigh Valley - Phillips Memorial - Gracie Road - Bog Spur - Mill Pond - Mill Pond Connector - Hermit's Way - Fenway - ski trail - Lehigh Valley - Hawthorn - High Vista - Lookout Connector - Fenway - Lehigh Valley.