Low Key Hill Climb - Old La Honda Rd time trial

Rick Ferrell and I were both game for doing at least 4 of the Bay Area's most interesting cycling race series - the Low Key Hill Climbs (which are NOT "low key" in the quality of the competition). Local clubs show up, and for $10 you get to challenge all comers to the top of one of the Bay Area's beautiful and challenging hill climbs. This week - Nov 14 - we ascended Old La Honda Rd, which starts in Palo Alto and tops out on Skyline Rd. It's short and sweet - 3.35 miles and 1290 ft of climbing. Ferrell had me drive us over, and he continued on south on Skyline, down Mtn Charlie to Scotts Valley and his car. I followed till Page Mill Rd, then down, through the Stanford campus, and back to my car. 30 miles and 3000 ft of climbing for me, and more for Ferrell. Great morning! My other pix

Sublime Solitude Running the Caliente Range

I combined an important astronomical research expedition with a soul-satisfying run to the top of Caliente Peak in the Caliente Range of Carrizo Plain, last Thursday. A 17 mile hilly trail run, and in fact this was the 2nd time I'd done a short 24hr overnighter drive/astro/trailrun to the top of Caliente Peak in just the past 5 days! I'll send a link to the first one, after the pictures are posted. For this one on Oct 22, I've put together a story page, pictures, and astronomical reductions of the occultation of a star by the asteroid Eukrate as well, here http://www.cabrillo.edu/~rnolthenius/events/eukrate15/story.html. My

left leg illiotibial band was nagging me this time, so I did some power walking as well (which was painless), and stopped often for interesting pictures of the crystal clean skies looking down on the Cuyama Valley and also Carrizo Plain, and the local wildlife.

Beach Run sans Orthotics

Am I close to tossing my long-dependent orthotics? I'd like to think so... after the Sandman Tri last week, my orthotics were hurting my arches, and I pulled them out of my shoes just to see if I could run OK w/o them. Actually, it felt great! Lighter shoes, softer feel... I ran to/and/along the beach 3 days in a row w/o the orthotics, for a total of about 12 miles. Then put them back in for a Fall Creek long trail run. I plan to use them only when my arch begins to complain

Triathlon'ing on the Russian River

Ferrell and I made a late decision - to do the Vineman Monte Rio Olympic Triathlon, at the funky little town of Monte Rio on the lower Russian River, on May 31, 2015. I was immediately intrigued - with many fond childhood memories at my grandfather's cabin built on the River just a few miles upstream. So I was "in". Alas, the race was already filled by the time I decided, although I hoped to get in on late cancellations at check-in the afternoon before the race. The swim was the problem - the river was very low, and the swim start required a 100 yard slog through shallow rocky water to the start, and 200 yards of barefoot slogging on the same rocks before exiting the river. I decided to skip the swim and just do the bike and run. Thanks to my cousin, Rick and I were able to stay at the cabin, and I had a very memorable weekend. The run, however, for me was a disaster. Strong left hip pain forced me to walk a good deal of it, The whole story's here.

The Wildflower Triathlon

Ferrell's "retiring" (maybe really true this time?) and going out with 8 triathlons this year. So I said I'd join him. So far, I've joined him for the Wildflower (run only for me), The Vineman Monte Rio (bike and run only for me), and the California International Tri this past Sunday. I've been nagged by left psoas trouble most of the spring, and falling behind on my running pace. But still have plenty of adventures I've not reported. Here's a page for the Wildflower Tri

Redwood Forest Connections

I need my regular alone time, to be with my thoughts in my own world - Nature as untouched as I can find it. This first weekend of 2015 needed a post-holiday re-calibration. I biked out to the bottom of the Hoffmann Loop in Nicene Marks, and ran out to the Bridge Creek trail, to the Big Stump trail, to Hoffmann Site, the Hoffmann Connector, to West Ridge, and up to the top, at the Trail camp - a perfect late afternoon quiet spot for contemplation before running back down, arriving at my locked bike just as the sun set. http://www.cabrillo.edu/~rnolthenius/OtherAdv/WestRidgeRun1-15/index.html