Training Log Archive: danfosterIn the 28 days ending Feb 28, 2021:
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Saturday Feb 27, 2021 #
Fat Biking 36:00 [3] 3.6 mi (10:00 / mi)
Got a surprise 1/2" of powder this morning, before it switches over to a day of rain. Drove Jess and her best friend Daisy down to Delaney (half a block) and did fast loops around the main field on the "go anywhere" crust while the dogs cavorted along beside me. Excellent smooth riding punctuated by frozen posthole minefields every time we crossed over a walking path.
Daisy had been so nervous about getting into the car that I walked them both home and then ran back to get the car and bike, rather than risk a soiled car seat. Trail running goal for Jan and Feb 2021 met: 1 entire block.
Daisy had been so nervous about getting into the car that I walked them both home and then ran back to get the car and bike, rather than risk a soiled car seat. Trail running goal for Jan and Feb 2021 met: 1 entire block.
Thursday Feb 25, 2021 #
Road Biking 2:45:00 [3] 31.6 mi (5:13 / mi)
With soft snow still piled up everywhere, the only thing to do today was ride on the road. Almost abandoned the idea, given the gusty winds, but set out at 11 for uncharted backroads in Bolton and Berlin. Found some nice stretches and some new hills. This should be a good alternative to the Harvard Hills. Found two promising lunch spots at the 10 and 20 mile marks, and enjoyed a sunny lunch out of the wind at the second while looking out over an apple orchard.
Wednesday Feb 24, 2021 #
Fat Biking 56:00 [3] 6.9 km (8:07 / km)
Early lap at RM, trying to hit the groomed trails before it warmed up too much. Dropped some PSI and had a successful ride. Bike clothes in the dryer now - hoping to get in a road ride to take advantage of this balmy, sunny day.
Road Biking 1:40:00 [3] 31.2 km (3:12 / km)
Rode the 20 mile hill loop at lunchtime. Ran into DH returning from a similar jaunt, and made tentative plans for a group ride on Monday. Strange to feel overdressed in February!
Monday Feb 22, 2021 #
Fat Biking 1:27:00 [3] 7.7 mi (11:18 / mi)
Finally got to ride the SnowDog-groomed MTB trails at Russell Mill. Amazing. Perfect ribbons of flowy, snowy singletrack weaving through the woods, with a banked turn at every corner.
Sunday Feb 21, 2021 #
XC Skiing 1:57:00 [3] 9.9 km (11:49 / km)
Jess and I explored our way all the way up to Old Frog Pond farm on the mostly-frozen ice. Lots of open water in the north impoundment forced us up into the shoreline cattails in several places. Stopped for a Snickers bite at Apple Point and had a hawk fly directly overhead as we soaked in the sunshine and the bluebird skies.
NW wind meant I needed face protection and a wind jacket on the way up, and I wished I could switch to shorts and t-shirt with the wind at my back and the sun in my face on the way back. Ran into Daisy and DH on the final pond loop, and more dog craziness ensued.
NW wind meant I needed face protection and a wind jacket on the way up, and I wished I could switch to shorts and t-shirt with the wind at my back and the sun in my face on the way back. Ran into Daisy and DH on the final pond loop, and more dog craziness ensued.
Saturday Feb 20, 2021 #
XC Skiing 2:05:00 [3] 11.2 km (11:10 / km)
Multiple pond loops at Delaney with Jess, and eventually with Daisy and family. A couple inches of fresh powder over the icy pond base. Definitely had some sore calves by the time we were done.
Friday Feb 19, 2021 #
XC Skiing 1:20:00 [3] 8.0 km (10:00 / km)
Skate skiing at Great Brook. Got an inch+ of powder on top of our crusty base overnight. Skied the usual loop with a thermos of tea and a muffuletta sandwich (it's Party Gras week!). Took the Woodchuck loop back toward the bridge for the first time, and channeled all that downhill energy into a rather embarrassing butt slide as I failed to negotiate the turn at the bottom. Saw a number of other wipeouts today as well.
Had an early lunch at the picnic table on the Beaver Loop peninsula, and then got a text invite to ski with the dogs at Delaney.
Had an early lunch at the picnic table on the Beaver Loop peninsula, and then got a text invite to ski with the dogs at Delaney.
XC Skiing 1:03:00 [3] 5.7 km (11:03 / km)
Classic skiing at (or rather on) Delaney with DH and the dogs. The 1+ inches of snow on top of the ice was just about perfect for skiing around the pond. Should be even better tomorrow as light snow continues to fall. Had some beautiful straight-line stretches across virgin snow that were just perfect - gliding side-by-side as dogs bounded and explored, and soft snow fell all around.
Even the crust on the main field was good - held our weight and let us glide along, setting new tracks next to the mashed-up frozen postholes on the usual trails.
Even the crust on the main field was good - held our weight and let us glide along, setting new tracks next to the mashed-up frozen postholes on the usual trails.
Thursday Feb 18, 2021 #
Fat Biking 53:00 [3] 5.4 mi (9:49 / mi)
Swapped the rotors and cassette onto my studded wheels and took Jess down to Delaney to bike on the ice. Did three laps all the way around the pond, over an equal mix of glare ice, textured ice, and crusty snow. The ice was as solid as I've ever seen it - no cracks, pops, or swims! Really fun to zoom around and go in and out of coves and follow little frozen channels up into the marshy areas. Met Vinnie the dog on the way out, retrieving hockey pucks.
Storm coming tonight to add some more snow to the trails.
Storm coming tonight to add some more snow to the trails.
Wednesday Feb 17, 2021 #
Fat Biking 25:00 [3] 1.5 mi (16:40 / mi)
After it finished raining yesterday, everyone went and and stomped 6" postholes down the middle of every trail they could find. Their frozen footprints will haunt us for the rest of the season. Trails are ruined. People suck.
Dog Walking 55:00 [3] 1.5 mi (36:40 / mi)
Scouting for packrafting hazards and obstructions at the seven bridges along the Assabet river in Maynard. Gage at 2.95 ft, 300cfs. Apart from one tree blocking the right span at Mill St, the primary hazard today was icy sidewalks!
Thursday Feb 11, 2021 #
XC Skiing 42:00 [3] 6.9 km (6:05 / km)
Lunchtime skate ski to a picnic table overlooking the beaver pond for a trailside lunch of leftover cheese and pepperoni on bagel. Despite all three caffeine groups for breakfast, this was a token effort and I'm overdue for a good night's sleep.
Fat Biking 42:00 [3] 4.0 mi (10:30 / mi)
All that morning caffeine seemed to finally kick in after dinner, so Jess and I did a quick spin on the fat bike. 80% of the trails are fully packed out, with the remainder impassable. The snow is deep enough now that you're riding down a trench, with pedal strikes against the side walls on sections where the snow hasn't slumped.
Wednesday Feb 10, 2021 #
Fat Biking 1:25:00 [3] 9.0 km (9:27 / km)
Fat biking with Jess in the fresh powder from yesterday's storm. Had to break trail on the North side, and the "car wash" trail had a single 5" line at the bottom of a crusty, foot-high v-shaped trough, and the whole thing was blown in with a few inches of powder. Any deviation from that 5" line took me immediately off the bike, and it was a struggle to get moving again. First pass through was >50% pushing. By the third pass, after airing down again and dropping the seat 2 inches, I was able to get through with only putting a foot in the deep snow every 10 pedal strokes or so. It could really use a visit with some snowshoes. The other north-side trails are completely untouched, and will need some serious snowshoe traffic to become rideable.
Should have worn gaiters - snow down my boots, down my back, completely covering the cockpit...
Should have worn gaiters - snow down my boots, down my back, completely covering the cockpit...
Fat Biking 45:00 [3] 4.9 mi (9:11 / mi)
Went back out at lunch time and grilled sausages in the swamp. Trails have been surprisingly chewed up in the couple hours since our morning ride.
Tuesday Feb 9, 2021 #
XC Skiing 1:53:00 [3] 10.1 mi (11:11 / mi)
5.9 mi skate ski in an hour, with a few laps around the west field to work on skate technique up a constant, gentle hill. Still feeling cooked from Monday. Snow started falling on my 4.2 mi classic ski, and it felt like I had the whole park to myself for the last 30 minutes.
Monday Feb 8, 2021 #
XC Skiing 1:45:00 [3] 15.0 km (7:00 / km)
1 hr skate ski at Great Brook, followed by 45 min classic ski. Liked it so much I went back and upgraded to a "season" pass. If I get two weeks of groomed skiing in this winter, I'll call that a successful season.
Stopped by the local chocolatier on the way home to stock up for Valentine's day, so total calories burned was probably around negative one million.
Stopped by the local chocolatier on the way home to stock up for Valentine's day, so total calories burned was probably around negative one million.
Saturday Feb 6, 2021 #
Fat Biking 1:36:00 [3] 11.1 km (8:39 / km)
Bumpy, crusty fatbiking. Did several loops through the middle part of Delaney to try to even out some of the frozen postholes. Had to maintain a 10 degree right lean coming across the main field due to a steady crosswind. Then a gust hit and blew me off the packed track and into the snow.
XC Skiing 1:20:00 [4] 9.1 km (8:47 / km)
Skiing at the refuge. On the plus side, the above-freezing temps and bright sun softened up the crusty snow we encountered yesterday. On the down side, hordes of weekend walkers had walked down the ski tracks.
Friday Feb 5, 2021 #
XC Skiing 1:20:00 [3] 6.0 mi (13:20 / mi)
Icy xc ski at the refuge with DH. Icy tracks could have used a few more degrees of warmth, or a dusting of new snow. Sure enough, just as we arrived back at the parking lot, glorious wet flakes started falling.
XC Skiing 20:00 [3] 1.5 mi (13:20 / mi)
Grabbed Jess and my skate skis as soon as I got home from the refuge, and ventured out onto the frozen pond in search of skateable snow. Found plenty of snow that was too deep, plenty of patches of bare ice, and plenty of soggy spots where Jess was making slurping noises with each footstep. But my favorite ice skating spot had a narrow strip about the length of a soccer field of skate-friendly snow. Managed to get in 1.5 miles of quick straight-line sprints followed by soggy turn-arounds on each end. Jess was getting restless and the novelty was starting to wear off, so we headed back home.
Wednesday Feb 3, 2021 #
Note
slept:7.0 (rest day)
Decided the bivy sack I bought for Untamed needed to earn its keep. Dug a snow trench in the 15 inches of snow in the back yard, and slept out under the stars, which were themselves sleeping out under a heavy layer of clouds. Temps were in the high 20s all night, but I got an unexpected "would you like sprinkles with that?" starting around 1AM. If that hadn't happened, I think it would have been a pretty comfortable night.
Tuesday Feb 2, 2021 #
Snowshoeing 2:39:00 [3] 4.0 mi (39:45 / mi)
15 inches of fluffy white stuff arrived overnight. Jess and I snowshoed out the back door and bushwhacked through the woods and wetlands. I tried to focus on reading the terrain and making good route choices . Jess focused on finding new smells. Given the thick ice, I ventured out into a few places we've never gone before. Fought through a cattail marsh that was a mogul/mine field of snow-covered tussocks. Came out later right at a snowy bridge over a small stream, that turned out to not be a bridge after all. Making matters worse, after I crawled out on the other side, I found uncrossable water just beyond, and we had to jump back over and find another way around. Wet feet and a rapidly-diminishing bag of dog treats aside, it was a pretty great morning.
Monday Feb 1, 2021 #
Dog Walking 1:00:00 [1]
Stream-side scouting for potential packrafting practice loop.