Tag: Trail Running

Running in Cuyahoga Valley National Park Ohio. 

Posted on by JAdRunning

Big thanks to Chris Koch (far left of picture) for meeting up with me for some beautiful Ohio miles today! Chris is a beast completing three 100 mile races – Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run being one of the three! Even better yet, he is from my home town of Brookings, SD. Who would have guessed two crazy runners would come out of our small town. Super stoked I got some miles in with him as our paths crossed on my journey! Before we started running Matt (center of group picture) happen to see us as he pulled into the trailhead. As any trail runners knows the more runners the merrier, so he joined us for our run. Matt is training for a 100 mile relay race the end of July, the Burning River 100. Love meeting bad ass people as I travel.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park has a great trails system between the two large metropolitan areas of Cleveland and Akron. The trails I have run so far have been in the Virginia Kendall Unit of the CVNP. The Salt Run and Lake Trail sections offer multiple steep hills on some of the muddiest terrain I have run. The exposed root and rock don’t concern me as much as my chances to face plant from the mud. There is also a short tunnel on the east side of Lake Trail that takes you under what use to be a toboggan sledding area back in the late 1930s. Imagine flying down that baby back in the day…sweet! Ledges Trail gives a unique scenery change into massive rock outcroppings. It doesn’t seem to fit into the flow of the trails when you suddenly run up on the big rocks. Personally my favorite as it’s takes your mind off the leg trembling uphills from before. The Cross Country Trail is a open meadow of tall grass around a mowed trail with a few more steep little hills. 

With my Ohio miles officially logged at 7.6 miles with Chris and Matt. Then another 5 mile course preview group for Western Reserve Racing’s Muddy Paws 10/5 mile race on Sunday July 5th. I look forward to exploring more of the trails here in CVNP.

I will be running the Muddy Paws 10 miler so if you see me say hi!

JAdRunning: Dirtbagging in the heart of NYC!

Posted on by JAdRunning

How I think of New York City: 

It’s dream like, it’s big, it’s flashy, it’s everything I run from…but I am drawn to the unquoted conversations that stir as I people watch, as I wonder where they are going, as I think of what I would do if I lived in the city, as I think of how lucky I am to have this the opportunity to travel the country.

My NYC “Plan”: 

In my six months plus living out of the van I have only paid twice to park and once for a hotel because the weather got below zero. So, I decided to make a “plan” to splurge a bit to get a hotel in Manhattan for one night. Getting the hotel would be costly but I would have piece of mind knowing pup was safe while I was out. I could make it a full blown touristy day and see all the sites. Plus I was told about a group run on Saturday that would run the Brooklyn Bridge out and back. Well…like I have always said never make real plans because plans fall apart or get broken. Then you’re left feeling sad cause you missed out.

How my NYC “plan” fell apart:

I was excited for the Brooklyn Bridge group run even tough it was road running. Meeting and running with people is what makes my journey fun. Come to find out the same day the group run would be is the Brooklyn Half Marathon. I reach out to the person that mentioned the run to find out if the group was still meeting, no response. I reach out to the group organizers to find out, no response. No worries….they are road runners I tell myself. As a trail runner you learn how roadies can be so no biggie because I can just do my own thing.

Now that I don’t have the group to organize around I can start to plan my quick day and half tour of NYC. My go to for hotels has always been La Quinta Inns mainly cause they are pet friendly. I log into my LQ App on my phone and low and behold there is one in Manhattan with a perfect location to everything! Booked! I happen to be talking with my friend later the same night I booked the room. She tells me that she heard that the Manhattan LQ is the only non pet friendly location. Thinking she was joking I called the hotel to confirm her story. Holy crap it’s true! All I could do at this point is talk to the Manager in the morning. I stressed a bit over how expensive it was and how I missed the deadline to cancel. Realizing that stressing wouldn’t help I started create ideas of how I would spend my time in NYC like I originally planned. A short call in the morning to the manager and it was cleared up. He was hesitant at first and said it clearly states on the website no pets. Told him that may be the case but I only use the LQ App which does not state in details about no pets. I calmly won the debate and he canceled.

My new NYC idea: 

 “I call it an idea not a plan. Plans change. Plans get broken. Plans prevent us from following the moments that lead to who we are, where we should to be, what we are suppose to do.” This is one of my plan quotes I say and truly believe in to this day. 

 Letting all the negatives pass by I start to create the new ideas which will be just rolling with whatever comes. First stop is Liberty State Park in New Jersey. This is where you can take the NJ ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. My plan is to just walk with up and take a few pictures quickly. But this park is awesome! It’s huge and has a lot of green space so we took a long stroll. 

I met a lady as we were walking that wanted to say hi to pup. She kept calling him a Collie. I let her call him one because it’s not worth the argument. Jayden ran up to her without his normal gruffle bark. Then she started crying as she pet him, she just lost her dog a month ago. I let her vent about her dog and how great he was as well as the breed itself. She asked where we were from and I gave her the short story to focus in her. Her son is a trail runner, hiker, adventurer too and lives in New Hampshire. She is going to the same farm to possibly get a new pup this weekend. She asked me if I thought it was to soon? Told her it would probably be good and it’s never to soon or late to wait. She will know when the time is right and the new dog will never be the same as the other dog. Before I left I told her I was giving her a big hug…and I did. After I did, pup ran up to her turned his butt to her for a pet. She smiled big and I noticed a tear roll down her cheek from under her sunglasses… she patted his bum and walked away. 

 I don’t write many stories of all great people I have met along the way. This just goes to show that following plans are good to a point but following the moment is what we are meant to do. That lady needed that hug, that conversation, my silly dog and his butt petting fetish. I wouldn’t have been there at that time if my plan worked out.  

  As for the rest of NYC it was fun driving down Time Square, getting honked at by every cab driver, hanging out in Central Park all afternoon. But the best was my straight dirtbagging it and boondocking on the streets of NYC! I literally slept in my van on the corner of the Upper Westside of Central Park! 

McAfee Knob run and a great story of a AT thru hiker

Posted on by JAdRunning

 

Met the guy pictured above at the top of my 9 mile run to McAfee Knob on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. His story is pretty awesome!

In his 20s he started to thru hike the Appalachian Trail but only got a little ways in on his quest. This retired high school English teacher is continuing his journey from where he left off 30 years later. His friends call him Stubby or to his students Mr. Stubblefield. He was overwhelmed to hear about my journey and smiled big with the few stories I shared him.

But it’s real stories like his that inspire me and gives me true guidance. It let’s me know I am suppose to be here at this exact time and place. As we exchanged safe travel farewells Stubby left me with a quote he felt fit my life and dream.  

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” – Helen Keller

3 Months, 9 States, 6,123 Miles

Posted on by JAdRunning

Life is a learning tool. If we study it by living in the moment we’ll be happy every moment of our lives.
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Walls of Jericho in Alabama Photo Credit Zach Andrews

This weekend marked 3 months into my journey. I have been to 9 states (SD, NE, MO, AR, TN, MS, LA, FL & AL) and put on 6,123 miles! Words can not describe what an amazing experience the last few months have been. Well actually let me try: Thankful, honored, rad, interesting, scary, beautiful, cold, dirty, happy, crazy, emotional, joyful, smelly, loved…I could go on and on but most of all I am truly grateful. Grateful for the words of encouragement, the support from family and friends and for all my new friends I have met along the way.

I can not believe my JAdRunning Facebook page has hit 248 likes! Half the likes are from people I didn’t even know when I started or haven’t even met. Honored to have everyone of you following my adventure!

Also, if there is a place you think I should check out please comment and let me I know. If you think you know someone that may like my page please share it www.facebook.com/jadrunning.
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Zach and I at Kings Chair overlook in Oak Mountain State Park

This weekend in Birmingham I met up with Fellow Dirtbag Runner Zach for some beautiful running because of social media! Meeting people is how I get to see the best of the best in everyone’s stomping ground.

Trust me I don’t mind being stalked…well the friendly stalking that is!!

Five Groups – Five Different Adventures – De Soto National Forest Mississippi

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I headed north into De Soto National Forest from Biloxi Mississippi to check off another naked forest shower off my list. When I rolled into Airey Campground it was full of cars and my first thought was to crowed for me. I pulled around to park and I got a friendly wave from a couple relaxing in chairs by their white sprinter van. The friendly gesture helped changed my mind about the crowdedness. I think Jayden (my dog) gets more excited then I do for new places cause he was hyper after the short 45 minute drive from the Gulf. So I exchanged a few quick hellos with the two couples to hit the trail and burn off his energy. Just off the campground lake is Tuxachanie Trail. A 22 mile trail system that leads to an old World War II POW camp and the Airey camp ground is at mile 5.5. Well the pups walk was short lived as we walked just around the bend of the lake til he motioned he was ready to go back. With the freedom I have I now I let pup dictate how far and where he wants to explore when it’s his time. As we came back the two couples were about to head out for a run/hike. My bum foot loomed over my head for a brief little bit til they all said I should tag along. Sold! Doesn’t take much to convince a runner to run even on a bum foot. Along the way the five of us switch around talking and telling stories. We ended up doing a 12 mile run/hike that felt  much shorter because of everyones presents.

Steven and Jen are from Toronto, Canada and now live in a Sprinter van they custom built and converted into their home on wheels. They sold their houses and put life on hold to explore the USA with the intent to see all the National Parks. It was cool to hear that they have had similar VanLife experiences as I have in my short 3 months. You can follow their adventure at www.nomadsinnature.com.

Matt and Chloe are road tripping and pitching a tent on their life’s adventure. Matt has a pretty rad work schedule that gives him five weeks on and five weeks off. So on his five weeks off the two of them drive across the country living life and exploring nature. Chloe is from Colorado so we made joke together about how this areas elevation is lacking how it easy it felt. Matt’s job opened my eyes possible new job field that could allow one to be a dirtbag with a real job.

Rodrigo is a young surfer from Miami, Florida area and was waiting for his girlfriend Kelsey to arrive in Biloxi by bus from Maryland the next day I arrived. He has had the dream to travel to California and then South America in search of waves and a minimal life. Their story of drug addiction at a young age to where they are now is pretty amazing. The plan they have to get them from A to B will be a great story and build great inner strength. They make crafts, bracelets, necklaces and will sell them as they travel to make money. The support they give each other will keep them on the straight and narrow path toward a happy life.

Mr. Bill is great man and a retired Vietnam Veteran. This guy has his VanLife down to a science. He lives throughout the local campgrounds of Mississippi in his van named after his late dog. He has a “tiny house” on a few acres 10 minute from the camp but travels around to enjoy the different nature scenes. Around the camp fire he would tell us stories about the war and the craziness that was involved. One night he recited a poem he wrote as he was going over to Vietnam. It was an touching moment to have a guy who looks hard on the outside open up and show true emotion.

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How high I look, how far I see the world is so confusing to me.
 
People are hard, people are cruel and it seems they've forgotten how to play their cool.
 
They cheat, they lie, they steal, they kill and so my heart tells me I've had my pill.
 
I'm alone in this world and I stay this way til my heart and my mind convince me to stray.
 
I hope and I pray that someday the world will be together again and never stray. -Bill

My foot injury kind of provoked this journey down along the flat gulf coast so I was not provoked to run as much. Again, like a broken record it was meant to be!