The weekend has been the quintessential October weekend in New York’s Hudson Valley, by my definition. There were chores and errands, sports, a couple of movies, and a home cooked meal or two that featured intensely seasonal food like squash and pumpkin. It felt restorative.
The sports were a balance between being a spectator and a participant, and both were exciting. Saturday night, Albany High’s Varsity Falcons took on Niskayuna in sectional soccer playoffs and it was a nail biter. The game was a slow starter and went to 14:53 of the second overtime period before being decided 3-2 (Nisky). It was a flawless goal and there was no shame on that field for the home team. Those kids pressured and played their hearts out for nearly two hours and I was proud to witness their efforts. Bonus to run into friends with benefits – umbrellas and a butt blanket for the metal stands, that is.
Today was my turn to exert myself as I continue to “train” for one more half marathon (Syracuse) and work towards my goal of 750 miles for the year. It was Squirrelly 6/Hairy Gorilla weekend, but I wasn’t feeling it this year and opted instead for HMRRC’s 7.1 Town of New Scotland road race. The combination of closer to home/later start/cheaper entry fee, and an appealing distance, prompted me to go low key with this beautiful race run.
I last ran this maybe 2 or 3 years ago and it was just like I remembered – a good mix of rolling hills, lightly trafficked and absolutely pastoral. It seems that the foliage is a bit wan this year, but there were some bright spots where the burning bushes were showing off their new red coats and the air was crisp. My hat and gloves came in use for the first few miles before I stuffed them into pockets and yanked my leggings into capris. When the sun was shining, it was heavenly and when the wind blew, most usually in my face while I was climbing a hill, it was pretty hellacious.
The race starts and finishes on Swift Road, a route I’m familiar with from cycling. The finish comes after a climb followed by a decent descent, and a piece of trail which goes across fields and through woods. Absolutely lovely. Next year this race will be run for the 40th time and I’m going try to remember to incorporate it into my calendar. It’s an ideal outing right in the middle of two half marathons (or maybe pre-Stockadathon?) and I’m so glad I made the effort to get there.
DelSo 