Catching Up On Some Things
I thought that I might catch up on some things.
First of all, Running - I ran 38 miles last week. Mostly sweet, comfortable, junk miles. It is ever so nice to finish a competition and then go into a rest mode. Nothing is quite as nice as a rest mode. I even ran 28.2 miles the week after my last competition.
So far this week, I have run 20 1/2 miles. As with all things, even a rest mode needs to stop so that you can train for the next competition. That being, The Phedippidations Worldwide Half-Marathon!
Personal Medical -
Other things can happen to a person in the meantime. My Doctor prescribed for me a colonoscopy. It is a preventative measure due to my being older than 50. It happens on the 11th @ 11:30 AM. The day before is a clear liquid diet day with a prescription laxative at 5:00 PM on the 10th and then again at 5:00 AM on the morning of the 11th. Now that you're all grossed out, let's move on!
Trail Shuttle Vehicle -
On Saturday August 18th, there was a problem with my trail shuttle vehicle. My good friend left the Mighty YJ running, in neutral, and he thought he set the e-brake. As it ended up, he didn't.
Here is what happened. We were taking a new trail - The Hidden Valley Road. With recent rains, the trail had been washing out. The road surface was gravel - soft and loose. The one main obstacle on the trail had to be taken. Although there was a go-around for the obstacle, it was blocked by a large pine tree that had fallen over. So, everyone had to take the main path and go over the obstacle.
The Mighty YJ has ARB lockers on the front and back axles. That means that the axles lock and both tires on the axle can spin at the same time and together (essentially "locking" them together). There were three vehicles on the trail that day. As we were locked, we drove it first. Then we turned around and faced the obstacle. This would allow us to winch the others up should they need it. As you can see above, our friend Ben did need to be winched over the obstacle. We pulled him up and over. We took the Mighty YJ back up to the top of the hill. My friend left it running, in neutral and thought that he set e-brake at that point.
I was still at the obstacle when I heard a rushing engine noise and a wooden sounding sudden stop. I thought to myself that someone on the trail today was in an awful hurry...
Then I realized that it was my ride home! I ran over to see what had happened. The Mighty YJ had rolled down the go-around and hit the tree blocking it. The Mighty YJ was buried deep in that tree. The Mighty YJ had moved that tree so that the go-around is no longer blocked. The 3rd vehicle in the group did drive the go-around!
Fortunately, all of the damage was done at hood height and above. It did take out the windshield and damaged the frame. There was some other damage but it was minor. No person was in the vehicle when it happened. Molly, my Australian Sheperd, was in the back. She got right out, seemed to be fine, and hopped right back in when it was time to go. This picture shows me cleaning up after the altercation.
We did drive it home. It took two weeks to repair the damage. We took it to the windshield shop yesterday and picked it up today.
Now it is ready for more trails. We are planning on taking it up to the mountains for a weekend of camping and trail running this weekend. Well, OK, not trail running for everyone but definitely for me. One trail that I want to run is Mount Antero. It becomes a single lane shelf road that climbs to 14,269 feet in elevation. The trail ends in a parking area at 13,800' and you get to walk the rest of the way. Look forward to pictures next week!
You can learn about it here - Mount Antero.
What is everyone else planning on doing this weekend?
First of all, Running - I ran 38 miles last week. Mostly sweet, comfortable, junk miles. It is ever so nice to finish a competition and then go into a rest mode. Nothing is quite as nice as a rest mode. I even ran 28.2 miles the week after my last competition.
So far this week, I have run 20 1/2 miles. As with all things, even a rest mode needs to stop so that you can train for the next competition. That being, The Phedippidations Worldwide Half-Marathon!
Personal Medical -
Other things can happen to a person in the meantime. My Doctor prescribed for me a colonoscopy. It is a preventative measure due to my being older than 50. It happens on the 11th @ 11:30 AM. The day before is a clear liquid diet day with a prescription laxative at 5:00 PM on the 10th and then again at 5:00 AM on the morning of the 11th. Now that you're all grossed out, let's move on!
Trail Shuttle Vehicle -
On Saturday August 18th, there was a problem with my trail shuttle vehicle. My good friend left the Mighty YJ running, in neutral, and he thought he set the e-brake. As it ended up, he didn't.
Here is what happened. We were taking a new trail - The Hidden Valley Road. With recent rains, the trail had been washing out. The road surface was gravel - soft and loose. The one main obstacle on the trail had to be taken. Although there was a go-around for the obstacle, it was blocked by a large pine tree that had fallen over. So, everyone had to take the main path and go over the obstacle.
The Mighty YJ has ARB lockers on the front and back axles. That means that the axles lock and both tires on the axle can spin at the same time and together (essentially "locking" them together). There were three vehicles on the trail that day. As we were locked, we drove it first. Then we turned around and faced the obstacle. This would allow us to winch the others up should they need it. As you can see above, our friend Ben did need to be winched over the obstacle. We pulled him up and over. We took the Mighty YJ back up to the top of the hill. My friend left it running, in neutral and thought that he set e-brake at that point.
I was still at the obstacle when I heard a rushing engine noise and a wooden sounding sudden stop. I thought to myself that someone on the trail today was in an awful hurry...
Then I realized that it was my ride home! I ran over to see what had happened. The Mighty YJ had rolled down the go-around and hit the tree blocking it. The Mighty YJ was buried deep in that tree. The Mighty YJ had moved that tree so that the go-around is no longer blocked. The 3rd vehicle in the group did drive the go-around!
Fortunately, all of the damage was done at hood height and above. It did take out the windshield and damaged the frame. There was some other damage but it was minor. No person was in the vehicle when it happened. Molly, my Australian Sheperd, was in the back. She got right out, seemed to be fine, and hopped right back in when it was time to go. This picture shows me cleaning up after the altercation.
We did drive it home. It took two weeks to repair the damage. We took it to the windshield shop yesterday and picked it up today.
Now it is ready for more trails. We are planning on taking it up to the mountains for a weekend of camping and trail running this weekend. Well, OK, not trail running for everyone but definitely for me. One trail that I want to run is Mount Antero. It becomes a single lane shelf road that climbs to 14,269 feet in elevation. The trail ends in a parking area at 13,800' and you get to walk the rest of the way. Look forward to pictures next week!
You can learn about it here - Mount Antero.
What is everyone else planning on doing this weekend?
Labels: Jeeping, running, Trail Running
posted by CewTwo at 1:52 PM
4 Comments:
I plan to survive a 17-mile longrun!!!! After that, nothing but rest. Monday off work -- whoo hoo!
Great mileage CW! And I'm right there with ya with the colonoscopy man! I'll check in after the 11th to make sure you can still run!
Peace..
;-)
That accident was scary. When I lived in Colorado, I was a state trooper. The closest I ever came to getting killed was eerily similar. A car had rolled and been abandoned, off a road up around Gold Hill. Wrecker came and parked uphill from my cruiser. Wrecker driver went down to put the hook on the rollover. I got out of my car and was standing in the roadway by my open driver's door, watching the wrecker driver. I just felt something coming, like a rushing wind. The wrecker's e. brake had failed and it was rolling downhill in neutral, very quietly, right toward me. I wasn't looking uphill. It rushed by in the roadway, this huge wrecker, at gathering speed and missed me by six inches before it ran off the other side of the roadway. Of course we ticketed the tow company for defective vehicle. I never saw this apparition coming til it was right beside me going by, and knew in retrospect that it was the closest call that I had in nine years of police work.
38 sweet, junk miles in rest mode, I love it!
No major plans for me over the holiday weekend yet. Just being home will be a nice change.
Glad no one was hurt when the vehicle rolled down!
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