Tag: Off The Books

  • OTB is in the books

    A Solo Summer tour traveler came out to run. Yhc had no idea where he was going so did some coal field to midlothian loops and tried not to get lost. Check this one off the challenge list.

  • Avoiding the Triathlon Traffic

    2 OTB regulars started in the parking lot hearing a little loudspeaker chatter and realized it was the Pink Power Triathlon at the nearby YMCA.  It worked out well that Honeymoon wanted 7ish miles and YHC had a route planned to take us away from the traffic.  Up to Midlothian, into Salisbury around Oakengate and Castlebridge and back past Midlo High School.  Hit the coffeeteria for the start of the race and saw the leaders heading out on the run as we finished up.

    Good times, no trains to climb although we did cross the tracks.

  • Tomato Run – Friday Addition

    Four men met at the intersection of Oakham and Combs for a 5:30 AM 5 mile jog through the neighborhoods of Rutland, Cool Spring Forest, Knollwood, and the Villages of Cool Spring.

    The Route:  

    Oakham to Fox Hill Farm Road.  Right onto Colvincrest.  Left on Hughesland.  Right onto Codygrove.  Right onto Carywood.  Take path into Knollwood.  Right onto Brittewood.  Right onto Blakeridge and back up.  Take Blakeridge back into Cool Spring Forest.  Left onto Codygrove and right onto Hughesland.  Right onto Nolanwood.  Left onto Crestland.  Take right onto Cool Spring Road into Villages of Cool Spring.  Left onto Ringview.  Right onto Thornecrest.  At end of Thornecrest, take path around all of Villages of Cool Spring.  Take right onto Hughesland.  Cross back into Cool Spring Forest.  Right onto Crestfield.  Right onto Combs.  Left onto Cavalin.  Left onto New Holland.  Left onto Oakham.  Stop at Combs.

    NMS

    YHC had a great time running with the guys from Rutland this morning.  Bro Code was the pace this morning which allowed for many topics of conversation including the BRR, Grandfather Mountain, running the Grand Canyon rim to rim, Zion National Park, Four Corners, High School Cross Country, and TYA’s CSAUP.  Of course the topic that was discussed the most was the Barkley Fall Classic which Swallow will be participating in on September 15.  Although this is not the full Barkley Marathon that is held in the Spring, the Barkley Fall Classic is organized by the same guy and is approximately a 50K.  Good luck with this event Swallow.

    Within a few weeks, the route that was run this morning will be accessible from the Tomato Run once the Atlee Road extension is complete.  This will give the Tomato Run many more options.

    Announcements

    • PuppyPile on August 25th immediately following DogPile.  Marv has the Q.
    • Ghost Flag will be up for grabs at DogPile this Saturday. See preblast
    • Labor Day Convergence 9/3 – See preblast 

    Gotta Run!

    Phonics

  • Noonday Heat

    Heat, like a black hole,

    sucked in all our energy.

    We ran and sought shade.

  • The Grove Solo Trail Run

    One PAX member took off at 6 am from Urban Farmhouse on this perfect Sunday morning for a relaxing 5.6 mile journey.  Of course since there were no witnesses, this is the legend of what occurred.

    The Route

    Leave Urban Farmhouse and take a left onto North Woolridge Road.  Take a right onto Grove Hill Road.  Follow the bike path/trail until it ends then take a right onto Coalfield Road.  Take a left onto Bristol Village Road.   Take a left onto Manders Drive.  Take a left onto Coalfield Road and then a right onto Grove Hill Road.  From Grove Hill follow the bike path/trails through the neighborhood going around the lake until it came into the Midlothian YMCA parking lot.  Turn around and follow the path back to Grove Hill Road.  Take at left onto Grove HIll crossing North Woolridge Road until it ends.  Follow a sidewalk that appeared to be abandoned at the end of Grove Hill Road.  Find a trail at the end of the abandoned sidewalk and follow it.  After YHC discovered that he was standing in the Midlothian Middle School parking lot, he noticed a cat to the left.  Follow the cat down a trail that would take him onto roads that would Lead to to Sycamore Village Drive.  Take a left onto Coalfield Road.  Pass JB Watson Elementary School and turn left into the Urban Farmhouse parking lot.

    NMS

    The RVA Summer Tour has been a lot of fun including the run today that required stopping every 10 minutes to figure out where he was.  16 down and 8 to go.  This was the 2nd to last stop that requires YHC to pay for a toll.  Still trying to figure out why the nickel bridge cost a quarter.

    Announcement:  You still have time to join the RVA Summer Tour.  August 6 (tomorrow) is the last date if you have not posted on a Monday since Memorial Day.

    Gotta Run!

    Phonics

  • Solo OTB

    With the summer tour YHC thought there may be other runners there but it was a quiet Sunday.   Great weather for a run.

  • OTB regulars

    After a few weeks of summer tour guests and lone runners YHC and Honeymoon hit the roads around Midlothian for a few early a.m. miles.  We hit the regular route of coal mines, Woolridge and Midlothian at a pace conducive to mumblechatter.  YHC’s 50k, Honeymoon’s trip to Disney, upcoming BRR and CSAUPs dominated the conversation during the run and at the post run coffeteria.  Beautiful weather for a run this morning.

    Announcements:

    The Ghost Flag will be making it’s next appearance at YHC’s  45MOM Q this week. Come one, come all to claim the flag.

  • Out with the old, in with the new

    A solo summer tour participant posted to Off the Books this morning.  Fearing that may be the case, YHC had a route planned out that went like this: Right on Charter Colony, Right on Coalfield, Right on Midlothian tnpk past SOT, right on Charter Colony, around the lake on the path, and up the hill back to the start.

    NMS

    Was a nice morning for a run, even if only accompanied by the Classic Rock Pandora station coming from my iPhone.  Tunes were enjoyed, along with a pretty striking sunrise.  Was interesting to run along Coalfield and with my birthday around the corner, reflect on the passage of time.  When I was a kid in the 80s/90s, Coalfield was our main artery from Brandermill to Midlothian.  With the construction of Charter Colony, the 288 and Lucks Lane extensions, etc., it no longer cuts through and was completely deserted.  So a route out that old way, and back on the new road, with an Eastward heading on 60 for the sunrise was a good look.  Somewhere around 3.5 miles/30 minutes, with a cold coming on, felt about right.  I had some early run delusions about double posting to Funday, but sometimes its best to listen to our bodies.  As i finished up, there were more groups of people gearing up for runs, but none of them F3.  I may have even spotted a clipboard.  Weird.

    Sugar Sock out.

  • A Different Type of River Run

    A duo of kayakers arrived at Huguenot Flatwater to enjoy reasonable water levels and an escape from the heat. Upon departure, we headed to the north bank where a nice beach had formed.  Worth exploring next time.

    We kayaked upstream to the dam and checked out the fish ladder and the semi-blocked portage on the other side.  We chatted with a couple of kayakers who were hauling heavy boats over the portage path.  It was a team of father and young son who were on mile 93 of a 100 mile journey that started in Charlottesville last Saturday.  The dad explained that the son was born in America to two British parents and this was a float trip to study colonial history.  In particular, old trade routes used by the batteau of years past was the route they were retracing.

    The boats were heavily laden with all the supplies one would need to camp on the river for a week.  Kubota and YHC assisted with the carry over the rocks and they were off to set that night’s camp a little ways down river.

    Kubota and I hit the river to return to the take out.

    For interested Pax, if we go next week it will be Friday or over the weekend.  Just let YHC know and we can plan something.

    Lockjaw

  • Daylight Savings in June?

    YHC, or the 6:00 AM YHC, reporting the details of a Sunday morning run at Off The Books.

    The thang:

    Standard 6ish mile route through Grove, Midlo Mines, lake, up to Midlo and up to Charter School Rd, back to Urban Farmhouse.

    YHC showed up at for the standard 6:00 AM run and left solo. Returned just before 7:00 to find Honeymoon and a few minutes later Shake (who may actually be the YHC for this post, or at least the 7:00 AM YHC). Amidst the heat and humidity it was nice running before the sun was fully up, the 7:00 AM run may not have been as fortunate.

    Didn’t see it get posted so thought I’d take the honors.

    -singer