Archive for November, 2007

2008 Race Schedule

Thursday, November 29th, 2007

What do to, what to do?   I’ve really not been doing much running as of late, and feeling a little bad about that.  I’m missing it, and it’s time to get back on a regular schedule.  It’s alway easier for me to get out and do my runs when I have some goals in mind, and 2008 will be no different.  Compared to the last few years, 2008 will be very mild, I’m going to do some races, but they will be fairly close to home, and pretty low-key affairs.  Just running to be out running and enjoying it. 

For 2008 I’m currently planning to run

January – Mountain Mist 50k North Alabama, this was the first ultra I ever ran and will be my SIXTH running of it, after completing 10 of them, you get a nice jacket.  I probably won’t be in great shape at this time, but it will be a great long workout. We lived in Huntsville for years and Ashley was born there, so it’s a great chance to go back and visit.
February – Mount Cheaha 50k Central Alabama,  3rd running of this race, I’ve run it every year, the first year, I placed 10th overall, 3rd place over 40.  A very tough and rugged trail run.  A very well put on and fun point to point 50k.
March – Carl Touchstone 50 miles Mississippi, I’ve never run this race, but it’s supposed to be nice and will be a good, fairly easy 50 miler to build some endurance.
April – Barkley (yikes!) Tennessee, I am actually hoping to do much better this year, if I can  take some exceptional hill climbing fitness and my experience from last year, possibly to make an official 2 or MAYBE even 3 laps (60 miles, the fun run).

 That’s all I have on the agenda and I probably will not do a lot during the summer.  The last 3 years I have trained like a maniac in mid-summer, mid-day Florida heat, this year, I think I’ll not do that.  More likely to take it easy, rest, and pick it back up in the fall.

Florida Peak to Peak Trip

Monday, November 26th, 2007

Well, that title is not exactly correct, firstly, it’s not about a run, and there isn’t much in Florida as far as high points to climb, BUT we live right at Sugarloaf Mt, some 310 or so feet above sea level, the highest point in the Florida Peninsula, and the THIRD highest point in the state.  AND William and I made weekend of a two park camping trip into the panhandle to some caves, to the highest waterfall in Florida, which also sits on Falling Water Hill, slightly taller than Sugarloaf and the SECOND highest point in the state.

The trip was the result of me meeting to deliver a motorcycle that I sold to a guy from Louisiana.  I used the meeting as an excuse to make a weekend trip with Will.

I have a full photo gallery posted at

http://daveharperphotos.irun100s.com/GalleryThumbnails.aspx?gallery=51540

Here’s the short version… (click photo for larger image)

 First stop of the tripGood thing Mom isn’t around right now.  She wouldn’t exactly be loving this.Very cool tour of a suprisingly large cave.  About a 30-40 minute tour.Many HUGE sinkholes in the area of the waterfall.Our campsite.  This was the first test of our new backpacking tent and sleeping system.And we end the trip about like we started it, eating.  Seafood at a restaurant on Mexico Beach

We spent all of our time hiking, exploring, and just hanging out.  A very cool weekend.

Barkley Marathons

Friday, November 9th, 2007

Barkley Marathon is a very extreme, mysterious, ‘underground’ sort of event, that I had the priveledge of participating in early this year in Tennessee(100 miles).  I’ve been thinking about that event again lately. I maintain the mailing list for the Race Director, and as things are being prepared for next years events, my thoughts go back to that crazy day .  I did write a race report, with photos and videos, but didn’t really let very many people know about it.  In a sport(ultra running) that is already on the fringe of fringe sports, Barkley is over the cliff.  When you decide to enter events that are essentially impossible to finish for almost everyone, (most years there are no finishers), they light a cigarette to start the event, and the race shirt says ‘Endless suffering without a point’, well, let’s just say it doesn’t bolster the argument to friends and family that you are a sane individual.  That seems to get questioned more and more these days.

http://www.daveharper.com/Barkley/index.htm

I was playing an email game with my daughter and some friends, where you think of one word to describe the person you are emailing and what they mean to you.  My daughters one word description of me was WILD.  Not great, not inspiring, not loving, not caring, not honest or strong… WILD.       

I’m a little afraid to ask, but how about it.  Describe me in one word …. just one single word. Send it to me and to me only via email.  I’ll post the results afterwards if they are printable, without your name of course.  I’ll send you an email you can forward to others with the instructions for doing the same.  It’s enlightening to see what folks think about you, as you see can above.

In any case, here is the race report that I wrote from Barkley, it has photos and short video clips of different parts of the course, finding the books, etc.  http://www.daveharper.com/Barkley/index.htm

Saturday’s Ride

Sunday, November 4th, 2007

Saturday’s ride…

Click on photos for full size and description. (when that page opens, you can then click the photo again for larger size.)

Out for a nice ride in the piney woodsBridge over a swampSlight error in judgementOut of the muck!