Fall beauty and the end of another season.

As the leaves fall and the fishing gets good, the kids have all gone home and the resort takes on a quiet, relaxed pace. Most visitors are couples or fishing groups that don't want anything more than to enjoy the quiet, wet a line and soak in the beauty of the fall colors.

This morning the trees glowed as the sun came up. I know I have seen that before but it never ceases to amaze me. As I finished up some e-mails and fooled around with a SLOW computer, I got ready for work. My boring, brain cell killing part-time job that thankfully will be over this month. I have let a lot of stuff slide at the resort and I am looking forward to getting back to it.

That is about it for today, as we say here at Virgin Timber Resort, stop and listen to the quiet...

Spring Training

At this point the winter is getting a little old up this way, I like it to get cold, stay cold and snow, snow, snow! This week was the dreaded spring thaw, the end to snowmobiling and an increase in stress at the Birkie office with just 10 days to get through until the big cross country ski race.

I signed up for a few races this week, trying to get a little motivation to run in this strange weather. I had to drive down my driveway to get to to the road to run, it was solid ice, but the road was good and I ran my regular 4 miler, it was only about 10 degrees and sunny.

The resort was quiet this weekend, we had two cabins full, some cross country skiers, and 2 ice fishermen. The fisherman I think mostly partied, did catch a few rock bass?? So the panfish were uncooperative.
Sunday is a chill day, stay in watch some of the Daytonna 500, there is a snowstorm coming so probably won't run until tomorrow.

It has been 2 days since the Birkie Trail Run, half-marathon and I am finally putting my feet up. I have a nasty blister on the side of my big toe and since I will be running another half on October 9th I am trying to get it to break so it can heal. The trail run was a blast, all the long training runs this summer really paid off. My next half will be the Whistlestop in Ashland, WI on an old railroad bed, the surface is crushed limestone which is also very friendly to run on. It usually is freezing with a little snow but sunny and a tad warmer by the finish. They have good eats and beer at the finish.

Snowstorm

After 13 years I still haven't figured out how to train in the winter. I have spared no expense to stay warm and dry but something always keeps me from walking out the door! Christmas Eve morning and I am watching a snowstorm roll through our area, pretty sure the only exercise I'm going to get is shoveling. My last run was last Sunday a 30 minute dash across Moose Lake to make sure all the slush was gone. I had cross country skied both Friday and Saturday and both ankles were slightly swollen?? crappy boots or bad technique not sure which. The rest of the week was taken over with Christmas shopping and getting the resort ready for guests. They are supposed to arrive on the 25th, hopefully the storm won't keep them home. So what is my plan to get my 2-3 runs in this winter? anyone with any suggestions? I think I will cut myself some slack over the holidays and try to get in 2 runs, 2 skis and 2 video workouts by the 1st of the year. Thankfully there is always a January 1 to start over on...

Winter has officially arrived here in NW Wisconsin. I have been running up here for 13 winters and I still have trouble dressing, I have been spending endless hours on the net reading about layering and shopping for the "perfect" jacket. Haven't bought anything yet but have most of my Christmas shopping done.

I haven't run in a few days, this time of year so many other more important things to do, like "Cookie Day". Bake 15 different kinds of cookies with the women in your family and drink lots of wine and Capt. As my new daughter-in-law says this is better than Christmas!

I did have two great training days last week, Thursday a nice long slow run and Friday speed work on the Birkie trail with the Ski & Tea ladies. This week with all the new snow will start the cross country ski season. Now I don't ski but I am going to learn I have lessons lined up for the next 2 Saturdays, figured I should be a skier by Christmas...

Made it to day 9 of the Wisconsin Deer hunt with 2 runs and a Friday Turkey Trot. This was no ordinary trot but was done on the hills of Telemark Resort in Cable, WI. When I say hills I mean downhill ski trails. Not sure how far we trotted, ran, walked & hiked, but all those were required because of the steepness of the hills. My time was 25 min, 26 sec., no I did not win nor did I get a prize, but 4 fast women did and congrats to them because it was tough!
As for the resort the hunters dwindled down to just one left today, still out in the woods. It is finally starting to look a little winter like with a trace of snow and near freezing temps, I really love this time of year, especially for running.

Early Sunday morning.

It's the first Sunday of Wisconsin's 9 day deer gun season, so as a runner I am confined to the resort unless I care to dress in blaze orange which isn't exactly my best color, plus the sound of high powered rifles make me jumpy.I live and work in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. the Chequamegon National Forest. As part of my resort ownership I also have a bar which of course I also have to work. That is what resort ownership is work, work & work. I have many guests and friends that are somewhat disturbed by my running alone up here in the Northwoods and they are always advising me on the latest wild animal sighting, ugh. Well last night in the bar it was about a Cougar sighting just a 1/2 mile down the road and of course on my regular running route. I of course laughed it off. I refuse to be afraid, because If I can't run outside, it would be really bad, running is my stress release, my religion. where I write and where a I clear my head. My friends also said that cougars can't distinguish between animals and humans and they chase anything, not quite sure I believe that but if anyone knows that for a fact let me know. I did google Cougars in Wisconsin and of course they have been sighted but not in my county and are often mistaken for large bobcats, which I have seen and actually hit one with my car this summer, oops. So I am going to go with that theory because I am not afraid of bobcats.
Back to the hunting, we have around 20 hunters here at the resort this week and as far as I can tell they haven't shot anything yet, so the deer are winning. I love the deer but get that we need a hunting season and I do enjoy venison but am always happy to see the deer that survive the hunt.
That's all for now.
Stacey