A simple blog about food, cooking, family, friends and the fun of ultra running. From the eyes of Chef Bill Bailey.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Night Crawlers

My cell phone sat in its charger juicing up for the next round of text messaging, useless phone conversations about running and new photo opportunities....then it rang. The time was 7:11pm it was Vinnie "The Hill Rucci".
Vinnie just finished up with a hot sock deal with the sales rep from NorthFace. "Hey Chef Bill do you want to meet for a 7:30pm run?" I had to think a minute...1. will my wife allow me to run? 2. will my stomach digest the pizza I just ate. 3. Can I drive to lock 29 without getting pulled over for speeding?
I grab my stuff and head out. Vinnie's plan was to run about 1:30 then met Nick & anyone else running tonight's Night Crawler Trail Run at 9:00pm. We headed to my second favorite hill...Oak Hill and Plateau Trails http://www.nps.gov/cuva/planavisit/maps/oakhill.htm
Our conversation turned to nutrition. As a chef I do know something about nutrition. Vince knows more when it comes to using the nutrition as a fuel. I picked his brain about the number of calories a runner should take in and the timing of each meal. All stuff everyone takes for granted. My legs where feeling like toast from our Tuesday night Track workout, but I kept a good pace. I did need to pop a tums, my pizza was working its magic. We started to head back to lock 29 and had some time to kill, Vinnie "The Hill" Rucci took us to my FIRST favorite hill...Initiation Hill. We headed back to the parking lot just in time for Nick & Melissa to pull in.
We wanted to change the trail up a little bit so we head to the Valley Link Bridal Trail, then to Wetmore Bridal Trail...Vinnie took us through a chest high grassy meadow that links to the trail. Anyone who runs with Vince knows he has these little detours, shortcuts, and he really doesn't know exactly where we're going.
We made it to the trail with a few scraps. Once we got to Wetmore I wasn't toast any more, I was burnt toast. I started to slow down and I had to walk all the hills. From Wetmore we ended up in Kendell Lake, up Little Meadows to my third favorite hill to get some water. From Kendell Lake Vince took us down Terxell to Akron-Peninsula. I was falling way behind. I would see a headlamp shine back at me from time to time. Vince came back once to check on me, which gave Nick & Melissa a break to walk. I yell to them, "Hey I didn't tell you to walk, get your asses moving." It worked that started to run again.

My 3 month old Fujifilm camera is not working I'm starting to use my phone camera.

It also takes color photo's, I set this in black & white.

Vince & I ran 3 hours total (1:20 & 1:40) for a rough total of 16 miles.

Thanks Vince

TOALLTHATREADSTHISCOMEONOUTANDRUNWITHUS

3 comments:

Kim said...

I believe I am heading up your way this weekend for two runs, are you going to be on either of them?

Chef Bill Bailey said...

Hey Kim
I was going to but have the Buckeye Trail 50K coming up soon.
So I am going to running with the Buckeye Trail 50K Training Group on Sunday.
I think your running the Burning River course Sat. & Sun.
I may try and track you guys down after my catering Sat. and run a few miles with you, we'll see.

Anonymous said...

Bill,

The 18 mile portion of our Saturday run will take place sometime shortly after noon. Either from my house, or we may drive up to Squire's Castle and run the first 9.6 miles of the BR then backwards for 19.2. The others have to decide on that.

Sunday morning we are starting at 5am from Happy Days Visitor Center....then doing the last 35 of the BR.