Spring Break

 Over spring break, I had the opportunity to participate in an Ironman 70.3 triathlon and visit Highlands, North Carolina.

    Before the Ironman, I was pretty scared of the swim, and I was not looking forward to not having headphones. The field was 70% beginners, and the water temp was projected to be cold. I was scared of people freaking out near me because of this and lack of experience. On race day, a different issue was presented. The wind in Little Elm was gusting up to 50 mph and the swim was canceled. The bike was extremely difficult because I had to fight the wind and prevent myself from falling off. While initially I was dreading not having headphones, it was better for me. I was much more locked in and could actually appreciate what I was doing and where I was. The best parts of the race occurred when I was in green areas. On the bike this looked like back country roads with rolling hills that were beautiful. On the run, about half of it was on a trail through the park. I noticed that, while on the trail, my heart rate dropped and I didn't feel like I was struggling as much. Overall, this was a difficult race, but I feel blessed that I could be tested with the elements and come out the other side. 

    Highlands, North Carolina was much more peaceful. When we arrived, there was heavy snow falling. This only lasted the evening as the temperature progressively warmed over the week. While the ice melted, crazy icicles remained for days. Highlands sits in the Nantahala National Forest. I did not realize that the U.S. Department of Agriculture sits over the National Forest service and covers national forests. I found it amazing how the roads curved and switched back while you drove up them. Overall, I enjoyed the hiking. One hike, the Sunset Rock hike, allowed cars to drive on it which I did not like at all. A unique aspect of Highlands is the abundance of minerals. It feels like you are walking on a disco ball because there are so many small shiny rocks/minerals. I found a really nice piece of what I think is pegmatite. Another part of town I loved was the Highlands Nature center Nature Center - Highlands Biological Station. This area was truly amazing and well maintained. There are scenic trails that flow around a small lake as well as a plethora of environmental education resources. In reflection, this is a really great town. Their commitment to history, preservation, and accessibility is impressive. While I did not like seeing the car on our hike, the thought that somebody else can experience what I can makes up for it. 

Civil War Trip

 The weekend of March 4th I had the opportunity to attend a Staff Ride in Washington D.C., Gettysburg, and Antietam to study the civil war. We discussed key leaders and how their actions, or inactions, shaped the war. 

    The first observation I had was at Arlington National Cemetery during the changing of the guard. I noticed that all of the roads were fairly difficult to see and were covered by trees or other foliage. I thought this enhanced my experience because I was not distracted by tour busses driving by. 

    At both Gettysburg and Antietam, we had a guide take us around on a walking tour (true Abbey style). I think this enhanced our experience because it allowed us to put ourselves in the soldier's shoes. We understood the impressiveness of little round top because we actually climbed it as well. The tour walking tour also helped me understand how decisions were made. They were making maps as they went and did not have any imagery. Our tour guide also told us that they recently moved all powerlines underground so the land could be better observed, which I appreciated. After our tour, I got up early and went for a run though the park. I found the fog and rolling hills eerie and it felt like an experience I will never have again.  

    In D.C. I was extremely excited to visit the Botanical Garden. While everything outside was dead, the inside plant exhibit was one of the coolest I had ever seen. Every room was something different, ranging from a cacti exhibit to tropical plants. I am not sure where this falls on the "nature scale" because it is an engineered exhibit. That being said, I think if more people had access to these crazy plants they may care more about protecting them. It is easy to ignore an issue when it is far away, but when you see an endangered plant right in front of you, it hits harder. 

Cowtown 2026

 My blog post for today will cover my experience with the Cowtown Ultramarathon in two parts. The first will be what I expect to experience and how I think I will see nature show up. The second will be what I actually experience. 

Part 1: I think my favorite part of the Cowtown race will be running through Overton Park. This is consistently my favorite place to run because it actually feels like I am out in nature. I love reaching the duck pond at the end of the park, as well as how clean it remains. I believe this will be the final third of the race. That being said, I will probably be struggling a lot. I expect this to help rejuvenate me for the final few miles. On the other hand, I think running on the Trinity Trails will be the hardest for me. While I do enjoy these trails, it is hard for me to run on them. Being able to see a half mile in front of me, or more, makes it feel much longer than it is. Also, we do switchbacks near the end. This is especially brutal because we basically stay in the same spot for a long time. Overall, this is not even close to a "nature run" but I look forward to the pockets of nature that I will experience. 

Part 2: Overall, the race was really great. My previous predictions were profoundly perfect. The brief stint in Overton Park quickly gave me back a bunch of energy. While the Trinity was hard, knowing the race was almost over made it much better. This class has helped inspire me to check out some trail runs near TCU and my home in Seattle. Unsurprisingly, Seattle has a massive amount. My goal is to start incorporating these runs into my race schedule.  

A Walk to Remember

Lately, I have been taking walks without my AirPods or phone in order to fully immerse myself in the surroundings.  During this change, I have felt that walks are more head-clearing and relaxing. I spend my time thinking about my day, planning for the week ahead, and taking notice of my surroundings. While I don’t live near any “wilderness” areas, I have enjoyed walking through Overton Park. I usually walk either early in the morning or in the evening, and I tend to notice more animals out. I see a ton of bunnies in the mornings but never at night. I’ve also seen an armadillo and a possum, which I found strange. This drop in technology has truly changed my life. Before, I was so focused on the podcast that I was listening to that I rarely noticed anything besides the sidewalk in front of me. I had also planned to visit the Fort Worth Nature Preserve, but my car broke down, and I could not drive there. Thankfully, I have a bike that has allowed me to travel to most places without issue. I originally purchased this bike for a race, but it has quickly become a vital part of my daily routine. Instead of driving everywhere, I am now able to bike to the rec center and almost everywhere else. While it is brutal to ride when it is cold, the warm evenings coming in make up for it. I enjoy biking with the warm breeze, hearing the birds wind down, and observing people out walking their dogs. While I didn’t have any true wilderness experiences this last week, I am thankful for the small bites of nature I get to see every day. The attached picture is a sunset over my house.  

Turtle Tour

This weekend, I took the time to see how the rainstorm had affected the Trinity Trails. The trails themselves were clean in the main areas, but the river crossings were covered in dirt and debris. In addition, the trails were filthy once I got past the trailhead. Since I was on my bike, I had to slow down significantly to avoid falling. During this ride, I thought about Abbey’s anti-car talks within the Industrial Tourism Chapter. On my entire 4-hour ride, I was never on a trail or in an area for a significant amount of time that didn’t have a view of a road for cars. While I understand this is extremely hard in such a large metroplex like DFW, it would be nice to fully immerse in nature while biking. I don’t think that is easily possible while on a road bike, but some paved trails away from main roads would be nice. That being said, I noticed an extensive trail network for horseback riding over by Benbrook Lake. They had a map of a few different routes people could take alongside a rural road. Due to this, I became convinced that Benbrook Lake is a good example of Industrial Tourism done well. They have plenty of roads, so people who may have a hard time walking can easily access the lake or camp sites. On top of this, they have more secluded trails for horseback riding and hiking. While this isn’t exactly something that would please Abbey, I think it is impressive that we can accomplish things like this right next to one of the largest metroplexes in the county. I noticed wild turkey, turtles, hawks, and deer, so they have not been driven away...yet? 

 

 

Turkey Trot

This weekend, I had an amazing 67-mile bike ride past Benbrook Lake and back. While on the Trinity Trails I kept thinking how thankful I was for such a long-paved route that allowed me to use my road bike and stay in nature. I prefer to start on the trail by HG Supply, and I get off briefly at Trinity Trails Southwest 183 Trailhead. This is my least favorite part of the trinity because it doesn't feel like you are actually experiencing nature. That being said, the sun rise over the river is consistently impressive. Once I get off the trailhead, I briefly ride on a main road then join back on the trail. My ride from this point on is really great. I particularly enjoy the windy trail and all the native Texas plants alongside the trail.  

Something I noticed was the increase in developments along this route. When I reached Bear Creek, I noticed new developments and construction that I had not noticed when I did this ride in September. In terms of nature, I made a lot of observations. First, I saw a flock (rafter?) of wild turkeys. I was super pumped about this because I saw them in September and was hoping to encounter them again. Secondly, I noticed that nearly every sign and post by Benbrook Lake had a bird house on it. This led me to start noticing the birds in my environment. I saw quite a few vultures, but I cannot remember if they were Turkey or Black vultures. I also noticed quite a few birds of prey circling above me. While I could not figure out their specific species due to distance, I concluded they were birds of prey due to their behaviors. Lastly, I noticed so many Cardinals. I am not sure if this was a Baader–Meinhof phenomenon (frequency illusion) or if there were just a surplus. I point this out because I see them all the time. When I started seeing Cardinals, I tried to look for Blue Jays, but I did not see a single one. 

I finished my weekend by walking my friend's dogs at the South z Boaz park. During our walk, I headed down to the creek bed to do some fossil hunting. While some rocks were promising, I was unfortunately unsuccessful. I noticed a lot of grass lying flat a few feet above the current water level which caused me to admire how much this creek fluctuates in water level. 

 

 

S(no)w class

 I had an extremely jam-packed snow week. I started off weary of the snow due to my planned long run on the Saturday before snow week. I decided to move my long run to Friday instead and had a great 24 mile run with my girlfriend.  The snow did not affect me much besides the fact that my car couldn't handle it and I couldn't drive anywhere. The people who live above me had lost hot water, which was sad. 

 I believe the snow also helped my dog walking business take off. Before this week, I had zero bookings and I started to lose hope. Then, out of nowhere, I received 3 bookings! One of them was to walk two dogs twice in one day, another was to dog sit over the weekend, and the last starts 2/4 and is to watch two Irish setters for two weeks. I was extremely excited about all of this because I love dogs and it has been fun to meet new dogs. 

Lastly, I had the chance to see Zootopia 2. I thought this was a great movie and I think I liked it more than the first one. I had the option to pick between Housemaid and Zootopia, overjoyed that I picked Zootopia. 

Overall, it wasn't too bad of a week. The worst part was the overcrowded rec center. I hope I live in an area with no snow in the future.