I’m not much of a joiner, myself, but I appreciate the heck out of running clubs. Without them, who would organize the races?
Last week saw some big news on the local running club scene: the PR Moose Milers have merged with the Gate City Striders   Here’s the press release: GCS-Merger-PRelease-R1 (3).doc.
Mainly, the bigger, combined club hopes to field a stronger team for the regional USATF events and other races, Striders President Skip Cleaver said.
“For the regular membership, the slower, mid-pack or medium runners, there will be no impact at all, except they will have team members competing at a much higher level,” Cleaver said. “That is a morale issue, as well as a pride issue.”
GCS will still host their signature events, including the Applefest half-marathon, Fitness U program and Pack Monadnock Moutain Race, and I was especially happy to hear that the Moose Milers contingent will keep running trail races in Mine Falls Park. I’ve yet to do one, and it’d be a shame to miss racing on my home trails.

I’m here to tell you, the ice is strong enough for skating. At least, it was on Lovewell Pond Wednesday night, before the predicted deep freeze. The bad news: that recent dusting of snow fell while the ice was still soft, and all but wrecked it for skating.
There are good smooth sections though, and maybe some of the other local lakes fared better? Let me know.
I love pond skating, but haven’t been able to do it for a few years now.

Andrew Wolfe has lived in New Hampshire and toiled for the Telegraph since 1989. He covers fires, floods, crime, cops and the courts, and other such cheery news. He can’t abide writing about himself in the third person, and will stop… now.

I started this blog because I like to write and I liked to run. I planned to write mainly about trail running, and so mix business with pleasure. I ran track and cross-country in high school, and then gave it up in favor of cigarettes and beer in college and while getting started in my career. I got back to it gradually, at first as an occasional alternative to mountain biking.

In 2006, with the encouragement of a couple good friends, I escalated from a casual jogger to an off-road running fool. I finished my first, second and third marathons, ran a few shorter road and trail races, and fast-packed the Presidential Range in the White Mountains (that’s me on Mount Madison in the photo). I eventually wound up with an arthritic hip from all that running, which forced me to lay off it a bit. Whether I will run again remains to be seen, but lucky for me, I have many other interests and I'm still able to indulge them.

Besides running and writing, I’m also into motorcycles, bicycles, slalom skateboarding, canoeing,  XC skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, music, literature, politics and philosophy...  I may stray into any of the above at times.

I’d like to hear from other outdoors enthusiasts in southern New Hampshire and beyond. Comments, questions and even shameless plugs are welcome. Flirtation, even...  I'm single. Tell me your favorite trails, the best races, or let me know when I’m full of fluff. I promise to give any comments all the consideration they deserve.

Post a comment, or write me at awolfe@nashuatelegraph.com

Here's a link to one of my earlier posts, on how I got into trail running.