Miles Since Last Camp on March 15 - 41.2
Total Miles - 232
Number of States Visited - 2 (PA, OH)
Prior Camp- Newcomerstown, OH
Current Camp - Caldwell, OH
National Parks Visited: 1/51
Next Park: New River Gorge, WV (111 miles)
Weight: 172.0 (-8.0)
Injuries: None
Nags - L calf tight
May 03 2026
Welcome to the Sixth Installment of the Virtual Run to 51 National Parks! For this project, I am using my actual real-world mileage to plot a continuous course starting in Pittsburgh and visiting every National Park in the continental United States.
(Note: You can read the previous installments here)
Virtual Run 1st Installment - Pittsburgh to Volant, PA
Virtual Run 2nd Installment Volant to Leavittsburg, OH
Virtual Run 3rd Installment Leavittsburg to Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Virtual Run 4th Installment to Canton, OH
Virtual Run #5 - Canton to Newcomerstown, OH
The Heart of Noble County: A Glimpse into Caldwell, Ohio
Nestled in the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Caldwell, Ohio, serves as the steady, historic anchor of Noble County. If you find yourself driving through Southeastern Ohio, this village offers a unique blend of quiet rural life and a surprisingly loud historical footprint.
The Town Today
Caldwell is the county seat of Noble County, positioned along the banks of Duck Creek. As of 2026, the population is estimated at approximately 1,955 residents. The village square is dominated by the majestic Noble County Courthouse, a structure that has stood since the late 1880s as a testament to the town’s central role in local governance.
A Brief History: From Salt to Oil
Caldwell’s origins are tied to the Caldwell family—specifically Samuel Caldwell, who donated the land for the town site in 1857. His father, Robert, had cleared the land decades earlier after moving from Pennsylvania. Because of this generous donation, the commissioners named the new county seat in his honor.
Interestingly, Caldwell sits in Ohio’s youngest county (Noble County, formed in 1851). The area’s history is inextricably linked to the “black gold” that lies beneath it. In 1814, while drilling for salt, settlers Silas Thorla and Robert McKee accidentally struck oil at the Thorla-McKee Well. This is recognized as the first oil-producing well in North America, predating the famous Drake Well in Pennsylvania by nearly half a century.
Notable and Bizarre Events
Caldwell and the surrounding Noble County area have played host to events ranging from the heroic to the supernatural.
The Crash of the USS Shenandoah (1925): Perhaps the most famous—and tragic—event in the area’s history occurred just outside Caldwell. In September 1925, the USS Shenandoah, the U.S. Navy’s first American-built rigid airship, was torn apart by a violent storm. The wreckage fell in three main sections across the county. To this day, locals report seeing mysterious shadows cast on the ground from an empty sky, which many believe to be the “ghost” of the great dirigible.
General Morgan’s Raid (1863): During the Civil War, the area was the site of high-stakes military drama. Confederate General John Hunt Morgan led a daring raid through Ohio, and his eventual capture occurred in the vicinity of Noble County, marking the northernmost point ever reached by a Confederate force.
The Haunted McDonald’s: In a modern twist on local folklore, the Caldwell McDonald’s is whispered to be haunted. Employees on the midnight shift have reported hearing a little girl laughing over their headsets. Legend says the restaurant was built on the site of an old stable where a young girl was tragically killed by a horse, and her spirit remains, occasionally tossing kitchen equipment through the air.
The “Sea Monster” of Seneca Lake: Just a short drive from Caldwell is Seneca Lake, where rumors persist of a submerged farm that was never torn down before the valley was flooded. Divers have reported eerie sightings of underwater structures, and some claim to have seen a ghostly figure walking along the north shore.
Back in the Real World… The Pittsburgh Half Marathon
Today was the Pittsburgh Marathon and Half Marathon. This is the event I have been training for since Christmas Day. First, the numbers:
I covered the course in 2 hours, 20 minutes, and 2 seconds. This comes to 10 minutes and 42 seconds per mile. My goal was 10 minutes and 15 seconds per mile. I failed to reach that. Compared to all other runners, I’m average: 52% of runners finished before me, and 63% of men finished before me. But when you look at my age group, I was 40th out of 109 men (ages 65–70) to finish. That puts me in the top 37%. Not too shabby.
The next race up is the Run to Remember Half Marathon in Boston on May 24. This is a fast turnaround, but I’ve done it before.
What is my plan moving forward? I’m completely overhauling my training to a structured, three-day-a-week plan involving:
A long run incorporating a race-pace mile or two-mile segment.
A tempo run based on the specific race I’m training for.
Track sessions.
This will be complemented by non-running cardio (cycling and rowing) and heavier-weight training. This approach comes from Bill Pierce and Scott Murr’s book, Run Less, Run Faster (3rd Ed). (The title was so similar to my doomed idea for a running program called “Run Less, Eat More.”)
It is a radical departure from my current understanding, which is to increase miles in order to deal with the stress of a marathon. Pierce and Murr present both a compelling rationale and data to support it. But ultimately, it comes down to a single-subject design—with me as that subject. Either it works or it doesn’t.
There simply isn’t time to judge this fairly for Boston, but I will be putting it into play for the summer training season as I transition into training for the Corning Wineglass Marathon on October 4, 2026.
I hope that you will join me for this next leg (Virtual and Real). And if you go on your own real or virtual journey, please let me know! I’d love to follow you on your ride. Also, if you have any experience with the Run Less, Run Faster program, I’d love to hear about it.
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