Monday, June 24, 2013

Last 4 days

Wow – reading everyone blogs and it’s all about the weather – really

Friday 8
Summer Solstice run at 5:00am with Muddy, Jonny, newbie Chris, FiveK, Gazelle, and I. No Mike C. We ran out to Quonnie Breachway and back to the sand trail along the beach. Then on to Atlantic Ave to Town Beach (road) and back to Weekapaug on the beach. Fun run good conversations and what a small world when FiveK mentions that he ran against newbie Chris in college – what are the chances.

Saturday 8
Ran out from the house to North Anguilla out to Route 184 and back – nothing unusable

Sunday 15.5
11.5 trail run in the early morning with Muddy, Gazelle and what’s this Mike C in Woody Hill, Westerly. Like not love the trails in Woody Hill (I’m a road person) as they are wide and really not that technical. Good sarcasm by all – good laughs and the time went by fast.

4 more miles in the afternoon at the beach barefoot (From Seaside) – love running on the beach during low tide down to the state beach. Quick dip ate lunch and then took a nap – love Sundays in the summer at the beach. Now I have sunburn.

Monday 5
Back to work – early morning run in very humid conditions – not complaining, love running in June/July. I really felt it in the legs this morning as I started out slow ended strong.

Tuesday
Plan is to take the morning off and run the fun run in Stonington in the evening

Monday, June 17, 2013

To the Boroughhhhhhhhhh and back

On Saturday I ran 8 before 8 out and back from my house – typical early morning run – no excitement
Sunday 14 (father’s day) - After my run last week to my old neighborhood in Ashaway, RI  (Juniper Drive), I decided I needed to plan another long run to someplace cool. So after my wife and I had dinner in the borough on Saturday night, I thought how cool to run to the borough. I started at 5:30 so I could avoid traffic on Pequot trail (the sighting of the woodchuck last week). The run to the borough was eventful free – very little traffic that early. When I came over the train bridge into the borough the sun was just coming up and it was very airy quite. No one was out, no traffic, no trains and no one walking dogs. I had the entire borough to myself. When I ran by Noah’s restaurant – I could smell the bacon – that just cruel. I ran all the way down to the end of Water Street where the little beach is and did a loop in the dirt parking lot. Wow - what a view of Long Island NY and Watch Hill, RI – with the sun coming up and the water com – another Forrest Gump moment. The entire time in the Borough I never came across a living soul or a vehicle, I had the place to myself. Up over the bridge and back to Pawcatuck. The sun is up now and in my face on the way back – forgot to where my sunglasses. This sucked as I had to pay attention to traffic. On the way back I had a big hill to climb – the one on Elmridge Road by the golf course. I was thinking about this the entire time on the way back, plus that bacon. This was a fun run and having the Borough all to myself was the best – one of my favorite places to run in the summer. Now – where to go next week, Westerly Beach, Greenhaven loop, North Stonington……………..  ??  

Monday, June 10, 2013

Run for the memories

Sunday 12.4 - see Strava for actual course
Started from my house in Pawcatuck, CT to Juniper Drive, Ashaway, RI – this is the place that I grew up. Start time was 5:30ish to elude traffic on busy route 2 in Pawcatuck down to White Rock (side note – they finally fixed the road in White Road, newly paved road – nice) up to Boom Bridge road over the bridge and into Ashaway – no traffic at all – just cows looking at me funny. Up the hill in front of Ashaway Free Library onto Route 3, took a right onto Egypt Street - again, no traffic. Once on Egypt Street the memories began to come back – who lived where and OMG that house needs work. Took a left onto the famous Juniper Drive (we thought we were famous). Started to remember all the good times as a kid we had on this street – nothing but good memories. Started to come up to the house I was raised in – thought to myself, wonder if I can stop in and see what’s in the refrigerator, who’s been sleeping in my room. Can I use the bathroom??? The house was built in mid 60’s, ranch style – man did it need work – wait until I tell my father.  Juniper Drive is shaped like the letter P (just backwards) so while remembering all the good times, and who lived where and where are they now, I forgot I was running and back onto Egypt Street. Ended up running on Route 3 until I took the right where Ashaway Elementary School was on. WOW, funny how everything has changed. I Ended up running through Potter Hill (up that F-ing hill) Jeff, 5kTom, Jonny and Muddy know that hill - back onto Boom Bridge road, than into White Rock and back home.

Summary – this was a really enjoyable run, very little traffic but the RUN down memory lane was worth it. I forgot just how much FUN it was living in Ashaway with no cable TV, internet and cell phones…….. What would my kids do with themselves??????

Monday, June 3, 2013

This week – starting with Saturday’s race

First let be begin by apologizing to Mike Crutchley who was hosting the first Narragansett Trail 5K located in North Stonington – unfortunately, I’m not ready to RACE on trails as of yet as I’m recovering for knee surgery (wonder how long I can use this as a excuse - hmmmm).

Saturday - 3.1 Pawcatuck Lions 5K - I’ve been running this race now 4 out of the 5 years it has been hosted (something like that) by a colleague and neighbor, plus it’s just a 5k run from the house. I usually bike down to CC’s but not on this day – too many things going on. This was the hottest that I can remember for this race and with very little shade on the route, I knew this was going to be a tough race – not ready for PR yet. This is my favorite running weather – hotter the better. Not sure why, maybe it’s because everyone else complains it HOT – shut up and run. Went for a warm-up run with senior and junior gazelle. After the gun went off about 100 yards from the start, there was a minor car mishap that we had to maneuver around. The crowd went right, I followed Jeff and went left right in the middle of it. Thought about doing the Hollywood slide on the car hood, that would have been cool but it was hot out and I probably would have stuck to the hood of the car – JULIE thought, now that would have been cool. Ran with junior gazelle for the first mile when at the turn around thought about taking water but ended up just going around the cone and thanking the volunteers for volunteering (I do that at all races). The entire time on the way back all I could think about was that water. Ended up in coming in 5th, second in age group AGAIN – can’t wait until senior moves up in age group. What’s the life expectancy of a gazelle?
Jana Walker Sports Photography
Sunday – 10.7 + some dancing in the streets / I was not running the BRR (Back Road Ramble) this year as this is a trail race plus the course was not marked very well last year – I would still be out in Burlingame somewhere if it wasn’t for a camper telling me he happened to see a gazelle run this way. So I decided to go for a long run. Started from my house for a run to Barn Island boat launch parking lot. Remember in Forrest Gump when he runs coast to coast and runs up to the light house and turns around. Well I ran to the boat launch onto the dock that they have (thought about jumping in) and turn around. On the way back about 2 miles to go – I was on Pequot Trail ROAD not trail going from South Anguilla to North Anguilla road (about 2 tenths on this very busy road) when I came upon a woodchuck that was 2 feet from me (never seeing it) when he/she decided to hiss at me – well, at this time I decided to do my best Michael Jackson impression dancing in the middle of the road saying the lords name in vain along with other bad words that start with S and F…My heart rate was off the chart as I turn left and headed home. Told Julie the story – she still laughing, why I bother, I don’t know.

Monday – 45 minutes or around 6m / when I woke up it was still raining so I ran the parking garage at work. Around and around and around and around and around (ok I’ll stop) I went.