The afternoon would be spent enjoying Graduation Ceremonies at UMass for JC, but the morning  would be for a run.

Rain predicted, stuck close to home and got out early.  Completed a nice 8-miler on the Metacomet, from Phelps Road to Copper/Peak Mountain and back.  

I noticed that the out section (1st four-miles) had taken me exactly an hour (4 mph avg).  While this pace is pretty comfortable and beneficial for thinking, if I have (and I do) aspirations to complete a few marathons this year, I am going to have to get that pace per mile improved.

I increased my speed going back in, and turned the hour into 46:51 going back (better than 5-mph), and ended with a 4.5 mph pace for the day.  This is right where I need to be to manage the hilly marathons I have plans for in the 6-hour moving time range.

This first picture below is an interesting section of trail.  My old cocker spaniel  Dusty used to cut the trail here (the trail actually had gone to the left, you can still see the remains of the original path) during our runs in the 1990's.  At some point years after he was gone (Dusty left me in 2000), the trail moved to his path.  I think about this every time I run through here, which is often.

Dusty's Path

USGS Marker at Copper (or, Peak, as some call it)

 Route for the day