Metacomet Trail Marathon - August 31st, 2019
West Suffield, East Granby, Bloomfield & Simsbury, CT

Today would be the day I would try my first Marathon distance run since 2014.  I am not as fit as I would have liked, as I am carrying 15 or so extra pounds.  I haven't really done any racing in many years, so running hard hasn't happened either.  It has been a struggle health-wise at times, with constant issues related to the bouts with Lyme Disease, as well as the entire repair from the brain tumor surgery.  Basically, I have grown tired of trying to get into "perfect" shape to attempt this distance, as it's dawned on me that "perfect" shape may never materialize.  So, today is the day to suffer if need be.

The original route was the Granville State Forest to Satan's Kingdom using Granville, MDC Forest Roads, and the Tunxis Trail that I had worked out through exploration and mapping during the past few years.  But, that would need two vehicles or a shuttle, and Wuzzam wasn't recovered from the McLean distance last Saturday.  While DL offered to shuttle, I decided to run the Metacomet Marathon that Wuzzam completed with me in 2012.

This would be the fourth Metacomet Marathon I would attempt.  Earlier versions were:

April - 2006, with Tippi.  From Sunrise Park all the way through Penwood completely, and back.  This is actually much further than 26-miles, more in the 28 or 29-mile range.

August - 2008, with Tippi.  From Phelps Road in Suffield, north to Robinson State Park and back for the first 16-miles, and then from Phelps south to Route 20 and back for 10-miles more.

June - 2012, with Wuzzam, and Tippi for the first 10-miles.  This would be the same route as today's scheduled route.  Park at Route 20 in East Granby, run north to Phelps in West Suffield and back for the first 10-miles, and then head 7-miles south into Penwood to do a 2 to 2.5-mile loop before heading back to Route 20 for the last 7-miles, with a grand total of right at 26+.

I got an early enough start, after my one aid-stash at miles 14.5 & 22.  8:50 a.m. I was running along on my way.  Completed the first 10-miles averaging 4.3 mph on the hilly, rocky trail.  All in all, I felt pretty good at that point.

The Hatchet Hill section into Tariffville and the Farmington River became a bit tougher, and by the time I was climbing up toward the Bartlett Chimney around 15-miles, I was feeling a little worn.  Recovery was achieved, and as I approached the Penwood section I was shuffling along pretty well again.

The Metacomet once in Penwood, through to the Pinnacle, is harsh.  Mostly climbing on rocks, with a few lengths of trail to actually run well.  I run this section often enough, and I am able to run it, but that is due to starting at this point, not beginning it at 17-miles.  Today, this section was taken at a fast hiking pace rather than truly running form.

Once on the bottom of the Pinnacle, I feel as though I really charged through the lower section of Penwood back to Wintonbury Road.  My time dipped to an average of 4.1-mph through 22-miles.

The two final legs, from the Farmington River and over Hatchet Hill, was extremely difficult.  For this final 4-miles, I ended up dipping to a 3.9-mph average for the day.  I was still able to jog reasonably well on the more level sections, but the uphills were pushing my heart-rate to a place I wasn't comfortable.

To finish was awesome.  I wasn't sure I had the mental determination to tackle the suffering that a marathon in the woods presents.  I proved to myself that toughness isn't an issue at this point.  My legs were in great shape, I did not have any trouble on the later downhills, even the steep ones.  I am very satisfied with my overall conditioning regarding leg strength.  Even the late uphills, it was more the cardio than the leg muscles.  Limited long trail racing over the past 5-years reared it's head today.

Final thought is I am very satisfied.  In perspective, during the 2012 version on the same route, I had a final total time of 7:01:00.  Today, I ended up at 6:56:00 total, 6:41:00 moving time.  I believe the 2012 run was a much hotter day, as my memory tells me that.  I also think the "stopped" time would have been greater for the older run, but I don't have any data proving that.  So, all in all, a real good run that I can build on.

This was my 55th completed marathon lifetime.

Mile One and Nine, Peak/Copper Mountain

Mile Five, Phelps - Suffield Land Conservancy Property

Mile Eleven, enormous Oak

Mile Thirteen and a half, overlook at T-Ville

Mile Fourteen & Twenty-Two, Farmington River

Mile Fourteen & Twenty-Two, Farmington River

Mile Sixteen & Twenty, Ledge after Bartlett Chimney

Mile Eighteen+ at base of rock stairs to Pinnacle

After last weekends run at McLean, I began thinking if the weather kept cool, and I feel like I did on Saturday, I would attempt a Marathon this weekend.

That being said, the weather was holding, I rested through the week more or less, and I took a late afternoon 3-mile jog in McLean Refuge to loosen up the legs.  We'll see if it works.

Music 2019...

Effort #38,  "Transparent Radiation", the tenth piece from the Dark Heart Duo's "Summer Solstice Session" of June 21, 2019.

Selfless man slip by my side,

Uttering words about the turning tide...

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #22 for 2019...  "The Drowning Pool", Ross MacDonald's 1950 second in the Lew Archer detective series.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime Edition Cover

 

Work trip to Templeton and Uxbridge, Massachusetts through the day, with a brief amount of time to stop at Purgatory Chasm on the way home for a hike through the wonders.

Also, on this day, I've had success completing marathons.  The first was in 2008 and the second was a year later in 2009.

In 2008, Tippi and I finished Metacomet II, which began at Phelps Road in Suffield, and covered north to Route 57 and south to Route 20.  Running time of 5:32:00.  This was my 37th and Tippi's 13th completed marathon.

In 2009, Wuzzam joined Tippi and I at Tunxis II (South), which meant we ran from Route 219 to Satan's Kingdom, and also north to Roberts Brook I believe.  Our time was 6:04:44.  This was my 42nd and Tippi's 15th marathon.

Music 2019...

Effort #37,  "Jon Blows It", ninth piece from the Dark Heart Duo's "Summer Solstice Session" of June 21, 2019.

Additionally, I rode back and forth to work on the bicycle today as well for 11.0-miles.

Another outstanding day for weather, took a recovery run along the Metacomet from Phelps Road south for 4-miles.

West Suffield Mountain

Outstanding morning for a long run, cool (60's, sunny, with no humidity).  Wuzzam was hoping for something in the 12 - 15 mile range, without too many steep ups or downs.  The answer would be at McLean, where the climbs are not massive, and the trails are as soft and well maintained as anywhere in Connecticut.

We rambled around for 14.7-miles, covering ground at a decent pace.  There was only about a 3/4-mile segment where we repeated ourselves on trail, which explains how extensive the trail network is in McLean.  This was a really good run and something we can build on going forward.

Later in the evening, DL and I drove out to the Iron-Horse Music Lounge to listen to Savoy Brown play rock and blues.  Excellent show, great time.

Pine-Needle path on the North Trail

Wuzzam entering the Eddy Trail

Brook Crossing along the Eddy Trail

Second Brook Crossing along the Eddy Trail

Rock Outcrop area on the Eddy Trail

Fern at at their height of growth in McLean

Wuzzam at Mile Eleven

An after-work drive to Cornwall for a continuation of my Connecticut Mohawk Trail Adventure.  Began at the entry to Mohawk State Forest, on Route 4, and managed my way for a total of 8.8-miles.

Nice sections of trail, went over Red Mountain and Overlook twice each.  Some extended road section as well, which is a bummer as there seems to be plenty of woods for an alternative (gaining permission must be difficult).

Large Split Boulder on Mohawk Trail

Red Mountain

At Johnson Road

Single Boulder at the top of Overlook Mountain

6' high Stonewall along the Mohawk Trail

6' high Stonewall along the Mohawk Trail

Between the heat, humidity, and hard driving rain throughout the week, as well as a rest for my sore piriformis muscle, and a very busy week anyhow, I decided to take Monday through Thursday off of running and biking.  Hopefully, beginning Friday and continuing through Sunday, I get back at it.

In the meanwhile, I have a "...so far" map of my completed sections of the Appalachian Trail in northwestern Connecticut and southwestern Massachusetts completed.

Music 2019...

Effort #36,  "Interstellar Overdrive", eighth piece from the Dark Heart Duo's "Summer Solstice Session" of June 21, 2019.

Additionally, I rode back and forth to work on the bicycle today as well for 11.0-miles.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #21 for 2019...  "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", Stieg Larsson's 2005 introduction to Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime Edition Cover

Later Edition

Movie Tie-In Edition

Music 2019...

Effort #35,  "Twenty-five Minutes", seventh piece from the Dark Heart Duo's "Summer Solstice Session" of June 21, 2019.

Additionally, I rode back and forth to work on the bicycle today as well for 11.0-miles.

Excellent visit with the folks today, and on the way back to Connecticut I stopped off at Dubuque State Forest in Hawley, Massachusetts to run the old Hallockville Orchard snowshoe course.

The route was as remembered, it's been a few years and normally snow-covered.  There are two areas where beaver have influenced the terrain, it looks like these two spots along the road may be submerged until early summer once things dry out a bit.  It was again brutally humid, and the 3.5-miles was more than enough for today.

Sunflowers at Folks

Looking closer...

Closest!

Sunflowers

 The "Farmstand"

Entry to Klingholt Road in Dubuque State Forest

Still in a "building" phase for distance, today would get me back out to a favorite spot, Tunxis State Forest in Barkhamsted and Hartland, Connecticut.

Wuzzam was attending and keeping me company;  this forest is loaded with memories of our last two dogs, Sam and Tippi, and we were blessed with dozens of spots that brought back incredibly wonderful memories of our two running partners.  Most specifically, all the pools of water large enough to hold the two of them, they never missed an opportunity to dunk themselves regardless of the time-of-year.

Today we had plans to run from Route 219 out around the Pine Mountain and back.  This is somewhere around 9-miles, but as we approached the turn Wuzzam asked about extending down to Roberts Brook, asking "...how much further would that be?"

Excellent idea, we made the trip down to the water, and coming up out of the ravine I started to really feel good about this run.  I had energy, I was enthused, and I felt strong.  It seemed as though Wuzzam was feeling it too, as he kept up on the climbs out of Roberts Brook Ravine and up Pine Mountain.

We ended the run at 10.94-miles, which was pretty sweet as it was humid as hell.  I have never seen Wuzzam sweated through his shorts in the twenty-plus years of running with him, but today he was.  I was soaked through from about the 1-mile mark until finish.  It was a fantastic start to the day.

Wuzzam climbing out of Roberts Brook Ravine

Signage for Pine Mountain

Looking off Pine to the east, sky filled with fog

 At the top of the Indian Council Caves

Old moss and fern

Here are my accomplishments for July 2019.

July 2019 High Points:

• Hart's Pond Hill, Metacomet Trail, West Suffield, CT
• Copper / Peak Mountain, Metacomet Trail, East Granby, CT
• Lion's  Head, Appalachian Trail, Salibury, CT
• Bear Mountain (from the south), Appalachian Trail, Salisbury, CT
• Peck's Brook Shelter Climb, Gould Trail, Mt Greylock, Adams, MA
• Riga Junction, Appalachian Trail, Salibury, CT
• Bear Mountain (from the north), Appalachian Trail, Salibury, CT
• West Suffield Mountain, Metacomet Trail, Suffield, CT
• Soapstone Mountain, Somers, CT
• Race Mountain, Appalachian Trail, Egremont, MA
• Sages Ravine to Northwest Road, Egremont, MA
• Nick's Hill, Metacomet Ridge, West Suffield, CT
• Hurricane Brook Hill, Tunxis State Forest, East Hartland, CT
• Trillum Hill, Tunxis State Forest, East Hartland, CT

Additionally, I rode the bike to-and-from work again today!

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #20 for 2019...  "Darkly Dreaming Dexter",  Jeff Lindsay's 2004 introduction to the "Dexter Moran" series.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime Edition Cover

Bike to and from work today for a total of 11-miles.

Also, on this day in 2014, Wuzzam and I ran the Mahican Mohawk Marathon in 6:43:30.  We began and ended at the Mohawk Trail State Forest in Charlemont, along the bank of the Cold River.  Our turn-a-round or midpoint was roughly at North Pond in Savoy Mountain State Forest, located in Savoy and Florida, Massachusetts.

This was my 51st completed marathon.  Map of our route is included...

Running through Stafford Meadow

 

Red Pine Plantation, set in 1930's..

Up through the Red Pine.

Wuzzam at the first crossing of the Cold River.

Bog Pond, a long-time favorite area of ours..

Burnett Homestead Cemetery in Florida..

Second crossing of the Cold River.