Lots of driving today with DL.

• We picked up some donuts at Mrs Murphy's for my folks.
• Visited Bellevue Cemetery.
• Visited Angelina's for a sandwich.
• Stopped at the folks for some hay to cover our plants.
• Shopped at Perkarski's in South Deerfield,
• Stopped at the Williamsburg Snack Bar for lobster rolls.
• Once back in Connecticut, we attended the town tree lighting ceremony.

Mt Greylock from Bellevue Cemetery

  McLean Game Refuge & Holcomb Farm Marathon

November 29th, 2019 - Granby & Simsbury, Connecticut

McLean Game Refuge & Holcomb Farm Marathon day in Granby and Simsbury, Connecticut.  

Not a lot of build-up for this, I was thinking an attempt at the Bullitt Reservation / DAR / Williamsburg Route, but two cars are necessary for that attempt and I had but one today.  I would be solo.

I got a good running start at just a little after 9:00 a.m., with two water plants plus the refill opportunity at my vehicle which was returned to around mile 8 or so.  

Rambled through McLean to the beginnings of the hills (Westledge, Pilfershire, West Mountain, Eddy, and Weed Hill) at 12.5-miles at 5.5-mph (which was an incredible pace for me).

Once the hills were finished, and I entered into Holcomb Farm Trails, I was still at 5-mph, which had me feeling really energized.  I was moving really well, running strong on everything other than the long steady climb up Westledge, the steepest portions of Eddy, and then the bushwhack type footing up Weed Hill.

Things slowed a bit through Holcomb, especially once crossing Simsbury Road.  The trail from there to the re-entry into McLean proper hasn't seen much traffic, had many leaves covering the roots, and I was beginning to tire.

I hung on to complete the 25.6-miles (gps measured, so this should be easily over 26.2) in 5:13:00.  Just dipped under 5 mph average to a 4.9.  Awesome performance on my third marathon of 2019, and 57th overall.

Surprise call-in at work;  3.2-miles at McLean afterward before a nice quiet dinner with DL.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #29 for 2019...  "Only Child",   Andrew Vachss Burke novel published in 2002.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime Edition Cover

3-miles on Main Street during the evening hours.

3.3-miles at Cowles Park in the afternoon.

Music 2019...

Effort #51,  The eleventh piece from the July 21st, 2019  "Heat of the Day Session" by the Dark Heart Duo, "Overheated".

Very sunny 40-degree day;  visited the Mt Tom Reservation with a visit to Little Mount Tom as the plan.  All told, I finished with 9.9-miles along some wonderful trails.

Trustees of Reservations "Little Mt Tom"

Whiting Street Reservoir

Graffiti on abandoned building (Boys Club/Ski Area)

3-miles along the Farmington River Canal Greenway, Route 20 to Copper Hill Road.

Here are my accomplishments for October 2019.

October 2019 High Points:

• Barrack Mountain, Mohawk Trail, Cornwall, CT
• Lookout Point, Mohawk Trail, Cornwall, CT
• Ragged Mtn, Peoples State Forest, Barkhamsted, CT
• Pine Mountain, Tunxis Trail, Barkhamsted, CT
• Hart's Pond Hill, Metacomet Trail, West Suffield, CT
• East Barndoor Hill, McLean Refuge, Simsbury & Granby, CT
• Weed Hill, McLean Refuge, Simsbury & Granby, CT
• Metacomet Ridge, Cowles Park, East Granby, CT
• Nick's Hill, Metacomet Ridge, West Suffield, CT

After work run along the Farmington Valley Greenway Trail from Route 20 south to Floydville Road for 3.3-miles.

Also, on this day, in 2005, I completed a Northern Nipmuck Marathon with Tippi and Wuzzam.  Total time was 6:28:18, and it was my 30th marathon and Tippi's 6th.  Wuzzam had Summer out for the event with us as well.  Hard to beat a day when a few guys can run with their dogs.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #28 for 2019...  "Pain Management",   Andrew Vachss Burke novel published in 2001.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime Edition Cover

Music 2019...

Effort #50,  The tenth piece from the July 21st, 2019  "Heat of the Day Session" by the Dark Heart Duo, "Light Shining Through".

Cold and damp today, drove out to McLean to run a "hard" 3.6-mile loop in 33:22 (6.5 mph).  Ended up with a total of 3.9-miles with the short cool-down.

A visit to Williamsburg Woodland Trails as well as the Trustees of Reservations, via Unquemonk (Big View) and Petticoat Hill for 6-miles.

The Locke's Loop at Petticoat Hill roughed in at 1.4-miles, and the Big View Loop was right around 2-miles I believe, for prosperity.

Locke's Loop - Petticoat Hill

Locke's Loop

Big View / Unquemonk

Managed the ridge loop at Cowles after work, 3.3-miles.

Music 2019...

Effort #49,  The ninth piece from the July 21st, 2019  "Heat of the Day Session" by the Dark Heart Duo, "Nightmare".

Back to Connecticut, with a cold visit to McLean Reservation for 3.6-miles.

Flew back from Chicago Midway to Providence, T.F. Green.

Meanwhile, here are some maps of my combo runs last week, as well as a tie in with last November's routes in Illinois.

2019 Routes

2018 & 2019 Routes

Forest Preserves of DuPage County 

Easy day relaxing due to a few inches of snow and extremely cold temperatures in the Chicago Land area.  Picked up JC after he finished work for the day, and visited my favorite spot to eat in the Wheaton, Illinois area, Mi Casa Restaurant on N Main Street, Wheaton, IL.

Another chilly morning spent running, this time at St. James Farm Forest Preserve in Warrenville, Illinois.  I managed 7.5-miles connecting to the Herrick Lake trails.

From afternoon until evening, Dl, JC and I celebrated Thanksgiving early at JC's place with a wonderful slab of prime rib we brought with us from the folks farm.

Trails at St James Farm

Trails at St James Farm

Buildings and Signage at St James Farm

St James Farm

St James Farm

St James Farm

Trails at St James Farm

We had a busy day today;  early on I ran 6.2-miles in Danada Forest Preserve, and connected to Herrick Lake's trails from yesterdays run.

Re-visited Morton Arboretum for a nature art show mid-day.

Once evening hit, we saw and listened to Savoy Brown at the Brauerhouse in nearby Lombard, Illinois.

Rice Lake, Danada Forest Preserve

Rice Lake, Danada Forest Preserve

 Back in Herrick Forest Preserve, connecting the paths

Heroes Grove, Danada Forest Preserve

Jens Jensen and the Council Ring

The Council Ring

Gerald R. Weeks Grove Memorial Plaque

Gerald R. Weeks Grove

Savoy Brown in Concert!

 

Up early to run at Herrick Lake Forest Preserve in Wheaton, Illinois.  Completed 7.3-miles on a sunny cold morning.

In the early afternoon, DL and I met up with JC to explore the Morton Arboretum, searching the grounds for sightings of the giant trolls of Danish artist Thomas Dambo...  Morton's Troll Hunt!

Western feeder into Herrick Lake

Herrick Lake

Herrick Lake Trails

Herrick Lake Trails

Travel to Providence to fly to Chicago.

Met up with Wuzzam to run 8-miles along Soapstone's forest roads.

Also, on this day in 1999, I completed my 21st marathon at Watery Hill.  It was a 6-hour run, and I completed a total of 30 miles.

Music 2019...

Effort #48,  The eighth piece from the July 21st, 2019  "Heat of the Day Session" by the Dark Heart Duo, "Here Come the Warm Jets".

... On November 4th, 2000, I completed 33-miles in 6-hours at Watery Hill, this was my 22nd completed marathon.

Metacomet on a somewhat cold, sunny day.  Temperatures didn't get out of the mid-forties in the woods, and the oak and beech leaves sure made some of the footing treacherous.

I planned on Robinson State Park to Route 20, a distance of about 13-miles.  It clocked out at 13.2-decently covered miles.

Real good day of running with tired legs from yesterday.  I survived!

Last section of the Bullitt Reservation to 'Burgy marathon...  wonderful sunny day in the mid-forties, found my way more or less just fine.  Total of 11.5-miles, with the Route 143 to Route 9 section being right at 6-miles.

View of Mt Tom from Unquomonk Hill

Welcome Bench

And...  On this day in 1997, the Old Goat, the Gullivers, and a few others rambled out to Bash Bish Falls to participate in a marathon along the South Taconic Trail.  I managed 26-miles in 6:28:00, and I can recall the last few miles being in a driving rain.  This was my 16th marathon.

Dark Heart Duo performance on Crown Street, "A Day After Session".