On this day in my marathon history, 29-years ago...

Bridgeport Marathon
October 31, 1993 - Bridgeport, Connecticut

Today I completed the Bridgeport Marathon in ~3:32:00.  This was my second completed marathon, and it was more difficult than the first.

 Granville HIke/Jog gathering stonewall data once again, with K2.  Total of 4.2-miles.

 Granville Hike gathering stonewall data, 5-miles.

Sharing a video, "Sasquatch Communicates with Sign Language!" - Granville related.

P.T. #4 on right ankle, heal and achilles tendon, including dry-needle. 

From the Archives...

Mt Washington State Forest Marathon - October 2003

 Riga Plateau, South Taconic & Appalachian Trails, MA, NY & CT

Sometime in October of 2002 - 2003, Tippi completed her first "Marathon" along the Mt Riga Plateau; it would also be my 26th.  We had the "Bandit" along for the adventure. 

Our time was recorded as 5:38:00 over 24.7-miles.  I recall the end of the run taking forever once we descended Frissell and headed back to Mt. Washington State Forest Headquarters, as we might have diverted from the most direct track.

Maybe on top of Alander?

Intersection prior to Brace.

   
I believe this is the top of Brace Mountain.

The Bandit climbing Round Mountain.

The Bandit at the peak of Round Mountain.

The Bandit climbing Mt Frissell.

The Bandit climbing Frissell.

At the Tri-State Marker (NY, MA, CT).

P.T. #3 on right ankle, heal and achilles tendon.

What Played in Ed's Head -- 

Music listened to for the time-period September 1st through September 30th, 2022:

Stonewall Data Collecting Hike in Granville, with K2. 

16.5-mile bike through Suffield into Feeding Hills and Agawam. 

Continuing to watch some "Monster Movies"...

2022 Horror Show

#4 - C.H.U.D.

C.H.U.D. is a 1984 American science fiction horror film directed by Douglas Cheek, produced by Andrew Bonime, and starring John Heard, Daniel Stern, and Christopher Curry in his film debut. The plot concerns a New York City police officer and a homeless shelter manager who team up to investigate a series of disappearances, and discover that the missing people have been killed by humanoid monsters that live in the sewers.

The title of the movie is an abbreviation that stands for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers.

Source:  Wikipedia

P.T. #2 on right ankle, heal and achilles tendon, including dry-needle. 

Bike home from work, 5.5-miles just before dark. 

Pop's 83rd Birthday today!

Marathon History...

Bay State Marathon
October 18, 1992 - Lowell, Massachusetts

On this day in 1992 I completed my first marathon, at the Baystate Marathon, in Lowell, Massachusetts.  I ran 3:35:00 for the 26.2-miles (two loops).  My folks drove out to see me finish, which was really cool.

P.T. #1 on right ankle, heal and achilles tendon.

Bike to work in the morning, 5.5-miles.

In Memory...  Rest in Peace Tippi (August 2000 - October 17, 2016)

Six years ago today we said goodbye to Tippi.  She was a rescue we were blessed with for well over 16-years. She was my trail partner for somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 miles (we didn't keep track), traveling together in the car all over Connecticut, New York, Vermont and Western Massachusetts to run in the woods we both loved so much.  Together we finished 17 marathons.  She could run all day, season didn't really matter.

Often, as DL and I drive home from Adams back to Connecticut, she will ask as we pass large forested areas "... did you and Tippi ever run through there?"  The answer is almost always "Yes".  We connected huge tracts of land in northwestern Massachusetts, the Valley, and much of north-central and western Connecticut.

I continue to think about Tippi everyday. Often on a hike or run, I come to a spot in the forest that helps me feel her presence.  The recent photograph below is one of those spots/times, along the Spruce Mountain Trail in Monroe, where my old dog's spirit overwhelmed me.

We love you Tips, rest easy girl.

Tippi, August 2000 - October 17th, 2016.

Bike around Suffield, 10.5-miles.

Big Circle Route on the bike in Granville, mostly gravel and dirt roads (along with some trail, and about 1-mile of pavement).  Completed 12.3-miles in 1:45:00.

Bike after work in East Granby and Simsbury on the Farmington Canal Greenway, 10.5-miles.

Old News...  From the Archives, this day in my Marathon History...

On this day in 1995 I completed the 2nd Hartford Marathon in 3:42:02.  

This was my 7th completed marathon.

From the Archives - Old Marathon News...

Conway Covered Bridge Marathon - October 13th, 2012

Conway & Goshen, Massachusetts

On this day in 2012, Wuzzam and I ran the Conway Covered Bridge Marathon.  We had Ned and his daughter's dog with us for the first 10-miles or so, and they were good company.

The idea for the run had been with me for a while, but what sealed it was Farmer Tom was doing a group trail ride through the woods from either Berkshire East or South Face, to the Covered Bridge in Conway.

We would start running in the opposite direction of the bikes, beginning at the St. Mark's Church parking area (we hoped to start running on an hour but we found out the church bells haven't been active for many years).  We immediately crossed the Burkeville Covered Bridge and we were soon into Conway State Forest.

Highlights of the run included:

• Cricket Hill
• Joe Herrick Gulf
• Smith Hill
• Bullitt Reservation
• Chapel Falls & Ledge/Pony Cliffs
• Moore Hill and the Firetower

We finished really strong, final time of 6:33:15.  This was my 50th completed marathon.

On the drive out to retrieve our two aid station drops, we ran into the mountain bike group crossing West Road exiting the DAR State Forest onto the Chapel Falls Trail toward Conway State Forest.

An excellent day!

"High Points" along trails during September 2022... 

My back recovered, but the Alaska Cruise took a bite out of running this month.

A low Peak Count once again...

• North Drake Mountain, Granville, MA
• Middle Drake Mountain, Granville, MA
• South Drake Mountain (Drake Proper), Granville/Southwick, MA
• White Pass Junction aboard the Train from Skagway, Alaska (U.S. / Canadian border).

Road the bike to work this morning, 5.5-miles.

Dead Alternator and Battery in the car Sunday morning, so I transferred the wheels to the local mechanic and road my bike home along the Windsor Locks Canal Path.

About 7.5-miles total.

Hike with K2 in Granville, 3-miles.

...and on this day in 2013:

DAR to Bullitt Reservation Marathon
October 9th, 2013 - Goshen & Ashfield, Massachusetts

The DAR Marathon (Daughter's of the American Revolution).

Tippi and I ran a DAR State Forest Marathon today in 6:10:00.  This was my 52nd completed marathon, and Tippi's 17th.  

We began in Goshen, at the Daughter's of American Revolution State Forest, and ran out to Bullitt Reservation, and back.  We enjoyed views from Chapel Ledge and Chapel Falls.

Tippi on Chapel Ledge

Tippi looking off Chapel Ledge.

Tippi on Chapel Ledge.

Chapel Falls.

Chapel Falls.

Tippi cooling off in a pool at Chapel Falls.

Course with Tippi's track as well

Another day on the bike, this time parking in Granville at Phelon Forest (North Lane).

Pedaled north to Borden Brook Road/Beach Hill Road, past Maple Corner Farm, and took the gravel  Farnum Road towards Tolland.

Rough going through the forest, I walked the downhills mostly (pushing the bike).  Onto Blandford Road and stuck with that until I intersected Schoolhouse Road.

South on Schoolhouse until the intersection with Route 57, large downhills and uphills along the way until I was back at North Lane.

15.5-miles, and it made me a bit tired.

Parked in Southwick at the end of Depot Street, and biked along the Southwick Rail Trail to Westfield where the Trail Trail becomes the Columbia Greenway.  The Trail "ran-out" at Route 20, so I turned back and did some extra heading south.

Ended the day with 14.3-miles.

Continuing to watch some "Monster Movies"...

2022 Horror Show

#3 - Humanoids from the Deep

Humanoids from the Deep (released as Monster in Europe and Japan) is a 1980 American science fiction horror film starring Doug McClure, Ann Turkel, and Vic Morrow. Roger Corman served as the film's uncredited executive producer, and his company, New World Pictures, distributed it. Humanoids from the Deep was directed by Barbara Peeters and an uncredited Jimmy T. Murakami.

Anglers from the fishing village of Noyo, California, catch what appears to be a monster. The young son of one of the anglers falls into the water and something unseen drags him under the surface. Another angler prepares a flare gun, but he slips and accidentally fires it into the deck, which is soaked with gasoline dropped earlier by the boy. The vessel bursts into flames and explodes; everybody aboard is killed. Jim Hill (McClure) and his wife Carol witness the explosion. Later, Jim and Carol's dog goes missing and the pair finds its dismembered corpse on the nearby beach.

The following day, teenagers Jerry and Peggy go for a swim at the beach. Jerry is abruptly pulled under the water. Peggy believes it is a prank until she discovers his mutilated corpse. Peggy screams and tries to reach the beach, but a monstrous figure drags her across the sand. The humanoid creature tears off her bikini and attempts to forcibly breed with her.

That night, two more teenagers are camping on the same beach. Billy is about to have sex with his girlfriend, Becky when another humanoid monster claws its way inside, kills him, and chases Becky onto the beach. She outruns her assailant, but then runs into the arms of yet another monster, which throws her to the sand and rapes her. More attacks follow; not all of them successful, but few witnesses survive to tell the public about the incidents; only Peggy is found alive, though severely traumatized. Jim's brother is also attacked, prompting Jim to take a personal interest in the matter.

A company called Canco has announced plans to build a huge cannery near Noyo. The murderous, sex-hungry mutations are apparently the result of Canco's experiments with a growth hormone they had earlier administered to salmon. The salmon escaped from Canco's laboratory into the ocean during a storm and were eaten by large fish that then mutated into the brutal, depraved humanoids that have begun to terrorize the village.

By the time Jim and Canco scientist Dr. Susan Drake have deduced what is occurring, the village's annual festival has begun. At the festival, many humanoids appear, murdering the men and attempting to breed with every woman they can grab. Jim devises a plan to stop the humanoids by pumping gasoline into the bay and setting it on fire, cutting off the humanoids' way of retreat. Meanwhile, Carol is attacked at home by two of the creatures, but manages to kill them before Jim arrives.

The morning after the festival, normality seems to have returned to the village. Jim asks the sheriff about Dr. Drake. The sheriff mumbles that she went back to the lab, where she is coaching a pregnant Peggy, who has survived her sexual assault. Peggy is about to give birth when her monstrous offspring bursts from her womb, with Peggy screaming at the screeching baby.

Source:  Wikipedia

Two-Mile Hike from Phelps Road North.

Continuing to watch some "Monster Movies" over the next couple months...

2022 Horror Show

#2 - Underworld.

Underworld is a series of dark fantasy action horror films created by Len Wiseman, Kevin Grevioux, and Danny McBride, that follows characters who are caught up in a war between vampires and werewolves (called "lycans" within the films). Most of the movies star Kate Beckinsale as the protagonist, Selene, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. The first film, Underworld, was released in 2003; it introduces Selene, an elite vampire-warrior who defies her orders, and Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman), a human who gets caught up in the war.

Underworld tells the story of Selene (Kate Beckinsale) a Death Dealer bent on destroying the lycans who allegedly killed her family. She discovers that the lycans are pursuing a human, Michael Corvin, for experimentation; Selene captures Michael herself to find out what the lycans are up to. Along the way, Selene not only discovers a mutinous plot to destroy the vampire Elders, but also a shocking revelation about her father figure Elder, Viktor.

The vampires and lycans are not supernatural creatures, but rather the product of a mutation of the Plague.

It is revealed in the film that Alexander Corvinus is the first of the vampire and lycan lines. He was the only survivor of the plague that wiped out his village. Somehow, his body was able to mutate the pathogen, mold it to his own benefit. He had three sons, two of whom inherited their father's immortality and were bitten, one, Markus, by a bat, and the other, William, by a wolf, resulting in the vampire and werewolf lines. Corvinus's unnamed third son, who did not inherit immortality, also carried the Corvinus Strain as an exact duplicate of the original pathogen, hidden away in his genetic code and passed along to his human descendants through the centuries. This, according to Singe, is the key to creating a hybrid.

Source:  Wikipedia

The Covid Test I took last night came back positive tonight.  I feel fine, but this is a bummer. 

Bike to work this morning, 5.5-miles.

With the Vacation to Alaska over, it is time to return to the 61 Day Challenge.

I began on August 1st this season.... then relaxed for September due to travel.

I am back in the game from October 3rd through December).

Walk Lily once in the late evening, 1-Mile.

October has Halloween, and that means Horror Movies.

I am hoping to watch some "Monster Movies" over the next couple months...  these could be classified as "Cult Horror Favorites" of mine.

2022 Horror Show

#1 - Phantasm

Phantasm is a 1979 American science fantasy horror film that was directed, written, photographed, and edited by Don Coscarelli. The first film in the Phantasm franchise, it introduces the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm), a supernatural and malevolent undertaker who turns the dead of Earth into dwarf zombies to be sent to his planet and used as slaves. He is opposed by a young boy, Mike (Michael Baldwin), who tries to convince his older brother Jody (Bill Thornbury) and family friend Reggie (Reggie Bannister) of the threat.

Phantasm was a locally financed independent film; the cast and crew were mostly amateurs and aspiring professionals. Though initial reviews were mixed in regard to the dreamlike, surreal narrative and imagery, later reception was more positive and the film became a cult classic. It has appeared on several critics' lists of best horror films, and it has been cited as an influence on later horror series. It was followed by four sequels: Phantasm II (1988), Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994), Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998) and Phantasm: Ravager (2016).

Source:  Wikipedia