Visited my Mom for Mother's Day, which was awesome.  Took a long way back to Connecticut, along Route 2 (the Mohawk Trail) and stopped off at Native Views (once known as The Big Indian Shop) in Charlemont / Shelbourne Falls.

It was time for a Northern Nipmuck 16-mile adventure.  There was a race on this section of the Nipmuck from 2000 to 2012, or so,  I believe.  Prior to the race, it was a common "fun-run" event for many years.

During those years where a true event took place, I participated four-times.  Two of the runs were pretty good, 2:34:43 and 2:35:21, good for a 10th and 9th place respectively.  These were in 2004 and 2005 it looks like, honestly I don't remember the years but I do recall some of the events during these races.

Today, Wuzzam was up for a try at 16-tough miles with me.  I compounded the difficulty by suggestion that we attempt to average 4-mph along the way, so a 4-hour time limit.  This 16-mile run doesn't have massive climbs within it, but a good majority is difficult footing as well as constant up and down.

I hung on, managing 3:52 for a gps measured 15.93-miles.  That got me a 4.1-mph average.  Pretty far removed from 2:35, but if training can remain consistent for me, something around 3-hours by the fall may not be impossible.

As a bonus, I ran into "the Cemetery Man" hiking within the forest, a real blast from the past.

Wuzzam navigating one of many small stream crossings

A "somewhat" rock-free section of trail

Looking off Big Ledge

Above Boston Hollow

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #12 for 2019.  Patricia Highsmith's 1955 intro into Tom Ripley, "The Talented Mr. Ripley".

East Granby Farms up to the Metacomet Ridge for 4.1-miles.

Beautiful night to run along a ridge.  I ventured to Cowles Park, East Granby to ramble for 3.3-miles.

Music 2019...

Effort #20, "Lord You Are the Wine".  

This was the final performance the Dark Heart Duo recorded live for the "High Noon" Sessions, April 26th, 2019.

An old spiritual that inspired us.

Finally a sunny day!  

Normally, after three or more consecutive days of running I would opt for a day or two off, but the sun and dry ground energized me toward a 3-mile run on the Metacomet.  North from Phelps Road.

Nick's Hill - view northwest

Nick's Hill - view southwest

It's still raining pretty regularly throughout the country, so New England isn't any different or unusual.  I found a "break" in the downpour in the mid-afternoon, and managed 5.5-miles on the Metacomet Trail from Route 20 north to the stonewall and back.

View along the "spine"

Stonewall crossing roughly 2.75-miles from Route 20 heading north

Still a lot of rain, and the ground is very saturated.  I decided I would run on a ridge trail, and I was looking for something different.  I chose to visit the Mt Tom area, but I ran south on the Metacomet Trail over the northern most East Mountain section.

This is a really nice section of trail.  I ran 4.5-miles out to the road just prior to Rt 202 I believe.  On the way back I took a minor shortcut to end with 8.3-miles for the day.

I somehow missed the balanced rock while running "out", but luckily I couldn't miss it on the way back in.  It was close to the old fire-tower site, directly on the trail basically.

There are many optional trails through this ridge, but the white blazes of the NET (New England Trail), or Metacomet Trail as normally referred, are plentiful.

Trail-Head area

View south from a peak

View south from same peak above

Fire-Tower

View south from a peak

View south from a peak

Balanced Rock

Balanced Rock

Balanced Rock

3-miles along the Metacomet Trail, from Phelps Road south.

Music 2019...

Effort #19, "Had to Cry".  

Once again, as per last week, the Dark Heart Duo recorded live on Crown Street for the "High Noon" Sessions, April 26th, 2019.

This is a simple riff on Blind Faith's "Had to Cry Today".

Here are my accomplishments for April 2019.

April 2019 High Points:

• Nick's Hill, West Suffield, CT
• Poplar Hill, Whately, MA
• Battlecock Hill, Williamsburg, MA
• Ore Hill, Granville State Forest, Granville, MA
• Old Wolf Hill, Unquemonk, Williamsburg, MA
• West Suffield Mountain, Metacomet Trail, West Suffield, CT
• Stony Hill, McLean Game Refuge, Simsbury & East Granby, CT

• I've continued on a good pace so far in 2019.  I've continued to work the "long run" plan, completing the following "long-runs" this year in April, despite working through the month with regular Physical Therapy Sessions for a sore Calf/Achilles:

•   8.9
•   8.7
•   8.7

• I also have been able to stay a ahead of my mileage goals per week, with an end-of-year total of 1200-miles of running planned.  I am currently roughly 30.9-miles over my scheduled goal.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #11 for 2019.  Andrew Vachss 1995 entry, "Footsteps of the Hawk".

More rain over the past few days makes for wet trails and mud.  I gave Wuzzam a choice of McLean or the Metacomet, which I felt would be good, dry, options.  Wuzzam didn't want the hills of Metacomet, so McLean it was.

We managed 8.7-miles, running the same exact time and route as our January 6th, 2019 adventure.  Unbelievable, right?

Another day which looked like rain, so I managed an enjoyable 3.5-mile run along the Metacomet Trail, from Phelps Road north.

And "going-back" to April of 2009, Tippi and I explored much of the snowmobile trails of Conway and adjoining state forest together.  Here is a map of some connecting links...