I made it back for another attempt with the Suffield Park & Recreation 5Km X-Country run at Bruce Park.

Positives:

• Wonderfully friendly race organizers - and very positive as well.
• Inexpensive Entry and Low Key.
• Supports a great cause, Suffield Community Aid.
• I finished again.
• Competed at a faster time than week 1.

Negatives:

• The left calf-muscle felt better than last week, but is still not exactly right.
• I pulled my right hamstring a bit early in the race, which prevented me from using large strides.
• The race felt a little better than last week, but by the end I still felt as though I was dying.

I hope to return again next Tuesday, as long as the calf-muscle and hamstring allow it.  27:32 was the finish time.  I'll take it.

Music 2019...

Effort #29,  "Bearing Witness of the Light", the opening 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 10.5-miles.

Late morning run along the Metacomet Trail, Route 20 north, out and back for a total of 6-miles.

Very hot, sunny and humid today.  McLean offered some shade, and no deer flies (still).  I wound around for 4.1-miles before calling it quits.

Third hot day in a row, the early bike ride to work was really nice.  Ride home wasn't too bad either.  Completed my third back-and-forth from home to work this week.  This has gone pretty well.

Figured I might as well totally suffer so I visited the Metacomet and ran 3.5-miles from Rising Corner to the Bowman's Club.  Bugs were bad, heat was worse.

Ducks trying to keep cool

The year is now just half over, and we have Independence Day upon us.  DL and I took a walk around town in the morning, and I ran an up-tempo 3.7-miles at McLean Refuge between 11:00 a.m. and Noon.

Very warm day already, but humidity hasn't been bad.  No deer-flies either, so it was a great day in the woods for July in Connecticut.  

Managed the 3.7-miles in 41:12, for a 5.4 mph average.  Not fast, but after feeling the left calf-muscle pull again on Tuesday I wanted to get through a decent pace run without issue.

This guy almost passed me at 2.5-miles

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

Suffield Park & Recreation 5Km X-Country run at Bruce Park.

Positives:

• Inexpensive Entry and Low Key
• Supports a great cause, Suffield Community Aid
• I finished 
• Ran under 30-minutes which was my goal

Negatives:

• The left calf-muscle tightened up at about 3/4-mile
• It's been a long time since I've raced shorter distance, and it came back to me that every step feels as though you're dying.

I hope to return next Tuesday, as long as the calf-muscle allows it.  28:04 is what I was told for a finish time.  I'll take it.

Took to the bike again, to and from work, for a total of 11.5-miles today.  The extra half-mile was added while on the ridge home, riding to Physical Therapy prior to home.

Out early to beat the expected rain, I drove to Agawam/Southwick to run the Metacomet from Route 57 to Provin Mountain - the old home of Channel 22 News.

I managed to complete the run just prior to some rain, totaled 3.5-miles.

Quarry on side-trail, looking north

Quarry on side-trail, view south

Fire Tower on Provin Mountain 

Fire Tower on Provin Mountain

Later in the afternoon, once the threat of rain had left the area, I peddled 10-miles around Hill Street Loop on the bike.

Also, on this day in 2006, I completed my 33rd marathon, Tunxis II.  This was the second time in 5-weeks that I marathoned along the Tunxis Trail...  this time, I used the southern portion down to Satan's Kingdom.  My time was 6:06:30, and I had Tippi along for company.  It was her 9th completed marathon.

Tippi on top of  Indian Council Caves, along the Tunxis.

 

Visited the Metacomet Trail from Phelps Road south, totaled 3.4-miles on my out-and-back.  The deerflies and just arriving - unfortunately.

Another "cross-training" effort.  I rode to and from work, 5.5-miles each way for a grand total of 11-miles for the day.\

Day off to meet with the GE Rep for an air-conditioner repair.  

Afterward, I took a short drive out to McLean Refuge for an outstanding run of 3.7-miles (with no issues from the left calf-muscle).

Evening presented a trip to Greenfield, and the Root Cellar, to listen to some live music with J Evil.

The Woods Walker continues his never-ending "Rock Show", this time in Ashford, Connecticut at the Babcock Library.  

I wasn't able to participate and run the  presentation, but the other half of the Dark Heart Duo stepped up for the evening to make a success out of things.  Thanks J Evil!

 

Music 2019...

Effort #28,  The Rev. King of the Road Warriors for Christ performing his version of "Old Man" by Neil Young.