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

Music 2019...

Effort #30,  "Vibe Now", second selection 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.

Visit with my folks today, followed by a run on Greylock using the Gould and Cheshire Harbour Trails.  Run was pretty much uphill for the first mile plus, and ended with 3.3 good miles on my legs.

Ended the visit with a solid stop with Paul H, to catch up and enjoy each others company.

The Hallowed Tree on Gould remains standing

Rose early to water the garden, and hit the road early enough (driving by 8:10 a.m.)  Out to Salisbury to run the Appalachian Trail from Route 41 (Undermountain Road I believe) to one of three destinations, depending how I, meaning my left calf and right hamstring, felt.

• The basic plan (hope) was to get to Lions Head, a one-way distance of roughly 2.7-miles (5.4 out-and-back) with a starting elevation of about 720', and a high point of 1700' on top of the Lion.

• If that felt decent, I hoped to get out to Riga Junction, where the Appalachian Trail is met by the Undermountain Trail, at something near 4.5-miles (roughly 9.0-miles round trip).

• Once at that success point, and still feeling like I had something in the tank, I would push on and up to the summit of Bear Mountain, elevation of 2320'.  The low point between Lions Head and Bear looks to be near 1560', so climbing Bear would mean another decent effort.  It would also be somewhere near 5.6-miles each way (the guide pamphlet had longer distances, I am giving my gps distances from today).

I really perspired through this effort today, but I had plenty of water / fuel, so that wasn't too big an issue.  I made it to Bear Mountain just fine, and I felt decently strong the entire trip back as well, for a total of 11.1-miles at the end.

I covered the same route with the exception of bypassing Lions Head for the short alternative route on the way back.  Temperature was mid 70's at the 9:30 a.m. start, and low 80's at the finish three-hours later.

Satisfying run, with only the steepest sections hiked/walked.

Summit Lions Head

Lions Head looking south

Lions Head looking north

Riga Junction

Climbing Bear Mountain, looking back south

Bear Mountain Summit

From the top of the rock pile on Bear, looking north

Another perspective north from Bear, Race and Everett ahead

Today's Map

A rainy, humid morning that transitioned to a warm, not as humid afternoon.  Drove out to McLean Refuge to run a short loop of 3.7-miles.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #17 for 2019...   "The Killer Inside Me", Jim Thompson's 1952 genius masterpiece.  

Early morning I rode the bike to and from physical therapy.  Despite it being only two-miles each way, and a very quick ride, I managed to get soaked on the way to treatment by a down pour that lasted only a few minutes.  What are the odds to get soaked at that short moment in time?

In the afternoon, I dropped DL off for her train to Chicago.  I'll miss her.

Bike to work and back, 11-miles for the day.

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.