Parked early at Phelps & Mountain Road, ran the "free and clear of snow and ice" Metacomet north to the gasline cut between Rising Corner and Route 57, for 7.6-miles.

Bent Tree Limb

Welcome to Massachusetts

Welcome to Connecticut

Drove out to North Reading & then over-night'ed in Plymouth visiting family.

4-miles along Main Street just at dark.

Another 3-miles getting used to the Hoka shoes, after my yearly physical and a trip with DL to Perkarski's.

3-miles along Main Street, with the new Hoka running shoes.

Well, 2019 is over, and I managed to hit my "goal" of 1200-miles of running.  It wasn't easy, as I cut it very close ending up with 1200.3 with two-days remaining, which I decided to take "off".

What I realize looking at the year in full, is that when I was getting out running, I did great.  But, I missed some large chunks of time throughout 2019....

• most of 3.5 weeks when the basement flooded (January 24th - February 14th)
• pretty much 2 weeks with the calf muscle issue #1 (April 10th - April 24th)
• almost a full month with the calf muscle issue #1 (June 1st - early July)

So, hitting the goal mileage was a pretty significant achievement everything considered.

On this day in 1996, I participated in the annual "Fat Ass 50" in North Adams, Massachusetts.  It consisted of many loops on the road, on a cold, gray day, and I believe there was a pretty bad snowstorm on the drive home.  I have a time listed of  5:32:35, and I think that was for 26.2 miles - not 50k.  This was my 8th marathon completed.

Music 2020...

Effort #1,  Dark Heart Duo from the After Noon Sessions of April 2019... "Independence Day".

This was a song I'd written in 1984 or 1985, about Adams.

Quarter Cent beer and shots of SC

What in the world has happened to me?

It's said what's to be will be

They locked me up and thrown away the key.

Met up with Wuzzam to explore Nipmuck below Route 44.

Finished with 9.8-miles and 2205' of elevation gain and loss on a really beautiful section of the Nipmuck along the Fenton River.

Trip to Adams to visit the folks, ended the day with a 4-mile run on Main Street.

Looking back in time, I completed my 13th marathon on this day in 1997.  It was the Grupa Dupa held at the Talcott Mountain State Park, home of the Hueblin Tower.  I believe Tony W and Janice K were the organizers of this "Fat Ass 50" type event.  

I recall it consisted of loops up and around the tower, but I do not recall how many.  It was 50k, and I recorded a time of 5:11:13.

Visited the Metacomet from Phelps Road today, to see how the conditions were along the ridge.  Despite some warming temperature, the sun hasn't really been out the last couple of days, so an inch or so of ice and slush remains on the trail.

Completed a 4-mile run, and signed in at the log-book with #1 for 2020.

3.3-miles on the snow covered "forest roads" of McLean.

3.4-miles on the Mather-Wisteria Loop.

Here we are, once again at the end of another year, and more specifically another end of The Trustees of Reservations "Hike 125" challenge.

Last year I had a late start, managed 83.2 miles, and ended in 35th place.  This year, despite the full 8.5 months, I just didn't drive into Massachusetts to run at Trustees of Reservation locations that often.  2019's leader-board has me in 44th place, with 59.1 total miles. 

I hope that the challenge will exist again in 2020, and I do expect to take the challenge again.

From the Trustees website, it is mentioned that "Everyone who hikes more than 25 miles will receive a patch to celebrate your Hike 125 pride!"

"The Trustees of Reservations preserve, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts."

Music 2019...

Effort #56,  My Friend the Reverend, with his Lady Edie, performing "Amazing Grace".

Ran from Suffield to Windsor Locks and back, basically in a big loop for 8.8-miles.

This left me at my goal for yearly mileage, 1200.3 total miles.  I had set 1200 as a number I felt could be possible if things went well.

Ran along the Metacomet from Route 20 north, almost to the corner of Phelps & Mountain Road...  but I took the ROW to Mountain and rambled along the road back to the car.

Total of 9-miles.