Weekly Log 14-Jan to 20-Jan-2013

Monday:  0
Rest day after Sunday's adventure runs.

Tuesday:  5
4:30AM.  34 degrees.  Dark.  Rain.  On my train commute home yesterday afternoon, I read in Mike C's blog that he had just run in sunny 60 degrees.  Sounds great - I'll get out for a nice warm run first thing in the morning.  Mike must live on a different planet (it couldn't be that the weather changes in New England, could it?); it was ugly this morning.  The heavy rain overnight had subsided to a light rain, but there's something about raining near the freezing point that just makes it feel raw.  I'd rather have it 5 degrees colder and snowing.  Easy pace about 7:30ish on a loop out to Rock Ridge and back.

Wednesday:  10
32 degrees, snow, freezing rain, rain, slush.  Another day in paradise!  You know Hawaii residents are completely jealous of us today.  Now how do I go out and enjoy this beautiful day?  Snowplows on road - let's stay off roads.  Off to somewhere I haven't been in a while:

Today's trail run site

Parked the car outside of the sprawling metropolis of Wequetequock, put on the Yak-Trax, and headed out to the eastern portion of Barn for some exploring.  I had the whole 1,014 acres to myself today!  Found some cool sections of single track I had never been on before.  Saw deer on Shot Shell Trail; glad shotgun deer season is over!

Snowy day at Barn Island

Really glad I got out there this morning, especially as any thoughts I had of meeting up with Mike G and company at 4PM for hill repeats became unrealistic with work and family demands.

Thursday:  3
Hit the snooze button too many times, and all I had time left for a was quick loop through Misquamicut.  36 degrees, even though dark and cloudy, felt balmy after running in the rain at freezing point previous two days.  Pace 6:50s.

Friday:  7
29 degrees, windy, and flurries.  Met Tom (simply known as "Fivek" in some circles) at his house for today's edition of the 445 Club.  You know that song by Paul Simon:
Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away

Well, that's what we did today.  Hit the road and immediately started sliding on black ice.  The snow covered or crusty portions had decidedly more grip than the clear roads, as you didn't know what you got into in the dark.  We were traveling along well until somebody decided intermittent black ice wasn't enough, and we should also thrown in going up a hill into the wind on black ice.  Great.  Wound through Weekapaug and then one final hill up to Tom's where the nearer I got to my destination (the end of our run) the more I was slip slidin' away.

Saturday:  12
Met up with Muddy in the dark in downtown Wood River Jct.  Temp was warm in mid-30s, but quite windy - a good day for trails.  Romped all through Carter Preserve at low 8s pace, with today's topic, among others, being geography quiz questions.  As usual, the time flew by.  We hit the road back in 6:38 pace, where I left Muddy on North South Trail as I ran out of time.

Sunday: 5
Took the boys (my two and a neighbor) out for a 5-mile trail run in Wahaneeta with a short loop up and around the dam at Woody Hill Marsh.  On the drive out today, I saw a number of runners enjoying the balmy day, including Tom running Shore Road.  I have been parking outside the Wahaneeta gate for about 1/2 a year now, and while the "Public Welcome" sign has been down for a while, was shocked to see this this morning:

Tow zone, really?!  I have never even seen a car on this dirt road.

I parked as close as I could to the Westerly Land Trust gate, and continued on for a nice short loop at an easy pace.  Beautiful day out there and being on the trails cut down a lot of the wind.  Got back towards the WLT scout cabin, when I saw Mike C!  (We had texted earlier as he was in the area.)  Unfortunately we didn't get to run together as the boys and I were ending, but we'll catch up tomorrow.  Got back to the car to find this gem on my windshield:

I saw someone across the street with heavy machinery that I was tempted to approach, but didn't want any provocation especially being with my children, so I snapped both photos and sent them off to the WLT with many questions.  As is typical with the WLT, they got back to me very quickly and with a lot of information this afternoon, thanked me for my input, and explained:  the road up to the WLT gate is private property, the WLT has a right-of-way only.  The owner is building across the street and is now forbidding any parking outside of the WLT gate.  The WLT is going to build a parking lot inside where the present gate is, and in the meantime advises to park at the closest WLT property, which is immediately west of the Little Field parking lot.  Good to know!
OK, now it's time to get some honey-do items done before going to a neighbor's house for dinner and watching the Pats game.

Weekly mileage total:  42

Week recap:  Another good running week.  Did what I had to, to get out there early and get the miles in.  Earned my 125-mile marker on Strava today.  Weather wasn't pretty (except for today), but it's supposed to be even colder next week.   Another long run tomorrow on the MLK holiday, and then taper down to the Belleville 10K race.