Weekly Log 29-Oct to 3-Nov-2013

End of October.  Hard to believe just late last month I swimming in ocean triathlons.  For the remainder of the year, I'll likely have just three races:  Westerly Land Trust's "Setting the Pace for Conservation" 5K, Li'l Rhody, and Christmas 10K.  Yes, there are plenty of other good races, but there is only so much you can do, and I don't want to burn out like year.

Monday:  8
30 degree sunrise run around Winnapaug Pond.  Had to get the gloves and hat out for the first time this season.  Roads out to Weekpaug, and then finished the loop on beach at low tide back to Misquamicut.  The beach was just so "peaceful" (words from Beth on my Strava post).  Two fisherman and a walker greeted me; otherwise it was just me, the sand, and the waves.  Near utopia.

Last weekend at a family Halloween party, sitting under an immensely stocked private bar, my cousin said to me, "If I could die and go to heaven, this [free access to an immense and varied bar] would be it".  Interesting choice, but mine would probably be the the beach.  They can always bring a drink to me on the beach, but they can't bring the beach to him at his bar.

Tuesday:  6
Workout Wednesday moved to Tuesday for this week, and to a different location:  Stonington High School track.  Had to make sure FiveK was up for this, as the last time he ran SHS track it was the start of a long injury.  His choice of punishment for today was 10 x 400, with 200 recovery.

• First 6 on track:  77, 77, 76, 77, 76,75
• Last 4 on grass field:  73, 78, 73, and a near-sprint of 66 (caveat:  measurement 0.23 miles)

Wednesday:  6
I was dressed and ready to head out the door for a Burlingame run, when a text came in, "Dad, I forgot my notebook.  Can you bring it school?".  With Jana getting Matthew ready for school and getting ready for work herself, off I went to WHS, which then made more sense to change destinations to Barn Island.
No worries; I'm running Burlingame Sunday as a Li'l Rhody prep, and I love the Barn.  Mostly all single-track on my favorite trails, including Shot Shell Trail and Take the Long Way Home.  Ran the Stone Fort Loop Strava segment, but didn't come close to my PR.  I don't know if it was the cold or the work-out just 12 hours earlier, but I was really winded.  A great day at the Barn, and no hunters this time.

Thursday:  0
Spent the time playing with Halloween setup and fires instead:

Friday:  3
Woody Hill jog 'n clear.  Good news is I think I only have one more small section to clear to finish my Swamp Trail Bypass, then I'll be able to run the loop back to Wahaneeta without running through swamp mud.  Bad news is on the way back on "my" Obstacle Course trail I was really dismayed to find half a dozen littered and shot up Coke bottles and paint cans.  Bullet holes and leaking paint made a real mess.  Callous idiots!

Saturday:  8
Woody Hill.  Two accomplishments:  1) Finished the Swamp Trail Bypass!!  Only 0.16 miles long, but on higher ground, I'm hoping will stay drier and allow us to bypass the mud.  2) Picked up the target shooters' trash:  11 cans and bottles ripped apart, plus shotgun shell casings.  I shouldn't have to, but it was really annoying me.

Woody Hill:  Don't all clamor at once, but the Swamp Bypass Trail is open for business now.

Sunday:  11
Fun WTAC group run; our biggest yet at 8 runners.  Ran the VG Trail as warm-up for Li'l Rhody, and the tagged on a few extra miles through Kimball and Ninigret trails.  Finished up at a cool new lookout on Kettle Pond property overlooking Route 1, the ocean, and Block Island.

Weekly log:  42 miles

Week recap:  Fun and varied week.   YTD mileage goal is a disappointment, as I ran the math and found I'm running about 160 miles short of my goal.  That's substantial, but less races and more holidays in Nov and Dec still make it possible.