Weekly Log 23-Nov to 29-Nov-2020: Thanksgiving and a Turkey Trot

Miscellaneous ramblings:

• The Bakery is closed until early Spring 2021.  Ugh.  One of my favorite coffee shops, and a great place to get a scone after a run in Charlestown.
• You know when you hear a song and you get it in your head for a while?  Well, I heard "Mindy" for the first time on the radio in a long time.  The band "The Association" may not exactly be a household name, but I venture a guess that you know the tune "Who's tripping down the streets of the city, Smiling at everybody she sees.. Everyone knows it's ...".  Except it isn't Mindy, it's Windy!!  Seriously, the chick's name is "Windy"?  Do I get a pass because I was age 3 when the song came out?
• Of course, this is from the guy that insists Steven Tyler is singing "Sing woman" instead of "Sing with me" in "Dream On".
• Well, now that I was able to sneak in a Turkey Trot against the odds as races were cancelling left and right due to COVID, that might just have been my last race of the year.  A perennial December favorite, Christmas 10K in Newport, is presumably cancelled due to COVID as I can't find out anything about it.  All running races in CT are now cancelled per Governor Lamont, until January 19, and it looks like there are no races in MA or RI scheduled in December.
• Even going into the new year, it doesn't look good.  Kelley's Pace races in January and March are cancelled, Masters Indoors in Providence (January) is cancelled [obviously not as safe as outdoors], and Eastern States 20, which I planned to run in March and have a 65% credit/deferral, is deferring opening registration until they see how things shake out.  Not whining (well, not too much) as I do get the bigger picture of the pandemic surge, but racing late summer/fall this year has been a huge physical and mental boon for me and I'd like to keep it going!
• 
  

  

  Yeah, maybe so.  That is huge.
  

  
  

Monday:  6

Late afternoon run from the house to Champlin Glacier Park trails, with Brady.

Tuesday:  2 walk, 9 run

AM:  Westerly Land Trust CCC.    Worked in Avondale clearing overgrowth and vines with a weed-wacker with blades instead of a string.  Tiring work!

PM:  Late afternoon run in lower Pawcatuck, with Matthew and Brady.  Brady's second run of the day, same as yesterday.  Half asphalt roads and half carriage roads in Pawcatuck.  Got dark about halfway through, but we were prepared as we brought headlamps.  What I did not bring though, was a light for Brady (not for him to see, but for cars to see him), and that made me nervous on roads with tight shoulders, like Mary Hall Road.  Hopefully a lesson learned.

Wednesday:  6

Easy morning run at Grills with Brady.  Shakeout before tomorrow's race.

Thursday:  15

FIT Turkey Trot Trail Race.  Separate write-up to follow.

On a typical Thanksgiving, we're getting together with my Mom and in recent years, also with my brother, his family and in-laws.  This year we followed the Governor's advice of not having Thanksgiving with anyone outside your own household, and I did miss the get togethers.  Just a quiet Thanksgiving with the four of us.  I'm thankful that everyone in my immediate and extended family is healthy, and both Mark and Matthew came home for a full month over the holidays.  I also made sure to tell my Mom how much in retrospect I appreciated all the years and years that she hosted Thanksgiving as I certainly underestimated the amount of time and effort needed for us to cook a Thanksgiving feast, even for four!

The four of us (five of us actually) home for Thanksgiving.
Note that Matthew and I own no other shirts but
race shirts.  Or so it would appear.

Friday:  13

Goodwin Trail, point to point, with Matthew and Brady.  I really struggled on this one, not because it was technical, but rather I was still sore from yesterday.

Western end of Goodwin Trail,
Darrow Pond, East Lyme

Pretty nice parking and picnic area at start

Saturday:  6

Easy run at Ninigret, with Brady.  I think I needed an easy day today, as I struggled on yesterday's 13-miler.  

Sunday:  10

Easy local run from home, with Brady, and a few miles with the RWYC crew.  Out to Watch Hill on roads, and then back on the beach.  

Weekly mileage:  65

Weekly synopsis:  Biggest mileage week since April, so I'm obviously pleased with that.  On the other hand, my string of planned races has come to an end, so I'm hoping that's not anticlimactic and I keep the enthusiasm going.

Weekly highlight:  FIT Turkey Trot Trail Race.

Weekly lowlight:  Continued gross hematuria.  Gross, but true.  Hopefully short lived.