Weekly Log 28-Dec-2020 to 3-Jan-2021: Border Patrol Challenge Fun

Miscellaneous Rambling:

• I was amazed by the large number of hikers out on the trails this past weekend.  Smaller trailhead parking lots we went past were completely full, and other preserves had way more than normal.  Several runners also mentioned this phenomenon on their Strava posts.  Was it due to 1) a New Year with new healthy resolutions, 2) nice weather, or 3) cabin fever from COVID?
• Over the holidays, I got pretty undisciplined with my sleeping and awakening hours with 18 days off, as well as voraciously eating desserts of all sorts throughout the day.  Now is the time to pay the piper and get back to discipline.  No, I won't be running at 5am anytime soon, although kudos to Tommy and JV and the like for doing so, and no, I'm not giving up on desserts, but I hope to revert to going to bed at 10pm more evenings than not and at least reducing gorging on sweets.
• I set some big 2021 goals for myself in my recent yearly review, and I benefit from, if not "need", planned races on the calendar to keep me focused.  Sure, the Border Patrol Challenge should help for the next 2.5 months, but then what?  Random sampling of races out there aren't promising near term:

• The only 2021 race I'm signed up for is Mt Washington in June, which is a carry-over from last year's race entry that I earned from completing the 2019 USATF-NE Mountain Race series.
• Otherwise, there are very few races listed in New England in 2021 thus far.
• Some races have already been deferred to the fall, such as Cranmore deferred to October, while other races have not announced dates at all (e.g., Seven Sisters, Loon, Boston, Eastern States).

Monday:  7

AM:  After being home for about month, since just before Thanksgiving, we dropped my oldest son Mark off at TF Green for his return flight to his adopted state of Florida.  Selfishly, I wish he would live closer, but of course I want him to be happy.  He should soon receive his newly minted Master of Science diploma in Marine Biology, and hopefully that will land him a permanent job soon.

After dropping Mark off, we went to visit my
father in Cranston.  I'm glad my Mom has kept up
her wreath tradition.

Yes, gravestones can be somber.  But they can also teach you
the history of one's life.  Take this stone of my great-great-grandfather
for example.  He departed at the very early age of 36.

PM:  Late afternoon run at Ninigret with Matthew and Brady.  Three slightly different loops, all incorporating a lot of grass fields.

Tuesday:  2 walk, 12 run

AM:  Final Land Trust CCC work day of the year.  After coffee, it was off to Grills Preserve, where I had received approval on my proposal to clear the "race track" (an area used by ATVs and motorcycles prior to Land Trust purchase, but long abandoned and very overgrown).  The race track itself is in good shape as it's in a meadow; it's the trail getting there that was extremely overgrown.

This is what we cleared through:
briars, thicket, and a river crossing.  I think
this will need a bridge, and I'll request that
as well for 2021, but in the meantime, we cleared
adjoining land just to the right in this picture that
was slightly higher and [somewhat] dry

The "race track" (or its remainder) through a 
meadow.  Five years ago, this was torn up,
but it's in pretty good shape now.

PM:  The stated goal was to run two Border Patrol Challenges:  Narragansett Trail - RI, and Green Falls Pond loop.  My success rate was an abysmal and embarrassing 0 for 2.  Ugh.  More on each failure below:

1. Narragansett - I know and have run all portions of this trail a number of times.  Sure, there are a number of unmarked intersections, especially in the southern-most section.  But I know those and that's not where I went off course.  Parked at Greens Falls Pond, jogged over to the RI/CT border, and ready to go.  (OAB from RI/CT border to Ashville Pond).  I held Brady back as Matthew went ahead by one minute.  Brady was whining from the get-go as he wanted to run with the faster guy (Matthew).  When Brady and I started, he flew off down the dirt road and I had to call him multiple times as he wanted to catch up to Matthew.  After a while, he settled in to running with me (or just ahead of me, but waiting for me) and I never had to pay attention to any intersections as he would sniff and follow Matthew's scent.  This worked well until the southern end of the trail, when Matthew was starting his return trek, and despite me calling Brady, this time he ran to Matthew.  I backtracked a bit to get him, but Matthew said he would take him with him.  OK then.  I ran 3/4 of the route without issue, but for some foolish reason (confusion?  old age?  senility?) took the wrong trail at Cooning Orchard.  The trail was also blazed yellow, so I continued on, but it had double yellow blazes and it didn't seem right.  At the next intersection, I saw a sign indicating I was on the "Buxton Trail".  Ugh.  Lost too much time, and jogged it in.

   

   The blue arrow shows where I was supposed to run;
   the black arrow shows where I took a wrong turn onto the Buxton Trail.

   
   
   
2. Green Falls Pond - Nothing left.  Legs were too tired from the tough rocky climbs.

Wednesday:  10

Back at it early morning, for take #2 on the Narragansett Trail.  This time ran from North Road, approximately the mid point of Narragansett Trail RI section.  Yes, this meant two turn-arounds instead of one, but on an eight mile technical route, I don't think this makes much difference in terms of adding time with a second turnaround.  I wasn't planning on bringing Brady, but he got up with me and followed me closely.

18° today, so I ran in tights.  Chilly at start but warmed up quickly.  After a short warm-up on North Road (dirt road), I took off fast from Ell Pond/Long Pond trailhead.  Ran the 1/3 mile or so on the dirt road, turned onto the trail and then noticed I hadn't started my watch.  What a moron!

Since I had just ran past the prominent green Narragansett Trail / Boy Scout property sign, I stopped, backtracked, caught my breath, and started my run from here.  No issues at all today.  Very few hikers (only two), I didn't go off course, and Brady stayed right with me (since no one else in the family to chase).  I even ended up taking the North Road to Yawgoo Valley Road segment.  Woo hoo.

18° didn't keep Brady from jumping into streams,
but there was a price to pay as ice formed on his
stomach, legs, tail, etc.  Didn't seem to bother him.

Thursday:  4

Legs pretty sore after two hard days on the Narragansett Trail.  Very easy and flat run on Westerly Grills trails with Brady, to close out 2020.  As mentioned in my year-end review, a record 2,642 miles for the year.

Friday:  13

New Year's Day run on Burlingame trails with Brady.  Legs still sore, along with tightness in my right quad, so I just took it easy.  Below freezing at start, but with sun and no wind, it felt nice.

Saturday:  9

Carter Preserve, Charlestown.  Back at the Border Patrol Challenge.   Soreness finally gone.  Warmed up with Matthew, before he unfortunately bowed out of today's challenge with a foot issue.  I was ready then to bag the day's challenge myself, but Matthew magnanimously insisted that I go and he'd wait in the car.  

Went out hard from the get-go, perhaps a little too hard.  Was really glad I had gone for a warm-up at least as far as the grassland mile, as the first right (at end of River Trail) was clear to me, but not the immediate left after that.  Everything after that I was following the perimeter of marked trails, so no issue there.  There were quite a few hikers out there taking advantage of the nice January day (sunny and upper 40s), and we had been advised by the race organizer to yield to hikers as that was more important than our time; however, fortunately all but one got out of my way before I even got there.  (I'm assuming my loud breathing like a dinosaur gave them advance notice.)  

In the far end of the loop near Route 112, I was getting tired.  The course is NOT technical, but this is the section that probably comes the closest with rock-laden trails and has a few short but tiring climbs.  On the way back, I was able to pick the pace back up, closing in sub-7 pace the last two miles.  Finished 2nd overall to date on this route, just ahead of Muddy.  Picked up three segments, which probably won't stick very long at all.

Sunday:  8

I had considered running the Quinebaug Trail for the Border Patrol Challenge today, but remembered that when I ran hard two days in this week (Narragansett Trail), my body let me know about it.  So instead I ran at Barn Island.  Easy run, mostly on single-track.  

Weekly mileage:  63

Weekly synopsis:  Started out the new year right!  Got two Border Patrol Challenges done and exceeded my weekly mileage goal.  I had bumped up my weekly goal from 50 to 55 and hit it pretty easily.  Of course, having the whole week off made it very easy as I could lazily sleep in and run whenever I wanted.  Let's see how that plays out when I return to 5-day workweeks next week.

Weekly highlight:  The Border Patrol Challenge runs.  Specifically, my Narragansett Trail run (the second one, not the failed one) and Carter Preserve.  I pushed both and am happy with my results.  With no races on the horizon, this challenge is keeping my interest and competitive spirit.  4 down, 14 to go!

Weekly lowlight:  Very tight right quad after running the very technical Narragansett Trail two days in a row.  It seems to be dissipating now and not bothering me while I'm running, so hopefully I will remember to space out hard efforts a bit.