Monday: 0
Long day in the car leaving Westerly at 5:30am and arriving Charlotte 10:30pm. Made it to the New Jersey state line in two hours flat, and figured to be in Charlotte early evening, but I made the mistake of counting my chickens before they hatched. A string of accidents between Washington and Richmond made for some horrendously backed up miles of stop-and-go traffic on I-95. Not exactly my top choice of how to spend Boxing Day, but I guess I'll always be a Dad wanting to help out, it was good to have Mark home for Christmas, and now his car is up-to-date with repairs and RI inspections for three years (two years standard, plus an out-of-state extension through DMV).
Tuesday: 6
Charlotte, NC. Got Mark this far on his journey back to his apartment in Atlanta, and now it was time for me to head home via planes, trains, and automobiles. Shuttle to CLT (Charlotte airport), flight to EWR (Newark), train to Westerly, and then Matthew picking me up there.
I made sure to get up and out of the hotel early enough to give enough time for a run, shower, and breakfast, even though it meant the first couple of miles would be in the dark. (Knowing this ahead of time, I packed my headlamp.) I had mapped out a 6-mile route including trails in the nearby Renaissance Park, and while I can usually follow navigation on my watch with no problem, I'm glad I brought my phone as well, as I must have missed a turn somewhere and was suddenly out of the park near an apartment complex. It was an urban park with so-so trails, but for being in a city, I was really happy to have this option!
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| Dirt was red clay soil that I've seen in Texas and other areas of the south |
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| There's a similar tepee in Whitaker Woods trail system in North Conway, NH |
Wednesday: 9
Westerly, RI. Slow run with Brady. In fact, I think he was getting annoyed with how slow I ran, and certainly on how long I stopped. Nice run overall in Woody Hill and a good catch-up with Kevin Adams out riding the trails.
Thursday: 15 run, 5 walk
AM: Hopkinton, RI. 10-mile run with Brady and Matthew, incorporating all three local Grills Preserves. First mile in the dark with headlamps. Ground frozen with temp about 28°F. Never saw another soul out there on the trails.
AM: South Kingstown, RI. 5 miles on WLT hike at Great Swamp. Good group today; all kept moving at a decent pace. Brady did not seem happy with the walking pace.
PM: Westerly, RI. 5-mile Brazen Hen run with Bob Burdick and Justin Pearce. Haven't run one of these in months. Seemed like a fun time afterwards, as a number of runners and walkers stayed to have dinner and play trivia, but I guess I'm not one for the evening group runs generally.
Friday: 11
Newport, RI. Warm two [different] loop run from First Beach (Easton's Beach), Newport. Temp was about 50°F. I had not anticipated that, and did not dress properly. Very warm in a long sleeve shirt. First loop was out on the Cliff Walk (minus the portion that is closed after partial collapse in March 2022) and then back on Newport city streets. Second loop was into Middletown for part of the Pie Run course, with a run on St George School XC trails that I had never been on. Scenic and hilly!
Saturday: 8
Charlestown, RI. Final run of the year in warm and drizzly conditions at Ninigret Park.
Sunday: 8
Londonderry, NH. Millenium Mile. Warm-up and race. Separate post to follow.
Derry, NH. 3 mile cool-down on Derry Rail Trail. Matthew went for 7, but I didn't have it in me, so just took Brady for three.
Weekly mileage: 57
Weekly synopsis: Quite the mixed week, with runs in NC, RI, and NH. Decent mileage week. Finalizing key races and goals for the new year.
Weekly highlight: Newport run. Despite being warmer than desired, it's always fun to run in Newport County.
Weekly lowlight: Cool-down on Derry Rail Trail. Should've been fun, but I just struggled and kept hacking.
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