Mt Archer Trail Race

Lyme, CT

Sunday, March 23, 2025

This was a last minute decision for me to run this brand new trail race and newest addition to the USATF-CT MUT series.  As in I signed up the night before.  I was already signed up for the first race of the RI Grand Prix (Aquidneck 10K road race) on the same date.  And I almost always run the races that I am signed up for.  BUT, having just run a disappointing time in the NYC Half seven days prior, after three straight earlier disappointing times in road races this year, I just felt I needed a break.  I also noticed it would be a windy day, favoring the trails over an open road course along the ocean, and frankly I was pretty sure I would have more fun running this new trail race.  When one of the Mohegan Striders reached out to ask if I'd be running in the men's master team, that pretty much made up my mind.

Race morning:  It was only about a 45 minute drive to Lyme.  I had never been to Mt Archer before, or frankly even heard of Mt Archer.  Arrived to weather of 29°F and a wind-chill of 17°F.  I've certainly raced in much colder weather, but this was a little chilly and breezy for late March in an open field while in line to get your bib, separate line to get your shirt, and then a line for the single porta-jon.  The first two lines moved really quickly, but overall this made my decision easy to wear a long-sleeve shirt to race, with my team singlet over the shirt.

I went for a 2-mile warm-up, starting off solo, but then joining up with speedy teammates Sam A, JP, and Mark Olivier.  Back to the car to strip a couple of layers, down an Untapped maple waffle, change into race shoes, and off to the starting line!

Race 1st half:  There were two distances today, a 9.2M (which I was running) and a 3M.  Our race started 15 minutes ahead of the shorter race, and it was running a different race, so there was never any overlap of runners.  I only caught part of RD Chris Colangelo's race remarks, as nature called, but I did hear his description of course marking that we should be following (pink ribbons and also spray-painted arrows in the dirt).  I know I didn't belong on the starting line, so I lined up about two rows back.

Other than a narrow single-file bridge very early on in the race, the trail was open enough that it was easy to pass (this would change later on), which was helpful as I passed a couple of runners and a couple of runners passed me, including a younger guy with long hair.  At a fork in the trail maybe half a mile in, long-haired-guy went straight despite the course markings clearly indicating the course went right.  I went right, but also yelled to him that he missed a turn.  He near sprinted back, and I motioned for him to go back ahead of me, and also reiterated that we need to follow the pink markings.  I thought to myself that a simple "thanks" from him would've been nice, but oh well.

Narrow single-lane bridge early on

In the first mile through a
stand of cedar trees

The first two miles were pretty flat and easy, and I knew from studying the map that at two miles "the fun" would begin.  Before the ascent, I ended up passing long-haired-guy back.  I figured he'd retake me on the climb, but never saw him again.  We had a 250' ascent, moderately steep, with 200' of that in about 1/3 mile.  Someone came up on me right away, and I know I'm a slow uphill runner, so I offered him to pass me, which he did.  Another runner came up on me, and I offered the same, but he said he was good.  

At the top of the climb, in the distance I could now see teammate Jared a couple positions ahead of me.  The course overall was NOT technical, but over the next couple of miles there were several rock gardens and the course was really undulating.  At one point just over three miles in, there was a sharp downhill with rocks in the middle of the trail leading up to a sketchy stream crossing.  At this point, I went ahead of the guy in front of me, who turned out to be Ryan Murdoch, who now lives in Westerly and I think is newer to trail running.  I took the rocky stream crossing really awkwardly and off balance, but I stayed upright and caught right up to Jared.  I was right on his heels, but on the next uphill, he pulled away from me.  

3+ miles in, just ahead of Ryan Murdoch

On a subsequent uphill, two runners passed me and then Ryan caught back up to me and ran alongside me before pulling ahead.  We pulled up to the first road crossing and only water stop, about 4.5 miles in.  I grabbed the plastic cup and it immediately shattered, spilling liquid on me.  Crossed the road to start the second half of the race.

Race 2nd half:  Jared, Ryan, and the two that had just passed me were not in the view for very long, and unlike the first half where I could see runners the whole time, I was soon running as an island.  I reminded myself these guys were all in their 20s and 30s and to run my own race.  I don't think I slowed, but clearly the terrain got easier and while there were still some rolling hills, the trail itself was pretty even and with few exceptions, no rocks or roots.

Seven miles in.  No one around me.

While course trail turns were marked and I never went off-course, I began questioning whether I had missed a turn because there were very few of what I call "confidence markers", and also I was now running without others in sight.  There was one trail intersection that I didn't see markings either way, and I opted to take the more established trail.  I spent at least the next quarter-mile worrying if I took the wrong turn until I finally noticed a pink spray-painted arrow.  (Not to toot our own horn, but we do get a lot of compliments from trail runners at our WTAC trail races with how many "confidence markers" we put out on the course, with about 1,000 flags at Grills 10M Trail Race.)

I saw no one the next few miles, but as I approached the next road crossing about seven miles in, I could hear the course marshals cheering me as I went past and then not long after I heard them cheering again.  Uh-oh, someone is on my tail.  I turned right onto Mt Archer road, as directed by the course marshal, who said I would see another course marshal in about 400 yards.  That part was all clear, and as I turned off the road back onto trail at the second set of course marshals on the road, I glanced back and saw the person behind me had caught up.  Ugh.  Over the next half-mile downhill, I put some distance on my pursuer, but at a sharp-right turn and start of another climb, he caught and passed me.  I noticed then that this was just a kid, so I focused back on my own race.

A little over a mile to go, and fast downhill.  This last mile went by very quickly, and soon we were back in an open field and I could see the finish line.  The kid was back in sight, but not within my grasp.  Hoofed it in.

Finish line in sight!

Final result:  1:15:03, 13th out of 199 overall, 1st of 12 in age group, 1st overall age-graded.  Full results here

Finished!

Caught up with Jared at the finish line, and then went on my own warm-up for two miles.  I thought I timed it to be back 5-10 minutes before the published time of awards ceremony for my race, but I missed the awards ceremony completely.  No big deal.  I got first in my age group and Chris got me my award, which was a goody bag.

What went well:

• First and foremost, I had a lot of fun out there!  
• There was zero pressure for me to finish in any specific time.  (What's your 9.2 mile trail race PR?)
• The Striders men won both open and masters divisions!  
• I won my age group.  In fact, I was both 1st 60+ and 1st 50+!
• For the first time in five starts this year, I was happy with my race performance.
• Very reasonable price (I paid $35 signing up one day before the race).
• Volunteers made it an easy experience, from parking marshals to check-in to on course marshals.
• Race communication was great, both before, during, and in the days after the race.  Top marks.
• Race course was great.  Single-loop, well laid out, mix of easy and moderately hard terrain, some good hill climbs, and a nice downhill finish.
• Race shirt.  I certainly did not expect a shirt at all given that I uncharacteristically signed up last minute.  And normally I wouldn't care, as how many race shirts do I need?  But this was a nice one!

  

  Cool shirt!  And blank canvas on the back.

  
  

What could've gone better:

• It would have been nice to have more than one porta-jon at the packet pickup.  Yes, the RD made it clear there were additional porta-jons (2 more?) on the way to the start, BUT I've just arrived and I need to go now.
• There could have been a lot more confidence markers out there on the course.  I would run quite a ways between markers, and although I never went off course, I often questioned whether I was still on course.
• The water cups were cheap plastic that broke easily.  Personally I think any kind of plastic is a bad look for our environment these days, and increasingly at our WTAC races we are being requested or required by the permit issuer (typically towns and/or state agencies) not to have any plastic cups or single-use water bottles.

Overall, just a great race and a fun experience!  So glad I ran this inaugural trail race.

NYC Half Marathon

 

New York, NY

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Applying:  I applied to get into NYC Half back back in October, using my 1:23 time from New Bedford Half from last year.   The qualifying standard for my age group is only a 1:41, so I felt confident I would get in, which obviously I did.

Race day minus one:  Took Amtrak with Matthew from Westerly last Saturday morning.  Got in with plenty of time to take the afternoon easy with nothing rushed.  Got a bagel sandwich at Liberty Bagels and walked over to the expo at Center415. 

Nova lox bagel was fantastic!

For a race with 28,000 runners there actually wasn't that much of an expo, but that was just fine as we weren't looking to spend much time there anyway.  Picked up our bibs and shirts and then checked in at our hotel, Hilton Garden Inn Central South-Midtown West.  What a mouthful!  Pasta dinner just a couple blocks away at Joe G's.  The linguine alla vongole dish that I had was really good.

Pretty easy check-in at expo.  Short lines.

My race "kit" is all ready next to
the bed for me.

Race morning warm-up:  After a very fitful night of interrupted sleep, the alarms went off at 4am.  Ugh.  I was tempted to wish Matthew a good race and sleep in, but after lingering for about half an hour more in bed, I was up and ready to get moving.  Had my usual oatmeal with granola, and we were out the door at 4:55am for a warm-up of about two miles.  Obviously it was dark (which I seldom run in) and I was initially a little leery of running in the dark in a large city, but there were many (like more than a hundred) NYC police officers on the streets already, and that made me very comfortable.  What was not comfortable was the strange and not at all pleasant smells emanating out of of grates and pipes on our run.

Travel to race start:  Large races in big cities can often make for difficult logistics, and this was compounded by a point-to-point race.  Ran to Times Square, where we took a subway to Franklin Ave in Brooklyn.  The anticipated 20-minute subway ride ended up being closer to an hour, on a packed subway train with a bonus of a couple of freaks in our car.  The main freak might have been under the influence of drugs, as he babbled incessantly to himself in gibberish, sometimes exploding into laughter, and sometimes just making guttural noises as he alternated standing, sitting in a seat, sitting on the floor, and precariously lunging towards subway riders with his Taco Bell tall cup full of some green liquid.  Between that, the guy playing rap music loudly, and just a lot of quick starts and stops making my stomach queasy, the subway ride couldn't end soon enough for me.

Race ready:  Fortunately, the security check-in and bathroom lines were both surprisingly fairly quick and we ran some strides in a coned off area not far from the start.  We were in Wave 1, Corral A, and just like Boston, you had to show your bib to get through a gate and into the corral, although the process here seemed much more lax.  We got as far to the front of the corral as we could and were soon packed in like sardines.  With about five minutes to our wave's start (7:20am), Matthew bid adieu to me as he wriggled his way further forward.  I went for one more pee break, and due to time constraints and crowds, I went behind the line of porta-jons, only to find three women squatting to pee.  Awkward!  I said sorry and was starting to turn around, when the first woman mid-pee just said "no problem" and said I can come back there also.  Time was really tight, so I opted to go there, albeit again awkward as the woman was pulling up her shorts as I got to the narrow area and went past her.  Got back into the sardines, took off my long sleeve shirt to toss/donate (much easier than dealing with bag check), and had an UnTapped Maple Waffle.

1st Half - Brooklyn to Manhattan:  After a countdown, we were off.  Kind of, as it took me exactly 30 seconds to get to the start line.  

Once we get started, we very quickly hit two right turns, right in the first quarter-mile.  The course is still very congested at this point; and there are a few runners that I bump into and vice versa.  But the difficulty of navigating these first two turns pales in comparison to the 180-degree cone turnaround about 2/3 mile in.  Here we came to a complete stop, with my analogy of "rounding the buoy" in either a sailboat race or triathlon, the latter where you're bumping into a lot of bodies at least for a slow swimmer like me.  I could feel hands on my back of runners coming up on me, but the runners in front of me were at a stop so it's not like I had a choice to continue running myself, and I also come to a complete stop and walk a few steps.

As we pulled away from the cone turnaround, I had one of my last minor bump ups against a runner, and unfortunately, unlike everyone to date, this person was not at all nice.  He turned to me and yelled, "YOU'RE GOING TO KILL US BOTH!".  I was dumbfounded and didn't say anything.  I'm honestly not sure if it was my fault or his, but who cares?  It was clearly unintentional and so minor that our gait didn't even change.  Since I didn't say anything and ignored him, he turned my way once again, and yelled the same phrase even louder.  This time runners around me were clearly annoyed with him, as I heard, "Oh, come on!", "What's wrong with you?", and other phrases.  I know I shouldn't let it get to me, but it did, and took my focus away from the race.

That first mile was a 6:42 split, way off anything I was looking for, but I accepted it based on the congestion and tight turns and told myself my pace would get faster.  Which it did.

We left Prospect Park on a straightaway and my Mile 2 split was a 6:28, despite being uphill.  Miles 3 and 4 were downhill and at least according to my watch, were both in the 5:50s.  I remember thinking to myself that OK, maybe it's game on again for this race, but that is failing to account for GPS inaccuracies in the city.  What I should've done was recalibrate how far off my watch distance was at the next mile split, like I successfully did at Detroit, but didn't even think about it here.

Mile 5 was our last full mile in Brooklyn, and at least according to my watch, was by far my slowest at 6:53.  Mile 6 was on the Brooklyn Bridge.  People were saying to me later, "wasn't it amazing to be on the Brooklyn Bridge?!".  It was interesting, I guess, but I wouldn't use the work amazing.  We were definitely in some pea soup fog on the bridge and I couldn't see the span completely for most of it.

2nd Half -  Manhattan finish:  I would say the descent off the Brooklyn bridge was more interesting than either the ascent onto it or running the main bridge section crossing the East River.  Miles 7-10 were along FDR Drive, on the west shore of the East River.  I heard and read about some people marveling about great this section was.  It was pretty flat here, but I really didn't like the vehicles headed southbound in the opposite direction towards you.  They were separated by a jersey barrier, but it still wasn't pleasant.  Just my opinion, of course.  My pace in these miles was mostly in the 6:20s and 6:30s.

Miles 11-12 head away from the water and through Times Square, but I was focused on my race and barely noticed when we went through there.  My watch pace shows 6:25 and then 6:04, but I'm pretty sure both are inaccurate as my GPS lines look really wobbly (instead of a straight line) through these sections, most likely due to tall building interference.

I was so glad when we finally entered Central Park, as I knew we roughly only had one mile left.  Just wanted this race to be over.  I was passing a lot of runners (many were also passing me) but my interest in the race and result had long disappeared.  

Final result:  1:27:06, 5th of 475 in age group.  82% age graded.   Full results here

I was super disappointed with my result here, borderline depressed.  I kept comparing to my 1:19 PR from just three years ago, and two 1:23 half-marathons that I ran just last year.  But that is neither helping nor healthy.

Did some soul searching a day later, and among many other takeaways, I need to focus less on past results and overall placing, and more on age group and age grading.  Which isn't bad then, to finish 5th out of 475 in my age group in a race with over 28,000 total finishers, 82% age graded, and 1:10:56 age-graded if you believe that.  I'll focus on at least the first two and be happy with that.

These splits are the only accurate ones, as they were based on actual checkpoints on the course,
as opposed to GPS on my watch with tall building interference.  When I look at these splits,
while slower than I would have liked for sure, I am happy to see the relative consistency.

Leaving my performance out of this, here is what I felt went well:

• Race communications to registrants
• Ease of check-in at expo
• Finish line efficiency
• New Balance tech shirt

And what could have gone better:

• Transportation to the start (not saying this was the fault of the race, just that the logistics of getting to the start were not good)
• The race and accommodations are expensive
• We were told repeatedly not to just toss extra clothing and that there was a specific place to put it, but that was far from clear
• The two immediate right turns in the first 1/4 mile were not good and jammed things up
• The cone turnaround less than a mile in was horrendous (I really wouldn't expect this from a major race with 28,000 total runners)
• While results were immediately available after finish, overall positions and age group placing were not available for a few hours
• Course map was not available until less than month before race day
• Post-race, many of the NYC Half links and pages were removed, including a link to a race recap highlighted in an e-mail sent out by NYRR CEO

PLR ShamRock & Roll 5K 2025

New Haven, CT

Sunday, March 2, 2025

My third time running PLR, and unfortunately by far my worst performance.  A few ancillary factors, so let's dive into that.

Arrived with plenty of time to check in at Toad's Place and go for a warm-up.  As usual, the environment inside Toad's Place was fun with a band playing classic rock.  The check-in process was quick and efficient, and was the shirt pickup*.  (*Tangentially related, the shirt this year was not good due to a huge iron-on decal of the logo at top of this post.  These big iron-on decals have rubbed and irritated my skin in the past, so I promptly designated this shirt as a warm-up shirt to toss/donate at the start of upcoming NYC Half.)

The biggest issue this year was the weather.  Looking across all three years I have run the race:

• 2023:  39°F, 5mph wind
• 2024:  49°, 8mph wind
• 2025:  20°, 13mph wind

Went out for my 2-mile on-course warm-up run in a windchill of 11°F.  Brrr!  Made the decision then that today would not be a singlet day.  (Note Matt Sweeney did actually wear a singlet during the race, and no arm-sleeves.  He must've been cold.  Or tough.)  Back to the car to strip down to a black long-sleeve, Striders singlet over the long-sleeve, and shorts, changed into race shoes, and then hid just inside the doorway of Toad's Place until race start minus five minutes.  I had plenty of company hiding indoors!

Race time:  It's hard for me to say much positive about my race itself (even writing this three weeks later!), so here's the short and dirty:

Lined up probably five rows back, and since we were packed in tight, I actually got a little respite from the wind.  Chatted with a few fellow Striders, and that seemed to pass the time.  The gun went off, and there was the usual craziness of so many runners passing me while I simultaneously passed so many others, but after the first two turns (just under 1/2 mile) runners thinned out a bit and I had plenty of room to run.

Once we got onto Whitney Avenue, where we would be running most of the race, the headwind was just nasty.  My face and even my teeth were cold out there!  Can't remember that sensation before.  I did pass teammate Dave G, but didn't see others I recognized and didn't have anyone to try to pace off.  Mile 1 split 6-flat.  Ugh.  My slowest split in the past two years I ran was a 5:47.  I chalked it up to running into the headwind, and told myself subsequent splits would be faster.

I saw the front runners coming back towards me just as I turned off to start the short lollipop four quick turns before reversing course.  That all went by very quickly.  Back onto Whitney Ave headed southbound, I was ready for a fast tailwind that I didn't really feel.  I felt the wind was sometimes gusting at us.  Maybe some crosswinds or swirling?  At any rate, Mile 2 split was a very ugly and disappointing 6:24.

But that third mile is going to be really quick, right?  Nope.  I was still pushing hard, and remember actually passing a few runners in the final stretch, but that third mile was a 6:07.  The 6:07 final split was less disappointing to me than making the final turn to the finish and seeing the finishing clock flash "19:xx".  

Final result:  19:21, 78th overall of 1,107, 2nd of 43 in age group.  Average pace 6:15.  Full results here.

After results the prior two years of 17:39 and 17:45, I didn't even break 19 or even come close.  Just so disappointing.  Certainly the cold and wind were factors, but that's a lot to explain due to the weather.  Or is it due to me slowing down with age?  Or both?

I was so cold at the finish that I ran back to the car, started the engine, and blasted the heat in an effort to warm up my cold toes and fingers before my intended cool-down and return to Toad's Place for food, classic rock, and awards.  But rather than sit there idling the engine, I decided to just drive.  I'm cold, disappointed to the point of embarrassment over my performance, and I don't need more awards "stuff".  Back on I-95 North, I decided to stop and fuel at Madison Coffee Shop, and since I was warmed up enough in the car I finally went for a short cooldown along the shore in Madison. Finished with a coffee and bagel back at Madison Coffee House.

Colchester Half Marathon 2025

Colchester, CT

Saturday, February 22, 2025

This would be my second time running this race, with the first being in 2022, when I ran a 1:22:30 and snagged 3rd place.  I had no expectations for a repeat of either, and told myself maybe 3-5 minutes slower today.

I arrived at the Bacon Academy host site with an hour to spare.  Check-in was quick and efficient, giving me plenty of time for bathroom and laying out my race kit to be ready to go post warm-up.  Temp during warm-up was 23°F with probably a 10mph headwind.  I felt cold even in my quarter-zip and was second guessing whether a singlet really made sense today, especially for a non-goal race.  I turned around at Colchester Elementary School a mile out, and then felt warm in the sun and tailwind, so singlet it is!

Got back for a final bathroom stop, changed into racing shoes and racing attire, and headed to the start.  Quick catch up with Dave Goodrich and David Cowles, and then took the line.  To my left, I saw "Super" Mario Vazquez and I motioned to Dave Goodrich that I think I know who will win today's race!

Race start:  It was a quick two-command "Set ... Go!" and we were off.  About a 1/2 mile in I came up on and passed Dave Goodrich.  In the distance looking up a hill I saw Super Mario way up following the lead cop car, and then a long gap until a small pack of runners.  As expected, I felt really cold on my face, bare arms, and bare shoulders, but I knew from experience and my warm-up that conditions would improve after about a mile and a half.  

Rolling hills (Miles 2-6):  Turning out of the direct headwind, I was no longer cold.  I was with a group of 3-4 for the next few miles, and we alternated positions as I would pass them on the downhills and then they would easily retake me on the uphills.  

Steep hills (Miles 6-9.5):  Turning left onto a steep (and icy!) uphill, the quartet passed me and with the exception of the trailing runner, I would not see them again until the finishing line.  It was nice to see the RD at the top of the steep icy hill, and he was saying that "this was the ice I was talking about" as he was slapping hands with runners passing him.  Note to self that I realized I didn't listen to anything he said in pre-race announcement, and as that is probably the case of the majority of runners, I need to continue to trim down my own remarks when I am serving as RD.

My quartet was gone, but I had a new (and much worse) nemesis that I would go back and forth with for the next few miles:  a youngish guy who was blasting out country music.  Ugh.  Might as well blow diesel exhaust into my face while I'm running uphill; not sure which would be worse.  I would just get far enough ahead of him on downhills that I couldn't hear his country music anymore, and then up the next hill, I heard his country music blaring long before I saw him and he'd pass me.  This was repeated a number of times, much to my chagrin.  I'm sure some runners don't like my AC/DC (although I can't understand why!), but the difference is I'm not playing, never mind blasting, any music while I'm running.

Just before the end of Mile 9, we start a 250' drop and I was oh so glad to pass the country music guy and pull away from him and his music for the final time.

Ice (Miles 9.5-11):  Miles 10 and 11 are net downhill and in 2022 I ran these miles in a blazing (for me) 5:41 and 6:03.  Not this year.  Not even close.  6:29 and 6:59, respectively.  Almost a minute slower.  Yes, I naturally slowed on the ice, and that explains some, but certainly not all of the huge difference.

Very icy in this section of the race course!

Uphill finish (Mile 11-Finish):  Turned off the dirt/ice country roads, for a 2-mile uphill headwind pavement finish.  About 180' climb to the finish.  Just nothing left, as I ran low 7s.  I crossed the finish line and was announced as the first 60+ and first Rhode Islander.

Finishing strides. 
Free race photo (which is always nice!).

Final result:  1:30:41, 25th out of 326, 1st in age group.  Full results here.

Went for a solo cooldown, and then joined a few running friends inside to take part of the feast.  Well organized race.  Not my best performance.

Quite the spread of food!  Vegetable lasagna (there was a 
meat option as well), potatoes au gratin, sautéed vegetables,
and of course I also went up for a brownie and ice cream!
(There was pizza and several soups that I didn't have room
to sample, but if you went away hungry from this race, it
was your own fault.)

Winter Wonderland 5-Miler

Milford, CT

Sunday, January 26, 2025

I'm relatively new to the USATF-CT circuit, as this only my third year, but every two years a new slate of races is chosen for the road grand prix, and there were several new entries this year:

Writing this over a month post-race makes it hard to remember details.  Checked in at the school, got my bib, and went out for a 2-mile warm-up, plus a few strides.

31°F as the 365 of us crossed the starting line as the gun went off.  I went through the first mile in 5:43.  It was net downhill, but still too fast.  Competitor Brett Stoeffler went by, and as he did, I told him I'm glad I'm not in his age group anymore (he's still in his 50s).  He told me to come along and we could work together.  Sounded good, but I didn't have it.

I struggled over the remaining four miles, never coming close to dipping under 6 minutes again.  As a result, it was pretty frustrating watching so many runners pass me.  About four miles in, I remember watching a guy in shorts over tights pass me.  Ugh.  This was not a fast course, with about 20 turns and many rolling hills, but I knew that beforehand and figured I would somewhere around 31 minutes.

Finishing in a chip time of 32:06 was much slower than I had planned.  

Final result:  Gun time 32:08, chip time 32:06.  49th overall of 365.  1st in age group.  Full results here.

Went for a 2-mile cooldown, and then came back inside the school for awards.  They had two different hot soups, chicken noodle and lentil.  That was very much appreciated!

Nice mug for age group award

Cross Country Road Trip 2024

Los Angeles, CA to Westerly, RI

December 11 - 21, 2024

A mostly pictorial recap of my only (to date) cross-country trip.  

Tuesday, December 10

Westerly, RI to Los Angeles, CA

Mid-day flight to the west coast to help Matthew pack and start the trip home, after his completion of grad school.

Starting off the day in TF Green Airport.
We must have among the cleanest airport bathrooms in the
country, if not the world.

As long as I'm going to be on airplanes for much of my day
today, I might as well make it comfortable and not arrive
tight from sitting in cramped quarters.  Worth it to spend a few
extra dollars, as I've got my legs stretched out completely here
and still a few feet to the seats in front of me, nobody else
sitting in my row, and a bathroom conveniently at 10 o'clock in pic.

The airplane cheese and fruit trays were actually pretty good!

Wednesday, December 11

Los Angeles, CA to San Bernardino, CA

Drive:  74 miles, 2.5 hours

Run:  12 miles, 2,400'

Lodging:  Hilton Garden Inn San Bernardino

After a hilly run in Griffith Park that kicked my butt, we finished cleaning up Matthew's apartment and packing his car, and we were off for the short drive.  Very short drive today, as we needed time for packing as well as Matthew taking his final exam remotely that evening from the hotel.

Thursday, December 12

San Bernardino, CA to Tucson, AZ

Drive:  466 miles, 8 hours

Run:  12 miles, 1,150'

Lodging:  DoubleTree Tucson Reid Park

First of many long drives.  Broke up today's drive with a visit to and run in Joshua Tree National Park!  800' climb, but unlike yesterday at Griffith Park, the climb today was over about 5 miles.

First time visit to Joshua Tree National Park.
Really cool terrain and views!

And here are the Joshua trees, which technically are not
trees at all, but rather succulents.  Who knew?  Not me.

Arrived our hotel in Tucson at 9:30pm.   Tiring.

Friday, December 13

Tucson, AZ to El Paso, TX

Drive:  465 miles, 8 hours

Run:  7 miles, 900'

Lodging:  Tru El Paso

Today's run was in Saguaro National Park.  900' climb in less than two miles, then downhill to flat for the rest of the run.  My second time here, the first being about 35 years ago when I visited my brother Scott stationed in nearby Fort Huachuca at the time.

Started out just after sunrise.

Saguaro cactii!  (or do you say "cactuses"?)

Returned to the hotel for shower, breakfast, and a quick
dip in the outdoor pool before today's drive.  Must be one of
the few outdoor pools I have ever gone in during the month of December.

The hotel grounds were attractive as well.

Crossed into New Mexico for my 43rd visited state.  My highlight today, and one of the highlights of my trip, was visiting White Sands National Park.  The deep 30' layers of gypsum sand was like nothing I had ever seen before.  The temperature was a comfortable 63°F during our visit, and December is a good time to visit, as the mean high temperature in July is 106°F!

At first glance, it looks like snow-covered slopes.
But it's not!

Wind driven gypsum dunes.  Trails marked by these
orange and white posts.

Opted to go barefoot on our 2-mile walk.
Otherwise, would have had shoes full of sand.

Saturday, December 14

El Paso, TX to Carlsbad, NM

Drive:  168 miles, 4 hours

Run:  10 miles, 900'

Lodging:  Hampton Inn & Suites Carlsbad

Long day today, not so much in terms of driving, but rather activities.  Arrived at our hotel after 8pm, pretty beat from a full day.

Started out at sunrise in Franklin Mountains State Park, El Paso.
Exceeded my expectations.

Really neat views running on 
the desert trails.

Post-running and breakfast, it was an hour and a half drive
from El Paso to the Guadalupe Mountains NP Visitor Center,
my first time ever to this National Park

At the trailhead, a park ranger tried to discourage us, saying we would be descending in the dark, as the average time to hike to the summit and back is 6-8 hours. I told him we are both marathon runners and he let us go.

Very interesting terrain on this hike

We didn't see too many trees during
our hike, which made this Ponderosa Pina
all that much more special.

At the summit, and high point of Texas at 8,751'

Even with a few stops and lingering at the summit to refuel, we still made it up and down the mountain in less than four hours.  The same park ranger was still there, so I made it a point to tell him we were back down in under four hours.  I realized he was just doing his job to warn hikers of potential issues, so hopefully I didn't come across as pompous.

We had one more activity today, as that was a short mile+
hike inside Carlsbad Caverns National Park.  We didn't get to
go into the cave (Slaughter Canyon Cave) itself as that's only for guided tours,
but we did get to peer in (photo above).

Unlike at Guadalupe Mountains NP, here we were truly
pushing the envelope with running out of daylight as it
was dusk as we finished under moonlight.

Sunday, December 15

Carlsbad, NM to Fort Smith, AR

Drive:  718 miles, 10.5 hours

Run:  11 miles, 90'

Lodging:  Hampton Inn Fort Smith

Long, long day of driving.  I have been on longer drives for sure, but I really don't do well or enjoy drives that are this long.

 Today's run was on a mix of quiet roads (like here) and bike paths
in pancake flat Carlsbad, New Mexico.  Legs were pretty beat
on this run, maybe left over from yesterday's activity-laded day.
For only the second time ever, I hit 3,000 annual miles during
this run. 

Oklahoma became my 44th state I've visited, as we stopped
and walked around at a visitor center here.

Monday, December 16

Fort Smith, AR to West Plains, MO

Drive:  336 miles, 7.5 hours

Run:  7 miles, 350'

Lodging:  Airbnb - 2 bedroom private home

Legs were just shot after yesterday's long day in the car, but fortunately no drives remaining will be that long.  Fort Smith was nice, and then the rest of Arkansas that we were in was like a third-world country to me, between rednecks, trash, and rundown villages.

Really nice running paths in Ben Geren Regional Park,
Fort Smith.  Unfortunately the legs were beat up and I ended up
going much shorter than planned.

Unfortunately the rest of the visit to Arkansas didn't go so well.
After walking to the state highpoint (2,753'), we stopped at this 
gas station to refuel and it was all an uncomfortable mix
of Duck Dynasty rednecks and ATVs.  

The rest of the drive through Arkansas was pretty depressing through run-down towns.  Lots and lots of Trump signs and dilapidated houses with piles of junk and rundown rusty pickup trucks in the front yard.

We stopped at a bigger town for lunch.  The only other customer in the restaurant was probably 300+ pounds and drove a big pickup truck with a gun rack and a bumper sticker, "Get your heart into our country or get your ass out.".  Yikes.  That's a great solution, right?  Don't even try to fix or improve anything; just get out.  Well, getting out of Arkansas was my only priority, and though just a political subdivision, crossing that state line into Missouri was a breath of relief that I was no longer in Arkansas.

Hmm. Shocker.

Tuesday, December 17

West Plains, MO to St Louis, MO

Drive:  186 miles, 6 hours

Run:  6 miles, 400'

Lodging:  DoubleTree St Louis Forest Park

Two quick notes on lodging:

• When I went out to California/Oregon in September, my Scottish blood cheapness came through and we stayed in a $99 Days Inn in Bend, OR instead of a $250 Hilton brand.  The place was run-down, sketchy, and breakfast was plastic-packaged items.  You get what you pay for!  Had huge regrets, so this time just made it easy and booked all Hilton properties.
• The one exception was this stay in West Plains, Missouri, where we rented a house solely to take advantage of a mid-trip usage of washer and dryer to get some clean clothes!

Ran on a mix of paved and dirt roads from our Airbnb, through fields and farmlands.
A few rolling hills.

Mina Sauk Falls at
Tam Sauk Mountain,
highest point in Missouri (1,772')

An afternoon visit to St Louis Zoo ...

was followed by a late afternoon /
evening visit to the famous
Gateway Arch, where we rode inside
to the top of the arch and walked
around the grounds

Looking from top of arch windows down onto the city of St Louis

One of the best dinners of the trip was at Hitea Ramen,
in very close proximity to our hotel

Wednesday, December 18

St Louis, MO to Lexington, KY

Drive:  422 miles, 9 hours

Run:  9 miles, 400'

Lodging:  Embassy Suites Lexington University of Kentucky

Along this morning's run in Forest Park, St. Louis

I've heard and read that there are some pretty rough areas in
St Louis, but I also read that Forest Park is one of the best and
safest place to run.  I booked a hotel adjacent to Forest Park
and our run almost entirely in the park was indeed very nice.
Nice paved paths, fountains, and stately homes and a university.

Highlight to today's trip was clearly was our ranger-led
tour in Mammoth Cave National Park
(Note:  Kentucky became my 47th state visited)

Huge atrium inside our hotel in Lexington, Kentucky

Thursday, December 19

Lexington, KY to Morgantown, WV

Drive:  350 miles, 6 hours

Run:  10 miles, 400'

Lodging:  Hilton Garden Inn Morgantown

Paved bike path in Lexington, Kentucky
for most of today's run.  Some parts were fine like this shot;
others in not so great sections of the city.

Pay phone in the West Virginia
visitors center.  How often do you see this?
---
Of course this wasn't nearly as weird as being
in the restroom of the visitor center and seeing a guy
with a long white beard washing a sack of potatoes 
one by one in the public sink.  Who does that?
Only in West Virginia ...

Famed New River Gorge in
New River Gorge National Park,
West Virginia

Turnaround point on 3-mile OAB easy walk

The park itself was fine, but unfortunately just outside the
park was this trash-ridden rundown mobile home.  If only
this were the exception.  But unfortunately we drove through
town after town in West Virginia with coal mining processing plants
spewing gases, dilapidated houses with garbage-strewn lawns,
and consistently being ranked the least healthy state in the country.

Friday, December 20

Morgantown, WV to Baltimore, MD

Drive:  200 miles, 4.5 hours

Run:  8 miles, 200'

Lodging:  Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor

OAB on the Monongahela River Trail
The trail itself was fine and pretty deserted.

But the industrial blight on the opposite shore of the 
Monongahela River was certainly a detractor

---

As with leaving Arkansas, getting out
of West Virginia felt so good mentally
---
This pic is in the Inner Harbor Baltimore
where we would be staying the final night.
Now being five days until Christmas,
I really felt a longing to be
"home for the holidays".

I've heard a lot of bad things about Baltimore, and 
certainly there were some bad parts we drove through,
but the Inner Harbor where we were staying was very, very nice

Our evening consisted of visiting the National Aquarium,
and then dinner, both downtown

Some pretty cool specimens,
including this moray eel

When in Rome (or in this case Maryland) ...
it's best to try the local features.
This is how my cajun crab boil came to the table.

Very messy, but tasty!

View from the 20th floor of the Hilton Inner Harbor,
where we were staying

Saturday, December 21

Baltimore, MD to Westerly, RI

Drive:  270 miles, 6 hours

Run:  14 miles, 550'

Final day of the trip.  It's been an enjoyable 12-day trip overall, but I'm looking forward to getting back home.  I'm trying to remember the last time I was on a trip of this length.  I think the closest was 2013, when I went on a 10-day business trip to India.  Prior to that, probably the 1990s when I went on many trips to eastern Asia for multiple weeks at a time.

Along today's run in Baltimore

Matthew in front of the river / skyline view.
We actually saw a lot of runners out today.

Post-run the breakfast buffet back at the hotel was just
fantastic!

Similarities with European breakfast buffets
of having smoked fish and cheeses

On our way home, our final stop:
Fort McHenry National Monument

Most famous for Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812
writing what would later become the Star Spangled Banner,
it was interesting to learn that the fort was used for many
historical purposes, including as a military hospital

Exterior of fort

Arrived home Saturday night, December 21.  Nice to sleep in the next morning.  Nice to be home for Christmas.

Miscellaneous musings:

• Miles driven:  ~3,800
• States visited:  17 (four new states!)
• National parks visited:  8
• State high points hiked:  3
• Miles run:  110
• States run in:  9
• It took me sixty years to make a cross-country driving trip across the USA.  Enjoyable [mostly] for sure, and glad I did it, but not sure I have another one in store in this lifetime.
• It reminds me to of that old joke that if you're going to run cross-country, you should start with a small country.  Of course I didn't actually "run" across the country, but I didn't pick a small one either given the USA's position as 4th largest country by land area in the world.
• I suppose this was the 2nd "cross-country" drive I made this year, as I drove across Ireland (Dublin on east coast to Cliffs of Moher on west) in August.
• Favorite national park:  Joshua Tree National Park (honorable mention to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and I did love White Sands National Park).
• Favorite mountain peak:  Guadalupe Peak
• Favorite run:  Joshua Tree National Park 12-mile trail run.
• Best surprise:  Baltimore's Inner Harbor far exceeded my expectations on how nice the area was.
• Lowpoint:  Arkansas.  Rednecks, obesity, rundown houses and entire towns.  "Honorable" mention to West Virginia, having many of the same characteristics and also the dubious distinction of being the least healthy state in the country.
• This marks the second consecutive December where I've spent more than a week away from home.  Both were great trips, but I did miss being away from home during the Christmas season.  Christmas is cold weather (hopefully but rarely snow) and New England to me.
• Rethinking running a marathon in all 50 states:  Not that I ever committed to it, and I've only completed 13 to date, but I periodically consider it.  But after this trip, do I really ever want to go back to Arkansas or West Virginia?
• Ending this post on a positive note, I am now at 47 of 50 states visited, with only three to go:  Kansas, North Dakota, and Idaho.  Unfortunately, none are even close to being contiguous to each other, and I have no specific plans to visit any of them, but I certainly aim to cross this goal off the bucket list!