Huh. I overdid things a bit and dialed it back. Or did I?

Pretty sure hardly anybody reads this anymore (I used to be big in Croatia, but they seem to have lost interest, haha), but here goes!  I somehow managed to do 3 50K races and a 15-mile trail race in 5 weeks (that's kind of a lot for most folks, but in my circle of lunatics it's solidly average?!?), plus a hot AF training run with JP that included multiple submersions in the river because of the heat.  So my body is ready for a break.  Just a little one, though, as I feel fatigued (obviously, given my work/training schedule) but not injured or really beaten...just ready for some unencumbered runs, just for the fun of it.

So, first up, I'm gonna rewrite Chesterfield Gorge soon, as I'd written a nice piece about an awesome inaugural race, had an epic time with it, and my stupid computer didn't save my work so I blabbed some BS about not re-writing it.  I'll do it over.  Great first race directed by a great runner and fantastic race director, Amy R.  So that's coming, just not yet!

I took a few days off after that race, and got back to the trails.  I hit the Mystic nature center trails first, and had a fabulous run there...then found out that I'm in for the Escarpment Run, perhaps the most badass and gnarly mid-distance trail race in New England, at the end of July.  It's on my short list of tough races to do.  And I'm in!  So it's Loon/Escarpment for the 1-2 punch in July...it'll be mostly hills and technical runs for a while, I think...

Mystic trails...

More Mystical trails!

I've been able to get out and retouch the blazes on part of the Narragansett Trail, and do some basic maintenance there.  I've also been able to hit Lantern Hill and Long/Ell Pond trails, which are the perfect combination of technical and steep in this area, and are gonna be my go-to training venues before Escarpment.  

What in Blue Blazes!

This is my bucket.  There are many like it, but this one is mine ;)

Roots...

...and rocks!  My favorites!

And just like that, the focus is off big distance runs, until the Anchor Down race anyway...and I get to have fun running when and where I please.  My work schedule, as usual, is physically demanding and I have to deal with all of that.  Whatever.  Got in a run at Lantern with my old martial arts training partner Jim, and had fun bombing down the technical descents.  My buddy George is back on the trails after a long hiatus, and we've been hitting Arcadia for some really good runs in the 7-mile range, and having a blast.  Great to see him enjoying his running again!

Sir George.  Bike shorts:  the new Scots' kilt?

As for Loon?  Well...I've got that covered...

6/16 - My Shenipsit Striders group had a "Happy Hills" morning of repeats scheduled at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area.  I committed, then hemmed and hawed about the drive, then decided to just go.  What a blast!!!  I had so much fun, the drive was not bad at all, we had a crew of 10+ for the run, and I made some great new friends!  Everyone is training for something different, and we shared some awesome stories.  1000' of climb on every ascent, back to the bottom, and repeat.  I managed 9 miles and 4,000' of ascent, while others did more or less, based on their schedules and training.  No pressure day.  We all met at Wachusett Brewing for lunch afterward and had a great time there as well!  Gonna repeat this next week!  I really needed this.

Wa-wa-wachusett!  View from midway up.

6/17 - The following day, Father's Day, with still-sore calves and quads, I hit the beach at high tide for my first "Taylor Swift" run of the year.  Warm day, so I set up all our family beach chairs and umbrella, bought a bottle of water for a buck, and cruised a slow and steady pace out and back.  It's exactly 5 miles from our beach to Taylor Swift's super-mega mansion in Watch Hill, and 5 back (for the record, she wasn't home, as she's usually waiting for me with a cold glass of lemonade, haha).  I skillfully dodged a thousand toddlers darting into my path (including a near-crippling incident with a shovel.  Not a plastic beach shovel, but a real shovel with metal spade...wielded by a child...WTF), waded through some waist-deep water at high tide, and eventually arrived back at home base and parked my ass under the umbrella for a couple of hours.  Mission accomplished!

OMG!!!  Crutch ran all the way to my house and I wasn't there!

Sunday is beach day.  Oh, and run the beach day!  10 miles complete on a hot one...I love the beach, especially from the cover of an umbrella :)

As it was Father's Day, and I was tasked with choosing a meal, I chose a "Low Country Shrimp Boil," with shrimp, Andouille sausage, corn, Vidalia onions and assorted potatoes (and fancy beer for me!).  Holy Hell this was good, and easy, and we gone do it again...and maybe with crab next time...

Where do I start!!!  Joy!

So that's that.  I'm happy, uninjured, and getting miles where and when I can. I know a number of my friends are dealing with injuries, and I want them to be healthy and happy and out doing what they love, because I miss running with them!  Fast or slow, I really just want to run with you guys (You know who you are).  It really has nothing to do with pace or distance.  It's all about having a memorable moment, and I really want as many of those in my lifetime as I can!  I remember a surf session in the fog with my friend Mark Butler 20 years ago, where we traded glassy, chest high waves at Matunuck and saw the headlights of multiple cars pull in, see nothing and leave.  The fog burned off hours later, and we laughed about our luck of having perfect waves to ourselves.  Times like that!

So hit me up.  I'm busy but will block out my calendar for you.  Work is work.  I can make arrangements.

Sincerely,

---Crutch