Road Trip! Shad Bloom Trail Race, week of 5-5 to 5-11

Last year, I took the ferry out to Block Island with Gazelle for this scenic and pretty damn cool race.  He's still healing up so it looks like I'm solo for this one.  It rained sideways last year and everyone got soaked, but I had a great time there and I'm looking forward to running it again.  I know a few people who are also running it, so there may be a few familiar faces on the ferry ride over!  Last year I was 38th out of 200+ runners in 51:41, which I believe was right on the target time that Paul Gray set for me before the race.  No expectations this year other than to enjoy the experience again, it's an awesome race (when, during a race, do you ever have to climb a small ladder to cross over a stone wall???) with incredible scenery.  Can't wait.

I also want to make another attempt this week at a good, long run.  4 weeks to go now, but I did get some good words of encouragement from Muddy and FiveK yesterday...

Lastly, I'm registered for the Quahog Mile on Sunday, which also happens to be Mother's Day.  Didn't realize that when I registered.  As I'm shipping off to Block for the bulk of the day on Saturday, I'm going to be a smart cookie and not run the mile.  Very interested to see what kind of times get thrown down there, but I also have a family Mother's Day event happening now that can't be missed...

Monday, 5-5 - 3 Miles (Road) - Post karate run in town.  Finished karate and hopped in the truck to go find someplace to run until the dog was done at the groomers, and I see a runner coming toward me up one of the hills...and hey!  It's Beth!  I slow down and holler at her, and she responds by growling something about screwing up her segment.  Too much.  She's on the tail end of her run so I get a mile in with her, and then tack on a couple more past the Y and through the park.  My Space Watch decided to record time, but not pace/distance, and I ultimately had to completely reset the damn thing at the house.  Working fine now.  No kudos from Mike B. for my run, but he runs on a treadmill all winter so he's suspect anyway.  Nice day, windy, and got to run for a few with a friend - that's a success in my book!


Tuesday, 5-6 - 7-ish Miles (Road/Trail) - Mystic roads and Peace Sanctuary/Pequot Woods preserves.  I had planned on today being the long run day, but the time frame I needed got swallowed up.  Still managed to cruise out to the unmarked trails at Peace Sanctuary, then over to Pequot Woods for some swampy, muddy fun, then back down into Mystic  Next time I'm going to make the connector to the Beebe Pond Preserve and come in from Noank.  Scenic, and a good day :)

Mystic Seaport from the Peace Sanctuary trails...

Well?

Wednesday, 5-7 - 5 Miles (Trail) - Post dump run "Dump Run."  After dropping off all the crap I'd loaded up in my truck, I had a window of opportunity that would have shrunk considerably if I drove anywhere, so Lantern it was to be.  Two very cool things happened.  The first?  Seeing a pileated woodpecker moving from tree to tree:

Saw one of these guys today, very cool!  Photo by Josh Laymon?

Unfortunately, it wouldn't let me get quite close enough to get a decent picture, twenty feet was the limit.  The second cool thing?  As I gave up trying to take its picture, and started moving again, another runner was coming up behind me?  I hardly ever see anyone out running at Lantern.  We struck up a conversation, and it turns out he's a poker player from New York named Mark.  He was just running the lower loop as he's not really a trail runner per se, and I offered to show him the upper trails.  He really liked the view from the top of the hill, and some of the technical aspects.  Always nice to show off my favorite stretch of trail.

After my second ascent, I'd just started to head down my "Top to Bottom" segment when a tiny branch brushed across my left eye, just enough to swipe my contact lens out.  Lucky I didn't get scratched, but I have horrible vision and had to negotiate the downhill with a blurry eye, and then drive home.  Not much fun there, but a great day to run nonetheless!

Thursday, 5-8 - Long run?  Nope.  5-ish Miles (Trails) - Lantern run again with new trail running convert Mark G.  Mark and I exchanged info. Wednesday, and agreed on a run in the morning.  It was threatening rain, but we set out and did the Lantern Hill run again, but over to the transfer station, across to Wintechog for a bit, then down the road back to Two Trees.  Rain really kicked in at the top of Lantern, but it was a fun run!  Just before the parking lot...is that a trail?  With faint remnants of blue blazes?  Indeed, it's the original Pequot Trail terminus, and it looks like somebody's been doing some work on it.  We ran a short section until it came to a road, then returned and parted ways.  Cool dude, Mark, lives just over the Hudson and has some prime trails right near him to explore...

This from Wikipedia, regarding the Pequot:  "Plans are underway to lengthen the trail and return the southern terminus to its original location with the Narragansett Trail on Lantern Hill in North Stonington via the Mashantucket Tribal Nation property near their highly regarded museum and research center."  I can't wait...

Friday, 5-9 - 0 Miles.  First mow of the year.  2 acres of lawn takes 3+ hours to mow, in addition to the yardwork that needed to be done.  Good day for it, though, and gives me a rest before the Shad Bloom race in the morning!

Saturday, 5-10 - Shad Bloom 10K.  See separate writeup, WTF...

Sunday, 5-11 - Mother's Day...