Training Log Archive: bl

Had in mind a country drive toward Deering but pragmatic use of time trumped. Was going to jog in Walker TF. Beth had no interest in walking alone. So I decided to walk and she easily got off the sofa! Parked at end of Van Ger as before. Had nearly useless USGS printout but it got us to mapped stream - followed east til we came to an unmapped old logging road. Took that NE, came out at the log depot/"dump" area that Ken & I visited earlier. Took the other logging road from there more or less west. At one point discovered what must have been kids' summer play place - remnants of large stick shelter, large plastic bin, fertilizer for a garden and a somewhat elaborate rope-pulley system to get things, water etc from the brook some 20' below. Then houses, some even unmapped tho not new. Found one yellow blaze & finally said enough. A very nice walk - lots of knoll complexity. Need to see if it can't be added to UNO flight coming up I don't know when.

After NHH, BHS repeat. Warmer today (at 1130). Stayed in shade for the most part tho the slush was shallow over grass & worked.

C • Skate Skiing 2

Last-of-light DP to slough. Rosy sunset. No one in sight. Most everyone must be shopping.

TGIF: choice of insanity or goofiness or both

Insanity




Merely goofy

Mouse in a teacup


Mouse in a wineglass


Mouse in a house


Winter mouse series, possibly complete. Inspired by Winter Dormancy Disorder (WDD), aka, borderline boredom commensurate with
The Dark Period.

At BHS after visit to NHH. Dogs along, crust, shade & sun, on soccer fields, about 35F. No one in sight. A start!

Passed up the Bow PD 5k Turkey Trot - $25 was a dear entry fee as well as not really feeling up to the pace I'd have to (try to) come up with. Need warmer wx, more time.

PM DP on PL, calm, gray, no one.

What a difference a day makes.... Yesterday frost crystals, today 3" slush & raining. Almost got stuck at top of hill to PL. Pretty miserable am but dogs didn't seem to mind..too much to sniff in spite of ground cover.

Crappy day weather-wise, cold rain on top of snow. Went to the library for some books vs any form of noon exercise. Planet Fitness after work - met Beth there, then over to BAM (Books a Million), the Concord Staples replacement. Almost a virtual look-alike. They needed only have exchanged papers it seems but instead Staples was emptied first. Surfed a few sailing magazines - photos of sunny shores & tropical beaches look pretty good today. Maybe enough crust for some (rusty) skate tomorrow for compensation.

Cold, 25F, on the PL. Frost crystal morning with red orange of winter berries.
Walked around the small swamp under the PL - got across in & out streams w/o wet feet. Gray w/ wet weather coming.

Drove to SPS parking, went to track. Still flat-legged from the Traverse. Walked and jogged - did 12 100s by time said & done. Rest was walking. Peace & quiet, not in frame of mind for roads/traffic. Did 45 situps on the greenest grass spotted. Fellow with 2 yellow labs passed thru - one (the younger) took a gander at me while running & returned 15' later for a second look while doing situps. Not of much concern with lab or lab look-alikes. Can't forget the time running across a Concord, MA field when a nasty Doberman came running at me. Fortunately owner intervened (from a distance). Speak softly but carry a big stick is an ace up the sleeve. Used to bend down to pick up a pretend stick (or real if available) in days when dogs were less restrained - it generally worked. In Weston, MA, where I ran a lot, dogs were above average. As much of a dog lover as I am, I could BTS out of a dog that had it in for me.

PM DP at dusk, Beth along. Clear, cold feeling, calm, Jupiter.

QR East

QR West

Quick Route, BHT east and west. Spent more time than I cared to on this.
Hard to get route aligned w/o both ends - route so sinuous not sure
what sharp turns were what and esp. on laptop. Could have penned in route in red in a fraction of the time but, by sticking with the process, learned some more. The data is there and accurate - getting it to fit can be laborious. And...not sure it's legible!

C • QR 15

Faraway series, photos from elsewhere, #83

Market Day, Chiloe, Chile, 1986

Event: NEOC: Blue Hills Traverse
 

Sunday DP with Beetle along, too. Quiet, deserted.

BHT in Milton. Drove with Jim Arsenault & Ernst Linder whom we picked up in Woburn. Mild, actually lovely, day. Lots of people (& ticks) out enjoying the prospects. Temp in Jim's car on way home said 66F. Yet not really too warm for meet. Tough course, 13.9k, 475 climb. Had it been cold &/or wet, it would have been doubly tough. Ian had planned a short traverse option of about 10.5k - we passed right by the finish (1-20) before 21-26. Give myself a B. A few sloppy controls at first but then settled down. #3 was the only real miss, maybe 2' at most - no one to see ahead & only #3! BHT map on one side/piece of paper. Map cases optional - glad I had one as some of courses got rubbed off...moisture/friction. Finished feeling ok, could have continued a bit farther had it been level. Thought I might have had Jim. 30' behind Tim/Ernst seems a bit much but age evidently is a bit of weight to carry around.... Nice to & from drive with Jim & Ernst, NH's only contingent this year.

4 saw Marie A
5,6,7 - Jim & Phil
8 Jim
11,12,13,14 some guy who moved along but made an error on 12 & enroute 14 (saw Phil here, too)
14 JJ
21, 22, 23 Marie

Was accurate/careful in 15 to end. Need to ponder route choice 8 to 9, 14 to 15. Cramps came on on way to 16 - "willed" them away . Had they "bitten" I would have been hurtin'. Returned on the climb to 21 (as slow as could be) - more will power applied and when I could go level or down, they resolved & did not occur on drive back. 4 hours later, feel pretty good!

Traverse - Splits