Monday - Smithfield, RI - 6 miles
Got up early to do strength training but I just couldn't will myself to do it. However the rain looked like it was going to peter out by mid-morning so I opted to run before work. I parked at Bryant and did a loop around the local reservoir Stump Pond. The rain was mostly a drizzle throughout the run - not too bad and not really cold either.It's a big descent from Bryant down to the pond. I took Old Forge Rd over to Log Rd. Quiet country roads with few cars. Quite the variety of houses along the pond. Some beautiful pieces of property. Others were older shanties that somehow haven't yet collapsed down steep hills into the water. The hills back up to Bryant were a tough but satisfying end to the run.
Tuesday - 0 miles
P90X Plyometrics (60 minutes)Wednesday - 0 miles
Ab Ripper X (20 minutes)Thursday - Wolf Hill - Smithfield, RI - 6.1 miles
I was going to do speedwork today but I really wanted to get in a trail run this week and with tomorrow looking suspect I thought it better to run offroad today. I opted to head back to Wolf Hill - I haven't run here in awhile and the trails are challenging and varied. Probably more technical than I needed with my weak foot but I donned my ankle brace and made my way up into the hill.This area has a lot of variety. Many of the trails are pretty rocky and required my full concentration. The power lines run down the middle of the management area and offer a chance to run on rocky/dirt trails out in the open. The Mercer Lookout is the remains of an old house - now only a crumbling chimney remain atop a massive rock outcropping. But it offers a great view of Providence and the bay beyond.
Then I headed to the quarry which offers great views of Stump Pond and Smithfield beyond. This old quarry now yields a large fire pit at the base with various chairs and benches scattered about. Clearly the younglings come here at night to dance and make mischief. But in the light of the morning the place was deserted - only their dirt bike tracks and broken bottles remain.
From here I headed down to run along the edge of Stump Pond and then up the Ken Mercer trail where I took various other unnamed trails back to my car. I was aware of my bad foot the whole time and was constantly concentrating on watching my step. Other than a few twinges there was no pain and no bad rolls. A successful trail run on some difficult terrain.
Friday - 0 miles
P90X Chest & Back (60 minutes)It looked like a friggin' monsoon outside so I opted to do some strength training that I neglected earlier in the week.
Saturday - Woody Hill / Wahaneeta trails - 12.7 miles
Big group run with Jonny, Jeff, Muddy, Mike B and Tom. We met at the Benny's parking lot at 6:30 AM and made our way up to the Woody Hill management area. It was nice to finally meet Tommy 5k and chat with all the WTAC guys throughout the run. Woody Hill is a great area I've never run in before. We ran on wide dirt trails for a while before jumping back onto roads for a bit in Bradford. Tom had managed to park his car in the middle of nowhere and left us at the halfway mark. Jeff then took us on a favorite swamp trail of his and I use the word trail loosely - briars and muck abound on this barely there trail.Jeff was been doing some trail work on the Wahaneeta preserve and was excited to show us this new area that was purchased by the Westerly Land Trust. Cool burnt out chimney and the makings of an abandoned hobo camp. The centerpiece of Wahaneeta is an old girl scout cabin which is in the process of being repaired. Pretty cool structure and it was neat to see this sweet cabin in the middle of the woods. Then Jeff took us down some unfinished singletrack to a large outcrop of rocks with great views of the area. With a large field nearby we mused about holding a trail event in these woods. Then we jumped back onto the road and ran down Dunns Corner Rd back to our cars.
It was a lot of fun doing a long trail run with like minded folks and I'm looking forward to more such runs in 2013.
Going to check out Strava...MapMyRun calls the the Lantern Hill ascent at a 2% grade, and I'm calling BS on that - maybe a change in apps is overdue...
ReplyDeleteJoining Strava would be a wise move.
ReplyDeleteGlad you made it Saturday. It's fun to run group runs periodically.
ReplyDelete