Sunday, January 6, 2013

The twelve days of Christmas: 10, 11...

1/3/13, day 10
9 miles

6 in the morning and 3 at night on the River trails. I abandoned my rule of no ipod on runs; what a difference the extra mental stimulation can make toward getting the job done.

1/4/13, day 11
12 miles

The big loop around the Arkansas. I've heard it said that your not really on a true adventure unless at some point its not fun anymore. Well I'm on an adventure. Sergio Leone's "The Good the Bad and the Ugly" soundrack on repeat got me through this.

1/5/13, day twelve
0 miles

"This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper" T.S. Elliot. Nature cares nothing of our plans. I have a cold. I can't run. 9 miles short. End of story.

But maybe next Christmas...

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

The Twelve days of Christmas: 7,8,9

12/31/12, day 7
1 mile

A family funeral consumed most of our day, but I did manage to get out for a quick back-and-forth on our street.

1/1/13, day 8
8 miles

I drove out to Destruction Brook Woods Preserve early in the morning for a trail run. What a gem this place is; I can't believe this is my first time here. The sun rises between the King's pine that grows on much of the property. The trails wind through these tall sentinels and occasionally dips down to cross a brook or traverse an maple swamp. The snow is still clinging to everything. On one trail the trees give way to a small glade that is only beginning to be reclaimed by the surrounding wood. A closer look around reveals cement foundations and granite cellars. This site was occupied for generations but must have been abandoned fairly recently. There's a very lonely feel to the place. Later I traverse a wooden bridge over an old spillway out of a mill pond. What a great place to begin the new year.





1/2/13, day 9
11 miles

A jaunt on the pink and yellow trails at Turkey. Plenty of energy but my legs are starting to feel fatigued. West of the pipeline I was surprised to find myself running alongside two young bucks  fleeing another party of humans.