Training Log Archive: bl

Had considered running but went to Y around 4pm. Funky gray rainy day that reached 50F around dark. Wanted to try softening crust in the afternoon but steady rain discouraged it. Did try the snow surface on the am DP by the middle school. It was raining enough that an umbrella was sensible. But the thought occurred that I could still try skate skiing with the umbrella, being more and more interested in skate skiing w/o poles for balance improvement and just plain improvement anyway. So I tried it, back and forth on decent crust under an umbrella and it was pretty good. There were quite a few cars in the school lot but I think only empty classrooms faced the field. Pretty odd perhaps but also insightful. A very wet day.

C • skate skiing with umbrella 7

Along Old Battle Road in Concord. We headed off to the NEOC winter party. I wanted a jog somewhere in Concord-Carlisle. First choice was Walden, second the Cranberry Bog. Driving along 2A, I spotted the Minuteman NP bike-walk trail. I'd driven by in early December, noting its potential but had slipped my mind. It had to be this route! Beth dropped me off opposite the Minuteman Voc-tech HS entrance. At the outset, I’m thinking it’s maybe 3.5 mi to Concord Center. We agreed to meet at the DD on Thoreau St. I’m not sure where it was but CC is small. Off I go into a splendid landscape (largely snow-free) of natural beauty and American history, stopping a bunch of times to read signs - e.g., where Paul Revere’s ride ended when captured by the British. There were numerous old homes and cellar hole remnants. The path system got more complicated but there were no signs indicating direction to Concord Center. Finally I asked a man who said “Yes, straight”, then “but turn right at the fork”. 200m later, there was the fork where I turned right. But I could see another jct in 150m. It was a pyramid-shaped enclosure of woods by stone walls. On the far side was a small exit path that looked more like an MTB path, nothing like what I’d been on.

But there were 3 young people across the pyramid that I pursued a short distance, finally asking them if they knew which path led to Concord Center. These were two women, early 20s, and a young man, late 20s at most, with an accent I was curious about but did not inquire. Not surprisingly, he had his gps/cell in hand. It was easy to see exactly where we were. It surprised me that this path system was on the screen but there it was, incl. the pyramid and the small path I thought was an MTB path. We scrolled the way to CC on the Old Battle Rd-trail. It appeared circuitous and too far given party time, Beth expectation time etc. He came up with a predicted of 53’ w/o distance or manner, bike vs foot, also assuming no confusion, perhaps. They had offered to take me to CC & by this time I said yes. So we walked & talked for 15’ to their car near the top of Bedford La. They were from Worcester & came to Concord for the day as they'd been there before many times. The two woman were U Mass students & he was living with them yet working at Logan airport. We talked about maps & mapping & somehow that led to his telling me that he and one of the women were from Argentina (the other from Spain). I said I’d been there, to San Isidro…which is where they had grown up. Her father once was in the boat building business. We talked about the wide, muddy Plate ("river of silver") estuary.

It was the driver’s b-day. She'd bought herself the spanking new 2016 we were in. They dropped me off in CC. Now to find Thoreau. I should have recalled where it was having lived in Concord for some 4 yrs. -- but that was 30 years ago. I asked a woman coming out of a store. She sent me the long way so it was another 3/4 mi to the DD lot where Beth was. Beth said she wondered what would become of me seeing that the distance to town was more than thought. Not what I expected in the way of adventure without much time but at least as good. The sat view is like turning on a light.

After, we drove by 251 Fiske to the Bog entrance, fed Mocha there & went off to the usual excellent NEOC party hosted by the Parsons. Amazing how dark Carlisle & streets are after dark.

Old Battle Road & Trail
310 was on & off one too many times.

It had to be this route!


Colonial America

C • Would be... 3

Pretty undecided as to what I wanted to do. Had entertained O at Bear Brook but had not planned ahead & it was getting too late for that. I did open Parallels/XP & OCAD and did some mental refreshing, esp as to where I might find pertinent files.

Ended up on River Road for a run. Not a breath or ripple on the Merrimack. River Rd. is pretty quiet, with scattered businesses and a few forlorn homes. Returned on the RR track which started as good crust surface but became camouflaged slick. Four times in the past 2 days, I've outwitted a fall by 'residual agility'.

BHS around 5:15. Stopped by on way back from SPS visit earlier. There were some 20 nordic kids out on the oval or in parking getting ready. When I returned the surface was very good - thin soft slush on the hard pack. No poles & balance seemed off, particularly on the dark stretch. There was a large parking lot light that lit 1/3rd of the oval - so I utilized that. Poleless makes poles appreciated for the most part. Yet I'd say poleless also demands better technique for optimal propulsion.

Another cold am but warm pm. SPS wander, tired from Gillmore visit last night & had a mostly bare hamburger at lunch that left some heartburn. Was at a noon meeting in town & that seemed the optimal time but it was a work day.

Good walks out back these days on the hard crust over marsh-wetland to the Contours w/o concern for wet feet. Mocha is happy to go this way & I'm generally pleased not to have to take her somewhere in the car for her DP.

Nottingcook wander - started colder than yesterday, close to zero. Then when I finally got out around 12:30, it felt like a March day, up into the 30s. After last night’s BOS meeting, I had a hankering to appreciate Nottingcook again. Very little use of paths, virtually all supportive crust and visits to places I tend to pass up now. Also a fair share of thick vegetation. Usual prints-in-snow display of all the critters I seldom see. Home along the brook at the end.

Afternoon light

At Y - might have jogged after but forgot running shoes. 4F this am but bright blue and OK at midday.

Local woods wander starting off Parsons. Had been there earlier today with M & decided I’d go back with simple map & compass & look around - the crust was supportive enough to make the idea inviting. Not really sure where I was until I spotted the SS pump house. Then went basically mag N (tho my mag N lines were a guess), even found what appeared to be a path with boot prints etc but that finally turned S. By then, I was only interested in N by E. The terrain looks the same & yet it doesn't. Finally spotted a familiar field & then it was return to car on familiar paths. Quite a few wet areas & stream crossings. Lots of prints in the snow, mostly deer & turkey, but snowmobile (on Br. Londonderry) as well as one skier, maybe 2 walkers, even one MTBer. Colder than I gave it credit for (16F by time I realized it was cold) & hands were not happy most of the time given skimpy, knit BHT gloves.

C • BHT gloves 2