After a week on the road in the sunny climes of Antigua, the past weekend provided 2 days of perfect running as the early signs of fall descend upon us. Getting off the plane back in CT on Friday evening it was noticeably cooler than when I left the previous Tuesday and by Saturday morning the thermometer was showing 47 degrees. At the meeting point for our run, we shivered as we waited for the last runners to arrive before setting off into the woods keen to get warm. It had been decided to check out the trails of a local state forest know as Cockaponsset, which is close to the town of Chester, CT. The trail system offers some great running, parts are technically challenging but there are also areas where caution can be abandoned. There were no bugs in the air, the sun shone and the temperature turned out to be perfect, you really couldn’t ask for better conditions.
After about an hour outbound from the cars, half the group turned back while six of us continued. By now though we were quite spread out so every now and again we regrouped to allow the back marker to catch up. Four days of zero running didn’t seem to have any negative effects, in fact the run was one of those occasions when everything seemed to click into place. If only that had continued into Sunday.
Same location, different company, different day but same crisp fall weather. By coincidence Guthrie had arranged to meet friends to run once again at Cockaponsett and then go for breakfast. The zip in my legs wasn’t quite the same as the day before but then the pace at times was also a little quicker and the last couple of miles on a dirt road at the end felt like my eye balls were about to pop out! Within seconds of stopping though, as is often the case when you run under strain, the moment of discomfort is a distant memory and it was time for breakfast. We chatted in the sunshine, enjoyed omelette, toast and coffee and time flew by without a care.
Life here in New England is characterized by the passing of distinct seasons, the Fall is probably my favorite because the air smells fresh, the temperatures are perfect for outdoor activities and there is something about the almost childlike pleasure of wading through crisp crackly leaves that have fallen to the ground.
It is two weeks before the Traveller 100, the last of my Slam odyssey.
