Winter of My Discontent: February Racing (2/1-2/22/15)

(With apologies to the Bard of Stratford) 

Barded Steeds: Super 5 (2/1/15)

Oh, Captains, my Captains (wait wrong poet...)

Race One: Super 5

Location: Cambridge, MA

Goal Time:  ??:??

Actual Time: 36:56

Now is the winter of my discontent;

Last year had shone beneath the bright gold sun.

Short pants did I deem dare to wear back then.

This great annum no such cold gold was spent.

Championship Sunday icy frigid

The winds did blow. Aligned as knights to fight

Against the sun, Lancastrian hibern

Girds its shining armor: black steel, rigid.

From past winters I thus did take the leads

Battling miles but five; each l’il faster

At end Catching on Carrie-Anne then Scott

Running as I was mounted barded steeds.

                Ere long, the run n’er fast nor slow was done

                Neither by me the race was lost nor won.

Lour’d Clouds: Martha’s Vineyard 20 Miler (2/14/15)

Martha's Vineyard - 2014
There was apparently more snow and problems this year so they had to cancel.

Race Two: Martha’s Vineyard 20 Miler

Location: Vineyard Haven, MA

Goal Time: 2:30:00

Actual Time: --:--

The White Winter blizzards coldly did blow

Then feet, now meters, are piled mountain-

Like high. Fuji-esque mound do climb about

As white frost falls first once then thrice as snow.

For then the fourth cold storm came forth aloud

Not hiding deep among ocean’s bosom.

Instead the race - twenty long clicks - cancelled.

Again we are lour’d  o’er by winter clouds.

Nat and I ran: Carriage Road and Comm Ave

Meeting the girls at Newton Fire House

Then over Newton hills – marathon pace(?)

Oh times are slipping down what the legs have.

                A long run back along the course to home

                And over the river of frozen foam.

               

Average RunMute (2/18/15)

11 Miles from Cambridge-Seaport-Cambridge

Inman Street, Cambridge

Back Bay from MIT

Esplanade

Boston Common

Snow Farm, Seaport

Skating Rink, Common

Comm Ave

Detour?

No Delight: Five Colleges 10 Miler (2/22/15)

Finishing under my goal time!

Race Three: Five Colleges 10 Miler

Location: Amherst, MA

Goal Time: 1:10:00

Actual Time: 1:09:19

The race in Western Mass of No Delight

Away fast from Amherst High School we dash

Into the rural fields and roads of snow

Third mile climb: fifty three meters in height.

Appearing distrustful of Tom at Mile One
photo by Tom Cole

Then, across miles of snow mush and dirt road,

The sixth – the first to race running hard down

Before it climbs again – seventh and ninth.

But, the eighth I get into sprinter mode.

Finally catching up to Michael Quinn

Passing many who left me back for dead

Slowing with miles of muddy roads ahead

The tenth I dashed with lightning speeds and grins.

            Survived I have the winter months but one;

            Man, soon I hope the sun of York will come.

photo by Tom Cole

One From the Vault:

That time Culla let Harrison drive, Martha's Vineyard February, 2014

"Now I'm driving the bus!"