I’m so happy to be able to give blood again after my kidney donation, but it’s become logistically more difficult – Baystate has suspended their program entirely, and the Red Cross only has one location in Western Mass. It’s in an industrial suburb of Springfield, about half an hour away for me, so it could be worse but I’m bummed to have to drive there! I gave Tuesday afternoon and had a full day’s rest before the 8-mile run on Thursday morning, but I still noticed the effects.
I started out with intervals, which went OK, but then I didn’t have much left for the run itself. Whenever I felt like I just had to stop running, I would check my Fitbit and see my heart rate at 168, so it was consistent (exactly 3 times my age, but more likely the reason is it’s about 3x my resting HR). Then I would walk for a while, my chance to pull off more of the hundreds of tick-trefoil burs I picked up in one second of dodging a puddle. I see that they are called Stick-Tight (Desmodium sp.) and ranked among the hardest to remove from one’s socks! Deep fog gave way to sun where there are banks of wild tansy (I put some in my bandana to sniff) and sunflowers, picking up the rays. From the Meadows I ran to the Connecticut River bike bridge, where I watched a rowing team put their crew boat in – lifting above their heads and pivoting to the river in one smooth move, very balletic.
I was still easily winded for Friday’s five miles, so it was great to accompany Jonathan’s walk for the first few. Sunday’s long run (16 miles) also maxed out my energy. I moved up to 63.58% of Easthampton, still 3rd place, but was able to improve all CityStriders’ experience by fixing two streets on Open Street Map – Scout Road, a dirt road which doesn’t even exist on Google Maps and ends in a maze of ruts before the last node, and part of Paul Street which was closed/abandoned when The Commons development was built. I got a few photos, not great quality, but alas the flying pig weathervane didn’t come out at all. Finishing this up 9/8, so now only a week and half behind…
Northampton photos, weekday
“Coin purse” illusion on a stone 
Corn stalk islands in a potato field 
Wild sunflowers in the Meadows 
Sun burning off fog over the airfield
Easthampton photos from long run
Pitched copper roof mailbox 
Life-size horse statue wearing spats(?) 
Camshaft as a mailbox pole 
Not sure what’s going on here…
| Date (temp/humidity) | Distance | Avg pace/fastest split | Time | HR (avg/highest) | Notes |
| Tue 8/24 (71°F/98%) | 5.52 | 12:12/11:36 | 1:07:19 | 156/172 | |
| Thu 8/26 (68°F/100%) | 8.06 | 13:57/11:41 | 1:52:26 | 144/169 (intervals only) | Intervals, after donating blood |
| Fri 8/27 (72°F/99%) | 5.05 | 13:56/13:24 | 1:10:24 | 147/167 | |
| Sun 8/29 (61°F/89%) | ~16.4 | 14:00/11:41 | 3:50:21 | 139/179 | |
| Totals | 35 miles | | 8 hours | | Weight avg 115.2, resting heart 58 |