September 18, Where the Pavement Ends

Sunday, September 18, 8:00 a.m. Where the Pavement Ends is a fun and challenging trail race: fun for the everyday runner who can experience the beauty of these beautiful trails and challenging for the competitive trail runner who can match up against the best racers in the northeast. It’s 4-plus miles of sometimes narrow and hilly terrain. All of the muscles that never get any work from all of that road running will definitely be used on this course.  It is a great mix of fire road, singletrack, flats, hills, and one fast downhill section right towards the end. Meet at the Ridgebury School, South Shore Drive, Ridgefield, CT and be ready to run at 8:00 a.m. This is another in the Trail Mix Series of races. Sign up here ››

Next week we’ll be at Mountain Lakes Park for the Fourth Annual Sarah Bishop Bushwhack.

And don’t forget to register for the upcoming fall races:
Sarah Bishop Bushwhack, Sunday, September 25
Run The Farm, Sunday, October 23
Raven Rocks Run, Sunday, November 13

Hope to see you out there this weekend.
Lee Willett

[poll id=”203″]

Great turnout for the Sarah Bishop course check. Looks like you’re all ready for the race.
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September 11, Mountain Lakes Park

MLP_SBB_2014
map at SarahBishop.org

This Sunday, September 11, at 8:00 a.m, meet at Mountain Lakes Park in North Salem (201 Hawley Road) when we do a course check of the 2016 Sarah Bishop Bushwhack. This is the only course check this year so if you want to check out the course with the group, this is your only chance. Meet at the pool parking lot (gravel road opposite the Hemlock Lake Beach) where race day parking is and get ready to run this 10K-ish loop with a few twists and turns. Those that want to start early can arrive at 7:00 a.m. for a warm-up.
See the map ››   Register for the Race ››

Saturday, September 10, 8:00 a.m. For those who want to run on Saturday, make a course check of the Pavement Ends course in preparation for the September 18 race. Meet at 10 Shore Drive, Ridgefield, CT at 7:45 for an 8:00 start and stick with the 4-mile course or take a longer, scenic route to Bennett’s Pond (see the course here).

Hope to see you out there this weekend.

And don’t forget to register for the upcoming fall races:
Where the Pavement Ends, Sunday, September 18
Sarah Bishop Bushwhack, Sunday, September 25. Shirts will be ordered on September 13. No late orders accepted.
Run The Farm, Sunday, October 23
Raven Rocks Run, Sunday, November 13

Hope to see you out there this weekend.

Lee Willett

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Glad everyone enjoyed last week’s mystery run. I hope your injuries heal before the upcoming races.LEE_9120

September 4, Michigan Road Lot

This Sunday, September 4, at 8:00 a.m., meet at the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation Michigan Road Lot when we run a very special course that we’ve not been on for over three years. I’m not going to bore you with details but I will bring maps. If you have gaiters and/or calf-high socks, I’d suggest you might want those as well—we’re going an an 8-mile adventure. If you want to get an early start, arrive at 7:00 a.m. for a few extra miles.

This Saturday, September 3, at 8:00 a.m., meet at the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation Meadow Lot. No particular course. No particular distance. No particular pace. Just run.

This Monday, September 5, at 8:30 a.m., meet at Mianus River Gorge for a short 5 mile-ish out-and-back. Or there’s the 7 mile bike, 4 mile run, Church Tavern Biathlon in South Salem at 9:30 a.m.—that’s always a good time.

RacitMainLogo_FBDon’t forget to register for the Trail Mix Races this fall including the Sarah Bishop Bushwhack on September 25. T-shirt orders will be going in in a week or so, so if you want one, you need to sign up.

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Last week’s crew at the Meadow.
LEE_8906b

 

August 28, Meadow Lot

click for map page
click for map page

This Sunday, August 28, at 8:00 a.m., meet at the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation Meadow Lot when we run the RAVEN ROCKS RUN. We haven’t run the full course since January so this is a great chance to refresh your memory of one of the more challenging courses around and kick off the fall Trail Mix Series a little early. If you want to get an early start, arrive at 7:00 a.m. for a few extra miles. See the map page ››

This Saturday, August 27, at 8:00 a.m., meet at the Zofnass Family Preserve in Pound Ridge (259 Upper Shad Road, see Google Map) when we run everyone’s favorite labyrinthian preserve with a network of trails noted for its crags and rock outcrops. Meet at the main entrance and follow a 6-mile perimeter loop making all right turns except for exiting the park, and excluding the orange, western loop. See the map page here.

RacitMainLogo_FBDon’t forget to register for the Trail Mix Races this fall including the Sarah Bishop Bushwhack on September 25. T-shirt orders will be going in within two weeks so if you want one, you need to sign up.
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Great to see so many runners out last week, no matter how long your 7 miles were.
LEE_8895

August 21, Trailside Museum

click for map page
click for map page

This Sunday, August 21, at 8:00 a.m, meet at the Ward Pound Ridge Trailside Museum when we run a new course—Trailside, CB, to Blue route. This 7-mile course starts with a bit of an uphill (that’s being kind) but once you head down the CB trail within the first mile, you can catch your breath and enjoy yourself. There might be another hill or two along the way but nothing to worry about. The course follows a new trail that has been marked with temporary flags starting in the woods behind the Michigan Road residence and ending at the Old Mill. By the time you reach the blue trail, you’ll remember what makes that one of our favorites in the park. If you’re not feeling the love of the full distance, you can cut a couple miles from the run. See the map here ››
If you’re looking for an early start, arrive at 7:00 a.m. for a pre-run loop.

This Saturday, August 20, at 8:00 a.m., meet at the trail head to Lookout Point in Mountain Lakes Park (201 Hawley Road, North, Salem, NY) and run the 10K-ish Sarah Bishop Course—backwards. That is, start at the trail head to lookout point, run up to Hemlock campsite and follow the Sarah Bishop course in the opposite direction. That means heading down the stairs near the end of the run so save a little energy for that. Bring your own maps for this one, I’ll see you on Sunday instead. See the map here ››

RacitMainLogo_FBDon’t forget to register for the Trail Mix Races this fall including the Sarah Bishop Bushwhack on September 25.

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Steamy run for sure but you guys make it look easy.LEE_8748

August 14, Butler Sanctuary

click for map page

click for map page

This Sunday, August 14, at 8:00 a.m., meet at the Nature Conservancy Butler Sanctuary on Chestnut Ridge Road in Mt. Kisco (see in Google maps) when we run a combination of trails covering most of the park. Since Butler is a relatively small preserve, we’ll be following a double loop course to get close to 5 miles. Don’t worry, you’ll still get a workout since the terrain has a lot of ups and downs. Plus anyone interested in a longer run can head over to Westmoreland afterwards for a few more miles. Meet in the Butler parking lot. See the map here ››
Looking to start early? Arrive at 7:00 a.m. for a pre-run loop.

Saturday, August 13, 8:00 a.m.
For anyone looking for a Saturday run, meet in the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation at the Michigan Road parking lot and run the Michigan to Kimberly 6 mile loop.

Don’t forget to register for the Trail Mix Races this fall including the Sarah Bishop Bushwhack on September 25. And if you’re looking for something a little different this weekend, there’s the Taconic Road Runners/Peekskill Brewery Mile on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Limited to 100 entrants only.

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With 1300 feet of elevation gain, I’m glad everyone liked the hills last week.
LEE_8283

August 7, Michigan Road Lot

click for map page
click for map page

This Sunday, August 7, at 8:00 a.m, meet at the Ward Pound Ridge Michigan Road Parking lot to run a new course—The FH to Overlook Loop. Start at the Michigan Road lot and head up Fox Hill then turn south. I’ve put a number of twists and turns on lesser-used trails so keep a sharp eye out and a map handy. See the map ›› Anyone interested in getting some additional miles in can arrive at 7:00 a.m. for a pre-run loop.

How about brunch? It’s been a while and a few races since we had any sort of get together so let’s plan to hang out after the run on Sunday, catch up, swap stories, and take over the picnic tables near the Michigan Road lot. Bring something to eat or drink and spend some time just hanging out.

blue_mountain_BlueperBowl
click for map page

Join us on Saturday, August 6, at 6:00 a.m., for a special run at Blue Mountain in Peekskill cooked up by Kevin Rader. The run will start at 6:00 a.m. and consist of three loops of a 7-mile course following much of the perimeter in a counterclockwise direction starting at the Depew Court Lot. Since each loop will take approximately 1:45 to complete, runners can join in at 7:45 and 9:30. And of course there’s always the Peekskill Coffee House afterwards for some recovery food. Final course map is now ready ››. Hope to see you out there.

RacitMainLogo_FBAnd don’t forget—only 7 weeks left before the 4th Annual Sarah Bishop Bushwhack. Registration is open so sign up! Hope to see you out there this weekend.

Lee Willett

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Great crowd last week. I’m looking forward to hearing the stories from the Escarpment race.

LEE_8218

July 31, Meadow Lot

click for map page
click for map page

This Sunday, July 31, at 8:00 a.m, meet at the Ward Pound Ridge Meadow Parking lot to run a variation of an epic run—Eleanor’s Escape. Start at the Meadow and follow FH and BR to Kimberly Bridge then take Blue around the mountain to Raven Rocks and the Southwestern trails in the park. The full loop is 8.4 miles but you have several options to make the run shorter. See the map ››
Anyone interested in getting some additional miles in can arrive at 7:00 a.m. for a pre-run loop.

This Saturday, July 30, at 8:00 a.m., meet at the Nature Conservancy Butler Sanctuary on Chestnut Ridge Road in Mt. Kisco (see in Google maps) when we run a new combination of trails covering most of the park. Since Butler is a relatively small preserve, we’ll be running most of the trails there to get close to 5 miles. Don’t worry, you’ll still get a workout since the terrain has a lot of ups and downs. Meet in the Butler parking lot and run Red to Orange out, then Red back toward the start to Yellow. Climb the Yellow hill and take Blue all the way to the end and follow Red to Orange and Yellow for the perimeter loop. Oh yeah, you might want to bring a map. See the map here ››

Hope to see you out there this weekend.

Lee Willett

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Looks like a lot of fun at Bennett’s Pond this past Sunday. Well done all.

RunJuly

July 24, Bennett’s Pond

click for map page
click for map page

This Sunday, July 24, at 8:00 a.m., meet at Bennett’s Pond on the Ridgefield/Danbury border when we run an epic 10.5 mile loop designed by Keith Realander. Meet at the parking lot on Bennett’s Farm Road (see Google map) prepared to run this clockwise loop which includes some of the same trails in the Pavement Ends race. Those looking for a 6.5-mile run can eliminate the Hemlock Hills loop. An out-and-back to the end of of the White trail will get you a scenic 5 mile run so there are options for making the run shorter. Note: the upper part of the green trail is a bit overgrown this time of year so you may want to take the tan trail to the purple trail which should bypass the worst of it. Anyone interested in getting an early start can arrive at 7:00 a.m. but bring your own maps in case I don’t make it this weekend.  See the map here ››

This Saturday, July 23, at 8:00 a.m., meet at the Ward Pound Ridge Meadow lot and run the Meadow, Museum, Fire Tower, Michigan loop but I suggest that you run it in a counter-clockwise direction so that you end in the shade.

July 17, Lewisboro Town Park

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click for map page
click for map page

This Sunday, July 17, at 8:00 a.m, meet at the Lewisboro Town Park Upper Lot when we run a course that includes one of the newest trails in the Reservation—The Town Park to Covered Bridge Loop. We’ll all start out together and head toward the Meadow and up the FH trail but from there, you’ll have options for different distances. Three of the four options will take you down the new CB trail to the new covered bridge. If you run the 7.3 or 8.6 loop, when you get to the private residence on Michigan, keep to your left and take the path around the house. The 8.6 mile option takes you to a couple smaller trails that we haven’t been on in a while so pay attention to the turns. Anyone interested in getting an early start can arrive at 7:00 a.m. for a short loop.
Download a PDF map of the course ››

On Saturday, July 16, at 6:00 a.m., meet at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation Meadow Lot for a 16-mile clockwise perimeter-plus loop of the park. We’ll head over to the Fire Tower, down the Rock Trail, up the Overlook and back to the Meadow. If you want to catch us on the run like a game of Pokemon Go, we should be on the Blue Trail around the Fire Tower at 7:00 and and on the Rock Trail near Spy Rock at 8:00. Come join us.

Hope to see you out there this weekend.

Lee Willett

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Good looking group at Mountain Lakes Park last weekend.

LEE_8041

July 10, Mountain Lakes Park

click for map page

click for map page

This Sunday, July 10, at 8:00 a.m., meet at the trailhead to Lookout Point in Mountain Lakes Park (201 Hawley Road, North, Salem, NY) when we run the 6 mile(ish) perimeter loop. Start up the path to Lookout Point and follow the course over Bailey Mountain and the OS trail. Add an optional 1-mile loop at Hunt Lane and/or 2 miles for the Herst-Mead and Halmi Preserves for up to 9 fun miles. If you’re planning on running the Sarah Bishop Bushwhack this fall, this is a great chance to check out some of the trails. Anyone interested in getting an early start can arrive at 7:00 a.m. to get a few miles in and those looking to run longer can add some miles after. See the map here ››

On Saturday, July 9, at 8:00 a.m., it looks like there’s a good chance of rain so I suggest meet at the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation Meadow lot and run Eleanor’s Escape. This is a great course that includes a mix of wide trails, single track, long level paths, and technical uphills. Plenty of options for distance too but bring your own maps, I’m not going to make this one.

Hope to see you out there this weekend.

Lee Willett

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Great day for a run last week no matter how far you went.

LEE_8037

July 3, Teatown to Kitchawan Trail

TeatownKitchawanTrail
Click for map page

 On Sunday, July 3, at 8:00 a.m., meet at the Teatown Lake Reservation, 1600 Spring Valley Rd #1, Ossining, NY 10562, and run an out-and-back course on the Teatown Kitchawan Trail. The course consists of relatively easy trails, a dirt road, and a small stretch of pavement. The full course is 13.2 miles round trip but you can turn back at any point for a shorter run. We’ll start at the Teatown Lake Reservation which has a nature center open at 9:00 a.m. After the run, you can bring something drink or something to eat and hang out for a while. If you’d like to get a few miles in early, arrive at 7:00 a.m. See map ››

On Saturday, July 2, at 7:00 a.m., anyone interested in running the Escarpment Trail, meet at the Katonah Woods Bridge Lot and we’ll car pool to the start. I’m sorting out final plans so please see this page with instructions and this list of interested runners and email me if you aren’t on the list and plan to run.

On Monday, July 4, at 8:00 a.m., we’re going to meet at the Leon Levy Preserve in South Salem. The parking lot entrance is on Route 123 about half a mile south of Route 35. At 383 acres, this preserve is relatively small so bring a map and explore what the preserve has to offer. I have a 5.5 mile course that I usually follow but you’re free to make up your own.

There you have it. Three days, three locations, three runs. Hope to see you out there this weekend.

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Big group last week at the Rez at the Trailside Museum.

LEE_8023

June 26, Trailside Museum

 

click for map page
click for map page

On Sunday, June 26, at 8:00 a.m., meet at Ward Pound Ridge Trailside Museum for the Trailside to Overlook Run. You’ll have distances of 7.7, 6.3, or 5 miles but, as always, your mileage may vary. If you’re looking for even more miles, there are plenty of options for that as well. Looking to start a little early? Arrive at 7:00 a.m. for a warm-up. See the map here ››

On Saturday, June 25, at 7:00 a.m., I’m turning the point-to-point Ives Trail into an up to 30-mile, 4,400 feet gain, out-and-back. Meet at the Bennett’s Pond parking lot on Bennett’s Farm Road at 7:00 a.m. If you’re not up for the full 30 miles, no worries. Come out and run whatever distance you want as an out-and back course. See the map here ››

I’m putting together a run of the Escarpment trail on Saturday, July 2. Options of different distances up to 18 miles all on very technical trails in the Catskills. More information is here ›› and let me know if you’re interested.

Hope to see you out there this weekend.

[poll id=”191″]

Great run at Westmoreland this past week.

LEE_7748

June 19, Westmoreland Sanctuary

Butler-Westmoreland

click for map page

This Sunday, June 19, at 8:00 a.m., meet at Westmoreland Sanctuary on Chestnut Ridge Road in Mount Kisco when we run the 5.25 mile perimeter loop. This time, we run the course in a counterclockwise direction and return to the main lot. Those who want an extra challenge can do the Butler loop across the street after the run. That will add another 3+ miles at least for a total of around 8.5. Those looking to start early can arrive at 7:00 a.m.
See the map ››

On Saturday, June 18, if you like hills, join me at the Ward Pound Ridge Kimberly Bridge lot for hill repeats up the blue trail. I’ll be running the “front” of the blue trail, elevation gain 400 feet, out-and-back distance 1.2 miles, starting at 6:00 a.m. and continuing for a while. You can join me or just meet there at 8:00 a.m. and run the Kimberly Bridge 6/9.5 loop.

I’m putting together a run of the Escarpment trail on Saturday, July 2. Options of different distances up to 18 miles all on very technical trails in the Catskills. More information is here ›› and let me know if you’re interested.

Hope to see you out there this weekend.

Lee Willett

[poll id=”190″]

Great to see so many runners last Sunday (Facebook tagged photo is here).
LEE_7690