A Chili Run

With no reason to watch this year's Super Bowl, it was the perfect excuse for an E Streeters group run, incorporating part of the infamous "commute," a winding, hilly course that spans Westford and Groton.

As an added bonus, it even gave us a chance for some quality, if not icy, trail running on the hills of MIT, where we encountered a man out walking his dog and happy to document our group run.

Barry, legendary for exposing illegal gambling dens across the Merrimack Valley, shows John what a Super Bowl pool MIGHT look like if one was looking.  Which one wasn't.  From here, Barry was off to the Abbey Road Tavern.

Right out of the gate, we broke into Secret Service formation, protecting John should we run into the errant Pomeranian

Yesterday's hills in Bolton didn't discourage Tommy for lacing them up for another outing today.

Marathon Men, Marathon Swag

Why is this man smiling?  Could it be because he's heading to the 1974 Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders reunion this week?  Could be...

Gorgeous trails provide a picturesque background for us.  Up to this point, Tommy was enjoying himself.  That would change.

Suddenly, it hit!  Ice on the trail!  And not just small patches of it, but long stretches that would test the agility of even the most agile of runners. (See next pic)

Alas, the ice would claim its first victim, as Barry performed his best Bambi impersonation, finally succumbing to gravity despite three valiant attemps to stay upright.  Thankfully, as always, Carlos was there for him.

At this point, Tommy stopped enjoying the trails and gave them a thumbs down.  He didn't know what waited around the next few bends.

Like the mythical trolls of old, a swarm of yellowjackets waits beneath a bridge

A makeshift footbridge spans our first brook crossing

The next crossing would prove trickier, with a sloped, ice-covered metal bridge testing our balance.  Thankfully, we all made it across, casualty free.  We kept looking for the barbed wire crawl or rope climb ahead of us.

Thinking it could help with his hunting, John contemplates the value of deer-antler spray

Finally, at victory's end on Martins Pond Road, awaited the legendary Spence chili, previously available only to the Top 10 finishers of April's Merrimack River Trail race.

Sean and John, clearly torqued because Barry's on his third bowl and they haven't had their first

Indeed, since it was a chili day, there was no soup to be found.  Nor would there likely be a Super Bowl we'd be watching either.

Wait 'till next year!

Ground Hogs Daze

February 2, and the E Streeters felt like it was deja vu all over again - a long, cold, hilly run, in the environs alongside Interstate 495 in training for the Boston Marathon.  This week's start point: Bolton.

First, though, we had to wake Barry up at our rendezvous point

Once we were off and running, it was a quick stop for some whining at the Nashoba Valley Winery, just as the first of the day's many hills began.

After the quick victory pose by the Marathon Men, it was time to trudge upwards

Tommy has felt the wrath of grapes before, but not this day!

No, today, Tommy's nemesis was to be the armada of mailboxes that lined the course.  Not once, but twice his ipod was attacked by the errant mailboxes.  Police are still looking for the man seen crashing into multiple mailboxes along Routes 117 and 110.

Who claimed the first town line of the day, of which their were many?  This photo  should clear up that mystery.

Time for a quick drink stop at mile six, and Andrew found words of wisdom on the convenience store door.  Steak, indeed.

Barry too, found his inspiration at the store.  Truth in advertising?  His tank wasn't full, and neither was his wallet.

Tommy called out one of the missing E Streeters along the course.  This one was a one-way street.

Undisputed victor of a town line race along a ridiculous stretch of hills.  Let the boy bask in his victory, it was well earned.

At mile 12, Barry stopped for the sights on Bareass Road.  Or somesuch name.

Another one in the books, and a mighty one at that!  A fabulous course with only one mistake that extended it by a mile to a 15-mile loop.  Lots of laughs along the way, including how to Talk Like an Egyptian, the smell of donuts, and some well-placed water stops.

Always an adventure!

Clydesdales Train

A brisk, chilly, and extremely windy day running in the wilds of East Boston Campus in Westford this morning, with a huge E Streeter turnout to run varying lengths of the outing.  Sadly, Stoney Brook Farms was closed, so there no muffins to be had to negate the exercise.

The man, the myth, the legend, Scott Graham was on hand to take our group photo today. He ran 18, starting at 6 a.m., well before our rising

Here, Scott gives some running tips to Barry and Carlos, who can use all the help they can get.

At run's end, we were surrounded by the noises of an an oncoming train alongside our parking spots. Very appropriate for our marathon training.

Are the E Streeters faster than a speeding train or at least more powerful?  You be the judge.

Appropriate, considering the temps this a.m.

Andrew's on track for his training.

Call it a sign from above, call it an omen, call it what you will, but when you see this type of caravan of multiple trucks alongside you on the highway, you have to wonder.

A bunch of buds out for a morning run.  Clydesdales, indeed.

Hitting One Out of the Parker

An unseasonably warm Sunday morning in January, so naturally, the E Streeters had to take advantage of it with a shorts and tee-shirt run from the Parker School in Chelmsford.  And its annex.

The group photo above features some true value hardware in Chelmsford

With Barry and Sean sidelined with Facts of Life hangovers, it was a crowded field running past the foggy Chelmsford ball fields

A cut through on Princess Avenue by the Kings of Running

More than two decades later, John still bears the grudge for the rogue fishing ticket.  Fishing without a life jacket is a crime in Massachusetts, John.  If it can be believed, this grudge outdates even the now-infamous Hoyts in Andover debacle.  He still can't run past his ticketing nemesis without rehashing past infractions.

And finally, at run's end, hanging out at the Parker School, which for some reason, has a different name on its outside walls.  Go figure, those crazy Chelmsfordites.

A Souper Way to Start the New Year

January 1st, a time for rebirth, resolutions, and renewed plans for the year ahead.  And in the world of the E Streeters, that also means it's time for a Soup Run from John and Karen's house in Westford, an annual tradition that some among us look forward to for months!

As usual, the founder of the feast outdid herself, but this year was even more impressive, seeing as how she cooked up both vats while hampered by a boot immobilizer.  Let's hear it for Karen!

This year's offerings were a spice-filled chicken noodle and a loaded pasta fagioli.

Anticipating leftovers, some of the E Streeters brought their own take-home containers.  Apparently, Barry expected to take home enough to feed his family for a week.

The bowls are ready and waiting

All that's left to do is get these clowns away from the stove and out there for the morning run

Which of course, features the annual favorite race for the town line.  Who won the first of this year?

(Hint: not this guy)

Afterwards, the wolves gather around to toast their First Run.  And First Bowl.

And Second Bowl

The New Year also saw a new razor-sharp witted Carlos, ready to skewer any and all.  Here, even he was getting a kick out of his own zingers.

Another year in the books, another notch in one of our favorite traditions.  Good friends, good times, good runs, and great soup.  Happy New Year to all.  May you log plenty of healthy and happy miles on the roads ahead!