Like Mushrooms After the Rain

It's not just an expression.

West of Wiggins Avenue, Bedford

Weight Loss Update: I Quit

Over the weekend, the Wii Fit told me I'd reached an "ideal" BMI of 22. Monday at the weekly weigh-in I was down 35 pounds from mid-May. Those were my goals, so I've quit the group while I'm ahead.

Today: 13 miles. This year: 1346.2 miles.

Runners Everywhere

The Arlington Town Day Road Race (pdf brochure) was using the trail from Frazer Road to Mill Street this morning. I knew that in advance and steered clear. A water station behind Trader Joe's should have raised my suspicions. Another one at Seasons Four in Lexington made me wonder. I stopped at a third one by Bedford Street and learned about the Boston Fit marathon training run. I'm sure the trail was crowded where the two runs overlapped.

Coincidentally there was another trail traffic survey today. The woman counting trail users at the Lexington Depot didn't know where the results wind up, only that the various reporting organizations share them with each other and the state.

Arlington Town Day fireworks at Spy Pond

Today: 10 miles. This year: 1284.7 miles.

Growing Cold

I wore running gloves yesterday morning and was glad to have them. I missed something for my ears at first, but soon warmed up. It's not time for the headband yet.

There were flashing lights and a Middlesex sheriff's van at Hartwell Avenue. Not an accident, just a prison work detail repainting the signal lights. They finished up at Hartwell and moved to Bedford Street while I was skating.

Another skate brake worn to the limit

Yesterday: 13 miles. This year: 1274.7 miles.

Stickers and Signs

The silhouette of the cycling Minuteman will be familiar if you used the Minuteman Bikeway in its first years, when he was stenciled in all the crosswalks. He's just made a new appearance on stickers through the Lexington section of the trail. I imagine these are connected with the bikeway celebration signs which also just appeared.

West of Hancock Street, Lexington

Near Valley Road, Lexington

Work in progress at Bedford Depot Park

Today: 14 miles. This year: 1237.2 miles.

Seen any turtles?

2007 was a banner year for turtles along the trail. I photographed many and blogged about them repeatedly (1, 2, 3, 4). This year? None. Not even a glimpse.

Clouds and sun over Hurd Field, Arlington

Today: 10.5 miles. This year: 1219.7 miles.

Minuteman Plowing in the News

The proposal to plow the Minuteman Bikeway in Lexington is in the news today -- the Milford Daily News, for some reason.

Lexington was busy maintaining the trail yesterday, with both the tractor-mounted blower and the shoulder mower at work. When I saw the mower it had slid into the ditch east of Revere Street. This was probably the result of mowing with the ground still soft from Tuesday's heavy rains. Today there are deep ruts on the shoulder and mud on the trail to mark the spot.

The mower with the robot arm was on the job in Bedford. It fills the trail, but the driver is very patient about moving aside to let trail traffic pass.

Mowing in Bedford, east of Depot Park

Today: 13 miles. This year: 1209.2 miles.

Summer Street Detour

The trail was closed from Mill Street in Arlington to the Summer Street entrance this morning, with traffic detoured out to Summer Street. There was no obvious reason, though it might have to do with tree trimming or the removal of equipment from the old Brigham's building.

Today: 16.1 miles. This year: 1175.2 miles.

Minuteman Hall of Fame Celebration, Sunday October 5th

The Minuteman Bikeway's induction into the Rails-to-Trails Hall of Fame will be celebrated with events along the trail on Sunday, October 5th.

Clearing the Trail

Following last year's success with winter clearing of the trail in Arlington, clearthetrail.org is campaigning for Lexington to do likewise. I was no fan of their Arlington campaign, as I doubted that Arlington would bear the expense and that the clearing would be effective. The expense turned out to be minimal and the clearing was reasonably good. Icy spots and snowbanks at crossings meant that you could walk fairly easily or bicycle cautiously. The biggest benefit to me was the early availability of the trail in the spring, without waiting weeks as the icepack slowly melted. Now I'm a cautious convert to their cause. If you're in favor, visit their Lexington news page for information.

Last week: 72.1 miles. This year: 1146.1 miles.

Weight Loss Update / New Center Line

The weight-loss group at my office is 15 weeks old now and I see I haven't said how it's going since way back in June. Now, as then, it's going brilliantly for me and pretty well all around. I'm down 30 pounds while some others have lost 15, 16, and 18 pounds. The founders of the group, ironically, have lost the least weight and the most money.

The center line of the path was repainted through Arlington this morning, concealing the recent white dots.

Eastbound at the Arlington border, yesterday

Behind Trader Joe's, after line painting this morning

Today: 13 miles. This year: 1120.1 miles

Polka-dot Path

The fading center line of the path is marked with white dots from one end of Arlington to the other. Is this a prelude to repainting the line? The dots seem too subtle to be permanent markings themselves.

Near Spy Pond, Arlington

Today: 12.1 miles. This year: 1086.1 miles.