Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Weekly Log 1-30-12 to 2-5-12
Monday: 11 miles - Ryan Park trails alone. I wanted to run Rome Point, but the screaming winds would be too much on the bay. Plan B was to run the relatively protected trails of Ryan Park, although I've been running there quite a bit recently. I parked at the Lafayette Rd lot and ran the loop around the fields. The water crossing at the race was now completely dry. My tight and sore calf was feeling okay, and I was able to run on it without incident. I noticed a couple of flags marking the race course so I decided I would motivate myself to do the loop at the end of my run and collect them. After completing the loop, I then ran the 5 mile woods section. I was surprised at how many people were out walking on this chilly afternoon. I then ran the field loop in reverse and by the time I was done, I had found six flags. Total time: 1:20:09.
Tuesday: 8 miles - Mount View roads and Calf Pasture Point beach and trails solo. 57 degrees and sunny this afternoon! I headed out on the bike path then jumped onto Fletcher Road. Right away, my legs felt sluggish and this feeling lasted for the entire run. The weather was so nice that I didn't mind. Lot's of ducks and brant on the bay today. There was a giant earth moving machine on the trails. Total time: 1:02:00.
Wednesday: 9 miles - Quonset Bike Path workout with Calf Pasture Point cooldown alone. 60 degrees and sunny for the first day of February. The wind was pretty strong out of the SW, which meant it would be right in my face on the way out for the workout. I debated how I wanted to handle this and settled on the idea of running against the wind as a warm up and then running 1xmile, 1x800 with the wind, jogging back against the wind, and repeating the 1xmile, 1x800 with the wind. My plans changed when I was interrupted by a loose gigantic doberman pinscher on my warm up. The owner told me that he was friendly (of course!), but the dog was harrassing me and then began chasing me when I tried to start running again. I lost my cool and asked (demanded) if he had a leash. I was so worked up, I just started running hard at the next mileage marker. I decided to do a 800 (2:51 against the wind) and then followed it up with an extremely slow mile into the wind in 6:09. My lungs were working hard, but my legs felt flat. I was annoyed with myself. I turned around and now was sweating profusely in the winter heat. I began another mile after just 3 minutes of recovery. My legs weren't feeling much better, but at least the wind pushed me to a 5:56. I then finished up with another 800 in 2:52. These times are slower than my recent track workouts, but I think there were a few factors (track is flat and faster, running alone vs. with others, tired legs) that contributed. At least my long cooldown was rather perky. Total time 64 minutes.
Thursday: 0 - rather than running again on tired legs, I went shoe shopping instead. Picked up a pair of Reebok Realflex. Can't wait to try them out tomorrow.
Friday: 11 miles - Rome Point trails and beach alone. It's funny how high 30's and wind feels cold to me after the warm temperatures the past week. I ran in the new Reebok's and liked them. They are more different from the Nike Free Run's than I thought, based on reviews I read online. My legs still don't feel 100% fresh, but the easy effort was producing decent splits. I was afraid the tide was going to be super high based on Wednesday's tide, but I was wrong and had plenty of real estate on the beach to work with. The 15-20 mph NW wind on the way back was rather head-numbing. Good thing I could put on my little red hood. Total time: 1:22:23. I felt very happy and relaxed when I was done - an awesome run for my mind.
Saturday: 4+ miles - Burlingame trails and roads alone. This was just a quick and easy little run around my house. My legs are feeling fresher. Race tomorrow. Total time: 32:30 minutes.
Sunday: 7 miles - Super 5K - 18:18, 16th Overall, WTAC first place! This race was a confidence booster as I haven't been feeling very fast recently. Separate write up to follow.
Weekly Total: 50 miles
Last Week: 41 miles
Year to Date: 263 miles
Monday, January 23, 2012
Weekly Log 1-23-12 to 1-29-12
Monday: 10.5 miles - Saunderstown Hilly Roads alone. I couldn't talk anyone in the office to run hills with me today so I went out by myself. I haven't done this course in a while and the woods seemed like they might be rather messy, so this seemed like a good idea. I began at the park and ride and then ran around the Plum Beach neighborhoods on both sides of 138. I then had to complete the rather boring flat roads to get to the star attraction - the Gilbert Stuart Rd hill. It never feels good doing it, but there is a sense of accomplishment afterwards, plus running down it is fun in an out-of-control sort of way. I made it a point to not check my watch so I wouldn't race myself, and was happy with the 1:16:30 finish time. Here's a link to the run - of course I can't get the elevation map to work:
http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/65640540
Tuesday: 6.5 miles - Calf Pasture Point roads, trails, and beach alone. This was a very easy effort as my legs were tired, but I couldn't resist running in the warm (high 50's) and sunny conditions. I explored some side trails (actually deer trails) that ended up as dead ends. The run on the beach with an extremely low tide was nice, and I thought I might be able to run in front of the houses in Mount View, but it looked rather rocky and slippery. Total time: 53:08.
Wednesday: 8.5 miles - Ryan Park trails with Muddy and Mike. The plan was to run the course of Saturday's 10K while mixing in some 2 minute intervals. The first one was on a somewhat technical trail and the pace seemed really fast, but Mike looked like he wasn't working at all. They felt progressively easier after that. On the railbed (straight, flat, and fast) his watch said we were going 5:50 pace, which didn't feel fast to me, so I'll take that as a good sign. The last interval was on the narrow rooty trail near the pond, and with the setting sun in our eyes, it made for quite the far out experience. After finishing the course, we ran a two mile cooldown around the pond. Total time 63 minutes. At night, my body was absolutely exhausted. I'm going to keep it really light before Saturday.
Thursday: 0 - smartly took a zero and feel better for it. I walked instead, briskly at times, checking out the waterfowl in Allen's Harbor.
Friday: 5.5 miles - Quonset Bike Path (4.6M) alone plus Ryan Park course marking (1M) with Mike. I waited out the rain (or so I thought) and then went to run an easy 5. About a 1/4 mile in, my left calf felt tight and sore, which sort of came out of nowhere. I've had this before, so I just kept running on it to see if it would loosen up. It didn't, but it didn't get worse either. I cut my run short (only ran the bike path) and then met up with Mike at Ryan Park to help him mark the Belleville Pond 10K course. I was a little nervous at first that either I was using too many flags or not enough, but I got into a nice rythm and enjoyed the process. I met back up with Mike at the water crossing, and then we finished up as darkness set in. Massaged and applied heat to my calf at night.
Saturday: 10 miles - Belleville Pond Trail 10K - 41:16, 9th Overall - separate write up to follow. Very fun race. My calf was tight and sore. I can't tell if I ran well or not.
Sunday: 0 - busy day with the kids, but could have snuck out early for a run if I felt up to it. I decided to rest my calf for at least one day.
Overall: Light week of running, but when I look back I had a hill workout, a speed workout, and a race, so it was a quality over quantity thing. My body felt tired most of the week as I was recovering from a head cold, and this plus the speedwork on Wednesday may have contributed to my calf issue. I feeling good now, so as long as my calf cooperates, I want to pack on some miles for the upcoming week.
Weekly Total: 41 miles
Last Week: 59 miles
Year to Date: 213 miles
http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/65640540
Tuesday: 6.5 miles - Calf Pasture Point roads, trails, and beach alone. This was a very easy effort as my legs were tired, but I couldn't resist running in the warm (high 50's) and sunny conditions. I explored some side trails (actually deer trails) that ended up as dead ends. The run on the beach with an extremely low tide was nice, and I thought I might be able to run in front of the houses in Mount View, but it looked rather rocky and slippery. Total time: 53:08.
Wednesday: 8.5 miles - Ryan Park trails with Muddy and Mike. The plan was to run the course of Saturday's 10K while mixing in some 2 minute intervals. The first one was on a somewhat technical trail and the pace seemed really fast, but Mike looked like he wasn't working at all. They felt progressively easier after that. On the railbed (straight, flat, and fast) his watch said we were going 5:50 pace, which didn't feel fast to me, so I'll take that as a good sign. The last interval was on the narrow rooty trail near the pond, and with the setting sun in our eyes, it made for quite the far out experience. After finishing the course, we ran a two mile cooldown around the pond. Total time 63 minutes. At night, my body was absolutely exhausted. I'm going to keep it really light before Saturday.
Thursday: 0 - smartly took a zero and feel better for it. I walked instead, briskly at times, checking out the waterfowl in Allen's Harbor.
Friday: 5.5 miles - Quonset Bike Path (4.6M) alone plus Ryan Park course marking (1M) with Mike. I waited out the rain (or so I thought) and then went to run an easy 5. About a 1/4 mile in, my left calf felt tight and sore, which sort of came out of nowhere. I've had this before, so I just kept running on it to see if it would loosen up. It didn't, but it didn't get worse either. I cut my run short (only ran the bike path) and then met up with Mike at Ryan Park to help him mark the Belleville Pond 10K course. I was a little nervous at first that either I was using too many flags or not enough, but I got into a nice rythm and enjoyed the process. I met back up with Mike at the water crossing, and then we finished up as darkness set in. Massaged and applied heat to my calf at night.
Saturday: 10 miles - Belleville Pond Trail 10K - 41:16, 9th Overall - separate write up to follow. Very fun race. My calf was tight and sore. I can't tell if I ran well or not.
Sunday: 0 - busy day with the kids, but could have snuck out early for a run if I felt up to it. I decided to rest my calf for at least one day.
Overall: Light week of running, but when I look back I had a hill workout, a speed workout, and a race, so it was a quality over quantity thing. My body felt tired most of the week as I was recovering from a head cold, and this plus the speedwork on Wednesday may have contributed to my calf issue. I feeling good now, so as long as my calf cooperates, I want to pack on some miles for the upcoming week.
Weekly Total: 41 miles
Last Week: 59 miles
Year to Date: 213 miles
Monday, January 16, 2012
Weekly Log 1-16-12 to 1-22-12
Monday: 9 miles - Gravelly Hill trail run with Narragansett runners and Jeff and Muddy. Mike invited us to run with his group today. We met at Tuckertown Park at 8:30AM in the 12 degree weather. Lot's of people showed up despite this. I ran up front but behind Jeff and a barefoot runner (wearing primitive sandals) who was familiar with the trails. Muddy and I let them run ahead and kept the pace moderate. This was the plan until two fast guys went by (Glenn and Kevin) and I was motivated to stick with them. At an intersection the barefoot runner stopped to wait for the rest of the group and told us to keep going. I took the lead as I was the only one who knew the trail. I felt pressure to keep up a good pace, and attacked the hills (which are numerous). I began chatting with Kevin which kept me distracted the rest of the time. I felt in my element today and it was fun running with some fast local runners. Total time: 66 minutes.
Tuesday: 10 miles - Rome Point trails and beach alone. I wasn't super motivated to get out there this afternoon knowing that it was going to be messy wherever I ran, but I dragged myself down to Rome. I wore my trail shoes and accepted that I would get my feet wet. The trails were muddy, with puddles from the rain and melting snow. I set out to run my standard 11. When I reached the beach, the tide was very high, and I opted to just run through the tidal stream. I then got my legs soaked by an incoming wave trying to skirt around some rocks. It also began to rain which added to my sogginess. After turning around, I again got drenched by a wave and then ran through the tidal stream. Back in the woods, I decided to cut my run a little short. I changed things up, but when it I finished it was still an honest 10 - total time: 1:16:01.
Wednesday: 10 miles - Ryan Park trails with 2x(6x40sec) workout with 50-60sec rest. I really wanted to meet up with Muddy, Jeff, and Mike at CHS for a track workout, but my schedule at work didn't allow for it. I thought about doing my normal workout on the Quonset Bike Path, but decided it would be too windy there. Plan C was to run in the relative shelter of the woods at Ryan Park and throw in a workout on the flat, mostly even trestle trail section. My brother Greg suggested I do 200's for my next workout, so I went with the idea of sprinting 40 seconds and then recovering for a about a minute (which seemed too long so the second set I went with 50 seconds). I ran a two mile warm up and then got to work. I think I was achieving the goal of a good sustained effort, but not going all out. After a set of 6, I then ran the three mile loop around the fields, before doing the second set. I then ran another 2 miles for a cool down. This workout was fun, and easy to incorporate into my Ryan Park routine. The wind was only an issue in a few exposed spots. The biggest obstacle was the large number of people out walking the trails today - I couldn't believe it - but it was nice to see on such a chilly day. Total time: 1:13.
Thursday: 9 miles - Calf Pasture Point roads, trails, and beach alone. Almost perfect weather (a little more wind than I thought) for this leisurely run. I felt sleepy today, but I had enough energy to enjoy this run. I found a new interesting single track trail in the woods and wondered if Mike had anything to do with it. On the beach, I got to watch a duck hunter set up his decoys, but didn't get the chance to see him shoot the brant that are always there. Lot's of waterfowl in the coves - I need to run with my small pair of binoculars on easy days like these. Total time: 66:04.
Friday: 5 miles - Rome Point trails alone. Classic winter run today. I got to put on the Yaktrax for the first time this year (after wearing them 100 times last winter) thanks to the 1" of crusty icy snow on the trails. I wasn't looking for many miles, just fun ones. The weather was fantastic - 30 and sunny. I just crisscrossed the park, hitting the hill three times. I had to stop for a cross country skier which may have been a first. Total time: 38:09.
Saturday: 16 miles - Burlingame snowy trails with Muddy, Mike, and Aaron. I wasn't sure about the driving to and from the picnic area, but I knew the running would be a blast. We met up at 7AM - it was snowing and chilly (high teens). We ran to the campground and then Mike showed us the course (2 laps) for the upcoming Brrrlingame 15K in February. The single track trails around the campground were new to me - rolling and twisting fun. The campground itself is still confusing, but maybe the snow had something to do with it. We then headed out clockwise on the Vin Gormley Trail. The snow was slowly accumulating on the ground. It's funny to run over sections that I know are full of roots and rocks that aren't visible. Eventually we took the Sammy C series of trails. I needed to get back home so I left the group and returned to my car. Total time 2 hours 15 minutes. I ran with my Yaktrax and had good traction throughout the run. My only issue is that early on I rolled my bad ankle and then proceeded to roll it five more times. This made me run rather conservatively at times. The other issue was the snow seemed to be in our eyes no matter which direction we were heading. My ride back home was a little dicey and then I spent the rest of the day playing in the snow with the family.
Sunday: 0 - I guess it's okay to take a day off once a week. I spent a couple of hours in the morning shoveling and stacking wood for some decent cross training.
Weekly Total: 59 miles
Last Week: 48 miles
Year to Date: 172 miles
Tuesday: 10 miles - Rome Point trails and beach alone. I wasn't super motivated to get out there this afternoon knowing that it was going to be messy wherever I ran, but I dragged myself down to Rome. I wore my trail shoes and accepted that I would get my feet wet. The trails were muddy, with puddles from the rain and melting snow. I set out to run my standard 11. When I reached the beach, the tide was very high, and I opted to just run through the tidal stream. I then got my legs soaked by an incoming wave trying to skirt around some rocks. It also began to rain which added to my sogginess. After turning around, I again got drenched by a wave and then ran through the tidal stream. Back in the woods, I decided to cut my run a little short. I changed things up, but when it I finished it was still an honest 10 - total time: 1:16:01.
Wednesday: 10 miles - Ryan Park trails with 2x(6x40sec) workout with 50-60sec rest. I really wanted to meet up with Muddy, Jeff, and Mike at CHS for a track workout, but my schedule at work didn't allow for it. I thought about doing my normal workout on the Quonset Bike Path, but decided it would be too windy there. Plan C was to run in the relative shelter of the woods at Ryan Park and throw in a workout on the flat, mostly even trestle trail section. My brother Greg suggested I do 200's for my next workout, so I went with the idea of sprinting 40 seconds and then recovering for a about a minute (which seemed too long so the second set I went with 50 seconds). I ran a two mile warm up and then got to work. I think I was achieving the goal of a good sustained effort, but not going all out. After a set of 6, I then ran the three mile loop around the fields, before doing the second set. I then ran another 2 miles for a cool down. This workout was fun, and easy to incorporate into my Ryan Park routine. The wind was only an issue in a few exposed spots. The biggest obstacle was the large number of people out walking the trails today - I couldn't believe it - but it was nice to see on such a chilly day. Total time: 1:13.
Thursday: 9 miles - Calf Pasture Point roads, trails, and beach alone. Almost perfect weather (a little more wind than I thought) for this leisurely run. I felt sleepy today, but I had enough energy to enjoy this run. I found a new interesting single track trail in the woods and wondered if Mike had anything to do with it. On the beach, I got to watch a duck hunter set up his decoys, but didn't get the chance to see him shoot the brant that are always there. Lot's of waterfowl in the coves - I need to run with my small pair of binoculars on easy days like these. Total time: 66:04.
Friday: 5 miles - Rome Point trails alone. Classic winter run today. I got to put on the Yaktrax for the first time this year (after wearing them 100 times last winter) thanks to the 1" of crusty icy snow on the trails. I wasn't looking for many miles, just fun ones. The weather was fantastic - 30 and sunny. I just crisscrossed the park, hitting the hill three times. I had to stop for a cross country skier which may have been a first. Total time: 38:09.
Saturday: 16 miles - Burlingame snowy trails with Muddy, Mike, and Aaron. I wasn't sure about the driving to and from the picnic area, but I knew the running would be a blast. We met up at 7AM - it was snowing and chilly (high teens). We ran to the campground and then Mike showed us the course (2 laps) for the upcoming Brrrlingame 15K in February. The single track trails around the campground were new to me - rolling and twisting fun. The campground itself is still confusing, but maybe the snow had something to do with it. We then headed out clockwise on the Vin Gormley Trail. The snow was slowly accumulating on the ground. It's funny to run over sections that I know are full of roots and rocks that aren't visible. Eventually we took the Sammy C series of trails. I needed to get back home so I left the group and returned to my car. Total time 2 hours 15 minutes. I ran with my Yaktrax and had good traction throughout the run. My only issue is that early on I rolled my bad ankle and then proceeded to roll it five more times. This made me run rather conservatively at times. The other issue was the snow seemed to be in our eyes no matter which direction we were heading. My ride back home was a little dicey and then I spent the rest of the day playing in the snow with the family.
Sunday: 0 - I guess it's okay to take a day off once a week. I spent a couple of hours in the morning shoveling and stacking wood for some decent cross training.
Weekly Total: 59 miles
Last Week: 48 miles
Year to Date: 172 miles
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Weekly Log 1-9-12 to 1-15-12
Monday: 7 miles - Rome Point trails alone. My legs felt tired for the first time this year, and this run was just an easy effort to mostly get outside and clear my mind. Rome Point is hopping this time of year with seal peepers. I've had fun mixing up my usual routine by zigzagging on the loneliest single track and running on the beach. The tide was extremely low thanks to the full moon. Fun run. 56 minutes.
Tuesday: 7 miles - Ryan Park trails with Dan. We parked at the athletic fields so that we could run the upcoming 10K course. My legs were tired again, and we kept the pace on the slow side. I enjoyed the company and the nice weather, but I turned my bad ankle early on and tried to baby it the rest of the way. Total time: 55:21.
Wednesday: 10 miles - track workout at CHS with Muddy and Galoob. I was able to get in a late afternoon run with these guys. The track was full of high school athletes and we asked Coach H permission to run, which was enthusiastically granted. Muddy and I decided to do the Boj workout from two weeks ago - 1x1600, 2x800, 4x400. Mike went out strong and made the mile look effortless. I was behind Muddy by a few seconds most of the way, but felt like I was moving well. I guess I was since I ran 5:27 which is new PR by 9 seconds. Muddy ran a 5:18! We can only speculate how fast Mike's mile was, but he finished way before us. We ran a two lap recovery, and then began the 800's. Again, Mike was making it look easy as I struggled around the track. It paid off as I ran a 2:43 (workout PR) and 2:48. Mike was running short on time so he did the first 400 with us, a 200 on his own, then left. Muddy and I finished the 400's as darkness crept in. My times: 78, 78, 79, 77. Overall, my times were slightly faster than two weeks ago. I obviously overdid the mile, but it's my favorite. The 400's felt easier this time. By the time I was finishing my cooldown, I began to feel woozy and hungry. I don't know if this is considered bonking or not.
Thursday: 0 - I needed a day off and the rain helped me stick to it.
Friday: 8 miles - Ryan Park trails with Gip. It was good to have a partner out there today. We got out early enough that the temperature was okay (40's), but the winds were howling. We ran the new 3 mile loop (with one detour around a giant puddle/pond) and then turned around and ran it in reverse. Total time 44 minutes. I then headed down through the woods on the straight trestle trail at a decent clip for one mile (7 minutes), and then ran back at a faster pace (6:20). I had planned on a couple more miles today, but it made sense to stop with the crazy weather and the long early morning run tomorrow.
Saturday: 16 miles - Pawcatuck roads and Barn Island trails with Jeff and Muddy. We met at the YMCA in downtown Westerly at 6AM on a chilly morning (mid 20's and windy). Jeff was the course designer today and it was a fun one. We ran through downtown Westerly and Pawcatuck before using residential roads to connect to the trails at Barn Island. I was really impressed with the variety and quantity of trails here. There were plenty of single track in woods plus wider lanes through large marshes. On a warmer day, I can imagine this place is full of wildlife. I was a little wary of the trigger happy duck hunters we ran into. I don't think you're supposed to just be firing your gun over and over again for 30 minutes. Jeff mixed in some hills as we worked our way back along the river. I felt stronger today than previous long runs. The pace may have been a little less aggressive or I just had less miles on my legs this week. Total time: 2:01:29.
Sunday: 0 - family trip to the RISD Museum in Providence and lunch at Olga's. Despite the frigid temperature we got outside to play tag in the yard.
Overall: Kind of a light week, but the track workout and long run were excellent.
Weekly Total: 48 miles
Last Week: 65 miles
Year to Date: 113 miles
Last Year: 2501 miles
Tuesday: 7 miles - Ryan Park trails with Dan. We parked at the athletic fields so that we could run the upcoming 10K course. My legs were tired again, and we kept the pace on the slow side. I enjoyed the company and the nice weather, but I turned my bad ankle early on and tried to baby it the rest of the way. Total time: 55:21.
Wednesday: 10 miles - track workout at CHS with Muddy and Galoob. I was able to get in a late afternoon run with these guys. The track was full of high school athletes and we asked Coach H permission to run, which was enthusiastically granted. Muddy and I decided to do the Boj workout from two weeks ago - 1x1600, 2x800, 4x400. Mike went out strong and made the mile look effortless. I was behind Muddy by a few seconds most of the way, but felt like I was moving well. I guess I was since I ran 5:27 which is new PR by 9 seconds. Muddy ran a 5:18! We can only speculate how fast Mike's mile was, but he finished way before us. We ran a two lap recovery, and then began the 800's. Again, Mike was making it look easy as I struggled around the track. It paid off as I ran a 2:43 (workout PR) and 2:48. Mike was running short on time so he did the first 400 with us, a 200 on his own, then left. Muddy and I finished the 400's as darkness crept in. My times: 78, 78, 79, 77. Overall, my times were slightly faster than two weeks ago. I obviously overdid the mile, but it's my favorite. The 400's felt easier this time. By the time I was finishing my cooldown, I began to feel woozy and hungry. I don't know if this is considered bonking or not.
Thursday: 0 - I needed a day off and the rain helped me stick to it.
Friday: 8 miles - Ryan Park trails with Gip. It was good to have a partner out there today. We got out early enough that the temperature was okay (40's), but the winds were howling. We ran the new 3 mile loop (with one detour around a giant puddle/pond) and then turned around and ran it in reverse. Total time 44 minutes. I then headed down through the woods on the straight trestle trail at a decent clip for one mile (7 minutes), and then ran back at a faster pace (6:20). I had planned on a couple more miles today, but it made sense to stop with the crazy weather and the long early morning run tomorrow.
Saturday: 16 miles - Pawcatuck roads and Barn Island trails with Jeff and Muddy. We met at the YMCA in downtown Westerly at 6AM on a chilly morning (mid 20's and windy). Jeff was the course designer today and it was a fun one. We ran through downtown Westerly and Pawcatuck before using residential roads to connect to the trails at Barn Island. I was really impressed with the variety and quantity of trails here. There were plenty of single track in woods plus wider lanes through large marshes. On a warmer day, I can imagine this place is full of wildlife. I was a little wary of the trigger happy duck hunters we ran into. I don't think you're supposed to just be firing your gun over and over again for 30 minutes. Jeff mixed in some hills as we worked our way back along the river. I felt stronger today than previous long runs. The pace may have been a little less aggressive or I just had less miles on my legs this week. Total time: 2:01:29.
Sunday: 0 - family trip to the RISD Museum in Providence and lunch at Olga's. Despite the frigid temperature we got outside to play tag in the yard.
Overall: Kind of a light week, but the track workout and long run were excellent.
Weekly Total: 48 miles
Last Week: 65 miles
Year to Date: 113 miles
Last Year: 2501 miles
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Resolution Beach & Trail 5K
On Saturday, I ran the 2nd winter trail race of the new South County 4th Season Trail Series. I had a much different mentality going into this race than the first, where I was very aggressive on the technical single track course, and not knowing who would show up, felt like I had an outside shot at winning if I could get to the trails first. For this race, I knew what sort of competition I would likely face (especially from my teammates and running partners Jeff & Justin), and figured I would finish in a similar position as last time (7th). I didn't scout the course ahead of time, but Mike (the director) told me it was flat and fast. This time I wanted to go out slower, and see if I could get stronger as the race went on.
My dad and I arrived at Scarborough Beach at 11AM. It was very warm (in fact record breaking), but at the beach there was a strong SW making it interesting. We met up with the other WTAC runners as they arrived and then I ran the course as a warm up with Justin, Jeff, and Steve. The course was extremely scenic and in great shape for a fast race. The top 3 finishers from the first race were not in attendance, but there were plenty of new fast looking runners in the crowd, many in team garb. Team racing is fantastic fun!
I lined up on the line and waited for the siren. I tried not to sprint, but found myself in 3rd position. I backed off, trying to save myself for later. Many people began passing me. The field we were running through was pleasant enough at first - especially when we had to hurdle two small fences. But my enthusiasm quickly faded as the thick wet grass slowed me down. As we exited the field and dropped down to the beach, I guessed I was in 20th place and not happy with myself.
On the beach, I settled into a good pace. I was a few seconds behind Justin and Jeff and thought about moving up to them, but I was going as fast as I dared. I passed a few runners and clocked in a 6:11 first mile. Soon after, the course veered away from the hard packed beach and crossed over the dunes to a trail. I wasn't worried about anybody behind me, and was focused on the runner ahead of me (Jason S.). I caught him on the brief uphill road section before entering the main trail of the Black Point fishing area. The trail is level with a couple of downhill sections. I pushed hard enough to put some distance on Jason, but had some work to do to catch the next runner in front of me. I was disappointed with my second mile split of 6:35. The course then wound through an old stone house and back through the dunes before spilling out onto the beach.
The wind was strong. I might have slowed down, but I knew I was gaining on the guy in front of me. I passed him, but then had 3/4 of mile left to run with no one near me. At least I could see my teammates pass some other runners way up ahead of me. I finished in 19:58, good enough for 8th place. I was happy to find out that WTAC was able to finish in first place again. I met a local runner who ran the Pisgah Mountain 23K this past September. I waited for my dad to finish and then headed to my car for more clothes. Justin, Jeff, and I ran the course again as a cooldown, and made it back in time for the awards/raffle.
Overall, I really enjoyed this race. I like being part of a team and competing against other teams. I'm not completely satisfied with my performance, and finishing so far behind Jeff and Justin will motivate me going forward. Bring on the 10K!
My dad and I arrived at Scarborough Beach at 11AM. It was very warm (in fact record breaking), but at the beach there was a strong SW making it interesting. We met up with the other WTAC runners as they arrived and then I ran the course as a warm up with Justin, Jeff, and Steve. The course was extremely scenic and in great shape for a fast race. The top 3 finishers from the first race were not in attendance, but there were plenty of new fast looking runners in the crowd, many in team garb. Team racing is fantastic fun!
I lined up on the line and waited for the siren. I tried not to sprint, but found myself in 3rd position. I backed off, trying to save myself for later. Many people began passing me. The field we were running through was pleasant enough at first - especially when we had to hurdle two small fences. But my enthusiasm quickly faded as the thick wet grass slowed me down. As we exited the field and dropped down to the beach, I guessed I was in 20th place and not happy with myself.
On the beach, I settled into a good pace. I was a few seconds behind Justin and Jeff and thought about moving up to them, but I was going as fast as I dared. I passed a few runners and clocked in a 6:11 first mile. Soon after, the course veered away from the hard packed beach and crossed over the dunes to a trail. I wasn't worried about anybody behind me, and was focused on the runner ahead of me (Jason S.). I caught him on the brief uphill road section before entering the main trail of the Black Point fishing area. The trail is level with a couple of downhill sections. I pushed hard enough to put some distance on Jason, but had some work to do to catch the next runner in front of me. I was disappointed with my second mile split of 6:35. The course then wound through an old stone house and back through the dunes before spilling out onto the beach.
The wind was strong. I might have slowed down, but I knew I was gaining on the guy in front of me. I passed him, but then had 3/4 of mile left to run with no one near me. At least I could see my teammates pass some other runners way up ahead of me. I finished in 19:58, good enough for 8th place. I was happy to find out that WTAC was able to finish in first place again. I met a local runner who ran the Pisgah Mountain 23K this past September. I waited for my dad to finish and then headed to my car for more clothes. Justin, Jeff, and I ran the course again as a cooldown, and made it back in time for the awards/raffle.
Overall, I really enjoyed this race. I like being part of a team and competing against other teams. I'm not completely satisfied with my performance, and finishing so far behind Jeff and Justin will motivate me going forward. Bring on the 10K!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Weekly Log 1-2-12 to 1-8-12
Monday: 8.5 miles - Saunderstown hilly roads and Rome Point trails alone. The parking lot at Rome Pt. was overflowing, so I drove down to the park and ride and began my run from there. The temperature was hovering around 40, but the wind on the roads was whipping. I ran the Plum Point Rd hill and then made my way to Rome Pt. and ran different loops around the more obscure single track, hitting the hill 3 times. After exhausting my options there, I hit the road again, and debated tacking on more mileage, but decided to just return to my car. Total time: 61:10. It should be a pretty good mileage week, so I was fine with this amount. This run felt like 9, but it wasn't that fast, so I'll call it 8.5.
Tuesday: 11 miles - Ryan Park trails alone. Chilly (high 20's) and windy, I still opted for shorts and warm gear over my core. This worked well. I ran the new fields loop, then did the usual woods routine. I was surprised to see so many people out walking on this cold day. I repeated the 3 mile field loop for a total time of 1:22:09. This was a nice and easy effort.
Wednesday: 4.5 miles - Ryan Park tempo run with coworker. Plan A was to do a solo speed workout on the Quonset Bike Path. I wasn't planning to go all out as I have a race on Saturday, so I was happy to change my plan and run a fast 4 miles with Tom in Ryan Park. We dropped off his car at the shop and then parked at the upper Oak Hill Rd lot. I thought we could warm up by running through the fields and then making a tempo run out of the 3 mile single track loop. Our warm up ended up being pretty snappy, so I'm not sure it technically qualified as one. Anyway, we ran hard on the single track section near Rte 4. I was hammering the downhills (Jeff W style) and working hard on everything else. On the last steep decline I rolled my right ankle badly - I watched it happen and it was sort of disgusting. I stopped and was in pain. After a minute, we began slowly jogging, and it felt good, although I wasn't sure if it was only because it was so cold out. By the time we made it to the next single track section, I was ready to push the pace again and test it out. It held up really well, and I had a blast sprinting through this narrow, twisty section. We then slowed it down for a nice cooldown before calling it a day. I would have tacked on more miles if I was alone, but not overdoing it at this point makes sense. At work I iced my ankle for a half hour. It is slightly swollen and painful, but I'm optimistic I lucked out. Total time: 32 minutes.
Thursday: 9 miles - Calf Pasture Point beach, trails, and roads alone. I was excited to test my ankle in the "warm" conditions today. I ran a little tentatively on it, but for the most part it was a non-factor. I ran two loops around the beach and trails with an interlude on the Mount View roads grid. My legs feel really fresh, and I'm getting excited for Saturday's race. Total time: 69 minutes.
Friday: 7 miles - Calf Pasture Point beach, trails, and roads alone. I opted to run here again to test my ankle on the beach. Despite being still slightly swollen and black and blue, I had no issues with it today. My plan is to try to forget about it during the race. Mid 50's today and it felt awesome to run in just shorts and a t-shirt. It's funny to think about how easy the 40 miles came to me in the last 5 days. Tomorrow should be fun. Total time: 53:28.
Saturday: 9 miles - Resolution 5K Beach & Trail Race - 8th place - 19:58. Separate write up to follow.
Sunday: 16 miles - long run with Muddy and Jeff @ 6AM. It was my choice of the course today and so I had us meet at the Meadowbrook Pond parking area. It was very dark to start, and we ran the roads to the Carter Preserve. The moon was setting as we began (from Kings Factory Road):
The first section of trails was really tricky with no light. We made our way to the large field and ran around that before hitting the large hill on the power lines. I debated even trying the next 3 miles of trails, but everyone was up for the challenge. Luckily the woods are open and the light slowly emerged. Still Jeff fell twice and Muddy once (although he contends it didn't count as his knee never touched!). They seem to enjoy these trails, so I'm glad we did them. After 66 minutes we emerged on Rte 112. We wound our way through Shannock as Jeff and Muddy reminisced about the good ol' days. They also were unknowingly hammering, or so it felt to me. After enjoying the views from North Road, we turned left and hit the big climb up Shannock Hill. This perked me up and it was mostly downhill or flat for the next two miles. There was one more hill on the roads before we entered Carolina Mgmt Area. Muddy lead us here, and was picking up the pace (he was hungry). We finished through the fields and returned to our cars in 2:05:30. I really liked this run. It was amazing how cold the open valleys were compared to the wooded roads and trails. We just needed a little more light at the start.
Overall: Lot's of miles, but they came easy - my legs never felt sore or tired. I experienced the worst ankle turn of my life, but seemed to escape anything major. The beack 5K was fun and I finished about where I thought I should, but I'm a little humbled about how far behind my teammates I was. I'm looking forward to the Ryan Park 10K at the end of the month.
Weekly Total: 65 miles
Last Week: 41 miles
Year to Date: 65 miles
Last Year: 2501 miles
Tuesday: 11 miles - Ryan Park trails alone. Chilly (high 20's) and windy, I still opted for shorts and warm gear over my core. This worked well. I ran the new fields loop, then did the usual woods routine. I was surprised to see so many people out walking on this cold day. I repeated the 3 mile field loop for a total time of 1:22:09. This was a nice and easy effort.
Wednesday: 4.5 miles - Ryan Park tempo run with coworker. Plan A was to do a solo speed workout on the Quonset Bike Path. I wasn't planning to go all out as I have a race on Saturday, so I was happy to change my plan and run a fast 4 miles with Tom in Ryan Park. We dropped off his car at the shop and then parked at the upper Oak Hill Rd lot. I thought we could warm up by running through the fields and then making a tempo run out of the 3 mile single track loop. Our warm up ended up being pretty snappy, so I'm not sure it technically qualified as one. Anyway, we ran hard on the single track section near Rte 4. I was hammering the downhills (Jeff W style) and working hard on everything else. On the last steep decline I rolled my right ankle badly - I watched it happen and it was sort of disgusting. I stopped and was in pain. After a minute, we began slowly jogging, and it felt good, although I wasn't sure if it was only because it was so cold out. By the time we made it to the next single track section, I was ready to push the pace again and test it out. It held up really well, and I had a blast sprinting through this narrow, twisty section. We then slowed it down for a nice cooldown before calling it a day. I would have tacked on more miles if I was alone, but not overdoing it at this point makes sense. At work I iced my ankle for a half hour. It is slightly swollen and painful, but I'm optimistic I lucked out. Total time: 32 minutes.
Thursday: 9 miles - Calf Pasture Point beach, trails, and roads alone. I was excited to test my ankle in the "warm" conditions today. I ran a little tentatively on it, but for the most part it was a non-factor. I ran two loops around the beach and trails with an interlude on the Mount View roads grid. My legs feel really fresh, and I'm getting excited for Saturday's race. Total time: 69 minutes.
Friday: 7 miles - Calf Pasture Point beach, trails, and roads alone. I opted to run here again to test my ankle on the beach. Despite being still slightly swollen and black and blue, I had no issues with it today. My plan is to try to forget about it during the race. Mid 50's today and it felt awesome to run in just shorts and a t-shirt. It's funny to think about how easy the 40 miles came to me in the last 5 days. Tomorrow should be fun. Total time: 53:28.
Saturday: 9 miles - Resolution 5K Beach & Trail Race - 8th place - 19:58. Separate write up to follow.
Sunday: 16 miles - long run with Muddy and Jeff @ 6AM. It was my choice of the course today and so I had us meet at the Meadowbrook Pond parking area. It was very dark to start, and we ran the roads to the Carter Preserve. The moon was setting as we began (from Kings Factory Road):
The first section of trails was really tricky with no light. We made our way to the large field and ran around that before hitting the large hill on the power lines. I debated even trying the next 3 miles of trails, but everyone was up for the challenge. Luckily the woods are open and the light slowly emerged. Still Jeff fell twice and Muddy once (although he contends it didn't count as his knee never touched!). They seem to enjoy these trails, so I'm glad we did them. After 66 minutes we emerged on Rte 112. We wound our way through Shannock as Jeff and Muddy reminisced about the good ol' days. They also were unknowingly hammering, or so it felt to me. After enjoying the views from North Road, we turned left and hit the big climb up Shannock Hill. This perked me up and it was mostly downhill or flat for the next two miles. There was one more hill on the roads before we entered Carolina Mgmt Area. Muddy lead us here, and was picking up the pace (he was hungry). We finished through the fields and returned to our cars in 2:05:30. I really liked this run. It was amazing how cold the open valleys were compared to the wooded roads and trails. We just needed a little more light at the start.
Overall: Lot's of miles, but they came easy - my legs never felt sore or tired. I experienced the worst ankle turn of my life, but seemed to escape anything major. The beack 5K was fun and I finished about where I thought I should, but I'm a little humbled about how far behind my teammates I was. I'm looking forward to the Ryan Park 10K at the end of the month.
Weekly Total: 65 miles
Last Week: 41 miles
Year to Date: 65 miles
Last Year: 2501 miles
Monday, January 2, 2012
2011 Review, 2012 Goals
2011 was my third consective good year of running. Okay, it wasn't good, it was fantastic. The more I run, the more addicted I get (my wife tells me that there are alot worse things to be addicted to). Once running becomes a daily routine, not running is hard to do. My goal was to run 40 miles a week, and despite the challenging weather to begin the year, I was able to maintain that level until spring, and then the mileage increased from there. I began running hilly roads consistently. I did speedwork on the Quonset bike path most of the year (summer excluded). My normal runs kept getting longer. I did a few really long runs, and completed a brutal trail 50K. Races were hard to come by until the fall. I wasn't happy with my times the couple of races I did run, but I was setting PR's. After the Pisgah Mtn Trail 50K in September, I got in more races, and was happy with every one of them. I even won a small local 5K, on a course that fit my strengths - hills and wind. I began weekly long runs with Muddy and Jeff, and joined the WTAC. I surprised myself with a 18:08 5K and a 37:24 10K. I'm confident I can improve on these in 2012. Here's a look at my stated goals:
Specific
1. 2,000 miles (40 miles per week) - most weeks I should be able to run 40 to 50 miles. There will be a few under 40, and maybe a couple under 30, but I think I can get the average at 40 for the year. CHECK
2. sub 19 minute 5K - I feel that I can make the leap this year to 18. CHECK
3. sub 1:30 half marathon - I think that I could do this tomorrow, but the fact is that I've never run a race at this distance, and if I did, I know I would want to be under this time. NEVER RAN THIS DISTANCE
4. try this local trail triathlon SAME DAY AS A WEDDING
5. do the Elijah tribute as described by my brother Glenn here CHECK
Possible or Possibly Silly
1. run a trail marathon or 50K - I'd like to see how I would do at this distance - maybe do the Pisgah 50K CHECK
2. finish ahead of Bentley just once in a race - this could be the year! FAIL - DAMN HE'S FAST!
3. start a company running team FAIL, BUT JOINED A RUNNING TEAM
4. win that new local triathlon - why not? - I know the trails - I have decent mtn biking experience and can run - need to work on swimming - maybe no one fast will enter it? COULDN'T DO THIS RACE, BUT I WOULD HAVE LOST TO GALOOB FOR SURE.
5. get Nick Cash to follow my blog ACTUALLY I FAILED AT THIS TOO.
Vague
1. enter an interesting race somewhere and make a mini family vacation out of it - maybe in Maine - I've got a couple in mind. NOPE
2. new local epic trail runs CHECK
3. find new places around me to run CHECK
4. stay mentally healthy - keep anxiety in check SO SO
5. keep running fun CHECK
For 2012, I'd like to run 2,500 miles again. I'm not sure I can do much more logistically. I want to run more races, now that my family seems to enjoy going to them. My plan is to run all 5 of the 4th Season trail races this winter. I also hope to contribute to other team races. I want to try the Pisgah 50K again and get under 5 hours. I might try the MDI Marathon. I want to run a 17 minute 5K. I want to continue to PR every time I race. Most importanty, I want to keep running fun.
Specific
1. 2,000 miles (40 miles per week) - most weeks I should be able to run 40 to 50 miles. There will be a few under 40, and maybe a couple under 30, but I think I can get the average at 40 for the year. CHECK
2. sub 19 minute 5K - I feel that I can make the leap this year to 18. CHECK
3. sub 1:30 half marathon - I think that I could do this tomorrow, but the fact is that I've never run a race at this distance, and if I did, I know I would want to be under this time. NEVER RAN THIS DISTANCE
4. try this local trail triathlon SAME DAY AS A WEDDING
5. do the Elijah tribute as described by my brother Glenn here CHECK
Possible or Possibly Silly
1. run a trail marathon or 50K - I'd like to see how I would do at this distance - maybe do the Pisgah 50K CHECK
2. finish ahead of Bentley just once in a race - this could be the year! FAIL - DAMN HE'S FAST!
3. start a company running team FAIL, BUT JOINED A RUNNING TEAM
4. win that new local triathlon - why not? - I know the trails - I have decent mtn biking experience and can run - need to work on swimming - maybe no one fast will enter it? COULDN'T DO THIS RACE, BUT I WOULD HAVE LOST TO GALOOB FOR SURE.
5. get Nick Cash to follow my blog ACTUALLY I FAILED AT THIS TOO.
Vague
1. enter an interesting race somewhere and make a mini family vacation out of it - maybe in Maine - I've got a couple in mind. NOPE
2. new local epic trail runs CHECK
3. find new places around me to run CHECK
4. stay mentally healthy - keep anxiety in check SO SO
5. keep running fun CHECK
For 2012, I'd like to run 2,500 miles again. I'm not sure I can do much more logistically. I want to run more races, now that my family seems to enjoy going to them. My plan is to run all 5 of the 4th Season trail races this winter. I also hope to contribute to other team races. I want to try the Pisgah 50K again and get under 5 hours. I might try the MDI Marathon. I want to run a 17 minute 5K. I want to continue to PR every time I race. Most importanty, I want to keep running fun.
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