Monday: 10 miles - Ryan Park trails alone. I seem to be turning this run into a new routine workout. I began slowly starting from the ballfields, then picked it up on the railbed. I then do an outer and inner loop of awesome trails around the field at an aggressive pace. I finish by almost sprinting the railbed and the remaining technical single track. Total time: 1:11:23. Interesting sighting: a middle-aged couple straight out of a Cialis commercial holding hands and hugging right at the side trail I needed to turn on to, the aptly named P***s Trail (due to some prominent grafitti). Hilarious.
Tuesday: 9.5 miles - Rome Point trails and beach with Dan. My legs were tired, but Dan was fresh after a few days off. I told him I needed about 45 minutes to warm up, and to go whatever pace he wanted. He stuck with me for a while and then opened it up on the hill and beach. We ran into a roadblock at the tidal stream as the tide was extremely high. We decided to keep our feet dry and turn around. As we ran the beach back we noticed a naked man sunbathing facing away from the water. Odd. This lead to lively conversation after we were out of ear-shot. After climbing the hill, I finally loosened up enough to keep up with Dan. We ran at a good pace for the final couple of miles. Total time: 1:10:25.
Wednesday: 9.5 miles - Ryan Park trails with Dan. I spent some time trying to figure out a route that sounded appealing, and decided to park at the upper Oak Hill Rd lot to run some trails and then explore some new roads. Upon arriving at the parking lot, I saw Dan who was just about to head out on a run. I opted to stick with him and just see what he came up with. My legs felt more tired than yesterday so it was nice to go at a very easy pace. We did almost four miles of fun technical singletrack and then headed for the railbed to loop around the pond. The even terrain was welcomed, but my legs were not feeling better. Finally after an hour, I didn't feel as bad, and we finished up the run on more fun trails. Total time: 1:18:xx.
Thursday: 0 - needed rest day. Short hike around Davis Memorial Wildlife Refuge in NK. Brought my binocs, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
Friday: 15 miles - Quonset Bike Path warm up and workout with long Mt. View roads cooldown with some beach mixed in alone. Combination workout/long run that was not planned, but I had the chance to get this in and the weather was fantastic - sunny and 60 degrees. I ran the length of the bike path as a warm up (about 2.5 miles) and then planned on a 4x1 mile at PR 5K pace (5:51). This was sort of based on a workout I read about in Runner's World. They recommended 3x1600 at 5K pace for an upcoming 10K race. I don't have any races planned, but I hope to do a couple of more Red Rooster Rambler 5 Milers soon. As I ran my warm up I was having trouble envisioning doing this workout. I wasn't feeling motivated. But, I willed myself to get it done. Results: 5:49/5:48/5:50/5:50 with 2:30-3:00 minute rests between . Super pleased - I have trouble running fast miles on this bike path and it felt like there was a headwind in every direction. I found myself running the first 800 controlled (all 2:57 or 2:58) and then stepping it up for the second half. I wasn't sure I would do the 4th since I beat my target the first 3. My cooldown began on the bike path and then I crossed over to Fletcher Rd. Once I do that, there's no short way back to my car. My feet were sore and my pace was slow, but I enjoyed myself. Once I reached Calf Pasture Point beach, I decided to run out to the point, but I got stuck at the tidal stream (too high to jump). I turned around and ran the pavement back to my car. Total time: 1:51:13.
Saturday: 3 miles - trail loops around my house with my kids running and watching. This was just a way to get some energy out before a long car ride up to Maine. I ran a loop that included a steep hill, and the trails in general are twisty and technical. I was sweating profusely for the 23 minutes I ran. The afternoon consisted of a trip to a playground in Portland before heading out to Cape Elizabeth for rock hopping, climbing, and skipping, tidepooling, and eating dinner outside at the Lobster Shack.
Sunday: 2 miles in two runs. The first was in the Fore River Sanctuary in Portland. We hiked with our friends in this preserve. I was happy to have my binoculars with me to check out the birds in the marshes (great egret, yellowlegs) and in the forest (hermit? thrushes, palm warblers). The trail was extremely scenic and a good hike for 4 young kids. We made it out to Jewell Falls (more impressive than we anticipated). The problem was that it was hot and the kids were not going to make it back to the car without it being a whiny disaster. So, I got the chance to run back to the car and pick them up at a nearby road. I wasn't dressed that appropriately, but I ran rather fast and it was really fun. The second run was in the dark up Mt Tom in Arcadia for Tim's bachelor party. After eating at and wandering around Mohegan Sun, I was able to talk everybody into going for a walk. Ed and I ran up Mt Tom while the rest walked. I was surprised with how my lungs felt - it was really humid and warm - felt like summer. At the ledges we watched the planets and stars come into view - good looks at Venus and Mars. A little more running on the way down.
Overall: I missed the Clamdigger, but had a really fun weekend with the family and friends. Less miles than normal, but a good week. I'm looking forward to another mid-week family trip to NH.
Weekly Total: 49 miles
Last Week: 60 miles
Year to Date: 815 miles
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