Weekly Log 8-26-13 to 9-1-13

The weather has been feeling very summery so far this week.  I'm excited about my upcoming trail races (Pisgah Mtn Trail 23K and Nipmuck Trail Marathon), and trying to figure out the best way to train for them, or more accurately, if I should be doing anything different than what I currently am doing.  I want to make sure I'm getting enough hillwork and technical trail work in.  I'd like to do long tempos too.  The problem is just fitting these things into the time I have to run every week. 

The fun of ultrasignup.com is checking out the list of entrants and where the computer ranks you.  Here's the Nipmuck as of 8/29/13:

 

Rank	Age Rank	Results	Target	Age	First	Last	City	State	Finishes
91.78%		1	3:43:16	M24	Zack	Price	Landing	NJ
91.66%	95.48%	34	3:43:33	M45	Keith	Schmitt	Durham	NH	3
89.41%	88.13%	14	3:49:11	M38	Jonathan	Hammett	Charlestown	RI
87.94%	88.48%	3	3:53:01	M22	Aidan	Cooper	Sussex	NJ
83.67%	83.34%	8	4:04:54	M35	Seth	Acton	Charlestown	RI	1

 

 

The results are always a bit curious, but fun nonetheless.  The top ranked guy only has one race in the system.  Keith ran 3:34 last year at Nipmuck and I would say the favorite of the people registered so far.  I'd like to be faster than my target time above, but being a newbie, I'm not sure what time is realistic for me.  Anyway, on to the weekly log. 

 

Monday: 8 miles - Ryan Park trails alone.  This was just an easy lunch run on a busy day.  My body is finally feeling better after beating it up playing football and wiffleball on Saturday night.  Total time: 1:02:41. 

 

Tuesday: 9 miles - Saunderstown hilly roads alone.  I was feeling rather good, and since the morning track session was wiped out by rain (lots of it - 3 inches in some places around here), I wanted to do something not so easy today.  I decided to run hills at a decent clip, but not too hard as to compromise tomorrow's speed work.  Mission not accomplished.  It was extremley humid out (later I checked out the dew point - low 70's in NK).  I parked at Rome Point, and ran a loop of roads from there.  I decided to give the Gilbert Stuart Rd climb a good push.  I was able to muster up my 2nd best time, but 15 seconds off of Galoob's record.  I was super gross after this climb and I wished I didn't have a shirt (singlet) on.  I toned down the effort the rest of the way, but had some good climbs:  Snuff Mill Rd, Plum Beach Rd, and Plum Point Rd.  The last one was borderline brutal.  My time was really slow, even though I was working hard.  I ended up running the 9 miles in 1:05:19.  I was using the Strava iphone app to track the run as my Garmin watch was on the fritz.  The GPS seemed a little strange on the phone and I think the run was a little longer. 

 

 

Wednesday: 14 miles on two runs.  In the early morning I met Nate and Galoob at the CCMS track.  My space watch decided to work again after I threatened to smash it to pieces yesterday.  We warmed up for two miles and then had to decided on a workout.  We did 2 sets of 800, 600, 400 with 200 rest, except 600 rest between sets.  It was very muggy out and my legs were feeling yesterday's hills.  This meant I needed to work harder for results I would be okay with.  2:37/1:57/75 2:39/1:57/75 

 

The 800's were faster than the 800's I ran earlier in the month, but the 600's and 400's were slower.  Of course in that workout the recovery was 400 instead of today's 200.  I'll take it.  Group cooldown for a total of 7 miles.  In the early afternoon I headed up to Big River for an easy recovery run on trails.  I did the TNT loop of Lego to Dead Shed to Pump House and back.  My pace was really slow and it was hot out - 85 degrees and humid.  I enjoyed the run however.  Total time: 1:01:46 for 7 miles. 

 

 

Thursday: 9 miles on two runs.  I had a "lunch meeting" with my boss today.  That meant we were going for a run at Rome Point.  Easyish pace. Total time: 43:04 for 5.5 miles.  After work, I was home alone for a little while as Muddy was watching my kids while our wives ran together.  Perfect opportunity to tack on a couple of quality trails miles.  I ran 11.5 laps of my normal home trail loop to get in 3.5 miles.  This is never an easy workout, no matter how hard I'm running.  Mile splits were 8:04/8:02/8:00/4:11.  If I'm running hard they can be as fast as 7:30.  Maybe it's more than a mile. 

Friday: 13 miles - Ryan Park trails with 10K tempo solo.  The plan was for a nice hard trail tempo and with my schedule, the best option was going back to Ryan and running the Belleville Pond Trail 10K course.  I was hoping to be around 40 minutes (maybe just under).  This winter I raced the course in 38:56.  Today's weather was warm and very muggy, so I wasn't going to be surprised by a slower time than planned.  I parked at the high lot and ran the wider trails over to the east side.  After a 3.5 mile plus warm up and a quick stop to stretch/shake out the legs I got to work.  My pace felt pretty good, but it didn't seem as fast as the race back in January.  I was sure the humidity was slowing me down, but I tried to keep an honest effort, even after tiring by the halfway point.  I was super pleased to finish the course in exactly 40:00.  I was sure I was slower, and definitely could have gone harder.  I then dragged my tired body 3+ miles back to my car.  Not easy. 



Saturday: 7 miles - Stoddard NH hilly dirt roads alone.  My pace seemed slow (GPS issues?) but the hills are legit (steep/long). 



We then decided to go for a family hike despite the sketchy weather.  It ended up not raining, but there wasn't good visibility at the top of the mountain we did. 

Sunday: 5 miles - Stoddard, NH dirt roads with my wife.  A nice easy stroll around the neighborhood which always includes some hills. 




Overall: A decent mileage week, but I didn't get a long trail run in. 
 

Weekly Total: 65 miles

Last Week: 80 miles

Year to Date: 2129 miles

Odds & Ends: 8-19-13 to 8-25-13

I was able to find a short article online about the 5K I ran up in Maine a couple of weeks ago.  Here's a picture from the finish. 

I've also finalized my fall racing plans.  I decided to jump into the fall marathon game, but keep it on trails rather than pavement.  So I'll be joining fellow WTAC'ers Rhody Seth and Critcherly in the Nipmuck Trail Marathon on October 6th.  I've been doing some marathon type workouts recently and just need to step up my trail work.  I've gotten away from technical trails, so I'll be focusing more on them, but I'll be happy to join others on roads for their marathon training too.  This also means that I'll be doing the Pisgah Mountain 23K instead of the 50K on September 15th.  My goal will be to break 1 hr 40 mins.  Last year I was 1:44.  It can be done, but I had a great race last year, so I need to work hard to drop that much more time.  I'm pumped to run both races. 

On to the weekly log.  Back to work week. 

Monday: 10+ miles on 2 runs.  I awoke early (anxious about going back to work) so I ran 5 miles from my house to relax, which worked like a charm.  I ran the roads (paved and dirt) to Schoolhouse Pond and back.  Felt good. 



Work wasn't as bad as I feared, and I was able to take a shorter than normal lunch break to run.  I ran the fun stuff on the west side of Ryan Park.  It was a bit warm (low 80's). 



Tuesday: 13 miles on 2 runs.  I again woke up early and decided to do some technical trail work.  This time I ran on my property, making a long loop (about 3/4 mile) that included two steep wall climbs per lap.  One was about 40-50' off my deck and the other was the 100' Shumankawall - hands may be required.  I did four loops and they were grueling, despite my overall slow pace.  Really good Pisgah and Nipmuck training.  Total time: 28:23 for 3 miles.  In the afternoon, I drove up to Big River and ran from the Hopkins Hill Rd lot.  I wanted to get some of my KOM's back that were recently taken from me while I was on vacation.  My legs proved to be a little too tired for any really speedy stuff, so I just ran the trails I wanted to run - mostly around the ponds.  I did push the pace on Foster's Folly Up and posted the fastest time (soft record).  I was feeling tired by the time I reached Tarbox Pond so I ran the road back up to the parking lot, thinking there was a Strava segment for it and I've never run it before.  It was a good climb.  Fun loop. 



Wednesday: 7 miles on 2 runs.  I woke up to sore hips and legs.  I think Shumankawall did me in.  I was hoping to feel good for the Westerly Fun Run mile tonight.  I didn't even think I would run at all, but I went to the Quonset bike path for some easy running to test things out.  First, it was hot (90 degrees), but not humid.  My legs and hips felt trashed, but my pace wasn't horrible, and the flat quiet path was rather soothing.  Then after 2 miles my watch announced that it had lost satellite communication.  I kept running, thinking that since it was clear out, the watch would quickly find them again.  No dice.  Whatever.  I was happy to get in this shakeout run (5 miles in 35:50).  At night, I ran the Westerly Fun Run mile.  My legs felt okay on the kids run (with my daughter) and I did a couple of strides before the mile.  I wasn't sure what to expect.  The start was super fast.  I was in 4th right away and remained there.  I thought about dropping out early on, but decided to stick with it.  As I neared the last 1/4 mile, I thought that I could at least pick up my pace.  Nope.  Ended up with 5:20 I think.  It was more fun to watch other teammates and friends finish their miles.  I walked until I saw my dad and son, and then jogged it in with them.  Awards ceremony after for the kids. 

Thursday: 10.5 miles - Rome Point trails and beach alone.   I went much longer than I thought.  It looked like I would be rained out, but then I decided to just go anyway, and hope I beat the heavy stuff.  It never was anything more than light rain, and my beat up legs felt pretty decent the entire way.  I followed my old course, which I liked. 




Friday: 16.5 miles - Wickford roads (7M) & Ryan Park trails (9.5M) alone.  Work was quiet and the weather was really nice.  I decided to start from the office and wander around for a while.  I knew I would spend some time in Ryan, but made up the course as I went along.  I made the last minute decision to not carry water with me.  It was pretty hot in the sun and I did get thirsty.  I also wore a shirt from the office and left it on the first few miles on roads.  This made me hotter than usual.  My legs felt weird at the beginning, but the soreness from mile trials and Shumankawall are wearing off.  My pace felt easy and was about 7:15 on the roads.  My legs never got that tired which was encouraging.  Good run. 



Saturday: 8 miles - early morning track workout solo.  Stole this workout from Greg - 4x(400,200,200) with 200 recoveries.  I originally wanted to do a Aussie Quarters or 13x200 workout with fast recoveries, but I'll save that for another time.  I was just happy that my legs continue to feel better, even after yesterday's long run.  The conditions were awesome: 52-54 degrees, sunny, no wind, no humans.  I did a 2 mile warm up and felt pretty good, but the workout was much harder than I thought.  My times were kind of mediocre and I had to work hard for them.  It was tempting to take a longer recovery between sets, but I stuck with just a 200 each time.  Not easy.  I'm assuming my splits would have been faster if my legs were fresher.  Results: 76/34/34/74/35/35/75/34/34/76/35/34
Mile and a half cooldown.  After an awesome day spent at Misquamicut beach with friends, we then went to a nearby block party at night.  I got to tire my arm out by throwing a football and then playing adults versus kids whiffle ball.  My wife and kids decided to join a few others in camping out, so I need to find my own way home.  I ended up running the near mile back to the house in the dark with my sandals.  I did have a headlamp so I wasn't completely unprepared. 

 Sunday: 15 miles - Burlingame trails alone.  I needed to wake up early to get a decent run in before my wife had to leave for the day at 8AM.  It wasn't easy waking up at 5:40AM, but I managed to get my act together and begin running at six.  I carried a small handheld with a GU, but I almost threw it into the woods when I fell 15 minutes into my run.  I felt unbalanced carrying it.  I ran the mile plus of roads and then jumped onto Sammy C's and ran that south.  I scared a small coyote off the trail at one point.  I was happier to encounter the coyote then the two large "friendly" unleashed dogs a mile or so later.  I poked my neck on a branch avoiding one of their happy jumps at me.  Fun.  I decided to head around the campground.  I realized I might be pushing my luck on time, so I improvised by running some trails around the campground and some camp roads.  I was a little confused, but it worked out just right as I found the bog bridge section of the North South Trail.  I then followed Vin Gormley CW until crossing Buckeye Brook Rd and running the north side.  These hilly old dirt roads mimic some of the stuff in Pisgah.  I was cruising along pretty good, knowing I was going to be pushing my 8AM required finish time.  This was a good loop and my legs keep feeling better and better (despite the 80 mile week!). 




Weekly Total: 80 miles
Last Week: 61 miles
Year to Date: 2064 miles

Vacation Week #2: 8-12-13 to 8-18-13

The second week of vacation was spent in Maine the first three days, and then in RI for the balance.  We had two big birthday parties for my kids - one Friday evening at the beach with friends, and a family party on Sunday.  There was a lot of planning/coordinating going on, and running was not the focus of my time.  I still got out there when I could. 

Monday:  8 miles - Hancock/Lamoine roads (3 miles dirt) alone.  This morning my legs were finally feeling heavy from the race on Saturday.  It took me a while to get going. 



Later in the day, we did our traditional Day Mountain hike with family and friends.  The kids led the way up and down the mountain this year! 



Tuesday: 10 miles - Hancock hill/tempo workout in the early morning.  I ran up to the busy Rte 1 to run a long hill a couple of times.  The shoulder is wide, so I just tried to tune out the traffic.  I began the climb after three miles.  The grade felt easier than it looked, until I neared the top and felt a little woozy.  I kept running as it flattened out and then turned around and did it again.  The hill was 135' in .6 miles (4.6% average grade).  I ran them at 6:34 and 6:41 pace.  I then kept up a good effort on the three miles back to the house.  Total time: 1:06:14 - 6:36 average pace. 



My son and I got dropped off to hike together as the rest of the family was tired of hiking later in the day.  We hiked up the Asticou Terrace to Eliot Mountain and then continued on to the Jordan Pond House where we met up with everyone for tea & popovers (and soup).  Super fun and delicious.  Lobsters back at the house later at night. 



Wednesday: 6 miles - Hancock/Lamoine roads in the early morning.  My legs felt horrible and I looked exhausted before I even started this run.  I'd been reading a book about the race to the first sub 4 minute mile and was determined to run a fast road mile before I had to go home (which was this day).  The prospects for a good time looked dim as I struggled on my dirt road warm up.  Still I gave the flat (slightly downhill) mile a decent effort.  Sprinting this distance is no longer daunting which is a good feeling.  I did the Mud Creek (Road) Mile in 5:16.  I immediately dropped my pace considerably as I jogged back. 



We drove home the rest of the day, first stopping in Ellsworth for shopping and lunch, and then again in the Portland area for dinner at our friends house (also stopped at the DeLorme Map Store). 

Thursday: 9 miles - Local roads to and from the Carter Preserve trails.  This was chore day, and I waited for my chance to run, which came in the afternoon.  It felt warm in the sun and I ran roads from my house to the powerline in Carter.  Despite heavy legs, I felt obligated to give the new Grassland Mile Strava segment a good push.  Running on the thick grass around the field was not easy, but I managed a 5:38.  I then took the long (and more hilly) way home. 



Friday: 15 miles - South County Bike Path MP training with Muddy.  I contacted Muddy the day before to see what he had planned, and I decided to jump into his marathon training workout in the morning.  He told me 10-12 miles with 5-6 at marathon pace (6:25ish).  This turned into 15 miles with 9 miles at about 6:20 pace.  The pace felt easy enough as we were able to talk the entire time.  Even the last two "cooldown" miles were still peppy.  Fun workout.  Total time: 1:41:08 - 6:44 average pace. 



Saturday: 3 miles - 9xhome trail loops in the late morning alone.  This is all I had time for.  I need to do more trail work, so I'll be doing this more often.  Good twisty gnarly trails.  Total time: 25:05. 

Sunday: 10 miles - Carter Preserve trails with Greg and Galoob.  I was going to do another marathon workout with the Davenport clan in Westerly, but it was evident on Saturday that my legs were toast.  My brother ended up driving down Saturday night, so I was going to see if he wanted to run trails with me.  Then Mike asked me what I was running and it worked out to meet him at Carter Preserve for ten miles (he was biking to/from there).  The three of us had a blast running the red/blue trails out to the Grassland Mile.  I asked them if they were up to the challenge.  Yes they were.  It is extremely humbling to see how fast and easy they ran this.  I was so far behind.  My pace was faster than on Thursday and I improved my time to 5:28, but Mike ran 4:54 and Greg was a couple of seconds behind him.  We regrouped and ran the mile in reverse to recover.  We then did the powerline hill and took the blue/red/split rock trails back.  Very fun run.  Total time: 1:13:35. 



Overall: So vacation is now over.  It was a blast.  I need to figure out what my early fall racing plans are going to be, and try to focus my training on them. 

Weekly Total: 61 miles
Last Week: 49 miles
Year to Date: 1984 miles

Vacation Week #1: 8-5-13 to 8-11-13

This week was mostly spent up in Maine with my wife's family and friends.  As the days are filled with hiking/swimming/exploring/eating/relaxing there isn't alot of time for running.  I snuck in some early morning runs when I could and even ran a race! 

Monday: 14 miles on two runs.  I woke up early and was out the door at 5:30AM to get in a decent run before my wife had to work (her last day before vacation). 



Later in the afternoon I took the kids to the bike path and met my wife there.  I ran with son who was on a bike and she got to scooter with my daughter. 

Tuesday: 8 miles - CHS track workout with Chris and Nate.  I was super pumped to fit this workout in before traveling up to Maine later in the morning.  We did 3800 meters of speedwork for my 38th birthday: 2x800/2x600/2x400/1x200.  The pace was to be 800's at goal 5K pace and go down from there.  It was crazy cold at the start - 47 degrees in Wood River Junction.  It shouldn't be this cold until October.  My body was not adjusted to it and I felt terrible on the first 800 - cold head and lower arms.  I did eventually warm up.  Results: 2:41/2:42/1:53/1:53/71/72/31.  The family then made the drive up to Portland to hang with friends for the night (with an extended lunch stop in Newburyport).

Wednesday: 5 miles - Rocky Pond dirt road loop with Tyson.  We drove to the Dair's camp on Rocky Pond and spent the entire afternoon swimming and hiking.  I then snuck out with Tyson for a fastish run on a loop he and Laura had been running.  Fun stuff and rather hilly. 

 

Thursday: 4 miles - Hancock dirt roads with my wife.  This was just an easy morning run on the pleasant dirt roads around the house we are staying at.  Later in the morning we met up with everyone at the Jordan Pond House in Acadia National Park for a hike.  The rain deterred most, but my family ended up hiking Penobscot Mountain (almost 1000' elevation gain) with Tyson and Laura.  The weather was a little scary at the top, and the hike was rather long for the kids (almost 4 hours), but in the end we were all glad to do it. 



Friday: 0.  Terrible weather.  Very rainy all day.  Didn't feel the need to get in another short filler run.  We spent the day exploring Blue Hill and Deer Isle. 

Saturday: 8 miles - Schoodic Point 5K - 2nd overall (lost by one second) - 17:06 (15 second PR).  The day's schedule lined up nicely for me to drive up to Winter Harbor for their Lobster Festival race in the morning.  I almost ran this race last year.  The course is an out an back, mostly on the scenic ocean highway in the National Park.  Previous years results showed decent random competition (depends on who is vacationing when apparently).  I arrived early and was happy that the clouds and fog had lifted and the sun was shining.  It was rather humid still as I found out on my warm up.  I ran the course and noted that it was a gradual uphill until the halfway point (a cone turnaround - yuck!) and then downhill until the last 1/4 mile (gradual uphill).  My legs felt fantastic thanks to the light workload, but I wasn't sure how much the humidity would play into things.  I noticed some fast looking dudes near the start area and then a super fit and fast guy sprinting to the starting line right before the gun.  I guessed I could finish top 5, but not top 3.  When the race began, I was surprised that no one took it out fast, and even more surprised that I was leading.  Finally the super fast looking guy jogged by me after a 1/4 mile.  I could hear footsteps behind me, but no one was breathing down my neck during the first mile.  The leader kept looking back and seemed pretty nonchalant.  5:20 first mile - fast but I'll take it.  I didn't feel like I overdid it.  The next half mile was uphill to the cone.  A guy in a red singlet moved along side of me near the turnaround.  I tried to make a wide turn to keep my momentum, but it didn't work.  I decided to grab a water and pour it over my head since I was working hard and very sweaty.  I moved back up to red singlet's side.  The leader was now running on the grass on the side of the road and eventually we went by him.  Mile 2 was 5:39 - not too slow.  The guy in red made a few surges the last mile, but would then seem to slow down and I would catch back up and pass.  I was leading with a 1/3 mile left.  I was feeling hot and tired, and wasn't sure when to sprint (if I could).  I was passed at about the 3 mile mark one final time (5:31 3rd mile).  I didn't have the fight or speed to catch him this time.  I couldn't muster up the sprint I wanted - in hindsight I wish I just willed myself to do this, I think I didn't push myself hard enough.  I finished a step behind in 17:06.  I was pumped to PR, especially on a summer day.  I think I'm just a cool day away from sub 17.  Post race I chatted with the winner Matt - a local "kid" (25) from Ellsworth Maine.  It was his PR as well.  We ran a cool down together until I met up with my ride (father-in-law) back to the vacation house.  The rest of the day was spent at Rocky Pond for more swimming/kayaking/hiking. 




Sunday: 10 miles - Hancock/Lamoine roads (some dirt) alone in the early morning.  A very pleasant morning on scenic roads and the legs still feeling rather fresh despite the race. 



Later in the morning we went back to Schoodic Point for rockhopping/tidepooling before doing our traditional hike of the Anvil Trail to Schoodic Head. 



Weekly Total: 49 miles
Last Week: 67 miles
Year to Date: 1923 miles

Weekly Log 7-29-13 to 8-4-13

This should be a lower mileage week as I will be racing on Sunday - the Run4Kerri race in Matunuck, RI.  The competition is insane and it's a big field.  I've never done a 4 mile race so I'm guaranteed a PR.  I'm hoping the nice weather (forecasted anyway) and fast field will propel me to a good time (good meaning fast, but happy as well I guess). 

Monday: 9+ miles - Ryan Park trails alone.  I really mixed up the routine by running around the athletic fields and surrounding woods before heading up the road to the west side trails.  It didn't seem that hot out, but the humidity really was pretty bad judging by how wet and heavy my shorts got during the run.  I can feel the seasonal transition in the fields and powerlines now.  The best running weather is around the corner.  Total time - 1:14:18. 



Tuesday: 15 miles in two runs.  I met Muddy at the CHS track at 5:45AM.  He's in marathon training mode and I ran his workout with him.  The plan was 800's at goal marathon finish time (marathon hours/minutes equals 800 minutes/seconds.  Eventually this workout will get up to 10 reps, but today we did 6.  My legs seemed a little heavy from Sunday's long run/workout, but the weather was incredibly awesome - 59/60 degrees, calm wind, not humid.  After the normal two mile warm up we got to work.  The target was 2:47.  We both had space watches so it wasn't obvious how each rep was going until we finished it.  We nailed the first 3, somehow ran the 4th five seconds too fast, and nailed the 5th.  I was feeling really good today.  Better than I can remember for a workout in a very long time.  I asked Muddy if he wanted to go for 8 reps, but he was satisfied with 6.  I decided to stick with 6 and just push the last one.  I increased my pace as I went along and finished with a 2:32.  I still felt like I had more to give after.  Just a great day.  Results: 2:47/2:47/2:46/2:42/2:47/2:32 

In the afternoon I drove up to Big River for my usual post workout double (one hour).  I decided to run a loop that some of the TNT guys do (Scott M and Bob J) and that they had recently created as a Strava segment.  They run in it in the mid 50's so it seemed perfect.  As I began, I was not experiencing the usual post workout dead legs.  I was feeling pretty good and the weather was still spectacular (high 70's, no humidity).  I began on the twisty Lego trail and was moving a good pace.  I then got it in my head to keep it up and go for the course record.  The idea didn't seem so great by the time I was 20 minutes in, but I was committed to it, so I saw it through.  I finished up Lego (not as fast as I thought) and continued onto Dead Shed.  I regained confidence by the end of that trail and pushed the easier terrain on Pump House and the wide New London Turnpike back to my car.  I ended up with the course record and two workouts on the day. 



Wednesday:  14 miles on two runs.  I woke up really early and thought about running, but my legs felt like junk after yesterday's big day.  The weather was perfect again, so I needed to go out on my lunch break.  I opted for some quiet dirt and paved roads in the Exeter and South Kingstown.  I parked at the Queens River Preserve on School Land Woods Rd, and made a loop out of Mail, Glen Rock, Dugway Bridge, Jingle Valley, and Kingston roads.  The roads were almost completely shaded and very scenic.  A few speeding cars to deal with on Mail Rd and the short Rte 138 section, otherwise no cars.  My pace felt good, but I was surprised with my finishing time (1:14:22).  I guess that's what a good effort on tired legs feels like.  Still, it was a very pleasant run that I definitely would repeat. 



I finished the first run at 3PM and then ran the Westerly Fun Run at 6PM.  My legs and body were exhausted driving down, and I had no intention of running until after I consumed some caffeine.  Magically I was then up for the challenge.  It was fun catching up with my WTAC teammates before/during/after the run.  I ran the kids race with my daughter and my son ran the mile with my dad.  I did the 5K.  My effort was there, but the speed wasn't.  I ran with Chris the first mile and was able to chat with him running in the high 5's.  Then he moved ahead and I tried to maintain my pace, which wasn't easy.  I had fun chasing down a young guy on the hilly second mile and then ran alone the rest of the way.  Nearing the finish I noticed I still had a shot at going sub 19 minutes so I turned on the jets.  I finished at 19:00.  Chris had a very strong last two miles and ran 17:19. 



Thursday: 7 miles - Big River trails alone.  I ran Tuesday's loop in reverse and much slower.  Trying to let my legs recover before Sunday.  A nice day out in the woods. 




Friday: 8 miles - Ryan Park trails alone.  I debated a zero, but with work being slow and the weather so nice, I just had to run.  I kept it slow again, mostly sticking to the flat wide open paths.  I'm really enjoying the fields and powerline these days. 




Saturday: 4+ miles - Carter Preserve trails with my wife.  The kids had a sleepover with their grandparents so my wife and I were again able to do a morning trail run together.  We did the same loop as last week - Red to Blue to Yellow.  The weather was cool and there were no deer flies.  I think the season for them is officially over.  We returned to the car and noticed someone had left a GU wrapper on the windshield.  Quite the mystery until I saw Muddy's route on Strava! 



Family hike (with trail running by the kids) in the Glacier Park.  Fun day. 



Sunday: 10 miles - Run4Kerri race in Matunuck, RI.  Stacked field.  Nice weather, but still felt hot in the sun.  I'm happy with my effort throughout, although my middle miles were a little slow.  The course felt mostly uphill from mile 2 marker on, except for the last quarter mile.  I lined up about 3-4 rows back, but should have been higher up, as there was a logjam in front of me.  My first mile felt under control, but rather quick.  I latched into a group of runners that included teammate Chris Garvin, Keenyan Jeff Goupil, and first female Diana Davis.  We went by Dave Principe near the one mile mark (5:25 announced split).  I began falling off the group during the second mile.  The new female leader went by.  My pace was slower, but I was happy with my 2 mile split of 11:05.  I knew mile 3 was mostly uphill, which hurts when you're running as hard as you can.  The course twisted through a neighborhood.  I was feeling slower (confirmed by GPS), but everyone ahead of me looked slower too.  We then had a steep wall to climb at the mile 3 marker.  I first ran through a hose and then dug in.  I missed the mile 3 split (high 16's), but was now passing people.  At the top of the hill, the road continued to climb gradually, and I was having a little trouble recovering.  But people around me looked defeated and I surged passed a few more runners included Jeff Goupil.   I tried to challenge myself mentally, knowing that I could have a good last mile, especially since the hard part was over.  I then heard someone say my name and it was David Holgate, who I had met at last year's Run for the Pumpkins race (a hilly 5K that he beat me in).  I tried to keep him behind me, but he eventually motored by on the downhill section before the flat finish.  No one else caught me, and I did sprint the final straightaway, crossing the line in 22:41.  5:40 pace!  I was pretty stoked with my race.  Chris G (sub 22) and I chatted and cheered on finishers (the Walkers,Crutchley) before embarking on a cool down. 

Results here

Photo by Jana Walker

Weekly Total: 67 miles
Last Week: 73 miles
Year to Date: 1874 miles