Quick Update of Sorts

I cannot keep up with this thing.  Life has been good.  I'm busy doing mostly fun things.  I still run a lot. 

I'm currently focused on two rapidly approaching trail races: Pisgah 23K on 9/20 and Nipmuck 26.4M on 10/4.  After a monster first 6 months of training this year, I had lower volume months in July (spent racing - 3 races) and August (spent celebrating and vacationing).  I'm on week 3 of a 3 week block of heavy mileage and hills. 

First week was 78 miles.  It began with tired legs and a tight left groin from the last few days of vacation.  I ran a 5:16 road mile at the final WTAC Fun Run.  The effort felt 10 seconds faster than that.  I began bumping my mileage up after that including a field trip to the Snake Den and Arcadia trails near Deep Pond.  On Saturday, I met up with Ryan and Marie Davenport for a 6 mile tempo run in Weekapaug - 2 laps from the intersection of Shore Rd and Noyes Neck Rd (uphill final mile).  I was able to stick to my T-pace (despite my fatigued legs), but I was losing steam on lap 2 and decided to quit at 5 miles.  To avoid a pit stop, I gave up at 4.67 miles.  Ryan and Marie ended up only going 5 which made me annoyed that I didn't hold on for another 1/3 mile.   No biggie - 27:20 min @ 5:53 ave. pace.  Sunday was my day to run long, but my running window only was going to allow for 2 hours.  I had company in Woolley which meant a peppy pace and new vocabulary words. For the week I ran for 9 hrs and 53 min with 3,366' of climbing. 

Second week was 80 miles.  This was exhausting.  My body is not fully recovering, but I'm not allowing it to, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.  My kids began school on Monday and now my son is in middle school.  This leaves quite a bit of down time between getting him on the bus and then getting my daughter up.  My solution for this gap is running!  I ran doubles Tuesday - Friday.  I did 5 mile runs on roads from my house.  This means hills.  I enjoyed them.  My lunch runs were run in sunny and hot conditions.  I did a good mix of paved and dirt road hill climbs.  I accumulated 6,490' of elevation gain (with my watch, not GPS app) on over 10 hours of running.  And I took a day off! 

Third week is this week. On Monday (Labor Day) I was in NH and got to do a trail run with my brother Greg.  The morning was beautiful and we planned a 1.5 hr out and back on the Monadnock Sunapee Greenway from Pitcher Mtn.  A few minutes in, Greg had a calf issue pop up.  We cut the run short (1 hr) and kept the intensity down, but it was hilly.  Hopefully he'll be good to go at Pisgah in two weeks.  Back to school on Tuesday and that meant another double.  Ditto for Wednesday.  Very hot and muggy lunch runs too (93 with 74 dewpoint then 87 with 75 dewpoint).  Sunny hills in Saunderstown with a quick swim in the bay on Tuesday and then a twisty trail run in Big River on Wednesday with some new to me trails mixed in.  36 miles in 3 days with 3,671' of climbing.

The plan for the rest of the week is in flux.  I received an email regarding a relay team needing a runner for Sunday's Firmman 1/2 Ironman.  I volunteered my services after clearing it with my boss.  I'm not 100% sure if this is happening or not (as of lunchtime Thursday), but I need to plan like it is.  That means emergency taper.  I want to run fast, and think that a good 1/2 road effort will help me mentally and physically for the following Sunday (Pisgah).  I think it can be more beneficial than a longer slower trail run at this time.  We'll see.  Should be fun! 

So that's that.  I still want to do a full post(s) on my August shenanigans.  Until maybe then....