Weekly Log 12-27-10 to 1-2-11

Monday: 0 - plenty of shoveling. 

Tuesday: 7 miles - Rome Point trails alone.  Wow, this was a draining run.  The first trail was easy enough with packed cross country ski tracks in the snow.  As I got further from the parking lot, the trail conditions worsened.  I trudged through virgin snow on the cedar grove trail and yellow dot (except for the coyote and deer tracks).  The snow wasn't deep - maybe 4 inches - but crispy on top - and I was only wearing my trail shoes with Yaktrax.  I reached the beach and couldn't believe how easy it felt (usually it's tough).  I was able to cross the stream with a high tide using blocks of ice that had formed.  Lots of gulls, brant, and starfish frozen in ice.  Unfortunately, I had to return to my car via the snowy trails.  It felt good to finish in a misleading 59:13.  I treated myself to a delicious coffee afterwards. 

Wednesday: 0 - dentist and hanging with my kids - went to the snowy playground and also hiked around the woods looking for animal tracks.  Not alot of tracks around, just some squirrels and a coyote. 

Thursday: 12 miles - Shumunkanuc Hill to Alton to Bradford to Klondike to Shumunkanuc Hill alone.  A nice long morning run on roads.  Chilly start (22 degrees - 32 degrees when I finished).  I ran with my new winter running gear and was never cold or uncomfortable.  I was shooting for a 7 minute pace run, but I knew that was going to be difficult with the up and down course.  My first two miles were sub 7 minutes, but by mile 5, I was at 35:45 (7:09 pace).  I picked up the next two miles as they were mostly flat, busy, and narrow shouldered with the snow.  By mile 9, I was at 63:22, but I had three very hilly miles left.  I gave it a good effort and finished up in 1:26:33. 

Friday: 0

Saturday: 0 

Sunday: ?

Weekly Total: 19 miles
Last Week: 20 miles
Year to Date: 1,396 miles

Weekly Log 12-20-10 to 12-26-10

Monday: 0 - stomach virus.  Apparently Jackson (my son) and I picked it up at a birthday party I brought him to on Saturday.  Just about everyone there got it.  Awesome. 

Tuesday: 0 - not well enough to run. 

Wednesday: 0 - planning to run, but my body still didn't feel up to it. 

Thursday: 12 miles - South County Bike Path with Dan.  Good to run again!  We started from the Kingston train station and headed SW to Wakefield.  With a NW wind, we were cruising along nice and easy.  At the turnaround, we finally got to experience head on what we weren't noticing before - a very strong wind!  Our miles got slower and Dan told me to go ahead after 9 miles.  I wanted to run 6:45 pace the rest of the way.  1st mile 6:48, 2nd 7:05 - wow this stretch was windy, 3rd mile 6:33 - really windy but I was going all out.  Total time - 1:29:28. 

Friday: 0 - busy Xmas eve.  My kids and I hiked Mt Tom in the morning.  No one complained about the cold or the long walk!  Even my 3 year old made it the entire way without me carrying her on my shoulders. 

Saturday: 0 - Xmas day.  My wife got me some really nice winter running clothes.  Greg approved.  He got me Yaktrax for running in the snow and ice and some anti-bonking products.  We had 17 people at our house for dinner. 

Sunday: 8 miles - Shumunkanuc Hill roads and Vin Gormley trail early before the heavier snow.  I got to try out the new gear and loved it all - including the Yaktrax - really comfortable to wear over my trail shoes.  I ran into a pack of mtn bikers (slightly friendly).  I didn't wear a watch, but did peek at the time before I left and when I returned - about 59 minutes. 

Weekly Total: 20 miles
Last Week: 42 miles
Year to Date: 1,377 miles

Weekly Log 12-13-10 to 12-19-10

Monday:  7 miles - Rome Point trails with Dan.  After a few crazy days of no running, it was good to get back at it.  We kept the pace pretty fast, and really pushed the big hill and the cedar forest.  Not too wet after the 3-4 inches of rain on Sunday and warm.  Total time - 48:40. 

Tuesday:  11 miles - Ryan Park trails alone.  Ran into Dan about half-way in, and then ran with him for 5+ miles.  A nice relaxing run at a good pace (about 7:15).  Chilly (28 degrees), especially when facing the wind.  Total time - 1:19:50. 

Wednesday: 4 miles - Rome Point trails with Brad.  Easy run in cold conditions - 24 degrees and windy.  Delicious post run coffee.  Untimed. 

Thursday: 13 miles - Rome Point trails (6.5m) and Wickford roads (2x3.25m) with Dan.  We started a little slow, picked it up a little bit, and then a little more on the roads back.  I never got cold today - 33 degrees with a decent wind.  Total time - 1:40:48. 

Friday: 7 miles - Rome Point trails alone.  I wanted to run the beach today and incorporate some sort of speed workout.  I ended up at Rome Point again for the 4th time this week.  I ran about 2.5 miles of trails at a fast pace - 16:15.  I then jogged out to the beach and ran the mile down to the Jamestown Bridge.  The way out was awesome: the wind was at my back, I took off my hat and gloves, and even jumped the stream easily.  I counted 45 brant near the bridge.  After I turned around, it felt much colder and I had to put my gear back on.  This 2 mile-ish section took 18:30.  I re-entered the woods and reversed the 2.5 miles of trails I began with.  I tried to keep it fast the entire time and was happy with a 15:54 split.  Total time - 50:39. 

Saturday and Sunday: 0
Weekly Total: 42 miles
Last Week: 20 miles
Year to Date: 1,357 miles

New Visitor in the Woods

We have spotted this Pileated Woodpecker off our deck the last three mornings.  It shows up while I'm eating breakfast.  It's been fun to watch it drill holes and then eat (or drink?) whatever it's finding inside.  I've never seen one in this area before. 

Weekly Log 12-6-10 to 12-12-10

Monday: 7 miles - Ryan Park trails alone.  New PR & CR - 44:57.  I can't find what the old record was, I think 45:18.  I wanted to run fast today because the weather was so miserable.  Actually, I didn't want to run at all.  32 degrees and windy.  I didn't feel as if I was giving it my all, I just feel faster.  It was nice to see no one out today - creepy guy in his car staring at me not included. 

Tuesday: 8 miles - Rome Point trails (4m) and Wickford roads (4m) with Brad and Tom.  A nice easy run on a decent December day.  Untimed. 

Wednesday: 5 miles - Ryan Park trails with Brad.  The cold north wind kept my office chilly all day, and I was planning to take a zero.  I'm glad someone else was willing to go.  Howling wind near the pond.  Untimed. 

Thursday - Sunday: 0 - 0 - busy at work, busy at home.  I tried sneaking in a run Friday, but quit after one minute after realizing I was running for the wrong reasons (chasing miles).  This was stressing me out rather than being an enjoyment. 

Weekly Total: 20 miles
Last Week: 36 miles
Year to Date: 1,315 miles

Weekly Log 11-29-10 to 12-5-10

Monday: 3 miles - Ryan Park trails alone.  A short, easy run late in the afternoon to shake out my (surprisingly not that sore) legs.  Perfect weather!  It's gets lonely out there this time of year, and I love it.  Untimed. 

Tuesday: 9 miles - Ryan Park trails with Dan.  My thighs were a tad more sore today, but I feel way better than anticipated after the 24 mile epic trail run on Sunday.  The pace felt good, but the time was mediocre for the first half.  We slowly picked it up as the run went on, and then hammered the last two miles.  Despite my legs being tired, this felt awesome.  Even the Garmin said we were going 6:45 pace, so you know it was fast.  Total time: 1:04:30. 

Wednesday: 0 - if I planned ahead, I would have taken an early lunch to run before the rain.  Oh well.  I guess it was windy too.  Right now there's a flashing cop car and the sound of a chainsaw outside of my house.  I'm assuming a tree fell across the road....

Thursday: 13 miles - Rome Point trails (6.5m) and Wickford roads (6.5m) with Dan and Brad.  Crisp weather.  Slowish start.  Picked it up in the woods.  Really pushed the roads back to the office.  Splits:  3.25 miles roads 24:51/6.5 miles trails 47:33/3.25 miles roads 22:03.  Total time: 1:34:28. 

Friday: 11 miles - 6 x 800 (half mile) on Quonset Bike Path with .2/.3 mile recovery between.  Long warm up on Calf Pasture Point roads and beach, 2 mile cool down on roads.  My results: 2:59/2:59/2:53/2:53/3:02/2:57 Total running time:  1:24:59.  A bit chilly and gray today.  A sneeky North wind made for erratic results I think.  My warm up was longer than anticipated - I was enjoying low tide on the beach and just cruising along not knowing how strong the wind was until I turned around.  I think my times were a tad slow due to the 13 mile effort I ran yesterday, but it was a fun workout. 

Saturday: 0 - took the kids on a morning hike in Ninigret NWR.  I was happy that they never complained about being cold despite the fact that it was.  We took Grassy Point trail down to the end, and then they played at the water's edge until the inevitable (someone would get too wet).  This lasted longer than expected, and I brought my binocs and enjoyed what wildlife was out on the pond.  I could see gannets over the beach, a great blue heron hiding in the reeds, mergansers, cormorants, gulls, and a common loon.  Instead of running in the afternoon I had to meet up with the band to work on our sound set up for our big gig next weekend. 

Sunday: 0 - good day out and about with the family.  Another zero.  Looks like I won't be catching Justin this year.... 

Weekly Total: 36 miles
Last Week: 50 miles
Year to Date: 1,295 miles (will I catch Justin with one month to go?)

Epic Arcadia Run 11-28-10

Sunday marked a few new running milestones for me.  I had planned this run back in July as a solo journey I would attempt on my 35th birthday.  Life got too busy, it didn't happen, and I soon forgot about it.  A few weeks ago, my brother Greg did a long trail run in Vermont with a few of his friends.  This awesome run reminded me of the one I never did.  I contacted Justin about it.  My brother found out my intentions as well, and was interested in joining us.  We decided to run it over the Thanksgiving break.  Logistics were worked out, invitations to others were extended, and we settled on a Sunday, 6:30AM start.  According to the mileage on my map, the total distance would be somewhere between 21 and 22 miles.  I was a little skeptical, thinking that the author might have used GPS to calculate, and it might be longer.  I figured we would just take our time, go slow, and stop and smell the roses along the way. 

We set off  at 6:41AM.  It was still pretty dark and cold (my car read 23 degrees).  Our pack included me, Justin, Greg, and Boj.  Our Arcadia journey began appropriately on the Arcadia Trail.  The first few miles were mostly uphill, and the trail was technical.  We passed one annoyed hunter, and made jokes about him once we were safely out of his ear and gunshot.  We stopped at the Boulder Field so that I could snap a picture:

The trail finally descended to Upper Roaring Brook Pond - long name for a small pond.  Around a turn we ran into another hunter.  He seemed jolly and friendly, but maybe that was due to his resemblance to Santa.  We stopped at Bates Schoolhouse Road so that Greg could ditch some clothes.  According to the map we had gone about 5 miles, but our time was 57 minutes.  Hmm.  Boj commented that he was marginally prepared for a 20 mile run, but he was afraid we were going to end up going 30 miles.  I'm not sure he was really prepared for anything since he went to bed at 2AM and brought no food or water with him.  Finally, we spilled out onto Rte 165, the end of the "7.1 mile" Arcadia Trail in a tick under 70 minutes.  If we were running 10 minute miles then I'll quit running.  Boj lead us most of the way and we were actually going faster than I anticipated - not slow at all. 
We crossed 165 and hit the John B. Hudson Trail.  This short trail connected to a favorite of mine - Breakheart Trail.  Boj briefly wandered off course, so I took over the lead, as I didn't want to miss the yellow markers (this part can be tricky - I've messed up before).  Somewhere on this trail we hit the half way point.  Who knows where for sure.  The guys were not amused that I could only assure them that we might be halfway done or then probably a little over halfway.  Eventually, we began the climb up Penny Hill.  The sun was in our eyes, but its warmth felt great.  We stopped at the summit (well, false summit) at the two hour mark.  Here's a quick video I took.  I'm not proud of my heavy breathing. 

We started back up again, hit the real summit, and then had a nice long descent to the Falls River.  Here we picked up the Escoheag Trail.  Also, I hit a new milestone for time running, eclipsing my previous long of 2 hrs 15 minutes at last year's Pisgah Mtn 23K.  Unfortunately, this portion of trail was all uphill, steep at times, and very technical (or maybe it was because my legs were getting tired).  We turned left onto Mt. Tom Trail and continued ascending the mysterious Mt. Tom.  Luckily, this part was not steep at all, and very easy on the legs.  Right before reaching Rte 165, the trail descends steeply.  I felt a little out of control, and grabbed for a small tree to slow me down.  The tree snapped and I stumbled.  Greg was concerned (or convinced) that I was bonking.  I assured him that I felt good energy-wise, and we only had less than 6 miles left to go.  This last comment was met with laughter.  No one believed me. 
South of 165, the Mt. Tom Trail meanders along exposed rock ledges for a mile or so.  This is my favorite spot in Arcadia, and it's a place my family likes to hike a few times a year.  We stopped at a couple spots for pictures and to take in the views.  I took another quick video: 

We reached the bottom of the ledges, the trail evened out, and was lined with a bed of pine needles.  Everyone was happy to run on them, but my feet were so fatigued that nothing felt good.  I fell behind the others, but I willed myself to never get too far back.  We were rudely greeted by two more steep hills before reaching Summit Road.  Although a dirt road, it was hard packed, and it made the last two miles, plus the half mile of paved Arcadia Road challenging.  Greg and Boj pushed this part to get it over with, while Justin and I held on for dear life.  We returned to our cars after 3 hrs and 20 minutes of running time (about 4 hrs total).  My feet hurt, but nothing else really did, and my energy level was good.  Boj calculated the true distance in his head - 24 miles (based on his and Greg's expert opinions on our pace).  Sounds good.  New record for me!  Another confidence boosting run this fall. 
One day later, and my body still feels good.  I have no soreness in my feet.  I now have the idea of doing a trail marathon next year!