Monday: 8 miles - Ryan Park trails alone. My feet and lower ankles were tired and sore (probably from Friday's 13 and wearing Nike Free Runs exclusively now). I wanted to run in the woods and avoid the exposed field sections (see header picture) as much as possible because of the very strong NW wind, so I improvised the usual course a bit. I felt sleepy as I strolled the trails and wondered how low my heart rate might be. I felt really relaxed and enjoyed this run. Total time: 61:12.
Tuesday: 11 miles - Calf Pasture Point roads and beach 5M, 8x400 workout on Quonset Bike Path, with 2 mile cooldown on roads to Allen Harbor and back. I wasn't really sure if I would be doing a workout today, but I knew I wanted to do the full run on the beach in the glorious sun. Nothing out of the ordinary to report except more humans than normal out and about. As I was running this portion, I decided to try a 400 workout after a conversation I had with Glenn recently (and Greg has previously talked about this as well). Something to do with the science of running. Due to the strange layout of the bike path - 2.3 miles each way with .5 mile markers - I had to figure out where 400 meters might be. I decided to run 85 seconds and then jog to the next .5 mile mark. I can't say how accurate this was, but it felt right (my fast 800's are just over 2:50). Maybe I should call this workout 8x85 seconds. Total time: 1:22.
Wednesday: 0 - school meeting and then an afternoon/evening with the kids. Last night I had my first anxiety dream about running the race on Sunday. Four more nights to go! On a side note, I'm looking for someone to go see Face to Face with me. They're playing at Lupo's on 5/17. Unfortunately, it's a Tuesday night and the only people I know who like them live in NH.
Thursday: 9 miles - Ryan Park trails with Dan. Despite our late start, we still beat the raindrops (almost) and got in a nice run - not too fast and not too slow. The weather could have been better (46 at the start - 42 at the finish, windy, and damp). Maybe the weather will improve next month. Tomorrow, I'm hoping the rain will end early enough so that I can get in another nice run before Sunday's race. Total time: 65:59.
Friday: 0 - I could have done an easy run, but was not motivated thanks to the cold, damp, windy weather. I'm ready for spring. Nice long band practice at night - new songs for the next wedding gig.
Saturday: 5 miles - Burlingame trails and roads alone in the early morning. A nice easy run in the sunshine!
Sunday: 4 miles - Chariho 5K 19:30 PR by 3 seconds, but not what I was looking for - write up to follow.
Weekly Total: 37 miles
Last Week: 53 miles
Year to Date: 521 miles
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Weekly Log 3-21-11 to 3-27-11
Monday: 7 miles - Rome Point trails with Brad. Miserable weather day - snow and rain and 34 degrees. I was glad to have someone run with me or I might not have done it. We mixed things up and did the trails differently. It was awesome to pass the time talking rather than focusing on the wet and cold. After a while we were surprised that we had only been running for 18 minutes, so we must have been going pretty fast. Brad and I briskly finished up four miles, and then I ran 3 more alone. Total time: 50:42.
Tuesday: 9 miles - Ryan Park trails alone. I know science doesn't recommend this, but I wanted to run fast to prove to myself I'm getting faster. Today was forecasted to be the best day of the week weatherwise, however I was disappointed that it was cloudy, windy, and only 45 degrees. I stuck with shorts and a t-shirt, and added in a hat for good measure. I felt like I was off to a good pace and I was pleased when I peeked at my watch. My splits were looking good and I thought I had a shot at my PR if I could keep it up. My mind wavered at times, but my body felt fine. At the seven mile mark, I knew I should be able to beat my record, but I also knew I had to run a mile with the stiff headwind. I was excited to finish up in 57:17 - a new PR by over a minute (previous best 58:25 on 10/4/10). A nice confidence booster!
Wednesday: 9 miles - Calf Pasture Point and Quonset Bike Path roads, trails, and beach alone. A nice recovery run after my effort yesterday. A few snowflakes mixed in, but the weather wasn't that bad (not much wind). Total time: 1:12:09.
Thursday: 8 miles - Rome Point trails with Brad. The inch of snow disappeared and the trails weren't even that wet. My legs felt tired, but Brad set a good pace (we made it to the point in 10 flat), and we kept it up for 4+ miles. I went on alone and ran the beach. The tide was the highest I've seen it, and I could only get so far. I returned to the woods and finished up in 58:33.
Friday: 13 miles - Wickford roads (3.25Mx2) alone to and from Rome Point trails (6.5M) with Dan. I've been trying to get in a longer run, but haven't had the right opportunity. Today I finally did and I had a really nice run. I ran the roads to Rome Point where Dan met me and we did the trails together. My pace on the roads was faster than I thought (my body was sore/tired from a fast week) so I decided to go with it. Dan was encouraging me to keep it up as we sprinted through the woods. I still felt good as I began the last 3.25 miles on roads. I was anticipating my legs to get really sore on this stretch, but it never came. I was able to go faster (sub 7's) and finished up in 1:31:05. I'm pretty sure this is a PR for this course and increases my curiosity about how fast I could do a half marathon.
Saturday: 0 - small window to get a short run in and the 19 degrees outside didn't motivate me. All day fantasy baseball draft with the usual suspects.
Sunday: 7 miles - Burlingame trails (with 1.5M of roads mixed in). My plan was to get in a nice and easy 4 miles to get 50 for the week. I found myself really enjoying some of the hidden, lonely trails and not worrying about my time. To my surprise, I saw a runner approaching me in a place I never ever see anyone. I realized that this runner was my dad! We stopped and chatted and then I decided to turn around and run with him for a couple of miles. Finally, I had to head home and picked my poison choice of hills to get there (trails vs. road). A fantastic run and a new PR for miles in a week! Total time: 52:44.
Overall: A great week of running - 9 mile trail PR, 13 mile PR, and a weekly mileage PR. My plan is to run the Chariho 5K next Sunday. If I run it fast enough then I won't need to run another 5K this year....
Weekly Total: 53 miles
Last Week: 32 miles
Year to Date: 484 miles
Tuesday: 9 miles - Ryan Park trails alone. I know science doesn't recommend this, but I wanted to run fast to prove to myself I'm getting faster. Today was forecasted to be the best day of the week weatherwise, however I was disappointed that it was cloudy, windy, and only 45 degrees. I stuck with shorts and a t-shirt, and added in a hat for good measure. I felt like I was off to a good pace and I was pleased when I peeked at my watch. My splits were looking good and I thought I had a shot at my PR if I could keep it up. My mind wavered at times, but my body felt fine. At the seven mile mark, I knew I should be able to beat my record, but I also knew I had to run a mile with the stiff headwind. I was excited to finish up in 57:17 - a new PR by over a minute (previous best 58:25 on 10/4/10). A nice confidence booster!
Wednesday: 9 miles - Calf Pasture Point and Quonset Bike Path roads, trails, and beach alone. A nice recovery run after my effort yesterday. A few snowflakes mixed in, but the weather wasn't that bad (not much wind). Total time: 1:12:09.
Thursday: 8 miles - Rome Point trails with Brad. The inch of snow disappeared and the trails weren't even that wet. My legs felt tired, but Brad set a good pace (we made it to the point in 10 flat), and we kept it up for 4+ miles. I went on alone and ran the beach. The tide was the highest I've seen it, and I could only get so far. I returned to the woods and finished up in 58:33.
Friday: 13 miles - Wickford roads (3.25Mx2) alone to and from Rome Point trails (6.5M) with Dan. I've been trying to get in a longer run, but haven't had the right opportunity. Today I finally did and I had a really nice run. I ran the roads to Rome Point where Dan met me and we did the trails together. My pace on the roads was faster than I thought (my body was sore/tired from a fast week) so I decided to go with it. Dan was encouraging me to keep it up as we sprinted through the woods. I still felt good as I began the last 3.25 miles on roads. I was anticipating my legs to get really sore on this stretch, but it never came. I was able to go faster (sub 7's) and finished up in 1:31:05. I'm pretty sure this is a PR for this course and increases my curiosity about how fast I could do a half marathon.
Saturday: 0 - small window to get a short run in and the 19 degrees outside didn't motivate me. All day fantasy baseball draft with the usual suspects.
Sunday: 7 miles - Burlingame trails (with 1.5M of roads mixed in). My plan was to get in a nice and easy 4 miles to get 50 for the week. I found myself really enjoying some of the hidden, lonely trails and not worrying about my time. To my surprise, I saw a runner approaching me in a place I never ever see anyone. I realized that this runner was my dad! We stopped and chatted and then I decided to turn around and run with him for a couple of miles. Finally, I had to head home and picked my poison choice of hills to get there (trails vs. road). A fantastic run and a new PR for miles in a week! Total time: 52:44.
Overall: A great week of running - 9 mile trail PR, 13 mile PR, and a weekly mileage PR. My plan is to run the Chariho 5K next Sunday. If I run it fast enough then I won't need to run another 5K this year....
Weekly Total: 53 miles
Last Week: 32 miles
Year to Date: 484 miles
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Weekly Log 3-14-11 to 3-20-11
Monday: 0 - sick, but first night of good sleep and no chills.
Tuesday: 0 - sick, but thinking about running and another good night.
Wednesday: 5 miles - Rome Point trails with Dan. I wasn't sure how I would feel doing this, but it went really well. We ran at a decent pace, and I didn't overdue the mileage. Total time: 39:38.
Thursday: 7 miles - Ryan Park trails with Dan. Warm day - 60 degrees - but not too crowded in the woods. Another good run. Wood frogs singing in the vernal pools. I felt like we were going 7:30ish pace, but was a little surprised that it ended up being 8 flat. I guess my body is still not 100% yet.
Friday: 11 miles - Burlingame trails (8M) and roads (3M) alone. I had to stay home in the morning for a washing machine delivery, and I was able to get in a fun run beforehand. My plan was to run mostly trails to Klondike Road and then turnaround, but I was feeling good and decided to keep going around the pond. It was a really nice morning and I didn't see any humans. I'm pretty sure I heard an osprey (first of season) calling, but I had to keep my eyes on the trail. I did flush a phoebe from its yearly nest on our front stoop when I got back to my house. Total time: 1:28.
Saturday: 0 - fun day with the kids and Glenn and Gina.
Sunday: 9 miles - Burlingame trails (6M) and roads (3M) with MC. I ran the roads down to Poquiant Brook where Glenn and Griffin were waiting for me. Chilly morning - 26 degrees - not exactly what I was looking for on the first day of spring! Glenn pushed the pace through the woods. He asked how I was feeling - I responded, "Great!", and then instantly tripped and fell. It was pretty funny. We stopped at the Perry Healey covered bridge and then worked our way back to Buckeye Brook Road. Glenn looked strong and we were going fast. I added some more trails on the way back to my house and even passed some friendly mtn bikers. Amazing. I was happy with the overall pace and effort - 65:18.
Overall: I was happy to get 32 miles in despite getting over a bad virus. Back to normal for the upcoming week.
Weekly Total: 32 miles
Last Week: 32 miles
Year to Date: 431 miles
Tuesday: 0 - sick, but thinking about running and another good night.
Wednesday: 5 miles - Rome Point trails with Dan. I wasn't sure how I would feel doing this, but it went really well. We ran at a decent pace, and I didn't overdue the mileage. Total time: 39:38.
Thursday: 7 miles - Ryan Park trails with Dan. Warm day - 60 degrees - but not too crowded in the woods. Another good run. Wood frogs singing in the vernal pools. I felt like we were going 7:30ish pace, but was a little surprised that it ended up being 8 flat. I guess my body is still not 100% yet.
Friday: 11 miles - Burlingame trails (8M) and roads (3M) alone. I had to stay home in the morning for a washing machine delivery, and I was able to get in a fun run beforehand. My plan was to run mostly trails to Klondike Road and then turnaround, but I was feeling good and decided to keep going around the pond. It was a really nice morning and I didn't see any humans. I'm pretty sure I heard an osprey (first of season) calling, but I had to keep my eyes on the trail. I did flush a phoebe from its yearly nest on our front stoop when I got back to my house. Total time: 1:28.
Saturday: 0 - fun day with the kids and Glenn and Gina.
Sunday: 9 miles - Burlingame trails (6M) and roads (3M) with MC. I ran the roads down to Poquiant Brook where Glenn and Griffin were waiting for me. Chilly morning - 26 degrees - not exactly what I was looking for on the first day of spring! Glenn pushed the pace through the woods. He asked how I was feeling - I responded, "Great!", and then instantly tripped and fell. It was pretty funny. We stopped at the Perry Healey covered bridge and then worked our way back to Buckeye Brook Road. Glenn looked strong and we were going fast. I added some more trails on the way back to my house and even passed some friendly mtn bikers. Amazing. I was happy with the overall pace and effort - 65:18.
Overall: I was happy to get 32 miles in despite getting over a bad virus. Back to normal for the upcoming week.
Weekly Total: 32 miles
Last Week: 32 miles
Year to Date: 431 miles
Monday, March 7, 2011
Weekly Log 3-7-11 to 3-13-11
I feel the anxiety of a big show coming up on Saturday, so running will be an important distraction! I should be able to get 40+ the next five days. If interested, check out my band.
Monday: 9 miles - Ryan Park trails with Dan. Completely clear trails now, and pretty fast conditions - just some muddy spots. I thought today was going to be in the high 40's and didn't pack appropriately for the dropping temps and stiff breeze. At least I had my non running hat and gloves with me, so I was okay. We had a solid run, each taking turns leading. The highlight was Dan almost stepping on a woodcock - it was really close! I felt funny trying to explain what a woodcock was and it's unique mating behavior to someone who doesn't know anything about birds. Total time: 66:27.
Tuesday: 9 miles - Saunderstown roads with Dan. The plan was an easy run and we executed it for once. Quiet roads, 3 hills (including the Gilbert Stuart monster), and even a short trail exploration of new state land. Total time: 70:09.
Wednesday: 9 miles - (1xmile/1x800 w/.5 recovery)x2 Workout on Quonset Bike Path with Calf Pasture Point warm up and cool down. Third week in a row to get some speed work in, and it was a good one today. I thought about doing a 3xmile, but the layout of the bike path would make the middle mile have an awkward turnaround so I opted for the mile/800 double. I guessed I would be about 6:00/2:55 and was pretty right on: 6:01/2:52 5:59/2:54 - total time: 66 minutes. The first mile felt long, and I was nervous running it. The 800's and the 2nd mile felt really good. One thing I'm noticing is how quickly my body recovers after each sprint. Maybe I'm not getting faster, but I'm getting stronger. Question about warm up/cool downs - what is recommended? Usually mine are equidistant (2+ miles each), but today I went long on the warm up (3.5 miles) and short on the cool down (1 mile) and liked it better.
Thursday: 5 miles - Ryan Park trails with Dan. Horrible run. I had a very stressful day at work and felt like I was getting sick, but I wanted to get in a short run. I could tell right away this wasn't a great idea, and I let Dan go on ahead.
Friday: 0 - sick - tried to take it easy for my show tomorrow night. Chills, muscle aches, and fever during the afternoon and night.
Saturday: 0 - resting during the day, and hope to feel okay at night during the show.
Sunday: 0 - still sick - this is one nasty virus!
Overall: The week started nicely and I thought that I might get in 50+ miles, but then I caught the office virus. As of Monday night, I haven't started my nightly chills and low fever, so maybe I'm making progress. Running will hopefully resume soon. At least the show on Saturday went well, and I was excited to still be able to sing this song.
Weekly Total: 32 miles
Last Week: 40 miles
Year to Date: 399 miles
Monday: 9 miles - Ryan Park trails with Dan. Completely clear trails now, and pretty fast conditions - just some muddy spots. I thought today was going to be in the high 40's and didn't pack appropriately for the dropping temps and stiff breeze. At least I had my non running hat and gloves with me, so I was okay. We had a solid run, each taking turns leading. The highlight was Dan almost stepping on a woodcock - it was really close! I felt funny trying to explain what a woodcock was and it's unique mating behavior to someone who doesn't know anything about birds. Total time: 66:27.
Tuesday: 9 miles - Saunderstown roads with Dan. The plan was an easy run and we executed it for once. Quiet roads, 3 hills (including the Gilbert Stuart monster), and even a short trail exploration of new state land. Total time: 70:09.
Wednesday: 9 miles - (1xmile/1x800 w/.5 recovery)x2 Workout on Quonset Bike Path with Calf Pasture Point warm up and cool down. Third week in a row to get some speed work in, and it was a good one today. I thought about doing a 3xmile, but the layout of the bike path would make the middle mile have an awkward turnaround so I opted for the mile/800 double. I guessed I would be about 6:00/2:55 and was pretty right on: 6:01/2:52 5:59/2:54 - total time: 66 minutes. The first mile felt long, and I was nervous running it. The 800's and the 2nd mile felt really good. One thing I'm noticing is how quickly my body recovers after each sprint. Maybe I'm not getting faster, but I'm getting stronger. Question about warm up/cool downs - what is recommended? Usually mine are equidistant (2+ miles each), but today I went long on the warm up (3.5 miles) and short on the cool down (1 mile) and liked it better.
Thursday: 5 miles - Ryan Park trails with Dan. Horrible run. I had a very stressful day at work and felt like I was getting sick, but I wanted to get in a short run. I could tell right away this wasn't a great idea, and I let Dan go on ahead.
Friday: 0 - sick - tried to take it easy for my show tomorrow night. Chills, muscle aches, and fever during the afternoon and night.
Saturday: 0 - resting during the day, and hope to feel okay at night during the show.
Sunday: 0 - still sick - this is one nasty virus!
Overall: The week started nicely and I thought that I might get in 50+ miles, but then I caught the office virus. As of Monday night, I haven't started my nightly chills and low fever, so maybe I'm making progress. Running will hopefully resume soon. At least the show on Saturday went well, and I was excited to still be able to sing this song.
Weekly Total: 32 miles
Last Week: 40 miles
Year to Date: 399 miles
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Weekly Log 2-28-11 to 3-6-11
Monday: 4 miles - Rome Point trails with Dan. It was looking like a zero weatherwise, but the rain stopped and the winds died down, so Dan and I snuck in a quick wet and muddy run. Unfortunately, parts of the trail were sheets of ice and we were unprepared (no Yaktrax). So, the run consisted of running, sliding/sloshing, walking, and cursing. The yellow dot hill trail was mostly clear so we sprinted up and down it two times for a nice hill workout. This made it all worth it. Total time about 28 minutes.
Tuesday: 9 miles - Ryan Park trails alone. Dan talked me into trying the trails here again, but then his schedule didn't allow him to run. I headed out by myself and this time wore the Yaktrax. The field section was still snowy and icy, but my footing was good. The wood trails had a lot of clear spots and a couple of new blowdowns. The first half of the run I was not that into it, but I really felt good the last few miles. Total time: 1:09:09.
Wednesday: 9 miles - 6x800 workout on Quonset Bike Path with Calf Pasture Point warm up and cool down alone. I was excited to get in a workout today. I figured the bike path would be almost clear of snow and that was true. The 1st and 6th 800 were about 1/3rd snow covered and thus slower. There was a small patch of snow that slowed me down a second or two on the 3rd and 4th. Strong headwind at times heading out, nice tailwind on the return efforts. The results: 3:09/2:57/3:01/2:54/2:52/3:11 - total time: 66 minutes.
Thursday: 9 miles - Rome Point trails 7M and beach 2M solo. I still have a big smile on my face about this one. I hit the trails later than usual (3PM) and in the unusual (for March) temperature of 30 degrees. My body was kind of sore from the workout the day before and I wasn't expecting too much from this run. I found the conditions to be fantastic - for the first time I was trail running again - with only a few icy spots. I was not working hard, but was surprised by the 9 flat minutes it took me to get to the end of the point. I cruised around the trails and the beach and couldn't stop thinking about how winter running was now over. I was enjoying the payoff of my hard work of running in the snow or doing hilly runs on the road for the last two months. To top it off, I ran into a barred owl near the powerline trail. It flew into a nearby tree and sat and watched me for a minute. I did my best barred owl call - who cooks for you, who cooks for you alllll - but it didn't seem impressed. Eventually it flew off, but it was a great encounter. My total time was 60:41. The last 3 times I ran the exact same course I did it in 70:40, 71:00, 74:48.
Friday: 9 miles - Rome Point trails 7M and beach 2M with Dan. We considered Ryan Park, but we knew the conditions would be better at Rome Point. I let Dan set the pace, and as usual he made me work hard for the first 3.5 miles, and then the beach slowed him down a bit. A strong headwind and no firm sand made the push to the bridge challenging. It felt great to turn around. We picked it back up on the hill, sprinted through the cedars, and made it back to the parking lot in 63:58. This effort felt harder to me than yesterday.
Saturday: 0 - fun day with the kids including 3 hrs outside. Sore from previous few days.
Sunday: 0 - family swim in the morning, family hike to the beaver pond in the afternoon.
Overall: Another normal week of 5 runs on my lunch break and hitting 40 miles. I'm happy with the efforts and look forward to clear trails!
Weekly Total: 40 miles
Last Week: 46 miles
Year to Date: 367 miles
Tuesday: 9 miles - Ryan Park trails alone. Dan talked me into trying the trails here again, but then his schedule didn't allow him to run. I headed out by myself and this time wore the Yaktrax. The field section was still snowy and icy, but my footing was good. The wood trails had a lot of clear spots and a couple of new blowdowns. The first half of the run I was not that into it, but I really felt good the last few miles. Total time: 1:09:09.
Wednesday: 9 miles - 6x800 workout on Quonset Bike Path with Calf Pasture Point warm up and cool down alone. I was excited to get in a workout today. I figured the bike path would be almost clear of snow and that was true. The 1st and 6th 800 were about 1/3rd snow covered and thus slower. There was a small patch of snow that slowed me down a second or two on the 3rd and 4th. Strong headwind at times heading out, nice tailwind on the return efforts. The results: 3:09/2:57/3:01/2:54/2:52/3:11 - total time: 66 minutes.
Thursday: 9 miles - Rome Point trails 7M and beach 2M solo. I still have a big smile on my face about this one. I hit the trails later than usual (3PM) and in the unusual (for March) temperature of 30 degrees. My body was kind of sore from the workout the day before and I wasn't expecting too much from this run. I found the conditions to be fantastic - for the first time I was trail running again - with only a few icy spots. I was not working hard, but was surprised by the 9 flat minutes it took me to get to the end of the point. I cruised around the trails and the beach and couldn't stop thinking about how winter running was now over. I was enjoying the payoff of my hard work of running in the snow or doing hilly runs on the road for the last two months. To top it off, I ran into a barred owl near the powerline trail. It flew into a nearby tree and sat and watched me for a minute. I did my best barred owl call - who cooks for you, who cooks for you alllll - but it didn't seem impressed. Eventually it flew off, but it was a great encounter. My total time was 60:41. The last 3 times I ran the exact same course I did it in 70:40, 71:00, 74:48.
Friday: 9 miles - Rome Point trails 7M and beach 2M with Dan. We considered Ryan Park, but we knew the conditions would be better at Rome Point. I let Dan set the pace, and as usual he made me work hard for the first 3.5 miles, and then the beach slowed him down a bit. A strong headwind and no firm sand made the push to the bridge challenging. It felt great to turn around. We picked it back up on the hill, sprinted through the cedars, and made it back to the parking lot in 63:58. This effort felt harder to me than yesterday.
Saturday: 0 - fun day with the kids including 3 hrs outside. Sore from previous few days.
Sunday: 0 - family swim in the morning, family hike to the beaver pond in the afternoon.
Overall: Another normal week of 5 runs on my lunch break and hitting 40 miles. I'm happy with the efforts and look forward to clear trails!
Weekly Total: 40 miles
Last Week: 46 miles
Year to Date: 367 miles
Monday, February 21, 2011
Weekly Log 2-21-11 to 2-27-11
Monday: 16 miles - Arcadia trails with Boj. After much internal debate, I settled on an all trail course for us to run this morning thinking that the trails would be in decent enough shape. We met up at the church at 9AM, just as the snow was ending (1" maybe) and the temperature had risen to 32 degrees. Everything was shaping up for a near epic run. We hit up the Mt Tom trail and conditions were decent. We took it slow on the cliffs rather than push it and tumble to our deaths. We crossed Rte 165 and enjoyed the next flat then downhill section. At Austin Farm Road, we crossed the river and then began the long ascent on the Breakheart trail. The snow here was deeper with annoying frozen boot holes and I lost the yellow blazes at times, but still we were having fun and climbing. The trail gets really steep as you reach the summit of Penny Hill, and we made a nice push up. I was enjoying the recovery of running downhill when we stopped for a minute. We were 75 minutes in and in awesome spirits. As soon as we started back up again, things got bad and our spirits got crushed. The trail was awkward and slow. Boj was having some serious ish with an abdominal strain and he would shout in pain whenever he took a bad step. We had to stop several times to either locate the next yellow dot, or navigate a labyrinth of downed white pines. Mix in an obnoxious uphill, and that was the recipe for running disaster. We were still very far from our cars, so I just tried to keep turning my legs. Luckily, the trail conditions improved, and I could tell we were getting close to the pond at the end of the trail. We decided that we would skip the last couple miles of trail and opt for the better footing of the dirt roads. In another cruel twist, the road was a sheet of ice with just a dusting of snow over it. Boj watched me slip and fall three times (he missed the fourth). We turned onto a better used road and the footing did improve. Unfortunately, I had nothing left, and this road seemed to go on forever. There is nothing more disappointing than coming around a corner expecting to see your car, but instead seeing another long straightaway with a hill mixed in. We did make it back in 2:12. I'm really curious to see how my body feels tomorrow as I feel pretty beat up now. At least I can claim I did an epic snow run with that guy Boj.
Tuesday: 7 miles - Rome Point trails with Brad. I was a little worried because I didn't have my winter gear with me, but the late February sun and light wind made running in shorts more than adequate. The footing was way better than yesterday, and we are days away from clear trails. A nice relaxing run. Total time: 51:13.
Wednesday: 9 miles - Quonset Bike Path 6x800 workout with Calf Pasture Point warm up and cool down alone. A gorgeous day today - low 40's and sunny. I was excited about trying a workout today after hanging with my brother last night. I again decided to test the condition of the bike path with the assumption that it would be clear or mostly clear of snow. On my warm up, I had a near panic moment when I saw a human lying down on the ground next to a bicycle and not moving. I was really freaked out, and when I approached I blurted out, "are you okay?" just as I realized it was a woman lying motionless with a camera taking a close up of the snow. Onto the workout itself - very fun, but parts of each 800 had a snow section. The 1st and 6th were 2/3rds snow and therefore slow. The 2nd and 5th only had a couple of snowy patches and pretty close to a normal sprint. The 3rd and 4th were 1/3rd snow. The results: 3:14/2:57/3:05/3:00/2:55/3:20. Total time: 67 minutes.
Thursday: 9 miles - Rome Point trails and beach with Greg and his wolf. Another nice weather day, and pretty good trail conditions. Finally some bare spots, but still snow and ice covered. It was fun to show my brother my home course. The tide was really high and the water crossing was rather intimidating, but Greg wanted to make it to the bridge (so did I), so we tip-toed through the shallowest part to cross. The high water provided some new obstacles, and we had to scramble over someone's rock wall to continue. On the way back, I slipped and fell really hard on my thigh. It really hurt and I was afraid to look at for a few minutes. There's a nice bump, and it's really bruising up now. The next few miles were a little uncomfortable, but I figured it was better to keep it loose. We backtracked our way through the trails and finished up in 71 minutes.
Friday: 0 - 2" of rain, 50 mph winds, and a bruised and sore thigh. 2.5 hrs of bass slapping cross training at night.
Saturday: 0 - family trip to Maine. Sledding cross training.
Sunday: 5 miles - Shumunkanuc Hill roads alone. I got in a quick run after the 3.5 hr drive home from Maine and before the sun went down. My thigh, although still bruised, felt good to run on. Total time approx. 37 or 38 minutes.
Overview: A fun week: a lot of miles early, a chance to run with a couple Keenyans, a speed workout, and a long run. I'm glad my horrible fall on the rocks Thursday is not going to be a long term nuisance.
Weekly Total: 46 miles
Last Week: 41 miles
Year to Date: 327 miles
Tuesday: 7 miles - Rome Point trails with Brad. I was a little worried because I didn't have my winter gear with me, but the late February sun and light wind made running in shorts more than adequate. The footing was way better than yesterday, and we are days away from clear trails. A nice relaxing run. Total time: 51:13.
Wednesday: 9 miles - Quonset Bike Path 6x800 workout with Calf Pasture Point warm up and cool down alone. A gorgeous day today - low 40's and sunny. I was excited about trying a workout today after hanging with my brother last night. I again decided to test the condition of the bike path with the assumption that it would be clear or mostly clear of snow. On my warm up, I had a near panic moment when I saw a human lying down on the ground next to a bicycle and not moving. I was really freaked out, and when I approached I blurted out, "are you okay?" just as I realized it was a woman lying motionless with a camera taking a close up of the snow. Onto the workout itself - very fun, but parts of each 800 had a snow section. The 1st and 6th were 2/3rds snow and therefore slow. The 2nd and 5th only had a couple of snowy patches and pretty close to a normal sprint. The 3rd and 4th were 1/3rd snow. The results: 3:14/2:57/3:05/3:00/2:55/3:20. Total time: 67 minutes.
Thursday: 9 miles - Rome Point trails and beach with Greg and his wolf. Another nice weather day, and pretty good trail conditions. Finally some bare spots, but still snow and ice covered. It was fun to show my brother my home course. The tide was really high and the water crossing was rather intimidating, but Greg wanted to make it to the bridge (so did I), so we tip-toed through the shallowest part to cross. The high water provided some new obstacles, and we had to scramble over someone's rock wall to continue. On the way back, I slipped and fell really hard on my thigh. It really hurt and I was afraid to look at for a few minutes. There's a nice bump, and it's really bruising up now. The next few miles were a little uncomfortable, but I figured it was better to keep it loose. We backtracked our way through the trails and finished up in 71 minutes.
Friday: 0 - 2" of rain, 50 mph winds, and a bruised and sore thigh. 2.5 hrs of bass slapping cross training at night.
Saturday: 0 - family trip to Maine. Sledding cross training.
Sunday: 5 miles - Shumunkanuc Hill roads alone. I got in a quick run after the 3.5 hr drive home from Maine and before the sun went down. My thigh, although still bruised, felt good to run on. Total time approx. 37 or 38 minutes.
Overview: A fun week: a lot of miles early, a chance to run with a couple Keenyans, a speed workout, and a long run. I'm glad my horrible fall on the rocks Thursday is not going to be a long term nuisance.
Weekly Total: 46 miles
Last Week: 41 miles
Year to Date: 327 miles
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Weekly Log 2-14-11 to 2-20-11
Monday: 7 miles - Ryan Park trails with Dan. It felt good to check out the trails at Ryan Park after a two month lapse due to the snow cover. I thought the trails would be runable after all the melting, but the field trails were still inches deep, and even deeper in places where we had to break trail. The snow was mushy with the sun and 50 degree temperature! Ten minutes after the first mile we stopped to catch our breath and decided to run the road to the other side of the park and take our chances there. The trails near the pond were packed down, and thus runable. We looped twice around the pond, and then took the main trail back to where we started. The going was good for a while, and then got really treacherous and slow (boot holes everywhere). Overall, it was a really fun day. Total time: 54:31.
Tuesday: 9 miles - Rome Point trails 7M and beach 2M with Dan. 32 degrees and sunny today, but with a very strong NE wind. The trails here were packed down and icy, but manageable with Yaktrax. Dan set a tough pace for the first two miles. We had to slow down on the lesser used single track. The beach was really fun on the way out, but on the way back the wind was outrageous. I was getting an ice cream headache and felt like I was running in place at times. The bay had 1 to 2 foot waves breaking onshore (normally calm). We warmed back up by hitting the big hill and then hit some more extremely slow single track. Eventually, we made it back to good footing, and coasted home for a total time of 1:10:40.
Wednesday: 9 miles - Calf Pasture Point and Mount View roads 5M, trails 1.5M, and beach 2.5M alone. Interesting run today. I wanted to keep it easy, and opted to try this spot after some frustration with it last week. I was happy to see pavement for most of the road out to the trails and beach. The trails were in horrible shape and I knew I would only do this part once. The road out to the beach was in bad shape as well (full shade). The beach was slow heading out with a strong headwind, but the payoff was the tailwind on the way back. There wasn't anything too unusual going on - the normal gigantic flock of brant, some sanderlings, and quite a few mute swans (I avoided the ones that were on the beach itself). Because I didn't want to repeat the snowy sections, I concocted a plan on the fly and went for it. I hopped onto the road near the beach and planned to stay left on the roads and find my way back to the bike path. This section of town (Mount View) is secluded and tricky to get in and out of. I never have done it before, and I was going on memory from checking it out online. Some of the houses (estates) were huge and old trees lined the road with big stone walls. I was getting a little nervous after running for a while that I wasn't going to figure this out. Eventually, I saw the bike path after 24 minutes at a fastish pace, and could relax. The bike path was snow covered for the most part (pretty deep snow too). Total time: 1:11:20.
Thursday: 9 miles - Rome Point trails 7M and beach 2M alone. Wow - I wanted to call this 10 miles based on effort, but it was the same exact run as on Tuesday. I was feeling a little sluggish today, but I couldn't wait to get out and enjoy the sunny 58 degree day in shorts and short sleeves! Originally I was thinking roads, however the lure of the trails swayed me. The going was slow, slushy, icy, and challenging. I can't believe the snow and ice cover despite warm temperatures and rain the last two weeks. There were alot of cars in the parking lot, and I tried to metally prepare myself for the oodles of unleashed dogs I was inevitably going to run into. Despite the amount of dogs I actually did run into, I couldn't get upset as their human companions were extremely pleasant today. I did my normal routine of trails, beach, and then trails in the opposite direction. The tide was lower than usual, and I spotted a couple of harbor seals in a new place (closer to the bridge). I was a little shocked at my overall time, but the footing was slippery, and besides, I really enjoyed myself out there - way better than roads! Total time: 1:14:48.
Friday: 7 miles - Rome Point trails with Dan. More slush than ice today. Another scorcher - 59 degrees. Slow go, but fun. Total time: 54:30.
Saturday & Sunday: 0
Overview: I was excited about getting in the first "regular" week of the year - running all five days of the week. I probably could have snuck in a short run on Sunday, but my body is still a little sore and tired from all the exhausting trail work, and I'll be going long tomorrow with Boj.
Weekly Total: 41 miles
Last Week: 41 miles
Year to Date: 281 miles
Tuesday: 9 miles - Rome Point trails 7M and beach 2M with Dan. 32 degrees and sunny today, but with a very strong NE wind. The trails here were packed down and icy, but manageable with Yaktrax. Dan set a tough pace for the first two miles. We had to slow down on the lesser used single track. The beach was really fun on the way out, but on the way back the wind was outrageous. I was getting an ice cream headache and felt like I was running in place at times. The bay had 1 to 2 foot waves breaking onshore (normally calm). We warmed back up by hitting the big hill and then hit some more extremely slow single track. Eventually, we made it back to good footing, and coasted home for a total time of 1:10:40.
Wednesday: 9 miles - Calf Pasture Point and Mount View roads 5M, trails 1.5M, and beach 2.5M alone. Interesting run today. I wanted to keep it easy, and opted to try this spot after some frustration with it last week. I was happy to see pavement for most of the road out to the trails and beach. The trails were in horrible shape and I knew I would only do this part once. The road out to the beach was in bad shape as well (full shade). The beach was slow heading out with a strong headwind, but the payoff was the tailwind on the way back. There wasn't anything too unusual going on - the normal gigantic flock of brant, some sanderlings, and quite a few mute swans (I avoided the ones that were on the beach itself). Because I didn't want to repeat the snowy sections, I concocted a plan on the fly and went for it. I hopped onto the road near the beach and planned to stay left on the roads and find my way back to the bike path. This section of town (Mount View) is secluded and tricky to get in and out of. I never have done it before, and I was going on memory from checking it out online. Some of the houses (estates) were huge and old trees lined the road with big stone walls. I was getting a little nervous after running for a while that I wasn't going to figure this out. Eventually, I saw the bike path after 24 minutes at a fastish pace, and could relax. The bike path was snow covered for the most part (pretty deep snow too). Total time: 1:11:20.
Thursday: 9 miles - Rome Point trails 7M and beach 2M alone. Wow - I wanted to call this 10 miles based on effort, but it was the same exact run as on Tuesday. I was feeling a little sluggish today, but I couldn't wait to get out and enjoy the sunny 58 degree day in shorts and short sleeves! Originally I was thinking roads, however the lure of the trails swayed me. The going was slow, slushy, icy, and challenging. I can't believe the snow and ice cover despite warm temperatures and rain the last two weeks. There were alot of cars in the parking lot, and I tried to metally prepare myself for the oodles of unleashed dogs I was inevitably going to run into. Despite the amount of dogs I actually did run into, I couldn't get upset as their human companions were extremely pleasant today. I did my normal routine of trails, beach, and then trails in the opposite direction. The tide was lower than usual, and I spotted a couple of harbor seals in a new place (closer to the bridge). I was a little shocked at my overall time, but the footing was slippery, and besides, I really enjoyed myself out there - way better than roads! Total time: 1:14:48.
Friday: 7 miles - Rome Point trails with Dan. More slush than ice today. Another scorcher - 59 degrees. Slow go, but fun. Total time: 54:30.
Saturday & Sunday: 0
Overview: I was excited about getting in the first "regular" week of the year - running all five days of the week. I probably could have snuck in a short run on Sunday, but my body is still a little sore and tired from all the exhausting trail work, and I'll be going long tomorrow with Boj.
Weekly Total: 41 miles
Last Week: 41 miles
Year to Date: 281 miles
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