Monday, August 29, 2011

Week 8/29 - 9/4

Monday: 14 pm with last 3.7 at 5:40 pace on trails in Maudslay solo. I had a ton of energy after a nice recovery day during the tropical storm. I just felt smooth and altogether way too comfortable running mid 6's so I decided to run the 3m loop at tempo effort. Of course, I missed a turn and ended up taking a huge detour, adding about 4 minutes to the effort. In a sense it was good to challenge myself mentally by going off course and making up my mind to complete the loop anyway.

Tuesday: 10 am in Maudslay with Ken. We took it nice and easy and just chatted about Worlds. 71 minutes.

Wednesday: 9 steady in Maudslay late. It got dark by about 35 minutes in and I had to slow it down but I was moving pretty quick today. Originally wanted to take the day off of running and go for a bike ride, but couldn't work it out with moving plans and preparing for this weekend. I hit the road around 50 minutes and picked it up again, almost stepped on a skunk, picked it up even more at that point and finished right at 60 minutes. Good run, legs feeling better than yesterday.

Thursday: 11 miles... last run in Amesbury was a good one. Ken and I warmed up 3.5 and rolled right into 6x1000m with 1min rest. We averaged 5:20-5:25 pace for the k's and kept the rest at about 6:30 pace. Average for the 11 miles came out to 5:50 pace. Great day.

Friday: 11 steady with Brandon from Exeter with 6x150m strides barefoot. Felt great today - awesome weather.

Saturday: 6 easy with Brandon after a big moving day to the new apartment in Andover. We found trails immediately outside the apartment - I was psyched!

Sunday: OFF - my left hip/right lower back was super stiff from moving yesterday. I literally layed down all day and it is still sore as of Tuesday morning.

Total: 61 miles.

Overall: I need to get my hip/back in working order before I can resume full training again. I was pretty happy overall with the week, and I knew the move was going to take its toll. Brandon was apparently unphased after helping out with all the big furniture as he ran the Wapack 18 miler on Sunday and won in 2:26 and change, going away from a strong field early. This coming week is about 6 days of 10-13 miles with more strides and a couple core workouts.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Week 8/22 - 8/28

Monday: 7.3 am easy running (47:35). Felt great this morning. I could sense the cooler weather on horizon.7.7 pm in 46:45, kind of a progression run, warming up the first few, pushing some hills, and rolling the last 3 home around 5:40 pace. Great start to the week, 15 total

Tuesday: 10m am with Ken in 65:10 on a pretty flat loop into South Hampton. One good hill climbs about 100 ft but then you get it all back on the downhill. It was good to catch up with Ken. He has been my running buddy in Amesbury. Now that we're headed to Andover I'll probably have to find some more local guys to run with most of the time. Drills pm.

Wednesday: 5.5 am EASY, we're talking 7:15's or so. 6 pm easy again, this time on trails in Andover, checking out the new area. 11.5 total.

Thursday: 10.5 am with Ken steady in Maudslay. I showed him the electric fence I ran into during a harder run a couple weeks ago. Still can't believe there was no sign saying something like "DANGER: ELECTRIC FENCE". I had been in the zone, watching the ground for footing and suddenly, *ZZZZEERRROOOMMMM* and I'm doubled over on an electric fence. Good times. Anyway, it was a good run today, pretty quick for trails and I felt a hell of a lot better than yesterday.

Friday: 10 miles am with 3m tempo in 17:25 on the Maudslay course. It was humid this morning and my stomach felt terrible on the warm-up. Something about waking up at 5:30 didn't settle well. Anyway, once we were rolling on the course I fell into a good rhythm and mostly held back from going too hard. Fairly soon I'd expect to hold this type of pace or faster for 10k-12k tempos. What a fun way to run! / PM 6 miles easy with Ken in Amesbury. We kept it pretty darn slow, and both felt a little loopy, probably from a combination of high 80's and low blood sugar. Still a solid double and I am HUNGRY for dinner. Making apple chicken sausages, broccoli rab and egg noodles. Oh, and and probably a couple good IPA's. 16 total.

Saturday: 14 miles. Humid. Way too humid. I was drenched by 2 miles and feeling drained by 8. I was lucky to think of bringing a water bottle along today to practice nutrition mid-run. The Hammer Heed I used settled well, but I think I drank it too quickly. I ended up stopping to fill up at a farm stand. My gear was definitely not "dri-fit"ing today. (1:37)

Sunday: 5 miles super easy in the storm. There were a few strong wind gusts but I think the strongest ones had passed by the time I got out there around 2:30 pm. I ran trails near the apartment to stay away from electric wires and those sorts of hazzards. There was as surprising number of people walking around, checking out the downed branches and such. The coolest thing I stumbled upon was a great blue heron taking shelter in a cove next to Gardner lake. I hit the boardwalk and scared it out into open water... felt a little bad because a wind gust nearly shot it down right into the lake!

Total: 83 on the week. I felt good enough to do more on Sunday but figured it would be a smart recovery day on a great week of training to limit my run to 5. I am sleeping heavier, but that is pretty much the only sign that I'm training harder than in weeks passed. The fitness is coming along how I'd expect. 9 weeks from today I'll be running Cape Cod. 9 weeks might sound like a lot, but it really isn't. I have a long way to go in terms of building up my long runs, simulating race pace efforts and practicing nutrition. Not to mention, I need to find a pair of racing flats that work for me. If I am able to put together 9 more weeks with an 80m average, I'll feel pretty confident. Meanwhile, I will also know that much of the competition will have averaged no less than 100m, with some guys getting up to 120.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Week 8/15 - 8/21

Monday: 68:40 on trails and roads in Amesbury. I felt pretty strong but held back and didn't push the pace in light of yesterday's hammerfest. It was rainy and slightly humid and I did my best to embrace the conditions. 10.5

Tuesday: Light workout with MVS marathoners: 10 x (400on, 200off, 200on, 200 off) 400s were roughly 80s and 200s were roughly 37s. I ran a few of the last ones way too fast, 27-28s for the 200s and even popped a couple 61-62s 400s. Hopefully I won't pay for it with a tight something-or-other. 9.5 total.

Wednesday: 4 easy am. 30 min. 2 hour kayak to Little Neck in Ipswitch and back, plus 5 mile run on the beach. Beautiful day, and we even saw a model in the middle of her photo shoot, rolling around in the waves!! 9+ total.

Thursday: Family visited so I ran with my cousin Davie who's trying out for varsity soccer his senior year. We ran my morning run 5.6 miles easy. I suppose it was a good recovery day. Upper body is sore from kayaking and fighting the current heading back up the Merrimack river.

Friday: 45 mile bike ride. I was aiming for 55, but as a I rolled south from Portsmouth/Stratham into Exeter, a monstrous and terrifying giant cumulus struck down. I wish I had a picture of a motorcyclist laughing hysterically at me as I hammered into downtown Exeter, aiming to take shelter at Exeter Cycles. (Thanks John!) video of hail storm which soon followed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg7rHAC0UNE

Saturday: I was looking to actually feel like a runner, so I wanted to pop a fast 10 miler on my favorite course from home. 3 up in 18:10 and I was right on track, except my mile markers were off and I had actually gone faster. Realizing this, I decided to make it a workout, running 60s on, 90s off for the next 4 miles. 7 miles including warmup completed in 39:35! down 3. Great impromptu workout on a high 80's and humid afternoon.

Sunday: Looking to go long, but got a call from some guys in Portsmouth looking to ride roughly 3 hours. I figured 3 hours of riding might count for a long endurance effort, so I joined in. We averaged roughly 18.5 mph with lots of slowdowns and stops for technical, and/or, stomach issues and cramping. I felt pretty strong out there. 46.2 miles, 2:31 moving average according to the GPS which comes out to slightly under 20 mph.

Total: 45 miles running, 91 miles riding, 2 hours kayaking, solid week overall.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Week 8/8 - 8/14

Monday: 55 minutes steady. 8 miles.

Tuesday: Off. Almost 6 hours on the beach zapped my energy and we got home around 10pm due to traffic... I was SO close to heading out there for a 10 miler but ate half a tub of Ben and Jerry's and called it a night instead. Good rest day.

Wednesday: 10.5 in 69 minutes, last 4 with Benny Jenks. Humid today!

Thursday: Double, 5.5 morning feeling sluggish and off, 3.5 with Butler evening feeling better. 9 total.

Friday: 10 in 68:30 with Ken in Maudslay, a little quick on the trails, but feeling good for a possible debut at the Brew Run on the cape tomorrow afternoon. Most likely going in at tempo effort, if anything.

Saturday: off. it's hard to train while on vacation with the in-laws. I want to hang out, ride the bike paths along the cape, hit the beach, and generally relax. The fact is, though, that I really want to be testing myself along the flats, dusting the dunes and pushing the hills. I'll probably be feeling well recovered for a good medium-long run tomorrow at least.

Sunday: 15 miles in Maudslay in 1:33 quick solo. This was the best run in the past 6 months. I haven't felt more alive and more connected with the ground than this afternoon. I was so frustrated with the green heads that I just burned through 90 minutes like it was nothing. Still, the run doesn't compare with a Bay Road where all the boys strut their fitness in early September. At 12 pm, I'm not sore, just hungry for more distance and collecting myself for the month of promises, September. Bring it on!

Total: 52.5 in 5 days. This week's comments say it all. I'm really starting to taste the sweet sweet burn of real training and I can't let it go. It's time to train for marathon in October. Long runs once a week with at least one workout. Every other day is base mileage. Come mid-October, I'll be ready, or bust!


Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Week 8/1 - 8/7

Monday: 10 miles steady, 66 minutes. Right Achilles was tight towards the beginning but loosened up in the end.

Tuesday: 10 miles, 67 minutes. Felt great today. Achilles was much better today.

Wednesday: 50 minutes in Portland from downtown after a long day on the bike with Lauren. Thought I'd be bombing down trails in Bar Harbor but plans changed. 7 miles.

Thursday: Thunder Chicken 5k: 16:16, 2nd place. 12.5 miles on the day. Sam Wood called me on our way home from Portland so I stopped in Portsmouth just in time to register and warm up. Ran in trainers.

Friday: 9.75 in 61:50 with the little bro. Pace was actually quicker (6:05-6:10) but we ran by night and had to go really slowly around the bike path in Keene.

Saturday: 8+ miles in 53:30 with Alex in the morning. Attending a wedding this afternoon!

Sunday: 10 miles in 63:30 on bike paths on the Cape.

Total: Roughly 67 miles on 7 days with a solid effort on Thursday. The remainder of the week was steady running with some quicker runs thrown in by feel. I'm pretty happy with the week and I was actually thrilled to run well at the Thunder Chicken with so little preparation. I'm taking the long road back to fitness, enjoying my runs and that's what's important for now.