Might as well get this report done while the memories are fresh.
The down and dirty... 14th place, 15:27, splits were 4:58, 4:59, 4:54, xx.
I linked up with D-Kaz and a few others from the Whirlaway crew at the Dascomb Park&Ride and we made our way down to Boston uninhibited. The weather forecast called for misery, cats and dogs, 15 mph winds, heavy rain, and anything else that might be frustrating to a runner. But, the conditions on the ground actually weren't too terrible. Kaz found us a space at the parking garage behind the Asgard Restaurant which played host to the New England 5k Championships. After a quick stop at the registration tent to grab our bibs and soak our feet, we returned to the van to gear up for an average warm-up.
We decided to run the course, loping casually along Mass ave where I thought the race course would follow. I was feeling mighty slow, and judging by the attitude of my group, we all were pretty pleased with 8 minute miles for the warm up. By the time we returned to the van, I was aerobically warm but the rain had constricted my quads and achilles so I was intentional about warming those areas before starting drills.
Drills done, throw-away shirt on, most of the team assembled, it was time to get to the line. Human congregation is an interesting thing. For a few minutes, dozens, if not a couple hundred runners were ambling back and forth along the street, intentional about not crossing the starting mat which, everyone must know, might disrupt factual reporting of results. Then, because of the time to the start of the race, without announcement or ceremony, the many dozens of runners suddenly halted their warm up activities and moved directly for the starting line. Being my distractable self, I missed the boat on that last move and wound up way back, pushing my way up into the 5th or 6th line of runners.
After a humorously awkward race-start announcement with a brief period of "wait... get ready... just a minute... okay... almost ready now...." the race was off! I had been ready to wail on those first few meters and to secure a spot in a group running about 4:50-4:55 per mile, but instead found myself almost running into a stopped car. I didn't hit the car, but after an awkward first 600m I instinctively I knew I was off the pace by a long shot. I rolled wide left and began moving, but now I was afraid of making too abrupt an adjustment and burying myself in lactate. Thus began my passive-aggressive race tactics.
From here the story gets pretty brief. I passed a bunch of people, but mostly because they slowed down. I hit the mile mark in 5:02 by the official's clock, 4:58 by mine because I didn't start my watch until I passed the first mat. I saw a large swarm of runners probably 10 seconds or less ahead of me, but I just didn't have the courage to chase them down quickly. I ran the second mile intelligently, but again passively, as I hit 2 miles at 4:59. I came alongside former teammate Louie Saviano. He put in a surge to stay with me and I was likewise encouraged to fight for my place and surge past him. (Thanks, Lou!) So I moved on, catching maybe 3-4 more people.
It was no surprise that in the final mile master's stud Mike Galoob came by me. He should be credited with waking me out of my passive 5:00 pace jaunt. I realized that he too was probably not having the perfect race and yet was willing to attack the last mile to make something out of it. I tucked in behind him refusing to allow a gap to open. Suddenly it dawned on me: we're only racing 5k! There's less than 800m left! The ever-important question arose: how do you give all you can in 800m? It dawned on me quite quickly that the answer is: you train for it! Well, I gave it the best I had with the little speed-work in my bank. I closed hard with a 4:54 and a faster last 10th.
Upon finishing I immediately hit the sidewalk to cheer in my teammates. I knew it was a good one for Whirlaway, but I wasn't sure how good. Certainly we benefited by being the toughest, no-excuse, driven bunch around, but we also benefitted by the masses preparing for Boston who probably couldn't justify racing 5k in the low 40s with rain. After all were finished, we ran a 3 mile jog over to the river. Brandon, Sam and I then incorporated 2 miles of 5:20 pace followed by an easy run back in for a 6+ mi cooldown.
Pleased with 12+ on the day. Pleased with finishing 14th. PUMPED with the Open team finishing 1st!!
Next up... well, in the immediate future, I'm not sure. Probably Red's Shoe Barn 5 mile. BUT, on May 25th, I'll be racing the Vermont City Marathon. All training, which I might begin reporting again, will have that race as a focus. It's marathon time.
The daily meanderings of a New England runner
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
Race Report: New Bedford 1/2 Marathon
Three weeks ago I ran the Jones 10 Miler out in Amherst, MA. I was optimistic about my chances at a PR, but the winds of fortune left me stranded and searching for a port-a-potty from mile 4 all the way to the finish line. I decided not to report on that race out of desire to avoid a big, public, pity party. Even though I could rationally say that a 57 minute 10 miler was not my best effort when intestinal distress is a non-factor, the disappointing race shook my confidence. I knew that it would be pretty difficult to gain significant fitness in the 3 weeks leading up to this past Sunday's half marathon, so I opted to run and enjoy the miles as they came.
Then Sunday's 1/2 marathon arrived and just about everything worked out for me.
My approach was to run relaxed through 4 miles, no matter what that meant in terms of pace. I guessed that 5:30-5:40 would be a safe place to start and friends like Louie Saviano, Tim Mallard, Richie Spitsburg (and many others) appeared to have a similar idea. We formed a massive pack of at least 20 following a pack of probably 20+ going 5-10 seconds per mile faster. I was towards the head of our chase pack but the wind was becoming a nuisance so I welcomed a few guys looking to press a bit and I drafted well as we hit the early hills in miles 2-4. I hit 4 miles averaging a hair over 5:30 and it occurred to me that I was at a similar pace last year and feeling far worse. This year I was relaxed, mostly avoiding the headwind, and in a position to attack.
I moved in the 5th mile as the welcomed downhill miles began. I found a great rhythm and broke away from the pack that had protected me through the windier sections. I began leapfrogging from one small group to the next, pausing in each slip-stream to evaluate whether it was time to settle in or continue rolling. By mile 6-7 I found allies in guys like Francis Cuscik, Chris Mahoney and Adam Goode and we rolled together for quite a while, running down victims of the fast early pace of the large lead pack. Miles 5-10 for me were awesome, going 5:09, 5:12, 5:05, 5:15, 5:12, 5:17. Garmin told me later that I ran 32:12 for the middle 10k of this race. I also split 10 miles in a PR of 53:13. Sweet!
As I hit 10 miles I caught eventual winner of the women's race, Kim Smith. Unfortunately, catching her coincided with the worst headwind of the race. It was as bad as last year, and drafting the tiny runner just in front of me was useless, so I begrudgingly pushed on as Smith jumped into my slip stream. I wasn't sure if there were rules about lead women drafting men, so I was conscious of trying to get away from her. I caught several more victims of the fast early paces set by the front pack, but a few of them hung on and we formed a fragile group charging into the viscous headwind. Soon, a couple stronger guys came flying by despite the wind and some members of my group clung onto them and got away from me. It was back to just me and Kim trudging away and into the final mile.
We hit the hill and someone I couldn't recognize was shouting that Whirlaway had the top 2 spots and that "every single second" counted for the team battle. It was at this moment I stopped feeling sorry for myself and the slow miles 11 and 12 and charged up the remainder of the hill. I would hold my position to the finish line with a huge PR of 10:46 (net time). I was pumped! In fact, everyone around me seemed thrilled with their races. I'm sure there were exceptions but it was such a cool celebration as everyone was hugging and congratulating one another. There were tons of PRs. Smith finished in just a hair over 1:11 and I was surprised that she found me and thanked me for pacing duties during miles 10-12. She asked me about my racing goals; I made something up as I have nothing concrete at the moment, but anyway, it was cool to see her excitement at her win and to chat with her for a minute.
In sum, I was really thrilled with my race despite the nasty wind over the final 5k. I executed my plan and was confident in my ability despite an odd week leading up to the race. The open team had a good performance and if Dan Princic hadn't had the misfortune of starting the race 4 minutes late, we would have placed 2nd instead of 3rd. With some guys on the mend and returning to form, the future looks exciting. As always, it was a blast seeing so many faces in the running community and catching up with old friends.
Next up, a 5k in Cambridge on March 30th. I'll do a few speedier sessions in preparation while I begin thinking about a more significant race like a marathon for later this Spring...
Data here
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Update / Workout Wednesday
I've started seeing a chiropractor by name of Shoonman whose confidence that he can "fix" me was enough for me to commit to several sessions. His practice is unlike the other chiropractors I've met, and he seems to have identified some missing key elements in my gait. The short is: I don't run with my glutes. At all. Schoonman called it "muscular amnesia"; my glutes are asleep and my quads, hip flexers and hamstrings are overworking to compensate, and have become overly tight as a result. Anyway, we're doing a bit of Active Release Therapy (ART), some massage, and thus far no cracking.
I've been focusing on my form quite a bit lately... There have been some significant asymmetries in my stride which I had come to basically accept, until recently. Partly because of therapy and partly because I'm more focused on it, I've managed to improve my my foot strike and hip position. I feel smoother and more balanced. Consistently hitting core work for the past 2 months has probably also helped make a difference.
Anyway! I'm cleared to work out, and with Jones in 10 days it was definitely time to do something faster. I decided to hit the treadmill since it was dark. Warmed up 3 miles in 20:40. Instead of going straight into the workout I did a number of exercises I've been told to do both before and after running. Stretched, foam rolled, and then into a 6 mile hard progression run, increasing the tempo each mile, going: 5:30, 5:27, 5:24, 5:21, 5:18, 5:15 = 32:15. I felt great! I surprised myself with how strong I felt. HR topped out at 181 (my max recently is 194).
I'm pretty sure the treadmill is accurate, so the surprisingly speedy session could be attributed to a few things: 1) I'm fitter than I gave myself credit for 2) The changes in my form make me slightly more efficient, and 3) treadmill running does not factor in wind resistance Check the conversion table here. Regardless, it was a really solid session. Nice confidence boost for Jones.
I've been focusing on my form quite a bit lately... There have been some significant asymmetries in my stride which I had come to basically accept, until recently. Partly because of therapy and partly because I'm more focused on it, I've managed to improve my my foot strike and hip position. I feel smoother and more balanced. Consistently hitting core work for the past 2 months has probably also helped make a difference.
Anyway! I'm cleared to work out, and with Jones in 10 days it was definitely time to do something faster. I decided to hit the treadmill since it was dark. Warmed up 3 miles in 20:40. Instead of going straight into the workout I did a number of exercises I've been told to do both before and after running. Stretched, foam rolled, and then into a 6 mile hard progression run, increasing the tempo each mile, going: 5:30, 5:27, 5:24, 5:21, 5:18, 5:15 = 32:15. I felt great! I surprised myself with how strong I felt. HR topped out at 181 (my max recently is 194).
I'm pretty sure the treadmill is accurate, so the surprisingly speedy session could be attributed to a few things: 1) I'm fitter than I gave myself credit for 2) The changes in my form make me slightly more efficient, and 3) treadmill running does not factor in wind resistance Check the conversion table here. Regardless, it was a really solid session. Nice confidence boost for Jones.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Horse Hill 7k Snow Shoe Race Recap.
After nearly a week off from running and a few sessions of PT and yoga over the past week, I felt optimistic about getting a hard effort in and for it to be the "right" move. The Jones 10 miler is fast approaching and I have been feeling the pressure of needing a few hard efforts to prepare. I was also motivated to get on the snow since the impact of racing is less severe than on pavement, although probably more intense in some ways. Plus, snowshoeing is fun and new to me. Anyway, all of this added up to my appearance at the Horse Hill 7k SS race in Merrimack, NH.
The competitive turnout was as I feared: Nearly every fast and experienced Snowshoe racer in the region was there. I warmed up with Tilton, Dunham, JJ and maybe Putnam? We warmed up on roads and then I sort of walked around aimlessly near the registration table wondering where the heck the start line was. It eventually dawned on me that the start was within sight, about 4 runners wide and mostly made up of loose snow. I threw on the snowshoes and did a few strides but was otherwise completely unprepared for what would ensue on the race course.
The race started and I narrowly escaped a face-plant as both of my shoes slid out from under me as I tried to drive off the line. Clearly an amateur move as everybody else was off clean. I had to laugh at myself though and somehow I found myself in 3rd place behind Nacho Hernando and JJ. Newbould was directly behind me and, using reason, I knew it was only a matter of minutes before he would need to go by me. As my teammate I planned to let him pass when he indicated it was time.
We stayed in a tight formation along narrow single-track up the first tough incline. I was gasping for air and struggled to maintain good form, realizing all-at-once that this was a pretty serious course. I imagined a beautiful 60-second ensuing downhill which would allow me to recover, but none came. Instead there were myriad switchbacks so tight that I modeled JJ and used the trees to help shift momentum and stay balanced. By 1 mile in Newbould had bounded by me through the deep powder and Nacho and JJ had maybe a 5 second advantage.
Whether it was lack of fitness, lack of technical skills on the single track, or an absence of competitive mojo, my race took a pretty sour turn after the mile. I had reached it in 9 minutes according to GPS and was ready for a break. Visions of being chased down became reality as the switchbacks allowed me to see competitors charging from behind. The neon orange Dion singlet belonging to KT was in hot pursuit and I salvaged my race by deciding to make it tough for him to catch me. The lead 3 were soon out of sight except for the rare switchback which would reveal their advantage on me. I held no delusions of bridging that gap.
So... miles 2 and 3 came and went without much to note other than sheer exhaustion. Finally, there was a large 1/2 mile long hill whose top I dedicated as my finish line. I needed to get there ahead of Tilton if I wanted any chance of holding him off. The last bit of the race was mostly downhill and I figured I would be safe cruising home from the top. At each switchback I could see Tilton and one other making ground on me. My advantage was the ability to approximate the time gap whereas my pursuers couldn't anticipate which direction the course would take them next. Thankfully, I cleared the hill and cruised home in 34:37, 1:32 down on eventual winner, Nacho, and over a minute down on Newbould and JJ.
Snowshoe racing is a lot of fun. There is a no-frills, relaxed attitude about the sport as far as I can tell, and meanwhile the competition is made up of some of the toughest people I know. Each course has been entirely unique and the conditions of the snow play a role in how well I can compete. I want to learn how to run more efficiently on the loose stuff. As long as there is snow on the ground, I intend to continue exploring this sport. I'm away in southern NJ this coming weekend, so hopefully I'll be able to race a qualifier eventually and keep the season going. Jones in 2 weeks!
The competitive turnout was as I feared: Nearly every fast and experienced Snowshoe racer in the region was there. I warmed up with Tilton, Dunham, JJ and maybe Putnam? We warmed up on roads and then I sort of walked around aimlessly near the registration table wondering where the heck the start line was. It eventually dawned on me that the start was within sight, about 4 runners wide and mostly made up of loose snow. I threw on the snowshoes and did a few strides but was otherwise completely unprepared for what would ensue on the race course.
The race started and I narrowly escaped a face-plant as both of my shoes slid out from under me as I tried to drive off the line. Clearly an amateur move as everybody else was off clean. I had to laugh at myself though and somehow I found myself in 3rd place behind Nacho Hernando and JJ. Newbould was directly behind me and, using reason, I knew it was only a matter of minutes before he would need to go by me. As my teammate I planned to let him pass when he indicated it was time.
We stayed in a tight formation along narrow single-track up the first tough incline. I was gasping for air and struggled to maintain good form, realizing all-at-once that this was a pretty serious course. I imagined a beautiful 60-second ensuing downhill which would allow me to recover, but none came. Instead there were myriad switchbacks so tight that I modeled JJ and used the trees to help shift momentum and stay balanced. By 1 mile in Newbould had bounded by me through the deep powder and Nacho and JJ had maybe a 5 second advantage.
Whether it was lack of fitness, lack of technical skills on the single track, or an absence of competitive mojo, my race took a pretty sour turn after the mile. I had reached it in 9 minutes according to GPS and was ready for a break. Visions of being chased down became reality as the switchbacks allowed me to see competitors charging from behind. The neon orange Dion singlet belonging to KT was in hot pursuit and I salvaged my race by deciding to make it tough for him to catch me. The lead 3 were soon out of sight except for the rare switchback which would reveal their advantage on me. I held no delusions of bridging that gap.
So... miles 2 and 3 came and went without much to note other than sheer exhaustion. Finally, there was a large 1/2 mile long hill whose top I dedicated as my finish line. I needed to get there ahead of Tilton if I wanted any chance of holding him off. The last bit of the race was mostly downhill and I figured I would be safe cruising home from the top. At each switchback I could see Tilton and one other making ground on me. My advantage was the ability to approximate the time gap whereas my pursuers couldn't anticipate which direction the course would take them next. Thankfully, I cleared the hill and cruised home in 34:37, 1:32 down on eventual winner, Nacho, and over a minute down on Newbould and JJ.
Snowshoe racing is a lot of fun. There is a no-frills, relaxed attitude about the sport as far as I can tell, and meanwhile the competition is made up of some of the toughest people I know. Each course has been entirely unique and the conditions of the snow play a role in how well I can compete. I want to learn how to run more efficiently on the loose stuff. As long as there is snow on the ground, I intend to continue exploring this sport. I'm away in southern NJ this coming weekend, so hopefully I'll be able to race a qualifier eventually and keep the season going. Jones in 2 weeks!
Monday, January 27, 2014
Week 5: 1/27 - 2/2
Monday: 10 miles / 63:41 - Progression run. Super steady. Mindful of form and the ankle the whole time. No worse for the wear several hours later, which probably* means I'm totally in the clear! 10 minute plank variation after: 3 x (1" left, right, double) followed by 2" double arm plank, no rest.
Tuesday: 10 miles / 64:36 - Steady running on the treadmill. Last 2.5 at 5:55 pace. Felt good. Quick lifting circuit after: 2 x 25 push ups, 2 x 12 reps 100lb lat pull-downs, 3 x 15 reps 20 lb bicep curls, 3 x 40 sit ups, 2 x 12 reps of 40 lb military press. The gym was wicked busy, filled mostly by bros sitting around on their iPhones. A couple guys were taking pictures of each other flexing which I thought was super weird... Such oddities should help explain why I did 2 sets of exercises in some areas and 3 in others.
Wednesday: 9 miles / 60:32 - Easy cruise. 3 x 25 push-ups in the morning. No time for other strength today as a meeting after work went long and then I had to scamper over to the common for the outdoor track session. Then straight over to Sal's for the awards meeting. Full day! Feeling good. Bed by 11:30 which is super late or me. No snowshoe race this weekend so I'm not as worried about the lost rest, but I'd still like to do something nice and hard this weekend; maybe a long progression run Sunday. Might hit up a group ride or workout on the compu-trainer Saturday morning. We'll see!
Thursday: 9 miles easy / NT with Newbould. We linked up last minute for a jaunt around Maudslay. After about 5 miles of unpredictable/icy footing we opted for the remainder on roads around Newburyport. Solid run. Great to catch up! Feeling really good about the week and for a solid effort this weekend. Details TBD.
Friday: 4 miles easy after school. Light core and mobility session.
Saturday: 8 miles with 8 x 60 second hill sprints on 2 minutes recovery. Standard core session after.
Sunday: Incredibly sore from the hills. 4 miles / 28 minutes.
In other news... I'm taking a break from the blog. I'm going back to PT for the arthritic right knee and although I'll continue running, it will be lighter than normal. I like the idea of keeping everyone guessing as we roll into the racing season... and in general I'm looking forward to a change in focus as I'll be trying to prioritize yoga, lifting consistently and resetting all the systems before Spring arrives. See you all on the roads soon!
Tuesday: 10 miles / 64:36 - Steady running on the treadmill. Last 2.5 at 5:55 pace. Felt good. Quick lifting circuit after: 2 x 25 push ups, 2 x 12 reps 100lb lat pull-downs, 3 x 15 reps 20 lb bicep curls, 3 x 40 sit ups, 2 x 12 reps of 40 lb military press. The gym was wicked busy, filled mostly by bros sitting around on their iPhones. A couple guys were taking pictures of each other flexing which I thought was super weird... Such oddities should help explain why I did 2 sets of exercises in some areas and 3 in others.
Wednesday: 9 miles / 60:32 - Easy cruise. 3 x 25 push-ups in the morning. No time for other strength today as a meeting after work went long and then I had to scamper over to the common for the outdoor track session. Then straight over to Sal's for the awards meeting. Full day! Feeling good. Bed by 11:30 which is super late or me. No snowshoe race this weekend so I'm not as worried about the lost rest, but I'd still like to do something nice and hard this weekend; maybe a long progression run Sunday. Might hit up a group ride or workout on the compu-trainer Saturday morning. We'll see!
Thursday: 9 miles easy / NT with Newbould. We linked up last minute for a jaunt around Maudslay. After about 5 miles of unpredictable/icy footing we opted for the remainder on roads around Newburyport. Solid run. Great to catch up! Feeling really good about the week and for a solid effort this weekend. Details TBD.
Friday: 4 miles easy after school. Light core and mobility session.
Saturday: 8 miles with 8 x 60 second hill sprints on 2 minutes recovery. Standard core session after.
Sunday: Incredibly sore from the hills. 4 miles / 28 minutes.
In other news... I'm taking a break from the blog. I'm going back to PT for the arthritic right knee and although I'll continue running, it will be lighter than normal. I like the idea of keeping everyone guessing as we roll into the racing season... and in general I'm looking forward to a change in focus as I'll be trying to prioritize yoga, lifting consistently and resetting all the systems before Spring arrives. See you all on the roads soon!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Week 4: 1/20 - 1/26
Monday: 35-minute swim. It's not running but it's definitely aerobic. Standard core session. Added 3x7 chin ups. Definitely seeing improvements in strength.
Tuesday: 20-minute swim. A little tired and sore from yesterday. Practiced turning. Foot is feeling ready for a test drive, except the roads are so messed up with ice from previous storms and a new layer of snow that I might do it inside. Thinking 2 miles if all goes to plan.
Wednesday: Tested out the *ankle! Jogged about 3 miles with a few pick ups. Pain is jumping around. Nowhere specific. No swelling. I'm perplexed. It might be time to visit the doctor after all.
Thursday: Visited my friend Sharon at her compu-training center in North Andover. She wanted to show me how compu-training is designed. I didn't realize that would mean I would get to do a 20 minute threshold test, followed by some 1-minute and 2-minute pickups, but that is exactly what she had in mind!
I warmed up for about 5-7 minutes before going straight into the 20-minute test. Sharon warned me to start a little conservatively for the first 5 minutes since I didn't want to spike the lactate in my system and then suffer a slow death for the remaining 15. I locked into a pretty good rhythm after a minute or two of adjusting my cadence and slowly watched my average watts/minute increase from about 230 up to 267. I rode a flat course, and worked my speed up to 23.1 mph at the finish. My watts/kg was 3.68 and I saw a max HR of 193. I felt my inner hamstring, quad and calf muscles laboring which is a helpful reminder that running alone will not lead to well-balanced muscle groups. After the 20 minute test, the software establishes appropriate resistance for interval work. I rode a few minutes easy and went into 5x1 minute on, 30s off. The ons were at 110% of LT, so my watts were around 300 for the on efforts. By the 2-minute pickups my calves were absolutely rocked, and the medial side was cramping. This could be a product of muscle imbalance or possibly having not done any real impact-related exercise in about 10 days (excluding yesterday's experiment). So, I shut it down and cooled down for several minutes and called it a day.
I'm thinking I will try to make compu-training a weekly workout, possibly replacing my secondary running workout in the week. The intensity is definitely there, and I think it could lead to improvement in the stability and strength of the medial side of my legs. We'll see. Ankle was a non-issue. Run tomorrow!
Friday: 7 miles / 48 minutes - Sweet! I can run! Progressed from 7:35 down to 6:20 for the last couple. Felt so good to go for a real run. Standard core session after; 3 sets of: (1" left, right, double arm planks, 25 push ups, 40 sit ups) and lots of foam rolling!
Saturday: 3 miles / 20 minutes easy running in the morning. Another 15 minutes running in the snow with my parents' dog, Enya, in the snowstorm out in Marlborough, NH.
Sunday: 3 miles on the treadmill at night. Stomach has been upset all weekend so the goal was to just stretch the legs. After: 3 sets of: 15 x 25 lb curls, 12 x 85 lb lat pull-downs, 12 x 50 lb shoulder press, 50 lb triceps extensions.
Tuesday: 20-minute swim. A little tired and sore from yesterday. Practiced turning. Foot is feeling ready for a test drive, except the roads are so messed up with ice from previous storms and a new layer of snow that I might do it inside. Thinking 2 miles if all goes to plan.
Wednesday: Tested out the *ankle! Jogged about 3 miles with a few pick ups. Pain is jumping around. Nowhere specific. No swelling. I'm perplexed. It might be time to visit the doctor after all.
Thursday: Visited my friend Sharon at her compu-training center in North Andover. She wanted to show me how compu-training is designed. I didn't realize that would mean I would get to do a 20 minute threshold test, followed by some 1-minute and 2-minute pickups, but that is exactly what she had in mind!
I warmed up for about 5-7 minutes before going straight into the 20-minute test. Sharon warned me to start a little conservatively for the first 5 minutes since I didn't want to spike the lactate in my system and then suffer a slow death for the remaining 15. I locked into a pretty good rhythm after a minute or two of adjusting my cadence and slowly watched my average watts/minute increase from about 230 up to 267. I rode a flat course, and worked my speed up to 23.1 mph at the finish. My watts/kg was 3.68 and I saw a max HR of 193. I felt my inner hamstring, quad and calf muscles laboring which is a helpful reminder that running alone will not lead to well-balanced muscle groups. After the 20 minute test, the software establishes appropriate resistance for interval work. I rode a few minutes easy and went into 5x1 minute on, 30s off. The ons were at 110% of LT, so my watts were around 300 for the on efforts. By the 2-minute pickups my calves were absolutely rocked, and the medial side was cramping. This could be a product of muscle imbalance or possibly having not done any real impact-related exercise in about 10 days (excluding yesterday's experiment). So, I shut it down and cooled down for several minutes and called it a day.
I'm thinking I will try to make compu-training a weekly workout, possibly replacing my secondary running workout in the week. The intensity is definitely there, and I think it could lead to improvement in the stability and strength of the medial side of my legs. We'll see. Ankle was a non-issue. Run tomorrow!
Friday: 7 miles / 48 minutes - Sweet! I can run! Progressed from 7:35 down to 6:20 for the last couple. Felt so good to go for a real run. Standard core session after; 3 sets of: (1" left, right, double arm planks, 25 push ups, 40 sit ups) and lots of foam rolling!
Saturday: 3 miles / 20 minutes easy running in the morning. Another 15 minutes running in the snow with my parents' dog, Enya, in the snowstorm out in Marlborough, NH.
Sunday: 3 miles on the treadmill at night. Stomach has been upset all weekend so the goal was to just stretch the legs. After: 3 sets of: 15 x 25 lb curls, 12 x 85 lb lat pull-downs, 12 x 50 lb shoulder press, 50 lb triceps extensions.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Week 3 1/13 - 1/19
Monday: Off - resting the right foot. There appears to be some swelling around the cuboid and os peroneum. My peroneal tendons are ticked off too. Must have done something to it during the race on Saturday? I remember hurting this area a couple times in the past 10 years, and each time it's during the winter. Must be all the road running. My shoes were close to 500 miles too (I bought new ones since).
Anyway, I bit the bullet and added the pool to my current gym membership. It's not unreasonably priced for everything that's offered. $45/mo with the pool and I can cancel any time... plus I get $250 refunded by my insurance. It sounds like a lot money until I consider how much I spend on things like Chipotle in a given month. To have a pool and be able to stay aerobically active during downtime like this is well worth it! I'll probably spend a majority of time aqua-running unless I feel like embarrassing myself with a few laps here and there.
Tuesday: Off - one more day of complete rest. Very uncomfortable walking down stairs.
Wednesday: Day 1 of pool work. Aqua-jogged/ran for 30 minutes. Then about 30 lengths (15 laps) of swimming.
Thursday: Day 2 in the pool. Aqua-jogged for 20 minutes. Foot/Ankle hurting while in pool. New goggles apparently defective as the water they were exposed to yesterday seemed to have dissolved the glue keeping them intact, so no swimming (I wear contacts). 3 sets of: (12x 25 lb curls, 12 x 50 lb inclined bench (easing into it), 12 x 25 lb triceps extensions, 12 x 70 lb lat pull-downs, 25 push ups, 40 sit ups). The pain feels more specifically located in the cuboid bone area... difficult to self-diagnose.
Friday: Day 3 in the pool. New goggles, new outlook; swam 35 laps, which I think comes out to a little over a mile. Finally figured out how to exhale under water and got a good breathing rhythm going. It's not running and my legs are probably going to be jello by the time I get back to the roads, but it will do for now.
Saturday: 30 minutes of pool running - pretty sore from swimming laps so I chilled and bobbed around for a while. Standard core session later.
Sunday: Off - foot/ankle still hurting, not quite as bad. I'm more or less confident it's a tendon issue at this point.
Anyway, I bit the bullet and added the pool to my current gym membership. It's not unreasonably priced for everything that's offered. $45/mo with the pool and I can cancel any time... plus I get $250 refunded by my insurance. It sounds like a lot money until I consider how much I spend on things like Chipotle in a given month. To have a pool and be able to stay aerobically active during downtime like this is well worth it! I'll probably spend a majority of time aqua-running unless I feel like embarrassing myself with a few laps here and there.
Tuesday: Off - one more day of complete rest. Very uncomfortable walking down stairs.
Wednesday: Day 1 of pool work. Aqua-jogged/ran for 30 minutes. Then about 30 lengths (15 laps) of swimming.
Thursday: Day 2 in the pool. Aqua-jogged for 20 minutes. Foot/Ankle hurting while in pool. New goggles apparently defective as the water they were exposed to yesterday seemed to have dissolved the glue keeping them intact, so no swimming (I wear contacts). 3 sets of: (12x 25 lb curls, 12 x 50 lb inclined bench (easing into it), 12 x 25 lb triceps extensions, 12 x 70 lb lat pull-downs, 25 push ups, 40 sit ups). The pain feels more specifically located in the cuboid bone area... difficult to self-diagnose.
Friday: Day 3 in the pool. New goggles, new outlook; swam 35 laps, which I think comes out to a little over a mile. Finally figured out how to exhale under water and got a good breathing rhythm going. It's not running and my legs are probably going to be jello by the time I get back to the roads, but it will do for now.
Saturday: 30 minutes of pool running - pretty sore from swimming laps so I chilled and bobbed around for a while. Standard core session later.
Sunday: Off - foot/ankle still hurting, not quite as bad. I'm more or less confident it's a tendon issue at this point.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Fudgcicle 5k #2
Snoozed once, up and stumbling around, dark coffee, English muffin with butter and raspberry jam, warm-ups on, and Tim and I hit the road. The destination was Tewksbury Memorial HS for the 5k race series. The series appeared to be a cool "no frills" type of event, good for mid-winter training, and it proved to be exactly that. The flat and relatively low-traffic course is ideal, just 5 miles from my apartment.
Tim and I rolled into the parking area with just barely enough time to run the course for a warm up. We met up with Ryan Gough and ran the loop together. The roads were mostly clear, although there were a couple of icy sections I made it a point to remember. I took a pit stop in the woods while the others continued back to the starting line. By the time I got back to my car everyone was lining up at the start and someone announced the race was starting in 1 minute. Oh ****! I threw on my racers quickly, and ran to the start while pinning on my number. I felt a little overdressed for the conditions since I didn't reserve time to shed my tights or long sleeve, but it probably didn't matter much in the end.
The gun sounded and Gough took over from the start. I worked my way up to his shoulder by 800m in. We hit the mile marker in 4:51, but the GPS didn't ring until 4:59. I pointed to a sketchy turn about 1.5m in and said "careful", so, of course, within a couple seconds both of us were sliding. Luckily each of us found solid enough footing to navigate the turn and continue racing. I hit 2 miles in 10:01, Gough had about a 2-second advantage. By 3 miles Gough had probably 10 seconds up on me and looked strong. I cruised in about 13 seconds back at the finish for 2nd place in 16:03.
I'm content with the effort. According to the GLRR website, the course is 3.17 miles, ~7 hundredths longer than 5k, so my 5k split was ~15:43, 5:03/mile. Even if that's not entirely accurate, to run anywhere around 5:00s at this time of year and with the road conditions as they were, I am actually pretty pumped.
We cooled down over the course and parted ways shortly after. Lauren, Tim and I went to Cracker Barrel afterward and devoured pancakes, eggs, bacon and cheesy hash browns. It was just about the perfect Saturday morning. Certainly a great start to the weekend! Results here.
Tim and I rolled into the parking area with just barely enough time to run the course for a warm up. We met up with Ryan Gough and ran the loop together. The roads were mostly clear, although there were a couple of icy sections I made it a point to remember. I took a pit stop in the woods while the others continued back to the starting line. By the time I got back to my car everyone was lining up at the start and someone announced the race was starting in 1 minute. Oh ****! I threw on my racers quickly, and ran to the start while pinning on my number. I felt a little overdressed for the conditions since I didn't reserve time to shed my tights or long sleeve, but it probably didn't matter much in the end.
The gun sounded and Gough took over from the start. I worked my way up to his shoulder by 800m in. We hit the mile marker in 4:51, but the GPS didn't ring until 4:59. I pointed to a sketchy turn about 1.5m in and said "careful", so, of course, within a couple seconds both of us were sliding. Luckily each of us found solid enough footing to navigate the turn and continue racing. I hit 2 miles in 10:01, Gough had about a 2-second advantage. By 3 miles Gough had probably 10 seconds up on me and looked strong. I cruised in about 13 seconds back at the finish for 2nd place in 16:03.
I'm content with the effort. According to the GLRR website, the course is 3.17 miles, ~7 hundredths longer than 5k, so my 5k split was ~15:43, 5:03/mile. Even if that's not entirely accurate, to run anywhere around 5:00s at this time of year and with the road conditions as they were, I am actually pretty pumped.
We cooled down over the course and parted ways shortly after. Lauren, Tim and I went to Cracker Barrel afterward and devoured pancakes, eggs, bacon and cheesy hash browns. It was just about the perfect Saturday morning. Certainly a great start to the weekend! Results here.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Week 2: 1/6 - 1/12
Monday: 7.01 miles / 48:03 on the treadmill at Cedardale. I was tempted to go longer but I committed this day to recovery. At night I attempted some core but I was pretty wiped out and doing sit ups on a full stomach is just plain miserable! 2 x 1" planks on left, right and double arm. 2x20 pushups, 2x30 sit ups. I want to get a medium-long run in tomorrow and do some lower back and hamstring exercises.
Tuesday: 13 miles / 82:40 treadmill progression run at the gym. 6:21 average. Started at 6:50 and the last one was 5:21. Felt great. Got a little thirsty around 10 miles. I got out of work late so I didn't have time to do any lifting. I did a couple sets of lunges though, making me instantly sore. This evening was the first session for Winter Track coaching duties and I am pumped for how many people came out! We fit 60+ runners on the 155m track at Andover field house. Looking forward to a good season indoors.
Wednesday: 7.5 miles / 53 minutes easy + a little jogging around during outdoor track to keep warm. Great turnout for outdoor, 16 people! I can't believe how many people at the outdoor session are training for the marathon. It looks to be a fun group to coach outdoors this winter. Later on I did 2 sets of 1-minute right, left and double-arm planks, 2x15 push ups, 2x7 pull ups, 2x30 sit ups. Again after dinner on a full stomach, bleh!
Thursday: 10 miles / 65:03 - Warmed up 3.5 and straight into 1" on, 1" off for 5 miles. 29:42 for the effort, so a hair under 6:00 average. The ice all over the sidewalks of west Andover was super sketchy, but obviously running in the street, in the dark, during rush hour isn't all that awesome either. So I was forced to dial back the pace for several of the harder efforts and several times had to perform acrobatic feats to get past rivers of ice safely. Glad I got it done anyway!
Friday: 8.6 miles / 60:00 on the treadmill. 3 set of 1" single and double-arm core, 3 x 20 push-ups, 3 x 20' lbs, 3x30 sit ups.
Saturday: 10 miles with a 3.17 "5k" at the Fudgcicle race #2 hosted by Greater Lowell RR. 3.10 reached in 15:43; 16:03 finishing time for 2nd place behind Ryan Gough.
Sunday: 4 miles, 28 minutes. Right foot is oddly sore.
Tuesday: 13 miles / 82:40 treadmill progression run at the gym. 6:21 average. Started at 6:50 and the last one was 5:21. Felt great. Got a little thirsty around 10 miles. I got out of work late so I didn't have time to do any lifting. I did a couple sets of lunges though, making me instantly sore. This evening was the first session for Winter Track coaching duties and I am pumped for how many people came out! We fit 60+ runners on the 155m track at Andover field house. Looking forward to a good season indoors.
Wednesday: 7.5 miles / 53 minutes easy + a little jogging around during outdoor track to keep warm. Great turnout for outdoor, 16 people! I can't believe how many people at the outdoor session are training for the marathon. It looks to be a fun group to coach outdoors this winter. Later on I did 2 sets of 1-minute right, left and double-arm planks, 2x15 push ups, 2x7 pull ups, 2x30 sit ups. Again after dinner on a full stomach, bleh!
Thursday: 10 miles / 65:03 - Warmed up 3.5 and straight into 1" on, 1" off for 5 miles. 29:42 for the effort, so a hair under 6:00 average. The ice all over the sidewalks of west Andover was super sketchy, but obviously running in the street, in the dark, during rush hour isn't all that awesome either. So I was forced to dial back the pace for several of the harder efforts and several times had to perform acrobatic feats to get past rivers of ice safely. Glad I got it done anyway!
Friday: 8.6 miles / 60:00 on the treadmill. 3 set of 1" single and double-arm core, 3 x 20 push-ups, 3 x 20' lbs, 3x30 sit ups.
Saturday: 10 miles with a 3.17 "5k" at the Fudgcicle race #2 hosted by Greater Lowell RR. 3.10 reached in 15:43; 16:03 finishing time for 2nd place behind Ryan Gough.
Sunday: 4 miles, 28 minutes. Right foot is oddly sore.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Week 1: 12/30 - 1/5
Monday: 12.2 miles / 1:21 steady run with Gary Cuneo from Merrimack College. Tired from yesterday but good run nonetheless.
Tuesday: 9 miles / 65 minutes very easy cruising before dark. Felt good.
Wednesday: 10.6 miles / 70:10, Andover roads starting around 10 PM. Couldn't stand the thought of missing the first run of the New Year and very glad I got out there to start the year off right!!
Thursday: 8.5* / 60 minutes on my new Dion snowshoes in the trails from home and they are awesome! It was fun running in the midst of the storm. I experimented with wearing some waterproof cycling shoe covers and they kept my feet nice and warm. Back to the apartment and cranked out the first core session in a while. 3x20 push ups, 3 sets of 3x1" plank variations, 3x6 pull ups, 150 cunches. Gotta start somewhere!
Also spent some time setting up the Kurt Kenetic bike trainer for the winter. This thing will definitely be getting some use. #cheaperthanatreadmill
Friday: 13 miles / 1:37. Met up with Ken Cain and slipped and slid all over downtown Andover and Ballardvale. We even took a one-lap spin through Andover Sanctuary which is definitely better suited to snowshoes for the time being. Beautiful day for a run!
Saturday: 9 miles / 59 minutes on the treadmill. After sliding all over the place yesterday I just wanted an easy cruise. 6:30s for the last 6 miles. Felt good. Busy morning at the gym and coincidentally I think I've found my favorite treadmill. Solid and steady piece of equipment... the ones that rattle drive me crazy. Core: 3 sets of 3x1" single and double arm planks, 3x30 sit ups. 3x20 push ups, 3x15 single arm curls @ 20 lbs.
Sunday: 9 miles with an informal 3 mile snowshoe race at Maudslay, organized by Dave Dunham. We ran the Trav's Trail course with a very minor variance on the back loop. Steve took it out pretty fast down the hill and I took over on the following uphill. Ran very even splits, 6:40, 6:45, 6:45 for 3.02 miles. Ended up with the individual victory, although CMS edged out WRT for the team win. Data here. Results here.
Week in Review: 71.3 miles on 7 days. Two core workouts, one decently long run (in terms of time), a good race, and otherwise fairly quality mileage. I'm pumped. Gotta keep it up now.
Tuesday: 9 miles / 65 minutes very easy cruising before dark. Felt good.
Wednesday: 10.6 miles / 70:10, Andover roads starting around 10 PM. Couldn't stand the thought of missing the first run of the New Year and very glad I got out there to start the year off right!!
Thursday: 8.5* / 60 minutes on my new Dion snowshoes in the trails from home and they are awesome! It was fun running in the midst of the storm. I experimented with wearing some waterproof cycling shoe covers and they kept my feet nice and warm. Back to the apartment and cranked out the first core session in a while. 3x20 push ups, 3 sets of 3x1" plank variations, 3x6 pull ups, 150 cunches. Gotta start somewhere!
Also spent some time setting up the Kurt Kenetic bike trainer for the winter. This thing will definitely be getting some use. #cheaperthanatreadmill
Friday: 13 miles / 1:37. Met up with Ken Cain and slipped and slid all over downtown Andover and Ballardvale. We even took a one-lap spin through Andover Sanctuary which is definitely better suited to snowshoes for the time being. Beautiful day for a run!
Saturday: 9 miles / 59 minutes on the treadmill. After sliding all over the place yesterday I just wanted an easy cruise. 6:30s for the last 6 miles. Felt good. Busy morning at the gym and coincidentally I think I've found my favorite treadmill. Solid and steady piece of equipment... the ones that rattle drive me crazy. Core: 3 sets of 3x1" single and double arm planks, 3x30 sit ups. 3x20 push ups, 3x15 single arm curls @ 20 lbs.
Sunday: 9 miles with an informal 3 mile snowshoe race at Maudslay, organized by Dave Dunham. We ran the Trav's Trail course with a very minor variance on the back loop. Steve took it out pretty fast down the hill and I took over on the following uphill. Ran very even splits, 6:40, 6:45, 6:45 for 3.02 miles. Ended up with the individual victory, although CMS edged out WRT for the team win. Data here. Results here.
Week in Review: 71.3 miles on 7 days. Two core workouts, one decently long run (in terms of time), a good race, and otherwise fairly quality mileage. I'm pumped. Gotta keep it up now.
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