Monday Recovery #2

70 minutes easy on trails. Saw a couple beaver and a new den at Bakers Meadow Pond. 8+ miles I'd guess. Took things very easy and feeling a lot better than yesterday.

Sunday, Recovery Shakeout

Easy 4 mile trot in the woods before dinner (30:02). Felt surprisingly fine. Peroneals a little tender behind the right ankle. A little tugging around the left heal, too, so will have to be focused about easing the tension in my calves and feet before I do any quick running again. Another recovery day planned for tomorrow. Should be beautiful; 58 and sunny in the forecast!

63 miles on 6 training days and a day off for this week. For 42 of those miles (on 3 days) I averaged 6:01 per mile. Might be a bit too much quality relative to the total volume. Feeling good and mostly recovered as I tally the miles today (Tuesday).

Plan for this week is:

Monday: Recovery 10
Tuesday: Recovery - 10
Wednesday: Steady or workout 10-12
Thursday: Steady or workout 10-12
Friday: Easy 10
Saturday: Easy 8
Sunday: Race Red's Shoe Barn 5 miler with 5 miles warm up and 5m cool down.

Marathon Workout #1

Met up with Brandon Newbould in Exeter Saturday afternoon. The plan was 5 miles warm-up, 4x3 miles sub-marathon pace, with 1 mile recovery jogs, 1 mi cool-down.  The wind picked up to 25 mph and the temperature dropped into the 40s by the time we were into the workout.

Brandon was along for the first two repetitions. He reminded me to run controlled and efficiently, especially on the hilliest portions of the workout. The course was rolling and I practiced opening up on the downhills and running within myself on the uphills. I felt like I had finished a pretty good workout by the I dropped Brandon off around 13 miles. Anyway I went for it and was feeling fairly strained, but took down a PowerGel and got through repeat #3. The recovery jog after that one was mighty slow as I talked myself into the final miles on the day. I was relieved to find myself running  more relaxed and composed on the last repeat, probably because I was no longer charging into a steady headwind, and I finished well with 5:37, 5:24, 5:26.

Finished with a 1 mi slowly to the car.

Average on the 21 mile run was 6:07/mi, last 20 mi 6:02. Average for the 12 miles hard was 5:35 or 16:45 per 3 mile. Several recovery days planned!

Splits and other such data here.

Thursday, 4/3 Recovery

JVG, Marc and I ventured out to do the standard 50-55 min trail loop after work. It was great to have company for this as my legs were fatigued from the previous two days. In hindsight I think I should have just run slowly on roads. The trails were messy and I didn't have quick feet, making for a cumbersome journey. Got it done, though! Back home for a protein shake, foam roll and stretch. Legs are generally inflamed but nothing is barking. Another, even easier, day planned for tomorrow. 50 min / 7 mi

Workout Wednesday

Planned a few cruise mile efforts. Bailed midway through the 4th one as I had to take a pit-stop. The gift of coffee is it fires you up, the downside, well, is obvious. Cruised it on in with a few miles above and below 6. 11 miles @ 5:55 avg. Jogged a very easy 1 mi cooldown after with my Wednesday training group. Felt awesome! Beautiful day out there. Data Garmin data here.

8 Weeks to Marathon

I've averaged 51 mpw over the past 9 weeks. Although the number is probably lower than ideal for long distance racing, I've had a bit of success, especially at the NB half in mid-March. So long as I could stay healthy and was motivated, I wanted to choose a real target race for this Spring. Originally I thought it would be Mt. Washington but, after being rejected there for the 3rd time in three straight years, I've all but written off that race. I love running in the mountains... but I don't know if I'd actually enjoy a race up an auto-road.

In any case, for a couple years I've had an interest in taking a crack at the Vermont City Marathon. I love the small city of Burlington, the race falls at a nice point in the year, and with the large gap in the NEGP series, the timing is just about ideal. I'll barely have time to recover for the Ribfest 5 miler but, I expect I'll be plenty fit enough to give a good effort there and hopefully support the team.

So, here we go. Although my average mileage has been low by marathoner standards, the average long run over the past 5 weeks has been 17 miles. I have a few specific target workouts for the next 5 weeks planned. I will try to build to 75 or 80 mpw, with big longer workouts about every 10 days followed by long, 2 or 3-day recovery periods. I've started running into the issue of going too fast when feeling good on a non-specific training day. Instead of sprinkling in 5:30 miles at the tail end of a maintenance run, I need to save that kind of stuff more for the big, planned workouts.

The goal for VCM is 2:30, or 5:43+ per mile. I'll review my most recent training below and begin logging my runs regularly during this training block.

Training of late:

Sunday: 16 easy with Tim. 6:52 pace over Newton Hills.

Monday: 12 mi MP progression: last 4.7 mi @ 5:42 avg http://connect.garmin.com/splits/467279273

Tuesday: 10 mi 66 minutes easy roads.

Wednesday: Off. Super busy and just didn't have it! Probably not bad to take the day, anyway.

Thursday: 6 x 400 on, 400 off. 70, 67, 67, 66, 66, 65 on 400m float (1:42 avg). 5:36 pace for 5k total.

Friday: 8.5 / 60 min easy. First day of the year on trails! A little dicey out there with some long patches of ice. Almost slid into Pomps Pond! Feeling almost excited for the rainy weekend ahead...should clear everything up for some real trail running!

Saturday: 8.8 @ 6:40 on roads. Ran into Evan twice while he was running long in his prep for Boston. Feeling peppy.

Sunday: 3 mi up, 5k race (15:27), 3 mi easy, 2 mi @ 5:24 tempo, 1+ mi down. 12++ total.

Monday: 8.5 miles / 60 minutes very easy in the Ward Reservation. Very muddy, some areas flooded. Fun way to spend the recovery day after An Ras Mor.

Tuesday: 11 miles, last 6 at 5:54. 68 minutes. Felt really comfortable until I started to press down into the 5:30s. There is a line somewhere between mid-5:40 and low-5:30 that, once I cross, the effort becomes considerably more taxing. May need to start leaving the watch at home on steady-state days to avoid getting excited and pushing the pace like this. First big marathon-style workout coming late this week or maybe this weekend... Warm up 5 mi, 3 x 5k @ 5:45 with 1 mi steady between each, 2 down.

An Ras Mor 5k Race Report

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.

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.

I had basically one very quality effort since Jones. Last Saturday, Tim Mallard and I ventured onto the Boston Marathon course for a planned 17 miler which became 20. We had an amazing run, clipping off 6:30s for the first 10 and dropping a 60:32 for the back 10. I knew I would feel tired after that effort, so I took Sunday off and then began a really hectic work week, resulting in four days off in a row. To be expected, my legs were tight and achy and with a half marathon on the horizon I was pretty anxious about getting my body ready to go. I spent Thursday, Friday and Saturday returning to status quo, running 3, 8, and 5 miles at easy paces.

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

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.

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!