16.5 / 1:42:10 - Jose and I linked up and got running by around 9:15 for a big loop around Andover. I've been feeling curiously good lately, and today was no different. Since I knew the way and because the sidewalks are mostly covered with snow, I took lead for much of the run. I felt great throughout and was happy to see some quicker miles toward the end. Notably only 3 miles were under 6:00. The first 10 miles climb, roll and eventually descend to the lowest point of the loop. From there, the last 6.5 climb a few hundred feet and drop again over the last couple. I was surprised to keep every mile except for mile 1 under 6:30, and I was pretty thrilled to average 6:12 for my longest run yet. The après-run meal hit the spot with peppered bacon, a half-dozen eggs (for 2) and delicious whole-grain cranberry and pecan toast.
Week-in-review:
72 miles with a solid Thanksgiving day race and a great long run, with a good progression run in the mix. I've also kept up the core work with two solid 30-40 minute strength sessions. Track season is about to start up and I'm hopeful to see some speed in my legs. Up first though is Mill Cities Relay next weekend which is always fun. I'm running a 4.75 mi leg. Last year I surprised myself, averaging 5:08 or so for a similar distance. This year I'd be happy to run as fast... meanwhile I'll have to run smart as I will be closing and there won't be anyone after me to seal the team's finishing place, so we'll see!
The daily meanderings of a New England runner
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Friday and Saturday 11/28-29
Friday:
After passing out at 8:30 pm on my birthday, I felt pretty good waking up 12 hours later and was immediately very bored as several of my family members were out working on black Friday. Fortunately there were no more riots in Keene; most of the rioting idiots went home for the holiday :).
Anyway I still wanted to avoid any of the more crowded downtown areas so I picked an out-and-back over and along a ridge on the east side of Keene near Roxbury, which included a couple of 1-2 mile long hills. I eased into it, worked the hills a bit and took it easy on the downhills until the end. 2 of the last 2.5 were either gradually downhill or very downhill and I took off, going 5:16, 5:22 and dropping the run's average down to 6:14/mi. Felt smooth.
Saturday:
After racing on Thursday and running pretty steady on Friday I needed an easier day... and the only way to guarantee that was to leave the watch at home today. I cruised from the apartment into Tewksbury and randomly encountered a squad of Tewksbury alumni running their alumni turkey trot. I recognized one to be Eric Webb, a former teammate of mine from my two years at Bentley! He's apparently moved back east from several years on the west coast.
So... no watch, but I did look at the clock before I left and again when I got home allowing me to estimate the run at a conservative 72 minutes... the loop was the flattest possible 10.6 mi I could think of and I probably rolled a little too fast during some of the middle miles, but who really knows.
After passing out at 8:30 pm on my birthday, I felt pretty good waking up 12 hours later and was immediately very bored as several of my family members were out working on black Friday. Fortunately there were no more riots in Keene; most of the rioting idiots went home for the holiday :).
Anyway I still wanted to avoid any of the more crowded downtown areas so I picked an out-and-back over and along a ridge on the east side of Keene near Roxbury, which included a couple of 1-2 mile long hills. I eased into it, worked the hills a bit and took it easy on the downhills until the end. 2 of the last 2.5 were either gradually downhill or very downhill and I took off, going 5:16, 5:22 and dropping the run's average down to 6:14/mi. Felt smooth.
Saturday:
After racing on Thursday and running pretty steady on Friday I needed an easier day... and the only way to guarantee that was to leave the watch at home today. I cruised from the apartment into Tewksbury and randomly encountered a squad of Tewksbury alumni running their alumni turkey trot. I recognized one to be Eric Webb, a former teammate of mine from my two years at Bentley! He's apparently moved back east from several years on the west coast.
So... no watch, but I did look at the clock before I left and again when I got home allowing me to estimate the run at a conservative 72 minutes... the loop was the flattest possible 10.6 mi I could think of and I probably rolled a little too fast during some of the middle miles, but who really knows.
Friday, November 28, 2014
Thursday, Feaster Five Road Race, 11/27
Notably, I was born 28-years-ago on this day so it was cool to wake up and immediately go to work doing the thing I love. I left the apartment on foot with a few minutes to spare to a quiet and cold landscape, but the sun was out and I could tell it would be a nice day to race. I'm a fan of tradition, so I was a little bummed not to be able to take the trail systems like I had the previous three years since moving to Andover as I made my way to the starting line. It wasn't that there was too much snow; it was wet and I didn't want to get my feet wet as I would be spending approximately the next two hours outside and my toes have a tendency to freeze.
I was pretty warm and had to shed a layer around 3 miles into the warm up and for the race I ditched my hat and gloves. And I was wearing long tights and a thick longsleeve base layer which was probably more than necessary as the temperature steadily rose throughout the morning.
Although the race attracts over 10,000 registrants, this is my hometown race and it has a hometown feel for me. The club I have coached for over the past 4 years hosts the event and they do a great job partnering with Dave McGillivray's DMSE timing company. I time my arrival to the starting line to have as little time as possible before the gun because I see 50 to 100 people I know and it's pretty distracting since my instinct is to try and say hi and wish a happy Thanksgiving to EVERYONE. Although there were definitely some guys taking the race more seriously (which I support) I was happy, as I usually am, to chill out and just see what a hard effort looks like on this day.
I had the goal of running about as quickly as I did last year which was somewhere in the 26:40s. Last year I had done that by surprising myself and attacking the last two miles of the course in around 10:10 with my last mile under 5:00. This year I ended up running more evenly with a faster start and slower finish. Francis Cusick* and I ran hard together at New Bedford last year for about 8 miles so I kind of paired up with him for the first few miles, climbing the 120' hill in 5:32. I settled in from there on the flat neighborhood miles in 2 and 3 going 5:25, 5:22.
Getting to the downhill and flat section last year had me fired up to race for home and take scalps. This year I was running well, better than last year, but I wasn't hungry enough, simple as that, to start hammering for home. After the race I was a little miffed that I hadn't given it a better effort. I was actually cheering for runners I knew in the 5k as I passed them by! It was a little too casual in hindsight, but I had fun anyway, running 5:13 for mile 4. Last year I was all-out in the final mile and this year I just cruised, going 5:16 into the finish, for a time around 26:55. I loved Al Bernier's write-up about excuses and this one makes me cringe even as I write it! Not hungry enough? Blech.. Anyway, it'll be fuel for the fire which hopefully will be burning hot this winter as I take to the track...
Happy Thanksgiving to all the runners out there! Here's to winter!
I was pretty warm and had to shed a layer around 3 miles into the warm up and for the race I ditched my hat and gloves. And I was wearing long tights and a thick longsleeve base layer which was probably more than necessary as the temperature steadily rose throughout the morning.
Although the race attracts over 10,000 registrants, this is my hometown race and it has a hometown feel for me. The club I have coached for over the past 4 years hosts the event and they do a great job partnering with Dave McGillivray's DMSE timing company. I time my arrival to the starting line to have as little time as possible before the gun because I see 50 to 100 people I know and it's pretty distracting since my instinct is to try and say hi and wish a happy Thanksgiving to EVERYONE. Although there were definitely some guys taking the race more seriously (which I support) I was happy, as I usually am, to chill out and just see what a hard effort looks like on this day.
I had the goal of running about as quickly as I did last year which was somewhere in the 26:40s. Last year I had done that by surprising myself and attacking the last two miles of the course in around 10:10 with my last mile under 5:00. This year I ended up running more evenly with a faster start and slower finish. Francis Cusick* and I ran hard together at New Bedford last year for about 8 miles so I kind of paired up with him for the first few miles, climbing the 120' hill in 5:32. I settled in from there on the flat neighborhood miles in 2 and 3 going 5:25, 5:22.
Getting to the downhill and flat section last year had me fired up to race for home and take scalps. This year I was running well, better than last year, but I wasn't hungry enough, simple as that, to start hammering for home. After the race I was a little miffed that I hadn't given it a better effort. I was actually cheering for runners I knew in the 5k as I passed them by! It was a little too casual in hindsight, but I had fun anyway, running 5:13 for mile 4. Last year I was all-out in the final mile and this year I just cruised, going 5:16 into the finish, for a time around 26:55. I loved Al Bernier's write-up about excuses and this one makes me cringe even as I write it! Not hungry enough? Blech.. Anyway, it'll be fuel for the fire which hopefully will be burning hot this winter as I take to the track...
Happy Thanksgiving to all the runners out there! Here's to winter!
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Wednesday Pre-Race
8 miles total with 4x150m strides / 7:23 pace - half of this was on trails along the river and around the Phillips bird sanctuary. Nice and easy with Matt. Didn't feel incredible but I'm pretty confident I'll be ready to roll a good and honest one tomorrow at Feaster. I don't really approach Thanksgiving races with the same intensity as other ones and that isn't about to change tomorrow.. meanwhile I'm curious to see if I can repeat last year's effort which was in the high 26's. I promised Jose I'd try to run with him for as long as I can... which might only be around 1 mi given the way he's been running lately. Should be fun!
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Monday and Tuesday, 11/24-25
Monday:
5 mi / 7:35 pace - Very easy recovery jog after work and hanging out / interviewing at the Feaster Five Expo. Felt sluggish and generally blah. Partly it was my fault since I fueled poorly on McDonald's dollar menu in a starved craze after working through lunch. Partly I was wiped out from a big couple days over the weekend.
Tuesday:
8.1 mi / 7:02 pace - Good easy-ish-steady run with one of the Ballardvale Crew at 8:15 pm. Getting it done! Wasn't ready for a track workout like I'd hoped, but I'll be more ready to crank a 5 miler on Thursday before gorging myself and celebrating my birthday with the family. Before running I cranked out 30 chin-ups, 150 med ball twists, 90 push ups, 6 minutes of planks, 10 lunges, 40 squats, 20 supermans.
5 mi / 7:35 pace - Very easy recovery jog after work and hanging out / interviewing at the Feaster Five Expo. Felt sluggish and generally blah. Partly it was my fault since I fueled poorly on McDonald's dollar menu in a starved craze after working through lunch. Partly I was wiped out from a big couple days over the weekend.
Tuesday:
8.1 mi / 7:02 pace - Good easy-ish-steady run with one of the Ballardvale Crew at 8:15 pm. Getting it done! Wasn't ready for a track workout like I'd hoped, but I'll be more ready to crank a 5 miler on Thursday before gorging myself and celebrating my birthday with the family. Before running I cranked out 30 chin-ups, 150 med ball twists, 90 push ups, 6 minutes of planks, 10 lunges, 40 squats, 20 supermans.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Sunday Long Run, 11/23
16 mi / 1:51 - 6:56 pace on a beautiful rolling course starting in Kensington, NH and crossing over into Hampton Falls for a while. Chris Hamel, Chris Mahoney and I rolled along pretty easily together to start and eventually got down into the high 6's. I felt pretty good all the way through but definitely got hungry towards the end and just wanted to be finished so we picked it up for the last few. The Hamel's welcomed a number of WRT and others into their home for a nice brunch afterward which was excellent and we parted ways soon after.
Week in summary...
This was a good week. I hit 70 miles on the nose and every other day included some element of quality. I'm not looking for anything more than 70 miles over the winter months, especially once track racing picks up in December and January. I want to continue strength training as a major component of training and continue to work on my speed. Planning to work out on Tuesday at Lexington HS unless the weather is fair enough to do it outside.
Week in summary...
This was a good week. I hit 70 miles on the nose and every other day included some element of quality. I'm not looking for anything more than 70 miles over the winter months, especially once track racing picks up in December and January. I want to continue strength training as a major component of training and continue to work on my speed. Planning to work out on Tuesday at Lexington HS unless the weather is fair enough to do it outside.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Friday easy, Saturday Progression, 11/21-22
Friday
8.2 mi / 7:14 pace -Very easy running as dusk fell after work. A nice Friday evening cruise is my favorite way to kick off the weekend.
Saturday
12 mi / 72:43 - Progressed from 6:52 first mile quickly down to 6:00 for several miles and eventually down to 5:53. 52, 53, 48, 48 for the last 5 miles. Very controlled, along a nice rolling course in Westford from Lauren's parents' place.
Saturday
12 mi / 72:43 - Progressed from 6:52 first mile quickly down to 6:00 for several miles and eventually down to 5:53. 52, 53, 48, 48 for the last 5 miles. Very controlled, along a nice rolling course in Westford from Lauren's parents' place.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Workout Thursday 11/20
4 miles up including strides and a few light drills to the Phillips Andover track. Plan was 400on/200off for 5k. I had pretty low energy on the warm-up but I was determined to get something done by the time I got to the track. I arrived right as the sun was setting and an icy wind picked up steadily while I did a few drills and stretched out.
For the first few track sessions of the season I used standing rest so, moving up to jogging/running recoveries I wasn't sure of what to expect in terms of how quick the reps could be. Into the workout it soon became clear I wouldn't be running much faster than 75s... so for a number of reasons I felt kind of slow tonight. Nonetheless, it was a step in right direction! Garmin data here.
For the first few track sessions of the season I used standing rest so, moving up to jogging/running recoveries I wasn't sure of what to expect in terms of how quick the reps could be. Into the workout it soon became clear I wouldn't be running much faster than 75s... so for a number of reasons I felt kind of slow tonight. Nonetheless, it was a step in right direction! Garmin data here.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Monday easy, Tuesday Progression, 11/17-18
Monday:
Easy run with my boy Joe Van Gombos (JVG). Neither of us had any intention of running this evening given the darkness, 40-degree weather and steady rain. But, to meet up and share in the misery was a brilliant plan. We cruised 5.7 mi at an easy pace. Before we met up I did a pretty lengthy core session: 4 x 30 push ups, 3 x 3' plank variations, 3 x 1' ab variations, 3 x 5 lunges, 3 x 20 squats, 3 x 20 calf raises, 3 x 30" single-leg hip raises, 3 x 10 pull-up/chin-up variations.
Tuesday:
Progression run: 10.13 mi / 61:26 - Last 4 miles 5:45, 5:50, 5:44, 5:47
Felt 'pretty great' from the beginning of today's run. Lauren is trying this "limited-gluten" diet as an experiment for her migraines. Being the less-choosy one of the household, I generally eat what she eats and so I haven't been having as much gluten as I regularly do too. And anyway, placebo or not, I'm feeling very good! I'm definitely not into ruling wheat out of my eating habits... but I don't have any attachment to it, so we'll see where this goes.
Easy run with my boy Joe Van Gombos (JVG). Neither of us had any intention of running this evening given the darkness, 40-degree weather and steady rain. But, to meet up and share in the misery was a brilliant plan. We cruised 5.7 mi at an easy pace. Before we met up I did a pretty lengthy core session: 4 x 30 push ups, 3 x 3' plank variations, 3 x 1' ab variations, 3 x 5 lunges, 3 x 20 squats, 3 x 20 calf raises, 3 x 30" single-leg hip raises, 3 x 10 pull-up/chin-up variations.
Tuesday:
Progression run: 10.13 mi / 61:26 - Last 4 miles 5:45, 5:50, 5:44, 5:47
Felt 'pretty great' from the beginning of today's run. Lauren is trying this "limited-gluten" diet as an experiment for her migraines. Being the less-choosy one of the household, I generally eat what she eats and so I haven't been having as much gluten as I regularly do too. And anyway, placebo or not, I'm feeling very good! I'm definitely not into ruling wheat out of my eating habits... but I don't have any attachment to it, so we'll see where this goes.
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