The Last 3 Weeks

 It has been a good last few weeks of running for me.  I had some good track workouts the first two weeks, I won the 2nd Annual Go Far Mud Run in Harrisville, and last week I put in all long runs and got to 60 miles on only 4 days of running.  My average has been about 52 miles, which is far more than I have ever been able to do.  Plus, I have no real major issues or injuries, so I feel like I am in a really good place to start marathon training for the fall.  The race I had planned to run was sold out, and the Hartford Marathon conflicts with a friend's wedding, so I signed up for the Wineglass Marathon in Upstate New York for October 2nd.  Is is supposed to be relatively fast, with only about 2000 runners.  Roma will be doing the 1/2, and it should be a good way for her so set a solid running goal for the summer.  Yesterday we ran 6 miles on the Northampton trail, and she took a hard fall after only about 1 1/2 miles, cutting both hands, her knee and a bad scrape on one elbow.  But she regrouped, rinsed off in the river and finished the run.  A Keenyan in the making.  So now my summer should be good training, with a few races thrown in to give me something to shoot for.  I want to be under 26 min for 4 on  the Fourth, run Bridge of Flowers faster than last year, low 1:30s or break 1:30 for Swanzey, under 2 hours for Pisgah, pace Jeff for the last 1/2 of the deMar, and 3:10 for Wineglass.  That would be a good summer. Here are the last few weeks:
6/6-6/12
MON. : A Day of Rest

TUES. : 5 mi w/Roma

WED. : 10 mi, w/8x400(1:15 rest)

80/80/79/80/79/80/81/81
THU. : -

FRI. : 10 mi

SAT. : Friggin Rain, 0 mi

SUN. : 18 mi, last 2 @ 7:07/6:20

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK: 43

TOTAL MILES FOR 2011: 835

6/13-6/19
MON. : -
TUES. : 7 mi, w/19:45 5k
WED. : 10 mi, w/ 4/8/12/12/8/4
1:32/2:57/4:23/
4:30/2:54/1:16
THU. : 10 mi, 7 tempo

w/Petro@7:45 pace

FRI. : 10 mi

SAT. : 10 mi w/hills

SUN. : 5 mi am w/ 20:35 5k (1st)

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK: 52

TOTAL MILES FOR 2011: 887

6/20 - 6/26
MON. : Nada

TUES. : Zilch

WED. : 18 mi Double Dump Run

THU. : Zip

FRI. : 14

SAT. : 9

SUN. : 16 mi am, 3 mi pm

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK: 60

TOTAL MILES FOR 2011: 947

5/30-6/5

The week started out with a fantastic trail run with a big group, from Josh's house to Justin's.  I was a little nervous about heading out with such a strong group of runners, and while I had heard about how difficult the trail was, I had no idea what I was in for.  The day was perfect, hot, but not too bad in the woods.  The start of the run was certainly the hardest, so it was good to get it out of the way while still fresh.  I was able to hold up fairly well most of the way, and even though I knew it was taking an early toll on me, I still felt ok. After the long initial climb, there were several sections of rolling woods and single track trails.  I got to amuse Justin with my log rolling skills. The views from the few spots we stopped were fantastic.  From about the half way point I was starting to have a hard time keeping up, and I was glad Justin Greg & Goupil kinda took turns hanging back with me.  I feel so lucky and honored to have met up with such a group.  The real joy was just being out there running in such a wonderful place, with such gifted athletes.  In real training or racing, I know I can't hold a candle to those guys.  But I felt like I was able to hold my own out on the trail, and it really inspired me for the rest of the week.  After the run we went to soak in the creek.  I was feeling a little too exhausted to do anything but wade into the water, but I know the cold helped out my legs. Then burgers, dogs & beer back at Justin's. Doesn't get much better.
The next day I felt surprisingly decent. On the run I had only fallen once, and taken only a couple of stumbles.  So while I was a little stiff and sore from the exertion, there was no major issue, and I made it down to Northampton for the 5k.  I went out for a little warmup, and knew it wasn't going to be pretty.  But I loosened up a little, and by the end felt alright.
Wednesday was a day of huge thunderstorms and hail, but between the deluge I made it out for my George Street loop.  Thursday was an easy day at the gym.  Friday I wanted to see if I could make it to the dump in my huarache sandals.  It felt good heading up the trail, and on the way up I started adding up the miles of the week.  I realized that by the end of the day I would be at 45 miles, and I could easily reach a new high mile week.  I knew the weather was supposed to be good for the weekend, so if I did another dump run on Saturday, then 15 on Sunday, I'd hit 70.  By the time I got to dump, my huaraches needed retightening.  Normally not too big of a deal, but at that time of evening my sweating, panting body was a magnet for mosquitos from everywhere.  The cloud that surrounded me was thick to say the least.  I finally headed back down the trail, and felt smooth the whole way.  I tried to keep a sustained effort, and made it back in 30:50, only a minute or so slower than a few weeks ago with boj, so I felt good about that.  On Saturday afternoon, I made another dump run, and when I left, the Sox were in the bottom of the 8th, with a 4 run lead.  I got back, and it was the 13th inning.  WTF?  Oh well, at least they won.
Sunday it was just Newt and me heading out from Brewbakers for the regular run.  We went down the rail trail towards Swanzey, and it was an absolutely beautiful morning.  It was a great way to cap the week, nice & relaxed with perfect conditions.  Newt is such an inspiration for what I would like to be able to do in the next 20 years or so.  Next week he will be running his 3rd marathon this year.   We ran about 8 miles together, and I kinda felt like it was bringing the week full circle for me.  Hanging with someone because you enjoy the running, not because every run has to be about time and training.  After Newt and I made it back to Brewbakers, I went back up the trail for another 8 or so.  I felt fine for having done 71 for the week.  At about 3:00, Roma called to say she was getting out of work early, and wanted to know if I would run a few miles with her.  Great.  Her friend Sara met us at Highland Park, and we did 4 miles at an easy pace.  Sara and Roma are just getting back into running, and it was the farthest they had gone.  That brought me to 75, and when I look back, it all just kind of rolled from the beginning.  I feel so fortunate to enjoy and to be able to run with such a variety of people. 
So that's how I made it to 75.  Impressive for some, maybe not for others.  But I'll take it.  To paraphrase Bob "Onward in my journey, I come to understand, that every mile is numbered, like every grain of sand."


MON. : 20 mi on trails

TUES. : 5 mi, w/5k

(21:33 of agony)

WED. : 5 mi between thunderstorms

THU. : 5 mi

FRI. : 10 mi, past the dump

in the huaraches

SAT. : 10 mi

SUN. : 16 mi am, 4 mi pm

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK: 75

TOTAL MILES FOR 2011: 792

Good Week, No Rapture.

Well, I made it over 50 miles this week, with some quality and fun runs, and like Dylan says, on Saturday I was "Tryin' to get to heaven before they close the door." But alas,  Brother Camping must have made a slight error in his calculations.  Maybe Boj can help him with his math.  Still, the running was good.  Tuesday I missed the Northampton 5K, but I ran all of Bray Road in Buckland, about 8 miles, with about 3+ miles of some serious hills.  Then the Wednesday workout, and Boj & I went up the rail trail to the dump.  On the way back we decided to see if we could break 30 minutes for the 4.6 mile return.  Ended up at 29:34, a 6:25 pace, and a new pr for me, and I only got Nick Cashed once.  Another pr.  Friday I made it out for my double George loop before FART, and did it in 40 minutes, which was good, considering the first mile or two were pretty slow.  Saturday I wanted to get in one good run before the Rapture, so I headed back out to the dump.  I figured that would be as good a place as any to shed this mortal coil, but even though the clouds got dark and ominous, no Rapture.  At least not for me.  Sunday I made my third trip to the dump, this time heading past it to Stuart & Johns for pancakes, and to say good-bye to Maggie as she heads off to Nebraska and the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.  I would have thought the RMBO would be in the Rocky Mountains, but I guess Nebraska is a better spot for watching birds.  Anyways, she will be greatly missed on our Friday and Sunday runs.  I hope she finds a good group to run with, but not so good that she doesn't miss us every now and then.


Week of 5/16 thru 5/22
MON. : -

TUES. :8 w/ lot of hills

WED. : 10 mi w/pr for 2nd half of Dump

Run (29:34, 6:24 pace), thanks boj

THU. : -

FRI. : 10 mi

SAT. : 9 mi, no Rapture!

SUN. : 15 mi, to Stuart & Johns

Pancakes, still no Rapture

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK: 52

TOTAL MILES FOR 2011: 676

Week of 5/9 thru 5/15
MON. : -

TUES. :8 w 5k (20:01)

WED. : 11 mi w/2/4/6/8/12/ 4x2

36/1:23/2:09/2:58/4:37

39/39/38/38

THU. : 5 mi, easy w/hills in Hurraches

FRI. : 5 mi

SAT. : -

SUN. : 10 mi

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK: 39

TOTAL MILES FOR 2011: 624

Dedicated to Commitment

Or is it Committed to Dedication?  That's been my little meaningless catch phrase for a while, and it's time to get back to it.  Boston was a bit of a let down for me.  Still my 2nd best marathon ever, but I just never felt like I got going.  The best I can say is that it was a struggle the whole way.  Merriam Webster defines perseverance as "Continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no indication of success."  That just about sums it up how I was feeling for most of the way.  So at least I persevered, and all in all, I really enjoyed the day.  Now it's time to dust off, get a goal, set my sights, and all the other things we've all done a hundred times or more after coming up short.  At least my running has been fine in the 3 weeks since Boston, with no issues to speak of.  I've tried to keep it easy so far, with just 1 good long run of 18, and a couple of other work outs.  But now I'm ready to get back into it.  I am trying to do the Northampton 5K every Tuesday.  It should be a good test for overall fitness.  My goal would be to do a low 19, or possibly break 19 by the end of the summer. That would be a pr since High School.  Jeff Petro, Roma & Michael are all planning to run them, and it's a good excuse for exercise, a change of scenery and some good food.


Here are the totals for the last few weeks.

Week ending 4/17:

MON. : -

TUES. :4 mi @ gym w/ Nautilus

WED. : 9 mi w/ 6x400

1:19/1:20/1:21/1:22/1:19/1:20

THU. : -

FRI. : 3 mi easy

SAT. : -

SUN. : 3 mi

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK: 19

TOTAL MILES FOR 2011: 574

Week ending 4/24:

MON. : 26.2 (3:19)

TUES. :2 mi

WED. : 4 mi

THU. : -

FRI. : 5 mi easy

SAT. : 5 mi

SUN. : 8 mi

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK: 50

TOTAL MILES FOR 2011: 624

Week ending 5/1

MON. : -

TUES. :4 mi @ gym w/ Nautilus

WED. : 9 mi w/ 6x400

1:21/1:20/1:21/1:19/1:21/1:20

THU. : -

FRI. : 5 mi easy

SAT. : -

SUN. : 9 mi

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK: 27

TOTAL MILES FOR 2011: 651

Week ending 5/8:

MON. : -

TUES. :5 mi 

WED. : 6 mi w/ 4/4/2/4/2/4/2/2

1:19/1:18/:39/1:17/:39/1:19/:37/:37

THU. : -

FRI. : 5 mi easy

SAT. : -

SUN. : 18 mi

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK: 34

TOTAL MILES FOR 2011: 685

Last Weeks of Boston Training

A recap of the last couple of weeks.  It's not the most interesting stuff, and a bit long.  Kinda about getting my thoughts out and pre race jitters, more than anything else. Just like all of the past weeks of training, the last little bit has seen its ups and downs. The first week I really wanted to focus on the workouts.  Wednesday was a good one, 8x800, and I was able to keep all the reps in a narrow range, between 2:53 & 2:55.  I wasn't able to run Friday or Saturday because of work, but Sunday I met up with Justin, Greg, George and Jeff for my last 20 miler.  As far as the plan I am following goes, I only needed to keep it to about 7:30, which if I was ever looking for a group to help out with that, this was the one.  We left the High School and headed out thru west Keene, following part of the deMar course, then crossed the highway and up Wyman Way to Old Walpole Road.  The last time we ran this we went right, down the hill.  This time George had a different plan, and we turned left, up the hill.  It was a tough climb for me, but I was able to keep close since it was so early in the run.  We turned off at pond road, and went down to 12a, following back on the marathon course.  By the time we got onto Surry Road I was starting to feel a little fatigued, and when Greg made a move for the town line I had to let him go.  By the time we made it to Wheelock I was really feeling it.  I dropped back a bit, and Jeff pulled me thru till we got to Park ave, which was about 15 miles or so.  With a little rest, water & a gel, I recouped a bit, but by about  17 miles I had to take a bit of a break, and told the rest of the group not to wait.  The nex 2 mile were a struggle, but I managed ok, keeping my running pace to about 7:20-30.  Turning the corner on Hastings though, I got a huge cramp in my right hamstring, which stopped me cold.  Stretching helped, but as soon as I would start to run a bit it came back.  Walking wasn't much better, and when I turned onto Arch I just decided to stretch it by running and trying to work on form.  It worked a bit, but was still pretty sore at the end.  
I was still limping and feeling it quite a bit on Monday, so I went to see Rob League.  That helped a bit, and by Wednesday, it was better, but still tight.  I was glad my workouts were shortening up, and I was able to keep my times in the range I was looking for.  I took it easy the rest of the week, just doing some elliptical and Nautilus, wanting to rest it till the race on Saturday.
The warm up for the Sports Medicine 5k was giving me a little concern, because my hamstring still hadn't cleared up. I thought I would give it a go, but if there was even the slightest sign of it getting worse, I would just cruise it in.  The gun went off and I immediately got stuck behind 3 people in jogging suits.  What they were doing at the front of the pack I don't know, but there was no splitting between them, and it was hard to get around them till the first turn.  I had to run hard up the first little hill to catch up to Chuck from Turn It Up. He and I are pretty evenly matched, and I was able to stay with him for the whole race.  I felt tight, but nothing sharp, so that was good.  Near the finish, I gave it just about my all to catch Chuck at the top of the last hill, but as soon as I made the turn on Court st, I ran out of gas.  Still 19:42 was good for me, 3rd in age group.  According to Running For Fitness, that puts me at a 3:05-3:08 marathon, so it is just where I want to be.  
This week: easy, easy, easy.  Sunday's long run was a comfortable 5 miles, then 5 more at race pace, or a little faster.  No problem, and the hamstring was feeling better.  Monday, massage from Shunji.  Tuesday, light tempo, 3 miles at race pace.  Wednesday with the Keenyans and I was feeling the best I've felt in a long time, very little soreness either from my ankle or hamstring. Back at Keene High track, good warm up, 6x400, then a few times around the track to stay loose, and the cool down.   The other guys were doing 4x 200/200/800.  Seemed like a tough workout. It was great to see Justin jump in and do the last 2 after his easy 6x400.  It just wasn't possible for him to sit by and watch the others do a workout while he still had some gas in the tank.  The 17 M titles both went to Goupil, making an early mark for dominance. I think he should be a little careful going to the outside passing lane.  He might get nudged into oncoming traffic.  No team points for this title, it's every man for himself.
So now it's over except for the expo.  Oh, and the race. I feel as ready as I'll ever be, and if I don't have any problems along the route from Hopkinton, the goal is certainly with in sight.  A few more days to make it happen.




MON. : 5 mi @ gym

TUES. :4 mi @ gym

WED. : 11 mi w/ 8x8oo

2:53/2:54/2:53/2:53

2:53/2:55/1:26(400,cramp in ribs)/2:54

THU. : 5 @ gym & Nautilus

FRI. : -

SAT. : -

SUN. : 20 mi

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK 3/28-4/3: 45

MON. : 5 mi @ gym

TUES. :4 mi @ gym

WED. : 11 mi w/ 4x1000

3:44/3:48/3:48/3:44

THU. : -

FRI. : -

SAT. : 6 mi w/19:42 5k

SUN. : 10 mi

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK 4/4-4/10: 36

TOTAL MILES FOR 2011: 555

15 Down, 3 To Go

It's coming down to the wire on my Boston training, and while I'm gaining more and more confidence with just about each run, it's hard to crowd out the thoughts of uncertainty. I had a pretty good week this week, coming off a big total last week, even though I had a cold.  I started off Monday with the thought of just wanting to stay loose, and did just a few miles at the gym.  Tuesday I woke up feeling like crap, and bagged it trying to get better to run the track workout.  Wednesday was a small group on Baker street.  Most of the others were doing a 2 mile, mile, 800 kind of tempo thing.  My plan called for 10 x 400, and the only one looking to do something like that was Andy.  I wasn't too sure if I would be able to make the whole thing with my chest cold, but if he was willing to wait for me on the recovery laps, what else could I do but give it a go.  My first 400 seemed easy until just up to the turn, but I knew I was going out too fast.  I was able to recover pretty well, and I kept all the others to 1:24 or so, and I was very satisfied with that.  The cool down wiped me out until about the end when I felt strong and picked it up a bit to catch up to Boj.  On Thursday, Patrick from Turn it Up called and wanted to know if I had a good hill workout.  We headed out to Old Concord Road to do 6 x 3 min hard up with 3 min coast down.  It's a great workout, because like on the track, people of different abilities can be running together and get the same workout with out ending up miles apart.  Plus, you can put yourself in as much pain as you can handle in each 3 minutes of hard running uphill.
Friday was The usual FART group, and an easy few miles to stay loose for Saturday's race.
The Fast Friend's Race is a tough 4.5 miles. It's just hard to fully recover from the hill at the start of the 2nd mile, and the last mile is a slight uphill that seems to take the last gasp of wind out of most people's sails. My time was about 35 seconds slower than last year, but given a fairly tough week and I was still feeling the effects of the chest cold, I was happy with it.  I had pretty good splits for me, 6:25/6:38(hill)/6:21/6:42/3:15. The 6:21 for mile 3 was encouraging, giving me hope to go for 19:30 at the the Sports Medicine Center 5K.
Sunday called for 15 miles as the long run.  I only got in a few early miles before meeting up with the Brewbakers crew.  We headed out for the Chapman loop, and Julie, Jeff and I went pretty hard up the hill. a little more than half way up, I wanted to push it hard, and made it to the top with a very sustained effort for me.  When the others made it to the top, Julie and I went off at another good clip down to Old Concord, then steady back to Brewbakers.  I still had about 5 more miles to put in, so I did the double George loop at a 7:30 pace.  That was a good way to end the week.
Next week will be my final 'hard' week of training, and I am really going to try to push each workout. 8 x 800 on Wednesday, a solid tempo and long run, and a couple of days running at marathon pace.  Then the Blessed Taper.

Week of 3/21-3/27
MON. : 3 mi @ gym

TUES. :-sick-

WED. : 11 mi w/ 8x400 (thanks Andy)

1:18/1:24/1:23/1:23

1:22/1:24/1:22/1/24

THU. : 7 mi w/ hill repeats

FRI. : 6 mi

SAT. : 10 mi w/ 4.5 mi race(29:24)

SUN. : 16 mi w/ hills and last 5 @ 7:30

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK: 53

TOTAL MILES FOR 2011: 474

Big Week

Sunday's long run capped the end of my biggest training week ever, 65 miles.  And there were hardly any 'fluff' miles in there for me to just pad it out.  After the hard run last Sunday, I started out with just an easy 3 or so at the gym to stay loose.  Then Tuesday, I did a long tempo, 10 miles @ 7:03, or about 10 seconds under my goal marathon pace.  Then Wednesday at Baker Street was a solid effort of Mile/2x8/2x4/2x2.  Thursday I did my usual 51/2 mile loop at a pretty good clip, about 7:45. Friday a couple of 7 min miles before meeting with the FART group for an easy 5.  Saturday I intended to go easy, but I felt good on the Double George loop, and I kept the whole thing just under 7 min pace.  I think the fastest I've ever done that loop is about 37:30, so near the end of a big week, I was pleased with that.  Plus, the first mile or so was at a fairly easy pace, so I picked it up along the way.  Sunday called for 20 miles at about 7:45 pace.  The first half was with Julie and Brad on a nice loop around Keene, at a moderate pace.  I pretty much doubled back around for the second loop, going up the rail trail to Whitcombs Mill, then up Felt, and back around on the de Mar course till Court Street and back down to Brewbakers.  I felt pretty strong but not too speedy the whole way.  I'm sure I pretty much depleted my glycogen stores, because I didn't  do any gels or gu, just light gatorade in my pack.  I didn't get much chance to rest when I got back, because the cafe was very busy and I had to jump right in.  By the time I made it back home at about 7:00, I was wiped out.  All in all, it was a solid week, and I am feeling pretty confident about where I am, with 2 more weeks of hard training till the taper.

3/14 - 3/20

MON. : 3 mi am @ gym

TUES. : 11 mi w/ 10 @ 1:10 (7:03)

WED. : 11 mi w/ 16/2x8/2x4/2x2

5:55/2:57/2:55/1:24/1:25/36/35

THU. : 5 mi

FRI. : 8 mi

SAT. : 5.5 mi 38:45 (6:58)

SUN. : 21 mi

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK: 65 mi

TOTAL MILES FOR 2011: 421

Wednesday Workout

The rain and sleet let up yesterday afternoon for the weekly run with the Keenyans, and it was a good workout.  I feel like I am finally putting together a string of good runs/weeks, and it couldn't come soon enough.  After Sunday's long run and Tuesday's long tempo, I wasn't too sure how my legs would hold out on the Baker Street track.  The plan had called for 3x mile, but I knew after the first it was going to be a little too difficult.  Brad was doing mile/2x8/2x4/2x2, and that sounded much better to me.  Clint was there for the first time in a while, and he was a great pace setter.  I know I'm doing ok if I'm just a few ticks behind him for each 200 or so.  I think it turned into an even better workout than what I had originally planned, because the total effort was about the same, but with the shorter reps the intensity keeps building.  On the last 200 Brad started a couple of seconds late, then flew by me trying to catch Clint.  It was close, and he started to fade with the last 50 meters or so, but he still kept it strong.  I doubt if I could count how many times I've said what a pleasure it is to run with such a fun and talented group, all at their own levels, and all working hard for their own improvement.
Boj and Jeff were looking good, running fast and smooth 4s & 2s. And Mark and Greg looked great getting ready for New Bedford, doing a kind of pyramid. Obviously nothing is effortless, but they really looked to be gliding thru their reps.
Armadillo's was fun as usual, but it reminds me of a saying about cars: "Good, fast, cheap.  Pick two." Well, with the $5 burritos, the $2 drafts, the conversation and speed at the Keenyan table, it's 3 for 3.

It's been a better week for my running than for my blogging, which is a good thing. Last week had a good 5 mile tempo run at about 6:40 pace, track workout of 2x 1200/800/400, and a really fun Sunday long run of 15 miles with the Keenyans, at about 7:20 pace(except for the snow covered bike path, but the effort there was even more, so I'm counting the whole thing as 7:20).  Yesterday was such a nice day that I ran hard, even though today is Wednesday with the crew.   The plan this week called for a 10 mile tempo at 7:15(MP), and I was just a few miles into it when Andy pulled along side on his bike on Marlborough Street.  He rode with me for a little while, and dropped my average pace for the first 5 down to 7:07.  I was feeling really good, even after looping around George Street for the third time, and I was able to drop the average pace to 7:03.  Not too bad for me after Sunday.  Today my legs feel fine, and I am supposed to do 3x1600, at 6 min pace.  So far I've been able to keep my times at or below what the plan has called for, but this will be a challenge.