Sat 12/15 - AM 60 minutes very easy Longfellow loop

A relaxed morning jog, some soreness in hip from last night but nothing like as bad as it felt on Wednesday. Roads in Sudbury no more clear than they were last night due to cold temps and little direct sun. Planned on doing a double today, but the back half went by the boards as I was feeling tired from errands all day.

Fri 12/14 - PM just over 60 minutes, Levittown incl. 6x4 minute pickups

RLTAC closed, blessing in disguise with regards to the left TFL not being further aggravated. I had planned on doing this session on the Longfellow loop but location scouting showed snow removal there was woefully inadequate. Back to Levittown which was 95% clear. Warmup jog just over 15 minutes and then right into the repeats. Last pickup of the six was actually five minutes instead of four as I was feeling pretty good. One minute recoveries between each, making the workout more of a tempo/threshold effort. Overall it felt under control, some stiffness in left hip but nothing that bad. Cooldown jog 15+ minutes.

Thu 12/13 - 55 minutes easy, Levittown

Squeezed in this run between rounds of shoveling snow from a quick-hitter that left close to 10 inches of relatively fluffy snow in Maynard. Treadmill was there as an option but I wanted to see the snow, as it were, plus I'm planning on being on the treadmill/inside tomorrow anyway.

The side streets of Levittown were traffic-free, some more plowed than others. In general, the entire neighborhood was better-suited for skiing than running. Chose the yaktrax over screw shoes for traction, nothing short of snowshoes would have ensured sure footing though. The worst of the snow finished as I was finishing up, there were a few moments of wind-driven white blindness prior to that. These conditions were not the best for the left TFL, which I'm fairly convinced is the locus/cause of the inflammation in the iliac crest.

Wed 12/12 - PM 70 minutes very easy/easy, Brookline/Boston

Loop from Coolidge Corner to the Fens and along the river before heading back via Comm Ave. Left hip was very sore and awkwardly stiff all day at work. TFL inflamed, limping around on it. Not looking forward to the first five minutes of the run and it was as expected a teeth-gritting experience. The worst of the pain subsided quicker than I thought, although it never loosened up to the point where it felt good. I used the lax ball to find a large area of adhesion/spasm in the left lat muscle near the affected area. Hard to say if this is the root cause of the problems along the iliac crest or just collateral damage. Getting at the crux of the sore area is more problematic, both due to leverage and not wanting to further aggravate a swollen area. The stiffness and soreness in the left iliac crest looks like it will be an ongoing theme with the day after RLTAC workouts. Hopefully it remains manageable with stretching and massage. Chilly evening with a blustery NW wind after a warmer morning and afternoon. More white hell coming tomorrow.

Tue 12/11 - 75 minutes RLTAC incl. 1600, 3(3x400)

Cold rain and icy sidewalks had me inside again for the entire workout. 5k warmup on the treadmill, followed by drills. 1600 went in 4:56 (2:29,2:27) and felt relatively smooth and under control. Last 400 was 73 as I picked it up a bit without undue extra effort. After a five minute jog, the rest of the workout went as follows:

first set: 68.1, 68.8, 67.8

4:30 jog

second set: 72.7, 73, 72.9

4:30 jog

third set: 68.6, 68.4, 68.2

Rest between 400s was the requisite 90 seconds, although I shorted it a bit the second set. These were the numbers I was shooting for going in, and were well-chosen targets. The first set felt surprsingly relaxed, if a bit fast for 3k pace, while the second set was very much under control and felt like 5k pace. All the treadmill running recently has smoothed out my stride as always.

The third set two things happened to keep me from going any faster than 68--cumulative fatigue (first lap of each was slower than in the first set) but also the left hip got sore, right below the iliac crest where various muscles attach. I was able to adjust for it and finish the workout, but it was tender afterward and will likely feel terrible tomorrow. After the first workout indoors last week I was worried this would become a recurrent problem, but things seemed much better following last Friday's workout. Certainly running tight counterclockwise turns isn't the best thing for it. The fact that the soreness wasn't an issue until the third set suggests that faster speeds and fatigue play a role. Short slow 10 minute cooldown on the floor.

Mon 12/10 - PM treadmill, 6 miles in just over 42 minutes

With last night's sleet/ice pellet storm leaving sidewalks and side streets a hockey rink combined with getting home late, the treadmill became the only option. Speed between 7.5 an 9.2 mph, a couple of breaks at 15 minute intervals to attend to kitchen stuff. Breaking the run into three digestible bits certainly made it easier.

Sun 12/9 - PM 105 minutes easy to medium

Chose a route on the fly that included a good chunk of old haunts in Acton incl. Indian Village and Windsor Ave, over to Tempo triangle via Mt. Hope and back via White Pond Rd to Summerhill. Not feeling especially spry, much of the run was at a relatively modest pace as a result. Did some strides at the end by which time I was good and tired. Ambient conditions perilously close to being dank, overcast and temp hovering around freezing. Not especially inspiring.

Sat 12/8 - double, 1:30 total

AM - 30 minutes very easy in Wellesley. The first couple of minutes were not pleasant at all. Legs creaky and stiff, and left hip flexor area sore and inflamed from last night's workout. Loosened up somewhat by the end but the pace never got past a jog.

PM - 60 minutes easy, Longfellow loop. Feeling better than the morning, no surprise there, but still capable of easy recovery pace only. With afternoon temps above freezing for the first time in almost a week, there was some welcome ablation of the hardened snowpack. Not that it matters with more snow/sleet in the forecast.