Tue 12/30 - PM RLTAC 80 minutes incl. 8x1000

Long workout with relatively short recoveries (2 minutes), effort-wise it fell somewhere between 5k and 10k pace I suppose. Under control but not easy by any means. Legs felt heavy on the warmup and drills and while this went away eventually it was replaced by more of an overall fatigue. Made a conscious effort to hold something in reserve the first few reps so I would be able to finish in one piece. Led three of the eight reps including the first. Splits as follows:

3:07.2
3:05.8
3:05
3:09
3:05.7
3:03.2
3:04
3:03

recovery went 10-15 seconds long after the first three reps as the group was large and took forever to get organized. Some tightness in right calf after the workout but nothing major.

Mon 12/29 - PM 65 minutes easy

Levittown to Sheridan. Still in recovery mode, I had wanted to do strides at the end of the run but it wasn't happening. Left quad feels like I strained it somehow but I don't remember when or how that could have happened recently, an unwelcome mystery. There's also a knot in my right lower back, no mystery how that got there following Friday's workout. Temps returning to seasonable levels, still tolerable as there wasn't that much wind.

Sun 12/28 - double, 1:50 total

AM - 45 minutes very easy. Painfully slow putter around Maynard. Right adductor stuck pretty good, overall both legs feeling quite sore. DOMS has set in. Windy and abnormally warm already.

PM - 65 minutes easy, Mossman to Ruddock to Longfellow loop. Moving a bit better than in the morning but not by much. Sore legs the constant of the day. Active recovery every step of the way.

Sat 12/27 - AM 75 minutes

Loop through S. Natick and Dover (I think) with the kids, done far too quick for my tastes especially the morning after a workout. Given that they had worked out yesterday as well, I thought the first few miles would be more relaxed but it wasn't to be. Spent the first half of the run maintaining contact before they inevitably sagged, and then had a front row seat the pace yo-yoed from there on out. Complicating matters further was the rain that started as a drizzle and became a cold hard downpour, making for truly miserable conditions. It reached a point where hammering the pace was understandable--the second half of the run, that is. The early pace still seemed unnecessarily uncomfortable considering I can run their 2 mile PR between 3 and 6 times in a row without stopping. Rain meant that the strides went by the board as well. Right leg a stiff and sore mess after last night, hip flexor twinging and calf tight. Cough is progressing along, hopefully on its last legs.

Fri 12/26 - PM RLTAC 80 minutes incl. 1600, 8x400, 1600

Splitting the difference between a shorter faster session and a longer more controlled workout. Looking to run the 400s at around 5k pace, saving something for the final 1600 all the while. Also trying to run negative splits as much as possible. Splits as follows:

5:06 (2:36/2:30)
73
72
73.8
71.6
71.7
70.9
72.2
71.1
5:00 (2:36/2:24)

Overall a controlled effort, hit the numbers without getting overly fatigued. I had hoped for more gear changes on the final 1600, as it turns out there was one--from 39 second laps the first 800 to 36 second laps the final 800. Still coughing more than I would like, cough is productive but obnoxiously persistent. Right leg was somewhat stiff on the warmup, but loosened up fine once I did the drills.

Thu 12/25 - AM 80 minutes easy

River Street to Red Acre Road, back via Summerhill and Levittown. Another recovery run, not much in the tank. Right quad tendinitis that's been around since after the half in Manchester has flared up somewhat recently, esp. sore in the mornings so I was shuffling along early today. Colder today than yesterday, still warmer than average though, winds very gusty which was obnoxious.

Wed 12/24 - PM 85 minutes easy

Longfellow loop with side excursion into McMansionville, back via Silver Hill and Mossman. After starting off too ambitiously, spent most of the run puttering along in recovery mode in what ended up being a slog. Legs feeling it from yesterday's run in the slushy conditions, as well as coming off the sore throat. Warmer with rain showers, snow pack wasting away at a tremendous rate.

Tue 12/23 - PM 60 minutes

An hour of running laps around Elm Bank with the kiddies. Some slippery slushy footing but overall it was about as good as one could hope for, and one of the safer places to run in thearea. Started out quite slowly, pace picked up moderately in the middle as I followed the girls on their pace pickups, then picked it up more for an 8 minute pull with the boys. 15 minutes easy jog after that. Worst of the sore throat is behind me, moved on to the congestion/productive cough stage. At least I'll be able to sllep again, energy level is returning to normal.

Mon 12/22 - PM RLTAC 50 minutes incl. 2x1200

Aborted attempt at a workout, one I never should have tried in the first place. Exhausted from two terrible nights of no sleep thanks to the sore throat, particularly miserable last night as I was extremely tired. Ran 3:49 and 3:53 with a minute recovery, far too much effort for that pace. Got 100m into the third rep before it finally sunk in I was doing more harm than good in continuing. Desperately in need of a decent night's sleep right now. The mini-meet is in all likelihood off the table now, we'll see.

Sun 12/21 - double, 75 minutes total on treadmill

AM - 30 minutes, 4 miles. Half of yesterday's run. Took a while to get going this morning, dry scratchy throat prevented me from getting anything resembling a decent night's sleep. Snow has returned and roads are unusable.

PM - 45 minutes, 6 miles. Instead of the usual progression I started at 8 mph, went to 8.1 after a couple minutes, then down to 7.9, up to 8.2, etc. This managed to keep my interest. This run was sandwiched between the third and fourth round of shoveling the driveway, running out of space to put the shit at this point.

Sat 12/20 - PM 60 minutes treadmill

8 miles, 6.5 to 9.5 mph in 2 minute steps. Right leg somewhat stiff but otherwise felt smooth. Roads a disaster as someone forgot to turn off the snow machine. Temps never got out of the teens either. Throat somewhat sore, could be worse.

Fri 12/19 - off, again

Patiently waiting for the blood clot to form in the hole in my jaw. Two rounds of shoveling in the evening as white hell descends. Dry scratchy throat may be making a comeback, thanks in large part to the sleepless night Wednesday which was the wisdom tooth's parting gift. Good riddance.

Thu 12/18 - off

As originally planned, but what wasn't planned was the removal of the accursed abscessed tooth after a sleepless feverish night. Words can't express how happy I am to have that thing out of my skull, esp. after the past few weeks. Its removal will require a second day off tomorrow, second week in a row with a two day break.

Wed 12/17 - PM 50 minutes very easy

Levittown loop, didn't make it to Summerhill which is a testament to how slow the pace was on this run. Active recovery straight through, needless to say. Legs not as sore as I might have expected given the intensity of last night's workout. Chilly temps but with little wind.

Tue 12/16 - PM RLTAC 70 minutes incl. 6x800

Aiming for a progression from 5k pace to 3k pace, taking it in pairs with goal 2:24-5 the first two, 2:22-3 after that, and finally 2:20-1 to finish. Somewhat concerned about being able to make the last step in pace. It ended up as follows:

2:25.5
2:24.2
2:23.3
2:21.3
2:19.2
2:17.4

2.5 minutes rest throughout

Ended up faster than planned on the last 3 reps in what can best be described as a hoovering, sucked along by MD types who think nothing of dropping a 33 second opening 200 on a rep that ends up going in 2:20. Like running with high schoolers, only stupider. Starting as a group was a laughable gesture as multiple gaps formed almost immediately. Didn't take the bait on this suicidal early pace, which meant I ended up running mostly even splits as I quickly reached my limit and then stayed there. Relaxed effort but no gears left after hitting 400 on the last one in 69. Some residual soreness from Sunday but not as bad as expected.

Mon 12/15 - PM 60 minutes, Longfellow Loop

Started at an easy relaxed pace and it gradually progressed from there. Right knee tendinitis at the medial quad attachment felt like garbage all day but it loosened up within two minutes of starting the run. Calves sore from yesterday, generally feeling a bit creaky. Discretion being the better part of valor I chose to forgo doing any strides. Abnormally warm all day, nearly went out the door with pants before realizing it was shorts weather.

Sun 12/14 - AM 75 minutes incl. 5k in 16:30

AM - Walter's Run in Westie. Ran the course once as a warmup, then the first 2+ miles at 5:45 pace after that. Ideally it would have been the whole thing but I was right up against the start of the actual race and so I had to cut it short. Neither the warmup nor the "tempo" piece felt especially good, dragging a bit as expected from yesterday's higher volume. Blustery wind didn't help either. The first mile of the race was of course far too fast, just over 5 minutes, as I let myself be dragged out by the early leaders. It felt like garbage on the initial gradually uphill stretch. Took the lead during the second mile to burn off any pretenders, that got rid of all but one guy who took the lead back just after 2 miles (10:23) as we hit the only hill of any consequence on the course. I thought my goose was cooked, neither of us were running fast at all by this point. Sensed I could take it with 800m to go, made a move after we stopped going uphill which some would call a "trick." The trick worked as I was able to coast in keeping the guy in second at arm's length. Finished feeling more exhausted than I would like for the pace we were running. Cooldown was a 20 minute crawl. Nice write-up of the race here I made sure to get in a mention of my specially created shirt.

Sat 12/13 - double, 2 hours total

AM - 65 minutes very easy to easy in Area 51. Right knee and ankle stiff and sore to an obnoxious degree so early in the morning. Hobbling along for a few minutes before they loosened up sufficiently. From then on it was a leisurely hour spent taking in the scenery, punctuated by multiple water crossings on sections of trail that were flooded. Feet quite cold by the end, shoelaces frozen.

PM - 55 minutes, Levittown to Summerhill and as far as Tobin drive before heading back. Six strides on the way in. Moving better than the morning, which is a given, but energy levels up and down during the run. At times I had doubts about whether or not strides would be possible. The rapids on the Assabet at the Mill St. bridge were particularly impressive, a raging torrent.

Fri 12/12 - off, again

meet entry hell all afternoon. Unbelievable. Medial right ankle sore all day, apparently the workout Wednesday left more of a mark than I had originally thought. Lack of stretching post-run also likely plays a role.

Thu 12/11 - off

as expected. Off next Thursday too. Whoop-de-doo. Right ankle sore, along with right quad/knee that was more stiff in the morning than it has been previous mornings.

Wed 12/10 - PM 65 minutes RLTAC incl. 1600, 3(3x400)

I had been thinking of doing 4 sets of 400s but shortening it to 3 was definitely the right move. Looking to run 68-9 and 73-4 for the slower set, successful on that score, but I thought for sure I would go under 68 or even 67 on the last one. It didn't happen despite what I thought was a blistering last lap. Apparently it wasn't. Splits as follows:

5:00 (2:34, 2:26)
4.5R

set1 - 2 - 3
68.8 - 73.5 - 68.5
69.0 - 72.0 - 68.4
68.2 - 73.3 - 68.1

recovery between reps averaged just under 80 seconds, with 3:40 and 4 minutes between sets. Right hammie starting to feel sore on the last set but it held together. Right calf also feeling tight and wound up, more than I would like and an unwelcome reminder of last winter's unmitigated disaster of a calf strain. Warmup on the treadmill, cooldown in the miserable wind-swept rain.

Tue 12/9 - PM 50 minutes

Pond Road in Wellesley, with 6 strides at the end on the track. The strides felt pretty good, the pace on the run itself seemed rather forced and quicker than I would have liked at the outset. And the middle. The fruit snack afterwards was good though.

Mon 12/8 - PM 32 minutes

4.5 miles on the treadmill, 7 to 9.5 mph gradually and then I zoomed the speed up to 11 a la Spinal Tap for the last minute or two. No time for any more, this was it. Bone-chilling cold made it an easy call to stay indoors.

Sun 12/7 - AM 95 minutes easy

Track Road to Sudbury Road and Area 51. Similar loop to last Sunday, only more slowly run overall with no pace pickup the last half hour. I didn't have that kind of effort, or even strides, in me after the past few days of so little sleep. Chilly morning but no wind to speak of which made it much more bearable. Snow showers overnight left a dusting, enough to affect get glommed in the outsole of the shoes I was wearing, a repeated annoyance.

Sat 12/6 - double, 60 minutes total

AM - 4 miles on the treadmill in 31 minutes. From 6.7 to 9 mph, calves sore from last night's workout but overall felt a lot better than expected. Especially given how late I got to bed last night, unable to sleep in at this point after the early wakeup times of late.

PM - 30 minutes very easy, Tiger Drive. The generalized fatigue and exhaustion I knew was there finally expressed itself. This after running in the AM, standing around outside at practice, writing a million e-mails all afternoon, and doing errands. So tired I can barely see straight. The run started easy and got slower from there, utterly listless so I turned tail and headed for home. Welcome to the wintertime schedule.

Fri 12/5 - PM RLTAC 65 minutes incl. 4x1600

First of the indoor LT workouts. During the warmup both hammies felt sore and mildly strained, likely from the other day's workout. The afternoon bike ride beforehand didn't feel like it helped any in this regard. I was looking to do 4 or 5 reps, kind of had my heart set on 5 but the effort piled up faster than that. I'm guessing I could have gone for five were it not for staying awake into the wee hours last night with a million things bouncing around my head, the bedtime brain dump simply didn't happen. Resolved to hit negative splits in a fairly pronounced fashion, but it took until the last one for me to get in a rhythm where the second 400 wasn't too quick. Splits as follows:

5:08.6 (2:36/2:33)
5:09.7 (2:36/2:34)
5:09.8 (2:37/2:33)
5:07.2 (2:37/2:30)

recovery interval after each rep was just under 80 seconds. The first half pace felt quite relaxed on each rep, things got more interesting after that. Right hip/TFL stiff after the cooldown.

Thu 12/4 - PM 45 minutes in Wellesley

scenic loop around Lake Waban with the kids, steady progression of pace for the first 35 minutes or so and leveled off after that. Felt reasonably good although some sore spots in left hammie and calf afterwards. Mild conditions continue, warmer than expected.

Wed 12/3 - PM just over 70 minutes

round trip to TJs, first of what's sure to be many trips along this route during the winter. Around 36 minutes for both legs of the trip, not pushing the effort at all but not crawling either. Despite the less than inspirational route, the run was a welcome respite to the multitude of concerns now rattling around the brain after signing on for another round of coaching. Relatively mild conditions continue.

Tue 12/2 - PM RLTAC, 70 minutes incl. 3(400,400,800)

First session on the indoor track, felt very smooth and under control. Aiming to run negative splits as much as possible and it came relatively easily. Were that all track workouts felt like this one, not that the pace was anything spectacular. Last of the lazy days with ample free time for the foreseeable future, so it remains to be seen.

Set 1: 73.9/71.5/2:27.0 (74, 73)
Set 2: 73.7/70.9/2:27.5 (73, 74)
Set 3: 73.3/70.9/2:23.4 (73, 70)

90 seconds after each 400, 2:30 after each 800. Some soreness in right hip at the start of the workout but it loosened up. Right knee also a bit sore still but not to a debilitating degree.

Mon 12/1 - PM 85 minutes

Along the Charles, took 30+ minutes to get going and moving fairly well for the next 45 minutes after that. The flat terrain no doubt having something to do with that. Felt like I might have bit off more than I could chew at around 75 minutes, but by then I was close enough to being done. Did strides on the way in, stood up by the wind on most of them. Other than the inevitable breeze along the water the day was mild and agreeable the entire afternoon.

Sun 11/30 - AM 85 minutes

Track Road to Area 51 via Sudbury Road, which is much nicer to run in the daylight than dodging homebound commuters in the dark. My plan for today was to go easy the first hour and then pick up the pace to whatever level I could handle. This is how it went more or less although I did end up 5 minutes short of the 90 minute time goal for the total. I was also originally leaning toward a second run, on the treadmill due to the rain that came in during the afternoon, but decided against it in the end. Right quad tendon took a while to loosen up, it's been inflamed for almost a month now since the Manchester half. Still able to run on it but the first few minutes can be a chore. In addition there are occasional sharp pains when walking around. Chilly temps and overcast skies, but I did beat the precipitation.

Sat 11/29 - double, 90 minutes total

AM - 60 minutes easy, Area 51. Took a while to get rolling this morning, once I did the pace was easy the whole way. Warmer but with enough of a westerly breeze to make it somewhat uncomfortable.

PM - 30 minutes. Cut the run short, feeling low on motivation and underdressed to boot. I had considered doing a run on the treadmill and in hindsight I probably should have. Temp dropped after sunset, more than I was expecting. Energy levels not where I thought they'd be for an evening run either.

Fri 11/28 - double, 1:40 total

AM - 50 minutes easy/very easy, Area 51. Legs feel better than expected after yesterday. Still not going anywhere fast though. Drizzle turned into an obnoxious rain by the end of the run.

PM - 50 minutes easy, Levittown. Modest increase in pace over the morning run, all chalked up to evening vs. morning difference in alertness. Thought about doing strides but didn't feel quite up to it. Right foot soreness continues, but at a low level. Rain cleared out during the afternoon, leaving a borderline black ice situation on some of the streets.

Thu 11/27 - double, 1:45 total incl. 5k in 15:41

AM 70 minutes incl. 5k road race. A solid effort on a mostly flat course, same as last thanksgiving but 20 seconds faster this time around. Surprising result in that the right hammie was twinging after the run last night and I was dragging more than a bit after a restless night's sleep. Took forever to warmup as a result, still not feeling that alert even on the starting line. Finally came around after the first km. Moderate headwind the first half of the race but others were willing to lead the way so I was able to follow in their wake. Took the lead with maybe 800m to go, expecting to be passed back at some point but it didn't happen. No mile splits on the course that I could tell, felt like an evenly run effort though. Cooldown was just as slow as the warmup.

PM 35 minutes very easy. Shakeout so I could get in a good stretch afterwards. Very tired this afternoon, took a long nap.

Wed 11/26 -PM 65 minutes

Coolidge to the River, back on Comm Ave. Legs finally feeling a bit better, although it took a while for them to really loosen up. Some pent-up energy from the easy easy running of the past couple of days, able to do strides near the end as a result. Right foot somewhat sore, related to the instep problems as far back as late August, which I think might be related to the crappy shoes I just started wearing again after a month-plus break while wear-testing another model. Remains to be seen, the shoes are near the end anyways. Cooler today but still relatively comfortable, no real wind which is the important thing.

Tue 11/25 - PM 60 minutes easy

Longfellow loop. I had hoped to do some strides at the end of today's run but it wasn't happening, legs not recovered sufficiently from Sunday although they're better than yesterday. The length of yesterday's run may have had something to do with the heavy legs today. Hopefully tomorrow they'll feel better. As such, decided to keep the run at an hour today. Warmer today, rained all day but waited until it stopped.

Mon 11/24 - PM 90 minutes easy

Track Road to Sudbury Road to Area 51. A boring slog much of the way. Feeling pretty good at work other than some calf soreness, but once the rubber hit the road slow was the only gear available. Minimal knee lift. Recent cold/sore throat is on the way out, feeling better each day. Chilly evening but the wind machine finally shut off which made it much more pleasant to be outside than the past few days.

Sun 11/23 - AM 75 minutes incl. 4m in 21:00

Decided to do a road race instead of the planned tempo workout, mainly because I didn't trust myself to get out the door and slog it out by myself. The idea didn't occur to me until late yesterday afternoon, by bedtime last night I had decided I wouldn't bother with the hassle of traveling and paying an entry fee. Woke up to temps in the 20s with a growing westerly wind and changed my mind. Throat felt better again this morning, almost back to normal, which made me think I wouldn't be hurting myself if I did do a race instead of a workout. Ran the course as a warmup, between the unremitting wind, uphill second mile, stiff legs, and overall lack of motivation I was having second thoughts. As the race started into the wind the plan was to tuck in behind whoever was dumb enough to lead and hang on as long as possible. The early rush was even faster than I expected, led by the usual high school morning glories who took the first 400m or so. The fast early pace was ruinous to one of the other guys driving the train, but the eventual winner made it stick. Spent the middle 2 miles of the race trading off 2nd and 3rd place, but I wasn't feeling up to putting in any definitive moves and let the guy go just before 3. Despite this, he came back to me a bit on the gently uphill final 800m, but not enough to make a heroic rush worthwhile. Given the way I'd been feeling going in and the windy conditions it went better than expected, although the workout I had planned would have been better in terms of building fitness. In a perfect world I would have done the workout at RLTAC. Mile splits as follows:

5:05 (felt a bit short, but way too fast nonetheless)
5:24 (uphill)
5:16 (downhill, but into the wind again)
5:15

post-cooldown I downed three cups of hot chocolate, more than I've had in a decade or so, evidence of how cold it was being out in that weather.

Sat 11/22 - double, 1:35 total

AM - 55 minutes very easy, Area 51. Stumbling along, not quite as stiff as yesterday morning only because I was able to get a later start on account of it being the weekend and all. Despicable wind chill conditions, should have worn the balaclava. A few weeks early for this type of garbage. Sore throat/cold progressing along, felt better this morning than the previous two days but still coughing more than I'd like.

PM - 41 minutes on the treadmill, 5.5 miles. 7.1 to 9 mph on the gradual uptick. Desperately tired by mid-afternoon, mainly from the sore throat, as a result I ended up taking one of the longer naps in recent memory. Woke up with minimal motivation to go back outside, much less do the workout I had planned. Aforementioned wind chill had a lot to do with this as well, really unpleasant to be outside. After letting the cobwebs clear decided to dust off the treadmill instead. As usual, it felt smooth and under control.

Fri 11/21 - double, 80 minutes total

AM - 40 minutes very easy, Area 51. Stiff and sore the whole way through. Due to minimal knee lift I was stumbling all over the place, with multiple twinges on right quad near goosefoot which has been an annoyance since just after the Manchester half. Sore throat progressing towards the productive cough stage, always a treat. No wind but bone-chilling cold anyway, fingers frozen most of the way.

PM - 40 minutes, to and from supermarket for OJ plus a loop in Levittown to do strides at the end. Felt somewhat febrile during the day at work, thought about taking the afternoon off but running clears some of the congestion plus I wanted to to strides today. Still cold and wind picked up over the course of the day, not pleasant at all.

Thu 11/20 - PM 45 minutes

Levittown to Conant Road, back via Parker Street. Shortened the run, not due to the foot which is feeling better, but the throat which is not. Right in the dry scratchy phase in fact, makes sleeping difficult and feeling flat and tired all day as a result. Continued cold, less windy tonight thankfully.

Wed 11/19 - PM 65 minutes, Longfellow loop incl. 6x3 minutes

First attempt at a workout in weeks, nothing to write home about. Feeling more energetic than Monday but still not firing on all cylinders, I had 6-8 reps planned but knew after the fourth one I'd be stopping at six. Sore throat not helping, not that intense but not any better either. Of more concern is my left heel which continues to be sore and was bothersome at work all day. Particularly stiff when getting up after sitting down for a long time. Pain right in the plantar region which is ominous to say the least, and puzzling in how suddenly it flared up. Stretching may well be enough to nip it in the bud, hopefully. Colder today than yesterday, with stronger wind to boot making for a downright unpleasant wind chill.

Tue 11/18 - PM 55 minutes w/strides

Levittown to Sheridan Ave. Headed out the door having promised myself that I would cut the run short if I still had yesterday's lead legs. Not quite there yet, but better than yesterday and the tendinitis on the right knee appears on the way out. After some deliberation decided to do strides on the way in, didn't feel especially smooth or spry but it didn't kill me either. On the down side, woke up with a mild sore throat and bottom of left foot became mysteriously sore during the day at work. Didn't notice either on the run but both bear watching. Continued chilly conditions but with a gusty wind today that made it less than pleasant at times.

Mon 11/17 - PM 65 minutes

River Street to Lower Village, back via White Pond and Summerhill. Took me over half an hour to figure out that my legs had nothing in them and I was needlessly beating myself down forcing the pace. Slowed it down after that but it was a lead-legged slog the rest of the way. Generating any kind of knee lift was disturbingly difficult. I'm ready mentally to move on and get back into the swing of things, but still not over the hump physically. Whatever benefits I got from the day off may have been wiped out by yesterday's double. Hopefully this is all it is but I have my doubts. Cold temps today but without yesterday's wind.

Sun 11/16 - double, 1:50 total

AM - 60 minutes easy, Area 51. Feeling a bit more like myself again, although in the morning that means stiff and slow. Not nearly as fatigued though. Right knee tendinitis continues, alas. Unseasonably mild and muggy weather of late in the process of being swept out by a nasty westerly wind.

PM - 50 minutes, Levittown to Tiger Drive. Moving better than in the morning of course, still not feeling up to doing anything as ambitious as strides, due to ongoing knee soreness and general heavy feeling in legs. Obnoxiously windy all day, subsided somewhat after sunset but still not pleasant.

Sat 11/15 - off

Tired and flat all day long. After yesterday's slog of a run I knew better than to even try it today. Hopefully a little rest is all that's needed.

Fri 11/14 - PM 60 minutes very easy

Coolidge to Jamaica Pond and back. Dismal run, fatigue set in after about 15-20 minutes and it was a slog from there on out. Surprising the degree to which I was overcome by tiredness. Perhaps the relatively faster pace of yesterday's run took more out of me than I would have admitted. Whatever the case, stuck in the rut where anything beyond 60 minutes at an easy pace seems insurmountable. Overcast, muggy and unseasonably warm conditions all day, overdressed for the second day in a row.

Thu 11/13 - PM 55 minutes, Levittown

Moving better but feeling an underlying tiredness, which cut the length of the run somewhat short. Thought I was pushing the pace too hard at times, which may well have been the case but I couldn't bring myself to crawl along today after the past few days of that kind of thing. Waiting patiently for the motivation to do workouts to return, not quite there yet but I'm at least sensing glimmers of it. Still some tightness and soreness around right knee but it's steadily getting better with time. Well-timed run, avoided the showers from earlier in the day and later in the evening.

Wed 11/12 - PM 70 minutes easy

Coolidge to the river, similar to Monday's run but not as slow. Not that I was moving with any kind of alacrity either. Right knee continues to be inflamed and sore, not bothered by slow easy running but the faster the pace, the greater the strain the more I notice it. It may be a while before I can work out on it again, in the meantime just filling the days with recovery runs.

Tue 11/11 - double, 2 hours total

AM - 60 minutes very easy, Area 51. Predictably rickety what with the morning start and lingering effects of the recent half-marathon binge. Right knee still tight on the quad tendon, not moving with enough range of motion to test the goosefoot area. At least it was relaxed.

PM - 60 minutes easy, Longfellow loop. Got the illusion for the first 15 minutes that my energy levels had bounced back much sooner than they had any right to, but this ended soon enough. Spent the rest of the time slogging along. Legs less sore than the morning as expected.

Mon 11/10 - PM 60 minutes very easy

Coolidge to the Charles. About as stiff and sore as I expected, able to move with minimal range of motion. Right knee still sore, both in lateral quad tendon area and near goosefoot. Had about enough as the end of the hour approached, I had thought about going a little longer but those thoughts went by the boards. Blustery all day.

Sun 11/9 - AM 95 minutes incl. half-marathon in 1:14

Ran out of gas late, something I had a sense would happen if pressed at all. Turns out doing two half-marathons in a week isn't such a great idea after all. Although the Kenyans who ran at Manchester last weekend (and the women's winner there as well) would probably disagree, they all did a half in Monson. Of course, their times suffered as well. Disappointing and frustrating, as I should have known better. Took the opportunity to vent right after the race, the reporter got to me literally in the chute. I was chewing on bitterness at this particular moment, hence the self-absorbed pity party. Live and learn, as they say.

The course is definitely faster than Applefest or Manchester, as expected. Some exposed windy sections, esp. the last 3 miles, but an acceptable trade-off for a flatter layout. Nice layout on the whole. Got to the line with legs already feeling a bit heavy, decided from the outset to run tactically instead of leading and doing all the work. Still ended up driving the train for most of the first 5k, then settled in behind the eventual winner. Soon it was 3 of us clear of the rest of the field, then a move at 4 whittled it down to 2. I held on through the middle third of the race as the pace dropped, I had the feeling that it wasn't going to be sustainable and I was just building the gap over 3rd and consolidating my spot. Lost contact with the winner soon after 8 miles, and by 9 I was in no-man's land. The last 4 miles dragged on forever, once broken I immediately slowed to 5:40 and then slowed some more after that. Turned into the rapidly building wind for the last 5k, at which point my motivation completely evaporated. Plus my legs were dead, and the right one was getting sore, esp. on the knee. With no one in sight behind me I lolligagged it the last 2 miles at 6 minute pace and literally jogged the last 200 meters, just getting it over with. Right knee tight and sore afterwards, calves and hammies stiffened up alarmingly soon after finishing. It'll take a while to recover from the cumulative effect of these last two races. I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things once the legs do finally come around.

Mile splits, good for a laugh at least:

5:34
5:37
5:38
5:35
5:21 covered a cheeky water-stop surge--let the racing begin
5:24 hanging with the leader as we pulled away from third
5:30
5:27
5:41 game over, unable to maintain the relatively modest pace
5:41 playing out the string from here on out
5:48 now into the wind, wishing it was already over
6:01
6:11 ugh

Sat 11/8 - AM 45 minutes easy, Area 51

Braved the hunting grounds in daylight, but not without the reflective vest. Felt surprisingly sluggish from the start, hopefully the pickup at the end of yesterday's run didn't put me under for tomorrow. Energy levels precluded doing any strides on the way in as well. Weather pattern continue to be stuck in mild and (threatening) rainy mode.

Fri 11/7 - PM 60 minutes, Longfellow loop

Roundabout route incl. Possum Lane and Thunder Road with a visit to McMansionville thrown in as well. The pace was moderate most of the way until the last 10-15 minutes when I picked it up, felt relaxed and under control the whole time. Continued mild and muggy conditions, no rain or wind this evening.

Thu 11/6 - PM 50 minutes, Levittown

Back to the familiar routes of winter with the first visit of the season to Levittown. Legs and energy levels back to where I was running at a more typical pace than the past three days of easy jogging. Despite this there was an unwelcome pinching in the right goosefoot, had to stop and apply cross-fiber friction on it to loosen it up. Did some cautiously run strides on the way in, not wanting to overdo it in any way shape or form at this point. Still mild despite the rains and ill NE wind spreading through the area overnight.

Wed 11/5 - PM 60 minutes easy, Longfellow loop

Another low-key mellow day, energy levels good but legs as always are the last thing to return to normal. Some tightness in hips compared to yesterday. Decided to take a pass on running the trails in the dark in favor of sure footing. Still muggy and warmer than normal.

Tue 11/4 - PM 65 minutes easy, Area 51

Clockwise for variety's sake, Patrol Road to Puffer Road. Legs still stiff but hammies less sore than yesterday, better than I expected them to feel what with DOMS looming. Came up on a hunter in the darkness as he was walking back to his truck empty-handed and spooked him pretty good, that was fun. Apparently he hasn't invested in a starlite scope or night vision goggles. Warmer today and muggy for this time of year.

Mon 11/3 - PM 75 minutes very easy, Area 51

About what I expected for today, i.e. both legs heavy and sore. Straight recovery run with minimal knee lift and puttering all the way as a result. Finished feeling less sore than when I started which was certainly gratifying. Whether or not I get my legs back in time for Sunday remains an open question, I'm hopeful but not overly optimistic on the matter. What I do know is that training the rest of the week will be decreased in intensity if not also in volume to give myself a chance. Warmer today, overcast and a bit muggy compared to yesterday.

Sun 11/2 - AM 90 minutes incl. half-marathon in 1:13:22

The cherry-picking tour hit a speed bump today, as the second annual edition of this race was far, far more competitive than the first. I figured it would be a stronger field but not as strong as it was, I knew standing on the line that I had zero chance at a money spot. Given all the investment in time and money I had already put into this event, I went through with it anyway hoping for some decent age-group merch (as it turned out, a shiny medal). The course rolled relentlessly with the exception of miles 10 and 11. Ran smoothly enough the first five gradually uphill miles, including the first 3.5 with the lead pack to get some protection from the wind which was more than a little pesky. Hit a rough patch on the downhill sixth mile where motivation flagged as the lead pack started racing in earnest and left me in no-man's land, but recouped focus from there on out. Kept clicking off 5:40 miles despite my legs feeling like they had no juice left in them. Splits as follows:

5:14 downhill, probably short
5:39
5:34
5:32
5:39
5:34 downhill
5:45 uphill
5:39
5:42 up then down
5:40
5:39
5:47 nasty hill that nearly put me under
5:21 downhill then flat

the overall time was exactly the same as Applefest a month ago. Nothing if not consistent. Hard to say if this course was any harder than that one, but the wind was more of a factor today. On the plus side, right leg held up fine and finished not even feeling that sore considering all the ups and downs on the course. How this effort affects next week's half-marathon remains to be seen, seven days to recover is obviously pushing it.

Sat 11/1 - PM 40 minutes

Tiger Drive to the outskirts of the Longfellow loop, with strides on the way in. Got a late start due to doing errands all day, including driving to Manchester to get my number for tomorrow. Right leg felt like crap during the drive back as the hammie is such that sitting for long periods causes it to stiffen up and twinge. Some direct pressure in the TFL area helped with this somewhat. I'm not positive it'll hold up to 13 miles of racing tomorrow, although the area loosened up well enough during this evening's run. Strides felt reasonably good and got in a thorough stretch afterwards. Chilly today but not so windy as earlier in the week.

Fri 10/31 - PM 75 minutes

Coolidge Corner to the Charles, west to Watertown and then back. Started easy but picked up the pace within the first 25 minutes, also threw in some surges in pace to break up the monotony of running along the river. Right hammie felt like garbage all day at work, which had me concerned. Loosened up during the run much better than expected, then proceeded to tighten up again afterwards despite getting in a good stretch. Much warmer today than the past two days.

Thu 10/30 - PM 45 minutes, Area 51

run length curtailed by execrable condo meeting responsibilities. Felt pretty decent, loosened up noticeably around 20 minutes. Right hammie and adductor both stiff at first but got better with time. Still chilly, but not as windy as yesterday. Timed the run just right to see the sunset reflected on the surface of the brook, sublime.

Wed 10/29 - PM 55 minutes, Longfellow Loop

Moving more quickly today than yesterday. Felt at times that I might be pushing it a bit too much but kept it under control on the whole. Mulled over doing a workout of some sort today but my right leg feels a bit vulnerable and feeling zonked from staying up late last night. On top of that, the weather made it a no-brainer with a baleful westerly wind gusting all day it seemed. It didn't slack off much with the sunset. Strides on the way in.

Tue 10/28 - PM 45 minutes, Fenway

Very relaxed short run in the Boston/Brookline area. Pace very easy to start but picked up noticeably the last 15 minutes. The shorter run and low intensity were just what I needed, felt very comfortable throughout. Much cooler today with the blustery winds and spitting showers.

Mon 10/27 - PM 70 minutes, Area 51

Today was closer to being the slog I expected yesterday's run to be, although things perked up a bit the last half hour. Tired and creaky at the beginning though, plus I've developed a mild strain in my right lower back, of course related to the right leg issues of late. And bad posture sitting at my desk at work. Right hammie remains strained as well, although not to the extent it has been recently. Warm again today for this time of year, clouds coming in as tomorrow won't be nearly as nice.

Sun 10/26 - PM 55 minutes, Area 51

In something of a funk much of the day, due mainly to my right thigh feeling like crap. Pinched TFL, sore adductor and hammie, etc etc. Got a late start after waiting to digest a late and too-large lunch. What with all this I was expecting the run to be a slog but it wasn't, leg loosened up within 15 minutes and I felt like I was moving along well although that might have been from running in the darkness. Ran some strides on the way in as well w/o any problem. Cool evening after a much warmer day than what we've been having lately.

Sat 10/25 - AM 60 minutes incl. Lincoln tempo in 26:00

A dog of a workout today, I had hoped a good night's sleep would clear up yesterday's sluggishness but it wasn't to be. I had ambitious plans of a double tempo initially, cut that back to a long tempo after the warmup, then cut that back to the single 4.6 mile loop after reaching the 3 mile mark. Mailed it in from there on out, the last mile was just dawdling. Splits as follows:

5:33 (2:44 to the mailbox, a bit quicker than I wanted)
5:42
5:41
3:26
5:40 (get it over with mode)

Hopefully the fatigue will pass with the upcoming taper, which I'm really looking forward to. Right hammie continues to be sore and functioning at less than 100%, and is a bigger concern. Breezy morning but nothing to slow me down that much.

Fri 10/24 - PM 80 minutes, Area 51

Clockwise direction again today around the refuge. Feeling flat and tired all the way, mustered up enough energy to do strides on the way in but they were decidedly lackluster. Right hammie/TFL continues to feel mildly strained. Cool but getting warmer compared to the last few days, breeze blowing from SW all day.

Thu 10/23 - PM 75 minutes Area 51

Track Road to Area 51 in the rapidly gathering darkness, as I got a late start today. Overall felt better than expected, although there was some stiffness in the right adductor early on. Yesterday's workout didn't take the toll I thought it would. Score one for discretion. The pace even picked up a bit the last 20 minutes without undue strain or effort. Clear, still and chilly conditions, radiational cooling in full effect.

Wed 10/22 - PM 80 minutes incl. 4x2k

Not a stellar effort but I was happy to get something done given how the right leg has been feeling, and the general flatness of late. Cold windy conditions not helpful either, had to bundle up compared to previous workouts this fall. Splits as follows, 200m jog between reps:

6:51
6:50.6
6:48.2 (first km 3:22, this hurt me later on)
6:52.7


Other than the too-fast start to #3, fell right into 82 pace and chugged along. I had planned on doing five but it became apparent during the fourth rep that I wouldn't be doing any more, started to fade in earnest during the last two laps. Stayed relaxed and smooth right to the end but definitely feeling fatigued. Right TFL area also starting to tighten up during the last rep. Stretched out the cooldown to 35 minutes as the warmup was on the brief side.

Tue 10/21 - PM 30 minutes

Decided today would be a lighter volume day, length of the run was further curtailed after I got started and found myself feeling quite flat. Conditions quite raw, temp actually a bit warmer than yesterday but with a chill breeze blowing and spitting showers.

Mon 10/20 - PM 80 minutes easy

Area 51 to Track Road, i.e. I bucked routine and went around the refuge in a clockwise direction today. A novel idea for someone as hidebound as I am. Easy effort was the only option as expected, legs stiff and right hammie feeling mildly strained after yesterday. Also very tired after a string of recent late bedtimes. Continued cool conditions, no wind like yesterday.

Sun 10/19 - double, 1:40 total incl. 5k in 16:30

AM - 60 minutes incl. 5k road race in Worcester. This race was won in 18:30 last year so I thought I could win the cash prize w/o overly exerting myself, didn't bother bringing flats or starting the watch as a result. It didn't matter in the end as the winner made a definitive move just before the mile mark (not that there were any mile markers) and left all of us in the dust. I ended up working harder than I would have liked to hold onto second, worth a pair of shoes, as consolation. Course was obnoxious, twice around a loop that included two short steep hills at the beginning of each loop. The wind was more annoying still, gusty blustery and just nasty all morning long. Cold morning to begin with, the wind chill wasn't welcome. The effort wasn't the best thing for the right hammie which felt stiff and sore on the cooldown.

PM - 40 minutes very easy, Area 51. Went back and forth all afternoon on doing this shakeout. Finally decided I needed to do something easy to loosen up the right leg and do some stretching after. Only half successful with the stretching. Continued cold but not as windy, took all day for the gusts to blow themselves out.

Sat 10/18 - double, 1:40 total

AM - 55 minutes easy, Area 51. Low key morning effort. Still somewhat tired. Right hammie not as sore as expected from Thursday's workout, but left leg is sore and tight from sacrum to tib anterior. Chilly but warming up by the end of the run.

PM - 45 minutes, Area 51. Moving better this time around, although legs still stiff. Able to do strides on the way in after a meandering start. Temp dropping as I went along.

Fri 10/17 - PM 75 minutes easy, Walden woods

Realized after 20 minutes that I would have been better off on flatter smoother terrain like GMNWR or Area 51. Legs somewhat sore, not as bad as expected after yesterday's workout but not really up for the rolling and leaf-covered ruts today. Also ran out of gas towards the end due to being quite tired after staying up late to watch the late-finishing ballgame. Better results than last Saturday night. The recent warm spell is definitively over, yesterday's humidity is gone. Sunny but cool all day, and once the sun set the temp dropped like a stone.

Thu 10/16 - PM 80 minutes incl. 3(8x200)

Got the workout in after all, despite not feeling at all confident that it would be successful or advisable. Right adductor feeling better during the warmup but hammie remains tweaked. Decided to treat the workout as glorified strides and pull the plug at the first sign of trouble. Also went with 200 meter recoveries instead of the too-short 100m from the failed attempt at this workout two weeks ago. First set was a drag, slow-ass numbers while running into a steadily increasing NW wind. Went with three sets instead of four given the slower numbers I was hitting no point in stretching out the session. Numbers got better after that, trend looks good but running with the wind at my back had a lot to do with it. Finally felt like I had gotten into some kind of groove by the third set. Splits as follows:

Set 1: 37.9, 37.3, 36.8, 37.0, 37.0, 36.5, 36.4, 36.3 intervals 54-57

Set 2: 36.6, 37.1, 36.6, 36.3, 36.3, 36.3, 36.1, 36.2 intervals 57-60

Set 3: 36.0, 35.9, 36.1, 36.0, 35.6, 35.3, 35.2, 35.7 intervals 58-62

Right leg hung in there well enough during the workout itself, started feeling some soreness in adductor and TFL during the cooldown. I'm sure it'll feel like garbage tomorrow. Still somewhat warm out, sopping humidity in fact, but the aforementioned wind started to scour out that airmass while I was running, it will be much cooler tomorrow.

Wed 10/15 - PM 60 minutes, Area 51

Still feeling sluggish, to the extent that getting out the door was a minor victory in itself. Eventually got moving at a somewhat decent clip but then faded the last 10-15 minutes. Put off the planned workout yet again, aforementioned sluggishness and also right adductor has been stuck for a few days now. Riding out a bit of a rough patch at the moment, so if this workout never happens I won't shed a tear. Recent warm spell still hanging in there, but overcast conditions made it cooler.

Tue 10/14 - PM 65 minutes, Area 51

Run today was a series of compromises. Decided before starting to put off a planned workout due to right hammie feeling pinched. Thought I'd go for 80-90 minutes but realized after 15 minutes that I needed to cut back on the length, feeling tired from the weekend (still). Took another 15 minutes after that before it occurred to me to relax and take it easy instead of forcing the pace. Despite all this, I was able to do strides on the way in. Gusty winds all afternoon.

Mon 10/13 - PM 95 minutes, Walden woods

Still feeling the effects of staying up late to watch that damn ball game Saturday night, major slugabed tendencies for the second morning in a row. Moving at a somewhat decent clip during most of the run but I could feel myself starting to wilt at the hour mark. Backed off a bit and made it through to the end in one piece. Route up and over Pine Hill and over to the horse paddock so some hilly rocky stretches to be sure. Right hammie still feeling a bit off but not as pronounced as yesterday. Another nice day, comfortable temp with a breeze.

Sun 10/12 - double, 1:40 total

AM - 60 minutes, Area 51. Relatively easy pace, although not as slow as I would have expected after yesterday's effort. I stayed up until the bitter end last night watching the baseball game, barely able to keep my eyes open by the end, and this made it supremely difficult to get up this morning.

PM - 40 minutes. Going no quicker than the morning's run, just not feeling it this evening. Wanted to do strides but the energy level wasn't there, plus right adductor is still feeling stuck. Tired all day today.

Sat 10/11 - 80 minutes incl. 2x4.5 miles

AM - another double tempo, hillier course than the last time. I thought I knew what I was getting into but the all-uphill second mile was steeper than expected. The mostly-downhill third mile was also steeper than I would have liked and fairly jarring. With some twinging in right hammie, I had to hold back a bit on the downhill sections as well. Feeling sluggish during the short 10 minute warmup, which carried over into the first mile of the first go-round. Break between loops was a bit over 15 minutes, again more than it ideally should due to the start being just a bit later than advertised. Mile splits as follows, first loop on the left:

6:04 - 5:24
6:25 - 6:11
5:48 - 5:32
5:46 - 5:31
2:20 - 2:38 (short on the first loop, stopped just over 100m from finish line)

In the race itself, I got sucked out a bit the first mile before the second mile devastated everyone. The only person who ran that mile under 6:00 was the race winner. I nearly caught up to the guy in second but had no motivation to push any further and settled into an appropriate rhythm the rest of the way. Overall I accomplished what I had hoped with the effort. Perfect weather today, a spectacular day to be outside. In lieu of a possible PM run I went on various short hikes during the afternoon.

Fri 10/10 - PM 70 minutes easy, Walden woods

I had designs on going a little quicker today than yesterday, but after 20 minutes or so settled into the familiar easy relaxed rhythm of the past few days instead. While not overly tired, didn't have the juice for strides on the way in either. Nice day, cooler less windy and drier than yesterday.

Thu 10/9 - PM 75 minutes easy, Area 51

Track Road to start, not moving quite as slowly as yesterday but still fairly stiff. Right adductor has been gummed up for a few days now, really since before the half-marathon last week, and it takes a good long while to loosen up. Did a few strides on the way in but they were nothing to write home about. Warm and as sticky as it gets for this time of year, with gusty winds blowing from the south all day.

Wed 10/8 - PM 95 minutes easy, Walden woods

Right back to puttering again, three of the last four days with a workout thrown in yesterday. Not especially sore but taking it easy still a no-brainer, from a fatigue and recovery standpoint. Pace gradually increased over the course of the run but never got that quick. Went a bit longer than planned, due to underestimating how long it would take to cover the route I chose which went around Mt. Misery and then over to Pine Hill. Sunny warm day, I caught the last waning rays and finished the run in gathering darkness. Feeling some nostalgia for the recently departed summer and its long lazy days. Even though the humidity then is awful. Autumn is much more pleasant in that regard but the shortening days give it a melancholy tinge.

Tue 10/7 - PM 95 minutes incl. 2(5x1000)

Building on previous long rep sessions, long being the operative word. I had worries that the legs wouldn't be ready for this after Saturday's race. Decided during the warmup that I would take it slower if necessary to deal with any lingering stiffness. Recovery was a 200m jog, just over a minute, with just over four minutes after the fifth one. Splits as follows:

3:23.7
3:26.9
3:23.6
3:23.5
3:21.8

3:21.5
3:19.9
3:22.7
3:19.2
3:19.4

Worried after the seventh one that I had bitten off more than I could chew, figured the last three reps would be tough enough as it is. Which they were, but still able to finish it off at 80 second pace. Overall the workout was an exercise in patience more than anything else. Thankfully, legs ended up not being as sore as I thought they would be. Cool still conditions, very favorable although borderline chilly by the end.

Mon 10/6 - PM 90 minutes easy, Area 51

Track Road to Sudbury Road, another day of slow puttering. DOMS in full effect from Saturday so there wasn't much choice in the matter. Quite relaxed of course. Cool overcast conditions all day. Planned workout for tomorrow, remains to be seen if the legs are sufficiently recovered for it or not.

Sun 10/5 - double, 1:50 total

AM - 45 minutes very easy, Area 51. Legs extremely stiff, somewhat expected but I didn't help myself with the abbreviated cooldown after yesterday's race. Puttering along this morning, minimal knee lift.

PM - 65 minutes easy/very easy, Area 51. Longer and slightly less stiff-legged version of the morning run. Boring to be going so slow but I didn't have much choice. Clammy overcast. Cool overcast conditions all day.

Sat 10/4 - 1:40 total incl. Applefest half in 1:13:22

A modest time given the generally favorable conditions--cool and breezy--but I was running ftw (as the kids say) and not for a PR. Given the lingering soreness in my legs and the mysterious tendinitis flareup in the left knee area yesterday, this seemed like the wise move. Also feeling less than spry on the warmup. Unlike last year though, I ran smart, holding a lot back the first half of the race as referenced in this recap. Also unlike last year, I had company for much of the way, as there were four others right there with me until 8 miles or so. I did more of the work up front than I would have liked the first 3 miles, gave up the lead soon after by slowing down and found myself back in the front by 10k or so. Nerve-wracking at times as the others seemed relaxed at the pace we were going the first half, to the point of people chatting with one another. I had visions early on of having to kick the last km with 2 or 3 of them, but stuck to the conservative race plan and saved myself for the hills later on.

Mile splits were as follows:

5:26
5:52
5:31
5:29
5:40 (forced others to lead here, this mile was painfully slow)
5:32
5:33
5:39
5:27
5:49 (biggest elevation gain)
5:37
5:32
5:37

I hit the split button at each mile but stopped looking after mile 6 and ran on feel alone after that, as it was about reacting to the others in the lead pack and winning the race. In that respect, I felt them sag on the smaller hills during the 8th and 9th miles. I made my move on the uphill 10th mile, more accurately I slowed down the least. Tried to deliver the deathblow in mile 11 and while second place was a little closer than I would have liked, the outcome was never in serious doubt after that. Some soreness started to develop in my legs around mile 8 or so, especially right TFL area, but in general felt much better than the way they had felt all week would have indicated. Given that the course profile looks like this I was surprised at how consistent the split numbers were particularly near the end. I was expecting a slow 13th mile given my struggles on the final hill and the fact I was running only fast enough not to be caught at that point, but it ended up being the average pace. In hindsight I certainly could have gone faster, definitely under 1:13, especially with the first 6 miles being so tactical. However, I wasn't running for time.

Fri 10/3 - PM 40 minutes, Area 51

Shakeout before tomorrow's race, I had planned on doing some strides but ended up giving it a pass. Left knee became inexplicably sore in the quad tendon/pa area during the day at work, seemingly from sitting in an awkward position but I have to think there's more to it than that. Didn't bother me while running but will bear watching.

THu 10/2 - PM 60 minutes, Area 51

Finally, the flat tired feeling from this past weekend appears to be on the way out. Right leg coming around as well although still feeling like the adductor area suffered a strain at some point. Able to do strides on the way in regardless. Gusty winds finally swept out the rainy muggy conditions that have dominated the past week.

Wed 10/1 - PM 80 minutes easy, Walden woods

A slog due to both legs feeling like garbage, but esp. the right one. Hip somewhat inflamed, adductor feels strained, hammie twinging, ugh. I'm fingering Sunday's run for much of this lingering soreness. As for today, pace was quite relaxed as it needed to be but I should have opted for a route with flatter terrain rather than the rolling trails and uneven footing of the woods. Slippery to boot with mud puddles left over from the last six days of rainy weather. I thought this pattern had broke as there was some sun during the afternoon, then on the drive home it rained again.

Tue 9/30 - PM 60 minutes incl. 6x200

Feeling tired and stiff-legged, as a result planned workout of 4(6x200) got chopped. The first rep was the only one under 36, and the 100m recoveries only served to accentuate how flat I was feeling. I might have been capable of pulling this session off tomorrow but today was still too close to the weekend. Not overly concerned as Saturday remains the focus.

Mon 9/29 - PM 65 minutes easy, Area 51

In need of a low-key day after the previous three. Took it very easy at the start, moving a little better after 20 minutes but after a stop at 35 or so the sluggishness returned for the rest of the way. Legs stiff but less than what I was expecting after yesterday's roller coaster. The rain has left but not the overcast, cool and muggy.

Sun 9/28 - AM 1:45 in Northfield/Winchester

Exhausting run as I started on the ridge, decided to follow a well-marked and vaguely familiar trail, and found myself making the hideous climb up to the top of Notch Mountain, breaking the promise I'd made to myself never to run it again after the last time I did it. From there I was obligated to run along the power lines to Birch Point, falling in a waist-deep puddle in the process. Legs destroyed from all the up and down by the time I made it back down to the base of Louisiana Rd. The final part of the run ended up being just under 30 minutes, Mine Road to Staddle Hill. Able to pick it up somewhat the last 15 minutes, but I had to take a pass on the bigger climbs in Winchester. Somewhat tired from the start due to the cicada that kept me awake much of the night with its shrill relentless call. Rain finally wrapping up after nearly two days straight, leaving behind enormous puddles on the trails and lingering humidity.

Sat 9/27 - AM 80+ minutes incl. 2x4.5 miles

My original plan was to do the double tempo in Lincoln then head to Western Mass., but then I saw there was a hilly 4.5m race that was on the way. Got there and realized that this out and back course was tougher than expected and likely tougher than the Lincoln course. the first 1.5 miles were almost all uphill, then rolling up some more before heading back down to the finish. Splits as follows, first loop on the left, second go-round (i.e. the race) on the right:

6:19 - 5:35
5:53 - 5:14 (short)
6:15 - 5:55 (long)
5:36 - 5:12
2:57 - 2:33

27:00 - 24:29

I was planning on doing 5:45-50 pace for the first loop, tempered those expectations a bit after seeing the course. Then I saw the mile split and couldn't believe how slow the time was. Truly the time didn't match the effort, at all. Assumed a poorly-measured course and soldiered on, not that the numbers improved much. Got it over with and waited 15 minutes for the race to start, I was hoping for a break closer to 10 but didn't want to get caught to close to start time in case they did actually start on time, which of course they didn't. Felt much less sluggish the second time around, managed 30 sec/mile faster without killing myself completely which was the point of the exercise. Had some sore spots esp. right hammie after yesterday's run, as expected. It seemed the first loop, slog that it was, helped loosen things up considerably. Continued rain today, not as torrential as it was yesterday but no less annoying as it started right up in mid-morning after taking the overnight hours off.

Fri 9/26 - PM 95 minutes, Walden woods

Ran during the all-day gullywasher, spigot was turned on mid-morning and didn't let up after that. Felt much better than yesterday and moving more quickly as a result. Did strides on the way in which is not always a given with a run of this duration. After a large late lunch, I waited as long as possible before getting started but it still wasn't time enough to fully digest the meal, a mild annoyance. Temps not a whole lot different from what they've been of late but of course the humidity at 100%, this made for a warmer feel. I was sorely tempted to go in the pond near the end, stood in waist-deep for a few moments and the water felt quite balmy, but the light was fading fast by that point.

Thu 9/25 - PM 70 minutes, Area 51

Right hammie felt off all day at work, weak and sore from yesterday, so the planned run in the hillier terrain of Walden woods was scrapped for the flatter Track Rd. and Area 51 which are more forgiving. Moving pretty well all things considered, not the crawl that Monday's run was but still the stiff sore legs kept a damper on things. Last in the string of cool clear days as the conditions are about to turn abysmal. This will likely ruin my plans for the weekend, alas.

Wed 9/24 - 80 minutes incl. 3x3k

Longest rep session so far. I had secret aspirations of doing 4 reps instead of 3 but I wasn't feeling up to it after feeling a bit creaky and tired during the warmup, so fell back to the original 3. Fell into the groove right away nonetheless. Recovery between reps was a 400m jog, i.e. 2 minutes.

10:05.9
10:04.8
9:53.7

The second rep started a second or two slower than the first one, picked it up a tiny bit and that was enough to get back on track. Rubbery legs towards the end of the final rep as I did it too fast quite frankly, caught up in last rep heroics. In hindsight I might have been able to pull off 4 reps if I'd done them a few seconds slower given how much quicker the last one went. Similar to last week, conditions were very favorable, cool and dry with barely a hint of breeze.

Tue 9/23 - PM 70 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Feeling better today than yesterday, as expected. Back in the pond for the first time in what seems like a long while although it's actually been just over a week. Sunny but cool all day, water felt cooler as well. Strides on the way in.

Mon 9/22 - PM 95 minutes easy/very easy

Much of today's run was in Acton, Pratt's Brook to Great Hill over to Mt. Hope in roundabout fashion. There was also a lengthy stop in the middle of the run at 10 Spencer. I started with the plan of doing a long run in the neighborhood of 2 hours but realized after about 35 minutes that unlike last Monday, the energy levels weren't there for it. Gave up on any pretense of progressing the pace at this point and took it easy the rest of the way. Felt a bit better after the break but still not moving much beyond a jog at any point. Some soreness in right hammie. Gloomy overcast and clammy most of the day, skies cleared just as I got started but by the end it was downright chilly.

Sun 9/21 - AM 90 minutes incl. 10k road race in 33:19

One race too many for this month, but I couldn't resist another chance to run in Gloucester. Warmup was a little shorter than I would have liked, first mile felt great and well within myself but by about 2.5 I realized I had bitten off more than I could chew. Dropped from the lead pack soon after and spent the rest of the way in no-man's land. Course was reasonable, no hills to speak of just a lot of small rollers. The last two miles seemed larger than they actually were. Not sure about the accuracy of the 3 and 4 mile splits:

5:10
5:18
5:08 (short)
5:32 (long)
5:24
5:34

Those last two miles were accurate IMO and they show that I was in get-it-over-with mode. Cool morning, but sunny and warming up as the morning went along, with a sea breeze but no big deal. Cooldown was as long as the warmup was short, 40+ minutes into Rockport. Mildly disappointing result but again, it was one race too many for the month. The swag and splashing around in the waves on Good Harbor beach afterwards made up for it anyway.

Sat 9/20 - PM 55 minutes, Area 51

Moving pretty well throughout today's run, finished it off with strides on the way in. Some mild soreness in calves and right hammie, left ankle was a lot less stiff at the outset than it had been the past two days. Earlier in the week I had planned on doing a double today but feeling very tired last night plus a flurry of errands changed that. Quite cool in the morning, sun eventually warmed things up but it took a while. Dry as a bone.

Fri 9/19 - PM 95 minutes, Walden woods

Moving fairly well for much of the run today, esp. the last 15 minutes. Today was the day to go longish. Left ankle very stiff again to start like yesterday but after a few minutes it had loosened up completely. Quite cool all day, as a boreal air mass settled in over the region. As such it was sunny all day but the temp never got over 60 degrees. Felt more like mid-October.

Thu 9/18 - PM 75 minutes, Area 51

Track Road to Area 51. Another day of ideal conditions, dry crisp air with a cool edge to it. Great day to be outside. When the weather's this nice it gets mentioned first. Expected to be stiff and sore from all the laps yesterday, left ankle was definitely creaky for the first 5-10 minutes but after that things smoothed out considerably. Pace ended up getting down to a much faster level than I would have expected for the day after a workout. Again, the conditions could have had something to do with it.

Wed 9/17 - PM 75 minutes incl. 2(8x300)

Second shorter repeat session since the resumption of workouts, with the benefit of ideal conditions for this or any other time of year. Took a while for legs to loosen up (de-stiffen) on the warmup. Recovery between reps a 200 jog with 4:30 between sets. Splits as follows, set 1 on the left, set 2 on the right:

55.2 - 53.9
55.1 - 53.5
53.6 - 53.1
53.3 - 53.3
53.5 - 53.3
53.3 - 53.4
53.5 - 53.3
53.4 - 52.5

I went in to the workout with 54 as a vaguely defined average time goal. The first two were basically an extension of the warmup in that the effort felt no different on subsequent reps in the first set and they were all over a second faster. The numbers show that I settled on a sustainable rhythm by the middle of the first set. Stayed consistent the rest of the way through. Tried to run a controlled first 100m on each rep so there was something left in the tank both later in the rep and the workout as a whole. Mild heroics on the final rep to dip under 53. Nothing earth-shattering about any of these numbers, but it was good turnover work nonetheless. The recoveries ranged from 54-59 seconds and were 2-3 seconds faster on average in the first set.

Tue 9/16 - PM 60 minutes, Area 51

The run today started off quite slowly, legs leaden and stiff. Feeling better eventually but it took a while. The plan was to do strides on the way in and the way the first 15 minutes went I didn't think it would go off, but in the end I was able to get them done. Cool day and overcast, still feeling resentful that this wasn't the kind of weather around on Sunday.

Mon 9/16 - PM 1:55 plus 20 minutes in Walden

Gentle and relaxed run today, pace was very easy at first and took 20+ minutes to get moving to anything faster. The big wrinkle with today's run was that the stop at the pond happened in the middle of the run (just after an hour) rather than near the end like usual. Splitting the run like this definitely changed the way the back half felt, less fatigue in the legs and resultant stumbling on uneven trail surfaces. Pleasant, sunny, breezy late summer's day, makes yesterday's steambath all the more galling.

Sun 9/14 - AM 70 minutes incl. Josh Billings 6m run leg

33:02 with mile splits as follows:

5:19
5:29
5:25
5:47
5:21
5:41

one of the more oppressively humid days I've ever had to deal with. As if it needs to be any harder with this course. Not that hot after raining most of the night, which had me deluded into thinking that I could actually run a decent time this year. Those hopes went by the boards when I felt myself starting to overheat during the third mile while only matching the splits from last year's mediocre effort. In fact this year's effort was superior despite the slower time, said difference in time being totally from the last mile. Ran the last 3 miles on fumes, both literally and figuratively thanks to the diesel-spewing lead truck that was driving too close. Drove myself past the point of exhaustion as I was in mortal fear of being caught by Pat Moulton, as noted here. As it turns out I had an 11 minute head start on him so no need to worry but hindsight was no comfort at the time when I was flogging myself. Finally realized it was in the bag after five miles, at which point I lost all motivation to continue pressing. Felt like stopping and taking a nap during the uphill sixth mile. Finished drenched with sweat and convinced that I had run like crap but in looking at the other runners' times the conditions made it brutal for everyone. 10 minute soak in the pond post-race was the best part of the day as it brought my core temp back down.

Sat 9/13 - AM 60 minutes, Northfield/Winchester

On my way to Berkshire county, stopped for a run on Birnam/Winchester/Staddle Hill roads. Felt somewhat sluggish mainly due to legs which felt awkward, kind of sore, clunky for lack of a better term. The logistical difficulties of post-run stretching are having their effect in this regard. Not nearly as tired as yesterday's run after a decent night's sleep. Warm and fairly humid morning but decent conditions anyway.

Fri 9/12 - PM 45 minutes, Area 51

Spent the afternoon running errands and found myself less and less energetic the later it got. This held true for the run as well as I ran out of gas despite the short duration. Ran some short strides towards the end which is what really put me in the hole. Outside of left ankle stiff and sore the first 10 minutes or so. Showers throughout the run, overcast and mild all day.

Thu 9/11 - PM 80 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Spent the first half of the run going relatively slowly then the pace picked up from there on out. Hills of any length or pitch were a drag early on, but once I got moving a lot less so. Left ankle and right knee (medial) sore from all the laps yesterday, comes as no surprise. Right foot sore at the base of the third and fourth toes, related to the mysterious foot bump that recently showed up on my instep. Not debilitating, but the area definitely felt scrunched up and tender to every bump underfoot. Cool day like yesterday but sunny, with mild breezes.

Wed 9/10 - PM 80 minutes incl. 4x2k

Found immediately on starting the warmup that there were plenty of kinks left in my legs from Monday's run. Extended the warmup a few extra minutes as a result and kept the pace a bit slower the first km of the first rep. Splits as follows:

6:51.7
6:50.4
6:47
6:41.5

nothing spectacular but it was the effort I was looking for. Under control throughout, the pace dropped the last two reps without any conscious effort to do so except for the final km of the last rep. I had planned on taking a 400m jog between reps but I realized after the first one that I was sufficiently recovered to go again after 200 (i.e. 60 seconds), which is what it was the rest of the way. This worked out well enough for four reps. Had there been a fifth rep as I'm planning for future iterations of this session longer recoveries throughout likely would have been necessary. Cooldown was an easy 20 minutes. Autumnal conditions today in the best possible way, cool and dry with very little breeze, close to perfect for running.

Tue 9/9 - off

After a long day at work punctuated by a visit to the dentist, I got home feeling too tired to do anything. Strides will have to wait for another day, it's been a while for them.

Mon 9/8 - PM 1:45 total plus 12 minutes in Walden

Feeling somewhat better and less flat today, this being the case I aimed to make up for the long(ish) run I missed over the weekend. Rhythm gradually increased over the course of the run, moving fairly well the last 30 minutes. Mixed in some sections on pavement to take a break from the uneven trail surfaces, slipping and stumbling enough as it is in the latter stages as overall fatigue increased. Not originally planning to jump in the water, but it was quite satisfying to do so as it was definitely warm out.

Sun 9/7 - double, 85 minutes total incl. 3.5m road race plus 20 minutes in Walden

PM - Maynard road race, 3.6 miles or so in 18:29. About 30 seconds slower than last year which is about what I expected to be honest. Resting AM pulse still elevated, flatness persists with low energy levels. Plus it was a little warmer than last year, although thankfully the humidity broke overnight after the torrential rains passed through. Alas, my unbeaten streak at this event ended the moment the fastest runner in Maynard (i.e. Jarrod Shoemaker) decided to show up. Without even wanting to, I got sucked out the first mile and hit it in 5:00 which I knew was too fast. Next two miles were 5:06 and 5:18, spent the second half of the race only going hard enough to keep from being caught by the guy in third.

later PM - 25 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden. After running the race in the midday sun I felt the compulsion to get in the pond and it felt pretty damn good to do so. Still warm outside into the early evening hours.

Sat 9/6 - PM 45 minutes, GMNWR

Planned long run cut short, a lot short, due to underlying fatigue. Resting pulse has been elevated at least since Thursday evening. In hindsight I should have backed off one at least one of the days earlier in the week after the toothache-related sleep difficulties two nights in a row. As it was took forever to get going today and once I finally did start, energy levels were negligible. A no-brainer to end things, hope to make up the long run soon. We'll see, need to feel like myself again first. Not helping things today was the atrocious humidity, dewpoint well into the 70s such that when the inevitable rain showers arrived halfway through the run they didn't cool me off.

Fri 9/5 - PM 75 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Today I had planned on shortening the length of the run as a bit of a breather, as it turned out it wasn't much shorter in terms of time but the pace was very gentle. Legs not feeling any better or worse than yesterday, but very tired overall and feeling it all day at work as well. Not quite as warm as yesterday, SW breeze all day and clouds blotting out the infernal sun for much of the time I was out there which was welcome respite, as was the pond.

Thu 9/4 - PM 70 minutes incl. 5.6m Lincoln tempo

Atrocious heat and humidity typical of early August rather than early September made this a complete slog. Plus I did it at possibly the worst time of the day to boot. There was no point in putting it off until tomorrow as the forecast isn't much better. Loop was the first 3.6 of the tempo and then the last two miles on Conant, heading downhill this time.

5:47
5:51
5:47
3:24
11:45 for the final 2 miles or so on Conant

with the conditions being worse than the last time I ran this course a few weeks ago I knew the splits would likely be slower. Originally planned on doing the 6.6 miles again, but decided after about 5 miles to cut things short and not bother with the last mile, it would have been a struggle to break 6 minutes. Really, really could have used a dip in the pond on the cooldown. Legs heavy, overall feeling tired which is no surprise given recent struggles with toothache. Foot bump hasn't gone anywhere or gotten any worse.

Wed 9/3 - PM 85 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

moving better today although still feeling tired after another night of being afflicted by toothache woes. Did strides on the way in, shorter and quicker than usual, felt better doing them this way. More relaxed to be sure. The foot bump maybe a bit more sore than yesterday, hard to tell really. The new shoes may or may not have something to do with it, more likely the steep descents during Saturday's run in said shoes. Very much in the watchful waiting phase. Right calf very tight, not sure how much stems from the track workout Monday and how much from favoring the foot with the bump on it. Warmer today than yesterday as the overcast cleared out.

Tue 9/2 - PM 80 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Taking it slow today, maybe a notch above active recovery pace. Slept poorly thanks to continued tooth pain, didn't bother me Sunday night but back with a vengeance last night. Miserable, and left me dragging by the time afternoon rolled around. Also preoccupied by the bump on my right instep, hoping it won't amount to anything serious. No real pain as yet, some soreness mainly from pressure of shoelaces. Whistling past the graveyard at the moment. Overcast conditions made for cooler temps, kind of sticky but not terribly so.

Mon 9/1 - PM 85 minutes incl. 5(400-300-200-100)

First "leg prep" session, got a bit tiring the last two sets but overall under control and relatively comfortable. Tried to think of the reps as glorified strides, leaving something in the tank while getting some turnover. Recovery was 200 jog (i.e. 60 sec) after each 400 and 300, 100 jog (30 sec) after each 200, and 500 jog (2:30) between sets. Splits as follows:

73.3/54.7/35.3/17.5
73.8/54.1/35.5/17.7
72.6/54.1/35.2/18.0
73.2/53.5/35.6/17.6
72.8/53.5/35.2/17.6

found the appropriate rhythm early and kept it going the rest of the way. Thankfully no stomach issues like last week's session on the track. Warm sunny day, low humidity, some breeze but not overwhelming. The dip in the pond during the cooldown was nothing less than sublime. The only downer on the day was the discovery of an ominous bump on my instep after getting home and taking off the shoes for the evening. No idea how or when it got there, will bear close watching and I started obsessing over the spot immediately upon noticing it.

Sun 8/31 - double, 95 minutes total plus 20 minutes in Walden

AM - 50 minutes very easy to easy on Pine Meadow road in Northfield. Out and back on the flattest road I could find in the area. While I wouldn't want to run in this spot on a windy winter day or in the late afternoon in summer as it's completely exposed, at this of year in the morning it was quite pleasant.

PM - 45 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden. More strides on the CCHS driveway slope as well. Kept it very relaxed including the strides. Tired from the drive back home in the afternoon. Legs feeling decent given the loop I ran yesterday.

Sat 8/30 - PM 1:40, Winchester TV tower

One more crack at the hilly back roads of Winchester before summer ends. Instead of futzing around Northfield at the start I did the first couple of miles on the flats of rt. 63 and So. Parrish road. Then up South Schofield Mtn, shorter climb from this direction than I remembered, the descent to Ashuelot was fairly brutal with the extremely steep downhill stretches. Then up and over Burt Hill, legs getting rubbery but still smooth. Started moving a bit quicker on the flatter parts of Staddle Hill road and the final climb up Bolton road went as well as I could hope. Not that hot out but very humid, drenched for most of the run. Tooth woes returned yet again last night, it's looking like one of the wisdom teeth slated for removal may be abscessing. Made for a difficult night sleep-wise, and the advil party starts up, again.

Fri 8/29 - PM 95 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Took it very easy from the start today, active recovery was definitely on the schedule given yesterday's effort and the resultant late bedtime. Ran around Farrar Pond, I thought early on that I was going too slow to do that particular loop but in the end it was within 10 minutes or so of what I would run if I were feeling more spry. No pounding to speak of as the pace was so slow from barely lifting my legs. Some achy spots in my legs which I was expecting. Somewhat humid but not very hot. I'd be remiss if I didn't note that toads were all over the trails, heard them scurrying about when I didn't see them. Something I don't remember from this time of year in the past.

Thu 8/28 - PM 60 minutes incl. 5k in 15:41

Squeezed in another road race for the express purpose of winning either $ or shoes, as it turns out it was the former. The quaint seaside location was also a draw. The quotes in this recap hint at the rollercoaster nature of this course, nothing incredibly steep but a lot of up and down, including a bombs away downhill start that allowed the requisite 9 year old kids on the front of the line to keep up longer than usual. Felt fairly lousy on the warmup, with legs somewhat sore. Found myself leading right away, not by choice really but the pace needed to be at a certain level to get rid of all pretenders. This left one guy who gave me a steady stream of positive feedback and encouragement. This was quite unnerving as I had no idea who he was and I had the distinct impression he was sitting on me and waiting for the right moment to leave me in the dust. Got to the final uphill stretch before the 3 mile mark and knew I had to make my move there, as I had stretched him out on every uphill on the course prior to that. This turned out to be enough to secure the win. Mile splits of 4:57, 5:06, and 5:07 or so. Cooldown was a very easy 20 minutes. Excellent conditions again, warm dry with a cooling breeze off the water.

Wed 8/27 - PM 65 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Flat and tired from the get-go today, cut back on the length of the run as a result. I was able to do 8 strides on the slope of the CCHS driveway, but they were very much controlled efforts, and relatively short as well. Actually felt better doing the strides than during most of the run that preceded them. Right leg not bothering me today like it was yesterday, but left popliteal area was sore, feels like I strained it. Another excellent day to be outside.

Tue 8/26 - PM 95 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Probably should have run easier today, tired and legs more sore than I would have hoped from yesterday. Right hip and hammie tweaked, felt it right at the start in the TFL area, loosened up after that but still bugging me off and on during the run and afterwards. Moving gingerly as a result on downhill stretches. All this left me in a cranky mood despite the fantastic conditions, sunny warm and dry. Exhausted by dinnertime.

Mon 8/25 - PM 80 minutes incl. 2(4x1000)

First repetition workout in a while, emphasis will be on threshold pace with short recoveries. 20+ minute warmup segueing directly into the first rep, which was on the pokey side as a result. Not that the rest of them were much faster:

3:26
3:24.6
3:24.5
3:24.6

5R

3:24.5
3:24.6
3:22.1
3:16.1

the recoveries between each rep were all a 200 jog in just under a minute. Under control and smooth if not especially energetic. Still heavy-legged like yesterday, and some stomach issues cropped up during the sixth rep as well. Picked it up just a bit on the penultimate rep w/o meaning to, then picked it up some more the last one quite on purpose. Stickier conditions today than the past few days, with a persistent breeze as well. All told the effort was what I was looking for, solid if not spectacular.

Sun 8/24 - double, 85 minutes total plus 20 minutes in Walden

AM - 35 minutes very easy shakeout. Somewhat stiff-legged from yesterday's longer effort, so just puttering. Legs a bit clunky.

PM - 50 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden. Took almost half an hour to feel smooth and get the pace moving, once again legs feeling heavy at the outset like in the morning. Warm enough that the dip in the pond was welcome relief. The onset of twilight is now early enough that it coincides with my usual stretching time post-run, rendered impossible with the mosquitoes. A bummer for sure, I have to wait until getting home to do it which is a hassle.

Sat 8/23 - PM 1:50, GMNWR and Walden woods

A relaxed long run, starting out on the flats of GMNWR for the first 45 minutes was definitely the way to go as it made for an easier start and I was able to take a break for fluids as well before heading into the woods for the last hour. Pace was gentle at first, took a while to get going but eventually moving fairly well and felt smooth throughout. Warm today again, still dry as well. Waited until fairly late in the afternoon/early evening to start to avoid the sun somewhat. No time for aquajogging but I did take a quick dip in the pond on the way in of course.

Fri 8/22 - PM 70 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

A low-key effort today after yesterday's workout. Started at an easy pace and it remained that way for at least 45 minutes of the run. Legs not as dead as yesterday but definitely sore. The week-long advil party due to dental work draws to a close today as well, which may leave legs feeling more fried than usual the next few days. On the hot side today, still dry though. I shared the pond with many many tourists, as crowded as it's been this summer.

Thu 8/21 - PM 75 minutes incl. 38 minute tempo run

First timed workout in months, it turned out to be a slog. Ran the Lincoln tempo with the first two miles of the Conant Road add on tacked on at the end. Looking to run in the neighborhood of 5:40-45 pace, splits as follows:

5:45 (even split)
5:55
5:39
3:20
5:28 (2:50/2:38)
11:50 for the add-on.

As the numbers indicate, terrain had a drastic effect on the pace, uphill miles were slow miles. Took my frustrations out on the third mile following the dog of a second mile, after promising myself to hold back on any aggressive moves until the last two miles. Speaking of which those last couple miles were a chore, esp. the sixth mile which seemed to go gradually up forever. Next time I do this particular loop I'm doing the last 3 miles in the opposite direction to see if it makes a difference. In hindsight, a flatter course would have been more appropriate. Not overly distraught however, as I did end up running within the desired pace range anyway. Barely. Having run the 4.6 loop so many times as a glorified time trial it's tough to adjust to actually doing it at actual tempo pace, which that add-on forces one to do. In addition, as light and smooth as my legs felt yesterday, they felt dead and clunky today from the get-go. The rolling course wasn't kind to them in this state. Warm conditions but not oppressive, dry for this time of year.

Wed 8/20 - PM 80 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Feeling extremely relaxed and unpressed through much of the run today. The same unhurried sensation as an active recovery run done at a crawl, but the pace wasn't that slow. Near-perfect conditions contributed to this as it was dry and relatively cool for this time of year. Strides on the way in that felt smooth as expected.

Tue 8/19 - double, 1:30 total plus 20 minutes in Walden

AM - 40 minutes easy. Another in the unending string of dentist appts. afforded the chance to get in a morning run without waking at the crack of dawn. Relaxed shakeout.

PM - 50 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden. Over Pine Hill and then back across 126 to the pond in short order. Moving more quickly for this run than the morning, esp. the last 10 minutes where the pace picked up significantly. After a somewhat humid morning, things dried out noticeably in the afternoon and there was a definite cool feel to the air.

Mon 8/18 - PM 75 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Relaxed effort today, although left thigh is feeling sore in the way I expected it would days ago right after bruising it. Pace a bit quicker than expected after yesterday's effort, but never felt uncomfortable. Conditions much more summer-like than they have been lately, sunny hot and humid.

Sun 8/17 - AM 1:45 boat ramp to TV tower

Successfully completed this loop which I had tried last month but had to cut short due to time constraints and building heat that day. Got an earlier start this morning, plus it was slightly cooler and drier thankfully. Still some concern that I would be able to finish the thing without stopping to walk on the final climb to the tower after legs got very rubbery coming down off the second climb on Schofield Mtn. Road. Kept the stride short and the focus narrow and it got done which was gratifying. Overall the weekend's various climbs went well and the training was worthwhile.

Sat 8/16 - double, 1:35 total

AM - 30 minutes barefoot on the grass in Deerfield. Dead flat which was just as I wanted it. Some areas were a little bumpier than I would have liked but overall a smooth soft surface underfoot. Got a late start due to great difficulty falling asleep thanks to toothache from yesterday's procedure. Hurt worse than I thought it would and required more advil than I wanted to be taking.

PM - 65 minutes, starting from the library up to Birch Point and along the power lines to School Street. Somewhat tired, took a while to get going but once again moving pretty well on the sustained climbs. Some slippery spots, all the rain has left the remote trails in steep areas in messy condition. Somewhat frustrated by this fact on the long descent towards School street, once I did get to firm footing the pace dropped substantially until the end.

Fri 8/15 - double, 90 minutes total

AM - 30 minutes easy. Expecting some major stiffness in the bruise area but there wasn't. Copious amounts of advil I've been taking for repeated dentist visits probably have something to do with it. Third visit in three days later today.

PM - 60 minutes including climb up Old Wendell Road in Northfield. Started from library, from there on to Birnam, School St., Warwick Road and St. Mary's before getting to the climb at about 35 minutes. The remaining time was mostly uphill, including a 15 minute stretch of uninterrupted climbing. Footing was dodgy, the "road" bed was a stream for long stretches, but still kept a good rhythm going. Finished strong, feeling pretty damn good in fact. I figured Wednesday's charlie horse might sabotage this run but it wasn't a problem. Again, the painkillers likely have something to do with it. Who knows what it would have been like without them.

Thu 8/14 - PM 90 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

The bruise from yesterday's collision with a pole necessitated a start on the flats of GMNWR, although I probably would have run a similar loop even w/o it being a concern. Moving gingerly and with little range of motion at first, gentle pace got a bit quicker over time but not by much. As expected, the extra stress of running up or down hills puts a bit more stress on it. The run was quite relaxed and doing active recovery today is likely a good thing anyway. Cooler and stickier than yesterday, but still not a bad day to be out.

Wed 8/13 - PM 45 minutes

Rockland Ave to White Pond Road. Starting to pick up steam and feeling pretty good at about 35 minutes in when I sustained possibly the stupidest injury ever by running into a 3 ft. tall metal pole on the side of Track Road. One of many enormous puddles on the road forced me to go wide around the pole but I didn't go wide enough. Left thigh came forward and hit it dead on, spinning me around and nearly knocking me on my ass. Immediately hurt like a bastard, bruised skin as well followed quickly by swelling. This is the type of bruise that will be four or five different shades of blue and purple in a few days. I was on my way to the track for some untimed 200s when this happened, shuffled home instead and put ice on it. Hopefully range of motion won't be too compromised as a result. Training plans for the upcoming weekend will likely be impacted. Conditions today were perfect for being outside, warm, sunny with no wind whatsoever.

Tue 8/12 - PM 80 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Clockwise loop around Farrar Pond. Felt reasonably good other than the right hammie which became sore after the hour mark, to the point where range of motion was restricted. Continued soreness in quad tendon as well. Despite the leg issues, no problem doing strides on the way in that felt smooth. Unable to muster any motivation to do workouts at this point in the summer, although I've been meaning to get back on the horse. Mix of clouds and sun, thunder rumbling in the near distance but no real storms overhead thankfully. Warmer than yesterday.

Mon 8/11 - PM 90 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Moving better today for the most part, under continued gloomy skies. I'm starting to know what Mary Shelley felt like on Lake Geneva in 1816. Like yesterday's PM run, hit a rough patch right around an hour, but kept on through it, not that I had any choice as I was 4 miles from the car at that point. Right quad tendon continues to be sore just above the knee, will bear watching. Tooth pain reached a new level overnight, it's become quite clear another root canal is in the offing and in fact is already scheduled for Wednesday. A relief quite frankly.

Sun 8/10 - double, 1:45 total

AM - 35 minutes easy. Morning shakeout, legs sore from yesterday's effort. Some pain in right pes ansurinus area, worked on the VMO some after the run, hopefully that will help relieve the tension. Didn't sleep especially well last night, went off the advil and the toothache came right back as expected.

PM - 70 minutes, Walden woods. Had planned on going longer, also planned on a dip in the pond, both of these ideas went for naught as the weather deteriorated rapidly. Finished up the run with thunder booming too close for comfort, and subsequently stuck in one of the most biblically ferocious t-storms ever experienced on the drive home. Sat in my car 45 minutes waiting for the rain to let up, the longest duration I can remember for a storm that intense. Encountered some rain during the run itself but nothing like that, I would have drowned.

Sat 8/9 - double, 1:45 total incl. 5m road race in 27:20 plus 20 minutes in Walden

AM - Sandown road race, 27:20 on this course (although the link shows the start and finish line in the same spot which they're not, accounts for the extra distance). Relatively comfortable effort, no competition unlike last year when Craig Fram dismantled me and set the still-standing course record. As such, motivation petered out somewhat around 3.5 miles, not coincidentally in the midst of the all uphill (it seemed) 4th mile. I had forgotten how tough the 4th mile was. The course is proudly billed as the "toughest 5 miler in New England" and having 13 hills. Most of these are just rollers but the fourth mile is no joke. Perfectly content to let things slide by then, there was no one in sight. Splits of 5:12, 5:24, 5:25, 5:58, and 5:21. Surprised the last mile went even that fast, legs were rubbery and I was in get it over with mode. Continued cool conditions, although of course still humid as well. Very easy warmup and cooldown on the nearby rail trail.

PM - 45 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden. As expected, feeling stiff-legged from the morning, puttered around the woods long enough to get sweaty before jumping in the pond. Right hammie a bit stuck.

Fri 8/8 - 45 minutes incl. 5x200

Feeling better today than yesterday's slog double, cut back on the volume nonetheless. Had to wait in getting started while the daily round of severe t-storms passed through. 200s were untimed, and felt pretty good.

Thu 8/7 - double, 1:35 total, all of it easy/very easy

AM - 35 minutes very easy/easy. The bubble burst today regarding energy levels after a second night of struggling with the godforsaken sore jaw. Feeling listless from the get-go, same length of time as Tuesday's morning run but I covered substantially less distance.

PM - 60 minutes easy, rail bed to Mt. Hope. A loop that usually takes something under an hour to complete, stopped after an hour today and walked it in the last 4-500 meters. Still flat and feeling the blahs. Will be taking advil tonight in order to get to sleep. No energy for strides, hopefully this will change for tomorrow.

Wed 8/6 - PM 80 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Unable to get out the door for a morning run after a difficult night dealing with yet another reappearance of soreness in the right jaw. How this keeps happening is beyond me but when it does it's nothing less than ruinous to my well-being. After a long afternoon nap, the run went relatively quickly given how tired I was feeling. Sustained pickup the last 10-15 minutes. For the second day in a row it was too cool out to stretch outdoors in wet clothes, it's been cool overcast and humid since I've returned.

Tue 8/5 - double, 1:40 total plus 20 minutes in Walden

AM 35 minutes, moving better than expected for a morning shakeout, esp. after being awake for about 23 hours straight during yesterday's marathon travel day. Somewhat humid out but relatively cool.

PM - 65 minutes incl. strides on the way in plus 20 minutes in the pond. Still feeling spry, had to hold back a bit at times during the run before winding it up the 10 minutes or so leading to the pond. Not surprisingly, moving better on the strides than when I've done them at the end of a longer run in the woods earlier in the summer. The water is now quite lukewarm at this point in the summer. Overcast and breezy as the day went on, anything other than sticky heat is fine by me at this time of year.

Mon 8/4 - AM 40 minutes

last run in Paris, loop down Bd. Hugo and back via Pic Parc. Up early after sleeping restlessly, moving along smoothly but feeling tired as well. Rained much of the night, if it were any more humid while I was running it would have still been raining.

Sun 8/3 - double, 90 minutes total

AM 60 minutes, Meudon Forest. Cruising along much of the way this morning in this area which continues to impress on the second visit. The trailhead I used is near a local cemetery full of twentysomething guys who died in 1944 "pour la France." There's a steep climb up to a broad plateau where most of the trails/paths/roads are with little to no traffic. With the hubs scattered throughout there's an infinite number of possible routes. Somewhat reminiscent of Area 51 but a lot better. Humid this morning with occasional drizzle but cool. Picked up the pace the last 15 minutes.

PM - 30 minutes, Bois de Vincennes. In a huge rush to get to the park and back trying to make it back for something I ended up missing anyway, in hindsight I could have run longer and seen more of the park, which was an interesting spot. Flat as a pancake. Right leg vaguely sore, feels like I may have wrenched it running down off the plateau this morning. Humid, with higher temps than the morning made for a sticky afternoon.

Sat 8/2 - AM 50 minutes

over to pont Issy, up the Seine to pont Garigliano and back. Could have gone a little longer as it turns out, perceived time constraints cut the run short. Felt better this morning than most previous mornings this week. Cool drizzly conditions probably had something to do with it.

Fri 8/1 - double, 1:40 total incl. 8x200

AM - 60 minutes, Muedon Forest. Another excellent spot, miles and miles of (mostly) flat, straight roads and gravel paths connected at various hubs like spokes. Wandered around w/o ever fearing getting lost due to the layout. Like yesterday's runs, started slowly and gathered steam, more gradually this time. Much cooler and drier today.

PM - 40 minutes, over to Pic Park (actually Stade de Vanves to be exact), 8x200 untimed with 200 jog recovery then stretching and jogged back. The turnover felt reasonably good, although legs are still feeling heavy from all the walking around. Although today it was the flat Promenade Plantee instead of yesterday's hundreds of steps up the tower. Legs completely dead on the cooldown.

Thu 7/31 - double, 1:45 total

AM - 50 minutes, Parc de Sceaux. Started out quite slowly, which continued until around the 35 minute mark when the fog lifted and I picked up the pace a few notches from there on out. Legs somewhat heavy.

PM - 55 minutes, Parc Lenglen and Pic Parc. Very tired at the start of the run, persisted most of the way. Legs very heavy and tired, walking up and down the steps at the Eiffel tower would have something to do with that. Humid all day and warmer than I would like.

Wed 7/30 - AM 70 minutes, Bois de Boulogne

Started slowly, got moving better as things went along until the last 10 minutes which were moving. The park is enormous, ran mostly around the edges but there were plenty of trails cutting across I didn't get to. Right hammie feeling better.

Tue 7/29 - double, 1:40 total

AM - 45 minutes easy. In the vicinity of Pic Parc. Right hammie feeling gummed up, still tired as well;

PM - 55 minutes, Bd. Hugo along the Seine to Pont Issy and back through Vanves via Pic Parc. Finally feeling a little better after a strategically placed afternoon nap. Five strides on the track plus I finally found a place where I can do my stretching.

Mon 7/28 - double, 85 minutes total

AM - 45 minutes to Ile St. Germain park and back. Legs somewhat heavy, tired and not sleeping well due to not being adjusted to the time change yet. If ever.

PM - 40 minutes, Parc de Sceaux. Amazing spot, landscape design unlike anything that can be found in the states. Did a loop around the perimeter of the park which took just under 30 minutes and then rapidly ran out of gas the rest of the time. Humid conditions as well.