Sat 3/1 - PM 80 minutes Longfellow Loop incl. 2x18 minute tempo

20+ minute warmup, then directly into the workout of two long reps with a 6 minute break between them. Took care not to overdo it early on given the length of the segments. Had to wait out the morning snowstorm, but the roads were clear enough by evening. Windier than I would have liked.

Fri 2/29 - PM just over 70 minutes round trip to TJ's

a little over 35 minutes on each leg of the trip tonight. Not exactly feeling it at any point. Calf twinged near the start and was sore the rest of the way. Frigid conditions again, although not as windy as yesterday. More white hell on tap for tomorrow.

Thu 2/28 - PM 85 minutes, Levittown to Old Marlboro Road

Active recovery, took it easy throughout. Calves feeling sore all day but nothing debilitating during the run so long as I took short strides, low to the ground. Cold with a brisk westerly wind.

Wed 2/27 - PM RLTAC 80 minutes incl. 2x3200, 1600

splits as follows:

10:37
4R
10:24
7-8R
5:10

splits quite even throughout.

Having originally planned on another easy run today, I changed my mind around lunchtime and decided a threshold pace workout would be doable. My only concern was how the calves would hold up given how sore they were yesterday. Stiffness still there at the outset, dissipated in the left one after the warmup but not the right. Not going fast enough to reaggravate the strain but I did find it necessary to do a little direct pressure on the area during the recoveries to work out the kinks that had developed while running the repeat. Effort was controlled throughout, got a little tired towards the end of the second 3200 but still under control. The second rep was tiring enough that I wasn't planning on the final mile repeat, but the longer recovery made it a more reasonable proposition. Some stiffening up of the calf on the cooldown, it will certainly be sore for the next few days at least.

Tue 2/26 - PM 75 minutes easy

RLTAC to the river and back, same as a run from a couple weekends ago. Putrid weather and massive DOMS in both calves made this quite the chore. Perfect conditions for a treadmill run today, at times there was both rain and snow falling at the same time. Thankfully the wind wasn't too strong but it was miserable nonetheless. No choice but to go very easy at the outset, ever so gradually felt a bit better later on. Wishing I had done that placeholder yesterday, I think the active recovery would have diminished the soreness today.

Mon 2/25 - off

I could blame the snowstorm for taking this zero, as it forced the kiddies' meet to be rescheduled to today from last Friday. Squeezing in a run would have been possible but it would have been a short placeholder anyway. Both calves feeling tight and stiff after yesterday. Left hip also oddly sore above the iliac crest, noticed it after the cooldown yesterday.

Sun 2/24 - AM 75 minutes incl. 5k in 15:21

The indoor season ends with another effort that was smooth, relaxed, and a bit slower than what I would have liked. In fact, for the third race in a row I was about 10 seconds slower than what I realistically had hoped. After a barely sufficient warmup of maybe 15 minutes, I decided it would be best to start out conservatively, I wasn't alone as the pack did as well. Settled into an even rhythm of 37+ second laps. This put me by myself the second half of the race except for lapped runners and one early leader who faltered badly after 3k. Smelled the barn door a bit with the last lap being around 34 but everything else was consistently around 37 it seemed. Still somewhat congested, not that I felt it affected the race at all. I don't feel there have been any lingering problems from the red eye flight either. The cooldown was as long as the warmup was short, 45 minutes easy along the river in bright breezy conditions.