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.