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.