Wed 12/29 - PM 60 minutes very easy

Harvard Stadium along the Charles to Comm Ave, back through the bowels of Allston. Much of the sidewalk along the river was in terrible shape, half-heartedly cleared at best. Both ankles at times sore and stiff during the day, left one on the lateral aspect, right one on the medial side. The faster running left a mark. No real issues during the run which was pokey in the extreme.

Tue 12/28 - PM 70 minutes incl. 2(8x220)

11th hour change in plan, decided to join the crowd for this one. Alternating faster and slower 220s for two miles, done twice with three minutes rest in between. Not strictly speaking a leg prep session but close enough for my purposes. First set the faster laps were almost all between 34 and 35, with the recovery laps averaging around 50. Total time 11:20. Second set the times dropped a bit, overall time 11:13. Slower laps were a mix of running in lane 0, 1, and/or 2. Having not run much at this kind of speed it was somewhat surprising that the pace was doable by and large. Not totally fried at the end, although the effort required was no joke. Left ankle felt stiff to a worrisome degree while warming up, but wasn't an issue while doing the workout itself.

Mon 12/27 - PM 70 minutes easy

Summerhill to Levittown, with hill drills on Rice Road near the end. All side streets packed snow in the aftermath of the storm, which made screw shoes a necessity. Took it easy, not that I had much choice given the poor traction. Didn't think the drills would even be possible but I managed to do them without much slippage. Rice is a good site for doing them. Slept away most of the morning after shoveling before bed last night and shoveling again as soon as I woke up. Snow was gone by midday but gusty high winds stuck around all day.

Sun 12/26 - off

a long time coming I suppose. Spent the morning in the bizarre monument to self-absorbed consumption that is the Gardner museum, then a few errands and by the time I got home the much-anticipated blizzard was getting started. I had zero desire to do even an easy jog in that crap, and even less motivation to run on the treadmill.

Sat 12/25 - PM 70 minutes incl. 8k threshold run

Tiger Drive to Longfellow loop, twice around. Didn't bother timing, tried instead to gauge effort and keep it controlled. Felt pretty good once I got going although the left hammy was stiff and felt weak at the very start of the run. Less problematicat the end of the faster running than it was Thursday but I wasn't on a track and wasn't going as fast. A few icy stretches on the loop but mostly clear. Cold temps but thankfully no wind to speak of.

Fri 12/24 - AM 1:55 easy/very easy

GMNWR, with a brief foray up to Walden to see if Pine Hill access road was clear for hill drills, which of course it wasn't. The length of the run is a little fuzzy with a few breaks in there and all, the whole thing took just over 2 hours though. Mix of clear pavement and packed snow surfaces, slow easy going no matter what with the ninja slippers on. Left glute/SI joint/hammie which was fairly problematic by the end of last night's workout feeling better today, not that I put any stress on it other than the hill drills at the end. These were done on the CCHS driveway which is not nearly as steep as either Pine Hill or White Pond road. The gradient does indeed make a difference. Cold but not as windy as I thought it would be.

Thu 12/23 - PM 70 minutes incl. 2400-2000-1600-1200-800

RLTAC. Long reps, short recoveries. 2.5 minutes after first rep, cut 30 seconds from that with each subsequent rep. Looking to negative split each rep, pace getting gradually faster. Times as follows:

8:11 start at 42/lap, down to 40
6:44 same as 2400
5:20 41 down to 39
3:58 40 to 39
2:35 whatever was left

Hit the planned splits overall although it did get harder than I expected on the last two. Left hammie and glute became progressively tighter and stiffer, which became the overriding concern. Finished the workout feeling like I was dragging the leg, responded to some on the spot direct pressure but the cooldown was a crawl nonetheless.

Wed 12/22 - PM 55 minutes very easy

Brookline, Comm Ave to Muddy River path and back to Coolidge. Had plans to do a lap around Jamaica Pond but I was going too slow to get to it in time. Also planned on doing drills up Summit Ave, which will have to wait until Friday. Left ankle stiff at the end of the day after neglecting stretching.

Tue 12/21 - PM 65 minutes very easy

Levittown. Very easy putter today, straight recovery. Yesterday's workout left a mark on the left leg, psoas, adductor, hamstring, SI joint all affected. First workout in a long long time that was at any kind of speed and longer than 2 miles total, so not a surprise. Felt a bit better by the end of the run, better still after some direct pressure and cross fiber friction post-run, but still sore. Enough snow on the ground to close the trails for now.

Mon 12/20 - PM 80 minutes incl. 4(3x440)

At Harvard, hence the 440s. A delightful experience if only because I was able to complete the entire workout by the time I would have just been getting on the track at RLTAC. Worth sharing the place with rugrats of various ages. Every step run inside as the weather went completely to shit with windblown snow. Ninja slippers not made for running in that crap. Hoping to run alternating sets of slower and faster 400s with a five second spread, ideally 76/71. Slower went at 75-6, with one outlier at 74.5. Faster sets ranged from 70 to 71.5, although I missed the button on one of them and had to estimate. Recovery interval just under 80 seconds on average between reps, with 4.5 minutes+ between sets. Got somewhat easier as the workout wore on, although the last two reps were teetering right on anaerobic and definitely not a glorified stride. Left hammie was somewhat stuck from the start, as the workout progressed the psoas, adductor, and lateralis got involved and by the end I was more worried about the leg than the fatigue. Did a few moments of direct pressure between the final rep and cooldown, this made it feel better but still in no condition to do anything but crawl on the cooldown.

Sun 12/19 - 1:45

Walden woods, with a set of hill drills on the Pine Hill reservoir road near the end. Missed the Walden trails more than I had figured, even though it hasn't been that long and they're more of a chore terrain-wise than Area 51. Needle ice everywhere, in some places thick and widespread enough to cause instability underfoot. Cruising right along until just before the hour mark when it started to become clear that running in the ninja slippers on the uneven surfaces was wearing out my legs. Soldiered on but held back a bit so as to make it through. Drills were productive but not at all easy on the much steeper grade of the Pine Hill road. Left ankle feeling a bit tweaked afterward. Gray and blustery day, with the storm passing by but thankfully staying out at sea.

Sat 12/18 - PM 80 minutes easy

Area 51. Thought about doing an easy double today but had to have blood drawn in the morning which made the logistics far more complicated than I wanted to deal with. Pace on the run started slow but gradually increased to a level I wasn't expecting. A bit warmer today.

Fri 12/17 - PM 80 minute incl. 4x2k

RLTAC, warmup and cooldown outside this time. Planning on running something around 41 sec./lap average with the pace progressing within each rep and from rep to rep. Splits of 6:53, 6:50, 6:44, and 6:38. Recovery interval around 2 minutes. The starting pace/lap was 42 for all but the last rep, changed gears a lap sooner with each successive rep. Smashed through the mythical 6:40 barrier on the final rep which not coincidentally was the only one that forced me to dig a bit deeper than I was going for. A fifth rep would have been doable but for the number of turns that would require and the fact that the left hammie was feeling pinched during the warmup and first two reps. Left ankle also still more stiff than I would like. Energy levels not quite optimal after some late bedtimes recently.

Thu 12/16 - PM 80 minutes easy

Area 51. Smashed through the 75 minute barrier by puttering along rather slowly. Left the headsock at home and it made for a very uncomfortable first 20 minutes of the run. Not as cold as yesterday but to my chagrin, cold enough. Hill drills near the end on White Pond road. Left ankle a bit stiff as I've been delinquent in doing calf raises the past few days.

Wed 12/15 - PM 75 minutes easy

Area 51, hitting what seems to be the magic number for recovery runs again though I didn't plan it that way. Route through the woods was different this time for sure, not going especially fast. Left adductor has bounced back somewhat from the way it felt at the end of yesterday's workout. Bitterly cold all day with big winds, but the winds weren't as bad by the time I got out there.

Tue 12/14 - PM 80 minutes incl. 4(4x200)

RLTAC, every step inside as the cold windy conditions have returned and I forgot my headsock. Trying to run the first rep of each set with an even effort, then pick it up a bit further out with each successive rep in the set. The first two reps were just under 36, the next two between 34.5 and 35 for each set. The effort was controlled, although the left adductor started to get sore as the session wore on. Still some general soreness in legs. Still feeling fairly tired.

Mon 12/13 - PM 75 minutes easy

Area 51 with a set of hill drills on White Pond Road. Not covering as much ground as I have in previous 75 minute runs back here this month. Proof of how tired I was feeling, took it quite easy as a result. Legs not particularly lively doing the drills, at least left ankle is feeling better than it was when I started doing the drills two weeks ago. General soreness in legs, both from the race and wearing the ninja slippers I'd guess. It'll take a few days to recover from the weekend's travails. Still on the warm side after yesterday's rain, less windy. Weather changing back to the deep freeze tomorrow.

Sun 12/12 - AM 65 minutes incl. 5k road race

Pure, unadulterated sandbagging. Went to bed late, as in 4 AM late, after getting home from this which was well worth it all. Nun, das warten hat ein ende indeed. Awoke to wind-driven rain. Still in the process of clearing the cobwebs during the too-short warmup. Realized that the ninja slippers are simply incompatible with running fast on pavement. Better said I'm not physically capable of wearing them in such circumstances w/o wrecking myself. Racing flats are actually far more substantial and made running faster possible. Looking to get through the race with the absolute minimum of effort, glommed on to the only guy willing to force the issue and tucked in for a time. Following a hissy fit from him that was in hindsight inevitable, waited for the one hill of consequence on the course and made the break there. Rest of the way was maintaining the requisite 7-10 second margin. Each mile was slower than the last, no real surprise there and I couldn't care less. Cooldown was a very slow 30 minutes, weariness setting in from the lack of sleep. Rain held off for the most part during the race but started pouring during the cooldown and most of the rest of the day.

Sat 12/11 - AM 90 minutes easy

Van Cortlandt Park, mainly in the NW forest and Croton Aqueduct sections. Pleasant and relaxed run. Lots of rolling in the woods, but not forcing the effort at any point. Plus, I'm finding that fast running in the ninja slippers is only possible on the track, i.e. a soft forgiving surface. Much warmer today.

Fri 12/10 - PM 75 minutes incl. 2(100-200x10m increments)

RLTAC. Digging into the bag of tricks for this session, aiming for something on the leg prep end of the spectrum. More taxing than I had remembered, I had thought of doing three sets but two was plenty. Including recovery jogs each set took more than 15 minutes as it was. Timed the 100, 150, and 200, hoping to run the first 100m controlled and then pick it up from there for whatever chunk remained. For tonight that meant 100 in 18-19, 150 just under 27 seconds, and 200 around 35. This pace felt much faster than it ideally should be, not surprising at all given lack of sharpness. Warmup and cooldown very easy, in part due to the ninja slippers which are taking some getting used to running on pavement. Teeny tiny mincing strides. Still quite cold but the wind dropped again today after sunset.

Thu 12/9 - PM 75 minutes

Area 51, with requisite hill drills near the end on White Pond Road. Took it relatively easy, legs feeling fairly good after yesterday's workout. What soreness there is can be ascribed to the ninja slippers I started wear testing yesterday. Not much left to the imagination as far as ground feel, I'm convinced the midsole on the shoes I was sent isn't the same as the shoe in the picture, which I tried briefly at the NB lab back in October. Coldest day of the season, brutal wind all day but thankfully it subsided by the time evening rolled around.

Wed 12/8 - PM 50 minutes incl. 4x1600

RLTAC, every step of the run done inside to avoid the continued cold windy conditions outside. Warmup 3 miles on the treadmill, no time for more than 4 reps on the track but I could have done at least one more at the pace I was going. 5:28. 5:25, 5:23, 5:17. Recovery jogs around 90 seconds. Each rep negative split, some more so than others. Kicked it home the last 250 of the last rep, felt controlled and surprisingly good. In fact, the last rep was if anything more relaxed and comfortable than the first one, which I'll take as a good sign. I was expecting to feel a lot more flat and tired. Left psoas held up fine, ankle a bit stiff to start but it felt better as I went along. Very pressed for time so the cooldown was seriously truncated to a 10 minute jog.

Tue 12/7 - PM 75 minutes

Planned workout at RLTAC went by the boards thanks to a surprise function hosted by none other than Deval on the gym floor, which I found out about upon reaching the facility. Nice of the staff there to keep us in the loop. Went for an easy run along the river via SW corridor and Boston Common. The workout might have been more of a chore than anticipated given how flat and tired I felt. Bedtime has been too late the last week or so. Conditions continue to be less than pleasant, baleful wind and cold. Once again I was dressed for it though.

Mon 12/6 - PM 75 minutes easy

Area 51, same loop as last Monday with the same hill drills near the end on White Pond Road. Left hip feeling better as of late, less tightness than what I was expecting. Ankle remains somewhat stiff. Took it easy throughout, although I wasn't as flat or tired as expected. Downright cold all day, with a strong gusty wind as well. Broke out the headsock for the first time this season, run would have been miserable without it.

Sun 12/5 - AM 90 minutes

Mostly in the park, up the Bridle path, twice around the loop and once around the reservoir before heading back. Pace got going around 30 minute mark and picked up steadily from there for the next half hour. Left ankle stiff but hip and thigh feeling pretty good overall. Another clear and windy day.

Sat 12/4 - AM 60 minutes easy

Central Park, mostly on the main drag but found my way to the Bridle Path near the end. Overall an enjoyable run, with rolling terrain and tons of scenery of course. Left psoas a little tight after last night and ankle somewhat stiff but overall the left leg weathered yesterday's workout relatively well. Afterward took a long and rambling walk down to lower Manhattan via the High Line. Blustery day,with a strong gusty wind coming off the river.

Fri 12/3 - PM 70 minutes incl. 3(400-300-200-100)

RLTAC, for the first time this season. Anxious to say the least about how the left hip and ankle would hold up. Some twinging during the warmup, found a tender spot on the TFL that released some of the tension. The first of 3 sets felt the most awkward, got a little better after that. Tried to start each rep controlled and then close faster. Ran the first two sets without the watch, but I got the sense I was forcing it and timed the last set to check the numbers afterward. 71.5, 52.9, 35.2, 17 seconds, faster than what I thought they would be. Leg didn't stiffen up very much at all after the workout ended which was encouraging.

Thu 12/2 - 80 minutes easy

Area 51, with a set of hill drills near the end on White Pond Road. Left leg feeling better today, although still not quite all there. Pace quicker than yesterday but not to any huge degree, not forcing the issue. Ankle held up better to the drills this time, single leg hops still awkward but nowhere near as much as earlier attempts. After yesterday's monsoon, return to seasonable temps with very little wind which was nice.

Wed 12/1 - PM 65 minutes easy

Tiger Drive to Longfellow Loop. Easy recovery throughout, left leg feeling like crap the entire way. Thankfully, it felt better after the post-run ministrations. TFL and psoas both tight and felt weak as well. Waited as long as I could for the rain to pass through but it didn't matter in hindsight, still hit with the final line of showers about 15 minutes from home which was no fun at all.

Tue 11/30 - PM 60 minutes incl. 6x1000

Still feeling fairly tired, hoping to get in a repeat session anyway. Originally hoping to do two sets of 4 reps, cut the second set short when it became clear I was starting to falter. Combination of overriding exhaustion and left psoas fatiguing. Not sure if I would have been able to finish off 8 with a slower pace, may not have made any difference in the tightening hip. Didn't bother timing any of the reps, quite on purpose. 200 jog recovery intervals, 500 jog between 4th and 5th reps. Not as cold as yesterday, relatively comfortable.

Mon 11/29 - PM 75 minutes easy

Area 51. Much needed recovery run, no problem taking it easy today what with the overall tired feeling at the moment. Punctuated near the end with a set of hill drills on White Pond Road, all but the single-leg hopping felt at least okay. Left hip and ankle not really flexible or strong enough to do much in the way of hopping at the moment. Left adductor has been feeling pretty good though. Right hamstring, on the other hand, has felt a bit weak and mildly strained after yesterday's run. Exhaustion really set in after the run was over, glued to my chair for much of the evening. Chilly and dank, took a while to feel comfortable.

Sun 11/28 - AM/PM 100 minutes

Track Road to area 51 via Sudbury Road. Two progressions in the first 80 minutes, the first one was a bit longer and definitely more pronounced than the second. Pushing the intensity today may have been a mistake, we'll see, still feeling a bit tired. Left hip tight but not as stiff as it has been lately. Right ankle once again twinging rather acutely the first 15 minutes or so of the run, didn't notice it after that. Sunny and breezy, chilly once again.

Sat 11/27 - double, 1:40 total

AM - 55 minutes, easy to very easy. Still on go slow recovery mode, puttering along. Right ankle still sore, sporadically but when it twinges I notice. Annoyingly cold wind.

PM  - 45 minutes easy incl. hill drills. Left hip too locked up for single leg hops but the rest went reasonably well.

Fri 11/26 - PM 80 minutes easy

Area 51. Very tired, took a while for this fact to sink in so the pace got slower by the end of the run. Left hip tight and stiff, esp. glute. Right ankle also sore, no idea where that came from. Cold rain in the morning, gave way to a steady breeze and chilly temps.

Thu 11/25 - AM 80 minutes incl. 5k road race

Not a great effort even by the current standards of diminished fitness. Didn't feel truly awake by the time the race started even though I took plenty of time to warm up. This went hand-in-hand with the first half mile of the course grinding gradually uphill to make for a less than pleasant experience. Pace didn't feel that fast because it wasn't that fast, nevertheless I was unable to maintain contact with the group that would have given me protection from the steady headwind on Cambridge Street. As such ran alone for most of the way. Left hip about as sore afterward as it was on Sunday, only in different places. Lower back in particular just above SI joint felt tender. Chilly but not arctic, but the wind made it feel colder than I would have preferred.

Wed 11/24 - PM 60 minutes

Along the Charles, from Coolidge Corner. Stiff at the beginning, started out slowly, but moving much better after 30 minutes or so. Colder today, with a strong wind hammering away.

Tue 11/23 - PM 60 minutes incl. 12x200

Stepped out the door thinking it was a bad idea to try anything fast, as left thigh still problematic. The locus of soreness had shifted from lateral aspect to psoas/adductor area overnight. It loosened up enough in 25 minutes of jogging for me to give it a go. Psoas got sore after 9th rep, tightness all around by the end but overall not nearly as bad as it could have been. 100m jog interval, didn't bother timing any of it. Warm and sticky, at least by late November standards.

Mon 11/22 - PM 70 minutes very easy/easy

Levittown to Summerhill. Not my day of days, limping most of the way despite a break at 15 minutes or so to do some stretching and compressions on the left thigh which was a mess after yesterday's effort. Affected area included lateralis/IT band, and all the other usual spots besides. Improved somewhat towards the end but at no point was it comfortable. Spent a long while after the run doing more compressions on the stool. Left thigh still too weak for much in the way of fast running.

Sun 11/21 - AM 75 minutes incl. 4 mile road race

More sandbagging, unable to resist doing this one after getting a money slot two years ago. Felt more sluggish than sore warming up, from staying up too late in general and much too late on weekends. Did almost the entire course as a warmup to shake out the cobwebs. Feeling alert enough after doing some drills on top of that. The race itself was quite tactical, five people going for three slots. Soon after the mile mark the course went up the most significant hill, which was enough to cause to be dropped by the top two. Soon after two miles I found myself in fifth and working harder than I would have liked not to get dropped. Hung in for the third mile, hoping to make a late move to get back into third. Soon after 5k the pace lagged enough at the bottom of the main downhill and I was more or less forced into taking third a little earlier. Spent the next 600m trying to reel in second who got tantalizingly close, but not close enough. In the end the limits of my fitness were quite apparent, no surprise given how spotty and inadequate the training has been the last six weeks. Held on for third and was relieved to do so. Happily, the left ankle which has been so bothersome this week didn't bother me much at all. However, the adductor, TFL and thigh in general started stiffening up immediately upon finishing. Not as bad as it has been in the past, but unable to do more than a crawl on the cooldown. As it has been since August, the left thigh is aggravated easily by fast sustained running. Chilly day, a bit windy but not as much as the last time I did this race two years ago.

Sat 11/20 - double, 1:40 total

AM - 70 minutes easy, Area 51. Easy shakeout, my chance to run in the daylight. Left foot somewhat sore from last night's run, more on the instep than the lateral ankle.

PM - 30 minutes incl. drills on the track. Hemmed and hawed about heading out the door again after a long nap, came very close to using the treadmill. Heading to the track was worth it for the drills, which loosened up the legs.

Fri 11/19 - PM 75 minutes

Longfellow Loop, McMansionville and Ruddock/Thunder. Started with ankle feeling pretty bad, eventually the soreness migrated over to the medial instep, by the end hamstring and adductor got fatigued. Nevertheless, I was expecting worse. Pace faster than normal.

Thu 11/18 - off

Left ankle didn't respond well to yesterday, sore all day. Also very very tired upon getting home from work, ended up sleeping away my only chance to get in a run. Something definitely rotten in Denmark, ankle becoming more worrisome than the thigh and hip on the left side.

Wed 11/17 - PM 60 minutes incl. 10x300

Awkward pretty much the whole way. Left ankle getting worse and this didn't help of course. All the stuff with tib anterior, soreness on instep, etc. no doubt related to favoring whatever the fuck it is I did to my heel back in September.

Tue 11/16 - PM 65 minutes

Area 51, in the dark no less. To think I used to do this regularly and think nothing of it. The only real stumbling was on track road but it was not pleasant, need a headlamp. Tib anterior muscle not quite as sore as yesterday but still not good, limping somewhat the first half of the run until a longish break where I did compressions and direct pressure. Better after that to a degree. Warm and dreary conditions.

Mon 11/15 - PM 55 minutes easy

Brookline to the river and back. Limped the entire time, on the tib anterior muscle mainly which is blasted after yesterday. Felt much better after post-run compressions which should have been pre-run compressions I suppose. Not fun.

Sun 11/14 - AM 80 minutes incl. 5 mile road race

Indulging in athletic tourism again, even though I knew the course was about the worst thing possible for the left leg. Every kind of hill both up and down packed into five miles. Gave it a go anyway, leg survived although the second long steep descent left it somewhat the worse for wear. In the grand scheme of things it's encouraging that I wasn't left completely incapacitated. I do need to stay away from courses with long punishingly steep downhills for the time being. Nice morning, still warmer than average.

Sat 11/13 - AM 65 minutes easy

Area 51. Started slow, very gradually got a bit quicker later on. Stiff all up and down left leg of course after yesterday's run. Left ankle and instep also sore, not something I'd noticed before. Planned on doing a PM shakeout run but too tired for it when the late afternoon rolled around. Warm and sunny morning.

Fri 11/12 - PM 75 minutes

Tiger Drive to Longfellow loop, with a side excursion into McMansionville. Feeling antsy despite still having some congestion from the head cold. Toyed with the idea of doing timed reps but decided instead, on the fly more or less, to do a series of 15 minute progressions. Tried to pick it up every 5 minutes within each of the four progressions. By the end of the last one I was done, both in terms of the effort and the left thigh being fatigued and sore. Held up okay overall, still at the point where my reach exceeds my grasp in terms of ability to train the way I'd like.

Thu 11/11 - double, 90 minutes total

AM - 60 minutes easy, Area 51. Back from the mini-break and the left leg felt like crap. Took the better part of half an hour to loosen up. Took a while to get out the door this morning.

PM - 30 minutes, jog over to track, drills, then 4 laps of ins and outs. After getting a massage earlier in the day I couldn't help myself. The work definitely helped, still not perfect though. Fiddled a bit with my stride on the ins and outs, trying to put less strain on the adductors, hamstrings et al. 

Nov 9 + 10 - off

Head cold I picked up over the weekend a bit more severe than I had thought. Following the usual progression of symptoms but with more muscle aches which had me somewhat worried. Really tired throughout, slept more incl. long naps in the afternoon, not feeling significantly better for it until Thursday morning.

Mon 11/8 - PM 50 minutes

Levittown. I'd prefer to run in Area 51 but too many puddles back there today to be traversing it in the dark. Smooth footing also better for the left adductor, not that it was much better or worse than it has been lately. Started out quite easy, planning on doing some strides at the end of the run which I did more or less but it was awkward at best. More work with the stool and lax ball afterward. Got a late start thanks to pesky rain showers which were centered directly over Maynard for what seemed like forever, finally those cleared out only to be replaced by steady drizzle 20 minutes later. Very gloomy weather on the whole. Given leg and sore throat, I chose to keep the duration of the run down, a pattern that will likely continue for the foreseeable future.

Sun 11/7 - PM 60 minutes

Tiger Drive to Longfellow Loop. Something of an upset that I got out of the door today, as I had a tough time getting to sleep with the sore throat and spent much of the day feeling like crap. Gave it a go after a late afternoon nap, after a slow start the pace gradually got quicker. Felt it in the left adductor once the pace dropped of course. The locus of the soreness has moved somewhat away from hamstring and closer to adductor or even quad (sartorius/gracilis). Better than it was a month ago but still not there yet. Ill wind blowing, overcast with rain coming.

Sat 11/6 - AM 80 minutes incl. 5m road race

Combo sandbagging/athletic tourism expedition. Taking out my frustrations from last week. The course was about what I expected for this part of the world. Somewhat concerned about how the early downhill would treat the left adductors, they held up well enough though. The last two miles, mostly uphill, were predictably slow. Not killing myself either by that point, just looking to get it over with. Leg somewhat sore on the cooldown but it's been worse. Cool and somewhat blustery day. The only bummer to the day was the realization by late afternoon that I've picked up a sore throat from the last three days of gallivanting around.

Fri 11/5 - PM 70 minutes

Mostly trails in Wellesley, aqueduct to Charles river path and crosstown trail. Left thigh somewhat stuck, enough to keep the pace from dropping as much as I wanted it to. Achilles remained stiff much of the time as well, some stretches on slippery leaf-covered trails didn't help. Did a set of drills and strides on the track at the end, felt much better by the end of this than the beginning. Warmer than expected but with a persistent wind, much cooler once the sun set.

Thu 11/4 - off

too tired after yesterday's long day. Gloomy weather didn't help matters, although the worst of it had passed by late afternoon.

Wed 11/3 - PM 80 minutes

Wellesley, Brook Path to Winding River Road, Elm Bank and then around the lake. Felt stiff and awkward for a good 15 minutes, esp. the achilles. which isn't going anywhere. Picked up the pace substantially when I got to Elm Bank for 8 minutes or so, then took a break to work on the left hammie which felt pinched. Second half of the run was patterned similar to the first although not as sudden or pronounced a change in pace. Cool afternoon but not uncomfortably so.

Tue 11/2 - PM 60 minutes

Area 51. Left hammie much better after doing a lot of work last night and during the day at work. Certainly the effort on Sunday, as half-hearted as it was, left its mark. My feeling is that the left leg still light years from being able to handle the demands of actual training. Picked up the pace in the second half of the run, it handled that well enough but I was never going that fast. Chilly at the start today, not especially pleasant.

Mon 11/1 - PM 30 minutes easy

Left hammie stuck the entire time, not fun. Shouldn't have expected any different after yesterday. Felt much better after a lot of compressions and cross fiber friction after the run.

10/31 - AM 2 hours

DNF at Cape Cod, an anticlimax if ever there was one. Slept poorly in advance of the predawn wake up call, which is to be expected by now I suppose. On top of not sleeping enough all week I was dead meat before the gun went off. Tried to stay relaxed anyway, ran at goal pace on the mostly flat first 10 miles of the course, avoiding the wind by staying tucked in behind people around me. While it was in the back of my mind from mile 3 onward that the pace felt too hard to be sustainable, what really brought me down was the realization at 10 that I was going to have to use the bathroom. Tried to fake it for the next 2 miles, made all the more fun by heading steadily uphill. Ran by portajohns at 20k, did a momentary hesitation and then used the facilities. This took a little over a minute. Felt much better afterward but the tiredness was taking its toll by then. Also completely, utterly alone except for a relay runner who happened to be nearby. As it was already quite clear I wasn't going to be running any kind of decent time I started running, not racing. Focus was lost, not sure of why I was even continuing but plodded on not caring what the pace was anymore. By halfway (1:19 or so) I noticed a guy who had bolted out ahead of me and dropped out, a mile later I ran by one of the two Kenyans who also had dropped. I got it into my head that with attrition, I could slog through and maybe crack the top 10 to get a money slot. What followed was 3 miles of me jogging and asking every fan and race official I passed (there weren't many on this stretch of the course) what place I was in. None of them knew, of course. All the while, my middle toe on the right foot was becoming increasingly sore, to my surprise the sock/shoe combo didn't work for this long an effort and I ended up with a black toenail. Then I found myself having to use the bathroom, again. The jog turned into a crawl and finally, finally, got passed by other people. Incredible how spread out the field had become. This was just before 30k and I finally did the smart thing and gave up. Should have stopped at 20k, but there were no meat wagons to be seen anywhere at that point and I still had vague foolish hopes I suppose. The stomach issues didn't end with me dropping out either, had to go again on the drive home. Also took two naps, one while stopped on the way home and the other one eating up 3 hours of the late afternoon. I didn't sleep much more than that overnight. Left leg wasn't that bothersome during the race, achilles felt fine and some mild twinging in the iliopsoas, taking an advil the night before had something to do with it of course. The hip did get worse the further I went and who knows how it would have felt had I been able to maintain the pace longer. Afterward of course the achilles and hip stiffened up and felt fairly sore. Not that upset or distraught afterward, felt more like I had dodged a bullet by not gutting out the entire thing. More upset that I was too stubborn to drop out sooner.

Six weeks ago I was capable of running this course in 2:36 or so on a day like the one we got (mild, breezy). The 20 miler I did by myself on 9/12 is ample proof of that. Between then and now the left leg went to shit obviously. Not that it was perfect before that, but the issue was aggravated, the achilles got sore out of nowhere, and it's been one holding action after another since. I do feel like the worst of the leg issues may be behind me and that I'm now taking steps to ensure that's the case, but this race certainly got in the way of me trying to reestablish (establish?) something resembling a solid training routine going into the winter season. In that sense the marathon went from the centerpiece of the last few months of training to an irrelevant chore. I would like to do one of these feeling fully awake, healthy, and not having to take a shit every few miles though.

Sat 10/30 - AM 30 minutes easy

mostly relaxed shakeout, a few pickups thrown in at the end. Leg better than it was yesterday. Less stiffness in the ankle from the outset although this may have been in part from the "warmup" I got bagging leaves before doing the run. Windy and cool.

Fri 10/29 - PM 40 minutes easy

Brookline/Allston. More stiff and sore than I thought I would be today, took most of the run for legs to loosen up a bit.

Thu 10/28 - PM 20 minutes

5 x 4 minutes on the treadmill at NB's testing facility, each time in a different pair of flats. Speed between 9 and 10 mph. Highlight was trying out the minimus which is fantastic. Left thigh feeling much better than it has been lately but I can't help thinking the reduced volume has a lot to do with it. Still, much more confident about getting through Sunday than I was ten days ago. Achilles was stiff for the first couple of minutes on the treadmill but after that no problems.

Wed 10/27 - PM 45 minutes

Outskirts of Area 51, planned on doing a few reps on the track but found the field in use. Did five longish pickups instead over the last 15 minutes. I may be kidding myself but the left thigh seems to be feeling somewhat better than it has been recently. Not sure how much of that is from running less vs. all the massage (and self-massage) that's been done lately.

Tue 10/26 - PM 30 minutes easy

A chore, left hammy twinging with every step. Hoping that yesterday's massage would have more immediate benefits but that was too optimistic of course. It also occurred to me during the day at work that the left achilles is not better or even close to better. Nor is it even the achilles per se, more laterally located than that but same general area. Loosens up fine but still stiff as hell at the start of runs. More stool and lax ball work immediately after finishing, now routine. Unseasonably warm and also really muggy.

Mon 10/25 - PM 80 minutes

roughly 12 miles at roughly 6:30-5 pace or so. Did three times around the Longfellow loop for pacing purposes. Left leg stiff and awkward, didn't really even begin to loosen/open up until the second loop. The pace felt harder than it should have, totally a result of the leg being stuck. Post-run massage helped relieve some of the tightness in the gracilis thankfully. Warmer today and also noticeably muggy, finished drenched in sweat.

Sun 10/24 - AM 60 minutes incl. 5k in 17:35

Another bit of sandbagging/athletic tourism. Sartorius/gracilis/etc. stiff and sore, took a long time to warm up and even then the first few steps off the line were awkward. Still, the left thigh felt much better than it did yesterday. Achilles still somewhat sore and limiting but as previously noted, feels better than it did a week or two ago. Pace felt a lot harder than it should have, not sure to what extent that came from dragging the leg vs. being dead tired from staying up late reading. First gradually uphill mile in 5:22, next two in 5:45. Out and back course so the last mile was mostly downhill, not exactly an impressive finish but I was on autopilot by then. The lead vehicle was a cyclist with the eponymous Kyle (age 5) in tow, which was quite entertaining. He occasionally pedaled, usually after being exhorted to do so. Cooldown was abbreviated to get to awards ceremony, expecting leg to feel worse than it did but still feels weak. After lunch took a walk in the Lynn Woods which was pleasant and very hilly.

Sat 10/23 - PM 25 minutes easy

About what I expected after yesterday, i.e. left leg felt like garbage. Easy shakeout nonetheless.

Fri 10/22 - PM 95 minutes incl. 20k threshold run

Final long pace run before  next weekend. Justifiably concerned about the status of the left adductor and hamstring, did some work on it during the day at work. First lap of the run felt fine, soon after 5k the attachment point got sore similar to how it felt during the latter stages of the last one of these I tried two weeks ago. I figured it would cause me to stop but at a certain point things stabilized and I made it through the rest of the way. Splits as follows:

5:50/5:52/2:51
5:46/5:49/2:49
5:46/5:49/2:50
5:48/5:53/2:52
5:51/5:57/2:50

Much better this time about hitting the pace from the get-go and not starting too fast. The slowdown on the last lap was troublesome in that the effort level felt the same. Did a double take upon seeing the 5:57 for the last 1600 split. From an exertion standpoint it never felt like I was going too deep in the hole, but that's not the concern anyway. It's all about how the leg will hold up. The cooldown was a hobble, as the problem area was plenty sore by that point. Conditions cool and breezy, winds gusty at times but not overly obnoxious.

Thu 10/21 - PM 50 minutes

Area 51. Leg felt decent enough until I started doing pickups near the end, with each one resulting in more tightness and twinging. Mainly in the sartorius interestingly enough. More post-run compressions on the stool. This on top of some sitting on the lax ball at work. Achilles still stiff but not as sore as it has been, I have the feeling that the worst of it may be past but it will continue to linger of course.

Wed 10/20 - PM 60 minutes

Along the Charles, returning via Beacon St. Not what I expected, given what I expected was a painful hour of dragging the left leg. In fact it loosened up relatively well, at least well enough that I was able to pick up the pace gradually and steadily over the second half of the run. All the compressions after yesterday's failure of a run might have had some effect after all. The area is still a mess of course.

Tue 10/19 - PM 45 minutes incl 1600 in 5:30

Failed attempt at doing repeats at some kind of faster pace. Brought down by the left leg, the downward spiral continues. Spent all day worrying about the heel and achilles, which loosened up within 10 minutes of starting to warm up. Thought the left thigh was doing better, but still a mess from the weekend, and the weekend before, etc. Hoping to do 5 or so 1600 repeats, felt the adductor and iliopsoas starting to tighten up by the end of the first one. This made it so the effort didn't match the pace of course, and when it persisted into the second rep I knew it was time to stop. Very very frustrating, jogged straight home and spent the next half hour doing compressions on the thigh. Found a spot with massive adhesions, likely gracilis and/or adductor magnus. Don't know if I did any good or just made it worse, hopefully broke something up though. If the leg feels like this next weekend, I'll be a DNF plain and simple. Finished the day feeling more injured than ever. The comparisons to last year when I could only jog and not truly train are becoming more unavoidable.

Mon 10/18 - PM 60 minutes

Area 51. Thankfully, leg is feeling somewhat better today than yesterday but overall still feeling weak and vulnerable. The achilles issue is going nowhere, of course. It's taking a long time, 20-30 minutes, for the creaky stiffness to work itself out to any appreciable degree. I'd hoped last week's massage would help but it would take daily intensive work to have any effect, if at all.  This won't do on marathon day obviously. Did a few pickups on the way in, which may not have been the best idea but I couldn't help myself. The inability to run at any kind of speed without lasting negative effects has me in a decidedly downcast mood. I find myself taking out my frustration by picking up the pace late whenever possible. Plugging away at the stretching and strengthening, it's been much better as recently as June/July so I know it can get better again. Cool and still evening, nice conditions.

Sun 10/17 - AM 1:50 easy

Track Road to Sudbury Road and Area 51. A chore, which was a shame because it was a nice day to be out there. I had plans of throwing in some running at marathon pace, but it quickly became apparent that the left leg wasn't going to let it happen. Ended up running all over Area 51, hit every major trail at one point. A little ahead of myself in thinking the left heel was getting better as well, it felt quite stiff after yesterday.  On top of all the left side issues, the soreness in the right plantar was nagging throughout most of the run. Firmly stuck in the purgatory of being kind of hurt but not really.

Sat 10/16 - AM 70 minutes incl. 5k road race

After feeling better the last two days, decided to try and sandbag a race. Worthwhile from an award perspective but took a toll on the legs. The course was a straightforward out and back layout, but hillier than I had expected. Also very windy, relentless 25-30 mph with gusts even stronger. As it turned out, first half of the race was both uphill and into the wind. By then the competition for the win was over, coasted somewhat but still worried about letting any glimmer of hope be established. Not the least bit concerned with time or splits, as expected the middle mile was substantially slower than the other two. Rolling nature of the course didn't treat the left adductor well at all, feeling it on the very easy cooldown and afterward. Later on in the day, right plantar noticeably sore and tender, not something I noticed while running. An unwelcome surprise.

Fri 10/15 - PM 60 minutes

Area 51, of course. Continued improvement in terms of how the left leg feels. Less stiffness in the achilles at the start which is most welcome, but the tightness has migrated up into the belly of the soleus, where it meets the gastroc. Hopefully this migration of the pain locus means the issue as a whole is on its way out. The compressions on the adductor over the past two days have helped noticeably, while the area still feels weak at least it's not stuck. As for the run itself, pace was determined by visibility and footing, had to take it slow on the darkest sections of the trail. Once back on the roads, picked up the pace substantially the last mile or so, felt about a thousand times better than Monday-Wednesday of this week. Weather stubbornly awful, windswept rain showers.

Thu 10/14 - PM 60 minutes

Area 51. Left leg finally feeling better, although the first 20 minutes weren't a picnic. Achilles felt like garbage all day at work, put me in a foul mood, but loosened up surprisingly well as the run went along. Much less stiffness in the hip. End result of all this was that I was able to do five pickups on the way in. Not 100% smooth but something at least.

Wed 10/13 - PM 80 minutes easy

Left leg only a little better than it was yesterday, alas. All the post-run compressions yesterday helped somewhat but not as much as I would have liked. Achilles tender and sore again as well. A stubborn issue that's not going anywhere. I had notions of actually doing some fast running today, to the point that I started down Waltham St. headed for Longfellow loop but it became clear after five minutes of hobbling that easy would be all I could handle. Headed into Area 51 instead. Felt better for a time after a stretching break around 30 minutes, then felt worse again near the end as I stumbled around in the gathering darkness. The needle between healthy and injured is definitely tilting more in the bad direction at the moment. It's quite clear to me now that running up the mountain when my left leg wasn't right from hip to ankle was a bad idea, more so than I could have anticipated. While I'm in nowhere near the same awful place I was a year ago at this time, things definitely aren't right either.

Tue 10/12 - PM 40 minutes easy

Not a tough choice to cut the run short today, dragging my left leg the entire time. Just felt awful after the past two days. Ugh. Spent a lot of time doing compressions afterward.

Mon 10/11 - AM 80 minutes up Mt. Greylock

A nice day to be on the mountain, if a bit windy and chilly at the top. The trip there was rougher than I would have liked due to the left leg being locked up worse than I had anticipated. Much of the run was spent dragging the leg along, felt like the whole thing was twinging at times. Loosened up a bit near the end but it was a chore for most of the way.

Sun 10/10 - AM 65 minutes incl. 5k in 16:15

Happily, the right soleus held up and left hip held together although it locked up somewhat afterward. As for the race itself, sandbagged by an Ethiopian who was brought to an event far, far, far beneath him. Somewhere in the northeast region there had to be a race that would have netted the dude 4 or 5 (or 10) times the $50 he won for this podunk event. Second time in a month I've guessed wrong about the competitiveness of a race in Greenfield. Even though I knew winning wasn't to be, still dragged out too fast. First downhill mile in 4:57. Second mile (dead flat) in 5:13. The first two mile markers felt accurate enough, the third one was off by 50-60m though. I'd guess the third mile (uphill) was in the 5:25 range. Overall the effort was solid and I wasn't expecting to run any faster given the plague of leg issues this week and the overall fatigue I was feeling last week. Had I known about the competition I would have done a workout instead.

Sat 10/9 - AM 65 minutes easy

Walden woods, I've missed running here although the right soleus would have been better served by a flatter route. It felt terrible at times, very frustrating. No idea if it will be less problematic tomorrow, although some post-run compressions on the area seemed helpful. Sunny and breezy day. Stood waist-deep in the pond near the end of the run, hoping for an ice bath effect but it wasn't quite all that. Too cold for aquajogging though.

Fri 10/8 - PM 65 minutes very easy

Charles river path. Slow slow putter on flat terrain, about all I could expect after yesterday. Very little range of motion in the left leg at first thanks to everything being stuck, this improved somewhat in time. Still, felt like I was limping most of the way. Near the end, as the pace went from glacial to merely slow, I noticed to my dismay that the right soleus was quite sore, feels like I strained it. Not something I noticed after the run yesterday. Overall it was no picnic.

Thu 10/7 - AM 24k threshold run

disappointing and frustrating effort, planned on going 5-7 miles further but the wheels fell off. I felt apprehensive going into the last one of these that I did on 9/12, even more so today with the left achilles and right plantar now plaguing me as well. Items keep getting added to that list. Achilles felt stiff and crappy during the drills which served as the warmup, but didn't notice it at all during the run itself. Plantar felt ok while running but stiffened up a lot over the rest of the day afterward. The real problem was the left hip/thigh/hamstring, the tightness and soreness steadily built over the course of the run until I simply couldn't maintain anything resembling the desired pace. Simply put, unless things improve between now and the day of the race I won't be able to make it the entire distance at PMP. Enormously frustrating. I did myself no favors by doing the first lap much much too fast, something I chalk up to pent-up anxiety over the status of the left leg. It was like an out of body experience, blasted the first 400 in 80 seconds and made a conscious effort to slow down but it took 2+ miles to get into the right rhythm after that. This probably hastened the collapse by a mile or two, but it was coming regardless. Also more tired than I would have liked, esp. compared to last time when I simply hit the numbers relentlessly without deviation for almost two hours. I do feel that the overall fatigue can also be ascribed somewhat to the physical and mental grind of trying to run on a tight pinched high hamstring and hip.

Splits:
5:35/5:46/2:47
5:46/5:53/2:49
5:49/5:53/2:49
5:48/5:54/2:51
5:49/5:54/2:50
5:52/6:00/2:57

I actually gave some thought to doing another lap at whatever death march pace I could maintain just to experience a taste of what could very well happen in the race, but then realized it would be stupid to do further damage and leave myself hobbled even worse. Conditions cool, overcast and breezy, still humid but not as bad as the past three days.

Wed 10/6 - PM 45 minutes

Area 51. Yesterday's massage has helped somewhat with the ongoing left leg problems but still far from whole at the moment. Tib anterior sore as hell, surprising how it's blown up in the last three days. Right plantar, which has been a bit tight for a week or so, felt a bit worse today. Wonderful. Not espeically sanguine about tomorrow's planned effort. Final day (hopefully) of gray and gloomy crap weather, rained in earnest today but it was done by the time I got out there.

Tue 10/5 - PM 55 minutes easy

Area 51. After yesterday's post-run extended self-massage session I was hopeful to not have to drag my left leg around. Thigh felt much better, anterior tib muscle not so much. Both tibialis muscles are locked up tight, in all likelihood protecting the achilles area further down. It occurred to me that I may have strained the achilles/peroneal area doing the river cleanup the day three weeks ago, the day before the 20 mile marathon pace run. Muddled through today's run with lower leg twinging the entire time. Feeling quite discouraged as this crap has gotten a lot worse of late, and is ruining any attempt to do any kind of training of any substance. Post-run went for much needed massage, should have done this a long time ago. Continued gray and gloomy weather, ill wind blowing but only sporadic showers and no sustained rain yet.

Mon 10/4 - PM 75 minutes easy

Track Road to Area 51. Dragging my left leg all the way, as it was a mess. Before heading out the door I naively thought I could do some strides on the way in, that wasn't happening by a long shot. All the stiff sore spots from Saturday's effort carried right over into today. Of course no stretching or work of any kind yesterday made that the case. Tibialis anterior muscle especially problematic, related of course to the sore achilles. Got done and immediately went into an extended session of direct pressure on various spots from hip to ankle. Painful but hopefully productive. First of a few days of crap weather, NE wind blowing all day. Thankfully the rain held off though.

Sun 10/3 - off

Motivation still at low ebb, in need of a break mentally as much as physically. The recent switch to doubling seems to have resulted in getting buried by fatigue. Not getting to bed early enough.

Sat 10/2 - AM 80 minutes incl. 5m road race

Flat and uninspired effort. Still feeling tired and of course left leg causing problems. Unable to get excited for this race at all. More of an excuse to visit Good Harbor beach which didn't disappoint as I did the cooldown and then ate lunch there. Concerned about how the left heel would react but it felt decent enough, however the psoas was tight and sore for most of the race. The 1st and 4th mile markers didn't seem right, and it's very doubtful the course is accurate given that it starts and ends in the same spot, but there's no doubt I slowed down drastically the second half. Ran completely alone the entire time, probably for the best. Tropical humidity finally moved out overnight, replaced by clear sunny skies and strong NW winds.

Fri 10/1 - AM 25 minutes very easy

Overnight neither the temperature nor the dew point dropped below 70, which pretty much says it all. Got the morning jog in, the planned afternoon run drowned in a sea of errands, fatigue and apathy.

Thu 9/30 - PM 70 minutes

Area 51, feeling quite tired at the start and sore of course in the ankle, pace dawdled for 20 minutes or so before finally getting going. Somewhat surprisingly I was able to do pickups on the way in, my expectations have been getting more and more modest what with all the mounting trouble spots. The needle is closer to injured than healthy right now. Gloomy overcast and disgustingly humid, really just gross. Climatically the month of September has been a disappointment with the heat wave to start and muggy garbage at the end, with a lot of overcast and vaguely dank in between. A bummer.

Wed 9/29 - double, 90 minutes total

AM - 25 minutes easy. Left ankle becoming the source of much worry. Especially stiff in the morning of course which doesn't help. Humid, of course.

PM - 25 minute jog to Elm Bank from WMS, watched the HS meet for a good long while, 40 minute roundabout jog back.  Troubled all day by how sore the ankle was this morning, did a lot of pressure, cross fiber friction, you name it, on the soleus. First few steps out the door were difficult to say the least. In time it loosened up enough that  I was moving reasonably well but far from okay. Quite warm and humid.

Tue 9/28 - double, 60 minutes total

AM - 25 minutes easy. Ankle stiff and creaky, which has become the norm. Ugh.


PM - 35 minutes. Planned on doing a workout of 2k reps, but it wasn't happening. Did the warmup jog up Waltham Street and some half-assed drills, feeling flat and listless all the while. Got 300m into the first rep before realizing it was pointless. Energy levels really low, surprisingly so. Left ankle becoming an all-consuming concern, stiffness taking longer and longer to dissipate after starting a run. Adductor area felt great at work all day, felt alert and awake as well, but not so much on either count once I started actually running. Humidity continues on and on, with rain to boot. Heavy downpours on the drive home. Not pleasant, and not drying out anytime soon.

Mon 9/27 - double, 90 minutes total

AM - 30 minutes very easy. Left ankle and right knee tight and sore, took a few minutes to loosen up.

PM - 60 minutes, round trip to and from 10 Spencer. Stiff and sore on the trip out, but the return trip felt much better and smoother than I ever would have expected. Feeling good enough to do five pickups on the way in, didn't feel that bad on the left  leg.

Sun 9/26 - AM 80 minutes very easy

On the flats of GMNWR. About as sore as expected, but motivation and energy levels lower than I thought they'd be and so the length of the run was cut short. Went to bed early last night and slept soundly, but it'll take more than one night of this to make a dent in the underlying fatigue I've been feeling. Left thigh tight and sore, couldn't have gone much faster than the putter I was doing. Much cooler today, not as humid either but still more sticky than I'd like. Did some biking in Cambridge after the run.

Sat 9/25 - double 95 minutes incl. half marathon in 1:19 plus 24 minutes in Walden

Poor effort, exacerbated by truly awful weather. The conditions more typical of mid-August prevalent through the night as well, had a difficult time sleeping as a result. Feeling flat and low energy from the moment I got out of bed. Strike two was of course the left leg, which has been going downhill the past two weeks, since the 20 miler I suppose. Last weekend's misadventure didn't help any. Ankle/achilles also not right, can't pin it to a specific day or run. The whole leg is not right at all, and if it doesn't improve over the next month the marathon will be no fun at all. Weather completed the gloomy picture, seemed warm while warming up but at least the sun was behind clouds then. Soon after the race started the clouds moved out and it got a lot more uncomfortable. Didn't seem quite as bad as I remember it being 3 years ago, but still no picnic. Gusty wind served only to offer resistance, no cooling effect whatsoever with the humidity so high. Stayed as conservative as I could early on, tried to hang on to the last money spot but it became clear by mile 3 that it wasn't to be. Get it over with mode started no later than mile 5. I was fully aware that the pace was going to go straight to hell and didn't care one bit, just trying to minimize the damage. At about halfway I dialed it back so as not to overextend myself and melt down and end up in an ambulance. That thought process doesn't happen with me typically. Used the last 10 miles to practice drinking water from cups while on the run, which was valuable I suppose. Last 3 miles, which included the worst  of the climbing, went in 19 minutes. I'd like to say it was a cooldown, because I didn't run a step after crossing the finish line, but in truth it was somewhere between racing and jogging.  Finished 2 minutes out of the money and almost five minutes ahead of the next finisher after me, which is ridiculous. After finishing, I watched multiple ambulances going back and forth along the course fetching people who had wilted, and the awards ceremony was delayed while the race director got more water.

PM - 24 minutes in Walden. Rode the bike over from Emerson field for what will in all likelihood be the final aquajog of the season. The water is definitely getting too chilly to take without a wetsuit, which I realized about two thirds of the way along. The first 10 minutes were glorious though, shedding all the heat from the stultifying and gross day.

Fri 9/24 - PM 40 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Laying low for tomorrow. Left heel less stiff than yesterday but still not in a great place. Hip stuck, for a change. Disgusting heat and humidity all day, which made it possible and desirable to get in the water. Bracing and very refreshing, usually when it's this warm outside the pond is warmer because it's the beginning of August.

Thu 9/23 - PM 60 minutes easy

round trip to 10 Spencer. Run was fairly nondescript, stayed on 27 for much of the trip back as it was getting dark. The big news was how sore my left ankle was all day at work, painful to walk up stairs, the whole bit. Did some direct pressure on the area just above the talus and lateral to the achilles, the issue feels more peroneal than achilles. Loosened up some after 10 minutes of running, hopefully will feel better tomorrow. Cooler today but still fairly humid.

Wed 9/22 - double, 90 minutes total incl. 6x1600

AM - 25 minutes easy/very easy. Left leg has felt better and felt worse. Much warmer this morning as compared to yesterday morning, no surprise with SW wind blowing since last night.

PM - 65 minutes incl. 6x1600 back and forth on the first mile of the Longfellow loop. Recoveries just over a minute. Very down in the mouth beforehand about how this would go in terms of the adductor locking up on me, but it wasn't an issue in the end. Splits all between 5:30 and 5:34, which is what I was going for, but I was also going for 8 reps not 6. Relatively comfortable and relaxed most of the way, but I could feel myself running out of gas on the fifth one. Decided that discretion was the better part of valor. Saving myself for Saturday mainly, a seventh rep would have been ugly never mind 8.  Unseasonable warmth and humidity didn't help, but still an underwhelming session on the whole. Feeling tired and beat down right now.

Tue 9/21 - double, 90 minutes easy total

AM - 30 minutes, most of it very easy. Chilly weather, under 40 degrees for the first time in a while. As a result I overdressed. Better safe than sorry. Left leg stuck, ankle and hip both.

PM - 60 minutes easy, Area 51. While at work, did a lot of work on the ankle, found a big adhesion in the lowermost soleus between peroneal and achilles which felt much better after some hands-on work. This in turn made the ankle feel better on the run, although the adductor and psoas are still plenty tight and sore. Actually got some stretching done after the run today.

Mon 9/20 - double, 90 minutes easy total

AM - 30 minutes very easy. Haven't been able to run before work in a long long time, now a possibility since I don't have to be there at 7 AM everyday. Silver lining and all that. Left thigh predictably stuck in a knot. Not stretching nearly enough lately.

PM - 60 minutes easy, to and from 10 Spencer. Headed out via rail bed all the way to Stow Road, back via Martin Street. Leg locked up most of the time, paying the price for the weekend. And the lack of stretching. Cool dry day with a strong NNW wind blowing pretty hard at times.

Sun 9/19 - AM 90 minutes incl. 3.6 mile road race

The back end of the ill-advised weekend double went better than expected. Sluggish and unmotivated warming up, hobbling around on the left hip which was tight and sore after yesterday. Some last minute direct pressure on the TFL area ended up being a life-saver as it released the worst of the sticking and opened up my stride so that I could run halfway comfortably. The area remains an ongoing mess though. Lingering fatigue and tiredness left me feeling quite vulnerable on the starting line. In the end though ran alone from the gun, felt relaxed if not particularly quick. Splits of 5:15, 5:30, 5:16, and 3:14 for the last bit. The location of the second mile marker seems to vary a bit from year to year, this year it seemed a bit further down the road. Easy relaxed 45 minute cooldown in Area 51. Feeling pretty satisfied with myself for pulling this one out of the fire until I looked at previous years' results. Hard to believe I cruised through 3 miles in under 15 minutes on this thing three years ago. I could have done the same three months ago when I was fit and running track races, but even that now feels like it was three years ago, before the left adductor and iliopsoas started plaguing me in August. Avoiding any fast stuff, even strides, of course leads to no sharpness in the legs at all right now as a result. Weather conditions generally favorable if a little on the muggy side.

Sat 9/18 - AM 60 minutes incl. 5 mile road race

My sandbagging plans went for naught in Greenfield today, based on prior results I figured I could cruise the flat 5 mile course at a sub-maximal pace, slower than what I ended up doing, and take the win. It was not to be. Them's the breaks, of more concern was how terribly sluggish I was throughout and how crappy the left leg felt pretty much from the start. Left ankle, which has been stiff at the outset of many runs lately, was more so today, made for an awkward warmup. For no good reason, I tried keeping up with second place for 1.5 miles which just put me deeper in the hole and aggravated the leg. Gave up that charade and dialed it back from there, but the effort still didn't match the pace and not in a good way. Cooldown was a lot shorter than planned because I couldn't muster the interest to do it quite frankly. The two races in two days gambit looks like it could be a big miscalculation, not looking forward to tomorrow at all when I should be excited for the hometown throwdown.

Fri 9/17 - PM 80 minutes

Late start for no good reason, gloomy overcast skies, left leg locked up for the first 20+ minutes, went too fast for what should have been a recovery day. Overall not a stellar day. Felt better at the end than at the beginning at least.

Thu 9/16 - PM 85 minutes incl. 10x1000

Back and forth on the Longfellow Loop, 200m jog between reps. I came to realize that it was either going to be a half-assed attempt at circuits (omitting the walking lunges of course after last week) or resumption of some form of interval training after over 3 months break from it. Went with the latter, had to get back on the horse sometime. Jogged up the road and dove right in with the first rep, too lazy to do drills beforehand. First rep went by in 3:25, subsequent reps within 3 seconds of this either way. Recoveries just under a minute by and large. I was originally shooting for slightly slower pace, and thought the first one was going to be unsustainable. This turned out to not be the case, although there were moments where I felt possibly overextended. Less tired/exhausted than expected upon finishing. Left adductor started barking about halfway through the workout and got tighter after that. Not to a debilitating degree but it's still an issue, definitely affected more by the faster pace of the reps compared to the slower type of running (in some cases much slower) I've been doing lately. On and off showers, quite heavy for a time, while I was out there. Cool and humid throughout.

Wed 9/15 - PM 80 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Legs seems to be most of the way back from Sunday, although left hip rotator remains stuck. Energy levels still low, so pace remained easy although I did pick it up a bit on the way in. Breezy and relatively cool, if this keeps up my days in the pond are numbered.

Tue 9/14 - PM 65 minutes easy including 20 minutes in Walden

Today's run picked up where yesterday's left off in terms of pace and relative intensity. Legs are feeling better, although left hip rotator was stuck and pinching at times. Yesterday's dip in the pond definitely helped, as did today's. In both cases, better range of motion and less soreness after getting out of the water. Sunny all day and relatively warm, nice day to be outside.

Mon 9/13 - PM 70 minutes very easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Easy, easy, easy putter after yesterday. The whole point was to get to the pond so the legs could spin weightlessly and hopefully get a mild anti-inflammatory effect from being in the water. The first few minutes were in slow motion, which is not an exaggeration. Embarassingly so in fact. Very gradually legs de-stiffened, and felt much better after getting out of the water, but still never faster than a light jog at any point. Warmer than yesterday but still on the cool side, with partly sunny conditions giving way to overcast by the end of the workout. Thankfully I finished before heavy t-storms rolled through.

Sun 9/12 - AM 32k threshold run

The long-awaited (and feared) 20 miler on the Longfellow loop. Plenty to worry about going in, what with the left adductor that's been tight and/or stuck for the past 6 weeks, and the hip flexor that I strained on Wednesday. After that little accident I was ambivalent about even doing this even though it's been in the works for a while. Gave it a go anyway. Splits as follows:

5:54 5:57 2:50
5:50 5:54 2:52
5:54 5:54 2:53
5:52 5:57 2:51
5:52 5:53 2:52
5:51 5:54 2:51
5:52 5:56 2:55 (stopped to pick up gel that had fallen)
5:51 5:54 2:51
tacked on an extra 400m in 89 seconds to make up for the 40m shortfall on each lap.

Overall very consistent, good to know I can rattle off an effort like this even with the various muscle strains. Of course the flat nature of the loop made it easier to hold the pace. Got into a groove within the first few miles and made it a point not to deviate from that, for fear of cratering later on. I may have been capable of a slightly faster pace, or more of a negative split, but the goal was to finish the entire thing first and foremost. The difference between the 15 miler I did last month and this time was noticeable, mainly in how much more sore I felt after it was done. Tightness and fatigue spread into upper body (shoulders and back), legs wobbly. Not totally fried from an exertion standpoint, but getting close to the end of my rope the last two loops. Psychologically I feel like this has helped with the patience needed to race a marathon. Good practice taking fluids and gels as well. Conditions were generally quite favorable, cloud cover returned overnight which kept the temperature down. Somewhat humid but cool enough that it didn't matter. Warmup was riding my bike up Waltham Street to the start of the loop and some half-assed drills, cooldown was riding my bike back down the road.

Sat 9/11 - PM 45 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Light day running wise, although I did spend a lot of time outside with the river cleanup in the morning. Lifted many many tires out of the muck. This left me a bit tired for the run, took it easy for the most part. Tried a moderate pickup on the way in as a test of the right hip flexor before tomorrow's long effort, it held up well enough. Nice day to be outside, the cloud cover of the past two days broke along with warm temps.

Fri 9/10 - PM 75 minutes

Area 51. Chose to forgo the pond, which wasn't that difficult a choice given the continued overcast windy, cool conditions. The main reason to hit the refuge though was the flat terrain to prevent any aggravation of the hip flexor. Started slow, very tired and sluggish, but over time the pace increased and both hips felt better. Encouraging on the whole.

Thu 9/9 - PM 85 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Newly problematic right hip flexor was about what I expected it to be today, i.e. deviations from the flat and slow are problematic. Took it slow throughout as a result. Extremely frustrating, waiting for it to heal and hoping that jogging won't exacerbate it in the meantime. Left adductor felt better by comparison but still somewhat stuck. Fun times. Overcast and windy all afternoon, gave things a gloomy feel. Decent sized waves on the pond, at least by pond standards. Water still plenty warm enough of course, as the jellyfish can attest but getting out and being raked by the wind wasn't that pleasant.

Wed 9/8 - PM 45 minutes

Things came to an abrupt halt today when I strained a hip flexor on the right side doing walking lunges as part of circuits. Despite the fact that I've been doing them each week for the past month, I wasn't doing them properly today and paid the price. Bagged the rest of the workout, did a few easy laps jogging before calling it a day. The decision not to even try to get to the pond was made easier by how tired I was feeling as well. Hopefully this latest bit of outrageous fortune will be more of a blip than a major setback, remains to be seen.

Tue 9/7 - PM 75 minutes very easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Dragging ass today, to be expected after the past two days but somehow it still came as something of a surprise. Run was similar to last Monday's, only a bit shorter. Stayed in the woods around Walden while avoiding the more serious terrain. Sticky air has returned but not to the extent that it was last week, and the temp was at least bearable. Persistent SSW breeze made for some waves on the pond.

Mon 9/6 - AM 80 minutes incl. Mt. Greylock road race

Never easy, this time seemed a bit harder than usual though. Still, able to finish the thing off and hold off the nearest competition with a time under 54 minutes in cool sunny conditions. Didn't sleep especially well last night after the owl serenade at 2:30. Also still feeling the deep-seated exhaustion that's been plaguing me since last week's slog through the heat and humidity. In hindsight, packing three hard efforts in 8 days was not the smartest thing ever. As such, felt quite lethargic warming up. Not much of a warmup as a result. More than happy to let others set the pace early, that lasted a little over the mile before I found myself unwittingly and unwillingly in the lead. The early steep switchbacks were particularly onerous, mainly because I wasn't fully alert yet. Just before halfway it felt like I had overestimated what pace I could reasonably recover from on the lower steeps before the middle, flatter portion. At this point I was convinced I would be passed and left behind. Came close to being passed at the water stop but after that some kind of second wind kicked in and I was able to maintain a higher work rate for the flatter stuff. The one notable hill between 5 and 7 miles nearly put me under which left me very worried that I'd get hauled in on the final mile, an uphill death spiral. Focused on short strides and being efficient and this ended up being enough. Finished feeling more wiped out than I have recently after any effort, I dug deeper on this one to be sure. Cooldown was a light jog in the summit parking lot before eating lunch and then hiking down on the AT, which was good except for the ridiculously steep descent off of Prospect Mtn. Left adductor and psoas sore but not to a debilitating degree, happily.

Sun 9/5 - AM 1:55

Quasi-long run in Williamstown. Very similar route to two weeks ago without the NW Hill/Hopkins Forest part--i.e. Stone Hill to Mt. Hope, around the back of Deer Ridge to Hopper and back on 43. Psoas still bothersome but not as stuck as yesterday. I had concerns that it would plague me throughout the run, getting worse as I went along but not as bad as that. Took a half hour or so to wake up fully after getting nearly 9 hours of sleep last night. Deep-seated exhaustion right now. After dropping down Potter and Hopper road for a good while, hit rout 43 and picked up the pace substantially the rest of the way in. Gusty winds were mostly at my back when I did this but plenty of swirling. Dry and cool compared to what we just went through earlier in the week.

Sat 9/4 - AM 90 minutes

In Northfield, from boat ramp to ridge trails, down Louisiana and Staddle hill to rt. 63 before heading up to the TV tower. Shortened a planned longer run (i.e. 2+ hours) which was a no-brainer. Had I gone over Burt Hill it would have been ugly. Tired, flat and lethargic, had to get everything packed in the morning which led to a late start. Left adductor and psoas tight and sticking, which got worse over the course of the run. The whole experience was less than enjoyable, glad to be done more than anything else. Dry and sunny today, but the past four days of unrelenting humidity and heat took their toll.

Fri 9/3 - PM 70 minutes very easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Some soreness after yesterday of course, incl. right plantar which was tender from the moment I stepped out of bed in the morning. Doesn't feel like anything major though. Very tired, the pre-race caffeine didn't have much of an effect if any during the race but it did the job of keeping me up last night. First 40 minutes or so of the run were mellow like Monday's run but not quite as slow as that. There followed a 20 minute break while I looked for the Devil's Staircase which evaded detection for some time. This involved clambering around the steep parts of Fairhaven hill, and when I came back down all energy was gone. Temperature finally below 90 but if anything it's more humid today than yesterday which is saying something. Utterly disgusting.

Thu 9/2 - PM 60 minutes incl. 5k road race

Decidedly lackluster effort at Magnolia, 16:34 with mile splits of 5:07, 5:17, and 5:35 on the rolling course. Fried in more than one sense, I could feel this probably wouldn't be anything to write home about from the word go. Terrible conditions with sky high humidity and temps in the low 90s even right next to the ocean. Took 90 minutes to get there, feeling flat and tired from the moment I arrived. Caffeine made no difference. Still thought I might be able to vulture a win as the field wasn't that competitive, with the notable exception of the winner who utterly owned the race. I had no chance needless to say, didn't know it the first mile and so gave chase until I couldn't which was soon after the mile mark. Spent the rest of the race in get it over with mode, then looking for a hose with which to drench myself as I was completely overheated. Left hip held up well to the stress of the rolling terrain, some stiffness but no limping or staggering on the cooldown which is the real test. However it did stiffen up on the ride home, typical iliopsoas behavior I suppose. In hindsight, stacking this race on top of the 20k on Sunday was asking a bit too much. Doing them both in the steam bath weather is asking for trouble.

Wed 9/1 - PM 75 minutes plus 25 minutes in Walden

Another day of disgusting soul-crushing humidity. This and concerns over how the iliopsoas was reacting to yesterday's circuits had me less than optimistic going into the run. All things considered left hip came out of it slightly better than hoped, although there's definitely an adhesion firmly entrenched in the adductor. Also some twinges in the hammy. Getting in the pond was even more of a relief than it was yesterday.

Wed 8/31 - PM 70 minutes incl. circuits plus 20 minutes in Walden

Approached the circuits today with some trepidation as the left adductor and hip are still smarting from Sunday's effort. DOMS in calves as well, although that's much less of a concern. However, it was today or not at all for getting the circuit done, soldiered through. Iliopsoas sore and tender, responded somewhat to direct pressure but needs continued attention. Hoping that I can get out of this without months of ongoing lingering nonsense, we'll see. Oppressive humidity returned with a vengeance today, quite a contrast from the past few days of hot but dry conditions and a real bummer. Getting in the pond was a huge relief after slogging through the miasma.

Mon 8/30 - PM 95 minutes very easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Plenty of sore spots after yesterday, both calves feeling it from the hills as well as the left hip/adductor area of course. Took it slow from the outset and after 25 minutes or so of the shuffling, most of the aches faded away. Took the opportunity to putter around Hapgood forest on trails I have yet to try, forgiving terrain which was nice. The bulk of the run was quite relaxed and mellow and more enjoyable than I would have ever expected. Another hot day but still with a low low dewpoint which made for a truly spectacular evening. I had finished up by then but it was a pleasure just to be outside for it.

Sun 8/29 - double, 1:40 incl. 20k road race plus 30 minutes in Walden

AM - Marshfield 20k. In short, I raced toe to toe with the eventual winner for just over 10 miles and then blew up, falling almost a minute back in the last 2 miles. Course was deceptively hard with lots of rolling. The pace fluctuated with the rolls of the course as can be seen below, effort was fairly consistent. With the multi-loop layout I got a preview of the stretch that would later be the 11th mile and I knew after the first time through that bit would decide the race. As it turns out, not in my favor. Felt smooth until the wheels fell off, but also felt like I couldn't go any harder without putting myself into serious difficulty. Quite concerned with the status of the left adductor and iliopsoas, which started to tighten up around 2 miles. It never got to the point where I felt debilitated but upon finishing I could definitely feel it. Familiar routine for the last month since returning from Colorado, thankfully not as severe as it was at Sandown. Still, something's not right with the area and I feel like I'm picking the scab every time I run hard and long on it. Downhills especially problematic, I'm left wondering what I might have done to it on any of the various mountain frolics last month. Very warm temps, downright hot really, which I wasn't really focused on at all since it wasn't at all humid. In hindsight though the heat did take its toll, one more waterstop would have been nice as well. Barely warmed up, the temps made it somewhat irrelevant and I don't think it had much impact on how the race went. Pace was quite slow the first (flat) mile anyway. Cooldown a 20 minute crawl, half-limping half jogging. Again, it was much worse after Sandown but that was pretty awful.

Mile splits:

6:00
5:30
5:53
5:34
5:32
5:50
5:51
5:48
5:35
5:43
5:59 good night Irene
5:43 downhill to flat, perfect for flying but I wasn't capable
2:38 last .4


PM - 30 minutes in Walden. Desperately needed both to cool off and get some pain-free range of motion in my left hip after the race this morning. Used my bike to access the pond from the usual parking spot, which was key as I had no desire to run another step on the aggravated adductor and iliopsoas. Flexibility in the affected areas appears to be a secondary issue to general weakness. Another day without a cloud in the sky, by mid-afternoon the sun had become quite oppressive.

Sat 8/28 - AM 70 minutes plus 24 minutes in Walden

Started out as an easy putter around Great Meadows, pace eventually got a little quicker by the time I reached the pond. Similar pattern to runs previous in the week in that left leg became tighter as things went along but not to quite the same degree as Thursday. The flatter terrain had something to do with that. Second sparkling day in a row, not a cloud in the sky and comfortable humidity levels.

Fri 8/27 - PM 75 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Clear, dry day, not a cloud in the sky. Left leg not as locked up as it was yesterday although still somewhat tight, and like yesterday felt worse as the run went along. Still able to do pickups on the way in, something that hasn't happened for a while.

Thu 8/26 - PM 90 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Ever-increasing tightness and stiffness in left leg put a damper on the run, focused on the hip rotators-TFL area and radiating down from there again. Running on the trail around Farrar Pond didn't help with the rolling up and down. A bummer because it was a nice day to be outside and energy levels starting to bounce back again. At least the llamas were back in the corral. Drying out quick after the past three plus days of rain thanks to breezy conditions.

Wed 8/25 - PM 70 minutes incl. circuits plus 20 minutes in Walden

One more day of rain-soaked conditions thanks to the slow moving cutoff low. Cool temps at least. Tired after work, carried over to the start of the run but felt more alert after 20 minutes or so of running. Left leg, which has been stiff and cranky of late from the hip on down, was moderately better today and gave me less trouble than expected during the circuit.

Tue 8/24 - PM 90 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Another day of dank depressing gloom, wind-driven rain all day. Having some flashbacks to the twin deluges of March, but the temp today was mild enough to make it merely a nuisance. Not planning on hitting the pond originally but with the water being warmer than the ambient temp it was a no-brainer. Energy levels still low, got to bed earlier on the weekend while camping than I have been during the week before or after. Left hip rotator/TFL still tight, and got tighter over the course of the run and this didn't help matters any.

Mon 8/23 - PM 45 minutes easy

puttering around Area 51. Very tired and very flat after collapsing for a nap following the ride home from work. No thought of going to the pond today as yesterday's showers have metastasized into a despicable cutoff low that set up shop offshore and resulted in gloomy rain and unseasonably cool weather all day (and the next two days in all likelihood). Tempted to take the day off but thought an easy shakeout would help my legs after the past two days. Not sure that it did, left hip tight which made everything down the line tight and pinched as well.

Sun 8/22 - just under 70 minutes up Mt. Greylock

Stiff and awkward to start, didn't coincide well with the painfully steep switchbacks early on. Bathroom break at Wilbur's crossing which was halfway in terms of time (not distance). Started moving better after that of course, not just because the road flattened out some. Last few miles in good rhythm overall if a little tired from yesterday. Weather turned to shit overnight, storm clouds moved in ahead of schedule and the last two miles or so of the road were in the clouds. Completely drenched at the top, changed into dry clothes and after a break in the lodge rode back down the mountain and got drenched all over again.

Sat 8/21 - AM 165 minutes

longest run by time for a good while that didn't also involve long stretches of hiking in Colorado. Started from the Spring St. lot in Williamstown, headed to Mt. Hope via Stone Hill, up to Deer Ridge after a loop around Mt. Hope, back to town via Hopper and rt 43, then over to Bulkley and NW Hill road to Hopkins Forest, heading back from there. Took a while to get going, left leg tight and stuck from yesterday's climbing and took a while to shake things out. Finally started to move well on the trip back from Deer Ridge. Stopped for fluids at about 1:55 and then headed up NW hill, which is longer and steeper than I had remembered. Surprised to not suffer more for not refueling more consistently. Excellent weather conditions probably had something to do with it.

Fri 8/20 - PM 70 minutes

Afternoon stop in Northfield while en route to the Berkshires. Staddle Hill to Louisiana Road, up as far as the reservoir and then across the ridge and down. Felt better and moving faster today than yesterday, although left leg is still stuck in the TFL/adductor area with radiating tightness down the leg to my shin. Sunny, breezy warm and dry conditions, excellent for this time of year.

THu 8/19 - PM 90 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Energy level too low for anything faster than jogging today, not that it should be a surprise given the late bedtimes this week. Left TFL a bit stuck after yesterday's circuits. Warmer than yesterday, getting to the pond was even more of a relief.

Wed 8/18 - PM 60+ minutes incl. circuits plus 20 minutes in Walden

Felt a little better today than what I was expecting given how little sleep I've gotten the last few days. Despite thick overcast that rolled in partway through the circuits, it was still a relief to get in the pond.

Tue 8/17 - PM 55 minutes easy

Puttering around Brookline and Brighton. Reminded of why I don't frequent the city in the summer--it's hot, the air quality sucks and shade is harder to find. Still feeling the effects of Saturday, not sleeping enough since then hasn't helped any in that regard.

Mon 8/16 - PM 50 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Late start after waiting fruitlessly for t-storms to pass through the area. More tired than usual, moving slowly as a result. Sticky but not overly hot.

Sun 8/15 - PM 80 minutes very easy

chose to sleep in rather than run in the morning, and stick to the flats of GMNWR rather than the hillier terrain around Walden. Both no-brainers after yesterday. I did plan on hitting the pond but the initial loop on the flats took longer than I thought and it was getting late. More tired than sore from yesterday.

Sat 8/14 - double, 2:15 total plus 20 minutes in Walden

AM - six laps on the Longfellow loop, plus the trip there and back down Waltham Street as warmup/cooldown. First crack at a long effort at something resembling marathon pace. Woke up with left hip feeling tight, ruining my mood and putting the whole enterprise in some doubt. Still some sticking of adductor attachment on lower ilium which was just galling. Not at all optimistic at the outset as a result. Waiting for left leg to shrivel up and die but it never really did, although the adductor and iliopsoas were certainly was sore by the end. Had a sliver of doubt on the fourth loop about whether I'd make it without blowing up, but realized on the fifth loop that those concerns were unfounded. Took fluids at the beginning and end of the even numbered laps, and a gel just past halfway. This all went smoother than I thought it would, squeeze bottles helped with that. Happy and quite frankly a little relieved at the end.

Splits:
6:02/5:55/2:53
5:57/5:57/2:52
5:52/5:56/2:53
5:52/5:56/2:52
5:53/5:55/2:52
5:51/5:52/2:49

conditions near-perfect like yesterday, dry with a breeze that was more refreshing than annoying.

PM - 30 minutes very easy plus 20 minutes in Walden. Like last Saturday, an aquatic shakeout. Legs stiff in general and left hip somewhat sore but nothing at all like last Saturday thankfully. More humid than the morning.

Fri 8/13 - PM 70 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Right hip/TFL/high hammy twinging more than I expected, discouragingly so in fact. Got progressively tighter as the run progressed until I stopped for the dip in the pond. Finished with the locus of soreness shifted to lower back/SI joint as it often does. Not left in a positive frame of mind for tomorrow's effort. It occurs to me that the left leg issues could also be related to the ongoing stiffness in the left ankle, something I haven't really thought about but it's just been there for a little while now. Not sure when it cropped up but I think it may have been after one of my wacky adventures in CO last month. Regardless, need to continue putting the time in on flexibility work or else I'm sunk going forward. Conditions just about perfect for this time of year, warm but dry with a breeze.

Thu 8/12 - PM 95 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

More tired than usual after work today, took a while to get going as a result. Gradual pace increase, second half of the run substantially faster than the first. Small tight spot in left high hammy all that's left of last weekend's adductor strain, at least for now. Cooler and more overcast today than it has been lately.

Wed 8/11 - PM 65 minutes plus circuits and 20 minutes in Walden

Left thigh has come a long way from where it was Saturday when I could barely move. Still some tightness at lower iliac attachment, but SI joint not as sore today. Somewhat tired by the end of the run. Less humid today, much more comfortable.

Tue 8/10 - PM 95 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Further improvements in the status of the left thigh and lower back, encouraging after being very stiff and sore in the morning while at work. Much of the soreness centered around SI joint in lower back. Generally, the run was a smoother less hobbling version of yesterday's. Moved out of the initial putter phase more quickly and less restriction in range of motion in the left leg throughout. Still warm out but not as hot or humid as it was yesterday.

Mon 8/9 - PM 90 minutes plus 24 minutes in Walden

Very slow and rickety at the outset, left hip/adductor/back has improved markedly from yesterday but still a long way to go. Range of motion increased over the course of the run, but still not the same as the right leg, plus some swelling/stiffness in upper quad to go along with everything else. Pace mostly easy as a result. Also kept things low-key thanks to the return of hot and humid conditions, no desire to force anything at this point.

Sun 8/8 - AM 2:15 very easy plus 24 minutes in Walden

Not sure if I'd be able to run at all today after yesterday's unexpected blowup with the left adductor. Woke up not feeling quite as bad as when I went to bed but still nothing so great. Gave it a try in hopes of things loosening up over time. Moving very gingerly and extremely, mind-numbingly slow at first. Range of motion in left leg microscopically small during the first 35-40 minutes of superslow plodding, gradually the leg did loosen up just a bit with less pain and stiffness. Pace increased somewhat but still quite slow. Kept it there for the rest of the run. Could have run for many more hours at this speed, relaxing if very boring. The time spent in the water felt the best once again, able to move the leg through the full range of motion. Spent nearly an hour stretching after the run. Still at a loss to understand how the left side came to be aggravated so badly by yesterday's race, the answer has to be some kind of previous injury/aggravation to the area while I was in Colorado. Avoiding a recurrence of what happened yesterday is another matter entirely, the current stretching/strengthening protocol apparently isn't sufficient which is troubling.

Sat 8/7 - double, 90 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden, incl. 5m road race

AM - Sandown road race. Did enough to win, took more than expected and I don't know how much faster I could have gone. First mile of the race was controlled, had more company than expected. It would appear the time spent at altitude recently was key, as I established a 10 second or so gap by 3 miles using the uphill sections and then held on to it from there. The uphill fourth mile was not so fun, hoping to be able to coast in on the last downhill mile but had to do work until the last 200m or so to ensure the win. That wasn't so fun, leg starting to lock up on the downhills (more on that below). Splits of 5:22, 5:08, 5:19, 5:53, 5:13. Conditions pretty much perfect for this time of year.

The most salient aspect of the race was how badly the left adductor locked up immediately after finishing. Didn't notice it so much during the race, focused on the effort and all, although in hindsight it was starting to get sore the second half of the race. The adductor got tighter and tighter after finishing, to where I could barely move 10 minutes later. Spent the next half hour with a lacrosse ball trying to work out the spasm which of course was in the worst most inaccessible spot. Eventually tried a cooldown and could barely move on it, more of a limping crawl. Difficult to express how surprising the acuteness of the aggravation is, esp. in light of the leg feeling better yesterday after stretching. It all goes back to the original aggravation/injury in January running on the slippery roads in Newton, but hadn't been bothering me of late. Noticed some stiffness last week after running in Waldo Canyon. Could have been from the descent of Longs Peak, the lack of stretching last week, or all of these. Whatever the case, the area is a mess again.

PM - 30 minutes very very easy plus 20 minutes in Walden. Desperate to get in the water to get the range of motion going in my left hip, the problem was getting to and from the pond. Unable to run in any recognizable form, had to stop twice on the way out to do direct pressure on the afflicted area. The water running helped it feel better somewhat, but still not really ready to run on it for the trip back to the car. Adductor, iliopsoas, TFL are all very sore and tender right now.

Fri 8/6 - PM 50 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Easy recovery back-off day, needed for various reasons. Tired at the end of the work week, racing tomorrow, and of course don't want to aggravate the adductor any further. It felt better than yesterday during the run, but I feel that more substantial gains were made in the post-run stretching, felt much better after that routine. A noticeable difference from before the run. Delightfully dry day, breezy with strong gusts as the disgusting miasma is scoured out.

Thu 8/5 - PM 80 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Mostly easy pace on the run today, right leg twisted up in a knot. Adductor feeling better but favoring it has tightened up the TFL, lower back, and even the IT band a bit. Diligently stretching after runs, something I missed a few key days last week while still in CO, hopefully it will pay some dividends soon. Right now there's a knot in my lower back, those are obnoxiously stubborn. Continued tired, not as bad as yesterday though. Humidity at its worst in the morning through early afternoon, finally it broke somewhat with a passing t-storm. Before that it was truly atrocious, dew point well over 70.

Wed 8/4 - PM 70 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Easy 40+ minute jog around GMNWR, then two rounds of a basic circuit which I've been wanting to integrate into the routine for a few weeks now. Didn't look like it would be possible with the strained adductor but it felt better over the course of the day. Broke up the monotony of "just running" anyway. Humidity worse today than yesterday, obnoxiously so.

Tue 8/3 - PM 80 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Hit hard by exhaustion this afternoon, surprised by it but I suppose I shouldn't be. Not sleeping enough and the travel catching up to me. Left adductor felt borderline terrible at work today, it all added up to taking it very easy today on the run, a complete no-brainer. No aggravation of the leg, a gentle day was what I needed in more ways than one. Humidity has returned in earnest, breezy and overcast but the dew point is sky high.

Mon 8/2 - PM 95 minutes plus 24 minutes in Walden

Not quite the effort I was hoping for. Turns out the left adductor is definitely tweaked, and doing the pickups at the end of yesterday's run wasn't a good idea at all. Left leg/hip/lower back got progressively tighter and stiffer as the run progressed, and my stride got shorter and shorter as a result. Certainly a bummer, hopefully a few days of TLC will resolve it. Humidity returning as well, made the dip in the pond roundly satisfying.

Sun 8/1 - PM 65 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Back to sea level. Spent most of the morning and some of the afternoon sleeping off the inevitable effects of the red eye flight back. Got something of a late start as a result which cut the length of the run short a bit. Moving relatively well, certainly easier with the extra oxygen available. Some soreness and tightness in the left adductor continues, a parting gift from Longs Peak I'm afraid. Did four pickups on the way in despite this, remains to be seen how it'll feel tomorrow. Delightfully dry conditions, not what I was expecting.

Sat 7/31 - AM 70 minutes

Waldo Canyon trail. Extremely scenic as advertised, but much more climbing than I had bargained for. Given the out and back nature of the trail this made it difficult to get into a rhythm early on. Left adductor tweaked a little bit, probably from yesterday's hike and scramble. Pecs and delts definitely sore from the scramble, used my arms a lot more than I'm accustomed to doing.

Fri 7/30 - AM 7 hour hike/run at Longs Peak

Repeat of last year's excursion with a much better result in that the summit wasn't shrouded in the clouds. Ran for barely an hour at the start of the climb up, I could feel my body rebelling against the notion of that kind of effort at that early an hour, again. Walked the rest of the way up and down, no big deal since getting to the top and being able to see what's there was the goal of the day. The uppermost part of the trail was an engaging challenge both up and down with the scrambling. Got down just in time to avoid the cloud deck moving in and covering everything above the keyhole.

Thu 7/29 - PM 40 minutes easy

Slow putter along the creek path. Feeling it not so much from yesterday but from the days on end of not getting enough sleep, going back to last weekend.

Wed 7/28 - AM 6 hour run/hike on Pike's Peak

All the way up and down the Barr Trail, a bit over 3 hours up and 2.5 down. The stretch above Barr Camp is indeed difficult, a different world from the lower stretches. On top of the thinner air, I was surprised at how rough the trail surface was in places. It felt like I was sidestepping boulders much of the time. The uppermost stretch was a fight to keep moving forward, closest I've come to feeling altitude sickness, became tough to think straight. Summit was surrounded by rapidly developing clouds by the time I got there, a bummer. 30-40 degrees cooler at the summit than the base. A surreal experience to reach the top and find a restaurant/gift shop with all the amenities, but the bathroom and water fountain came in handy. Not planning on doing much if any running on the trip down, no wish to fall again like last week in the race, but after getting off the highest steeper stretch I found I was able to run at a moderate pace with a reasonable sense of security that I wouldn't eat shit. Finished feeling tired but nothing like Saturday's mega-hike. Post-run soak in the creek was maybe the highlight of the day, legs felt much better for it.

Tue 7/27 - AM 70 minutes

out and back on Magnolia Road. Cut the length of the run short due to my legs feeling a lot more flat and dead than I had expected. Started west of the 606 trailhead which meant the trip back was both uphill and into the wind, not exactly a masterstroke there. Pace varied somewhat but was at times very slow. Sitting in the creek after the run was one highlight of the day.

When I was here last month, I noticed this sign on the bulletin board where the pavement ends:


it has since been joined by this one, the other highlight of the day for me:

Mon 7/26 - AM 60 minutes very easy/easy

To Washington Park and back, an easy and flat run which was very necessary after the past two days. Quads feeling tender and sore, but improved over the course of the run to where the pace went from really slow to just slow.

Sun 7/25 - AM 90 minutes

Last run in Crested Butte, on the Green Lake trail the difficulty of which I severely underestimated. Had I read this beforehand I would have known what I was getting into. Climbing, climbing and more climbing. 50 minutes out, 40 on the return trip. Some stretches were better than others in terms of footing with a section of talus right near the top that was no fun whatsoever. How people ride bikes down this thing is beyond me but apparently it's quite popular. It occurred to me on the way down that this wasn't the best thing for my quads the day after yesterday's mega-hike, but it wasn't too bad. Back and shoulders at least as sore as my legs from carrying the backpack all day yesterday. The trip wouldn't have been worth it without taking pictures of course: