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.