Fri 5/13 - PM 90 minutes very easy

Errand run to Acton, rail bed to Great Hill, 111 to W. Acton Center and back via Mt. Hope and rail bed. Straight recovery all the way. First time passing through Great Hill in a long while, pleasantly nostalgic. Left leg about as stiff as one would expect given yesterday's longer effort. High hammie felt locked up most of the way, better after post-run stretching. Sunny but cool, the overcast threatening skies of the past few days have moved off but the wind remains from the east.

Thu 5/12 - PM 90 minutes including 16k progression run

Longfellow loop x4. Able to remain smooth throughout, despite some concerns about the left hip stiffening up on the second and third laps. Some stomach issues in the last 2k the only real downer, full-on clench mode near the end. Splits:

6:05/6:03/2:57
6:00/6:01/2:57
5:57/5:53/2:51
5:52/5:49/2:49

progression didn't feel as gradual as it may look on paper, seemed like the effort jumped a bit more from second to third lap than first to second--or third to fourth for that matter. After more gloomy overcast most of the day, clouds broke in late afternoon. Still breezy but not as windy as it was the last time I ran here on Monday.

Wed 5/11 - PM 75 minutes easy

Lincoln woods, with drills on Pine Hill. Some stiffness in the left ankle but the rest of the leg not feeling that bad. Took it easy overall. Overcast and breezy, cool conditions persisting.

Tue 5/10 - PM 75 minutes easy

Started slow, got slower towards the end. Mainly a function of the left hip tightening up over time, TFL/glute area feeling sore by the end of the run. Related of course to the SI joint area which was tight as well, lots of work with lax ball there after the run. Cool and windy conditions with a passing shower, pretty dismal quite frankly.

Mon 5/9 - PM 80 minutes incl. 6x1600

Longfellow Loop. Session went well considering how dead tired I felt yesterday and the still somewhat uncertain status of the left leg. After considering various options decided to stick with a simple straightforward workout. Didn't bother checking splits after the second rep, trying to run on feel instead. It did get harder the last two to maintain what felt like the same pace, not coincidentally this is when the left adductor and hamstring started to become fatigued. Nevertheless, the effort felt controlled and I was able to maintain throughout with 1 minute jog recoveries. Wind was a factor, more in my face on the even numbered reps as the numbers show:

5:23.2
5:28.3
5:22.1
5:30.7
5:22.7
5:26.5

Cooldown was very slow.

Sun 5/8 - PM 45 minutes very easy

Area 51. Late start, long day driving back from MTL, not a huge surprise to find I was completely flat with utterly dead heavy legs. Cut back drastically on the originally planned length of the run as a result. Yesterday's AT adventure not the best thing for the legs either.

Sat 5/7 - AM 80 minutes

In Hanover NH, stopping on the way to Montreal, thought it might be fun to run along the AT for a stretch. Should have known better. Ran what felt like the longest 4 miles of my life, certainly among the rockiest and steepest, before finally reaching the haven of a paved road and taking it back to town. More up than down in the woods, as evidenced by the long, long, downhill in the last 10 minutes. From the chunks of the trail I've been on--admittedly a very small sample--it sure seems like the designers went out of their way to pick the path of most resistance. The part that was so steep that there was a climbing rope tied to a nearby tree was not totally surprising in that context. So steep in places I could barely run, not the best thing for the legs on the way down. Slipping and stumbling on muddy rocky surfaces, etc. Legs more fried than I would have preferred, but again, should have known better.

Fri 5/6 - PM 85 minutes incl. 4(400-300-200-100)

Finally the much-delayed leg prep session comes off. Very doubtful about this one due to both the ongoing soreness in the left thigh and lower back as well as being dog-ass tired from all the too-late bedtimes. Happily, I found while doing drills after the warmup jog that the leg felt better than expected. Given the less than totally demanding nature of the workout I was able to get through regardless of how strung out I might be. Started with only the vaguest of ideas of what kind of splits I could or should run, but erred on the conservative side and wanted to feel like things were under control. Times were nothing spectacular as a result, 400s @76 or so the first two sets and 73 the last two, 300s around 55, 200s 35-37, 100s 17-18 depending on whether or not I was running with the unrelenting wind at my back or not. Some fatiguing in the left thigh but manageable throughout which was the most encouraging thing about the session. Warmer today than the past few days but the aforementioned wind made for a cooler feel.