Thu 10/11 - PM 40 minutes

The "less is more" program continues. Ran with the kiddies out and back along the aqueduct. To my great surprise there was no all out sprint at the end. Overall the pace wasn't what I would call easy but it was reasonable and somewhat relaxed. Yesterday's extremely minimal cooldown didn't result in any undue soreness today thankfully. Sunny day with a fairly chilly and quite persistent NW wind blowing much of the afternoon.

Wed 10/10 - PM 40 minutes incl 2x4k

Something better than nothing, as they say. After a delightful afternoon spent getting drenched in a miserable rain at the kiddies' meet, parked next to the Maynard track at just before 7. Parked at the track in Maynard because I knew if I parked in my driveway I wouldn't be making it up the street. Warmup consisted of jogging 200m around the track while trying to decide what the hell I was going to do for some type of threshold workout. Settled on 2x4k in the midst of doing the first 4k. Very well thought-out in advance, the super late start had me quite frazzled and rushing about mindlessly. Soon after settling on the number and distance of reps, decided to pick up the pace with each km. Planning on taking splits at each kilo for later reference but I missed the line on the first split. As a result took splits at 1600 and 3200 instead for the first rep. Splits as follows:

5:58
5:38
2:44 (14:20 tot)

3 minute recovery then the second one, which I was able to split each km:

3:38
3:30
3:25
3:17 (13:50 tot)

Considering I wasn't checking the watch after the second lap or so of each rep, the cutdown in pace went as well as I could have hoped. Working hard but not killing myself by the end of each one. Cooldown not quite as brief as the warmup but still not exactly optimal, on the order of 6 minutes or so. Aforementioned rain had finally stopped by the time I got going after a day of obnoxious showers, with a NW wind starting to scoop things out.

Tue 10/9 - PM 50 minutes easy

Area 51. Still tired but maybe not as much as the past couple of days. Took it easy throughout, but happily I was able to do some short pickups/strides on the way in which is all I was hoping for. Right hammie stuck more than I had anticipated, a leftover from Sunday no doubt.

Mon 10/8 - double, 90 minutes easy total

AM - 25 minutes easy. Another pre-breakfast shakeout. Not as sore as I expected to be after yesterday.

PM - 65 minutes easy, Area 51. Hit the trail after a long afternoon nap. Much of the run was in the darkness thanks to the later start. Right hammie a bit stuck, calf somewhat sore, but overall not terribly so. Still tired though and that seems unlikely to change in the near future.

Sun 10/7 - AM 75 minutes incl. 5k xc race

Another one-meet cross country season at Wayland. Feeling flat and listless from the moment I woke up. The coaching season exhaustion is beginning to get its claws into me and combined with the always extended convalescence from illness, it was hardly a surprise. Warmup was certainly a decent amount, but didn't feel fully awake or ready to go no matter what. The first 1200m of the race felt much more difficult than it should have, before things stabilized somewhat. Spent the last two miles of the race in no-man's land. Thought for a time I was bringing in a group up ahead but that was pure delusion. Course layout different from last year FWIW. I prefer the way it was this year despite the slower time for me. Finished feeling more tired than spent. Right hammie still twinging a bit but the calf held up to the ups and downs of the course as well as I could have hoped. Longish cooldown on the trails of the Greenways. Thankfully, the predicted driving rain didn't materialize, overcast and humid but on the cool side.

Sat 10/6 - double, 75 minutes total

AM - 30 minutes easy, Area 51 outskirts. Quite slow at the start, quite stiff from yesterday's rollercoasterish run. Picked it up markedly in the last 10 minutes mainly to get to the bathroom. Tired.

PM - 45 minutes, Area 51. Two mini-progressions in effect, one lasting 25 minutes then 20 with a break in between at the culvert. Slept away a good chunk of the afternoon, still sort of groggy. Somewhat sticky and kind of warm for this time of year. Right hammie somewhat stuck.