Mon 12/30 - AM 65 minutes easy

Walpole. After a sloppy overnight mixed bag of a rain/snowstorm, I had the brilliant idea of taking to the nearby rail bed in snowshoes. Realized after less than five minutes that the snow wasn't deep enough to require their use, and more than that reminded of why I stopped running in snowshoes in the first place. It's an awkward pain in the ass. Took them off and left them by the side of the trail and proceeded the rest of way without them. Eventually got to River Road and ditched the path for the (slightly) better footing. Road was a mess though with slush everywhere. Retraced my steps but using the route 12 main drag instead of the rail bed so as to avoid the slippery footing on the snow. Some stiffness in right hammie, I haven't been giving it the normal TLC the past two days.

Sun 12/29 - AM 70 minutes easy

Walpole. Up the Old Drewsville Road to Valley and back via Upper Walpole and 123. Lots of roll of course given the locale. Plenty stiff, right calf tight. Pace never got far beyond an easy putter.

Sat 12/28 - 50 minutes incl. mile, 4x220, 2x200, 220

Harvard. Another instance of changing things up and going inside at the last possible moment. Mild temps but lots of wind and I really didn't feel like doing anything on roads. Looking to do turnover and this workout fit the bill well enough. Felt compelled to start the workout with a cruise mile, once again more effort than I would have liked but as least I was able to progress the pace if only just. Six minute recovery before starting on the shorter stuff. Ideally looking to do the first set of 4 at mile pace on a minute rest, then the pair a bit faster on 90 seconds rest, then finish with a flourish. After finding the range on the first set, put on spikes for the pair and pushed it a little harder, then a long break before really diving in and going a whole tenth faster than the previous two. Such is turnover at the moment. Leg held up fairly well to the faster running esp. considering the long workout two days ago.

82.3-80.0-79.1-78.0
5:19.4
6R
34.7 (68.5) 36.0 (59.6) 35.1 (58.2) 35.7
4.5R
32.9 (88.3) 32.9
4.5R
32.8 - nothing if not consistent

Fri 12/27 - double, 75 minutes total

AM - 30 minutes easy. More snow yesterday afternoon, a dusting this time but enough to negatively impact footing on roads that weren't plowed and/or heavily trafficked. Which in Maynard is most of them of course. Hopefully it will warm up enough to melt it off eventually. Right thigh somewhat stiff from yesterday but better after rolling it out post-run.

PM - 45 minutes, Levittown. Held back on both length and intensity of the run this evening in anticipation of working out tomorrow. Mellow run as a result, footing improved for the most part over the morning. Warmer than it has been but still not exactly balmy. Ran around all afternoon doing various errands, old hat for most but after a couple of delightfully languorous days previously I found the running about to be an annoyance. Boo hoo.

Thu 12/26 - AM 75 minutes incl. 6x1200, 4x100

Harvard. Indoor track not yet open so this was done outside. Despite the chilly temps and snow shower that lasted for the middle three reps I preferred to do this on the outdoor oval given the number of laps involved. Glorified tempo run with 200m jogs between each rep. Locked in right away to the modest pace that I maintained throughout, as the first five reps were all within a half second of each other clustered around 4:23. Last rep in 4:21 thanks entirely to a rousing final 100 meters. Worried that I might be overextending myself around the 4th rep but those worries were unfounded. More spread in the recovery intervals than in the actual reps, still less than two seconds spread clustered around a minute apiece. This was fairly tiring despite the unimpressive pace, or more like I'm still not fit at all. Also feeling a bit the effort from last night's run. After jogging three laps very slowly, tried to get a little turnover in running the straightaway with the wind at my back followed by 300m jog recovery. The first one was nothing but awkward as the right hammie had begun to stiffen up after all the laps I had just done at threshold pace. The rest of them were smoother at least. I knew better than to time any of them.

Wed 12/25 - double, 85 minutes total

AM - 30 minutes easy. Took longer than I would have liked to get out the door, making this the shorter of the two runs today. I had planned on things being the other way around so as to maximize time spent in the daylight. Took the briefest of detours into the very outskirts of Area 51 (Maynard TF) incl. the path up and over the bluff overlooking Crowe Park. Predictably awful footing and snowpack conditions with the rain followed by subfreezing temps. Makes for cement-hard snowpack that eventually gives at pushoff. Perfect for snowshoe running I'm guessing.

PM - 55 minutes, Tiger Drive to Longfellow loop. Started to press the pace a bit after the first 15 minutes, mainly because I could. Right leg feeling fine, for a while at least. Realized around 40 minutes or so that I was ever so gently aggravating it, slowed down somewhat after that. Still moving relatively well for much of the run. No more frozen fingers despite the cold temps thanks to hand warmers, but the toes on my right foot got quite cold by the end. From inadequately insulated shoes I suppose.

Tue 12/24 - double, 85 minutes total

AM - 30 minutes easy. Easy putter around the neighborhood. Right leg feels better than I would have expected given all the track stuff of late. Still overcast but the weather is starting to turn.

PM - 55 minutes easy, Levittown. More active recovery after a long afternoon nap. The standard loop back here hasn't yet become old hat but I'm sure it will fairly soon. No chance the trails will be anything resembling clear anytime soon alas. Colder weather arrived but not that windy at least.

Mon 12/23 - double, 85 minutes total incl. 6x600

AM - 30 minutes very easy. Pre-breakfast shakeout, somewhat stiff and creaky. Cold and rainy conditions.

PM - 55 minutes incl. 6x600. Not originally planning to this type of workout or workout today (as opposed to tomorrow) however the opportunity presented itself. A bit leery of getting back on the track with just the one recovery day but the legs felt okay throughout. Morning shakeout and an afternoon nap probably had something to do with this. Workout was written as 5 reps at mile pace with twice the time spent in recovery between each. Since the person I was running them with was supposed to go just a bit slower than my date pace I tacked on a sixth. This is precisely the kind of training I've eschewed for the most part but thinking maybe I should reintegrate it once a week for the next month or so. The long recovery intervals made for a unique experience in fact. As I should have known, the pace ended up being just a bit faster than the 37 seconds/lap that was laid out. Until the last two reps which were even quicker than that. For the most part the split pattern was a slightly faster first lap followed by two roughly equivalent laps (i.e. 36/37/37 or thereabouts). While working hard towards the end, overall it felt under control. Splits:

1:50.1 (3:38)
1:50.0 (3:37)
1:50.3 (3:30)
1:50.4 (3:34)
1:48.6 (3:33)
1:47.7

With the rain having intensified over the course of the day, the warmup and cooldown were both inside, cooldown very short.

Sun 12/22 - AM 80 minutes easy

Lincoln woods. Strapped on the yaktrax and slogged my way on the trails. Slippery footing a given, but not enough to keep me out of the woods. Wanted to see what the recent warm spell had done to the snowpack. Unsurprisingly, lots of slushy conditions with the well-trodden trails serving as a catchbasin for the rain that's fallen. Thought about truncating the loop I had in mind originally for a quicker way back on the plowed sidewalk but thought better of it and stayed on the trail throughout. Not the best footing for the day after racing on the track but the intensity level was suitably relaxed. Hip flexors feeling quite sore totally from dealing with the footing.

Sat 12/21 - double, 75 minutes total

AM - 45 minutes incl. mile track race. Ran reasonably well for 7 laps, cratered on the 8th. Splits:

69 (just under 34 for first lap)
72
73
76 (last lap 39)
4:50 total

No idea what to expect coming in, but something along these lines was definitely a possibility. All I knew for sure was that I'm not as fit now as I was a year ago for my season opener then. After a warmup that was nothing if not thorough, started out well if a little bit too fast. Felt things starting to slow by halfway and I knew my laughably optimistic seed time of 4:40 would be a bridge too far. Still thought I could control the deceleration such that the final time would be in the mid 4:40s. Made a move approaching 1000m that in hindsight was massively ill-advised, should have stayed put and tried to continue following the person I was behind at that time. Even at the 3/4 mark, I figured I'd be able to hang on and nip under the time of the last mile race I did back in July. However the bill came due the last 300 and especially the last lap and the wheels fell off. A couple of awkward stumbles in fact as I nearly lost my balance on the turns. I'm hopeful that I can improve my fitness level from where it is now to where I think it has to be for the old fart olympics in February. The hamstring only indirectly to blame for all this, in that it prevented me from doing the kind of threshold work I had done in the fall of 2012. That type of base fitness, impossible to acquire through merely jogging in the woods, is sorely lacking right now. Whatever fancy physiological term is used for it what's needed now is the ability to be more economical at faster speeds. The first lap felt surprisingly controlled for being a bit on the quick side, so it's not like the turnover is non-existent. Cooldown was minimal as I went directly from the meet to the game afterward. Right leg feeling as good as it has for a while.

PM - 30 minutes very easy, Fresh Pond. Continuation of the cooldown in effect. Leg stiffened up after sitting and walking around downtown Boston the bulk of the afternoon. The run itself a dreary sloppy mess, with warmer temps the snowpack is wasting away and puddles everywhere including some stretching the entire width of the path.

Fri 12/20 - PM 35 minutes

Winter St to Tiger Drive. Took forever to get going after a hellish commute home from work that included turning around partway to go back and get my stupid phone which I left on my desk. No choice but to retrieve it really but what a pain the ass. By the time I got home feeling dead tired and took to bed for far too long. The late bedtime has become firmly entrenched with predictable effect, even though I'm no longer on the overextended coaching schedule of the fall. As for the actual run, just looking to put in a modicum of time as a shakeout. Right leg feeling better thanks to using the foam roller beforehand unlike yesterday. Did a few short pickups on the way in, felt fairly decent. Unseasonable warmth came in overnight and should be around for three days, should be interesting to see how much of the snowpack wastes away. Hoping for tracks to become clear would seem an idle hope of course.

Thu 12/19 - PM 55 minutes easy

Levittown. Bare pavement mostly, for the first time in almost a week it seems. Took it easy of course, stiffness in the hammie and butt throughout which was an annoyance. Forgot to use the foam roller before starting and rueing that oversight, with what's been ailing me it helps a great deal both before and after. Took a fair amount of time to get out the door anyway, feeling tired as usual. Somewhat warmer today, a sign of things to come according to forecasts.

Wed 12/18 - PM 60 minutes incl. mile, 2x(440, 330, 220, 110)

Harvard. Late start, split warmup between outside and in. Right thigh not exactly cooperating but I was able to do the workout without any blowups. Took a good while to loosen up though. After the lengthy warmup routine incl. drills, started with a mile that was supposed to be a progression but wasn't and felt a lot harder than the cruise it was supposed to be. Five minutes jog and then into the first of two sets of 4-3-2-1 cutdowns. Did the final set in spikes, first time wearing them since the mile race in July. Splits:

mile 5:15.3 (78.6, 79.8, 78.1, 78.7)
5R
71.8 (92.7)
54.2 (65)
35.9 (31.1)
18.1
6:08.8
5R
71.0 (93)
53.2 (62.1)
35.3 (32.1)
17.8
6:04.7

Looking to see if I have any turnover at all. Not sure about that, but dull fitness is quite clear. Just under a year ago I did two sets of the cutdown as well and the total time for each set (1 mile worth of running) was 20+ seconds faster. All of this difference coming from the recovery intervals after the 400 and 300. Despite this I'll give it a whirl on Saturday.

Tue 12/17 - 45 minutes easy

Tiger Drive to Sheridan. More snow, coming down at a furious rate by late afternoon. A testament to how much I detest the treadmill that I ever set foot out the door. Really no justification for trying to give it a go but I knew I'd be going no further than 45 anyway and decided to embrace the absurdity of it instead. Yaktrax a given, in fact skis or snowshoes would have been perfectly appropriate on just about every road in town. Went straight for the school campus where I knew the driveways would be at least somewhat plowed. Right calf has that nasty tight feeling like it did a year ago when I was running on indoor tracks and in the snow. Ahh, winter.

Mon 12/16 - PM 80 minutes

Tiger Drive to Longfellow loop and McMansionville. I had hoped rather naively that the roads in Sudbury would be in better shape than those of Maynard. If anything they were worse, and left me wondering if the plow drivers had been given specific instructions to keep above the pavement. More cynically one could ask if the various contractors just didn't want to put the blade all the way down. Either way found myself running in packed snow most of the way. The only roads clear of the stuff are the ones that are too crowded with traffic to be remotely safe to run on. Despite the poor footing I was able to increase the pace somewhat towards the end. Both calves tight, the right one more so, I think from the slipping around yesterday. Right hammie not as bad as I thought it might be. Quite cold with a breeze but I was actually dressed for it this time, no frozen fingers to contend with.

Sun 12/15 - 60 minutes easy

Levittown. Snow arrived in earnest overnight, awoke to about 8 inches on the ground. Spent about 90 minutes on shoveling, in two separate bouts. This left me dead beat after lunch, with a long nap being the result. In addition, very annoying nasal congestion arrived yesterday seemingly directly upon finishing the workout. Not especially motivated to do anything very impressive as a result. On top of that the roads were in atrocious condition, no exaggeration to say that one could successfully ski on many stretches of "plowed" road. Made for a slog of a run and more slipping than I'd care for. Cold but the wind from earlier in the afternoon slacked off somewhat after sunset thankfully. Right leg could be worse after yesterday's workout but still enough of a hitch that I was compelled to do compressions on it afterward. Could really use a picnic table edge for that right now but they're all buried in snow of course.

Sat 12/14 - PM 65 minutes incl. 4(1100y, 220)

Harvard. Spent the morning staring down the barrel of having to do something of quality in miserable sub-freezing temps. Getting to full procrastination mode when I realized that the track was open for business, and within 15 minutes I was on the road heading into town, impending snowstorm be damned. Mulling over various potential options for the workout, decided on the new standby of km reps (imperial version) alternating with 200s with 200 jog recoveries. Originally going to put this particular session off for a week. Looking to do at least 4 and possibly 5 reps, although it became clear that 4 would be my limit. Splits:

3:27.9 (52.0) 36.7 (52.5)
3:27.4 (50.4) 37.4 (53.6)
3:26.4 (51.9) 37.3 (54.3)
3:28.2 (52.2) 38.0 jog 110 in 32, last 110 19.2
23:17 total

Aiming for something in the 3:30 range for the longer reps, able to hold that line well enough. Surprised that the recovery jogs stayed relatively consistent. On the down side, the faster I tried to go the more the right hamstring was a problem. This made the 220s something of a joke. Fighting a losing battle as the thigh as a whole began to lock up more and more towards the end. Looks to be a holding action at best for now in terms of keeping the leg in a condition where I can race on it. When I did this session last year about this time, it was 5 reps instead of 4, outside. Progressed the 1000s then with relative ease, something that wasn't happening today. Warmup entirely under cover, part of cooldown as well. Bundled up for a quick jog across the river to pick up lunch before heading back home as the flakes began to fly.

Fri - off

Not originally planning to take a zero today, in fact I was mulling over heading into town to do a workout indoors as it would be my only chance over the weekend. With the awful weather forecast that idea had some attraction but in the end too tired to see myself pulling it off. In fact, too tired to see myself pulling off any kind of run period. Continued bitter cold weather contributed to this decision too. Right leg feeling off and stuck which was a source of frustration, possibly some unperceived slipping yesterday even though I had traction with the yaktrax.

Thu 12/12 - PM 80 minutes easy

Area 51. Not willing to let go of the trails just yet, thankfully the cold dry conditions that have followed Monday and Tuesday's gloomy winter mix made for near-perfect conditions for the yaktrax. Just over an inch of desiccated wind-packed snow with crunchy remnants of what was slush 48 hours ago underneath. From 5 to 20 minutes of the run were pure suffering thanks to frozen fingers, not helped by the overly drawn out process of getting the damn yaktrax on my feet. It seems the gloves don't exist that are capable of preventing this phenomenon. By the time I got to the Puffer Pond fishing pier everything felt toasty and no problems the rest of the way with the fingers. Other than that, right thigh feeling pinched and stiff with restricted range of motion. Much better after doing a good amount of rolling and stretching afterward.

Wed 12/11 - PM 65 minutes incl. 5x3 minutes, 4(60 sec, 30 sec)

Levittown. Out the door relatively early to get this done as I was had no time to waste before going to the ballgame in town later on. 15 minute jog warmup and then right into the first 3 minute rep, with a minute recovery between each. From the get-go the right hamstring was feeling hung up and stuck, which contributed to a weak and compromised feel to my stride overall. No idea exactly what type of pace I was carrying but it didn't fee that I was moving particularly well. By the last two reps I had to be careful not to wear myself out on the first minute. Some of this could also be from general fatigue, certainly justified in not trying to workout yesterday as it would have been a waste of time. After the longer cruise intervals were done took a 5+ minute break before doing the shorter stuff. 90 second jog after each 60 second pickup, 60 second jog after each 30 second pickup. The leg actually felt a bit better while doing these but started to stiffen up as soon as I was finished. Relatively short length of the workout kept me from being totally wiped out afterward but even so I was pretty tired by the end. Brief cooldown was all I had time for. Colder weather firmly entrenched, with a moderate wind.

Tue 12/10 - PM 50 minutes

Tiger Drive to Longfellow loop. More snow, crap on top of yesterday's shit. Trails inaccessible for the time being as a result. I may have done my last session on an outdoor track for a while as well. This complicates things for the week in that my chances to get indoors are today and Friday. Brought my stuff to work with me with the idea that I'd give it a go, but by the end of the day I knew I was too tired and sore for it to be worth the time and effort. Need two days after Sunday's race even if it means having to go on roads. Snow and temps falling through the freezing line made for slick and at times near-treacherous conditions on some side streets. Despite this the pace was actually on the quick side for a good chunk of the run, likely due in part to the fact that I knew it would be a shorter run. Right ankle stiff from yesterday's slip-slide but felt better after stretching afterward.

Mon 12/9 - PM 80 minutes easy

Area 51. Garbage weather arrived in full force today, snow followed by rain making for the most dismal footing possible, i.e. slush everywhere. Not particularly deep but plenty enough to ruin footing on anything not paved and cleared. Looking for a very mellow active recovery putter, should have stuck to roads but unable to stay away from the trails. Went with screw shoes, as much for insulation as traction and made a conscious effort to keep the effort easy. Noticed near the end of the run while taking a break that the right medial ankle was stiff and sore, possibly from the race but more likely from the inevitable slippage on snow underfoot. Hard to express how much I loathe this specific type of weather.

Sun 12/8 - AM 60 minutes incl. 5k road race

Further confirmation of lack of fitness. A year and a week after cruising 5:10 pace on this pancake-flat layout I could only manage 5:30 pace this time around. While the course was altered slightly, something I found out on the starting line, the change from last year's lollipop out-and-back to a straight out-and-back cost at most a second or two thanks to the 180 degree turn at halfway. Colder this time around too but not prohibitively so. What was clear within the first minute or two after the gun was that I was feeling as flat as the course and this would be a chore. Within the first 800m I was passed and put into fourth place by another old fart. Tried to latch on but it was apparent to both of us I think that I was working too hard to pull it off and as result lost contact soon after the mile mark (reached in 5:16). After this break I could feel myself slowing. Second mile slipped to 5:40 as I was in the process of mailing it in but holding out what seemed like vain hope that one of the two guys in hailing distance would fall apart. To my surprise that's what happened with most of the gap disappearing between 800 and 600m to go. Went from hoping to be in range for a final sprint to making the pass earlier than I would have liked and playing keep away until the line. This added motivation brought the 3rd mile to something in the 5:30 range, yippee. Once assured of holding off the nearest guy behind me I stopped pressing quite as much, although no early cooldown was in the cards. Overall the effort felt quite taxing, and certainly like it should have yielded a faster pace. While the right leg held up reasonably well once again and is certainly much improved from where was a month or so ago, I have to wonder to what degree it's compromising my economy and making it harder to run a given pace. Also a bit overextended with all the stuff going on over the weekend up to this point but that's not a poor excuse. Cooldown was a very slow putter around the parking lot. I had every intention of tacking on an easy half hour shakeout in the afternoon but when the time arrived for it I could tell it wouldn't be happening after all.

Sat 12/7 - AM 70 minutes easy

Area 51. More easy jogging, too early to do much else. Right thigh even stiffer than it felt after yesterday's run, lack of stretching and too much sitting around will do that. Some foam rolling after the run made it feel a lot better. Last night's weather culminated in the first accumulating snow of the season but it didn't last long and was mostly gone by the end of the run. Overall a nice morning though with no wind and clear skies.

FRI 12/6 - PM 45 minutes easy

Area 51. No time to run any longer or I probably would have. Easy putter with right hammie predictably stiff from yesterday. Finished up just as fairly insistent rains were coming in, although not too cold out yet.

Thu 12/5 - PM 60 minutes incl. 3200, 5(200,100)

Looking to do something along the lines of glorified strides, but couldn't resist tacking on the 3k (actually ended up being 3200m) that was edited out of Monday's workout before moving on to more leg prep-ish turnover stuff. Felt a bit stiff-legged while warming up but better after drills. Had it in mind to go 85-84-83 pace for each successive km of the 3200. Hit these numbers but in hindsight maybe should have aimed for 86-85-84 or even 87-86-85 instead. Last couple laps were more taxing than I would have liked. Mostly recovered after 5+ minutes for a series of 200s followed by 300 jog and 100s followed by 200 jog, so 800m for each set. Trying to build into each 200 and get as much turnover as possible on the straightaway throughout. Certainly felt like I was ripping along great guns but the numbers would beg to differ. The gap between perception and reality isn't that surprising, hopefully will diminish over the next few weeks. Right hamstring a bit stuck but still able to maintain a decent stride cycle. Big improvement over even a few weeks ago. Splits:

3:31.7 - 3:28.5 - 3:27.2
last 200m 41.5 - 11:08.9 total

5.5R

36.7 (97.3) 18.4 (61.5)
36.8 (93.2) 18.1 (63.0)
36.9 (91.5) 18.4 (64.9)
36.9 (93.6) 18.1 (63.8)
36.8 (93.6) 18.8 (32.9) 18.4 last 100

Same temperature as Monday's workout but more humid with a miasmic fog enveloping everything.

Wed 12/4 - PM 75 minutes easy

Lincoln woods, with drills on Pine Hill. Decided it was time to get back on the horse with regard to the drills. Noticeably less bounce to them from what I remember way back in September, not surprisingly. Other than that a relaxed jog through the woods.

Tue 12/3 - PM 60 minutes very easy

Brook Path in Wellesley. Out and back at a very slow pace much of the way, with a noticeable hitch in the giddy-up thanks to right hamstring being predictably stiff after yesterday's workout. Not putting any time into stretching post-workout yesterday didn't help any. Took it quite easy until the last 15 minutes or so when the pace dropped quite a bit, although not saying much as it was fairly glacial before that.

Mon 12/2 - PM 65 minutes incl. 4k-2k-1k, 2x200, 2x100

Edited workout that ended up being a pleasant surprise. Hamstring felt iffy at best during the day, continued pinched feeling all day at work. Did some rolling on the TFL/IT before heading out the door and it seemed to help a lot. After mulling over various options, decided to do a straightforward 4-3-2-1 cutdown. However, a combination of running the 4k a bit too quickly from the outset and underlying fatigue made me rethink doing a session of that length and so the 3k was scrapped. Had I continued as planned there would have been a stall by the middle of the 2k if not sooner. Decided to tack on a little bit of turnover, such as it is right now, with the glorified strides at the end. That took the form of a 200, 200 jog, 2x100 with 100 jog, then another 200. All told 1k more of running. With so much time away from doing harder training of any kind, never mind on the track, judging pace and effort was difficult. This resulted in the too-quick pace early on with the 4k, incl. a first 200m in around 42 seconds when I wanted it closer to 45. Certainly the methodical cutdown in pace within each rep wasn't really happening. More importantly though, the hamstring held up to the strain, even at the end with the shorter faster stuff. Splits:

3:36.9/3:33.3/3:32.4/3:32.8 - 14:15.4
4R
3:30.4/3:31.6 - 7:02
2R
3:26.7
4R
37.2 (59.1 jog)
18.7 (30.3)
18.5 (31.9)
37.9

Dank conditions with temp pegged at 40 degrees and high humidity but no wind to speak of. Warmer than I expected it to feel in fact.

Sun 12/1 - double, 60 minutes total

AM - 30 minutes easy putter around Walpole. Back and forth around the center of town. At one point tried running in a plowed field which would have been easier to do before the ground froze. Right hammie stuck after skipping out on doing most stretching and core work yesterday evening. Felt somewhat better after some time with the roller afterward. Dull gray morning but again very little breeze to speak of.

PM - 30 minutes. Squeezed in a second short run after getting home for a rather wimpy double. Better than nothing. Pace was decidedly quicker than the morning. Unable to shake a pinched feeling in the right thigh/butt, lots of sitting in cars the past few days. Got back to stretching routine afterward. Gross rain for much of the afternoon thankfully vacated by the time I was ready to hit the road, but still gloomy and dank conditions.

Sat 11/30 - AM 45 minutes very easy

Walpole. Moseyed up the road towards Drewsville at a snails' pace, veered off onto the snowmobile trail which eventually led me to Mill Pond. Took a good long while to feel anything but half-asleep but still worth the while. Right hammie locked up to start, ankle very stiff as well after negotiating the leaf-covered ascents yesterday. Both loosened up somewhat but I needed to do some work on the roller afterward. Quite cold but thankfully no wind.

Fri 11/29 - AM 75 minutes

Northfield Mountain. Running up and down the side of the ridge maybe not the best way to recover from racing up and down the hills at Maudslay SP yesterday, but unable to resist the trails. Up via Tooleybrush, 5 minute break at the summit, down via 10th mountain before heading back up and in on some of the same trails as the kiddies' course. Hamstring stuck from yesterday, somewhat better after doing compressions on a picnic table at the summit. Of course a lot of descending after that likely undid whatever I was able to release in the muscle. Made for a slow cautious descent. Picked up the effort once I headed back up and across the ridge until the end of the run, finished feeling fairly spent. Cold, clear and still, lack of wind much appreciated after yesterday's finger-freezing episode.

Thu 11/28 - double, 90 minutes total incl. trail 5k

AM - 60 minutes incl. 5k on the trails of Maudslay SP. A nice place to visit, if not under the best of conditions as the wind was howling off the river all morning (and day). Combined with an early start, the focus was more on surviving than thriving. After a fairly ridiculous start in a field of tall grass and lumpy footing that involved running a rather ill-defined and curved route around widely dispersed cones, the course went into rollercoaster mode for at least a mile after that, down then up, then up some more then down then up again. Leveled off for a time, long enough to get into a decent rhythm before going back down again. Then a final climb back up the same trail as the initial descent, where I picked off one last straggler. Kind of figured the time would be as mediocre as it ended up being, and it was clear I wouldn't be winning the old fart division a couple of minutes in when I got passed definitively by the guy who did. Lack of any kind of useful fitness made plain, the past two months of mostly jogging will do that. Still, I was happy to be able to do a longish cooldown without the right thigh locking up completely. That would have certainly happened as recently as a couple of weeks ago after racing on a course like this. The most painful part of the race was the state of my hands after racing in the cutting wind with only a thin pair of gloves, made for a very uncomfortable 15 minutes or so directly after finishing.

PM - 30 minutes easy. Shakeout after a long nap and before dinner and stretching. Right hamstring and butt sore but not incapacitated, after the up and down pounding this morning I'll take it as a good sign. Wind subsided a bit but still cold.

Wed 11/27 - PM 50 minutes easy

Area 51. Not quite as energetic as I was expecting or would have liked following a short day at work. Perhaps the length of yesterday's run had more of an effect than originally anticipated. I had hoped to do some short pickups on the way in but didn't feel particularly inclined at first, but ended up doing them anyway but in somewhat half-hearted fashion. Right thigh feels fine now under light strain (i.e. jogging) and minor pinching when going faster than that. Rainy and mild conditions all day, I thought it was cooling off by the time I got out the door but it was warmer than expected.

Tue 11/26 - PM 90 minutes easy

Lincoln woods. Exactly the low key effort I was looking for. A few minor stumbles in the woods but the headlamp is working out better than I had hoped overall. I did get turned around on the trails near Sandy Pond but that might have happened even in broad daylight for the particular spot I was in. Right thigh feels better today than the day after last week's similarly slow-paced "workout" on the track so I'm hopeful things are heading in the right direction. Another visit to the picnic table at the end of the run for compressions but the adhesions in the belly of the muscle weren't nearly as extensive as 10 days ago. Gloomy overcast, light snow shower in the second half of the run.

Mon 11/25 - PM 55 minutes incl. 3 (800,400,200)

More running at 6:00 pace on the track. Taking one for the team as it were, my penultimate coaching obligation of the season being pacing one of the kiddies. All the reps were at or near 90 seconds a lap, with 100m jogs as recovery and 3 minute or so easy lap jog between each set. Right leg less locked up by the end of it than it was after last week's workout. Still not out of the woods but it seems like it may finally be getting better. Stretching and foam rolling key to all this. Chilly and breezy but nothing like yesterday.

Sun 11/24 - AM 90 minutes

Lincoln woods, with a visit to both Farrar and Walden ponds. A day completely dominated by the weather, in this case an absolutely hideous NW wind that made yesterday morning's conditions seem like a gentle breeze. The woods offered some respite from the worst of it but still not exactly pleasant and my hands were completely frozen for the first 20 minutes. The Farrar Pond trail wasn't the greatest choice at this time of year, with leaves covering the trail and obscuring roots in some spots. Had to tread very lightly at times. Picked up the pace a decent amount over the last 20 minutes, more of an effort than I was planning on putting forth in fact but it felt reasonable enough. Some stiffness in the right hammie but given the uneven footing and coming off yesterday's workout it seems to be doing better on the whole.

Sat 11/23 - double, 90 minutes total incl. 2x3k

AM - 60 minutes incl. 2 sets of 3x800/200 in/out running. After surviving (more or less) Wednesday's slow track session I've decided to soldier on with faster-paced stuff in hopes that the right hamstring holds up to it. Looking to break back into it somewhat gently however, and this workout seemed like a good way to do it. Aiming to run 800m in about 3 minutes, ideally with negative splits, then a 200 at 90% effort or so, repeated 3 times. Had some trouble judging the pace, unsurprisingly, and went out in under 42 for the first 200m of the workout. Things settled in for the rest of the first rep, then a reasonably short break before repeating the whole thing again. Splits:

2:59.2 - 39.4
2:59.7 - 39.6
2:56.8 - 39.2
10:53.9

3.5R

2:57.9 - 38.2
3:00.0 - 39.8
3:01.8 - 38.9
10:56.6

Ideally I'd like to be able to do something like this 3 times instead of 2 esp. given the very slow pace. In fact by the end of the second rep I was digging far deeper than I would have liked just to try and (unsuccessfully) hold the line at 90 second pace. No idea what to expect for the 200s, lack of any kind of turnover not at all surprising given the lack of any kind of training structure the past 6 weeks. Glad to be doing any kind of running on the track without the leg shutting down, although it did stiffen up somewhat over the course of the workout. Conditions not exactly favorable, blustery with a noticeable wind crushing me on every backstretch--second 200 of each rep run into this breeze. Relatively early start as I wanted to mimic somewhat the upcoming morning start time. Cooldown was very slow with various breaks.

PM - 30 minutes very easy. Light jog around town, extension of the cooldown and testing how the hamstring held up to the stress of the morning run. While some stiffness was present, overall it felt as good as I could hope, no obvious limping on the hamstring.

Fri 11/22 - PM 55 minutes easy

Area 51. Took forever to get out the door, got home feeling very tired. With the reduced coaching load I had hoped this would be a thing of the past but Friday tired is an enduring thing. After a too long nap and some lolligagging got out the door into a thick fog/drizzle mix that didn't go well at all with the headlamp on the trails. Might have been better off without it. Warm front made for mild temps but in a gross way. Belly of hamstring felt like utter crap the first 10 minutes but loosened up to a surprising degree after that, to the extent that I was able to do some short pickups on the way in. With the continued attention to stretching and rolling it may be possible to hold the issues at bay, we'll see.

Thu 11/21 - PM 85 minutes easy

Lincoln woods. Similar to last Friday's run here in that the right hammie felt like crap from the start. At least this time I was expecting it (after yesterday) and better prepared. Stopped a couple of times for compressions and direct pressure on a very specific spot on the hamstring that was the locus of the discomfort. And of course, the picnic table awaited at the end for deeper compressions. Not as painful as last Friday's work on the leg but just as necessary. Lots more work after getting home esp. with the foam roller which is proving to be worth every penny.

Wed 11/20 - PM 60 minutes incl. 2(1000, 1200)

First time on a track in at least a month. Not exactly a triumphant return but not a complete disaster at least. Pace was irrelevant which is good since it was the race pace of a high school girl--86 pace for the km, 90 for the 1200. Lap jog between each rep, which amounted to just over 2 minutes. The far more important thing that I was obsessing over was how the right hamstring would react to any kind of faster running on a track. Given how it's been feeling gradually worse since the last time I ran legitimately hard nearly three weeks ago I wasn't expecting too much. What wasn't surprising at all was the gradual stiffening of the hamstring, a feeling concentrated mostly in the belly of the muscle, as the workout went along. This made the very modest pace become progressively harder to maintain, as I know even in my beleaguered state that I should be able to clip off 90s all day if need be without feeling the effort for a good while. Still, a moral victory of sorts that I was able to finish the thing without the leg completely shutting down. Warmup was brief and brisk, 4 laps of the track and some hurried drills. Cooldown more drawn out and leisurely, Bittersweet Lane and trails. Somewhat blustery with breezes from the north.

Tue 11/19 - PM 60 minutes easy

Out and back along the aqueduct with the few remaining kiddies still running. Happy just to get the run in during daylight hours and have it over and done with before 5 PM. The fact that the right hamstring felt better today than yesterday is an added bonus. Forgiving surface and flat terrain had a lot do with that, as well as the relaxed pace. A bit blustery with a persistent north wind most of the afternoon.

Mon 11/18 - PM 80 minutes easy

Errand run to TJ's and back. A long long time since I've done this particular route. There are probably better ways to get out of a rut. Right hammie felt like crap to varying degrees over the course of the run. On top of that, hip flexor/adductor on left side was quite stiff from the hike yesterday. Something I should have foreseen but didn't. All this made for a rather glum experience on the whole. Sense things may be circling the drain here, we'll have to see. No light at the end of the tunnel for sure, and not sure how the right hammie has gotten worse if anything after sticking to "just jogging" for the past couple of weeks. Unseasonably warm all day, made dressing appropriately somewhat of a challenge.

Sun 11/17 - off

Took a break from the same old same old, as much for psychological reasons as physical ones. Went for a leisurely hike part of the way up the Weathersfield trail on Mt. Ascutney though. A nice trail with views that I'm sure are spectacular on a day when everything isn't socked in with clouds and spitting rain. As it was I was more than happy to turn back before the summit and get back to warmth and civilization. Worked on the lower aspect of the right hammie on the drive up to Walpole, felt like something had released making range of motion better in the right leg. Probably just deluding myself as usual though.

Sat 11/16 - AM 65 minutes easy

Area 51. Between breakfasts run if you will, taken at an easy effort. Right hammie feels maybe marginally a little better than I would have expected for this time of day following yesterday's compressions which were desperately needed. Still light years from feeling confident about resuming any kind of normal training. Of late I'm not even confident about doing strides at the end of runs. The doldrums continue. A bit warmer and certainly more sticky than I was expecting for this time of year, so overdressed for it.

Fri 11/15 - PM 90 minutes easy

Lincoln woods. Not quite as tired as yesterday but still plenty fatigued at the end of the workweek. More frustrating was the right leg which felt like garbage pretty much throughout. Right hammie stubbornly stuck, iliac crest also pegged. Everything in the area feeling pinched and tight. Wondering if all the poking, prodding and rolling the past couple of days wasn't maybe overdoing it. That being said, the picnic table at the trailhead was sweet relief at the end of the run as I was able to do much-needed compressions on the right hamstring at the end of the run. Extremely knotted up in the belliest belly of the muscle, felt like a big adhesion was smoothed out in about 5 minutes of work. Predicted warmer conditions arrived this morning, while the sun set halfway through the run it was still on the mild side.

Thu 11/14 - 70 minutes easy

Area 51. Flat and tired, which made the run a slog. Stiffness in the right thigh only made it more so. Late bedtime last night after going to the ballgame left me predictably fried by the time I got home from work. Realized pretty quickly that it was going to be a putter. Two longish breaks spent stretching the balky right hammie. Second one was longer than anticipated as the police came by on the patrol road looking for a missing person, something I had no idea of at the time. So of course I ended up hiding behind a tree while they went past so as not to be seen back there after sunset. Then I scampered out hopped up on adrenaline, going far harder than the hamstring would have wanted.

Wed 11/13 - PM 75 minutes

Around and around Leo J., with side excursions along the defunct rail bed into Riverside (crossing over 95 on the RR bridge, cross that off the bucket list) and briefly into Wellesley and Glen Road. Footing a mixed bag with some undulations and sideslopes mixed in. With the second half of the run in the dark this was at times a bit annoying, but worth it for the forgiving surface. Right thigh stiff to start, loosened up to an encouraging degree though. Still light years from being right however and still stuck in a holding pattern of no workouts for the time being. Warmer than yesterday, less wind as well.

Tue 11/12 - PM 45 minutes

Area 51. Cut the length of the run short so I could attempt to get to bed at a reasonable hour. On top of the usual obliteration of my afternoon thanks to coaching, had to bag leaves when I got home before being able to head out for a run. Pace started out fairly crisp, lagged a bit in the middle before picking up again near the end. Also did a fair number of short pickups on the way in, trying to focus on upright posture and keeping the hips rotated forward. Right thigh feels like it might be in something of a state of flux, plenty of adhesions and stiffness still but in a different place overall. More in the belly of the muscle and less tightness in the upper aspect. Hopefully a positive sign that the stretching and rolling on it are having some effect and if continued regularly will help resolve the worst of it. Or maybe I'm just deluding myself. Soreness in adductors and hip flexors on both sides was more obvious and noticeable, after yesterday's rolling adventure in the leaf-covered trails of Pisgah. Downright cold, felt much more like December than November for sure even with the breeze slacking off.

Mon 11/11 - AM 70 minutes

Pisgah State Park. Started from the Horseshoe road trailhead, eventually found Reservoir "road" and followed it for a time before coming back via Old Chesterfield. Trail conditions rugged to put it charitably, footing more accurately described as fucking horrendous at times. Short steep ups and downs, curves everywhere, rocks covered in leaves underfoot. This gave the core a workout and put some strain on the right hammie, but it didn't feel nearly as bad afterward as I thought it would. Cool but not as cold as I thought and sheltered from any breeze under the trees.

Sun 11/10 - AM 65 minutes

Walpole (NH). First run in these parts after a few prior visits. Originally planned on an out and back, until I came across a snowmobile trail that crossed the road I was on. Followed that on its steep and twisty way for a time before coming to a much more established snowmobile track and followed that one for a while until it became far less easy to follow. Some bushwhacking followed, then back onto roads. Hilly terrain of course, unless one is directly alongside the river which I wasn't. Right thigh stiff from the up and down but I did spend a good deal of time on it with the foam roller afterward which seemed to have a beneficial effect. Chilly conditions to start with rain showers thrown in but conditions started to improve while I was out there and continued improving through the rest of the day.

Sat 11/9 - AM 85 minutes easy

Track road to Area 51. With the benefit of daylight, I decided to go off the beaten path a bit and try the access point further down track road that's supposedly off limits. As luck would have it, ran into Ranger Rick on the patrol road and feigned ignorance quite well. The run itself was a mellow effort and a nice way to spend the morning. The holding pattern with the right hammie continues, ambivalent at best about doing anything to aggravate it at the moment. The extracurricular stuff I've been neglecting for months, mainly stretching but also core, have got to be the way out. Fair conditions, warmer than I expected and very little wind.

Fri 11/8 - PM 90 minutes easy

Lincoln woods. Shoved off just before 5 with the darkness fast approaching and headlamp ready to go. Somewhat concerned about uneven footing and tripping on things, while there were a couple of near misses nothing of any consequence. Hamstring sore but I can't help feeling that it's somehow less stuck than it was up until yesterday. The run went somewhat sideways when the batteries in the headlamp ran out halfway around Walden, forcing me to backtrack and then start heading back along 126. Feeling pretty pooped by this point, effort was mellow throughout but bit off more than I could chew as it turns out and looking to end things as quickly as possible and so I decided to take the train tracks back from 126. Not the wisest decision, particularly in the dark. Crawled/bumped along the last few minutes. Not as cold as I was expecting but seasonably chilly.

Thu 11/7 - PM 65 minutes

Area 51. Took some doing to get out the door, considered taking the zero what with feeling a bit flat. In hindsight happy to have chosen differently, moving relatively well after the first few minutes of light jogging. Did a few pickups on the way in which felt as good as I could hope for at this point with the right hammie. Realized halfway through the run that it might be a good idea to drop the rhythmic breathing routine I've been trying out for a bit over a month now. I had been hoping it would help improve the ongoing issues with the leg, which is one of the many claims put forth. Instead things have gone downhill, perhaps not coincidentally. We'll see where it goes.

Wed 11/6 - PM 75 minutes easy

Lincoln woods. Two day reprieve from coaching responsibilities, headed for the trails DST be damned. Started out down the trail as soon as I could get there but it wasn't really soon enough. Wishing I had brought the headlamp along for the last 20 minutes or so in the dark. Right thigh stiff to start, then loosened up a bit, then got to Old Concord and picked up the pace fairly substantially for the next 10 minutes or so. Wish I could say it felt smooth but there was a hitch in the giddy up. Desperately tired afterward as I had no time to nap and the scratchy throat kept me from sleeping well at all last night. Relatively warm conditions for this time of year.

Tue 11/5 - PM 50 minutes

Area 51. Feeling better than yesterday and the pace reflected that the second half of the run. Unable to restrain myself from doing some short pickups on the way in, a glimmer of hope that maybe I'm not doing further damage to the right hamstring in doing so. We'll see. Not as cold as last night but still on the chilly side. Regrettably, the reliably poor sleep habits combined with colder temps and the time spend outside over the weekend have led to the inevitable dry scratchy throat. Hopefully it will pass quickly.

Mon 11/4 - PM 70 minutes easy

Area 51. Right leg tight and stiff, but more in the calf and belly of hamstring than up high in the glute area. Not what I was expecting. Not sure if any headway is being made with the uppermost hamstring/glute/piriformis area but it doesn't feel like it's getting worse either. Did do some rolling on it before the run which helped a great deal with relieving tension along the IT band and TFL left over from yesterday. All the same something is still off on the right side and I continue to feel incapable of doing anything resembling actual training. Downright chilly conditions but with absolutely no wind made for a still and calm evening in the woods. Enjoyed a nice break at Puffer Pond especially. Returned via rt. 27 in part to get the run over with as the slow pace made for a longer time on the trail.

Sun 11/3 - AM 60 minutes incl. 5k road race

Garbage in, garbage out. Flat, tired and functionally injured don't make a good combination when it comes time to toe the line. Lack of any kind of substantive training for almost a month didn't put me a in a good position going in. Showing up feeling half-dead finished the job before the gun went off. Hoping to vulture the last money spot but even that wasn't happening as the race attracted at least three actual runners for the first time since I started doing it in 2010. By 200m into the race I knew I was running for nothing. At least as discouraging was the fact that the effort felt like it would have yielded something far better than the sub-mediocre result. Alas, this stop on the sandbag tour may have to be retired. If so, I won't miss the course one bit. Despite having done it the last three years I forgot how obnoxious the changes in elevation are. And of course, the requisite harsh north wind blowing as well. In fact there was a brief snow flurry while I was warming up. Hamstring held up better to all this nonsense better than I would have expected but still a fool's errand overall.

Sat 11/2 - double, 90 minutes easy

AM - 30 minutes very easy. Pre-breakfast shakeout, stiff and sore most of the way. Wanted to loosen up before standing in a field at the kiddie meet, mission accomplished. Slept reasonably well but the underlying fatigue is still perceptible.

PM - 60 minutes easy, Lincoln woods. More pooped than I'd expected after the aforementioned standing around. Right leg started out feeling stuck, somewhat less so by the end. Enough for doing a few pickups on the way in. Still unusually warm, second day in a row of shorts and t-shirt weather. The tourists ambling around Walden have taken to using the exposed shore rather than the pond path in many cases, with the pond still receding by all appearances.

Fri 11/1 - PM 85 minutes easy

Lincoln woods. A blessed reprieve from the endless kiddie xc season allowed me to head to the trails. Enjoyed it a great deal despite the slippery leaves and balky hamstring that is permanently pinched it would seem. Started and finished slow, at the end so that I didn't trip on anything in the gathering darkness, slightly quicker in the middle. Warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt on the first day of November. Rained some earlier in the day but the ground soaked it up for the most part. The pond continues its ongoing recession, low as I've ever seen it with no end in sight.

Thu 10/31 - off

Decided rather late in the day to take the zero. Feeling quite tired after all the late bedtimes watching the local nine, now over and done with until the spring of course. Got home dead tired, took a nap and woke up realizing the moment had passed. Got in a decent stretching session at least before bed. Right hammie remains stuck.

Wed 10/30 PM - 60 minutes easy

Area 51. Overall the pace a bit quicker than the past couple of days but no pickups or faster running. Feeling quite tired on the way home from work. Came back on the road to get it over with and avoid the same stretch of Patrol Road I've covered each of the past 3 days.

Tue 10/29 - PM 50 minutes easy

Area 51. Cut back on the length of the run, a recurring theme of late. Did some pickups on the way in and found that the hammie strain was of course just lurking under the surface over the past couple days of easy jogging. The functionally injured status continues unchanged. Colder than yesterday but no wind to speak of.

Mon 10/28 - PM 65 minutes easy

Area 51. Had a fairly difficult time getting out the door what with being predictably frazzled by the end of the day. Kiddie practice is becoming more of a ball and chain with each passing day, alas. After a brief nap got out the door and after 15 minutes or so found myself more alert and feeling up for a longer effort than planned. Still not that long as volume has certainly attenuated over the past month (see aforementioned ball and chain). Right thigh/butt still surprisingly pain-free, perhaps due to taking it easy but I'm not sure to be honest.

Sun 10/27 - PM 50 minutes very easy

Area 51. Towards the end of a long day that started in Falmouth with a hike along the rail trail and beach. Very nice although of course windy. Then the drive back of course, followed by requisite errands and a brief nap. The run was an easy putter in the woods, right hammie and butt nowhere near as stiff as I was expecting given yesterday's effort. But I was going quite slow so who knows.

Sat 10/26 - AM 85 minutes incl. half-marathon

Return to Falmouth, first time since DNFing at the 18 mile mark of the marathon in 2010. Much more easily digestible race distance this time around, and after last weekend's dismal experience I knew not to have anything resembling high expectations. That and the fact I had to get up well before 5 AM to make it to the race site with time to spare. Happily, the field was far from competitive and by the 5k mark I was all alone in the final money spot. This coincided with the course turning into the wind, right along the shore until about 6.5 miles or so when it turned back towards town. While this took care of the wind the next few miles were on the curvy rolling part of Falmouth shared with the marathon and the big summer race. Not my favorite as I couldn't tell if anyone was close enough to be worried about. By 9-10 miles I realized the next guy was close enough that I wouldn't be shutting down into glorified cooldown mode as hoped, so buckled down the final 5k enough to consolidate my spot. Splits:

5:45 (just like last week)
5:58
6:03
6:06
6:15 (into the wind now)
6:16
6:21
6:14
6:16
6:17
6:17
6:09
6:06

Not even getting into how disgustingly slow the pace was in the first place. At this point the overweening fatigue, lack of fitness and being "functionally injured" with the right hamstring are just parts of the landscape and there's no use bitching about it. Other than the aforementioned wind, the conditions were near perfect temp and humidity-wise. In lieu of a cooldown went for a nice bikeride on the rail trail (which also was miles 4.5-6.5 of the course) down to Wood's Hole. All in all an exceedingly pleasant day.

Fri 10/25 - off

More or less a planned zero. Had to leave work at lunchtime and go directly to Franklin Park for another kiddies' meet, ever so conveniently relocated from 6 miles down the road from my home to the middle of Boston. Got out of there as soon as humanly possible to beat the horrendous homebound commuter traffic. With an extremely early wakeup call the moment for even a light jog had passed.

Thu 10/24 - PM 90 minutes easy

Lincoln woods. Looking forward to this for at least a couple of days when I realized I could make it work with a headlamp. Effort bordered on very easy, particularly after the sun set and the headlamp went on. Right hammie still torqued up as it's been all week, not surprising. I've been stretching in the evenings at least. Cooler again today and with a biting wind to boot, but the wind disappeared at sunset which made for nice still conditions.

Wed 10/23 - PM 45 minutes easy

Area 51. Apparently overdid it yesterday, as the right hammie was more stuck and stiff than anticipated. Took most of the run to loosen up even a little bit. Did a few half-hearted pickups on the way in which will be the closest thing to fast-paced running between the two races this week. Cooler temps necessitated pants and gloves for the first time this fall. Some rain earlier in the afternoon but it had passed through by the time I got out the door. Trying to keep up on the post-run stretching, will be much easier when the coaching season ends--in five weeks. Ugh.

Tue 10/22 - PM 65 minutes

Area 51. Feeling a bit better than yesterday, so went a bit quicker than yesterday as well. Right knee somewhat swollen though from yesterday's spill. Ended up going somewhat further than originally planned or expected. Not too cool and quite still conditions.

Mon 10/21 - PM 55 minutes very easy

Area 51. Not quite the slog I was expecting but likely that was down to taking it very very slow. Right leg of course quite stiff but I was expecting to barely be able to move it. Apparently all the compressions and rolling I did on the right thigh after yesterday's "race" had some effect. Tripped on a rock that did a perfect job of blending in with the rest of the trail, or else maybe my night vision is worse than I had thought. Left a decent bruise on the right knee, wonderful. Cool evening but nice, still conditions.

Sun 10/10 - AM 90 minutes incl. half marathon

The circling of the drain continues. This went far worse than I expected and that's saying something as expectations were low given the lack of workouts specific to this length of race, how crappy the hammie's been feeling the past two weeks and how late I got to bed last night (and every night before that for the past six months basically). Functionally injured at the moment in that I can jog around slowly to my heart's content but any kind of quality running is a bridge too far and leaves my leg a fucking mess for days afterward. As this surely will. Splits tell the story:

5:45

6:04

5:56

6:20

6:24

6:20

6:24

6:12

6:23

6:15

6:15

6:36

6:55 

Settled into survival mode after 4 miles and watched as people passed me one by one the rest of the way. Much as I'd like to call this a glorified tempo run it surely wasn't as I was quite pooped by 9 miles and powerless to do anything to stick with the people rolling past. Course was a mix of scenic rolling back roads and more open exposed stretches near town. Overall quite nice. Fairly stiff wind blowing all day which hit us square in the face at times, not so nice. Nothing about the course or the conditions can be fingered as substantive reasons for how slowly I was going. Worth noting that I averaged a faster pace for this for a full marathon two years ago. The fact that the top woman's master rolled by just after 11 miles is also worth noting. Still won my age group though, and in the venal acquisitive sense the day was a success. Lather rinse repeat six days from now. Maybe I'll regain some semblance of stability and fitness when the godforsaken kiddie season ends (only six more weeks, hooray) but that would assume I'll be doing more regular stretching/core maintenance and getting to bed earlier when that much-anticipated day arrives. The stretching I can imagine, the earlier bedtime not so much. 

Sat 10/19 - AM 35 minutes easy

Maynard TF with just a bit of Area 51. Originally planned on doing this as a morning shakeout, instead did a TJs run on my bike to start the day off. The run ended up being delayed until just before lunchtime as a result.

Fri 10/18 - PM 75 minutes easy

Lincoln woods. Kiddies practice was short enough that I was able to sneak over to the trails and get in a reasonably long run, longer than planned in fact. Still just jogging thanks to the charley horse sustained in the bike crash the other day. Finished in the dark pretty much but able to avoid any stumbles. Right hammie/piriformis remains stuck of course but at least I've been doing some kind of flexibility work of late after letting it slide for far too long.

Thu 10/17 - AM 75 minutes easy

Area 51. Woke up with no headache, thus hopefully no concussion after yesterday's faceplant and so out the door I went (eventually) after a leisurely breakfast and lolligagging around. Never let a health crisis go to waste as they say. The leisurely vibe continued into the run which was a mellow putter around the refuge which is now re-opened despite the best efforts of teabagger morons to steer the ship of state into the rocks. Right leg felt pinched and I found afterward that there were some knots up by the iliac crest. Unusually warm day, a bit breezy but very nice. With the AM start and skipping work (and practice) I was able to take a glorious extended nap in the afternoon as well.

Wed 10/16 - off

Spent the late afternoon/early evening in the ER after falling over the handlebars of my bike at kiddie practice and landing face first (literally) on a rock. Amazingly I didn't crush my cheekbone given how heavy the fall was and how dumb I was in holding on to the handlebars too long. The whole incident a testament to stupidity. Left with a lovely scraped up swollen face and a headache, but no concussion (hopefully). Also landed on the left thigh which resulted in a charley horse.

Tue 10/15 - PM 45 minutes

Area 51. Started from the Old Marlboro Road entrance, shutdown be damned. Getting close to 6 and wanted to get on the trail with as much daylight as possible remaining. Going the rest of the way home with inevitable futzing around would have used up whatever cushion was left, plus I wanted to avoid taking a nap. Some stiffness certainly left over from Sunday's hike but eventually got moving well enough. Kept the length of the run shorter to try and give myself a chance at a decent bedtime. Hammie better than last week but I've resigned myself to skipping anything on the track during this week.

Mon 10/14 - PM 85 minutes

Lincoln woods. Feeling a little bit better than Saturday's nadir. An afternoon nap helped some with that. More range of motion in the right leg but still stuck more than I'd like. Plugging on with the stretching and core work post run which I'm hoping will at least hold it at bay. Air temps too cool to attempt a dip in the pond but after a warm day I was tempted.

Sun 10/13 - 5 hours easy hike

Mt. Ascutney via Brownsville trail. A necessary break from the overbaked death spiral I find myself in. Although in all honesty I had originally planned on doing some kind of light run that went out the window when I realized how long the hike was going to take, thanks mostly to the steep nature of much of the trail. Enjoyable nonetheless, although some stretches of switchbacking through the evergreens on exceedingly rocky rooty footing got old. Worth it for the spots where it opened up and of course the view from the summit tower. Excellent conditions as well with sunny skies and cool to moderately warm temps.

 falls below the quarry

 rail tracks at the quarry, going nowhere

 quarry view

trail below the quarry smooth and gradual, awfully nice

Sat 10/12 - AM 45 minutes

Longfellow loop, sort of. Should have known better than to even attempt anything of quality but felt the compulsion to do finally at long last run a 3 lapper, or at least 2. Instead I lasted 10 minutes at just over 6 minute pace feeling like utter crap throughout. Difficult to say what felt worse, the right hammie which is stuck in a vise or the punishing fatigue. Only solace is that this too shall pass, eventually.

Fri 10/11 - PM 75 minutes easy

Area 51. Not the most inspired of efforts. Plagued by stiffness in right hammie and glute throughout, apparently a few pickups at the end of yesterday's run were too much for it. Calf tight as well. Disturbing the degree to which the leg has gone downhill in the past ten days. I have to think (hope) that it's a lack of attention to stretching and is thus at least somewhat reversible. Of course, finding time to stretch has become a herculean task with the current millstone of a schedule I've chosen.

Thu 9/10 - PM 50 minutes easy

Area 51. Cut the length of the run a bit short, in deference to feeling like crap and in the vain hope that it would help me get to bed earlier. My current schedule is quite simply untenable when it comes to fitting everything in, and I don't know how I did it in the past. Right hammie continues to feel ominous at best. Did a few pickups near the end which felt reasonably decent but the aftermath was predictable with calf and hamstring starting to shrivel up within moments of the run ending.

Wed 10/9 - off

Quite the no-brainer given how fried and stale I've been feeling of late. Condition of the right thigh/butt is worrisome, calf as well. Rolled out the calf with the lax ball which felt like it helped some, hopefully.

Tue 10/8 - PM 55 minutes incl. 3k-2k-1k

A resounding dud of a workout. Far too fried to pull off the originally planned session of 3k-2k-3k-2k, something I realized about 2/3 of the way through the 3k. While pulling the plug entirely might have been the best option at that point, instead I did a little editing in medias res and went with a cutdown instead. Alas, there was no cutdown in the pace to speak of, as 85 second pace was the Rubicon in terms of avoiding complete and utter failure. That alone is evidence of how unprepared/unable I was to pull off any kind of workout. In addition to the fatigue the right leg is officially a mess, still torqued up from last week and more specifically the long workout from last Wednesday. This made the pace far too difficult for what it was and led to feeling discouraged in no time. Splits:

3:32.8/3:28.7/3:29.9 - 10:31.4
3R
3:32.0/3:32.6 - 7:04.6
2R
3:29.4

Lackluster only begins to describe this mess. To top it all off, the residual stiffness in the hammie and glute along with being wound up from working too hard made it near impossible to get to sleep afterward, thus contributing further to the fucking hole I'm in rest-wise. Lovely.

Mon 10/7 - PM 65 minutes easy

Area 51. I had planned on joining the kiddies for a run along the aqueduct or anywhere else and thus get the run in early, but no such luck. Nodding off at the wheel on the ride home, necessitating a short nap before heading out the door. Hammie and calf not feeling so great, hopefully just DOMS from Saturday but the leg feels wound awful tight. The lack of stretching of late does nothing to help this. Very warm and very windy all afternoon, with some serious weather happening further west. No rednecks on ATVs in the refuge this evening thankfully.

Sun 10/6 - PM 75 minutes easy

Area 51. Easy shakeout after another car ride home from NH. Feeling a bit pooped, unsurprisingly, and also feeling the lack of a decent cooldown yesterday as legs were more stiff than they should have been. Rained much of the day, showers more on than off, which left things dank and not quite mild enough for shorts, but maybe too warm for pants. Less than ideal conditions in other words.

Sat 10/5 - AM 50 minutes incl. 5k road race

Not feeling at all chipper during the warmup for this latest stop in the charity 5k tour. Much more tired and strung out than I had hoped. On top of that the right hammie/piriformis mess was feeling quite stuck to the point that I was rolling on the lax ball in the parking lot 20 minutes before the gun went off. This helped at least temporarily as I was able to get through the race without any lockups there. Spent almost the entire race in second place, with a 12 year old girl leading us out the first 100m or so before the eventual winner took over. Course was mostly quite flat, with enough turns that I tried doing a couple of blind corner surges to gain separation from the guy behind me. Probably would have been better off keeping a steady pace as this seemed to tire me out more than anything else. Thankfully I was able to spend the final km playing keep away, and tapered down to a controlled deceleration the last 400m or so. Didn't use the watch, and in hindsight it the mile and 2 mile splits couldn't have been accurate as they were in the same spot for an out and back course. As such, ran blind in terms of pace but not at all surprised to see the final time as I reached the finish. Given how flat I felt warming up the time is a mildly positive surprise in fact. I had hoped to do a cooldown on the dirt roads near the course but scheduling of awards and post-race feed made it impossible.

Fri 10/4 - PM 55 minutes easy

Area 51. Back to the site of the shutdown again. And again, not alone although this time it was a stupid redneck on an ATV sufficiently spooked by my headlamp to turn tail and speed away. Got to choke on his fumes for a bit as a result which was no fun. Late start as usual and planning on going for a shorter run anyway. Right hammie still stuck, the workout Wednesday was rougher on it that I had hoped it would but I can't say I'm that surprised. Mostly nice day but starting to cloud over after sunset, vaguely muggy.

Thu 10/3 - PM 75 minutes easy

Area 51. Paid a visit to the currently shut down refuge as the sun set, not that I was alone back there. Not as tired as I thought I'd be however the legs felt like dung from the start and so the pace stayed relaxed throughout. Both calves sore from yesterday but mostly the high hammie was stuck, remained so despite a longish break at 50 minutes to try and work out the knot a bit. Did some rolling on the lax ball afterward which was more productive, glute and piriformis really locked up though. Another nice day turned into a mellow evening, made for a nice run otherwise.

Wed 10/2 - 55 minutes incl. 6x(800,400)

The best and most logical place for another session on the track. Decided I would try mixing repeat 800s and 400s with short recoveries in the threshold style, i.e. 200 after each 8 and 100 after each 4. In hindsight, while I'd do the workout again but the 100 jogs before each 800 wasn't enough, and dragged down the pace overall. Also started out much too quick, incl. a first 200 under 38 seconds which set me up for a lackluster finish. By which I mean the second half of the workout which was uniformly craptastic. Recoveries followed the same pattern as the repeats, slowing down over the first four sets before bottoming out. The rhythmic breathing, tried in a workout setting for the first time, will take some getting used to. Splits with recoveries in parentheses:

2:38.6 (56.9) 79.4 (30.6)
2:43.3 (57.8) 81.0 (32.6)
2:46.8 (61.8) 81.6 (34.1)
2:50.5 (67.9) 82.3 (34.2)
2:50.4 (66.6) 82.1 (36.5)
2:50.4 (68.9) last 500 1:44.3

Right hammie not feeling good at all by the end, unable to switch directions and it was a lot of laps. Not that being able to switch would have made much difference I'm afraid. Still warm conditions after a warm sunny day.

Tue 10/1 - PM 85 minutes plus 15 minutes in Walden

Lincoln woods. Feeling better for the day off yesterday, more energetic for sure. Moving relatively well from the outset. Due to the unfortunate drowning at the pond, I had no expectation of actually being able to access it, in fact I assumed the trails around the pond would still be closed. In fact it was open, and conditions were perfect for this time of year, warm after a sunny day with no wind to ruffle the water's surface. This made for a fairly sublime experience.

Mon 9/30 - off

Not a planned zero but definitely necessary. Holding on to vague notions of doing some version of the threshold/progression run I skipped yesterday but far too tired when I got home to muster up the energy. Did get in a good stretching/core session.

Sun 9/29 - PM 85 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Lincoln woods, with drills on Pine Hill. The antidote to the past two days. After a hike around the pond in the morning I was feeling the pangs of summer nostalgia so strongly that the originally planned threshold run on the Longfellow Loop was scrapped for a run on the trails and a dip instead. The warm and sunny day also contributed to my decision, simply too nice a day to pass up. While plainly no longer summer, it was quite pleasant to do one of the typical summer loops without bugs or humidity. To my surprise the pond wasn't that much cooler than 8 days ago, no blue fingers afterward. Some stiffness in right hammie and left hip flexor but felt better as the run went along and especially after trying out rhythmic breathing after about the halfway mark. Remains to be seen how useful it is in the long term but we'll see. Pickups on the way in, felt reasonably smooth if not especially fast.

Sat 9/28 - AM 50 minutes very easy

Another shitty run from the Quality Inn in Fishkill. Puttered around the cemetery just before and during dawn. Fog everywhere which matched my mood and state of mind. Impossible it would seem to get a decent night's sleep lately, and trips like this one don't help any. Right hammie felt like garbage from the jump, left knee also stiff which made for a super slow and awkward trot down the road to start. Sort of gradually got better but the whole thing was just a boring trudge. Rest of the day comprised of the typical kiddie meet activities, i.e. lots of standing around with occasional fits of jogging up and down the godforsaken hill of Bowdoin Park. Then a lovely 4 hour or so trip back. Not exactly enjoying the coaching life at the moment, remains to be seen if that changes but I kind of doubt it. May not be long for it quite frankly.

Fri 9/27 - PM 35 minutes

Bowdoin Park. No more time for running than what I did, literally. With the 3.5 hours sitting in the van and the lumpy sloped uneven hilly terrain, the right thigh didn't feel so hot during or after the run. Able to do some stretching afterward which helped somewhat.

Thu 9/26 - PM 80 minutes very easy

Area 51. Very nice evening for a run in the woods, once again. Started a bit earlier today so I was able to avoid the darkness and stumbling like the other day. This was for the best as the right hammie was feeling pinched and sore from the outset. Also feeling tired, maybe not as tired as yesterday but still somewhat flat.

Wed 9/25 - PM 50 minutes incl. 15x200, 400

Soldiered on with the track session despite feeling fried and right leg still a bit tweaked from the weekend. Made it through but knew going in the numbers wouldn't be impressive, in fact I was fully prepared to pull the plug if necessary. While that wasn't necessary I could feel myself getting tired by the last set (last 4 really) and the numbers reflect this. I am surprised though at the 3-2-1 recovery intervals staying consistent and not slowing down as the workout went along. I'll take it, even though the 200 splits and overall time (just under 25 minutes) are nothing to write home about:

37.9 - 86.6 - 38.4 - 57.4 - 38.5 - 29.2
38.8 - 81.9 - 38.7 - 54.0 - 38.7 - 29.4
38.3 - 80.6 - 38.3 - 56.8 - 38.1 - 30.0
38.3 - 79.0 - 38.8 - 55.5 - 39.2 - 29.7
39.3 - 80.1 - 38.9 - 56.1 - 39.1 - 29.7
last 400 a scintillating 78.1

Felt smooth, but I'm kidding myself calling this a leg prep session, the relatively short recoveries and continuous nature put paid to that. Conditions cool enough that I wore pants to warm up and cool down for the first time since April.

Tue 9/24 - PM 70 minutes easy

Area 51. Took the day off from the kiddies and ended up waiting forever for the car to be serviced instead. This led to a much later start than anticipated. Similar pattern as previous runs in the refuge of late, i.e. pokey start with gradual pickup in pace as the run went along and I got into it. Some stiffness in both calves after switching back to the regular work shoes the other day. I may end up having to go back to regular shoes if it becomes a problem. I had promised myself to do hill drills at the end of the run today but thanks to the late start by the time I got back to town and the spot I had planned to use, it was too late and I was smelling the barn door far too much. Breezy day and somewhat cool, but the wind slacked with the sunset and made for another nice evening in the woods.

Mon 9/23 - PM 65 minutes easy

Weston, with the kiddies. Thought we'd be running along the aqueduct i.e. nice and flat, actually it was on Ash St. and the trail loop behind Regis, so not quite flat but not too strenuous either. Fully expecting to feel like hell, not quite but almost. Ran out of gas near the end which was surprising given how slow I was going for much of the run.

Sun 9/22 - PM 45 minutes incl. 5k road race

Another day, another mediocre (at best) 5k. The bulk of the day's exercise actually happened in the morning, with a bike ride from Alewife to Maynard via the Minuteman bikeway after a night spent in the city. Including a stop for lunch this chewed up just under 2 hours. Barely any time to relax upon returning home, headed off to Littleton. Warmup scant at best, legs not as rubbery as expected but not running fresh to be sure. Surprisingly, Sean Duncan wasn't there and as I looked around at the start I realized I might be able to vulture a win. Then 30 seconds into the race I turn around and Ben Ndaya is staring at me. Where he came from who knows, possible he missed the start entirely as it's happened before. I knew I didn't have the juice in my compromised state to hang with him and ran for second the rest of the way. Didn't have to push that much to do it thankfully. Short cooldown before heading home. Windy day with a cold front having passed through, wind I had to ride into during the bike ride as well.

Sat 9/21 - AM 55 minutes incl. 5k road race

Another tour of local, extremely local, streets in a scenario that could best be described as "low-key" from a competitiveness perspective. Having a race that starts a block from my door remains oddly compelling. After staying up later than I would have liked yet again last night, this time doing last-minute housecleaning, woke up feeling far less than refreshed. Still kind of dragging through the warmup, on top of that right hammie still stuck to a certain degree. All this a shame because underneath all the fatigue and neverending muscle problems there my mechanics feel quite crisp and efficient with good lift somehow. Anyway, found myself in the lead soon after the gun and spent the entire time playing keep away from a guy who most definitely didn't tread lightly, to the extent that I thought he was closer than he actually was for most of the race. Ran only fast enough to keep him at arm's length, which meant progressively slower mile splits of 5:17 (likely short), 5:40, and something over 6 minutes. Alas, even this was more tiring than it should have been to a somewhat depressing degree. Still, it was an enjoyable morning on familiar streets. Weather pattern finally changed, still mostly sunny but with gusty winds and clouds moving in by later in the afternoon.

Fri 9/20 - PM 50 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Lincoln woods, with drills on Pine Hill. Came up against the sunset or else I would have gone for longer. Perhaps (but hopefully not) the last dip of the season, an excellent evening for it if so. Still feeling sore and strung out from both the workout and the previous night's staying up far too late, so the running part wasn't the greatest. Right hammie continues to be firmly stuck, although did some rolling on the lax ball afterward that seemed to loosen up the worst of the booty lock. Water not yet to blue-finger temp levels. Fourth day of dry warm conditions, more than one could hope for even at this time of year.

Thu 9/19 - PM 80 minutes very easy

Area 51. Left feeling worse for the wear than I was expecting after yesterday's session, and I was planning on being sore. Hammie/glute area feeling particularly frayed, sore and pinched. All this served to confirm the "active recovery" mode of the run, a euphemism for slow. At least I remembered the headlamp this time. Feeling quite overextended at the moment, not that it isn't my fault for going to that ballgame on Tuesday. Conditions close to perfect yet again, sunny warm dry day followed by cool evening. Sat for a few minutes on the bench at the Puffer Pond dock as the darkness grew, which was the best part of the run.

Wed 9/18 - PM 65 minutes incl. 4k-3k-2k-1k

The only day this week I could reasonably expect to get on the track from a schedule standpoint, complicated however by getting to bed obscenely late last night after going to the ballgame and following that up with riding the bike hither and yon at the kiddie meet. The latter circumstance made for a very late start on top of everything else, no time for any drills before starting the first rep. Not entirely sure what pace would be appropriate but my initial guesses turned out to be mostly accurate. However, I was working quite hard by the end of the workout and more exhausted than I'd like when it was done. Some of this due to the late night and long day but also the underlying dull fitness which is becoming a permanent feature of my running. Right hammie felt pinched almost from the start, still able to finish the session as planned but uncomfortable at times. Left hip flexor area also feeling stiff and sore, made for an awkward start to latter reps and very sore legs when it was all done. Splits:

3:40.3/3:37.8/3:34/3:30.4 - 14:22

4R

3:39.6/3:35.3/3:31.6 - 10:46.5

3R

3:31.6/3:31.9 - 7:03.5

2R

3:25.7

Cool dry conditions with not a breath of wind. Near perfect really. 

Tue 9/17 - off

The day was filled, went straight from the kiddies' practice which I had to supervise myself to the ballgame.

Mon 9/16 - PM 70 minutes easy

Area 51. Feeling creaky at the start, calves in particular which resulted in a slow pace initially. Picked up somewhat after 20 minutes or so but then I decided to take the Tri-town trail in gathering darkness which wasn't such a great idea w/o a headlamp, and this slowed things back down again. Plenty of stumbling as well which is terrible for the right hammie in its weakened state. Other than though it was an enjoyable run, cool clear conditions.

Sun 9/15 - AM 70 minutes incl. 5k road race

Thought I might slip under the radar for a prize money slot at this conveniently located race based on past years' results and the fact that this fell on the same day as a grand prix race. Turns out I wasn't alone in thinking this as the final money slot went about 90 seconds faster than last year. Realized upon getting to the starting line after doing the course as a warmup along with a full set of drills that there would be no filthy lucre for me. Furthermore with old pal Titus on the scene it was clear I'd probably have to bust my ass just to win the age group consolation prize. Recalibrated my expectations and settled in to as fast a rhythm as I felt sustainable, tried to crack a possible competitor for the old fart crown going up Fayerweather and nearly cracked myself instead. Spent most of the second half of the race maintaining contact before making an audacious pass just around 3 miles or so (no splits on the course). This move didn't stick and I was passed and gapped in short order. Stuck it out almost to the line but when it was clear I wasn't climbing back in I packed it in with a bit over 50m left. Thankfully, still enough for the age group prize. While nothing spectacular, the time was acceptable in my beleaguered state what with the sore leg and ongoing inability to get to bed before 11 PM no matter what the day's activities are. Cooldown came in two stages, an easy mile on the track soon after finishing and a very easy lap around Fresh Pond well after that. In between was one of the better post-race feeds I've been to in a while, nothing compared to the halcyon days of the Ro-Jack's 5 miler but still free goodies in copious quantities. Sunny, crisp dry morning with barely any breeze, very nice day to be out.

Sat 9/14 - PM 70 minutes very easy

Lincoln woods, with drills on Pine Hill. Got in quite late last night after watching the local nine in person, slept in until obscenely late as a result. This pushed everything else back for the day, didn't get to the run until later in the day than originally planned. Realized within a few minutes of leaving the parking lot that it was going to be "active recovery" or more accurately absurdly slow throughout. If anything it got slower near the end, energy meter not budging from the low end. Considered giving the drills a pass but compulsion won out and I got a rather lethargic set of them done. Not able or really willing to take a dip in the pond, bumping up against closing time plus it was cool enough outside that the trip back after any swimming would have been uncomfortable at best. Hammie is pinched from all the sitting last night, worked on it some but it's felt better.

Fri 9/13 - PM 55 minutes easy

Weston. Spent the first 10 minutes chasing kiddies back and forth, trying to deal with a group that was splintering apart before my very eyes with injuries and wide gulfs in ability. Like herding cats. The goal was to get to the trails behind Regis for loops on the flat mellow trail back there at which point a separate dynamic took over, i.e. the fact that most of them have no clue what an appropriate training pace is for their fitness level so of course they go too fast. On this loop which I ran 4-5 times total I managed to get dropped by a passel of kids many of whom would struggle to break 20 minutes for 5k, almost none of whom could break 19. After that able to run the last half hour or so at much more reasonable pace thankfully. Humidity stubbornly sticking around, although it dissipated within an hour or so of finishing the run. Some lingering stiffness in left hip flexor from yesterday but it worked itself out to a much greater degree than I had expected.

Thu 9/12 - PM 55 minutes incl. 3(400-300-200-100)

Back to the track, albeit postponed from yesterday. Weather not as hot thankfully but just as humid and still light years from favorable, with a gusty SW wind to boot. Got home from practice and took a nap before heading out which made for a fairly late start. The usual short warmup loop to the track, but took the time to do a full set of drills and strides given the shorter quicker nature of the workout. Right knee stiff and sore in the quad tendon while doing this which left me somewhat concerned. Hammie twinging of course but it's been worse. Tried to stay relaxed and leave some room for speeding up towards the end of each rep. Recorded times but not checking any intermediate splits. Took an easy lap plus a sip of fluids between each set, which ended up being about 3.5 minutes worth of recovery. Speaking of recovery, started to feel the cumulative effort in the final set, not so much on the reps themselves but not bouncing back as well between them. The overall time for the third set reflected this as compared to the other two:

74.1/55.5/37.0/18.4 overall 5:56.6
73.7/56.1/36.9/18.0 overall 5:56.8
74.3/55.8/37.2/18.7 overall 6:05.1

As can be seen by the inability to change gears, turnover isn't exactly there at the moment. Also a factor was the left hip flexor and adductor which like last time on the track got progressively more stiff and sore as the workout progressed. Made the cooldown a very slow affair.

Wed 9/11 - PM 65 minutes

Area 51. Had planned on doing a track workout today but the combination of disgusting heat and humidity with deadening fatigue after an afternoon standing around in aforementioned soul-crushing conditions watching the poor kiddies slog their way through an execrable race (child abuse really) killed every last bit of motivation. Able to get out the door for what started as an easy jog at least. Moving better as the run went along, although part of that may have been the illusion of running faster in the gathering darkness. Sorely tempted to jump in Puffer Pond for a cooling dip but not knowing the depth of it I had to take a pass. Headed back on 27 from Old Marlboro Road, with pickups on the way in. Much quicker and felt better doing them on a flatter smoother road than Old Concord in the Lincoln woods. Difficult to describe how gross the weather was and how unwelcome it is to be experiencing it this late in the season after some very nice crisp days recently.

Tue 9/10 - PM 60 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Lincoln woods, with drills on Pine Hill. Able to sneak away from kiddies' practice earlier than I had planned, and I had planned on leaving early as it was. Started slowly but moving reasonably well by about the half hour mark, and cruising along when I got to the hill. Getting reasonably good extension and even some ground clearance doing the drills the past few times, but there was definitely some twinging in the glute and high hammie anyway. Much less energetic after the dip in the pond, maybe the cooler water has that effect. More humid than yesterday but still relatively pleasant.

Mon 9/9 - PM 50 minutes very easy

Area 51. Decided with the long day and cooler weather to keep the run local. By the time I was able to leave kiddies' practice which had me biking back and forth along the aqueduct, I had hit the wall energy-wise. Barely able to keep my eyes open on the ride home, made it as far as the Old Marlboro Road entrance to the refuge before I had to take a blackout catnap. It was quite clear within the first few minutes that the pace would be quite slow throughout. Made for a pleasant enough if boring experience, nice to be back on these trails again after a deer fly imposed break of a months. Breeze settled down as sun started to set making for very nice conditions, calm cool and still.

Sun 9/8 - PM 60 minutes incl. 5k xc race

Scratching a stupid itch, nearly got my ass handed to me as a result. Toying with the idea of doing this low-key race and following it up with a 20-30 minute tempo run on nearby roads. With the alternative being laps around the Longfellow Loop, the race option became more attractive as the weekend wore on. This despite the fact that I slept too little both of the last two nights and had a longish drive just to get to the start line from where I spent last night. On top of that arrived about half an hour before the gun went off with the lunch I ate far too close to race time still digesting in my stomach. Burping both before and after the race which is never a good feeling. Warmup was cursory at best, maybe 10 minutes combined of jogging and drills. I was figuring that I might be able to vulture a win running around 18 minutes. While this ended up being the case it certainly wasn't the relaxed controlled effort I would expect for that execrable a time. In fact it was clearly a race as I was being chased/ doing the chasing right until the final 200m on the track. In fact he put in a move with 600m to go that I thought would do me in, although I was able to rally it required digging a lot deeper than I would have expected. While part of the slow-ass time can be ascribed to the ridiculous course that included literally dozens of turns (which I should have recognized going in) and the fact that almost all of the trail in the woods was rocky and particularly rutted and strewn with tree roots. By the end it was a stumble-fest and very annoying, and only more annoying for the fact that the guy who was dogging me had a much better attitude towards the layout than I did. Afterward, took a 10 minute break, then 10 minutes of superslow jogging, then a 15 minute progression/tempoish steady run that while better than nothing certainly pales in comparison to the training value of a three-lapper on the LL. Warm and sunny day with gusty breezes blowing throughout.

Sat 9/7 - PM 75 minutes plus 15 minutes in Walden

Lincoln woods, with drills on Pine Hill. Somewhat tired from the morning spent at the kiddies' meet and long bus rides involved. Got this run in a bit earlier in the afternoon than is usually the case, which made for brighter sun and slightly warmer temps. Nice conditions for being outside.

Fri 9/6 - PM 80 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Lincoln woods. Snuck away from the kiddies practice early enough to get in a decent length run in the woods. Striking while the iron is still hot, or before the sun sets. Left hip flexor stiff and sore of course from yesterday, but felt better by the end of the run. No outstanding issues with the right hammie/glute after the first extended running on a track in months. Excellent weather with dry warm conditions all day.

Thu 9/5 - PM 65 minutes incl. 4(1000, 200)

Back to the track, Emerson Field to be more specific. Approached with some trepidation due to the ongoing issues with the right leg but I needed to be getting back on the horse at some point if I have any hope of doing anything worth a damn on the roads this fall. Decided on this particular workout a few days ago, mix of long and short reps with short (200m jog) recoveries, both because I like it and because it offered an easy way to pull the plug if need be. Felt reasonably good on the warmup and while doing drills and strides, but more stiffness in the left hip flexor and adductor than I was expecting. This became the running theme of the entire session, in fact more of a limiting factor than the right leg which came as a surprise. Decided not to do any pace checks in the midst of the km reps, run on feel instead. With no idea what a decent effort would be on the watch it was a no-brainer. Splits:

3:26.5/38.2
3:27.8/38.4
3:24.2/38.2
3:24.3/38.2

23:33 for the entire thing. The recoveries were all within a click or two of 55 seconds which came as a pleasant surprise. That the 200s were that consistently mediocre was no surprise and a reflection of how clunky and awkward the left thigh felt. Cooldown was very slow for the same reason, not that taxed overall but the left adductor was tapped out. Conditions were near perfect after a wet and sticky start to the day, showers cleared out and breeze was minimal.