Thu 1/31 - PM 60 minutes easy

Area 51. Not quite as recovered in the legs from Tuesday as I was planning or hoping, which kept the pace easy. Eventually near the end I was able to throw in a few short pickups but they weren't exactly explosive. The gusty winds continue but now from a much colder direction. Blustery day as a whole.

Wed 1/30 - PM 75 minutes easy

Area 51. Broadly similar loop to Monday, but under much different conditions as the temp zoomed up overnight along with big winds. No yaktrax needed today, or long pants even. Most of the snow long gone with some stubborn ice patches and plenty of mud and puddles in its place. The run itself was delightfully mellow, took it easy from beginning to end. Hamstring felt better during the day at work than it did during the run itself. Somewhat better after post-run compressions and stretching.

Tue 1/29 - PM 55 minutes incl. mile, 1320, 880, 440, 220, 2x110

Looking for a straightforward cutdown session between races, this one seemed to fit the bill. I hoped to be able to extend it down to shorter reps which was successful. Perhaps because the pace was atrociously slow on the longer reps to start. The mile went in just under 5:20, barely negative split. 4.5 minutes later went for 3/4 in 3:56 even-paced. Ideally these longer reps have a pronounced progression to them but it wasn't happening this evening. Mostly due to a persistent hitch in my giddy-up from the right hammie. I don't mind the slow pace as much as the effort it required. 3 minute rest after that, changed into spikes and ran the 880 in 2:32, under control and at least getting a little quicker. 2 minute rest after that then the 440 in just under 71, which is what I was aiming for. Just under 90 seconds rest then 220 in 34.6, finally down to glorified strides with a lap jog before each. Those went in a bit over 17 and then over 16 seconds. The leg loosened up somewhat eventually but it took a while. Overall it continues to improve gradually despite the fast running on indoor tracks which does it no favors at all. Dragging a little bit by this point in the day as well. Warmup and cooldown both took place indoors, while it wasn't that cold out I had no desire to be out there.

Mon 1/28 - PM 75 minutes easy

Area 51. Snow started falling soon after lunch and by the time I got home after work, one look at the untouched Maynard side streets made it clear that I'd be wearing yaktrax for the run. So long as I had them on I figured I could handle the trails. By treading lightly and taking short steps this worked out fine. Nice to be off the roads, even if it meant going slower than I would have liked. I had planned on doing some pickups near the end but with the roads as they were it wasn't happening.

Sun 1/27 - double, 95 minutes very easy

AM - 50 minutes easy, Area 51. Took a while to get going this morning after a late bedtime following yesterday's caffeine ingestion. Once out the door, it was about what I expected with the right leg being stiff. It has been worse following hard efforts lately though. Continued sub-freezing chill, winds obnoxiously strong at times. Light dusting of snow from yesterday morning but in the daylight I was able to avoid slipping and sliding on the trails, plus the pace was quite slow anyway.

PM - 45 minutes easy, Levittown to Sheridan. Barely any quicker than the morning putter, another relaxed shakeout. Leg felt better after doing stretching afterward. Still cold but less breeze after sunset.

Sat 1/26 - PM 65 minutes incl. track mile

Four weeks later and one second slower than the last time out on the track. Plenty of trials and tribulations between then and now. In the end I was happy to have survived the thing. Right leg held together relatively well, and continues to progress slowly despite the insults visited upon it. Running fast in tight circles is right up there on that list. Unable to warm up quite as thoroughly as I would have liked due to how crowded it was, not accustomed to running at this meet in the busiest part of the day. The warm conditions mitigated this somewhat. Settled into DFL at the start and immediately got into the pace I thought/hoped would be sustainable, i.e. just under 35 second laps. I could tell from the outset that any faster would lead to grief. I would have liked to make a more agressive move around halfway but not capable of doing so. Felt things start to fade in the latter stages, sixth and seventh laps especially, trying to stay relaxed and not fall apart. Tried to change gears at the bell with at best mixed results. Overall the second half was just a bit slower than the first despite the last lap being the fastest. Long slow cooldown, supposedly getting warmer but it was windy enough that I wasn't feeling it.