Fri 3/22 - PM 55 minutes incl. 10x40 second pickups

Levittown via Rockland Ave. I had planned on doing some number of short reps as glorified strides, 40 seconds on/60 seconds off. Originally thought I'd get into it after 20 minutes or so of running but realized around the 15 minute mark the cobwebs hadn't nearly cleared yet. In fact they hadn't cleared 15 minutes after that but it was fake it til you make it time. Aside from lingering fatigue related to late bedtimes the past two nights, right leg was in its usual torqued state, making every pickup feel awkward and clumsy. And slow. Obnoxiously, the left hip/TFL locked up after the last rep when I decelerated too sharply. In fact, I was intending to do a couple more before this happened but once I felt the twinge on the left side I knew the fast running was done for the day. More blustery cold conditions, which means despite relatively strong sun the snowpack remains firmly entrenched.

Thu 3/21 - PM 65 minutes easy

Rt. 27 to Liberty/Red Acre, back via White Pond, Summerhill and Main. Tired after work, took a while to get out the door. Another case of originally intending to loop around Levittown and instead heading towards S. Acton. Started out a bit quicker than I probably should have, stalled out somewhat after 10-15 minutes but eventually the pace picked up again before taking a bathroom break at 40 minutes or so. Subsequently it took most of the rest of the run for the pace to wind back up. Right leg is about as tight as I expected it would be after yesterday's workout, initially the calf was unnervingly so but it came around somewhat eventually. Overcast with snow flurries again, not the most pleasant of conditions.

Wed 3/20 - PM 70 minutes incl. 4(80-80-160 seconds)

Longfellow loop. Dragged the pinched hamstring and way too tight calf up the road and got through the faster running more or less in one piece. One minute recoveries after each shorter rep and 2 minutes after the longer ones, keeping things as straightforward as possible. In fact, the first three sets went relatively well, then the leg begin its inexorable tightening and stiffening on the final go round. As of now, the right leg isn't getting any better or worse but it certainly is becoming a source of obsession. Fairly miserable weather for this time of year, cold and blustery. Aside from the onerous snowstorms the temps have been at least 5-8 degrees below normal.

Tue 3/19 - PM 40 minutes

Acton St. to High St via Conant, back on River and Parker. Yet another snowstorm, surprisingly intense with sloppy slushy slippery footing aplenty. Trails that were clearing up go back to being socked in, for at least a few days.  Extraordinarily tiresome. More tired than I'd care to admit regardless, two rounds of napping followed by shoveling. Got a late start as a result and originally planned on doing yet another tour of Levittown, perhaps via Rockland Ave. Took one look at what a mess that road was and went straight across 27 onto Conant instead. Traffic was light enough on High Street that I was able to avoid getting run down. Pace started to quicken once I reached River Street, recovered enough from the weekend that the energy level has bounced back somewhat. Hamstring remains stuck of course, shoveling didn't help any but it could be worse.

Mon 3/18 - PM 75 minutes easy

Track Road to Area 51. With yet another snowstorm bearing down, I felt it would be a few days at least before the trails would be semi-accessible again. Much of Track Road south of White Pond Rd. was in quite good shape actually, rutted but snow-free. The cut through from TR to the patrol road was a slog of course but worth it to get on a plowed car-free surface. Took it easy at the start, a few breaks to look at the river and various animal tracks. This left me dawdling a bit so I picked it up after the 45 minute mark until exiting the refuge, at which point I started doing short pickups for much of the rest of the way in. Right hamstring held up reasonably well to this although the underlying stiffness is of course still there. Part of the landscape at this point.

Sun 3/17 - double, 1:40 total

AM - 35 minutes very easy shakeout. Expecting the worst after how badly the right leg stiffened up so much at the end of yesterday's race. Not quite as bad as I thought it might be, but both calves were really tight, alarmingly so in fact. This morning's jog was as much about checking out the river at its various points between downtown and the dam as anything else. Not as high as it was earlier in the week after Tuesday's rain but still flowing briskly:

 upstream from the trestle

downstream from the trestle

Ben Smith Dam

PM - 65 minutes easy, Area 51. Mostly the same run as Thursday, interested to see what three days of sun (if not warmth) and whatever foot traffic on the trails would do to the snowpack. Better footing certainly, although Puffer Pond Road is still socked in. Hamstring ended up feeling better than I had hoped, although calves are still quite tight and sore. More than I would expect the day after a 5k. Windy enough for me to break out the headsock again. 

Sat 3/16 - AM 55 minutes incl. 5k

An uninspiring performance thanks to lingering issues with the right leg. I was disappointed that my A game was nowhere to be found, not that it would have changed the outcome in terms of finish order, only the final time. High hammie felt pinched and sore all through the warmup, once the gun went off I noticed the calf, and by the third mile I could feel the belly of the hamstring tightening up with each step. As it turned out, running 5k at a mostly even 5:20 pace is about what I'd expect for having done mostly easy jogging the past few weeks. The course was favorable enough, mostly flat with a hint of a climb in the third mile but overall a straightforward out and back along the water. Wind such that it was at our backs the second half of the course. Tactically I wanted to avoid running alone or leading a pack in the first half because of the wind, of course that's precisely what happened anyway as I pulled away from the rest of the chasers. Played keep away with 3rd place from the turnaround point on in. Got home and spent a lot of time on the foam roller, can't help but feel all the rolling and compressions are dealing with symptoms and not cause of what ails me. Certainly if the leg doesn't improve soon it seems likely that the track season will be impacted if not stillborn. I had actually planned on an easy shakeout in the afternoon but far too tired for it, napped instead.