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.