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.