Tue 12/30 - PM 60 minutes incl. 4(600, 300) + 400

More of the short sweet stuff. "Sweet" meaning intense. Thought up this particular session last night thinking it would be best to hit the faster paces again. Sticking to the swimming rest interval idea, I thought it would be doable to run the 600s on 4 minutes (i.e. about 2:10 rest) and the 300s on 2 minutes (a bit less than 70 second recoveries). Recognized intellectually that the turnaround after each 300 would be tough but actually experiencing it was another matter. Although to be fair the first lap of the first 600 felt flat enough that extending the rest after the 300s might not have made much difference. If nothing else it forced me to measure out the effort a little bit more. Originally had planned on running the 600s around 1:50 but that plainly wasn't happening, but 300s were mostly dead on. Following an 8+ minute break after the last 300 that included a brief bit of rolling on the right TFL and putting on spikes I threw in a standalone 400. Trying to bear down without digging a tunnel into the track. Before the workout I thought I might be able to hit something under 65 but instead it was 67, evenly split and not the least bit surprising. This has to be 800 pace I should think. Alas, getting old sucks for sure. Splits:

1:52.3
53.0
1:52.0
53.0
1:51.8
52.3
1:51.5
52.7

67.1

Mon 12/29 - PM 50 minutes

Area 51. Somewhat late start made this a shorter run than I had originally intended. Still feeling some lingering fatigue and thought it better to err on the side of caution. Did a few short pickups on the way in which were no more than 85% effort, with the right butt/hamstring feeling stuck. Stretching and rolling afterward helped with this. Right calf felt fine up until the pickups when I noticed a slight twinge to my chagrin. The recent mild weather pattern is near an end, something more recognizable as winter taking its place. Colder but no wind thankfully.

Sun 12/28 - AM 65 minutes easy

Area 51. Sluggish as expected. Originally planned to go longer but too much lolligagging after rolling out of bed ate into the time I had available for running. Feeling quite wiped out from yesterday for sure. Both TFLs tight and tender, unlike yesterday when it was just the left one. Stretching and core had slipped the past two days, made sure to get it done today though. Still mild, although with passing showers that made things feel a bit raw.

Sat 12/27 - double, 95 minutes total incl. 6x 4 minute pickups and 4(200,100)

AM - 60 minutes incl. 6x 4 minute pickups, Longfellow loop. Given the lingering fatigue from yesterday, I wanted to do something not measured specifically by pace and distance covered. 2 minute recoveries, which is maybe a little longer than what would be done in a straight threshold repeat workout. Aiming to do the workout as a progression, which held through the first four reps okay but the last two felt like things stalled out in the third minute. Right butt felt somewhat stiff throughout, but calf held together okay. Headed out the door as the sun was getting high enough to bring on what turned out to be a mild sunny day.

PM - 35 minutes incl. 4(200, 100). Glorified strides with 300 jog after each 200 and 200 jog after each 100. As close to leg prep as I'm likely to get. Untimed but felt like I had decent enough turnover going. Considering I spent the morning and early afternoon standing and walking around downtown, I was happy to get anything of any substance done. Left TFL tight from the aforementioned walking but the usual suspects on the right side held together surprisingly well.

Fri 12/26 - PM 45 minutes

Area 51. Took a good long while to get out the door, much more wiped out from work than I had realized. The fact that work involved going up and down ladders much of the day had something to do with this. Shorter volume was a planned thing however. Did a few short pickups on the way in, which felt decent if not spectacular. Still mild weather for this time of year.

Thu 12/25 - double, 1:40 total easy

AM - 60 minutes, roundtrip to 10 Spencer. Easier to navigate in the daylight, as compared to my recent trip here last week. The trip out was relaxed, the trip back turned into an ambling redemption-centered hike with many stops. Right leg stiffer than I'd like. Unseasonably mild, rain just wrapping up as I headed out the door.

PM - 40 minutes easy. Puttered around Maynard, no headlamp since I left it at work yesterday. This kept me off the trails. Not that I would have made it very far back into the woods anyway, energy and motivation low for that. Mild weather continues, albeit with gusty winds during the day. Spent a decent amount of time stretching afterward.

Wed 12/24 - off

Not a planned zero but I was due nonetheless. Got home from work and found it next to impossible to get up from a quick afternoon nap which then turned into a long afternoon nap. Right leg feeling torqued as one would expect after yesterday. Worst of the rain held off until later in the evening but still not exactly wonderful conditions outside.

Tue 12/23 - PM 65 minutes incl. 3x200, 2x300, 500, 2x300, 3x200, 600

Reminded again of why I dislike this type of workout, an occasional thing only. Shooting for something around 35 seconds/200 pace throughout. Hit the mark with the exception of the 500, where the 90 second recovery was plainly insufficient. Took nearly 7 minutes between the last 200 and the 600, and also changed into spikes. Didn't feel fully recovered but focused instead on staying relaxed and squeezing a bit more effort out of the tube each lap of it. Right leg feeling less than stellar during the day, calf in a bit of a knot but it held together well enough. Splits:

35.1/35.2/34.9
52.2/53.2
89.9 - i.e. 36 pace
52.7/52.9
35.0/34.5/34.6

1:45.2 (35.4/35.0/34.8)

Mon 12/22 - PM 70 minutes easy

Area 51. If anything the legs felt worse today than yesterday, although this wasn't a huge surprise. Took it easy for the most part although I did feel compelled to do some rather low-key short pickups on the way in coming back on 27 from the Old Marlboro refuge entrance. Either way, I knew I was going to need to have some quality time with the new roller after the run. Overcast and fairly gloomy conditions, with light rain falling. Warmer than usual for this time of year but with all the moisture still a raw feel and not especially pleasant.

Sun 12/21 - PM 45 minutes very easy

Area 51. Made it to the culvert, thinking I would continue on to Harry's Way and loop around to Patrol road. Realized when I stopped that it would take too long and I was already too tired, so I turned back to make it a somewhat shorter run. On top of the expected fatigue from yesterday's big day, I did a lot of walking around the city earlier in the day. Right TFL and upper IT were stiff and twinging in the morning, but felt much better after doing some rolling on the area. Overall, legs aren't nearly as stiff and sore as I was expecting, perhaps tomorrow that bill will come due. Colder in the morning than the evening it seemed, with the wind dying down for the most part after sunset.

Sat 12/20 - double, 2 hours incl. track 3k, 6k in/out tempo

AM - 90 minutes total. Split my time between BU and Harvard for what can safely be termed a supercompensation day. If it doesn't put me under that is, which hopefully it won't. Arrived too late for an adequate warmup before the 3k, combined with some unwelcome stiffness in the hamstring and calf I wasn't feeling especially optimistic about the "almost a race" 3k I had planned, i.e. first km at 38/lap, second @37, and third @36. In fact I found myself having to apply direct pressure to a trigger point deep in the calf a few minutes before toeing the line, never a positive sign. Within a minute of the gun going off I knew the 36 pace to close wasn't going to be happening, but decided I would try and stick to the progression for as long as possible. 38 pace, while reasonably relaxed, not feeling easy enough. Being overextended of late, in terms of density of training as well as getting to bed too late, certainly had something to do with this. Still, ahead of where I was last year in terms of overall fitness which I'll take. Instead of taking a split every single lap like I did last year when I tried this, decided to go every other lap with the km split thrown in as well. Splits:

76.4
75.4
37.7 (3:09.5)
74.9
73.7
37.7 (3:06.3)
37.0 - forgot the pattern or else wishful thinking
74.8
73.5 (3:05.3)

Quite obvious that the turnover is lacking. Effort was consistent throughout at least. Lots of coughing afterward, but I wasn't alone in that. Dry air for sure, hopefully not poor air quality in there as well.

Following this the plan was to get over to Harvard's outdoor track within an hour's time for stage 2. After some hemming and hawing in the past two days decided to go with the originally planned session for this, a continuous 6k with alternating faster and slower kms at 6:00 pace and 5:30 pace. Took a little longer than maybe it should to actually get myself out the door and down the road. Arrived to find the expected steady breeze blowing down the track, combined with nippy temps made for less than comfortable conditions but what else is new. Rolled through the first 200 in 46 with the wind at my back and felt some concern that the planned paces were too much to ask. In fact the slower bits were a bit faster (1 second.lap) than desired and the faster ones on average about a second per lap slower, mostly down to being conservative on the first faster km.Overall it was about what I expected, doable but not a picnic. The wind made things a bit of a chore. Splits:

3:43.0
3:33.4
3:42.5
3:29.2
3:42.7
3:25.5
total 21:36

Tired but not crushed at the end of all this.

PM - 30 minutes very easy out and back along the Charles from Watertown Square. Less than three hours or so after finishing the morning's efforts, headed back out for an easy putter with a few well-timed walking breaks. Wind had diminished which was nice.

Fri 12/19 - PM 40 minutes easy

Brookline/Boston, jogging around the Coolidge Corner/Comm Ave. area. Feeling more tired and flat than I would like, recovery from Wednesday's workout not quite where it should be. Cold wind blowing made for more chilly conditions than the past couple of days.

Thu 12/18 - PM 70 minutes easy

Round trip to 10 Spencer, much of it along the railbed. Tired and flat after getting to bed an hour later than normal last night, took a lot longer than it should have to get out the door. Right leg quite stiff to start out, some uneven footing at times along the railbed didn't help any. Even with the headlamp, picking up protrusions and depth perception in general can be problematic. Felt somewhat better after stretching it out afterward. Something of a headwind on the way out.

Wed 12/17 - PM 50 minutes incl. 4(3x400)

Another try at the swimming-style recovery intervals. News flash, it can be quite hard with short enough recoveries. In this case, did each set on 2 minutes for the first two reps and then on five for the third, i.e. nine minutes total for each set. Aiming to alternate a set at 78 with a set at 73 which in theory represents 5k and 3k pace. Splits:

78.4/76.9/76.7
73.5/73.1/72.4
78.0/77.5/76.6
73.0/72.4/72.1

Feeling wobbly and overextended on the final rep of the second set. Hung in there better on the final set but the fact I put on spikes for this probably had something to do with it. The slower paced reps were fairly relaxed but I was hoping they'd feel a bit easier quite frankly. Legs bounced back somewhat from yesterday but still not exactly spry. Warmup and cooldown both on the short side as per usual with these track sessions so far this winter.

Tue 12/16 - PM 60 minutes easy

Area 51. I had been hoping to extend the length of the run a bit and finish off with some short pickups on the way in. Late start precluded the former, and the right leg feeling a lot worse than expected nearly kept me from trying the latter. Right IT band and TFL feeling like garbage, likely from the race Sunday but who knows. Certainly didn't feel this crappy yesterday. Did a few pickups on the way in but they were far from crisp. Plenty of rolling and direct pressure on the piriformis and IT band after the run was done. Relatively mild temps.

Mon 12/15 - PM 55 minutes easy

Area 51. Easy putter from start to finish. Calves are sore of course but could be worse I figure. Right TFL twinging near the end which seems to happen sometimes when running slowly. Relatively comprehensive set of stretching/core exercises before bed.

Sun 12/14 - double, 80 minutes total incl. 5k road race

AM - 45 minutes incl. 5k road race. Two weeks in a row of running 16:30. This week's course was certainly more challenging than the dead flat layout last week, but a more favorable starting time and less wind today. Time was of less concern though, as I found myself in the unexpected and unwelcome position of having to make the race from the front. In fact I led basically the entire race. Two-time defending champ didn't show which is the only reason this was the case. Made a conscious effort to hold something back the first few minutes, but sensing people itching to make moves made me drop the hammer somewhat just before the mile, reached in just over 5:10. By the time I got to the second mile mark in 10:25 or so I had the feeling that I had overdone it between 1.5 and 2 and would surely pay for it near the end. In fact the gradual uphill just after that didn't treat me well at all and I had to scale back to keep from blowing up completely. To my surprise I wasn't passed and the gap actually built up a bit. Threw in a couple of blind corner surges, or tried to, leading up to the final gradual downhill stretch. In the end I was peeking over my shoulder a lot and trying not to lock up completely. When it was clear the deal was sealed I relaxed some which is partly why the third mile was substantially slower than the first two. Not that I wasn't slowing down regardless. As nice a day as one could hope for at this time of year, wind from the NW earlier in the morning but it died down somewhat. Very short cooldown.

PM - 35 minutes very easy, Watertown. Along the river's edge. A nice afternoon and nice company. Very relaxed which is all I had in me. Calves sore but not as much as after last Sunday's road effort.

Sat 12/13 - double, 80 minutes total

AM - 40 minutes very easy. Stumbling pre-breakfast shakeout, not nearly awake enough for anything more. Some stiffness in legs but seems mostly related to the early hour.

PM - 40 minutes. Moving better from the jump than the morning jog. Thought about doing some pickups on the way in but decided to go with discretion rather than valor.

Fri 12/12 - PM 40 minutes incl. 3x6 minutes

Levittown. Like last Friday only this time, the limited time window was in fact in effect. 10 minute warmup, one minute recoveries between the three threshold-ish segments, 10 minute cooldown. Trying as ever to progress the effort level within each rep, not sure how successful this was but the last rep felt quicker than the first at least. Overcast finally moving out following Tuesday's nor'easter.

Thu 12/11 - 70 minutes easy

Area 51. Feeling a bit better than yesterday at least, but still some soreness in the right hamstring. Started out slowly but I had a sense that given a little time the legs would loosen up a bit. Pace picked up as this happened of course, not to any extreme degree but it was nice not to be stuck puttering like Monday and yesterday. The leftovers of Tuesday's storm still hanging around, continued dank conditions but not as raw as yesterday.

Wed 12/10 - PM 60 minutes easy

Area 51. Same loop as Monday at roughly the same (low) level of intensity. As expected, legs are feeling it from the density of recent training. Particularly in the upper right hamstring. Expecting the trails to be partially submerged but it wasn't as bad as that. The river is certainly high though and moving quite fast.

Tue 12/9 - PM 45 minutes incl. 3x(400, 400, 200)

Another quick hitter like last Tuesday. In fact many similarities to last week. Like every step being done indoors thanks to a raging nor'easter that dumped rain all day. Calves still sore of course, which caused some trepidation but soldiered on nonetheless. Also intended to stick with the same gimmick of running the reps on a swimmer-type schedule, in this case on 2 minutes for the 400s and 4 minutes after each 200. However, this came apart the second set as I went to one minute recoveries without even realizing it. Force of habit maybe or else maybe too much oxygen debt to think clearly. In fact, the splits were too quick in general for what I was trying to accomplish, hoping to hit the 400s around 74 and 200s in 35. The idea was to stay somewhat relaxed and under control, instead there was a distinct rubber-legged feeling by the time the final set rolled around. Splits:

72.7 (47.8)
72.0 (46.6)
34.7 (3:28)

71.5 (59.0) lost track of recovery time
71.9 (58.8)
34.2 (3:01) got back on schedule

70.5 (58.6) trying to hold something back, instead it was completely overbaked
72.7 (50.0)
34.8

Very short on both the warmup and cooldown, still got home late thanks to an enormous puddle blocking traffic on the ride home.

Mon 12/8 - PM 60 minutes easy

Area 51. A bit stiff-legged getting up in the morning, but nothing too bad I thought initially. Until later in the morning that is after some time spent sitting when I got up to walk around and found the calves were quite sore. Why I should have been surprised at this I don't know, yesterday's race certainly put a strain on them. Nonetheless it seemed a bit severe for a road 5k, so perhaps the long hike in the afternoon yesterday also played a role. Regardless, they were very tender and a constant reminder to take it easy. Not that I needed any reminders. Usual stiffness in the upper hamstring as well. Cold temps all day with a nasty north wind as well, the breeze being a harbinger of what's on tap for tomorrow.

Sun 12/7 - AM 50 minutes incl. 5k road race

Return to the sterile pancake flat office park in Mansfield for what's becoming an annual tradition of sorts. Impossible to resist the lure of gift certificates incl. one just for entering. Stayed up too late for no good reason, and didn't sleep that well either. Made for a desultory warmup trying to clear the cobwebs. Yesterday's rain gave way to blustery cold overcast. With the out and back layout of the course, it was a tailwind for the first half and then we got blasted on the way back. Felt fairly crisp and smooth heading out but the turnaround into the teeth of the wind put a quick end to that. After being gapped in the first few minutes by the eventual winner there was a brief period where I thought I might be able to bridge back, but reality set in just before we turned around. With the wind on top of it the final mile or so was a holding pattern. Chasers did close a little bit but I had enough cushion. Still feeling ragged and on the edge of bursting towards the end. Time was more impressive than last year at least, which I was expecting but gratifying given I don't remember it being this windy last year. Cooldown just as slow and shambling as the warmup, right calf somewhat stiff. Followed up the morning's effort with a hike around Walden in the afternoon, all the way to Mt. Misery in fact, that lasted a good 3 hours. Much nicer conditions for that than the morning with sun and less wind.

Sat 12/6 - AM 70 minutes easy

Area 51. Relaxed putter after taking a good while to get out of bed. Gross weather made this something of a chore, cold and rainy with the only saving grace being that there was little to no wind. Took a leisurely break at the refuge VC for a good 15 minutes or so simply to enjoy the feeling of warmth return to my fingers. Right calf tight as usual, took a couple of stretching breaks for it.

Fri 12/5 - PM 45 minutes incl. 2x 9 minute pickups

Levittown. A quick hitter that I'd planned in advance due to a previous dinner appointment that constrained the available time to go running. The dinner ended up being canceled but I stuck to the short and sweet plan for the run regardless. The accumulated fatigue from the work week influenced this decision. Aiming to get in some type of threshold effort, if the right leg would allow it. Hamstring still feeling tweaked during the day but with some more rolling and cross fiber friction after getting home from work it felt good enough to give it a try. Running totally on feel, trying to progress the effort from beginning to end of each rep. Two minutes recovery between them, with a 10 minute warmup and 15 minute cooldown.

Thu 12/4 - PM 65 minutes easy

Area 51. A bit faster paced than yesterday's run, despite the fact that the right hammie felt worse. Must be DOMS or maybe tweaked it a bit yesterday on top of Tuesday, but definitely feeling the effects of the 200s in the belly of the muscle. Mild strain in all likelihood. Did a fair amount of direct pressure on it during the day at work, probably too much in fact. Rolled out the TFL and IT band, which were also stiff, upon getting home. A little worried about how well the legs will react to training on an indoor oval. Chilly conditions but the wind was bearably light.

Wed 12/3 - 70 minutes easy

Area 51. Creaky as expected, although maybe not quite to the degree I was fearing. Perhaps due to the relatively short length of last night's workout. After a brief period of snow last night, plenty of rain during the day today which combined with warmer temps again has eliminated nearly all of the snow from the trails. Enjoying that particular freedom while it lasts.

Tue 12/2 - PM 50 minutes incl. 16x200

First workout of the season on an indoor track. While I had every intention of doing a different workout on the track in Maynard, keeping it close to home and avoiding the trip to and from Cambridge, the drop in temperature after sunset along with an ill wind blowing had me give up on that idea. In fact I ended up doing every step of the day's running inside. With the late start everything was steamlined, warmup, cooldown and the workout itself. Decided to go with simple, albeit with the swimming-style wrinkle of starting a rep every 90 seconds. In effect, took around 54 seconds rest between reps. Not the last time I'll try an interval workout with this type of setup. Splits:

35.2
36.4
36.3
36.0
35.5
35.7
35.7
35.7
35.2
35.5
35.5
35.3
34.8
34.7
34.1
34.0

I was taken aback by the first split time, then worried I wouldn't be able to make it all the way through if I didn't back off. By the halfway mark though it became clear I would and from there decided to squeeze it down the last four reps. Other than a twinge in the right soleus this went well.

Mon 12/1 - PM 60 minutes easy

Area 51. A scouting mission of sorts to see what the past 36 hours of warm weather did to the snow and ice on the trails. In fact, most of it was gone, even in the shaded spots. A reprieve of sorts for the time being from having to forgo running in the woods. Some stiffness in the right hamstring from yesterday but calf feels decent.

Sun 11/30 - AM 65 minutes incl. 4x1600, 2x800

Longfellow loop. Originally this was to be 6x1600 or three loops around with the 400m recovery jogs included. Decided on the fly to scale back the session after the fourth rep, telling myself at the time that it was because I needed to wrap things up and got a late start. In truth I overbaked the second and third reps and needed an escape hatch. Still, a relatively solid session done in clunker shoes in somewhat windy conditions. Headwind on the way out, tailwind on the way back on each loop. 200m jog between the 800s. Splits:

5:48.4 (1:47.2)
5:39.5 (1:48.4)
5:39.2 (1:52.1) the one that really fried me, thought I was more under control
5:42.9 (1:50.7)
2:46.5 (1:04)
2:42.5

Warming up rapidly over the the course of the morning, with the aforementioned SW wind being a part of that. Right leg hanging in there surprisingly well. Had vague notions of doing a short shakeout run in the evening but decided on discretion instead.

Sat 11/29 - AM 65 minutes easy

Area 51. Broadly similar to yesterday's run, only in the daylight which counts for something. Not slipping and stumbling nearly as much as I could see where I was stepping. Kept it relaxed, various stops to enjoy the wintry scenery. Took a while to get going after lounging in bed for a good while. I had every intention of going for another run in the evening but by late afternoon I could tell that wouldn't be happening.

Fri 11/28 - PM 60 minutes very easy

Area 51. Something of a scouting expedition, seeing how Wednesday's storm left the trails. Still passable on foot, not quite skiable although at least one person tried. Footing far from ideal for the most part with some parts quite rough, incl. all of track road, from the thawing and refreezing. Somewhat frustrating in the dark to negotiate these sections. Took a good long while to get out the door after yesterday's adventure followed with a day at work today. Quite cold, only a light breeze thankfully.

Thu 11/27 - double, 1:45 total incl. 5k xc race and 10 minutes, 5x1 minute pickups

AM - 60 minutes incl. 5k xc race at Maudslay Park. The definition of a slog, but a compelling experience nonetheless. It became clear on the ride up that the NBPT area received as much snow as Maynard, and that this would make for atrocious footing. Warmup on the first mile or so of the course only confirmed this. At the start, it felt like I was post-holing for the first 100m or so. Kept the stride short, esp. on the hills, and was able to move up a few spots in the second half of the race. By the final ascent to the finish it was clear I had the old fart title in the bag, thought about relaxing a bit but kept it going through the line anyway. Quite tired at the finish but pleasantly so. Thankfully the wind wasn't nearly as bad as last year which made it much more tolerable weather-wise. Very easy cooldown on the road running past the park.

PM - 45 minutes incl. 10 minutes, 5x1 minute, Levittown. After a long afternoon nap, headed out for the back half of the daily double. Feeling a bit logy from the outset, right hammie somewhat pinched from the running on the snow in the morning. Soldiered on with the planned workout, although the first few minutes of the 10 minute rep were very restrained. Got through the rest of it okay.

Wed 11/26 - off

White hell descended with a vengeance, snowing hard by lunchtime. By the time late afternoon rolled around Maynard was right in the sleet belt, which persisted until bedtime. Got home early from work, took a long nap, woke up for the first of two rounds of shoveling and realized then there would be no run outside, not even the easy 45 minute putter I had planned. Atrocious footing and frozen slush everywhere on paved surfaces there wasn't untrammeled snow. With the sleet juicing it up the snow was more like wet concrete. This could very well be a long and trying winter, using the skis and possibly elliptigo more than I had anticipated. Calf and piriformis on the right side feeling tweaked all day, somewhat better after direct pressure and stretching but more dinged up than I'd like after yesterday's modest effort.

Tue 11/25 - PM 60 minutes incl, 8x30 seconds

Area 51. With the race coming up Thursday morning, this would be the logical day for something of substance, but I wasn't interested in pushing it too far. To that end, did a gradual pickup from 20-40 minute mark of the run before a break at the fishing dock. Relaxed and doing it purely on feel. Easy jog out to Old Marlboro where I started doing the pickups, 30 seconds with 60 second jogs. These felt reasonably good if not exactly blazing. Only about 10-15 degrees cooler than yesterday but felt a lot cooler than that with enough of a breeze to require a lot more clothing than yesterday's t-shirt and shorts.

Mon 11/24 - PM 70 minutes

Area 51. Feeling surprisingly good from the start, perhaps thanks to taking it easy yesterday. Maybe also thanks to the abnormally warm temperatures which had me running in shorts and a t-shirt. Felt unnatural to be doing so in the dark, in late November, but a no-brainer. Windy but quite mild all day. Thought about doing short pickups near the end of the run but held back from doing so until tomorrow.

Sun 11/23 - AM 45 minutes very easy

Area 51. As expected, feeling pooped from yesterday. I had notions of going for a second run in the afternoon as a way to facilitate post-run flexibility work that there was no time for in the morning, but decided to take a pass on a second run which was the smart move. The cold snap of the past week finally came to a close, took the better part of the morning though with the late sunrise.

Sat 11/22 - double, 1:40 total incl. 8k threshold and 4(200,100)

AM - 60 minutes incl. 8k progression, Longfellow loop. For the first time in a long long time, a weekend that could be set aside for training purposes only. Trying to do some sort of double workout, frayed calf be damned. The front end a threshold session, capped at two laps and theoretically trying to run around 6 minute pace. Splits:

6:01/5:59/2:49
5:48/5:51/2:42
ca. 29:30 for the full 8k

Got a little tougher than I would have liked the second loop, of course the pace increase had something to do with that. Not as cold as last night thankfully, or as windy but still not exactly ideal. Overall a decent effort despite feeling somewhat tired from the get-go

PM - 40 minutes incl. 4(200, 100). Took a long nap in the afternoon but still feeling more flat than I would like. More from the week as a whole than the morning. Didn't bother timing the repeats, but it was 8 laps total and 4 sets of running a 200, jogging 300, running 100, jogging 200. Glorified strides. Originally I had grandiose notions of something more substantial but as the day wore on I knew I wouldn't be up to anything like that. Windier than the morning.

Fri 11/21 - PM 70 minutes easy

Area 51. Celebrated the end of the work week by taking a long nap. After a fair amount of dithering eventually got out the door for what I knew would have to be a low-key jog. In fact it had to be easier than that as there wasn't much in the tank and the legs are still stiff from Wednesday. Temps went back down today, with the blustery wind it felt more like late December than late November.

Thu 11/20 - PM 30 minutes easy

Swellesley. A return to the old stomping grounds of morning jogs which seem like a million years ago even though it's barely been two months. I had planned on a longer putter but the time frame for that evaporated thanks to work responsibilities. Directly from the run to the kiddie's awards banquet, which left no time for stretching or rolling. Both things my legs were in desperate need of after yesterday. Not quite as cold but just as windy today, albeit from a SW rather than NW direction.

Wed 11/19 - PM 60 minutes incl. timed pickups

Longfellow loop, after a quick jog up Waltham Street and the lunge matrix went right into 2x6 minutes, 2x4, 2x2, and 2x1 with 2 minute jog recoveries throughout. A pattern I dreamed up the other day, and accomplished what I had hoped for in terms of a progression from threshold pace to something faster and more exhausting by the end. As this was the first honest to goodness in a good long while I had some concerns over how the right leg would hold up and while it did get somewhat fatigued it didn't lock up on me. This despite feeling like I should have rolled on it before stepping out the door. Continued cold conditions although not quite as cold as yesterday, but still windy.

Tue 11/18 - PM 70 minutes

Area 51. Same site and length run as yesterday but a different scene entirely as the pace was quicker throughout. Not flying but not puttering either. Two stops at the south gate ca. 35 minute and 20 minutes later at the dock, then exited via Old Marlboro and did a series of pickups on the way in. Yesterday's rain was pushed out and replaced by cold air and gusty winds all day. Colder than normal and not leaving for a few days.

Mon 11/17 - PM 70 minutes easy

Area 51. Utterly disgusting weather all day long as a massive cold front swept through and up the entire eastern seaboard. Cold hard rain for hours on end, which thankfully subsided somewhat just as I was getting ready to venture out. While the conditions contributed to the decision to keep it low key, I quickly found that the weekend's runs, such as they were, left me a little flat anyway. In fact at times the pace was bordering on the very easy.

Sun 11/16 - double, 80 minutes total incl. 8x200

AM - 40 minutes easy. Similar to yesterday's morning jog, in all respects. Followed with a bit of hiking in Area 51 before lunch as well.

PM - 40 minutes incl. 8x200. Feeling antsy to do something, if only glorified strides. Decided to keep it short and simple which was about right for where I'm at currently. Glad I didn't try anything more substantial yesterday evening, it wouldn't have gone well. As it was, got a little pooped on the last three reps of this modest session. Took splits but didn't check until afterwards:

38.9 (60)
38.5 (57.9)
38.0 (58)
38.0 (59)
38.0 (58)
37.1 (58.6)
37.5 (57.8)
37.0 (55.8)

Not exactly blazing but I was bundled up against the cold and the right leg held together fairly well so I'll certainly take it. Left hip flexor feeling tired by the end.

Sat 11/15 - double, 75 minutes total

AM - 45 minutes easy. Pre-breakfast shakeout. Pulse seemed a bit elevated last night, possibly from the faster pace of runs lately. Took it easy as a result. Cold morning but barely a breeze.

PM - 30 minutes. Headed to the track in flats planning on doing some sort of glorified strides after a day spent at the final kiddie meet of the season. Felt more spry than I'd anticipated on the jog over and thought about upgrading to an actual workout. All of it moot though as I got there to find a football game in progress. Turned tail and headed back but with pickups on the way in. These felt reasonably good although it seems like my energy level is still perhaps a bit too low for serious training at the moment. Hard to tell quite frankly.

Fri 11/14 - PM 65 minutes

Area 51. I had been planning to go a bit more time than this but got a relatively late start and in the end found myself matching the time length of yesterday's run instead. Not as quick as yesterday but not a dawdle either. Picked it up particularly in the last 15 minutes or so. All the calf stretching breaks may be having some positive effect as the perpetually frayed area seems to be feeling a bit better of late. Of course no real stress placed on it since Sunday either. The day began with snow on the grass, gone by lunchtime but cold all day.

Thu 11/13 - PM 65 minutes

Area 51. Had I gone at the same pace as the runs back here the past two days it would have taken 5-10 minutes longer for sure. As it was, ran at a rather crisp pace for 20 minutes, brief stop and calf stretch, then 25 minutes of near threshold running before a longer break at the fishing dock. From there a more sedate run to Old Marlboro where I did short pickups with long recoveries. As close to doing a structured workout as I'll likely get this week. Right leg felt reasonably good during the run but somewhat weak afterward. Chilly temps but no wind at all.

Wed 11/12 - AM 50 minutes easy

Area 51. Flipping the usual weekday schedule on its ear with the free time in the morning. Not quite as stiff as I was expecting for the early hour. Feels like I'm starting to come around from Sunday perhaps, finally. Still took it easy, doing the same loop as yesterday morning. While I had originally planned on doing a shorter run in the evening after getting home it became clear that wouldn't be happening.

Tue 11/11 - double, 1:50 total easy

AM - 50 minutes very easy, Area 51. Let the active recovery begin with an easy putter to Otter Alley. Right leg predictably stuck, as a whole it feels quite weak compared to the left. Calf impossibly tight too. Shuffling along as a result. Warmer than normal conditions.

PM - 60 minutes easy, Area 51. Had it in my head to visit the fishing dock which was worth this run being longer than I had wanted it to be. Leg a bit better than the morning but not by much. Just jogging still. A couple of stretch breaks for the calf, hopefully every little bit helps. Fog forming in places, still some residual warmth from a sunny nice day.

Mon 11/10 - off

A doozy. Got home thinking I'd need a nap before an easy putter in the woods, realized after a half hour of lying down that I didn't feel like getting up. Rolled over on my side and woke up three hours later. If I didn't have the next day off from work I would have forced myself up. Certainly, more tired than I had realized which is saying something.

Sun 11/9 - AM 90 minutes incl. half marathon

Alas, a fool's errand where I was the fool. Hopefully I've finally gotten doing this particular event out of my system, as it clearly isn't worth the effort expended. Doing two half marathons in two weeks was in hindsight way too ambitious and I knew going in my only hope of copping a money spot today was that no one else would show up. Of course, three people showed up. Ran 5:50 pace for four miles, the last of which being when I was passed for that final spot, and from then on out it was an inexorable regression to the 6 minutes/mile mean, which was reached at the 11 mile mark. Feeling flat from the very get go which is of course no surprise at all given the way I've felt the last two weeks. Right leg hung in there reasonably well but the calf was certainly stiff and sore afterward. Lesson learned, hopefully.

Sat 11/8 - PM 25 minutes easy

Puttering around Maynard after a long day including a morning spent standing in the field at Wrentham. Feeling quite tired. Right leg not so great after the aforementioned standing, but better after some rolling on the lax ball, both calf and piriformis.

Fri 11/7 - 70 minutes

Area 51. Feeling much more energetic than yesterday, thankfully. Enough to throw in some decently quick pickups on the way in after working the pace in the second half of the run as well. Right leg hung in there better than expected, although piriformis felt a bit pegged by the end.

Thu 11/6 - off

Laid low by a combination of bone-deep fatigue and terrible weather. Temps in the mid-40s and maddeningly persistent rain showers. Took a nap upon getting home and found it much harder than it should have been to get up afterward. Last night's interrupted sleep pattern, for no discernible reason, not helping matters any. I suppose if it had been dry I would have eventually dragged myself out the door for an easy jog of no more than an hour, but I'm doubtful that it would have progressed beyond a tired slog. Tempting to blame the clock change for this garbage, but the sooner I put it behind me the better.  Training wise the past 10 days have been empty as a donut hole. This weekend promises to be interesting.

Wed 11/5 - PM 30 minutes easy

The workout that wasn't to be. Tried to ignore how crappy I felt overall between the ongoing sore calf and underlying fatigue, figured something would be better than nothing. Upon arriving at Alumni Field one pointless HS soccer game was about to end with another one apparently waiting on the sidelines. Gave up on running on the track right there, and while I briefly considered doing some timed pickups on the roads instead, my body had other ideas as the full weight of the aforementioned tiredness made itself plain. Slowed to a putter and headed back home, bagged leaves instead. Bit off more than I could chew with yesterday's run it would seem. I'd like to try to get something in tomorrow but I have my doubts it'll happen.

Tue 11/4 - PM 80 minutes

Lincoln woods. Not as quick as Sunday's run but not exactly easy either. In truth, forced to go slow by the darkness and uneven footing underfoot. New headlamp performed reasonably well although there was the one large rock that I completely missed which sent me sprawling. Planned on going a bit further today from the start, some doubt crept in around the 40 minute mark but stuck to the plan. As has been the pattern of late, took multiple breaks to stretch both calves. Warmer than yesterday but still cool.

Mon 11/3 - PM 45 minutes

Area 51. Leaning towards a shorter run anyway, but a late start after bagging leaves removed any doubt. Decent pace once I got the kinks out. While the right calf stubbornly continues to feel frayed, I was able to do pickups on the way in. Two stretching breaks mixed in there as well. Far from impressive stuff but the first running at any kind of speed since the race last Saturday. Wind finally slacked off and made for pleasant seasonable conditions, chilly but still.

Sun 11/2 - 80 minutes

Area 51. After some shopping up the road, parked in the White Pond Road lot and started from there. Track Road to Sudbury Road, then into the refuge with a circuitous route on the trails from there. Felt much more spry right from the get-go compared to the previous five days of runs, the day off and a decent night's sleep will have that effect. Gradually picked up the pace over the first 60 minutes before taking a long break at the visitor center. From there another 20 minutes which was its own shorter progression. Finished up feeling good and tired. Yesterday's nor'easter moved on out, eventually, but the wind just kept right on going, changing from NE to NW.

Sat 11/1 - off

Somewhat inevitable with the combination of how fatigued I've been feeling and the absolutely horrendous weather. Second week in a row with a nor'easter but this one packed more of a punch with wind-driven rain and temps in the 40s most of the day. Spent the morning standing in the field at Wrentham watching kiddie races go by, just as the rain arrived. Three hours of that and I was done, unable to keep my eyes open on the bus ride home. Had a long nap later in the afternoon and still no trouble falling asleep later. Calf felt like garbage after doing very little other than lifting and dragging the tent. Did some rather exhaustive compression work on it, felt better for it.

Fri 10/31 - PM 55 minutes very easy

On the aqueducts in Wayland, out via the Weston to the Getchell Trail and then back via Hultman to Maiden Lane. With the length and effort level remaining firmly stuck, I wanted to change the venue to avoid a complete sense of the week being like Groundhog Day. Still waiting on the right calf to come around fully, although it feels like it maybe has made some headway in the last 2 days. Still tight as a drum and quite sore. Last Saturday's race left more of a mark than I'd anticipated. Inability to get a massage appt. scheduled hasn't helped.

Thu 10/30 - PM 50 minutes very easy

Area 51. The week of jogging very slowly continues unabated. Right calf feeling better during the day but soon after heading out the door it became clear that it's still in a compromised state. On top of that the burden of underlying fatigue seems to be at its peak, low energy level and feeling tired most of the time. Par for the course at this time of year really.

Wed 10/29 - PM 70 minutes very easy

Area 51. More puttering, a route that took longer than expected as a result. It's becoming increasingly clear that the right calf is in such a state that I won't be doing anything of quality on it anytime soon. Still, last Saturday's race and the day in Falmouth were well worth it. Of course, I'm not doing nearly enough to help the recovery process. some of it due to the schedule being crammed tight but mostly pure sloth. It occurred to me that maybe an ice pack every now and again would help with this but that remains a therapeutic modality that for whatever dumb reason I don't pursue. Sticky and warm during the day, but of course once the sun sets it cools off quick.

Tue 10/28 - PM 50 minutes very easy

Lincoln woods. Squeezed in a run on the trails between practice and the post-season coaches' meeting. Even a brief car nap in there as well. Quads feeling better but right calf still mostly useless, and still barely moving as a result. Looking like I won't be able to do any kind of faster running until the weekend. I did get to enjoy a nice sunset from the edge of the horse meadow on the way in with the clouds lit up. Soon after that, in the last minute or so of the run I think a fisher cat was following/chasing me from the trees next to the trail. An unnerving experience, they usually run the other way.

Mon 10/27 - PM 80 minutes very easy

Area 51. About what I expected, not in a good way. The "beat with a hammer" feeling is gradually leaving the quads but the right calf remains as frayed as it's ever been. Not far removed from not being able to run at all. Regrettably, I tweaked the calf twice in less than 30 seconds early on while attempting to traverse the rail bed next to High Street in the fading daylight at the beginning of the run. Not what I needed in any way. Made the best of it though by enjoying the serene conditions of the refuge at dusk, including a fairly sublime and extended break at the Puffer Pond dock. Did some stretching and compressions on the calf while sitting there which seemed to help some. Took the quickest way back from there even though it meant running right down rt. 27 with all the cars. At the glacial pace I was going I didn't have the time to be taking a more scenic route home.

Sun 10/26 - AM 75 minutes elliptigo

And the bill comes due for yesterday. Legs feel like they've been hit with a hammer repeatedly, to no great surprise. Pedaled my way over to the refuge VC for an easy run with the kiddies. Thankfully none of them showed and I was off the hook. A brief jog around the parking lot revealed that I could barely move. After a while spent idling about, got back on the road for the trip back through Stow. This included a climb up Whitman and Birch Hill so there was some heavy breathing involved, but without impact. If ever there was a day for the dork bike this was it. Gusty overcast with spitting drizzle at times, a downgrade from yesterday's sparkling conditions.

Sat 10/25 - AM 85 minutes incl. half marathon

Another lucrative visit to the Cape. Well worth the pre-dawn wakeup call and long drive. Different course from last year, mostly flat winding out and back along the shoreline. Sun in our eyes heading out, wind in our faces coming back for the most part. Survived a truly imbecilic first 5k to repeat as old fart champ and the last open money spot as well. Spent much of the race in 3rd or 4th, passed for the last time at about 9.75 miles. Knew the pace was too quick going out but did nothing about and spent the second half whistling past the graveyard as a result. Realized at 8 miles that I had used up more than 8 miles' worth of effort, and also at this point the stomach issues started. By the end I was as worried about not having an accident as I was about holding my spot. Not nearly enough specific training for this length of race, and it became increasingly clear the final 5 miles. Played keep away for the last 4 miles, hoping I'd be able to shut it down the last mile or so. However, the next guy was close enough that I couldn't do so until the last half of the 13th mile. Quite tired afterward, enough in fact to take a nap in the car within 30 minutes of crossing the line. I knew a jog cooldown wouldn't be happening, instead I spent the afternoon riding the bike down to Woods Hole and poking around there. Very nice day, even with the inevitable sea breeze. Legs utterly destroyed, in particular the right calf which felt as frayed as it ever has. Splits:

5:31
5:38
5:42
5:50
5:49
5:51
5:52
5:56 - starting back into the wind
5:59
5:59 - fully clenched
5:56
5:59
6:06

Fri 10/24 - off

No time to run as my free time was crunched between the kiddie meet all afternoon and an early bedtime in advance of tomorrow's pre-dawn wakeup call. It only would have been a 20 minute shakeout anyway. Nor'easter finally gone but left gloomy overcast in its wake with a fairly nasty NW breeze.

Thu 10/23 - PM 50 minutes easy

Area 51. Basically the same route as Tuesday, with similar results. Feeling tired and flat all week, just trying to steer the ship into the weekend in one piece at this point. Calf somewhat better than yesterday, with the help of compressions last night and during the day at work. Remnants of the nor'easter still in effect with gusty winds and spitting drizzle at the start.

Wed 10/22 - PM 80 minutes easy

Area 51. Bordering on the very easy, mostly thanks to the right calf feeling terrible from the first step to the last. I suppose this is payback for the weekend double dip but I would have thought yesterday would have been the day for it to feel truly crappy. Who knows. Nor'easter blew in with plenty of rain and wind, overdressed for it but better than the alternative.

Tue 10/21 - PM 50 minutes easy

Area 51. I had wanted to go for a longer run but a late start forced me to curtail the length of the run. Legs feeling somewhat better than yesterday but still clunky. Also quite flat in general, tired and not making much headway in feeling awake. Something was screeching in the woods that I couldn't recognize, added to the ambiance for sure.

Mon 10/20 - PM 35 minutes easy

Brief out and back along the aqueducts. Took a good long while to get going, warmed up with about 20+ minutes of walking and talking with my assistant coach. I perhaps should have kept walking as the legs are certainly feeling it from the past two days. Right calf in particular is feeling how I thought it would feel yesterday. Some compressions after the run helped but the run itself was a slog. From a recovery perspective, today would have been a great day to use the elliptigo although the cool conditions with a somewhat biting wind would have made that less than fun.

Sun 10/19 - AM 70 minutes incl. 5k road race

What could easily have been one of my dumber ideas in a long time (which is saying something) ended up working out reasonably well. After getting in around midnight after spending a good 6 hours standing around in a windy field in Falmouth watching an endless parade of kiddies run past, slept for not long enough and woke up to make the trip to Swampscott for a return to a race I last did four years ago. An enjoyable course, nice spot to spend a morning but my main motivation was of course far more acquisitive and venal. After yesterday's slog I had no confidence whatsoever that I'd be able to manage much faster than 6 minute pace. Warmup didn't do much to dispel this, nor did the gusty NW wind that was raking along the water's edge. However, once the gun went off and I settled in to what seemed a sustainable rhythm, found to my surprise that 5:30 pace actually felt ok. Gapped the only competition (sorry Titus) soon after the mile mark and from then on out it was mostly a game of keep away. Checking the watch the last four minutes wondering how much longer there was to go but still under control. Right leg held up fine which was the biggest surprise of them all. Cooldown was a leisurely drawn out 35 minutes or so on the nearby railbed into Marblehead.

Sat 10/18 - AM 65 minutes incl. 10k road race

Second leg of the Wayland mini-sandbag series. Felt absolutely terrible, strung out and tired from the jump. More worrisome was how bad the right calf felt, frayed to an alarming degree. Apparently I overdid it with the bodyweight single leg half squats last night, first time doing them in months will have that effect. Rolled through 2 miles in 12 minutes, then a sparkling 6:30 followed by the next two in about 12:30 combined. Shut it down from there on in, last mile no faster than 7 minutes. In fact I would say the 10k as a whole was more like six miles. I wish I could say this was a threshold effort but it certainly wasn't, much more strenuous than that. Very nice course that included parts of north Wayland and south Lincoln. Still warm and sticky conditions. Despite all of this the race was totally worth it.

Fri 10/17 - PM 50 minutes easy

Area 51. Took a much-needed nap after getting home, the highlight of the week so far in fact. The run that followed wasn't much to write home about but the right leg is feeling a little better than yesterday after some rolling on both the IT/TFL and piriformis. Despite still feeling palpably tired I was able to get in a few modest and short pickups on the way in.

Thu 10/16 - PM 70 minutes very easy

Out on the Weston aqueduct, back on the Hultman. Made it as far as Water St., detour past the King school. A true slog, flat with no energy even after the day off. Barely moving for most of the run which was a disappointment. Right hamstring and piriformis were also feeling quite pegged which kept the pace from progressing at all. Overall a dismal experience, taking my lumps. Yesterday's horrendous humidity turned into today's heavy rain showers. A band passed through earlier in the afternoon but then held off for most of the time I was on the trail. Unseasonably warm or else it would have been very uncomfortable.

Wed 10/15 - off

And here we go with the fucking nonsense. Thanks to a rescheduled dual meet coaching responsibilities ate up the entire afternoon. While I had planned on fitting in something on the track as soon as it was over, by the time it ended I realized I had neither the time nor the energy for it and bagged it instead. A shame because it would have been an important session. Did some running back and forth during the kiddie races but too fragmented and sporadic to even be worth recording. Dead tired and flat right now, feeling it from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed. Falling asleep as soon as I hit the pillow at least. Disgustingly muggy and warm for this time of year, gross.

Tue 10/14 - PM 65 minutes easy

Lincoln woods. I realized as practice was ending that there was time for some waldeinsamkeit before the sun set. Very little traffic on the way over as a bonus. Headed over to the Devil's Staircase, more evergreens and less fall color than I was expecting. Second stop at the pond where it was just me and the heron going after fish. Right hamstring felt stiff, better after doing some compressions on the bench next to the pond. Tried doing some strides on the way in but it really wasn't happening mostly due to tiredness. Warm and fairly muggy during the day, which made it more comfortable for running at twilight.

Mon 10/13 - PM 85 minutes easy

Area 51. I had grandiose plans of doubling today but after staying up late last night following a ride into the airport and back I was unable to get out of bed in time. Following practice with the kiddies, had other grandiose plans that instead turned into a return home, lunch and a long nap. It became clear that yesterday's busy day had left its mark. Eventually got out the door, the flat mellow terrain of the refuge just what was needed. Warmer than yesterday but more humid as well of course. Somewhat gloomy overcast all day.

Sun 10/12 - double, 45 minutes incl 5k xc race plus 90 minutes elliptigo

AM - 45 minutes incl. 5k cross race, my cross country season in fact. Realized soon after I arrived that signing up for an event that I'm also somewhat responsible for managing was maybe a bit of a reach. Warmup was curtailed somewhat, cooldown more so. The race itself was about what I would have expected given the recent flatness and the hilly course. Kept it somewhat restrained at the start, still feeling quite beat by the time I came down off the aqueduct, still able to line up and pass the guy who had passed me around halfway mark with just over 600m left. The pace was nothing to write home about at any point. Spent the cooldown picking up stakes and cones.

PM - 90 minutes elliptigo. The most logical option for more exercise. Meandering route up 117 to 126, then around Farrar/Oxbow to Water Row and then up and over Goodman's Hill before coming back via Fairbank and Longfellow. Longest session yet on the elliptigo. Found that posture has to be maintained or else the back can get sore. Still a good workout. Sandwiched in between this and the morning's race was a second round of lawnmowing, so a busy day in total.

Sat 10/11 - AM 65 minutes very easy

Lincoln woods. After another Friday night of nodding off in my chair but then not going to bed right away like I should have, woke up feeling flat and tired. Weather to match the mood with a dismal rain and temperatures barely a tick above cold. Made for a dreary experience to be sure, thankfully the pace was quite slow throughout.

Fri 10/10 - PM 65 minutes

Lincoln woods, with drills on Pine Hill. Mostly low key run, in part thanks to the fact that I was running in near darkness by the end and didn't want to trip over unseen roots or rocks. The day off was worthwhile, legs needed the break. Decidedly cool conditions, but still.

Thu 10/9 - off

A long time coming I suppose, can't remember the last zero in fact. Combination of work and coaching responsibilities completely wiped out the regular workout window. I certainly understand why busy people work out in the pre-dawn hours. A little rest after yesterday isn't the worst thing in the world.

Wed 10/8 - AM 75 minutes incl. 4k-3k-2k-1k

Mid-morning workout at Wellesley College. I had this specific workout in mind for a few weeks now so stubbornness was well entrenched. Nevertheless having second thoughts in the first half of the 4k as I felt quite listless and working awfully hard to run an unimpressive pace. I had given up on the concept of progressing the pace entirely and had resigned myself to plodding out 88 second laps. However, despite the annoying gusty wind coming across the track the pace did indeed drop somewhat as the reps got shorter. The final rep was right on the edge of anaerobic but under control, barely. Soreness in calves from Sunday not really an issue. Splits:

3:41.2 - 3:40.7 - 3:38.7 - 3:38.7 tot. 14:39.3
4R
3:43.3 - 3:36.2 - 3:33.9 tot. 10:53.4
3R
3:34.2 - 3:29.3 tot. 7:03.5
2R
3:20.6

Good and tired afterward.

Tue 10/7 - PM 45 minutes easy

Area 51. Much needed recovery jog, yesterday was a bit more uptempo than it should have been for how my legs have been feeling. Plus I didn't have a ton of time to spend after not getting home until fairly late. Took it easy throughout.

Mon 10/6 - PM 70 minutes

Out on the Weston Aqueduct to Edgell Road, then back along the Hultman. Similar to last Monday but further out and not quite as quick at the end. The pace did pick up some in the last 20 minutes though. Very nice running along the aqueducts, a great asset for running in this neck of the woods. Had to throw in a pickup or two in the first 30 minutes after checking in with various stragglers, but smooth sailing after that. As expected, feeling some stiffness from yesterday's adventure. Left calf twinging for a change, more so than the right one even.

Sun 10/5 - double, 1:45 total incl. 5k road race and mile race

AM - 60 minutes incl. 5k road race. A couple of years since I've raced on this dead-flat out and back stretch of Day Blvd in South Boston. Strictly a sandbagging mission which was successful. In fact, came second like last time even though my time was 30+ seconds slower this go-round. With another race coming up in the afternoon the idea was to expend as little effort as possible. Feeling somewhat flat on the warmup so this was a concern going in. Some doubt at the beginning but I was able to get a 20 second gap on the only competition (Titus, of course) by the turnaround. I had promised myself I would shut it down at 2 miles if it was in the bag, which was easier said than done. In fact I only really backed off in the last 600m. Hindsight's 20/20 but as I had almost a minute on Titus at the end I certainly could have decelerated a little more. Mile splits of 5:16, 5:23, and 5:46. I was impressed with how close the first two splits were to each other, as there was a strong headwind from 1.5 to 2 miles.

PM - 45 minutes incl. mile race at Franklin Park. Inadvisable as it is to try a double like this I couldn't resist signing up for this unique event on top of the morning's 5k. Once again, hoping to win my age group and having no idea who the competition might be I went much harder than necessary in hindsight. In the moment I ended up getting caught up in the mad rush. First 400 passed in around 70, 800 in 2:25. Somewhat dubious about that mark as the second quarter headed into a gradual uphill. Third 400 in 85 but it sure didn't feel like that. Taken out by a couple of guys in the last 400 including in the last 50 which was annoying but predictable. Still trying to clear the lactate from the first 400. Course was basically the first mile of the cross course but done backwards and with the first 600 on roads instead of grass. I'll likely be paying for this double the next couple of days but still a worthwhile experience.

Sat 10/4 - AM 80 minutes easy plus 40 minutes elliptigo

Area 51. Pedaled my way over, hit the trail about 30 minutes later. Relaxed effort overall, pace picked up slightly towards the end but not to any large degree. Another long break before heading home on the elliptigo. Drizzly overcast day but at least it wasn't raining like later in the afternoon and evening. Haven't seen the sun since last weekend.

Fri 10/3 - PM 65 minutes easy

Lincoln woods, with drills on Pine Hill. Feeling marginally better than the past two days, finally. Still nothing to write home about, and still palpably tired. I had planned on running from Wayland but there was just enough time left before sunset to do the run in Lincoln instead. Drills felt much better than the last attempt at doing them, right calf in a much better place after the massage the other day. No rain today but still mostly overcast and rather gloomy.

Thu 10/2 - PM 45 minutes very easy

Area 51. Like yesterday only shorter. Possibly slower, if that's even possible. Feeling exceptionally tired at the moment. On the plus side, the salutary effect of the massage yesterday seems to have sunk in.

Wed 10/1 - PM 70 minutes very easy

Area 51. The bill came due following the past three days of higher intensity (and volume). Got a massage before lunch, which was hugely necessary for the right calf. Emerged from that to find the weather had gone completely down the toilet with rain and an ill wind blowing. This resulted in the postponement of the kiddie meet that got me out of work early. Without the postponement there likely would have been no run today at all as there wouldn't have been time for it. Instead, after holding practice for the kids I was able to return home and take a brief nap before hitting the trail. Elliptigo would have been perfect today but the weather and gathering darkness made that impossible. Took it quite slowly of course.

Tue 9/30 - PM 60 minutes incl. 6(600,200), 2x600, 2x200

Feeling my oats a bit, to the degree that's possible right now. Right leg in decent enough condition for relatively long session on the track. The original intent was to step up the pace every 200m of the 600s, although by the end it became more like one gear change at 300m instead as I was starting out too quickly. The original plan also was for 8 sets of the 600-200j-200-200j routine, but I became so focused on hitting the right pace for the last 600 that I skipped the 200 that was to go before it and ran the last 2 600 reps back to back as a result. Whether this is laser like focus or losing mental acuity due to exhaustion, who knows. Splits:

2:07.8 (54.5) 38.3 (54.1)
2:04.6 (55.1) 39.0 (53.7)
2:04.5 (55.2) 38.7 (55.4)
2:02.1 (55.7) 38.4 (55.4)
2:02.9 (51.9) 38.4 (54.2)
2:02.4 (55.4) 38.4 (54.3)
2:04.2 (55.6) 2:03.5 (56.1)
38.5 (57.9) 38.6 (31.3 100m)
last 100 19.4
total time 36:15

While definitely wiped out by the end, overall the effort was controlled and I was able to run the 600s in somewhat of a negative split fashion. The days of not knowing how to dress are upon us, cool and overcast in the dark but more humid than I thought and found myself sweating more than I thought I'd be.

Mon 9/29 - PM 75 minutes

Very similar to Friday's run except longer, came back on the Hultman aqueduct all the way to rt 27 and down 27 to the Weston aqueduct heading back to WHS that way. Laughable how much quicker paced the run was compared to Friday's in fact. Feeling relatively spry, and picked up the pace substantially the last 15 minutes. Some soreness in right hamstring but overall the right leg feels much better than yesterday after having done some rolling on it yesterday afternoon.

Sun 9/28 - double, 50 minutes incl. 8k threshold run plus 65 minutes elliptigo

AM - 50 minutes incl. 8k threshold on the Longfellow Loop. Still fried (perhaps literally) from yesterday's long day in the sun. With more heat and humidity on tap for today it was a fool's errand from the get go. On top of all that it occurred to me after I had crossed into Sudbury on the warmup that I should have done some rolling on the TFL and IT band before heading out. All in all it made for a fairly terrible experience, esp. considering that my original plan was to bang out four loops. After the first loop I decided to cut it back to 3 loops, by 6k I knew I was going to be stopping at two loops. Pace was slower than expected from the start, and dragging the right leg by halfway. Made for another 31 minute 5 mile tempo run. Ugh. Couldn't get out of there soon enough. Splits:

6:17.5/6:19.3/2:57.6
6:10.2/6:15.4/2:53.9

PM - 65 minutes elliptigo. Headed directly over to 10 Spencer where I spent a couple of hours mowing the lawn, nostalgic but not in a good way. After that took the scenic route back through Stow via Delaney project. An excellent way to vent any leftover frustrations from the garbage workout.

Sat 9/27 - double, 60 minutes plus 60 minutes elliptigo and 20 minutes in Walden

AM - 60 minutes elliptigo. Sudbury and Stow, incl. Boon Road. Started early enough that long sleeves were needed, but sweating through it by the end.

PM - 60 minutes, Lincoln woods plus 20 minutes in Walden. After spending the heart of the afternoon standing around in the infernal Wrentham dust bowl, nothing was keeping me from taking a dip in the pond. Exactly what I needed after a long day in the sun.

Fri 9/26 - PM 80 minutes very easy

Out along the Weston aqueduct to Water St in Framingham, then back along the MWRA aqueduct. Nice scenery and mostly flat of course, which is just what I needed after yesterday. Right leg is of course torqued up from all the laps, not that I noticed it last night or during the day at work. It became immediately apparent upon setting out for the run however. On the warm side for this time of year.

Thu 9/25 - 60 minutes incl. 2(4x1000)

Surprisingly, happily, I was able to do something of substance on the track. Not so sure about what if any running I'd be doing after a long day at work followed by errands that kept me from getting home until 5:30. Desperately tired but felt better after a nap, decided to try doing the 1000-200j-200-200j workout and pull the plug if the calf acted up too much. Felt terribly frayed during the warmup jog over to the track, decided the 1000s would be very conservative. Then decided at the end of the first km that mixing in shorter faster stuff would be stupid even for me and it would be better to stick to the longer reps exclusively. Took a 4 minute break after 4 of them, reversed direction for the last 4. Somewhat faster splits than expected, I wasn't expecting much at all. Tried to progress the pace within each rep. Felt better than expected at the end, both in terms of effort expended and the right leg. Splits:

3:41.0 (56.5)

3:37.9 (54.3)

3:36.6 (55.0)

3:35.8 

4R

3:37.8 (57.5)

3:37.1 (57.0)

3:34.6 (57.6)

3:30.0

felt somewhat cool stepping out the door but the humidity asserted itself once I got going. Did the cooldown with my sweat rag of a shirt in my hand. 

Wed 9/24 - PM 75 minutes easy

Lincoln woods, with drills on Pine Hill. I had originally planned on heading home and running in Area 51 but realized that there was time to go to Lincoln instead and jumped at the chance. Alas, the right leg continues to feel like crap after Sunday's lackluster race, calf in particular. Should have given the drills a pass but I soldiered on anyway and it wasn't a pretty sight. Along with twinging hamstring I was barely getting off the ground for most of them and the single leg hops were a joke. Feeling heavy-legged and quite tired by the end of the run. Cool afternoon that only got cooler with the sunset.

Tue 9/23 - AM 60 minutes easy

Swellesley. Brook Path to the College, around the pond and back. Felt like listless garbage until the last 10 minutes or so. Right leg quite stuck at the moment, more so than I expected it to be. Apparently sub-mediocre 5k road races take more out of me than they used to. Clear sunny dry breezy day as most have been of late.

Mon 9/22 - PM 75 minutes very easy

Area 51. Low key recovery run. Right leg feeling rather dinged up, esp. the calf which I stopped to stretch a couple of times. Squeezed this run in before it got too dark, at least while I was in the woods. Autumnal conditions with a return of the cool dry air.

Sun 9/21 - double, 80 minutes total incl, 5k road race plus 20 minutes in Walden

PM - 60 minutes incl. 5k road race. More sandbagging, not on the original schedule but couldn't help myself. Feeling better than a few days ago but still dealing with a heavy fatigue burden. As such I knew this race wouldn't be anything to write home about. Disgustingly muggy conditions and a noontime start didn't help any. Not able to do much of anything right now at this (or any other) distance, after 3 minutes or so it became clear just getting through the thing would be all I could muster. Reached the turnaround point on the out and back course in around 8:20 and knew the trip back would be slower, just not by how much. As it turns out it took over 9 minutes. Won the age group which was all I was there for. Right leg feeling somewhat pinched afterward, took at least 90 minutes between the finish and the cooldown which wasn't by choice.

later PM - 20 minutes very easy plus 20 minutes in Walden. Started out as close as I could get to the western shore, shuffled over and went for a dip. Water was very bracing at first but felt reasonable after the initial shock. Just what I needed in fact. The high humidity and temps in the low 80s made this trip to the pond possible, getting out afterward in conditions like Friday's would have been torture. Quite possibly the last dip of the season alas. 

Sat 9/20 - AM 80 minutes easy plus 75 minutes elliptigo

Lincoln woods. Dork biked my way to Lincoln, taking the scenic route by Baker Bridge and Sandy Pond as it took less time than anticipated to get there. Downright chilly and not especially pleasant even with gloves, a vest, and pants. Warmed up fast though as the sun came out. Run was relaxed and easy but compared to yesterday I was moving briskly. Right ankle annoyingly stiff during the run, not sure if the elliptigo beforehand contributed to this. The hamstring and piriformis feeling much better than the last two days though. Much lolligagging around the parking lot before heading back just before lunchtime, under totally different conditions. Sunny with a blustery SW wind ushering in the muggies. I think I liked the morning chill better.

Fri 9/19 - 75 minutes easy

Area 51. Decided sleeping in a bit later was more important than the pre-breakfast shakeouts that seem to be contributing to the massive fatigue I've been feeling of late rather than helping with fitness. Feeling better today but still nowhere near out of the woods and because it's Friday, the exhaustion is of course cumulative and of course I had to take a nap before doing anything. The run was a continuation of yesterday's slog except perhaps even slower. Determined to go a little further which I did but also ended up walking it in the last 200m or so, there was no point in continuing. Rather than feeling like 10 pounds of shit in a 5 pound bag I'm feeling like I'm at the bottom of that bag at the moment. At least I had the free time and inclination to do some rolling on the lax ball after the run, piriformis was of course locked up tight and benefited greatly from the work on it. Rolled the IT/TFL as well. Decidedly chilly day, pants long sleeves and gloves a necessity.

Thu 9/18 - PM double, 65 minutes total

AM - 20 minutes very easy, Swellesley. Barely awake, to a greater degree than usual.

PM - 45 minutes, Area 51. I had futile hopes of making up for yesterday's miss by doing something structured and quality today but it wasn't happening. Still feeling so tired my head hurts during the day at work. Nothing a decent night's sleep wouldn't help solve of course. As it is I had to take a brief nap before heading out. Did short pickups on the way in, even though the way my hip and high hamstring were feeling it maybe wasn't such a great idea.

Wed 9/17 - AM 45 minutes easy

Swellesley. Had a workout all lined up and ready to go but realized by mid-morning that I had no energy whatsoever to do it. To the extent that the first thing I did after leaving work early (for meet day) was take a car nap. Not a good sign at 11 AM. Went for a relatively easy run along the Brook Path to Maugus Hill and ran around Centennial Park instead. Felt awkward and choppy, right calf still feels vaguely strained three full days after the race. Ugh. A bummer to have such a dud of a run as it was a great day for it, warm and sunny with a light breeze.

Tuesday 9/16 - double, 65 minutes easy

AM - 20 minutes very easy, Swellesley. Not quite as cool as yesterday but I was feeling just as stiff and brokedown. Right leg taking longer than I'd like to bounce back.

PM - 45 minutes easy, Area 51. Got home early enough for a brief catnap before heading out the door. Despite sleeping more and more soundly of late, still feeling tired from wakeup to lights out. Right hamstring and calf continue to feel dinged up from Sunday's race. May have to play it by ear tomorrow.

Mon 9/15 - double, 70 minutes very easy

AM - 20 minutes very easy, Swellesley. Right leg not feeling so hot. Long sleeves and pants on a downright chilly morning. 

PM - 50 minutes very easy, Wayland. Out and back along the aqueduct between Maiden Ln. to rt. 30. Puttering along relaxed enough, but right leg continues to feel like garbage after yesterday.

Sun 9/14 - AM 50 minutes incl. 5k road race

Return to Cambridge for the 21st century version of Ro-Jacks, at least when it comes to the post-race spread. Woke up still feeling flat, warmup was too short to be of much effect so I knew it wouldn't be anything to write home about. Happily though, a quick scan of the crowd at the starting line made me realize I had a chance to finish in the money which seemed shocking based on last year's results. Within the first 4 minutes it became clear I would be either 2nd or 3rd overall and became focused on dropping the other guy. Led him through the mile mark then eased off a bit so I wasn't doing all the work. Soon after that we turned into a small hill and I gapped him without trying or meaning to. From there on out it was keep away with blind corner surges and everything. Gusty breeze sometimes an issue. Splits nothing to write home about, 5:20 followed by a pair of 5:36s. Right leg feeling like it will be sore tomorrow. Took well over an hour between the finish and when I ambled out for a slow cooldown around the park. Severe clear conditions with boundless blue sky and the aforementioned wind, bit of a chill in the air even at midday.

Sat 9/13 - AM 70 minutes very easy

Lincoln woods. Took four of the kiddies around Sandy Pond at a very relaxed pace. Desperately needed as I found myself totally fried yesterday evening, to a greater extent than I had even realized. Fell asleep in my chair before 10:30 in fact. Not that I should be staying up much later than that anyway. Woke up this morning feeling less than refreshed, something that persisted over the course of the day. The drama of the summer, when I struggled simply to fall asleep, seems long ago now. Somewhat gloomy conditions that gave way to full on overcast then a steady rain later in the day.

Fri 9/12 - double, 60 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

AM - 20 minutes easy, Swellesley. Ambled along except for a five minute stretch where the pace zoomed up in order to keep up with a morning warrior who blew by me so fast I had to follow just to see what the hell she was up to. Cool and overcast.

PM - 40 minutes, Lincoln woods with drills on Pine Hill plus 20 minutes in Walden. I could have done this in Wayland but snuck over to Lincoln instead because I wanted to do the drills on the big hill rather than the short slope on the WHS campus. Plus I was feeling nostalgic for the summer routine that's gone by the boards. Ran directly to the hill and directly back. Not feeling at all spry or energetic.

Thu 9/11 - double, 70 minutes easy total plus 20 minutes in the lake

AM - 20 minutes very easy, Swellesley. Awoke well before the alarm this morning. A stubbornly persistent feature of the coaching lifestyle it would seem. At least falling asleep hasn't been a problem of late.

PM - 50 minutes very easy, out and back to the lake from WHS via Lakeshore Drive. A beguiling and scenic route, much better than taking the main roads. Feeling quite flat from the early wakeup, legs stiff as well after yesterday's session. Humidity seemed to be increasing by the minute and became insufferable despite overcast and relatively modest temps. The water was bracing to say the least.

Wed 9/10 - AM 70 minutes incl. 15x200, 400

First of the mid-morning, mid-week half days for the next five weeks. Revisiting a cherished chestnut of a workout under the noonday sun with the rotating 3/2/1 recoveries. Right leg feeling a little dodgy but gave it a go nonetheless, in fact the right leg held up reasonably well. Noticeable change in the level of effort required the last five reps, splits reflect that to a certain extent:

38.1 (84.0) 39.5 (53.8) 38.8 (28.3)
38.3 (80.4) 38.2 (55.0) 38.3 (28.0)
39.0 (81.7) 37.4 (55.0) 37.6 (29.3)
38.3 (81.0) 37.5 (55.8) 37.6 (30.1)
38.6 (83.0) 38.2 (55.5) 38.6 (28.9)
78.4 to close
24:42 total time

Fairly warm with a decent breeze but not crushing in either aspect.

Tue 9/9 - AM 20 minutes very easy

Swellesley. The pre-breakfast shakeout was all there would be as I went straight from practice to the ball game, which took longer than I thought. I should have known better. Leisurely walk/jog to and from the park. Game sucked though.

Mon 9/8 - double, 65 minutes easy

AM - 20 minutes very easy, Swellesley. Decidedly cool this morning for the first time in recent memory.

PM - 45 minutes easy, Area 51. First time running here in a good long while. Enjoyable and quite relaxed, with a very nice sunset at the Otter Alley culvert. Legs feeling a little frayed after yesterday.

Sun 9/7 - 40 minutes incl. 5x(1200,100) plus 60 minutes elliptigo

AM - 60 minutes elliptigo. Through South Acton, West Acton and Stow with a bit of Boxborough thrown in as well. Pushing the bigger gears a bit much at times but overall fairly restrained.

PM - 40 minutes incl. 5 sets of 1200-200j-100-100j. Waited until almost too late to start this, as such the warmup was the lunge matrix and whatever leftover effect of the morning's workout. Looking to do something structured and pace progressive. Hoping to start each rep at about 90 second pace and drop it from there. In the end the typical pattern was 89-85-83 or so. Controlled but maybe not as manageable as I would like given those numbers. Undoubtedly the stretched out days and coaching-related stress had something to do with this. Nonetheless, the splits for both repeats and jog intervals remained consistent so that's a good sign. Right calf a bit sore from the middle of the workout on but it and the right leg in general held together well enough. Cooldown was a very easy 10 minute barefoot jog on the infield grass. Splits:

4:16.7 (55.5) 18.7 (27.2)
4:18.4 (53.7) 18.6 (27.4)
4:16.3 (54.1) 18.8 (26.5)
4:16.6 (53.7) 18.9 (27.2)
4:15.2 (52.7) last 200 38.2

total time for 8k 29:35

Sat 9/6 - PM 60 minutes plus 16 minutes in Walden

Started the day with an even earlier wakeup call than the despicably early alarm for the workweek. Spent the morning and early afternoon at Maudslay Park in Newburyport in a coaching capacity. Unlike prior visits here for this meet, I wasn't standing in the cool shade at the mile mark but rather roasting in the sun in the open field where the race begins and ends. After being baked in the sun for almost 3 hours I was hungrier than I've been in a while. Hour plus bus ride back after lunch and finally got home to take off the sweat rag clothes I was wearing. Humidity absolutely disgusting by mid-morning and stayed that way through the afternoon. After a couple of hours in the air conditioned library, decided to do what I could in the daylight that was left. This ended up being a very easy run to start which got gradually faster and finished with 4 short pickups on the way in. The inevitable t-storms arrived just before I hit the trail, with some truly impressive lightning and thunder that I assumed would keep me out of the water. By the time I got to the pond it seemed to have passed far enough away but of course it probably wasn't. Well into darkness by the time it was over.

Fri 9/5 - double, 65 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in the lake

AM - 20 minutes easy, Swellesley. Slept like a log due to exhaustion, but like a moron I decided that laundry had to be done at 10 PM which pushed back the bedtime later than I should have allowed. Very tired right now.

PM - 45 minutes easy, to and from the town beach plus hill drills on the poophouse slope. Went out along the aqueduct, back along the road. Another disgustingly hot and humid day, that and the underlying fatigue meant this run went painfully slowly. Getting in the water was a blessed relief but steady SW breezes made for very choppy waters. The powerboats ripping back and forth with their attendant wakes didn't help any.

Thu 9/4 - double, 65 minutes total plus 20 minutes in the lake

AM - 20 minutes very easy, Swellesley. Started out quite slowly, picked it up ever so slightly near the end. Right calf continues to be a bit bothersome from Monday I suppose.

PM - 45 minutes plus 20 minutes in the lake. Weston aqueduct to Getchell trail to Danforth. In theory today would have been a day to do something of substance but that theory doesn't take into effect how crushed I've been by the added responsibilities and time spent on coaching. Just dead tired and the days of a leisurely afternoon nap are most definitely over for the time being. Surviving from day to day at the moment.

Wed 9/3 - AM 25 minutes easy

Swellesley, slightly longer than the usual thanks to yet another morning of pre-waking the alarm. Planned afternoon off, spent the late afternoon/evening cooped up in a shoe store instead. It was worth it in the end though.

Tue 9/2 - double, 60 minutes total very easy

AM - 20 minutes very easy. Utterly disgusting conditions, you know it's going to be sticky when it's necessary to pull off the shirt and go bare-chested at 6:45 in the morning. Right calf is feeling cranky after yesterday's race and all the time spent sitting in the car afterward.

PM - 40 minutes very easy, to and from the Wayland town beach from the school. An exercise in pure frustration, as a wave of apocalyptic t-storms (the second of the afternoon) rolled through just as I was ready to head down the road. After a gross and sticky day stuck in a building with no AC, and standing around during practice while the first line of storms passed through and soaked me to the core of my being, all I wanted to do was go for a dip in the lake. It wasn't to be as there was thunder and visible lightning popping off every minute it seemed. Close enough and frequent enough that even someone as stubborn as me stayed out of the water. So I ended up running there, looking at the beach hoping the thunder would stop, and running back. Slowly. Right leg feels fairly crappy.

Mon 9/1 - AM 65 minutes, up Mt. Greylock

Up the mountain for the umpteenth time. The end result was favorable for me, but as per usual this is to a large extent a reflection of the relatively weak field. In fact I woke up after a reasonably good night of sleep to feel heavy with fatigue, accumulated from the past week of course. All the anxiety driven pre-waking of the morning alarm leaves a mark. Nothing about the very short warmup in sticky conditions did anything to dispel this. When the early leader appeared to be stretching his advantage as we hit the switchbacks in the second mile, I thought I was done for. In fact I was almost ready to pack it in at 15 minutes. Within 10 minutes however I found myself in the lead without trying to do so and played keep away the rest of the way. Made a conscious effort not to overdo it and bust myself on the middle climbs. Found the flattish stretch before the final corkscrew to be even longer than I remembered, but at least that final mile or so went by relatively quickly. Finished feeling fairly spent but not utterly depleted as in the past. Held something back it seemed. Sticky at the summit as well, and fairly gross by the time I got back down on the bike around noon.

Sun 8/31 - PM 75 minutes easy

Northfield, from the library. Once more with a trip up and over Birch Point, along the power lines to School Street. Doing this as a recovery run is a laughable idea at best, but it's likely the last time I'll see this area for months so I couldn't resist. Underestimated how long it would take, plus I got a late start thanks to errands which delayed my departure from home. All this meant running in the noon hour which was no fun as the humidity was building by the minute it seemed.

Sat 8/30 - AM 1:50 plus 20 minutes in Walden

AM - 1:50, Lincoln woods plus 20 minutes in Walden. Eventful and undoubtedly frustrating morning jaunt in the woods with the kiddies and one parent. Who inadvertently sabotaged the run by continually and blithely running away from me and the pace that would have been appropriate for the group, and dragging a couple of them (incl. his kid) along for the ride. I was left to try and stay in between them and the rest of the group that wisely wanted no part of it. Annoying to say the least. Tried to have the group take multiple short breaks to cool their jets which probably only made it worse. After finally wrangling the hard chargers near the hour mark, picked up the pace for the next 15 minutes or so. This was part of the original plan but given how turned out the pace was early on I should have left it alone. At that point I was venting my frustrations as much as anything. Another 10 minutes or so of jogging after that while looking to retrieve one who got lost, then a very long break in the parking lot before heaind directly over to the pond for a dip and then back. Another sparkler of a day, much drier than we have any business expecting around here at this time of year.

Fri 8/29 - double, 60 minutes total plus 20 minutes in the lake

AM - 20 minutes easy, Swellesley. Unbelievably creaky to start out, thankfully there were no witnesses at that hour. Loosened up more than I expected over the course of this short run though, finished feeling a bit better. Awoke at 4:30, earliest yet, but at least I was able to kind of fall back to sleep before four bells.

PM - 40 minutes, Wayland plus 20 minutes in the lake. Weston aqueduct to Getchell Trail, on to the lake via Danforth which took less time than I thought it would. Moving reasonably well before the dip in the lake and picked up the pace substantially the last minute or two. Right leg feeling a bit better than it was two days ago. Harboring vague ideas of doing something more substantial but I haven't been sleeping near enough to justify it. Clear sunny day gave way to a decidedly cool early evening.

Thu 8/28 - double, 65 minutes total

AM - 20 minutes very easy, Swellesley. Feeling more creaky as the week rolls along. Pre-woke the alarm again which is both annoying and troubling. Rounding into a state of pure mania which is of course unsustainable.

PM - 45 minutes, Wayland plus hill drills on the puny slope next to the poophouse. Maiden Lane to whatever that aqueduct is called, east to Rice and on to Woodridge. Such a shame this road has no sidewalk and a narrow shoulder, the curves and rolls and tree cover make it a nice spot otherwise. Did the drills in sets of 3 given the short length of the slope involved. Better than nothing I suppose.

Wed 8/27 - double, 80 minutes total plus 20 minutes in the lake

AM - 20 minutes easy, Swellesley. Pre-woke the alarm for the second day in a row. Not looking forward to when the other shoe inevitably drops on that.

PM - 60 minutes plus 20 minutes in the lake. MWRA aqueduct to Getchell Trail, back via Danforth and whatever the other aqueduct is called. About as humid as it could possibly get before the skies opened up and brought some relief. Also brought plenty of thunder and some rather apocalyptic looking skies, not that this kept me from taking a dip in the lake. Right calf feels pegged apropos of nothing.

Tue 8/26 - 20 minutes plus 30 minutes in the lake

AM - 20 minutes easy, Swellesley. Still feeling decent although I'm not sleeping nearly enough to support it.

PM - 30 minutes in the lake. Rode the bike there and back FWIW. No time for anything else in advance of yet another meeting after practice. The joys of coaching. Supervised the kids at the lake until they were done, barely able to keep myself from jumping in. Very satisfying to finally get in and get some kind of exercise. Hot again, getting hotter.

Mon 8/25 - double, 55 minutes total

AM - 20 minutes easy, Swellesley. Overall felt pretty good even for this early in the morning.

PM - 35 minutes, Weston Aqueduct. Out and back to the end of Little Farms with the kiddies. Another glimpse into the foibles of male adolescent runners--walking up the hill to start, then blasting by me, settling into a rhythm for a while after that, then walking again near the top of the hill to the pumphouse. Never a dull moment. Did a few short pickups near the end and blasted down the hill as well, why not. Hot and fairly sticky, kind of gross overall and finished wishing I had access to a pond. Not to be as I had to go to a meeting instead. The unimpressive doubles are likely to continue for the next two months.

Sun 8/24 - double, 40 minutes plus 65 minutes elliptigo plus 20 minutes in Walden

AM - 65 minutes on the elliptigo. Celebrating another trip around the sun with a day heavy on the cross training. The second ride on this thing went better than the first I think, less stiffness tomorrow I hope. Achieved this by not trying to push such a high gear all the time, shocker. Made it as far as Bolton after heading out on 117 and passing by the Delaney project. Cool morning which presages another nice day.

PM - 40 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden. Got started too late to run any further. Just starting to cool off after a fairly hot day, dry at least. Glad to cool off in the pond nonetheless. Short pickups on the way in.

Sat 8/23 - double, 1:40 total plus 18 minutes in Walden

AM - 65 minutes, Lincoln woods. First run for the warrior kiddies on the trails. Mostly in the Mt. Misery area. Quite easy until the last 10 minutes or so from Old Concord on in. Still tired from the week but felt quite relaxed. Back to clear warm dry conditions after yesterday's overcast.

PM  - 35 minutes, Walden woods plus hill drills and 18 minutes in Walden. Something of a late start after running errands all afternoon following the morning's run. Right calf and ankle felt as good as they've felt in a long time doing the drills, a pleasant surprise. For reasons I don't quite understand the area around dirty diaper beach has "no swimming" pylons strung out in a line from shore. Which I didn't realize until I was right behind one of them.

Fri 8/22 - double, 65 minutes total

AM - 20 minutes easy, Swellesley. Moving just a bit better than yesterday morning. Piriformis has been less troublesome than usual the past two days, not that I've done anything in particular to cause that to be. Raining and cool when I woke up, showers had already passed by the time I started though.

PM - 45 minutes, Weston Aqueduct. Out to Elm St., south to the other aqueduct and along the Getchell trail for a bit before heading back. Having driven past this spot countless times I was interested to see it on foot, didn't disappoint. Very nice spot for an easy jog. I had every intention of revisiting the lake on the way back but got hit with a tired stick, hard. Barely moving by the end of the run in fact.

Thu 8/21 - double, 60 minutes total plus 20 minutes in Lake Cochituate

AM - 20 minutes easy, Swellesley. After the day earlier this week where I was zipping along relatively speaking, more of a return to reality since then in terms of feeling creaky.

PM - 40 minutes plus 20 minutes in Lake Cochituate. First day of the return to coaching routine, many more runs in Wayland coming up in the near future. Moving surprisingly well on the trip out which is a net uphill. The dip in the lake was refreshing as such things always are, temps slightly cooler but still quite sticky out. The perspective is a bit different with the traffic on the Pike rolling by in the distance instead of the occasional train at Walden. Picked it up just a bit on the return trip. Not the most overwhelming double but after a long day incl. first day of kiddies' practice I'll take it.

Wed 8/20 - double, 75 minutes total plus 20 minutes in Walden

AM - 20 minutes easy, Swellesley. Not quite as spry as yesterday, alas. Still, right leg has felt worse for sure. Cool morning.

PM - 55 minutes, Lincoln woods plus 20 minutes in Walden. Running at a decent pace for much of this run and picked it up some more on the way in as well. Right piriformis remains stuck just enough to be an annoyance but it didn't slow me down that much. Another splendid day for being outside.

Tue 8/19 - double, 85 minutes total plus 20 minutes in Walden

AM - 20 minutes easy, Swellesley. The pace on this pre-breakfast jaunt was noticeably quicker than usual, and as a result I went a bit further. Perhaps all the rolling on the hamstring and calf last night had an actual lasting effect, but much less stiff at the outset. Being back from altitude and getting something approximating a decent night's sleep didn't hurt either.

PM - 65 minutes, Lincoln woods plus 20 minutes in Walden and drills on Pine Hill. Some mild underlying level twinges from the right hamstring, likely due to tight piriformis, but otherwise moving well for much of this run. Pickups on the way in after the dip in the pond. Glorious day for being outside, sunny and warm with very little humidity.

Mon 8/18 - PM 45 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Walden woods. Desperately tired after landing back in Boston just before midnight last night and not getting to sleep for another hour after that. After a requisite midafternoon nap, spent the next 90 minutes or so running errands and unpacking. Getting late enough that I was thinking of bagging the trip to the pond or even taking another zero, but a dip in the pond on such a nice day was too difficult to resist. Pace of the run was relatively uptempo, in all likelihood due to being back at sea level of course. Soreness in right leg is deep and abiding after the race and all the travel. Much rolling and direct pressure after the run, felt like it was quite productive esp. in the calf which was more tweaked than I had initially realized.

Sun 8/17 - 2 hour hike

Taking a day off from seemed like the thing to do after yesterday. Continued where yesterday left off with a hike uphill, Mt. Falcon in this case. Nice views but it sure takes longer than running the same trail as I've done in the past. Right hamstring and piriformis quite stuck when I first woke up, much better though after rolling on it.

Sat 8/16 - AM 3+ hours, Pikes Peak

A demoralizing physiological experiment. While there are people who can come from sea level directly to altitude and do an event like this that ends at 14k before the body knows what's happened, it appears I'm not one of those people. That being said, it also can't be ignored that I wasn't adequately prepared for an event of this duration, and I was further sabotaged by an ongoing inability to get a sufficient amount of rest, something that has always been an issue but has crept up on me a bit more recently. As for the race itself, I ran with the split numbers from the past two years--last year's disappointing 2:50 performance and 2012's 2:32:30 time which will most certainly stand as my PR for this event. Checked the numbers at each split, trying to fall somewhere between them. Really though I was just trying to stay under last year's numbers and run even a tiny bit faster than that dud. Looking at the numbers, it's fairly apparent where things went sideways:

miles to go - split (2012 split, 2013 split)

11 - 14:04 (15:00, 20:51) surprising and a little disturbing, backed off a bit after this
10 - 28:51 (25:20, 33:08) 4:17 up on last year
9 - 40:06 (37:10, 44:25) 4:19 up
8 - 52:21 (48:00, 55:34) 3:13 up
7 - 61:31 (56:33, 64:51) 3:20 up, in hindsight the final effort
6 - 73:04 (64:54, 74:46) 1:42 up uh oh
5 - 85:00 (75:45, 86:52) 1:52 up
4 - 1:41:32 (89:00, 1:41:15) caught by last year's version of myself
3 - 1:58:22 (1:46:18, 1:56:43) the walking begins in earnest
2 - 2:19:07 (2:01:28, 2:13:46)
1 - 2:39:06 (2:14:57, 2:30:19)
3:05:22 (2:32:31, 2:50:26)

Walked 99% of the last 2 miles and 95% of the last 3. Easy to say that I gave up once it became clear that I wasn't going to match even last year's time, but it might be more truthful to say I didn't have a choice. Soon after passing A-frame I had a moment of dizziness where it felt like my legs were wobbling and I might fall off the trail. Even in race mode I realized I might be carried off on a stretcher if I didn't back off immediately. At that point backing off meant walking and walk I did while the entire world passed by. As for the right leg, I rolled out the piriformis beforehand which felt like it worked out some of the kinks, but eventually the hamstring became quite sore and the right thigh and hip were a locked up mess afterward. Disappointing of course but I did have a good pair of races here in '11 and '12. Given that I won't be able to spend two solid weeks in August acclimating to the altitude and I'm not about to sleep in an altitude tent, it looks like this particular race is beyond my reach.

Fri 8/15 - PM 30 minutes

Cheesman Park, Denver. Shakeout before tomorrow. Fairly strung out after a day of travel following a somewhat unsettled night's sleep. This hasn't been a good week for that, generalized anxiety making winding down at night much harder than it should be. That being said the run felt good overall, with the pace picking up on the second of two laps around the park. Right hammie stuck but less so after rolling the piriformis on the lax ball afterward. Something I should have done beforehand as well.

Thu 8/14 - PM 45 minutes

Brookline, mostly along the Charles and back up Comm. Started out poky but moving reasonably well by the end. Right hammie and calf still not feeling quite right, as if they ever do. Did some rolling on the lax ball which was productive but only helps so much. Yesterday's rain left and took the sticky gross air with it, delightfully dry and even cool for this time of year.

Wed 8/13 - PM 30 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

Walden woods again. Thus begins the taper. Last chance to get to the pond for a few days, which I was hell bent on doing despite the heavy rains in the morning and on and off showers the rest of the day.  It was looking dubious when I was forced to go directly home from work to check on the miserable wreck of a building I live in, which was being flooded according to a neighbor. Not so much but the shared basement is a mess. After a nap, I had resigned myself to doing a run from home but the pull of the pond was too strong and I decided it was worth the extra driving to get there. The last of the heavy shower bands passed through while I was in the water which adds that extra bit of fun. Right hammie not quite as stuck as yesterday but the right leg in general is still a bit off from the weekend's hills.

Tue 8/12 - double, 80 minutes total plus 20 minutes in Walden

AM - 20 minutes very easy, Swellesley. Picked it up the last 90 seconds or so, other than that a putter. Feeling quite worn out at the moment.

PM - 60 minutes, Walden woods plus 20 minutes in Walden. Feeling flat and tired, last night's bout with the teflon consciousness having a lot to do with it. Right hammie and calf still twinging just a bit from Saturday's race. Did some rolling on the IT band and hamstring after the run which seemed to help. Sticky and fairly gross conditions, with a gusty breeze and high clouds indicative of the weather that's coming tomorrow.

Mon 8/11 - double, 60 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden

AM - 15 minutes very easy, Swellesley. The barest of bare minimums, got a late start and as a result the already brief shakeout got cut by 25% from the norm. Feeling every step of the running done over the weekend.

PM - 45 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden. Hot sticky slog. Intentionally cut back on the volume after the past two days. Pond was a welcome respite.

Sun 8/10 - AM 1:50

Northfield. Took a pass on the usual foray into Winchester and the climb to the TV tower in favor of Birch Point and Old Wendell instead. Not a bad route although the footing along the power lines still leaves something to be desired even after the gravel access road was put in earlier this year. After something resembling a decent night's rest, feeling better than yesterday overall. This includes the right leg which I was worried wouldn't be able to deal with the descending. Some stiffness but could have been much worse. Stickier air moved in yesterday afternoon and made for tougher conditions than yesterday morning, or the last time I ran here two weeks ago.

Sat 8/9 - double, 1:40 total incl. 10k road race

AM- Bridge of Flowers race, for the first time in ten years. I was a lot faster back then. Woulda/coulda/shoulda been a bit quicker today than the drag-ass slow performance put forth but as usual a combination of long-standing and specific conditions did me in. Namely, the fact that the fleece blanket I thought was in my car with the rest of the camping gear was in fact left behind which meant a cold night of barely sleeping at all with the cool dry conditions in the area. Feeling flat and tired during the warmup, more so as the race progressed. Planning on running the first two relatively flat miles in around 11 minutes and trying to get back to that kind of pace after tackling the hill. The first two miles I did, after running the third mile in a beyond slow 7:40 I could only regain the modest 5:40 pace for the fourth mile before shutting it down the last two miles. The fact that the right hammie started twinging badly after a sharp right turn onto rt. 112 didn't help, but the trudge home would have happened regardless. Feeling totally whipped in fact and just lookng to get it over with. Despite this, it was mission accomplished as far as the more acquisitive motivation for running, and the area is always a nice spot to visit and especially so on a warm sunny day such as this.

PM - 35 minutes very easy, Norwottuck RT. Roughly 10 minute pace if mile markers are to be believed. Seems about right for this shakeout. Soaked the legs in the filthy Connecticut river afterward which was a highlight of sorts. Right leg feels better after doing some stretching after the race this morning. Overall quite pooped though.