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.

Fri 8/8 - double, 40 minutes easy total

AM - 20 minutes very easy, Swellesley. Overcast and relatively cool when I started shuffling down the road.

PM - 20 minutes easy, Shelburne Falls. Left work and drove directly to Western Mass, in hindsight maybe not the best idea. Typical nap time was spent behind the wheel, totally frazzled by the time I finally arrived. Legs feeling fairly dead and flat.