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.