Tue 4/14 - PM 95 minutes very easy

Lincoln woods. Spring has truly arrived with the first trail run in months, although it seems much longer than that. Got a little carried away in terms of how long I spent out there, partly due to the pace being so slow. After yesterday's no impact day I should have been ready for DOMS but it still came as an unpleasant surprise. Legs stiff, notably in the medial knee area which I have to think is from the elliptigo rather than the race. Still an enjoyable experience just to be able to get off pavement. The water level of Walden doesn't look any higher than it was in the fall, in fact it might have gone down a small amount. Not as warm or as windy as yesterday.

Mon 4/13 - 90 minutes elliptigo

Route 27 to Hudson Road, to Sudbury and then on to Gleasondale before looping back via 117 and Summer Road. Not exactly sure of how long the ride was what with numerous stops for aluminum mining. It's certainly nice to be able to do something with no impact at all the day after a race. Warm and sunny conditions didn't hurt either, although there was a decent wind blowing that gusted at times.

Sun 4/12 - AM 75 minutes incl. 8 mile road race

Returned to Florence for the Ron Hebert race, hosted by the man himself:

Within the first 400m the outcome of the race was decided and I was able to turn all focus inward, mostly on maintaining a steady effort through the up and down rolls of the course. The initial stretch on route 9 lasted longer than I had remembered from the last time, the traffic got a bit annoying but soon enough the course turned onto back roads which was much better. I had only a vague idea of what kind of pace would be appropriate but figured shooting for 46 minutes overall would be reasonable. Hit the first flat mile in 5:45, with the long steady climb looming just ahead and more hills further along, and knew that wouldn't be happening. Made sure not to overdo it on the climbs, esp. the fifth mile. The reward for that patience was the sixth mile which combined a gentle downhill gradient with a great view to the south of the entire valley. Regrettably there was one small climb left to the seven mile mark which was a lot more taxing than I would have liked. Last mile was slower than I thought it would be given how flat it was, but a good chunk of it was into a steady breeze so who knows. Splits:

5:45
6:00
6:02
5:41
6:00
5:22
5:50
6:00

I'd like to say this was a tempo run given those modest split times but the effort was a little more strenuous than that. Still feeling some of the fatigue from staying up so late Friday night. The splits suggest that while some fitness has been restored that had deteriorated by mid-March, there's still a way to go. The effort was quite controlled through the first six miles which bodes well for next week. Breezy sunny and mild conditions, a great day to be outside and much appreciated after the crap we've been through the last three months.

Sat 4/11 - AM 2 hours elliptigo

First day I can remember around here with temps over 60 degrees. Took full advantage by dusting off the elliptigo and hitting the road, saving the legs from the pounding (and drudgery) of another slow-ass recovery jog. Many stops for trash pickup which caused me to lose track of time. Followed up the morning ride with an afternoon ride to the refuge on a regular bike as well. Stayed up far too late last night watching a seemingly endless ball game, should have turned in sooner but unable to exert the necessary self-discipline.

Fri 4/10 - PM 55 minutes very easy

Track road to White Pond/Lower Village. Very tired, as a result another slow-moving putter. The miserable weather of the past three days is finally cracking but not to the extent that there's any sun poking through the overcast.