Tue 1/12 - 45 minutes very easy

Easy jog with the CH to the Maynard track, then 5x400 in the driving snow at just over 2 minutes per rep to help with her workout, then a cooldown via Old Mill. Originally the plan was to go our separate ways upon reaching the track and I would do timed pickups on the Longfellow loop but that simply wasn't happening. The snow squalls, which led to both poor visibility and footing, didn't help any with this either. Feeling dead tired from the outset, barely able to move by the end coming in on Waltham Street.

Mon 1/11 - PM 75 minutes easy

Area 51. Yesterday's warmth and rain left the trails clear, wonderful feeling to be freed from plodding the pavement. Started out slowly, got a bit quicker after that. Hip flexors still a bit sore but other than that not feeling too many ill effects from Saturday.

Sun 1/10 - PM 60 minutes very easy

Longfellow Loop via Old Marlboro with the CH. As expected, took a while to get out of bed this morning following yesterday's double effort on the track. On top of that awoke to steady rain, hard enough that it killed my motivation to get outside. On the plus side it was the harbinger of unseasonably mild temps by sunset, which made running outside pleasant once the rain finally did stop. Hip flexors/TFL area tight and sore more than anything else which is a mild surprise, thought the calves would be more wrecked.

Sat 1/9 - PM 75 minutes incl. track mile, 5k

Something of a bounce back from the previous effort on the track, which isn't necessarily saying much. Feeling a bit more tired and stiff than I would like beforehand, which led to some self-doubt. This was compounded by a poorly run operation with the rolling schedule that left all of us guessing up to the last minute as to when we should check in, when we'd be lining up, you name it. The meet has certainly increased in popularity but still a manageable size, I wish they'd put the PA system to better use. That said I got my heat assignment 10 minutes or so before the gun went off after being more or less held hostage at the officials' table for a while before that. In hindsight should have got more done in terms of drills and strides ahead of time. Stepped to the line feeling less than confident, tried to stay competitive. Became clear by halfway, reached in 2:23 and change, that any improvements over the race three weeks ago would be marginal. Not a huge surprise in truth. From there I tried to hold the line, reeling in some people along the way but not the lead pack. Had I been closer I might have had a shot at them but I wasn't capable of staying closer, in pacelock. Overall a slight positive split but at least a time improvement over the previous attempt at the mile in December when I locked up entirely the last 400m.

With a 5k later on in the schedule I saw an opportunity to do a double session. In truth closer to a race than a workout perhaps. The plan was to treat it like a progression, with the first km at 42 sec/lap, the next at 41, then 40, then whatever was left. Instead I did the first two too quickly, the third one dead on, and found myself unable to progress any further. In fact the pace slowed back down again, making for roughly symmetrical splits of 3:26.5, 3:22.1, 3:20.2, 3:22.1, 3:25.1. The fourth km was where it really became clear I wasn't going to be going any quicker, and as such I relented a bit on laps 20-23. Overall though it was a worthwhile exercise, and always fun to haul people in while not truly "racing" myself.

Fri 1/8 - 60 minutes easy

Tiger Drive to Longfellow Loop. Feeling less than stellar to start, taking it very easy as a result. Feeling less than confident about myself just plodding along like this with a double on the track coming up in less than 24 hours. I had resolved ahead of time to do some quick pickups on the way in, an idea that I had mostly put to one side given how flat I had been feeling. However, decided to give it a try anyway and found that the faster bursts didn't feel bad at all, until the last one when I could just start to feel some fatigue start to creep in. A clear sign to jog it in the rest of the way, well timed as I was quite close anyway.

Thu 1/7 - PM 70 minutes very easy

Rockland Ave to Levittown with the CH, then struck out on my own from there. In theory I was going to pick up the pace a bit and go for another half hour; in practice the pace stayed put and I realized I didn't have the energy to go that much further anyway. Cut the run short after 20 minutes more instead of 30 as a result. Overall a relaxed effort, and of course the company was most appreciated. Colder than yesterday for sure.