Really needed to get in a long run in prep for the 50K in a month, and didn't feel like dealing with deer flies so I hit the roads (though Kate hit the trails and reported no deer fly activity... Drat). Run went well. The pace was easy and came naturally.
Felt energetic throughout but got pretty thirsty there the last few miles. I didn't run with a handheld, but did stop by the house halfway through to rehydrate. I guess I should have drank a little more, but it still wasn't a big deal.
Ran 20.6 miles @ 7:49/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Moderately hilly.
Mid 60s to lower 70s, sunny, humid, breezy.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Second Run
Rather nice evening out, so I decided to hit the trails for a second run. Kept the pace easy and ran in the Merrell Trail Gloves. I haven't run in them in a while and now that the stench that they developed has now dissipated, it was good to have them on again.
Went well. Deer flies were a big nuisance in certain areas, but in the open areas at the bog and on top of the ridge a decent breeze was flowing and that kept them at bay.
Ran 4.5 miles @ 8:58/mile pace.
Trails and dirt roads.
Very hilly.
Mid 70s, sunny.
Merrell Trail Gloves, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Went well. Deer flies were a big nuisance in certain areas, but in the open areas at the bog and on top of the ridge a decent breeze was flowing and that kept them at bay.
Ran 4.5 miles @ 8:58/mile pace.
Trails and dirt roads.
Very hilly.
Mid 70s, sunny.
Merrell Trail Gloves, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Anger Management
Today's run was supposed to be at an easy pace, especially after yesterday's craptastic run and also because the humidity was very high again today. For the first two miles it was and then I got to thinking about the break-in and I started running faster. Splits of 8:05, 7:55, 7:10, 6:59, 6:38 and the last half mile at a 6:27/mile pace. At least it felt comfortable and easy.
Deer flies were only out for a half mile stretch during the dirt road portion of the loop, and even then they weren't so bad. They're normally really horrible during that whole stretch. I expected much worse given the warm temps and humidity, but thankfully not the case.
Was going to do interval work tomorrow but am thinking I'll probably run long instead. It's just more needed at this point.
Ran 5.5 miles @ 7:16/mile pace.
Paved and dirt roads.
Very hilly.
Upper 70s, sunny, very humid.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, singlet.
Deer flies were only out for a half mile stretch during the dirt road portion of the loop, and even then they weren't so bad. They're normally really horrible during that whole stretch. I expected much worse given the warm temps and humidity, but thankfully not the case.
Was going to do interval work tomorrow but am thinking I'll probably run long instead. It's just more needed at this point.
Ran 5.5 miles @ 7:16/mile pace.
Paved and dirt roads.
Very hilly.
Upper 70s, sunny, very humid.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, singlet.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Bonking at Pineland
Never had it from the get go today. I think a culmination of humidity, running somewhat hard on trails the past two days, and sleep deprivation from stress got the better of me.
Got to Pinelands about an hour before I was to meet up with Val and Mindy and got in about 3.5 miles on the Oak Hill side. Just never felt it. Went back to the parking lot and met up with them and we were off on the Yurt side.
On a selfish note, thankfully Val and Mindy weren't really feeling it either. So, together we slogged through the soupy air and all abandoned our plans for going longer. It was the right call.
Will rest up and do a short easy run tomorrow to help ensure the batteries get recharged.
Ran 11.5 miles @ 10:27/mile pace.
Trails.
Very hilly.
Upper 70s, sunny, very humid.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt, handheld bottle (water).
Got to Pinelands about an hour before I was to meet up with Val and Mindy and got in about 3.5 miles on the Oak Hill side. Just never felt it. Went back to the parking lot and met up with them and we were off on the Yurt side.
On a selfish note, thankfully Val and Mindy weren't really feeling it either. So, together we slogged through the soupy air and all abandoned our plans for going longer. It was the right call.
Will rest up and do a short easy run tomorrow to help ensure the batteries get recharged.
Ran 11.5 miles @ 10:27/mile pace.
Trails.
Very hilly.
Upper 70s, sunny, very humid.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt, handheld bottle (water).
Monday, June 27, 2011
A Run I Needed
The past 24 hours have been nuts. We figured out that the engagement ring I thought that was lost was in fact stolen. We know who did it. He knows we know and that the sheriff's department is after him. He fled and is at large.
It is a much more complex story than that, but I don't want to divulge too much information at this point. I'm confident he will be caught. I'm not so confident that the ring will be retrieved.
With all of this stress, I needed a run. It helped, but I'm still really upset over the incident.
Ran 7.6 miles @ 8:43/mile pace.
Technical trails, fire roads.
Very hilly.
Upper seventies, sunny, humid.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap, hand held bottle (water).
It is a much more complex story than that, but I don't want to divulge too much information at this point. I'm confident he will be caught. I'm not so confident that the ring will be retrieved.
With all of this stress, I needed a run. It helped, but I'm still really upset over the incident.
Ran 7.6 miles @ 8:43/mile pace.
Technical trails, fire roads.
Very hilly.
Upper seventies, sunny, humid.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap, hand held bottle (water).
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Ossipee Hill
After nearly a week in Kansas City, it's great to be home. Despite getting back yesterday in the afternoon, a run really wasn't an option. However, a long nap was. I slept about three hours, and then got another seven last night.
I felt well rested this morning, but wasn't sure how fueled up I would be for a run up Ossipee Hill. All I really had to eat yesterday was a turkey sandwich. Turns out I was fine, and no doubt the big bowl of oatmeal this morning helped.
So, I was off. It was warm and humid out, but throughout the run I didn't mind it one bit. Quite enjoyable, in fact. This was no doubt aided by the very low number of deer flies. I guess all that cool, rainy weather the past week really helped bring their numbers or at least their activity levels down. I really only felt them on a few sections and they were low in numbers and moving slow (and therefore easy to kill).
Great run over and reached the summit and climbed the firetower to the first level that's halfway up. From there, I could see Mt. Washington and the surrounding peaks of the White Mountains, as well as the ocean. Enjoyed the view for about ten minutes then ran back down.
I took the exact same route back and on the powerline trails I saw the cutest little baby porcupine. Really adorable little critter. It was no bigger than a football, and looked quite plump and healthy. It didn't really seem too deterred by my presence, and as tempting as it was to try to pick it up and pet it that would of course be quite foolish. I've had my fair share of being impaled by sharp objects for the year.
Great run back and felt energetic throughout. Pace for this route up the mountain was great and I didn't really push it hard. Was surprised that I only drained half my water bottle and even that felt forced. However, I did have two cups of tea and downed about 20 ounces of water before I headed out, so I guess that was ample hydration.
Was thankful to get 42 miles in this week despite a hectic trip out to KC. However, I 'd like to hit it pretty hard the next handful of weeks in preparation for the Brookvale 50K next month. Already have a long run mapped out for Tuesday and would like to do some interval work on Thursday. Rest of the runs will be general trail runs, but might throw in a road run strictly to get in some faster leg turnover.
Ran 12.8 miles @ 8:55/mile pace.
Extremely hilly.
Trails, dirt roads, fire roads, dirt road shoulders.
Upper 60s to mid 70s, partly cloudy and humid.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap, hand held bottle (water).
I felt well rested this morning, but wasn't sure how fueled up I would be for a run up Ossipee Hill. All I really had to eat yesterday was a turkey sandwich. Turns out I was fine, and no doubt the big bowl of oatmeal this morning helped.
So, I was off. It was warm and humid out, but throughout the run I didn't mind it one bit. Quite enjoyable, in fact. This was no doubt aided by the very low number of deer flies. I guess all that cool, rainy weather the past week really helped bring their numbers or at least their activity levels down. I really only felt them on a few sections and they were low in numbers and moving slow (and therefore easy to kill).
Great run over and reached the summit and climbed the firetower to the first level that's halfway up. From there, I could see Mt. Washington and the surrounding peaks of the White Mountains, as well as the ocean. Enjoyed the view for about ten minutes then ran back down.
I took the exact same route back and on the powerline trails I saw the cutest little baby porcupine. Really adorable little critter. It was no bigger than a football, and looked quite plump and healthy. It didn't really seem too deterred by my presence, and as tempting as it was to try to pick it up and pet it that would of course be quite foolish. I've had my fair share of being impaled by sharp objects for the year.
Great run back and felt energetic throughout. Pace for this route up the mountain was great and I didn't really push it hard. Was surprised that I only drained half my water bottle and even that felt forced. However, I did have two cups of tea and downed about 20 ounces of water before I headed out, so I guess that was ample hydration.
Was thankful to get 42 miles in this week despite a hectic trip out to KC. However, I 'd like to hit it pretty hard the next handful of weeks in preparation for the Brookvale 50K next month. Already have a long run mapped out for Tuesday and would like to do some interval work on Thursday. Rest of the runs will be general trail runs, but might throw in a road run strictly to get in some faster leg turnover.
Ran 12.8 miles @ 8:55/mile pace.
Extremely hilly.
Trails, dirt roads, fire roads, dirt road shoulders.
Upper 60s to mid 70s, partly cloudy and humid.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap, hand held bottle (water).
Friday, June 24, 2011
SkillsUSA Champions 5K Race Report
Today's race went really well. It might seem odd to have a race on a Friday morning, but I'm out here in Kansas City for a very large SkillsUSA school competition that shuts down several blocks of the downtown area. Since around 15,000 people are out here for the event, there's a lot going on... including a 5K race organized by SkillsUSA, primarily for those of us out here but I think is also open to anyone.
I did this race last year. The race was well organized and great but I sucked and did horribly. Despite the course last year being flat and on well groomed trails near the river (for my Maine peeps, think Back Cove), I finished with a time of 23:07. Now, this was because I was just coming off an injury, had gained some weight and was out of shape. But still...
A very pleasant surprise with the course change this year. It was no longer by the river due to flooding, and moved a bit inland to a course that went through dense forests and featured very hilly trails that were somewhat technical and overall very challenging (for my Maine peeps, think Bradbury in terms of hills, but a step down in technicality). This was a true cross country course. Sweet.
I went out for a warm-up mile on parts of the course and was thinking "this rules". Beautiful area, pure and simple. I even saw a deer pretty close up. I noted the hills and the trail surfaces and thought to myself this takes the pressure out of getting a 5K PR since it was a trail race. Also, I simply love this kind of terrain more.
Mile One:
I lined up near the front and we were soon off. The course consisted of two laps of two short lollipop loops and one out and back. The first lollipop loop was probably the easiest, and the crowd soon settled in after about quarter of a mile and I was in sixth place.
I had the fifth place runner in my sights and slowly caught up to him. I'd say 70% of the runners were adults (teachers, chaperones, faculty, etc.) and the rest students. This fellow was a student and most definitely a cross country runner, so I tried to be a little more tactful in making a move. I hung behind him for several tenths of a mile keeping pace, and on an uphill I made my move. I heard his breathing which seemed pretty labored, so I made an effort to really sprint up the hill in hopes of thwarting an attempt by him to keep up, which seemed to work.
Mile Two:
I was now settled into fourth place and feeling relatively great. The guy in first (from Utah, looked to be a college student) was off like a rocket and out of sight but I could still see second and third. Second place started to pull ahead and out of site as the race went on, but third place guy was starting to get closer.
Mile Three to the Finish Line:
I was pulling closer to third place guy and was hoping to pass him. I verified that it was the high school age guy I was talking to before the race and running in Vibrams. I noticed he wasn't looking over his shoulder, but on an uphill that was the out and back section, he finally saw me and then kicked it up a notch. I tried to chase, but his octane was higher than mine and he pulled ahead enough to where I had no chance at catching him. Well deserved.
I crossed the finish line in fourth place and was quite pleased by that. I had hoped for top five and got it. Very fun race and a great course which was tough and challenging and a lot of fun to run on.
Afterwards, chatted with the third place guy and we exchanged thanks for pushing one another. I then waited for Tim, the teacher from my school that I'm out here with, to finish. I talked him into doing the race and was super glad he did. It was his first 5K, and he finished in 22nd place and was very stoked to do better than he thought he would. I think he's hooked.
w/u: Ran 1.0 mile @ 9:40/mile pace.
Race: Ran 3.1 miles @ 6:55/mile pace.
Official time: 21:28
Place: 4th of 109
Trails.
Moderately hilly.
Lower 70s, sunny.
Brooks Mach 11, shorts, singlet.
I did this race last year. The race was well organized and great but I sucked and did horribly. Despite the course last year being flat and on well groomed trails near the river (for my Maine peeps, think Back Cove), I finished with a time of 23:07. Now, this was because I was just coming off an injury, had gained some weight and was out of shape. But still...
A very pleasant surprise with the course change this year. It was no longer by the river due to flooding, and moved a bit inland to a course that went through dense forests and featured very hilly trails that were somewhat technical and overall very challenging (for my Maine peeps, think Bradbury in terms of hills, but a step down in technicality). This was a true cross country course. Sweet.
I went out for a warm-up mile on parts of the course and was thinking "this rules". Beautiful area, pure and simple. I even saw a deer pretty close up. I noted the hills and the trail surfaces and thought to myself this takes the pressure out of getting a 5K PR since it was a trail race. Also, I simply love this kind of terrain more.
Mile One:
I lined up near the front and we were soon off. The course consisted of two laps of two short lollipop loops and one out and back. The first lollipop loop was probably the easiest, and the crowd soon settled in after about quarter of a mile and I was in sixth place.
I had the fifth place runner in my sights and slowly caught up to him. I'd say 70% of the runners were adults (teachers, chaperones, faculty, etc.) and the rest students. This fellow was a student and most definitely a cross country runner, so I tried to be a little more tactful in making a move. I hung behind him for several tenths of a mile keeping pace, and on an uphill I made my move. I heard his breathing which seemed pretty labored, so I made an effort to really sprint up the hill in hopes of thwarting an attempt by him to keep up, which seemed to work.
Mile Two:
I was now settled into fourth place and feeling relatively great. The guy in first (from Utah, looked to be a college student) was off like a rocket and out of sight but I could still see second and third. Second place started to pull ahead and out of site as the race went on, but third place guy was starting to get closer.
Mile Three to the Finish Line:
I was pulling closer to third place guy and was hoping to pass him. I verified that it was the high school age guy I was talking to before the race and running in Vibrams. I noticed he wasn't looking over his shoulder, but on an uphill that was the out and back section, he finally saw me and then kicked it up a notch. I tried to chase, but his octane was higher than mine and he pulled ahead enough to where I had no chance at catching him. Well deserved.
I crossed the finish line in fourth place and was quite pleased by that. I had hoped for top five and got it. Very fun race and a great course which was tough and challenging and a lot of fun to run on.
Afterwards, chatted with the third place guy and we exchanged thanks for pushing one another. I then waited for Tim, the teacher from my school that I'm out here with, to finish. I talked him into doing the race and was super glad he did. It was his first 5K, and he finished in 22nd place and was very stoked to do better than he thought he would. I think he's hooked.
w/u: Ran 1.0 mile @ 9:40/mile pace.
Race: Ran 3.1 miles @ 6:55/mile pace.
Official time: 21:28
Place: 4th of 109
Trails.
Moderately hilly.
Lower 70s, sunny.
Brooks Mach 11, shorts, singlet.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Dreadmills Suck
In the theme of all that which does suck, today I ran on a dreadmill. Time was short and it was the most convenient offer, and truth be told, it was better than running on white concrete again and my legs felt very thankful for it. However, dreadmills still suck.
Pace was at a moderate level but sincerely felt easy. Good sign and a far cry from yesterday. Looking forward to the 5K race tomorrow morning.
Here are some pictures I've taken while here at Kansas City (using the RetroCam and Camera360 apps).
Pace was at a moderate level but sincerely felt easy. Good sign and a far cry from yesterday. Looking forward to the 5K race tomorrow morning.
Here are some pictures I've taken while here at Kansas City (using the RetroCam and Camera360 apps).
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| Running Men |
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| Kansas City Convention Center |
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| Hotel Room |
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| Performing Arts Center |
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| Telescope |
Ran 4.0 miles @ 7:28/mile pace.
Treadmills.
Flat.
Around 70 degrees, indoors.
Brooks Mach 11, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
White Concrete Sucks
I'm beginning to really miss trails. The past two days my runs have been on primarily on paths and sidewalks made of white concrete, the most evil running surface in the universe. I've heard that it's three times harder than asphalt. Regardless, I've noticed in the past it does indeed turn my legs to dog poop, which is how they felt today.
Despite that, I still slogged through the run but kept the pace very easy. Was pretty happy to be done. I'm sure the lack luster travel diet, lack of sleep and general craziness of chaperoning and overseeing teenagers competitions during a multi-night out of town trip also contributed to a lack of energy today, but so be it.
Hopefully I'll pull it together enough by Friday since I registered for a 5K race that day. It's the same one I did last year while in KC, but the location is totally different due to river flooding. Looking forward to it!
Ran 9.0 miles @ 8:43/mile pace.
Paved roads and paths (white concrete).
Very hilly.
Around 80 degrees, partly cloudy, windy.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, short sleeved shirt, hand held bottle (water).
Despite that, I still slogged through the run but kept the pace very easy. Was pretty happy to be done. I'm sure the lack luster travel diet, lack of sleep and general craziness of chaperoning and overseeing teenagers competitions during a multi-night out of town trip also contributed to a lack of energy today, but so be it.
Hopefully I'll pull it together enough by Friday since I registered for a 5K race that day. It's the same one I did last year while in KC, but the location is totally different due to river flooding. Looking forward to it!
Ran 9.0 miles @ 8:43/mile pace.
Paved roads and paths (white concrete).
Very hilly.
Around 80 degrees, partly cloudy, windy.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, short sleeved shirt, hand held bottle (water).
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Bonus Run
Had some time here in the evening, so I talked the other teacher from my school that's out here in KC with me to head out for a run. He hasn't run in a few years, so we took quite a few long walk breaks. Didn't matter to me though, I just wanted to get out for a bit and it was a good way to shake the legs loose.
Ran 3.4 miles @ 12:00/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Lower 70s, sunny.
Brooks Mach 11, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Ran 3.4 miles @ 12:00/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Lower 70s, sunny.
Brooks Mach 11, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
A Run Around Kansas City
I'm in Kansas City for a school competition my students are in.
I had some free time.
I went for a run under a not so hot sun.
I ran under a bridge and stopped to watch a train.
I asked a man for directions.
I stopped for a train that crossed my path.
I reached downtown and ran all around.
I decided to head back.
I stopped and watched another train and exchanged waves with the engineer.
I returned to my hotel.
Ran 8.6 miles @ 8:20/mile pace (probably :10-:20/mile faster, auto-pause wasn't stopping near tall buildings).
Paved roads.
Moderately hilly.
Lower to mid 70s, partly cloudy.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, short sleeved shirt, hand held bottle (water).
I had some free time.
I went for a run under a not so hot sun.
I ran under a bridge and stopped to watch a train.
I asked a man for directions.
I stopped for a train that crossed my path.
I reached downtown and ran all around.
I decided to head back.
I stopped and watched another train and exchanged waves with the engineer.
I returned to my hotel.
Ran 8.6 miles @ 8:20/mile pace (probably :10-:20/mile faster, auto-pause wasn't stopping near tall buildings).
Paved roads.
Moderately hilly.
Lower to mid 70s, partly cloudy.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, short sleeved shirt, hand held bottle (water).
Monday, June 20, 2011
Lord of the Ringless
However, the proposal didn't quite go as well as I had planned. When you manage to lose the engagement ring, it kind of puts a little bit of a damper on things.
My mother shipped up a family ring and it got here safe and sound. I know this because I actually held the ring in my hand after opening up the shipping box when it arrived a few weeks ago. However, five minutes before Kate was due to come over on Saturday and we were to head to the beach where I planned to propose, I went to get the small wooden box hidden in my closet only to open it and discover it was empty. Yes, empty. The ring was not there. Whiskey... Tango... Foxtrot...
There was no hiding my emotion when Kate came over a few minutes later, so I told her what had happened. She assured me not to worry, but that was futile. Try telling a boy who's puppy just died that it's no big deal, and well, you get the idea. We turned my condo upside down looking for it, but no luck.
So what happened? How does a ring just flat out disappear? Good question. The wooden box containing the ring didn't shut well and was not very secure, so I suspect it fell out somewhere when I was looking for a hiding spot. Or so I hope. Another more futile scenario would be in that it fell back into the shipping box which has since been recycled (yes, I called the recycling center to see if anything turned up... no dice). But the truth is I really have no frickin' idea.
But moving forward now, and something that helped get my mind off things on Sunday was heading over to Ryan and Danielle's who were hosting a group run followed by a pancake breakfast. Continuing to be with Kate and also hanging out with good friends helped get my mind off the ring incident, and we had a fun, easy paced run on the trails at the Cathance River Preserve and had a great time chowing down and hanging out afterwards.
I'm currently in Kansas City now for a school competition. Kate is watching over my place while I'm away and will continue to look for the ring. Think good thoughts that it shows up. Even if it doesn't, there are worse things in life and it's far from the end of the world. The important thing is that we're getting married, and I can't wait! But that ring would still be nice...
Sunday run stats:
Ran 8.5 miles @ 11:44/mile pace.
Trails.
Slightly hilly.
Lower 70s, sunny, breezy.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Humid
Pretty humid out today (70% with temps in the mid-70s), but a good run all the same. Getting pretty acclimated to the hotter weather now, but I'm still not there yet. I almost didn't run with the handheld today, but was really glad I did. Filled it with coconut water and I ended up draining it.
Saw several cyclists out today, exchanging waves or hellos with all of them. They are a welcome sight around where I live, and for whatever reasons it seems there have been more and more of them passing through my area in the past few years. Makes sense, since the county roads have really wide shoulders, and it is a beautiful area. Glad they are discovering it, it's just nice to see other fellow athletes out while training.
Ran 10.2 miles @ 7:37/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Lower to mid 70s, partly cloudy, humid.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, hand held bottle w/ coconut water.
Saw several cyclists out today, exchanging waves or hellos with all of them. They are a welcome sight around where I live, and for whatever reasons it seems there have been more and more of them passing through my area in the past few years. Makes sense, since the county roads have really wide shoulders, and it is a beautiful area. Glad they are discovering it, it's just nice to see other fellow athletes out while training.
Ran 10.2 miles @ 7:37/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Lower to mid 70s, partly cloudy, humid.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, hand held bottle w/ coconut water.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Where'd The Trail Go?
A pretty tiring day at work today, which involved a lot of manual labor remodeling the studio of my media classroom. Wasn't exactly cool and dry during the day either, which made it a bit rough. So, like yesterday, I opted to come home, nap and rest a bit before getting in my run.
I was feeling really sluggish, so decided to spice the run up a little by taking some trails I hadn't been on in a while. Good, muddy fun (it had just rained). The first leg was a success, and it led me back to the fire road and pretty much went the way I remembered.
After running a loop that went by the pond, I decided to take another trail I also hadn't been on in a while. Apparently nobody else had either. Really hard to see where the trail was. I lost the path several times, but rather than turn around when it was obvious I was off path, wander lust drew me deeper into woods, half wondering if I'd find the trail, or ANY trail, and half just wondering what I might encounter. Tree cover was very thick, which meant virtually no underbrush, so though I was bushwacking it was still quite runnable, albeit at a slow pace.
Aside from a pretty deep ravine, there really wasn't much of interest, so I eventually navigated my way back to the main fire road, and took that to the trail that led to home.
Worth noting the deer flies were quite menacing, especially on the back, southern side of the main hill of the fireroad. The other northern side really wasn't bad at all. Kind of odd, and I have noticed it before. I guess it would be logical to assume that the southern side sees a bit more sun, and that may invigorate the little devils more.
Ran 7.0 miles @ 10:07/mile pace.
Technical trails and fire roads.
Very hilly.
Upper to mid 60s, very humid, overcast.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt, hand held bottle (coconut water).
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Semi-Progression Run
Hot out today with the temps getting close to 90F/32C, but at least the humidity remained low for much of the day. Still, with a busy day at work involving a lot of remodeling of the studio of my media classroom, I opted to come home and take a nap to recharge a bit which had the duel purpose of letting the temps come down a little before I ran.
When I left the house, it was 85 but with a low humidity with a percentage in the upper 20s, but in the course of 40 minutes while I ran, the temp dropped four degrees but the humidity had climbed to a percentage in the lower 50s. It was definitely noticeable during the run.
Diet wasn't the best today (snacked on too many cheez-its during the day and mowed down a large chocolate and almond bar when I got home), so I felt sluggish at first, but better as the run went on. Splits ended up being 7:44, 7:54, 7:19, 7:11, 6:49 and a 6:15/mile pace for the last half mile. Should mention that the last half of the route is downhill, so easy to pick up the pace.
Worth noting the deer flies were out, but weren't so bad. Far cry from how bad they were at this time last season. They only really tapped my head during the dirt road stretch, and weren't too bad.
Ran 5.5 miles @ 7:18/mile pace.
Paved and dirt roads.
Very hilly.
Mid to lower 80s, sunny.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts.
When I left the house, it was 85 but with a low humidity with a percentage in the upper 20s, but in the course of 40 minutes while I ran, the temp dropped four degrees but the humidity had climbed to a percentage in the lower 50s. It was definitely noticeable during the run.
Diet wasn't the best today (snacked on too many cheez-its during the day and mowed down a large chocolate and almond bar when I got home), so I felt sluggish at first, but better as the run went on. Splits ended up being 7:44, 7:54, 7:19, 7:11, 6:49 and a 6:15/mile pace for the last half mile. Should mention that the last half of the route is downhill, so easy to pick up the pace.
Worth noting the deer flies were out, but weren't so bad. Far cry from how bad they were at this time last season. They only really tapped my head during the dirt road stretch, and weren't too bad.
Ran 5.5 miles @ 7:18/mile pace.
Paved and dirt roads.
Very hilly.
Mid to lower 80s, sunny.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Turtle Pee
It was a beautiful afternoon out, with temps in the lower to mid 70s, sunshine and low humidity with a nice breeze blowing. Was very happy to hit the railroad trails from the school after work was done and get out and enjoy the weather.
My legs felt tired from yesterday's interval workout. That's normal and I anticipated that being the case, so I kept the pace easy.
About halfway through, I saw a fully grown eastern painted turtle in the middle of the trail. This trail sees quite a bit of ATV traffic, so I picked it up and moved it safely off to the side. In doing so, the bastard peed on me. Hey, thanks for that little guy. You're welcome for potentially saving your life.
Tomorrow looks to be much warmer, and not sure what I'm going to run. Will play things by ear.
Ran 8.2 miles @ 8:20/mile pace.
Trails, some paved paths.
Slightly hilly.
Lower-mid 70s, sunny.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
My legs felt tired from yesterday's interval workout. That's normal and I anticipated that being the case, so I kept the pace easy.About halfway through, I saw a fully grown eastern painted turtle in the middle of the trail. This trail sees quite a bit of ATV traffic, so I picked it up and moved it safely off to the side. In doing so, the bastard peed on me. Hey, thanks for that little guy. You're welcome for potentially saving your life.
Tomorrow looks to be much warmer, and not sure what I'm going to run. Will play things by ear.
Ran 8.2 miles @ 8:20/mile pace.
Trails, some paved paths.
Slightly hilly.
Lower-mid 70s, sunny.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Return to Interval Work
Ah, the track. If I had to run on it every workout, I'd go nuts. But doing it once every week or two, I actually enjoy it. The benefits from it are great, so I was happy to return to it today.
I haven't done any interval work since the Boston training cycle, so in order to ease back into it I opted for doing just five reps of 800 meter repeats with 400 meters of active recovery. That amounts to a shorter recovery time compared to what the full 10 rep Yasso workout calls for, but with only five reps on tap it made it intense but not too much so.
Went well. Better than expected actually. Hit the splits in 2:55, 3:00, 3:00, 2:57 and 2:54. Didn't feel too labored of an effort either, despite a mighty wind.
Oh yeah, got the stitches out of my hand today. The tendon in the thumb still feels really tight and a bit painful, so some physical therapy work is now on tap. I suspect it'll be fine though.
w/u - Ran 1.0 mile @ 7:24/mile pace.
5 X 800M w/ 400M active recovery.
c/d - Ran 1.0 mile @ 9:17/mile pace.
Mid 50s, overcast, windy, misting at the end.
Brooks Mach 11, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
I haven't done any interval work since the Boston training cycle, so in order to ease back into it I opted for doing just five reps of 800 meter repeats with 400 meters of active recovery. That amounts to a shorter recovery time compared to what the full 10 rep Yasso workout calls for, but with only five reps on tap it made it intense but not too much so.
Went well. Better than expected actually. Hit the splits in 2:55, 3:00, 3:00, 2:57 and 2:54. Didn't feel too labored of an effort either, despite a mighty wind.
Oh yeah, got the stitches out of my hand today. The tendon in the thumb still feels really tight and a bit painful, so some physical therapy work is now on tap. I suspect it'll be fine though.
w/u - Ran 1.0 mile @ 7:24/mile pace.
5 X 800M w/ 400M active recovery.
c/d - Ran 1.0 mile @ 9:17/mile pace.
Mid 50s, overcast, windy, misting at the end.
Brooks Mach 11, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Form Work After Work
Ran barefoot on the soccer fields today after work. I normally take Mondays off, but I didn't get in the mileage I wanted to last week and I'm feeling fine so opted for a light workout. Purpose was to work on form.
Nothing much else to report, so I'll leave it at that.
Ran 3.2 miles @ 8:39/mile pace.
Grass fields.
Flat.
Lower 60s, mostly cloudy.
Barefoot, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Nothing much else to report, so I'll leave it at that.
Ran 3.2 miles @ 8:39/mile pace.
Grass fields.
Flat.
Lower 60s, mostly cloudy.
Barefoot, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Heavy Mist
Rainy weekend. Had a heavy mist fall throughout the run. Kind of nice, as that along with the cooler temps kept the bugs away (including deer flies). Kept the pace easy.
Felt a bit sluggish at first, due to a breakfast of homemade blueberry muffins, eggs from a local farm and preservative-free bacon. Absolutely tasted fantastic but not the best breakfast to eat an hour or so before a run. However, a few miles in I felt more in sync.
Looking ahead for the week, I'd like to get in a track workout, probably on Tuesday. Rest will be a mix of roads and trails.
Ran 7.6 miles @ 9:19/mile.
Trails, fire roads.
Very hilly.
Lower 50s, overcast, heavy mist.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, long sleeved shirt.
Felt a bit sluggish at first, due to a breakfast of homemade blueberry muffins, eggs from a local farm and preservative-free bacon. Absolutely tasted fantastic but not the best breakfast to eat an hour or so before a run. However, a few miles in I felt more in sync.
Looking ahead for the week, I'd like to get in a track workout, probably on Tuesday. Rest will be a mix of roads and trails.
Ran 7.6 miles @ 9:19/mile.
Trails, fire roads.
Very hilly.
Lower 50s, overcast, heavy mist.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, long sleeved shirt.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Plan B = Mt. A
I awoke around 3:15am, with the plan to head over to the White Mountains and run the 31+ mile Pemi Loop with Ian, Jeremy and Chuck. However, the weather outlook went from bad to worse, and we all decided it was best to postpone the trip rather than deal with elements and potentially have to bail on the run as a result.
So, Ian came up with a great idea to just run at Mt. Agamenticus instead. I met him and Jeremy there at 7am (Chuck went back to bed after our backup plan was hatched) and we were off.
We had no real route in mind, which opened the possibility up to explore some new-to-us trails so we did just that. It was a lot of fun. Most of the trails were quite technical, but at one point we ended up on a long jeep trail that was pretty smooth. Along the way there, we saw a pretty good sized snapping turtle.
After a little over 14 miles, we all decided to call it good. Fun run, and since it was a shorter run than what was originally planned, it'll allow more eggs in the other baskets for runs over the next few days.
Ran 14.4 miles @ 10:12/mile.
Technical trails, some jeep roads.
Very hilly.
Mid to upper 50s, overcast, muggy.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap, handheld bottle (coconut water)
So, Ian came up with a great idea to just run at Mt. Agamenticus instead. I met him and Jeremy there at 7am (Chuck went back to bed after our backup plan was hatched) and we were off.
We had no real route in mind, which opened the possibility up to explore some new-to-us trails so we did just that. It was a lot of fun. Most of the trails were quite technical, but at one point we ended up on a long jeep trail that was pretty smooth. Along the way there, we saw a pretty good sized snapping turtle.
After a little over 14 miles, we all decided to call it good. Fun run, and since it was a shorter run than what was originally planned, it'll allow more eggs in the other baskets for runs over the next few days.
Ran 14.4 miles @ 10:12/mile.
Technical trails, some jeep roads.
Very hilly.
Mid to upper 50s, overcast, muggy.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap, handheld bottle (coconut water)
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
The Ole Dump Loop
Yesterday it was the trail version of the dump loop. Today it was the road version (both routes share the same dirt road our town dump is located on). Opted for the road one since it was about a mile longer and I also wanted to get some faster turnover in my legs. Still intentionally kept the pace easy though since I'm kicking off the rust.
Good timing with the hand impalement, seeing as it was just four days after running the 50-miler. The few extra days off from running were probably actually a good thing. But now it's time to slowly bring the plane up to cruising altitude. Lot's of trail races planned for this summer, looking forward to them all!
Ran 5.6 miles @ 7:57/mile pace.
Paved and dirt roads.
Very hilly.
Upper 70s, sunny.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
A Stitch in Time
 |
| Stigmata |
So, now that I only need band-aids to cover the stitches and it's healing up nicely, I hit the trails when I got home and ran the 4.5 mile trail-version of the dump loop. Felt a bit rusty, especially in that first mile, but all in all not bad at all. Just kept the pace slow and let the mind wander. Very pleasant run, I do declare.
Worth noting the deer flies are now out. I actually felt them flying around my head during the 50-miler last week. Like then, today they weren't really a nuisance and only out in the open areas. Not much harassment from them and I'll enjoy it while it lasts.
Ran 4.5 miles @ 9:19/mile pace.
Trails and a one mile section of dirt road.
Very hilly.
Mid 70s, partly cloudy, somewhat humid.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap.
Friday, June 03, 2011
One Year Anniversary of Being Injury Free... Kind of...
On June 3rd last year, I went for my first successful run after coming back from a stress fracture. Since that time, I've remained free of any running injuries. Notice running is italicized. This is to emphasis the distinction between injuries as a result of running and other injuries, such as this:
Yep, did this to my hand yesterday morning. I was carrying a wooden crate into my classroom when it slipped. As it did so, a huge splinter/small stake around three inches long impaled my left hand.
Though it hurt like a mother, I thought it was superficial at first and tried to pull it out but it broke off. I thought only a small piece of wood maybe a centimeter deep was left in the palm of my hand, so I went to the nurse's office to see if they could help me dig it out. While there, I noticed my thumb was getting tingly and numb. As I looked at it, I noticed something poking through the skin like a tentpole on the backside of my hand between the forefinger and thumb. Oops. That's when I realized what was really happening.
Another teacher who had her planning block at that time graciously drove me to the emergency room. Several doses of morphine and a local anesthetic on my left hand later, they cut open into the palm of my hand and removed the wooden shard, then stitched me back up.
Bandage and stitches will be on my hand until Tuesday. I'm under strict orders not to run until then, which I think I'll be obeying. It makes sense that it'd easily get sweaty under all these bandages, and that could hurt and also risk infection. It's good timing, actually. I'm recovering from last weekend's 50-miler, so taking a few extra days off from running isn't that big of a deal.
Kind of a damper though, as I looked forward to celebrating my one year of freedom from running injuries with a run. But it's still reason to celebrate nonetheless. Changing my gait to be more efficient (specifically, addressing the heel striking) has no doubt helped in running healthier, but also running faster. In fact, it's been my best year of running yet, with two PRs in the marathon distance and another in the 50-mile distance, and I'm not done yet. But first things first, and that means being smart with my hand the next few days. I anticipate returning to training by Tuesday or Wednesday.
 |
| Ouch. |
Though it hurt like a mother, I thought it was superficial at first and tried to pull it out but it broke off. I thought only a small piece of wood maybe a centimeter deep was left in the palm of my hand, so I went to the nurse's office to see if they could help me dig it out. While there, I noticed my thumb was getting tingly and numb. As I looked at it, I noticed something poking through the skin like a tentpole on the backside of my hand between the forefinger and thumb. Oops. That's when I realized what was really happening.
Another teacher who had her planning block at that time graciously drove me to the emergency room. Several doses of morphine and a local anesthetic on my left hand later, they cut open into the palm of my hand and removed the wooden shard, then stitched me back up.
Bandage and stitches will be on my hand until Tuesday. I'm under strict orders not to run until then, which I think I'll be obeying. It makes sense that it'd easily get sweaty under all these bandages, and that could hurt and also risk infection. It's good timing, actually. I'm recovering from last weekend's 50-miler, so taking a few extra days off from running isn't that big of a deal.
Kind of a damper though, as I looked forward to celebrating my one year of freedom from running injuries with a run. But it's still reason to celebrate nonetheless. Changing my gait to be more efficient (specifically, addressing the heel striking) has no doubt helped in running healthier, but also running faster. In fact, it's been my best year of running yet, with two PRs in the marathon distance and another in the 50-mile distance, and I'm not done yet. But first things first, and that means being smart with my hand the next few days. I anticipate returning to training by Tuesday or Wednesday.
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