Maine Runner

Shuffling the Days

2012-01-30T16:15:00.002-05:00

I'm due for a rest day and would have taken it today, but I have a staff meeting tomorrow and the weather looks somewhat questionable then as well. So, I ran today so I could take tomorrow off instead.

Short and easy today. Have a bit of a head cold coming on, so truth be told I was glad to be done and didn't feel like battling the wind. Bed early tonight and plenty of OJ on tap. I'll get some fresh garlic tomorrow if I still don't feel so well.

Ran 5.0 miles @ 8:16/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Lower 30s, sunny, windy.
Saucony Kinvara 2, long tights, windbreaker, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Capping Off a Solid Week

2012-01-29T13:10:00.003-05:00

Today's recovery run brought me to 71.4 miles for the week. Pretty happy with that. Quality workouts as well. I wouldn't call it perfect though. Would feel a little better if maybe I could have worked in four or fives at tempo pace into Thursday's run, but all in all not bad.

Recap:
M - 5.0 easy
T - 12.7 tempo
W - 7.0 recovery
H - 12.4 moderate
F - 5.2 easy
S - 20.9 long w/ hill repeats
S - 8.2 recovery

Total = 71.4 miles

Not planning on a duplicate for the upcoming week, given the Mid-Winter 10-Mile Classic is on Sunday. I'd like to do well with that and race it hard, so maybe looking at a 45-50 mile week. The race will serve as my main hard and fast workout, but would like to work in a shorter tempo run maybe on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Ran 8.2 miles @ 8:45/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Mostly flat.
Around 40 degrees, sunny, breezy.
Brooks Mach 13, long pants, windbreaker, long sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves (off and on). Was overdressed.

Beautiful Loop + Hill Repeats = Brutal Fun

2012-01-28T14:54:00.002-05:00

Ian said it best: In trail conditions like today's, running alone would have really sucked. But with a group of good friends, it was an absolute blast. Ian, Jeremy, Zak and I ran the Beautiful Loop and tacked on four repeats up and down Bradbury Mountain via the Lunchbreak route to get in a brutal, but very fun long run. Mindy and Val were just behind us also did the same route. Jim and Andy also ran with us for a good bit before calling it a day early.

Most of the trails in the first stretch were actually in very good shape for running. Packed snow and easy to move on. Not many slushy spots to dodge. However, that would soon change. The power line trails were sketchy, complete with hidden pitfalls that would plunge feet into icy puddles, several water crossings, and detours needed to get around open rivers and sections of trails that were coated in slushy ice water.

It was a blast.

Then we reached Lunchbreak Hill, which begins at a school and goes all the way to the summit of Bradbury Mountain. The plan was four repeats (each round trip about 1.5 miles) and we all agreed to go at our respective paces. Jeremy crushed it, of course, and Ian and I did them together with Zak not far behind, but on the fourth one he blew past us and easily cruised to the top.

After that fourth one, we rejoiced on the summit and enjoyed the downhill back to our cars where we regrouped at Edna and Lucy's for a feast. Great day! My legs will feel this one tomorrow.

Here are some pictures I stole from Ian:

Elevation

Powerline trails portion

Came up a little short on the this jump

Breaking through the ice isn't very good for the shins

Ran 20.9 miles @ 10:45/mile pace.

Trails, packed snow, slush, ice, puddles, rivers, streams.

Extremely hilly.

Lower to upper 30s, sunny to mostly cloudy.

Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt, long sleeved shirt, beanie (off and on), gloves, Salomon 45 waterbelt.

Useless Weather

2012-01-27T16:43:00.000-05:00

Some snow and slush last night, but only for a little while and then it was followed by rain. Lot's and lots of rain. By the afternoon, the streets and sidewalks were dotted with ponds and where there wasn't water, there was slush.

This weather doesn't do anyone any real favors. Winter sports like Nordic skiing, downhill skiing and snowshoeing are threatened. Winter activities like snowmobiling and ice fishing are also difficult to do. In summer, a lot of rain is typically welcomed by farmers. But rain in the heart of a Maine winter? Nobody really benefits. I'm guessing that the only people who are liking this weather are folks who would rather live elsewhere.

At least the rain had stopped by the time I left the school. Thankfully, I just had a short easy/recovery run on tap today anyway. Ran the Armory loop three times, knowing the route didn't have as many puddles and mounds of melting sleet to contend with. Nice to get out, despite the early November weather.

Ran 5.2 miles @ 8:45/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Mid 30s, overcast.
Brooks Mach 13, long tights, windbreaker, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Hilly Dozen

2012-01-26T17:02:00.000-05:00

Nice run after work today on some hilly backroads. My mind always wanders when I run, but today I got so lost in my own thoughts that a couple of times I honest to goodness forgot where I was. It was really weird. Just thinking a lot about the current book I'm working on. I really feel it overshadows everything else I've written so far, but who's to say if that's the case or not.

But I digress... Good run. Really enjoyed myself out there and it went well. Pace was supposed to be slower, but I ended up dropping it down a notch or two towards the end. I'm at peace with that, as the weather seems a bit schizo for tomorrow and it'll make it easier mentally to take an easy day if need be.

Ran 12.4 miles @ 7:42/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Very hilly.
Upper to mid 30s, mostly cloudy.
Saucony Kinvara 2, long tights, windbreaker, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves (off and on).

Slow Seven

2012-01-25T17:15:00.000-05:00

Recovery run on tap for today. It was a nice way to mentally wake up after a long afternoon meeting that left my brain feeling like green jello. At least the days are getting noticeably longer, which always helps.

I really like the recovery days, especially when they're earned. There's no pressure on the pace. Just get out there and run super slow with the intent on getting in some miles and help keep the muscles loose. My quads are a bit sore from the combination of Sunday's snowshoe race and yesterday's tempo run. Nothing bad, and today's run seemed to help them out, along with the rest of the leg muscles. Good stuff.

Another nice day today. Not as warm as yesterday, but it was still quite comfortable outside.

Ran 7.0 miles @ 8:42/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Mid 30s, sunny.
Brooks Mach 13, long pants, windbreaker, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Warm Tempo-atures

2012-01-24T17:39:00.001-05:00

Was itching to run today with it being somewhat sunny and the thermometer hitting 50F/10C outside. So, as soon as I was allowed to leave work, I was out the door in shorts for my tempo run (FWIW, after the run I worked for another hour before coming home).

Went really well on all fronts, except that I jumped the gun and didn't really warm-up, aside from the first mile at 6:57. That mile included with the next nine, I ended up with the planned 10 miles at tempo, with an overall pace of 6:42/mile. It felt like it should, smooth and controlled. While it was work, it wasn't overly so. Never struggled.

Nice that this was done on a moderately hilly route also. Last week's eight mile tempo was pretty flat by comparison, so it was good mentally to go two miles longer, have more elevation change and do it faster. Ran the last 2.7 mile portion easy. Good day for sure. Very pleased.

The overlay on Google Maps via runningahead.com shows 12.63 miles, but my Garmin is always short. Will call it 12.7 miles overall, but I have no doubt that's still conservative. I could measure it out manually, but I'd rather take a shower right now and get some grub.

Ran 12.7 miles @ 6:53/mile pace (adjusted)
Tempo portion: Ran 10.0 miles @ 6:42/mile pace (unadjusted)
Paved roads, several puddles.
Moderately hilly.
Around 50 degrees, partly sunny.
Saucony Kinvara 2, shorts, long sleeved shirt (sleeves pushed up 1.5 miles in), cap.

Monday Meltday

2012-01-23T16:36:00.001-05:00

35F/2C outside and misting pretty heavily this afternoon, yet it seriously felt tropical. Dare I say it also felt pretty pleasant out. Legs are sore from yesterday's race, but not overly so. Normally I'd take a rest day today, but I knew an easy five miler would help shake the legs loose (plus, I'm looking to give the weekly mileage a little push this week).

Went well. Slushy out, but the consistency wasn't very slippery so it felt pretty safe to run in as long as caution was warranted. Energy felt great. Looking forward to getting in a tempo run tomorrow.

Nice to come home and see my Dion Snowshoes arrived! Very stoked with them. It's the same model I raced in yesterday and at the Bradbury Blizzard last year. I really like the fact that not only are they solidly built and perform well, but they are manufactured here in New England (read: not China) and the company is super supportive of snowshoe racing not just locally, but elsewhere. No wonder they're such a popular choice. Dion Snowshoes rock.

Dion Model 121, quick release bindings, ice cleats.

Ran 5.0 miles @ 8:03/mile pace.
Paved roads, slush and puddles.
Slightly hilly.
Mid 30s, overcast, misting.
Saucony Kinvara 2, long tights, windbreaker, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Bradbury Squall Snowshoe Race Report

2012-01-22T17:55:00.000-05:00

First off, huge thanks to Ryan and Ian for putting on a killer event. The Bradbury Mountain Snowshoe Series rocks. This was the first of three and the series is off to a great start!

I've only done one other snowshoe race, which was last year. Like then, I finished feeling humbled at how tough the sport is, but boy, is it also a lot of fun. For me anyway, there seems to be a bit of a gap there with my running and snowshoe race performances, but I'm up for the challenge of getting better.

Kate and I got there early, as she was helping with registration. It was 4F/-15C when we got there, but fortunately we were both dressed warmly. After a lot of socializing, it was time to shed the layers down to the race apparel and do a quick warm-up.

Race start

Ryan suggested I go out fast to jump ahead and hold it, saying it was easier to do so in snowshoe racing. Made sense, so I more or less kind of did that. Not full-on, but maybe a little faster than I would have otherwise. Still, I felt out of sync for the first mile, not really able to get in a rhythm. Zak and some other guy passed me during that time.

I kept Zak in my sights and was starting to find my stride now. Hard but steady breathing, and moving forward with relatively good efficiency. I started to reel Zak in and passed him back with maybe about a mile and a half to go.

Nobody in front of me, so I just kept pushing and eventually reached the finish line in 36:08. I then caught my breath, vurped, blew some snot rockets, had a coughing fit, and then saw I actually came in 9th out of 40 finishers. That's a little better than I expected placing wise, but not as well as I had hoped time wise. Tough sport, but a lot of fun. Can't wait for the next one!

Approaching the finish

And...done.

w/u: Ran .4 miles @ 9:57/mile pace.
Ran 3.7 miles @ 9:44/mile pace.
Time: 36:08
Placing: 9th out of 40.
Trails, snowshoed-single track and some well packed double-track.
Very hilly.
Mid to upper teens, sunny.
Dion 121 snowshoes, long tights, sleeveless shirt, long sleeved shirt, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Not So Great Eight

2012-01-20T16:40:00.003-05:00

Physically I felt a little tired, but nothing too bad. Mentally, I was very tired, thanks to a very busy work week. It really made getting into the run today difficult. I had originally planned on twelve, but eight miles was better than the 5.8 mile route I had considered at one point.

On the drive home, I was on the 12-mile route I had considered earlier and saw the road shoulders were in horrible shape. Made me feel even better about my choice.

Just as well if I didn't get in the mileage I wanted. The legs will be tired for Sunday's Bradbury Squall 3.5 mile snowshoe race already, but it'd be nice to have a little in the bank.

Ran 8.1 miles @ 8:10/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Moderately hilly.
Mid 20s, sunny, breezy.
Saucony Kinvara 2, long tights, windbreaker, long sleeved shirt, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Snow and Sun

2012-01-19T15:45:00.003-05:00

I was treated to light snow flurries throughout today's run while the sun was shining. The odd combination was really beautiful and a real treat to run in. Wish I had my camera with me.

Short run at an easy pace on tap today. Legs actually felt pretty heavy throughout. But I also planned on doing some stride work afterwards and that came along easily enough. Good day.

Ran 6.1 miles @ 7:57/mile pace (includes 10 X 100M strides).
Paved roads.
Moderately hilly.
Lower 20s, sunny, flurries.
Brooks Mach 13, long pants, fleece pullover, long sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

The Human Sail

2012-01-18T17:32:00.003-05:00

Brutal wind out there today. I tried to look up the exact wind gusts but the official data from the NWS wasn't available, but they were easily over 30mph and maybe even in excess of 40mph, if I had to guess.

Last weekend, I compared the tailwind to a mother's gentle hand on a toddler's back. Today it was more like a 230 lb. bully giving me a hearty shove in the back. When it was head-on it nearly brought me to a standstill and at times it felt like I was running on a treadmill.

At least today called for an easy pace, so no worries about the wind affecting performance. I had planned on a short run yesterday after a day of meetings up in Augusta, but the day ran late, so today's 12-miler turned into a 15-miler to make up for it. That worked out well. It was nice to get out in less-than-desirable weather like this. Good for the mind.

Ran 15.3 miles @ 8:30/mile pace.

Paved roads.

Moderately hilly.

Lower 30s to lower 20s, sunny, very windy.

Saucony Kinvara 2, long tights, windbreaker, long sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Lazy Monday

2012-01-16T14:39:00.006-05:00

I spent the entire morning writing and was on a good roll, but I also had a tempo run on tap today. With each passing hour it was getting harder to get outside, so I decided it was time to break the cycle and kick my butt out the door before it became too late.

Really glad I got out there as it went very well and it was a run I needed mentally. After not feeling very excited about my two speedier workouts last week, today was good vengeance. The plan was to warm-up for two miles and then drop the hammer, but I let go of it early and began the tempo pace after the first mile. I continued that for the next eight miles, and then hit the last two miles for the cool down as planned. So, I ended up with a bonus tempo mile as a result. Nice, but a bit risky, as I've put renewed importance on properly warming up (and cooling down).

Now, if only I can apply the same motivation towards getting some grading done, I'll feel really accomplished...

Ran 11.1 miles @ 6:54/mile pace. (1 mile w/u, 8.0 miles @ 6:46/mile pace, 2 miles c/d).
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Mid 20s, partly sunny, breezy.
Saucony Kinvara 2, long tights, windbreaker, long sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Warmest Temperature of the Day

2012-01-15T15:42:00.000-05:00

I had planned on running this morning. Really, I did! It would have been good mental training to get out there in the sub-zero temps. But, I was up in Bangor and the morning got a little busy so I waited until I got home. By the time I was out the door, it was the afternoon and during the warmest part of the day, a tropical 14F/-10C outside.

Looking back on the week, it went well as a whole. I got in the elements I'm shooting for each week: Interval work, tempo, and long. Granted, I wasn't pleased with the splits for the interval work and the tempo run was a bit on the short side, but I'm pretty happy overall and am getting where I want to be. Finished with 56.3 miles.

Ran 4.9 miles @ 7:51/mile pace.
Paved roads, a one mile section heavily coated with pebbled ice.
Mostly flat.
14 degrees, sunny.
Saucony Kinvara 2, long pants, windbreaker, fleece pullover, long sleeved shirt, beanie, mittens.

Chilly Seventeen in the Wind

2012-01-14T11:21:00.001-05:00

I awoke at my usual 4:30am and spent the next three hours performing my usual routine of alternating between reading and writing along while sipping coffee. I'm currently reading Haruki Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. Kate has been trying to get me to read his work for years and I finally relented. I wish I would have listened sooner. Incredible imagination and talent and the surrealism in his writing is like reading a dream. As for my own book, this one is in its infantile stages but it's coming along really well so far.

So, when the sun was up and it was time to run a lot of my thinking was about Murakami's book and my own (two very different leagues). Great thoughts to have in my head for a longer run where the pace was slow and easy.

Run went really well with steady pacing throughout. Very windy out there. When it was a tailwind for the first half, it reminded me of the supportive hand of a mother on her toddler's back, gently urging her child to continue walking forward. On the way back, it was quite different. I felt like a warrior battling an ice dragon, the roar of its frozen breath an attempt to keep me at bay. Funny how the wind speed can be the same, but it's not really noticed when it's at our backs but it's a much different story when it's in our faces. I was layered just right for it though. Good run.

Ran 17.1 miles @ 8:03/mile pace.
Paved roads, some stretches of pebbled ice and slush.
Moderately hilly.
Upper 20s, partly sunny, windy (wind chill in the mid-teens).
Saucony Kinvara 2, long tights, windbreaker, short sleeved shirt, long sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Short Tempo Run

2012-01-13T16:38:00.000-05:00

The weather and roads were in better shape than expected this afternoon. I didn't think I'd be able to get in the tempo run, but alas, I did. However, I was feeling a bit tired so I only did four miles at tempo pace, sandwiched in between a couple of easy miles on either side to warm-up and cool down.

I took advantage of the same neighborhood in the town I teach in that I did last year. They plow it well, there's low traffic and it has low speed limits. There are also some pretty good hills depending on which roads you take. Went well, considering that I was really tired this afternoon, but I really need to make these tempo runs longer.

Ran 8.0 miles @ 7:18/mile pace (middle four miles: 6:54, 6:42, 6:41, 6:39)
Paved roads, some slushy sections.
Moderately hilly.
Mid 30s, partly sunny, windy.
Saucony Kinvara 2, shorts, windbreaker, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Snow Day

2012-01-12T08:13:00.003-05:00

School cancelled. Day off. The sun - obscured in the clouds - came up and I headed out for a trail run in the woods out back. The footing was pretty ideal, all things considered. Just enough snow to provide good traction without robbing forward momentum too much.

I did a simple out and back on the fire roads and felt great. A moderate snow was falling throughout and on the return, I watched the footprints I laid down before become increasingly muted with the snow, fading away like a dream upon awakening. I considered tacking on a few more miles than the planned five but opted to come back, telling myself I can let it loose on a tempo run tomorrow if the roads aren't too bad. But I wish I still would have done a little more. I suppose I can always go out again later today.

Ran 5.1 miles @ 9:18/mile pace.
Trails and fire roads, coated in about an inch of snow.
Mostly flat.
Lower 20s, moderate snowfall.
Adidas Adizero XT, long tights, windbreaker, long sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Rail Trails

2012-01-11T16:30:00.001-05:00

Earned the easy day today after yesterday's interval work. I hit the rail trails from the school. Legs felt pretty good. That being said, keeping the pace slow was not a problem.

Impending snow storm tonight and tomorrow and a snow day from school is pretty much certain. I hope to get out before it accumulates too much. I have a lot of grading to do, so the snow day will be welcome! I should also be able to get plenty of extra writing done. Yesssssss.

Ran 8.3 miles @ 8:56/mile pace.
Rails trails.
Slightly hlly.
Around 30 degrees, overcast.
Adidas Adizero XT, long pants, fleece pullover, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Pyramid Scheme

2012-01-10T17:09:00.001-05:00

Interval work was on tap today. I decided to do a pyramid workout and Jeremy and I were joking on Facebook about alternate names and "Amway Intervals" came up. Hardy har har!

I wanted to do the pyramid format for a number of reasons: 1) I've never really done one before. 2) Because I've never done one before, I wouldn't get too discouraged with my times which is probably what would have happened if I did my usual 800M or mile repeats. Not having a lot of work done in the training cycle yet on top of the 25-miler on Saturday both were no doubt working against me a bit. The wind didn't help much either.

So, with all of that in mind, I guess I was pretty on par at this stage. Great workout. I found out the pyramid really messed with my head as well. The distances get longer which screws with pacing and mindset, but in the second half when it gets shorter I was thinking it should be a bit easier, but not nearly as much due to the legs being tired. It's harder to get a rhythm going, which is a good thing.

w/u: Ran 2.9 miles @ 8:01/mile pace.
Pyramid intervals: 400M, 800M, 1200M, 1600M, 1200M, 800M, 400M w/ 400M active recovery. 1:20, 2:53, 4:43, 6:14, 4:37, 3:07, 1:30.
c/d: Ran 1.3 miles @ 9:47/mile pace.

Lower 40s, partly cloudy, windy.
Brooks Mach 13, long tights, windbreaker (w/u and c/d only), short sleeved shirt, long sleeved shirt, beanie (w/u and c/d), gloves (w/u and c/d)

Rhythm

2012-01-09T16:35:00.005-05:00

Normally, for me Monday is a rest day. I didn't want to take one though, even if I could use it. That being said, legs are feeling great after the big run on Saturday. The real purpose of today was to get myself in a better rhythm so I opted to just run really short and slow instead.

Good little run. Some speed work is on tap for tomorrow.

Ran 3.3 miles @ 9:12/mile pace.
Paved roads and trails.
Slightly hilly.
Mid 30s, partly sunny.
Brooks Mach 13, long pants, windbreaker, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Hair of the Dog and First Draft Complete

2012-01-08T11:47:00.000-05:00

I awoke with the legs feeling a bit stiff and sore, but all in all not that bad. I looked forward to doing a recovery run to loosen them up. That was definitely the case. Though I understand the physiological reasons why, I still always find it pretty fascinating how legs that are creaky and sore from running can feel better with more running.

The start and finish of the run were on roads to avoid a muddy stretch of trails, and then I turned on to the fire roads in the woods out back. From there, I took a trail out to the pond and sat on the log near the water and just enjoyed the quiet of being outdoors for a few minutes before making my way back.

Oh yeah, the first draft of my novel if finished! I'm pretty happy with it and it was a lot of fun to write. I'll set it aside and try to forget about it for the next six weeks, at which point I'll read it over with a fresher mindset, make revisions, let others read it over and give me notes, make more revisions and then publish.

I'm already excited to begin working on my next story. I'll begin outlining it today. This one will be more horror than science fiction. Can't wait to get started!

Ran 6.3 miles @ 10:07/mile pace.

Some paved roads, fire roads, trails.

Very hilly.

Mid to upper 30s, overcast.

Brooks Mach 13, long pants, fleece pullover, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves (shed halfway).

25 Miles at the GAC Fat Ass

2012-01-07T16:20:00.001-05:00

Wow, great day today. The run went considerably better than expected. In fact, most of us seemed to have great performances (especially Ian, cranking out a 4:25:XX and making it look easy). Given there was no snow on the trails...NONE...it made it easy to put the hammer down a little and have a great run. I believe I've headed down to the annual GAC Fat Ass every year for the past five or so years, and each time it's been what you'd expect: snow covered trails and cold. Today? Over 50 degrees and bare trails.

The plan was to get in a slow 20 miles, which would mean running the 6.2 mile loop three times and tacking on a little more on the end. Since the MDI Marathon last October, I've done exactly one run over 15 miles. So, today was all about ensuring I get in the twenty and do so successfully.

After three laps I was feeling great and I told Jim D., who I was running with at the time, that I was going to switch gears a little and do a fourth lap. I did just that, finished the loop and then tacked on a couple of extra tenths of a mile to round it up to an even 25 miles.

Lot of fun today as well. I ran with Ian, Blaine, Jim D. and Ryan G., each for considerable stretches. Since I do virtually all of my runs during the week alone, I always look forward to running with friends on the weekends, and I got my fill of that today. Big congrats to Joe, Dave, Nathan S. and Dave who also put out great performances. Thanks guys!

Ran 25.0 miles @ 8:30/mile pace.
Trails.
Moderately hilly.
Lower 30s to lower 50s, sunny.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, sleeveless shirt, long sleeved shirt (shed at 6.2 miles), cap, Salomon water belt (shed at 12.4 miles).

Easy Fiver and Writing

2012-01-06T18:22:00.000-05:00

Just ran easy today. I did the distance as planned but 86'd the stride work. For one, the roads were a bit slick from the ~~blizzard~~ one inch of snow we got this morning. Besides, I didn't feel too peppy and I really want tomorrow's planned long run to be a success. Good run all in all.

Writing update: I'm nearly done with the first draft of the novel. It should be finished in about two weeks. And then? I tuck it away and try to forget about it for six weeks. Then, I'll reread it and make revisions. Next step will be to have a trusted half dozen or so friends who aren't afraid to be critical read it over and give me notes. Then another round of revisions and...Tah dah! Done. Or that's the plan anyway.

During that six week gestation period I'll get started on my next story. I already know what I want to write and can't wait to get started. Writing is fun!

Ran 5.7 miles @ 8:16/mile pace.
Paved roads, patches of snow.
Moderately hilly.
Upper 20s, overcast.
Saucony Kinvara 2, long pants, windbreaker, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Mullet Ten

2012-01-05T17:33:00.001-05:00

Business in the front, party in the back. It accurately describes the mullet, and also runs where you go uphill and into the wind for the first half and downhill with the wind at your back the second half. Such was the case today (for the run, not the hair).

Another good sign today as it was supposed to be an easy run and I kept having to remind myself to put on the brakes. Didn't aggravate the lingering remnants of my cough, which is good. Energy was great. All systems go.

Tomorrow will be a shorter run. Would like to get some speed in there in some capacity, perhaps throwing in some 10 X 100M strides after the run. Saturday will a long run on the trails, which I'm looking forward to.

Snow remains nowhere on the ground and nowhere in sight in the forecasts. Ugh. Would be nice to be XC skiing and snowshoeing by now, but I guess I'll take advantage of the dry conditions and get in some interval work on the track next week.

Ran 10.2 miles @ 7:58/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly (the elevation graph below looks more dire than reality)
Mid 30s, partly sunny.
Saucony Kinvara 2, long tights, windbreaker, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Finally...

2012-01-04T15:47:00.001-05:00

That 13-mile run with Jeremy on New Year's Day went okay, but it was obvious it sapped my strength and ushered the symptoms of a lingering cold forward like a bursted dam. That sucked.

Monday was a planned rest day, and well needed. Yesterday saw a return to work after vacation, but an internet outage in the morning put me way behind and since I still wasn't feeling so well (coughing, mostly), I opted to skip my afternoon run and stay at work longer to play catch-up. That worked out well, at least.

Today though, I was feeling better. Definitely on the tail-end of things and while there's still a lingering dry cough, my energy felt fine, so I felt a little five-miler would serve as a good test run.

It went really well, which is great news. Didn't set me back in any way. After last month with the hurt foot, leading into the travelling home for Christmas, leading to this cold from hell, I'm really anxious to finally get the intensity and mileage ramped up for Boston. Bring it on!!!

Ran 5.0 miles @ 7:38/mile.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Lower 20s, partly sunny.
Saucony Kinvara 2, long pants, windbreaker, long sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Hello 2012!

2012-01-01T12:21:00.001-05:00

I awoke feeling like crap. No, not from drinking. From a bad head cold. I've had it now for over a week and it doesn't want to go away. So far today, it feels even worse. But enough whining. There were trails to run today, dagnabbit!

So, I muttered "rabbit, rabbit" and rolled out of bed. After a few cups of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal, I was off to meet up with Jeremy for a planned 14-miler on the trails at the landtrust over in Kennebunk.

The trails here are very deceiving on several fronts. For one, I've ran there four times now and each time we've gotten lost. Secondly, the elevation profile fails to accurately show the constant dips and rises of a few feet in elevation along the trail that very subtly slow down the pace and create more work. Every time I run here, I end the run and see the overall pace and think that slow? WTF?

So Jeremy and I trotted along at an easy pace, conversing about races, training and the possible existence of Sasquatch. It was grand fun. We got a little lost, as expected, and searched for an elusive quarry that we never found.

Once we hit about nine miles, my head cold was getting the better of me and I felt tired and announced my plans to cut it short. However, I got a bit of a second wind towards the end and we tacked on a little bit of extra trail and I called it good with 13 miles. Jeremy went out and back to get his planned 14 and then we parted ways. Great run with great company. Jeremy rocks. It was a fun way to start 2012.

Happy New Year!

Ran 13.0 miles @ 10:26/mile pace.

Trails.

Moderately hilly (but deceiving, perhaps I should call it very hilly).

Upper 20s to lower 40s, sunny (where's the snow?!?!)

Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, windbreaker, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Ending a Great Year of Running

2011-12-31T11:28:00.002-05:00

Total miles: 2161.7
Time run (h:m:s): 310:34:33
Average miles a day: 5.92
Average pace: 8:37 (roads and trails)

Back in Maine. Busy day on tap so I headed out for a short run in the woods out back for this last day of 2011. Squeezing in runs the past week has been a bit tough with Kate and I visiting my family in Florida and today wasn't much different. Should have time for a long run tomorrow before the football games start, which will be nice.

Definitely has been a great year. I recapped the highlights in a post earlier, so will leave it at that. Looking forward to making 2012 even better!

Happy New Year!

Ran 6.5 miles @ 9:37/mile pace.
Fire roads and trails.
Very hilly.
Lower 30s, freezing rain.
Adidas Adizero XT, long tights, windbreaker, long sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Caveat Xysticus

2011-12-29T15:55:00.000-05:00

Did a short four-miler with my brother down in Tampa at an easy pace. This city fits the definition of pancake flat. When I used to live here many moons ago, I would use bridges for hill repeats.

I have proof of how flat it is. At first glance, the graph below from today's run looks pretty impressive. However, a closer look along the Y-axis reveals otherwise (click on the image to enlarge):

Ran 4.0 miles @ 9:01/mile pace.

Paved roads.

Flat.

Mid 60s, sunny.

Saucony Kinvara 2, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap.

Hill Repeats

2011-12-28T10:21:00.004-05:00

Hill repeats in Florida might seem a bit oxymoronic, but Gainesville actually has some pretty good hills in certain areas, and I took advantage of one today.

This workout was an improvisation though. I saw on Google Earth that a private Catholic high school near my Mum's house had a track, but when I ran over there I discovered it was locked up. Too bad, as it looked like a really nice track (and it was obvious this school had a lot of money).

However, to get to the school, there was a big incline, so I decided to do hill repeats on it instead. There was a maintenance worker along the road, taking down banners from the lightposts. I asked if it was okay if I did repeats there and he replied that it was no problem at all.

Ended up with six repeats, though I had planned on at least eight. I'd like to say that time was a bit tight, but the truth is I wussed out a bit and cut it short. That was bad and I feel guilty about it now. Will use that as a log on the fire to give it something extra within the week to make up for it.

w/u: Ran 1.4 miles @ 8:39/mile pace.
6 X hill repeats w/ active recovery: 1.5 miles @ 7:51/mile pace. +35 ft in .13 miles.
c/d: Ran .8 miles @ 9:26/mile pace.
Lower to mid 40s, sunny.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, long sleeved shirt, cap.

Burning Off the Christmas Turkey

2011-12-26T10:24:00.002-05:00

As everyone in the house was still stirring themselves awake, I ducked out for a run before breakfast. I picked a route that hit some dirt/Jeep roads for the first two miles before rejoining the paved roads. Good run. Ended up being a true progression with the first mile in 8:54 and working down to 7:03 for the last.

Christmas yesterday was great. We spent half of the day in Gainesville and the other half down in Inverness with family. The weather was warm (70's) so we fried a turkey and ate outdoors. Kate and I also did some exploring on the ranch:

I found these hip bones from cattle in a swampy area.

African Spiny Leg Tortoises

Family.

In this Jeep's better days, we used it to go boar hunting when we were kids.

Kate with some cattle. I'm just glad my southern roots aren't scaring her off.

Ran 6.8 miles @ 7:49/mile pace.

Dirt/jeep roads and paved roads.

Slightly hilly.

Upper 50s to lower 60s, humid, overcast.

Saucony Kinvara 2, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T10:51:00.001-05:00

This'll be short. Ran the Lake Alice loop on the UF campus with family twice. It was great. Merry Christmas!

Ran 4.9 miles @ 9:07/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Upper 60s, humid, mostly cloudy.
Saucony Kinvara 2, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

40 Degree Temperature Differential

2011-12-24T17:30:00.001-05:00

Yesterday morning, I was running on the trails in the snow in the woods behind my house. Today, I ran on the trails in the humidity in the woods behind my Mum's house in Gainesville. Yesterday, 32F degrees. Today, 72F. The soup factor in the air was even greater.

Good run. Time was short so I only had time for just under four miles but it was fun to explore some new to me trails. Was a lot of fun. Great to be home and can't wait to show Kate around more (she's never been to Florida before).

Ran 3.8 miles @ 8:18/mile pace.
Some roads, mostly trails.
Slightly hilly.
Lower 70s, mostly cloudy, humid.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

(Let It Snow)³

2011-12-23T09:15:00.001-05:00

I'm officially on Christmas break. Kate, however, has one more day of work. So, that means I have a full day to pack and get things in order before we head for the warmer climate of my hometown: Gainesville, FL.

That also meant plenty of time for a run this morning. At last, it was snowing! Not a lot, but just enough to make it very beautiful outside and coat the trails with just the right amount of snow to provide good traction without feeling like one was running in mashed potatoes.

I ran an out and back, featuring one mile of roads to the trailhead and from there I took the fire road back to the trail which led to the pond a few miles into the woods. Very peaceful and serene. Maine rules.

Ran 6.3 miles @ 9:27/mile pace.
Road portion = patches of snow and slush, fire roads and trails = two or so inches of fresh snow.
Very hilly.
Lower 30s, overcast, snowing.
Adidas Adizero XT, long tights, windbreaker, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Eight on the Trails

2011-12-22T16:11:00.000-05:00

Ah, the last day of school before Christmas break. It made celebrating with a run all the more special, but today was also a test. I've been wondering if the foot pain was the result of running a bit too fast and/or far in the Kinvara 2's before they were broken in. They did feel really stiff right out of the box, so it was possible. I tested that theory by hitting the trails in my very well broken in trail shoes to see how the foot responded.

It did really well. No aggravation at all with the foot and it felt great. Very good news, and a big relief. Ended up doing eight miles when I would have considered five pain-free miles successful. Whew.

Ran 8.1 miles @ 8:20/mile pace.
Railroad bed trails.
Slightly hilly.
Upper 40s, sunny.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, long sleeved shirt, cap.

Testing 1,2,3

2011-12-21T05:19:00.003-05:00

I wanted to test the foot this morning, so I set out into the predawn hours to get in a little three miler on the road. It felt...okay. Just okay. But my line of thinking now is that the Saucony Kinvara 2's were pretty darn stiff out of the box and doing too much without breaking them in is what caused the problem. I'll test that theory tomorrow and do a trail run on the railroad bed in my well broken-in trail shoes and see how it feels.

That aside, it was nice to get out at 4:30am rather than run this afternoon when a cold rain is expected to fall. Not too cold out this morning either. Old Man Winter is definitely a bit late this year.

Ran 2.9 miles @ 8:04/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Around 20 degrees, overcast.
Saucony Kinvara 2, long tights, refl. vest, fleece jacket, long sleeved shirt, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves, headlamp.

Top Fives of 2011

2011-12-19T17:37:00.003-05:00

The year is drawing to a close and 2011 has been a darn good one, both with running and other life events. I thought it'd be fun to recap things a bit with a series of Top Five lists based on some of my interests.

Oh yeah, the foot is feeling much better. 100% since yesterday, in fact. I'm planning a test run tomorrow and don't anticipate any problems. And now...the lists!

Most Rewarding Races:

1. Boston Marathon (April) - Finally getting there and setting a PR. Unforgettable experience.
2. MDI Marathon (October) - Ran a smart race, surrounded by friends and setting another PR. Just a fun day.
3. Brookvale 50K (July) - My first international race and getting third place overall and a great time spent with Kate during our trip to Prince Edward Island.
4. Bradbury Bruiser (September) - For taking 10th place on a tough race, utilizing sound strategy and setting a course PR.
5. Turkey Trek 4-Miler - My first overall win ever, even if it was an informal race. The pie I won rocked.

Best Books Read:

1. "11/22/63" by Stephen King - His best yet. I wish I could give myself amnesia so I could read it again fresh.
2. "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins - Holy schmokes, I could not put it down.
3. "Bag of Bones" by Stephen King - The A&E miniseries sucked. The book did not.
4. "Hyperion" by Dan Simmons - Epic science fiction. The Shrike gave me nightmares.
5. "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville - I must admit, it made the list in part because of the stoked factor because it was too difficult for me to read when I was younger, but I finished it on this attempt and sincerely enjoyed it.

Best Albums Listened To:

1. "King of Limbs" by Radiohead - Haunting and deep, what Radiohead does best.
2. "Green Naugahyde" by Primus - Fun album. Makes me want to do silly dances.
3. "Strawberry Jam" by Animal Collective - Very different. Very awesome.
4. "Them Crooked Vultures" by Them Crooked Vultures - Simply kicks arse.
5. "What Will Be" by Devendra Banhart - Trippy folk music at its finest.

Epic Training Runs:

1. Boston Recon (April) - Joined by Jeff, Maddy and Brendan. Last 16 miles of the course. Ran two weeks out from the marathon so the excitement level was high.
2. Acadia National Park, Park Loop Road (December) - The full 18.4 miles of the road, all to ourselves under a full moon.
3. Mile Repeats (September) - 5 X 1 Mile repeats w/ 400M active recovery and averaged 5:50/mile. My fastest session yet and I was really pumped afterwards.
4. Boston Recon (February) - Ran solo, but Kate helped with transportation. My first taste of the course in the daylight. Just a very fun day overall.
5. Val's Birthday Fat Ass Run (February) - Ran 26.2 miles with Ryan at my side for the whole way. Great time!

So there ya have it. Pointless, but fun to write and think about. Looking forward to 2012!

Footnotes

2011-12-18T10:11:00.001-05:00

A big thanks to Rick who commented on my last post with some valuable information. It underscored my hopes that I don't have a stress fracture, and I think it's quite obvious now that it is indeed just a pulled muscle or ligament in the foot.

Resting it the past several days is helping. However, I only saw minor improvement up until this morning. If I were to quantify it, I'd say it improved 10% up until yesterday, but since I woke up this morning I'd say it's lept up to 40% improvement. So, if the numbers are true, I still have 60% to go, but hopefully that'll take just another week. Even when I reach zero discomfort, it would be smart to still wait another two days before going for a light test run. We'll see.

With the extra time, I've put it towards writing. First draft should be wrapped up in about a month. Very happy with it and am having a blast, especially with the chapter I'm working on now. I've even come up with a title for the book and think it's perfect. I'll keep that card close to my chest along with the others for now though.

Test Run for the Right Foot

2011-12-16T15:16:00.003-05:00

For the past week and a half, I've been having some pain on the top of my right foot that's been off and on. There is still some fear of a stress fracture, but prodding the metatarsals does not produce any pain or discomfort whatsoever. The best way to describe it is the foot feels tight. I suspect it's a strained muscle, tendon or ligament.

Today was a test run after two days off (one was planned, one was not), since Tuesday's tempo run seemed to send it over the edge a bit. Today it felt just so-so. The most discomfort was in the first half mile, then it lessened, then it came back a little. I think the plan will be to proceed with extreme caution for the next several days (and beyond). Hopefully the ship will right itself soon.

Ran 2.1 miles @ 8:35/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Mid 40s, sunny, windy.
Saucony Kinvara 2, shorts, short sleeved shirt, long sleeved shirt, beanie.

Tempo 10K

2011-12-13T15:51:00.002-05:00

Tempo run on tap for today and I cranked out 10K in 40:28. Not bad, I'll take it. Felt good and the cool, but not too cold, weather definitely helped. The legs enjoyed the turnover but I'm sure they'll appreciate the easy run tomorrow.

Forgot to mention it with Saturday evening's run, but the Kinvara 2's are now broken in and feel fantastic. That was the case again today. Great shoes for sure.

On the writing front, the light is at the end of the tunnel for the first draft. Truthfully, it makes me kind of sad. I just don't want the party to end. I'm really enjoying writing it and it's nice to discover that I now have the patience to tackle bigger projects like this. I'll be done by February, at which point I'll set it aside and try to forget about it for six weeks before I begin revisions. During that time, I have already decided what I'm going to write next and can't wait to get started!

Ran 6.2 miles @ 6:31/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Mid 40s, sunny.
Saucony Kinvara 2, shorts, long sleeved shirt, cap.

Till We Meet in Hell

2011-12-11T15:48:00.001-05:00

Big ups to Valerie for hosting a fun, informal event for the Trails Monsters: Till We Meet in Hell. It was a timed event, where runners ran for 90 minutes on an extremely hilly 1.5 mile trail loop and a handicap system was built in so everyone could compete. A plethora of folks in attendance, I'd say at least 25 in all.

Given last night's run, I decided to take it easy and make it a social run. I would link up with various runners and run with them a bit. Sometimes I'd go forward on a loop. Sometimes I'd go backwards. Sometimes I'd run. Sometimes I would walk. It was great, I had a lot of fun rooting everyone on and it was a good shakedown run to loosen up the legs a bit.

Afterwards, we hit Gritty's for lunch and an awards ceremony. There were awards not just for the race, but also for the entire year for a variety of categories (organized by Ian). Some were serious, most no-so-serious. Think "The Dundies" for trail runners. I won two: one with Kate for "Cute Couple That Makes You Want to Puke" and another for "Most Likely to S%&# During a Run". I'm proud of one of those.

Ran 4.6 miles @ 14:09/mile pace.

Trails.

Extremely hilly.

Upper 20s to lower 30s, sunny.

Adidas Adizero XT, long tights, windbreaker, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Howling at the Moon

2011-12-10T23:13:00.001-05:00

Epic run this evening. Kate and I were up in Bangor today to take care of some wedding planning stuff, but there was a nice bonus attached to the trip. With a full moon and clear skies on tap, Gary had organized a run on the Park Loop Road at Acadia National Park (18.4 miles). It's closed to cars and currently devoid of snow and ice, so it was the perfect setting. Nice to meet Matt, Eric and Tim who also took part in the run. All great guys.

I was the only non sub-3 hour marathoner in the group, so I knew I'd have my work cut out for me. We took it pretty easy in the first half, but once we started climbing some of the bigger hills in the second half we let the pace drop and it was a great workout.

The views from some of the higher points looking out over a moonlit ocean were simply incredible. The smaller islands were clearly visible in the bay as the full moon reflected off the water and it had a very Van Gogh-like feel to it. Pretty darn stunning.

Around mile 16, I simply couldn't keep up anymore and let the group move ahead. But just two and a half miles were left and I enjoyed having the peace of the night to myself for a bit, listening to the wind howl through the trees as the branches swayed to and fro. I reached the end and the others had just finished and we bid each other farewell. Really awesome evening.

Ran 18.4 miles @ 7:33/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Extremely hilly.
Mid 30s to upper 20s, clear skies, breezy.
Saucony Kinvara 2, long pants, windbreaker, long sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves, Salomon 45 water belt.

Interval Work

2011-12-09T16:04:00.001-05:00

One of those days that when work was over, I didn't feel like running. But I forced myself to do it and as always, I was glad I did. Light interval workout on tap for today. Felt nice to give the legs some turnover. I did five reps, starting with 800M and alternating with 400M, and ran 400M of active recovery in between.

It went quite well. Felt better as the run went on and I warmed up more. Was a good reminder that getting in a longer warm-up run is a good idea for winter. Will remember that for next time.

w/u: Ran 1.3 miles @ 8:15/mile pace.
800M, 400M, 800M, 400M, 800M w/ 400M active recovery in between: 2:55, 1:24, 2:58, 1:23, 2:48.
c/d: Ran 1.3 miles @ 9:49/mile pace.

Mid 40s, sunny, breezy.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, long sleeved shirt, cap.

Winter Returns

2011-12-08T16:27:00.001-05:00

A cold front pushed through and temperatures are finally back to where they should be. I felt a little bad about wimping out and not running yesterday. With the cold rain, I opted to stay later in my classroom and get caught up on grading (a decision I don't really regret though).

I think I'll be good to go at making up for the mileage bit by bit for the remainder of the week though. Good run today. Kept the pace easy. Thinking about doing some interval work tomorrow (400M and/or 800M repeats).

Second run in the Kinvara 2's. They're still a bit stiff but they'll loosen up soon, I'm sure.

Ran 10.0 miles @ 8:04/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Very hilly.
Upper 30s, sunny, breezy.
Saucony Kinvara 2, long pants, windbreaker, long sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Running Home From Work

2011-12-06T16:44:00.001-05:00

My car is getting new control arms and ball joints installed, so I was sans automobile this afternoon. I decided to kill two birds with one stone and just run home from work, rather than inconvenience anyone for a ride.

The car also wasn't the only thing getting new parts. My new shoes arrived yesterday and I was eager to try them out. I got a pair of Saucony Kinvara 2's, and the changes are supposedly pretty minimal from the original Kinvaras (which I owned two pairs of and loved).

Pumped up kicks

I left the school and they felt a bit stiff at first, but by the end of the run they felt considerably more broken in (though I suspect they'll need a few more runs to make them looser). Overall, very happy with them after this initial run. And while I like to put function over fashion, I must admit I really dig the colors.

The run itself went great. There's an escaped convict in the area and a big manhunt is underway (it's a big story in the local news around here). This meant cop cars everywhere on the roads, which also meant everyone was minding their P's and Q's while driving. So, much safer running conditions in that regard.

I was wearing my Salomon water belt, with two additional Nathan pockets attached to help carry my keys, wallet, cell phone, charger cord, Gu packet and a full bottle of water. That's a lot of crap. However, my belt doesn't bounce much at all and it was quite comfortable and I forgot I was carrying so much stuff. Nice.

Great run that went well with the only slight downfall being that with the overcast skies and the shorter days I was running out of daylight in the last few miles. However, not really an issue and it was a nice commute home. Unseasonably warm out to boot. We had record warmth this past November and December is off to a yucky warm start as well. I want my winter, dagnabbit.

Ran 13.2 miles @ 7:41/mile pace.

Paved roads.

Very hilly.

Upper 50s, overcast.

Saucony Kinvara 2, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap, Salomon 45 water belt (water).

Trail Exploration

2011-12-04T10:07:00.001-05:00

I knew I wanted to do a trail run today, but the usual routes from my house just didn't seem appealing enough. So, I decided to explore a trail in the woods out back that I had only been on a few times before.

The last time I was on it, I dead-ended on a long dirt driveway to someone's house. I followed it along, looking for other trails I might have missed before that might lead to new areas, but no luck. I ended up at the same dirt driveway, but I saw the trail continued on the other side. Cool!

However, my excitement was short lived. A hundred feet later, the trail ended at the equestrian park and there was even a sign indicating it was the trailhead. No horses or anyone else there at the time, so I circled the inside of the park looking for more trails, but no luck.

I headed back, but decided to take another side trail I had been on before that led to a swampy area. Last time I was here it was summer and I was blitzkrieged by mosquitoes, so I hoped today would bring better luck. I got further in, and came across a pristine stream that would no doubt make a good fly fishing spot or even a swimming hole if it were warmer and the bugs weren't bad. Nice. Turned around and headed home.

The End.

Ran 5.3 miles @ 10:09/mile pace (includes bushwhacking and a few short stops)
Trails.
Slightly hilly.
Mid 20s to mid 30s, partly cloudy.
Adidas Adizero XT, long tights, windbreaker, long sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Mud, Sweat and Hills

2011-12-03T12:34:00.001-05:00

Very good turnout at Bradbury Mountain this morning. Maybe around 15 of us in all (?), but from the get go we broke up into smaller groups to tackle different distances and paces. Ian, Jeremy, Brett and I formed our own little sub-group and overall we ran at what I would consider a moderate pace (for me).

Had a blast catching up with our little posse. Great weather to boot. Towards the end, Ian led us on a side route that was an out and back down and up a huge hill. By the time we got to the Bradbury summit I vurped a little. That was cool.

We topped off the morning with coffee and breakfast sandwiches at Edna & Lucy's. Ideal Saturday morning, fo' sho'.

Ran 10.3 miles @ 9:47/mile pace.
Trails (pretty muddy in spots).
Very hilly.
Upper 20s to upper 30s, sunny.
Adidas Adizero XT, long pants (first half), shorts (second half), windbreaker, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Easy Fiver

2011-12-01T16:05:00.001-05:00

Tempo run yesterday meant an easy run today. Went well, but I should have taken it even slower. I want to get in the habit of cranking it hard one day and going painfully easy the next day.

The mind continues to drift towards the Boston Marathon more and more. That's good. Also looking forward to doing more snowshoe racing this season, which will also fit into nicely for Boston training. And there's also Nordic skiing. Yessir, should be a fun winter!

Ran 5.5 miles @ 8:17/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Moderately hilly.
Lower 40s, sunny.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, long sleeved shirt.

Ramping Things Back Up

2011-11-30T15:43:00.001-05:00

I've already started to incorporate some more speed into my running the past few weeks. Over December, I'll start adding more distance as well. All part of the plan to ease up towards the workouts and mileage I'll be doing when I begin the 16-week training cycle for the Boston Marathon. That will officially begin around Christmas time.

So today called for a tempo run. Went well. I was especially stoked when an afternoon meeting was cancelled and I got out a bit earlier as a result. That put a little extra pep in my step.

Ran 6.0 miles @ 6:34/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Lower 50s, sunny.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

I Eight the Sandbox

2011-11-29T16:24:00.001-05:00

A good eight miler today under overcast skies that were once again holding in unseasonably warm weather. My winter beard seems a bit unnecessary at this juncture. Normally I'm admiring frozen snotcicles hanging off my facial hair by now, but that'll have to wait a little while longer.

Run went well. Hilly route. Took it easy in the first half (splits ranged rom 8:14-8:03) but let it drop a little in the second half once I was warmed up (7:23-6:33).

Ran 8.0 miles @ 7:38/mile pace.

Paved roads.

Very hilly.

Mid 50s, overcast.

Saucony Kinvara, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap.

Sans Shadows

2011-11-27T13:10:00.001-05:00

The sun was taking forever to make an appearance this morning. I was hoping it would break through the clouds at some point and warms things up a little more, but I got tired of waiting. So, I headed out on my run without my shadow to keep me company. Who needs fair weather friends anyway?

The dirt road section of this route was in better shape than I had anticipated. I thought it might still be coated with snow and slush, but not really the case. That was good news, since I was wearing my flats. Rather enjoyable run that was pretty uneventful otherwise.

Energy wise I felt a little better than yesterday. I suspect ramping up the iron intake along with more fruits and veggies will help. Rest day is planned for tomorrow as well.

Ran 5.6 miles @ 8:11/mile pace.
Paved and dirt roads.
Very hilly.
Mid 40s, overcast.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, short sleeved shirt, long sleeved shirt, cap.

A Run Cut Short

2011-11-26T11:40:00.001-05:00

I had planned on 17 miles easy today, but it was obvious in the first few miles that I simply wasn't feeling it. There's no point in trying to start a fire with wet wood, so I devised a new route that would get me in a little over nine miles instead. No worries about the lack of energy (or desire), it was just one of those days where the body wasn't with it.

However, the run was still a pleasant one. It was far from a slog and the weather was quite nice outside. Just took the pace really easy and let the mind wander. Spent a lot of time thinking about the story I'm working on. It's coming along very nicely and I'm just about to cross over 40,000 words, which by some definitions officially puts it at novel length. I imagine I'm about halfway done with the first draft, but that's hard to judge. Regardless, I'm having a lot of fun with it.

Ran 9.5 miles @ 8:17/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Moderately hilly.
Lower to mid 50s, sunny.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, long sleeved shirt (sleeves pushed up two miles in), cap.

Turkey Trek at the Bangor City Forest

2011-11-24T09:54:00.001-05:00

This'll be quick: I took part in the Turkey Trek, a low-key 4-Mile Trail Race at the Bangor City Forest this morning. No bib numbers. No official time clock. Race fee = bring in some canned goods to benefit a local food pantry. However, the first three to cross the finish line win homemade pies.

I wanted one.

One obstacle we'd all have to contend with: around 10 inches of snow fell yesterday. There were roughly about three or four dozen of us (?), and I'd say about a quarter of the field had the presence of mind to bring snowshoes.

On your mark, get set, go. We were off. I moved ahead pretty quickly and held the lead. Pretty slow conditions, running in almost a foot of powdery snow but four miles later I finished in first place. Again, low key event, but I'll go ahead and call it my first overall win ever (there were pies at stake, afterall). The people running the event were great and I had my choice of which pie I wanted. I conferred with Kate and we chose the pecan pie. Can't wait to devour it later!

Fun event and for a good cause. Happy Thanksgiving!

Winner winner, pecan pie dinner!

Ran 4.0 miles @ 10:51/mile pace.

Trails, 10"-12" of powdery snow.

Mostly flat.

Lower 20s, sunny.

Adidas Adizero XT, long pants, windbreaker, long sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

2000 and 11/22/63

2011-11-22T16:29:00.001-05:00

Lots of number stuff to write about today...

2000

I reached a big running milestone today by crossing over 2000 running miles for the year. Woohoo! I've never done that before, thanks to injuries. But since working at altering my gait a year and a half or so ago, I've had really great success both in staying injury free and getting faster because my stride is more efficient (knocking on wood here). Looking forward to increasing the yearly amount until the odometer resets on January 1st.

Ran 6.0 miles @ 8:29/mile pace.

Paved roads.

Slightly hilly.

Lower 40s, overcast.

Saucony Kinvara, shorts, windbreaker, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

11/22/63

Today also marks the 48 year anniversary of the assassination of JFK. I admit that I probably wouldn't have known that or at least paid much attention to it if it weren't for Stephen King's latest novel "11/22/63", but I now have a lot more respect for the man as well as the real life events that were going on in that era.

Speaking of the date, coincidentally I finished the book today. The summary of my review can be stated in one word: Awesome. King is known for his horror novels, but this book clearly belongs in the "historical fiction" genre (or, "historical science fiction" if that label even exists).

It's about a man who goes back in time to stop the assassination of our nation's 35th President. As I mentioned, it's not horror. It'll put you on the edge of your seat and move you to tears. Lots of twists. The characters are well developed and very real. It's a fast paced read despite being around 900 pages long. That's all one really needs to know and the rest of the details are best left for the readers to discover for themselves. Simply an incredible book that I highly recommend (otherwise, why would I even mention it on a running blog when it has nothing to do about running, really?).

Tempo Run

2011-11-21T16:15:00.001-05:00

I didn't plan on a tempo run today, it just kinda happened. Nice to put the pedal down. Warmed up for the first two miles (7:38, 7:23) and then picked up the intensity by hitting the next four splits in 6:40, 6:41, 6:11 and 6:15. Great weather today as well.

Good preview of sorts for the Boston training cycle, as I plan to incorporate more tempo runs paired with more runs at a ridiculously easy pace (easy-hard principle).

Ran 6.0 miles @ 6:48/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Lower 40s, sunny.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, long sleeved shirt, short sleeved shirt, cap.

Downhill From the Farm

2011-11-20T11:50:00.001-05:00

I went with Kate to our friends' farm to feed their chickens and ducks while they were away and had concocted a plan to ride with her there and then run back. Once the critters were taken care of, I headed home.

Aside from one climb on the powerline trails, it was pretty much all downhill. First mile or so was on a paved road and then trails for the rest of the way. Good little run. Legs felt a touch heavy and tight but I suspect if I had gone longer they would have warmed up and felt lighter.

Ran 3.5 miles @ 8:46/mile pace.
Trails, some roads.
Very hilly (downhill).
Mid 50s, partly cloudy, breezy.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, long sleeved shirt (sleeves pushed up 1.5 miles into the run).

The Land of Pine

2011-11-19T14:17:00.001-05:00

Fun group run at Pineland this morning. Usually when there's a bigger turnout, it splinters off into sub-groups based on respective paces. Not the case today. Despite there being around 10 of us, we all ran together for the most part. The weather was great as well, with crisp, dry air allowing for great views of Mt. Washington.

Mt. Washington looms in the distance

I just did the campus loop side and called it good. Felt great during the run. Afterwards, I hung with Jeff, Jim D. and Nathan at the visitors' center for coffee and scones. They left, but I hung out for a bit and enjoyed another cup of joe and got a lot of writing done. I later met up with Jim again in Portland for lunch and a barley soda as we discussed plans for my bachelor party (big group run!). Fun day!

Ran 8.2 miles @ 8:49/mile pace.

Trails.

Moderately hilly.

Upper 20s to upper 30s, partly cloudy.

Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt, long sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves, Salomon Hydro 45 water belt.

Late Autumn Weather Returns

2011-11-17T15:28:00.001-05:00

After another warm spell, seasonable weather has returned with cool temperatures paired with a dark, overcast sky. Gloomy, but pretty great for running though. It was cool enough where I dressed with just enough clothing so I wouldn't sweat much. This was important since I have to stay at the school for a function this evening, and I can get away without showering (or so I hope).

Run went well. Felt pretty energetic and just had some minor stomach cramps but nothing dire. It ended up being a progression run and I let the pace drop throughout as the legs felt increasingly warmed up.

Ran 7.9 miles @ 7:29/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Moderately hilly.
Mid 40s, overcast.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, short sleeved shirt, long sleeved shirt, cap.

Running and Writing

2011-11-15T15:58:00.001-05:00

I couldn't think of much to say about the run today, so figured I'd give an update on the writing front. In short, the current story is going terrific. Lately, I've been cranking out 1000-1500 words a day during the week and am doubling that on the weekends. It's fun! And it's coming along easily. 'Nuff said for now.

Today's run went well. Took it really easy the first half and dropped it down to a moderate pace for the second half. Good little run in unusually warm weather. Other than that, I got nothin'.

Ran 6.7 miles @ 7:59/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Very hilly.
Lower 60s, overcast.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

Running, Pancakes and a Bald Eagle

2011-11-13T15:26:00.001-05:00

Big thanks to Ryan and Danielle for hosting a very fun morning. A plethora of us in attendance for a group trail run, followed by a big brunch.

The Run
Ryan led us on some new-to-the-rest-of-us trails that were a departure from the normal fun at the Cathance River Nature Preserve. It was great to explore new areas, and the banter was jovial as always. The trails were pretty wet and coated with fallen leaves and the smell of smoke from nearby chimneys lent to the typically tranquil mid-autumn ambience.

I felt a bit sluggish at first, due to having two donuts (don't judge) before the run. I shook that off though and after a few miles I felt a bit more energetic. A lot of of fun happened during the run, but I'm feeling quite sleepy so I'm gonna make this pretty short. Good times.

The Pancakes
14.4 miles later, Danielle and my wonderful fiance Kate had a feast waiting for us. Pancakes, bacon, sausage, coffee... mmmmm. It was awesome. Thanks ladies, it was epic. The next few hours were spent chowing down and hanging out.

The Bald Eagle
Kate had to do some shopping in Topsham before we headed back, and I began to really feel tired. As a result, I feel asleep on the way home.

However, I was awake when we crossed the Saco River and we saw a huge bald eagle fly down to grab something on the side of a road. It then flew off and we followed it down a side street where it perched itself on a big tree and started to feast away. Fur rained down on us as it chomped away and we were easily able to determine its lunch was a squirrel (sorry Mindy). Cool to see!

I took a not-so-clear picture of it below. Look in the upper middle of the photograph, slightly to the left you can see the eagle's head:

Click to enlarge

Ran 14.4 miles @ 9:43/mile pace.

Trails.

Moderately hilly.

Lower 40s to mid 50s, partly sunny.

Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, long sleeved shirt, cap, gloves (shed), Salomon Hydro 45 water belt.

Today Went to 11

2011-11-11T15:46:00.001-05:00

Today's date is 11/11/11. So, Ryan and I decided to run 11.11 miles starting at 11:11:11am. Yeah, we're nerds. It was pointless, but fun.

The run was at Pineland, and a few minutes before we started we saw Jeff coming in from his run. He was doing some other variation of elevens that was too complex for me to remember. If you know Jeff, this probably doesn't seem surprising. That being said, I admire his intellect.

The countdown was on and we were off right on time. The weather was quite blustery, but fortunately we were dressed pretty warmly. Well, at least I was, but I think Ryan was too. I can't remember. I do, however, remember Ryan using a big word 11 times within the first 11 minutes. Yay, more elevens! And what was relevant was I think the word meant "irrelevant", kind of like this post.

Anywho... as always the conversation with Ryan was enlightening, hilarious and unfiltered. Race plans and goals were discussed in great depth. Very fun run. We capped it off with lunch at the Visitor's Center. I got an "Almost Thanksgiving" sandwich, which was turkey, cranberry mayo and stuffing. A great preview to my favorite holiday. Yes, today definitely went to 11.

Ran 11.11 miles @ 8:57/mile pace.
Trails, muddy and squishy in many parts.
Moderately hilly.
Lower 40s, overcast, light intermittent rain.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, windbreaker, long sleeved shirt, beanie (shed), gloves (shed).

Back to the Track

2011-11-09T16:13:00.000-05:00

I really wanted to give the legs some turnover, but at this stage it was best to keep it light. Given how I felt yesterday, I decided to err on the side of caution and just do five 400M repeats with 2:00 static rest. Didn't go all out, maybe around an 85% effort? I sandwiched that workout in between a warm-up and cool down of a little over a mile each.

Went pretty well, all things considered. Right calf muscle felt a little tight on the cool down but I don't think it's anything bad and I have a rest day planned for tomorrow anyway. I suspect it'll be 100% by Friday, when I plan to run 11.11 miles at 11:11:11am because the date is 11/11/11. Fun, huh?

w/u: Ran 1.3 miles @ 7:50/mile pace.
5 X 400M w/ 2:00 static rest: 1:24, 1:26, 1:24, 1:26, 1:24.
c/d: Ran 1.2 miles @ 8:04/mile pace.
Mid-60s, sunny.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

11/22/63

2011-11-08T16:57:00.001-05:00

Today is an exciting day for Stephen King fans. His new book 11/22/63 was released and I felt like a kid on Christmas when I woke up and knew it would be waiting for me on my Kindle. I spent over an hour and a half reading it before I went to work and delved into it further during my lunch break and in between classes.

Impressions so far? It's awesome. A man going back in time to stop the assassination of JFK is a bit of departure from what King normally writes, but it's not the first time he's strayed from his usual genre of horror. It's written in the first person, something King has demonstrated he does extremely well before with Bag of Bones (which I think easily falls into the "mystery" category). Though it's 960 pages, so far it has been fast paced and really hard to put down. Can't wait to dive into it some more after dinner!

Oh yeah.. I also ran today. Just an easy five miler at a recovery pace. Yesterday's run showed just how stale my legs had gotten so I was happy to take it nice and slow today. Good run on another warm day.

Ran 5.0 miles @ 8:45/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Lower 60s, partly sunny.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap.

Kicking Off The Rust

2011-11-07T16:31:00.001-05:00

Last week's mileage was less than intended, the lowlight being only running once in the previous five days. I was quite happy to kick off some rust, so I hit a route that was chocked full of hills after work was over.

I could definitely feel the rust, but it felt good to shake some of it off. Good run all things considered. Pretty warm out, which I must admit was a nice change of pace though I also hope it doesn't stick around for too long (it's not supposed to).

Ran 10.7 miles @ 7:43/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Extremely hilly.
Lower 60s, sunny.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap.

Stone Cat Fun!

2011-11-05T17:26:00.001-04:00

This'll be quick, but what a blast! So many friends down in Mass to run the Stone Cat 50-mile or trail marathon. Very, very proud of Kate for completing her second trail marathon and finishing in around 6:20, a new PR! Lot's of other great performances by the Trail Monsters as well!

Kate and her finishers jacket shortly after her race.

Very good times.. really enjoyed cheering everyone on and then I ran out on the course to meet up with Kate and pace her in for the last few miles. Good times! Hoping everyone rests up and recovers well.

Ran 4.6 miles @ unknown pace (forgot to stop the watch when I was done running).
Trails.
Slightly hilly.
Upper 40s, sunny.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt, long sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Writing Stuff

2011-11-02T19:05:00.000-04:00

I have been toying with the idea of setting up a separate blog devoted just to writing pursuits, but I think that would be a bit premature at this point. Besides, at the moment I'd rather write stories (or running blog posts) than write about writing. So, I decided I'm content to just do the occasional post here on my running blog for now, especially since the story I'm working on is running related.

It's going well. Very well, in fact. The loose goal now is to write about 1000 words a day (which is 3-4 pages a day, depending on who's definition of a page you abide by). That's actually kind of easy to do at this point, now that I have the ball rolling. I might not hit it that number on the busier days, but I can always make up for it on the lighter days and weekends. It's just nice to have the idea well formulated in my head and I must admit, Scrivener is proving to a valuable tool, especially for making it easier to access research and notes.

However, what is challenging is of course work. Teaching tends to turn your brain into green jello by the end of the day. When Stephen King was a high school English teacher before he struck it big with "Carrie", he basically said the same thing. But going for a run afterwards tends to recharge the brain, and I'm also usually up between 3:30-4:30am and the early morning hours are a perfect time to write. And Kate is very understanding and supportive, which is also great. I'm marrying the right woman for sure!

I still expect the first draft to be done sometime this winter. There will be a lot of editing to be done in the following drafts, but perhaps by this summer I'll be ready to (gulp) publish. We'll see, but so far so good.

This Weather Rules

2011-11-01T16:33:00.000-04:00

Got in a good little five miler before I headed home from work. Weather was perfect out, with highs in the upper 40s but with another day of bright sunshine and little wind, it felt warmer.

Still feeling great. Another similar run on tap for tomorrow, but may take the pace slower. Rest day planned for Thursday.

Ran 5.0 miles @ 7:31/mile pace.
Paved roads, patches of slush.
Slightly hilly.
Upper 40s, sunny.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, long sleeved shirt.

Pacing Au Naturale

2011-10-31T16:21:00.000-04:00

I ran a hilly seven mile route from the school today, enjoying the ongoing winter preview of farm pastures blanketed in snow which contrasted brilliantly with the trees still dotted with their autumn colored foliage. Throw in bright sunshine and cloudless skies and it was quite beautiful.

Run went very well. I decided to run whatever pace felt natural and comfortable without pushing it. I think I only glanced down at the Garmin two or three times total. Ended up with a pretty decent pace that felt easy. Definitely pretty Zen.

Ran 7.1 miles @ 7:41/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Very hilly.
Around 50 degrees, sunny.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, long sleeved shirt.

Return to Pineland Farms

2011-10-29T15:18:00.003-04:00

With hunting season underway, Saturday runs have switched to Pineland Farms, which is a safe haven for trail runners until we reclaim the woods again in December. Bit of a smaller crew this morning, consisting of Ian, Jim D., Zak, Nathan, Al and myself, but a lot of fun as usual.

Map from Accuweather.com

We ran at a pretty good lick for these trails, basically amounting to a solid moderate pace. Leg peppiness continues and nice that the recovery is going well. Afterwards, no takers on coffee at the visitor's center, but in a selfish way that worked out well for me as I spent a few undistracted hours getting a lot of writing done while sipping pumpkin coffee.

Big snowstorm expected tonight, with 6"-12" predicted. Wow, and it's only October? Pretty interesting and exciting. Too bad it isn't happening 24 hours later, we'd be getting a snow day out of it. :-)

Ran 6.7 miles @ 8:21/mile pace.
Trails.
Moderately hilly.
Mid 20s to lower 30s, partly cloudy.
Adidas Adizero XT, long tights, light jacket (shed a few miles in), long sleeved shirt, short sleeved shirt, beanie, gloves.

Shortie and Strides

2011-10-28T16:25:00.001-04:00

Another short run on tap today. Great weather and pretty funny that we actually got snow last night. And even funnier is that we're supposed to get several inches tomorrow night and a winter storm watch is in effect. Bring it.

But today, mid-40s and breezy. Fun little short run and followed it up with 5 X 100M strides. Felt great to give the legs some turnover and I can feel them really coming around now. Lot of pep lately. This is good. Looking forward to getting in a little bit more distance in tomorrow at Pineland.

Ran 3.8 miles @ 7:37/mile pace (includes 5 X 100M strides).

Paved roads (strides on grassy field).

Mostly flat.

Mid 40s, partly cloudy, breezy.

Brooks Mach 13, shorts, short sleeved shirt, long sleeved shirt.

Fall Weather

2011-10-26T16:19:00.001-04:00

Loved the weather today. Overcast and cool out, even a bit of light ran as we began the run. It isn't happy weather exactly, but yet there's something oddly appealing about it. Perhaps it's the colorful leaves backdropped against the gray skies? I don't know, but regardless it's peaceful in a way.

Ran with some of the XC team to a local park, did repeats around a field there and then headed back. Good little run. Tomorrow will be a day off, and if we're lucky we might see our first snowflakes of the season.

Ran 2.8 miles @ 7:53/mile pace.

Paved roads, grassy fields.

Mostly flat.

Upper 40s, overcast, light rain.

Brooks Mach 13, shorts, short sleeved shirt, long sleeved shirt.

Windy Four

2011-10-25T16:18:00.004-04:00

Short and pretty slow on tap again for today. I plan on most runs being no faster for the next few weeks at least, but I may throw in some stride work later in the week just to give the legs some turnover. Really windy out, but quite pleasant out nonetheless.

I'm afraid I'm going to go a bit nuts with my plan to take it really, really easy until December, but I think letting the body heal up completely and giving it a break will pay greater dividends in the long term, so will try to stick to that plan.

Ran 4.3 miles @ 7:49/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Mid 50s, sunny, windy.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, long sleeved shirt.

Woods Out Back

2011-10-23T13:01:00.000-04:00

I had a fun morning, helping out at a 5K race in the town I teach in and then once I got home, I was eager to hit the woods out back for a trail run, so I did just that.

The mantra was slow and easy for today, though the legs feel fine from last weekend's marathon. Ran into a few interesting folks during the run. The first guy was a mushroom hunter. He had a 5-foot spear with him, which I assumed was for gathering mushrooms... but not the case, he was afraid of coyotes. I didn't argue the point much about the statistical data on coyotes and human attacks, but regardless, he was a nice guy and I told him I'd keep an eye out for any chaga for him.

On the return back on the fire road, ran into another fellow who lost his dog after it chased some birds into the woods. I offered to help him out, but he said he was confident the dog would return at some point. I told him if I came across the dog I would do my best to corral it back to him, and I continued on.

Good little run and the weather was perfect. Been thinking quite a bit about how I want to go about preparing for Boston. I'll detail that in a post sometime this week.

Ran 6.6 miles @ 8:58/mile pace.

Trails, fire roads.

Very hilly.

Mid 50s, partly sunny.

Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap.

First Post-Marathon Run

2011-10-20T16:13:00.002-04:00

The original plan was to take a full week off from running after the marathon to ensure proper recovery. Well, that lasted three days, but I feel my reasoning is sound. First off, my legs have never felt better after a marathon and recovery is going much quicker than anticipated. Secondly, I thought it would actually do some good to shake the legs loose a bit. Run went well and I kept the pace very easy. Likely won't run again until Sunday.

So what now? I'm pretty much going to run maintenance miles until December. That'll likely mean just 20-30 easy miles a week and a couple of days off each week. Reason being simply to give the body a break.

Once December rolls around, I plan to start ramping up the mileage and by Christmas time, it'll be 16 weeks out from the Boston Marathon, and I'll begin my training regiment.

Ran 3.1 miles @ 8:52/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Mostly flat.
Mid 60s (yuck), sunny.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

2011 Mount Desert Island Marathon Race Report

2011-10-17T08:49:00.000-04:00

I can sum it up in two simple words: great race. I didn't break 3:10, but am super stoked to have run the course in 3:12:09 and set a new PR (old one was 3:12:41 at Boston last April). I also bested last year's MDI time of 3:14:33 by a good amount. Stoked.

Saturday:

Kate and I arrived on the island around noon and hit the expo. Checked in there, went for a short run with Kate at Eagle Lake, hung out with Ryan for a bit, then met up with Jim D. and Shauna at the pasta dinner (always very good, but it seemed especially tasty this year), then headed back to Kate's folks' place in Brewer to spend the night.

Ran 2.8 miles @ 9:52/mile pace.

Carriage roads.

Slightly hilly.

Lower 60s, sunny, windy.

Brooks Mach 13, shorts, long sleeved shirt.

Sunday:

We drove back over and arrived at the race a little more than hour before the start. My stomach had been feeling a little off that morning, which worried me a bit. I was also feeling very nervous and anxious, which surprised me a bit because logically there really shouldn't have been much to worry about. It wasn't BQ or die unlike last year. Nothing was really on the line. But yet, I couldn't relax. At least I had the Trail Monsters to talk to and also kept bumping into other folks I knew.

Trail Monsters take to the roads. Jim, me and Ryan.

The wind was blowing pretty hard and about 20 or so minutes before the race was about to start, a light rain began to fall. Brrrr. But soon it was almost time and the rain stopped. Gary (the RD) gave the final pre-race speeches, AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" cranked through the PA system, and then the cannon boomed. We were off!

We're off! Courtesy: Maine Running Photos

Ryan and I are underway!

Miles 0-5 - The Fantastic Four

Ryan and I hung together and we linked up with two other runners, Anita and Ty. Similar paces, similar personalities, and we laughed and joked as we worked together until just past the half marathon mark. This was completely awesome and VERY welcome. Last year, I was alone for most of the race. It was great to have other folks to run off of and exchange jokes with.

The distraction was especially important for me, as I was feeling really out of sync and all sorts of negative thoughts were running through my head in the first half. I remember thinking to myself at mile four "Man, I am simply not feeling it today". My stomach also still felt a little off (thankfully, it never became a real issue).

Miles 5-10 - Pushing

Seal Harbor. About 8.5 miles into the race. Courtesy: Maine Running Photos.

Still feeling out of sync and still wondering what was up. I was valuing Ryan, Anita and Ty more than ever as they were pulling me along. Pace was great and conversing with them was a perfect distraction, but secretly inside my head I continued to wage a bit of a mental battle with myself. Cooksey Drive was also a great diversion, as it provided stunning views of the ocean. Took my first Gu one hour into the race. Despite the questionable stomach, it didn't do anything to upset it. Whew. An important test and I had passed it. I also ditched the disposable water bottle I had been carrying and felt a bit more freed up as a result.

Miles 10-15 - The Mental Demons Die

Ty and I at Northwest Harbor

We went through Northwest Harbor and it was great to see Kate and her folks here as well as the others... another lift. Still out of sync. But then, an eye opener occured. We crossed the half marathon mark in 1:34:57. Unacceptable. I crossed in 1:34:22 last year. I was ticked and knew I could do better. Fortunately, I was able to use that and my splits began to drop. For a while, I was a bit ahead of Ryan, but then he passed me up (and for good). Anita and Ty were now behind. The Fantastic Four had been broken up, but it was inevitable it would happen at some point. Took another Gu around 1:45 into the race.

Miles 15-20 - Cruising

Coming off of Sargent Drive. Despite the pained expression, I was actually feeling really good here.

A little after mile 18

Each passing mile was a huge confidence booster. HUGE. I remembered my splits starting to slow at mile 16 last year, but I was holding them down with no problem now. Even better, I was doing so relatively comfortably. This was great. Saw Mindy, Pete, Danielle, Kate and her folks as well others at multiple points along here which was awesome. I marveled at the turnaround and my head was now very much in the game.

Miles 20-25 - Tough Hills and the Headwind of Death

Around mile 21. Arrr matey, there be hills ahead!

Okay, now my legs have caught up to me a bit and were feeling tired. And having a cruel headwind along with some big hills in this stretch wasn't helping. But still, I trucked on and the pace was still respectable (for me) at this stage. I was calculating my finishing time, and early on in this stretch I knew I would probably beat last year's time if I could keep it up. Took the third and final Gu when the Garmin hit 2:30.

The miles and hills ticked by and the time calculations became more clear. Now, setting a new PR seemed possible, but I'd have to book it. Was still picking off a few folks and only one guy had passed me (the only one since around mile 15, now that I think about it).

I soon saw the amply named Top of the Hill Restaurant which marks the top of the final big hill. Sweet! A very welcome sight. I honestly didn't expect it to see it when I did, I thought it was still further up the road. Big downhill, then a very small uphill was all that was left.

25-26.2 - The Final Stretch

The new PR was now the firm focus but I knew I'd have to work hard. I was also keeping in mind that I had a BQ for 2013. Those two thoughts kept me going and I was pushing with all I had left. I cruised on the downhill, and soon came up on that minor uphill. If there's a nice thing about that final incline, it's that you know that once you're at the top you can see the finish line.

Kept glancing at my watch all the while, and when the finish line was in sight I let loose with all I had left (which wasn't much). I got closer and closer and knew a PR was in the bag. I pumped my fist in victory and crossed the finish line in 3:12:09, good enough for 24th place overall. Excited as heck, but too depleted to express it. Ryan was right there to greet me and I used the man hug as an excuse for him to hold me up. By the way, Ryan rocked it with a 3:10:11. A gargantuan PR for him and he was seconds away from a negative split. Kate was also right there as well as Blaine (who rocked it with a 3:03:02) and the others.

Approaching the finish

Kabam!

Post Race

I found a chair and sat down, recapping war stories with Blaine and Ryan. We flushed our legs for a good 10 minutes or so, which helped immensely (I'm surprised more endurance runners don't do this). Milled around and chatted with others, and made our way over to the beer tent for some beverages and a pulled pork sandwich (courtesy of Kate's folks.. big thanks!).

Minutes after the finish

Leg flush!

Barley sodas!

Legs continue to feel surprisingly great. Sore, yes, but nowhere near the degree as MDI last year or Boston last April (I guess I didn't run hard enough, hardee har har). Very stoked still to have PR'd and qualified for Boston for 2013, but running that race again in 2012 might be enough for me. Plenty of time to think about it though and nice to have the option.

2011 MDI Marathon Race Results

Ran 26.2 miles @ 7:20/mile pace.

Official chip time: 3:12:09

Overall placing: 24th out of 926.

Age group placing (35-39): 7th out of 59 (stacked this year)

Paved roads.

Extremely hilly.

Upper 40s to upper 50s, sunny, windy.

Saucony Kinvara, shorts, singlet, plastic water bottle first 10 miles.

New PR at the Mt. Desert Island Marathon

2011-10-16T20:08:00.000-04:00

Finished in 3:12:09, good enough for 24th place out of 924 finishers. Really stoked! Felt out of sync for the first half but pulled it together in the second. Full race report tomorrow.

MDI Marathon Goals

2011-10-13T15:03:00.001-04:00

Before I list my goals, it's definitely worth noting that I'm feeling very little pressure for Sunday's race. Last year, it was BQ or die. This year? Well, let's just run it fast and smart and see what happens. Don't get me wrong... I'm anxious and ready to race, but at the same time I feel pretty relaxed. I've broken it down a little more specifically than that and here's what it comes down to (hardest goal first with back-up/other goals in place):

A) Break 3:10. It would be cool to be a 3:0X:XX marathon runner. Not as cool as a sub-three hour marathoner, but first things first.

B) PR. My best time is 3:12:41 set at Boston last year.

C) Break last year's MDI Marathon time of 3:14:33.

D) I'm already in the 2012 Boston Marathon, but if I break 3:15:00, I would qualify for the 2013 Boston Marathon under the new standards (I'll be 40 then). However, I'll have another chance to qualify at Boston this April if it doesn't work out.

E) Finish.

There ya have it. I also ran today. Just a little over three miles in the mist. Rather pleasant running conditions and it was quite enjoyable. Taking a rest day tomorrow. Short run on Saturday and then it's race time!!!

Ran 3.4 miles @ 7:40/mile pace.

Paved roads.

Slightly hilly.

Upper 50s, overcast, misting.

Brooks Mach 13, shorts, long sleeved shirt, cap.

Short Jaunt and the Cheating Idiot

2011-10-12T17:31:00.000-04:00

Just ran a short and easy 5K today. All systems continue to be a go for Sunday. Focusing now on making sure the diet is really in check. Lots of quality carbs and proteins, along with fruits and vegetables (well okay, more fruits than vegetables).

By the way, did you see the story of this cheating moron? The Marathon Gods will not be taking this one lightly, I'm sure.

Ran 3.1 miles @ 7:55/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Mid 50s, overcast.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

Taper Worms

2011-10-11T17:04:00.000-04:00

Good case of the taper worms today. Ran the warm-up and cool down with the cross country team (they did mile repeats today). Went way too fast on their warm-up, but was much more disciplined on their cool down. They averaged out to an acceptable overall pace for the two runs.

Feeling good about Sunday and am anxious for the race to hurry up and get here. Weather forecast looks good for right now, but of course it'll change five more times. I really won't pay it much mind until a day or two beforehand.

Ran 2.1 miles @ 7:11/mile pace.
Ran 2.1 miles @ 8:46/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Mostly flat.
Mid 60s, sunny.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, long sleeved shirt.

Updates on Writing

2011-10-10T12:49:00.000-04:00

I would just like to thank everyone for helping make my first book Maine to Boston: Marathon Training Through a New England Winter a success, primarily because it's been a very positive experience and something I have learned a lot from. In case you were curious, several dozen copies have been sold as of this posting (the book has been out for about a month). That's way more than I would have expected at this point, especially considering this book has a pretty narrow target audience, so I'm quite pleased. I seriously did this more for the experience and thought it would be a fun project. If I made a few bucks doing it, hey great, but that was never important.

I would guess half of the sales so far have been from family, friends and acquaintances who wanted to show their support (for which I say a big thank you). But what's also pretty cool is the other half of the sales are from people I don't know. Just like with blogging, it's pretty neat knowing others are checking out your work. The feedback has been very positive so far and it's been great connecting with folks I normally wouldn't have otherwise.

A few folks have asked me if I'm planning on working on a second book. The answer is yes. In fact, I've already started and though it's early, it's coming along great so far. This next book will be science fiction with a running twist, and I'll just leave it at that for now.

The biggest danger is hyping something up and not following through. It seems to happen quite a bit with folks first starting out with writing. That's what makes this Family Guy clip so funny:

The nice thing, however, is that I have confidence now that my first book is out there. For some additional motivation and research, I just finished reading Stephen King's "On Writing", which I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone out there who has even thought about writing. The biggest eye opener to me was in the final section of the book where he shares examples of the different drafts of a few pages from his short story "1408". The first draft seemed very amateurish, but that's also the point. In the second draft, the nuts and bolts were in place much more firmly and in the third and final draft, it was now a highly polished piece of work. On a side note, this made feel less guilty about going through blog entries and revising them several times after I've already posted them (I definitely make a lot of mistakes).

King also shows the notes he made in each draft and the whole process was pretty fascinating. It was really neat to see how he gets an idea down first and then focuses on getting it ready for the masses. He also refers to this as "writing with the door closed" and then "writing with the door open". King also gives many other valuable tips and insights, but it would take too long to list them all here. Just read the book if you're interested, you won't regret it.

Back to my own writing... The biggest obstacle in attempting to write fiction is that it's a very different craft that I don't have a lot of experience with. You can have the greatest idea in the world but what's even more important than the story itself is how you tell it. Great ideas are often ruined with poor writing. That being said, I feel I have a very unique idea and if I can tell it correctly, it will be a lot of fun to share it with the public. Now, I just have to avoid being like Brian...

Elk Farm Loop

2011-10-09T12:37:00.003-04:00

The final double digit run of the taper was on tap for today. However, there were some obstacles to work with. I was out late with the Trail Monsters last night celebrating some recent successes and was feeling the effects of that upon waking up. I spent the morning watching the Chicago Marathon (Mosop is a beast) and sipping coffee before finally heading out the door.

By then, it had already warmed up significantly, which just added to the unpleasantness. However, by the time I climbed the ridge up to the elk farm I had downed most of my water and was starting to feel better. Enjoyed the descent and relatively flat few miles back home. All things considered, not a bad little run, though I probably should have taken it slower.

Ran 11.3 miles @ 7:40/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Very hilly.
Mid 70s to lower 80s (yuck), sunny.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, cap, handheld bottle (water).

Volunteering and Running

2011-10-08T13:27:00.001-04:00

Jeff once again put on a very smooth Craig Cup 5K XC race today. I was happy to help out with registration and then organizing bib tabs at the finish line while cheering on friends and the other runners as they came in. Kate did well, and Jeff and Ryan especially put in some impressive performances. Ryan doesn't really want to hear it, but I think he's going to do something special at MDI next weekend...

After the race, Jeff, Ian, David, Nate and I hit the trails and got in a nice five miler. Unusually warm out, which actually kinda sucks, in my opinion. I'd prefer not to have August weather in October. Regardless, it was a very fun morning. Looking forward to taking an afternoon nap!

Ran 5.1 miles @ 8:58/mile pace.
Trails.
Moderately hilly.
Lower to upper 60s, sunny.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

Tour de Skowhegan

2011-10-07T18:31:00.001-04:00

Today was a long day, consisting of a day trip up to Skowhegan to attend a teachers' conference. Afterwards, I changed clothes and went for a run before I drove home.

I had never been to Skowhegan before, so I looked forward to exploring the downtown area on foot. As just about every runner knows, running is undoubtably the best way to check a new place out. Most of your senses are engaged... you feel the uneven stretches of pavement under your feet, see buildings and trees up close, smell the pies that must have just come out of the oven at the bakery, and best of all, have more freedom to check things out close-up. See a park coming up? Run on in and see what's there. Where does that street go? One way to find out. Cool, a river! Cross the bridge and check out the water below. It's always a fun little adventure, and one of the many things I love about running.

Ran 5.1 miles @ 8:23/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Moderately hilly.
Upper 50s, sunny.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, long sleeved shirt.

Adieu, Piste

2011-10-06T18:01:00.001-04:00

One last interval session on the track before the marathon next weekend. With a planned rest period of minimal running after the race and through November, the snow could start flying by the time I start ramping up the mileage in December for the start of the Boston Marathon training cycle around Christmas time. That means it's quite possible I won't hit the track again until the snow melts in late winter/early spring. That's a long ways off and it makes me kind of sad. I really do love the occasional track workout.

Today called for a light session of intervals to give the legs some turnover without wearing them down. In other words, a light reminder of what fast feels like. The session called for 6 X 800M at a 3K-5K race pace with 2:00 rest. I guessed that was just a bit under 3:00 so that's what I shot for.

So it was nice to hit the track one last time. I wasn't feeling too in sync today. Far from craptastic... I just didn't feel too peppy and I think that was due in large part to not warming up enough (cool and windy out again today). The last three splits felt the most fluent.

w/u: Ran 1.0 mile @ 8:05/mile pace.
6 X 800M w/ 2:00 rest. Splits: 2:51, 2:56, 2:58, 2:55, 2:53, 2:56.
c/d: Ran 1.0 mile @ 8:34/mile pace.
Mid 50s, partly cloudy, windy.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

Easy Fiver

2011-10-05T17:17:00.001-04:00

Definitely reaching the point where the taper is driving me a bit nuts. Easy five on tap for the day and on several occasions I had to remind myself to slow down. That's always a good sign, but it's also a bit aggravating to force things slower as well.

At least tomorrow I have a session of 800M intervals on tap so it'll feel good to give the legs some turnover. It's taken from the Pfitz taper plan, with only six reps going in at just under 3:00 with two minutes of static rest in between, sandwiched between a warm-up and cool down.

Ran 5.0 miles @ 7:58/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Lower 50s, partly sunny, breezy.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, long sleeved shirt.

First Signs of Taper Madness

2011-10-04T16:37:00.002-04:00

Legs felt fresh and raring to go, but I mentally kept on the brakes. One of those nice days when the cross country teams' workout more or less correlated with my own, however I didn't go at the varsity guys' pace.

Less than two weeks until the marathon and all systems go. I've more or less formulated a pacing plan and strategy for the course, but will keep that semi-secret for now.

Ran 5.2 miles @ 8:14/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Very hilly.
Mid 50s, overcast, light rain.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap.

Weekend at Acadia National Park

2011-10-02T15:29:00.001-04:00

Was up on Mt. Desert Island again this weekend, this time with my buddy Jim. We almost canceled the trip because of the rainy weather, but I'm really glad we didn't. Yeah, it rained quite a bit here and there, but there were breaks and we had a blast.

I arrived Friday night and set up camp at Blackwoods and Jim arrived shortly thereafter. After a trip to Hannaford's for some food supplies we ate and then went to bed. The distant sound of the bell from an ocean buoy lulled me to sleep and I awoke the next morning to the equally far away sound of ships blasting their fog horns. That was pretty cool.

Saturday
I drove over to Belfast to meet up with the XC team for a big invitational meet (the kids did pretty well) and at the end of it I promptly drove back, anxious to get in a run before heading out to eat. Laced up the flats and ran the park loop road from Blackwoods to Thunderhole and back, garnering strange looks form tourists along the way. Took the first half easy, but dropped down to MP for the second half.

Came back, changed and Jim and I hit Geddy's for some grub and a few beverages. Came back to the campsite and the rain was light enough where Jim successfully started a really nice fire, and we had a few more beverages while yaking away until it was time for bed.

Ran 6.2 miles @ 7:27/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Very hilly.
Mid 60s, ovecast, light rain.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, cap.

Sunday
Jim and I woke up, broke camp and then headed to the Brown Mountain Gatehouse and met up with Gary and Peter for a run on the carriage trails at an easy pace. Definitely a lot of fun, despite it being pretty wet and somewhat cool out.

Gary offered some great advice and encouragement with my marathon goals, which I really appreciated. I'm feeling pretty good about MDI in two weeks. All systems continue to be a go.

Ran 15.1 miles @ 8:18/mile.
Carriage trails.
Extremely hilly.
Mid 50s, overcast, moderate to light rain.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

Pre-Dawn 5k

2011-09-29T05:32:00.003-04:00

Another very full day on tap, but fortunately just three miles were on the agenda with the taper plan and I opted to do them in the early morning hours. After spending 15 minutes searching for my headlamp (I had left it in my backpack) I was off. Pretty uneventful.

Ran 3.1 miles @ 8:13/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
Upper 50s, overcast, foggy/misty.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, short sleeved shirt, refl. vest, headlamp.

Back Cove X 2

2011-09-28T20:16:00.002-04:00

The cross country team had a meet in South Portland today, so I met up with Zak at the Back Cove afterwards to get in a couple of laps at an easy pace. He's running the Maine Marathon on Sunday and is looking prime for a good run there, so I was feeding off the energy of his anticipation of the race as we talked about it.

Good little run. A giant chicken burrito from Chipolte afterwards hit the spot, as it was the first time I had eaten in nine hours. I was hungry.

Ran 7.2 miles @ 8:00/mile pace.
Packed trails.
Slightly hilly.
Mid to lower 60s, partly sunny.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, long sleeve shirt (overkill), handheld bottle (water).

Moronic Dog Owners Hopefully Learn a Lesson

2011-09-27T18:46:00.003-04:00

Cross country practice ended early so I changed plans and decided to do a run from my house and hit the woods out back, as it's been a while since I've run back there. The plan was just to go at an easy pace (as most of my runs will be during the taper) and just take in the scenery. I was rather enjoying myself, that is until about six miles into my run, when a curious set of events occurred. At least for me, it fortunately had a happy ending.

I rounded a turn on the fire road and saw a guy and two women, all looked to be in their mid to late twenties, up ahead and walking in the opposite direction. With them were two small dogs and one medium dog... all off leash. The dogs ran at me and were yapping and barking like mad, but stopped short about fifteen feet away. I waited for the owners to call the dogs back, but nope. They were doing nothing.

I was really annoyed and trying to keep my cool, and after several moments I asked if the dogs were friendly. One of them said yes, so I squatted down and held out my hand. I do love dogs after all, just sometimes not their owners.

Dog #1 came up and sniffed my hand and let me pet it. Its tail was wagging. Good doggie. Dog #2, the medium sized dog, then came up and sniffed my hand. I moved my arm ever so slightly and the dog jumped and snapped, but fortunately all it caught was air.

I stood up and the dogs jumped away. "You know, your dog just snapped at me," I said to the group. I'm sure my annoyance (turning to anger) was obvious. One of the girls answered, "Oh did he? I'm so embarrassed." That's fine you're embarrassed, but how about an apology? Saying your sorry and meaning it really does go a long way. But no. Just embarrassed. And I was amazed that the group was making no attempt whatsoever to corral their dogs and put them back on their leashes (which they were carrying).

By this point the group of walkers and Dog #1 and Dog #2 had now walked past me, but Dog #3 (the other small dog) stood there staring at me, looking very jumpy. I took a step forward and the dog ran in the opposite direction the owners were walking (and in my intended direction) about 50 feet and stopped and looked again.

"What is Lana doing?" asked one of the girls. Ah, okay. Dog #3 = Lana. Well, it was pretty obvious to me that precious little Lana thought I was chasing her and intended to high tail it if I continued on my run.

A sadistic plan quickly ensued in my evil little brain...

"Sorry, I can't wait around anymore, I have to run," I told them. And run I did. And so did Lana. And fast. That dog full on bolted it up the trail and had no plans of stopping. Neither did I.

"LANA!!! LANA!!! COME BACK!!!", one of the women screamed. The dog was soon out of sight as it rounded a turn in the fire road. "LANA!!! LANA!!!"

I looked over my shoulder and yelled, "This is why you should always keep your dogs on a leash!" I then started to laugh quietly to myself. Yeah, I probably could have been a better person here, but I guess the little devil hanging out on my right shoulder seemed a lot cooler than the angel on my left.

"Lana! Come back, Lana!!!" The intensity in her voice was still there but it was now pretty distant as I continued my run (and so did Lana). About two thirds of a mile later, I saw Lana up ahead, finally not running but instead she was walking around and sniffing some bushes. I'm not a complete bastard, I was hoping the dog would be safe and I figured it would be okay. The odds of a coyote jumping out of the bushes for a quick snack were pretty slim, after all. I was glad to see she was fine.

The turn I needed to take to get back home was far enough away from the dog so I wouldn't scare it again, and I made the turn and listened to the woman continuing to call for her dog, now growing pretty faint, but she would soon be reunited with little light-footed Lana. And hopefully she learned a lesson at the same time, but one can only hope.

Ran 7.8 miles @ 9:13/mile pace.
Trails and fire roads.
Very hilly.
Lower 70s, sunny.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirts.

2012 Boston Marathon, Here I Come!!!

2011-09-26T17:54:00.002-04:00

Shortly after my students left for the day, the email came. I'm confirmed for the 2012 Boston Marathon! Even though it looked like my chances of getting were very good despite being a week two registrant, it was still a relief to see it was officially official. Stoked to be running Boston again.

The cut-off times for week two folks shaped up like this (taken from the BAA):

2012 Mens Qualifying Performances and Accepted Times

AGE GROUP	STANDARD ELIGIBLE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION	QUALIFICATION TIMES ACCEPTED THROUGH AND INCLUDING
18-34	3hrs 10min	3hrs 08min 46sec
35-39	3hrs 15min	3hrs 13min 46sec
40-44	3hrs 20min	3hrs 18min 46sec
45-49	3hrs 30min	3hrs 28min 46sec
50-54	3hrs 35min	3hrs 33min 46sec
55-59	3hrs 45min	3hrs 43min 46sec
60-64	4hrs 00min	3hrs 58min 46sec
65-69	4hrs 15min	4hrs 13min 46sec
70-74	4hrs 30min	4hrs 28min 46sec
75-79	4hrs 45min	4hrs 43min 46sec
80 and over	5hrs 00min	4hrs 58min 46sec

2012 Womens Qualifying Performances and Accepted Times

AGE GROUP	STANDARD ELIGIBLE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION	QUALIFICATION TIMES ACCEPTED THROUGH AND INCLUDING
18-34	3hrs 40min	3hrs 38min 46sec
35-39	3hrs 45min	3hrs 43min 46sec
40-44	3hrs 50min	3hrs 48min 46sec
45-49	4hrs 00min	3hrs 58min 46sec
50-54	4hrs 05min	4hrs 03min 46sec
55-59	4hrs 15min	4hrs 13min 46sec
60-64	4hrs 30min	4hrs 28min 46sec
65-69	4hrs 45min	4hrs 43min 46sec
70-74	5hrs 00min	4hrs 58min 46sec
75-79	5hrs 15min	5hrs 13min 46sec
80 and over	5hrs 30min	5hrs 28min 46sec

It turns out I had a relatively good cushion with my 3:12:41 time at Boston last April (35-39 age group). That's a good thing, as my BQ time at the MDI Marathon last year of 3:14:33 would not have been enough for this year (the 2010 MDI Marathon times could have been used for the 2012 Boston Marathon as well since they fit in the overlap window).

I'm really excited to be in it again. Really excited. I had a blast last year and am really looking forward to doing it again. It's an impressive event, and I'm honored that I qualified again and can't wait to try to do even better this year.

As excited as I am, I'm also pretty damn bummed for some friends and acquaintances who didn't get in. They worked their butts off and a few of them didn't make the cut by mere seconds. Even the tweets from folks I don't know (hashtag is #bostonmarathon) expressing their disappointment at not getting in are pretty heartbreaking to read.

But despite the joy or sadness, it sounds like most agree the new rolling registration system is very fair and I've yet to read of any real complaints. Hats off to the Boston Athletic Association for coming up with a unique system that is fair and apparently works really well, both for them and the runners. They hit a home run (something the Red Sox could use a few more of this month).

Happy running!

The Hay is in the Barn

2011-09-25T10:36:00.001-04:00

I love these posts. The ones where I declare the hard work is done and now it's a coasting taper leading up to the next big race. And that is the case today. Now it's time to rest up and let the workouts culminate to a point where I'm hopefully in peak form for the MDI Marathon three weeks from now.

This morning was not without obstacles though. I've come down with a nasty head cold. It sucks. Ear aches, head aches, sniffling, and the body even feels a bit achey. Last night I felt like ass, but this morning I felt slightly better but that's still not saying much. It was also really humid out. REALLY humid. Like 97% humidity humid. Soupy weather sucks, especially when it's officially autumn and the leaves are already changing.

But I was determined for one last big run. This "training cycle" has been an odd one. Just a lot of races, both long and short, this spring and summer. They've gotten in the way of training, pure and simple. But I've definitely had some very high points, both in races and in training, so I can't complain.

Okay, on to the run. I had planned on 17 miles with at least 10 miles at marathon pace (7:18/mile). I figured even with the head cold and the weather I could at least manage that. I worked down to MP by the second mile and then dipped below it and held it there comfortably.

I fought through not feeling well and the muggy weather by simply ignoring it and just zoning out on the rhythm of my footsteps. The pace came pretty easy. Very pleased. Now on to an afternoon of vegging on the couch and watching football.

Ran 17.1 miles @ 7:07/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Moderately hilly.
Mid 60s to lower 70s, partly sunny, very humid.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, handheld bottle (water).

Volunteerin' and Runnin'

2011-09-24T15:26:00.001-04:00

A big event sas happening today at Pineland Farms to raise money for the Cancer Community Center in South Portland, which included group bike rides and also a 10k and a 5k trail race. My buddy Stephen was the RD for the trail races, and I was more than glad to help out. I helped distribute the bib numbers and then worked the finish line along with Jeff and Jim G.

Race went pretty smoothly and all of the entrants appeared to have a great time running in some pretty muddy and squishy conditions. Afterwards, I hit the trails, running the main loop on the campus side at a planned easy pace.

Felt okay. Legs felt pretty heavy, which I think was a delayed reaction from the mile repeats the other day (legs felt better yesterday) and also some pretty crappy humidity. Still, not too bad. Today was about taking it slow anyway. Tomorrow will be a longish run with some MP mileage thrown in. Looking forward to that!

Ran 8.0 miles @ 9:57/mile pace.

Trails.

Very hilly.

Lower 70s, overcast, humidity.

Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

To The Meet and Back

2011-09-23T20:27:00.001-04:00

Took the longer uphill to the apple orchard for our home XC meet. Meet went okay, then afterwards took the shorter downhill route.

Normally the day after a big speed workout my legs feel pretty beat. While they were a little tired, it wasn't that bad at all. That was nice.

Ran 3.0 miles @ 8:35/mile pace. Run up the hill to the XC meet.
Ran 2.0 miles @ 8:36/mile pace. Run down the hill from the XC meet (shorter route)
Paved roads.
Very hilly.
Around 70 degrees, overcast, humid.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

Mile Repeats

2011-09-22T18:37:00.000-04:00

Wanted to get in another interval session before I start tapering for the MDI Marathon as I haven't done one in a while. Opted for mile repeats with a quarter mile of active recovery.

All day at work and cross country practice, I didn't feel too peppy. After those were over and I did my warm-up, I still didn't feel peppy. Fortunately, on the intervals... I felt peppy.

Splits were 5:49, 5:56, 5:51, 5:49 and 5:45. That's an average of 5:50/mile. I'll have to double check, but I'm pretty sure that's my fastest session of mile repeats ever (post edit: it was, by a pretty large margin).

Hit the cool down drenched in sweat (super muggy out) but very satisfied with how I did. I wasn't expecting it, but I'm definitely welcoming it.

w/u - Ran 1.6 miles @ 7:38/mile pace.
5 x 1 mile repeats w/ .25 mile active recovery. Overall average pace including active recovery = 6:23/mile.
c/d - Ran 1.5 miles @ 9:47/mile pace.

Paved roads for w/u and c/d.
Slightly hilly for w/u and c/d.
Track for repeats.
Mid 60s, overcast, muggy.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

A Very Easy Day

2011-09-21T16:49:00.001-04:00

The cross country team was running between 4-6 miles, so I ran back and forth between groups checking up on the runners and tagged along with each for a bit, but mostly with the JV guys and the girls.

That amounted to a very easy paced run, which was by design and after practice, I tacked on a little extra mileage on my own. Looking to possibly do some interval work tomorrow.

Ran 7.9 miles @ 9:00/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Moderately hilly.
Lower 70s, sunny.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, short sleeved shirt, handheld bottle (water).

Sanford XC Course

2011-09-20T17:13:00.000-04:00

Just realized that this is my third consecutive run on race courses... without racing them. Today? Our home high school XC course. I ran a mile warmup as the team arrived and then I ran with the varsity runners as they did locomotive sprints, which equated to a three mile tempo pace for me.

After practice was over, I hit the course again. The course goes through an apple orchard and the adjacent woods, and two miles in I saw what I thought was a very strange looking siamese cat running up the trail ahead of me. When it turned to duck into the woods, I thought "man, that cat has an odd shaped, long body" and then it hit me that it wasn't a cat, but either a weasel or a pine marten. I stopped at the spot where it ducked into the woods to try and spot it again, but no luck. However, as I was looking, a barred owl hooted in the distance. Cool.

Ran 7.1 miles @ 8:18/mile pace.

Trails.

Moderately hilly.

Mid 60s, overcast, muggy.

Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

MDI Marathon Course Refresher

2011-09-18T13:54:00.002-04:00

Long run on tap today and I ran the last 21 or so miles of the MDI Marathon course to get reacquainted with the route. It was a most curious run. I had some stomach issues early on and never really felt in sync until the final big hills in the end, and despite the obstacles I still ended up with a faster than expected pace.

Kate very graciously dropped me off outside the Blackwoods Campground and would meet me over in Southwest Harbor several hours later. Lots to do on the island, so I knew she would have no trouble entertaining herself while I ran (she went for a hike and then got some tea and did some work).

I started along on Rt. 3 and a few miles later made the left turn on Cooksey Drive. A few hundred yards later, I spotted a mama deer and her teenage offspring on the road staring at me intently and I stopped and made eye contact with them. It's always pretty cool looking wildlife right in the eyes like that. Why not look at the legs or feet? It's always the eyes. Kinda eerie. She stamped a hoof showing her disapproval of me being there and I then continued to run, but slowly and pretty much right at them. The mom startled at first but was holding her ground. Fortunately, when I got within about 20 feet she and her offspring dashed into the woods.

About a mile after that the first wave of stomach trouble began and I ducked into the woods for a bio-break. I was hoping I would feel more in sync after that, and I did but only a little bit. I continued on to Seal Harbor and was still feeling pretty out of rhythm. My stride just seemed off and I also wasn't feeling very energetic, but at the same time not exactly sapped either.

Several miles later I was in Northeast Harbor, and I was beginning to feel the need for a biobreak again. I checked some of the businesses and parking lots as I ran by, hoping to see a porta pottie but to no avail. If it was a dire emergency, I could always ask a business to use their restroom, but I wasn't feeling bold and I wasn't in that desperate of a situation yet.

I was then through the downtown and now in the neighborhood section and the roads were repaved so the yellow course indicators weren't there and at one point I took a wrong turn. That turned out to be a blessing, as it led me to a school's athletic field where a very clean porta pottie was available. Ahhh.

After doing my business, I backtracked and got back on the course, feeling slightly better. Made my way up and around Somes Sound. About 14 miles into the run at the top of the fjord, Kate drove by and stopped. She had some water and I refilled my handheld and we made plans to meet up at the coffee shop in SW Harbor.

I then reached the often dreaded hills on the final section of the course. Oddly, things began to turn around for the better here. I felt way more in sync and the energy was decent as I climbed each section of hills. Made it to the highest point and enjoyed the mostly downhill section to the finish. Easily found Kate and I rehydrated with some lemonade to end the morning. Nice.

Glad to close the week with over 60 miles. One more week until the taper!

Ran 21.4 miles @ 7:55/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Extremely hilly.
Lower 50s to lower 60s, sunny.
Saucony Kinvara, shorts, long sleeved shirt (sleeves pushed up), cap, handheld bottle (water).

esreveR ni esruoC nohtaraM flaH IDM

2011-09-17T17:10:00.000-04:00

Kate was running the MDI Half Marathon this morning and I wondered a bit what would work out well for my own run for the day. Then a few days ago Blaine and Gary came up with a brilliant idea of running the course in the reverse direction, starting about an hour ahead of the race so we could see significant others and friends along the course as they ran and catch them at the finish as well.

The run was great and I enjoyed the company. It was great to get to know Gary better and he's a really entertaining guy with a lot of positive energy. He had some great stories to tell which made for a fun run.

We began to see the front pack runners as they were about three miles into the run and after a while we saw Mary, Erin, Christine and Kate, all looking great and having fun despite going up a pretty tough climb (while we were subsequently enjoying the downhill).

We soon finished, changed and cheered for the runners as they finished. Kate ended up rocking the race, coming in at 2:21 and crushing her old PR by 21 minutes! Super proud of her! Here's a pic of her shortly after the finish:

Aren't I a lucky guy?

Ran 13.2 miles @ 7:54/mile pace.

Paved roads and carriage trails.

Very hilly.

Lower to upper 40s, sunny.

Saucony Kinvara, shorts, long sleeved shirt, short sleeved shirt, cap, handheld bottle (water).

Afternoon Quickie

2011-09-16T15:39:00.000-04:00

Get your mind out of the gutter...

Was able to squeeze in a quick run in the afternoon. It was only 5K, but it felt great to put the pedal down a bit and get some turnover. Looking forward to some longer running this weekend.

Wow, today is also the fifth anniversary of this blog! I write for myself but am honored that folks like to check in from time to time, so thanks for reading.

Ran 3.1 miles @ 6:46/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
60 degrees, sunny, breezy.
Brooks Mach 13, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

Early Morning in the Chilly Air

2011-09-16T05:49:00.000-04:00

Another hectic day on tap for today, so I opted to get in a pre-dawn trail run. Yesterday's cold front brought some much welcome, cooler air behind it. Mid 40s during the run, so I broke out the long sleeve shirt over a short sleeve shirt. Great weather on tap for the next several days!

The moon was also nearly full and shining bright. The headlamp almost wasn't necessary. Will hopefully be able to sneak in another short run later this afternoon.

Ran 5.1 miles @ 9:26/mile pace.
Trails and fire roads.
Mostly flat.
Mid 40s, clear skies.
Adidas Adizero XT, shorts, long sleeved shirt, short sleeved shirt, cap, headlamp.