Week of August 15th-21st

Monday: omi - lifted weights

Tuesday: 13mi / 1:22 in Pisgah w/Griffin in the rain. Feeling good.

pm: 6mi / 44min in Stoddard w/Jonny

Wednesday: 11mi* / 70min 3x 1mile + 800 + 400 (4:59.5:00.5:00,2:32, 68) w/Andy and Pipp. Was supposed to be 4x1mile but I was really starting to struggle on last mile so I broke it up a bit.

Thursday: 2.5mi / 18min around Swanzey Lake with Chariho kids at XC camp

pm: 7.5mi* / 52min w/10 x Golf Course Hill repeats (66 Avg first 7, 64, 60, 58)

Had fun running with the Chariho kids. Good to see Coach Hab and talk running.

Friday: 10mi / 67min in Pisgah w/Griffin. Legs a wee bit tired.

Saturday: 7mi / 52min in Pisgah w/Hinsdale XC kids. Good run. Had fun.

Sunday: 27mi* / 3:05 - Savoy Mtn 22miler - 2:57:55 - 1st. This was the first time I had done this 2 loop course. I did the old 20mile course in 2005. I went out running relaxed but fast for the first loop. On the big climb up Spruce Peak, I caught the two leaders of the 11 mile race. I passed one kid who looked like he was bonking. The leader pulled away on the long downhill. He was really hammering, but I needed to stay conservative. I hit the line in 1:24:40, refilled my hand held bottle with gatorade and headed out for loop number 2. The 2nd loop was even muddier, as everyone had really stirred it up. This was shin deep mud that really made your quads tired. I knew I was slowing down a bit, but I still felt pretty good. At 39min into the 2nd loop I had to walk up a big hill that I ran in the first loop - not a good sign. I started to get little tiny micro cramps in my quads at about 2:10 into the race. Yikes! That's early. The cramps never got severe and I pushed on. I reminded myself that everyone has bad patches in long races and I would just run the flats and downs as fast as possible. Finally, I got to the big hiking climb up Spruce Peak. I was really hurting, my legs were just pooped, but I pushed on to the summit knowing it was mostly downhill from there. I hit the top in 1:05 for that loop, I got there in 1:00 for the first loop and then descended on wobbly legs. I ran the final stages of the race rather uneventfully, but I was thinking that any second now, I would get passed. It didn't happen and I was very pleased to get the win. My splits were far from even in 1:24:40 and 1:33:15. I won a basket of blueberries for my effort. Yum.

Total: 84miles