Sunday, December 30

9mi s.s./57min in Pisgah with Ferenc, George, Miller and the girls. It was a gorgeous sunny day with fresh powder. The snowmobiles hadn't been out yet. Miller was feeling peppy and kept the pace very honest. We were planning on going longer but an hour of snowshoeing in fresh powder was plenty. Feeling good. Total for the week: 48miles. Total for the month: 236mi = 55.1mpw Total for the year: 3,361mi = 64.6mpw (My run log ends at 52 weeks. The 31st counts for 2013. It might seem strange but it works for me!)

Saturday, December 29 - BU Mini Meet #3

6mi*/39min. I was in heat #2 of the 800. My goal was to break my lifetime pr of 1:58.0 set in 1997 indoor at URI. I knew I needed to get out well in the first 200. I hadn't done that in my first 2 800's of the year. I remembered what Dan Halsey said back in college, "Always let some other a#$h@le lead the first lap of an 800." I tucked into 2nd. After the 200, I could feel the leader lagging so I charged into the lead and never looked back. I kicked hard at the bell and leaned at the line. Boj and Najem had me hand timed at 1:57.9 so I knew it was 1:58 low on automatic timing. Sure enough: 1:58.22 officially. I'm very happy with the result, but not satisfied. I will break 1:58! I had 30min to get ready for the 4xmile relay with my CMS mates: Dan, Scott and Adam. I was surprised to see them just show up for the relay, as I assumed everyone would be racing the mini meet beforehand. Turns out I was the only one not fresh...no pressure! Dan looked great leading off with a 4:27.3, handing to Scott in the lead. Scott ran a nice leg, battling with a college kid from Lafayette. Every time the kid tried to pass, Scott would hold him off. Finally, the youngster got around him on the last lap and handed off 1sec ahead of us. Scott ran 4:36.0. I immediately caught the kid in front of me. I figured he was about a 4:30 guy and even though I was tired from the 800, I could sit on him and out kick him to give Adam the lead. WRONG! We went out in 63 and he held on running 4:15ish, while I managed a 4:32.5. I gave Adam the baton and he was exactly where he didn't want to be: in no man's land. He ran a 4:29.9 leg bringing us home in 2nd in 18:05.7. We high tailed it out of there and I drove 4hrs home in the snowstorm with no cool down. My legs are gonna be sore but it was a Fun day.

Friday, December 28

8mi s.s./56min in Pisgah with Griffin and George. It was gorgeous in the woods today. Snowshoe running probably isn't the best pre race workout but it was fun to put them on for the first time this season. Tomorrow I'm racing the 800 at BU and then doing a 4x1mile with the CMS guys.

Thursday, December 27

10mi/70min on the snow covered dirt roads of Putney, VT with Fyffe and Ferenc. It was nice to run a good one with my dogs. Snow was coming down hard at times making it hard to see. Traction was a little spotty in my road shoes. I fell once. Lifted weights and shoveled. I'll be rocking snowshoes tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 26

0miles. We drove 6 hours back from NY. Then I had to go to the dump. Then I went to get a truck load of wood and had to wait 25min for guys to pick one log at a time and delicately stack the wood in their pickups. You get charged for a loose rate or a stacked rate. So it's not like you're saving cash. Oh man it was frustrating! Finally they drove off freeing up a lane so I could back up to the pile. Jen and I loaded up in 5 minutes. Unfortunately I had to bail on the track workout with Andy. I decided to be lazy after stacking the wood and just read a book on my couch.

Tuesday, December 25

5mi/35min on the slippery Corning, NY sidewalks. There was 2" of fresh snow. Merry Christmas Ho ho ho.

Monday, December 24

10mi/69min on the streets of Corning, NY. Felt good to run after 6 hours in the car yesterday.

Sunday, December 23 - White Ghost

12mi/1:24 in Pisgah with Griffin. We had a great run out in the woods today. It was cold, clear and sunny. My favorite running weather, Griffin's too. Heading down from the vista on Hubbard Hill we saw an albino coyote. It saw us and took off into the forest running at top speed. It was gorgeous with thick white fur. It's definitely the coolest animal I've ever seen in the wild. I took it as a good omen. Getting back to the house there were a dozen common red polls at my bird feeder. I got 50 miles for the week. Next week I want to get my mileage up to 65+. I need to keep lifting and doing hill sprints.

Saturday, December 22 BU Mini Meet#2

6mi*/39min. I ran the 400 first. I won my heat by a step or two. The official results have me 2nd in 54.03 but I definitely beat the guy. It wasn't that close. It was obvious to me and everyone else there. Oh well. I'll take his time of 53.98. Fun stuff and I'm not as bitter as I might sound. The 800 was next and it's tough to shake the lactic acid from the 4. I ran 1:59.24. Sweet! I felt great but didn't get out well. I was feeling heavy especially in the upper body from the 400. (Even though I had plenty of time between events). Kicked hard but it didn't feel as smooth as last week. I'm pumped to break 2 though and can't wait for next week. This 4x800 world record thing might not happen but I'm happy knowing that I'm fast enough. We'll see hopefully guys will get motivated. Today was a ton of fun. I love racing on the track!

Friday, December 21

Am:1mi with kids at school + circuits. Pm:7mi/48min in Pisgah with Ferenc and the girls. Nice run. The rain let up but we splashed through countless puddles. Feeling good. Tomorrow racing the 400 and 800 at the BU Mini Meet#2. Should be interesting running the 400. I haven't raced one since 1995. It'll be tough doing an 800 after the 4. I have no idea what to seed myself in the 4. I'm excited for both!

Thursday, December 20

Am:2miles with kids at school. pm:had to ref 2 games. Legs sore today.

Wednesday, December 19

Am:2miles with kids at school. pm:11mi*/74min with Drummer Hill repeats. Ran with Boj, George and Andy. We did 6x400 + 4x200. Result: (69,71,68,67,67,64) +(29,30,30,28) I'm really pleased. Stayed smooth and relaxed. Feeling good!

Tuesday, December 18

Am:1mi with kids at school. Lifted weights. pm: 3mi/19min + 6x8sec hill sprints with Griffin in the dark on the roads. I came home from school and fell asleep on my couch. I guess I needed the rest. I felt awesome on the hill sprints. Feeling strong and fast. I just need to get some mileage! It's tough during the darkest week of the year.

Monday, December 17

5mi/33min in Pisgah with Griffin. 1" of snow on the trails. There was a light freezing drizzle coming down. I felt really good.

Sunday, December 16

14mi/1:35 in Saxton's River trails with Ferenc and his girls. Nice weather with a little snow on the ground and more coming down. Watched an interesting true documentary about Abraham Lincoln. The 16th President was damn good at killing Vampires with a silver tipped axe. History is so fascinating!

Saturday, December 15 - BU Mini Meet

9mi*/60min. Drove down with Boj and Glenn. Watched all the CMS guys run the 3000. They ran great. It's great seeing so many running track. I got ready for the mile. I felt very anxious on the line. Got bumped and jostled for the first 600m then worked my way up to 2nd place. I think I went through the 800m in 2:13 or so. After the 1000m a guy went flying into the lead. I couldn't match it and hung onto 2nd losing ground in the next 3 laps. I hit the line in 4:24. It was a pretty disappointing race. I never felt comfortable out there. I cooled down and watched every one run their mile races. I couldn't wrap my head around racing the 800. This was gonna suck! The 800 went off and I sat near the back through 200m and 400m. After 400 I couldn't believe how good I was feeling. I started to move up but got boxed in after the first turn. I waited until the homestretch and then I went in lane 2 and started cranking. I hit the bell and was flying by people. I caught the leader right before the final turn and blew by him. I hit the line in first in 2:00.29. Almost snuck under 2 min. I was pumped and surprised that I was able to run that time in my first 800 of the season. I'm excited to run a few more and crack 2min and maybe go after my pr of 1:58.0 set in 1997.

Friday, December 14

Am: 4mi/30min. Pm: 8mi/51min in Pisgah. Jen and Griffin had a 5 minute head start. I caught up to them at Fullam Pond. I ran solo the rest of the way just rolling along. I felt great out there and the weather was nice.

Thursday, December 13

Am:2miles with kids at school. Lifted weights. Pm:had to ref 2 games.

Wednesday, December 12

Am:1mile with kids at school. pm:10mi*/66min with track workout. 800-400x4 w/200rest. (2:25,70,2:25,70,2:24,69,2:19,66) With Mark and Andy. (Boj,George and Chris there also) I'm pleased with this effort. I managed to stay relaxed during the entire workout. Mark absolutely killed this and looks super fit right now.

Tuesday, December 11

Am:2miles with kids at school. Lifted weights. Pm: had to ref 2 games. This is going to be a very low mileage week. Oh well. I suppose there are bigger tragedies in the world.

Monday. December 10

Am: 1mi with kids at school. Pm: didn't run.

Sunday, December 9

10mi/66min on the roads of Putney,VT with Fyffe. Good run. I was feeling a little sore and tired. Was gonna do a long run but decided to take an easier day. 60miles for the week. I want to get more miles but it's tough with the lack of day light. It's probably good for me though to take a month with lower mileage.

Saturday, December 8

9mi*/58min at the Concord Jingle Bell 5K. 16:01 (5:10) 1st place. I ran solo after the first quarter mile. My miles were (5:06,5:15,5:12,28) It was 33° and raining. Miserable weather! There were puddles on the first and third miles Which probably slowed me down a bit, still I hate running in the 16's! I'm happy to get my second win here and raise money to fight arthritis.

Friday, December 7

Am:2miles with kids at school. Lifted weights. pm:7mi/50min in Pisgah with Goupil and Griffin. Dark and drizzly day. Good run. Race tomorrow.

Thursday, December 6

Am:2miles with kids at school. Pm: had a meeting that went late. Glenn came over and we talked about running and coaching.

Wednesday, December 5

Am:2miles with kids at school. Pm:11mi*/74min with Miller, George and Andy in Marlborough with 8 x Forrest Hills. Result (90,88,84,80,75,78,83,xx) I went too fast on the 5th one and just couldn't clear the lactic acid. I rigged in the last 100m of the 6th one and then rigged even harder in the last 200m of the 7th. I had to pull the plug and skipped the last repeat. I hate rigging up like that in workouts! I need to run with more control. It was cold with snow flurries during the run. Good vegetarian recovery chili after courtesy of Miller.

Tuesday, December 4

Am:2miles with kids at school. Lifted weights. pm:4mi*/25min in Pisgah with Griffin + 4x8 sec hill sprints. Feel great!

Monday, December 3

Am:1mile with kids at school. pm:10mi/71min in Saxton's River trails with Ferenc and the girls. Good run. Warm weather. Finished wearing the head lamps. Had wings after to celebrate Ferenc's birthday.

Sunday, December 2

10mi/74min went with Jen and Pard to the Pearl Harbor Master's Race. I wasn't old enough to race so I had to bandit. I ran the 5.2 Mile course in 33min as a warmup and then got on the line with Jen and Pard and his running buddies Carol Anne and Paul. I decided I would run with whomever was behind so I could see both Jen and Pard's race. Jen lead Pard for 2.5 miles and then he passed her. I ran with Jen the rest of the way. She was able to dig down for a kick to hold onto 3rd place and 1st in her age group. Pard got 3rd in his age group. Good food and beverages after. It was fun seeing Pard in his post race glory talking with all his running friends. This is a great race. Someday , when I grow up, I'd like to race it!

Saturday, December 1

Am:3mi/20min in the snow before driving to Rhode Island. pm:14mi*/1:32 with Blue vs White Alumni Meet at URI. Did a 5mile warmup with Eric and Wayne who ran at URI in the late 80's. They were both sprinters and hurdlers that now do tri's. Then I raced the 3000 in 8:51. I got beat by a college kid by 3 sec but was able to put 3 sec on Matty P in the final 200m. Next some light jogging then on the line to race the 1500. My calves were screaming from the 3000 so I wore flats. I felt dead in the 1500 and just wanted to get a good workout in and hopefully beat Matty! I started in the back and slowly moved up in place as Others slowed down. Matty had a 3 second gap on me hitting the bell lap. I dug down and caught him before the finish line for a photo finish. It was close! The final results had me in 3rd in 4:14.8 to Matty's 4:14.9 He joked about making an appeal, it was funny. We cooled down with 5 more miles and I ended with a Bruce Denton-like 17 miles for the day. Jen,Jill, Matty and I went to the Mew's after and the rest of the alumni were there. Awesome day!!

Friday, November 30

Am:2miles with kids at school. pm:8mi/51:30 in Pisgah with Griffin and (Jen). I felt great out there. Just rolling along and Waiting for Jen and Griffin at a couple pts. Cranked out some pushups while I waited. I saw a guy and his yellow lab playing catch out on the ice at Fullam Pond. Crazy! I wouldn't trust the ice yet! Total miles for November: 274. 63.9 mpw avg. Not bad for me this time of year. 2 pr's and some quality track workouts. I need to keep it going for December. Keep lifting too.

Thursday, November 29

1mile with kids at school. Lifted weights. My body is really sore from the hill sprints and track workout. Needed a rest day.

Wednesday, November 28

Am:5mi/35min. Nice run. Pm: 11mi*/70min. Track workout w/Miller, Andy, and Boj. 4x1000 w/400rest (3:11,3:07,3:06,3:00) 4x200 w/200rest (33,32,32,29) Great workout! Felt nice and relaxed. Legs a little sore from yesterday's hill sprints.

Tuesday, November 27

Am:6mi/42min + lifted weights pm: 8mi*/50min in Pisgah with Griffin. Felt great. Did 6x8sec hill sprints after. I enjoyed running while a little snow came down. Just flurries but nice.

Monday, November 26

1mile with kids at school. Furnace needed some fixing (again!). Ugghh

Sunday, November 25

13mi/1:28 with Fyffe and George on the roads of Putney, VT. Great run in beautiful chilly weather. Nice and easy, feeling good. 62 total for the week. I want to lift 3 times next week and get higher mileage.

Saturday, November 24

9mi/58min on the roads of Corning, NY. It was fun running in the snow and wind. Picked it up and ran fast at the end. Long drive home after.

Friday, November 23

5mi/34min on the roads of Corning, NY. Also went for a 2hr hike in the Finger Lakes National Forest with Jen's family.

Thursday, November 22

9mi*/57min. Pie and Glove 5K Corning, NY. 15:13(4:55) 2nd place. This is my third year doing this race. They changed the course because it keeps getting more and more runners. The old course was flat but had 2 momentum killing 180 degree turns that slowed you down. The new course was fast flat and beautiful. The weather was perfect, sunny 34° with not a breath of wind. This is what I've been waiting for. A perfect chance to pr. I was tapered and ready. I had fast competition to push and pull me. Time for a break through. I got it. James Osborne (last year's champion) ran side by Side with me through the first 1.5miles. Then he slowly pulled away. I knew I was running a pr and just tried to hang on to second place. I kicked hard across the line in a huge Pr of 15:13.4. My first time cracking 5 minute pace for 5K. I was pumped! Later people with GPS watches had it at 3.09 miles but they said the miles were right on. That would explain my 25 second last .1. It was probably more like a 28. I'll take it either way, wish it was certified though! Splits: 5:01,4:47,5:00,25 Bring on indoors! I'm on a roll!

Wednesday, November 21

7mi/47min in Pisgah with Griffin and Jen. I'd run ahead and then wait for Jen to catch up. Griffin got a great workout running back and forth to check on us. Long drive to Corning, NY after.

Tuesday, November 20

Am: 2miles with kids at school pm: 8mi/60min in Pisgah with Griffin and Nick Coffin. Good run with good conversations. lifted weights.

Monday, November 19

Am:1mile with kids at school Pm: 8mi/52min in Pisgah with Griffin. Feeling good. Not sore from yesterday's race.

Sunday, Nov 18 - Lil Rhody RunAround

Sunday was one of my favorite races of the year. My top 4 are: Pisgah,Lil Rhody, KSC Alumni, and 4 on the 4th. I love this one because it's in my parents' backyard, most of my family does it, many of my Rhody friends do it, and it's my family's Thanksgiving. I warmed up with Jonny and Muddy. We got 2 easy miles in and then headed to the start. I took off fast with a guy right on my side, cruising with me. I didn't recognize him but he looked young and fast. After 3 minutes of fast running I started to pull away. I love to go out hard and then really accelerate once we hit the single track. This usually scares people from going with me and then I get to run solo and just focus on my time and taking the best line. I felt strong the entire race and knew I was running a good time. I hit Buckeye Brook Rd in around 245 min. This is my split just about every year. I cleared my watch and just decided to hammer without knowing my time. I saw Glenn and Gina in the woods after the water stop near the big ledges. Seeing Glenn always gets me fired up. I get a little pissed at the world that he has Crohn's Disease and couldn't race. I figure he'd like to be racing so I better give it my all. No feeling sorry for myself no matter how bad it hurts. I flashed him the number 6 and kept hammering. I hit the final road and I was really starting to hurt. I dug down hoping to break Stephen Herrera's course record of 44:36. I approached the finish line and saw the clock in the 44's. I sprinted and broke the tape in 44:52. It's a new pr for me. My first time under 45 and my 6th win. It was awesome seeing so many friends and family racing and doing well. I'm pleased with my race but I want that record!

Saturday, November 17

4mi/30min in Pisgah with Griffin and (Jen). Drove to Rhode Island for my family's Thanksgiving. Tomorrow racing Lil Rhody.

Friday, November 16

Am:4mi/30min in Waterville Valley with Pat Ard and Chris Reilly. pm: was gonna run again. Too lazy.

Thursday, November 15

Am:3mi/19min + lifted weights. pm:7mi/54min in Waterville Valley with Sontag, Pat Ard, and Sarah Titus. Great run. We climbed up Snows Mtn which is not very big, but it's steep at the top. Feel good.

Wednesday, November 14

5mi/33min in the morning. Had a lot going on at school today and that's all I could get in. I missed the workout in the pm. Tomorrow double.

Tuesday, November 13

2miles/13 min with Griffin. My furnace was getting fixed so I couldn't get in more miles. Did 5x8sec hill sprints and lifted weights. It's gonna be hard to get miles in tomorrow because of work. This is turning into an easy week.

Monday, November 12

0miles - Nice day of lethargy. My body was tired from the tough runs on the weekend. It seems a shame to not run on a 65° day in November, especially when I don't have school. Saw a porcupine with Glenn and the wolves on our walk.

Sunday, November 11

19mi/1:59 - Rolling along with Najem on the marathon road in Grafton VT. I love this run. It's 8.5 miles of climbing followed by 11.5 of gradual downhill. Ferenc drove out and met us at the top of the climb. He rode his bike along side us and probably only pedalled twice the whole time. He was bundled up like an Eskimo and Najem and I shed our shirts after 13 miles of running. We ran through the town of Grafton and there was a guy hammering around a turn coming towards us. My first thoughts were, "man this guy looks legit!" Turns out it was Fyffe coming to meet us. We ran the last 4 miles together and finished under 2hrs. Awesome day! Total for the week: 72 miles with 2 great workouts and a nice long run.

Saturday, November 10

11mi*/75min in Marlborough with Fyffe and Miller. After a nice warm up we did a tough hill workout on Mark's road. We did 8 hills with a jog back down for recovery. Result: 86,84,81,80,79,76,79,77

Friday, November 9

Am: 4mi/30min on the roads. pm: 8mi/52:30 with Griffin. Saw some hunters and hikers. Heard a deer grunt. It was probably a hunter blowing his deer call when we ran by. Glad that Griffin and I were dressed in blaze orange and moving too fast to shoot!

Thursday, November 8

1mile with kids at school. Lifted weights. Feeling lazy in the pm.

Wednesday, November 7

Am: 3mi/19min with Griffin on roads. 8.7 shuttle run in PE class. Grabbed rim on 10ft. Legs feeling snappy and fresh. Pm: 10mi*/66min with a track workout. 8x400 with 200 rest. result: (67,66,65,64,63,63,62,61) with Najem (Andy,Ben, and Fyffe there also) I'm really pleased with this effort. Feeling fit and fast.

Tuesday, November 6

Am:2miles with kids at school. Lifted weights. Pm:3mi/19min in Pisgah with Griffin + 3 x 8sec hill sprints. I need to make these hill sprints a weekly habit. I want to build to 8 x 8sec.

Monday, November 5

Am: 4miles with kids at school. Lot's of pushups. Pm: 7mi/48min in Pisgah with Griffin. Legs a wee tired.

Sunday, November 4

17mi/1:52 with Najem and Fyffe. Great run. Awesome day, feeling good. Total for the week: 80 miles, 3 days lifting, a speed workout and a nice long run. I need to keep this going.

Saturday, November 3

Am:9mi/58min in Pisgah with Griffin. Lifted weights. Pm:13mi/1:27 on Saxton's River trails with Boj, Lena and Ellie. Ran with the girls because Ferenc is sick. Great day of running and hanging with bros.

Friday, November 2

2mi with kids at school. Had an xc meet.

4x800 World Record 35-39

I'm excited about the idea of getting a team of New Englanders together to go after the world record in the 4x800 indoors for 35-39 year olds. Mike Galoob approached me about this idea this summer after a trail race. I loved the idea! The problem is we're having difficulties finding able bodies that are interested.

So here is my idea: We'll have a "try out" of sorts at the BU Mini Meets. Run an open 800. If you run 2:04-2:02 you hit the B Standard for the team. If you run 2:01 or faster, that's the A Standard. We would need to average 2:02.xx to get the record. This would give a person 3 attempts to hit the standard as there are 3 Mini Meets (I believe). The goal would then be to select the team and then go for the record at Terrier Classic in late January. This would give people 3 weeks to sharpen up for the record attempt. (I'd have to contact the meet director to make sure we could race there) If we fell short we could always try again at a later date. I would be running the "try out" as well. I'm planning to do at least 2 800's at the Mini Meets and hoping to hit the A Standard. I ran a 1:59 in 2010 and a 2:00 in 2011. I'm confident I can hit those times again.

If you're reading this and are 35 or older, and want to be a world record holder, contact me at ghammett@sau29.org or leave a comment on this blog. Hope to see people at the Mini Meets!

 -Greg

p.s If we get a lot of people interested maybe we could have 2 teams gunning for the record. That would make it even more exciting.

Thursday, November 1

Am: 2miles with kids at school. pm: 8mi/51:30 in Pisgah with Griffin. Legs feel very good. Lifted weights.

Wednesday, October 31

10mi*/67min Back on the track for the first time since August 29th. I was a little frightened going into this maybe because of the ghosts and goblins that were out or maybe it was the rust on the old legs. I was happy to do this workout with Andy and Brad. 16-12-8-4-2 all with 400 rest. Result: 5:10-3:44-2:24-64-29. I felt great. There was also a freshman heptathlete that runs for Princeton doing a workout sharing the track with us old guys that are still chasing it.

Tuesday, October 30

Am: 9mi/58min in Pisgah. Nice run. Pm: 7mi/48min at Grafton Ponds with Ferenc and the girls. Feeling fine. Saw 2 snow buntings in the parking lot.

Monday, October 29

3mi/19min on the roads before the storm. I could have run more but I thought the storm was coming sooner. We had the strongest wind gusts from 4:30-7:30pm. No damage or power outages.

Sunday, October 28

19mi/2:09 in Pisgah. Solo. Jen and I preregistered for Busa Bushwhack but we just didn't feel like driving that far. Great decision! I had a much needed long run in the best trails around. Total for the week: 75 miles. I want to do a track workout and lift 3 times next week. Similar mileage. I hope the storm isn't too crazy.

Saturday, October 27

9mi/65min with Boj at Derryfield Park. We watched the NH State XC meets. If it were Rhode Island they'd call them the class meets which makes more sense to me. Had fun. It brought back memories to 1994 when I raced there at New England's.

Friday, October 26

Am: 4miles with kids at school. One of the 8th grade girls can roll! Of course she plays soccer. Pm: 10mi/65min with Griffin in Pisgah. I felt a little sluggish out there but the weather was so great I didn't care. Ended up running a decent time for the loop. Had a deer tick crawling on me. What is this Rhode Island?

Thursday, October 25

Am: 2miles with kids at school. pm: 10mi/67min with Fyffe. Great run. Feeling good.

Wednesday, October, 24

Am: 2 miles with kids at school. Pm: 2 miles with xc team. Pm: 3 miles with Griffin, MC, and Jimmy. Lifted weights. I need a good run tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 23

4miles with kids at school. Body is really sore didn't feel like running in pm.

Monday, October 22

Am: 2 miles ran with health class doing Turkey Trot prep. Pm: 8mi/56:26 in Pisgah with Griffin. Nice and easy run. My legs are sore from the race yesterday. cool bird sighting: saw a kestrel carrying a junco. (Not while running)

Playing catch up

Week of sept 24-30: 50 miles with DeMar Marathon 2:37:04 Disappointing race. Faded at 18 blew up at 22 Tapered too long; peaked at pisgah 2 weeks earlier Week of oct 1-7: 11 miles recovery week took 5 days off limped around for 3 days Week of oct 8-14: 67 miles won a wiffle ball tournament with Fyffe and Boj(he was nasty on the mound 8ks) Ran the 8k in the pinnacle challenge 25:36 pr but some claim it's short which is believable seeing how crappy my body felt Week of oct 15-21: 66 miles ran a great 10mi fartlek workout 59:49 total time Raced the granite state 10miler 55:25(5:33) 1st place this was my longest road race win. Pulled away from Connor Jennings Around 2 miles ran solo the rest of the way. It was a beautiful day on a tough hilly course. miles: 5:30,5:41,5:41,5:32,5:35,5:41,5:33,5:21,5:15,5:31 Looking forward I want to start doubling again and lift 3 x a week. I also will be able to get back to the track for Wednesday workouts now that xc is just about finished. I'm excited for some trail races this fall and gearing up for big things on the indoor track. I'm looking to break the world record for the 4x800 for 35-39 year olds. I just need two more interested guys with the ability to run 2:02 or faster.

September 29, 2012

7mi/47min in Pisgah with Griffin. Gray damp day. Ready for tomorrow.

September 28, 2012

0miles. Oh well tapering anyway. Didn't feel like running in the cold rain.

September 27, 2012

0miles. Had an xc meet. I did win a game of 2 bounce 21-0 where I hit the first shot and then 19 straight free throws. Feeling good.

September 26, 2012

7miles in pisgah with Griffin. The maples in the beaver ponds are at peak color right now. The gray day makes them seem even brighter. I was really active at school today. Ultimate Frisbee, dodgeball, and dunking. Fun stuff!

September 25, 2012

10 miles. 1mi w/XC team + 9mi in pisgah with Griffin. Nice run. Great weather.

September 24, 2012

Took a zero. Had an xc meet. Body a wee sore from stacking wood on Saturday.

Pisgah 23K

I decided to do the short race this year because I’m racing the Clarence Demar Marathon on September 30th. I figured doing the 50K and then trying to race well at Demar would be a bad move. So the short race it was. I hadn’t done the 23K since 2007. That year, Elijah died a couple weeks before the race and I wanted to break the course record in his honor. I was successful, hitting the tape in 1:32:55 while racing in a monsoon. In 2009, Ferenc lowered the record to 1:30:45. My goal for this year was to break Ferenc’s record and run sub 1:30. I was not feeling super confident that I could get Ferenc’s record on race morning, as the day before I had one of the worst pre-race shake out runs of my life. My cold had returned and my legs felt horrible. I told myself it would be ok, even if I didn’t get the record at least I would probably win as I didn’t think the 23K field was going to be loaded. Those thoughts quickly changed when I saw Eric MacKnight. “Crap, what’s he doing here?” I thought to myself. Suddenly the field was stacked with a guy that runs a 1:07 half marathon. Gulp. This was not going to be easy. I told my older brother Jonny my fears and he told me to just out trail run him. Ok, great advice. The race started and MacKnight and I took the lead. I jokingly sent him the wrong way at the first turn onto Horseshoe Rd. I instantly felt bad and slowed down for him to rejoin me once he got back on course. We ran past my dad snapping pics in the parking lot, arriving in 9:30. We plunged down the hill and into the trails with Eric in the lead. When we turned onto Reservoir Rd, the climbing started. Eric looked strong as hell and very snappy on these early climbs. I was hurting badly already and my breathing was really labored. He slowly pulled away from me while we climbed. I thought to myself that my race was over, he was going to beat me by 5min and I was going to run a crappy time. He had 10-12 seconds on me by the time we hit the Monadnock Vista on Reservoir. As the climbing ended I slowly started to reel him in on the downhills and flats. We hit the climb by North Ponds trail and he only had 3 seconds on me. I was able to catch him on the following downhill and run on his shoulder to the Ridge trail. My confidence was starting to climb, but so was the trail. He lead and looked strong on the ups. He seemed to be having trouble changing gears and rolling on the little downhills and flats after the steep climbs. He asked if I wanted to pass and I went for it. He was right behind me on the steepest part of the ridge and I pulled away from him after that. I really made sure to roll on the technical downhills. I hit the summit of the ridge in 47:11 and let out a scream for Elijah’s salute. From there the race was pretty uneventful. I tried to stay relaxed and fast on the climbs and roll on the downhill and technical sections. I was scared that MacKnight might come back on me, but when I peeked back I couldn’t see him. When I got to the Kilburn parking lot I saw my dad again and glanced at my watch before hitting the Davis Hill trail. It read 59:22. I knew it would be close, so I shut my watch off. I did this in 2007 also. I needed to just keep pushing. I saw Fred Ross at the top of Davis. I ran Hubbard with no issues and really blasted the down. Fyffe and Ferenc were cheering for me as I came off the final turn of Hubbard and exited the park onto my road. This got me really fired up. I was thinking about getting the record, I was thinking about winning on my home course, and I was thinking about Elijah and that it was bullshit that he went too soon. I charged by my house where I heard Griffin cheering for me and then I hit the road hill. Wow. My legs almost cramped here and I felt like I really slowed. I was able to roll again into the finishing turn by the stop sign. People were cheering for me and saying I was going to break the record. I sprinted with everything I had and hit the tape. 1:28:55 New course record! I was extremely satisfied. After the race I drank some Gatorade and a coke and cheered home the other runners. Jonny ran a monster p.r. which was not a surprise at all. Glenn ran decently and looked good and Jen ran a p.r. which was a surprise! I didn’t think she was in that kind of shape, but I guess trail experience makes a big difference! It was a fun day and I loved watching the 50K ers go by from my front lawn. Boj and James both looked strong. They obviously prepared well for it. Next year, I’m doing the 50K.

End of Keenyan Summer

My goal heading into the ten weeks of summer was to get 1000 miles. From June 25th-Sept 2nd, I ran 900 miles. I missed my goal but I'm still pleased. This is the most mileage I've ever done in the summer or a ten week span. Here's how rhe weeks went:
90
66
90
106
90
96
73
91
100
98
Total-900-90mpw average

I traveled in the 66mile week and only ran 5 days. In the 73 mile week I got sick with a stomach bug.
It took me about 7 or 8 weeks before my legs started feeling good. Moving forward, I'd like to keep doubling and shooting for 90-100 miles per week. We'll see how possible that is with teaching and coaching.

Ridge p.r.

I just set a new pr to the top of pisgah ridge in 48:57. It was a bit of a surprise because I'm a little sore from Monday's run down Mt. Washington. I hit the ridge trail at 35 flat and did the climb in 13:57. My old pr was 49:02. I hit the ridge trail in 34 flat that day. This was probably my fastest time climbing ever. (I can't be sure that I didn't go faster racing some of my friends up this climb over the years...but I doubt it)
After hitting the top, I hung out for a while. I found ashes and a picture of someone's dog in a ziplock bag. It was a nice tribute and made me think of my old friends Pisgah and Elijah. There are some good spirits and energy out in that forest! I shut it down and cruised back home enjoying the beautiful day.

Mt. Washington

Yesterday Ferenc and I drove up to the Whites to run up Mt. Washington. The weather was perfect. We took the Edmands path up to the Crawford path. This was the toughest climbing of the day. Once we got on the Crawford path it was all ridge running above tree line. It was gorgeous up there. My biggest worry was rolling my ankle from not watching the trail. The views were spectacular! We reached the lake of the clouds hut after 1:13 of running. We stopped for a quick bathroom break then on to the summit of Washington. The trail got very rocky after the hut, but they were large slabs that gave excellent footing. We topped out after 1:38:12 of running. It was my first time on the mountain and at the summit. There was no wind at all and it felt hot. We hung out on top for a while then headed down. It was really fun running down. It took total concentration. We hit the Edmands path and really ran fast in spots. We got down in 1:14:47 for a total time of 2:53:00. What an awesome day! I'm envious that JJ and Tilton live so close. I would love ro come back and spend more time out there. I want to do a Presi traverse soon.

35

Well yesterday I turned 35. I remember when I turned 30, I told myself that I would back off with the running at 35. I'd stop racing so much, do less mileage, and not be so obsessed with pr's. I told myself I'd lift more, play more basketball, soccer, and volleyball. I'd maybe start doing karate, I always wanted a black belt.

Well, screw that! All that will have to wait another year (or 50!!). I'm having way too much fun. I have some lofty goals. I want to pr at 5k this Saturday. I want to break Ferenc's course record at the Pisgah 23k. I want to go sub 2:30 at the Demar Marathon. I'd also like to break the world record in the 4x800 indoors for 35-39 year olds. My running has been going great and I'm handling the higher mileage well. I'm looking forward to going for these goals and I'm having a blast getting out the door every day and running with my friends.

106

I got 106 miles for the week. Had 3 speed days and ended the week with a 22 miler. Tired but feeling satisfied.

3 am

Just got back from a nice 10 miler with Fyffe. He has to work major overtime today so we ran early. We left his house at 2:57 am by the light of his headlamp. Good thing his worked because my batteries were just about dead. We saw a few bats. Glad to know they're not extinct. We also saw an owl and some cool heat lightening. This is the earliest I've ever run. I'm looking forward to the track workout this afternoon. It seems far away!

ARE Trail Running Camp

Last week from July 11th-15th I was in the Adirondacks at Dippikill Wilderness Retreat for trail running camp. I had a blast. I worked as a counselor and lead group runs through the woods on beautiful trails. The campers were adults and almost entirely women. It made for a fun and interesting dynamic. I enjoyed seeing there enthusiasm for trail running and willingness to take risks and try something new as many of them were new to the sport. I also got to spend a lot of time running with Tim VanOrden, Josh Merlis, and Ray Webster, and hanging out with the other counsellors. The people I met and got to know better were fantastic and that was the best part of camp. Some other high lights included: Seeing a black bear on a run with the counsellors, seeing and hearing immature barred owls begging for food all night, tubing down the Hudson River, seeing a grey fox, seeing a couple bald eagles, seeing a snowshoe hare, doing karaoke, watching the talent show, and racing in the Froggy 5 miler.

The race was a big deal because all of the counsellors were involved in friendly smack talking and the campers were really excited to see who would get the victory. I became pretty nervous before the race and realized I really wanted to win this thing. I knew Ray and Josh were solid trail runners but I was especially worried about TiVo who's been racing really well and was the course record holder. I took the lead at the gun and was running fast around the first mile loop befote we headed into the woods for the real trail running. Josh, Ray and Tim were right on me. Ray sprinted into the lead as a joke to put on a show for his girlfriend. For a second I thought he was going to hold on. We passed Ray and headed down the dirt road hill at a high speed. We turned into the woods and the climbing and real technical trail running began. I was moving fast and trying to stay relaxed with Josh and Tim right on my tail. We started up the big climb up Dippikill Mtn and I was able to gap those guys by a little bit. On the descent Tim caught back up to me and Josh seemed to have cracked. I tried to run the downhills fast but relaxed to save my legs for the final mile which was all uphill. Tim stayed right on my back. My strategy worked as I was able to pull away on the final climb. I hit the line in 34:22 a new course record by 2 minutes. Tim was 20 seconds back and Josh hung tough just 7 seconds behind him. It felt great to win and I joked that it was the biggest race of my life because of all the pressure I put on myself to win to impress the campers.

My Blog Sucks

My blog sucks. I'm sick of writing it but I still enjoy reading others. I can't be the only one who feels this way as many of my friends and teammates have stopped keeping up with theirs. I'm even sick of comparing my training to other people's. We're all different. Who gives a shit if somebody I race does more mileage or more hills or more races. I used to go into races only knowing what I've done to prepare. Now I know what just about everyone around me has done.
I'll still keep a run log on paper which I've done since I started running. I might even occasionally post a race report or something here, but I'm not gonna even try to keep my run log on here.

Keenyan Summer

I have some big mileage goals for the summer: 10 weeks 1000 miles. I know my racing will suffer as a result but hoping to cash in this fall with some fast times. I have some traveling in July which will make it tough, but I'm going to try my best to get the runs in and enjoy the trips.

Last week was my final week of school and I travelled to New York. The result: a 43 mile week. At least I'll be rested heading into the first big week of summer training.

So far on pace. Monday 14, Tuesday 15.

Last 2 weeks June 4th-17th

I ran 52miles and then followed that week with a 58mile week. It's safe to say the marathon is out of my legs now. Time to build up for a big summer of miles. Shooting for 1000miles in ten weeks once school is finally out. I raced on June 10th at the Newton 10k running a lack luster 33:43. Legs still flat from VCM. I was able to help the team but wish I had more in the tank. I'm really excited to train and get after it.

Monday, June 4th

10mi/70min - Ran on the Westmoreland tracks with Najem, Ferenc and Griffin. We were going to run at Fyffe 's but he
got stuck at work. My legs feel good and I'm back in business.

Recovery runs

Mon - 0
Tues - 0
Wed - 5mi/35min - w/Griffin in Pisgah. A bit sore.
Thurs - 0 - had the 6th grade meet. My kids ran great!
Fri - 8mi/60min - w/Ferenc and the girls. Feeling good. A little lingering fatigue in legs
Sat - 8mi/54min - w/Najem, Ferenc and Griffin on the Westmoreland trails in the rain. Thank goodness my bros were there, would have been tough to run on my own in the down pour. Legs good
Sun - 10mi/69min in Pisgah w/Fyffe, Najem and Griffin. Good run.
Total - 31miles

Back on the horse - Wed May 30th

5mi/35 min in Pisgah with Griffin. It was great to run again out in the forest with Griffin. I still had some lingering mild soreness in my legs. Mentally, I'm in a good spot with VCM. I learned some things and I can't wait to start really getting after it. I plan on getting back into lifting and doing doubles. I'm really itching to trail race too.

Vermont City Marathon

I'll let my miles tell the story. It was a tough day.
1mi - 5:34 - Running with Fyffe and Ferenc. Feel great. This is awesome!
2mi - 5:29 - downhill through the city. Loving life.
3/4mi - 11:09 - missed my 3mile mark. Ferenc pulling away from me. Fyffe dropping back a little. Running solo.
5mi - 5:40
6mi - 5:47 - heading uphill on the belt way. Feel great!
7/8mi - 11:13 - on the belt way. Hi Jen! Leaders looking good. Passed by a relay guy.
9/10mi - 11:22 (56:16) Feeling good. Nate brigham caught me and we ran together.
11mi - 5:37 - back through downtown high 5 Goupil and McKnight. I'm super pumped. Feel relaxed and confident. I'm gonna run a big pr today!
12mi - 5:49 through neighborhoods. High5 some kids. Nate brigham pulls away. Not worried feeling decent.
13mi - 5:54 - Am I starting to get slower? Hmmm. This could be a bad sign.
14mi - 5:53 - wind in my face near the lake. Saw an osprey. Getting a little worried that I am running the same effort but they are not 5:40's. This could be a bad omen. Don't panic. Breathing is relaxed.
15mi - 6:04 - Wtf? I'm over 6. I start thinking bad thoughts. My legs are getting heavy and the big hill is looming in front of me.
16mi - 6:24 - big hill. Drummers are awesome. I point at them and give them the thumbs up. I wish they were higher up the hill. Legs heavy but it's a hill I'll recover on the flats like I always do. Right?
17mi - 6:15 - Are you shitting me? I'm still in the 6's? My legs are officially fatigued. I still have 9 miles to go. I expected this at 24miles not 17. I now know for sure my race is over. Nobody is passing me though. Weird. I will drop out. There is no way I can finish.
18/19mi - 12:50 - I was gonna drop at 18 then 19. Too many people cheering for me though. The neighborhoods are hell. I am hot and thirsty and my friggin hips are killing me. I can't take the ice pops because they're not at an official aid station and I don't want to get dq'd even though I'm definitely dropping at 20. I gotta be smart. My legs are killing me and I want to live to fight another day. Where is that 20mile mark?
20mi - 7:07 (1:58:13) - I start walking into this aid station. Thank god. I can finally quit. The last 3 miles have been hell. I'm death marching. People start cheering for me. "Go #6! You look great!" Shit. I can't drop here. There are too nany people. I'll slog onward to mile 21- where there will be less people and I can drop out with a little dignity. My legs are fried and feel worse than dog shit.
21mi - 7:32 - my vision is a little blurry my hamstring cramped my stomach is a little upset, but I finally made it. I can now drop out. I'm a total failure and a big pussy. What a joke. Me an invited athlete? Ha! Well at least I can dropare out and the misery right here at this mile mark with almost no people. The people. They cheer and tell me I look strong and great and amazing. Those lying assholes! I think one even said that they were proud of me. Shit. I can't drop here. I better run on to 22mi to drop. There is no way I can finish. 5 miles will destroy my body.
22mi - 8:05 - my legs cramped again. I'm here the place to finally end this suffer-fest shit show. I walk into the aid station grab 3 cups of water and pour them on my head. The volunteers go nuts. I guzzle two Gatorade cups at once. They hoot and holler. I pour more water on my head then head off for the finish.
23mi - 7:46 - on the bike path. Hurting but not going to quit.
24mi - 7:24 - I'm having fun. Smiling from ear to ear. Legs destroyed spirits lifted.
25mi - 6:50 - This is awesome. I think about Elijah and I tell him there is no quit in this mo fo!
26mi - 6:48 - Kasie Enman flies by me in this mile. I tell her great job. She's tough! Almost done.
26.2 - 1:25 (2:44:07) 21st place. Wow glad to be done. First thing I see is Ferenc being interviewed and he's smiling so i know he had a good day. Matty p won and we chatted a while. Then I waited with Jason Porter for Jen to finish. I was pumped to see her break 4 hrs. I ran slow but had a great time and I will be back!

Saturday, May 26th

3mi/21min on the Burlington roads with Fyffe and Ferenc. It was hot out. Did two striders after.

Friday, May 25th

0miles - Had the CVL Track Championships. It was fun. My girls broke their own 4x100 record taking 6th, the boys got 6th in the 4x200.

Ups - Thursday, May 24th

0mi - The workout yesterday did the trick. My legs had been feeling sluggish. Today I was feeling springy. I lowered one of the hoops at school to 8 and a half feet. Then I unloaded on the rim. Tomahawks, reverses, 360's, and the occasional self alley-oop windmill two-hander with maximal knee lift and a backboard slap for good measure. Tapering is going well and the weather forecast is looking better and better. Bring on the marathon, I'm ready for a slam dunk.

Back on track - Wednesday,May 23rd

10mi*/66min - This is the first time in 3 weeks that I've made it to the Wednesday workout. I've had track meets. It was nice to get back out there. Mile - 4x200 - mile (5:36,34 avg,5:38) 200 rest w/Fyffe. Felt nice and easy. Just sharpening for Vermont City. Miller, George, Dan, and Brad there too. Hot and humid.

Tuesday, May 22nd

3mi/24min - in Friedsam w/track team
8mi/52min in Pisgah with Griffin. Felt great out there. Saw a beaver.

Double Bagel-May20-21

I got the good old double bagel, Robert Parish, or snake eyes. Whatever you want to call it. 0 Sun 0 Mon. Last week was a 40 mile week. I guess it's ok. I'm supposed to be tapering. Monday I had a track meet. Sunday I was just being lazy.

Saturday, May 19th Bedford 12k

15mi/1:30 - Bedford 12k - 39:59(5:22) 22nd place.
This was a fairly disappointing race. I was looking forward to running a pr that would be a good confidence booster going in to Vermont City. I felt flat and sluggish on my warm up and my quads were a little sore. I've been messing around with my running form lately and I think that's the reason for the unusual soreness. I know: dumb idea to mess arohnd so close to the marathon. Lesson learned! Seems like a lame excuse for a bad race but I honestly believe it was a factor. During the race I was running with teammates Al Bernier, Mike Quintal, and Kevin Tilton. I had a rough last mile as a train went by me and I couldn't latch on. Al passed me and we yo yo'd a few times before he finally dropped me on the little hill before the track. I did sneak out a 1 second pr and finished 5th for CMS as we won the team title. Jen ran a 9 minute pr! Wow! I'm jealous!

Friday, May 18th

8mi/52min - On the westmoreland tracks with Najem, Ferenc, and the girls. Nice and easy run. Tomorrow I'm racing the Bedford 12k. I will be very disappointed if I don't pr. I ran 40:00 2 years ago. I'm hoping for 39 flat. My legs didn't feel gteat today, but I'm not worried or overly concerned.

Thursday, May 17th

9mi/59min - I was having motivational issues again but I was glad to get it done. It was gorgeous weather out there. I saw 2 beavers out on the Lily Trail.

Wednesday, May 17th

0mi - Had a track meet today. My girls set school records in both relays. Run tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 15th

8mi/51:30 - Thanks to Crazy Larry I got this run in today. I wasn't motivated to run because of the rain. Then I remembered what Crazy Larry asked Nick Cash in college. "Are you gonna be a pu*%y your whole life?" My answer today was "no". I can't remember what Nick Cash answered on that fateful day. Ask Boj. He might actually remember.

Monday, May 14th

0 miles - I was feeling lazy today. My body is a little tired from yesterday's 19 miler. I've been having problem with blogger so I think I'm going to try the one day format.

Last 3 weeks April 23rd - May 13th

April 23-29 69 miles highlights: 16-8-8-4x4 w half rest (4:49,2:23,2:21,72,70,68,64) James Joyce 10k - 32:45 p.r. 9th place April 30-May 6 61miles highlights: 10mi progression run. 58:46(last 1.5 sub5 pace) Chesterfield 5k -16:54 new c.r. (very hilly course) 22miler with 6 at 5:40 pace. Tired from race. Was gonna do 10-12 at mp May 7-13 65miles highlights: 2 14mi runs 19miles with Fyffe in 1:58. Great run!

Last two weeks - April 9th - 22nd

M - 0
T - 10mi
W- 0
R - 13mi
F - 3/14
S - 14
S - 14* w/5mile race -26:23 (4:55,4:59,5:07,5:56,5:23) I'm not sure if that 4th mile was long or if I just died.  It seems to me that it was a little long.  It would have been a 4mile p.r. with my other 4miles-20:25.  I'll take it.
Total - 68mi

M - 10mi
T- 10/5
W - 8mi* workout: 200-400 x 4 (36,71,35,69,34,68,32,61) 200rest.  Feel Great!
R - 14mi* - Ran up Mt. Monadnock w/Miller.  Perfect day on the mountain.
F - 7mi
S - 15mi
S - 17mi in Gilsum woods w/George, Fyffe, and Ferenc. 
Total - 86mi

I have 5 weeks until Vermont City Marathon.  I need some long m.p. runs and to get my mileage up a bit.  Feeling pretty good.

Week of April 2nd-8th

Monday - 7mi/47min in Pisgah w/Griffin.  Legs pretty sore today.  Started track.

Tuesday - 14mi/1:28 in Pisgah w/Ferenc, Fyffe, George, and the Girls.  Beautiful weather.  Had a great run.

Wednesday - 11mi*/72min - track workout - 2mi (10:35) 400rest 1mi (5:09) 400rest 4x200(34sec) w/Ferenc.  (Miller, James, George, and Chris there too). O.k. workout.  The wind was tough.  We were supposed to do 2x3mile but we weren't feeling it.  It's nice that we were both thinking the same thing.  Rain and hail came down for 10 minutes or so.

Thursday - 0mi

Friday - 3mi/26min with track team in Friedsam Forest + 8mi/51min in Pisgah w/Griffin.  Starting to get sick.  Losing my voice.  My legs feel great though.

Saturday - 22mi*/2:25 - Northern Nipmuck 16+mi trail race - 2:05:10 - 1st place.
I went down with Boj early on Saturday morning.  We rocked out on the way down, unfortunately, I couldn't sing because I had no voice.  He hit all the notes just fine without me. 
I was hoping to be under Ferenc's record of 1:59:25 set in 2008.  He is definitely one of the best trail runner's to ever lace up a pair or sneakers, so taking down his record would be extra sweet.  The course was changed this year, it was about 9 tenths of a mile longer with 4 wheel drive roads added to the start to avoid bottle necking, so there was some good news and bad news.  The bad news was I wouldn't be taking down Ferenc's record.  The good news was if I could win, I would set the new course record.  I took off fairly fast with Ross Krause following very closely through the new fast running section.  After 2miles, we hit the original single track trail and Ross hung tough.  I was wearing my Saucony Kinvaras and they felt horribly un-nimble on the technical sections.  I guess it was a bad shoe choice.  I usually wear my Inov -8's but they really beat my body up in the longer races, but they are very fast and nimble. 
At the first aid station around 4miles, I started to put a little day light between myself and Ross.  This is where the running gets a little tough as there is a lot of climbing.  After those climbs the trail opens up and is really fast for a while before getting to the twisty climbing ridge section before aid station #2 at the turn around.  I felt good for the first half of the race, which I usually do.  Hitting the turn around in over an hour I knew that the new course was definitely longer, though I didn't feel like I was running very fast compared to other years.  Climbing out of aid station #2 is one of the toughest climbs of the race, it makes me think of 7 Sisters a little bit, but it's not quite as tough.  Here is where the real work begins, the 2nd half seems brutal.  I think it's impossible to even or negative split this race.  I ran pretty well all the way until the last aid station (#3 - 12miles) I knew I had a decent lead on Ross, but this last 4mile section to the finish usually does me in.  I ended up hurting pretty bad and walking some of the hills.  The last mile is great as it is all down hill.  It was nice to hit the finish line in 2:05:10.  I was pleased to get the win.  This is the 3rd time I've won this race now.  The Kinvaras may have been a bad choice for this technical course, but the extra cushioning they provide worked.  My legs felt good enough to run a short cool down.  Usually wearing the Inov-8's, I can barely walk after this race. 

Sunday - 5mi/35min - I ran in Cawley Forest w/Griffin.  I think this is the name of this park in a town outside of Norfolk, MA.  It's a cool little place to run.  My legs feel amazingly good.  I am sick, have absolutely no voice.  Feel a wee bit run down.

Total - 70mi

Week of March 26th - April 1st

Monday - 10mi/63min on Pinnacle Mtn w/Ferenc, Fyffe, and the Girls.  Ferenc was feeling fresh and killing us up the climb early.  I took over the leading duties and slowed it down.  Very windy.

Tuesday - 10mi/69min in Pisgah w/George and Griffin.  Nice and easy run.  Beautiful day out in the woods.

Wednesday - 11mi*/75min - track workout 4-4-8-16-8-4-4 (70,70,2:24,4:58,2:20,70,67) w/half rest.  Ran w/Fyffe and Miller a few steps ahead on the first 8 and 16.  Was able to run with them for the rest of the workout.  I felt pretty tired going into this so I was pleased with the outcome.  (Boj, James, George, and Chris there too).  Lifted weights.

Thursday - 14mi/1:28 in Pisgah w/Ferenc and the Girls.  Great run.  Saw Chris Hayhurst out there.  What's he doing running in my forest?  Legs good today.

Friday - 0mi.  Lot's of dunking at school.  9'2" two hands - two feet, reverses, one handers.  Lifted weights.

Saturday - 12mi*/1:16 - Fast Friends 4.5mi - 24:14(5:23) 4th place.  Man this race course is tough.  I had a good warm up with McKnight, Miller, and Matt Clark.  At the start of the race McKnight took off fast.  I hung behind Fyffe a few ticks.  Mark surged after the big down hill on Ash Hill and Fyffe just slowly put a couple seconds per mile on me.  I was thinking it would have been nice to quit at 3miles and again at 4miles.  The last half mile through the neighborhood is brutal.  I was a few seconds slower than the last 2 attempts, but oh well.  Here are my miles (5:11, 5:24, 5:25, 5:27, 2:43).  Had a nice cool down with a big group and then had fun at Andy's after. 


Sunday - 19mi*/2:01 on the Putney Rds w/Ferenc and Fyffe.  Great run.  We were rolling along enjoying the nice weather.  My legs feel pretty good.

Total - 76miles

Week of March 19th - 25th

Monday - 8mi/56min in Pisgah w/Griffin.  Nice and easy legs tired from the half marathon.  Hot weather 76 degrees.

Tuesday - 14mi/1:34 in Pisgah w/Ferenc and the Girls. Hot weather again.  Legs tired.

Wednesday - 0miles

Thursday - 18mi/2:01 in Saxton's River Trails w/Ferenc, Boj, the Girls, and Whistle.  Wow.  That was a tough run.  I'm fried and tired.  It was hot out there.  Lifted weights.

Friday - 0miles - Hiked with the Outing Club after school.  Feeling lazy after.

Saturday - 14mi*/1:25 on the Keene Rds. w/Fyffe.  Did a 6mile warm up then did 2 x 3mile pick-up (5:45,5:30,5:41) 1mile recovery (5:23,5:43,5:26) Good workout! Saw 2 breeding Merlins from the Keene High parking lot. 

Sunday - 22mi*/2:29 in the Gilsum Woods w/George, Ferenc, and Fyffe.  Awesome run. Felt good the whole way.  Dawson (George's 12 yr old son) ran the last 3+ miles with us.  Enjoyed some pizza after.  I saw a Northern Harrier flying low over some fields in Westmoreland on the ride home.  Nice bird sightings this weekend.

Total - 76miles.  Good week.  2 days off.  Nice and low delta.  I'll get more mileage next week and lift twice.  Keep up the stretching and yoga.  My lower back was tight at the beginning of week, but better now.

Week of March 12th - 18th

Monday - 8mi/55min in Pisgah w/Fyffe and Griffin.  Beautiful sunny day.  I left Jen in the woods waiting for me at the gate, while we ran home.  Oops!

Tuesday - 0mi

Wednesday - 10mi*/67min - Track workout 10x200m(32-31 sec avg) w/Fyffe and George.(James there also).  Nice and easy workout.  Lifted weights.

Thursday - 9mi/63min in Pisgah w/Ferenc and the Girls.  Trails are 100% clear of snow and ice.  Usually they're not clear until the 2nd week of April.  Lower back is tight.

Friday - 8mi/52min in Pisgah w/Griffin.  Good run saw some wood ducks and black ducks.  I did some yoga to loosen up my back.  It seemed to help.

Saturday - 5mi/35min in Pisgah w/Griffin and (Jen).  Drove down to Norfolk, MA to stay with Jen's brother's family the night before New Bedford.

Sunday - 17mi*/1:45 - New Bedford Half Marathon - 1:12:45(5:33) 38th??  (I'm not in the results - faulty chip?)

I wasn't sure about my fitness for this race, but I thought I should be very close to last year's time (1:10:26) + or - 30sec.  I ended up really struggling out there and tanking.  I'm not sure what happened.  I really think the heat may have affected me a little bit.  I'm notoriously the biggest wimp I know in hot weather, I love running in the cold.  My breathing and legs felt fine, I just kept running slower.  I've noticed that trend with me in warmer weather.  I also dumped a lot of water on my head which is a sure sign that I was over-heated.  It wasn't that hot out, but that's really the only thing I can think of.  I'll let my miles tell the story:

1mi - 5:14 - felt very relaxed, no stress, breathing good
2mi - 5:18 - still relaxed, enjoying myself
3mi - 5:33 - hitting the hills, purposefully running very easy.  Others around me breathing heavier
4mi - 5:39 - in the hills, again holding back, last year I was hurting bad here, running w/Dan and Al
5mi - 5:17 - I felt fine, expected that mile to be a bit faster though
6mi - 5:25 - Dan V. running away from me, I'm slowing down, not sure why
7mi - 5:14 - That's more like it, feeling hot, this is my final push to get back on pace
8mi - 5:33 - that sucked, into the wind, group went by, couldn't latch on.  UH OH
9mi - 5:52 - Oh man.  I'm tanking.  Hold on, keep plugging away. 
10mi - 5:32 - 54:38 split.  That's 1min 10sec slower than last year.  Slower than DH Jones, I'm always faster here then at DH Jones.  I am hot.  Where's the water? 2 cups on the head.
11mi - 5:45 - Scott Leslie goes flying by. 
12mi - 5:44 - This hill sucks.  There goes Al Bernier
13.1mi - 6:35 - finally finished, that was rough!

I had a nice cool down with the guys and enjoyed a fish sandwich and some chowder. 

Total: 57miles for the week.  Time to go into Vermont City Mode!

Week of March 5th to 11th

Monday - 9mi/65min in Pisgah w/Garry, George, and Griffin.  Nice run.  Snow was firm and fast.

Tuesday - 9mi/66min in Pisgah w/Ferenc and the Girls.  Nice and easy.  Feeling good.

Wednesday - 12mi*/1:22 - Baker St. workout.  4x800 (2:29,2:27,2:26,2:19) + 4x200 (31,30,29,28)w/Najem.  (Boj and George there also)  Decent workout.

Thursday - 0mi.  Lifted weights.  Had a long meeting and just couldn't get motivated to get out the door for a run.

Friday - 14mi/1:34 in Pisgah w/Griffin.  Awesome run.  I ran out on Pisgah Ridge which was the first time in quite a while.  The trail is icy in the shady spots.  My lower back has been tight.

Saturday - 9mi*/55min - NHTI Sping Ahead 3mi - 15:15(5:05) 2nd place.  This was not a very good race.  I got dragged out too fast in the first 400m by Connor Jennings.  He's fast.  I was in oxygen debt and really hurting the rest of the race.  My 2nd mile was painfully slow, but it was into the wind, with the only little hill on the course.  I was going here looking for a nice workout, instead I got a race that really hurt way too early.  Jen ran well and it was a fun time.  Here are my miles (4:54, 5:17,5:02)

Sunday - 20mi*/2:05 on the Putney Rds. w/Fyffe.  This was an awesome run.  We were moving well the entire time.  The weather was gorgeous and my legs felt great.  I gained some fitness today.

Total - 73mi - I'm pleased with the long run, and the two speed days will boost my fitness.  Friday was a great run also.  This was a good week.  I need to lift 2 times next week and take it a little easier for New Bedford. 

February 27th to March 4th

Monday - 0mi - Sore and lazy today.

Tuesday - 5mi/34min around the Keene Rds after a meeting in Keene.  Still sore.

Wednesday - 9mi/64min in Pisgah w/Griffin.  2" of fresh powder and snow falling down.  I saw some snowshoe hare tracks and I started to follow them in the opposite direction of where it was going.  Ran into a coyote that was tracking the hare.  He ran when he saw Griffin and me. Lifted weights.

Thursday - 8miS.S./59min in Pisgah w/Griffin.  Had a snow day today.  10" of fresh snow.  First time on snowshoes all winter. Lifted weights and shovelled.

Friday - 0mi.  Went for a hike with Glenn, Jimmy, and Griffin.  Played in the staff vs student basketball game. 

Saturday - 9mi/58min in Caumsett Park, Long Island, NY.  Drove down for the 25/50K.  Ran 3 laps with Fyffe, and Najem.  Boj, Ferenc, and George ran 1 lap with us while Jen ran a lap.  Beautiful sunny weather.  Back stiff from long drive and shovelling.  Saw 29 hawks on the drive down. (2 Cooper's/27 Red Tails)

Sunday - 20mi*/2:10 - Caumsett 25K - 1:28:48(5:43) 4th place.  Here are my 5K laps (17:30, 17:21, 17:38, 17:56, 18:21)  I felt pretty good and enjoyed the course, but I definitely faded on the last lap.  I thought it would be fun to quit at 20K, but endured the last lap.  I was about a minute faster last year.  I'm a little behind in my fitness thanks to a weak February of training.  I need to rally and get ready for New Bedford.  It was a great weekend.  George definitely had the race of the weekend.

Total - 52mi - I should have run more miles.  Caumsett was a great workout for New Bedford in 2 weeks.  Get the miles up next week. 

Week of February 20th-26th

Monday - 15mi/1:39 on Putney Rds with Fyffe, Ferenc and Najem. Legs a wee sore and fatigued but it was a good run. Went for a couple nice walks. The stars were amazing at night and Mars, Jupiter and Venus all looked huge.

Tuesday - 8mi/57min on Grafton trails with Ferenc, Boj and the girls. Nice easy run. Beautiful day. It got me excited about running more trails. Lifted weights.

Wednesday - am: 6mi/38min in Pisgah with Griffin and (Jen). Nice warm weather. Griffin and I had fun hanging out at the vistas waiting for Jen. (R) piriformis sore.
pm: 10mi*/68min. Track workout. 2mi(10:20) 800rest + 1000(3:00) + 2 x 800(2:25,2:25) 400rest. I'm pretty satisfied with this workout. I did the 2mi with Fyffe and Ferenc. (Brad, Boj and James there too)

Thursday - 8mi/55min in Pisgah with Ferenc and the girls and Jimmy. My body is tired today. Lifted weights. Saw grackles and red winged blackbirds today. A real sign of spring.

Friday - 10mi/65min on the Putney Rds with Fyffe and Ferenc. Bitter damp weather. Ran in a deep heavy mist. My hands were cold at the end. Played some guitars after. Man, we rock!! Too funny.

Saturday - 0mi.  A nice lazy day.  Getting pumped for DH Jones.

Sunday - 15mi*/1:30 - DH Jones 10mi - 54:10(5:25) 18th.  This was a pretty good race.  I went out a hair too fast to try and get on the back of the lead pack, to get out of the wind.  I started to hurt as we climbed in mile 3 and 4.  I recovered and rolled with a pack of BAA guys and Kevin Tilton for a few miles.  At around 7.5miles our pack really split up and I ran the rest of the way with a GBTC runner that I didn't recognize.  The final hill was very tough into the wind.  Judson Cake passed with me about a half mile to go.  I held off the GBTC runner to take 18th in 54:10.  This was 1 second slower than 2010.
Here are my miles: (5:15, 4:58, 5:45, 5:47, 5:26, 5:21, 5:06, 16:28 - missed 8 and 9 markers)

Total:  72miles - Decent week.  I realize I did lose fitness from getting sick and the lack of training after.  I need to ramp up and get prepared for New Bedford.

Week of February 13th-19th

Monday - 4mi/28min in Pisgah with Griffin. My body feels surprisingly good. Trails really suck right now.

Tuesday - 7mi/49min in Pisgah with Griffin. My body is sore and stiff today. This loop is runable. I was going to run roads today but Griffin wasn't having any of that. She was really excited to run when she saw me get my gear on...trails it is.

Wednesday - 12mi*/1:20. Baker St workout: 2mi(10:12) + 4x400(65,65,62,62) 800 jog after 2mi/400 jog after 4's. Decent workout. Ran the first part with Fyffe. Calves pretty sore. Ran a little too fast on the last 2 4's. (James and Boj there also)

Thursday - 0mi. Just lazy and unmotivated. Had a meeting and I guess that's my excuse. Lifted weights.

Friday - 9mi/62min in Pisgah with Griffin. Good run. Trails were slushy where they were normally icy. If we get some more warm sunny days the trails will be completely clear. Lifted weights.

Saturday - 11mi/76min on Keene Rds with Fyffe, Ferenc, George and Miller. Beautiful day. Had a great run. Did some man work with the boys at my house and Glenn' s. Played some 3-on-3 hoops. It was fun. Hopefully I won't be sore for tomorrow's race.

Sunday - 9mi*/60 min. USATF NE Indoor Champs 5k-15:36(5:01 pace)8thplace/2nd in heat. I went into this race thinking I could go 15:10 or faster based on my mile(4:21) and my 3000(8:40). I figured I was a shoe in for a pr since this would be my first 5k on the track. I thought to myself that anything over 15:20 would be a bad race. Well, I tanked. I totally died out there just getting slower and slower. I hit the mile in around 4:51 then 2 miles in 9:55. I wanted to quit with 1200 to go. I couldn't believe how hot I was and how dry my mouth was. I was dying of thirst and the first place guy was pulling away. I now wasn't sure if I'd even pr. Mercifully, the race ended and I hit the line in 15:36 a new pr by 1sec. I'm not sure if basketball affected my race or if I've simply lost fitness due to getting sick and having some low training weeks. The high light of the day was seeing Adam M. win the 5k in 14:59. He closed his last lap in 29, running a perfect race.

Total - 52miles. I need 70's next week. Vacation should help make it easy to get the miles in.

Week of february 6th-12th

Monday - 0mi. Still sick. Went for a walk at night and did 3 x 8sec hill sprints.

Tuesday - 0mi. Had to ref. Starting to feel better.

Wednesday - 12mi*/1:20 - Baker St workout: 4 x mile(5:15,5:16,5:21,5:08)w/400+rest. It felt great to finally run again! I feel almost 100%. Ran with Brent, Fyffe, and George. (Boj and Brad there also)
Felt nice and easy. Very controlled. I didn't sign up for Valentine because I got sick and didn't know if I could run a 6min mile nevermind sub 4:20. Now Jen and I are gonna do a trail race in Rhode island instead.

Thursday - 4mi/27min in Pisgah with Griffin. The trails are really dangerous. I almost broke my neck so I turned back.

Friday - 7mi/47min in Pisgah with Griffin. I ran on some trails that weren't as icy. I could run at a decent clip. I really need to get my miles up, I feel like I'm starting to lose fitness.

Saturday - 11mi/69min on Keene Rds out and around Bretwood Golf Course. Solo. Felt great to finally get a real run in. Lifted weights.

Sunday - 13mi*/1:24 - Brrrlingame 15k trail race -54:14(5:50) 1st place. This was a great race for me. I got a short warm up in with Jeff Walker, Jonny, Muddy, and Steve Schonning and we previewed the first part of the course. My legs felt very good and I liked the course. I was feeling confident. At the gun I took it out fairly hard to see who would go with me. Al Bernier was right in my heels with Mike Pezzula (URI runner) behind him. I did manage to do a nice flying squirrel jump off a rock that was in the field section of the start of the race. I love these twisty rolling courses. I was really pushing it on the downhills and turns. After about 5 min of racing I started to pull away from Al. I ran solo the rest of the way. I felt strong the entire time and finished the first loop in 26:50. I knew it would be hard to run even splits due to the fast start but I tried to do that. 26:50 for the second loop became my new focus. I held it together pretty well but I hit the finish in 27:23 for the second lap. I was happy to get a convincing win and my confidence is back up after two bad weeks of training due to being wiped out with a nasty cold. It was great seeing my friends and family run well. I'm looking forward to Dh Jones.

Total - 47miles. Really need to get my mileage up next week. I'm looking forward to racing my first ever 5k on a track.

Week of January 30th-February 5th

Monday -10mi/66min on Putney rds with Fyffe.

Tuesday - 0mi - exhausted. Lifted weights.

Wednesday - 13mi*/1:28 - Baker St workout. 4x800 + 4x400(2:24,2:20,2:20,2:20,69,67,69,67) 400rest. Legs tired today.this was a so so workout that i was just happy to finish. Nice warm weather but windy.(James, Boj, George and KSCers)

Thursday - 0mi. Had to ref 2 games. Getting sick.

Friday - 3mi/20min in pisgah with Griffin. Trails are terrible right now, all ice. I was gonna run longer but I have a coldand got annoyed with trying to run on a glacier. Lifted weights

Saturday - 0mi. Have a bad cold. Slept all day. Skipped a track race.

Sunday -0mi. Still sick.

Total - 26mi. Crappy week. Lowest mileage week in a couple years. Rest and get healthy.

Week of January 23rd-29th

Monday 1/23 - 9mi/59min in Pisgah with Griffin. Good run it was nice running on the snowmobile trails. There was some freezing rain but it didn't bother us. Saw a black phase rough legged hawk (not while running). It was a very cool sighting.

Tuesday 1/24 - 0mi had to ref 2 games

Wednesday 1/25 - 12mi*/1:20. Baker St workout. 8 x 400(69,67,66,66,65,66,65,64)w/full rest. I ran these with the mindset of staying nice and relaxed and keeping something in the tank for Terrier on Saturday. Ran with Fyffe (James,Brad, Boj, George, and KSC'ers). Happy with how it went - feeling good! Lifted weights.

Thursday 1/26 - 9mi/57min in Pisgah with Griffin. Great run legs feel great. It started to snow a little while i was out there.

Friday 1/27- 0mi the weather sucked. I was feeling lazy.

Saturday 1/28 - 5mi*/32min - Terrier Classic mile(4:21.70) I got second in my heat and 50th overall. I miss timed my warm up and only got a mile in then i stood around waiting for my heat and hip number. Three steps into. The race i got my foot stepped on getting spiked bad badly. Ouch! I hit the 800 in 2:12 sitting in the back of the pack. I started to move up and really sprinted at the bell taking second place. It was a decent race. It was awesome seeing the first heat where 4 guys broke 4 min. Najem ran 150 and looked strong in the 800. Fun day.

Sunday 1/29 - 19mi*/1:59 on grafton roads with Fyffe Ferenc Najem and Goupil. We did a 3mi pick up in 1530. Then we started to do another 3 mi pick up but we went way too fast hitting the mile in 4:37. We stopped shy of the 2mi mark. Great run! Feeling fit.

Total - 54mi - need to get my miles up.

Last 3 Weeks

Monday 1/2 -16mi/1:45
Tuesday 1/3 - 8mi/52min
Wednesday 1/4 - 11mi/72min - 2miles(10:35) + 6x400(67,66,65,65,64,61)
Thursday 1/5 - 0mi
Friday 1/6 - 8mi/50:30
Saturday 1/7 - 11mi/74min - Peterborough 3.3mi race - 17:15(5:15) 1st place
Sunday 1/8 - 18mi/1:56
Total 72mi

Monday 1/9 - 0
Tuesday 1/10 - 10mi/71min
Wednesday 1/11 - 11mi*/74min - 2mi(10:34) + 3 x 1200(3:36,3:35,3:33)
Thursday 1/12 - 13mi/1:27
Friday 1/13 - 3mi/22min + 10mi/74min
Saturday 1/14 - 19mi*/1:57 - w/2 x 4mi pickups (22:12,20:47) Great run with fyffe and ferenc
Sunday 1/15 - 5mi/35min
Total 71mi

Monday 1/16 - 15mi/1:41
Tuesday 1/17 - 0mi
Wednesday 1/18 - 11mi*/70min - 8-4-4-4-2-2-2-2(2:14,65,63,61,29,30,28,27) w/full rest
Thursday 1/19 - 7mi/51min
Friday - 1/20 - 10mi/72min
Saturday 1/21 - 0mi
Sunday 1/22 - 18mi/2:03
Total 61mi

2011 - A Look Back

Looking back at 2011, I'd have to say it was a pretty great year. First and best of all, I got married in October. Jen has been great for me and my running. I'm very lucky. (Now that I've made all my guy friends throw up in their mouths, I'll get onto the running highs and lows).
Total mileage - 3,341mi = 64.3 mile per week avg for the year. P.R.
I ran a total of 34 races, which was down a bit from last year. I set a few P.R.'s.

3000m-8:40
6K-19:38
4mi-20:29 (tie P.R. from last year)
Half Marathon-1:10:26
25K-1:27:53
50K trail-3:47:28 at Pisgah which was a P.R. by 17 minutes!!

Besides my P.R's I also had a few other races that I was really pleased with:

I was pumped to win Mt. Greylock and Savoy, two tough races that I've never won before setting personal bests on the courses, beating a strong field at Savoy.
I was very pleased with my Pisgah race, even though I didn't win.
I was pleased with the Cape Cod Marathon. My time was not great, but the conditions were brutal and it's a challenging course. I got 7th, which was the first time I scored in a grand prix.
I ran a 15:39 5K at the end of a 96 mile week this summer.
I was happy to win my 5th Lil Rhody. Next year I want to break 45min!!
I really enjoyed winning my heat in the only 2 800's I ran this year.
And finally, I had a really strong race at the Keene State Alumni Race. Finishing 4th for the Alumni on a really strong team.

Some of my lows are the Terrier Invite mile-4:26 where I totally tanked, James Joyce 10K where I got slower and slower (I was sick) and the Keene 4 0n the 4th - I just faded the last mile and simply didn't run very tough. Oh well, you live and learn.

I am really excited for 2012 and I have some goals set.
1. Stay Healthy
2. Run over 3,500 miles
3. Lift 3 x week
4. Run sub 4:20 in the mile
5. Run sub 8:40 in the 3000
6. Run sub 15:00 in the 5000
7. Run new p.r.'s for 5miles and 10K (they're soft 26:20/32:52)
8. Run sub 2:30 in the marathon
9. Win the Pisgah 50K
10. Score in at least 2 Grand Prix races
11. Run at least 6 Grand Tree races (last year was the first time in a long time I didn't score in that series -only 5 races)
12. Do doubles more!!

Here's wishing everyone a Healthy and Happy New Year, with lot's of P.R.'s.

Week of December 26th-January 1st

Monday: 5mi/34min in Burlingame w/Griffin.

Tuesday: 13mi/1:20 on the Putney Rds. w/Fyffe. We were moving pretty well, feel great.

Wednesday: 11mi*/70min - track workout. 2000-1600-1200-400-200-200 - (6:21,5:04,3:46,72,29,29) 400rest for the long stuff and 200 rest for the 4 and 2's. Ran w/Fyffe. This was a great workout, I kept it very smooth. It was very cold and windy at the track. (James, Bryce, Kelsey, Chloe, and Bri also there)

Thursday: 13mi/1:22 in Pisgah w/Ferenc, Fyffe, Miller and the girls. Awesome run. Cold and crisp weather. lifted weights.

Friday: 10mi/71min on Westmoreland Tracks w/Fyffe, Ferenc, George, Larry and the girls. Nice and easy recovery day.

Saturday: 8mi/52min in Pisgah w/Griffin. Feeling good. Ready to race tomorrow.

Sunday: 8mi*/52min. Millenium Mile - 4:10, 5th place. + 4x200 (31,30,29,28) I started out much more conservatively this year. I hit the 400 in 65 seconds. I was 1:59 at the half, which I'm pretty sure was short. I didn't pick it up that much. I was 3:08 at 1200m and started to kick to try to catch Jenkins and Lutz. I got with an arm's length, but then faded a little in the last 100. It was great to see Najem win and run sub 4. The 200's after on the track felt awesome and it was a fun day with beautiful weather. I'm sure I'll be back again to try and get a little faster.

Total: 68mi