2013 - Year in Review

2013 is in the books.  Here's a look back:

First the numbers:

- I ran a total of 2,899mi = 55.8mpw average for the year.  This puts me well behind 2012, 11, and 10 where I ran over 3,200 miles in those years and enjoyed a lot of pr's.  2012 was my highest with 3,361miles.  This year's total is very close to 2009, 08, and 07 where I ran 2,890, 2,889 and 2,904 miles in those years.

- My highest mileage month of the year was August with 349 miles = 78.8mpw average.  This is typical for me.  (August is always my highest month)

- My lowest month was April with 152mi = 35.5mpw average.  I got a sinus infection that kicked my butt for 8 days.  I layed around for my entire April vacation and after I finally got healthy, my back was tight and stiff and was a real problem.  This was a huge setback for 2013 and was a major reason for my slower times this spring and summer.  I went into the summer in poor shape and couldn't build my mileage up like I usually do.  I had to DNS Tarc 50K as a result of the sinus infection.

- I raced 27 times.  I won 11 of those races.  My shortest race I won was an 800m and the longest race I won was a 10mi trail race.

- I set 0 p.r.'s this year.  I also did not set any personal bests for races that I had raced before.  This was my first year in a while with no pr's or pb's, it was a little disappointing, but I've been racing a long time and I'm not getting any younger.  I know I still have a few more fast years in me and refuse to admit that I might be slowing down. 

I had some highs and lows this year.  I'll start with the lows:

- Setting no pr's or pb's.  (as mentioned above)

- KSC Alumni race - I didn't finish in the top 5 for the alumni for the first time. (I was 7th) The new alumni keep getting faster and I'll have to work hard to get back into the top 5 next year.

- I have some arthritis that leaves me pretty stiff on some days.  It's something I'm able to manage pretty well, but some days are tougher than others.  I can't complain, there are people with worse problems.

- Wednesday workouts have been a little inconsistent.  We have a small core of guys that try to make it happen, but it's just not what it used to be.  I need to just keep making it a priority to show up and hopefully others will follow suit.

Here are the highs:

- Setting the world record in the 4x800 for 35+ was really a cool experience.  I take the record with a grain of salt.  Obviously, elite 800 runners that are 35 could absolutely crush this time.  The thing is they haven't done that, so I'm happy to have my name in the record books.

- It was cool winning the Run with the Beavers 10mi trail race and having Jonny come in 2nd.  That was our first time going 1-2 in a race and the icing on the cake was Glenn sealing the win for team Hamboj by running a strong race. 

- Winning Lil Rhody for the 7th time was pretty special.  It was a strong field and I had my doubts, but in the end I got the job done.  I'm hoping to win a few more.

- Probably my best race of the year was the New Bedford Half Marathon.  I ran 1:11:10 which was not a p.r., but it was a really great result for me.  I was thinking I'd probably run in the mid 1:12's.  I ran tough and was very happy with the outcome.

- I had a great snowshoe season at the beginning of the year, winning 3 snowshoe races.  It was a great year for snow and Jen and I had a lot of fun at the races.

I have some running goals for 2014:

- Stay healthy

- Do yoga more consistently after my runs.  I used to be so good about doing this after every run.  I've really gotten out of this habit this year, time to get back into it.

- Lift 2 x week.

- Weekly hill sprints

- Weekly speed workouts at Daniel's pace.  Don't train in No Man's Land!

- Run more trail races.  I'd like to try some new ones I've never done before.

- P.r. at the Pisgah 50K.

- Run doubles year round.

- Run over 3,400miles.

- Race some outdoor track events.

I think if I can stick to these goals, I will definitely set some new pr's in the new year.  Most importantly, I want to continue to enjoy every run I do and appreciate the people that I race and run with.  Happy New Year everyone!

Sunday, December 29th, 2013 - End of the Run Log Year

18mi*/2:13 on the Saxton's River trails with Ferenc, Justin M. and Brent.  The trail had a decent amount of snow and ice which made a tough run even tougher.  I was annoyingly tired on all the climbs, possibly from yesterday's double run.  Fun conversations and a great time spent in the woods. 

Total for the week:  53mi - Lifted once and did a long run, but other than that, this week was pretty lack luster.  Christmas festivities interfered, but no big deal. 

Total for the (short) month - 221mi = 53.3mpw average

Total for 2013 - 2,899mi = 55.8mpw average

My paper run log ends today, so this is where I end my yearly and monthly totals.  The New Running Year starts tomorrow and with it new possibilities and goals.  I'll do a year in review soon.

Saturday, December 28th

Am:  9mi/64min in Pisgah with Thomas and Griffin.  We went out and checked out the tracks I saw yesterday.  They were black bear tracks.  I took pictures, but I'm too lazy to post them here.  Thomas took a nasty digger on an ice patch.

Pm:  5mi/45min up Pitcher Mtn with Glenn and Jonny from my parent's house in Stoddard.  Slow run with full bellies.  We ate a huge meal and then immediately went for a run.  No barfing from anyone, but it was uncomfortable.  Great views on top of Pitcher.

Friday, December 27th

10mi/69min in Pisgah solo.  Good run.  There was 2" of fresh snow that covered up some of the ice on the trail which made for some tricky spots.  I saw some good sized tracks out in the woods.  Lifted weights.

Thursday, December 26th

0mi.  Jen and I woke up and left Corning, NY at 3:30 in the morning.  With the intent that I'd get home around 9:30 and take a nap and then get some kind of running or lifting in.  We hit quite a snowstorm which slowed the commute down, and we didn't get into Chesterfield, NH until 10:45am.

All the animals I ate over the holiday and the lack of fiber (did I eat any plants while I was there?) came back to haunt me in the afternoon.  Instead of running, I spent the afternoon and evening with horrible stomach pains.  Where's the Pepto?  Where's the Tums?  Where's the prune juice?  The ghost of Christmas dinner past came back to wreak havoc with my G.I. system.  I think I'm becoming a vegetarian for the new year.  

Wednesday, December 25th

5mi/32min on the roads of Corning, NY solo.  Ugghhh.  My stomach is bloated and painful from all the animals I consumed last night.  I woke up with a meat hangover, feeling quite crappy.  The run was good and the weather was quite cold, 12 degrees.  I would have liked to have gone longer, but the Christmas festivities only allowed a short run. 

At night, I over indulged once again eating a delicious medium rare steak, washed down with a whole Cornish Game Hen. 

Tuesday, December 24th

6mi/53min in McCarthy State Forest - Addison, NY.  I ran with Jen and Griffin nice and easy.  This was a cool little place that we seemed to have to ourselves.  The ground was swampy and wet in spots due to the thaw from the 65 degree they had on Sunday.  When we had a mile left, we encountered a bus with 7 people doing trail maintenance.  We said hello and they seemed friendly enough, but we realized the bus said Dept of Corrections State of NY on the side.  Jen and I were both a little freaked out when we realized that this was some sort of chain gang out doing trail work.  We picked up the pace a bit and kind of laughed about it once we were safely in our car.  Nothing like the thought of a good Christmas Eve massacre in the middle of nowhere, NY to get your blood pumping! 

At night I ate about 10lbs of meet in the form of Roast Beef, Swedish meatballs, shrimp cocktail, bacon wrapped dates, crab blaylock, clam dip, and bacon cheese dip. 

Monday, December 23rd

0mi.  My legs were pretty beat up today from the big weekend of running.  I went for a short hike with Jen in a state park near Corning. 

Sunday, December 22nd

19mi*/2:15 in Claremont, NH with Ferenc, Brent, Justin M., and Heidi.  This was a nice run over the hills and back roads of Claremont.  Brent and Justin played tour guide on this one.  My legs were feeling a little tired from the mountain run yesterday.  The weather at my house was 52 degrees at my house and I almost didn't bring a long sleeve or hat and gloves.  Glad I did, because in Claremont it was 38 and windy.  Drove to Corning, NY in the afternoon.  Total for the week:  52miles with a track workout, hill sprints, long run, mountain run, a lifting session and good yoga session.  I even ran on the snowshoes twice.  Next week will be a struggle to run and lift with the trip to NY.

Saturday, December 21st

10mi*/1:26 - Mt. Ascutney with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie.  Great run.  There was a few inches of slushy snow on the auto road, it slowed us down a bit, but we had ok traction on it.  I felt good on the climb and was really enjoying the run.  We hit miles of 12:12, 12:40, 12:33 and 8:37(.7mi) to the parking lot for a time of 45:58.  We ran to the summit on the trail in 11:09.  We climbed the tower and hung out on top for a bit.  The dogs even climbed the tower!  Once we got to the parking lot on the way down we decided to cruise pretty fast.  The snow seemed to cushion our legs and we were able to descend quickly.  We did the 3.7mi down in 5:14(.7mi), 5:42, 5:35, and 4:59.  It was fun to break 5min on the last mile.  I want to go back a few more times this winter to do this run again.

Friday, December 20th

0mi. I hung out with Glenn, Gina, Jen and the twins.

Thursday, December 19th

Am: 2mi/14min on the roads with J.B. Pm: 5miSS/35min in Pisgah with Griffin. I threw on the snowshoes for another run. I was hoping the snowmobiles had been out. I started out on virgin snow and was working hard but was happy to see that the main trail had just been groomed for the snowmobiles. I always feel a twinge of guilt running on the freshly groomed trail. It's like running on glass. Good run. Ended with the headlamp on. Went out to dinner after with Jen and got an awesome ribeye steak. If I was MacKnight, I'd post a photo of the plate. No photo, but trust me it was bomb. Tomorrow lift and run easy. This is shaping up to a low mileage week. Good thing I'm focusing on the 800 this indoor season. My aerobic base is junk. I'm starting to feel more athletic with this lack of miles, that's a good feeling.

Wednesday, December 18th

10mi*/69min. Track workout at the Monadnock track with George, Boj and James. George snowblowed the first two lanes of the track so we gave it a go there instead of at Baker St. There was still a thin layer of slippery snow on the track but it was fun being on the track nonetheless. 200-200-400 x 4 with 200rest after the 2's and 400rest after the 4's. Result: (35, 34, 72, 33, 33, 70, 33, 32, 69, 32, 31, 66) The effort was a lot faster than the times indicated due to the slipping. I'm pretty happy with how this went. I stayed smooth and kept a little in the tank for the meet coming up on Saturday.

Tuesday, December 17th

3mi/20min on the roads in the morning solo. It was -3 degrees for this early run. I lifted weights in the evening. I had to drop off my truck to get some work done. I didn't feel like putting on the headlamp for a slog on the snowshoes. I'm happy I lifted.

Monday, December 16th

3miSS/21min in Pisgah with Griffin. I was working very hard in the deep snow. I was disheartened to see that the snowmobiles had not been out yet. Ughh. I was planning to go longer, but breaking trail is tough work and I wasn't feeling it. Did 4 x 8sec hill sprints after. Feel good.

Sunday, December 15th

0mi. I spent the day shoveling the 13" of snow. Cleared the driveway and the flat roof and raked the roof. Good man work, but I should have run. Oh well. Total for the week: 41mi. Not a good week. My race was ok, I'm not sure what I would have run on a clear course with warmer temps. My workout was good and glad I lifted. Next week, I'm racing the mile and 800 at the first BU Mini Meet.

Saturday, December 14th - JingleBell 5K

12mi*/1:15. Jingle Bell 5K, Concord, NH - 16:41 (5:22) 2nd place. This is my 4th year in a row of doing this race. I do this race every year, because I like that it raises money to fight against arthritis. Arthritis sucks, and that's all I have to say about that. I proudly wear my bells while running to ring out against arthritis. I originally did this race back in 2010 because I was in awesome shape and looking for a 5K pr. I had run the old course back in 2002 and it was pancake flat and fast. (I was out of shape that year and ran 16:30 or so). Well, they changed the course in 2010 which included a decent hill in the 2nd mile, making it not the pr course I was hoping for that year. I ended up running 15:44 for the win. In 2011, I went out hard with a very fit Fyffe. I faded badly and ran 15:59. Fyffe set the course record in 15:24. Last year, 2012, I won in a hard cold rain where it was 33 degrees. I ran 16:01 which I was pleased with considering the miserable conditions. Fast forward to 2013, I know I'm not in great shape but I'm feeling pretty good in workouts. Najem showed up which is great. I knew I'd be shooting for 2nd once I saw him. We did a nice long warm-up which included the course. The dirt road in the first mile was completely snow and ice covered. It was going to make for a slow day. It was also a bit chilly at 5 degrees. Brrr. I'm not one to complain about the cold though, I will take 5 degrees to 95 and humid any day. At the gun, Naj took the lead with Colin Lee and I sitting on his shoulder. When we turned onto the snow covered dirt road, we got some separation from Colin and it wasn't long until Naj started to power away from me. I was kind of surprised to see how fast he could run on the slippery stuff. I knew he'd be fast on the roads and especially the downhill but I thought I might have an advantage on him on the snow. Wrong! He pulled away, I kept the gap somewhat close on the climb on the road in the 2nd mile, but he really started smoking on the downhill. Colin wasn't far behind me as I could hear his footstrikes in the last mile. I dug down and was able to hold him off. Hitting the line in 16:41 was mildly shocking. I know the snow covered road slowed us down, but I'm not sure by how much. The cold temps probably slowed us down as well, but still, I was disappointed with that slow time. This makes the upcoming indoor season look quite daunting. I'll be back next year to test where I'm at and raise money to fight arthritis.

Friday, December 13th

10mi/67min in Pisgah with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. A nice layer of snow on the trails. We saw otter slides at Fullam Pond. Flicked on the head lamps for the last 30min. Tired the last mile.

Thursday, December 12th

Am: 2mi/14min with J.B. before school. It was 12 degrees out. Frosty! Pm: 7mi/55min up Mt. Wantastiquit with Ferenc and the girls. We left a little after 9pm with headlamps on. The moon was bright and the snow made for a beautiful night for a run. The trail had some icy spots and wet spots that we had to walk and tip toe around, but it was mostly nice hard packed snow. The view at the top was amazing with Brattleboro, VT lit up below us. The night was cold and we didn't linger long. The high altitude (1,400 ft) was making me feel a little foggy. I knew I was starting to feel the effects of HACE, so we quickly descended back to lower elevations. This night run was a great idea, I would have not done it by myself on that night. Glad to have Ferenc get me off the couch for this one. I think the Bossman would have loved this. The dogs seemed to have a good time as well.

Wednesday, December 11th - Back to Baker

10mi*/68min - Baker St. workout with Boj, Andy, James, and Nick. 4 x 800 with 400rest + 4 x 200 with 200rest. Result: (2:40, 2:35, 2:34, 2:27, 33, 32, 31, 30). This was a good workout. There was a lot of snow on all the turns which made for slow going. I was glad to ease into this workout, it felt really cold out there. There is something special about being at Baker St. I love doing "track" workouts there.

Tuesday, December 10th

0mi. Another day of feeling unmotivated to run. I lifted weights and had a good session. I need to be more consistent with this.

Monday, December 9th

0mi. I had a retirement party to go to right after school. Legs tired from yesterday's long run.

Sunday, December 8th

18mi*/1:59 on Grafton, VT roads with Ferenc, Brent Wilmont, and Justin Montgomery. This was a good run. It's nice to train with some different guys. The conversation made the run fly by. My legs were a bit tired from pounding the roads after about an hour and a half. Total for the week: 54 miles. Next week I need to do hill sprints. I'm racing the Jingle Bell 5K.

Saturday, December 7th

10mi/64min in Pisgah solo. 1" of snow on the ground. Feeling really good. Did a great yoga session after the run.

Friday, December 6th

8mi/55min in Pisgah with Ferenc, Griffin, Lena, and Ellie. Good run. My legs felt great today. I guess I can put that crappy hill workout behind me now. I am still a runner, I don't have to quit, there is still hope. OK, I guess I'm being a little dramatic, but it's funny after all these years, that a bad workout really gets to me (sometimes). Well life is good and balance has been restored to the universe. Jen and I had a great time at Miller's at night. Singing Zombie by the Cranberries was so funny my face still hurts!

Thursday, December 5th

2mi/13min on the roads with J.B. Feel decent. I had a meeting that went very late after school today. When I got home I just didn't want to throw on the headlamp to run. Instead I lifted weights which my weak atrophied muscles have been begging for. It felt great to finally pump some iron. This is exactly what I needed today. I need to build a routine of this.

Wednesday, December 4th

10mi*/67min. Drummer Hill workout. With Andy, Boj, and Thomas. Clint ran the warmup with us but then had to head back. We did the mile again, this time Thomas showed us exactly where it ends. After we did 4 x 400 and then the goal was 4 x 200. My legs were very flat and it was a crappy workout. I decided to pull the plug after the first 200. Here is the result: (6:30, 70, 71, 67, 65, 34, xx, xx, xx). I have to admit that this workout really frustrated and discouraged me. I'm guessing that Sunday's grueling hilly long run was still slowing me down a bit, especially on a hill workout.

Tuesday, December 3rd

2mi/13min in Pisgah with Griffin. Well I was running out of daylight and I really didn't even want to run, but Griffin was having none of that. Did some pushups, crunches, and lunges after the run.

Monday, December 2nd

4mi*/26min in Pisgah with Griffin. Did a moderate progression run. After the run, I did a good yoga session. Legs feel strong.

Sunday, December 1st

20mi*/2:18. George, Ferenc and I ran from Mt. Wantastiquet to my house. This is an epic run with lot's of climbing. It was gorgeous out there. I especially love the view from Wantastiquet overlooking Indian Pond. You can see the 3 big climbs ahead of us and get an idea of where my house is located. Feeling good!

Saturday, November 30th

0mi. Drove back from Corning and feeling lazy. November totals: 206mi = 48.1mpw average. Not a big mile month, heck it hasn't been a big mile year. I had 3 pretty solid races and it's nice to be doing track workouts again and starting hill sprints. I really need to be more consistent with lifting and yoga. My goal for December is to do hill sprints every week, continue good track workouts, lift 2x a week, and do yoga 3x a week. I'd like to do some good long runs with some up tempo running built into the long run. I am just shooting for 50 miles per week during these shortest days of the year. I'm excited to get on the indoor track at a couple mini meets. I will probably not be racing at the URI Alumni Meet because my aunt is coming up from Tennessee.

Friday, November 29th

9mi/60min on the Corning roads solo. Good run. Cold and snowy. Feeling good. Did some short hikes on the Finger Lakes trail in the afternoon with Jen and Griffin.

Thusday, November 28th - Pie and Glove 5K

8mi*/51min. Pie and Glove 5K - 16:05 (5:11) 2nd place. It was cold and windy, 19 degrees at the start. There was also a snow covered road for the first 300m and last 300m which made for slow going. I was in the lead group of 3 for the first mile. There were no mile markers this year so I don't know my splits. James Osbourne made a big move around the mile mark and took off. I tried to go with him, but he was way too fast. I was able to drop the college kid running with me. James continued to pull away easily and he won in 15:35. Last year he ran 14:52 and I was 15:13. I'm definitely slower this year, but the course ran slow this year. The head wind on the way back was tough. I got a pie for winning my age group and Jen won her age group too. I picked up an apple pie and she grabbed a pumpkin pie. The turkey dinner at Jen's parent's house was delicious after the race. Jen's sister, Katie ran and so did her brother John and his wife and two kids. It's fun when it's a family affair. This is my 4th year getting 2nd place. It'd be nice to win, but I'll have to be super fit, James is fast!

Wednesday, November 27th

5mi/33min on the Corning, NY roads solo. Nice easy run. Tomorrow race and eat turkey.

Tuesday, November 26th

3mi/20min. Ran the roads solo in the morning before school. We drove out to Corning, NY right after school to try to beat the snow storm. No luck. We hit snow in Vermont and it was slow going the rest of the way. It took us 7hrs and 20min to get to our destination. 3 inches of snow in Corning.

Monday, November 25th

9mi/64min in Pisgah with George and Griffin. Good run. We had to turn on the headlamps for the last 20min.

Sunday, November 24th

4mi*/28min in Pisgah with Griffin + 3 x 8sec hill sprints. I was going to double but got into watching Dexter and watched way too many episodes. I'm hooked. I love the hill sprints!

Saturday, November 23rd

17mi*/2:01. I ran with Ferenc and his girls. We ran up Putney Mtn then over to Pinnacle Mtn then back to Putney Mtn. Great run, beautiful sunny fall day. Feeling good.

Friday, November 22nd

0mi. Feeling lazy and unmotivated.

Thursday, November 21st

7mi/51min at Waterville Valley. Ran with Pat Ard. Good run. We ran up Snow's Mtn which is a little bunny slope next to Waterville Valley. Great views of the village at the top.

Wednesday, November 20th

9mi*/61min. Keene High track workout with Thomas, George, Boj and Clint. 2miles at T pace (10:44) 400 rest + 4 x 400 with 200 rest at I pace (73, 72, 72, 64). I love these kind of mixed workouts. They're not super challenging but a quality workout nonetheless. Legs feel good.

Tuesday, November 19th

Am: 2mi with J.B. in the morning. Pm: 8mi/53min in Pisgah with Griffin. Legs feeling sluggish.

Monday, November 18th

0mi. Was going to run with Ferenc but he got a flat and had to take care of it. Decided to take a zero.

Sunday, November 17th - Lil Rhody Runaround

12mi*/1:15. Lil Rhody Runaround - 45:45 (5:43) 1st place. I went into this year's race feeling less than confident. The last 2 years I came into this race in monster shape (for me). Jonny was telling me how fit all the Rhody guys were and I had a large target on my back. I was scared that this year might be a real dog fight for the win. My strategy was to go out hard and accelerate on the trails and see who had the guts to follow me. I stuck to my strategy and had company right away. Mike Galoob and I thought Chris Garvin were right on my back. We went through the mile in around 5:13. (I heard Mike's GPS beep and I glanced at my watch. As we ran through the camp ground roads those 2 guys stuck close to me. I had about a 1 second lead which was a hint to me that maybe they weren't too relaxed with the fast pace. (I know if I was feeling good I'd sit right on the leader's shoulder to put a little pressure on). When we entered back into the trails after around 10min of running I decided now was the time to try and make a move. I ran hard. I slowly started to get some separation. As we hit the first sharp left hand turn after the bridges I glanced back and saw I had about a 10 second gap. I was hurting but I was happy with the gap I created. I decided to really push the pace through the technical bridge and rocky section before the covered bridge. When I exited the covered bridge, I glanced back and couldn't see anybody. I told my self to keep hammering. I ran the first half of the race in pain but happy to be building my lead. As I left the woods onto Buckeye Brook Rd., I glanced at my watch. I can't remember exactly but it was right around 24 flat which is pretty much what I always run to this point. I glanced back as I re-entered the trails and couldn't see anyone. I knew at this point in the race that I was going to win my 7th Lil Rhody. I was pleased but knew I couldn't relax. As the the trail climbed, I felt pretty terrible. I was starting to get hot and suffering from the fast pace. I saw the Seekels and the Ornsteins in the woods but I was too tired and focused to hear what they said. I finally got to the Kings Factory Rd. where I saw Bentley. He gave me some encouragement and I dug down. I was really hurting and looked back a thousand times. It was great to hit the line in 45:45. Not a stellar time for me, but I've won with much slower times and I was really pleased to win this one. I certainly had my doubts. Now it was time to cheer for friends and family to finish. Wooley and Galoob were the next guys across the line in the 47's. I was anxiously waiting for Jonny to cross the line. I was hoping he'd break 49. He came sprinting across the line in 48:59. I was afraid they'd add a second to his time, but the time held, 48:59. Sweet! Boj ran a solid race and Jen was pleased with her time. Pard crossed the line in 1:13 looking good. He won his 70+ age group though at first they thought a guy ran 49:30. Turns out that guy was 25, not 75! I did some research of older results and it looks like Pard is now the course record holder for 70+. That will give me something to shoot for in the distant future. He suffered a fall and had a nasty wrist contusion. Luckily, Jen is an athletic trainer and was able to take care of him. He seem unfazed by the injury, but it looked nasty. Sarah ran a great race and was really happy with her time. We had some great food and drinks at Jonny's house after. I don't know how many more of these things I can keep winning, but I sure would like to go for 7 more. I dedicated this win to my new niece and nephew, Emma and Brady and to my best cheerleading niece and nephew, Ellie and Jackson. Thanks mom for cheering too! I love this race and look forward to doing it for many years.

Saturday, November 16th

4mi/26min in Pisgah with Griffin and Jimmy. Cold morning run. Drove to Rhode Island in the afternoon. We got a flat tire and then went and bought a new tire on the way down. I thought we were going to have to turn around because I didn't want to travel 2hrs on a donut. Luckily, there was a Tire Warehouse not too far away. Tomorrow is Lil Rhody. Feeling ready.

Friday, November 15th

0mi. Had to watch Jimmy. Too lazy to run. Oh well.

Thursday, November 14th

0mi. Glenn and Gina had their babies! Welcome to the world, Brady and Emma Hammett. I had a meeting after work and wasn't motivated to run.

Wednesday, November 13th

9mi/68min in Pisgah with George, Boj and Griffin. Legs sluggish. Had to wear the headlamps for the last 25min which makes for slow going on the technical trails. I couldn't make it to the track for a workout because my truck was having some issues, so Boj and George came out to run instead.

Tuesday, November 12th

5mi/36min in Pisgah with Griffin. Legs a wee sluggish. Nice chilly weather run. Good yoga routine after.

Monday, November 11th - Wounded Warrior 5K

10mi*/68min. Wounded Warrior 5K - 16:36 (5:21) 1st place. I think the course might be a bit long or at least I'm praying it is. Happy to get the win and a solid effort on a beautiful Veteran's Day. Nice warm-up and cool-down with George. Feeling good.

Sunday, November 10th

4mi/33min in Pisgah with Jen and Griffin. My body and legs were feeling tired and stiff. I decided to just go with a short easy run. Good decision. Total for the week: 51miles. Total for the year: 2,557mi. I'm going to have a hard time breaking 3000. It probably won't happen, but we'll see. Next week I'm racing at Lil Rhody.

Saturday, November 9th

12mi*/1:14 with Boj and Griffin in Pisgah. This was a moderate progression run. We got on the gas for the last 4 miles. My legs felt a little bit flat. I did 3x8 pullups and 3x25 pushups after. We saw 7 hikers on the Ridge trail which is pretty unusual. We also saw a couple of hunters on the Hubbard Hill trail. Nice day in the woods.

Friday, November 8th

Am: 3mi/19min. Solo on the roads. Feeling smooth. Good yoga session after the run. Pm: 10mi/69min in Pisgah with George, Ferenc, and the girls. Good run. Wore the headlamps for the last 20min. Feeling good.

Thursday, November 7th

0mi. I had a meeting at work and was feeling too unmotivated to throw on the headlamp.

Wednesday, November 6th

10mi*/67min. Drummer Hill workout with Andy, Boj, and Clint. We did the mile first but we have no idea of where it ends. I ran hard for 6:20 what ever that means. After that we did the 400 and 200 equivalent hills that the college guys do. We went 4 x 400 with jog back down recovery: (71, 72, 68, 60). Then on to 4 x 200 (31, 29, 27, 24.9) I was really happy with my last 400 and last 200. It was nice to really get up on the toes and hammer. Pretty good effort all around. Seemed like everyone was psyched about their workout. Headlamp and reflective vest on for the cool down. Watched the first quarter of the Celtic's game at Boj's after. Who the heck are these guys?

Tuesday, November 5th

Am: 3mi/20min on the roads solo. Pm: 9mi/62min in Saxton's River trails with Ferenc, Lena, and Ellie. We saw a porcupine and miracle of all miracles the dogs did not get quilled! We had to switch on the headlamps at the end of the run coming down the switchbacks. Tis the season for headlamps and bright orange clothing. Legs sluggish.

Monday, November 4th

0mi. A nice day of lethargy. We had the Turkey Trot at school. It was awesome. I love seeing the kids really get into and give their all in the race. Fun stuff.

Sunday, November 3rd

Am: 4mi/28min in Pisgah with Griffin. Good chilly morning run. I watched the NYC Marathon after at Glenn's house. Pm: 9mi/57min on the Putney dirt roads with Ferenc. Rolling along feeling good. We had a run in with a couple of dogs. Their owners stood there watching as the dogs growled at us inches from our crotches and thighs. We kicked at them to shoo them away. I asked the owners if they were going to call their dogs and they yelled back,"Don't kick them, they don't bite". I yelled back that we've heard that before and that they were closer to biting us than we were to kicking them. I then asked for an apology. We might be waiting a long time for that to come. An otherwise awesome run. Total for the week: 66mi.

Saturday, November 2nd

13mi/1:23 in Pisgah with Ferenc and the girls. Ferenc saw and otter in a stream. I didn't get a great look at it, but I saw it's tail swirling around in the water. Later in the run we saw an enormous old raccoon that climbed an oak tree to escape the dogs. Great run on a warm November day. We realized from the top of Pisgah Ridge we could see the house that sits on top of "the Clearing", which is the famous Keene State long run. Feeling good.

Friday, November 1st

8mi/52min in Pisgah with Griffin. Warm and humid day in the high 60's. There were lot's of puddles out there because of all the rain last night and this morning.

October Totals

I ran 218 miles in October. That's a 49.2 MPW average. It's a slightly misleading stat because I took a recovery week after the DeMar Marathon and I only ran 16 miles. I ran in 2 races where I finished 1st and 5th. I've done two track workouts that both went well and a handful of tempo runs. I'd like to get into a pattern of lifting and doing hill sprints for November. I'm not concerned about high mileage as I'll be building strength and speed for indoor track in December and January. I'm also looking to defend my title at Lil Rhody. It sounds like the competition will be fierce this year. I'm excited and feeling like I'll be ready.

Thursday, October 31st

0mi. Nasty weather. Did some yoga and then hung out with Glenn.

Wednesday, October 30th

Am: 2mi with Health class kids. Pm: 9mi*/58min - Track workout at Monadnock with Thomas, Andy, Boj and George. 400-200-200 x 4 with 200rest. (68, 34, 32, 67, 33, 32, 64, 31, 31, 61, 31, 29). Good workout. I probally ran the last two sets too fast, but I was chasing Thomas around the track and was trying to prove to myself that I still had some wheels. I'm pretty psyched about being able to roll a 61. Watched the Sox win the series at Boj's after the workout.

Tuesday, October 29th

10mi*/64min. I did a 6mi tempo run on the Keene tracks. Ran 35min for the tempo then cruised it home. I wanted to leave a little in the tank for tomorrow's track workout. Feel great!

Monday, October 28th

Am: 2mi with Health class. Pm: 9mi/56min in Saxton's River trails with Ferenc and the girls. Great run. Feeling good.

Sunday, October 27th

0mi. Not feeling good today. Total for the week: 55mi.

Saturday, October 26th

12mi/1:16 in Pisgah with Griffin. I decided to go up the ridge trail and see if I could get a good time hammering up the ascent. My best is 13:57 from the summer of 2012. I pushed hard in the ideal weather and was really starting to hurt near the top. I ran 14:01 which is my second best ever. The view to the east of Mt Monadnock was glorious with all the browns and oranges mixed in with bare trees and evergreens. I cruised easily back and got a little bonky toward the end. Great run!

Friday, October 25th

Am: 2mi with Health class. Pm: Had to ref a soccer game. I went for a nice walk at night with Jen and Griffin. Venus was shining brightly in the western sky.

Thursday, October 24th

Am:3mi/24min with Health class kids. Pm:9mi/57min in Saxton's River trails with Ferenc and the girls. My body was tired but the good conversation and nice chilly weather helped. Whistle joined us at the end of the run.

Wednesday, October 23rd

Am:3mi/24min with Health class kids. Pm:10mi*/65min. Monadnock track workout. 16-8-8-4-4-4-4 with half rest. (5:01, 2:26, 2:24, 71, 70, 68, 65). I'm pretty sure the track must be short or downhill. We all ran great. I haven't done a track workout since August 28th. It was a nice surprise to run so effortlessly. George, Andy, and Boj all had good workouts too. Yoga in the morning.

Tuesday, October 22nd

Am: 3.5mi/28min in Health class with the speediest kids. Pm: 4.5mi with xc team. Grey, cool, damp day. Legs feel decent. Tomorrow track workout and lift in the morning.

Monday, October 21st

8mi/50min in Pisgah with Griffin. Wow, I can't believe how good I feel considering I raced 10mi yesterday! Just rolling along, enjoying the awesome weather. That road marathon must have really toughened up my legs for the pounding of the roads.

Sunday, October 20th - Granite State 10miler

15mi*/1:32. Granite State 10Miler - 56:34 (5:40) 5th. Pretty good race. I struggled a little bit on the hills in the 4th and 5th miles but was able to rally and run pretty strong. This is a hilly race in some beautiful back roads in Concord. The competition was strong this year. Here are my miles (5:28, 5:50, 5:50, 5:42, 5:44, 5:50, 5:41, 5:25, 5:21, 5:39) It was good to catch up with Chris Mahoney. We warmed up and cooled down together and he almost caught me in the race finishing just 5 seconds back. Jen and I really enjoy this race and I'm sure we'll be back next year.

Saturday, October 19th

4mi/28min in Pisgah with Griffin nice and early in the morning before the State Meet. It was fun at the meet. My kids ran well.

Friday, October 18th

4mi/27min in Pisgah with Griffin. Nice run. I feel great. Had the xc pasta party at night to get fired up for States tomorrow.

Thursday, October 17th

Am: 2mi* + sprints for NECAP. Pm: 8mi/54min in Pisgah with Ferenc and the girls. Good run. Nice weather.

Wednesday, October 16th

2mi* + sprints for the NECAP again. Too lazy to run in the afternoon. Oh well.

Tuesday, October 15th

2mi* with sprints to get the kids primed for the NECAP test. Did some serious DDP Yoga in the morning and had an xc meet in the afternoon.

Monday, October 14th

Am: 3mi/24min with Health class and xc team. Pm: 10mi/73min on Pinnacle Mtn trails with Ferenc and Griffin. My body is a little sore and stiff today. It started to get dark at the end of the run.

Sunday, October 13th - Harpoon Oktoberfest 3.5miler

8.5mi*/55min. Oktoberfest 3.5mi - 19:35(5:27) 1st. This was a really fun race. Jen and I arrived a little before 10am for the 11:00 start and there were hundreds of people already there. Apparently this race was pretty huge. There must have been over a 1000 runners. It was a gorgeous fall day. I started off conservatively, running off the leaders' shoulders into the wind. The first mile was uphill. I decided not to take my splits but glanced down at my watch and saw we hit the mile in 5:28. I made my move after a mile and a half and bolted into the lead. The 3rd mile was pretty brutal, all uphill. The last .5 was down a steep hill that was almost too steep to run fast down. I got the win which was sweet. This was a nice little confidence booster. I won a case of Harpoon chromium replacement beverages and a beer fest boot for the team win. I had a blast hanging out with Jen, Brent Wilmont and Neal Graves. Good times! I'll definitely be back! I'm looking forward to more short races this fall and toying with the idea of jumping in the Manchester City Marathon. Total for the week: 60miles. Next week, similar mileage with hill sprints, a fartlek run, and a 10mi road race.

Saturday, October 12th

10mi/71min on the Keene Rail Trail with George. Nice easy run. I had an xc meet later in the day at Keene High. It was good to get the run in early. Tomorrow I'm racing at the Harpoon Oktoberfest 3.5mi in Windsor, VT. Chilly grey day today.

Friday, October 11th

10mi/66min in Grafton Ponds with Ferenc, Lena, and Ellie. Good run. My legs were a little tired today. Lena got quilled in the foot. This must be the 20th time she's gotten quilled. Ferenc pulled out all the quills and had to get a few out using his teeth. That's love! Beautiful day. I did my old P90X knock off dvd today. 90 Day Supreme Total Fitness: Chest and back. It was tough!

Thursday, October 10th

Am: 3mi/23min in Health class with fastest kids. Pm: 10mi/66min in Pisgah with Griffin. Awesome run. Felt strong and smooth. I had to keep holding back so I wouldn't leave Griffin in the dust. My form felt great. Could the hill sprints be working already? Probably. Did a solid yoga session after the run.

Wednesday, October 9th

3mi/23min. Health class with fastest kids. Did a tough yoga session in the am. Feeling lazy in the afternoon.

Tuesday, October 8th

Am: 6.5mi/52min. Health class + xc practice. Nice and easy. Ran with the fastest kids. Pm: 7mi*/46min in Pisgah with Griffin + 2 x 8sec hill sprints. Gorgeous sunny day. Feeling good.

Monday, October 7th

Am: 1.5mi with Health class fastest kids. Pm: 3.5mi with Griffin in Pisgah. Nasty weather. Windy with a strong rain. Glad I got this in. Did an awesome yoga session after. I pulled a deer tick out of my leg this morning. I'll have to watch for the bull's eye.

Sunday, October 6th

8mi/54min on the Pinnacle Mtn - Putney Mtn trails with Ferenc and Lena. Fyffe dropped me off at the bottom of Pinnacle Mtn. I ran up fairly hard to meet up with Ferenc. He was doing a long run from his house with Lena. It was cold and drizzly and I wish I had gloves on. The run was fun and was over before I knew it. Effortless fun in the woods. All the Rhody guys killed their marathon races today. I'm pumped for all of them! WTAC on the map! See you guys at Lil Rhody. Hopefully I can get myself in sub 45 shape. Total for the week: 16mi. This was a planned recovery week. Next week, I'll start training for shorter stuff which will include hill sprints, tempo and fartlek runs, and lifting and yoga. I can't wait to rebuild my body into a speed machine. My body responds well to this kind of training and I'm excited for it. I plan on doing some 5K's this month.

Saturday, October 5th

4mi/29min in Pisgah with Griffin. Nice and easy run. Calves sore from shuttle run in P.E. class. I ran 9.1 which is slow for me. That's what happens post marathon. I'll run 8.7 in a couple weeks, I'm sure of it. I watched the Keene State Invite XC Meet. The girls ran well and the guys killed it. Pacman ran great for the old guys! Played some wiffle with Eli and Boj. Fun stuff.

Friday, Ocgtober 4th

0mi. Did a nice easy hike up Pitcher Mtn. with Pard, Jen and Griffin. It's gorgeous out. Foliage is peak.

Thursday, October 3rd

2mi/16min in Friedsam with xc team. Legs feel pretty good.

Wednesday, October 2nd

0mi. Had an xc meet. The kids raced great.

Tuesday, October 1st

0mi.

Monday, September 30th

0mi. Total for the month: 258mi = 60.2 mpw. I'm going to take this week off to rest and reset. Legs really sore today.

Sunday, September 29th - Clarence DeMar Marathon

26.2mi*/2:39:18 (6:05)-3rd place. I'm pleased with this race, considering my less than stellar fitness level, I was able to run pretty well. I had a bathroom break in the woods at mile 11 which cost me around 1:30, and I slipped from 2nd to 5th. I may have pushed a little too hard to try to catch back up to David Herr and Justin Montgomery and I suffered from mile 22 until the finish. Here are my miles: (5:39, 6:10, 5:48, 5:54, 5:41, 5:49, 5:50, 5:52, 5:57, 5:58, 7:18, 6:04, 5:43, 6:01, 6:14, 5:36, 5:48, 5:53, 5:57, 5:50, 5:40, 6:37, 6:09, 6:45, 6:40, 6:49, 1:22). I'd love to do the road work and come into this race in 2:30 shape and go for the win. Next year!

Saturday, September 28th

4mi/28min in Pisgah solo. Feel good. Ready for tomorrow.

Friday, September 27th

4mi/30min in Pisgah with Griffin. Beautiful day. Sat for a while at the beaver pond enjoying the peacefulness. Did yoga in the am.

Thursday, September 26th

1mi home from school + 9mi/62min in Pisgah with Ferenc, Lena, Ellie, and Griffin. Nice run. I wore my new Inov-8 trailroc 255's, they're awesome. Did yoga at school with a couple classes. Feel great.

Wednesday, September 25th

0mi. Feeling lazy.

Tuesday, September 24th

3mi/26min with xc team + 13mi/1:28 with George and Griffin in Pisgah. Great run. Feeling good.

Monday, September 23rd

0mi.

Sunday, September 22nd

16.5mi/1:53 in Gilsum Woods with George and Ferenc. It was a nice and chilly morning. The pace was mild and I felt good. First day of Autumn today. I went for a 2+ hour hike with Jonny and Jackson in the afternoon in Mdme. Sheri Forest. We did some trail running on the way back when we were a little late. Jackson was cruising the downhills. Fun day spent mostly in the woods. Total for the week: 54miles. This is probably one of my best weeks post Pisgah 50K. My body recovered pretty quickly. DeMar is next Sunday and I guess I'll be ready to rock.

Saturday, September 21st

13mi*/1:18:15 in Pisgah. Solo m.p. run. Awesome run. A great way to celebrate the last day of summer.

Friday, September 20th

8mi/52min in Pisgah with Griffin. I feel really good. Did a solid yoga session.

Thursday, September 19th

3.5mi/30min with xc team. Nice and easy. 57min/9mi in Saxton's River with Ferenc and the girls. Good run in the gorgeous weather. Feeling pretty good.

Wednesday, September 18th

4mi/29min in Friedsam with Griffin. I had an xc meet in the afternoon, so I ran before school. My legs feel pretty good. Did yoga.

Tuesday, September 17th

0mi. Legs still sore. Didn't do much today.

Monday, September 16th

0mi. Legs and body very sore today. I played some hockey at school today and rode my bike while the xc team ran. The active recovery seemed to help loosen me up.

Sunday, September 15th - Pisgah 50K

31mi* - 4:03:25 - 4th place. As usual, I was excited to race at the Pisgah Trail Race this year. I wasn't as excited as past years though, because I'm just not as fit as I'd like to be. Usually, I end the summer in top shape and chomping at the bit to p.r., win, or set the course record. Some years I've been lucky enough to accomplish all 3 of those things. I knew that all these things were highly unlikely going into this year's race. Still, I hit the starting line with a positive attitude, ready to have an epic adventure out in the woods. No matter the outcome, this was going to be fun. I started off running with Chris Hayhurst, George Adams, and Josh Ferenc heading up the hill on Horseshoe Rd. Jonny was out in front leading the 23k'ers with a little chase group behind him. Scott Traer was a few seconds up. Ferenc got antsy with the slow pace and bolted ahead to catch Scott. I was only mildly surprised when I saw him run right by Scott and keep going to pass Jonny. He came to crush souls! I caught up to Scott and ran with him as we entered the woods. Chris separated from George and wasn't too far behind Scott and me. We rolled through Southwoods and Nash trail feeling good and the pace felt easy. Scott told me that he came to set the record. He holds the 50K records at Pineland Farms and Tarc Spring Classic and he trains with 50-100mile stud Josh Katzman. I let him know that the record was legit and that David Herr is the man on this course. The record would be no cake-walk for Ferenc and Scott. I was disappointed that David wasn't in the race because he was home sick. It would have been interesting to see him take on these young bucks that were both rookies to Pisgah. They are fast and hungry, David is experienced and wily. Maybe next year. Chris caught us on the long steep descent on Dogwood Swamp and went flying past. He was hammering the downhills. Scott went with him and I decided to save my legs and run a more conservative downhill. It was going to be even effort all day for me. No pushing anywhere on the course. Just smart and controlled. I rolled into the first aid station in 57min and filled up my hand held. It leaked all over me when I was drinking climbing the Reservoir Rd switch back hill, so I dropped my bottle in disgust. I caught up to Chris and he asked what happened to my bottle. I told him it was leaking and I was gonna run camel style. Guzzling fluids at the aid stations and carrying no bottle. I passed Chris on the uphill and Scott was already out of sight. It seemed that he picked it up intent on catching Ferenc. He also didn't stop at the aid station which helped him get out of sight so quickly. Hitting Chestnut I felt good, but it's always here that I start to feel the climbing a little. I become aware of the daunting task ahead as I chug uphill. I had to take a pee break on Chestnut and Chris went barreling past me again. We came out of Chestnut and started the gradual uphill climb on Old Chesterfield Rd. The usual aid station wasn't set up in the parking lot because the bridge was unsafe to drive a vehicle over due to the 5" of rain on Thursday. We would have to wait another mile + for the next aid station at the Ski Trail. Climbing Old Chesterfield Rd., I caught a quick glimpse of Scott on one of the long straight-a-ways. I figured he had about a minute on us. I pulled away from Chris again on the climb. I almost said to him, I'll see you on the next downhill but I held my tongue. I stopped at the Ski Trail aid station and Chris caught me while I was leaving. I was told that Scott had a little more than a minute on us and that Ferenc was 5min up on Scott. I think the time on my watch was around 1:40. I thought that Jonny must be almost finished. We climbed up Reservoir Trail and I pulled away from Chris again. My legs were feeling really good, but there was still a lot of running to do. I hit the Pisgah Ridge trail and fueled up at the aid station. Chris again caught me but I left in front of him. I was able to put some distance on him going up the ridge. My legs always feel a little fatigued at this point in the race, though I'm still moving smoothly. I gave the Elijah Salute at the top of the ridge and glanced over at Mt. Monadnock. It was a glorious day. I pulled into the Kilburn aid station in 2:31. Chris was coming around the corner when I left the station. Time for the Kilburn loop, where dreams go to die. I was feeling pretty good on the downhill, but as soon as I made the left hand turn to climb out, both quads cramped. I walked a few steps and glanced back. Chris was back there, but not in striking range yet. I was able to resume running at a decent clip, but I was in cramp management mode. Run smooth and relaxed. Don't cramp, don't cramp. I hit the Aid station again at Kilburn and couldn't see Chris. Maybe he was struggling a little bit too? I got to the Kilburn parking lot where I saw Jen and she threw me a gu. She let me know that I was impossibly far behind Scott and Ferenc which I sort of figured. I got near the top of Davis, running slowly but doing ok. Suddenly my left quad locked up in a brutal cramp. I screamed out in pain and tried to massage it out. It was locked straight for what seemed an eternity. I yelled and swore a few times and tried walking backwards up the hill. Finally the cramp ended and I started walking. Looking back, still no sign of Chris. Ok time to run cautiously again. I got up and over Hubbard with no cramping, but my legs wanted to cramp and I was now officially death slogging. Finally, Chris caught me going downhill near the logging clear cuts. He offered me his Gatorade bottle which I gratefully took. I knew there was no chance I'd be able to race him the final 2 miles to the finish. My legs were done. He disappeared down the hill and I kept plugging away down my road. The hill on the road was tough as always but I was able to run it with no cramps or walking. I hit the line in 4:03:25 for 4th place. It was a fun day and I gave it all I had. Ferenc ended up getting passed by Scott on my road on the hill. Ouch. They were close to David's record running 3:41 and 3:42. The chili at my house was excellent and I got fired up seeing Glenn finish. I knew he was in the zone and feeling emotional from the effort. I'm already excited for next year. I have a lot of room for improvement. Some day, maybe I'll be able to master this race and finish knowing I couldn't do anything better from training, to nutrition, to race strategy. This year was not that year but it was fun and I've gained some wisdom. I can't wait to try again.

Saturday, September 14th

3mi in Pisgah with Glenn, Griffin and Jimmy. This was a nice easy shake out run for tomorrow's race. The weather is perfect and I can't wait for the race tomorrow.

Friday, September 13th

I ran to and from school today which gave me 2miles. 8mi/52min in Pisgah with Ferenc, Griffin, Lena, and Ellie. Nice and easy run. Finally, a real run this week. My legs feel pretty good. The trails were all washed out and a little muddy. The streams were raging and it made the woods very noisy and beautiful.

Thursday, September 12th

am: I did a good DDP yoga session. In the afternoon we had crazy thunderstorms with 5" of rain. At least the humidity should be gone tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 11th

am: 3mi/20min in the morning before school on the roads. I did yoga after. It was unbelievably humid and gross out there. pm: 1mi/8min with the xc team. Nasty hot and humid weather. We ran down to the stream in Friedsam and hung out with our feet in the water looking for crayfish.

Tuesday, September 10th

2mi/15min. I ran a little bit at xc practice and then dropped my truck off to get inspected and a little work done. I ran to Glenn's house after and had dinner there. I did yoga and lifted weights in the morning. I really need a real run. I always seem to end up barely running at all in my taper weeks. It's not a big problem, but I'm doing DeMar a couple weeks after Pisgah.

Monday, September 9th

3mi/26min in Friedsam with xc team. I really needed to mow my lawn and elected to get it done rather than going for a run after practice. Did yoga in morning.

Sunday, September 8th

14mi/1:29 in Pisgah with Ferenc and the girls. Another great run, just rolling along, feeling good. We saw a group of 4 runners on the ridge trail. I got a high 5 from Steve Perrin. They're all getting ready for the 23K next Sunday. Total for the week: 81 miles. I had a decent long run on the roads which will hopefully help for DeMar at the end of the month. I didn't do any speed at all this week but it's ok. I'm pleased with the mileage considering school and xc are in full swing. I have Pisgah 50K next Sunday. I'll do a mini-taper the few days before the race. I feel pretty ready. I did some good work this summer, it's too late to change anything now. I'm going to really be smart about my fueling and take at least 6 gels during the race. I think I've been under fueled in the past at this race. Hopefully, I can run a p.r. We'll see on Sunday!

Saturday, September 7th

14mi/1:28 in Saxton's River with Ferenc, Pacman, Lena and Ellie. We ran the Sap Lines run. Just rolling along feeling good. Nice crisp fall weather.

Friday, September 6th

12mi/1:18 in Pisgah with Griffin. Fantastic run. Felt smooth and relaxed. Perfect running weather. Griffin charged the last 2 miles on Hubbard Hill. I love seeing the old warrior looking so spry.

Thursday, September 5th

0mi. Didn't do a darn thing today. I did play some temple of doom with the kids and hit some bulls eyes in archery.

Wednesday, September 4th

3mi/26min at xc practice in Friedsam with the kids. 12mi/1:22 in Pisgah with Ferenc and the girls. Great run! I was a little bit tired but the weather was gorgeous! Did some push-ups and pull-ups.

Tuesday, September 3rd

8mi/53min in Pisgah with Griffin. Nice and easy. My body was tight and tired. Did a lack luster yoga session after.

Monday, September 2nd

18mi*/1:58 on the Putney Rds with Ferenc and Najem. Fyffe biked with us for a little while. It was very humid and I was suffering just a wee bit out there. I had to poker face some of the hills. That damn ghost hill almost killed me.

Sunday, September 1st

10mi/69min in Pisgah with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Decent run. Humid weather. I did a great yoga session after. Total for the week: 53miles. School started and I wanted to be fairly well rested for the Alumni race. Next week run in the 80's.

August Totals

I ran 349 miles in the month of August. That's a 78.8 mile per week average. I was hoping for closer to 90. I ran two races, both 5K's running 16:16 at Yankee Candle and 16:45 at KSC Alumni XC. I'd like to have a strong Sept and run around 85 mpw. That means I'll have to double a few times a week. I'm gearing up for Pisgah 50K and The Clarence DeMar Marathon.

Saturday, August 31st

11mi*/73min at the KSC Alumni XC Race. 16:45(5:23) 13th overall - 7th for alumni. This was a fairly mediocre race. My legs felt a little flat and sore going into this. I think it's from the adjustment to the first week of school. I'm standing all day and I'm running around, skipping, galloping, side sliding, playing soccer at recess, just doing things my legs haven't done for 8weeks. It's a lame excuse, but I just felt a little off. It was also unmercifully humid, at least it was cloudy though so the temps weren't crazy high. I went out conservatively at the gun and moved with Thomas through the first mile passing college kids that sprinted out too fast. Around 2miles I was planning on picking up the pace, the time came and I had nothing to roll with. I survived the last mile but was slowing down. A few guys caught me as we entered the final straight away, but I was able to hold them off with a decent kick. This was my worst performance ever at Alumni. I had a rough Spring but then a decent summer, I just am not very fast. I haven't been racing a lot which is probably hurting me a little. I need to do more 5K's. I also feel like I'm a few lbs heavier than what's ideal for me. My back and sternum have been stiff every morning. Is this what getting old feels like? I need to snap out of this and get in my happy place!

Friday, August 30th

0mi. Feeling lazy.

Thursday, August 29th

10mi/65min in Pisgah solo. Just rolling along. My back is pretty stiff. Did a light yoga session after.

Wednesday, August 28th

8mi*/56min at KHS track workout. I did 10x200m in 37-35 seconds with 200 rest. I kept the rest pretty honest. Boj was there too, doing his own session. I lifted weights and did yoga before school today. Kids started today. It was a fun day. This will be my last track workout until the end of October because of xc practice. I do this every year and am always surprised to see how much speed I have from doing fartleks and tempo runs for 2 months.

Tuesday, August 27th

7mi/50min in Pisgah with Griffin. Hot and humid day today. My body is still stiff. Did a great yoga session after the run.

Monday, August 26th

7mi/55min at Grafton Ponds with Ferenc and the girls. Very easy pace. My legs and body are sore from the run up Monadnock yesterday. Today was our first day back at school. Kids start this Wednesday.

Sunday, August 25th

2:41:28 on Mt. Monadnock. I ran up the Pumpelly trail with my goal being to work on my low gear and run everything. I was able to do this by running a little slower on the easier sections. I summited in 49:22 and then went down the White Dot trail in 20:25. I couldn't believe how many people were hiking this trail a hundred maybe. I got to the bottom and then turned around and headed back up the White Dot, stopping at Falcon Spring to refill my handheld bottle. From there I jumped on the Cascade Link trail. Nobody was to be found on this trail, everybody does the dot. I ate a granola bar at the junction of Cascade Lind and Pumpelly. There I found a Geo-cash in the trees. I turned onto the Pumpelly trail and made the left to head up to the summit for my second time of the day. It took me 46:08 to go up using those 3 trails. The summit was mobbed with people and I was starting to get hot, thirsty, and tired. I killed my bottle and took comfort in the fact that it was all downhill and I had a Gatorade waiting in my truck. I got down the mountain in 45:30. I guzzled my Gatorade and swam in Dublin Lake. Getting into my truck my hip flexors both started to cramp. That was a tough, awesome effort. Total for the week: 89miles. I got a good m.p. run, a good track workout, and a great long effort on Monadnock.

Saturday, August 24th

12mi/1:17 in Pisgah solo. Feeling good. Beautiful weather. Had fun out there. Did yoga.

Friday, August 23rd

0mi. Exhausted today. Caught some nice largemouths fishing at the Reservoir.

Thursday, August 22nd

Am: 7mi/49min in Pisgah with Griffin. Nice and easy run. My legs are pretty tired. I ran into Gary Montgomery. He was mowing to get the Pisgah course ready and fast. He's removed countless downed trees and repaired the bridge on Southwoods trail. All to help the race run smoothly. Thanks Gary! Did an awesome yoga workout and mowed my lawn after the run. Pm: 10mi*/67min at the Hinsdale Fun Run. It was hot and humid and my legs felt heavy on the extended warm up. I got a little light quality in despite my fatigue. 1mi - 5:19. 2.3mi - 13:40 (picked it up last mile). Feeling pooped.

Wednesday, August 21st

10mi*/67min. Keene High track workout with Thomas. 400-200-200 x 4 with 200 rest. Result: (75,35,35,72,35,35,70,35,34,66,31,29). Good workout. It was hot and humid at the track today. I felt pretty strong.

Tuesday, August 20th

Am: 13mi*/1:18 in Pisgah with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. We ran a hard progression run. We just kept notching the effort up and by the end we were hammering. Great run. Lena got quilled by a porcupine (again!). Ferenc has probably removed more quills than most vets in the area! Pm: 5mi/40min in Pisgah with Sontag and Griffin. Nice and easy run. Went for a nice swim in Kilburn Pond. Feeling good.

Monday, August 19th

8mi/55min in the Saxton's River trails with Ferenc, Lena, Ellie, Griffin and Whistle. Fun rolling with my dogs. Slammed 20 wings after. Feeling great. DDP yoga in am. Nothing electrifies your spine like the diamond cutter.

Sunday, August 18th

10mi*/72min in the Carter Preserve in Rhody. Ran with Jonny and Mike Galoob. My legs were still tired but Jonny and Mike wanted to go after a Strava segment of a mile loop around a field. Mike found another gear in the last 200m and dusted me for a 4:56. I rigged up to a 5:03. I'll take it. Fun place to run, cool trails. Birthday party at night. Total for the week: 90miles with a day off. I got a great track workout in, some quality at the fun run, a fast mile on grass, and two long runs. A pretty stellar week really. I'm starting to click and feel fit. Bring on the Alumni race!

Saturday, August 17th

21mi*/2:20 in Pisgah with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Pretty tired today, but it was a good run. Drove to Rhody at night for my nephew and niece's birthday bash.

Friday, August 16th

3mi/21min in Pisgah with Griffin. Oh man my legs are tired today. Feel like crap. I did some DDP yoga and played some intense wiffle at night with Najem, Ferenc and Fyffe.

Thursday, August 15th

Am: 7mi/49min in Pisgah with Griffin. Beautiful weather, again. Pm: 8mi*/50min. Hinsdale Fun Run. I jumped a doe and a fawn on the warm-up. They were almost close enough to touch. The fawn was big but still had its spots. 1mi-5:14. 2.3mi-12:19. Nice cool evening and I decided to get a good workout out of this even though my legs were pretty tired. I gotta start cramming for the Alumni race at KSC.

Wednesday, August 14th

Am: 7mi/47min in Pisgah with (Jen and Griffin) Another beautiful day. This August sure has been nice. I saw a bear on the Southwoods trail. That makes the 5th one I've seen while running over the years. I've seen more driving and I even had one in my backyard once. Cool stuff. Did a long tough 50min DDP yoga session. Feeling good and a little sore from it. Pm: 10mi*/65min. Keene High track workout. 6 x 1000m cruise intervals with 200rest. With Najem, Andy, and Ferenc. Result: (3:24,3:22,3:21,3:21,3:21,3:12). This was a great workout. It was very controlled and I felt good the whole way. It was a lot of fun with all four of us doing the same pace and taking turns leading the intervals. Feeling good.

Tuesday, August 13th

0mi. Took a much needed rest day after a big 3 days in a row. Glenn and I gave a trail running talk at the XLR8 cross country camp. It was fun. Did some DDP yoga. Ferenc came over while I was finishing up the video and he ridiculed me the whole time. It was quite peaceful.

Monday, August 12th

Franconia Ridge with Ferenc. We parked at the Flume visitors center, ran up the bike path to the Flume Slide trail. This trail was super runnable for a while then it turned into scrambling up the secret staircase to Mordor. It was crazy fun. From there, we ran the Franconia Ridge Trail and hit the summits of Flume, Liberty, Lincoln, and Lafayette. It was fantastic weather with amazing views. We went down the Old Bridle Path back to the parking lot near Cannon Mtn. We jumped on the bike path and ran back the last few miles clipping off 7min pace. It was an awesome epic day in the white mountains. Total time 3:57 for 16mi on Ferenc's GPS. Going up there gives me White Mountain Fever and has me itching to return for more adventures.

Sunday, August 11th

17mi*/1:54 - Ran the Clearing(ext) with Najem, Ryan, and Brandon. Beautiful morning. We ended with 4 barefoot strides on the Keene State fields. Feeling really good. Total for the week: 88miles. I got 2 good long runs in an ok workout, a decent mile effort at the fun run, and an honest fitness assessment with the Yankee Candle race. I'm not fast yet, but things are definitely looking up. I wish I had done some more doubles this week. I'll make sure to get some more next week. The DDP yoga is awesome and I'm feeling strong and limber. This ain't your mama's yoga!

Saturday, August 10th

Am: 8mi*/51min - Yankee Candle 5K. 16:16(5:14) 1st place. This is a fast flat course and a real good indicator of where my speed and fitness are at right now. I was thinking I had a shot to break 16. It didn't happen. I went out too fast 4:54 and struggled the last mile. I ran 15:39 and 15:35 in 2011 and 2012. Oh well. It was my first true 5K of the whole year. I need to race more 5K's. They're a great workout that don't leave me beat up, and I can still do a long run the next day. Pm: 8mi/51min in Pisgah with Griffin. Gorgeous weather and my body feels good. I joked with Boj that I was doing a punishment double for a bad race. I'm glad I got out there for a second run today.

Friday, August 9th

9mi/60min on the Putney Rds with Ferenc. What a surprise, it was raining. It rains every time we meet to do this run. Feel pretty good for an old guy (36 today). DDP yoga after the run.

Thursday, August 8th

9mi*/62min at the Hinsdale Fun Run. 1mile - 4:56. 2.3mi - 14:31. The mile was good. The humidity was back today. Najem cranked a 4:39 in trainers and is excited to go after the record (4:33*) soon. DDP yoga in morning.

Wednesday, August 7th

!0mi*/66min. Keene High track workout. 4-4-8-4-4 x 2 with 1/2 rest. 800rest between sets. w/Najem, Thomas, Andy, George (MC and Boj). Result: (72,70,2:25,73,72 - 74,74,1:58(600 rigging hard),72,68). Tough workout. I went too fast on the first set, thinking the 800rest between sets would be enough to feel good on the 2nd set. I was wrong! I rigged on the 800 and cut it short at 600. Did some DDP yoga in the morning.

Tuesday, August 6th

5mi/35min in Friedsam with Griffin. Beautiful weather. Nice easy run.

Monday, August 5th

22mi*/2:38 in Pisgah with George. Wow, amazing weather today! It was 55 degrees when we started and warmed up to 65 while we were running. There were no deer flies and no humidity. My legs felt a little tired and we cut the run a little short. I was hoping to run a little over 3 hrs. I did some awesome DDP Yoga in the morning before the run. This is a great way to start the week.

Sunday, August 4th

6mi/39min in the Saxton's River trails with Lena. We ran up the famous switchbacks. Ellie ran away at 7am when I let her out for a morning pee. Naughty! I was hoping she would join up with us on our run but no dice. Emily found her later in the day around 3:30pm. Ferenc rocked it in Poland, coming in 15th overall and 2nd American! Hell yeah!! I'm glad he gets to come home to both the dogs in his house. I was going to run long today but I was a little worried about finding Ellie. I guess I'll go long tomorrow. Total for the week: 57miles. I guess I'll call this a recovery week from Escarpment, but I was hoping to do more miles than this. I started doing DDP Yoga, it's awesome. My glutes, hamstrings,and quads are a little sore from it. Next week, I'm hoping for a long run and some big miles. I might race the Yankee Candle 5K. I haven't done a legit 5K all year. Should be interesting. The last 2 years I ran 15:39 and 15:35. I hope I can crack into the 15's this year. Time will tell.

Saturday, August 3rd

3mi/21min in the Saxton's River trails with Lena and Ellie. Ferenc's trails are so damn hilly and overgrown, I just couldn't get in the right frame of mind for a longer run. I decided to cut it short with the intent of running on the roads later in the day. The second run never happened, but I did hang out with Fyffe which was a lot of fun. I haven't seen him in a while. Good times. At night, back in Saxton's River(I'm watching Ferenc's dogs for a couple days), coyotes came into the yard and were howling and yapping right outside the house. Lena and Ellie wanted me to let them out so they could go handle business. I kept them inside while they barked and the coyotes howled.

Friday, August 2nd

Am: 8mi/54min in Pisgah (with Jen and Griffin). Feel good today. Nice weather. Pm: 9mi/60min in Saxton's River trails with Lena and Ellie. Ferenc is in Poland for the World Mountain Marathon Championships. Go Ferenc and Go USA! His trails are ridiculously overgrown in spots. There was one section where I had to go through raspberry briars for about 400m. I got scratched and torn up all over my legs and stomach. I also had burs stuck to my running shorts and shoes, even in the liner of my running shorts. Ouch!

Thursday, August 1st

Am: 5mi/34min in Friedsam with Griffin. Still a wee bit sore on the downhills. Escarpment is brutal! Pm: 8mi*/53min at the Hinsdale Fun Run. It was raining and chilly. Four hearty souls showed up to build their fitness: Tanner, Sam, Glenn and myself. I cranked the mile - 4:58. Man that is a slow course, especially in the thick wet grass. Cruised the 2.3mi in with Tanner in 14:32. Legs are starting to feel better.

Wednesday, July 31st

Am: 5mi/35min in Friedsam with Griffin. Nice and easy. My back is pretty stiff. Legs still sore especially on downhills. Pm: 8mi*/53min. Track workout. I did a 2 mile tempo because my legs were too sore for any fast running. I ran 11:04 and called it enough. Andy, James, and Bryce were there doing their own workouts. Not a stellar day, but I still gained some fitness. July Total: 346miles = 78.1 mpw avg. It's not the huge numbers I wanted to get in July, but I started the summer in the worst shape I've been in for a long time. Rome wasn't built in a day and it was still a big mileage jump. I'll take it. Things are definitely starting to click with my training. I've been battling a very stiff back but I'm starting to get the upper hand on that as well. I'd love to be in p.r. shape year round but I also realize that things happen and the real goal is life long fitness and happiness. I'm really looking forward to August, one of my favorite months: the deer flies die off, the weather gets less humid, and I start cranking out uber long runs to get fit for the Pisgah 50K.

Tuesday, July 30th

0mi. My body was pretty darn sore today from Escarpment. I did some yoga and went for a hike with Jen and Griffin.

Monday, July 29th

5mi/38min on the Westmoreland rail trail with Ferenc, Lena, Ellie and Jen(bike). I am sore and a little beat up from the Escarpment race. This was a slow shuffle in the beginning, but I got a little looser as we ran. We went for a nice soak in the magical healing waters at the Putney culvert. In the afternoon, Glenn and I caught some tiny small mouths near the dam in Hinsdale on the Ashuelot River. Today was another beautiful weather day and it's really starting to feel like August.

Sunday, July 28th

Escarpment 30K Trail Race - 3:08:27 - 4th place. I was hoping to break 3 hrs here. I've run 3:02 and 3:01. It was raining at the start of the race which meant all the rocks were going to be very slick. Ben Nephew and 2 other guys (Dennis and Jamie) took off on the first big climb up Windham Mtn. I had to let them go, it was too quick for me. I settled into 4th place and that's where I stayed the rest of the race. I thought I'd be able to really hammer the downhills and catch up to the guys up front, but it was too wet and slippery, I just didn't want to take risks out there. I took 4 gels out there and 2 S-Caps. I had no cramping issues this year which is a first. Coming down the Wall of Manitou this year was treacherous and I was extra cautious once I realized I wasn't going to run a p.r. I hit the line in a rather ho-hum disappointing 3:08. I realize I'm not trail race sharp. Even though I did the Beaver Race and the Sunappee 5miler those were short, flat and non-technical courses. I train on trails all the time, but it's not the same as doing a tough race like 7 Sisters or Greylock, where there's tons of climbing and super technical descents. The rain made it slick and tough out there, but at least it wasn't hot. I was able to walk around without limping after the race which was a nice surprise but maybe I just settled too much in no-man's land and never pushed that hard. It did feel good to finish strong and not a limping, cramping, fading mess. I'll be back again some year to try to crack 3 hours again. I had a good week this week with 91 miles, a speed workout, and a tough race/long run.

Saturday, July 27th

7mi/54min in Pisgah with Boj. We explored the Old Town Forest trail and then some off shoots on Davis Hill trail. It's cool to think there are still things out in Pisgah that I haven't seen yet. Beautiful weather today.

Friday, July 26th

9mi/60min in Pisgah with Griffin. Nice run. Good weather.

Thursday, July 25th

AM: Hiked 2hrs up and down Mt. Haystack in Wilmington, VT with Jen and Griffin. This is a nice easy hike that I did a few times in 2004. The weather was amazing. It was 55 degrees to start the hike and Jen and I were both wearing long sleeve shirts. It warmed up to 64 degrees with no humidity. There were great views at the summit, but it's not totally exposed and you really only get views to the east with limited views to the south and north. You can't see to the west at all. The trail is never steep and it would make for a great run. PM: 8mi*/53min at the Hinsdale Fun Run. It was nice weather and I just wanted to get a little up tempo stuff without killing it because I have Escarpment on Sunday. I ran the mile with Tanner in 5:25 and then did the 2.3 in 14:02. Legs are feeling a wee bit tired. Easy day tomorrow.

Wednesday, July 24th

AM: 8mi/53min in Pisgah. Jen and Griffin were out there running while I was. I felt really good, probably due to the nice weather. It was 75 with low humidity. Nice swim in the pond after. PM: 10mi*/65min. Track workout at Keene High. Najem, Andy, George, James, Bryce, and M.C. were all there. I wanted to do a mix workout of tempo pace and I - pace. I ended up hitting T, I, and R pace in this workout. First up 2miles - 10:33 then an 800 - 2:22 then a 400 - 72, followed by 2 200's - 29,28. I felt pretty good and the weather was amazing out there. We dipped in the stream after to ice the legs.

Tuesday, July 23rd

AM: 9mi/60min on the Putney dirt roads with Ferenc. Every time we do this run in the morning it's raining. I felt good and we were rolling along well by the end. PM: 8mi/61min in Pisgah w/Boj. Nice and easy run. It's been a while since I've run with Boj. We swam in the pond and were the only ones out there. The blueberries are ripe.

Monday, July 22nd

AM: 8mi/59min in Pisgah with George and Griffin. Nice easy run. The weather was amazing! It was 68 degrees and overcast. We finished the run and took a dip in Kilburn and ate some blueberries. PM: 0mi. Glenn and I drove up to Saxton's River with the intent of running with Ferenc and Najem. Najem got held up at work and we decided to scrap the run and just eat some wings. It's one of the best decisions we've ever made! No regrets here!

Sunday, July 21st

22mi*/2:39 in Gilsum Woods with George. This was a nice long run. I felt strong the whole way which was nice, usually I get a little cranky and wimpy after 2 hours, but not today. Total for the week: 87 miles. I got a track workout, a short tempo day, a great long run, and a solid trail race in. I'm pleased. Next week I'd like to do some more doubles and then a mini-taper for the Escarpment trail race on Sunday.

Saturday, July 20th

10mi*/65min - Frenzy in the Forest 5mi trail race - 29:05, 1st place. Jen and I decided to drive out to Sunappee to do this short trail race that's part of the Western NH trail series. It was a very well organized event with lot's of participants that were doing the whole series. We warmed up on part of the course and it was not technical and not very hilly. This would be a little misleading as the 2nd half of the course had a good climb and some rooty, twisty single-track. I noticed one fast looking college aged kid on the starting line. I took it out hard at the gun and he tried to go with me. After a minute of running a started to open up a gap. I would run alone for the rest of the race. I felt good and was moving well over the fairly easy terrain, around half way there was a good long hill to run. I struggle a bit on this climb and didn't hammer the downhill that hard. There was a long straight away and I looked back and could see the young guy back there. Time to get moving! On the single-track I put the pedal to the metal and lost sight of him again. I ran into the finish with what I thought was a commanding lead, but after I crossed the line the kid (Noah), was only 13 seconds back. He was much closer than I realized! At first, I thought he must have missed some of the course, but now I realize, he hammered at the end where I just kind of cruised. I talked to him after the race and he will be going to Williams in the fall. I declined a cool down with him so I could watch Jen finish up her race. She had a fun time and liked the course. I think we'll both do a few more of the races on the series.

Friday, July 19th

3mi/23min in Pisgah with Jen and Griffin. My body was pretty tired today from 2 big days in a row in the high temps. I spent the day swimming and soaking in a few different places. Another very hot day today. Tomorrow trail race.

Thursday, July 18th

AM: 13mi/1:30 in Pisgah with George. Another hot and humid day. We spent a good amount of time swimming in Kilburn with Glenn after the run. My legs are feeling a little heavy from yesterday's workout. PM: 7mi*/46min at the Hinsdale Fun Run. I ran the mile in 5:21 and then did the 2.3mi in 13:39. It was brutally hot and humid without a breath of a breeze. Nasty stuff. I decided to just get some good tempo paced efforts in. I also had the goal of beating both of Jonny's times from his fun run a couple weeks ago. Mission accomplished. 20miles with some quality on a heat advisory day. I was feeling quite worked at the end of the night. Tomorrow is going to be an easy day. It also ends a 7 day span of 101 miles for me. Yee Hah!

Wednesday, July 17th

AM: 7mi/45min on the Keene Tracks solo. Hot weather but feeling good. Two easy days certainly did the trick. PM: 9mi*/61min with a track workout at Keene High. Najem, Pacman, Andy, and Bryce were there. It was freaking hot at 4:15 on the track, 92 degrees. We decided on doing something short. 2-4-4-2 x 2 with 200jog after the repeats and 400jog in between sets. I did ok, but really felt hot. Here are my times (34,69,66,32,32,68,70,32). I really struggled on the last 400m. It wasn't pretty. Afterwards, we hit up the happy river for a refreshing dip. Andy saved the day with some ice cold drinks for everybody.

Tuesday, July 16th

8mi/51min in Pisgah solo. Jen and Griffin were out there running while I was. I felt really good and was just rolling along effortlessly. It was hot, but I'm starting to feel quite adjusted to this steamy weather. Did a few sets of pull-ups but nothing Boj-like. Feeling good. Again, no afternoon run.

Monday, July 15th

8mi/56min in Pisgah with Tanner. Hot weather. My body was feeling pretty fatigued from the heat and the big weekend of running. No run for me in the afternoon.

Sunday, July 14th

21mi*/2:30 from Saxton's River to Putney Mtn w/Ferenc, Matt Haley, and Fyffe(1 hr). We ran the ridge line from Ferenc's house to Putney Mtn. It's a heck of a run with a lot of climbing in the beginning. It was hot and my legs were tired from yesterday's trail race. The conversation and company was great. It was a mental boost when Fyffe joined us at the top of Pinnacle Mountain. My legs were really dead on the climbs and I talked everyone into doing the slightly shorter version. Ferenc was the only one that seemed genuinely disappointed. We finished with gatorade at Fyffe's car and then a plunge into the healing magical waters of the Putney culvert. I slammed a fantastic bacon cheeseburger at the old Fat Frank's for recovery. In the words of MacKnight: Boom! Total for the week: 89 miles on 6 days of running. A decent short tempo run, a tiring hilly long run, and a solid trail race.

Saturday, July 13th

16mi*/1:40 at the Run With the Beavers 10mi trail race. 1:05:10. 1st place. Team Hammboj 1st place team. I really enjoy this race that Bob and Jackie Jackman put on in Chepachet, RI. There are clean bathroom facilities, a beautiful and well-marked trail, a pond for swimming, and great prizes. The Jackman's really know how to put on a race! Lining up for the start, I was pretty confident that I would get the win and I believed that Jonny would be able to get 2nd. The real concern was bringing home the team title. We'd really be counting on Glenn or Boj to get the win. I took off fairly hard at the gun and Jonny stuck close to me. We immediately separated from the field. Once we dumped out onto the dirt road, I pulled ahead of Jonny after the top of the hill. My thoughts were, "damn he's getting fast!". I turned onto the single track with the lead and loving the terrain. I really enjoy semi-technical single track with gentle up and downs. In other words, I love fast trails. You're moving quickly and have to think about every foot strike which makes it so fun. I hit the water stop at around 17:30 and pushed onto the dirt road. I felt good but definitely not as fast as last year. I saw Scott Mason taking photos on the side hill, technical spot after the bridge and gave him a wave. I finished the first loop in 32:13. I was pretty discouraged. Last year I came through the first lap in 30:41. Last year, I slowed down a full minute + on the second loop running it in 31:43. I figured I'd slow down a minute again this year. Mentally, that took a lot of wind out of my sails and I started to hurt making the climb up the dirt road on the 2nd loop. I felt like I ran really slowly from the beginning of lap 2 until the water stop. I hit the water stop in 18:30 a full minute back of my first split already. Crap! My new goal became to pick it up and not lose another minute on the 2nd half of this loop. I dug down and made it hurt. Suddenly, I started to feel good and was running smooth and relaxed. I felt like I ran this part of the race faster than the first loop. I crested the steep hill after the side hill trail and hammered for the finish. I hit the line in 1:05:10, which meant I ran the 2nd loop in 32:56. Bob made a remark about not being as fast as last year, but running more evenly. I thought the same thing, but really I just ran the last quarter of the race really well. Once I finished I drank some water, talked to Jen who ran the 5 mile, and waited for Jonny to finish. I didn't have to wait long. He came sprinting into the finish looking strong in under 1:10! It was sweet that we went 1-2 in a race. We heard reports from Bob that Boj took a wrong turn on the race which surprised me considering he is a trail veteran, a good navigator, and he used to run these trails in high school! Oh well, time to rely on Glenn for the team win. Jonny and I ran out on the course to cheer him in. Glenn was leading a train of 4 or 5 runners when we saw him on the side hill. He would power home, dropping everyone in his train and catching one runner ahead of him. His finish sealed the victory and domination of team Hammboj. The prize was some growlers of chromium replacement beverages. Glenn said the beer never tasted better! I also picked up a gift certificate for Brooks shoes (my favorite) and $40.00 to Big Gary's Discount Beverage. Jen and I stopped there on the way back to New Hampshire. We headed home with a car full of delicious micro-brews and fish.

Friday, July 12th

AM: 3mi/22min in Burlingame trails with Griffin. PM: 9mi/63min in Burlingame trails solo. Feeling pretty good. I love cruising along on the Sammy C. Trail. Tomorrow race at Run with the Beavers.

Thursday, July 11th

0mi. Annual striper/fluke fishing trip leaving Pt. Judith on the C-Devil. Caught a lot of fish. Enjoyed some fresh fish tacos at Jonny's later that night.

Wednesday, July 10th

7mi/48min on the Westmoreland tracks with Ferenc. Nice and easy. Drove to Rhode Island in the afternoon for tomorrow's striper fishing trip.

Tuesday, July 9th

AM: 12mi/1:26 in Pisgah w/George. Nice and easy run, my legs are feeling pretty good. PM: 4mi*23:30 on the roads. I did a 3mile tempo run in 16:28 then a 1mi cool down. Feeling strong.

Monday, July 8th

AM: Ran up the Dublin trail on Mt. Monadnock. It was hot and I climbed like a wimp above tree-line. Too much power hiking on sections I can run if I'm feeling good. 33:57up. My plan was to do two summits, but once I got to the top I knew that one would be enough. I descended in 26:15. Round trip of 1:00:13. A tough sluggish day on that mountain, is still a lot of fun. PM: 10mi/72min on the Grafton Ponds trails w/Ferenc and his girls. Nice and easy run. Legs a little bit tired. Cooled off in a beautiful stream near G.P. Ate some wings after.

Sunday, July 7th

0mi. Drove back 4hrs from Maine. It was miserably hot and humid and my body was stiff from travel. I should have run, but just wasn't motivated. Total for the week: 61miles on 5 days of running.

Saturday, July 6th

0mi. I hiked Speckled Mtn w/Jen, Hailey, Josh, Boomer and Griffin. We didn't summit because that would have been a long hike for the kids. We went to the slides and then climbed blueberry ridge which was pretty steep. I was worried about the dogs but they were fine. Fun hike.

Friday, July 5th

12mi/1:21 in Pisgah solo. Legs a little bit tired. Lifted weights. Drove 4 hrs to Maine. Hot and humid nasty day.

Thursday, July 4th

AM: 60min/9mi*. 4 on the 4th - 21:34(5:24) 4th place. Najem went immediately to the lead. I sat back a little with a pack following a few meters behind me. I hit the mile feeling ok in 5:15. Around 1.5mi Pacman caught me and went by. Brandon passed me around 2miles. From there it was a real struggle to the finish and I was slowing down horribly. I felt lucky to hold off the crowd of fast guys behind me and get 4th. It's my slowest time since the first year of the race (2002) when I ran with a sinus infection in 23 something. I know the course might have been 15 seconds slower this year, but it's still a disappointing race. I gave it all I had, I'm just out of shape. I am improving though. It just takes time. Here are my miles: (5:15,5:18,5:28,5:32). PM: 35min/5mi on the Stoddard dirt roads w/Jonny. I was burping up the food and beverages I just consumed. Legs tired. Jonny wasn't pushing the hills, but it sure felt like it in my tired state.

Wednesday, July 3rd

56min/8mi in Pisgah w/George, Fyffe and Ferenc. Went for a nice swim in Kilburn Pond after the run. Tomorrow is the 4 on the 4th. Feel pretty good.

Tuesday, July 2nd

72min/10mi on the Keene Tracks w/George, Fyffe and Ferenc. Nice and easy run. My body is stiff and tight. I need to be better about stretching.

Monday, July 1st

Am: 5mi/36min in Friedsam w/Griffin. Lifted weights w/M.C. Pm: 12mi/1:19 in Saxton's River trails with Ferenc, Najem, Brandon, Lena and Whistle. Good run. We were rolling along pretty well.

Sunday, June 30th

17mi*/1:47 on the Putney dirt roads and trails with Ferenc, Fyffe, Najem, Thomas, Brett and Brandon. We rolled out the culvert and ran uphill for a long time. A ruffed grouse almost flew into Fyffe's face at one point. Later in the run a dog came out and Naj accidentally elbowed Fyffe in the nose when he yelled at the dog to go home. Fyffe soldiered on with only a little blood. Thomas, Brandon and I got on the gas with 3 miles to go. We were flying. They put a little gap on me with less than a half mile to go. Great run! We soaked the legs in the magical cooling Putney waters. Total for the week: 61miles on 5 days. Total for the month: 215mi = 50.2mpw. Total for the spring quarter: 575mi = 44.2mpw. It's been a tough spring but I'm snapping out of it and starting to feel fit and motivated. I'm looking forward to a big summer.

Saturday, June 29th

8mi/55min in Pisgah. Jen and Griffin were out there as well. We ran into Glenn and Jimmy. Legs are feeling good.

Friday, June 28th

Am: 5mi/35min in Friedsam solo. It was pouring and the streams were raging. Pm: 10mi/65min on the Putney dirt roads with Ferenc, Fyffe and Najem. Legs a bit tired. Good run though. Last day of school!!!!

Thursday, June 27th

5mi/38min in Friedsam with Griffin. We had 8th grade graduation. I was only able to sneak in a short run. Tomorrow is our last day (finally)! Bring on summer!

Wednesday, June 26th

Am: 5mi/38min in Friedsam with Griffin. Pm: 11mi*/72min. Track workout. 3x4x300m. 200rest after the 300's. 500rest in between sets. Result: (51,50,50,49-50,50, 49,48-51,51,50,49). Good workout. My calves wanted to cramp in the last set so I backed off a little. I would have liked to run under 50 for all of them in the last set. Ran with Najem and Andy. We had a nice cooling rain during the workout and the sun came out for the cooldown.

Tuesday, June 25th

0mi.

Monday, June 24th

0mi.

Sunday, June 23rd

10mi/64min in Pisgah. Great run. Stomach feeling better. I felt like I gained some fitness today. Went fishing with MC for creek chubs in his stream. My back has been very stiff. 38mile week.

Wed,Thurs,Fri June 20-22

0mi logged running but lot's of time logged on the toilet. Had a stomach bug.

Wednesday, June 19th

7mi/47min in Pisgah with Griffin. Gorgeous day. Had the sports awards. Did 25 pull-ups.(not all in one set - I'm not Boj)

Tuesday, June 18th

11mi/77min on the Putney dirt roads with Ferenc, Fyffe,Najem. We were joined a few miles into the run by Caleb and Anna. They work at the Putney School at a summer camp. Anna ran for Bowdoin and could really roll, Caleb was trying to impress Anna and was able to hang on with us. I was impressed, hopefully Anna was too.

Monday, June 17th

10mi/72min on the Westmoreland tracks with Ferenc, Najem, Lena and Ellie.

Sunday, June 16th

10mi/70min in Pisgah with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Good run. Not sore today. Played wiffle with Boj and MC.

June 15th - Mt. Washington

1:21:28 - 67th place. I'm not sure what to say about this race. It sucked and was awesome at the same time. It was ridiculously difficult and also easy. It sucked because I ran like a wimp. Any parts of the race that were tough, I'd give up on myself and back off. I felt good through the half way point hitting it in 38:12. At 5miles was when I just ran without any toughness. I hiked on a lot of the steep stuff. I realize I have no low gear. When it was steep I had nothing in the legs. I was faster than the people around me on the less steep sections. This is what made the race easy. Me being a wimp and not hurting enough. I feel like going into a race like this you need to have your A game. I was in sub par shape and knew it, which gave me zero confidence. It was a lot of fun hanging out on the top, cheering runners on. The weather was glorious if you were out of the wind. I'm not sure if I'll ever race this one again. I'd want to be in monster shape with some of the other mountain races in my legs to help with my low climbing gear.

Friday, June 14th

7mi/44min in Pisgah solo. This is one of the best runs I've had in 2 months. I felt strong, relaxed and smooth. I was just floating along easily. I had to hold back a bit to save something for Mt. Washington tomorrow. Drove up to Andy's lake house in Acton, ME after. What a gorgeous spot. Perfect weather day. Legs feel great.

Thursday, June 13th

0mi.

Wednesday, June 12th

10mi*/68min - KMS track workout. 5x600 + 4x200 (1:48,1:48,1:47,1:45,1:50 + 32,31,30,29). 200 rest for everything. With Najem, Andy, (Thomas, Fyffe, James and George there too). I'm pretty pleased with this effort. My fitness seems to be coming around. I still have a lot of work to do though. Watched the Bruins at Boj's house. Left at the end of regulation.

Tuesday, June 11th

7mi/47min in Pisgah with Griffin. It poured the whole run. Griffin is not a fan of the rain, but we both started having fun after 10min. The streams and ponds are really high right now. We flushed a great blue herron at Fullam Pond.

Monday, June 10th

0mi.

Sunday, June 9th

15mi/1:43 - Gilsum trails with George. This was a beautiful day for a run. It was sunny but cool with low humidity. George was feeling good and he worked all the climbs and most of the flats. At least the downhills were relaxing. I was all out on some of the climbs trying desperately to hang onto George. He wasn't wearing a watch and was surprised to hear how fast we ran. He's never broken 1:50 before on that loop. This was a good fitness builder for me. Total for the week: 63miles. 1 workout, 1 race, 1 good long run and a set of hill sprints

Saturday, June 8th

9mi*/60min - Keene Healthy Start 5K - 18:02. 2nd place. This course was long but I still ran pretty slow. My splits were meaningless as the course was not measured well but here they are: 5:57,5:09,6:53. I struggled after the 2mi mark and could feel Andy reeling me in. I was able to hold him off. I must have looked back 5 times in the final half mile. Not only am I out of shape, but I'm not race tough at all. That will come with fitness and more racing. Mt. Washington should be a real adventure next week.

Friday, June 7th

9mi/61min on the Putney dirt roads with Ferenc. I'm glad I had someone to run with as it was raining fairly hard the whole time. Legs felt good but my left shin is sore.

Thursday, June 6th

0mi.

Wednesday, June 5th

10mi*/67min - Track workout at KMS with Andy, George, Chris, Miller, Najem and James. 4x1200m with 400rest. (3:51,3:54,3:00,3:45,52). I had to take a pit stop 900m into the 3rd one so I added a 300 at the end. Not a stellar day, but glad I'm back in a routine. This is the 2nd real Wednesday in a row and the rust is coming off the old legs.

Tuesday, June 4th

10mi/67min in Pisgah with Ferenc, Fyffe, Najem, George, Lena and Ellie. Nice weather again. Finished with 3x8sec hill sprints with Najem.

Monday, June 3rd

10mi/75min - Westmoreland tracks with Fyffe, Najem, Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Nice and relaxed. Gorgeous day. No humidity.

Sunday, June 2nd

0mi.

Saturday, June 1st

11mi/1:23 - Gilsum trails with George. Hot weather. A nice and easy run. I have no voice from having a cold and yelling at the track meet yesterday.

May total mileage

I ran 209mi in the month of May. That is a 47.2 mpw average. My fitness is poor but I'm on an upswing and feeling motivated. Mt. Washington should be interesting. I hope to get over 300mi for June and then really crank it up in the summer.

Friday, May 31

0mi - Had the Middle School CVL Championships. It was hot and a loooooong meet. We didn't get home until 1:00am! My kids ran like warrior poets. They had lot's of pr's and we set 4 school records and placed in 4 events. The high light for me was when the girls 4x200m crushed their old school record, winning their heat and placing 3rd overall at 11pm. It was way past their bedtimes!

Thursday, May 30

9mi/62min in Pisgah with Ferenc and Lena and Ellie. Feeling a little stiff and tight but the run helped loosen me up. We saw a porcupine and the girls stayed unquilled which was a minor miracle. It was nice weather in the woods running at 5:45 at night. Tomorrow is gonna be a scorcher and my kids are racing at the CVL Championships.

Wednesday, May 29

10mi*/69min with a track workout at KMS. It felt like a Wednesday of old with 5 guys there (George, Andy, Najem and Miller). We even decided to all do the same workout. 8x400 w/200rest (71,70,69,69,69,69,69,66). I'm fairly pleased with the result. I feel like I'm starting to break out of this funk I've been stuck in. It was super humid at the track. Played some lawn golf at Boj's after and he was -7 after 9 holes with 2 hole-in-ones. EL TIGRE!

Tuesday, May 28

7mi/46min in Pisgah with Griffin. I ended with 2x8sec hill sprints. I gotta start doing these again and 2 was a good place to start. I have a cold right now. It's a mild one but still annoying to be stuffed up in hot weather.

Monday, May 27

10mi/72min on the Keene tracks with George and Fyffe. Nice and relaxed run. Good to run with Fyffe Dogg again. Played some dunk hoops in the afternoon at George's house. BOOMSHACKALACKA!!!!

Week of May 20-26

I ran 6 days. I only took a day off when I had a track meet. I still only ran 41miles. I had a few short runs on days where I really wasn't motivated. I lifted weights a couple days and have been stretching and doing yoga. My back is still sore and tight but I'm seeing a little improvement. I ran the Sap Lines in Saxton's River in 1:26, which was a decent effort. I need to increase my miles.

Week of May 13-19

My week of obnoxious upper back pain continues. Running is a struggle. I did a track workout with George and Garry. We did 10x200m. We started at 37 and chopped it down to 30 on our last one. I had 2 track meets this week and 2 zeroes on those days. I ran the Westmoreland 4miler in 22:44 getting 2nd. Chris Reilly pulled away at the top of the big climb at 1.5mi. That was it. He ran 22:01 which is legit on this hilly course. I'm out of shape and beat up but it was a fun race. Pard and Jen won their age groups. (I did too) It was fun catching up with James and enjoying the nice weather. Total 50miles. I got some work to do!

Week of May 6-12

I went down to Rhode Island for nature's classroom. This is a school trip where I get to stay with 12 6th grade boys in a cabin for a week. It's always interesting! My back is still unmercifully tight and the crappy mattress certainly didn't help. It's not enjoyable running right now. I did slog out 42 miles with a decent 14miler with Ferenc on Sunday.

Week of April 29-May 5

Recovered from sinus infection. My upper back us killing me. Probably from laying around for a week and then running up and down Mt. Ascutney. I won the Chesterfield 10k in 39:51. A mix of dirt roads and trails. I feel like an out of shape old man. Total 41miles.

April 18-27th. SICK!!

I have a nasty sinus infection. I finally got meds after thinking for a week that I could fight it off on my own with rest and good food. Nope. Give me drugs! I spent my entire April vacation sleeping and feeling run down. I ran a total of 7 miles on 3 runs that were miserable and pathetic. The decision to bail on TARC 50K was a no-brainer. 50K's are super tough and I was in no shape to start one. It's now Sunday the 28th and I'm feeling pretty good. Ready to start running again. My body is stiff from laying around so much.

Wednesday, April 17

10mi*/65min. Track workout with Andy (James and Boj). 1600-800-800-400-400-400. (4:59,2:27,2:23,70,67,65). 600rest-400r-400r-200r-200r. Ok workout. Felt sick again during the day but not horrible. Chills and aches returned after the workout. I'm definitely sick.

Tuesday, April 16

12mi/1:18 in Pisgah with Ferenc and Griffin. Got sick after the run. Fever, chills and achy all over. Crap.

Monday, April 15

Am:2mi w/kids at school. Lifted weights. Pm:2mi w/track team. Feeling lazy after practice. I should have run for real.

Sunday, April 14

7mi/47min in Pisgah with Griffin. Feeling great. Nice 70 mile week with a decent hill workout, 2 lifting sessions and a solid long run.

Saturday, April 13

26mi/3:18 in Pisgah with Ferenc and his girls. I needed a good long run if I'm going to survive this 50K in 2 weeks. This was it. The trails had an inch or two of slushy snow making for a slippery run. The weather was beautiful and I felt pretty good the whole way. I was hurting a little climbing the ridge after 2:30 of running. Refueled with burgers at Fyffe's house.

Friday, April 12

0mi. Nasty weather with snow, sleet and freezing rain. Easy decision to bail once Ferenc and Najem said they weren't coming out to run. Lifted weights.

Thursday, April 11

Am:1mi with kids at school + circuits. pm:5+mi/39min with Griffin in Pisgah. Nice and easy run. Cold and damp day.

Wednesday, April 10

10mi*/64min. Drummer Hill repeats with George, Andy, Miller and Ferenc. (73,74,72,70,70,72,72,71,70,67). This was a tough day. I'm pleased that I stayed consistent and stuck with it. I was a little sore going into this and just tired. It was a struggle. Ferenc looked like a damn mountain goat kid just out there playing. He slaughtered taints and was telling annoyingly happy stories without breathing heavy while the rest of us were suffering miserably, trying to squeeze every precious second out of the recovery jog. God I hate him!!! Bonked hard on the cool down while watching Andy train Charles to run on a leash.