Friday, March 30, 2012

Week of March 19th - 25th

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

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

Wednesday - 0miles

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Week of March 12th - 18th

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

Tuesday - 0mi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Week of March 5th to 11th

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday, March 9, 2012

February 27th to March 4th

Monday - 0mi - Sore and lazy today.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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