Monday:
0mi. I hiked twice in Pisgah with Griffin and Jen for 30min each. My left hip is sore.
Tuesday:
8mi/60min on the Athen's trails with Ferenc and Lena. Good run. Wore the micro-spikes. Walked 1hr with Griffin in the morning and lifted weights.
Wednesday:
1mi + drills and lifted weights at the YMCA. Played 50min of indoor soccer at night in our first league game. Holy crap! We're playing in an 18+ league and everyone on our team is over 30. The team we were playing was all young, fast and skilled. We tied 1-1. I played fullback the whole game and I was very busy! A tie felt like a win against this team. I'm gonna be sore!
Thursday:
8mi/1:10 in Pisgah with Thomas. The trails were insanely icy. I didn't wear micro-spikes because the first half of the run was on mostly open trails but then it got ridiculous. We slipped and slid but managed to stay mostly upright. Tough run. The streams were raging from the rain the night before. I'm sore from last night's soccer game.
Friday:
0mi. Drove down to RI and visited my mom in the hospital after her hip replacement surgery. She seems to be doing well. Went on a couple 20min walks in the woods. Found an owl pellet with my dad.
Saturday:
11mi*/1:20 - Belleville Pond 10k trail race - 41:01 (6:36) 7th place.
Well, I knew it would happen. Jonny and Muddy kicked my arse in this race. I hung with Jonny with Muddy sitting on my heels for the first 2 miles and it was very uncomfortable. Jonny pulled away on a grassy hill where Scott Mason was snapping photos. Muddy went around me and I knew that was it. They pulled away and left me in the dust. I was hit by two gunmen on the grassy knoll. I got passed a mile later by a guy in orange. I could see Jonny leading Muddy on the long carriage road section again but I knew they were way too far ahead. I managed to hold off a late charging Chris Fox at the end of the race to take 7th place. It was one of the most exhausting races I've run. I'm terribly out of running shape and the results showed it. A lot of people would probably elect not to race if they were this out of shape but I wanted to get on the line and test myself. I also felt that Jonny had earned the right to kick my butt. He's been putting in big miles and doing speed workouts. He deserved to crush me. It didn't seem fair to dodge him and sit the race out. I wanted to try to stick with him and hopefully unleash some sort of kick, but he's just way too fit. Muddy also. I'm happy those guys are running so well. I tip my hat to their hard work.
Sunday:
0mi. I hiked an hour in the Calhoun Forest in Gilsum, NH with Jen and Griffin. We found two owl pellets. One was large and mostly grey fur with 3 toe nails. I'm guessing it was a barred owl that yarped up a squirrel. The next one was tiny. It had a little rodent skull and bones with matted fur. It was so small it had to be a norther saw-whet owl. I'm hooked on finding owl pellets now.
My body is sore from the race.
Total for the week:
28mi. I had "fun" at the race on Saturday. The indoor soccer game was a blast. I can't wait for our next game.
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Week of February 15th to 21st, 2016
Monday:
0mi. I did circuits at school. I also went for a 15min walk with Griffin followed by 2 x 8sec hill sprints. I was a little stiff and sore today. It was -11F this morning.
Tuesday:
1mi + drills and lifting at the Y. We had a snow day today. I shoveled for an hour and then went xc skiing. The skiing sucked because of the icy crust on top. I couldn't get a good kick and glide going. Only went for 20min then called it a day. Got up to 51F in the afternoon with heavy rain.
Wednesday:
0mi. Lazy day. Upper back pretty stiff today.
Thursday:
Lifted weights in the morning. Took Griffin for a 35min hike in Pisgah in the afternoon.
Friday:
0mi. We had the staff vs student basketball game at school. We won 67-65. I scored about 25 pts with a lot of lefty layups, a couple nice j's and a 3pter. Fun game!
Saturday:
1mi + drills and lifting weights at the YMCA. I felt super strong today and was lifting heavy (for me). Hiked with Griffin in the afternoon for 35min in Pisgah. We enjoyed the sunshine and 50F temps. Went to Stoddard to hang out with my parents after the hike. Great day.
Sunday:
13mi/1:39 on the Keene Rds to Surry Dam and back with Thomas. Good run. My left hip got a little sore on the run. Beautiful weather again, 44F. We saw an adult bald eagle flying over the dam.
Total for the week:
15mi. Not a great week of running but I'm happy with lifting 3 times this week. I felt super strong on Saturday. Making gains! Staff vs student basketball game was a blast. The lifting and lack of running is making me more athletic. I can cut and sprint and jump again. It feels great. I joined a legit indoor soccer league in the Greenfield, MA bubble. We play our first game next Wednesday. I have vacation next week. I'd like to run at least 4 days. I'm planning on racing the Bellville Pond trail race next Saturday. That should be a real eye opener as to how out of running shape I've become. I fully expect to get my butt kicked but it will be fun. My strategy is to sit behind Jonny for as long as I can and then hopefully outkick him. We'll see!
0mi. I did circuits at school. I also went for a 15min walk with Griffin followed by 2 x 8sec hill sprints. I was a little stiff and sore today. It was -11F this morning.
Tuesday:
1mi + drills and lifting at the Y. We had a snow day today. I shoveled for an hour and then went xc skiing. The skiing sucked because of the icy crust on top. I couldn't get a good kick and glide going. Only went for 20min then called it a day. Got up to 51F in the afternoon with heavy rain.
Wednesday:
0mi. Lazy day. Upper back pretty stiff today.
Thursday:
Lifted weights in the morning. Took Griffin for a 35min hike in Pisgah in the afternoon.
Friday:
0mi. We had the staff vs student basketball game at school. We won 67-65. I scored about 25 pts with a lot of lefty layups, a couple nice j's and a 3pter. Fun game!
Saturday:
1mi + drills and lifting weights at the YMCA. I felt super strong today and was lifting heavy (for me). Hiked with Griffin in the afternoon for 35min in Pisgah. We enjoyed the sunshine and 50F temps. Went to Stoddard to hang out with my parents after the hike. Great day.
Sunday:
13mi/1:39 on the Keene Rds to Surry Dam and back with Thomas. Good run. My left hip got a little sore on the run. Beautiful weather again, 44F. We saw an adult bald eagle flying over the dam.
Total for the week:
15mi. Not a great week of running but I'm happy with lifting 3 times this week. I felt super strong on Saturday. Making gains! Staff vs student basketball game was a blast. The lifting and lack of running is making me more athletic. I can cut and sprint and jump again. It feels great. I joined a legit indoor soccer league in the Greenfield, MA bubble. We play our first game next Wednesday. I have vacation next week. I'd like to run at least 4 days. I'm planning on racing the Bellville Pond trail race next Saturday. That should be a real eye opener as to how out of running shape I've become. I fully expect to get my butt kicked but it will be fun. My strategy is to sit behind Jonny for as long as I can and then hopefully outkick him. We'll see!
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Week of February 8th to 14th, 2016
Monday:
0mi. Xc skied 30min around the farm fields in my neighborhood at night. Nice snowfall coming down.
Tuesday:
Xc skied 40min on farm fields in the morning. 6" of fresh light powder. Fun stuff!
Xc skied 40min in Pisgah with Griffin in the afternoon. Great conditions.
Wednesday:
Xc ski 1:20 in Pisgah with Griffin.
Thursday:
0mi. Lazy day.
Friday:
0mi. Lifted weights at the Y after school. -2F this morning. Chilly. Did some jump roping at the Y.
Saturday:
1:47/ 15mi in Pisgah with Ferenc and Lena. Cold 15F. Wore micro-spikes. Ferenc rolled his ankle hard an hour into the run. My quads had micro cramps at the end of the run, probably from lifting heavy yesterday, but maybe from being out of running shape. Beautiful day in the woods. Did yoga after the run which I need to do every day.
Sunday:
1mi + drills at the Y plus lifting weights. Felt tired and my left hip was bugging me a little bit. Cold day. -16F in the morning but it warmed up to a balmy 5F.
Total for the week:
16mi. I've officially become a weekend warrior. I'm enjoying the xc skiing during the week though. I wish we had a bit more snow.
0mi. Xc skied 30min around the farm fields in my neighborhood at night. Nice snowfall coming down.
Tuesday:
Xc skied 40min on farm fields in the morning. 6" of fresh light powder. Fun stuff!
Xc skied 40min in Pisgah with Griffin in the afternoon. Great conditions.
Wednesday:
Xc ski 1:20 in Pisgah with Griffin.
Thursday:
0mi. Lazy day.
Friday:
0mi. Lifted weights at the Y after school. -2F this morning. Chilly. Did some jump roping at the Y.
Saturday:
1:47/ 15mi in Pisgah with Ferenc and Lena. Cold 15F. Wore micro-spikes. Ferenc rolled his ankle hard an hour into the run. My quads had micro cramps at the end of the run, probably from lifting heavy yesterday, but maybe from being out of running shape. Beautiful day in the woods. Did yoga after the run which I need to do every day.
Sunday:
1mi + drills at the Y plus lifting weights. Felt tired and my left hip was bugging me a little bit. Cold day. -16F in the morning but it warmed up to a balmy 5F.
Total for the week:
16mi. I've officially become a weekend warrior. I'm enjoying the xc skiing during the week though. I wish we had a bit more snow.
Week of February 1st to 7th, 2016
Monday:
0mi. Walked 15min with Griffin. Have a cold.
Tuesday:
0mi. Hiked 1hr in Pisgah with Griffin. 42F with icy trails. Wore my micro-spikes.
Wednesday:
0mi. I was going to do a track workout but I got stuck at work. Bummer. Walked 20min with Griffin.
Thursday:
0mi. Lifted weights. Walked twice with Griffin.
Friday:
1mi/8min + drills at the YMCA with lifting. Had a snow day today. Xc skied 30min but the snow was too sticky. Not great for skiing. Got huge at the Y.
Saturday:
11mi/76min on the Putney Mtn trails with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Good run. Wore my micro-spikes. Xc skied 1:20 in the afternoon in Pisgah.
Sunday:
7mi/46min in Pisgah solo. Moving really well for the trail conditions. I worked hard.
1mi/8min + drills at the Y. Lifted weights and got diesel. Xc skied 35min in Pisgah. Nice day with lot's of activity.
Total for the week:
20mi. Not a good week. I had a cold and was lazy at the start of the week.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Week of January 25th to 31st, 2016
Monday:
0mi. Xc skied 50min in Pisgah with Griffin. Had fun out there.
Tuesday:
10mi/70min on the Athen's trails with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Good run. Warm 40 degrees. My back is pretty stiff but still a fun run.
Wednesday:
10mi*/69min - Monadnock track workout with Andy and Thomas.
2mi @ T pace - 400 rest + 4 x 400m @ I pace with 200rest.
(11:28, 73, 73, 72, 71)
Decent workout. 400s were tough. It was nice to run on a snow free track. I did a track workout every week in the month of January. Yee hah! Now I just need to run more miles.
Thursday:
0mi. I did a fast walk in the morning with Griffin for 15min and then did 20min of yoga.
I watched the middle school basketball teams play in the afternoon.
Friday:
0mi. I played indoor soccer for an hour and 20min. I did some agility ladder drills beforehand to get loose. Fun times.
Saturday:
AM: lifted weights + 1mi with drills at the YMCA
PM: 4mi/28min in Pisgah. Good run. Did some yoga after the run. Wore micro-spikes.
Sunday:
16mi*/1:53 on Athen's, VT trails with Ferenc, Drew Best and Lena. Good run. My legs were tired from soccer and lifting. Drew was struggling for traction with his yaktrax. Ferenc and I had no problems in our micro-spikes. I went a little shorter, they added on 45min.
Total for the week:
41mi. Pretty good week. My shoulder feels pretty good. Glad to run in the 40's this week. It's a start.
0mi. Xc skied 50min in Pisgah with Griffin. Had fun out there.
Tuesday:
10mi/70min on the Athen's trails with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Good run. Warm 40 degrees. My back is pretty stiff but still a fun run.
Wednesday:
10mi*/69min - Monadnock track workout with Andy and Thomas.
2mi @ T pace - 400 rest + 4 x 400m @ I pace with 200rest.
(11:28, 73, 73, 72, 71)
Decent workout. 400s were tough. It was nice to run on a snow free track. I did a track workout every week in the month of January. Yee hah! Now I just need to run more miles.
Thursday:
0mi. I did a fast walk in the morning with Griffin for 15min and then did 20min of yoga.
I watched the middle school basketball teams play in the afternoon.
Friday:
0mi. I played indoor soccer for an hour and 20min. I did some agility ladder drills beforehand to get loose. Fun times.
Saturday:
AM: lifted weights + 1mi with drills at the YMCA
PM: 4mi/28min in Pisgah. Good run. Did some yoga after the run. Wore micro-spikes.
Sunday:
16mi*/1:53 on Athen's, VT trails with Ferenc, Drew Best and Lena. Good run. My legs were tired from soccer and lifting. Drew was struggling for traction with his yaktrax. Ferenc and I had no problems in our micro-spikes. I went a little shorter, they added on 45min.
Total for the week:
41mi. Pretty good week. My shoulder feels pretty good. Glad to run in the 40's this week. It's a start.
Week of January 18th to 24th, 2016
Monday:
0mi. I put on the xc skis and went in Pisgah for an hour. We had just enough new snow out there to make the conditions pretty good.
I went to Central Rock Gym in Hadley, MA with Brett and his co-worker Alan. We climbed for 5+hrs. It was exhausting but fun. I climbed well in the beginning doing one 5.10 and mostly 5.9's. After an hour I was toast and couldn't hold onto much but kept on plugging away. Nice way to spend a day off from work.
Tuesday:
0mi. I skied in the morning 20min and again in the afternoon for 30min. My body is sore and stiff.
Wednesday:
I skied 30min in the morning before school on my beaver pond.
PM: 10mi*/72min - Baker St track workout with Thomas and Andy.
1mi + 2 x 800m + 4 x 400m with 400rest after the mile and 800s, 200rest after the 400s.
(5:23, 2:40, 2:43, 78, 77, 75, 73)
Thursday:
0mi. xc skied 30min in Pisgah with Griffin. The snow is thin in spots.
Rock climbed at night in George's barn with George and Andy.
Friday:
0mi. xc skied 15min before school on my beaver pond.
I tried some skate skiing in the afternoon at Chesterfield School fields with my co-workers for 30min. Skate skiing is a lot of fun but I tweaked my left shoulder. It hurt when I poled hard while skiing. I probably just over did it with the climbing and skiing this week.
Saturday:
0mi. Went for a good hike in Pisgah with Jen and Griffin. My shoulder was sore when I tried to run so I just decided to rest it and hike.
Sunday:
AM: lifted weights at the Y and did 1mi + drills after. Shoulder felt ok.
PM: 7mi*/43:37 progression run in Pisgah solo with the micro-spikes on. Felt great! Beautiful sunny day, 27 degrees.
Total for the week:
18mi. I got two days of fast running and a lot of skiing and rock climbing. Shoulder is feeling better, I just overworked it. I'll be fine.
0mi. I put on the xc skis and went in Pisgah for an hour. We had just enough new snow out there to make the conditions pretty good.
I went to Central Rock Gym in Hadley, MA with Brett and his co-worker Alan. We climbed for 5+hrs. It was exhausting but fun. I climbed well in the beginning doing one 5.10 and mostly 5.9's. After an hour I was toast and couldn't hold onto much but kept on plugging away. Nice way to spend a day off from work.
Tuesday:
0mi. I skied in the morning 20min and again in the afternoon for 30min. My body is sore and stiff.
Wednesday:
I skied 30min in the morning before school on my beaver pond.
PM: 10mi*/72min - Baker St track workout with Thomas and Andy.
1mi + 2 x 800m + 4 x 400m with 400rest after the mile and 800s, 200rest after the 400s.
(5:23, 2:40, 2:43, 78, 77, 75, 73)
Thursday:
0mi. xc skied 30min in Pisgah with Griffin. The snow is thin in spots.
Rock climbed at night in George's barn with George and Andy.
Friday:
0mi. xc skied 15min before school on my beaver pond.
I tried some skate skiing in the afternoon at Chesterfield School fields with my co-workers for 30min. Skate skiing is a lot of fun but I tweaked my left shoulder. It hurt when I poled hard while skiing. I probably just over did it with the climbing and skiing this week.
Saturday:
0mi. Went for a good hike in Pisgah with Jen and Griffin. My shoulder was sore when I tried to run so I just decided to rest it and hike.
Sunday:
AM: lifted weights at the Y and did 1mi + drills after. Shoulder felt ok.
PM: 7mi*/43:37 progression run in Pisgah solo with the micro-spikes on. Felt great! Beautiful sunny day, 27 degrees.
Total for the week:
18mi. I got two days of fast running and a lot of skiing and rock climbing. Shoulder is feeling better, I just overworked it. I'll be fine.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Week of January 11th to 17th, 2016
Monday:
3mi/25min with Running Club on Horseshoe Rd. Cold and windy day. Slow and easy with the kids. At night, Jen and I drove to Peterborough to watch the movie "Run Free" a documentary about Caballo Blanco. It was a great movie, he lived a pretty amazing life.
Tuesday:
1mi/8min + drills at YMCA after lifting weights. My body felt great today and I was able to lift heavy (for me) and I felt super snappy and had good range of motion on my drills. I did a fast walk when I got home from the gym with Griffin which kept her moving at a good trot. She's turning 13 in a couple months and she can't run with me anymore but this was great for her.
I played some intense floor hockey at school. Fun stuff!
Wednesday:
11mi*/1:17 - Baker St. track workout with Andy and Thomas.
400m-200m-200m x 4 with same distance recovery jogs
(74, 34, 35, 73, 34, 34, 72, 34, 34, 69, 33, 31)
Good workout! Cold and windy. My lower back and hip were a bit stiff but loosened up for the last set. We did a nice long 4mi cool down. Played more floor hockey at school.
Thursday:
0mi. I reffed 2 basketball games at night and played more hockey at school.
Friday:
0mi. I did a 25min hike in Pisgah with Griffin. I did agility ladder drills and then played 1:15 of indoor soccer. Glenn played which added to the fun. I felt pretty quick and agile out there. More hockey during the day.
Saturday:
0mi. Lifted weights and went for a 20min hike with Griffin in Pisgah. I tried xc skiing around my yard but the new snow was too slushy and sticky.
Sunday:
15mi/1:45 in Pisgah with Ferenc, Lena, and Ellie. Good crunchy snow conditions. Beautiful day out there in the woods. Feeling good.
Total for the week:
30mi. Good week I was active every day.
3mi/25min with Running Club on Horseshoe Rd. Cold and windy day. Slow and easy with the kids. At night, Jen and I drove to Peterborough to watch the movie "Run Free" a documentary about Caballo Blanco. It was a great movie, he lived a pretty amazing life.
Tuesday:
1mi/8min + drills at YMCA after lifting weights. My body felt great today and I was able to lift heavy (for me) and I felt super snappy and had good range of motion on my drills. I did a fast walk when I got home from the gym with Griffin which kept her moving at a good trot. She's turning 13 in a couple months and she can't run with me anymore but this was great for her.
I played some intense floor hockey at school. Fun stuff!
Wednesday:
11mi*/1:17 - Baker St. track workout with Andy and Thomas.
400m-200m-200m x 4 with same distance recovery jogs
(74, 34, 35, 73, 34, 34, 72, 34, 34, 69, 33, 31)
Good workout! Cold and windy. My lower back and hip were a bit stiff but loosened up for the last set. We did a nice long 4mi cool down. Played more floor hockey at school.
Thursday:
0mi. I reffed 2 basketball games at night and played more hockey at school.
Friday:
0mi. I did a 25min hike in Pisgah with Griffin. I did agility ladder drills and then played 1:15 of indoor soccer. Glenn played which added to the fun. I felt pretty quick and agile out there. More hockey during the day.
Saturday:
0mi. Lifted weights and went for a 20min hike with Griffin in Pisgah. I tried xc skiing around my yard but the new snow was too slushy and sticky.
Sunday:
15mi/1:45 in Pisgah with Ferenc, Lena, and Ellie. Good crunchy snow conditions. Beautiful day out there in the woods. Feeling good.
Total for the week:
30mi. Good week I was active every day.
Week of January 4th to 10th, 2016
Monday:
0mi. I did DDP yoga in the morning. Lazy afternoon.
Tuesday:
9mi*/63min - Track workout at Baker St. with Andy and Thomas.
Mile, 4 x 400m, 4 x 200m with 400 rest after mile and 400's, 200 rest after 200's.
(5:28, 75, 74, 74, 74, 35, 36, xx, xx)
Decent first workout of the year. It's been a loooong time since I've done any form of speed work.
The mile was slow but it's a start. My left hip/hamstring was bugging me so I skipped the last 2 200's.
Wednesday:
1mi/8min + drills at YMCA after lifting weights. Got swole. At night I rock climbed with George at his gym in his barn.
Thursday:
0mi - Lazy day. I had a late meeting at work.
Friday:
0mi - Did agility ladders and dynamics before playing indoor soccer for 1:30. It's a blast playing soccer again, especially indoor which is faster paced.
Saturday:
0mi - lifted weights and took Griffin for a 40min hike in Pisgah with Jen.
Sunday:
9mi/60min - Athens trails with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Good run but the weather was awful. It was 35 degrees and pouring rain. We were going to go longer but we were both soaked and cold.
Total for the week:
19mi. I should probably run at least 4 days a week, but pleased with the speed workout.
0mi. I did DDP yoga in the morning. Lazy afternoon.
Tuesday:
9mi*/63min - Track workout at Baker St. with Andy and Thomas.
Mile, 4 x 400m, 4 x 200m with 400 rest after mile and 400's, 200 rest after 200's.
(5:28, 75, 74, 74, 74, 35, 36, xx, xx)
Decent first workout of the year. It's been a loooong time since I've done any form of speed work.
The mile was slow but it's a start. My left hip/hamstring was bugging me so I skipped the last 2 200's.
Wednesday:
1mi/8min + drills at YMCA after lifting weights. Got swole. At night I rock climbed with George at his gym in his barn.
Thursday:
0mi - Lazy day. I had a late meeting at work.
Friday:
0mi - Did agility ladders and dynamics before playing indoor soccer for 1:30. It's a blast playing soccer again, especially indoor which is faster paced.
Saturday:
0mi - lifted weights and took Griffin for a 40min hike in Pisgah with Jen.
Sunday:
9mi/60min - Athens trails with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Good run but the weather was awful. It was 35 degrees and pouring rain. We were going to go longer but we were both soaked and cold.
Total for the week:
19mi. I should probably run at least 4 days a week, but pleased with the speed workout.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
2015 Year in Review
2015 is over. It was not a great running year for me. After 21 years of running and racing I decided to take it down a couple of notches. My goals were to have fun and stay active and not go crazy with the running. Here are the numbers.
I ran a total of 1,876 miles for a 35.4 mpw average.
I raced 14 times
I won two races the Pisgah 23K and the Chesterfield 10K
I set one course record at the Chesterfield 10K in 37:43
I ran 3 snowshoe races and got 2nd in all 3 of them
I got 2nd at Lil Rhody, Big River 1/2, Run for the Beavers and the Fast Friends 4.5mi road race
I did 9 track workouts
I set two training run pr's on my Friedsam loop in 28:37 and Kilburn loop in 47:05
I was pretty pleased with a couple of results despite my lack of training. I was happy to get 2nd to Ferenc at Prospect Mtn snowshoe race. I also was pumped with my 2nd place at Big River 1/2. I really thought I could have won without getting confused with the lack of course markings. Run with the Beavers and Lil Rhody were pretty solid runs for me as well. I also had a great time running the Ragnar trail relay with a fun group of runners.
In some of my non-running activities, I started xc skiing which was a blast. I also did some stand-up paddle boarding in the summer. I got into lifting again which was fun. I also got back into largemouth bass fishing and caught a nice 5lber and countless other nice fish. I've been playing indoor soccer and rock climbing a few times as well this year. I touched rim again this year which I'd like to still be able to do at age 40.
Looking forward to 2016 I have some goals:
Stay healthy
win at least one race
Do some epic runs
snowshoe race
xc ski
break 5min in the mile (I've done this every year since I started running in 1994)
paddle board
mtn bike
play soccer and basketball
rock climb
keep my winning streak alive against Jonny ;)
start to build up my running once I turn 39 so I can crush it at age 40
do yoga more
keep blogging even if it's not impressive
Cheers to a happy and healthy 2016 to everyone!
I ran a total of 1,876 miles for a 35.4 mpw average.
I raced 14 times
I won two races the Pisgah 23K and the Chesterfield 10K
I set one course record at the Chesterfield 10K in 37:43
I ran 3 snowshoe races and got 2nd in all 3 of them
I got 2nd at Lil Rhody, Big River 1/2, Run for the Beavers and the Fast Friends 4.5mi road race
I did 9 track workouts
I set two training run pr's on my Friedsam loop in 28:37 and Kilburn loop in 47:05
I was pretty pleased with a couple of results despite my lack of training. I was happy to get 2nd to Ferenc at Prospect Mtn snowshoe race. I also was pumped with my 2nd place at Big River 1/2. I really thought I could have won without getting confused with the lack of course markings. Run with the Beavers and Lil Rhody were pretty solid runs for me as well. I also had a great time running the Ragnar trail relay with a fun group of runners.
In some of my non-running activities, I started xc skiing which was a blast. I also did some stand-up paddle boarding in the summer. I got into lifting again which was fun. I also got back into largemouth bass fishing and caught a nice 5lber and countless other nice fish. I've been playing indoor soccer and rock climbing a few times as well this year. I touched rim again this year which I'd like to still be able to do at age 40.
Looking forward to 2016 I have some goals:
Stay healthy
win at least one race
Do some epic runs
snowshoe race
xc ski
break 5min in the mile (I've done this every year since I started running in 1994)
paddle board
mtn bike
play soccer and basketball
rock climb
keep my winning streak alive against Jonny ;)
start to build up my running once I turn 39 so I can crush it at age 40
do yoga more
keep blogging even if it's not impressive
Cheers to a happy and healthy 2016 to everyone!
Monday, December 7, 2015
Thanksgiving day race - Pie and Glove 5K, Corning, NY
Pie and Glove 5K, Corning, NY - 16:37 (5:21) 5th place
This was my 6th running of this race. It's a great flat and fast course in Corning, NY. I was hoping to be around 16:30 and I was pretty close. The race went out and the winner shot right to the lead. He would go on to win unchallenged in 15:16. I was in a nice little pack of 4 runners through the first mile which runs mostly on a slight downhill with a little uphill early up and over a bridge. I hit the mile in 5:07 which was a little fast but it was where I wanted to be in the race. I was sitting behind two runners just drafting. They started to slowly pull away from me in the second mile, which is the flattest mile on the course with over half being very slightly downhill. In my fastest year here (2012 - 15:13) I ran a 4:47 for this mile. I felt like I was maintaining my pace but the 2 guys I was with in the first mile got about 5 seconds up on me. I hit the 2mi mark in 10:18. A 5:11 second mile. Not too bad. Time to hang on. Maybe I was going to run faster than I thought!
The 3rd mile became a struggle. It goes slightly uphill and then climbs back up the bridge we cross early in the first mile. This side however, is the steeper side of the hill. I got passed and dropped to 5th place. I worked hard on the climb and caught back up to the 4th place kid. I ran on his shoulder and then passed him as we came down the other side of the bridge. He came back onto my shoulder as we hit the 3mile mark. I glanced at my watch and saw I ran a 5:42 mile. Ouch! The 2 guys ahead were a good 20 seconds up now. I didn't have a kick and the kid beat me to the line and I crossed 2 seconds later in 16:37. I won my age group since the winner (31 years old) was taken out of the age group awards. For my effort I won a pie to go with my gloves that everyone gets for signing up, thus the Pie and Glove 5k name. It was a decent race but I clearly went out too fast for my fitness level. If I had gone more conservatively, I might have run sub 16:30. It did motivate me a little and makes me want to train more this winter to get in shape for the spring. I'll definitely do some snowshoe races this winter to test my fitness and have a little fun in the snow.
miles: 5:07, 5:11, 5:42, 36
This was my 6th running of this race. It's a great flat and fast course in Corning, NY. I was hoping to be around 16:30 and I was pretty close. The race went out and the winner shot right to the lead. He would go on to win unchallenged in 15:16. I was in a nice little pack of 4 runners through the first mile which runs mostly on a slight downhill with a little uphill early up and over a bridge. I hit the mile in 5:07 which was a little fast but it was where I wanted to be in the race. I was sitting behind two runners just drafting. They started to slowly pull away from me in the second mile, which is the flattest mile on the course with over half being very slightly downhill. In my fastest year here (2012 - 15:13) I ran a 4:47 for this mile. I felt like I was maintaining my pace but the 2 guys I was with in the first mile got about 5 seconds up on me. I hit the 2mi mark in 10:18. A 5:11 second mile. Not too bad. Time to hang on. Maybe I was going to run faster than I thought!
The 3rd mile became a struggle. It goes slightly uphill and then climbs back up the bridge we cross early in the first mile. This side however, is the steeper side of the hill. I got passed and dropped to 5th place. I worked hard on the climb and caught back up to the 4th place kid. I ran on his shoulder and then passed him as we came down the other side of the bridge. He came back onto my shoulder as we hit the 3mile mark. I glanced at my watch and saw I ran a 5:42 mile. Ouch! The 2 guys ahead were a good 20 seconds up now. I didn't have a kick and the kid beat me to the line and I crossed 2 seconds later in 16:37. I won my age group since the winner (31 years old) was taken out of the age group awards. For my effort I won a pie to go with my gloves that everyone gets for signing up, thus the Pie and Glove 5k name. It was a decent race but I clearly went out too fast for my fitness level. If I had gone more conservatively, I might have run sub 16:30. It did motivate me a little and makes me want to train more this winter to get in shape for the spring. I'll definitely do some snowshoe races this winter to test my fitness and have a little fun in the snow.
miles: 5:07, 5:11, 5:42, 36
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Li'l Rhody Runaround 2015
Li'l Rhody Runaround 8mi trail race - 47:32 (5:56) 3rd place - 2nd place officially
It's been a long time since I've updated the old blog so here goes. I haven't been running much lately and I certainly wouldn't call what I'm doing training. I averaged 20.5 mpw for the month of September and 37.5 mpw for the month of October. Even though I'm not in great shape, I'm always excited to race here on the Burlingame trails.
Jonny took the race out hard and had a gap of 5 seconds or so down the dirt road in the first mile. I lead the chase group and I made contact with him as we entered the trail in the Kimball Bird Sanctuary. I ran just behind him on the sandy trails. We exited the trails and dumped out onto the field by the campground and Eric Blake shot to the lead. I let him go for a second and then decided that I could match his pace and sped up to get behind him. Eric lead but seemed confused by the roads and the median section with the flags on it, so I took the lead. I was in first as we entered back into the woods on the long straight trail section. He passed me again near the long bridge and got a 2 second gap. I glanced back on the "s" turn and could see a bunch of followers closing in on us. I caught back up to Eric on a very slight downhill before the stonewall and crazy bridge section before Vin Gormley Bridge. Eric was running slow on these bridges so I jumped down off the bridge onto some rocks and then jumped in front of him into the lead. I lead once again through Vin Gormley and down the long bridge and by Klondike Rd. I kept the lead running up the hill and could feel 2 runners a second behind me. I figured it was Blake and maybe Bob Jackman, I didn't dare look back. I was working hard to keep my lead but still felt fairly controlled. I grabbed a cup of water at the water stop and managed to drink an ounce or two and then dumped out onto Buckeye Brook Rd. My time was in the mid 25's I think, which is way off my usual 24 flat at this point.
Two runners pulled up on my outside shoulder on the road and I glanced back expecting to see Eric, but it was Bronson and another guy I didn't recognize. I held my lead going back into the woods and up the Rhody ledges. I was feeling pretty gassed on the biggest climb on the course but I was still leading with Bronson and the other guy hot on my tail. I saw the Ornstein crew cheering like crazy on the rocky section. On the straight away with the exposed cement culvert the guy (from URI) blasted to the lead. I hung onto him as we passed Scott Mason snapping pictures near the School House Pond trail. Bronson went by me right after that. I tried to keep those guys in contact but I was starting to suffer and they were moving well. I would reel them in a little bit on technical spots and little downhills, but I knew they were too strong. Finally, I reached Kings Factory Rd and they were really flying putting a lot of distance on me. I glanced back and didn't see anyone close by. My calves and left hip were killing me on the road and I felt like I was just slapping and pounding and it was quite painful. I glanced back again as I started to head downhill past Gagnon's old house and saw Matthew Walker a good distance back. I gritted my teeth and dug down to finish the race in what I thought was 3rd place. I hit the line in 47:30 but SNERRO gave me the 2 sec bonus they are so famous for in the final results. Officially I got 2nd because the URI kid didn't register.
I am fairly pleased with the result. I came into the race with lot's of doubts in my fitness. I was able to race to the best of my ability today and that's pretty satisfying. I won my age group, Jonny was top master and Pard was top 70+ runner. That's a Hammett sweep even if I didn't get the win. I would really like to win this race again some day. It might have to wait until I turn 40. I'm planning to try and pull a Galoob then and train hard when I become a master. We'll see, 2 years is a long way off. By then Matthew Walker will be a senior in high school and will be an absolute beast and there'll be countless other young bucks ready to race fast. It will be a tough challenge.
It's been a long time since I've updated the old blog so here goes. I haven't been running much lately and I certainly wouldn't call what I'm doing training. I averaged 20.5 mpw for the month of September and 37.5 mpw for the month of October. Even though I'm not in great shape, I'm always excited to race here on the Burlingame trails.
Jonny took the race out hard and had a gap of 5 seconds or so down the dirt road in the first mile. I lead the chase group and I made contact with him as we entered the trail in the Kimball Bird Sanctuary. I ran just behind him on the sandy trails. We exited the trails and dumped out onto the field by the campground and Eric Blake shot to the lead. I let him go for a second and then decided that I could match his pace and sped up to get behind him. Eric lead but seemed confused by the roads and the median section with the flags on it, so I took the lead. I was in first as we entered back into the woods on the long straight trail section. He passed me again near the long bridge and got a 2 second gap. I glanced back on the "s" turn and could see a bunch of followers closing in on us. I caught back up to Eric on a very slight downhill before the stonewall and crazy bridge section before Vin Gormley Bridge. Eric was running slow on these bridges so I jumped down off the bridge onto some rocks and then jumped in front of him into the lead. I lead once again through Vin Gormley and down the long bridge and by Klondike Rd. I kept the lead running up the hill and could feel 2 runners a second behind me. I figured it was Blake and maybe Bob Jackman, I didn't dare look back. I was working hard to keep my lead but still felt fairly controlled. I grabbed a cup of water at the water stop and managed to drink an ounce or two and then dumped out onto Buckeye Brook Rd. My time was in the mid 25's I think, which is way off my usual 24 flat at this point.
Two runners pulled up on my outside shoulder on the road and I glanced back expecting to see Eric, but it was Bronson and another guy I didn't recognize. I held my lead going back into the woods and up the Rhody ledges. I was feeling pretty gassed on the biggest climb on the course but I was still leading with Bronson and the other guy hot on my tail. I saw the Ornstein crew cheering like crazy on the rocky section. On the straight away with the exposed cement culvert the guy (from URI) blasted to the lead. I hung onto him as we passed Scott Mason snapping pictures near the School House Pond trail. Bronson went by me right after that. I tried to keep those guys in contact but I was starting to suffer and they were moving well. I would reel them in a little bit on technical spots and little downhills, but I knew they were too strong. Finally, I reached Kings Factory Rd and they were really flying putting a lot of distance on me. I glanced back and didn't see anyone close by. My calves and left hip were killing me on the road and I felt like I was just slapping and pounding and it was quite painful. I glanced back again as I started to head downhill past Gagnon's old house and saw Matthew Walker a good distance back. I gritted my teeth and dug down to finish the race in what I thought was 3rd place. I hit the line in 47:30 but SNERRO gave me the 2 sec bonus they are so famous for in the final results. Officially I got 2nd because the URI kid didn't register.
I am fairly pleased with the result. I came into the race with lot's of doubts in my fitness. I was able to race to the best of my ability today and that's pretty satisfying. I won my age group, Jonny was top master and Pard was top 70+ runner. That's a Hammett sweep even if I didn't get the win. I would really like to win this race again some day. It might have to wait until I turn 40. I'm planning to try and pull a Galoob then and train hard when I become a master. We'll see, 2 years is a long way off. By then Matthew Walker will be a senior in high school and will be an absolute beast and there'll be countless other young bucks ready to race fast. It will be a tough challenge.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Week of August 17th to 23rd, 2015
Monday:
1:45 on Mt Monadnock. Ran up the Pumpelli Trail w/Ferenc. Hot day. I was tired and sluggish from the heat and humidity. Ferenc was feeling it too. Up in 54, down in 50+. Slow run but still fun. I went fishing at night with MC. I broke my line on a hog. Landed a nice 3.5lber. I'm upgrading from 12lb mono to 14lb mono. I can't fish braided, that stuff sucks!
Tuesday:
1mi + drills and sprints at the YMCA. Lifted weights. Feeling good!
Wednesday:
0mi. SUPing with Jen 1:30. Good workout coming back into the wind. 30min hike with Jen and Griffin. Played some wiffle with Boj and lost 2-1. He hit a two run walk off homer to win. I still hate him.
Thursday:
AM: 2mi with Jen and Griffin. SUPing 1:30 with Jen.
PM: 10mi/74min on Marlborough trails with Boj. Good run. Went fishing with Griffin. I managed to land 2 bass even though Griffin swam after my lure and scared all the fish. She was too cute to get mad at and it was nice to see the old girl acting so spry.
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
Total for the week:
1:45 on Mt Monadnock. Ran up the Pumpelli Trail w/Ferenc. Hot day. I was tired and sluggish from the heat and humidity. Ferenc was feeling it too. Up in 54, down in 50+. Slow run but still fun. I went fishing at night with MC. I broke my line on a hog. Landed a nice 3.5lber. I'm upgrading from 12lb mono to 14lb mono. I can't fish braided, that stuff sucks!
Tuesday:
1mi + drills and sprints at the YMCA. Lifted weights. Feeling good!
Wednesday:
0mi. SUPing with Jen 1:30. Good workout coming back into the wind. 30min hike with Jen and Griffin. Played some wiffle with Boj and lost 2-1. He hit a two run walk off homer to win. I still hate him.
Thursday:
AM: 2mi with Jen and Griffin. SUPing 1:30 with Jen.
PM: 10mi/74min on Marlborough trails with Boj. Good run. Went fishing with Griffin. I managed to land 2 bass even though Griffin swam after my lure and scared all the fish. She was too cute to get mad at and it was nice to see the old girl acting so spry.
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
Total for the week:
Week of August 10th to 16th, 2015
Monday:
8mi*/47:05 - m.p. run in Pisgah solo. New pr for the loop for me. Hike 45min with Jen and Griffin. Did some stand up paddle boarding (SUPing) on Spofford Lake with Jen for 1:30. Went fishing at night with MC. He caught a 6lb beast. I landed a fish close to 5lbs. Great day!
Tuesday:
DDP Yoga. I haven't done this in a long time. Damn it's tough! Rainy day.
Wednesday:
12mi/1:25 on the Putney Mtn trails with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Great run. Nice weather. Hit up the magical waters of the Putney covert culvert after the run. Went SUPing for 2hrs with Jen.
Thursday:
3mi in Pisgah with Jen and Griffin. SUPing 1hr with Jen. Helped Andy move in the evening, that will do for strength training.
Friday:
12mi/1:26 in Pisgah with Ferenc and Lena. Body tired and legs sluggish. Hot and thirsty.
Saturday:
0mi. Lifted weights. Making gains! Hike 45min with Jen and Griffin.
Sunday:
0mi. Hike 45min. Went SUPing with Jen and Griffin on Fullam Pond in Pisgah. Griffin stayed on my paddle board for a while then she got sick of it and swam with us the rest of the time. Fun adventure.
Total for the week:
35mi. Great m.p. run on Monday. Mileage is low but paddle boarding is a blast and a good workout. Feeling strong. I need to do more DDP Yoga. My flexibility is junk.
8mi*/47:05 - m.p. run in Pisgah solo. New pr for the loop for me. Hike 45min with Jen and Griffin. Did some stand up paddle boarding (SUPing) on Spofford Lake with Jen for 1:30. Went fishing at night with MC. He caught a 6lb beast. I landed a fish close to 5lbs. Great day!
Tuesday:
DDP Yoga. I haven't done this in a long time. Damn it's tough! Rainy day.
Wednesday:
12mi/1:25 on the Putney Mtn trails with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Great run. Nice weather. Hit up the magical waters of the Putney covert culvert after the run. Went SUPing for 2hrs with Jen.
Thursday:
3mi in Pisgah with Jen and Griffin. SUPing 1hr with Jen. Helped Andy move in the evening, that will do for strength training.
Friday:
12mi/1:26 in Pisgah with Ferenc and Lena. Body tired and legs sluggish. Hot and thirsty.
Saturday:
0mi. Lifted weights. Making gains! Hike 45min with Jen and Griffin.
Sunday:
0mi. Hike 45min. Went SUPing with Jen and Griffin on Fullam Pond in Pisgah. Griffin stayed on my paddle board for a while then she got sick of it and swam with us the rest of the time. Fun adventure.
Total for the week:
35mi. Great m.p. run on Monday. Mileage is low but paddle boarding is a blast and a good workout. Feeling strong. I need to do more DDP Yoga. My flexibility is junk.
Week of August 3rd to 9th, 2015
Monday:
9mi/65min on the Athens trails with Ferenc and Lena. Felt hot and thirsty. I got a migraine in the afternoon. I managed not to puke, but still it wiped me out for 6 hours or so. First one in a long time. I forgot to have a green smoothie with ginger in the morning. I swear the ginger works.
Tuesday:
0mi. Drove to Corning, NY. Long drive.
Wednesday:
5mi/34min in Corning, NY on the roads solo. Hiked in Letchworth State Park. Impressive gorge! Back stiff.
Thursday:
1mi + hike 1hr with Jen and Griffin in Urbana State Park with Jen and Griffin. Saw a 8" leopard slug. Cool creature! Caught some rock bass and yellow perch from the dock in Keuka Lake.
Friday:
3mi + hike 1hr in Urbana State Park with Jen and Griffin. Kayak 30min on Keuka Lake. Long drive home in the afternoon.
Saturday:
0mi. Lifted weights and got huge. Bought stand up paddle boards. Had my birthday party at night. Fun times!
Sunday:
0mi. Lazy day. 38 years old today. Getting old.
Total for the week:
18mi. Not a good week. Oh well.
9mi/65min on the Athens trails with Ferenc and Lena. Felt hot and thirsty. I got a migraine in the afternoon. I managed not to puke, but still it wiped me out for 6 hours or so. First one in a long time. I forgot to have a green smoothie with ginger in the morning. I swear the ginger works.
Tuesday:
0mi. Drove to Corning, NY. Long drive.
Wednesday:
5mi/34min in Corning, NY on the roads solo. Hiked in Letchworth State Park. Impressive gorge! Back stiff.
Thursday:
1mi + hike 1hr with Jen and Griffin in Urbana State Park with Jen and Griffin. Saw a 8" leopard slug. Cool creature! Caught some rock bass and yellow perch from the dock in Keuka Lake.
Friday:
3mi + hike 1hr in Urbana State Park with Jen and Griffin. Kayak 30min on Keuka Lake. Long drive home in the afternoon.
Saturday:
0mi. Lifted weights and got huge. Bought stand up paddle boards. Had my birthday party at night. Fun times!
Sunday:
0mi. Lazy day. 38 years old today. Getting old.
Total for the week:
18mi. Not a good week. Oh well.
Week of July 27th to August 2nd, 2015
Monday:
3mi/20min in Stone Harbor, NJ. Last mile 6:00. Walked an hour in Cape May. Saw some cool birds: purple martins, black skimmers, least terns, piping plovers, fish crows, laughing gulls and American oyster catchers. Body surfing for an hour +. Waves decent.
Tuesday:
0mi. Walked for an hour on Stone Harbor Point. Saw a peregrine falcon swoop down and catch a baby least tern. Easy pickings! Swam in the ocean, small waves today. Long drive home in the afternoon. Fun trip.
Wednesday:
3mi/20min in Pisgah solo. Lifted weights and went fishing at night. Lost a 5lber at the canoe.
Thursday:
0mi. Swam at Kilburn pond with Jen and Griffin. Lazy the rest of the day.
Friday:
12mi*/1:12:40 - m.p. run solo in Pisgah. Great run! Gorgeous weather again. Fishing at night with MC and George. George landed 2 big bass. I caught 20 fish, biggest was 3lbs.
Saturday:
0mi. Drove to RI for my mother and older brother's birthday party. 70 and 40. Fun time!
Sunday:
5mi/37min in Burlingame trails solo. My back is stiff.
Total for the week:
23mi. July totals 173mi = 39.1 MPW. Not great but I'm cool with it. I'm addicted to catching bass.
3mi/20min in Stone Harbor, NJ. Last mile 6:00. Walked an hour in Cape May. Saw some cool birds: purple martins, black skimmers, least terns, piping plovers, fish crows, laughing gulls and American oyster catchers. Body surfing for an hour +. Waves decent.
Tuesday:
0mi. Walked for an hour on Stone Harbor Point. Saw a peregrine falcon swoop down and catch a baby least tern. Easy pickings! Swam in the ocean, small waves today. Long drive home in the afternoon. Fun trip.
Wednesday:
3mi/20min in Pisgah solo. Lifted weights and went fishing at night. Lost a 5lber at the canoe.
Thursday:
0mi. Swam at Kilburn pond with Jen and Griffin. Lazy the rest of the day.
Friday:
12mi*/1:12:40 - m.p. run solo in Pisgah. Great run! Gorgeous weather again. Fishing at night with MC and George. George landed 2 big bass. I caught 20 fish, biggest was 3lbs.
Saturday:
0mi. Drove to RI for my mother and older brother's birthday party. 70 and 40. Fun time!
Sunday:
5mi/37min in Burlingame trails solo. My back is stiff.
Total for the week:
23mi. July totals 173mi = 39.1 MPW. Not great but I'm cool with it. I'm addicted to catching bass.
Week of July 20th to 26th, 2015
Monday:
0mi. My body is stiff and sore. Went fishing with MC. He caught 2 big pigs.
Tuesday:
4mi/26min + 5 x 8sec sprints solo in Pisgah. Lifted weights. Went fishing at night.
Wednesday:
0mi. Lifted weights.
Thursday:
8mi*/49:17 m.p. run in Pisgah solo. Beautiful weather. Great fishing trip at night with MC.
Friday:
12mi/1:25 in Pisgah w/Thomas. Gorgeous weather, feeling good.
Saturday:
1mi + lifted weights and got huge. Fishing again at night.
Sunday:
0mi. Drove 6.5hrs to Stone Harbor, NJ. Good waves! Body surfed for an hour or so.
Total for the week:
25mi. Not a great week, but the fishing has been good and I lifted consistently. NJ is nice!
0mi. My body is stiff and sore. Went fishing with MC. He caught 2 big pigs.
Tuesday:
4mi/26min + 5 x 8sec sprints solo in Pisgah. Lifted weights. Went fishing at night.
Wednesday:
0mi. Lifted weights.
Thursday:
8mi*/49:17 m.p. run in Pisgah solo. Beautiful weather. Great fishing trip at night with MC.
Friday:
12mi/1:25 in Pisgah w/Thomas. Gorgeous weather, feeling good.
Saturday:
1mi + lifted weights and got huge. Fishing again at night.
Sunday:
0mi. Drove 6.5hrs to Stone Harbor, NJ. Good waves! Body surfed for an hour or so.
Total for the week:
25mi. Not a great week, but the fishing has been good and I lifted consistently. NJ is nice!
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Week of July 13th - 19th, 2015
Monday:
2:46 in the White Mountains with Ferenc and Matt Haley. Great run/hike up Franconia Ridge.
Tuesday:
5mi/34min in Friedsam solo. Legs feel pretty good considering what I did for a run yesterday.
Hiked up Pitcher Mtn with Jen and Griffin.
Wednesday:
1mi. I went fishing at the reservoir with MC. He landed a nice 4lber and then I landed a 5lber. Biggest largemouth of my life. Awesome trip. I'd put pictures on my blog but I'm too lazy. I showed a lot of people the pictures already.
Thursday:
8mi/54min in Pisgah solo. Nice weather. Feeling good. Played some wiffle with Boj and he made me eat my words with a walk off grand slam. I hate him.
Friday:
0mi. Lazy day. I had to take Griffin to the vet. She's got another UTI poor old girl!
Saturday:
14mi*/1:36 - Run with the Beavers 10mi trail race - 1:04:22 (6:26) 2nd place. There was a lot of excitement going into this year's race with the team competition between WTAC and Team Hambojaloob. Wooley, Garvin and Galoob all ran much faster splits than me at Ragnar so I was thinking I'd probably finish in 4th. I also realized I've gained a little fitness since then and this course paired up nicely with my strengths. (Not much climbing, lot's of small ups and downs on semi-technical single track). I took the lead with Wooley, Galoob and Garvin following closely as we entered the single track early into the race. I wanted to push and make the race honest the whole time. No tactical racing here. After the water stop, Wooley came up along side me on the dirt road. I kept brushing into him as I tried to run the tangents of the dirt road. He probably thought I was being an aggressive jerk. We entered back into the single track and I took the lead again with Wooley right behind me. We had a very small gap on Galoob and Garvin. We dumped back onto the dirt road and Wooley shot into the lead as we re-entered the single track. He blasted the steep downhill and started to pull away. I was feeling the effort and Galoob started to catch me after the bridge on the side-hill techy section. He finally passed me and chased after Wooley up the steep hill. I didn't lose much ground on the hill and kept the gap at about 3 seconds behind Galoob. As we came around the field to finish the first lap, Wooley started to extend his lead and Galoob did the same to me. Garvin was a few seconds back of me. I hit the line in 31:25 for the first loop. There was no way I was going to even split. Time to hang on and try to rally.
I felt tired but kept my cadence high climbing the dirt road hill that starts the second lap. I gained a little ground on Galoob here. We entered the single track and I started to reel in Galoob. I made the pass soon after. He said something like his head hurt and I was worried he was having a medical episode. (Turns out he said his hip hurt). I yelled at him that he could recover on the downhills after the water stop and still run fast. I could see Wooley occasionally up ahead and this became my new motivation. I looked back and could not see Galoob or Garvin so I went into hunt Wooley mode. That was a good place to be in mentally rather than being scared of getting passed by the guys behind me. I hit the water stop and the guy told me I was 20sec down to Wooley. I tried to dig down, but I never saw him again. He must have torched this last 1/4 of the course. As I came into the woods near the finish of the field, I looked across and saw Ryan finishing in 1:03:40. I dug down for the final field in crossed the line in a satisfying 1:04:22. My second lap was 32:55. This was my second fastest time on the course which I was happy with. I waited to see if Galoob would beat Garvin to keep the team race close. Garvin crossed next in 1:05 for a big pr. Brightman and Bentley and Chris Fox all came in ahead of Jonny so I knew our team was having a rough day. (Turns out he lost a shoe in the mud). I started to worry about Galoob and then I was told he dropped with a hip injury. Seth ran a pr and then Boj came through with a pr as well. Fun cool down with the guys after the race.
This has me excited about where my fitness is at, if only I can get motivated to run a little more. I'm also very much looking forward to the battle at Lil Rhody with all the same players.
Sunday:
12mi/1:25 on the Pinnacle trails with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Legs not really sore but very tired and sluggish today. Hot and humid weather. Dipped in the magical healing waters at the Putney culvert after the run.
Total for the week:
53mi. Decent week. Very pleased with my race and I caught a monster largemouth bass. I need to get the mileage up to the 60's and get to the gym more next week.
2:46 in the White Mountains with Ferenc and Matt Haley. Great run/hike up Franconia Ridge.
Tuesday:
5mi/34min in Friedsam solo. Legs feel pretty good considering what I did for a run yesterday.
Hiked up Pitcher Mtn with Jen and Griffin.
Wednesday:
1mi. I went fishing at the reservoir with MC. He landed a nice 4lber and then I landed a 5lber. Biggest largemouth of my life. Awesome trip. I'd put pictures on my blog but I'm too lazy. I showed a lot of people the pictures already.
Thursday:
8mi/54min in Pisgah solo. Nice weather. Feeling good. Played some wiffle with Boj and he made me eat my words with a walk off grand slam. I hate him.
Friday:
0mi. Lazy day. I had to take Griffin to the vet. She's got another UTI poor old girl!
Saturday:
14mi*/1:36 - Run with the Beavers 10mi trail race - 1:04:22 (6:26) 2nd place. There was a lot of excitement going into this year's race with the team competition between WTAC and Team Hambojaloob. Wooley, Garvin and Galoob all ran much faster splits than me at Ragnar so I was thinking I'd probably finish in 4th. I also realized I've gained a little fitness since then and this course paired up nicely with my strengths. (Not much climbing, lot's of small ups and downs on semi-technical single track). I took the lead with Wooley, Galoob and Garvin following closely as we entered the single track early into the race. I wanted to push and make the race honest the whole time. No tactical racing here. After the water stop, Wooley came up along side me on the dirt road. I kept brushing into him as I tried to run the tangents of the dirt road. He probably thought I was being an aggressive jerk. We entered back into the single track and I took the lead again with Wooley right behind me. We had a very small gap on Galoob and Garvin. We dumped back onto the dirt road and Wooley shot into the lead as we re-entered the single track. He blasted the steep downhill and started to pull away. I was feeling the effort and Galoob started to catch me after the bridge on the side-hill techy section. He finally passed me and chased after Wooley up the steep hill. I didn't lose much ground on the hill and kept the gap at about 3 seconds behind Galoob. As we came around the field to finish the first lap, Wooley started to extend his lead and Galoob did the same to me. Garvin was a few seconds back of me. I hit the line in 31:25 for the first loop. There was no way I was going to even split. Time to hang on and try to rally.
I felt tired but kept my cadence high climbing the dirt road hill that starts the second lap. I gained a little ground on Galoob here. We entered the single track and I started to reel in Galoob. I made the pass soon after. He said something like his head hurt and I was worried he was having a medical episode. (Turns out he said his hip hurt). I yelled at him that he could recover on the downhills after the water stop and still run fast. I could see Wooley occasionally up ahead and this became my new motivation. I looked back and could not see Galoob or Garvin so I went into hunt Wooley mode. That was a good place to be in mentally rather than being scared of getting passed by the guys behind me. I hit the water stop and the guy told me I was 20sec down to Wooley. I tried to dig down, but I never saw him again. He must have torched this last 1/4 of the course. As I came into the woods near the finish of the field, I looked across and saw Ryan finishing in 1:03:40. I dug down for the final field in crossed the line in a satisfying 1:04:22. My second lap was 32:55. This was my second fastest time on the course which I was happy with. I waited to see if Galoob would beat Garvin to keep the team race close. Garvin crossed next in 1:05 for a big pr. Brightman and Bentley and Chris Fox all came in ahead of Jonny so I knew our team was having a rough day. (Turns out he lost a shoe in the mud). I started to worry about Galoob and then I was told he dropped with a hip injury. Seth ran a pr and then Boj came through with a pr as well. Fun cool down with the guys after the race.
This has me excited about where my fitness is at, if only I can get motivated to run a little more. I'm also very much looking forward to the battle at Lil Rhody with all the same players.
Sunday:
12mi/1:25 on the Pinnacle trails with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Legs not really sore but very tired and sluggish today. Hot and humid weather. Dipped in the magical healing waters at the Putney culvert after the run.
Total for the week:
53mi. Decent week. Very pleased with my race and I caught a monster largemouth bass. I need to get the mileage up to the 60's and get to the gym more next week.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Week of July 6th - 12th, 2015
Monday:
AM: 1mi + drills and lifted weights.
PM: 9mi/65min on the Athens, VT trails with Ferenc and Lena. Hot weather. We saw a dead short-tailed weasel in the trail. Cute little bugger. I wonder what got him?
3mi/24min with MC to Kilburn for a nice swim.
Tuesday:
0mi. Crappy weather today. I took Griffin for a nice long walk.
Wednesday:
13mi*/1:23 in Gilsum Woods with Dawson Adams. M.P. run. Dawson was running fast right from the start. He dropped me twice on two big climbs. My legs were tired. I lifted weights before the run and did a lot of front squats and cleans. Humid weather.
Thursday:
0mi. Hiked Mt. Wantastiquit with Jen and Griffin. Lower back is stiff. I should have run though.
Friday:
8mi*/49:02 in Pisgah solo. M.P. run. Great run. Nice weather. Saw a deer and a garter snake. Feeling great, really hammered the last mile.
Saturday:
8mi/54min in Pisgah with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Nice weather again.
Sunday:
1mi. Lifted weights and played some 2 on 2 hoops at the Y. Went fishing at night with MC. We had a fantastic trip catching some nice largemouths. A couple 3 pounders and a bunch of 2 pounders. We heard skunk apes howling on the ridge at sunset and decided to run out of there. It was pretty freaky. Sasquatch lives!!
Total for the week:
43miles. This was essentially 3 days off. I guess that's fine but I shouldn't expect to win any races on this kind of mileage.
AM: 1mi + drills and lifted weights.
PM: 9mi/65min on the Athens, VT trails with Ferenc and Lena. Hot weather. We saw a dead short-tailed weasel in the trail. Cute little bugger. I wonder what got him?
3mi/24min with MC to Kilburn for a nice swim.
Tuesday:
0mi. Crappy weather today. I took Griffin for a nice long walk.
Wednesday:
13mi*/1:23 in Gilsum Woods with Dawson Adams. M.P. run. Dawson was running fast right from the start. He dropped me twice on two big climbs. My legs were tired. I lifted weights before the run and did a lot of front squats and cleans. Humid weather.
Thursday:
0mi. Hiked Mt. Wantastiquit with Jen and Griffin. Lower back is stiff. I should have run though.
Friday:
8mi*/49:02 in Pisgah solo. M.P. run. Great run. Nice weather. Saw a deer and a garter snake. Feeling great, really hammered the last mile.
Saturday:
8mi/54min in Pisgah with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Nice weather again.
Sunday:
1mi. Lifted weights and played some 2 on 2 hoops at the Y. Went fishing at night with MC. We had a fantastic trip catching some nice largemouths. A couple 3 pounders and a bunch of 2 pounders. We heard skunk apes howling on the ridge at sunset and decided to run out of there. It was pretty freaky. Sasquatch lives!!
Total for the week:
43miles. This was essentially 3 days off. I guess that's fine but I shouldn't expect to win any races on this kind of mileage.
Week of June 29th - July 5th, 2015
Monday:
0mi. Drove up to Pittsburg, NH. Legs sore and tired. Staying right on the First Connecticut Lake in a little cabin. No cell phones, no internet or cable. Nice and peaceful.
Tuesday:
0mi. Hiked up Mt. Magalloway with Jen and Griffin. Lot's of moose poop on the trail. Great hike. It's gorgeous up here.
Wednesday:
2mi with Jen and Griffin in Johnson's Family Forest in Pittsburg. Rainy day. Hooked a trout on my fly rod but it broke my line. I don't think I tie the right kind of knots on the flouro-carbon leader and it slipped, or it was a 5lb monster. I then proceeded to shut my fly rod in the car door breaking it when I went to tie on another fly. Uggghhhh! I've been fishing for over 30 years and I've never broken a rod before. It wasn't an expensive rod, but it was very frustrating!
Thursday:
0mi. Hiked 800' Bog Bridge Trail with Jen and Griffin. Drove home from Pittsburg. It was a great relaxing trip. Caught a brown trout in the Ashuelot on spinning tackle when I got home and 2 smallies.
Friday:
9mi/60min on the WML tracks with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Beautiful weather. Lifted weights and got enormous.
Saturday:
10mi*/63min - Keene 4 on the 4th road race - 21:40 (5:25) 9th place. Good race. I ran very even splits and ended up dueling with Dawson Adams (George's 16yr old son). We yo-yo'd in the last mile several times and then he dropped me with a strong surge with 400m to go. It felt like a flash back to 2006 (I believe) when I was battling with George in the last mile where he pulled away for the win. Now I'm battling with his son. Pretty cool! Jonny ran a big pr and then was left out of the official results. Thomas won his 4th straight title which is the most wins at this race, putting him in the discussion for 4 on the 4th GOAT. He still has Fyffe's monster course record of 19:23 to chase. That time is freaking fast! We spent the afternoon at Stoddard with the family. Fun day.
Sunday:
13mi/1:30 in Goose Pond trails with Thomas. Nice weather. My legs are sore from the race.
Total for the week:
34mi. Fun trip to Pittsburg. I could have run up there, but I didn't mind chilling in the cabin and hanging at the lake all day being lazy. The hikes were nice and I'm content with my race effort.
0mi. Drove up to Pittsburg, NH. Legs sore and tired. Staying right on the First Connecticut Lake in a little cabin. No cell phones, no internet or cable. Nice and peaceful.
Tuesday:
0mi. Hiked up Mt. Magalloway with Jen and Griffin. Lot's of moose poop on the trail. Great hike. It's gorgeous up here.
Wednesday:
2mi with Jen and Griffin in Johnson's Family Forest in Pittsburg. Rainy day. Hooked a trout on my fly rod but it broke my line. I don't think I tie the right kind of knots on the flouro-carbon leader and it slipped, or it was a 5lb monster. I then proceeded to shut my fly rod in the car door breaking it when I went to tie on another fly. Uggghhhh! I've been fishing for over 30 years and I've never broken a rod before. It wasn't an expensive rod, but it was very frustrating!
Thursday:
0mi. Hiked 800' Bog Bridge Trail with Jen and Griffin. Drove home from Pittsburg. It was a great relaxing trip. Caught a brown trout in the Ashuelot on spinning tackle when I got home and 2 smallies.
Friday:
9mi/60min on the WML tracks with Ferenc, Lena and Ellie. Beautiful weather. Lifted weights and got enormous.
Saturday:
10mi*/63min - Keene 4 on the 4th road race - 21:40 (5:25) 9th place. Good race. I ran very even splits and ended up dueling with Dawson Adams (George's 16yr old son). We yo-yo'd in the last mile several times and then he dropped me with a strong surge with 400m to go. It felt like a flash back to 2006 (I believe) when I was battling with George in the last mile where he pulled away for the win. Now I'm battling with his son. Pretty cool! Jonny ran a big pr and then was left out of the official results. Thomas won his 4th straight title which is the most wins at this race, putting him in the discussion for 4 on the 4th GOAT. He still has Fyffe's monster course record of 19:23 to chase. That time is freaking fast! We spent the afternoon at Stoddard with the family. Fun day.
Sunday:
13mi/1:30 in Goose Pond trails with Thomas. Nice weather. My legs are sore from the race.
Total for the week:
34mi. Fun trip to Pittsburg. I could have run up there, but I didn't mind chilling in the cabin and hanging at the lake all day being lazy. The hikes were nice and I'm content with my race effort.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Week of June 22nd - 28th, 2015
Monday:
0mi
Tuesday:
5mi/36min in Friedsam solo. Hot and humid weather. Lifted weights. Caught 2 smallies at the river
Wednesday:
AM: 8mi/54min in Pisgah solo. Beautiful morning.
PM: 8mi*/53min track workout at Monadnock track. 2mi at T pace (10:56)
Thurday:
AM: 1mi + drills and lifted weights
PM: 5mi/34min in Friedsam solo.
Friday and Saturday:
Ragnar Trail Relay - 15mi*. I had a blast with my team. I also enjoyed hanging out in the wee ours of the morning with the Foolproof Team. Thanks for the beverages guys.
I ran the green loop first in 22:20. Next was the red loop at around midnight in 51:57. I had a blast racing at midnight and passing people super fast on sketchy trails in the dark by the light of my headlamp. It was a very cool experience. Finally around 6:45am I ran the yellow loop in 36:11. This was by far my favorite loop. I wish I got to run this one first while fresh. Very fun mix of single track and not too much climbing. I stayed up all night and was absolutely exhausted by the end of it. Great time and I'd love to do it again.
Sunday:
8mi/65min in Pisgah with Danny. Body sore and tired but glad I did it. It was pouring rain. Good little recovery run.
Total for the week:
50mi. Ragnar was an absolute blast.
0mi
Tuesday:
5mi/36min in Friedsam solo. Hot and humid weather. Lifted weights. Caught 2 smallies at the river
Wednesday:
AM: 8mi/54min in Pisgah solo. Beautiful morning.
PM: 8mi*/53min track workout at Monadnock track. 2mi at T pace (10:56)
Thurday:
AM: 1mi + drills and lifted weights
PM: 5mi/34min in Friedsam solo.
Friday and Saturday:
Ragnar Trail Relay - 15mi*. I had a blast with my team. I also enjoyed hanging out in the wee ours of the morning with the Foolproof Team. Thanks for the beverages guys.
I ran the green loop first in 22:20. Next was the red loop at around midnight in 51:57. I had a blast racing at midnight and passing people super fast on sketchy trails in the dark by the light of my headlamp. It was a very cool experience. Finally around 6:45am I ran the yellow loop in 36:11. This was by far my favorite loop. I wish I got to run this one first while fresh. Very fun mix of single track and not too much climbing. I stayed up all night and was absolutely exhausted by the end of it. Great time and I'd love to do it again.
Sunday:
8mi/65min in Pisgah with Danny. Body sore and tired but glad I did it. It was pouring rain. Good little recovery run.
Total for the week:
50mi. Ragnar was an absolute blast.
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