Questions

Q: What kind of motorcycle do I have?

A: Kawasaki Concours



Q: Why does Mike run Boston every year?

A:

Two Wheels

Got the motorcycle back on the road this morning.  Seems to make the commute a little bit shorter and a lot more pleasurable.  I had to replace the battery again this year.  That’s what I get for going to Walmart.  Went back to the heavy duty Parts Unlimited battery like the one I had before that lasted many seasons.

 

A good run this morning.  60 minutes.  1^st half @ ~ 8:23 pace / 2^nd half @ ~ 7:22 pace.  Weather was a little chilly.  I went back to the winter hat and mittens for this one.

 

60 mins

 

Nice hour but it seems I was dehydrated – which was odd.  I’ll need to address this better pre-run.  Felt good otherwise.

 

Ran up Redoubt Hill today and learned some secret facts about the airport security fence.  Had to keep a tether on Eric so he wouldn’t float away.

30 minutes

Beautifully cool morning with the sun rising over the bay.  ~ 3.5 miles or so in 30 minutes.  Felt good.

Good weekend

Got in two good runs this weekend. Yesterday I tried to find 2 hours worth of running in town. Not easy in such a small place. I ran loops around the graveyard, up and down the streets, and even some trail running out to the end of Shackford Head. I still had to repeat some of the course to get two hours but it was fun.

This morning, I went easy on the legs and kept the terrain relatively level for 90 minutes out the highway and back into town.

Don't know the exact mileage but I figure 13 for Sat and 10.5 for today. Yesterday was the first 'shorts' day of the season for me. But this morning I was back to pants as the fog was quite cool.

A good 60 minute run this morning with Eric.  The roads were wet and dirty but it had stopped raining.

 

Also went out for a 30 minute run last night that I cut short to 20 minutes.  Unbeknownst to me, the torrential rain squall I was running in was part of a thunderstorm and once it let loose with the lightning I scampered home.  I don’t mind getting wet, but when the lightning reflects off the road it’s time to call it a day.

Hooky

The draw of the Boston Marathon on replay at Universal Sports was too much for Eric & I this morning. After 24 minutes of running, we were installed in front of the computer watching a great race. Congrats to Mike, Thomas, Mark, and Michael. I wish I could have been there to join you for dinner.

And congratulations to Ms. V. completing her first half marathon.

Hat Mitten Hills

Eric was in charge of the route today as we attacked Eastport’s north end in the 32F temps.  Workout was more anaerobic this time with additional rest time.  I wasn’t as tired at the end but the legs worked harder during the inclines.  Unfortunately, the last interval had my hamstring singing early and I can still feel it.  It might be awhile before this thing is cleared up.  The next two days will be easy, easy.

Ryan Hall Flotrack Boston Video

Flotrack's Goucher Boston Video

Rest Day

(not) Geeked

The above is a new term I learned today while running 800’s with Eric (aka Mr. Technical).  If I understood the term correctly, it means something like “wired”.  If so, neither of us were geeked today.  My hamstring was super tender from yesterday’s twinge so we ran easily and just enjoyed the salt air of the causeway.

 

Eric is always enlightening me on new phrases and words.  Like a modern dictionary.  Well, if someone asks me to geek some money from their account today I’ll know what to do.

Wednesday Woes

A 15 minute warmup wasn’t exactly necessary for my 1.8 mile run this morning.  The right hamstring gave me a twinge that got my attention just before the first mile marker into my 45 minute aerobic portion.  I pulled out of the run and jogged back home for safety’s sake.  Including my warmup I got in 3.3 miles which seems to be my Wednesday mileage lately.

Paper Route

A great workout this morning.  Eric and I ran the Paper Route – a zig zag up and down all the streets of Eastport finding hills to attack.  The workout lasted an hour with a short water break mid-way so we’re calling it the standard 5.8.

 

The variety of hills and shorter rest time really put the hurt on by the end but it was fun.  We like this method better than the same hill 10x.  The hills came in all sizes and lengths and some ascents even had a short decline in the middle to shake things up.  We were toast with 12 minutes left in the hour so we ran a nice cooldown to bleed the clock.

 

Feeling energized after this one.

Recovery Day

Just 20 minutes (2 miles) today as a way to loosen up the legs and get some rest.  Tomorrow, hills with Eric.

Flood, run, party, nap, run.

I was up late last night transfering liquid nature from the basement back into the wild. I stayed ahead of it this time. My neighbor wasn't so lucky and had to have an industrial pump drain the the swimming pool that he keeps his furnace in.

I got up a little late but got out for a nice workout at the airport:

2/3/4/5/6/7/6mins with 1:1 jog recovery per segment. Pace was up tempo but nothing drastic. This fell under the category of training aerobic capacity. A warmup preceeded and a cooldown ended the workout. Right hamstring didn't like the last one so I toned it down.

~8 miles up tempo + ~3 miles w/u & c/d for ~11 total.

When I came home, I found my eldest busy in the craft room making jewelry:



After a shower and quick breakfast, it was then to Meg's birthday party at the rock climbing wall at a local community college. Some photos below:















After the party, a nap. And after the nap, a 5 mile recovery run.

Now to see what Mike has cooked up for tomorrow.

Wed Thurs Fri

Wednesday I ran 3 miles recovery.  I was sore from Tuesday’s slippery hill workout and tired from a stressful day at work but I was glad I got out on for a short 3 mile recovery run to stretch the legs.  It doesn’t sound like much but 3 miles is an improvement from past Wednesdays.

 

Thursday Eric and I hit the road again with 10 x 440.  I was feeling pretty good and ran the first few harder than usual and started to peter out near the end of the session.

 

Today I got out for a nice workout.  I did 15 minutes warmup then 45 minutes @ 7:13 pace and a short cooldown.  Total mileage ~ 8 miles.  Felt good during the aerobic portion – the warmup really helped out.  Got some stretching in too.