Downeast Running

Redirect

2011-12-19T04:10:00.000-05:00

Please visit me at http://downeastrunning.wordpress.com. I had trouble posting to this blog so I created one at Wordpress.

Of course, now it is letting me post - I am not sure what the issue was. In any event, I have the continued the blog at Wordpress. Perhaps I should double post?

test

2011-12-18T19:15:00.001-05:00

test

Burning Dirt (Cake)

2011-04-23T17:14:00.003-04:00

This is a cake. And it is good.

It was for Ashlee's 20th birthday and I had to go burn it off after the party.

Tailwind going out, headwind on the return. 10 Miles. Don't think it qualified for a WR for a number of reasons.

Friday Surprise

2011-04-22T09:59:00.003-04:00

This morning I rolled over at the alarm and woke up late. I got dressed for the run but then got distracted by work. And finally, Lisa came downstairs and pushed me out the door.

And surprise - there was Eric (now from Long Island) running on my course! I haven't seen him in months. So we got a nice 5 miles in together and caught up.

Yesterday was another shortened run at 30 minutes due to a splinter in my foot issue. Looking forward to a longer run tomorrow.

Splinter Spouse

2011-04-21T06:24:00.002-04:00

The run was salvaged by the quick surgical intervention of my wife in getting a splinter out of my foot.

Had to the cut the run short due to the operation but I still got in 30 minutes. Felt ok.

Ran an hour yesterday.

Day 4. Week 1. General Preparation.

Now I Remember

2011-04-19T08:03:00.002-04:00

You know you have running issues when you can't remember what the last marathon you ran was.

I checked... it was PEI in 2008. How did so much time go by??

Nevertheless, I decided a week ago that I will run the Cape Cod Marathon again this fall. And drew up the plan to make it happen. That got me thinking about my last marathon and that got me worried because I couldn't remember which marathon was my last. And that got me worried that I was losing my mind.

And then I went for a run. And realized I had lost my speed too. And gained weight. All bad.
I've got 26 weeks. We can make the turn-around.

So Day 2 of Week 1 this morning. Easy 45 minutes. Yesterday I ran an hour.

I've been running off and on. Here and there. But no direction. But the plan is good, long, and looks like fun.

Congrats to Mark B. and Jamie and Austin for their good races yesterday.

Back to baseline

2010-09-20T09:39:00.003-04:00

I think the calf injury is pretty much healed...?? Got in 51 miles last week in 5 runs. Two 12 milers and a 15 miler made the week pleasurable. Mike and I got together again and hopefully this will be the beginning of a nice long winter of running.

After the run we snacked on cinnamon rolls.

Doubled to make 105 then ran an easy 90

2010-07-08T19:00:00.004-04:00

Two days... yesterday I split the scheduled hour and 45 minutes into two: 45 minutes in the morning and an hour in the evening. Total: 12.6. The first run was on an unmeasured course with a little trail in there. So I estimated 5 miles. The second run turned in 7.6 @ 7:56 pace.

Today the heat had me feeling very sluggish from the start. Managed 10.6 before the clock ran out at 8:33 pace.

Another 10.1

2010-07-06T18:27:00.002-04:00

75 minutes on the schedule today and it turned out to be another 10.1. Ran a little more even paced than last time but the same distance nonetheless.

No run on the 4th... too much going on. And yesterday I got caught up in a home improvement project that I wanted to finish. So two days off instead of one but at this stage probably for the best.

Happy with the 56 miles last week. A good start.

Two more

2010-07-03T14:22:00.003-04:00

Ran yesterday for 90 minutes getting in 11.7 @ 7:42 pace. Felt good. Today I headed out around 1pm for 75 minutes and snagged 10.1 @ 7:27 avg. First five went by at 8:00 / mile with the second half at 6:51 / mile with a slow tenth to bleed off the remaining time at the end.

I'm feeling better and better as the days go on. I can tell the vessels are clearing and things will be looking up over the next few weeks. Structurally, there's some limitations in the hamstring and probably some lingering issues with the calf that I need to be aware of. But no explosive stuff and no digging in for now. That should keep me safe.

Eastport is filling up with the holiday visitors. The navy ship arrived yesterday and Meg and I watched them as they put up the flags.

A beautiful day for a run

2010-07-01T18:45:00.003-04:00

Did my hour in fairly cool conditions. Felt two rain drops from a passing cloud just as I was finishing. 7.7 miles.

Here is my eldest enjoying a relaxing morning with a good book.

Three days in a row?

2010-06-30T20:18:00.002-04:00

Crazy that I'd think this was something. But I'm happy to have got out again without a day off for scheduling reasons. I've been running later in the day these past few months and it has taken a toll on consistency due to trouble with unforeseen scheduling problems. Today I recognized a timing issue early and got out in time to thwart the clock. If I can keep a handle on it, I should be able to train daily as I should be.

Today was 75 minutes on the schedule. A good run - 9.7 miles. A beautiful cloudless sky overhead with a cooling breeze off the water.

Slow getting started

2010-06-29T13:31:00.003-04:00

Seems I start then stop - sometimes due to injury and other times due to life. Hopefully I've started again. Ran an easy hour yesterday on the rail to trail in Machias. It felt good to be out. There's been a few runs since the last post as the runningahead.com sidebar shows but nothing too much.

Went on a nice hike up Mt. Washington last Saturday. Well, nice in the sense I like to hike. Otherwise what a whirl of wind at the top coupled with hard rain. Got soaked - and at 6000 feet that means a little cold too. Changed the route down to get below the treeline the quickest way. It all worked out. Here are some photos:

Looking Up

2010-05-29T13:11:00.002-04:00

The calf seems to have rounded the bend and is full on for recovery. This week I was able to run M-W-F 45 minutes each. Then today I went out with Mike and Jon for a Saturday 12 miler. Easy paces and good conversation. Blondies and coffee for a treat at the end.

Monday I got in 5.9 miles, Wednesday was 5.75, and Friday was around 5.8.

Next week a little more of the same except I'll but the time to an hour.

Recovering

2010-05-16T10:03:00.002-04:00

It is slow but the calf is recovering. Ran 41 minutes with Mike yesterday. And while it was tight, it did not hurt nearly as bad as it has. Taking today off and I'll continue to be patient.

Which is really hard for me.

Still Tight

2010-04-26T20:41:00.002-04:00

Slowly jogged 5.1 miles this evening. Calf was ok for 3 miles but then got tight. It will be a slow road.

Ack!

2010-04-19T18:44:00.001-04:00

Calf pulled again at 10 minutes up the rail to trail. Had to walk it home. Looks like I'll be easing into this build with some walking and stretching. It's the lower part of the left calf that is very sore. Hurts when I push off but not so much to walk.

easy 30 mins

2010-04-15T05:41:00.002-04:00

Ran an easy 30 mins (~3.2 miles?) this morning to check on the status of the left calf. It was a little sore so I might walk it tomorrow as I did yesterday.

I need to measure out some routes here so I have an idea of the mileage.

Calf at 3.5

2010-04-13T07:19:00.001-04:00

Left calf acted up at 3.5 miles this morning. Rubbed it out when I got back. 5 miles 37:00.

60 minutes easy yesterday.

5 miles

2010-04-11T11:09:00.001-04:00

Another run around the Blueberry loop. Getting to be my new favorite everyday course.

40 minutes

2010-04-07T20:46:00.002-04:00

A pleasant jaunt around the Blueberry loop this evening. A hilly loop... it will come in handy for training for the fall. ~ 5 miles 40:02.

Wrote out the first part of my summer training program today.

April

2010-04-01T05:47:00.001-04:00

April fool's day brought 30 easy minutes in the morning air. Nice to run in the morning again. Definitely my preference.

Rainy and Windy

2010-03-29T19:51:00.002-04:00

5 miles in the wind and rain. Felt good to be out. A little stiff. 40:59.

Still Here

2010-03-06T12:08:00.001-05:00

Running on hold for just a moment. Will resume shortly.

Back at Boyden

2010-02-07T17:31:00.003-05:00

I ran with Jonathan and Mike today at Boyden for 12 miles. Nice and easy. I was late and had to catch them. They graciously turned back toward me at the 1st mile... otherwise it would have taken a little while. I was doing the chores around the house and chopping wood prior to the run and didn't manage the time very well. By the time I got my gear on and in the car I was late.

The temperature wasn't too bad for the first 7 miles. But those last 5 were directly into a very cold headwind. The conversation stopped except for two jokes. But other than that it was the silent three jogging back to the cars.

This week the temperatures were so low I had lost some of my motivation... but this week the temperatures are supposed to moderate and I should be back on the roads. I do miss it when I'm not out there getting in the miles. Working on getting through this stupid month.

Bringing it back

2010-01-27T06:32:00.002-05:00

Engine's starting to turn over.

1st 10 miles 69:34 (6:58 pace)
2nd 10 miles 66:04 (6:37 pace)

20 miles @ 6:47 (2:15:40)

Icy 7

2010-01-25T05:30:00.002-05:00

Roads are slick this morning. Leaving for work early... 6:52 pace half into a strong southerly wind.

Winter training camp was a lot of fun... more on that later.

Recovery run

2010-01-21T05:46:00.003-05:00

Needed a recovery outing today. Just ran 2 miles on very slippery roads. I got early enough for a longer run but with one thing or another I was just feeling a little sluggish. Then when the road turned out to be super slippery I decided that all was pointing to a recovery. Fair enough.

2 miles. 11:00 pace.

Rung Out

2010-01-20T05:57:00.003-05:00

Winter storm this morning. Roads covered in snow, air saturated with thick wet goo. East wind. Which meant 1st half was fine heading out of town. But when I turned, oh boy.

It was a struggle against the wind, snow, and slippery road to get to the house. 10.5 was enough for me. ~8:42 pace.

Now for my 46 mile commute in this stuff. Joy.

Easy Progression

2010-01-19T06:30:00.001-05:00

Crawl to a fast finish. 10 miles @ 7:36 average. Felt natural and good.

Where Mike gets profane

2010-01-18T20:25:00.002-05:00

Mike had me in stitches about 8.5 miles into Sunday's 12 miler.

Jonathan, Mike, and I were doing the 12 mile loop at Boyden. Earlier in the run Jonathan was telling us about a movie he was watching with his young daughter. Seemed to be fairly clean when all of sudden the script writer inserted a certain shouted four letter word. Jon was telling us that he was unprepared for this - sitting there with his little girl - as the movie didn't give any indication that this was to occur. So the three of us discussed the topic a little further and then moved on to other things.

But a few miles later (at the 8.5 mile marker) Jonathan and I looked back and there was Mike - walking and looking intently at his Garmin. So we stopped.

Mike walked up to us, looked at me and said, "I've only run 6.5 miles."
I looked at Jon.
Jon looked at Mike.
Mike looked at both of us.

Then he yelled, "I'm F^$*@@!"

It was pretty funny. We had no warning and I was chuckling the rest of the run.

Saturday was 3 miles with Eric for recovery. And today was a double. 20 miles @ 7:41 pace in the morning and 4 @ 9:37 pace in the evening.

Warmer temps

2010-01-15T06:43:00.001-05:00

Slightly slippery roads but nothing to worry about. Warmer out - must have been near freezing. 20 miles @ 7:28 avg. Last 10 @ 7:04 pace.

cold no wind

2010-01-14T06:40:00.000-05:00

10 degrees but not too bad due to the lack of wind. 7.5 mile recovery pace. 9:33.

Wind Chill making it tough

2010-01-13T06:49:00.002-05:00

11 degrees isn't so bad if it wasn't windy. 10 miles in some stinging cold. 7:48 pace.

Getting colder

2010-01-12T20:08:00.003-05:00

Three miles yesterday as recovery and a solid 20 mile workout this morning @ 7:33 pace. 11 degrees with the windchill. I assume there's more to come.

Good to do the first 20 of 2010. Run was easy until mile 16 or so when my upper back felt a little cramped.

First Cold Run

2010-01-10T19:55:00.002-05:00

Today was the first cold Sunday run of the winter. Temps near 10 degrees. Mike, Jonathan, and myself made it out there for 13 miles around Boyden Lake. The first 4 miles were great until we turned into the wind. Then it got pretty cold.

All in all a good run. Good to be out with friends on a Sunday. 13 miles.

Cool, Crisp, Clear

2010-01-08T06:34:00.000-05:00

19 degrees but it felt just right. Starry skies, slight wind. 10 miles.

Into it

2010-01-07T06:42:00.000-05:00

15 miles 1:52:09

Cool with Flurries

2010-01-06T06:33:00.002-05:00

Beautiful 10 miler this morning. Crisp 28 degrees with fat flakes falling. 7:29 pace.

Deer & Ice

2010-01-05T06:38:00.001-05:00

Roads were icy and the deer were out in force. Had to run down the middle of the causeway to keep from slipping - it appears it was the only part they salted.

Good run. 13 @ 7:36.

Trend continues

2010-01-04T20:04:00.001-05:00

Motivation seems to have returned. Got out in the small hours this morning for a pleasant 10 mile jaunt. Enjoying the warmer temps before the deep freeze finds me.

Slippery roads

2010-01-03T17:21:00.001-05:00

Roads were still slippery this morning but the wind had died down so it was much easier. Out for 1:21.

Winter Running

2010-01-02T14:59:00.002-05:00

Ran 12.2 miles this morning in a wicked snow storm. Did an out and back making the 2nd half much easier than the first. Deep snow, blowing snow, strong northeasterly winds made this one grueling.

Got out yesterday as well for 10.

10 miles 10 bucks

2009-12-27T09:22:00.003-05:00

A literal pick-me-up at mile 1 this morning on my 10 mile run.

Ran relaxed. Roads a little slippery but nothing drastic. 1:22:20. Looking forward to the upcoming training.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T15:48:00.002-05:00

A little running but not much these days. But it won't be long.

Birthday coming on Monday. Another year.

Thinking about Sugarloaf in May. Marc will be running this one.

Winter training camp will be here soon up in Strong, ME. Four full months of training should be sufficient.

Playing lots of ham radio with my free time.

Cooling down

2009-12-08T06:43:00.002-05:00

Winter is here. Snow came on Sunday and snow and ice and wind will be here tomorrow night.

3 easy miles with Eric this morning.

Early 3

2009-12-02T05:36:00.003-05:00

Have to work early today so the three miles were early. Clear skies, 30F. Felt good. Had a little break there after Thanksgiving. The driving wore me out I think. And here's a photo of my girls on Thanksgiving:

Drizzly Bear

2009-11-25T06:46:00.001-05:00

Weather matched my mood. 3 miles @ 8:38 pace.

Tuesday 9

2009-11-24T04:54:00.000-05:00

8:14 pace. Felt good. Warm and wet out.

Start week #5

2009-11-23T05:52:00.001-05:00

With 3 easy miles @ 9:19 pace.

Une note d'amour...

2009-11-22T16:51:00.007-05:00

Since this morning's run was cut short I planned a 2nd run to finalize my mileage for today. So I went out at 3:30pm for 5 easy miles.

I dressed, stepped out, and was feeling pretty good. The course would be the in-town 5 mile loop with all the little hills and valleys. I started and immediately it felt easy and brisk and refreshing. Ahhhhh.

So I scooted through town enjoying myself, feeling good and just cruising along. Some tunes from the buds and I was in my own little world.

When I finished I found her note. It said '32:19'. Je suis intrigué ...

5 miles @ 6:28 pace.

Weekly total: 52.

Choking on Mike's Memorable Musings

2009-11-22T10:45:00.005-05:00

The final Maple Leaf has fallen from its perch.

Mike was in rare form today with one-liners that had me choking on my water. He claims I take him out of context... and that may be so. But these sudden comments, completely without preamble, had me laughing very hard:

At mile 7: "My wife wore me out yesterday."

At mile 8.5: "That dog reminds me of my daughter."

At mile 11.5: "I'm glad I kept my pants on."

I think we can blame the dental work he had done. It may be that the medicine is still wearing off - I'm not sure. But at least he enjoyed my chicken jokes that I told in honor of Ewen.

12 miles @ 9:30 pace.

Good 2nd half of 10

2009-11-21T13:56:00.002-05:00

Saturday 10 tempo. First half into a headwind that made the going pretty tough. Second half was much better with a tailwind. Sunny and warm. Wore shorts but still needed gloves.

10 miles @ 6:20 pace.

Just 3

2009-11-20T21:00:00.000-05:00

Again. 8:07 pace.

8 brings it to 48

2009-11-19T19:17:00.002-05:00

Tiny mileage bump today with the 2nd work week workout brings the 7 day total to 48. Ran with Eric for most of the run. I hope to meet his Charlotte on Saturday.

8 miles @ 8:44 pace.

Another 3 to keep me honest

2009-11-18T07:06:00.002-05:00

Wednesday three to keep the mileage down. Felt good. Crisp out. ~8:23 pace.

Tuesday 8

2009-11-17T06:58:00.001-05:00

Bump to 8 miles this Tuesday. Cool and cloudy by the time I got out. I was hoping to see some meteors but I didn't.

8 miles @ 8:21 pace.

Monday 3

2009-11-16T05:39:00.002-05:00

Warm out for my gentle three miles. Soreness from yesterday went away. ~ 9:10 pace. My watch died.

Blind Moose back at it

2009-11-15T16:17:00.002-05:00

Glad to have Mike back off the boat. We did the last 13 mile long run together. Next week we bump to 17 for five weeks. For a guy that's been yachting around the Bay of Fundy for a couple of weeks he did alright. He even had some crazy scheme of doing striders during the last 2 miles of the run. Now I'm sore.

No, I asked him. On his voyage he did not tell the joke about the two herring that swam to Boston to see a Red Sox game. I thought he should have.

13 miles @ 9:13 pace.

This ends week 3 with 46 miles.

Saturday 10

2009-11-14T16:08:00.002-05:00

Saturday up tempo day. 10 miles @ 6:27 pace. Went out too hard. Splits 6:19 pace for 1st half, 6:34 pace for 2nd half. Suffered a little.

Spent the day making another antenna. Took down the existing 80 meter antenna (dipole) and replaced it with a helically wound vertical. Tunes up ok, now to make come contacts on it.

3 Finishes the workweek

2009-11-13T06:27:00.002-05:00

Scheduled for three this morning. These short runs are keeping the totals down as per the plan. Felt good. The run was over too quickly.

Frost made it to the roads in some places. Felt the feet slip once or twice. It won't be long until I'm battling a nor'easter.

3 miles @ 8:24 pace.

7 Cool Ones

2009-11-12T06:44:00.000-05:00

Chilly today with frost. 7 miles @ 8:34 pace. Felt good.

Veterans Day Three

2009-11-11T12:45:00.003-05:00

Figures I'd have a short run scheduled on a day off. But I followed it anyway.

3 miles @ 8:10 pace.

Veterans Day ceremonies were very nice. Spending the day puttering around the house. Playing on 30 meters (10.1 mhz) today. Made contacts in Poland and Afton, NY so far.

Week 3 bump 1

2009-11-10T12:53:00.001-05:00

Tuesday bump to 7 miles. Warm out – wore shorts. Slow jog around town a couple of times. Saw Eric starting out on his run at the 6.6 mile mark.

7 miles @ 8:53 pace. Felt fine.

This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended  exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,  together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged  information. Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, coping, disclosure  or distribution is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in  error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Sunday Monday

2009-11-09T07:59:00.001-05:00

End week 2, begin week 3.

Sunday ended the week with 44 miles. Did the Boyden Loop by myself. Hoping Mike and company are available next week. 13 miles @ 8:15 pace.

Began the week with the standard 3 miles @ 8:59 pace.

This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended  exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,  together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged  information. Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, coping, disclosure  or distribution is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in  error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Upper Tempo 10

2009-11-07T07:58:00.001-05:00

I look forward to Saturdays – the day of the week that is set aside for some faster pace if I’m feeling up to it. Ran a nice brisk 10 miler this morning in the snappy air. Moonlight lit the way and the northeasterly wind wasn’t too strong for comfort.

10 miles @ 6:39 pace.

This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended  exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,  together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged  information. Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, coping, disclosure  or distribution is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in  error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Today was classical

2009-11-06T09:15:00.001-05:00

The iPod played classical today for my 3 miles. Relaxing run - only the cup of tea was missing.

3 miles @ 8:04 pace.

This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended  exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,  together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged  information. Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, coping, disclosure  or distribution is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in  error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

The tiniest incremental uptick

2009-11-05T08:52:00.001-05:00

Six miles on the schedule this morning to finalize this week’s small uptick in mileage. The rest of the week will look like last week. Feeling ok.

6 @ 7:28 pace.

This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended  exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,  together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged  information. Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, coping, disclosure  or distribution is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in  error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Oh this is going to be long

2009-11-04T08:49:00.001-05:00

Not the post. Just the build up. Hope it works. 3 miles @ 8:04 pace.

This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended  exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,  together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged  information. Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, coping, disclosure  or distribution is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in  error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Up 1

2009-11-03T08:49:00.001-05:00

Up to 6 from 5 for this Tuesday’s run. The body is starting to come back. I feel a little more fluid. But just a little.

6 @ 7:36 pace.

This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended  exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,  together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged  information. Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, coping, disclosure  or distribution is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in  error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Week 1 complete

2009-11-02T07:56:00.001-05:00

Ran 7 days and logged 42 miles.

Saturday: 10 miles @ 7:51 pace.

Sunday: 13 miles @ 8:32 pace w/Aretakis.

Monday: 3 miles @ 9:28 pace.

This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended  exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,  together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged  information. Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, coping, disclosure  or distribution is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in  error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Friday Week 1

2009-10-30T09:01:00.001-04:00

Scheduled for three, ran three. Cool, hat / mittens, long pants. Amazingly slow and I’ve been a little sore.

Thursday 5

2009-10-29T08:53:00.001-04:00

These short starter miles let me sleep in and start late. Enjoying it while it lasts.

5 miles @ 9:19 pace. I’m very slow these days.

3 with Eric

2009-10-28T09:16:00.001-04:00

Met up with Eric this morning. Good to see him again. Nice three miles. Chilly out.

Slow Build

2009-10-27T09:12:00.001-04:00

Plan is to build the mileage slowly through February and then train for a May marathon.

5 miles @ 9:10 pace. 30 degrees or so outside. Wore long pants.

Back from Vacation

2009-10-26T09:31:00.001-04:00

Disappeared into the world of amateur (ham) radio for a week and a half. No running – just radio waves. Made several antennas and talked around the world. Lots of fun and seemed to clear out the head a bit.

Started off the work week right with a small jog this morning – 3 miles @ 8:22 pace. Nice and cool – and dark. Will build slowly from here.

Dark three

2009-10-13T09:47:00.001-04:00

Out in the dark today to get some blood flowing. It’s wood chopping time so while the miles are few, I’m getting in a different type of workout. Probably a quarter way through. Vacation is coming up so I hope to finish it during my week off.

3.4

2009-10-07T08:59:00.000-04:00

Another easy 30 minutes this morning. Wondering if I have a small case of PF in the right foot. Perhaps I will soak it this weekend.

Slow Ten

2009-10-06T09:50:00.001-04:00

Did an easy ten miles this morning. The wind was cool and even though the temperature was a little above 50 it felt colder. Felt ok, but the right foot hurt a little on the very bottom.

Met up with Eric for about 5 minutes. Good to see him.

3.3

2009-10-05T12:25:00.001-04:00

Finally got back out this morning for 30 easy minutes. ~ 3.3 miles. Wet but not raining.

Also getting back on ham radio. Made a nice contact with KP2XX in St. Thomas yesterday on 14.199 mhz. Reading the ARRL Antenna Handbook and thinking about crisscrossing the yard with wire.

Lack of internet has made me lose touch with Mike. Just found out he’s running PEI with Trevor. They will enjoy that course. No Sunday gatherings again until mid-November.

Wind, Rain, Lightning

2009-09-28T10:21:00.001-04:00

Warmer morning with a stiff southerly wind. It was pouring just before I left but it let up to a blowing drizzle for the outing. I was surprised by a few flashes of lightning at mile 6 and thought I might be a little exposed out there on the causeways. But all ended well and I got in 10 miles before the legs got a little sore.

No running over the weekend as travel didn’t allow it. Of course ‘travel’ was a Corvette weekend with Dad. We did the twisties of Vermont. Had nice weather and lots of fun. At 436 HP that car is fast.

Saw a sign painted on the back of a building along the interstate. It said, “Good Morning. Let the Stress Begin.”

Quality hour

2009-09-24T10:00:00.001-04:00

I felt pretty good this morning so I decided today would be a quality day. The 30 minute recovery yesterday must have done the trick. The legs felt better and the soreness was gone. I’m still amazed at how much time it takes between ‘good’ workouts to fully recover. Running by feel seems to be taking on an increasingly important role in my training.

Since I’m using my last cycle of training as a starting point in this new cycle I’ve decided to shorten the quality portion of the workouts. I want the stimulus but not the peak. In hindsight, I see those 20 mile hard workouts were run just a few weeks too early. The recovery time was pretty lengthy and I couldn’t hold that level of training for very long before I started to slide somewhat. But all is not lost. It was a good peak and one builds on each cycle.

I have a print-out of Canova’s suggested workouts so I decided to do the low end of one of them this morning. It called for an hour progression divided into thirds (20/20/20) going from 85% to MP. I figured that would come to about 9 miles total so I did 3/3/3. I wasn’t far off and finished in 58:01. I think my last 3 was a little harder than MP effort because I mistakenly ran the 2^nd third too quickly. Oh well. I was just happy to be able to increase the pace at mile 6.

Felt ok during the run. The 3 mile warm-up prior to the hard stuff helped. Certainly not feeling as fit as I was a few weeks ago but I was still pleased to be doing quality. There was a lot of traffic again this morning with the ship in at the port. A dark, drizzly morning didn’t help anyone’s vision or my visibility so I felt crowded again.

A little over 2 miles to cool down and a good one in the books. Easy running tomorrow then I’m traveling for a couple of days so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get a run in or not. I’ll take my stuff just in case.

14.1 miles w/9 mile progression @ 6:27 average.

Only 3.2

2009-09-23T09:26:00.001-04:00

Scheduled myself an easy 30 minutes this morning to let the legs recover from their soreness. A little warmer this morning. Probably didn’t need the long sleeve shirt.

Grainy

2009-09-22T11:06:00.001-04:00

That is visibility description for this morning’s run. It comes from Mike describing a photo he took in Sweden in low light. It was ‘grainy’ he said. Well today I thought of that photo of something Swedish that Mike told me about but which I’ve since forgotten two days later. I thought of it when I was struggling with my headlamp.

I took the headlamp off the window sill this morning thinking that since the sun is sleeping in, I could just flash my watch into the beam and see my time. Not so. The watch face just reflected the light back into my eyes. Which is probably why they invented the ‘backlight’ but I don’t know for sure.

So I thought I’d use the headlamp to see. Nope. So foggy the mist just reflected the light back into my eyes. And as I was trying to peer into the soup, the word ‘grainy’ pop into my head. I thought I could see something. But no, I could not.

So I thought I’d use the headlamp as a safety feature. Perched on my head for cars to see. My lantern would be a beacon in the thick and automobiles would courteously grant my meager lane. Afraid not. Like bugs to a zapper, they all got so d**n close I almost fell in the ditch a dozen times.

I turned the headlamp off and basked in the porch light after 12 and called it day. ~7:48 pace.

Coyotes Calling

2009-09-21T18:14:00.001-04:00

Work related issues have brought me down.

I ran once last week and that was yesterday with Mike for 17 miles. The run got me going again and I did 12.7 this morning under an amazing canopy of stars and planets.

I left the house at 3:50am and just after the initial mile I heard the eeriest sound: coyotes calling to each other. One just in the woods to the left of me and the other obviously further down the road where I had to pass. Add pitch darkness and you get that old creepy feeling. I’ve heard the barking and the yipping before on a run but never the call. I’d rather not hear that again.

Well, I wasn’t mistaken for a deer and taken down by the pack. I guess that’s good.

My legs are sore, I’m past the peak, and it looks like the marathon will be postponed. Just add this to the list of other things weighing me down.

On the bright side, I think I’ll buck up and keep running in spite of it all.

Easy day to recover

2009-09-11T10:18:00.001-04:00

Went to bed at 8pm and woke at 4am for a full night’s sleep. Then just an easy 3.1 miles or so, meeting up with Eric. Very cool out this morning. Just loving this new weather. The legs weren’t sore to speak of so I think I’m doing ok. Plan is to run easily tomorrow for a longer distance, then an easy 17 with Mike on Sunday. Thinking that my next hard run will be on Tuesday. Perhaps a 10 mile tempo.

I’ve been thinking about the simulation run and I am letting these workouts guide me toward a goal pace for the marathon. I feel pretty good around 6:15-6:20 per mile. This was the 2^nd simulation run that averaged out at 6:16-6:17 per mile. The first one was a few weeks ago that was conducted with a large negative split. This one was pretty narrow. But both came in within 20 seconds of each other.

Do I start the marathon at goal or slower? That is the question. If I go slower I’ll have more room for picking up the pace later on. I think it may depend on how the packs group up. I’d rather not run by myself in the early miles.

And RG’s Mom: I’m not on Facebook but I’m on Twitter @downeastrunning. Catch me there.

And for all the bloggers I usually read and comment on: I’ve had internet trouble at the house for weeks now so I’m missing out (no home email either!). Mike’s been filling me in somewhat. I hope to have it all resolved in a few days.

Aerobic, Press, Suffer

2009-09-10T11:10:00.000-04:00

This morning’s run was a race prep workout with lots of useful lessons. The workout: 20 miles in 2:05:30. Splits: 1:02:59 / 1:02:31. ~ 6:17 average pace.

I started the run faster than normal, looking to run the mileage at a fairly steady pace without much in the way of progression. The workout ended up coming in three distinct sections: First 10, next 5, last 5 – or Aerobic, Press, and Suffer.

The course is an out-and-back 10 miler that I do twice. Now that autumn is just about here, it is pitch black for the first 10 miles - which means I can’t see the watch. (My watch doesn’t have a backlight that works.) The faster start took a little getting used to, especially since the first mile is net uphill. I could feel the pace a little in the shoulders but I was hoping things would smooth out on their own. And they did. I took that as useful lesson #1. Don’t be too afraid of starting at pace.

After I got over the initial shock of the starting mile I felt very good. I ran with relative comfort, not pressing or straining, but certainly keeping the pace as fast as was comfortable while taking into consideration that I was still in the single digits. I imagined that I was running in a group and this mental image helped keep me on pace. I tried to disassociate a little as I figured I’d have to focus during the last half. I was very glad when I got back to the house to see the first 10 covered in 1:02:59 (time check courtesy of porch light). Useful lesson #2: running by feel can net good returns.

During the next five miles I tried to press ever so slightly without crossing the line to see if there was room to maneuver. I still felt good but was working harder now and paying attention to what I was doing a little more closely. The sun finally came up at mile 15 and the watch told me I covered this portion at a 6:09 pace. I turned for home with a good attitude and ready to work but what felt like a sub-6 mile came in again at 6:09 at mile 16. I knew then my game was played. Useful lesson #3: Don’t work it too hard too early.

Begin suffering. The last 4 miles were like being too close to the fire. As I crossed mile 16 and began mile 17 all the doubts that were silent before were ringing loud and clear. Lots of advice to call it at 16 and jog the last 4. But I had courage and strove on into the abyss. It hurt, I knew it would hurt, but I did it anyway. A simulation is a simulation after all. I focused on my form, tried to keep my stride light, and ran as hard as I could without straining. “Train, don’t strain” was what I kept repeating. Aerobically I was getting weary and I had to pay attention to avoid “going to the legs” – using a more powerful stride to keep pace which could bring on an injury. Lesson #4: Don’t be afraid to enter the hard miles. Lesson #5: Know your weak points (in this instance, lack of muscular strength).

The miles clocked in slower – especially on the inclines, but the times weren’t too bad. The abdomen was getting sore and the frame was getting sore. However, I still got a slight negative split after covering the last 5 miles @ ~ 6:23 pace. All in all, a good stimulus. The next four days will be easy paces and distances.

Recovery run today

2009-09-09T10:36:00.001-04:00

Did a recovery run this morning of 32 minutes. I had initially planned on doing 20 miles but I deferred it to tomorrow in order to let the legs recover from yesterday’s 10 mile progression.

Just under six weeks to the marathon. Trying to work on race prep type workouts when possible.

Good Weekend

2009-09-08T09:30:00.001-04:00

Took over a week to fully recover from climbing Mt. Katahdin but it’s done. Recovering from over-exertion is taking longer and longer it seems. Until today I hadn’t run what I thought to be a decent workout since the 5 mile race on August 15^th.

Work is stressful and is taking a lot of energy – leaving little for anything else. So I was glad to have three days off and I rested up a storm. Lots of reading and napping and with the heat breaking I’m feeling much better.

Ran a nice 13 mile run in cool weather with Mike on Sunday. Easy pace but the legs were still a little sore by the end. Good to have Mike back from his travels. Perhaps he’ll settle down now. Of course, he’s scaring me with a lot of rot talk about his fitness level. I had to take him to task. You’d think he’d just had surgery or something.

Monday I slept in and got caught up with the hectic schedule of reading and napping.

And this morning I was ready for a nice workout. Long sleeve temperatures and very little wind made for a nice progression run. Did 10 miles @ 6:22 pace (last in 5:48) feeling very good throughout. Then I jogged another three around town looking for Eric to see if he was about. I didn’t find him though. Finished with some striders and drills. Just what I needed to lift my spirits.

Back for the final push

2009-08-31T13:56:00.000-04:00

Had a mid-training dip there coinciding with a hiking excursion up Mt. Katahdin here in Maine. Mt. Katahdin is Maine’s highest peak at 5267 feet and is considered a pretty rugged climb due to its remoteness, long approach, elevation gain, and steep ascent. I went with my father, brother-in-law and two nephews. We went up the Abol Trail and down the Hunt Trail which (for northbound thru-hikers) is the final 5 miles of the Appalachian Trail – Baxter Peak of Katahdin being the trail’s northern terminus. There was one thru-hiker at the top who had finished the Trail that day. He had left Georgia (Springer Mountain) on May 4^th.

We had a beautiful day with low temps and bright sunshine. I still managed to get a sunburn but nothing like my last trip up four years ago – so I consider it a success. The loop was 9 miles but I managed to get 13 by running the two miles from the Hunt trail back to Abol to get the car then hiking a mile back into the woods to meet up with them to hike the final mile together (I descended a bit faster than them).

Needless to say, my quads were very sore for two days following so I didn’t run. But today I was only slightly sore so I put in 90 minutes and got 12 miles for the effort. 10 @ 6:58 pace and 2 miles to cooldown. Felt good the whole way but the calves have tightened up now so I’ll have to pay attention tomorrow to how they’re doing.

No Vacation Goes Unpunished

2009-08-24T17:01:00.001-04:00

Vacation was too hot. Running was not pleasant. Now work is crazy. 85 miles last week:

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 20 @ 6:59 pace

Wednesday: 10 @ 8:52 pace

Thursday: 15 @ 6:38 pace

Friday: 10 @ 8:44 pace

Saturday: 20 @ 7:14 pace

Sunday: 10 @ 6:42 pace

Felt sluggish, heat is too much (yes, I know, I don’t know what heat actually is). These are the worst days for running for me though. Suffering since last Saturday’s race.

Speaking of the race:

The bad – felt horrible from mile 2 on. I carried a small water bottle with me to help with the heat. It didn’t help. No speed, I was drained, and I lost one place at mile 5 – ending up in 6^th in 29:40. Ran most of the race a few yards behind a competitor, neither gaining or losing. I wanted to close the gap but I was just hanging on. I hate just hanging on. This race was almost a carbon copy (time & place) of the last time I ran this race over five years ago.

The good – the five in front of me were the usual suspects that usually finish in front of me. I wanted, of course, to have a better showing and finish with them but it was not to be. The winner’s time was near the time I was shooting for. Which means that the heat must have got to the top five finishers as well.

I think I need a string of cold days to make me feel better. I haven’t had the urge to run hard for over a week.

2009-08-21T18:04:00.001-04:00

Fabulous fog kept things cool. 20 miles negative splits. Felt good. Legs a little sore near end. 2:24:31.

--
==================================================================
This mobile text message is brought to you by AT&T

2009-08-21T17:59:00.001-04:00

Fabulous fog kept things cool. 20 miles negative splits. Felt good. Legs a little sore near end. 2:24:31. 75:00 / 69:3

--
==================================================================
This mobile text message is brought to you by AT&T

2009-08-20T17:25:00.001-04:00

Beat the heat by running at 4:30 this morning. A good 15 mile progression run. 1:39:xx.

--
==================================================================
This mobile text message is brought to you by AT&T

Heat woes

2009-08-18T12:39:00.002-04:00

Full race report will have to wait until vacation is over. Home modem on the fritz so I'm snatching access where I can. But you can assume the heat bit me hard.

Licked my wounds for two days with no miles. Did 20 this morning after sleeping in (I'm on vacation) but paid for it when the heat showed up.

I'll have to get up at the normal time (3am) if I want to have a decent workout. Dog days of August! Hate them hate them hate them.

20 miles in 2:19:33. Everthing was fine until it warmed up.

2009-08-16T07:08:00.001-04:00

Tough tough race. 6th place 29:40 5 miles. Ran 10 at night to feel better.

--
==================================================================
This mobile text message is brought to you by AT&T

Aerobic 10

2009-08-12T05:41:00.002-04:00

Finally a decent workout. There is no doubt that I enjoy running aerobically much, much more than any other foolish type of run.

I have to be in to work early the rest of this week so the available time for training is down an hour. But that is alright since I've got a race on Saturday. After yesterday's disaster I felt like stretching the legs. So I went out for an easy 10 at a decent aerobic pace.

Didn't check the watch and just ran as I felt. It worked out to be a nice progression run with a fast finish. No splits since I didn't want to shoot for any specific mile times. I felt great the whole way. Didn't see any meteors since it was overcast here. Next two days will be recovery to set up for the race.

10 miles / 1:05:09 (6:31 average pace).

Slinking Home

2009-08-11T06:34:00.002-04:00

Horrible x 800's

The Bad

I couldn't hold any speed today. The first few yards were good but then the legs just felt tired and tight and I couldn't handle the lactate that not only filled the legs but seemed to get into my gut as well.

I didn't even do the 8 required - bailing out after #6 when the right hamstring gave a little twinge similar to last Tuesday. Even so it was almost welcomed. Had a poor moment of actually being glad it twinged since I'd have to stop. Then I thought maybe I just imagined it, but I didn't.

The course - something wrong with it. What is generally just an annoying rise (right in the middle) during my normal workouts seemed to be a mountain during the 800. The length - is it long? The times were horrible for how I hard I worked - particularly on the first one. After that things just kept going downhill.

The Good

I still got a proper workout in. Regardless of the time or length or small rise the legs filled with lactate and that was the whole point of the run. Doing 6 instead of 8 only represents my lack of speed conditioning which is why I doing the workouts.

It also confirmed that it was alright to start doing these workouts 9 weeks out from the taper - I will need that long to get through this phase and reap the benefits. Especially since I'm only doing one per week.

So this was speed work #2. Got me a little concerned about my race plan on Saturday. I'll have to be careful not to overdo it in the first mile or two since I really suffer from early lactate buildup.

2:42 / 2:55 / 2:54 / 3:04 / 2:58 / 3:11 w/90 seconds jog/walk in-between. 2 mile warm up and 2 mile cool down.

The Null

2009-08-10T12:56:00.000-04:00

The newest phase seems to be a series of peaks and valleys. Today I ran a short recovery run of 3.1 miles @ 7:31 pace. Felt pretty good and wished the run was longer. But I was resting the legs up for tomorrow’s 8 x 800 workout. Yesterday, while nice and easy, the workout was still hard on the body because it lasted over 3 hours. So a longer run this morning would have jeopardized tomorrow – or so I think. Hopefully tomorrow will go well making these lower mileage weeks worthwhile.

This week’s hard stuff will be Tuesday and Saturday. Saturday being a 5 mile road race. Easy running in between.

Yesterday was a special run because Mike and I were joined by Trevor out of Fredericton. It was a rare instance of the Canadians outnumbering the Americans during a Blind Moose run. Trevor’s first 20 miler and he did great. Things went swimmingly until the end. I wasn’t really paying attention but there appeared to be some sort of discrepancy between Trevor’s Garmin and Mike’s Garmin. Mike was the more liberal of the two calling for our run to be over a tenth or more before Trevor’s Garmin said so. But Trevor force marched us into the void until his Garmin said we could stop. I have no idea how far we went.

In case you’re wondering, according to my watch, which is a $10.99 Rite-Aid special, the run had gone into overtime 24 minutes prior. If only they had listened to me.

No news recovery

2009-08-07T10:05:00.000-04:00

Just another recovery run this morning. Nothing much to report. The legs were tired and sore but that was to be expected. Crawled around town for 4 miles @ ~10.21 pace for purposes of getting some blood flow into the legs. Felt good when I finished.

Did another session of core work after the run. Pushups / abs / stability / stretching. No drills today as I didn’t feel like the legs were up for it. That’s why I chose the slow jog instead.

Tomorrow I hope to get an easy run in – distance to be determined. My normal workout time is booked so I’ll have to escape sometime in the afternoon. That means how much time I will have and what the temperature will be are unknown. I hope it rains. That generally keeps the temperature down.