straight eight

dashing off a dashblog entry here, no time to chat--the new semester is going to affect my running time too--but at least I got a good run in last night, sinus cold notwithstanding. Took the Hamilton--Allen--Enfield--town common route, but ran it backwards to see how the hills felt that way. The long slow pull up Enfield: pretty useful. It was an almost moonless night, but lots of light because of snow, though that was fast melting in the mild temps. It was few degrees above freezing (38F?), though the wind was a bit chilly.

Distance: 8.01 miles
Speed: 7.96 mph
Time: 1:00:20

Comment: an evening run, between 9 and 10, planning just to cover the distance; went at about 75% mostly, with a couple of pushes on the downhills to stretch. Pleasantly comfortable, running with full shell on and gloves; felt ready for more distance if not speed. But pretty sore upper body next morning (cos of the cold, coughs and sneezes, I think, plus I went out after choir practice). Maybe a short one tonight?

new PB on a 5K!

That's not a sandwich order-it's my celebration of a third new personal best this season in the 5K runs in Springfield. Jittery start with business to do before the run today, but made it to Forest Park in time for a quick warm up - maybe half a mile with gloves and other gear on. Cold, but not windy; some ice, but mainly dry surfaces - promising. Made a charging start, and immediately got a bit worried at being so near the front, but then realised that half the fast crew weren't there. Hokay-just go for it. And while I never caught the 5-6 runners ahead, I used them for long distance towing, which helped when a couple of guys attacked on the high road straight and again at the street leading to the downhill. They levelled, but I pushed them off, and looked at the Garmin to see we were doing 5:45s. Staggered down the slope, and then they attacked again just before the home stretch as we slowed to jump over the snowheap. Both passed me, but I reclaimed one spot; came in seventh, but one guy must have been pirating, as the clock showed 6th. Stats:

Distance: 3.1 miles
Speed: 9.42 mph
Time: 19:44

Comment: very happy on the last 5K of the winter season to break 20 minutes. It felt fine, and yappari it's the long distance training (I think) that really helped. I even went for a cool down mile after getting some food and drink. Maybe, just maybe, I'll try for one last 10K as well...

just a coalmine

At the end of another long Tuesday, needed to get out but not much energy or time. Managed my basic Hamilton & Rt9, doing the little Allen St. bit too to add an extra hill segment. Did the trick, pretty much:

Distance: 3.69 miles
Speed: 8.18 mph
Time: 27:03

Comment: soreness from the Sunday run in almost-recovered ankle; yappari it's prone to that now, and it seems to involve the Achilles as well. Fair pace for a jog, and just long enough to count as useful.

solo half

Sunday turned much colder, from the balmy 40s down to mid 20s. But no precipitation, and I had time to get out for a long slower run. So at around noon I headed along 9 to Allen, across to 202, up to Munsell and off the main road there to Knight's Pond, then back out across 202 down toward the reservoir, turning off short at the trail that comes out on Juckett Rd, then back along Allen to 202 and home (tantalisingly) with a cut through the DnDo carpark. I stopped the timer at 13.1 miles, a half marathon, but amazingly that was exactly at the bottom of Dana Hill. I'd gone off with minimal warmup, intending to take it slowly and see how it felt. It was cold all along, even with full gear (but a hat instead of a balaclava); I took water and mainly ran somewhere between comfortable and with pace. There were plenty of hills, including going up Juckett Hill, where I was down to less than 6mph -- tired at that point and chilling off. But in all, a good varied run:

Distance: 13.1 miles
Speed: 7.49 mph
Time: 1:44:51

Comment: the usual problems with clothing discomfort from running over an hour and a half. That's one advantage of racing--you wear less. Given the hills included on the run, I'm very happy with the almost 7.5 mph speed (that's an 8 min. mile). That also leaves me only 12 miles to reach 25 for the week, so today (Mon.) I'm happily taking a rest day (especially with the 6 inches of sticky snow that came down between 5 a.m. and midday!)

The 10K barrier

How is it so hard to improve? . . . Not that I really should complain. Today was the second of the Snowstorm (haha!) Classic 10Ks that I've managed to get to, and while better than the first, it was not smooth sailing. As with the New Year's eve run, I had weird dry mouth at the start, though at least I didn't have a sinus cold today. I went off quite deliberately with the first cohort, and even had Carlos in sight for the first mile. But then after completing three miles I started to feel stiff and on the verge of cramping; I wanted to push but it was as if I was wearing heavy trousers (it was mild, though the breeze was cool; I was in shorts with a T-shirt and fleece). Meh. I recovered a bit at about the 5 mile point, and one chap who I see at every race --Monson, these, even in Boston? -- overtook me, then slowed down and tried to give me a tow. Very good of him, and I benefited, but I couldn't stay with his pace (I did get to thank him afterwards; I think he's a marathoner or triathlete, young, shaven head, short but stocky and very well built; must find out his name). Well, I ended up with a medium time, though it felt like a high pace:

Distance: 10K = 6.214 miles
Speed: 9.01 mph
Time: 41:21

Comment: I know I can break 41 minutes; my best time last year was 41 dead. I think this year I'm a bit short on weekly distance. After the run Carlos R and the second placing woman runner were heading off for a warm-down and she said she was "only" running about 45 miles per week, to which Carlos responded that he did about 90 miles (where do you get the time?? -- well, at his running speed, it takes him much less time, I guess). So I'm thinking I've got to raise my sights back up to about 25, in 3-4 runs each week. I should be able to do it, and in fact the week ending today I managed exactly 25. Yosh!

two laps

On a very mild evening yesterday - Jan. 19th - a chance to do the 2.2 mile campus lap a couple of times. Met with Mark at 6 p.m. and we talked and ran for just over 2 laps. Had a chance to show him the Garmin, which revealed that the two miles are slightly different: going clockwise from Haigis, the first mile includes a little uphill, and the second a little (more) down; pace differed accordingly.

Distance: 4.46 miles
Speed: 7.46 mph
Time: 35:52

Comment: more than a mile longer than yesterday, but it felt afterwards like a stroll; no strain, no tired. That's the difference pace makes, I guess.

short and (fairly) swift

Made it out last night for the short run I had planned--unfortunately pretty late in the day (read: evening, about 9:45) and since I pushed it some I ended up feeling very tired this morning. But I'll be getting out for a slower mid-range run tonight with Mark, which should set me up nicely for the weekend.

Distance: 3.11 miles
Speed: 8.33 mph
Time: 22:24

Comment: working on stride length, or at least thinking about it. Not sure if it'll make any difference, but I need to work on stretching anyway, and maybe it'll have some output in speed. For solo running with cold weather training gear on, the time is pretty satisfying. And it didn't even rain/sleet/snow!

finally a long one

Relatively. My distance running has been awol since that last half-marathon. Well, back to winding things up again: though it was too cold yesterday, and I was tired and busy (couch hunting), today -- thanks to the MLK holiday -- I had time to get out midday. It was cold, but by 2 p.m. the sun had gotten the temp up to 25 F (with wind chill making it about 15 F, but I was planning to stay mainly in the woods), and I was off. Rail trail and the waterline off-shoot to bring me on to 181, then up to the UMass agri. station and on Sabin out to 9 and home via the town common. The trails were heavy going because of slippery snow and ice; the roads too in places; plenty of moderate hills, and a brisk wind. Ran for the first time EVER with a balaclava down: it was especially cold at the end into the wind on the main roads.

Distance: 11.23 miles
Speed: 7.48 mph
Time: 1:30:07

Comments: well, sore, and I'll take a rest day tomorrow (i.e. today, 17th, after I've been to bed), but this should lead to getting back to a 13-15 miler every week or so.

a rainy 5K

Well, it didn't rain too hard during the run itself, but I got throughly soaked in a brief warmup jog. The "Snowstorm Classic" today was nicely attended, and I got another personal best, 20:16, according to CoolRunning.

Distance: 5K (3.1 miles)
Speed: 9.19 mph
Time: 20:16

Comments: Now looking for ways to break twenty, I guess. Start a bit faster, risk a bit more push in the middle, anything else? I had enough for a fast hundred yards or so at the end, and didn't retch -- so there's more available.
I sorely feel the contrasting need to get back to distance, however: I've got time marked out tomorrow, though it's going to be very cold. And it would be good to be off roads -- oh, for a nice field run...

this morning's run

Wanting to stretch once more before the Saturday run, and feeling like taking a day off yesterday, I had to go out this morning, though my body was not too happy about it. Meh. Got out just after 10:00 on an amazingly balmy day, birds singing, dry roads (mainly). Looped the Hamilton - Rt 9 course, my equivalent of a Coalmine (I wonder now how long that run was - must ask Tim).

Distance: 3.49 miles
Speed: 8.04 mph
Time: 26m 01s

Pleasant enough in the end

Yo-osh! Run #1

For this blog anyway. So, here's Wednesday's run (in the rain, etc. - see wakanomori: 散髪):

Distance: 6.09 miles (yeah, too much detail, but that's the GPS device talking)
Speed: 7.89 mph
Time: 46:16.

Comment: It was a pleasant (well, soggy, too) coming back into movement after a weekend with cold symptoms.

just testing (using Dashblog)

so this is how I want to post..from a widget, just right - if it works

To your marks

This is just to inaugurate this training and general exercisey outdooring blog, aimed to take some of the duller stuff off my LJ (thanx to SLP for the idea!).