Oops, LONG run - Tuesday May 29

An evening run up Gulf Hill was not the eight miles or so I'd planned. I thought it might be a bit more like nine, but it turned out to be 12! I'm definitely not in that sort of shape, and my right knee was being particularly awkward after about eight miles, but it IS a great route, and I'll do it again in a few weeks when I need a 12 mile run. It's mainly road, unfortunately, but it has the best hill and some very nice views. Start on Rt 9 along to Federal, down to join the old rail trail along between the lakes, then back out on to Federal and up to cross 9 on to Gulf; then up hill all the way (slow going in parts). Right at Packardville all the way along to the big pond, then down beside it and Munsell to 202, then chug down that long gentle hill to the VFW and home. I stopped the clock at 10 miles first:

Time: 1:21:01
Speed: 7.4 mph
Distance: 10.03 miles

Then because I couldn't face walking all the way home I started running again, ending up stopping it for good once I reached 9 again.

Time: 14:47
Speed: 1.75
Distance: 7.1 mph

Comment: very sore in parts while running, especially after 9 miles. It's going to be a long summer getting ready . . .

Quick solo 5K+ -- May 25

At home, Friday evening after a long week. No time for an extensive run, so a short one, road only. I pushed a bit, not too hard, as far as 5K, which came up in 22 minutes, then jogged around a little loop to cool off before stopping the clock at the supermarket. Hot evening, and muggy -- time for summer mode again!

Time: 27:48
Speed: 8.3 mph
Distance: 3.86 miles

Comment: not sure on the use of a run like this, except to remind me of bits I've not been using in my very dodgy ankles. Must get back into bike x-training.

summer running

Still no time really to get to regular running, though a gentle trip through Amethyst brook on Sunday evening w/ Mark was most pleasant.

TIme: 45:33
Speed: 5.3 mph
Distance: 4.1 miles

Driving in today I'm figuring out an idealised schedule for upping mileage and aiming towards a 26 miler before the end of the year. Weekly totals going from start point of 25 (which I can do even now, and will do next week) up through a few 35s over the weeks after (to accommodate my UK trip), and then up to a cycle of alternating weeks of 42 and 44, as shown below:

Sun - 6 - Mon - 0 - Tue - 10 - Wed - 0 - Thu - 12 - Fri - 0 - Sat -14 = 42

Sun - 0 - Mon - 8 - Tue - 0 - Wed - 16 - Thu - 0 - Fri - 20 - Sat - 0 = 44

Not sure if it'll work, but I want to set a target.

part time runner

is how it feels right now. This spring has to have been one of the worst (barring times I've been injured) in terms of running frequency. On average I suspect it'll barely come out to more than once a week : - (

But, just for the record, I got out once since last weekend, on a cool evening starting as it got dark, around 8:15. Took GeoHannum to the trail entry, followed the rail trail (mainly flat and straight) all the way down to NoWash. St. and then back up into town, across the common and run as far as S & S -- a very tidy 10K as it turns out. I was wearing long training pants and full warm top, aiming to run gently and warm up as I ran.

So all in all a slow time, but I felt surprisingly fresh at the end. _Dead_ tired the following morning, however. Here's the details:

Time: 48:53
Speed: 7.7 mph
Distance: 6.28 miles

Comment: fair enough, I'm just ticking over. The numb leg thing seems to have gone for a bit, leaving in its stead some nerve soreness, and the knee is no better, but: nearly at the point when I can get time to run more regularly, and maybe biking to to help the knee.