misting evening stretch --Fri. October 19

After a v. long week and a long day (with fortunately a ten minute nap included) out at 10 p.m. to stretch legs -- running for mileage not speed. Very warm, and misting with rain the whole (fortunately dodged the proper rain); running in shorts and two very thin Ts (plus reflective vest, which embarrassingly I forgot on Tue.). Headed out on GeoHannum all the way to Stebbins, then left to 202; left on 202 to Boardman, thence home. Lovely feeling, even in my older shoes (keeping the newer ones dry and ready for Sunday). Stopped short of home after hitting target distance, then jogged some more, uphill but slowly.

Time: 52:48
Distance: 7.59 miles
Speed: 8.6 mph

Comments: Much as I'd like to have done more hill work, at this point just getting out is the main thing. At least that makes three runs in a week.

short and stitched --Tue. October

Feeling congested from a cold, but I figured I'd try and squeeze in a run. It was late, and I didn't warm up enough (psychologically or physically), but I figured just running would get me feeling better. Started vigorously, down GeoHannum to Jackson, then right to go across to 202 and up to the common; left, once round three sides ofthe common and left again on down Jabish; the downhill seemed to go on for ages, and then left on 9 and head towards home. Then a stitch comes on sharply, and so slow down, but in the end stop well short after hoblling on to reach 4 miles:

Time: 28:10
Distance: 4.05 miles
Speed: 8.6 mph

Comment: I seem to be in the middle of a mild cold that's messing with digestion and breathing. Ouf. Just have to wait and see if it's getting better or worse.

Enfield 350 -- Sun. October 14

by which I mean a lesser version but still a good run. After dark, naturally these days, on a somewhat cold but part-clouded fall evening, wearing longs and my orange fleece and a woolly hat , I headed off down to Hamilton, thinking I needed to get some miles but also not to use my energy reserves (with Monday ahead). Down Bay to Allen, then up and over doing the full hill series (thinking of Sunday coming and Peaked Mountain), and then on Enfield head back to the Quabbin gate, before turning 180 and going all the way down to 9; from there straight home, stopping at the old Sports Shed with a neat seven miles logged. Not too hard a push at any stage, except perhaps when keeping the pace on doing the hills.

Time: 49:51
Distance: 7.01
Speed: 8.4 mph

Comment: the range was a nice 6:49~7:34; I'm especially happy with the second figure, but I'll need to get more hills in before Sunday somehow, I think.

Training run & Hatfield delicious 5K -- Sat. October 13

Ivan found this run, and since I went another whole week without getting out, it's a good thing. I made sure to get in a warm-up run, using teh internets to plot a course measuring about 3 miles. So, about 8:30 I left and headed to the edge of Hatfield, parking the car by a cemetery. It was a bit chilly (though I was in longs and my orange fleece) and sunny with misty patches still all around. The dirt road (Littel Neponset) was perfect, and I took it easy; eventually it came out on to the main street, and I arrived at the starting point (Elementary School) in good time. Here's the training run

Time: 21:59
Distance: 2.95 miles
Speed: 8 mph

Then at 10:00, having met up with Ivan, we were off for the 5K. A good crowd (106) and a few fast starters; the only people I recognised were a couple of older men (50 y.o. or 60 y.o. categories) and Kelli Lusk (30-39), but I was trailing a good bunch and aiming to stay at least in sight of Kelli. It was a flat course, very nicely scenic with some trail and some road.

The first mile was fast (5:50 for me) but it felt amazingly good. I was resisting the temptation to get ahead of both Kelli and the younger woman who eventually placed top female, and at 1.5 miles I was still at a high pace -- but then I started to feel it a bit. The top woman and I tussled a bit behind Kelli; in the end I think I did her some good, keeping her at a high pace and in striking distance, though she had a tendency to crowd in and obscure my lane. まあ、若いから許してあげるに決まってるけど。

One older guy passed us three and then she took off after him; in mile three Kelli and I were both steady as she pulled ahead. I was running out of steam a bit, but kept place until the final section and was closing on Kelli when a guy came through faster and passed us both. I ended up coming in 9th, with a new PB!

Time: 19:19
Distance: 3.1 miles
Speed: 9.7 mph

Comment: now I have a new target for the 5K -- 18:38, or a 6:00 pace. I really think that with time and some training I can do it. I just need to build up so I can run double my current distance at top pace. This Hatfield race is a perfect course for it. I should add that the after-run eats were the best I've ever enjoyed (home-baked pumpkin bread!). Plus, Ivan and I both took home pumpkin pies as prizes for 3rd in our age groups. And a pumpkin gift to all who entered. Just cool, really.

minor Boston update

Now that the official photos are up (http://www.marathonfoto.com/), I took a look at the dozen or so pics with me. Three or four of them show that finishing tussle I mentioned, and indeed we're right together. It even looks as though he dips earlier than me, but read his number, check the results, and it turns out that the finish clock put me first, and by chip time I'm 7 seconds ahead. Woot! (and he's a young 35, hehehe).

以上

the Boston (new PB!)-- Sun. October 7

This was a crazy run to try and do. I guess I could try spinning my prior three weeks of barely running at all as "tapering" before the event, but that doesn't explain the 3-hour trip to get to the 8 a.m. start. For various reasons I couldn't take Mark up on his offer of lodging, but had to stay home the night before. So my alarm went off at 3:30 a.m., and by 4 a.m. I was on the road, showered to wake me up and having broken my usual pre-race rule by eating a banana, as the run was still hours away. Got to Alewife and parked the car by 6 a.m., then took the T in to Fenway, noticing other runners get aboard too, starting at Harvard Sq. Didn't know the way to Clemente Park, but another runner walked it with me and by 7 a.m. I had my registration pack. Then I got changed and stowed my bag (hoping it wouldn't rain too much, as there was no cover) and headed out to warm up a bit. There was a dire shortage of Portapotties, but I'd arrived early enough for that not to worry me too much. I drank a fair bit of water (to save on early water stops), and felt more or less ready when the wheelchair racers went off at 7:50.

Took my place midway between the 7:00-pace and 8:00-pace markers (figuring to go for 7:15-7:20, realistically), my GPS already set and tracking nicely. It was mild and overcast, pretty good running conditions, all told. At the off I was telling myself to go slowly, though it took till mile three for me to feel in the right place and steady up a bit. Then I started to track people and I found a guy I figured I could run with (or behind) and just went steady after that.

Somewhere after half way his friend (on a bike) called out "Sub-7s, baby!" which while I couldn't quite believe it turned out to be true. At least twice I had to shake myself out of a cluster that was slowing down, and push on ahead a bit. Apart from a weird left thigh cramp in the latter part, it went well until the last two miles, when I was definitely tired. I'd taken two fluid breaks, choosing gatorade instead of water and both times actually stopping; it helped, I think. The last mile I was being passed, and only at the very end did I really fight back. I was about to be passed again just as we entered the last 100 yard straight, so I kicked and he kicked back and we both went hell for leather, crossing in a deadheat. Quite satisfying.

Time: 1:28:47 (official)
Distance: 13.1 miles
Speed: 9.1 mph

Comments: I placed well inside the top 5% of finishers, which is well better than I'd expected. 3599 finished, though closer to 5,000 registered, apparently. I was 28th in my age group, out of several hundred; very encouraging. There were no other hometown runners, though a couple from Amherst. Top 41 runners (approx 1%) paced under 6:00. Chap who I paced myself on, one John Chapin, tall 40 year old club runner who got away in the last mile, did 1:28:28 -- good pace marker, indeed. Can't identify the chap I deadheated with at the line, as there are several with equally close times around me in the official list -- who knows which one he was? Too bad, and one of the disadvantages of chip timing.

All in all a totally satisfying run, because again it leaves me with a goal. I felt in the last mile I didn't have the strength to keep up -- I think 6-8 people passed me, not counting the guy in the final sprint who I fought to the end. But looking at my mile times, what I didn't have was strength to speed up, as they all did, over the last mile--I was travelling at a new overall pace for me at that distance. So next time (but not Monson, I don't think), try to be strong enough to do a similar run but then to pick it up at in the closing mile or two.

full Enfield -- Thu. October 4

Of a mild evening, late but just a good time for me somehow. Dithering between wanting to do at least a 10, if not a 12, to remind myself how it feels, I then got nervous as it's only three days till Boston -- opted for 7-8 with a long Enfield. So, Hamilton, Bay and Allen, then left on Enfield to the Quabbin gate (too dark to go down to the water) and back down to 9, then loop around the dealer there and up on Jabish to the common, then towards home, making sure I clocked a good 8 miles. Here it is:

Time: 58:30
Distance: 8.19 miles
Speed: 8.4 mph

Comment: I was pushing for high average pace, but not racing. It was warm and muggy, which made the whole run quite comfortable despite the late hour on an October evening. Pace varied from 6:30~7:55. Good ironing out run, though left me nervous re the last bit of the 13.1 miles to come. . .

Late evening stretch -- Tue. October 2

Can't believe we're into October. This was a starry night run at 10 p.m., cool but pleasant night and the traces of my cold only slightly getting in the way. Road and _mainly_) flat-ish: GeoHannum all along to Stebbins, then right to Bay, along to Metacomet and along to Federal, then up to 9 and home (no extras on the end, too tired, and classes to teach in the morning). Here's deets:

Time: 53:40
Distance: 7.55 miles
Speed: 8.4 mph

Comments: a recurrence of the numb right leg syndrome, came on at about mile 5 and somehow I was able to run through it and sort of work it out. Hopefully not a trend; I was tired at the end and just sort of faded out once I saw I'd done 7.5. Still, it gets me into the zone a bit for Sunday, I hope . . .

Twilight road run -- Sat. September 29

Just about feeling ready to get back into it, and worrying anyway about the upcoming Boston Half, went out on Sat. evening with just enough light left to do some uphill trail in the early part. GeoHannum to Hamilton, last bit on railtrail, then up Bay to Allen, up to 9 and down to trail entry--slog up there and down the old town road to rejoin Allen, continue up, across 202 and up along to Enfield, then to 9 and home. Good mixed pace and distance:

Time: 59:18
Distance: 8.1 miles
Speed: 8.2 mph

Comment: it's a start, again. Felt quite comfortable, considering how long it's been, and the pace varied from 6:06 to 9:06.

week off with cold

Right, after the Mohunk I came down with a cold--too many all-nighters and not enough training. In fact, I had the cold already then, probably--at the end of the race my throat was burning in a no-running related way. . . But, upshot = another week without running. Grrr.

The Mohunk -- Sun. September 23

Somehow I didn't get out to a single training run in the week; not the best way to prepare for a 10 miler that calls itself a Challenge (and rightly so!). Anyhoo, Saturday afternoon it was off with Mark for the three hour drive to Pfalz Point (actually, to his friends' place in a nearby village -- Stone Ridge?) NY. Lovely hosts, and we were both feeling in good shape on a fantastic sunny and cool day in the hills there. 300+ people, including a batch from West Point--some organization at the start, and I was aiming to avoid the logjam Mark told me about from last year. So I went off at a brisk pace, and kept it up for the first two miles, feeling okay, but then the course went to uphill trails and steep -- I was burned out and needing to recover. It was a TOUGH course, not just distance but terrain and slopes, up and down, both demanding! Lots of good runners to try and stay with too. I was feeling very rough until easy mile 6, then picked up and was recovered by 8, but it went up hill STEEPly again, and I was just wiped. Here's how it ended up:

Time: 1:13:48
Distance: 10 miles
Speed: 8.3 mph

Comments: all in all, at 38th out of 305, I was happy enough with how it ended. It felt a lot tougher, and yet I also felt that--for parts of it at least--I had gone quite fast. I'll find it easier next year, knowing where and when the steep bits are coming. And I need to do some more single trail training: it's just MUCH tougher than road or dirt lanes. For the record, here are the laps, first half and second half:

6:43, 6:58, 9:01 (ouch!), 8:19, 8:18;
5:52 (smooth and downhill), 6:40, 8:20, 6:25, 6:05.