Misty Enfield Road -- Sat. December 29

Too tired to go out this morning for the Snowstorms, and besides, it was raining. Very uninviting. So, a slow start and off to run at about 11, heading for a long unsampled Enfield. In road shoes, and shorts, but it was really pretty mild so I had my coat unzipped and eventually hat and gloves off. No longer raining, but mainly misty; some brief sun, and then in the shade icy patches; a springtime run, really. Road all the way: down to Hamilton, then down to Allen, up to 9, up and over to cross 202 and on to Enfield, then down to the water, looping round at the bottom and back out the gate (vaulting it, but not quite nerve enought to hurdle it clean); down to 9, round the tractor dealer and up to the town common, then down the hill to stop the clock at the Quabbin shops.

Time: 1:06:01
Distance: 9.15 miles
Speed: 8.3 mph

Comments: satisfying to be on the roads again and in shorts -- so different from trails. Took a while to warm up, but felt mainly good. Definitely beginning to feel back into the training mode, aiming to work up to a couple of long ones in January. And some more Snowstorms!!

wet morning miles -- Thu. December 27

Continuing the attempt to get up towards proper training mileage, I took this morning slowly and at about 11 -- weather determined to be unhelpful no matter how long I waited -- headed out into a chilly drizzly rain. It wasn't freezing, and I figured I'd reduce the wet clothes by going in shorts. Hmm. Legs consequently well frozen, though after half an hour or so I was warm enough not to care - the almost complete lack of wind helped. Head straight into trails, in trail shoes, and the going is heavy, even though not deep, exactly. Run along the top trail instead of the railside one to get to Hamilton, then along out onto Bay, and head left all the way along to Metacomet, then along that to link to Federal, go left again and take Grela terrace around the lakes and back up onto the rail trail after the town beach; follow that through Dave A.s and then keep avoiding road all the way out to the baseball field.

Time: 55:06
Distance: 7.14 miles
Speed: 7.8 mph

Comments: that was a heavy run in all sorts of ways, and a good workout. Still felt not up to par, but it all helps. Fastest mile was 7:00, and the slowest was just under 10 (!). Just gotta keep plugging away.

Xmas day stretch -- Tue. December 25th

What better way to work up an appetite for brunch and then a big roast dinner than to get out there onto the snowy trails? And to thank God for putting us here, on the day of gifts and infinite thanks? My way of celebrating, once we'd done the family opening of presents -- an exploratory run in my new trail shoes. The roads are all clear now, though the trails were still pretty deep in snow; quite hard work, in fact, on stretches that hadn't been snowmobiled. Temp. was just above freezing, except in shady hollows, and the milder weather had set a crust on top of the undisturbed snow. I did pretty much the same run I did a few weeks ago, both on foot and by bike: trails from GeoHannum, through Dave A.'s place across Federal, past the town beach and then along to the M&M crossing 9, but instead of Holland Glen follow 9 to the Gulf crossing (past the site of a nasty smash I saw on Xmas eve), down onto Federal and then rail trail back to Cheryl, with Federal and 9 to finish. Good mix of terrain and slopes and solid distance:

Time: 1:11:03
Distance: 8.61 miles
Speed: 7.3 mph

Comments: I knew it would be slow, so target was to better 7 mph. Right leg not numb, but stiff and then sore in calf and knee -- a strained small muscle, I think. And so tired -- the lack of sleep on Xmas night really making itself felt. Still, I'm glad to have gotten out, and it was a real adventure run: the new shoes definitely as grippy and comfortable as I'd hoped, once I got the lacing right.

2nd Snowstorm 10K -- Sat. December 22

A solstice run, and though I was not sure till I left at 8:40 or so that I'd really do it, I'm glad I did. The fast crew were there this time, over a hundred runners in all, and the ground was really awful for running on -- which of course made it plenty of quite sociable fun! Took it slowishly at the start, aiming as last time to mark Steve O'Neil. Silly stuff in the second mile as Joe Fois had fun sliding on the ice and we all had to keep going from full stride to "little steps, little steps!!" to avoid going down. Got used to it, and tried to keep up in the third mile, but my targets were really full of beans. That was a 5:43, which took it out of me, and I lost a few more places as we went through the second half -- though I had fun regaining a place briefly by vaulting a gate instead of going under it. At about mile 4 numb leg syndrome: not fun, and on one corner I nearly fell as the numb leg wobbled. But it faded a bit as I slowed down and tried to run through it. Couldn't catch Steve O or the guy right ahead of me despite a push near the end -- in fact nearly got caught by one more guy, right at the end, and only a final push plus a (generous?) fade from him gave me 15th instead of 16th. Here's the official data, plus *what my digivice said about the distance:

Time: 42:45
Distance: 6.2 miles *6.65 miles
Speed: 9.3 mph

Comment: the extra distance can be explained in part by the wiggling route as I tried to aoid the icy patches mainly, and that we ran on the road not the sidewalk on the back stretch outside the park. But all in all a good run, considering my iffy condition. Ran in shorts, but the rest winterised (hat, gloves, longsleeved fleece).

snowlit solo 10K -- Thu. December 20

After the penultimate day of finals week, the semester nearly done except for the marking, I figured I could risk an evening run even if it meant a lie-in to follow. So into the snowlight, again wrapped up against the chill and taking the trails as much as possible: this time they were snowmobiled, which made it a good bit easier, though I wasn't out for speed. Followed the same route as before, pretty much, just for safety's sake -- road only on the last bit down from town center, and that's pretty well lit. Slightly longer run, probably because I stopped the clock closer to home, thus:

Time: 47:27
Distance: 6.16 miles
Speed: 7.8 mph

Comment: I guess this is stil jsut a maintenance run, and I'm yet to enter proper winter training. But it sets me up fine for Saturday's 10K. . .

first bigsnow run -- Thu. December 13

Aiming just to get some miles in, and a run before the Sat. snowstorm 5K, so off into the trails. It was an official snow day, and snow was still coming, which was nice -- but no snowmobiles had gone through, so it was extremely heavy going. Ended up tripping twice, falling flat once -- decided to stick with mainly ploughed bits, so took a meandering route through the schools. It was pretty cold too, and I was in a full set of gear, with ice in beard by the time I got back. Run included the hill up into town as I went through SRS, CHCS, BHS, and then JBMS -- all the while being careful not to get run over by a snowplough or slip on the downhill icy sections.

Time: 47:52
Distance: 5.72 miles
Speed: 7.2 mph

Comment: this was a tough run, on snow about 8-12 inches in places. Wet feet too, of course. Overall I think it really took it out of me, and I ended up missing the Sat. 15th Snowstorm (though exhaustion from the last week of classes contributed there too). Winter running is just really different.

X-training - Sun. December 9

Decided to stretch on the bike again, but going the other way on the rail trail. Very chilly: legs were numb below the knee, pretty much, when I got home. But not snowing, and no real wind (esp. on the trails). Headed down GeoHannum and into the trail; along as far as the Checkers section, then realise that digivice is not working. Stop and fix that (so need to add about 1.5 miles to total for the day) and stretch a bit. Then on again, all the way to 181, then across and more, over bits where the sleepers are still down (bumpy!!) and out on to Shea, back to 181 and down to the riverside trail just short of Palmer (where Mark and I have run). Along that trail to Cold Spring, then back up, past the Orchards, dive down to 181 again and up to the Jabish Canal entrance and use that trail to get back to NoWash and then up to town center and home.

BIKE total time of 1:16:50:55, for 15.81 (recorded) miles @ 12.3 mph.

Comment: worked hard at times to keep the average at 12 mph -- it seemed pretty hard to be above running pace on some bits (though there were a few 20 mph dashes in there too).

n.b. this course, if run, would make great marathon training!!!

First Snowstorm 10k -- Sat. December 8

Again after a busy week and no training, but what the heck -- have to start somewhere. So up at a good hour and drive in on a cold, freshly snow-dusted morning to reach Forest Park at about 9:30. Do a modicum of warmup running: slippery under the snow, and not too cold, so with hat and gloves but also shorts, head to the start. Nice turn-out, though none I know personally. Aiming to go gently for first 1-2 miles, and so we go. Make steady start, hold off for about 1.5 miles, then decide to pass chap in front and stay marked on the guy who's run 200 of these (aged 56, but no way I'm actually catching him, it turns out. Make a push near the end, but he does the same, and then we're joined by a much faster guy who'd gotten lost and rejoined the route (not the only one, it becomes clear at the end). No real sprint, but feeling pretty good after the finish:

Time: 41:51
Distance: 10k (6.34 miles on digivice)
Speed: 9.1 mph

Comment: very happy about the speed and 5th of 68 entrants is a high place, albeit in a somewhat depleted Snowstorm field. Nice way to get the season started, though, and I've got a target for the next 10k now.

X-training -- Sun. December 2

Maybe even a bit colder than yesterday, and still feeling a bit washed out, so decide to ride the same route (more or less). Have to replace the rear inner tube, which ruptures at the valve stem as I try to pump it up, but then head out in light sleety snow for the trails. Heavy going, but great gentle-on-the-knees exercise!

BIKE total time of 54:55, for 8.83 miles @ 9.6 mph.

First freezing run -- Sat. December 1

After a work week of long days I couldn't drag myself out into the howling wind for the first Snowstorm run, alas; I'll aim for next week's instead. But after a bit of a lie-in I wrapped up warmly and headed out for a trail run, using the bare trees and trail banks for shelter. It was probably at or just below freezing in the middle of the day, and the sun was nice, but the wind was constant and knifing. I took to the trails right of GeoHannum, followed the rail line route all the way to the M&M intersection, then took that out to exit onto 9, but instead of Holland Glen I followed 9 along to Gulf, then back on Federal and the last bit of rail trail, exiting on Cheryl and then roads all the way home from there.

Time: 1:03:10
Distance: 8.11 miles
Speed: 7.7 mph

Comment: somewhat heavy going in places, after a week off, but a good workout.