Rainy night run -- Tue. July 22

Planned to run home from work, but a thunderstorm came in so after a bit of a wait I gave up and headed home to run there. Changed and out by about 8:45, mid-twilight and light rain. Headed off to along GeoHannum, Boardman and Eskett, then across 202 and up Barton, taking the linkroad (OakRidge) to Summit and back down that way and home via Eskett etc. Thought it would be about 6, but turned out to be 10! It was a lovely cooler if still muggy night, darkest on the way down, where I knew the road but couldn't see it -- on the way up and across to Summit I could see the road okay, I just wasn't sure I was going the right way, so I was not running too hard. Rain was light enough so I didn't end up weighted down; quite pleasant really. Aiming for stamina, and made it at the low end of that pace:

Time: 1:14:39
Distance: 10.18 miles
Speed: 8.2 mph

Comments: Happy with the pace, given the distance. Felt very comfortable going up the hill, and even as far as crossing 202 on the way back, but then started to get a bit automatic and lacking in spring. Still, a good run, arriving home at 10 p.m. with stars coming out as the clouds cleared a bit.

N. B. that hill via Barton is much higher than going up Summit. The latter goes through a pass, peaking at about 575 feet, but going up Barton takes you almost to 800 feet! Must remember for future runs. . .

SRRC medium -- Sun. July 20

Early start for lectoring, so well awake and arrive at DnD in good time on a hot, v. muggy but rather overcast morning. Four Swifties there -- Dawn and (the one who does the Wilbraham Peach race), plus Rob and Taylor. As we head out Ken arrives, so split into two groups, with Ken and Taylor joining me for a slightly longer run. Under 202 to Jackson, then along down to Hamilton, to Allen and up to 9 then back towards town, going up 202 as far as Jackson, then completing the loop back to our start. Aiming at 8s, er Taylor's request, and with a couple under and a couple over, we averaged about right, thus:

Time: 48:34
Distance: 6 miles
Speed: 7.4 mph

Comment: very pleasant group run, long enough to get properly warmed through, and gentle enough to leave me feeling good.

Rensselaer shortie -- Sat. July 19

On campus for ninja girl's orientation, so a morning run after an early night. Out on a cool and muggy day a 5:30, ran around campus edge and down to the river throught the town, along the river a bit and then double back through town (just waking, but low on people -- strange place, for sure) and to the next bridge upstream -- cross that one to get a river view and see the tower bridge mechanism, then back and up the hill into campus and back to the dorm.

Time: 34:49
Distance: 4.33 miles
Speed: 7.5 mph

Comment: first run in days, though I biked a bit on Wed/Thu. Felt very loose and comfortable at first, but taking it very slowly too. Not sure if I'm even at tickover level, but hope so.

Evening Enfield -- Tue. July 15

After a day off, felt quite good about the thought of an evening run, so headed out on a standard Enfield. GeoHannum, Hamilton, Allen to and across 9 and 202, then at Enfield headed left to the water. Lovely evening there, and I did the little loop on the shore and headed back up to the road; followed all the way down to 9, looped round the old Jeep dealership and then straight along 9 home. Felt really good in last mile or two, after a very gentle start (running through ankle and achilles pains, both of which were gone at 5 miles). Not fast, but I wasn't pushing, more going with the flow. Stopped clock at Quabbin Shop.

Time: 1:03:37
Distance: 8.52 miles
Speed: 8 mph

Comment: a run like old times. Felt quite peppy afterwards, which is cheering for an 8 miler.

Cannonball Run -- Sun. July 13

After a quiet Saturday, Sunday morning was the B'town History Days event, a 5K that I've not entered before. Quite a share of hills (mild and long) in the loop course, and I was not feeling brill, so I'd have been happy with a low 20s time. Muggy and getting hot, but a pleasant breeze. Family event, so F and R watched as people arrived, the girls waited to help out, and A was going to join us at about start time. We arrived 8:15 ish, I registered, and then after a bit of chatting I headed off for a mile and a half of warm up. Started on time, and we set off (maybe 70 people, including Mr and Mrs Nedeau, and a good range of Swifties -- Andy and Jason had been marking the course with Swifty greetings earlier and were cheerleading!!) with a loop around the common and then off down Jabish hill. Started in the top 10 or so, and Jason called out I was 6th. Fast first mile (5:47) and the guy I was tracking was pulling away -- but he remained a good if distant target. Then the second mile on 9 I pushed a bit, and started to close on the guy ahead. Up the hill into town I got closer, passing him just before MacArthy's , though still far behind the target guy. Round the common one more time and finished under 20, in 5th.

Time: 19:50
Distance: 3.1 miles
Speed: 9.37

Comment: quite a satisfying run, though not top form. Good to get the quicker time in, it's been a while, and this was not the fastest course. I then added to the 1.5 miles warmup run with a run home, interrupted by stopping at TWO mulberry trees to snack on the juicy sweet fruit. Nice.

and home again -- Fri. July 11

Of course, I had to get home again, so took the trailer again, and found the uphills pretty tough. Doable -- I was down to third gear in the middle range as I cam up the last bit of the hill behind Tilton's, and man was it muggy sweaty! But again I wasn't going flat out, thinking of doing it not for an hour but for 9 hours on the trip. . . Anyhoo, here's how it turned out:

11.46 miles in 53:50 at average of 12.8 mph

Short Four (and a bike ride) -- Fri. July 11

Still not feeling brilliant, but a beautifully cool morning so I headed out for a short one. Ended up doing a sort of preview of the Cannonball run: out to 9, right to 202 and up in to town, all the way to the lights, then down the hill as far as church; do a loop around to the end of the meditation path and back up, then continue on the 5K route, down Jabish and back along 9. Stop clock at GeoHannum entrance:

Time: 30:03
Distance: 4.29 miles
Speed: 8.6 mph

Comment: very muggy, and took a long time to cool down. Still pretty tired feeling.
Then when I went out I found my car had a tyre problem so I ended up biking in to work. Hitched up the trailer so I could take my lappy etc. as well. The towed weight was a bit of a shock at first, but I got used to it, and made a good pace -- not working hard, just going steady.

11.1 miles @13.1 mph in 51:01

Bike to work -- Thu. July 10

Took my mountain bike in to work this a.m. as car etc. was still there from last night. A nice stretch on a beautifully dry and breezy day (not cool -- 80s, but nice). Slightly longer route:

Covered 11.47 miles @ 15.5 mph in 44:25

Definitely useful.

Home run -- Wed. July 9

One of the muggiest, most airless days of the summer so far, though in my cooled office it was all quite bearable. I needed to run, and at day's end felt more or less ready to do a long one, so left everything in the office and ran home. Rail trail and then along to Orchard, federal and 9. I'd forgotten to put bug-spray on, so it was a bit dire near the end of the trail, but then it wasn't so bad, and I could even take off my short once I reached Federal. F called me as I was climbing up behind Tilton's; I missed the call but called back to say I was nearly home, even while running. Must have sounded weird; it was getting twilightish, so the light from the phone was unnaturally bright. Handy as I didn't have a flashlight. . . During the run I noticed that my calves were pretty tight (especially the right), probably because I've been doing more biking than running of late. But a good workout:

Time: 1:23:29
Distance: 11.17 miles
Speed: 8.0

Comment: I kept the pace very mild at first, though at one hour I'd covered 8.3 miles--technically stamina not endurance pace for me. But I slowed down with the hills after that. Still, I was very sore afterwards, as if I'd not run in a week or more. I guess I should keep it to max. two days off running, even if the distance is short. I can still get two more runs in this week, I think.

Bike ride -- Mon. July 7

Decided to give the patched up Motobecane a try, so lowered the saddle and headed out on a muggy evening. Took 9 along to the middle Quabbin entrance and then up to the observation tower, pushing pretty hard most of the way. Stopped clock and climbed tower, then reset and headed back, going over the dam and back to 9 that way. Also pushing, and a shorter, more downhill route. Top single mile was 2:22, 27+ mph, pretty good feeling. Here are the two ride totals:

8.05 miles in 32:44 @ 14.7 mph
6.67 miles in 20:14 @ 19.8 mph

Average the two-way/round trip and it comes to:

14.72 miles in 52:58 @ 16.67 mph

Pretty satisfying, with several sub-3:00 miles, i.e. over 20 mph. Gearing limited top speed a bit, probably hit 35 downhill, but with another gear it could easily have been 40. It's a light and trim machine, steady and easy to ride, even without being set up for me. Of course, the parts are all worn, the chain is crap, and the rear wheel bearings are loose and crunky -- but it still goes nicely. . .

SRRC Eight -- Sun. July 6

Another early start, and not feeling brill so a quick nap and off to DnD by car just for 10 a.m. Good crew there this week: Dawn and Lisa, Savanna and Taylor, and her dad. All set off together on trail, then at Spfld Rd I take a right and they all go on. Sunny hot and plenty muggy; mid 80s, probably. Run out to 21, then down to the canal and back along there to NWashington; after battling bugs on the trail decide to take road instead of railtrail back, and go as far as JBSchool, then do a lap of its athletics field to add mileage, and head back down to rejoin trail for last bit. Catch up and loop around the young 'uns, and we all end up back at the start together. Perfect!

Time: 59:35
Distance: 8.09 miles
Speed: 8.1 mph

Comment: very slow first mile (9 min. plus), but nice to be in company. Then do several sub 7s, a bit slower on the canal trail, as usual, and a faster last mile. Quite satisfying how comfortable it felt at the end, though hot is hot, for sure. Still the sore foot thing going on.

Rainy ten -- Sat. July 5

Last chance to add some miles in a sort of recovery week. Woke feeling okay, and took my time to get started, partly as it was raining. No sign of a let-up, so at about 9:15 headed off thinking of 8 plus. Sprinkling, not too bad for the first few miles, then as I hit Stebbins it started to pour. Oh well. Got wet. After that it let up a bit as I turned onto Bay, and then mainly died down as I came off Metacomet. Up Federal, and decided to add the Allen hills, so ended up on 202 and still needing distance looped through MacD carpark, then back into GeoHannum and finally added the Greenwich hill loop, etc. to make sure I hit 10 miles. Almost dried off (except feet) by then, and feeling quite good (except for the bruised foot syndrome from the sciatica thing). Details:

Time: 1:12:47
Distance: 10.07 miles
Speed: 8.3 mph

Comments: refreshing, and nice to get double digits (just); exactly on my stamina pace too. やっぱり this has been a weird week, but I hope I can get back to higher miles next week. I probably need to space out my long runs to 10 days or even 14 day intervals at my current rest and recovery rate. . .

Solo Fiver -- Fri. July 4

Gloomy morning, muggy and not too cool (gets up to 80+ deg. later), and a sort of half-hearted early start: still not feeling very well, though being less tired yesterday p.m. I thought I might get a longer run in today. Ah well. Minor cold symptoms, and perhaps general tiredness from the big run eight days ago. Ouf. But at about 8:15 made it off into the intermittent drizzle and looked for a 4-5 mile run: to 9, then VFW, then double back 202 and on to 9 again, and along all the way to Bay, then down to Allen and back up to 9, then back to Bay and down to Hamilton: all in all, a sort of backwards extended Hamilton 5K. The two mini-loops almost got me to 5 miles, and then at the end I did the Greenwich hill loop to get just over 5.

Time: 38:47
Distance: 5.22 miles
Speed: 8.1 mph

Comment: after the first stiff mile, I started to feel really good, but didn't watch pace -- aimed at slow and comfortable. Surprised it was over 8 mph in the end. Still, definitely a maintenance run (if not part of a sort of extended recovery). I'll get my four runs in, but half the distance of last week; maybe an 8 miler tomorrow?

Solo Hamilton extended -- Wed. July 2

Didn't make the NoHo run yesterday, as I've been feeling pretty washed out the first couple of days this week --probably from biking, and the hotter, muggier weather, and the high mileage last week and the week before. . . Still, after this morning's ride I felt like a bit of a run, so went out at 10 (already good and hot) for a short one. Did a Hamilton 5K, but instead of going back along 9, crossed from Allen to Allen and on over to 202, then down to VFW and home that way. Stopped clock once I'd hit 4 miles:

Time: 28:41
Distance: 4.11 miles
Speed: 8.6 mph

Comment: Still planning to do a longer run tomorrow, at a slower pace, and much earlier, for coolth.

SRR no C -- Sun. June 29

Made it to D&D by car just at 10 a.m. after lectoring and then being a bit slow getting ready. *Very* muggy and hot sun. But: nobody else there! I waited tilll ten past, then went out alone, with the "reserved" sign looking a bit funny on a tiny two seat table. Feeling a bit trained out, and low on go, but managed a sort of Enfield: up into town, down Jabish, up Enfield all the way to the gate, then back around and to Allen, only as far as 202, down to VFW and through to geoH and stop by at home to refill water (did I say it was HOT!) and then trail to state school and back to start.

Time: 1:10:43
Distance: 9.52 miles
Speed: 8.1 mph

Comment: happy with the miles, but tired too, and probably overdid it a bit -- feeling tired and dehydrated in the evening. Maybe the hot weather will stay now: the hardest thing is constantly adjusting.

Early Stebbins -- Sat. June 28

Busy during the day, so out early on a road run -- good, because it was already getting hot and v. muggy. GeoHannum to Stebbins, then along to Bay, up to Metacomet and then Federal to 9 and home, with a VFW loop to get the 8 miles:

Time: 58:16
Distance: 8.1 miles
Speed: 8.2 mph

Comment: feeling pretty good, so I worked the mild hills that there were. Just managed a stamina pace, so happy enough.