Trail shortie -- Sat. April 25

Out before a brunch date with F and Mark, just a loosening up run before the Rafters race tomorrow. Very hot (hit 90° by 5 p.m.!) but fine enough at 9:30 a.m. and I carried water. Hamilton to Allen, up to trail entry and follow trail through to meet Holland glen, where I met up with F and M and took a wade in the icy pool -- excellent! Then walked back to car and off to brunch.

Time: 41:17
Distance: 4.84 miles
Pace/Speed: 8:32s/ 7.03 mph

Comments maybe just made it to 30 miles this week, so back on the wagon I hope. Some haemorrhoid trouble later, and a sore achilles tendon on right foot, but generally not bad.

Campus laps -- Thu. April 23

St. George's day, and a beautiful one too -- in classes, etc., all day, and a lecture in the evening, but done by 7 and out by 8 p.m. Aiming for 3 or 4 laps: start in fading light and lots of pedestrian traffic (big event at Mullins Center) but then it thins out. Do first two laps at a steady pace, trying to hold back (averaging 7:20 or so), then on the third lap, the second part of mile 5 and all of mile 6 and 7, pick it up a bit, aiming for sub 7:00s. Manage 6:58, 6:42, and 6:36, without going too hard at it -- notice a bit of numb leg coming on by mile 7. Then back off for the final lap, which I cut short on reaching 8.5, and jog back to complete this:

Time: 1:01:32
Distance: 8.6 miles
Pace/Speed: 7:09s/ 8.39 mph

Comment: this felt pretty good, and I did a bit of a cool down jogging to the car afterwards, but somehow the next day I felt really sore. Perhaps from wearing my older shoes, or the all-road route? Still, good training miles.

Holiday run -- Mon. April 20

With no classes today cos of Patriots Day, I figured I had to go out--perfect weather, too. Feeling a bit sore, especially with the back problem, but feels much better once I'm moving. Head down GeoHannum, then take the trail up over to Wallace Pond, looping round trying to find a different way out of the woods, but no joy so after two failed attempts take the usual exit by the courthouse. Then head down 202 all the way to Eskett: take a right and follow to Boardman, then back to Rural and along there to GeoHannum and home from there. Not aiming for speed, but hit distance goal nicely:

Time: 58:33
Distance: 8.07 miles
Pace/Speed: 7:16s/ 8.27 mph

Comment: on Rural, a woman in her garden called out, "You should be in Boston!" So I called back, "Next year -- that's the plan, anyway." We'll see.

P.S. Andy and Bill both got sub-3 hour times at the Boston; really good race, it seems. Hooray! Go Swifties!

SRRC group run -- Sun. April 19

Good gathering: Dawn, Jim F., Rob, Taylor, Savanna, Nick and John -- and Bill, having already done his 4 miles and just there to say hello. We all started together through the high school, then Dawn and Rob took a left and we six others all went right, heading for 21; lovely sunny day, cool but pleasant, and a nice gentle but not slow pace (John and Nick leading). Left at 21, then at the canal, left again, and they pick up the pace a bit, so we become two groups. Bit of a dash for the barrier at the end, and then wait for the other three to catch up. Jim leads them back along the railtrail, and the two boys and I go further on the canal to 181 (again wait for Nick this time), then up 181 to town. Push it up the hill, leaving John trailing a bit (Nick way back); that's the hard work for the day. Then along common to Jackson, down to Howard, and back--again pick up pace as we near goal, covering the last bit (John and me) at a sub-6:00 pace (!!). Jog back to check Nick in, too. Goal was double digits -- didn't quite do it:

Time: 1:16:07
Distance: 9.96 miles
Pace/Speed: 7:39s/ 7.85 mph

Comment: feeling not bad, considering yesterday, but about a mile in somehow my back (mid-upper) seizes and spasms. Very sore as soon as I stop, and remains so. Probably the result of a race on too little regular running. Must remedy that. Still, a good run, with all the speed in the second half.

Cave Hill Classic - Sat. April 18

This is way earlier than it was last year, but couldn't miss it (so I missed the Push 5K, as it was today too). Got there pretty late, on a gorgeous warm spring morning, registered and headed out for a stretch -- saw Ivan, and after a mile and a half loop got back to chat. Seemed like a smaller field today: decided to take the downhill start very steadily, and when we set off after the usual prayer (no conch this year, just a drum), stuck to it, with Ivan alongside. Once we hit the flat, with a large pack ahead, and the leaders off in front of them, started to move up a bit, still cautiously. Five miles isn't long, but that ending (1.5 miles up hill all the way) is a killer. Two mile mark came up in just over 13 minutes -- I had no signal for the GPS, probably because of the clouds as well as the location, so was using it as a stopwatch. Mile three is uphill and downhill, and it took another seven minutes, then it's flat for half a mile before we hit the climb. Mile four took more like seven and a half, and the hill was hitting me. Noone had closed on me, and I wasn't making much progress catching the guy ahead--he had 30 seconds on me, and I don't know if I closed much by the end (no results posted yet). The hill was even tougher than I remembered, probably because I had no duel to distract me and I've not been getting out these past two weeks. Ouf. I felt miserable on the last bit of the climb, but after the end, I was fine. Ivan came in soon after, and then (there being no BBQ this year), we headed off. He had work to do, but I wanted to run some more, so went down for another 2.6 on a dirt road (left at Hemenway instead of right).
Here's the results from my GPS timer:

Time: 35:51
Distance: 5 miles
Pace/Speed: 7:10s/ 8.36 mph

Comments: it sure felt like hard work at the end, but I don't think I faded too badly. It may even be a tad faster than last year (35:57), but I'll wait for the official results on that.

SRRC outing -- Sun. April 12

Easter Sunday, in fact -- and Andy had gotten the Sentinel reporter to come along and get the story. Fortunately a decent bunch turned up: Andy, Amy, Bill, Jon, Nick, Ken, me and (long time no see!) Jim (the one who's my age). Jay showed up dressed not for running, just to show support. It was sunny but there was a very chilly wind. Wore hat and gloves, and orange top, w/ shorts. Aiming for 10, I joined the bigger group (Jim and the high schoolers did 5-6); we parted at GeoHannum, us going along Hamilton and up Allen -- pushing a bit on the hills, but waiting at the top, short of going for a Brandywine; instead, we went into Brandywine and round to Spring Hill, a steep climb to a brilliant view -- again, I pushed to keep close to the two marathoners; hard work. Then down again and back to Allen, where I caught a bump in the road w/ my toe and staggered, *so* close to sprawling hard. Went down on hands but not knees eventually--lucky escape, though it did yank my back and pound my wrists. Then the usual route back, loping down Enfield and then pushing hard up Jabish (again, felt pretty good, though it was a tough workout). Last loop around the high school Bill and Andy picked up the pace, and I more or less stayed with them. Totals:

Time: 1:24:29
Distance: 11 miles
Pace/Speed: 7:41s/ 7.81 mph

Comment: the last whole mile was at 6:33, and the final .57 was at 6:14. So, a good progression run. Those guys are all set for the Boston Marathon in a week -- I think they're going to get PBs for sure. After a week with no running at all, I was a bit down, but this run helped. Just need to carry that forward into the week.

Ron Hebert Race -- Sun. April 5

This was a new one on me, and a great discovery by Ivan. Turns out it's the same day as the Oleksak 5K and Half, and lots of folks were there--so the turnout here was slim, 50 people or so. Held in Florence and billed as an 8-mile Road Race (even the genre is novel), it's evidently been going for *decades.*

Start was set for 1:30 p.m., so invited F and R to come along and hang out in Look Park. Arrived there just before 1:00 on a _gorgeous_ day, really, and left car in the Park. Jogged over to the school where the start, etc., was -- registered and met up with Ivan, handily. Then back to the car to change: sunny and nice, but windy, so keep a second top on until the start. Warm up a bit, then it's time to go. Left orange top with Christi, and we're off--no police, just running beside the traffic for a while (o.0) -- out on to Rt 9 and off in a big right-hand circle.

Start gently, but Ivan's plans were for 7:30s, and by mile 1, I was trying to keep it steady at 7s, just based on flow; figured I'd aim for 55 mins. Then sort of drifted up a bit, and found a female runner coming up, so used her approach to push me on a bit; with her steady push my pace picked up and we both passed a few runners (including Rich C) by mile two, and as we headed to mile three we had a good duel going, up the hills and eventually turning off 9 into quieter roads. Through mile 4 she pushed harder, and as we approached the mile mark I had a go at getting some distance on an uphill; by the water stop just after 4 miles I was a bit ahead; stopped for a drink and she came close, but that was it.

Then I pushed after the guy ahead, who had a bicyclist with him (good idea, if you've got someone who'll do that!) and over the remaining, still hilly (both up and down) miles I was just trying to stay steady on him, catch up or not fall behind. By the last part my numb-leg, which came on just at mile 6, was more or less receding, but then the wind was in our faces again, and I was pretty bushed (stiff, even, from yesterday). Took it steady round the school to the end, happy to come in under 54:00.

Time: 53:36 (GPS 53:37)
Distance: 8 miles (GPS 7.97)
Pace/Speed: 6:44s /8.95 mph

Comments: Came in 6th, which was good enough. Quite a satisfying run, definitely one to add to the calendar. Sri B showed up, having done the Oleksak Half, and we chatted briefly. Then off for some family time and a brilliant brunch (?) in the Florence Diner.

Very curious to note, as I realise on looking at the Coolrunning results, that Scott G was running in this, (and he was in the Hatfield 5K Ivan and I did two years ago too!).

Spring trails -- Sat. April 4

A whole week off again, partly busy and partly sick. But out with determination today, aiming for a slow trail run. A bit chilly and damp, so went out with hat and gloves, and just two layers on top. Showery rain begins as soon as I get away from home. . . Start off on Hamilton, then Bay to Allen and up over 9 to the trail/old road that goes left heading in the woods off towards Holland Glen. Chug up that hill, feeling the strain a bit on my ankles on the rocky surface -- but nice to be on the trail road. Follow it all the way, down the steep descent to where it comes out by the little houses, but they've blocked off their driveways so no (easy) access to the road. Double back and discover (thanks to lack of undergrowth) the continuation of the trail road, which starts to be marked by blue blazes and heads back uphill, becoming a stream bed, more or less. Trails peters out just as I catch ear of the stream in Holland Glen, so transition to the white balzed trail and loop round at the end and down the other side. Come out on 9 and cross straight over, then trail through to Cheryl Circle and along eventually out to Federal. Then road all the way home:

Time: 1:16:30
Distance: 9.06 miles
Pace/Speed: 8:27s/7.1 mph

Comment: nice to be trail-running again, and despite constant showers, quite a nice day for it. Gentle pace, and slower even than that because of rough going. Pacier run tomorrow in the Hebert race.