SRRC run -- Sun. Sept. 27

A bit tired, but arrive at Dunkin's early to find myself the only one. Just at 10, Bill arrives, looking pretty sore after his half marathon at 6:08 pace yesterday -- congratulate him, and chat till Ken arrives. That's all; Bill not running, so Ken and I set off in the misting rain for a reverse Enfield. Ken's set to go faster than I felt, so after two 7:40 ish miles, really feeling yesterday's run, I slowed us down a bit. Howard, Jackson, Hamilton, to Allen, then all the way to Enfield (no sprinting to Brandywine today!) and up Jabish, then the shorter route, straight down to the end. Not tired exactly, but sore, even at the milder pace:

Time: 59:58
Distance: 7.42 miles
Pace: 8:05s

Comments: as Bill said afterwards, I need to go gently back into post marathon running, it seems. Still, given how busy I am during the week, I won't be adding miles for a while. Maye b one more outing this week before Sat.?

First post-M run -- Sat. Sept. 26

Felt recovered enough by Wednesday to want to run, but too busy at work to get home for more than eat and sleep and back again, so finally today I got out for my first run. Lovely cool and dry autumn day, and figured I'd do 8 or more, but no route planned. Started down GeoHannum, stopped att the waterworks to do stretches (Achilles still sore, though not as bad as I feared they would be when I was running mile 24...) then up into the woods and across to Wallace pond--good hill workout, and warm up, too. Out on to 202, then cross to 21 and head all the way along to Jabish Canal; left into that trail and right through to 181, then follow road up to town, but peel off on to OldSpfld to avoid B'Town Fair traffic, heading finally along the rail trail back all the way to the development. Stop clock as I cross Jackson, thus:

Time: 1:18:26
Distance: 10.33
Pace: 7:36s

Comment: various bits hurt at various levels--sore on soles of feet, ankle tendons all sore, but breathing and (until the very end) back and arms feeling great. Hamstrings a bit tender, but most noticeable was pain in calves from mile 4 or so. Partly this was from teh hilly start, maybe, but also from the accumulated three weeks of minimal running (except, weirdly, a marathon!). Still, very happy to be back into just running, and the pace was good too -- enough of slow running for a while. Just one sub-7:00 mile today, but there'll be more. Tomorrow, even.

MDay -- Sept. 20, continued

Just some data to add my digivice recorded the race as follows:

Time: 26.27 miles
Distance: 3:20:32
Pace: 7:38s

Comment: results printed out on the day showed I came in 17th, with net time of 3:20:28, and gun time of 3:20:32. The results online then listed me 16th of 210 full marathoners, with the same times, and pace recorded as 7:39s.

Still totally satisfied! And walking, more or less normally. That might have to do with the massage I got after the race and the wading in the lake I did after that.

MDay -- Sun. Sept. 20

Ate a bit too much Sat. night (the very friendly House of Pizza in Whitehall), but slept early in our little cabin on the marina, and woke at 5:55 a.m. We (R and F along with me) were packed and on the way to Schroon Lake by just after 7, driving through mists as we crossed Champlain and headed up to Ticonderoga, then across on 74 to the marathon village. Chilly morning, so stamped around a bit, ate some bagel, and then found start. Bill found us and told me the plan: he gave me his watch to start at the gun, and would meet me about a mile up the course. It seemed cold with just a shirt and shorts on, but I kept moving, and made loo breaks--not feeling brilliant, but not bad either.

Finally, right at 9 a.m., we were fired off -- straight up the main street, happy to be moving. Quick loop down one sidestreet (needed to get the distance exact, I guess) then back on main course and there's Bill. Hand off watch to him and then we're really rolling: I can't quite believe it's actually happening, but I follow the plan, keeping on pace and not following faster runners, drinking early to keep fluids up, and generally enjoying the scenery. Chatting w/ Bill helps keep me calm and the pace comfortable -- it really feels like a Swiftie training outing.

First half of the course is hilly, with a couple of real doozies, but we knew they were coming, and stayed comfortable: first hour we covered just under 7.75 miles, with miles 5 and 6 being slower than 8:00. Bill relaxed a bit after that, and I was feeling perfect at 10 miles, and pulled a fast (7:16) at 11 miles, so we slowed again, but I was evidently getting ready to go: 7:04 for mile 13, so Bill made sure I was slower for mile 14, then he peeled off, and headed back to the bus to get a ride to the end. His advice was to stay under control (7:40s) until 20, then take it like a 10K, attack each mile with 7:35 as target each time.

But: the route was finally flat, and sunny, and I knew the last 5 miles were going to be tough (rolling, uphill). I found I was doing 7:20s, and didn't try too hard to slow it down -- it still felt like gentle running. This stayed good up through mile 20, but then, rather than feeling like doing a 10K I just wanted to keep going -- lots of bits feeling sore by now. Also, getting pretty desperate for a loo stop, but just *didn't* want to lose the time... Quite hot at this point, sun-wise, but dry too: not sticky, but probably needing hydration (but bladder was not happy at that thought!).

Mile 23 was the last good one: feet getting sore, but able to pass a couple of runners and pull a 7:20. About then Bill reappeared on his bike, with fresh gatorade for my bottle (awesome dude, truly). He handed out specific targets for each mile, and persuaded me (against my complaints) that could make it to the end. My right calf had clenched up, and then the achilles tendon felt like it was being stabbed a few times. Everything was beginning to hurt at this point, and I wanted it to be over -- miles 24 and 25 were 7:55 and 8:14. Then the end was in reach, and I could hear the taiko drums, and the cheers at the finish: managed a 7:48 for mile 26, and the last bit was at 6:32 pace as I pushed for the line.

For a second, I was elated, happy I hadn't gone wobbly or retched -- then I felt my legs seize up and just blaze with soreness and stabbing pains. But hey -- 3:20, and Boston qualified!!

Bill was just amazing, and all that Swiftie training paid off -- it felt like I had a secret weapon, a full support team. Totally chuffed, enfin, and looking forward to getting used to this.

MDay -1 -- Sat. Sept. 19

No run today: last chance to rest. All I have to do is pack, feel nervous, and then we're heading out this afternoon.

Fingers crossed. With any luck I'll make a report tomorrow evening when we get home again.

26.2 miles. This time it's going to be three 8 milers and a cool down run, maybe with a burst at the end. (Next time I hope it'll be two 8 milers and a 10 miler, plus a final burst).

MDay -2 -- Fri. Sept. 18

Another week spent all at the office, so not even any short runs, but Friday night got home just after 9 p.m. so went out for my final pre-marathon warmup. Cool dry night, so layers on top and shorts; slowly did an extended Hamilton (GeoHannum/Hamilton/Allen/9/VFW/202 and home). First mile was 7:40 on the nose, then slowed progressively, so for the fourth picked up a bit and measured a 7:30. Totals:

Time: 32:48
Distance: 4.17 miles
Pace: 7:52s

Comments: seems that I've pretty much got a feel for the 7:40ish pace, which is all I can hope for at the moment. I hope to manage a tiny bit under that tomorrow, but anything under 8:00s is a qualifying time, so I can't be too choosy. Very nervous! But also pretty psyched.

MDay -7 -- Sat. Sept. 13

Off sleepy after an early start to the team at 10. Bill, Andy and Amy at the triathlon, so Jay, plus two new guys (Tim and Steve -- henceforth Doc Steve? -- both from Amy's workplace). Then Ken also appeared, so we were five. Chat a while, then head out for a railtrail/Jabish Canal/21/OldSpfld/HighSchool route. Thought it was 8, but apparently not (though digivice lost signal a few times). Ken tugging pace after a very slow first mile, and by 21 he started to head off solo; from OldSpfld Jay went after him, and I ran with Steve (from Alaska, late 30s, and done lots of marathons) with Tim bringing up rear. Kept pace at 7:45ish, good comfortable chatting pace, after a quicker mile or two in the middle. Here's the data:

Time: 59:33
Distance: 7.54 miles
Pace: 7:54s

Comments: another one of those perfect days, a tad muggy but otherwise summer-autumnal. Felt fine, though right achilles is a bit sore (and was so last night too). Must stretch a bit tomorrow, but no running. Only days to go now!!

MDay -8 -- Sat. Sept. 12

Tentative run, but turned out okay. Late morning, headed out aiming for 6-8, taking it easy (goal was more or less MPace). GeoHannum and down to Hamilton, then down Bay and along to Metacomet, across to the lake, then left onto Federal briefly before going off on to the dirt road on the right. Stop clock a bit and run trails briefly, but the critical connecting path is still under water, so loop back and start clock on rejoining Federal. Along and up the hill to 9, then pretty much directly home, stopping the clock at the super market:

Time: 58:31
Distance: 7.51 miles (plus untimed half mile or so on trails)
Pace: 7:47s

Comments: felt fab at first, then at the end of the first downhill (after a half-mile or so) I could feel the spot above the knee...but then it went away as soon as I hit the flat. Felt good at the end, if tired later. Hoping it will stay fixed, and planning to do the final week as per the schedule.

MDays -13~-9 Mon. ~Fri. Sept 7~11

All I could do was rest the knee and hope it got better. Went biking on Monday in Adams, after watching Bill and Steve L (and sundry other familiar faces) run the Mt Greylock Summit road race. Iced the knee, avoided stairs for a day or two.

By Thursday it felt a bit better, though I was too nervous and anyway too busy to try running. Stayed off it Friday as well, just to be sure.

Not the best way to go through the penultimate week before a first marathon, but if it works, then no complaints.

MDay -14 -- Sun. Sept. 6

Figured my knee would be good for 6, given that it didn't hurt on the 6 miler on Wed., so I biked off to SRRC on another *perfect* morning aiming to do 6-8 miles easy. Good crowd, oddly only blokes today: Bill, Andy, Jay, Ken, Steve L., Jim, and me (and a dog or two). Headed out on rail trail at an easy pace, though it felt a bit tough for me, somehow. By the turn around point, at four miles, my left knee was getting too sore to ignore...Jay had turned back, Ken, Jim and Andy did the 181 route, and I tried to keep up with Bill and Steve on the rail trail, but eventually had to drop to a walk. Arrgh!! It was getting breathtakingly sore, and I was afraid of doing something to the other leg in compensating for it. Here's what I got before I dropped out:

Time: 42:35
Distance: 5.69 miles
Pace: 7:29s

Comment: given the pace (and I know the first mile was very slow, 9 min pace) it's no wonder I felt it in my knee. The whole crew came out and commiserated with me, very good of them; we also talked a lot about upcoming races and events. Jay said ice and ibuprofen, with specific instructions, which I followed. Fingers crossed it gets better in 2-3 days.

MDay -15 -- Sat. Sept. 5

Schedule was for a final longer run, so I set out first thing (which, on Sat., means about 9:30) and here's Bill coming down the road -- so I jogged with him and turned out he was ending the first loop of a 20. I took him up on the invitation to run along for the next 10+ at my MPace, or a bit slower (given that I'd run yesterday). We went down GeoHannum all the way to Stebbins, where he let me see if I could set pace right. Along to Bay, then back all the way to the hill...up to Allen and then up and over Allen, then down to 202 and VFW back to Bill's place, completing 8 miles and starting into the next 4. We kept pace down GeoHannum and Jackson to Howard to my turn back point, with Bill going out for one more hill.

Unfortunately, by this point my knee area was flamingly sore, and I slacked off, deciding not to go above 12, for all that I wanted the mileage and I wasn't tired at all. Here's what I got:

Time: 1:36:52
Distance: 12.29 miles
Pace: 7:53s

Comment: it was a *perfect* day for a run, and the pace was dead-on (for a run the day after a double-digit run) but this injury is a spanner in the works. Iced it a couple of times in the afternoon, and slept. See how it goes in the next few days

MDay -16 -- Fri. Sept. 4

Grabbed the bull by the horns and went out first thing, more or less: rail trail out and back, with the longer start (via GeoHannum) and a stretch session after a mile or so. Felt quite good, nice and cool on the trails, so pace was comfortable, but pretty close to MPace in the end:

Time: 1:20:16
Distance: 10.33 miles
Pace: 7:46s

Comment: Can't do much about the mileage this week, but this at least was a quality run. I was late for my 11 a.m. appt, but it was worth it!

Note: soreness and bruise on left knee (from near fall last Sat.?), not really evident until now, became a bit of an issue toward the end of the run. Not sure what to do about it.

MDay -17 -- Thu. Sept. 3

Schedule, revised on the fly given the week I'm having, was for a ten miler, but again didn't get home until late (after 11) and so no run. Time to panic?

MDay -18 -- Wed. Sept. 2

Longer days starting at work so it was after 9 when I got home. Managed a donut run at least, and will have to pick up miles later in the week. Headed out for a Hamilton basic, but then decided to go down Bay to Metacomet, and back up Federal on to 9. Going directly home on that route brought me over 6 miles, just right:

Time: 51:33
Distance: 6.34 miles
Pace: 8:08s

Comment: took this one very easy deliberately and also as it was late in a long day. Felt good to move, and the night was cool. I'm worried about the abrupt drop-off in mileage, but can't help it now.

MDay -19 -- Tue. Sept. 1

Schedule had me down for a medium run, but I ended up getting worn out driving to the aerial adventure park and monkeying around in the trees for 4 hours.

Chalk this one up to x-training, and incipient taper...

MDay -20 -- Mon. Aug. 31

Schedule says bike day, and I was home in time to get out for two hours in more or less light. Chased the sunset up Gulf Hill, over NGulfRd and then up Meetinghouse, all the way to Atkins reservoir. Took a few pics then home via Cushman and railtrail, etc. Data, approximately:

BIKED 29 miles in 2:10.

Comment: not so fast, though I stopped a bit. Was aiming for steady, and didn't feel too zippy anyway. Given the hills (1400+ feet of climb, nearly all in the first half), I'm happy enough.