MHM -14/SRRC run -- Sun. Sept. 26

After last week, determined to start this one solidly: drive to DnD in good time, giving Bill a ride, and we're joined by Ken. Decide on Barrett St loop, to get double digits: off along railtrail talking all the way, at a nice easy pace. Very pleasant day for it, golden foliage everywhere, and underfoot. Even pace until the last couple of miles, when Bill and I pick it up slightly, but no real push. Overall:

Time: 1:25:30
Distance: 10.5 miles
Pace: 8:09s

Comment: felt fairly good considering how hard yesterday was. Here's hoping for a better week ahead.

MHM -15/hill trails -- Sat. Sept. 25

Work ate up the whole week, and left little time for sleep - so Sat. a.m. (after doing chauffeur biz for R to marching band for the FAIR!) I slept extra. Finally able to face a run by mid-afternoon, and headed out thinking Holland Glen. To the water plant first to stretch, a bit too quick; then second mile (back up along Hamilton) even quicker (7:20), so going down 9 to Federal slow up a bit; enter trails directly, to B'town beach, then along across the lake (isthmus trail v. dry still) and through to MnM trail, heading round to bottom of Holland Glen. There at about 5 miles, and starting to feel it: up the glen slowly, even going off clock for a bit, then push on up further and out on to Munsell road trail, following that out all the way. Hot, but drier than in the morning, so quite pleasant, except for my weariness. . . Finally on to tarmac, and go straight out past Gold onto 202, then head down the hill a far as Allen (using the two little bits of old Pelham), and go right, up and over to 9, then back along 9 and home from there. Overall, adding in the quarter mile I walked off clock:

Time: 1:45:15
Distance: 12.28 miles
Pace: 8:34s

Comment: so this week I didn't even make it to 20 miles, and I got out twice. More or a guillotine than a taper. . . but still two weeks to go, so hope to get some rhythm back. . .

MHM -21/SRRC run -- Sun. Sept. 19

Bill emailed to say he couldn't make it, but Ken was there. Lovely day for it, and we headed off for a mainly trail shortie: along to the underpass, then road until diving back on to the trail, then a loop off to the other side of the trail, and finally back up the regular trail -- but go round through HS to finish off. Forgot GPS device, but took phone along as timer, then measured the route thus:

Time: 56:48
Distance: 7.26 miles
Pace: 7:49s

Comment: felt a bit sore after yesterday, and not helped by not stretching. But good miles, and I'm hoping this week I'll get more frequency. Still, TAPER begins now. . .

MHM -22/MPace half -- Sat. Sept. 18

Another all school week, but Saturday, glorious Saturday: out after a bit of a lie-in to try a mainly trail run. To GeoHannum and then rail trail back to Jackson, and into state school: good stretching session, and then on to Checkers, across and into rail trail, along as far as Jabish canal, then right along canal --beautiful time, very autumnal, with water level a bit higher than previous time thanks to new beaver weirs. Near the end take the little trail through to NoWash, and then down to Bardwell; right along to 21 and then rejoin canal on other side of 21 (diving in at a snowmobile trail). Along to the bridge, and then up over the hill trail (reversing the route I rode by bike a few weeks back). Down the other side to Ludlow road, out of the reserve area and then roads (Granby, 21, and OldSpfld) back to high school and state school to Jackson, then roads to reach 14 plus miles (having kept mpace since the warm-up mile). At Austin Gaughan stop and take shoes off, then complete run barefoot, thus:

Time: 1:50:57
Distance: 14.64 miles
Pace: 7:35s

Comment: ah, running after *not* running feels so good! and this was a beautiful route!! Still worried about my low mileage at this point, but 13.2 at mpace is solid enough.

MHM -26/MPacing -- Tue. Sept. 14

Somehow managed to get time on Tuesday morning for a good run, so out for a road run. To water plant for a stretch, then along to Boardman, across to Chicopee and then back up to GeoHannum and along as far as Rural, then along Rural and back home from there. After keeping pace down for first 3-4 miles, started to loosen up, so switched to mpace, and pushed at about 7:20s for six miles, then ease up again at the end, thus:

Time: 1:18:39
Distance: 10.55 miles
Pace: 7:27s

Comment: Felt good, and not too tired later in the day. This is how I planned the semester running to go, but Thursday I've got an 8 am meeting, so no prospects there. . .

MHM -28/Quabbin Tower -- Sun. Sept. 12

Semester took all my time till Sat., but then I was taking R and friends canoeing -- four hours in the boats, with three hours on the road to and from, so no time or energy for a run after. Sunday morning I was too tired to get to either the Summit run or the DnD run: went to 10:30 Mass, and then ran in early afternoon. Lovely fall day, and nice route: to VFW, 202 to Allen and along Old Enfield to Early, and along there towards the Quabbin, via Blue Meadow: then across the dam and up the hill up to the tower. Stop clock and run up the tower, but a bit full of visitors, so avoid a repeat; then down the hill again, and take a variant way back. Before crossing dam, down a trail to the river, along the river and out eventually via trails to route 9 at the bridge; then back up by road all the way. Second half about the same distance, and pace a bit faster (aided by the downhill start!), thus:

Time: 2:09:38
Distance: 16.96 miles
Pace: 7:39s

Comment: A bit tired at the end, but mainly this felt good. I added a bit on at the end (VFW) to try to get to over 17 miles, but didn't feel like working too hard for it. This was meant to be a 70 mile week, but school made that impossible. Now it's pretty much taper time. . .

MHM -33/Recovery -- Tue. Sept. 7

Took a rest day on Monday (as it were--it was a holiday, but I was at work), and then to start the semester right (classes open today) out for a morning run. Okay, it was a shortie, but it was useful: a stretched Hamilton, and came out thus:

Time: 43:29
Distance: 5.53 miles
Pace: 7:52s

Comments: quads *very* sore, but otherwise, more or less okay. Still chuffed about the PR, which was faster than the Westfield run by less than 10 seconds. Twice in one year now: maybe marathoning is better for my half racing? So I should so ultras to improve my marathon times, perhaps. . .

MHM -35/Covered Bridges Half -- Sun. Sept. 5

Up early and away before 7, driving up 202 to stop for coffee, then on to 32 and north all the way to Swanzey. Arrive at high school in time to get chip, etc., and then change to warm up. Loo situation pretty dire: boys locker room has 1 stall, それだけ。 But なんとかして and out for a warm up. Figured I'd need a couple of miles or more to loosen up, so started backwards along the course; quite useful to get a look at the end of the run. Pit stop after a mile, and stretch, then back to check in about the start -- head out there in good time and learn that one of the four bridges is closed, alas, but otherwise course clear. *Perfect* weather for running: gun goes more or less on time and I set off at a brisk pace, but comfortable. First few miles chugging up past a few folks, trading places with a female runner, a good marker for me: she's doing 6:45 ish pace, which I figure as my safe speed, and v. visible as a redhead. Enter a rail trail stretch and start to push a bit, leading the redhead now as we continue to pass a few others. Then out on to roads, and at that point, maybe 5 miles in, I realise I'm doing sub 6:40 and can try and keep it there; maybe one or two guys pass me between there and the end, but basically I'm running solo for the rest of the race. Friendly highschoolers dotted about the course, doing directional and cheering duty; hilarious moment when I passed two girls sitting at the base of a tree, and as I approached they dutifully but *totally* deadpan called out, "Yay, you go, you can do it. Oh yes, you're running great. You love to run." At this point I couldn't help grinning at their take on their role, so they both said, "see you're smiling, you're just loving this" -- all totally deadpan, but smiling. That was just after the halfway point, which had included a couple of short steeper bits of road, so I appreciated the boost. Then I just kept chugging, amazed at how many 6:30 something miles I was getting: it didn't feel like the racing I was doing at the Westfield half, but pace was similar. Managed a small push at the end, and came in under my previous best time, thus (official stats; GPS had same time, but longer distance):

Time: 1:26:06 new PB!
Distance: 13.1 miles
Pace: 6:35s

Comment: Placed 14th, but 7th in class, out of a field of 201. Took a minute before I felt like stopping to take off the chip, and I was thirsty -- the day warmed up a bit, and the sun was bright -- but lots of water, and a banana, then off to do some more miles, gently on nearby roads. Overall stats (w/ the 2+ miles pre- and 3 miles post-) were 18.2 in 2:06:23 @ 6:57s. Solid.
Then back to partake of the BBQ: eats were a bit limited, despite ballyhoo in program (like the loos!) but got a chance to chat to various, mainly Sri and some of his running mates. Headed off pretty rapidly, needing to get back to work, but stopped en route to get coffee and more snacks. A good race, maybe to add to the calendar?

MHM -36/recovering -- Sat. Sept. 4

Took a rest day on Friday, spending 16 hours at work instead. So this morning ready to enjoy the now dehumidified air (still sunny and almost 80 deg.) and gusty breeze--though a disturbed night (trying to connect with 小春ちゃん) and an early start didn't help. Felt pretty sore as I started, but to water plant to stretch (passing Bill coming the other way, finishing a 22 miler), then up into trails to Underwood, out on to 202 and go right, down as far as Eskett, then in and right at Boardman, up to geoHannum, left to do a Rural loop and then up home from there, keeping the pace slow:

Time: 1:05:37
Distance: 8.11 miles
Pace: 8:05s

Comment: after a few miles the slower pace seemed very natural, which was a bit alarming as I hope I'm not that tired. But it should give me some legs for tomorrow, which promises to be a rolling course, possibly a different challenge than I'd expected. I won't be looking for a PB, though: sub-7:00s will be fine.

After stopping the clock I did 3 x strides, each two telegraph poles long on GeoHannum by the supermarket; just wanted to open up a bit before resting.

MHM -38/Unfinished long run -- Thu. Sept. 2

Planned to do a long run in the morning, but other commitments made that impossible, so I re-planned for evening, but work is pressing in hard now, and I was home late and tired, facing running into dark on a wicked muggy night. So I shortened from 2 x 9 miles to a repeat figure of 8 (Geohannum/Boardman/Eskett/202/Boardman), each 4.4 miles, with another half lap and about 3 miles startup and run home -- the whole would have been 15-16 miles. Went out slowly, as fits a long run, but lacking in vim: the first lap was okay, and the second was doable, but by then it was late, I had an early start in the morning, and I wanted to save something for the weekend. So I headed back at that point, ending up thus:

Time: 1:37:54
Distance: 12.26 miles
Pace: 7:59s

Comment: this will end up being a lighter week than planned, though it has sure felt HEAVY.

MHM -39/Evening ten -- Wed. Sept. 1

A new month, after hitting my highest monthly mileage to date: 267.7 miles in August (yay!). Weather turned muggier and hotter, somehow, a late heatwave, so even at 8 pm when I finally got out it felt airless. Wanted to get an mpace run in, though this one barely qualified; headed out for a reverse Hamilton leading into a GeoHannum/Rural/Eskett/Boardman figure of 8. Kept it pretty steady the whole way, and came back around the development to get the required mileage -- and no more!

Time: 1:15:16
Distance: 10.01 miles
Pace: 7:31s

Comment: as I noted on Rnkpr, this was a slog. Yesterday wiped me out, and the weather is just rubbing it in. Not quite the week I'd planned, but do what I can.

MHM -40/NoHo 5K -- Tue. Aug. 31

Finishing a long month with a race; seems like ages since a 5K, so again with some trepidation: left work a bit after 5 (having had a decent lunch this time!) and drove to usual spot. Very hot (92 at start time, evidently) and getting muggier. Parked, clutched $5 tight and headed up trails to start, doing the 3 mile version. Arrive in good time, and sign up; decide to run shirtless, it's just too hot for else; good crowd (50+ people) and a fast start, dust clouds and gravel flying! Go for a fast first lap, sub-6:00, but not sure how long it'll hold. No one very close in front to chase after a mile, and I'm thirsty; also guy behind is nipping at my heels. Keep ahead with his push until mile 2, then get confused by sign and turn early; he says, "No.." (laconic, matter of fact) and I turn round and leap back onto correct trail just ahead of him (he kindly paused to let me in at that point), then to make it up I go bursting up the steep climb in the trees. That hits hard as I start the stretch around the field, but he's not close; in fact falling behind. Still I keep pushing, making mile 3 a 6:38. Thought I might even get a PB after miles 1 and 2, but this course is tough, even on days like this when one's feeling very fluid... Final push on the downhill gets me 6th place and this:

RaceTime: 19:36 ( (19:37)
RaceDistance: 3.1 miles (3.14)
RacePace: 6:19s

TotalTime: 1:15:57
TotalDistance: 10.38 miles
TotalPace: 7:19s

Comment: That's my best on this course by 10 seconds or so. After a banana, cookie and a drink, and chatting with April, headed back to the car, running fairly slowly -- still very muggy, and getting a bit dusky. As I set off, feel I'm missing something, but no, have drink bottle and GPS and am wearing shirt. get almost back to the car...and THEN realise I've left my car keys behind. Arg! Under the picnic table. Turn round and head back, picking up pace a bit now, hoping someone will still be there, or that noone will have found them. Go directly back, not longer route, and find April and co. packing up still ~ phew!! Sure enough, Sue had picked up the keys -- saved! Not relishing the prospect of another few miles back, accept a lift with those guys in the big Ford van, and get a chance to chat a bit. The total mileage and pace for the day was still a bit higher than I'd planned, but it's all training. . .