Slow ten -- Sat. Feb. 26

Missed running yesterday: head/nose cold, and aching all over, even back pain for first time in ages. Good day to be sick -- massive dose of "wintry mix" after snow in the night, so a horrible day to be out on roads. Also wicked busy work wise -- kind of a week from hell, and ongoing...

Today, sunny, with a cold cutting wind, and I'm feeling ready to risk it; also need to see how I might feel for the Jones Ten tomorrow. So, out in full gear (good choice -- even with longs on the wind is chilly, despite obvious melting all around): down to water plant, but don't stop: straight up trail round to Wallace pond, then double back and follow snowmobile tracks to come out onto 202 a bit before Underwood, then head down 202 towards Eskett. Cut in there, then back on Boardman to 202, down to School St and back up to Stebbins, then GeoHannum to Rural, round to Boardman, and then straight home, thus:

Time: 1:25:06
Distance: 10.21 miles
Pace: 8:20s

Comment: Training for easy pace long distance here, a minute slower than my (target) mpace. Felt okay, cold notwithstanding, though a twinge or two from my back. Hmm. I think I'll aim to take tomorrow a bit easy. . .

Morning tempo -- Wed. Feb. 23

Probably should have gone out for a flexing four yesterday, but no time. Risky even taking time this morning (work agg!), but out anyway just before nine, looking for some sort of eight miler. Decide to warm up and try three quicker miles: to water plant, stretch, then on GeoHannum way to Rural, back up and to Eskett, then 202: after 4.5 miles or so pick up pace, starting with a diversion up Dressel (new to me!) for an extra hill, then back to 202, down to Boardman and home via usual route, pushing with each mile until I hit 7 then, slow down for last one, thus:

Time: 59:23
Distance: 8.07 miles
Pace: 7:22s

Comment: felt really *stiff* and a bit tired. The tempo miles (5, 6, and 7, with increasing effort) were: 7:06, 6:57, 6:43. Left over effect from Monday, I guess -- probably a run yesterday would have really helped. But this just about counted as pacework, I think. More on Friday.

LONG one -- Mon. Feb. 21

Presidents Day, so wait for the sun to get up properly and the mornings 3+ inches of snow to thin out a bit, then set off for a two loop run, with a sandwich ready for the halftime. First loop is Howard/Jensen/Enfield/Sheffield and back by 202: somewhat hilly, but feels okay, and keep pace steady somewhere in 7:30s ~ 7:40s, thinking about the second half. Then, grab a drink, loo stop, and out again with sandwich in hand for part two: down to Hamilton/Bay/Metacomet/Federal/Orchard (lovely view!)/Goodell, then Federal and 9 back home. After 17 miles starts to become a bit of a death march, but hold on till 20, then feel good for a mile or so, but やっぱり pace is slow, and end up pretty sore. Data:

Time: 2:53:42
Distance: 22.12 miles
Pace: 7:51s

Comment: I'd wanted this to be "easy" pace, but I think I'd need to go to 8:00s or slower for that. Which would mean more than three hours -- maybe I need that for training? Still time for a couple of long runs to sample slower speed, but at this point I'm revising my mpace to even slower: back up to 7:20 average, I think, is more realistic. Ouf. 頑張らなくちゃ。

Jones prep w/ Swifties -- Sun. Feb. 20

Meet with Ken, Nick and Bill at DnD and carpool into the A middle school. Wait a bit for Rob L, but maybe a miscommunication; he doesn't show (and it's cold windy!) so we jog to the official start spot, then set off. Nick sets pace, pretty crisp, pulling ahead periodically from Ken; Bill (aiming for a second loop to get 20) stays back w/ him and I stick w/ the young gun. Surface is pretty good, all things considered, and after the five outbound miles the course is pretty nice. Push a bit on the last uphills, and then into the finish (w/ a small dash to stop Nick from catching at the end!). Then wait for Ken, and all (except Bill) jog back to the cars. Overall:

Time: 1:25:02
Distance: 10.52 miles
Pace: 8:05s

Comment: cold, but overall a nice smoothing run after yesterday's effort, and a useful review of the course. Always good to run in Swifties' company, too.

Hawaiian Shirt 5K PLUS-- Sat. Feb. 19

Not feeling too bright, but away just after 8 to Spfld as usual, with Hawaiian shirt from OGU. Light snow showers, MASSIVE and chilly wind, temp. otherwise just above freezing. Park at the higher spot, and then change in the brick building and jog down to sign in. Also pay GSH membership, $15, and do form for that, then go out to warm up. Manage just over a mile, then it's time to start. Go down to one long-sleeved tech shirt under the Hawaiian shirt, plus shorts (& hat & gloves) -- so I'll have to run to keep warm! Good crowd, nearly a hundred. Head off a bit of a way back in the pack, but follow Scott R and push through to follow the leader pack. Pass him on top straight of first loop, aiming for my target 6:30 pace, but by mile one we're already below that: 6:10. Next one is quicker still, 6:05, but as we're going through the houses there a guy passes me -- I try to stick with him but he's not giving up any. Heading down the hill back into the park I can hear the next one behind me, even as we complete mile three at 5:48. It's the lead female runner, and she doesn't let up. As we enter the final bit of trail to the finish she comes past, we both say "Good run", and then I figure I'll give it one more go: blast past and keep going right to the line, getting two seconds on her in the last hundred yards. Final stretch pace = 5:50 or so. Overall data:

Time: 19:18 (GPS = 19:17)
Distance: 3.1 (GPS = 3.21)
Pace: 6:14s

Came in 4th, and first in class (though chap ahead of me was 50). Then I had weekly miles to do, so I went off on the first part of the 10K route, doing 4.5 miles; picked up gear from Skatehouse, then dumped it in car and went off for another loop through town and back round park a bit, still on same clock. At one point a cute girl (young woman-low 20s?) grinned and said as I passed, "You're defying humanity right now!" I think she meant my shorts, but hey, it wasn't very cold, except directly in the wind. By the end I was feeling a bit sore, though I kept the pace slow. The overall total for the day (INCLUDING the above 5K) was:

Time: 1:37:57
Distance: 13.05 miles
Pace: 7:30s

Comment: Made my target weekly mileage (50), with almost a mile to spare -- nice! Also, good time, nice race, I'd say -- I ended up retching a couple of times after the finish with the muscled sprint, but I wasn't trying 100% up till then. Main goal was high turnover via small steps, and keep pushing -- I'm satisfied with that much. Real speed will need proper speed training, but that's for the summer.

Moonlit miles -- Fri. Feb. 18

Busy grading in a.m. so didn't get a run in, but after work, head out under a fine fullish moon on a still mild evening (supposed to get much colder -- I was lucky). With a race tomorrow didn't want to get tired, so go gently; aiming for 8 out of the remaining 20 for the week. Decide on a Rural fig. 8, starting down GeoHannum, then Rural and back to Eskett, to 202, and back up Boardman to GeoHannum and home -- stretch it a bit by going the long way round the development, thus:

Time: 1:05:17
Distance: 8.06 miles
Pace: 8:06s

Comment: started nice and slow, then kept it at just above 8:00s the rest of the way. Got nicely warm, although wet feet stayed cold. First really easy run for a while, and felt okay once I forced myself to stay slow.

Distance and pace a MATCH! Wonder how many times that can happen?

Morning hills & pace -- Wed. Feb. 16

A bit late, tired from work yesterday, but out to do some hills and speed (not ideal, but limited opportunity). Felt stiff from the start and through most of it, but that's training. Down to water plant to stretch, then back up to Hamilton, along to Bay and down to Allen, up across 9 and over to 202; cross and up rest of Allen, then -- hill work mainly done, and warm -- open up down Enfield for the four miles home. Go up Jabish (slow down to 7:20 on that mile) and East Walnut, then down 202 to 9 and home, slowing right down after 8:

Time: 1:01:37
Distance: 8.47 miles
Pace: 7:16s

Comment: not quite Sparta, but this *is* training.

Eleven by night -- Mon. Feb. 14

Not so late, but well after dark, so it was good there was a generous moon. Not too cold, either: started down GeoHannum and aimed to keep it mild for 5 miles, along Boardman as far as Eskett, round to 202, then along 202 to Boardman's end, but go left; at the turn around point hit 5 miles so step it up, aiming for my new mpace (7:08s) held it pretty nicely all the way along, crossing 202, to Stebbins, up GeoHannum but add the Rural detour (getting spooked a bit by a bunch of snowmobilers buzzing along on the trails), then back up all the way to the water plant, at which point step it down a notch the rest of the way. Overall:

Time: 1:21:15
Distance: 11.06 miles
Pace: 7:21s

Comment: this was okay, but I think I need to reconsider my mpace -- 7:08s will be a bit much over 20 miles. 7:15s seem more likely, and then with 30 second fade after 20 miles the average will be 7:22, for a 3:13.

Yep, decided: That's the new goal, so train for 7:15s for 20 miles.

Swifties run -- Sun. Feb. 13

Sore early from yesterday, but to DnD just in time to catch Nick and Ken--all agree on a ten miler, aiming for a Barrett (but maybe starting along Jabish canal route). Pleasant milder morning, and first part of trail seems good, well tracked and pretty firm. As we cross the road at the underpass, then take the right turn across the tracks the snowmobile trail disappears: suddenly we're plunging through icy crust and knee deep snow. The trail is *visible* but hasn't been driven on for ages. Worse on the other side of the tracks, and I (in the lead) get a bit scraped up enfin. Fortunately, it's only 50 yards in all before we hit the road again, and then the track is reestablished as we turn in onto the canal trail. Not perfect: you have to run lightly, floatingly, to avoid going through even in the visible tracks, but it's okay for me (less so for Ken!). Slog on, and when we get to the overflow, a much better defined track appears: evidently most traffic had been on the other side of the canal! Proceed to the turnoff into the woods, then out on to NoWash, enjoying the feel of dry tarmac underfoot. Down to Bardwell, then left as far as NoLib, and after a bit of a dither, back up NoLib all the way to town (going through the dangerous underpass this time)--at the middle school, through to OldSpfld, to BHS, and then back to DnD as usual. Data thus:

Time: 1:31:29
Distance: 10.21 miles
Pace: 8:58s

Comment: this was a refreshing recuperative stretch after yesterday (complete with ice/snow bath!). Good start to the week in good company.

Twenty -- Sat. Feb. 12

Had a route planned for almost 21 miles, but changed it midway to shave off a bit. This has been a step up week, from 50 to 55, and my long run too, going from 18 last Sat. to 20 now, and though it felt like a light week, I just didn't have enough spare today. Partly from the hilly first half? Down GeoHannum/Boardman to Eskett, then up over Barton/Mt View -- target pace was 7:30~7:45, and I was easily inside it, but I think there was more effort going on than I realised. It was a bit chilly, so I mainly kept gloves on, and hat, but I was in shorts. At the top of MtView, along OakRidge to Summit, then down to TurkeyHill and Rckrmmn and out to 21; right then left into OldSpfld. Still feeling okay (even deviated onto a snowmobile trail briefly) at about 9 miles as I pass BHS, then up to town and down 181, to tuck into jensen for the loop we did twice last Sunday. At that point, mile 11 or so, I started to feel it a bit in soreness, but chugged on okay. Original plan was to do the Aldrich loop twice, but it's a bit longer, at almost 4 miles, (and hillier) than I felt like, so on the second pass of Jensen I turned to the familiar and went up OldEnfld from Jabish, with that mile (uphill) being the slowest of the route (mile 17 @ 8:12). Then on to Allen and along to 202, straight down to 9 and back homewards, running along GeoHannum until I had 20, then stopping and jogging home off the clock. Overall:

Time: 2:32:01
Distance: 20.02 miles
Pace: 7:35s

Comment: sore in various ways after this (especially the 2.5 hrs straight), but useful. Just *not* as strong as I need to be yet, but the basic pace and endurance is more or less on track. MPace needs to be 20 seconds faster all round, but I'm going to work on that. This one had a total climb of almost 950 ft, whereas the Gansett should be much flatter. I'd better check that. . .

Half a run -- Fri. Feb. 11

Time limited by weather, despite plans to do 8 miles -- it was -11 deg. F when I got up, so waited until about 9:15 when the temp read 0, then headed out for a half run. The weather is supposed to improve, so this evening I can do the other half before my long run tomorrow. Goal was at least 4 miles, minimum time: down to water plant to stretch (standing on top of about 2 ft of snow, weird feeling!). Then back up to Hamilton, along to Allen, to 9, and straight along back home from there, thus:

Time: 30:56
Distance: 4.23 miles
Pace: 7:19s

Comment: very cold, sure enough, though it warmed up about ten degs as I ran, I think. Made it to class on time, and I'll be home in a few hours to do the same run backwards to finish off.

[backpost] Other half -- Wed. Feb. 9

This is my first DOUBLE RUN in a day -- high mileage weeks and limited available hours are going to make for more of these, I think. Took it much easier; it was after all pretty late after a long day. Down to mad pheasant corner, up Jackson, to Howard, then up into town and down 202 for an easy finish, thus:

Time: 40:13
Distance: 5.05 miles
Pace: 7:58s

Comment: Bill's been doing doubles for a while now; Jay told us about them, and evidently Rob L does them too. I can see the attraction, and utility. Here starts a new chapter in my running life!

[backpost] Half a run -- Wed. Feb. 9

No time for a longer run, so opt for a tempo workout on a very cold morning: Rural loop, aiming for five miles at sub-7:00 pace, then back through the development for the cooldown, ending up thus:

Time: 41:08
Distance: 5.73 miles
Pace: 7:11

Comment: the average of this run represents my target marathon pace. Need to do *much* longer runs at this average, I guess. Hmm. Meanwhile, more miles needed so, see next entry . . .

[backpost] SRRC run -- Sun. Feb. 6

Bill planned a 23 miler, but I was only up for 18 (per my prep charts) so he kindly reconfigured to make his first 18 end up back at DnD. Nick was there too, and he accompanied us for the first part: slushy, pools of ice water and *very* slippery bits -- this was a challenging run, distance aside. Started through the high school: that was a mistake, as the roads were icerinks. . . Then up into town, round to 181 and down (precariously!) to Jensen; along through to Jabish, round to Aldrich, then through deep slush back to 181 and do the same Jensen Aldrich loop again; then back at Jensen this time keep going on across 9 up to Old Enfield, and back the usual way via Hamilton and GeoHannum and Jackson; finally at Howard, with end in sight, I pull off for a fast(er) bit, and end up at the DnD thus:

Time: 2:26:48
Distance: 18.17 miles
Pace: 8:05s

Comment: Bill came back to DnD too, then went and added 5 more at a cracking pace, so his average was 10 seconds better overall despite being slower over the first 18! I was pretty sore at the end, but it's a step up, and that's how it will feel. We'd carried gatorade bottles and deposited them at the cemetery so we could grab drinks as we went by -- neat idea on this new (to me) loop, which I'll reuse, I hope.

[backpost] Quickie -- Sat. Feb. 5

Sir Nina's b'day and a party for Gene away across the border, with a snowy/sleety drive home in prospect, so I got out quickly for a short run. Rural loop, no fancy stuff, Boardman first then steps up GeoHannum all the way home. Pushed on the first five, then chilled for the remainder back through the dev. to get a bit more mileage, thus:

Time: 45:13
Distance: 6.24 miles
Pace: 7:15

Comment: chilly enough, but out in shorts, which raised chatter (I guess) from a group of women running behind me as I entered GeoHannum - -I waved, and they exclaimed, so I took off a bit, and ended up keeping the pace. Useful, in its way, I guess.

[backpost] Pre-work run -- Fri. Feb. 4

Out with Ken for a very cold morning set, with starting temp in the low single digits F, though it warmed up in the time we were out there. We did the Rural/Eskett figure of eight loop (Ken's building from his regular 6, good sign!) and then as he headed back up to the development, I went right along Jackson, along Howard, then up 202 into town and down the hill to 9, aiming for a couple of tempo miles to finish, then slow to end, thus:

Time: 1:18:27
Distance: 10.01 miles
Pace: 7:50s

Comment: ice on eyebrows, lashes, beard, etc. -- a rely chilly one. Couldn't feel feet for first five miles!

[backpost] Snow Day! -- Wed. Feb. 2

Schools & uni all closed today: spent nearly three hours shovelling driveway, with 6-8 ft high snowbanks to toss the snow over to get it out of the way. After a bit of food and a rest, figured I might as well run: roads were seriously crappy, but there wasn't much traffic to worry about. Local roads, though I can't remember the exact route now:

Time: 1:21:37
Distance: 10.57 miles
Pace: 7:43s

Comment: this was harder work than clean road, obviously. I hope the extra effort is adding up over time, as I'm not getting much variety or any good hill runs at the moment.

[backpost] Night run! -- Mon. Jan 31

Bill proposed a late evening run, as he was occupied till 10:30 -- I was game for an evening outing, and he needed miles before the snowstorm due on Tue. p.m. It was pretty chilly, but not much traffic: we did the GeoHannum/Rural/Eskett/202/Boardman figure 8 route, heading back via his place, thus:

Time: 1:04:32
Distance: 8.01 miles
Pace: 8:03s

Comment: dressed in longs, as it was well chilly. Bill had a headlamp, but actually it wasn't a particularly dark night. Good miles.

[backpost] SRRC run -- Sun. Jan. 30

Out with Bill, Rob L, Ken and Nick on another fine sunny day -- split into two groups, and I joined the long run, basically doing a backwards version of my yesterday Harris Mountain. It's a different route done that way, but we took it easy and chatted plenty. Rob went on to do five more at the end, and Bill and I decided to add a tiny bit to complete the two hours. Came out thus:

Time: 2:00:12
Distance: 15.56 miles
Pace: 7:43s

Comment: after the run got chatting to woman in DnD queue--she wanted to restart running, so I pointed her to Jen at the Clapp lib. Would be nice if we could get some more runners in our group, though this five set today was pretty good.

Update--still here, still running!

Wow, suddenly two weeks have gone by and I'm only just updating. Not much time for running in addition to actual life, so here comes a series of backposts. Runkeeper and my iPod have made daily reports pretty straightforward, and I'm taking a slightly different approach to recording my prep for the 'Gansett Marathon. I started training way later (with just 12 weeks left to go, instead of and 18 week plan), and I'm just doing weekly mileage totals plus a weekly long run, both slow building with taper. Not sure how the results will be -- my goal this time is 7:15 pace, which would be a 3:10 time.

Not unrealistic, I hope. I can do a pretty good pace for 20, but it's the last 6 miles that make all the difference. So, my *target* average pace for the first 20 should be 7:10s, then if I fade I can fade. Using this handy fade-compensating pace calculator, I learn that I can fade by 30 secs a mile if I do 20 x 7:08. Can I do ~that~? Well, it's now my goal.

Learn 7:08 pace -- that's the target for the next few weeks.