Training Log Archive: Ari-o

Got a late start to the day so just headed out to Memorial Drive, which is closed on Sundays. But not long enough. 11-7? Why not 6-8? There is no traffic impact, and it's a great recreational resource. Also, why is there a brand new pavement 42' wide road next to a cracked and deteriorating 6' wide bike path? Am I the only one enraged by this? Priorities!

Anyway, there is this brand new pavement which I can safely use 8 hours a week between the Anderson and Eliot bridges. It's just a bit over 1k long, wide, new pavement, and with the wind blowing the way it was today was good for fast, long V2ing. Did 5 repeats, each about 3:00, until the DCR came and kicked us off the ice. I mean, reopened the road. So I skied home on a cracked-and-narrow side path.

Off to People's. Couldn't find anyone to go with which is dumb because it's a great race. My body having readily digested the sweet potato dinner from last night, I was off a few minutes late out the Pike. Registered, quick warm-up, cool (70s) and dry (as opposed to last year's cool and wet).

People's! Started out in about 5th or so, and really wasn't feeling great; like I hadn't eaten enough and done maybe a bit too much yesterday. Followed a pack out and dropped off of them up the first hill, got caught by a young kid and actually reeled him and a couple others in on a downhill (what?) in to the steep climb. Some fast hiking up that (pretty hot, also), and then I thought about going faster down the hills, although one guy scampered by me and ran much faster downhill.

On the road I had a huge gap on whoever was behind me, but then there was a steep downhill and someone caught up on me. One intersection was marked with an arrow sort of pointing the wrong way, and I hesitated, and he caught up, and then I led him quickly down some trail at just the edge of control. Good to push myself.

Then he passed me and I had nothing left. Oh well.

Came 6thish, lied in the river (so good!) and went home.

And by went home I mean went rollerskiing. Rather than scouting out several miles of road (mostly narrow, lots of big hills) I went to the rail trail I'd seen on my way. Found a map and realized I could rollerski across a state line! So I did. I'd forgotten a drink belt so I took a big swig from the emergency half gallon water jug I have in my car (which is next to the emergency gallon water jug I have in my car) and skied to and past the state line and then back. Busy day on the path, which is pretty narrow. Nice skiing, though, but I need to find some hills.

Then there was traffic on the Pike so I said eff it and had a lovely drive basically across the middle of nowhere in Connecticut on back roads, and didn't hit Sturbridge traffic but did hit accident traffic. Summer. The worst.

(Alex, when you're back:

4:30 North Station
5:20 Littleton
Rollerski! You can nicely start and end the loop at the station
7:26 Littleton
8:05 make Ed pick you up in Waltham.

Should work until October or so, light-wise.)

The humidity broke overnight and 70/58 never felt so good! Up for my alarm and off to an abbreviated November Project because I had to leave early for work. Hills, and some push ups, a fun workout.

50 push ups. One set aimed down a hill because harder.

Slow evening ride in the wind. Work drowned me completely and after 10 hours and nothing working and basically having the same list of to do things that I'd started with, it was high time to go on a bike ride. It wasn't fast, except when they put out signs in Lexington saying "everyone go slow on the bike path." It's the "Minuteman Commuter Bikeway" not the "Minuteman walk three abreast down the middle Bikeway." If you want to walk somewhere without bikes, walk on the sidewalk. For a lot of commuters it's the safest way to quickly get between home and work (especially since several sections have several miles between grade crossings).

Okay, rant over.

I also went fast when a bee stung me and I had to make pain to make the other pain go away. Then my leg hurt for a while.

Other than that, it was a nice ride. I was ready to crank the Putnam-Post Office segment in Cambridge when a couple of jaywalkers jumped the light in front of my bike. Apparently my brakes do work.

Still sore from Tuesday, but needing to get out. Also, hot. I waited until it started raining, which was a slight consolation.

Ran with a t-shirt in hand so I could go in to the grocery. Then when I was leaving this happened. Luckily, right in the parking lot, so I just ran back and got a new bag. And carried it under my arm. (ice crea + humidity = not good for paper bags)

Plan to run the Newburyport 10 miler was great until the train got delayed 40 minutes. Which meant my race was 11.5 miles: 1.5 to the start and then a quick registration (I had my money out and ready to go) and a quick sprint to start the race. Late. Oh well.

Newburyport "race."

In quotes because I still don't have a time, and started 5 minutes late, and the mat may have been off, or my late registration may not have been entered. I caught the pack about 500m in, and was passing the 12 minute milers. A couple miles later I was passing people a bit more slowly, but passing all the way. Great course, great time of day, lots of water stops and lawn sprinklers. I stayed mostly hydrated but it was 80 and humid so, no, I am not going to run super fast in these conditions. Still managed 7s with positive splits, not bad considering I had no one to pace off of and was just passing people the whole way. Fun race, though, definitely will do again. Hopefully with a train that doesn't poop the bed. Better the T than me!

On the ride home we had an impromptu transit nerd meeting, so that was fun. And the train was on time.

Warm evening after the deluge, quick run. Hemming and hawing about the 10 miler tomorrow in Newburyport. Yeah, it will be warm, but what's the worst that happens? Heat stroke?