Training Log Archive: Ari-o

Skiing next weekend. Pick of the weekend = Sugarloaf since they're getting lots of snow today (6"+) for a base for the next storm. Jackson/Craftsbury/Trapps will be putting snow on to warm, wet ground (although it might freeze up between now and Tuesday … might). I think it's worth the drive to Maine. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Decided to play the train game and eschew the drive out to rollerski. Ski to Porter is 15 minutes, it turns out, now that Beacon is repaved in Somerville. Quite nice!

Ski! Started out at Littleton Station and had realized on the way out that I could ski to South Acton from Littleton (actually, there would be a good 25 mile loop from South Acton which would work well for the 2:40 midday train schedule). But I went to Littleton, got off the train, and started skiing the normal loop. I did find that if you go down Fairbanks Street and through the school in Harvard that works well, then turned back up to Borroughs Road and took a right, and then another right.

Then I got on to Flagg Hill Road, which was great new pavement, and Summer Street (fine) and Central (fine pavement, but quite a bit of traffic). Next time I might try heading out South Acton Road from South Acton; 28 miles in 2:40 would be very tight, though. So out on Central to Liberty Square might be the way to go. But starting out on Central Road for the first mile, and then hitting the loop, well, that would be nice.

Even nicer? Not rollerskiing until June.

Rollerskiing home. Quite nice, actually, Beacon to Inman, straight through Central on the end of a walk cycle and the beginning of a green, to Magazine and home.

I had forgotten my Charlie Card and was a little concerned that it might be dark, but it wasn't. Had I had it, though, I could have saved dollar bills (nearly three of them) taking the 70 bus home from Waltham. This was slightly faster, though.

After Jew Christmas (Chinese and drinks last night, hungover bagels and lox this morning) I decamped for Littleton this afternoon. No traffic anywhere (although not as quiet as the morning in Boston biking, jeesh; would be a good candidate for Marathon rollerski except goddamn it should never bet his warm).

Had 2 hours before dark (actually more than last week, I think, given the fact that dusk is now moving in the other direction and it's 65˚ and, well, at least we're not killing our base because we don't have any). Decided to do the short version of the long loop, straight up Bolton Road out of Harvard. Felt pretty ducky after eating an Emergency ProBar in the car (I have these things) and made the loop in under 2 hours, plenty bright at the end.

Probably back tomorrow to ski some more. It really needs to unspringify, and it looks like it might this week!

Xmas eve run. Got home from work, then dealt with more work, then it was 5:30 and the stores were about to close and I needed a couple things from Whole Foods so I went there first. It turns out that they're having their "buy a lot of gift cards get 10% bonus" deal again, so Merry Christmas to me! This is like getting 10% off of everything in the store (okay, fine, there's opportunity cost and NPV to consider but where else do you get a 10% guaranteed rate of return?).

I bought $1000, which should last two years, as I have about $66 left on the cards from the last time I put $1000 on those cards. No, I still won't buy obscenely overpriced things there, but for normal things it makes quite a difference.

Then I had a small string backpack full of stuff but those run well; I tied it over my chest and ran the river. Not fast, but it felt good, despite being all sweaty out (damn near 70, with the highest PWATs ever for this time of year). Saving grace? At least we're not melting away a base. Seriously, it is much more depressing when you have two feet of snow melting away when it's 65 than when there's no skiing to lose. Psychology is weird.

Anyway, ran to the Longfellow and back. Six miles on my ankle with weight on my back (maybe three pounds, but still) and NO PAIN. This is very, very, very good. I think next week I can start putting some hills or trails on to it. Or, if I'm a very good boy, it will snow. (It might actually snow!)

And now, we run. Ankle feeling better this week so it was time for a test run. Just the normal 3.5 mile river loop, but felt good the whole way.

Was it 45 and pouring rain? Yes. Was it properly windy? Oh yes. Did my legs hurt from not running for a month and then throwing down a 22:45 6k (18:50 5k)? You better believe it. Was I very happy. Yes.

Off to NP. Breezy for a cool night ride through the city. Well, early morning, but it was dark.

Sunrise 6k action. Every so often November Project has a 6:30 6k race. Why 6k? Who knows. The last time this was done was on a snowy loop around Harvard Stadium, in February, the week after the Birkie and a Tuesday night race. I figured I'd be faster this time.

Oh, but my ankle. Well, today marked two weeks since I was told not to run on it, and after some stretching this weekend and rollerskiing, it felt fine. I told myself I was not going to keep going if it start to hurt, and figured that this race would keep me to 4 miles of running, or so.

Got there just in time, t-shirt, shorts and gloves, and go. Ran through the pack to near the start, crosswind, then turned, tailwind, in about 5th place. Then we went around Pleasure Bay (3k around almost exactly) and I was running with Jon, and we went straight in to the wind. Drafting someone who is a foot shorter than you doesn't really do much, and then he put some time on me as I gingerly turned at the turnaround, but I caught back up.

Some tailwind as we went around, and then we went in to a wall, a.k.a. the teeth of the 17G23 winds blowing across the ocean. Times went up, and 6:30s felt like 8s. Dan caught up to us as we neared the finish and we went in to it, three-across, although they both outsprinted me for the finish but I didn't really try to contest it too much. Safety third.

Ankle felt fine at the end, and some stretching. 22:45, including an 18:50 5k (still haven't ever run a 5k!).

If in fact I can run again, woo! Might do some track work this week, running fast is fun.

And then I bike to work. Some in to the wind.