Training Log Archive: Ari-o

Signed up for Traverse. Now, to nurse the ITB …

Out for a quick warm-up with Kryz … it's cold. Most of the ponds are frozen. More good O terrain.

Upton trail race. I had a credit from last spring so the total entry was under $20. How could I not run it! Sure, my IT band was unhappy, but when has that ever stopped me from being stupid.

Felt good for the first mile or so. Patrick Caron was way off the front, but he's really good. Then about two miles in, big downhill, start feeling the ITB. It was basically fine on uphills, but I couldn't push anything flat or down. So this led to a fartlek workout: pushing the uphills, because I was rested and could, and jogging the downhills and flats, because anything more felt pretty ugly. So I'd spike my HR in to L3 on the hills, and then have it collapse right down. Running in the cold felt great though.

Second lap I fell in with people who were going about the same pace overall. I'd charge by them on the uphills and then explain they should let me know on singletrack downhills because I could barely run down. I also knew there was about 100m of climb in the second to last mile (two lap race), so when we got there, I charged up those hills, and then pushed hard enough on the down I didn't see anyone. Too bad I couldn't gain those minutes on the flats, though.

ITB hurts, but not too bad. Lots of rolling this week. Both with foam and on skis. Goal is leg recovery for the Traverse on Sunday. If I can orienteer as well as last week, it will be fun!

Days colder than 24˚ in Boston on 11/11 or earlier since 1872 (period of record):

1878: 1
1879: 3
2017: 1

And in 2017, it was the day of the NENSA coaching clinic, so we stood in the cold and wind for three hours doing rollerski drills.

I had all the layers. We survived.

Up to Portland to pick up my AT skis, then to Bradbury for a run with Jess. (Woo, day off!) It was quite cold, getting late, and my IT band is still unhappy. Bradbury is gorgeous, though, and would make for some fun O terrain.

With it getting dark early, I decided maybe it would be fun to ski out to South Acton or Littleton and take the train home. So I tried out out. Train to Alewife, out the bike path. Bike path is wicked nice, and repaved west of Lexington! But getting through Concord is a mess. Route 62 is unfun, as are the other roads through Concord and West Concord. If they could build the Reformatory trail (currently programmed for 2022, because bikes don't matter) it would make it much nicer/safer. The last few miles to South Action were fine, but it's not worth it even to maximize daylight. I'll either drive to Littleton or ski the bike path (22 miles rt).

Got bonky near the end, called it quits at South Acton. Train to Waltham, card reader broken on the 70, so no bus fare, but a 20 minute headway and a long ride.

Well, the ITB is regressing. Started hurting quickly today. Made it through 13 sections and had to call it quits. No bueno.

Longfellow run. Nice evening, a few short pick ups. Then the ITB started to hurt again and I pushed through it because I wanted to go spend the money at Whole Paycheck and was hungry.

Temperature just fell through 60˚ and doesn't look to go above for a while.

Forecast for Craftsbury:
39-22
43-26
45-20
26-14
30-19

I will now repeat the mantra "I will not drive an obscene distance to ski manmade snow."

C • Snowmaking 2