Training Log Archive: Ari-o

Tapered all week, to try to see if I could run a 1:23 half. 21 second PR, and because I'm getting old, enough to qualify me in to NY. 6:20s, for 13 miles. I had no idea.

Stayed with my sister and BiL, who were planning to spectate, and I was their excuse to leave early. Easy drive up, in line to pee, and then climbed through the fence to get in to the start pen. Gun goes off, start running with the lead pack, then dropped off. 5:57 first mile, which I planned, but then dialed back a bit. Double loop, so you get the lay of the land the first time around. In to the wind and uphill the first 3ish miles, but I was able to keep under pace, and bank about a minute of time in the first half. Decent tailwind in places on the way back. Good to know.

First "borrowing" mile at mile 7, uphill and in to the wind, but 6:21, so not much to borrow. Found a guy to draft and did so (runners so don't get drafting). Followed him across the bridge, drafting when need be, and borrowed again, but 6:23. Down the other side of the river, less wind, still running with the guy, not really chatting because I was running 3:10 800s, which I can do pretty easily, but I was running 26 of them in a row. But kept pace, and had a minute of time banked, and ran even splits down the river.

Came to the last mile without the need for a finish kick, so ran pretty much even splits. HR crept up towards L4 near the end, and I felt my legs, but hey I had a mile to go, 6:50 to run it in, and just didn't need to fall apart. Knew where I was, and what I needed to do, and cruised in, well under time and happy with the even splits. (FWIW: 5:57, 6:06, 6:17, 6:12, 6:13, 6:11, 6:21, 6:23, 6:14, 6:20, 6:18, 6:16, 6:11.)

Perfect weather—45˚, cloudy and breezy—helped a lot. Cheering helped some, drafting helped some, and being in decent shape for it helped a bit I guess. Now I can focus back on strength (gave up #deckaday when the weather looked good for this) and vert and mountains and skis.

Also sorry Alex, I probably won't try another one next weekend.

Out to Littleton. Not sure that a rollerski is great taper, but hey, it's on the way to register for the half. Skied the short loop, slowly, lots of DP, no extensions, poles on the hill. Started with a party and wound up with a couple of juniors. Kind of nice to be done at 11. Then up to Lowell to find a bib and give people all the money. (15 minutes from Littleton, half the reason I came.)

Training/shake out/taper run. Skipping NP this week. Easy run, also looking at something for class.

All 22 miles of Route 26 north of Newry through Grafton Notch were repaved this year. This is on the list for next summer if I'm around (at least up the hill to the trailhead). AADT equal to or lower than most roads in Littleton (albeit higher speeds).

Out to do a tempo and see how I might fare in a 13.1 this weekend.

The answer is … mixed. I had no trouble holding 6:30s for 3.5 miles, and at L3, about 155 bpm. This is two days off a pretty good trail run and a rollerski, so not tapered fully. And in old trail runners. So that all might be worth 15s/mi? Or it might not. 55˚ and dry, so cool, but still warm enough I was sweating pretty well; Sunday would be about 10˚ cooler.

I need 6:20s to qualify for NY. For 13.1 miles. Can I hold 6:20s for 83 minutes? Should I try? I don't know.

C • Half 2

Starting out to the tempo, then coming back across the bridges. New stairs from Appleton to Longfellow are certainly nicer than the old ones!

Cold overnight but some sun in the trees as the fog blew off and the temperature crept in to the 40s, and I went up the hill to rollerski. Decided to go down Route 41 and just kept going. Went out a new road until I got to a hill I didn't want to go down, then up over the hill to Minnehonk on the beautiful new pavement. Not a bad ski! Got back to the car just as the first drops of rain started to fall.