Training Log Archive: Ari-o

Run to and from NP. Got out the door early enough I was able to jog over, not sprint.

Which was good, because my sprinting legs are not around today.

C • Does Boston public transit ... 3

They kept yelling Tallahassee and we had to switch directions when we did. I kept track of sections, which they were discouraging doing (of course I did; so did Strava).

And I kept yelling names of other cities in Florida. IMMOKALEE! PENSACOLA! GAINSVILLE!

Friend posted a run with Meb. Well, that sounded more fun than, say, course work.

Ran over to MIT, because the track is closer to my house. It says the track is closed during varsity practice, but the gate was open and there were maybe 10 people running around and I pay a $156 fee every semester for these facilities. What could go wrong?

Track! Well, some intervals at the track. Ran a 3:45 1000 and that felt okay, and a slightly faster 600, then a slower 1000. The rain was cold. Hey, at least my new marathon pace is 1:10 slower than that pace!

So. A gruff, old white guy got pissed off that we were running on his track. Not open to argument. I guess I can see why they don't want a lot of people on the track … but also, it's a D3 school, and it's not like the track is swarmed with people doing intervals. I may go run intervals there and refuse to leave and see what happens. Not get in anyone's way, but just see if there is an enforcement mechanism behind the guy yelling. Will he attempt to remove me from the track? Will he call MIT Police? Will he just stand down? This is inviting confrontation, but also, eff that guy and his power trip.

Maybe I'll write a sternly worded email.

Then after the fast bits we ran to Ben and Jerry's, got sleeted on, because spring, waited in a long line of students, and then got a ride home with an Ed. And by we, I mean Ed and I ate ice cream, and Alex watched, because she is exercising self control this month.

Run over to NP. Mostly because they had free doughnuts at the train station.

Some shuffles along the street.

So they said either put out 0, 1 or 2 fingers with a partner. If 0: do 20 burpies in the rain (strike out). If 1, a short run and 15 burpies. 2, slightly longer run and 10, 3 slightly longer run and 5, 4, slightly longer run (but still short) and zero burpies.

There was really no incentive to ever put out anything but two fingers. Game theory!

Of course after 33 miles, I didn't really wan to run. So I put out 0 every time. And did a lot of 10 burpies. A few 15s. A 20 with Bojan. And at then end, a 20 with someone who also threw 0 and had no idea I would too. Then they called time.

FREE DONUTS. Of "championship rings" at the Commuter Rail station. I only had two. Because I can exercise self control.

So plan was to meet a friend who was starting in Wellesley and running east on the marathon route. I would run straight out west, and he'd run east on Washington, and the twain would meet.

Well, except I didn't stress that I was running out Washington Street, so he thought I was running out the marathon route (nah, moar hills) so I ran to Lower Falls, figured we'd missed each other, and then ran back.

Slowly.

Pretty struggly, although I did run 13 yesterday. 19 today, not too bad, legs didn't fell too tired or hurty, so that's probably good. Now maybe some track this week?

So this is really bad, guys.

My thesis is due May 17. I am having major Boston FOMO without a qualifier. And NY is far too late to qualify for next year. (There's a very slight chance that with the new standards Boston doesn't fill up and they keep reg open, but that's not very likely, plus it would probably fill after Chicago and the rest of October anyway.)

I don't want to run a marathon before thesis o'clock. Also, the two weekends before are Billygoat and Sisters. So that ain't happening. The weekend after thesis is Sugarloaf or Martha's Vineyard. MVY is logistically hard: get to the island, find somewhere to stay. Sugarloaf is logistically easy: drive up to camp, drive to the bus. Except Sugarloaf is sold out.

But they have a wait list. So I put my name on the wait list, since it showed that there were <2000 people (their limit) signed up. My name immediately cleared. I have two days to pull the trigger (or, theoretically, churn the wait list). But eff it, why not. I'll probably be up there anyway, why not destroy my legs while I'm at it?

Training-wise, well, I only need a 3:05 (or more like a 3:03, and the last time I ran that slow I was dead). I ran 50 miles last week (albeit not all on roads) but as long as I can throw in a couple of 20 mile runs in the next few weeks I should be okay. The worst that happens is I make a donation to Sugarloaf, or whoever runs the race.

I'm a moron.

C • Vermont City in Burlington 2

Out, late in the afternoon, for a long run of unspecified length but definitely L1. Second mile was 7:13. So I dialed back other than sprinting for lights. Around Fresh Pond, and then around it another time, and then across FPP between the rotaries. A woman had fainted there, but there were several bystanders and one appeared to be a medical professional by the way she was ordering people around, so I kept on. Down towards Kendall, then back along the river. Half. A bit slower than when I ran a half this fall. But 65 and sunny; drained a water bottle but felt fine.

Quick jog out and about and across a bunch of bridges and to TJs.