Training Log Archive: Ari-o

Long walk in the morning was probably good to stretch the legs out. They felt good after 30+ miles in two days. Four miles to keep them stretchy, 7:00 last mile downhill. Hopefully a big week this week.

59 miles in the past 7 days. Not bad given that I had a pretty nasty cold in the middle of it. Legs are feeling great. Hope this can hold out for another 4 weeks. One more big week and then the taper starts, right?

(I may be real dumb and do something like a Pemi Loop next weekend, especially if I can get a good long road run in the mean time.)

Up to Maine with roommates, and up to Tumbledown which I forget how gorgeous it is. Haven't been there in years. Peak foliage, blue sky day, nice and cool. Plan was to do a 5m loop over the mountain, and then as my roommates did the same thing at hiking speed, drop by the car, change some clothes, and run a road that they would then come pick me up, hoping to get 6-8 mi.

Trail run was nice. My blue and yellow Boston shirt caught the attention of some Ukrainians because it was Ukraine colors (also Sweden, but who is counting). The first mile running, the second steep, more fast hiking, pretty busy trail. Views on top were amazing, and it's a pretty good view ROI.

34m up, which is good for 5th on Strava, and included passing a lot of people, going up in L2, and stopping for a few minutes of hike pace with my roomates. Seems attainable. Might have to try that next year. Then up the next trail which was much less used (apparently most people do the Brook Trail out and back) which the DeLorme atlas said was easier and which … wasn't. I lost the trail and went across a bunch of ledges, gorgeous, but following a survey boundary which looked like blazes. And a couple of cairns, which didn't help. Lost 10m doing that, and then the trail down was pretty rugged.

Ran the bottom, mile to the car, change for ROADS.

Road run! Started with 9m miles up a hill for the first two miles, then steep down followed by gradual, then out and back when I thought maybe I'd missed a turn and I had to be on the right road in case my roommates were behind me (I hadn't, and they weren't nearby) so an extra mile there. Over a small rise and then whee down a steep hill and on to Route 17.

Now I'd run 7 miles plus five earlier and was getting ready to be picked up. But I was running 8s on the road, felt pretty good (but a little cold and bonky, it was about 46), great views. So when I got to 9 I figured well I hope I can get to 10 before they pick me up. Then at 10 I was hoping I could get to 11, and then 12, and then 13.1, which would be 18 for the day (well, a bit more), and made it there. Then I was hoping to get to 15 which would be 20 for the day but when the car finally showed up at 13.5 I was pretty happy for a warm car with snacks. But kept the pace up and my legs feel pretty okay, so that's good, even trashing them down a 300m descent. A little later than planned, but lots and lots of miles, and lots of food for dinner.

Allow me to sub-Attackpoint … missed the Highlander. Saw that it was this weekend today having already made plans (and … frankly … 26.2km through blueberry bushes might not be great for my legs/lungs right now). But how did I miss it? No one sent me an email, and given that I've run the last two (or maybe three) that would seem like a good way to gin up support. Not everyone is in the AP forums all the time.

Oh, well. Maybe next year/the year after/the year after.

C • Hype 2

Feeling even better today! Decided to just do a half-ish, out to Arlington Center via Fresh Pond, a fast mile down, and then a few joggles home. Not a bad day at all.

Around the river. Feeling better today, so decided to try a run. And it felt pretty decent. Still some snot rockets and sneezes, but a lot lot better than the past two days. Not fast, but at least this cold seems to be a quick hitter. Thanks goodness.

Slept 11h last night.

Definitely a cold. A couple of drinks probably didn't help, but not the culprit.

A bummer it had to come right when my training was feeling really good. Hopefully a quick hitter.

Training update …

75% of the way through the year (month-wise) I am at

298 hours
75km of vert

So the 400/100 goal is about on target.

Of course … last year my last three months were 116/36 (focused on vert, especially after the half). This year will probably be a bit tamer, vert-wise. I've cleared 100h every fourth quarter since 2015, when I was injured and there was no snow. Even with a taper for NYC, I should be able to get there. Might be a lot of rolling in November. Will sort of depend on job stuff, too.

Went to the track for morning track.

Well, I woke up, and it was raining, and I felt terrible, which might be partially a cold and partially having had three drinks last night with a friend in town. With dinner. But that is apparently a lot. I should have slept in, but, alas, I had said on the FB I was going to go run track.

No one else (I knew) showed up. I did a long, slow warmup, and some drills, and strides, and felt maybe ready to run laps. Plan was 4x1600.

First lap around was fine. Sub 90, so sub-6 mile.

Then things got progressively worse. After a 6:13 mile (not terrible) my head felt like it was about to explode. Couldn't get the HR out of L2. Legs felt okay, at least, but the wheels had otherwise come off.

I took a slow 400, ran 1200 more, felt worse, and called it a day.

If I magically feel better by 5 p.m. I may consider going to CSU track. Otherwise I might try again tomorrow in lieu or stairs, or skip track this week.

Felt so good this past weekend, a shame that it comes to this. Might go for Octsober, because it might be attributable to the drinks, but might also be a cold, who knows. Ugh.

Jogaroo. Feel pretty darned good even after a heavy weekend. 5 weeks to NYC and really nothing to complain about. Two more weeks of volume then taper, taper, taper!

186 miles of running in September (45/week) ain't bad.