Training Archive: PGIn the 30 days ending 2008-06-30:
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| S | M | T | W | H | F | S | S | M | T | W | H | F | S | S | M | T | W | H | F | S | S | M | T | W | H | F | S | S | M | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monday Jun 30 | ||
| trail running 41:27 [3] | |
| shoes: Asics trail | ||
| Up Wantastiquet Mt across the river from Brattleboro, climb was 1060'. Up in 24:39, back down in 16:48. Made it all the way up without walking, though it was not without a bit of willpower (and a shortened stride and slower cadence). A couple minutes slower than a couple of years ago, but I am older, and also carrying about one and a half extra five-pound bags of sugar.
At some point the phrase "Murphy repeats" popped into my mind, and I chuckled as I realized that I was in fact doing a set of Murphy repeats up Mt. W. The term is named in honor of a local runner Jim Murphy. Jim was a pretty good runner, an even better (or more loquacious) talker about running, especially his own. A run with Jim would mean you might ask him, How you doing, Jim, and that would be the last thing you would get to say, because he would never stop telling you all about his running. And one time he announced that he had been out the previous day doing repeats up Mt Toby, and, because he didn't know when to shut up, it came out pretty quickly that he had actually done just one repeat. Hence the term, Murphy repeats, and a whole lot of razzing. | ||
| C • a much needed running term 1 | ||
| nautilus 50:00 [1] | |
| And then to the gym, though I didn't go there directly. First a very enjoyable round of rogaine practice with Mike Fritz, enjoyable for the excellent company and good conversation, enjoyable despite my truly atrocious golf, at least on the front nine, though I did at least finish with some semblance of grace. And I believe I behaved quite well!
And then he headed off back north. and the sun was still shining and there was no rush to get home, so I stopped for another 9 holes of RP, a similar progression from atrocious to quite fine. And then stopped at the gym for a good workout. Hmmm, good day, 10 pm, time for dinner. | ||
Sunday Jun 29 | ||
| Event: WCOC BBQ, Sprints, Meeting at DeWeese Farm | ||
| orienteering 28:04 [3]2.5 km (11:14 / km) | |
| shoes: integrators 2006 | ||
| The Ratlum "sprints" at the DeWeese estate. Started off with sprint B ("sprint" seems not quite the right word for something that I did at about 11 minutes per km). Here is the map and my route.
A few comments about the course -- #1. Ok, would have been slightly better if the control had been on the SW part of the knoll instead of SE, therefore closer to the trail.... :-) #2. Fine, nice bit of woods! #3. Fine. #4. Excellent. #5. Spiked it, though I'm quite sure it was on a cliff south of the one in the circle (and the clearing was farther south too). I expected to get through the mounain laurel and then hook back to the left, but there it was, just to my right. #6. And therefore, the direction to #6 seemed too much to the east instead of SE. But OK woods going to 6. #7 And OK woods going to 7 too! #8. And trails almost all the way to 8, excellent! #9. Ditto, excellent (except I took a shortcut, didn't save me anything). #10. Excellent for the first 90% of the leg. If the control had just been at the trail bend I used for an attack point, this would have been truly excellent. And if after that the course headed directly to the finish, it would have been really truly excellent. But.... #11. Uggh. #12. Uggh. But I finished, with not much in the way of damage despite wearing shorts. And mostly enjoyed it! | ||
| orienteering 10:00 [2] | |
| shoes: integrators 2006 | ||
| After finishing sprint B, I quickly determined that if I didn't wait long before I start sprint A, I could escape the need for both cooldown from B and then warmup for A. And, a look upwards revealed a darkening and somewhat ominous looking sky. So within 5 minutes I was off on sprint A, the shorter of the two and supposedly the more difficult.
Here is the course and my route. The observant reader with notice that my route seems to stop in the vicinity of #2. Which it did. After a somewhat round-about route to #1, though I spiked the control, I headed off on the trail to #2. Got to the bend in the trail, went in where the map indicated, the vibes were immediately very bad -- thick mountain laurel, the control and boulders were supposed to be 10 meters from the trail, but no sign of anything, very limited visibility, turned right, picked my way uphill a little bit, back out right at the bend, still nothing. Back in, this time left, and quite a ways down were the boulders and the control. And I just got pissed. Well, no, actually, the getting pissed had been building up over the couple of minutes I was climbing through the mountain laurel looking for the dumb thing. So I just quit, and very slowly jogged (and walked a little) back to the finish. Which was done at just the right pace, so that by the time I got back almost all the being pissed had dissipated and I managed to be quite civil and friendly (I think?), just said I'd stopped. As it turned out, it was a really good decision, because the sky was already much more ominous, and within a couple of minutes it was raining, and within a couple more minutes it was pouring. And I was glad not to being still going hand-to-hand with the laurel! | ||
| Note | |
| So rather than drip all over the inside of Charlie and Rhonda's house, I headed to their garage to change. Which included a very pleasant couple of minutes standing out in their driveway with nothing on, letting the rain rinse me off. Then upstairs to partake of the real purpose of the visit, the good food and company.
And, as it turned out, the fireworks, so to speak. It was still getting darker, and there was thunder in the distance, and then the power went out, and then the thunder got closer, and then I happened to be looking out a window and saw a very distinct bolt of lightning, and I've always known to start counting as you wait for the noise so you know how far away it is (and therefore how scared to be), 1000' for every second. And this one, I saw the bolt and heard the boom and there wasn't even time to think about counting. Awful close. And then a few minutes later, I was looking out over the deck, where their monster grill is, and another bolt and boom simultaneously, I figured it had hit between the grill and the house. So it was pretty exciting! Though I have this feeling that some of their electronics may not be working so well any more. Which would really suck. All this notwithstanding, the food was wonderful, another Rhonda masterpiece, and the company was even better. And the desserts, well, there were some brownies that Ross brought, and some other kind of sweet thing with coffee and I think lots of butter and sugar that Janet brought, and some chocolate chip concoction that someone else brought. Yummm. Finally headed home. Where I discovered my new technique for keeping from eating after dinner -- curl up on the couch for a couple of hours of light reading in one of my PC books.... :-( | ||
| C • AOWN 9 | ||
Saturday Jun 28 | ||
| trail running 51:48 [3] | |
| shoes: Asics trail | ||
| From Mill River out the RF to Juggler Meadow Road (26:45) and back (25:03). Slow pace, legs were feeling yesterday's harder effort, plus really feeling the heat/humidity. So just tried to keep running, which took a bit of will power a couple of times. Clothes soaking wet by the time I was done.
Only 8 FDFs today. Not that I'm complaining. | ||
Friday Jun 27 | ||
| trail running 46:50 [4]5.43 mi (8:38 / mi) | |
| shoes: Asics trail | ||
| Sugar-Gunn loop, same as a couple of days ago, but pretty hard pace this time on a warm and very humid day (dewpoint about 70). Quite pleased with the time, was hoping for 48. Good for morale. And in the process knocked off 30 FDFs. That also is good for morale. :-)
Otherwise, a bit of a hard day. | ||
| C • 30! 6 | ||
| Note | |
| Dessert tonight -- some really tasty fresh cherries. Actually, quite a lot of them. | ||
Thursday Jun 26 | ||
| trail running 45:38 [3]5.0 mi (9:07 / mi) | |
| shoes: Asics trail | ||
| Two days in a row! A little cooler though more humid, felt a little more lively. Up to the PL (17:36), Muck/MM/PL loop (14:31), and back (13:31). Just two more FDF kills, must have them pretty much wiped out.
Also, after some complaints yesterday, did a bunch of lopping at the start of the trail. Looks much better. But decided I could put off the first mowing of the year for another week or two as the moss is doing nicely, especially over the leach field. Seems like a rogaine (at a relaxed pace) is on the schedule for 2 weeks from now. | ||
| C • 24 hour rogaine? 3 | ||
| C • FDF Kills 1 | ||
| Note | |
| Well, it was not the news I had hoped for, but in all honesty, I think it was the news I expected.
Back to the urologist for the results of the second biopsy, this time it was definite, a tumor on one section. Supposedly small, supposedly not life-threatening, but has to be dealt with. So we talked a little, and made another appointment for two weeks from now, last one of the day, so I can stay and talk as long as I want, he said, and I left with a couple of books about prostate cancer (not that I haven't been reading a bunch of stuff in the last 5 months). Sat in the car for half an hour reading parts of one of them, then drove home, slowly as is my custom these days. Not feeling great, not feeling awful, just thinking things through. Need to deal with this, and I am not looking forward to it at all, none of it, not the figuring out what to do, and where to do it, and then the doing, and the recovering, and the dealing with side effects, and who knows what else. But I also need to just keep the rest of my life intact. Which so far I have been doing pretty well. That will be a bigger challenge now, but one I have some optimism about. So, now I'm off to a board meeting. And then to the gym if I don't lose my resolve. I was thinking on the way home that I should start eating more desserts (the old phrase -- life is short, eat dessert first), but I do like keeping the G no higher than it is, and preferably a little lower. But, still, maybe the occasional dessert.... | ||
| C • Good luck - with the desser... 7 | ||
| nautilus 50:00 [1] | |
Wednesday Jun 25 | ||
| trail running 53:00 [3]5.4 mi (9:49 / mi) | |
| shoes: Asics trail | ||
| Sugar-Gunn loop with Phil, relaxed pace, though that's not to say it wasn't an effort. Glad he called, since my plan had been to go for a ouple of hours, which would have been a real struggle. And nice to have company.
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Monday Jun 23 | ||
| nautilus 50:00 [1] | |
| Meant to go for a run too, but it was pouring, so I took a nap instead.
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| Note | |
| Hmm, Barb is looking for a partner for the CNYO rogaine. Would she go slow enough?
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| C • Hey, sign up! Glen and I d... 3 | ||
Saturday Jun 21 | ||
| trail running 1:40:53 [3] | |
| shoes: Asics trail | ||
| Tuesday evening loop by myself. Only did it because it seemed more likely I would get in a decent run if I started on something specific (and not from home).
Legs mostly ok while running, but pretty sore afterwards, and pretty beat too. Also the official start of the FDF season. Not much activity, none actually that were bothering me in any way, but 5 corpses ended up on the back of my hat. My can of Tanglefoot still has lots left, but I need to get a new roll of blue duct tape. So nice to have a WMD which seems to work exceptionally well and cause no collateral damage (unless you have lots of hair). | ||
| C • Useless 11 | ||
Friday Jun 20 | ||
| nautilus 50:00 [1] | |
Thursday Jun 19 | ||
| Note | |
| Back to the urologist for another biopsy, results not for another week. This one seemed like even less fun physically than last time, meaning it just hurt more, though psychologically it was much much easier.
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Wednesday Jun 18 | ||
| Note | |
| Maps from last weekend --
1. Saturday morning, Paugusset, put out #s 1-4 and 7-10 (click for a larger view). 
2. Saturday afternoon, Tarrywile, put out #s 7-12 and 15 (click for a larger view). 
3. Sunday morning, Bethel schools, put out #s 1-2, 4--10, 18-21, also designed course. 
4. Sunday late morning, Huntington, put out northern 12 points, also designed course (5 mass start segments with forking). 
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Monday Jun 16 | ||
| trail running 1:02:14 [3] | |
| weight:139.5lbs shoes: Asics trail | ||
| Late afternoon run in Wolfeboro (NH), visiting the Goodwins. Nice old woods roads, up a fair bit on the way out, which makes coming back quite pleasant.
Checking my log from last year, the first significant FDF slaughter was on June 20th. Getting close.... | ||
| C • I've nailed exactly one FDF... 5 | ||
Sunday Jun 15 | ||
| orienteering 50:00 [3] | |
| shoes: Montrail #2 | ||
| Hanging controls at Huntington SP for the team training. Ran at a decent pace, and since we weren't using e-boxes (or worrying about what the control codes were) for this training, didn't need to stop long to hang them. Not as hot as yesterday but very humid. I was dripping wet by the time I was done.
Legs felt better. Fine weekend, chez Rick and Susie DeWitt, wonderful hosts for all of us (plus they did a bunch of control pick-up, plus some hanging too). Also lots of help from George Walker. Also hung controls for the sprint in Bethel, but that only took about 15-20 minutes. | ||
Saturday Jun 14 | ||
| orienteering 1:05:00 [1] | |
| shoes: Montrail #2 | ||
| Hanging controls at Paugusset for team training. Mostly walking, except for 10 minutes at the end get back as I was running close on time (due back at 10, got there at 9:58). Feeling sore (left upper hamstrig/hip) and clumsy. Warm and humid.
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| orienteering 1:05:00 [2] | |
| shoes: Montrail #2 | ||
| Hanging controls at Tarrywile. Gradually a bit more vigorous as I was running quite close on time (due back at 1:30, arrived at 1:29). Still sore, but maybe less so. Very warm and humid, but got done before the t-storms arrived.
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Friday Jun 13 | ||
| nautilus 55:00 [1] | |
| Quite enjoyed this and felt better afterwards.
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Thursday Jun 12 | ||
| track 24:00 [4]5.5 km (4:22 / km) | |
| shoes: integrators 2006 | ||
| At the track. The schedule was 2, 3, 4, 5, 3, and 2 minutes, all at your 5K pace (whatever that is), with 1 minute in between of "active recovery," described as 10-mile pace (whatever that is).
Seemed like I was doing the faster parts at about 6:45 pace, the slower parts at about 7:30-7:45 pace. Did the first 5K in 21:52, pretty good, given that legs felt pretty tired from yesterday. Lower back also sore, think I need to go back to using my trolley. | ||
| track 6:15 [3]1.2 km (5:12 / km) | |
| shoes: integrators 2006 | ||
| Short warm-up. Nothing after other than a little walking as a pre-ordered pizza was waiting (onions, peppers, turkey sausage, tasted quite good).
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Wednesday Jun 11 | ||
| trail running 1:45:10 [3] | |
| shoes: Asics trail | ||
| So Donna called yesterday to say the Tuesday group run was being postponed to Wednesday because of the oppressive heat/humidity, and she hoped I was coming because they were ready to try a new route and she hoped I could come up with something. That suited me fine, since Tuesday hadn't worked anyway (dinner out to celebrate our 35th anniversary). I dreamed up what I thought would be a nice loop, over to Bull Hill and maybe even a side trip to the caves.
But when I showed up and raised the subject of where we were going, Cristy and a guy I hadn't met (Dan) said they wanted to do hills, meaning the standard route, since they are training for Mt. Washington. So that's what we did. Bleh.... So I was in a bit of a funk. And then after about 30 minutes Dave tripped and crashed, banged up a knee, hard to tell how bad but it didn't seem awful. He said he'd head back, fine by me, but Cristy seemed unhappy with the thought of Dave going by himself. While we were discussing what to do, Dave had already headed back, walking. And we were dithering, and then I said, I'll go with him, and I just took off. And quite happy not to be doing the planned loop, and in a way quite happy to be on my own. The idea was not to keep Dave company, but just to make sure he got back ok. So I played "dog," ran around a bunch without ever getting too far away from him. And after a bit he started running and was doing pretty well, and we got back just fine. And then I headed back out the loop the reverse way to meet the others and finished up with them. Turned out to be a much more pleasant way of doing it, for me at least, though maybe not for Dave, or Cristy, who crashed a few minutes after I left them and bashed his ribs, or Donna, who went sprawling just before the end. But for me, no falls! And a good workout on a very warm evening. | ||
| C • Happy anniversary! 2 | ||
Monday Jun 9 | ||
| nautilus 25:00 [1] | |
| All I had time for. Hamstrings are still weak but getting a little stronger.
Legs felt ok after yesterday. I do remember holding back in the last half mile (gently down or flat), no point in doing any damage to hamstrings or whatever else in a foolish attempt to save 30 seconds. Really hot for my morning walk. But I am building a good base for Estonia. | ||
Sunday Jun 8 | ||
| trail running 57:21 [4]7.0 mi (8:10 / mi) | |
| shoes: Asics trail | ||
| Took a couple of days off because I was lazy/sore/smart (take your pick), although I was still getting my daily walk in. With more hot weather today, I figured I needed something to get me going, so I found a trail race just north of Fitchburg, 7 miles, probably just under an hour, thought I'd give it a try.
It was hot (upper 80s). Warmed up for 5 minutes to get a little oil in the joints, and then we all walked the half mile from the parking up a modest hill to the start/finish. At which point the sweat was already pouring off. Not a good sign. But the race went pretty well. A modest crowd, about 75 folks, felt like the trail races of a couple of decades ago. No pushing at the start, line up with the fastest at the front, and no waiting even though the trail was narrow. Couldn't decide if my pace was ok or just a little fast, but the miles went by pretty quickly, and I was done in just about the time I expected. And quite pleased, a good effort and not falling apart at the end. Finished up 12th. Results. My route, very roughly. This was one of the few times I would have liked to have had a GPS to map the route. My rough mapping of the course gets just over 6 miles, but I know there were lots more zigs and zags. And all the miles were marked, supposedly (I only spotted #s 1 and 5), so I assume they measured things with a GPS and the distance is more or less accurate. All the Forerunner-carrying folks will give you a number to two decimal places, looks very accurate but they know it's bogus, I'd guess the distance was something between 6.7 and 7. And the course? Gorgeous. Nice trails, a little rocky in places, a reasonable number of hills, but all runnable. Area would be fine for orienteering, but I'm not sure about access. Land owned in part by a land trust, in part by Audubon, in part by the local hospital, in part by the water district. Running and other passive recreation seems to be just fine, certainly the land trust person I talked to thought the race was just a fine use of the land. And looking at maps you'd never know the place existed, since none is state forest or state park. A really nice spot. | ||
| C • local to me 1 | ||
| C • Litchfield 2 | ||
| trail running 5:00 [3] | |
| shoes: Asics trail | ||
| Warm-up.
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| Note | |
| Stopped on the way home for a walk in Winchendon on an interesting old Donald Ross course. Pretty depleted by the end, temperature pushing 90 and up and down a bunch of hills, but excellent rogaine practice.
And a good day for bringing out my manic-depressive tendencies.... :-) | ||
| C • Summer? 2 | ||
Thursday Jun 5 | ||
| nautilus 50:00 [1] | |
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| track 24:00 [4]5.7 km (4:13 / km) | |
| shoes: Asics trail | ||
| Thursday evening group. The schedule called for 3 x 8 minutes with a 3-minute rest between segments; each 8-minute segment was supposed to be a minute fast (5K pace?), a minute active recovery (10 mile pace?), repeat 4 times.
I think I was running about 6:20 pace for the faster minutes and 7:00 pace for the slower ones. Did about 1880 meters the first times (mile in about 6:45), about 1940 the third time (mile in 6:38). Seemed easy psychologically, never running hard for more than a minute, and I always used to like workouts where the recoveries were relatively short and quick. Whatever, the third one was not a struggle at all. Except now my left hip has an ache. But then my quite severe walking-around-the house right leg pain has completely disappeared. Just more proof that the best way to get rid of one ailment is to get another. | ||
| track 10:35 [2]2 km (5:18 / km) | |
| shoes: Asics trail | ||
| Four laps before, one after.
And then stopped on the way home for a slice of organic veggie pizza. Yummy. | ||
Wednesday Jun 4 | ||
| trail running 47:32 [3] | |
| weight:138lbs shoes: Asics trail | ||
| Pocumtuck Ridge, south end to the towers, same as 5/21. 25:30 out, 22:02 back. Coolish, light rain, glad to have it done.
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Tuesday Jun 3 | ||
| nautilus 50:00 [1] | |
|
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| trail running 1:47:35 [3] | |
| shoes: Asics trail | ||
| Tuesday evening run on Mt. Toby with Dave, Donna, Rick, plus two guys I didn't know, Nelson and Cristy (names remembered only after asking several times). Pace was just right, meaning I was neither the slowest nor the fastest. Good effort, though running up the steep section above the S curves still seems something I am no longer capable of. Though I did make it an extra 20 or 30 yards up before I started walking. And I could have gone farther, but the thought of the weight lifters and pole vaulters made me quickly decide not to push the mark too high all at once, in order to leave room for progress on the next attempt.
A little bit longer route tonight, so the longer time does not mean a slower pace. Conditioning is slowly getting better. I would be tempted to run the race at Northfield on Saturday, but fortunately I have a prior commitment.... :-) | ||
| C • Prior commitmment 4 | ||
Monday Jun 2 | ||
| trail running 37:54 [3] | |
| shoes: Asics trail | ||
| At Oak Hill in Hanover after a long walk nearby to check out the old ski jump. Took some willpower not to bag the run. I did sit in the car for a few minutes trying to figure out as gentle a way up to the top as possible, trying to find a route I thought there was some chance I could keep running on.
And then when I came to the first slope, 2 lines, I looked at it and thought, that doesn't look like much, I wonder if the contour interval is less than 5 meters, and unfolded the map and was very delighted to see "3 meters." Quite pleasant all the way up, every hill more gentle than I expected. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to spend mega time XC ski racing up and down the trails, as I think Ali did not too long ago, though to her maybe the ups were all very gentle. | ||
| C • Oak Hill 1 | ||
| Note | |
AOWN on the homefront -- at least three young phoebes not quite ready to leave the nest, located in this case on a floodlight just outside the garage.
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Sunday Jun 1 | ||
| trail running 1:05:00 [3] | |
| weight:139lbs shoes: Asics trail | ||
| Bridle loop on Mt. Toby. Decent pace, a little more effort than average without making things unpleasant, and pleased with the time, last time about 3-4 weeks ago was 1:08+. Progress maybe. Real nice day, upper 70s but dewpoint was only in the low 40s.
Power line 17:20, start of loop 30:17, end of loop 39:35, power line 51:58, and 13:02 back down. Note: had planned to go orienteering, meeting my niece coming up from NYC, but she has some sort of foot problem and had to postpone. Will try again, maybe at Clint's meet at Crandells. | ||
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