Training Log Archive: PG

On the ridge, easy pace, legs felt better after a while. The 305 seemed to be having an off day, might have something to do with not having cleared the memory all month. So now I've done that and it already looks happier.

This American Life, story about a girl who is a pen pal with Norriega. Quite enchanting.

Started out thinking I would run uphill at a slow pace, but after about 5 minutes of that I decided it was putting a little too much pressure on my heels. So I switched to flat at a slow pace. And then very gradually increased the pace, but no faster than about 8:40. Seemed about right.

Fresh Air again, this time about the Supremes, the interviewee was Jeffrey Toobin. He's more to Terry's liking, so she seemed more relaxed. Reasonably interesting.

And got me thinking about how many poeple, both left and right, seem to get all their news from sources that they agree with, Fox News and NPR being two obvious examples. And I don't think that's a good thing. Sure it's nice and comfortable and feels good. But you stop thinking. And forget that your side, whatever it is, isn't automatically right and the other side, whatever it is, isn't automatically wrong.

C • what's next for the eternally curious PG? 21

Legs and heels still sore, so just a half hour on the tradmill, mostly at 10%. Enough to get me sweating.

Fresh Air with Karl Rove. Interesting from the point of view of seeing how a good political mind works (meaning his), not that I agree with him. Terri seemed outmatched.

Which reminds me, I wondering a few days ago who was having a worse month, the Pope or the Republicans. I'm glad I'm no fan of either.

C • T. Gross 6

Legs very sore from yesterday (not used to running steep downhills relatively hard), so a day, or a few days, off.

Meanwhile, a few photos from the half-marathon in New Bedford a week ago. In order of finish, Ross, then Ian (by a nose,) then Samantha, then me. More photos are here, just put in the last name.

Out to the movies for the first time in a while, Ajami. Very grim, also very interesting. Glad I went. Better than watching some random basketball game.

A little warm-up, thinking it might make the hill easier. Maybe it did, but easier doesn't mean easy.

Phil's loop at Mt. Tom. Sure felt beat the whole way, but the time wasn't too bad (4 minutes faster than in January, but there was some snow then).

Had 2 off-trail excursions. The first was coming down off Goat Peak, trail is moderately steep and tilted, falls off to the right, I was still feeling a little wobbly, tripped on something, couldn't quite recover, and then before I knew it I was off the trail, and then through a couple of bushes, and then on my butt/back, still moving pretty fast through some rocky stuff, until I could grab on enough to slow down and stop. Maybe 50 feet below the trail.

Hat was up above me. And then I realized I'd lost my glasses. Started to look for them, about 20 or 30 seconds, thinking this could take a very long time, when I realized that, no, actually, I still had my glasses on. As I have said before, my mind is definitely disappearing.

Climbed back up, resumed the loop, felt a little like those shots of the bike races where the guy doesn't make the corer and you see him and the bike just disappear. Except I got to stop my watch when I bottomed out and didn't start it again until I'd climbed back up.

Second excursions was just due to the time of year, the trail just south of the road is very flooded, had to bushwhack maybe 150 yards along the right side.

Perfect day, 40F, sunny. Lots of people out. No other runners.

C • Crashes 5

4 miles on the treadmill, easy pace. Fresh Air about nuclear proliferation. Reasonably interesting though nothing really new.

Short road loop in town. Heels are a little better but still objecting some. Felt really slow, but pace was not as bad as I thought.

Interesting heart rate pattern on the 305 chart. First, it seems like I forgot to reset the thing after the couple rogaine sessions earlier in the week. And then partway around today's run I heard someone calling to me, turned out to be Rich Larson, one of the best 58-year-old runners in the country, can still do 18 minutes for a 5K XC. Stopped and chatted for a few minutes, nice to catch up, hadn't seen him since last summer.

Rain started just after I finished, good timing.

Easy week continues. I am making up for less running by eating more. Need to reverse that trend.

I believe the current scorecard among clients in the competition for "really bad things happening" shows a dead heat with just three weeks to go -- 5 clients have had brain surgery in the last 12 months and 5 have filed for bankruptcy.

So far no one has done both.

Another easy session. Heels are a little better, but this is meant to be a very easy week, would like to get them a lot better.

Starting to make plans for the Big Muddy rogaine. I suppose good planning would include investing in some industrial-sized tent stakes to keep my tent from blowing away again. Or maybe there was a message there last time -- you're an old man, find a bed. Indoors.

Also got lots of other summer plans to work on, since all such thinking has been on hold for the last two months. Including the possibility of a trip to Yosemite.

Been to Yosemite once, about 30 years ago, with my brother and his wife. They were seriously into birding (they still are, but a little less seriously) and Gail and I enjoyed it too though will a good bit less passion. We were definitely the amateurs in the group.

So one morning I went off for a run on some trails and at one point I heard the sounds of a woodpecker. I stopped, looked up, and there it was. I'd learned the field marks of the common western ones, but this one was different. I stood there trying to memorize everything, the bird was very cooperative, posed nicely.

Back at the campground, the run finished, told the others about the bird, and played it straight, no peeking in the bird book first to help me out. I described what I'd seen. The key marks seemed to be its size (fairly small), a yellow spot on the head, and a black back, and there was no doubt it was a black-backed three-toed woodpecker, right at the very southern edge of its range.

Very cool.

And the best part, of course, was my brother had never seen one.

We were soon off to where I had seen it to see if it was still there. No such luck.... :-)

I believe I reminded him quite often over the years about the fine woodpecker I had seen at Yosemite.

Would be nice to make a trip back there.

Last class. Will have to explore other options.

A little tired but no leg soreness, except that is for my heels, which hurt quite a bit. So I thin this will be a minimal week, see if I can get them to calm down a bit.

30 minutes on the tilted treadmill, very benign. But would be a good pace 20 hours into a rogaine.

Event: New Bedford Half Marathon
 

USATF-New England half-marathon champs at New Bedford. Ran well, expected time was hopefully better than 1:38 (7:30 pace), maybe close to 1:35, so this was even better. 9th in the 60+ crowd, hope was top 10, so this was fine too. The miles just kept clicking by at about 7:05 pace and I didn't die too much at the end.

And an extraordinarily pleasant trip to the SE coast.

Ok, first the race. First time I'd run it. Checked out the course map and it seemed pretty benign, 3 modest hills between miles 2 and 4 and then 1 slightly more than modest hill at mile 12. And a whole lot of flat stuff in between. So it seemed like a good time should be possible.

Except for the usual consideration that I'm not getting any younger. I was reading a book recently about masters running and how your performance declines as you get older. And more precisely how this decline accelerates as you get into your 60s (and even more after that). I have no doubt that true. But I'm not sure if knowing it helps or hurts -- is it better or not better to have an excuse, even if the excuse is mostly valid?

Do you end up not trying as hard, not preparing as well, not being as smart, because, hey, I'm old therefore I'm slow, there's nothing I can do about it?

Or do you accept what has to be accepted, and so avoid the discouragement that comes easily as ability declines, and still try your best with what you've got?

I'm trying for the latter, because making an effort and seeing the results of that effort is still immensely satisfying, but it is still a struggle to find the right balance. Because excuses, so easy to grab onto, are almost always so useless.

----------

Good sized field, about 2,500, lots of very good runners. Saw a few friends before the start (that was unexpected, I had the feeling I might not see anyone I knew all day), including my good friend Seth. We run about the same, and he said he was going to run with me for a while. That was OK with me. A few people you don't want to run with, either they're noisy or they run erratically and bump you, but Seth is cool.

Race started and we were off. Took 15-20 seconds to cross the start line, but they were using chip timing so we'd get real times, and right away the running was clear. And it felt really easy, the legs were good. Saw Samantha just ahead of me, going just a little faster, I must say I thought she ought to be going faster, given how well she runs.... :-)

The first set of hills start after mile 2, and I seemed to be rolling up them easily enough, pulse would pop up a few points, breathing would pick up some, but the speed would stay pretty good. At the top of the second rise Seth announced he had to pee, so that was the last I saw of him until after the finish (though he said he saw me for a long time, got within 20 yards of me at mile 8 but then I "took off," in reality I think he just slowed a little).

And then a long stretch heading south, slight to modest headwind, just mile after mile mostly flat, a couple of short downs, every mile in about 7 minutes. Hit 10K in 43:51, my best in a while.

The legs were slowing feeling the effort, the mind kept running the numbers -- what will my time be if I slow to 8-minute pace, or 7:30 pace, trying just to set an upper limit on the possibilities. Doesn't really mean anything, but it keeps me entertained, helps the miles pass. Also regularly checking the pulse, trying to keep it about 158-160, didn't think I could keep it at 162 for 95 minutes.

Turned back north at 9 miles, now the wind was slightly behind, felt like dead air, and a little warm (temp probably in the mid-50s). Passed 10 miles in 70:53 (first 5 in 35:24, next 5 in 35:29). Two more flat miles to the start of the last hill just before mile 12, did them in 7:04 and 7:18, starting to struggle. And then up the last hill, not steep, slowing at first but then 3 or 4 people passing got me going and I started pushing again. And then finally the turn for a couple hundred yards sharply down and then maybe 300 yards flat to the finish. 93:15, a good hard effort, very pleased,8:05 for the last 1.1 miles, 22:22 for the last 5K.

Saw Sam and Ross and Ian as soon as I finished. Ross had been in forever, 75 minutes, Sam and Ian were about 91:30, just fine, though I know both can do a lot faster. Seth came in a minute later.

Results.

Legs don't feel too bad, but my heels are sore. Been that way for quite a while, slowly getting worse. Need to step up the preventive maintenance and take it a little easy for a bit. And have a look to see what comes next.

And a bit about the trip to New Bedford.

Got done with work mid-afternoon, stopped at home to pick up Gail, got to New Bedford with still an hour of daylight, time enough to drive around a bit, partly to take in the sights in the old whaling city, also to check out the course. And then to dinner at a Portuguese restaurant Gail had picked out.

It looked rather seedy, but the couple exiting just as we arrived said the food was excellent if you like spicy Portuguese food. Clearly they did. Clearly we didn't know if we did or didn't, never had it before. But in we went.

The place was full but for one table, ours, we'd called in advance. The female owner was friendly, the quite elderly waitress spoke just a little English, but the menu was in English as well as Portuguese. People seemed to be speaking more Portuguese than English.

The food was excellent, swordfish for Gail, chicken Mozambique for me. The atmosphere was really nice -- lots of locals all seeming to be having a fine time, lots of laughter, everyone eating and drinking lots. Very social. A sense that eating out like this was very much a part of the social fabric.

It was also quite clear that we were the only runners in the building. I did spot a couple of guys who looked like they might partake of physical exercise once in a while, but that was because they looked like they might be part of the local Portuguese mafia, or whatever it is called, called upon (and appearing quite able) to use physical force every once in while. I might be wrong, but they sure had that look.

Back to the motel after dinner, walked in just in time to see Kansas come up short in its basketball game. Poor Spike was all I could think. But at least they got farther than UMass.

Breakfast in the morning, the most unusual crowd I have ever seen at a motel's free breakfast, as it seems that the only other occupants of the motel were a busload of runners from Burlington, Vermont, in town for the half-marathon. The average body-mass index of the breakfast room was maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of that at dinner the night before. And I'm not sure I've ever been in a room with a bunch of others and been the fattest person in the room.

Had a nice chat with some of them. What a fine way to go to a race, easy logistics, good karma, and a chance for a nice nap on the way home. Made me quite envious.

Then the race, Gail off to visit an art gallery and the whaling museum and look around the old town.

Then a bit of a stroll around, perfect weather, lots of places open, lots of runners around, stopped in a funky soup place for a sandwich, just fine.

Then headed home, a different way, via Providence, never been to Providence, had one thing I wanted to do there and I thought of calling Charlie for recommendations. And that one thing was to get dessert. More specifically, a chocolate dessert. A rich chocolate dessert. And I figured we ought to be able to do that on our own.

The center of Providence is quite beautiful, the state capitol is striking, it was a glorious late afternoon.

The chocolate cake was rich and magnificent.

C • Poor Spike 2

Short and easy, warm day, verging on too hot. If it's like this in March, what will summer bring?

Major decision what what to listen to. I've been enjoying Fresh Air recently, she has good interviews, and the ones about the arts are often with people I've never heard of. Next on my list of FA was with a music group called the Carolina Chocolate Drops, I was about to pass on it and scroll further down the list, but then thought, what the hell, I might learn something.

Delightful interview. Interesting music and personalities. And once again showed how little I know about music and how it's put together. I just don't have a clue. But at least I can still enjoy it.

Nice recognition for Surebridge as one of the 101 places to orienteer before you die, and it's said by many to be the best place for orienteering in the USA, so I guess I'm probably in the minority, because I'm not sure it would even make my top 10 in the state of New York.

1. It can be very hilly, much too hilly for my tastes, though that depends on what the course setter does.

2. It can be very rocky, much too rocky for my tastes, pretty much regardless of where the course setter sends you.

3. A substantial section of the map is woefully out of date, and out of date for the worse, meaning the vegetation is seriously worse than mapped.

I'm not saying the orienteering isn't challenging and interesting. I just think a lot of other places in the state are also challenging and interesting, and are also a lot more fun.

C • surebridge 25

At the indoor track with Dave, usual warm-up with a couple of faster 200s. Only a couple of other people there, anyone in their right mind would go outdoors, but I love running at the indoor track so will probably go there a couple more times before its public sessions end the first week of April.

The theme for today was quick but easy, the details being 12 x (200, then 200 jog), the easy part being that since the quick bits were only 200s then they wouldn't hurt because they would be over so quickly. Not exactly true. Pulse got cranked up anyway after the first few and I thought at various times of doing a half-Bricker (stopping at 10) or a full-Bricker (stopping at 8) but the shame that that would have brought was enough to keep me going.

As with all other aspects of my running, it amazes (and apalls) me how such a good effort can yield such slow times. But have to keep trying.

44.6, 44.2, 43.9, 43.5, 43.0, 43.1, 42.7, 42.2, 42.5, 42.0, 41.2, 41.6.

And a slow half-mile afterwards. And all done.

Just an easy run on the ridge, trying to keep my pulse below 140 but that was not possible on a couple of the hills. Still, taking it easy.

Sunny, abour 65F. Too damn hot. A reminder of how it will feel when it does warm up and it is miserable. About 45F is just right.

Even got our taxes filed today! Earliest in a long long time, and one of the few times without an extension. Now I've got to get my mother's stuff together (a nuisance) and finish up my niece's (a pleasure).

New teacher. Regular teacher is pregnant and not having any easy time of it, so her partner (also a qualified teacher and quite gorgeous) is substituting.

Any new teacher does things a little different, so now I have a couple more things to add to my list of yoga stuff I can't do, or can only do in half-assed way. Though always with a smile....

Dave came up for a run so the pace was probably a little quicker than it would have been on my own. And given that it was another day without good legs, it was a bit of a struggle. But very nice to have the company.

And now, having showered and eaten, a nap would be just fine. But it will not happen. :-(

At least not for another month.

At the Smith indoor track by myself, both in the sense that no running partner and also hardly anyone else there, just a couple of walkers. Such a pleasure on a windy, rainy, and rather dark morning.

Usual warm-up, mile and a half including a couple of faster 200s (50, 49), then did a couple more 200s (46, 45), the point being to make my expected pace for the 3K seem a little more comfortable. Legs felt neither great nor terrible.

What the hell, other folks were doing a 3K time trial, figured I might as well too.

Only raced the distance a couple of times, 10-15 years ago in my early 50s, both times right about 10:40. My best for the distance was surely during an old standby we used to have at USOF conventions for a number of years, a 2-mile run/race, this one was in San Diego, busted a gut to try to break 11 minutes, did 10:59, but then I was never sure if the track was 400 meters or 440 yards, and it was probably the former. But that still would have given a 3K time of about 10:20. But that was a long time ago and in a different body.

My guess for today was something better than 12:30 should be possible, 12:20 would be very nice, 12:10 would be really hard. 12:30 was 50-second laps, so I just figured I'd try to keep it under that and see what happened.

4:04 for the first K, seemed OK. 4:02 for the next K, definitely working hard, various ways of telling, the perceived effort, or the heartrate, or the fact that it starts getting harder to do the lap math every time around.

And then a very nice 3:54 for the last K, full effort. Heart-rate was 170 with still a couple of laps to go, which is high for me these days. But one thing you learn, and today was a reminder of it, is that you can always keep going. Needed 43 on the l;ast lap to break 12 minutes, gave it a good try but just missed. Still very pleased.

48:31, 49:31, 48:80, 48:85, 48:87 = 4:04.14
48:55, 48:54, 48:48, 48:45, 48:10 = 4:02.12
48:40, 47:95, 47:60, 46:78, 43:52 = 3:54.25, total 12:00.51

C • Max. H.R. 4

And then a mile afterwards. And off to work.

3000m run - Splits

Event: US Team (unofficial) 3K time trial
 

A day off from most everything, no running, no work, no heavy lifting. Had my niece visiting for the weekend, such a pleasure. Back to reality tomorrow.

On the treadmill, thought I should add a hill, so 1 mile at 5 mph and 10%, plus a couple miles before (9:45, 8:35) and one after (8:35). Mt. Washington is 7.6 miles @11.5%, would be shooting to do 13-minute pace (about an hour and 40), not 12. So a little steeper and a little slower. But this was enough of a taste to realize that a lot of work would have to be done. On the other hand, wasn't really breathing hard, just the legs were aware it was uphill.

Lovers Lane loop, clockwise, modest effort except the last couple miles were faster. Cloudy and dreary out but not yet raining, so I figured I better go outside since I may stay in tomorrow.

Listened to Fresh Air, first an interview with someone I'd never heard of, a writer with some neurological disorder. Among her ailments had been a migraine that lasted a year! And then a short interview with Ricky Gervais, quite nice. And the timing was perfect, ended just as I got back to the gym.

Route (forgot my 305).

Conversation at work this afternoon, client is an old lady, about 75, still a good bit of pizzazz. And I swear I'm not making this up.

(Her) You look different, you've got a tan. Have you been south?

Nope, but I just got back from a run. Oh, and I've shaved my beard off.

(After looking at me a little more closely) I never realized how good looking you are.

C • Compliment... 4

Thursday morning at the track with Dave. Usual warm-up, included a couple of faster 200s, which felt relatively easy, a good omen after the last couple of days of dead legs. Spent most of the warm-up trying to explain to Dave where the Robert Frost trail goes on Mt. Toby. He's run in the area a lot, but his memory for trail bends and trail junctions is as bad as mine is for anything I ever learned in school. Warm-up went by very quickly.

Dave's choice today and he wanted to do 4 x 1200 at current 5K place which he figured to be 22 minutes, meaning the 1200s in 5:15-5:20, but I figured his (and my) current 5K pace was more like 21 minutes, meaning the 1200s in 5:00-5:05 pace. He's was feeling a bit down, I think he'd planned on doing the workout last night (alone, in the dark at the Amherst College outdoor track) but had bailed on it. So he was thinking 5:15-5:20 was going to be hard.

So rather than arguing, I just took the lead, he was right on my tail the whole time. And it all went by with just the right effort, not too easy and not too hard.

Splits (1200, jog 400 not too slow):
5:06.5, 2:05
5:04.5, 2:08
5:01.0, 2:01
4:54.3

And then a slow 800.

Very pleasant today, had the track almost to ourselves. And so nice to have good legs.

Another day of not much energy, though I wasn't try to run fast so it wasn't a big deal, other than it's a whole lot more fun to run when the legs feel good. Still, when it's sunny and upper 50s out, there is no reason to complain.

Which gets me thinking, does complaining make you feel better? Because there are some people who complain all the time. I assume they are complaining by choice, I doubt that complaining is hard-wired into your brain, and if they are doing it by choice, then why? Enjoying it? Benefiting others by pointing out what's wrong with us, i.e. doing a public service?

I certainly get my share of clients who complain. About taxes. About government, About whatever. I mostly ignore them and move on as quickly as possible. Unless they're complaining about my services and then I listen real carefully. Fortunately not many of them.

What I really need now is a nap. There's no couch in the conference room. That's my complaint for the day.... :-)

Entertainment today was Fresh Air, included a review of the new Alice in Wonderland film. That's a story I ocaasionally see references to, and I have no idea what goes in it. I think I started to read it once and never got past the first couple of pages. Maybe I should go see the movie.

C • Does complaining make you feel better? 20

It seems like class is going to end the end of this month, as the instructor is pregnant, due in July, and not having the easiest pregnancy. I'll have to see if I can find another class.

Had a client a couple of weeks ago, had her second kid last year, both were born in April. They planned that way, and were quite pleased with the good execution. She's a teacher, so an April birth gives her maternity leave through the end of the school year plus the summer off, so really 4 to 5 months before she has to go back to work.

C • April babies 1

Legs were just dead today. Felt tired warming up, felt tired trying to run faster, felt tired afterwards. Some days are just like that. Don't think I've had one that bad for a while. Reminds me of times starting back up after a long layoff for injury and every day was like that for quite a while.

Out to the golf course. Warm up for 9 holes, then the plan was to run the next 18 hard from tee to green, recover from green to tee.

I tried. But the fast wasn't fast, certainly wasn't getting the heart going much faster. So I decided 9 holes of that was enough, did another 10 holes at a slow pace and headed for the showers.

A workout to forget. But it was a beautiful day.

Short and easy up on the ridge, just shorts and a t-shirt, very nice. Supposed to be nice again tomorrow and assuming it is, I think I'll go golfing. The course seems to be mostly bare ground.

Listened to a short item from The Moth, from which I learned that if you ever see a movie where a guy on a horse runs into one of those giant cacti, saguaros, the ones with arms, then while it may look exceedingly painful to you, it is not really so bad, because they will have already shaved off all the needles.

I'm not sure what that does to the long-term prospects for the cactus, although getting hit by a horse at full speed may already set it back quite a bit. Are the spines used for anything other than defense?

And shouldn't the organizers of O' meets in the desert go around before the meet and shave the cacti? It might take a while, but I'm sure the participants would appreciate it.

C • Shade 2

Why do some apparently very intelligent people seem to be unhappy all the time? I don't get it.

Is the phrase "dour economist" an oxymoron?

C • oxymoron? 3

Tried out a new local restaurant for dinner. A little disappointing, don't expect a return trip. But still worth giving it a try. Food was richer than we are used to, will have to run a little farther tomorrow than planned.

Today would normally be the day for a long run, but the last three days had been on the energetic side so it seemed like about an hour was plenty.

Another beautiful day, as good as it gets, about 50F. Usual loop on the ridge, not pushing it at all and pleasantly surprised by the time. It must help that the G is slowly but steadily declining. Another couple of months and it should be where I want it.

Been thinking more about the Mt. Wahington race. I've entered the lottery twice before, including last year, didn't make it either time, and both times felt quite relieved. This time I hope I make it, since it would be something to focus training for. Always helps to have a goal. And I was thinking today about what kind of letter I would write if I don't get picked, just to see if I could get in anyway.

This American Life, about how the phychiatrists outfit (APA) eventually came to no longer classify homosexuality as an illness. Good story.

C • psychiatrists, illness 8

From the office, quit for the day while it was still nice out. Roads north of Greenfield, the first mile slow as usual, then tried to run a little faster than comfortable, got to do that more often. Felt OK.

Really pleasant weather, low 50s, sunny, light breezes. Another week and it will be light until 7 pm.

Fresh Air, about the conservative nuts.

13 hills loop on the ridge, good solid effort, time is pretty decent. Trail conditions were a lot better than a couple of days ago, much drier, still a little snow and ice in places but not much. A couple more days and they will be close to perfect.

Nailed my right arch on a sharp rock. I know where all such rocks are, but there were a couple of branches down at that spot and in getting past them I forgot about the little pointy rock and got it at just the wrong spot. Will be sore, but I don't think anything serious.

Fresh Air, a couple of different interviews, one with the male lead in the movie about the bomb squad in Iraq (The Hurt Locker, a web search tells me), one in another movie, I can't remember the name of the guy or the movie, but a search tells me it was Ewan McGregor in Ghost Writer.

Both interesting, especially the latter. Fresh Air is a good program. I should listen more often.

C • good NPR programs 3

Thursday morning means 7 am at the Smith track with Dave. New shoes -- I bought an extra pair of x-talon 212s last summer since I liked my first pair so much, but didn't know how long they would last nor when inov8 might stop making them. The first pair has held up amazingly well, but I had a sore second toe on my right foot after Sunday's race, no big deal, but I thought trying the new shoes might make sense. Any they felt fine, if just a little stiffer until they get broken in.

The usual warm-up, a mile and a half including a couple of faster 200s.

C • x-talon 212 6

The usual discussion about what we were going to do. Dave suggest 3 x 1 mile, but didn't seem very enthusiastic, nor was I. So he suggested 6 x 800, but still not enthusiastic. So I said how about 4 x (800, 200 jog, 200, 200 jog), and that's what we did.

We both claimed to be struggling, who knows, maybe that part is all just for show, 2 semi-dueling old males. My legs still seemed to feel tired from Sunday, but the intervals slowly go done.

Nice thing about the workout, which I used to do often enough, is the change of pace. And it's good to start doing some faster shorter stuff, even if the relevent word is "faster" and not "fast."

Splits (800, 200 slow, 200, 200 slow):
3:12.6, 1:07, 43.1, 1:10
3:14.9, 1:09, 43.3, 1:12
3:12.4, 1:08, 42.2, 1:13
3:14.0, 1:10, 41.1

Passed the 5K mark in 22:02.

Heatrate was higher than usual at our track workouts, pushing 170 as opposed to the usual mid-160s. Don't know what that means.

And then a slow half-mile afterwards, mostly watching the Smith lacrosse team practicing inside the track (they have big nets up, usually the space is used by 4 tennis courts), and thinking about logos. I'd seem a few comments about the proposed logos, finally went and looked at them last night. My initial reaction was a little disappointed at the recommended ones. Not that I have a better idea, but they just didn't do much for me.

But then I have absolutely no sense of design.

C • Logo 22

Up on the ridge, a bit muddy and slushy, though the predicted nice weather that's coming should have the trails in good shape by next week.

Feeling sluggish, decided that short and easy was the theme for the day.

Fresh Air interview with William Hurt. Very interesting guy.

Not so bad. Legs were still a little sore from Sunday, especially the quads, but yoga helped. And they felt better after a couple of miles. Should be ok in another day or two.

Surprisingly nice out, mid-40s, hardly any wind and a little sun. Wasn't sure what the trails would be like so just stayed on the roads, shorts too, very pleasant. And ran reasonably energetically too.

Time to think about future races, one specifically, Mt. Washington, have to sign up for the lottery by March 15. Last year I signed up and was probably lucky that I wasn't chosen. This year, who knows. Part of me wants to do the race once. Pant of me knows it will be just some extended suffering.

C • I signed up to it just the ... 2

A little sore from yesterday but not too bad. Results are here.

So February is done. Report card shows I ran 27 of 28 days (took Saturday off, first off day since mid-December), also worked 27 of 28 days (took Sunday off). Certainly a slacker weekend, will have to buckle down....

46 days to Independence Day. So far taken care of about 350 clients, roughly halfway done. So far so good.

Not much time but this was all I wanted to do anyway. Took a while to get the oil flowing in the joints. 10:13, 8:57, 8:28, 8:13.

Fresh Air, an old interview with Johnny Cash. I've always liked his music.