Training Log Archive: PG

On Mt. Toby, over to the gate, down to the river, back up through Gunn Farm and Gunn Mt. Road and back down N. Mt. Road. Legs felt tired most of the way, but then I pushed the pace a bit on the hill up from the river and they didn't feel so bad. Surprising.

Plan for the week: 45-60 minutes tomorrow, 5K XC in Forest Park in Springfield on Wednesday, 60-90 minutes Thursday, and then the EMPO meet on the weekend.

C • Forest Park 1

Event: WCOC Five Ponds meet
 

WCOC meet at Five Ponds in Litchfield, pouing rain, low 40s (in 24 hours went from bone-dry to flood dangers). Good run, legs felt good probably due to the cold. And a real nice course by George and Lyn, lots of fun orienteering and nice terrain, no mountain laurel unless you went looking for it. Thanks!

Counted the climb, got 320 meters. Sure was a lot easier than 320 meters in cincinnati terrain, where every one of those meters was real steep. Here you could run all of it, well, you could, but I didn't, walked a couple spots. But still ran well.

Routes/comments.

C • Five Ponds 2

Picked up the White and Yellow course controls afterwards. All tied with slip knots, very friendly for picking them up on a cold and wet day, didn't have to fumble untying knots.

C • pciking up controls 2

Red - Splits

On the ridge east of Colrain. I ran here once before and had been meaning to go back.

Wonderful trail. Lots of ups and downs, some very gentle, a couple of steeper ones like over Avery Hill. Started at the south end at Chandler Hill Cemetery, north to the dirt road just past Franklin Hill where I turned around last time, but this time I went the extra half mile to the Vermont line. 49:13 out, 48:06 back. Beautiful day and scenery. I wonder what the FDFs are like up there in summer.

Note to Phil: Remember, we're going try those little blue hats with sticky stuff, see if we can put a dent in the FDF population. No backing out, no matter how silly we will look!

C • In principle, I'm ready to tro... 2

With all the free time I supposedly have, I won't be wasting any of it on this movie. I have enough anxiety as it is.

C • Snakes and planes 5

At the track, nice workout. Resisted Phil's goading to run faster than I wanted, so I didn't waste myself on the first one and it all felt comfortable. 2 800s, a 1600, then 2 800s. 3:08.9, 3:05.7, 6:15.7, 3:01.8, 2:56.0.

Try to run longer tomorrow.

Before and after.

Sugar-Gunn loop on Mt. Toby, easy pace because I wasn't feeling much zip or much motivation, had to go earlier than I would have liked because I had an appointment on the golf course. Started out to do 70 minutes, then adjusted it to 60, then decided 50 was enough. Some days are like that.

Intervals tomorrow with the group at Eaglebrook, first of the season.

C • Golf 1

Northampton 5K XC (held every Tuesday evening from April through September). About what I expected, so neither thrilled nor disappointed. Last year ran it three times (20:52, 21:01, and 20:50). Had the feeling I had a little more in me, recovered pretty quickly after the finish. We shall see. Warmish evening, about 70 but low humidity, pretty nice.

Also managed to snag the age 61 record by not quite 30 seconds. The fellow I knocked off the board was, well let's say I wasn't a fan of his. Maybe it was the combination of him always racing in a shirt that said "Jesus saves" and the fact that his son was a convicted sex offender (and it was commonly assumed that like son, like father....). And the son, editor of the running club's newsletter at the time, thought he could just continue being the editor from jail. Orienteers may be strange, but running has its share too.

C • After getting out of prison, h... 2

15 minutes before, 15 minutes after.

Last day of tax season, though that didn't seem to stop people from making appointments later in the week. But 99% of the work is done, including one guy today who just wanted to file an extension, but also wanted to pay roughly what he might owe. So after a quick calculation he wrote out checks for 35K to the IRS and 15K to Mass and went home a happy man. Seems he sold some land a couple of years ago on the installment plan for a couple million dollars profit. I think I'm in the wrong business.

The problem now will be to keep training, which is harder now that I have more time (and my golfing friends are already calling), and to keep from putting the weight back on. If I could stay at 135 that would be just fine.

I also have to catch up on a bunch of O' stuff I've been letting slide for the last couple of months.

C • how's that? 14