Training Log Archive: PG

Time for the weekly Lost and Found report.

Starting weight: 144 (mid-December)
Jan. 1: 142
Jan. 8: 139
Jan. 15: 137
Jan. 22: 136
Jan. 29: 136.5
Feb 5: 136
Feb 12: 134
Feb. 19: 134
Feb. 26: 133
March 5: 133
March 12: 132.5
March 19: 133
March 26: 134
April 2: 135
Today: 135

Mood: Resignation. The G is not going to drop any more unless I show a little discipline, and that has been lacking the last month. On the other hand, only one week more until Independence Day (although it's really more, because of Emancipation Day in DC). Just about done.

C • L&F 5

Legs, quads mainly, were quite sore after yesterday's run, but for the simple reason that I've run every day since mid-December, I headed out anyway. Stopped at the Holyoke reservoirs, which had the advantage of being virtually flat, a soft surface (cinders/dirt), and right off I-91 (as I was running a little late on my way to Litchfield). This is the loop they have the Thursday evening 5K XC races. Will have to come back and race it a couples of times a little later in the season.

Pace was a little quicker than expected and the legs were less sore by the end, but 30 minutes was enough. It was a good reminder that I need to do the occasional longer run.

Event: Northern Nipmuck Trail Race
 

Saw Win Win, very enjoyable, though perhaps too slow for the younger crowd.

Results from today.

Northern Nipmuck trail race. It used to be an out-and-back 16 miles. Now it's still the same out-and-back, but according to my 305 it's now 7.18 miles out and 7.44 back. Checked with a couple of other people carrying GPS and they got 14.9 and 15.0, so who knows, other than it's not 16. Not that it matters.

Ran a pretty good race. Beautiful day, sunny and in the 50s, trail was pretty dry. It sure didn't feel like I had good legs. After 45 minutes I was despairing about my chances of finishing without a major meltdown. My legs felt trashed pretty much the whole way, but I just kept shuffling along, only fell once, ran the last downhill and somewhat rocky mile or so really hard as usual to pass and then stay ahead of some much younger guy, and ended up with a time that was right about what I thought was possible. So quite pleased.

Splits: 37:58, 45:52, 47:20, 41:20

Financial report:
Income (in kind): 2 pieces of pizza, 2 sodas, half a PBJ sandwich, some Gatorade, and a $25 gift card to Eastern Mountain Sports for being the first ancient guy.
Expenses: $30 entry fee, about 5 gallons of gas, the latter about $18 nowadays, and a couple of dollars for tolls.

Previous years:
2001 - 2:37:54 (age 56)
2004 - 2:35:47 (age 59)
2005 - 2:35:54 (age 60)
2006 - 2:37:15 (age 61)
2009 - 3:02:30 (age 64, post surgery)

Feeling totally wasted afterwards.

C • Goodbye Northern Nipmuck 6

Easy run on the ridge. As expected after feeling good yesterday (and running hard), today was less energetic.

Planning on the Northern Nipmuck trail race tomorrow, 16 miles. Probably not ready for it, but will try it anyway.

13 hills loop, pretty hard pace, quite pleased with the time. As bad as the legs were yesterday, they were good today. You never know.

Lovely day, sunny, low 50s. Just a couple of ice patches left. No mud. Perfect running conditions. Such a pleasure.

C • OMG 11

One of those days I'm glad I wasn't trying to run hard, because running easy seemed hard enough. Mostly on pretty level ground to be kind to the right ankle, but it was not bad, so I did a little on a rockier trail at the end and again, not bad. Though it felt like it wouldn't take much to tweak it again.

Nice enough day, windy, just one of those days I was glad to be done.

Still eating way too much. I've forgotton that being a little hungry is OK, doesn't mean you need to immediately eat some more to stave off famine.

A little warm-up at Mt. Tom. Cold and rainy.

Training at Mt. Tom. Left work early, as Phil had set streamers on the course from the NEOC club champs in May 2009. The kind of day where it sure helped that others were showing up, because otherwise I would have surely run indoors. As it was, the only mistake I made was dressing too warmly, including gloves. They came off for the last 15 or 20 minutes and from time to time I would drop one. Quite amazing I didn't lose one.

I did manage to (1) zap my right ankle stepping in a hole, (2) fall pretty hard on my bad thumb (which had recovered to the point I can just about use a stapler again with it), and (3) screw up my timing, as the 305 stopped at some point, I think after a good fall. But Phil has some software that read out an elapsed time of 47:05, which seems close enough, so I'll go with that.

Ankle is somewhat sore. Hurt a lot when I did it, was running very gingerly for the rest of the way (did it between 6 and 7), would have laid down and cried when I did it if that had been my nature, but my nature is that the best thing you can do in such circumstances is just try to keep moving. It's moderately sore a few hours later, but should be OK for running on smooth surfaces.

Time on my original run was 52:20, on a re-run a month later 45:31. On this one I was 30 seconds quicker through #9, then my watch stopped, and at the end I was a minute and a half slower. Not quite sure where 2 minutes went, though I was running downhill slower.

Nevertheless, a good workout. And my conditioning is not so bad.

C • time 2

C • ankle 3

Back up the last hill a little, but then saw Phil coming so that was enough.

And then back the road to the car.

And off to pick up Gail, and then to Phil's for a great dinner and celebration for the Ski-O WOC stars, with some of their fans from Connecticut on hand as well. Delicious food and fine company.

Green course - Splits

Raining pretty hard outside and neither JJ nor I was interested in running outside, so he took off (though not before presenting me with some chocolate chip cookies to fatten me) and I headed for the treadmill.

A mile to wam-up up, then 3 miles at 6 mph and 5%, then another mile flat. Sweating a lot but it didn't feel hard and heart rate stayed pretty low. Which I think is good? I assume it's better to be able to do a specific workout with as low a heart rate as possible?

Car Talk. Pleasant but forgettable.

C • the cookies 1