Training Log Archive: ParkSchool

Weather had not improved, but I decided that this was the best opportunity for me to get back to Hammond Pond course, so braved the cold wet rain and considerable standing water to return to the site of my recent navigational crimes. Snow was not a factor, but mud and expanded water features probably made speed just slightly slower than on first run. Effort was solid, and I made some definite improvements, but disturbed by two moderate mistakes at #9 (again) and #12. I would have definitely liked to have a clean run considering the fact that it was a rerun still using the full-details map.

Was cold and miserable but still feeling obligated to take the dogs out for some exercise, and I didn't see any point to getting another set of clothes dirty, so I just collected the dogs and returned to Caryl Park to run the short loop. Still some snow in places, but mostly slowed by the massive amounts of frost and flood damage making trails quite a challenge in many areas along the initial climb. Second half wasn't so bad as the trail near the chain of ponds was not nearly so eroded. Still, was more than happy to be done at the finish.

CSU Feb. Semi-permanent course - Splits

Well, the weather continues to be miserable, today with some light sleet and even minor hail to highlight my run. The ice had essentially disappeared, but it had been replaced by significant flooding to the extent that I quickly adopted the strategy attributed by JJ to NEOC old-timer John Barrington of stepping in the first puddle I came to so as to not worry about the issue for the rest of the afternoon. Felt as if I put out a good effort, but the time was slow even though I managed to stay upright. Am hoping for a little nicer weather so that I have another opportunity to run Hammond Pond this weekend. I recognize that I could make this my #1 priority, but I would still feel the need to take out the dogs later, and I just don't have the motivation to run through this slop twice in one day.

A thoroughly wet and sloppy day, and yet nevertheless a considerable improvement over yesterday. Besides, the dogs were making it abundantly clear that they were not going to forgo a run for a second consecutive day. So off we went to the Needham Town Forest not only as I thought the distance was commensurate with my enthusiasm, but also because I thought the likelihood of encountering anyone likely to take exception to unleashed dogs was rather remote.

The trails were actually somewhat more icy than I had anticipated, but it was the mud that really seemed the greater hazard. I proceeded with moderate intensity, although tempered considerably by the need to exercise caution in a number of locations. The wisdom of this decision was underscored by my corgi Fonzie, whose short legs and broad body would seem to make him ideally suited for the conditions, but who nonetheless did a fairly spectacular bellyflop into a sizable puddle when both rear legs slipped simultaneously as he attempted to adjust his course. I too had a fall on mud, although perhaps with slightly more dignity.

I had intended this to be a double session day with a run at Hammond Pond in the morning and a run with the dogs in the afternoon. However, I woke up feeling quite tired and unmotivated, and as I was scheduled to work another overnight shift later, I opted for a nap in the morning instead. The afternoon run should have been relatively easy, but even after the rest, I still felt incredibly fatigued. I had hoped to better my performance from yesterday, but by the time I reached the south end of the map around 20:00, I was completely drained. The rest of the outing was simply a survival run, just willing myself to keep putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward. At least I still managed to better Sunday's time, but it felt easily like twice the effort. On a slightly more promising note, the recent weight gain appears to be coming off fairly quickly. I suspect that this rapid loss is contributing to my malaise today. Still, I think my performance next weekend will be enhanced if I drop weight quickly this week and then try to keep it steady for the last several days leading up to the St. Louis event.

I was just starting to relax last evening with a copy of Kyra's national high school math contest questions when I received an unexpected call from work inquiring as to why I was not there. Back in December, I had misidentified the week when I planned to be on vacation. As a result, the original schedule had me on vacation from 2/19-28. When I recognized my mistake, I had to find additional coverage. The physician who was covering my planned absence on 2/21 had agreed to cover the previous Sunday as well, but only he had been under the impression that it was in exchange for instead of in addition to last night's shift. Anyway, despite the short notice and a relative lack of sleep due to the 7:15 AM flight out of Ft. Lauderdale, the shilt did not prove especially harsh. Still, I was no longer inclined to both rerun the Hammond Pond course and take the dogs for their usual exercise. I returned to Caryl Park and performed the same run as yesterday. The weather was quite pleasant allowing me to run in shorts, although the thaw had again weakened the footing in several places. I actually fell almost a foot into a frost crypt at one point, although fortunately I had foreseen the possibility of a problem and avoided any injury. All in all, it was a quite respectable effort given the limited sleep and somewhat messy conditions.

And on the 9th day, he returned home and stepped again upon the scale, and perhaps the disappointing performance yesterday came into better perspective. This traditional vacation week with my parents in Florida is always a trap for me. It is an opportunity for my mother, who appropriately prides herself in her cooking, to recreate all of my favorite meals from my youth, still in the same proportions. And whether it is out of a fear of possibly demeaning her efforts, or more likely simply because I have no will power to resist delicious food, I always eat to considerable excess. Anyway, the damage had been done, so it was time to get back to some more earnest work.

I went back to Caryl Park, both for the opportunity for a longer run and to avoid concern about unleashed dogs. I did the middle loop at a comfortable but not relaxed pace. The snow was gone in several places, but there were still significant icy stretches, especially on the long north-facing slopes.