Sunday, June 24th
A.M. 18 mile long run with Jonny..we started this awesome early morning jaunt down in Weekapaug, proceeded through the beaches of Misquamicut, hopped onto the roads by the sea wall in Watch Hill, crossed through soem cool side roads I had never covered before, did some trails in Champlain, and finished the run back down in Weekapaug.
I was especially impressed by how quickly this run passed by. I attribute it to Jonny's company, awesome scenery, and really nice weather. The sand on the beach was tightly packed and flat, which made it really nice to run on. We kept a consistent pace throughout the run, chilled a bit in Champlain, and picked up the pace to the finish. This run stands as the longest I've run yet and I finished feeling pretty fresh.
Briefly after finishing the run, we grabbed some nice, cold waters and then took a plunge in the Atlantic. The ocean felt very soothing on the legs and provided a great reward for our efforts.
P.M. Back down to Weekapaug for some clamming....ended up with over 40 clams and devoured them less than a half hour after getting them home. Delicious!
Monday, June 25th
5+ miles, 38 minutes...roads...easy start, faster finish...just beat massive downpours from the storm.
Tuesday, June 26th
4 miles of light jogging with Kelsey and Dave in East Providence..my quads were quite sore from Sunday's long run...DOMS.
Today was my first day assisting Dave doing electrical jobs. I spent most of the day digging a huge trench...good stuff!
Wednesday, June 27th
8.8 miles...57 minutes
Ran from my house, through Shore Road, to Ocean View Highway, and then did some loops on Atlantic Ave. Since I decided to run tonight's Fun Run with Kelsey, I opted to get in a solid effort before it started. Since I always wonder what kind of paces I'm pushes out, I mapped out the first part of my run on the USATF site and came up with 5.7 miles, which equated to 6:08 pace. After my run, I chatted with some of my WTAC peeps and then ran the race with Kelsey. We finished in about 22:10. It was cool to watch Jonny and Jeff duke it out at the start. Jeff ended up taking it and Jonny wasn't too far behind!
Thursday, June 28th
Early morning 6+ miler along Weekapaug Beach Roads...ran first four miles solo, picked up Kelsey and Lu for the remainder of the run. Still feeling heavy but okay.
Highlight of run: chasing a turkey down Noyes Neck Road.
Friday, June 29th
8 miles...sharpened things up at Ninigret Park with Jeff.
3+ mile warmup..followed by 4X800 and 4X400
2:26. 2:26, 2:23, 2:23 We took a 1 minute rest between each interval.
Followed up with 5 minutes of active recovery between sets.
70, 71, 71, 71- 1 minute rest between intervals
Both Jeff and I banged out a very solid workout. The humidity was very heavy and we were able to maintain consistency throughout. Running around Ninigret is always fun. Both of us prefer doing intervals on the fields versus the track, it just seems like the workout progresses quicker.
Saturday, June 30th
A.M. 14 mile early morning jaunt with Jeff and Mike B. Checked out some new trails...Jeff's back yard (no, really!) and some small trails in Mastuxet behind the Frank Olean Center. After Mastuxet, we headed into Champlain for some more trails and endless battles with these pesky horseflies. To me, there isn't anything more annoying on the run than those nasty, little buggers. We then crossed down by Dr. Lewis Pond and did some road work through the Shore Road area and Weekapaug area before heading down the sand trail. It was really cool to stop for a minutes and check things out on the rocks of Weekapaug Point. We then shot back on the beach to the water fountain before finishing off the run by Dune's Beach with a swim. Fun, summer run minus the flies.
P.M. 3 miles with Dave down to the Weekapaug Inn Beach. After working on a home improvement project, Dave wanted to get in a run and some beach time. While I didn't want to put any more miles on the odometer this week, I couldn't resist. My ex co-workers on the security department let me slide in to the beach..nice!
Weekly Mileage: 67
Synposis: this is the most mileage I have run since 2007. The 67 was unplanned but I will take it and attribute the mileage to my two fun bookend long runs. I was also happy with my effort at Ninigret with Jeff on Friday. I'm definitely sore from the increase, but would consider occassionally throwing together other monster weeks into the mix in the near future.
Looking to the week ahead, I have a planned down week just to play things safe. I may take a few days off and press the refresh button. As another bummer, my summer racing schedule keeps taking hits. Unfortunately, it looks like the Camire's race on Wednesday may be scratched due to some family holiday stuff. I'm hopeful for some kind of a race on the 4th-but am unsure.
While I'm in good shape, I currently don't have any racing goals or big races coming up. I'm toying the idea of trying a fall marathon but really enjoy the 5ks and fun shorter efforts. I need some kind of goal or focus race.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
June 17th through June 23rd
Sunday, June 17th
Happy Father's Day to my blog following Dad's out there!
I'm especially thankful for my Dad today and everyday. Whenever I have ever needed anything, he has always been there for me. In the world of running, he was a mentor to me when I first started up. He used to go for runs with me, do short hill sprints, and attend weekly club races with me back in the day. Competitively, he ran track during his sophomore year at Chicopee High School (also my alma mater) and banged out a 2:01 in the 800m that year. Work obligations prevented him from competing after that season.
5+ Easy warmup with the girls, followed by 8X400m with 45 second rest.
74, 73, 71, 71, 71, 69, 70, 68
Short warmdown home.
After having the achilles pain yesterday and last night, I contemplated taking today completely off. I couldn't help myself and decided to give it a shot. After warming up, I didn't feel too much aggravation so I jumped into the workout. I specifically didn't push too hard because I do not want to make matters worse and did not feel any aggravation while running hard.
Monday, June 18th
6.7 miles...I measured this bad boy on USATF to find out pacing.
I did the first 2.5 with Kelsey through the neighborhoods. I had been wondering what kind of paces we have been hitting on these runs. Sure enough, we averaged 7:30s right through. Nice to see!
I did the remaining 4.2 miles from my house down towards the beach. Averaged 6:10s for this..solid effort.
I know most of you guys out there roll with your space watches. I haven't turned over to the dark side just yet. So when I get curious about distances and pacing, I check out USATF Running Routes.
Tuesday, June 19th
A.M.-3.5 miles..
With a modified work schedule, I was able to throw in a morning scamper down to Weekapaug Beach and back home. I stopped at the beach for a minute to enjoy the waves and scenery. As I sat there, I envisioned someone bringing me a nice coffee to enjoy before I headed back up the hill. That thought remained an illusion and I headed back home for a large cup of the good stuff.
P.M.-4 miles
Jog down to Hell Field with Kelsey for a little work.
4X400, 4X200
74, 73, 70, 69, 32, 31, 32, 31
Jog Home
My 400 splits were almost identical to Sunday. I noticed it takes my body a little time to get going. I usually need at least one repeat to get into my groove. I ran the 200s hard. Truth is, I really don't have an idea if they are a little less than 200m or possible more. The effort matches up.
Wednesday, June 20th
Part I: 3.5 mile afternoon jaunt to Misquamicut Beach to meet Kelsey after I got out of work. I ran at a solid clip throughout the run, but couldn't wait to take a plunge in the ocean and then lay out for a few minutes before heading back home.
Part II: 4 miles
Tom McCoy Fun Run.
Mile warmup
17:23
After the run, I headed down to the ocean for another plunge...awesome.
I love the spirit of these events and it's also always nice to see the WTAC crew!
Kelsey: 22:37
Dave: 24:03
Thursday, June 21st
Planned 0..
Rather than running today, I did a whole bunch of yard work and landscaping..digging, planting, cutting...good fun. I followed that up with an evening boat ride and back yard fire. Although my miles are low this week, I've been feeling pretty beat.
Friday, June 22nd
7 miles easy
First part of run with Kelsey through neighborhoods and shot down to towards the beach for the second half of the run..the humidity was intense. There were not too many people out there today.
Saturday, June 23rd
7 miles..49 minutes..
First few miles with Kelsey, followed up by a progressively harder run on my own. I finished up the run up with 4X 250m hill pick-ups. Just prior to starting my mini-workout, I considered tanking it and running home. I then thought of the epic run of Muddy and Mike tackling the Presidential Traverse and sucked it up. I was really hot by the end of this one and happy to come home to some air conditioning.
Weekly Mileage: 40 miles
I didn't run too many miles this week, but did get solid workouts into the mix. Despite just hitting 40 miles, I felt pretty tired by the end of the week. It may be my body's reaction to the heat.
Highlight of the week: The Fun Run was fun! One of these weeks I'd like to try one of the Stonington Village Runs with Jeff and Mike B.
Happy Father's Day to my blog following Dad's out there!
I'm especially thankful for my Dad today and everyday. Whenever I have ever needed anything, he has always been there for me. In the world of running, he was a mentor to me when I first started up. He used to go for runs with me, do short hill sprints, and attend weekly club races with me back in the day. Competitively, he ran track during his sophomore year at Chicopee High School (also my alma mater) and banged out a 2:01 in the 800m that year. Work obligations prevented him from competing after that season.
5+ Easy warmup with the girls, followed by 8X400m with 45 second rest.
74, 73, 71, 71, 71, 69, 70, 68
Short warmdown home.
After having the achilles pain yesterday and last night, I contemplated taking today completely off. I couldn't help myself and decided to give it a shot. After warming up, I didn't feel too much aggravation so I jumped into the workout. I specifically didn't push too hard because I do not want to make matters worse and did not feel any aggravation while running hard.
Monday, June 18th
6.7 miles...I measured this bad boy on USATF to find out pacing.
I did the first 2.5 with Kelsey through the neighborhoods. I had been wondering what kind of paces we have been hitting on these runs. Sure enough, we averaged 7:30s right through. Nice to see!
I did the remaining 4.2 miles from my house down towards the beach. Averaged 6:10s for this..solid effort.
I know most of you guys out there roll with your space watches. I haven't turned over to the dark side just yet. So when I get curious about distances and pacing, I check out USATF Running Routes.
Tuesday, June 19th
A.M.-3.5 miles..
With a modified work schedule, I was able to throw in a morning scamper down to Weekapaug Beach and back home. I stopped at the beach for a minute to enjoy the waves and scenery. As I sat there, I envisioned someone bringing me a nice coffee to enjoy before I headed back up the hill. That thought remained an illusion and I headed back home for a large cup of the good stuff.
P.M.-4 miles
Jog down to Hell Field with Kelsey for a little work.
4X400, 4X200
74, 73, 70, 69, 32, 31, 32, 31
Jog Home
My 400 splits were almost identical to Sunday. I noticed it takes my body a little time to get going. I usually need at least one repeat to get into my groove. I ran the 200s hard. Truth is, I really don't have an idea if they are a little less than 200m or possible more. The effort matches up.
Wednesday, June 20th
Part I: 3.5 mile afternoon jaunt to Misquamicut Beach to meet Kelsey after I got out of work. I ran at a solid clip throughout the run, but couldn't wait to take a plunge in the ocean and then lay out for a few minutes before heading back home.
Part II: 4 miles
Tom McCoy Fun Run.
Mile warmup
17:23
After the run, I headed down to the ocean for another plunge...awesome.
I love the spirit of these events and it's also always nice to see the WTAC crew!
Kelsey: 22:37
Dave: 24:03
Thursday, June 21st
Planned 0..
Rather than running today, I did a whole bunch of yard work and landscaping..digging, planting, cutting...good fun. I followed that up with an evening boat ride and back yard fire. Although my miles are low this week, I've been feeling pretty beat.
Friday, June 22nd
7 miles easy
First part of run with Kelsey through neighborhoods and shot down to towards the beach for the second half of the run..the humidity was intense. There were not too many people out there today.
Saturday, June 23rd
7 miles..49 minutes..
First few miles with Kelsey, followed up by a progressively harder run on my own. I finished up the run up with 4X 250m hill pick-ups. Just prior to starting my mini-workout, I considered tanking it and running home. I then thought of the epic run of Muddy and Mike tackling the Presidential Traverse and sucked it up. I was really hot by the end of this one and happy to come home to some air conditioning.
Weekly Mileage: 40 miles
I didn't run too many miles this week, but did get solid workouts into the mix. Despite just hitting 40 miles, I felt pretty tired by the end of the week. It may be my body's reaction to the heat.
Highlight of the week: The Fun Run was fun! One of these weeks I'd like to try one of the Stonington Village Runs with Jeff and Mike B.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
June 10th through June 16th
Sunday, June 10th
7++ miles
Did first park of the run with Kelsey & Co. Followed that run up with 3.8 miles hard at 5:50 pace on the roads. After the very easy first part of the run, I wanted to hammer, so I went for it. Hot and fun.
Followed this one up with some beach time, serious mowing, and core work.
Monday, June 11th
8 miles
First 2 with the girls, followed up by doing another 6 down through the Weekapaug Sand Trail. I was pretty sore by the end of this one.
Tuesday, June 12th
6 miles.
2 mile warmup with the girls..dropped them off at the house and then went to work.
10X250m hill repeats/jog down hill rest.
4X100m downhill strides
Solid strength workout, the quads are going to be upset with me tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 13th
0..tired.
Thursday, June 14th
11
Phase 1: 3 mile neighborhood run with the girls
Phase 2: 8.5 Misquamicut Loop from my house. Kelsey jumped on the bike and I led chase on foot. I started off feeling good and felt progressively worse as the run moved along. My body felt tired, back hurt, and my turnover was poor (I know, I'm a complainer).
On a positive note, the weather was warm and nice! Without too many people around, the Misquamicut scene was very enjoyable on this lovely afternoon. I also figured out that I averaged 6:23 pace throughout the run.
As I moved towards the end of this run, I couldn't wait to get home.
Phase 3: Ate sushi and enjoyed an adult beverage.
Friday, June 15th
A.M.-8+ mile scamper with the Gazelle from my house down to Weekapaug and over to Misquamicut State Beach. We came back on the roads at a comfortable, but solid pace. Very fun and as an extra bonus Jeff had my WTAC singlet for me when we finished up. I love this early morning stuff even though everyone else probably thinks we are just a couple of crazies!!
P.M.-Easy 3 miler with Kelsey.
Saturday, June 16th
7++++ last afternoon reversal run from yesterday. After 5 minutes of easy running, I threw a mini-workout of 10X 1 minute hard/easy on the roads together. Overall, I felt strong and fast throughout the workout. Running on flat roads with a nice tail wind didn't hurt either. I finished the workout right at 25 minutes at the Misquamicut State Beach Bath House, which provided me with a nice water break at the bubbler. After a couple of minds, I headed out to the beach to do a recovery run home. Unfortunately, the tide and crowds didn't play work well with my intentions so I back out to the roads. I was able to maintain a nice pace back with the wind in my house, but my achilles started to scream at me.
Of note: while doing the hard portions I had someone fist pumping out the window at me. Clearly, this is a sign that it is the summer season in Misquamicut.
Weekly Mileage: 50
Very solid week. I was tired for much of the week, but am happy with my mileage. I'm going to proceed with caution with my achilles, but hope to put together another solid effort next week. I'd like to fit in a Tom McCoy Fun Run on Wednesday and some kind of long effort next weekend.
7++ miles
Did first park of the run with Kelsey & Co. Followed that run up with 3.8 miles hard at 5:50 pace on the roads. After the very easy first part of the run, I wanted to hammer, so I went for it. Hot and fun.
Followed this one up with some beach time, serious mowing, and core work.
Monday, June 11th
8 miles
First 2 with the girls, followed up by doing another 6 down through the Weekapaug Sand Trail. I was pretty sore by the end of this one.
Tuesday, June 12th
6 miles.
2 mile warmup with the girls..dropped them off at the house and then went to work.
10X250m hill repeats/jog down hill rest.
4X100m downhill strides
Solid strength workout, the quads are going to be upset with me tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 13th
0..tired.
Thursday, June 14th
11
Phase 1: 3 mile neighborhood run with the girls
Phase 2: 8.5 Misquamicut Loop from my house. Kelsey jumped on the bike and I led chase on foot. I started off feeling good and felt progressively worse as the run moved along. My body felt tired, back hurt, and my turnover was poor (I know, I'm a complainer).
On a positive note, the weather was warm and nice! Without too many people around, the Misquamicut scene was very enjoyable on this lovely afternoon. I also figured out that I averaged 6:23 pace throughout the run.
As I moved towards the end of this run, I couldn't wait to get home.
Phase 3: Ate sushi and enjoyed an adult beverage.
Friday, June 15th
A.M.-8+ mile scamper with the Gazelle from my house down to Weekapaug and over to Misquamicut State Beach. We came back on the roads at a comfortable, but solid pace. Very fun and as an extra bonus Jeff had my WTAC singlet for me when we finished up. I love this early morning stuff even though everyone else probably thinks we are just a couple of crazies!!
P.M.-Easy 3 miler with Kelsey.
Saturday, June 16th
7++++ last afternoon reversal run from yesterday. After 5 minutes of easy running, I threw a mini-workout of 10X 1 minute hard/easy on the roads together. Overall, I felt strong and fast throughout the workout. Running on flat roads with a nice tail wind didn't hurt either. I finished the workout right at 25 minutes at the Misquamicut State Beach Bath House, which provided me with a nice water break at the bubbler. After a couple of minds, I headed out to the beach to do a recovery run home. Unfortunately, the tide and crowds didn't play work well with my intentions so I back out to the roads. I was able to maintain a nice pace back with the wind in my house, but my achilles started to scream at me.
Of note: while doing the hard portions I had someone fist pumping out the window at me. Clearly, this is a sign that it is the summer season in Misquamicut.
Weekly Mileage: 50
Very solid week. I was tired for much of the week, but am happy with my mileage. I'm going to proceed with caution with my achilles, but hope to put together another solid effort next week. I'd like to fit in a Tom McCoy Fun Run on Wednesday and some kind of long effort next weekend.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
June 3rd through June 9th
Sunday, June 3rd
17 mile trail romp with the WTAC Crew/Trail Gods (Jonny, Jeff, Muddy Puddin, Mike B.). Once again, we crossed into a bunch of places that my feet had never touched before.
Here is a are some places we covered: Riverwood Preserve, Whitely Preserve, Potter Hill Road, Westerly Town Forest, and added in some roads for good measure.
Great run overall. While cruising through Potter Hill, we threw in 6X3 telephone poles hard/2 telephone poles easy. At the culmination of this set, we climbed up Potter Hill to the Town Forest. Good fun! I felt strong throughout the run and did not tire as we moved towards the end.
As a side note, congrats to Mike G. and Puddin' for tearing up The Race to Grow 5k (yes, we warmed Muddy up for his later effort).
3 additional miles with Kelsey & Lulu on the Weekpaug Roads..followed by some mowing.
Monday, June 4th
Sore
6.5 miles
First part of the run w/ the girls, followed by 4 miles on the treadmill in under 25 minutes.
Sore after too...Was Potter Hill Quadzilla for me?
Tuesday, June 5th
If I didn't know that I will not be able to run on Thursday, I would have taken today.
7 miles
First part of the run was an easy jog with the girls, followed up with 4X35 seconds hard/1 minute easy, 1:15 hard. 1 minute easy.
Landed myself some Asics 2170s from Olympia Sports. They only had my size in a wide width, but I really couldn't tell the difference once I put my orthotics in. I was able to get a small discount on the shoes, so I decided not to be too picky.
Wednesday, June 6th
General soreness improved, but feeling some random foot pain..
2 mile warmup
HELL Field Workout:
1 mile: 5:09
4X400: 72,71, 68, 69
Took one minute rest after each rep.
Kelsey and Lulu actually jumped in for the 4X400.
The dog ran two 400s with me (71, 68).
It started to pour in the middle of the workout, but the rain was enjoyable.
Truth be told, I stole this workout from Mike G. If I wasn't racing Saturday, I would have thrown in the 200s at the end.
1 mile cooldown
Thursday, June 7th
0
Planned off day and no time with work today anyway.
Go Celtics-Beat the HEAT!
Friday, June 8th
4 mile jog with Kelsey and Lu down to the beach.
Saturday, June 9th
Matty Siravo 5k, 16:33, 2nd.
Results
Humid morning race on the grounds of URI campus. Ended up having to take the race out myself for the first mile and then was chewed up by a Northeastern University Track Runner. The course was flat, but confusing with multiple turnarounds at various cones at the mile markers.
With some solid college runners in the race, I was disappointed that no other runners took the bait during the first mile. I believe in tactical racing, but am typically not one to sit back and see how things pan out.
I ran as hard as I could in this one. The bottom line is that the race winner was clearly better than me. He ran a smart, tactical race, and seemed very strong throughout. Could I have run a little faster if I didn't go out so hard? Maybe. Do I regret taking the race out and trying to run as I fast as I could? Not even a little bit.
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift," Steve Prefontaine.
Cool day: My cousin Kerry, who was down visiting from MA and recently starting running, ran the race in 31:37. Kelsey ran a 21:54 and wasn't loving the heat. Meanwhile, Dave ran a 23:08 and is working on getting into the 22s.
Not the best course, but a nice atmosphere.
Weekly Mileage:
46
17 mile trail romp with the WTAC Crew/Trail Gods (Jonny, Jeff, Muddy Puddin, Mike B.). Once again, we crossed into a bunch of places that my feet had never touched before.
Here is a are some places we covered: Riverwood Preserve, Whitely Preserve, Potter Hill Road, Westerly Town Forest, and added in some roads for good measure.
Great run overall. While cruising through Potter Hill, we threw in 6X3 telephone poles hard/2 telephone poles easy. At the culmination of this set, we climbed up Potter Hill to the Town Forest. Good fun! I felt strong throughout the run and did not tire as we moved towards the end.
As a side note, congrats to Mike G. and Puddin' for tearing up The Race to Grow 5k (yes, we warmed Muddy up for his later effort).
3 additional miles with Kelsey & Lulu on the Weekpaug Roads..followed by some mowing.
Monday, June 4th
Sore
6.5 miles
First part of the run w/ the girls, followed by 4 miles on the treadmill in under 25 minutes.
Sore after too...Was Potter Hill Quadzilla for me?
Tuesday, June 5th
If I didn't know that I will not be able to run on Thursday, I would have taken today.
7 miles
First part of the run was an easy jog with the girls, followed up with 4X35 seconds hard/1 minute easy, 1:15 hard. 1 minute easy.
Landed myself some Asics 2170s from Olympia Sports. They only had my size in a wide width, but I really couldn't tell the difference once I put my orthotics in. I was able to get a small discount on the shoes, so I decided not to be too picky.
Wednesday, June 6th
General soreness improved, but feeling some random foot pain..
2 mile warmup
HELL Field Workout:
1 mile: 5:09
4X400: 72,71, 68, 69
Took one minute rest after each rep.
Kelsey and Lulu actually jumped in for the 4X400.
The dog ran two 400s with me (71, 68).
It started to pour in the middle of the workout, but the rain was enjoyable.
Truth be told, I stole this workout from Mike G. If I wasn't racing Saturday, I would have thrown in the 200s at the end.
1 mile cooldown
Thursday, June 7th
0
Planned off day and no time with work today anyway.
Go Celtics-Beat the HEAT!
Friday, June 8th
4 mile jog with Kelsey and Lu down to the beach.
Saturday, June 9th
Matty Siravo 5k, 16:33, 2nd.
Results
Humid morning race on the grounds of URI campus. Ended up having to take the race out myself for the first mile and then was chewed up by a Northeastern University Track Runner. The course was flat, but confusing with multiple turnarounds at various cones at the mile markers.
With some solid college runners in the race, I was disappointed that no other runners took the bait during the first mile. I believe in tactical racing, but am typically not one to sit back and see how things pan out.
I ran as hard as I could in this one. The bottom line is that the race winner was clearly better than me. He ran a smart, tactical race, and seemed very strong throughout. Could I have run a little faster if I didn't go out so hard? Maybe. Do I regret taking the race out and trying to run as I fast as I could? Not even a little bit.
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift," Steve Prefontaine.
Cool day: My cousin Kerry, who was down visiting from MA and recently starting running, ran the race in 31:37. Kelsey ran a 21:54 and wasn't loving the heat. Meanwhile, Dave ran a 23:08 and is working on getting into the 22s.
Not the best course, but a nice atmosphere.
Weekly Mileage:
46
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