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Sunday, November 25, 2012

November 25th through December 1st

Sunday, November 25th
I decided to do an early afternoon workout at Ninigret with Kelsey.  I took our overall mile pace times from last weekend and put together a tempo workout with goal paces for each of us in mind.
2 mile warm-up
3X1000-3:23, 3:18, 3:18
4X200-35, 34, 33, 32
1 mile warm down

I was stiff starting out, but felt pretty good once the workout started.  Fun workout and a good way to remind the body how to run comfortably fast.

Monday, November 26th
7 miles of local roads...445 Club.
Today was one of those awesome work days where I wouldn't arrive home until late, so my best option was hitting the roads early.  The only sign of life I saw this morning was the newspaper guy.
Somewhat tired, somewhat sore, and it felt good to have a run under my belt before the day really began.

Tuesday, November 27th-Ego Check
a.m. 15 minute stretch

p.m. Ego Check

"Maverick, you just did an incredibly brave thing. What you should have done was land your plane! You don't own that plane, the taxpayers do! Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash. You've been busted, you've lost your qualifications as section leader three times, put in hack twice by me, with a history of high speed passes over five air control towers - and one admiral's daughter!" (Stinger).

I sure was "busted" today.  Top Gun is one of my all time favorite movies and this quote defines my workout performance for the day.

After chatting with Kelsey, we decided to do circuits in the basement.  Going into the workout, I was still feeling sore but figured I could bang out some hard miles on the treadmill during the run portions.  I was thinking of running all miles under 530 and hammering home the last couple of miles.

Here is what the workout plan consisted of:
1 mile hard on treadmill (Partner 1)
Core work consisted of abs, pushups, stretching (Partner 2)

We completed this rotation for a total of four times.  Here are my run splits:
Mile 1: 6:00 (warmed up and tried to loosen up)
Mile 2: 5:27
Mile 3: 5:18 pace...made it through .85 before stopping...felt like I was going to fall off.
Mile 4: 5:55 (warmdown)

15 minutes of light stretching.

Wednesday, November 28th
5+ miles on local roads.
First three with Kelsey and Lu at an easy 7:40 pace..quite sore on the right side.  After dropping them off at home, I turned on my GPS and went to work.  My intent was to run harder and see how much my hips would hurt.  I was also interested to see how fast I actually run when I put in short, hard efforts.  I ended up running 2.2 miles over rolling terrain at 5:56 pace.
Finished up with 15 minutes of stretching.

Thursday, November 29th
Forced 0..very tight and sore in the right hip.
Did some stretching in the evening (60 minutes)

Friday, November 30th
Decided to take another 0 today.
40 minutes of core work/lifting.

Saturday, December 1st
15 mile early morning ramble with WTAC Crew (Jeff, Jonny, Mike B., & Muddy).  A mixture of roads and Westerly Town Forest Trails.  We added telephone pole pick-ups midrun and finished with a moderately hard mile at the end of the run.  Tight in the beginning of the run, but loosened up as run progressed. Very fun.

Totals
Miles: 35
Stretching/Core/Weights: 2:40

Sunday, November 18, 2012

November 18th through November 24th

Sunday, November 18th
MEWS Gear N Beer 5k, 16:44, 10th
Results
After grabbing our numbers, t-shirts, and wrist bands, Kelsey and I headed out for a 15 minute warmup.  Besides being tight, I wasn't sure how I was going to do today.  In my opinion, the Mews 5k is one of the more challenging races in the local area.  With a hill right in the beginning and another monster in the final mile, times are unpredictable.  Before the race, we chatted with my parents and headed over to the start.

As I lined up towards the front, I couldn't help but notice a variety of stud runners getting ready for the big show.  The gun went off and I immediately settled in at a pace I could handle.  Within a half mile of the race, I was already in "no-man's land" and was working alone.  I hit the mile at 5:22 and was fairly comfortable.  I continued to chase the pack and came across through the 2 mile mark just under 10:50.  This was good news!  I was running evenly and now I just had to make it through the final hill.  As I started to climb the hill, I could hear a runner coming up behind me.  I was thinking, "You have got to be kidding me?  Who would come after me right now?"  The runner came up aside of me and passed me by.  It was the same kid who beat me handily at the Colt State Park 5 miler and Freaky 5.  He immediately took charge and tried to widen the gap at the top of the hill.  "This can't be happening!"  I went after him on the final downhill, caught up to him, and crossed the finish line right next to him.  After checking the final results, we appear tied by gun time.  If you look at net time, he beats me by two seconds.  Oh man.

Anyway, today was a good day.  I ran 20 seconds faster than I did at this race last year.  Kelsey was 4th overall in the women's category in a time of 20:04.  Dave ran a 24:10 and reported being sore from last weekend's race double.  We finished the day my eating some grub and refueled with beverages.

When I arrived home, I ran another 3 miles with Lu and was already sore.

15 minute stretch

Monday, November 19th
Planned 0
With meetings and such, the workday didn't end until nightfall.  After the recent soreness I have been dealing with, this was a much needed day off.  I did get in 40 minutes of pushups, core work, and stretching.  Sore.

Tuesday, November 20th
6 miles..not a good run.
Everything felt really tight today and even the bottom of my left foot was bothering me.  I didn't push it on this run with the hope that my body would work out it's own issues.

Wednesday, November 21st
a.m.  445 Club with Gazelle and Mike from Jeff's house.  We covered about 7 miles through Misquamicut neighborhoods,  Ocean View Highway,  Avondale, and climbed some rolling hills in the final mile.   We did some pick-ups on the hills and rested on the flats in that final mile.  My quads and calves were still very sore so I didn't overdo it, although I was still pretty tired at the end.  Fun run.

p.m. In the midst of cooking up some Thanksgiving/Turkey Day grub, Kelsey, Lulu, and I went out for an easy 3 miles.  Tight and sore.

Thursday, November 22nd
4 really easy miles around Seekonk reservoir with Kelsey, Dave, & Lu.  Beautiful day..stretched after the run...and TURKEY time.  Still very sore.

Friday, November 23rd
6 miles on local roads and did some beach running on the Weekapaug end of Misquamicut.  It was my first opportunity to see some of the damage that Sandy did on the beach side.  Felt the same soreness (calves, quads, & hips).  Stretched for 30 minutes post run.

Saturday, November 24th
7.6..tried my GPS watch for the first time on this windy day.  I ran the first part of my loop around the beach roads.  Accidentally, I set up a race with a "virtual partner" who was racing me.  Fortunately for me, he was running at 9:15 p/mile so I beat him pretty good.  The wind had me running at a really inconsistent pace, which I wouldn't have noticed as much without the watch.  I hit 3 miles in 19 minutes and the watch informed me that the run was complete.  Does this mean I should have walked home from there?  I ran home and picked up Kelsey and Lu to repeat the loop.

Miles: 42
Stretch/Core/Strength: 90 minutes

Synopsis:  A weird week for sure.  While I was happy with my mileage, I'm not happy about the generalized soreness I experienced throughout the week.  My greatest concern is getting re-injured and having to start back at square one.  I've stretched and tried to rest up, but saw limited progress.  Fortunately for me, I do not have any immediate racing goals.  I hope to compete in another race or two in 2012 and am looking forward to 2013.  

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

November 11th through November 17th

Sunday, November 11th
Avondale 5k 16:44, 1st
Results

Today was phase two of my experiment.  Basically, I wanted to see how my body would react to two consecutive days of racing.  Going into this race, I tried to stay relaxed but was particularly worried about how my body would respond.  With Jonny and Jeff getting faster every race, I went to the starting line knowing that I'd have my work cut out for me.

I lined up with the WTAC Crew and the gun went off!  Jonny blasted out of the blocks and I just wanted to stay within striking distance.  As we rounded one of the corners in the preserve, the wind came blasting at us.  I didn't want to make Jonny do all of the work, so I decided to run next to him into the wind.  I hit the mile around 5:15 with Jonny right behind me.  Throughout the remainder of the race, I was able to put some distance between Jonny, Jeff, and me.  I finished strong and felt great crossing the line.  Surprisingly, I felt like I had a but left in the tank.

While I have no immediate plans to double up on races, I will call this experiment a success.  A very fun day and great WTAC performances (including another victory for Kelsey). Congrats to Jeff  and Jonny on near PR performance and Mike C. for another breakthrough.  Great fun.



Pictures courtesy of the Walker's

Monday, November 12th
7 miles..half with Lulu and half on my own..local roads.  Sore, but feeling okay.

Tuesday, November 13th
6 miles..42 minutes..area roads in the dark.
Still not loving day light savings..thinking about changing my blog name to Run Dark.
Tried not to force the run today.  When I was a freshmen at Westfield State, I had a senior captain who always used to tell me that I needed to let the run come to me.  Back then, I didn't want to hear it.  Today, I understand what he meant.

15 minute stretch

Wednesday, November 14th
Another dark one.
2 mile warmup to Hell Field
8X400 ranging from 77 to 73.  Note: As much as I'd like to steal Mike G's workouts, this one was just a coincidence.
Tried to focus on pace and not get hurt in the dark.
3 mile cooldown..final mile with the dog.
(7)

I was especially sore on my right side today.  Due for a day off.
15 minute stretch

Thursday, November 15th
Threw down a 0 today.
45 minutes of weights, core, and stretching.

Friday, November 16th
7.5 miles with Jeff and Mike B..
445 Club here we go!
Local roads..Moonlight, Urso, Rockridge, Shore, Weekapaug Rd, Fenway Beach, Chapman, Noyes Neck, and back home.
Cruising around 645 pace throughout.  A great start to the day.

Saturday, November 17th
5+ miles, 40 minutes with Kel and Lulu and Ninigret.
Very sore/tight on right side..could even feel it when I walk.
15 minute stretch
Weekly Mileage: 38
Stretching/Core: 1:30

Sunday, November 4, 2012

November 4th through November 10th

Sunday, November 4th
Tarzan Brown 5.5 mile race.
30:10, 5th/641
Results

The big story today is Kelsey.  She ended up winning the women's overall race at Tarzan in a time of 35:12.  I'm thrilled with her performance and proud of her!

Prior to the race, she mentioned to me that she wasn't sure she was up for racing today and that you can't run your hardest at every race. We went off for a short warmup of about 10 minutes, chatted it up with some WTAC Monsters, and headed to the start.  As for my race, nothing special happened.  Once again, I ran a smart pace early on and that helped me maintain position as the race proceeded on.  For the first half of the race, I was locked in with Mystic Legend Spyros Barros and a Central Connecticut State Runner.  Prior to reaching the turn-around point, Spyros had a solid lead and my focus remained on the college kid.  We played cat and mouse a couple of times over the last few miles.  When we hit the 5 mile mark (27:45), a bunch of spectators encouraged him to "beat that guy" and told him that "you got him."  Those words alone were encouragement enough for me hold him off.

Afterwards, I chatted it up with teammates Jeff, Mike C., Mike B., and Steve.  It was another nice showing by the Westerly Track Club.  Overall, a very fun event that I'd do again in a minute.  My one criticism of the event is course accuracy, but with a weird distance like 5.5 miles it doesn't really matter.

Monday, November 5
Dear Day Light Savings Time,

I see no benefit in changing the clocks. Basically, you have added an extra hour of darkness into my life.  Most importantly, you are messing with my training regimen.  Running in the dark on a daily basis is not cool.

Sincerely,
Tommy 5k

7+ miles
First 3 with Kelsey and Lu around Weekapaug at a pedestrian pace.  Truth is, I was feeling pretty sore and tight from yesterday's run. After dropping the girls off, I went out for another 4+ miles.  I  headed towards the Atlantic Ave area and noticed that the National Guard was no longer patrolling. The bridge was manned by state and local police.  Perhaps the National Guard is focusing their efforts on chasing a Gazelle through the area roads? Pleasantly surprised that I was running about 6:35 pace for the second part of this run.

Tuesday, November 6th
6+ miles on local roads.
First 4 with Lulu and last two two solo.
Was hoping to do some sort of mini speed workout today, but my body wasn't having it.  Mapped out my first 4 miles and it turned out I was running fairly fast.

Wednesday, November 7th
a.m. 10 minute stretch

p.m. One bad man? Or simply a fool?  I'm not sure I want the true answer to this question.

As I arrived home during the beginning of darkness, I had to make a decision about running inside on the treadmill or heading outside into the elements.  After briefly chatting with Kelsey, she informed me that she would be using the treadmill for the next 45 minutes and then I could have it.  I instantly decided that I was going to head out into the sleet and wind to do it.  I threw on one of the most ridiculous get ups I could muster together....a camouflage eskimo hat, rain coat, and orange construction vest.   And away I went..

I ended running area roads and spent a good amount of time doing loops at the Weekapaug Country Club.  Later in the run I decided to stop at Fenway Beach to find out that there really isn't any beach left.  The waves were almost crashing right on the dunes.  7 miles.

Thursday, November 8th
6 miles on Weekapaug roads in the dark.  I've been sore since Monday and I'm not sure why my recovery has been so slow.  Prior to finishing up, I did 6 strides since I didn't get a workout in this week.  It's getting kind of depressing that all of my weekly running is happening in the dark.  It makes it hard to do speed work and get quality stuff into the mix.  I've decided to take tomorrow off in preparation for my weekend experiment.

15 minute stretch at night.

Friday, November 9th
0...enjoyed having the day off.

Saturday, November 10th
East Providence Charity Turkey Trot 4.3 mile race
24:03 (5:35 pace), 1st
The only solid proof I have that I actually ran this race!

I enjoyed running this very small road race in East Providence that had an old school flavor to it.  After a very short warm-up jog with Dave and Kelsey, we headed over to the start, were given pre-race directions, and were given a minute to line up.  I sized up the competition and determined that it was likely that I'd have a couple of runners who would give me a run for my money.  Once the gun went off, two runners flew off.  I placed myself within striking distance, but still was unsure how this was going to go.  About 3/4 of a mile into the race I decided that I need to make a move and went after the top guy.  I ran next to him for a minute, threw a surge in, and was by myself the remainder of the race.  It was just a police motorcycle and me.  Unfortunately, there were no mile markers on the course, so I had no idea what kind of pace I was running.  The first part of the course is flat and slightly downhill, while the second part of the course has some small climbs and a long uphill finish.  As I was headed towards the finish, the motorcycle cop informed me that all I had left was the climb to the finish.  I'd estimate that the climb was the final .3 miles of the race.  I finished comfortably, but was sore afterwards.  Ran a one mile warmdown.

Kelsey also won the women's division (28:38) while Dave took home the Senior Division (32:09)
We enjoyed post race refreshments (hot chocolate, donuts, cidar, etc.)  It was fun this small, low key road race.



Weekly Miles: 39
Stretching: 40 minutes