Monday, 3/19: 6.2 miles and feeling heavy with the dogs. An average of 6:59 pace. Bottom of foot a bit sore. 4 with Riley, 2 with Lulu.
Tuesday, 3/20: 7 miles with the dogs. Did the Rockridge loop with an add on by Dunns Corners School and then ran Lulu for a mile through the neighborhood. Both dogs were feeling good this morning and so was I! Woke up early and was able to get the extra mile in. Average of 6:41 pace and a JV sighting.
Wednesday, 3/21: 6.3 miles total. Warmup with Riley for first 3.3 miles @ 6:57 pace. I did 5 sets of ups/downs on Meadowridge and Materese Hills with the wind in my face. Prior to the workout, I gave thought of bailing on it with the wind. I then thought to myself "you can't chose race conditions" so I went with it. Glad I did.
Thursday, 3/22: 5.2 miles @ 6:56 pace with Riley. When my alarm went off, I really didn't feel like waking up. After my regular quick cup of coffee, my trusty friend and I headed out into the snow. Yes, it was finally snowing after a big projected storm that never materialized. Unfortunately, the snow/sleet was not sticking and by the end of the run both Riley and I were soaked. I decided not to run Lulu as she is not a fan of the rain. However, I did play with her for a couple minutes in my lightly snow covered back yard.
Thursday afternoon: PT Session # 9
Friday, 3/23: Working on my mobility. 40 minutes of stretching, rolling, etc.
Saturday, 3/24: 20 miles. I opted to sleep in and wait until after Haley's swim lesson to get going. I quickly planned out a hilly route with the intent of getting in a final challenging long run. I started at the Burlingame Camp Site, went to Klondike, Buckeye Brook, Shumankanuc Hill, Kings Factory, Prosser Trail, Sanctuary Road, around the campground, down through Quonnie, back. I really struggled on this run-from the start really-but am still satisfied with the effort. My neck started to flare up around 16. 6:44 pace for the entire run. Upon finishing, I craved a bottle of coke and indulged in one.
Sunday: 5.5 mile family stroller cruise on the Ninigret Bike Path with Shara and Haley. Average of 7:18 pace. Freezing rain for a portion of the run and Haley was a good sport out there!
Weekly miles: 50
Synopsis: a solid week and I was happy to get over 50 miles. Overall, I'm feeling tired and looking forward not to have those weekly long runs. The lingering neck and foot pain are not debilitating, but certainly are annoying. Three weeks until the marathon. I've always wanted to run Boston. I've done the training, I just need to get healthier now. As excited as I am to do the race, I'm also looking forward to some rest and a non-structured routine post marathon.
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
March 12 to 18
Monday, March 12th-6.2 miles @ an average of 6:54 pace. With yesterday's time change and Saturday's 20 miler, I was feeling it mentally and physically this morning. I definitely gave thought to sleeping in but dragged myself out of bed. The dogs did not care about the time change and were ready to roll, which is always a good sign.
Tuesday, March 13th-7 miles @ 8:26 pace in a classic New England Snow Storm with the Gazelle. With school cancelled, I had the opportunity to sleep in and took advantage of it. Even H slept in! Upon wake up and a cup of coffee, I gave thought to my morning run and quickly texted the one guy who I knew would join me for some fun if he was free. Sure enough, the Gazelle took the bait and even mentioned he was about to reach out to me. We ended up running from my house to the end of the sand trail and back. While the pace may have been slow, the wind was pretty ridiculous as we trotted down the sand trail. It was also nice to catch up with Jeff and enjoy running in the snow as we always do. Good fun!
Wednesday, March 14th-6.6 mile Pi workout on the treadmill at the Y. Roads were all ice from yesterday's storm so I opted for sunny and 70 today. To make my time on the mill go by quicker, I did a a workout for Pi Day that I made up on my way to the gym. It went like this: 5X 3:14 minutes/1:46 easy. I kept my hard paces all below 5:30 and rest no slower than 6:30.
Thursday, March 15th-5.3 miles with the dogs. Cold and icy out. Definitely some dicey spots.
Average of 6:47 pace.
PT session #8 in the afternoon-my pelvis was way off. Ended up getting it realigned. It looks like I'll be carrying on with PT right up until the marathon.
Friday-0. Traveled to FL to visit my grandfather who just came home from a hospital visit. Unplanned, but very important trip with my bro and mom to see him.
Saturday-5.2 miles in North Port, Florida with my brother and uncle riding bikes behind me. An average of 6:10 p/mile pace. Mile splits-701, 606, 555, 548, 604. Enjoyed temps of about 70 with no wind, humidity, or hills. Came home around midnight.
Sunday-15.3 miles. Ran from my house, through Shelter Harbor and back around all throughout Weekapaug. The wind was whipping and I was exhausted from my travels but was determined to get my LR in. Average of 6:34 p/mile pace. I would have loved to have ran a few more miles and done some quality work but I'll take it for today considering all the travel, etc. Long run # 12.
Weekly miles: 45.6
Synopsis: all things considered, another solid week. With the snow storm and travel, it was not easy to get miles in. My trip to FL was the highlight of my week and the main goal of that very quick trip was to visit and spent time with my grandfather. The run was not priority and more of a bonus. Another highlight was the snow run with Gazelle. I had a solid workout on the treadmill and punched out a few good miles in North Port. Moving forward, I'll run my last 20 next week. Boston is getting closer and time is flying by.
Tuesday, March 13th-7 miles @ 8:26 pace in a classic New England Snow Storm with the Gazelle. With school cancelled, I had the opportunity to sleep in and took advantage of it. Even H slept in! Upon wake up and a cup of coffee, I gave thought to my morning run and quickly texted the one guy who I knew would join me for some fun if he was free. Sure enough, the Gazelle took the bait and even mentioned he was about to reach out to me. We ended up running from my house to the end of the sand trail and back. While the pace may have been slow, the wind was pretty ridiculous as we trotted down the sand trail. It was also nice to catch up with Jeff and enjoy running in the snow as we always do. Good fun!
 |
| This guy LOVES winter! |
 |
| Some serious waves |
Wednesday, March 14th-6.6 mile Pi workout on the treadmill at the Y. Roads were all ice from yesterday's storm so I opted for sunny and 70 today. To make my time on the mill go by quicker, I did a a workout for Pi Day that I made up on my way to the gym. It went like this: 5X 3:14 minutes/1:46 easy. I kept my hard paces all below 5:30 and rest no slower than 6:30.
Thursday, March 15th-5.3 miles with the dogs. Cold and icy out. Definitely some dicey spots.
Average of 6:47 pace.
PT session #8 in the afternoon-my pelvis was way off. Ended up getting it realigned. It looks like I'll be carrying on with PT right up until the marathon.
Friday-0. Traveled to FL to visit my grandfather who just came home from a hospital visit. Unplanned, but very important trip with my bro and mom to see him.
 |
| A great visit with my Pop. My uncle and brother are the other guys in the pic. |
Saturday-5.2 miles in North Port, Florida with my brother and uncle riding bikes behind me. An average of 6:10 p/mile pace. Mile splits-701, 606, 555, 548, 604. Enjoyed temps of about 70 with no wind, humidity, or hills. Came home around midnight.
Sunday-15.3 miles. Ran from my house, through Shelter Harbor and back around all throughout Weekapaug. The wind was whipping and I was exhausted from my travels but was determined to get my LR in. Average of 6:34 p/mile pace. I would have loved to have ran a few more miles and done some quality work but I'll take it for today considering all the travel, etc. Long run # 12.
Weekly miles: 45.6
Synopsis: all things considered, another solid week. With the snow storm and travel, it was not easy to get miles in. My trip to FL was the highlight of my week and the main goal of that very quick trip was to visit and spent time with my grandfather. The run was not priority and more of a bonus. Another highlight was the snow run with Gazelle. I had a solid workout on the treadmill and punched out a few good miles in North Port. Moving forward, I'll run my last 20 next week. Boston is getting closer and time is flying by.
Sunday, March 11, 2018
March 5 to 11
Monday, March 5th- 6.2 miles @ 7:06 pace with the dogs. The wind was still swirling and I didn't have much "get go" this morning. It was just another day of punching the time clock. Both Riley and Lulu were pretty happy to be out there as snow lightly fell. On a side note, the parts of yesterday's course that I covered this morning were free of litter, which is a step up from previous years.
Tuesday, March 6th-6.1 miles with the dogs. Tried out a new pair of Saucony Ride 9s and they did not disappoint. Ran a rolling route with Riley towards my parents, up & down Urso Drive, back home, and then took Lulu for a mile loop. It was encouraging to have a little pep in my step. Miles 3-6 all under 6:36 per mile. *I'll likely run Boston in the 9s so will use them sparingly until then. In the meantime, I ordered another pair to store in reserve in case I can no longer find them.
Wednesday, March 7th-7 miles total. 5k warmup with Riley. I ended up making up a workout where I did 5X3 minutes hard/2 minutes easy. I felt like I put in some good work the entire time and was hitting very low 6s per mile including the rest. By the time I made it to the 5th set, I was feeling it. The total workout distance was 4 miles. Solid.
Thursday, March 8th-0..with a small accumulation of snow that was more like mud, I spent my morning shoveling driveways before work instead of running. I had a very busy work day of meetings and even had to cancel my PT session due to my oil burner going out.
Friday, March 9th-5.6 miles..did the first 4 with Riley and last 1 with Riley. I really enjoyed having some light this morning and know I'll be losing it again this morning. Cool but comfortable and controlled, solid pace.
Saturday, March 10th-20 miler from my house, down Rt. 1, Klondike, Buckeye Brook, Burdickville, 91, behind Walmart, down Rt. 1, and back through the neighborhood. Kept a steady pace throughout. The rolling hills were tiring but much needed. Weather was windy. Ran into Mr. Puddin’ and Eric S out there. I spent much of this run doing fractions in my head about distance ran vs distance remaining. By 16 miles, fatigue came on and I did my best to fight it. Average pace for the run was 6:32 per mile, which I was really happy with. Long run # 11. 3 more real long runs to go.
Sunday, March 11th-5.2 miles with Shara and H while pushing the stroller around the new bike loop at Ninigret. It was a nice morning of running, playing at the park, and family time. Average of 7:25 per mile pace was a good recovery. Wind whipping in certain spots.
Weekly Miles: 50.4
Synopsis: a solid week and I was happy to hit the 50 mile mark. It's really where I need to be for the next few weeks. I had a good workout on Wednesday and a confidence building long run on Saturday. Circumstances prevented me from getting my weekly stretch and PT sessions in. Hoping for another 50 mile week ahead. Side notes: had a snow day on Wednesday, but had very long work days on the other 3 out o 4 days, didn't eat meat for 5 of the 7 days this past week.
Tuesday, March 6th-6.1 miles with the dogs. Tried out a new pair of Saucony Ride 9s and they did not disappoint. Ran a rolling route with Riley towards my parents, up & down Urso Drive, back home, and then took Lulu for a mile loop. It was encouraging to have a little pep in my step. Miles 3-6 all under 6:36 per mile. *I'll likely run Boston in the 9s so will use them sparingly until then. In the meantime, I ordered another pair to store in reserve in case I can no longer find them.
Wednesday, March 7th-7 miles total. 5k warmup with Riley. I ended up making up a workout where I did 5X3 minutes hard/2 minutes easy. I felt like I put in some good work the entire time and was hitting very low 6s per mile including the rest. By the time I made it to the 5th set, I was feeling it. The total workout distance was 4 miles. Solid.
Thursday, March 8th-0..with a small accumulation of snow that was more like mud, I spent my morning shoveling driveways before work instead of running. I had a very busy work day of meetings and even had to cancel my PT session due to my oil burner going out.
Friday, March 9th-5.6 miles..did the first 4 with Riley and last 1 with Riley. I really enjoyed having some light this morning and know I'll be losing it again this morning. Cool but comfortable and controlled, solid pace.
Saturday, March 10th-20 miler from my house, down Rt. 1, Klondike, Buckeye Brook, Burdickville, 91, behind Walmart, down Rt. 1, and back through the neighborhood. Kept a steady pace throughout. The rolling hills were tiring but much needed. Weather was windy. Ran into Mr. Puddin’ and Eric S out there. I spent much of this run doing fractions in my head about distance ran vs distance remaining. By 16 miles, fatigue came on and I did my best to fight it. Average pace for the run was 6:32 per mile, which I was really happy with. Long run # 11. 3 more real long runs to go.
Sunday, March 11th-5.2 miles with Shara and H while pushing the stroller around the new bike loop at Ninigret. It was a nice morning of running, playing at the park, and family time. Average of 7:25 per mile pace was a good recovery. Wind whipping in certain spots.
Weekly Miles: 50.4
Synopsis: a solid week and I was happy to hit the 50 mile mark. It's really where I need to be for the next few weeks. I had a good workout on Wednesday and a confidence building long run on Saturday. Circumstances prevented me from getting my weekly stretch and PT sessions in. Hoping for another 50 mile week ahead. Side notes: had a snow day on Wednesday, but had very long work days on the other 3 out o 4 days, didn't eat meat for 5 of the 7 days this past week.
Sunday, March 4, 2018
February 26 through March 4
Monday, February 26th: 6.3 miles with the dogs. I ran the first 4+ with Riley and last 2 with Lulu. It was another mild morning. My legs were definitely feeling it today and I felt like I had no go. All in all, it felt like a Monday. Tired as usual. It was another fairly mild morning and I have a good streak of wearing shorts going.
Tuesday, February 27th: 6.1 miles with the dogs..6:57 average pace. No go today
Wednesday, February 28th: 6.3 miles..5k warmup with Riley and then 8X1:30 H with 35 to 40 second jog rests. Solid workout..need to keep up with the hard stuff. Tired.
Thursday, March 1st: 5.6 miles..first 3+ with Riley and an additional 2+ with Lulu. The moon was beautiful this morning. Enjoying the lighter mornings.
PM-PT Session # 7. Received more active release on the neck and upper back.
Friday, March 2nd: 40 minutes of stretching, rolling, and doing whatever I can to remain mobile.
Later in the day, had to deal with side effects of nasty storm that came through. Had a big tree fall down, a leak in my basement, failure of my sub pump, and a smashed grill in my backyard. It ended up being the most impact I've personally experienced from a storm since being a home owner. Good times.
Saturday: 7 miles solo. 6:52 pace. While the wind was still whipping and there was even some light rain, I enjoyed checking out the area and small impacts from the storm. Snuck in the golf course to run for a bit before quickly retreating when I ended up getting sick of the wind. Busy day of clean up. In the afternoon, I went down to Misquamicut with Shara and her friend, Kathryn, to check out conditions and pick up numbers for the upcoming Ocean's Run Half. Many of the roads were flooded and there was huge question if the race would happen at all. By nightfall, we heard the race would be a go. I wasn't thrilled with the course conditions or high winds that I'd be dealing with, but knew I needed to do it as a workout for Boston.
Sunday: Ocean Run Half, 3rd overall, 1:21: 28, 6:11 p/mile pace.
Warmed up for a 1.5 miles and ran into Turtle Zac K, who I have always been fond of. We discussed race intentions and planned on working together in the race. My goal was to get a good workout in and I had a feeling it would be a slow day with conditions. Zak had similar thoughts.
The race
Waiting for the start was freezing but things quickly warmed up once the race was underway. Paces for the first 5 miles all ranged between 6 flat and 6:18 per mile. It was tough to get into a rhythm and I just wanted to stick to getting in a workout at slightly faster than MP. I had a big surprise and highlight around the first mile when the Gazelle appeared to cheer on the runners and he even ran with Zak and I for about a 1/2 mile while blaring AC/DC. I was pumped and this small portion of time served as the highlight of my race! Jeff then shot off to do a 10k in the South County 4th Season Race Series. Thanks Gazelle!
The next portion of the race-Atlantic Ave, Cove Road, and Shore Road area ended up being a struggle and Zak pulled away from me with authority. I ended up being in "no man's land" and was feeling the impacts of the wind but knew I needed to stick to it despite not running the paces I'd hoped. Things improved running down Noyes Neck and I moved into 3rd for the remainder of the race. Coming back up Noyes Neck to get to Knowles was brutal with the small hill climb and a whipping wind. After coming through Fenway, I saw my parents by the Weekapaug Bridge as they came to cheer us on. From there, it was the cruise home. There was a slight tailwind on Atlantic Ave but I couldn't avoid running through some of deep water as other runners were coming in the opposite direction. I finally finished in 1:21:28 and can't say I'm happy with my time or how I felt but I do find the effort valuable and hope it will pay off later. It was also fun running and catching up with Zak for a bit.
Notes: Shara ran very comfortably and paced her friend through the half. As I write this post, she reports no ill effects of running long, which she attributes to the slower pace. Special thanks to Gazelle and my parents for their support it helps. Mileage for the day was around 16.5.
Weekly Miles: 48.2
Synopsis: another solid week of grinding through. Some of the same things to report: on/off neck/back issues, daily fatigue and tiredness, wishing I had more total miles, and a feeling like this process is a grind. The reality is a marathon is a grind-so logic tells me maybe I'll be well prepared. I was happy to get in two solid workouts. It was a good week of running for the dogs as well.
Tuesday, February 27th: 6.1 miles with the dogs..6:57 average pace. No go today
Wednesday, February 28th: 6.3 miles..5k warmup with Riley and then 8X1:30 H with 35 to 40 second jog rests. Solid workout..need to keep up with the hard stuff. Tired.
Thursday, March 1st: 5.6 miles..first 3+ with Riley and an additional 2+ with Lulu. The moon was beautiful this morning. Enjoying the lighter mornings.
PM-PT Session # 7. Received more active release on the neck and upper back.
Friday, March 2nd: 40 minutes of stretching, rolling, and doing whatever I can to remain mobile.
Later in the day, had to deal with side effects of nasty storm that came through. Had a big tree fall down, a leak in my basement, failure of my sub pump, and a smashed grill in my backyard. It ended up being the most impact I've personally experienced from a storm since being a home owner. Good times.
Saturday: 7 miles solo. 6:52 pace. While the wind was still whipping and there was even some light rain, I enjoyed checking out the area and small impacts from the storm. Snuck in the golf course to run for a bit before quickly retreating when I ended up getting sick of the wind. Busy day of clean up. In the afternoon, I went down to Misquamicut with Shara and her friend, Kathryn, to check out conditions and pick up numbers for the upcoming Ocean's Run Half. Many of the roads were flooded and there was huge question if the race would happen at all. By nightfall, we heard the race would be a go. I wasn't thrilled with the course conditions or high winds that I'd be dealing with, but knew I needed to do it as a workout for Boston.
Sunday: Ocean Run Half, 3rd overall, 1:21: 28, 6:11 p/mile pace.
Warmed up for a 1.5 miles and ran into Turtle Zac K, who I have always been fond of. We discussed race intentions and planned on working together in the race. My goal was to get a good workout in and I had a feeling it would be a slow day with conditions. Zak had similar thoughts.
The race
Waiting for the start was freezing but things quickly warmed up once the race was underway. Paces for the first 5 miles all ranged between 6 flat and 6:18 per mile. It was tough to get into a rhythm and I just wanted to stick to getting in a workout at slightly faster than MP. I had a big surprise and highlight around the first mile when the Gazelle appeared to cheer on the runners and he even ran with Zak and I for about a 1/2 mile while blaring AC/DC. I was pumped and this small portion of time served as the highlight of my race! Jeff then shot off to do a 10k in the South County 4th Season Race Series. Thanks Gazelle!
 |
| Before Mile 2, cruising along Photo credit: Gazelle Photography |
Notes: Shara ran very comfortably and paced her friend through the half. As I write this post, she reports no ill effects of running long, which she attributes to the slower pace. Special thanks to Gazelle and my parents for their support it helps. Mileage for the day was around 16.5.
 |
| Shara and Kathryn post race. Shara was no worse for the wear. |
Weekly Miles: 48.2
Synopsis: another solid week of grinding through. Some of the same things to report: on/off neck/back issues, daily fatigue and tiredness, wishing I had more total miles, and a feeling like this process is a grind. The reality is a marathon is a grind-so logic tells me maybe I'll be well prepared. I was happy to get in two solid workouts. It was a good week of running for the dogs as well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)