2019 to 2020

It's been almost a year since I've put up a blog post, so I figured the new year would be a great opportunity to provide some kind of reflection on 2019 and share what I'm hoping and looking forward to for 2020.

2019
Let me get the negative out of the way..
Overall, 2019 was a relatively poor year of running for me.  I started the year with injury and ended the year with injury.  If you are one of my running or endurance buds, you've probably heard me complain about a lingering hamstring issue.  The balky hamstring and a recently new hip issue have held up my training and left me in general discomfort.  Enough discomfort to shut things down? Not as of late.  Enough discomfort to not run long or at a high volume? Absolutely.  Have these issues impacted my race results?  I actually hope so...or maybe I'm just getting older.  To help maintain my current state, I try to stretch, roll a bit, swim 1x a week (been failing at that as of late), and have been getting dry needling.  Will this recovery plan work?  Only time will tell.

Not fun.

After a very tough 2018 (losing my Dad), 2019 brought some sad times for a couple of my friends.  A good friend, college teammate, former coach, and training partner of mine named Kevin had a freak fall from a tree while playing with his kids that left him in paralyzed.  He was fortunate to survive and works very hard daily to try to make physical gains to get parts of his life back. While recently visiting him, he shared with me some of the trials and tribulations of the injury.  One of the most frustrating parts of the injury for him is that hard work and dedication are not always providing immediate results for him.  This frustrates him because hard work always paid off for him as a runner,  professional, husband, dad, and friend.   Here is to hoping 2020 brings Kevin more healing, progress, and hope.   Kevin's story is a reminder to me to appreciate everything I've got...even the injuries and running times that aren't meeting my expectations...the alternatives could be much worse! The second really sad event from 2019 is the sudden loss of BLS.  She was a wonderful, humorous, caring, and spirited individual who was full of life.  She was taken far too soon.  I have no words.

Team B + my teammate and bud, Jay.  Good to see him!

Hanging with my old college teammates and bus, Tim and Jay at the Big Heart 5k held this year in honor of Kevin.

Onto the positive..
-The biggest, most exciting, and positive thing that happened to me in 2019 was the birth of my second daughter, Addy, in March.  I love being a Dad and involving both of my girls in my active, fun lifestyle.

Addy's first run ever!  The family competed in the Bottone Mile together.

-I stayed active.  While my training volume was low, I did some sort of physical activity almost everyday.  Activities included: running, swimming, weights, paddle boarding, core/stretch work, biking, and I even went skiing for the first time in almost a decade this past week.

-I completed basic requirements for the WTAC Clamshell.

-I had a ton of fun running races with Shara and doing events with my WTAC teammates.  Racing with Shara and my running buds really motivates me and increases my interest in various events.

Team WTAC at the Mews post race.
*Missing Shara (she took the photo)

Race Statistics/Facts
*I did 13 races in 2019.
*Shara did 12/13 races with me.  The only race she missed was the Pell Bridge Run ( I remind her of this on the regular).
*I did a TRI for the firs time since 2016 and came in 2nd OA.  I had a very solid day in the water and on the run, not so much on the bike.
*Completed the Swim to Skim 1.2 mile race in Newport on 8/25.  I did in 34:53, which would qualify me for a big swim race that is on my bucket list.
*Wins: 5
*Distance of my races:
5k: 6,  Best time: 17:08 at the Land Trust Race.
1 mile: 1 (pushing the double stroller)
4 miles: 2
Oddball distances:   BRR and Mews races.
*I competed in some races I really wanted to do-Pell Bridge & Mews Race.  I'd definitely consider running both of these again.

Pre-race at the Swim to Skim (another last minute decision)

I finally did the Pell Bridge Run and competed for Team Clean Ocean Access.  Congrats to Chris on the Big W!

We "jumped" into the Wave Tri last minute.

2020
-l'm not going to get into mileage or distance goals because I really don't have them.  Mostly, I'd like to get healthy, feel strong, and run faster than I did in 2019.
-Since I didn't race many regular distances, the best measuring stick I have is the 5k.  I still love the 5k over any other race distance and would like to try to run them fast for as long as I possibly can.
-Stay active almost every day of the year.  It shouldn't be that hard.  Besides my love of running, I have plenty of other activities that can keep me going (see above).
-Speaking of staying active, I'd like to do another Sprint TRI, swim race, and go skiing a few times in 2020.
-Complete the WTAC Clamshell (it'll probably be on my list every year)
-Run sub 5 or as close to sub 5 as possible in the mile.
-Go for stroller runs with the girls and continue running with Riley and Lulu.
-Continue running races with Shara and compete in team racing with the WTAC.
-Swim 1x a week.

Here's to wishing all of my endurance friends as happy and healthy 2020.  Let's go!

My loyal and trust partner, Riley.  Come rain, snow, sleet, or wind, he's ready.  Lulu likes to get out there too.

Most of Team B (minus Addy).

Week of 12/31 to 1/6

Monday, 12/31: 5.3 miles total.  Started off with 3.2 miles with Riley.  Decided to loop from my house down through Weekapaug and back up.  I had a muscle spasm that made my leg give out a bit during the first mile.  As the run progressed, I just continued to feel that nagging for the remainder of the run.  Average pace of 6:22 p/mile.  I then took advantage of having the opportunity to run with all my girls (Shara, Haley in the stroller, and Lulu) for another two miles.  Average pace of 8:50 p/mile.  Regardless of pace, sore.  With this "nerve thing" becoming an on-going and progressing issue, I now realize that it's time to shut it down for a bit before things get worse.

Tuesday, 1/1: Happy New Year! 12 mile ride on the basement spin bike, 35 minutes.  Followed up with core work and stretching for another 25 minutes.  Coach Gazelle was even kind enough to share some exercises that helped him with he was dealing with nerve issues.  To my friend's point, no two injuries are the same, but these might be helpful.

Wednesday, 1/2:  30 minutes of yoga core DVD and strength.  Slow moving sequence or core work and stretching.  Followed up with 3X25 pushups, some of the stretches Gazelle shared with me, and some curls.  Continued on with a 25 minute ride on the spin bike at a low resistance..10.8 miles.

Thursday, 1/3: 15 minutes of strength work at the Y.  Pullups, dips, and single leg body weight squats X3.  Followed up with a 1250 yd swim that took me abut 23 minutes.  It wasn't pretty but I got it done!  Sets of 500, 500, 100, 100, & a 50.

Friday, 1/4: 30 minute of core/strength work off another DVD followed up by 30 minute basement spin, 10.2 miles, low resistance.

Saturday, 1/5: 30 minutes of body weight and band work..most of it off a DVD.  Followed up with 30 minutes of a spin in the basement, covered 10.5 miles.

Sunday, 1/6: Headed to the Y and started with 15 minutes of core work (did 3 continuous sets of the following-plank variation for 1 minute, 8 pullups, and single leg squats.  I then hit the pool for a 1500 yd swim.  Did sets of 2X500, 5X100.  My swim times and water comfort are slowly improving.  I wouldn't call it pretty though.

Totals:
Run: 1X, 5.3 total
Bike: 4X 42 miles total
Swim: 2X 2750yds total
Weights/Core/Stretch: a ton...every day this week.

Synopsis: shutting "it" down is never easy but with my leg issue progressing I knew it was time.  As much as I love to run, I have to admit that my non-running routine hasn't been that bad.  The core work is challenging and it is fun to get physically stronger.  In running, we are always trying to get fitter or/and faster but rarely have the opportunity to work on everything.  This injury has afforded me that opportunity, which is helping me stay positive while not running.  I do believe the absence of running, increased core work, and regular Gazelle stretching is helping the back of my leg.  While I hope to start running again shortly, I have scheduled a PT assessment for this upcoming week just to check things out and see what is going on.  One thing that really continues to irritate my leg is long periods of sitting, which happened a few times last week in work meetings.   I am hoping that this injury will motivate to at least do a Sprint TRI in 2019 and cause me to focus more on being overall fit instead of just running fit.

Week of 12/24 through 12/30

Monday, 12/24: 7.3 miles with the dogs.  I ran the first 10k with Riley down through Weekapaug and to the Inn Beach.  Ran a bit more in the Weekapaug area before heading home to pick up Lulu for an additional mile.  Back of my leg nagging..

Tuesday, 12/25: 4.1 miles @ 6:29 pace with Riley.  I considered taking the day off to give my leg some rest but it was Christmas so I just had to reward myself with a run.

Wednesday, 12/26: Off day.  Started with 15 minutes of planks, pullups, and abs at the Y. Then proceeded to swim a mile..it wasn't pretty.  Leg even a bit tight in the water.

Thursday, 12/27: 8 mile easy run on Ninigret with Jeff, Matthew, and Sam L.  Ran an average of 7:04 pace.  Enjoyed the company, leg nagged on. Average of 7:04 pace.

Friday, 12/28: 10 mile basement spin-30 minutes.  Followed up with a 35 minute strength workout-barbell squats, single leg body weight squats, pushups, and band work (did super sets with these).  Finished with light stretch.

Saturday, 12/29: 6.2 mile loop with Riley @ 6:39 average pace.  Ran my "trail" loop through the Haversham areabefore looping around through Weekapaug.  Sore all in various spots (notice a theme here?)

Sunday, 12/30: 6.5 miles with Riley.  Ran the first 4.5 from my house, did loops on Weekapaug Golf Course, and then ran to my Mom's to visit her and the dogs.  Let Riley play with the boxers for a bit before running 2 miles home at 6:15 pace.
Fun fact from the run: while running on the golf course, Riley and I came across the partial carcass of some type of big bird (sorry I'm no Muddy when it comes to bird identification).  All "valuable" parts of the bird appeared to be eaten up.  I can only suspect it was one of these critters, that local townies like to rave about that did the damage. *Please note: I don't like coyotes but I am not one of these townies.

Weekly Miles: 32
YTD Miles: 2118
Swim: 1X/1mile
Bike: 1X, 10 miles
Stretch/Core: 2X


Synopsis: While I certainly enjoyed spending the holidays with family, this week was a disappointment in regards to running.  This is normally one of my favorite running weeks of the year with the opportunity to run more than usual with time off.  With this weird, nagging and irritating undiagnosed back of leg pain, I purposely cut back on my mileage.  Running slower or not running at all seems to make no difference on the level of nagging pain.  The cross training gave me something to do but didn't give me the jump start I was hoping to gain.  If anything, the pain increased as the week progressed. No particular stretch seemed to make a difference. As much as I like my physical therapist and want to get better, I'm trying to continue to incorporate rest and less running to see if it improves before seeking additional help.  Not the way I was looking to end the year with my running, but injury is a reality of the sport.  It is what it is.  I'll deal with it.

Week of 12/17 to 12/23

Monday: a.m. 6.7 miles with the dogs.  I woke up this morning feeling stuffed and lethargic.  After a quick, big cup of coffee (I have one every morning before my run), I got out there with Riley and started to bang out the miles.  Ran the Piezzo loop back towards Shore and down to Weekapaug before running home in a headwind.  I ran my last mile with Lulu.  Average pace of 6:40 something.  The back of my leg was nagging me again today.

p.m. Strength & Stretch for 20 minutes. 100 pushups in 6:45.  Not sure what my goal was with the pushups, but it was a challenge for me to get them done in this time.  Rest of my work consisted of stretching and rolling.

Tuesday: a.m. 6.2 miles with the dogs.  5 with Riley and the last 1+ with Lulu.  Another day of feeling stuffed up upon wakeup.   I had a small internal struggle of whether or not to skip the run this morning as the wind was howling and it felt like the house was going to get blown over.  I settled with, "just get out there, even if you cut it short."  Half the run consisted of a tail wind and the remaining half I faced a strong headwind.  Highlight of the run: buzzing underneath the entrance of festive, lighted up entrance of the Weekapaug Inn with Riley.  We were surely unwelcomed house guests!  Average 6:46 pace.

p.m. Strength workout at the Y before H's swim class.  Did a series of pullups, planks, and some rolling.  20 minutes.

Wednesday: 6.5 miles..Warmed up for 3+ miles with Riley and wasn't really feeling the run right from the start.  I was just feeling tired and lethargic today..not sure if it's just a little cold I have going on or what.  I then proceeded to do 8X250 on short jog rest.  The reps weren't fast but I have to keep pushing through these types of workouts to maintain some level, no matter how small, of speed. Cooled down with Lulu. Average of 6:45 pace.

Thursday: a.m. 6.6 miles with the dogs..First 5 with Riley and 1+ with Lulu.  There was a drastic difference in temperature between my house and just over a mile away down by the beach. Solid run.  Average of 6:42 pace.

p.m. Played 7 minutes of 5 on 5 bball at school against teachers and staff in the afternoon as part of a canned food drive.

p.m. 100 pushups in 4:17...a new record for me!

Friday: 45 minutes of strength work. Covered everything today. Barbell squats, single leg squats, pushups, bent over rows, pull-ups, mobility stuff, and finished w a little stretch.

Saturday: 7.5 miles at an average of 6:25 pace. Ran the Wicklow loop with Riley and did another mile in the neighborhood with Lulu.  Glad to get this in before a full day of traveling.

Sunday: a.m. 4.5 miles with Riley incorporating 6X400 with 45 seconds rest at Hell Field.  Riley was overly excited for the duration of the repeats and his owner was just feeling tired.

p.m.  6.3 mile Christmas Light Run with Jeff & Matthew.  Thrilled to keep this tradition going and thanks to the Walker's for planning out the route.  *Also had the annual opportunity to check out their Christmas tree.  While the tree may be somewhat smaller than previous years, it still is quite impressive!  Jeff even showed me a classic ornament that was his Dad's.  Cool stuff.

Total miles: 44.5
Total Core: 3X

Synopsis: another solid week of mileage.  However, my leg issue has carried on and was especially nagging on Sunday.

Highlights: Christmas Light Run, workout, and continued effort with core work.

Week of 12/10 to 12/16

Monday: a.m.  6.6 miles-down Shore Rd, through Cove Road (one of my favorite spots), and through Weekapaug with Riley.  I just barely connected up with JV at the bottom of Noyes Neck.  I ran the last mile with Lulu.  Chilly morning.  I hit 2000 miles for the year mid run!  Average pace of 6:45.

p.m. 20 minutes of core work..100 pushups, 3X10 single leg body weight squats on each side, stretching, and some rolling.

Tuesday: a.m. 6.2 miles with the dogs.  First 5 with Riley that included 6 strides and ran my last mile with Lulu.  I changed out the batteries on my Noxgear and headlamp, it was like night and day!

p.m. 15 minute strength workout.  I did 3X8 of pullups..I couldn't even take a wild guess when the last time was when I did these.  Did some sight planks and rolling as well.

Wednesday: 6.5 miles that included 10X200 with Riley on Fenway Road.   Right upon wake up, I wasn't feeling it today but made myself get after it. The 200s weren't great as Fenway Road is extremely dark, even with my headlamp.  Some kind of critter (probably a bunny) was stirring in the nearby brush after 6X200...you can guess the pace significantly increased for the remaining 4.  The quality of the workout wasn't the best, but I'm still happy with the effort. Ran the final 1+ mile with Lu.

Here's some incentive to make Tommy 5k run faster 200s

Thursday: 6.7 miles.  Started with the Rockridge Loop with Riley and finished in the neighborhood with Lulu.  The 4th chilly morning run of the week.  JV sighting on Shore Road.  Average of 6:47 pace.

Friday: 40 minutes of strength & stretching.  Pushups, barbell squats, single leg squats, band work, and finished w a stretch. Disciplined myself not to run today as I wanted to go out but knew I needed an off day. Hoping this stuff pays off.

Saturday: a.m.  20 minutes of pushups, chest work, pullups, and stretching.

p.m. Around the Pond with Riley..8.1 miles.  Pre-run I was concerned about my little buddy making it all the way around the pond.  After about a mile, we were rolling along at around 6:15 pace.  At about the midday point, I think Riley probably started to wonder if his owner would make it around the pond?  We ran every mile from 2-8 under 6:20.  He's a solid dog! Average pace of 6:19 for the run.

Sunday: 10 miles.  Joined forces with the Run While You Can Group that JV organizes on a rainy, windy morning.  Ran with JV and Erin for the first mile and then the Gazelle and I ran the remainder of the run together.  Solid run at an average of 6:59 pace.  Post run, we met with Mikey B. at the Cooked Goose to catch up.  Good stuff.

Weekly Totals

Miles: 44 miles

Core Work: 4X!!

Highlights: definitely the weekend runs, core work, and meeting up with Mikey.

Lowlights: nagging yet tolerable issue in the back of my leg and lack of goals.

Week of 12/3-12/9 Doctor's Orders!!

Monday: a.m. 6.5 miles with the dogs on a balmy morning.   Looped through Piezzo, to Shore Rd, down through Weekapaug with Riley.  Ran the last 1+ with Lulu.  About 55 degrees..enjoyable temps.
p.m. 5X20 pushups to total 100, ab exercises, and some rolling.  Need to keep up with these!

*Went to my doctor for an annual physical in the afternoon.  While reviewing some of my health data and family history, he alerted me that it would be in my best interest to keep running "as much as possible."  When a good doctor like this makes such a recommendation, you don't ask questions!

Tuesday: 6.8 miles.  Ran the first 10k with Riley on a windy yet comfortable morning.  Looped from my house up through Moonlight, and back down to Weekapaug.  To mix things up and lightly test the back of my leg, I finished with 6 light strides.  No worse for the wear for doing them.  I'd like to add some variety to my morning runs other than just doing base miles but I also want to be smart about how I go about it.

Wednesday: 6.7 miles and super cold out with the dogs. Star lit sky. Solid run with the dogs. 6 controlled strides at the end again. 6:41 average pace.

Thursday:6.7 miles at 6:43 pace with the dogs.  Deja Vu.

Friday: 3 miles with Riley on very slick roads.  A light rain from the night before left for slick conditions.   8 strides at the end of the run.  After a negative experience of some serious sitting while traveling and attending a conference last week, I opted to get some movement in this morning.  While I was still in for another day of sitting from traveling and attending, I felt better throughout the day thanks to this run.  Average pace of 6:42.

Once I arrived back home, I did 100 pushups in about 8 minutes and other strength/core work.  Like the combo of a short run with some strength.

Saturday: 10k with Riley on a very frigid morning in 39:26.  To my knowledge, this was Riley's fastest 10k to date.  I made the decision around 4 miles to try to make it home in 10k in under 40 minutes.  It was a fun challenge while dealing with some climbing and wind on the way home.  Not sure if I can call this run a workout but it was an elevated effort.

Sunday: a.m. 6 miles with Riley at an average of 6:41 pace.  I added in a mini workout on the Weekapaug Golf Course of 5X 1 minute H/45 seconds E. Today was the day of the Christmas 10k in Newport.  The Christmas 10k always has a good WTAC turnout and is generally a fun event.  Meanwhile, the Y was hosting a Breakfast with Santa in the morning.  As much as I would have enjoyed the race,  this was a non-decision for me.  Shara, Haley, and I had a blast with Santa!

p.m. 20 minute workout that mostly consisted of weights in my basement...I did 3X10 of barbell squats for the first time in years. 

Totals:
Miles: 42
Weights/Core: 3X 20 minutes.  Solid.

Highlights: the 10k with Riley, ran a lot with the dogs this week, fitting in three workouts, and the leg pain in the back of my leg seems like it is moving in a positive direction.

Lowlight: no swimming, real "structured" workout, and lack of variety.

Interesting fact: I completed 22 consecutive weeks of running at least 40 miles..that's solid consistency but only one of those weeks is over 50 miles.

Week of 11/26 to 12/2

Monday-A.M. 6.6 miles with the dogs.  As usual, most of my miles were with Riley and I ran my final mile with Lulu.  The is the first time I took her out in a few days since she was favoring her paw.  Gotta take care of my fur legged friends!  Hammy still tight and I was generally sore. Wore a new pair of Saucony Rides that I've been holding onto since March.  It always feels good to wear a new pair of shoes.  6:53 average pace.

P.M.-20 minutes of pushups, hamstring stretching, and rolling at night.  I ended up doing 100 pushups total.  I used to be really into the core/weight work and now is the perfect time to get back at it.

Tuesday-7 miles with the dogs.  Ran my Piezzo loop, down to Weekapaug, and back through the hood.  Riley kept me up a huge chunk of the night.  I think he may have had an upset stomach from inhaling a portion of Haley's chili from the night before. Regardless, he was ready to run come 5 am.  Average of 6:45 pace.

Wednesday-A.M. 6.4 miles with the dogs.  Had a "Deer in Headlamp" experience on Williams Road.  I'm very fascinated by deer and think they are the cool animals.  I especially love watching them run!  As for the run itself, I really wasn't feeling it today.  Average of 6:48 pace

P.M. -20 minutes of pushups and hamstring stretching.  100 pushups total...did sets of 15 to 20 and they felt a little easier than Monday.  I need to keep up with this strength stuff!

Thursday-6.8 miles with the dogs.  "Accidentally" almost ran 6 with Riley which left a little less for Lulu.  Ran the Rockridge Loop.  Cool and windy morning.  Hamstring still annoying.  Enjoyable run. Average of 6:44 pace.

Friday-35 minutes of stretching and rolling.  Had a conference in Cromwell which entailed driving and sitting all day..my hamstring, nerve, or leg issue was quite bothersome.  I attribute it to all the sitting I did.  By the end of the day, I was feeling achy, stiff, and numb in spots.  Sitting is NOT good!

Saturday-8.3 miles with the dogs.  7 with Riley and mostly ran on Weekapaug Golf Course..it was very enjoyable,  The softness of the grass felt good on the legs and the coastal views on the course were great.  Looped back through Weekapaug and picked up Lulu to run more in the neighborhood.
Average of 6:38 pace.

Sunday-6.5 miles on the treadmill at the Y.  With the prediction of heavy rain the forecast, I had it in my head that I was running on the mill today.  Arrived around 6:30 am and had the place to myself.  I ran a flat progression on the mill ending my last mile in 5:20.  No resistance and the belt was working with me but still a solid workout.  Total time: 38 minutes to average 5:50 pace. Post run did a little core work and then swam 700 yards.  Felt good.

Weekly Miles: 41
Core: 3 sessions, 2 for 20 minutes of stretch and 1 for 30 minutes of stretching
Swim: 1X700yds

Highlight(s): It has to be my dedication to core work.  I finished the week with three core sessions-two strength and one stretch.  Even snuck in a swim.  While these workouts or stats don't add up to miles, I'd like to believe they keep me running miles.

Lowlight(s): this on-going nagging hamstring/nerve issue.  Not really sure what the little injury is but I have enough of an annoyance going on in the back of my leg that I've been staying away from speed work and longer runs.   I am happy that this "annoyance" hasn't prevented me from running though.