8 miles in 62 minutes
Run while the truck is being serviced. Actually found some decent trails!
Monday, April 20, 2015
Sunday 4/19
17.4 miles in 2 hours and 7 minutes
Awesome run! First time ever in Great Brook Farm, the trails are awesome in there! It was about 5.5 to get there and 5.5 back, so I got in about 6 miles of trails. I will be back in there for sure!
Awesome run! First time ever in Great Brook Farm, the trails are awesome in there! It was about 5.5 to get there and 5.5 back, so I got in about 6 miles of trails. I will be back in there for sure!
Saturday 4/18
5.1 miles in 38 minutes
After a full day of skiing with my oldest daughter Caitlyn, I took little Miss Eliza for a spin in the baby jogger.
After a full day of skiing with my oldest daughter Caitlyn, I took little Miss Eliza for a spin in the baby jogger.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Friday 4/17
5 Miles in 38 minutes
Very easy running from work. Cracked 1,000 miles on the year with this run. Its not alot to most people but its alot for me. I have only run more than 3,000 miles in a year once, and I am on pace for maore than that! Just got to be smart and stay healthy.
Very easy running from work. Cracked 1,000 miles on the year with this run. Its not alot to most people but its alot for me. I have only run more than 3,000 miles in a year once, and I am on pace for maore than that! Just got to be smart and stay healthy.
Thursday 4/16
12 Miles in 1 hour and 19 minutes
Progression run, 6 miles easy then 6 miles from 6:27 to 5:47 pace. Felt pretty good today!
Happy 11 months to my Little Love ELIZA. She is totally pumped about taking this picture!
Progression run, 6 miles easy then 6 miles from 6:27 to 5:47 pace. Felt pretty good today!
Happy 11 months to my Little Love ELIZA. She is totally pumped about taking this picture!
Wednesday 4/15
AM: 10.5 miles in 72 minutes
Warmed up 3.1 miles to the Lexington Track including 4 x 100m strides and 4 x 100m accelerations. Then I got in 3 x 1 mile (10k pace) in 5:15, 5:14, 5:13 with 800m steady rest. I felt ok, but still feeling Sundays run, so I kept it to 3 repeats. I really wanted to do 4, but felt that was asking for trouble. ran another 2.9 miles for a warm down.
PM: 5 miles in 38 minutes
Easy running on the bike path before I picked up the little one.
Warmed up 3.1 miles to the Lexington Track including 4 x 100m strides and 4 x 100m accelerations. Then I got in 3 x 1 mile (10k pace) in 5:15, 5:14, 5:13 with 800m steady rest. I felt ok, but still feeling Sundays run, so I kept it to 3 repeats. I really wanted to do 4, but felt that was asking for trouble. ran another 2.9 miles for a warm down.
PM: 5 miles in 38 minutes
Easy running on the bike path before I picked up the little one.
Tuesday 4/14
8.3 Miles in 60 minutes
Easy running in Westford before I picked up the little one. Kept it nice and easy.
Easy running in Westford before I picked up the little one. Kept it nice and easy.
Monday 4/13
9.3 Miles in 1 hours and 8 minutes
Exploring the trails of Lexington. Got a bit lost and my run ended up being a bit longer than I intended. Felt a bit heavy and slow, but that was to be expected after Sundays run.
Exploring the trails of Lexington. Got a bit lost and my run ended up being a bit longer than I intended. Felt a bit heavy and slow, but that was to be expected after Sundays run.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Sunday 4/12
17.2 miles in 1 hour and 53 minutes
Did a big loop from Great Meadow to the Lexington Bike path and back on the Battle Road trail. It was a good loop and the legs felt good!
Did a big loop from Great Meadow to the Lexington Bike path and back on the Battle Road trail. It was a good loop and the legs felt good!
Saturday 4/11
8 miles in 62 minutes
Back in the East Boston Camps. Very easy running before I head off the the L'Heureux wedding. Trails are almost clear!
Back in the East Boston Camps. Very easy running before I head off the the L'Heureux wedding. Trails are almost clear!
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Thursday 4/9
10.5 miles in 68 minutes
Easy 5 miles followed by 5.5 miles at progression going from 6:21 pace to 5:39 pace. Felt ok, the lower leg issue is still present, but I think I have it under control. Wanted to get closer to 12 miles today, but this is all I had time for.
Easy 5 miles followed by 5.5 miles at progression going from 6:21 pace to 5:39 pace. Felt ok, the lower leg issue is still present, but I think I have it under control. Wanted to get closer to 12 miles today, but this is all I had time for.
Wednesday 4/8
9 miles in 62 minutes
Ouch my face! Decided to forgo the scheduled track work out and just hit the trails. The lower leg injury is still there, but felt a bit better today after running late last night. I decided I would just test it out with some trail running and segment chasing and see how it feels. That way there was no pressure to get through a set track workout. The run went well, still some tightness and discomfort, but no worse than it was. Even scored a couple segments.... Missed one cause I stopped to early...stupid me. During part of the run I was getting pelted with ice balls.....that freakin hurt! River was even higher than two days ago and even more trail is under water.
Ouch my face! Decided to forgo the scheduled track work out and just hit the trails. The lower leg injury is still there, but felt a bit better today after running late last night. I decided I would just test it out with some trail running and segment chasing and see how it feels. That way there was no pressure to get through a set track workout. The run went well, still some tightness and discomfort, but no worse than it was. Even scored a couple segments.... Missed one cause I stopped to early...stupid me. During part of the run I was getting pelted with ice balls.....that freakin hurt! River was even higher than two days ago and even more trail is under water.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Tuesday 4/7
8 miles in 61 minutes
Easy running on the treadmill at home. My right achilles/ankle was bothering me all day, I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to run today. But I thought I would give it a go after the kids went to bed. The run went ok, the area was still tight and sore, but did't get any worse. We will see how it feels tomorrow.
Easy running on the treadmill at home. My right achilles/ankle was bothering me all day, I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to run today. But I thought I would give it a go after the kids went to bed. The run went ok, the area was still tight and sore, but did't get any worse. We will see how it feels tomorrow.
Monday 4/6
8.3 Miles in 60 minutes
Stopped in Concord, MA on my way home from work to check out the conditions in the Great Meadow area. The trails themselves were actually in good shape, just wet and a bit muddy in some spots. The only real issue was that the Concord River is so high that it has breached the trail in a few spots leaving the trail under water. Had a couple of pains in my right achilles/ankle late in the run, followed by more discomfort later once i got home. Iced and hoped its nothing.
Stopped in Concord, MA on my way home from work to check out the conditions in the Great Meadow area. The trails themselves were actually in good shape, just wet and a bit muddy in some spots. The only real issue was that the Concord River is so high that it has breached the trail in a few spots leaving the trail under water. Had a couple of pains in my right achilles/ankle late in the run, followed by more discomfort later once i got home. Iced and hoped its nothing.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Sunday 4/5
16.3 miles in 1 hour and 57 minutes
Easy long run from home. I kept it pretty relaxed and just wanted to try to stay comfortable the whole way. My legs actually felt decent, a bit heavy from the race, but not too bad. Then it was off to Easter!
Easy long run from home. I kept it pretty relaxed and just wanted to try to stay comfortable the whole way. My legs actually felt decent, a bit heavy from the race, but not too bad. Then it was off to Easter!
Saturday 4/4
13.1 miles in 1 hour and 37 minutes
Heather and I went up to Concord NH this morning for the SEA 5k which is part of the CARS series. The course is very flat but has lots of turns (check out the Strava map) and can be windy do to its elevated location above the Merrimack River. Today both Heather and I got to race thanks to Mrs Coach (Deb Walton) offering to watch little Eliza while we raced. The weather forecast for this morning was terrible. Basically we were expecting a monsoon! The forecast called for rain and heavy winds. But upon arrival there was no rain and it was breezy, but not as bad as expected for sure.
After getting Eliza situated with Deb, Heather and I went out for our warm up. We ran most of the course as a refresher as we have both run this race multiple times. The wind was present and there were going to be some sections of head wind for sure, but really it wasn't so bad out there for a race. I got in 3 miles of warm up and some strides before getting over to the starting line.
Going into this race I was expecting a pretty fast crowd to show up. Jim Johnson had mentioned it, but he dodged me and went to Todd's Trot instead ;). I was expecting to see Nacho Hernando for sure, but I guess he is injured, although he ran a track meet on Sunday. Despite these top guys missing the field was still strong with Patrick Ard, Kevin Alliette, Tim Cox, Mike Giberti, Eric Williams, Keith Lundquist and Sam Wood toeing the line. I took my place on the starting line and soon we were off and running!
Off the starting line Eric Williams shot off into the lead and a large group of us tucked in behind him. The pace was decent and I was comfortable letting Eric lead the way. Just before we hit the 1/2 mile Kevin Alliette went by us both with a head of steam and quickly opened up about a 10 meter lead on all of us. Over the next minute or so I picked up the pace just a bit and made my way up behind Kevin. I didn't want to let him get a bigger lead and get to far out in front. I tucked in behind him to stay out of the wind and let him lead the way to the first mile mark in 4:59. Just after the mile you go into the worse part of the course, its basically a square with a bunch of 90 degree turns. Its a pretty good momentum killer. Kevin seemed to let up a bit around the corners and I shot past him and pressed a bit in an effort to get away. I opened up a gap on him and I decided I was going to try to make the move stick and stay away. I wanted to make sure I got away from Kevin earlier than later because he has speed (See Clip)! That kind of talent doesn't go away! I pressed over the next mile as I was feeling good, I also knew that the ever dangerous Patrtick Ard was also lurking back there too! I hit the two mile mark in 10:08 (5:09 2nd mile) and knew I had a decent race going. I couldn't hear anyone behind me, but I knew that they couldn't be too far back. So I kept the pace solid and started thinking bout getting to the finish. The third mile seemed to take forever, but I hit the three mile mark in 15:20 (5:12 3rd mile) and kicked it home for the win in 15:52. Patrick Ard was 2nd in 16:08 and Kevin was third in 16:20. Heather finished her race in 18:28 good for 2nd place behind Christin Doneski (18:05) who is having another strong season!
RESULTS
Overall I was very happy with the race. It was another strong performance and I didn't feel like I was all out or really went to the well on it. I just hope this is another step towards even better results later this year. There is still more work and more miles to get done! I cooled down another 3 miles with Heather, I also got in another 4 miles later on the treadmill in an effort to get the junk out of the legs.
NOTE: had a watch issue so Strava splits are not correct
Heather and I went up to Concord NH this morning for the SEA 5k which is part of the CARS series. The course is very flat but has lots of turns (check out the Strava map) and can be windy do to its elevated location above the Merrimack River. Today both Heather and I got to race thanks to Mrs Coach (Deb Walton) offering to watch little Eliza while we raced. The weather forecast for this morning was terrible. Basically we were expecting a monsoon! The forecast called for rain and heavy winds. But upon arrival there was no rain and it was breezy, but not as bad as expected for sure.
After getting Eliza situated with Deb, Heather and I went out for our warm up. We ran most of the course as a refresher as we have both run this race multiple times. The wind was present and there were going to be some sections of head wind for sure, but really it wasn't so bad out there for a race. I got in 3 miles of warm up and some strides before getting over to the starting line.
Going into this race I was expecting a pretty fast crowd to show up. Jim Johnson had mentioned it, but he dodged me and went to Todd's Trot instead ;). I was expecting to see Nacho Hernando for sure, but I guess he is injured, although he ran a track meet on Sunday. Despite these top guys missing the field was still strong with Patrick Ard, Kevin Alliette, Tim Cox, Mike Giberti, Eric Williams, Keith Lundquist and Sam Wood toeing the line. I took my place on the starting line and soon we were off and running!
Off the starting line Eric Williams shot off into the lead and a large group of us tucked in behind him. The pace was decent and I was comfortable letting Eric lead the way. Just before we hit the 1/2 mile Kevin Alliette went by us both with a head of steam and quickly opened up about a 10 meter lead on all of us. Over the next minute or so I picked up the pace just a bit and made my way up behind Kevin. I didn't want to let him get a bigger lead and get to far out in front. I tucked in behind him to stay out of the wind and let him lead the way to the first mile mark in 4:59. Just after the mile you go into the worse part of the course, its basically a square with a bunch of 90 degree turns. Its a pretty good momentum killer. Kevin seemed to let up a bit around the corners and I shot past him and pressed a bit in an effort to get away. I opened up a gap on him and I decided I was going to try to make the move stick and stay away. I wanted to make sure I got away from Kevin earlier than later because he has speed (See Clip)! That kind of talent doesn't go away! I pressed over the next mile as I was feeling good, I also knew that the ever dangerous Patrtick Ard was also lurking back there too! I hit the two mile mark in 10:08 (5:09 2nd mile) and knew I had a decent race going. I couldn't hear anyone behind me, but I knew that they couldn't be too far back. So I kept the pace solid and started thinking bout getting to the finish. The third mile seemed to take forever, but I hit the three mile mark in 15:20 (5:12 3rd mile) and kicked it home for the win in 15:52. Patrick Ard was 2nd in 16:08 and Kevin was third in 16:20. Heather finished her race in 18:28 good for 2nd place behind Christin Doneski (18:05) who is having another strong season!
RESULTS
Overall I was very happy with the race. It was another strong performance and I didn't feel like I was all out or really went to the well on it. I just hope this is another step towards even better results later this year. There is still more work and more miles to get done! I cooled down another 3 miles with Heather, I also got in another 4 miles later on the treadmill in an effort to get the junk out of the legs.
NOTE: had a watch issue so Strava splits are not correct
Friday, April 3, 2015
Friday 4/3
5 miles in 37 minutes
Checking out the conditions in the East Boston Camps. I was pleasantly surprised to find most of the trails very runable. The trails are about 50% clear and those that have coverage are still in good shape with hard snow pack and ice. Then there are still a couple trails that are still not passable with deep snow and big post holes. Got to try out my new Hoka One One Rapnui Trail shoes today. They were pretty sweet!
Checking out the conditions in the East Boston Camps. I was pleasantly surprised to find most of the trails very runable. The trails are about 50% clear and those that have coverage are still in good shape with hard snow pack and ice. Then there are still a couple trails that are still not passable with deep snow and big post holes. Got to try out my new Hoka One One Rapnui Trail shoes today. They were pretty sweet!
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Thursday 4/2
8.1 miles in 57 minutes
It was awesome out there today.....maybe spring really is coming! Got in a nice 8 miles cruising around enjoying the warm and sunny weather. Felt a little tired from the last two days of running.
It was awesome out there today.....maybe spring really is coming! Got in a nice 8 miles cruising around enjoying the warm and sunny weather. Felt a little tired from the last two days of running.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Wednesday 4/1
12 miles in 79 minutes
I strongly dislike April Fools day. Just wanted to get that out there.
Got in a solid progression run this afternoon. The miles and pace came easy and I like that! It means I am getting strong and fit. I didi the first 6 miles easy and then rolled into the progression going from 6:26 to 5:49.
I strongly dislike April Fools day. Just wanted to get that out there.
Got in a solid progression run this afternoon. The miles and pace came easy and I like that! It means I am getting strong and fit. I didi the first 6 miles easy and then rolled into the progression going from 6:26 to 5:49.
Tuesday 3/31
9.5 miles in 67 minutes
Last day of March!!! Maybe spring will finally show up. Warmed up 2.5 miles down to the Lexington High track, which is now clear of snow, and did 4 x 100m shakeout strides and 4 x 100m accelerations. Then it was 8 x 400m in 3 to 5k pace with 200m rest. All reps were 72-74 seconds and I was happy with that. Did another 3.5 miles of cool down.
Last day of March!!! Maybe spring will finally show up. Warmed up 2.5 miles down to the Lexington High track, which is now clear of snow, and did 4 x 100m shakeout strides and 4 x 100m accelerations. Then it was 8 x 400m in 3 to 5k pace with 200m rest. All reps were 72-74 seconds and I was happy with that. Did another 3.5 miles of cool down.
Monday 3/30
8 miles in 61 minutes
Late night treadmill run at home. Didn't have a chance to get it done during the day, so I was on the treadmill at home after every went to bed. Still feeling a bit tight from the race on Sunday.
Late night treadmill run at home. Didn't have a chance to get it done during the day, so I was on the treadmill at home after every went to bed. Still feeling a bit tight from the race on Sunday.
Week of 3/23 to 3/29
Monday 3/23: 8 miles in 61 minutes
Back on the treadmill again!
Tuesday 3/24: 8 miles in 60 minutes
I love you treadmill, but I want to be outside again.
Wednesday 3/25: Off
Crazy day at work, decided to bag the run and have a beer with the wife instead.
Thursday 3/26: 12.2 miles in 1 hour and 20 minutes
Very solid progression run. Happy with this one!
Friday 3/27: AM: 4 miles in 32 minutes PM: 8.5 miles in 60 minutes
AM: Easy morning run on the treadmill at home
PM: Bike path running around Lexington, all paths were clear!
Saturday 3/28: 9 miles in 62 minutes
Running around Billerica and then 5 x 20 sec strides and some drills. Don't ever run here in Billerica, the running sucks, the drivers suck, the people suck, there is trash and broken glass everywhere. I can not even explain how much the whole experience just sucked.
Sunday 3/29: 12.6 miles in 83 minutes
Today I went down to Waltham, MA for the JB Blastoff 5k. I wanted to get in a good effort and hopefully a confidence boosting win. Looking over the times from the past I figured I had a good chance for the win and possibly a decent time on the "flat fast" course. I ran the course as a warm up and noted that the course was not flat, with multiple ups and down, though none significant. There were also a couple of dirt road sections that were torn up pretty good with potholes and mud. Despite this I thought the course could still be fast as there was nothing significant enough to really break the pace.
Once on the starting line I looked around and didn't notice or recognize anyone that I though was a threat. The race went off and one guy shot straight out to the lead and led the way. I stayed back bit with a few other guys and let things string out over the first quarter mile or so. The guy in the lead stayed there and looked pretty smooth, so I decided to move up right behind him and use him to block the head wind we would have for the first mile. The pace was strong and we were hitting just about 5 flat for pace. I'm not sure he knew I was there and I think he thought he had a good lead and was off to the win because every time we passed volunteers and police on the course he was saying "Hello" and "Thanks". I was thinking "this ain't no freaking victory parade" so just before the mile I shot passed him as his pace was slowing a bit and I was feeling good. He seemed a bit surprised when I went past him and he immediately responded by tucking in behind me. We hit the mile in 5:08 and I pressed the pace over the next mile which included a short but steep little hill. I hammered the hill pretty good and opened up a gap on him. I kept the hammer down and hit the 2nd mile in 10:13 (5:05 2nd mile). At this point I thought I had the race in hand, I could no longer hear the guy behind me and I was still hitting the pace pretty strong. The last mile has a slight incline and then slight decline to the finish. I tried to keep the pace strong as I knew I had a good shot at getting under 16 minutes. With just over a quarter mile left I made a 90 degree right hand turn and I took a quick peek back just to make sure I had the race wrapped up......I am glad I did! I noticed that my lead was only about 6-7 seconds and that my competitor was making stealthy approach. At that point I had all the motivation I needed to kick up the pace and finish this thing off. I hit mile three in 15:26 and kicked for home! I got to the finish in 15:47 and got the win by 8 seconds. The last 0.1 was downhill and my pace was well under 5 minutes. My watch read 3.09 miles a the finish, so I think the course was just short of 5k, but my time would still have been under 16 for a full 5k.
After an extended 6.5 mile cool down I checked out the results. It listed second place as 48 year old Rob Bond. After a little research I found out that he is not 48, in fact he is 25, and he is an GBTC athlete who just ran 1:11 at new Bedford. So he is legit, just not a legit 48 years old! Overall it was a good run and I am happy with the results. It was just what I needed right now.
Total Miles: 62.4
Back on the treadmill again!
Tuesday 3/24: 8 miles in 60 minutes
I love you treadmill, but I want to be outside again.
Wednesday 3/25: Off
Crazy day at work, decided to bag the run and have a beer with the wife instead.
Thursday 3/26: 12.2 miles in 1 hour and 20 minutes
Very solid progression run. Happy with this one!
Friday 3/27: AM: 4 miles in 32 minutes PM: 8.5 miles in 60 minutes
AM: Easy morning run on the treadmill at home
PM: Bike path running around Lexington, all paths were clear!
Saturday 3/28: 9 miles in 62 minutes
Running around Billerica and then 5 x 20 sec strides and some drills. Don't ever run here in Billerica, the running sucks, the drivers suck, the people suck, there is trash and broken glass everywhere. I can not even explain how much the whole experience just sucked.
Sunday 3/29: 12.6 miles in 83 minutes
Today I went down to Waltham, MA for the JB Blastoff 5k. I wanted to get in a good effort and hopefully a confidence boosting win. Looking over the times from the past I figured I had a good chance for the win and possibly a decent time on the "flat fast" course. I ran the course as a warm up and noted that the course was not flat, with multiple ups and down, though none significant. There were also a couple of dirt road sections that were torn up pretty good with potholes and mud. Despite this I thought the course could still be fast as there was nothing significant enough to really break the pace.
Once on the starting line I looked around and didn't notice or recognize anyone that I though was a threat. The race went off and one guy shot straight out to the lead and led the way. I stayed back bit with a few other guys and let things string out over the first quarter mile or so. The guy in the lead stayed there and looked pretty smooth, so I decided to move up right behind him and use him to block the head wind we would have for the first mile. The pace was strong and we were hitting just about 5 flat for pace. I'm not sure he knew I was there and I think he thought he had a good lead and was off to the win because every time we passed volunteers and police on the course he was saying "Hello" and "Thanks". I was thinking "this ain't no freaking victory parade" so just before the mile I shot passed him as his pace was slowing a bit and I was feeling good. He seemed a bit surprised when I went past him and he immediately responded by tucking in behind me. We hit the mile in 5:08 and I pressed the pace over the next mile which included a short but steep little hill. I hammered the hill pretty good and opened up a gap on him. I kept the hammer down and hit the 2nd mile in 10:13 (5:05 2nd mile). At this point I thought I had the race in hand, I could no longer hear the guy behind me and I was still hitting the pace pretty strong. The last mile has a slight incline and then slight decline to the finish. I tried to keep the pace strong as I knew I had a good shot at getting under 16 minutes. With just over a quarter mile left I made a 90 degree right hand turn and I took a quick peek back just to make sure I had the race wrapped up......I am glad I did! I noticed that my lead was only about 6-7 seconds and that my competitor was making stealthy approach. At that point I had all the motivation I needed to kick up the pace and finish this thing off. I hit mile three in 15:26 and kicked for home! I got to the finish in 15:47 and got the win by 8 seconds. The last 0.1 was downhill and my pace was well under 5 minutes. My watch read 3.09 miles a the finish, so I think the course was just short of 5k, but my time would still have been under 16 for a full 5k.
After an extended 6.5 mile cool down I checked out the results. It listed second place as 48 year old Rob Bond. After a little research I found out that he is not 48, in fact he is 25, and he is an GBTC athlete who just ran 1:11 at new Bedford. So he is legit, just not a legit 48 years old! Overall it was a good run and I am happy with the results. It was just what I needed right now.
Total Miles: 62.4
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Week of 3/16 to 3/22
Monday 3/16: 4 miles 32 minutes
Easy recovery running. My legs are beat from running New Bedford 1/2 marathon on Sunday.
Tuesday 3/17: Off
The day got crazy, my legs are still a mess and I am not going to force a useless run. A day off will do me well.
Wednesday 3/18: 9.2 miles in 66 minutes
The day off did me well! Felt ten times better today
Thursday 3/19: 8 miles in 59 minutes
Recovery from New Bedford pretty much complete. Time to get back to work.
Friday 3/20: 9.2 miles in 65 minutes
I was feeling pretty good about this run, I was even clipping off miles under 7min on my way back in when it happened. I got girled! Some little blond thing goes by me looking all fast and comfortable and just cruising along. I have no idea who it was, but she looked legit!
Saturday 3/21: 8.3 in 62 minutes
Got in a quick run before I head off to Boston for my buddy Brian's Bachelor Party!
Sunday 3/22: 13.3 in 1 hour and 37 minutes
I hurt. Just wanted to get my weekly mileage up into the 50's
Total Miles: 52.1
Easy recovery running. My legs are beat from running New Bedford 1/2 marathon on Sunday.
Tuesday 3/17: Off
The day got crazy, my legs are still a mess and I am not going to force a useless run. A day off will do me well.
Wednesday 3/18: 9.2 miles in 66 minutes
The day off did me well! Felt ten times better today
Thursday 3/19: 8 miles in 59 minutes
Recovery from New Bedford pretty much complete. Time to get back to work.
Friday 3/20: 9.2 miles in 65 minutes
I was feeling pretty good about this run, I was even clipping off miles under 7min on my way back in when it happened. I got girled! Some little blond thing goes by me looking all fast and comfortable and just cruising along. I have no idea who it was, but she looked legit!
Saturday 3/21: 8.3 in 62 minutes
Got in a quick run before I head off to Boston for my buddy Brian's Bachelor Party!
Sunday 3/22: 13.3 in 1 hour and 37 minutes
I hurt. Just wanted to get my weekly mileage up into the 50's
Total Miles: 52.1
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Week of 3/9 to 3/15
3/9 Monday: 7.5 miles in 55 minutes
Easy running around Westford while Caitlyn was at dance.
3/10 Tuesday: OFF
Planned day off to rest up the legs and take a break.
3/11 Wednesday: 9.2 miles in 61 minutes
Got to run outside today. It was awesome out there! I did 3 x mile at approximate half marathon pace on the roads around Lexington.
3/12 Thursday: 11 miles in 1 hour and 14 minutes
Outside again! My plan today was to see how I felt and then either run an easy 11 or roll into an easy progression run. Well I felt pretty good from the get go and ran a solid progression. The last 5 miles went from 6:43 to 6:01 pace (made sure that 6:00 was the fastest I went as I wanted to make sure I didn't over do it before New Bedford 1/2 this weekend).
3/13 Friday: 5 miles in 40 minutes
Easy running on the treadmill at work. Time to rest up!
3/14 Saturday: 4 miles in 32 minutes
Easy running on the treadmill at home while the baby took a nap. Heather was off at a race kicking ass as she usually does! She scored a solid road 5k time of 18:09. She's a stud!
3/15 Sunday: 18.4 miles in 1 hour and 59 minutes
USATFNE Championships at New Bedford Half Marathon. Ran 1:11:35 good for 24th place overall.
The quick version: The plan was to got out relaxed and conservative through the early hills and then see what I had. Went out pretty easy and rolled through the first four miles (5:17, 5:34, 5:34, 5:33) relaxed and feeling good. At this point he course goes slightly down hill and flat for a long ways. Early in this section I got in a group with Jefferson Welch and a few other guys I didn't know. But it was a good pack and we stuck together till about ten miles, where things started to break up. But anyways we hit the down to flat section and rolled some good miles (5:16, 5:17, 5:08, 5:20, 5:18 5:21) This brought us to ten miles and into the wind! I gave it a good go into the wind as I knew I was on pace for a PR, I also new the last hill was looming too! The next two miles went (5:34, 5:39) and I knew I was in trouble heading into the hill. I also lost contact with Jefferson at about 11.5 and he hit the hill good and had a great race for himself. I hit the hill and threw down a clunker of a mile in 6:04. The wind and hill had done me in once again, like it does every year. I finished in 1:11:35, good for 24th place and only 20 seconds off my personal best.
Although disappointed I couldn't hold it together, I was happy with the overall time and effort I put into the race. I am good shape and I know I have some good races in me the next few months. As always, I just have to stay healthy
Total Miles: 55.1
Easy running around Westford while Caitlyn was at dance.
3/10 Tuesday: OFF
Planned day off to rest up the legs and take a break.
3/11 Wednesday: 9.2 miles in 61 minutes
Got to run outside today. It was awesome out there! I did 3 x mile at approximate half marathon pace on the roads around Lexington.
3/12 Thursday: 11 miles in 1 hour and 14 minutes
Outside again! My plan today was to see how I felt and then either run an easy 11 or roll into an easy progression run. Well I felt pretty good from the get go and ran a solid progression. The last 5 miles went from 6:43 to 6:01 pace (made sure that 6:00 was the fastest I went as I wanted to make sure I didn't over do it before New Bedford 1/2 this weekend).
3/13 Friday: 5 miles in 40 minutes
Easy running on the treadmill at work. Time to rest up!
3/14 Saturday: 4 miles in 32 minutes
Easy running on the treadmill at home while the baby took a nap. Heather was off at a race kicking ass as she usually does! She scored a solid road 5k time of 18:09. She's a stud!
3/15 Sunday: 18.4 miles in 1 hour and 59 minutes
USATFNE Championships at New Bedford Half Marathon. Ran 1:11:35 good for 24th place overall.
The quick version: The plan was to got out relaxed and conservative through the early hills and then see what I had. Went out pretty easy and rolled through the first four miles (5:17, 5:34, 5:34, 5:33) relaxed and feeling good. At this point he course goes slightly down hill and flat for a long ways. Early in this section I got in a group with Jefferson Welch and a few other guys I didn't know. But it was a good pack and we stuck together till about ten miles, where things started to break up. But anyways we hit the down to flat section and rolled some good miles (5:16, 5:17, 5:08, 5:20, 5:18 5:21) This brought us to ten miles and into the wind! I gave it a good go into the wind as I knew I was on pace for a PR, I also new the last hill was looming too! The next two miles went (5:34, 5:39) and I knew I was in trouble heading into the hill. I also lost contact with Jefferson at about 11.5 and he hit the hill good and had a great race for himself. I hit the hill and threw down a clunker of a mile in 6:04. The wind and hill had done me in once again, like it does every year. I finished in 1:11:35, good for 24th place and only 20 seconds off my personal best.
Although disappointed I couldn't hold it together, I was happy with the overall time and effort I put into the race. I am good shape and I know I have some good races in me the next few months. As always, I just have to stay healthy
Total Miles: 55.1
Thursday, March 5, 2015
New England Runner
I am so excited to make the inside cover of New England Runner Magazine! Awesome!
Week of 3/2 to 3/8
3/2 Monday: AM: 7 miles in 52 minutes PM: 4 miles in 32 minutes
AM: Easy running around Lexington. Hit up downtown for a loop and back to work. Feeling pretty beat still from the snowshoe race and long run.
PM: Very easy running on the treadmill at home. Just trying to run the hurt out of my legs.
3/3 Tuesday: 8 miles in 60 minutes
Easy running on the treadmill at home. Still feeling it in my quads.
3/4 Wednesday: 9 miles in 62 minutes
Three miles of warm up with a few pick ups / strides then into 4 x 400 at 5:00 pace with 400 rest at 7:30 pace. Then one mile easy and back into 4 x 400 at 5:00 pace with 400 rest at 7:30. Then an easy 1.5 miles to finish up.
3/5 Thursday: 8 miles in 62 minutes
Easy treadmill running at home. Keeping it easy going into this weekends race
3/6 Friday: 4 miles in 32 minutes
very easy running on the treadmill at work. Try to get my legs fresh for tomorrows race.
3/7 Saturday: 12.1 miles in 1 hour and 44 minutes
Northeast Snowshoe Federation and NH State Snowshoe Championships (RESULTS) at Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough NH. Warmed up an easy 2.7 miles on the roads near the course and then it was go time! The field for this race was stacked with the top Snowshoe guys in the region and even some road guys chasing the All Terrain Series. I went into this race thinking that if all went well I might be able to sneak into the top 5, but I figured a top ten spot would be solid considering my lack of snowshoe experience and the deep field. The race went off and Jim Johnson and Kevin Tilton Shot off to the lead. I got out good and settled in right behind Damon Gannon and was in 4th place, with a lot of guys breathing down my neck. The course goes to single track almost immediately so It was important to get out quick. After about the first 3/4 of a mile I asked to get past Damon and he let me pass. I got a small gap here but I could hear a pack of guys chasing me down! The course goes up hill for a few miles and I held my 3rd place spot for about 2.5 miles of it. But there was someone who had caught up to me and was right on me. After a few minutes of this I let the person by as I felt I was holding them back. Soon I realized it was Ethan Nadeau that I had let pass. He is 42 years young and a total bad ass, ass kicking master. I took a quick peek back at this point and promptly fell on my face, got up and fell again. I also noticed a couple guys still not to far back. After collecting myself I was on my way again and soon on the down hill portion of the course. I could still see Ethan not to far ahead and kept trying to convince myself to get after him, all the while still worrying about the talented snowshoers trying to chase me down. I pressed the downhills the best I could but never made any ground on Ethan. We soon passed the finish area and were on out way for the final loop, another uphill and downhill portion. At this point I was hurting and just thinking I should concentrate on keeping my position. I did catch one more glimpse of Ethan on the uphill, but there was no way I was going to catch him. This up hill had a couple steeper sections and I actually power hiked them. I just wanted to get to the downhill and figured I could hold my place if I just got there be fore anyone caught me. Soon enough I made it and cruised the downs the best I could. Then I could hear people cheering at the finish and I knew this race would soon be over. I got to the finish line in 50:03 good for 4th place overall and a race I was pretty proud of. Considering my lack of snowshoe experience and the mountain style course I was happy with the outcome. Jim got the win followed by Kevin and Ethan in 4th place. CMS represented well with 4 guys in the top 5. Did another 3.4 miles of cool down after the race.
Joe Viger Photography www.joeviger.com
Joe Viger Photography www.joeviger.com
Photo Gianina Lindsey (Snap Acidotic)
3/8 Sunday: 14 miles in 1 hour and 48 minutes
I was pretty beat today after the snowshoe race, so I kept this run real easy and just got through it.
Total Miles: 66.2
AM: Easy running around Lexington. Hit up downtown for a loop and back to work. Feeling pretty beat still from the snowshoe race and long run.
PM: Very easy running on the treadmill at home. Just trying to run the hurt out of my legs.
3/3 Tuesday: 8 miles in 60 minutes
Easy running on the treadmill at home. Still feeling it in my quads.
3/4 Wednesday: 9 miles in 62 minutes
Three miles of warm up with a few pick ups / strides then into 4 x 400 at 5:00 pace with 400 rest at 7:30 pace. Then one mile easy and back into 4 x 400 at 5:00 pace with 400 rest at 7:30. Then an easy 1.5 miles to finish up.
3/5 Thursday: 8 miles in 62 minutes
Easy treadmill running at home. Keeping it easy going into this weekends race
3/6 Friday: 4 miles in 32 minutes
very easy running on the treadmill at work. Try to get my legs fresh for tomorrows race.
3/7 Saturday: 12.1 miles in 1 hour and 44 minutes
Northeast Snowshoe Federation and NH State Snowshoe Championships (RESULTS) at Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough NH. Warmed up an easy 2.7 miles on the roads near the course and then it was go time! The field for this race was stacked with the top Snowshoe guys in the region and even some road guys chasing the All Terrain Series. I went into this race thinking that if all went well I might be able to sneak into the top 5, but I figured a top ten spot would be solid considering my lack of snowshoe experience and the deep field. The race went off and Jim Johnson and Kevin Tilton Shot off to the lead. I got out good and settled in right behind Damon Gannon and was in 4th place, with a lot of guys breathing down my neck. The course goes to single track almost immediately so It was important to get out quick. After about the first 3/4 of a mile I asked to get past Damon and he let me pass. I got a small gap here but I could hear a pack of guys chasing me down! The course goes up hill for a few miles and I held my 3rd place spot for about 2.5 miles of it. But there was someone who had caught up to me and was right on me. After a few minutes of this I let the person by as I felt I was holding them back. Soon I realized it was Ethan Nadeau that I had let pass. He is 42 years young and a total bad ass, ass kicking master. I took a quick peek back at this point and promptly fell on my face, got up and fell again. I also noticed a couple guys still not to far back. After collecting myself I was on my way again and soon on the down hill portion of the course. I could still see Ethan not to far ahead and kept trying to convince myself to get after him, all the while still worrying about the talented snowshoers trying to chase me down. I pressed the downhills the best I could but never made any ground on Ethan. We soon passed the finish area and were on out way for the final loop, another uphill and downhill portion. At this point I was hurting and just thinking I should concentrate on keeping my position. I did catch one more glimpse of Ethan on the uphill, but there was no way I was going to catch him. This up hill had a couple steeper sections and I actually power hiked them. I just wanted to get to the downhill and figured I could hold my place if I just got there be fore anyone caught me. Soon enough I made it and cruised the downs the best I could. Then I could hear people cheering at the finish and I knew this race would soon be over. I got to the finish line in 50:03 good for 4th place overall and a race I was pretty proud of. Considering my lack of snowshoe experience and the mountain style course I was happy with the outcome. Jim got the win followed by Kevin and Ethan in 4th place. CMS represented well with 4 guys in the top 5. Did another 3.4 miles of cool down after the race.
Joe Viger Photography www.joeviger.com
Joe Viger Photography www.joeviger.com
Photo Gianina Lindsey (Snap Acidotic)
3/8 Sunday: 14 miles in 1 hour and 48 minutes
I was pretty beat today after the snowshoe race, so I kept this run real easy and just got through it.
Total Miles: 66.2
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Week of 2/23 to 3/1
2/23 Monday: 8 miles in 58 minutes
I ran outside today....it was awesome to be outside. I still feel crappy and tired
2/24 Tuesday: 8 miles in 62 minutes
Treadmill running, felt crappy and tired.
2/25 Wednesday: 9 miles in 61 minutes
Warm up of three miles with a few stride/pickups. Then I went right into 3 x mile at 5:18 pace with 1/2 mile recovery (7:30 pace). Then another 2 miles of cool down. Pace actually felt comfortable, body still feeling a bit tired. In hindsight I probably should not have done this workout. I felt terrible later, still recovering from being sick.
2/26 Thursday: 11 miles in 78 minutes
Easy 6 miles of warm up then 5 miles of progression from 6:50 to 6:09 pace. Not as fast as my last few, but I am still not feeling 100% yet.
2/27 Friday: 5 miles in 39 minutes
Easy treadmill running at home.
2/28 Saturday: AM: 4 miles in 32 minutes PM: 10.5 miles in 85 minutes
AM: Easy running at home on the treadmill. Just trying to loosen up the legs before the snowshoe race tonight
PM: Kingman Farm Snowshoe Race: Results
Here is a quick summary of what went down. My plan was to get out quick and try to stay as close to Jim Johnson as I could for a bit. My hope was that this would build us both a lead over the rest of the field and then I could see how close I could stay to Jim over the rest of the race. This is not how it all went down. Instead Jim smoked us all right off the line. I ran as hard as I could and couldn't get away from anyone behind me. After hitting a less than packed out field and then a section that had not been broken out at all my legs were smoked and I decided to lay down a few times and find a nice place to make snow angels. By the time I found a good spot Eric Narcisi had caught up to me and I told him to just leave me to die and carry on. Once I decided to pick myself up again I caught up to Eric and we made our way towards the last section of trail. The only problem was we never got there. We got turned the wrong way at an intersection and were off the course and headed back to the start/finish area from the wrong direction. We were soon notified of our mistake and we were officially DQ'd. Those runners in places 2-5 all went the wrong way at this same intersection. I not too sure I was having a good race anyways, I felt like I was running as fast as I could, but I wasn't performing the way I thought I was capable of. I was disappointed with not being able to finish the race and have a real gauge of my performance. I should have known this was a bad idea to run a night race, my night vision is terrible and I have trouble gauging distance under these conditions. To be honest I only saw a few course flags and arrows the whole time even though I know they were out there. Maybe I need a brighter head lamp to help me out!
Even though the race did not turn out as I had wanted, it was awesome as always to get to hangout with and race with the crew that was there. Next year I will be back with a better understanding of the course and a brighter head lamp!
3/1 Sunday: 16 miles in 1 hour and 53 minutes
I actually felt pretty good on this run despite the ass kicking I took running last night. Legs felt very heavy and a touch sore, but the pace came pretty easy. Maybe I am still in decent shape after all.
Total Miles: 71.6
I ran outside today....it was awesome to be outside. I still feel crappy and tired
2/24 Tuesday: 8 miles in 62 minutes
Treadmill running, felt crappy and tired.
2/25 Wednesday: 9 miles in 61 minutes
Warm up of three miles with a few stride/pickups. Then I went right into 3 x mile at 5:18 pace with 1/2 mile recovery (7:30 pace). Then another 2 miles of cool down. Pace actually felt comfortable, body still feeling a bit tired. In hindsight I probably should not have done this workout. I felt terrible later, still recovering from being sick.
2/26 Thursday: 11 miles in 78 minutes
Easy 6 miles of warm up then 5 miles of progression from 6:50 to 6:09 pace. Not as fast as my last few, but I am still not feeling 100% yet.
2/27 Friday: 5 miles in 39 minutes
Easy treadmill running at home.
2/28 Saturday: AM: 4 miles in 32 minutes PM: 10.5 miles in 85 minutes
AM: Easy running at home on the treadmill. Just trying to loosen up the legs before the snowshoe race tonight
PM: Kingman Farm Snowshoe Race: Results
Here is a quick summary of what went down. My plan was to get out quick and try to stay as close to Jim Johnson as I could for a bit. My hope was that this would build us both a lead over the rest of the field and then I could see how close I could stay to Jim over the rest of the race. This is not how it all went down. Instead Jim smoked us all right off the line. I ran as hard as I could and couldn't get away from anyone behind me. After hitting a less than packed out field and then a section that had not been broken out at all my legs were smoked and I decided to lay down a few times and find a nice place to make snow angels. By the time I found a good spot Eric Narcisi had caught up to me and I told him to just leave me to die and carry on. Once I decided to pick myself up again I caught up to Eric and we made our way towards the last section of trail. The only problem was we never got there. We got turned the wrong way at an intersection and were off the course and headed back to the start/finish area from the wrong direction. We were soon notified of our mistake and we were officially DQ'd. Those runners in places 2-5 all went the wrong way at this same intersection. I not too sure I was having a good race anyways, I felt like I was running as fast as I could, but I wasn't performing the way I thought I was capable of. I was disappointed with not being able to finish the race and have a real gauge of my performance. I should have known this was a bad idea to run a night race, my night vision is terrible and I have trouble gauging distance under these conditions. To be honest I only saw a few course flags and arrows the whole time even though I know they were out there. Maybe I need a brighter head lamp to help me out!
Even though the race did not turn out as I had wanted, it was awesome as always to get to hangout with and race with the crew that was there. Next year I will be back with a better understanding of the course and a brighter head lamp!
3/1 Sunday: 16 miles in 1 hour and 53 minutes
I actually felt pretty good on this run despite the ass kicking I took running last night. Legs felt very heavy and a touch sore, but the pace came pretty easy. Maybe I am still in decent shape after all.
Total Miles: 71.6
Week of 2/16 to 2/22
2/16 Monday: 8.5 miles in 66 minutes
Treadmill running again at home.
2/17 Tuesday: Skiing!
Skiing with My buddy Brian And our girls! Too much fun! This was my first day off of the year and was well deserved.
2/18 Wednesday: 9.5 miles in 67 minutes
Warm up 4 miles with a few pick ups / strides. Then 8 x 400 at 5:00 pace (75 sec) with 400 rest at 7:41 pace. Then 1.5 miles warm down.
2/19 Thursday: 11 miles in 81 minutes
Secondary long run at home on the treadmill. Skipped the progression this week.
2/20 Friday: 5 miles in 39 minutes
Running on the treadmill at work. Not feeling good
2/21 Saturday: Sick!!!!
Stomach bug, not looking good for Amherst 10 miler tomorrow.
2/22 Sunday: Sick!!!!
Last night was an epic disaster. I spent most of it in the bathroom. Very disappointed to miss the Amherst 10 Mile race. I have been looking forward to it for a long time.
Total Miles: 34
A wicked shitty week...no joke. I hope next week goes a bit better.
Treadmill running again at home.
2/17 Tuesday: Skiing!
Skiing with My buddy Brian And our girls! Too much fun! This was my first day off of the year and was well deserved.
2/18 Wednesday: 9.5 miles in 67 minutes
Warm up 4 miles with a few pick ups / strides. Then 8 x 400 at 5:00 pace (75 sec) with 400 rest at 7:41 pace. Then 1.5 miles warm down.
2/19 Thursday: 11 miles in 81 minutes
Secondary long run at home on the treadmill. Skipped the progression this week.
2/20 Friday: 5 miles in 39 minutes
Running on the treadmill at work. Not feeling good
2/21 Saturday: Sick!!!!
Stomach bug, not looking good for Amherst 10 miler tomorrow.
2/22 Sunday: Sick!!!!
Last night was an epic disaster. I spent most of it in the bathroom. Very disappointed to miss the Amherst 10 Mile race. I have been looking forward to it for a long time.
Total Miles: 34
A wicked shitty week...no joke. I hope next week goes a bit better.
Week of 2/9 to 2/15
2/9 Monday: 8.0 miles in 63 minutes
Easy running on the treadmill at home.
2/10 Tuesday: 8.0 miles in 60 minutes
2/10 Tuesday: 8.0 miles in 60 minutes
Easy treadmill running at work.
2/11 Wednesday: 9.0 miles in 61 minutes
3 miles warm up with a few pick ups / strides then right into 3 x mile with 1/2 mile jog between. All miles done at 5:18 (approx 10k pace). Felt solid, but not great.
2/12 Thursday: 11.0 miles in 75 minutes
Treadmill progression run. First 6 miles easy then right into progression from 6:35 pace to 5:56 pace over the next five miles.
2/11 Wednesday: 9.0 miles in 61 minutes
3 miles warm up with a few pick ups / strides then right into 3 x mile with 1/2 mile jog between. All miles done at 5:18 (approx 10k pace). Felt solid, but not great.
2/12 Thursday: 11.0 miles in 75 minutes
Treadmill progression run. First 6 miles easy then right into progression from 6:35 pace to 5:56 pace over the next five miles.
2/13 Friday: 5.0 miles in 39 minutes
Recovery run on treadmill at home.
2/14 Saturday: AM: 10.0 miles in 68 minutes PM: 4.5 miles in 38 minutes
AM: 4 miles easy warm up with a few pick ups / strides then right into 4 miles at 5:36. 2 miles easy cool down. Pace felt fast at first, but then i settled in.
PM: Snowshoe run in the East Boston Camps. Trails in great shape!
2/15 Sunday: 15.0 miles in 1 hour 56 minutes
AM: 4 miles easy warm up with a few pick ups / strides then right into 4 miles at 5:36. 2 miles easy cool down. Pace felt fast at first, but then i settled in.
PM: Snowshoe run in the East Boston Camps. Trails in great shape!
2/15 Sunday: 15.0 miles in 1 hour 56 minutes
Long run on the treadmill at home......boring.
Total Miles: 70.5 miles
Total Miles: 70.5 miles
Friday, February 6, 2015
Week of 2/2 to 2/8
2/2 Monday: 8.0 miles in 62 minutes
Easy running on the treadmill at home...watching the snow fall outside...again. Someday I hope to run outside again. It will be epic!
2/3 Tuesday: 8.0 miles in 62 minutes
2/3 Tuesday: 8.0 miles in 62 minutes
I can't believe there was no school again today. Easy running on the treadmill at home...again. Today I was a little bit quicker than yesterday. Treadmill running.......boring.
2/4 Wednesday: AM: 9.0 miles in 63 minutes PM: 5.0 miles in 39 minutes
2/4 Wednesday: AM: 9.0 miles in 63 minutes PM: 5.0 miles in 39 minutes
AM: Treadmill at work. I was feeling a little flat and not looking forward to this workout, but I was going to get it in anyways! Did 3 miles of warm up with a few pick-up/strides then right into 8 x 400m (75 sec) with 400m rest (7:30-7:41). Then 2 miles of cool down. The pace felt easier this week than it did two weeks ago.
PM: Easy treadmill running at home after work
2/5 Thursday: 11.0 miles in 77 minutes
Treadmill running at work. Today's run featured a progression run. First 6 miles easy then into progression from 6:35 pace to 5:56 pace. Had to stop the treadmill and reset it after 5 miles so the stupid thing wouldn't shut me off in the middle of my progression run. The damn work treadmills shut off automatically after an hour. Felt pretty solid and smooth.
2/6 Friday: 5.0 miles in 40 minutes
2/6 Friday: 5.0 miles in 40 minutes
Easy running on the treadmill at work. It looked nice out....but really it was just freezing cold..again.
2/7 Saturday: AM: 10.4 miles in 1 hour 46 minutes PM: 4.0 miles in 32 minutes
AM: Horsehill snowshoe race. This was my first snowshoe race in a very long time. Last time was kind of an awful experience on a very hard course with no snow. This time I knew there was plenty of snow and I had been out on the snow shoes a few times leading up to the race. Headed out for a course preview and warm up with Jim Johnson to check out the conditions. First mile or so was single track, but packed pretty well. It went up and over a pretty good ridge that we would see twice (out and back). The next almost two miles were soft, deep, very curvy and rolling. This was going to be a very tough section. It seemed only a few people had been through since the last storm. Then the course drops back onto the packed single track back up and over the ridge to the finish.
My plan was to run conservative. Right off the start everyone let Jim go and a pack of 4 of us (Chad Carr, Eric Narcisi, Damon Gannon, and myself) led the rest of the field out. Damon led the way followed by myself, Chad, and then Eric. We stayed in this order and everyone seemed content for a ways. Just before the treacherous soft and deep section Eric seemed to slip back a bit. Once in the deep stuff things slowed down a lot I was Ok with it for a little bit...but I was getting antsy thinking maybe I could get a way and secure a 2nd place finish. Just then Chad asked to go by and I said me too! Then I just went for it took a couple steps in the deep stuff and got by Damon, I think Chad got by Damon just after I did. We dropped Damon pretty quickly and I tried to press the pace and get a lead on Chad. I was extending my small lead, but only in very small increments. It gets confusing as you loop back and forth through the woods. I kept seeing Chad, Damon and Eric, and it was tough to figure out how far back they were. The one thing I did know was that Chad was not too far behind. Soon we were off the deep and stuff and back on the packed single track and headed back over the ridge. My legs were absolute trash at this point and I had to walk a few steps going over the ridge. I did take a peak back and saw Chad not far behind! That got me going and I hammered the downhill as hard as I could thinking if I could get to the bottom fist I would be ok as ther was only about 500 - 600m of running left from there. I managed to hold off Chad by 36 seconds and secured myself a 2nd place finish...only 2:53 behind Jim.....I have a ways to go!
Race Results
PM: Easy treadmill running at home....trying to get the hurt out of my legs.
2/8 Sunday: 14 miles in 1 hour 44 minutes
Easy longrun around Westford.
Total Miles: 74.4
2/7 Saturday: AM: 10.4 miles in 1 hour 46 minutes PM: 4.0 miles in 32 minutes
AM: Horsehill snowshoe race. This was my first snowshoe race in a very long time. Last time was kind of an awful experience on a very hard course with no snow. This time I knew there was plenty of snow and I had been out on the snow shoes a few times leading up to the race. Headed out for a course preview and warm up with Jim Johnson to check out the conditions. First mile or so was single track, but packed pretty well. It went up and over a pretty good ridge that we would see twice (out and back). The next almost two miles were soft, deep, very curvy and rolling. This was going to be a very tough section. It seemed only a few people had been through since the last storm. Then the course drops back onto the packed single track back up and over the ridge to the finish.
My plan was to run conservative. Right off the start everyone let Jim go and a pack of 4 of us (Chad Carr, Eric Narcisi, Damon Gannon, and myself) led the rest of the field out. Damon led the way followed by myself, Chad, and then Eric. We stayed in this order and everyone seemed content for a ways. Just before the treacherous soft and deep section Eric seemed to slip back a bit. Once in the deep stuff things slowed down a lot I was Ok with it for a little bit...but I was getting antsy thinking maybe I could get a way and secure a 2nd place finish. Just then Chad asked to go by and I said me too! Then I just went for it took a couple steps in the deep stuff and got by Damon, I think Chad got by Damon just after I did. We dropped Damon pretty quickly and I tried to press the pace and get a lead on Chad. I was extending my small lead, but only in very small increments. It gets confusing as you loop back and forth through the woods. I kept seeing Chad, Damon and Eric, and it was tough to figure out how far back they were. The one thing I did know was that Chad was not too far behind. Soon we were off the deep and stuff and back on the packed single track and headed back over the ridge. My legs were absolute trash at this point and I had to walk a few steps going over the ridge. I did take a peak back and saw Chad not far behind! That got me going and I hammered the downhill as hard as I could thinking if I could get to the bottom fist I would be ok as ther was only about 500 - 600m of running left from there. I managed to hold off Chad by 36 seconds and secured myself a 2nd place finish...only 2:53 behind Jim.....I have a ways to go!
Race Results
PM: Easy treadmill running at home....trying to get the hurt out of my legs.
2/8 Sunday: 14 miles in 1 hour 44 minutes
Easy longrun around Westford.
Total Miles: 74.4
Week of 1/26 to 2/1
1/26 Monday: 8.0 miles in 61 minutes
1/29 Thursday: 11 miles in 73 minutes
Finally I got outside for a run! Easy running for the first 6 miles, then the last 5 miles were progression run (6:21 - 5:50). Very happy with this considering the slick / snow covered roads.
1/30 Friday: 5 miles in 39 minutes
Easy recovery run on the treadmill at home.
2/1 Sunday: 16 miles in 1 hour and 55 minutes
Today I headed over to Newburyport for the Newburyport Frigid Fiver. The plan today was to figure out where I was at over a longer distance. It had been a while since I had raced anything not on the track or longer than 5k on the roads. Of course the morning turned out to be very cold with brisk wind! Not the awesome conditions this race saw last year! I met up with fellow Competitive Jerk Justin Montgomery at Michael's Harborside and headed out for a warm up. While we got in a 4 mile warm up we chatted about all things running and what we were going to try to do today. It was decided that we would try to sit and wait out the fist two miles of head wind, let others lead us out, and then see where we were at. Soon enough we were up at the start and had the customary wait till they let us onto the road. Seemed like forever with the cold and wind! Then we were off and running. Soon after the start there was a pack of 7 or 8 of us that separated ourselves right away. Justin and I both just tucked in and let the pack lead us along. The pace was very easy and the pack stayed tight and content with the easy early pace. It became very obvious that nobody really wanted to lead and no one was going to push the pace early. We hit the 1 mile mark in 5:48 and continued on with the same easy pace. It was clear that everyone was waiting till we got out of the headwind before anything exciting was going to happen. The course turns right and heads down hill after the 2 mile mark, this is where I expected the race to break open. The pack got a little antsy with some shuffling around and a some maneuvering for position as we approached the two mile mark and I think it was because everyone was thinking the same thing. It was almost go time! We hit the two mile mark in 11:42 (5:54 mile split) and made another right hand turn out of the wind and onto the down hill. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Justin start to move to the front and I decided that I was feeling good and it was time to get to work. I went right up to the front of the pack with Justin and decided to push the downhill and break up the group a bit. Once I hit the flat and turned right again I had the wind at my back and had a small gap opened up. I could still here a few guys back there, but I felt like I had to keep pressing and make sure that the gap would stick! I hit the 3rd mile in 16:48 (5:06 mile split) and I was off on my own. I was not surprised by the fast split because of the downhill and tailwind, but I was interested to see if I could keep the press on and finish strong. I was still feeling could and tried to maintain an aggressive pace. I hit the 4th mile in 21:52 (5:04 mile split) and was very pleased! Now it was time to see if I could close it out with a strong 5th mile that included the races only real climb and just over a quarter mile on a snow packed bike path. I hit the hill hard and tried to press the best I could down the snow covered bike path and hit the finish in 27:08 (5:16 mile split). The effort was good for first place and a winning margin of almost a minute. In the end I was very happy with my effort, especially over the last 3 miles which were covered in 15:26. Now its time to get ready for Amherst 10 miler.
Race Article
Total Miles: 70.1
Trapped on the treadmill for another day! Easy running on the treadmill at home...watching the snow fall outside.
1/27 Tuesday: AM: 8.5 miles in 65 minutes PM: 4.5 miles in 36 minutes
AM: Easy treadmill running at home. This snow thing has to stop eventually right?
PM: Easy treadmill running at home. Still snowing.
PM: Easy treadmill running at home. Still snowing.
1/28 Wednesday: AM: 9 miles in 62 minutes PM: 5 in 39 minutes
AM: 3 miles warmup with a few pick ups / strides then right into 3 x mile with 1/2 mile jog between. All miles done at 5:18 (approx 10k pace). Felt ok, but legs and arms felt heavy from shoveling snow.
PM: First 3.1 on the snowshoes, the rest on the road. Tough going in the EBC (East Boston Camps) today. Not much broken out and very soft obviously. 1/29 Thursday: 11 miles in 73 minutes
Finally I got outside for a run! Easy running for the first 6 miles, then the last 5 miles were progression run (6:21 - 5:50). Very happy with this considering the slick / snow covered roads.
1/30 Friday: 5 miles in 39 minutes
1/31 Saturday: 7 miles in 54 minutes
Very easy running on the treadmill at home trying to avoid any slip and falls outside on the slick roads. Trying to make sure I am fresh for the race tomorrow
Very easy running on the treadmill at home trying to avoid any slip and falls outside on the slick roads. Trying to make sure I am fresh for the race tomorrow
2/1 Sunday: 16 miles in 1 hour and 55 minutes
Today I headed over to Newburyport for the Newburyport Frigid Fiver. The plan today was to figure out where I was at over a longer distance. It had been a while since I had raced anything not on the track or longer than 5k on the roads. Of course the morning turned out to be very cold with brisk wind! Not the awesome conditions this race saw last year! I met up with fellow Competitive Jerk Justin Montgomery at Michael's Harborside and headed out for a warm up. While we got in a 4 mile warm up we chatted about all things running and what we were going to try to do today. It was decided that we would try to sit and wait out the fist two miles of head wind, let others lead us out, and then see where we were at. Soon enough we were up at the start and had the customary wait till they let us onto the road. Seemed like forever with the cold and wind! Then we were off and running. Soon after the start there was a pack of 7 or 8 of us that separated ourselves right away. Justin and I both just tucked in and let the pack lead us along. The pace was very easy and the pack stayed tight and content with the easy early pace. It became very obvious that nobody really wanted to lead and no one was going to push the pace early. We hit the 1 mile mark in 5:48 and continued on with the same easy pace. It was clear that everyone was waiting till we got out of the headwind before anything exciting was going to happen. The course turns right and heads down hill after the 2 mile mark, this is where I expected the race to break open. The pack got a little antsy with some shuffling around and a some maneuvering for position as we approached the two mile mark and I think it was because everyone was thinking the same thing. It was almost go time! We hit the two mile mark in 11:42 (5:54 mile split) and made another right hand turn out of the wind and onto the down hill. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Justin start to move to the front and I decided that I was feeling good and it was time to get to work. I went right up to the front of the pack with Justin and decided to push the downhill and break up the group a bit. Once I hit the flat and turned right again I had the wind at my back and had a small gap opened up. I could still here a few guys back there, but I felt like I had to keep pressing and make sure that the gap would stick! I hit the 3rd mile in 16:48 (5:06 mile split) and I was off on my own. I was not surprised by the fast split because of the downhill and tailwind, but I was interested to see if I could keep the press on and finish strong. I was still feeling could and tried to maintain an aggressive pace. I hit the 4th mile in 21:52 (5:04 mile split) and was very pleased! Now it was time to see if I could close it out with a strong 5th mile that included the races only real climb and just over a quarter mile on a snow packed bike path. I hit the hill hard and tried to press the best I could down the snow covered bike path and hit the finish in 27:08 (5:16 mile split). The effort was good for first place and a winning margin of almost a minute. In the end I was very happy with my effort, especially over the last 3 miles which were covered in 15:26. Now its time to get ready for Amherst 10 miler.
Race Article
Total Miles: 70.1
Monday, January 26, 2015
Week of 1/19 to 1/25
1/19 Monday: 8.3 miles in 60 minutes
1/15 Thursday: 11 miles in 72 minutes
Running at home on the treadmill. Braveheart was on so the run actually went by pretty quick!
1/16 Friday: 5 miles in 39 minutes
Easy recovery run around the neighborhoods in Westford.
1/18 Sunday: 16 miles in 1 hour and 55 minutes
Today I headed down to Harvard for the GBTC Invite Mile. Got in a 3 mile warm up and then the waiting started. There were multiple heats of the mile including elite, masters and open men's and women's. My heat was towards the end. I tried to stay loose with some jogging and strides. Soon enough we were lined up and ready to go. In my heat were a few familiar faces including Steve Dowsett and CMS teammate Scott Leslie, both of whom had faster seed times then me (4:37). So I figured I could key off of them during the race. We got off pretty quick and got through the first 200 in 33 and change, it felt quick! the 400 went by in 67 high, which was a bit faster than my goal, but really only by a second or two. I tried to relax a bit and hold position, but I was feeling really awkward and like I was fighting myself a bit out there. I hit 800 in 2:17 which I was happy with, now it was time to hold it through the next quarter, then push it home. The problem was I couldn't hold on to it! I felt out of sorts over the next quarter and I knew I was losing it a bit out there. I also think this is where I got by Steve Dowsett who was having a bit of a rough one. But also where I was losing ground on others including Scott Leslie. I have no idea what my next quarter split was, but if I had to guess I was running 70's at that point. I did manage to put together a bit of a kick in the last quarter to get past Alex Hall, but I also got passed by another guy. I finished in 4:37, right on my seed time. Still I was a bit disappointed as I ran 4:37 a few weeks back at BU. I did feel flatter coming into this race as I have upped the miles and workouts though. So I can't be too disappointed, but I was really hoping to run 4:35-4:33. After the race I headed out for some running along the Charles River. I got in another 12 miles to top of a good longer mileage day.
Total Miles: 70.0
Easing running around Westford in my new Hoka One One Cliftons. I think I am liking the feel of these shoes!
1/20 Tuesday: 9.5 miles in 69 minutes
With the recent thaw/rain I decided to check out the Battle Road Trail to see if it was run-able. It was in pretty good shape and I was glad to be able to get off the roads for a bit. It was still icy here and there, and the ground was pretty soft in spots, but it was better than the roads.
1/14 Wednesday: AM 5 miles in 38 minutes PM: 8.2 in 54 minutes
AM: Not what I was looking for here, but its what I could get in while at home with a sick baby.
PM: Late workout outside in the dark dodging icy shoulders. Did 2 miles warm up, then right into quarter on quarter off x 8. Goal was to try to hit 5:00 pace for the on parts and then keep the off pace honest (7:00). The work out felt good and my GAP adjusted paces were right around 6:00 for the total miles during the workout. Second run in the Hoka's, I am pretty sure these things rock! 1/15 Thursday: 11 miles in 72 minutes
Running at home on the treadmill. Braveheart was on so the run actually went by pretty quick!
1/16 Friday: 5 miles in 39 minutes
1/17 Saturday: 7 miles in 54 minutes
Very easy running on the treadmill at home trying to avoid any slip and falls outside on the slick roads. Trying to make sure I am fresh for the race tomorrow
Very easy running on the treadmill at home trying to avoid any slip and falls outside on the slick roads. Trying to make sure I am fresh for the race tomorrow
1/18 Sunday: 16 miles in 1 hour and 55 minutes
Today I headed down to Harvard for the GBTC Invite Mile. Got in a 3 mile warm up and then the waiting started. There were multiple heats of the mile including elite, masters and open men's and women's. My heat was towards the end. I tried to stay loose with some jogging and strides. Soon enough we were lined up and ready to go. In my heat were a few familiar faces including Steve Dowsett and CMS teammate Scott Leslie, both of whom had faster seed times then me (4:37). So I figured I could key off of them during the race. We got off pretty quick and got through the first 200 in 33 and change, it felt quick! the 400 went by in 67 high, which was a bit faster than my goal, but really only by a second or two. I tried to relax a bit and hold position, but I was feeling really awkward and like I was fighting myself a bit out there. I hit 800 in 2:17 which I was happy with, now it was time to hold it through the next quarter, then push it home. The problem was I couldn't hold on to it! I felt out of sorts over the next quarter and I knew I was losing it a bit out there. I also think this is where I got by Steve Dowsett who was having a bit of a rough one. But also where I was losing ground on others including Scott Leslie. I have no idea what my next quarter split was, but if I had to guess I was running 70's at that point. I did manage to put together a bit of a kick in the last quarter to get past Alex Hall, but I also got passed by another guy. I finished in 4:37, right on my seed time. Still I was a bit disappointed as I ran 4:37 a few weeks back at BU. I did feel flatter coming into this race as I have upped the miles and workouts though. So I can't be too disappointed, but I was really hoping to run 4:35-4:33. After the race I headed out for some running along the Charles River. I got in another 12 miles to top of a good longer mileage day.
Total Miles: 70.0
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Week of 1/12 to 1/18
1/12 Monday: 8.6 miles in 62 minutes
PM: Easy recovery run on the treadmill at home.
1/18 Sunday: 15 miles in 1 hour and 51 minutes
Very relaxed long run from home. I tried to keep the pace very easy and just enjoy the run. All was good till the last few miles when all of a sudden I felt like I was bonking out. I was able to maintain the pace and actually increase it just to get the run over. But I was feeling loopy and mind was all over the place and the legs were heavy. I am not sure I ate enough food the day before. I also doubled for the first time in a long time on Saturday.
Total Miles: 70.5
Easing running around Lexington. Temperatures were nice, but the roads and side walks were slick!
1/13 Tuesday: 9.4 miles in 65 minutes
Workout on the treadmill. I did 3 x mile with half mile rest. warmed up 2.5 miles with a few pick up strides then into the mile repeats at 5:18 pace (approx 10k pace) with half mile rest at 7:30 pace. then another few miles of coll down. First rep felt a bit fast, but the next couple felt more relaxed once I got use to going that fast on the treadmill.
1/14 Wednesday: 9 miles in 64 minutes
Today was an easy run from the town fields near my daughters daycare. Did an out and back that let me pick up a couple Strava segments on the way with a reasonable effort. Felt pretty good, but my hands ended up pretty cold towards the end of the run. Need some thicker gloves!
1/15 Thursday: 11 miles in 74 minutes
Easy first 6 miles then progression from 6:38 to 5:52 over the next five miles. Very slick roads out there! Surprised I stayed upright the whole way. Solid run!1/15 Thursday: 11 miles in 74 minutes
1/16 Friday: 5 miles in 39 minutes
Easy recovery run on the treadmill at work.
1/17 Saturday: AM: 8.5 miles in 57 minutes PM: 4 miles in 32 minutes
AM: Treadmill tempo at home. I did an easy 3 miles of warm up with a few shakeout strides. Then I went right into 4 miles of tempo paced running. Hit the four miles in 5:42, 5:39, 5:36, 5:33 and felt pretty solid doing it. I did another 1.5 miles of cool down. All completed while watching Mall Cop on the TV.PM: Easy recovery run on the treadmill at home.
1/18 Sunday: 15 miles in 1 hour and 51 minutes
Very relaxed long run from home. I tried to keep the pace very easy and just enjoy the run. All was good till the last few miles when all of a sudden I felt like I was bonking out. I was able to maintain the pace and actually increase it just to get the run over. But I was feeling loopy and mind was all over the place and the legs were heavy. I am not sure I ate enough food the day before. I also doubled for the first time in a long time on Saturday.
Total Miles: 70.5
Week of 1/5 to 1/11
1/5 Monday: 7 miles in 53 minutes
Easing running on the treadmill at home. Too cold outside
1/6 Tuesday: 8 miles in 60 minutes
Easy running on the treadmill at work. Still too cold outside
1/7 Wednesday: 8 miles in 56 minutes
I was going to do this workout outside but everything turned into a sheet of ice. Did 8 x 400 on the treadmill at the gym. Warmed up 2.5 miles with a few shakeout strides then right into the 400's. Did all of them at 5:00 flat pace with 400m rest (7:40 - 8:00 pace). Then a couple miles cool down.
1/8 Thursday: 11 miles in 81 minutes
Late night treadmill run at home.
1/9 Friday: 4.5 miles in 36 minutes
Very easy run on the treadmill at home.
1/10 Saturday: 9.5 miles in 63 minutes
Ran the 5k Resolution Run 2 Kick Cancer in Lexington, MA. It was sunny but very cold with a bit of a breeze. Warmed up by running the course and then took shelter in the field house for some stretching and to get my racing flats on. Headed over to the starting line and soon we were off and running. I had company for about the first half mile, which I ran very relaxed and then it was time to push the pace down. The first mile was pretty much dead flat and I went through in a split of 5:24. The next mile went right through downtown Lexington, slightly down hill and then slightly up hill and had a bit of a tail wind. Hit 2 miles in 10:28 (5:04 Mile Split). The third mile has a little bit of up and a little bit of down, then a little bit of up and into a head wind to finish up. At this point I had a spectator yell to me "Take it easy....there is no one in sight" which was great news.....but no reason to take it easy. I pressed on and hit 3 miles in 15:46 (5:18 Mile Split) and I hit the finish line in 16:19 (33 sec last 0.1) winning the race by over a minute (Results). I was very happy with the effort and I felt very controlled and relaxed for almost the whole race. This was a good confidence builder and hopefully a sign of faster racing to come!
1/11 Sunday: 16 miles in one hour and 55 minutes
Long run around Westford. Did a little bit of exploring and ran a nice big loop around town. Felt good and the legs even felt good after yesterdays race.
Long run around Westford. Did a little bit of exploring and ran a nice big loop around town. Felt good and the legs even felt good after yesterdays race.
Total Miles: 64.0
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