Recovering from CECS

Middle Road - Gavin Hill Road. 11.24 miles. 1:28:00. 7:49/mi. 140BPM.  5 degrees and a little breeze.  Very hilly course.

Middle Road.  20 degrees and a slight breeze.  Not a bad running day.  I decided to take advantage of the good weather and push the pace a little.  I'm mainly trying to build a good base level through the winter, but I do not want to lose gears in the process. 4 quicker miles in the middle. 7:20 (mostly uphill), 6:44 (downhill), 7:02, 7:15.  149BPM for the tempo.  Total time 45:13. 

Scheduled day off.  Letting my sore legs heal a little.

Nice day.  20 degrees, sunny and no wind.  13.13 miles. 1:39:14. 7:33/mi. 143BPM.  Very good long run.

Middle Road. 33 degrees and light snow. I'm a little tired from yesterday's long run. 6.25 miles. 7:42/mi. 137BPM.

River Cove loop.  5.22 miles. 7:39/mi. 138BPM. Sunny and 25 degrees.  We're going to get a big snowstorm over the next 2 days, so I'll probably have to run inside tomorrow.

Snow, sleet and freezing rain.  I ran on the indoor track today.  3 miles easy followed by 3 progressively fast miles and a cooldown mile.  The middle miles: 6:54, 6:41, 6:23.  7 miles total, 51:12.

Easy 8 miler inside at St. Mike's College indoor track.  1:02:45. 7:51/mi. 132BPM.

Indoors at St. Mike's.  Steadily picked up the tempo throughout the run. 7:33, 7:22, 7:13, 7:11, 7:01, 6:46.  Total time 43:07, avg 7:11/mi, 139BPM.

Easy 8 miles indoors on the St. Mike's track.  1:01:02. 7:38/mi. 132BPM.  Maybe the weather will be nice enough tomorrow to run outside.  I'm a little spoiled by the indoor track, but it beats cold weather injuries and sprains.  It also keeps my morale a little higher through the New England winter.

8 miles indoors at St. Mike's.1 mile warm up followed by 6 mile tempo run.  1 mile cool down.

20 degrees, sunny, breezy.  My longest run in years.  I felt pretty weak near the end.  Most of the courses around me are pretty hilly.  I'm sure I would've had an easier time on a flat course. 1:59:34. 7:47/mi. 140BPM.

Taking a day or two off.  Anne and I leave for Vegas this afternoon.  No other good reason, just feel like I need a couple day break.  I'm looking forward to missing the below zero temps over the next few days.

Arrived in Vegas this morning.  I'm pretty tired from driving 3 hours to the Manchester, NH airport last night followed by the 5 1/2 hour long, early morning flight.  The roads were nasty and slick and the flight was packed.  I'll get back in the saddle tomorrow.  It's time to take a nap and then hit the strip!

Anne and I followed the hotel concierge's directions to a spot southwest  of LV to run some trails in the foothills.  We ended up on what I think were old wildcat mining roads.  The trails were rough but I was happy to be out of the snow.  It actually reminded me of running in AZ 15 years ago.  5.59 miles. 42:47. 7:39/mi. 145BPM.

9.5 miles on the LV strip.  I ran south past the airport on the old LV 1/2 marathon race course.  Really, it's just HWY 604 running parallel to Interstate 15.  It brought back a little nostalgia from when I ran it in the early 1990s.  Two miles in the run and I was away from most of the casinos and was able to run on a dirt shoulder.  It was a treat to run a flat course with the temp in the 40s.  I picked up the pace a little after warming up.  Total time 1:08:50. 7:17/mi. 143BPM. 

Same course as yesterday, same effort.  Almost identical time.  1:08:56. 7:15/mi. 139BPM.  We're heading back to frigid Vermont today.  Bummer.

Side note:  While waiting at the airport for our flight, we hit a 1,000 quarter jackpot on a Wheel-of Fortune slot machine.  Coincidentally, we did the same thing on a previous Vegas trip 2 years ago.

Back in Vermont.  It snowed last night and this morning.  The roads are very slushy.  It felt like I was running in sand.  8.09 miles.  1:02:58. 7:47/mi. 139BPM.

Snowy and 15 degrees.  The roads were very slippery.  I had zero traction for the entire run.  This was a very slow run, but long days are mostly about time on your feet anyways.  15.38 miles. 2:09:17. 8:24/mi. 138 BPM.

Easy 6 miles indoors.  Pretty tight today from yesterday's slippery long run.  I loosened up near the end.  46:02. 7:40/mi. 131BPM.

4 mile tempo run indoors. 2 mile warm up, 2 mile cooldown.  8 miles total.  It felt OK.  I haven't done much quality work, so it'll take a few sessions before I feel comfortable.  The indoor track isn't conducive to fast running, so tempo pace running is about the max I'll try.  Between the woggers and the tight turns, I'm afraid I'll get hurt.

Easy 6 miles indoors.  47:09. 7:52/mi. 130 BPM.

Easy 8 miles indoors.  1:02:08.  7:46/mi. 130BPM

Outside on Middle Road.  0 degrees with a stiff northern breeze. My hat was frozen to my head y the end.  I worked a little too hard for an easy day, but the cold was getting to me so I sped up a bit.  8.79 miles.  1:07:13. 7:38/mi. 141BPM.

Middle Road.  10 degrees and windy.  1:04:48. 7:58/mi. 140BPM.

After freezing my rear end off the last two days, I decided to run indoors to thaw out.  It wasn't fun since it was my long day.  Combined with the fact that I'm breaking down a little bit from the increase mileage, I wasn't very motivated today.  It's funny that 50-60 miles seems like so much right now.  I guess it's all relative.  15 years ago, 100 mile weeks were the steady diet.  I might back off in a week or two to let my body rest up.  No sense in overdoing it in the middle of the winter.  My goal right now is to be a base monster and get down to fighting weight.  I'm now under 170 pounds.  When I started back in September, I was pushing close to 190 pounds.  I'd like to get down to around 160 pounds by summer.

 I did have some nice company today.  The Adjudant General of the Vermont National Guard, General Dubie happened to to be at the track so I ran and talked with him for a bit.  He's a pretty pleasant fellow and he can keep a decent pace.  He and his brother, the LT Governor have run the Vermont City Marathon relay together a few times.

12.5 miles. 1:40:12. 8:01/mi.  140BPM.

Easy 6 miles indoors.  44:54. 7:29/mi. 131 BPM.

Tempo run indoors.  We're in the middle of a big snowstorm.  We'll probably get close to a foot by tomorrow morning.  2 mile warm up followed by 5 tempo miles and 1 mile cooldown.  Total time for the 5 mile tempo: 32:32.

Easy 8 indoors.  Plow trucks are dealing with the snow.  I should be able to run outside this weekend.  No snow in the forecast and the temps are supposed to be in the 20s.  1:02:39. 7:50/mi. No HRM.

8.25 miles indoors.  1:05:11. 7:54/mi. 131BPM.

Middle Road.  15 degrees, sunny and breezy.  The wind kept this from being an entirely enjoyable run, but it wasn't too bad.  My left leg below my knee feels a little weak.  It's not exactly painful, but it doesn't feel normal either.  I'll keep an eye on it.  I'm planning on a light mileage week next week.  Maybe that'll help heal up a few bumps and bruises.  8.08 miles. 7:46/mi. 135BPM.

20 degrees and breezy.  Last long run for 2 weeks.  Next week will be an easy week.  I need it.  I've been very tired on most of my runs over the last 2 weeks.  I think a lighter mileage week will help.  I've been on a steady buildup over the last 7-8 weeks going from 30-40MPW to 50-60MPW. I'm excited about getting in 60MPW in the dead of winter.  I wonder what I'll be able to manage when I have good temps and clear roads.  I'll start scoping out spring races to test my fitness soon.  15.32 slippery miles. 2:05:06. 8:09/mi. 143BPM.

It's 33 degrees outside. Roads are sloppy from the warm temps. Colchester Pond Loop. 6.32 miles. 46:12. 7:18/mi. 147 BPM.  I ran a little harder than I should have.  This was supposed to be a recovery run from my long day yesterday.  I need to exercise a little restraint and remain patient.

River Cove Road.  10 degrees and breezy.  It was windier than I thought.  I think I'll go back to running indoors for the rest of the week.  Pushed the pace a little in the middle. 5.22 miles. 38:02. 7:17/mi. 138 BPM.

I took the day off.  My right glut and upper calf/lower knee have been pretty sore lately.  I think it may be due to a lack of traction when running outside.  The constant slipping really affects my gait and causes me to keep my leg muscles tense all of the time.  This was an unscheduled day off, but I needed it.  I think this is a positive chapter in my running life.  15 years ago, my running OCD would have prevented such an act of weakness.  I would have run through this and gambled a greater injury.  Now, I realize that the day of complete rest will probably pay greater dividends than the one missed day of training (as long as I do not make this a habit).  It's 7:00 in the evening and my leg feels much better already.  I'll run indoors for the rest of the week and I'm not doing a long run this weekend as part of my scheduled light mileage week.  I hope this little break will help me consolidate my gains over the last few months.

Very easy 6 miles indoors at St. Mike's.  My left leg is still bugging me.  It feels like a very tight hamstring.  I'll try a little self massage and ibuprofin.  49:33. 8:16/mi. 122 BPM.

Indoors at St. Mike's.  Left leg felt much better today.  My left upper shin is a little tender, but I think I'm over the worst of it.  I'll take it easy for a few more days to be sure.  6 miles.  44:46. 7:28/mi. 131 BPM. 

Indoors at St. Mike's.  6 miles. 45:16. 7:33/mi. 130BPM.  Left calf still a little sore.  Bottom of right foot has also been a little tight.  Old age.....

Indoors at St. Mike's.  The week of reduced mileage is giving me a little more spring in my step.  My left lower leg is feeling better every day.  The underside of my right foot is still tender.  I'm icing it in the evenings and I think I'm going to start wearing my Strassburg Sock at night for a few days..  I don't want to call it palntar fasciitis yet....  Hopefully a little active treatment will do the trick.

 6 miles.  43:59. 7:20/mi. 135 BPM.

I'm taking another day off.  My legs still do not feel quite right.  I'd rather take more time off now rather than a forced month off for an injury.  I pushed too hard a couple years ago during a failed comeback and was sidelined with a calf injury.

Legs are feeling better, but I'm going to take one more day of rest.  The bottom of my right foot feels much better with the little bit of rest.  My left hamstring and calf no longer hurt.

Indoors at St. Mike's.  It's fairly warm outside, but the roads are a mess.  No pains to report, which is a good sign.  I felt pretty spry due to the reduced work load and the time off.  It felt good to pick it up a little bit.  6 miles. 43:57. 7:20/mi. 141BPM.

It was a crazy day today.  I didn't get a chance to run.  Between work and taking the kitty to the vet, I was swamped.  I couldn't get to the indoor track and I think I'd rather have a root canal than use the dreadmill.  Oh well, I'm supposed to be lightening up my mileage through the end of this week anyway.  On a positive note, my legs feel great.  I'll be ready to creep up to 60 MPW starting next week.

Indoors at St. Mike's.  After a short warmup I decided to try to cruise at MP for a while.  The first 2 miles were very comfortable and I found myself slowly speeding up.  The third mile was faster than MP and borderline tempo pace.  The last 3 miles were solidly tempo pace, 6:40/mi.  It felt pretty easy.  I think it's close to my 1/2MP right now.  7 miles total.  6 miles in 40:46.

Happy Valentines Day.  This marks the end of my two weeks of light mileage to let my body recover from the past 4 or 5 months of coming back.  20 degrees and a light breeze.  I was a little overdressed and had to strip off a few bits of gear to keep from overheating.  It was an odd run because I was stopped no less than 4 times for directions or questions about stray dogs.  This is the first time I've been interrupted during a run in a very long time (years), so 4 times was a bit unusual.  The run went well, but I was very sluggish for the first 5 or 6 miles.  Anne treated us to his and hers pedicures afterward.  I passed on the nail polish, but got the "male nails" treatment instead.  It was a nice treat and I think we'll do it again in the future.  If you haven't had a pedicure before, give it a try.  Your tired feet will appreciate it!  15.41 miles.  1:57:41. 7:38/mi. 146 BPM.

Middle Road.  20 degrees with a brisk north wind.  6.24 miles. 46:10. 7:23/mi. 142 BPM.

Colchester Pond Loop plus Lost Nation Road.  25 degrees and breezy.  I'm wondering if I'll ever see a calm no-wind day again.  I guess the cold, wind and hilly courses will make me tough.... I hope..... I went a little longer than scheduled.  In fact, I almost missed running entirely.  I fell asleep on the couch watching a movie this afternoon.  Luckily Anne called me from work around 2:00 and woke me up!  Maybe the nap helped because I had a great running session.  I worked a little too hard, but it was still a easy run.  I was able to keep my breathing under control for the entire effort, even the big hills.  11.05 miles.  1:21:38.  7:23/mi. 146 BPM.

30 degrees and breezy.  Not a bad running day at all.  VTANG - RT 15 Loop.  8.59 miles. 1:02:39. 7:17/mi. 143 BPM.

Indoors at St. Mike's.  I ran with my buddy Scott during part of his speed workout.  I ended up doing 3 x 800 @ 3:00 with 400 rest in the middle of my run  8 miles.  1:00:55. 7:37/mi. 136 BPM.

An embarrassing streak of non-running days.  We've had a small family emergency and thing's have been pretty stressful.  The worst part is that I should use my running as a stress relief, but I didn't.  I guess the good news is that most all of my foot and leg pains are gone.  I got back on the wagon today with a shorter, easy run.  I should probably take it easy for a few days and ease back into it.  Nice day. 30 degrees and sunny, not much wind.  Roads were a little slick due to the snow storm on Sunday.  River Cover loop 5.25 miles. 38:56. 7:24/mi. 138 BPM.

4.05 Miles. River Cove Road.  30:45. 7:35/mi. 146bpm.  I took an extended break, mostly due to the flu.  I haven't been this sick in years.  IT was a disappointing break.  It's been close to a month since I've trained consistently; but I didn't gain any weight and all of my aches and pains are competely gone.  My form was fine today, but my HR is high.  It'll take about 2 weeks to get back to where I was in January.

4 easy miles at St. Mike's indoor track.  Extremely windy and rainy today.  I forgot my HRM.  30:03. 7:31/mi.

River Cove Road.  25 degrees and breezy.  30:07. 7:20/mi. 151bpm.  I still feel fine, but my HR is high.  It'll take another week or so to get back into a rythm.  At least spring is around the corner...

Middle Road.  40 degrees and sunny.  Not much wind.  6.28 miles.  46:42. 7:25/mi. 150BPM.

Middle Road.  45 degrees and sunny.  Not much wind.  6.25 miles. 46:12. 7:23/mi. 150BPM.  My HR is still a little elevated, about 8-10 BPM high.  I did the same run exactly 1 month ago at the same average pace with an average of 142BPM.  Hopefully it'll come back down with another couple weeks of consistent running.

Middle Road.  Mid 40's and light breeze.  I ran a little harder today.  My legs have healed nicely with the sporadic running in February.  My cardio system is still a little weak. 6.27 miles.  44:18. 7:04/mi. 152BPM.

River Cove Road Loop. 5.18 miles. 38:50. 7:29/mi. 147BPM. Nice day.  It was about 50 degrees.  It was my first shorts-and-t-shirt run of the year.

River Cove Road Loop.  5.23 miles. 39:53. 7:37/mi. 143BPM.  Cold, rainy and windy.

River Cove Road Loop.  5.22 miles.  37:56.  7:16/mi. 143 BPM.  45 degrees and very windy.  I'm starting to feel a little better.  My HR is slowly coming down to where it was a month ago for similar efforts.  I'll finish out this week with shorter runs and introduce some 8 milers next week.

Middle Road. 6.25 miles. 45:59. 7:21/mi. 145BPM.

Essex Loop.  8.43 miles.  1:05:07. 7:43/mi. 151BPM.  Windy and 40 degrees.

River Cove Road Loop.  5.21 miles.  36:29. 7:00/mi. 148BPM.

River Cove Road.  4.02 mi. 7:54/mi. 131BPM.

River Cove Road Loop. 5.19 mi. 7:35/mi. 144BPM.

Middle Road.  8.16 miles. 1:01:57. 7:35/mi. 146 BPM

Middle Road. 6.26 mi. 47:06. 7:31/mi. 145 BPM.

Essex Loop.  8.44 mi. 1:02:23. 7:23/mi. 148 BPM.  Still chilly for spring.  32 degrees and light snow.  A little breezy too.

Middle Road. 6.24 mi. 7:13/mi. 143BPM.  45 degrees. Little windy and sunny.

A running buddy of mine called me this morning.  He's a pretty solid athlete, but he's had a bit of bad luck over the last couple of years.  He's had both ACL's reconstructed.  He's been pretty consistent through the winter and wants to start training together.  This might be what I need.  He ran the New Bedford Half last month in around 1:19, so he's fit but not out of my league.  He wants me to run a low-key hilly 1/2 mary this weekend.  I think I'll do it to jump start my training and motivate me to train a little more regularly.  I went for a run right after I spoke with Loren.  It turned into a tempo run.  8:48 miles total.  Essex Loop.  First mile or so easy and then I got into a decent rythm.  total time: 59:30.  7:01/mi. 148 BPM.  I think I can average 7:00s for the 1/2.  It's a tough course.

River Cover Road.  4 miles.  I'm a little tired from yesterday's enthusiasm.  29:09. 7:16/mi. 149BPM.

Rolling Irish Half Marathon.  13.11 miles.  It’s a certified course; I had 13.17 on my Garmin.  GPS error and tangents probably make up the .06 miles.  This is a tough hilly course on mostly dirt roads.  I haven’t been very consistent lately, so I wasn’t expecting a stellar time.  In fact, this is the first ½ mary I’ve run since 1997.  It was about 45 degrees, breezy and overcast.

Mile 1. 6:54. Flat and paved.  Leaders are already gone; a couple of kids from some small college.  I think they ran around 1:14 or so.  Pretty quick for this course.  I felt good.  Loren hung back with me.  He’s recovering from bronchitis and was hacking up some awful stuff.

Mile 2.  6:51.  Dirt and rolling.  Loren and I are still together.

Mile 3.  6:24.  Pretty big downhill.  It’s a loop course, so I’m already thinking about paying back this downhill later.

Mile 4.  7:09.  Gradual uphill.  This wasn’t too bad, but I know the tough stuff is not until miles 6 – 9.  Loren took off.  He ended up running 6:00s for the rest of the race.  I think he finished 5th or 6th.

Mile 5.  5:53.  Falling off a cliff.  Who though 5:53 would be a screaming fast mile for me?  Oh well, I’ll worry about that later.  Time to get ready for the uphill.

Mile 6.  6:36.  Leveled out and turned to pavement.

Mile 7.  7:49.  Did I mention the hills yet?  Brutal hills.  At one point I ran a quarter in 2:30!  Huffing and puffing and using my hands on my knees a little.  I’m starting to pay for taking 3 or 4 days off each week over the last 2 months!

Mile 8.  7:35.  We’re not out of the woods yet.  I’m still paying my penance for taking too much time off.  At least I had time in the bank from the downhills earlier.  I’m still better than 7:00 pace.

Mile 9.  7:52.  The worst yet!  The course markers dished out a little bit of cruelty.  They made a big chalk smiley face at the crest of a giant hill.  I assumed it symbolized the end of the uphills.  Wrong.  I turned the corner and discovered more hills!  What a heartbreak.

Mile 10.  6:39.  Finally done with the big hills.  Back to rollers.  Unfortunately, I’ve developed a pretty bad stitch.  I’ll deal with it.  Only 3 to go.

Mile 11.  6:54.  Rolling hills.  My legs are feeling pretty dead by now.

Mile 12.  7:04.  Still hanging on.

Mile 13.  6:41.  Switched back to pavement.  The stitch is really bad by now, but I can see the end.

.17 mi 1:10.  I tried to look smooth across this line even though I know I am in shambles.

Total time: 1:31:32.  6:59/mi. for 13.11 miles.  I think I was 12^th or 13^th.  I’ll check online once the results are posted.  That’s about where I figured I’d be.  According to the course tool this is a 6:41 flat effort.  I’ll take it.  Loren and I are going to start meeting in the mornings a few days a week.  I need the motivation, he needs the structure.  He ran around 1:22 today while recovering from bronchitis.  I hope to catch up to him if I can get out the door every day.

Middle Road. Recovery run. I'm pretty sore from yesterday's race. Mostly my calves and my hips, but no injuries to report. I hobbled along for most of the run, finally loosening up after around 4 or 5 miles. 6.25 miles. 50:01. 7:59/mi. 140 BPM.

I met Loren at 5:15 this morning.  This will be my morning ritual for Tues and Thurs from now on.  Hopefully it'll boost both our efforts.  I'll start to incorporate some quality work for these sessions shortly.  8.06 miles.  Essex loop.  very easy.  1:07:46. 8:24/mi. 132 BPM.

Essex Loop plus a bit. I tried to get up super early again today to run but failed miserably. Instead, I went around 9:00AM after arriving at work. It was pleasant, close to 50 degrees, but I had to deal with the ever-present wind again. Nonetheless, it was a pretty good run. 11.18 miles. 1:22:12. 7:21/mi. 142 BPM. I meet Loren tomorrow morning again at 5:15AM, so I need to hit the hay early.

I met Loren again at Fort Ethan Allen at 5:00AM.  Today we did a bunch of loops around the fort trying to lay out a small loop we can use for tempo runs.  We'll start doing quality work on Tues and Thurs morning once the temps are a little warmer.  7.86 miles.1:03:42. 8:06/mi. 125 BPM. 

River Cove Road loop.  5.20 miles.  39:28. 7:35/mi. 137 BPM.  Beautiful day.  about 50 degrees and sunny when I went at 9:30AM.

Loren planned on running with me this morning but he was up all night with sick kids, so I was on my own.  It was probably a good thing because I felt like crud for the first 5 or 6 miles and didn't feel like company.  It was sunny and cool, but the wind was blowing again!  I guess I'll get tough running in it so much (even though I always complain about it.)  I ran most of my usual long run route, but deviated a bit to go to Indian Brook Reservoir.  It's less than 5 miles from my house, but I've never been there!  I think Anne and I will go there this evening for a walk.  Anyways, after I got into a groove I felt good until the final couple miles.  I expected it since I haven't done much overdistance lately.  First solid week of running in quite a while.  6 days, 53 miles.  today: 14.52 miles. 1:48:25. 7:28/mi. 147 BPM.

I was thinking about doing a small race this morning, but changed my mind.  I think I could've hurt myself racing hard so close to last week's tough 1/2 mary.  I've always used the formula- one day recovery for every mile raced.  Well, at least no races for as many days; I think you can train hard again as long as you didn't completely flatten yourself in the race.  I came close to flattening myself in the 1/2 mary due to my lack of training, so no races for a couple more weeks.  Anne and I went to my sister-in-law's house for the afternoon.  It's in farm country with lots of nice back roads to run on.  My old nemesis the wind was there.  10.14 miles.  1:12:23.  I picked it up on the way back with the wind at my back; a couple of 7:00 miles, a 6:50 and a 6:30 miles.  Overall pace 7:08.  144 BPM.  I'm starting to feel good again.  

A.M. Middle Road.  I am going to try to double on Mon, Wed and Fri.  I will start out very easy; probably only 30 minutes in the morning.  4.18 miles. 31:19. 7:29/mi. 137 BPM.  50 degrees and rainy.

P.M. Colchester Pond Loop.  86 degrees and breezy.  Very hot for this time of year in Vermont!  I wilted.  6.33 miles. 47:26. 7:29/mi. 146 BPM.

Essex Loop with Loren at 5:15AM.  It was a little easier to get up this morning, but I'm still tired in the afternoons.  Hopefully my body will get used to this routine in a few weeks.  8.06 miles. 1:03:21. 7:51/mi. 135BPM.

A.M. Middle Road.  Chilly 31 degrees.  4.58 miles. 34:16. 7:28/mi. 134 BPM.

P.M. River Cover Road Loop.  Sunny, no wind and 50 degrees.  Absolutely beautiful spring weather.  I ran fairly quick for the entire run, but I didn't do much of a warm up so shame on me.  5.21 miles.  35:36. 6:49/mi. 143 BPM.

I met Loren again at 5:15AM for an easy 8 miler.  I forgot my Garmin, so I had to time it by checking Loren's wristwatch before and after the run.  1:03:00. 7:50/mi. no HRM.

Essex Loop.  60 degrees and windy.  8.44 miles.  1:02:13. 7:22/mi. 141 BPM.

A good finish to a solid week of running.  This was an excellent run.  I felt very sluggish for the first 3 miles.  After that I felt fantastic.  11.05 miles.  1:19:13. 7:10/mi. 141 BPM.   

60 degrees and sunny.  A beautiful day.  I'm a little tired from my "big" 66 mile week and the National Guard exercise this weekend.  There's nothing like wearing a full chemical suit for 10 hours a day to sap your energy.

I decided to go a little shorter today and take a nap on the sofa this evening.  I do not have to work tomorrow so I'll do my long run then.  Middle Road.  6.26 miles. 43:57.  A little quick.  After a 2 mile warm up, I picked up the pace.  Average pace: 7:01/mi. 142 BPM.

Long easy run today.  Lost Nation Road and Indian Brook Road plus a bit.  I think this is my longest run since I was very serious about running back in the mid 1990's.  I'm pretty pleased.  However, in context of Holt's recent training, it's about 1/2 of one of his long days!

I was fine through about 15 miles.  My legs started to get very sore over the last 2 miles and my HR started to creep; probably due to dehydration.  I'm going to invest in a hydration belt for these 2 hour-plus runs.  17.26 miles. 2:08:54. 7:28/mi. 141 BPM.

After reading a few marathon race performances (way to go Cody and Bonnie!), I started to think about my first marathon, the Tucson Mary in late 1994.  I was in pretty good shape, but hadn't done may runs over 2 hours.  I had recently run a couple 1:12s for the 1/2 marathon.  I figured I could try to run with the big boys in the marathon.  My training partner at the time (a 2:25 marathoner) cautioned me to take it easy and predicted a 2:45 marathon.  When the race started, I felt great and went with the second pack, averaging around 5:45s.  I was feeling great through 18 or 19 miles, on pace for about 2:30.  I though I had a super fast first marathon in the bag.  I realized my miscalculation soon after a late race water stop.  I slowed down for fluids and never sped back up.  The wheels fell off the bus and I went from 5:45s to 8:30s quickly, finishing in 2:47.  I was humbled, but learned my lesson.  I came back and ran my 2:30:30 PR with a negative split in the SGM 11 months later.  Now, I hope I can put some good training together over the next 2 or 3 years and improve on my PR.

Essex loop with Loren at 5:15AM.  A chilly 38 degrees.  8.06 miles. 1:04:23. 8:00/mi. 125 BPM.

Loren and I are discussing his strategy for the Burlington Marathon in 3 weeks.  He should be able to break 2:50 if everything goes well.  I plan on jumping  in at about the 10 mile mark and running 8 or 10 miles with him.

It was raining this morning so I bagged my early morning run. I went around noon instead.  Essex loop plus a bit.  9.61 miles.  1:08:27. 7:07/mi.  141 BPM.

Met Loren at 5:15 AM. We did our first quality run together in quite a while. It was a short one to get back into the groove of tempo work. We did a good warm up followed by 3 laps at Fort Ethan Allen. I planned on running around 6:40, but ended up running the first mile in 6:16, too quick. So, I backed off a touch and ended up running closer to my 10K pace rather than my intended 1/2 marathon pace. Even though I felt like I was working hard, my HR remained in the 150s; a good sign that my fitness is improving. I'll find a small 10k race in the next few weeks to evaluate my fitness level. I'm hoping for under 39 minutes.

Mile	Time	Avg HR
1	6:16	145
2	6:26	152
3	6:25	156
.81	5:13 (6:23 pace)	157

A.M. Middle Road. 6.26 miles. 47:07. 7:31/mi. 131BPM.  50 degrees and foggy.  It rained all night.

P.M. River Cove Road Loop. 5.17 miles. 38:06. 7:22/mi. No HRM.

Middle Road.  6.25 miles. 45:22. 7:15/mi. 138BPM.  A nice easy run to finish off the week.  I'll get up early and knock out a long run tomorrow morning.

It was a little chilly this morning, 44 degrees.  I was under dressed for the run.  I should've at least worn gloves.  I could hardly tear the top off my gu pouch.  This was another solid long run.  I started to run out of gas around 15 miles again.  I didn't slow down and my HR was steady.  It just took more effort to keep going.  Lost Nation Road and Indian Brook Road plus a bit.  18.17 miles. 2:16:25. 7:30/mi. 142 BPM.

Today was an odd running day.  First of all, I overslept and missed my morning run.  Then, I didn't have much gumption to get out the door from work to go run.  I finally changed into my running gear around 2:00.  I was heading out the door when a co-worker started bragging about how he could beat me in a 5k even though he doesn't run much.  To his credit, Kyle is pretty quick for a non-runner.  He's got youth on his side, he's only 25.  He was also pretty good when he ran cross country in high school.  So... I told him to put his money where his mouth was.  I was a little tired from yesterday's 18 miler, but wanted to nip Kyle's banter in the bud immediately.  Kyle and I went to the track and duked it out, sort of.   I beat him by about 10 seconds.  I ran 17:29 for 3 miles.  I'm still impressed that the kid ran under 18 minutes while his exercise routine consists of jogging on the treadmill once a week and playing basketball.  On the flip side, my 17:29 for 3 miles is a good performance indicator for me.  I'm making good progress.  The next test will be pacing Loren in the Vermont Marathon 2 weeks from now.  We'll see how many 6:30s I can run in a row....

Essex loop.  It was a beautiful running day; 50 degrees and sunny with no wind.  My legs were a little tired from Sunday's long run and yesterday's 3 mile time trial.  8.43 miles. 1:00:53. 7:13/mi. 142 BPM.

A.M. Essex Loop with Loren.  A chilly 35 degrees.  I overdressed and sweat like crazy.  I have a tough time figuring out how much to wear from around 25 - 40 degrees. 8.03 miles. 1:02:03. 7:43/mi. 137BPM.

 P.M. River Cove Road with my big boss, COL Mike Morgan.  5.00 miles. 43:56. 8:46/mi. 131BPM.

2.5 mile warm up, 2 x 3 miles @ 6:30/mi.  .75 mile recovery, .75 mile cool down.  First session 6:37, 6:32, 6:25 145BPM, Second session: 6:23, 6:29, 6:19 156BPM.  Not a bad workout considering the strong wind.

I am traveling tomorrow and will probably not have an opportunity to run.  So, I did a little extra today to keep the week's total around 65 miles.  Essex loop pluss a bit.  11.00 miles. 1:20:57. 7:21/mi. 147 BPM.  It was a little warm today, but nothing like it'll be in Jacksonville FL next week.  I'm going to have to get up very early to avoid the heat.  I'm not sure how much my mileage will suffer.  My main goal is to just get out the door every day.

Flew to Jacksonville, FL today. My flights were delayed and I arrived in the afternoon. I decided to take the day off. On a non-running note, I flew on a Colgan Air Dash-8. This is the airline and airplane that crashed in Buffalo last winter. I had purchased the tickets well in advance and forgot about it. To add a little extra drama, I just read on CNN that a wheel fell off during landing on ANOTHER Colgan Air Dash-8 on Thursday. I might ask for a copy of the preflight checklist before I get on my flight home! It's concrete jungle around the hotel, but I should be able to get a few miles in this week.

7.00 miles. 52:31. 7:30/mi. 139BPM.  5:30AM run in Jacksonville FL, on the St. John River walk. 70 degrees and very humid compared to Vermont.

Jacksonville, FL. 8.21 miles. 1:01:36. 7:30/mi. 129BPM.  A liitle cooler, but still very humid.

Still in Jacksonville.  Ran around the Jaguars' football stadium and over a pretty good size bridge over the St. Johns River.  Pretty cool for Jacksonville standards, around 60 degrees.  Still very humid.  8.48 mi. 1:02:12. 7:20/mi. 130 BPM

Rain rain rain.  Stuck at the hotel.  No rental car...  no fun....

More of the same.  So much for sunny Florida....

Potential flooding around Jacksonville.  At least I'm well rested.... Flying home today.

I didn't get out today.  I'm worn out from the conference and being stuck at the hotel.  I hope I'm ready to run with my buddy in the marathon tomorrow.

The good news is that my friend PR'd in the marathon.  He ran 2:49.  The bad news is that my right calf tightened up 3 miles into the run.  I jogged a bit to warm up and waited for Loren at the 13 mile mark.  I did not time it well.  I ended up standing around for 10 to 15 minutes by the time he hit 13 miles.  When he came by, I jumped into 6:20's with him.  It was too much for cold muscles, especially after taking 3 or 4 days off.  I'll end up taking a few more days off to nurse my calf.  Another dumb mistake on my part.  It's tough enough to get out the door every day and stay healthy.  I'm pretty upset at myself for taking such a risk running hard on cold legs in rainy 40 degree weather.  I hope my calf heals quickly so I can get back on the roads.

Ice, ibuprofin and stretching.  The calf feels pretty good.  Maybe I'll try running a few miles by Friday.

Middle Road.  4.37 miles. 32:05. 7:20/mi. 149BPM.  Cool and rainy.  Easy run trying to nurse my sore right calf.   The temp and rain didn't help any.  I started to feel my calf tighten up a little at 2 miles, so I turned around and tried to keep the pace very easy.  I'm not sure if I should take a solid week off without any running or try running 3 or 4 miles every other day.  I hate to keep taking extended breaks.  I'm considering consulting with my doctor about these frequent calf muscle injuries.  They are not career-ending, but they are bad enough to sideline me for a few weeks.

My right calf was a bit sore today.  I decided to give it a rest.  Maybe I'll give a try tomorrow.

Easy 4.18 miles.  My right calf felt fine.  I jogged very slowly.  In fact, I race walked the last mile and a half with a neighbor.  My HR stayed elevated while walking and it was lower impact.  Today was successful.  I'll try to do 4 or 5 miles again tomorrow.

Middle Road.  4.05 miles. 32:56. 8:07/mi. 121BPM.  Very very easy.  I started to feel my right calf at the 2 mile point, so I turned around.  I'll probably need a few more days off to let it heal.  It feels better than it has, so I think I'm on the right track.  I have a doctor's appointment in late July for a regular checkup.  I think I'll discuss my calf muscle problems with her.  Maybe she'll refer me to a specialist. 

Winooski Loop.  6.69 miles.  1:00:14. 9:00/mi. 123BPM.  Very easy run with one of my bosses, COL Morgan.  He's preparing for a full ironman.  I cannot even imagine 10-11 hours of tough cardio.  I'd probably drown during the swim!  My calf felt OK today.

Essex Loop.  8.43 miles. 1:02:00. 7:21/mi. 146BPM.  Woohoo!  easy 8 miles without any calf pain.  Hopefully this is a good sign.  I leave for Arizona in a few days and hope to run some of the old loops I did 10 years ago when I was much faster.  It should stir up some nostalgia.

Middle Road.  8.11 miles. 1:00:07. 7:24/mi. 149BPM.  Another easy 8 miles without calf pain.  I feel a little sliggush from taking 15 out of the last 25 days off.  I figure it'll take a good 3 weeks to get back into good form.  

Essex loop with Loren at 5:15AM.  Calf felt good.  I think I'm going to be OK after all.  I leave for Tucson in 2 days.  I'm really looking forward to running on the old trails.  8.06 miles.  1:04:00. 7:56/mi. 138 BPM.

Middle Road.  8.10 miles.  57:17. 7:04/mi. 152BPM.  I ran a little fast today; I probably shouldn't have.  It was quicker than my easy run pace, but not fast enough to call it marathon pace mileage.  In other words, "junk mileage."  I also risked re-injuring my calf.  The good news:  my calf felt fine and I felt pretty darn good.  This was a good confidence booster.  I leave for Tucson tomorrow afternoon.  It's been 10 years.  My goal is to run about an hour every day and drum up some nostalgia from distant days gone by.....

Middle Road.  6.26 miles. 45:!9. 7:15/mi. 147BPM.  A little shorter and a little slower.  It was a beautiful morning; around 55 degrees and sunny.  

Made it to Tucson late last night.  Anne and I ate too much airport garbage-food during the day.  My stomach disagreed with me afterwards.  I got up early and ran from the airport hotel.  Not exactly a scenic route, but it was flat and I was able to run on dirt shoulders for most of it.  8.39 miles. 1:00:39. 7:14/mi. 147BPM.

There is no flat terrain in Bisbee, AZ!  I ran 4.9 miles up and 4.9 miles down.  I have to confess that a portion of the uphill was actually hands-on-my-knees walking.  The road was Juniper Flats Road.  It is not flat at all!  I didn't set waypoints, but according to Google, the crest is about 7000ft.  Bisbee is around 5200ft.  Not a bad climb; I'm not as good on hills as I used to be.  9.80 miles. 1:21:37. 8:20/mi. 142 BPM.

Anne and I went for a 7 mile hike climbing 2000 ft at Coronado National Monument.  It was beautiful!  I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow.

Still in Bisbee.  A little shorter today.  My legs are a bit sore from yesterday's run and hike.  Same route minus Juniper Flats Road.  6.38 miles.  50:22. 7:48/mi. 139 BPM.  We're headed for Tucson today.  I'll be on old traiing grounds starting tomorrow.

A beautiful morning run in Tucson.  I ran on mostly dirt roads on the NW side of town where I lived 15 years ago.  11.50 miles.  1:20:30.  7:00/mi. 143 BPM.

Another early morning run in Tucson.  I ran out of gas about 7 miles into it.  I did not eat anything past yesterday afternoon.  We had a big party to celebrate my father's 70th birthday.  After the barbeque, we sat around, told stories and drank too much beer.  All things considered, the run turned out OK.  My pace dropped off dramatically over the last few miles, but I managed to stay in my "easy run" pace range.  11.94 miles. 1:29:05. 7:28/mi. (7:05's early, 7:45s late). 140 BPM.

Early morning 8.75 miles in Tucson. 1:04:04. 7:19/mi. 141 BPM.

Met Loren at 5:00AM.  8.06 miles.  1:03:14. 7:51/mi. 127 BPM.

Essex Loop.  8.41 miles. 1:00:55. 7:14/mi. 147BPM.  Warm and humid.  I was a sweat monster!

Early morning attempt at a quality day.  I wasn't sure what type of workout to do this morning.  I didn't feel like tempo miles, so I decided to try 4 mile repeats @ 10K pace.  I just didn't have it in me.  I made it through 2 1/2.  6:00, 6:07, 3:05.  I'll keep trying to throw in at least one quick day per week.  Hopefully it'll get easier.

Essex Loop with Loren at 5:00AM.  8.03 miles. 1:04:38. 8:093/mi. 136bpm.

Essex Loop at 9:00AM.  very humid and warm. 8.42 miles. 1:02:33. 7:25/mi. 151BPM 

Fairly hilly 5k on dirt roads.  2 mile warm up, uneventful short-5k, 2 mile cooldown.  

Essex loop with Loren.  8.04 miles. 1:02:56. 7:49/mi. 130BPM.

Essex loop with Loren.  8.04 miles. 1:01:37. 7:39/mi. 131BPM.

Easy morning run.  4.05 miles. 30:33. 7:32/mi. 129BPM.

River cove road loop.  5.25mi. 36:33. 6:57/mi. 154BPM.  I pushed it a bit today.  It felt good.

Easy run on Middle Road. 4.04 miles. 29:53. 7:24/mi. 136BPM.

Lost Nation Road to Indian Brook Road. This was my first long run in a while. I've had a tough time staying consistant recently. I need a couplr good months worth of training followed by a positive race result to get me over this funk. It's easy to forget how hard you worked in the past. The run felt good through the first hour. I ran out of gas at 10 miles and endured the last few miles. On a positive note, even when I felt like I was shuffling, I was moving along at 7:30s. 14.71 miles. 1:49:51. 7:29/mi. 153 BPM.

Colchester Pond loop.  6.32 miles.  43:04. 6:49/mi. 151 BPM.  Two sunny days in a row!  It's been a dreary summer so far, so this has been a treat.  I felt pretty good this morning.  I ran two quick miles near the end of the run, 6:05, 6:14.   

Middle Road.  Early morning run.  Pretty uneventful; I'm pretty tired.  6.25 miles. 46:42. 7:28/mi. 131BPM.

Early morning Essex loop with Loren.  We were both pretty pooped.  Neither of us spoke much during the run.  It sorta reminded me of "back in the day" when I was training hard with my old buddy Darryl Wagner.  We ran quite a few miles together in silence.  I like running with someone, but do not like gabbing on the run.  Does that make sense? 8.00 miles. 1:01:48. 7:43/mi. 132BPM.

Essex Loop.  It was sunny and a little humid today.  At least it wasn't raining....  8.45 miles.  1:01:02. 7:13/mi. 145 BPM.  I'm heading to the track with Loren tomorrow morning.  I think we'll do some 800s.

The workout was going to be 6 x 800 @ 2:45 - 2:50.  It went fairly well until #5 (2:48, 2:50, 2:50, 2:51, 2:51).  I pulled up with another calf strain.  This time it was my right calf.  Enough is enough.  I'm going to see a physical therapist to get some insight.

I attempted an easy 5 miler.  Three miles into the run my calf tightened up, so I walked the final 2 miles back to work.  I met with a physical therapist today.  His opinion is that I have some muscle imbalances from tight hamstrings and hip flexors.  This is causing my pelvis to tilt putting extra strain on my calf muscles, among other things.  I'm taking the week off to let the calf heal and then start back slowly incorporating the PT exercises.

PT appointment.  I got an ultrasound treatment and a massage on my right calf.  Joel, my PT showed me a bunch of dynamic stretches/exercises to do after an easy mile of running before my regular running workout.  It should only add a few extra minutes to my routine.  In addition, I'll do static stretches a couple times a day.  Hopefully I'll see some progress in a few weeks.  I've run out of patience trying to get through these nagging injuries on my own.