Going Long (again) in 2024

Two weeks of no running post-Boston, so today was the day to get back to it.  4 easy miles; 9:06 pace.  Miserable day!  Raining steady and just 2C/36F.  Yuck.

Anyway, felt stiff and sore, especially the left hamstring and through the hips.  I checked back on my notes from my previous Marathon in Chicago in the fall of 2015, however, and I see that I had the exact same issues then.  So, like then, I'll go slow and easy all week and slowly pick up the mileage as I'm able.

I have a massage booked for this afternoon - good timing.  A new therapist - Jessica, as Jasmyne has moved on to another place further away.

Another easy run; 9:02 pace.  Still pretty achy.  

Yesterday's massage was painful, but helpful at the same time.  She worked everything from the hips down - I don't think there was any spot that wasn't sore to some degree.

Easy miles; 8:34 pace.  First time since the marathon that I felt like I was running, instead of pushing through a trudge.  Gorgeous morning too, which may have helped.  Clear skies, no wind, and just 1C/33F.

Easy run; 8:44 pace.  Now able to run the trail sections, as they are all clear of snow/ice/water.

Easy run; 8:56 pace.

Woke up REALLY sore.  After a month away from strength work, I did my plyometric jump squats on Wednesday.  Didn't seem to be a problem, and I did them again last night.  Well, now I'm feeling it in my glutes and quads big time.  So, I ended up shortening the run for today.  

Easy run; 8:56 pace.

Was going to take the day off since I was still pretty sore when I went to bed.  But I woke up early feeling a lot better.  Just a mild soreness in the quads.  So, I decided to take a slow test run.  Glad I did - the quads were not an issue.  The wind sure was!  -1C/30F with a stiff wind at 25 mph, making the windchill just 18 degrees.  Isn't it supposed to be warmer than this by now???

Pushed it a bit further today; 8:41 pace.  Feeling like my normal self.  Still cold!  Just -1C/32F with a strong north wind.

Feeling sore today, so took it super easy.  Five miles; 9:01 pace.  Heading to Ottawa tomorrow, so will get a couple of runs along the Rideau Canal when I'm there.

In Ottawa with some parishioners for the Annual March for Life.  Early morning run along the Rideau Canal.  I LOVE this route.  SO many runners.  Anyway, went the 6 miles at an easy pace of 8:41.

Along the Rideau Canal again.  Went all the way to the Dows Lake Pavillion.  What's there not to love about this city for running?  I think there must be runners out 24 hours/day.

Easy pace; 8:39.  Started slow and picked it up to MP by the end.

Easy run; 8:51 pace.

Well, it has been officially announced, so now I can say that I've been transferred to a different Parish, effective July 1st.  Not moving very far ... Garson.  Just 25km/15 miles from where I am now.  It's literally the parish next door to me.  Basically, moving from the Northern part of Greater Sudbury to the Eastern part.

So, as far as running, not much will change.  Still pretty much flat as a pancake there.  I'll have to discover new running routes once I move.

Easy run; 8:45 pace.

It rained last night, and this morning was that golden zone of blissful running.  5C/41F, little wind, everything smelling fresh, and the leaves just starting to break out on the trees.  Of course, my allergies are now kicking it up a notch too!

10 miles at an average pace of 8:26.  Started off in the 8:50/mile range and finished mile 10 in 7:38, so my pace was all over the map, but progressively faster every mile.  I wasn't pushing it and everything felt easy.  So, I think I have my legs back.

Easy recovery run; 9:00/mile pace.

Nice easy rain falling and a comfortable 10C/50F.  

My sinuses are really inflamed today because of the allergies.  More of a minor nuisance than anything.  It didn't help that I spent a chunk of yesterday doing yard work.  

Easy run; 8:49 pace.  Really warming up now:  15C/60F.  So nice for running, despite the blackflies that are now starting to bite.  Extra incentive to keep moving!

Moderate run; 8:17 pace.  Felt great to move.  Just -1C/31F with a stiff north wind, but sunny.

Started off easy and picked it up as I went.  Averaged 8:24 pace.

Easy run; 9:00 pace.  Light rain throughout, which actually felt kinda nice.

Picked up the pace a bit for the last few miles.  Averaged 8:25 for a run of 1:24:15.

Wore my new ultra vest for the first time, just to see how it felt. It's going to take some time to get used to running with it, I see.

Moderately fast run; 8:03 pace.  Felt like I could go on and on and on.  But I didn't.  

Easy miles; 8:39 pace.  Gentle rain falling, and lots of puddles to dodge.

Speedwork at the track - hadn't been there since early August last year, as I did all my winter speedwork on the treadmill.

The track is in decent shape.  The weeds haven't started growing up in it yet, and the highschool is using it for their spring events, so it's relatively smooth for a sand & stone track.

Anyway, I ran 6 repeats of 800s with a lap recovery in between.  Was aiming for something around 3:20/repeat; in between my 5k and 10k pace.  Ended up faster than that, but I guess it's okay, since I didn't fade.  Splits were:

3:20  3:18  3:15  3:13  3:13  and  3:11

Perfect running weather:  light rain, slight breeze, and just 12C/54F.

Easy recovery run; 8:47 pace.

I see the city has put the portable toilets back near the soccer fields for the summer.  That's good.  They are exactly 2 miles from home on most of my routes.  With 4 miles to go, when you just have to go, there's no way to hold it for 4 miles.  2 miles - it's doable.

And hey - the first hint of humidity today!  I mean, it's only 14C/57F and 89% humidity - but it was noticeable in a nice kind of way.

Mondays are for trails.  I took it to the x-country ski trails in Capreol.  Just 10 miles from here.  I've gone skiing on them in the winter, but this was my first time on them without snow.  

A humbling experience, running on trails.  Took just shy of 2 hours to run the 12 miles - pace of 9:57 - and it wasn't because I was trying to run slow.  That felt like a serious effort.

A few observations:  

The mosquitoes were big, plentiful and hungry.  A real incentive to keep moving!  At a 10 minute/mile pace, it was enough to keep them at bay.  But on the steep inclines where you had to walk, they had no problems catching up.  I didn't even have a walking cool down at the end ... I ran right to my truck, got in and drove away.

The trail is pretty identical to the "Run for the Toad" trail I'm training to run.  That was a smart move running the 25k there last fall.  I know what to expect.  These trails match both the type of running surface and the topography of "The Toad".  All good.

I don't think running The Toad under 5 hours is realistic.  I did the 25k in 2:12:00, so figured a sub-five was easy.  Now, maybe not so much.  We'll see how the training goes.

Finally, I'm not sure if Trail Ultras are going to be my thing.  I'll give it time, but it's obviously a very different animal from running on roads.  Lots of adjustments to be made.

It was 15C/59F at 90% humidity, but that wasn't a factor at all.  It actually felt nice out there.

Moderate paced run; 8:06/mile.

Had an hour massage yesterday after my trail run.  Helped a lot.  Hamstrings crazy tight, she said, like I didn't know.

Gave a blood donation yesterday too, so expect that might slow me down a bit for the next little while.  Maybe.